Longform
Eye Surgery
For the past year or so, I have had a decline in my vision. By the late Spring of 2024, my vision had deteriorated to the point that it was becoming difficult for me to drive. I also have found some of my responsibilities at work that involve reading challenging. I was able to do it by using magnification software on the computer screen.
I had an appointment with my ophthalmologist and she measured my vision at 20/100 and she advised me to have surgery to remove a cataract and also place a new lens in my eye. The surgery is normally low risk, but due to my medical history of retinal detachments, my doctor told me that there was a 1/100 chance that I may need another surgery or have other complications.
I had the surgery on 11/20/2024 and a follow up appointment on 11/21/2024. I am grateful that I did not have any complications. I was amazed at how clear my vision was. The doctor measured my vision at 20/25 without my glasses in my left eye. I have extremely poor vision in my right eye due to my retinal detachment.
When my eye heals from surgery, I will get a new eye prescription. I will need magnification to read up close, but my vision will be good for farther objects. I grateful for such a good outcome.
Goodbye, Uncle Paul
I traveled to Michigan to attend Paul Royce Pence's funeral on 9/19/2024. My mom and dad made the trip together. It was a sad occasion, but we were grateful to spend some time with family.
Paul was my last living uncle. It has been sad to say goodbye to all of them. Growing up, Paul attended all my birthday parties and important events, including my high school and college graduation. He read the scripture when Julie and I were married and when he finished reading I Corinthians 13, he asked the Lord to bless our marriage. I enjoyed talking with Paul about his memories of growing up in West Virginia.
Here is his obituary, which I copied from the Palmer-Bush Funeral Home webiste.
It is with great sadness that the family of Paul R Pence of Holt, MI announce his passing on Friday, September 13, 2024, at the age of 93.
Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Paul was the eldest child of Clifford and Ruth Pence. They lived in Campbells Creek, where his father began working in the coal mines at age 15. Despite the hardships, Paul and his siblings had a wonderful and happy life roaming the hills and hollers of West Virginia and he was very proud of his roots.
Paul was the first in his family to finish high school and was the first to attend college. At Olivet Nazarene College he met the love of his life, Elisabeth, and forged many lifelong friendships. Paul also served two years in the US Army during the Korean War, stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.
Paul and Elisabeth were married in college and were together for 66 years. After graduation, they moved to Michigan, to begin teaching careers for the Lansing School District. Paul earned his Master’s degree in Special Education from Michigan State University and was faculty at Lansing Sexton HS for 30 years.
Retiring in his early fifties, Paul immersed himself in his enjoyment of the outdoors, and happily invited many friends to the hunting cabin for fall deer season on the Pence Family acreage. Deer hunting was ritual for the Pence men and not to be missed. He was a four season fisherman, summers on the Au Sable River and the beautiful lakes of Michigan and ice fishing in winters. He treasured spending time with family and friends, raising huge vegetable gardens, freely sharing excess bounties with his neighborhood. Every summer he invited church friends Up North to his summer cottage for canoeing, cook outs, campfires and fellowship.
His faith was his center, and he worshiped through singing hymns and by being a valuable member of his church choir. He was blessed with a beautiful resonate voice, and often was a soloist or part of duets and trios. Paul was an amazing friend, and if he was teasing you, you knew he liked you. He had a memory for detail and was a keen storyteller. He treasured his friendships and was a devoted father and husband.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Ruth Pence; wife, Elisabeth and brothers, Don (Carolyn) Pence and Troy Pence.
He is survived by his sister, Rita (Jerry) Spriggs; sister-in-law, Anna Pence; children, James Pence and Tamara (Carl) Phillips; grandson, Griffin Phillips. He is also survived by numerous extended family in Michigan and North Carolina.
Funeral Services will be held, Thursday, September 19, 2024, 11:00 AM at the Lansing South Church Of The Nazarene with Michael Garza officiating. Interment will take place, Thursday, September 19, 2024, 2:30 PM at Maple Ridge Cemetery in Holt, MI. The family will receive relatives and friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Donations can be made to Hospice of Lansing in his memory. The family is being served by the Palmer, Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Home, Holt Chapel. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.palmerbush.com.
Local Theater
Julie and I went to the Kernersville Little Theater today. We saw a matinée performance of Beauty and the Beast. The actors and musicians were good. We enjoyed it very much. Emily went with us and brought a friend.
The performance was at Kernersville Elementary School. The theater is raising money for an auditorium. I hope they are successful. I look forward to seeing more productions.
