Another Surgery In 2012: A Journal

Keith had carotid artery surgery last Tuesday (August 7th).
Half of Monday was taken up at Wake Pre-Op. Pre-Op  is now done in a brand new building across the street from the main hospital.
To be somewhat brief, all of this was serious surgery & beyond tiring! I'd already forgotten how exhausting his heart surgery ordeal was, which was only 7 months ago, & this procedure only involved 3 days & 1 night at Wake!
Waiting is hard.
Stress while waiting is hard.
Listening to all the families in the waiting room dealing with stress is hard.
Getting food is hard.
Driving back & forth is hard.
And on, and on....
On the day of surgery we were told to report to Patient Surgery at 5 am:( We arrived before the security police unlocked the front door!
Keith was wheeled to the operating room about 7:15. After checking in at the desk in the Surgery Waiting Room I bravely set off  to the distant cafeteria & had a wonderful breakfast of coffee, eggs, bacon, & grits---a substantial meal to get me through the day!
Seth came to keep me company about 8:30.
Dr. Chaudhry met me at the desk at 9:20 to say all went well, & by 12 Seth & I visited Keith briefly in the recovery room.
At 2 pm he was settled into a room on 3B, having a lunch of raspberry jello & bouillon. He thought it tasted great:)
Our pastor, Jerry, stopped by for a short visit around 3ish. Really thoughtful of him to check in & pray with Keith:)
By 4 Skye arrived, having driven from Tenn. via Boone!
Cameron came after work, about 4:30.
Seth left around 5 for a ballgame.
We watched some of the Olympics together:)
Keith was feeling pretty good:)
At 8pm the 3 of us said goodnight--he was in good hands with his nurses.
Whew--a long day!

Keith did well enough through the night Dr. Chaudhry gave him the ok to go home Wednesday. By noon we were checked out & on the way to Apex. We even stopped & had lunch at Beaver Creek Chick fil A!

Thursday evening Lou brought over a roast with all the fixings, & Ralph & Lorraine dropped by with homemade chocolate pie & baked chicken:)

But Friday & Saturday weren't so kind. His pain (Skye & I picked up his prescription meds) grew worse that afternoon, & Saturday morning his blood pressure spiked up, enough to think we were headed to the ER! Gradually it calmed down as the day worn on. But he became nauseated a few times, a rarity for him. So things were tough Saturday. Naps inbetween helped.

Skye headed back to her Boone cottage  Friday mid afternoon. (On Thursday she found a cute side chair at Consigning Design. She packed into her Neon a rug & bookshelves, for her "new" bedroom, but the chair wouldn't fit, so it will have to find another way to the mts.) It was so nice to have her help & company.

Sunday morning Keith felt better but not well enough to eat much or consider going to church. (I did slip out to the 11am service:)) By evening his appetite had begun to return & he slept well Sunday night. Monday, when I left to go in to work, he ended up napping till around noon, then perked up enough to put in about 6 hours of work from his recliner:)
Tuesday he returned to Lenovo:)
So, he seems to have weathered the storm & looks to be on his way to recovery again:)

PS. Keith found out today, Wednesday, while at work that Dr. Chaudhry wants him to stay home this week. So no more Lenovo till next Monday, the 20th. The rest will help, so I'm in agreement:)

Father's Day Gift in July:)

For Father's Day I gave Keith a weekend trip to Boone:) Selfishly I knew both of us would enjoy it, plus we could visit Skye:) Smart, huh:) We left Apex by mid afternoon last Friday (July 20th), after getting off work early. Destination for the weekend; Cliff Dwellers in Blowing Rock. (Photo below was taken from the Cliff Dwellers' balcony)

After checking in with Skye, we agreed to meet for dinner at Woodland's in Blowing Rock, a great barbecue restaurant. The food was so good, as always:)
Meanwhile Skye's boyfriend Ben (from Elizabethton, Tenn.) called to let her know he was off work the next 24 hours, if she could meet him. We discussed riding to Elizabethton Sat., but decided not to commit to it.

