Lining Up

 I have completed my last two surgery-related medical visits. Things are lining up. I have applesauce, jello, and pudding cups; Ensure bottles; cranberry juice on the kitchen counters. I will probably have a very sore throat for several days. Likely to prefer the above items and soup for awhile. This Sunday I will probably arrange my refrigerator to fit in the cups, juice, and Ensure. 

I got my portable CD player out of storage and will put in new batteries and pick out some music CDs to play. I also have a portable DVD player and two movies in mind to watch. I know I will be dozing off from the pain meds, but distracting the mind also helps with pain.

I bought a small Samsung tablet for $99 online at Best Buy on a Black Friday sale. My ipad was starting to freeze up again plus since Apple no longer updates it, I can't download some newer apps. Now I have a blog I read daily, several games, and my subscription newspapers bookmarked and ready to use in the coming weeks. I might also watch streamed church services on YouTube. I can read email as well. I will continue to use the ipad for reading books.

My husband is going to move my recliner chair next to my bed. I will be able to move my electric blanket from my bed to the chair. I expect the first few days I will be spending lots of time in the chair. I plan to "sleep" there for several nights.

My visit with my family doctor yesterday for the pre-op physical was reassuring. She said the "abnormal" EKG was a natural variation and nothing to worry about.

Today I made a required visit to an ENT doctor to evaluate the vocal cords. At first I was annoyed to have to make this visit and pay $40. I did not have to do this in 2003 when I had similar surgery. 

However, I really liked the doctor and he explained well why it was a good thing to do. He said most doctors doing an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion do not require the evaluation; he applauded Dr. Smith for his proactive forward thinking. There is about a 2% risk of completely losing the voice from stretching/injury to the cords during the surgery. They are pushed to one side (retracted). Dr. Nuckols said that if the vocal cords are both in good shape, damage to one cord would not lead to loss of voice. The uninjured cord can compensate. My cords look fine. He also told me if he needed spinal surgery, there were two doctors he would choose from, one being Dr. Smith. That boosted my confidence in my surgeon.

The exam involved a small camera attached to a flexible cord pushed up my nose and down toward the throat and cords. Not pleasant but not as uncomfortable as the swabbing for the COVID test. God prepared me for today by having gone through that.

Not only do I understand better the reason for the scoping, but my discussion with the doctor about my GERD (reflux) was very profitable. At the junction where the throat meets the esophagus he could see some swelling and inflammation. I am often clearing my throat. He said the brain interprets that swelling as something stuck in the throat. It might also play a part in the feeling of getting food stuck high up in my esophagus. He had some ideas to try. Maybe they will work and I will resolve some of the GERD effects as well. 

I probably won't be sitting at the computer much post-op. In case I don't get back soon to post, have a blessed Christmas.

Christmas Is Coming

 Christmas is coming. I felt like playing with my camera settings tonight. Here are the results of my "shoot". Many of these items I have owned for decades. Some were gifts, some wooden items made by my husband, quite a few I bought on Etsy or ebay when looking for specific things.

I bought these little bears at a Hallmark store in Texas. Then I asked my husband to build a sleigh from a pattern in one of his magazines. The plaid runner was a souvenir from the Amana colonies. The wrought iron candle holders made by my father.

My oldest sister gave me this little pillow years ago. I wonder if she remembers it.

The 4 poinsettia plates are more recent, maybe 3 years. I bought these on ebay. I was looking for plates for my plate rack, but these were a bargain compared to other plates. I don't think the seller knew much about pricing compared to other listings. He sold the set for what other sellers were selling a single plate for. We will probably eat breakfast on them this Sunday and maybe some dessert on Christmas Day.

Our new tree with colored Christmas lights.

As of yesterday there are several wrapped packages. I wanted to finish my wrapping; my husband saw them and decided to do his too. All finished.

The Moose Munch stash under the tree on the table top. What is left of it; I already ate a couple of bags and 2 of the bars with my husband's help on the bars.

I bought this at Bronner's in Frankenmuth, Michigan. My sister-in-law was going to take me and her 2 kids to shop. The kids got earaches so I went by myself while my husband and his brother went to  a Thanksgiving Lions football game.

