I asked Hollis after we were married why he called me that one more time since I had turned him down so many other times...He replied he knew I was interested when I brought in that transistor radio with the batteries in upside down...I guess I need to thank mom for that one.
Mom really like Hollis. When we came home for visits we would stay with the Gano's farm house. Mom and Hollis would stay up long after the rest of us went to bed talking about religion and whatever. He would not stay at the Gano farm after she died..it just wasn't the same there without her.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
post script
It was after we were married a few years that I finally asked Hollis what made him not give up on me after I refused his offer so many times. It was then I learned that the only thing wrong with grandmothers transistor radio was that the batteries were put in backward.. He told me he then knew I was making a pass at him and that I was interested...I have to give that one to Mom. She like Hollis a great deal.
Mom and Hollis would stay up late into the night talking about Church doctrine while the rest of us had long given up and gone upstairs to bed. Hollis could not go back to the farm house after mother died.
Mom and Hollis would stay up late into the night talking about Church doctrine while the rest of us had long given up and gone upstairs to bed. Hollis could not go back to the farm house after mother died.
cont....
Sandy Schoeni was dating an ISU student also, Larry Dixon. Dad was on the school board at the time and word had come out that the trips to Chicago or New York were no longer going to be sponsered by the Schoolboard. Sandy and I put our heads together...We went to the Schoolboard with a proposal that the Seniors go to Ames , Iowa to VEISHA as an education toor and incentive to get the students interested in going on to college...Actually Sandy and I wanted a way to go to the Balls with our boyfriends...But it worked!
Mom even let me stay an extra day with the understanding the Hollis would put me on the bus from Ames to Fairfield on Sunday afternoon..Wow! We went to church at the Ames Methodist Church sunday, I wasnt too impressed.
Some months earlier at the end of the summer before Hollis and I were parked in the driveway at our house...Early morning..and had a long discussion about the concept of God. I never liked to lose an argument, I had been on the debate team my Junior year; is there any wonder that there are lawyers in the family? It was at this time that I realized that my testimony was weak. It was mostly based on my parents teachings. Mother started to turning the back porch light off and on , her signal that enough was enough. I vowed to myself that I would never be lacking a testimony again.
Dad must have been concerned about my dating a non-lds boy. I think he was the one that instigated the assignment to me for a talk at stake conference with the topic of "Why I want a Temple Marriage...." That got me to thinking..wow, choices
So as we were driving back from Ames to Des Moines to pick up the bus I began the conversation that while I loved him a great deal I could not marry outside my church, Then, I started to cry. He stopped me by looking at me and saying, "What makes you think I'm not interested in your Church?" What!!!....In shock I heard him tell me that he had been attending services in the Ames Branch and was making arrangements to take the missionary lessions during the summer at my house! I had a lot to think about on the ride home.
Mom even let me stay an extra day with the understanding the Hollis would put me on the bus from Ames to Fairfield on Sunday afternoon..Wow! We went to church at the Ames Methodist Church sunday, I wasnt too impressed.
Some months earlier at the end of the summer before Hollis and I were parked in the driveway at our house...Early morning..and had a long discussion about the concept of God. I never liked to lose an argument, I had been on the debate team my Junior year; is there any wonder that there are lawyers in the family? It was at this time that I realized that my testimony was weak. It was mostly based on my parents teachings. Mother started to turning the back porch light off and on , her signal that enough was enough. I vowed to myself that I would never be lacking a testimony again.
Dad must have been concerned about my dating a non-lds boy. I think he was the one that instigated the assignment to me for a talk at stake conference with the topic of "Why I want a Temple Marriage...." That got me to thinking..wow, choices
So as we were driving back from Ames to Des Moines to pick up the bus I began the conversation that while I loved him a great deal I could not marry outside my church, Then, I started to cry. He stopped me by looking at me and saying, "What makes you think I'm not interested in your Church?" What!!!....In shock I heard him tell me that he had been attending services in the Ames Branch and was making arrangements to take the missionary lessions during the summer at my house! I had a lot to think about on the ride home.
