Cutting of the Christmas Tree

First, my favorite quote of the week:

"Nine times out of ten I get that little, short one. And she can't remember her ass from a hole in the ground."
-Dad, explaining why his dialysis treatment took longer than usual.

I haven't been home for the annual trek up into the mountains to find and cut down that perfect Christmas tree since I was in high school. This is now a grand adventure, involving several neighbors who have become extended family.

Video:


Sorry if you got a kink in your neck watching that. I have now discovered that I can't turn my camera when taking a video. Has to be horizontal. Like a TV screen, I guess. Huh.

Okay. If you haven't visited my friend Kathryn's blog, you need to! She has a spectacular mind. And she is so descriptive. This makes for some good reading!! She just flew to Johannesburg to help impoverished and orphaned children for the holidays. Here is her blog: My Amazing Journey

I am inspired by friends this year (Hello Rachel! Hello Kathryn!), who are each donating what they can for Christmas to those less fortunate. Kathryn...off to South Africa to share her talent and passion. And Rachel...packing shoe boxes full of toys and goodies and sending them to kids in Southeast Asia. As for me...I'm donating to the local food bank. What are you doing?

Ideas:
My favorite food bank (one that I have needed in the past): Northwest Harvest

Make a loan Change a life: Kiva

Lifelong AIDS Alliance

Find your local food bank: Feeding America

Merry Christmas!

Ernest

Preg-testing, Lion Hunting, And another friend dies

First, my favorite quote of the week:

"Pablo is no one's bitch anymore. He really filled his big boy pants today......with his balls."
-Tabatha, from Tabatha's Salon Takeover

The circle of life continues on the ranch this week with the cows getting preg-tested. The vet shows up and slips on his really long glove, which covers him from fingertip to shoulder. The cows are run through the chute one by one and the vet reaches in, feels around for the calf, and determines how many month's along she is. Then he takes a giant orange crayon and writes this number on her hip. Hopefully, for the cows' sake, there won't be any zeros. These cows are likely to go to the butcher shop. Poor cow. Yummy hamburger.

Last week, my brother Travis discovered mountain lion tracks in the snow on our property up in the mountains. Mountain Lions are very dangerous and they like to eat little calves, which can cost us quite a bit of money. And in the winter time when snow pushes them down out of the mountains, they can be a danger to pets and even small children. So, Trav and a group of his buddies went hunting. They didn't find them but discovered tracks for more than one lion. They are elusive. My dad has been hunting them his whole life and only killed 3 that I know of. Unless you have a pack of dogs that can corner the lion in a tree, you'll never catch them. But, I'm certain Trav will keep trying!

Above is the mountain lion my dad killed a few years ago. Pictured is Gale Neal on the left and my dad on the right.

Today is another sad day. One of THE BEST things about college was my friend Lacie Hedahl. She was so much fun and so talented. We sang in 2 jazz choirs together for 4 years. She was always ready to hang out. We would sneak over to the snack shop for some junk food or sit and practice in the halls or go out drinking. And she was such a musician. The kind that you paid attention to when she had something to say about the music. The kind that when she sang or played her saxophone you would stand up and cheer, shouting, "Now that's the way it's supposed to be done!" She died over the weekend due to diabetic complications. We had been talking on Facebook for the last year or so. I wish that I had gotten off my ass, to drive the 4 hours it takes to get to Spokane and see her. Goodbye, Lacie!

Dad Update:
I'm allowing myself a small glimmer of excitement. Though Dad would not admit it, he is a little bit stronger this week and more alert. I have been reading everything I can about his problems and learning everything I can about the medicines he gets. And I think I'm making a difference. I'm now able to adjust his medicines each day depending on how he feels and what symptoms I can see. My focus is stopping the diarrhea so that the food and medicine he gets through his feeding tube have the proper time to sit and get absorbed, which will give him strength. Unfortunately one of the medicines he absolutely needs to empty his stomach and alleviate nausea, causes diarrhea. So it's a battle. And my lord, am I tired! My day starts at 6:30am and goes until midnight. If you know me at all...you know that I don't do mornings! Or 17 hour days! But, I am happy to help this man that has given me so much.

