Mom’s First Outing Since Returning from the Hospital

Today, my brother Jeff and his wife Kathy came from Lawrenceville, GA, to visit. Since his favorite pizza parlor is Westshore Pizza in Brandon, we always try to go there while they are here.

Tonight, we headed off to Westshore, Mom’s first time out of the house since she came home from the hospital. She walked all of the way out of the house to the car and got in the car with no problem. When we got to the restaurant, she seemed reluctant to walk in, so we put her in the wheelchair. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t physical energy she lacked as much as fear of going in where there were other people. In her own way, she ate quite a dinner, including a chicken wing, French fries, and pizza.

When we got home she walked up the ramp and into the house. She was very glad to be home.

She slept all night last night (well, until 4 am); I’m hoping she’ll do the same tonight. She’s already asleep.

Until next time…

My Mother, the Acrobat

Last night was the first night Mom took her new medicine to calm her down. Yeah, right! Apparently, it does not have an immediate effect.

She was, once again, up all night long and not only up, but very active. She jabbered all night long, but in a voice twice as loud as usual. She was also all over the bed. At least three times, she put her legs through the railing and then tried to get the rest of her body through there. I had to get up to “unstick” her.

At one point she had moved so much, her feet were on her pillow and her head was where her feet should be.

She tried to slide out through the bottom of the bed, but I had the foresight to put a chair on one corner and her bedside table on the other.

Wow… I get tired out just thinking of her efforts. This morning about 9:30, she fell and sprained her left thumb – amazingly the first time she’s ever really hurt herself falling. The nurse came to see her this afternoon and said about the only thing we could do was put ice on it. Knowing Mom, she won’t have any of that – she is always too cold. Her blood pressure was great and her heartbeat was steady.

I’m just glad she didn’t hurt herself worse. She still gets up and walks whenever she wants, even though I have asked her not to.

Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks…

Until next time…

An Update on Mom

Dr. Chin from Hospice came to see Mom today. Mom was sleeping too deeply to wake up very easily, but the Dr. checked her heart and skin (she acquired a couple of sores at the hospital). Everything was fine. Her heartbeat (she suffers from atrial fibrillation) was very steady even though she rarely takes her heart medicine.

She made some changes in Mom’s medicine by doubling her Mirtazapine, canceling her Januvia (diabetes medicine – the doctor felt Mom was more in danger from low blood sugars because she doesn’t eat much than from high sugars), canceling her heart medicine, and prescribing some new medicine which should help Mom sleep more consistently through the night.

On the whole, I was very pleased with the results of the doctor’s visit. I just hope this new medicine does the trick. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that my stress levels will go down if I can get a  little more sleep.

Until next time…

THE LETTER EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT

I don’t want to make this blog a political forum, but couldn’t resist letting everyone I know see this very well written letter. I couldn’t agree with her more.

This has to be the email forward of the year!  Please take a few minutes to read and absorb just what this woman had to say, and then hopefully everyone will pass it to their entire mailing list, and theirs to theirs until it circles the nation!  Time is short and arrogance, stupidity and ignorance abound...

The following letter read on Glenn Beck's show, is rapidly circulating around the country. Americans everywhere identify with this 53-year-old woman. She has given us a voice. Once you read this, you will want to forward it to all of your friends...

GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me.   Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.

There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation: 
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels.. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution.

P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down!  Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business.  You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off?  Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording.. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist.. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent.. I work. I'm busy.  I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. 
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns toWashington . Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.

You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.

We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenixfrom the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this.. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.

If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one.

We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent?

Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming."

Another Uneventful Day

After another night of “sun-downing” Mom finally went to sleep about 6 this morning and slept for a few hours. Fortunately, I was able to grab a bit of a nap, so I don’t feel as punky as I normally would.

Although she did eat three meals today and some small snacks, she is still not eating enough. I did manage to get her to drink the better part of a bottle of chocolate milk (really, Glucerna – an awful smelling nutritional supplement she really likes).

Tomorrow, the hospice doctor is coming to examine her. I’m hoping he/she can prescribe something that will make her sleep through the night, but I don’t hold out much hope. She already takes 3 prescriptions that are supposed to make her drowsy.

On Another Note:

A reminder to all:

“As government expands, liberty contracts.”

I hope all of you are watching or recording Glenn Beck’s program on Fox News Network at 5 pm each weekday. On Friday, he played a documentary called “The Revolutionary Holocaust” which exposes Stalin, Chairman Mao, Che Guevara, etc. for the butchers they were.

It’s available on the Internet at www.glennbeck.com under Featured Videos. It’s an eye-opening look at the millions of people killed by these heroes of many progressives in and around the Obama administration.

This documentary was watched at 5 pm on Friday by an amazing 4 MILLION viewers.

Tonight he compared and contrasted the rise of Hugo Chavez with Obama.

So much of history has been ignored or blatantly misreported. You may never have heard of most of what Glenn refers to, what he teaches is very well researched.

Until next time…

Sleepy Time Gal

From night before last until this afternoon, Mom has been sleeping, except for a few minutes here and there to visit the bathroom and eat and take her medicine.

Tonight she is very antsy, popping up and down, going from one chair to another or attempting to go up by the television so she can converse with whoever happens to be on.

