February 2024

 Dear Family and Friends, 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!! At least it has in Grants Pass. We have been having such ideal weather lately. A little bit of rain at night, then bright sunshine during the next day. Funny how Southern Oregon had good weather while the upper Northwest was in terrible difficulty because of icy roads and zero degree temperatures. Because of the good weather, things are already beginning to pop up outside. But our plants inside are doing even better and are spreading their bright blossoms of color all around. That is especially true of the living room and dining room areas where 15 orchid plants have been placed on the rooms window sills and their combined beauty offers such a delightful and inspiring sight to behold. True carefully tends to them with two ice cubes apiece once a week, and loving words telling them how beautiful they are. I’m sure that's what makes these delicate beauties grow so well for her, when others say they have a hard time getting orchids to grow.

Since the dining room was changed to become my bedroom when I came home from the hospital so that my bed was placed close to the windows, I am the one who has the privilege of seeing each new blossom struggle to release itself from the bud and become a beautiful flower. When first placed on the sill, each plant had at least one or two stems that were supported for the first 12 to 18 inches, after which the stems will lean to one side or the other, and that’s the part where numerous buds appear and eventually become beautiful orchid blossoms.

Together, True and I would watch as little by little, tiny buds began to appear on the bent stems. I was fascinated to see the changes taking place. Soon, all 15 plants had multiple buds. I even started playing a game with myself to see if I could guess which one of the buds would be the first to produce a flower, and was anxious to see what color it might be. But now in January and February is when they all have burst into bloom at once, it seems. Their delicate beauty and delightful colors have made our surroundings so beautiful. Each blossom of the multitude which may occupy each stem can grow to be quite large, but since it weighs virtually nothing, the bent stem is in no danger of breaking off due to the weight Another advantage is that the open blossoms tend to last for a long period of time, thus allowing more time for us to fully enjoy them. True agreed to include a picture of six or seven orchid plants blooming together on one of the window sills of our home. They are certainly wonderfully unique plants!

It seems that not much else has happened this month. I have not had much time wearing my Buddy recently, because of a sore that developed on the end of my stump. I had to make sure it was well healed before strapping the tight sleeve and prosthesis onto it again. And the big gash just under the knee of the other leg that needed stitches was red and swollen, creating in me a feeling of anxiety about putting too much weight too soon on that leg. It has just now, after seven full weeks, healed enough to allow the huge scab that had formed to cover and protect the wound to come off by itself. I do try putting the prosthesis on for a while each morning, just to test how it feels. But I find that I’m still cautious about putting too much weight on my legs. As a result, my arms and shoulders are being overworked and I get exhausted very quickly, so I must take it off again. So, I don’t know when I’ll do some real meaningful walking again. I also need to be more consistent in using the few exercise pieces I have here, so as to build up the muscles in my arms and legs. I just know I need to be more disciplined.

Oh, and one funny thing happened to my Buddy. If I stand the leg up properly, it will usually stay by itself. Recently, it has had a few occasions where it has been knocked over and hit the floor pretty hard. When preparing for church, I always change to my Sunday hose and shoes. So whenever I used my Buddy, I would need to change his shoe too. Well, one Sunday after Church I took his Sunday shoe off and put the regular one back on, and stood him up, while I changed my shoe. But he wouldn’t stand. No matter how much I tried to balance it, the leg just wouldn’t stand. I wondered if maybe those hard falls might have done something to the mechanism? Maybe I should make an appointment to get it checked? So I leaned Buddy up against the wall and went to put on my own shoe. That's when I found out why Buddy couldn’t stand - he had on the wrong shoe! I had put my shoe onto his foot, so we changed, and now he was able to stand. There was nothing wrong with the leg, but there sure was with me. Ha, ha!

True has been diligently working at the computer since she had the inspiration to dig out the manuscript of a book she wrote years ago but never finished. She revised it, using some new characters and events that never really happened to add interest and intrigue to her true story about the cliff dwellings near the Four Corners of the Southwestern United States that were built by the Anasazi Indians hundreds of years ago. The chapters she's done so far are great! She majored in journalism in college, so she knows how to put her thoughts and feelings into words beautifully. I have enjoyed reading and lending another set of eyes to her writings.

Linda is helping that way too, and it is amazing the number of little things we can find. True reads and edits my monthly letters, and Dan does too before sending them out as an email. I really do appreciate them catching my little boo-boos.

I’m on my own again while True is in Tijuana. That poor girl has had so much trouble with her teeth and jaw, trying to be equipped with molar implants. But she totally believes in the people and the workmanship involved in her care there. The price is half what it would be here, but is eaten up by the cost of travel from here to there, so we’re hoping this will be her last trip. During True’s absence, I busy myself with reading the newspaper and doing their word puzzles. I don’t make up any more of my own, because I now have a puzzle for just about every special occasion, event, or holiday that I can think of. Some don’t mind receiving repeats, but whenever I come across another person's puzzle that intrigues me, I'll include that one too. I don’t know how many of you email recipients bother to print off and attempt to do the puzzles that accompany each letter, but I like easy-to-do puzzles with a little bit of challenge, and like to share them with others too.

I’ll close this lengthy narration by wishing each of you a very happy and love-filled Valentine’s Day!

My love to all. 

Marie