Again?

Tomorrow I go into St. Mark's hospital again, this time for left shoulder surgery. I feel pretty calm about it. Last Thursday I was holding my granddaughter--the littlest one. She was sleeping against my shoulder. When I looked down at her, I didn't want to leave because I knew that the next time I held her a sling (and probably some soreness at the very least) would come between us. I believe we have a bond even now. I have been blessed to have time with her very early on, thanks to her parents requests. Lots of things are giving me motivation to work hard at the recovery process, not the least of which is a beautiful little girl. Can't wait to put both my arms around her again.

Our New Little Blessing

Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.

~William MacNeile Dixon

Joel and Harriet Mears

This photo was taken on the sly when I was in Wales. Actually, we got permission because there was no postcard copy of it for the shop to sell.  It is hanging on the wall of the "castle" in Merthyr Tydfil, built by one of the coal mining "barons" of the 1800's.  The reason I wanted the picture was because it was a poignant reminder of how our ancestors must have lived.  Not so much like a photo, but an emotional rendering of how hard life was in mining towns at the time Joel and Harriet Mears lived there before they emigrated to the U.S.  The ground floor of the castle was made into a museum.  There are other touching displays which we viewed. Because the Mears couple adopted Art's grandmother and because of sealing ordinances, I believe these people have much more than a casual interest in the new baby who is due to arrive in July.  I imagine them sending love to her already.  After all, they took in little girl Frances and raised her as their own daughter all those years ago because they knew a great deal about how to give love.

Hello Baby

What an exciting time for new parents.  I remember how it was with Art and I.  It is gratifying to know that Heather and Jake are also having that special anticipation for the arrival of a new member of their family.  Hello, Baby, indeed!  Welcome to this transition time as you prepare to enter this world.

She's On Her Way!

Yes, there is a new little one on the way for our family.  Heather and Jake are expecting a girl on Pioneer Day, July 24.  This is very exciting news for us.  Our next youngest is going to be a 6th grader next year!  All our grandchildren are a blessing to us.  We look forward to getting more well acquainted with this little person, making her way into mortality at a time which is turbulent but exciting. Congratulations to her parents.  They have an adventure ahead but they are both up to it. And yes, Heather was just beginning to show and to feel good when we made our trip to NYC!

Correction...and Update

In an earlier post I said that the hands holding her head belonged to her dad. Wrong. They are Marilee's. Yesterday we visited again (without my camera). She has noticeably grown. Amazing that there are ventilators and so much other equipment that can give a little one like Evy a chance to finish the work begun in the womb. She is still making progress each day. There are a lot of miracles involved with more to come. Heather and I each only got a glimpse. One as little as she is can't filter out all the stimulus so a covered incubator is the norm. She is being fed her mother's milk now, a big step!

Love You Chris

While looking through items on a shelf, I found a print given to me by Sid Crnich. She brought it over shortly after Chris was born. She had framed the picture, gluing it onto cardboard covered with orange burlap. (It looked better than it sounds!) The print was an artistic rendering of a mother holding her baby, was a little abstract and I loved it. Maybe some of you will remember when it was hanging in the hall. Anyway, I have decided it is time to give it a new frame and a place of honor. The reason I am writing about it today is because I am thinking of Chris, just after his 41st birthday. (Yes, I did finally figure out his age.) This particular art print always did remind me of him as a baby. It brings tender feelings to my heart even all these years later. Lucky for me, I found what I consider to be the perfect frame for it at Michael's craft store, on sale! Soon it will be hanging on the wall again for me to enjoy--a nice reminder of my son and all the other babies I held in my arms.