Thank heavens for the Right at Home Plant City folks. I got to leave for 4 hours today, thanks to Maria. She takes great care of Mom and Mom was not sad to see me leave, nor too happy to see me come home. This afternoon, when Maria and I were switching cars in the driveway, my brave mother left the comfort of her rocker/recliner and walked out onto the porch.

She’s angry with me most of the time when she is awake because I don’t let her walk by herself, if I can help it. She is so shaky on her feet that it’s not safe for her to be walking alone, but try telling her that.

I am thankful that she is so feisty and alert, not asleep all of the time. It’s kind of lonely when she spends her day in bed, but kind of frustrating when she’s awake – a constant battle of wills.

This afternoon, my snowbird neighbor Charlene from next door called and let me know she and her husband Jack were available if I needed help with Mom at any time of day or night. Do I ever have great friends!

Until next time…

A Beautiful Prayer for the People of Haiti

This morning I received the following email and thought I would share it with you.

This is a beautiful prayer for Haiti. Please take a moment and pray for them. Thanks.

Keep the prayer going....

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning  I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning  I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of
water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank  you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry  out for the people of Haiti .

Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that  you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that  you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on!

Protect the children and shield them with your power.

I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!

Until next time…

Absolutely Unbelievable!!!

Mom spent last night singing, talking, reciting poetry, calling out to me as Iona, Lana, Ruth, Kenny, Paul, etc. etc. I think she was “sundowning” most of the night. She did this from the safety of her hospital bed, safe within the railings on each side.

About 5 am she woke wanting to go to the bathroom. She was a little late, so we washed her up and did some laundry: her sheets and blankets and the nightgown she was wearing.

She ate a little breakfast, then napped awhile. After lunch, we decided to lie down for a nap. Needless to say, I was exhausted and welcomed the opportunity to sleep. Mom was a little restless and, after I drifted off, she managed to get out of her bed by skooching off the end.  Imagine my surprise and terror when I woke and saw the empty bed. She did get to the living room without falling, though I don’t know how. Absolutely unbelievable!

She seems to be having difficult time walking and even standing up today, but I bet she still has the determination to get out of bed if she wants. Tonight, I’ll put some furniture up against the end of the bed. In this way, I’ll hear her when she knocks it over to get out of bed.

I have found one thing she will eat without fail – sugar free ice cream – she’ll eat about 2 scoops without complaint. I intend to give her some every night to try to get her calorie intake up.

Well, it’s time to try to get her into bed again and I hope to sleep tonight for more than a few minutes at a time.

Until next time…

Suggestions Welcome

Mom fell again today. She did manage to walk about 15 feet before doing so, but it’s still scary. I have no idea how to keep her seated until she lets me know she wants to get out of her chair and go somewhere.

This time, I was in the bathroom. I had reminded her before going there that she should wait until I got back before getting up. Obviously, she either forgot or felt she didn’t have to listen.

I now take my showers while she is in bed since she still hasn’t managed to climb out of bed yet. Unfortunately, I can’t confine her to bed whenever I have to do something in another room, like laundry or cleaning or going to the bathroom.

Any ideas, anyone?

She’s asleep now; she usually goes right to sleep after falling. I called Hospice to let them know she fell and they’ll be sending someone out to check her out tomorrow since she has no obvious bruises and says she’s not hurt.

On Another Note:

Today, i started Bob Livingston’s book RV Repair & Maintenance Manual which was published by Trailer Life. I’m still trying to get a handle on how the electrical system works in the camper, how best to use my solar generator, and whether I want to replace my single wet-cell battery with two of the kind that do not require checking water levels. The second battery will add some weight, but the additional storage capacity should help if I do much boondocking (camping without hookups for electric, sewer and water).

The only thing I remember from my high school physics class was that my teacher, Mr. Sanford, always said pacific gravity when he meant specific gravity. Needless to say, that doesn’t help much in figuring out amps. volts, watts, resistance, etc. I do know I eventually want to replace all of my 12-volt bulbs with LED bulbs.

Well, I hear Mom calling so I’ll close this post.

Until next time…

Failure to Thrive

Today, the Hospice nurse Michelle and the Hospice social worker Ann came to visit. While here, they weighed Mom. As you may remember, Mom weighed 88 pounds when she went into the hospital; today she only weighed 84 pounds. Since she’s now walking, even though she needs some help, they had to change her diagnosis from Alzheimers/Dementia to Failure to Thrive.

They are also prescribing some medicine for her depression; I think I’ve mentioned that she cries a lot. They said it should also increase her appetite as well as calm her down some. She might even sleep better, but it could also keep her awake – just what I need!

She’s sleeping right now and has been since they finished weighing her (probably around noon). She lay awake all night long talking, crying, singing, reciting some kind of poetry, rattling the railing on her bed, and trying to get out. I was so exhausted, I left her in bed even though she occasionally wanted to get out. I was able to catch a few winks.

Michelle said that she’s not surprised Mom is walking since I was so adamant that we would get her up and about. That was rather gratifying, but the credit really goes to the determination, stubbornness, and independence of Mom. Even in her weakened state and with her failure to thrive, she still manages to amaze me.

On Another Note:

I meant to mention yesterday how sad I was to hear of the passing of Robert B. Parker. He is a favorite author of mine. You may know him as the creator of the detective Spenser in the old TV show Spenser for Hire (taken from a character in books Parker wrote – I don’t remember watching the series, but the books are terrific). He also created the character Jesse Stone played by Tom Selleck in several Sunday night movies. My other favorite authors should take note that they need to write even faster.

