Here is our 2007 Christmas photo that I didn't have printed to mail to everyone. I'm just posting it here for you to see. It was taken Dec. 1 after a wonderful wedding we attended in downtown Orlando.

As I write this, we are all packed and ready to load the car to drive to Atlanta for Christmas with Vernon's mother, brother and family. However, Vernon is feeling sick at the moment so I decided this was a good time to blog. It is cloudy and a cool 60 something degrees outside.

We still have shopping to do when we get there and I'm not even halfway through writing cards that I want to send. So for anyone who doesn't receive one, consider this our greeting. We love and appreciate you and are grateful for your continued interest in how Vernon is doing since transplant.

February 4 will be two years since that big day and Feb. 8 is the Shands Heart Transplant Reunion that we have been looking forward to attending so that we can see our friends again.

Our big news is that we wrote a letter to Lisa, the wife of Vernon's donor, Steven. I don't recall if we mentioned earlier this year that we received a letter from her in response to our first letter to "the family of the donor." We were thrilled just to receive a letter from her, as many of the other transplant patients have not. She told us Steven was her best friend and had a big heart full of love. He could always make her laugh. He liked old cars, like Vernon. We cried, of course, for her loss and yet were comforted to read that she was glad that she could share the heart with Vernon. She closed by saying she would like to keep in touch with us.

So the main thing our letter that we wrote last week said was that we would like to meet her. We know this is a difficult season for her, the second Christmas without her best friend and husband. Since we don't have her last name or address (for her protection and ours), we gave the letter to our coordinator at Shands, who passes it on to the donor procurement group that is in contact with Lisa. They send it on to her. So we don't know when she will receive it or when we will hear back from her because her letter will be routed to us the same way ours was sent to her.

IF she agrees to meet with us, then we understand that the meeting will be set up and the donor procurement representative will be there to make sure it all goes well. The three other transplant patients who have been able to meet their donor family have told us they were all nervous at first but quickly felt comfortable and like family. There were tears and laughter and they spent several hours together getting more acquainted. Not everyone looks at it this way, but we believe Lisa would be greatly comforted to see and meet Vernon.

So we invite you to join us in our Christmas prayer.: first, that Lisa and her family (we don't know if there are children yet) will be comforted by God in this season; that when she receives our letter, she will want to meet us and communicate that; and finally that the meeting would be a blessing to all of us. In the meantime, we wait in hope, knowing it could be months.

I imagine there is at least one thing that you are waiting in hope for as well. Let's be patient together, OK? If you want to share that with us, tell us by leaving a comment here or emailing us at iamawalkingmiracle2@yahoo.com

If you would like to read an inspiring account of the four people who received the gift of the organ they needed as a result of the death of a wonderful young man, go to this site: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rayofhope
We were able to watch the story told on ESPN but there is more information online than was televised.

I pray you have a meaningful Christmas~

Guess who?

Left to right: Emmy, Richard, Morgan, Susan, Peg, Vernon and Deb

Richard and Susan, Peg and Vernon

Momma Brady and her two "daughters"

Wow, it has been two months since I've written here. I wonder if anyone is still checking or if all have given up on me. There just isn't enough time to do all I want to do each day! Do you feel like that, too?

We enjoyed being in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and stayed at Vernon's mother's house. When we arrived, the maple tree was a lovely yellow and still had most of its leaves but by the time we left most of the leaves were down. Here are some pictures to show you the change.
Here is a picture I really like because you see the reflection of the leaves in the glass and the lace curtains on the inside of the window. This window is in the bedroom that we stay in.


This is all for this posting but will start another one that will have family pictures taken on Thanksgiving Day.

Hello again! This picture of Vernon and I was taken at a restaurant along the intracoastal waterway known as Inlet Harbor. We celebrated my birthday there this weekend.

