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Showing posts with the label family

Radiation Therapy, and a Household's Weekly Schedule

Our number-two daughter starts radiation therapy this week.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Cancer treatment for one of our daughters starts today. Besides health concerns, I realize that this will take a great deal of time out of each week.)

Family Health Issues: Cancer, a Smile, Tubes, and Waiting

Good news from number-two daughter's operation last week. As she put it, 'I've still got my smile'. Medicos had gone back into her neck last Wednesday. One of the possible outcomes was disruption of nerves that control the lower-right side of her face.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Still dealing with cancer in the family: second operation, and no news from the man in the extended family who couldn't walk.)

Cancer in the Family, Update: Operation This Week

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Recapping what I said week before last: our number-two daughter has cancer, but our granddaughter's left arm has healed nicely. I'm still feeling blank, emotionally. As I said then.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (How my family is handing cancer: a second planned operation tomorrow, no new diagnosis.)

Cancer in the Family

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First, the good news. Our number-two daughter's cancer is slow-growing. The not-so-good news is that it's aggressive. And, of course, that she's got cancer. I learned about the cancer in early January. 1 The family knows a little more now, and I've gotten the okay to talk about it. Which isn't easy. I've been — distracted — and that'll very likely continue. Putting Feelings in Perspective Previous Experience "...Feelings, Woah, Woah, Woah, Feelings...." Diagnoses, Definitions, Surgery, and (Probably) Good News Another Operation, Radiation, and Prayer More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (I learned that one of our grown children has cancer a few weeks ago. I know a little more now. This week I talk about feelings, health, and what comes next.)

May 13, 2023: It’s Been an Interesting Week

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I'd been planning on having something else ready for posting. By Friday afternoon, that obviously wasn't going to happen. So I'll talk about what has been happening. I should have my ducks in a row by the end of next week. This week's highlight was an unexpected visit from number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. They'd been vacationing in Kentucky, and had planned on driving straight through to their home in North Dakota. Then our granddaughter had a learning experience involving a swing and gravity. She'll be okay, but right now she's dealing with a broken arm. And that's why they stopped off in Sauk Centre. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A visit this week, a broken arm and illness in the house have distracted me. So I this week I talked life, health, faith and making sense.)

'In the human family, gathered by Christ, "the image and likeness" of the Most Holy Trinity has been restored.' Sunday Reflections, Trinity Sunday, Year C

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  The Two Trinities   Murillo [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)   Gospel   John 16:12-15 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    Jesus said to his disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.   When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.   He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.   All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ” Léachtaí i nGaeilge Holy Family and Trinity Jacob de Wit [ Web Gallery of Art ] During my kindergarten, primary and secondary school years, 1947 to 1961, my brother and I had breakfast and dinner

Health and Surfside Condo Collapse: Siloam Scenarios

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Sunday's rain dampened Sauk Centre's streets, but delivered under four tenths of an inch. That's been good for our weeds, and for grass next to sidewalks. But it's nowhere near the two or three inches we need to get back to adequate soil moisture in these parts. Medical issues have been distracting me. I took one of the kids to an unscheduled clinic checkup with follow-up lab work. Then another enjoyed, if that's the word, a day or so in the hospital. Not Sauk Centre's hospital. One up in North Dakota, near where she lives. On the 'up' side, I've been okay this week, which left me free for chauffeur duty. I'm hoping the next week here will be less eventful. But, quoting an old Minnesota saying, it could be worse. I woke up Thursday morning. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Unmasked Minnesotan's Second COVID-19 Shot

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I haven't been wearing a face mask when I go to Mass, the Adoration chapel or Walmart. But I do carry one in my pocket when I go out, just in case the rules have changed. Again. Most folks I've been seeing stopped wearing face masks when pandemic-related restrictions eased up. If I see someone with a face mask in Walmart, the odds are that the person works there. As a rule, non-employee mask wearers seem to be young, old, somewhere between, and either men or women. I figure it depends on the individual's general health and willingness to put up with slightly-used air. And maybe willingness to believe that face masks make sense. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

In Praise of Lilacs, Blue Sky and Rain

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"...Blue skies Smiling at me Nothing but blue skies Do I see..." (" Blue Skies ," Irving Berlin (1926) via Lyrics.com) But that's not literally true. We had blue skies with clouds Monday through Wednesday. Then it rained part of Wednesday night, pretty much all Thursday and part of Thursday night. So maybe this is more appropriate. Or was, until Friday's bright blue skies and sunshine.... (I have been feeling down, depressed and worse. So I wrote about emotions, personality disorders, predestination, flowers and making sense.) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

