Good Morning Company Girls!
This is a holiday weekend in Canada...Thanksgiving.....other than we always have our holiday on a Monday instead of a Thursday...and ours is in October instead of November.....a Canadian Thanksgiving isn't any different than the American one.
Turkey tops the list as the protein of choice.....plus the usual accompaniments.....mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls(buns), cranberry...various veggies....carrots, peas, or corn....or even broccoli..for the last number of years eldest son has made a lovely sweet potato casserole...all smooth and whipped and calorie laden.....dessert is always pie....pumpkin, for sure...with whipped cream....and an apple and some kind of berry....I usually have some kind of dessert for one of my kids that doesn't care for pie....
This year, because of my broken wrist eldest daughter is hosting the family meal,.....hubby and I still plan on cooking the turkey and then taking it to her house for son-in-law to carve.....
If everyone comes....there might be as many as twenty.....one son and his girlfriend, are doing thanksgiving with her family and Christmas with ours this year and that is fine...that's what happens when they grow up and get connected with other families. Emma says she's coming but I'll truly believe it when I see her walk in the front door....not sure about Corey...it would be nice if he did since he hasn't come to one in a few years.....this year we hope to take my mom with us....it might be confusing for her, her dementia is slowly advancing....but I don't want to leave her at the retirement home, so we'll give it a try.
The plan is to celebrate on Sunday.....that is the day that works best....which is kind of nice cause then you have the holiday on Monday to recover....
I'm actually looking forward to a quiet, relaxing weekend....well, Sunday will be far from quiet but the other days, so far look good....
For the last three weeks I've been looking forward to getting my cast off on Tuesday...but, it would seem...as many people have suggested...that this wont be the case...people have said that this is just a 'check', apparently they remove the cast, take an exray and decide if the cast needs to be reapplied...well, a new one put on....I've been discouraged all week about this but I think they're probably correct...the arm and fingers are still swelling regularly and sometimes I still have some pretty significant pain from it. :-(. I think I'll probably be having another cast put on. Very frustrating since I had great plans for getting my house in order before winter this year....I was purging and organizing...I even had a written out schedule...the basement was supposed to be done for this weekend....not happening, and hubby has warned me that even when I finally have no cast that I'll probably have to take it easy with the arm for awhile.....sigh...you know what they say about the best laid plans.....
On Tuesday, I also have to go for an appointment with a social worker that apparently gives employment support ...Ben is having some significant difficulties with his job at Shoppers Drug Mart...it would seem that he's not doing as well as everyone hoped...then, in a conversation with a worker about something else, this subject came up and she said that there was this employment services that could go into his workplace and help him work out the trouble spots with Ben and his employer....good thing! I hope it works cause I would hate to see him lose his job!
This whole world of intellectually delayed kids in the adult world is a difficult journey to travel and wade thru....they should really give you a manual!
So, that's my world right now....still a little unsettled but that seems to be the new norm.....no quilting yet, which is a bummer.....but I still go to class and have fellowship with the ladies so that's nice.....
Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
It's Been Awhile......
Good Morning Company Girls......
As the title infers...it's been awhile since I posted...the last few weeks have been painful, frustrating and annoying.....you see...I did this....
I fell, outside, in the dark....and fractured my wrist. My left wrist......which yes, was a good thing because I could still feed myself (since I am right handed) so that was a good thing.....but....because both of my hands have been, shall we say compromised for all my life...they depend on each other, to help each other. Simple things, like getting dressed, opening containers, putting deodorant on, having a bath, wringing out a facecloth so I can wash my face,.....all require someone else to help.....a week ago they removed the splint they put on in emerg and now I have a cast on.....
Purple! ....they give you a choice of colour....it's suppose to be on til the day after Thanksgiving....the fingers are finally starting to show the signs of the swelling going down...it's been three weeks and that's been difficult...I don't bruise easily but the discoloration is still there. The pain is finally starting to let up...at first they put me on Morphine...effective but negative side effects are annoying.....so, now it's copious amounts of Tylenol and Advil.
I've learned how to drive one handed....not sure whether I'd get in trouble for that but I rationalized that there are probably lots of people that drive without the use of various limbs so I figured I could too....although turning sharp corners is tricky...a lot of short wheel turns while using your left knee to hold the wheel in place so it doesn't retract back....I don't take chances when I pull out into traffic, leaving longer spaces in between vehicles before I do, and I don't think I'll master tight parking spaces...I look for the ones with spaces on either side....it's either that..or stay home...which is boring when you can't do anything...daytime television is extremely boring and repetitive !!!
So that is my whining.....are you tired of it? Yes, so am I....
On to other things....good news.....hubby's test results came back....it's not cancer as I feared but Crohn's Disease.....within 24 hours of being on a steroid to take down the inflammation he was back to feeling like his old self.....what a relief.....he's yet to gain back any weight, but his appetite is good, much better then it was.....
Plans are being made for thanksgiving....in Canada that's in two weeks....it was to be at our house but the older kids decided that doing a thanksgiving dinner for twenty with one hand is a little tricky so the plan is to have it at eldest daughter's home.....hubby and I will still cook the turkey...By the time it's cooked, put in the back of the van...driven to daughter's...it will have had proper resting time and will be ready to carve....sounds like a plan!
So, I hope you've all been well and I look forward to reading your blogs and catching up....have a wonderful weekend!
As the title infers...it's been awhile since I posted...the last few weeks have been painful, frustrating and annoying.....you see...I did this....