Cheers,
Ernest

Dad has surgery, Trav turns 42, and a friend dies

First, my favorite quote of the week:

"I may be a bitch. But at least I'm good at what I do."
-Tabatha from "Tabatha's Salon Takeover"

This week was full of events. Last Monday, Mom and I decided to take Dad to the ER after he had been throwing up for 24 hours straight. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, which was our biggest worry, and a urinary infection. He has been in the hospital all week, getting pumped full of antibiotics. While there, his doctor discovered a few other problems and may have just figured out what has been causing him to be so nauseous. He was also able to get the surgery that he was too sick to get last week. This was to create a fistula in his upper left arm. Let me scroll down to see if I described what a fistula is in my last post.........nope. Okay. A fistula is when an artery is surgically connected to a vein, making a sort of u-turn in the arm. After a few weeks the vein then becomes as large as the artery. At that point, Dad can receive his dialysis there, and it is safe enough to do in a home environment, which is the ultimate goal.

My older brother, Travis, turned 42 on Friday. It's hard to believe we are getting that old. When I'm home on the ranch and in the house I grew up in, I feel like that dorky teenager all over again. But, I will be 37 in January. Trav celebrated by running his horse right into a badger hole, which threw them both down nearly breaking the horse's leg and severely bruising Trav's collarbone. Then we all went to dinner. Tough being a cowboy...

On a sad note, a friend of mine died over the weekend. He and I went to school together starting in preschool and going all the way to high school. He also helped out several summers on the ranch. He was a funny, smart, irreverent guy. He had been battling alcohol for many years now and when he was in jail 2 years ago, my dad introduced him to Alcoholics Anonymous and became his sponsor. But unfortunately, he lost his battle. He hung himself.

On a lighter note, Michael repainted Vanna's room. She has been wanting to paint it over in her favorite colors...namely...pink, pink, PINK!!! But, Chris kept vetoing the idea. I think he liked the cool jungle mural Michael had previously painted in her room. I guess with Michael there for a full week...Vanna won out! It is now painted in pink and white stripes with black trim. Sounds very French princess, to me! Perhaps Chris will post some pictures online (hint, hint).

That's all for now!

Cheers,
Ernest

Cowboy up! The calves are off to market.

It's business as usual this week on the Palmer Ranch. Travis and Rick loaded up the calves to send them off to the market. There are around 250 calves to sell this year (we always keep few). The whole process of selling cattle has become very technologically advanced. At the beginning of summer, a videographer comes out to film the calves on the range. The calves are gathered up and then slowly driven in front of the camera. Then that video is uploaded to a satellite where later in the summer it is broadcast across North America for an online auction. It's great because you get a lot more bidders, and this year we got a great price - $1.08/pound. If you figure 600 pounds per calf then that's around $162,000 minus a whole lot of expenses.

Here's video:












Dad Update:
We had the biggest scare yet a couple nights ago. Dad's sugar dropped to 29. That's low enough to put him in a coma or kill him. We mounted a vigil and by 6am his sugar was back up to 96. Still low but acceptable. Very scary. Today he is fine. Each day is up and down, but we are surviving and staying positive.

Cheers,
Ernest

"Happy Halloween" -OR- "What's that buzzing sound?"

It was a very quiet afternoon.  I was diligently working my way through dad's numerous medicines.  And then my brother and his family arrived.  It was like getting hit by a class 4 tornado. 

In the pictures are Jaicee (9-years-old) and Marquel (2-years-old).  They were dressed as the "BUMBLE BEE SISTERS!!"  Da-da-da-DAH  da-DAAAAHHH!!   Also pictured is my dad, Tom, and Shay in the background. 

DAD UPDATE:
Dad is back home.  The scare we had last Sunday turned out only to be a minor infection, so he was home by Wednesday.  He does require a lot of work though.  He isn't strong enough to stand up on his own.  He is still on a feeding tube.  He has a rigorous medicine schedule that starts at 6am and goes until 10pm.  His diabetes requires regular insulin shots.  And he has dialysis 3 days a week in a town 60 miles away.  So, it's pretty busy here.  He really needs a live-in nurse, but insurance won't pay for it. 

