Day 803

I am so embarrassed about my rose garden. My untended, neglected, sorry-looking rose garden. The poor thing. The only time I stepped into the garden this year was to count rose bushes that needed to be dug up because of the too-cold winter temperatures.

Until today. I first took this picture. Embarrassing.

But thanks to my daughter and her boyfriend it looked like this by day's end. Not embarrassing.

The pile of rosebushes and weeds, stuffed in boxes and bags and trash cans. 16 rosebushes had to be dug out in all. Sad.

Then tonight, something sort of embarrassing. An award for me at the school board meeting. It's nice to hear nice things said about you. It was also nice to have hubby and daughter and her boyfriend along for the presentation. My boss took a picture and told me it could be the picture for the blog. Me, in a picture?

Nah, don't think so. But thanks to everyone I work with for making me feel so appreciated!

Day 802

This could be my picture for the day. Grilled hot dogs with grilled red pepper and onion relish, eaten out of the back of our car in the driveway. I'm not a big hot dog fan, but hubby's concoction tasted pretty darn good.

But this picture of something landing on me while I was sitting outside is more Mother's Day appropriate.

Happy Mother's Day.

Day 801

I haven't even had my new scooter for 24 hours and hubby has found a new use for it.

Spray truck.

Quite the sight with me driving and him spraying. Can't imagine what the neighbors might be thinking!

Day 800

How appropriate that on a milestone day - Day 800 - that a quote is on my mind. A quote from Thoreau, but also a line from the movie Dead's Poet Society.

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

As I've been coming to terms with this new diagnosis, I've decided to have a much better attitude than I've had with the arthritis. It's not all that hard. If I can handle 10 years of constant pain, I can certainly handle this. Yes, my life will revolve around a scooter. But it is time to swallow my pride and just do it.

I'm ready to live deliberately and suck out all the marrow of life. I have some more responsibilities at work next year and am excited about it. I'm clearing things out of the house like crazy and am excited about it. I have quilts planned and new books planned and am excited about it. I have a trip planned with hubby, daughter, and boyfriend and am excited about it.

As to quote another movie line from Dead Poet's Society, carpe diem! (Which means "seize the day", but should mean "my scooter arrived today.")

Day 799

Have you ever had a doctor call you personally to tell you test results? My pulmonary specialist did today. So yes, paralyzed diaphragm, yes there will be a significant lifestyle impact, no it will never get better, yes the oxygen monitor I wore the other night show my oxygen level drops way too low, no the insurance won't cover the oxygen machine I need unless I have a sleep study and then use a CPAP machine first. No, no problems with bloodwork. Oh, and would you like me to call you with the results of the sleep study or would you like to come in and visit about them?

Wow.

After months of trying to get answers, months of doctors and physician assistants and nurses and secretaries dismissing my concerns about not being able to breathe, of not returning calls, and in some cases never letting me know how test results turned out, it sure is a breath of fresh air. (Pun intended!)

Fresh like tulips.