She's My She-ro !

If you are a faithful reader, you know that I am going to take a picture of our celebratory dinner! Tonight we had broiled shrimp, sauteed vegetables, and a bread stick. In addition to that, we opened a bottle of Gruet Blanc de Blancs. It is a sparkling champagne from New Mexico--Vintage 2002. We just had to celebrate this wonderful day. Delicious!
After dinner, I got her in the car, backed out of the driveway to the street, got her walker, and we walked up the street about three houses! How about that? Then we got back into the car, and I took her up the driveway into the garage, and deposited her there. (If any of the neighbors were watching, I am sure that they wondered about those two daffy ladies driving down the driveway, and then driving back up. Hee, hee!)Those of you who know her driveway, know that it has much too steep of a grade to have her walk down it, or even up it. We have to keep telling ourselves not to do too much. We just have to take it easy. Well, tonight I put one tired little lady to bed. We had a great day, don't you think? She has just been home two weeks today. WOW! Until next time . . . . . ..

Oh, No! Don't Tell Her That!

Hello, everybody! Today is the day that we have looked forward to for two weeks. When I checked on Her Majesty at 2:05 this morning, she was sleeping soundly. Again, at 3:38--nothing! I was glad that I had set my alarm clock because it did indeed ring this morning. I quickly got up, checked on Miss Ellie, and jumped into the tub for a quick bath. Our appointment was for 9:00 this morning, and we were not going to be late on my account. At five o'clock, I went in to awaken her. She lasted the whole night, and not once had to ring that little dinger.

After we got ourselves ready, we walked out back to the backyard and check on the little flowers that we planted. This first picture is a picture of just how pretty and peaceful her little yard looks.
This second picture shows Ellen standing in her entryway. It looks like someone is taking her picture if you look closely over her left shoulder.

Then we were off to the doctor. We arrived well before the appointed time. We didn't even have to wait for very long. This next picture shows her knee just before the young man began the task of pulling all 25 of those little suckers out. I might add that it was fascinating to watch. She said it didn't hurt at all. The little staples looked like baby m's when he took them out.

Below is the picture as the knee looked after removing about half of the staples.

Next is a picture of the little staple puller in action. This last picture is of the technician who removed the staples for Dr. Westbrook. I kept asking Ellen if it hurt; she kept telling me that it didn't.

So, there you have it. The doctor came in and told her she could do what she felt like doing. (Wrong thing to tell Her Staple-less Majesty.) Sooooooo, guess where we went after leaving the doctor's office? We went to Carpet One to pick up some small pieces of carpet that she had bound from left overs. Then after we got back on the freeway, headed home (or so I thought), she says to me, " I brought my list for Albertson's!" I couldn't believe my ears. Now she wants to go to Albertson's!!!! What Her Shopping Majesty wants, Her Shopping Majesty gets! So, here I am pulling into Albertson's parking lot, and we go shopping for groceries! I am sure we were quite a sight--me walking with my cane running interference for her with her walker! (Did you get that picture?) Hee, hee!

By now, I have absolutely run out of adjectives to use to describe this lady who is my right arm. She is all of these things--awesome, fantastic, wonderful, remarkable, unbelievable, and on top of all of these, she is beautiful inside and out!

Pretty soon, Sharon won't have anything to talk about, huh? Until, next time . . . .

Surprise, Surprise!!

