On the Bright Side

Christmas in Texas

2011-12-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

Like I said in my last post, the best part of Christmas is spending it with family. We got home from Birmingham on Friday and I was on a flight to Ft Worth at 8:00 Saturday morning because I didn't want to wait until Monday. Dan had made a commitment to preach on Sunday so he drove down on Monday.

I was looking forward to time with the boys and I wanted to meet the girls that lived with Michael and Jennifer. The girls had all left for family visits and would start coming back on Monday.

I have so many new things to tell that I almost don't where to start. This was my first visit to their new home and WOW!!! The house is huge and Jennifer has decorated it beautifully!!

The kitchen has two large refrigerators, two ovens, a giant icemaker, and a drinking fountain! When I first saw the icemaker, I thought it was a trash compactor because it's about that size.

This is a picture of the kitchen with some Jennifer's family when they came over Christmas day. I see Bennett's birthday balloon is still holding it's own near the ceiling.

The picture above doesn't capture how long the counter is. Check out the drinking fountain at the end of the counter:

I'll get back to the house later. Doesn't Jasper look just like his daddy?

Bennett looks very much like his mommy :)

Talking Larry was a big hit with both boys just as it was with Rachel's boys. I think of the four boys, Ethan and Jasper got the most joy from it. I didn't have my big camera handy but I took a couple of photos with my phone.

Jasper's favorite thing to do was the "lightning" button.

I had a great day with the boys on Saturday. They are both so affectionate and I received many hugs. One of their favorite toys is a large train set with about 5-6 battery powered engines. Michael helps them build a huge track and then the action begins. We all had a station at the bridge or several of the switches to make sure none of the engines collide. It was a lot of fun.

Saturday evening we went to Jennifer's grandmother's house to celebrate with her dad's side of the family. I had already met his brother and sister and Jennifer's cousins. We had a great chili and tamale dinner and dessert potluck. I had a really nice time and they surprised me with gifts from Mike and Ellen and two other "Driggers". Since I wasn't exactly sure who to thank for the other two gifts, I said, "since everyone here is a Driggers, and these two gifts are from "The Driggers", thank you very much". It was so sweet of them and the gifts were so thoughtful.

Sunday morning was Christmas and we went to Jennifer's parents house for breakfast. Stockings are first and the boys went right for them. Michael's stocking had the cutest little finger lights! The were fairly bright and each one fastened using velcro to his fingers.

I was again taken by surprise to find a gift filled stocking with my name on it! The boys handed out all of the gifts and then everyone took turns opening presents.

Michael had replaced the counter top on the island in their kitchen for Jennifer's Christmas present. He decided to wrap up a piece of the same piece of wood he had used for the counter for her to open on Christmas morning.

Bennett got an "Angry Bird" which he really liked.

Jasper wears daddy new hat and gets a ride.

After presents we went to church and then back to the cottage. The boys went down for their naps and not long after, Jennifer's moms side of the family came over to celebrate. They all brought food, gifts, and a good time. We exchanged gifts, played table games, ate, then went outside for kickball until dark. I would say that a good time was had by all.

This room is one of the cottage living room areas. It has a table set up for the potluck that day. It is much larger than this picture shows.

This is another living room area which is also much larger than it looks in the picture.

This is a double table that looks like a very long table. It's an open area with a counter space that separates it from the kitchen.

Jasper is delivering a gift to his great-grandparents.

Bennett is listening intently to something that his Uncle Joe is telling him.

Shortly after dark, everyone left except Mike and Ellen. They stayed and we played poker. I learned a new game called Gut. It's my new favorite poker game.

The next day, Dan arrived in the early afternoon. The boys were both excited to see him. I had gone with Michael to pick up Cheyenne at the bus station after her family visit. Some of the girls are dropped off by their guardian and some are not. We had fun with the boys for several hours and then we went out to eat at a place called Ghengis Grill. It was great food and a fun place to eat. The four of us played poker that night and introduced Dan to the game, Gut.

The next morning we met Michael and the boys for breakfast and then went back to the cottage. Two more girls came back from their family visits that day. The three girls we met are very sweet and I am very glad I got to meet them. This was our last day with the boys. As on previous days, we played with the trains a lot. We both got lots of hugs. :) When it was their bedtime, we said our good-byes.

We spent our evening playing poker again. I think Dan likes the new poker game as much as I do.

Christmas in Birmingham

2011-12-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

The best part of Christmas is spending time with family and we drove to Birmingham for a few days for an early Christmas with Rachel, Marcus, and the kids. It was a shorter stay than usual but I enjoyed every minute.

We arrived in town about 1:30 PM and not long after we checked in to our hotel, Rachel brought the kids over for a swim. The boys are amazing swimmers! They are both able to swim on their own in the big pool as long as an adult is keeping an eye on them. They both know how to dive but the pool is only about 5 feet at the deep end and doesn't allow diving. Rachel and Dan enjoyed the hot tub while I enjoyed holding Lydia :). Dan spent a lot of time playing in the big pool with the boys too. I never actually got in the water this time :)

Marcus was working so he met us afterward at Jason's Deli for dinner. Jason's Deli has become of favorite of ours. Caleb tasted Papa's toasted garlic bread and he loved it! He kept saying, "I like this kind of bread" and asking for more. We all enjoyed ourselves as usual.

We all went back to their house for our Christmas Eve. Rachel had all the kids dressed in matching pajamas. For some reason, I only got a picture of Ethan. I wish I had photographed all three of them because they looked adorable.

That evening, we all watched a video together. It was a Veggie Tale about the origins of Santa Claus and the spirit of giving which the kids loved. The kids were already ready for bed and very excited because the next morning was their Christmas. I don't remember who asked Caleb if he was hoping to see Santa Claus but this was his response: "I don't just want to see Santa Claus, I want to see him in his sleigh flying through the sky". The kids went to bed and we had our traditional game of poker. For the first time that I can remember, I came out ahead. I always enjoy poker, win or lose but it was fun to win!

The next morning was so much fun watching the kids open their presents. The boys handed out presents to everyone and took turns opening presents. Ethan loves costumes and had been hoping for western boots for months.

Caleb was hoping for a Discovery toys marble maze. He also got a beginner Erector Set. I'll be interested to see how he likes it after he tries it out. They were my favorite thing to play with as a kid.

I discovered after looking back over my photos that I didn't get as many of Lydia as I'd hoped. I guess that's because I spent more time holding and playing with her than using my camera.

After we had our Christmas, Marcus had to go to work. We spent the day playing with kids and I took a few more pictures. Rachel took the boys to the hotel again to swim with Papa. I stayed at the house with Lydia :)

That evening, Rachel got a sitter for the kids and the adults went to a fantastic restaurant I had never eaten French food before. I ordered a fish entree and it was delicious! When it came time for dessert, Dan and Marcus declined so Rachel and I split one. I don't remember what it was called but it had chocolate and raspberries and was a very light but rich dessert. Our server brought four spoons and between the four of us, it quickly disappeared.

We had to head home the next day so this was our only full day there. We were all pretty tired so Dan and I headed back to our hotel. We made plans to return in the morning to play with the kids for a few hours before heading home.

I'm so happy that I will be able to visit more often. My next visit will be in March :)

The Ambien Adventure?

2011-12-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

I should really call it the Ambien nightmare and let me begin by saying that I quit taking it altogether about three months ago. I am just now getting around to posting about it.

Looking back, there were clues that I did not notice at the time. Dan kept telling me that I was talking loudly in my sleep all night. He mentioned other things that I KNEW were not true but there did seem to be "mystery" evidence around our home. Things like an empty bag of chips that HE had not eaten and I'm the only other person living in the house. The same thing had been occurring repeatedly with half eaten pies. I kept wondering what was going on because neither of us had any reason to deny eating food. I also had a very strange experience at Michael and Jen's home that I thought was due to my migraine medication and now it's clear that it was also due to the Ambien.

The deciding factor occurred one night when I got up repeatedly and kept falling hard on the floor and on the wooden parts of furniture. Dan kept trying to persuade me to go back to bed and I kept getting back up and "seeing" things. He was convinced I was going to break an arm, leg, or hip because I fell so many times.

The next morning, he told me what happened. I didn't have any recollection, but I was sore all over! That evening he came home with pages of research he had done about people taking Ambien that had begun sleep-eating, sleep-drinking, sleep-driving, and many other things. I had already made up my mind to stop taking it, but I could tell that he needed to express himself fully because of the scare I gave him the night before.

No more Ambien for me. I will say that although the migraine medication can cause hallucinations, it does not cause them for me. I have continued to take it with no side effects.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Rachel came for Thanksgiving again this year and we had a great time! This was the first year that I was well rested before a visit so it was WONDERFUL!! The kids had seen me a few weeks before but it had been a while since they had seen Papa so they were excited!!

The boys had been learning about traditional Thanksgiving food at school so they were excited to see the familiar turkey day foods on the table. Dan did all of the cooking but I don't know if the boys noticed. I hope so, because boys need to learn the kitchen is for dads too.

We had purchased a table set for the kids and I bought them activity books which they loved. I have seen them color and draw for hours at their house but Dan had never seen it. I think he was impressed. Ethan loves to color by number and Caleb enjoys word searches and hidden pictures as well as color by number.

Lydia was the charmer she has been every time I have seen her. The boys remain very protective of her. I wondered if that might wear off as she got a bit older but it has not. Lydia always had a ready smile for everyone. I loved giving her a bottle and putting her down to bed. She let me feed her (most of the time)

There was one time that she wanted her momma to feed her and when I sat at the table with the jar of baby food, she let out a wail and threw her head back. To be fair, she wasn't feeling well that day. I got up and Rachel sat down. Lydia stared at me as I walked into the living room at sat in my recliner. It was so funny after that. Rachel fed her and she kept her eyes on me the whole time, making sure that I was going to stay in my seat.

I didn't get any of the photos from their camera before they left but I do have a few from my phone. Here they are:

Lydia holds her legs up the whole time she is laying on her back. I think its so cute.

Ethan plays hard and wore himself out.

Ethan checking out one of the toys.

Ethan is cracking some of the pecans he picked up in the back yard. He's wearing his "Wolverine" costume, which he loves.

Caleb is reading a book to mom.

Catching a little extra playtime before bed.

Nostalgia Updated

2011-12-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

I have been looking through some of Dan's old photos and decided to scan them for posterity. I found a few more photos and added them.

Here there are:

Dan as a baby. Do you recognize that expression?

Dan

Dan and his dad, Fred.

Dan, and his mom, Thelma.

Dan

Dan and I think his sister, Cathy.

Dan

Dan holding his baby sister, Cathy.

School picture, but I'm not sure what year.

School picture when Dan was 11 years old.

Dan, his Granny, and cousin Stevie

Dan, Betsy, and Cathy

Easter

Dan in his Navy uniform

Dan with some of his buddies.

Grandparent's Day

2011-12-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

I meant to publish this post before my retirement post but here it is now. On the Monday of my last week of work was Grandparent's day at Caleb's school. When Rachel invited us, I remembered all the years that she and Michael had no grandparent to attend at their school year after year and I was determined that either Dan or I would be there!

Dan already had business appointments scheduled out of town for that week. We worked it out so that I could fly down from Saturday and back Tuesday.

I loved seeing Caleb's school and it turned out that Ethan had school that day too. I spent most of my time in Caleb's class but made a short visit to Ethan's class before I left. The building is quite spread out so I needed to use a wheel chair that day. Part of the day's activities was in the auditorium which was quite a distance and Caleb "pushed" my chair all the way while helped wheel myself. He was so proud of himself.

Here are some photos from that day. I didn't get one in Ethan's class. :(

This is the auditorium where they had a very emotional and patriotic ceremony honoring all veterans and their families. First they asked all veterans from the Gulf War, Iraq War, Korean War, Vietnam War, WWI, WWII, and then they added family members of any veteran that was not present. Pretty soon the entire stage was overflowing into the aisles. Before that, they asked men that served in each branch of the service to stand while the band played the song for that branch. I LOVED IT!!

Retirement

2011-11-12T14:22:00.001-08:00

I am retired and loving it. I originally gave three months notice and planned to retire on December 20th. By the the middle of September I had been sick with bronchitis 4 times and realized that I was not going to last until December so I gave two weeks notice and my new retirement date was 11-11-11.

Generally, teacher retirements take place in May and the the schools combine their receptions. I did not expect to have any kind of reception in the middle of the school year but my colleagues had other plans. They planned a really nice reception and had collected money for a gift card for me. I was stunned!

One of the more tech savvy guys put together a rather funny slideshow using Photoshop. It's supposed to illustrate some of the possibilities that I may try during my retirement. It's kind of cute.

Here it is:

Awesome or Weak?

2011-09-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you will take the time to read past the list below because I still can not believe this true story myself. It's one of the many, many "crazy" things that continually occur at my job that will never make sense to me.

If you have ever been a teacher, you remember lesson plans. If not, you can probably figure out what I mean. At our building lesson plans must include the following:

What is the lesson being taught?
What are the materials being used with the lesson?
Which level of Bloom's does each activity of the lesson demonstrate?
Which of Marzano's Strategies are being used in the lesson?
What are the objectives for the day?
What are the expected student outcomes?
How is the lesson differentiated for students of different ability levels?
How will the students be assessed?
Etc, Etc, Etc

We have four 5th grade teachers that teach the same subject and they all work together on lesson plans and then one of them types up the lesson plans that all four of them use. They were given prior approval to do it this way.

An "unnamed" supervisor checks lesson plans every Monday. The supervisor goes into room A, reads the lesson plans and writes comments like, "Awesome, great job, keep it up".

About two hours later, the same supervisor goes into room B, opens up that teacher's lesson plan binder and writes comments like "Weak, needs improvement".

Remember, the lesson plans are IDENTICAL and aparently the supervisor doesn't even remember reading them earlier in the day!!

Entering a New Stage of Life

2011-09-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was curious about how many stages of life the "experts" designate and it varies from 3-9 depending upon whether you consult the writings of Erikson, Confucious, or a handful of others. They all do agree on the stage I am entering: Late Adulthood begins around 60 or 65 with the onset of retirement. (I'll be 60 in a few months)

RETIREMENT!!

I began this school year with the intention of finishing but my plans have changed. I have been sick every week since school started, my immunity is way down, and I am still trying to recover from my second bout with bronchitis. The job is taking more from me than I am willing to give so I gave my letter of resignation last week. My official date is December 20th or before if they hire my replacement and want me to leave sooner.

