Cost of Prescriptions

Although I agree that the national medical system is long overdue for an overhaul, I have not agreed with many of the proposals in the current bill. In particular, the bill did not address two iitems which I perceive to be major problems contributing significantly to the expanding and outrageous costs: pharmacutical commercials and ads and frivilous and unnecessary law suits or threats of law suits. For years the commercials on television and the ads in newspapers and magazines have attempted to convince the consumer/patient that he or she should be the judge of what medical prescription or need is correct for whatever ailment may be present. I am convinced that quite often the ads begin to make people believe they have problems which they had never heard of before they saw the ad. The one I am really sick and tired of is the one with the two bathtubs. Doesn't every household in America use Kickapoo Joy Juice and have two bathtubs out back with a gorgeous view? That alone should make people ignore the product, if the advised possible side effects did not. Watch the latest Focker movie if you want to see a very funny take-off on the effects of a Viagra-type drug! For years hungry lawyers have been forcing the price of malpractice insurance to rise, causing commisserate changes in fees. Many physicians will not even go into certain practices because of the possibility of damages. What is wrong with this picture? Certainly, there are some instances when someone will make a decidedly erroneous decision which needs to be addressed and which deserves monetary compensation. But frivilous law suits should not be addressed by the courts, for example. the hot coffee from McDonald's rediculous one. After hearing our primary care physician discuss the negative aspects of Medicare, I could continue this topic along other lines to great lengths. Unfortunately, under our medical insurance, we are forced to be under the Medicare umbrella, like it or not (which I do not). It certainly does not offer me much encouragement that the government's management of the healthcare system would be much better than its management of its finances. But, that's another topic! What do you think? The following is an article persuant to the topic of prescription costs that first appeared around 2003 and is still relevant today. Hopefully, this will provide some food for thought. Let's hear it for Costco! (This is just mind-boggling!) Make sure you read all the way past the list of the drugs. The woman that signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal Washington DC offices. Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have revealed in past issues of Life Extension a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America . Celebrex:100 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60 Percent markup: 21,712% Claritin:10 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71 Percent markup: 30,306% Keflex:250 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88 Percent markup: 8,372% Lipitor:20 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80 Percent markup: 4,696% Norvasc:10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14 Percent markup: 134,493% Error! Filename not specified. Paxil:20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60 Percent markup: 2,898% Prevacid:30 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01 Percent markup: 34,136% Prilosec: 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97 Cost of general active ingredients $0.52 Percent markup: 69,417% Prozac:20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11 Percent markup: 224,973% Tenormin:50 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13 Percent markup: 80,362% .JPG" SRC="aoladp://MA24192176-0011/ATT0001011.JPG"> Vasotec:10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20 Percent markup: 51,185% Xanax:1 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024 Percent markup: 569,958% Zestril:20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89 Cost of general active ingredients $3.20 Percent markup: 2,809% Zithromax:600 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19 Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78 Percent markup: 7,892% Zocor:40 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63 Percent markup: 4,059% IZE="9126" ID="16" SRC="aoladp://MA23455901-0016/ATT0001516.JPG"> Zoloft:50 mg Consumer price: $206.87 Cost of general active ingredients: $1..75 Percent markup: 11,821% Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone should know about this. It pays to shop around! This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner.On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit , did a story on generic drug prices gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. So often we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are saving $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10! At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs. I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from my own experience I had to use the drug Compazine which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients. I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08. I would like to mention, that although Costco is a 'membership' type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in. I am asking each of you to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into your own e-mail, and send it to everyone you know with an e-mail address. Sharon L. Davis Budget Analyst U.S. Department of Commerce Room 6839 Office Ph: 202-482-4458 Office Fax: 202-482-5480 E-mail Address:sdavis@doc.gov

The Stinking Rose and A Wonderful Day

Today we began our trip into San Francisco earlier in order to explore the city by cable car a bit before having lunch. The trip in on the BART was again fun, as we had an interesting conversation with a college-age couple from Switzerland studying at Berkley. They were very fluent in English but found pronunciations challenging. She said they were looking for PO-WELL Street, which is Powell. Since Kristy and Tim have been living in Costa Rica and have mentioned language challenges, we struck up a lively conversation. 1HW thought that if we lived in the area they would probably be over for both Thanksgiving AND Christmas dinners. Alas for them....

