Back Home Again

My glorious vacation and family time in Minnesota was finished off on Monday night with a late dinner at the Blarney Stone Irish Pub with Vicki. It was definitely a place I would visit again, as were

• Spitfire Bar and Grill — Dinner with Doug, Sarah, Vicki, Lauren, Mom and Jeff
• Doolittles Woodfire Grill — with Vicki, Lauren and Mom for lunch
• Johnny Carino’s  — Lunch with Vicki, Sarah and Mom
• Mexican Village — the tradition: Sunday dinner after mass with the whole family
• Paradiso — before a movie with Doug, Sarah, and Vicki (an old standby from our movie-going days, as it is right beside the theater) 
• The Gastro Pub — After Guardians of the Galaxy with Doug, Sarah, Vicki and Lauren (our waiter was hilarious!)
• Usher’s House — Dinner with Jeff, Mom and Vicki (terribly fancy and all that… gorgeous river view, candles on the table — but tasty food to be sure!)

And this is only a sampling of the great dining establishments that have been coming to the Fargo area in recent years.  I think it will take me at least a year to recover from the festivities — but it was terrific fun, with magnificent company, and I’m not sorry.

I arrived home bright and early at about 8:30 am Tuesday, and had almost exactly 24 hours to prepare myself for the biopsy the next morning.  I didn’t know what to expect of myself emotionally, but I believe I was buoyed by the prayers of my loved ones before and during the procedure.  After that I took it easy for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday, waiting for The Call.  It came at approximately 2:15 and was more quick and painless than the biopsy – I remember the these words from that short conversation: “Good news,”  “fibroadenoma,” “benign,” “nothing to worry about,” and “see you next year.” All thanks and praise to God. I honestly feel undeserving of such a gracious reprieve (but then, it wouldn’t be grace if it were deserved, would it?), and more determined than ever to address my many remaining health issues in a proactive way. If those of you who pray would keep me in your prayers from time to time, I would be so very grateful on this long, difficult journey. I know well how much those prayers avail! 🙂