Random Acts of "Kindness"

VETERAN

November 14, 2015

When my husband first retired from work, he thought about signing up for veteran’s benefits, but at the time our combined income put us above the financial limit. Time has passed and so has our resources, the year we were visiting a hospital on a regular basis because of the ulcer on my leg, he decided to investigate veteran’s benefits again. The VA center we visited was able to sign him up for enrollment via the computer. Even though he no longer had his dog tags and his military cards disappeared somewhere along the way, he was enrolled. He planned to get hearing aids but time passed and visiting the veteran’s office didn’t fit into our time table. I stopped in one time to inquire and left with a business card with their phone number. The last straw occurred this year when his company dropped health insurance and his prescriptions put him into the GAP. We were pleasantly surprised when he called for an appointment. He was given an appointment within two weeks of calling.

I’m sure one of the reasons he put off going for so long was because he remembered the waiting time when he was in the service. After getting the appointment, he had enough time to get copies of his medical records from his primary doctor. Since the VA hospital is more than 30 miles from our house, he is able to keep his doctors. That was one of my concerns. He has a good relationship with ALL of his doctors and it is important to me that we can reach medical assistance in a timely fashion if it is needed.

When we visited the VA clinic, the doctor determined that he needed to see other specialists besides his hearing aids and ordered various tests. She said we might not hear anything before a month passed. It was a VERY, FAST MONTH. The next day we had appointments scheduled for two of his tests. Sadly, all of the medications that he takes is not on the VA recommended list. We have an appointment with his primary to discuss our plan of action.

My main reason for sharing this information is to help anyone who is sitting on the fence wondering if they should sign up. We went to the VA on Tuesday, Thursday of that week we were at the lake enjoying the last 70 degree day — letting Robin play with other dogs. My husband sat on a bench talking to another veteran who had NOT signed up for health care. The man had heard good things about the hospital that is in our network. The gentleman didn’t know where his paperwork was and was happy to hear that because of the computer age, he didn’t need it.

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FRACTURED

November 7, 2015

It was a busy summer, which is putting it mildly. Because of the tornado and our granddaughter’s wedding and normal life, we visited our home on an irregular basis. We were home only long enough to pay bills, wash clothes, unpack and pack again. Usually we were at home base for only three to four days before we were gone again. And the constant travel has caught up with me.

Shopping at a store, shoes that were very comfortable began to hurt. If I was smart, I would have taken them off and walked barefoot through the store or cut my shopping short. I did neither and although I switched shoes as soon as I arrived home, the damage was done. Somehow I must have walked on the side of my foot and that area is SORE. I have tried walking in stockings at home, putting shoes on for dog walks and other outside excursions. I tried cushions on the foot — corn, bunion, — but my compression socks make it hard to put them, they curl and don’t lie flat. Sadly, although better, the soreness isn’t gone yet. When we were in the country, I averaged over 10,000 steps a day. Since then, my step count is in the 7,000 range. My sore shoulder had caused me to stop exercising, now the sore foot is causing me to stop walking. My weight which wasn’t good has increased.

I noticed that my eyes were watering more. It had been very windy and I don’t always wear glasses when I’m out and about. I don’t know if I’ve got a cold in my eye or if something else is going on. Years ago, I used a solution of Boric acid as an eye wash. In the stores, I found an eye wash solution that contained that product. It helped for a short time but then I went out again on a windy day without glasses.

At first I thought I had an allergic reaction to something when my hands started to itch. Then the itch started to travel — hair, ears, shoulder, back — etc. I put hydrocortisone cream on my hands to stop the itch but I can’t put it on my whole body. Various teas have helped but it the itch is still here.

I decided that I would stop taking all my vitamins and drink more water, trying to flush out what ever it was that was aggravating my system. Stopping taking the vitamins WAS NOT a good idea. After two days, cramps in my leg reminded me that I was low on magnesium. Vitamins are back. Itch remains.

My daughter suggested that it might be hives. Maybe it is a new variety. When I’ve gotten hives before they were raised bumps in various areas that I could treat with cream. This itch travels.

If it is nerves, hopefully staying in one place will allow my body to relax. My frog fountain has been cleaned and is operational again. I like listening to the falling water when the house is quiet. I have confidence that I will have the time to get rid of the pile of mail on the table.