I'm definitely making a difference being here.  Thanks for all your support.

Cheers,
E

Change in plans

Sunday night I got a frantic phone call from my sister-in-law, Shay.  I barely heard her ask me to come home in between the sobbing.  My dad has taken another turn for the worse. 

After I left this summer and came back to Nantucket, Dad was moved to a rehabilitation home where they could monitor him.  But 2 weeks ago his insurance ran out.  So he went home to the ranch in Malad.  He was extremely happy to begin with, as you can imagine, but unfortunately was rushed to the hospital again Sunday. 

So, I am now headed directly to Idaho tomorrow.  I'm going to feel things out and give my family a break.  I think it's just been too much for them to handle.  If things are serious we may bring Michael to Idaho sooner.  But hopefully that won't be the case and hopefully I'll be able to fly up to Seattle/Leavenworth at some point.  We shall see!

Thank you for all your support!  I will keep you posted. 

Cheers,
Ernest

We clicked the button and purchased our tickets

This week we finally solidified our travel plans for the holidays and purchased our airplane tickets home. We will be leaving Nantucket and flying straight to Seattle on November 3rd. We will be spending most of our time in Leavenworth helping out our favorite business, The Gingerbread Factory, during their busiest time of the year. We'll also be bouncing back and forth to Seattle several times. Hopefully we can spend Thanksgiving with Michael's brother Chris and family. We both have doctors appointments to make. AND we have tickets to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE at Comcast Arena in Everett on November 21st. Woohoo! (Guilty Pleasure)

We'll be flying to Idaho on December 18th to spend Christmas with my family. On January 5th, we will be flying to Alabama to spend a month with Anne, Scott, & Tyler. Then in February, it is back to Nantucket.

What else happened this week? I threw my back out on Saturday and spent much of the week in a haze of muscle relaxers and pain killers. Michael transformed the large bedroom into a gym. He moved the treadmill in there and set up the Wii Fit, so it's all ready to go. And...get this...he actually worked out! Isn't that awesome? He almost inspired me to work out. Almost.

Also, my dear friend Kathryn announced that she is traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa this winter with a nonprofit group called, "Artists Striving To End Poverty." This group serves a severely disadvantaged community heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, limited education, unemployment, lack of skills and poor housing. Along with several other artists, she will be providing basic dance, drama, music, poetry and playwriting workshops for the children during their holiday break. Basically, she will be bringing joy to kids who need it. What could be a better Christmas present?!? I've known Kathryn for several years. She is giving and supremely talented. We have acted together in many, many shows. I've shared some of my most memorable and fun moments with her and also some of my most personal and devastating moments. If you feel you can donate to her cause, please consider it. I can't think of a better person or cause. Here is a link to her website: http://www.firstgiving.com/kathrynvanmeter

That's all for now!

Cheers,
Ernest

Holy Red Cranberries, Batman!!

For some reason Michael and I were talking about cranberries this morning.  I believe I had mentioned that I wanted to go see one of the cranberry bogs here on the island -- something I had never seen before -- and then he mentioned that Nantucket has an annual cranberry festival.  So, I jumped online and...lo and behold...today was Cranberry Fest 2009!

We jumped in the car and headed out to Milestone Cranberry Bog, 193 acres of currently cultivated cranberry bog.  Prior to 1959, this bog was 234 acres, making it the largest contiguous natural cranberry bog in the world.  Since that time the bog has been divided up to make it more water-efficient.  Together, the Milestone Cranberry Bog and the other commercial bogs on Nantucket produce 2 million pounds of cranberries each year.

Cranberry Fest 2009 featured a cranberry harvest, bog tours, hay rides, sheep shearing demonstrations, live music, kid's events, food, fresh berries and other cranberry products, although we missed much of that since we were so late in arriving.

