...AND GREAT WAS THE FALL THEREOF [Matthew 7:21]

Shenandoah Park Overlook at Point on Appalachian Trail;
Post to Left is a Trail marker, crude steps and trail seen
near it. The Overlook is toward the Shenandoah Valley.
[This photo is SOOC, straight out of camera.]

or is it 'pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall'? [Proverbs 16:18] which we often misquote 'pride goes before a fall'? I certainly hope not the second application; certainly this post's title is part of a parable where unwise and careless choice of a building site resulted in sad great collapse.

However, at least one of these Biblical quotes might apply to the above photo, taken on the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, a drive we took after attending the U.S.S. Henley reunion in Plattsburgh, NY en route to husband's sister in  Aberdeen, NC.

After the reunion of the USS Henley in Plattsburgh NY, one of a number of ships to which Husband (H) was assigned, I chose the Skyline Drive as alternative to Niagara Falls debacle, which allowed us to briefly visit H's family, more or less en route home.

It is a beautiful 100-mile photogenic drive connecting to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The leaves were not turning, but there were stunning overlooks of the Shenandoah Valley, as above photo and the Virginia Piedmont on the opposite side of the road.

Sometimes I become too involved in my photographic endeavors, to get just the right shot. Here I wanted to be sure I had a part of the Appalachian Trail as well as the vista. The many overlooks have paved sidewalk and curbing as well as railing.  

When I am involved in composing, I am completely unaware of my well-being. Having 10 year old artificial knees, backing up while looking forward is a no-no.  I know it, but as I said I become too absorbed in the process. H was just about to yell, 'watch where you are,' when one step backward sent me tumbling to the pavement. backward.

Momentarily stunned, I surmised nothing broken, but getting upright with artificial knees requires assistance. We carry a sturdy folding chair with us. H had to dig it out from our heavily packed pickup and hold it just right for me. Usually, a garden pad beneath one knee is helpful but we forgot that item. 
With his steady hold on the chair, I painfully regained an upright vertical position.

During this period, a very nice biker and sister stopped to assist us. We talked a long time as he, too, was a veteran. It was a delightful interlude, despite its beginning. A veteran will help a veteran, no matter what branch of service; it so happened both biker and H were Navy guys.

We each continued on our separate ways. On arrival at  H's sister, she quickly found a out-patient free-standing clinic in a shopping clinic with X-ray facilities to determine if painful shoulder bones were intact. They were just severely bruised as was one boob upon which my Nikon camera plopped undamaged. A mild pain medication made the remainder of trip manageable. Bruising was excessive due to my taking blood thinners.

I commend the excellent day clinic which accepted a stranger's insurances without question and provided very rapid care just before closing for the day.

And the interlude with the biker was a pleasant addition to the otherwise unpleasant fall. Since they saw our dilemma and turned around to return and check on us--just shows how there are still good Samaritans  among us, but we never read about them. You never know when you will meet angels unaware, and hopefully I have an opportunity somewhere, sometime to return the favor.

A RAMBLING SMILING POST, CREDIT TO MOOD LIFTERS

Anytime I have an appointment with my nurse practitioner who serves as my primary care provider, I leave uplifted.

She explains things that are bothering me like my balance has lost its way. With no whit of notice one leg may cross the other while walking or if I step backward, there is a scary redundancy of backward steps...or a sway from wall to wall. These are usually momentary instances with no feeling of lightheadedness....just happens.

It seems the method in which heart medications work with the heart, leaves other body organs and functions with less functionality. I know from reading many drug interactions, functions and purposes, this is a complicated, intertwined near inexplicable process.

Bagpiper-Plattsburg NY, USS Henley
Memorial Service - Played Amazing
 Grace [I have posted before; it is
SOOC-straight of camera]

But the bottom line is I have to deal with the bad side of every drug or procedure that is making my heart and life improved....more or less deal with it, but she says it in a smiling manner. That includes the %$!@^&* heart event monitor--I have 1.5 weeks to go.

After I heard what my half-sister in Texas pays for a housekeeper for 1/2 day's work, (nearly 60% more than I do), I smiled with great appreciation for mine.

We changed vacation to Texas to late October on advice of family as heat is much less. The bluebonnets are not spectacular this year due to 2 years of drought; so October is just as good for me.

Grand Canyon is postponed until a later date; 1700 mi one way is too much driving for H to see only 2 points of interest, although I know they both are breathtaking.

Husband has prerogative of any other trips. He is the driver. I think he may be thinking of Canada, but it is entirely his choice. I don't want him to miss the fishing season here and his summer church buddy has just arrived in our area.

He finally made appointments for Passports next Tuesday. You may remember posts before we traveled to Plattsburgh NY described tortuous events in which we found H had no legal birth certificate, hence no Passport. He does now.

This give me more time to iron out health quirks, if possible, and adapt to the aging process. (SMILE)

I know of two area events I may get to attend, one of which H is not interested. Blanchard Springs Caverns between my residence and Mountain View (I think)  has 'Caroling in the Caverns' two weekends in December. A church friend's employer gets tickets for his employees; she plans to get me included, if she does not forget. Supposedly one part of the caverns has perfect acoustics, similar to the Mormon Tabernacle where their choir performs.

Then my church has a weekend of worship for all similar churches in October at Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO, which happens to be on my birthday this year. I surely would like to go once in my lifetime. I understand sometimes 3000 members attend. It is mostly music and communion on Sunday. Some of the music is similar to that which I wrote about earlier.

The two day event includes gospel music choirs, trios, quartet, etc. performances as well as mass a capella singing. Persons who have attended earlier events says it sounds like 10,000 angels singing--quite hyperbole....