Bike Ride
I ordered a Pedego Interceptor about 3 weeks ago, and it arrived on Wednesday. I haven't ridden bicycles in over 10 years. This is my 2nd day riding it. I am having a lot of fun. It is also good for my health to exercise.
Today, I cycled more than 14 miles. I am using an app called Strava to record the rides. So far, I have just gone near my neighborhood. There are some nice trails not far from me, and I'll try one of them soon.
Father's Day 2024
Our family was able to enjoy dinner together on Father's Day, 6/16/2024. We went to Bleu's Restaurant in Winston-Salem, which is one of my dad's favorite places to eat. I'm grateful for another moment to share with my girls and my dad.
A Quick Trip to Michigan
Julie and I went to Michigan to attend Troy David Pence's open house on 6/15/2024. We are happy for him that he has graduated from high school. He plans to attend a distance learning program at Olivet Nazarene University.
We were only able to stay on Friday on Saturday. Julie and I both had to work on Monday morning. Even though it was a brief trip, we enjoyed seeing our family. One of the things I enjoyed while growing up was spending time with my cousins. Including my brother, Matt, and me, there are 8 of us. Only 4 of us were together at the same time during this trip.
The last time I recall all 8 of us being together was probably at a Christmas party in 1982.
I hope we can have a family reunion--not just for our generation, but for our extended family. It would be challenging to find a time and place that would accommodate us all, but a lot of fun if we could make it happen.
Vacation to Charleston, South Carolina
Emily, Julie and I went on vacation to Charleston, South Carolina from 5/4/2024 through 5/8/2024. We had a wonderful time together. Julie finished radiation therapy the last week of April. Her prognosis is very good with a less than 8% lifetime chance that cancer could recur.
We rented a house in a quiet neighborhood about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. We planned our visit through a program called "tourpass". You can choose a number of days and then see activities that can be visited multiple times and others that can be visited once per day. We enjoyed all of attractions and would like to return for another visit.
We saw the H.L. Hunley, a Civil War submarine, that sank in Charleston Harbor. It was the first known combat sub to have successfully attacked a ship during war.
We took 2 historical tours of Charleston and both were interesting. The carriage tour was my favorite. The guide shared some of the notable personalities and events of Charleston. During the Antebellum period, Charleston was the wealthiest city in the U.S., due to high profits from farming rice.
Magnolia Gardens used to be a rice plantation. It is the oldest public garden in the U.S.. We saw the flowers, buildings, and wildlife. We went to a presentation called "From Slavery to Freedom" that discussed the history of enslaved people working in rice fields. The plantation was ruined during the Civil War and couldn't be used for rice farming anymore because the rice fields were damaged. Rice farming never returned to South Carolina. The beautiful gardens were planted in the 1840s and have been visited by the public since 1870.
It was a memorable and fulfilling vacation. I'm glad Julie, Emily and I were able to enjoy the time together.
Happy Birthday Mom
Today is my mom’s 80th birthday. Julie and I enjoyed having dinner with her and my dad to celebrate. Emily and her friend Haley were able to join us.
My mom has had health challenges in recent years, but continues to be very loving and kind. She has impacted many friends and family members through her caring.
I am so grateful for her.
Julie's Post-Op Appointment
Julie had surgery to treat breast cancer on 2/13/2024 and today was her first post-op appointment. We did not know what the prognosis or treatment would be until the pathology report was available.
The doctor gave us wonderful news. There is no evidence that the cancer has spread. She has a very good prognosis. She will need some follow-up treatment, but will not need chemotherapy. Her doctor told us that this is an excellent prognosis.
My Dad's Birthday - 2024
We celebrated my dad's birthday on 2/1/2024. It was good for our family to be together and to see my mom and dad enjoy a happy moment.
Valentine’s Day 2024
Today is not a typical Valentine’s Day, but Julie and I are glad to be together. It is a blessing to be in love.
Julie had surgery to treat breast cancer on 2/13/2024. We were at the hospital from 7:50am to nearly 6pm. She was nauseous after the surgery, so the nurse gave her some anti-nausea medication and she slept a little longer. She is having a good day so far today.
We have a follow up appointment on 2/21/2024. The doctor should have the results of the pathology report by then. If he has sufficient information, we will know more about her prognosis and future treatments.
We like her surgeon. His name is Dr. Levine and he has a good sense of humor. He is very experienced and a scholar in the area of breast cancer.