Good day to you all! There will be no living with her now! Her Royal Majesty showed off big time for the therapist today! Meet Leslie! She is the Terrorist Therapist of whom you have heard me speak in earlier episodes. She actually passed out accolades today! Remarkable! Miss Ellie was able to have her knee measured at 87 degrees while sitting this afternoon. Neither of us could believe it. Two weeks ago, the machine could hardly be set to 36 degrees. Now that is progress, don't you think? I know the picture looks like Leslie is beating Ellen, but she isn't. For this exercise, Ellen has to pull her leg up as far as she can get it, and hold for ten seconds.
Below is a picture of Her Royal Big Foot Majesty holding on to the belt and pulling up on her foot. (Yes, she actually has on real clothes today.) We tried to decide what to wear to the doctor in the morning. She had to get the feel of those undergarments, if you know what I mean. She shampooed her hair this morning and got all fixed up. She continues to amaze and amuse us all.
It won't be long before she will be able to outrun me. I guess I am going to have to start being nice to her. Wish us luck tomorrow. I actually ran home to get some ice and to pick up my alarm clock today. Yes, alarm clock! I don't trust me. I am afraid that Ellie will get in the car and go without me.(Hee, hee)

Until next time . . . . . . . . .

My Funny Faithful Phone Friend!

Two weeks have now gone by since surgery. There have been numerous cards, gifts, flowers, delightful dessert delicacies, and visitors. We are very appreciative of all of these; however, one person has been a faithful and constant support through daily phone calls. At the beginning of this ordeal, it was twice a day just to check on Ellen's progress. She would even check out the pictures of the incision and call with her nursing assessment!

We look forward to her daily inquiries and her latest antics. Oh my, does she make us laugh!! Jenny is a fellow school nurse and a dear friend. She has guided Ellen in the right direction regarding her care when Ellen was too "out of it" to remember things on her own. In the hospital she was Ellen's advocate at the Nurse's Station.

Words cannot express our gratitude for all your concern and care. We thank you with our whole hearts. May everyone have a Jenny in their lives! We love you!!

A Totally Extracurricular, Exciting Excursion!!

Hello, everybody! We hope you are well and happy! I will get to the exciting excursion is just a minute; however, first things first---Nichole and Mary, skip to the next part. For the doctors and nurses, keep looking. This first picture I posted is today's view of the knee! We both think that it looks great, and we hope that the doctor does, also ,when we go on Thursday for the big staple removal!


Now to tell you about the big excursion--Yesterday afternoon after we watched "Freedom Writers", Ellen asked if she could go along on my already planned trip to Home Depot. My former florist friend was getting antsy to get out of the house, and she wanted to add a little color to her backyard and the front entryway. With fear and trepidation in my heart, I said a little prayer and got her into the car. Off we went, nightgown and all. I was able to park up close in the first handicapped parking place right across from the plant display. That way she could supervise the selections. I held up the Vinca Red for her approval. (It is a wonder I didn't get arrested because I walked back over to the car to show her up close.)

I was trusted to go inside to find something for the entryway. I found some dwarf dahlias that looked wonderful, so I quickly made the purchase and zoomed back to the car.

We decided to take the movies already watched, and turn them in. After that, we went to my home to take some plants that I bought, and to pick up a few things from the freezer. We asked my husband to move her car which has been in my garage out so I could pull right in with the queen. By this time we both knew that it was time to get back to the house to get her leg iced and up.

But, of course, we first had to transplant the little plants, so here is Her Floral Majesty doing her thing.


When we went outside this morning after breakfast, the plants were still standing tall, and I was relieved.
Her backyard looks prettier each day, just like her new knee. She continues to amaze me. Each day as she gets better, I feel like I am losing some of my new found authority. She is inching back to issuing orders. (You know what I mean.)
Until next time, thanks for reading.

Oops! I almost forgot--last night was an even better night for both of us. We both slept longer than we had at any one time ever. When I got up at 3:00 a.m. to check on her, I could tell immediately that she was sleeping soundly. The covers were still intact and she had this soft little snore (the deep sleep kind). Praise the Lord! I even went back to sleep, and the little ring-a-ding-dinger didn't ring until almost 6:00! What a blessing!

What A Glorious Night!

Oh, my, it was wonderful! That little ring-a-ding-dinger didn't go off ALL night long! I couldn't believe it. I even got up around 12:45, checked on her, checked again at 1:30 a.m., checked again when I got up at 4:30. I figured she would pop, but no, she didn't ring that little dinger until 6:00 a.m. I even had a chance to read the paper all the way through. What a glorious night!

