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 ‘Family’ 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.
Milestone
Friday, June 26th, 2009
Wildcards and constants
Friday, June 19th, 2009
Unconditional Surrender
John Andrew Dixon
Mixed media collage, 2009
Collection of Nancy and Charles Martindale
In a fashion more defined than recent memory serves, life unfolds with a stark blend of pleasing familiarity and jarring novelty. I take refuge in the naturally comfortable—collage, reading, friendship, bicycling, my cherished clan—while confronting strange and daunting challenges that offer few points of easy reference. The latter include new projects that require me to produce radio advertising, materials for patent registration, and a client-managed Website that relies on code I haven’t learned to speak. It’s helpful to remind myself that everything I’ve ever done—and a bit of it rather well—began with the unfamiliar. At times it was stimulating or even exhilarating, and at other times it was intimidating or actually frightening. I realize now that the difference was rooted in nothing but my own attitude toward the unknown.
Yet another for the trophy case
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Hayley was one of only three nominees for The Advocate-Messenger Female Athlete of the Year award, but she had the luck of finishing her high school career during the impressive tenure of young Kaitlin Snapp.
Did you miss her first act?
Dig this—from AMnews.com:
Hellyer was a five-year letter winner in basketball and finished her career with 1,903 points. She was a team captain her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was a three-time All-Area performer. Hellyer also earned all-district and all-region honors during her career. She has signed to play basketball at Campbellsville University. In softball, she was a four-year starter at shortstop and made the All-Area team twice. She was the Rebels’ leading hitter last season. Hellyer, a 4.0 student, was also an academic all-state pick. She is also a member of the Pep Club, Beta Club, Change of Heart, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Ladies and gentlemen, stay in your seats for Act II.
Eliot’s lunker
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009Cousin Dan let me know about a picture of his nephew Eliot (with an impressive smallmouth) that’s currently featured at the Bob Coan site. It’s been a while since I saw the lad, and—wow—is that generation maturing fast or what? Tom C responded, “That reminds me of the time Uncle Ed caught a big catfish in the Stillwater. Then he distracted me and put the fish on my hook and threw it back in the water; I was about eight.”
Dan thinks Tom’s recollection of my dad is a good reminder of “the kind of guy he was.”
It is, indeed.
Nice “hawg,” E.D.
Can’t you smell that smell?
Monday, May 11th, 2009An apartment house located about a half block from our home burned while we slept last night. Bruce said he heard and felt an explosion. Dana and I figured that the frequent sirens and steadily increasing traffic noise downtown has inured us to sounds that would otherwise wake us up. It’s amazing what one can get used to. Reminds me of when I was twelve, and, for a few months, our family slept only a few feet (literally) from the active B&O rail line that ran through Tipp City. I did awaken when the police rang the doorbell at 4:30 am, looking to take a statement from Bruce about the fire. Rumors have circulated today concerning the potential of foul play. If it turns out to be arson, I hope the culprits are nailed, but the greatest concern to me is losing another old structure in this endangered historic district.
Vacancy of the heart
Friday, April 17th, 2009
For the rest of my life I shall draw and paint pictures of my father. Of course, I can’t say I know what he’d think of that, but I suspect his feelings would be mixed. Modest enough to be uncomfortable with the practice, he probably would have approved, on the other hand, of my using his image as a mechanism for continuous artistic improvement. It’s natural for me to think about him on his birthday, what he would be like in his 80s, or how different my life might be if I still had access to his evolving wisdom, pragmatic perspective, and keen sense of leadership. Whether we comprehend it or not, each of us has a meaningful influence by our very presence in the drama of existence, affecting our world and others in countless ways. Perhaps our departure from the stage will be less profound, depending on how we have played our part. If one is as beloved as my namesake, the absence is a deeply felt void which sends ongoing ripples across the surface of family life.
Broadwing barn
Sunday, March 29th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-nine— My uncle Bob kindly emailed me a photo Dan took of how Pete framed with chestnut the picture I created of their old barn, which has since collapsed. Seeing it again raised my spirits. I made that picture during a period of heightened sketchbook activity. During those years I was constantly drawing with pen, but I created very few finished works outside my journal pages. Above the frame is an antique weather vane. I must admit to a selfish desire—seeing the kitchen wall arrangement firsthand. Of course, it will be good to see my Dixon kin, too.
Today’s sight bite— The face of a lady hunter, between the horns of her trophy kudu —c-l-i-c-k— coaxing me back to my drawing board.
Tomorrow— Into the zone…
Ever onward
Thursday, March 26th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-six— One of those days in the studio that was picked to its bones by loose ends and small, unforeseen developments. I learned that my Highway District machinations are bearing fruit (low-hanging, perhaps, with the nicer plums still out of reach). Marlene’s class was canceled, but I got the key to the room and did a solitary workout—my peculiar combination of Pilates, Yoga, and Aikido—following it up with some power-walk laps around the track. Old Hoosier ran off and sent Dana and me into the night with flashlights. We found him crossing the street a couple blocks away.
