Update On My Dad

I called my Dad this week. I meant to call him on Easter Sunday...but one thing led to another, and then I forgot.

I know. I felt bad about it.

BUT, I was keeping up with him, because one of my sisters called him, and then she gave me the report. At the end of their conversation, she asked him, "how's your health, Dad?" And my Dad said, "oh, the "house" is fine...just a few problems with the garbage disposal and the central heat..."

WHAT?

Bless it.

And then the other day, when we were coming home from the beach...my brother, sister-in-law, and 3 of their kids, were headed up to see my Dad in Tulsa. And the weather they were heading into was bad...very bad. I texted my sister-in-law, Shelley, to make sure they knew...because they don't follow the weather like we do (my husband works for the utility company...we are always "weather aware.").

She said, "thank you," and that after they checked it out, Dave (my brother) had decided to go a different way, to be safe. She told me that they had called and talked to my Dad. He said that Clara was at church, but he was at home.

I asked Shelley to let me know when they got there safely, and how my Dad and Clara were doing...and she did.

So, when I called my Dad this week, Clara answered, and I talked to her for a long time. Honestly, this is easier, because it's hard for my Dad to understand everything because of his hearing. His hearing aids don't really help that much when he's on the phone, but if I can tell Clara everything...she can relay all of it to my Dad. And then I usually try to send an email right after the call. I am able to go into more detail in an email, and it's easier for my Dad to understand it.

ANYway, first thing Clara said was "Well, YOUR DAD was saying how you didn't call him when we were having a storm the other night. He told your brother, "Marty ALWAYS calls me when we're going to have a storm...but she didn't this time."

Ruh-roh.

Then I had to go into the explanation of how I was texting Dave and Shelley the whole time, and how I was keeping in touch through them...

I don't think they bought it.

He did tell me that on the stormy night when Clara was at church...she was IN THE HALLWAY at church, along with everyone else...because the TORNADO SIRENS WERE GOING OFF.

Eeek!

And SHE told me that my Dad was home alone and pretty scared. He heard the hail hitting their back patio...which, that he heard it is a miracle in itself, because of his poor hearing. AND, he said that he just knew it was going to break out all the windows. Clara told me that their neighbors have a "fraidy hole" in their garage, and had told them they could use it at any time. My Dad called over there, but they didn't answer. They found out later that they were out-of-town. So my Dad ended up going to the bathroom, because it was the most interior room in their house.

It made me so sad to think of him there all by himself!

But my brother and sister-in-law got there shortly after...and then Clara drove home, and everyone was safe and sound.

Except the roof. They suffered hail damage and will be getting a new roof. I wish they would get a storm shelter.

I asked my Dad how he was feeling, physically. He has Parkinson's. He said he was okay. His main issue has been with restless leg syndrome. He gets so tired, because he can't fully relax. His doctor gave him some sort of patch that he wears every day, and he thinks it is helping.

He told me that he'd also had his yearly appointment with his cardiologist. He said, "I really like that guy." He said he was the one he saw in the hospital after his heart attack.

Uh-oh...then he would be the one who glared at Leanne, Robin and I...as we brought my Dad a frosty from Wendy's into the recovery room...after his heart attack.

Those frosty's are yogurt, right?  His doctor acted like we were giving him a stick of butter on a sugar cone.

When we walked in with that thing, my Dad was so happy.

Anyway, the cardiologist asked him how he was doing, and my Dad said, "well, I don't have any problems as bad as heart problems...I've just gotta deal with what I've got."

My sweet Daddy.

I will never forget him telling me, "God has been good to me all of my life...I have no reason to believe He'll stop now."

"...Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" Job 2:10