Home

We had a busy hectic day on Wednesday getting Dear home from the hospital. He is very happy to be home. We have lots of new things to learn and it is tiring for him and for me. If my blog is quiet you will know why.

We are so very grateful and thankful for all the concern, prayers and encouragement we have received. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We came home to snow on the ground at our Country Bungalow and to a freshly plowed path to our front door. Our neighbor did that for us. So thoughtful and sweet!

Thank you to our family Veteran, Andrew. We love you and are grateful for your service to our country. We especially thank you for loving our daughter.

Until my next post take care of each other, love one another.

Truth for Today #39

Thursday November 10th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth this year!

Habakkuk 2:18-20

“What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can they teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Habakkuk 3:2

O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear: In the midst of years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

From Vera:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Karen:

Psalms 91:2
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Praizing the Lord…

…as our dear Pop would say. That’s not a typo. Dear had a successful surgery.

It was a very long day. We have to wait until 9am to be able to visit in the hospital…not a minute earlier. Katie and I got to Dear’s room at a little after 9am. He didn’t have any food or drink from midnight on so he was getting a bit dry in the mouth. We were expecting the surgical bed for his transfer to surgery at noon but it didn’t arrive until 1:15. So much in this setting is hurry up and wait. This timing worked out well because although Dan and Jamie left their home in Colville with plenty of time to make it to the hospital to see Dear before he was carted away to surgery there was a fatal crash on Hiway 395 with two Life Flight Helicopters landing on the highway to transport critical patients to the hospital we were at. Dan and Jamie had to detour off the highway which added several minutes to their journey. They made it before the transfer and we were all relieved.

In the Pre-Op room with all the preliminary things to do and a time where we got to meet the surgeon, the Anesthesiologist and the whole surgical team. The Surgeon and Anesthesiologist both took time to explain everything that would go on in surgery and we were confident with the care Dear would receive.

All set and ready to go. We prayed together before we headed to the surgical ward. Dear let the surgeon know that we and many others had prayed for him, too. He gave us a big smile.

Here’s my waiting room team. Jamie is such a gem who thinks of everything and brought some great snacks for us all. While waiting I was called 3 separate times. Once to tell me that Dear was asleep and they were ready to go with the surgery. Then they called to let us know that the surgery was successful and the surgeon was finishing with the final stitching. This was at 5:15 and it would be at least a half hour in recovery. The Surgeon then came to the Waiting Room and let us know in person that the surgery went well and showed us what he had removed from the Carotid Artery. At this point Dear would be transferred from Recovery to ICU and the visiting window was closing fast at 6pm. The recovery nurse gave us a call and asked us where we were and that we could meet her in the hall on her way to ICU so we could get a glimpse of Dear and give him his eye glasses. It was good to see him Post op before we had to leave the hospital. We will be back in the hospital on Wednesday at 9am sharp to see him in a non-loopy state.

We are so very grateful to all of you who have prayed and encouraged us during this first phase of Dear’s treatment and recovery. Prayer has been powerful. Your encouraging words are like balm to our hearts and minds. Thank you so much!

Time will tell if he gets to be released on Wednesday.

Surgery Today

I took some photos of Dear in the hospital to text to our kids and our family and friends. This first one is of him in ICU at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane on Saturday night. Our son Dan and I were with him for as long as they let us stay in ICU before we left him in good hands and headed to our hotel to check in.

In this one (Sunday November 6th) he is still in ICU waiting for a room on the Vascular floor of the hospital. Our daughter Katie and her hubby Andrew arrived on Sunday morning flying into Spokane. They were going to drive over on Saturday as soon as they got the word that Dear had a stroke but both passes between us and them were closed due to snow accumulations and hazardous conditions. Auntie Lana used her airline miles to fly them over early Sunday morning. Thank you to my generous sister for doing that.

The hospital only allows 2 people to visit at a time so we alternated our visits so Dan, Katie, Andrew and I could spend time with him.

Jamie drove to Spokane on Sunday with our grands to pick up Dan and head back home before the snow that was predicted started to fall. It was good to be able to see them and give them hugs. Jamie is amazing and brought some snacks and homemade cookies and banana bread for us all to enjoy.

Late Sunday Dear was finally moved to the vascular floor and Katie and I were with him when he was moved to his new room. When visiting hours were over Andrew picked Katie and me up and we had a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant before we settled in for the night.

While we slept Sunday night into Monday snow fell. I took the photo above out our hotel room window. Andrew needed to fly home on Monday morning for some work responsibilities. He tried booking an UBER to the airport but then they canceled so I drove him to the airport. Happy we have our snow tires on and the car does well in snowy conditions. Katie and I were proud of ourselves for putting our big girl pants on and driving in the slippery conditions. When we got back to our hotel we parked the car and decided to walk to the hospital. That walk was under 5 minutes. We walked like a penguin through the ice and snow.

Dear was very happy to be out of ICU. Doesn’t he look better already?