I fell, outside, in the dark....and fractured my wrist. My left wrist......which yes, was a good thing because I could still feed myself (since I am right handed) so that was a good thing.....but....because both of my hands have been, shall we say compromised for all my life...they depend on each other, to help each other. Simple things, like getting dressed, opening containers, putting deodorant on, having a bath, wringing out a facecloth so I can wash my face,.....all require someone else to help.....a week ago they removed the splint they put on in emerg and now I have a cast on.....
Purple! ....they give you a choice of colour....it's suppose to be on til the day after Thanksgiving....the fingers are finally starting to show the signs of the swelling going down...it's been three weeks and that's been difficult...I don't bruise easily but the discoloration is still there. The pain is finally starting to let up...at first they put me on Morphine...effective but negative side effects are annoying.....so, now it's copious amounts of Tylenol and Advil.
I've learned how to drive one handed....not sure whether I'd get in trouble for that but I rationalized that there are probably lots of people that drive without the use of various limbs so I figured I could too....although turning sharp corners is tricky...a lot of short wheel turns while using your left knee to hold the wheel in place so it doesn't retract back....I don't take chances when I pull out into traffic, leaving longer spaces in between vehicles before I do, and I don't think I'll master tight parking spaces...I look for the ones with spaces on either side....it's either that..or stay home...which is boring when you can't do anything...daytime television is extremely boring and repetitive !!!
So that is my whining.....are you tired of it? Yes, so am I....
On to other things....good news.....hubby's test results came back....it's not cancer as I feared but Crohn's Disease.....within 24 hours of being on a steroid to take down the inflammation he was back to feeling like his old self.....what a relief.....he's yet to gain back any weight, but his appetite is good, much better then it was.....
Plans are being made for thanksgiving....in Canada that's in two weeks....it was to be at our house but the older kids decided that doing a thanksgiving dinner for twenty with one hand is a little tricky so the plan is to have it at eldest daughter's home.....hubby and I will still cook the turkey...By the time it's cooked, put in the back of the van...driven to daughter's...it will have had proper resting time and will be ready to carve....sounds like a plan!
So, I hope you've all been well and I look forward to reading your blogs and catching up....have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, September 7, 2012
I'm not sure whether Rachel is doing Company Girls today.....but I thought I'd post anyways.
A few weekends ago, hubby and I left home on a Friday morning and started driving. We had been planning this trip since last January! A few years back, we went to Bermuda for our thirty-fifth anniversary.....there is a place there, called Willowbank ,which has since closed... :-(
Willowbank wasn't one of those resorts that had the big night life or anything, in fact it was very quiet, which is what hubby and I enjoy....we're not really the night life people.....well, in the room next to us was a younger couple, very nice...they were from Boston.....we found out as the week wore on that they were special guests of Willowbank, and that there would be a concert mid week that they would present. Turns out the fellow was the bass trombone player for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. It was a lovely concert and as we got to know the couple. Throughout the week, we struck up an acquaintance that we have enjoyed since then.
So, in the last year we found out that the fellow, name of Doug Yeo ,was going to retire this year, and I said to hubby...'wouldn't it be nice if we could see Doug play in person before he retires?' .......so we started to investigate what concert we'd like to attend...well, the symphony becomes the Pops, in the summer and they play at a place called Tanglewood, which is close to Boston, really on the outskirts of a town called Lennox in Massachusetts... We looked over the concert selections carefully and noticed a celebration of John Williams' birthday for August 19.... And the clincher was that YoYo Ma was a guest.....I was over the moon...I love the works of Williams and YoYo Ma is my favourite cellist...we waited impatiently for the ticket office to open, and on the appointed day, hubby got us two tickets! Now, the downside to this story was that we ASSUMED that Doug would play the whole Tanglewood season...unfortunately, he didn't ...he officially retired in July, we were disappointed at not seeing our friends again but we were still excited to be going to Tanglewood.
So.....back to the trip....we set off on the Friday morning and made a stop over the border, to tell you the truth I'm not sure whether it was Niagara Falls or Buffalo, New York (they're right beside each other, kind of blending) and had new tires put in my van...I've needed them forever, and hubby found the best deal there, ...once that was done we continued on as far as Albany, New York.....hubby had booked us into a hotel there (using airmail points) for two nights....that is where we would stay to go to the concert about 45 minutes away....anything closer was just too expensive....on the Saturday we had a relaxing day....hubby was whipped after the day of driving, so I just let him rest...he hasn't been well since April, but still wanted to do the trip....later in the afternoon, we drove to Tanglewood...what an experience! People arrive 3-4 hours before concert to get the best spot sitting on the grassy area around the actual concert area...called the Shed.....we had purchased tickets for the Shed and everyone told us..'oh no, you should take a picnic and be on the grassy area'.....and it did look marvelous....some people really went all out....they'd bring chairs, tables, crystal stemware, wine and pâté, shrimp rings, bread, crackers, fruit....candles, flower arrangements.....they really went to town....it was great to walk around and people watch, but I was glad that we were sitting on reserved chairs in the Shed because once the sun went down it became quite damp and chilly!
Anyways, the concert started at 8:30pm and it was fabulous...I can't even describe it all well enough to do it justice....the musicians playing were just thrilling...the special guests, some in person and some by video, giving John Williams there birthday wishes...he was there, ( but we were a little disappointed that he didn't conduct)...we were surprised when one guest walked on the stage and it was Steven Spielberg! It was a fabulous evening, one to remember for a very long time. The concert didn't finish til 11 pm! It was a long day but well worth it!
