View From My Back Porch

This Year In Retrospect

Looking back in the mirror is not always wise, but I must take a moment to reflect on how this year has gone so far.

We began the year continuing to work on our house to make it a home we are proud of. We have reached that point; but it will always be a work in progress.

In April I had a heart attack and was taken to the Hospital where I had an angogram then a couple of days latter I had a triple bypass surgery. The first few months were trying but over all my return to normal life has gone smoothly and without any major problems. I continued to have A-Fib and while going through Cardiac Rehab I had an episode which caused the nurses concern so I put my Rehab on hold and wore a monitor for 30 days. It confirmed what we knew, I had A-Fib and I was never able to tell when that happened. My doctor suggested I have an operation called Ablation and that required us to go into Los Angeles where the procedure was done at Good Samaritan Hospital. This happened on November 26 and I was able to go home the next day. I took it easy for two weeks then I began my walking routine which is a 1 mile walk around my neighborhood. I take my dog Gracie and we walk 2 miles then I drop her off and walk another mile. The recumbent bike we have is still gathering dust but it is my intentions to include it in my daily routine.

The spa we bought in February and the shed we had built around it has not seen much action this year account of my medical problems but the New Year will be different. The High Desert has wind and cold temps during the late fall and winter. It's not unusual for the temp to drop into the 30's, so having an inclosed building for the spa makes it that more enjoyable. We don't have the view we once had in our last home so we're not missing anything being inside.

My wife and I are truly blessed, with our children all doing well. We had them over on Thanksgiving and had a great time, listening to what was new in their lives. 3 of our children now live in So Cal, and the other is in Phoenix a short 5 hour jaunt away.

Life is Good