After the BART we headed for the cable car turn-around at Powell Street, having decided to ride it up one way and back down the other before heading for lunch. More interesting people to talk with there, too! An Indian gentleman from Mumbai (who filled us in on the billionaire who built the 27-story home there) who works with Bank of America had all kinds of questions about the city which we were able to answer. Another nice guy also helped, and we had a great time talking until we got off to head for lunch, walking our way through the heart of Chinatown. We thought about getting a trolley but decided to walk, and it was fascinating. Once you have walked there, you wonder if you really have the need to visit China after all. Managing our way through the crowds shopping at the open-air vegetable markets, we headed for the North Beach Italian (and sometimes questionable area) of the city, where we found our son's favorite restaurant that we decided to try: The Stinking Rose.

The question is, would a rose by any other name smell as pungent? Not! This rose is the garlic, well-known and beloved by all Californians, especially in Gilroy, the garlic capital of the country (world?). Everything in this restaurant is totally loaded with garlic, and it is all wonderful, even if I clear the paths for miles away for weeks after eating there. Again, we were graced by a window seat, looking out over the corner of Broadway and Columbus (Italian section, right?), able to watch everyone go by... Fascinating!

The moment we were seated, we were served a heated plate of focaccia rolls and a jar of garlic "relish" to dip the rolls in.

The Stinking Rose Garlic Rose Relish is as follows:

1 bunch chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and olive oil to cover. Mix parsley, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Add oil to cover ingredients and stir. Cover and store in refrigerator. Relish is good for 3-4 days.

1HW decided that too much garlic could wreck him for a few days and decided on a Caesar salad with shrimp, which he thought was good. Jerry had already recommended a dish which I love, mussels or/and clams cooked in a garlic, butter and white wine broth, served in a huge soup bowl. YUMMMMM! I had eaten so many of the same type of dishes in the Bordeaux area of France several years ago, and absolutely loved it. The broth was so delicious, just as was the cioppino last night, that one needs to soak up the last drop with the sour dough bread or focaccio rolls served. Our waiter brought us more rolls to thoroughly enjoy the meal, and we walked away needing some exercise.

As we walked back through Chinatown to catch the cable car, all of a sudden a funeral procession appeared, which seemed to take everyone local and tourist alike by surprise. It was like a Salvation Army Band, playing all sorts of familiar hymns, marching along in front of a hearse through Stockton Street in the middle of Chinatown. Amazing!

We caught the cable car and headed for the Wharf area again, thoroughly enjoying the sites of the Bank of America pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Lombard's curving street as we rode along. After a bit of walking around and shopping, we traveled by cable car back up to the top, switched cars, and headed for the BART to go back, still filled from lunch and beginning to be tired. It felt good to return to our "place" around 6, and Max was happy to see us.

Thanks, San Francisco, for another memorable trip! We leave a little bit of our hearts with you each time we visit!

San Francisco, A Wonderful Place to Visit!

It is truly difficult for me to imagine many places more enjoyable to visit than San Francisco. I have visited that gorgeous city countless number of times, beginning when I was six months old and could not even begin to imagine how delightful a site it is. So when we began heading south from Friday Harbor, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit one of our favorites of past travels, even if for a short time, and it did not disappoint us!

Although we were off to a slower start than anticipated yesterday, the trip in to the city was still such fun, especially as we headed down to the Fisherman's Wharf area. We soon learned that after several days of driving, my back would not let me walk as many blocks as I had hoped, although I was willing to keep trying. That is when one dear, sweet husband found a bicycle rickshaw guy to drive us the remaining distance... which was much farther than I could have made it. The ride was as much fun as our carriage ride in Vienna. He delivered us right to the front door of Alioto's, one of San Francisco's oldest and well-known seafood restaurants.

How wonderful to be seated at a window overlooking the Wharf, the harbor, and the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, all shining in the sunset! Gorgeous! All of the food was delicious, but you cannot imagine the wonderful flavor of Mama Rose Alioto's famous cioppino. Even 1HW loved it and asked if I thought I could imitate it at home. After searching and Googling, I came up with enough recipes to make a go of it, including one on Bobby Flay's site that mentions an Alioto's name. YES!

Without a good map, we were left to our own devices to try and find a way back to a BART stop to go back to Vacaville where we parked the rig. After walking around a bit, we saw a bus, asked the driver if it went to Market Street, where there was a BART stop, and he said sure, he would let us know when to get off. You cannot imagine the various characters on the bus who would do justice to a Woody Allen script, all while we watched the scenes go by through and around all of Chinatown. Several wanted to chat with us, asking us where we were from (do you think we looked like tourists?), then immediately talking about "How about those Giants? They had HEART! Those Texas guys had skills, but they didn't have HEART!" Let me just say, it was a funny adventure, and we were quite thankful when we arrived at the downtown Market Street area.