When I put her on the machine this morning, she asked me to take it up to an 80 degree angle. By golly, she kept it there the whole time. I am tremendously proud of her. What a girl!

Until next time . . . ....

A Sunny Sunday Warms The Heart!

We love Sundays! And we hope that yours is going well. It is gorgeous here in El Paso, Texas. The weatherman missed it again. He called for rain, but right now it just doesn't look like it is going to happen. After we got all cleaned up this morning, and I put Ellen back to bed with the Passive Motion Machine, the door bell rang. It was another mom and her two daughters from Polk. They brought by a little thank you present for Nursie-Pooh. We invited them to come in and visit for a little bit. It was a wonderful visit for Ellen.

After they left, Mary came to give us Communion. She is a Eucharistic minister for St. Patrick's Cathedral. She is also a wonderful friend, and a teacher at Polk. Our little Polk community contains some great people. We are happy to say that we are blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Ellen has the machine up to a 78 degree angle now. We hope the Terrorist Therapist is happy with that.

We are going to watch a movie this afternoon. I am not sure if it will be "Freedom Writers", or "Charlotte's Web."

Below you will find two pictures of Ellen's incision as it looked this morning. On Thursday of this coming week, the doctor is supposed to remove the stitches. We are both excited about that. Whatcha think, Miss Jenny?


The next picture is of Mary and Ellen.

This last picture is of Deanna, Emma, and Lily who came by after church for a quick visit.
Right now, it is nap time for me. Sooooo until next time . . . . ..

Happy Hands, Thanks To A House Call

Hello, everybody. Happy Saturday to you, and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

When you read this, you are probably going to think that we are both going a little stir crazy. Today, a lady who owns a manicure shop came to the house, and gave us both a manicure! Ellen had the idea to call this lady, and ask her if she did home visits. She is the mother of a former student of mine. She is a wonderful lady, and we had such fun. I was going to take a picture of Ellen getting a manicure, but could I even remember to get the camera and do that? NO!!! I was so mad at myself for not doing that. After dinner tonight, I got the idea to take a picture of our hands. At least you could see what a nice manicure we got! (Hee, hee!) And it means another day of no picture of an incision. (Nichole and Mary will be glad for that!) Don't look tomorrow, girls, because I can promise you there will be a picture of the incision.
I mentioned that the manicurist was the mother of a former student of mine. Her son was in my class back in 1997-98. Those kids are graduating from high school this weekend. Her son will not be among them because he died last July of a heart malfunction called cardio-myeopathy. Her son went to bed one night, and when she went to wake him the next morning, she found him. He was already gone. Bless her heart. This is a very hard weekend for her family.

We had a great time with her, and another friend came over for a visit during that time. It was a good day, but I am afraid that Ellen's leg was down for too long. Right now, she is sitting with it iced. Poor thing. She has been freezing for a while. That is about it for today.

Until next time . . . . .

Thanks, Press 'N Seal Inventor!

Happy Friday to everybody! Today's note will be about a few little things. Ellen continues to do a wonderful job of recovering. Her leg looks like someone used it for a baseball bat, but the incision looks wonderful. At Mary's request, there will be no pictures of the incision today.

If you have ever had stitches, or if you have ever broken a part of your body, remember when they tell you NOT to get it wet. Then they proceed to tell you with a straight face that you can take a bath or shower. Well, may we tell you that Press "N Seal works wonders? Plus, it is much better than trying to tie on a plastic bag! We just seal up that part of her leg and it is amazing!

She had a so-so night. She woke up every hour on the hour. Her leg was hurting so much. We determined that it was muscular and not a blood clot building up. We have iced the leg this morning, and right now she is in the passive motion machine to get the joint all warmed up for Miss Terrorist Therapist!

