~~My Wayward Artic Son-Bird has Come In To Roost~~

[Turquoise]

Thought I'd post a few photos to let everyone know why I have been a bit absent from here in the last few days. My son Jory who lives in Alaska has not been back down to Texas since Mar. of 2007. We did go up to Alaska in Aug of 2008 for his wedding, but have not seen him since then.

For the last 3 years he has been planning every fall to come down & something always gets in the way. So this year he finally made it back to his Texas flock!!:th_hug8: His wife Amanda couldn't make it this year, but hopes they both can come down next fall. :th_biggrin:

These first photos were Fri afternoon after I picked him up from the airport and brought him to his Dad's (hubby~Jerry's) hospital room. A couple of coworkers of ours were visiting and Jory was demonstrating using one of his guns he hunts with to them. I had to take Jerry to the ER on Wed night from work around 11:30pm due to his blood pressure being very high. The ER doctor admitted him at 4:30am Thur then sent him for a stress test and Echo Cardiogram to make sure the small blockage in his heart had not gotten worse. They didn't find any new or serious blockage, but wanted to do an Angioplasty on Fri. He told them he would postpone it til Jory had left. So they finally let him leave the hospital Fri evening around 5:30pm. He will see his Cardiologist in a few weeks to have the Angioplasty scheduled to make sure they didn't miss anything. He is doing fine and has had high BP for quite a few years.

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[Turquoise]

So as soon as we left the hospital what did we do~~Go to a restaurant to eat. None of us had eaten all day long waiting for Jerry to be released. :th_LOL:

The first time I ever met Jory's now wife was when they lived in Abilene and he took us all out to eat at a restaurant called Lytle Land & Cattle Company. They make awesome thick Mesquite smoked steaks! My favorite is the 20 oz rib eye, so one of Jory's orders from Amanda, his wife was to take us back to where she first met us. I thought that was so sweet of her since she couldn't be there.:th_hug8: Of course this is NOT the kind of food Jerry should be eating with his high cholesterol and BP problems, but it is what our meals mostly consist of. It's a Texas thing and I didn't get any photos of the food itself. :th_imok:

These photos are while we were waiting for our food to arrive. :th_biggrin:

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[Turquoise]

Moving on with my visit with my son Jory. Sat we went back to Abilene for a few things I didn't get while spending two days in the hospital with Jerry. And of course we just had to eat~~Ya' know where this is leading~~Yep, another place Jerry should not be ordering from. Except this time we have a place our very well versed son has never been to. We took him to the Genghis Grill, Mongolian Bar-B-Que restaurant. I personally love to eat there on occasion.



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[Turquoise]

OK, last one for now! :th_LOL:

Yep, more eating involved in this one too, but this time Jory did the cooking~~of the meat. :th_biggrin: Us southerners love to eat, especially us Texans & we do love our Mesquite smoked meats. Jory has always been a good cook, he learned while he was still a young boy at home. If he didn't like what I fixed, he would cook what he liked & I encouraged his individuality.

Jory bought a large brisket, smoked it in our grill in the backyard. I cooked red beans & cornbread & we had a great time stuffing ourselves silly. Then we went for a walk~~sort of. Actually we just went out in the backyard & I insisted photos were in order. Jory hates photos of himself as much as I do of me, but I made him pose for all of these photos.

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[spiritbird]

Looks like you had a very nice visit.

[Honesty]

I know how much you have been looking forward to Jory's visit De'Andrea. You all look very happy and it seems that you are having a wonderful time and enjoying every bit of Jory's visit:)

I hope Jerry is ok now :th_hug8:

[Turquoise]

Thanks Dianne & Wendy! :th_hug8:

Jerry is doing fine, he saw his personal doctor this afternoon and was given yet more meds to take along with all the rest of the ones he already takes.:th_faint: he still has to make the appt. to see his Cardiologist.

Jory is missing his home & wife Amanda although he doesn't let on. One week is all I would ever ask of him to be here as it gets too boring being with his aging parents any longer.:th_LOL: Once they get his age, it is more like being around a very good friend than around your child. He definitely doesn't need a parent to tell him what to do anymore. We have had lots of fun and I cherish these memories as they may never happen again.:th_crycry: Jory leaves very early around 3:00am Fri morning which is not far away now.

[Mare]

I'm so happy for you that you had a wonderful visit but why would you think it may never happen again? Please don't take this wrong De'Andrea but diet makes a huge impact on health and if Jerry wants to be around for awhile he's going to have to make some changes. Sorry, I don't want to step on toes or offend but I've seen dramatic turnarounds in people that change their diet to a more healthy, less meat diet. Personally, I love BBQ. I was salivating while reading about it but find I feel best when I rarely eat it. :). I hope you don't take this wrong.

[ShellyBorg]

Good looking family!