First of Two COVID-19 Vaccinations This Morning

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I went to the local hospital this morning, got a sheaf of paper and a 3x5 card, had a short chat and followed green arrows to the elevator. I've walked down that corridor a fair number of times, and have even been in the elevator. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Another Trip to the Emergency Room

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Good news, my son and I had a long chat last Saturday. Not-so-good news, we had it in the local emergency room. Still, it could have been worse. After a few hours of fluids and pain meds, he wasn't feeling quite so awful, and I drove him home again. Blood work told us that his major systems were working. And a scan showed that his brain wasn't missing any pieces. So, basically, good news. Even so, I could have done without the stress. So, I'm sure, could my son. And I'm very glad that (almost) a week has gone by without a similar incident.... ...Imaging Tech: X-Rays and the Fabulous Foot-O-Scope (An image from my brain scans in 2018.) Medical diagnostic tech has come a long way since my youth, but we still can't tap into another person's sensory inputs. Which, from a 'privacy' perspective may be a good thing, and I'm wandering off-topic. Even so, we had impressive tech in my 'good old days.'... More at A Catholic Citizen in Am

Sunshine, Holy Water and a Trip to the Emergency Room

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Between Saturday's sunshine and today's patches of green grass, I've enjoyed this weekend. For the most part. I picked up a bottle from the first of this year's holy water last Sunday, following up with blessing the house on Tuesday. I hadn't done that for quite some time. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Little Saint Julian Mary Pearl, Pray for Us!

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I haven't been much of a blogger the past few years, so I haven't contributed to this site in quite some time.  I recently deleted my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, however; and lo and behold , suddenly I find that I have so much more time to spend on my first love, writing full-length blog posts!  Getting off social media has been so good for my mental and spiritual well-being, and for reminding me how much more satisfying writing is for me than endlessly scrolling through social media posts.  My husband and I are blessed to be busy and involved with our ever-expanding family (our 17th grandchild was born in October), and that's another reason I haven't been posting at my blog as often as I used to.  Sadly, though, we have also lost several precious grandchildren to miscarriage in the past two years.  Not too long ago, I shared this post about our most recent loss over at String of Pearls. Please keep our oldest son, his sweet wife, and their five children

Groundhog Day, and Me in Three Words

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It's February 2nd, Groundhog day. It's a North American tradition, one of Punxsutawney's local events and — at least in my country — national news. Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A Family Visit is Still in Progress: Kids and Adoption

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Yesterday's visit continues. Granddaughter and I have enjoyed watching cartoons. I'm looking forward to reading her a book from my childhood, plus another from my father's and mine. Our granddaughter's parents are her 'real' parents in practical terms. And they adopted her.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Company has Arrived: A Family Visit in Progress

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Our number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter arrived shortly after noon. We're celebrating a belated/second Christmas and our granddaughter's birthday. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Sunset, Nativity Scene, Freezing Fog and Frosted Trees

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(The great convergence, probably behind those clouds. (December 22, 2020)) I could have put either of these two photos in an earlier post. But I didn't. So here they are now.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Christmas, 2020: I'm Glad to Be Here

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(My corner of small town America around noon, Christmas Eve.) It's Christmas Eve afternoon here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Weather, Wind Chill, Memory and Deciding Wednesday's blizzard became a wind chill advisory, which has since retreated to lands north and west of my home. ...What we do each year, and how we do it, matters. But it's not nearly as important as why we get together and celebrate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Blizzard: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

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(Wednesday noon, December 23, 2020; my webcam's view of Sauk Centre's south side.) Tuesday afternoon's winter storm warning for my part of central Minnesota became a blizzard warning in the evening. We were promised a chance of freezing rain. But I didn't notice any Wednesday morning. On the other hand, wind was picking up and by noon snow wasn't coming down. It was coming across. I'd probably have got out to the Eucharistic Adoration chapel for my 2:00-3:00 Wednesday afternoon turn, if my wife hadn't said I should think about it. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Self-Isolation in the Family

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COVID-19, the pandemic coronavirus disease, has come to my house. Maybe. My son has been sick. Yesterday he had a telephone checkup. I don't know what the official term is for a medical interview conducted via telephone. He's been told to self-isolate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .