Photos

 This is Syeman.  He is the first in the family.  My Sister got him ten years ago. 

Syeman can be a bit of curmudgeon at times.  When he doesn't want to be bothered, a throaty rumble eminates from him as he walks down the hall, hoping to find his favourite hiding place in the closet. 

Sometimes the complaining is just pretend, as if he has a reputation to keep up! 

Syeman is a huge fellow, almost 20 pounds.  But he is built solid, as well as being burly.  I often tell my sister he reminds me of the actor Sebastion Cabot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Cabot_(actor)). 

His fur is luxurious, soft and thick.  He will let you rub his tummy--as long as he thinks it's his idea. 

If ever a cat was a pacifist, it is Syeman.  He will fuss and hiss--but isn't aggresive. 

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,

Lady Helene

A mission of mercy

 My sister has a way with cats.  This is an ironic twist from our childhood days when we thought that cats were definitely not to be had as pets.  After all, we were a dog family! 

I don’t remember the first dog our family had, as I was a baby.  There are photographs of my older brother, myself as a baby and a dog in an over-stuffed chair.  Charming. 
The next dog we owned was a white Alsatian named Fluffy.  She was wonderful—loved children, was very gentle with us and very clever.  However, the neighbourhood children were afraid of her because she had a tendency to jump up on them and knock them over.  So we had to find her a new home. 

Then there was Humphrey, a mix of German shepherd and something else.  He was a medium –sized dog, also extremely clever.  One day, while Humphrey was still a puppy, a kitten showed up.  She was grey-striped and I actually convinced my Dad to keep her.  I named her Tiger.  She loved to get drinks from the bathroom sink.  She was a cat that thought she was a dog—and I think that in part was due to the fact that we raised her with Humphrey.  They were best friends.  However, right before we moved from California to Indiana, Tiger was poisoned.  I was very sad. 

In 1970, we had a wonderful Christmas.  My dad brought home a tiny puppy, whom he had already named Mini—because she fit in the palm of his hand.  She came home with him in his jacket pocket.  The red bow around her neck was bigger than she was; her diminutive size came from being a rat-terrier/pincher mix.  She was all black, with tan eyebrow, and feet, with a white spot on her chest.  She had been born on Halloween.  We had her the longest of any dog we owned—15 years. 

All this to say that for the most part, our loyalty lay with dog ownership.  That is until about 10 years ago when my sister purchased a tiny yellow kitten and named him Syeman.  You should see him now—at 18 pounds!  

Now there are 11—yes eleven—cats in the flat.  This gets back to my sister having a way with cats.  Syeman was a playful, intelligent fellow.  He would even go on a leash; this was helpful when Mom and Sissy began taking trips to Florida as they prepared to move from Indiana’s cold winters to Florida’s year-round warmth.  One day they stopped at a rest stop, and acquired another kitten.  She was named Maggie.  She had a very rough beginning, so she was shy as well as skittish.  But Sissy & Syeman nurtured her, so that she eventually relaxed into the family. 

After buying a house on the west coast of Florida, Sissy found a local vet.  It was through the local vet that Livia was acquired.  Mom was adamant—she didn’t want another cat!  Well, so much for what Mom wanted, as Livia—who became “Little Bit” (and eventually “Bit”) decided that she was going to be Mom’s companion.  As you know, cats pick their people—and Mom was “Stuck” with Little Bit.  It didn’t take much winning over.

As time went by, Sissy became aware of feral cats in the neighbourhood.  She began feeding them and over a two-year period, she befriended a tuxedo cat, whom she named Preacher.  The first time she saw Preacher, all she saw was a pair of green eyes and a white spot.  Then she heard him meow.  Sissy was gentle, soft-spoken and patient, intent on being able to touch him—stroking and petting him.  Eventually she invited him into the house.  Preacher had been on the streets for good while.  His defencive, survival-instincts eventually mellowed.  Now he is a love sponge—giving as much as he gets.  He lives up to his name, acting like a pastor to all the cats. She calls him the "Godfather".  :-) 
Along with Preacher, a tiny black cat gained Sissy’s attention.  Because she was so small and young, Sissy named her Bambina—because she called all her cats “Baby”.  Black as coal, with deep emerald eyes, Bina used to make sure the other cats kept their distance by giving them “The eye”.   That look was scary even to me!  She rarely came out from under the bed except to eat, or lay on top of my sister for affection.  And Sissy was the only one who could touch her.  In the last year she has mellowed to the point of being genial, and allowing me to rub her tummy. 

