Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I begin each new year thinking it will be an improvement over the previous year. Apparently, I am ignoring the effects of aging and the accompanying health challenges! Well, maybe not ignoring, but forgetting … which is also a consequence of getting older. And 2023 was no exception. Though I greeted the year hoping for the best, I was diagnosed with COVID bright and early on January 1. Brenda and I had contracted COVID previously. Brenda wound up in the hospital ICU (twice!) with a serious case, but I was only mildly ill for a couple of days. Having had COVID earlier and being current in vaccinations and boosters, I expected similar mild symptoms. Instead, I spent over two weeks in bed recovering! One month later I wound up in the emergency room in tremendous pain from a kidney stone. The doctor told me it was a small stone and probably would pass within a day or two. Two weeks later, it finally passed. Adding insult to injury, the next month I developed an eye infection. I was worried that this year would turn into a “flavor of the month” series of illnesses. But apparently, I got all my health problems out of the way early in the year. My doctor told me that some types of kidney stones can be prevented by drinking 1/4 cup of lemon juice twice each day. Now that I am doing this, Brenda says this shows I am an old sourpuss. I can’t argue with her.
Out of an abundance of caution and to err on the side of safety, Brenda and I attended a CPR and First Aid certification course put on by our city fire department. I thought that with this training I was prepared to handle in-home emergencies we encountered. However, Brenda experienced a series of falls, one of which resulted in a trip by ambulance to the hospital emergency room. Fortunately, Brenda experienced no serious injuries (though the bruises were very colorful!), just some damage to her pride and dignity. I told Brenda that perhaps I need to start wrapping her in bubble wrap. She didn’t think that was nearly as clever an idea as I did.
Last winter Utah enjoyed a
record-breaking snowfall! This was sorely needed after more than two decades of
drought conditions in the state. I’m glad that before winter weather arrived Brenda
negotiated a great price for a barely used snowblower we bought from a fellow who
was moving to Texas where he wouldn’t need it. Because I no longer get up and
go to work each day, I have taken to clearing the driveways and sidewalks of
several of my older neighbors who really should not be out shoveling heavy
snow. Brenda reminds me that I am now included in the same “older” age bracket
as those neighbors. Bless her heart, Brenda worries about me shoveling. I
try to convince her that this is good exercise for me and that I am careful to
pace myself and rest frequently. Brenda strongly encourages me to use the
snowblower rather than shovel and I do so when we get enough snow. I am blessed
with a great neighbor who services my snowblower. Not only does he do repairs
and maintenance, but he also installed an upgrade kit of his own creation that throws
the snow twice as far and keeps the machine from clogging. I’m hoping for
another record-breaking snow year so that I can have plenty of opportunities to
play, er, work with my souped up snowblower.
My handyman and home repair skills are
rudimentary at best. When our clothes washer stopped working, we decided to
replace these 25-year-old appliances with new ones. However, shortly after
being installed the new washing machine started knocking during the spin cycle.
Because our laundry room floor slopes to a drain in the middle, I thought
perhaps there was an issue with the washer being level. But I double checked
and couldn’t see a problem. Also, the knocking was intermittent rather than
occurring with every load. This bothered me, but not enough to call in an
expensive repair person. Finally, several months later I got so tired of the
knocking that I relented and had someone come to look at it. I filled the
washer with water and let it run to the spin cycle so he could hear the
knocking. Lifting the lid, I asked him if he thought it could be a bearing, if
the drum might be out of balance, or if the machine was installed improperly to
begin with. He surprised me when he looked behind the washer rather than inside.
Then turned to me with a smile and explained that the knocking was caused by
the drain hose bumping into the wall when the drum started spinning. He said he
could fix it with an inexpensive zip tie to secure the drain hose properly.
I’ve been thinking about doing some part time work and considered simple home repairs. Brenda suggested that I not hang out my handyman shingle just yet.
Brenda and I attended a special celebration commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of missionaries from my church going to South Viet Nam to serve there. I arrived in Viet Nam in December of 1973 at age nineteen. In high school during the war years, the only thought of going to Viet Nam was that of military service. I never dreamed that I would have such an unusual opportunity to serve in this unique way. At the celebration I was able to renew my acquaintance with people I had taught and baptized nearly fifty years ago. I find it hard to believe that so much time has passed. Thankfully, serving as a missionary in Viet Nam is what led to me meeting Brenda in Arkansas in 1975 when I was helping Vietnamese refugees resettle in the US. What a life-altering experience!
We enjoy living the small-town life in
Payson. There are annual celebrations held here that are a lot of fun,
including a Scottish Festival, Golden Onion Days, and a Salmon Supper to name a
few. Where else besides the Scottish Festival would I get the opportunity to
don chain link mail and wield a broadsword? When the weather is not too hot,
Brenda attends these celebrations with me. It’s a great opportunity for her to
be out and about in our community. In addition now that we live close to most
of our grandchildren (and all nine of our grandchildren) we are able to spend much
more time with them. We hold a family gathering the third Sunday of each month
where we enjoy a potluck meal, fun, and one another’s company. Also, we are
able to participate in outdoor summer gatherings when the weather cooperates
for Brenda. This is something that we missed when living in Iowa. Now Brenda
and I are making up for the lost time and opportunities every chance we get.
Wishing all those we care about and love
a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! If you are ever out
our way, feel free to stop in to visit. And if your travel does not bring you
to Utah, we hope you will call or send an email or text message to stay in
touch.
Dee Oviatt Brenda
Oviatt
515-480-6331, Dee.Oviatt@gmail.com 515-306-9514, BrendaLOviattt@msn.com