Until next time…

It’s Difficult and It’s Complicated

Mom was really active today, which is a good thing, except it’s difficult to make sure she stays safe. She seems to forget that she is very unsteady on her feet.

I don’t know, maybe I should be happy she only fell once.  Today, she was in the living room while I was in the kitchen. She decided to get up and fell down. Fortunately, my Super-mother (woman of steel) didn’t hurt herself or break anything.

Repeatedly asking her to let me know if she’s going to get up has had no effect on the situation. She tells me, not too politely, to mind my own business.

So far as It’s Complicated is concerned, Nadine from Right at Home Plant City came to stay with Mom, so I could see that movie today. I laughed and laughed.  Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and John Krasinski are such talented actors.

Funny, in this movie, Meryl Streep runs a bakery, whereas in Julie and Julia she played chef Julia Child. Maybe, that she’ll be typecast as a cook from now on—just kidding. In this movie, she bakes chocolate croissants for Steve Martin in a very sexy scene.

Tomorrow, it’s Mom and I by ourselves. Maybe, she'll be more cooperative, but I don’t hold out much hope. Of course, I’d rather have her alert, feisty and obstinate than lying in bed unable to do anything.

Until next time…

A Rather Quiet Day for Mom

Today, Mom got up late (about 9 am), ate a pretty good breakfast, sat in her recliner and went to sleep. She woke up hungry around 3:30, so we had an early dinner, after which we watched Glenn Beck. Shortly after that, she went to sleep in her chair again. She went in to bed about 7 pm.

Although she still looks better than she did in the hospital, she seemed very tired today. I wonder why ---> Before last night, she had been awake for hours and hours.

She has been regularly taking her medicine, though we have had some incidents where she tried to spit out her heart capsule. Directions say that this capsule must be taken in its entirety; it may not be crushed and put in her Dan-Activ like the rest of her medicine.

She seemed even more confused today than normal and it was very difficult to understand anything she said.

Maybe tomorrow, after so much sleep, she’ll be doing better.

I did decide to cancel the lady who was coming to bathe Mom. It seems crazy to have someone drive here for less than 1/2 hour of work. I also like to get Mom cleaned up early in the morning and the lady doing the work didn’t come until 2 pm. Because Mom gets up at different times every day, it’s difficult to set an early time for the aide to come.

Well, I guess it’s time for me to get to sleep, in case Mom wakes up really early.

Until next time…

Post Deleted

Just wanted to let any of you who read the blog about the Israeli agent (which I have since deleted) that it was not true. A friend let me know that it was "FALSE" according to www.snopes.com

Sorry about that. I usually check Snopes for items like that. Hopefully, no harm done.

Until next time...

Back to Her Old Habits

Last night, Mom went back to her old habits of staying up all night. She would not stay in bed. Instead, she rattled the railing on her bed, then inched herself down the bed and had her feet out over the bottom of the bed. If I hadn’t gotten up and stopped her, she would have probably fallen out of the bed.

We finally came back out to the living room and spent the night with her babbling most of the night. She’s getting a little too confident in her ability to walk. While I was in the bathroom, she got up from her recliner/rocker and fell. Fortunately, her bones of steel are still intact. Usually, she goes to sleep right after a fall, but not today. In fact, she’s only taken a few catnaps since yesterday morning.

She has a fairly new trick, as evidenced by the following picture:

I don’t know why she covers her head like this. Maybe she wanted to make it dark so she could go to sleep. I can always hope.

Hopefully, this post makes some sense; I sure didn’t get enough sleep last night, so who knows what I’ve written.

Until next time…

All Alone and Blue

Today, Mom and I are once again alone in the house. My brother left at 3:30 am and my niece and her kids stopped by, then left about 10 am. I miss the company, but everyone has their own lives, so I can’t blame them. Besides, Mom and I get along together okay. We’ll be back in a routine before you know it.

This morning, Mom made even more progress: she walked BY HERSELF from the kitchen table to her recliner. I was at the kitchen sink and looked over to see her getting up from her chair at the kitchen table. She pushed herself up all alone then walked with me following, but not touching . I was ready to catch her in case she fell, but she didn’t.

By the way, I forgot to mention before that my niece brought me a recording made by her husband, Rick. It is beautiful – him playing the keyboard – soothing and relaxing and totally enjoyable. I hope to meet Rick today – it will be fun to meet someone who can put up with my niece … just kidding, Colleen!

Until next time…

A Rare Third Post for the Day

Just some more great news – when Mom got ready to go to bed this evening, she walked back to her room from her green chair.

I also wanted to share some pictures from this evening.

My Mom and My Niece Colleen

Front Row: Wayne, Alexus, Johnny

Back Row: Mom, Me, and Ray

Front Row: Wayne, Colleen, and Johnny

Back Row: Mom, Me, and Ray

Until next time…

My Marathon Mother – A Feat of Feet

You’ll never guess what my Mom did today – she walked all of the way from her bedroom through the house and to her green rocking chair. Any of you who have been here will know what a feat that is – between 25 and 30 feet. And, there were lots of witnesses.

Yes, I was holding her hands to guide her and make sure she didn’t fall and my niece Colleen was walking behind her to help catch her if she fell, but her little feet ate up the carpet all of that way.

