Christmas Day 2009

This is a day we hoped we would see but did not know for sure. Today....we know...and I think these pictures, once again, say it all.

Merry Christmas to one and all and here's to a healthy and happy 2010. It is a time for new beginnings!

Lots of love

Gord and Sheila

Another breakthrough...Gord got his lifevest as an early Christmas present so he could try it out in the pool. It worked very well so the ocean is our next quest. Weather has been spectacular so far.

All is going well. After Christmas we hope to start some speech therapy and check out some physiotherapy. Walking on the beach each day is helping with balance and getting a good pace going. Also Gord uses the stairs from the bottom to the fifth floor two or three times a day. He has set a good example for the rest of us so the elevator has not been used much lately!

Not much else to report. I think the pictures say it all.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.

We love hearing from you so post your news and share your happiness with us!

xoxo

Sheila and Gord

Another first!!!!

Here are pictures of today when Gord just said..."going for a walk on the beach"..... I was upstairs dealing with malfunctioning computer and washer/dryer and off he went with friends, Larry and Normajean and Mike and Linda. They took good care of him for me and made it all the way to the other side of Sugar Beach Resort. I am sure he had it in his mind to get to Maalea Surf but today it was just a bit too far. Maybe next week ..... or ...tomorrow.

Can you just FEEL the sun on your shoulders!!!! It is good.

Pictures taken from our new viewpoint....condo that is!

All is going well....and the weather has been spectacular.

En joy the pictures. Worth a thousand words.

xoxo

Sheila

In Maui at last!

Hello all....so sorry for the long delay in getting back on the blog but I have not had the computer working until now. Our stay in Palm Desert was beautiful with great weather and great friends. We were delightfully surprised with a visit from Gord's cousins, Mel and Nancy Bosch while we were there. Like Maui, there are a lot of Canadian snow birds residing in the warmer climate during the Winter months. Norm and Dale were wonderful hosts to us and escorted us to Los Angeles and made sure we got on our flight.

Speaking of flights, it was quite an adventure getting through security as a handicapped couple. Gord was in a wheelchair and ohmygoodness did he get put through the thorough screening. They literally touched him everywhere and I mean everywhere! I couldn't believe it. Next time we fly he is walking through the metal detector. No more chairs....another goal!

All in all Gord handled the flights well. He was very calm and did not have much difficulty getting in and out of the seats. I think he had a little ear distress when we were landing in Palm Springs but it did not last.

SO now we are in Maui and I have been on a dead run getting our new place up and running. It is getting close to full completion - just need to find Gord his special chair and we are good to go. The view is amazing from this unit. Both of us are very happy. Now to get rid of this cold I picked up and all will be perfect in paradise. At the moment I have laryingitis so it is a challenge communicating with Gord and everyone else! I am praying he does not get this cold that is going around here. It will be a miracle if he does not get it.

News in Maui today is that they are waiting for the BIG WAVE to hit the islands on the north facing shores. It could be up to 50 feet high. Have not had a wave that big for some 40-50 years. You many even hear about it in Canada. We think we will be ok in our little bay but they say the waves may wrap around the island and be larger than normal for us. Kind of exciting but let's hope it does not cause destruction! The surfers are the most excited folks around and there will be hundreds of cars heading to the north side today. Good day for Gord and I to go shopping I think!

I am adding a picture of the partial group of the Maui Canoe Club that arrived in front of our condo by water on the morning of Dec. 3rd. It was absolutely beautiful! There were tears and embraces and Gord just kept smiling and looking at everyone. Our hearts were full! Thank you to all the members for your warmth and kindness in welcoming us back.

Well, now I feel much better getting this blog posted.

Take care everyone and have a lovely Christmas season.

Love

Sheila and Gord

November 26th, 2009

We are counting the days....and getting very excited about the trip. Gord has been asking me a million questions about logistics and I just keep telling him it will all work out. I just have this feeling that because I have prepared so carefully for this new type of travelling with cane and wheelchair etc. that we will both be so surprised at how helpful everyone will be and how smoothly our trip will go.

I am showing you why Maui is so enticing at this time of year. The pictures were taken about a week ago when we woke up one morning to bright sunshine and big white globs of ice on the lake. They only seemed to be right in front of our cabin. They hung around for a few days and then the wind came up and we could hear the tinkling of the ice crystals breaking up. It was amazing and a lot like Spring when the lake is thawing. As of today, the lake is open and I do not believe there is any ice floating around. I could be wrong. The temperature has been from -2 to plus 7 lately.