We were in Daytona Beach for a gathering of British-made cars known as Sunbeams, made between 1964-67. Only 5,000 were brought into the US. We purchased one, a 1966 Tiger in 1978 and enjoyed driving it for a few years before the engine blew up. Since then, it moved with us from Atlanta to Phoenix and then 20 years ago when we moved to Orlando, it was moved via the moving truck again. It has been sitting in our garage waiting for the time and money to restore it.

Since transplant, Vernon has been purchasing the parts that he needs but hadn't started working on it. So it was a great opportunity for us when the yearly gathering of Sunbeam owners announced the Daytona Beach location. We saw about 40 other cars like ours that are all in good shape and on the road. He is definitely motivated to work on the car now and the weather is finally getting cooler so it wouldn't be so hard to work outside.

This red one looks a lot like ours. You can see that it is a two passenger convertible. There is a "soft top" on this one. We have one of those plus a "hard top" that can be placed on the car when weather warrants.






This photo shows some of the cars on display along the ocean. Vernon learned a lot by looking at how other owners have restored their cars. And he took pictures of the engine compartments.

Here is the view of Mt. Hood that we had on our last day in Oregon. We pulled off the highway to drive up the mountain and see the hotel that is there. We were glad we did, as it had been quite a few years since we were up there and we enjoyed ourselves.








This is the entrance to Timberline Lodge, the
hotel on Mt. Hood. It was built in the 1930s and is a very interesting place. You see Vernon on the steps.


















We walked through the lodge and then exited at the back so we could look at the mountain some more. We walked this paved trail for awhile. The lodge is at 6,000 feet elevation so we didn't walk very fast but the views were great of the surrounding area. The Pacific Crest Trail crossed this paved one. Hiking the Pacific Crest of the Cascades would be like hiking the Appalachian Trail, except for a big difference in altitude. Remember I said we were at 6,000 feet.



In this picture you are looking back at the lodge and the mountains beyond. If you see a peak with snow on it, that is Mt. Jefferson. Hood and Jefferson are two peaks in the Cascade Range with Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier in Washington State.

We didn't play in the snow but others did and made snow balls to throw. Vernon jokingly proposed making a snow angel but that works best in soft snow. This would not have been soft, for sure.


And finally, here's Mt. Hood from the airplane when we left Portland, with Mt. Jefferson in the distance.

We enjoyed our Oregon vacation and now we are back at work. Adjusting back to this time zone and climate took a few days and we were very tired but now are back to normal.




Our next visit to Shands will probably be August 27 when Vernon is scheduled for a routine visit with his cardiologist there. It will be almost seven months since we saw Dr. Hill at the last biopsy. We'll probably go to Gainesville on Saturday so we can have some time to visit friends and the nurses on both shifts before returning home Monday evening.

Here are some of my favorite close-ups from our trip.

One of the highlights of being in Oregon was the day we spent at Crater Lake National Park. We've been there several times but not last year. One of the two nieces who went with us hadn't been there, so it was fun to show her. There is a 33 mile road around the rim of the lake and many places where you can stop to enjoy the view. The lake is the caldera of a volcano that erupted long ago and the water is from either snow melt or rain. It is the clearest water in the world.

For the first time, we hiked the 1.1 mile trail down to the shore of the lake. Needless to say, without the heart transplant Vernon wouldn't have attempted it.

This picture of Deb, Emily and Beka was taken at the lake shore. Vernon made it down there, too. Being runner athletes, it took the girls only 16 minutes to hike back up to the rim, as they were seeing how quickly they could make it. The average person takes 40 minutes, we were told. Vernon and I stopped often to rest, so it took us 100 minutes, but we enjoyed it.


Most people hike down to the lake to take the two hour boat tour around the lake. We didn't have time for the boat tour this time but hope to allow for it next time.

It was great to rest on the bench at the top and enjoy the beauty. We completed the entire circle, stopping for a late lunch at the Visitor's
Center

Hello again~ I've noticed that I'm averaging one blog per month, which is not too good. I hope to do better. It is August and we are back home from 10 days in Oregon so I'll try to share some of our experiences with you.