[Turquoise]

I don't take anything anyone says on here the wrong way Mare. I know our way of eating is all wrong for Jerry's health problems. What I cook, what we eat & what he eats all day & all night in between meals is never good for him. He is a big boy and he does what he wants. You should see what he eats on his own & how many times he goes into the kitchen to fix another bowl of something. he cooks his own things when the mood strikes him. And he will not stay away from sweets even tho he just saw his personal doctor this afternoon who told him once again to stay away from sweets to keep his diabetes in check. What did he do?~~He went to WalMart to get his prescriptions filled & bought him a bag of candy. I asked him if that was his "I can't have it anymore, so this is the last one?" Then I followed that up with, "And when you eat another handful in a few hours it will be~~My last little bit of candy I can have after this is gone treat!"

We have been going through his high blood pressure for years since he was in his late 30s, he's almost 65 now. He wouldn't stay on the diet I tried to cook & feed him then and he isn't going to now. His idea is that the doctors can fix him back to new every time he gets sick. He doesn't listen. But, his health is not really the reason I said Jory coming down may never happen again. What I meant was he lives so far away, it is so darn expensive to fly down (I am afraid of flying & have never been in a plain. Don't plan on it unless it were a serious emergency that warranted it.). And it took 3 yrs for him to have the money & get his company to allow him to take the time off. Plus my job almost didn't let me off work as well. Those are the things I meant about it may never happen again. We have too many critters to take care of & no one to do that if we wanted to go up there again. When my sister was still alive she took care of my critters while I was away. Now we are alone in that aspect.

No worry about your suggestions on healthy living Mare. If only you could stand in front of Jerry & beat that into his head!!!:th_biggrin:

Thanks Shelly. He is my only child, but you couldn't tell that by the way I kept taking his pics!! Right? LOL

[Honesty]

I am so pleased you have had a lovely time with Jory. You will treasure these memories for a long time to come!

Tell Jerry, he will have to start eating plenty of salad, pasta, fish and fruit :)

[Turquoise]

Thanks Wendy. In the list of foods you suggest for Jerry, he will eat, but not very much of. He is set in his ways & I am at the point that if that is how he wants to live, so be it. We are ok with the future and whatever happens.

Jory leaves early in the morning on the plane back to his home. It has been a very good visit and we have enjoyed it. I shouldn't have even mentioned Jerry had been in the hospital as I wasn't trying to bring anyone down or have them feel I was in sad spirits during my son's visit. We take care of our own and we have been doing so for a very long time. I am not big on talking about things like this on the internet. I just usually keep it to myself as this has not been the first time he has been to the ER or in the hospital for medical reasons in this past year or in the past several years. It will work itself out and we will move on to our next phase of life here in our little piece of world.

[Pinkbirdy]

Wow that's such a long time not to see each other!! You must have missed him :). Alaska must be way different than Texas [Did he hate the heat :)] Whats he think of all your birds [or did he grow up with this:) )

[Turquoise]

Terri Jory did grow up with all kinds of animals, dogs, birds, outside critters of all kinds. I have no idea where this kid came from tho. He does not particularly like any kind of animals other than cats which he had as a child and snakes which we had a couple back then also. He always tolerated the rest of my animals. I have always had animals of all kinds around me from the time I was old enough to get my Mom to allow me to have them. he also does not like western style things, so he definitely does not miss Texas.:th_LOL:

Texas is so different from Alaska in looks and weather for sure. LOL Jory does hate the heat & his wife Amanda hates it even worse coming from Wisconsin originally. He loves it up in Alaska & never cares to move back anywhere close to Texas. He wants us to move up there in a few years. Our problem is the cost to move & trying to find the funds for a major move. I told him I would not go without my dogs & birds. He says that's why they have the Ferry that goes around Canada so I would not have to deal with lots of red tape on the birds.

I have already taken 5 of my dogs through Canada in '08 when we drove to Alaska for his wedding. It only takes a health certificate within the month you are planning to drive through for dogs & cats. Other animals I don't know about other than rodents are not allowed for any reason I have read & some snake species. Back in the early '90s when I had my first parrots, Jory was still at home & in school. He was able to handle all my birds almost as much as I could. The two Amazons were reluctant, but would go to him if I needed him to pick them up.

The price of the flight down & even driving is what kept him from coming before now, plus his work schedule. It is why Amanda could not come also. They could only afford one plane ticket at $1,200.00 a whack!! They both hope to come down next fall. :th_biggrin:

[Blancaej]

So glad your son ended up coming to visit De' and it looks like you all had a wonderful time! My mother-in-law is supposed to be on a restricted diet and when she comes to visit we try to keep her on track, but you can't force them! They will do what they want and I won't certainly be the one to step on my MIL's toes! :th_eek: No, no! Ain't comin' from me! I tell Brad, you talk to her, she is your mother! LOL!