June 19-25

[Susan Hoover]

Dear family and friends,

Greetings! This will be just a quick note.

Yesterday morning the girls and I went to a coffee shop in Greencastle for breakfast and since we were so close, we decided to go visit Velina, so we did. Had a lovely visit with her (she was so glad we came and she was able to meet Stefania!!). While we were there my phone rang and the caller ID said Waynesboro, but since I usually don't have very good phone service at Velina's house, I could not hear the caller at all. Immediately the call came again, so I went out onto the porch where service is a bit better. Here it was a police officer calling from the Washington Township police station. First question he asked is if I know Peter Hoover. Thoughts went swirling through my head -- what is going on?? but I said, yes, he is my husband. The officer then proceeded to tell me that Peter had a little accident on his way home from work -- seems he was hit by a vehicle (details were very sketchy and unclear) and Peter had been taken by ambulance to the Meritus Hospital in Hagerstown, Maryland. That was about all the information I got! I hung up and told the others what I had just learned. We all had so many unanswered questions! I can hardly even remember the sequence of events from there on, but anyway Lamar took me to Hagerstown almost immediately, and Angel, Stefania and Sarah Anne came in a separate vehicle. We sat in the waiting room area of the emergency room, waiting until we were allowed to see him. He was pretty banged up and had a big blue bruise on his cheek. He was in very much pain -- his back hurt badly and he had a headache. Stefania and Angel visited him briefly, then they went out for lunch. Lamar and I stayed there for a number of hours. We were with him when they moved him from the ER into a room in the ward. He was in so much pain -- it was difficult to hear his groans and exclamations as they moved him from one bed to another. To be honest I sat there with my ears plugged part of the time🙁.

They had done a CAT scan already before we ever got there and determined that there are no broken bones -- except they did say there is a possibility of a lumbar fracture -- which would mean one of the bones in the spine.

From what we can piece together from scattered bits of the story is this -- Peter was riding the trikaroo home from his work at Lowe's (he worked from 4-9 yesterday morning, so this would have been like mid=forenoon). He was driving on the shoulder of the road, just like he was supposed to, when an Amazon truck coming out of a driveway failed to see him, and either ran into him, or else almost ran into him, whatever the case Peter swerved to avoid getting hit and that caused the Trikaroo to roll over, throwing Peter off onto the street. He actually lost consciousness for awhile. When he came to, he was  being dragged off the street by (I don't know who) to keep him from being run over!! Somehow an ambulance was summoned and he got a ride to the Meritus hospital -- I think the reason they didn't just take him to the Waynesboro hospital was because Waynesboro doesn't have a trauma center and they weren't sure about his head trauma. Anyway, that's the story as I know it right now.

They did find a slight brain bleed -- which they were watching but said it is nothing to worry about at this point.

So! Truly one never knows what a day may bring forth. Velina and I are going in to spend time with him today. I'm not sure if he is going to be able to come home today or not.

The girls have gone to Harrisburg today to do some legal thing that Stefania needs for her Paraguayan immigration. We were all going to go, but those plans changed.

Please pray for us!

~Susan

[Susan Hoover]

Dear family and friends,

Greetings in the worthy Name of Jesus! Truly, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

On Sunday, Curtis E Martin had the message in our meeting. He had just come through a week of music camp in Virginia (Shenandoah Music Camp) and so he came prepared to share some inspirations that he had gleaned during that week. His subject was Worship, and he used notes that he had from chapel topics given at the camp. It was interesting and inspiring! God is the One who deserves and desires our worship and adoration. Let us never lose sight of what is most important, and allow other things to crowd out our worship of our Creator God.

We had a fellowship meal. Stefania and her friend Sarah Anne were originally supposed to have been there but as you know from last week's letter, their flight was cancelled. But they had rescheduled and were coming Sunday afternoon instead. So we left here around 3:30 and went to the Reagan airport in Washington D.C. to pick them up. They arrived on time and we had a happy reunion! We got home in time to have some visiting time yet at our house, then when Peter and I were ready to retire for the night, the girls went over to the Martin's place, where there was a campfire and some more people were gathered there.

Monday we had breakfast together here, then the girls got together at a coffee shop with other City Light girls, to get acquainted and just hang out together. We had originally planned to go to Harrisburg on Monday, all of us Hoovers, and make a family day of it, but unfortunately we discovered that Monday was a public holiday (Juneteenth) and government offices were closed. It's good we found it out before going there!! So we just kind of did things together on Monday. After supper we went over to Lamars for a snack, but a snack according to Lamar is more like a light meal 😉. Crackers, cold cuts, a couple of different kinds of cheese, cookies, etc. And chocolate. Before all that, Peter and Stefania had gone out on a Trikaroo ride and both thoroughly enjoyed it! Peter took her to see all kinds of things in and around Waynesboro. They ended up in Renfrew Park, when Peter realized that the Trikaroo battery was about dead and there would not be enough power left to get them home! So he called me and asked me to bring the charger out to them. I did, and fortunately he found a place there to plug it in. He stayed there then until it was a bit charged up, then was able to come home. In the meantime Stefania came with me and we went to Lamars for the aforesaid snack.