Today’s sight bite— The heavyset lady in her sweat-suit, sprinting up the stadium steps with an intrinsic athleticism —c-l-i-c-k— clearly submerged in her isolated determination to regain something lost.
Tomorrow— We begin again…
Juggling skills
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-four— My thoughts were with Marty today and his college entrance examination. He’s making a conscious choice to seek higher education. For me it was just a given. I’ve been spending a considerable amount of studio time designing graphics for organic pork promotion, although I need to find a way to balance my hours with a wider array of projects. I tend to do this—focus intently on a single creative task, which I enjoy, but if I can become more agile with my versatility, I believe I’ll find more ongoing satisfaction with what I accomplish on a weekly basis. On another subject, I feel like I’m getting back in the groove with the Pilates class. Back troubles took a big chunk out of my exercise program this winter, and I’m ready to put that into the past.
Today’s sight bite— Fingers of rose extend above the downtown view-scape —c-l-i-c-k— as I break the crest of a hill at sunrise and direct my walk toward home.
Tomorrow— Rain clouds and more dental work…
Path crew
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009March exercise—day twenty-two— Dan W gave a talk at Shared Silence about his “50 Marathons in 50 States” achievement. We don’t meet at Mack’s cabin during this incarnation of the gathering, but Dana and I did go out to the Jackson farm later. After lunch with Marty, we helped clear the trails of ice-storm damage. Mack’s son is using the cabin as temporary living quarters, but there’s hope among some that the group will eventually return to the site for our twice-monthly meditation and discussion. When we got home, it was time to trim the overgrown shrubs along the driveway, which I probably wouldn’t have tackled on my own today, except for Dana’s effective role as “honcho.”
Today’s sight bite— Two familiar friends with chainsaws —c-l-i-c-k— attacking a snarled barricade of trunks and limbs.
Tomorrow— Back to the Mac…
Family joy
Saturday, March 21st, 2009March exercise—day twenty-one— Began today with a double card creation for mother/daughter birthdays. It was a pleasure to join Juliana’s celebration. Mombo looked good. Tireless Jerome provided me a needed treatment, plus his personal inversion table orientation. My family still believes in the potential of my talents. God bless ’em all.
Today’s sight bite— Handfuls of miniature horses —c-l-i-c-k— acquired over decades and ready at last for a two-year-old’s playtime.
Tomorrow— Internal and external chores…
Sufficient warning
Friday, March 20th, 2009March exercise—day twenty— Today’s Rotary program on disaster preparedness reinforced my awareness that replenishing the “crash bucket” should not be postponed. What is the matter with me, that I would sit on such an obvious imperative? One must always be doing rather than avoiding. The point of the exercise is not the rigorous framework, which is a means to an end. The goal, I remind myself, is mindful accomplishment through the active cultivation of constructive habit. Procrastination is nonproductive and tied to fear. William Faulkner said that “fear, like so many evil things, comes mainly out of idleness.”
Today’s sight bite— A pile of tombstone shards like broken chalk —c-l-i-c-k— sunken into the ground, perhaps a century beyond the last time one cared whose eternal rest was signified.
Tomorrow— A journey to Yorkshire Estate…
Top gril
Thursday, March 19th, 2009March exercise—day nineteen— Needed to catch up on rest, so a late start plus spillover activities from yesterday’s trip ate into my plan for the day. Dana and I hit another Chamber event to test the “law of attraction” on multiple levels. Hayley was voted to the All-Area First Team in ladies basketball for her third year. She topped the area as leading scorer and had the most rebounds, assists, and blocked shots for her team, ranking first in free-throw percentage. What an outstanding way to finish her high-school career!
Today’s sight bite— Super-swank graphics for Mad Men —c-l-i-c-k— reminding me of Saul Bass titles from the same era so ably depicted by the series.
Tomorrow— End of the week already?
Model regimen
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009March exercise—day seventeen— From a walk at daybreak to my street-front work at dusk, today was as close to an ideal cycle as I am likely to achieve during this annual re-examination of conscious behavior. A disciplined, productive day of creative activity (organic pork branding), professional networking (gift shop consignments), and physical fitness (Dana’s first Pilates workout) fulfilled all the expectations of the M-X, including the need to internally defuse an unexpected, emotion-laden challenge that in the past might have thrown me out of balance for at least the remainder of the day.
Today’s sight bite— The dough men and assorted pastry makers dressed in rumpled white —c-l-i-c-k— visible from the Main Street window before dawn, arched intently over flour-dusted surfaces.
Tomorrow— A team-building mission to Frankfort…
Halftime show
Sunday, March 15th, 2009March exercise—day fifteen— Made some decent progress on a new safari artwork and prepared two final-number engravings that I’ll send on approval to a print collector. Accidentally spent time in front of the tube watching an art history program on the KET-ED digital channel. Realized I must never forget to learn even more about the roots of modern art. It dovetailed with our recent viewing of The Rape of Europa, one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. Dana produced art in the kitchen with a another day of fine meals. As usual, I am the fortunate beneficiary.
