Thoughts and other smart alec remarks

YIKES!

2011-08-09T09:55:00.001-04:00

It's been forever!! Not that I'm really back, but it's really interesting to read what I've written.

Stop. Please.

2010-09-11T14:30:00.005-04:00

9/11/01 The day my son was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma.

Without even looking at the calendar or the clock, the day hits me like a brick. I had no idea what time it was when the phone rang a few minutes ago. I did know that my head had shifted, like someone threw a switch. *click* Yes, woe to the gf who just called. The diagnosis meeting was at 2pm. My heart knew it. The flashbacks in my head knew it.

Today is a day filled with flashes of a moment in time that changed my life's path forever. I can't help it.

Today I mourn the blissfull knowledgelessness I had about lymphoma and a multitude of chemotherapy drugs. I mourn for the loss of the child with mild learning issues and effective coping strategies. I mourn the guilt-free days when I didn't worry about whether the choices I made effected my son's ability to be a father. I mourn the mother-filled days BOTH my children shared. I mourn being a mom who thinks not being hungry is just a phase, or due to eating too much junk food. I mourn having a child that coughs or vomits or gets an infection - without thinking the "C" word. I mourn the loss of my cancer-depression-free son and so many things that changed, beginning today, 9 years ago.

So Stop. Please.

Stop telling me to cheer up and be grateful. (I AM) Stop telling me to celebrate his remission. (That has it's own date - and do you honestly think I DON'T?! )

It hurts my heart more deeply than I can express that I can't seem to share my sadness and grief with my friends and family without being told that my emotions are "wrong" or should somehow be different.

And for God's sake...
Please stop the flashbacks.

Worrisome Day

2010-07-14T19:50:00.003-04:00

Aron, Avivah & Mara have come and gone and are now getting settled in their own home and their own routine apart from the hustle and visits that kept them going here. It's more than bittersweet for this loving Nana, so far away from the grand baby she adores but I'll adjust in time... I hope. :(

I awoke to care for the feathereds this morning to see that all was well though the day was heading to almost 90 (something they don't care for). Water changed, food filled, treats given and coop cleaned, I went about my day.

By 1 this afternoon I had collected one egg (Roxie's), there was diarrhea in the coop and Buffy was looking none too well. Poo on her vent and looking like butt feathers were missing. I pampered, fretted and gave treats like mad to get her to move so I could see the affected area better. Nothing new and no definitive answer.

One of the day's plans could not be moved, so off I went to help a friend with her wedding.

Three hours later I came back to find Buffy still in a bad way, sitting on the nest, coming down for treats, but then going right back up. Red comb and wattles, but No improvement in her poo butt or temperament. I checked websites, books, called a friend who has chickens... No definitive solutions, so I decided to go outside to spend some time observing to see if I could learn more about my poor girl...

Buffy was down pecking and scratching with her sisters! She was clucking normally and other than eating and drinking more than usual, seemed ok!

I checked the coop for bloody stools or other sign of illness to find... Buffy's egg... AT SEVEN PM! She'd been egg-bound all day! I added another water station, made sure there was enough feed and gave them an extra helping of leafy greens. I'm just praying this doesn't become a continuing problem.

Site Review

2010-05-31T20:22:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd share my review of www.nutritiondata.com with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I used nutrition data (.com) to track my food and beverage consumption all day today and found it was a bit of a pain if you're watching every ingredient (add food, save, [or - add "custom foods" when they don't have them preloaded, save], add food to tracking, save, save & analyze, wait for report). It's a better site for label information... then do your own addition!

You also can't export the daily tracking page as anything other than an excel .doc, which is incomplete (lacks the foods list) and is really tough to decipher! The format on the site page is gorgeous! It's easy to understand, thorough and exceptionally well laid out. I only wish it came through that way when emailed.

All in all I prefer the site solely for nutritional information, but for that it can't seem to be beat!

Blessings,
Lea

Wishes, Please

2010-04-12T10:40:00.002-04:00

65 days give or take til Farfette makes her appearance and they're #92 on the list for base housing.

C'mon and say a prayer or make a wish or do what works for you... to see that they have this one stressor lifted from their burden soon.

Thanks.

Quote

2010-04-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.
~ William Arthur Ward ~

Picture of note

2010-02-04T09:08:00.002-05:00

Just as Avivah was before birth, we've been calling 'it' Farfel. Joshua was Felafel! LoL

Meet Farfette! Yep, 85% chance she's a she.

2010-01-19T11:32:00.001-05:00

For you, my beautiful children, my heart, all of it.

I love you, MoM

News

2010-01-04T17:43:00.001-05:00

Today's new fit for print is found down the left hand margin....

Prepare for the SQWEE!

I'm delighted.

Go Buffy!

2009-12-30T17:24:00.004-05:00

KUDOS today to our dearest feathered friend, Buffy the Bug Slayer, AKA: Buffy, who today laid her very first egg. It's a lovely pinkish tan, exactly as I was hoping.

Not to be left out of bloggy-world, I never posted RockStar's (Roxie) first egg, which was laid on December 6th. An awesome shade of blue that's just a bit greener than a robin's egg.

And lastly, a revised picture of the eggy bounty, now with all three girl's lovely treasures.

Buffy's first was small, but first eggs often are. They certainly don't match her size. On the other hand, the darker egg top row middle, next to Buffy's first, in this pic is Coco's from yesterday. It's so large (Jumbo) that it barely fits in the carton - and she's our smallest hen!

A Quote

2009-12-30T12:41:00.004-05:00

I was blog surfing just now and came across this quote.

"In our society, growing food yourself has become the most radical of acts. It is truly the only effective protest, one that can - and will - overturn the corporate powers that be. By the process of directly working in harmony with nature, we do the one thing most essential to change the world - we change ourselves." ~ Jules Dervaes

And a picture of some of the bounty I'm enjoying from my girls...

An Award

2009-12-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

The award for the best note on the back of a Christmas card EVER goes to....

"This card was made by hand. If you throw it away, those same hands will make a doll in your image and stick pins in its butt."

AF MOM BONNIE

You've won my undying giggles... forever and ever, amen. LoL
One more reason in the long list that AF MOMS ROCK!

Landmark Day!

2009-11-15T13:51:00.005-05:00

This morning, our girl Coco, pictured here...

blessed us with our very first egg!!

It's PERFECT!

Samhain '09

2009-11-01T07:33:00.004-05:00

Yours truly, as the Goddess Aphrodite. (didn't think my hair was so flat!)

I need to enhance this costume for another party in February, so if you can think of anything to add to this - that is mythologically correct - please let me know.

To date, suggestions include: a dolphin or sea turtle (stuffed? on a pendant?) and a golden belt of some kind.

Saturday Morning SNAFU

2009-10-31T07:24:00.004-04:00

So I'm up at the butt-crack of dawn to be there when Joshua registers for school online for the first time, right? Registration opens at 7am. It's Saturday, but what the heck, right? Diligently, I set my alarm for 6:25 & 6:30 so I can function and see straight by the required hour. With 7am on our heels I wake Joshua to log in.

Wait. Why won't it let you into that portion of the screen?

Dunno.

Hang on.

What's this?

"To ensure the best possible experience with Webadvisor, you must register after your designated time" We knew nothing of a designated time. The advisor he spoke to mentioned nothing about a designated time.

His? 11:00AM TOMORROW! HE can fall back asleep.
Me? I've already fed the cat and done a load of dishes. *sigh*

Oh - and this officially marks my first post from my new laptop. My first computer that I purchased, is all mine and portable. Welcome to the real world, to me!

peek

2009-08-23T11:29:00.003-04:00

Not a very good pic, but it's a quick peek at me from yesterday's jaunt with Joshua to opening day of the Michigan Ren fest.

Yep - I live.

Morning Encounter

2009-08-10T07:27:00.002-04:00

As I sat outside enjoying the breeze and cooling temps last evening (after a humid 93 degree day) a thunderstorm approached something fierce! Before I went in the house, around 8:30 when the winds really kicked up, I had to close the coop door for fear that the girls would freak out at the driving rain, lightning and thunderclaps. Usually I let them decide when to come and go from the coop, leaving the door open all night, but no choice this time!

So this morning as I trod out with their morning feed and fresh water, I opened the coop door and greeted them as they ran down their ladder for more space and outstretched wings. I try to spend some time every morning out there communing with them and the garden. It's calming to see them peck and scratch and I love the new sounds they're making and trying out as they grow.

After a minute or two they calmed down to their usual cluck and peck and I turned to check out the garden. Tomato plant looks good and has already provided 10 lovely Romas. But wait, something moved over there... To the north of me, about 40 feet away, were two yearling deer!

I stood still just watching as they lazily grazed on wet grass. Then the one closest to me laid down right there. And there it sat as I moved slowly about my morning garden check, each of us keeping an eye on the other, but not showing any sign of worry or fear. It was a lovely moment.

I may not feel tied to this house with its limits and many physical woes and needs, but I am deeply connected to this patch of earth, for oh so many reasons.

MORE news

2009-08-09T10:11:00.004-04:00

Joshua and I each took Friday off to go to the school he's chosen and see a counselor. Little did we know that the day would be quite so long... or momentous.

It began early as we needed to request transcripts and ACT scores from his former HS, which opened at 7:30. Fortunately, they were able to print official copies and send them with us via sealed envelope.

A quick stop at the enrollment office to verify that his online application was received and we were down the hall to the counseling office - to sit and wait, and wait, and... yeah. More than an hour later we got an older gentleman who we both agreed treated us like children - both of us.

J decided to improve his ACT reading score so he opted to take the placement exam. Off to office number 3. This surprisingly took less time than anticipated and it printed his score right then and there. Score? 100 out of 120, and he only needed a 70. Yay!

Based on this test score the classes selected were registered, paid for (ouch) and we were sent back once more to the counselor to officially record the test score in his student record. (Why they can't do this at enrollment/registration I don't know.)

This time we were in a different line and got called within 5 minutes. This counselor was much more informative, very pleasant and welcoming to Josh. She gave him ideas and options for class selections, and even began a full degree course planning sheet with him.

Satisfied that we had almost everything we needed, we zipped back to enrollment for his student ID card and then to the bookstore for ... um, heart failure!

Each book he needed was more than $100. If he gets a waiver to attend an additional class - that class requires TWO books. OUCH! And yes, before you ask, we checked into used texts too. They're not that much cheaper, really. I took names and ISBN numbers and headed home for a little research. So far research has been fruitful as I saved over $50 on just one of them.

Before we left I took one quick picture.

Behold, Schoolcraft College's newest Ocelot!

Insert very proud "YAY" here.

PROOF!

2009-08-09T09:04:00.002-04:00

It's official... Avivah still exists, and I have proof.

There's been an Avivah-sighting in Minot, ND, by someone I trust, to verify it. This picture of three pretty suspicious looking characters in black is the evidence she offers.

I give you (l to r) Corey, AVIVAH, and Awesome WingMom Peggy!

Thanks Peggy, for going out of your way to see my girl and deliver a hug from this mom and all the others who sent one her way. You guys made my day.

Family News

2009-08-03T07:08:00.002-04:00

I only have a minute this morning, so I'll just 'Show & Tell' you....

On Sunday, my sister and her SO, Mike ("boyfriend" sounds too juvenile)and my nephew Hunter, flew into a small local air strip on their way back from Oshkosh, WI where they had been camping for a week at the annual AirVenture show. The first time they had really spent any time together was at this show three years ago and it's been a yearly trek for them since.