Tuesday morning Peter started work at 4:00. We ladies had planned to go to a coffee shop (the Bean and Biscuit) in Greencastle for breakfast, for something special. So we did -- my two daughters and I, Sarah Anne, and Lori. Lamar babysat the boys. After our breakfast we went to Coffee Roasters, just to smell the wonderful coffee scents and look at all the dozens of different kinds of coffee they sell there. It smells so good in there, one could just stay and take in the aroma all day!!

Lori had driven separately, and she left for home after that, while the rest of us went to Velina's and had a lovely visit with her. She was so glad we came, so she could meet Stefania yet too. We were still there when my phone rang, and the caller ID showed the call came from Waynesboro. I have very poor phone service at Velina's house and I could not hear anything the caller was saying so I hung up. But then he immediately called again so I figured maybe it is something important. So I went outside and was able to get reception out there. The caller introduced himself as a police officer, and asked me if I know Peter Hoover! Then going on to tell me that Peter had had an accident on the way home from work! What! What a shock. I had many questions and not many answers. The police officer said Peter is not badly hurt, but is being taken by ambulance to the Meritus Hospital in Hagerstown. What an ending to our happy girl- chatter. We dispersed at once, the girls and I leaving for home, stopping in at Lamar's business to see what we should be doing, etc. Messages went out on the church chat, family chats, etc. Soon I was on the way to  Hagerstown with Lamar, and the girls were  coming in a separate car. We had to wait awhile to see him, but when we did, we were concerned about how confused he seemed, or slow, or dazed, or something! Not sure how to describe it. He was in quite severe pain.  His back and his head were hurt, as well as his arm, and there was a cut on his leg, several inches long, which required stitches.

Details were very  unclear, but it has since been proven that the Amazon truck did indeed hit him. He was driving along on his way home, on a quiet street in a residential section of town. An Amazon delivery truck was ready to come out a driveway and must have simply failed to see him, and ran into him! The driver apparently insisted that he did not hit him, but the policeman told us later that video footage of the accident shows that he did. And all of Peter's injuries are on that side of his body, and the Trikaroo's "injuries" are also on that side. Big blue bruise on his cheek -- right side. Scraped and bruised arm -- right side. Cut on his leg -- right side. Sore ribs, -- right side. He also has some cracked, or slightly fractured, bones in his spine, which is no surprise since he does have osteoporosis. We are just so thankful that he didn't get hurt worse!! It so easily could have been much, much worse.

Truly, one never knows what a day may bring forth!

Since he was drugged and drowsy we could not really engage in conversation very well, so after he was settled in his hospital room and all the admission procedures were done, Lamar and I returned to Waynesboro. We had to go to the police station and get the Trikaroo and I had to be along for that, as they would not release it unless a member of the immediate family was there. The policeman personally handed me all of Peter's belongings which were on the Trikaroo -- they had taped them all up in a paper bag for safekeeping until we came for them. And the men loaded the Trikaroo up in the back of a maxi-van, and away we went.

Angel, Stefania and I went back to Hagerstown again yet before supper to see Peter and pray with him. Joe Martin also came, he stayed after we left and Peter said Joe read the whole book of Philippians to him and also prayed with him. So kind of him. We had a supper invitation at Lamars that evening. I found myself exhausted, after such an unusual day. I enjoyed the supper but was glad to go home earlier than the others, and get to bed.  I must have fallen asleep right away --I barely remember getting into bed!

Wednesday morning around 10:00 Velina picked me up and we went to the hospital again. I was surprised to find Peter much more alert and coherent than the day before! He said the reason was that he just refused to take more of the strong pain meds because they made him feel so awful. Drugged, doped and nauseous. He was unable to eat because of the nausea. But after the drugs wore off some, he could eat and enjoy a meal. Velina and I went down to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. They had a large variety of good food, for very low prices. I was surprised.

Lamar and Lori took the girls to Harrisburg to get Stefania's document that she needed for Paraguay. It was disappointing that we didn't get to go -- we had planned to all go as a family but of course Peter's accident changed those plans.

Physical therapy team was in Peter's room when we arrived, and they wanted to see if Peter was able to take a walk down the hallway, with the aid of a walker. He did, and did well. They also had him go up a few steps to see if he could manage that. Since he could, they said that he is cleared to go home as far as they are concerned. But you know how it is -- discharge can take awhile. This person and that person and that doctor, etc. has to give the go-ahead. But we managed to get out of there about 1:45, taking Peter along home.

