Caution Tape In Place

When I went to my office building today I was surprised to see caution tape still surrounding the steps going into the entrance where the elevator is. There was a hostage situation there Thursday at a lawyer's office. I missed the whole thing because I was in Wichita at a doctor's appointment.



I'm not sure what all transpired, but tear gas was used and there are still broken windows visible in two places.

My office is upstairs and in the front of the building, so as far away from this area as possible. There's no smell lingering upstairs, but you can smell something faint downstairs. I'm not sure what it is, as I don't have any experience with tear gas.

The doors downstairs, into the law office and the back of the quilt store, are all taped off. I guess to seal out the smell.



It was quiet today. There's a beauty salon upstairs but they're closed on Monday.

I'm glad I missed all the excitement on Thursday. I just don't need any extra stress in my life.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Blue

I read something today that I've been thinking about since. It was an offhand comment in a book. The author was talking about how different colors have different effects and mentioned that blue is very calming. I knew this already. But, what the author mentioned that shocked me is that even blind children are calmed when in a blue room. Now, why would that be? Is it because others are calmer and conveying that in some way? I don't know, but I find it very interesting. I'd like to find out more about the study because I think it's very curious.

Greg and I got home tonight about 10 from a visit to his mom in Joplin. It was wonderful to be there - very relaxing. I'm tired after the trip. It's time for bed for me, for sure.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Wildcat Glades Visit in Joplin

This afternoon Greg and I hiked at The Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center in Wildcat Park in Joplin. I did a little bit of the trail never the center, but it was a little rough and I decided I didn't need to be walking on anything that wasn't paved. So, I looked at the map and found an area that was paved for wheelchair accessability and walked there while Greg did the more rugged areas. But, I snapped this photo of a leaf in water on my little walk, as well as the one below of grass near the same place.



It was a pretty walk with some massive rocks.





This park includes one of the last remaining chert glades. Their website says it's a unique habitat.





Greg walked the trail to a place called Redings Mill, where there is an old bridge, and a new bridge.



And there are rapids...





Before our visit there Greg, his mom and I went to Sandstone Gardens for lunch, which was yummy.



Tonight all of us and LV went over to Baxter Springs to Cafe on the Route. And, in between, there was much kitty play, of course. It has been a nice, relaxing Saturday.

Kitty

This is Greg's mom's kitty, affectionately known as Weaselhead, asleep on my lap in the morning light. She was tuckered out from kitty play. It's hard work amusing a whole group of adults.

We're enjoying a relaxing weekend full of kitty play and Miss Joy visiting. I needed to be away for a little bit. It feels amazingly good to sleep in a real bed, which I haven't done since Jan. 26. Only hospital beds for me since then at Via Christi and then at home.

The surgeon told me Thursday that I can do steps as long as I do them one at a time, so I'll get to start sleeping in my own bed upstairs soon. I just don't want to do anything to prolong my healing time. He said six weeks - not a minute sooner - for full healing. But the motion he said he wanted me to avoid was side to side. And he admonished me to remember, "It's only been three weeks." It will be four on Tuesday, so I'm getting closer to the magic six week mark.

While here I've been reading "The Geography of Bliss" that Trish gave me before surgery. I had taken it to the hospital but couldn't focus much there so I read the first of the Twilight series then. This is a great book. He travels to various places around the world, seeking information about where the people are happiest. It's incredibly well written. The first page hooks you immediately.

Well, I'm off for more kitty play and other important activities. Aren't Saturdays wonderful?

I Missed the Excitement. Thank Goodness.

I had a follow up with my surgeon in Wichita today and got a good report. He said everything seems to be going well. I am to make an appointment for four weeks from now and if I'm feeling fabulous by then to cancel it. He spoke like he didn't expect to see me again.

While I was on the way to Wichita, there was much excitement at my office building. My office is on the second floor and on the first floor is an attorney's office. Apparently early this afternoon a gentleman came into the office there and took five people hostage. He released them pretty quickly from what I understand, but an hours long standoff ensued, ending when law enforcement used tear gas.

Fortunately, it's the weekend tomorrow and I'm guessing any residual smell will be gone by Monday. I have no experience with tear gas but I'm guessing a smell is involved.

I'm not sorry I missed the excitement. I don't think the stress of a hostage situation is something I need to add into my life at the moment.

This is a prime example of you just never know what to expect any day when you wake up.

Crocus

I noticed a few days ago that crocus were popping their little heads up in my front flower bed. Unfortunately, because I had never taken the time to clean it out, you couldn't see them.

Yesterday while I was at the doctor's office in Wichita, Sharon and crew came to the house and cleaned out my front flowerbed and put down mulch and just generally tidied it all up. It's such a huge difference. It's amazing what people who know what they're doing can accomplish. I appreciate it so much.

I've had a hard day today. My heart was beating weird - it started in the middle of the night and lasted until early afternoon. I'm not sure it was in a-fib or not, but it was certainly unpleasant. Thankfully, it went back to normal this afternoon. Ironic that this happened just hours after seeing the cardiologist.

I have a follow up with the surgeon Thursday. I have a list of questions for him. Hopefully all will go well.

I am tired tonight. I didn't get much good sleep last night. I think I'll take a pain pill tonight and see if I can go to sleep and stay asleep for an extended period of time. That would be wonderful. I need some sleep - good, solid sleep. That's next on my agenda.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Questions to Ask Grown Ups

Barbara sent this to me and I thought it worthy of sharing here. It's a list of questions to help kids talk to grown ups. I hunted around online to find the person to credit it to, but was unsuccessful. If this is your list, please let me know and I'll give you credit. Very insightful.

I was thinking about how I would answer some of these myself, and also how interesting it would be to hear the answers from some of my long gone relatives.

