It was three years ago today that my husband’s life was on the line. How thankful I am for these three years God has given us – and I look forward to more. Today I say “Thank you Jesus!”
About this time two years ago my husband fell in his art studio in the basement of our condo. It was a Thursday and because Covid had just started, we were not sure about going to the doctor. He felt fine so we went on with our daily routine as normal.
Until Sunday. After church on Sunday he complained of a severe headache and being nauseated. I drove him to the emergency room where I was told to go home and wait. They would call me after examining him.
When he went in to the ER he looked and acted fine to me. The only thing I was going on was his comment of the terrible headache he had.
About an hour later the ER called and told me a CAT scan revealed bleeding in his brain. They had called the main hospital in Lansing, the capital of our stateā¦
About this time two years ago my husband fell in his art studio in the basement of our condo. It was a Thursday and because Covid had just started, we were not sure about going to the doctor. He felt fine so we went on with our daily routine as normal.
Until Sunday. After church on Sunday he complained of a severe headache and being nauseated. I drove him to the emergency room where I was told to go home and wait. They would call me after examining him.
When he went in to the ER he looked and acted fine to me. The only thing I was going on was his comment of the terrible headache he had.
About an hour later the ER called and told me a CAT scan revealed bleeding in his brain. They had called the main hospital in Lansing, the capital of our state, and an ambulance was getting ready to take him there for further evaluation.
I jumped in the car and raced to our local ER. Although at first they said I could not go in, I turned on the tears and pleaded to let me say goodbye to him. Realizing the seriousness of a brain bleed, I was afraid I might not see him alive again. My tears I guess were good enough because they let me go back to the room and say goodbye before the ambulance took him away.
I could not believe the change in him in just a little over an hour. He was very confused and very incoherent.
After they took him to Lansing, I returned home anxious to know what would happen next. About an hour later I got a call from the surgeon’s assistant who told him they were taking him in for emergency surgery. He asked me if he had been having trouble talking. He said that he was talking to them, but they could not understand what he said and it made no sense. Without the surgery I was told, he would not survive.
The assistant promised to call me after the surgery to let me know how it went. I got no call. They took him into surgery about 4:30 that afternoon and at 10:00 that evening I still had not heard a word. A call to the hospital revealed that the surgeon had completed the surgery and had gone home. All they could tell me was that my husband was out of surgery and in ICU. They promised to have the doctor on duty that night give me a call. Finally, around midnight the doctor on duty called. He said he was not involved in the surgery and all he could tell me was that my husband’s chart said the surgery went well and he was in ICU on a ventilator.
To make a long story short the next week and a half was very stressful as they worked for a few days to get him off the ventilator. Until he was off the equipment they would not be able to tell how much damage had been done to his brain. They warned me he might have difficulty speaking or understanding others, might have trouble swallowing, might have trouble walking. The day he got off the ventilator, they were looking for a rehab place to take him and indicated it might be weeks before he could come home.
But God had other plans.
Within days he was taking rehab there in the hospital – and he came home to me in just ten days. The first weeks at home he had to use a walker to get around and while he could clearly understand and communicate he did have moments when he would struggle for a particular word.
But he quickly recovered. Two things that helped I believe was our love of scrabble and his love of painting. We are very competitive and love the game. I worried that he would not be able to really compete with me again. He was a little slow the first couple of games we played but in no time he was beating my butt again.
The second week he was home he asked our son-in-love to bring his easel and paints from his art studio in the basement as he was still too weak to go up and down the stairs. He sat at our dining room table and painted this beautiful scene of the seashore.
In no time at all he was free of the walker, beating me in scrabble and back down stairs in his art studio painting away.
Recently a local business in our community held a Arts Explosion. From November through the month of February local artists were invited to display their work. The business is involved with educating the public about agriculture and has a lot of public events at its facility. During this time people were asked to look at the paintings and vote for their favorite artist.
Last night they held a “Meet and Greet’ for the community to come out, take a final look at the art and vote for their favorite.
It was a fun day – food and entertinment by the local high school’s dance team.
At the end of the festivities, they announced the winners of the People’s Choice. Out of 44 artists they had a winner and a runner up. To my great happiness my husband with his sea shore painting came in second as the People’s Choice.
The painting is back home now – and we are both rejoicing – not only for his award, but for the miracle this painting truly is.
This time of the year I find myself remembering events from years ago that generate both sweet and bitter memories with all the accompanying emotions.
March has been a month that has brought both good and bad events into my life – events that changed me forever.
The first one that brings sweet memories occurred 52 years ago on March 29. That day I walked down the aisle at church and promised to “love and cherish until death do us part.”
