Life Poems

Giving blood

Life flowing silently within me
Keeping me alive
Feeding my organs
Bur now I chose to share this life force
Invade my veins
Stick in a tube
I will squeeze the ball to push out my blood
Thick and red
I don't look
Try not to think
About my life force flowing out
Trusting that what they say is true
I can build a new pint within a day
My friend cannot
She has a sickness in her blood
Undeserved,
uninvited
Yet it came
I will gladly share my life force with her
How amazing is this blood
How necessary for it to flow silently within me
I am grateful that I can share.

Cargiving

When we got our dog, Bambi (a golden doodle - terrific dog) my husband said are you sure you want one more special needs individual in your life? He had a point. But we got one anyway, and she helps the other special needs people very much. (although the first year created some very anxiety filled moments)

But this is not about the dog. I toggle my time between caring for my son with Down syndrome and my aging mom with dementia. Many days are almost carefree. He is at school, she is well and watching her favorite movie (Pride and Prejudice) andI am free to shop or have coffe or surf the net or keep house as I see fit. Other days and weeks are not so free.

Take this one for example. I was looking forward to seeing one of my sons in a Mardi Gras parade last Saturday, but that got curtailed when Mom woke up with extreme vomitting and diarhea. Poor thing was a mess. Caregiving. How much have you loved today? Enough to clean up the mess? Enough to comfort? Enough to spend the next 7 hours in the ER while they replace her fluids and send her home? Enough to miss the parade?

It is the kind of thing you just do and think about later. You can't keep counting the costs. You just do what has to be done.

I contracted the stupid virus myself and watched the Saints win the superbowl from my sick bed amid dozing off and trips to the bathroom. May I just say for the record - not fair!

New start

Got an iPhone. Going to try to update
My blog more often. We will see how it goes. We baptized my newest grandchild,Blaise Robert this weekend. I'm going to try to post a picture.

Where did summer go?

Since I last posted, I've been kind of busy. :)

It started in April when Mom had surgery. All is well and recuperated with her. But that took two weeks of hospital stay and a few more weeks of at home recuperating.

Actually it started before that with the bathroom renovation. That took almost six weeks, but it looks fantastic!

Mike Pingel and Andy Shaw work very hard!

We planned Stephen's birthday party for the end of May, at the end of school. Then we find out the Colorado Roses were moving to town!

Note the rocking horse on the roof!

So right after school is out, the Roses are in!. Thankfully the bathroom was completed that week! They lived with us in squeezed but happy quarters. Who can't help but smile when Zelie flashes a sweet one? That lasted six weeks.

Amidst that we had John & Kristen's wedding to attend in Pittsburgh. Big trip. Lots of people. Keeping Stephen happy. Keeping up with family people. Making sure the rehearsal dinner was okay. Keeping up with New Orleans people. Keeping Stephen busy. Enjoying John & Kristen's big day. Meeting Kristen's lovely family people. Keeping Stephen from having a meltdown. Keeping cool! Dancing with lots of people. Whew! That lasted a week.

They look very happy. Check out the next video to see a sneak preview of their marital bliss!

Then Theresa and Pete brought Gregory and Louis down to visit while they went to Dallas for a few days. They were little angels. Very sweet. I was very tired. That took four days.

Next Theresa agreed to watch Stephen (and Grace Marie helped) so Phil and I could get away. So we went to Atlanta. Did CNN, Coke and aquarium. Visited Phil's sister Patti and Brian Bienn and their boys Harris and Mack. Great family. it was so good to see them all. Harris is in the Marines. Pray for him!

That was only 3 days. Phil with Harris.

Soon after that Grace Marie and Paul had another big move out to their new home around the corner. Very nice place. We all have a bit more elbow room.

Stephen went to Contemporary arts camp for a few weeks and before you know it, school has started back up!

Where did the summer go? It was life lived and shared among family and friends. It was a summer blessed by the Lord with safe voyages and better health. Granted it was busy. I think Stephen's summer book will have more pages this year than last. But it's a summer that went in our memory as rich, blessed and very full!

Viewing the world

As I venture further into the technical world, I am attempting video movie making. My loving husband got me a video palmcorder for my birthday, so I can make talking pictures now! (as opposed to the silent films my digital camera creates!)

Not that I have time to do this craziness! As I write this my mom is recovering from colon cancer surgery. All is well, thank God, but her recovery is a slow process.

We are also renovating our bathroom. That video is next!

Mardi Gras and Lent

Okay, the new year continues into an early Mardi Gras and Letnen season. Which is fine by me. Mardi Gras was great. Here are a few pictures:

Superman Stephen snacking while waiting for the Rex parade. Joanna and baby Anna, Mehan Mehaffey and Eileen Timler.

Granddad Phil and Zachary.

Now on to Lent. I am giving myself a weight loss challenge. A dozen for a dozen. Exchange (or lose) a dozen pounds for a dozen Easter eggs. Time to take back control! This is a good time of year for me to make this a spiritual battle of the will.

Dieting isn't always a spiritual thing, but there's something about fasting that brings food consumption into the forefront as a real player in prayer. I want to incorporate that aspect of prayer into my life. I know I will reap prayer benifits from it. I also plan to reap weight loss benifits from it.

So if you have a prayer request I will be happy to pray for you as I fast. God's power is alive and strong and He is still working miracles.

Beginnings

I love beginning a new year. It is refreshing. I buy new calendars and notebooks and attempt to reorganize my life. I get a handle on things. It feels good. Don't know how long it Will last, but for a while I at least feel like I have it all together!

I rang in the New Year with an awful stomach virus from which I have recovered. John and Kristen and the Martins were in for the New Year weekend as well. Here are some pictures.

Christmas was also great fun! Patrick was in, the Roys came over, the Martins were here. Santa was successful once again.