Seen from the bus, July 28, 2010

A plant too tall for the vehicle, so the one who is taking it home just opens the roof and lets it stick out for the ride. I love it.

Another dog at Elephant's

Patience, hopeful patience.


Well, maybe anxious patience better pertains to the situation.


All told, this is a healthy-looking beautiful dog.

I've forgotten her name, doggone it!

She calmly joined her extended family in Portland at the Elephant's Deli a half block from our building, a Labrador, Australian shepherd mix. Mama had felt good enough to walk there for dinner which meant we got to see this beautiful dog--it was August 12, 2010.

Shooting "Leverage" at the Schnitz, downtown

Could you be this laid back high above busy SW Broadway in downtown Portland?


See what I mean by high above Broadway? He's waiting until his next move, ensconced on a crane in front of the building where I've been to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain, the Beatles tribute band 1964, and Sting. Here's a bit about the building:
The beautifully restored Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall opened in 1984, and was originally the Portland Public Theatre, built in 1928. The Italian Rococo Revival architecture was said to be the national showcase of Rapp & Rapp, renowned Chicago theatre architects. Visitors are greeted by a 65 foot high “Portland” sign above the Broadway Marquee, which contains approximately 6,000 theatrical lights. You can read more from Wikipedia about the Schnitz at the link in the caption below.


These two lights are trained on the lobby of the venerable building, what many consider to be the anchor of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Portland sign has 5 foot tall neon letters.

"Leverage," seen on TNT, has filmed all around downtown for its second and third seasons. All I've ever managed to see are equipment trucks, cast trailers, and lights on cranes. I've never been to Boston, but Portland is standing in for Boston on this series.

Mama's home!

Here she is, in bed with Duncan, the last photo that I took of the two of them together, on May 17, 2010.

Her lungs cleared of fluid, there was no evidence in the blood work enzymes that she'd had a heart attack, she got steadier on her feet, back to her normal oxygen level and the regular cannula apparatus, so the doctor said I could come get her after work. Our friend Danielle has moved up here from California and she knew how to get around at OHSU, so she took me there and brought us home. Hooray. I remain sane thanks to Danielle!

As we were riding along after coming down the curving roads on Marquam Hill, she said, "I'm so glad to live in Portland!"

From looking at her discharge papers, it looks like we need to make an appointment her primary care physician, Dr. Yutan, so that he can check her out. She already has an appointment next Monday with the hematologist Dr. Soo, so I'm going to check to see if he can be the one who follows up so that she doesn't have to go to two doctors in one day. Afterall, Dr. Soo is the one who ordered this particular blood transfusion.

I'm staying home with her tomorrow and will get her started on the iron and vitamin C that Dr. Soo said for her to start taking--I bought the wrong one and have to go back to Walgreens to get the right one, plus the inhaler that the hospitalist says he wants her to have here at home.

As far as a diagnosis goes, he has put "Acute respiratory failure, suspect transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion associated circulatory overload (TACO). That along with her other chronic conditions set up her for this scary situation. Now we'll get her back on schedule and hopefully not go through this again.

Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Love y'all,

Lynette

Mama's in the hospital.

Here she is in August, 2009.

Y'all know that she's had two blood transfusions this year, one in January and one in June. On Sept. 21 her rheumatologist who is treating her for the Sjogren's said he wanted her to go to a hematologist to see if that doc could figure out why/where she keeps losing blood. That appointment was Friday, and he wants her to go to a GI doc for tests, plus he said she needed another blood transfusion which he scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.

Leland took us there on Saturday and picked us up at 4:30 p.m. after she had two bags of blood transfused. About 2:30 p.m., well into the 2nd bag and after a short walk to the bathroom, she became somewhat short of breath which we attributed to her lack of oxygen brought about the lack of blood--we felt that this would soon not be happening to her, this shortness of breath, once the blood transfusion was ended and began to make a difference in the oxygen available to her muscles.

Anyway, she made it home OK, took a long nap in her recliner and ate a little supper. By 9:30 p.m., we decided it was time to hit the hay. At 1 a.m. Sunday, she woke me from a sound sleep, saying "I can't breathe! My stomach's so swollen, too." Well, she could breathe, but with great difficulty. I went to the bathroom, threw on my clothes and called 911, in that order because they get here so fast that I was afraid I'd not be ready for them otherwise. The two guys checked her out, put her on the stretcher and somehow got it and the two of them into our 1920's era elevator. I walked down to the first floor and rode in the passenger seat to the hospital. On the way she had a breathing treatment and some nitro and lasix. In the ER at Oregon Health and Sciences University (a new hospital to us but the best one that time of the night for what was going on with her the EMT said), she had more help for the breathing, was x-rayed chest and abdomen, had blood drawn for numerous tests including cultures to check for pneumonia. The ER docs knew she had lots of fluid around her lungs and wondered if she had pneumonia but couldn't tell from the x-ray because the fluid was in the way. So they started antibiotics and continued with breathing help using some sort of mask that pushed oxygen in more forcefully than the normal cannula set up does.

