August 25, 2020

 My knee concerns are slowly improving. My doctor had me take another blood test this week which showed normal white cell levels and no infection present. She also had me see an orthopaedic specialist yesterday, Doctor Boyer. He had an X-ray taken of my knee which indicated my knee is in good shape and the bursitis healing. He thinks the lancing done previously on my knee has contributed to more swelling and bruising and that I am healing from that procedure as well as the bursitis and infection.

We made it a point this week to complete the addition to our privacy barrier which we had originally built on our covered deck. The neighbours are close and we use our deck almost daily in good weather so we decided more privacy would be a benefit to us and the neighbours. Tom cut the 2x2’s that he had bought with Paul and Cindy and I painted them out in the backyard. I helped Tom screw them up and it looks very nice. I spray painted an outdoor sun/moon ornament that hangs on the finished project.

I have listened to seven audio books while my knee has been healing. That has been one of my keep busy projects. I also taught the Relief Society lesson this week for our ward. The lesson was on the new “Proclamation of the Restoration”. I enjoyed preparing for it and I love to teach but the main thing that concerns me with the zoom teaching is the technology. I had a few things that I wanted to share with the class and with the help of Tom, Paul, Sam, the Neisners and pray everything worked out well. I am now going on short walks with Tom each day and I love it. We also ventured out to do some clothes shopping this week and with the way you shop these days with covid concerns it is an adventure.

David Leavitt called Tom and I to be joint music chair people for the ward on Saturday and it was announced on Sunday. With covid things are a little different. The ward wants special musical numbers for our zoom sacrament meetings but we are unable to have any singing by individuals or choirs. They also want us to organize the Christmas program and music - again probably without singing. This will all take some thought and ingenuity.

Cindy did an overnight hike with some friends up at Manning Park this weekend and Liza ran a 32 km three mountain peak trail race up at Big White. Liza won for the women and beat most of the men.  The girls were both happy and both are more adventurous than their mother.

We have had rain storms and sunny days this week and we have needed both the rain and the sun.

Privacy Wall Update On Deck

August 18, 2020

 I have been asked to teach the Relief Society lesson this coming Sunday on the Proclamation of the Restoration and I have been preparing for that zoom meeting. I love to teach but I have never taught by zoom before and I still need to have at least one grandchild show me how to bring things up on the screen as part of the lesson. I think I will need a dress rehearsal to make sure things are working properly.

I have been doing some short walks with Tom in the mornings before he goes on his longer walks. I feel like I need to keep moving and keep my strength up and my blood flowing. The knee concern is still there and gradually, very gradually improving. I have a phone appointment with the doctor this afternoon. I have been cooking, doing a little yard work and cleaning as well as reading. I read David Butler’s book “Almighty” and Michael Wilcox’s book “What Seek Ye?” this week. Both were very good.We went to the plant nursery to buy a couple of new plants and Cindy and Paul took Tom for some lumber at Home Depot and he and I have been cutting 2x2 pieces to add to our “privacy” divider on our back deck. I will stain the pieces and Tom will screw them up. We got Tom’s hair cut this week and I coloured mine. We are looking better.

It has been very, very hot this week and on some days almost impossible to be outside. Our children have all had warm weather too. Trevor had surgery on his other elbow last week and hopefully that will be the last for awhile. We appreciate our children and their phone calls and FaceTime calls. Staying in touch with them means a great deal to us.

We are excited that the Vancouver Temple is moving to a stage two opening this month. Our neighbour Jean has been waiting for the opportunity to go thru the Temple for the first time as has our grandson Max. His girlfriend Jacqui needs to go through too but she is in Australia near Sydney and they are not open yet for endowments.

We continue to pray for the alleviation of the affects of the virus on the world and on our Temples and missions.  We would still like to complete our mission.

View From The Deck

August 11, 2020

This was a happy day for me. With the covid virus Tom has been doing his best to cut my hair and for a skilled dentist he has done very well, however,  I have been longing for a haircut from Karl my long time hair dresser on the North Shore. I had let my hair grow longer than usual and today we finally made the anticipated trip to Karl’s salon. I have no words. When people used to tell me they loved my haircut and wantEd one like it I always felt like saying, “Well, you need my hair, my head and my Karl” and my Karl is the real key. Feeling good!