Just about the time Sissy thought she was done, two neighbourhood cats learned how to use the cat flap to get into my sister’s home.  Gracie and Charlie came right in and made themselves part of the family.   Gracie was a grey tiger-stripped, with an unpretentious and funny disposition.  She was always good for a laugh.  Charlie is a black tuxedo cat as well—maybe one of Preacher’s progeny.  Charlie can shows signs of jealousy when she wants affection.  And she tends to be a bit of a loner.  Yet she is a loyal little girl.  I was with her at the time, and Charlie adopted me!  Boy was I surprised, as I’d done nothing to encourage her.

Although they were “owned” by a family down the street, they preferred being in my sister’s place.  My sister moved from that house into an apartment.  When we moved, we tried to return Charlie and Gracie to the other family.  But they never settled back in—so we brought Charlie to the new place.  However, Gracie was spooked by carriers, and we just couldn’t get her.  From the last we knew, Gracie went back to being feral.

In November 2009, Sissy & Mom moved into the current place.  Last year Sissy began feeding a colony feral cats.  Very slowly she began building a relationship with the cats—naming them. 

In October, she brought in a tiny ginger kitten, who had a respiratory infection.  She named her, Sethra Rose.  After three weeks of being sequestered in the bathroom, Diane let Sethra out.  She is  all kitten, running, climbing, playing and making us laugh at her antics!  Hannah loves playing with her.  
 
Sethra’s brother is Jeb Lee, a slightly bigger version of Sethra.  Their mother is a mottled coloured cat named Brendal.  CC is a grey tabby cat, who is very laid back.  Sissy seems to think CC may have been previously owned and either abandoned or he’s gotten lost.  Miss Kitty is a tiny grey tabby cat as well.  Miss Kitty has had at least two litters of kittens in her very short life—and Sissy managed to get Miss Kitty into a carrier and take her to the vet before she had another.  And finally, there is Blue—an dark grey who is kind of a smoky-blue colour, with huge yellow eyes.  This month Sissy has managed to get Jeb Lee, Brendal, CC, Miss Kitty to the vets for spay and neutering.  Blue and Sethra are next on the list. 

While she loves all these cats, Sissy knows that the practicality of keeping eleven cats and one Chihuahua is expensive, emotionally and hygienically stressful.  So our project is to get photos of the newest foster kitties to put them up for adoption.  It will be heart-breaking to say good-bye as they are all loveable characters with their own idiosyncrasies.  But Sissy knows it is best for them.

I plan to post photos of some of the cats in the following days.  

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,
"Lady Helene" 

Adjusting to changes

Have you ever been so hot, you just sit and sweat? So hot you just want to sit in front of a fan and do nothing? Well, that’s been me over the last week. My preference is to never live in a really hot climate permanently. Florida is somewhat pleasant from October to April—and then it gets hot. August is unbearable.

Yes, I'm now in Florida, and have been since 17th January.  I came over to give my sister some respite from caring for my Mom. 

Last October Mom became ill—to the point my sister thought Mom was on the edge of dying. Mom contracted an infection that began as a urinary tract infection and escalated into an infection in the blood. Mom was in hospital for several days. When she became to improve, it was evident that Mom was now affected by dementia. She told me over that phone that Mom’s memory had been affected, and her personality had been significantly affected. After a few weeks in a rehab facility, Sissy brought Mom home.