Needless to say, we were both exhausted as time passed, her trying to doze on the bed, me in a chair. At 6 a.m. I got directions to food, found out it was on the 3rd floor and that we were on the 8th floor in the ER. 8th floor! We had come from the ambulance on the street straight into the ER and we were on the 8th floor? That gives you an idea just how steep Marquam Hill is--that's the name of the geographical area where OHSU is, itself a massive campus of hospitals, offices, teaching buildings, you name it. So I went to get some breakfast which was decent, thank goodness. Then I came back to the ER where we waited some more, trying to rest, as the docs decided which sort of room to send her to--one with lots of monitoring or one without it. Since her EKGs did not show heart attack and she was improving somewhat, we ended up in a part of the hospital called 5A Medical Unit.

The nurses and aides are nice. The hospitalist doctor is nice. He explained that the main thing he wants to do is find out what caused the sudden onset of the fluid. There's even some in her abdomen. Maybe it was connected to the blood transfusion which of course adds fluid to the system. Maybe her lungs were adversely impacted by the blood transfusion which happens some times and usually rights itself in four to five days, he said.

After we had been in the room for a couple of hours, she got breakfast, more like at lunch time. She managed to eat some of it OK, she got some Bumex intravenously--it's a diuretic. She was on oxygen just like she is at home. I was having more and more trouble staying awake and knew that I needed to head home soon. Both Lamont and Leland had to work on Sunday--Lamont at his usual 11 to 12 hour Sunday at 3 Doors Down Cafe, Leland at Provvista's customer appreciation warehouse open house--so I left around noon to find the bus stop and get a ride home. By 1 p.m. I was here, able to eat lunch and take a nap.

After sleeping for a few hours, I've talked to Mama on the phone, and she still sounds a little short of breath, she was able to eat some of her supper and she's getting lots of fluid off by heading to the bathroom often, with the help of a nurse or an aide. I will go to work on Monday if nothing big happens tonight. I want to save my time off for the day she comes home and probably the day after. She agreed that made more sense than having me take time off to sit in the hospital room.

Anyway, I'm going to go now and eat some supper and wait about an hour before I go back to sleep.

It will be tomorrow evening before I write again unless something really changes.

Y'all pray for us, please.

Thank you. Love you.

On the street, July 24, 2010, a lavender umbrella and a breeze

Sunny, breezy morning. As the woman waits to cross West Burnside at NW 21st Avenue, the breeze swirls around her head, lifts strands of her hair. The lavender umbrella makes a bit of shade, enough to satisfy her. Is she worried that her umbrella will be blown inside out?


She crosses the street and continues south on SW 21st Avenue, every glistening hair in place, no evidence of the breeze left behind. Intact, the umbrella still functions.

NW Portland Area Indian Health Board 5th Annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW, 9/24/2010, Part 2

The feathers are fabulous. Imagine the work that went into making this decorative piece. It's amazing. Do you think they're turkey feathers?


What about this headdress? Is it badger? For some reason, I think it's badger. It certainly looks great.

NW Portland Area Indian Health Board 5th Annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW, 9/24/2010

I missed the best first bus home after work last Friday, so I took the next one. Then I got on the second bus so that I could ride it and get closer to the third and last bus. It went less than a block and stopped at the curb with the front door standing open. I walked to the front and asked, "Are we broken?" "It's the sign; he's going to try to fix it," replied the bus driver. "I'll go elsewhere," I said as I stepped through the door. The bus driver allowed as to how he'd like to do that himself. He couldn't. I could and did, walking north on SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

Imagine my surprise when I soon heard the deep rhythmic beat of Indian drums accompanied by singing. I headed across the street at SW Yamhill and walked into Pioneer Square, Portland's Living Room. As soon as I saw the men in their Indian finery, I found a spot to sit on the brick steps and settled in to enjoy a beautiful exhibition. Turns out it was the 5th annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW in celebration of National Indian Day, presented by The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.

As the MC stated, the men danced to the drums, when the drums stopped, they stopped. I found the spectacle delightful, a serendipitous find on the way home on a Friday. I didn't go by 3 Doors Down Cafe because I had gone on Thursday to wish Lamont an early "Happy Birthday" since he had Friday, his 35th birthday, off from work.

More dancing and drumming pictures soon.

My son Lamont is 35 today. My son Leland will be 32 on Halloween. I am blessed.

At first I thought I'd make a post about Lamont's birthday today, then later on make one about Leland's birthday. However, they're together, as brothers should be, in lots of photos, so I'm combining their birthday posts today.


In this photo, Lamont is between four and five and Leland is between one and two.


Lamont was three years, one month, and one week old when Leland as born.


