I'll say it right off the bat. I could use a hug. Not a virtual one, but a real live one. The past two weeks have been one adrenaline rush after another, positively and negatively. I've been riding an escalator up and down since Sunday, and there are more rides in sight.
Down: Last week--fridge died
Up: This past Monday morning-- got new fridge
Down: Monday night --my husband fainted and knocked 2 teeth loose when his face hit the floor. Had emergency orthodontic repair the same night.
Up: our blood pressure after it happened
Down: Tuesday- dentist appt for x-rays.
Up: He said teeth should be fine, but it takes time to tell if nerve lives or dies.
Wednesday--exhaustion for both of us, and arguing about whether he should see specialists to see if there was an underlying cause for the syncopal episode (fainting)
Down: Thursday--Oldest son came home sick from work
Up: Friday (today) hubby agreed to keep cardiology appointment that *I* made for him
Down: that dr was superconservative and hubby didn't like what he had to say
Up: my oldest son's mood because he gets to move into his first apartment tomorrow
Down: my mood, for maternal reasons related to son's moving out
Up: my mood when our pastor, Arie, called to see how we're doing. I don't think pastors realize how much it means to get a caring call even when you're not in the hospital.
Down: Paul's immune system. He can't figure out why this cold is lingering and why it's not responding very fast to antibiotics.
Up: my daughter's mood when she got to sub four times this week in the kindergarten class she loves.
She takes the Praxis tomorrow, so she's nervous.
Add to this mix the effort I am trying to lose weight, make a scrapbook for my mom's birthday this coming Sunday, dust and vacuum to reduce allergens bothering my husband...
But hey, the Ravens are going to the playoffs so that's a big "up". If they lose, it will be a big "downer." It's not a fun house here when our team loses.
I haven't cried yet. I used to cry very easily, but the older I've gotten, the more scabby my heart has gotten. Or am I maturing in my ability to control my tears? Is it grace that I haven't cried, that I am strong for those who need me for soft foods and doctor appointments, shared excitement over getting hired two days after graduation, helping with a "moving experience," literally, and someone to drill him on Latin verbs and sign his permission slips.
I feel like there's going to be a crash soon and all this bottled up tension will pour, pour, pour out of me.
I would appreciate your prayers, and really wish I could get a hug.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Summa Cum Laude!
Graduation Day came at last and our daughter was at the top of her class with a GPA of 4.0. Who could be more ready to graduate than the graduate herself? Who could be more proud of their daughter? (And more eager to be finished with tuition payments!)
Each grad was allotted just four tickets to the ceremony. Her older brother had to attend premarital counseling with his bride in NJ. Her youngest brother would be bored. Her grandmother couldn't handle the walking and stairs. That left her parents, grandfather, and younger brother to attend.
Having forgotten to buy flowers ourselves ahead of time, we joined the throngs of others who spent a pretty penny for roses on site. I chose yellow roses to match her hood, and because I adore them.
My dad was full of strength and energy. Several times I asked, "Daddy ,are you okay?" as we walked probably a half mile from the parking lot to the auditorium in chilly air. (I was the only one who'd brought a winter coat. So glad I did!) We were following a girl who was in cap, gown and 6-inch heels! Steve was shivering, but came out with a funny question . "I wonder...this would be like a Candid Camera gig or something...if they got an actor to dress up in cap and gown and then start walking quickly around campus, going nowhere? I wonder how long people would follow?"
The ceremony started at 10, and from the first strains of "Pomp and Circumstance," I felt that familiar lump in my throat. We saw Sarah round the corner in the mob of grads, and I felt little tiny tears in the corners of my eyes. I had a flashback to her kindergarten graduation when she donned a pink cardboard cap with pink tassel, tall and proud, waving to Mommy and Daddy. Back then her grandmother had missed the ceremony as well, because of a broken foot.