Mom requires much more care—from a mental as well as physical aspect. Mom tends to get confused, has memory losses and can get un-cooperative when she is in pain. We have to monitor her pain level, as well as track her blood pressure and blood sugar. Mom can manage to ambulate very short distances on her own—but she is in a high-risk fall category. We try to make sure we are always with her when she wants to walk; most of the time, though, we set her on her walker (which has a seat) and roll her to the toilet or lounge/living room. Lately, she’s been known to totter from the bedroom to the bathroom by herself—like when I’m taking a nap. When we have to take her out for appointments, we use a wheel chair.

Getting Mom to eat is another major challenge. Some days she eats really well. Other days we have to depend of supplement drinks to get any nourishment into her. To complicate things even more, many of the foods she used to like she no longer likes. This is not uncommon in older folk.

I knew coming over that this would be a very challenging time, with many adjustments required on my part. I’ve had nights of prayers and tears, reaching out to God with all my heart to accept the changes in this woman.

There have been a couple of times when her thinking has been very clear and I could ask her about cooking questions, people from her past and places she remembers. Other days I have to answer the same simple questions over and over.

Some days I have had to struggle through with only three-or-four hours of sleep because Mom has had a bad night. My patience is gone, my fuse short and I don’t exercise kindness, tenderness. I am moved to frustrated tears and my sister has comforted me.

This trip has made me think a lot about my own life and when I am old. When I see Mom, “Why” echoes through my mind—and I know that the answer is the God sees the bigger picture, knowing the end as well as the beginning are well within His view and His hands. In His grand scheme of things, He has reasons for allowing us to go through the circumstances.

I love this woman I am serving now. But she is not “My Mom-Mom”, the woman who gave birth to me, the Mommy of my youth and “Mom-Best Friend” through my days of singleness. She isn’t the Mom I knew even a year ago this time. However, this “Sweetheart” is now a woman who deserves my attention, devotion and diligent care. It makes me realise that we are born needing care and we age into needing care.

This trip has deepened my love, concern, respect and appreciation of my sister and all she has done for my Mom. She has carried this load for over nine-years with only three times of respite relief from me. I believe she had done an excellent job and wonder how she does it, since her support system is almost non-existent.

Besides the times of frustration and resentment (at the situation), there have been moments of laughter. There have been moments of fun. There have been moments of tenderness, the kind that creates memories I will cherish forever.

My three-month stay ends 17^th April. I will be glad to return home to a cooler

 climate, my own bed and my dear, sweet and supportive husband. In the meantime, I’m going to keep in front of the fan as much as possible.

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,

"Lady Helene"

15 February

Today is Wednesday, 15th February.  It has significance for me because of birthdays. 


My sister and I had a dear friend, named John Carmichael who was born on this day.  He would have been fifty-two today.  But he fell ill over 10 years ago.  He is still missed by those who knew and loved him.


Also, in 1901 Mamie Deloris Boltz Cox was born.  She is my Maternal Grandmother.  Amazingly that makes it 111 years ago on this day that she was born.  She died from a stroke in 1984 on 16 August.  I still think of her most days and really miss her.


Now, on a happier note, nine years ago today I was at a party.  It was the wedding reception for My Midnight Man and myself at the American Golf Club in Sunnymeade.  Wehad been married almost a month--just three days shy!  It was great because two ladies from Hillsong church had arranged the reception for us.  All John and I had to do was put on our wedding clothes and show up!  It was a wonderful afternoon!


Just little thoughts for today. 


Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,


"Lady Helene"

Host UK and a November Visitor

Valentine’s Day and what a better time than to post something about Remembrance Weekend 2011! Nothing like being three months behind!

        In October John and I connected with the Host UK organisation—a volunteer organisation that provides adult students from foreign countries an opportunity to stay in private homes and experience “real life” in Great Britain. Host UK had contacted the Parish Office asking us to run an advert for them in the Church Parish’s weekly news sheet and/or magazine. They were looking for people to host international students over the Christmas holiday. For us, Christmas is a time to open our home, especially since two of John’s daughters now live a fair distance away. John’s sister, Sewing Queen, now lives in South Africa, having moved in October.

