Morning all:

“Anyone who uses the phrase ‘easy as taking candy from a baby’ has never tried taking candy from a baby.” — Unknown

Our last full day in the north woods as we close up the cabin in preparation of the not too distant winter storms, snows, and cold. A final opportunity to enjoy a steaming mug of Tim Hortons coffee while keying this post; watching the early morning mist curl over the water, hearing a distant loon, all the while listening to the rhythmic sound of the lake lapping away at the shore. I will miss all this. I better start on the coffee now!

I just know that any minute my serenity will be broken as Marcia pulls her head out from under the thick comforter to ask if I am crazy sitting here with the sliding door open: “Dirk, get a life and close that door, it’s barely 50 out!”

Since the hummingbirds are long gone and the flocks of geese have been seen heading south it’s time for us to pack it in. Over the past few weeks Marcia has transformed a pretty rough ‘fishing camp’ into a delightful summer cottage. Knowing where the cabin was located we bought the place earlier this summer, sight unseen, believing it to be a ‘diamond in the rough’. We were absolutely correct.

Yesterday the boat was pulled out of the water and placed into storage. It’s sorta like canoeing in that this exercise also tests and then creates the patina that forms on a lasting marriage.

We survived. Although, there were a couple of moments.

Brother-in-law Donn and his son-in-law Daniel were kind enough to use their quad-runners to help pull our two dock sections onto shore. This task is impossible to do by yourself and oh-so easy to do with a quad.

Next season a quad-runner will be a mandatory north woods fixture.

Our new grand-baby, Vaioleti, at a smidgen over a pound and a few ounces is a tenacious little fighter. Coming out of the gate running, she quickly weaned herself from the respirator, started breathing air with normal oxygen content, and is taking mom’s milk.

Still, bumps in the road are to be expected. This week my brother from southern California, Art, made a point to swing through town on a business trip. He visited Vai and sent this beautifully written note:
“………When Adrianne and I arrived @ the hospital, 4 nurses were attending to Vai and we were informed that Vai had one of what the staff calls a “one step back day” which is not unusual as she has made two steps forward. She stopped breathing twice during my short visit. Adrianne and I watched as she had her endotracial tube reinserted again to assist her breathing. At one point I counted 7 staff members calmly working together getting Vai back to where they wanted all her vital signs. The resident physician on duty said she just spent 20 minutes at her desk calculating and recalculating the micro dosage for Vai’s antibiotics. Again they emphasized nothing was out of the ordinary just another stage of getting her up to weight and age.

I’m sharing this with you to reinforce that Adrianne & Tevita, as a family, are on a physical & emotional roller coaster and will be for the coming months. They still need all the thoughts, prayers, and good wishes we can send them.”

Thanks Art for your eloquence, allowing all of us to see a miracle in progress just a little more clearly.

Thanks to the amazingly dedicated and competent hospital staff.

Thanks to everyone for prayers, concern, and the shared hope that we are watching a small life blossom.

Make it a great week. Life is precious, maximize your opportunities, and live it fully.

Cheers,

Dirk