Riding the BART is also an adventure, for sure. Like many other big cities, there are extremes: while some are loud and obnoxious, others do not make eye contact or conversation at all. One of my challenges is always to make sad-looking people smile, but I received very slight smiles, and even those seemed to be a little gift. One thing we discovered, as in places all over the world, is that people are nice and caring, and if one asks for help, they are generous. Certainly, yesterday we needed help, and we received it generously! Many thanks to the bus drivers, the BART fellow travelers who explained things, and the BART police and ticket people who helped us realize we had gotten off at the wrong station (it was NORTH, not CENTRAL! DUH!). It was a fun first day trip!

Some Thoughts Worth Considering....

A friend in Kerrville sent me a copy of this article, and since I am questioning so many sources these days, I looked it up and found the complete commentary. It made so much sense to me, I thought it worth sharing. Even if you may not agree with all of it, Ben Stein makes some very valid points, especially in light of the recent angry dialogues concerning political correctness. Let me know what you think.


(Ben Stein on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary On 08.30.09,
In Commentary, Television, religion, By Dan Calloway.
Published August 30, 2009 at 5:50pm EST; The Chronicler’s Web)

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.


Ben Stein
My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don’t feel threatened. I don’t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .. If people want a crèche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?’ (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, ‘I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?’

In light of recent events… terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about. And we said OK.

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on
your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they
will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it… no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Football

For long periods at a time, unlike the diligent 1HW, I do not blog. He views it as a discipline, a daily writing task which he enjoys. I should really do better! After all, I frequently see all kinds of things which should inspire me to write! So I am determined to follow his example and do better! Thus, the following blog, which may seem totally out of character.

I just love college football! Part of this may be due to to my father's playing football for Heidelberg College in Ohio, where he was named to the "Little All-American College Football Team" in the late 1930's. As a result, he was recruited for Ohio State, where he then played football. The pictures of him in the leather helmet are absolutely priceless! He was a noseguard, as I recall. So the idea of watching football came quite naturally to me in our household.

I can remember when we spent a Thanksgiving in Columbus Ohio, back around 1949 or 1950, when there was a HUGE snowstorm. Mom and Dad had planned to attend the famous OSU-MU rivalry, and there was a question about whether the game would take place because the snow was so heavy. A question about the game continuing? OSU v. MU? Without a question, the game went on, even thought thefans (and probably the players) could not see the field. Never mind... everyone enjoyed it! Not too long after that, I can remember sitting on the sidelines beside the players' bench, watching West Point football, when my dad taught there.
So, it was rather anticlimactic to watch the University of NM play football, even though it was during some of the best of their season when I attended there in the early 1960's.

However, in the fall of 1970, my football fantasy returned! I vividly remember sitting on the 35 yard line, 10 rows up in the student section, watching Oklahoma University return to its national prowess under Chuck Fairbanks and then Barry Switzer! Oh, what a thrill to have been in those stands when Oklahoma beat Nebraska to win the national title that year!! We yelled, we cheered, we sang "Boomer, Sooner," and I loved it! Nothing can compare to the thrill of being part of such a huge crowd urging a champion on! Who would have ever guessed that in 2003 I would begin to cheer the Nebraska Huskers on? Wherever you are, then that is where you cheer! And that is why for the past several years we have also cheered Texas on!

Then comes the hard part for me: Who do I cheer for when they play each other? That remains as a challenge! I guess I am just happy for any of the successful teams when they win, but I always seem to rank Oklahoma as first, Nebraska as second, and Texas as third. And, of course, Ohio State is ALWAYS in there because of my dad. And, I can still sing the Ohio State fight song!

I hope some of you feel happy cheering for your teams, too. It is such fun to see these talented young men play on the field, as well as to know that they are also completing an education. Now, if the funding would just be there for the music and history students, as well......

Friends Are So Special

For so many years of my life I have moved from one place to another, almost every year, for the first eighteen years of my life, so I never really had a chance to make life-long friends such as 1HW has. One dear friend Pat has remained a close friend since our senior year of high school, but few have remained other then that. As a result, I have come to cherish the friends we/I have made during recent years, some of whom have been co-workers, and others who have just appeared. One of the most special of those is Julie, as well as her husband Ron, who has also become a dear friend.

