Update for May 30

Introduction Memorial Day Weekend is a weekend of celebrating wedding anniversaries in our family. Kelsey and Ryan Dick celebrated their 10th anniversary on May 25 and will be going to Italy on June 16. Pat and Molly Boyle celebrated their 1st year on May 29! They went to Holland Lake Lodge. Of course to stay at Chico Hot Springs where the wedding was last year, reservations are hard to come by unless you make them months in advance. John and I celebrated 33 years of marriage on May 27. We used to have a tradition of each taking turns making the arrangements for a surprise trip somewhere. Nothing exotic - it was the surprise that counted and a weekend without kids. The most low key was the Symmes Hotel in Camas Hot Springs. Then jet setting to Vancouver, BC where the airlines lost John's luggage and he was able to wear a pair of my pants! Another time John had to fess up early amidst trip because he couldn't find the cut-off road that got us to Sun Valley....and then the road was closed!

This year's celebration was quieter with a dinner at The Keep with Toni and Bob Ogg, who celebrated birthdays. Rainy, 50-degree temperature is not unusual for the Weekend, but by Saturday, we were bored with our TV golf watching. On Sunday, we went to breakfast in Rock Creek and then drove back and up to Flathead Lake where much of my family was cozied up in the cabin. Today, it's back to those usual chores of mowing lawn, doing laundry, etc.

Health Update. I continue to focus on managing my pain which is largely connected to my digestive system and deal with anxiety and depression. My appetite is good and I concentrate on eating proteins, fats and whole foods. I discovered that I am lactose intolerant so I've been using the enzymes for that. I have some drug to help with the anxiety and depression and the main focus here is to be active -- get out of bed and do things. Lighting a candle and knowing that many of my friends and family are close by is also uplifting.

Last week Mrs. Hegman's first grade class at St. Joseph School wrote to say that they were praying for me! Connor Hanson made the request and as his friend, they all wrote letters.

Thanks again for the dinners or other foods that we've received - we greatly appreciate it! We also have a few dishes to return to people. If you are one of those, please email me and let me know which is yours -- sorry we are losing track!

I continue to work on my "Grandmother" book which has been fun! It's a typical "Kerry" thing to take a theme and then extract the pictures to tell the story. It's been great to get contributions from many of you! Many of you lucky Grandmothers!

Love to all of you! Kerry

Update for May 16

Introduction. It appears that I'm a "once a monther" as far as updating my Blog. I think of all of you daily and of things that I would like to say, but spending time on the computer has been minimal for me. With my blackberry phone, I am able to stay in touch via emails and text to my satisfaction.
News from this end is that Pat and Molly went in for their baby check up and to learn the sex of the baby. Molly's parents were also visiting from Minneapolis. So we all met at the Shack for breakfast and the big announcement. Pat and Molly had a polka dot gift box and opened it to.....a pink t-shirt! So a baby girl is on the horizon!!
Health-wise. I continue to follow thru on my therapies. A couple of new items:
1) Colin and I met with a nutritionist, Hollie. My expectation was that I'd come home with a bunch of vegetable juicing recipes, but rather she likened my situation to "leaky gut syndrome" where we need to repair the lining of my stomach and increase cell vitality moving the spacing between cells closer together. The emphasis is protein and fat (whole foods). So Colin and I have been making chicken stock and making soups. The foods that we've received from people have also been wholesome. My breakfasts tended to be a little low on proteins so more egg breakfasts, etc.
2) Because of pain I went to the Advance Pain Management Clinic and received a "celiac plexus block" which is a series of needles inserted to anesthetize the set of nerves that serve the abdomen. And so far so good. I feel better than I did.
3) I had a lot of pain last week. Part of what I experienced was more "death awareness". Whereas, I've maintained that of that fine line I walked between life and death, I was focused on living on the healing, heathy side. I now feel that I've crossed over where I need to get my affairs in order and say my prayers. If you find yourself thinking in my direction, I appreciated all your positive thoughts....and lighting a candle is a great contribution! Thanks, Kerry
Featured Friend(s). The next generation of the Boyle/McMenus Clan! Pat and Molly's baby will be the first grandchild in my family and the first grandchild of Molly's family. May she lead the way; she will bring us great joy!