Finally one day the hospital called and said Kevin was ready to come home. I was so happy, I grabbed a suit of clothes for him and off I went to bring my baby home. The nurse dressed him in his white shirt and red crawlers and white shoes and soxs. All the nurses raved about Kevin's creamy smooth complextion, his deep blue eyes, and long dark eyelashes. Along with his short blond hair, he was a little doll. When the nurse finished dressing him, she sat him on the side of his bed but he couldn's sit up, he rolled over into a ball.
Before we left for home, the doctor came in to talk to me. He said Kevin had epilepsy and was having over a hundred seizures a day. He said the convulsions and rolling of the eyes were epileptic seizures. Kevin would probably be like this for the rest of his life.
Now I had two invalid children to care for. Am I strong enough to take on this heavy load? In God's name, how can you do this to us? All we wanted was two normal children. Instead, you send us this heavy cross to bear. Please give us the strength and the understanding to undertake this great task. We cannot do it without Your help.
In the months to follow, things got worse. It took all my time just to feed the two children. Jr. ate slowly and each meal would take one hour to feed him. It took over two hours to feed Kevin at each meal. That's three hours spent at every meal just to feed the two boys. Then by the time we had our meal and washed the dishes, it was time to start feeding the first one again. My housework had to be neglected and I was tired and listless and feeling miserable because I was pregnant again and the third baby was due only a short time away.
In January, 1957, Janie was born. Our luck just had to change this time. She was the largest of the children, weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz. She looked like a butterball, compared to Kevin's 6 lbs. and Jr.'s 5 ;bs 14 ozs.
At the age of two years, Janie had to have an operation for an umbilical hernia. She was taken to Children's Hospital for the operation. She came through it all without any complications. The day she came home, she climbed the back yard fence, so she couldn't be feeling too badly. Sometime after this, she had her first asthma attack. It scared me so to see her gasping for breath. This went on for about 5 days. She only had these attacks once or twice a year, but they became more frequent as she got older. Even though Janie had these problems, at least she was normal and that meant everything.
Now I had three babies and the oldest was not quite three years old. All three were in diapers and had to be bottle-fed. Did I ever know what work was? By the end of the day I was exhausted.
Then in March of 1958 tragedy struck again. There was an Asian flu epidemic and we all contacted it. Jr. was the last one to contact it. He was very sick for five days. His temperature was high and he couldn't keep anything on his stomach. He was so touchy he couldn't stand for me to touch him. I called the doctor and he said to bring Jr. to the office. I wrapped him in a heavy blanket and Mom drove us there, only a few blocks from our housse. The doctor examined him and said he had acute bronchitis. He gave me a prescription to have filled and said Jr. would be all right.
That evening I gave him his medicine and fed him a few spoonfuls of soup. He seemed to be feeling better. So I changed him into his pajamas and gave him a good-night kiss and tucked him into his bed.
My precious darling! How was I to know that I would never hold you in my arms again?
I went to Jr.'s bed the next morning to wake him for breakfast. I pulled the covers back and rolled him over to awaken him. Oh God! No! This couldn't be! My Jr. was dead. Only ten more days and he would have celebrated his fourth birthday. To think he died today, March 6, 1958, on my twenty-fourth birthday. This was to be a day of celebration and joy but now it had turned into a day I shall never forget. Nor will I ever be able to celebrate on this day again.
My baby was gone. The end of the world had come. I could not take anymore. I have borne more in these last three years than most people have in a lifetime.
I called my parents and they came to the house within minutes. John was a work so Mom called his boss and asked him to relay the news to John. They had to contact him out on his route, but within about half an hour he was home. When he came in, I could tell he had been crying. He walked right in by Jr.'s bed and spent a few minutes there alone. From the time of Jr.'s death until now, (8 years later) John was never to mention him name again.
Funeral arrangements were made and friends and relatives came by the house off and on all day.
My precious darling! I couldn't go on without him. I felt so close to him, I guess, because he was my first baby, and now he had been taken away from me. The days that followed were unbearable. I couldn't sleep at night and I couldn't stand to be alone.
Weeks passed and with each week the pain eased up some. Then I came upon a poem that seemed to bring me back to reality again. It went like this:
"God's garden has need for a little flower
That has grown for a time here below;
But in tender love, He took it above,
In more favorable climatte to grow."
After all, God did give Jr. to me for almost four years and if He loved my Jr. so much that He wanted him back, who was I to stand in the way? Goodby my precious baby, till we meet again.
Three months went by and we were just beginning to get ourselves straightened out when Kevin became critically ill. He had a fever and was having difficulty in breathing. We rushed him to Children's Hospital where they immediately put him into an oxygen tent. His breathing was heavy and labored. The doctor said his lungs were almost completely filled with liquid. He was in critical condition for two weeks before he started to show improvement.
Kathy
(I will post the conclusion to this story on Sunday)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
My Gifts From Heaven (part 2)
I had planned to share more of this story yesterday evening, but the season finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County was on and I had to stay focused on that.....don't judge.
I want to repeat that this is a true story, and as much as I want to write my own stories, it was NOT written by me, but I am sharing from the original manuscript. Again, I have changed the names for privacy even though most of the people in this have passed on.
