Aunt Sue's

Tonight we had one of our family "adventures." We had a gift certificate to use for dinner and decided tonight would be as good a time as any.

Our adventure began with a scenic 35 mile drive to the Table Rock mountain area in Pickens. Our destination: "Aunt Sue's." (http://www.auntsues.com/)

My experience with "Aunt Sue's" was a shared afternoon, quite a few years ago, with a friend of mine and our kids. It was a quaint country-feel type-place in a mountainous, picturesque setting where you could get homemade fudge or Mayfield ice cream in fresh waffle cones, sit in the front-porch rockers, play checkers inside the main building or visit the on-site shops which are in small rustic cabins on the property.

Tonight, however, the adventure was dinner. The menu was far more extensive and impressive than what we were expecting. We all enjoyed our meals, the atmosphere and the sense of fun from our little adventure. After dinner we enjoyed ice-cream on those front-porch rockers. I was disappointed to find that the stores had closed at 6:00 and only the main building which housed the restaurant and ice-cream area were open. Kenneth remembers "Aunt Sue's" as the place where I bought him a knife with a genuine rattle-snake skin handle, and, according to him, paid way too much! Guess he won't be charmed by the shops until our next visit, and considering the price of gas it will likely be awhile!

The Weekend's Here! Sure hope we make some good family memories! You, too!

Fabulous Friday!

Fun Friday!

I didn't get to see them today, but Josh, Shan and Kaitlyn are home from the hospital. If I'm understanding correctly, the doctors believe Kaitlyn did have excess fluid in her lungs but given a couple of days, was able to absorb and/or expel it on her own. That works for me!

We did visit them last evening and I've got to tell you - I absolutely fell in love with that beautiful little girl. Just like I did 25 years to the day earlier...with Kaitlyn's mom, my first child, Shannon.

Welcome to the family, Kaitlyn! Happy 25th Birthday, Shannon!

Good News!

I am happy to report that Kaitlyn has improved tremendously and was moved back to Allen Bennett this evening. My understanding is that she is spending time with her parents now and not in the special care area away from them.

God is so good!

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. I can't tell you how much comfort that brought to all of us during the last day-and-a-half.

I have not heard if there was a final diagnosis or what exactly the problem was. I'm sure all of that, assuming they know, will come out in the next few days. Right now it's just time for the 3 of them to bond.

Again, thank you!

Announcing...

As you can see from the photo, our beautiful Kaitlyn Leigh arrived at 1:22 this afternoon. She's a bit unhappy in the photo but so peaceful and angelic looking otherwise. Her birth weight was a respectable 7 lbs. 8 oz. and she measures 19" in length.

As for our daughter, Shannon, she came through everything beautifully. For someone who grew up thinking a paper-cut caused excruciating pain, she does pretty well at being a good trooper.


Unfortunately we haven't been able to get too many photo opps with the baby today. For some reason, Kaitlyn is having trouble adjusting to life outside the womb. In a nutshell (from my limited knowledge), she's having trouble breathing. Her lungs are developed and xrays showed no excess fluid accumulation. Her medical team remains optimistic but would prefer to err on the side of caution with such a tiny one. So, the decision was made tto transfer her from Allen Bennett in Greer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Greenville Memorial tonight, "to be on the safe side." She's been kept in a special care area most of the day with only brief visits with her family. They will try to get Shannon moved there tomorrow but right now they are full and it could be late tomorrow before she can get in. Josh was going to follow the ambulance but was told he wouldn't be able to see her tonight. My heart breaks to know she's there alone and can't even hear the voices of her parents.

I'll update here as we learn more. Please, if you would, take a moment and pray for Kaitlyn, her family, and medical care providers.


I know Shannon and Josh are really feeling blind-sided by all of this. While the news is distressing, there are a number of positive points mentioned by the doctors and that helps us to stay cautiously calm at this point.

Night-night precious Kaitlyn. We love you...

The Light Will Always Follow the Darkness...