Back then he was just beginning the building of his plane. Yesterday it flew in all shiny and painted and... wow. I give you ~ The Slinks! (and Pops and Mom too)

Yes, Slinks. Their cat's name is Slinky, ergo the plane... and logo...

Slinks is a two-seater, so my nephew hopped a ride in their friend Bill's plane. It was really cool watching them both land. Mom & Pops, Julie & Bruce, Hannah & Tillie and J & I went to greet them.

Hunter will be staying here in Michigan for a couple of weeks, but Karen & Mike had to fly back to Maryland and work on Monday. Our time was precious but everyone was hungry so we spent a couple of hours lingering over brunch.

Lots of smiles and stories later ... Karen wanders over to me and in passing shows me her new bauble...

ZOMG!!! (I think I squeeked.) Mike proposed during their time in Oshkosh!!! While in the air!!! CONGRATULATIONS, Karen & Mike!

New chant!

2009-08-01T11:27:00.005-04:00

On Thursday evening I learned a new chant!
Thanks, Tisha!

In these times.

In these uncertain times,

I will remain open

To the miracle that is each moment.

Pretty syncopated, but it layers most beautifully in a round. We didn't want to stop! When we finally did... the ritard was in harmony and we all sat still, smiling; the room, and each of us, buzzing. Then of course we all started giggling with delight. DELICIOUS!

HB, M!

2009-07-29T06:24:00.000-04:00

To my dear friend M.

Update on the Girls

2009-07-19T14:28:00.007-04:00

I haven't posted pics of the chix since they were 3 weeks old. Now, at more than twice that age, I figured it's about time. They've changed a lot!

In this pic is: Coco's fluffy butt and Buffy, scratching in the dust bin.

Coco standing tall in her half-feathered dinosaur phase. What? You don't think she looks like a velociraptor?! Also pictured is Buffy, and a decent shot of Roxie's neck feathers. Too cool, really.

Roxie saying "Hello!" She loves to sit on the outdoor perch when I'm out there. We sit and chat, nose to beak. My BFF says this is a face only a mother could love. Guess it's official, I'm mother hen.

Here's Coco (a week ago-ish) in full dust bath mode! Watch the sand and dirt FLY!

All three girls enjoying the dust bin. Watch (at about the 21 second mark) to see Coco shake like a wet dog! Cracks me up every time.

Goodbye to Friends

2009-07-18T19:55:00.004-04:00

It's been a rough several days here. Last week we lost our dear WingMom and Snail-Mail Queen, Betty. She was valiantly fighting liver and pancreatic cancer and developed a lung infection that unexpectedly took her from this realm overnight. I know every other mom and dad in that group feels a profound sense of loss at Betty's passing. I have sent messages to her husband Russell and her son James, but there really are no words to convey what a giving and amazing woman Betty was. She will be missed by Airmen and Air Force families around the world.

Sandi

Then this morning I was notified that a long time friend of mine, Sandi Spike passed. Sandi and her husband Doug helped found the group that T sings in, Cantate. It was Sandi who really had a heart for reaching out to people, she remembered everything about you and you knew right away that this was a woman who cared. Sandi and Doug moved to Florida several years ago, but Doug always managed to send just enough e-mail (usually bad jokes and an occassional update) that you never felt that far away. I was stunned to hear of Sandi's passing. Next Saturday there is a Memorial service, though I will be unable to attend. Cantate will be singing her 'home'. How appropriate.

Add to these losses that my wallet was stolen from my car late on Thursday night and I have been in credit card fraud HELL ever since, and it's been a bang-up week. SARC!

I promised myself that I would do my best to relax this weekend. So far so good. I'm going to hang out with my BFF this evening. Been way too long since we've done that. G'nite.

Three pictures

2009-07-16T07:40:00.001-04:00

My neice Tillie looking absolutely adorable and paitently waiting for the fireworks to start.

Joshua and I after the Oak Park parade - my hometown up til 1978. I still go back for the parade every year I can. If you look back you'll see pics of Avivah with us last year. I missed her a lot this time.

The flip side of that is that this year I ran into a bunch of HS alumni! We hung out for quite a while, boring Joshua to death and tickling me silly. What fun. So here's a shout out to Gary, Lisa, Lynne and others I'm going to forget to mention. Hey! No old memory jokes!

Not sure if I posted this pic yet because blogger is still having issues. Every time I open it either the text is missing (all of it) or the minute it loads it crashes. Anyone else having problems?

Anyways, this is the finished coop. The girls are now 6.5 weeks old and just wonderful. Caring for them is a chore I enjoy. Feeding them clover and greens is a HOOT! This past weekend a friend of mine and I decided that all my chicken loving friends and I should write a book. Title? "Grounding with Chickens" I love it.

That's about it for now. I'm off to work and volunteer greeting and proposal writing. Yee Haw!

Happy INDEPENDENCE DAY!

2009-07-04T10:22:00.002-04:00

Let us never forget our original pledge, to be united as Americans, and the true name of this holiday, Independence Day.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Because of the spirit of the American people, and the sacrifices made over our meager 233 years, we can celebrate INDEPENDENCE DAY today. We must never forget to appreciate the freedoms we have, and honor those to whom we should be grateful.

As the Mother of a US Airman, I pledge my allegiance to a Nation indivisible, though if I had my choice my heart would have it be, "to a World, Indivisible"

PAFM A1C Avivah, Minot AFB
PM Joshua

Clearly, Blogger is having issues!

2009-06-25T08:18:00.002-04:00

Been trying to post an update, but I can't get to my own screens, or they won't upload the content. Hopefully, blogger will get it together soon and I can show you pics of the chicks, the garden, the kids and more. Actually - I hope you can read this post!

Until then I am sending a shout out of love and support to AF Mom Betty, the most awesome snail-mailer of us all, as she endures a personal medical odyssey. Sending prayers to you and your family, dear one.

Love and feathers,
moi

SkyWatch ... monday

2009-06-22T07:44:00.004-04:00

Fellow AF Mom Deb sent this pic to me after I admired it on her FB page. I'm a big fan of "Jacob's Ladders".

Deb doesn't participate in SkyWatch Friday (and neither have I in recent months) but she gave me permission to post it so you could see it too.

AF Moms totally rock that way. They want you to see and enjoy every beauty they see. Maybe it's that we all want to find and capture the beauty around us to share with our kids, and others? I'm not sure, but it seems to hold true for the AF Moms I know. They/we see and are moved to share some lovely stories, videos, pictures, poems, crafts... which bless my life.

So today, enjoy Deb's picture. She wants you to! :)

Da Chix!

2009-06-19T18:31:00.002-04:00

Three weeks old tomorrow, and oh so adorable...

Da CHIX! Roxie, Coco and Buffy

Pics

2009-06-15T07:24:00.002-04:00

One more row of staples and it's done!
Avivah inside the new coop...

Then we went to pick out our new chicks. On the left is: Coco (Shokolat, an Isa Brown), bottom middle: Roxie (Rock Star, an Aurcauna) and on the right: Buffy (the bug slayer? A Buff Orpington).

Their initial brooder, a plastic bin, was green. I decided that moving it by the window and that having a clear bin would be better for them. They have a heat lamp, but sunshine is important too.

The chicks were all hatched on June 1, making Sunday their 2 week birthday. To celebrate, and because they were handling the temps well, Joshua and I created a play pen for them to go outside. Their first outing was only about 20 minutes, but they loved it!

And YES! Joshua really did graduate High School, and Avivah really was here for the occassion. :)

Update

2009-06-12T07:39:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lags in posting. My aol browser which held my quick links, favorites and even my huge list of away messages crashed and vanished nearly three weeks ago. Add to that a much heavier than normal work schedule and that Avivah has been here for almost three weeks and... I've been burning the candle from every end possible!

Yes, Joshua graduated High School. He was even selected to sing at graduation (in front of 3,000 people) with a few of his friends, all Seniors, who formed a group just to audition for this occasion. They sang: A Song of Purple Summer, from the musical Spring Awakenings. They did a seriously incredible job at it too! You guessed it: me, mom and Julie all teared up. Uncle Steve video-taped it, so when I get that I'll certainly do my best to post it here.

The chicken coop is nearly done! M (who brought over every tool known to mankind) spent a day helping me, along with Avivah, Justin and Joshua, and the basic framing was done and painted in a day. Since then Avivah and I have worked on nearly it every evening, completeing doors, the nesting box, an interior roosting bar, and staining.

M's biggest accomplishment was like a dream come true to me. He mathematically traced and then cut a perfect STAR into the front door! I was and am totally delighted.

Avivah and I held a brainstorming session with T and J and we came up with a pop-door opening/closing system - which the plans did not include. This girl should have been an engineer. Together with M's help to design the track, we created a pulley door that is easily operated from outside the coop... and voila! It's so sweet.

Which leads me to today, the most bittersweet of the past three weeks.

This morning the kids and I will carefully set the coop on its side and add the chicken wire floor (to help keep critters out). We'll set it upright and attach the ladder, hardware wire the outside and set the top cap so the coop will be complete, enough (I'm still working on the cedar shingles, they're expensive). Together we'll go pick up the girls: "Roxie", "Buffy" and "Coco" (Shokolat)!

I say bittersweet because today is also the day that Avivah returns to Minot. :( It seems that no matter how long she's here it's perpetually too short.

Such is my day and the update for now.
Blessings, moi

COOP DAY!

2009-05-29T12:52:00.001-04:00

The time has come the walrus said, to speak of many things...

like CHICKENS!

Yes, Saturday is the day when the framing for the coop will begin. If you'd like to be a part of this adventure, just give me a call or show up at the house tomorrow afternoon around 2.

Oh - If you happen to have a router that I can borrow, that'd be good but it's not essential. We can do without if there's a jigsaw available.

See you tomorrow!

It's an AFHDD*!

2009-05-21T16:40:00.005-04:00

My news? Avivah PASSED her PT Test this morning - with one knee blown out!

Next great news? She's applied to be Honor Guard!

NEXT Next great news? She comes home on Sunday!!! YIPEE!!!

*Air Force Happy Dance Day

I <3 NY

2009-05-21T07:12:00.002-04:00

I work until 2pm today and then it's (run around getting ready, and) off I go to New York! Ok it's not quite as exciting as it sounds... I'll be a chaperone on Joshua's choir performance trip. Me, a handfull of other adults and 21 teenagers.

It may sound harrowing but I've been doing this a long time and they're a great group of kids every time. In fact, this is the same group with whom I travelled to England and Wales 7 years ago.

We leave on a bus at 9 this evening and arrive for a very full day tomorrow. T, the Director always plans for activity packed days and precious little down time. Should be fun!

In the meanwhile...

V ARRIVES THIS SUNDAY!!!

OMG I'm so excited! At the same time, please send her your prayers and positive energy as she has her PT test today ~ and her knee(s) are giving her trouble. SO much so that she actually went to a Dr. I know, I didn't believe it either, but she did. She isn't permitted to run, so she'll be doing the three mile walk test in addition to her crunches and push ups.

So send out that good JuJu, please and then she's homeward bound!

Poppies

2009-05-19T08:15:00.003-04:00

I won't be posting this Memorial Day (though I won't tell you where I'll be as it has it's own meaningful attachment to the day) so I thought I'd get these thoughts down now.