Katie and I spent all day on Monday with Dear. We had lunch at the hospitals cafeteria. Dear had a quiet day and was able to take a shower. The photo above is of him quite pleased after that shower!

Our son Josh and Laura had landed in Cancun when Dear had his stroke. We have been communicating back and forth with them with all the information we receive.

Visiting hours are strictly enforced and are between 9am and 6:45 PM in rooms other than ICU. Katie and I will head over at 9am today and spend some time with Dear before they start prepping him for surgery. Dan and Jamie are driving back down here today to spend some time with him before surgery, too. Jamie’s mom is watching the grands while Dan and Jamie travel to the hospital.

Thank you so much to all of you for your encouraging comments and for the prayers you offer up on our behalf. We feel those prayers and are thankful for the peace that God is giving us as we head into this new chapter in our lives. There are hurdles ahead for us and changes that we hadn’t anticipated but we move forward with the God of the Universe who gives us the strength to carry on.

Our Guest Bath Update

Good morning friends. The forecast here in our corner of Washington State has predictions of heavy wet snow with the possibility of falling trees and branches breaking and downing power lines. Hopefully we will not lose power but if we do, I’ve created a few posts for this week and hopefully the predictions won’t be as dire as forecasted.

When we moved into our current home in September of 2018 we knew that we wanted to make changes in our guest bath. In 2019 we bought a slab of maple wood with a live edge to replace the countertop in this bathroom. That slab lived under the guest bed in what we call the Blue Room for about 3 years. Along the way in those 3 years we bought a new sink for the bathroom, too.

Demolition day…

After he stripped the bathroom, the walls, ceiling and cabinet were painted white.

The slab of wood was measured for cutting the hole for the sink and faucet.

Now it was time to treat the wood with TopOil.

The top oil complete it was time to install the backsplash.

Time for the plumbing. We tried some of our old wall pieces and really didn’t like the look so we contemplated changes that would function better. That wall piece on the side wall got moved to the master bedroom. It poked out to far over the new countertop and imposed on the counter space.

Time to set the sink and hook up more plumbing.

We tried a few pieces over the toilet area and finally settled on this piece with shelves and a rod for hand towels. We found this piece at Wal-Mart.

We are pleased with the update. Josh and Laura were our first overnight guests to enjoy the changes.

Dear does good work and has saved us thousands of dollars over the years by doing these projects himself.

I was going to list the projects that Dear was planning to complete in the next several months but as Providence would have it we had an emergency health event that has changed our plans. Dear suffered a Stroke on Saturday in our home while we were together enjoying our lunch. He and I recognized something was terribly wrong. 911 was called and we had a great response with the EMT’s and the Fire Chief of our area. Once evaluated at our local hospital, Dear was transported to Spokane to the ICU at Sacred Heart for further evaluation. Our son drove me to Spokane and booked a room for us across the street from the hospital. Dear is in expert care and it was determined he should have surgery sooner than later and he will have an Endarterectomy on Tuesday afternoon. We are grateful that things were caught early and the right treatment was given for the best overall outcomes. His brain and speech are in great shape. The lingering symptom is weakness in his left hand. Thanking God for watching over him. Thanking those of you in advance who will pray to our God for Dear’s surgery to go well and for his recovery to be free of complications.

We have had such an outpouring of care and prayers from loved ones, our kids have rallied, our church family in Colville, old friends in Edmonds, Monroe, Bothell, Lynnwood, Kenmore and Poulsbo. Family in New York, North Carolina, Texas, California, my ‘girls’ in British Columbia and Manitoba. We are so thankful to our God for the love and peace we have experienced because of those prayers.

Posts this week will be sporadic if at all.

Hope your new week is going well.

The Sands of Time Are Sinking ~ Hymn

This Hymn/Poem by Anne R. Cousin, 1857, has 19 stanzas so I’m taking the liberty to pick and choose 7 of them to share here. An alternate tune is Immanuel’s Land, Anthony J. Showalter, 1894.

The Sands of Time are Sinking

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of Heaven breaks;
The summer morn I’ve sighed for—
The fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark hath been the midnight,
But dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

O Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted
More deep I’ll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

The King there in His beauty,
Without a veil is seen:
It were a well spent journey,
Though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army,
Doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory—glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

I’ve wrestled on towards Heaven,
Against storm and wind and tide,
Now, like a weary traveler
That leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening,
While sinks life’s lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning
From Immanuel’s land.

The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my king of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth
But on His piercèd hand;
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.

I have borne scorn and hatred,
I have borne wrong and shame,
Earth’s proud ones have reproached me
For Christ’s thrice blessed name:
Where God His seal set fairest
They’ve stamped the foulest brand,
But judgment shines like noonday
In Immanuel’s land.