The next morning, after checking out the motel's Continental breakfast (fair fare), we headed to Skye's apt. to pick her up. The plan was to ride to the Lynn Cove Viaduct (part of the Blue Ridge Parkway) for a short hike, then on to the Roan Mt. area, which was the location of the book I had just finished, "Stand Up That Mt.". Pictured below is a view from the hiking path underneath the Viaduct.

After traveling over (& under) Lynn Cove Viaduct, we turned toward Roan Mountain & the Belview community. Jay Erskine Leutze, author of  Stand Up That Mt., "the true story of a N.C. (UNC law graduate) outdoorsman who teams up with his Appalachian "mountain people neighbors,....wrote the gripping tale of the long journey of saving a mt."
We had no address, just landmarks mentioned in the book, & Route 19E. The scenery was lush & green, the roads curvy & windy, as you can imagine.
Skye had no phone connection for a time but as soon as she had service she checked in with Ben. By then we were so close to Tenn. & Elizabethton, she asked him to join us for lunch. We drove to his parents' home   & visited briefly with them before picking up Ben & heading downtown for a late lunch at Dino's Restaurant:)

Afterward we spent about an hour at Elizabethton's covered bridge. It spans the Doe River. On a warm day the bridge & park offered a bit of welcome shade:) Folks were feeding geese & wading in the water.
Ben had to be at work by 4pm, so we dropped him off at home & turned toward Boone. Our route followed along Watauga Lake for miles. It's huge! You can glimpse the lake in the photo below (the picture doesn't do it justice).

In Boone, we delivered Skye to her apt. & went straight to the motel for a nap! For supper we met up at the Foggy Rock Pub (photo below) across from the Cliff Dwellers, a new restaurant for us. The food was very good! As we were leaving we were surprised to run into Seth's friend, Choppy, & his girlfriend:)! Keith & I couldn't remember his name to save our lives--ugh! Choppy thoroughly enjoyed our dilemma, made it into a guessing game---& we were awful at it:( A good laugh in the end:)

Next, Killan's ice cream & a mini shopping detour at The Gap:) Then said goodnights to Skye.
Back at the motel Keith & I soaked in our big jacuzzi--a relaxing way to end the day:)

Sunday morning we slept in & took our time packing, finally checking out about 10am. Then drove to Skye's apt. to meet her for brunch:)
One of our favorite places for a Boone breakfast is Sunrise Grill so that's where we wanted to go:) Keith enjoyed his egg, cheese, ham bagel while I savored the special, cranberry french toast--yum, with bacon & coffee. Skye ordered chicken & waffles with coffee:)

With that great send-off we said good-bye to Skye & began our leisurely winding back roads route toward home. As I've said many times before, leaving the mts. is always sad for me, & especially when Skye's there too. Lord willing, we'll go back soon:)

The Clan's Fan Vacation:)

Last Monday, after a sizzling record setting weekend in NC, Keith, Cameron, & I packed Cameron's Subaru, loaded up our bikes, & headed to northwestern Pa. to spend the week with the McFarland clan, Keith's mom, brother & sister in law, sister & brother in law, all the nieces & nephews plus one great nephew:) We planned to stay in a lodge on the edge of Moraine State Park, near Prospect, Pa., north of Pittsburgh, Pa. No AC, so everybody was bringing along his/her electric fan, or two!

We arrived about 5pm, after driving 10 hours. Sleeping quarters were chosen, fans placed strategically, then Pizza Joe's take-out was ordered for supper--Jason, the owner of Pizza Joe's, is a cousin:)

Tuesday morning 9 of us biked along the 7 mile trail that curls around part of Lake Arthur. Everybody but Keith, Kristen, & I, doubled back to the trial head---but too hot & hilly for the 3 of us:)!! A great path for walking & for bikers in better shape than Keith & me, especially in cooler weather!! I will admit the 3 of us had ice cream while waiting for Cameron to rescue us--perfect after a hot, muggy ride:)
Later in the afternoon a group of us rented a pontoon boat to cruise around Lake Arthur. Korey, the 11 month old great nephew, seemed to really enjoy it:)

By dusk it had cooled down enough to have a bonfire--the only night of the week that felt a bit chilly.

