F.Y.I.

Many people have mentioned that they have sent comments about the blog. For some reason ??? I have not received them. There must be thousands of messages in a fiber- limbo SOMEWHERE that have not gotten to their intended destinations. Where are they? What happens to all of them ? Do they exist forever, just trying to find where they are supposed to go? Do they finally give up?Bill ?, Paul ?, could you shed light on this?

Sargeant Shriver

With Sarge Shrivers passing I couldn't help but think back about Peace Corps and what it meant to me - the gift of a world view, seeing America through African eyes, the truly "necessary" things of life,meeting Norm and from that union, our family. We gave two years of volunteering but we received a lifetime of benefits.

Too Many Thank Yous

Last evening was our daughter-in-law's sister's wedding at the Old Church with the reception at the Art Museum. I was able to attend and take my mother through a coordinated effort and huge thank-yous to so many. First of all to Matt and Sydney for being such a cute couple ( Sydney looked like she stepped out of " Brides Magazine"), John and Judy for hosting a beautiful wedding and reception, my friend Jan Johnson for giving me a jacket and beautiful diamond earrings, Des, the Kaiser hospice volunteer, who gave up his Saturday evening to stay with Norm and our neighbor Carl who stayed with Norm until I got home. It was nice to be out but I certainly wished that Norm could have gone,too. Again, thank you to everyone. Marge

The Pharmacist's Pharmacist

On Monday, Diane and Pontus, two of Norm's coworkers from Drug Information, visited. He has been a lot quieter and sleepier, so I wasn't sure how the visit would go but he continued to quiz them on the status of different drugs and discuss pharmacy matters. Sometimes, he can be forgetful and ask what time someone is coming several times but whenever there is a question on medications, he is right on. He never thought of himself as a pharmacist's pharmacist but I have testimony from many that he was.

The Bluest Dodger of Them All

As many of you know, Norm has been a Dodger fan since he was ten years old. Over the years we have been to Dodger games in LA, St. Louis ,Seattle and anywhere, anytime that we could go. For Norm's 4oth birthday, we sent the kids to Minnesota and flew to LA for a Cardinal-Dodger series. We went to spring training in 1987 in Vero Beach and spring training last year in Arizona for their first year in the Cactus League In June last year Norm, Andy and Pete had Father's Day in Boston at an inter-league series of the Red Sox and the Dodgers.

Yesterday, on a whim, I emailed the Dodgers Manager Emeritus, Tommy Lasorda and told him of Norm's devotion and current situation and today he called and invited us down to LA as his guests to watch the Dodgers. What a great guy to take time out of his busy day to call us..He said that he will be married 61 years this year( Norm and I will celebrate our 41st anniversary Feb. 6th.). When I said " So, you were married in 1950?" He said," Yeah,when I was two!"

The Yasser Arafat School of Hair Design

In March of 1998, Norm had a lot of hair on his head and would probably have been the envy of many men, both his age and younger, who were quite bald. He decided that he was tired of dealing with his hair and haircuts etc. so just shaved it all off. This was really before the look was as "in" as it is nowadays. Often on weekend days, he wouldn't shave so I started saying that he went to the Yasser Arafat School of Hair Design.

Dembara

A friend of mine suggested that I write about my horse in Ethiopia. So to paraphrase Isak Dinesin's " I had a farm in Africa", I had a horse in Ethiopia.

Several volunteers had horses in town and since I had always loved them so much, it was a chance to get one of my very own. Somehow the word went out and I was presented with a horse who looked as if he came out of the Arabian Nights. A boy charged up to me at full gallop, the horse's tassels flying. I was sold on the spot. I rode him on my off days and one day decided to be a little bold and took him out of town into the countryside. We were at an open field and Dembara took off at the speed of light. I struggled with all my strength to rein him in but kept losing ground and finally fell on my hip onto a rock. Stunned I laid there and finally was able to get up, limping badly, looking for Dembara over a ridge. There he was. A man had him by his halter and I'm sure that he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I called out in Amharic that that was my horse and he helped me get back on as I was quite a distance from town and could hardly walk. That was pretty much the last time I rode Dembara as fear set in plus the realization that I was in the MIDDLE OF AFRICA and advanced medicine was not available.

