Home Leave

July 25th, the carpenters finished the roof of our new ICT center;
 the day that i left Sanfo for Accra to catch a flight home.

Jul 24, goodbye lunch with "granddaughters"
Penni, Kakra and Freda. 

I left town early on Thursday morning, July 25, the last day of the school year. I spent two days with a friend who works for the US Treasury in Accra and my flight to the US began late Saturday night on the 27th. There was a 6 and a half hour flight to London followed by a 7 hour flight to Washington DC.

Glenn joined us and we took two cars and two days to drive to
Ft. Madison Iowa, just across the Mississippi from Nauvoo, IL.

In Cincinnati, Glenn and I stayed with Sharon's Nephew; Matt's
family stayed at a Historic Hotel in Mariemont. We all had
breakfast there.

Cosette's Birthday: We all gathered in the Hotel room Jacuzzi tub for a family picture. 

Dan and Chantell played a young Bro & Sister
Orson Pratt in the chorus. Note the temple.

Zoe, Isabel and Evan were their children. Cosette, who saw it the
day before, told me where to look to see everyone.

My plan was to be back in Sanfo today after a family reunion in Illinois and some time on the east coast staying with Matt’s family in Maryland.  Like so many plans, I should have planned to be surprised.  My left leg, which had bothered me, during the bus ride to Accra, and the flight to Washington DC, not to mention the 17 hr drive to Nauvoo from Maryland, gave out completely on our third day in Nauvoo.  I took a shortcut through some woods to the Pageant, took a hard step over a tree root or gopher hole and a sharp pain shot through my left leg and I could not take a step on it.  Mike and Glenn helped me to the first aid station, and then to the ER at the Ft Madison Hospital.  X-rays and Ultrasound ruled out an embolism, and the doctor said he needed an MRI to confirm it but suspected a torn meniscus.  He finished me at 2:30 am and sent me home to the Comfort Inn with crutches and a leg splint. 

Sorry about the ugly picture.
 The nurse made me chew 8
baby aspirin (ugh!) with
no water.

The Denver Rays: Rayleigh, Jack and Erin help me leave the
hotel at Ft Madison IO.

On the way home we bed down at Zanesville, Ohio, arise early and take breakfast in Morgantown West Virginia. Lexi has a thing for the University of West Virginia and wanted to check it out.

Addie said "this is just like Disneyland!"

I worked on the Morgantown PRT at Boeing 35 years ago.
It was great to show it to Matt's family, still running strong.

Back in Maryland, Matt and Michelle are friends with and orthopedic surgeon in their LDS Ward.  We arranged with his clinic for and examination and the MRI.  Everything seems to take forever, but today (Aug 20) they will do orthoscopic surgery on my left knee to repair a torn meniscus. Doc says the operation is quick and relatively safe.  I should be full function in a week, but I am on a medical hold with the Peace Corps until I am cleared.  My post op visit is scheduled  for Aug 25 and I hope that will clear me to return to my village. Even without surgery I have been able to walk and do stairs without crutches, but I can tell things are not right when I walk down hill.  I called Esther, my neighbor, and Mr Bruce, Headmaster, to tell them about my new “itinerary”. They said school begins Sept 10 and I will have Form 2 math and science–same kids for next year. I want to be there when it starts.

but Matt and Laynie like the guns at Ft.Washington

Michelle and her friend are into Lighthouses...