Well, we are just about to take a walk through in the cabin so that I can quiz Gord on the process he would normally go through to shut the cabin down for the Winter. I want to know even though his brothers Gary and Richard are going to come after we leave and complete the process for us. I hope in the future to be able to do this myself. I have learned so much in the last 11 months . I have learned things I never had to deal with in the past. Kind of a blessing in a way to be pushed into experiences I was not expecting.

Gord is doing well. So far we have not had any colds or flu and we have been feeling great. Could be the adrenalin and anticipation building for the BIG trip.

Once again, I invite anyone who needs a Winter get away to give us a call or email to see if our Unit 607 is available. So far it is open except for a couple of weeks in Feb.

email at sheilabosch@hotmail.com

Take care

Love

Sheila

November 4th ,2009

Well finally I can report some positive news about our pending trip to Palm Desert and Maui. I have searched and searched and found travel insurance for Gord with his pre existing condition. The only people that will cover him at this point is RBC and the coverage is only good for anything that happens over the 6 months of being away that is NOT connected to his stroke. That's fine with me because I just wanted coverage for a slip and fall and broken bones or pneumonia or whatever.....I also found AirMed which is an air ambulance that will transport us door to door if we need to get Gord home quickly and he cannot fly commercial. They take pre-existing conditions - and to cover Gord for 1 year, 180 days away the cost is $325 USD. That's it. 2 trips in one year allowed and you just have to be more than 150 miles away from home.
I just thought you might be interested in this information since some of you out there may need some options some day.
We are leaving the "cold country" November 25th for Palm Desert and then to Maui Dec. 1st. We will travel all morning and arrive around 1pm. Perfect!
Gord is doing well - he seems healthy and happy. We have great days just bumming around together. He likes to come with me when I go for groceries. I even got him to come into Walmart and Costco the other day. He walks for a while and then I give him the keys for the car and he heads back when he is ready. He is getting very independent which is a blessing.
I tried to get him to talk on camera this morning and after about 10 trys I got a sentence.I then tried to upload to the blog and it would not go. Sorry, I tried. He really does have a hard time getting words and thoughts out. The frustrating thing is that he understands everything! Anyway, it is part of the process of healing that we need to go through and having our goal of this Winter away keeps us going day to day.
We love hearing from you all so keep watching. I will not be posting as often as before but when we get to Maui I will send pictures again.
Take care and thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for all your love and support over the past 11 months!!!
xoxo
Sheila

Home Sweet Home Oct 20/09

The last time we will exit this building. Gord trying to hide his cane behind his back.His smile is pretty big!

Saying Good Bye....on his last walk down this corridor...

Well, it's over. As the picture depicts, the crowd is cheering Gord and Gord is cheering the loudest. I asked "who is happy Gord is leaving today" and they broke out in a cheer. Amazing, and awesome that we have come this far in just 10 months. (7 months in Halvar Jonson). Oh and speaking of Halvar Jonson, I stopped by the local FasGas to get a Lottomax today (you just never know) and the gal helping me told me that Halvar Jonson comes in every day and she helps him as he had a stoke years ago. He was a teacher of hers in school as well. I was floored! I would have thought HJ would have been long gone if a rehab center is named after him.

There is also a shot of Gord in his last walk down the hall to the truck saying goodbye to a buddy. It was sweet to see how these two interacted as neither could find the words to express what they wanted to say so they nod and shrug and point. Who needs to speak! Body language works just fine.

The going away gathering in Ferintosh House was wonderful. These are the people who dedicated themselves to help Gord get to where he is today. A very important person that is not present that we must thank is Fiona. You have seen her working with Gord in Physio therapy shots earlier in the blogspots. Fiona has moved to Lethbridge and we wish her much success.

Thank you all for coming by to say good bye to us. We will miss you.....kind of. Gord intimated that he did not want to see any of you again - except on the beach in Maui.

Well, I am tired and am going to take a few days to get my energy back, get the house cleaned up and maybe the garden. Then it will be time to think of warmer climates.

Love to all,

Sheila

Reminder on how to post a comment

I know some people would like to post a comment on Gord's blog and we really love reading them so here is how to do it.

