Crocuses and Marathons

The prairie crocuses are blooming. They courageously poke through the earth, bending with the wind, persistent in their pale beauty, offering their fragile goodness to the world around them. Their very existence speaks of tenacity lived out in beauty.  The crocus brings a sense of hope in the midst of what can be a drab time of year.  Isabel's eyes lit up when two of her grand-kids roared into her room this weekend with a bowl full of these symbols of spring.

It is time to think of marathons again.

Monday, April 21 is the Boston Marathon and Isabel will be awaiting news of her grand-niece Amanda Froehlich of Marquis.  Amanda's winning time at Regina's Queen City Marathon last September has qualified her to run in Boston on Monday.

Isabel's own marathon continues with positive news.  Each week, Mum's strength and energy increases and her contractured fingers and feet move a little more.  She has gained considerable strength in her legs and torso which means she can tolerate more physiotherapy. Isabel continues to move forward in her recovery.

Amanda and Isabel come from a long line of athletes, and we are cheering them on.

Amanda: here's to you and your Monday run among 30000 other dedicated runners in Boston.  Go # 4310!

Isabel: here's to you and your physio session between 8-9 AM in your room on 2-6 each weekday morning. Go #2-649!

We are cheering you both -- and your tenacity, hope and courage!

A Toast to Community Theatre

This past weekend was Abernethy's Dinner Theatre weekend. For over 20 years, the community has staged four evenings of great food and entertainment. Isabel has always been an integral member of the "dinner" part of the weekend. She actively participated this year through dictating recommendations on her letterboard to the other committee members and phoning them throughout the weekend to hear how it was going.

Mum repeatedly said how much she missed being in Abernethy this weekend, however she is looking forward to seeing the video of the production.

For each day of the Aber production, Isabel watched the DVD of The Pull of the Land -- the Sequel. This engaging show is a first class dinner theatre production that emerged from another small community. For three years, the United Church at Harris, Saskatchewan (just west of Saskatoon) staged a locally written musical telling the stories of the gifts and challenges of rural life in Saskatchewan. After over 60 productions, the original show was put to rest and the Sequel was mounted in the Fall of 2007.

After viewing the DVD, Isabel gave the show her highest recommendation. The Sequel will be staged again at Harris this summer July 9-12. See

http://www.skyhighproductions.sk.ca/

for more info about this great show.

This blog entry could also be called Sunshine in Saskatchewan. With temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius, Isabel and family members have been catching the rays on the outside terrace just next to her room at Wascana. That was between curling matches. When it is Scotland and Canada in the championship game, for whom does one cheer?!

This weekend, Isabel also attended a Gospel Concert in Wascana's Concourse and enjoyed a surprise visit from three long-time friends from Abernethy. For over two hours, Isabel hosted her friends in the solarium as they all shared news and jokes about the blessings and ironies of life.

For small rural communities and the gifts of leadership, volunteerism, friendship, tenacity and laughter, we give THANKS!

Gardening at Isabel's

Isabel has a large east-facing picture window and a wide window sill which provides room for an abundance of plants and flowers.  She ~ and we ~ are enjoying the great variety that visitors bring through her door. Thank you!  Right now there are miniature roses (the whole plant), a prayer plant, and a kalanche that has bloomed for over two months. And of course, pussy willows who wait patiently for the first wild crocuses to join them.

Mum has been reading and rereading a poem by Mary Oliver that speaks to the sunshine that enters her room through this big window in the morning, and through her door in the afternoon.  She forwarded it in a card to a friend who was in hospital.  Isabel spelled on her letterboard IT IS ONE TO PASS ON - NOT KEEP TO YOURSELF.  And so we pass it on here to you ~ Isabel's family and friends ~ 

Why I wake early

 

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable, and the crotchety --

 

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light --

good morning, good morning, good morning.

 

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

        - by Mary Oliver

Good morning to you ~ and thanks for your enduring acts of kindness as you hang-in with us ~

Isabel and the Gang

"One of My Wildest Experiences"

For years, Isabel was an enthusiastic curler and continues to be a devoted spectator of the game.  She was cheering for Canada and Scotland in the Women's World Championship.  She had bets with her staff, and yes, Canada won the Women's Worlds and she won her bet!  A particular nurse who often stops by was betting on China.  He teases Isabel a lot so Mum was pleased to win her bet in that championship game. Mum has enjoyed having several of the Wascana staff checking every 2-3 ends as few other residents are such keen fans.

During the last two weeks between matches, Isabel had been reviewing what she calls her WEST NILE SAGA.  In an effort to make sense of what has happened in her life since last August and to piece together the various events, she has been asking questions of family, and reading this blog site, and her Visitors' Book as well as news articles about West Nile. Some of the story seems unbelievable to Mum although she admitted I HAVE TO  BELIEVE IT AS IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE.  

