Friday .....June 27th....2008

It's been a busy but fun week. It was great visiting with my cousin Ruth from Nebraska and reliving childhood memories and college years at the U of Nebraska. Many of you will remember her as the one who wrote to us on the blog about the "new normal". She had had a lot of experience with that, being the caregiver for her late husband, Skip, during his cancer a few years ago. I wish we had been given more time to visit, sight see, and play cards, but I am very grateful for the time we had and the promise that we will do it again soon.

We also had a chance to get together with Jim and Stephanie Taylor again last night, meeting them for dinner at our local Mexican restaurant of choice and to play another couple games of cards. I'm afraid I had no luck and embarrassed myself by my skill level which was nil. It was still lots of fun, and we'll miss them when they leave their hatchery job this week.

Love and gratitude.....Linda

Ruth and Linda...Black Butte Ranch
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Camp Sherman Post Office

Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery

Metolius River
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Eeeecks! I know how to play better than this.....
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Jim and Stephanie


Jim above trying to figure out how he lost again...to Stephanie and then Dave

Thursday...June 26th...2008

Somewhere someone had recommended a book on cancer...Oprah?...I can't remember.....anyway I found a note to myself last week telling me to be sure to order it...so I did... from Amazon.....it arrived the other day.

Linda and I can't put it down.....it is the most incredible book for cancer patients and survivors...actually for anyone.

The book is called CRAZY SEXY CANCER TIPS by KRIS CARR...we recommend it for everyone to read.......

Unbelievable...real...experiences of a cancer patient.....you won't put it down...

My favorite line..."The "C" word, me....how is that possible......for God's sake, I'm a Democrat!. I did all the right things."

I believe this book can make a difference in one's life....

Tuesday...June 24th...2008

Linda's cousin Ruth arrived today for a visit from Nebraska by way of Washington (to visit her sons).....she has been a steady contributor to this BLOG...we "taught" her a new card game and she "whooped" us.....Linda did win the first one....I am on my way up the hill though....tomorrow will be my day for sure.

Linda's gift from Jeanette's Celebration of Life (in part):

Ladder of Achievement:

100%...I did
....90&...I will
....80%...I can
.....70%...I think I can
......60%...I might
.......50%...I think I might
........40%...What is it?
.........30%...I wish I could
..........20%...I don't know how
...........10%...I can't
..............0%...I won't

Most fail not because they aim to high, but because they aim at nothing......

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.......

Monday...June 23rd....2008

Today was a great day of learning.....

When I represented teachers for a living, I worked with a woman who was a marathon runner...."iron man" participant including 8 times at the great one in Hawaii....anyway I had not seen her in years until a few months ago when I discovered her in the clinic infusion room sitting next to Linda.....Jeanette was there with pancreatic cancer.

To make a long story short, she passed away last week and today we attended her "Celebration of Life". In addition to great memories shared, Tim, her partner, had collected all of the things she had recorded over the years in terms of her commitment to her sport and life...he had put them all in a basket and each attendee was asked to take one without "cherry picking"...we did so and each received a great gift.

Today I will share the highlights of mine and tomorrow...Linda's.

Mine had incredible meaning to me and the anxieties I was suffering during Linda's worse times.

It was written by the CEO for Coca Cola regarding "Life's Balances" ...highlighted:

* Don't let life slip through through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

* Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift: that's why we call it..... THE PRESENT

* Nothing is over until you quit trying.

* Don't use time or words carelessly..they cannot be retrieved. Life is not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Tim talked about Jeanette's competitions and the t-shirts that covered the hall (representing the events she had participated in). He said there was a shirt missing that was the most important event she had participated in...it was an event she had stopped midway....and realized she didn't need to finish the event for validation by others.....she realized she could self validate herself....wow!

Tomorrow..Linda's "gift".

Monday....June 23rd....2008

Not too much new to report......

Linda is doing well....exercising every day....great attitude....great appetite....

It's getting that we forget the horrors of the last months...."all is good!"

