My friend who has been battling leukemia finally got to go home from the hospital.  His release on Tuesday ended a 122 day stay.  June and July were very rough.  After his stem cell transplant at the beginning of June, he developed a host of complications.  Every time he seemed to make an improvement, something would happen to backtrack his progress.  Nothing was simple for him.  Even a common side effect turned into a major complication.  Mid-July he was placed in ICU because of liver, stomach, and kidney failure.  After several days of dialysis, things started to turn around for him.  But through all of the struggle, evidence that the transplant worked mounted.  He is now finally home and trying to regain his strength.  Prior to his hospital stay he was exercising every day and playing racquetball 3 days a week.  Now, walking up one flight of stairs takes his breath away.  I'm confident he'll rapidly regain his strength now that he is home disconnected from all the IV lines and sleeping in his own bed.

The donor for my friend's stem cell transplant was his sister.  She accepted a lot of risk for her brother and will forever be a part of him.  Her blood literally runs through his veins now.  Everyone who has helped with tangible and intangible support has been asked to thank her in some way, even as simply as a 'Thank You' note.  I'm making her a pair of monkey socks out of some of the yummy yarn I got from Fiber Optic during Knitters Connection. I'm not as far along on these as I had hoped to be.  Tonight will be movie night at home, so I'll make progress then.

Last weekend I went on a roadtrip with one of my sisters, a sister-in-law, and two nieces to Myrtle Beach.  Here is a view of the resort from the beach.  The building we stayed in was behind these buildings and not visible in this picture.

We only actually hung out on the beach one day.  The resort had several very nice pools and we decided that it was more fun being there. I've come to the conclusion that sand and surf are not as much fun if there aren't kids to play with.

Several recent events in my life have taught me some things.  First, don't hesitate to show your love and appreciation.  You never know how long you will get the opportunity.  Second, prayer works.  It may not seem like it for a while, but God has a plan and if you open yourself up to it, things work out.  The ending may not be what you hoped for, but in the end you get what you need.  Third, don't dwell on negatives from your past.  Always look forward with hope instead of backwards with anger.  Fourth, strive to repair damaged relationships.  Life is constantly evolving and we need to continually try to make it the best it can be for ourselves and those around us.  Sometimes someone just needs you to reach out to them.  And finally, know when it is time to let go, whether it is a person or an object or an emotion.  Children grow into adults.  Anger and frustration are not productive and will fester if held inside.

Here is one of my favorite Bible quotes:

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

- Numbers 6:24-26

Back from the Black Hills

Earlier this year I told Ed that I wanted to show the kids some of the places my parents took my siblings and I when we were young. Spring Break was spent in Washington DC and this summer we spent a week in South Dakota in the Black Hills area.

It has been 30+ years since I was in the Black Hills. I vividly remember Mount Rushmore and have a vague recollection of Custer State Park and the Badlands. A few other memories are scattered in there of either Wounded Knee or Custer's Last Battleground, but I can't remember which. I don't remember if the Black Hills area was very touristy back then, but even if it was, my dad would have avoided those attractions. We stuck mainly to the natural wonders, with the obvious exception of Mount Rushmore.

On this trip, Ed and I tried to do the same. Despite the emphatic recommendations of several fellow hotel guests, we did not see Reptile Land, Bear Country, Flinstone's Bedrock, Cosmos, or the Old West Gun Fight show. All of those sounded just too cheesy. We did venture slightly into 'cheesiness' by stopping at Wall Drug and taking the 1880 Train ride. Ed vetoed a stop at the Corn Palace because it was too Griswold. Here are some of the highlights from what we did do.

Stopped at Wall Drug for lunch and a little browsing through their shops.


Visited Mount Rushmore. Dash is trying to become one with the sculptures.


Toured Needles Highway through Custer State Park.


Saw bison in Custer State Park and the Badlands National Park. Lots and lots of bison. Bison on the road blocking traffic in Custer SP. These animals were grazing along the road. Several cars, including us, stopped to watch. I was stunned when a family got out of their car in the middle of the herd and put their child on the roof of their car to get a better look. The alpha male was right by our car and he kicked a few other bulls right in front of us. I can't believe those people had a total disregard for how dangerous these animals could be.


This is one of the wild burros from Custer SP. This particular guy reminded us of Donkey from Shrek. They were so tame. We had to remind the kids that they still were wild animals and don't expect them to behave like a pet.


There were pronghorn and prairie dogs.



And finally very unusual terrain in the Badlands National Park.


We also took the Lantern Tour through Jewel Cave. The kids were a little hesitant at first, but after we got inside they realized it wasn't that hard to climb through the cave. I wasn't able to take my camera because I couldn't fit it in my pocket (a requirement for anything you bring). The kids said they'd like to explore more caves.

And finally, even though I packed 3 projects to work on, no knitting or crocheting occurred. I was too tired from our exploring to do anything in the evenings.