 1. Tell me what you believe to be the greatest invention so far in your lifetime.

 2. Tell me what scared you when you were little.

 3. Tell me the best way to spend Sundays

 4. Tell me about someone you always had fun with.

 5. Tell me the wish you have for your children

 6. Tell me about something you broke.

 7. Tell me a vivid memory you have of a sister or brother or best friend.

 8. Tell me about your favorite book or author.

 9. Tell me one place you would still like to visit.

 10. Tell me one day you wish you could do over.

 11. Tell me the best way to determine a person's charactar.

 12. Tell me what your parents did for a living

 13. Tell me what you wish someone would invent and why.

 14. Tell me something you wished you had learned earlier in life.

 15. Tell me what it is like to be married.

 16. Tell me a secret of lasting love.

 17. Tell me a tragedy you have known and survived.

 18. Tell me one possession you always dreamed of having.

 19. Tell me if you could have one luxury every single week for the rest of your life, what would it be?

 20. Tell me a story about your mom.

 21. Tell me something you got away with when you were little.

 22. Tell me what makes you feel special when you wear it.

 23. Tell me someone who helped make your life better.

 24. Tell me the most memorable school day you can recall

 25. Tell me about your favorite relative growing up

 26. Tell me what, if anything, you would trade all your possessions for.

 27. Tell me one famous and one not famous person that you would like to change places with for a day or two.

 28. Tell me about a moment of certainty in your life.

 29. Tell me someone who inspired you while you were growing up.

 30. Tell me about the teacher that made the biggest difference in your life.

 31. Tell me about the nicest things people ever did for you

 32. Tell me a dream you remember.

 33. Tell me a story about when you were a teenager.

 34. Tell me if the weather ever scared you.

 35. Tell me about your very first best friend.

 36. Tell me about God

 37. Tell me about your first job.

 38. Tell me bout the first house you remember living in.

 39. Tell me about the town or towns you lived in growing up.

 40. Tell me about your rings.

 41. Tell me what things were like for your parents.

 42. Tell me about your first love.

 43. Tell me how to stay strong when the going gets tough.

 44. Tell me about your first car

 45. Tell me the first time you felt grown up.

 46. Tell me a story about a pet you had.

 47. Tell me about a hero in your family.

 48. Tell me about someone you love with all your heart.

 49. Tell m e how you felt the day I was born

 50. Tell me about your favorite toy when you were little.

 51. Tell me someone who you felt always had your best interest in mind.

 52. Tell me one of your first happy memories.

 53. tell me one thing you like to do that makes you feel comforted.

 54. Tell me what you loved to do when you were little.

 55. Tell me about a poem, song, or letter that you wrote.

 56. Tell me a regret that you have.

 57. Tell me a wish you have for your country.

 58. Tell me about a moment you thought was magnificent.

 59. Tell me one rule you think is silly.

 60. Tell me about your absolute favorite childhood possession.

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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Good News

I snapped this photo of the sunset tonight as we were coming home from Wichita where I had a follow up with the cardiologist. I have been dreading this appointment, but I got good news. This morning when I took my blood pressure it was the first time since surgery that my heart has been beating regular, with no pauses.

The doctor today told me not to worry about pauses, as long as I felt okay when it was happening. I had read pauses and skipped beats were considered something that didn't require treatment and I guess that's his assessment too.

I have a slow pulse rate, as did my mom, and both my brothers. This seems to me to indicate it's genetic. Normally, they consider a slow pulse rate a good thing. But when I was in the hospital, everyone kept questioning it. I kept saying it was always low. They kept ignoring me. Finally, today, he asked about the readings of 48 for pulse rate and how I felt when it was like that. I assured him I felt perfectly normal when my heart rate is in the 40s and 50s. When it's in the 70s it feels fast to me. Finally, he listened and said, "well, as long as you feel normal, that's fine. You might have to have a pacemaker later, when you get older." Like a person who had surgery three weeks ago today wants to hear anything about surgery. But, at least it was surgery in the nebulous "later."

Overall it went well and I don't have to dread it anymore, which is nice. I have a follow up with the surgeon on Thursday. Hopefully that will go smoothly too. I anticipate he will release me then.

I'm too tired to write about much else tonight. It's beddy bye time for me. I am exhausted after today. It's the first time I've had this long of a stretch out and about since surgery. Time to rest.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Dinner at Linda's and Great Conversation

Linda invited the Chicks and friends over for dinner tonight and it was so much fun. We never have an opportunity to engage in casual conversation like we did tonight and it was really interesting.

This is a small group of very intelligent women and the topics were wide ranging. We had some thought provoking conversation and some big laughs.

Of course, one of the main topics of conversation was Rebecca Ryan's speech at the chamber dinner last week. I think everyone around the table was there that night and it was great to hear people's observations. I am always curious to hear what these women think. They are great thinkers and give me a different viewpoint.



In many different circumstances I am often the odd person out, with completely different views, but in this group people don't necessarily take that to be a negative thing, which is nice.

We had a lovely time. Linda had gone the extra mile with everything and it was a great night.



I was struck again tonight that I wish I knew how to fit in better. This isn't about tonight specifically, but just in general. I don't seem to know how to think the "right" way. Things that are obvious to other people make no sense to me and vice versa.

This isn't anything new. I've never been able to fit into group situations very well because once I say what I think about almost any situation, people  get uncomfortable, because I am rarely in sync with the majority. I try to ask questions to understand others viewpoints, but that seems to just make people defensive. I don't know how to explain my viewpoints because they're often "intuitive" to me. My brain just doesn't seem to come to the same conclusions other people's do.

We were talking tonight about how much we identify with where we live, as in what town or county or state you're from. I think of myself as "living in the midwest" because I view the boundaries of states and counties and towns as largely arbitrary. I was the only one in the group for whom this was true.

Boundaries for such things were once determined by how long it took to ride a horse from one place to another. To me that has no bearing on our world today and therefore should be reexamined. Why do we still want to live with these archaic divisions when we could be living as a group that is all working together for the good of everyone instead of competing with each other for limited resources in this arbitrary system?

I understand the "normal" way to think of this is that it's a system that has worked for a long time and is a huge economic factor because government is a big employer in many places. But in Patsy-world we could just rethink the whole situation and the money that's being put into communities through government could be coming in a different way, bringing with it different services or products. I don't understand why we don't want to expand our worlds.

Of course, I have absolutely NO idea how to affect that change. And maybe that's the problem - others are just more accepting of the fact that change is very complex. I always believe in my la-la-happy-world that everyone will see the wisdom of rethinking something and jump on board. Of course, this is not true. But, I just can't let go of it because to do so means to accept that possibility is lacking. And I want to live in a world full of possibility. 

I have a whole long list of things that make no sense to me - from athletics being tied to schools to health insurance being tied to employment. But, as usual, I seem to be the only one who sees these things as illogical and therefore worthy of rethinking.

