Blessings Amongst Sadness

Are there things in your home that need attending to, not emergencies or anything, but stuff that for one reason or another you just don't get around to? One such thing in our home was my beautiful copper clock with the pendulum that quit swinging, and worse yet, quit telling time, maybe two months ago. It has been a very stressful week, but I can now check that off my list. While B was at Habitat, before going to see Maureen, I finally put that beauty in the back of the MINI and went to see my friend at the Swiss House. He fixed it before. Actually it was 2015 according to the sticker he put on the back. And you know how long it took him? About five minutes MAX. No charge either.

And although it has been stressful, there have still been blessings such as the annual blooming of Orchid trees,

and the beautiful Tabebuia trees that have just begun filling the sky with their multitude of pink flowers, enough to raise anyone's spirits. Plus, the weather has been grand!

Do you want the good news or bad news first?

Perhaps you have been wondering about Maureen, so let's start there. This is the bad news part. I wrote that they might replace the newly installed hip prosthetic, and indeed that was the case. Arriving at the surgical waiting room, they told me she'd been in the operating room for about 45 minutes. When my name was not called for another hour plus, I presumed the worst and so it was. Eventually they did call my name and I met with her Orthopedic surgeon who explained that it was not as unusual for this to happen as it seems. Sometimes the body rejects it and the site becomes infected as is the case with her. They cleaned it all out, followed by a much longer incision this time in order to remove the one month old hip. Lots of misery has followed including the news that she will be receiving IV antibiotics for the next six weeks FOUR times a day! Although her mind is clouded, she did have the wherewithal to remember that she already has a port and could they use that? Why yes they can. And they are. She returned to rehab at Westminster on Thursday evening to begin the slow process of recovery. I wish I were more optimistic.

Secondly I heard from Carol who is often too tired to talk. The phone rang at 6AM and when I saw the caller ID on our house phone, my heart sunk, fearing the worst. Thankfully she was merely calling at 3AM PST because she could not sleep. All I can really say is that she is not improving in spite of her many treatments. And while all of this is no fun for me, imagine how they feel with no end in sight?

Well, that was sure a downer, right?

Let's do some happy stuff, shall we? Like Troy coming with paint samples!!

Four whites, chosen by moi, none of which is the one.

 I know it is ridiculous, but did you know that between the major paint manufacturers there are about 300 different whites? Blue undertones, pink undertones, really too many choices!

Like my personal handy guy, not only finishing changing out all of the hinges, but drilling all of the holes for the new hardware.

And yes, he is wearing sandals with his cool weather clothes--a true Florida boy! Actually, today the high was 80 degrees. When I check the weather for Vancouver or London, the high stays pretty much the same all week. Mostly in the 40's. In the winter here, the temperatures are up and down the scale. One day 80, one day 65. The only thing you really know is that it won't hit 90, unlike the looming months ahead when it won't be any lower!

When we went to get our cabinet hardware, we went to a warehouse off of Sand Lake Road, just past John Young Parkway, at a place called Richelieu. A Canadian company actually. Unfamiliar with the area, I turned in before we got there and guess what we found? Amazon warehouse! There was a guy directing traffic in the parking lot with Amazon vehicles everywhere. Well, Thursday, instead of going to see Maureen, we did some much needed shopping together. Beginning our day at Bob's Restaurant, recommended by a friend who knows I am a bird lover. The owner photographs birds, and as we learned patrons also give her photographs, the walls are lined with Florida birds and wildlife.

Sitting down, B said he recognized the woman in the shorts. Who could she be? Well, here's the scoop. 25+ years ago, when he first worked at, what was then called General Mills Restaurants, she had a diner across the street from the office that the guys would frequent for lunch! Another reminder of what a small town Orlando is!

Anyway, on this day, driving down Sand Lake ready to turn into Lowes, I noticed an Amazon van drive by, and then another, and then another...

In all I counted 10 heading to that same warehouse. In case you are wondering, the vans are Mercedes Benz.

In order to not lose my mind, during my many trips to either the hospital, or the rehab, I stop and photograph birds.

Cypress knees, Sphagnum Moss, and Ibis---very Florida. Continuing my new found duck obsession:

Below are Blue Teal ducks, although the name makes no sense watching them paddle around.

When I see a bird I am unfamiliar with, I naturally turn to our best friend, Google. I type in something like "duck with white stripe on face", and voila, there's the identification. I actually took the photo below in late December; while seeing the open wings, now, the name makes more sense. Although I wouldn't exactly call that color teal, but what do I know, I'm struggling with picking a white paint?

By the time we meet again, the cabinets should be underway and maybe I will have some better sister news. Or, so I hope on both accounts!

your friend,

Gail

p.s. Another blessing this week was Bill started with a new bank downtown. This mother has been a nervous wreck with him having to drive on our, everywhere under construction, interstate. Now all he has to do is drive down South Street; with so little traffic, he will now be adding nearly and hour and a half to his non-working day. Perfect.