So of course it was good to get home again, and after awhile the girls got home from Harrisburg as well. What a pleasant surprise to find that they had decided to lengthen their stay for two more days! They had planned to leave on Thursday morning, but are now staying until Saturday! We're all rejoicing.

Wednesday evening was fellowship supper, another enjoyable occasion.

Thursday Stefania came for breakfast but Sarah Anne wanted to sleep in -- so I had Stefania all to myself for awhile, because neither Peter nor Angel had appeared yet! So special. I went to CVS pharmacy after breakfast to pick up some pain medication for Peter. I did not pick up everything that they had prescribed -- Peter did not want the antibiotic, etc. so I only got what I knew he needed the worst. :-) He is really recovering amazingly fast -- I can hardly believe how well he seems today already. I had gotten the walker out and dusted it off for him when he came home from the hospital, but he really has not used it, hardly at all. I guess I'll just put it away again! He used it a bit right the afternoon we came home, but not after that.

Here it is Friday morning already! Did I mention that the girls extended their tickets and are still here? Today they are getting in on another experience -- they are helping with chicken butchering over at Hidden Creek! (Lowell, Joe, and Brendon's farming operation). Angel, Stefania, and Sarah Anne headed over there (Triple Hil) around 9:30 this morning, after a quick breakfast here. Just a note of interest -- Stefania borrowed an old dress from Jennifer Martin for butchering, so today she is wearing a Mennonite cape dress! Another new experience for her! It fits her very well.

Last night the girls cooked a delicious meal for us here -- a "Rocky Cape" meal consisting of hummus, pitas (both homemade), rice, salad, roasted tomatoes, and for dessert, angel food cups with fresh berries and whipped cream. It was a very yummy meal, and the girls had invited Lamar, Lori and family to come have supper with us so we had a very pleasant evening together.

And so, -- today is today. I did cleaning and laundry, while the girls are butchering. You won't believe this, I hardly do myself. But Peter actually went back to work today at Lowe's. And since the Trikaroo needs some repairs, I had to drive him to work. And his hours today were 4 a.m. to 9. So there I was, half-awake at 3:40 a.m. driving down a very deserted Main Street. I hope I drove straight😉. I promptly went back to bed when I got home and after a little while, actually managed to go back to sleep.

I tried to tell him to take the rest of the week off, and I'm sure Lowe's would have let him, but he was determined. He's still on pain meds (an opioid🙁) but I'm giving him less than the allowed dose. Just enough to tide him over so he can keep going as he wants to, and also to get his rest at night. I will stop as soon as I can, and we'll try giving him only extra-strength Tylenol. They only gave him 10 tablets of the strong meds, and once those are all used up there won't be more. But I don't think we're even going to use them all. That reminds me, I need to make a doctor's appointment for him. He needs to have the stitches in his leg taken out, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

Today is Lori Showalter's birthday and we are all going over there tonight to help them celebrate! John and Velina will be there too. Lori is turning 32.

And now it is Saturday, late afternoon. About an hour ago we got back from taking Stefania and Sarah Anne to the airport. I really enjoy going to the airport to pick up loved ones, but to take them there to depart -- not so much. It pulls on the heart strings to see our children leaving, especially when we have no clue when we might see them again. But we know that someday, if we are faithful, we shall meet again to part no more. What a glorious time that will be!

Peter stayed home today. He had thought he would go  to to work, but then this morning he was having a lot of back pain so he was unable to go. I actually think that staying home was a very good idea! He needs to give his body some time to heal and rest after the trauma he suffered.  He feels a lot better already by this evening so we are thankful for that. He has not had any opioids today, so we know that the pain is lessening for real and not just being masked by drugs. God is good.

So last night we celebrated Lori's birthday. My girls (Sarah Anne included) did a wonderful job, setting up and getting everything ready. They had what you call a charcuterie board (is that spelled right??) They spread sheets of waxed paper on the table, then arranged cold cuts, different kinds of cheeses and crackers, pickles, olives,  grapes, berries, nuts, etc. For dessert they had made a gorgeous  cake -- four layers of a white sponge cake with whipped cream and lemon curd in between the layers and on top. Lori's birthday was duly celebrated!

This morning we had breakfast with the girls yet, one last time. They went to farmer's market for a bit, then finished their packing. We left for the airport around 11:30 -- their flight left something like 3:15  this afternoon. After we said our good-byes we spent a bit of time on the grassy bank of the Potomac River, watching planes take off and land, practically right above our heads. Air activity is so neat to watch.

They flew back to Minneapolis and are spending some more time there with the people at Altona and Elmendorf.

Tomorrow we are planning a fellowship meal in a park for whoever cares to come -- some of our families have other plans for the day but I'm guessing a fair number of us will be there.

And so, that is the account of the past week for us! Truly an eventful week! Fun things and not-so-fun things, but through it all, the lovingkindness of our heavenly Father shines through. We owe Him much! And we do thank Him.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

A blessed weekend  to you all --

Susan for the Hoovers