We were sitting in the nosebleed section, but that was okay. The panoramic view thrilled me. All the flags on the stage represented the different countries from which the graduates hailed. All the people who had some part to play in this moment were there, whether in body or in spirit.
The commencement speaker was a Baltimore philanthropist and adjunct professor (in his fifties, I'd guess) who received his honorary doctorate with humility and humor. "This is the first degree I've ever gotten. I love this country." He went on to say that he checked out the "Rate your Professor" online, and saw that he got a chili pepper. He bragged to his wife about it, and "she let me have my glory for about a minute, and then said, 'Calm down, Frank. Your daughter gave it to you." Except for grating Baltimore accent ,he was easy to listen to.
I hadn't replaced the battery in my good Nikon soon enough, so I had to rely on a small point-n-shoot. It was better than nothing, but for distance, not the greatest. It didn't lessen my enjoyment in the least.
It was cool when they asked all the alumni to stand. My husband and I rose. We were in the class of
1987 and took the stage in January of '88, babe in the womb as we'd been married in December of '86. Once again, I had a flashback of being very, very hot and wondered how many hours it would take to get to the end of the alphabet in a class of 800 graduates. Thankfully this time the room was cool, I was way past childbearing ability, and the class was about 250.
When they called her name, we yelled and stomped and clapped and "woo-hooed" our lungs out. My dad leaned over to me from the right and said, "I knew I should've brought the shofar!" My husband leaned over to me from the left and said, "Two down and two to go!"
Enough about the ceremony. Let's jump to the pictures.
With her loyal Christian friend, Kelly, from her cohort.
With her sweet, doting dad.
With her short, happy mama.
With her funny, supportive younger brother, Steve.
With her Pappaw (my dad).
The proud, happy, and cold family.
Congratulations, beautiful daughter. We love you.
Each grad was allotted just four tickets to the ceremony. Her older brother had to attend premarital counseling with his bride in NJ. Her youngest brother would be bored. Her grandmother couldn't handle the walking and stairs. That left her parents, grandfather, and younger brother to attend.
Having forgotten to buy flowers ourselves ahead of time, we joined the throngs of others who spent a pretty penny for roses on site. I chose yellow roses to match her hood, and because I adore them.
My dad was full of strength and energy. Several times I asked, "Daddy ,are you okay?" as we walked probably a half mile from the parking lot to the auditorium in chilly air. (I was the only one who'd brought a winter coat. So glad I did!) We were following a girl who was in cap, gown and 6-inch heels! Steve was shivering, but came out with a funny question . "I wonder...this would be like a Candid Camera gig or something...if they got an actor to dress up in cap and gown and then start walking quickly around campus, going nowhere? I wonder how long people would follow?"
The ceremony started at 10, and from the first strains of "Pomp and Circumstance," I felt that familiar lump in my throat. We saw Sarah round the corner in the mob of grads, and I felt little tiny tears in the corners of my eyes. I had a flashback to her kindergarten graduation when she donned a pink cardboard cap with pink tassel, tall and proud, waving to Mommy and Daddy. Back then her grandmother had missed the ceremony as well, because of a broken foot.
We were sitting in the nosebleed section, but that was okay. The panoramic view thrilled me. All the flags on the stage represented the different countries from which the graduates hailed. All the people who had some part to play in this moment were there, whether in body or in spirit.
The commencement speaker was a Baltimore philanthropist and adjunct professor (in his fifties, I'd guess) who received his honorary doctorate with humility and humor. "This is the first degree I've ever gotten. I love this country." He went on to say that he checked out the "Rate your Professor" online, and saw that he got a chili pepper. He bragged to his wife about it, and "she let me have my glory for about a minute, and then said, 'Calm down, Frank. Your daughter gave it to you." Except for grating Baltimore accent ,he was easy to listen to.
I hadn't replaced the battery in my good Nikon soon enough, so I had to rely on a small point-n-shoot. It was better than nothing, but for distance, not the greatest. It didn't lessen my enjoyment in the least.