I think our VFWs are so underrated in their support for each other and for our current troops. Last weekend I bought my annual (paper) poppy and thought to go back and get one for V too. I shared that with the kind VFW lady, who looked at me funny for rushing right back as though I'd forgotten something important, and she passed along the most hearty THANKS to V I think I've ever gotten.

Maybe it was her shining eyes or her bright smile that blossomed when I shared with her that my girl is an Airman. Maybe it was my own pride shining there in that brief interaction.

And maybe it's just me, but nearing every Memorial Day I can't help but hear the poem, Flanders Fields by Canadian, John MacRae. For me the song starts playing in my head the moment I see those paper poppies sold by the VFW.

Wonder how many people don't know why they sell poppies.....

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Canadian poet John McCrae was a medical officer in both the Boer War and World War I. A year into the latter war he published in Punch magazine, on December 8, 1915, the sole work by which he would be remembered. This poem commemorates the deaths of thousands of young men who died in Flanders during the grueling battles there. It created a great sensation, and was used widely as a recruiting tool, inspiring other young men to join the Army. Legend has it that he was inspired by seeing the blood-red poppies blooming in the fields where many friends had died.

Prom Night

2009-05-15T06:59:00.001-04:00

Friday was Prom Night for the two Seniors, Joshua and Ryan. As promised, here are the fruits of the paparazzi's labors!

Here's J being hokey before he left the house. Black shirt, white satin tie, white damask vest, black tux and fedora - and the new black dress watch he'd just received as a graduation gift from a very special teacher = Spiffy!

J LOVED the Chicago Gangster look of his tux. So of course ~ he had to milk it for all it was worth. Have you met my son "Bugsy"?!

J's best friend Ryan and date, Jessie. Adorable.

Sam was stunning in cobalt blue satin that flattered her skin and eyes (not to mention her figure!)

Pin and slide on flowers and pose for the cameras!!

AWWWW!

He was on top of the world. And can you blame him?

LoL - Da Boyz!

The fearsome foursome, ready to roll.

Aren't they just Picture Perfect!?!?

Who's up for Chickens?!

2009-05-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

A comment my friend L left gave me pause for thought...

In the early days of the chick's life, they thrive when they are close and warm. It's more efficient to raise 9, than 3 (in terms of energy). Raising 3 is just like raising 9, and most responsible sellers will put a minimum 6 (cash 'n carry) or 25 to ship.

It's true, the seller of the Isas and Orpingtons want me to have 5-9 chickens but I'm just not prepared to raise that many. I really have my heart set on ~ and know of others who've successfully raised ~ three. Many of the smaller coops I've been researching are designed for less than 6, and as social as I know the 'girls' are, my friends' hens seem quite content.

So I ask my dear readers who live in SE MI, or even northern OH... If we raised the 6 or 9 of them together and shared the minimal costs so that they can share body heat, would one or two of you be interested in joining me on this suburban chicken journey? We could help each other build coops, do chicken-care during vacations and be a resource of suburban chicken knowledge for each other and our communities!

The movement's already begun. Come be a part of it!

Chicken Bloggin' - part deux

2009-05-13T07:06:00.002-04:00

Because of this video, and the encouraging comment of a friend with many chickens of her own, I am just about convinced that this coop is IT.

Thank you to A, who has made a contribution to offset the cost of materials. And my mom too, who has done the same ~ though she didn't know it!

Remember The Family Circus?

2009-05-10T13:04:00.007-04:00

You know, the cartoon strip family antics drawn by Bill Keane, with Billy and Jeffy... It's always been one of my favorites.

Well there was one little-known character that he drew who happens to live in my house. She's a mischevious little spirit named: Ida Know. She had a sibling named: Not Me. Get the picture?

Here she is running away from a mess "she" obviously caused.

This is another illustrator's idea of the antics for which Ida and her brother must be responsible... Today, I discovered that Ida Know (or her brother, Not Me) left bleach/peroxide spots on my only 6 month old, gorgeous, plush and delightful burgundy and grey bath sheets. Yep sheets. The big ones.

Did I mention that these were the most luxurious towels I have ever owned? That they were like a little spa moment when emerging from a hot shower and wrapping yourself in their cushiness?

Well, they're gone now. Can't be dyed because I wash them so often that no amount of dye would restore their rich coloring. Can't ever be anything close to what they were only weeks ago.

And no one did it. Not that it matters all that hellfire much. Ruined is ruined, and no amount of "my bad" can fix it. It's just that the blank stares and "I dunno's" just irk the heck outta me. How can you not know you've used a peroxide or bleaching agent? How?!

I know they're just things, and things come and go. But I will miss my relaxing moments, even on work days when I'm often in a hurry, when I wrapped that bit of warm, soft, simple luxury around me.

Damn that Ida!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T07:00:00.003-04:00

Wet Oatmeal Kisses

One of these days you'll explode
And shout to all the kids,
"Why don't you just grow up
And act your age!"
And they will…

Or, "You guys get outside
And find something to do –
Without hurting each other
And don't slam the door!"
And they don't.

You'll straighten their bedrooms
Until it's all neat and tidy,
Toys displayed on the shelf,
Hangers in the closet,
Animals caged.
You'll yell, "Now I want it to stay this way!"
And it will…

You will prepare a perfect dinner,
With a salad that hasn't
Had all the olives picked out,
And a cake with no finger traces in the icing,
And you'll say, "Now this is a meal for company."
And you will eat it alone…

You'll yell, "I want complete privacy on the phone.
No screaming. Do you hear me?"
And no one will answer.

No more plastic tablecloths stained
No more dandelion bouquets.
No more iron-on patches.
No more wet, knotted shoelaces,
Muddy boots or
Rubber bands for ponytails.

Imagine…. a lipstick with a point,
No babysitters for New Years Eve,
Washing clothes only once a week,
No PTA meetings or silly school plays
Where your child is a tree,
No car pools,
Blaring stereos or
Forgotten lunch money.

No more Christmas presents
Made of library paste and toothpicks,
No wet oatmeal kisses,
No more tooth fairy,
No more giggles in the dark,
Scraped knees to kiss,
Or sticky fingers to clean.

Only a voice asking, "Why don't you grow up?"

And the silence echoes: "I did"

Erma Bombeck
(February 21, 1927 – April 22, 1996)

With more thanks to AF Mom Deb, who seems to have a knack for awesome posts that I want to share with people.

Chicken Bloggin'

2009-05-10T00:47:00.003-04:00

For some odd reason, Chicken Bloggin' sounds like something the Muppet's Swedish Chef would make!

I just found this on youtube and really like it. It's a more compact design and more covered/secure than the last "chalet" style (the raccoon smorgasbord).

Give this a look-see and let me know what you think.

Michelle Obama to Military Families: "I Care"

2009-05-09T09:41:00.002-04:00

She says in this interview that 94% of Blue Star families don't feel that others support them or get what their military families are going through... Michelle says in this interview... "We need to change that".

Michelle Obama to Military Families: I Care

May 8, 2009 ABC News' Yunji de Nies reports:

Michelle Obama has a special message for military families this Mother's Day: "I care."
In a public service announcement for the Pentagon Channel, airing every two hours now through Sunday, Mrs. Obama looks directly into the camera and says, "Hi, this is Michele Obama and I wanted to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mothers day. Know that we love you and we are praying for you and we hoped that you enjoyed this day take care."

Mrs. Obama also sat down for an interview with the Pentagon Channel's anchor Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Liz Murray. The First Lady explained that she's made military families a part of her platform because, "it's the right thing to do."

Check out this 12 min video on the Pentagon Channel. http://tinyurl.com/MrsO-military-families

Thank you to AF Mom Deb for this post.

Knowledge Junkie

2009-05-08T07:34:00.004-04:00

If you don't know me by now, let me tell you that I'm the sort that asks a lot of questions. A LOT of questions. I thrive on knowing the details and feeling confident in the knowledge I've gained. It's how I make decisions. Heck, it's how I shop!

So... I asked another seller (craigslist this time) about their coop design.

I wanted to know: a) If it had or I could purchase a run attached b) If it was easy to assemble since it comes flat-packed and c) If he made anything smaller than the 8-10 hen sized coop he'd advertised.

Yesterday I received an answer from a very nice woman, the farmer's wife (D).

My husband assembled ours in about 1 hour. You need a screw driver and wrench for assembly. We do have a smaller coop and run but it is not available at this time. The smaller one will be available in a few weeks. Thank you, D

Nice enough for someone who cuts off blind mice's tails for fun.

So in a few weeks I should have a picture of the smaller coop with run. Here is a picture of the 8-10 hen size. See why I asked? It's really nice!

And just for fun, try this! Yep... Chicken Cam - LIVE!

detail & debate

2009-05-05T21:49:00.003-04:00

I had asked the designer/seller (on eBay) of the Stagecoach coop a couple questions regarding the roofing material for the coop's roost and laying box sections: Was it tough to work with? Too hot/cold for Michigan? Ok for a klutzy novice? Below is his reply.

Thanks for your interest. You have lots of options for your roofing material. In the winter you can wrap insulation over roofing area and install a heating tile on the inside wall. Thanks.
Remember, your chickens are going to stay in there only at night or when it gets real cold. I score the roofing material with razor knife then bend to break into. Very simple!

I still have to admit, the fact that he says this is virtually predator proof is really very appealing to me. He also has another pic of this with a shade canopy over it so the 'girls' can self select based on the temp du'jour.

I'm just really leery of the amount of metal work in this as well as the heat differential (normal chicken temp is 109!) causing condensation, which can prompt a host of wet-chicken ills.

Does anyone have any suggestions about this particular coop or thoughts about alternate materials for the roofs? Should I just take a 'pass' on this one and look at something different?

Choices, Choices, And...

2009-05-04T21:47:00.007-04:00

Coops and more coops.

The Stagecoach. Neat! Says it's "predator proof" (a huge plus), but I'm fairly certain the roost roof is metal. Too hot/cold for Michigan's highs and lows. Plans for building - $30. I'm not so sure this novice should be working with that amount of sharp metal!

This is ok. Seems sturdy and functional. Not as terribly expensive ($350-400) as some I've seen. Metal roof would have to be replaced with a lightweight, not as hot material. Needs a secureable pop-door too. 12' long. Wonder if it could be made 10'? Best part? It's made for me and delivered. Bonus!

I like the look and all-in-one nature of this, but the ($10.) plans left about 632 questions unanswered. It's a pity really.

This is an adorable A-frame "chicken chalet"! It's too bad there are waaaay too many mitered cuts for my very construction skill-less self. For some reason I also think it screams racoon smorgasbord! Anyone else get that feeling?

And then this came along, and seems just about ideal. Sure, I'd have to gather/buy/reclaim materials to build it, but the size (4-5 large hens) and lockable nature of it appeals to me greatly. It also doesn't seem too complex, even for my hand-saw-loving heart. My concern is the height and clean-ability of it. (This video must've been taken early in the day - there are warm eggs - but it's not at all clean.) Thoughts?

So - what do you think? What appeals to you? What considerations might I have missed so far? How do some of these options compare to you? Speak up!

All I want for Chr...

2009-05-02T21:43:00.005-04:00

Oops! All I want for Mother's Day is a chicken coop and run. If you would like to see this little piece of my homesteading dream come true, I am accepting donations to help offset the cost.

