A Broken Heart 💔

HELLO!

Broken Heart Syndrome, it's a real thing.

I recently had, what is called Broken Heart Syndrome.

I have never heard of this before.

It imitates a heart attack.

click here to read more about 

Broken Heart Syndrome 

Tom and I went camping with our son and his family in

Hood River, Oregon.

I was so excited to see them, for it had been many months.

Mt Hood in Oregon

Friday night we set up camp, and enjoyed a few hours just the two of us.

Todd and family pulled in a few hours later.

Look how big they have grown.

Trey is 9 years old.

Scarlett is 6 years old

and

Huxley is now 2!

It was so good to see them.

The next morning Tom and I were enjoying our morning coffee. 

Here I am with Banjo and coffee.

Scarlett, Trey and Todd joined us minutes later.

I let Scarlett (5yrs.) take Banjo for a walk. I tied the leash to her wrist, so if she let go, the dog was still attached. She went a little too far for my liking so I went looking to bring them back.

I noticed two women walking their dog, a large Pit Bull.  They were coming towards Scarlett and Banjo. 

The next few minutes are still a blur.

The Pit Bull attacked Banjo. 

The women couldn't get control of this huge dog.

The Pit had Banjo by the neck and was swinging him around like a rag doll.

Scarlett screaming, Banjo yelping and crying, the two ladies yelling and screaming.

 So much commotion. 

Things were happening fast but in slow motion.

I knew I had to get Scarlett untied because she was being pulled towards the dogs.

I got Scarlett untied!

It had to be God who was with me because I don't remember how I untied the leash.

Todd and Tom came flying down the hill!

Todd picked up the Pit by the collar and lifted him up in the air.

The Pit let go of Banjo!

Todd scooped up Banjo and gave him to me.

I held him and checked him over...

NO BLOOD or wounds!!!

God blessed us!

I carried him back up the hill to our camp site.

Then...

OHHHHH NO!!!

My heart began to hurt!

I kept touching my chest and

checking out Banjo.

My heart really hurt!

I put Banjo down on our bed inside the RV.

I went outside and laid down on a blanket. 

Still touching my chest because it hurt.

I got up and sat in a chair.

I asked for some aspirin, nobody had any.

The Warden came by and said to go to the hospital.

 Todd and Tom quickly packed up our camp site and off we went.

It was 9:00 am when I checked into the emergency room.

I told them what had happened earlier with the dogs.

I was rushed into a room and was given an X-ray.

The ER Dr. came in and YES, there was damage to my heart.

More tests, blood drawn.

We waited and waited.

While we waited, I looked down at my dirty feet.

Mind you, I was still in my camping PJ's and without shoes.

Tom jumped in and 

WASHED MY FEET!

 I was admitted to a room. More tests.

More discussion of what to do.

The Dr. explained that I needed to go to a bigger hospital,

 where I could get an Angiogram to see if I needed stints or an operation.

This hospital didn't have the equipment.

It was a 25 bed hospital.

The Dr. suggested I go to Portland.

I didn't want to go there! I wanted to go home!

She said it was too dangerous to drive all the way back home.

It was a six hour drive!

(What was I thinking!!)

The Dr. had to leave and go home.

Tom needed to get back to the RV to check on Banjo

and get some sleep.

So I prayed!

I remembered someone saying to pray for very, specific, requests

So I did.

I needed to know where I was going. 

 I didn't want to choose or decide, which hospital, and where.

When I looked up there were several EMT's at the foot of my bed,

with a gurney. 

One gentleman said, "You're going to Portland."

I asked, "When?"

He said, "NOW!"

This was Sunday, about 1:00 in the morning. 

Tom was sleeping in the parking lot with Banjo.

I asked it I could call Tom.

"No, the nurse will tell him."

I was wheeled down to an ambulance, and then to a medivac helicopter!

A HELICOPTER !!!

It was a 20 minute flight and we landed on the hospital roof!

We arrived in the receiving room. 

I was praying a lot.

One thing I prayed for was a soft, comfortable bed. My prayer was answered.  

I was given the most comfortable bed.

(My bed at the first hospital hurt my back and neck.)

When I was taken off the gurney, they plopped me on the softest bed!

It felt like a cloud!

God is good!
 

Tom eventually arrived with Banjo, in Portland.

I was hooked up to all kinds of devices.

