Katie and I watched the Winter Olympics last night. Well, obviously not all of it since it's a 10-day or so event; we usually watch the "interesting" sports. Figure skating, short track (speed skating), downhill skiing, and, well, that's about it. Until yesterday.
I went to my weekly Civil Air Patrol meeting, got home in time to watch American Idol at 9, then switched it over to the Olympics to see some of the short track racing. Commercial came on, Katie and I were talking so we didn't turn the channel, then......*drum roll please*.....snowboarding came on. The Half Pipe. Those people are amazing!!!! This particular "race" was for the men's snowboarding; tonight is the ladies. I can't wait. To be honest, I had always turned my nose up at the idea of snowboarding being an actual Olympian Event. It always seemed kind of "renegade" to me...not "refined" Olympic material. Which seems rather strange to say about my opinion of it, since I'm prone to the "renegade" side of things anyway, but I'm not always much for change when it comes to iconic things like the Olympics. I have no idea how many years snowboarding has been an Olympic sport, but I'm so glad it is. We watched Shaun White win the Gold!!! This young man performed tricks, aerobatics, and went higher than anyone there. It was amazing.
I have also decided that snowboarding is something so irreverent, so "out there" bizarre, so undeniably amazing, and so unbelievably stupidly dangerous that it could only have been invented by America. We are not the sanest of people when it comes to our "fun". Skiing, ice skating, St Bernards...they were all products of necessity; of getting from point A to point B without benefit of modern transportation; of putting small barrels full of life-sustaining beverages (does whiskey count as that?) on a dog's collar so they can find the fallen skier/skater and rescue them.
Snowboarding....not so much. There is absolutely no sane reason one would strap both feet onto the same board, which is no bigger than the length of one's arm, while standing at the top of a very TALL mountain covered in snow/ice, then volunteer to attempt to stand upright while careening down the TALL mountain with both feet immobile on that board, all without the help of ski poles! Then, as if that's not enough, the brilliant Americans decide to add more "fun" to it by jumping off moguls (little mounds of snow?) halfway down. Once that was accomplished with relative ease, "we" then add flips, turns, and building things called "half pipes" so these crazy snowboarders can "run" up the sides of the "pipe" while flying so far up and off the side of it then turning in the air, coming back down to continue on the other side of the pipe to do it again!!!!!! And.....there's not even a cute little St Bernard dog around to run to their rescue with the collar-barrel of Gatorade, etc!! Nope, when these snowboarders fall, they get back up and start all over again!! And they smile while they do it!! Only an American would develop this sport.
Even the outfits are slightly "irreverent"; it's not the sleek, aerodynamic suits of the down hill ski racers; the tight-fitting same-as-skin-to-shave-off-time outfits of the speed skaters, or even the "my outfit matches the music I'm skating to so I'll look cool and gain points for appearance" of the figure skaters. Nope. The dress code is so American; loose fitting pants, hoodies, jeans, comfortable jackets, bright-colored patterns, or bold statement patterns to say who they are as a person, comfy knit hats (under their helmets), etc. They truly look like they were having fun on their home-town mountains, heard there was an Olympic meet going on, and decided to drop by for the day just for fun. Very, very American.
It's fun to see people from all over the world now embracing this sport. Especially seeing the "staid" Asian countries dressing so American and having fun with such an American sport.
This sport is so American....there is so much fun on the faces of the people competing, and the competition itself is so good-natured; I can see all of them hanging out and having a party together regardless of who won, being happy for the ones with medals, yet giving encouragement and tips to the ones who didn't win. It's the American way.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
My twin cousin
Hi Terra!!!!!!! I just finished talking to my wonderful cousin Terra, who lives in Indiana. She wanted my blog address so she can read all my "secrets", so I'm giving her a "shout out" on here so she'll know I love her, miss her, and I wish we lived closer so we could get into all sorts of trouble together!! Well, ok, so our "trouble" would be staying too long at Pappy's to eat all their delicious, incredible, wonderful bar-b-que. ha ha ha
Honestly, though, I totally love that girl. Her dad and my dad were brothers (both are "gone" now); it's unreal how much alike Terra and I are. I remember when Uncle Terry married my-now-Aunt Anita. She had a son, David Wayne, from a previous marriage, and we were about the same age. He and I got along really well, and it was so fun to have a "new" cousin!! Then, Aunt Anita and Uncle Terry had Terra.....she was precious!!! However, life and the distance between Indiana and Maryland/Maine got in the way of staying in touch..... When my dad died this past March, and I flew out to Indiana for the funeral, I got re-connected with her. Yay!!! She's awesome. We really hit it off, and it's so amazing how much alike we are.
So, I know she's going to read this....well, hopefully she will :):).... and I just wanted to surprise her with saying "hi!!!!"