For almost 13 years I kept that promise. Every year as that date approaches I remember those years with my first husband. We were happy and shared a lot of joy but the best part of those years was the birth of our two beautiful daughters. Memories of those times make me smile and I am grateful for every moment we shared. Those events changed me – made me a wife, a mother.
The second memory is more painful. It was 39 years ago in March that I got a call at work that I will never forget. My eleven-year-old daughter called me and said, “Momma, I think Daddy is dead.” Those words changed our lives forever. My first husband had been working on our car when an accident occurred that took his life. Ironically it was just four days before we would have celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. So March brings also feelings of great sadness as I remember the shock and horror of that day. The pain my daughters still feel today. The older one grieves as she remembers all the times she had with her daddy, while the younger grieves because she was so young her memories are few. That changed me – made me a young widow with two little girls to raise.
So – every year in March I deal with these memories and these conflicting emotions.
That would be enough to make the last of March an emotional time for me.
But last year added another event that adds to my emotions this time of year.
On March 19 last year my second husband fell and hit his head on the concrete floor of his art studio in the basement of our condo.
By the 22nd he was in pain and we went to the emergency room of our local hospital. From there he was rushed by ambulance to the main hospital in Lansing – the capital of our state – where they did emergency surgery. He had a major brain bleed and they said without the surgery he would not survive the night.
As I remember the next couple of weeks I still can feel the knot in my stomach as I waited at home (because of the virus I could not be with him) wondering if the next call would be to tell me I was a widow again. I wondered how I could take it if he died on the same day as my first husband had died. As the next few days were “touch and go” while they tried to get him off the ventilator, I kept telling God “please, not again, not this time.”
I am so grateful to God that he not only survived the surgery but after a few weeks he was back to his normal self. The doctor said he might have trouble walking, swallowing, communicating. While he had some of these symptoms for a couple of weeks, he was soon completely okay with no lingering symptoms.
One major concern of mine was would he be able to paint again. Would he even be able to walk down the stairs to his art studio. That prayer was again quickly answered. Our son-in-love brought his painting equipment upstairs and within two weeks he painted a beautiful lighthouse scene. Soon he was able to return to his studio downstairs and continue painting.
So along with the knot in my stomach, I also must rejoice with a great emotion of gratitude that I am not a widow for the second time, that my husband is not only alive, but well and strong again.
One of his first paintings also was of a beautiful rainbow which symbolizes hope and a reminder that God keeps His promises. He called it “Hope in the Storm.” It now hangs in my kitchen as a reminder to me that no matter what troubles come, with God there is always hope.
When my first husband died, when my second husband survived, regardless God has been there – and He brings me hope. Hope for whatever next March or any time may bring. Good times or bad – He is faithful.
As my husband and I age, we find we are no longer able to be as active as we once were. For years my husband was a pastor and I worked alongside him teaching Bible classes, playing for worship and all the many tasks that come with serving a community of Christians.
This year I celebrated 72 years of life and my husband celebrated 80. While most people that meet us do not think we are as old as that and we do remain alert and active, we find our bodies do not always want to keep up with our thoughts and desires to be productive. Many days the afternoon hours call for us to take a nap.
Still, because we have both experienced true miracles in times of serious medical problems, we desire to still give and help others. (I share these stories in these posts)
Since my husband loves to paint he recently painted a beautiful rainbow scene he called “Hope in the Storm.”
The rainbow to Christians is a reminder of God’s promise to Noah after the flood. To us when we see the rainbow after a storm, we are reminded of the hope we have that God is faithful.
After receiving several compliments on the painting and its message my husband decided to paint smaller versions of this rainbow and send to those we know who are battling a health issue. He has send ones to young people fighting leukemia, to a young woman fighting a heart disease and to several others with different ailments. It has been a joy to hear from them that the painting and the message it gives of “hope in the storm” is an encouragement to them.
It blesses me to see the joy my husband has received as many have told him how much his painting has meant to them.
It is so true that when you give to others, it comes back to you.
Can I say I’m proud of my husband that at 80 he still is thinking of ways to bless others?
If you would like to see more of his paintings, check it out at PWL Art Gallery.
Every year the small town where I live has a Chalk Art Event.Ā Local business owners sponsor an artist who designs a chalk drawing on the sidewalk in front of their stores. The small downtown turns into a great combination of chalk art, live music, food vendors and community engagement.Ā It’s a great way to enjoy a Friday evening meeting friends, grabbing a coffee, food from one of the street venues or stopping in the local cafe.
Artists come early in the day and make their design.Ā Ā
That evening a map is provided with a list of all the drawings with the artists and the business that sponsors their work.Ā Everyone is encouraged to vote for their favorite three entries and the top three with the most votes will receive a prize.