The next day we travelled to Providence, Rhode Island. Hubby is a history buff and was looking forward to seeing all the historical stuff...me, not so much, but I go along...:-). While we were staying there we visited the state capital building, a magnificent structure...by this time it was Sunday evening so we had the place pretty well to ourselves...the building was closed but we could still look in the glass doors and hubby took pictures...it was very impressive! The next day we drove to Newport,....went over two extremely scary bridges, I really don't do tall narrow bridges very well...have I ever mentioned that I have an extreme fear of heights! Anyways, we had a lovely lunch in Newport and then drove back, stopping at an old mansion and arboretum called Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol, RI, absolutely gorgeous...and once again, closed...it was Monday, their day off...but we had the place to ourselves....it was so nice to sit and gaze out over the water and imagine what it was like a hundred years ago....and it was sooooooo quiet....we loved it, although it would have been neat to see inside the mansion, nevertheless it was lovely.
The next day, we travelled on to Quincy, Mass., home of John Adams, and his son John Quincy Adams...father and son president dual, just like the Bush's ....we saw burial places and birth homes, and the home where they stayed afterwards and where John Adams died....a wonderful library on the home's grounds, filled with many historical artifacts. we went to all these places on a trolley ride...I thought to myself,'well now I really feel like I'm a senior....I finally went in a bus trip!'. And do you know that the Quincy people don't pronounce the 'c' as a c but rather as a 'z'.,..no, well we were surprised too! I'm not quite sure why, and you didn't want to offend by asking!
From there we went back to Albany, starting our trip back on the homeward leg....then the next day, which was the Wednesday...we came back home... :-(.
It was a lovely trip, the weather couldn't have been better and hubby, although very tired withstood the rigors of it all fairly well. On the hubby note,...after much testing and scoping, we finally found out just yesterday that he has Crohn's Disease....first order of treatment is a steroid to take down the inflammation, and then we find out from there...I'm thinking some kind of maintenance dosage, we'll see. crohn's isn't the greatest but at least we have a diagnosis and at least it's not cancer! For that I'm very much relieved and thankful to God for.
Now ,..hopefully I can post some pictures of our trip!
This is The Shed...
Beautiful Tanglewood grounds....
Hubby in front of one of the many musical sculptures..
Me...waiting for the concert to start..good thing I brought a book.....it was a long wait....
At the end of the concert, the guest and John Williams were on the stage while everyone sang Happy Birthday....
State Capitol building at Providence
...
Lunch in Newport....
Blithewold Mansion
Enjoying the serenity and the view in the next pic....
Lovely...
The Adams house after presidency, where he died....
The library on the property...
Me...all historied out....
Hubby...enjoying every minute....
It was a great trip....we enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Hope you enjoyed the readers digest version!
Have a great weekend!
A few weekends ago, hubby and I left home on a Friday morning and started driving. We had been planning this trip since last January! A few years back, we went to Bermuda for our thirty-fifth anniversary.....there is a place there, called Willowbank ,which has since closed... :-(
Willowbank wasn't one of those resorts that had the big night life or anything, in fact it was very quiet, which is what hubby and I enjoy....we're not really the night life people.....well, in the room next to us was a younger couple, very nice...they were from Boston.....we found out as the week wore on that they were special guests of Willowbank, and that there would be a concert mid week that they would present. Turns out the fellow was the bass trombone player for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. It was a lovely concert and as we got to know the couple. Throughout the week, we struck up an acquaintance that we have enjoyed since then.
So, in the last year we found out that the fellow, name of Doug Yeo ,was going to retire this year, and I said to hubby...'wouldn't it be nice if we could see Doug play in person before he retires?' .......so we started to investigate what concert we'd like to attend...well, the symphony becomes the Pops, in the summer and they play at a place called Tanglewood, which is close to Boston, really on the outskirts of a town called Lennox in Massachusetts... We looked over the concert selections carefully and noticed a celebration of John Williams' birthday for August 19.... And the clincher was that YoYo Ma was a guest.....I was over the moon...I love the works of Williams and YoYo Ma is my favourite cellist...we waited impatiently for the ticket office to open, and on the appointed day, hubby got us two tickets! Now, the downside to this story was that we ASSUMED that Doug would play the whole Tanglewood season...unfortunately, he didn't ...he officially retired in July, we were disappointed at not seeing our friends again but we were still excited to be going to Tanglewood.
So.....back to the trip....we set off on the Friday morning and made a stop over the border, to tell you the truth I'm not sure whether it was Niagara Falls or Buffalo, New York (they're right beside each other, kind of blending) and had new tires put in my van...I've needed them forever, and hubby found the best deal there, ...once that was done we continued on as far as Albany, New York.....hubby had booked us into a hotel there (using airmail points) for two nights....that is where we would stay to go to the concert about 45 minutes away....anything closer was just too expensive....on the Saturday we had a relaxing day....hubby was whipped after the day of driving, so I just let him rest...he hasn't been well since April, but still wanted to do the trip....later in the afternoon, we drove to Tanglewood...what an experience! People arrive 3-4 hours before concert to get the best spot sitting on the grassy area around the actual concert area...called the Shed.....we had purchased tickets for the Shed and everyone told us..'oh no, you should take a picnic and be on the grassy area'.....and it did look marvelous....some people really went all out....they'd bring chairs, tables, crystal stemware, wine and pâté, shrimp rings, bread, crackers, fruit....candles, flower arrangements.....they really went to town....it was great to walk around and people watch, but I was glad that we were sitting on reserved chairs in the Shed because once the sun went down it became quite damp and chilly!
