Worlds Worst Mouser
Our cat has got to be the worst mouser ever. He makes Garfield look ferocious. Last night he trotted out of the laundry room with a mouse clamped between his teeth. Only, when he got to the kitchen he dropped it. The mouse ran under the table with the cat and our lab in hot pursuit --which might not have been too bad except our ageing and crippled Sheltie was asleep under the table. The mouse sought refuge behind the Sheltie. The cat ran to one side of poor Andrew and the lab to the other. Andrew awoke with a start when Maddie ordered the mouse to come forward with her baritone lab bark. The Sheltie legs flailed for a few seconds while he pulled himself to stand confused and blinking at the commotion. The mouse shot across the floor with all three animals in hot pursuit. The mouse ran under the dog dish. Seeing my chance to get the thing out of the house, I grabbed the mat the dish sits upon and slid it carefully out the back door to the patio. Once outside, I raised the dog bowl and the mouse took off ---back into the house. I have no idea where he’s hiding but I have to admit, I’m not too worried, I figure his days are numbered. We still haven’t caught the snake.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Telemarketers
Have you ever lost it with a telemarketer? I try not to,really. I know they are just trying to earn a buck and I'm sure they put up with a lot of abuse but WOW today I lost it. The telemarketer started in and as soon as she paused I said "No, thanks. I'm not interested." Usually I hang up before they have the chance to respond but today my reflexes were a little too slow. She began arguing with me. "How do you know you're not interested?" I was appalled. I asked, "What do you not understand about 'I'm not interested?" Why didn't I just hang up the phone? She started yelling at me, I mean YELLING at me. I couldn't even understand what she was yelling. So of course being the mature southern lady I am, I yelled back! I was engaged in a shouting match with some lady who I'll never know over an issue neither one of us really care about. Finally, common sense kicked in and I hung up the phone turned to my dog and asked, "What the hell just happened? How did I just turn into a cray woman?" Why didn't I just use that southern woman's catch all phrase, "Bless your heart" I mean I could have said, "Bless your heart, I know you're working hard and nobody really wants to list to your nice little pitch But the fact is, I'm am writing about fairies saving the world so I really don't have time to listen but I'm sure it's real nice."
Well, I suppose I can always use it the next time.
One more thing...After a few deep breaths and a long sip of coffee I realized I'm not really crazy. I know because the dog didn't answer my question.
Well, I suppose I can always use it the next time.
One more thing...After a few deep breaths and a long sip of coffee I realized I'm not really crazy. I know because the dog didn't answer my question.
A long over due letter to the students of UD
After mass on Sunday, September 23, I climbed into my truck to the sound of my cell phone buzzing across the dashboard. My daughter, Kate, was calling. As soon as I said hello, I knew something was wrong. Before she spoke the connection between mother and daughter screamed emergency. The news was bad. She’d found her sister, Amanda, on the floor of her bedroom having a tonic clonic, or grand mal, seizure. She’d called 911 and Mandy was continuing to seize. Amanda seized until eleven o’clock Sunday night. When she finally stopped she slipped into a coma.
The doctors expected her to wake up on Monday. When, by Tuesday morning, she showed no indications of waking up, an EEG was ordered. The results were heartbreaking. Kate, always by her sister’s side, was the one who received the news. Her brain wave activity was almost flat with only slight elevation to deep pain stimuli. They weren’t sure if she’d ever wake up. They did an MRI later that day and we received news that her brain showed no visible signs of damage, but we still needed prayer.
News spread across the UD campus. Drew Johnson organized a novena for Amanda. We started receiving phone calls from friends of Amanda’s telling us they were praying for her in their home parishes. Her face book wall filled up with friends from California to Vatican City who were praying for her. A friend of mine was attending a wedding in Utah and said when she prayed for Mandy on Tuesday, her name “burned red in her mind” and she felt like she had “hooked into something really big.” She had.
At 11:00 pm the nurse came to the waiting room to tell us Mandy had blinked. I never thought a blink could bring so much joy. At 3:00am, she began wiggling her feet and squeezing hands. Wednesday, our neurologist told us she would be in the hospital a couple of weeks and then be transferred to a rehabilitation facility to re-learn activities of daily living, simple things like how to walk, eat, dress… They weren’t sure where she’d be cognitively until she was able to breathe on her own and started speaking. While she lay in a coma, she “postured” which is a neuromuscular reflex usually indicating severe brain damage.
She continued to improve Thursday and by the afternoon was able to breath on her own. When they prepared to take her off the ventilator they warned us that she probably wouldn’t talk at first. The most beautiful sight was walking into her room and seeing her sitting up eating a grape Popsicle. She looked at Kate, her dad, and me and asked how she got there. She was talking ten minutes after they took her off the ventilator!