Highschool Sweethearts
He came to my attention with his long legs propped irreverantly on the card catalog file table. I was a Sophomore and studyhall librarian ; he was a Senior. I scowled at him. His sister was in my class so I knew who he was and that he was dating Wanda Sheets. But I noticed him.
He first asked me out for a date that next winter. I had heard he had broken up with Wanda and was excited to date a "college man". We went to Fairfiled to the movies at the Coed. I must have made a big impression because when school restarted I heard he and Wanda were back together.
That summer he called a few times for a date, but I had to turn him down because the times he choose I was busy with a church activity. I must have moaned and whined to my mother about him, that I really wanted to go out with him but he had to think that I did not want to. That is when she sent me to Beer's TV Repair to have Hollis fix my grandmother's little transitor radio that mother had given her for Christmas. It was not long after that that Hollis asked again and this time I was free.
Mother guided me throught this romance, reminding me that the Hervey's did not have a lot of money and that Hollis was putting himself through college and suggested that frequent dates should be in our livingroom watching television on our snowy set and eating popcorn. There were other cheap dates: like swimming at night at the lake along with some of the other college kids home for the summer.
Hollis and I were an item my Senior year...I would drive to the postoffice before school started to check to see if there were any letters with Pearson House logo on it. I would send care packages of cookies and draw little picture stories to send instead of doing homework. I was smitten.
He first asked me out for a date that next winter. I had heard he had broken up with Wanda and was excited to date a "college man". We went to Fairfiled to the movies at the Coed. I must have made a big impression because when school restarted I heard he and Wanda were back together.
That summer he called a few times for a date, but I had to turn him down because the times he choose I was busy with a church activity. I must have moaned and whined to my mother about him, that I really wanted to go out with him but he had to think that I did not want to. That is when she sent me to Beer's TV Repair to have Hollis fix my grandmother's little transitor radio that mother had given her for Christmas. It was not long after that that Hollis asked again and this time I was free.
Mother guided me throught this romance, reminding me that the Hervey's did not have a lot of money and that Hollis was putting himself through college and suggested that frequent dates should be in our livingroom watching television on our snowy set and eating popcorn. There were other cheap dates: like swimming at night at the lake along with some of the other college kids home for the summer.
Hollis and I were an item my Senior year...I would drive to the postoffice before school started to check to see if there were any letters with Pearson House logo on it. I would send care packages of cookies and draw little picture stories to send instead of doing homework. I was smitten.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Memories
Bright headlights in a dark night. "What does he think he's doing!" was the last thing I remember saying. It was so quiet , so black when I next remember anything. My first thought was about Hollis..."don't look," ...but I have to! Ever so slowly I turned my head to the left and instantly new my sweet heart was no longer on this side of the veil. "Stay calm", said the voice, "you will just scare those who are trying to help." I returned to the blackness.
Someone was trying to get me out of the car. "She's wedged in!'', "No, undo her seatbelt". I blacked out again. It was much later I learned that Bro Shell pulled the locked Malibu door of it's hinges in an excepitional show of adrenalin..He later said he was afraid there would be a fire from the head on collision.
I next heard some above my head reporting that they had given me morphine and were headed into the ER . blackness again. only to hear Bro Jordan and Bro Davis at the head of the guerney asking how they would be able to notify Hollis' family. The voice the spoke to me.."Give them the phone numbers, you have the numbers, give them the phone numbers." I heard their startled voices and the rustle as they went to grab paper and pen to scribble the numbers and was mumbling..Then, I leaned over the guerny and regurgitated massive amount of blood that had drained into my stomach. I was aware enough then to as the Elders where Hollis was...The pause was very long..and I already knew but I still had hope..."He's upstairs in another room." was their reply...But the pause told me more than they had. Again it was much later that Bishop Jordan told me the ER doctor was worried about further shock if I were told the truth. But I already knew, didn't I.
