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Monday, May 16, 2016

Empty halls and a healing wind

I'm spending my last day with my cousin here at Harborview Hospital, Seattle, Washington.  Tomorrow I'm flying back to Bismarck and on to the East coast.  Jim will remain here in the West Hospital, Floor 3W- Neuroscience.  Neuro ICU is below me, where he was, and Intensive Rehab, above me, is the goal for this week.   We're giving him more choices- do you want to get up now or rest in bed ten more minutes?  Grape juice or V-8? Ready to stand now or wait a minute?  He's getting to control a tiny piece of his life again.  It's hard work.

 But today it is Sunday and the hospital is quiet. No therapists come and go.



I wrote a blog about an empty airport one time.  Not sure why but I'm intrigued by empty spaces.




The wide walls and multiple elevators are made for many bodies..




... but feel too many, too wide,
too quiet in the stillness of the weekend.
We expect a hospital to bustle with people.



I roam halls while he sleeps and find new ways to get from point A to point B.






I check out paintings and  art on the walls.  All in the rare hush of a major trauma center.



Even the helicopters seem to fly less.





But in the deceptive silence, there is the undercurrent of movement  toward life—the never-ending insistence on life and the urgent demand for its continuation. Patients still cry out into the dark of night.  Their families continue to stand by the door and chew fingernails or speak in hushed tones.  There are whispers, "Live, be here, come back.  Be yourself."


Friday I took a walk down the street.  This is St. James Cathedral, two blocks from the hospital.



Today is Pentecost Sunday. The Easter season is over, a new Wind continues to blow power into the new life won by the resurrection.  Power to actually live a life like Jesus. 

Although sometimes the Church appears quiet with too wide spaces and not enough activity,  but like a hospital on weekends the breathe is always moving.  Life is moving through both places, places full of broken people even when it appears that all is quiet.  

The quest for life continues.   We have our choices as well. We also can move toward healing.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Here, there and everywhere....

How to wrap up a winter on the road?  How about a photo collage?  
Here we go- you may notice a theme.


Welcome to Arizona- Feb 1st.
Road food,  JUST for road food!
Janet's short stay in Tucson included Peruvian food. 


Downtown Abbey comes to an end.
Through the tears,  I had scones and cucumber sandwiches with my brother and his lovely wife. 


Dessert was coconut bars, cheesecake and a French tart. 
 And I thought I'd lose weight in Arizona...ha!


Took a break from eating for the Tucson Gem and Mineral show! Love this.


Looks like high-end exotic chocolates. At least to me. 

Headed to Ohio for son-in-law's promotion-

Buying for Steve's promotion,  Abby and I went to a huge international food market for... 
"what are we here for, again?"
"Oh, that's right- cigars, aged whiskey,.... ooo, a aisle of hot sauce- Marines love hot sauce."

Hey- where did this cutie come from??  Where's your brother?
 Not a great trip for pictures but captured this one! 
Back in Tucson, March 8th.

If you eat alone, chicken curry and roasted peppers by a outdoor fireplace is a great idea.

And since it was Bill's birthday- I had a really gourmet root beer float for dessert. 

Stayed in a friend's guest house near the University just in time for the 4th largest book festival in the US. Thank you, Pam- it was awesome.


University District- walk to cool restaurants. 
Green tamales with scrambled eggs- wow and yum!

Easter was lovely...


My brother is a kid at heart. A really smart, kind and responsible...kid. 
Mom came down to Tucson. We had Easter together but I left before her 88th birthday.
Looking good, Mom.

Holidays- all about pie for breakfast the next day! 
 On the road again.... heading north


I love this picture of my folks (on the right) with their skiing friends.
Good memories of the '80s.
Shirley now lives in Albuquerque and I stayed with her. 


NM- land of hot springs. This one  in Jimez is great

 On the road to Colorado- it snowed as soon as I crossed the border.  March 31st.

Local woman makes amazing burritos!
Pueblo-good food, good friends. Thank Ron and Jeanine

In Fort Collins with some of the wonderful men in my life,
Richard Baker and his grandsons (I'm their honorary grandma). 

And some amazing Cajun food in Fort Collins.....it's all about the food.

Home to South Dakota!  

Where I...

Spread out some of the books bought on this trip-
I know—it's an illnesses.
But between the book festival and the great used bookstores in Tucson...
Surveyed some of my original art finds... another weakness.  
"Helped" my sister paint my bathroom....
that means I do the horizontal edges and try not to make a mess.
Looking forward to the finished room when I return again.


After cramming a month's worth of appointments and meetings into two weeks,

this greeted me. 

So I ....
packed up the goodies I bought on the winter road trip for the kiddos,

did a little bit of this.....
and a little bit of that...

And back on the road again!
Off to Bismarck, Seattle, then east to the coast and NJ in June.  
The show goes on and on.