Last night, she wanted to go sit out back on the patio for the first time. What the queen wants, the queen gets! I got everything ready outside, sat her down, turned on our beautiful music, poured ME a glass of wine, and we watched the hummingbirds fly around just before sunset. It was wonderful. Here is the queen sitting outside.

Have a wonderful weekend! Until next time. . . . . . .

Hooray! No More Bathing In The Kitchen Sink!

When the queen rang for me this morning, I knew that it was going to be a wonderful day. She still hurt from yesterday's torture inflicted by the therapist, but she walked on it a little. It was still hugely swollen even after a night in bed. So after breakfast, I got her all set up in her chair in the living room, and hooked her up to the ice machine. Then after I got myself cleaned up and ready to go, she was ready to try out that new shower seat and shower handle.

Oh, my, I thought I would never be able to get her out of it. You just wouldn't believe how happy a nice warm shower made her. I had time to finish putting on make-up, and combing my hair. She didn't want to get out, but I reminded her that I still needed a little hot water for the laundry.

This first picture is of the shower handle that I got installed for her yesterday.
And here is that wonderful shower chair. You can see just how she can sit down on the bench part outside of the tub, and swing her legs inside. (No, I didn't get a picture of her on it! Sorry it you were expecting more.) This is, after all, a family blog. (Hee, hee!)
Today is the day of the fifth grade party at Polk. We won't be there for it, and we shall miss seeing all of the fun, but it's okay. We will hear all about it. And our outcome will be so much brighter. Until next time. . . . . .

And Now The Torture Begins!

I thought I would begin this post by showing you first Ellen's leg as it was this very morning! We think that it looked wonderful this morning. (More about that past tense in just a bit.) There was very little swelling, and you can see that it is healing quite nicely.

The second picture shows how her leg looked at the first dressing change in the hospital. These two pictures are for all you nurses, and anyone else who wants to know just what to expect for a total knee replacement.

Ellen had a good day UNTIL the therapist showed up this afternoon. This is a different therapist from the one who came on Monday. This one seemed to think Ellen should be doing more. She really worked her out hard to the point of tears. If you know Ellen, you know that she has a very high tolerance level for pain. This lady therapist seemed to want to see just how much pain she could inflict. My poor Ellie. Anyway, tonight her knee and surrounding area hurt her a lot; plus, you wouldn't believe how much it had swelled. I just put her to bed with ice. She had to take two pain pills. I just pray that she will get a good night's rest. Last night she only rang the ring-a-ding-dinger once around two o'clock this morning.

On the bright side, the medical supply place delivered her shower chair with transfer bench this morning. The young man set it up, and then told her that he really thought she should have the hand-held shower kit. He figured that she would want it, and sure enough, she did. He said that he could not install it. (So you know who got that job!) It didn't take me very long, and it works like a charm. She is really looking forward to getting into the shower in the morning. Bless her.

I went to Barnes and Noble this afternoon and got her a piece of her favorite Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake. At least it made her feel a little better.

Keep her in your prayers! Until next time . . . .

She's Feeling Stronger!

Hello, everybody! Today is a gorgeous day. Would you just look at this beautiful fruit basket? It was sent by some wonderful friends from church! I mean to tell you that it was full! In fact, it was so full that neither of us could lift it. When we finally opened it last night, we couldn't believe all of the fruit it contained. Believe us, there were no fillers in here. It was solid fruit--grapefruit, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, apples of every kind, a huge pineapple with a peach set on top. It was just a lovely thing to see. We thank you, our wonderful friends! A personal note will follow.

The patient is progressing unbelievably well. Now the danger is that she tries to do too much! I know that it is hard to stop doing the things that you do so automatically.

Today brings the physical therapist for another round of exercises. She has now gotten the angle up to 60 degrees! Astounding, isn't it?

When she changes the dressing later today, I will get another picture. The swelling is very minor. She has been excellent when it comes to icing that leg.

Her spirits remain elevated, and she is standing tall!

