Things Are Looking UP

I just talked with Mom. She said it has been a good day (it's been awhile since she felt that way).

First of all, her quarantine was lifted today. She's been released from her little room, and was free to visit with others and, even, have her meals in the dining room.

And, secondly, she participated in a meeting this morning, where plans for her discharge were discussed. The plan is, now that she's free to go to the rehab room again, to intensify her therapy, working on strength and balance. They feel like she will probably be ready to go HOME in ten days to two weeks. She's so excited about it.

She's no longer in a lot of pain. She's still dealing with her right foot, which is swollen and sore from the medicine-induced gout. It keeps her from being able to wear a shoe on that foot, but, after all she's been through, she doesn't seem to be too concerned about this.

I might mention (though she probably wouldn't want me to) that she was pretty surprised by her cell-phone bill this last cycle. Of course, all those many phone calls were better than any medicine during those darker days of this recovery - and she appreciates that. However, I've recently taken to calling her after 7:00 p.m. (Mountain Daylight Time) or on weekends, when her minutes are free. If you are only going to talk a few minutes, I don't think you need be concerned; but if you want to have a nice, long chat, maybe evening or weekend hours would be best.

Thanks to all of you who have suffered through this time with Mom; who have sent cards and/or letters; who have cheered her on through phone calls; and who have kept her in your prayers.

Memorial Day Picnic - Rio Grande Zoo

Late this morning Dan, Tim and I stopped by Church's Chicken to pick up fried chicken and all the trimmings. We took it to the zoo where we hoped to find a nice, shady spot to enjoy our picnic. We weren't disappointed. Although there were lots and lots of people there, the park is large enough to easily accommodate everyone. We had no trouble finding a shady place on the lawn to spread out our blanket.


After we ate, Tim and I strolled around, looking at some of the animals. The polar bears were really putting on a great show today. I think they are my favorite exhibit. They had a big barrel, floating in the water, that they were playing with. Tim and I watched them from beneath the water line, as well as above.





The cats were all taking a siesta, during the afternoon heat.



The seals and sea lions, on the other hand, were very active.



People were tossing fish food to the koi, exciting the fish and disturbing this swan's serenity.

And this old fellow, who was giving rides, looked hot and tired.


After making our way through about one-third of the exhibits, I was getting tired and sent Tim on, by himself, to see the rest of the animals. I went back to join Dan, who had stretched out, with his baseball cap over his face, and gone to sleep (I should have taken his picture. He looked a bit like the napping lion - above). The temperature was not too hot, and the trees provided enough shade to make the day just about perfect.

When Tim had finished viewing the animals, we cleaned up and got ready to leave. Dan offered to go get the car and bring it to the front gate, so we didn't all have to walk to it (we had to park at the far end of the parking lot).

After we dropped Tim off at his apartment, did some grocery shopping, and arrived home, we discovered that we didn't have our blanket. It wasn't just any blanket. It was a quilt, that Dan's grandmother had made for him as a child. We've used it for years for picnics and for bed coverings, so it hasn't been pampered, and it's getting quite worn. But it is very special to Dan. Some of the squares are even made out of his "spacemen" flannel pajamas.


So . . . back we went to the zoo. We have a season pass, so it was no trouble for me to get back in the front gate. At first I didn't see it where, I was sure, we had left it. But on second look, I saw it nearby. A young couple and their child were sitting beside our folded-up quilt, and were thrilled when I came to retrieve it. They were hoping someone would come and ask for it, and if not, they were going to take it to lost-and-found. I thanked them, and carried the quilt back to the car, where Dan was waiting anxiously. All's well that ends well, they say. It was a very nice Memorial Day.

Sweetpea Dances

Here I am swiping pictures from Kelsey's blog again! But this one was just so cute that I had to share it with everyone I know. (I realize some of you read Kelsey's blog, and she has several other cute new pictures out there - so rush on over!)

Anyway, Sweetpea is taking lessons this summer. The class is a combination of ballet, tap and gymnastics; and she's loving it! It seems she's always had a "thing" for ballerinas, or, as she says it, "balle-neenas." So here's our precious little balle-neena!

Rio Grande Botanic Gardens - May Photo Shoot

After meeting for lunch today, Sherry and I went to the Rio Grande Botanic Gardens. Today turned out to be the hottest day of the year, so far -- above 90! -- so we limited our visit to the Heritage Farm. It was too hot to enjoy the rest of the Gardens. Neither Sherry nor I have much tolerance for heat. Here are a few pictures from Heritage Farm, a working farm, where visitors can catch a glimpse of farm life from the 1920s and 1930s.









One thing we hoped to see today was the Japanese Garden, which opened last fall. When we lived in Oregon, the Portland Japanese Garden was, perhaps, my very favorite place to visit. It was so lush, so green, so peaceful. I even loved it in the rain. But I am having a very hard time picturing, in my mind, what a Japanese Garden must look like, here in the high desert! I learned, recently, though, that the garden is a combined effort of park staff and Toru Tanaka, a Japanese-garden designer based in Portland! I hope to visit it soon . . . maybe when Gloria is here. If so, we will go in the morning, before the temperature rises.

Below are some scenes from other parts of the Botanic Garden, that we passed through in getting to the Farm. It's really a beautiful place, and I'm looking forward to returning, some cool morning.