I like the folk art feel. The shepherd with his Bavarian outfit doesn't fit the time frame but I like him.

The "sick" kids are married with kids of their own, one graduated from U of M last spring and the other attending U of M. My nephew got a late start; his little girl is about 5. Still you can see this creche is very old. Fortunately it is small and doesn't take much storage space.

Most of my ornaments are from when we lived in Mesquite Texas. We moved from there in 2007.

I bought this our first or second year of marriage. (We have been married 43 years.) It was an item at the seminary wives Christmas craft bazaar.

I admired my mom's tissue holder. She asked my cousin who did the plastic canvas stitching to make one for me the following Christmas.

This table cloth I bought on Etsy. I asked the seller to measure across so I could see how the design would fit on my sunporch table. It's a perfect fit. I went with a pinkish poinsettia again this year.

Most of these plates were purchased on ebay. If I downsize down the road I might keep the one with the deer and definitely keep the top plate which is a Marjolein Bastin.

This is the Bastin plate I love.

This beautiful plate was one my father bought from Franklin Mint or one of those "collectible" companies. He never used/displayed it. I still have the box. I found most of his plates sold for a few dollars if at all on ebay. I kept this one for myself.

My husband made this snowman.

Another snowman by my husband. He is a good woodworker.

The holly runner was made by by sister-in-law B. I love it. Aren't the wooden button berries and leaf cute?

I would like another shepherd to add to my Willow Tree creche. They do have one holding a crook and with a goat. I looked on ebay this year; too much money. Maybe after Christmas the prices will go down? I will just keep watching to find one that fits my budget. If not, this shepherd and 3 lambs (one out of the picture) will do fine.

                                     

I finished today a Macomber Christmas romance. I read one about a week ago also. These were books I bought at the library book sales or Goodwill. This one is more of a devotional. Since I finished my online devotionals and Bible studies Monday, I will give this one a try.

Is your house starting to look festive? 

Area Christmas Music

 

Last night my husband and I viewed/listened to Handel's Messiah by Heartland Sings out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The face masks muffled the sound a bit, but the soloists removed them and stood apart from the ensemble when it was their turn. The bassoon? and two trumpets had coverings over parts of them so the exhalations could not escape unfiltered. The question mark for the bassoon is because the whole instrument was in a bag except the mouthpiece so it was hard to tell what it was.

Another concert of Christmas music will be broadcast on December 23rd. I hope I feel well enough to listen to it. They charge for on-demand viewing; but the Messiah and the concert below will be on Fort Wayne TV for free. I see by their chart that their music also is broadcast on DirectTV and Dish but I do not know if that is only in the Fort Wayne broadcast area. Grace Village has set up its TV channels to include South Bend and Fort Wayne.

The Spirit of Christmas

The Spirit of Christmas is presented by Ruoff Mortgage. 

The Spirit of Christmas is a concert where vocal music and stunning architecture combine to create lasting memories! Heartland Sings Vocal Artists, directed by Maestro Robert Nance, present music of the season under the Beaux Arts style rotunda of the historic Allen County Courthouse. Hear the harmonies echo from floor to ceiling, and feel your spirit soar, with the rush of dozens of voices singing from on high!

The Spirit of Christmas has become one of Fort Wayne’s favorite holiday traditions and is always a pleasure to bring to life each year. The combination of beautiful voices resonating in this amazing space is sure to enchant audiences of all ages and reminds us of the reason for the season.

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND beginning 12/14/2020

LOCAL TV BROADCAST
12/23 at 7pm on ABC 21.1

Another Wrinkle

 Yesterday the governor of Indiana promulgated new restrictions re COVID. All elective surgeries starting December 16th thru January 3rd are ordered to be postponed. I talked to the surgery coordinator Teri at Parkview Ortho. She told me the COO had sent out an email earlier today saying that they are designating all of their spine surgeries as urgent and plan to do them. 

I did read that outpatient day surgeries would not be affected by the gubernatorial order. Teri will call me if the interpretations being issued by Governor Holcomb's office change my situation. Right now she said to proceed as instructed. I have to stop some of my vitamins starting Saturday. 