When we arrived in Durango today, Julie was right there to greet us! What a terrific surprise! Her husband Ron and our mutual friend Byron were out exploring the area mountains, which all of us have known that Byron loves to do. They had left at 9:00, and Julie had expected them back by 5:00 pm or so. However, when we went over to their place at 5:30 for Happy Hour before our steak dinners, she had still not heard from them. So the three of us continued our non-stop catching up, as usual, until Ron finally called around six something to say he and Byron had stopped to get hamburgers. WHAT? They would be back in an hour and a half. WHEN? Immediately my dear sweet, thoughtful husband said, "The heck with them! Let's go into town and have a good dinner!" By this time, we have become quite familiar with Durango, so we promptly headed for the Ore House, one of our favorites, where we could get immediate seating in the bar with a 15% discount! How could we argue with that? Wonderful meal, entertaining bartender, delightful server talking to us on the side, all while we had good drinks, fine food, and excellent company. Then we headed to one of our all-time favorite places, the Strater Hotel to the Diamond Belle Gay Nineties bar for piano music. We all had a wonderful time, but the best part of all was to be with Julie!

Julie is almost 20 years younger than I am, but somehow the age difference disappears in my mind because we have such a good time together! She is a tall, slender, young blonde, while I am shorter, rounder, silver, and older. But all of those differences seem to melt when we are together. As a result, the three of us had a perfectly wonderful evening enjoying everyone and everything around us (although missing Ron and wishing he had been with us instead of eating hamburgers with Byron). It just helped me to realize how important our friends are and how much we enjoy them! We arrived home quite cheerfully, perhaps due somewhat to Lemon Drop Martinis or perhaps just due to dear Jules and, of course, to 1HW, my sweetie! Thanks to you both, my dear friend and my husband, for a delightful evening!

A New Start, Again

How wonderful it is to be married to my very best friend! As the rain began falling briefly, we just sat outside and talked, the same usual pattern we have followed for these 21 plus years. We tried to clear our minds, think about what is ahead, what has happened, and be together on our future course, whatever it may be. We have only a vague idea of what we are doing and where we are going, in the long run. Right now, it seems to be important to both of us to go to Friday Harbor and be near close friends. That feels good. Beyond that, we have no idea. Some people find that difficult to imagine; however, the Spirit keeps us moving on, in what we have begun to hear and know here from John (our pastor) as "the Journey." That seems to be the best way we can phrase it. We are on a journey, and where that takes us, we have no idea. Maybe that is why we call ourselves "The Happy Wanderers," because the wandering continues, totally out of OUR control as to where we will next go. It is really rather amazing, as we reflect on the total times of our lives together, that we have been so purposefully led, without our having much to say about it all. And so, as we begin to leave Kerrville at this time, we are thankful for the people, the wonderful times, the amazing friendships, and the opportunity to grow. We will try to forget the recent discouraging experiences and instead focus on the future positive hopes and possibilities! And, as our friend Paula always reminds us in her daily readings, "Keep a smile for everyone you meet!" Thank you, Paula! We will try to spread the joy! Happy travels!

"Getting Back to Normal"

Just when we figure that things are "getting back to normal," something happens to change that concept. We have become adjusted to moving at a bit slower pace since 1HW's surgery. He has done so well, but we now realize that there is definitely a reason for the doctor's telling us that recovery will take at least six weeks and maybe longer. It will just take a while to get his strength and endurance back. He has been an uncomplaining, model patient throughout the hospital stay and the time here at home, but he is getting a bit bored with the sitting and lack of activity. Sudoku, Solitaire, and the Kindle occupy his days, along with some old movies. Max is back home, so he is walking Max for fun, too. Everyone in the park is keeping an eye on him when I am working, making sure he is not over-doing it. But, this morning we were able to attend church, which was wonderful!

On Thursday night our owner/manager Don was rushed to the hospital emergency room, where they did exploratory surgery and ended up removing a foot of his small intestine due to blockage. That was a big shock to all of us, and we have scrambled to figure out how to do the many things which Don handles. Some challenges will undoubtedly face us in that regard. Yesterday a friend went to see him and said he was pretty-well sedated with morphine, but no one has heard anything today. So the definition of "normal" is completely upset around here, made even trickier by the upcoming July Fourth weekend with a totally packed park ready for a festive party.

Normally, we do not receive too many family visitors down this way, especially in the summer. What fun that three different groups will be in our area this year! Jerry, Marlene and their children will be here right after the Fourth of July, staying here at the park and also in San Antonio for some summer fun at Six Flags and Schlitterbaun Water Park. We are so excited about that! During the third week in July, Kimberly will be in Austin for five days to attend and play at the International Clarinet Conference, and Christian (6) will be with her. What fun that will be! Our third visitors will be Kristy and Tim with their five, staying here during the third week of August. We are so looking forward to seeing them again!

Our usual mail is limited to a small packet from Escapees once a week. However, with 1HW's surgery so many thoughtful people have sent cards, notes, and flowers, and he has also received many phone calls from family and friends. The outpouring has been wonderful and has boosted his spirits so much. Many thank you's to all of you!