MY GIFTS FROM HEAVEN (part 2)
Everything was fine for the next three days and as the time grew closer for me to leave the hospital, I noticed that Kevin's complexion had a yellowish cast to it. I spoke to the doctor about this. He took some blood tests of Kevin. The count was very high; if it went any higher he would have to have a complete transfusion. A mild case of yellow jaundice is not unusual to new babies but it could mean trouble.
I immediately called John on the telephone and let him know about the problem. He was having supper at my Mom's house. When he received my call, Mom told me later, he was in the middle of his meal and when I told him of Kevin's condition, the laughter that had been his, left, and he pushed his supper aside to go out for a lond walk, alone. He did away with the cigars he had been passing out for the last two days.
When he came to the hospital that evening he looked so dejected. The same thing was going through his mind that had done through mine. Was something going to be wrong with this baby too?
Dr. Moore came into the room to speak to us. He said they were to make further tests on Kevin, but in the past hour or two, he was showing some improvement. They would leave things go for now and see what happens.
By the time I was ready to leave the hospital, Kevin's blood count was normal so the crisis was over. John and I felt better after hearing the news. Everything was fine now, our worries were over and we felt at peace again.
I left the hospital on the fourth day, but we had to leave Kevin there for about ten days for precautionary measures. By the time he came home I was well rested and able to take care of him without any difficulty.
Kevin was a good baby, slept all the time. I even had to wake him for his 2:00 am feeding. I did this for a few months because he was so small. I felt he should have all the nourishment he could get.
John was a good husband. He worked hard every day. He left early in the morning but was always home by supper. Jr. always looked forward to seeing him come home in the evening. I would face his wheelchair toward the door, and when he saw John come in, he would give out with a squeal and draw his legs up, then kick them out repeatedly and laugh. John would take off his work cap and put it on Jr.'s head and then everything would be all right. This routine went on every evening. John and Jr. were real pals.
We didn't go out very often. If we did, it was usually to my parent's house up the street. We didn't have a car at this time and with two babies it was difficult to go on a bus, so we just stayed home.
When Kevin went in for his three month's checkup, Dr. Moore examined him and pronounced him as healthy and normal as any three month old child. When I told John that night we were happier than you could possibly imagine. Life was beautiful; everything was perfect; at long last we had a normal healthy baby.
Our two-room apartment began to bulge at the seams. We had two baby beds, our bedroom suit and a living room suit all in one room. There was a three-room apartment up the street, so we moved up there. It was still crowded but more room than what we had before. We now live two doors from my parents' home which proved to be heaven-sent in the years that were to follow.
It was Fourth of July and we had our usual family picnic. Everything was perfect. On this holiday we all gather together at Mom's for a day of feasting, fun and frolic. There was my brother and his wife and children, my sister and her husband and children, John and I, Jr., Kevin, Mom and Dad and anyone else who happened to drop by.
Mom always furnished the meat and the rest of us would bring the dish we were most noted for. I made good potato salad, so that's what I contributed. My sister made the best corn pudding and my sister-in-law the cake. After a delicious meal that we all suffered for the rest of the day, we would get out the cards and have a good poker game that usually lasted the rest of the afternoon. The only interruptions were for a quick diaper change or a feeding for one of the babies. What fun we had on these good old days that were not to last for long. How we would have held on to these fun-filled moments if we knew what the future held.
The next day, July 5, Kevin had a fever and was vomiting some. I thought it was from the excitement of the previous day. I gave him some aspirin and thought he would be all right in a day or two, but by the third day, there was no improvement. He began to roll his head from one side to the other while sitting up in his stroller.
When he slept, he would lie perfectly still but his eyes were wide open. We knew then that something was dreadfully wrong. We rushed him to the emergency room at St. James's Hospital. They, in turn, told us to take him to a specialist. We did, and the doctor immediately sent Kevin to Children's Hospital. He diagnosed Kevin as having encephalitis or inflammation of the brain.
Mom drove me to the hospital as John was at work, and didn't know about this until he came home. He came to the hospital to meet me and we spent the evening there, giving Kevin's history and hoping to find out some news of him. He was put in the isolation nursery. He was behind a glass wall and all we could do was stand there and look at him. I couldn't even touch him. I wanted so badly to hold him in my arms. Was this illness going to be fatal? He was only seven months old and already was beginning his life of suffering.
The doctor wouldn't tell us anything for several days. Then one day he called us into his office. He said Kevin was having convulsions every few minutes and his head was swollen from some liquid that was accumulating there. Then the worse news of all: Kevin had only ten days to live.
While driving home, neither John nor I spoke a single word. The tears were streaming down my face and I bit my lips to try and hold it back. I knew John felt the same way, but being a man, he kept control of himself.
When we arrived hom, my aunt and uncle were at the house. They kept Mom and Jr. company while we were at the hospital. I knew they were waiting to hear the news of Kevin. I didn't say a word when I entered the house. I went up to Jr. and picked him up off my mother's lap and buried my face in his shoulder and cried uncontrollably. In the meantime, John went up to the corner grocery where my Dad worked and told him. Dad told me later, that John took it very hard but never once did he break down in front of me.
Kevin improved some but he lay near death for two months. He was still having convulsions but the liquid, that had made his head swell, had been drained. Something new was now occurring. Kevin's eyes would roll up and become fixed for a long period at a time. They would flicker and roll almost continually. How it hurt to see him suffer.
By now I was three months pregnant. How on earth could I take care of Jr. and now Kevin and a new baby on the way? Only time could answer that question.