It was cool when they asked all the alumni to stand. My husband and I rose. We were in the class of
1987 and took the stage in January of '88, babe in the womb as we'd been married in December of '86. Once again, I had a flashback of being very, very hot and wondered how many hours it would take to get to the end of the alphabet in a class of 800 graduates. Thankfully this time the room was cool, I was way past childbearing ability, and the class was about 250.
When they called her name, we yelled and stomped and clapped and "woo-hooed" our lungs out. My dad leaned over to me from the right and said, "I knew I should've brought the shofar!" My husband leaned over to me from the left and said, "Two down and two to go!"
Enough about the ceremony. Let's jump to the pictures.
With her loyal Christian friend, Kelly, from her cohort.
With her sweet, doting dad.
With her short, happy mama.
With her funny, supportive younger brother, Steve.
With her Pappaw (my dad).
The proud, happy, and cold family.
Congratulations, beautiful daughter. We love you.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Hodgepodge: Blood, Sweat, and Tears
My answers will be brief this week, if you can believe that. I'm tired and I'll explain why in another post if I'm not too tired. It's been three high-adrenaline days here, and I feel the crash coming on as I type. I will blog when I can about Sarah's graduation, our new fridge, and my husband's medical emergency. But since that emergency has repercussions (ie follow up care is needed before he is allowed to drive again), I might not be able to blog tomorrow. We'll see.
1. Lake Superior University has once again published a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-
amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, trickeration, ginormous, and thank you in advance.
Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Go here to read more about how the words are chosen.
I actually haven't heard some of those (trickeration, blowback, shared sacrifice). I could guess at what they mean, but I am too tired. I am guilty of using "amazing" too often, and I actually like the word "ginormous." I guess I'll say "thank you in advance" because it sometimes sounds presumptuous to me. Or lazy, as if saying it in advance will excuse someone from thanking afterwards for said request, usually money, right?
2. Are you easily embarrassed?
No, I don't think so.
3. What is your go-to snack?
Cereal.
4. Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? If not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most want to see in that city? If you have been, what's your favorite site/attraction?
Yes, a few times. As a history buff and Lincoln fan, I loved Ford's Theatre where Abe was shot. (Putting it that way doesn't sound like I'm a fan, but oh well, my thinker is thunk out.) I'm tired.
What would I most like to see in that city? New residents in the White House.
5. sit ups-planks-lunges-squats...which do you hate the least?
Sit-ups, because I can do them on my back. The others hurt my back or joints. I usually see results fairly soon from the sit-ups, which ought to motivate me, but I'm more into the "sit" than the "up."
6. What's a small act of kindness you were shown that you've never forgotten?
Wow, so very many to name, but right now I am thinking of one that wasn't so small. Maybe to him it was, but to me it was huge. When I gave birth to my last child, I ruptured all the ligaments in my pelvis and was in excruciating pain. I needed to be transferred from the labor and delivery room bed to a wheelchair to get to a regular room, so my husband held me up under the arms while the nurse put the chair under me. I was a dripping mess (I'll spare further description) but I never felt more helpless than when I looked down and saw my blood on his shoes. He never complained. For the next five weeks, he (or my children or mom ) would turn me every two hours in my rented hospital bed in our kitchen since I had partial paralysis from the damaging birth. (I was miraculously healed six months later on an eventful September morning.) I can't talk about that time in my life without feeling hot tears puddling in my eyes.
Yes. But I am what they call "a hard stick" because of my tiny veins. Many phlebotomists give up and call the best one on staff. I don't mind needles, but the words I heard once from a nurse nearly made me pass out. She called a co-worker in and pressed a soft spot on the inside of my elbow. "Is this a vein?" she asked. Hellllloooooo? If you have to ask, you shouldn't be a nurse. Or at least you shouldn't ask in front of your patient!!!!
8. Insert your own random thought here.
Please pray for wisdom. We don't know why my husband fainted Monday night but the results have been painful and scary. More later on that when I'm not so tired.
