Good morning! And a big happy belated birthday to Jill! šš„³š¾
Continuing with my reflections about my dadā¦
As Dadās short-term memory faded, one of the first challenges that popped up was parking lots. Weāve all forgotten where we parked before, wandering up and down aisles pressing the panic button like weāre searching for buried treasure. Then one day up-north he had to call for help.
Like many seniors, giving up the car keys was not in his playbook.
Good morning!
I received a text yesterday with a memory about my dad, and it pulled me right back to our dinner-table ritual.
Dad was a quiet, thoughtful manānever the loudest voice in the room, but always the one you leaned in to hear. At the dining room table, he could hold court any night of the week, no matter who joined us (and we had plenty of guests). Politics, faith, travel, daily lifeāhis mind traveled widely, and we followed right along.
Good morning, all!
Happy birthday, Larry A.! šāØLarry and I worked together at IMC now Mosaic, and was a golf buddy when I worked in Florida. Definitely one of the silver linings of having to work in Floridaā¦especially now, as we stare down the cold weather headed our way.
A few days ago, my cousin Mark emailed me a photo from our dinner together last September. It was from my trip to Baltimore, where I went for a second opinion on my ALS diagnosis at Johns Hopkins.
Good morning, friends and family.
Iāve been bouncing back and forth between the master bedroom and the guest room lately. The master is a bit of a hike to the bathroom, and the guest room route is more reasonably short. In ALS terms, it becomes a tactical mission every trip to the bathroom: slow, careful, deliberate stepsā¦while my bladder counts down like itās launching a rocket. Two simultaneous goals need to be met, donāt fall and donāt leak.
Good morning!
Welcome to November ā the month where we all pretend weāre grateful for the shorter days, losing ~ one hour of sunlight by the end of the month and a sun that will set at 4:20 pm on 11/30. Depressing isnāt it!!
PSA Itās that ridiculous time again ā time change weekend. Supposedly weāre all going to get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Sure we are. At 2:00 a.
Good morning, everyone.
Happy birthday, Di G.! šš„³š¾šāØI met Di back in 2005, when we moved to Lake Bluff so Nikki could finish up high school at Lake Forest.
Di has a son that is the same age as Alex. Peter was a standout swimmer at Lake Forest High School and a fierce rival of Alexās when he swam for Libertyville. They traded wins back and forth over the years, and that friendly fire eventually turned into a deep friendship.
Good morning, everyone.
Iāve been in a bit of a funk since the marathon. That weekend felt like the big climactic event of the year ā or maybe the marathon was the dessert and Alex and Nicoleās wedding was the main course. Either way, both moments were huge for me, and when I look at photos and videos, the emotions still wash over me š„². Beautiful, overwhelming, and memorable!
Lately, I feel like Iām canceling more opportunities than Iām saying yes to.
Good morning, everyone!
Happy belated birthday, Lynn M. š
Lynn is a friend we met through Camp Osoha in Boulder Junction, WI ā an all-girls camp our daughters attended for many summers. Each summer session was six weeks long, and the camp was truly something special. Sadly, it closed years ago after a tragic accident, but while it was running it shaped generations of young girls into strong, confident women.
Good morning, friends and family.
This ALS progression is really starting to hit hard. No matter what I do, I come out of every activity needing a break. It can be something as simple as brushing my teeth and getting dressed in the morning. Moving from one room to another seems to suck up all the oxygen in the house, and I end up winded, sitting there trying to catch my breath.
Good morning, everyone.
Yesterday was a better day. Iāll admit, I did a little sulking in the morning about missing the Michigan trip. But by the afternoon, the sun was out, and I decided to do the next best thingāget outside and soak up some vitamin D the natural way. I probably should take vitamin D supplements for how little I get outside but honestly, Iām already running a daily pharmaceutical pill dispensary.
Good morning, friends and family.
Yesterday, I was up and moving right alongāgetting ready for the road trip to Michigan to see the college crew. Keep in mind, my version of āgetting readyā means getting myself cleaned up, dressed, and fedāthe bare minimum to be road-trip ready. Cindy, on the other hand, handles everything else: packing, hauling suitcases, and gathering all the ALS gear. So yeah, Iāve got the easy part every time we go somewhere.
Good morning! Weāre off to Michigan this morning.
This two- to three-hour drive will be a good test for my butt and the various cushions weāve accumulated. Iāve got very little padding left back there, and Iām starting to resemble the Sexton (maternal) side of the family. My aunts and uncles never had much meat on their bones either, so I imagine their backsides were just as sore on long car ridesā¦especially in their later years.
Good morning, everyone.
Last weekend in Octoberāhard to believe weāre already sliding into the holidays.
This weekend is a college get-together on the shore of Lake Michigan in Union Pier, Michigan. Iām really looking forward to seeing everyone. The party officially starts today, but weāre waiting until tomorrow to join the group. Thereās something about getting together with college friendsā¦ itās like you never left campus.
For me, this trip will be a bit more subdued than past reunions.
Good morning, and welcome to a new day.
Overnight the respirator behaved beautifullyā¦no frightening bursts of air, no near-suffocations, and no gurgling noises. Just a steady, peaceful exchange of air all night. Now I just need to confirm if Cindy agrees with that assessment.
Iāve started noticing that my nighttime movement has become very limited. When I wake up, Iām usually in the exact same position I fell asleep in. Thatās new for me.
Good morning, all!
Itās way too early. The house is chilly, and Iām sitting by the fire wrapped in a quilt. Iām so thankful for these handmade giftsāthey really take the edge off cool mornings.
It was another restless night with the NIV (non-invasive ventilator). Things started out fine, but around 2:00 a.m. I woke up flat on my back, and the NIV was blasting air like a leaf blower. I felt a rattle in my throat and tried to cough it outābut my cough is already weak and pathetic.
Good morning, all!
Yesterday I mentioned Ordinary Grace, the book that showed up in the mail. As it turns out, my cousin Mark already has the same book sitting on his table, waiting to be read. What are the odds weād pick up the same title at the same timeāespecially since itās been out since 2013? Iām looking forward to diving in once I finish one thatās ahead of it on my list: Look Closer by David Ellis, our current college book club pick.
Good morning.
Itās definitely looking like fall outsideācool air, color in the trees, and the sound of leaves crunching under tires.
Although, in classic Midwest fashion, our A/C decided to kick on yesterday. Nothing like a blast of cold air to wake you up from a good nap. Only a few day ago, if I didnāt like the temperature in the house, Iād just grab my phone and adjust the thermostat.
Good morning, all!
I was watching the news and saw a story about a New Jersey high school that canceled its homecoming dance because of low ticket sales. That one made me stop and think. Low ticket sales? Wow. Back in the day, homecoming was a main event. Of course today, with social media and everybody being connected by technology these are very divergent experiences separated by 50 years.
I started high school as a pretty shy kidāor at least thatās how I saw it.
Good morning, blog readers.
As we grow up, we watch people and we learn from them. Kids are like clayāmolded by what they see and experience. We pick up good habits and not-so-good ones, and all of itāalong with a little luckāhelps shape who we become.
A Bad Habit Learned Both my parents smoked, and at some point, I decided to sneak a cigarette from one of their packs. I must have been around 12 or 13.
Good morning, everyone!
Itās the end of a quiet week, and yesterday I finally felt recovered from the marathon weekend. Itās was a good feeling to reach the afternoon and not need a nap. Althoughā¦Iāll admit I spent most of the morning reading in bed. Sometimes by the time I finish getting ready for the day, Iām already worn out, so I just stay upstairs and read for a couple of hours and recharge.