january 29, 2008 - “the mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9)

top of the evening, friends....

i hope that this entry finds you all well. you folks have been so incredibly inspirational to both mary and me! we thank you again for that.

i finally have an update on my situation. i went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday and he said that medically, my leg is healing quite nicely. he indicated that while the graft is taking and i'm progressing very well, he still wants me to be non-weight bearing on my left leg for another two months. my lower bone has healed sufficiently to walk, but my femur still needs some time to mend. he said that while the metal plate on the front of my bone helps stabilize it, he didn't want to put a plate on the back of the bone because it would inhibit the blood supply. without additional support, the new bone could be damaged...so, the moral of the story is that i need to continue to be patient. that, of course was not the news that i wanted to hear.

i also write this with a heavy heart because i now know that i must file for disability retirement very soon. i had planned to return to light duty on february 4th, but will be unable to do so because my doctor cannot definitively say that i will be prepared to return to full duty in 90 days. while bargaining unit employees enjoy the benefit of a year of transitional or light-duty, exempt officers do not. we are only entitled to 90 days of transitional duty because parity has not been extended to us - forcing my untimely departure. i have great love and passion for my job, as i have given almost 25 years of my life to the OSP. it disheartens me that i will be leaving this great organization and its great people this way. one good thing is that i have 5 years "come back" rights. so if i can progress and heal, my hearts desire is to return to full duty as soon as possible. with God's grace and mercy, i hope to make that happen. please continue to pray for healing, as i really would love to finish my career the way i intended.

one thing i do know is that God is in control and that everything will be okay. He doesn't close one door unless he opens another. my finite mind doesn't understand why things happened this way, but i have to believe that there's a lesson or a purpose here. i just need to be sensitive to His plans. in the meantime, i plan to work very hard at rehab and finish my MBA.

quote for the day

"just as storms in life are a certainty, so is the provision of God for every storm we will ever face. life can be messy and bad things will happen, because every crisis and every storm is an opportunity to trust God. He calls us to a heavenly perspective when facing challenging times. He calls us to see them as He sees them - opportunities for His power and purpose to be illustrated in human terms."

- crosswalk.com -

wendy forbes - thank you again for always checking on me. your cards and calls are greatly appreciated!

steve belyus - thanks for the call on tuesday. i treasure our friendship more than you know, buddy. call me when you're back in town i'll buy you that lunch i owe you!

to my friends at OFLS - i will miss you folks more than you know. a person could not ask for a better group of talented people to work with. please keep in touch, as i'd love to hear from you all.

colonel butch collins - thank you for all you've done to assist with my situation. you, sir are a gentleman and i regret not having the opportunity to work with you longer.

lisa terrill rowland - oh, my goodness! it's been 25 years since i've seen or heard from you! thanks for writing in on the blog. i'd love to get together for coffee sometime when i visit my family. i hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

elzie fish - well, friend....it sounds like i too may be the "r" word as well. maybe we ought to build that motorcycle we've talked about?

janet & deb from seattle - it was great hearing from both of you! mary and i truly cherish our friends from the international association of women police. you have all been great about checking on our conditions. maybe we'll see you at future conferences.

reverend ellsworth - thank you so much for lunch last week. you too, are a gentleman and a friend. i'm so thankful that we have such a class act as our chaplain. next time, however,the lunch is on me!

mark atkeson & bob booker - thanks for the call today. you guys always know when i need encouragement the most. please let me take a raincheck on the visit...i'd love to see you guys.

things are as they should be......until next time, be blessed!

lisa - 1095

january 23, 2008 - “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9)

top of the evening, friends....

i hope that this blog entry finds you all well! things are good here because God is good every day!

the above picture is of the car that hit mary and me on friday the 13th. a combined minimum speed of approximately 66 mph does a significant amount of damage, as you can see.

well, my new truck came in and i couldn't be more pleased with it. i still need to get seat covers installed so the hounds can once again ride with me. they sure don't appreciate being left behind. mary, trish and i broke it in last weekend and took it down to hocking hills to have lunch with raejean and nancy. we all had a great time, and what a beautiful day it was for a drive - although COLD!

i'm still anxiously awaiting the next dr's appointment to see if i can bear weight on my leg or if i have to have additional surgery. my plan was to return to work 2/4...but we'll see.

there is a pretrial (the 3rd thus far) in early february in wheeling for our case. we both plan to attend. this will be the first one we've been able to be there for.

quote for the day:

"Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true."

Napoleon Hill

colonel paul & margie mcclellan - thank you so much for the "sturgis" hat and shirt! you guys shouldn't have done that, but you know i love them both! i will cherish and proudly wear each! i pray your travels are safe and enjoyable. please keep in touch.

colonel butch & brenda collins - i appreciate your call last weekend. i also appreciate your concern for me and my situation. you have no idea how much that means.

wendy forbes - thank you so much for the great pictures and cards! i also always enjoy having you and alan over for movies, etc... i hope your new position is going well too. you've got all it takes to be greatly successful!

mark fellure - buddy, i'll be back on the road in no time. we need to hook up at capital city motorcycle club. with guys like elzie around, they really need us to "class up" the joint! lol

paul hamm - my goodness! it's been better than 20 years since i've heard from you! wow...how time flies, my friend. i still remember us tooling around in my 1972 ford pinto! i appreciate your blog entry and hope you continue to write and keep in touch.

captain tina phillips - thanks again for your help in many arenas. i'll be in touch before the pretrial to set up a meeting place with one of your guys. you, my friend, have been a God send.