Please pray for wisdom. We don't know why my husband fainted Monday night but the results have been painful and scary. More later on that when I'm not so tired.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Marti tagged me in a post on her blog. This is a fun way to get acquainted, so won't you please play along?
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading
this.’ Blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 peeps!
this.’ Blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 peeps!
Here are Marti's questions and my answers:
1. Where do you like to vacation? Myrtle Beach, SC, has been a family favorite, but if I could choose, we'd go somewhere different every time.
2. Do you have pets? Yes, a spunky Golden Retriever who turns two this month.
3. What is your favorite color? purple
4. How many are in your family? 6
5. What is your least favorite thing to do? It's a toss-up between decluttering (I hate the decision overload, but I like the results) and exercising. (I hate to sweat, but it's the only way to get results.)
6. What is your most favorite thing to do? Another toss-up between teaching and blogging.
7. If money were no object, what would you like to do when you retire? Travel the world both for leisure and doing short-term missions trips.
8. What is your favorite season? Fall.
9. What book are you currently reading? The Water Giver
10.What time do you go to bed, get up in the morning? Go to bed between 10 and 1 , get up between 7 and 7:30 on weekdays, 8-8:30ish on weekends.
11.How long have you been blogging? Since January of 2005, so seven years. Can that possibly be right? It's all Laurie R's fault for getting me started!!!
4. How many are in your family? 6
5. What is your least favorite thing to do? It's a toss-up between decluttering (I hate the decision overload, but I like the results) and exercising. (I hate to sweat, but it's the only way to get results.)
6. What is your most favorite thing to do? Another toss-up between teaching and blogging.
7. If money were no object, what would you like to do when you retire? Travel the world both for leisure and doing short-term missions trips.
8. What is your favorite season? Fall.
9. What book are you currently reading? The Water Giver
10.What time do you go to bed, get up in the morning? Go to bed between 10 and 1 , get up between 7 and 7:30 on weekdays, 8-8:30ish on weekends.
11.How long have you been blogging? Since January of 2005, so seven years. Can that possibly be right? It's all Laurie R's fault for getting me started!!!
Here are 11 random things about me:
1. I drive with my left arm tucked between the seat and the door most of the time.
2. I notice line and design everywhere I go.
3. People who know me call me a Grammar Queen, or Grammar Guru, or Grammar Nazi. I prefer "Queen" and choose to think of it as a term of endearment.
4. I crack my knuckles and neck multiple times a day.
5. Flying is a thrill to me. I love taking off, landing, hanging out in airports, seeing new places, meeting new people and reconnecting with old people, and by old I mean "ones I already know"!
6. I need a dental implant on the Lower East Side.
7. I have never been to New York City, and it's only few hours away.
8. My old dog died a year ago today, and I still miss her terribly sometimes.
9. These days I spend a lot time dreaming about becoming a grandmother. I hope I'm a good one.
10. I would rather have a pedicure than a manicure any day.
11. I would love to take a painting class. I've never had art lessons, but I teach art to middle schoolers. Ironic?
Next are my 11 questions for my tag-ees.
1. How long has it been since your last dental visit?
2. What was the best day for you in 2011?
3. What was the worst day for you in 2011?
4. If you could trade places with anyone for a week, who would it be, and why?
5. What drives you crazy in your home?
6. Who is the kindest person you know?
7. Do you have a nickname? Care to share?
8. Would you rather eat most of your meals at home, or in a restaurant?
9. Where do you see yourself in five years?
10. What's the last thing someone did to "make your day"?
11. What's your favorite decade, whether in your life or in your history studies?
Tag-ees: (Please don't feel you have to participate if that is unwelcome pressure, but consider my invitation as a "thinking of you" card today.)
Amy K
Briana A
Laurie R
Laurie H
Danielle J
AuburnChick
Joyce
Lea
Sarah Z
Susan K
Kelly C
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)