I pictured one coop for which I would need to buy the plans and build it out of reclaimed pallets (no one jumped at the construction opportunity).

This next one is shipped mostly constructed in a flat pack and is easy to assemble. Judging from the wide variety of positive feedback the seller has received, I believe this to be true.

Check this great little coop out for yourself on eBay and remember~ I am not at all too proud to accept your generous gift of funds or construction assistance. You'd definitely secure a spot on the list for a delivery of fresh eggs!

sigh

2009-05-02T02:08:00.000-04:00

I didn't win the lottery tonight.

Wish List

2009-04-27T07:45:00.003-04:00

I have spent many hours over the past few months researching and visiting various urban, suburban and country...

and I have decided that I very much want one.

And to inhabit it, two of these:

Isa Browns

and two or three of these:

Buff Orpington

The coop I like the best, pictured above, is made of reclaimed materials (pallets to be exact). If any of you have any building experience following plans or know of someone who does, please speak up!

If anyone has experience raising urban chickens I would be most grateful for the assistance or advice! Those who would like to be a part of this exciting and interesting project, please feel free to comment or contact me. The intent is to share this experience with others.

CAF Congrats

2009-04-21T07:15:00.008-04:00

My sympathy, love and congratulations go out to my friend M, whose son D swears in to the Canadian Armed Forces today.

M, I pray that all your child's hopes and dreams come true as he takes this noble step towards the future he envisions.

You've seen the highs of Basic Training graduation and home comings and the lows of goodbyes and tearful phone calls. I wish I could find you a group as supportive as my AF Moms and Dads ~ but hey, you have me for support, and I certainly 'get it'!

So here's to you, Proud CAF Dad! Stand Tall!

Dinner Experiment

2009-04-20T20:10:00.004-04:00

Do you think this will work?

Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
Coconut milk
Fish Sauce
Red Curry Paste
Pinch of Brown Sugar
Green Beans

Hope so. It's in the oven right now!

