A is for Alligator - B is for Bunny - C is for Contraption

I hope everyone had a happy and blessed Easter. Jeff and I went to Easter Vigil service at church. It was Jeff's 23rd anniversary of joining the church and he always likes to go and welcome the new ones who join each Easter. Then he also was able to go to Easter Services with his mother on Sunday at her church. It was winter coats over Easter finery for everyone because it was very cold. There was frost in the morning and the temperatures never warmed up much during the day. That was OK with the grandkids because for the past two years our Easter Egg Hunt has been indoors. We do it a little different, so even the older ones have fun. They are each given a clue that they must decipher, which leads them to a particular place in the house where their first egg is hidden. All the eggs are color-coded. In that first egg is another clue, which leads them to another hidden egg with another clue, and so on, until they come to the final clue. This leads them to the golden egg with the prize, which lately has been money - better on the teeth :) We also got to have another type of celebration because Easter Sunday was also Jeff's birthday. I think this year is supposed to be the earliest any of us will see Easter in our lifetimes and it just so happened that it fell on his birthday. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23744701/
So we had candles and cake with the Easter ham.
The Saturday before Easter was also cold; however, we spent that morning outdoors. The church youth group that Jamie and Audrie belong to were participating in a fundraiser for our local food pantry that involved constructing with canned goods. The object of the contest was for each participating group to use the donated canned goods they had collected to build some sort of sculpture. Points were awarded for resemblance to object depicted, number of cans used, and originality. Only 10% of the completed project could consist of objects other than cans, such as cardboard, paper, etc. After the judging, all the cans would be donated to the food pantry. The kids were all-enthusiastic, even after their first attempt collapsed; they started over and completed their structure before their time was up. The construction used cans of green beans and peas and they constructed a very good likeness of a big, green, grinning alligator.



Some of the other constructions were a church building, a dollar bill and coin rolls, the great pyramids, and even a transformer. However, it was the alligator that the judges felt deserved the trophy. The youth group kids were ecstatic. The newspaper came to take pictures and then the alligator was dismantled, living on in their memories and many, many pictures!

Besides alligators, we also had plenty of bunny rabbits over the weekend. Or should I say, Rayman Ravin Rabbids. We got the kids a game for the wii for Easter and I thought a game with a bunch of crazy rabbits would be in the spirit of Peter Cottontail and all his kin. The Rabbids remind me of rabbits on steroids who have escaped from an issue of Mad magazine. Of course, if you’ve read the earlier post on my infatuation with the wii, you may guess that I had an ulterior motive in getting a new game on Easter. Since they were at our house most of the day anyway, they could just bring the wii over here and then we could play. I have to say, though, after seeing them play the new Rabbid game and several more complicated games they rented(even though they all involve physical movement), I still enjoy the bowling one the best!



The grandkids also had to work on school projects over the weekend. Jamie’s science class is learning about simple machines and their assignment was to construct a Rube Goldberg type contraption. www.rubegoldberg.com This is right up Jamie’s alley and he enlisted poppa’s aid to help him flesh out his ideas. After he drew his sketch he scoured the junk drawers and old toy parts for pieces that he turned into a machine that even Rube himself would be proud of. It was the highlight of our weekend when after several test runs, everything fell into place and his “Running Goal” ran through from the first move to the last. Now if he can just get it transported to school and recreate it in the classroom without breaking it or losing pieces!