On the Fourth, Wednesday, everybody enjoyed a relaxing morning, then before noon we headed to Aunt Bibby's & Uncle Ray's house for the Brown family Reunion. Jeannie made a Mexican dip & I brought peaches--I had originally wanted to bake two peach cobblers, but simply didn't bring the ingredients to make them:( Not sure what Nancy took, but we had plenty of food:)

Seth & Kelley, who left N.C. Tuesday evening, pulled into the Stoner's driveway just as we did, so it was good to see them, plus their Westie Three-Three (see photo below):)

Below is a photo of Kendall & Aunt Dee (who has been quite ill), with Uncle Denny visiting at the picnic. The Wisconisn crew all wore red Wisconsin T-shirts for the Fourth! The Pa. & N.C. crews were jealous that we didn't think of doing the same thing:)! BTW, Aunt Nancy brought Fourth of July decorations for our lodge, even red, white, & blue lights!:) She's so crafty:)

The second photo is of Mom & Dale Stoner, Keith's cousin:) Warm, warm weather settled in as the day wore on.

At the lodge fifteen fans were running all the time.

In the evening some of us drove over to see the Butler County fireworks from Aunt Nancy's cousin's lawn. Reminded Keith & me of my small town's fireworks in Aberdeen, NC. Mom & Seth & Kelley watched fireworks on tv at the lodge, & some of the Pa. crew drove down to Pittsburgh to see the big city's display:)

Thursday: Nine of us decided to go to the Sandy Creek 'Rails To Trails' bike trail about an hour away from our Moraine State Park area. Below's photo includes Keith, Uncle Denny, Seth, & Cameron. We piled into Uncle Denny's pretty red truck, Cameron's Subaru, & Uncle Ken's Honda, & left by 9am. The forecast didn't sound good--hot & getting hotter.

The second photo is of Seth, Kendall, & Scotty, all checking out Seth's bike after he took a header over his handlebars:(! Kelley was his only eye-witness--they were in the lead:) The trail traveled through a tunnel & over a number of bridges & was partly shady--a neat trek:) We biked about 10 miles, then packed up to return to the lodge before the temperature soared.

Thursday afternoon some of the group went swimming at Lake Arthur:) Others read or played games on the computer, or napped, etc. At 4:30 a group loaded up two cars to go to see a Pirates' game in Pittsburgh. I was the only one from my crowd to go. We had seats in the upper section, gulp, but what a spectacular view of the Pittsburgh skyline!! After acclimating to the height, I really enjoyed the game! Must say though, the weather was styfling hot!! Whew! I didn't want to move:( No breeze. Arg. Still, glad we went:) And the Pirates won their 4th game in a row, a clean sweep:) Then back to our toasty lodge. And the hum of fans continued:)

Friday: After another warm night, a few of us decided to hike from McConnell's Mill to Erkert Bridge & back. Sounded good to me, since I knew it would be shady:) Uncle Denny, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Ken, Nick, Beth, & I struck out from the Mill. It was beautiful & covered by a canopy of trees, plus quite rocky. Aunt Nancy found a walking stick for me, which helped enormously:) We needed to be done before the mid-day heat so we kept up a good pace.

The afternoon back at the lodge was spent trying to stay cool. Fans blowing, osculating. Some went swimming. Others visited & took a nap. In the evening a group went to Rosepoint to play miniature golf & get ice cream:) Mom decided to go along. Cameron & I visited with her & ate our ice cream while the others played. I'd been craving ice cream, so it really hit the spot:)

In the late afternoon Kendall, Kristen, & Korey packed up then left to visit Kendall's grandparents that evening before leaving for Wisconsin Saturday. Seth & Kelley decided to 'give up on trying to stick out the heat wave' & go home Saturday. They planned to rent a boat & scout out the lake Saturday morning before leaving.

Saturday: Seth & Kelley & Three, Nick, & Beth toured Lake Arthur together, early. Before lunch Seth & Kelley, plus Three, departed for N.C. & home, to 100 degree weather but WITH AC:)! I considered going with them! The fans turned, ran, continued on..... Before lunch Uncle Ken, Uncle Denny, & Scotty played disc golf. Oh my, they were a hot, tired bunch when they returned!

