PT Graduation Day

Me and my shoulder are winging it after today. I graduated from physical therapy after making my last visit this afternoon. No, my shoulder is not perfect. But the two of us are ready to go it on our own - exercising at the YMCA and at home - working to strengthen my wienie noodle arm.

I'm going to miss Christine Young-Denny MPT and the folks at Penn Physical Therapy. It's not a fancy place. I picked it two years ago when my right shoulder froze because it's close to my office - right across the freeway, near Lutheran Hospital. The people there are very friendly - especially Tammy at the front desk. She reminds me of Pat Barkalow who I had the pleasure of working with at First National Bank in Creston. A total sweetheart. And Tammy remembers everyone's name - it's amazing.

I've had a closer relationship with Christine, my physical therapist, than with most other people these past couple months. We've gotten to know each other - chatting about our lives during my treatment. Sometimes she was applying an ultrasound device to my shoulder - a comforting touch to an area that was screaming for help.

I think she also tried to distract me with chatter during times she was torturing me. It was what my surgeon called "aggressive" treatment designed to prevent my shoulder from freezing up again. I'm afraid I was a wimp at times - less than a stiff upper lip. Christine handled this situation with grace.

And sarcasm. We share a birthday and that personality trait. I enjoyed hearing stories about Christine's family. Her son is a frosh at ISU and is a former high school hockey player. Her daughter is fifteen years old and sounds like a sweetheart. I shared information about my cherubs Amy and Jud - like how happy Paul and I were to hear that Amy and Jud saw each other every week when they were both at ISU during 2007/8. Then we found out Amy was Jud and his friends' booze connection. #siblinglove

Christine has helped see me through a really tough time in my life. She was calm, caring - and funny. She made sure that I didn't get shuffled off to other PTs, keeping me to herself. I thanked her today for her care and she simply said, "I love my job." What could be better than that! Hats off to all my relatives and friends who are Physical Therapists. Our nieces Karen, Annette, and our friend Stormy - the work you do is so important to those of us in need!


Karen - a recently scanned pic from a special day

Another recently scanned pic from a Gsmith Christmas - Annette & fam

Stormy - wedding pic

 

Now the work is up to me!

Music hugs and walk thoughts

Through the years, Amy and I somehow got into the habit of making CDs for each other. She actually started this practice - making gift music CDs years ago - probably as a cheap way to give us something for Mother's and Father's Days - stuff like that. I specifically remember a CD of deer-hunting tunes she prepared for her father. Awww. But I've surprised her with a couple too - especially since I found out about the cache of CDs the Urbandale Public Library has. She scored some Rihanna tunes from me baby! Her cousin Jordan was surprised that her Auntie like the raunchy stuff...

Since our girl lives some 600 miles away, she often prepares a set of tunes for us for our trip when we drive back from the Mile High City. This past Memorial Day, Paul and I were listening to a CJ Box book (combines a game warden and murder - something for each of us!) on the way back from Denver, so we didn't have time to break out the music. In fact we had to listen to the last couple chapters of the book on the Bose in our very own living room!

So the first time I remembered to have a listen to the tunes she prepared was last weekend! It's always like a lil hug from her to hear what she selected. Here are a few tunes she's helped me enjoy lately:
Railroad Earth Long Way to Go
Steve Martin was right when he said nothing can sound sad when you put a banjo in there. Death, destruction...
I like string bands. I hadn't heard of Railroad Earth before.

This song is a sad one, originally done and loved by me - by Bonnie Raitt. The one Amy recorded is a sung by Bruce Hornsby an octave highter than he does in this Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSEjDoE-QEI



For some reason this song always reminds of my besties. All the beautiful women in my life. Not because I wanna be their baby fathers..but because they're so beautiful to me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSOzN0eihsE
It makes me smile!

Amy's latest CD compilation: ( I had to google for titles and artists so I may have whiffed on a few...)
Best of My Love - Emotions
Blood Lyrics - Middle East
In Your Eyes - Rogue Wave
The Girl - City and Colour
Head Full of Doubt - Avett Brothers
I Can't Make You Love Me, Prairiedog Town, Sticks and Stones - Bruce Hornsby
It Girl, Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo
I saw You First - Mellencamp
Sweet Disposition - Temper Trap
Lighting Candles - the Weepies
Long Way to Go - Railroad Earth
I Don't Want To Wait in Vain - Annie Lennox
I also bought Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around after she linked it on her blog.

Beautiful was on her last compilation. Some of my other all time faves she's shared are Michael Franti and Mumford and Sons.
Think about sharing music with your friends and fam. All it takes is a little time, and you can share those hugs over and over.
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During my walk yesterday, I thought about how much history Creston holds for me. Just glancing around on that walk tells a great deal. First, this stone in Calvary - the Catholic cemetery that is such a special place to me. I didn't know this man, obviously - though we did know another Tom Walsh who passed away recently. But the message on the stone has always resonated with me. "Be quiet, let us reason"

After trotting through the final resting place of many, I headed west on Adams - quite hilly. Once I got past the first couple houses, the Summit Lake Dam project made its appearance along with some horses. I can't wait until the dam is done and we can get the kayaks back out there again.

