Happy Thanksgiving

We awoke to mild temperatures this morning. It's 51 degrees. A perfect day for travel. Jim and I are busily packing and preparing to leave for our Thanksgiving holiday in Pennsylvania. We plan to be at our sister-in-law, Deb's, for dinner tonight. I am excitedly thinking about what yummy dinner she is preparing for us. As you know, if you read my blog at all, she is so special and precious to me. She and Kacy are such a connection to my late brother who I adored. I guess it's just natural that I would adore his wife and daughter, my dear niece.

Tomorrow we will have dinner with Deb's niece and her family. Marty has two little boys who are cute as bugs. I am looking forward to spending some time with them. It should be a really fun and happy day.

Friday will take us to Emporium to see Jim's mom for awhile. She will spend Thanksgiving at her Adult Care facility this year, but we will be back in Pennsylvania shortly to celebrate her 95th birthday. What a happy celebration that will be.

I have so much to be thankful for that I just don't know where to start. Suffice it to say, I feel blessed every moment of my life and thank God for his grace and mercy to me.

This is a very busy travel holiday so if you are travelling, please be careful and watch out for the other guy.

~Hippo Hugs~

Cooking & Crafting On A Rainy Day

Yesterday was the first rainy day we've had in November. Although I was sorry to give up the chance to walk outdoors, we need the rain and I determined to enjoy it. Jim was busy doing a painting job for friends and I had my kitchen all to myself sooo...

~I made some favorite dishes; spaghetti pie and taco chicken. Both of these recipes are easy to make and yummy to eat. Both can also be frozen and reheated at a later date. These are great casseroles to take to friends in need or to have on hand for company.

In my case, I have a friend who is going through some medical issues in her family and she is taking up all the slack that occurs when a family member is ill. She is such a wonderful mother and friend. I marvel at the ability she has to keep going and going; just like the Energizer Bunny. So, I thought a visit from The Food Fairy was in order. I didn't photograph the casseroles, but here's dessert.

It was such an enjoyable afternoon, snug in my kitchen with the wonderful food aromas filling the house. It makes me anxious to begin my Christmas baking.

Then, because I'm not a big fan of Thursday night television, I spent the evening in my craft room...

~creating these for Thanksgiving.

I thought they would make cute place cards for the table. We are spending Thanksgiving with my SIL, Deb and niece, Kacy. Dinner will be at Deb's niece's house. We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving and a chance to be with this part of our family.

Well, I'm going to run. Tonight I'm planning to see a local production of the musical Carousel. My friend, Shelly, is the choreographer. The director is another acquaintance of mine. A great guy and a good director. I'm sure the show will be a delight. Have a happy weekend.

~Hippo Hugs~

Thy fate is the common fate of all;

Into each life some rain must fall."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Mid-week Catch Up

I cannot believe how beautiful the entire month of November has been here in Upstate, NY. Today was another gorgeous, sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50's. Many times, by this time of the year, we have snow in this area. We are all just lovin' these beautiful Indian Summer days. Knowing that they can't last forever, I have been trying to be outside as much as possible.

I went to the hospital to spend the lunch time with Bruce today. He is having a regular diet now, and although he can feed himself it is a little difficult with only one hand so, sometimes, it's nice to have a little help. It was nice to have that time to visit with him by myself. He's doing pretty well and I think it won't be long before he's off to a skilled nursing facility for his orthopaedic rehab. They can't start his spinal cord rehab until the orotho is done, so the sooner the better.

In between hospital visits and trying to get some exercise, I have been working on putting my craft room back together. I am so excited to finish it and post some pictures. Jim has done such a nice job of painting and refitting it, I am anxious to show it off.

He's also finished painting the downstairs bathroom and I'm trying to get that finished too. My main problem is window treatments. I just can't make up my mind. I'm thinking of Roman shades in the craft room, but haven't seen exactly what I want yet. I'm not one of those people who has a decorator's touch. I really agonize. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

I know my postings have been sparse and a little boring lately, but I'm going to get better....sometime, I promise.

