What I am reading

Dear Lucy,

These days I am reading "Footprints in the Snow'

By Sheng Yen.

Here is an excerpt of the book:

The author is a master of Chan Buddhism, the Chinese antecedent of Zen Buddhism that is not nearly as well known as Zen and other Buddhist schools that have migrated to the West. The Chan master's story is less Buddhist dharma and more history of his homeland. Born in 1930, he had a ringside seat for China's Communist revolution. In 1949, he left his Buddhist schooling to join Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist army, spending more than 10 years in military intelligence. That experience was but one of many teachers along his spiritual path, along with a few bizarre Chan masters. Sheng Yen has also traveled, spending some time teaching in America. His efforts, however, have been concentrated in Taiwan, where he has developed the fourth-largest Buddhist organization in that area. This book is timely, given that China is opening to the West this year on account of the Olympics in Beijing. China is also becoming more open to religious practices, especially its own distinctive Buddhism. This son of China is a distinguished teacher with a revealing, simply told story.

It was a very interesting book watching this man grow and change and the Chinese culture is facinating.

A very good read.

--Kathy

Sittin' in the ER

Dear Lucy,
It is 9:30 pm and I am in the ER with Suzie again. She had the tube that was placed in her kidney after surgery removed and a few hours later was in agony.
So, I rushed her to the ER where they rushed her into a bed and the nurse started giving me attitude about getting Suzie into a gown.
Yea right. She's in agony and dry heaving and screaming and I need to get her into a gown.
So, I blew up and yelled at the nurse. The doctor came in and yelled at me. Security was called. They threatened to throw me out of the hospital.
Blame it on the tattoos I guess. I am not that threatening!
Oh, the drama.
So, Suzie has been given pain meds and is asleep. The concern now is that there is a fragment of stone still in there trying to pass.
God help Suzie!

--Kathy

Thankful to a stranger

Dear Lucy,

Yesterday I drove a woman about my age from the hospital in Bellingham to the ferry dock in Anacortes. It's about 50 miles south of here.

It takes an hour.

That's an hour of a passenger who was very talkative.

She had spent 6 days at the hospital because of an esophageal bleed. Her third one in three years.

By the time we got to the ferry terminal she had regaled me with stories of her poor health and near death experiences.

Most of the people I drive have mental or physical problems or are elderly. I get a lot of stories. It makes me thankful for my good health, and grateful that I don't suffer from chronic pain.

Sometimes I get into a funk about my life and that, at 51, I don't have much to show for it.

Then I get a passenger who is fighting every day just to get out of bed and function.

I am thankful for my good health, that I am not living under crushing debt, that I have a job and people in my life who care about me.

Sometimes, it just takes a good kick in the ass by a stranger to make me appreciate.

--Kathy

Suzie

Dear Lucy,
So, Suzie had her surgery today to remove her mamoth kidney stone. She is in recovery right now (5-14-10 at 1:20 pm) and doing fine.
Chances are good that they will keep her overnight for pain control and she will be home tomorrow to start her recovery.
Thank God it's over!

--Kathy

Engaging Katie

Dear Lucy,
So, I bought Katie an engagement ring and gave it to her last week. She, of course was as shocked as if I had slapped her with a dead mackerel.
What does this mean?
I can't quite say the M word (marriage) but I wanted to make some commitment with her that when she moves to San Diego with her daughter at the end of the year (the daughter is in the Navy and being stationed there), that we would try and work out our family ties and find a way to be together again.
Stay tuned. I don't know how this will pan out, I am working without a net here!

--Kathy

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Lucy,

Well, it was about this time last year that I set out on my crazy journey on the train and started this blog. Hard to believe that time has passed so quickly.

When I hatched the scheme to take the train to everywhere the idea was to travel but still have the ability to be alone and think about my life and where it was going and where it had been. I wanted to be away from the surroundings that reminded me of Anne and triggered more emotions than I could handle.

It worked. As crazy as the thing seemed to others, it worked.

I remember loved ones telling me that I would get through my loss of Anne and get to the other side. To say I was skeptical is putting it mildly. I had hoped that I would be like some of those spouses who died within a year of their mate and wouldn't have to get to the other side of mourning.

Now, had anyone told me then that in a year I would be driving a taxicab for a living and falling in love again, I would have, well I would have really run away from home!

So, to sum it up, life is good. Different from what I had expected, and good.

And it has been a year of Dear Lucy.

(The picture of the rose is a painting done by Katie's daughter Megan)

--Kathy

Tulip Festival

Dear Lucy,

Katie and I made a trip to the Tulip Festival and Katie took about a hundred pictures. It was a beautiful sunny day and we both forgot hats or sunscreen...ah well, who thinks about those things in rainy Washington?

We had a great time anyway and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. I can take some sun but Katie is a blue-eyed redhead who burns easily.

Here's a picture she took.

--Kathy