She was weak on her left side and couldn’t sit up without falling over, but she managed to shuffle her way to the bathroom Thursday night, albeit with 2 nurses by her side. Friday morning she learned to use the walker. She was still weak on the left and required help to keep from falling over. She struggled to make a lap around the nurse’s station and then turned it into 3 laps. She was moved out of ICU on Saturday. By Saturday afternoon, she was motoring around with her walker solo. Friday she couldn’t hold a Styrofoam cup, Saturday she was coloring and staying in the lines. She was doing so well they discharged her on Sunday. She attended one class on Monday and by Wednesday was back in school taking classes. She used a cane for about a week but now, she is 100% back.
The mortality rate of surviving a 12 hour + seizure is over 60%. The chances of having no residual problems are even greater. She is our miracle girl and the students at UD are the catalyst. How can I thank you for giving us our daughter back? Your generous hearts and unyielding faith has produced a miracle. I tell this story to anybody who will listen. It is such a testament to prayer and the rosary. My words of thanks seem so empty on paper but believe me my heart is singing and my soul is rejoicing. I can’t stop smiling. Liz, Jeanie, Jim, Valera, Amber, Tess, Brittany, Shore, Brian, Mark, Katelin, Gabe, … I know I’m forgetting people. But, your visits to the waiting room helped us get through the hours between visiting hours, your cards and letters were read to Mandy every chance we got until she woke up and was able to read them herself. ( Can you believe it! She’s able to read them herself!) The flowers were beautiful and the food…wow... well y’all are amazing. But most of all thanks for the prayers. You are wonderful and may God Bless each of you. You brought Mandy home.
The doctors expected her to wake up on Monday. When, by Tuesday morning, she showed no indications of waking up, an EEG was ordered. The results were heartbreaking. Kate, always by her sister’s side, was the one who received the news. Her brain wave activity was almost flat with only slight elevation to deep pain stimuli. They weren’t sure if she’d ever wake up. They did an MRI later that day and we received news that her brain showed no visible signs of damage, but we still needed prayer.
News spread across the UD campus. Drew Johnson organized a novena for Amanda. We started receiving phone calls from friends of Amanda’s telling us they were praying for her in their home parishes. Her face book wall filled up with friends from California to Vatican City who were praying for her. A friend of mine was attending a wedding in Utah and said when she prayed for Mandy on Tuesday, her name “burned red in her mind” and she felt like she had “hooked into something really big.” She had.
At 11:00 pm the nurse came to the waiting room to tell us Mandy had blinked. I never thought a blink could bring so much joy. At 3:00am, she began wiggling her feet and squeezing hands. Wednesday, our neurologist told us she would be in the hospital a couple of weeks and then be transferred to a rehabilitation facility to re-learn activities of daily living, simple things like how to walk, eat, dress… They weren’t sure where she’d be cognitively until she was able to breathe on her own and started speaking. While she lay in a coma, she “postured” which is a neuromuscular reflex usually indicating severe brain damage.
She continued to improve Thursday and by the afternoon was able to breath on her own. When they prepared to take her off the ventilator they warned us that she probably wouldn’t talk at first. The most beautiful sight was walking into her room and seeing her sitting up eating a grape Popsicle. She looked at Kate, her dad, and me and asked how she got there. She was talking ten minutes after they took her off the ventilator!
She was weak on her left side and couldn’t sit up without falling over, but she managed to shuffle her way to the bathroom Thursday night, albeit with 2 nurses by her side. Friday morning she learned to use the walker. She was still weak on the left and required help to keep from falling over. She struggled to make a lap around the nurse’s station and then turned it into 3 laps. She was moved out of ICU on Saturday. By Saturday afternoon, she was motoring around with her walker solo. Friday she couldn’t hold a Styrofoam cup, Saturday she was coloring and staying in the lines. She was doing so well they discharged her on Sunday. She attended one class on Monday and by Wednesday was back in school taking classes. She used a cane for about a week but now, she is 100% back.