~Hippo Hugs~

Wild Things

I went to see Where the Wild Things Are with the Lindas tonight. The Lindas worked with me in the library (back in the olden days) before I retired. So, of course, we needed to see what they had done to this classic children's book by Maurice Sendak. It was a fun evening

We went to dinner before the movie. The food was good and the company better. We did enjoy the movie. There were only two other people in the theatre besides us. They left as soon as the picture finished. As soon as (the bad) Linda realized they were gone, she began to howl. And, of course, I couldn't let her howl alone so I joined her. The good Linda, however, did not howl.

As for a review of the movie, my only comment would be that it seemed much more an adult movie than a child's. The wild things were charming and Max was a delightful little boy. And though I know his mom was relieved to have him back safe and sound, I still think there should have been a consequence for biting. Is that the disciplinarian in me speaking?

All-in-all it was a great day. Bruce continues to make progress. It's slow, but it is forward and for that we are grateful. He's eating soft foods, taking his meds orally and breathing with only the nose prongs. All this is good and we are thankful. Please continue to remember Bruce and Shelly in your prayers.

~Hippo Hugs~

More Happy News

Bruce is tubeless today. It was so good today to walk in and see him without that ugly breathing tube. He still has an oxygen mask on his face, but one more hurdle has been passed. They were doing physical therapy on his legs when we arrived.

This is all good news. Praise the Lord.

~Hippo Hugs~

A Joyful Report

It's late and I'm very tired, but just had to post a little good news. Yesterday, Bruce had surgery to repair his broken femur. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Prior to the surgery, with his daughters and wife watching, he moved BOTH of his legs. That's right, both of his legs.

The spinal surgeon had told Shelly earlier that he was sure there was some spinal cord activity, but to see it with our own eyes was a wonderful gift. The surgery went well. They did not repair the shoulder as they want to wait until the breathing tube is out as that will make the surgery easier.

And did I mention the other good news? His peep (I have no idea exactly what that is) is 5 (and I do know that that is good). They are hoping to remove the breathing tube tomorrow. They may or may not do a temporary trach depending on how he responds.

I cannot be grateful enough. I am praising God and standing in awe of the work going on in Bruce's life.

Thanks for your prayers. Please keep on.

~Hippo Hugs~

Sunday Update

Oh, the twist and turns of life. I'm so sorry I've not been a faithful blogger these days. The past few weeks have been pretty much a blur. I'm still spending nights with Shelly. It's not that she's afraid to be alone, it's just the thought of a nighttime phone call bringing bad news that haunts her. So, for the time being, I'm living in two homes. Jim is such a dear husband and wonderful friend for seeing that this is where we need to be right now.

In my days at home, I've managed to:

~Get to Curves four times. That's good. I'm so glad to be back at Curves. It is good for me both physically and mentally. I'm also walking on the treadmill regularly.

~Start to put my craft room back together. Wait 'til you see the pictures. Jim has done an outstanding job of redoing this room for me. Now I just need time to get settled in here. A little bit at a time is working.

~Go to the mountains with Jim and another friend of Bruce's and close the cabin for the winter. Remember the fun of opening last spring? Hopefully, we'll have a healthy Bruce to open again next June.

\

~Have lunch out three times. What is it about times of crisis that make us think we can eat whatever and whenever we want? I know some people don't eat in crisis, me, I just want lots and lots of sweets and fats.

We have had some good news in the past few days. The spinal surgeon has told Shelly that there is movement below the site of the injury. He seems to have some movement and sensation. How much and how long the therapy will be isn't quite evident yet, but this is better news than we really expected. He is, however, still on the ventilator as his bruised lungs are healing slowly. This is a source of great frustration to him. I cannot even imagine how he must feel.

We are still waiting and praying for the final surgery on his leg and arm. That won't take place until his lungs are more stable. Let's pray that that is this week.

I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and support. We are so thankful for all the people around the country and world, actually, who are praying for Bruce and Shelly. We do have so much to be grateful for. You are all wonderful.

~Hippo Hugs~