Scrappin' in the Snow

Ask many different people about their idea of a perfect getaway and you will get many different answers. Some may dream of a quiet paradise with warm breezes, blue waters and white sand. Others may prefer the fresh air and brilliant colors of the mountains in the fall. There are those who yearn for the peace of solitude and others who wouldn’t be happy without their loved ones along. I have experienced all of these types of getaways, but twice a year if you ask me what my idea of the perfect retreat is, I have a very definite answer – a weekend crop. For those who are uninitiated to the paper crafts, a crop is not unlike the quilting bees of days past where women gathered together to piece and quilt fabrics into practical works of art. Except the scrapper’s medium of choice is paper and photographs and our finished products are scrapbooks of cherished memories. This past weekend was one of those getaways of choice for me. Twice a year a group of women who, like me, are addicted to all things “scrappy”, rent a cabin at the lakes and spend the weekend doing what we love best – scrapbooking. We arrive with vans and SUV’s loaded to the max with all the necessary supplies of our craft. We bring our favorite munchies and the ingredients to make potluck recipes to share with each other. We spend the weekend talking non-stop as we cut, arrange, glue and admire each other’s finished products. The attire of choice is comfy p.j.’s and outrageous slippers. Some of us stay up all night and crash in the mornings for a few hours of sleep before going at it again. We were young and old; married, widowed and single; employees, and stay at home moms. But as someone said this past weekend; it was about more than just completing pages or forgetting about diets and make-up; it was about sharing and encouraging, listening and advising; it was about making connections and de-stressing. A study done at Harvard Medical School – The Nurses Health Study – found that the more friendships a woman developed the healthier she became. This was confirmed by research done at the University of California at LA
http://damesbond.com/ucla_study.pdf
Whereas, men experience the fight-or-flight reaction when they encounter stressful situations, women use a “tend and befriend” response. All of this is supposedly influenced by the different types and amounts of hormones we have coursing through our systems. Whatever the scientific reasoning behind it, I had a very enjoyable, relaxing and productive weekend.
However, the getaway had a very stressful start and almost didn’t happen at all. Once again our unpredictable Kentucky weather decided to play games with us. Last Friday was our biggest snowstorm of the season. Driving was extremely hazardous with blizzard conditions; blowing snow caused whiteouts and drifts along the road. I am one of those drivers about which other drivers say, “People like that should stay off the road.” So I do everyone a favor and stay out from behind the wheel as much as possible especially in icy, slick conditions. If I had had to drive myself to the lakes, I wouldn’t have gone. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who laughs at dangerous snowflake accumulation and doesn’t mind hauling me and my stuff into the wilderness during a blizzard. Sarah, being the strong, pioneer type woman, that she is, also braved the weather to join all of us die-hard scrapbook enthusiasts. She drove down from Owensboro, which got even more snow than we did. It was wonderful to spend the entire weekend with her free of everyday responsibilities.
Our final snow total (measured on Saturday morning by the eldest member of our group, in her houseslippers, with a ruler) was 4 ½ inches. Further east and north of us, in Elizabethtown and Louisville, they received 9 and 12-inch snowfalls.
There is something about a heavy snowfall that brings out the childish side in all of us and we ladies were no exception. We built a snowman on the deck using buttons and ribbon for his face. With my hat on his head, he made quite a sight. Of course we all had our pictures made with him for future scrapbook page material. I went for a snowy walk down by the lake and watched the geese landing on the water. It was beautiful and peaceful. The sun came out brilliantly on Saturday and soon the snow and the snowman were melting. By the time Jeff came to pick me up on Sunday afternoon, there were hardly any traces of the treacherous conditions of the previous Friday. This week the temperatures are reaching the 60’s. Our weather is never boring!

Here are some of the snow scenes from my getaway weekend.

My Happy Rebirth-day!

“Every morning is a renewal; every day the daily miracle. This joy you feel is life.” Anais Nin

I received a telephone call this morning from a good friend at work. She called to wish me a happy 3rd birthday. No, she wasn’t crazy. She knew that for the past two years I have referred to March 1st as my “Rebirth-day”. Three years ago today I lay in a hospital bed hearing the incredulous and terrifying news that I had had a heart attack. Since that day life has not been the same. Come with me as I remember and offer some observations in hindsight:

1 “If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart” Marilyn vos Savant
I’m really glad that February is known as “Heart Month” www.goredforwomen.org and that there are articles and commercials all through the month about heart health. I’m not sure I would have recognized what the numbness in my left hand and the pain in my shoulder meant if it wasn’t for a magazine I had read the week before. The article had described how the symptoms of a heart attack could be different for a man and a woman. So, instead of shrugging off my intuition that something was very wrong, I listened and acted. I took two aspirin that I had in my purse and called Jeff.

2 "When you know that you're capable of dealing with whatever comes, you have the only security the world has to offer." Harry Browne
My cell phone is now my security blanket. I will go nowhere without it, even on my walks up and down the driveway! I know Jeff will never forget that infamous phone call that began with a scared, but trying to sound nonchalant whisper, “Jeff, can you stay on the phone with me for a while. I’m on my way to Murray and I don’t feel so well.” Driving in a car while experiencing a heart attack is a danger not only to the driver but also to everyone else on the road. Don’t do it. Pull off the road. That’s what Jeff kept yelling at me over the phone after he heard me describe my symptoms. So, I pulled over; by this time I was slightly nauseous and also hot and sweaty. Jeff had hung up the phone long enough to call an ambulance, but had to call me right back because he didn’t know if I was in our van or the agency car. In the meantime, stupid and afraid, I had decided I could drive myself to the hospital in Murray before an ambulance could reach me. By this time Jeff was on his way to find me, driving the city truck with lights flashing, microphone in one hand and cell phone in the other, somehow driving with his left knee because the right leg was busy pushing the gas pedal to the floor. So I had him coming from one direction and the ambulance coming from another, while I was still driving down the road. When Jeff called me back, he told me in no uncertain terms to pull the car over and by that time I could hear the ambulance coming. Of course, they were looking for me in another location – the last one that Jeff knew I was at. Finally, I got the info to Jeff about my exact location; they found me and I got to experience my first ride in an ambulance.