(to be continued)
Kathy
I want to repeat that this is a true story, and as much as I want to write my own stories, it was NOT written by me, but I am sharing from the original manuscript. Again, I have changed the names for privacy even though most of the people in this have passed on.
MY GIFTS FROM HEAVEN (part 2)
Everything was fine for the next three days and as the time grew closer for me to leave the hospital, I noticed that Kevin's complexion had a yellowish cast to it. I spoke to the doctor about this. He took some blood tests of Kevin. The count was very high; if it went any higher he would have to have a complete transfusion. A mild case of yellow jaundice is not unusual to new babies but it could mean trouble.
I immediately called John on the telephone and let him know about the problem. He was having supper at my Mom's house. When he received my call, Mom told me later, he was in the middle of his meal and when I told him of Kevin's condition, the laughter that had been his, left, and he pushed his supper aside to go out for a lond walk, alone. He did away with the cigars he had been passing out for the last two days.
When he came to the hospital that evening he looked so dejected. The same thing was going through his mind that had done through mine. Was something going to be wrong with this baby too?
Dr. Moore came into the room to speak to us. He said they were to make further tests on Kevin, but in the past hour or two, he was showing some improvement. They would leave things go for now and see what happens.
By the time I was ready to leave the hospital, Kevin's blood count was normal so the crisis was over. John and I felt better after hearing the news. Everything was fine now, our worries were over and we felt at peace again.
I left the hospital on the fourth day, but we had to leave Kevin there for about ten days for precautionary measures. By the time he came home I was well rested and able to take care of him without any difficulty.
Kevin was a good baby, slept all the time. I even had to wake him for his 2:00 am feeding. I did this for a few months because he was so small. I felt he should have all the nourishment he could get.
John was a good husband. He worked hard every day. He left early in the morning but was always home by supper. Jr. always looked forward to seeing him come home in the evening. I would face his wheelchair toward the door, and when he saw John come in, he would give out with a squeal and draw his legs up, then kick them out repeatedly and laugh. John would take off his work cap and put it on Jr.'s head and then everything would be all right. This routine went on every evening. John and Jr. were real pals.
We didn't go out very often. If we did, it was usually to my parent's house up the street. We didn't have a car at this time and with two babies it was difficult to go on a bus, so we just stayed home.
When Kevin went in for his three month's checkup, Dr. Moore examined him and pronounced him as healthy and normal as any three month old child. When I told John that night we were happier than you could possibly imagine. Life was beautiful; everything was perfect; at long last we had a normal healthy baby.
Our two-room apartment began to bulge at the seams. We had two baby beds, our bedroom suit and a living room suit all in one room. There was a three-room apartment up the street, so we moved up there. It was still crowded but more room than what we had before. We now live two doors from my parents' home which proved to be heaven-sent in the years that were to follow.
It was Fourth of July and we had our usual family picnic. Everything was perfect. On this holiday we all gather together at Mom's for a day of feasting, fun and frolic. There was my brother and his wife and children, my sister and her husband and children, John and I, Jr., Kevin, Mom and Dad and anyone else who happened to drop by.
Mom always furnished the meat and the rest of us would bring the dish we were most noted for. I made good potato salad, so that's what I contributed. My sister made the best corn pudding and my sister-in-law the cake. After a delicious meal that we all suffered for the rest of the day, we would get out the cards and have a good poker game that usually lasted the rest of the afternoon. The only interruptions were for a quick diaper change or a feeding for one of the babies. What fun we had on these good old days that were not to last for long. How we would have held on to these fun-filled moments if we knew what the future held.
The next day, July 5, Kevin had a fever and was vomiting some. I thought it was from the excitement of the previous day. I gave him some aspirin and thought he would be all right in a day or two, but by the third day, there was no improvement. He began to roll his head from one side to the other while sitting up in his stroller.
When he slept, he would lie perfectly still but his eyes were wide open. We knew then that something was dreadfully wrong. We rushed him to the emergency room at St. James's Hospital. They, in turn, told us to take him to a specialist. We did, and the doctor immediately sent Kevin to Children's Hospital. He diagnosed Kevin as having encephalitis or inflammation of the brain.
Mom drove me to the hospital as John was at work, and didn't know about this until he came home. He came to the hospital to meet me and we spent the evening there, giving Kevin's history and hoping to find out some news of him. He was put in the isolation nursery. He was behind a glass wall and all we could do was stand there and look at him. I couldn't even touch him. I wanted so badly to hold him in my arms. Was this illness going to be fatal? He was only seven months old and already was beginning his life of suffering.
The doctor wouldn't tell us anything for several days. Then one day he called us into his office. He said Kevin was having convulsions every few minutes and his head was swollen from some liquid that was accumulating there. Then the worse news of all: Kevin had only ten days to live.
While driving home, neither John nor I spoke a single word. The tears were streaming down my face and I bit my lips to try and hold it back. I knew John felt the same way, but being a man, he kept control of himself.
When we arrived hom, my aunt and uncle were at the house. They kept Mom and Jr. company while we were at the hospital. I knew they were waiting to hear the news of Kevin. I didn't say a word when I entered the house. I went up to Jr. and picked him up off my mother's lap and buried my face in his shoulder and cried uncontrollably. In the meantime, John went up to the corner grocery where my Dad worked and told him. Dad told me later, that John took it very hard but never once did he break down in front of me.