I think she wore herself out though since she’s been sleeping since about 2 pm. It’s now about 6 pm. I may be in for a sleepless night, but it will be worth it. Her determination and desire to be independent are amazing.

Famous last words about her sleeping. She just woke up so I went to get her up – she wanted to ride into the living room. I took care of her, fed her, and she rode into the living room to sit in her rocker.

Her fasting sugars the last two days have been 86 and except for last night when she went to bed early, she has taken all of her medicine.

She did complain a little today about her back hurting, but we looked and couldn’t see any problem. She hasn’t complained since she got up this last time.

I never dreamed she would progress so quickly. Thanks again for your prayers and support.

It was so great to see my niece and 3 of her children – Wayne, Alexus and Johnny – all grown up. Not everyone will make a journey of 11 hours to see their grandmother/great grandmother who doesn’t even know who they are. Do I have a great family or what?

Tomorrow they all go home, but I’m expecting my other brother (Jeff) this coming week.

Until next time…

A Very Good Day for Mom

What a great day! Not only did I learn that my very dear friends Joel and Yvonne Trimble were doing okay, but Mom made some serious progress.

Michelle, our nurse from Hospice, stopped by and completed her assessment of Mom and said that aides would come by Mon – Fri to help with Mom’s personal care – bathing, etc. She was also going to check on other people that might volunteer to help with Mom’s care.

Mom’s hospital bed arrived with SIDES so she can’t fall out and with a gel-filled topper to help keep her skin protected.

She went to bed without complaint and has been sleeping fairly well so far (it’s now 10 pm). Of course, her good sleep might be partially due to her increased activity. She walked (with me holding her hands, but not holding her up) from her recliner to her rocker at least 3 times. That’s a distance of about 8-10 feet times 3 – wow, she is so determined to walk. Thankfully, my brother Ray from Tennessee is here and he walked behind her in case she started to fall.

Ray’s daughter, Colleen, and 3 of her kids (Alexus, Wayne, and Johnny) came to visit tonight. They’ll be here again tomorrow, but have to go back to Alabama on Sunday.

My family and friends are the greatest! May God bless you all.

Until next time…

Haiti

My dear friends, Yvonne and Joel Trimble, have been missionaries in Haiti for decades. Needless to say, I was wondering how they fared. I discovered from watching Fox News today that they were okay. Yvonne was on the phone with Shepard Smith describing the situation in Haiti. You can’t imagine how relieved and happy I was to see that they were okay.

The following is a post from their blog: http://trimbleshaiti.blogspot.com/

Human Agony Beyond Imagination

January 14, 2010

Dear friend

Yvonne and I are safe, our son Paul is safe and our house and car have not been damaged by the two earthquakes that hit Haiti on January 12.  The first quake a 7.0 rocked our house like a leaf in the wind with an epicenter just 5 miles south of us.  Exactly seven minutes laters a second quake a 5.9, hit 25 miles away.  Since that fateful hour Haiti has been rocked by over 40 tremors with average strength of 5.0 which makes those tremors earthquakes!

To live is Christ and we intend to make every minute count for His glory! Hallelujah!

iReport filed on CNN.com by Yvonne Trimble

Young men gather around fallen buildings to dig out corpses.  A stream of blood flows into the street indicating there are many under the chunks of broken concrete.  A young woman her black body powdered with dust is found.  Her long tresses swinging as she is laid on the sidewalk. Now covered with the only available cloth - a Haitian flag, she waits for the morgue truck.

In the second day of Haiti's quake aftermath, the pile of corpses on sidwalks grows and the morgue has still not sent a truck.  Probably there is no gasoline for the truck.  Until a gas station opens here there will be no truck to collect the victims of Haiti's massive 7.0 earthquake that hit on Tuesday, January 2010 at 7 minutes of 5:00PM. Today a Haitian man sprinkled gasoline on several swollen corpses to burn the stench and disease from his street.
Thousands of Haitians mill in the roads; they are either homeless or afraid to return to their homes. Over forty aftershocks above 4.3 have continued to shake the island nation 800 miles south of Florida. City parks are open air living for families. Cars surround the parks housing more people.
All communcations are down, only satellite phones and internet work.  Three cell companies and several wireless providers are all off.  If you want to find someone you must go to their house and search.
Yesterday we searched out missionary friends on lower Delmas.  They were trying to clean the rubble that was their home. Cupboards hung off the wall and nervously the friend said the damage was cosmetic. Long cracks told another story. The couple had slept in their car the night before as they knew the three story building was unsafe. The total loss of forty years work to build school, church and home was grievious to behold.

Soon the shock of what has happened here in a country that lives with suffering everyday, soon that shock will turn to anger.  Haiti needs a coordinated relief effort run by donor nations, the Haitian government itself is in shock and incapable of helping its people.  Yesterday when President Preval spoke to the nation he was asked if there would be another quake, everyone's fear, the President did not comfort the nation.
Last night looting was reported in an area near the Haitian penitentary that collapsed releasing thousands of felons into the country.  Police presence was non existent and residents are afraid to venture far from what was once their homes.
The US is well positioned to commandeer this organized relief effort.  The new Embassy in Port au Prince is the largest, the safest, the most well equipped and located right next to the UN Headquarters.  US donors, businesses, government and private are just waiting for a heads up from the State Department.  The US needs to take the lead and take it right now before shock turns to violence.

