A room with a view is good but a room with an advocate is better. Love to all of you from the Becker family.

I am determined to beat John Kerry to the punch this morning! Good Morning Donel and Marilyn and everyone else....rain continues here with more to come....hooray! I am getting ready for church right now and know that the prayers for you all will be many this morning. Many for Donel, of course, but also many for the family doing the hard work of keeping things cheerful and healing.

On the subject of the internet connection, perhaps you should post a petition, Martin, and we will all sign it. Then you can present it to the powers that be with the full force of all of us behind you.

I love rainy days like today cuz it makes me think of that fun old hymn...."there shall be showers of blessings....la la la" Love you j

The rain has continued here in Bellingham and everything smells wonderful! I know many of us have included a quick look at the Blog into our morning routine - and we thank you Dani for your early update. It is good to hear that someone will always be available to be with Donel as many of us have learned that advocacy is a necessary way to complement even excellent health care.

Donel, I have a turkey on - had a hankering in the middle of the summer - and had to invite people to help eat it up. Probably not what you're thinking of right now - but you can imagine the feasts in your future.

We leave for the cabin tomorrow so will miss your updates but know that your incredible progress will continue. Don't worry about the slower days, they help your family and yourself rest up for the sprint.

I know that you can't get CBC in Seattle - but maybe via the web? I'll be listening for you in the wilds of the Shuswap where the Canadian small-town accents make us laugh. Can't believe I ever sounded like that- I'm told by my family that I sound like an "amercan" now.

Larry is reading SLATE and watching the Late Show for you. The children have many questions and it is appreciated that I have up-to-date information to give them.
Thank you all.
Much love,

Don:
In my daily prayer time with you, I've been re-reading GMH's "God's Grandeur." Each reading takes me back to our callow youth as seminarians. (Well, I was callow - you were urbane.) This morning as we gather up fragments of family - 7 year old grandson, wheelchair bound mother-in-law - for worship, I am aware of
"...the Holy Ghost over the bent
World brood[ing] with warm breast and with ah!
bring wings."
You are such a gift and have provided such gifts to me and to so many. The Holy Ghost broods over your room with its beeping monitors and your life set warmly in the middle. Enjoy sabbath.
Bob

Good Sunday morning,

Thank you, messenger typists, for the much appreciated updates. I sent my personal guardian angel to hover near you, Donel. You will recognize her by her long, listening ears. I always say that rabbit ears are second only to God's.

As a crew of family painters scoured, and patched, and painted the walls in our huge daycare playroom yesterday, we talked about the thousands of times your words had brought comfort, nudge, aha, healing, and growth to each of us. You have been the spiritual leader for our family for twenty years. I thank you. I thank God.

And now, as the smell of bacon wafts up the stairs, from the painters turned cooks, I send my prayers to you for another day of good and steady steps on the journey toward healing. You began this trek as a novice, but you have raised the bar on living with illness, and redefined faith. As usual, you're a role model for us all. God's many healing blessings on you and your loving and devoted family.

Good morning, Don. It is so good to hear that you are progressing nicely. Every prayer on your behalf is doing it's job.

Thanks to Dani, Jeni and Martin for communicating to all of us. And thank you for being your dad's advocates. It is so important.

Blessing to you all.

Anita and Chuck

Lots of love for you all from church today (.....and I do love the image of the urbane youth from Carlsbad!) Still raining here. xo j

Dear Donel,

Well, friend, you were in my dreams last night. It was an Ocean Shores kind of place. I was tending to kids and laundry. Zippo the next thing I knew we were in a trolley car together, you had just had surgery, and the MAFIA was questioning us! Marilyn, or some other nice person, was tending to your back which looked pretty good. The feeling was we were in trouble.

Since you are here in Seattle I want to take this moment to suggest you watch out for the Norwegian mafia who reside in Ballard. They have been known to kidnap folks and force feed them pickled herring until they agree to almost anything. Membership in singing groups will not protect you!

Watch out for anyone with a Norwegian sounding name who appears to be nursing personnel. They may just want to get you alone to start the PH procedure.

Do you think preaching eight times in four weeks in a Lutheran Church is starting to get me? Karl is out of the room at the moment so I can't get his professional view on my dream.

Take care and remember I warned you!

Jennifer

The human spirit and God's will...what a team!
I sat down to write a quick note sending our love and prayers to you and your family, Donel, and that's what came to mind, so there it is! We are so thankful for the good news from the updates. I had been keeping in touch through Bobbi until I learned about this "blog connection". I'm very new to this technology thing but this set up is amazing.
The following is a healing prayer I wanted to share with you and your family.

Beloved Lord, Almighty God,
Through the rays of the sun, through the waves of the air,through the all pervading life in space,
Purify and revivify me, and I pray,
Heal my body, heart and soul.
Amen.
H.I.K.

What a wonderful image to imagine all the prayers and guardian angels encircling all of you.

Love, Diana Harrison

It's a good thing we are all keeping watch via blog - it would be a hospital social worker's nightmare to have the cast of thousands congregating in the waiting room, skulking through the halls, peeking in your room (no matter what procedure was being done) and asking your nurse for an update. But we're here, nevertheless.

Know that you are loved. And prayed for. And appreciated. Thinking about you brings to mind the many times that your comments helped realign a problem so that there was light instead of darkness. Thanks!

Greetings to Don and Marilyn: Just heard from Ann Chisolm who attended WHCC this morning and passed along your news and this website. Our prayers for continued health as the days go by. Love from Fran and Frank Johnson

While I'm just now getting around to posting to this blog, know that Signe and I have been beaming prayers your way for a long time. How wonderful that your medical team was/is so competent and that all went so swimmingly. And love also goes to all in your immediate and extended family for all their support.

Rest well so that you recover soon!

I need to go back to the subject of urbanity....I have been tickled by this all day...I am picturing an oh-so-cool and terribly urbane dancing tiger leading the band......hmmmmm.......... have a good rest tonight..... love you lots, j