Kevin improved some but he lay near death for two months. He was still having convulsions but the liquid, that had made his head swell, had been drained. Something new was now occurring. Kevin's eyes would roll up and become fixed for a long period at a time. They would flicker and roll almost continually. How it hurt to see him suffer.
By now I was three months pregnant. How on earth could I take care of Jr. and now Kevin and a new baby on the way? Only time could answer that question.
(to be continued)
Kathy
Monday, June 25, 2012
My Gifts From Heaven (part 1)
The following is a true story, I did not write it. It was written about 40 years ago or so. It was a time before advanced medical treatment and not a lot was known about certain ailments. I share this story because it shows true sacrifice and courage and hope in a time of despair. I will be sharing this story over the next few posts, I have changed the names of the people involved for privacy although most of the people in this story are longer with us. I hope you see in this story, as I did, how the human spirit can handle adversity and still keep the faith.
MY GIFTS FROM HEAVEN
It was a cold snowy night on December 24, 1955, when the first pain began. My second baby was on the way. A doctor friend who lived in the next apartment told me to go to bed and that I had plenty of time. Nothing would happen before morning. Boy! Did I fool him! One hour later I was on my way to the hospital.
I had my suitcase packed three weeks in advance so as not to have to rush at the last minute.
My husband, John, who worked for a softdrink company, had been home from work about two hours. We were just finishing supper when the pains started. John walked six houses up the street to get my parents. They cam down immediately, feeling more excited than we. Mom stayed with my son, Jr., as we called him.
Jr. was two years old and had cerebral palsy. He was completely helpless and spent much of his time in a wheelchair. He was such a friendly little guy and always had a smile for everyone. Even though he couldn't talk, he did recognize people and always expected to be acknowledged when someone came into the room. If someone forgot to speak to him, he would fret and keep looking at them until they did speak. Mom was the only person I would trust to take care of Jr. because she knew his habits and he was difficult to care for.
When I felt it was time to leave for the hospital, Dad backed his car down to the front of our house. I got in the back seat with John and off we went.
We were all feeling very anxious. We wanted this baby more than anything. This baby would make up for all the disappointments we had with our first child.
Before we were married we talked of having four children. John wanted two boys to do all his work so he could take it easy. I wanted two girls to help me around the house. We often laughed and said we could retire while we were young and let the children take care of us.
I couldn't help but say a silent prayer that this baby would be normal and healthy. We had accepted the fact that our first child was handicapped, but could we possibly accept another one.
Good old Dad, he as so law-abiding. A few of my pains told me we'd better hurry, but Dad wouldn't pass a red light for anything and believe me, we made every red light between home and the hospital.
Finally we arrived there. Dad and John debated whether to go in the back door or the front. I said, "While you two are trying to decide, I'm going in the front way." Dad and John went into the waiting room and I was wheeled upstairs to the labor room.
What thoughts rush through one's mind when one enters this room. Everything so white and sterile and the odor of anesthesia throughout the hospital. Then the pains which start out so mild, then become so severe you wonder if you can bear it. Then you think of the reward you get in exchange for the pain and it seems like a very small price to pay.
By now the pains were severe, only seconds apart, as I rang for the nurse. She immediately examined me and listened for the baby's heartbeat. It took here several minutes. She called in two other nurses who tried to locate the heartbeat. They said they couldn't find one.
Dear God, I thought, please don't let anything go wrong with this baby. By now I was on my way to the delivery room. After a few minutes the doctor arrived. I apologized for taking him away from his family on Christmas Eve. As it turned out, he was at a basketball game and had to leave during half-time. I'm sure he could have blessed me.
Dr. Moore was a very kind and thoughtful person. He tried to reassure me during these nine months that nothing would go wrong with this baby, that it was rare to have two children in the same family with cerebral palsy. I tried to believe him, but, after all, I hadn't felt much movement during the pregnancy.
We carried on a conversation during the delivery, trying to ease the tension. I reminded the doctor that I had predicted this baby to be born on Christmas Eve, and that he said it wouldn't come before the first week of January.
We had hoped for a girl but Kevin came along instead. It took what seemed like eternity before they could get him to breathe. Finally after a few hard spanks on the seat, he gave out a lusty yell and everything seemed to be all right. He as my special gift from heaven. An even 6 pounds and bald as a beet, but the most precious little thing in the world.
I felt a little sad to think that I couldn't be at home with the rest of the family because Christmas was always a day of excitement. Mom always baked a huge turkey with dressing and all the trimmings. Company would come and go all day and the thrill of opening presents and the laughter of children. How I would like to be there tonight, but God had other plans and who are we to question the will of God?
The day after Kevin was born, Christmas Day, John and my family came to see me. They brought my presents with them and John gave me a pot of yellow chrysanthamums. This was the happiest Christmas I ever had - a new baby, presents, flowers, we were sitting on top of the world. The whole workd was beautiful. Nothing could go wrong now.
(to be continued)
Kathy
MY GIFTS FROM HEAVEN
It was a cold snowy night on December 24, 1955, when the first pain began. My second baby was on the way. A doctor friend who lived in the next apartment told me to go to bed and that I had plenty of time. Nothing would happen before morning. Boy! Did I fool him! One hour later I was on my way to the hospital.
I had my suitcase packed three weeks in advance so as not to have to rush at the last minute.
My husband, John, who worked for a softdrink company, had been home from work about two hours. We were just finishing supper when the pains started. John walked six houses up the street to get my parents. They cam down immediately, feeling more excited than we. Mom stayed with my son, Jr., as we called him.