I remembered living in dormitories over holidays. The thought of foreigners staying in institutional buildings, no family around, with most businesses being closed over two days for the holiday was abhorrent to me, and I wanted to make a difference for a stranger. So I sent an e-mail.

Our regional representative, Paul Ryall, came to our home for a chat and to complete the application process. Within a day of our visit with Paul, we were notified of our first guest—who would becoming in November. Host UK operates year round—not just special weekends or holidays. John and I were very enthusiastic—and said we’d host once a fortnight (every two weeks) through Christmas.

It is up to the guests to contact us first. Once we hear from them, I send them an e-mail. This is a template of what I send.

Hello.  Thank you for contacting us.  John and I are looking forward to welcoming you into our home.  We truly enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures. 

We are accustomed to having lots of guests and have towels, sheets, etc.  All you really need to bring are your clothes, spending money and probably your camera. 

When we have guests, I always like to ask them about food:
1)Do you have any food allergies?
2) Do you have any particular favourites?
3) Do you prefer savoury or sweet?  Hot and Spicy?  (I personally don't like curry, but John loves it!) 
4) Are there any vegetables you don't like?

I've attached a photo for you, so you will recognise us when you see us.  John and I are looking forward to your visit--which is less than two weeks away.  So, how are you coping with the weather?  Are you constantly cold? 

Just a couple of things:

1) It is best to bring layer-able clothes, as it can get a bit cold in our flat after dark.  Also, this autumn has been a bit warm, so having layers will make it easier to deal with the changeable-ness of the weather. Our flat sometimes feels cold, so bringing some extra warm socks is a good idea. 

2) I work a few hours on Fridays, so more than likely it will be John who will meet you at the bus station.  He will have the HOST sign and a sign with your name on it!  And you have the photo of him as well, so hopefully that will help.

3) Have you had a chance to check on bus schedules and possibly train schedules? 

4) Each fortnight we meet with a bunch of friends at 7:30 pm for dinner and Bible study.  The group is about 10 adults and eight children.  We do have a lot of fun.  However if you think you would be uncomfortable, or are not interested, please don't feel any pressure to go.  I only make it about half the time because I struggle with fatigue.  However, the group is very welcoming and love meeting new people

Djuna H. is from Australia and was studying for one term at Royal Holloway University in Egham, Surrey. John and I were very excited and pleased when we received the first e-mail from Djuna. Photos were exchanged by e-mail, and arrangements made for John to meet her at the bus station in Slough. Djuna arrived on Friday, 11^th November.

That Friday evening we took Djuna to the Hillsong Connect Group. Djuna has no church back-ground, so she found the evening different to what most people think of church. Seeing as how half the group are Filipino, it was an excellent opportunity for her to taste Filipino food.

Cooking a favourite dish for a guest is fulfilling for me, which made preparing pancakes for Djuna on Saturday morning a joy. Since this was something she couldn’t prepare in the dorms, and not served as a breakfast dish in the UK, it was a treat for her (I hope, anyway!). Chatting with Djuna on our couch was enjoyable, as we both liked Midsomer Murders, travel and meeting new people.

After breakfast, on Saturday morning, being the bicycling enthusiast, John kitted Djuna with cycling gear and took her out for a ride, using my bike. Though it had been a while, Djuna kept up with John. After they got back, there was some television time. I was a bit tired, but decided it was a nice enough day to venture out. So Djuna and I took a local bus to Flowerland in Iver. It’s a big green-house, nursery with lots of gardening furniture. There are other cubicles with speciality items—including a pet shop and aquariums. After looking at the different fish and booths with Christmas decorations, we went to the Tea/Coffee Shop. Djuna had a cream tea and I had chocolate cake with a cappuccino.

The bus ride was expensive, ten pounds for both of us. If I’d had a car, we could have gone to Iver for about two pounds!