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SET UP

October 31, 2015

I’ll admit that sometimes I don’t catch on to something right away. Sometimes the same thing has to happen over and over again before I realize that there is help happening behind the scenes and that I’m supposed to pay attention. Recent blogs have mentioned this: CHAPLAINS — for example.

Okay, what am I rambling on about? We had closed up the camper for the season and I was sitting, waiting with my husband for his doctor’s appointment. To pass the time, I picked up an office magazine on arthritis. I found many of the articles to be interesting. One containing exercises I decided to copy on a scrap of paper in my purse. I thought the exercises would help my shoulder. The interesting thing about this task — I realized that my ability to write had improved. Ever since I fell injuring my right shoulder I have had trouble writing. Grabbing the pen, the motion of the arm as it writes — all where affected by the injury. My handwriting, although never something to brag about, had definitely suffered.

The next article that caught my attention concerned cooking — always a favorite subject of mine. The article didn’t contain recipes, if it did, I didn’t write them down. Instead it focused on steps to make cooking easier for those with arthritis. The step that caught my interest was their use of a crockpot. Advantages being one pan cooking, not having to lift many pots and pans on the stove. I have noticed that my energy is up in the morning and GONE by evening. Because of the injury to my shoulder, I have to pay more attention to the weight of the pan and the placement on the stove.

As always — the change of the seasons also causes a change in the meals that I make. I didn’t pay much attention to my e-mails while we were at the camper. We don’t have ready access to the internet, and I haven’t figured out how to connect my laptop at the WIFI sites. The last time I used my Ipad, I managed to erase ALL of my e-mails, so I was leery. We have a hot spot that I could have used but I left it for my husband and his ham radio.

I had so many things to do when we came home that I left the computer and emails sit. Of course the longer it sits the more e-mails come in so eventually I had to attack the mess. Now, most of them are junk — invitations to spend money or ?? I found a couple of recipes that caught my attention, made in the crockpot.

I didn’t write them down but having access to a printer at home, I printed a hard copy of the recipe. I tried one yesterday — it was a chicken stew that was a hit with my family, easy to prepare and it cooked while I was busy doing other things. I know that I have used the crockpot for beef stew, and pot roast. Having everything ready when I’m tired is an option that I will have to make better use of. The disadvantage — the fragrance in the rooms, all afternoon — LETS EAT!

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NATCHUSA

October 24, 2015

I remember the first time I visited the prairie at Natchusa, paper pie plates guided the way. I don’t remember if I parked on the road or in the grass. It was a beautiful September day, warm and sunny. Standing on a hill I saw grasses waving in the breeze, taller than me. The view extended for miles. I don’t remember very much about the day except I went on a guided walk and had a GREAT time. I also don’t remember what year it was, only that I was much younger.

Natchusa has grown — regular printed signs guide the wanderer to the prairie. The festival is still held the 3rd Saturday of September. The day before, rain washed the landscape — thankfully Saturday was dry and sunny. Walking through the prairie after a rain when everything is wet was not something that I wanted to do. Now there are buffalo and tours were provided. One year vehicles took visitors out to various parts of the prairie — this year the emphasis was on the buffalo. They arrived in November of last year, and roam a 500 acre area north of the festival. The buffalo came from South Dakota, they are pure, their stock hasn’t been mixed with cattle.

My husband and I took turns standing in line to wait for the tour. It was time well spent. During the waiting time, I bought a pork sandwich for lunch. I don’t know if I was planning to sit down to eat it but when I stopped at a table to add BBQ sauce. I lost my footing and almost fell. I decided the best option was to sit and join the group at the table. Three photographers with huge professional cameras were enjoying their lunch. I had my camera, which takes GREAT pictures but is much lighter and easier for me to carry. When they left, three artists who were painting at the festival took their place. They each painted in a different medium: oil, acrylic and watercolor.

I stopped to not only admire their work but to investigate the easels they were using. I have painted in the open, on site at the Botanical Gardens. I remember well the task of getting my easel, paints, chair and painting to and from the site. I was painting in oil which doesn’t dry quickly. I only put in the background of the waterfall, planning to finish it at home. Carrying the WET painting to my car, I left my fingerprints on the canvas. They are still on the canvas — I decided to leave the painting as is and remember the day. Having an easier way to carry supplies might make it possible for me to paint on location again. I don’t know if I NEED another easel, or would use it. I haven’t actually painted in a few years but nudges have started again.

