RELIEF, SILLINESS, SUNSHINE, AND FIREWORKS

Friday ended in fun and silliness, despite the "blah" day. Erek and Chrisanne, the competent "charge nurse" who calls Nadine "Beautiful Nadine", devised a pun on the term "drawing labs", followed by a "drawing contest" in which Erek won with his stick-figure drawing of Chrisanne drawing a lab dog.

Nadine fell in love with --- CUCUMBERS. She even placed an order for a plate of cucumbers from downstairs. There was merriment and laughter through Friday evening, clot or no clot.
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Saturday, which also started as a tough day, ended in a beautiful walk leading to a beautiful, sparkly evening.

Nadine was feeling "blah", as was I (detailed in my last post). I finally suggested a walk.

On went Nadine's pink fleece hat plus her tank top, and Barry, Erek, Nadine and I marched out. The play deck wasn't open, so we took the elevator to the ground floor and walked past the ultrasound lab towards the tunnel under Crittendon Street, found it locked, and discovered a green-lawned courtyard completely surrounded by brick buildings, with bright yellow tables and chairs, a fat squirrel, and a view of sky --it felt like our own secret hide-away. later, we entered again (thankfully we weren't locked out), went past the cafeteria, and resurfaced outside, crossing Crittendon Street, and enjoying the sun and flowers. At the picnic tables, Nadine happily stepped up and down, on and off the picnic benches, delighting in her strength and balance. I tired the same maneuver with no success (other than getting them to laugh at me).

Somehow the walk had lifted Nadine's mood perfectly. Mine of course followed suit.

FIREWORKS

Although Nadine was still in the hospital on July 4th, someone told us we could get a great view of the fireworks from the upper deck of the hospital parking lot.

First, Barry, Erek and I had dinner at MacDonald House. Nadine telephoned and asked if I could get her some cucumbers. Cucumbers? Fourth of July? Well, okay -- I dropped off Barry and Erek and sped off in search of a grocery store. Tops had 'em so I rushed them to Nadine, hoping not to miss the fireworks. Nadine was ecstatic. Nadine "signed herself out" at the nurses' station and Erek, Nadine and I walked to the top of the parking lot, where we were treated to an amazing panorama of silhouetted buildings against the cobalt and orange sky, and fireworks in at lesat three different locations around us. It was like a party up there, including kids with various medical equipment, and other people gazing up. Barry arrived in his 1980s black Cabriolet converible. We wrapped ourselves in blankets, and all four of us watched happily as the lights, booms, and patterns paraded around us.

Nadine munched on her cucumber as if it was an ice cream cone. She was a beautiful sight in her pink fleece hat, wrapped in her rainbow blanket. Erek, with his extreme "mohawk" hair, stood beside her also wrapped in a blanket.

After the "show", Barry and I drove off in the convertible and re-parked it downstairs, leaving Erek and Nadine to admire the night sky -- we walked back to the hospital room, and Nadine and Erek joined us. A perfect "night out" from the hospital.

Barry stayed overnight with Nadine, and Erek and I walked back in the cool dark night to MacDonald House.