tumbleweedsandthyme

Update and thanks

Thank you to those of you who left comments and said prayers, positive energy or good thoughts to Arnie and me as we made our way through yesterday.

Surgery went well and recovery room time was less than expected to be. Arnie is blessed with having NO PAIN after his leg amputation. Given his paralysis he only has sensory feeling in his lower body, (hot and cold to the touch) but no nerve sensors that send messages of pain to the brain..AMEN FOR THAT!  He does experience at times a ghost leg which he describes as incredibly strange when it happens. He hasn't had to take one pain med since the surgery has been over so his head is clear and for both of us 1000 lbs have been lifted from our being of much worry. Infact today we slept the day away.

He was extremely tired by noon today and wanted to sleep so I suggested I come home and do a few things and he call me when he woke up.  I walked in the door, took off my coat and hat and my shoes and sat on the couch to enjoy a cup of fresh brewed coffee. I didn't even finish my cup when I fell alseep and I woke to his call when he woke at 5:30PM. We both needed this down time and for the first time in months I had a peaceful sleep.  I went back to the hospital tonight and he was rested and in the same good spirits.

My Arnie is an amazing man.

Now we go the stretch of healing and so if you are on board with prayers for my beloved please prayer for healing, or focus positive energy in that direction. He may be able to come home as early as Wed of next week as long as everything continues to go as planned with the surgery site.

I am in awe at how well he has taken all this but thats my Arnie, you do what you have to do and we did what we had to do and what was best for his survival. Its been an emotional draining week but the only emotion I feel now is relief combined with gratitude that we are on the up side of this and moving into the healing stages.

Our baby bird left for home today so she could go to work tonight and it was hard to kiss her bye and watch her leave the hospital lot after a short morning visit with her dad before she left, but she was here when we needed her most to be with us as he went through surgery.  

Thank you again for your friendship, your messages and prayers.

Blessed are we!

Carolyn  

When you walk through a storm

When you walk through a storm, keep walking and eventually you will get to where the sun shines again.

We can almost see the sun now.

Dear readers, those of you who have followed my blog since its beginning know of my Arnies health issues and therfore may I ask you to pray for him once again?  Tomorrow my Arnie will undergo amputation of his left leg. It has been a long week for us with lots of decision making and this is the only viable option to insure he lives and heals. We are at peace with this loss and I am in awe of the man I married and love with all my heart for his strength and his endurance for all he has beared, yet to face more.

Thank you for thinking of us tomorrow as we go through this, get past it and move towards healing. Onward Upward, one direction forward, no looking back. I'm very tired tonight but I beleive in the power of prayer so ....thank you if you pray for My Arnie, as well as his surgical team.

Carolyn  

warmth in the winter

A new year has begun! I welcomed in the new year with my eyes wide open and my heart filled with trust and faith that this will be a good year. I wish you the same.

The holidays have come and gone without so much as one post or one pic to share....my reasons are many. First a defunct computer (but I am happy to say I was gifted a brand new HP with a 24inch flat screen from my bosses at Stoney's for my Christmas present, thank you Lynn and Billy) and my camera finally confided in me it was just too tired to see anymore and stopped working (I hope to replace it soon). Being without my camera is like leaving the house when I go out in the moring without my hat being on my head..something just doesn't feel right with my day. Hence I have not one picture of this year of Stoney's during the holiday season or any of my own holiday to share or to savor in the years to come...perhaps this was the Christmas to forget.

Just before the holiday I became ill missing a couple days of work and on the 23rd when we closed the barn doors, and I locked Carolyn's Coop until spring returns it was hard to hold back bittersweet tears... I was worn out...physically, emotionally, financially  (thank you NOT "donut hole" of life with the outrageous cost of medications for my beloved Arnie) and I still had all of my own holiday yet to prepare. Overwhelmed? yes! but without a minute to spare or I'd miss Christmas altogether, I cleaned bathrooms, made up fresh beds, grocery shopped, put up the tree, graced it with only balls and bows of lovely ribbons this year,  wrapped a couple of presents for beneath its boughs for my loved ones, enjoyed the placing of fresh evergreen here and there, all without ever opening my Christmas closet of treasures...less was more however.

I looked around, whispered to myself, "and so this is Christmas", and had the thought as God once said...and it was good. It was GOOD! 

My baby bird arrived home on Christmas Eve and all was well with my world again once she walked through the front door with her smile. Our holiday was as they are meant to be..filled with the simple blessings and pleasures of life...a loving family, good food and some laughter to round off the rough edges. A trip to an art store and lunch out together with the dear daughter was the highlight of my time with her this visit. This was to celebrate her birthday that had just passed...22, which makes me....nevermind! I love you Kayleigh.

I recieved two unexpected treasured gifts this year (besides my new computer). One was a comment from Leslie Garcia which she left on my very old autumn post at Tumbleweedsandthyme and the other a comment in the same place from Carole of Boxwood Cottage in Germany http://carolsgarden.blogspot.com/.   Both were thinking of  you messages and wishing me and my family a Merry Christmas. These two friends have no idea how much it meant to hear from them when I had been missing for some time from my own blog or from reading others blogs. Thank you Leslie and Carole for your Christmas gifts of freindship.  

I stumbled over this old picture tonight and thought it fitting to place here
When I started Tumbleweedsandthyme way back when (6-7 years ago?) I never dreamed I would grow so many friendships that would give blossom to my life and for each of you I am grateful.

We are having a very cold winter thus far and being one who could take January and February out of my calandar year altogether, already winter seems too long to bare. I haven't yet accomplished one thing on my list of want to do's this winter such as clean out closets, discard STUFF from my life I no longer need or want, paint, or even sat with a good book from one cover to the other.

I have made some plant markers out of clay that will go in planted pots at Stoneys come spring. I enjoyed the doing and will make more. If not for the animals that need to be fed, watered and loved a little daily, and that I would miss Merriweather if I didn't see her you might find me curled up under a blanket to sleep until February when I will begin to plant in the greenhouse for springs anticipated arrival.

Tonight as I sat here, yes wrapped in a blanket around my shoulders and my socked feet wrapped in the hanging excess on the floor, listening to the fierce wind blowing outside I looked at pictures in past posts.  I was reminded that spring always keeps her promise to return,

and this is what I dream about to get me through the brrrrrr cold barren winter month of January.

  
In need of a little bit of summer to warm up a cold winter day?

click on pics to enlarge 

I embrace and am grateful for the rest that I am given this time of year but I also look ahead to when the sun will warm me in fields of flowers and vegetables, with my hands in the soil, and my head overflowing with ideas while creating once again a garden for all who visit to enjoy.

Until next time, thank you for stopping by.