I received an email from my family doctor's office today which wanted me to confirm my Dec. 16th appointment. This was an automated system of some kind. I have never received such a thing before. In the past I just received a reminder phone call a few days before, also automated. There was a message in the email that there was great demand for appointments currently and to let them know ASAP if I planned to cancel. 

The virus is rampant in Indiana. Yesterday we led the nation in community transmission rates. And yet today when I went to Meijer, there were people in the store without masks. Just 3 except little children. While I was filling my car trunk with my purchases, a family pulled up next to me and headed for the store. They were back in minutes. I wonder if they were told they could not enter. They never displayed any masks that I could see. The Amish shoppers still don't cover their noses; everybody else is pretty good at that. 

Today was my last visit to a grocery store for several months. I will be doing only online ordering with pickup.

Counting Down

 In 13 days I will have my cervical spine surgery. There is a wrinkle. My pre-op EKG was abnormal. They were able to find one from 7 years ago for comparison. There is an obvious difference. I thought I was to hear back yesterday whether they wanted me to see a cardiologist, but I did not. So I am moving forward as though everything is going on as scheduled. All of the results of the pre-op testing and procedures were to be sent to my family doctor who is doing the required pre-op physical on December 16th. I guess I will be able to find out more about the EKG on that day. Obviously that will probably be too close to the surgery day to see anybody about it. I wait.

Today I am getting everything out of my small chest freezer in the garage. I will reorganize so that things are easier to find. Toss out or plan to use up things that have been in there a long time. My husband will be doing some kitchen duty the first few days, maybe longer depending on how my recovery progresses. I will not be allowed to bend over and crane my neck to find stuff. So even if I feel well enough to cook, he will be the one to fetch things out of the depths.

We did one of our new jigsaw puzzles last week. The box said larger pieces easy to grasp or something like that. This 1000 piece puzzle barely fit on the "board" that my husband made to extend our card table. We had some on a TV tray when we first started, the overflow.

The flower bouquet I bought at Trader Joe's shrinks as I remove spent blooms. Maybe another few days before I throw it out.

Both of my sisters sent Moose Munch as gifts. It is going to be a Merry Moose Munch Christmas.

Final Fling

 I had a pre-op appointment today at Parkview Ortho Hospital. A blood draw, EKG, MRSA swab test, and registering for the Meds to Beds program which will have the pharmacy at the medical center fill my post-op meds prescriptions and then deliver them to my room before I am discharged. Just 3 weeks until my surgery. My husband was not allowed to stay inside the building. He sat in the car and read a book for about 50 minutes. The car protected him from the blustery wind, but with little sunshine not much warmth inside the vehicle.

 The nurse administering the tests told me that on the day of surgery he will be allowed inside (and even can sit beside me a short while in the pre-op area), but once the anesthesiologist arrives, he will have to leave. He will be notified by phone about the surgery outcome and when to pick me up at the discharge exit. I won't know the time of my surgery until the afternoon of the 21st. 

Since we had to be in Fort Wayne today, we decided to drive to Jefferson Point to have lunch at Biaggi's. When we arrived, there were no cars and the chalkboard they use to list specials blocked the entrance door. It said "Closed Today". I am guessing they had an employee(s) with COVID and had to close for deep cleaning. We were really disappointed. Plenty of other restaurants in the area, but not as special as this Italian restaurant. We ate at Logan's Roadhouse instead. We had a view of a cheery fire in the fireplace as we ate. 

We bought a 4-foot artificial Christmas tree at Michael's. When I went to decorate our existing tree Friday, part of the lights were out. After trying to replace/fix dark bulbs, the whole tree was unlit. LOL. The guarantee/warranty on most of these small trees is 2-3 years. Since we had ours 8-9 years I guess we did OK. The new tree was priced half off. My husband has been saying he would rather have a tree with colored lights. Good thing because the small tree with white lights was sold out. 

I stopped at Talbot's to try on a skirt. I was interested in one that appeared on my Facebook Feed for Black Friday, but I had never purchased from that store so didn't know the right sizing. I guess you better be slim if you want to wear its clothes. Needless to say, Talbot won't be receiving any orders from robust me. 