Brucephalus

I have always loved horses and horse stories - "Black Beauty", "National Velvet", " My Friend Flicka" , "Spin and Marty" from Mickey Mouse Club, but my favorite story is a true one.

Alexander the Great was a boy of ten when a horse was presented to his father, Phillip II for purchase.No one could mount him until Alexander realized that he was afraid of his own shadow and was able to train him. He named him Brucephalus, meaning ox-head. The horse lived until old age and was with Alexander throughout many of his campaigns. Alexander named the town of Brucephala in his honor.

Coffee

Yesterday, I had a coffee for Terra Linda and Friends- mostly moms who all had kids at Terra Linda and were active at school as volunteers. To quote from the movie" Chinatown". " If you can't bring the water to LA, bring LA to the water, " since I wanted to visit with old friends and it is hard to get out right now, I brought the friends to me. We all had a good time reconnecting. Many visited with Norm before he got too tired.A special thanks to Gerry, Irene and Vergenia who helped me with the coffee.

MLK Day

When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968 I was in Dessie, Wallo, Ethiopia in the Peace Corps. I was filling in for another nurse who was ill and had to return to the states. An Ethiopian who worked with another volunteer said that " Martin Luther, King of the Negroes" had been killed. It was so strange to be there when things like that happened in the states. We were expected to justify things that were unjustifiable. I can't help but think of that every year at this time.

" I have a dream... that my four little children will be judged not by the color of their skin but my the content of their character." MLK,Jr.

A Cialis Moment

I don't know about the rest of you, but Norm and I never rushed into any household improvement, be it painting, landscaping, certainly no major thing such as a renovation or remodel. When we did finally decide to paint a room, and gathered the equipment, new paint etc., we were far more inclined to murder each other than have a Cialis moment.

Richard Benjamin

Some of you who are old enough, might remember the actor Richard Benjamin. He was in a few movies, notably " Good-Bye Columbus" with Ali MaGraw. He was married to Paula Prentiss and appeared on Johnny Carson. He talked of his wife's housekeeping but also of her temper. Let's just say that his standards of clean were a bit higher than hers, but she got angry if he redid something she did, so often, after she went to bed, he would do the house according to his liking. In our case I never reacted with anger because I was always appreciative of Norm's "Dutch" cleaning skills, and often I would awaken in the morning, surprised that Richard Benjamin had visited in the night. Since last year, " Richard " hasn't been able to do as much but how I appreciated all that he did in the past, as well as the yard work that he hated, and bill paying and giving the boys baths when they were little after I had "had it". So today give your S.O. a big hug from Richard Benjamin.

A Tribute To Nursing

When I was a sophomore in high school in 1961-62, the Peace Corps was started and I dearly wanted to go. Not having the money for college, I decided that if I became a nurse, they would surely take me. That began my seven year plan- two more years of high school, three years of nursing school and then two years in Peace Corps. One of the nuns at my Catholic high school said to me, " Marjorie, don't you know that a nurse is the lowest member of God's army?" I've thought of that many times after all these years. At that time, almost all young women became teachers, secretaries or nurses. A few courageous ones bucked the prejudices and pursued law, medical and business degrees. No one at that time went into nursing for the money or prestige. It was almost like a religious calling to help the sick and care for people. It was always considered " a good job to fall back on."

While not considering myself religious now, at that time this prayer spoke to me.

A Nurse's Prayer

Dearest Lord,may I see you today and every day in the person of thy sick, and whilst nursing them minister unto thee.

Though Thou hidest behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting, the unreasonable, may I still recognize Thee and say: Jesus, my Patient, how sweet it is to serve thee. Lord, give me this seeing faith; then my work will never be monotonous.