Your prayers for Haiti are deeply appreciated.  Please ask your friends and your church to pray, the situation is desperate.  The United States Embassy is evacuating citizens and all commercial flights into Haiti have been halted as there is no air traffic control tower! Yvonne and I will stay to do what we can to help Haiti.  Your sacrifical gifts are needed now more than ever.  Please click here to give.

Thank you and may God have mercy on Haiti.

Joel and Yvonne Trimble
Haiti For Christ Ministries

I hope all of my friends will pray for Haiti and those who are helping the Haitian people.

Hospice

I thought I would post this while my interview with the nurse from hospice was still clearly in my mind.

Deborah described what hospice can do for us: providing equipment, a nurse once each week, an aide to come in as needed for bathing Mom and other personal care, a hot line if we have problems or questions, and other medical-related care. A hospital bed is supposed to be delivered tomorrow. She also said they would provide training in how to take care of Mom – things I wonder about like how to get her cleaned up once she has to be confined to bed.

From now on, if Mom gets in distress, we will call hospice instead of 911. The number for hospice and Mom’s id card are posted on the refrigerator.

I think I’ll go back to having Right at Home 3 times a week for 4 hours a day. I just have to make sure they know about calling hospice instead of 911.

Mom ate breakfast and lunch today (though not much lunch) and took her medicine without problem. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is NOT to have pills spit at you.

She’s been awake all day after sleeping all night. Hopefully, she’s got her days and nights back to normal. I guess we’ll know tomorrow.

Well, back to work.

Until next time, God bless…

Mom Is Finally Home

What a great day this has been! We got to bring Mom home from the hospital. Ray was able to pick her up and get her into my car to bring her home.

We arrived at home around 2 pm and I fixed her some lunch. She ate some mashed potatoes, drank a bottle of Dan-Activ, and about 1/2 bottle of Glucerna, after which she slept the rest of the afternoon.

She ate a good supper of home-made potato soup and bread and, of course, the ever-present Dan-Activ. She also drank some more Glucerna and took her medicine without incident.+

This doesn’t sound like much food, but she probably ate more today than what she ate on any given day she was at the hospital. And you all thought I couldn’t cook!

She’s really gone downhill in strength since being in the hospital, but I’ve tried to get her to use her legs and move as much as she can herself. However, she can’t even stand on her own anymore. Lying in bed for days at a time really takes its toll. I’m determined, however, to get her at least standing again.

Since hospice is coming tomorrow around 1 pm, I should know more about what they will do by the time I write this blog tomorrow night.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers… I can tell God is listening to you all. Praise His Holy Name!

Until next time…

More News on Mom’s Homecoming

I just published yesterday’s blog – Verizon finally fixed both my phone and my Internet connection – but thought a separate update was in order.

Mom is coming home tomorrow – praise God! She won’t have to put up with hospital food anymore. Of course, she will have to put up with my cooking :) BUT it can’t be as bad as what they brought her in the hospital.

I’m so grateful that I won’t have to leave her there anymore, crying to go home. In fact, the doctor told me it would be better not to put Mom in the hospital again. He has recommended hospice to come in and help with her care at home, instead. To be truthful, I have been extremely reluctant to have hospice here, but I think I really need the help – you can’t imagine how hard it is for me to admit that.

After lying in bed since last Tuesday, she may not be able to walk once she gets home. We did get her out of bed and into a chair today. She didn’t seem to have any problem sitting in the chair and sat there for over an hour before agreeing to go back to bed.

The doctor suggested leaving the catheter in, but I would rather her try to get along without it. Hospice can always put it back in if necessary.

We’ll be getting a hospital bed right after she gets home, but I doubt there’ll be much more that we need for taking care of her – I have so much stuff left from taking care of Mark.  She’ll just need your continued prayers and good thoughts. I have the best family and friends on earth!

Until next time…

Mom’s Coming Home on Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Yesterday (1/10/2010), when neither my home phone nor my Internet connection was working, we found out that Mom is coming home tomorrow, 1/13/2010.

The hospital has still not gotten her out of bed except for the one time, even though they were supposed to do so 3 times yesterday.

Needless to say, there are a lot of arrangements that must be made: hospital bed, nursing care, etc. Praise God that my brother Ray is here. I never could have moved Mom’s bed over by myself, but he did so by himself since I could not even lift a corner. (I guess I’d better start working out.)

Hopefully, when Mom gets home, I’ll be able to get her to eat – I can’t believe the food they give her at the hospital. Yesterday, they even had some baby food (bananas) – the smell itself was offensive. I have no idea how it tasted – neither does Mom since she refused to open her mouth and try it (who can blame her).

Well, another fun day is starting. I’d better get moving -- places to go; people to see; things to do. Thanks for your continued prayers and good wishes.

Until next time…

P.S. I just tried to publish this to the Internet, but found that my Internet connection stopped working again. I’ll publish when I can.

Mom‘s Move Upstairs

Late this afternoon, the hospital moved Mom from the Cardiac Unit on the 3rd floor (room 329) to a regular room on the 6th floor (room 618).

She slept most of the morning and then really woke up once Maria from P.T. came in. We worked with Mom to get her to stand up. You know, she’s been in bed since Tuesday. She had a tough time just standing by the bed holding on to a walker. I think they would have had her sit in a chair except that they were getting ready to move her upstairs.

One of the biggest problems right now is her eating: she just doesn’t like the junk they bring her. And I have to say that I wouldn’t eat it either, nor would whoever made it. I’ve taken 3 bottles of Dan-Activ in every day so she is at least getting that. She has drunk quite a bit of iced tea and this morning, she remembered again how to drink through a straw so she drank most of her orange juice. I’ve got to tell you, though, that the the majority of the pureed food is disgusting. They have even made the mashed potatoes and gravy inedible somehow.

But she really wants to go home. Several times today, she said, “Let’s get the hell out of her.” as only she can. Funny how easy it is to understand any of her cursing. Almost everything else is unintelligible.

My brother Ray arrives tonight from Tennessee. He just retired so he didn’t have to take off work to come for a visit. I hope he brought lots of reading material for when we’re at the hospital because Mom isn’t much of a conversationalist anymore.

Tomorrow, I also hope to see her primary care physician. There are rumors that she may be going home soon. I sure hope so, even if she can’t get up and walk around like she did before going into the hospital.

Sorry to go on and on but this blog is a good way to keep family and friends up-to-date, especially since my home phone is still acting up. Apparently, my internet connection is not bothered as much by the noisy line.

Until next time…

Mom (written 1/9/2010 at 22:33)

Mom, who hadn’t gone to sleep until about 6:30 this morning, slept almost all day while I was there, only waking a few minutes to eat a little breakfast and then at 5 pm. And, at 5, she really woke up – agitated, not recognizing me, wanting me to get away from her.

After a few seconds she seemed to know who I was or at least that I was someone she knew she should know. She asked several times to go home, which as you can imagine, is heartbreaking. I stayed to feed her a little supper, which she reluctantly ate, but I talked to the nurse before I left and advised him that he might want to give her something to calm her down.

Who would think it could be so tiring to just sit all day and read, but when I get home at night, I am exhausted. I’ve been reading, not only books in my Kindle, but in the Revolutionary Bible Study book I mentioned before. The emotional scene recorded by Luke at the end of chapter 20 in Acts reminds me of the emotions I experience every time I have to leave Mom at the hospital. The Ephesians knew they would not see Paul again, but I wonder as I do every time I leave if I will see her again this side of heaven.

I’ve written this blog even though I can’t publish it tonight because of noise on my phone line. Verizon has guaranteed to fix it by Tuesday at 9 pm. Grrrrrrrrr!

Until next time…

Further Update on Mom

Talk about ups and downs!

Mom was sleeping peacefully when I arrived this morning about 8:00. I found out later she’d been awake until about 6:30.

When she woke up a little later, she ate a bite of hash browns and started choking. She couldn’t stop so I called the nurse, who promptly told me to press the Code Blue button. A mass of different medical staff descended on the room and after a few minutes managed to get Mom breathing again. Her blood saturation level was 77 right after the incident. They hooked her up to oxygen again and she pretty much slept the rest of the day. They didn’t want her to try to eat until tonight.

She didn’t stir when my cousin Richard came to see her, but when her supper came in, I tried to wake her up, and after a while, she stirred enough to eat. You won’t believe it, but she ate:

1. All of her mashed potatoes
2. 3 teaspoons of pureed chicken
3. 2/3 of a bowl of pea soup (also pureed)
4. 2/3 of a carton of fortified strawberry shake
5. 1 1/2 cups of iced tea
6. 1 bite of pureed cord (she did not like that)

Granted, I fed her and was very careful to give her small amounts at once and made sure she swallowed it before giving her more. I also tried to see that followed the nurse’s advice and dipped her head down when she swallowed. Those of you have seen her eat lately know that she has a habit of storing food in her cheeks like a chipmunk then spitting it out once she’s gotten all of the flavor out.  She only coughed a little one time.

Once she was done eating, she was obviously getting tired so Richard and I left. I hope she has a peaceful sleep-filled night so she’ll be a little more alert tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers.

Until next time…

Update on Mom

What a contrast between yesterday and today in terms of Mom’s physical condition! Yesterday, she was alert, perky, and energetic; today, she was lethargic, mostly not eating, and looked just awful.

She ate no breakfast or lunch today, but I did manage to get her to eat a little meat loaf and mashed potatoes tonight. Oh, don’t tell anyone, but she also had a piece of the sugar-free coconut candy my cousin Richard gave her for Christmas. Still, she had nothing to drink today – she just didn’t want anything.

Richard came over from St.  Petersburg to see her today, as did Karen Dersham. Mom did summon enough energy to smile broadly at both of them.

They still haven’t had her sit up in a chair yet – I guess the doctor hasn’t ordered it. They’re still giving her intravenous antibiotics and heart medicine. They’ve tried to give her heart medicine via pills, but she is one stubborn lady and just won’t take them that way. They’ve had her on Oxygen today, but every time you look away, she sneaks it off.

She’s so afraid of everything, including the TV on the wall, the cabinets where they put needles and the other stuff hanging on the walls. We have to keep the door shut because she’s frightened by all of the activity in the hall, particularly the cleaner they use on the floors. It was so hard to leave tonight knowing she was so frightened.

Please continue to pray for her. I can’t tell you what it means to know that so many are supporting her in prayer.

Until next time…

An Update on Mom

This morning, before leaving for the hospital, Mom’s doctor called and wanted me to stop by his office before visiting Mom. After Mom signed her DNR form many years ago, she gave it to the doctor, but they couldn’t find it, so I signed one as her surrogate since she so clearly made her wishes known several years ago when she was in full possession of her faculties.