Sometimes I wish I could just think through something and come to the conclusion everyone else comes to. I might not necessarily want to accept that as the gospel truth, but maybe I would at least understand the world around me then. Because, frankly, the world makes little to no sense to me most of the time. I am out here, floundering around, trying to not make a fool of myself, with no understanding whatsoever of what "the norm" is. But at least there is always something interesting to think about.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

This was sunset at Quiviria National Wildlife Refuge Sunday afternoon. I love going down there and it's only about a thirty minute drive from Hutchinson, where I live. In these days when eco-tourism is of such great interest, I wish we promoted this facility more. It's an amazing place to be, but it's hard to express to people how cool it is without them actually going.

I think you also just have to be a person who appreciates nature in all its forms. Quivira is a huge bird watching area. The birds were settled down by the time I took this photo, but you can see them dotting the sky above the horizon. I don't think I've ever been to Quivira when the sunset wasn't gorgeous.



We saw three otters yesterday. At least we think they were otters. This one and another swimming, and then one on land as we were leaving.

I loved the ripples this guy was making in the placid waters. It seems appropriate for a calm afternoon that he would have the place to himself as he glided through the water.



All of these photos were taken on the last mile and a half of the Wildlife Drive at Quivira. I am enchanted with this photo of the three birds silhouetted on the grasses. It was rare to see only a few of them at a time.



Something like 95% of migratory birds in the US move through Quivira at some point during the year. I'm not a bird watcher, but I appreciate the diversity that offers. In the autumn even Whooping Cranes become temporary residents.



I don't know my birds, but I'm guessing these are a very common variety considering how plentiful they are. I love this photo where you can see the blur of some flying while others are settling in for the night.



Earlier, they were swarming every which way. The sky was just black at times.



I don't know that I've ever shot so many photos directly into the sun before, but I wanted to capture that moment. The beginning of sunset, when twilight is coming, is my favorite time of day when I'm in nature. I love that beautiful pastel you only see at sunset.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

A day with friends at Quivira

Greg, Mia and I drove down to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day - sunny, although the wind was chilly - and we were there until sunset.

Quivira has a huge bird population passing through at any given time, and they were swarming at sunset. I took a ton of photos and will be sharing more, but love this one of the three birds silhouetted in the marsh grass, while the sky is speckled with hundreds of others.

This is the longest amount of time I've spent in a car since surgery and I had no problems, I'm happy to say. Greg drove all the way so all I had to do was take photos.

After Quivira we went to Wichita for dinner together before Mia headed on to Joplin. I'm feeling much perkier the last couple of days. About a week ago I had a couple of days of just needing to sleep almost all day and night. Then I seemed to take a leap in healing and just feel much more normal since then.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Glenn Miller Orchestra

The Glenn Miller Orchestra played in Hutchinson tonight. It was part of the Fox series, although it was held at Memorial Hall. Andrea called a couple of days ago and asked if I wanted to go with her to use Martha's tickets. Although I don't really know the music, I said "yes" because I try to always be open to fun.

Indeed, it was fun.

Most of the people attending were, like us, there to hear the music. But, a good portion of people took advantage of the dance floor that was set up. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed. It's a pity, because there was some great dancing going on. I did sneak some photos of my friends.

Andrea and I were talking about how we saw some of these same people at the chamber dinner last week and would never have imagined they could dance like they do. It was fun to watch people. Most of them were older, but there were a few younger couples, too. I'm amazed at the moves people had - very impressive.



Mia is out for Valentine's Day and she and Greg decided at the last minute to go to see the Glenn Miller Orchestra, too. At one point she leaned over and said, "If you squint a little you can imagine it's 1942." And it was true. It was cool to see people enjoying music from their youth.

I noticed as various songs were announced or started, the audience would "ooh" in unison. I chuckled thinking about it being 30 years from now and wondered if people my age would be having that reaction when things like  "Do you think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart or "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf was announced. Those were the only two songs I could think of from my senior year in high school, which I assume is the correct time frame to elicit that reaction. Unfortunately, neither of those has the same ring as "Stardust." Maybe we'll be too embarrassed to react that way. I can only hope.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Seeing Ourselves in Another Life

I've discovered that being largely housebound can be dangerous for the pocketbook. Unfortunately, the internet makes it easy to shop, without setting foot outside the house.

I am not prone to excessive spending, thank goodness. I have limited myself to some clothes I actually needed and some Avon that I will use. Tonight a package arrived that included a couple of more pair of thermals. And, just in time, because it's cold here tonight.

But I can see the danger if one were looking at a prolonged period of being alone with the net and a credit card for amusement.

I'm watching Diane Sawyer's "Hidden America" and it's bringing back so many memories of covering stories in Eastern Kentucky. When I lived in Lexington and worked for a TV station there we would occasionally go into Eastern Kentucky for stories.

Before that job I knew some fellow college students who were from the region, and I didn't understand their lives, although they were not all that different from my own in many ways. I could have been much kinder than I was. Don't we all feel that way at some point? That we could have done better. Maybe it's only me, but I can pinpoint dozens of times in my life when I had the opportunity to be kinder, gentler, more gracious, and failed.

While I had that job I spent a lot of time at the home of a man who had "escaped" a few miles toward the west and would only occasionally talk about his past. He was the best friend of my boyfriend and we would spend weekends together at his home. Forest was forever kind and generous with what he had and you could tell he had worked hard to get it. He never took it for granted, and I understood why. I still take nothing for granted and I bet he doesn't either.

When we would be in the region, I could easily spot the similarities to where I had grown up in Western Kentucky. There were places, homes, and families, that were the same as what we saw in Eastern Kentucky. But it wasn't as pervasive and there wasn't coal mining to fuel the ongoing cycle. But there were plenty of similarities to give the feeling of "but by the grace of God, there go I." I still have that sense whenever I see these sorts of stories.

I was blessed to grow up with a mother who valued education. She wanted me to get an education and did everything she could to facilitate it. I got a college degree and a job as a result. And I found a way to make a life for myself. And I'm grateful. Every day.

But I never forget how precarious such things are. I know people who are smarter than me who didn't find a way to make a life for themselves. It was not because of a lack of desire on their parts, but because they didn't have a support system of family and friends, or because they zigged when they should have zagged, or because they made a seemingly insignificant decision that had serious repercussions and they never recovered. And they weren't blessed with someone like Greg in their lives who has always been a tremendously positive force in my life - always supportive and kind and encouraging - who daily brings a different perspective to life and how it can be lived.