Anyways, the concert started at 8:30pm and it was fabulous...I can't even describe it all well enough to do it justice....the musicians playing were just thrilling...the special guests, some in person and some by video, giving John Williams there birthday wishes...he was there, ( but we were a little disappointed that he didn't conduct)...we were surprised when one guest walked on the stage and it was Steven Spielberg! It was a fabulous evening, one to remember for a very long time. The concert didn't finish til 11 pm! It was a long day but well worth it!
The next day we travelled to Providence, Rhode Island. Hubby is a history buff and was looking forward to seeing all the historical stuff...me, not so much, but I go along...:-). While we were staying there we visited the state capital building, a magnificent structure...by this time it was Sunday evening so we had the place pretty well to ourselves...the building was closed but we could still look in the glass doors and hubby took pictures...it was very impressive! The next day we drove to Newport,....went over two extremely scary bridges, I really don't do tall narrow bridges very well...have I ever mentioned that I have an extreme fear of heights! Anyways, we had a lovely lunch in Newport and then drove back, stopping at an old mansion and arboretum called Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol, RI, absolutely gorgeous...and once again, closed...it was Monday, their day off...but we had the place to ourselves....it was so nice to sit and gaze out over the water and imagine what it was like a hundred years ago....and it was sooooooo quiet....we loved it, although it would have been neat to see inside the mansion, nevertheless it was lovely.
The next day, we travelled on to Quincy, Mass., home of John Adams, and his son John Quincy Adams...father and son president dual, just like the Bush's ....we saw burial places and birth homes, and the home where they stayed afterwards and where John Adams died....a wonderful library on the home's grounds, filled with many historical artifacts. we went to all these places on a trolley ride...I thought to myself,'well now I really feel like I'm a senior....I finally went in a bus trip!'. And do you know that the Quincy people don't pronounce the 'c' as a c but rather as a 'z'.,..no, well we were surprised too! I'm not quite sure why, and you didn't want to offend by asking!
From there we went back to Albany, starting our trip back on the homeward leg....then the next day, which was the Wednesday...we came back home... :-(.
It was a lovely trip, the weather couldn't have been better and hubby, although very tired withstood the rigors of it all fairly well. On the hubby note,...after much testing and scoping, we finally found out just yesterday that he has Crohn's Disease....first order of treatment is a steroid to take down the inflammation, and then we find out from there...I'm thinking some kind of maintenance dosage, we'll see. crohn's isn't the greatest but at least we have a diagnosis and at least it's not cancer! For that I'm very much relieved and thankful to God for.
Now ,..hopefully I can post some pictures of our trip!
This is The Shed...
Beautiful Tanglewood grounds....
Hubby in front of one of the many musical sculptures..
Me...waiting for the concert to start..good thing I brought a book.....it was a long wait....
At the end of the concert, the guest and John Williams were on the stage while everyone sang Happy Birthday....
State Capitol building at Providence
...
Lunch in Newport....
Blithewold Mansion
Enjoying the serenity and the view in the next pic....
Lovely...
The Adams house after presidency, where he died....
The library on the property...
Me...all historied out....
Hubby...enjoying every minute....
It was a great trip....we enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Hope you enjoyed the readers digest version!
Have a great weekend!
Location:Weekend Getaway.....
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Abide with Me..
I haven't posted in awhile...life has gotten in the way....I was going to do a post about the wonderful trip hubby and I took down to the Albany, N.Y. / Providence R.I., area , and i still will do that....it was a lovely time....but since we came home I've been kind of stressed to the max and for my own sanity I've been trying to focus on this...... It hangs on the wall, outside my bedroom door.....I had hubby hang it there on purpose.....so that every time I walk out my bedroom door, it reminds me...and these days I need that reminder often....
It's been an interesting journey just how I got this wall hanging.....since April, hubby and I have been going thru a trial...well, actually it started in July, 2011....that's when my normally healthy, full of energy husband first became I'll...he thot it was food poisoning.....he was unwell with digestive issues or about a month....then slowly got better...but throughout the rest of the year it seemed to be an underlying situation with him...some days worse than others.....then this past April it became very serious. It sent him back to the doctor, the doctor sent him to a specialist...the specialist sent him for tests....we weren't suppose to get the results til October but now, they just called yesterday to say his followup appointment was moved to next Thursday....
So, back to this wall hanging...a few months ago I was listening to the classical radio station....I find it enjoyable to listen to for the most part.....unless they go off on an opera tangent.....so, of course, most of the music originates in the classics...you know those guys, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky ....but one day a sacred piece was played....Abide with Me...you don't hear this hymn in church very often...well, maybe at someone's funeral, but not normally sung on a Sunday morning...it played over and over in my mind throughout the day....it finally prompted me to look up the words, to investigate the author of the lyrics...
Henry F Lyte, was a pastor who did not have an easy life, physically he was ill a lot of the time, and wrote these words as a result of it....now, I'm in no way comparing this to my hubby's illness, not at all.....but this is what I've been drawing from it.....the past year has been extremely difficult, with hubby's illness, the whole scenario with daughter Emma, living with three developmentally delayed young adults, watching some of our children go through unbelievable financial distress and realizing that you are physically (financially) powerless to help them, watching some of our children making choices that go completely against what we had taught them all their lives....yes, hubby and I do realize and accept that they are adults and their choices and consequences from these decisions are their own and not ours,....but it still puts a weight on your shoulders,...in your heart...
