Catching Up

DAN
Dan had his staples removed at the two-week mark. His therapist came for the last time last Thursday. She's thrilled with his progress. Someone from Home Health should be coming to the house to see him this week to discharge him from their care. He'll be charged with continuing his exercises on his own, for the long haul. Full recovery takes a full year. He still takes a cane with him when he leaves the house, but he usually just carries it instead of actually using it. He's anxiously waiting his six-week appointment with the doctor, when he should be released to drive again.

EXERCISE
And, speaking of continued exercise . . . Dan's therapist was the last in a string of professionals who recommended a stationary recumbent bicycle for both Dan and me. So we finally broke down and bought one. We set it up in the "kids' room" - the room with the bunk beds for Clara and Robert, when they visit. We can move it out of there when the kids are here. Both of us have been faithfully using it, so far. I am doing a morning and an evening session.

THE BIRDS
The babies have flown away. Now we need to get the nest taken down and the porch and column cleaned up again.

THE LAWN
Remember how dead our lawn looked early this spring, because of a fungus that attacked it?

We treated it with a fungicide and have been careful not to over-water it, and it's almost totally recovered. We were really concerned, thinking we might have to re-sod at least part of it, but I'm happy to report that that's not going to be necessary.

TIM
We're looking forward to a visit from Tim in the near future. It will be brief, since he has other friends in Texas whom he wants to visit, as well, but we'll get to enjoy him for a few days.

MOM
It looks like a space will be opening up at Stoney Brook by the middle of July . . . not the size/style apartment that Mom wants, but one she can move into until the ideal one opens up. It's been a difficult time for her. She has been in limbo, not knowing when she will be moving, but trying to be ready whenever they notify her. Last week was especially difficult for her, emotionally. But today the movers are coming to her house to take inventory and give her an estimate for the move. Since it is their peak season, there is about a 30-day wait from the time you get on their list to when they can actually come and pick up your household goods. Then it takes 4 to 7 days to deliver it at the other end, so we are starting this process none-too-soon!

I plan to travel to Carlsbad on July 7, to help Mom with the final stages of her move, and then drive her to Texas. I'm not sure whether the timing will work out for her to move directly into her new place when we get back, but she can stay with us until she does.

BIBLE BEES
The Bible Bees is off and running. The numbers are still small, but we are actually getting some new-comers who've heard about the program. And the children are excited about learning their memory verses and new songs. One little girl whose Mama habitually gets her to class late has started coming with her grandparents just so she won't be late for the Bible Bees!

ART CLASS
I'm still loving my two hours a week that I spend in my art class. I'm getting to know some of the others in the class, and finding it the most relaxing time of my entire week. My teacher is still having me do drawing and shading exercises, but the drawings are getting more complex. Someday I'll get to pick up a brush and dip it into some paint!

Still Life

Doll on Stand

The Squatters Win . . . Again

Remember how we tried to keep our returning mama barn swallow from nesting at the top of our porch column, for the second year in a row, by putting a water-filled plastic jar on top, to fill the space? And remember how that plan worked soooooo well?

Well, we weren't going to be out-witted, so we took down the jar and put in its place a brick, turned on end, leaving almost no room at the top.

So much for that stroke of genius! Here are a couple snapshots of what's perched atop the brick-at-the-top-of-the-column right now:

Not wishing to offend your sensitivities, I won't show you a picture of what's at the bottom of that column - the terrible mess that they have made, once again, of our porch.

The mama bird can't even fit in the nest now - the nest being rather small, because of the miniature plot she had to build upon. She comes by, frequently, during the daytime to put food in the little-'uns' gaping mouths, but she watches over them, at night, from six feet away, perched on the eaves of our garage, across from the nest.

I'm really not a bird-hater. In fact, I'm really quite fond of them, and I'd be more than happy to have them make their abode in our fair-sized young oak tree in the front yard. But they are determined to live right here on our front porch.

So, in case you haven't been keeping score over the past two years, it's stands at: Twitterpated Birds 2, Out-smarted Humans 0. But just wait until NEXT spring. We'll show them who's boss!

Go Dan, Go!

Yesterday Dan "graduated" from walker to cane! He goes in on Thursday to have his staples removed. I'm very proud of his progress and can-do attitude. He even made it all the way through the worship service on Sunday.

He had four days of PT last week, and will have three days this week. His therapist has convinced him that we should have a stationary recumbent bicycle. I'm sure it would be good for both of us, but we don't really have a good place to put it. Where there's a will, there's a way, I guess. We'll find a corner somewhere.