Our first few days were spent on the Oregon Coast with some of my family. Here Vernon is posing in an area known as Marine Gardens, where at low tide you can explore lots of tidal pools. Notice the green stuff behind him. Hence the name "garden". It is slippery, though!


It was raining lightly and the tide wasn't very low so we didn't stay long. Instead we sought shelter and dried out at Pirate's Coffee Company. The picture shows Deb's mother and three nieces entering the shop.

Driving back to the hotel we were able to see some whales spouting from this bench, so that was exciting. They were too far away to capture in camera, though.

The rest of our time was spent in Central Oregon, near the town of Bend. One of the mountains in the Cascade Range there is known as Broken Top (below).

Happy July 4th! I am so grateful to God that I was born in this country and in the state of Kansas and in the family I'm in and have the husband I have. Too many blessings to count! Vernon and I spent a very pleasant time with some new friends in their home today. I have no pictures to share, though. If we see fireworks tonight, it will be on TV, as I have to work tomorrow and don't want to be stuck in traffic after the show. I enjoy the patriotic concerts that are usually on PBS.

That reminds me of the July 4th concert we enjoyed live two years ago in Gainesville on the campus of U of FL. We sat on blankets in the grass and heard the
community orchestra while fireworks went off around us. Last July 4th we were in Virginia with Vernon's relatives for a reunion. This year the reunion was July 1 and he went without me as I couldn't get off work. It was the first time in our 33 years of marriage that he was there without me. Vernon held the camera for this photo with cousin Brenda.


And now, so I get equal time, here's a photo of me with my niece, Reidan. She came to Florida with her father (my brother, Daniel) a few weeks ago. Though her left arm was in a sling, she enjoyed the Magic Kingdom and swimming with just her right arm. She is holding a black balloon cat that was made for her in the restaurant where we ate. You cannot see the temporary tattoo on her arm and I'm glad. She chose a cobra tattoo and I could not understand why. Can you tell I'm holding the camera?

After eating dinner, the four of us went to see a movie, "Evan Almighty" and we all enjoyed it very much. The audience in the theater applauded when it ended, so we weren't the only ones who liked it. Both the message and the humor were good. If you saw Bruce Almighty a few years ago and liked it, I think you'll like this one, too. In fact, both Vernon and I like this one better!

I don't know were June went. Do you? I've been working seven weeks now, so that is part of it. I hope to do better in writing about our life. Maybe I'll try to tell you more about our May trip through Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. As I sign off, I hear the pops of fireworks going off in the neighborhood. We have had rain every day for the last five, so we aren't as dry here as we were, thank God!

Hello again! We have been home from our road trip a week. We had a great time and enjoyed exploring Wyoming, Idaho and a part of Oregon new to us. We started our trip at the Denver airport where our niece, Amy, met us with her Pontiac Vibe that had just enough room for our luggage when she removed the stroller you see in the picture and her luggage. She'd filled the car with things she needed in Oregon for the baby and had purchased this used stroller because it holds two children. So it went on the airplane with her and she flew to Portland.

That afternoon we stopped to see a family in Fort Collins, CO, and enjoyed a walk with Rob and the four children in their neighborhood while Jean taught violin and then we had dinner together before we drove another hour to Cheyenne, WY. This is Corrinne, beside a beautiful crab apple tree. After being on a plane for several hours and driving another hour, we enjoyed the walk very much.
Vernon walked carefully with little Merinn.

We are driving to Gainesville today to see two recent heart transplant patients, so I must stop now. But at least I've started telling you about our trip. And my first week at work has been great, as I've been warmly welcomed by everyone. One guy said having me back is "as the world should be."

Hello at last! I'm well aware that it is nearly two months since I've added anything here, so I imagine some people have given up on me. So many times I've thought of what I'd like to write about and what pictures I'd add, but thinking it doesn't get it done, does it? I even thought of an invention - that what I think could be transferred to a computer without me typing it. Just haven't figured out how to do that though. We've been very busy doing projects at home and I've spent much less time at the computer. I've even forgot how to do this!