We saw a woman spinning freshly sheared wool into yarn:

A woman weaving beautiful rugs:

And an old-fashioned cranberry separator:

Fun facts about cranberries:

1. John Webb, one of the first growers, was the first person to notice that good cranberries bounce.   Because he had a wooden leg, John couldn't carry his cranberries down the stairs, so he dropped them instead.  He soon noticed that the firmest berries bounced to the bottom but the rotten ones stayed on the steps.  This discovery eventually led to the cranberry separator pictured above.
2. Small pockets of air inside the berry cause the cranberry to bounce.  Air also causes the berries to float in water. 
3. The cranberry is one of only three fruits native to North America.  The other two are the Concord grape and the blueberry.
4. The cranberry was so named because its pink blossoms resemble the head of a crane ("Craneberry" as it was originally called).

I did get to taste a few things.  Walking by one booth, I spied a yummy looking cracker slathered with cranberry jam.  I quickly grabbed one, shoved the whole thing in my mouth....and it nearly burned my tongue off!  Turns out it was curry cranberry jam.  Who would have thought?  I guess it tasted good...just eat it in small portions.

Show closes and Fall TV Season begins!

Sooooo, we closed the show Saturday night to a house so full we had to add extra seats.  What a thrill!  It's been really nice to do a "straight" show as we call it -- a play that is not a musical.  And, best of all, I have made several cool new friends.  I love actors.  They are so full of energy and come prepackaged with lots of crazy stories.

 

Now that the show is over, I can finally make room to watch all the new fall TV shows that have just started.  Whew!  Here's a list of the best we are watching:

   mondays... 
Castle

   tuesdays...

Hells Kitchen
NCIS
Biggest Loser

   wednesdays...

So You Think You Can Dance
Glee

   thursdays...

Flashforward
Police Women of Broward County
Greys Anatomy
Project Runway

   fridays...

Ghost Whisperer
Dollhouse
Stargate Universe

   saturdays...

Divine Design
Color Splash

   sundays...

Drop Dead Diva
The Amazing Race

My favorite of the season so far is GLEE!  It is freaking awesome.

Cheers,

E

Brrrrr...It's Cold In Here!

I was on the front page of the Arts & Living Section of this week's Nantucket Newspaper.

Here's the picture:


In this scene Gabrielle and I strip off layer after layer after layer of clothing, as my character tries to show what "comes next" after a first kiss. The play is set way up in the northernmost part of Maine during the bitter winter in a town so small it can't even be classified a town.

We opened Wednesday night to a meager audience (but they seemed to love it!) and the audience has been growing each night. I really adore this play. The characters are so sincere and likable. Plus the playwright has incorporated a thoughtful surprise at the end of each scene. Rachel, you would be perfect for one of the scenes I'm doing...I wish you were here! If any of you have lived or spent time in a small town....you would soooo identify with this show.

Cheers,
Ernest

I've been cast in a play!

I've been cast in the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket's production of Almonst, Maine. It's a play composed of 15 minute vignettes and I play 3 different characters in 3 of the vignettes. We rehearse for 2 weeks and then go up on the 16th of this month for a 3 week run. Here's the synopsis:

On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend -almost- in this delightful midwinter night's dream.

Directed by Jane Karakula

Almost, Maine Website

Our extremely affordable apartment makeover...the reveal

We have finished furnishing our apartment, so I thought I would post some pics. All the furniture, furnishings, and decorations we either found for free at the Take It Or Leave It or bought at a bargain at garage sales...all for around $500.

For the "before" pics click here and here.

The living room:

The spare bedroom:


The office:


And our master suite:

Nantucket Limerick Challenge

Here is the Nantucket Limerick Challenge. Pawtucket and Manhasset are actual places.

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all of his cash in a bucket,
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
—Princeton Tiger

But he followed the pair to Pawtucket,
The man and the girl with the bucket;
And he said to the man,
He was welcome to Nan,
But as for the bucket, Pawtucket.
—Chicago Tribune

Then the pair followed Pa to Manhasset,
Where he still held the cash as an asset,
But Nan and the man
Stole the money and ran,
And as for the bucket, Manhasset.
—Exchange

Nan had it sent up to Alaska,
It’s farther, she thought, than Nebraska.
Did she and her man,
Fool her Pa with this plan?
The next time I see her, Alaska.
—mailed to us by 'A California Dale,' who credits
his inspiration to Margaret Dale, whose contribution
to this tale appears at www.yesterdaysisland.com

Let’s be clear on Miss Nan and her mate,
The bucket of cash sealed her fate,
Though her motives were pure,
And the good life seemed sure,
‘Twas a community property state.
—Peter Homes,Washington, DC

Okay! Who's got their own limerick? Post it here!

