This week in Burley, Idaho

This week - March 2-8, 2015   
       (Sunday about midnight...
      I have finished the week! Horray...first time in a long time!)
February 2 - Monday  
(I'm going to try to post daily to see if I can
get a week completed instead of only the first half of each week.)

Walt had a quiet day.  Dan Green came this morning to visit him.  I didn't get there till noon today, so I didn't get a photo of Dan.

Walt was working on his computer when I arrived.

We had lunch together and then in his room planned to watch some TV. They have a program on PBS that we haven't seen before.  It's called "World."
Walt was in the soft recliner and I sat in a nice leather-like chair beside him.
    We both conked out for almost an hour.

We like this nurse's aid a lot--Katherine.

Then I left at 4:30 to run a couple of errands and be home in time to go to "The Music Man" with Kathleen Hedberg and Kenna Durfee.  Chase and Yamammy Anderson joined us. Kathleen took in two refugee sisters a few years back. Zynab and Yamammy.  Zynab couldn't come because her baby was sick.

It was an outstanding performance and received a standing ovation.
We are amazed at all the local talent we have in our Mini-Cassia Area.  Ken and Bonnie Hansen had a lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren in this Mt. Harrison Heritage Foundation amateur production.

March 3 - Tuesday

This morning Walt was driven in the Countryside van to our home where the occupational therapist rendezvoused with him to do a home evaluation to see what hazards there might be for his convalescence here.

 He checked out the rooms on the main level, then went upstairs to see how he handled the stairs.
Greg had two items of concern:
1. The throw rugs in the master bathroom can be a hazard of catching a toe on the edge and falling.  So those need to be removed.
2. The half-bath in the downstairs hallway needs a riser on the toilet to eliminate a risk of falling.
3. For now, the therapist said it will be safer for Walt to shower in the main floor master bath room than in the main shower upstairs.  The shower chair we have from my back surgery in Dec 2010 fits well in this main floor shower.

This shows the snow we had gotten by 10:50 this morning.

Then it was time to go back to Rupert.

Walt didn't need to go in the wheelchair this time, but was able to get into the car seat okay.  When I asked the Countryside driver what her name was, she said: "Angel."
"Well named," replied Walt.

And there they go...  Walt has been well taken care of at this Coountryside Care & Rehab Center on the East Wing of the Minidoka Memorial Hospital in Rupert.  

By the time I left an hour later, the snow was gone from the roads and they were dry most of the way to Rupert.

I joined Walt for lunch there, and then the therapists came to have Walt try the walker with the four wheels instead of the silver one with only the two wheels on the front.
Below are Walt, Jeff, and Matt.
Our friend and neighbor, Scott Bloxham, was the head physical therapist for the Minidoka Memorial Hospital for many years. He has recently retired.

Jeff and Matt walked with Walt clear over to the East Dining Room and on to the fireplace room on the far east wing.  Walt's Room 317 is the furtherest one of the West Wing.

Jeff then showed Walt some new exercises with his legs while sitting in a chair.  The trick is for Walt to rotate his right leg over without the thigh rotating in.

Right after they left, these bright, darling arrangement of flowers from Reta Jane's Blooms sent to Walt by Bill & Sharon Prescott, very dear cousins of Walt's.
The fun card said: "For the Duracell Bunny... (have to get the rest from the card tomorrow....)

We were both tuckered out so had an hour nap before watching a little television.....like a couple of episodes of "Little House on the Prairie," and part of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"...or whatever the title is, with Jane Seymour. (Remember, she was invited by The Church to be a guest artist for one of the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Programs.

One of the aids came to take Walt's vital signs.

Then the Financial Manager for Countryside came to give him the information he needs about being discharged.

My right eye started stinging this morning when I was checking e-mails before I left the house.  I thought it was that the little bit of sun shining came in through the window.
  However by the time I left for Rupert it was so watery and stinging so much I had to close it most of the 20-minute drive over.
  After our nap the stinging and watering were gone, but about 4:00 (my favorite time of the day), it began stinging and watering again, so Walt said I probably needed some allergy medicine.
   So I drove over to Ridleys and got some Western Family equivalent of Claritin or Lotradine. (The latter two were $31 for 30 pills; the W.F. brand was $5.99 for 30 pills.)
    My eye has not stung nor watered since I took one of those pills.