Liza and Cindy’s families were in Shuswap camping this week with many of the Burgess family members. Sayde celebrated her 9th birthday while they were together.  Cindy and Paul left their two oldest boys Max and Ross home to work so we had them over for dinner together on Friday and Max came for church with us and again later for dinner on Sunday. Ross had gone camping with his fiancé’s family by then. Sarah picked Ross up from our house Friday evening and we were able to see her engagement ring and a picture of the wedding dress she has already purchased. Max’s Jacqui is shopping for dresses online as she cannot get to the necessary stores in Australia at this time.

Our daughter Larissa in Montana went camping with her family on the weekend too and they celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary. They are growing a successful vegetable garden. Our son Trevor and wife his Tammie in Tennessee are preparing their daughter Jadyn for her first year of college at BYU Idaho and their son Zachary to play hockey for the Boise Steelheads. The start of Zach’s season is still up in the air as covid has thrown a curve into professional sports. Trevor’s youngest, Treyvn is already back at school zooming. His oldest, Justin, was named Vice President of his PT grad school. Everyone is busy.

My bursa concerns are somewhat better but it is not a quick heal and sometimes just when I feel we are making progress things seem to slide back. My pain at night is less, I am helping more with cooking, cleaning and things around the house. The pain has certainly decreased so we are hopeful and prayerful. I am getting more books read than usual and have really added to my online cookbook recipes. 

We are excited and somewhat surprised that the London Temple is moving to stage two reopening. The Vancouver Temple is still at stage one. We are pleased though that the Vancouver Temple is moving forward with an exterior fence around the Temple grounds. We were not sure if this was going to happen or not and we are so happy to see it going up. Tom checks on it when he goes for walks without me. I am anxious to be with him again on every adventure.

Karl “Cut”

My Happy Cut

August 4, 2020

We celebrated Tom’s birthday last Thursday, July 30th and Zachary’s birthday on Sunday, August 2nd. Our celebrations are mainly just online these days but Cindy brought us over some healthy desserts for Tom. I felt badly on his birthday as I am still a lame duck and was unable to do much to make it a special day for him.

I went to the doctor’s office last Wednesday for her to examine my knee in person. She just looked at it as she entered the room and said it needed to be lanced. I already realized that and even when she told me it was going to be painful, I was eager to have it done. It has improved somewhat but is still swollen and  a little red and warm. I am able to bend it now but it still feels tight and it definitely does not have full mobility. She took a sample of the fluids and put me on another round of antibiotics. I think the infection has improved but I think the bursa is still inflamed and will take some time to settle.

Tom goes on walks alone and is still doing much of the work around the house but I am trying to do more. I have been entering recipes on my recipe app and now have 111 entered. I think I have all my essentials there now. The app proved to be very helpful on our mission for our meals but should even be more beneficial now. I have listened to Emily Belle Freeman’s book on “Grace”and enjoyed that. I am ready to get going on some other books now.

Cindy and Liza’s families left yesterday for Shuswap Lake with the Burgess family. Liza wanted Cindy’s family to be with them this year. Her sister is a good support for her. The weather is warm and they should all have a good time. The two youngest boys went with Cindy and Paul and Max and Ross are home working and planning weddings.

Mary and Laurel Harvey brought me over a hand held massage device to stimulate my blood flow. They are so kind. Marilyn Rolfson called to see how I was doing and the Elders had a Zoom meeting with us last night. We discussed the “Restoration Proclamation”. We appreciate everyone’s contact and kindness. The Elders have challenged us to write our testimonies in some copies of the Book of Mormon that they might be able to hand out to individuals and they offered to pray for our neighbour Gene who is struggling with cancer.

At this point I am looking for small improvements with my leg and trying look for and appreciate my many blessings. Slowing down with covid is one thing and this knee concern is just an additional braking mode for me to learn from.

Burgess Family

Hardy Family