I have found it pleasantly delightful that these lyrics kept reminding me that there is a strength greater than ours...
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Friends, relatives can only help and do so much...this piece of music kept cropping up....on the radio....a few different times....the church bells that ring in our little village would all of a sudden peal forth with the tune....then I received an email...I get those notices from Dayspring cards and home decor...and there was this wall hanging...bonus...it was even on sale...and I knew, I just knew that I needed this physical reminder...so, I ordered it...
Did you notice that it was even sung during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics this year...I heard that some Americans didn't hear it...that it was replaced by an interview with Mark Phelps...it was a shame because Emeli Sande sang a haunting rendition of it to an interpretive dance in remembrance of the Olympians who died a number of years ago in a terrorist attack.....I will admit to taking it personally, when I heard her start to sing it...I felt that it was another reminder, just for me....do you know that it is sung at the beginning of every rugby challenge cup in Scotland?
In the last few days my youngest has absolutely been driving me around the bend and back again....yesterday, I thought, no I knew that my blood pressure was through the roof,,,,I felt a little weird, a little off balance when I tried to walk....the tune of abide with me came to mind...I kept humming it internally, over and over again....
I think of my dad often...I think of being with him, of seeing him again....No, I AM NOT Suicidal.....just weary...
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
The grave has no victory over me seeing my dad again....I will see him and it will be glorious....
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, Abide with me.
It's been an interesting journey just how I got this wall hanging.....since April, hubby and I have been going thru a trial...well, actually it started in July, 2011....that's when my normally healthy, full of energy husband first became I'll...he thot it was food poisoning.....he was unwell with digestive issues or about a month....then slowly got better...but throughout the rest of the year it seemed to be an underlying situation with him...some days worse than others.....then this past April it became very serious. It sent him back to the doctor, the doctor sent him to a specialist...the specialist sent him for tests....we weren't suppose to get the results til October but now, they just called yesterday to say his followup appointment was moved to next Thursday....
So, back to this wall hanging...a few months ago I was listening to the classical radio station....I find it enjoyable to listen to for the most part.....unless they go off on an opera tangent.....so, of course, most of the music originates in the classics...you know those guys, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky ....but one day a sacred piece was played....Abide with Me...you don't hear this hymn in church very often...well, maybe at someone's funeral, but not normally sung on a Sunday morning...it played over and over in my mind throughout the day....it finally prompted me to look up the words, to investigate the author of the lyrics...
Henry F Lyte, was a pastor who did not have an easy life, physically he was ill a lot of the time, and wrote these words as a result of it....now, I'm in no way comparing this to my hubby's illness, not at all.....but this is what I've been drawing from it.....the past year has been extremely difficult, with hubby's illness, the whole scenario with daughter Emma, living with three developmentally delayed young adults, watching some of our children go through unbelievable financial distress and realizing that you are physically (financially) powerless to help them, watching some of our children making choices that go completely against what we had taught them all their lives....yes, hubby and I do realize and accept that they are adults and their choices and consequences from these decisions are their own and not ours,....but it still puts a weight on your shoulders,...in your heart...
I have found it pleasantly delightful that these lyrics kept reminding me that there is a strength greater than ours...
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Friends, relatives can only help and do so much...this piece of music kept cropping up....on the radio....a few different times....the church bells that ring in our little village would all of a sudden peal forth with the tune....then I received an email...I get those notices from Dayspring cards and home decor...and there was this wall hanging...bonus...it was even on sale...and I knew, I just knew that I needed this physical reminder...so, I ordered it...
Did you notice that it was even sung during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics this year...I heard that some Americans didn't hear it...that it was replaced by an interview with Mark Phelps...it was a shame because Emeli Sande sang a haunting rendition of it to an interpretive dance in remembrance of the Olympians who died a number of years ago in a terrorist attack.....I will admit to taking it personally, when I heard her start to sing it...I felt that it was another reminder, just for me....do you know that it is sung at the beginning of every rugby challenge cup in Scotland?
In the last few days my youngest has absolutely been driving me around the bend and back again....yesterday, I thought, no I knew that my blood pressure was through the roof,,,,I felt a little weird, a little off balance when I tried to walk....the tune of abide with me came to mind...I kept humming it internally, over and over again....
I think of my dad often...I think of being with him, of seeing him again....No, I AM NOT Suicidal.....just weary...
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
The grave has no victory over me seeing my dad again....I will see him and it will be glorious....
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, Abide with me.
Monday, July 23, 2012
My sister has started the daunting task of writing her memoirs....why, you say....does she have some racey or mysterious things in her past to reveal. No, I don't believe that would be the reason.....I believe it's because of our mother....and our dad, who is gone, and his sister...who was the family historian...who knew everything about every family member, is also gone..before we realized that she was the last, taking all those details, all that history, all that knowledge that validated who we are and just how we came into this family....how did we fit into the puzzle?
So, I'm assuming that she wants to leave this to her family, her children, her grandchildren....so that one day , when they ask, and perhaps sister is no longer there to answer, they will find the answer in her memoirs.....fancy name isn't it....a name to describe our life, our own personal history.
With this in mind, sister asked me about my remembrances in regards to an adventure I had as a child.