We browsed Von Maur. That is such a pleasant store. I didn't see anything that struck my fancy, but my husband bought some hankies. The ladies "lounge"/restroom is outstanding. 

Our final stop was the new Trader Joe's. There is one in the Indianapolis area, but I believe this Fort Wayne store is only the second one in Indiana. Right by the door were some bouquets of flowers to buy. I got a beautiful small bunch of flowers for $3.99. 

The amaryllis and narcissi are reasonably priced, also. I will have to remember that for next year. I already bought an amaryllis from Breck's at a hefty price. My husband bought some "two buck Chuck" (Charles Shaw wine), but now it costs $2.99. 

When we got home, I opened the package that came from my oldest sister and her husband. Moose Munch! 4 packages of different flavors and the Moose Munch candy bars. I had one of those candy bars several years ago, and it made a delicious impression on me.

Today was a final fling. I may eat breakfast at a restaurant one more time. I have been switching over to online grocery ordering with drive-up pickup. My Christmas gift shopping has been online or done several weeks ago at Meijer. Time to stay out of restaurants and stores. I need to stay well. So do you! Be safe.

Christmas Concert Canceled

 You may remember that several weeks ago I decided to not participate in the Grace Village choir at this time. Except for one other lady, nobody but me wore masks during the hour-long practice. I felt uncomfortable in such a situation; the risk was too high for me. 

Today I received an email from the choir director sent to the choir mailing list. The December 18th concert has been canceled. Currently there are 6 choir members with active COVID and 3 quarantining because of exposure to these sick people. Also, 4 other people have joined me in not attending. All of this has happened in the past 8-10 days.

I am grateful that I bowed out before all of this took place. It is sad but to me at least not surprising. Aerosolized droplets from singing contain the virus and travel at least 12 feet where they remain suspended in the air. 

Surgery December 22nd

 I am scheduled for surgery on Tuesday December 22nd. This will be at Parkview Orthopedic Hospital in Fort Wayne. I need to stay well until then so the surgery won't have to be postponed. I don't think there will be any occupancy level problems at that hospital; not sure about staffing. The surgery is considered day surgery; I will come home that day unless there are complications. I had an ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) 17 years ago. The doctor will remove the old titanium plate and screws and install a plate that spans 3 levels (C4-C6). I will start physical therapy 4 weeks later as long as everything goes as expected.

COVID is rampant in our state and county. Fort Wayne also has a very high number of cases. My husband will not be allowed in the hospital except for a few minutes before I go into surgery. The doctor will phone him to update my status; the hospital will call when I am ready to go home (after 4-5 hours in recovery). It will be a long day for him. I had hoped he could spend time in a warm library nearby, but that won't be happening as people will no longer be allowed inside.

In some counties, libraries are open for curb-pickup only, banks have drive-up service only except when an appointment is needed and made ahead, and restaurants have gone from full capacity to 50-75% depending on the risk level in the county. It is going to get ugly the next few weeks as people travel and celebrate in large groups. The college students in my town (Grace College) started earlier than normal so that the instruction period would end at Thanksgiving. They won't start again until January, but that could be online.

My last activity I attended regularly in person (every 2 weeks) was Winona Literary Club. It has canceled its Dec. 2nd meeting. We always have a winter break; hopefully, by March we can start up again as usual.

I bought a few Christmas presents for my husband last week. I have a few things to buy yet online. I will be mostly doing online grocery shopping as well. I do plan to put up my Christmas decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving, and buy a poinsettia at Menards. I have 4 medical appointments between now and December 22nd all related to the surgery. I need to see if I can reschedule my dental cleaning; it was to be December 30th. A month seems like a long time, but I know it will go by quickly as I stock my pantry and freezer for my recuperation time. 

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving.

Crying

 Yesterday as I was looking at the items in my china cabinet I noticed several that belonged to my deceased mother. Today I received an email from a cousin remembering my mom and her death two years ago (November 20). Tears started sliding down my face. I know she is with Jesus and her loved ones in heaven, but there is still a void in my life.

Second Half of Autumn

 In northern Indiana where I live the first 6 weeks or so of autumn are glorious. Warm sunny days with cool nights and beautiful colorful foliage. 