You need to sign on as "anonymous" and everything flows from there. Just be sure to put your name in the text somewhere!
I think this is the confusing thing about posting. Email me at sheilabosch@hotmail if it does not work and I will look at it again.

Cheers
Sheila

Just had a time out!

Surprise visit from Colby, Laurie and Catarina

Lovely 4 days with Su and Ken....

Stretches to do a home...

More stretches...Thanks Fiona for all your assistance!

I do apologize to our loyal blog followers for not updating you lately on our progress. We have been extremely busy getting all the details wrapped up for our departure from Halvar Jonson on Oct 20th. It will be an emotional departure as the girls and guys that have been part of our life for the past 7 months or so will be missed. They have all been so kind and helpful. I personally feel like I am stepping off a ledge into the great unknown and as I tell Gord to work hard and have the faith I have to remind myself to do the same!!!

Our plans are still the same and we should be departing from Calgary on Nov. 25th. We hope to be in Maui by Dec. 1st at the latest to meet with our contractor who will fine tune things for us in the condo that is newly renovated. This was totally a surprise for us and a welcomed one. The support we have received is so wonderful. I want to send out a huge thank you as well to Normajean and Sherry who have arranged for us to have our bed set up in the new unit so within a very short time after arriving Gord can luxuriate in his new bed in his new unit on the ocean. We look forward to watching the whales arrive, put on their show right outside our windows for the next 6 months and then depart (in May at the same time we do).

Actually, writing about it while viewing over the lake on a cool Oct morning and very overcast, makes me want to leave tomorrow. Can't though, too much to do!!!!

Anyway, I will let you know of our progress as we start our own therapy program at home.....

Wish us luck.

Love

Sheila

PS Our other unit #607 at the Kealia is available for rental on a very private basis if anyone is interested. Just email me at sheilabosch@hotmail.com for availability. I have it listed for sale but do not expect to sell it until later in the season and if I have rentals it will just have to close after they are honored! We are there until mid May - if all goes well.

http://www.kealiaresort.com/ will show the building and the amenities.

October 20/09 Discharge date

Outrigger Paddling movement.....Go Gord!

Getting the good arm to push up the right arm so it learns the movement required.

Armbike therapy..

Sunset on the lake....View therapy

Heat therapy. Check the temperature guage....it's a heatwave....Gord lasted 5 minutes outside that day. Sept 24th, 2009.

Well we have finally come up with the discharge date of October 20, 2009 and everyone is working diligently toward that date to make sure we have everything in place to carry on therapy at home and in Maui. I am attaching pictures of Anthony helping Gord simulate paddling - this one is for the Maui Canoe Club! We are trying to tap into what Gord's brain already has programmed in it, like paddling and tennis and hammering. This is a new take on getting his right arm to respond. Give him tasks that he already knows how to do instead of brand new ones. The next 3 weeks will be very focussed on this.

I am in the process of trying to get travel insurance so wish me luck!

Love

Sheila

54 Stairs DOWN and 54 Stairs UP

Well, this was a big day today Sept 20th 2009. Gord approached the stairs to the lower dock with great trepidation. He was very cautious about the lack of handrails at the top of the stairs which I still need to get railed but after I helped him over this hurdle off we went down the stairs. He was thrilled, stopped halfway and said "Oh, it's been 9 months since I have been able to do this"...and then once again at the bottom of the stairs where it is like entering another world, he was ecstatic. We took a cushion and chair down for him and after getting him comfortable I ran UP the 54 stairs and prepared lunch , brought it down, and we had a little picnic on the water with Stacy and Danny.

Fiona, our Physiotherapist will be thrilled with this as she has been encouraging Gord to do this for a couple of weeks. It's done. Celebration time!!!

Just wanted to share these pics.

Lots of love

Sheila

We now have a new hobby - golf

Delightfully, I am happy to announce that golf is our new game. BUT only with 2 year olds. Witness the picture of Grandma and Grandson playing a round in the back yard. I just had to share these pictures with you.

And then.....breakfast on the deck....oh the memories this child will have of these good days in the sun with Grandpa Gord. The trio are Gord, Declan (on his 2nd birthday Sept 9/09), and Andrea.

Things are getting pretty exciting now as Larry our social worker is asking us to state an actual date that WE want to be discharged. All of a sudden the realization that this decision is in our hands makes me kind of nnnervousssss.......but we will embrace it and come up with a date...like maybe Oct. 20/09. I like the numbers (2009).