I feel totally at peace with this decision! I haven't felt one moment of regret since I gave notice!! I have begun making notes for my replacement as I am working each day. He or she will be overwhelmed no matter how much I try to help beforehand, but I'll still do what I can.

I have been thinking a lot about the things I will be able to do when I'm no longer working full-time.

Travel with Dan on his trips West (he's been going for years and I haven't been able to join him)
Visit my kids and grandkids more often and when I want to not just when school is out
Visit my sisters in Ohio more often than every 4-5 years
Teach classes at church
Join a book club
Join a bowling league
Volunteer in my community
Find a hobby I never tried before
Go back to my Ancestry research

I'm sure I will think of many other thing's to do but that is a start to my list.

My sister and talk often and she told me that I would "know" when it was time.

Well, Sis, you were RIGHT!! It's time.

One of The Coolest Teachers Ever

2011-08-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Since my son is a teacher, and he is one of the coolest teachers ever, I wanted to make that very clear. I don't happen to have any videos that he uses at school but maybe I'll get one :)

We also have one of the coolest teachers ever at my building. He often makes videos and his first video this school year is outstanding like always. I am posting it here for your pleasure. Most of my readers are friends and family from out of state. I know you'll enjoy it.

First Full Week of School

2011-08-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Having nearly completed my first full week after the students had returned, I'll have to say that it didn't go as I expected because I got sick.

I have very few blog readers and those that do are my friends and family. That fact gives me a sense of freedom to say what's on my mind as far as work goes. I don't mean that I'd reveal confidential information but I may vent now and then.

I actually returned to work on July 25th. I stayed remarkably busy every day which surprised me. I thought I would have a little down time before the students returned on 8-17.

That weekend, I came down with bronchitis, a sinus infection, and an ear infection. I started on antibiotics Saturday which was an interesting (NOT) endeavor. I left the doctor's office about 9 AM and went to my regular pharmacy. After waiting about 30 minutes, they called my name and told me they were out of that particular antibiotic. "Wal-mart will have it" Guess what? Wal-mart did not have it. I decided to try Walgreens next. They were out too!! I was so tired and feeling lousy by then that I just went home. I texted Dan with the situation and went to bed.

My hubby is my hero. When he came, he took the prescription, went out and found a pharmacy the had it.

I took a sick day Monday and went back to work on Tuesday, which was too early and I went home at noon. I stayed home Wednesday and finally felt good enough today to go back to work.

Today was crazy busy. I had about 5 minutes to start eating my lunch and never had a chance to finish.

I had duty before school
visited with 6 students
met with 2 outside counselors
looked up test scores for teachers and reported the results to them
talked to 2 parents on the phone
checked the status for 8 student's qualification for loaner band instruments
had a meeting with a teacher about a student
completed the paperwork for a new 504 plan
had an hour long meeting after school

What a long day! I wish I could say this was not an ordinary day, but many of my work days are just like this (except for the after school meeting)

Well, that's all for now.

Four Man Band

2011-07-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter-in-law already posted this on her blog but since I have friends and family that may not follow her blog, I feel compelled to repost it here.

While I was at their house, my son was pretending to "play" one of his boys as an instrument. Soon his other child wanted to join the fun so his mom helped out. I laughed so hard my sides hurt and then began to video them.

Enjoy.

Summer's End

2011-07-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

I've had a wonderful summer break which ends this weekend. I can't believed I haven't blogged at all.

Our last day of the school year was June 2, if I remember correctly. I had several days of workshops and soon it was time for our trip to Birmingham/Gatlinburg. We had a great time of hiking, swimming, eating out, indoor games, and of course, shopping. Caleb really enjoyed playing the game, Trouble, and Ethan proudly "read" a book to me and told me the beginning sound of the letters. I especially enjoyed my time taking care of Lydia while the boys hiked with the rest of the family.

Back home I had more days of workshops to attend and days to just relax and read. Then it was time for my trip to Fort Worth! It had been few months since I had seen the boys so I expected them to feel a little cautious around me. I was pleasantly surprised when both of them called out Nanna as they hugged me and climbed on my lap immediately! We had a great time together with the sprinkler, trampoline, swimming, eating out, indoor games, and even more I can't think of at the moment. I slept in a double bed next to Jasper's crib and he was soooo cute when he would look over at me to see if I was awake in the morning. He would keep looking and laying back down until he saw my eyes open and then he would say, "Nanna, UP!' Bennett and I kept putting together a large floor puzzle of the USA and before long, he was able to put it together himself! We had a great time together.

Now my summer break has ended and I start back to work Monday.

Is it time?

2011-06-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I've been asking myself that question on a daily basis lately. When I started my job as a school counselor, I couldn't wait for the school year to start and I looked forward to almost all aspects of my job. My job has had it's stressful times and days but it's rewards have made it a dream job for me. For years I've secretly told myself that I would do this job for free because I love it so much.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the pay check and it has helped us become totally debt free as a family.

More importantly, God has used me to help children and I will be forever grateful. Some of my students have dealt with abusive situations and it seemed like just when those situations became too heavy I had a rush of "boy crazy" ten year old girls to guide.

I don't seem to feel the same passion for my job. I am so tired. I use most of my weekends to sleep and rest so I can be ready to work again on Monday. I find myself too tired to attend church. I feel ashamed about that.

I have two more days until summer break. I wonder if I will feel differently after weeks of rest. I am blessed that Dan is supportive of me and whatever I decide. Do I want to quit now or work one more year? It's up to me. If I do work one more year, all of my salary will all go toward our retirement.

I won't decide today or tomorrow.

I will rest.

I will travel.

I will visit all of my grandkids.

I will pray. In a month I will decide.

Keep me in your prayers.

A most unusual solution!

2011-05-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Somehow, my post went back to a draft - I've never had that happen - very strange. Well here it is, back in it's original form:

After five days of being unable to eat anything at all, not even the Boost that has been a staple diet item for some time, I went to my family doctor for help. At that point I was hoping for a temporary solution to hold me over until I could visit my Gastrointerologist, the specialist in Little Rock, that has been treating me for several years.

Before I went, I was imagining all kinds of scenarios, the worst which was that I'd have to resort to a feeding tube.

Well, I began to explain to my family doctor the progression that I had been experiencing. At first, I'd started experiencing extreme abdominal pain with foods that I'd been able to tolerate for several years. First it was one food, and then it was two foods and it progressed to include the Boost. After five days of eating nothing, and just drinking clear liquids, I found myself at my doctors.

After listening to my detailed story he said, "I'm gong to tell you the same thing that Paul told Timothy. You need to drink"

At that moment, I interruped him with, "do you mean drink MORE water?"

He said, "No, wine. If you will drink 4 oz. of wine daily it will have a healing effect on your colon".

He went on to tell me some of the other healing effects of daily wine and that there was no need to make up the 4 oz. in the event I missed my daily dose. He also said that after a while, I would like be able to re-introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables into my diet. WOW!!

As you might guess, I was NOT expecting to hear this.

I did take his advice, however, and I can confirm that it has made a HUGE difference. I am again able to eat the foods I had recently had to cut out of my diet as well eating as some new ones.

I am not ready to attempt any fruits and vegetables due to the extreme pain they have caused in the past but I do intend to try them this summer when I am no longer working.

I have to say, I am really excited about the possibility of being able to eat normally!!!

Thanks Dr. Dan for your advice!!!

Where did my blog post go?

2011-05-13T16:02:00.001-07:00

This is the first time I have ever had a blog post disappear.

It was here yesterday and even had a comment and today it is GONE!

Very strange. I will have to post it again.

Birmingham Visit

2011-05-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

My newest grandchild, Lydia Katherine Wagner, was born on April 8th.

SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!

On our recent visit, I was blessed to see how much her brothers love her. I had expected to make an attempt to focus on them first and later on Lydia but they couldn't wait to show her off. Ethan loves to shower her with kisses and Caleb gazes at her lovingly and caresses her hand or cheek. Both boys seem to have grown up so much since the last time we visited. Maybe that's part of being a big brother.

All babies are "good", but she is a really good baby. I hardly ever heard her cry. Whether we were at home, eating out, swimming, or somewhere else, she was content. She loves being held and I loved holdng her. :)

We had a wonderful visit! Enjoy the pictures below, especially the one with Papa holding Lydia. He's very shy about holding babies and I kind of took him by surprise as I walked over and put her in his lap. :)

We went to the park and are watching the boys play while also watching Lydia in my arms :)

Papa is pushing Ethan on the swing.

Caleb was gazing at Lydia and I called his name as I snapped the picture.

Ethan is showering one of his frequent kisses on Lydia.

The Bible House burns to the ground

2011-05-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Dan texted me at work today to tell me that the Bible House had burned to the ground. When I first read it, I was so busy I could hardly comprehend it. As the day wore on, the words echoed and I thought back over years of the many times I had visited and taken my children to purchase books there. It's been a fixture in Searcy and I wonder if they will rebuild.

I understand that the fire start at about 9:30 AM and it kept smoldering and reigniting. At 1 PM the fire was still smoldering. At one point there were more than 40 fireman at the scene. Two engine trucks, a tower tower truck, and even most of the city's off duty fire personnel responded to the blaze. The Bible house has been at that location since 1980.

When I came into town at about 3:30, the tower truck was still pouring water onto the building. The right wing of the building was the children's wing and is a total loss. It was taken down with the help of a backhoe about 11 AM.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Here are some photos I took after work today:

View of the left side of the building. The police were still directing traffic:

I am across the street, looking into the doorway:

View of the children's wing on the right side of the building

The sign was undisturbed.

Storm Damage

2011-04-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

We are sitting here watching the doppler radar again this evening. Severe storms are heading our way and while we may lose power, I'm not really worried about the storm hitting us although last night's storms hit Beebe, McRae and Vilonia. All three are communities where my "teacher friends" reside. School was canceled today and will be again tomorrow.

The Beebe community has many trees down and a variety of damage that I am not yet aware of. What I have been told is that our main campus lost the roof over the computer lab, the roof over the new Pre-K building, and some damage over another building. There is no power for much of the community or at the school.

This is a photo of a car belonging to one of our teachers. The tree was on the other side of the car and it pierced her gas tank. She and her family are safe, thank God. The tree came from the other side of the car.

The McRae community also has many trees down but fortunately has no damage at our building. There is no power for much of the community or for the school.

No one was injured when this house was hit in McRae.

Vilonia lost 16 homes and many other structures.

As I started out, storms are headed our way. It looks like they may go south of us. I have my pillows and quilt ready for the bathtub in case they don't. Now all I have to do is successfully talk Dan into joining me. :)

Nature or Nurture

2011-04-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

That's a topic that's been studied and published by many experts. I remember thinking as a new parent that "nurture" was the main ingredient and would determine how my children would "turn out". I was partly right and obviously more than partly wrong.

One of my kids made it clear within a few weeks of birth that cuddling was not something preferred and by 18 months old it was clear that an ordered world was an absolute necessity! My other child was ok with cuddling but disorder was going to be part of every surrounding.

I now have the benefit of four grandchildren to observe in addition to my own two children and it's clear to me that nature has a huge influence on their personalities, interests, and temperments, but it's the nurture we provide that helps them direct their choices and self control. Each one of them has specific areas where they have to work harder than everyone else and at the same time, each one has areas that naturally come easier.

Parenting is hard work!! I am very proud of my kids and their spouses for the the work they do to raise my grandchildren. It is very challenging work!

Both of my kids were high energy kids and they are high energy adults. I am fascinated by the characteristics of my own children that I can now see in my grandchildren. I look forward to the phases that will come as they grow up.

This side of sixty is really sixteen!

2011-03-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that I will be sixty years old on my next birthday. First of all, it seems like I just turned fifty yesterday, and forty the day before that!!

Lest you doubt, think about the day you got married. Whether it be 5, 10, or 15 years ago, it went by so fast in some ways. Or think about the birth of your child, whether it was 2, 4, or 8 years ago, don't you flash back like it was yesterday?

When I was in my early twenties, I looked at my thirties as the point when my life would have already peaked and I would start going downhill. LOL!! Even now that still causes be to really laugh out loud!!! By the time I reached thirty, I was a young mother to two preschoolers.

When I was about 32, Rachel was four and Michael was two. I was babysitting 2 additional two-year olds as well as 2 three-year olds every weekday. That was DEFINATLY not downhill!!

When I turned 40 my kids were in upper elementary school. When I turned 50 they were close to entering college and I was close to finishing college. Shortly after, I began graduate school. I guess that's why I barely noticed 40 and didn't noticed turning 50 at all.

One things has remained steadfast all these years and it may surprise you. While my body notices my age, my heart and spirit still feels like I am 16 years old. I can clearly remember walking down the street with girl friends the first time I realize that boys noticed us. That was the first year I went to a prom! My first experience at a theme park was that year and I loved it! That was a year of many firsts and many good things for me.

I made a reference to this to another teacher recently and she didn't know what I was talking about. She said she didn't know what age she felt other than the age she is now.

Well I do, I feel sixteen and I'm GLAD!!!

St. Patrick's School

2011-02-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

I saw my Aunt Ellen several years ago over Thanksgiving and she asked me if I went to St. Patrick's school. I hadn't seen her for many years. I think it had been 25 years, but in any case, it had been a long time.

I had totally forgotten about it until she asked. I was enrolled in a Catholic school for first grade. I think it was located on the campus of Kent State University. I don't remember very much about school. I think I was a good student.

I do remember how much I hated recess. At recess, I would choose a spot near the building or at the outside edge of the play area. I would stand on that spot, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I didn't want to get into trouble and I didn't want to make anyone mad at me - not even another first grader.

I had an older cousin or aunt who came up to me at least one time. She was probably high school age. She was kind to me and I think she tried to get me to play with other children. There was NO WAY I would take a risk like that. I wish I could remember who it was. I have been thinking about this since I first wrote this post, and I really think it may have been my Aunt Agnes!

You may wonder, "how hard could it be to figure out?". Well, I have a very large family on my mother's side. Here is a list of my mother's siblings:

Margaret, Robert, Catherine, Anna, Ellen, Josephine, Frank, Hugh, Pat, Dick, Agnes, Judy, Joe (died when I was about 5) and another Agnes (died as an infant- possibly a twin)

I think my mother was between Anna and Ellen. My mother had 6 of us and with all of the aunts and uncles listed above, you can see that I had lots of cousins. My aunt Judy was only a year or so older than me. She lived with us when she was small because my grandmother had died. Judy always seemed more like a cousin than an aunt.