We visited friends in Camp Sherman the other day.....drats!....forgot my camera...one of the most beautiful places on earth..should be a national park.

Linda's cousin Ruth comes to visit for three days tomorrow...from Nebraska..she has been a steady writer on the Blog...

Central Oregon is getting "summer like"...warm and "smells good".....the pines and all create a distinctive "fresh smell" we have always enjoyed.

We head to Seattle next to see grand daughter Taigan and daughter Wendy and son in law Chris...Chris just finished his masters Degree and will start his first teaching job in the fall...now we have two teachers in the family.

Exploring getting back into racing in a limited way...doing media work....we are going to be writing a few pieces this next few weeks to establish our "writing credentials"....and maybe get involved again next season (again, on a limited basis as we don't have it in us to do a whole season again).

That's about it for now....

Friday...June 20th...2008

From Jillian's Mom:

Here is an update on Jillian. As you can see from the pictures she is doing a lot better. She is recovering so quickly and healing very well. The pictures are in stages and the last ones are just this week while we were up in Porltand at her dad's. You would think the accident never happened.
Jillian went to the doctors and they are very pleased with her recovery. She is still on liquid foods even though she wants more, but the doctors say she can NOT chew anything... She will go into OHSU on July 9th to have the wires removed from her gums. This is a simple procedure so no worries there. She does however have some nerve damage in her chin and possibly her lower lip. They are hopeful that the nerve will wake up and work fine over time..

Thank you again for all of your prayers. It has been a blessing to have all you!

Julie

These are the latest Pictures:

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Wednesday...June 18th...2008

Thanks for the kind comments...

Yes.....yesterday was my birthday...one short of some social security money for gas...and yes....Linda was wonderful on my birthday...and she is the best gift of all......getting a new laptop was great also, having about worn out the other one working with Champ Car and always having it with me.

Today some "old" friends visited and stayed for dinner and then played cards..we had a great time. They are from California and are working at the fish hatchery near us (to get out of the southern California heat). We ran into Stephanie at the local library the other day as she was using their wifi....what a chance "run in" as hadn't seen them for a few years.

Tomorrow we head to Brasada Ranch east of us to see how our "spec house" is doing which hasn't sold yet....come on buyers!

Tuesday Evening....June 17th....2008

Not much new to report.....everyone is doing well.....

We saw Jillian in Portland yesterday......she is healing great......

Linda continues to do good........

Wednesday Evening....June11th....2008

Linda is doing fine...very little coughing.....

Jillian is much better...talking today...moving her lips.....

Tomorrow Central Oregon turns warm....is summer finally here?

Sunday Evening...June 8th...2008

Little Miss Jillian went home today...and is resting peacefully there...she returns to Portland in a little over a week for a checkup...the doctors anticipate full recovery.

Our observations.....going to Doernbecher Children's Hospital for the surgery was very fortunate....thank goodness the doctor in Coos Bay made the call...and didn't attempt the surgery...things went so smoothly. Second observation...Jillian has been a "trooper" throughout ...she is the most solid person in the room full of adults at times...she has handled it "all" well. And lastly...to have a child have an "active" and "expansive" life....sometimes accidents happen......and you...."get back on the horse".....both "guardians and child" !

Linda is doing great..the cough seems to have diminished a bit..or perhaps more than that. ....maybe an allergy has been the culprit. Her energy and stamina has been wonderful throughout this latest "scare" with Jillian.

Some of my other favorite pictures of grand daughter Jillian.....

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Saturday......June 7th......2008

Day 3 of Jillian's "adventure".......

The surgery went well this morning....the doctors are "pros"....and the outlook is great too.....Jillian is alert and talking (without moving her lips!).......she'll make a great ventriloquist!

In Jillian's own words....expressing her feelings and all about this...."OW!"

