Catch Up Letter

Dear Couple of Weeks....and good morning.  I don't think I need to repeat the bunches of lows that I have lived through these past couple of weeks, but  through many prayers, God's hand, and my sweeties strong will we made it through.

Dear Highs....I think since I have shared so many lows this past week I need to share a few highs, there are always highs mixed among the lows, how else would we be able to appreciate those good times if we didn't have a little of the bad times to balance out.

Two weeks ago, which honestly seems like 6 months ago, I was privileged to be invited to take pictures of my friend Mary's family who were visiting from the northwest.  It was a blazing hot day, and I was still in the middle of my fitful coughing and nose running but I was able to capture sweet moments like this between Mother and daughter.

Dear Family.....Seeing my family which is sometimes a rarity with the busy lives they lead was definitely a blessing this past week.

Also being able to see my extended family, my sweetie's brother and sisters made separate trips for a visit.  It was wonderful to see all of them, and to catch up on all the family happenings that we miss seeing due to distance...I was able to capture this tender moment between my sweetie and his brother....

Dear Happy Scene....Walking to meet some girlfriends for lunch on Friday I passed this lady. After passing I stopped, turned around and asked to take her picture....she was so pretty with her bright yellow sweater and that beautiful flower in her hair, it was just a happy scene.  She shared with me that today was the 19th anniversary of the death of her husband and she tried to stay happy for him.  What isn't happy about a "mature" woman with a beautiful bright flower in her hair?!

Dear Bright Beautiful Sunflowers...you are always a happy scene and I found these right down the street from the hospital.

Dear Yearly Mammogram....I had my yearly mammogram last week and the results were normal...again I say, normal is a good thing.

Dear Looking Ahead....Fall is approaching, altho the next couple of days the weathermen are saying 90's, and I am ready to move forward.  This has not been the best summer of my life, I am ready to say goodbye and tuck these events of the summer into cold storage, certainly hoping to gather more delightful times ahead.  My September calendar is filling up with Art Institute luncheons, photo walks, a visit from my son & daughter-in-law from California, book club, bible study beginning again and most importantly The Alzheimer's Walk being held here in my hometown, Naperville, IL on Sunday, Sept. 22.  Our family is walking together to help in this struggle against this disease that has totally robbed my sweetie of his life along with millions of others.

If you would like to donate to this cause, I would appreciate anything that you could possibly give to this fight.  This is not something I ever do via my blog, but I feel so strongly about this fight that I felt the need to allow people the opportunity to give to a most worthy cause.  Click on TEAM GARY to be directed to the link to give.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued thoughts and prayers, you will never know how much your virtual friendships mean to me.  

"Nothing in life is to be feared.  It is only to be understood."  ~  Marie Curie

Until next time....

Normal Is A Good Thing

Don't sell normal short, normal is good and don't ever, ever think normal is boring.  When you don't have normal, you yearn for it, when life is turned upside down and seems to be spinning out of control, you long for normal.   With that being said, my life has been anything but normal these past couple of weeks.  First, getting sick, which is so far from normal for me.  I have evaded sickness in all forms for easily the last 5 years and honestly I have been extremely lucky most of my life in avoiding all types of sickness.  Heck, I haven't even had chicken pox or mumps as a child, so does that give you a hint as to how "healthy" I have been most of my life.  I did have a bout with pnemonia back in the 70's, but that was so long ago I almost forgot about it.  (but it sure convinced me to give up smoking at the time).

Anyway, getting sick was definitely abnormal for me, and after 2 weeks of battling whatever, I am still....still coughing.  Not nearly as much and I can probably count on 2 hands how many times I have coughed today which is a good thing but feeling normal again will be a welcome change.  But the really not normal for me, was the ordeal my sweetie just went through.  I can happily (with caution) say that he is back at his nursing home facility and resting comfortably as of this afternoon. After the rush to the hospital last Wednesday, the thoughts of losing him, the gathering of family and saying our goodbyes, and then to have him rally and prove to us that he was definitely not ready to leave, not normal.  Spending long days at the hospital, sometimes alone, sometimes with family or friends, not normal.  Eating hospital cafeteria food, day after day, not normal.  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining (well maybe a little) but life as I knew it was not normal.  About the only normal act I did this past week was to capture a few images of the beautiful high-bush cranberries on the bushes along the road-way into the hospital garage parking lot.  Ofcourse anyone that witnessed this probably thought I was totally abnormal.

I know each of us experience and perhaps struggle through periods in our lives that are considered "not normal", sometimes those times are wonderful, sometimes, not so much, and I have learned to cherish the "normal" times, when life is stable.  I know that life for my sweetie will never really be normal again, he is completely dependent for his basic needs, dressing, eating, cleanliness.  I must trust those around him to care for him and meet his needs, and to make his life as "normal" as possible for as long as possible.  So don't sell normal short...it's a good thing and definitely not boring.

Thank you so much for leaving such wonderful comments, your thoughts and prayers were a welcome read after almost losing my sweetie.  When life returns to "normal" I will certainly re-visit all of you.

Until next time....