Praying on, Sharon.  ...

--
Carol
[log in to unmask]


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon Hooley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 12:27 AM
Subject: My Dad Today


>I talked with Judy this morning, asking if I could hang out at the hospital 
>today, where my dad is recovering.  She suggested that maybe tomorrow I 
>could go with them.  I was disappointed, partly because my brother, Gary, 
>and sister-in-law, Lois, (we call her Loie, but Jaws should say  it more 
>like "LoE."), who live about 3 hours from me, might not be there then. 
>Blanca, my care provider, offered to take me there.  It takes maybe 20 to 
>30 minutes to get from Caldwell to that area of Boise, and I rarely go that 
>far with her.  this is the biggest gift she's ever given me!  I asked her 
>to stop at MacDonald's.  I paid for a lunch for me, and she accepted a 
>drink. On the way, I listened and sang to carman's old-time hymn album on 
>cassette, but the tape was acting up in some places.  It was nostalgic, 
>thinking of Dad when I was much younger, growing up in a church that sang 
>such simple, uplifting tunes that I rarely hear anymore.
>
> so I got to see Gary and Loie, as I'd seen another brother, Gene,  and 
> sister-in-law, Mary Esther, (We call her M E, not sure of the spelling.), 
> from another direction on Thursday afternoon.  Dad seems to be slowly 
> getting better, but, as far as I know now, is still on the ventilator, 
> still unable to speak.  He was asleep when we arrived, and, with my 
> cochlear implant, I was able to talk quietly with my family!  Gary 
> explained to me that when Joel, our nephew and Judy's son,spent one night 
> with Dad, Dad was afraid he was dying because of some mucus that was 
> clogging the airway.  It was after Gary and Loie left, that Dad signaled 
> that he wanted to write something, saying he wanted to hear our 
> conversation, so Judy, Mom and I came to his bedside.  He kept nodding 
> and/or smiling, indicating that he understood, and even signaled that we 
> could talk more loudly.  I told him that I'd brought some things for him 
> to do to pass the time, whenever he was ready.  Blanca went out to the 
> waiting room for most of my visit, but in the end, she came in and said 
> hello to Dad.
>
> We returned home, listening and/or singing again, with Blanca yelling when 
> the tape would play backward or something every once in awhile, which 
> sounded funny to me.  I'm going to buy two CD's of Carman's, the old 
> hymns, and the newer choruses with Awesome God, which she says is her 
> favorite song but was ruined on that tape.  I was able to find them 
> through my mall.
>
> thank you again for your continued prayers and support.  I love you all!
>
> Sharon