Weekly Column From Ottley

My granddaughter, (Cynthia's daughter) writes a weekly column in an Idaho
Newspaper. This is this weeks.
Love, Donnette

May 25, 2007
Celebrate!
By, KIMBERLY OTTLEY
I was surprised at the emotions I felt as I glanced out the glass doors
of the dark library and watched the line of blue-clad graduates preparing
for a processional. The year was 1994, and by all rights I should have
been wearing a cap and gown as well. I had successfully completed the
requirements for an associate degree at Ricks College, but instead of
attending the graduation ceremony I had volunteered to work the Saturday
shift at the David O. McKay library.
College students are notoriously poor, and my husband and I were no
exception. We had spent the first year of our marriage freezing, and
starving, as we both attended classes full time while working as many
hours in between as we could. By the end of the school year we had each
managed to complete our degrees, but there was not enough money in our
bank account to pay for caps and gowns.
Michael and I reconciled ourselves to the situation, and convinced
ourselves it was no big deal. We didn’t need to march. What a bother!
When my maternal grandparents inquired about graduation, and I explained
how our lack of funds prevented us from participating, they offered to
pay for the caps and gowns themselves. We declined the offer on the
grounds that the deadline for ordering caps and gowns had passed, and,
besides, we didn’t want to go through all the fuss anyway.
And so there I stood. After spending a quiet morning floating among the
aisles of the reference department I had turned off the lights in the
library, and was making my final preparations to return home. It was at
that moment that my eyes met those of a smiling, blonde graduate. She and
I had gone to high school together. Our brief gaze filled me with
depression and regret. I imagined that she pitied me for not being part
of the shimmering sea of laughing young people.
On that day I made a pact with myself that I would complete my bachelor’s
degree no matter what, and when I did, I was going to wear the outfit!
I learned a valuable lesson. Human achievement must be celebrated! It is
an insult to the human spirit to treat accomplishment with indifference.
Anything worth doing has some kind of difficulty attached to it that must
be overcome. Thus, when something is achieved we should rejoice over it
since it is proof that we were strong enough, smart enough, or clever
enough, to stare opposition in the face and say, “I win!”
Each success is fuel for the next challenge.
I have been the recipient of more than one graduation announcement during
the past few weeks. Many of my former students have recently become high
school graduates as well. It is with great pleasure that I extend
congratulations! May your celebrations be worthy of your achievements!
© 2013 MicrosoftTermsPrivacyDevelopersEnglish (United States)

     

Kimberly's column

From: "Donnette S. Smith" 

From: "Donnette S. Smith" 

Subject: Kimberly's column 

Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 10:27:52 -0600 

My granddaughter, (Cynthia's daughter) writes a weekly column in an

Idaho Newspaper. This is this week's. Love, Donnette

May 25, 2007 

Celebrate! By, KIMBERLY OTTLEY 

I was surprised at the emotions I felt as I glanced out the glass doors of the

dark library and watched the line of blue-clad graduates preparing for a

processional. The year was 1994, and by all rights I should have been

wearing a cap and gown as well. I had successfully completed the

requirements for an associate degree at Ricks College, but instead of

attending the graduation ceremony I had volunteered to work the Saturday

shift at the David O. McKay library. 

Michael and I reconciled ourselves to the situation, and convinced

ourselves it was no big deal. We didn’t need to march. What a bother! 

When my maternal grandparents inquired about graduation, and I

explained how our lack of funds prevented us from participating, they

offered to pay for the caps and gowns themselves. We declined the offer

on the grounds that the deadline for ordering caps and gowns had passed,

and, besides, we didn’t want to go through all the fuss anyway.

And so there I stood. After spending a quiet morning floating among the

aisles of the reference department I had turned off the lights in the library,

and was making my final preparations to return home. It was at that

moment that my eyes met those of a smiling, blonde graduate. She and I

had gone to high school together. Our brief gaze filled me with 

depression and regret. I imagined that she pitied me for not being part of

the shimmering sea of laughing young people.

On that day I made a pact with myself that I would complete my

bachelor’s degree no matter what, and when I did, I was going to wear

the outfit! I learned a valuable lesson. Human achievement must be

celebrated! It is an insult to the human spirit to treat accomplishment with

indifference.

Each success is fuel for the next challenge. 

I have been the recipient of more than one graduation announcement

during the past few weeks. Many of my former students have recently

become high school graduates as well. It is with great pleasure that I

extend congratulations! May your celebrations be worthy of your 

achievements!

From Else

Hej Trauntwein and Myrna

I didn't know, that you needed surgery, and I am sorry that it did not go as well as you had hoped, but I do hope, that you are not in so much pain, and that you can use your arm. I guess it is your shoulder, I did not understand everything, but the gist of your mail, I think -

I received the book, from you, last night, when I came home from work. Thanks a million. I just love it. I already read in it. We had a missionary couple and their daughter and son in law, who were here to visit them. They were from Manti and the son in law works with Durfee at the Temple. They also know, some of my other friends there. It is funny how little the world is, when you are a member of the church. The weather here is really nice these days. Sunny and about 22°C Just like I love it.

Take care

Love Else

Uncle Ken's Disease

Myrna wrote to Kim Pitts: What was the disease called that caused Uncle Ken's death? I can't remember the name. Love, Myrna

Kim wrote: Hi, Myrna!
I think it was myasthenia gravis. ( sp?) It is very rare for men, effects women mostly.
Love, Kim

From Ann Olsen

I LOVE YOUR NEWSLETTERS!!!! 