Ellen wants you all to know that she has received excellent, loving nursing care throughout this whole ordeal! (Sharon is writing this under duress as Ellen dictates!) If it weren't for Sharon, she would have had to go to a rehab unit. There are angels on this earth! Aww, that even makes me want to cry.

Until next time . . . ...

Bathing The Baby In The Kitchen Sink!

Good morning, everybody! Each day continues to be better and better for Ellen. The physical therapist came yesterday afternoon, and worked with her. He, too, was amazed at the strength she has. He did an assessment of the house to see how better to make it for her while she uses the walker and a cane. Thankfully, the toilet is already high, so that was no problem. The one big thing is the bath tub. He recommended a shower seat that she could sit down and then swing her legs inside the tub. We will see how long it takes to get them to bring one out. In the meantime, we will continue to bath the baby in the kitchen sink. There will be several of us who will remember that that used to be the best way to get your kids clean.

Finally, the medical supply people brought a Passive Motion machine that works. It is older, but it doesn't weigh so much, and that helps my aching back.

The therapist also taught Ellen to walk down the one little step to her backyard. So guess where we went after we got all cleaned up? She loves her backyard, and right now the lilies are just beautiful. You know that I went to get my trusty little camera, and that is where today's picture was taken. In front of her is the beautiful geranium that courtesy committee sent from school, along with a gift card from Applebee's.

Her leg continues to show the effects of some really heavy trauma. I asked her what her pain level was and she said, "A 3, and that is negligible!" The swelling in her knee looks better. She is not ready for "Dancing With the Stars" just yet, but it won't be long.

The news continues to be all good from here. Thank you for your special thoughts and prayers. Please continue them for us both. Until next time . . .. . ....

A New View and All Dolled Up!

Oh, wow! Would you look at this pretty thing? Today's views are brought to you by request, so Miss Jenny, this one is for you!

Ellen says that she thinks everything looks good. The color is good. It is dry.
There was absolutely no drainage yesterday. When she changed the dressing this morning, this is what it looked like.
And now, here she is all dolled up and ready to cruise the neighborhood. I am going to have to go get my soldering gun, and fix that passive motion machine myself. It seems they are all standing around looking at each other wondering what we are talking about. ARGGH!!!

She did her hair this morning, and Nichole, do you notice the IKEA bag? That is her trash bag. Sister Carol gave her another pretty bag to cart her things around. We put the phones, pen, and paper, etc. into that bag.

She is looking forward to a visit from the physical therapist sometime today. It is about time. It will be interesting to see what new exercises he comes up with. Until next time, thanks for reading this.

One Week Post-Op!

Happy Monday morning to you all. Thanks for helping me to do this, Joe. I am still sitting at the computer this morning, and so far, Sleeping Beauty has not dinged the ring-a-ding-dinger!

Thank God, we are one week after surgery today!

This is a great way to get exercise without sweating TOO much. I thought you might like to see this passive motion machine in action. This was taken before it quit while Ellie was in it, and it lasts only 30 seconds! I am sure that there is a way to have just the video come up, but I need more help.

Why, Oh, Why Did I Give Her That Ring-a-ding Dinger?

There it is---a cute little bell that was used for 36 and a half years in my classroom. I rang it just once, and every student that ever came through my doors stopped talking, or whatever they were doing, and looked up at me.

I gave it to Ellen to use when I brought her home after surgery. The first night she only had to use it once. The second night --only once; HOWEVER, now that she knows how to use it, .. ....... Poor baby, last night she must have had to get up once on the hour every hour for quite a few hours. The bright side to this is that the swelling in her leg and ankle had really gone down--a lot!
So far today, she has had her leg iced since breakfast; then, after getting a bath, I just put her to bed with the Passive Motion Machine, and more ice. She continues to do well, and right now I put the machine on a 56 degree angle! (I also made sure that she took a pain med.) If I had known that nursing was going to be this much fun, maybe my life would have taken a different path. (Surely, you know that I am teasing.)