Oh yeah, and I'm back from Virginia Beach - via Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Drove home in a 12 hour solo road trip. :)
~~~~~

Tuesday morning update: Dinner was delicious!

umm, ew

2009-04-13T07:56:00.001-04:00

Faygo Diet Chocolate Creme Pie soda is just one step too bizarre for my taste buds.

Had to share.

Off again

2009-03-30T06:22:00.002-04:00

Back from Ann Arbor where I attended a two day class on a fundraising methodology. Thank you to Lady D who sheltered me and made it great fun even though we were both working the whole time.

I managed to have a packed weekend despite hemming three pair of pants, doing laundry and packing. Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire, which I loved, went to Eastern Market for the first time this season, BBQd dinner, and almost ended up going to the driving range too, but it got too late and too chilly.

I leave for Virginia this morning to attend a three day class on Fund Development. Right now I have a mix of trepidation and excitement but I have a feeling it's going to be enjoyable.

Since I couldn't get a flight back the night my class ends, and it was more cost effective to stay over the Saturday, I am staying over the weekend and my sister Karen is coming down to spend Fri-Sun! I'm tickled that we'll get to hang out for a couple of days. Also while I'm there I hope to see AF Mom Betty, who lives in VA. Yay!

Be back on Sunday.

?

2009-03-17T20:05:00.000-04:00

Why, on week nights, am I always hungry for dinner at inopportune and awkward times?

Uber Yummo

2009-03-15T12:09:00.005-04:00

I find it somewhat amusing that in the space of one week I have attended my very first (and likely not last) Lenten dinner AND made Latkes for the first time this pre-Pesach season.

In case you're wondering, I make a WICKED LATKE! These had all kinds of veggie bits in them and were a part of Joshua's breakfast. (I can't eat them on my diet, though I did make myself one - the size of a quarter. Yummo!)

My latkes...

J, for his first time, made Chicken Soup, complete with his own handmade fluffy, delicious matzah balls and random pasta. To round out his uber-Jewish feast, J wants to make Fried Matzah later in the week.

I wonder how he's going to feel when Passover arrives and the dietary restrictions are imposed instead of voluntary!?

A Good Tired

2009-03-12T07:37:00.002-04:00

After two decades of being under-employed and parenting two now almost grown up children, I hear myself using a sentiment that I, and millions of others, have been expressing for years.

"It's an accomplished/happy/satisfied exhaustion!"

I said it about full-time parenting, and about full-time working (and juggling both, too).

I am my happiest when both my hands are full and over-full, being put to good use helping others. Parenting, Teaching, Assisting, Speaking, Managing, ... anything that facilitates the success of another just floats my wee bitty boat.

I may be tired, but it's a GOOD tired; and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Off to work I go!

Lookie!

2009-03-04T20:47:00.002-05:00

Monday night, guess who had his first choir solo?

Lookie!

Yep, that's him at the mic. :)
He did a great job!

LTNP*

2009-03-03T07:17:00.005-05:00

I was recently reminded that people actually read this... even people whom I haven't seen in a ton of years. (HI, TM!) I may be blogging with no obligation, but an update seems like a reasonable thing to do. And what's an update without pictures?!

On Feb 18, we met V at the airport with a huge welcome home SIGN!

This be the girl!

Then it was off to her favourite restaurant (Olga's) to visit with family. How the kids all ended up on the floor I don't know.

I love this pic of my two...

We were off to a conference the next couple of days and no pics were taken. Everyone was so busy!

V spent Monday and Tuesday running around seeing people, visiting her high school, her bf, her former employer, and we took the time to cook together too.

Tuesday evening the boys had a pre-festival concert to sing so V and I met up with Auntie Julie, Hannah and Tillie for dinner.

Gaze upon the adorableness!!!!

I think it's love.

Wednesday was all mom time. We went out to breakfast, ran errands, laughed and hugged a lot. She packed her things, spent some time with Joshua when he got home from school, and we were off to the airport.

If it wasn't for my beloved AF Moms and Dads I never would have known to ask for a gate pass! We did, and they were given.

Lord, it was hard letting her go. I kept a stiff upper lip until she turned the corner on the jetway, then there were tears. Joshua, bless his soul, gave me a huge hug and started reciting to me all the things I had just told V: "It's ok... you have a life of your own... I am so proud of you... Your work needs you..." Funny thing is - it worked. Now of course I wonder if it worked on her!

If all goes well she will return at the end of May for Joshua's HS graduation. I'm already looking forward to seeing her again.

More soon. I'm off to work.

* long time no post

9 Hours

2009-02-18T07:11:00.001-05:00

Not sure how well I slept, and I'm really not sure how well I'm going to work, but I have to and I am....

THEN it's

SQUISH TIME!!!

T minus 9 hours and counting!!!

2009-02-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

WORK, SLEEP, WORK...

SQUISH!

T minus sleep and work

2009-02-16T23:39:00.002-05:00

I can't help it.

It's all I can think about.

The countdown clock now reads:

SLEEP, WORK, SLEEP, WORK...

SQUISH!

Totally Random

2009-02-14T13:21:00.003-05:00

Last night I was out for dinner with my BFF and Joshua. Plain old run 'o the mill kind of place, like 'family diner'. And there's this man in the next booth. I can't place him but he looks familiar. Tall, lean, well-dressed and handsome. With a woman/wife and two young kids too, btw.

Then I noticed the ring on his right hand ring finger. This thing is HUGE and gold. I mean H.U.G.E.

I think... "That looks like a Super Bowl ring!" But it can't possibly be because, ring or not, I wouldn't recognize a football player if my life depended on it!

It took me a while of politely trying not to look as I attempted to figure out the puzzle of the familiar, handsome looking man and his oh so noticable ring, but I finally did.

I had just had dinner next to the Great Tommy Hearns!

I stopped staring after I figured it out. One woman did tear her paper placemat and asked for an autograph when he went to the cashier. I don't know if she got it or not, but I thought it was terribly tacky. I was just happy to know that I was in the presence of historic greatness.

So not only did I get to spend time with my BFF and my son, but I was mere feet from an international legend. Totally made my night!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In unrelated news, it's now only 4 days til V arrives on leave. :)
insert happy dance *here*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Valentine's Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am attributing this bit to one of my favorite Tupperware tools, the Quick Chef.

If you don't have one yet I'm not sure what you're waiting for. Go get one.

I had a hankering for egg salad. It happens about once every two years and I guess it was just that time, because two hard boiled eggs were in the fridge calling my name.

Out came the Quick Chef. In went two eggs (sans shells), a little Hellman's mayo, fresh cracked peppercorns, and a dollop of stone ground mustard. Stir about 6 times and VOILA! I ate it with a couple of celery ribs. Perfect lunch.

btw: Quick Chefs make the fastest tuna/salmon salad, fresh salsa/pico, dessert stuff, guacamole, crumbled taco meat, graham cracker crusts, etc, and I almost never chop up an onion by hand anymore. Plop it in and spin. Done. (I don't sell Tupperware, but I do know someone who does.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey ~ It's only 4 days til V arrives!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister Karen and nephew Hunter are here from Gaithersburg, MD. I'm having dinner with them, and Julie and her family tonight.

Tomorrow the sisters go shopping. That should be fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And did I mention...
It's only FOUR days til V arrives?!

Feel the AF Mom LOVE! Read from the bottom up

2009-02-12T18:56:00.004-05:00

Now you see why I love these peeps!?
--------------------
So proud of V !! She gets leave on Tim's B-day....
I know you must be so Happy!!
Corinne

PAFM OF SR A TIM, Eielson, AFB,AK
PROUD AF FIREFIGHTER
--------------------
woo hoo! That is wonderful Lea and congrats V!!!! Way to go!!!

Kim (IN)

PAFM of A1C Jerry, Tinker AFB, OK
PM of Devon, IN
--------------------
Mazel Tov V, WAY TO GO!!!!
Always,
Lolly
--------------------
Glad that she passed prayers are wonderful. Lea now you breathe. LoL
Betty-Va.
PAFM of A1C James
-------------------
Thank you for the extra "push" of prayers on V's behalf.
She passed with a score of 83! (needed 63 or better) Leave is approved (2/18-25) AND she got the rest of the day off!

YOU GUYS ROCK!
Lea
-------------------
Prayers and positive vibes full force from Tennessee. GO V!
Glenda
-------------------
Praying V passes w/flying colors, I know she'll do well.
Always,
Lolly
--------------------
Sending prayers for V to pass with flying colors. Let us know how she did please.
Betty-Va.
PAFM of A1C James
--------------------
Lea,
Prayers and Positive thoughts heading that way!
Lana
---------------------
V is going to do just fine, will send positive energy and prayers anyway though!
Peggy (WI)
PAFM of SrA Corey, Minot
--------------------
Saying a prayer right now for her.
Michelle
Proud ANG wife and AF mom
---------------------
My prayers are going out to V. May she pass with flying colors.
Susan (KS)
--------------------
As I type, Avivah is taking her EOC/CDCs.

Although you get more than one chance to take it, for her this is not the case. Either she passes today and life is good (and she'll be allowed to come home on leave next week) or she doesn't, and will not be allowed to keep her position - if she gets to stay AF at all.

Please send loads of prayers and positive energy our way!!!
Lea

After years, finally

2009-02-09T07:31:00.003-05:00

J and I finally started a project that's been waiting YEARS to happen. This is ridiculous really.

He's been asking to paint his bedroom since we moved in more than 7 years ago. Problem was, he wanted to paint it BLACK and I just wouldn't do it. Call me a stick-in-the-mud but it's just too hard to paint OVER black after you've outgrown it... and we all know he would have outgrown it quickly! So I said no, and no and no for years.

FINALLY he changed his mind! He wanted an "industrial look" so, said he, a shade of grey would be cool on the walls. I can go with grey! At first it was a deep charcoal grey - just a bit too much for me - then it was a pallette of greys from dusky to nearly black.

In our ReStore I asked one of the girls to keep her eye out for a gallon of grey paint - any shade. If it came in, I wanted to see it. It did! One full gallon of a darkish grey, latex base and eggshell finish. PERFECT!

I bought it and brought it home for approval - He liked it!!! Of course that was Winter Break. The kid was too lazy and too busy hanging out with friends to get the room prepped, and so it sat. Until this Saturday!

All the sudden we'd decided which wall to begin with (we're only doing 2), moved furniture, washed the wall, spackled a couple nail holes, taped the edges and voila - PAINTED!

Half way through the day I got called away and J'd had enough, so we stopped, we were like two geeks - hanging out in his room literally watching paint dry! I ran an errand and we went out for dinner together.

It seems so simple, so trivial, and of course - how much longer is the kid gonna live here is also a question, but hey; he's happy, I'm happy and the room is not black. Compromise is a beautiful thing.

Next weekend we'll do the other wall. Pics to come!

I lived

2009-02-03T23:06:00.003-05:00

Well I lived through Monday's endodontic odyssey (with the assistance of some serious nitrous oxide!).

By midday I could gingerly sip soup, but speaking wasn't at all fun.
By the end of the day I was speaking fairly well and masticating semi-substantive food - albeit on the other side of my mouth - but heck, it worked!!

Today I returned for a full day of work. MAN, was my desk buried! Twice during the day I needed a dose of Advil, but other than that I was coherent and functional all day long. Wow, am I tired now though.

The radiating nerve pain is gone. The extreme sensitivity to cold is gone. The dull ache in my jaw will fade to a memory in time. I pray that the ability to open my mouth more than 1/16" will return someday.

Until then it's part and parcel of the diet plan. LoL

Thank you, to those who sent me good thoughts.

OWWWWWW!!!

2009-02-01T10:58:00.004-05:00

So it's Tuesday and midday I have this 'bit of something' in my mouth. Dang, a chunk of tooth! By early evening I'm in pain like I haven't been since the birth of my daughter (27 hrs of active labor). Uh-oh!

I call home because I have meetings at which I need to speak at 6 and 8pm and can't spend time on the phone with my dentist.

T calls back - dentist is out of town, and the guy who is taking his calls isn't answering!

I NEED HELP!

My gf and colleague CopperPom to the rescue! She leaps into action and calls her dentist who agrees that if I can be there first thing in the morning, they'll find a way to see me. THANK YOU!

A few small hurdles...
1) Speaking that night, enthusiasticly, loudly, clearly. I couldn't wait to get through it as the pain reached from my ear to my neck, but I did.
2) Wednesday morning brought us a big snow storm and I was too dizzy to drive myself. Enter a dear friend who came from the southwest side of the city to drive me to Mt Clemens; a 1 hr trip that took 2 hrs and 15 min.

The Goddess of a dentist who saw me (thanks again, CopperPom!) and her assistant tell me I have an infection in the nerve, along the whole left lower arch.

She knew just what to do and has referred me to a endodontic specialist for a procedure (Monday). She also put me on antibiotics and Vicodin. Of course, finding out after two days of excruciating nerve pain that I am sensitive to Vicodin (which I'd never been on before) also meant that I had really been without any pain or infection relief since this little ordeal began... nothing was being digested and the infection was running free.

I tried to go to work on Thursday to no avail (of course that's when I discovered this little 'no-go' on the meds) and was sent home before I passed out, which I did - thankfully AFTER getting home and 'being sick' too.

I had to "reset" the meds, going without them for more additional hours than I want to recall. I switched to advil, eh, not so good. They kicked in Friday afternoon, thank the Gods!

Yesterday was the first time I've felt particularly human for more than an hour at a stretch. The swelling in my jaw is down so I look human now rather than half-chipmunkesque. Eating isn't anything to which I look forward, though I do it - gently, and being out in the cold sets off nerve pain, like wow. :(

I managed an appearance out of the house last night though I wasn't the best company (even talking hurts sometimes). I have episodes of break-through pain that last 10-30 min. because the only pain relief I have is from advil.

Today will be a big deal as I venture out with a friend to my very first Super Bowl Party! My meds will be close at hand and I'm not doing any driving or drinking so I have high hopes that this will be a good time - as long as I don't talk too much or get too cold.

Monday will bring sweet relief in the form of a nerve block and root canal. My SIL had this procedure done just a week ago and felt much the same. I'm taking her at her word that this isn't a difficult procedure, esp when done by a specialist, which I am. She may not be aware, but her energy is supporting me through something I find terrifying. I thank her for that strength. Thanks, Sharon!