Love to all, from all the Olsen's!

Ann

LHT Shoulder Surgery

Dad's surgery was not as successful as we had hoped. His rotator cuff had been torn sometime earlier in his life. Dr. Robert Jackson said that he was unable to repair it well because of the earlier injury. He hopes that Dad will have the same kind of use that he had before the latest tear but he was unable to get it done properly.

He performed the debridement, in which loose fragments of tendon and bursa and other debris from inside the irritated, injured and torn area of the confined space in the shoulder where the rotator cuff moves (subacromial space) were removed. He was able to make more room in the subacromial space so that the rotator cuff tendon is not pinched or irritated. He shaved bone and removed growths on the upper point of the shoulder blade (subacromial smoothing). However, when it came to sewing the torn edges of the supraspinatus tendon together to the top of the upper arm bone, he was not able to pull much of it together. He was able to pull it only one-third of the distance it should have covered.

The rotator cuff helps keep the arm bone seated into the socket of the shoulder blade. Massive tears (greater than 2-inhes or involving more than one rotator cuff tendon) often cannot be repaired and that was Dad's problem along with the age of the first tear. Dr. Jackson said that the newest tear had just added to what had been done before. He doesn't understand why, at the time of the first injury, there would not have been pain.

He said that after this surgery, if Dad still has lots of pain, grafting and patching procedures are possible, but they are not much better at restoring strength than debridement and decompression, which is less risky and requires less rehabilitation. That sort of repair is a major surgery and requires opening the area by incision. Less active people (usually those older than 60) with confirmed rotator cuff tears that do not cause pain, significant weakness, or sleep problems can safely go without that type of surgery unless symptoms become worse. In some cases, arthroscopic debridement and smoothing adequately relieves pain and restores enough function to allow daily activities, and open surgery is then not necessary.

Rotator cuff repair surgery, if successful, restores more strength to the shoulder than arthroscopic debridement and decompression alone. The more strength that is restored, the more shoulder function there is. We are hoping that he is one of those who has full motion even though he might not have former strength. However, Dad and the doctor agreed that, until he re-injured his shoulder, he was doing fine and we are all hoping that he will be restored to at leas that much function.

Love, M


Kim Pitts wrote: Please tell him that we all send our love and best wishes! We wish him a speedy recovery and will keep him in our prayers. My dad (Robert Pitts) needs this surgery, but he is refusing until the pain gets too bad.  He wants to focus mainly on getting my mom feeling better. I found a new program yesterday to help with funding for more home health care. Medicare quit paying for it. Hopefully it will help some!

Thanks for letting me know about the surgery. You all take care!
Love, Kim and kids

From Ann Olsen

Dear Trauntveins!

Thank you - I love receiving and reading your newsletter! Hello and best wishes to all of you. Congratulations for all of the good things you are doing which are many!

Love, Ann Olsen
All my family who are all across the country sent their good wishes as well!

I can't get you.

Ann Olsen wrote: Dear M,

My e-mail address is olsenann@cox.net. in October Cox Communications bought out Cable America, so since then I have been using olsenann@cox.net.

Hope all is well with you and your family! I am actually up in Springfield OR until the middle of June. Rachelle has been in the hospital for a week and will probably continue there for a week or two. I'm staying with Kevin & my granddaughters, Kelsae (15) and Hayley (9). Rachelle is beginning to improve so the whole family is very thankful.

Thanks for trying to reach me. I can access my e-mail here at Rachelle's.

I'm well, busy helping out here as best I can. I am so glad I can visit Rachelle and give her lots of encouragement and emotional support as well as spending time with Kevin and the girls.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Myrna wrote: My goodness! What is the problem with Rachelle's health? Love, M

Ann wrote: Rachelle has had an episode of chronic depression which has made her very ill. However, she did get released from the hospital early Friday and she is feeling a little better. She has new medications and new doctors which seem to be very knowledgeable and very helpful to her. We are very encouraged that she will continue to improve as she recuperates and gets plenty of rest and has lots of emotional support. I am planning to stay here for three or four weeks. She needs me and I need to be here as well.

What's happening in your part of the world? I think of you often and hope you had the most wonderful Mother's Day ever!

Love, Ann

Donnette Sent a Fun Site

I got the following message from the lady who manages the Oxford List. It
is fun.

The Dark Archivist would like to take you around Oxfordshire through the
ages - meet him at www.darkarchivist.com.

Love, Mom/Donnette

E-Mail for Ann Olsen

Hi Myrna,

My e-mail address is olsenann@cox.net. in October Cox Communications bought out Cable America, so since then I have been using olsenann@cox.net.

Hope all is well with you and your family! I am actually up in Springfield OR until the middle of June. Rachelle has been in the hospital for a week and will probably continue there for a week or two. I'm staying with Kevin & my granddaughters, Kelsae (15) and Hayley (9). Rachelle is beginning to improve so the whole family is very thankful. 

Thanks for trying to reach me. I can access my e-mail here at Rachelle's. 

I'm well, busy helping out here as best I can. I am so glad I can visit Rachelle and give her lots of encouragement and emotional support as well as spending time with Kevin and the girls.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Love to all, Ann