I have so many good memories of growing up with my cousins. I'll write about that another time.

Back to Catholic school - I may have attended part of 2nd grade at St Matthew's Catholic school. I can't remember for sure.

I do remember going to catechism classes and making my first communion. That would have been 2nd grade and catechism classes were held after school (I think that's right)

The only times I remember going to church on Sundays were the weekend's at Grandpa Joe's or the times I walked from my own house. I remember being at church with different aunts, uncles, and cousins but I don't ever remember seeing my mother. This struck me so odd that I asked my sister - she doesn't ever remember seeing our mother at church either. Strange.

Rebound - Part 2

2011-02-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

I recently learned about rebound headaches. I had heard of them before but I'd never really understood the process.

I'd been having daily migraine headaches for about two months and had nearly used all of the prescription medication that typically stops my migraines before they hit full force. I discussed this with my neurologist in late January and he emphasized to me that I could not take this medication more than twice a week because it could cause a stroke!!

He then explained that I had been most likely been having rebound migraines which occur when the body becomes accustomed to the prescription treatment and then responds to the diminishing amount of medication in the body by triggering a new migraine.

That particular medication is an "abortive" type and I could not take it for the next two weeks. That meant I had to miss the next two weeks of work to stay in bed and deal with daily headaches. My doctor also started me on a daily "preventative" medicaiton that should reduce the number of migraines I get. I sure hope so.

I have learned my lesson and I will not take the "abortive" medication more than twice a week!

Rebound - Part 1

2011-02-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

I started this as one post but decided that it should actually be two separate ones.

I grew up loving Buckeye football and basketball. When I left Ohio for college, I lost interest in Ohio sports. I went to all of the Harding basketball games while I was there. Then came marriage, moving back to Arkansas, and children. All sports became a faint memory.

Dan remained a steadfast Buckeye football and basketball fan. As I recall, the Hogs and Buckeyes never played each other so he also became a Hog basketball fan and I vicariously became a Hog fan! I really didn't have time to watch games (or maybe I didn't want to - I'm still not sure) One year the Hogs were in the final four and I did watch them and cheer them on with everyone else.

Several years ago, I started watching Buckeye football with Dan and found that I really enjoy it. Gradually, I learned the names of the players and their positions. Some of them left and new ones replaced them.

Sugar Bowl - Yes, this year the Buckeyes and Hogs both went to the Sugar Bowl! All of my friends cheered for the Hogs but I'm a Buckeye at heart!!

Now this is where "rebound" comes in. This year I started watching Buckeye basketball with Dan. I was surprised as basketball terms and rules flooded into my memory. It felt so cool to be able to understand a game I had never played!!

Ohio State is currently undefeated and the announcers are already talking "final four"

I sure hope so!!

Next post "Rebound Part 2"

Christmas 2010

2011-01-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy and enjoyable holiday this year. I don't keep track of details very well but as I recall, we spent 4-5 days in Birmingham with Rachel and her family and then after we got back to Searcy, Michael and his family came and stayed with us for 4-5 days.

Christmas Part 1

We arrived in Birmingham on Thursday afternoon and checked into our hotel right away. Dan had mentioned earlier in the month that the hotel would be great outlet for the kids to be able to go swimming often and he turned out to be exactly right. Marcus and Rachel brought the boys to swim in our hotel pool every day (or nearly). Like I said, I'm not good with those kinds of details.

Impressions are my forte and I can say that these two boys swim like fish!! They often spent several hours in the pool and never seemed to tire of it. Caleb swims from the end to end of the pool and all around the middle. Ethan wears a type of float device that goes around his middle and still requires that he move his arms and legs to keep afloat. He's got it down to a science - he's figured out how to hold his arms still and parallel to his body while staying afloat by kicking his legs furiously. I loved watching them both swim.

Ethan derived immense pleasure from aiming his water shooter at Papa! If you look closely, you can see the water stream land right between Papa's eyes. Good aim for a two-year old! Papa joined in the fun by splashing back almost simultaneously.

Christmas Program

Sometimes the "packaging" is more appealing than the contents. :)

As always, I love being with the boys and have many fond memories.

Christmas Part 2

Michael and Jennifer arrived at our house on Tuesday afternoon.

It was quite a thrill to see Jasper walking! He's been walking for a while, but this was the first time for us to see it. Jasper usually has a big smile on his face as you can see from this photo:

We were plagued with rain every single day that they were here which it made hard on the kids (and the parents) We all went to Harding to allow the boys a larger space to run around. Here are some snapshots taken there:

I loved watching Bennett really get into the spirit of handing out the presents for all of us to open. He seemed as eager to hand Jasper a gift as he was to open one for himself.

We had a great visit! I enjoyed being with the boys and look forward to our next visit.

PIZZA!

2010-12-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

Until this evening, I have not experienced the enjoyment of eating pizza for several years. I had resigned myself to a "pizza-less" diet untill recently when my daughter and her family were here visiting.

Pizza has been one of my favorite foods most of my life and I have sorely missed it! Rachel happened to mention that I didn't have to deprive myself altogether of pizza, I just had to revise the recipe. WHAT? I can eat pizza? That was a revelation to me and she went on to describe the ingredients that I could use to make a pizza that wouldn't wreak havoc with my digestive system.

In case you are wondering, these are the ingredients that I can not have:

tomato sauce
vegetables (none at all)
peperoni
sausage

Sounds pretty much like the basic ingredients of pizza, right? That's what I thought too.

Anyway, my daughter suggested that I make a pizza using the crust, a pesto sauce, and cheese. BRILLIANT, I thought!

I decided that I would add a lean ground beef and presto, I had the makings of a pizza. I made it this evening and it was DELICIOUS!

Thank you Rachel!!

Playroom

2010-12-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

We have reorganized our playroom for the grand kids and I really like it. The first thing we did was replace the back door that goes to the yard. Then I got rid of the giant tub that held all the waffle blocks as well as miscellaneous other toys. Actually, I moved it out of the playroom and reused it for all of our extra blankets. We also replaced the curtains, which was LONG overdue.

Next, I collected all of our identical containers and bought a few more to better utilize the space. I separated the different types of toys and labeled each container with a color photo showing the contents of that container. In theory, that makes it easy for everyone to put toys away when they're done and more convenient to carry the toys to whichever room they want to play in.

We decided to supplement our playroom with Duplos (legos) and bought 4 tubs of them. Then I found these cool dinosaurs from Animal Planet and I added those to our supply.

I bought an inexpensive two shelf stand to hold our books and make them more accessible. I had to buy more books to fill the shelf!! NOT! Actually, there were several books I wanted to add and as I was looking for them, I found even more.

Last, but not least, we are having a deck built so that the kids can easily go out and play in the back yard. The deck is not large but it's very sturdy and I love it! Also, the mosquitoes are no longer a problem.

This photo gives a general idea of how one side of the room looks.

There are more containers on the other side of the room and this photo was taken before I put the visual labels on the containers.

I am pleased that the toys are more organized and I'm really looking forward to playing legos with the kids.

Thanksgiving Visit

2010-12-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

Caleb and Ethan paid us a visit over Thanksgiving, along with their parents. I love that they are old enough to remember us from visit to visit. They arrived pretty late in the evening and Caleb's first comment went something like, "We drove all night to get here". Then Ethan chimed in with, "Yeah, we drove a long, long time". They were so cute and seemed excited to be here.

I notice changes in them every time I see them. For instance, Ethan used to be the big eater, but now Caleb eats more than Ethan. Both of the boys enjoyed readings books. One of their favorites (and mine) was "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!" I read it over and over and then they even asked Papa to read it. Rachel took a photo of Papa reading to them.

The boys spent a lot of time at the nearby school with Marcus, Rachel, Papa, and even twice with Nanna. I am still amazed at how well Caleb can ride his bike and how Marcus taught him.

I always thought that you teach a child to ride by running along side them, holding on the bike and letting go when they are going fast enough. Not so with Caleb. I wasn't there the first day Caleb rode but the way it was described to me was that Marcus explained how to do it and then Caleb just did it.

I got a real kick out of Ethan's expressions when Papa said, "How ya doing, partner?" Ethan looked at him in the strangest way and told Papa, "I not partner, I Ethan".

Ethan LOVES to meet people! One afternoon he went from person to person in the living room, saying, "Nice to meet you," as he shook each one of our hands. He made the rounds at least 5 times before he went on to play. It was even more adorable when he stuck out his hand at church to anyone who was willing.

Another of my favorites from the weekend was watching Caleb and Ethan on the computer. Caleb had his turn and then when it was Ethan's turn, Caleb helped Ethan by moving the mouse where ever Ethan pointed on the screen. Whether it was a letter or a number, Caleb patiently allowed Ethan to choose and then moved the curser and clicked for Ethan. Talk about teamwork!!

Caleb will starting kindergarten next year and the one thing that he seems to be most proud of is that when he goes to school, "he will learn so much he will be smarter than mom".

One of the funniest moments to me was when Caleb had created a shooter (gun) out of tinker toys and he ran into the living room, ran straight to his dad, and took aim. Ethan instantly shouted, DON'T SHOOT HIM!".

Caleb didn't miss a beat, he handed the shooter to Ethan, saying, "here, you shoot him". Ethan was so enthused by the offer that he totally forgot that he didn't want Caleb to shoot daddy, and BANG, Ethan did it himself. I laughed and laughed!

This weekend was my first experience shopping on "Black Friday". Rachel and I went shopping for baby girl clothes at Penny's. We bought lots of outfits at a great price and I LOVED IT! We had so much fun!

Bowling

2010-12-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

I went bowling for the first time in 20 years! (to the best of my recollection)

I've been thinking about it for about 2 months so on my way home from work, I pulled in to the SUPER BOWL.

Both Searcy Schools and Riverview Schools were there competing with one another. I just recently learned that local high schools have bowling teams.

Two of the lanes were still available so I carefully picked a rather light ball and got my shoes.

The last time I went bowling, the scores were handwritten on a large paper formatted specifically for bowling. Today, the scoring was all digital, which is not too surprising.

I was only going to bowl one game but after I got two spares, I decided to bowl a second game. Then I got 3 spares and 1 strike. I was really pumped!

I left after that game, mentally making plans for my next time. I think I'm going to like this. It's a fairly inexpensive hobby with one game costing $3.00. Tthe price went down with each subsequent game.

NOTE* My next post will be about Caleb and Ethan's visit!

Michael Allen Herwick

2010-11-16T04:23:00.000-08:00

Michael is my older brother. I was eleven months old when he was born. As long as I can remember, I have been the older sister. I've only seen him once in 25 years. He has been developmentally disabled since he was about two years old.

I was fiercely protective of him as I was growing up and woe to the person who made fun of Michael or anyone else that had a disability. He attended the same high school as I did but he had a "special" classroom and teacher. He was also enrolled in several general classes with me. Health class is the only one I can remember right now. We graduated the same year and I was so proud that was able to walk with the rest of our graduating class of about 900 students.

I have been able to keep up with him somewhat through extended family who were able to spend time with him over the years. He has had his struggles, but he has accomplished more than I had hoped for him. He began working as a custodian in a local school district the year we graduated. He worked for 30 years and then retired with a good income. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see him again.

I had a conversation with one of my sisters a few years ago. I maintain that he looks very much like one of the stars of "Criminal Minds". She doesn't really see the resemblance.

I'll post photos and let you decide for yourself

Aaron Hotcher is played by Thomas Gibson on Criminal Minds.
.

This last one is Michael's high school picture:

So what do YOU think?

Holiday Plans

2010-11-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

We'll spend Thanksgiving this year with Rachel and her family. They are coming here and as always, I am eager to see the boys. I love watching them interact with each other. I am very thankful to be able to keep up with their growth and changes through Rachel's blog.

I think the boys have a pretty awesome understanding of grace. They are eager to forgive each other and give unlimited 2nd chances. Rachel is doing a good job. I didn't think of teaching my two toddlers about grace as much as I taught them about forgiveness. Parents can certainly learn from their adult children as much as adult children can learn from their parents.

Back to the blog: I smile, chuckle, and even laugh out loud at their antics. Sometimes I read it aloud to Dan so he can chuckle along with me. I guess many guys aren't into reading blogs as a rule.

Dan and I will drive to Birmingham for Christmas and I'm really excited about the plans Rachel has made for the boys' Christmas. We bought them bunk beds, which they really wanted. Here is Rachel's plan:

To preserve the surprise, the bunk beds will stay hidden and the boys will "camp out" in their sleeping bags until Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we'll move the kids out of their bedrooms after they fall asleep and then set everything up. Maybe we'll even do a scavenger hunt in the morning (like Mimi always does with their stockings) that ends with them discovering their remodeled room.

Dan and I are staying in a nearby hotel but I have already made sure that we can arrive at their house as early as needed to see them find the bunk beds.

After we get back to Searcy, Michael and his family will join us. I am so very excited to see Bennett and Jasper again. JASPER IS WALKING!! I can't wait to see him walking! They were just here to visit so the boys, especially Jasper, will already be familiar with us.

If you read Jennifer's blog, you already know what a blessing it is that Jasper is walking. He has a reduced muscle tone so he has to work harder than other children his age to be able to walk. Even so, HE'S WALKING. I am so happy for him and his parents (and grandparents)

I'll update after all the wonderful visits we have planned.

A Good Night's Sleep

2010-11-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

I visited my doctor yesterday for my annual flu shot. It didn't hurt at all and even now, my arm is barely sore. While I was there I mentioned my sleep difficulties and he gave me a mild medication which enabled me to happily say:

I SLEPT GREAT LAST NIGHT!!!

I think I can say good-by to 12 hour bouts of restless sleep that left me exausted from the time I woke up until I fell back into bed as early as 7 PM many recent nights!

I feel renewed. The sun is shining and the world looks a bit brighter to me. I suspect I would feel the same way even if it were a cloudy, rainy day.

Teachers

2010-11-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Teachers have such demanding jobs. I came across the following and it is pretty accurate as far as what is expected of teachers:

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teacher said:

“Let me see if I've got this right.

You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.

You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.

You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN'T PRAY?”

Parents

2010-11-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

We had our sheparding group today and for the most part, I really enjoyed it.

Several of our group asked for prayers for their mothers who were facing illness.

I found myself wanting to cry.

I held it in - until I left and then I cried in my car. I cried and cried and cried.

I have only seen my own mother once in the last 25 years.

