The last week or so I've been going through 27 boxes of books that have been stored for 6 years. Some boxes take me longer than others as I walk with Elsie Dinsmore through her southern mansion, and I see butterflies fly gently through the Limberlost swamp.( I remember the time when I was able to see "Shepherd of the Hills" in Branson, MO) and I read about "When a Man's a Man". I spent the afternoon with Laurie and Mary in their “Little House on the Prairie.” And ran on the seashore with the “Bobbsie Twins” It was exciting to visit Louisa May Alcott and her sisters as they became “Little Women” again and “Little Men” and to meet “Jo’s Boys” I was so glad to talk with “Pollyanna” again and play her glad game, (in which I am glad Pop (my DH) is feeling better. I’m glad he don’t have to go to the doctor today.)

Tonight I’ll go with George McDonald to “The Shepherds Castle” and I’ll carefully steal down the steps to the dungeon in hopes I’ll get there before anyone else, in time to save (whoever’s down there, I forgotJ ) (our old house, when we lived near Estacada, lent itself well to mystery books, books about country life, “Little House in the Big Woods” and “Cheaper by the Dozen” I remember one night all was quiet in the house and the children were asleep. (or so I thought) but sometime after midnight there were books being read. The upstairs bedroom were arranged thus…there was a bedroom at the end of the house, and an attic bedroom above. Just next to the bedroom below was another bedroom. Well, “altheveas” was in the attic bedroom reading, “The Shepherd Castle“. Mrs.Darling was below reading and #2 son was in the next bedroom reading Huck Finn.#2 son laughed out loud at something he read and that set off a chain reaction. Mrs.Darling heard it and responded with “Hark I heard an idiot laugh” and in turn “alltheveas” was in the attic reading ‘Shepherd Castle” and the tension was building up as the lover in the book was creeping down the steps to the dungeon below to rescue his love. Next morning “altheveas” announced that anyone with a less sound mind that her would have lost it right there.)

O, the memories, great and small, that one has in a lifetime.

I come to Oregon with the Whitman’s as they settled in Washington and fought with Custer on the battlefield, to the last. (I remember one time on one of our trips standing where the battle was fought, the sun was setting and as we looked out over the rolling hills we could see groups of 2 white crosses together where the men had fallen, there were groups of 3 and sometimes 5 scattered over the hills, and there across the hill was one lonely white cross (the crosses were placed where the men had fallen. It was quiet and still that night and one could feel the loneliness and the quietness that must have spread over the land after the battle was done.)

I went with “Christy” to see “Cutter Gap” and traveled thru “The Lighthouse” with Eugenia Price and visited the old church on St Simons Island. Coffee table books from Washington DC to Alaska. I don’t dare forget my ancestor found in many, many books.

I could go on forever but I have to sort more books J and Pop has a doctors appointment we need to leave for soon. (I guess I started this yesterday, when there was no doctors appointment.)

I encourage you Go Thru the Day with Christ, we live in a time where God is our only hope

O’re the snake river and through the desert. - To another surgery we go. - The car knows the way, and Pop does too.  - As down I-84 we go.

Over the river and through the desert, - My how the sun does shine: - It’s hot today, as we go our way, - And the temp says ninety-nine.

Over the river and through the desert, - Now the hospital I do spy; - It isn’t much fun, Is the doctor done: - Hours later, we breathe a sigh.

Down at the hospital, in room 326 - Pop spent the night alone - We’re happy today, as we go on our way. - ‘Cause today we bring him home.

As you might guess Pop had his 4th surgery yesterday and he has 3 or 4 more to go He has been hospitalized 4 times, and in day surgery 2 times.

Yesterday he had a large kidney stone removed  ( almost an inch in size) also the doctor removed the stint they had put in and couldn't find the last time he had a procedure done.  This time caused him more pain than he had the last times. We brought him home today around 2pm.  My son and his wife are staying with us this time.  For which I am very thankful.  If I felt good I think I could do it alone, the way it is I'm kinda scared I can't take care of him right with 2 tubes placed in his back (kidneys)  He sometimes get dizzy when he gets up and I'm sure I couldn't hold him up if he would fall.  The road ahead is getting shorter and I'm in awe how my God has been with us.

Blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord.  Psalm 33:12 - America, America! God shed His grace on thee.....     and now we pray for mercy.  PRAY for our nation!

The last several days, the output of Pop’s right kidney (he has a catheter directly into his kidney that drains out into a bag) has been getting darker. He didn’t seemed worried about it so I didn’t worry. But this morning I looked at it and I was sure he had blood in it. He did say it looked darker than it had. Sooooo…..

We called my daughter and she called the doctor and talked to the nurse. It had been 2 weeks since he had the catheter put in his kidney and the nurse thought we should have it checked out.. So that meant a trip to the ER.

My son Mart was visiting (he is working for Choice Books and when he is in Idaho he stops in, when he is in the area.) He had left on his route, so my daughter met us at the hospital. Mart happened to be working at a store close to the hospital, so till we got there, Mart was there, too.

11:50 am - We went in, did the necessary paper work and was shown to a room. Room #7

Mart went on because there wasn‘t anything to do at the hospital but wait..

The wait begin…..

12:20pm - The nurse came in and took his blood pressure 185/90. His Temp was 98.5.