Welcome Baby Emma Louise Potter!!!

Christy and Brian are now the proud parents of a second girl. Christy went in for her scheduled C-Section on Thursday morning and delivered a beautiful, healthy girl. Emma Louise Potter was born Thursday, August 20th, at 8:40 am and weighed 8lb 5oz. Over the course of the pregnancy, Christy's doctor was unable to determine the sex of the baby, so when the baby was born it was a complete surprise to see a baby girl. Kind of romantic, in my opinion. Congratulations Christy & Brian!!!

Hurricane....Shmurricane....

Well, my first hurricane was one big fat disappointment. There was none of the running to the plywood store for the covering of the windows....or the stock-piling of the flashlight batteries and the bottled water for the power outages...or any ensuing panic whatsoever. In fact, if it hadn't been on the news, we wouldn't have even known there was a hurricane. It passed several hundred miles out to sea. This is what our friend Eric (aka Big Daddy) had to say about it: "Hurricane Bill? Hah! It didn't even blow hard enough to knock over the gnomes in my garden."

That being said...a few people were washed out to sea at Acadia National Park. I hope they are okay. "Hurricane Horror: Two Missing After Young Girl, Others Are Swept Into Maine Sea"

Oooooo! There's a hurricane a comin!

Check it out. Hurricane Bill is forming in the Atlantic and is heading our way! Crazy, huh? we're not sure how bad it will be. Probably just severe storms. Michael and I agree on our emergency plan....we're just going over to Brian and Christy's. They have food!

Check out the hurricane at Stormpulse.

Afternoon at the beach

Our group beach self-portrait...guess who's foot is who's...

Here is Michael making new friends on the beach. They are apparently relatives of the Kennedy's. Later, after much wine, Michael would not remember meeting these guys or asking them to be in a picture with him...but I have the proof!

I've got my binoculars and my beef jerky. All set!

Doesn't this look fake? Like he's in front of a painting or something?

Check ONE item of MY bucket list

When I grew up we only had 5 TV channels. The three major networks and two PBS stations. So, I watched a LOT of PBS! My favorites were the movie musicals, the after school shows like "3-2-1 Contact!", and the live concerts. Nearly every weekend Mom, Dad and I would watch the Boston Pops in concert. I idolized them. And Saturday night I got to see them LIVE on Nantucket. It was a thrill for me and an item that is now crossed off my Bucket List.

This is an annual concert and from the way those around us prepared for the evening you could tell they do it every year. These people brought racks of folding chairs, collapsible tables, enormous coolers, candles, gas lamps, and lots and lots of food. As for Michael and me....we had 2 bottles of wine, a bag of jerky, some corn chips, and a huge blanket. Just what we needed to sit on the beach, watch the sun set, and enjoy one of the most entertaining orchestras in the business.

Can I first say that Keith Lockhart is short. I mean, I knew he was short. I remember when he auditioned to replace John Williams as conductor how energetic, cute, and well...short... he was. Seriously, the guy is tiny.

The show started with an introduction by Chris Matthews, who is host of MSNBC's "Hardball" (Boo! I can't stand that show). He was surprisingly charming and funny. Then the National Anthem was sung by a local high school girl with a lovely voice (Lucky girl! I'd give and arm an leg to sing with the Boston Pops). Then Keith came bounding onto the stage proudly wearing his Boston Red Sox Jersey and launched into a series of baseball and Fenway Park themed songs. (Lisa, you and Anita totally should have been here!)

The second half of the show featured Michael Cavanaugh. Michael is the star of the Broadway Show "Moving Out", which features incredible choreography by Twyla Tharp set to the music of Billy Joel. He was FANTASTIC!