I'm always mindful that if being unable to make a decent life happened to others it could happen to me. After all, none of us is all that different from another. I go through my days feeling like I lead a charmed life because I have all I need and some of what I want. It's not that I don't want more security, but I know how precious any semblance of normalcy is.

Maybe if you've never witnessed such things, or known people who are fighting to hold on to the most basic of necessities, you don't think about these things. I can remember the bathroom being installed in the home where I grew up. I can remember bringing in coal for the heating stove that warmed the whole house. I can remember listening to stories of hard times, and knowing that despite what people would have you believe, hard work did not always keep those at bay.

I was very lucky - we were never hungry, and we were never living in squalor - but others were. However, there was alcoholism and abuse in my world, as there were in many people's. If you haven't lived with it, you can't understand it. Sorry, but you just can't. And no matter how it's explained to you you just won't get it. Not because you don't want to understand, but because words cannot describe it sufficiently.

It breaks my heart to see people struggling with such basic needs like food. It is a disgrace that anyone in this country is hungry. Ever. Maybe if you've never seen people hungry, through no fault of their own, it's easy to say they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. When you've seen it's not that people choose those lives, but that those lives happen to them, it becomes a different story.

Maybe only when you realize it could be your story do you feel any compassion. Maybe that, in a nutshell, is the distinction between the liberal mindset and the conservative one. Maybe those of us who can see ourselves in that place, with those difficulties, feel a need to fix it. It's not altruistic, it's self-protection. We're frightened of what it means for us if that exists for anyone. Maybe conservatives can't imagine themselves in those circumstances and it's easy to point out the trail of bad decisions, not understanding that sometimes there isn't a good decision to be made.

I think I'll go say another prayer of Thanksgiving now, followed by one of entreatment.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Free Advertising Advice

You know what they say about free advice - it's worth every penny you paid for it. That said, I'm going to dispense some free advertising advice, which you can choose to ignore or heed. I do have some training and experience with advertising so I'm not just blathering with no background.

Here's the advice. Do NOT make your children or grandchildren the stars of your commercials if you really want to get across some message. And, by the way, getting across a message is generally the reason for advertising.

I just watched a TV commercial for something - I can't recall what, which is a big problem - where two girls were singing some unintelligible song that had nothing to do with anything as far as I could tell. They were cute, but they were not star singers. Unless you're raising the next LeAnn Rimes, please, resist.

If you feel a need to include your children and grandchildren, question that. If you just can't stop yourself, make them extras in the commercial. If you just cannot control your urge to have them front and center, try to have them doing or saying something that is central to the product or service you're trying to sell.

Okay, that's it. Do as you wish, of course. But consider why you're spending that advertising money - is it to increase sales/awareness or to give a perk to the children in your life? They are not necessarily compatible.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Homesick

The other night at the chamber dinner Rebecca Ryan asked a very thought-provoking question.

"What do you want to be homesick for?"

She said it was a question asked of her by someone designing a home for her. She struggled with the question.

I have to admit I've been struggling with it too. I think part of the reason is that it forces me to choose ONE thing, or at least a small collection of things, and that's always difficult for me.

But it's a very interesting thing to ponder - what do you want to be homesick for.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

The Medical Update

A few folks have emailed to ask how I'm feeling. I've been trying to not overload the blog with medical stuff, but I appreciate your concern.

Overall - I'm great. I can't believe surgery was only two weeks ago yesterday. I am moving around with no significant pain at all. I feel like doing some basic work. I'm very bored with TV.

I got the staples pulled yesterday. Dr. Wesley did it for me here instead of driving to Wichita, and he was very gentle, thank goodness. A few of them were a little painful but just a little bit. Mostly it was completely painless. He said the incision looks really good. He has been my doctor for a long time and it was good to check in with him after having such a major medical issue. I am comforted by him and by his nurse, Judy.

I haven't started driving, but feel like I could at any time. It's just a little uncomfortable to sit in the car seat because of the way I have to bend, so I haven't. And, I've been fortunate that friends have been willing to cart me around. Trish took me to the chamber dinner. Barbara took me to get my staples out yesterday. Greg has been my chauffeur since I left the hospital.

I am still having some atrial fibrulation issues and that is really a problem for me. My heart has not been beating really fast, but it is skipping a beat now and then. It makes me feel "not normal."

Feeling normal is what I so desperately want. I know. It has only been two weeks. I'm not good with being sick. I'm sure you've known people like I have who seem to thrive on medical care. They like to go to the doctor, hospital stays are something they don't question, etc. All I can say is they are made of much stronger stuff than me. I am a total wimp.

I just want to be normal. Physically I feel pretty good, other than the a-fib, but I still get very tired. I find myself napping multiple times during the day. I am not on a normal schedule. I sleep for a few hours, then get up for awhile, then go back to sleep, etc. Part of that may well be the a-fib.

Mentally I feel a little out of sorts still. I hadn't taken any pain pills for a couple of days but they encouraged me to take one at night to sleep so I did that Monday. Then I took one before getting my staples pulled, and another one last night. They do help me sleep for longer hours at a time, and that's good I suppose. I have to sleep in order to heal. The mental loopiness isn't related to the pills I don't think. I think it's just a matter of the brain and body saying, "Hey, what the heck, what did you just do to me?" I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say I can focus, but focusing for any amount of time wears me out.

I have been working some from home, easing back into things. There are things that just have to be taken care of. I'm fortunate I had plenty of sick time banked, but as long as I feel like doing things I'm going to.

The bills have started arriving, and it's ugly. But, I'm not sure what options I had other than to get this taken care of. I couldn't ignore it. So, I'll just have to figure that out. I don't know how that's going to work out yet, but I'm just trusting it will become obvious what I need to do.

I'm walking around in the house every day. I walk the circle through my hallway, living room and dining room over and over again. They tell me I did myself a world of good by walking so much in the hospital. So, remember this in case you have to have surgery - apparently walking in the days after surgery dramatically impacts your recovery and recuperation. Everyone seems amazed at how I look and how I'm moving. I still get tired, but am so thankful to have the benign diagnosis and to feel as good as I do. I feel like being up most of the day every day, with just brief naps and rests.

