Hopeful News About Bruce’s Dad

Posted on by Julia

January 4, 2026

Yesterday (Saturday January 3), Bruce’s dad woke up and he was able to talk. The first the first thing he asked for was water and the second thing he asked for was to go home.

Sunrise at Backberry Homestead

As the day wore on, my FIL was in a lot of pain. I hope he feels better today.

We haven’t done much on Blackberry Homestead due to the weather. It rained so much on Thursday (January 1).

While Friday (January 2) was clear and fairly warm, the ground was too wet to plant the trees from Arbor Day. I had heeled the ones we didn’t plant before we left for Jekyll Island, GA. They should be planted in their permanent spot soon. We walked around Blackberry Homestead. We enjoyed seeing the changes the season had brought. Three of the apple trees are hanging on to a few leaves. The rest of the fruit trees, as well as the blueberries, have lost all their leaves.

We went shopping. Bruce wants another rolling tool chest to store the rest of his tools. When we bought his current tool chest, we got it at a steep discount during the after-Christmas sales. It’s also possible that the model changed and the store was trying to clear out the current version. Although we didn’t buy anything since the tool chests he likes weren’t on sale, we looked at storage options. He saw a wooden workbench at Harbor Freight that caught his eye. There were also some metal shelves at Lowe’s that he liked. He wanted to think it over before buying anything.

On Saturday (January 3), after hearing the good news about my FIL, we went out to buy the workbench and storage shelf unit. They arrived as a flat pack and need to be assembled. With the two boxes just inside the garage door, Bruce said, “I have a real incentive to get the workbench and shelf unit put together and in place. I want to be able to park the car in the garage.”

In the evening, we got an update on my FIL’s condition. The neurologist didn’t stop by. My FIL was talking, but hard to understand. The few words that were clear let the family sitting with him know he was in a lot of pain.

I hope he starts feeling better soon.

31 thoughts on “Hopeful News About Bruce’s Dad”

  3. Do you have ongoing contact with a palliative care specialist? Just thinking out loud that, with that much pain, a palliative care doctor might be worth a chat. Sorry…not stickin’ my nose where it don’t belong….

    On another note, thanks for the shopping tour for the storage and work benches…sounded like my usual Saturday afternoon at Home Despot or the Blue ‘n White. 😁

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    1. I am not sure. We are getting updates from my SIL and she has not mentioned a palliative care specialist. I’ll have Bruce check with her. She can mention it to the floor doctor.

      Yep, it was a pretty normal shopping date.

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    1. Thank you for your kind wishes. His doctors say he will be in the hospital for several weeks, then he will need to be in a facility that will help him recover.

      If the shelves work out as I hope, I’ll get some for the laundry room.

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      Reply

      2. As it is said in the South, I was born and raised in South Mississippi. I grew up on a dairy farm about 120 miles from New Orleans. On the map, we were just 18 miles north of the east corner of Louisiana, near the Pearl River.

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      3. Wow Sounds like you’ve got some Southern roots. Growing up on a dairy farm in South Mississippi must have been quite an experience and the Pearl River area is beautiful. How is Mississippi today ?

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      4. Mississippi has way more trees than when I was growing up. So many of the farms have turned into tree farms. The coast was beautiful and mostly unpopulated. Now the coast is full of large gambling casinos.

        I love living in North Alabama close to the Tennessee River. I do miss easy access to different types of restaurants.

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      5. Yeah that’s true! Mississippi’s got a whole lotta trees now! Tree farms have definitely taken over some of the old farmlands. And the coast’s changed, but it’s cool you got a chance to see it when it was more chill.

        North Alabama’s not too shabby, though! The Tennessee River’s got to be gorgeous. And yeah, food’s a big deal. Are you always active on this site, hope we could be friends and always keep in touch.

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      6. I am always active on this site. I hope we can be friends as well. I really enjoy your blog post when you provide educationon Asian food. I learn so much. It is helpful when I go to one of the Asian markets in Huntsville, AL. They don’t have the big markets like Denver, but still, it is something.

        It is amusing to me that Huntsville is an hour away and it feels like a long drive. When getting to places inn Denver could take an hour and we didn’t think anything of it.