After growing up having been molested by her and physically tortured by her, I chose to remove myself from her life when she molested several of her grandchildren that lived nearby her.

I didn't want my own children to be hurt by her.

I have gone through many stages of anger, hate, and then forgiveness toward her. I now find myself praying for her soul - praying that she will turn to the Lord before she dies.

I have been having nightmares about her several times every week. This has been going on for 3-4 months. This has been very difficult for me. It makes the entire day a bit rough for me.

If you read this, please pray for me and for my mother.

As a mother myself, I have striven to be the best mother I can be and yet I have failed in so many ways. I am thankful that my own children are better parents than I was. We all have a responsibility to do the best we can and I am so proud of both of my children because they are wonderful parents to their own children.

I thank God for my children and for my grandchildren.

A Fat Girl's Revolution

2010-11-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

I recently read this book, which was a real page turner!

By the time I reached the 2nd chapter, I couldn't put it down. Every time I thought I might suspect what was next, I was delighted to discover that this book was different than the others I have read.

The plot included a parallel narrative that was intriguing and it was also unique in the sense that I never saw it coming. I found myself identifying with the main character as she maneuvered the challenges she faced both within herself and externally.

The main theme both encouraged me and is a profound truth that we all need reminded of.

I'm not a literary agent or writing professional but I am someone that LOVED THIS BOOK!

I very proud to say that it was written by my daughter-in-law, Jennifer Driggers Campbell.

Excellent job Jennifer!!

Buitoni

2010-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Buitoni is a brand of pasta and sauce meals that Dan had been buying recently. He cooked me a lobster and shrimp filled pasta and sauce that was AMAZING!! I don't remember tasting anything so delicious for several years. I've discovered recently that I can handle food with fat content as long as it does not have a significant amount of fiber!! I've been eating grilled cheese which is another treat.

When I woke up today, Dan asked, "Would you like me to make you something to eat?" Isn't he wonderful? He takes care of me like I am a rare and valuable part of his life. Of course I said yes! He prepared a squash-filled pasta with a creamy sauce that smelled and looked wonderful. I eagerly took my plate to my chair as I commented, "they must process the fiber out of the squash like mashing potatoes". I sat down and proceeded to lift a delicious bite toward my mouth when I heard Dan exclaim, "STOP, don't eat that". When he heard me mention the fiber in squash, he decided to double check the nutritional content and realized he had mistakenly bought me a dinner with 5 grams of fiber per serving!

Needless to say, I didn't eat that meal and made a grilled cheese instead. I can process about 1 gram of fiber per day - any more causes me become painfully ill for days. Dan felt so bad but I told him that the offer of making the meal for me was the bigger blessing. He gets so upset with himself when he tries to buy me a special treat and forgets to check the fiber. I just love that he tries! :)

Bennett and Jasper

2010-10-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Jasper and Bennett brought their parents for a visit a few weeks ago and we had a really great time.

Bennett is a major problem solver when he thinks of something he’d like to do and he sets out to describe a variety of scenarios detailing with how we can accomplish his goal. It’s so comical that it’s hard not to laugh at his, “Well how about if . . .”.

His high energy level reminds me so much of Michael when he was that age. He often asked me to read a book during this visit. I love reading to all of my grandsons. Bennett particularly liked a book that is one of my favorites, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!” He called it the bubble gum book, and he remembered an amazing amount of the details in the story after the first reading.

He has long memory! By that I mean he remembers things from not only his last visit to our house, but from visits almost 2 years ago.

One morning Bennett came up to me with a very serious look on his face. He wanted to tell me about the broken night light in his room. I had already noticed that the night light in the bedroom was broken – I’m not sure how.

Bennett didn’t realize that I’d already taken care of it, and he followed the announcement that the night light was broken with, “ but we will give you one of our night lights at home”.

It was so precious that he wanted to make it right by replacing ours. I smiled, trying not break out laughing at his intense expression, and told him that I had already fixed it and he didn’t need to give us one of his. He broke into a huge grin that I wish I could have captured with my camera.

I'm in the process of giving my kids photos they want from their childhood. I showed Bennett a 5x7 photo of Michael at 12 months, Bennett exclaimed, “No, that’s Jasper” It DID look very much like Jasper.

When I think of Jasper, what first comes to mind is his contemplative gaze, like he’s trying to figure out one of the universe’s great mysteries. Perhaps he has the makings of a future engineer.

I asked Dan what comes to his mind and he said, “Jasper has such a sweet, calm, and gentle spirit." Then he went on to say, “Jasper is genuinely fascinated by life!” I thought those were pretty insightful comments.

Jasper's red hair instantly takes me back to my own two little red heads! I think Jasper's hair is going to curl up like Michael's did. Both boys love to play outside and we went to the nearby school yard since the weather was so comfortable.

Jasper is especially easy for me to entertain since he enjoys staying in one spot and investigating everything around him. Since I still get winded rather easily, I have to pace myself for the the more physical playtimes.

That's all for now except for some photos of that visit.

Jasper loves pushing his toy around.

Nanna and Michael are "watching" Bennett play.

This cabinet had lots of interesting items for Jasper to explore.

Bennett and Michael just chillin.

The nightmare that turned into a Green Dream!!

2010-10-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning, I was shaking from the adrenaline overload!

I started to tell Dan about my dream and before I could even get to the ending, I started laughing uncontrollably!!

It went something like this:

I was preparing to go on a trip with several dozen friends. It was some type of missionary trip and we had to pack very light. I remember going through a series stages where I had to let go of many of the "things" I have collected and were still important to me. As I traveled through the stages, it felt like they were being snatched from me and I became disoriented and nearly discouraged. I still had my iPhone - and that was a relief - until - I suddenly DIDN'T have my iPhone. It was there one second and gone the next. I kept asking people to call my number so I could run around and listen for the ringtone.

Suddenly time fast forwarded and I was on the ocean on a huge barge-like floating community. We had three very large living areas and one of them was covered. We were all going about our business when suddenly, one side of the barge was lifted up. We realized that a whale had taken position under one section of the barge. That went on for several days - we weren't too concerned.

UNTIL

The barge began tilting and creaking and suddenly, one section of the barge was torn from the rest. Annette Webster was the only person in that section and before she could get away, the whale pushed that section rapidly away from us. She was screaming for help but there was nothing we could do.

(note- Annette Webster happens to be the wife of a local computer Guru)

Several of the men decided to go after her. They disengaged one of the two remaining sections of the barge. All but three of us went with them to find Annette.

There I was with two other women, alone on the lone remaining section of the barge. It was the smallest section but sturdy and roomy enough for the three of us.

UNTIL

We felt the barge begin to tilt again!!! Another whale!!

We were near a coastline by then so we quickly disembarked and fastened the barge to the dock.

Even though we were on a dock on a coast, the water was very deep. We could see the whale come closer and closer. For some reason there was only a small area of coast and then a wall of cliffs than rose high into the sky. We saw the whale coming near to the coast and then away.

Near and then away.

Near and then away

Near and then, he reared up at us there on the shore. We used the only weapons we had at the time, several brooms and we began beating the whale every time he came near.

Soon the whale became annoyed with us and headed out to sea.

We considered whether it was safe to go back onto the boat and ocean. We decided it was safe and cast off from the shore. Too late, we saw the whale coming back toward us.

We knew we could never maneuver the barge back to shore in time, In a split second decision, we all jumped in the ocean and swam for shore.

Two of us reached the shore and climbed up, only to look out and see that our last companion was being overtaken by the whale. We screamed! We called to her, 'hurry, hurry, swim faster".

Just as the whale reached her, we covered our faces, not wanted to see her devoured, and with a splash, the WHALE jumped out of the water and onto the shore!!

We couldn't believe our eyes!! Even more shocking, the whale began to speak, "I won't hurt you, and I only ask for one thing".

We could barely breathe, let alone talk. but I finally let out a raspy whisper, "What is it?"

By then, all three of us stood there, eyes open wide and barely breathing when the whale said,
"All I ask is that you stop putting trash in the oceans".

Of course we agreed and the whale happily went on his way.

After about a week, the rest of our group had returned after rescuing Annette. Our eyes grew wide as we saw the improvements they had made to our barge. It was much larger and reinforced with steel!! There were these strange containment sections underneath the outer edges of the barge.

One of the men began explaining the plan. The containment sections were designed to hold whales and instead of using fuel, our barge would be "whale powered'.

All three of us shouted in unism, "NO hurting whales, we just have to continue to use regular fuel". The man started to argue with us until we were able to get his attention and explain what had happened to us while they were gone.

And thus a nightmare turns into a GREEN DREAM!!!

testing

2010-10-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

checking out how to schedule or backdate a post

On the Road Again

2010-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Actually, I was on the road and in the air again. I think we left our house around 12 AM because I wanted to make sure I was going to be checked in on time. By the time I finished going through airport security, I had an hour before departure time. I didn't mind the wait at all. I would have been stressed out if I had arrived at or even close to boarding time.

Within a few minutes, I learned that we were not departing for 3 more hours due to the weather in Baltimore - 2 hour delay. I groaned inwardly but seeing the young parents with toddlers helped me quickly adjust my attitude. I had a book to read so the time passed by fairly quickly.

We arrived in Baltimore about 45 minutes before my scheduled departure to Birmingham. I remember feeling grateful that my layover in Baltimore had shrunk from 3 hours to less than 45 minutes.

NOT ! ! !

As I arrived at my gate, the attendant announced that my flight is delayed for two or more hours.

WHAT?

In the end, I arrived at the Birmingham airport sometime after 11 PM. My original arrival time had been before 9 PM. Rachel was there to pick me up and I think it was close to midnight when we reached her house.

Rachel made a comment at that time that I agree with. It took me twice as long to fly as it would have taken me to drive to her house!!

I'll think twice before I fly again.

Ohio Visit

2010-07-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to see my sisters in Ohio recently. We made up for the 3+ years it had been since we had seen each other.

Since my laptop had a built-in camera, I snapped this shot of us one afternoon

Becky and Terry live next door to each other on beautiful farms in Southern Ohio. I left my good camera at home and planned to rely on their cameras. I did take these photos with my phone:

We went boating over the July 4th weekend and had a great time. First we had a leisurely boat ride, then a cook-out and finally, we watched fireworks from our boat that evening. My nephew was able to come home from college for a visit and we all had a great time. Here are some pictures of that day (also taken with my phone)

This last one was taken from the boat and I was surprised at how well it turned out.

I was able to visit several of Dan's cousins that I had never met. I really enjoyed visiting with them and hearing some stories about Dan as a youngster. Both cousins are very into Ancestry research so we had a great time comparing notes and passing on information for Dan's side of the family.

One of the coolest parts of the trip was a cousin on my side that I was able to reconnect with. I hadn't seen her for more than 40 years. Her home was one of my favorite places to visit as a child. She is several years older than me and we lost track of her when she married and moved.

I have attempted to find her for the last 5 years by checking phone directories in different cities and using people search engines. I had searched for her on facebook too, without success.

One day I decided to send a message to all the people with her unusual last name to see if I could find her. It was less than 15 people. Most of them ignored my message, several replied that they didn't know her, but one person not only knew her but was able to send me her address and phone number. Obviously, I was able to connect and we had a great visit. It brought back so many warm memories!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's become my habit to post infrequently, but fortunately a visit from the grandkids always merits a new post.

Caleb, Ethan, and their parents blessed us with a visit over the holiday weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with boys and already look forward to our next visit.

Dan and I really enjoyed watching the boys play so well together. Even though Ethan was was not feeling great, the boys got along remarkably well. It brought back memories of Rachel and Michael playing together. I think Ethan is younger than Michael was but their play has some parallels. Most of the time, Caleb can creatively include Ethan, while at the same time, successfully acquire the toy or color he prefers. I think that is part of the territory for an older sibling. Ethan wants to be around Caleb and do everything that Caleb does. It's so cute to hear their conversations.

One day we were driving down Moore and as we passed the cemetery, Ethan exclaimed, "BONES, BONES are there!" I was dumbfounded that a two year old had made that connection when Rachel told me that they had not talked about that.

I again enjoyed reading books to both of the boys - Ethan likes being read to but loses interest more quickly while Caleb continues to be captivated for the duration. One of the books they brought was a favorite of Calebs. I think I may have read it to him a dozen times during their visit. I can't remember the name of the book but I do remember Ethan's frequent inquiry, "Not really a scary monster?" even when he was across the room as I read to Caleb. He loved hearing the book but wanted assurances that it was all pretend.

I realized something during this visit that hadn't occurred to me until now. While I read to my own kids for many hours every week, I didn't read to them at bedtime. They were always so tired by 7:00 that they practically fell asleep as they climbed into their beds. I guess that's why I still enjoy reading to the kids more during the day than at bedtime.

Spring Sing

2010-05-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with a visit from Jasper, Bennett, and their parents over Spring Sing weekend.

I wish I had blogged about that weekend before now - I would have remembered more details.

Anyway, they arrived late Thursday evening. I had expected the boys to be sound asleep for most of the trip and so had their parents. It reminded me of several trips I had taken with my kids.

It was about 1983 and we were going to Ohio. We had hitched a ride with a couple that were neighbors of ours in Searcy. They were also from Ohio and had generously offered to take me and my two little ones to Ohio. That was before car seats and we had the entire back seat to ourselves. I put our suitcases on the floor and made pallets with our pillows and blankets. It never occurred to me that my kids wouldn't sleep at all on the trip since it was nearly an 18 hour drive! We had started out shortly before their naptime. Not only did they skip thier naps, but they were wide awake - content with taking in all of the night lights as we traveled on and on. We eventually arrived in KY at about 11 PM and they were both still wide awake! We got settled in our room for the night and they both fell asleep pretty quickly.

Even though we had a very late night, they both awoke as usual at 6 AM. We were back on the road by 7 and they remained wide awake, through thier naps again. I am still amazed when I think about that trip.

Back the the weekend visit - healthwise, I was feeling really good - another blessing for which I am very thankful and I was so excited to see them!

I looked forward to waking up the next morning to see them both! We hadn't made any specific daytime plans and I anticipated a relaxing day of spending time with them. We had a great together and I was excited about getting to put them both to bed Saturday night while thier parents attended Spring Sing.

I retreated several times that day for a rest period - I wanted to preserve my energy for that evening. I still had abundant bonding and playtime with both boys.