Jr. was two years old and had cerebral palsy. He was completely helpless and spent much of his time in a wheelchair. He was such a friendly little guy and always had a smile for everyone. Even though he couldn't talk, he did recognize people and always expected to be acknowledged when someone came into the room. If someone forgot to speak to him, he would fret and keep looking at them until they did speak. Mom was the only person I would trust to take care of Jr. because she knew his habits and he was difficult to care for.
When I felt it was time to leave for the hospital, Dad backed his car down to the front of our house. I got in the back seat with John and off we went.
We were all feeling very anxious. We wanted this baby more than anything. This baby would make up for all the disappointments we had with our first child.
Before we were married we talked of having four children. John wanted two boys to do all his work so he could take it easy. I wanted two girls to help me around the house. We often laughed and said we could retire while we were young and let the children take care of us.
I couldn't help but say a silent prayer that this baby would be normal and healthy. We had accepted the fact that our first child was handicapped, but could we possibly accept another one.
Good old Dad, he as so law-abiding. A few of my pains told me we'd better hurry, but Dad wouldn't pass a red light for anything and believe me, we made every red light between home and the hospital.
Finally we arrived there. Dad and John debated whether to go in the back door or the front. I said, "While you two are trying to decide, I'm going in the front way." Dad and John went into the waiting room and I was wheeled upstairs to the labor room.
What thoughts rush through one's mind when one enters this room. Everything so white and sterile and the odor of anesthesia throughout the hospital. Then the pains which start out so mild, then become so severe you wonder if you can bear it. Then you think of the reward you get in exchange for the pain and it seems like a very small price to pay.
By now the pains were severe, only seconds apart, as I rang for the nurse. She immediately examined me and listened for the baby's heartbeat. It took here several minutes. She called in two other nurses who tried to locate the heartbeat. They said they couldn't find one.
Dear God, I thought, please don't let anything go wrong with this baby. By now I was on my way to the delivery room. After a few minutes the doctor arrived. I apologized for taking him away from his family on Christmas Eve. As it turned out, he was at a basketball game and had to leave during half-time. I'm sure he could have blessed me.
Dr. Moore was a very kind and thoughtful person. He tried to reassure me during these nine months that nothing would go wrong with this baby, that it was rare to have two children in the same family with cerebral palsy. I tried to believe him, but, after all, I hadn't felt much movement during the pregnancy.
We carried on a conversation during the delivery, trying to ease the tension. I reminded the doctor that I had predicted this baby to be born on Christmas Eve, and that he said it wouldn't come before the first week of January.
We had hoped for a girl but Kevin came along instead. It took what seemed like eternity before they could get him to breathe. Finally after a few hard spanks on the seat, he gave out a lusty yell and everything seemed to be all right. He as my special gift from heaven. An even 6 pounds and bald as a beet, but the most precious little thing in the world.
I felt a little sad to think that I couldn't be at home with the rest of the family because Christmas was always a day of excitement. Mom always baked a huge turkey with dressing and all the trimmings. Company would come and go all day and the thrill of opening presents and the laughter of children. How I would like to be there tonight, but God had other plans and who are we to question the will of God?
The day after Kevin was born, Christmas Day, John and my family came to see me. They brought my presents with them and John gave me a pot of yellow chrysanthamums. This was the happiest Christmas I ever had - a new baby, presents, flowers, we were sitting on top of the world. The whole workd was beautiful. Nothing could go wrong now.
(to be continued)
Kathy
Sunday, June 17, 2012
5 Things......That I Like To Watch on TV
Now there are lots of things that I like to watch on TV, I keep my DVR humming. The DVR is the best invention since sliced bread and it's wonderful to be able to go out and not miss your favorite shows. I like quite a diverse assortment of shows. Here are five of my favorite shows. This list doesn't include the Real Housewives, which I love, or shows on "regular" TV, this list is shows, on cable, that I really like.
1. DEADLIEST CATCH. I've watched this show for several years and I can't explain why I like it, but I do. I do feel sorry for the crab, but it is fascinating to see the kind of work these guys do. And of course, there are a lot of the same workers on the boats from season to season and you get to know who they are and some of their back story. The captains are an interesting bunch of guys, who seem to survive on no sleep, cigarettes and coffee for marathon hours at the helm. And the workers on deck dealing with horrific weather at times for hours and hours on end. I have to say my favorites on the captains of the Time Bandit, the Hillstrandt brothers, they are funny and the captain and deck boss, Sig and Edgar Hansen, who are brothers, on the Northwestern.
2. TRUE BLOOD. I love, love, love this show. It's on HBO and it's a campy, funny, scarey, improbable story of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, voodoo, fairies, love, sex and dead bodies. It's too good!! There's Bill, a vampire, who falls in love with Sookie, who just found out last year that she is a fairy and that's why she can hear people's thoughts and all the vampires want her blood because fairy blood is the best. There's Sam, Sookie's boss, who is a shape-shifter and he is in love with a new girl, who just happens to be a werewolf. There is Erik who was the sheriff of the a vampire county in Louisiana, and he is also in love with Sookie, and he is hot, hot, hot!! Sook's brother, Jason, who is a normal human and a former high school football star who has bedded many a lady in their town. But now he is in love with Jessica, a young girl whom Bill turned into a vampire as a punishment. I could go on and on with all the twists and turns of the show but you need to just tune it, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
3. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS. This is another show, like Deadliest Catch, that I can't quite figure out why I like it, but I just do. It follows a group of truckers who work in Alaska and Canada and deliver food, fuel, supplies to areas of the country that can be cut off during the summer, but when the water freezes over in the winter, they can haul supplies over the "ice" roads to these remote communities. And of course there is the usual arguments, rivalries and headaches that make a reality show a reality show. We have to have some drama. There are near misses, accidents and the possibilities of accidents. Trust me, I wouldn't want to drive on some of these roads that are shown on here, hilly, icy, curvey. Maybe I like it because it is on during the summer and when it is 90+ outside it's kind of refreshing to see some snow and ice. Who knows why, but I like it.