Wish me luck! I hope to be pain free and back to work on Tuesday!

LOL - Thanks AF Mom Susan!

2009-01-30T11:17:00.001-05:00

DIARY OF A SNOW SHOVELER

December 8, 6:00 PM - It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic, we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9 - We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12 - The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry- we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14 - Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15 - 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska , after all.

December 16 - Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17 - Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20 - Electricity's back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22 - Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the jerk is lying.

December 23 - Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24 - 6 inches -Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel.Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his testicles and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25 - Merry flippin' Christmas! 20 more inches of the slop tonight - Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch 'It's A Wonderful Life' one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26 - Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27 - Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28 - Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The WENCH is driving me crazy!!!

December 29 - 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30 - Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel some place more "comfortable". The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

December 31 - I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8 - Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Sunday, yay

2009-01-18T13:44:00.003-05:00

I finally slept from just after 2 til just after 8 this morning. Couldn't slow my brain down. It's what I call: "Hamstering", and I was fast and furious on my little wheel last night. *sigh*

I awoke to find that the snow is deeper now than when I nodded off. Forive the screen lines. I am NOT going out back. Even for YOU!

That bowed dark thing in the background is the trampoline.

I sent V a pic of the snow we've received and she wasn't too impressed. She said something like: "heh" and *snerk* When you get the kind of burying they do in Minot ND, it's understandable.

She and I had a good chat this morning. I wound up leaving her a voice mail with some chant melodies on it that she wanted refreshed so she could teach them to others. WWWW's ~ You'd be so proud of her. I can't wait to see you all on the 29th, when we'll make beautiful music again!

I'm heading out now that the driveway has been plowed. There's some exchanging I need to do from the holidays and I need to use the time I have for things like that effectively. I'm returning one thing because it's too big. Yay.

I'll probably stop for a salad while I'm out. Join me??

2009-01-18T01:53:00.001-05:00

restless

snow

2009-01-18T00:50:00.004-05:00

This is what the roads looked like as I drove yesterday...

And what's a Michigan snow storm without a 10 car fender bender extravaganza? (There were 10, but they didn't all fit in the pic - and I was trying not to be #11!)

btw: this was not the only car I saw facing the 'wrong' direction. It was a common theme.

Made it home safely, but had to shovel the garage door clear. I think I just stood out there and watched as it snowed fluffly clouds of flakes on me for at least half an hour. I find it positively entrancing to watch each flake float to the ground, glinting in the house light and land silently; fitting invisibly into a maze of fragile geometric points.

Now you can see how deep it is. 8" or more and still falling at 7pm...

The patio table ~ in the deep midwinter glow of the moon and the kitchen light. 1am

I'm not even sure how much we have on the ground, but it's deep, and crystalline white and beautiful.

Happy Medium

2009-01-06T07:10:00.009-05:00

There is a happy medium... or I'd be happy in a "Medium" - which ever!

Anyways, there is a happy medium between the weight I was almost two months ago and thin. It's called healthy.

I'm not anywhere near my goal yet, but I'm actively working on it. I figure if I post it here the chances of me sticking to my goal are greater!

So far my clothes are starting to fit better, but my work slacks are getting a little baggy-looking. That's a repercussion I'll have to work on... changing size can be expensive in 'better' clothing.

What am I doing? I'm drinking a lot more water and limiting my coffee and diet soda intake as well as the "white death" of our time: processed flour and sugar. I keep more regular hours and sleep my needed 7 hrs a night pretty regularly (unless something has me wound up, which happens).

My office is in the process of seeking out a new larger building. I keep saying that one of the criteria is that I need a really big office or a room for my treadmill... and would a large washroom with a shower and lockers be too much to ask?!

I am seeking a gym that's conveniently located but still not sure that I can afford one that's got good trainers who know how to deal with my back, good quality equipment and enough of it for all, is clean and bright (with showers and lockers) - and my last qualification: other people there as heavy as I am or more.

Of course, I've never cared much for being stagnant, but now I do it even less. Heck, even when I'm relaxing I get up and do things that need to be done. Last weekend I cleaned a neglected part of the kitchen, tidied up my plants and moved things around a bit... between hanging out on the computer and watching TV with J! I'm simply much more content doing or being out and about (that's: Oot and Aboot in Canadian) with friends and family.

The Germans have a saying that roughly translates: "The slim sapling grows into the thick oak", implying that this is a desirable and beautiful development, in women as well as in men. There is no comparable expression in English. In America, the tree of choice appears to be the lodgepole pine. (thanks for that, E)

As I said, I'm aiming for more healthy, not thin or lodgepole pine-esque. Thin is not a realistic goal. Healthy is... Active is... More fit is...

Happy 2009

2009-01-03T12:22:00.003-05:00

Have a good year, work for peace, and show up - the world needs us to be present in whatever ways we are creatively able.

~ Holly Near

www.hollynear.com

Let's see....

2008-12-27T23:05:00.003-05:00

Back in Michigan as of Monday the 22nd (also my sister's Bday)

Worked all day the 23rd

Did house work on the 24th, and later in the evening J and I did our traditional Chinese food and light-looking adventure... except... After eating a heavenly dinner my car was acting funnier than usual. Did we eat that much?!

By the time we reached the Wayne County Lightfest I knew we had a flat tire. I pulled over and the two of us spent a goodly amount of time pulling out the never-been-used jack, the lock-nut ratchet and finding the spare (the book says "If equipped"... IF?!) Good thing it wasn't as cold as it has been. Together J and I figured it all out and got the "doughnut" securely on and off we went light-looking. Whew!

The 25th found us doing nothing all day. My BFF and I went to a small gathering of friends fondly referred to as "Waifmas", where those of us who do not celebrate Christmas or have family nearby socialize and just generally enjoy each other's company. We didn't stay late because both of us had to be up early for work on Friday.

For me, the 26th was a very long and wonderful day. I took T's car while he dealt with the tire situation. My poor car was on the last bit of tire all 'round so 4 new ones were installed. Thank you, T!

Work was enjoyable. J came to work in the back store again, which is always nice. I got a call mid-morning from my sister Karen. At the end of the day when I listened to messages I learned that she was in MICHIGAN! (she lives in MD) Guess it's the season for surprise visits, eh? I dashed out to get J and I home in the nick of time to drop him off and be picked up for an evening show. I had plans for dinner and tickets for WICKED at the opera house in Detroit. (On the way I called Karen and made plans to get together on Sunday.)

Dinner was very good but very slow. The traffic downtown was clogged with theatre-goers and CMU & Notre Dame fans as their teams were playing in last night's MotorCity Bowl. That, and three females needing a potty stop slowed us down a little!

We got to our seats not a moment too soon... The show was fantastic! Sometimes touring shows aren't as good as those with permanent runs, but this one was every bit as good as the cast I saw on the show's home stage in Chicago.

And yes, I proved to myself that when I hear the song "For Good" I still hear Avivah and Drew's voices... and I cry.

Tomorrow is the "family Chanukah brunch", sans my mom and her hubby who are in Israel. Today Joshua and I headed out for a couple of last minute gifts and I wrapped them. J went to a movie with Sam and I made a much needed stop at the grocery store. Now it's laundry and cleaning and packing up the gifts to take to my sister Julie's in the morning. This should be fun!

I still have to upload the pics from my trip, but here's the one V likes the best...

I'M IN MINOT, NO DAK!

2008-12-18T13:06:00.002-05:00

Ok - I couldn't think of anything to write last week that didn't slip the secret that I was traveling here to surprise Avivah with a visit!

I'm here, in freezing cold Minot, North Dakota.

The reception I received from my surprise was priceless. She RAN across her girlfriend's living room and embraced me in the longest, tightest hug ever. Her gf tried to get her pic but she buried her face in me and I think, in her disbelief that I was really standing there in her arms... she stopped breathing for a second!

The rest of the evening she kept looking at me like I wasn't real. I just kept smiling and hugging. (and tearing up, like now)

Pics when I have them. Updates when we figure out what we're doing besides staring at each other and hugging.

Much Love to all, from -3 Minot!

Poof!

2008-12-12T06:46:00.004-05:00

In order to keep the blogworld apprised of my relative whereabouts before I go POOF! rather than wondering where I am...

Today is a full day of work ~ and I'm really happy about that!

Tonight's plan is for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert with Joshua and two very close friends of mine. It is the second day of the opening of Leonard Slatkin's term as Director. It marks a change that I hope will be a positive one for the DSO. Slatkin's bio is incredible. He is witty, brilliant and world recognized (how we got him here I'll never know!!)

Although that's amazingly good news, it's not the main reason we're going. Slatkin chose to open his tenure here with my ALL TIME FAVORITE PIECE ~ Carl Orffs' Carmina Burana. Yep, timpani and choir and soloist - all in vast multiples! I'm so excited. And it's going to be a late night. Being a weeknight they don't drop the baton until 8pm. Did I mention I'm excited??

Hey, my license plate says: OH 42NA
I'm a total GEEK for this!

Saturday afternoon will find me holiday shopping with the masses (Yes Hannah & Isabel, I still need to get you something faboo!), plus I need a pair of jeans. Saturday evening I'm out partying with friends. Sunday I promised myself I'd sleep in, and then later I'm seeing friends that are driving up from Ohio.

If I live through all that ~ look for a blog from me on Monday morning! Until then, know that you are loved and that your Airman is always in my prayers, as I know mine is in yours. Enjoy the day and the weekend...

Brightest Blessings,
~ L

Mother's Day

2008-12-11T07:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday

MOM!

Hello World!

2008-12-10T09:13:00.005-05:00

Yep, I'm alive.

This is what happens when I burn the candle at both ends a bit... something's gotta give. This time it was sitting leisurely and writing here. Sorry!

Time with "da kid" (J) is one of my top priorities. Last week we stayed up late several nights, just hangin' out. Sometimes even with the TV on too. LoL Last night we went for coffee with some friends, but he wasn't feeling well. This morning it's an upset stomach and headache so I'm taking some time to see how bad it gets, see if he needs a Dr. or a Mommy - and writing here.

Thanksgiving was wonderful and fun. Mom, my SIL Sharon and I contributed to the feast that my sister Julie prepared. She made the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and a pie that was to die for. Mom did salad and apple kugel (also to die for). Sharon brought more pies that were OMG good.

Here at the ranch Joshua and Sam made the Cranberry Salsa. Sam baked my Caramel Apple cake recipe (she did well!) and I made the easiest, most delicious cornbread recipe ever. Everything was just delish and the kids - 17, 15, 10, 9 & 3 - played and laughed and had fun.

Until... the little ones decided to play.... HOUSE! Here's where the after dinner heart attack happened.

Mom, Dad and three kids!?

This I can handle... LoL!

And then there was this... OY! Be still my heart

Ok, they were the most adorable things ever, (and they got a real kick out of me choking and fainting dead away on the floor) but I'm SO not encouraging this quite so quickly! Sheesh!

There you have it... I'm back and will, as always, post when I can and have anything of interest to say.

Thanks for reading. ~L

My Sweet J

2008-11-30T09:31:00.002-05:00

He' still a teenage boy with all the quirks and foibles one might expect, but there are two really sweet things about him that I noticed recently.

At one point I was having a really rough day and needed a good cry. Not only did he sit down beside me and offer a huge hug, he hugged while I cried, and didn't let go.

Last night he and I fell asleep while watching TV. He woke and headed to his bed, but before he went he slipped my glasses off my head and set them gently on the coffee table.

Sure there are times when he upsets, disappoints or frustrates me, but all in all I am blessed to have him as my son.

Furious

2008-11-29T13:05:00.003-05:00

As a mother whose son presented with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Nodular Sclerosis, Stage 4 ~ while Completely Asymptomatic ~ this infuriates me.

I have sent a copy of this to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hoping that they will have some influence on whether this young recruit is honorably discharged for medical reasons, with or without benefits, immediately. There is nothing he needs more than to be with his family as quickly as possible.

Please join me in saying a prayer for AB Weston and his family, as well as those in whose hands this decision lies.

AF wants to boot recruit with leukemia

By Sig Christenson, Express-News

The Air Force has moved to deny health benefits to a recruit who learned he had acute leukemia only weeks into basic training at Lackland AFB.

An evaluation board ruled that Airman Basic Joseph Weston had fallen ill before coming to boot camp. It ordered him dismissed from duty with an administrative discharge — making him ineligible for medical and retirement benefits.

The ruling came despite the opinion of an Air Force cancer specialist who said there was “absolutely no way” to prove that Weston came to Lackland sick. The case is being appealed, with Weston fighting to win a discharge that grants him continued medical care and possibly even a pension.

“I feel I’m entitled to that,” he said. “I definitely feel that the Air Force owes me a medical discharge, if not retirement.”