Each hall-way in Countryside has a "street name."  The hallway going down in front of the West Wing dining hall is "Wisteria Circle."  Very clever idea...

After a light supper, we watched a PBS special called "Bing Rediscovered" about the life of Bing Crosby.
 I couldn't get the MMH (Minidoka Memorial Hospital) free WiFi to connect, so I just packed up my computer and planner and Walt's clothes that needed washing and headed home a little after 8:00.
       To be continued

March 4 - Wednesday 
Turned out to be the day Walt was discharged from the Rehab Center.  Joy Hurst __________ came by to see him.  She is over the Home Health for the Minidoka Memorial Hospital.  She has worked in many levels of medicine with Dr. Petersen over the years...way back when in Labor and Delivery at the Cassia County Hospital.

Some more walking through the hallways to finish out the day's exercising.

Dr. Gilbert Crane came by to check Walt and signed the discharge papers.

Then we were on our way home...

Dan Black was so kind to let us borrow a walker he has that is not being used.

It was a very good day!
March 5 - Thursday
How many days till Christmas...

  Just wondering how long till christmas...45 weeks...

Now moving on....
Walt was happy to be home having breakfast in our home.

March 6 - Friday
Day of physical therapy at the Burley hospital as an out patient.

Troy was so good going through the exercises with Walt.

It was a really warm, spring-like day -- almost 60 degrees.

Dan and LaRae Crane brought in a delicious dinner.  We've got to get her meat loaf recipe!

March 7 - Saturday
Janie & Shawn took 88 of their Idaho Ballroom Academy dancers to do workshops, perform, and dance with the youth of an Ontario, Oregon, stake.  Their rest stop was in Burley on the way.

After doing all this and other activities--like an etiquette workshop--they would head back Sunday after church there.

One of the management people in Wal-Mart told one of their chaperones, Bryon Kennedy, that they were very impressed with how well-mannered this group of young people were.
It was awesome to see these two busloads of young performers go on their way to Oregon.

Then that afternoon, Walt and I went to the matinee of "The Music Man" in their final performance.  It was a standing ovation!

Here we are outside the beautiful King Fine Arts Center.

Then I got a closeup of Walt when we got home. He's doing very well for 2 weeks and 1 day since his total hip replacement surgery.

That evening we went to Molly Heiner's wedding reception at Dave and Alice Hansen's home.  Kevin and Christine were the happy father and mother of the beautiful bride.

Molly's husband is Owen Barrott from Pocatello.  They were married on Friday, March 6 in the Salt Lake Temple.   Her turquoise and silver colors made lovely decorations.

Everyone was so nice to help Walt into and out of the chairs.

March 8 - Sunday
Today is our very good friend's birthday.
Our neighbor, Don Melling, turns 80 years old on this March 8!

We finally got the time figured out after I turned our clock back 1 hour. I turned TV on to hear the Tabernacle Choir and it was 11:30 not 9:30 like I thought it was.

We got to Church. Walt made it through Priesthood with the brethren helping him up out of the folding chair.  Then in Sunday School we got a call that Shawn was having severe abdominal pain on the bus ride from Ontario, Oregon, to Burley where they stopped for lunch before continuing on to Rexburg.

Walt felt he needed to go to the Emergency Room at the Burley hospital--Cassia Regiona Regional Medical Center. So Janie made arrangements with her chaperones to take over for the last 2 1/2 hours on to Rexburg.

And we headed to the hospital.  While waiting for the results of lab tests, Darrell Roskelley came to help Walt give him a Priesthood blessing.

Soon after that we were able to find Shawn's dad, Budd, who was in the hospital helping a neighbor.  The probable diagnosis is pancreatitis.  He is here in the hospital for the night.

Before we left the Sunday School class this afternoon, Sister Bonnie Fronk had taught us about disciples and hypocrites. 
To be a disciple we need to pray, believe, serve, do what is right for the right reason and become someone with the countenance of Christ.

We pray you have had a peaceful and restful Sabbath Day.
We pray we will be a true disciple of Christ.

We testify that He is our Redeemer and Savior.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Walt and Eileen Petersen - Burley, Idaho