Growth in Impossible Places

As each day gets easier now for LM, I cannot help but think of how very impossible our situation has felt over the last 6 weeks. Those thoughts led me to this photo which I took of a sweet fir tree growing out of an ancient stone wall in Acadia National Park in ME . When I found that Acadia tree last year, I was reminded of a hemlock tree which started just this way in one of the old stonewalls at my childhood home. I can remember my parents watching the growth and how finally the tree became so big it blocked the pathway from their house to the farm, and we had to trim it back. Each year at Christmas I would trim a few of the lacy boughs with which to decorate the mantle above the fireplace, and to make a wreath for the door.

With the wonderful progress LM is making each day, recovery seems like its roots are taking hold and our life is getting back on track. Today my sweet patient saw his primary care physician and got a great report. Anemia is still lingering and there was some concern about whether it is too early for a stress test, but LM feels he is ready for the test next week and will proceed. His whole outlook is so much more positive. He has arranged a very important agenda for his fishing club, the Cape Cod Salties, and tomorrow night he will drive himself to the meeting where there will be a speaker from Washington DC and one from the MA Div of Marine Fisheries to lead a discussion of the government efforts to require licensing for the recreational salt water fishermen. LM has put a lot of work in to making this happen and it is gratifying to see it come to fruition and hear his passion loud and clear. YEAH!

Also, tonight, he had a great meal and called me with such excitement....he and Bob enjoyed a roasted pork tenderloin with some nice vegetables, all perfectly prepared with herbs, onion and garlic by none other than LM. His zest for life has returned!

We had a weird weather morning out here on the elbow of Cape Cod...I got up at 5:30 and saw the beginning of sunrise, and within 45 minutes we were having a driving snowstorm...actual whiteout. It lasted about 20 minutes, covering everything with snow, and then stopped and the sun shone brightly. I love living where these things can happen!

My favorite note on LM's progress is that the lilt has returned to his voice...my world is a calm and peaceful place tonight. Ahhhhhhhh!!