Blood was taken regularly and checked.

My heart was being monitored around the clock.

And I was scheduled for an Angiogram.  

I had my procedure on Monday.

As it turned out, they went through my wrist and not my leg.

THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY CLOGGED ARTERIES!

 That's when the Cartologist told me.

 I had Broken Heart Syndrome!

 Hmmm... sounds good to me!

No heart attack!

Afterwards I was able to walk around and I was finally able to eat a meal!

I just had to get a picture of my

Cloud Bed!

I was discharged on Wednesday.

Here we are, happily, heading Home.

Laughing, crying and reminiscing about All that had happened.

*********

There was so much more to this adventure.

So many things I wanted to share. 

 But the one thing I must share is this,

God was with me from the very beginning.

 Banjo didn't get hurt,

answering specific prayers, 

 finding no permanent damage to my heart and

having people back home praying for me.

I am blessed!

And I want to tell you, that Tom is my hero!

Kimmy is my champion, with constant phones calls of encouragement and wisdom.

Mark blessed us by driving all the way over, to pick up Banjo and take him back home.

And I'm recovering well.

God is so good!

Saying Good-bye to Aunt Bobbie

My Aunt Bobbie, went into Hospice.

Tom and I hurried over to the Seattle area to see her and tell her how much I loved her!

*******

When ever we would travel to Seattle, to see our grandchildren,

we'd make time to take Aunt Bobbie out for lunch.

We'd discuss about what book, in the Bible, we were reading.

She loved to share God and the Gospel with me or anyone!

Lunch was our thing.

Birthdays or just getting together.

Sometimes we'd have tea at her home.

Always praying before we start eating.

We would go out for lunch and we'd both end up ordering the very same thing.

Dessert followed our lunch and it was always,

Lemon Meringue Pie!

This is why it's my favorite pie.

God gives us special people in our lives.

Aunt Bobbie was mine.

 Aunt Bobbie was my mom's older sister.

 But really, she was more like a mom to me most of my life. 

We love each other very much.

Aunt Bobbie always looked so nice and she sewed ALL her  clothes. 

She sewed her swim suits, too!

Kimmy and I were blessed to have several items in our closets made by Aunt Bobbie.

That's where I got my enjoyment of sewing.

Hawaii was her destination for vacations.

She even lived there for several years.

This is our son, walking her down the isle at 

Kimmy's wedding. 

Aunt Bobbie had a huge impact on me!

She became a Christian right after her daughter died.

She prayed for our family, continually.

She would literally get on her knees, everyday and pray.

She gave me Bibles, books and her love. 

Her biggest accomplishment

 was being a BSF teacher for over 40 years.

But really, it was her impact on me and our family.

****

When we left for Seattle, we bought a Lemon Meringue Pie.

I knew, I needed to share our tradition of

ending our time, with pie. 

When we saw each other we cried.

We were so happy to see each other, again.

Because of COVID, I haven't see her in months.

This was a special reunion!

I stroked her hair,

Read out loud to her, her Bible.

We prayed, reminisced and had pie!

She ate her whole piece of pie.

We laughed!

I then cried, knowing our visit was ending. 

She dried my tears with her napkin.

She told me, "Don't cry."

Still taking care of me.

I told her, if she sees Jesus, go home with him!

A kiss good-bye.

Love You !

  Love You !!

   Love You !!!

(this was our traditional good-bye saying)

~~~~****~~~~

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

 

 PS: This is a post I did about Aunt Bobbie a few years ago. Click here to read it.

Keeping Busy

Project # 1

We have a back hallway with a long blank wall that you can't see from the living room.

But the kids and a few other do see it because, the toy closet is across from the "Art Gallery"  and the second bathroom.

I use this wall to hang the grand kid's drawings.

When it gets filled up, I take them down 

and start all over again.

The pictures that are taken down,

 get sorted by date and grandchild.

Each grandchild has their own binder.

All their pictures get put into a plastic sleeves and then into 

his or hers binder.

I love looking at their artistic progress!

 ☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀

Banjo and I go for 3 to 4 walks a day.

There is always something that catches,

 his puppy eye!

This day he rounded the corner and saw a scooter lying on the sidewalk.

He stopped dead in his tracks!

Barked and growled at it, not knowing what he was looking at!

I had to slowly step towards it.

Then he investigated it!

On our next walk, he was OK with it.

He's still has a puppy curiosity but growing up fast.

He now lifts he leg!!

🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Project #2

Tom and I hung an American Flag

on our back porch.

We have a semi-busy street behind the back fence
 and with the
patio lights really make a statement.

We wanted to add a little cheer for those who drive by.

We turn them on in the morning

And again in the evening.

🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴

You can find either of us,

 on sunny days, sitting outside.

Usually, praying!

