Phew.....! We're back after some kinda summer...

Oh, my heavens ~ what a summer!  HOT,  hot, hot described it best.  How about your summer?  Today it's a beautiful crisp 50F outside, the leaves are beginning to change, and it just feels SO good compared to the incredible heat and steam of our 4 month long summer.

Well, let's catch up!  My heart has continued to give me grief.  The medication I was taking to control the atrial fibrillation  http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/ss/slideshow-af-overview  ceased to control it.  I was in and out of A Fib continually and combined with the diastolic dysfunction meant I didn't get enough oxygen, and that meant I was exhausted all the time for the past 4 months.  Exhausted as in I had to stop three times while going up the stairs to catch my breath, having to rest for an hour after taking a shower, only able to walk incredibly s l o w l y, being dizzy all the time, passing out (in my recliner!!).  I've always had great compassion for those suffering, but this has deepened my understanding of how frustrating it is to not be able to live anything close to a normal life.  I've had two sleep studies now, and learned I had Central Sleep Apnea.  With normal sleep apnea, your throat inelegantly collapses while you sleep and you use a CPap machine to deliver a steady flow of air to keep your throat open and you breathing.  Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain doesn't tell your body to breathe while you're sleeping..... dandy, eh?  So now I use a bothersome machine called a Bipap which sends increasingly larger bursts of air into my lungs until I start breathing.  Breath - necessary for life.  I'm so happy I live during a time when we can learn all these new
things.

A month ago I had a cardiac procedure called cardiac ablation done to hopefully correct the AFib. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cardiac-ablation/my00706  It was a 7 hour procedure, an over night stay in ICU and then home.  I thought I was doing much better, but my cardiologist told me he "was not happy" when I saw him last Thursday.  Although I don't have AFib as severe, my heart beat is still irregular.  We've scheduled a cardioversion  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cardioversion/MY00705   in a couple of weeks and then maybe Dr. DelC, or as the nurses call him, Dr. Freddie, will be happy.  Maybe I'll be happier.  I'd just like to be able to take walks with my dogs, Tillie, Oliver and B.D. (Beautiful Dog). 
And get back to making quilts, going to quilt retreats, cooking, doing the laundry, running the vacuum....  I'll tell you, when you can't do even the routine things in life, they begin to look good!

Even in the midst of trials, there can be extraordinary events that bring the deepest job to your life.  My very favorite part of this summer was this:

My darling daughter and her long time beau, Cameron, got married on Saturday, July 14 at beautiful Phelps Park in Decorah, Iowa.  Cam and Amy did a marvelous job of putting together what was a simply lovely, personal wedding event in just over three months (once they made the decision to wed, they wanted to get married asap).

Amy being escorted to her groom by her two fathers.

The wedding rings.

The official kiss, with Lily watching  (Cam's daughter - she and Amy are crazy about each other!).

My husband, George, and me - not looking a bit like my avatar.

My very favorite photo of Amy and Cameron.  I wonder what he was whispering to her?

Being eternally optimistic, I hope the best for you and your family!  I haven't forgotten about any one of you and at some point some of you will open your mailbox to a nice little package from me.  Be patient.  I'm going as fast as I can.

Blessings,