Sunday morning Djuna went to St. Mary’s church with me. On Remembrance Sunday each year there is a procession from one of the local churches to the Epithet in Langley Memorial garden. John wanted to join the parade starting at Christ the Worker Church. That Sunday was my turn to serve coffee at St. Mary’s, for those who were not going to attend the laying of wreaths on the memorial. Djuna had met a couple of people after the service and she walked with them to the park where she met John. After the memorial service, John took Djuna over the Christ the Worker to meet more people and show her around a bit. I met them back at the flat and prepared our lunch. Djuna was very kind and remembered to sign our guest book before she left to catch the buses back to Egham.

In some ways, John and I wish we had more to offer our HOST UK Guests in terms of travelling and seeing things. Having a car would be wonderful, so we could take them to island between Windsor & Staines (Runnymede) where King John supposedly signed the Magna Carta; or to the plain of Salisbury to see Stonehenge and then over to Salisbury Cathedral.

On the flip side, we live on the train lines so getting into London is convenient. We can also take the buses and catch the underground in Hounslow. It is more convenient to take the Transport for London buses and the underground than to have to try to find parking and then paying an extortionate amount for parking in London. There are many fee things in London, like the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Tate Art Museum, the Tate Modern Museum, the Museum of Natural History, walking in the parks of London (Hyde, Regent, Green, & St James), seeing the changing of the guard, walking through China Town.

Slough’s big draw is the large industrial estates where people find work. It isn’t great for touristy stuff. Yet, we are thankful that we have a home to share with strangers. After all, the idea behind HOST UK is for students to learn about the life-style of everyday Brits—sharing authentic food, with common daily life, doing what locals do with those locals.

It was a pleasure to have Djuna and learn more about Australian culture. She is an inquisative, intelligent, articulate, independent young woman. She has respect for other people's opinions and beliefs. I've enjoyed keeping up with her travels and studies through her blog: http://hotterroristdotcom.wordpress.com/

Hosting internation students is a great way to enrich one's life. It has opened my mind to think about countries I've not been curious about previously. Seeing my culture(s) reflected against a different one, whilst still in my own home, is certainly a twist to cross-cultural experience for me. I would urge anyone to open their home to students, missionaries, and even business people from other countries. Here in the UK, contact http://www.hostuk.org.uk/

Conclusion to the Kidney Saga

I’m sitting in my mother’s bedroom in Florida, my laptop sitting on a small sewing table whilst I write. I’ve just finished the Parish newsletter, and decided it’s time to write a blog entry.

I arrived in warm and humid Florida on 17^th January and will be here until 17^th April. That is another story. For now I want to write a series of blogs from the last two months of 2011.

At 6:00 am on Monday, 7^th November, the alarm went off. It was the day of my kidney biopsy, and I had to up early. My friend “Miss Emerald” was arriving about 7:00 am to pick me up and take me to Reading. We wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time in case there was lots of traffic. However, the traffic was smooth and free flowing and we made good time. The hospital in Reading is very big and after parking in the parking garage, we walked for 20 minutes—from one end of the hospital to the other—to get to the correct out-patient ward. I was the first patient to arrive. There were only two of us scheduled for a kidney biopsy, so I knew we would be running pretty much to schedule. After I checked in, Miss Emerald took her leave and returned home. It wasn’t productive for her to sit all day at the hospital—as I was required to be there for a good part of the day.

Eventually the specialist came in and explained the procedure and the risks involved. But the peace wrapped around me like a warm blanket and I was very relaxed. I signed the forms and waited while the doctor and his nurse did all the prep. The preparation took longer than the procedure!

I was asked to lay on my stomach with a pillow under my hips. Then the doctor injected a local anaesthetic into my back in the region of my kidneys. After a few minutes, he injected a very large needle into my side. It was uncomfortable, and hurt a bit. Then he took two samples from my left kidney. He placed them in sample bottles with white labels on them, and asked me if I’d like to seem them. They looked like baby worms—very tiny. I couldn’t help but think how different they would look under a microscope, enlarged a couple of 100 times.