At another point after a half hour of reading, she shook her head, rolled her eyes and spelled on her letterboard THIS IS ONE OF MY WILDEST EXPERIENCES.

Yes, Isabel, you better believe it ~ and you definitely get the last word this week!

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Spring on the Prairies

    Comes like a surprise

    One minute there's snow on the ground

    The next there's sun in your eyes.

- Connie Kaldor lyrics

The shift between seasons (equinox and solstice) are days that Isabel has always acknowledged.  This year is a particularly interesting one with the rare occurrence of the First Day of Spring and Easter falling during the same week.   And a full moon, too!

This week included...

A sunny St. Patrick's Day afternoon....comfortable chairs in a south-facing solarium.....a surprise visit from 3 Abernethy Friends and their chauffeur.....muffins and cheese and hot tea for the guests who came carrying daffodils and Easter cards.....Mum was at her best in new spring clothes with left hand dancing across her letterboard for over two hours as news of home was exchanged.

On another day, Isabel took four other visitors ~ a three generation family ~  along for the ride when she headed out for a haircut at Wascana. Imagine this parade and Mum's nurse clearing the halls of Wascana as they made their way to the salon.  We wonder if that salon will ever be the same!

Considering what the last 8 months have held....we are thankful that Mum creates a party anytime she is able! 

Happy Spring!  Happy Easter!  New Life abounds!

An Irish Blessing

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day

Hello All

This past week, Isabel felt her connections across the sea and around Saskatchewan with friends. Just after we sent an email on her behalf to friends in Orkney, Mum read the March 7 World Day of Prayer Service written by women in Guyana in South America. An quick email response from Orkney indicated that friends there had been attending the World Day of Prayer Service using the same liturgy at their church. Mum also received several cards from friends in various places in Saskatchewan who had attended or provided leadership at similar services.

This week had two themes ~ visitors ~ watching the Brier ~ more visitors ~ cheering those green clad curlers ~ more visitors ~ YEA! Saskatchewan curlers! ~ more visitors! Thanks all of you who dropped in and discussed curling among other topics.

Awhile ago this Irish Blessing came as a greeting card to Isabel. She has viewed it numerous times and suggested that it would be a good web-link to share with her community.

And a toast to all of you with Irish heritage on this St. Patrick's Day! Just click on the link and turn up your volume.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7O9OqBd2us

The Gifts of Letters and Words

This week we worked with Mum's Occupational Therapist to develop a system for Mum to be able to read on her own.   Mum has a new wooden easel (approx. 14 x 16 inches) that adjusts to whatever angle is needed for reading depending on her position in her wheelchair or lounging in bed.

Mum's gradual increase of movement with her left hand means more independence.  We three-hole punch her emails and letters and place them in a binder.  With the use of a rubberized finger tip on her left index finger, Mum is able to to turn her own pages.

This reading independence is a great gift for the many hours that Mum spends on her own.  The spines of books that do not allow them to open flat make book pages impossible to manoeuvre with this system, but it works well for emails, letters, magazines, and clipped articles from The Western Producer.

Many of you have asked how to be supportive of Isabel.  Letters about your day, the weather, your family, opinions on country and world events, and what is happening in your neck-of-the-woods including outside your window are always welcome.  For those of you who send hand-written letters, we encourage you to send them on paper that can be three-holed punched. It is easy for us to print your emails.

Isabel's address is:

Unit 2-6

Wascana Rehabilitation Centre

2180 - 23rd Avenue

Regina, SK

S4S 0A5

E-address is: <catherine.barnsley@usask.ca>

This week, Isabel "dictated" three lengthy paragraphs on her letterboard to be sent by email to her friends living in Orkney.  She is able to move her left index finger quickly across a small letterboard. A fast flick of her wrist means a NEW WORD.  We are busy with a white board writing down her letters to keep up with her.

Several of you have written asking whether Isabel can use an electronic communication device.  Mum is able to and her Speech/Language Pathologist is exploring various possibilities over the next few weeks. However, it will take considerable time to assess what will work best for Mum's needs.  There are many different devices and any one will take energy to learn.  In the meantime, Mum is satisfied with her small letter-number board. This "board" has the alphabet, numbers from 0-9, and two phrases -- NEW WORD and START AGAIN (for those of us who get mixed up!).

The advancements of this week may seem so small when we consider what Isabel's physical capabilities were prior to her West Nile Virus Neurological Syndrome diagnosis.  However, they are huge when we consider what Mum was able to do even a month ago.

In gratitude for the gifts of letters, words, eyesight, reading ~ and friends and family who write to Isabel.....