Update on My Dad

It just dawned on me (I'm rather slow at times) that my blog
might be an excellent way for me to keep some folks up to date
on how my dad is doing.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about - about 2 years
ago now Dad had surgery for cancer of the esophagus, developed pneumonia
and we almost lost him. It was a long stay in the hospital. He made it
home but he's never truly recovered.

About a month ago my mother called me to take them to the Emergency
room and they admitted him to the hospital again with pneumonia.
To make a long story short - it was a horrible stay but they did discover
that he aspirates everything he swallows - it goes into his lungs. So
they made in NPO (nothing by mouth) and put him on TPN (total parental
nutrition).

He has been at home again for about 2 weeks now. When he came home he
weighed 103 pounds (if I remember correctly). We took him to the nutrition
doctor last week (Dr. Kenneth Olsen who is great) and he is up to 109 pounds.
He is a bit more active and staying up a bit more. I go over every evening
to help mother prepare the TPN bag and hang it. But my mother is doing a
lot on her own. He is getting some home health care - physical therapy
and speech therapy - she is working on teaching him to swallow again.
We got him a hospital bed after he fell last Saturday and broke a rib.
Another trip to the emergency room but they didn't keep him. There's not
a lot you can do for a broken rib.

SO, pray for dad (he's 81 - almost blind (legally he is), almost deaf and very
feeble) AND for mother (she has the patience of a Saint!) for strength.

The Fair Part 3

And finally Darcy with Spongebob. And one I played with so you can color it.
I had some fun with the camera doing some light photos too (I only posted one but fair lights are fun.)

The Fair Part 2

The car ride was the favorite for the twins. About half way round Jeremiah was determined to see how it all worked though and we thought he might be going to climb out with the cars still moving - he just hung halfway over the side of the car watching. Jacob was content to drive. Darcy loved the Runaway Train but it was hard to get a photo of that as it was moving to fast. Finally they tired and Jeremiah tends to show that he is tired by throwing a bit of temper (as you can see). (They all won prizes at a few booths in the kiddie section too - the boys wanted balls, especially Jeremiah.) Amy and Matthew seemed to enjoy it all too. And of course the grandparents (US) really enjoyed it all.

The County Fair (in 3 Parts)

It was a bit overwhelming just taking it all in at first...what to do first.
Jacob just kept saying, "Let's go" (not understanding one must buy tickets first)
Jeremiah held onto daddy's shoulders and just looked in amazement. Darcy kept pointing out what she did and did NOT want to ride (she was not afraid of much).
All had a great time.

Wall Street Woes

Democratic leaders have emphasized to rank-and-file members that Paulson has told them that he could only spend about $50 billion a month on the securities purchase program. Of the $700 billion figure, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said: "Nobody believes that's going to be the final cost."

Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), the senior Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, who has refused to participate in the talks, said a "critical mass" was forming behind the measure because of fears that Congress's failure to act would cripple financial markets and devastate the economy.

From Sunday's Washington Post Sept. 28th, 2008 on the passage of the 700 BILLION
dollar bailout plan of Wall Street.

Moral of the Story - Do Not "loan" money to those you know have no means to repay.
If you are a Christian and you see those in need just give them the house but please don't think the government is the answer. Government is never the answer. Habitat for Humanity is an answer. Government is not.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship."

Alexander Fraser Tyler, "The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic"

More Grandkid Photos

Showing How You Feel

Jacob, age 2, on his way to winning an Oscar

A Virtual Pond Dip - For Biology

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/index.html

Great Site!

Chris

The Elements Song

For my Chemistry Class (Perhaps I should have you memorize this! lol)

Bacteria Flagellum

Cat Waiting

I Wait - and Watch -
It's my job and I do it well.
But my servant is gone a lot lately and
I'm very lonely. I hope she gets to stay home
soon. She says she does too!
Aslan

A Cat's Life

My servant has been a way a lot lately. She is off at a place called a
hospital with her father who is sick. So since we aren't working I've just
been enjoying some of the books. This Jan Brett book is very good. "In the
Castle of Cats".

I like having Grandma here to feed me too. She's blind. So she just fills the
bowl to the top. And whenever I meow she fills it up again. My servant came
home from the hospital the other day and wondered why the 5 pound bag of cat
food she had just purchased was already empty. I tried to show her where some
of the food had spilled on the floor where Grandma had missed the bowl but I'm
not sure she bought it.

I do miss my servant. No one else here picks me up and scratches my ears
like she does.

Aslan

Grandparent's Breakfast With Darcy

Me, Duane and Darcy

Papa George and Darcy

We had a very nice time eating and visiting and meeting some of Darcy's friends
and her teacher.