Update on Dad

I’ve had a few people ask so I thought I would take a minute and do a Dad update.


He is doing as well as can be expected. He is still on oxygen 24/7 and gets fairly frustrated with tripping over the oxygen ropes, making sure the canister or machine is on, carrying around the oxygen tank, and having those ropes hanging around his ears! But if he goes any time without it the tip of his nose and tips of his ears start to turn purple and it goes quickly downhill from there.


They have started giving him MASSIVE injections of iron that have really given him a lot more energy and that in turn have really lifted his spirits. Enough so that he went to his beloved “Family History Center” for the past 2 weeks for a couple of hours! I am so glad----there for awhile I thought he was going to give up and wither away because he was so depressed.

We have started talking about getting the house ready to sell and moving them to assisted living or building onto their home and moving in to take care of them. Right now we live 25 minutes from their house and so for me just to “pop” over takes about 3 hours out of my day. I really want to be there for them but this is not working. Of course neither option is what they WANT to be considering—so hopefully we will be able to work that out soon.



This picture was taken in March. He just recently celebrated his 74th birthday! This quilt is what I gave him and it has a great story attached to it.



Soooo…. I am NOT a sewer.



NO.



REALLY.



NOT.







But, I really wanted one of these kind of quilts for my Dad to have when he has to sleep in his recliner at night or when he is the hospital—something that was super soft and cozy. It was a dilemma.



Then I remembered my friend T—mm—Trish—who has taught classes at our church on how to make these ragtime quilts-- so I called her—hoping she would guide me through the process.



This next part is a little emotional for me. I hope I can do it justice in words.



After I shared my dilemma, she was quiet for a minute and I thought, “Oh dear, this was too much to ask with her busy, busy schedule.”



Then she said, “Lisa, because I love you and your Dad, I want to make this quilt for you.”



It was the kind of sentence that just takes your breath away. Then makes the tears come, unbidden.



I argued and protested but she prevailed and eventually--- I gratefully accepted.



I went and bought some material and thread and dropped them by her house.



Around 2 weeks later her oldest daughter called and said I could come pick it up.(a history note: I taught all 4 of her children piano when they were growing up and actually loved them very much like my own.) Apparently the 2 oldest daughters helped make it and then another very dear friend embroidered on it. I don’t know if you can see it but it says:

To Dad
Craigrado 3-09

When I was very small my Dad use to ask me who I was and where I lived. I would say, “I’m Lisa Boyce Ann from Craigrado.” It was a little game we would play, over and over. My whole life, my nickname has been Craigrado. (I was actually Lisa Ann Boyce from Craig, Colorado)

When they handed me the quilt, I just held it and cried. That someone would sacrifice their time and talents to make something so beautiful for me was completely overwhelming. It is a debt I cannot repay. When I gave it to my Dad—I cried again.

He LOVES his blanket and carries it everywhere with him.

It has definitely been a---so dark you see the stars—kind of experience.

God bless us….every one…….

And Happy Easter too!