4. SONS OF ANARCHY. Oh I know exactly why I like this show.....hot guys, motorcycles, sex, drugs and rock and roll. Well, maybe not so much the rock and roll part, but the rest, definitely. This is the stroy of a MC in California, who pretty much run the town of Charming, but unlike most MC's they want to keep their town a sleepy little place and they help the people in the town. Now, of course, they have their dark side. They run guns, deal in porn, have connections to the IRA, kill and maime their enemies, lie, steal and cheat, all the while taking care of their families and running a business. I know it sounds like there would be no redeeming qualities to any of these people, but you would be surprised. Jax (oh my goodness, he is so HOT) whose father was the leader of the SOA until he was killed, but by whom??? Jax's mother, Gemma, is married to the current leader, Clay (who had a hand in killing Jax's father). Jax has wanted out of the MC for a while now, especially since his high school sweetheart came back to town and now they are back together. He has always wanted to take the club in a new direction, but Clay is taking them down an even darker road than they are currently on, with lots of bodies in their wake. At the end of last season, Jax finds out about Clay's role in is father's death and oust him as leader of the MC. Jax had planned to leave town, but instead he takes the helm of the club. Will he make changes or will the history of the club be to big of a pull to change around. I do believe the you would like it if you watched it. It is on FX which shows some pretty edgy programming.
5. DOC MARTIN. This is a British series on PBS. I guess you could call it a "dramedy", partly drama and part comedy. It's about a surgeon who has a phobia about blood, so he is sent to a small town on the coast of Cornwall, Port Wenn, where he takes over as the GP of the town. He really doesn't like it there but as a
child spent the summers there on his aunt's farm. He is difficult to work for, rude, standoffish, has trouble showing emotion, and is just not always nice. But, he is in love with the local schoolteacher but has trouble letting her know. She is also in love with him, but can't seem to get through to him because he is emotionally distant. The townspeople are a quirky, funny, odd bunch of people and they do seem to come down with the oddest ailments, which makes it all the more fun to watch. At the end of last season, Doc and Louise, the schoolteacher, finally get together and he finally admits that he wants to be with her and live in this crazy town. I love a good British TV series and this is one of the best.
1. DEADLIEST CATCH. I've watched this show for several years and I can't explain why I like it, but I do. I do feel sorry for the crab, but it is fascinating to see the kind of work these guys do. And of course, there are a lot of the same workers on the boats from season to season and you get to know who they are and some of their back story. The captains are an interesting bunch of guys, who seem to survive on no sleep, cigarettes and coffee for marathon hours at the helm. And the workers on deck dealing with horrific weather at times for hours and hours on end. I have to say my favorites on the captains of the Time Bandit, the Hillstrandt brothers, they are funny and the captain and deck boss, Sig and Edgar Hansen, who are brothers, on the Northwestern.
2. TRUE BLOOD. I love, love, love this show. It's on HBO and it's a campy, funny, scarey, improbable story of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, voodoo, fairies, love, sex and dead bodies. It's too good!! There's Bill, a vampire, who falls in love with Sookie, who just found out last year that she is a fairy and that's why she can hear people's thoughts and all the vampires want her blood because fairy blood is the best. There's Sam, Sookie's boss, who is a shape-shifter and he is in love with a new girl, who just happens to be a werewolf. There is Erik who was the sheriff of the a vampire county in Louisiana, and he is also in love with Sookie, and he is hot, hot, hot!! Sook's brother, Jason, who is a normal human and a former high school football star who has bedded many a lady in their town. But now he is in love with Jessica, a young girl whom Bill turned into a vampire as a punishment. I could go on and on with all the twists and turns of the show but you need to just tune it, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
3. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS. This is another show, like Deadliest Catch, that I can't quite figure out why I like it, but I just do. It follows a group of truckers who work in Alaska and Canada and deliver food, fuel, supplies to areas of the country that can be cut off during the summer, but when the water freezes over in the winter, they can haul supplies over the "ice" roads to these remote communities. And of course there is the usual arguments, rivalries and headaches that make a reality show a reality show. We have to have some drama. There are near misses, accidents and the possibilities of accidents. Trust me, I wouldn't want to drive on some of these roads that are shown on here, hilly, icy, curvey. Maybe I like it because it is on during the summer and when it is 90+ outside it's kind of refreshing to see some snow and ice. Who knows why, but I like it.