After the stitches were put in, I was told I had to lay flat on my back for an hour. This wasn’t too bad, as I had my MP3 player with me and put on some soft worship music. The last 10 minutes did seem long, as I was beginning to feel stiff. After the first hour I was allowed to sit up—but had to stay in bed for another three hours. I’d come prepared with a box lunch My Midnight Man had made-up for me. And I was given a cup of hot tea.

A book is always a good way to pass time and I’d brought “Heaven is in the House” by Bobbi Houston. Bobbi is the co-founder of Hillsong Church, Australia, along with her husband, Brian. She wrote the book about church life—and how it should be a place of warmth, acceptance, and significance. The Hillsong ethos is that church is a place for people to discover God’s purpose for their lives, a place where they can get their hearts healed and a place of belonging.

I had to remain in bed for a total of four hours after the biopsy, and so with good music on my MP3 player, I was able to complete the book in one setting.

I told the nurses, that except for the episode with the needles—it almost felt like a holiday. Who wouldn’t want to spend a day in bed reading? By 4:00pm I’d been given my follow-up instructions and discharged. “Miss Emerald” returned after having an afternoon nap herself, and picked me up. Traffic was heavier in the evening, as people were getting off from work.

My follow-up appointment with Dr. Naik, the nephrologist was on 24^th November. Dr. Naik was originally from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and we embarked on that part of the conversation because neither of us have British accents! After reviewing the biopsy results, Dr. Naik explained that I had some mild damage to my kidneys, as well as inflammation. This was caused by taking anti-inflammatory drugs—i.e. ibuprofen and aspirin—over 20 years. I was now to change from aspirin-based pain relievers to things like acetaminophen and Tylenol. He also change the acid-blocker I was taking—from Lansoprazole to ranitidine—(known as Zantac over the counter). He said the Lansoprazole could also cause damage to the kidneys.

• Then Dr. Naik reviewed the list of symptoms I had presented: Chronic Fatigue—must get about ten to 12 hours of sleep a night
• Head aches
• Muscle aches in neck and shoulders.
• Tingling and numbness in lower arms, wrists and hands.
• Foggy thinking—when really tired can’t organise my thoughts to speak
• Muscle weakness—loss of support in top of thighs and knees feel like rubber.
• Trembling and Shaking—especially when very tired or feeling stressed.
• Over-acid stomach—often need to take Gaviscon along with acid blocker.
• Sometimes I feel queasy when I get hungry, but then will also feel queasy after eating.
• Occasional bouts of irritable bowels.
• Episodes where my heart pounds in my chest, accompanied by tremors/shaking, breathlessness
• Night sweats—I can go to bed feeling chilled, but wake up a couple of hours later with my pyjama top wet around my neck. Its so sweaty that I have to change it.
• Suddenly feeling weepy, very sad.
• Feeling overwhelmed when I get stressed, tired.
• Oedema in lower legs.
• Increased hair growth on my face and under chin.
• Can only walk about 10 minutes without stopping for a rest.
• Feeling anxious, fearful.
• When I get shaky/trembly, I also get breathless, have difficulty concentrating and talking is an effort.
• Mood swings/ irritability, depression.
• Occasionally get light-headed.
• Lethargy, no energy to do house-hold chores. Some days don’t have the mental energy for administrative tasks.

Dr. Naik said that none of these symptoms were related to my kidney damage. By discussing this with him, he was agreeable to me seeing an endocrinologist. He dictated a letter to my GP with this information and recommendations. I was scheduled for a follow-up visit with urine and blood tests in February. However, that appointment will have to be rescheduled as I am now in Florida. Other than that, this concludes the Kidney Saga. I’m glad to know why my kidneys are releasing blood and protein in my urine. I’m also glad that I have been informed that I can see an endocrinologist about my fatigue issues. Sometimes the system is slow, but eventually we do get where we need to go.

Ataned1958's photostream

Ataned1958's photostream on Flickr.

Photos from the Langley Parish Away Day at St. Paul's church in Slough