Weekly Update: 7.26.26
Of cucumbers and good news
It’s been a long series of difficult weeks, in part because we were sick, but primarily because we’ve been waiting for news. Our dad had a cardio stress test a couple weeks ago that didn’t go quite perfectly, and his cardiologist was concerned. All at once we were learning new jargon like “angiogram” and “heart catheterization.” We were reading about risks and possible outcomes. Our dad had to take it easy while waiting a week for his insurance to approve the procedure before he could even have the test scheduled. We were trusting God, but we were all apprehensive about what was coming next.
He finally had the procedure on Wednesday. I went to Bolivar with my parents to wait and pray. The angiogram went faster than it was supposed to, and by noon, we had the good news we had hardly dared hope for — our dad is fine. The test showed no blockages or serious issues. He got the routine instructions to exercise regularly and eat a heart-healthy diet (both of which he already does), and that was it. While the nurse talked, my mom and I looked at each other, and she smiled. She has been particularly burdened by the unknown that no one was ready for. We know we are mortal, and as Christians, we know what will happen after we die. Still, we would like to have each other here awhile longer. By mid-afternoon, we were home. Our dad had to rest the remainder of the week to recover from the procedure itself (the medical staff had cut into an artery for the test). Still, we were all elated. We celebrated by drinking coffee and watching Homestead Rescue — which has become sort of a tradition in times of sickness and recovery.
Aside from dealing with medical issues, we worked a lot in our garden and our yard this week. Levi has continued mowing and weed trimming in all directions, making our homestead look downright lived in. He has also helped Bonnie-Jean and Grace with lots of weeding in the garden — and they made it look so much better.
We’ve been hauling in produce every day. We sampled our first Muncher cucumber last week, and we are in love. The skins are thin, there is no bitterness, and they are delightfully crisp. We’ve been eating marinated cucumbers, cucumber salads, or cucumbers with dip every day.
Our summer squash has started as well. We’ve been slicing it with dip, sautéing it, and turning it into zucchini bread (which we enjoyed for breakfast this morning).
On Thursday, we harvested our red potatoes. We dug about 25 pounds, filling a five-gallon bucket. It isn’t a huge yield, but for the few red seed potatoes we planted late in the season, we are thrilled. We planted more Russets, which are not ready yet. We are curious to see how they faired.
Along with snacking on copious garden produce, we’ve been enjoying some tasty spreads from a local company — Wind & Willow. Our dad was given some sample packages by a friend, and we have to say — they are delicious!
Bonnie-Jean has been busy taking care of Tilde and her puppy. Because there is only one pup, she has to be more careful that it doesn’t become chilled. Newborn puppies can’t regulate their own body temperatures. Instead, they usually pile on and off their siblings when they feel cold or warm. Since this puppy is a singleton, Bonnie has been working hard to keep the room cool enough for Tilde but warm enough for the pup. She’s been filling hot water bottles for the pup to cuddle if chilled. Thankfully, the pup is doing well and growing fast. One thing is for sure — it is going to be very loved. Whenever Bonnie is busy, our nieces have taken turns watching over it’s every need.
Staying cool has been a challenge for all of us this week, as the heat index soured into the 100s this week. I don’t remember struggling so much to keep the bunkhouse cool last summer, and I wonder if part of it was our canvas tent shading a large part of the south side of our building. On hot days, even with all of our air conditioning units running, the living area has been getting up over 80 degrees. It’s worse if we have to do any indoor cooking — but with it over 100 outside, no one really feels like grilling either. We’ve been getting up early to do any baking early in the morning, when the day is at its coolest. That’s what Grace did for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene this week. She made a delicious spice bread — a nod to the spiced nard Mary anointed Jesus with.
It was a good week. We had a lot of catching up to do after so many of us were sick. Life with a new puppy is crazy. Still — we got the news we have been waiting for, and it was good. As the week drew to a close, we were thankful to start turning our minds back to regular life things again. After so much chaos, normalcy is such a gift.