After stopping there, I went to the hospital. When I went in the room, Mom just beamed … she was so happy to see me. Well, I understand that because I was very happy to see her too – especially looking so much better.

I spent the day with her (until 6:30 pm or so). She was much more alert and responsive than the previous day. Her fever was gone and her atrial fibrillation was mostly under control.

I spent most of the day sitting by her bedside holding her hand. She chattered away, but I very rarely understood what she was saying.

As at home, it’s difficult to get her to eat. I don’t know if I mentioned it or not, but she now weighs 88 pounds. This is a far cry from her normal 130 to 140 pounds of a few years ago.

They now have her on food she should be able to chew and eat. But even if she’s able to chew it, doesn’t mean she will like it. And, she is very stubborn about what she will and will NOT eat. This evening, she really like the cherry cheesecake. (I tasted it and, while it wasn’t as good as my sister-in-law, Margie’s, it was still pretty good. I understand why she didn’t mind eating it.

For some reason, the doctor stopped the medicine that helps keep her calm. Just before I left this  evening, she was beginning to get agitated and I don’t envy the staff there trying to keep her calmed down and in bed. I warned them about the bottom sides of the bed which someone had left down. She probably has enough strength today to climb out of bed and run down the hallway.

Well, it’s getting pretty late and I’d better get to bed before I fall asleep here at the computer.

Until next time…

One New Year’s Resolution Broken

Here it is January 6, 2010, and already I have broken one of my resolutions: to write in my blog every day even if just a little bit – but I had a really good excuse.

Of course, I could set the publish date as of yesterday, but that would be a lie. It’s 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 and I just got home from the hospital. Mom had a bad fever and was very unresponsive most of today. Finally, about 6 p.m. I called 911 and the ambulance took her to St. Joe’s Hospital in Tampa where they discovered she had a urinary tract infection and a little pneumonia.

The antibiotics they gave her must be powerful because before we left, her fever was gone as was the red spot on her forehead which is always there when she feels better. She didn’t appreciate some of the things they did to her like the catheter insertion, the taking of her temperature (not orally or under her arm – you can guess where). Her words were unusually clear: “they stuck something in my butt”) They also used the same method to administer ibuprofen.

I rode in the ambulance to the hospital – my first ambulance ride ever – and Karen Dersham followed in her car. I don’t know why I bothered riding in the ambulance since they wouldn’t let me sit in the back with Mom. Because I had to have a seat belt, I sat up front with the driver.

I know Mom is in good hands – the staff at St. Joe’s are well trained and kindly. I doubt she’ll be home for a couple of days, depending how she responds to the rest of their treatment.

By the way, if any of my family reads this before I get to call you in the morning, please forgive me for not waking you up at 1 o’clock this morning when it finally looked like she was doing okay. I wanted to wait until I knew how things were going before letting you know what was happening.

She was resting comfortably when Karen and I left. I’ll stop by later this morning to spend the day with her, though they will probably want to keep her fairly sedated. Otherwise, I can just imagine IVs and catheters flying across her room.

Well, I think I might be able to sleep now that I’ve got this confession off my chest. Please continue to pray for Mom. Thanks for those of you who do.

Until next time…

Looks Like I’m Too Late

This weekend, I read in my newsletter from RV Travel.com (this issue is at http://rvtravel.com/issue410.shtml ) that in response to budget shortfalls, Arizona is poised to close its state parks. They have already closed most state rest areas. New Mexico may be next.

I was really looking forward to spending some time in those states and would have probably camped at some of those parks. This whole closure business seems a bit shortsighted. Visitors bring a lot more than just the camping fees to a state. They purchase food, gas, souvenirs, repairs, and countless other items.

Why couldn’t those states have done what Georgia did in lieu of closing parks – solicited volunteers. I think I read that more than 10,000 volunteers helped out in Georgia state parks.

Of course, this whole issue could be resolved if government would just stop spending so much. Unfortunately, our federal, state, and local governments have tried to act as nanny to the citizens of the country --- but don’t get me going.

Our founding fathers created a Constitution that would limit the power of government. Over the years, we’ve been seduced by the promise of being taken care of until we have become slaves to the corrupt elite (IN BOTH PARTIES, I might add) who think they know how to spend our money better than we do.

It’s time to put a stop to this travesty. We need to replace every Representative (they are all up for re-election every 2 years) and every Senator the next time they are up for re-election (1/3 of the Senate every 2 years).

It’s time to take a stand, to demand that they remember that THEY WORK FOR US, not the other way around.

This health insurance reform bill (they aren’t trying to fix health care – we have the best in the world) is a great example. If it is such a good thing, why have our elected representatives written themselves out of it. They won’t be changing their health care. This alone should give everyone pause.

And don’t get me started on the bribery and extortion Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid used to get people to vote for this. Consider the 300 MILLION DOLLARS Mary Landrieu demanded for her state (LA) and got. How about the free ride for Medicaid costs Ben Nelson got for his state of Nebraska! There are a number of other examples, but these are the most egregious.

And, what about reading the bills they vote on! They NEVER do. For this last Senate bill, they wouldn’t have had time unless they could read as fast as Guinness Book of World Record holder Howard Stephen Berg.

And it’s not just one party – Republicans and Democrats both vote to pass unconstitutional bills all of the time.

