The Needle in a Haystack

Feb 28

....I have barely had anytime at home the last couple of days.... For some reason Christopher decided he wanted to try out for baseball. Part of it I think is because he is use to the athletic rush he had during basketball, part is the fact that he has gone from having 3 older brothers at home and now its just him, and part because C is working on a project so he tends not to be able to hang out with Christopher  as much.... and to a 15yo guy, I guess mom and her crochet/ sewing just isn't exciting...
The thing about baseball is the fact he hasn't held a bat  since he was 8...his measuring stick for  whether he would play was if he made good contact with the ball during the first practice on Monday.... I drove the hour and 15 minutes to the field and sat, watching my basketball player in regular tennis shoes, basketball shorts, with no glove or ball hat, thinking I wouldn't have to make this journey again over the next couple of months....Christopher went up to bat and I continued talking to the other moms when I heard it..... that awful sound that sent chills down my spine......
The kid had sent the ball sailing into center field with only a half swing...... He turned and gave me a big grin....I pulled out my day planner and began crossing out dates~ sigh~
Yesterday we left the house at 7:00 had biology lab until 10:45, met my MIL for lunch at 11:30, left lunch at 1:00 and drove to the house, transfered laundry and changed cat litter, hopped back in the car and drove  the hour and 15 minuted back to the ball field by 3:30... practice was until 6:30.... rolled in about  7:45... Exhausted!!!
..Then for some reason my sweetie and I spent until bed time discussing old album covers???????

Today I have only a crochet lesson here in town at 1:00... the rest of the day  I'll play catch-up...maybe outside since the weather will be beautiful!!!

... If you remember, please send up a prayer for  Shawnee whose surgery for amputation is scheduled for 9:20 this a.m.

Play your dreams......say a few prayers... and have a fine day... all day long

 

A Day of Rest

Today it rained most of the day... we were so tired from the trip and Chris the elder wasn't feeling so well.. so we slept in, enjoyed our morning coffee and tea... and spent a bit of time on the internet pouring over this wonderful article by  Dr Black
you can read it here  Both Chris and I suggest you spend time chewing, pardon me Dr. Black, but like cud... there is much to savor  and glean and it made for burst of conversation through out the day... we are only part way through... I read one article by Becky Lynn on Christmas and I must say it touched me greatly....if their email was working I send a huge thank you  up the highway !

I finally got around to taking a picture of my flaxseed bags.. I put a few in my etsy but most are to be presents  and a few will go to  some of the older ladies in town that I just know would appreciate not having to fill a hot water bottle to keep their toes toasty at night  Goodness! I know I appreciate one tucked under the blanket on a frosty night... doesn't look like too many of those left this year....

Christopher made the state all tournie team more so then his playing achievement I am encouraged by the fellowship and comradeship he took from the weekend.... tomorrow is an attempt at baseball... I'm skeptical, he hasn't played since he was 8 and doesn't even own a glove!! Its just wanting to be with the other guys and  use up a bit of energy... I sometimes forget he is used to a house packed with boys and now that his brothers have all moved and started lives of their own, he gets a bit lonely I think....

A huge shout out to my friend Sarah  for the work she is doing at the Cherokee pregnancy center...

Time to pack in the day and ready for tomorrow...SO.....ponder the words of those who teach....keep your toes warm.....enjoy your moments... use your talents... and have a fine day... all day long!!!

The Agony of defeat

It was tough having an undefeated season and going into the tournies not winning.... but sportsmanship rains supreme... Christopher has made buddies on other teams across the state and they seem to respect his playing abilities and he theirs.  One parent of a Greensboro player made the comment.." your son pure abused our team on the court ,but his sportsmanship after the game was outstanding!!!!"...
That's what a parent likes to hear.
This picture wasn't quite what I was going for...I had this idea of lots of neat shoes side by side across the bench.... how uncooperative a bunch of 15&16yo boys can be!!!!! those are Sam's shoes, Brandon standing up... and the HUGE feet are Devin's size 15ers.....( moment of silent praise he is not my child to buy shoes for)
As much as I love all things dainty  and sweet and gentle, I seem to have to repress the urge to morph into an ugly beast who would like nothing better then to verbally abuse referees..it takes  a quick prayer and sometimes getting a bit of fresh air to remember that these are men with families... and human beings...   and finally I leave you with our new Raleigh Hawks logo... not sure how across the country it is, but here folks have little window tags with letters  shouting out their favorite beaches( great thing about living in an ocean front state).... So we are RHX.....I love it... this happens to be the back of Nicks shirt....
time to pack up the motel and kiss the wifi goodbye... we have a game at 11:30...  Then its back to the dial up at the farm... So... GO HAWKS...and have a fine day... all day long!

