Beauty Around Us

I noticed this flower growing in a pot as I walked by and stopped to take pictures when I returned. I think it is a type of mum. Please tell me if you know what it is. Do you see the tight bud of another blossom? Here's another view of it. The subtle colors are so beautiful.
Orlando is called "The City Beautiful" and here's a view of it looking at downtown from Lake Ivanhoe, which is north of the city.
More beautiful colors in the sunset sky that silhouettes the trees and is reflected in the lake.
And three beautiful people - Deb's cousin Judie was in Orlando for a conference. All of these photos were taken Tuesday evening while we were together.

Cypress Grove Park

Late afternoon of Memorial Day Holiday, after we saw the movie Prince Caspian and ate dinner, we stopped by one our favorite parks, Cypress Grove. Here we are on the fishing/viewing pier. I took this of Vernon and the lake while he was looking at the park behind me. It was a beautiful day for being outside and the park was full of people picnicking and children on the playground.
Everything growing along the shore has some beauty to it.
And the tall cypress trees have lots of Spanish moss hanging from the branches.
I liked this scene of the tree with its shadow.
This is Lily of the Nile. Because I was so close, you cannot tell that this is at the top of a tall stalk. I learned about this plant when we lived in Arizona and would like to grow some in our yard here.
What can be said about a lovely red rose?
We just had to do this in such a beautiful place!

The Adventure Continues

Here we are dressed in red, white and blue. I'm sure you see the flags on Vernon's shirt. I am wearing a red top under the white blouse, blue slacks and flag earrings. Can you see one of them? Memorial Day is tomorrow and we are so blessed to be living in the U. S. of A. Vernon served in the U.S. Air Force '69-'73. We aren't traveling anywhere this weekend, content to be at home and not on the highway or in an airport.

So what do I mean "The Adventure Continues"? When we learned in April that some kind of cancer was discovered when surgery was done to remove a growth on Vernon's right temple, we were told by a doctor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center that the right side of Vernon's face should receive radiation in case it had spread. We were told it would start very soon.

Well, it hasn't started yet because the surgeon who discovered the cancer has not released him for it because the skin at the surgery site hasn't healed enough. Radiation will be hard on the skin there and it needs to be healed first. But we aren't complaining or anxious about this. In fact, this week we learned that it is good that radiation hasn't started.

One of the things we were told at M.D. Anderson is that his mouth needs to be as healthy as possible prior to radiation but with radiation starting right away, we didn't see time to get any work done. However, Vernon's regular six month dental exam was this past Wednesday. The dentist discovered two teeth needed to be removed prior to radiation starting and they were pulled Thursday morning. Now besides waiting a few more weeks for the skin to heal, his gum needs to heal, too. Vernon sure hated to lose the teeth but had no choice. The risk of those teeth getting infected during radiation was too high. Thank God, the extraction went well and he slept the rest of the day. He worked Friday and is doing well.

My guess is it could still be a month until radiation starts because during an exam on Tuesday, the surgeon found three places on Vernon's face to biopsy and that is to be done in his office June 9 (our 34th wedding anniversary).

My mother's first chemo treatment was Friday (in Oregon) and she was given anti-nausea medication first plus a relaxant. She and I prayed on the phone that morning that she would have no negative side effects. When I talked to her Saturday, she hadn't had any nausea (not a surprise) but also hadn't had any fever or swelling in her feet. I just called and learned that she is still free of those things, praise God.

In closing, here's a picture of Vernon playing his electric guitar in our family room, taken April 19. He enjoys it alot and is something he'd like to focus on when he retires.
I'm happy to have Monday off from work, the Memorial Day Holiday. I think we will see the movie Prince Caspian. I guess that is all for now. Thanks for checking in with us.

Mother’s Day, Part 2

This photo is of my whole family. In the back row, Jim, Matthew, Dad and Deb. In the front, Becky, Mom, Daniel and Laura. My middle brother, Daniel, Deb, Laura and Becky
Matthew, Laura and Jim in the second row, Daniel, Deb and Becky in front
All of us around Mom
Sisters Deb, Laura & Becky
The highlights of Sunday afternoon for me were reading aloud to Mom the tribute I’d written for her, seeing the quilt she’d pieced and my sister-in-law, Val, had quilted for her, singing hymns a capella with my father, two sisters and brother-in-law, David, and praying together for Mom’s healing. Of course, there was delicious food cooked by Val and Beka, laughter and lots of pictures taken. This is the quilt, known as Colorado Log Cabin:

This picture of Mom and her daughters was taken our first night together at Becky's house before we ate dinner.
This is the car we rented, a 2008 Ford Mustang. It had 78 miles on it when we started driving from Portland and we added 400. Though it was fun to drive this, I wouldn't want one. This picture was taken on top of Pilot Butte in Bend where we enjoyed a 360 view of the whole area.
On our route to the airport, we drove through an area where it had snowed near Mt. Hood. This is where Vernon made donuts in the parking lot for the fun of it. These pictures prove we were in snow, which is something for Floridians!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! This is my mother, Betty Whitcomb, with a very nice basket she received.
And the picture below shows Vernon and I with my mother at a place called Pilot Butte Drive-in. Did you notice the size of the burgers and hot dog? Don't worry - Vernon didn't eat it all.
Vernon and I have been in Bend, Oregon, for the past three days with my mother. My brother, Jim, and sister, Becky live in Bend, each about one mile from Mom. Laura arrived Thursday from Boise, Idaho, Daniel arrived Friday evening from Seattle, and Matthew arrived from Kansas noon yesterday. Dad arrived yesterday, too. So we were all together last night at Jim's house and will be together again today to celebrate Mom (17 including kids). I noticed in the newspaper today that this is the 100th year of Mother's Day being celebrated here in the U.S.

