Finding Peace

Find peace to replace worry.  Don't worry about things that may never happen, deal with them when they occur.  Jane Savoie - "Knowing the odds are in our favor doesn't always comfort us when our sense of safety or good health has been rattled."  When we or a loved one experiences a long term sickness, or anything that may be what we consider a close call or brush with death, it rattles our feelings of security on a level that is very deep.  "Whether you have a particular spiritual belief or just use logic to examine the sheer numbers that the gamble of life holds in your positive favor, we still worry.  But it won't help you or your loved ones stay safe.  Worry holds no power except to keep you unbalanced."  I put my faith in God, that all will be well.  I let it go (or try to).  And if something disastrous happens, I'll deal with it when the time comes.  Worrying won't make a difference.  "So why borrow trouble from a future that may never come to pass?  Real difficulties can be overcome.  It's only the imaginary ones that are insurmountable."   J. Savoie.

Sunday 6/10 - Maggie's tail was showing signs of getting better because she was lifting it up a little bit, when she got excited.  However, squatting still seemed difficult for her.

I skipped Church not wanting to sit by myself again (Shirley was out of town).  Knowing it was supposed to rain and I would be going to Nashville later in the day, I was out in the yard by 9:00 to plant grass seed.



We had had a pop-up shower with water collecting on the porch floor in one spot where the door is yet to be hung.  So I put a tarp over the doorway.

Out in the yard I did some weeding and then moved more moss to the shady hill behind the bench.  I added dirt to the additional low spots I had created, raked all bare spots and put down grass seed.  A light cover of dead grass and leaves was last, to help keep the seeds moist and from getting eaten.  Below is a before and after photo of the mossy area on the hill behind the bench.

Joe was off to his card game mid-afternoon.  I worked in the yard until the dinner hour.  By the time I fed the critters, ate, showered and packed an overnight bag, it was after 7:00 when I left for Nashville.

The drive went well, but had caused me to worry somewhat.  I got to Vanderbilt without a delay, other than a gas stop, but then had difficulties figuring out which garage would be best to park in.  Then I had to enter the hospital through the emergency entrance, getting my bags searched in the process.  Courtney was asleep when I got to her room, and soon I was too.

Monday 6/11 - Helicopters had been landing two floors above us all night so I got a photo of one in the morning.  Courtney's night went okay.  She slept well between the every two hour vitals checks and trips to the bathroom.  Vomiting started up at 5am and continued throughout the day though.  She did have a visitor from work, which was very nice.  But not having nutrition since last Tuesday night (when her feeding tube clogged), she had no energy and slept between trips to the bathroom and bouts of throwing up.  Also, she had quite a bit of swelling in her abdomen from retention of fluid from all the IV liquid they had been pumping into her.  She had developed a low grade fever and was put on an antibiotic.  She was also getting Magnesium and Potassium.

Courtney had been taken off the blood thinner Heparin early in the morning, with the hopes of having surgery a day early.  But by the time I left for home, she was getting put back on it.

I couldn't believe traffic was already getting thicker in Nashville at 3:00, but it was moving along fine.  However, when I got to Peavine, traffic was stopped.  It made me a bit late, so I quickly walked the dog and fed all the critters and then headed to Mirror Lake Blast.







Patty had a seat saved for me, and Mary was with us also.  The Jeff Allen band was enjoyed by everybody, and several were up dancing from the start, and many more by night's end, which unfortunately was only 8 pm.

Tuesday 6/12 - I hadn't gotten a photo of the sunroom progress so took this picture.  Nothing had been done on the inside, but trim and siding was completed on this one side.  

I was at the barn by 8:00 to get Amiga and Zorro 'corralled' so they would be ready when the vet arrived.  Gov went first so I rode Amiga for a minute to see how she felt.  

Meanwhile, in Nashville, Courtney was in surgery to have the stent from her pancreas to her stomach removed and her feeding tube replaced.


While waiting for Gov's tranquilizer to take effect, Zorro got his shot, after I had given him Bute earlier.  While Gov's teeth were being floated, I got Zorro out and walking/jogging (video) around to get his blood flowing.

Amiga was up next and we determined that her lameness issues are with the old suspensory ligament injuries, with scar tissue there and arthritis in her joints.  I was given several suggestions for treatment and prevention of pain, and also the go ahead to ride.  Amiga needs to lose 50 lbs, and get muscled back up, so I'll start slowly with that.

I got word from Joe in Nashville.  The doctor said the procedure had gone well.  What they could see inside Courtney looked good.  The new GI tube is a little larger, which should reduce risk of clogging again.  We hoped the nausea would be reduced since the stuff from the pancreas is no longer draining into her stomach.

I worked at the pool 2-7.  As I was leaving the Conference Center after dropping off the deposit and accounting bag, I saw this Mama skunk escorting her four babies across Stonehenge Drive.  They were different varieties of black and white.  So cute.  I had a quiet evening at home.

Wednesday 6/13 - Courtney's nose and throat were still sore and the larger feeding tube a little more irritating to have in.  She also had started vomiting again.

After Ballroom Aerobics and a wimpy workout, I went to the Farmers Market and got a donut and some veggies, and then to Food City.  These two photos show the work completed on Tuesday.  All the outside is done, except the door hung.  And below, the inside window molding has started to go up.