Oh, beloved sick, how doubly dear you are to me when you personify Christ, and what a privilege is mine to be allowed to nurse you. Sweetest lord, make me appreciate the dignity of my high vocation and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness,unkindness, and impatience; and since thou art Jesus my Patient, deign also to be my patient Jesus, bearing with my many faults, looking only to my intention which is always to love and serve Thee in the person of each and every one of Thy sick.

Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts, and sanctify my work now and forever. Amen

Some History

Often in the past when a friend or relative is facing a difficult situation, be it illness,job seeking, pregnancy, approaching death etc. ,I have called on the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters to pray for the special intention. I have sent their prayers to people of many religions and to people with no religion. This order of nuns is contemplative. Their mission is prayer. Unique to them is their color of habit,which is more a shocking pink than anything. They have three convents in the USA- St. Louis, MO., Philadelphia,PA and Lincoln, NE. I thought I'd share one tidbit of information from them. St. Camillis De Lellis , 6'6" tall and exceptionally strong, was the son of a Naples soldier. He, too, became a soldier, led a life without restraints,and came to the Incurables Hospital in Rome at age 25, his health broken. There he was eventually converted to Christ. Though still incurably ill himself, he began serving the sick, gathered others to this work, started a religious order, and became a priest. In 1586, Pope Sixtus V gave Camillus and his religious permission to wear a large red cross on their habits. As his order and its work spread, the emblem served to inspire the sick and dying to sentiments of confidence and contrition, and devotion to the red cross became popular. The custom of the sick wearing small red crosses has become world-wide, and the Church provides a special blessing for them in the Ritual. Camillus was declared a saint in 1746 and has been named patron of the sick, of nurses, and of hospitals. His feastday is July 18th.

Just an Update

Norm's sister Marilyn and husband Stu returned home today. We so enjoyed their visit. John and Judy brought dinner (excellent) last night and we took turns visiting and eating with Norm in his room. The next week will go fast with visits from the nurse, physical therapist and bath aide. On another note, anyone our age should at least give the comic "Pickles" a serious try. It is classic.(My friend Rachel Flath encouraged me to read it.)

Kaiser Hospice - Marilyn and Stu

Norm and I are so grateful to Kaiser Hospice for their excellent care and support. Everyone connected with the program has gone out of his/her way to be caring and helpful. Their team approach from nurses, doctors, c.m.a.s, from PT to social worker to chaplain, has been such a comfort to us. On a different note, we are enjoying having Norm's sister Marilyn and her husband, Stu visit from Lansing,Michigan. They were able to go to the Portland Chinese Garden today ( if you've never been- it's on NW 3rd and Everett downtown) and enjoy Powell's book store and now are busily cooking our dinner.

The Evolution of the Chirstmas Tree

When you are newly married and/or have little kids, you dream of a Norman Rockwell Christmas with a BIG tree that you have cut yourself. ( Somehow ours never quite lived up to that with Andy chasing Pete with some slimy thing he picked up- Pete screaming and me worried that he would trip and put his eye out on a tree stump). You continue with this until the kids head off to college and Bales Tree lot looks pretty convenient. After years of filling the water container and vacuuming needles, you decide an artificial tree fits the bill. Lugging those pieces and fitting them together is more of a hassle and with clearing out some things you can leave the tree assembled and even decorated but when it is a problem to get that into the house, a very small tree that even has ornaments already on it can be purchased at Safeway or Trader Joe's for a few dollars. But wherever you are in this evolution, the spirit can always be the same - a generous and wonderful Christmas.

The Muilenburg Christmas

We celebrated Christmas on New Year's Eve with Andy, Ali, Brady,Drew, Marybeth, Pete,Tracy,Lucy and Sofie. Brunch, present opening, kids playing, everyone leaving so Norm could rest, dinner with delicious( if I do say so myself- thanks to a recipe from Anne Fletcher's sister Susie)beef brisket and all the rest of the trimmings catered by Pete-hectic- tiring - fun - all that and more. We celebrated Drew's birthday on Sat. before Andy and Ali headed for home. It was a wonderful Christmas and worth the weight and wait!