For those of you who expected to see a picture of the knee, maybe later. There was no drainage this morning, and she decided to postpone changing the dressing until a little bit later.

That's all for now, folks.

An Angel In Disguise

Meet Shawn and her two daughters, Brynna and Lauren! Yesterday Shawn, the angel, came by to bring two bags of ice for the thermal machine that pumps ice water. That is how I ice Ellen's leg to keep the swelling at bay. We use about two bags of ice each day, and that is a wonderful thing. Shawn brought two more bags of ice today and two of her three daughters. We had a nice visit. The girls were really interested in just what all of this was about. Now they can go back to school and tell everyone that they have seen Nursie-Pooh, and she is doing great!

If you have ever seen a picture of Ellen with both of her eyes open, please remember what she looks like. When anyone says, "Let's get a picture," her eyes automatically close. This first picture is of Joe trying to hold her eye open. Even that didn't work! If you have any suggestions to help her to keep her eyes open, please let us know! She is too funny!

Oh, well, we tried, didn't we, Joe?
She had another really good day. I put the passive motion machine on a 53 degree angle, and upped the speed one level. She had no trouble with that. When I put her to bed tonight, I said to her, "Don't you hurt just a little bit when you walk?" She said, "No, not really!" She is something else.

She's Following Orders! WOW!

Hello, Everybody! It has been a beautiful week here in El Paso! The weather outside has been a little bad, but the weather inside is BEAUTIFUL!

The patient is just great! After a couple of uneasy days, she has mounted a strong comeback! Here is another picture for you, Nichole. It was breakfast this morning, and it consisted of an Egg Beater omelet with cheese, two pieces of turkey bacon, a small whole wheat bagel, one-half of a Pink Lady apple, and Vanilla Bean coffee. My sister, Janice, will recognize the coffee mug. It is one that was painted by my mom, and it is the same one that she drank coffee from on many occasions.


This next picture is of the Continuous Passive Motion Machine. It looks like a giant ski boot. Her foot is strapped in at the boot part. Another picture below will show you what her leg looks like all strapped in with the ice machine running ice water through it.

When I look at this picture below, I just want to holler, "Ouch!"

Poor leg--it has really been through a tough process. She is pleased with how it looks. We go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, he will be very pleased with her progress, and his own handiwork.
Here is that precious leg all strapped into the machine. The blue thing that is attached to the black hose is pumping ice water all through it in order to keep the swelling down.
By the way, she is doing everything I tell her to do! Astounding, isn't it? She is used to giving the orders, and I am used to doing everything she tells me to do! This has given me amazing power! I kind of like it! (Hee, Hee!) Until next time. . .

I'm Goin' Home

If any of you are American Idol watchers, then you know that the song that is sung when one of them gets kicked off is "I'm goin' home. It's the place where I belong...". That's exactly where I am right now!! When the doctor asked if I still wanted to go home today, there was absolutely NO hesitation on my part. The care was just fine and everyone was very nice and the food ended up being great, but it was still time to come home.

My chauffeur, home helper, nurse, cook, and errand runner all showed up at the same time! Sharon is her name. :o) She has been doing all the jobs with a smile on her face. ( I think it is there because she can finally order me around and I won't give her any grief!) I'm sure she will acquire a few more names before this whole ordeal is over. We had a lovely ride down Mesa street! When you have been inside for a few days with only a glimpse of the outside world, the air feels wonderful.

I wanted to tell everyone thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and get well wishes. It is at times such as this that I realize how thoughtful and concerned people can be. It's amazing how the Internet keeps us connected from all over the world! I know there are still many weeks of recovery to take place, but hopefully the worst part is over. Sharon and I will keep everyone posted on how things are going. I'm sure we will have many tales to tell!

Ellen's Hospital Fun

Okay, this is going to be all about Ellen's knees, so if you don't want to see them, skip over this part. This first picture is taken before surgery last Sunday. You can see the swelling in her left knee. You can't see the hurt.