Those of you that regularly read this blog....all ten of you...know that I was born with a physical disability....a nice phrase that covers up the one they used when I was born...crippled...it is interesting to follow the evolution of the phrases used for different things over the years....in this case...crippled, to handicapped to physical disability...I'm sure there were others. All very politically correct....but I digress.
My parents had no fore knowledge that I was to be born with any problems...no ultra sounds in those days...and after a difficult, concerning labour I was born with the muscles missing from the upper parts of my arms, ...the biceps completely missing and the deltoid muscles across my shoulders were also lacking...they were there, but not all there....anyways, you can understand why this would have distressed my parents....the lack of biceps meant that I couldn't bend my arms, try it sometimes.....a little tricky to accomplish things....
When I was about three years old, which meant that sister was round six, my mother and father took me on a very long trip....just the three of us....sister went and stayed with our grandparents. We went all the way to Detroit.....it would be about a four hour drive...doesn't seem long now but in the early 1950's it seemed far. They were taking me to a healing crusade....an Oral Roberts healing crusade. I don't have a lot of recollections of this time but I have some....some that sister wanted to know....so, it got me thinking.....a lot of my childhood memories that involved my arms, I try not to dwell on....I guess it's how I got thru the four surgeries, the countless physical therapies, the doctors, and more doctors....
So, I've spent some time these days just thinking on it all....maybe this is good...maybe, somebody will want to know when I'm gone...maybe, maybe not.
I remember that we stayed in a hotel....I remember not having much to do and my mom giving me the hotel stationary,...yes, they actually had stationary back then....telling me to write a letter to my sister, back home...so, I did...as any three year old might....if you saw it today, it would look like a lot of wavy lines but to me they were my words....I knew exactly what that letter said.
I remember a huge tent that apparently Oral Roberts used, it held 3000 people.....I don't know how long we were there but it must have been over a weekend, for a few days. That's why we had to stay in the hotel. I know my mom and dad and I stood in a long line, waiting for Oral Roberts to come down the line to see us. I remember my dad holding me in his arms...I remember him coming, I remember he had a loud voice, I remember him putting his hands on my forehead....praying...saying that I was healed....but I wasn't.
The last few days have caused me to think about my mom and dad....they were pretty young...in their late twenties....they didn't have much money...my dad worked as a welder for a factory....it was called the coke ovens...not the coke the kids are so fond of...to drink or sniff...in fact, about four years earlier my dad had fallen off a bridge at work, thirty feet and broke his back in three places, my mom and dad were hard workers, money was always tight...never enough to go around....so, for them to take me to Detroit, hoping I'd be healed was a big deal...no, it was huge! They willing sacrificed.
My mom and dad wanted their little girl to be healed,....they were looking for a miracle......it would be interesting to know what their feelings were on that long ride home....they must have been disappointed....they must have been sad....did they watch me carefully the next few days...hoping that it had worked? I don't know....my dad is gone...cant ask him, my mom, probably can't remember...although maybe I'll try asking her....they certainly weren't bitter, they didn't walk away from God....
The apostle Paul asked many times for his affliction to be removed but it never was.....did he walk away from God...no, he accepted that God had different plans....I think my mom and dad did too...oh, they didn't stop looking for help for me....like I said , four surgeries.....the first two didn't work either...the second two were just to fuse my wrist bones to stop the hands from turning under....
My parents were pretty special people, people of faith....strong faith....and I think that's a pretty good heritage...pretty good thing to remember...hope my kids remember it too.
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So, I'm assuming that she wants to leave this to her family, her children, her grandchildren....so that one day , when they ask, and perhaps sister is no longer there to answer, they will find the answer in her memoirs.....fancy name isn't it....a name to describe our life, our own personal history.
With this in mind, sister asked me about my remembrances in regards to an adventure I had as a child.
Those of you that regularly read this blog....all ten of you...know that I was born with a physical disability....a nice phrase that covers up the one they used when I was born...crippled...it is interesting to follow the evolution of the phrases used for different things over the years....in this case...crippled, to handicapped to physical disability...I'm sure there were others. All very politically correct....but I digress.
My parents had no fore knowledge that I was to be born with any problems...no ultra sounds in those days...and after a difficult, concerning labour I was born with the muscles missing from the upper parts of my arms, ...the biceps completely missing and the deltoid muscles across my shoulders were also lacking...they were there, but not all there....anyways, you can understand why this would have distressed my parents....the lack of biceps meant that I couldn't bend my arms, try it sometimes.....a little tricky to accomplish things....
When I was about three years old, which meant that sister was round six, my mother and father took me on a very long trip....just the three of us....sister went and stayed with our grandparents. We went all the way to Detroit.....it would be about a four hour drive...doesn't seem long now but in the early 1950's it seemed far. They were taking me to a healing crusade....an Oral Roberts healing crusade. I don't have a lot of recollections of this time but I have some....some that sister wanted to know....so, it got me thinking.....a lot of my childhood memories that involved my arms, I try not to dwell on....I guess it's how I got thru the four surgeries, the countless physical therapies, the doctors, and more doctors....
So, I've spent some time these days just thinking on it all....maybe this is good...maybe, somebody will want to know when I'm gone...maybe, maybe not.
I remember that we stayed in a hotel....I remember not having much to do and my mom giving me the hotel stationary,...yes, they actually had stationary back then....telling me to write a letter to my sister, back home...so, I did...as any three year old might....if you saw it today, it would look like a lot of wavy lines but to me they were my words....I knew exactly what that letter said.
