I think Mombo got to take one nap in her own bed before she was back in Danville, hospitalized for additional observations and tests. When I visited yesterday, she had more energy than over the weekend, and her eye had continued to improve. Josh’s mother made a friendly stop while I was in the room, and a phone call came from the Adkins and Hornsbys in Louisiana. Mombo talked about how much time Jeanne had devoted to her daily care. The main issue remains— what caused the blackout? The cardiologist wants to rule out her heart, or to reveal something unknown. From her own perspective, she seems to suspect the change in hypertension medication. Understandable, given her long history of peculiar side effects. Of concern to her is the possibility that this sudden mess could affect her freedom to safely drive. Anything like that would certainly cramp her style.
Archive for the ‘Josh’ Category
Update: Mombo
Thursday, July 9th, 2009Fireworks she could have done without
Sunday, July 5th, 2009My mother spent most of her Fourth of July holiday in that painfully unpleasant hurry-up-and-wait-mode characteristic of modern emergency-room care. Around mid-day she’d lost consciousness for some still-unknown reason, while taking recyclables out to her car, and did an unfortunate “header” into driveway gravel. Ouch! Much later, after a series of tests at two different ERs, we learned that the only major injuries were to the bones around her nose and right eye. Nevertheless, she’s pretty banged up from the fall, and Mombo looks like my friend Pam after her bicycle crash. A procedure to relieve pressure around the eyeball was performed at UK before she was eventually released without a hospital admission. We left Lexington about 3 am. Jeanne was still waiting to take Mombo to Eagle Nest. James was still at her side in his garden-tilling boots when Susan and Rita came to see Mombo and pick him up. The uncertainty about why she passed out in the first place hangs over the event. One ER doc pointed out a low sodium level. Another suggested the possibility of a “retrograde amnesia” that would block her memory of having stumbled or been tripped by dogs underfoot. We do know that Panyon’s licking revived her enough that she was able to trigger the electronic life line. Josh was nearby, having been alerted by a friend about an ambulance heading to Blue Bank Road, and so her grandson the soldier was the first to respond. I just found out that the eye specialist is pleased with the condition of that nasty-looking right eye. With very little rest, Jeanne drove Mombo back to Lexington today, and they’ll be traveling to the city for another check-up tomorrow. Stay tuned here for updates.
Various & Sundry, part seventy-nine
Monday, September 1st, 2008— Month of August workout totals: Swim-0; Bike-5; Run-0; Lift-0; Yoga-3; Pilates-0; Lupus Drills-0
— Working around the clock like a mad artist doesn’t seem to lend itself well to a regular fitness program, but I remain committed to finding the proper balance to boost creative output and stay in shape at the same time. If it’s warm enough to enter the waters of Lake Huron this month, I’ll find out if I can handle the challenge within my current level of conditioning. Even though mentally I still consider myself a triathlete, being a competent knob cyclist is a bit different than covering open water at a quarter-mile a pop. We shall see…
— Lynn Johnston has just brought her nearly 30-year body of work to an extraordinary culmination. I would think almost any type of cartoonist will hold her in high regard for this accomplishment, not to mention all those who came to enjoy the human tapestry she wove so skillfully and humorously over time. If you’ve ever appreciated her narrative talents, compassionate perceptions, or mastery of the pen, check out her letter to followers of FBorFW. She sets the new standard for how to pull this off with remarkable class.
— The latest news is that Josh and his unit were deployed to Louisiana, having left this morning, and that the Hornsby family evacuated to Alabama to ride out the storm. Reportedly, Gustav sideswiped the coastal region instead of maintaining a dreaded frontal assault, but the great worry now is the magnitude of rainfall and the burden it will put on post-Katrina infrastructure.
— Susan begins a series of 35 breast cancer treatments tomorrow and is meeting the rigor with faith, courage, and acquired knowledge. She’s covered much ground since her surgery seven weeks ago, and is facing her future with a positive outlook. I shared some of my thoughts with her about the opportunity for uncompromised transformation, but feel like I failed miserably to communicate the essence of my personal perspective. I’ve never been successful at imparting through words my philosophy of total wellness. I like to think I’ve been slightly better at providing an example of healthy living, but I wonder about that sometimes, too. More importantly, my love and daily prayers are with our sister and her loyal companion in “the good life.”
