July 4 in hospital

Happy 4th of July to all! I thank God that I was born and raised in this country that He has blessed so richly. Here's a photo of a flag that I took one night while in Vero Beach recently. Vernon and I plan to watch fireworks tonight from the window of his room on the 9th floor of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at Orlando Regional Medical Center. He's been hospitalized since this past Sunday. He'd been in abdominal pain for 3 hours and woke me at 2 AM to drive him to the ER. After ultrasounds, an x-ray, CT scan and blood work over several days, it was decided that he'd passed a gall stone and his gall bladder needed removed. He had laparoscopic surgery Wednesday morning without complications, thank God. We are still here Friday because his G.I. tract hasn't returned to full functioning.

The office I'm in at Campus Crusade sent this dish garden to Vernon Wednesday afternoon.
This part of ORMC is very nice and comfortable. Each room includes a twin-size murphy bed, so I've spent the last two nights here with Vernon. Here's how we looked Thursday morning.
The tech who came in to take his vital signs took this picture of us. Do you like my colorful flannel pjs? A friend gave those to me last October and I chose to bring them to the hospital because the room was very cool.
I discovered a very nice "chapel" here on the 2nd floor. I'd call it more of a prayer room and here are the stained glass windows along one wall. Be sure to notice the one-syllable word at the bottom of each one.
These sofas face the windows in the opposite wall. Notice the mural behind the sofas.
On the bench in front of one sofa are some devotional books, a Bible and a journal. Inside the journal are hand-written prayer requests and also prayers that people have written while in the room.

My favorite part of the room doesn't show well in a photograph. Imagine a 6 foot mirror on the entry wall with water running down the surface, almost silently. Engraved on the mirror are these words: "Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this place. May God wash away your concern and fill you with an overflowing feeling of hope and love."

I noticed while standing in front of it that besides seeing my reflection, the water also appeared to wash over me as if to indeed wash away my worries and concern. It was a wonderful experience. The whole room is explained by this statement on a mirror opposite the waterfall: "We were inspired by God, Dr. Clarence Brown and Anne Peach to create a place where blessings abound, and where you will be lifted up, and will leave with a feeling of faith, hope, love, and healing." ~Cynthia C. & William E. Perry.

Also yesterday, while on an elevator, I noted the invitation below:
So I went to the tea room and enjoyed talking to some other women there. One was an 80+ year old volunteer who helps serve tea every Thursday afternoon and loves it. After selecting a tea cup and saucer and a small piece of cake, I added "clotted cream" and honey to the cup before hot tea was added. This was a nice treat and another experience making this hospital a pleasant place for visitors and patients alike.

The last bit of news I'll share at this time is our new car. Last Saturday morning, Vernon and I purchased this car, just in time before his hospital stay. It is a 2007 Hyundai Azera and we like it alot. Our other car is 10 years old, has 150,000 miles and is having some problems.
We hope to be home again tomorrow, Saturday. Thank you for praying for Vernon's complete healing. I have been able to miss work this week and be with him, so I am grateful.

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!