Kate's On Line Journal

[Sci Mom]

We made it!

Whew! We made it...beautiful West Virginia is already feeling like home. Hey..the living room has carpeting!! There were so many boxes in here, you couldn't see the floor! [img]/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif[/img]

The only hitch...the moving van couldn't get up the driveway..it was too steep and icy. So, these amazing guys loaded the SUV and hauled EVERYTHING up to the house..it only took FOUR AND A HALF HOURS!!! What a cool Christmas present...I was afraid I would have to put things in storage until the next thaw. Truly a Christmas miracle, in my eyes!!

So...I really should unpack more of the kitchen stuff, and help Brianna in her room, but I think I'm going to put up our tree and wrap some presents instead.
We're dying to go see the new Lord of the Rings movie, but we've decided to watch the first one again tonight, and then maybe go this weekend. Saturday is my birthday, so that would be a great way to celebrate.

How is everyone else doing? Any Christmas miracles to report??

[martha]

Vicky, that's fantastic. Sounds like it truly will be a wonderful Christmas for all of you! And happy birthday!

[KDK513]

We have just returned from my office Christmas party to a line of cars on the street. Our college age daughter returned home for the holidays last night, first party is tonight, sigh. Our 17 year old is seeing Lord of the Rings with buddies tonight, party here after. I am hoping we can get enough sleep to work tomorrow. Rain and fog is what we have tonight, guess I will end up with a sleep over which is far better than worrying about these kids on the road.

[kate]

Saturday night, house quiet--

So, last night we three went to the airport to get Bruce at 11:30 pm. He's the last one off the plane, naturally, and the place is crammed with Christmas travelers, long lines of cars going into the parking garage. Girls in their jammies and slippers, as if they were toddlers and not teens, schlepping through the terminal in search of daddy. And there he was, dear as ever, wheeling toward us with his walker on his knees and a SLC Paralympics baseball hat on his head.

At home an hour later, the dog climbed right into the back seat and laid his big head on Bruce's chest, which would be a lot sweeter if he didn't have that nasty dogbreath thing going . . . finally asleep about 2 am, and spent the whole day today recovering and watching dumb tv and going to the movies.

I made red beans and rice for dinner . . . Heather picked out the "hunky" things she couldn't identify, Emily ate only rice, Bruce poured on the Louisiana hot sauce very generously . . . and afterwards we saw about 15 minutes of video of him on the monoski, including a couple of scary crashes, lots of nice turns, some wonderful snowy scenery of the Wasatch Mountains, and a final clip of him with his face in the snow, growling like the Sasquatch. Question is now, what am I doing here, and not in bed where I belong? Answer is, okay, I'm going.

Hope you're all well . . .

[Sci Mom]

Countdown...

Monday morning....last chance to get some "business" done before the holidays. Bri has a doctor's appointment this afternoon; we are beginning the quest to find a new primary care doc here. I'm not sure if it's the holiday spirit, but people are so friendly here! We're settling in, a few more boxes have been unpacked (I still can't find my soup pot!! This is driving me nuts!!) and the tree is up and decorated. I think I'll make cookies tonight; I almost enjoy the warmth of the kitchen and the smell of the cookies more than the actual taste. (However...I'm a sucker for the dough!)

Kate, I hope your Russian Rachmaninoff thing goes well tomorrow; I would LOVE to hear that!

Martha, thanks for the birthday wish. We did go see Lord of the Rings, and then out to dinner. And as for a great Christmas...I think so. Bri and I have agreed that the peacefulness here is the best present we can receive this year.

Kath, you asked me a while back if I'd gone white water rafting...no! Not yet. But I have to say that I love Cincy! My folks have good friends that live there, and we've visited often. You live in a great town.

Merry Christmas, all!
Vicky

[marmalady]

Vicky, Have a Merry, Merry first Christmas in your new home! Baking cookies in the throes of unpacking - girl, you ARE organized!

And the same to all - My hopes for you all is that the holidays and new year bring you all peace and joy.

It's 8:30 here, Christmas morn; Matt and hubbie still asleep. I've gotten dinner prepped so I don't have to do it later in the day! Reorganized my earring tree (to make room for any 'new' ones that might appear! [img]/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]). Finished proofing the final draft of hubbie's book, which will be available as an E-Read book sooooon. Looking out the window at just a dusting of snow so far; it's beautiful, all white and clean and peaceful, and three deer are just now coming out of the woods into the yard.