Meanwhile, our cabinetmaker has been on a cruise to celebrate his 40th birthday, so we still have big plastic boxes of food and cooking supplies on our bedroom window seat. Maybe not QUITE normal, either! Hopefully, they will be installed this week, and at least one thing will go back to "normal!"

If we ever get back to some semblance of "normal" any time soon, I'll let you know!

Challenges Ahead

Yesterday when I left the hospital, it seemed as though 1HW was really making good progress, thus his blog later. However, once the catheter with the drug drip was removed, the challenges began.

The gas used during the surgical procedure tends produce horrible pain, which I remember from a previous surgery, and it continues until it is either released or is absorbed in the body. As a result, he has spent a most uncomfortable 24 hours. He has been attempting to help it find a way out by sitting in a chair or "walking around the block" with a walker, which he has done several times. But so far, it is still there, and they are easing his discomfort with Demerol, which also makes my poor sweetie quite drowsy. My job has just been to keep an eye on him, cover him, get more water, encourage him to eat, help with the walking, and talk with him when he is awake. The meds also cause his mouth to be quite dry, and he has had no appetite at all, especially for bouillon and Jello. However, at least he has the room to himself right now, so it is (most thankfully) quiet!

I have to admit it is quite frustrating not to be able to do anything else to help him or alleviate the pain. Hopefully, it will soon be over! I will be most thankful to be able to take him home for a restful recovery! It does seem as though I may be walking Max for a while, though. There are many challenges ahead, it seems, which will require time, patience, support, and faith for the healing process to be completed. Again, part of the journey.... and we thank all of you for the continued prayers, thoughts, and support! Happy travels.

A Wonderful Hospital!

Fredericksburg is a city of under 10,000 people, so we think it is quite amazing that it would have a new, extremely modern, and wonderful hospital. When we arrived early yesterday morning, there was a volunteer in a golf cart to take us from the car to the hospital door. The staff has been caring, professional, extremely competent, cheerful, and wonderful! Yesterday while I was in the waiting room, Dr. Jones's surgery nurse Leah continued to call me from the surgical room to give me periodic updates on what had been done, the results seen, and what was remaining to be completed. That was such a thoughtful gesture which continued to give me confidence and reassurance that all was going well. Immediately after the surgery, Dr. Jones came to see me in the waiting room and talk about the entire procedure, which was also reassuring. When he was moved from post-op recovery to his room, they called me to come to the room then, as well. A hospital chaplain has come by to visit and give a blessing, which we appreciated. They have shown me the Nourishment Center with snacks, bouillion, coffee, and tea available. All of that has helped so much!

But there is one special thing that has really endeared this hospital to me. Yesterday when I was walking down the hall, I heard the first few measures of "Brahm's Lullabye." A little further down the hall, and I saw the sign that explained it. Every time a baby is born in the hospital, "Brahm's Lullabye" is played. It serves as a lovely reminder that in the midst of people needing healing and help, there is a wonderful new little being joining us! What a wonderful way to celebrate a birth and bring a smile!

And A Time to Heal...

Until my Sweetie is back into the blogging business, I decided that I had better get with the program! So while he is snoozing, this a good time to bring everyone up to date.

First, you cannot imagine what a wonderful support group we have had, including our families, friends here in Kerrville, and friends across the country. We both fully believe that it has been those notes, cards, encouraging thoughts, and uplifting prayers which have made it so much easier to go through this whole procedure. Our pastors John and Rob call it, "steps in the journey," and, indeed, that is true. We both say thank you with all our hearts, for we truly love and appreciate you so much! A special thanks to our friends who are also our co-workers for their constant encouragement, support, and assistance through this! They are wonderful!

As of the moment (2:20 PM on June 11) he is resting comfortably, which is greatly due to the epidural catheter which is continuing to supply him with pain meds. What happens when that is removed remains to be seen, and we are not quite sure when that will occur, but most likely they will remove it this afternoon.

We were so relieved that the surgery went so well, with minimal blood loss and no transfusion necessary, as well as the biopsy of tissue around the prostate being free of cancer. The lymph nodes are being biopsied to make sure they are also clear. Then we just need some time for recovery. Right now, we are unsure of when he will be released from the hospital. Hopefully, his annoyingly loud and talkative roommate will be discharged today, and the room will be more quiet! Even just out of surgery yesterday, 1HW was making wise cracks and jokes with the nurses, so you can see he is not doing too badly!