Oh! We had a celebrity sighting too! We just happend to sit down 10 feet from John Shea and his family. John Shea I know best as Lex Luthor from the 90's TV show "Lois And Clark". He was also on Mutant X, Law & Order, Sex In The City, and Gossip Girls. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790291/

This concert couldn't have come at a better time. The last few weeks have been trying for me. I thought coming out here would be refreshing and exciting. But I've been kind of depressed. We have been working so much that I rarely have energy for anything else. And to be honest, cleaning houses isn't my favorite activity. Plus in the back of my mind I can't help but worry about being so far away from my family in Idaho and my dad who is still in the hospital. So, I've been questioning why we came here. But here now is a perfect reason:

Where else am I going to so easily see the Boston Pops live right on the beach?

Cheers,
Ernest

Summer is...here?

Hey everyone! I'd like to say that it's sunny and beautiful on Nantucket...but I'd only be half right. The weather is still mostly rainy. :-(

We've been working pretty much non-stop Monday through Friday. We landed two new jobs thanks to Ashley who was organizing and needed help. We're making money but my word am I tired. And that sucks because today, Saturday, is a gorgeous (and I mean gorgeous) sunny day!!!!

Anita and Lisa to the rescue!!! We received a wonderful care package from the ladies of the Gingerbread Factory as well as a nice card from Rachel. And that made my day. They sent us so many cookies -- too many for us to eat -- that we are spreading them around the island to our friends.

We have one confirmed visit coming up. Anita and Lisa are bringing 2 friends to the island in September! That has me excited. It's also going to force me up and out of our nice apartment to explore the island more, so that I can play tour guide when they visit.

So come on! Who's coming next?!?!?

Cheers,
Ernest

Happy Independence Day Everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this year's Independence Day as much we did. Finally the weather cleared and we had a beautiful sunny day. We attended a wonderful dinner party at the Upton's. These are the people whose house we clean weekly and where we have been helping Ashley decorate. It was a fun party and such a clear night that we could see the Nantucket fireworks, the fireworks on Martha's Vineyard, and the fireworks at Hyannis on the mainland.

I was a bit surprised when one of the guests at the party, a mother of two, asked what the 4th of July actually meant. So....now a "History Lesson!"

Many people confuse the celebration of the 4th of July for the end of the Revolutionary War. Not true. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 to 1783. July 4, 1776 is the day we adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring our independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Our 2nd continental congress voted in favor of an independence resolution on July 2, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, was approved and dated July 4th. Because of the date on the Declaration of Independence, we celebrate this day.

Here is some interesting trivia:

Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States' 50th anniversary.

In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island, in honor of the 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. Thus began the tradition of the 13-gun salute.










Michael and Ashley.

An Island Traffic Jam

We encountered this little guy while driving in to town. So, as you can see, we may not be a big metropolis.... but we do still have traffic jams!!

Pics From Home

I didn't have my fancy camera with me, but I still managed to take some decent pictures with my cell phone. I was born in Malad City, Idaho, and lived there the first 18 years of my life. It is a beautiful mountain valley located in the south eastern corner of the great state of Idaho. I grew up on a 700-acre ranch where we raised alfalfa and wheat and ran 300 head of cattle. This is a view of the valley:

Here is a picture from the front deck of my parents' house. You can see the log cabin where my great-grandfather was born. And way off in the distance you can see the highest mountain in the valley, Oxford Mountain. My family is a true cowboy family. Each year in early summer, our cowboy friends from around the state would join us on an old-fashioned cattle drive. On horseback, we would drive our 300 head of cattle from the base of Oxford mountain to an upper valley, where they would graze until the end of summer.

This is a view of the yard and corrals at my parents' ranch. You can see one of my mom's ubiquitous flower beds and also the John Deere swather. I used to spend 10 hours a day on one of these swathers cutting down the hay. I always felt so out of place running these huge pieces of machinery. Just imagine me plowing the field from sunup to sundown all the while listening to Broadway show-tunes, which would have me crying my eyes out!

The front side of my parents' house:

This is a view of the meadow. Beneath that tree is a small swimming hole that I used to spend hours and hours in.

