MY DAY TRIP TO MERCER COUNTY AND PARKS

While Rita was working hard I took some time off from home projects and took a ride to Mercer County where I grew up and explored many areas. On the way home I stopped at McConnells Mill, a State Park that is about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. There is an old grist mill on the creek, covered bridge and some nice scenic spots to walk and explore. Pennsylvania has some of the nicest State and forest lands that are reasonable for seniors like myself. The parks are beautiful, clean, well maintained, paved and graveled camping spots with fantastic views. Most of the parks are on large lakes or streams that make the camping experience even more thrilling. With our RV, I also found that most of the parks have quite a few spaces that have electric and some water at the sites, although many of the spaces I like are without either and those seem to be the best sites, like right on the lake shore. In addition as a senior and a Golden Age Passport for seniors I only pay the going rate at 50% off which usually means I can camp on the lake with electric for about $10 a night, great huh! Rita and I have been to Pymatuning lake near my home area but they have a new US Forest Service lake that was created by flooding the town of Clarksville where we lived for many years. The town was moved up the hill and renamed Clark. The Shenango Reservoir that is there now has a large recreation lake for boating and water activities and one of the nicest recreational parks available and I am looking forward to going there the middle of July for a week after I complete a work assignment at one of the hospitals here in Pittsburgh. I am including below pictures from the Shenango campground and McConnells Mill. Enjoy.

PICTURES FROM MCCONNELLS MILL

SHENANGO RESERVOIR CAMPGROUND and MCCONNELLS MILL

Rita and I were downtown the other night to attend the arts fair which goes on for several weeks at the POINT(where the three rivers join). They also had an event which goes on thru the middle of July where they light up five of the city buildings with picture lighting on the face of the buildings. The city arts commission paid this French artist to do this at a cost of around $300,000? Can you imagine how cities spend their money, especially a city like Pittsburgh that always seems to have news items how they do not have enough money to run departments in the city. Any way the lights were pretty and it was so different to see a building change so quickly at dusk. I have included above a couple of the pictures I took so enjoy our city lit up!!

The fair was most interesting. As most fairs go everything was expensive for the arts and crafts, the food great, the crowds were too much..

BACK TO WORK

It was great seeing my wife return to her job at UPMC Western Psych this last week. I know she was anxious to be with her co-workers and feel healthy again. I have to say my faith was somewhat weak in the beginning, as I tried to deal with her having that terrible tumor in her head but the LORD strengthened us both and we can only feel the greatest celebration and thanks to GOD as he brought Rita back to a point of feeling better. We now only have to monitor the results over the next many years and see how things progress but we both know that it will be all right. Rita had a quiet week at work as Dr. Tica Hall, her researcher was away and this did allow her to take more time to adjust to returning to her desk. Each day she came home we shared the day as she felt welcomed back by individual co-workers and a few tributes to her strength and resiliency this last nine weeks. I honestly feel she seems better then when before she had the tumor. Work is a good thing for all of us. Even I can see it now that I am retired and I do miss the workplace and all the activities that go on plus the challenges. I still am doing contract work so that gives me a good sense of enjoyment and I probably will do that for some time as Rita wants to work at least 5-7 years more depending on how she feels and what goes on with our lives. We do miss the full time traveling, Well, I should say I do. Rita seems more content working now and enjoying our home and church here in the Pittsburgh area. Isn't life interesting!

Rita in the Gamma Knife Holder and In the Treatment Unit

Today, or should I say very very early this morning we went back to the University of Pittsburgh for Rita to have her Gamma Knife Radial Surgery(Radiation treatment). We were both a little tired because we had not gone to bed as early as we should have. But no matter, this was an important day for us as this would be the ending procedure for the care of her meningioma and then we both felt we could move on to better days. It is nice when you are going into Pittsburgh that early(around 5:30am) because there is not traffic and the parking is great. We reported to the admission desk and it was not long before we were sent down to the Gamma Knife reception. We were there even before the main receptionist arrived. Donna from Gamma Knife came out and took us inside and explained the procedure that morning. Rita would be prepared and then have the Gamma Knife head unit placed on her head with four pins holding the unit. After that was done she went into MRI for the planning scans, then into the Gamma Knife, where her head device locked into the unit. At this time she was pretty sedated and slept through the in and out treatment comfortably. She was allowed to bring her music with her and she chose Lynda Randel as she loves her singing and it was calming for her. We especially enjoyed the fact that everyone in the room area(around six people) were receiving the same blessing and listening to the music also and they did comment on it as well as Dr. Neranjan MD, her neuroradiation specialist. Rita did wonderfully as she always does and she is always able to give us great smiles. I had the opportunity to visit with family members, in the waiting area, who were there for their husbands, fathers and mothers having more serious treayments for more serious malignant tumors. In sharing my and Rita's faith I found great comfort in the the time I had with them also. So much suffering in those families and so much strength in their own stories of struggle and hope. GOD is good and it is more obvious every day as Rita and I go through all of her getting well. Well, that's all we have to do now, just wait for a few weeks and Rita can go back to her work that she enjoys. We will have to return every six months for many years to follow the effect of her care and treatment but we know the LORD is with us and nothing else matters. I have included a few pictures of Rita in her head unit and in the Gamma Knife that the staff gave us. Look at it this way... What a blessing we have the knowledge and technology to magnify GOD's glory and many praises for the medical staff as they continue their care for so many wonderful folks and give them life.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY EVERYONE