Today is Wednesday and we have the day off and the sun is shining and the lake is just beautiful. We are SO lucky!

Take care, everyone....

Lots of love

Sheila

A September Gathering of Friends

As we merrily roll along on this adventure, we have had such an incredible inpouring (if that is a word) of company, food, and lots of laughs. Gord and I have had our hearts filled with gratitude with all the wonderful events that have happened in the past few weeks. All of the pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place and as Gord's walking improves, prospects of things we can do - like travel - introduce themselves to us. I will give details in a later blog when I know what is firmed up.

This past week our friends from California, Prince George and Priddis stayed for 3 days and we truly missed our Seattle friends who could not make it at the last moment. We were surrounded by such love. Thank you Carol, Harris, Carol (Red), Tom,Laura and neighbours Mike and Linda for such a great visit. On Wednesday Tom and Harris drove Gord to Ponoka to walk through a day of Gord's therapy and I am hoping Tom will give us all a blog spot on his impressions of the treatment Gord is getting.

Thank you to Ralph for his baked apple dish (thanks Deepak for the apples- you have lots on your tree!).

Thank you Lisa and Sarah for the wonderful bread and chile dish you cooked so lovingly and delivered.

Thank you Ken in Maui for the amazing job you are doing on our unit.

Thank you Leni and Sandy for helping Ken....enjoy your stay in Maui!!

Gord is in good spirits and asking lots of questions now about the future of his right arm and his eyesight. I keep telling him they are both brain functions that will come back if we really give it a good try. I believe he is willing to continue this fight. The roller coaster stills exists though so I am always watching and listening carefully.

My little issue has turned into a spinal misalignment and today I am heading into town for another looksee at what is going on. I am not very comfortable in my chest area still so finishing the deck painting and loading the lumber on the truck will have to wait a while. I really do not like being crippled. Hello.....Sheila....guess how Gord feels!!!! This is a real eye opener for me. I have been going for 9 months marvelling at how I can do all these things and never get sick or hurt. Well I guess it has all caught up with me. 9 months...hmmmm that reminds me that we have an announcement.

We are expecting grandchild #5 in March 2010. Our daughter Andrea , husband Mike and son Declan are the first of the 5 children to start the family expansion. Congratulations Parte family!

This is kind of a mixed up blog but I have not written for so long and it is kind of a diary for me to look back on in the future.

I did not get many pictures of the visit but here is what I managed to find on my camera.

Lots of love to all

Sheila

Just relaxing

Trevor enjoying his singing and playing the guitar.

Ron's birthday party on August 23rd, 2009. Gord with Ron and Don - having a good time! This picture is totally out of place but I did the best I could. Still have not figured out downloading pictures to the blog.

Steven relaxing on the deck....

This weekend was a lot of fun with a visit from Stacy and grandson Daniel. On Sunday we had a visit also from Trevor who has been discharged for a couple of weeks from the Center. Even though he is living in Cochrane he fulfilled a promise he had made to take Steven from our Ferintosh house to take him on an outing one Sunday.This was "the Sunday". I am adding photos of that beautiful day that the boys spent here at the lake just eating, relaxing and being serenaded by Trevor on his guitar and playing the harmonica. He truly is talented and a joy to listen to. Steven had a big smile on his face all day. In the afternoon at "nap time" I set him up on a cot under the shade of the trees overlooking the lake. I think he liked it as he fell sound asleep. It sure feels good to be able to share our space and give someone a mini holiday after being cooped up for months on end at the Center.

Now for Gord news. Today is Monday and Gord was put through his paces in OT and PT. We are finding that with a longer time spent working on his right arm there is a slight response happening that had the therapists excited today. It really is a tiny bit at a time and Gord does not really seem to "get" the excitement. His spirits are good and he is really looking forward to our Winter travel plans. Neither of us know how easy or difficult it will be to negotiate airports and airplanes but we will figure it out.

Well, I am off to bed - really worn out these days it seems....could it be this wonderfully HOT weather we are having? OR the huge deck I am trying to paint!

Take care everyone...things really are getting better and better each day for us with all the help we are still receiving from so many lovely friends. Thank you so much!!!!