Linda: She's a great little patient and ate her jello and chicken bouillion like a trooper ( she said she was hungry enough to eat dirt). She may look like she's been in a bar brawl, but she'll bounce back fast knowing her. She wants to kiss the horse and tell her it's not her fault. Leave it to Jillian to worry about the horse's feelings.

Jillian wants to thank all her friends in her class, her 4+H, and the Boys and Girls Club who wrote her letters. She is a very loved girl!

Miss Jillian can be reached at 63003 Crown Point Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420.......our favorite picture of Miss Jillian from last spring:

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Friday...June 6th...2008

What a day it was (still is) today............

Linda and I finished our very nice and restful visit at the McKenzie B and B.....See pictures:

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And then.......

Out of phone contact we received an email that our granddaughter Jillian had been seriously hurt in a horse accident...so off to the Coos Bay hospital we went...quickly (about 3 hours away....).

Jillian has been training on a horse with supervision for a while and was preparing for a parade through town to take place in a couple of days. Last evening during her training, the horse turned suddenly and threw jillian off.....then stepped on her....luckily her helmet protected her head but the horse also stepped on her face breaking her jaw in three places....inflicting severe trauma. First she was transported to a local hospital and then transported to the Coos Bay hospital.

At the hospital surgery was scheduled for 5:30 pm...around that time a decision was made to transport her by ambulance to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland for surgery by a specialist......a great decision in hindsight!

Anyway, Jillian is in serious condition but in good hands....surgery is scheduled first thing in the morning.....in Coos Bay the surgery would have been from the outside...here it is from the inside....in Coos Bay the jaw would have been wired shut for a month...here they use rubber bands and exercise the jaws.....and......and......

More tomorrow..she is in good hands.....

Thursday....June 5...2008

Great day today.....no sun...rained from time to time....but we had a great day.

Went to the famous Tewilliger hot springs.....in the old growth forest....amazing....and we met lots of neat people too...rained off and all...didn't matter as we were in the hot springs. Hippies used to live here in the forest and by the hot springs by the hundreds in the "old days".

We've come to love the B and B we are at.....lots of neat discussions with the "inn keeper".....and the rustic house and bedrooms are very endearing...with the river right outside....we will be back.

Linda is doing well.

Wednesday.....June 4...2008

What's with the cough?

We still don't know...Linda thinks the cough is better....the doctor has yet to call but Linda's not pressing the issue as she wants to give things a bit of time to see if things are working...

We are hidden away in a little B and B on the McKenzie river near Eugene, OR....not the nicest of days here on the "west side" (we live on the "east side"....east side of the Cascade Mountains). The river is very high and running swift so no fishermen out today..usually there are drift boats going by all day long.

Pictures tomorrow if the sun comes out....

Last night Sallie and Dave Hennessy came for dinner...Linda cooked....it was pretty good ....maybe I should hire her again (I've been cooking for four years as I fired Linda from the kitchen at that time...and she left laughing all the way out the door). We played cards (5 crowns) and of course the visitors beat us badly.....we should start leaving out part of the rules when we explain the game to give us a chance.

Dave

Sunday...June 1.....2008

What's with the cough?

Friday Linda went back to the Clinic as the cough didn't improve with the steroids (she did get a lot done though...maybe she should try out for a baseball team).

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Susie therorized that perhaps the cough is the result of more than one factor causing the common cough...so Linda went on alergy medication and a stomach medication. Saturday the Oncologist was going to review everything to see if he could come up with an answer....tomorrow he should call.

The x-ray Linda had done a week or so ago was "routine"..ie, no tumor changes to cause the cough.

So far the medications are having no impact so we await the call tomorrow....other than that she is doing well.

Our friend Cheryl, who does a lot of photography at the races, sent us some pictures of our last dinner and all in Long beach....I've highlighted a few of Miss Linda....

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The first pic is of team owner Dale Coyne...the second is of French driver Nelson Phillipe...the third is of me and yee....the fourth is Lindas telling the fans what their support during her treatments meant to her...and the last is Linda looking through a great book of pictures and comments from fans....

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