"Of all the earthly things God gives,
There's one above all others:
It is the precious, priceless gift
Of loving Christian mothers."

MOM

Although I do not have my mother with me anymore as she is glowing in GOD's glory and celebrating Heaven with our true father, I truely miss her. I think of her everyday and see her presence in all of the many memories and things she left us to remember her by. Growing up with my mother was definitely a great experience. Since my brothers were so much older than I, Mom and Dad and I grew up together in a period of time that had its hardships. My father was ill most of my teenage life and Mom worked hard at the MaxAnn Bakery in Hickory, PA. keeping the family going. I remember most the closeness we had during those years as it seemed at times that we were the only ones supporting each other. I won't forget the first paycheck I received from my part-time work at Grants department store when I was 16 years of age. Mom always liked listening to good music, especially hymns. I took most of that check as I remember and bought us a record player and a few Tennessee Ernie records. Mom and I wore that record player out and she kept it for a number of years even after the family moved to California. It was my working and Mom's hard work that contributed to a difficult financial time for us but we got through it all and were the closer for it. It taught me how to share and has been a part of me to this day to share with others whenever I could, especially family. Mom and I used to sit on our front porch and listen to the rain and radio programs and spent hours talking about school, the boys, Dad's difficulties and the blessings that we had. She continued to be that same person until the day she went to the Lord. Even when I was in the Army and far away I always felt close to my parents and talked to them often. They would get most of my paycheck from the Army and put it away for me so that I would have a good start when I got out and it was that money that paid for my first car and got me started in my first job. I often tried to spend that money on a car before I got out but it was Mom who kept reminding me that it was for a later time. It must have been hard for both of my parents during my absence as I know they could have used some of the financial support I could have provided if I stayed home. Mom always encouraged me to move on in life and better myself and her advice was always timely, though I probably didn't always take it. But that is what good mothers try to do for their children and Mom always was a good mother. This is our first Mother's Day without her and both Rita and I miss her so much.

Our Trip

Rita and I decided to take a short retreat for a week since she was feeling so much better after her surgery. She is waiting for her radiation therapy now scheduled for May 30th this month. Our choice was to take a leisurely drive down to the Smoky Mountains and use some of our time share points to stay at Bentwood Creek Resort. The weather has been really nice this year and the mild temperatures continued during our whole trip. We had lots of nice days to enjoy the Tennessee cooking and sit by the many creeks and streams in the Park area. The town of Gatlinburg was a nice distraction from the big city of Pittsburgh and the crowds were thin and the restaurants not crowded. One of the best days we had was to walk the streets of Gatlinburg and end up in the Smoky Mountain Park area and just sit and enjoy the sounds of the rushing streams and end the day by the fireplace at our condo time share. Rita progressed enough during the stay that when she came home she spoke to her employer about perhaps coming back for a week and one half before her radiation therapy. After talking to her doctor and the disability carrier it created too many problems going off disability and returning so soon again for her therapy. The therapist wants Rita to rest for several weeks to make sure that she does not have any brain swelling from the therapy before evaluating her return to work. We are so glad though that she felt well physically and mentally enough to consider the option of going back to work temporarily. The LORD has been so good to us as we have worked our way through her treatments. It will be wonderful to finish the next stage and look forward to resuming our lives without so much medical interaction. Our time was so relaxed we spent each day reading our Bible lessons and reflecting on how GOD uses our difficulties to bring us closer to HIM.

"Hold fast to Christ and He will give

The will to see you through;

And if you keep on keeping on

Your strength He will renew."

I have included some pictures from our trip location. What a tranquil place.

More Smoky Mountains and Downtown Gatlinburg