This second picture is of Ellen and one of her therapists, Hector. He was the nicest person, and was so very sweet to her. He was amazed himself at how well she has done.

When the nurse came in to change the dressing after her shower this morning, I was able to get this gorgeous picture of her left knee as it looked two days after surgery. (Pretty tracks, don't you think?)
Nichole, this one is for you. I just had to take a picture of her lunch today. It is chicken cordon bleu, rice, peas and carrots. For dessert, it is fresh fruit, and to drink -hot tea. Yes, that is a pansy on top of the food. Isn't it pretty?

I thought I should at least show you dinner, so below is dinner. It is seafood newburg served over pasta with steamed broccoli, fresh fruit, and iced tea.

Here are some flowers sent by friends.
I was so excited today because Ellen had an amazing day. She walked longer this afternoon. The Continuous Passive Motion Machine was put on an almost 45 degree angle. She is going to be very hard to keep up with when I get her home. I am thrilled to death for her. She deserves to feel better for awhile. I might get to take her home in the morning. AMAZING! Absolutely, AMAZING!

Hooray for Ellie!

"Hooray for Ellie, Hooray for Ellie. Someone's in the hall shouting, 'Hooray for Ellie'."

Hello, everybody, it is going to be a great day today! This is Sharon writing this in Ellen's hospital room. She is doing great! Her surgery was on Monday morning and it went really well. It took about two hours, she was in recovery for a little more than an hour. Then they brought her up to the room. The only bad thing was the morphine drip. It made her throw up, and they could not find an anti-nausea med that worked. It was agonizing for me to watch. Finally, a magnificent nurse came on duty who worked with the doctor and found one that did. They changed her pain med. I left to go home last night with a heavy heart, but this morning she called me around 6 o'clock. She sounded like a different person! Was I ever excited!!! She ate a good breakfast this morning; at this moment, she is sitting up in her chair about to take a little morning nap. I brought the computer so she could catch up on her email. She put a huge smile on my face this morning. I got to see her scar, and I took a picture of her knees before surgery, and now I have one of her after surgery. I also took a couple of her walking down the hall. She loves her therapists, and they both are really nice.

I will try to put the pictures on the blog, but I wanted to write this first to let you know that she is doing great so far. When she goes home, I will stay with her until she is able to handle everything.

We were sorry to hear about Michael's Aunt Kathy, and hope that she is able to fully recover.

This hospital is small, but wonderful. It is owned by the doctors who are in the orthopedic group. There are only 25 beds, so the nursing care is also wonderful. The food, you ask? Well, it is still hospital food! Those were her words.

Thanks for your prayers, and good thoughts!

It's a Baby!

Okay, okay, it is the most pathetic little bird nest ever built. Ellen has a tree in her backyard. It is a beautiful old tree that provides great shade on her patio. We noticed earlier this spring that there were the beginnings of a new home just above the back door. We did all we could to encourage the mother to build in a safer place, but she just kept building. She must have been in quite a hurry to finish that house because one day we came home and there she was just sitting.
Well, we watched and watched every day, and on Wednesday of this week, we went out to look, but the mother wasn't on the nest. Then we began to look around, and saw one half of an egg shell! We started looking for a dead baby bird, not thinking that she could possibly be alive. Well, she was! The little thing was in the corner, and Mother Bird was just staring us down. We told her not to worry, that we wouldn't hurt her baby. Sure enough, yesterday we went out and the baby was in one of the planters along the fence. She must have been practicing flying. Congratulations to us! We are now Bird Grannies!

Look closely and you can see the bird sitting on the poor little housing project. After the baby was born (hatched), we could even see right through the nest. Isn't that something? Have a great weekend!

Always Smile At Our Nursie-Pooh

What a fun week this has been for Ellen! She has been Polk's school nurse since 1993! This has been Nurse Appreciation Week. She has felt not only appreciated, but very much loved.