Mom is feeling fairly good and is able to go with us for a few hours at a time. However, she is still experiencing pain from the small incision site where the surgeon did the laprocsopic surgery about 10 days ago. She is taking less pain medication and she's almost finished with the antibiotic prescribed to fight the low-grade pneumonia.It is spring-time here in Central Oregon and the weather is still cool but sunny. Temperatures have been in 40s to 60s, which has been mostly refreshing for us, since it has already hit 90 in Orlando. We've had a good time and are very glad we came. I'm already feeling sad about leaving, though, as this is our last day together this trip. Vernon and I need to leave our hotel by 5 AM Monday morning to drive to Portland for our 10:30 AM departure.

What Cancer Cannot Do

Perhaps you have read the following before. It is time to read it again~

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.

Personally, I think there are four words that could be added at the very end:
...unless I let it. ~ Debra

For This We Have Jesus

Note: "For this we have Jesus" is a phrase I recall from the past, a story that I heard in a sermon or read somewhere. I would like to find it again.

The following is what I wrote in my spiritual journal Friday morning, May 2. "For this we have Jesus. Though the news from Portland & Dr. Hansen is that he cannot remove the cancer in Mom, You can, Father God! Therefore, I praise You, that what man cannot do, You can! This is a perfect set-up for You to receive glory. So show off to all who are watching - show Your great love and faithfulness and power to Mom and the rest of us. Give her and all the grace to face this. Give the faith to believe You. Help our unbelief, too. For apart from You, we can do nothing."

Jesus, please send Your healing power into my mother's body and kill the cancer cells. Dissolve the tumors and fill her with new strength. Give the command that normal healthy cells be produced by her body from now on. LORD, please heal Mom and restore her to our family. (This prayer is from a book by Francis MacNutt, The Prayer that Heals. I pray this for both Mom and for Vernon.)

In the Gospel of John, chapter 2, I read the account of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding "to keep the party from going bad" as I've heard it said. The wine Jesus made tasted better than the wedding host served earlier. John 2:11 says "This miracle was the first time He revealed His glory." Dear LORD, reveal Your glory through miracles You do today!

In a devotional book by C.H. Spurgeon, I read, "Let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even tho' it be in the midst of toil and conflict and suffering, and leave Him to say when 'it is enough'." (May this be Mom's attitude now, as well as mine when my turn.)

So that is how I started my day this past Friday (encouraged). I was able on my lunch hour to find flight times that I liked for Vernon and I to fly to Portland, OR, to see Mom for Mother's Day weekend. Though we had planned to be in Atlanta with Vernon's mother, it seemed timely and appropriate to go see mine and was Vernon's idea. He suggested that I go and of course, I wanted him to accompany me. He's known her 34+ years.

I called Mom that night to tell her our news, that we'd be with her for Mother's Day and at her house Thursday evening until early Monday morning. Of course, she was very happy. My sister, Laura, lives in Boise and will drive to Bend, where Mom lives. Another sister and a brother live very near Mom, so that meant four of her six kids would be there.

Saturday morning Mom had a temperature of 101 and wasn't breathing or speaking very well, so she was taken to the emergency room and quickly taken care of when the medical staff saw how low her oxygen level was. They stabilized and admitted her to the hospital. No blood clots were found and they believe she has low grade pneumonia. I talked to her last night and she sounded fairly normal. She was happy to tell me that my brother that lives in Seattle will drive down to be with the rest of us.

This afternoon I learned that my brother that lives in Kansas is also going to make the trip so that means all 6 of us kids will to be there. Perhaps you are wondering - I am the oldest.

Also this afternoon, I did a Google search and was able to find the story I remember, "For This I Have Jesus." It is in the blog of a pastor who lives in Starke, FL, which is approximately 30 miles from Gainesville (Shands). Here's the link to Rick Jackson's post of April 13, 2008: http://pastorjax.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-this-i-have-jesus.html
I found the story very memorable. Perhaps you'll see why when you read it. The story is in Italics within the blog. Let me know what you think~

Bad News, Good News & Hugs

Tonight we received bad news about my mother and we have good news about Vernon.
Today in Portland, OR, a surgeon performed exploratory arthroscopic surgery on my mother, Betty. We knew there was some cancer in her liver and we had hope that this surgeon would find that he could remove it. But he found a large tumor and about 20 small ones, so removing all that would also remove too much of her liver. So now the doctor estimates 3-6 months if she doesn't do chemo and maybe 9 months with chemo. But we believe that God is in control of this situation and He is the one who determines how long she lives. So we invite you to pray with us for her healing. This photo of my mother with Vernon and our niece, Emily, was taken last summer along the coast in Oregon.Monday we learned from Dr. Tseng at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center the results of the MRI and CT scans done last Friday. NO CANCER was found elsewhere in Vernon, thank God! We also learned that the start of radiation will wait until May 12 in order to allow more time for the healing of the incision on Vernon's right temple. Since radiation will break down the skin over time, the doctors want that area to heal more. Also, the slides from his surgery have been sent to the doctors at MD Anderson in Houston to see if they can determine what type of cancer was removed. We are awaiting their verdict.

Recently I heard someone read aloud the benefits of hugging and I found the information online to share with you. Now is a good time (just click below and it should open):
http://www.geocities.com/brianhart.geo/hugs.html

Here's a hug picture taken Easter Sunday near the end of the wedding reception of our friends Todd & Annie, the happy groom and his beautiful bride.