Day #10: Friday ~ Graduation Day!

GOOD morning with Jesus as I spent time in His Word laying in bed relaxing.  I grabbed my tea and brought it to bed with me.  I didn't want to wake up my mama who was asleep on the couch in the living room.  I told her that we could get her some Dunkin' Donut coffee on the way to my last day (and graduation) from Camp Colon.  She was super excited about this!

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh breakfast!  So blessed!

Mama and I had a great morning and took our time getting ready and then walking to the Clinic, showing her all the cute things I have found along this path.  As promised, I walked us right by Dunkin' Donuts so that we could get her a good coffee.  She really likes that kind!  I actually had my first cup of coffee with my mama today when I ordered a small hazelnut coffee with honey and milk (NOT the same as Mo's and not very good), but fun to share a conversation over coffee while sitting outside at Mayo Clinic.

Arriving early, I showed her around a little bit.  She even played the piano!  It was fun to show her all that Mayo is to make it come to life!  We know so much about it via online, but being here is a whole different experience.  It is an amazing destination medical center!

Another grand piano right outside of the patient cafeteria!

I also walked her around 'the Subway' and she was lured in by yummy smells coming from the Cinnabon cinnamon roll place that I have been drooling over all week.  I haven't allowed myself to indulge and here's why:  they had several sizes and that was the problem.  When eating by yourself, you have to think about the size.  The tiny ones were way too small and had absolutely no middle, the middle sized ones were still too small to have that good ooey gooey inside, and the big one was was just that, waaaay too big for one person....BUT whilst splitting, the BIG one was perfect!  We both got to taste that ooey, gooey center and didn't overeat!  It was wonderful!  So glad we did it!

Time for my last appointment with Ms. Rose!  Such mixed feelings about today!  It seems as though these two weeks went both super fast and super slow.  It's been forever since I have been home with Heath but yet it doesn't feel like I could possible be done with this two week program I had been waiting for for so long.  While waiting, Mama and I noticed our shoes are both very similar!  How fun!

Great minds think alike!

After introducing my mama to Ms. Rose, she handed me some paperwork to fill out.  It was the same questionnaire that she had given me upon my arrival the first day.  After I finished it, she did some calculations and gave me the results.  She said that my numbers definitely show improvements and she is super happy with that and I should be too!  Again, she reiterated that everything we had done in the class, I was able to do.  Everything on my take home, 'home program' she reminded me that I could do and had already done successfully in class.  She warned me of setbacks upon arriving home, but that is totally normal.  Do not get discouraged and don't give up.  It is not an overnight fix but yet a marathon of diligence and sacrifice to complete the 'home program' successfully.  It doesn't end after the three month take home program, but she has given me skills for life and especially after big changes happen in life:  new job, big move, new baby, etc.  She totally recommended for me to purchase the biofeedback meter so that I could retest my muscle tightness at any time.  I got that ordered yesterday and had it shipped to our home in Nebraska.

Mama was super impressed with Rose and we had a great farewell.  Rose gave me her cell phone and asked me to keep in touch.  If I ever had any questions to not hesitate to reach out to her via the Mayo Clinic portal, it is safe and secure and she is very quick to respond.  She told me the only thing left to do to pass Camp Colon was to take my mama to Flapdoodle's for ice cream!  WILL DO on our way out!  Looking forward to it!  THANK YOU for everything Rose!~

My graduation gift from Rose.  A princess pen

complete in rose gold and blue.

LUNCH:  Fresh homemade salad for two
before Flapdoodle's ICE CREAM!!!!

So true!

So, I tried probably 4 different types of ice cream including:

1. S'mores - graham cracker chunks, chocolate, and marshmallow
2. Very Berry Sorbet - fresh fruit (waaay too healthy tasting - like a smoothie for this occasion -- I can make a smoothie when I get home)
3. Pralines and Cream - a traditional favorite
4. Banana Creme Pie - graham cracker crust pieces floating around in it
5. Cookie Monster - complete with pieces of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies

....so maybe I tried 5 -- but whose counting anyway?!  It's a celebration!  Funny part of this story is that I went back to my new Flapdoodle favorite of Birthday Cake ice cream in a dark chocolate dipped waffle cone with sprinkles on top!

Our drive home was absolutely lovely.  We had a beautiful day in front of us with some pretty country to cover between here and there.  We had the best conversations that stemmed from my Mayo experiences.  We worked through the first chapter in my new OCD workbook and dove right into past childhood experiences and things that my have shaped me into the way I am.  It was fun looking back into my childhood from a different angle and having my mama there to remind me of some of the things that I had forgotten.  It was so fragile yet freeing to have this discussion with her.  I AM GRATEFUL!

We made it home in time to visit with Dennis and Koren who are staying with us for Garry and Barb's 50th wedding celebration tomorrow.  BOY WAS IT GOOD TO SEE HEATH and to be in his arms again.  BLESSED!  The dogs greeted me and so did the song of the crickets.  I AM HOME!

Mayo Bound

We made it to Rochester safe and sound!  My Air B&B host has been phenomenal and had this whimsical bungalow all ready for me upon our arrival.  It's perfect and a true answer to prayer.  I wanted something safe, comfortable, quiet, and within walking distance to the Clinic.  BLESSED!  My host actually doesn't live on the property but rents out both the upper and lower levels of this cute home.  I am on the second floor in a quiet neighborhood, within 1 mile to the Clinic!  She even works there and has helped me with so many things from cool things to do/see to yoga and healthy grocery store options.  It's wonderful!  I look forward to meeting her!

