Mowing the Lawn

So I mowed the yard tonight. Big whoop you may think, but for me... yeah, it was big whoop.

A year ago today Larisa and I spent our first, and only, night together in a $3,000 suite. It had all the amenities: free room service entrees, complete turn-down service,  a fresh bouquet of flowers and a staff dedicated to nothing more than just waiting for your every need. Of course, the room service was limited to ice chips and the bed was in the Cleveland Clinic... and Larisa had to sleep in a chair which was winningly named "the iron maiden".

Yes, last year today was the day my semi-colon was reduced to nothing more than a space. The limit of my exertion last year was sitting up in my bed (whew!).

I did not mow once last year. In a circumstance I believe to be orchestrated by my God, our next door neighbor decided to earn summer money by mowing lawns... and came knocking for business... only days after I returned home and the grass was really growing.

How am I doing? you ask. Really good. I can work through the day, I can mow, I can even do all that and still go to a special meat canning project our church sponsors to help feed the starving (all of which I did today). This is really amazing in the back-drop of a year ago. By no means am I as physically strong as I was before my latest bout of Crohn's; however, I can operate day to day with impunity. No GI pain, no heartburn, no trouble with my appetite, no nausea. I'm still having a bit of touble with being "too regular", but I really don't know what the new normal should be for me. I am blessed.

Now, before you all get too impressed, I have to confess I did have some help mowing...