I'm not walking upstairs to go to bed yet. I'm still sleeping in the dining room on the hospital bed. But, I think I could start going upstairs almost anytime. Maybe this weekend I'll start doing that. I have a few steps coming into my house and I haven't had any problem with those. The first day I was very careful to hold the handrail and put both feet on a step before taking the next one. The following day I walked down them going somewhere and then realized I was supposed to hold the rail. But, I was in the yard by then so it was a little late.

I've been able to take a shower by just stepping into my tub. I was worried about that because I have an old tub that's tall. But I haven't had any problem with it. The difficulty is that I can't put the abdominal binder back on by myself so it requires someone to help me. This binder is a big rectangle with velcro on it - essentially a girdle. It holds everything tight so you don't feel like grabbing for a pillow if you start to cough or something. It's a wonderful thing although I sometimes feel like it's squeezing the life out of me. But, it's looser now.

When they weighed me yesterday I had lost 30 pounds. Of course, some of that was tumor and other things they removed, but there were also quite a few days when I just couldn't eat anything. Regardless, I'm not sorry to be rid of those pounds.

I am glad I had the chance to take care of my personal business before surgery - getting Greg set up with power of attorney and getting beneficiaries changed and doing the living will. I also took the opportunity to say something to someone I thought might feel bad if something happened to me. It was good for my own peace of mind that I took care of that, although they didn't respond to my note.

When Steve was out he asked if I went into surgery thinking that could be the end. I was very optimistic that it would be benign and all would be okay, but I was aware that any surgery is dangerous and that that could have been the end for me. I wanted to be prepared just in case. I think I've done everything along those lines I need to do, other than get my house in order, and the chance of that happening is so slim it's not worth worrying about.

Dr. Wesley told me yesterday that if he had had to say he would have guessed this was cancer. Obviously, that's what others thought, too. I feel like I can't really celebrate yet. I still want more confirmation. I am going to get a copy of the lab report and maybe that will make me feel satisfied. I think it's just that it was a few weeks of thinking about what it might be and I have to "come down" from that a bit I think. I was optimistic about the outcome before surgery, but I just need some extra confirmation now after thinking about it so much beforehand.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Details and Tiny Moments

The details make life holy.

If you want a little happiness in life don’t forget to look at the little things.

It is a poet’s work to see the incidental, pluck it, place an appropriate silence around both sides and see the profound in what passes for a passing moment.

It is an artist’s job to as much discover art as create it.

Prayer is a way of making the common profound by pausing, tying knots around a moment, turning our life into a string of pearls.                                                                                          --- Noah Ben Shea



I ran across this quote today and it so perfectly sums up my approach to life that I can't believe I've never seen it before. It's just beautiful.

The first sentence alone explains why this blog exists. I started writing a blog in part to remind myself to appreciate the small events in daily life.

I believe it is in those tiny bits of life where the sacred resides. It is there, in the briefest of moments, that could slip by unnoticed, where we get a glimpse of who we truly are and how we fit in the world.

Only by seeing the detail can we appreciate the fullness of life. Happiness comes through small kindnesses and slices of life captured in crystal clear remembrances.

The ordinary is holy. It is our responsibility to recognize and appreciate it whenever given the opportunity. And the opportunities are endless.

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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Rebecca Ryan Speaking at Chamber Dinner

Rebecca Ryan was the featured speaker at the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber annual dinner tonight.

Ryan is the author of "Live First, Work Second," which gives insight into the mindset of the next generation. She has researched the material through interviews and focus groups. She has her own firm called Next Generation Consulting that aims to help communities attract and keep people of all ages.

I just reread the book and it's a quick, concise read - well worth the effort. For the purposes of discussion, the generations are roughly divided into:
Silent Generation born 1925-1942
Baby Boomers born 1943-1960
Generation X born 1961-1981
Millennials born 1982-2002

In her initial comments this evening, Ryan told the group that a "Leader's job today is not to have the answer. A leader's job today is to midwife the answer." She told people to consider if when they go to meetings they pretty much know what is going to happen. If so there's not enough new voice in the meeting.

I've never thought of it that way, but she summed up why I generally hate meetings - we have the same conversations over and over again. I can anticipate what's going to be said next, which means there's no reason for me to be there. But I think for some people, they see value in that because meetings are a way for them to "hammer home" their point of view by repeating it. I just don't want to be involved. But, then, of course, I'm one of those Gen X people who has no patience with such things. We like things to move quickly. So, there you go.

I knew I would like Ryan when I read the book and she brought up Maslow. If you've read here for any amount of time, you know I'm a big fan. I really think Maslow had us all figured out. She looks at it from a generational perspective - the greatest generation wanted basic needs, the boomers moved up to affiliation, the gen xers value independence and the millennials are working their way up to the top into self-actualization.

A real shift is that people used to have one job their whole lives. I was on my 7th job before I was 40 and I felt like I'd stayed in some of those for a long time. She said in the coming generation, that by age 32 people will have had nine jobs. I think it's great to do different things - you move in different circles, meet different people, learn different systems - and take all of that with you into the next thing, making life a richer experience. Ryan said younger people "know they will have multiple jobs, but they may not necessarily want to have multiple homes or zip codes."

She discussed the seven indexes she lays out in the book. These are the things that matter to young people when they're considering moving into a community.
Vitality - health and well being of a community - are there trails for example
Earning - can I make a living here and are there knowledge-based jobs. The 30% of people engaged in knowledge based jobs make more than half of the income in the US. If you want to raise the standard of living for everyone in your community, you need to increase your knowledge-based jobs and entrepreneurs
Learning - not just traditional learning, but are their writer's groups and lectures and other ways to keep the brain engaged
Different Talent - does the community incorporate all different kinds of talent? She uses the Irish Potato famine as an example to illustrate this - the famine happened because they had no genetic diversity in the potato. She asked the group tonight, "Are you growing only one kind of potato here?"
Cost of Lifestyle - can I afford to have a life here
After Hours - what is there to do after work and on weekends - this may not necessarily mean a big party scene - not everyone wants that
Around Town - How easy is it to get around. The national average commute is 22.6 minutes. We can get from one end of Hutchinson to the other in that amount of time and that is something I like about living here. I do not ever again want to spend my time sitting in traffic.

She talked a bit about networks - what kind of opportunities are there for people to connect. You know this is one of my great concerns - how we connect with other humans. This seems very lacking in our world today and we are less for it. She challenged us to think about how we create a space to connect.