I continued to water the grass seed on the hill down to the pond.  A few pop-up showers were helping, but not enough.

I took Maggie on a long (and hot) walk.  Her tail is 'perking up' even more.  But it still doesn't stand up all the way as usual.

I met Linda at the barn about 5:00 so her two grandkids could meet Amiga and Zorro.  







They brushed both horses and then Ty got a ride on Amiga.  Jan was also at the barn and gave Sariah a ride on Cash.  Amiga was not listening well at all.




Once they had had their horse fill and departed, Jan and I rode together with Betty who had rode in on her horse.  Betty had to head back before too long because the sun was setting.  Then Jan and I rode around the barn, practicing for the July 3rd Parade of Horses.  Amiga was really wound up and worked up a sweat.

I was home at dusk, and soon to bed.  No workers had come so there was no progress to show on the sunroom.

Thursday 6/13 - Monita sharing my mouse pad at some point during the day.  I opened at the pool so left home at 8:40, before the workers came.  I worked hard doing extra good cleaning so the first two hours went fast.  We didn't start getting busy until 11 am.  I also spent some time organizing for our bi-monthly 'Wet And Wild Wednesday's' social gatherings.

When I arrived home from the pool, I got more bad news about our house.  In preparation for the new door, this rotten board was discovered under the siding.  It is an example of more damage caused by the horribly done re-shingled roof that occurred probably ten years ago.


Thankfully, when Travis removed the rotten board, he found that the studs and insulation behind it did not need replacing.  However, he did treat for mold to prevent farther damage.



The first two photos were one's Travis took.  When I got home, the new plywood was already up.  I could see how rotten the board was that had been removed.  I find peace in knowing this re-build is done correctly.  The extra cost may not be so peaceful. 😕

With Joe gone, my first responsibility upon arriving home is to walk the dog.  It is also the last thing I do before leaving.  We went for a pretty good jaunt and I was happy to see her tail up even more.





Hobo is still really needed in the yard for critter control.  The chipmunks are everywhere.  They are awfully cute, but have holes and tunnels all over in the yard and flower beds.






After an early dinner, I went to the barn to ride and work with Amiga.  This little box turtle was in harms way so I moved him into the grass.

I rode to the bean field and back, and then practiced the 'parade' route, doing the large loop five times.  Amiga was much better but still has a ways to go.




Usually I experience peace when I am with my horse, unless I am struggling with behavior issues, which I try to work through and straighten out, so that our ride together can be one of peace.  I also lose my peace to worry when Amiga is having physical problems.  That too I try to figure out and deal with.  Her recent lameness issues are getting resolved.  The sun could be seen setting between the two barns as I drove off.

Friday 6/14 - I was thinking I should go to the gym, but when Patty asked if I wanted to go to Sherwin Williams paint store for their 45% off sale, I knew that was more important.  I saved almost $100 but spent over $200, however, I now had five gallons of house paint and one gallon for the porch and sunroom ceilings.  I had to ask the heating and cooling guys to move their truck a little bit so I could get out of the drive.





When I arrived home, they were hanging the new door.  It will be painted, along with all the inside and outside trim.


The heating and cooling guys were done.  New duct work (bottom left) in the crawl space and (bottom right) under the sunroom.

 












I took Maggie on a long walk and when I got home Travis was gone, on his lunch break.  He had been framing the skylights so I got a photo of that.

I was subbing for MJ at the pool and when I got there at 1:45, it was very busy.  Nancy stayed awhile, because it was so crazy.  My shift went fast and I was still working when the 7:00 'whistle' blew.  I finally left the pool at 7:20, not getting home for another 20 minutes.  I was going to go to the Moonlighter' monthly dance but by the time I had walked the dog, fed all the critters and showered, I had no energy or motivation left.

We had been waiting all day for Courtney's release from the hospital, but it didn't happen.  Because she continued to battle nausea and vomiting, which they thought would be better after having the pancreatic stent removed, the doctor ordered a CT scan, which still hadn't happened when I went to bed at 10:30.


Saturday 6/15 - I was up at 3:30 worried about Courtney.  Mike had posted at 12:40am that the CT scan was finally done.  Now we had to wait for the results.  Once the sun was up I got photos of the inside of the sunroom.  All the trim was done except the bottom 8" kick wall.  Travis had said that wouldn't go on until after the tile floor was completed.

I took Maggie on a nice long walk hoping to get it in before it got too hot.  But we both got quite warm during the 90 minutes we were out.  I was delighted to see that her tail is much better and standing straight up again at times of excitement.










I met Shirley and Patty at Church for our Ice cream social and picnic.  It was great to chat with them and have a tasty hot dog and yummy ice cream before going to work.

It was another crowded and busy day at the pool.  It was 7:45 by the time I got home.  After pet care I hurried outside to water the grass before it got any darker out.  The spots that are in the shade have germinated so this back hill will soon be greener.  I didn't take these photos until Sunday morning, when Hobo was following me around begging more for love than for food.  He loves me to scratch his chin.





Still waiting to hear of Courtney's CT scan results, Joe called and spoke briefly with the nurse on her floor.  They said that the scan showed no change, but we needed to talk to her doctor for any more details.  That was all I needed to know, to be a little more at peace and able to go to sleep.