4. SONS OF ANARCHY. Oh I know exactly why I like this show.....hot guys, motorcycles, sex, drugs and rock and roll. Well, maybe not so much the rock and roll part, but the rest, definitely. This is the stroy of a MC in California, who pretty much run the town of Charming, but unlike most MC's they want to keep their town a sleepy little place and they help the people in the town. Now, of course, they have their dark side. They run guns, deal in porn, have connections to the IRA, kill and maime their enemies, lie, steal and cheat, all the while taking care of their families and running a business. I know it sounds like there would be no redeeming qualities to any of these people, but you would be surprised. Jax (oh my goodness, he is so HOT) whose father was the leader of the SOA until he was killed, but by whom??? Jax's mother, Gemma, is married to the current leader, Clay (who had a hand in killing Jax's father). Jax has wanted out of the MC for a while now, especially since his high school sweetheart came back to town and now they are back together. He has always wanted to take the club in a new direction, but Clay is taking them down an even darker road than they are currently on, with lots of bodies in their wake. At the end of last season, Jax finds out about Clay's role in is father's death and oust him as leader of the MC. Jax had planned to leave town, but instead he takes the helm of the club. Will he make changes or will the history of the club be to big of a pull to change around. I do believe the you would like it if you watched it. It is on FX which shows some pretty edgy programming.
5. DOC MARTIN. This is a British series on PBS. I guess you could call it a "dramedy", partly drama and part comedy. It's about a surgeon who has a phobia about blood, so he is sent to a small town on the coast of Cornwall, Port Wenn, where he takes over as the GP of the town. He really doesn't like it there but as a
child spent the summers there on his aunt's farm. He is difficult to work for, rude, standoffish, has trouble showing emotion, and is just not always nice. But, he is in love with the local schoolteacher but has trouble letting her know. She is also in love with him, but can't seem to get through to him because he is emotionally distant. The townspeople are a quirky, funny, odd bunch of people and they do seem to come down with the oddest ailments, which makes it all the more fun to watch. At the end of last season, Doc and Louise, the schoolteacher, finally get together and he finally admits that he wants to be with her and live in this crazy town. I love a good British TV series and this is one of the best.
KATHY
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Making The Effort
Whether it is skating through your life on auto pilot, or just being stuck in a routine, if you want to change things in your life you have to make an effort. Maybe not flashy changes or changes that move the earth, but small, steady changes can sometimes go a long way and hopefully start a trend towards other changes.
I have always admitted that I am a routine oriented person, change doesn't always come easy for me and can make me uncomfortable. But after raising my son as a single parent, and as he starts college next fall, I want my life to change, expand, grow. I will always be a parent, but my life is becoming my own again and I need to figure out what to do with it.
I'm not talking about major life changes, I am who I am. Since my son is on the go with friends or at work most of the time, I no longer have to fix dinner every night, but that is even a hard habit for me to break. I only have my own laundry to do nowadays so I do have lots more time for myself, but what to do with it. I do know that I despartely need more fun in my life!! I have friends that I go out with every once in a while, but I really need to make the effort to go out more. I'm not talking about wild night life, but I like to go and listen to some live, local music with one of my good friends, I want to go to a wine tasting at a local shop that is a combination of imported beer and wine store/second hand store/art gallery. I see their posts for wine tasting/art exhibits quite often and want to go, but I never make an effort to call a friend and go. But the next time they have one I am going to make that effort.
I have all kinds of cute clothes, shoes (I love shoes), jewelry, but I tend to wear the same few outfits all the time, put on the same earrings everyday because they are sitting out, and put the same 2 or 3 pairs of shoes on because they are the first ones I see. But you know, when I do make the effort to put some thought into what I put on in the morning, go through my jewelry box and find something different and get those cute summer sandals out, it does make a difference in how I feel and how I carry myself and people notice. I'm just in a rut and I need to make the effort to get out of it.
I need to make the effort to be more outgoing. With my friends and family or people I am acquanted with, I have no problem carrying on a conversation, joking around, giving my opinion. But with people I don't know, I tend to be very quiet. I know that some people may think that I am being standoffish, but it is just that it takes me awhile to get over my shyness with new people.
I have been alone for the last 10 years, which is fine, I put all my effort into raising my son and being there for him. But now I would like to meet someone special, not because I need someone, but because I want someone to share my life with. If I don't, I'm fine with that, but I hope I do. No, I will not do internet matchmaking, I don't want to meet someone in a nightclub. I want to meet someone the old fashioned way, through friends or family, bump into him at a grocery store or coffee shop, see him across the room at a wine tasting or out walking my dog. But, there again, I have to make the effort to put myself out there, meet new people, not be shy when talking to new people and open myself up to new adventures. This change will be the hardest one of all.
Wish me luck.
Kathy
I have always admitted that I am a routine oriented person, change doesn't always come easy for me and can make me uncomfortable. But after raising my son as a single parent, and as he starts college next fall, I want my life to change, expand, grow. I will always be a parent, but my life is becoming my own again and I need to figure out what to do with it.
I'm not talking about major life changes, I am who I am. Since my son is on the go with friends or at work most of the time, I no longer have to fix dinner every night, but that is even a hard habit for me to break. I only have my own laundry to do nowadays so I do have lots more time for myself, but what to do with it. I do know that I despartely need more fun in my life!! I have friends that I go out with every once in a while, but I really need to make the effort to go out more. I'm not talking about wild night life, but I like to go and listen to some live, local music with one of my good friends, I want to go to a wine tasting at a local shop that is a combination of imported beer and wine store/second hand store/art gallery. I see their posts for wine tasting/art exhibits quite often and want to go, but I never make an effort to call a friend and go. But the next time they have one I am going to make that effort.