Who would you vote for?
My husband who is an artist and participates in some of the art events around the community had to pass on this one.Ā His arthritic knees would never let him get back up if he sat down on the sidewalk to draw.Ā But we both enjoyed the evening sharing with friends and neighbors the beautiful Friday evening in our small town.Ā Ā
When we moved into our condo last spring my husband decided to work on the unfinished basement and create a place where he could fully enjoy his love of painting.Ā Before this move there was never a really good place for him to keep all his painting paraphernalia.Ā A place where he could also display his art work.
So – he began working and made a great “man cave.”
On a row, he decided to work on the second room in the basement.Ā Instead of putting up dry wall or paneling, he designed a mural – just for me.
A few years ago we spent several weeks in Charleston, South Carolina.Ā I fell in love with the city and especially loved the area called the Rainbow Row.Ā Paul bought me a tray painted with the colorful houses and it sits on a shelf above my kitchen sink.Ā Often I stand for a moment at the sink and remember that beautiful place.
Since we decided we would make this room a place where we could watch TV in the summer when the basement would be cooler than upstairs, he wanted to create for me that beautiful row of colorful houses.
These historic homes were built around 1740 and local merchants had their shops on the ground floor while they lived on the top floor.Ā At that time the houses were not the colorful ones we see today.
After the Civil War the area became a slum.Ā Then in 1931 Dorothy Haskell Legge brought the homes numbering 99 through 101 East Bay.Ā After renovating them, she had the houses painted pink.Ā Soon future owners began buying the house on East Bay and painting them in pastel shades.Ā By 1945 after most of the houses on this street had been restored.Ā Ā Mrs. Legge was given an award from the Preservation Society of Charleston in 1992.
If you ever have the good fortune to visit Charleston, you must see this beautiful row of homes.
I hope someday to go back and view these homes in person, but until that day, thanks to my husband I can enjoy the memories with my own Rainbow Row.Ā He is painting the concrete floor a grey/blue and soon I will have an easy chair to sit, read and remember!
He has started a mural of the sea wall which is near Rainbow Row.Ā It is a work in progress as he will be adding sailboats to the sea.Ā This is still a rough scene but will be great when he is done.Ā Can’t wait for him to get that finished.
When my husband and I married years ago he told me he used to paint.Ā However, he only had one painting to show me.Ā It was one he had given to his oldest daughter.Ā I found it interesting because if you looked at one way it appears the people were walking forward side by side; viewed at a different angle it appears they are walking to the left – or is it to the right?
Over the years he had given all his other paintings away.Ā I tried to encourage him to take up painting again.Ā One evening he sat down and starting painting.Ā I loved the finished product.
My camera does not do the painting justice.Ā In the trees above there is a small cabin but my camera does not pick that up.
He did not continue painting because being a pastor and a family man his time for painting was limited.Ā Also we had no area where he could really set up his paints and work at his leisure until a painting was done.
While he did not paint, his love of art was clearly seen in our home.Ā We often visited art galleries and art shows and he collected quite a few beautiful paintings.
Thankfully, retirement has arrived.Ā Now he has the time to devote to this love of art.Ā He also now has a place of his own where he can set up his paints and canvasses and work without the need to set up and put away his work each day.
Last spring we were fortunate enough to buy a condo.Ā The basement was unfinished and he quickly went to work to make a studio for his art.
He loves to paint the sea with the beautiful sky above.Ā In our new home state ofĀ Michigan he has plenty of sites to inspire him.Ā Michigan also has so many small towns with great art galleries and we have loved exploring them.
Making road trips, he also finds inspiration.Ā Driving through South Dakota with the treeless view inspired this painting.
A trip to South Carolina led to these two paintings.
One of my favorites is Storm at Sea.Ā You can see the rain coming out of the dark storm clouds.Ā Looking at the ocean it invites me to wade into the waves as they rush to the shore.
He recently has a display of his work at the local art gallery featuring his series based on the Creation story in Genesis 1.
Of that series my favorite is the first one where he tried to imagine Genesis 1:1Ā How do you capture the Spirit of God hovering over the waters?Ā To him, it was the darkness with the flame of fire since God’s spirit is often depicted as fire in the Bible.
While he is no Rembrandt, I am so glad that he finally has a place of his own to enjoy expressing himself in his paintings.Ā He even set up a page onĀ Facebook – PWL Art Gallery.
He has worked hard all his life and as he approaches his 80th birthday, I’m thankful he has time to devote to his love of art.
Last spring we moved into a beautiful condo.Ā While my husband loves that he does not have to mow the lawn on those hot summer days or shovel the snow when the bitter wind is blowing, he has found himself with more free time.