I will continue to update the blog at least daily so all of you can know what is happening. I think, though, that I will spare you some of the gory details! TMI! And so now our prayers are moving from knowledge, skill, peace, and comfort through surgery to strength during the time to heal. And we continue to thank the Good Lord for all of you, as well! Blessings, and, happy travels!

Mother's Day, 2010

It seems to be that Mother's Day is not so much a time to be thanked for being a mother, but rather a time to give thanks for children and grandchildren... and now, GREAT grandchildren. I am so blessed in so many ways for wonderful children, and I am indeed most thankful.

My birth daughters are so wonderful! How could any mother ask for more than these two daughters and mothers have given me? They have been spiritual providers, educators, sports enthusiasts, artistic consultants, gourmet and healthful culinary professionals, musical supporters, thoughtful listeners, guidance counselors, and first aid providers to their children, as well as being thoughtful, talented, and loving daughters! They have nurtured and nursed, lectured and listened, and given and guided far beyond what I had the capacity to give them as they were growing. I only wish I had had such examples when I was helping them grow up! They and their children are such a joy in these, my later, years!

I must say that I also delight in my "sons," whom I have inherited through my sweetie, HW1! I could not have had any sons who were any more considerate, thoughtful, loving, and delightful than the three wonderful men I received when we married, and our special Albuquerque daughter-in-law! In addition, I have the two wonderful sons-in-law our daughters were fortunate enough to marry, and I think of them as sons, as well.

And then there are the grands, all thirteen of them! From Ashley, the oldest, who gave us our first great grandchild Harper last April, to Christian, the youngest, they are absolutely delightful! They are all different from each other, even the ones in the same family, and that only makes them more special and more dear, each in his or her own way!

And so I believe that Mother's Day is a time to count my many blessings! As I count it, we have nine children, thirteen grands, and one great-grand! That is just 23 times more reason to be happy on Mother's Day! BUT WAIT! There is just one more! On top of all of those blessings, I am married to the most wonderful man in the world and the best father ever! How could I not celebrate this day with a smile? Happy Mother's Day to all of you, too!

Multitude of Blessings

Some days I forget to say a huge thank you for all of the blessings we have. So this is just to say an all-inclusive big thanks to everyone and for everything! Throughout this process of detecting problems and deciding what to do, we have been abundantly blessed by support from friends far and wide, as well as nearby, and by members of our family. We are truly grateful for all of you and for your prayers and well wishes. Everyone has been so supportive, which is a big help! Thank you for the emails, cards, and phone calls! All of it helps so much!

We are so blessed to have supportive friends and family across the country, but we are are also doubly blessed to have tremendous support and love right here in Kerrville, particularly here within the "park," as we refer to this resort. Our friends here are people we regularly work with, those who come in to the Saloon on weekends, those who sometimes work here, as well as our friends from church. We cannot say enough about our support group here at GRRVR (Guadalupe River RV Resort). They are willing to help in any way, which also includes just letting us live normal lives, but are also willing to help us if we need time off or assistance. We could not ask for more support or better friends. Plus, we also have a heck of a lot of fun together, and we could not ask for better cooking for the frequent pot lucks and barbecues! We are most thankful to have found this great place to work and live, right here in the Hill Country, which we have so grown to love and enjoy.

And so, I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have helped! We appreciate and love you!

The Hill Country in Bloom

Close your eyes and imagine a lush carpeting in brilliant shades of green with an interwoven tapestry of every vivid color imaginable in purples, lavenders, fuchsias, pinks, scarlets, crimsons, corals, indigos, periwinkles, yellow, golds, cream, and whites, with beautiful leafing and blooming trees, all set against the bluest of skies! That kaleidoscope of color would be just close to what we saw today around the Texas Hill Country.

It was some of the most awe-inspiring scenery we have ever seen! Around every bend and over every hill, each new vista was breathtaking, a magnificent natural wonder and feast for the eyes and soul. Anyone who ever doubted God's ability to create such loveliness would have all doubts removed when viewing all of this incredible panorama! Words cannot adequately describe it, and our feeble attempts to capture on camera don't begin to do those colors justice. We can only say that we wish each one of you could have been with us on today's glorious field trip! Surely, this has to be one of the country's most beautiful landscapes!

Then, on top of all of that, the strawberries we bought from a roadside stand in Poteet, just beginning the Strawberry Festival this weekend, were absolutely the largest and among the most delicious we have ever tasted! Yummy! We are taking a huge bowl of them over to the Saloon for a Chicken Spaghetti dinner feast tonight so that everyone who was working today can share them, too. We love spring in the Hill Country!

