No Place Like Home

Today April 13 is a memorable date for me since it was exactly 3 years ago today that I was able to come home from hospital after being there for 7 weeks.  In January and February 2007 I had already been in hospital twice for 10 days and for 7 days.  Then I was back in critical condition with complete respiratory failure at the end of February and was there until April 13 recovering.   I can't really express how happy and thankful I was to be able to go home.  I was very well cared for in hospital but as I titled this post there is "No Place Like Home!"  

Today I had another trach change. One trach tube is removed and the other one which I have cleaned and sterilized is inserted.  I have posted previous updates with the label Health about my trach and using a ventilator at night.  Today's trach change was the 28th time since I was home from the hospital. (But who's counting?)  They used to be every 4 weeks and now they are extended to every 6 to 7 weeks.  I like the respiratory therapist who does them now.  The procedure is becoming fairly routine and I am usually only at the hospital for about a half hour.    

As I mentioned in my previous post I saw the respiratory specialist doctor last week.  He very happy about how I am doing and said I can come back in 2 years to see him again. Another indicator of my respiratory condition is that I used 1/2 the amount of oxygen in the last year than I was previously using. All in all I thank God for His goodness and all the people praying for me.  

Blowing in the Wind

This is another day here where the main news in the weather.   We have had high gusty winds since last night up to 80 km/hr in the night and over 100 km/hr this morning.     It has still been up over 90 km/hr this afternoon, and this is supposed to continue tomorrow.   The highest wind at Regina hit 104 km/hr, Lucky Lake was up to 117 km/hr and Swift Current 115 km/hr. In the south the high wind is blowing dust, but farther northwest there is a snow storm.   It is a good day to stay in if you can.

I worked from home today except that I had to go out to a doctor appointment just before noon when the winds were the highest.  I was glad that Elaine dropped me off at the front entrance of the hospital so I did not have to be out long in the wind.   The good news is that the respiratory specialist was very happy about how I am doing and said I can come back in 2 years to see him again.  I am very thankful for that.

UPDATE:  Today (Saturday)  the winds are still up to about 70 km/ hr a little less than the storm yesterday.  Here is a link to a news story about the storm damage.  Yesterday the SGI building downtown had some panels come loose in the wind and people were evacuated and 11th Avenue was closed causing some major chaos.  Houses lost some shingles and siding.  There were a lot of power outages  around the province.  A section of highway 11 between Regina and Saskatoon  was closed due to semi trailers blown over by the wind.  It sounds like the worst of the blizzard in the northwest was in the Rosetown up to Lloydminster area.  All in all quite a wild day. 

Wonderful Name He Bears

A song I was thinking about recently is "Wonderful Name He Bears."   We sometimes sing the chorus and that is the part I know.  I looked it up and found it is a hymn written by Alfred H Ackley in 1938. These are the words of the chorus: 

Wonderful name he bears,

Wonderful crown he wears,

Wonderful blessings his triumphs afford;

Wonderful Calvary,

Wonderful grace for me,

Wonderful love of my wonderful Lord.

I found a recording of a choir singing  Wonderful Name He Bears with all the verses.  It is a beautiful hymn with the Easter message.  

* PS:  We are gone up to North Battleford for the Easter weekend.  I scheduled this to post Friday morning for Easter.    

School Memories Part 1: Grades 1 to 3

I was talking to Janice last night about when I was in school. I decided I should blog about some of those stories starting with grades 1 to 3.

When I started school we lived only about a half block from the school. In this picture our house is on the corner and the school is in the background. You also can see the back of my Dad's milk wagon on the right.

Here I am in my grade 1 class with my teacher standing beside me while my Mom came to take a picture. (In later grades I tried to convince my Mom not to come to my class to take a picture.)

These are my  grade 1 and grade 3 school pictures

I attended the same school for grades 1 to 3.   One of my clearest grade 1 memories is the first day of school.  After school the teacher said we should go home.  I said that my mother told me that she would come to get me from school so I did not want to leave until she came.   The teacher was getting more upset because I was the only one still in the class and I kept saying I had to wait for my mother to come.  It wasn't exactly the way to get off on the best foot for my first day at school.  Fortunately my Mom was convinced to let me walk to and from school on my own after that.

These were also the days of strict school discipline and marching in and out of school classes in lines.   I had the same teacher for grades 2 and 3 so most of the memories of those two grades are combined.    One day after school our class was walking in lines down the stairs from our second floor class room.  Some kids farther to the front of the line started to walk faster down the stairs so there was a gap in the line.    The principal saw this and after much shouting he had us marching in our lines across the main floor, up the stairs, across the second floor, down the stairs, and repeat this over and over.  (Our principal was also a major in the militia.)    Then back to our classroom  for more shouting and many kids getting the strap.   Another day someone put a tack on the teachers chair.  Here we go again with much shouting and kids getting the strap.

There were also good times in these grades.  I enjoyed learning and did well in school.   After two weeks I came home from school picked up the Readers Digest and said "What's the use going to school.  I haven't learned to read yet."  I was a good student and never really got in trouble in school in spite of the strict discipline of the early 1960s.   When Maryanne was taking a class including history of the 1960s she was able to use some of my stories of the extreme contrast of schools in the early 1960s compared to my school experiences in the later 1960s and 1970s.  But that is another story ...

Ultimate Cell Phone

This is the new Pomegranate Phone NS08

There is also an article about the Pomegranate phone in IEEE Spectrum magazine.

Victoria Castles and Houses

Craigdarroch Castle was built starting in 1887 by Robert Dunsmuir a rich coal baron.  It was completed in 1890 and his family moved in one year after his death.   It is now a museum. 

Hatley Castle was completed in 1908,  built by James Dunsmuir, oldest son of Robert Dunsmuir.   It is now the administrative centre of Royal Roads University. 

Older houses near Oak Bay Marina

Newer houses with many windows for the ocean view

These houses overlooking the ocean high above King George Terrace were some of the most amazing we saw, and probably many millions $$.   

People actually live on house boats at Fishermans Wharf  - like living in a floating trailer court. 

Telling Big Stories and Small Stories

Here are two pictures Maryanne took of me visiting with my Mom's cousin Pat last week in Comox. From the hand gestures it looks like Pat is telling a big story and I am telling a small story.

Pat is telling a big story.

I am telling a small story.

Surveillance Photos

Surveillance photos showed a suspicious person in the Victoria area. He appeared to be up to no good. He was seen wearing a blue jacket and Tilley hat. He was traveling with a female accomplice who was trying to conceal her identity with a green hooded jacket. They may have left the area and traveled back to their hideout in Saskatchewan. If you know anything about them please notify the proper authorities.