Wednesday, August 6, 2014


August 7, 2014

I think that I had better put something in this blog before I procrastinate some more.

Our two retired bishops, Bucher and Lobinger, returned from their home leave in Germany on the 29th of July and brought new life to our house. Table talk has been scarce while they were away but has come back with them here now.

     I had another appointment with the dentist and the optometrist. I am sure that God could haeeve done a better job on our teeth.

     I got a bug in my system and worked like crazy on Saturday, Aug. 1, cutting branches from a huge tree that came down to the ground and raked up about two tons of leaves. Slept like a baby that night.

     I celebrated Mass at the hospital on the 3rd and gave our some handouts for their reflection. (It is only the sisters who are not on duty who can come, about 10 of them).

    Then I visited a lady friend who damaged her foot and has to have it in a big shoe to encourage her a bit. She hates having to just sit there. And another family after that so the day was pretty full.

    On Monday I saw the Ophthalmologist who examined my eyes and he said that the drops are working well as the pressure in bothes was in the normal range, but, because of a cataract forming in the right eye, I don’t drive at night because when the lights from the oncoming cars hit that fogged up lens, it just diffuses the light and I go temporarily blind. We agreed to get that cataract out once I get back from the wedding in Milwaukee in September.

     But, yesterday  was a full, full and happy day. I got my eye drops, bought some broccoli for my special salad, visited a fashion designer in downtown Durban , a friend, and  we  plan to help Sinovuyo, my kid from Landsend who is a self-taught tailor, by her giving him some  training, but that will be in October, I think. She will be off to a fashion show in London in early September.

    Then I went off to Parklands Hospital to visit a young doctor who lost one of her twins when he came out unexpectedly, but the other stayed inside with the placenta so there is hope that, if she can just stay cool and calm, the other can survive and bring her and her husband joy. Her doctor admits that he has never seen this before and she is like a guinea pig as he tries to figure out what to do day by day. It is a learning curve for both of  them.  Then off to another hospital, Shifa, where a friend was supposed to have am amputation of his left  foot. He stepped on a nail back in Mach and it eventually got septic and led to this. However, when I went into his room, he told me that when they wheeled him in for his prepping they found that his leg and foot and toes were all warm so there must be circulation going on. So the doctor said, no amputation. Let’s see how it goes. The removed a vein from one place and put it in his leg and it seems that it is getting a blood supply to the foot. Prayer. It was a happy day. The day before I went to another hospital (R.K.Knan) at the request of a friend. A lady had had a stroke and was partly comatose. I had just come back from the doctor who had put drops in my eyes to dilate the pupils and I just couldn’t read the Zulu words in the ritual I was using so I just put it away and prayed  my own prayers. I hope it was acceptable to the Lord.

     That is the 4th time now that I have been asked to visit patients in the hospital because most priests are just too busy to be able to take the time unless it is a real emergency. And it helps to keep me out of mischief.

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