Before we left, I walked up a narrow trail into the prairie. Camera in hand I searched my memory trying to remember names of plants that I used to know. Thankfully, many had signs naming the plant. I would have loved to walk further and explore but even though I was wearing jeans, my shoes weren’t the best.

We will just have to return!

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STRETCHING TIME

October 17, 2015

Returning home, after watching our grandchildren while parents investigated Boston, I saw the light flashing on our answering machine. Sad news, a friend had had a stroke, but was recovering. We were only back in town for a couple of days and I wanted to put visiting her on my to-do list. When I phoned her, she hadn’t understood who I was, so I phoned her son. Not only did I learn her condition, but was advised the best time to stop in to see her and how to get to the hospital. He said the best time was 1:00, after her lunch but before her physical therapy at 1:30.

I left the house at 11:00, planning on stopping at the bank, Target, visit Sally, proceed to Costco, then Aldi’s, Trader Joe’s, and Pet Supplies in that order. (Just looking at this list makes me tired. What was I thinking?)

After the bank, I went to Target — they didn’t have what I needed. It was only 11:30, too early to visit. I back tracked and stopped at Trader Joe’s, and Pet Supplies. Noon, I headed for the hospital, arriving at 12:30 — still too early, I didn’t want to interrupt lunch. I headed for Wal-Mart. (They had what I needed.)

It was 1:00 PM when I pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. Sally, who was registered as Sarah, was reading when I entered her room. At 93 years young, she not only looked fantastic, but sounded great. Her words were clear, not slurred, all syllables present and accounted for. She was very fortunate — when her daughter phoned, she heard a slight slurring in her speech and phoned the front desk of her retirement building. Discovery and treatment were within the 24 hour window.

I didn’t stay long, leaving before 1:30 but I was so glad that I was able to visit.

I didn’t have to watch the time anymore, which was a good thing. The day before I had ordered my husband’s prescription on line. The website doesn’t provide the name of the medicine ordered. Late that night, we received a phone call informing me that his prescription could not be ordered for another two weeks. That is when I learned that I ordered the WRONG medicine. Thankfully the pharmacist was able to change the order. I also wanted to upload the pictures off my camera. Should I mention that I had problems. No surprise — problems led to a conversation with the photo personnel. I mentioned that our youngest daughter treated my husband and I to a performance of the Celtic Women for my birthday — the show lasted for three hours. They had seen a performance in Chicago which had only lasted for around an hour. Then I told them that we had been in nose bleed area, seat gg508, and mentioned the significance — “gg” standing for great grandmother. They thought it was a great name for me.

Photos and medicine in hand I wandered to finish my shopping — adding Jewel to the list. And I didn’t have to wonder why I was tired.

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PESTERED TO WRITE

October 10, 2015

Since I don’t see, nor hear my friends in high places, you might ask how I’m pestered to write. As time has passed since my father passed over, I’ve learned that many things are possible on the other side. For instance: I’ve learned that they can mess with electronics: telephones, computers, TV’s, lights just to name a few. My father didn’t know anything about computers when he passed over, although they were in existence, his memory was already affected by Alzheimer’s which didn’t allow him to learn how to use them. Now I can’t say for sure who it is that helps me with my writing — I would say “Dad” but it could just as easily be my mother, brother or ??

Writing To Pap with Love, I had PROBLEMS. Sentences disappeared, computer stuck, printer stopped — it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was receiving “help”. Once a skill is learned, it continues to be used. If what I’ve written in my thought ramble shouldn’t be shared — the ramble sticks, won’t be saved until I either fix what is causing the problem OR discard the thought. Sometimes the font changes — all of a sudden everything is in caps, or there are spacing problems or ?? I’ll leave more examples to your imagination.

But that doesn’t explain how I’m pestered to write. Just as I’ve learned that my thought ramble is incomplete or shouldn’t be shared, I’ve learned to recognize the signs that I NEED to write. Sometimes the first inkling comes from the bible: Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. before you were born I dedicated you.”
Maybe I’ll open the bible to Isaiah 42: The Servant of the Lord. Since I start the day with a random reading from the bible, the choice is endless. Recently I opened to the empty space at the ending of the Old Testament.

The message might try to get through in other ways — at church — a song “Who shall I send?” Its not like I’m looking for a message or guidance, I turn on the radio and a song gets my attention, a TV program or even a commercial.