Finding myself a little melancholy this year; if things go as planned, This will be our last Christmas here in our little cottage of the past 10 years. I'll miss it sorely, as it is truly the 'hobbit hole' I've always dreamed of. But greater adventures await in the sunny South, I'm sure!

Speaking of hobbity things - has anyone seen the 2nd Lord of the Rings? Saw it last week, and thought it was awesome. I LIVED in those books in the 60's, and to see the characters come alive on screen just as I had imagined they looked, is truly amazing. The detail that Peter Jackson, the director used speaks to his own love of Tolkein's epic. And what better thoughts to convey on this, perhaps the eve of another useless war, than the concept of brotherhood and freedom, and loyalty, and friendship.

Peace to you all. Merry Christmas. Jackie

_____________
Tough times don't last - tough people do.

[martha]

Jackie! Speaking of organization -- at 8:30 a.m. your dinner is finished, you've proofed hubbie's book, and reorganized your earring tree! I had barely found the coffee pot to turn it on at that hour. I certainly understand the melancholy, but I hope the excitement of whatever new adventures you are embarking on will offset those feelings of loss at what you are leaving behind.

Frankly I'll be glad when today (and New Year's Day for that matter) are behind us. I used to be a total Christmas freak -- decorated every room and all of the outside, baked for weeks, entertained, shopped, wrapped, the whole deal. Now I can't believe how depressing it is. Now it's all I can manage to get a tree up because HE wants it (I think he thinks it will magically make me blissfully happy). Thankfully it will be over soon. I think this year all the Christmas decorations are going into a garage sale!

[krajaxa]

Merry Christmas!

To you all! We are having the Real White Christmas here... How'bout you Vickie?
There wasn't a snowflake on the ground last night...then we woke up this morning ....and it's everywhere and it has been snowing the whole day long! I love Christmas w/snow! Hope everybody enjoys the Christmas.

krajaxa

[img]/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Sci Mom]

A White Christmas!

Krajaxa...yes! We too had no snow at all last night, and woke up to those huge, fat flakes that are so pretty...when you have no place to go! They're saying we should get 8 inches..and I think we will. It is gorgeous, and so perfect for Christmas.

Jackie, Martha's right...YOU win as THE most organized woman! I'm with Martha; first you get coffee, then you breathe, then...well, then you can begin to think. I think we all have bittersweet Christmases at times, don't we? Where in the sunny South will you find yourself next Christmas?

Martha, I'm sorry your holiday is lacking cheer; that's not a pleasant way to spend Christmas I know. I hope next year brings you many better, brighter things.

Hope everyone's holiday was peaceful, joyous, and full of happiness.

Vicky

[betheny]

Martha's Christmas

I hope yours will be better next year. You deserve good Christmases. Not Hollywood schlock Christmases, but good ones with people you love and not too many expectations and requirements. My personal good holiday guage? Lots of smiles and hugs. Now I have to go, the oven's on fire. I mean really-flames. We'll laugh about this next year! Betheny

[Sci Mom]

Another quiet Saturday

I stood at the living room window this morning, sipping my coffee (aka The Elixir of Life) and watching eight deer graze through the snow for their breakfast, right by the front porch. Did I mention that I love it here?? The sun was trying to come out, but I could see a bank of clouds heading our way over the mountain tops, and sure enough, it's cloudy again today.

My new bedroom furniture was delivered yesterday; I can now take my clothes out of boxes and put them in honest-to-God drawers...what bliss! Sometimes it's the little things that really thrill me. PLUS...my soon-to-be ex has gone to Texas for a long Christmas vacation! (This means he's not calling me every day, in case you were wondering.)

So...Jackie? Martha? Kate? Anyone out there? Oh, and....BETHENY!!! The stove??? Hellooo!!! [img]/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif[/img]

Vicky

[marmalady]

Hey, Vicky - I thought the 'deer in the snow' was my line! Aren't they beautiful?

Did you buy a house, or is it a rental? In the country? I truly do love W. Virginia, though I've only travelled through it a few times. My absolute favorite place in the world is in the Smokey Mountains, a place called Maggie Valley, right outside Cherokee. When I go there, I feel like I'm 'home'.

I've spent the day purging the fridge of Christmas and other growing organisms, and a grocery shop to replenish, then a visit to a great clothing store that's going out of biz - 70% off! I was good, tho - really I was!