Our balance of powers between Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches has become a joke. Obama has appointed a lot of people who are not required to be approved by the Senate – people like avowed Communist Van Jones and scores of other Marxist/Socialist radicals who work without Congressional oversight.

I hope you’ve heard of the Tea Parties and the 912 Project which refers to how we all felt after 9/11/2001 and to the 9 principles and 12 values that should link us all together:

The Nine Principles
1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my
Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person
than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the
ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty.
Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee
of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government
cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal
opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

12 Values
Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Friendship

Isn’t it time we go back the the principles and values this country was founded upon?

You might want to check out www.goooh.com which stands for Get Out Of Our House – the goal of this group is to replace ALL 435 Representatives, even the one in your district.

Get involved. Write and email and phone your representatives. Vote for people who support and uphold the Constitution, who ascribe to the 9 principles and 12 values.

Remember that Barack Obama and his ilk have made no secret that they want to FUNDAMENTALLY change this country. We have to make sure that doesn’t happen by exercising our rights and responsibilities as citizens of this great land.

Well, I sure got on my high horse, didn’t I? I hope I can get down without falling flat on my face. But I would hate for us to be too late to stop this rush to Socialism.

May God bless America!

Until next time…

Galatians As I’ve Never Read It

Today, after reading the first 134 pages of Revolutionary Bible Study, originally titled The Power of God’s Word…Unlocked, I read the letter from Paul to the Galatians with an understanding I never previously had.

Were you aware that in the year 63, when Luke wrote The Acts of the Apostles, he had already read Paul’s letter to the Galatians (written in the year 50 – probably in the time frame of Acts 15:40)?

Before today, I never noticed Paul’s righteous anger as reflected in the letter. See 1:6 where he says: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.”

After he and Barnabas had planted 4 churches in Galatia (at Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe), legalists traveled to Galatia and attempted to convince the Christians (primarily Gentile converts) in those four cities that they had to be circumcised.

In chapter 2, Paul recounts how he confronted Peter about this very subject… in fact, he ends the chapter (of course, his letter didn’t have chapters or verses) saying: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Well, sorry to be rambling on about this, but I’m gaining a lot of insight into the Word and into the history of the time. I’ll try not to refer to this stuff too much because I know a lot of people probably have no interest in it though I find it fascinating.

Until next time…

I Can’t Believe I Did It! (2nd Post for 1/2/2010)

As an avid reader, I have always had great respect for books. Now, that doesn’t mean that I don’t underline and make notes in my books, but I would never throw one away or destroy it.

Well, I should probably note the one exception in my almost 65 years: after I finished my Russian History exam in my Senior year at Houghton College, I did rip up my Russian history book as you can see by the following photo:

Yes, that is really me—several pounds lighter and no gray hair – sitting on the floor at East Hall in the spring of 1966 wreaking havoc on a poor, innocent book.

Today, I willfully destroyed another book and not just any book, but the Bible. Well, it’s not really destroyed – I took it apart very carefully as you can see by this photo:

I have 3 NASB Inductive Study Bibles (those published for Precept Ministries) – 2 with hard covers and one leather-bound. At the recommendation of Gene Edwards in The Power of God’s Word … Unlocked, I separated the New Testament in one of my hard cover Bibles so I could begin to put the New Testament in the order it was written. At some point in time, I think it would be interesting to put the books of the Old Testament in the order in which they were written also.

I think we forget sometimes that Paul’s letters were just that – letters, letters to groups of people and letters to individuals. Paul had a history and a personal relationship with these people. We can discover a lot of this not only from the content of the letters, but from Luke’s account in The Acts of the Apostles.  References in Paul’s letters were influenced by the events that were taking place in the Roman empire, in Jerusalem, and in the places where Paul was when he wrote the letters.

I’m so excited to be studying in this manner and look forward to seeing things I’ve never noticed before that will make God’s Word even more real and meaningful to me.

Until next time...

Interesting Info on the Census

This morning, I received the following in an email. I hope you will find it as helpful as I did.

Census to Begin
With the U.S.. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:
**If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

**Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by E-mail, so be on the lookout for E-mail scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an E-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Until next time…

The Power of God’s Word … Unlocked

Happy New Year to all! It’s a rainy day here in Florida – kind of depressing. I don’t know how those of you who don’t “live in the sunshine” can stand it.

I’m excited by a new book I just started reading today.

Were you aware that the order of the books in the New Testament was established by the printers, with Paul’s letters sorted primarily by longest to shortest. Did you know that the Gospel of Mark was really the first of the Gospels?

I’m beginning a new book by Gene Edwards titled The Power of God’s Word … Unlocked. Gene Edwards, who is one of the leaders of the home church movement, is a favorite author of mine – I think I have and have read every book he has ever written.

The premise of the book is that it is impossible to really understand and unlock the meaning of the New Testament unless it is studied in the proper order with an awareness of what was taking place when they were written. Linking Paul’s books with the Book of Acts and being aware of historical events, he contends, will make it easier to know what Paul is talking about.

Any guesses as to the first letter Paul wrote? … It’s Galatians, not Romans as one might assume by the order of the New Testament most of us are used to.

I’m really looking forward to reading this book and getting more understanding about the meaning and meat of the New Testament. And to reading the New Testament in the order it was written.

I can’t think of a better way to start the year than with seeking to better understand God’s Word.

If any of you might be interested in reading this book, it is available at www.seedsowers.com

Until next time…