More Pics From Home

The Wasatch Mountains run along the eastern side of Salt Lake City, Utah, and they are the western foothills of the great Rocky Mountains. This is the view from the 8th floor of my dad's hospital in Salt Lake City:

My mother's lawn and yard is HUGE! She has a row of lilacs that is at least 70 feet long. Plus she has flowers everywhere:

The first week I was home it was impossibly sunny, and the thermometer pushed 90 degrees. But the last two weeks were filled with big, LOUD, wet thunderstorms. Most of the time midday looked like this:

But...when the rain cleared we were left with beautiful sunsets. This is the view from the backyard of my parents' ranch:

I made it back to Nantucket

I am back on Nantucket exactly 3 weeks from the day I left, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your kind thoughts, your text messages, and your prayers. They definitely helped. My dad is not completely better, but he is better than before.

When Shay, my sister-in-law (usually a pillar of strength and not one you would want to cross...!), called 3 weeks ago, I could hear her shaking over the phone and I knew I had to go. My dad has been diabetic for over 2 decades, had congestive heart failure several years ago, and has been on dialysis thanks to kidney failure for the last 18 months. His heart normally functions at around 67% capacity ejection fraction....for those of you who don't know, 0% means you're dead and 100% means you're a miracle....and it was at 31% when I got there. He was so weak that the muscles used to swallow food had stopped functioning and we were forced to put him on a feeding tube. He was also incoherent some of the time. Talking to people that were not there and not even recognizing me some of the time. The doctors ran every test they could think of, but were not able to discover the reason for his sudden and rapid decline in health. They adjusted his medication and by the end of the first week, Dad was feeling better. He was even joking with the nurses. For instance:

Nurse, "Tom, you're looking better today."

Dad, "I ain't never gonna look too good."

Nurse, laughing, "Well, you look better than you did yesterday!"

And he did look better. So he was released from the hospital and I became his 24/7 nurse. He was embarrassed at first, but I was happy to do it. He took great care of me as a kid and I told him so. Each day he got better. I made sure he took his medicine, ate his food, hooked up his dialysis machine each night, and got some physical therapy each day (which usually consisted of walking across the yard, hopping in the pickup, and going for a long drive).

Unfortunately, he started getting nauseous by Sunday and after throwing up all night long, we ended up back in the hospital exactly one week later. Well, I spent another week in the hospital and he improved again. He is still in the hospital as I write this, but only because the doctor wants to make absolutely certain he won't be getting nauseous again. He'll be out by the end of the week.

It was nice to be able to go home and help out so much. I have two amazing parents. I was shocked at the number of phone calls, and visitors Dad received. He is a longtime AA member and has sponsored more people than I can remember. So many of those people called to lend their support and to tell me that he saved their life. How cool is that?!? It makes me proud to be his son.

I do wish he was better than he is and I feel guilty about coming back here to Nantucket. But my mom and brother said it was time for me to go, that I was a Godsend. I don't know about that. I'm real happy to be back with Michael again and we do really need to make as much money as we can this summer...but I'm ready to fly back at a moment's notice.

Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts. You really helped me through this.

-Ernest

I'm flying home for a family emergency

My dad is in the hospital. He's been there for 11 days now, and we're pretty worried. He took a turn for the worse 2 nights ago, so I'm hopping a flight home. He has heart problems, kidney problems, and diabetes. I can only hope he recovers, but we just don't know. If you can find room to pray for him, I would very much appreciate it.

Michael is staying here in Nantucket without me. We have a big job that needs to be finished this week so that we can get paid. And we need that money to pay rent. I'm sorry I have to leave him to do it but I have to go home. If my dad isn't any better by next week, I want to fly Michael out too. We had planned on making a trip to my home in Idaho this summer anyway -- I've been wanting him to see how beautiful and expansive our place is -- I just wish it were under different circumstances. So...Michael could use your support now too.

I love you guys. Thanks for all your kind words.

Cheers,
Ernest

I FOUND STARBUCKS COFFEE!!!

Thank the Lord in Heaven! I found Starbucks coffee.

A small store called the "Trading Post" has 6 different types of Starbucks coffee, fresh donuts, and the owner is ordering our cigarettes. And the best part is that it's only 2 blocks from our apartment. How sweet it is!

I'm looking forward to the warm weather