I remember a huge tent that apparently Oral Roberts used, it held 3000 people.....I don't know how long we were there but it must have been over a weekend, for a few days. That's why we had to stay in the hotel. I know my mom and dad and I stood in a long line, waiting for Oral Roberts to come down the line to see us. I remember my dad holding me in his arms...I remember him coming, I remember he had a loud voice, I remember him putting his hands on my forehead....praying...saying that I was healed....but I wasn't.
The last few days have caused me to think about my mom and dad....they were pretty young...in their late twenties....they didn't have much money...my dad worked as a welder for a factory....it was called the coke ovens...not the coke the kids are so fond of...to drink or sniff...in fact, about four years earlier my dad had fallen off a bridge at work, thirty feet and broke his back in three places, my mom and dad were hard workers, money was always tight...never enough to go around....so, for them to take me to Detroit, hoping I'd be healed was a big deal...no, it was huge! They willing sacrificed.
My mom and dad wanted their little girl to be healed,....they were looking for a miracle......it would be interesting to know what their feelings were on that long ride home....they must have been disappointed....they must have been sad....did they watch me carefully the next few days...hoping that it had worked? I don't know....my dad is gone...cant ask him, my mom, probably can't remember...although maybe I'll try asking her....they certainly weren't bitter, they didn't walk away from God....
The apostle Paul asked many times for his affliction to be removed but it never was.....did he walk away from God...no, he accepted that God had different plans....I think my mom and dad did too...oh, they didn't stop looking for help for me....like I said , four surgeries.....the first two didn't work either...the second two were just to fuse my wrist bones to stop the hands from turning under....
My parents were pretty special people, people of faith....strong faith....and I think that's a pretty good heritage...pretty good thing to remember...hope my kids remember it too.
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Location:The Healer
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Many things.....
Hello Company Girls!
Sooooo many things have been going on but I'll try to give the hilites....
First of all, youngest son, Ben graduated high school...so very proud of him....and he even landed himself a part time job at a local drugstore.....
The bottom pic is daughter Lauren, Sara, Paul's girlfriend, Paul, Ben, myself and hubby , Don.
Then while we were on holiday, son Paul got a new puppy...an 8 week old yellow lab...ever so cute.....
Chevy
And I thot I'd show you some pics of the trailer....all fixed up....we've been enjoying the changes for the last two weeks....
This is the deck...lots of comfy chairs and lounges to relax in....
This is the the dressing room tent....where all the girls have kept all their girl stuff....when you have a little trailer there isn't room for all their paraphernalia!
The new fire pit....beside the old one that my dad built 30 years ago....didn't get to use either one cause it's been so hot and dry, there was a fire ban!
As you walk in the door of our trailer, you face the chesterfield...it folds down into a 'not very comfortable bed'....it's an old trailer!
The one casual chair with the white stool that we can use as a side table when it's not used as a sitting stool for the dining table....
The dining table....with the one bench that we saved.....
Ooops...this slipped in out of order....Megan made these in craft class...the first day she came home with the yellow container, filled with muddy water....she said she had planted a seed...needless to say, we had to dump it out and start over...she's very thrilled that it grew!....I think it's a bean plant...have absolutely no idea what we'll do with it!
The wee kitchen area...to the left, out of camera range is a fridge...then the stove, above the pic, out of camera shot is a microwave....a little double sink...
Our bedroom....very compact....
A shot of the new wall covering that son Ryan put up, and I put a white wash on at the start of the holiday...
The table can be turned the other way to accommodate more people....we still have to figure out some seating adjustments for the area under the window....
So....there were more pics but you get the general idea....not the biggest trailer and when there are more than three people in it, it could seem crowded...but it's served our purpose for about fifteen years , and now with the changes, hopefully a few more...til we retire at least.
So, I'm real late in posting this blog...but I hope some of you drop by! Have a good weekend!
Sooooo many things have been going on but I'll try to give the hilites....
First of all, youngest son, Ben graduated high school...so very proud of him....and he even landed himself a part time job at a local drugstore.....
The bottom pic is daughter Lauren, Sara, Paul's girlfriend, Paul, Ben, myself and hubby , Don.
Then while we were on holiday, son Paul got a new puppy...an 8 week old yellow lab...ever so cute.....
Chevy
And I thot I'd show you some pics of the trailer....all fixed up....we've been enjoying the changes for the last two weeks....
This is the deck...lots of comfy chairs and lounges to relax in....
This is the the dressing room tent....where all the girls have kept all their girl stuff....when you have a little trailer there isn't room for all their paraphernalia!
The new fire pit....beside the old one that my dad built 30 years ago....didn't get to use either one cause it's been so hot and dry, there was a fire ban!
As you walk in the door of our trailer, you face the chesterfield...it folds down into a 'not very comfortable bed'....it's an old trailer!
The one casual chair with the white stool that we can use as a side table when it's not used as a sitting stool for the dining table....
The dining table....with the one bench that we saved.....
Ooops...this slipped in out of order....Megan made these in craft class...the first day she came home with the yellow container, filled with muddy water....she said she had planted a seed...needless to say, we had to dump it out and start over...she's very thrilled that it grew!....I think it's a bean plant...have absolutely no idea what we'll do with it!
The wee kitchen area...to the left, out of camera range is a fridge...then the stove, above the pic, out of camera shot is a microwave....a little double sink...
Our bedroom....very compact....
A shot of the new wall covering that son Ryan put up, and I put a white wash on at the start of the holiday...
The table can be turned the other way to accommodate more people....we still have to figure out some seating adjustments for the area under the window....