Jasper was ready to be put down a little earlier than expected but I was able to hold him off. I knew he would go down easily but I was still amazed that he went right to sleep! I kept tiptoeing to the room and holding my ear to the door, but he never made a peep! After about 30 minutes, I opened the door and went in for a peek. He was sound asleep and he looked so precious!

Meanwhile, Bennett was playing with cars and half watching a video under Papa's watchful eye. I played cars with him for a while and then announced that we had 10 minutes until books and bedtime. He didn't protest much which surprised me a little.

It was time, so I tucked him in and closed the door. He lasted about 5 minutes before I heard the patter of his little feet and he jumped into the living room with a look of pride and satisfaction, along with a big grin and a giggle.

I wasn't too surprised at that point since Jennifer had prepared me. I tried to look stern and took him back to his room. I explained that he had to stay in bed - just like when mommy and daddy put him to bed. I confess that, at the time, I didn't know if my little speech would take. I gave him another hug and reached to turn out the light. He was fast asleep in a few minutes.

We had a great weekend together. I'll post a few photos tomorrow, since it's getting late.

Aren't grandkids grand??? As I like to say, they are a special blessing from God.

ELDA

2010-05-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

ELDA is an acronym for a test I administered to four Hispanic students this week. During my down time, I hand wrote several blog entries. I am typing them tonight and will post them over the next several days.

The Craziness!

2010-04-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

Public schools in all 50 states administer some type of benchmark testing. I don't know about the rest of the states but my particular state has some pretty ridiculous requirements.

The one that is the most frustrating to me is how the special education population is treated. Every student in my building (5th and 6th grade) is held accountable to scoring at the proficient level in reading and math. A student that reads at the 3rd grade level (or lower) is required to test on the same material as students reading at grade level or higher. In addition, if the percentage of special education students that score proficient does not meet the state requirements, our school is put on "probation" by the department of education and according to their policy - our school is in danger of being taken over by the state. Even though our school as a whole far exceeds the state requirements, if the less able students don't meet the requirements, our school will suffer the consequences. GRRRRRRR!!

The next thing is mostly an annoyance! The department of education sends 80-95 page booklets for every teacher that assigns them a very specific scripts to be read for each test session - Ok, that's reasonable. This "Test Administration Manual" is available online before the test and for years after the test. Even so, they REQUIRE that I shred every page of all 50 manuals they sent! Crazy!!! FYI here is the link that gives anyone access - no login or password needed. So if they keep it posted online, WHY DO I HAVE TO SHRED THEM?

Last of all, was their "rule" about when the counselors in my state were permitted to open the packages of student test booklets. They were delivered to us on the Friday before testing began, but we had to work on Sunday because if we opened the packages before Sunday, it would be a breach of security!! I had over 500 test booklets in shrink wrapped packages of 10!! I had to open the, inventory them, and divide them up for each teacher to pick up Monday morning.

There's so much more, but I'll stop here!!

BTW - I did hang my diplomas and license in my office today. It really felt good.

.

Just Do It!

2010-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've almost blogged about 5 times since my last post. The operative word is "almost" My plans and mental lists haven't made it to my blog . . . until now.

The last week or so I have been reorganizing my office and getting rid of many of the leftover files and supplies from when I was a classroom teacher.

One of my goals this week is to hang my framed diplomas on the wall in my office. I've been planning to do this for the last 5 years. At the beginning of each school year, I think that I'll have plenty of time. I put it off for a week and then two, and then it's the end of the year again and I have pack everything up.

Sounds crazy, but this is how it has gone. Until this year. I am hanging these frames tomorrow and I am very excited about it. I have two bookcases behind my desk and the diplomas will be over one bookcase and I'll hang family photos over the other book case.

It feels good to finally do something that I have been putting off for 5 years.

:)

The other things I want to blog about are:

Bennett and Jasper visiting Easter Weekend.

The crazy parts of the state mandated testing.

Skyping with Bennett and Jasper

My Counselor Assessment recently completed by my boss.

Look for some of these posts soon.

Mary Eary Farrell 1905-1952

2010-02-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Mary Eary Farrell was my maternal grandmother. She died the year I was born.

Obviously I don't remember anything about her. In fact, while growing up, I never heard any stories about her. I have been searching every free genealogy web site that I've found, without success.

The facts that I do know about her are that she bore 15 children, including one set of twins and she died after an infection or possibly cancer. Her youngest child was just a toddler at the time, not much older than I was.

As a child, or even a young adult, it never struck me as odd that I knew so little about her. There were so many family secrets that we didn't dream of bringing up, except perhaps in secret with a close cousin. Most of my cousins didn't know any more than I did even though we gathered weekly at Grandpa Joe's rural home and played in the dirt and the puddles.

It wasn't an especially large home, but it was comfortable. As I recall, the upstairs consisted of two large rooms with an open wall between them. There were beds and dressers and lots of child sized pallets on the floor. There were probably 4-5 bedrooms downstairs along with a large living room and and huge kitchen. We often looked up from our play in the back to see one of our aunts checking on us through the kitchen window.

One of my vivid memories is the giant (at least to me at the time) block of cheese on the kitchen table. Even with 60 or more cousins, aunt, and uncles, we could always run into the kitchen for a snack of cheese. Week after week, there was always cheese on the table and more in the fridge. I don't every remember running out or being hungry at Grandpa Joe's.

I think Colby cheese is still my favorite snack.

Project Geneology

2010-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

My down time this past week has allow me to explore a variety of web sites and web programs that allow you to create a family tree.

I have settled on my favorite program and have input quite a bit of data. It's actually the most useful free online tool that I've found. I have traced one of my great-great-grandparents all the way to Ireland!

I connected with a distant cousin on Facebook. Her grandmother was a sister to my grandfather. She helped me quite a bit with that limb of our family tree.

I never before considered that I would be interested in my ancestry, but I have found it fascinating.

Spinal Headache

2010-02-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to report that I didn't have to take an IV round of soludmedrol. The spelling doesn't look right but I think it's correct.

I had a spinal (lumbar puncture) last Friday and I'm still battling a monster headache. It was constant until Wednesday and I thought I had it beaten until I awoke this morning with it's familiar throbbing. Even when it lessons, a small movement of position seems to fire it up again. Since the ongoing headache ended yesterday, maybe this isn't even the same headache. Does it really matter? NO! Either way, it still makes my head my head hurt.

Actually, it's nearly noon and my headache has diminished. Praise God!!

My legs are improving as the days pass. I'm sure that my "headache mandated" bed rest has been helpful.

Illness or pain are the things that remind us to have a spirit of gratitude for every period and type of good health.

I am grateful for this moment,

this hour,

and this day!

.

Here We Go Again

2010-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

My legs have gone on strike again!

My right leg has been bothering me for about 10 days. I've had the sensation of numbness and the zapping (tingling and stronger) from my foot to my thigh. I feel the zzzzzzzz sensation from my entire foot up through my shin, and thigh. It hadn't affection my gait so I pretty much just ignored it and went on. It ached about half of the time and I remember thinking, "I've been lucky so far, because pain has not been a major element of my MS.

Yesterday, while I was sitting comfortably in an auditorium, I felt my left leg get very heavy and feel numb. Not numbness of the surface, but a deeper sensation - kind of like you have a heavy pair of soaking wet jeans on. It's an odd sensation.

I called my neurologist and he isn't in the office today. His nurse was very helpful and she talked to him and called me back. He recommended I go to the ER at UAMS or even here at the local hospital to have an MRI done. I've had my share of MRI's but it has been about 2 years since my last one. I don't mind them at all but I have decided not to go until tomorrow.

Why wait?

I'm hoping that this will just clear up. Numerous times over the last 8 or so years, I have experienced difficulty walking and it resolved itself without treatment. The main difference this time is that the "zapping" is in my entire leg and both legs are effected this time. My balance is so bad that I have to hold on to the wall to even stand up and my cain isn't adequate stability

Why wait?

The only treatment option used in the past has been steroids. I haven't had a major flareup since I became Dr. Archer's patient about 2 years ago. I probably had 5-6 courses of sterioids while I was seeing my previous neurologist in Hot Springs. The solumedrol was delivered via an IV and the dosage was 1 gram (yep, that's 1000 mg) per day for anywhere from 3-5 days. You may not know this, but that is a megadose! Steroids also contributed to my weight gain of more than 75 pounds over a 3 year period. The last time I had this treatment was about 3 years ago, and it wasn't even effective. Thankfully, I was able to lose all but 5 lbs of that weight gain since I haven't been on steroids. . . . . . . . I DON'T WANT TO TAKE STEROIDS!

---

Measurable Snow

2010-02-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

Did I get your attention? No? That's ok, I won't let that stop me.

It did get my attention, however, when I heard the news broadcaster say,

"Today there has been measurable snow in 49 of our 50 states". I changed the channel and heard the same report. Beebe had received 8 inches of snow the previous week and we had missed a total of 5 days of school.

Even so, I had to check one more source so I logged on to www.weather.com to see what they had to say. Sure enough, it was true. At least a part of all 49 states had snow that same day. That was last Friday, February 12th.

People all over Searcy were posting pictures on facebook, me included. I'll include a few of them here.

This was our first snow of about 4 inches. We missed two days of school for this one:

The next week we got a lot more snow and missed 3 more days of school.

I was checking out the snowfall and saw this single little bird in the tree.

Hear me roar

2010-01-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

It was December, 1972 and Helen Reddy's song had risen to #1. Why do I care? you may be thinking. Well, at that time, this song became an inward mantra for me. It began, I am woman, hear me roar.

I hadn't thought of that song for decades until a few years ago when my work peers and I were asked to turn in the name of one of our favorite oldie songs for a faculty meeting activity.

Before I even had a moment to think, out popped the words - "I AM WOMAN, by Helen Reddy"

My boss looked at curiously, and I even wondered myself where that came from. I didn't give it much more thought and the faculty activity never came to fruition.

Nevertheless, a year or so later when I was again asked for a song from my youth, I gave the same response. This time I decided to look up the lyrics, some of which surprised me. Others, however, resonated from a place deep inside me.
.

You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Even at 19 years old, I was determined that while my life up until then had almost broken me, I would not give up! (Link to full lyrics)

Now, nearly 40 years later, the Lord has removed every single link of that chain that bound me. Bent by it's weight but never broken. He carried me up the hills when I tried to climb them on my own. He has led me through the darkness of fears and doubts.

Romans 8:28 I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

Give me strength, Lord
as You soothe my wounds
and I face life's current challenges

On the Bright Side?

2010-01-15T01:07:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide what to title this post. You see, I have been struggling with seeing the bright side for a while now. For the last several decades, my predominant perspective has been the "glass is half-full" and it didn't take effort because that was my natural outlook. I found it easy to see the positive aspect of most everything.

When I look back at my childhood, I think, "only a fool" could see or hope for good things ahead during those times. Back then, there wasn't much to look forward to, yet I hoped and I expected better times.

At first I thought I would just quit blogging -- after all, I'd practically done that already. I began to remove posts as I considered doing just that.

Then I decided that "going private" was my solution - That would allow me to express my feelings and not be exposed, or at least feel vulnerable to the entire world wide web.

By the way, I want to say thank you to those of you that contacted me. I liked the feeling that you wanted to continue reading or least keep up with my life.

Pretty funny huh? My following, like the majority of blogs, is just a small blip on the world's radar screen of blogs.

I'm not quitting or going private. I'm going to repost at least some of my story.

Going Private

2009-12-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

I've decided to continue blogging but not publicly. If you would like to continue reading my blog, send me a message at one of the following.

Email me at: vcampbell@sbcglobal.net or vickycampbell@me.com

OR

message me on facebook.

Taking a Break

2009-12-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

I have decided to take a break from blogging.

Your Child Is Born

2009-11-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

Your child is born
and becoming a parent
changes you forever

In ways you didn't expect
and could never have predicted.

So tiny and helpless at first
depending on you
for every need.

This child grows and changes
while your love for them never wavers,
but grows deeper as the years pass by.

They need you less as they learn
to depend both on themselves
and on their Lord.

They grow up
and are on their own
or so they think.

They face life's struggles,
and while not there with them
you are and will always be
on their side

October Skies

2009-11-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that November has arrived! My main memory of this past October is R A I N ! !

We only had 7 days of sun during the whole month of October! It was the wettest October on record at 19 different stations, including Little Rock! Even Searcy had almost 5 inches in ONE day last week.

I guess I just need to describe one of those days. Here goes. I was heading toward the office at school and suddenly saw about a dozen people with mops and brooms trying to push the water out the door. There were 3 custodians, the school nurse, the office secretary, two teachers, and a computer lab facilitator among others. It was about 2:30 and the kids were supposed to get on the buses at 3 PM.

Not gonna happen!

A rippling river of rainwater was rushing down hall from the cafeteria to the office. If I had not seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. That's a distance of about 40 feet.

One class that was returning from the gym had to detour to the other side of the building. When they came inside, it was comical! The teacher was in front of the line with her pants rolled up to her knees. The line of students that followed alternated between trying to roll up thier pants as they walked, or bending slightly forward trying to hold up the hem of their pants. Thier shoes and socks were soaked from being submerged in 8 inches of water outside. And just in case you think they were puddle jumping, that was on the sidewalk!

Many of the teachers whose classes were in that hallway had their students move thier books from the bottom shelves just in case.

After sending for several shop vacs and lots of mops, the floor was finally cleared of running water. Then the students made their way to the buses and teachers to their cars. What a day!

The Middle Wife

2009-10-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

It was time for show-n-tell and Erica, a very bright, outgoing seven-year-old, came to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She held up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday."

“First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.”

She's stood there with her hands on the pillow, and the teacher was trying not to laugh and wishing she had her camcorder that day. The kids were watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom started saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!” Erica put a hand behind her back and groaned.

“She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!” Now Erica is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.

'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (Now Erica has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.’

They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. “

“He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said was from Mom's play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.”

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

******************************************************

Another teacher sent me this story and I am still laughing about it. I couldn’t resist posting it here. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Pain Perception

2009-10-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Human beings at large differ in how sensitive they are to pain. Much of the variation is apparently random. But gender matters. Women tend to hurt more than men do. Ethnicity can also interface with ache; some ethnic groups are more tolerant of discomfort than others are.
In the past few years researchers have begun unraveling the genetic roots of these differences. They are also pinpointing social, cultural and psychological components that play parts in pain sensitivity.
Assessing patients’ vulnerability to anguish may be essential to accurately judging the severity of their condition. It is also critical to deciding how to treat individuals’ pain. Revealing the molecular causes of individual variation in pain perception is already providing potential targets for novel pain medications.