Vernon has been buying parts he needs for our 1966 Sunbeam Tiger sports car that has been sitting in our garage for more than twenty years. It is his retirement project. Here's a picture of him unloading an engine he purchased through e-bay. The engine hoist is doing all the work to life the engine off the crate in the back of the pickup.

We've spent three weekends cleaning out the garage to make more space for parts and get rid of old stuff, which has been good to do. First thing we do on Saturday morning is go eat a good breakfast so we'll have energy to work the rest of the day.

Another project has been clearing off the growth on our lakefront. Vernon started doing it with a weed-eater but I did most of it with some loppers to cut up the trees and branches. It was hard work but I enjoyed being outside, hearing the birds and feeling the breeze. All the large stuff is gone now but new growth is coming up from the roots that I wasn't able to get out of the ground yet. This picture was taken before I finished, so what you see in the center is gone now. To the right you can see our neighbor's growth. We can see the water better now and the ducks and birds in the water. Tonight Vernon saw a pair of Wood Ducks with their ducklings.

Did you notice the grass in the foreground doesn't look so good? Well another project has been to get our irrigation system going again after more than a year. Vernon was successful this weekend at re-establishing the connection between the lake water and the irrigation pump so now our timer will turn on the pump to water the grass twice a week.

Our Sunbeam Tiger doesn't look so good right now, but here's a picture of it. You might notice the tires are flat and resting on dollies so that we can move the car. We can easily push it , which is great since we cannot start the engine and drive it right now. I'll get a better picture one of these days but for now this gives you the idea. There is a lot of work ahead of Vernon. For now he's just buying the parts he'll need. If you remember the TV show "Get Smart," this is the sports car that guy drove.

Tomorrow, May 1, we fly to Denver, and leave all our projects behind for ten days. The plan is to drive our niece's car from there to Oregon for her. Her husband is based at Fort Carson but is in Iraq until Jan. 15, 2008. She flew to Oregon for the holidays intending to return but decided to stay with her mother when she learned she is expecting their second child. She needed her car but driving it by herself didn't seem a good idea. Vernon volunteered us to drive it for her and we'd get the benefit of exploring the country along the way. So we are excited about seeing the Oregon Trail sites in Wyoming and maybe getting into the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, depending on the weather and how much time we have. Another niece and her family live in Boise, ID, so we will spend a couple nights with them, hopefully. We are scheduled to fly back to Orlando from Portland on May 10.

And then...I return to my job at Campus Crusade for Christ on Monday, May 14. It was decided just today. I learned about a month ago that the position was open when they asked if I'd return. So the timing is working well for both them and me. I'm ready to return to that job that I enjoyed and they want me back. Hooray!

I still have packing to do for our trip but wanted to get this done first. Here's one last picture,
taken of us a few weeks ago when we weren't working around the house but were enjoying celebrating Gayle Anne's birthday.

This is our sister-in-law, Susan, niece, Morgan, and Vernon's brother Richard. Isn't this the cutest little cake you've ever seen? This past weekend we explored a part of Florida that was new to us. We drove Highway 50 all the way west to the gulf coast at Pine Island. Vernon's brother, Richard, and his family met us there to camp overnight before they proceeded farther south for their spring break. Sunday happened to be Richard's birthday and we got to celebrate together for the first time in many years. Susan chose this cake because it was small and also very cute.


Eight year old Morgan is walking the beach with Vernon.
The tide was out and it is very shallow in that area. Morgan spied a crab in the water and Vernon picked it up to look closely at it. He thinks it might be a stone crab because its back looks like a rock instead of a typical crab. Does anyone know?
















The final picture I want to share shows palm trees on the beach and the tide is so far out that you cannot see the water. I thought the clouds were interesting.

It was a two hour drive from our house to Pine Island. We stayed in a friend's RV. Now that we have been there, I think we'll return again.

Here in Florida we are enjoying springtime. This is a close-up of the azaleas in our yard. I like the color very much but can't take credit for them as they were planted by the previous owners.