When Leland was six weeks old in December, 1978, the four of us moved from Kansas City, Kansas, to Jackson, Mississippi. My parents came in their Winnebago so the kids and I could ride with them. My husband LeRoy drove the Ryder truck. My brother came, too, in his own vehicle to help out with any and everything. Here we are, early spring 1979, at the John Bell Williams airport out from Raymond, Mississippi. Our friends had flown down from KC to visit us, in that airplane right there beside us. I'm holding our older son Lamont. LeRoy is holding our younger son Leland. LeRoy and I loved our prescription glasses that got darker out in the sunshine. We look pretty doggone cool, I think.


Our friend, Ronnie, the pilot. Our friend Lyndall, holding Lamont. My sweet, dearly departed husband LeRoy, holding a dozing Leland.


Baby Leland with me, his Mama.


About 1990, Lamont and Leland with their great-grandmother Vivian, my Daddy's Mama. If it really is 1990, then she's celebrating her 92nd birthday!


Mama and Daddy's backyard. We've got seated, left to right my Aunt Baker and JL's grandson Patrick, my son Leland, Patrick's fraternal twin brother Michael. Standing, left to right, my son Lamont, and the twins' older brother Steven. Lamont is in 6th grade.


Lamont and Leland horsing around on Leland's 21st birthday.


Leland's kindergarten graduation.


I think this is kindergarten, too.


I think Lamont's about 18 months old here. We're still living in Kansas City; he's wearing a sailor hat that he loved to wear.


Our cutie's a bit tired here.


Precious son Lamont.


Precious son Leland.


Lamont with Papaw, my Daddy. Lamont's got a Tupperware lettuce storage bowl on his head. He loved to wear it!


Leland's a few months old here--it's 1979.


Lamont's standing on a chair in our house in Kansas City, at the kitchen sink.


The guys are six and three here.


Here they're four and one. Love that jacket on Lamont and that bow tie on Leland.


LeRoy with Lamont who is probably close to one year old.


LeRoy with Leland who is probably five or six months old.


My two precious sons. I love them very much.


Lamont and Papaw.


Grandma and Leland.


The guys, taken on July 9, 2004. They got up early to see us off back to Mississippi before they had to go to work at their respective restaurants.


And here they are, the photo that I started the week with--I took it on 9/11/2010.

City Hall Roses and the Morning Commute

I took this photo on July 30 on my way to work, waiting beside City Hall for the last of the two or three morning buses that I catch to go from home to the job.


A bit past its prime, this City Hall rose still is beautiful. You're wondering why it's two or three buses, right?
I get on either the 15, 17 or 20 first, a few blocks from the apartment. If I ride the 17 or the 20, I transfer to either the 4, 8 or 33 when I get off. If it's the 4 that shows up first, I ride it all the way to work. If it's the 8 or the 33, I ride it to a block from where I can catch either the 4, 10 or 14 at the bus stop right beside the City Hall roses. Any of those last three take me to the bus stop across the street from my building. If I ride the 15 first, I have the option of the 4 or the 33. You know the story on each one of those as far as either getting straight to work on the 4 or taking the 33, then catching either the 4, 10 or 14.


I took this photo on July 9. Oh, after I get off the 17 or the 20 I also have the option of catching the MAX, either the Green Line or the Yellow Line. I can ride it to within one block of where I can catch the 4, 10 or 14 for the last leg of the morning commute.


Here's another rose from July 9. If memory serves, we'd had a hot spell which I believe severely impacted this beauty. It hadn't given up as much as its nearby buds had, though, who were losing their petals. It had the option of surviving a bit longer.


Options are a great thing to have, especially when you ride to work on mass transit like I do. What option did this lovely yellow rose have prior to July 9 that the red one didn't have? I wonder if the heat didn't impact it because of its color? It seems to me that the bright yellow just might reflect more heat than the deep red which I see as absorbing heat. Anyone know anything about this for sure? I'd love to hear.

Primary Color Red #2

All seen at the Olympia Street Rod Association Car Show at the Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester, Washington, August 14, 2010.

Tail lights on a 1965 Chevy station wagon.


1964 Chevrolet Chevelle.


1952 Oldsmobile convertible.


The convertible's engine--someone loves this car and its engine!


The interior of the convertible. Look at all that chrome!


I bet you could open up this trunk to make some shade and take a nap in the trunk. It looks huge! Of course, it was so doggone hot that day that I doubt anyone would want to try it.


One last view of the beautiful red vintage vehicle. I see from the ornamentation that this is an Olds 88.


1970 Chevrolet Chevelle


A jewel on the move. What year is this Corvette?


Another jewel on the move. What year is this Ford Galaxy XL?


The Ford Galaxy XL. Surely it's from the mid-1960s.


1962 Corvette with a Texas tag!


1952 Chevy Coupe.


You don't have to wonder what this car's owner thinks about Fords, do you?


1964 Pontiac GTO.


Another view of the GTO.


One view of a 1965 Chevy station wagon. Those are its tail lights at the top of the post.


1965 Chevy station wagon, another view.


1959 Edsel Corsair.


The Edsel's interior and dash.


A final jewel on the move.