Take one and pass it on

So I have collected books from every corner of my house in the process of downsizing the piles we live with. These are books I have read and am ready to pass them on. If you or anyone you know are interested in these books, just leave a comment and I'll send them your way. Now I do not recommend reading all of these books, some I think are duds but a dud to one is a stud to another so take a chance. Now if you have lent me any of these and want them back, I have lost track of where most came from. Let me know that too and I'll mail them right back. First come first served and please when you are done, pass them along...

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Waking the Dead by John Eldridge
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
The Watermark by Travis Trasher
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
No shortcuts to the top by Ed Viesturs (non fiction about climbing the world's 14 highest peaks)
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Colony by John Tayman (non fiction about a leper colony on a remote Hawaiian island)
Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Piccoult
Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich
Smart Women finish righ by David Bach (non fiction about financial security/investing etc)
The First Time Investor by Larry Chambers (non fiction)
Life on the Color Line by Gregory Howard Williams (non fiction about a white boy who discovered in his teens the he was actually black)
The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin (non fiction about the blizzard of 1888)

ahh the memories

I couldn't help myself but dredge up an old picture from that summer at Saranac. Here is me and the infamous Trey Tyson. Nice feathered bangs!

An ode to Trey Tyson

16 years ago yesterday I made a commitment to follow Jesus. It was a rainy night at Saranac Village in upstate NY when during the 20 minutes (a time of silence at YL camp for kids to think about all they have heard about Jesus) I stood on the porch of the adult guest house soaking wet thinking and praying and crying and deciding. Yesterday I went running in my Virginia Military Academy shorts. I wear my VMA shorts in memory of my camp boyfriend, Trey Tyson (who went to college at VMA), who 'broke my heart' on that last day of camp by 'hanging out' with another girl from my school (who could remain nameless but won't, Sarah DeWan :-) ). My 'broken heart' is what led me to cry out to Jesus that night and decide I wanted to follow someone who would never break my heart. So here's to you, Trey Tyson. All the things I have done in the name of Jesus; all the people I have told about Jesus; all the ways in which Jesus has blessed and changed my life are indirectly because you were a schmuck to me at YL camp 16 years ago. I am eternally grateful.

13 on her 14th

It is Regina Cross Country tradition to run a half marathon on the Saturday before school starts and to mark an end to the 'two a days' training week. Today is Gabby's 14th birthday and she ran 13 miles to celebrate. Bill and I volunteered to man the water station at mile 4/9 of the out and back course. So out of bed at 6 am we got, to Regina for directions and at our station at 7am. The coach left me some sidewalk chalk so I could decorate for Gabby.
Here is Gabby coming down the hill toward us at the 4 mile mark. The girls running with her said, "Look Gabby it says Happy Birthday Gabby" and she mumbled, "Oh I'm not paying attention". Apparently at 14 we are just embarrassing. At least I didn't put up balloons, make Bill and I wear matching shirts that said "It is Gabby's birthday" and have a cowbell to cheer her on. I think at this time in her life she would rather us wear matching shirts that say "We are in no way related to Gabby Iverson"
Bill sitting at our sweet water stand. Believe or not, the tablecloth was Bill's idea.
Here is Gabby coming back at the 9 mile mark.
She looks cute and adorable even after running 9 miles.
Happy 14th Birthday Gabby. We are so proud of you!

Why I do it

I left full time ministry to go into medicine to help save people's lives and to ease their suffering in illness and injury. I knew I could share not only the life saving grace of Jesus but the life saving (at times) power of medicine. Last night I was out to dinner with friends when this man came over to my table. He said, "Aren't you Katie Cook?" Surprised he recognized me with my hair jet black but I bet he recognized my voice first :-) . He said, "My name is _____ ______ and we were RAs together in college. You saw my mom at the Free Medical Clinic a few years ago and she was really sick. You referred her to the Iowa Care Program (health insurance for uninsured Iowans) and that has been such a blessing. You saved her life and I told myself if I ever saw you again I would be sure to say thanks."