But the last 6 weeks of fall are bleak and barren with cold days and some overnight frost. Before we officially leave autumn in December, we will probably have some snow. When I say I love autumn, I am definitely thinking of the first half.

Brrr! I am not a lover of cold temperatures. Usually Thanksgiving makes the second half of autumn special. This year we will not go to a buffet in a restaurant. My husband's sister will join us in our condo; there will be just the 3 of us. We will have the traditional turkey (I already bought a frozen breast) and pumpkin pie. We will probably work on a jigsaw puzzle or play games.

A card I received today from the Fort Wayne Hallmark store.

I brought the purple celosia in from the front porch several weeks ago. It is doing OK inside. It will eventually be replaced by a poinsettia. My cheddar pinks look amazingly fine after last night's heavy frost.

Covid is overtaking our state and county. An 85-year-old woman at my church who had Covid in early July has it again. That is not a comforting thought; that any immunity she had lasted about 4 months at most.

 I have dropped out of Grace Village choir for now. 20 people singing without masks was too much risk for me. Grace Village has put out an announcement that any health care and assisted-living residents that leave to spend time with family or friends for the holidays must quarantine for 14 days when they return. If they have no single room for returning residents to quarantine in, they may not be allowed back inside. Currently we have 5 health care workers who tested positive for COVID. We are supposed to get some National Guard workers to help with testing and other non-medical jobs. All of the staff, including independent living area, are being tested twice a week now.

I know a few people who plan to have big family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I hope they don't get sick. Since I don't have kids or grandkids, it is a little bit easier for me to stay away from groups.

The news that there is an effective vaccine in the pipeline keeps me plugging away, taking it day by day. There is still a long road, but there is hope for a brighter future.

Bible Studies and Devotionals

 This next week I will embark on two new studies. Actually, one is an extension of the 2nd Samuel study I just finished. Are you looking for some fairly short studies at this time? Why not join me in reading/listening?

The first is by Beth Boggs, a local Bible study leader. We just finished our study of 2nd Samuel which was interrupted last March. It was finally converted to online audio since such a large group of ladies could not safely meet together as we had been doing. This coming week she is starting a 4-week study of David's legacy followed by Psalm 23. You can go online at a time convenient to you (though the newest lesson isn't posted until Tuesday afternoons). The lessons are archived on her church's website. You need no password to access it. 

If you click on the 11-3-20 lesson, you will see a rectangle labeled LBS lesson Notes to click on to download/save the study questions for this new segment. However, she never goes through the questions as she teaches. She may touch upon the material covered by the questions, but the teaching goes mainly verse by verse. I suspect this legacy study will jump around the Bible some though. She is pleasant to listen to, and you will not need to do the study questions to benefit. Each lesson will be about 50 minutes long.

The second study is one centered on Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts book. I read this book several years ago and still have it on my bookshelf. I ordered the study guide on ebay. Faith Gateway would like you to buy the items from them, but you can get them elsewhere. Your public library may have the book. Grace Village library owns a copy. Maybe somebody in your church would loan you the book. I toyed with not even getting the study guide, but since I found it at a good price I went ahead and ordered it. The study goes November 16 through December 20, with the videos available until December 27. I am not sure how the videos will come out re timing. You can see an introductory video and sign up for the free study at this link to Faith Gateway I can guarantee that you will get emails because I already have. You can unsubscribe to them. 

Since I will not start this study until November 16, I am going to get started next week on a devotional 12 Days of Thanksgiving. The ladies in my church will start this together November 9th. Unfortunately, I do not have a smart phone and my ipad 4 does not have the latest ios because Apple no longer updates it. You have to download the app to interact with a group. But you can do the devotional online by yourself. That is what I am going to do. Or you can download the app and do it on your phone by yourself or invite others to join you. 12 Days of Thanksgiving has a daily reading and devotional thought. Since I didn't download the app, I am not getting emails, but I think you probably will with the app.

I do see this site has some Christmas devotionals as well. 

May God's Word bless you in the coming weeks.

A Beautiful Day for a Walk

 We have been bestowed with the gift of several days of Indian summer. I cut down most of my Veronica this morning, but there were two little patches of newer flowers I decided to let stay. 