One day as a child Billy Smith (not his real name), a resident of Newfoundland, could not take off his shoe. No amount of twisting or tugging would loosen its grip on his foot. The reason for his struggle eventually surfaced: a nail had pierced the sole and entered Smith’s flesh, tightly binding the two. Removing the nail freed the foot, but solving that problem only underscored a bigger one: Smith had not noticed.

Smith is among a tiny cluster of people, fewer than 30 in the world, who harbor a genetic quirk that renders them incapable of perceiving pain . “These humans are completely healthy, of normal intelligence, but don’t know what pain is,” says clinical geneticist C. Geoffrey Woods, who studied a group of such patients from northern Pakistan. They can sense touch, heat, vibration and their body’s position in space. Yet for them, root canals are painless, as are falls, fires and whacks on the head with a baseball bat. One woman with so-called congenital indifference to pain (CIP) delivered a baby without discomfort.

Link
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=i-do-not-feel-your-pain

DIFFERENT ARTICLE:
Link

http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/knocking-out-redheads/
Did you know that people with red hair need more anesthesia during surgery than other people?
Dozens of studies have shown that it takes about twenty-percent more anesthesia to knock out redheads than it does people with other hair colors. It’s all got to do with pigment, which are the particles that determine the color of hair and skin.
The amount of pigment you have is controlled by a hormone in the brain. Redheads have more of this hormone – and that matters because the pigment hormone is also involved with pain perception.
For some reason, because redheads have an abundance of this pigment hormone, they’re more sensitive to pain, which is why it takes more anesthesia to knock them out. But if you are a redhead, there’s no need to worry about waking up during surgery, screaming in pain. Surgeons and anesthesiologists are well aware of the phenomenon.
Medscape Link

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/487261

The Placebo Effect

2009-10-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was amazed when I read this article in Neurology.

Doctors and scientists used to believe that a placebo, sometimes called a sugar pill, had the ability to change the perception of the patient but had no real healing effect. In other words, it had no medicine therefore it changed nothing physically within the patient.

Now they have learned that a placebo can have a physical effect on a patient. PET scans have now confirmed that some patients get better just because they expect to. This particular article refers to patients with Parkinson's, depression, and pain. Patients who received a medication and patients who received a placebo had the SAME changes in their brain on PET scans. WOW!

"It seems that the expectation of benefit activates the same natural pathways in the brain as medications. If we could harness these same mechanisms in the clinic, patients could help themselves without the side effects of medications."

That's pretty amazing, although I should not be surprised -- God created us and and in so many ways, our physical bodies are a wonderful and complicated mystery.

Here is the link if you want to read the full article.

I just started reading another article about red-heads and physical pain. I hope to post conclusions from that one soon.

Where have you been?

2009-08-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have had several calls and more than several questions on FB asking me so I am writing this post to briefly answer the questions. I also wrote a note for FB.

Earlier in the summer, I was diagnosed with a stomach problem which left me pretty much restricted to a liquid diet. I blogged briefly about it before. I am allowed to eat any food that does not have fiber, fat, or spices. Some of the things that are allowable are: cottage cheese, no fat saltine crackers, jello, ice tea, water, chicken broth, white rice, and a few others.

I drank "Boost" and vitamin water for nutrients and of course the foods listed above.

My GI doc recommended a prescription that is not available in the US. The only drug available in the US had some serious side effects for many patients.

I visited my grandkids the last week of July and when I got home, my new medication was here in the mail. I started the new med and went back to work that Monday. By Wednesday I was extremely ill, which continued until the following Sunday. During most of that time, I was so sick that I didn't know day from night most of the time. I started to feel better and then worse. I went to my chiropractor on Tuesday and then to my Doctor on Wednesday.

I learned from my Doctor that this med can effect you neurologically as well as physically. In his words, "the medication sometimes does the same thing to your brain as it does to your gut"

He told me that I will have to wait it out and drink lots of water. I also learned that my potassium was extremely low. It was a 3 and should be between 28-38. That explained why my muscles hurt and I couldn't walk (my legs were bent under and I couldn't straighten them)

It also explained the sensory hallucinations I had been having and while that was a relief (knowing why), I still had to wait until the medication was out of my system.

It is now Saturday and I am just beginning to feel normal again. Yesterday I was feeling pretty good so I tried a few bites of banana and some avocado. That evening I started hurting again and the diarrhea started over. I couldn't believe that I had messed up and didn't look up the food content of banana and avocado - - - they BOTH have fiber!!

NEVER AGAIN will I eat something without checking it out first - even if I "think" I already know it's nutritional content.

At this point, I have missed 7 days of work and I expect to miss the next 5 days. I HOPE to be able to return to work by the 24th.

If you read this all, you MUST have extra time on your hands.

Thanks,

Vicky

PS. I had a WONDERFUL time visiting my grandkids and will post about that shortly.

Historic Moments

2009-07-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States.

I was in elementary school. I vividly remember an announcement over the school speaker system announcing that our President had been shot. I sat in the second row, third seat back. No one spoke a word. That is quite a feat for a classroom full of elementary boys and girls. Our teacher had started crying, and was trying to quickly wipe away the tears. We were stunned but we had no idea how serious this was.

School was dismissed and I walked/ran home since I live a few blocks away.

I was glued to the TV. (Yes, you younger folks, we DID have TV then) When it was announced by Walter Cronkrite, "From Dallas Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 PM central standard time"

He was visibly choked up and I had never seen emotion on a newscaster before - I my parents weren't home at that time and I just sat there, frozen.

(Link - If you are interested, it's toward the end)

I will never forget that moment. Kennedy's election coverage was the first I had ever watched and I viewed him as a very great man. He seemed young, even to me as a child. All of the other presidents I had learned about looked old.

I continued watching the news coverage every spare moment and I was again left speechless when Jack Ruby shot Oswald on live TV! (Note: This was the era before violence became commonplace on TV)

Link - If you are interested

Whether you are a young person, or older like me, you will have certain events burned in your memory. From that point on, I read every single newspaper article that I could find relating to President Kennedy.

Another related memorable event was when two year John Jr. stood like grown man and saluted his father during a memorial. A & E's biography of John Kennedy Jr. is in 5 parts, but the first view seconds of this video shows John Jr.'s salute.

Link

This video clip is not the one I saw live. The coverage I watched was a close-up of the family and John John stood their for probably 5-10 seconds in a motionless salute to the father he had just begun to know.

FYI: President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 Central time.

"Freedom is NEVER free"

2009-07-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

I borrowed my title today from a facebook status. We know that freedom for our nation had a cost. The older I get, the more I find myself interested in the details of history. History does repeat itself. Hopefully we can learn the things that are worth repeating.

As women, many of us eagerly look to the next stage -- Will I ever find someone to marry? Will he ever understand me? Will I ever have a baby? Will the struggles of these teenage years be over soon? Will my child marry a person that will help them get to heaven?

It's so easy to want to be free that we often forget to enjoy the moments that are. Every stage has it's struggles but it is also full of joys. Savour the joys of now and you'll be free of the struggles soon enough!

As individuals, we struggle to be free from our flaws. This is a good thing and while we'll never be free of them, we will grow.

Terry Sanford Smith

2009-07-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

I got to know Terry and his wife Charlotte when they lived a few blocks from me. They are amazing individuals and I miss them.

While Terry worked with the church here, I visited with him on a regular basis. As time went by, he helped me learn some things about myself, some of which I did not want to know. As it turned out, the more I knew and accepted about me, the healthier I became emotionally.

Learning to love myself was a great gift and it occurred over time. An integral part of that process was a realization that came as a result of my observations of Terry Smith and how he interacted with everyone around him. I saw Terry consistently love people with words and actions. His genuine concern for people was like a shining light and at some point,

I UNDERSTOOD!

At that point, I had been a Christian for years and I knew in my head that God loved me and nothing could change that. While my head knew it, my heart had no clue until

that moment in time when Terry's example taught my heart that God loved me and NOTHING could change that. My heart FELT the love of God for the first time. My heart learned what my head had already known. What a gift!

Thank you Terry, for letting God use you to help me.

I recently came across a poetry blog entitled, "Your Story Matters". I was not surprised to learn that Terry Smith was the author.

PLEASE TAKE A LOOK.

Here is a link to just one of his poems.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

Dan is a terrific father to our kids and to their spouses. I've watched him grow in love for our son-in-law and daughter-in-law. He truly loves them as much as he loves our own children. From the time our children were born, he has always put their best interest ahead of his own. He has shown them love, commitment, and respect by the way he lives his life. He has lived a life committed to Christ. He has lived by the principles that he taught to our children. His consistency has provided for an environment that makes clear that they can count on him.

Marcus is wonderful father to the two of my grandsons that are in his care. I've watched him nurture and care for their physical and spiritual needs since the day they were born. I have been impressed to see him struggle with a parenting issue until he was able to decide what is the best choice for his boys.

Michael has been an awesome father for the two of my grandsons that are in his care. I have seen him defer to their needs from the day they were born. He shows them what God expects by the things he expects of himself and of them. He shows them that he loves their mother by the way he treats her on a daily basis and that provides a deep level of security for them.

Poppy is a father I've only recently come to know. I've seen his love for his children and his love for two of my grandsons. I appreciate his love and respect for my son. Thank you Poppy for loving those that I love.

There is so much more I could say. Many of the qualities I mentioned are shared by every one of the dads I described.

Thank you Dads and Happy Father's Day

Clear the Stage

2009-06-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have been a blog recently that is written by a woman like any of us. She describes herself as a country girl but I would describe her as a deeply spiritual woman who shares her spiritual struggles as well as the spiritual insights she gains as she goes through daily life.

This is a woman I have know for about 7 years. I have know two of her children through the school where I work. I always respected her as a person but I just recently began to appreciate her insights as a Christian. Her blog has been very uplifting to me. Take a look here.

She has a link on her blog to a song called "Clear the Stage". I don't know of the performer but I do know that this song has quite a powerful message. The entire presentation is about 8 minutes long so don't stop when the music stops. If you are interested, here is the link.

Tweet Tweet and Good Spirits

2009-06-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard about Twitter as I have. I signed up just to see what it's like. I'll let you know what I think.

I think I have handle on my tummy trouble. I'm balancing servings of Ensure, bottled vitamin water, and occasional other snacks. I found individual serving containers of cottage cheese and that that is a real treat sometimes (not kidding). I'm also doing ok with small amounts of sherbert.

The one food that I miss the most is colby jack deli cheese. I used to eat it with meals and as a snack. I got some no fat cheese slices to try. We'll see.

I'm back in good spirits after "choosing to be grumpy" in my last post.

How could I not be with the many blessings God bestows every day. As I often say, grandkids are a special blessing from God. :)

Choosing to be Grumpy

2009-06-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

This post springs from a friend's recent comment. "If happiness is a choice then so is grumpiness"

I am choosing to be grumpy all day today. Fortunately, I am the only one home so I will reap the brunt of my grumpiness.

Gastroparesis - My tummy does not like it when I eat!!! In fact, my stomach muscles work soooo slooooowly that what I eat today may well have chosen a nice parking spot and isn't planning to leave for 3-4 days!!! Did you know there is a little engineer in your stomach directing traffic? I'll call mine Mr. G.

Well, Mr. G runs around telling the stomach muscles to work, work, work. Do your job! They ignore him most of the time but then they get motivated and will work a bit here and there.

If not, then LOOK OUT! Mr. G sends for the catapult and no one likes that catapult!! Not only is the catapult rough, he's very sneaky. Sometimes it's motor starts up with a growl and rumble for warning. Other times, however, the catapult operates with a silencer and BOOOM. You get the picture.

Mr. G has a partner and who takes over when the others are taking a break. Her name is Ms. Nauseitis and Ms. N is not a welcome guest. She is the FIRST one awake on many days. Sometimes she stays all day and other times she visits 5-6 times a day.

Mr. G and Ms N claim the if the solid foods will just stay away and allow the liquids to take their place, then all will be well. That's well and good but they are demanding specific liquids. NO FAT liquids. Grrrr --- Well low fat will do IF, AND ONLY IF the right amount is ingested.

Not too much.

On the surface that seems pretty reasonable, right? Well the catch is that the right amount changes from meal to meal and if too much is ingested, Mr. G and Ms N are right back. Mr. G still may send for the catapult! AND no one likes the catapult!

Well, there is more but this is enough for now. I'm going to go be grumpy now

Nanna's Visit

2009-06-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

"Nanna!" was the first thing Bennett said as I got into the car when he and Michael picked me me up at the airport. He had a big smile for me and at the same time I could tell he was feeling a bit shy but I may have overwhelmed with my eagerness since I was soooo glad to see him.

Once we got to his house, he totally lost the bit of shyness he had in the car. One of the first things he asked when we got to his house was, "Where's Papa"? I couldn't believe that he remembered on his own. He hadn't seen Papa since Christmas. He seemed satisfied when we told him Papa couldn't come.

"Nanna," he said from across the room and as soon as I looked he had a great big smile for me. He proceeded to show me his toys and with each one he called "Nanna" as he brought it to me. He was clearly happy to have Nanna visit and I was clearly happy to be there.

Here is a photo of Bennett bringing me some of his most special belongings:

He started with "Lambie" and Froggie and here he is bringing "Monkey".

By the time Lambie, Froggie, and Monkey had "kissed" me, my hair was a mess but I didn't care. I had so much fun playing with Bennett.

I also loved watching Bennett and daddy swimming in the backyard. They took turns splashing each other and throwing balls in and out of the water.

When I wasn't playing with Bennett or watching him play, I was holding Jasper.

We caught him smiling at Nanna

Later he found his thumb and it made such a sweet picture.

Jasper is studying Nanna so intently

I loved when he tried to "talk" to me

Jasper has the same easygoing personality that Bennett has. He is mesmerized when he catches a glimpse of Bennett. It won't be long until Bennett will be a major source of entertainment for Jasper. It was so sweet to see Bennett's gentleness when he touched or kissed Jasper.

Bennett often informed me of one rule or another. "Not throw ball in house" or "Not disobey". I loved hearing him say "yes sir" and "Otay" when given instructions by his mom or dad.

As I've said before, grandsons are one of the great blessings of life.

I love you Nanna!

2009-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Rachel brought the boys for a visit several weeks ago and I am just now posting about it. She was very brave to drive here by herself with two little ones and I am a very grateful Nanna.