3 “The saddest part about being human is not paying attention. Presence is the gift of life." Stephen Levine
There are doctors who take the time to listen to the patient. According to most profiles, I was not a candidate for a heart attack. No family history, never smoked, blood pressure was always low. However, as a woman of a certain age, I had put on a few pounds and gained the high cholesterol that came with it. But even though I knew the symptoms I was experiencing were unlike anything I had felt before, I really believed the doc would give me a once over, run a few tests, and send me on my merry way. However, when I was still having some lingering arm pain after they had administered their clot busting drugs, the ER doc said that would buy me a room upstairs. So much of life hinges on the choices that are made. If I had been too embarrassed to admit I was still hurting or if the doctor had dismissed my symptoms because I didn’t fit the profile of a heart attack victim, I might have went home that day, never knowing what had happened to me. Which might have been OK, for the time being; but I’m sure I wouldn’t have undertaken all the lifestyle changes that hopefully have made me a healthier person today.

4 If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life. Confucius
Sometimes you just luck out and get a job that you not only love, but one in which the people you work with, including supervisors, are truly caring, selfless individuals. I was on my way to a meeting in Murray when I had my attack. I had told Jeff over the phone to notify the girls in my office that I probably wouldn’t make the meeting and to call and let my supervisor know. I had instructed him not to tell them what we thought might be happening, but just that I had gotten sick on my way to Murray and he was going to get me. Unbeknownst to us, when my supervisor got that news; she got in her car and started driving down the highway she knew I would be on, looking for me. She said later she didn’t know exactly what was wrong with me, but she couldn’t stand to think I was out there sick and alone until Jeff could get to me. Of course, by that time I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital. Seeing the ambulance go by, she immediately went to the hospital also. She was at the ER almost before they got me unloaded. And she stayed by my side until they took me up to my room and shoed everyone out. Another supervisor went by the agency car that had been left abandoned and picked up all my stuff that was still in there. Many of the staff at central office were there to see me and offer help within the hour. Meanwhile, my poor co-workers back at my office were frantically trying to find out what was going on while trying to hold down the fort. I was showered with love and attention both during my hospital stay and my recovery at home.


5 “They do not love that do not show their love.” William Shakespeare
It seemed like the nurses were in to take my blood every hour. They were testing for a certain chemical that showed up in the blood. It would be the evidence of damaged heart muscle that a heart attack brings. The first few tests had been negative, but the doctor wanted to be sure and decided to keep me overnight to test a few more times. I was confident that they would turn out negative also. Then I would be suitably embarrassed at causing so much commotion and get the heck out of there. I knew that they wanted me to take a stress test the next morning even if all the tests were negative. But, hey, that would be a piece of cake also; I had had one of those before! But now it was the middle of the night and I was about to experience one of the most terrifying moments of my life. The nurse was sweet and soft-spoken. She came to sit by my bedside and took my hand in hers. All of my family had gone home and I felt very tired and alone. I was not prepared for the next words I would hear, “Ms. Lamb, we just got the results back from the last test and the doctor wanted me to let you know that you did have a heart attack. We’re going to be moving you shortly to CCU where we can take better care of you.” I will never forget the sound of her voice as she uttered those words. It felt like the world stopped turning and the floor dropped out from under me at the same time. I was trying to be brave as she asked me if I wanted her to call my family. I said, “No, lets don’t bother them until the morning.” But no sooner had she left the room than the tears began to fall. I rang the bell to summon her back and with a trembling voice asked her if she could call my husband. Then everything got busy as they moved me to coronary care and hooked me up to even more monitors. Jeff said when he received the phone call, the nurse sounded almost apologetic about telling him that I had asked her to call. Evidently not every spouse answers as nice as my husband when they are called at 2:00 in the morning; especially if they had just gotten to bed. Those were very long minutes as I waited for Jeff to come back. He had to hunt me down as the nurse forgot to tell him they were moving me to CCU. I don’t think I’ve ever been gladder to see his face than I was that night. As he sat by my bed in a hard upright chair through the long hours until morning, eyes heavy with worry and lack of sleep, tightly holding my hand, I truly felt the power of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. He showed me that love is patient and kind, selfless and giving. And since then, when life gets hectic and stressed and closeness is hard to come by, I just remember that night and the strength I felt from our love and I feel very blessed.

6 Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. Jane Howard
Ask and you shall receive.... I needed so much to have my family around me during that time. And they were. From the brother-in-law who came to the ER to pray with us, to the other brother-in-law who took off work the day I had my heart cath to stay with us at the hospital. My daughter and my "adopted" daughter drove down from Owensboro. My son, my grandkids and their mother were there. My out of town brothers and sisters called. My mother-in-law put me on her prayer list (not that I hadn't been there before). My sister-in-law brought me scrapbook stuff to occupy my time in recovery. Friends came by to visit; some brought food. I received a mountain of cards. How could a heart not heal when it had all that love to hold to and be comforted by?

7 “If I'd known I was going to live so long, I'd have taken better care of myself.” Leon Eldred
So it was a miraculous third birthday. I took my granddaughter to an academic team match, fixed some low fat homemade spaghetti for lunch and went through a few more boxes in the attic. Nothing special, you might say. Or you might say, as I do now, every day is a miracle and the joy you feel is life!