I have all kinds of cute clothes, shoes (I love shoes), jewelry, but I tend to wear the same few outfits all the time, put on the same earrings everyday because they are sitting out, and put the same 2 or 3 pairs of shoes on because they are the first ones I see. But you know, when I do make the effort to put some thought into what I put on in the morning, go through my jewelry box and find something different and get those cute summer sandals out, it does make a difference in how I feel and how I carry myself and people notice. I'm just in a rut and I need to make the effort to get out of it.
I need to make the effort to be more outgoing. With my friends and family or people I am acquanted with, I have no problem carrying on a conversation, joking around, giving my opinion. But with people I don't know, I tend to be very quiet. I know that some people may think that I am being standoffish, but it is just that it takes me awhile to get over my shyness with new people.
I have been alone for the last 10 years, which is fine, I put all my effort into raising my son and being there for him. But now I would like to meet someone special, not because I need someone, but because I want someone to share my life with. If I don't, I'm fine with that, but I hope I do. No, I will not do internet matchmaking, I don't want to meet someone in a nightclub. I want to meet someone the old fashioned way, through friends or family, bump into him at a grocery store or coffee shop, see him across the room at a wine tasting or out walking my dog. But, there again, I have to make the effort to put myself out there, meet new people, not be shy when talking to new people and open myself up to new adventures. This change will be the hardest one of all.
Wish me luck.
Kathy
Monday, June 4, 2012
Passage
Well, high school graduation is over, done, finito. After 12 years of school, tests, homework, sports, practices, Friday night football games and proms, my son has graduated from high school. Last Friday afternoon as all the graduates marched into the auditorium, I couldn't help but remember all those things. It almost seems like yesterday when he started pre-school and was so shy he wouldn't talk or look at anyone. He even had his friend in class answer for him when the teacher called on him.
I thought about all the basketball, baseball and football practices that I sat through during those school years. Even though I can't say that I miss sitting through those, I remember them fondly and I always loved going to the games. I also recalled all the school programs, plays and Christmas programs during elementary school and how much fun those were.
Then there was the struggle to get him into a "traditional" middle school after his private elementary school closed. We were put on a waiting list and didn't know for sure that he got in until a week before school started. Then there was the worry about starting high school becausse rumor was this school with it's "traditional" program was strict (which is a good thing), high expectations (also a good thing) and LOTS of homework. But it was all good, he did really well and passed with flying colors.
All these things were going through my head as I proudly watched him march up the aisle, of course he was looking up at his friends who had come to cheer him on....with signs....and horns. Boys will be boys.
That evening the school sponsored a lock-in with lots of food, games and prizes, as a alternative to keep everyone safe on graduation night. I really liked that plan because how many times do you hear of tragic accidents happening on that night....far too many.
The rest of the weekend he and his friends traveled from one graduation party to another. I think they realize that some of these people will still be in their lives and some of them they may never see again. One of the students gave a speech at the ceremony and it was very moving. He talked about how they were adults now, no more school uniforms, no more morning announcements or warning bells to get to your seats. No more curfews (the parents in the audience commented with a resounding "I don't think so"). He told them that their passage through life was changing to a new direction now, they had to take control of their future. And the best part of his speech was he told his mom, with a trembling voice, how much he loved her.
So my son will be going to community college and still living at home this fall, but there is a definite shift in our relationship, for the good, but one that is hard for me to come to terms with. Of course he is still under my roof and they will be rules, but I know I have to let him spread his wings, make (most) of his own decisions and be there when he needs my advice, help and support.
This raising kids stuff is hard.......but well worth the trouble.
Kathy
I thought about all the basketball, baseball and football practices that I sat through during those school years. Even though I can't say that I miss sitting through those, I remember them fondly and I always loved going to the games. I also recalled all the school programs, plays and Christmas programs during elementary school and how much fun those were.
Then there was the struggle to get him into a "traditional" middle school after his private elementary school closed. We were put on a waiting list and didn't know for sure that he got in until a week before school started. Then there was the worry about starting high school becausse rumor was this school with it's "traditional" program was strict (which is a good thing), high expectations (also a good thing) and LOTS of homework. But it was all good, he did really well and passed with flying colors.
All these things were going through my head as I proudly watched him march up the aisle, of course he was looking up at his friends who had come to cheer him on....with signs....and horns. Boys will be boys.
That evening the school sponsored a lock-in with lots of food, games and prizes, as a alternative to keep everyone safe on graduation night. I really liked that plan because how many times do you hear of tragic accidents happening on that night....far too many.
The rest of the weekend he and his friends traveled from one graduation party to another. I think they realize that some of these people will still be in their lives and some of them they may never see again. One of the students gave a speech at the ceremony and it was very moving. He talked about how they were adults now, no more school uniforms, no more morning announcements or warning bells to get to your seats. No more curfews (the parents in the audience commented with a resounding "I don't think so"). He told them that their passage through life was changing to a new direction now, they had to take control of their future. And the best part of his speech was he told his mom, with a trembling voice, how much he loved her.
So my son will be going to community college and still living at home this fall, but there is a definite shift in our relationship, for the good, but one that is hard for me to come to terms with. Of course he is still under my roof and they will be rules, but I know I have to let him spread his wings, make (most) of his own decisions and be there when he needs my advice, help and support.
This raising kids stuff is hard.......but well worth the trouble.
Kathy
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