Greetings and Welcome ... CaroLloyd
Silver
 |
“Here are a few pictures that we selected from a huge
selection, there are more below.
Click on “A new assortment of pictures from the past”.
| This is a new message, really . . .
As we get ready for an early October 2004 departure to the sunny climes of Mesa AyZee!
We are all familiar with the phrase "Time flies when you're having a good time" and with the passing of almost a full year since this page has had any changes it would appear that we've been having a "Flying Good Time". While we are a lot better off than a lot of other 'elder' folks, the lack of any 'Updates' to this page is due largely to the fact that it takes me all day now to do what I used to be able to do in an hour or so . . . and lot's of [most?] days just seem to drift by and, all-of-a-sudden, the Sunday paper is on the driveway again! And, somehow when you are not doing anything exciting, updating your Web-page doesn't rate that high on the priority list. Health seems to dominate virtually all conversations and correspondence at this period of our lives. My right hip was finally replaced in late August of 2003 after having been treated, with no relief, for a year and a half for 'spinal' problems. As it turned out the new hip didn't solve my walking problems, either, so I continued with physical therapy, medications, "Trigger-Point" injections [reputedly to 'relax' tension in muscle knots]. After using up most of the summer in Fircrest getting new MRI, bone & cat scans and experimenting with additional spinal injections it was pretty clear that a 'stenosis' procedure of my lower 6 vertebrae was in order. That took place August 31 and I was discharged in less than 24 hours and am presently recovering, with walking being the prime therapy. Since it is true that I have not done any serious walking, much less jogging, in a good many years it is going to take some real effort and determination to get tracking again. It is obvious that the 'nerve rehab' procedure is not going to be solving my knee pain, which has been around for almost the entire ten years since it was replaced. Hopefully, this surgery, along with some dedicated daily walking, is going to help. That and a daily handful of Super Tylenol! Seriously considering turning to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. Caroll finally got her new hip April 5th, 2004, after 2 vascular surgeries and several months of weekly 'wound clinic' visits before the open sores caused by her broken ankle cast healed enough to preclude any fear of 'staph' infection. She is doing great now, back to driving and doing the things she likes to do, even though still tied, to some degree, to her cane and her body-brace thanks to her teen-age bout with Polio. Magnolia Beach on Vashon Island did get a little more play this year. We were there for the Fourth of July and Magnolia Strawberry Festival with all the family. Lloyd did get some more work done on his 'rehab' project list, but more to go. Major deck-leveling and spiral staircase projects can wait until next summer. Kids, Grand-kids and now, a Great-Grandkid, are a heck of a lot more fun to talk about than health. With 10 grandkids ranging in age from 2 to 21 there is always something new and exciting to hear and brag about! Kevin Ogle, Bryce Thornburg and Kelsey Silver became licensed drivers this year. They're in high school and all sporting their own wheels. It seems such a short time ago that they were in strollers. Several of our grandkids are into 'band' and 'orchestra' . . .Bryce and Jason Thornburg, violin and clarinet, Kelsey and Kent Silver, drums and trombone, and cousin Hilary Haddow, cello. So far, no concerts, but, they've all got so 'many balls in the air', we rarely see them. Ski trips to Montana, visits to the Iditarod in Alaska. 'spring-break' in Hawaii and more ski-joring to Whistler recently, for example. I can remember when almost all play took place in the street in front of our house, in the back yard or at Fircrest Park ... thank the Good Lord for Bill Gregory for his continued insistence that I meet Jerry Darling . . . it took Bill over a year to convince me to meet the man who made his living making and selling |
"Weatherproof Writing Paper", in a little building at Browns Point.
Quite honestly, the ugly "boss" I had worked for for seven prior years
had as much influence as Bill to convince me it was time to take a major
cut in pay and forfeited retirement benefits to start a new career ...
making and selling the world's only waterproof writing paper ...
Hallelujah! Kevin Ogle is still doing great things with hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer. Bryce's games, if a little more exotic, are no less violent . . . La Crosse and Paint-ball. Then, of course, there are the water sports that are so popular with most of the kids out at Magnolia Beach all summer. Then, of Course, Stacey and Ed Ogle's new home, with a pool and spa along with a great entertainment area, has been the source of most of their 'water' fun this year. 12 year old Scotty Ogle continues to astound all of us with his creative writing and drawing ability . . . a recent example of which can be viewed at 'Winter Wolf' in the Links below. And now . . . our first great-grandson, Ashton!! Kaelja Silver delivered this beautiful little guy into the Silver family on October 25, 2003, soon a YEAR OLD!! . . . He's growing like a weight-lifter and already has his hands on Grandpa Scott's steering wheel (See "A New assortment of pictures ..." link below). Kaelja is enrolled in classes at TCC and Kirsten is finishing high school in Gig Harbor. Caroll's mom, Geneva "Grandma Toots" Smith passed away very suddenly on Memorial Day, May 31, 2004 (view her Obituary at "Geneva Smith OB" in the links below). What a beautiful life she enjoyed and what a wonderful way to leave. "Toots" had been enjoying being a vital part of so many activities with all her young descendants. She was spending an active weekend with our nephew Rob and Jill Haddow and niece Sally Haddow and her husband, Tom Mann at their homes on Vashon and Maury Islands when she suddenly felt ill on Memorial Day and after a brief afternoon nap passed away in her sleep. Several members of the family including Caroll and me, sister Bev Drake and other nieces and nephews gathered for an instant 'wake' and rejoiced in recalling all the fun things we had enjoyed with "Grandma Toots" and "Grandpa Bud" Smith over the years . . . prior to the arrival of the mortician. Stacey's Page, with all her great albums, may be temporarily, I hope, unavailable. I will keep the Link there so keep trying. I will work at getting more photo expertise, myself, so that we can share some great shots taken at the Beach this summer along with other pictures and fun things that I feel you might enjoy seeing here. Grandma Lena's History recorded by PLU researchers when mom was living with us in Fircrest at the age of 94 is still linked to our page as well as a link to my father Connie Silver's Wildlife Sketches . . . though history will not record him as one our favorite parents, perhaps the hint that his 'arty' genes may have been passed down through the Silver family tree is worthy of inclusion; an interesting recent discovery is that the family's historical surname was NILLSON. The 'Sylvfer' name, anglicized to 'Silver' upon emigrating from Sweden into Canada in the early 1900s, was a military name given in lieu of i.d. numbers to identify men with similar names gathered for military reasons. Our Plans for this winter is to stay put once again. It is becoming more and more of a challenge to plan and pack for the brief return for Christmas when, sadly, we actually only get together with our families once or twice. We do have a great bunch of neighbors at Village Grove, many from Puget Sound country, with whom to celebrate Christmas. We, also, still have "Silver's Other Place" on the opposite side of the swimming pool and we are sincerely looking forward to seeing more of you visiting us this winter and next spring. |
| The email addresses are still the same . . .
CaroLloyd@lloydsilver.com or
lms@lloydsilver.com
Snail-mail reaches us at 3160 E Main - 55, Mesa AZ 85213 and you can phone
or fax us at 480.981.9497. As Bob Barker says: "COME ON DOWN !!" . . . we say it, too!!, Caroll and Lloyd |
Copyright © 2003 - Lloyd M.Silver
All Rights Reserved
Webmaster: Lloyd - Lloyd@LloydSilver.com