Day nine

When I got home Monday night the first thing I saw was an absolutely pleasing arrangements of lilies and red roses from Arlene and her family. I had a little more time and energy for pictures Tuesday and the flowers were my first subject. When I returned home from the hospital late Tuesday night, my Mom had placed the arrangement in my bedroom for me to enjoy.

Our friend Kristen organized a schedule for meals and household help. Tuesday morning I found two of Logan's shirts that needed buttons and a pair of scissors, needle, thread and the button box. Our neighbor Bernice sewed on the missing buttons. She also cooked oatmeal for Naomi, ironed dresses and jumpers, packaged extra baked goods for the freezer, and scrubbed our stove.

The steeple of the church next door is Julie's view from her hospital bed. It's the most attractive landscape in the neighborhood and the only thing Julie can see from where she is stuck flat on her back in bed. While Betsy had a procedure in the afternoon (she had 600cc of blood removed from near her lung), I slipped over to see Julie in a building a block or two from the main hospital. I arrived to hold her hand during an uncomfortable time of poking and prodding. She has developed two infections as a result of being bed-bound in the hospital.

After the nurses left, we dried tears and Julie opened a gift from Aunt Carolyn.

It was sock day. Betsy received a pair of pink socks.

Photo credit: Logan

I haven't been able to spend much time with Julie and I am missing my roommate. When I returned home Tuesday night I was wishing I would find Julie up in our room waiting to tell me about her day.

Julie's windowsill displays flowers and balloons. Brian dropped Mom off at Julie's room to stay the night with her, and then he and I went back to the main campus to pick up Logan and tell Betsy and Dad good-night. We took advantage of a diversion with the pizza-guy to slip by the front desk without answering a bunch of questions. Betsy and Brian took a stroll down the hospital halls before we headed for home.