Speaking of writing about music, I removed the music posts, because I could not clearly define if I was violating copyrights. I did not reason clearly concerning material I was using; most of my postings include my photos or ClickART which includes some permissions of use with attribution. Sorry, if you missed the posts, but, my conscience is the only honor code I have.

I have found a player which is a widget and you upload a play list to a place called playlist.com, but it is more than I want contend with at this point in time.

I considered forming a blog 'circle' of A-Fib sufferers as I know at least 3 bloggers or their spouses on my blog list with the same affliction. However, I thought it not equally fair as some of us have or are contending with other health issues,  some of which are just as devastating. There are just as many cancer survivors, including me on my blog list.

Praying for each other is much more productive. We all have blessings, and then there is the rest of life....

Carpe diem..

PHOTOS: by NitWit1 unless otherwise attributed.

NOT POST MORTEM YET

After my heart ablation, I was elated my heart no longer wanted to 'drum' its way out my chest; however, there are complications and other problems with which to deal. Just one more thing to worry about; except heart rate is very high--blood pressure is low normal; not a good combination.

My case is no exception to heart and a myriad of other diseases. In case of open heart procedure, a much more dangerous surgery with possible complications, I have seen more than one patient survive and feel wonderful for a short period of time, then develop A-Fib.

The drudgery of test after test, social calendar of nothing but physician appointments, monotony of driving 32 mi round trip for cardiac rehab occur day after day. Then add a small burp of a cold, it adds more monotony to the routine.

Even though I am thought to be able to do daily routines like cook, wash clothes, housework, etc., I find myself limited in energy and desire to do so, but push myself to do what I can. When I fail my expectations, I am depressed, frustrated, even angry. I used to be able to do this.

We have a housekeeper every other week, so vacuuming, floors, dusting etc is pretty well under control. Thank God we can afford it.

Here is what I need to do today, none or which do I possess the 'want to do.' Remember some of these involve a 32 mi round trip to a larger town.

[Take shower and re-connect an event monitor I am wearing for a month before I start the day.]
1. Pick up order at Staples involving travel .
2. Change cell phone carrier--a rigamole that really requires a separate post as it involves a long historical record.
3. Exercise at hospital.
[above three are all in the nearby town-32 mi round trip]
4. Deliver a payment for my Telecare group to local bank.
5. Wash clothes, dry and fold. [some are sheets the folding of which wear me out as I am so short.]
6. Cook at least one meal for two, major problem finding one common ingredient two very different people need and LIKE.
7 .Empty dishwasher.
....And if any time is left I have outdoor pots to plant for spring.
Plus the TeleCare group I helped organize, I am in charge of daily operations, which involves a lot of headaches.

Plus I need to schedule yearly carpet cleaning sometime soon.

I am tired just thinking about this. If and when I sit down to enjoy a few minutes on computer, watch television, read my Kindle,etc. I fall asleep and have to watch for a re-run. I routinely watch Dance Moms--thank goodness next week, the previous week' program is rerun before the new program. This happened last night. Unfortunately football games are not usually rerun, which is no fun anyway, as I already know the outcome.

And the frustration I verbally take out on whoever will listen. I don't cry much, but the aggravation, burden and frustration is bringing me close to despair and have had severaa lumps in the throat.

The things I love do like photography are on the back-burner, and a trip to Texas to see family and bluebonnets has been postponed, but I hope gets done. My bucket list doesn't look like it will have any mark-offs.

What does husband do? I really don't know as I am too busy with what I perceive are my duties.

Today I wondered what the terms 'old as you feel,' 'old-timer,' 'old age,' 'ancient,' 'too old to cut the mustard anymore,' and similar but sometimes even less complimentary or demeaning terms mean--where am I on the scale of aging? 

Needless to say whatever is golden about age, I do not see today. Nor do I appear to be growing old 'gracefully'--whatever that term means.

I need counseling on growing old, but that would add to my social doctor calendar!!!

If you have some solutions..............

When I find time to post again, perhaps I will try to find one photo from our last vacation to show you. That may be it, too, as something will be calling me to do.

EXPLANATION

In case you think I am crazy, I wrote the Easter post and scheduled it a week earlier before I decided to suspend my litany of music favorites. I completely forgot about it.

I have done a lot of reading on copyrights, plagiarism, etc. and it is a murky subject. One blogger has actually been sued and had to pay for publishing a photo. In fact photos seemed to be the most common lawsuit.

Blogger has unwittingly made using You Tube easy as it is on the menu to add directly from their menu. In fact I suspect it is the most abused site on the Internet. Uploading copyrighted material is only the beginning even with attribution. A few posts are removed, but nothing like what is published.

Most all the music I have posted I already bought on Amazon.com, but not necessarily the artist I published in any given post. I created my own CD, which I have a right to do. And I assume my post would be included. Yesterday, I think all but one were the actual ones I bought.

But the others I bought were not on You Tube, as I really had an amazing choice of artists on Amazon.com, when I decided to make my own CD. You don't have to buy an album, just the songs you want.

Later I will post the remaining list by title only, and if you are interested in listening to them, you can search by title on YOU TUBE to listen to them.

When I first started blogging, I and several of you, followed a very talented writer, artist, and humorist, whose work was so plagiarized, the blog was closed; going private did not work.

So on to other subjects when I get over this nasty, cold/allergy/bronchitis. We don't know which we are treating, so I am enduring a "cover all bases" regimen. It wa difficult chosing medications that agreed with each other and less likely to affect my mended heart.

In the meantime, I have lots of photos I have not even looked at from our vacation, as I immediately returned to have the ablation. Since that event I have spent a great deal of time trying to comply with a myriad of physician's instructions. Not easy.....