"To All Fathers, Happy Fathers Day"

Sunday, 1443 Hours
I would like to say Happy Fathers Day to all the dads reading this today. To Dar's dad Alvin, a very special hello and I love you from your daughter.

Today is my first Fathers Day without my dad, if you recall my dad "passed" just 4 hours before I brought Dar home from the bay area last October. Next weekend a small group of family and friends are headed to Lake Almanor to have a special last tribute to dad at his favorite home away from home. Dad loved spending time at the lake and he and mom retired there 6 months out of the year for some 22 years. A fisheman at heart, probably where I got it, dad was his happiest at the lake.

I will not be in attendance but thats okay, some of dads ashes will be held back and although you may think it crazy I am going to keep them in one of his tackle boxes that goes with me whenever and wherever I go fishing. At the appropriate time and most likely with one of my best fishing buddies that also new dad we wil have our own little 'special time" for dad.

Dad was a trout fisherman, loved it, lived for it, next was setting his traps at the lake for crawdads. he loved making gumbo, and I have to say since I am allergic to iodine and shell fish, crawdad gumbo is damn good. I love it. Dad and mom would make me a batch just for me when they had crab feeds at the house. Good times.

There was one type of fishing that dad could not master, in fact he sucked at it, spent hours trying, spent lots of money on gear and tackle and never, never caught a BASS, I think in his own way he was envious of myself and my fishing buddy Elby for all the filets that we brought him. He did love his battered bass, just never caught on how to catch them. When dad sold his boat about a year before his passing he told me, "what do I need the damn thing for, Im gettin too old and its not safe', besides, "your gonna take me fishing and show me how to catch them bass". I so did look forward to taking him but unfortunatley our Father in heaven had other plans for my dad. I imagine by now dad has mastered the art of bass fishing and I keep him with me every time and everywhere I go fishing, so I feel it only appropriate that at some point Elby and I will release dad to the waters and fish that he so loved.

I miss you dad, I thank you for teaching me the rules and steps to being a good man and hopefully a good father and husband. I always looked up to you and respected you and have the utmost pride a son can have for his father. You are missed, you are loved, I know that you and mom watch down from above over all of us kids and protect Dar daily. I hope the fishing is great in heaven and you have the greatest time doing what you loved on earth, give mom a hug and kiss from all of your kids, Lorrie, me and Julie. Matt, Jamie and Vanessa send their love to grandpa. Mom, take good care of dad, Love, your son, Dan, preferably called Danny

We are still searching for answers to Dar's problem, chest xray is still clear, lungs sound good, very very little suctioning, barley enough there for a sputum culture but we finally got some this afternoon.
Dar does have a nasty nasty UTI, in fact it is one resistant to many meds and requires that we gown and glove up when with her in her room. The simpliest way to describe it is that she has some Ecoli bacteria in her urine, don't ask me how, I/they could not beginn to tell us how or where she got it. She has had it once before, it is treatable and is not something to get "freaky" about. It's just something that we will treat and move on.

Today her nurses and respitory folks were able to see first hand what we brought Dar in for. After taking Dar off O2 and putting her on room air they were able to see that she is not holding her oxy sats as she should. Could it be related to the UTI, you bet, could it be something else, maybe. Are we gonna find it, damn right, just might take a bit of time. I don't know how long the new med will be for the UTI but I'm sure Dar will be watched closley.

Another chest xray was order as I was leaving, the sputum culture is off to the lab, the new UTI med is going to be started shortly, now we wait, watch and pray.

Dar is in great spirits as she always is, a true testament to her faith and will to be all that God intended her to be. A super lady, a super friend and yes, a super wife. I give you this, Darlene Lee Mardilla is in the house, aware of all that goes on, ready to put in her two cents, always ready for a good laugh and one day folks, mark my words, she is gonna be ready to get up out of that bed and kick my butt for all the silly stupid things that I have said and done to keep her spirits up. Man, I can't wait for that day, in fact I will cherish it.

Well thats whats up as of this moment, I ask you to continue to pray for Dar, the angels look down from above, please send your prayers from here on earth. We thank you and again to all the dads and fathers,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Happy Fathers Day to all of you.

We love you all,
Darlene/Danny/Jamiesue/Mav/