I blacked out from time to time but did awaken to hear the Priesthood blessing that Bishop and Bro Davis gave. I listened closely for the work, "Healed" and did not hear it..But greater far was the comfort I felt that no matter what happened it would be God's will.
I remember feeling cold scizzors cutting my clothes from toes of pantyhose up through garments slip and dress. I asked for a bedpan..I must have starteled the nurse because she asked again what I said..I had to repeat several times and said I needed to urinate...finally she understood when I said I had to go pee! She ran out of the room..hopefully for a bedpan , but instead she brought the ER doctor. He wanted to know how long had it been since I had used the toilet..I thought that was a stupid question but told him anyway and he proceeded to lecture me on the importance of using public toilets so bladders would not rupture if there was a seat belt strapped across a lap...I eventually got the bedpan...
When I was finally able to look at the bruises there was one on each hip where I had been restrained ...and right across the lower abdomen..A good chance that my full bladder could have ruptured .
I was subsequently transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. My injuries were too severe for the Franklin co hospital to handle. But that is another story...My heart was broken..My sweetheart was gone...And reason for living was only found by looking at the three beautiful children....but oh, the tears...
The pain was horrible. the nurses tied exam gloves stuffed with ice together and slung them over to either side of my head..They were giving me IM demerol for pain..the injection would take 20 min to kick in, work for about an hour and then for the next 3 hours I would be in horrible pain. From this I learned that demerol makes you sleep but does not take away the pain.
The first time I looked into a mirror while in the hospital I looked like a halloween pumpkin on shoulders . But miracles do happen.. The plastic surgeon and the oral surgeon told Dad that I would be in the hospital at least 6 weeks. First they needed to let the swelling go down enough so they could do the repair on my facial bones. Then there was recovery time..Instead surgery was done the following week and I was sent home 3 days later...I better save this before my server goes out.. to be cont.
Someone was trying to get me out of the car. "She's wedged in!'', "No, undo her seatbelt". I blacked out again. It was much later I learned that Bro Shell pulled the locked Malibu door of it's hinges in an excepitional show of adrenalin..He later said he was afraid there would be a fire from the head on collision.
I next heard some above my head reporting that they had given me morphine and were headed into the ER . blackness again. only to hear Bro Jordan and Bro Davis at the head of the guerney asking how they would be able to notify Hollis' family. The voice the spoke to me.."Give them the phone numbers, you have the numbers, give them the phone numbers." I heard their startled voices and the rustle as they went to grab paper and pen to scribble the numbers and was mumbling..Then, I leaned over the guerny and regurgitated massive amount of blood that had drained into my stomach. I was aware enough then to as the Elders where Hollis was...The pause was very long..and I already knew but I still had hope..."He's upstairs in another room." was their reply...But the pause told me more than they had. Again it was much later that Bishop Jordan told me the ER doctor was worried about further shock if I were told the truth. But I already knew, didn't I.
I blacked out from time to time but did awaken to hear the Priesthood blessing that Bishop and Bro Davis gave. I listened closely for the work, "Healed" and did not hear it..But greater far was the comfort I felt that no matter what happened it would be God's will.
I remember feeling cold scizzors cutting my clothes from toes of pantyhose up through garments slip and dress. I asked for a bedpan..I must have starteled the nurse because she asked again what I said..I had to repeat several times and said I needed to urinate...finally she understood when I said I had to go pee! She ran out of the room..hopefully for a bedpan , but instead she brought the ER doctor. He wanted to know how long had it been since I had used the toilet..I thought that was a stupid question but told him anyway and he proceeded to lecture me on the importance of using public toilets so bladders would not rupture if there was a seat belt strapped across a lap...I eventually got the bedpan...
When I was finally able to look at the bruises there was one on each hip where I had been restrained ...and right across the lower abdomen..A good chance that my full bladder could have ruptured .
I was subsequently transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. My injuries were too severe for the Franklin co hospital to handle. But that is another story...My heart was broken..My sweetheart was gone...And reason for living was only found by looking at the three beautiful children....but oh, the tears...