As she pulled in, I walked out and waved at the boys in their car seats. Caleb is old enough that he remembers me between visits. Ethan recently turned a year old and I didn't expect him to remember me from our last visit but he had just a hint of a smile and locked eyes with me through his window. I knew I would be pushing it to get him out of the car so I waved to him and then went to help Caleb out of the car.

One of my first thoughts (which I did not say aloud) was, "I really hate that after such a long drive, I can't even help Rachel bring in her things". We all went inside and after a little while, I was perfectly happy to entertain both boys while she unloaded the car. Ethan, however, was not going to let his mama out of sight. She tried to slip out and and we all followed Ethan as he trotted after her and wailed indignantly for her to come back.

If I had thought fast enough, I'm sure I could have diverted Ethan's attention with the offer of food. He is still the most amazing little eater. Even if he starts before everyone else, he is likely to be asking for more as everyone else finishes. He has eyes like an eagle for spotting any possible portion of food anywhere on the table or counter and if he thinks it's something that we haven't yet offered to him, he immediately points, looks plaintively at each of us while he says "dat" or "more" or "please". What's really funny is when he's just finished a meal and someone else is just beginning or is eating a snack. He isn't hungry but he loves to eat so he will ask and keep asking. I told him it was up to his mama. (I didn't have the heart to tell him no).

Here is Ethan asking to eat again and it hasn't been very long since dinner.

Ethan just adores Caleb he wants to do whatever Caleb is doing. I spent a lot of time on the floor playing with both boys and reading. I had brought paint home so we could paint rocks and Ethan was happy as long as he had a paint brush and a rock. He didn't notice the lack of paint.

Caleb loved mixing all the colors with each rock he painted.

We had lots of fun. Here is Caleb discovering the push/pull characteristics of magnets.

By the 2nd day, Caleb was cuddling with me and more than once said, "Nanna, I really love you". Yep, it melted my heart. I was totally taken by surprise however, when Ethan ran up and hugged me. I looked at Rachel and I realized at the same moment that she said it, "Ethan wants to do whatever Caleb does". I didn't care, it was just so sweet.

We went to a nearby playground one afternoon. Here are some photos:

All little boys are drawn to puddles like a magnet. Here is Caleb throwing rocks into the puddle:

Then of course, Ethan wants to be big like his brother and he gets his own rocks to toss in the puddle

Caleb loves to kick a soccer ball so after he kicked the ball,

Ethan gave it all he had to try to reach the ball before Caleb did.

Ethan is always so proud of his effort even if he doesn't succeed!

Mama gave Ethan a little help on his bike.

And then Nanna challenged Caleb to a race!

Of course Caleb won! We had such a good time. Grandkids are one the great blessings of life.

Finding the ? ? to blog

2009-05-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

I had such big plans for my blog when I began. I would write at least every other day and tell about my experiences, struggles, victories, and joys. I can't even claim that I don't have time because it's been more about interest -- well not really interest, how can I put it?

If you have a blog you will probably understand. Some days I think about posting and my thoughts just don't seem important enough so I put it off and before I know it weeks have passed.

Therefore, I will begin again and let my mind wander, my thoughts form, and my fingers type. Dan and I visited Rachel and Marcus over spring break and we watched the movie, "Fireproof". It's story could have mirrored my marriage or yours -- it's message was one many of us have learned over the years, but few have put into action.

We who have endeavored to navigate the complex issues of the marriage relationship realize over and over that no one can honestly claim to have arrived at the solution. A successful marriage is not a destination but an ongoing process.

We have been married for 31 years and I am still amazed at the things we learn about each other. If I were asked to pick one piece of marriage advice I would borrow the words of George S. Benson as he was often heard to say in his raspy voice, "You just need to keep on keeping on". He was talking about life but it surely fits marriage too.

Keep on keeping on. Simple words, and yet at times an almost insurmountable challenge.

My husband has supported me in so many ways. I hope I can do justice as I try to put it into words.

Around 1990 (or shortly after) I began to struggle with depression, anxiety, self-doubt. I was so unhappy and I was sure my husband was the source of pain. I can smile now as I look back. I was determined that we were going to counseling and he was "going to get fixed". He reluctantly accompanied me and I was unpleasantly dismayed after a few weeks of visits when the counselor gently suggested that I had some issues we needed to address first. Dan was off the hook and didn't even have to come with me!

It wasn't long before I was facing a myriad of painful emotions resulting from a severely abusive childhood. Like most children and then later as adults, I had relegated my experiences into the category of "everybody's life was like that". It was a long and grueling process to healing which included a period where I had pretty much shut down. If it hadn't been for Dan's support and the help of really good counselors, I think I would have spiraled down and required one or more periods of hospitalization. My journey was overwhelming at times, the pain seemed more than I could bear. I began the journey for my children - I knew that my emotional health was something that my children deserved. They deserved a mother that could give her best to them. Somewhere along the journey I realized that I too deserved the healing that would bring peace to my life.

As I continued on this journey, I became less and less able to handle the daily stresses of life and parenting. My husband stepped up and took over mothering and fathering for about a year. Every night I could hear him reassuring our kids that mom was going to be ok. He talked with them, had Bible study time nightly, and answered their questions the best he could. God helped him cope and helped me work through the process to healing.

My next major challenge was to put my degree to use and find a teaching job. Our kids were in Jr High I think. I had graduated in May of 1990 with my BS in Education and it was now 1995 and I began my search for an elementary teaching position. I did a lot of substitute teaching and finally was hired in 1998. I was a bit overwhelmed as a first year teacher. One of my children was a senior in high school and I did my best to balance senior activities with my job responsibilities. My husband was very supportive and helped me in any way I asked.

I should be clear here just in case I have given distorted picture. We continued to have our times of peace and times of conflict and misery. We both had selfish periods of time and had to re-adjust our focus repeatedly.

My next major challenge began around 2001. I began to have neurological symptoms that came and went. It was frightening. I didn't understand what was happening. Both of our children were in college by this time. I went to doctors and had tests run but no answers. I missed months of school. My symptoms progressed until I was unable to walk more than a few steps and had to use a wheelchair. This was the summer of 2003. I finally located a neurologist who did a thorough workup and diagnosed me with multiple sclerosis in August, 2003. He immediately put me in the hospital and treated me with IV solumedrol for 5 days. It worked! I was able to walk again and didn't need my wheelchair. My MS progressed with repeated flare-ups every 8-9 months. The IV treatments would help every time but not quite as much as the last time. Eventually, the treatment didn't help and I continued to use my wheelchair.

My husband wanted me to quit my job because he was concerned about my health. I knew that if I quit my job, I would battle with depression. He decided that if I was going to continue working, he would take over some of the duties at home. He began doing the cooking, grocery shopping and laundry. Then he added the cleaning! Like I said before, he has been very supportive of me.

Classroom teaching began to be too much for me physically, even with my hubby taking care of everything at home. God opened a door and I was given an opportunity to take the counselor's job at my school. What a blessing! The only catch was that I had to get my Master's degree in school counseling over a 3 year period. I started that summer and went full-time for two years while working full-time. I was on auto-pilot. I started having chronic bronchitis so that entailed at least one hospital stay each semester. I had to settle for a "B" in at least one class each semester. I didn't really care by now. I was more interested in what I learned and how I used it as I counseled students at school.

My next challenge was to deal with the 80 pounds I had gained from so many steroid treatments. At the beginning of 2008 I was 210 pounds! I couldn't believe it! Since I was in a wheelchair, I didn't have the option of exercise. We didn't have a pool and the Harding pool was too warm for me. (heat sensitivity is one the many symptoms of MS). I decided that I was going to limit my calories and over the next year I lost over 60 pounds.

I clearly remember Dan saying to me, "I don't think there is anything you can't do once you set your mind to do it" I'll admit it really felt good to hear him say that.

Working as a counselor was a dream job for me. It was not demanding physically and it was very rewarding. I've been blessed to be able to work several more years, resting up in the summers. This last year has been somewhat different. I have been extremely fatigued. I've had to consider the possibility of filing for disability. This is a struggle. I want to keep working but I can't live just to work. I have spent the last 3 months working and sleeping. I work, come home, rest, and go to sleep. I sleep most of Saturday and Sunday. I will be done in 2 days. This is hard for me. I have to face it but very slowly.

Goodness, I have rambled on and on! If you have read this far, you are a loyal reader.

Pictures coming soon of Rachel's visit.

Family, Friends, and life

2009-05-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

My kids will be visiting very soon and I am so happy. My daughter and her two boys will be here next weekend and my son and his wife and two boys will be here in early June. I love my kids. I love their spouses. I LOVE my grandsons!! I have loved getting to know them and watching their individual, amazing personalities develop.

I've also been blessed with good friends but lately I haven't felt like a good friend. I just read a blog post that seemed as if the writer was reading my mind. As much as I wish they were my words and I could put them here, I'll have to settle for you going to her blog to understand. Read #6.

School is ending soon and while I love my job, I can't wait!!! This year I am more tired here at the end of school than I remember being any other year. I didn't work when my kids were young, in fact I got my college degree exactly 20 years after my high school degree, almost to the day. When I leave school each day, I ignore my plans and drive straight home. I miss my friends from Wednesday small group but I seem unable to force myself to go out again. It's been weeks!!

I am still sad about my legs. It seems ridiculous when I consider the facts. For 5 years I have needed to use my wheelchair for any distance beyond the length of a room. I was used to it and never gave it a second thought for years. I have a scooter for around town and a motorized chair for work so what's the problem? Well, for almost 3 months, I had not needed a wheelchair at all. I was able to walk the entire distance of our school over and over. I could walk several blocks and not have a problem. It happened gradually. I was at school and my legs felt stronger so I walked the distance from my office to one classroom and back. The next day I did it several times then it increased daily until I was walking all over our campus. I began walking into restaurants, stores, etc. It was great and I never felt like my legs were giving out on me - until the middle of April. One morning as I was walking around my house, I could feel that my legs were getting heavy again. I tried not to worry, surely it won't last long. It's been 3 weeks now.

Think about it! I had limited use of my legs for 5 YEARS, so what's the big deal? I already have the scooter and motorized chair. The three months were a gift. Be grateful and move on!! I think I've done that until I mention it or someone at school asks about my legs.

It's not that I don't realized how blessed my life has been.

It's . . . well it's, . . . um . . . I'm not sure what it is, I just hope I get over it and move on.

That's been my mantra all these years-- take time to grieve, assess the situation, decide what I CAN do, do it, and then move on.

Maybe I just needed to put it down in words.

"The World is Crying"

2009-05-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I read those words on facebook today and they express what I am feeling and could not find words of my own to use.

It rained all night and has rained all day today. Each drop is like the fallen tears of the many people who grieve for the Rine family. I can not imagine their grief. I can not fathom their emptiness at losing their daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, etc. I can not begin to grasp their rage at Thomas.

How could Thomas believe Satan's lies and choose to do something so tragic He obviously wanted his life to change. Now the lives of Thomas, his family, and all of Micah's family and friends are changed forever.

Prayer Request

2009-05-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Micah Rine Pate, the daughter of Dennis and Terri Rine and wife of Thomas Pate, is missing. She and Thomas live in Bartlett, TN, a suburb of Memphis. A missing persons report was filed late last night and the police are searching for her. She went for a run at 8:30 last night and has not been heard from or seen since. She left her vehicle, purse, cell phone and keys at the house.

Please pray for her safe return.

"Micah is missing" When I read those words I was stricken with the same terror for Dennis and Terri that I felt when my own children were small and I could not find them for 5 long seconds in the store. Once Michael was at my side and then slipped underneath the round clothing display. He was playing and I was terrified until I located him.

I never realized as a young parent that it does not change because your children grow up. Their well-being remains uppermost in my mind and anything less than their safety is terrifying.

Please pray for Micah and her family.

Are you talking to me?

2009-04-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

I was in Wal-Mart recently driving along in the motorized shopping cart and verbalizing my thoughts quietly, as is my habit.

"What else do I need?
Oh that's right, permanent markers for a project at school.
No, I can get those next time, I need to hurry now.
Ok - get my list out, so I can get finished."

I was on this very long aisle that spans the whole store and I suddenly noticed this elderly lady ahead of me about ten feet. She looked back at me and then turned around quickly, taking hold of her cart firmly with both hands.

I didn't give it much thought and went on thinking (aloud) until I noticed her looking back at me again. By now I realized that she was feeling a bit nervous about me "following" her.

It was clear that she had heard me talking and wasn't quite sure what to make of me. She looked back one final time and then she turned sharply to the right and quickly disappeared from view.

It all struck me so funny that I just started laughing.

Spring Break Party

2009-03-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, actually only the last part of the week included a party. The first half of the week was reserved for several doctor appointments and a not-so-fun endoscopy. I'll find out the results tomorrow. I was forced to schedule them this week since I have run out of sick days for this school year.

Dan and I drove to Birmingham to spend a few days with Caleb and Ethan and celebrate their birthdays. Caleb turned 3 and Ethan turned 1. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.

Ethan loves to eat!. We went out to dinner and Ethan noticed the appetizer menu which was in a triangle shaped stand. He picked it up and kept pointing to the crab cakes and asking for them. "Dat" he said repeatedly and he would make the sign for eating. Every time he said it he would look at a different person at the table. It was so cute because he just assumed that the food would appear in our hands and we would give it to him. When that didn't work, he turned to the next person. When the server came to our table, Ethan smiled real big and began bouncing up and down - - he was sure food was coming now. Alas, the server left to get our drinks and poor Ethan just couldn't believe his misfortune. We had given him bread but he knew better food was coming and the bread was no longer cutting it for him.

Caleb has become such a little man. His personality is much like his mama's was at his age and I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed watching their interactions. He absolutely loves to be read to. He had just been on his weekly trip to the library so he had a bookbag full of new choices. I read 4-5 books to him in one setting and his eyes never left the pages. I read to him many times during our short visit and I honestly believe he would sit there for hours as we read and even reread book after book. Caleb is a very active boy and loves to run, jump, and climb. He does not, however, like to be held or cuddled much. Much to my surprise, he jumped into my lap one evening and lay his head on my shoulder with his arms wrapped around my neck. He cuddled with me for about five minutes. Even better, he lifted his head and whispered into my ear, "I love you Nanna" several times before he decided to get down. I am still savoring those moments!