The mortality rate of surviving a 12 hour + seizure is over 60%. The chances of having no residual problems are even greater. She is our miracle girl and the students at UD are the catalyst. How can I thank you for giving us our daughter back? Your generous hearts and unyielding faith has produced a miracle. I tell this story to anybody who will listen. It is such a testament to prayer and the rosary. My words of thanks seem so empty on paper but believe me my heart is singing and my soul is rejoicing. I can’t stop smiling. Liz, Jeanie, Jim, Valera, Amber, Tess, Brittany, Shore, Brian, Mark, Katelin, Gabe, … I know I’m forgetting people. But, your visits to the waiting room helped us get through the hours between visiting hours, your cards and letters were read to Mandy every chance we got until she woke up and was able to read them herself. ( Can you believe it! She’s able to read them herself!) The flowers were beautiful and the food…wow... well y’all are amazing. But most of all thanks for the prayers. You are wonderful and may God Bless each of you. You brought Mandy home.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Despair
Recently, I read a book called Monster. It’s a story written about a young black man on trial for murder. It’s written in his point of view. I read before I go to sleep and sometimes the voice of the characters are so strong they get into my head. I dream about them and I think like the character I’m reading about. Tonight I was reading about when the kid’s mom visited him in jail, about how she cried and how un real it was that she had entered that world. I knew exactly how she felt. I was transported to the first night Mandy lay suspended between life and death. Too scared to think about sleep, I lay in the sub zero waiting room, in an easy chair designed for something other than comfort. I dozed off for a few minutes and when I woke it took me a few seconds to figure out where I was. And then the reality set in. A ball set heavy in my stomach. My chest ached with sorrow, I remembered I was a room-and-a-hallway from my little girl laying in a hospital bed unable to breath for herself, her conscious somewhere un-arousalable by earthly means. I was weighed down with grief. I was tempted to go to that place that said “I’ve had enough, how much can one family take.” But I knew that was a dark cave that could suck me in so deep I’d never escape. Instead, I concentrated on breathing, I tried to calm my pulse and I thought o my self, “This is my world right now. This waiting room is my home, the few minutes I spend with her are my salvation, my job is to pray.” Tears came at odd hours, in odd places. Sleep came when my body demanded it. But always, always prayer was in my heart and on my lips.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Todays blog
I haven't bloged in awhile mainly because it seems rather futel. Who's going to read it anyway other than my wonderful Flip-flop Sparkle Sisters? But I suppose its a venue to express my thoughts frustrations. But then again do I really want to have my thoughts out there for all of cyber-eternity? Ah, hell, noby reads this stuff anyway.
So if somebody happens to read my blog, just know I'm not going to worry about the fact that I can't spell worth a damn. This is my place to purge my thoughts so chunks of bad writing and mispelled words will errupt along with the rest.
Boy I sound really jaded but I'm not. I'm a very happy person. I'm returning to school at 47 which has been an experience. I am dong what I"ve wanted to do since I could hold a pen in my hand. I'm writing and I'm getng a degree in English. I hope to enter the Masters program in the spring. I love every class I'm taking. At first, I was really insecure about being so old. I tend to think the prof is in a conversation with me and I'm dying to answer all the questions. I'm competitive enough that I want be the one that knows all the answers, to have my papers turned in first. Incredibly irritating to the other students. God I hope I'm not one of those old farts that annoys the hell out of everyone. Thereis more tha tI want to say but not tonight. So I'll add more tomorrow or next month.
So if somebody happens to read my blog, just know I'm not going to worry about the fact that I can't spell worth a damn. This is my place to purge my thoughts so chunks of bad writing and mispelled words will errupt along with the rest.
Boy I sound really jaded but I'm not. I'm a very happy person. I'm returning to school at 47 which has been an experience. I am dong what I"ve wanted to do since I could hold a pen in my hand. I'm writing and I'm getng a degree in English. I hope to enter the Masters program in the spring. I love every class I'm taking. At first, I was really insecure about being so old. I tend to think the prof is in a conversation with me and I'm dying to answer all the questions. I'm competitive enough that I want be the one that knows all the answers, to have my papers turned in first. Incredibly irritating to the other students. God I hope I'm not one of those old farts that annoys the hell out of everyone. Thereis more tha tI want to say but not tonight. So I'll add more tomorrow or next month.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Horse Day
Hi all. I had the best horse day and just wanted to share. I ride with a couple of other mid-aged women on Tuesday mornings. Usually, we ride in the arena and then maybe take a short trial ride. (it's called hacking in the English world) We decided to go on a long hack today. Wow. It's been awhile since I've been on horseback for 3 hours. It was such a great day. The wind was blowing so it wasn't too hot. We raced up the hills and walked down. We played trail blazer in the trees and practiced backing our horses through tight places. It was fantastic--until my friend Chris's horse exploded. He is a huge thoroughbred. Granted, I ride a pony but the bottom of her horses stomach is almost level with my horses back! Anyway first he kicked my Harry, nailed him. Then he started this " whoo I'm scared I'm backing up" crap. He backed into a fence which scared him. Chris smacked him forward which pissed him off so he reared a lone ranger rear and came down in a full fledge bronco "I want you the hell off my back" buck. Chris flew about 3 feet in the air and landed on his back. It was pretty spectacular. When she landed, he was taught that was not cool and she was the boss. THey had a small war. Little 5'2" Chris won. Yea! We finished our ride.