A really important point she made was that if you have people talking about ways to improve a community, it doesn't mean that what's there is bad. It just means there's a new way to look at things.

One of my favorite comments was, "I don't care if you put young people or young thinkers at the table." I've noticed lately that regardless of the topic, the answer often seems to be age related. We hear, "Well, we need to get young people involved..." or "Well, people over 40 don't do this..."  This can be used to explain everything from texting to newspaper readership.

The problem is, these things are far deeper than age and if you stop with an explanation of age, then there's nothing that can be done. We can't create more people under 40. But, of course, age is not the answer. I'm closer to 50 than 40 and text more than some people I know who are half my age. It's not age and if you explain everything away with age you don't ever get to a real answer that you can actually use.

Overall it was a very interesting evening. I'm so glad I went. Trish came and picked me up and it was good to be there. I ran into a lot of folks I know. Everyone seemed amazed to see me out and about. Tomorrow is two weeks since surgery. I think I'm doing pretty well, but I will be glad to be normal again. At least now I have some new things to think about while I'm recuperating.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

We'll See One Time

The other night we were talking about how you say "no" to people. I'm a big proponent of being direct. I'd much rather people tell me "no" instead of telling me "not right now, but maybe later" or something less definitive. Just tell me the truth. And if the truth is "no" just deliver it unvarnished.

I used to run into this problem all the time when setting up gardens for the garden tour. I would call someone and ask and they would say, "Oh, I can't do it this year, but call me next year." The following year I would call and they would say, "Oh, not this year, but next year for sure so call me then." After the third time I hear this I just say to people, very politely, "Do you just not want to do this. If you don't, please just tell me. I only keep calling you because you tell me to call you again. If you'll just tell me 'no' if that's what you mean then I will stop calling you. It will be easier for both of us." Even then some people just can't say "no." They're wasting my time and they're causing me to waste their time. Lets just stop it.

We were talking about this in the context of different cultures and Sharon mentioned that in Amish culture they often do not want to say "no" so they say, "We'll see one time." For some reason I just love this phrase. I'm going to work this into my daily life somehow. It's just too beautiful to not use.

How will I work it in? I don't know.

We'll see one time.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

I swore I would never do it...

I swore I would never go out of the house in pajamas, but I did. The shame.

I've grown so weary of seeing people at restaurants and stores wearing their pajama bottoms. I get that they're comfy, but it's just so tacky. There has never been much danger that I would follow suit because I didn't own any pajamas.

Then I ordered a pair of "lounging pants" for my recuperation. "Lounging pants" is just another way of saying "pajamas." We all know it. There's no point in denying it. It's just marketing.

Well, they're cute - a pink/green/claret plaid - and very comfy. I've used them to lounge in and sleep in and I had them on yesterday morning when Greg roused up from the couch in the other room and said a few minutes later, "Patsy, there's something wrong with both my eyes. I can't see - everything is like I'm looking through a film." Needless to say, this got me out of bed very quickly. We couldn't see anything wrong, but I called the eye doctor's office that was open for another 25 minutes and they said they would see him.

"I can't drive," he said.

"I will," I said.

"You can't."

"I can," I said with tremendous conviction. It's only a few blocks and I knew I would be able to manage it fine. Which I did. In my pajamas. Yes, the pajamas/lounging pants, pink plaid and all.

There was no time to change clothes or call someone to come and take us. We just went. I wouldn't want to drive more than a few blocks because the way I have to sit in the seat is uncomfortable, but it was fine and I felt my reflexes were fine. I hadn't had any pain pills in about 22 hours.

Greg's eye problem was diagnosed as an infection, so nothing serious - part of a sinus infection he has. The doctor gave him a prescription for some drops. We took it to Dillon's to get it filled because it was on the way home and the optometrist suggested them. I won't ever make that mistake again. Good grief.

First they tell us it will take two hours to fill it. We give them about four hours and come back. They can't find anything, including the actual prescription. After some fumbling around they tell us they don't have this medicine and offer to call around and look for it. They had had four freaking hours to call around and hadn't bothered. Now that we're sitting in the drive through lane, with three cars behind us, they want to call around. There's some customer service. Greg, smartly, just took the prescription back and took it to Walmart where they actually keep medication on hand with which to fill prescriptions - a concept other pharmacies might want to consider.

By the way, this would be a fine example of why I shop at Walmart, which always seems to mystify people. They have the products you want/need on the shelves. That's a big one. And when it comes to prescriptions they charge me $4 for one that another pharmacy charges $53 for. I simply can't afford to give my local businesses an extra $49 a month for the same product. Sorry. If you can justify it and afford it, that's fabulous. I can't.

I had actually been considering moving my prescriptions to Dillon's since I shop there anyway, but yesterday's experience told me that would be a foolish, foolish, foolish move. I thought Walmart was slow when they wanted thirty minutes to fill a prescription. Little did I know they were four times faster than Dillon's. Not to mention they can actually fill the prescription.

I do love Dillon's for grocery shopping, especially when I have coupons. They give double coupons and that keeps me coming back. Have I ever mentioned my love of coupons? They're also convenient to run to when I need just a few things.

Well, back to the pajamas and my secret shame that is no longer secret. I'll just say that once you've crossed the line there's no going back. I wore them to lunch. I wore them to dinner. I slept in them. I'm still in them. It's disgraceful.

I could plead that changing clothes is a struggle for me because of the bending. I could point out that it's not like I'm getting anything very dirty. I could say I'm allowed because I'm still recuperating. But, of course, these are all just ugly excuses that lead to people like me running around in public in clothes never designed to be seen outside the confines of one's home.

Obviously, I need to order a couple more pair. At least a couple more. Because once the line has been crossed there's no going back. I've gone over to the dark side. Or the pink plaid side.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

Emotions

I'm a very emotional person, although I like to think that I can control myself pretty well when it's necessary. For example, if someone around me needs emergency medical care I'm very calm about getting what they need. Then, once the danger has passed and they're being cared for, I become a blubbering mass. Being a blubbering mass, of course, is of no use to anyone for anything. But, it is sometimes very cathartic to the blubber-er.

The last few days I've been really emotional. Not necessarily over anything in particular, just in general. When I lay down at night I'm prone to be crying for reasons I can't even determine. I'm not sure if it's relief over the diagnosis after a few weeks of stress, worry over paying my medical bills, emotion over the loss of my body parts or just general malaise that I don't feel normal. I know I'm very bad at being sick, and I think the latter is one that is having a dramatic impact on me, although it's far less significant than the others you would think.