“Where do you go?” "Why can't I reach you?" His eyes ask the questions he won’t speak aloud. Truth be known, he didn’t want to know the answers. He had vague ideas and they weren’t pleasant. He tried not to think about it; tried to pretend there was nothing wrong. It was easier that way. He loved his wife with all his heart but he wasn't the nurturing "caretaker" type.

He stared at her a lot during these "difficult times." Mostly when he thought she wasn't looking. She may not be able to see close-up anymore but her peripheral vision was still pretty good. She knew he didn't understand. This wasn't a black-and-white issue. His analytical mind couldn't grasp what she and the many television commercials tried to explain. Hell, she didn't understand, either, she just lived with it. She was tired of apologizing to the kids "...it's the medicine - another day or two and I'll be fine..."

He was a modern-day man with an old-fashioned view of the world. He was uneasy with the newest medical fads such as ADHD, depression, bi-polar, etc. People get sad, kids don't like to pay attention and it's very possible to make poor choices without having an 'illness'. He hated the way the medical field would take everyday things, slap a fancy name on it, then tout the latest and greatest miracle drugs to treat it. Gone was the need to be responsible for your own behavior and choices. After all, you couldn't help it. You had a bona-fide illness...

Unhappy? Here, pop these pills and we’ll have you walking on air in no-time. Well, like it or not, you’re going to be unhappy at times in your life. Kids not paying attention? You’re kidding me, right? Just give them some pills and enjoy that glazed look in their eyes. You get the idea.

With a wife and children of varying ages and stages, these topics would routinely be debated around the dinner table. But things don't always go the way we'd like them to. Sometimes we have to re-evaluate. Sometimes we get pulled out of our comfort zone and have to give things a closer look - even when it goes against the grain.

You see, some years into their marriage, his wife was diagnosed with chronic, severe depression. A condition she’d had as long as she could remember – even from early childhood. As for her, she was relieved to discover there was an explanation for so many things she’d lived with all these years. Him, he didn’t know what to make of it. His thoughts ran along the lines of "Couldn’t you just get over it?" "Move on?" "Pray?" "Pray harder?" "Why do you need pills?" "Those things mess with your brain!"

It was also hard not being able to wholly depend on the woman he loved so much. At the back of his mind he felt this was a weakness but he’d never say as much – never even admit it to himself. They were a team. He was happy to do his part, but could she be counted on to carry the load of their marriage and family along with him? Would he have to expect to do it all alone and just be thankful for what he got during the “good” times? His feelings toward these topics and his feelings for his wife were at odds with each other. He was most comfortable not thinking about it. But there were times when it was unavoidable.

She was on medication, had been for years now, and probably would be for many years to come . For the most part it was okay. She never felt like they got it quite right, though. There were still days, too many days, where the darkness enveloped her. Overtook her. Seeped into every fiber of her being. He thought she was looking for paradise from a pill bottle. The idea was laughable.
He hated the medication. It changed her - or at least it could, he supposed. She seemed to take it all so lightly and like everything else with this illness, it made him uncomfortable.

The most difficult times came with medication changes or lapses. Something as simple as a delay from the pharmacy could throw her system off for days. Medication changes would mean weeks of hell; the darkness, always the darkness. Disrupted sleep, odd dreams, clenched jaws, increased hunger, decreased hunger, night sweats, nausea, and on and on it went.

Yes, most days they were a normal family dealing with the normal issues of the day. But still, other days, the difficult ones, found him staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking. Wondering where she was and how he could help her. It didn't matter how uncomfortable it made him feel or how dark her darkness was.

If You Can't Sleep...Blog!

It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm wide awake.

With Elisa's shower today and Shannon down to 3 days max, I guess I've got babies on my mind. It also didn't help that Christopher woke me up about an hour after I went to bed. I think my system assumed that was a nap and it was time to go again.

So, after a couple of hours of Sudoku, here I am.

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I do believe oldest son has changed his mind (again) and is looking at University of South Carolina - Upstate. That will keep him home, keep his costs down a good bit and allow him to work up to having a place with a buddy. What state? What college? Does he realize classes will be starting in a matter of weeks?