~ kin & kiddoes ~
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008Everything about this past weekend reinforced my gratitude for being part of an extraordinary clan—and, Man, do we know how to party! It feels a bit dangerous to venture into the kind of entry I’m about to make, because I want to enumerate all my incredible nieces, nephews, and other loved ones, but how can I do that in a partial way? Suffice it to say, “I dig you all,” and I’ll never get enough of a kick out of this extended family. Unfortunately, Bruce had to stay in Danville, but it made me happy to have Terie and Marty attend Nic’s wedding. You could say it was “the night Marty turned cool,” except he already had. It was fun to see how great a circle of friends have coalesced around the Bellarmine crew, including Alyx, Josh, Holly, and Boo. Something makes me think Peat is at the heart of it, and I admire her style. Like her mom, she’s the natural social companion. How nice it was to see Kay, Theresa, and Angela make the trip to Louisville for the celebration. Seth, too, is a constant source of enjoyment, and he astonished me with how considerate he was of his bewhiskered uncle moving in the midst of a bubble of twentysomethings. I urged him to stop at the studio tonight so he could take home one of my wood-block prints (Drivin’ That Train). But, perhaps more than anything, I was so pleased to see the Adkins siblings together. Joan must be indescribably proud of that trio. Caitlan snagged a job within days of jetting from England with her blade and an Oxford degree; Ian is preparing to make his ballistic arc to North Carolina in pursuit of his dream to study marine biology; and Brendan is really coming into his own as an independent talent. Wow, it seems like only yesterday they were all a tangle of squids…
Various & Sundry, part forty-six
Friday, February 2nd, 2007— Month of January workout totals: Swim-7; Bike-1; Run-3; Lift-1; Yoga-0
— It looks like Mother Nature took a chain-saw to Florida’s midsection overnight. I need to find out if any of the damaged areas are where we have family. I hope not. Here in Central Kentucky we have our first blanket of snow for 2007. No Rotary Club meeting today. The schedule is tied to Danville Schools, which are closed. I’m going to have to keep an eye on the weather for a few days. The national football holiday is coming up this weekend and that’s when we do our afternoon Super Bowl Sunday mountain-bike “ride around the block” in Forkland. Twenty miles, four knobs, and plenty of time to ponder our own sanity (or lack thereof). It looks to be slippery and a bit on the frigid side. The moment of truth comes after the first climb (Elk Cave Knob), and a rider must decide whether to opt for the 11-mile short route or go for the full deal. I’ve been known to go either direction, depending on how numb my sense of self-preservation has become at this point in the ride.
— For many years, my Clan had a tradition of gathering as a “planning committee” in January. It didn’t make sense in one way, because it was basically the same people who would ordinarily attend a regular Clan Council, but the mood was a bit more “visionary,” and that made it a special annual event. It started out as my idea and I’d always chair the meeting. Back in the 80s we’d sometimes hold it at the homes of various householders, rather than at the farm. This past Sunday we put that era behind us and moved forward into a new one that begins with Mombo’s Trust. Our desire for a more “corporate” structure with a solid legal foundation has been a long-standing family goal. It goes back to the formation of the Clan as we know it. It goes back to a time before the planning meeting. All things must change. Congratulations to the Clan, but let’s hope we can occasionally slip back into that old practice of sharing our dreams.
— There’s street smart, and then there’s street smart. It depends on which streets we’re talking about (right?), and when it comes to Josh, we’re talking about Baghdad. I inquired on Sunday about whether he’s heard anything about possible orders to return, but he just shook his head. He was recently out in Kansas, where he reportedly spent his days waging video war games from a comfortable hotel room. He’s also been asked to spend time with other soldiers on the eve of their overseas deployment, and if I know Josh, he won’t be sugarcoating what kind of attitude he thinks it takes to get the job done and make it home. I wonder at times to what degree our forces find it necessary to blur lines that the rest of us think are always morally hard-edged. I had a talk with Marty about Iraq not too long ago and I posed the question, “Does success in warfare require doing evil?” His reply: “GrandyJohn, that’s the whole point. We can’t. We’re Americans.” Damn good answer.
Day of Death, Day of Life
Saturday, August 26th, 2006In Lexington this morning, a commuter jet crashed while trying to take off from the wrong runway, killing 49 of the 50 souls on board. I bicycled out to Shared Silence, and left for Kelley Ridge when I got home, to help Joan get her armoire to the upper floor. I didn’t find out about the accident until she told me. Jeffrey had to leave, but I stayed and had lunch with her, Caitlan, Josh, Pat, and Verla. Caitlan and I talked about her internship, and I also found out that Josh will be working full time as a screen printer for the 10th Planet. Joan sent me home with gifts, including Berry’s book on Harlan Hubbard and two of Joe’s old wooden boxes that will enable me to create assemblage under the influence of Joseph Cornell. She also loaned me a James McMullen book which totally throws open my thinking with respect to a concept for the Brass Band Festival poster. I worked outside when I got home, swept the driveway, and finished stacking my salvaged bricks. I got an email informing me that the son of a cycling pal (Martin V of Burgin) had died in a rock-climbing fall. I helped Dana finish her food preparations for Bruce’s visit, just as he arrived. It seemed so amazing to have him here after his first solo Interstate drive in a very long time. It was only a year ago that he was still in the thick of a battle against potentially deadly infections, so this marks another important milestone in his slow recovery. Jeannette and Ben stopped by to see him and have a bite to eat. Terie, Marty, Joan, and Caitlan paid him a visit, too. It’s been a happy evening, in a house not usually so full of life, but I’m acutely aware of the overwhelming sense of tragedy that so many other Central Kentucky families must be feeling tonight.