Lots of love
Sheila

New schedule coming up

Things are moving right along and we are getting out more and more and socializing. The wedding was the first big event and the second one was an overnight trip to Calgary for Ron Zimmerman's BIG birthday party - which was a surprise party - and an even bigger surprise for Ron to arrive home and find Gord resting in his bed! Lots of laughs and tears.
I will put some pictures on the blog in the next day or so. We are on a dead run every day to get to therapy. I am finding an hour or so here and there to slap paint on the deck at the cabin....and am getting kind of weary.
Anyway...all is good...lots of improvements to the properties which makes me feel like life is moving forward.
We are starting a new routine in September where we will have Wednesdays off during the week and on the Mon Tues Thurs Fri Gord will be in intense therapy. He will be tired...guaranteed!
I will get on the blog again very soon when I find some time.
Love to all
Sheila

Some pics

Hi Dad and Sheila and everyone!
Just thought that I would post some more pics of the wedding...ones that have Sheila in them!!!!
Thanks to everyone for the nice wishes...it was a great day.
Stacy

It's a very rainy Friday and we played hookey

We are beginning to feel like we are living on the west coast! Rain, rain, and more rain. Gord tried to do his 3 walks today but ended up getting driven back into the cabin to do his walking around the playroom, kitchen and living room! All the more reason we have to get out of here in the Winter!!!! Nothing like a good motivator.

Today, we had a visit from Colby and Catarina and I have enclosed a photo from the end of our day together. Colby helped me demolish the rest of deck in preparation for rebuilding to begin on Monday and Catarina played with me creating playdough cars, reading, puppet playing and watching Dad work. All in all it was a GREAT day.

Tomorrow Stacy is coming up with Daniel and her neice Pauola - the spelling is most likely incorrect, but I tried. Gord is looking forward to the visit and seeing the wedding pictures.

I am getting the feeling we have kind of plateaued (if that is a word) in our therapy and we are kind of going through a "funk" phase. I am hoping it will pass - soon - we have kind of lost incentive as the therapists are constantly cancelling programs and we just end up playing the waiting game. I am ok with that for a while but then it gets to me when I think of all the things I "could" be doing instead of wasting precious time. Maybe we are getting close to being done with all this therapy and it is time to change the pace and get somewhere we really want to be - like MAUI!!!!!!

Well, that's all I have for now.

Happy Summmer everyone!!!!!

Love
Sheila and Gord

OOOPS....8th Full Moon

I just counted and realized it is the 8th Full Moon......whoops.

7th Full Moon

I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to have a very full and very bright perfect full moon shining in the window. How beautiful. And of course it reminded me that this is the 7th Full Moon since Gord's stroke. With that thought comes the reminder of the amazing progress he has made since then. He has a hard time understanding that because his most distressing thing is his right arm. Just yesterday he worked so hard at his walking and talking and then got news that we are going to go on another tact for the arm. He is going to a "spasticity clinic" on Monday where the experts will look at his arm and try to figure out where to go next in his therapy, arm supports etc. Yes, things are really ramping up at the brain center and it looks like our exit date is the end of October.....BIG PARTY THEN....and our plan is to head south and west. As I mentioned before, staying here at the cabin is not an option. Too many opportunities for falls on ice and we don't need a broken hip to add to this formula.
Now that the nice weather has returned we are both feeling more optimistic about things. That dreary rainy weather really drags us down and thank heaven we have somewhere to go to in the daytime - it is always warm and cheerful at the center and always a great place to connect with people.
Our next event is a gathering of Maui friends here at the cabin in early September. We will eat, drink, visit, play games and just have a nice time. It will be great for Gord to have his friends around him for a few days and I am sure we both will gain some of our weight back!
I apologize for the huge gap in the blog posts ..... our internet got blown out in the hail storm we had and I just kind of got used to not having a computer.
I hope this writing finds everyone in good health and enjoying a lovely summer.
Til next time,
Aloha from Sheila and Gord
Picture is Gord waiting to get on the tennis court.

A beautiful wedding - July 24, 2009!