Today’s sight bite— A Sunday invasion of workmen and their equipment —c-l-i-c-k— executing a belated but welcome pick-up of our ice-storm waste heaps.
Tomorrow— Second-half buzzer sounds…
Ripe thoughts
Saturday, March 14th, 2009March exercise—day fourteen— It’s a rule of thumb that it will rain whenever I need to deliver physical artwork, but I managed satisfactorily to get a new set of engravings over to the Art Center and also had my first chat with the incoming executive director. So, if you need it to rain in your town, just arrange a display of my artwork and that should take care of it. Not you, Brendan; I’m quite sure you get enough precipitation out there, although it would be cool to have some of my art make it to the west coast. I get ideas like that, but there’s often not a lot to back them up. Maybe I missed my chance when I was churning out some interesting collages while Ian was in L.A. Many ideas are fresh and I get right to them. Others hang around so long they become annoying, until I realize it’s me at whom I’m perturbed, for allowing them to rot, or, worse than that, I get sick and tired of chattering about them in my head without any action. Ideas like that are usually disavowed, or I just get fed up and finally proceed with one, invariably pushing away another newer, more stimulating notion that just stands there listening to the other one grumble, “Move aside, buster, I’ve got seniority.”
Today’s sight bite— A black and white print in a plastic holder on the wall, somehow seeming tiny and drab —c-l-i-c-k— but that’s my engraving featured next to the gift shop’s doorway.
Tomorrow— Avoid the lure of Sunday languor and prepare for an ambitious workweek…
Friday treizième
Friday, March 13th, 2009March exercise—day thirteen— Nothing much to highlight, except that I did finish signing and numbering my two most recent limited editions of wood-engraving prints. A recent “email conversation” with one of America’s most impressive exemplars of the Arts and Crafts style yielded praise for my printmaking. That’s more than enough to keep my enthusiasm intact, but I know I can do even better. When I look at my work I tend to see the flaws. That’s constructive on the one hand, but I think it deters me from being more prolific. I would never want to lose the capacity for a self-critique, but there must be a reliable, practical way to surmount the hesitancy. Perhaps that’s why Brendan enforces his week-day display of creativity. Must we thus trick ourselves? Probably. Indeed, it may be the only way, until habit takes over.
Today’s sight bite— Too large to be called a Yorkie; too small to be called anything else —c-l-i-c-k— Bruce’s friend, Hoosier, negotiates the back steps on his 16th canine birthday.
Tomorrow— Nothing less than the full-fledged matrix…
Getting traction
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009March exercise—day ten— I was pleased to find that new priorities were finally coming into alignment today. Summer-like weather and a multi-day forecast of showers compelled us to spend some of the afternoon raking and seeding the backyard. My lower back felt stable enough for me to participate in most of Marlene’s Pilates class and to put in some additional time at the gym. After 40 minutes of spinning, I felt like I hadn’t been on a bike in a year. Afterwards, Dana and I shared a dinner by candlelight to celebrate the 31st anniversary of our original date, discussing our recollections of life in the 70s. Her chicken prepared in sherry and sour cream was superb, and I selected a Belgian white brew to complement.
Today’s sight bite— The aged, once-spreading tree on campus that inspired my composition for “Boss’s Bucket” —c-l-i-c-k— now forever rendered by the ice storm a triple amputee.
Tomorrow— An ambitious checklist and my first appointment with the pool in 14 days…
Ordered steps
Monday, March 9th, 2009March exercise—day nine— Where did the day go? Still trying to achieve the level of focus that makes this exercise worthwhile. Probably the most interesting conversation of the day was with the Lieutenant. We brainstormed about having my friend Eric come up from Franklin for a concert early this summer. From the time Eric created “Cooler” in 1999, I hoped for another CD from him with the same innovative blend of mellow reverence and uplifting energy. I was delighted to learn about “The Jazz in Me,” and invited Dan to check out the new disc. I think this music is perfect for a fundraising concert or community outreach event. I’ve probably written about Eric here before. Dana arranged for him to play at my 50th birthday party. His jazzy tunes are laid back but buoyant, and his improvisational gifts have clearly reached new heights.
Today’s sight bite— A balding Walie, tugging at the leash —c-l-i-c-k— as if she’d forgotten everything I taught her about the proper way to take a neighborhood stroll.
Tomorrow— Perhaps enough physical progress to attempt a Pilates session…
Sabbath lamb
Sunday, March 8th, 2009March exercise—day eight— Dadbo would have relished seizing a weekend like this for a constructive jump on spring, and now, as I type this entry after dark, that pleasant bubble of exotic air is being shoved aside by severe weather. Dana and I enjoyed our morning walk past the marina, out to the abandoned island resort, but we shared a desire to have hiked in a setting which might’ve done better justice to the unseasonably warm day. Nevertheless, the steep hills gave our hearts an overdue workout, in addition to the panoramic views of Herrington Lake.
Today’s sight bite— The squirrel, positioned under our damaged porch eave —c-l-i-c-k— balanced on a rotting slat like a springboard diver.
Tomorrow— Volunteer consultations kick off a week of diverse projects…