Julie and Ron

It is almost impossible to describe how delightful a couple our friends Julie and Ron are. Imagine a perfect birthday party and add your favorite meal for the party, then add your favorite ice cream and cake, and then add your favorite entertainment group to delight a whole group of people, with everything all decorated and sparkling ! If you put that combination altogether, you might only come close to describing the combination of Julie and Ron and the fun we have together. It all happened by accident last year when Ron and Julie were guests in the park, and we were not yet working. We just started hanging out together on Friday nights in the Saloon, just talking, laughing, and having fun. Julie and I exchanged emails and kept on being in touch all through the summer, and I just couldn't wait until they arrived back in Kerrville this past fall. THEN 1HW and Ron became friends, as well, and we have been having the the most wonderful of times together, and we do include buddy Byron in the mix. It is almost impossible to describe all of the fun we have had this past fall (Ron and Julie went back to Minnesota in December, then arrived back in January, and have now decided to stay until April... YEAH) and now this winter. We have gone all over so many places in the area (as 1HW's blog tells), had so many numerous dinners together, and have shared so many campfires, laughs, and fun.

Tonight Ron and Julie made an extremely wonderful Italian dinner, which would make Tyler Florence druel and eat out his cooking tools and Chianti over! Ron found a fabulous Chicken Marsala recipe from the Olive Garden, which he and Julie served with Tuscan Romano Soup, Italian Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Garlic Breadsticks (just like the Olive Garden menu). They even had a chocolate/mint dessert, for which we had little room! We peons provided only the wines (Chianti, Pino Grigio, and Muscato) and hungry company, and I must say every bite was thoroughly enjoyed! What a treat! Ron and Julie provided an extraordinary meal, and we ( and Byron) thoroughly enjoyed very bite! And, as usual, we all laughed through through the entire dinner over so many things!

How extraordinary that we have all met, come together, and have formed such fun, valued-related, comfortable, special, and lasting friendships! Thanks, Ron and Julie! We love you you two!

Susie and Al

Without question, I have one of the dearest sisters in the world! She is pretty, intelligent, talented, loving, kind, and incredibly funny! For years, as kids, we only did things together when there was a family occasion, as she is six years younger than I. But about the time she was in college, and I was pregnant with daughter #1, Susie traveled to Washington, D.C. over spring break for a visit. That was a beautiful spring with the cherry blossoms in bloom.... behind the armed guards with bayonets and guns, standing arms' lengths apart, positioned all around the city. It was the spring of 1968, when literally all hell broke loose, not only in D.C., but in Detroit and many other cities. I can vividly remember the awful spectacle of the monuments lit up by the glow of flames and fires. It was frightening. And yet, we managed to see the areas and enjoy the visit because of the beautiful flowers of spring, and we laughed so much. If you mention my wearing panty hose when I was pregnant, she will probably break into gales of laughter. That began our real sisterhood of friendship and love.

We have weathered so much together, as do most sisters. We went through divorces, the death of parents and grandparents, and other family difficulties, all of which have brought us closer together. And so, as any time I am able to spend with her is precious, we were so happy to hear that she and her husband Al were planning to visit Kerrville this week. Even though we had to work on the days they were here, we still had a wonderful visit with them and their friends Steve and Jan from California. The only sad parts were that I forgot to take pictures and that they needed to leave too soon!

Even better, we will be able to see more of them this summer in Albuquerque and Durango, as they have homes in both places! That is terrific! More laughs, more shared time together with both of them makes me smile! Thank you Susie, for being a simply wonderful sister and friend! We both love you two (to the moon and back)!

The Olympics Getting Personal

It used to be every four years, but now it is every two years, on alternating years, to be able to watch the Summer and Winter Olympics. This year, even as before, we have been enjoying watching these sporting events and cheering for each sport, although I tend to cheer more for ice skating and 1HW more for snow boarding, with both of fascinated by the skiing. It has proved to be even more fun this year with so many Americans winning medals and doing well. What fun to cheer these beautiful and talented youngsters on! The best part is that they seem to be thoughtful and humble, as well as talented and successful.

Tonight, while watching, something else caught my attention in a commercial in between the events. It showed so many things happening with parents cheering the kids on, which was absolutely lovely. And then at the end of the commercial, the caption in the middle of the screen read, "Thank you, Mom." This really hit home with me.

Like many other hundreds of thousands of mothers, I car-pooled and drove kids to so many places; took kids to see fun events (Balloon Fiesta, for example); attended meetings, meets, games, and competitions; found clothes for them for special events; worried over how events would turn out; tried to welcome kids over; and tried to make our house a welcome home where they and their friends would feel welcome, even until today! This is nothing unusual or spectacular worth noting. That is what moms and families are expected to do, isn't it, regardless of how old the kids are.