Well, he did it! Gord fulfilled his Fatherly obligation and walked his beautiful daughter Stacy down the aisle to give her away to a very lucky young man - Andres!Seven months ago we did not think this would be a possibility. I managed to capture a bit of the walk on video and am putting on this blogspot. Sorry about the weeping noises in the background...I couldn't help it. I am also adding pictures that I took so that you can get a visual of the venue and how gorgeous the weather was. Gord looked so handsome and debonaire in his tuxedo....and when he was being moved from one location to another in his wheelchair he reminded me of watching a Godfather or James Bond movie. At the reception Gord danced with Stacy and there was not a dry eye in the room....the song was "I loved her first". Beautiful. Enjoy the pictures. The young man on Gord's left is son Darren and lady in red is Mauraine - mother of Darren and Stacy. If someone emails me a decent picture of me with Gord I may post it. I always take the pictures but never seem to get in them. Love to all Sheila

Dinner on the deck picture

Dinner on the deck

I just HAD to share this picture with you. This is the first time we have had dinner - bug free - on the deck in probably 15 years. For sure 24 years in that exact position by the fountain. Sharing in this great event were Kris and Tom Rafa - wonderful, supportive friends of ours. Kind of a nice view over the lake as well....it was a nice treat for Gord. To get to the lower deck he has to step gingerly over the tree stump on the 3rd step down by the railing he needs to use these days. There are NO obstacles that can get in Gord's way!!!!

We are progressing with the Walk Aid device that the girls are trying to perfect these days. It is a little frustrating for Gord because they set up the computer to tell his leg when to kick out and sometimes it kicks when he isn't ready.....a formula for falling as far as I can see. There is always a spotter, thank heavens!

We are still travelling each day to the Center and coming home each night. I think the staff are humouring me and waiting for me to give in to the stress of it all but I will show them how stubborn I can be. I am actually enjoying the time with Gord in the car each way - well, the morning ride is the best because he is fresh for the day. We sing and recite the alphabet and I review who he is, who I am, what his address is, and of course his phone number etc. Amazing that we have to do this but it is only with repetition that he will retain it (we hope). On the ride home he is quiet and tired. During the day I try to sneak out and explore around the area or go shopping at the Dollar store in Ponoka (THAT is an experience) or wander around the Liquidation Store.
Sometimes I even sit under a tree in the yard outside his Ferintosh House and read!

I have had Gord sitting at the end of the Ping Pong table a couple of times and he is very accurate hitting the ball with his left hand. Soon I hope to have him standing to play.

Hope everyone is well and happy....

Lots of love
Sheila

New therapy tried on Gord today

Today,Gord was the guinea pig for a new leg device to stimulate muscle movement in the deficient leg. There is a sensor place below the knee as you can see in the photo, and also one on his heel. It is programmed into a computer that takes all his movements and then inputs into the device on his leg. When he walks it helps lift his foot to create a more normal walk. I am attaching a video I took today with the device on his leg but I don't think it was working properly yet. They seemed to have technical problems so it may take a while to perfect. Gord exercised his patience while going through this experiment for about 2 hours.

I am also sending out a picture taken on June 23 when his brothers and sister surprised him with a visit. They are just coming back to the cabin from a walk together. Brothers are Richard and Gary and sister is Diane. Wayne - the other brother could not make it to the gathering and we missed him! He did phone though and that meant a lot to Gord. This is when family really counts!!!! Enjoy the pictures!

Love
Sheila

Life is settling down now....

It is so nice to finally settle into a normal pace in our lives. Today (Monday) we took the day off (again) to go to the Dentist for a check up and cleaning. Everything was healthy which was a really good sign that the time on the feeding tube etc. did not do any harm in Gord's mouth. We did not do any x-rays at this time due to the overload he has had in the past 6 months examining every inch of his innards.

All in all it was a busy but tiring day and by the time we got back to the town of Sylvan to pick up our Handicap sticker at Registeries, it was pouring down buckets of rain. It poured so hard I couldn't see the road and Gord kept looking over at me wondering why I was making such a big deal out of it! Hmpf...time for him to take the wheel! AND they say we are in a drought...not so sure that still is the case.

We are back to Halvar Jonson tomorrow to search out our new room and see what has been cancelled for the day. I already know swimming is out because Trevor just told me on the phone they are doing work on the pool. This is the 4th week without swimming...maybe time to try the lake. Summertime is holiday time for the staff and therapists so we are not getting the therapies we need. I am almost begrudging driving up there every day to find most classes cancelled. Maybe we will just stay home too.

Anyway, we are marching on and making our big plans for the Fall. Like I said before I don't think being at the Lake will work for us in the Winter so we will be searching for warmer climates. Hopefully it will be Maui. That is the goal.