Who needs a groundhog

Eight years ago we became the proud owners of a 35lb cat named Herman.  He had several attacks of cystitis and  since he was 11 years old at the time, his folks felt he  wouldn't survive the move to PA ... so they sent  him with us to the country to live out his days... the vet  said  renal failure  and gave him maybe months to live....
The first week he was there he lived behind hte sofa and refused to eat... his family had fed him a special expensive vet diet that  we just couldn't swing at the time.......and all his hair fell out.  After  3 weeks I took him to the vet and hte vet said to put him on kitty valium.... um... how about NO..... so we gave him a week or so  and brought him home....
...it was summer and he wanted outside, which was strange since he had never been outside and his old family had declawed him.. but he really really wanted out and after many attempts he made a mad dash from behind the sofa and  out the door.... he ate with the barn cats... his fur grew back... He caught his first mole and dropped about 20 lbs..... but the moment the weather started to turn... he was back inside where he staked out his little corner of our world  and he remained inside until the following spring....this has been going on 8 years now.... the cat is 19 years old  and still going strong....the other day we had a mild spurt and Herman ran out the back door.... he returned 10 minutes later and hasn't gone back out...... you know what that means.... 6 more weeks of winter peeps!!!

... and Herman says.... have a fine day.... all day long!

Not so good news

Caring Bridge was updated this morning on my friend Sherry's daughter Shawnee.... If you follow my journal you know I have been wearing a bracelet made by Shawnee and her mom so I could remember to pray for her...Please continue to keep her in your prayers...
Here was the updated posted today:
esterday we spent part of the day at Geisinger so Shawnee could have a CT scan of her lungs and abdomen. It was just precautionary to make sure once again that the cancer is localized and has not spread anywhere else. While we were there, we were able to see Dr. Miller and she explained to us why Shawnee now has a different kind of tumor. The theory is that when her body was forming, the cell(s) that would eventually become either bones, muscles, or soft tissue had something go wrong that predisposed Shawnee to cancer. That something showed up in the bone first as osteosarcoma but it was also in the soft tissue which has now shown itself. I got the name wrong in my last post - it's called leiomyosarcoma. That just means a tumor in the soft muscles and tissues. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a tumor in the striated or long muscles. There is no way to prove that this is what happened but it's seems to make sense and it has been seen before though all of this is rare - the recurrence and the change in tumor. Although, I guess it's not really a recurrence but a second tumor.

Whatever it is, the treatment is still the same - get rid of it! So we are going ahead with the amputation. We are still awaiting word from Dr. Parrish to confirm but we think that the surgery will be next Wednesday. We are all trying to have a good attitude about this but it's hard sometimes. As in every situation, there are pros and cons. It will be good to finally be rid of the cancer and know that it will probably never return. It will be good that Shawnee will have the chance to be more active again and not be afraid of injuring her leg or the implant. But she will be losing her leg and that is a very upsetting thing even with the good that goes with it. Shawnee has an amazingly mature attitude so while this will be hard on her she seems able to deal with it. When Dr. Miller said that she was planning on chemo after the surgery even though the cancer will be most likely totally gone, Shawnee told her that she wanted to have more chemo just to make sure. Dr. Miller was very impressed with how mature and adult that statement was. Shawnee impresses us like that almost every day. In many ways, she is dealing with it better than we are.

I will let you know when we have a definite time for the surgery. Keep adding to the guestbook. I check everyday and enjoy the messages. Having this site has been such a great thing. Not only does it make it easy for me to update a lot of people all at once, we really appreciate all the support as we read the guestbook. Thank you all!

Sherry 

Really, you shouldn't have

I was sort of hesitant about posting this today...I mean I truly love all things pretty, and vintage... but unfortunately this is part of my life here at The End of the Road.... I love my kitties and they love me, I give them milk and food and love each day.... and they bring me small tokens of their appreciation and affection....the problem is, its getting to be a bit like neck ties...." Oh really thank you so much Fluffy, You shouldn't have"  How many dead mice , moles and voles can one girl have??????  Ahh that they were diamonds I would be a rich woman!!!

***** Great news from the Browne family and congrats on the birth of Baby Lucas born at 1:40 today!!!  My son and daughter in law are now the proud owner of a nephew to spoil *********

Oh Sarah, many apologies for posting my pretty on the same page as a dead vole....but I had to share!  This dainty little grand ball purse is straight from Gone With the Wind...and it was so much fun making... Sarah posted the directions daily and they were so easy to follow... I can really see my tension improving  with threads now..Thanks so much Sarah for doing this!  Another weekend of basketball......So... appreciate you presents....Celebrate new beginnings... tackle something new... and have a fine day...all day long!