If I’m not inspired to write, but a theme has been given to me and I’m not taking the time to explore it — I’ll have trouble sleeping. I wake in the middle of the night, realize that I’m writing in my head and be unable to go back to sleep.

I REALLY DON’T LIKE being hit on the head! I try very hard to be open to messages to avoid that. Now I don’t know if I have anything really to say, but as long as writing seems to be my JOB, I’ll keep trying to put words on paper.

Coming back from the retreat, while walking Robin, I saw two neighbors who I hadn’t seen in a long time. The first one is experiencing leg circulation problems which has restricted his ability to get out and about.
Since I last saw him he had to put his Lab down because of cancer. The same afternoon I met another neighbor who had to have a kidney removed because of cancer. Of course I shared stories with each.

Back home again — at the grocery store, I met a woman from church who has had challenges of her own. I forget how many times in the last year she has been hospitalized but it was a lot. Walking home, another person waited for me to catch up to her so we could talk. I usually pay attention when three things occur but lately I’m paying attention to two, especially when they occur back to back.

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DEEPLY ROOTED

October 3, 2015

DEEPLY ROOTED

My youngest daughter invited me to go to a woman’s retreat held in Lake Geneva. This was the name of the retreat and no surprise — it really reflects my life.

The day after I arrived home, I thought about how deeply rooted I am in many things. How often this summer I have used the expression “my roots go deep.” Specifically about our time at Woodhaven and our intention to rebuild after the destruction of the tornado on 6/22/15 — we have camped there more than 40 years.

I spent some time thinking about where I’m deeply rooted and the first idea that came to mind was that I’m DEEPLY ROOTED in GOD! I wondered when that root first began and realized that a portion of it is inherited — the Swedish part of my family is Christian. In order to marry my mother, my father converted to Catholicism and I have attended religious schools throughout my life.

Surviving the fire, I must have felt that God had a plan for me — I was still here. Growing up I don’t remember having a firm belief — so I questioned when I first noticed that my roots had grown. That lead me to the Fall Festival at Woodhaven when I was instrumental in saving the life of my neighbor. (Full story is in my book Journey with Me.) Returning to the camper on my scooter I looked at the time line of the day and realized that I was at the right place at the right time to be of assistance and I was HONORED. Life might have been different if I was upset at being used. I might not have noticed the time line — but I did!

Fast forward a few years — Christ Renews His Church — I attended a weekend in March and was involved in hosting a new weekend in October. I wanted to give a personal card to the women attending. My plan was to draw a scene on paper, using colored pencils. I needed a scripture to be on the front page. I brought a stack of books to the camper and planned to find something. I DIDN’T NEED THEM! On my morning three mile walk — walking past Sunset Lake — this phrase surfaced in my mind. LORD, AS LONG AS YOU ARE WITH ME — I’M NOT ALONE. What better saying than that to put on a card? What a GIFT!

Fast forward again, walking down a main street near our home, I felt my feet root into the ground. We had been discussing putting our house up for sale and moving. Feeling my feet root was a new experience for me — I get hit on the head but that is the extent of it. I realized that I had been giving direction — stay, don’t move. I knew that wouldn’t make my husband happy.

DEEPLY ROOTED — in God, my family, friends, our house and neighborhood, Woodhaven. I guess I am!

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SERENITY GARDEN REBORN

September 26, 2015

I found a copy of my thought ramble SERENITY GARDEN on my computer. I don’t know if I published it on my blog or included it in my book JOURNEY WITH ME. I found it interesting to read — the ramble reminded me of when the garden was created — my wilderness space removed and the serenity garden born with its bird bath, shepherd statue and 31 plants.

The tornado, fallen trees and equipment needed to clean up the mess took its toll on my garden. The seven sister rose survived, the sunrise sunset rose reduced to a few stems. A few green leaves showed were Hostas had been. Thankfully the bird bath, shepherd and angel boy holding the puppy survived. If I wrote that the garden was sad, I would be understating the fact. Too sad, I went shopping for plants and came back with a few annuals for color. Each trip ended with a few more plants for the garden, some annual, some perennial. .

Fast forward six weeks — imagine my surprise when I saw 6 roses in bloom. A couple of days later, I counted 14. Surprising me, more of the plants that I had purchased were in bloom — The shades of the garden was pink — the color of love. Most of the plants I had purchased had their price reduced, I thought their time to bloom was over. My original garden was planted for shade, because of the trees — the plants received less sun. Shade was not my concern when I searched for plants to fill up the empty space.