Today I had a little talk with myself that I need to stop this foolishness. I just got some of the best news of my life - it's benign - news thousands of people a day are praying for. I need to let go of this other stuff and be nothing but grateful. I hope I'm successful in this moving on endeavor.

I am so incredibly grateful to have a diagnosis of benign. I just need to manifest that gratitude in new ways.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

Blogs to Read

There are a few blogs I read on a regular basis and I'm struck by how much really good writing there is online. I'm also amazed by the lives people can create for themselves. That glimpse into people's lives is what attracts me to a blog.

When people are open about themselves, I'm attracted to read what they have to say. Is that because it's human nature? Or is it because we're lacking this in our real lives so we seek it in this new fashion? Probably a bit of both.

I'm curious what other blogs you read. Leave a comment or email me at patsyterrell@gmail.com to let me know. I'm always looking to see what else is out there that might be of interest.

The health report for the day is that I've been up most of the day, but cannot function well enough to really accomplish anything. Greg, Steve and I went to Roy's for lunch. Thanks for lunch, Anne! I can play on the computer, do facebook, and read blogs, but actually doing anything that requires logical thought is beyond me. I'm sure that's partially the drugs. Of course, it was a month ago today that all of this began. I went for the pelvic sonogram on Jan. 6. A lot has happened since then.

Send me your blog favorites!
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

First Big Outting

Tonight I had my first big outting since coming home - a trip to Skaets. Yes, I know, I'm living on the edge. I wasn't up to my usual moon burger, but a grilled cheese with pickles hit the spot.

Greg's brother, Steve, is visiting and he wanted to hit Skaets so we headed up there. Sharon met us there and we had a nice visit. Then we all came back to my house and munched on those strawberries Todd and Tara sent.



Steve is a funny guy. He's also a very talented writer and film producer. I'm so flattered that Steve reads this blog, at least in part. He tells me he skips the posts on doilies and such. Who knows what pithy wisdom he's missing, but what are you gonna do?

I've been up almost all day today and I've started weaning myself from the pain pills. I've been taking the pain pills every couple of hours, so I wouldn't be in any pain. But, I slept through doses a few times and realized there was no pain. So, I think I've reached the point where I need them less.

I'm not going to be in pain, but I have an addictive personality and I do not need to be taking pills "just in case" I might be in pain. So, I'm being cautious with them. Although, frankly, I cannot imagine what sort of recreational purpose these things serve. They pretty much just make me sleepy, which I don't find all that thrilling.

I've been up almost all day today. I can't say I'm accomplishing much in those hours, as I'm just not thinking very clearly, but the mere fact that I can be up and about is encouraging to me. They tell me I did myself a world of good walking a lot in the hospital, so I'm continuing that at home, even though I don't have a nice long hallway to use. I make a circle through my hallway, living room and dining room until I start to get a little dizzy.



I spoke with the PR person at the hospital today, who found my blog and read about my experiences there. She seems very on top of things and has an interesting idea she's asked us to participate in. She was very impressed with Greg's pictures. I think we'll be able to work something out. I'd love to be able to help recognize the folks who were so helpful to me.

I'm feeling better each day and I'm optimistic I'll be up to seeing Rebecca Ryan at the Chamber Dinner on Monday night. I'm going to have to ask around to see if someone can pick me up since I don't think I'll be driving by then and Greg will be out of town.

The deal with driving is that when I feel my reflex if someone pulled out in front of me would be to hit the brakes instead of grab my stomach, then I can drive. I'm not there yet. Maybe I will be by Monday. We'll see. I need a backup plan regardless.

Well, the big plans for tomorrow are - hopefully - a trip to Roy's and a shower. I know. My life is so darned exciting it's hard to keep track. We'll see if I'm able to accomplish both of those in one day. If something has to go, it will be Roy's. As much as I love Roy's, a shower is becoming an essential. Otherwise, no one is going to want to be around me, even if I have gourmet chocolate covered strawberries to share. And I'm a woman who can't put my own socks on, so I can't take the risk.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Surprises

The FedEx guy brings surprises sometimes. Today it was these - a dozen beautifully dipped chocolate covered strawberries from Todd and Tara in Kansas City. I was able to resist munching one long enough to take a photo.


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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Taking it Easy

I've been taking it easy today, resting and recuperating. I was glad I did because this evening Greg's brother, Steve, came out from Joplin. I always love visiting with Steve and fortunately I was able to be up and alert a long time while he was here. I think it's safe to say that Steve was surprised by how well I'm moving and functioning.

I'm certainly not feeling like doing much of anything - merely getting my pills down and keeping myself fed is about all I can manage - but I'm doing better than I expected to be doing at this point.

I just finished Rebecca Ryan's book, "Live First, Work Second," today. She will speak at the chamber dinner Monday evening and I'm hoping to feel like going. I so want to see her. I'm still mulling the book over. I'm sure I'll have more to say about it later. She draws heavily on Robert Putnam, as well as other sources.

Well, it's back to bed for me... I can't seem to decide if I'm up or down or inbetween for any amount of time.
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Mars Rovers Mark Five Years

It is hard to believe that the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been on the surface for five years now. It was supposed to be a brief, 90 day mission and they're both still roaming.

It seems like that was just a short while ago and it has been five years. Time does fly. NASA does a remarkable job of keeping the public informed about what's going on. I just don't check in as often as I should.

We live with so much information these days, from so many sources, it's hard to keep it all organized in a fashion we can actually use. But, I love it that with a few mouse clicks I can find a NASA photo from the surface of Mars to share with you. We live in amazing times.
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Reading Twilight

I bought a copy of the book, "Twilight" to read during my recuperation. I'm almost done with it and I find myself at an odd place. I like it and yet I'm disturbed by the underlying message of it.

The basic premise can be summed up with high school angst vampire love story. Human girl likes vampire boy. Vampire boy could kill human girl. Continually resists. Love blooms.

The writing is compelling enough that I'm reading it, so obviously I can't fault it. If you're reading it and you have no reason you have to, then the writing is more than adequate. The conflict is the continual "I want to drink your blood" drama.