As he fights to survive, Weston, 21, of Cadillac, Mich., is waging what he sees as a battle for honor. He joined the Air Force during a time of war, wanting to serve and defend his country and better himself.

But after telling him he had a rare form of cancer that could either kill him or leave him an invalid, an Air Force Physical Evaluation Board denied Weston a medical/honorable discharge, which would allow him to receive government-covered chemotherapy treatment for the next three years. It also could help him receive a 100 percent disability rating, which would allow him to qualify for medical retirement benefits.

In the absence of either one, he could qualify for Medicaid, but no one knows much about that possibility at the moment.

“I don’t know what’s in my future at this point,” Weston said. “I thought I had a good idea at one point, but it’s kind of been taken away from me, so I don’t really know at this point what I’m going to do, what I want to do anymore. It’s all just kind of been thrown up into the air, like a deck of cards.”

Living in isolation
As he marked his 21st birthday, Weston was living in isolation in a medical holding squadron where airmen who flunk their drug tests, the walking wounded and seriously ill are warehoused. He avoids others because of an immune system weakened by treatments. He wears a surgical mask when he walks in the cramped squadron building or elsewhere on base — if he has the strength to walk.

The windowless room Weston has lived in since his diagnosis June 10 isn’t much bigger than a prison cell. For a while he was denied the right to read books other than the Bible. Once, he was chastised by a noncommissioned officer for resting his eyes after grueling chemotherapy treatments.

The Air Force says strict discipline is normal for those in the medical holding squadron, where the rules are similar to those in other training units. He has since been allowed to read and sleep during the day, in accordance with doctors’ orders.

An angry Weston said some NCOs in the 319th Training Squadron, as it’s called, have treated him as if he were a recruit who flunked a drug test.
But worst of all is the Air Force’s decision to give him an administrative discharge.

Weston said some recruits he knows are getting medical discharges for stress fractures and anxiety attacks. He finds that ironic and insulting.
It makes matters worse that he can’t go home to his parents, who have watched from afar as their son fights a two-front war from his sickbed.
“What became his initial battle of life with the cancer is almost secondary with this battle he’s got with this discharge decision,” Jim Weston, his father, said in a telephone interview. “It just causes more stress for him, more stress for the family, and obviously it’s not pleasant.”

A long march
Wearing a surgical mask and blue armband, Weston stands at attention in a formation outside the 319th dorm as he and other recruits await orders on a chilly Monday.

This is a relatively short walk to a Lackland dining hall, but for him it is part of a long march with no clear destination.

“Why is my body doing it?” he said. “I know it is happening, but why me? Why now?”
This was supposed to be his year. After taking a hard look at his life, Weston had decided the time had come to join the Air Force. He qualified to be a jet engine mechanic and would have come to training months sooner if it had been his call.

The Air Force delayed his arrival to Lackland for five months. Weston, who had lived with a girlfriend and worked in a restaurant, moved home with his parents and anticipated the day he could get to boot camp. This was his chance to pick up a family tradition. Both of Weston’s grandfathers had been in uniform, and now it was his turn.

But the plane flight to Lackland at the end of Memorial Day weekend was also an escape from a nowhere job and Michigan’s moribund economy. It offered a chance for him to acquire discipline and direction in a life that had gone in circles.

Soon after starting boot camp, Weston showed signs of lagging in physical training, but it wasn’t cause for alarm. At first it was thought he wasn’t drinking enough water to compensate for the hot San Antonio summer. He also wasn’t used to exercising.

Tall and thin, Weston, like many boot camp recruits, had been a couch potato at home. His military doctor, pediatric oncologist Della Howell, also reported that he had taken Chantix, a drug to help him quit smoking. The drug’s many side effects include insomnia, which can cause fatigue and anemia.

Weston said he drank more water, but the problems persisted. He had swelling in his legs, and a medical check revealed an abnormally high heart rate long after exercising — 110 beats per minute.

Doctors at Wilford Hall Medical Center figured out what was wrong after blood tests: He had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Called ALL, it’s typically seen in 3- to 4-year-old children, not young adults.

Weston called home. The gravity of the situation didn’t dawn on him until his mother, JoAnn Weston, broke down on the phone and said they were coming to be at his side.

“When he told me that they thought he had leukemia, to be very, very honest with you, I don’t remember what I said. I was in such a state of shock,” she said.

For Weston, the setback came just as things “had started to come together.”
“My dad, in fact, said quite a few times he felt jealous of me,” he continued. “It was like, ‘If I could go back right now 20 years, I’d switch places, I would, because you’ll be able to retire.’ He was just going through the benefits to it.
“I could tell he was really proud of me.”

Facing long odds
Weston had a better chance of being struck by lightning than coming down with ALL.

The government estimates your odds of being struck by lightning at 1 in 400,000. Just 90 people age 20 were diagnosed with all types of leukemia in the United States in 2000, the most recent statistics available to Howell. Of those 20-year-olds, she said, perhaps a third to a little more than half suffered from ALL.

ALL’s young victims, a subset of that group, have a better chance of survival than Weston.

“Anyone over the age of 10 is considered high risk, and that puts his survival rate at 60 or 65 percent,” Howell said.

Leukemia cells divide quickly and crowd the bone marrow. As they fill up the marrow, it becomes more difficult for the body to produce normal red blood cells that create platelets. When that happens, you bruise and bleed more easily and have increased difficulty in fighting off infections.
Adults with chronic leukemia can live for years. That is far more problematic with ALL.

“I’ve seen some children come in with an infection at the time of diagnosis and die that day. I’ve seen others have leukemia smolder in their bodies for months, and for some reason their bodies are just able to handle it better,” said Howell, 35, of Helotes. “In this case, had Airman Basic Weston not come in for treatment, if he had never had received any chemotherapy, I’d say that it could have easily taken his life in a matter of weeks.”

The question before the Physical Evaluation Board headed by Air Force Lt. Col. James Waggle was whether Weston was sick even before arriving at Lackland. He ruled the recruit was unfit to serve due to a physical disability but that it wasn’t incurred while on duty.

Waggle also said he wasn’t sure Weston’s impairment was permanent. After consulting with Wilford Hall’s adult hematology/oncology department, he wrote that “the board feels that there is compelling evidence to warrant a finding that the ALL existed before your entrance on active duty.”

Kenny Pruitt, a spokesman at the Air Force Personnel Center where the board is based, said the board could not comment on details of the case.
But Howell said Weston’s treatment could cause permanent, life-altering injuries. Howell also said that she thinks the board saw a letter she wrote insisting that Weston’s cancer was not a pre-existing condition.

The letter, obtained by the Express-News, said tests and past studies indicate that he would have had a normal amount of “blasts,” or leukemia cells, in his bone marrow on the day he entered training.

“Following this reasoning, Airman Weston had 2 percent blasts (a normal number) when he arrived in San Antonio, and he did not technically have ‘leukemia’ until 5 June 2008,” she wrote.

“Based on Airman Weston’s clinical history and laboratory findings, there is absolutely no way to prove that he did in fact have leukemia as a ‘pre-existing condition,’” Howell added. “The cell life cycle of acute leukemia cells seems to support that he did not have leukemia on arrival to San Antonio on 27 May 2008 for basic training. Therefore, there is no way that I can support the classification of this illness as a pre-existing condition.”

Bearing up
Weston is doing well despite intensive chemotherapy. He takes pills each day, gets shots in his legs and has a catheter in his chest, and undergoes a monthly spinal tap. He had three spinal taps in his first month of care.
The drugs he’s taking attack cancer cells during their life cycles. Chemo tends to kill rapidly dividing cells, among them ones that cause cancer and others linked to hair growth.

Since cancer cells can quickly develop a resistance to a single chemotherapy agent, different types of drugs are used to combat the cancer. The side effects of the drugs include hair loss, tumbling blood counts, mouth sores and loss of appetite.

As the week began, Weston sat alone at a table for five in one of Lackland’s dining halls eating a spaghetti sandwich. He hadn’t touched the baked potato on a smaller dish, but his appetite has been good thanks to the steroids doctors have given him.

Still, nothing can be done to stop Weston from feeling as if he’s been stranded. Airmen sit three to four at a table in front of him, some holding conversations under their breaths — a violation of the rule against talking but one tolerated by boot camp trainers through the years.

Though Weston’s dream of serving out his six-year contract is over, as is his hope to earn a college degree while in the Air Force, he still lives under military discipline — a 4:45 a.m. daily wakeup call, marching to the dining hall in formation and ending his sentences with “sir” or “ma’am.”

Weston’s blue armband tells trainers he is a recruit in need of continued medical care. He resents some of the trainees who wear orange armbands because they’re being banished from the Air Force for failing to meet the service’s standards. It may be that he envies the ones with green armbands because they’re working to improve their strength as part of Lackland’s “Get Fit” program.

They have hope of staying in the Air Force.

He’s on his way out, as soon as his case is resolved — which could be in as little as six weeks or as long as six months, he’s been told.

“We are all treated equally. There’s no difference in the way we are treated. Now, I didn’t choose to have cancer. I didn’t choose to get kicked out because of that, but I get treated the same as if somebody — I don’t think it’s right, I don’t think it’s fair,” Weston said.

He is seated at a table in a briefing room. Behind him to his left, a helmet rests atop a rifle beside a pair of desert combat boots — the traditional trappings used to honor a fallen soldier. Finding himself in the same circumstance as recruits who flunked their drug test makes no sense to him.

“It really makes me mad,” Weston said, and then he began to cry.
“It’s like I get stereotyped in with them, and I didn’t do it,” he said. “I would give anything to switch, and I can’t. But all they worry about is, ‘Oh my God, I have three weeks left!’ And I’m sitting here, and I hope I can go home in three months, and I have a serious problem.”

Happy Turkey Day

2008-11-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

From the biggest turkey of all, me.

"The Mom Song"!

2008-11-25T07:44:00.003-05:00

Turn off the playlist and turn up the volume.

~ because I said so ~

This is not to be missed!

The Mom Song- LIVE from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Thanks RR!

An Odd First

2008-11-24T06:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Joshua's Fall choir concert. The choir was not mighty in mumber, but it made up for it in sound! What a sweet sounding bunch of voices. It's no wonder this group does so well in competition and clinics. They are a talented bunch of kids with a caring director.

After the choir and madrigal group performed, the marching band took the, well... they took the whole auditorium!

i love love loved the drumline performance. That just floated my wee bitty drum-lovin' boat, but then came the surprise of the afternoon...

What I thought was going to be cheesy and oh so "pomp and rah-rah" actually caught me off guard. The band played God Bless America ~ the ol' Kate Smith standard ~ and I lost it.

Yep, I was in tears over a song I don't even like. It was all I could do to keep from openly bawling. Tears streamed down my face as I prayed for the house lights to dim giving me a modicum of merciful anonymity. No such luck.

It's just a mom-missing-her-girl kind of time. Everyone is starting to talk of visiting family or having guests and I... I dream almost nightly of showing up on V's doorstep and the amazing hug that would follow the screams. I live for it, breathe for it, want it so much it hurts. The thought of it permeates every concert, nook and cranny of my life.

And yet, day to day and week to week, I'm ok. She misses and loves me just as much and still... I know she's ok.

I need to breathe, to relax, and to trust in the Universe. All will be well.

I have faith.

Joshua and Tom

2008-11-23T09:37:00.003-05:00

We have a second hand building/home supply store as a part my office and, because of the BIG SALE set for Saturday 11/28 and balancing days off, they knew they'd be short-handed this past Friday.

Joshua wrapped up his first trimester of finals on Thursday afternoon and happened to have Friday off.

Coincidence? I think not.

Ergo, Friday became "Take your kid to work day" for me ~ and I couldn't be more tickled. I got to show him where I work and he got to participate in helping out in the store and, by extension, helping families who need affordable housing.

In the process he also got to feel what it was like to work a 9-5 day, he earned community service hours and got filthy dirty! And did I mention, he had a good time too? He did.

If it works out, he may be returning this coming Wednesday. Heh, if she's home and I can draft her, I may commandeer his girlfriend for some data entry too! Of course, that would mean that I would spend a small amount of energy keeping them each focused and apart! hee-hee

On another subject entirely...

My friend M gave me a birthday gift on Saturday (he works in OH and wasn't home on my big day).

I was so excited when I opened... a TOMTOM!!!

Lest you think me frivilous, you have to understand that I work in an area that is almost completely unfamiliar to me, and that I need to be off-site on a pretty regular basis ~ in parts unknown. I need to arrive on time and looking composed. Not utterly frazzled from being lost in urban blight areas or corn fields, both of which are entirely possible.

Thank you M! Now I can putter about with relative confidence. Put in the addy and off I go. :-D

OH! And in setting it up, I downloaded a few little gadgets too...

MY TomTom will find, or tell me when I am near, any IKEA, AIR FORCE BASE or STARBUCKS in North America!!!

Address #1 (after "Phone Home") is Minot AFB. Ahhh, my traveling Jones has help. Now I'm REALLY DANGEROUS!

SWF, sort of

2008-11-21T07:48:00.004-05:00

Happy 110th Birthday to the Belgian painter, René François Ghislain Magritte. Born, November 21, 1898, the same year as my paternal grandmother, who we called Baubie (yiddish for grandma).

I've always liked Magritte and his vivid portraits and men in red ties, but never knew he was born in '98. I always think of Baubie when people mention that year. To think that she would have been 110 this year is even more remarkable.

