The Fine Art of Stubbornness

You may remember our friend, Allen.  He had a life-changing year I think about 9 years ago.  His life was turned upside down while he slept for 39 days!  When all was said and done he had a new heart and two artificial legs.  You can read his story in his own words here.

On Monday we received a phone call letting us know that Allen was in the emergency department after having experienced an accident at his home.  He'd expected to be enjoying a barbeque with his family but instead was in pain and waiting for a  surgeon.   When we went to be with him we knew he was really hurting, but he still managed to joke around with us.  Amazing.

Allen's accident occurred because he is a stubborn man, and I am saying that lovingly!  He was trying to do some things that he probably should've asked others to do.  That's Allen, though.  I expect that most who meet him don't realize he has someone else's heart and artificial legs.  That's because he doesn't let anything slow him down!  That same stubbornness that got him wounded this week is likely one of the qualities that has sustained him for the last 9 years.

Allen is a faithful reader of my blog so I'm using today's post as my get well card to him.  Allen, heal quickly and use that stubborn streak to surprise us all once again at your resiliency!

G E T   W E L L !

Ginger

We received the news yesterday morning that my brother's former wife was killed in a motor vehicle accident Thursday evening.  I haven't been around her much for quite a few years but she was mother to my nieces, Sarah, Rachel and Elisabeth, as well as my nephew, Matthew.  I am picking up my mother today and heading to Minnesota to be with them.  I can not imagine the pain her children are enduring at this time.  

I have no great comfort to offer my nieces and my nephew.  I do not have words of wisdom for them.  What I do have are memories to share with them.  I met their mother when we were both in junior high school.  I can remind them how pretty she was.  I can talk about how generous she was with her talents.  I believe Maria still has the quilt Ginger made for her when she was born.  I can talk about her quiet smile.  I can reflect on her skills as a cook.  I remember what a hard worker she was.

Ginger's kids know all these things, though.  I think mostly I will just listen to them talk; they knew her better than any of us did.  Their loss is deep.  All I really have to offer is a sense of caring.  Mom and I go representing the rest of the family that can't be there.  We will go to let Ginger's children and grandchilren know that we remember her and that we are so very sorry for their loss.  

Slip-Slidin' Away

Do you like how I ended with a cliff-hanger yesterday?  Have you been worried?

Well, let me start off by saying no one was hurt.  Now, here's the rest of the story.

We knew there was snow forecast for Friday night so we were not surprised to wake up to a white world.  We'd stayed at a hotel in Northglenn, CO which is just North of Denver.  Because the weather was to improve as the morning wore on, we took our time.  We had breakfast and just relaxed for awhile.  We could see the interstate from our window so we knew traffic was moving well by mid-morning.  While I checked us out Mike went to scrape windows and warm up the vehicle.

When I exited the hotel I could see Mike in the parking lot below.  I was carrying my purse, my little duffel bag and my crochet bag.  I was wearing hiking boots and walking on several inches of snow.  Unfortunately, snow was just the cover over solid ice.  You guessed it!  Down I went.  It wasn't pretty and I and my bags were pretty snowy, but I was not hurt.  I looked down toward Mike and was kind of relieved to see that he hadn't noticed.  It looked like he had just finished scraping and was getting into the vehicle.

As I continued on down the hill, glad I had no broken parts, I noticed a small pick-up coming around the corner intending to come up the hill down which I was sliding/walking.  He was not moving fast but he went into a slide right toward Mike!  Mike was unaware.  The slide was very slow and he missed Mike but gently slid sideways into the little blue car right next to our's!  It was so quiet, I heard nothing.  When I got to Mike, he was surprised to know what had just happened.

Mike got out to see if he could help.  It was a young California man who didn't know what to do to get going again.  He'd not damaged the other car, just knocked the snow off of it.  Mike was able to help him get pushed away but he couldn't keep going. The hotel staff said that the maintenance man was going to bring some sand or something but he wasn't even at the hotel yet.  As the three of us stood there, another car came from the opposite direction, spun and came to a stop with the nose of that car just inches from another parked car. 

I went back into the hotel and they sent out a couple of guys with a bag of gravelly stuff.  About then a third vehicle came around the corner and spun sideways into that first little pick-up! We all ran out of the way when we saw it coming so we were fine.  Again, the slide was so slow it didn't seem too dramatic, although there may have been some very minor damage.

About then, I remembered I had a camera!

The gravelly stuff worked and everyone got pushed out of the predicament.  We were sure glad to get out of that parking lot!

The highway was sloppy wet but otherwise fine.  Our windshield wiper fluid must have frozen because we couldn't get it to work.  That turned out to be an annoying problem as vehicles kept splashing slop on us.  Several times we had to get off the highway to wash our windshield with snow.  Other than that, though, the rest of the trip was pretty easy. For that I am grateful!