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THURSDAY,
JUNE 29, 2006
Still recovering from yesterday and neither of us very motivated.
Hot and humid into the bargain. Levi definitely ready to head for
home and civilization. He did manage to finish clearing the last of
the brush near the house and the few trash trees left in front of the
library addition and the parking area.
I managed to get
my bedroom window framed and set in place. Spent rest of the day
tidying up the house and grounds, stacking materials and packing. Had
hoped to finish the sheathing on the library, but too high and heavy
for Levi to manage alone. Will see if Ken and Joyce can finish
it after we leave.
 Adrianna
came by about 4 p.m. and we had a nice long visit. Probably the
longest visit in all the years we have been her neighbor. She
told us that Denny and Charlotte are very curious about us and our
"huge house." They thought we were building a shed this week and were
amazed it was a building for books. "Its near as big as our whole
house and just for books." I wonder if Mr. Jefferson got a similar
response to the library at Monticello. Seems Denny has actually
not left Origanna Woods in nearly 10 years. It really looks as if
Adrianna and Jeff will really be going before the summer is over. I
really will miss them and hope whoever buys their place is as
friendly.
Joyce and Ken
arrived about 8 p.m. and we all sat out in the shade waiting on Jon to
arrive. They have been busy cutting and stripping poles and have the
building site cleared and scraped. Ken was planning to start layout
and dig holes this weekend. Will offer up prayers for cool weather and
soft ground. No Jon by dusk, so we lit a lamp in the bow window
and enjoyed the peace and quiet and the sliver of new moon.
Jon arrived about
9:45 and met Ken and Joyce and was suitably impressed by the new space
and all the cleared ground. Bid the Yorks goodbye as they were
anxious to get to camp. With no power, coming home after dark is
a bit tricky. Will miss their company, but will write often
between now and Labor Day when we hope to come back. Windows, siding
and the chimneys will for our main priority and a new wood stove in
the kitchen.
 Jon
told us the news while we packed the car. Rachel had a car wreck
the other day right in front of Dr. Savvas' office. Few cuts and
bruises and baby Nicholas ok, but Brendan got a banged up arm and a
black eye. Jon says he looks mighty tough. Locked the house about
10:30 p.m. and headed out. Drove as far as St. James and stopped for
the night at a motel. AHHHHHH... AC, hot showers and so to bed.
AFTERMATH JULY,
2006
Well, I should have asked more questions about those gallstones on the
cat-scan. I had two more attacks in the week after I got home and on
the 4th of July went all of a heap in Merry Ann's diner and they
rushed me to ER. Old Dr. Baird was in charge and they gave me
the GI cocktail to calm down my system and re-did the cat scan and
decided then and there the gallbladder had to come out. Of course Doc
Savvas is in Florida but Dr. Wrestler was left in charge and he
arranged with Dr. Jones to do the surgery on July 6.
I was really
impressed by old Dr. Baird who I had never met but who is a legend in
the community. An old style GP who has been here for like 50 years.
He's one of those tiny little English men who go all pink and white
when they age and he has the softest gentlest hands you ever saw and a
soothing voice. Very old school doctor. He's actually retired, but
works one day a week in the ER and holidays so that his colleagues can
have time off. As they were wheeling me up to my room from the
ER, he was leaving at the end of the shift and stopped to pat my hand
and reassure me. As I got on the elevator, he walked out the
door. Three days later he was dead. Seems he had an aneurysm for
years that was inoperable and it finally got him. I may very well
have been the last of his patients. A very sad and great loss to the
community and the profession.
Surgery went very
well...all lasers and three tiny little scars. They did have to
intubate me which is now my vision of pure everlasting HELL. As I was
coming out of the anesthesia, it took three nurses to keep me from
yanking the tube until they were sure I could breathe on my own.
Sheer misery. Unable to talk or communicate made all the worse
because I could hear the 4th nurse on the phone and she was obviously
being read the riot act by MOM who had been trying to get info on the
operation and had been given the usual run around. The old nurse
got off the phone and said...."Your old mom is one tough cookie. I
know where you get it now." It took me about 3 weeks to get back
to normal as one of the incisions got infected and I had to stay home
for 10 days while that healed, living on saltines, scrambled eggs,
jello, antibiotics and Darvoset. And of course it was the
hottest two weeks we have had in years. The poor AC ran continually
and finally froze up completely. Thank God for same day emergency
plumbers. I dread seeing this months power bill.
Went back to work
in late July, just in time for the big shake up. After 28 years in a
private office, they took it away from me and I'm reduced to a
cubicle. I'm not happy but neither is any of the rest of the staff.
I bet this becomes a very, very INTERESTING year at work. Time will
tell. Hopefully though, I can take some time in September when its
cooler and go back to Missouri and do more work.
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