Double Graduation, Good Vibrations
Saturday, May 13th, 2006I wasn’t able to spend last night working on my two “Photorama” collages for the Clan graduates, since we spent the evening with the Simpsons watching “Out of Africa.” It forced me to complete the gifts today, but everything worked out fine. After an eight-mile morning run, I was able to focus on my intuitive sprint to the family deadline—an ideal circumstance for creating this particular type of artwork—as well as getting to savor one of the only flawless motion pictures made in the past 25 years.
25 years… that’s Brendan’s lifetime, and includes the lifetimes of all the Clan youngsters present at our celebration for Nicholas and Caitlan. And speaking of Brendan, I got to see him in action with his new camera, an impressive piece of equipment. As I shot with my vintage Nikkormat, I felt like a geezer driving around in a dusty old coupe. Ah well, at least I didn’t say, “No, sirree-Bob, they don’t make ’em like this anymore.”
It was fun to eat good Chinese food with Nic and Josh and Marty, too. Nic was having a great day, one that will last long in the memory bank. I wish my Godson well as he prepares to begin his studies in veterinary medicine. I really didn’t get to chat with Oxford-bound Caitlan, but, actually, I really didn’t get to talk to many of the others either, including my mom, but that didn’t stop me from simply absorbing the magnitude of the good family vibes, before it was all over much too quickly.
Double Homecoming
Sunday, January 29th, 2006In spite of a lengthy planning meeting at the Clan Hall, our soldier celebrated being at home with his family. During a break in the deliberations, Rita took a group portrait outside, and then the cake was cut. Joan insisted on eating Joshie’s head. The long day ended with Dana taking Bruce to the ER after his visit to the farm. Jerome put in some overtime to help identify symptoms of medication withdrawal that were alleviated. Bruce improved so rapidly that he walked home from the hospital.
Hur! Hur! Hur-hur-hur
Thursday, January 26th, 2006It certainly looks as if this is shaping up to be a momentous weekend for our extended family, and it’s not just because we’re prepared to make some far-reaching decisions in Council. In addition to Josh’s “welcome back” from Iraq, word just arrived that Dana and Bruce are on their way to Kentucky. Needless to say, each Clansman has looked forward individually to his Blue Bank homecoming for a long time. Who would have ever guessed that both happy events would coincide?
See you at the Valley…
Various & Sundry, part thirty-one
Saturday, January 21st, 2006— When I got up at 6:30 to check the weather, the wind with light rain was enough deterrent for me to call off my scheduled run. I guess I have to admit I’m not as hard-core as I used to be. Dana and I did yoga instead, with the Charles and Lisa tape, waiting for live TV coverage showing the return of the Kentucky National Guard’s 623rd. Josh and his unit had some initial delays in getting out of Iraq, since they had to fill up a plane first, but he’s been back in the States for a number of days now, and was supposed to fly into Louisville this morning. When he touches down and is greeted by family, it will mark the end of his perilous overseas deployment. Welcome back, Josh!
— Last night Hayley’s team met its match with some athletic, high-pressure ball players from Lincoln County High. Our Belle displayed some skilled moments, but most of her minutes showed a hesitancy that comes from inexperience with competition at this level of intensity. She faced a energetic, senior-dominated squad. I think she also defers too often on the floor to older teammates, rather than place more confidence in her own leadership, which she’s more inclined to do when she’s not nervous, and then she shoots more, finishes her powerful drives to the basket, or finds an open player. When she performs that way she usually has a high-scoring game. The consistency is sure to come, but she needs to find a way to bear down and trust her own abilities. I wish she had a better coach, and some day she will. She has a lot of basketball ahead of her. It will be a joy to watch.
— I made more progress today on remodelling the small kitchen off our upstairs conference room. It’s hard to explain why it’s been so neglected over the years, but this is the year to complete the project. It’s proven in many ways to be the log jam that impedes the last phase of physical organization that has to take place for us to have the kind of studio space we always intended for the Town House. I also wrote an email to the chairman of the Library expansion committee describing our desire to recycle some materials from the demolition of the church to take place across the street this summer. We’d like to take stone, brick, or both, and create a rubble-style paved driveway. I think there’s a good chance the project will get a green light, but it’ll take some “Clan-Power” for me to pull off my end of the deal.