One morning during my walk I noticed this blossom on the ground below a tree full of them. I picked it up and brought it home so I could take a picture of it and show Vernon. I am not certain but I believe it is from a type of Orchid tree. Other orchid trees I've seen have all white flowers and I've seen some entirely purple but this is the first one I've noticed that has both colors.

Vernon continues working full-time and his status with Lockheed is now full-time, also. I wish he was enjoying it more. His goal is to work until he reaches twenty years with Lockheed and then retire, which should be sometime in the next year.

See the balloon our neighbor Lillian brought Vernon last Sunday afternoon? Perfect for his first anniversary with one candle. I didn't get this picture until today, though. He is sitting in the recliner after I trimmed his hair.

We had a great time in Gainesville for the biopsy on Tuesday. It started Monday evening as we met Rollin and Kandi for dinner. Rollin was transplanted five days after Vernon and was scheduled for biopsy the next morning like Vernon. We hadn't seen them since the reunion in early August. They live in Miami so we were glad to be scheduled at the same time. Two other patients had biopsies with Vernon, Cookie and Dave, so we got to be with them Tuesday morning before and after the procedure. Chuck, transplanted three days after Vernon, had a doctor appointment at the hospital so we got to see him and have lunch together after the three of us visited some patients/friends on the 5th floor. We hadn't seen Chuck for two months and enjoyed time with him. We returned to the hospital for a couple more hours of visiting patients and the nurses before meeting our friends John & Lynne for a light dinner. Then we spent one more hour at the hospital visiting the night nurses in CICU. The enthusiastic and positive response Vernon receives from them is great medicine. And they appreciate the Dove chocolates he offers. We overheard one nurse telling two others that he'd really like some pretzels but when Vernon offered him some chocolate he was very happy. So it was 9:30 PM when we left Gainesville and 11:30 PM when we arrived home. We thanked the Lord for another safe trip there and back.

Wednesday we received really great news from his biopsy. This was the third biopsy in the six months since he’s been off Prednisone and all three biopsies he's had in that time were zero (no rejection). So that fact shows that the heart he received is a very good match for his body, otherwise his body would show some rejection when off Prednisone. We know he will stay on the other two steroids the rest of his life but it is wonderful that he doesn't have to take this one. We are thrilled to learn his heart is a good match, too. He will not have another biopsy for a whole year unless a problem develops.

On the home front, other good news is we were able to replace our really old washer and dryer yesterday. They were here when we moved into the house 18 years ago and a repair tag dated 5/81 was found attached to the washer. Just Friday the washer stopped agitating and spinning and Vernon said he couldn’t fix it. Though our dryer still worked, it sounded like a freight train. Saturday morning our neighbors two doors down had their washer and dryer for sale in their driveway for $100 each. They’d received newer ones so wanted to pass on what they had to someone else. I was very thankful I didn’t have to shop anywhere and could get them so quickly. Plus the price was great. I did a load last night and they worked just fine. So I have been saying, “Thank you, Lord.”

Here are our two new license tags. We selected the Stop Heart Disease ones because of the red heart center. Vernon's truck has the one with his first initial and last name. Our red car has the other one. You can probably guess the HRT is short for heart and the 246 is his transplant date 2/4/06.

Yesterday, Feb. 4, we celebrated the first anniversary of Vernon v.2.0. Yes, the transplant took place a year ago already! Here's a photo taken of us at Cheesecake Factory before we shared a piece of cheesecake. Our server knew what we were celebrating so had "Congratulations" added to the plate. We usually don't indulge in cheesecake but wanted to celebrate.

Vernon has worked two 40 hour weeks now and hopes to be able to continue. This week will be more difficult to do so because we'll be in Gainesville all day tomorrow for another heart biopsy and he leaves work early this afternoon so we can make the drive in daylight. We hope to have dinner with Rollin and Kandi tonight, who are driving from their home in Miami. Rollin's first anniversary is Friday, the 9th.