I thought I had put my grill to bed for the winter, but this evening I am going to cook some marinated pork chops. I forgot how early it gets dark now that we have gone back an hour. Just got out the Forman grill and did them inside.

My husband flips on the TV from time to time to listen to the talking heads. I decided to walk around my neighborhood. It is peaceful and full of autumn beauty.

Despite the uncertainty of the results of the election, God is in control. 

Bandit is enjoying the porch sunshine. His mistress has given him lots of pretty things to view.

At the landscaper shed/garage there were plants gathered up in tubs for the winter I guess. I don't know where the pinkish "berries" were previously. 

A lot of trees are almost bare, but the ornamental pear trees are in full glory. They and burning bushes are the last spots of bright color each year in our neighborhood.

Maybe tomorrow afternoon I will sit on my front porch and drink in all of the beauty while I start a new book. Happy autumn days to you.

Plant Progression

 

Blustery winds the past few days mean leaves raining down and piling up. Most of the leaves in this photo taken yesterday have blown eastward today. We have just a scattered few in our backyard.

When the Grace Village landscaper planted a fothergilla bush next to my porch about two years ago, I didn't know what to expect. This was a new plant to me. I have been so happy with its coloration in autumn. The leaves are starting to blow off so it too will soon be bare.

We are getting a few flurries right now (3 p.m.). I kind of hated sending my husband out in the cold to pick up our Ruby Tuesday lunches today, but they tasted so good. Yesterday our back-door neighbor brought us some brownies his wife had baked. They were a nice change of flavor from the seafood we ate. 

By midweek we will be in the 60's. Thursday or Friday I should be able to cut my Veronica (speedwell) down to ground level in preparation for the winter. The flowers have remained bright and cheerful, but the leaves are starting to show damage from frost. I still have some cheddar pink flowers in bloom. They will be all the color I have left after Friday. 

I still need to change my watches back an hour. Managed to do all of the clocks before bed last night or when rising this morning (the kitchen clocks). I hate the time changes. I wish we would stay on a steady time all year long. 

Today In Nappanee

 

Today we took a trip to nearby Nappanee. It was a pretty drive through the country, but I could see many trees are losing their leaves. Last week really was the peak for our area.

We mainly wanted to visited Bellas's Books and Puzzles which used to be in the Cowshed which closed down over a year ago. She is now on South Main Street in Nappanee. We saw an ad in our local newspaper. My husband was determined to stock up on jigsaw puzzles for the cold months ahead. We bought 3. Before heading home, we stopped at Coppes Commons where we bought a 4th.

When we arrived home, he started sorting through our puzzle shelves. We agreed to get rid of 5.

I bought two used books at Bella's. I have read these authors, but these are book one in new-to-me series. The bookstore paperback fiction tends to run $4 a book.

We had a tasty lunch at Hunter's Hideaway cafe next door to the bookstore. We were able to park in a free lot behind these two retail spots. 

Once home, I went to the credit union to cash two checks. The lot was empty. On the door it said temporarily closed. Instead I drove north to the other branch. I suspect some deep cleaning is being done or enough personnel have to quarantine because of COVID. That happened at this branch at least once before. Northern Indiana continues to set new records for virus cases. Not too sure how active we will be in the community once cold weather and the virus have settled in.

Goodies

 I ordered some Cheryl's cookies to brighten our days. They are individually wrapped; we will try to stretch out our eating of them.

One of the churches in Winona Lake makes and sells peanut brittle as a fundraiser for their projects. They usually sell the patties at the holiday craft bazaars and do quite well. Of course this year there are no bazaars. They are selling the candy from the church office during set hours they advertise in the local newspaper. I picked up one package of 3 patties last week. We have nibbled a few pieces, but because I bought an apple pie and some mini cupcakes as part of my Thursday grocery pickup order, we are mostly saving the brittle for later. 

On a totally different and sad note, our county had 5 deaths from COVID in the past week, including the man that caused the scare from my husband eating breakfast with him. One of the ladies in the Grace Village choir is also ill with the virus. The number of cases is spiking. God was merciful to us or we might be among those cases.

This pandemic is going to last a long time. Cookies and peanut brittle help to make the days special and cheer us a bit.