Julie won’t be able to drive or lift anything, so I’ll be staying home with her for about a week. We have a very supportive family. My parents and our daughters will be helping, and our youngest daughter, Emily, is going to stay with us for a few weeks, starting this Thursday.
While we can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day by going out or doing an activity, I’m grateful we can be together and focus on each other.
Dinner at Olive Garden
Our first date was at the Olive Garen in late Spring of 2015. We enjoyed an early Valentine's Day dinner tonight. Julie will be having surgery on Tuesday of next week and will need a few weeks to recover.
Busy Weekend
I have been working on several projects this weekend. I will be ready to send my taxes to our tax preparer in a few days and it will be good to have that chore out of the way. I have also been working on a good backup solution to my data and that has taken time. I also spent time changing and updating some of the websites and communication services I use.
I am still convinced that I made the right decision to stop using the big social media companies. I have found it much more inconvenient to stay in touch with people, especially when sharing pictures and videos. I have tried using several different services and I think I have settled on blogging (using the WordPress platform). While it is not as easy to use as social media, it is much more flexible and does not have the inherent security and privacy risks.
My wife, Julie, will be having surgery and other treatments for breast cancer starting on 2/13/2024, so I have been more mindful of trying to stay in touch with people. Fortunately, her medical team has told us that the tumor is small and the prognosis is good. She is feeling good now. I will be taking some time off from work and our youngest daughter is going to stay with us to help take care of her while she recovers from surgery.
Challenges During the First Month of 2024
I am writing this post on the last Sunday of January 2024. The first month of this year has gone by quickly. Julie and I have been busy with work, household chores, and other important tasks.
At the same time, we are grateful that we have had time to slow down and also focus on what is important. We have enjoyed worshiping together at Kernersville Wesleyan Church. We have appreciated time with our daughters and extended family. Quiet evenings of watching a movie and spending time together have been helpful resting points.
We learned earlier this month that Julie has breast cancer. Her first oncology appointment was on 1/26/2024. We didn’t know what her prognosis would be until that appointment, which was only a few days ago. Her cancer was caught very early and the tumor is small. Julie has mammograms each year and preventative screening is what enabled early detection. She will have surgery on 2/13/2024. She will need about 2 weeks of recovery, and then she can gradually start driving and resuming routine tasks again.
The doctors are very optimistic that her treatment will go well. We won’t know if she will need radiation therapy or chemotherapy until after the surgery. It is likely that she will need radiation therapy, but will probably not need chemotherapy. Although the surgery will be painful and there are always risks, the oncology appointment went well, and it was good news considering the serious nature of her diagnosis.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Stay in touch.
Challenges During the First Month of 2024
I am writing this post on the last Sunday of January 2024. The first month of this year has gone by quickly. Julie and I have been busy with work, household chores, and other important tasks.
At the same time, we are grateful that we have had time to slow down and also focus on what is important. We have enjoyed worshiping together at Kernersville Wesleyan Church. We have appreciated time with our daughters and extended family. Quiet evenings of watching a movie and spending time together have been helpful resting points.
We learned earlier this month that Julie has breast cancer. Her first oncology appointment was on 1/26/2024. We didn’t know what her prognosis would be until that appointment, which was only a few days ago. Her cancer was caught very early and the tumor is small. Julie has mammograms each year and preventative screening is what enabled early detection. She will have surgery on 2/13/2024. She will need about 2 weeks of recovery, and then she can gradually start driving and resuming routine tasks again.
The doctors are very optimistic that her treatment will go well. We won’t know if she will need radiation therapy or chemotherapy until after the surgery. It is likely that she will need radiation therapy, but will probably not need chemotherapy. Although the surgery will be painful and there are always risks, the oncology appointment went well, and it was good news considering the serious nature of her diagnosis.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Stay in touch.
Family Time
I am looking forward to spending some time with my family today. My parents and one of our daughters will be joining my wife and me for dinner. My other daughter won’t be able to come in person, but we will call her, so we can all have some time together today.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Today, I had a great time watching "Killers of the Flower Moon." Click the link below to read my review on letterboxed.
A ★★★★ review of Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Our Goats
Our goats Bailey (black and white, female) and Buddy (male) enjoying the sunshine this fine Sunday.
Library Visit
I went to my local public library today. I had not been in a long time. I will plan to go more often this year.
I asked the librarian for some specific books, and he helped me request them through interlibrary loan.
As a child, going to the library was something I looked forward to very much.