The pain was horrible. the nurses tied exam gloves stuffed with ice together and slung them over to either side of my head..They were giving me IM demerol for pain..the injection would take 20 min to kick in, work for about an hour and then for the next 3 hours I would be in horrible pain. From this I learned that demerol makes you sleep but does not take away the pain.
The first time I looked into a mirror while in the hospital I looked like a halloween pumpkin on shoulders . But miracles do happen.. The plastic surgeon and the oral surgeon told Dad that I would be in the hospital at least 6 weeks. First they needed to let the swelling go down enough so they could do the repair on my facial bones. Then there was recovery time..Instead surgery was done the following week and I was sent home 3 days later...I better save this before my server goes out.. to be cont.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
another story
I had a glorious day Saturday..It started out with a lunch with one of my widow's. I was humbled that she had a picture of me and her late husband on the coffee table of her home. It was good to check up on her and let her know that while it had been a year since her husbands death it was okay to still grive over his loss...
I left about 2 hours later and was thinking about where and what I needed to do next...I needed to go see a former patient that had been admitted to a residential hospice when his wife decided she could no longer physically take care of him at home. I debated about waiting until Sunday, maybe to go after Church services but eventially decided that if was going to go it would be best while I was already out and motivated.
I arrived at the hospice building and met his wife coming out..she walked me back to his room and told me that he was not longer able to remember friends and some family members. What a delight it was to lean over his bed, call his name and see him smile! He reached up and touched my face. He allowed me to give him a few bites of a frozen malt, and visited with him for just a few minutes . I could see that this little time was tiring him out.. In parting I asked him if I could sing to him..He said yes, and when given a choice between silly song or church hymn he surprised me and said church..I sang "I Am a Child of God." He gave me a hug again in goodby.
His wife walked me out..and we talked again about how rapidly he was progressing.
This morning, during Church my cell phone rang...I usually don't take it into Church unless I am on call and could barely hear it's muffled ring since it was burried inside my purse. I did not recognize the number..but I stepped out and returned the call..."He died this morning." She said, Thank you so much for coming and singing that special little song." She again said she had been amazed that he was able to recognize me....
Thank you Lord, for not letting me wait to go see this family..We both needed the chance to say goodby.
mom
I left about 2 hours later and was thinking about where and what I needed to do next...I needed to go see a former patient that had been admitted to a residential hospice when his wife decided she could no longer physically take care of him at home. I debated about waiting until Sunday, maybe to go after Church services but eventially decided that if was going to go it would be best while I was already out and motivated.
I arrived at the hospice building and met his wife coming out..she walked me back to his room and told me that he was not longer able to remember friends and some family members. What a delight it was to lean over his bed, call his name and see him smile! He reached up and touched my face. He allowed me to give him a few bites of a frozen malt, and visited with him for just a few minutes . I could see that this little time was tiring him out.. In parting I asked him if I could sing to him..He said yes, and when given a choice between silly song or church hymn he surprised me and said church..I sang "I Am a Child of God." He gave me a hug again in goodby.
His wife walked me out..and we talked again about how rapidly he was progressing.
This morning, during Church my cell phone rang...I usually don't take it into Church unless I am on call and could barely hear it's muffled ring since it was burried inside my purse. I did not recognize the number..but I stepped out and returned the call..."He died this morning." She said, Thank you so much for coming and singing that special little song." She again said she had been amazed that he was able to recognize me....
Thank you Lord, for not letting me wait to go see this family..We both needed the chance to say goodby.
mom
Saturday, August 2, 2008
I saw God's face again
I was in a new patient's home to enter him into the hospice program. One of the standard questions that we try to gently ask is what is his goal as part of the hospice program. In labored breath and looking his wife straight in the eye said: " I want to be able to put my head against my wife's head and smell her hair for as long as I can." The electricity was so strong between the two..another moment when I saw God's face and it was love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)