Have I mentioned that life is never boring here?!

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Elisa's baby shower was so nice today. I love Rob's family and always enjoy getting together with them when possible. Especially for such wonderful occasions. It was also great seeing Christy and Elizabeth. Both have been friends of my girls' for years. We had family traveling out-of-state for this one so I know the next one, which Shannon is giving, will be just as wonderful.

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My dog snores.

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Christopher drove the (yard) tractor today and it was pulling a trailer! You can't imagine how excited he was!

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At the shower today a group of us were discussing the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. I bought this book a couple months ago (one of a stack of relationship books) and haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It was mentioned often during the marriage conference we attended. I can tell you this book has good information in it. I have seen, heard, and read enough about it to know that much. The book is not new but still readily available in the marketplace. I urge anyone involved in a relationship (or wanting to build relationship skills) to pick this up.

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My dog's snoring doesn't give me the same thankful feeling I get when my husband snores. So, I'm going to head upstairs, be thankful for my husband's snoring, and try to sleep again.

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Sleep tight, Izzie!
'Night folks

Updates

Well it seems I let time get away from me again. I always have good intentions of posting more often but, well, you know what they say about good intentions... No real topic today, just some updates and "stuff."

Kittens
Did I mention that Mischief did have kittens? I can't remember. Christopher heard them in the garage. Ken went out and searched them out. They were hidden in our Christmas Wreath which was stored out there. He found two adorable kittens and now they're getting bigger and bigger every day. Now, two weeks later, their eyes are open now and they're trying to walk. They manage to scoot where they want to go. They also get on all fours and 'rock' kind of like a baby who's learning to crawl. We have all 3 in the house with us. Mischief and Kit-Kat dont' get along yet so when Mischief is in the family area (not the bedroom where she stays with the babies) we have Kit-Kat in her crate. The next few weeks should be a *lot* of fun with them!

Baby Talk
At Shan's last Dr. appt. they changed her scheduled section to next Tuesday instead of Monday. So, by this time next Tuesday we should have a beautiful new granddaughter. If she's like her mother, she'll be here earlier.

Speaking of impending arrivals...
Abbey and I are attending a baby shower for Elisa Saturday. Mid-September, and 'Baby Zach,' will be here before we know it!

Vacation Bible School
One of my favorite things about summer is Vacation Bible School for the kids. Last week they had a wonderful time with their friends from our church, Freedom Fellowship, at Lake Robinson. What a wonderful job they do for the kids. This week it's Apalache Baptist for 'Outrigger Island.' Sunday night the church had a "block party," kickoff luau. It was a catered event with all the fixin's. Unfortunately, Ken and I thought it was an event just for the kids, so we ate dinner *before* going there - oops - Big Mistake! At least Abbey & Christopher had fun jumping and sliding on the inflatables.

Back To School
We're getting ready for the start of our next school year. We'll start back in early August and then get a break for vacation. This way we'll ease into the new routine. I know what Abbey and Christopher are doing for school; now it sure would be nice to know what Darrell's going to do. We're waiting to hear from Florida Atlantic but Darrell really feels he applied too late. Erskine just may still be in the running for another year. As his mom, you know I'd rather he be close to home.

Travelin' Man
Speaking of Darrell, he'll be getting back home later this week. He spent another week down in Florida. His "comings and goings" prove I have difficulty with 'simple' math. I never know anymore how many people we have when we go to restaurants, set our own dinner table, if we should buy Cosmic Brownies or plan spaghetti for dinner.

And Finally
As a non-tv person I'm surprisingly pleased to have new episodes of Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, and (later this week) Monk. I stay a few episodes behind on Grey's Anatomy so even though I don't know when they'll start back, I still have a few episodes 'saved.' It's been two years already but I still love my Tivo!

Have a great week!

Mea Culpa...

With the incredible power of web-surfing I was able to locate and contact a woman I met when we were both in the 4th grade.

It's hard for me to admit but I was mean to her. Probably more like a bully; threatening and teasing and wanting to make her miserable.