Earlier Mom informed us she was ready to go home (to her apartment in Pittsburgh), so the rest of us, except Cameron, Molly, & Beth, planned a trip to the Pittsburgh Museum of Art & the History Museum, (adjacant to one another) after dropping her off & saying our goodbyes:)!

With temps in the high 90's, we looked forward to spending the afternoon in AC! Cameron & Molly would join us for dinner afterward. It was a lovely afternoon! Keith & the nephews split off to see the History Museum, while Aunt Jeannie, Uncle Ken, Uncle Denny, & Pete joined me in the Art Museum section. The Art Museum was featuring a special Impressionist Exhibit & it was fabulous! I soaked it in--glorious art & AC!! Pictured below is one of the entrances to the Museums.

We congregated at Red Robin in Cranberry after leaving the Museums. It was a fun afternoon & evening together:) After our meal Nick left & returned to his Pittsburgh apartment, Pete to his Pittsburgh apartment as well. Beth had slipped out earlier to care for her neighbor's plants & flowers in Beaver Falls. Gradually the family was departing. The rest of us headed back to the hot lodge & our fans.
Cameron, Keith, & I made plans to leave early Sunday morning.

Sunday: At 6am the Subaru was packed, bikes loaded on, & the three of us left the lovely woods of Pa. Sad to say goodbye to Uncle Ken, Aunt Jean, & Aunt Nancy, all who were up early to give us a goodbye hug:)


Summary: All togther we had 19 McFarlands & Carsons, from Wisconsin, Pa., Tenn., & N.C. Our Skye girl was the only one that didn't make it this year:( We missed her.

Some came & went. Others stayed the entire time.

Uncle Ken & Aunt Jean were willing to sleep in a tent the entire week!

Aunt Nancy came & went, as she looked after her mom & dad throughout the week, plus caring for us:)

Aunt Jean & Uncle Ken took Mom to the dentist & to visit her cousin Lillian & planned out a tentative schedule.

Aunt Jean & Aunt Nancy bought all the food!

Aunt Nancy found the lodge, negotiated with the owner, & figured out the best week to go.

And record setting hot weather decided to join us--a very unwelcome guest:(!!

Still, the fun of being together wasn't dampened:)

Blessings to our wonderful McFarland family:) Thank goodness for our "scores of fans":)

Photos: The clan trying not to expend any energy, & last but not least, some of the cousins at Red Robin--Pete, Bryce, Scotty, & Nick:)

A Taste of Heaven

Just back from a special Funeral Visitation this afternoon.
A gentle Godly man has gone Home, a husband, father, father in law, a forester, College Class Sunday School teacher, a mentor, a friend. Keith & I were honored to know Joe (& his precious family) for 15 plus years. We were in a Sunday School class together, the New Life Class, at a UMC in Raleigh. Since that time, the Lord has scattered us across the area into different churches & denominations.

Recently I wrote about our reunion in the mountains---many of us were there but not all.

Today even more precious ones from the past waited in line to express to Joe's family how much they loved him & how much they love them---Sandy, Troy, Kyle, & Gabrielle.
Cameron went with us, & loved seeing so many people he hasn't seen in years. (Joe's wife Sandy was his pre-school teacher:))

It was glorious, even in the midst of saying goodbye to Joe, to see so many beloved faces.
I believe he would have loved it!

We'll always be part of one another--a family.
We were knit together by the Holy Spirit.
And today was a taste of Heaven:)

Well.

Yesterday morning I received a call while at work from my Doctor's office. Ann, Dr. Jordon's nurse, called to give me blood results from lab work done last Tuesday. I'm not crazy about my doctor's office calling me at work to tell me these details. 

They can be upsetting. 

Well, yesterday Ann reported all was well, except--my blood sugar was dangerously high, & I need to get serious about losing weight, exercising more, & watching my diet. She ended by saying Dr. Jordon would see me in November unless I had any problems (our set time).

So, the report wasn't good, dangerously high levels of sugar, but not alarming enough to come in early. 

Unsettling.

It is serious.

I feel like I'm out on a limb with this Diabetes. I can read all kinds of literature. But, bottom line, I have to work out a diet on my own I can live with, a lifestyle I can maintain that will cause me to live longer, period.

