Night Lights and Liver......Yuck

Update on son.

Keith is really struggling with forgiveness for these men along with the physical aspects. He has no idea when he might even be able to return to work as an RN. The ringing has continued so loudly he can barely hear anything else. The headache persists. The vision is still cloudy. The doctors have not been able to tell him if these issues will even ever clean up. That's the frustrating thing for him. He called the hospital to set up some kind of counseling and is going to call his bishop for spiritual counseling with him on forgiveness. I think his spirit is wounded even more than his physical body at the moment. I think that any and all of you mothers out there can sort of understand what I'm going through at the moment. I lay awake at night praying. I also get weepy during the day when I think of how valiant he was and why this had to happen to him. But I truly do have faith this will get better.
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Then last friday morning Love Bunny told me he was experiencing vision problems since the day before—bright flashes of light in his left eye. I told him to get into QuickCare asap and he was over there by 8 am. They set him up with an ophthalmologist at 3 pm that afternoon and at 4 pm he walked into the house and told me he had to be back at the eye doctor in 25 minutes for emergency surgery. He said I had to go and drive him there and back as if I wouldn't have anyway. *Sigh*........ I take things in stride usually but I thought he was joking. He wasn't! So they lasered a tear in his left retina that afternoon. I could tell after about half of the laser shots that he was hurting badly because he motioned for me to be silent. This man doesn't "hurt" very often, I tell ya!

I then treated him to liver and onions (one of his favorites and I refuse to even be in the same state as liver if I can avoid it, much less COOK the stuff!) at this "restaurant" (using the term loosely as you all can admit being in one of these places at some time in your life! You know the kind of place I mean—where the dust balls hang from the ceiling and the waitresses call you "honey" and do everything but burp ya and you're afraid they might even try that!) for being so brave having his eye beeped with 183 laser "shots." He was grateful because I absolutely hate going into this cheap greasy place to eat. But I thought he deserved it! Men tend to want their mummies and wives with them at times like this and we mummies and wives certainly want to BE there at times like this.

Is life ever going to get back to an even keel around this house?!!?! Hmmmmm??
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I put the sheers back out on the patio. (Will I ever get this backyard like I want it?!?!?) Then I decided to put some strings of lights I have around the poles and light it up back there for a more romantic feel. And we alllllll know how I feel about romantic feel! Yes, it turned out quite well I think. Oh, it's not like those fancy homes that have gobs of money to have it done professionally but it does serve the purpose I wanted.

I think the azalea survived the winter in the family room but not so sure about the hibiscus and bougainvillea in the front yard that Love Bunny had under some of those styrofoam things you get at WM or Home Depot. We'll see, but they look a bit pathetic when he uncovered them yesterday.

Squeeeeeeeeal!!! With the lights on last night. I love the feel they give the patio.

Shopping in San Francisco

My favorite place in the whole world to shop: San Francisco Union Square! It just doesn't get much better than this for regular normal people. Hah. I borrowed these from Mo with her permission because when we moved here from the Bay Area digital cameras were not on the market then and I was one of the worst photographers ever. My skills have improved greatly since then! So thank you to Mo and a gift is making its way to her door as we speak!

This is standing on one corner looking at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. I love to dine here. They have a few dining rooms at which to eat and we've eaten at each one I think. But the one I love most is right inside the entrance. They have sofas at some of the tables in the middle of the room, not those banquettes along the walls. Very elegant. And the staff is exceptional.

We took a friend's teenager back with us one year for the holidays because she was struggling in the small Idaho town we were in at that time. She was mesmerized! She couldn't believe such a place existed. She then looked at me as we were reading the menu in the front of the restaurant and said, "Connie, you're going to have to translate the menu for me because I don't understand a word of it." I did because it was all in french.

Neiman-Marcus. Wheat else can I say. The last time I was in here several years ago I was in the linen department and looking at some pure linen sheets. One sheet - not a set, but just one sheet - was $400.00. I've never slept on pure Irish linen sheets and at that price I'm probably not going to if Love Bunny has his say about it. I'm sure the sheets must last a lifetime though as linen is a very sturdy fabric. (He isn't buying that one, chicks! Hah) One of the most elegant stores I've been in outside of Hollywood's Rodeo Drive.

My favorite store in the whole world - Macy*s! I've been in many of them but this one on Union Square has 4 floors I believe and a basement. Dining is a real treat as the food is superb. But if you can't find it here then it probably doesn't exist in the world. And when they have a sale, it's a sale! I once bought an $80 blouse (this was 25 years ago) for $10.00. This place wants to move their merchandise, ladies! Wonderful place to shop, just fantastic!!!!

The Westin St. Francis up close. I cannot tell you how gracious the staff is in this hote. They see to your every need with the utmost care.

Nordstroms. I love their shoes. They originally started out as a shoe store in Seattle and then expanded. The S.F. store was put in about mid 1980s I believe and when we went in there you gasped it was so lovely. Glass escalators - which actually was a bit frightening to me because of the heights. I cannot begin to describe the beauty of this store. It kind of feels like you're in a gold mine with all the gold and glitter. And the employees are very attentive to your every whim. You do NOT need to ask for help; they're right there helping you. Their staff is also as exceptional as the St. Francis.