So....there were more pics but you get the general idea....not the biggest trailer and when there are more than three people in it, it could seem crowded...but it's served our purpose for about fifteen years , and now with the changes, hopefully a few more...til we retire at least.
So, I'm real late in posting this blog...but I hope some of you drop by! Have a good weekend!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Little bit of this and that....
Well, it is that time again....the last day of school ...in our house....although I am just talking about regular school....Maya will be going to her community college course all summer. Today is Ben's last day of high school....now that only leaves Megan...the last of the nine, to be at high school....after fourteen years of having kids at this particular high school, I'm finally down to one...Megan will attend for another four years...when you are delayed you are allowed to stay in school til you're 21 years old. Next week I'll have to post some pics of Ben's grad, which is scheduled for next Thursday evening. Ben had some very good news last week...he's been doing a co-op job two afternoons a week at a local drug store...now they have offered him a job! Just three afternoons a week...but it's a job and he got it all by himself...no worker helping him or anything! For a delayed kid, that is huge! We are very proud of him...
...another son had some accomplishments this week also....Paul, our army guy, decided to spice things up a bit and volunteered to take a three week paratroopers' course...last week he stopped in and his shoulders were covered in huge bruises from jumping out of high towers...this week he jumped out of a plane...five times!....and he passed....so, now ,as well as being qualified in infantry and artillery, he's also a paratrooper!
Tomorrow, hubby and I are suppose to return to our trailer, up north, and put the trim and quarter round down, put together the table and chairs and all round just get everything ready for the following weekend when we have our scheduled two week holiday up there. I will be glad when it's all done and we can finally relax...hubby needs the break!
Today is hubby's alternate Friday off...yes, his boss decided they could have them back..for a while...til she decides to rescind it again....so, this morning we have to take the dogs to the vet for their check ups and needles....such a joy, Reilly, the male, gets so anxious that he usually tries to bite the vet...where is the dog whisperer when you need him?....then I have a massage booked...then we have to go into the city and get my passport renewed....then...I have to pick up Megan at school and take her for a needle at the doctor's office....then.....we finally get to come home and relax...wait...we have to gather up everything for the trailer so it's all ready to go in the morning....then we can relax....so much for a day off!
Next week will be a week of change....Ben will be learning all about getting to and from his job, on the bus.....he's used to the bus, with his class, but he's never gone from our house, on his own....something new...Megan will be home, driving me nuts about packing EVERYTHING to go to the trailer...she usually wants to bring her whole room....it's only a little trailer , so she's limited....she doesn't seem to get that though....Maya will continue on with school and work...although I have to meet her at the police station on Monday to walk her thru the process of getting her police check done...( required by the school for working in the long term care facilities), and take her to the doctor's the next day to get , yet another form filled out.......,one day I'll have the grandgirls so that their mom can attend a school trip with their brother, my grandson....quilting class will cease for the summer....Ben's grad on Thursday evening, packing for our holiday, taking the dogs to the kennel for our long wknd, next wknd.....and, probably throwing in some house cleaning to leave the house decent to come home to....although Ben and Maya will be here while we're away.....and ya, so far...I think that's about it....at least I hope it is....it would be nice if the drama ceased for the summer...well, at least for next week anyways...
Have a wonderful weekend ladies!
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...another son had some accomplishments this week also....Paul, our army guy, decided to spice things up a bit and volunteered to take a three week paratroopers' course...last week he stopped in and his shoulders were covered in huge bruises from jumping out of high towers...this week he jumped out of a plane...five times!....and he passed....so, now ,as well as being qualified in infantry and artillery, he's also a paratrooper!
Tomorrow, hubby and I are suppose to return to our trailer, up north, and put the trim and quarter round down, put together the table and chairs and all round just get everything ready for the following weekend when we have our scheduled two week holiday up there. I will be glad when it's all done and we can finally relax...hubby needs the break!
Today is hubby's alternate Friday off...yes, his boss decided they could have them back..for a while...til she decides to rescind it again....so, this morning we have to take the dogs to the vet for their check ups and needles....such a joy, Reilly, the male, gets so anxious that he usually tries to bite the vet...where is the dog whisperer when you need him?....then I have a massage booked...then we have to go into the city and get my passport renewed....then...I have to pick up Megan at school and take her for a needle at the doctor's office....then.....we finally get to come home and relax...wait...we have to gather up everything for the trailer so it's all ready to go in the morning....then we can relax....so much for a day off!
Next week will be a week of change....Ben will be learning all about getting to and from his job, on the bus.....he's used to the bus, with his class, but he's never gone from our house, on his own....something new...Megan will be home, driving me nuts about packing EVERYTHING to go to the trailer...she usually wants to bring her whole room....it's only a little trailer , so she's limited....she doesn't seem to get that though....Maya will continue on with school and work...although I have to meet her at the police station on Monday to walk her thru the process of getting her police check done...( required by the school for working in the long term care facilities), and take her to the doctor's the next day to get , yet another form filled out.......,one day I'll have the grandgirls so that their mom can attend a school trip with their brother, my grandson....quilting class will cease for the summer....Ben's grad on Thursday evening, packing for our holiday, taking the dogs to the kennel for our long wknd, next wknd.....and, probably throwing in some house cleaning to leave the house decent to come home to....although Ben and Maya will be here while we're away.....and ya, so far...I think that's about it....at least I hope it is....it would be nice if the drama ceased for the summer...well, at least for next week anyways...
Have a wonderful weekend ladies!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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