Just a nibble

...Christopher had a bit of time to work on his bridges this week.... Chuck had to help... with just a taste!
Its been hectic and a bit burdensome this week ..lots of driving and sitting waiting for  classes and practices.  I really don't remember the other boys being so busy when they were teens...

This morning I woke up at 4:00 and just could not go back to sleep.... this rarely happens!  So instead of tossing and turning  and I made a cup of tea.  Yesterday I received a sample of Lemon Chamomile from Republic of Tea  They make my absolute favorite teas and this one is sure to be on my must drink list.  They make a nice round tea bag  and I just let it float in the cup...
...and while I sipped my tea I finished reading my latest book...so to the shelves today to find another good book.

On the Hook:  threads!  Sarah is continuing her Mystery Thread Along here  I am loving the way things are turning out....for practice I have been doing Melissa's bookmark  and I think I am really getting the hang of the tensions...

...and did you eat pancakes yesterday???? For some reason I have celebrated Shrove Tuesday with the boys since they were young things.... always making a big batch of pancakes in the shapes of bears or with their initials on them.... sometimes with chocolate chips... it was just an excuse for a party! Well, yesterday we were on the road doing different things  and it was just Christopher and I.  Well, Christopher HATES pancakes.... so after the daily grind I made myself a stack... nothing fancy this year... but I savored every bite! ( no wonder I woke at 4:00a.m., probably heartburn!!!!!)...

So....take a nibble, go with the flow....take time to relax... make a party over anything... and have a fine day... all day long....

Two sides of the Coin

Every Monday afternoon I have tea with my Grams.... We do it by phone... she lives in WV and I am here in NC.... They are wonderful visits and I am usually tickled with who my Grams has become... yes, the sort of person she is an an older adult( she is 88 this year)...
Eight years ago she celebrated her 80th b-day by para sailing in Cancun....last year she celebrated her successful knee replacement by taking a transatlantic cruise to Spain...she is always up for an adventure and she has 88 years of stories to share....so what sort of adventures does an 88 yo Grams have when she has been snowbound for 2 weeks????

20 some years ago my Uncle Bob and Aunt Judy gave her a set of 8 place settings  in a beautiful pattern( Pzlagraff I think).... and she has NEVER used them.... she uses the black and white plates she received for her wedding 70 years ago.... but today... today she was getting down three of the place settings to see if it " works" with the food she eats".... She's giving the dishes a two week trial run.....and trying cabbage rolls on the tonight..... I sure wish I could be there to do a test plate with her!!! I'll give you an update next Monday.....and have you ever had your Grams tell you not to come and visit????? And maybe get the feeling she might love your hubby as much as you???? I told her Christopher and I would come to visit the last week in May and we could visit some of hte nifty places in the area together..... "Well, she said, I want Chris to come so I thought you could meet us at Myrtle Beach in Sept and we could go over to Charleston and take the ferry to that Ft down there"...
Then she proceeded to give dates time and an itinerary... apparently this was not a random thought ... and she confessed it was part of a 14 line list of things to accomplish in 2007..... and who am I to not help grant the 2007 wishes of an 88yo old Grams?????
Love you Grams!!!!!! See you at Myrtle Beach!

My Child... What Have You Done???????

...So, Josh decided to stop by after church for a bit of lunch and low and behold, last night he had dyed the top of his high and tight  stark blond!  His hair is almost coal black.....and that wasn't all... his buddies convinced him to wax a spot on his legs..... nice Josh, I'm sure your Sargent will be proud next week.....gotta love him!!!!!!

Glad to be Home.....

Do you like that sweet little button?  I'm participating in the Secret Pal Swap at
crochetville   I have done many many swaps but this is the first secret one...so far its alot of fun....

We've been gone most of the weekend at the regional home school basketball tournie.... it was brutal... after an undefeated season we lost the first place slot by 3 points... AND to make it worse.... the other three teams all cheered LOUDLY and horribly against us.... Even the parents seemed to have wanted our heads on platters....some folks I thought were my friends.... like the dad and mom combo from  another county sitting behind me who practically tipped over their seats when my son got a gash on his eye ( no stitches thankfully).... but its hard to sit and be nice when folks are calling for blood.... I guess its getting caught up in the excitement of it all... and I was proud that our team and fans were nice..  My feelings are so hurt I'm not sure I can even go to the state finals and sit through it again.....there I have vented...

On the hook... bereavement blankets still... and tomorrow I'll have to share my new flower/  button pin that is so very cute....  Sarah is doing a threadie Mystery CAL and I am so excited... she is very talented.....her link is on my side bar.....

..>So.... surprise a friend....do unto others as you would have them do to you.....remember what is really important in life.....try something new.... and have a fine day.....all day long.... .