Cat’s Coming Home Saturday!

Here is a photo of Cat in her hospital room. Tomorrow she comes home!!!!!!!! We both are so thrilled. She’s been participating in all of the mobility and speech therapy every day without complaint and is making good progress. We’ll continue that therapy at home with help from home care. And, counseling for us both…. Isn’t she beautiful or what!

Managed to get the mower running to top off the weeds in the alley. Have errands to run and tasks to complete. Wednesday the old truck returns to the shop to tune up the new fuel injection. What a ride!

Goodness to everyone who has wished us both good things. We’re blessed to have so many friends that support Cat!

Jim

Officially Old Today

Turned 75 today – and happy to be around to enjoy the day. Feel fine – like I’m 112 instead.

Cat is still in the hospital Rehab unit – designed to help her regain some of her mobility, and it’s working in degrees! She’ll be released the 21^st – the biggest improvement is her renewed determination and attitude. She’ll be very much more active in the future! The unit found that one med type (two different) were not necessary – and stopping those is helping. I’ve been able to do some long delayed tasks and errands and hope to not get so behind again.

Have new lenses for my camera – a 1600mm telephoto, 100mm Macro, and a 6.5mm F4 180 degree fisheye! Yea! Will be getting a good professional photograph printer too. Cat can go with me to places to take the images that are in my head and just stay in the car or sit in her chair nearby. Lapidary will continue to be in my activities which brings me great joy. Taking drives in the old truck will be much more frequent and Cat with me too!

So many friends and family have been so generous to help us by staying in contact. Isolation is a very bad thing and we’re going to try to be a bit more open. Cat has even been considering trying to do some needle work of some kind. She does still have several hundred of the little kitty pin cushions she made so many of in the past. Our kids are in contact – Ann and hubby David nearby are so helpful too – so kind! Eric calls his Mom every day as well. We still miss our only Grandson terribly and always will. The photo below is the uniform from Issac’s services that the JROTC Commander presented to his Dad and Mom. What a wonderful young man and inspiration to his peers.

The Alamogordo area has been getting some wonderful rains recently. Such a blessing in this hot arid area. The water we see rushing down the arroyos to the aquifers will be our drinking water in a few years!

SOAPBOX WARNING: I have radically strong opinions about the decay of our country due to such partisanship and fervor about ‘rights’ for people to refuse masks and vaccines. Their rights end when they infringe on the health of the common sense people by transmitting Covid. Freedom of speech is now so accurately revealing all the blithering idiots in this country………………… I so strongly believe that those who refuse masks, distancing, and vaccines should be refused any treatment whatsoever when they and their families get Covid…….

Jim

Away too Long

I’ve not been able to post in a very long time and sure miss it. The revised procedures to post on this site were a mystery to me – and finally got great help from the local Staples! So happy now…..

Cat has been struggling with her condition – in fact she’s in the hospital now for about 2 weeks to hopefully improve her mobility. She can do virtually nothing and the staff at Gerald Champion RMC seem encouraged and confident they will be able to help her. Me too. But, I do not do alone very well.

We both are really struggling with emotions recently. Our only male grandchild on July 22 took his own life……… We both feel so horrible – Issac was such a wonderful young man at near 17. We’ll never understand and will forever mourn. No words…..

Our other grandchild, Carolien van Hoof in Belgium is a bright spot to us both. She’s such a determined young lady who is facing her own challenges so bravely. We’re so proud of her and love her from across the world. Her messages are so loving and supportive to these two old people.

I turn 75 the 17th and don’t feel a day over 112, it seems. The past year or so I’ve devoted 100% of my time being Cat’s caregiver. Have not even been in the rock shop in about a year. The 1941 Ford pickup is now 100% complete! Photos later, but it’s the most powerful vehicle I’ve ever driven. It is a struggle for Cat to get in – and if it does not improve, I’ll sell it. It is still my favorite body style of any motor vehicle I’ve ever seen or been aware of… So proud!

Bought a 1993 Ford 3/4 ton LWB, 4×4 beat up ranch truck with a bad transmission. Have decided to scrap it as the expense of the transmission and related parts is just too much to justify. I’ll buy something else to drive – certainly older pickup, to go rock hunting in our desert and mountains and haul occasional loads of wood or metals or whatever.

Have very little equipment now – table top drill press, table top band saw, 1″ belt sanders, and a miter saw. Several pieces of hand held power tools work well too, even a new 7″ angle grinder. Still have a small wood lathe but not used since moving to Alamogordo. Did buy a 14″ abrasive saw and a 110v mig/TIG/arc welder. It’s handy for little things and fun too. Considering a small plasma cutter.

Need help managing weeds in our all-rock yards….. Will find some teenager soon to do that, I hope.

Sold the Silverado as Cat could not get in or out safely and bought a Lincoln MKX SUV. Remarkable vehicle – and it had 10,000 miles on it when we bought it last year from Corey in Albuquerque – it was a service loaner. Still miss the 2016 Corvette………. Muchly.

My own health is challenged but will manage what I can. I do realize that I’m old and do not have the abilities of past. I LOVE helping Cat!

Am getting back to photography after a very long absence. Added a 6mm fisheye lens and a 100mm macro one too., Looking at VERY long lenses – like 1000mm or more. Yes, a very sturdy heavy tripod to support and stabilize such a powerful lens.

We sure love our home and have made it right for us. The counters and granite tops are so nice. The large walk-in shower for Cat is fantastic! Most recently we had several doorways widened for her use of the wheelchair and walker. The MBR bath area has been heavily modified to permit safe and convenient moving about for Cat as well.

Ann and hubby David have been such kind helpful kids especially since we lost Issac. That sure took the wind out of our sails……… They prepared meals for several days – and Ann stayed with Cat around the clock when I went to San Antonio. Eric has been so helpful and kind to call every day, too. Dear Rachel calls about every other day too. She was SO kind to put me up for the two nights in San Antonio.

Better quit before I run out of paper! Thank you to so very very many people who supported James’ Go Fund Me account and to those very many who have expressed such compassionate feelings directly to Cat and me. We love you all! So, will post more later as I better learn this new format for the blog and surely attaching photos!

Jim Hokett