12:50 pm - .Pop was getting restless. We told him to calm down the doctor was probably busy. He thought about it and calmed down. They had him take his shirt off but leave his jeans on. They gave him a gown to put on instead of his shirt, so he wouldn’t get cold.

1:10 pm - The ER Doctor came in, talked to him, said they would take a sample, and be back with the results. Somewhere between noon and 1:30pm they looked up his blood work, which he had done yesterday, so they could get the results before his next procedure, next Wednesday. His creatinine level was 3.0 which was good, for him

1:50 pm - he said “a person could be dead by now” He got out of bed, went out in the hall, found a nurse, and the poor nurse apologized all over, Said that is was fine that Pop came out and got him. Pop came in and got back in bed. The nurse came in and took some more information, a urine sample, and departed.

2pm - Pop was getting hungry by that time sooooo… He got out of bed, went out in the hall and asked the nurse if he could get something to eat. The nurse said “Sure my friend I’ll get you something right away, thanks for asking me” Pop came back in, got into bed, looked at me and said “you better get and walk around a little bit, you have sat quite awhile by now” So I obediently got up, walked around his bed and sat back down.

2:30 pm The food arrived. It looked good and Pop did eat (I ate half of it, because he said it was too much for him.) Valerie had went after something for her and myself.

2:50 - Pop put on his shirt and said he was going home. After Pop got dressed, he went out into the hall. Valerie and I still sat in our chairs, We could hear Pop talking to the nurse. “Hey, I’ve waited for 3 hours and I’m not dead. So I might as well go home and wait for the results there.” the nurse answered “We don’t want you to leave, my friend, the doctor will be here in about ½ hour."

3:30 the doctor arrived and said Pop had an infection, he would give an antibiotic, and Pop could go home. We stopped at K-Mart left off the prescription and went home.

Pop went back later for the pills (a good thing we only live 2 miles form K-Mart)

So it was another long day, but I am thankful we caught it this time before it got worse, at least he didn’t have to stay in overnight this time.

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I was surfing the blog world last night and it didn’t take me long to realize that my troubles were small. There is so much heartbreak and pain out there. I feel frustrated because I can’t do much about it, although your encouraging comments have done a lot for me, so I try to pass it on. It helps so much when one believes in God, He gives peace and comfort like nothing else can and when other Christian friends leave a word of encouragement, it make warm circles go around my heart. I don’t know how a person make it without God and Christian friends. There is a song that I listened to just last night and the ending phrase is “Thank God for my Christian friends” And, I AGREE, whole heartedly.

I love you all, “good night”

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"

There has so much been going on in my life lately that,......what?  I sit here and don't know where to start.  I get to feeling really guilty when I have bad days. Especially so many of them in a row.  I thank God that I feel better today.  I feel like I've let laziness take over...Although the doctor said I'd have more days of fatigue as time went on. I won't accept it,  I can't accept it.  It seems like if I use that for an excuse, I'll get to the point where I'll be good for nothing. ( I already have days when I struggle with feeling good for nothing and I mean nothing,.)  In the back of my mind I know that God has a reason for me being here, if only I can fulfill His purpose for my life.

Yesterday as I was sitting in my chair, I tried to analyze why it is that I'm so comfortable just sitting around or taking a nap.  I thought to myself  "This is ridicules" so I forced myself to get up and then it came to me.... I have no pain or strain when I'm sitting or laying (for this I am thankful).... when I get up and move around it is an effort and after awhile my back feels tight and begins to hurt, my legs ache and I'm a mess. 

I first noticed my aches and pains a couple years after me moved to Idaho. We moved from a 17 room house to a 7 room house.  I blamed it on the house being too small = I was too big for my house.  I finally got so tired I went to the doctor about it, along with my speech problem.  I told the Dr. as best as I could, my troubles, I explained to him exactly how I felt including ny feeling that I was too big for my house.  He made no comment and soon after he left the room. I thought he didn't pay any attention, till he came back and said, "I've got some medicine for you that will make you feel better and also make so you fit into your house"

You want to read about more of my troubles....... Pop,is a man of many words and many questions. and I have a big problem talking to him as much as likes me to and that causes many frustrations, for me anyhow.  (Maybe he's glad because I can't argue with him anymore.)    He is feeling better and he goes to town and comes back and tries to tell me all the stuff he seen on sale and all the prices that have gone up, this young kid driving a big pickup with no idea how much it costs for gas, Pilot has the cheapest gas, there is a new Love's station going in and that will hurt Pilot big time, he met Mr.? in town and Pop don't understand how that guy makes it with a family, (you never see him working,) The neighbor got a new lawn mower that almost bigger than his yard, he don't how the neighbor will turn the thing around in his yard. And I just grunt once in awhile and Pop seems happy with that.  He asked me a question about something this morning and I told him, NO. He laughed and said, he could still understand when I said "no" and he hopes I never lose the ability to say "no" he thinks it's cute.  grrr    

I thank God that Pop is feeling better, although he has to be very careful or he gets weak and shaky.  The other day he thought he could trim up the lawn.  It wasn't too long till he was back in the house on his recliner.  He still waiting to get strong enough for another surgery in which they will go in and remove his kidney stone and hopefully the one catheter that drains his left kidney.