You should see the mountain of cards made by the students. Each day was a special designated day. One day was water day; one was fruit and flowers; one was fun band-aids day; one day was anti-bacterial wipes day, and today is Scrubs Day.

Today is also the last day of this school year for Ellen because she is having a total knee replacement on Monday. Sharon will take her to the hospital at 5:30 in the morning. Her surgery is scheduled for 7 a.m. She is anxious to have this surgery because she hopes to be taller when it is over. (Plus, she really doesn't want to hurt any more.) Any of those who watch her walk will also be happy for her when she doesn't hurt.

The reports of her having severe PMS are actually true!
P: Pedicure on Tuesday
M: Manicure on Wednesday
S: Shampoo/Haircut on Thursday
She had to take care of all of these important things before surgery.

Sharon is at school with her all day today to help cart home all of the good-bye presents, goodies, etc.; also, to give moral support. If we can get through the day without tears flowing, it will be a miracle.

Say a little prayer for us as we walk this new path! Have a great weekend!

A Tribute To Our Moms!

We decided to write a special tribute to our mothers for this special day! Who knew when our moms gave birth to us many years ago (and we do mean many) that a baby girl born to Ferne Ellyn George Vise in Texas, and a baby girl born to Eleanor Laughlin Meyer in Missouri would someday be the closest of friends? We decided that our moms would have liked each other very much. They both had a wonderful sense of humor, a flair for sewing, a deep spiritual life, and a love for family.

Ellen's mother was born on July 28, 1922. She passed away on Novemeber 18, 1985. Sharon's mom was born on December 16, 1921. She passed away on September 3, 2006.

This is the first Mother's Day that Sharon is unable to call or to send flowers to Momma. It has been a hard year of firsts, but we think Mother's Day puts all of our moms in the forefront of our hearts and minds. This first picture is one of Sharon's mom just before she became ill. The one right below shows both parents of Ellen. Both ladies were beautiful, and lived in times when there were special traditions celebrated each week. Sometimes we wonder if they have met each other in Heaven. If so, we know that they would be laughing and having good times.

Sharon's mother was a mother even as a child. She took care of her two younger brothers after her own mother passed away. Always, she had cared for someone else. Sharon and her sister, Janice, were fortunate to be born to someone like her. She is still loved by those she left behind. That includes three granddaughters, and two great grandsons. Even though she is gone, she lives on in all of our hearts.

Ellen's mom died at the young age of 63. She was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) and would often joke that when she saw him in Heaven she was going to give him a piece of her mind! She loved baseball like any other respectable St. Louis native, but she thought it quite undignified to have such a terrible disease named for a great baseball player.

Ellen's sister, Carol, had two sons. Several years went by and her mom thought that would be the extent of her grandchildren. Ellen was in the Convent, so there was no hope on that front! Then 1978 rolled around. Carol had another son, Ellen left the Convent, got married, had Nichole in 1979 ..... then Carol had Christine in 1980, and in 1981, here came Joe!! So, in a matter of two and a half years, she went from having two grandsons to having four PLUS two granddaughters. She took great pride in all of them.

Sharon's mom "adopted" Ellen. It doesn't matter how old we get; to have a "mom" in your life is a treasure. Ferne was that special person to Ellen. When she was in the hospital, she would tell people that she had three daughters . . .... two she gave birth to and the blond, she adopted! Ellen was only 36 when her mom passed away. There are still days when she is missed. We thank God for Ferne, who was always there to step in when a hug was needed.

Here's to our moms! Even though they did not know each other here on this Earth, perhaps they are celebrating Mother's Day in Heaven. If you are lucky enough to still have your mom, be sure to call her, give her a hug if you can, or lift a glass in her honor! Our moms live on in the sparkle of our eyes, laughing gently, loving wisely. Moms are the place we came from, our first home, our first love. May you have a very Happy Mother's Day!