Day 18-5

There is something extraordinary that happens when we are suddenly lifted from the norm of life - from all the demands and schedules and the to-do list that only grows more compressed as we find less and less time to deal with it. I feel like I'm in some kind of limbo-land with all this waiting, just floating above all the ordinary things that my day usually brings. I was talking with my friend, Pam, the other day and told her it's the strangest thing, I seem almost to have new eyes and ears because I'm not in such a rush all the time. I chat with the checker in the store and really see and hear them. I take time to talk or walk with neighbors without once looking at a watch I haven't worn in the last few days. I play with the grandchildren without one agonized glance at my schedule or the pile of work to do. There is a heightened awareness of life and beauty, but also of pain, I can almost literally see and feel it in people I run across. That's not a bad thing, no matter what brings it about and I know it's not unusual, have heard the same thing from others who are suddenly facing their own mortality in a different way. Two of my "praying sisters" brought me lunch yesterday - thank you again, Chris and Susan. For every one of you who ever reads this, I wish, hope, and pray for you to have friends like this. I told them yesterday I wasn't sure I'd have made it through the first two weeks without them and Susan wisely responded that if it hadn't been them, God would have provided someone else. True, but how glad I am to have you! Chris is not only a dear friend, but a firearms instructor and the one who got me into sharpshooting. Some of my friends at CH2M HILL have taken her classes and if anyone is interested just let me know, I'll get her information to you.

So...still waiting on the biopsy results but I do have my surgical appointment this morning so will hope to have some answers today. I want to attach a couple of pxs to introduce you to my family - my beautiful Mom and daughters, and my wonderful son. These were taken at Christmas last year, courtesy of Laura Reeves, who works at CH and moonlights in photography - she does great work and gives you all your photos on a CD so let me know if you're interested in reaching her for a photo session.

Let's start with my Mom, and I did warn you I was going to brag just a bit. She's 88 years young and one of the most vital, active people I know - the type who skiied between her two knee replacements and finally switched to snowshoeing after a hip replacement and revision. Don't get mad at me for this Mom, but she now spends a great deal of her time blessing friends and neighbors who are far less active than she - with rides to the Dr. or shopping, outings, mending, whatever needs doing. She has knit thousands of items for Denver Health as a volunteer, is skilled in nearly every art form I know of and here is just an example. When my folks lived in Montana, for the first time they had a small acreage and put a few sheep on it. My Mom decided to learn to spin wool so my Dad built her a wool-carding machine and a spinning wheel, she gathered natural things to dye the wools and then made the most incredible boutique items with them. Our son Kevin works as a Federal agent in Michigan now and would love to make his way back to Colorado before too long. He's single and looking, but probably not hard enough to satisfy his sisters. Our very favorite eldest daughter, Kristen, is in the red, mom to our dear Roman, whom you'll meet soon, and she works as a mortgage loan processor. And our very favorite middle daughter, Kendra, is in the black, mom to Isaiah and Naomi, our other grandchildren. She works for Vail Resorts, just moved from Keystone to Broomfield and is getting settled there.

So...I can't believe it's here already, but Happy Friday and I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!