I love the gazebo at the White home. This home used to be owned by Landon "Bud" Brooks - who was the CEO at Gits Manufacturing when I worked there. He got cancer, and passed away in the mid 1990s. Jeanne Piel and Cynthia Wolf were two of my friends who knew him well and his death was hard on them and the many other friends and loved ones.

The home was purchased by Steve and Suzie White, sister to Barb Crittenden. I worked with Barb's husband Steve at First National Bank. Paul and Steve are good friends. I don't know the Whites well, but I remember that when I worked at the bank, they tragically lost a child when she was with her grandpa and knocked the truck into gear and it rolled into a pond and she drowned. I think she was two years old at the time. That was before we lost baby Patrick, but I thought of them after we too lost a child. The Crittendens and Whites are aunts and uncles of Jim Ide whose wedding I blogged about a couple weeks ago. (Suzie and Barb are sisters of Jim's dad Dan Ide).

When I see the gazebo, I think of Bud Brooks, buried at Calgary and the White fam who now lives in this beautiful home

On up the road there is the "Dieter Addition" , a small housing development that was the dream of a guy that worked with Bobbie at Mederer - the original Creston Gummi-bear plant now owned by Wrigley. We've know various people who have lived in this are through the years - including blond twins Darrah and Sheena Dawson who played volleyball with Amy. Their parents were nice. They moved away around the time the girls graduated from HS. /the cornerstone home in that area, called Fort Knock - was built by Joe Knock, owner of Iowa State Savings Bank. Jud was friends with Chris Allen, classmate at St. Malachy who lived in that home during his school years.

As I continued west, I spied a mailbox painted with Bailey Farms. Home of the parents of the Bailey boys and Carol Sharp - neighbor across the street from our first home in Creston on Prairie. The Sharp's daughter Amy was our babysitter when our Amy was a tot. We watched their sons play in their yard. The Sharp fam is the Miller beer distributor in the area - so most of Creston is Miller country. At the top of the hill - my turning around point for my walk, was Stormy Lee's house. Stormy is Amy's bestest Creston friend. I blogged about her wedding last winter. Her parents built this home when she was in HS. I see her mom jog by with the dogs periodically.

The view on the walk home - homes on the road around the corner from ours. Recent rains were welcome for crops!

So you can tell - I have a great deal of history packed into my head about this town. Sad and happy stories. The stories of life. Most of the people around here know my story too. Small towns are like that. Talking to Amy about her life in Denver - it's not so different, just bigger so more spread out. Last weekend she ran into people she knew at a Rockies game and another event.

Isn't life interesting?

Stormy got hitched

Amy - far left looks on while Stormy and Kyle exchange vows

I can't remember when Amy and Stormy first became friends. It wasn't when both were attending St. Malachy Catholic School from grades kindergarten through 8. Stormy was a grade ahead of Amy, so while they knew each other, they didn't become close buddies there.

Kneeling in the pews getting their knuckles smacked by the nuns. Okay there aren't really any nuns at St. Malachy anymore...after Sister Therese left - she was the principal when Amy first started. Or was she? It's been a long time since then...we had crazy Caroline Heath who installed the stop lights for lunchtime. The lights turned red when the lunch chatter got too loud. Caroline didn't last too long. Finally, Paul and Deb were both on the Board of Education when John Walsh was hired - and he's still at the helm today. The school is thriving today - with large classes, and many of the same wonderful teachers that Amy and Stormy learned from.

It must have been during junior high and high school sports that Amy and the Storm-dog discovered their mutual like for each other. Between basketball, volleyball and track - Amy and Stormy spent a great deal of time together at practices. By Amy's senior year, they were best friends - lifeguarding together at the Creston City Pool, spending most waking moments together it seemed. They shared many thoughts and ideas with each other. Funny, sad and happy times.

All too soon, Stormy went off to college at UNI and Amy was left on her own for her senior year of high school. There were a lot of phone calls. That summer Stormy was back and they were lifeguards again. Then Amy was off to ISU, meeting new people and making friends, but like any good friend - when she talked to Storm, they could pick up right where they left off. For spring break, Amy and Stormy went to visit Dad and Kay in Florida. Stormy continued her schooling at Des Moines University - Physical Therapy School. The two girls got together periodically - always connecting immediately. Never that awkward "I don't know you anymore" stage.

Even though Amy has now lived in Colorado for three years, and she and Stormy haven't been together for long periods of time - their stuck. They've bonded forever just like my friend Robbie Dob and me. So no matter how much time has passes before they see each other again - they'll always be close friends.

Stormy was married yesterday to Kyle Wilson - a high school classmate of hers who she started dating a couple years ago. Amy was pleased to be in the wedding party, and we were happy to celebrate the blessed event with them. Stormy and Kyle bought a house in Creston so we'll be seeing them around. He works for the local newspaper and she works at the Osceola hospital. They'll be friends for Amy to visit when she's home. Did I mention Amy played the guitar at the reception? It was a hoot...

Just another milestone in my maturation process...watching kids grow up. Yesterday was a wonderful celebration!