At some point over the years my mean-spirited treatment of this girl started to gnaw at my conscience. Even more so once I became a mom and then sent my own kids out into the cruel world. I knew I didn't want anyone to treat them the way I had treated a select few during my own school years. So, a few years ago I started using the Internet and public records to locate her. Today I was successful.

Using Facebook and email, I was able to apologize for my long-ago horrid behavior. From her response, this has bothered me much more than her all these years. She remembered my name but couldn't recall a face. We continued on through the same middle and high schools but our paths really didn't cross. She left Ft. Laud. a number of years ago and now resides in Missouri. I, of course, migrated to South Carolina.

I'm happy to report that I'm a much nicer person these days and she's known as a social butterfly. No longer shy and reserved. I don't know why, other than believing "it's the right thing to do," but it was important to me to apologize to her. I know I have hurt people through the years. I want to make amends if I can. My husband doesn't understand this - particularly going back to my elementary school years- but even at that age I knew my actions were wrong. I believe these things are placed on my heart for a reason and hey, it's never too late to say you're sorry.

Ahhh...Wednesday - we're over half-way to the weekend! Have a great "rest of the week!"

LOST December Blog Entry (Previously Unpublished)

Hmmm..."Dinner Diaries." The more I think about it the more I think the title for this post should be "Dinner Disasters," "Dinner Tragedies," or something similar.

Recently, my family has been so kind as to remind me of dinners I have botched. I guess they thought I might forget. Me, I was kind, too. I was afraid they might run out of material so I botched another one. Tonight, actually. So, why am I sharing that (embarrassing) info here? Well, my 9-yr old son pretty much dared me to.

One example occurred a few weeks ago when I was making blueberry pancakes and bacon for dinner. This is one of my husband's favorite meals. I had just read something about baking bacon. I decided to give it a try. Well, the bacon was taking much longer to bake than what the instructions indicated. My group prefers "wimpy" bacon as opposed to crispy. Not me - I like mine brown and crispy. When I took the pan out of the oven I really didn't feel the bacon was cooked well enough. That's when I had the brilliant idea to put the whole plate in the microwave to finish up. Finish off is more like it! The bacon was horrible! Are you familiar with fatback? That's what it was like. Microwaving bacon AFTER baking it has been a big joke around here ever since.

Tonight I was making another of my husband's favorites, Mozzarella Chicken. Basically browned chicken covered in sauce/gravy, topped with mozzarella cheese and baked. Tonight I had more chicken than would fit in one pan so I opted to use my electric skillet. I got the chicken browned and then decided to go ahead and finish cooking it in the skillet. Set the temperature, cover the pan, and come back 30 minutes later. 30-minutes later... I took off the lid and started getting the chicken out to put on the platter for dinner. When I slid the spatula under the first piece and lifted - I was picking up more (and less) than I bargained for. It seems my sauce had browned, hardened and wanted to come up from the pan like a skin. I also couldn't recognize any mozzarella - it was part of the browned goop. Uh-oh...this is NOT good. So, separating chicken from "sauce," I got the chicken plated. Quickly I made a pot of instant gravy so I'd have something to put over the rice. In the meantime I overcooked my carrots and was glad I had made some Stove Top stuffing for Christopher - at this rate it seemed plausible that the stuffing just may become the main dish! At least the lingonberries and applesauce were good! All this and they still trust me with Christmas Eve dinner! At least that one won't be as easy to mess up.

So now I'm trying to find a witty way to wrap this up but my sense of humor is still stuck in the bottom of the electric skillet! Tomorrow is another day and if all goes as planned, it will be cookie baking day! Abbey and I are scheduled to begin baking right after church. I don't really know when my presents will get wrapped but somehow they will.

I figure my brother is the only one who'll actually read this before Christmas since he's the only one I know who's finished up with all his holiday tasks. So, take care, enjoy the season as much as possible and don't sweat the small stuff. Don't lose sight of the big picture, and don't burn the chicken!' Christmas blessings...