That's Mayo Clinic in the background.
The one you always read about on Google!!

Dad and I unloaded the car (not much other than a Yeti and some clothes).  We left my bike in the car, in the garage.  Yes, this place even comes with free, covered parking right next to the home.  Good news is that Heath reminded me that I must have room for my Mama upon my return as she will be flying in to drive home with me.  Turns out a ginormous Yeti cooler and a bike and clothes and shoes don't all fit into a Neon AND allow the front seat to be open and have the appropriate space for another persons suitcase and belongings.  SOOOO....I'll be sending the Yeti home with Dad!

The trip has finally arrived!  Been praying about this for
a long time!  Thank you, Lord!

After we got all unpacked and settled in, we decided to walk the route to Mayo so that tomorrow morning would be smooth sailing.  We used the phone map to get us there and it was a lovely walk.  The only part I didn't like was on the main drag, so tomorrow we shall meander through the neighborhoods to avoid that section of the route.

Next order of business = FOOOOOD!  One of my favorite things!  We had been recommended Forager's as one of the best restaurants in town by my host.  WOW, totally a good choice and super cute!  It was quite a bit windy so we ate inside which was decorated really cute.  They also have an outdoor seating area that is secluded and covered in flowers and cute things!

Flower planters out front.

I was so overwhelmed by all the wonderful homemade/fresh/local/amazing-sounding choices of what I would call, "my kind of food" had me thinking that I'd have to return to try more things on their menu.  Being here for two weeks, I could probably work that into my schedule.  ;)  I had the Caprese salad and Dad had the Forager Skillet.  For those of you that don't know what a Caprese salad is (as I really didn't either), it is a bunch of lovely tomatoes sliced served with their house pulled mozzarella cheese served with a balsamic vinegar reduction and basil microgreens.  It's the perfect light summer dish!  Dad's was served in a cast iron skillet with fingerling potatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese baked to  gooey goodness and stuck to the pan, with onions, peppers, eggs, and smoked gouda.  Yep, amazing!  Bummer that I didn't take a picture, but I can assure you just thinking about it is making me hungry!

Tucked in for a good night's rest before beginning treatment in the morning.

Travel Day

My week sort of got away from me as I was exhausted after a big work day on Friday, so I left my packing for 2 weeks to, well of course, the day I am traveling.  Let me tell you that I was not in any rush at all as Dad had to go get a flat tire fixed and another part for his car in town.  We talked about leaving around 10:30 am - 11:00 am.  This would allow me time to pack and get all ready to go and still be able to meet Rachel for supper in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Wellllll, let's just say I took my sweet time this morning.  I did my normal routine.  Woke and rose with the birds and first light, into the office for some yoga and devotional with my tea, play with the kittens who just lost their mommy, trying to get them to take to Max (our house guest).

Note:  kittens lost mama, screaming so we had to figure out how to get food in their bellies.  They do not understand the concept of the bottle nor the plate.  Despite all the tips and tricks we tried -- dipping their faces/paws/whiskers into the milk on the plate, they would still just try to eat the side of the plate or just proceed to lay in the milk.  The bottle wasn't much better.  We found the baby dropper worked the best to get the  milk directly into their mouths and then bellies.  Once feeding time was over and then the hair dryer session to dry the milk they were wearing, they were still not ready for a nap.  I tried to latch them on to Max because he was taking interested in them last night, not my big dog, Briggs.  He wanted nothing and I mean nothing to do with them.  In his elderly days, he is not as patient as he used to be, I think this is a trend in people as well.

Pouting ole' man!?   ~Briggs

Just remember Max, "friends, not food!"
Thank you, concerned human mom

Max - loving on his new friends.

One - two - three - where's number four?  Yep, just peaking out
from under his chin.

Mr. Grumpy Pants decided to be nice....
at least for the picture.  Love this dog.
My best, handsome buddy for years!

Ok, so this process was super fun and a distractor of me packing.  Finally, got packed.  Heath came in and asked if I was ready.  After breaking down into tears, he said that he knew me better than I did!  He was right.  I didn't realize that I was stalling.  I have been looking forward to this visit to Mayo for months now, but just hard to leave my man and our place.  He has so much to do while I am gone as everything is in full bloom and growing super fast (and BEAUTIFUL).  He is 100% capable and willing, so after my meltdown, I went out and told Garry goodbye.  He was out helping us bale our hay with our new - old baler.  Off we went.  Dad followed me all of the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Super blessed that he arranged his visit to see his Vietnam buddy in Minneapolis to coincide with my Mayo trip.

Our cars both got great gas mileage and we had beautiful weather all of the way to Sioux Falls where we would be staying for the night.  My friend, Rachel, just graduated college and we met her at the restaurant she works at called Ode to Food and Drinks.  Super yummy as I had what they called an appetizer, but it was the perfect amount of food.  Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups that included chicken, cashews, and zucchini in some sort of amazing sauce that you wrap in romaine lettuce.  Dad had the Maxx Burger that had onion rings and bacon ON the burger with awesome roasted sweet potatoes as his "sidekick."

After supper Rachel wanted to show us the "falls" part of Souix Falls.  The rest of the evening was spent enjoying this after dinner walk around the falls.  Absolutely gorgeous!

It's all lit up at night.

~Me & Daddy~

~Rachel and I~
Crazy that this picture was taken at 9:30 PM!!