It's Been A While

Since it's been a while since my last post I will try to put the last few weeks in a few paragraphs. Two weeks ago, Stan and Patty from Tennessee came north for a visit with their cousin at Lake Chautauqua. We got to see them over the weekend along with Jim from Ohio. The guys decided they couldn't go without fishing and the gals couldn't go without their guys so we all headed down to Farnsworth for trout fishing. Michael and I brought our chairs and decided not to wade the creek. But we did get off our duffs. We just had the chairs so we could rest and let the fish settle down before another attack. Michael is a great teacher. I caught my first brown trout in my whole life thanks to his excellent instructions on how to handle a line. I'd include a picture hear but it's on his camera and I have no idea how to get it off of there. That will come later. It was a good day for everyone. The Cawleys caught two. The Sysaks caught two. And Jim caught three. He gets the big ribbon of the day. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Brown Run but without fishing success. We just had a bunch of laughs and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

That weekend we got a call from Dallas. My mother did the big no-no. She crossed her legs and dislocated her hip again. After a trip to the ER, the hospital and a week in rehab, she is back home at my sister's until her hip replacement surgery on July 27th. She will be getting home health care until her surgery date. In the meantime, she is to have a heart catheterization on July 2 to test for the severity of her pulmonary hypertension. She has a blockage in the artery that goes to the lung leaving her breathless and with no energy. If the test finds the same results as her echocardiogram, she will qualify (insurance will pay) for very expensive meds to help with the hypertension. I plan on going to Dallas in July and I'm not sure how long I will stay but Michael and I are used to this separation. We've got bill paying, cat feedings, meds and visits to the vet, and missing each other down pat. At least I won't be coming home in the middle of winter. I just have to deal with the Texas heat. Hopefully her recovery will be swift and we can get back to the healing process.

And one last thought. I have missed posting all the blooms on this blog that occur weekly. But resently we have had Azaleas, Rhodedendrons, Peonies, and my Lillies are blooming in the front yard. We took a ride to Jake's Rocks (lookout over the Allegheny Reservoir) last weekend and the Mountain Laurel is starting to bloom.