But at the end of the commercial, the big caption read, "Thank you, Mom." Sometimes kids don't realize what parents are doing in the altogether. I know that I didn't! One of my biggest regrets in life is that I never had the chance to tell my mother a big, huge, loving thank you for all she did for me, and I would give anything to have just one little moment to tell her thank you not only for all she did for me, but also for the fun times we shared. I keep hoping that she is feeling what is in my heart and mind, but I so regret that I didn't realize that her time would be cut so short, that I would never have that chance to tell her all of the things I wanted to, and just to give her a big hug to tell her thank you and how much I have always loved and appreciated her. But then, it seems to me that quite often most of us seldom realize that we do not have enough time in our lives to appreciate those who are dear to us while they are close to us. And then, we are not able to tell them that and enjoy their company because they are gone. I guess that is why 1HW and I try to enjoy our families and our lives together as much as we can and as much as they will allow us to. Life is fragile and frequently all too short, so it is so important to live each day to the fullest and to love those around us as much as possible.

And so once again, I say, "Thank you, Mom, I love you!" I hope our children and grands can remember us and feel the same. None of us mothers are perfect. We try hard, we make some good decisions, and we make some huge mistakes. But almost always, we have our children's best interests at heart, and we love them all. And so, in spite of all of the mistakes, for the times when some children have returned the thoughts and have said to me, "Thank you, Mom, I love you!" I cherish the thoughts and the words. Thank you, Dears! I love you, too!

My Sweetie!

I am married to the absolutely most thoughtful and loving man on the earth! I am so sure of it! Not only does he cook, clean up, and do many other thoughtful things, he is my best friend, my constant companion, the person who always listens to me, comforts me, supports me, and makes me laugh (hard, too)! He is loving and cheerful, fun to be around, and we have never had a reason in 20 years to have a fight. There is just too much love for that! And on top of all of that, he spoils me tremendously! Yesterday he took me to one of my favorite places, James Avery's jewelry shop, where it was founded here in Kerrville, and bought me a beautiful silver spring butterfly! It is absolutely lovely! Then today, he came home with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen, along with a sweet and lovely glass plaque about love! What a wonderful surprise! How do I love him? I could never even compute the ways! Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetie! Love you to the moon and back, always and forever!

Values and the Changing World in A Palindrome

Our friend Byron send us a thoughtful piece today which is based on palindromes. 1HW, being a true mathematics person, has always enjoyed those. However, this one is somewhat different.

As you probably know, a palindrome reads the same backward as forward (as, ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA). This video reads the exact opposite backward as forward as a palindrome, but not only does it read the opposite, but the meaning is also the exact opposite. This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video, and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen...forward and backward.

The video was submitted in a contest by a 20-year-old. The contest was entitled "u @50" by AARP. This video won second place (I need to see who won first). When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. It is so simple and yet so complex. Take a minute to watch it! Let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Dear Friends Here

Sometimes in life we often receive the unexpected blessing of making friends who are absolutely delightful, understanding, fun to be around, and who share many of the same thoughts and convictions as we do. That has been particularly true for us here in Kerrville at the Guadalupe River RV Resort. For the past two years our friendships have grown abundantly and have provided us with the happiest of days, even while working. 1HW has referred to several of the men he works with, so if you have been reading his blogs, you understand. But since I have not been blogging as regularly, I have not mentioned the outstanding people here, and it dawned on me that I should be singing their praises to the skies!

We met Byron, Julie, and Ron last year, and the five of us just kind of began hanging around together. We can all fit into Julie and Ron's Ford or our old Buick, which provides a very humorous vision. My position is in the middle of the back seat because I have the shortest legs. Chuck and Julie trade off in the front passenger seat with more leg room. Either Chuck or Ron drives. Sometimes there is a cooler in the trunk, but we always leave room for the packages we are sure to find and bring home. We are already thinking about a field trip to Gruene (pronounced Green) for some shopping and lunch at the Gristmill. We frequently end up spending a cocktail hour (or two or three) and one of our places, then maybe gravitating to an other's for a campfire, as we do not have a firepit at our place. Everybody brings food and drink to share, so sometimes we find we do not even need to think of dinner. The one constant factor in all of our outings is the laughter. It does not seem to matter what time of day, where we are, what we are doing or talking about; within a few minutes we are all cracking up laughing about one thing or another. It a warm, comfortable friendship, as though we had all grown up together and known each other for years. I just know, regardless of whatever we plan in our future, that we will all remain friends and continue to keep in touch and see each other. What a blessing, indeed!!! Thank you, dear friends! Next time I'll write about my great co-workers! Look out, ladies!