I have diet cookbooks, but have gradually lost interest in cooking since my kids left home. It takes a lot of planning & energy. But--that may be what I end up having to learn to do. 

That, & praying, yearning, for self control. And walk, walk, walk!!! And bike, bike, bike!!!

Skye Has Mastered It!

This weekend, Friday evening, May 11th, to be exact, Keith, Cameron, Seth & Kelley, & I watched Skye receive her Master's Degree in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University:) She is officially hooded:)

We are very proud of her!

All of us spent the weekend together relaxing & celebrating. We rented a lodge near the App Ski Area overlooking Boone-a very pretty spot with a great hot tub:) Ben, Skye's boyfriend, wasn't able to get away from work, so we were disappointed he didn't get to join us. 

We shopped & ate in Boone & Blowing Rock, & simply enjoyed the scenery & hanging out.

Skye, I wish you a future filled with adventure & satisfaction, & fulfillment in all you do. God go before you & keep you in the palm of His Hand. 

Love you!

A Trip Back In Time

Last Thursday, April 26th, Keith & I packed our bags & drove to Boone for a Sunday School Class Reunion. We had not met together as a group in over 20 years.

Back in the 70's & 80's the New Life Class at Westover UMC grew to be extremely close, knitted together by our love for the Lord, our faith in Him, our love for one another.

The pastor during that time, Kenneth, & his wife Rosamond, were precious to us. Their great devotion & love of the Lord allowed us to flourish. (Many of us were also in the Westover choir which Rosamond directed--with an iron fist & hugs).

For at least 10 years the class spent an April weekend "retreating" to the Episcopal Center in Valle Crucis, NC, outside of Boone. For most of those years Ken Helser & his wife Linda led the weekend worship & teaching time.

Then, around 1989, most of the New Life class & their families left Westover. That is another story in itself; it was a time of spiritual upheaval within the Eastern NC UMC. The Lord chose to scatter us out into the Raleigh community in every direction.

With our Sunday School teacher's leadership the retreats continued throughout the years, including a small number of the original group while at the same time adding new folks. This year Don decided 2012 would be the last Valle Crucis Retreat he would organize. And he wanted the original group, as many as he could contact,  to reunite for precious fellowship, plus honor Kenneth & Rosamond who are nearing 90 years "young":)

So, the plan---to meet at the Daniel Boone Restaurant in Boone on Thursday evening for a time of renewing friendships over dinner, staying overnight at the Retreat Center, then continuing the reunion through Friday lunch. After that, those that chose not to stay for the entire weekend could say their goodbyes & check out. Other people would begin arriving Friday afternoon/evening for the second session of the Retreat, lasting through Sunday. Keith & I planned to check out early, then see Skye.




Thursday evening at the restaurant was such fun, welcoming friends we hadn't seen in a long time! Afterward we headed to the Retreat Center where we continued to visit, catch up on life, look at photos. Those who had been part of  the choir rehearsed a simple worship song to sing Friday morning. Rosamond was ecstatic about being a choir director again, even if we were rusty & would only have one practice! I was pretty hesitant about this experiment myself--not being part of a choir since the 80's! Ken led us in a few worship songs before folks began drifting off to bed.

Friday morning after breakfast we gathered in the lodge near the stone fireplace. Ken opened our morning session by leading us in 2 or 3 praise songs. Next the choir was up. Rosamond directed our makeshift group in the song "God Is So Good":) Our intentions were "good" & I think God smiled:) Rosamond was giddy:)!

From that point, throughout the morning session, various ones in the group poured out to Kenneth & Rosamond their love for them---how they had inspired our church family, had encouraged us in our faith, had shown God's love in every way:)
Lots of tears.
A sweet time.
Keith & I couldn't say a word--our hearts were too full.
Especially thankful for Kenneth & Rosamond:)
What a blessing to be with these precious folks!


God drew the New Life Class together, then moved us apart to learn more. Change is good, but I don't always see good during transitions, & that is an understatement!! This group has learned so much. God is faithful. He cares for us & He guides & directs us into new situations for His glory & for our good.

Thankful for a time of renewed fellowship, for reflection, & for God's goodness in all things:)
A taste of Heaven.