Modern medicine cannot do it all. Modern medicine sometimes makes mistakes. Sometimes we use modern medicine to prolong suffering. Sometimes we use modern medicine as power to think we are gods. But sometimes we get it right. Sometimes the right amount of compassion meets the right resources and someone's life is better because of it. Thinking of my grandma being ill and my mom looking toward losing her mother and then thinking of one day losing my mom which makes me want to stop breathing, I am so blessed to have been part of that family's life and giving them their mom for that much longer. That interaction made me smile and reminded me again of why I do it.

No need to come visit

For all of you who think about coming to visit me at work in the ER, I'll save you the pain of an injury, the worry of illness or the large bill which is accompanied by walking through the front door. Here is a vitual tour of our new ETC narrated by the 'big man' himself, Dr Dickson. Enjoy and don't come to visit.

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/med/emergencymedicine/etc/etcvideo.html

We could be in trouble.

Here is Gabby in her homecoming dress. Help! We could be in trouble. She looks too old for only 14.

8-8-08

All eyes were on Beijing. The opening ceremonies were being televised in America, but it was the Iversons in Durant who were coming home with a silver and bronze. Our eyes were on the northwest corner of the park in Durant Iowa as local girl sang the National Anthem into a bull horn before the start of the Durant Dusk Hustle 5K. It wasn't quite dusk when we started. It was still wicked hot and humid. We went with our friends, Amy and Brian Boelk, Brian's parents and his childhood friend, Mike. Bill's sister Susie also met us there. Nile ran the mile in a personal record time of 7:23. I felt terrible during the entire race. My mouth was so dry and even chomping on gum wasn't helping. You know that feeling when your throat is so dry that all you want to do is swallow to moisten it but I just couldn't get any saliva. My stomach ached and I was really hot. I was sure I was running like a 15 minute mile. 1 mile mark 8:21-- the fastest mile ever I have run but after conferring after the race we think that first mile was short and the second mile was long. I know I was suffering but I ran that second mile in 10 minutes and I don't think I slowed down that much. However I was at 18:21 at the 2 mile mark but put me on track to get my PR. Susie was right behind me. I felt like stopping and laying on the street. I don't remember suffering this much during a race ever. But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and saw the clock as I came down the home stretch; 27:55, 27:56, 27:57. I am going to do it. I am going to beat my old PR of 28:18. I sped up as I came around the last turn. Everyone was cheering loud. The girl in front of me thought they were cheering so loud for her so she raised her arms in a Rocky pose. I think they were cheering for me sprinting around the corner fighting only the clock. I did it. I crossed in 28:10. Glory. Victory. Success. I took my popsicle stick with 91 on it to the score table. I was fourth in my age group; just out of the medals I thought. But the top girl in my age group won the whole thing so that pushed her out of individual medals to the big trophy so I got the bronze. She finished 9th overall in like 19 minutes something. Bronze medal on 8-8-08; it is on a red/white/blue ribbon. I may as well be an Olympian!

Here is me getting my medal. Sexy skinny running legs if I can say so myself :-) Bill blew his PR out of the water getting under 20 minutes for the first time ever. His hard work has been paying off. He finished in 19:45 in 11th place overall. He got the silver in his age group. We didn't wear matching post race shirts on purpose but don't we look so cute??
Here is our whole group. From the L-- Brian's mom who got the gold in her age group, Brian's dad who got the bronze, me, Bill, Amy (who got like 4 minutes faster than she thought she would so she was quite pleased), Mike (Brian's friend Mike was apparently 280 lb in January and started working out every day and has lost almost 100 pounds. He tied his fastest 5K ever. What an amazing success story of hard work and perseverance) and Brian who got bronze in his age group. Susie had left by then and she got 4th in her age group.
Us with Nile after the race. The family Iverson who all got our PRs at the Durant Dusk Hustle on 8/8/08.

p.s. after the race Brian's mom was quizzing Bill all about where he grew up etc. She is an occupational therapist in the Quad Cities. She kept saying what is your sister's name again? She looks familiar. Turns out she did some OT in the elementary school Susie teaches at. Do you have any other family in the Quad Cities? Bill said no not really and then Nile piped up, your sister Sarah. Bill's other sister, Sarah, is severely and profoundly mentally retarded and lives in a group home. Turns out that is the sister Brian's mom knows best. She was Sarah's occupational therapist for years and knew Bill's deceased mom really well. Small world.