I guess my problem with it - as with most "romance" stories - is that I don't find that particularly romantic. Even if I believed in vampires and love at first sight and everything else that is required, why would I want to be with someone for whom my mere presence is that traumatic? Not to mention why would I want to be with someone who is continually struggling to not kill me. Is that Domestic Violence in Waiting?

I know, it's supposed to be all beautifully tragic. I get it. I just need a little reality with my love story - even if it involves a vampire. I realize this leaves me out of the loop - that people everywhere love this book, which is now a movie. And I'm guessing it's a beautiful, atmospheric, movie. There's a lot there to work with and I'll want to see the flick eventually.

Things other people get just escape me. When Bridges of Madison County came out every woman I knew was thrilled with the romantic story. I didn't get it. At all. It's a story about a woman cheating on her husband, who's never done anything but provide for her and their children to the best of his abilities. Admittedly, he might not be the most exciting man on the planet, and I know the charm of photographers - I've dated four of them. But there is nothing about adultery I find charming. Nothing.

There's also nothing I find charming about being with someone who is struggling to not kill me. And I'm not sure that's the sort of message I'd want my teenage girl to be absorbing. But, of course, if I had a teenage girl I'd have very little actual control over what she was reading/seeing - despite what we like to think - and so all you can do is hope people are able to think things through logically and realize this is just a fantasy world and not something one wants in real life.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com. All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

One Week

It has been one week, almost to the minute, since we left here for surgery. I'm home, with the word that it was benign, feeling like sitting upright and writing. I can only attribute that to the power of prayer, medical miracles and the skill of people willing to share their wisdom. I am astonished at how good I feel overall, here just a week out.

Last week when we left to go to the hospital, there was an ice storm underway. I'll tell you a sight I will never forget that morning. I was sitting in the car in the driveway, warming it up before taking off, and thinking we would be the only people on the road. Then, in my rearview mirror, while I'm bundled up in my big winter coat, hat and gloves, I see a truck gliding by on the street in front of my house. As I sat there, the tail lights from my car illuminated the logo for Releaf Landscapes on Sharon's truck. She had come over to follow us to Wichita, just in case we had some sort of difficulty, and to wait with Greg.

It's a special category of friend who will follow you on an hour's drive in an ice storm beginning at 3:40 in the morning, knowing the day is stretching out ahead and could be filled with trauma. I haven't even known Sharon very long, and yet she was there with me for days after surgery, aiding me in many different ways. She was truly an angel of mercy in this whole thing. She took some of the pressure off Greg, too, and that was wonderful.

I knew she was planning to wait with Greg that day, but didn't realize she was driving over with us. I assumed Greg had called her that morning to tell her of our preparations, but he hadn't. She had known the time we were planning to leave and had just shown up.

One thing that has been a repeated message for me through this experience is how important it is to "show up." Mark, Carl and Kris just "showed up" with food. Ann just showed up at the hospital the day of surgery. Visitors showed up, cards showed up, flowers showed up, prayers showed up. I need to make sure I always show up in the future.

I may not have a beautiful green leafed logo that glides by in the pre-dawn darkness on an icy morning, lit only by tail lights, but I can show up, nonetheless.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Home

I'm home from the hospital and feeling better than I could have imagined I would at this point. I'm sore. I'm moving slowly. I'm taking it easy. But, I'm at the computer, which I did not anticipate for some days to come. I won't be here long - just long enough to say I'm home.

If you've been following along at www.patsyterrell.com you already know, but the mass was benign. Greg has been blogging daily for me through the whole process, and it has been a process that just started with tumor removal. But, I think it will be better in the long run, so that's good.

We went straight to WalMart to get my prescriptions filled this afternoon, then home, where Jocelyn was working in my front flower bed. Sharon arrived shortly afterwards and it was great to visit with both of them.

I warmed up a bowl of potato soup that Carl and Kris had brought this weekend (YUM!), when they and Mark came down. They filled my freezer up with stuff. It's quite a wonderful selection in there. I just decided to go for soup tonight so I didn't have to think too much about what mix of goodies to have. I must write Mark's mom a thank you note, too, because I recognize some of her trademark dishes in there.

Teresa who stopped by on her way home and I got to visit with her a little. Barbara called to check on me, too. I'm so touched that friends have been so incredibly helpful during this whole thing.

I'm going to lay down for a little bit now and rest. I'm feeling like I need to be not sitting up for awhile. But, I'm amazed at how good I feel overall. Never imagined I'd be blogging the first night home.

Well, time for a nap for me!
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Helpful Folks

This is Rhonda, who was there during my last night at Via Christie. She was very kind. She works only limited hours, and floats "as needed" on the floor, because she spends most of her time with her three year old daughter. You can't argue with that, of course.

I was a little nauseated for awhile, but after that passed I felt more normal and got up to walk a few times during the night. I've never been a good sleeper - witness I'm up right now - and decided I might as well make use of the time to walk a bit.

Besides, it can be fun to see the nurses in less guarded moments, enjoying the occasional quiet they get. And as far as I can tell they don't get much.

We caught Paula, who was my nurse earlier, in a funny moment.


   
I got the distinct impression that Paula can be the life of the party at times.



Audrey was not my nurse at anytime, but did help me the day I was so sick. What an awful day to help out. I guess one of the reasons they're nurses is that they handle that sort of thing much better than the rest of us.

 

This is Donna, who was my tech my last day. She had a great story to tell. One of the things you learn as a journalist is that almost everyone has a wonderful story - you just have to ask and listen.


Donna started at Via Christie 14 years ago in housekeeping and decided she wanted to do something different. So, she got her CNA license. This year she's starting nursing school. She discovered she just really like helping people. How can you not love that quality in another human being, much less a nurse?

Jenni was my nurse a couple of times while I was there. She is expecting her second child in about eight weeks. Her little girl will soon have a baby brother.

She's trying to convince her daughter to get potty trained before the new baby arrives. Jenni thinks - and who could disagree - that one baby in diapers is enough at any given moment. I hope that works out for Jenni and her husband, and their her daughter.

Jenni was very kind and caring. Like everyone I ran into there.

I know I missed getting photos of some of the folks who were so helpful during my stay. It wasn't an intentional slight - just one of those things that happened.

 

I called the person in charge before I left, to let them know how great my experience was. They say a survey comes to some folks after their stay, but it's random. I hope I get one.


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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on facebook.com. Follow me at twitter.com.