They’ve summoned me before them,
But there I may not come,
My Lord says Come up hither,
My Lord says Welcome home!
My king, at His white throne,
My presence doth command
Where glory—glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

Lake Pend Oreille

Lake Pend Oreille in the northern Idaho Panhandle is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Idaho and the 38th-largest lake by area in the United States, with a surface area of 148 square miles. Lake Pend Oreille is Idaho’s biggest, at 43 miles long with 111 miles of shoreline. It’s also the deepest (at 1,158 feet deep, there are only four deeper lakes in the nation).

These views of the lake were taken in Sandpoint, Idaho at City Beach on the far northwest shore of the lake.

On Saturday October 29th our conference sessions ended in the early afternoon so we drove to City Beach to enjoy a walk along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. After our walk we had a meal at Trinity, a restaurant with views of the lake and beyond.

We were surprised to find ‘Lady Liberty’ visiting Idaho.

The lake is “located amid three major frontal ranges of the northern Rocky Mountains, it has natural splendor galore to go with a fascinating human and natural history”.

“Lake Pend Oreille is known for its Kamloops (a species of giant rainbow trout), Mackinaw and Kokanee salmon. Kamloops and Mackinaw exceeding 20 pounds are not unusual in the lake, which has seen its fishery rebound in recent years.”

After our meal we drove back to the hotel for the night. We had one more conference session to attend on Sunday morning before we would drive back to Washington State and home.

I’ll add some of our views driving home on Sunday via Highway 2. Our route took us along the Pend Oreille River. “The Pend Oreille River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 130 miles long, in northern Idaho and northeastern Washington in the United States, as well as southeastern British Columbia in Canada. In its passage through British Columbia its name is spelled Pend-d’Oreille River.”

We enjoyed the small towns and Fall colors along the way.

Today, Friday, we are driving home from the western side of Washington. We might be dealing with some snow over the pass so we are happy that our winter tires are on our vehicle. We’ve been taking advantage of those high gas prices (over $4) along the way during our back to back road trips, snicker. Gasoline was a little cheaper in Idaho compared to Washington, btw. It was smooth sailing driving from East to West on Wednesday. Hopefully the same will be true today going West to East, today.

With A Thankful Heart Hodgepodge

It’s time once again for the Wednesday Hodgepodge thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond.


1. What about your upbringing are you most grateful for? 

My parents’ faith in God was always a priority and they modeled hard work and service to others.

2. What are two or three things that bring you comfort? 

  1. I’m clothed in Christ’s Righteousness.
  2. I’m loved by my husband.
  3. Our children love each other and care for one another.

3. Something beautiful you saw today? (or yesterday depending on when it is you’re answering this question)

Our daughter, dressed up to hand out Halloween candy to trick or treaters.

4. Have you ever used a typewriter? Tell us a memory associated with that. 

Yes. Typewriting was a required class in Junior High. The typewriting teacher, Mr. Drummond, was a grouch who hit our fingers with a ruler if we didn’t hold them correctly when typing.

5. Something you are grateful for today. 

I am grateful for a comfortable peaceful home.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We are traveling across the mountains today to attend the funeral of our dear daughter-in-law’s Grandmother. I’ll be late in visiting all of you.

Our Daughter-in-love, her Grandma Wilma, and Pat, Laura’s Mom.

Three generations, this photo was taken in November of 2009 at a Tearoom in Bothell just after Thanksgiving Day.

Wilma Amelia Foubert (March 4, 1924 – October 14, 2022)

Our DIL wrote the following about her grandma shortly after Wilma passed away.

“What a gift to have loved and been loved by such an incredible woman so many years of my life. Last night, at 98 years old, my precious Grandma Wilma passed peacefully in her home just as she had wanted. The strength and heart of our family. It’s an honor to be a part of her tribe. Love you with my whole heart forever, Grandma!”

Wilma Amelia (Hegedus) Foubert passed away peacefully at home in Bothell, Washington on Friday evening, October 14th, 2022, at age 98.

We were honored to spend time with Grandma Wilma during her life on earth. We love you Grandma Wilma. See you in heaven.

Sandpoint Idaho

Traveling north on US Route 95 from Coeur de Alene, Idaho we crossed the Long Bridge over the Pend Oreille River into Sandpoint, Idaho. Further north we checked into our hotel for the weekend. We got back in the car and drove into the downtown historic district of Sandpoint.

The historic homeland of the Kalispel Indian tribe, Sandpoint began to experience white settlement when fur trappers under the direction of North West Company agent and surveyor David Thompson built a trading post on the Hope peninsula in 1809. Thompson described the peninsula where Sand Creek empties into Lake Pend Oreille as a “pointe of sand,” an apt name for the village and town that would eventually grow up there.

We crossed this Bridge and went down the steps to the Sandpoint Byway Trail and walked north on the trail for a distance.

We didn’t walk on to City Beach and would explore that side of the highway on Saturday.

More history of Sandpoint can be found here.

When we got back to our car I saw some graffiti that looked interesting in an alleyway and went across the street to take some photos while Dear waited in the car.

Before we drove back to register for our conference we stopped at The Hydra Steakhouse for an appetizer and refreshment.

 

The conference started out very well with great information and met some lovely people.