        North Alabama is so beautiful. With the Tennessee River, mountains, and waterfalls. It has a lot of state parks and Alabama keeps up their state parks. We live 11 miles from the Joe Wheeler State Park and the TVA has parks all along the river.

        I am surprised you’ve been to Mississippi. Most people haven’t and have very strange ideas about it. 😁When living in Colorado, I often got a double-take when I said I was from Mississippi. In Alabama, they give a double-take when I say I’m from Mississippi because I’ve lost my Southern accent. I tell them I lived in Colorado for 27 years and I can tell they are thinking, “Oh that explains it.” 😁

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      7. 😂 Sounds like you’ve got a fun story to tell wherever you go! 😄 It’s awesome you’re enjoying the Asian food blog posts. Asian cuisine is so rich and diverse. Huntsville’s got its charm and it’s cool you’re making the most of the Asian markets there.

        Denver’s a big city, so yeah, traffic’s a given 😂. But it sounds like North Alabama’s treating you well, the scenery’s gorgeous! And TVA parks are the best.
        I’m glad we can be friend 😊.. Haha accent loss is a thing! 😂 Colorado’s a long way from Mississippi and Alabama, I can tell you’ve lived an interesting life!

        What’s your favorite thing to cook or try from the Asian markets?

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      8. As far as cooking, I am all over the place. I make Pho since my husband and I love it. I also enjoy making sushi and sashimi. One of my favorite cookbooks is “The Joy of Japanese Cooking” by Kuwako Tskshashi. Her cookbook is a pleasure to use and look at. She does an excellent job of explaining what the ingredients are and how they are used. She doesn’t get into how to find them or the best ones to use. I dabble in cooking Korean food. I like to cook Thai food as I love spicy green and red curry. I also make drunken noodles and Pad Thai woon sen.

        My favorite things to try are the fruits and vegetables. Now that I am growing various Japanese mustards, I can recognize more of the greens.

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      9. 😋 You’re a culinary adventurer, aren’t you? 🍴 Pho, sushi, sashimi, Korean, Thai… you’re all over Asia’s flavors wow. “The Joy of Japanese Cooking” sounds like a gem and Kuwako Tskshashi’s got a great rep for making Japanese cooking accessible.

        Love that you’re into the greens and veggies there’s so much to explore! Japanese mustards sound like a fun project 😄. Am sure you have a favorite spot in Huntsville for trying Asian dishes. Or do you mostly rely on the markets and your own creativity? 🍜

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      10. I am. I like many kinds of foods. “The Joy of Japanese Cooking” is a gem. It is out of print and I wish there were an electronic version.

        I love growing food you can’t buy in the grocery store. I grow a lot of heirloom varieties of vegetables.

        In Huntsville, there is a great spot, Viet Cuisine. Their food is excellent. I haven’t found a great Thai restaurant yet, but there are several we haven’t tried. We haven’t tried any of the Korean restaurants, several sound good.

        I mostly rely on the markets and my own creativity.

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      11. 😋 You’re a foodie with a green thumb! 🍴excellent food’s hard to find, but there’s hope 😄.

        Heirloom veggies are the best – there’s something special about growing your own unique varieties.
        By the way, have you tried foraging or growing any wild edibles like shiso or myoga? 😋

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      12. I do think of myself as a foodie! Bruce blames his “keg” on my good cooking. I refuse to take the blame, but accept the compliment. 😁

        We don’t have shiso or myogo growing wild here. Once I clear out all the poison ivy under the trees, I plan to try growing myoga.

        I also plan to grow shiso as I add more garden beds.

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      13. 😂 Ah, nice play on blame and compliment! 😁

        Poison ivy, the ultimate gardening nemesis! 😂 Good luck with clearing it out. Myoga and shiso will be a good additions to your garden and can’t wait to hear how they turn out! Do you have an Instagram page where you blog ?

        Liked by 1 person

      14. I agree, poison ivy is the ultimate gardening nemesis! I think it will take years to get rid of the stuff.

        I don’t have an active Instagram account. I couldn’t keep up with up my blog and Instagram. I did think about linking them, but never got around to it.

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Published by Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist and I’ll share my current projects. Reading is my favorite hobby.