PARTY

They had a joint party with their own cakes. We had to move the party to the church because of rain. Caleb and his friends played Duck, Duck, Goose, Musical Chairs, and some other games. They had a lot of fun. We sang Happy Birthday to Caleb and then to Ethan. Caleb had to help Ethan out and blow out his candle for him. Caleb's eyes lit up when the group sang to him. I held Ethan and fed him his cake which he really enjoyed. Every time I gave him a bite, he would smile and go "mmmmmm". It was a nice party.

He's a Red-Head!!

2009-03-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard, my newest grandson has red hair! Since both of my kids are red-heads, I am a bit partial. Jasper was born March 14th and weighed in at 7 lb 10 oz. and 19 1/2 " long.

I haven't seen him in person yet. I can't wait!! He's adorable, as you can see from the picture.

Here are his dad and aunt when they were little:

Thank you God

2009-02-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

A woman came to me recently describing a period in her life when she battled with serious depression. I've known her for many years.

At that time in her life, she doubted herself, her value, and even God's existence. I nodded as she went on, understanding that she had been in a really hard place.

At that time, she was meeting with a counselor and was invited to a group that was meeting weekly to deal with a variety of issues.

It turns out that I was a part of that group and was working through some difficult issues relating to childhood abuse I had experienced.

As she became aware of the influence and level of evil that had existed in my life, she concluded that God MUST be present and active in our lives.

It was at that point that she began her walk back toward Him.

I was stunned!! God used those dark moments in my life to bless her which in turn, blessed her children.

Thank you Lord for being with me always, even when I don't have a clue.

I LOVE my iPhone

2009-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

I do love my iPhone. I can check all 4 of my email accounts including my school account.

Facebook loads in about 10 seconds!

Park Smart is a program that records the location of my car when I go into the store and shows me a map back to my car. No more pressing my clicker until I hear my car or see it's lights flashing. :)

I have 3 versions of the Bible and the concordance searches the entire Bible in seconds for a word or phrase.

I have scrabble or sudoku for those long lines that everybody hates. I think I'm becoming ADD.

Web MD is at my fingertips. I hope that's a good thing.

Whether it's a thesaurus, dictionary, or encyclopedia - If I think of a question, my iPhone has the answer.

I recently added a Spanish translator and a sign language program.

It has a digital tape recorder and even a brain exerciser!!

Best of all, it has a digital photo album for those great photos of my grandsons.

What more could I ask for?

And the lucky number is . . . . 1 4 6

2009-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

Battle of the Bulge

Food for Thought

2 Rules for a flat stomach

Yo Yo Dieting

. . . . on and on the phrases go and yet I had never given them much thought. After all, I had been skinny most of my life -- and no, that didn't make it any easier when I began to face weight gain. Yes, I was lucky that I didn't have to think about calories for decades. Even then, it was the result of megadoses steroids that caused me to gain more than 80 pounds in 3 years.

On January 1, 2008 I weighed 210 pounds. I was depressed, discouraged, and hopeless. I decided that there had to be a way for me to lose it. I researched the amount of calories burned at rest and depending upon which source I believed, it seemed to be between 1800 and 2200 every 24 hours. I was very limited as far as exercise because of my MS.

I decided that I would limit my daily caloric intake to 800-1000 calories daily. I allowed myself about 150 calories for breakfast, 200 for lunch, 200-300 for dinner. I had two snacks a day and totaled my calories every evening. I found that it helped me to write down every single bite I took each day.

I started losing gradually and soon I had lost 20 pounds. Dan noticed right away, which helped alot. Even as I lost the next 20-30 pounds, most of my work and church friends couldn't tell. I was always sitting in my wheelchair so it was harder to notice. I didn't mind, I just kept at it. By September I had lost 55 pounds and people were noticing.

Now, here it is February, and I have lost 64 pounds!!

I was in a hurry as I got on the scales this morning and I froze when I saw 146. I rechecked it about 6 times but it was true. If you've read this far, you must care about me or be really bored.

I, on the other hand, am so excited and grateful. I just have a few more pounds left to go.

:)

:)

:)

Break Dancing Boy

2008-12-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

I wish you could have been here. As we all sat around the living room, Bennett began to dance, casually at first, and then he got fired up and began dancing up a storm. He was so cute and we started laughing. Soon we were all laughing (Nanna, Papa, mom, and dad).

It seemed like our laughter energized him as he went faster and faster. He began to move toward the right as his arms and hips were swinging back and forth. I was holding my side by this time. As soon as he covered the distance of the living room, he spun around and twisted his way back to his original spot.

By now we were all gasping as we laughed. I remember thinking - I wish we had video taped this - I didn't say anything because I fully expected him to quit any second.

He had no intention of quitting. On and on he went, covering the span of the living room several more times. It was hysterical!!

All of a sudden, he dropped to the floor and began some kind of roll, push, roll break dance. I couldn't believe my eyes!! He navigated the span of the room several more times.

We laughed and laughed. According to his parents, he had never done this before and hasn't since. He was quite the entertainer!! (I think they said he had danced before - but never put on this kind of show)

We had a great visit. They had come the weekend before Thanksgiving. I feel blessed to get the chance to see my family. Rachel's family came in October, Michael's family came that weekend, and I flew to Ohio to see my sisters over Thanksgiving. I didn't take my camera to Ohio but I will be posting pictures of Bennett real soon.

You should have seen him!

The Election Through the Eyes of a Child

2008-11-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have viewed this election through the eyes of children and I do not like what I saw.

I am a counselor for a middle school and we had a mock election a few days before the real one. Our students have been learning about political parties, running mates, and the electoral college. Our social studies teachers led discussions and spoke positively about both candidates.

In our mock election, Barak Obama won. It was quite interesting that he won by a margin that was very close to his margin of victory in the national election. We have about 500 students in our 5th and 6th grade school.

I am saddened by the response of our McCain supporting students to the Obama supporting students. I had a number of students come to me because they were frightened by the statements that were made about Obama. They were hurt by the names they personally were called.

They were anxious and frightened by the number of times they heard, “assasinate Obama”.
These are 10 and 11 year old students! Parents, no matter who you supported in this election, you owe it to your children to be respectful of each candidate. Think about what you are saying around your children. Think about the impact of your words.

How sad.

40 Years Ago

2008-10-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

I copied this idea from Deana's blog. I thought it was a really cool idea.

40 Years Ago (1968)

I was a sophomore at Cuyahoga Falls High School. I ironed my hair every morning and it still curled up on humid days. I worked every weekend at pizza take-out. I was trying to decide who to invite to the Twirp Dance. Our music and drama departments performed, "My Fair Lady".

30 Years Ago (1978)

Dan and I were married in March. I had left college and was living in California. Dan and I came back to Searcy in May for Diane's wedding and Dan decided to enroll in the preaching school at Harding. We moved to Searcy the next summer. Dan took a weekend preaching job in North Arkansas. It took us over two hours to drive there. We stayed all day and ate dinner with different families. Our daughter was born in 1979 and the church was so small and rural that it did not have any indoor plumbing. It was quite a learning experience.

20 Years Ago (1988)

I had two children (9 and 7) Diane and Mike had moved to Searcy about 4 years earlier. It was so nice to be living in the same town again. It sure saved a lot on long distance phone bills.

I think this was the year Dan and I took our kids to Disneyworld. Dan had enrolled in Harding College after preaching school and he was finally finished!!!

10 Years Ago (1998)

My daughter was a freshman at Harding and my son was a junior in high school. I had finished with my education degree several years before and I finally got a teaching job. I was tired of subbing and so happy to have a permanent job!

5 Years Ago (2003)

My daughter and her husband had spent their first year of marriage teaching English in China. They were married about 10 days when they left for China. I was soooo happy to have them back in the USA. My son was a newlywed and he and his wife were seniors in college.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August. I struggled with my current and potential disability and whether I could continue as a school teacher. I was blessed with the opportunity to take the position of school counselor at my school. I hurriedly began the course work to become a certified school counselor. I was diagnosed with COPD six months later.

1 Year Ago (2007)

I love my job as a school counselor! I have two beautiful grandsons. Both are blue-eyed blonds. I have another grandson on the way. I was sick with bronchitis for nearly the entire fall semester.

That brings me to October 2008.

My last post has photos of a wonderful visit with my daughter's family. I also have another grandchild on the way (my son's 2nd child) I am blessed and very thankful.

Baby Pictures

2008-10-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed April's post so much I decided to post these photos. Some are repeats and some are posted for the first time. These first two are Marcus and Ethan.

Here are some photos of Marcus, Rachel, Caleb, and Ethan. I was amazed at the resemblance when I saw these photos side by side. Thank you Rachel for sending them to me.

Above we have a photo of Rachel and next to her is Caleb.

Next are photos of Rachel and I.

So.... which one is Rachel and which one is mom?

I didn't realize . . .

2008-10-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last week was such a difficult week at work. I began to doubt my ability to maintain the stamina required to meet the needs of the students in my care. Beginning with neglect and hostility and then on to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of the very people whose job it is to care for and nurture these children.

I listen. I comfort. I answer their questions the best I can. I point them to hope and a better life ahead. I call the abuse hot line.

One girl came back to me the next morning asking, "why didn't DHS come to my house? They said they would come. I'm afraid to go home. Time to call a supervisor.

This week has been so different. Girls fighting with their friends, competing over the same guy. Boys being bullied or bullying others. Families dealing with divorce. Boys and girls dealing with the normal adjustments of middle school. While each problem was disturbing to the individual, I felt better able to offer what they needed. I felt more sure of my decisions and responses.

Frankly, both kinds of weeks are difficult in their own way, but last week required me to draw from resources deeper within.

Then a teacher stopped me in the hall. She said, "Vicky, you are what I have always pictured a counselor to be. You do such a good job with our children."

Then I remembered last week when I shared my feelings of discouragement with another teacher friend. Her immediate response was, "but Vicky, you can't quit, you are so good with these kids. They need you".

I didn't realize . . .until I was reminded. I am making a difference even when I can't recognize it myself.

Thank you my teacher friends. You really encouraged me and you may never know how much.

My first visit to Harding

2008-09-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

It was spring or summer of 1976. My friends Diane, Rose, and I climbed in Diane's car and drove from Ohio to Arkansas. I remember as we drove into town on E. Race I saw this large billboard that said, COMING SOON - - McDonalds!!

We left after work on Friday and had to be at work again on Monday morning. It was a whirlwind weekend.

I loved it here! The campus was so beautiful! It was Harding College at that time. Dr. Ganus was the president and Dr. Benson was still very active on campus. One of the first offices I visited was Ted Altman, who was the dean of students. I think Maribeth Downing was the Dean of Women.

Jerry Jones was head of the Bible department and he had spoken at our church in NE Ohio. Harding sounded like a place we wanted to experience.

We decided that we were coming to Harding. Diane sold her car and I moved out of my apartment. We gathered our belongings, packed them in a small U-haul and the parent of another friend drove us all to Harding in time for the Fall semester.

Rose and I moved into the "New Dorm" (later to become Sears) and I think Diane moved into Patti Cobb.

There was a big cafeteria rivalry between Heritage and Patti Cobb (in the basement of the dorm). PC was known for it's home style atmosphere and Heritage for it's better food.

The lily pool had no lilies but the fountain of water was beautiful and we gathered around the pool often for devotionals.

I have so many more memories....

Worn Out

2008-08-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

I am so tired tonight. We had open house at school today so we were at school until after 7 PM. I enjoyed meeting the kids and their parents.

Sometimes I have a hard time mustering up the energy but I also can't imagine not having this job that I love.

I think a 4 day work week would be good.

The Shack

2008-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

I had been hearing about this book for quite a while. Some friends loved it. Others would not even finish reading it. Yet all who did finish said the same thing, "If you come to a part and don't like the book, you may be tempted to just quit reading. Don't quit. If you force yourself to finish, you won't be sorry.

I wish I could write like my daughter. She adds so much flavor to the things she writes about. She makes me feel like I am there with her. I will do my best to express myself and am at peace that it will be enough.

Once I began reading, I could hardly put it down. It's message reached inside my heart more than once and changed my thinking. I am challenged to view many things in ways I have never considered. The word "relationship", for example, has taken on a new meaning. A meaning so wide and deep that it consists of many layers and directions.

The painful experiences throughout my life have taken on a slightly different perspective. My history has not changed, but my view of it's events has enabled me to feel a peace that I can not adequately describe.

I will have more to say as I am able to process the thoughts whirling in my head.

More on The Shack

2008-08-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

One of the blessings I received as I read this book relates to someone from my past. I was totally unprepared because as far as I was concerned, this person deserved whatever came their way.

For the first time, I understand that God loves them as much as He loves me. People have said that to me in the past and I inwardly responded with, "you don't understand". Occasionally it was an outward response which included my plea of, "God wouldn't ask that of me".

Now that has changed. God does love that person. He really does. I believe that and I am at peace about it. While I'll never have a relationship with them, I feel completely at peace about them, and that part of my life.

I posted these two messages under two link headings (The Shack, Changed My Life) because I have shared with many people about how the message of this book has changed my life. I forget to tell some that the name of the book was The Shack.

Here is a link to the website for "The Shack"

I AM ME

2008-06-28T19:05:00.001-07:00

Virginia Satir was an internationally-known therapist, teacher, and author. Her vision was to help empower people to reach their full potential.

Virginia came to write this poem when she was working with an angry fifteen-year-old girl who had a lot of questions about herself and what life meant.

Her poem is a favorite of mine and I have used parts of it many times while working with students.

I Am Me

In all the world, there is no one exactly like me.
There are persons who have some parts like me,
but no one adds up exactly like me.

Therefore, everything that comes out of me
is authentically mine because I alone choose it.
I own everything about me
including everything it does;
including all its thoughts and ideas;
including the images of all they behold;
whatever they may be...
anger,
joy,
frustration,
love,
disappointment,
excitement
and all the words that come out of it
polite,
sweet or rough,
correct or incorrect;
loud or soft.
And all my actions, whether they be to others or to myself.

I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears.
I own all my triumphs and successes,
all my failures and mistakes.
Because I own all of me I can become intimately acquainted with me.
By doing so I can love me and be friendly with me in all parts.
I can then make it possible for all of me to work in my best interests.

I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me,
and other aspects that I do not know.
But as long as I am friendly and loving to myself,
I can courageously and hopefully, look for solutions to the puzzles
and for ways to find out more about me.

By Virginia Satir

Great People

2008-04-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Great people talk about ideas.

Average people talk about things.

Small people talk about other people.

Author: Unknown