We'll be moving to Charleston, South Carolina sometime early this summer if all goes as planned. Lots of life changes for hubbie, Matt and me! I lived in Charleston 15 years, it's where Matt grew up and where hubbie and I met. we're just basically tired of the Jersey rat race/Soprano mentality, hubbie's parents are right over the border in NC, and Matt has a lot of friends still in Charleston; plus, my oldest son lives there, too, so both my 'chicks' will be together again. Just seems like the right thing to do, and the right time to do it.

Anyone have NYE plans? Ours will probably be a bunch of appetizers, and a rented movie!

Uhhhh-Bethany - Care to share your oven story?!!

And my dear, dear, Martha; I keep forgetting you're still in the throes of the 'firsts'; first year post, first holidays, etc. It does get better, I promise. Our first Christmas was just 6 weeks after Matt's accident, and it felt more like a funeral than a celebration. I promise you will find some peace, my friend!

Let's all hope that the new year brings peace, and joy and renewal to us all, all over the world! Jackie

_____________
Tough times don't last - tough people do.

[martha]

Jackie, not that it matters, but this is our second "Happy Holiday Season". He'll be 2 years post in March. And to think, it only seems like a million years ago.

Betheny, I can relate to the burning oven. A vew years ago I decided to try a new triple chocolate dessert and didn't realize my spring-form pan was leaking. Ended up with about 2" of chocolate "batter" on the bottom of the hot oven. Being stupid, I decided the quickest way to get rid of it was to turn the oven to the clean cycle. BIG mistake. Took two days to get the smoke out of the house. Not to mention that horrible burned chocolate smell. GAG.

Vicky, it does sound like an idyllic setting. Congratulations on being one of the lucky ones that escaped.

[KDK513]

Vicky, it was wonderful to read that your daughter is going onto college. I know how important this is to you both. Is she going to live on campus? Please keep us posted how she is doing. You may recall our daughter is at Indiana University. Though she is a business major she frequently calls or e-mails with requests for my SCI resources. Speech class provided opportunities to talk about stem cell research. She also described Dads weekend (which included mom) and all that was involved going to a football game on campus with her Dad. She made it her humorous speech, go figure!

Hey Martha, holidays are almost over! New Years tends to be my least favorite. Used to be so hard to get a babysitter, now I worry like mad about my teenage drivers. Hope your husband starts feeling better soon so you can get a break. All these complications really wear you down. It's so difficult when you go from one "crisis" to the next without any end in sight. What exactly is Alpha dog? My brother in law was trying to "alpha" our 6 year old malti-poo. I tried to tell him it was hopeless. He claims it is never too late.

[kate]

Saturday night

Yikes, it's taken me forever to get back to you . . . feels really good to check in and hear these details. Jackie's shopping, Vicky's unpacking, Martha's down in Galveston . . . snow and deer and Christmas.

We sang the late service on Christmas Eve, accompanied by violins, cellos, and trumpets--so many musicians crowding the front of the sanctuary, there was hardly room for the choir. Before Bruce got hurt, he was always in the very top row with the baritones. When he first got out of the hospital, I'd bring him to church and he'd sit out in the congregation next to me in his wheelchair, nodding off and drooling over and over while I tried not to care.

About 6 months post, he started spending his Sunday mornings back in the choir, except in the front row with the women, because he couldn't get back up to his own section. Sooooo, about a month ago, he was FINALLY able to negotiate the four steps with his walker and make his way back to the top row. (His injury date is March 7, 2001--must be close to your husband's, Martha--) ANYWAY, this year when we arrived, there was, like, NO WAY for him to get to his spot. Plus the musicians had snagged all the music stands, which he needs to hold his music, having only one hand that works . . . in the end, it all worked out. He got up there, we sang, they played, the lights went down, the church was full, the candles were lit, noel, noel.

That was Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, my insane sister and her 18-yr-old son came over to hang out and make sushi with us. My sister is seven years younger than me, and she has never been well . . . it's so weird to be with her and watch her feeling sorry for herself in the presence of my daughters and my husband. She has no physical problems at all--perfect health and a head full of shit. Unbelievably weird.

That night, finally getting to bed, Bruce had himself a bladder accident at about midnight--all set and in the bathroom, exhausted and trying to get the catheter in, when suddenly, boom, a little spasm and he just geysered all over himself. I was in our bed, listening to him shout, F#$@!!! Then he started throwing stuff all over the room . . . and after a bit of that I joined him, tossing pencils and magazines from my own night table at the wall with huge energy! Scary. Part of me was hoping the girls were asleep and not about to come in and see what was wrong . . . they didn't, thank God.

So, that's part of the news. More tomorrow, I hope.

Love--