Hope everyone is doing well....

Love
Sheila

6 months on July 5th

I spent last evening shedding a few tears as I went through all the emails I have received since Gord's stroke. Over the last 6 months I have never deleted anything except for advertising etc. Last night seemed to be the right time to start cleaning up things and when I opened my email and checked, I had 20 pages of emails that had accumulated. On hotmail you have to delete one by one so I started re reading all the messages and to my surprise it was like I had never seen them before. So I want to say to all the faithful followers of the blog and all the folks who emailed wonderful supportive messages to Gord and myself, THANK YOU. If I didn't answer you, I apologize. It is interesting that this 6 month marker is so significant to me - and no one has told me anything about how long it would take to adjust to our new situation or anything. I am discovering by myself that 6 months is what it takes to find life again. At least for me it has taken that long. I also have come to terms with the financial outlay that I have to face - and let me tell you, getting sick in the USA is expensive! I also realize that travel insurance companies are happy to take your money but reluctant to pay out claims. It has been a very unsettling time for us getting to some conclusion on this. But it is done. Time to move and simplify our life.
What the future holds is still not known but we will take it one day at a time with a tentative future plan in place with all sorts of alternatives. One thing I do know is that being in this cabin through the Winter is NOT on the list.
So thanks for listening...
Love to you all
Sheila

Summer holidays!!!

I think we are having the best summer weather - consistently - that I can ever remember at the lake. Each day we wake up to get ready to drive up to therapy, the sun is shining for us and the scenery is just spectacular. Or is it just me and my joy at being able to bring Gord home in the afternoons and enjoy the summer evenings - every day. I am hoping this works for us for the summer. The Doctor at the center seems to endorse the idea as this is good for Gord's mental health. Gord has a big smile on his face every time we arrive home and he walks through the door and is greeted by that beautiful view over the lake. What foresight he had way back about 1974 or so when he bought this property and put his heart and soul into building an awesome comfortable cabin that has become our permanent home.

Now that the BIG DREAM (Motorhome) has moved out of the new garage, the ping pong table has now been installed thanks to Steven and Rita. The planter boxes are painted to match the garage and planted with flowers thanks to Mike and Linda. Just pray the deer don't find the flowers tasty for breakfast.

I will post a picture in the next day or so. We are home until the day after Canada Day and then back to work for Thursday and Friday. I kind of like that schedule!

NEWS FLASH:

Our 40 foot Itasca Ellipse diesel pusher motorhome is for sale....time to get things moving....so it is now down in Calgary at Diamond RV. It is in immaculate condition and all the kinks worked out...low mileage....only driven 3 times last summer. Call Glen Barreth at 403-560-3488 if you know anyone who may be interested!!!!!!
Email me at sheilabosch@hotmail.com if you want more information. I can't find a picture at the moment.

ALSO:
Condo in Maui is going on the market soon. Gord has requested this so I am going to follow through. Again, if anyone is interested in waterfront building - 6th floor - fabulous view....call our agent Lydia Pedro toll free at 1 800 451 6759 or email
lydiapedro@era.com
Lydia has pictures she can send if you know anyone who is interested.

Have a great weekend...

Love
Sheila

We are now Wii'ing

Gord has now graduated to the balance board using the Wii Fit program AND tried bowling this weekend as you can see from the photo. Check out the position of the ball....I think he got a strike on this one. Daniel is sitting on the table cheering him on....and in the background you can see this room is the playroom and my desk and very messy library. Herein lies the second biggest project I have...Gord first, then sorting through papers and books. Some day...

I am also showing you one of many cakes Gord will be eating over the next couple of days. We had a celebration on Sunday for Father's Day and the birthday with Stacy, Andres and Daniel. Dale joined us for dinner and we had a great time.

The third photo is the Halvar Jonson Center or Centennial Center at Ponoka taken from the back road in. You can see how remote it is and it actually sits in quite a pretty setting.

Today is Monday and we are home until Wednesday morning. It feels good to just stay HOME and putter. Gord's plan for today is to walk walk walk as much as he can outdoors. I think the rain has stopped for a bit. Hard to believe we are in a drought!

I am going to attempt to paint 4 planters and then actually put plants in them. Wish me luck - I am not the painter in the family - Gord is so I am hoping he will wander over to the garage and advise me.