In our old home we had a beautiful hosta garden with over 200 hostas along with roses, lilies, cone flowers and so much more!Ā In our new home we do have room for a few flowers and he has enjoyed planting some this summer with plans for more come spring.Ā However, with the much smaller lawn we have it will never be enough to keep him busy.
Giving this free time he has returned to an earlier love – painting.Ā When he was younger he painted but always ended up giving his paintings to friends who expressed that they liked a particular one.Ā When I married him he told me about his earlier painting but he had nothing to show me.
I was pleasantly surprised when he began painting again.Ā In the small house we rented when we first downsized from our home before buying the condo there was little room for him to paint.Ā With the purchase of our condo I took over the second bedroom and filled it with my books, my music and my computer.Ā My poor husband still had no room to paint.
He decided to make himself a studio/painting room in our unfinished basement.Ā Hard at work on the room he has added his favorite “big” chair and a game table so it has become more than just a place to paint.Ā Every man needs a man cave and he now has one.Ā While he still has painting and trim work to do, he is almost ready for a game night with friends.
Game table all ready for a game of checkers with friends
He has his easy chair and a TV ready to hook up
What is great is that he now has plenty of work for not only painting but can also display some of his work.
Painting table with a new canvas ready for his next project
His creation series – I had a hard job getting a good shot of this – but it is based on Genesis 1 and 2
Here’s a better picture of his Creation Series taken at a showing of his work at the local Clinton County Art Gallery
He also loves maps and has some terrific antique maps of London and Paris that he had no where to display.Ā Now he can put them up on the walls of his studio/mancave and enjoy.
I was feeling a little guilty taking the extra room for my space, so now I can better enjoy my area knowing my husband has a space all his own to enjoy.
One of the reasons we bought the condo was to get everything on one floor for me.Ā I had a knee replacement that did not go well and arthritis in the other knee so stairs are difficult for me.Ā Ā With this new space I think I may be going up and down stairs again.Ā As he has completed steps in this decorating I have been called to check it out.Ā Putting up paneling, painting the floor, putting down rugs, putting up lights – all have required my inspection.Ā Now he is talking about me coming down stairs to sit in his easy chair and read or blog while he paints.
I have to remind him it is a “man-cave” and women are not allowed.Ā š
On our recent trip north to the tip of the mitten to see the beautiful fall trees, we also found some great art galleries.Ā Just south of Charlevoix is the Bier Art Gallery housed in a beautifully restored school house.Ā The gallery is owned by Ray and Tami Bier.Ā The Biers were both artists when they met and after marriage they began selling their stoneware pottery.Ā As time passed and they met many other artists they decided to purchase a place to showcase not only their art, but that of the many friends they had made through the years.
They purchased an old school house and turned it into the beautiful gallery it is today.
Among the many different galleries in the school house is the pottery gallery which features the Bier’s art.Ā So many beautiful artifacts.Ā Since we have downsized this past year I had to just look but not buy.Ā It was so tempting though to purchase something.
The sculpture gallery was such a fun place.Ā So many different characters and ideas!
Beautiful pieces in the glass gallery – but I was afraid to even touch them lest I break one.
Many of the works in the metal gallery were actually displayed outside.Ā We thought of our youngest granddaughter, Zoe, and how she would love some of the displays.
Being a jewelry nut – a woman can never have too much jewelry – it was hard to walk through the jewelry gallery without buying something.Ā But I am proud of myself!Ā I resisted these beautiful pieces of art.
What a nice addition this gallery was to our trip.Ā Seeing the beauty God created in nature with all the fall colors and then seeing the beauty God also created through the talents He has given to men and women.
Getting ready for a fall road trip, I recently opened some pictures from a fall road trip taken three years ago.Ā While driving through the scenic St. Croix River Valley in Minnesota we found an amazing outdoor sculpture park.
Founded in 1996 Franconia has an active artist residency program.Ā Each year the park has over 150,000 visitors.Ā They offer yearly fellowships and internships for up to 40 visual artists.
The park is free and open 365 days a year although I am not sure I would want to visit in the winter – Minnesota winters are brutally cold – at least for those of us who live further south.
The park covers 43 acres and shares over 120 sculptures created by artists-in-residence.Ā Since the sculptures change over time the ones we saw may no longer be there but they were definitely unique.
I must confess I am not sure I would call some of these sculptures “art” but they were interesting and the walk was nice with all the beautiful fall trees.
Looking at these beautiful trees, I am so ready for our road trip next week.Ā Heading to the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan for the “Tunnel of Trees.”
Fall is my favorite time of the year!
What season do you like the best?
Are you planning any trips to see the beautiful fall foliage?
Grandma's Ramblings 