So after shampooing the horses and turning them out we decided to go to Italy for lunch. Our favorite cafe was closed by this time (it was after 2:00) So we found an antique shop and deli. Sounded charming--except the only lady working spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish. I ordered a Turkey on Wheat and got an avocado on rye. We don't know what Chris got. Liz was easy just a salad . The lady was so concerned that Liz just wanted a salad she came to our table and watched her eat shaking her head and said something like, " No chese, no dress, no, no, bad. I bring chips." We finally convinced her everybody was happy, and although we didn't get what we ordered we did enjoy it. I didn't get home until after 4:00 pm so I'm procrastinating before working. I'm walking on slinky's and my butt is too tired to feel, but it's a great kind of fatigue, like a night of wild passion with your hubby. Okay maybe you have to be a horse person to make that leap. Hope you're all well.
Mary
So after shampooing the horses and turning them out we decided to go to Italy for lunch. Our favorite cafe was closed by this time (it was after 2:00) So we found an antique shop and deli. Sounded charming--except the only lady working spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish. I ordered a Turkey on Wheat and got an avocado on rye. We don't know what Chris got. Liz was easy just a salad . The lady was so concerned that Liz just wanted a salad she came to our table and watched her eat shaking her head and said something like, " No chese, no dress, no, no, bad. I bring chips." We finally convinced her everybody was happy, and although we didn't get what we ordered we did enjoy it. I didn't get home until after 4:00 pm so I'm procrastinating before working. I'm walking on slinky's and my butt is too tired to feel, but it's a great kind of fatigue, like a night of wild passion with your hubby. Okay maybe you have to be a horse person to make that leap. Hope you're all well.
Mary
Horse Day
Hi all. I had the best horse day and just wanted to share. I ride with a couple of other mid-aged women on Tuesday mornings. Usually, we ride in the arena and then maybe take a short trial ride. (it's called hacking in the English world) We decided to go on a long hack today. Wow. It's been awhile since I've been on horseback for 3 hours. It was such a great day. The wind was blowing so it wasn't too hot. We raced up the hills and walked down. We played trail blazer in the trees and practiced backing our horses through tight places. It was fantastic--until my friend Chris's horse exploded. He is a huge thoroughbred. Granted, I ride a pony but the bottom of her horses stomach is almost level with my horses back! Anyway first he kicked my Harry, nailed him. Then he started this " whoo I'm scared I'm backing up" crap. He backed into a fence which scared him. Chris smacked him forward which pissed him off so he reared a lone ranger rear and came down in a full fledge bronco "I want you the hell off my back" buck. Chris flew about 3 feet in the air and landed on his back. It was pretty spectacular. When she landed, he was taught that was not cool and she was the boss. THey had a small war. Little 5'2" Chris won. Yea! We finished our ride.
So after shampooing the horses and turning them out we decided to go to Italy for lunch. Our favorite cafe was closed by this time (it was after 2:00) So we found an antique shop and deli. Sounded charming--except the only lady working spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish. I ordered a Turkey on Wheat and got an avocado on rye. We don't know what Chris got. Liz was easy just a salad . The lady was so concerned that Liz just wanted a salad she came to our table and watched her eat shaking her head and said something like, " No chese, no dress, no, no, bad. I bring chips." We finally convinced her everybody was happy, and although we didn't get what we ordered we did enjoy it. I didn't get home until after 4:00 pm so I'm procrastinating before working. I'm walking on slinky's and my butt is too tired to feel, but it's a great kind of fatigue, like a night of wild passion with your hubby. Okay maybe you have to be a horse person to make that leap. Hope you're all well.
Mary
So after shampooing the horses and turning them out we decided to go to Italy for lunch. Our favorite cafe was closed by this time (it was after 2:00) So we found an antique shop and deli. Sounded charming--except the only lady working spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish. I ordered a Turkey on Wheat and got an avocado on rye. We don't know what Chris got. Liz was easy just a salad . The lady was so concerned that Liz just wanted a salad she came to our table and watched her eat shaking her head and said something like, " No chese, no dress, no, no, bad. I bring chips." We finally convinced her everybody was happy, and although we didn't get what we ordered we did enjoy it. I didn't get home until after 4:00 pm so I'm procrastinating before working. I'm walking on slinky's and my butt is too tired to feel, but it's a great kind of fatigue, like a night of wild passion with your hubby. Okay maybe you have to be a horse person to make that leap. Hope you're all well.
Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)