dick krider - wow...another blast from my past! some of my fondest memories are working in wyandot county. we always enjoyed such a great working relationship and friendship with you folks. i miss you guys more than you know and appreciate your note on the blog. please keep in touch and tell everyone i said hello.

elzie fish - COTA still has you banned, if you weren't aware. "born to be wild??????" ps....my dad said doesn't appreciate you harassing me....or something like that.....lol

captain dave dicken - thanks for the "care package" you left for me today. i'm sorry i wasn't here to visit with you. i appreciate you keeping me apprised of what's going on.

i'll update you when i have more information. thanks so much for reading and caring!

until then, be blessed!

lisa - 1095

friday, january 11, 2008 - "...I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (psalm 139:13-14)

top of the morning, friends....

i hope this blog entry finds you all well.

i don't have a lot to report today, but wanted to check in and again thank you all for your kindness and for being so attentive to mary, me and the blog.

because of God's grace and your prayers, however, i continue to improve with each passing day. i'm very excited to visit the doctor at the end of this month to determine if i need additional bone grafting (i pray not...), and to see if i can soon bear weight on my left leg. both of these will help decide if i return to work in february. i can't wait to actually walk again! it's been 6 months since i have worked, walked, and driven. my last surgery has had 2 1/2 months healing time, so i'm optimistic that i'll receive good news. please keep me in your prayers....those have kept mary and me both going over the last few months.

my new vehicle has not arrived yet, as there's been a bit of a delay with the delivery. hopefully, it will be in columbus the first of next week. i guess patience is a virtue. i've learned a lot of patience over the last year....lol

the above picture is of my dad and me in tennessee. we were doing our best to impersonate motorcycle outlaws. i think he kinda resembles willy nelson - but don't tell him i said so!

i'm heading out now to run some errands prior to the weekend, as there's always something to do.

quote for the day:

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.

Jim Rohn

major mark atkeson - thanks for the call, friend. you're always so good to check on me.

woody triplett family - i'm so sorry for your loss. woody was such a blessing. hopefully, time will heal some of your hurt.

captain tina phillips - thanks for the call yesterday! it's always good to hear from a great friend. you've been nothing but extraordinary during this whole process. it's nice to have a "protector" in WV! i hope i can someday repay you.

major bob booker - hey buddy, i appreciate your call this week. it's always good to hear from you. we'll have to meet over coffee when i return!

elzie fish - "apparently canada didn't want me either???" what exactly did you mean by that? sounds like maybe you had a little negative experience at the border as well. i'd love to hear those stories!

kathy mckinnis - good hearing from you! i hope you'll not be a stranger from the blog again! i always enjoy your entries, and hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

lydia wagner - i hear congratulations is in order for your new promotion! i wish you only the best in your new position. maybe you can keep dianna in line now that you'll be in the same building. God only knows everyone else has failed...lol

julie smith - you have no idea how much i appreciated your call. when i've long-retired, you will be one of the people i miss most. i appreciate your hard work, professionalism, and friendship.

captain dave dicken - thanks for the visit and updates, my friend! i so miss working with you. we have the ability to accomplish so much, yet have fun doing it. i hope i can return soon to lighten your load.

terri west - you and i have similar political views....lol

s/lt. kim campbell - thanks for your call and invite, although i'm going to have to take a raincheck for now. i do appreciate your thoughtfulness!

until we talk again, expect to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

saturday, january 5, 2008 - "teach us to number our days..." (psalm 90:12)

top of the morning, friends....

i hope this finds you all well on this rainy saturday morning! i'm just trying to get some "odd jobs" done this month before my return to work in february. there's always something to do, isn't there?

last night, wendy and alan forbes came over for pizza and a movie. we had a great time watching "karate kid." wendy was kind enough to pick up the DVD and we ordered the pizza. wendy looked absolutely fantastic. she's lost over 30 lbs!

i also bought a new vehicle last night. my old explorer had 134,000 miles and has been "put to pasture." i ended up buying a toyota tacoma p/up truck so that i can still haul my dogs around, as well as get my mulch and stuff in the spring and summer. i should get it sometime this week. i've never had a pickup, but i was quite attached to my SUV, so i think it will be comparable. the picture above is a truck similar to what i bought. the dealership actually had a salesman come to my house to do the paperwork. now, that's service! (thanks lew karbler!)

the above picture is of my dad and me. he's sitting on his 1998 harley davidson road king trike, with a lehman conversion kit. i bought it on ebay for him about a year and a half ago and he just loves it! he let me borrow it last summer and i took a 2 week trip out west and up into canada with my "biker chick" friends....lol what's interesting is that we all went through customs together and i was the only one detained. what's up with that???

i talked with mary last night. she's enjoying being back to work and is feeling better each day. she wanted me to thank you all again for the calls, cards, and visits while she was off.

quote for the day:

"courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear"

ambrose redmoon

elzie - thanks for always coming to my rescue when i need something. i appreciate your willingness to help me find a new vehicle, even though you voted against me joining capital city motorcycle club.....lol

jean myers - thanks so much for the candy! i'm not sure if i ned to gain weight now, or not...but your contribution will certainly help! lol i'm so glad you're enjoying retirement. you deserve it, my friend.

toni roach - thank you for the lovely card and thoughtful words! your note was very heartfelt and appreciated. i know mary really loves you guys and is thankful to be back to work. she always brags on her "crew." i hope i get the opportunity to come back down and visit with you folks soon.

brian bender - please see a psychologist about the delusions you are having about beating me in a wheelchair race, my friend. either you need psychological help or you need to get off the drugs you're using! you're going DOWN! name the time and place - and have an undertaker on standby to dispose of your defeated self!

until we talk again, be blessed!

lisa - 1095