Sunday, February 5, 2012

Snowbirds and lovin' it

Today I was reading fom our ward bulletin at church and felt these observations were worth passing on:

Isn't it strange how 3 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short it seems when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the scriptures but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row tickets to concerts or games but they do whatever is possible to sit at the back in church?

We became snowbirds after the holidays and flew south--to Mesa--for two or three months to get out of the c.o.l.d winter in Heber. We are enjoying beautiful weather and Frank goes out and about with brothers or friends often. We attend the Lyn Rae Ward and are enjoying the many friendly people we have met there so far. We are renting a lovely furnished townhome from Frank's brother and wife.

Recently I was able to help move my mother in to live with my sister who has a lovely big home here. Mom, who is 97, is still getting around pretty well, makes quilts, works on family history, composes music and generally keeps very busy. Never-the-less, she has trouble at times with her knee feeling like it is going to give out and we have all worried that she might fall and break something. She has lived independently and alone for many years but we all feel better that my sister will be able to fix her meals and be on hand to help her with any needs, and be good company for her. We decided we didn't want to wait until an accident happened to get her to a safer place.

Last week Frank had his bi-monthly check-up appt. at Mayo clinic in Scottsdale and his bloodwork is holding pretty steady. His white cells and platelets had dropped lower since his checkup in Nov. (they are always below normal) but I'm thinking it could be due to the big change in altitude. We'll see what happens next checkup in a couple months. The doctor is pleased that his IgG blood protein is in the normal range and that the malignant protein (M spike) is holding steady at 0.8--half what it was before he started taking thalidomide. It has few side effects and is much more tolerable than the Velcade he was taking before so we're hoping it will work for a long time. Even without much of an immune system, he hasn't caught a virus lately and we know he is being blessed with Tender Mercies from the Lord constantly.