When we looked for a place to put the new plant, I hadn’t paid attention to what plants were annual and which would come back next year. The Hostas have regrown, and I will admit that I have added a few more. I didn’t pay attention to the space requirements of the plants — many will need to moved. Counting plants — I have 10 annuals — 10 spaces available for new plants next year or to give more room to those requiring space to grow. The Hostas have regrown, they will need more space too. We are planning to add a new, bigger deck. Some of the ground cover will need to be moved.

I will admit, if I see more plants at a reduced price, chances are they will come home with me. Fall is the time to plant — bulbs anyone?

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SYNCHRONIZITY

September 19, 2015

SYNCHRONIZE — to move or occur at the same time.

“HELP! I know I need to write. I understand. But in order to write a thought ramble I NEED a subject, I NEED a title!”

Out at the camper, I wandered down to the Center for morning coffee. The parking lot was full, the tables were full also. They were making a new pot of coffee. I found an empty chair and thought about staying to talk. It was a lovely morning, it was warm enough to take my scooter for a ride. I decided not to stay for coffee. I decided to take the scooter for a ride instead. I have to admit that since the tornado, I haven’t wandered up for coffee very often. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in.

Before I left, I stopped to talk to a friend. I have known her for too many years to count. She is experiencing a new health challenge this year — her eyesight has diminished so much that she can no longer drive. She has always been independent, full of energy, willing to help. One of her children drove her out to the camper and friends are taking her for coffee, and shopping, and ?? She is staying busy. She had planned to stay one month, it has been three months and counting. She is considering going back home in October.

She told me that she has realized that she gets a lot of help from GOD. “There are so many synchronicities. I never noticed them before. I can’t help but notice them now.”

I replied that she has always received “help” from above, she was just too busy to notice. Now that she is challenged, she has more time to notice. Since my father passed over, I will admit that synchronicities are a normal part of my life, so much so, that many times they pass by unnoticed. Thinking back, I realized that I have been receiving “help” from above most of my life. My mother was VERY GOOD at “helping” quietly.

It is only when someone brings it to my attention like Lois did at coffee that I think about it. I will admit that most of the time when I notice I will say “thank you!” Here is my question for you — Do you notice the synchronicities in your life? Or are you too busy?

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NEW VISTAS

September 12, 2015

The landscape at Woodhaven Lakes has changed because of the damage caused by the tornadoes. What once were shady tree lined streets are now sunny. A few trees have survived, mangled branches providing some shade. We have lost more than nine trees on our lot alone. It was possible to spend time on our deck in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee. Now, by eight o’clock in the morning, the summer sun makes it very hard to sit outside. We have a clear view of the street and the park across the way, no trees block our view.

When we contracted to have some of the tree stumps removed, I noticed that the apple tree our friend Muscles planted is sending up new shoots. We kept the stump — hopefully a new tree will soon be growing. I noticed the crab apple tree in the back yard is also sending up new shoots. Acorns are already falling from our lone oak tree. I have found a few new oak trees sprouting in my flower garden. Decisions, decisions — should we pull them out or try to transplant them to a better location. We have ordered three new trees to be planted this Fall — a maple, a huckleberry and a red bud. Spring color as well as Fall will be different, oak leaves turn a golden brown.

While we were at the nursery, we learned that plans have already been made to plant some new seedlings. In the Fall, I always enjoyed a sunset maple tree on a corner lot. They lost not only the maple, but three evergreens too. Four new trees have already been planted. In a year or two, I’ll be able to watch their maple change colors. We are going to get our own maple, it’s leaves will change to red in the Fall.

Going for a walk on the nature trail, I spotted a tiny new evergreen and a small green leafed sprout that someone had planted. They have black circles on the ground to help conserve moisture.

The playground across the street only has a set of swings that survived. The slide and climbing bars have been mangled and roped off but children still stop by to swing. The tree stumps have been removed, the ground is safer, but less places to hide when playing hide and seek.

My serenity garden has been mangled by fallen trees and equipment. I was very surprised when I noticed the rose bush had a few flowers and more buds. The hostas that were stubs have regrown, ready to be eaten by the deer. I will admit that I have added many new plants, some that are tolerant of the sun. It will take a few years but the new growth has begun.

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