Take A Walk, Miracles and Free Form Friday

Where's My Wellies?

We had such a beautiful stretch of weather from late last week, through the weekend, right up until Wednesday night.  Did I tell you Sunday was hot? I'm talking 87F hot. Glorious. So the hound and I enjoyed field walks everyday.  Since it's absolutely miserable today, with periods of torrential downpours that the Gar-man is working in, I thought I'd share a few pics from our last walks this week.  Tuesday was still sunny, and we ran into a Great Blue Heron when we got to the top of the hill. He was in the low end and stood ever so nicely and then gracefully took off. If you've never seen a B52 (as we affectionately call them due to their huge size), the are really impressive.  One thing that hasn't been so impressive so far is, our fall foliage. It seems to be late and muted. The weathermen are trying to explain it, but they have no real answers. If it doesn't pop this week, the way it usually does, I'll have to post pictures of what it usually looks like. Can you say 'field on fire'?

Here's one last parting shot I snapped as we headed up the hill home.

Classic.

Miracle of Miracles

This was such a wonderful story, I had to share. They broke into programming on the TV this morning for a news conference from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where they were announcing their first double hand transplant.  Absolutely amazing.  The patient was 65 years old and had lost both hands and both legs from the knee down due to a fast moving infection when he was having kidney issues several years ago. He was completely high functioning with his prosthetics, one of the reasons he was a good candidate, but had a wish to be able to touch and feel his grandchildren's faces. 

The doctors gave much credit to the giving family who chose to donate the hands of the loved one they lost, so that Richard Mangini (the patient) could have hands again. Richard gave them much credit too. 

The transplant was performed back in May and Richard is doing very well with his therapy.  Today though, the doctors asked him not to 'show' off for the press and keep his hand movement to his therapy sessions for the time being.  When Richard spoke he addressed how people thought it was a miracle that he had lived after the infection, how it was a miracle that he learned to use prostethics, that he then taught others how to use theirs, that he continued to paint- all miracles in their own right. This he said, was the biggest miracle of all because of the people who have cared for him through the beginning of his ordeal, his transplant staff, his friends and family, his community, but most of all the incredible strength of the donor's family to give him this gift.

I cried. 

What's a bigger miracle? That the staff at Brigham & Womens, over the last 4 years, have performed other groundbreaking transplants including 4 face transplants and hand transplants in addition to Richard's bilateral hand transplant.

Miracles, each and every one.

Read and see more about this miracle if you'd like- just click here.

Sunset Meadows

Very moody and mellow the other night. No sunsets since Tuesday. How disappointing.

Freeform Friday

Here's a perfect reminder for a gloomy Friday, and everday for that matter.  Guess I picked another video where embedding is disabled, probably at the request of the movie company, so you'll all have to click here.

That Elsie had great advice, don't you think?

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Muse's first Gotta Have It link party yesterday. If you haven't yet, link your online shop up here.  You can link up your shop until Saturday at 6pm.

Do me a favor, ok? Start your weekend right. That means no sitting alone in your room.  By the way, I think Liza rules.