~~~~****~~~~

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 

Matthew 6:10

A Stay At Home Grandma

Tom and I have elected to stay home

 as much as possible.

We have keep up our reading the Bible, from start to finish.

Right now we are at the end of Psalms.

I find this book to be very pertinent! 

We have our Clorox Wipes going full time!

Vitamins for breakfast, eating a spoonful of chopped garlic before lunch and gargling salt water before bed.

But before we confined ourselves to home, we took Banjo to the Vet to get his Rabies shot.

All his shots are now completed!

Someone said that this picture of him, 

looks like he is smiling!

Social Distancing, a new term for me.

 I take Banjo for  walks several times a day.

I use this time for training.

He is learning to sit when I stop, without me telling him.

To walk next to me without pulling on the leash.

and to be polite to others we see.

But he doesn't understand Social Distancing, yet!

Mr. Pickles ( our neighbors dog) and Banjo
 just don't have it in them to keep their distance.

We don't confine ourselves completely to our home.
We take Banjo for practice Car Rides, for the future.

Banjo enjoys the window down.

I even think he fell asleep looking out the window.

The other day I organized and took an inventory 

of what we have on hand in our garage pantry.

While out in the garage with me, 

Banjo saw himself for the first time in the hubcap.

He curious and couldn't figure it out.

It was so funny, I just had to take a picture.

I'm keeping busy at home.
I brought out Susie, my sewing machine,

We have 5 birthdays coming up real soon!

Three little boys are getting
Paw Patrol Pillowcases!

Three presents down, two to go!

So, tell me, how you are doing at this time?

If you are staying home, what are you doing to keep busy?

I know I have read a lot more, especially about how to keep healthy.

I really like how others are sharing their information on recipes, thoughts, prayers, health, home school ideas and just just about anything else helpful.

Do you have any?

~~~~****~~~~

Matthew 6:25-34 

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Be Sate and Healthy !

One day at a time......

What's Up?

This is my favorite tree this time of the year.
Everyday I stop and admire it.
Soon it will loose it's leaves.
I'll have to wait until next year for it's beauty.

Both of our kids and their families got together to

enjoyed a weekend together.

Our son Todd 

Our daughter Kimmy 

And their kids.....

Scarlett, Silas, Ila May, Huxley,

 Lulu, Trey, Levi, Nathan and Isaac.

This is all of them!

(Hi Mark and Stephanie)

 God has blessed us more then I

ever knew He would!

Just one more picture!

Ahhhhh.....

🌻🍁🌻🍂🌻🍁🍂🌻🍁🍂

Our church has a Harvest Festival each year.

There are so many activities to participate in.

Relay races, tug of war, horse rides, make your own caramel apple,

hay rides. 

This year the younger kids had

Pumpkin Play Dough.

Each could make a tiny pie out of the play dough and take it home.

Kimmy was in charge of this activity.

Every family had a chance to get photo taken.

So fun!

 For the Foodies in our church,

we have two contests.

A Chili contest and

 the most popular, the

PIE CONTEST!

This year there were over 25 pies entered!!

Tom has been a Pie Judge for the 3rd year in a row.

A highly coveted position!

  

Angie and I were in charge of this event.

 A lot of stress!

Boys, girls, women and men all hovering over 

the pies, debating which looks the best.

Or wondering if theirs won!

When the Judges were done, the winner is announced.

Plates and forks came out and everyone digs in.

Whew!! Our job is done!

Ila May made  her 1st Apple Pie and entered it.

No ribbon but it was delicious.

Here she is showing off her pie and

 her play dough pie, too.

📜📢📜📢

Every year we gather around in a huge circle 

and listen to someone's testimony

 before we bless the food and eat.

This year Tom told his story.

It was wonderful!

This is Tom with a microphone.

Tom wanted me to stand next to him, which was an honor to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Until next Harvest Festival...



~~~~****~~~~

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it."

Matthew 7:13-14