Magritte passed too young in 1967. My Baubie was fortunate enough to live to see one of her life's goals, to dance, albeit from a wheelchair, at my wedding. She passed one month later, almost to the day, in January of 1986.

She was a strong, opinionated woman who frustrated the dickens out of my parents. I'm more like her than I want to admit!

Have a wonderful SkyWatch Friday.

KO on Prop 8

2008-11-17T07:20:00.003-05:00

Today I give you Keith Olbermann, empassioned and close to tears. I stand with him, outraged at the passage of prop 8.

"They want what you want, a chance to be happy in the world."

Turn off the playlist at the bottom and watch.

Thanks go to my gf, lady C in Seattle, for bringing this to my attention. You are loved and missed.

What made me cry today

2008-11-16T13:16:00.004-05:00

Thank you to Tonjia, AF Mom at heart, who sent this to me forever ago (try Dec. 07, long before I knew I could share it here). It has stayed with me ever since.

Happy SWF

2008-11-14T07:26:00.003-05:00

Happy SkyWatch Friday (not Single White Female!)

This sky occured two weeks ago as I was putting things in my car at work.

I'd never been moved to walk around the south side of the building before. Cars are parked on the north, the entrance is to the east... but there's a green space on the south between our building and the road.

Who knew it could be a calm and beautiful place ~ even by a busy street with train tracks across it?! Now I do.

HBJ!

2008-11-13T06:31:00.004-05:00

He's Goofy...

He's Handsome...

He has a wicked sense of humor...

He's Proud...

He's Sweet...

He's Talented...
And I'm pleased as punch that he's mine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSHUA!

I love you,

MoM

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT GROWING OLD

2008-11-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Well CRAP!

Now I forgot what I was gonna tell ya!

Happy Birthday to me, and big thanks to AF Mom Peggy for today's post.

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T07:22:00.002-05:00

If there was a photo or article about the Army's rebuilding of the area surrounding Verdun, France in 1959-60, there was a chance that my dad or someone he knew had something to do with it.

He took this -

Here's Dad - Top right. If it looks like they're being goofy I'd agree. But then again, that fits! LoL

Closer...

One of the many articles for which he provided the photography -

Among the few large pictures is one of my personal favorites - The intensity captured in the small part of the face that can be seen is remarkable to me.

Happy Veteran's Day.

Change

2008-11-09T10:02:00.005-05:00

If it's good for the country, and I believe it is, then it's good for the blog!

Over ther past 24 hours you may have noticed a couple of little alterations here on "Thoughts". That's what happens when need meets opportunity and a constantly running washer and dryer gives me bits of down time to play here whilst I wait for that nerve grinding sound that signals time to attend to them.

Changes thusfar...
My first priority was to move the music to the bottom of the page in order to facilitate a full view of the player. It irritated me no end that, although it was accessible to turn on and off easily, I couldn't always see the full title of the song, and rarely could I see the artist's name. Unacceptable. Being the musicaholic that I am I just had to move it. Done.

In moving the music location I revisited the playlist website to make sure the code was up to date. While doing that I found that individual playlist size has been DOUBLED!

I was like a kid in a candy store. Instead of careful culling in order to have what was most important to me, I can have MORE!! No more putting back one to have another in its place. Of course, once I reach the 190s I'll wish it was 400, but I'll enjoy this for now. After all, the songs available don't touch the scope of my musicaholism!

Newly added is: Leonard Cohen, Helen Reddy, Emerald Rose, Anne Murray, Flobots, Linkin Park, Cher, Tori Amos, Carl Orff and Johnny Cash.

(The Linkin Park song is one of V's faves. Listen to the lyrics.)

If you have music suggestions for the ol' blog just comment with song title and artist here. If it's available I'll listen and see if our taste in music matches (you have a darned good chance, LoL) and I'll add it! Heck, I'll post a shout out about ya here too.

Both proud mom pics have changed.

I swiped the gold AF Mom wreath from somewhere but I can't remember where. It's been housed in my AF pics file for a while now. It may even have been a jewelry site, in which case ~ I want it!

The Police Explorer patch pic was swiped from a general site. I wanted the world to know that J is more than a student, as he's obligated to be. Though the choir logo is nifty and he does love being a choir member.

It was his idea to go check out the Police Explorers on their Open House night last year and he joined with zeal. It was one of those, "Mom, can I? Please please please please..." begging moments. Sometimes as a mom, as much as I still have a certain quota of "No's" to say, it's darned fun saying "Yes" now and then. Just don't tell HIM that!

Newly added on the left hand margin is a link titled "Meow Chow" with a little kitty face on it. Following that link will lead you to a site with a silly cat-related trivia question. Right or wrong the kitties win! They and their sponsors make a food donation for hungry cats. Purrr. Go click. Daily in fact! Thanks.

That's about it for the moment. I have a funny feeling that more little tweaks are in store. If you have suggestions of your own to spiff up the blogosphere here, you know how to post them!

Ketchup

2008-11-08T18:07:00.002-05:00

ok, catch up... but still ;)

The Me Report ~~~

Work has been hectic for me for the past 10 days or so. We have a big event approaching like a freight train and we're all doing everything we can to keep it on track. It's kept the phone glued securely to my head for days on end and I nearly lost my voice one day last week, but the effort is proving to have been worth our while. I love what I do and the people for whom I do it.

In the midst of having a bad day last week, some a** kicked up a stone on the freeway and it smacked the corner of my windshield. The bullseye crazed immediately and so, I will need to have the windshield replaced really soon. Sheesh!

The Joshua Report ~~~

Last week found him in the dentist chair having an emergency root canal which was the result of having a cracked tooth. He survived "the chair" just fine. Filling is scheduled for Monday afternoon. Other than that we discovered that he needs all 4 of his wisdom teeth out. Joy.

Only a couple days later he came home from Explorers touting a new title: Corporal Thomas! Yep - the kid now has rank and leadership responsibilities in his Police Explorer group. Proud mom moment!

Last night I attended opening night of the school musical, Anything Goes, for which Joshua is the Stage Manager. Staging-wise the show was flawless. Yay kidlet!

The V Report ~~~

Apparently the 10 day long inspection went very well for her shop, but the process has her exhausted. The kind of exhaustion when a week off to sleep and recoup would do you a world of good, but you can't take it, yanno?

Last week I was talking to her and she had me looking up COUNTRY songs that she likes. I mean gimme a break - the kid left here NOT a country fan at all. I'm chalking it up to the exhaustion.

She is loving some weekend down time playing RPGs and D & D with her friends and assisting in the general digging out.

What's that you say? Digging out?!

YEP! Minot got 6-8" of blowing and drifting snow last week. Winds like 70mph... and snow up to V's knees! The roads were icy and treacherous and you guessed it - she was called on to help dig people out of ditches, parking spaces and homes. Her friend Alex even invited people over for hot cocoa if they'd help dig the car out of the snow drift - in their own driveway! LoL

I think that about does it for the ketchup. I'm happy to have a night at home to recoup and do laundry. If you know me and that sounds a little unusual to you, you know how busy I've been lately! Currently I'm wading through Joshua's room grabbing towels and strewn clothing for the wash...

I'll make a fresh pot of coffee if you want to come help. I dare ya!

BiPartisan Humor

2008-11-04T15:35:00.002-05:00

THANKS, RR!

GO VOTE!

2008-11-04T07:03:00.003-05:00

I'm going to try to vote before work this morning. I'm taking a chair and my knitting bag. LoL If it looks like I'm going to be late I'll vote after work... but I will vote today. You?

And now for a little tidbit I found this morning:

Enjoy

Just HOW ridiculous can people be?

My Little Life

2008-11-03T07:56:00.004-05:00

This is how having a very busy weekend (and age) is affecting me this morning... as it took me 10 minutes of looking for my keys...

until I found them... right next to my glasses and phone, in plain sight on the counter.

Thanks Vicki, for the graphic. It's so appropriate!
Thanks Irisi, for the perfect title.

I'm off to work

Jonesin'

2008-10-29T08:29:00.004-04:00

Ever get a hankering to do something and not be able to stop thinking about just doing it - even though it's really impractical?? I used to think that bungee jumping sounded like one of those things. But ok, sometimes the hankering is wrong.

Lately I haven't been able to stop my inner "Traveling Jones". I was raised on road trips. Hey ~ I was raised in the Motor City, folks! I love to road trip. I crave road trips. Singing in the car. Seeing the sights. Playing license plate bingo. Pillows in the back seat. Watching the scenery change out the window.

My family used to drive everywhere. Mom and dad piled us girls in the car and off we went to: Florida, New York, Maryland, DC, Wisconsin, Ohio, northern MI.

The tradition continued with my kids as we traversed from AZ to MI and back by car, camping all the way. We took them to every city of any interest in AZ, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah. When you live 80 miles from anything ~ every jaunt is a road trip! We took camping or cottage vacations in Interlochen and throughout northern lower MI. *sigh* I mean, what's Michigan without the obligatory road trip to Call of the Wild???

I even road trip at destinations to which I fly! When I went to England my BFF drove us to Wales, London, Nottingham and Keswick. On choir tours we either bus or fly to our destination, but then it's coaches everywhere. Some of the most incredible driving I've ever seen has been our coach drivers as they navigated the narrow winding roads of New York, London and Wales.

For the past few years most of my tripping has been short distances. I drove to Columbus, OH alone for a conference (4 hrs), Went to Toledo with V to see a fave band together, went to Cleveland with a friend (3 hrs) to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. But that's about it. (insert pouty-pout here)

I need a road trip! And I'm jonesin' for it... bad. Case in point: Yesterday on the way to work all I could think about was to keep on going! Destination? Yesterday it was Delaware.

Where would I usually end up? Some days I have a list of destinations in mind (Minot, ND and Gaithersburg, MD feature high on the list), others it simply doesn't matter. I'm the crazy woman who wants to see the world's largest ball of twine, Cadillac Ranch, and The Crazy Horse monument. And look out AF Moms ~ I want to see your wonderful smiling faces... in person!

There's just something about being in contact with the ground that makes me feel like I am THERE ~ wherever there is.

You never know. One day, after I have new tires (hopefully soon), I might just end up on your doorstep. But really? I may just honk and wave from the car as I go by!

BTW: I was prompted (even more) to write this post by ShaysMa, who is chronicling her cross-country road trip adventure with Shay as I type. **Jealous!**

YOU are the only answer

2008-10-28T06:25:00.000-04:00

I'm too lazy to change the caps. This is how I clipped it and I am moved to post it. Enjoy.
*****
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE LOVED, NOT AT THE COST OF YOURSELF.

THE SINGLE RELATIONSHIP TRULY CENTRAL AND CRUCIAL IN A LIFE IS THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE SELF.

IT IS REWARDING TO FIND SOMEONE WHOM YOU LIKE, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO LIKE YOURSELF.

IT IS QUICKENING TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOMEONE IS A GOOD AND DECENT HUMAN BEING, BUT IT IS INDISPENSABLE TO VIEW YOURSELF AS ACCEPTABLE.

IT IS A DELIGHT TO DISCOVER PEOPLE WHO ARE WORTHY OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION AND LOVE, BUT IT IS VITAL TO BELIEVE YOURSELF DESERVING OF THESE THINGS.

FOR YOU CANNOT LIVE IN SOMEONE ELSE.
YOU CANNOT FIND YOURSELF IN SOMEONE ELSE.
YOU CANNOT BE GIVEN A LIFE BY SOMEONE ELSE.

OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU WILL KNOW IN A LIFETIME, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE NOR LOSE.

TO THE QUESTION OF YOUR LIFE, YOU ARE THE ONLY ANSWER.

TO THE PROBLEMS OF YOUR LIFE, YOU ARE THE ONLY SOLUTION.

ADVICE FROM A FALURE by: JO COUDERT

A Meme

2008-10-27T05:55:00.002-04:00

Stolen from Irisi, who stole it from blue_sky_48220.

Sarah Palin married her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin, on August 29, 1988. The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Anchorage. The Palins have two sons (Track, 19, and Trig, four months) and three daughters (Bristol, 17; Willow, 14; and Piper, 7) [ages as of August 2008].

Todd Palin has said Track's name came from the interest Sarah's parents had in the sport and the fact that he was born in the sport's season; Bristol was named after Bristol Bay in Alaska, where Todd grew up and where he does commercial fishing; Willow was named after Willow, Alaska; Piper got her name because it is uncommon and "a cool name"; Trig's name is Norse for "strength".

1) Your first-born will be named after your parents favorite sport.

2) Your second-born will be named after a nearby area that you're not from but you like the sound of part of the name, and maybe you have nostalgic memories of said place.

3) Your third-born will be named after another nearby place, for no reason other than you already have two children and don't have time to put much thought into another name.

4) Your fourth gets a "cool" name.

5) Your fifth gets something mythological, possibly straight out of Lord of the Rings.

WHICH MAKES MY KIDS:
Tiger, Petoskey, Salem, Dharma and Titania

(Had the first child been named after my FIL's fave sport, #1 would have been named, INDY.)

Your turn!

ND Sunset

2008-10-24T05:51:00.003-04:00

Happy SkyWatch Friday!

Let Them Eat... PIE!

2008-10-22T07:52:00.004-04:00

At the moment, Joshua would like to think that I exist to sell...

yes, delicious, fabulous, PIE - one of nature's perfect foods - on behalf of his HS Choir (to travel to and pay fees for competitions and tours. And yeah, they're that good.)

SO! If you live near me and want to order PIES that will arrive in the two days before Thanksgiving so they're FRESH for your holiday table...

Here are the details.

PIE comes from heaven, and these are no exception. They're made by the angels at The Grand Traverse PIE Company.

Available in: Cherry ~ Apple ~ Pumpkin ~ Lakeshore (think bumbleberry, all from Michigan. Their most popular PIE.)

PIES are $15 each with no limit on the number of PIES you can order.

Orders and payment (cash or check) are due by Oct 29th.
Checks can be made to: Groves HS Choir

That's all for now. Look for a SkyWatch pic compliments of V tomorrow. It's a pretty one!

Call me weak-willed

2008-10-15T22:03:00.002-04:00

but it was irresistable!

Don't look too intently, it just keeps repeating ad nauseum.

Obama, Llama, Duck!

LOL