What a Difference a Year Makes

A year ago, our sweet granny was having surgery to replace her aortic valve that had been deteriorating for years.  This picture was taken about a week after she got out of the hospital. 

Needless to say, it was a scary time and we all worried that she would not make it through, but without the surgery, she did not have much longer. 

God, in His way of handling all of the details, made is so that out of all the doctors in the country, the one who operated on Granny was the dad of a dear friend of mine.  A friend who had been telling me about this awesome new procedure they did to extend life on people. For those of you who don't believe in God, this is just a big coincidence--maybe karma.  But I KNOW that my God orchestrated it. 

Granny is back in town today to have her one year check-up.  I don't know about the rest of the family, but she surprised me with the way she embraced her exercises after surgery and worked to get back to her "normal" self.  Her 95 year old self has more energy and spunk than most people half her age--she's pretty amazing--and ornery.

So, today, I am celebrating life.  The fact that I still get those phone calls asking me if I've been shopping to pick out curtains and telling me we are too busy and that my "bedspread" is old and needs to be replaced and my kitchen "certainly is very red" and that even though I wasn't born into her family, I am hers just as much as the ones who were--all mean that I have this amazing lady in my life for another day. 

I am celebrating that this crazy Polish lady is still around to stir up trouble (which she does very well).  I am looking forward to seeing her and hugging her neck this weekend and cherishing the time we have together--she will be thrilled to see the small changes we've made to the house since the last time she was here.  I KNOW I will have to explain to her once again how much I hate shopping and haven't made time to do it.  And I know she will shake her head at our chickens and dogs and turtle and tell us the swallows on the porch sure do make a lot of poop. 

But isn't that what 95 year old Grannys are supposed to do?