Honestly, though, I totally love that girl. Her dad and my dad were brothers (both are "gone" now); it's unreal how much alike Terra and I are. I remember when Uncle Terry married my-now-Aunt Anita. She had a son, David Wayne, from a previous marriage, and we were about the same age. He and I got along really well, and it was so fun to have a "new" cousin!! Then, Aunt Anita and Uncle Terry had Terra.....she was precious!!! However, life and the distance between Indiana and Maryland/Maine got in the way of staying in touch..... When my dad died this past March, and I flew out to Indiana for the funeral, I got re-connected with her. Yay!!! She's awesome. We really hit it off, and it's so amazing how much alike we are.
So, I know she's going to read this....well, hopefully she will :):).... and I just wanted to surprise her with saying "hi!!!!"
Catching up about Katie's birthday surprise.
I'm sitting in the "customer lounge" at Darling's Ford, waiting for them to finish working on the van; it needed some parts, but had to be ordered, so now that they are in, here I am.......follow that? ha I have to say that I really like the van. So far, so good. But, since it was used, there were a few things that needed to be fixed; nothing major, thank goodness, but just a few non-threatening things like a broken handle for putting the "third seat" down, and things like that. They are very nice here, so at least I'm not dealing with any attitudes!! I don't think I could handle that right now.
Anyway, I'll now catch up about Katie's birthday surprise.........Every year since Katie has been in college, Alex and I have surprised her on her birthday. The first two years, he was still in high school, so we would think of ways to involve her friends at college, even though we didn't really know them. Once he started going to UMF, it was a lot easier. The first year, I was able to get the names of a few of her friends, and with the help of the RA (Resident Assistant) I got a few phone numbers. Alex and I were able to surprise her at her friend's apartment, where she and a few others were going to have an afternoon of watching Veggie Tales movies. We were hidden in a bedroom off the living room, and when everyone was settled in to watch the movie, we were given the 'signal' to come out---I lit the candles, and Alex carried it from the bedroom to the living room and we all sang Happy Birthday! I, of course, took pictures; that was my job! She was so surprised and so totally did not expect to see us that she didn't even realize the person carrying the cake was Alex, or even that I was there!! It was soooooo great!!! The next year, we surprised her by knocking on the door of her dorm-room, with the candles lit just before we knocked. She didn't expect us again because it was a school day. The next year, Alex was in his first year there, and since they are in the same buiding--just different wings--we used his room as the "staging area", and were able to go right down the hall to knock on her door and sort of surprise her. By this time, she sort of expected something, but didn't know when it would happen. Last year, she knew I'd do it again, so she told me not to have lit candles since they are against the rules and didn't want to get the nice janitors upset. So, when Alex and I surprised her at their Christian Fellowship meeting ( the evening before her b'day) I had candles with stars as the flame. She was very surprised because she didn't expect me to be there the day before, AND she really didn't expect that I would do it at the meeting! ha ha....I have no idea why she'd doubt that I'd do something crazy like that. It was a huge help that Alex is part of the group, but even if not, I'd still have found a way to do it!! The whole group was singing happy birthday....that was fun.
This year, the final year we can do it since she graduates this May, we had t think of something really different and that she'd never, never expect. She knew I'd be down there, but the surprise factor had to be the "where". Sooooo, Alex and I thought and thought and we came up with the cafeteria. I had thought of going to the school where she's student teaching, but Alex didn't think that was good idea to interrupt the class, or even to go to the school in the teacher's lounge would have been not really fun for Katie. Besides the fact that he didn't get out of class until 3:30; he would have figured something out time-wise, but he just didn't like the idea of it being at the high school. (after talking to Katie later that night, she said he was right, and she wouldn't have liked it as much as how we did it. She's too new there, and would have felt out of place there. As usual, Alex was right. That's why I listen to him!) So, we came up with the idea of the Dining Hall at the college. He talked to the guy who runs it in the evenings, and he gave us the OK to be there, and to even have lit candles!!! yay!! However, since Alex and Katie usually go to dinner together on Fridays, the trick was going to be how to get Alex back in the kitchen with me so he can carry out the cake...with the lit candles. It's been the tradition every year that he does that, and I didn't want to back down on that part of it for the final year. Besides, I have to take the pictures! Alex and I were finalizing the plans as I was driving down there (love cell phones!!). He was able to get in touch with one of their friends, and she and her roommates asked Katie to go to dinner with them, since Alex "had already eaten with his music study partner" (not really, but that's what he told Katie). Once everyone was settled, Marissa came back into the kitchen to get us. We stopped near the soda fountains to light the candles, and the dessert lady (no idea who she is, but she was nice) wanted to walk over to the table with us and sing happy birthday. Sure...the more the merrier!! So, I'm pretty much walking backwards so I can take pictures of Alex and the cake, Marissa, who had the flowers (also another tradition---every year Katie gets flowers), was walking really fast, the Dessert Lady starts singing Happy Birthday when we are not quite to the table, that makes the whole cafeteria join in, Katie is SO NOT expecting us because she "just knew" I'd be there the next day (Saturday) since I was "doing emergency paperwork for a cadet at the Base" (not really, but that's what I had told her when she called me as I was driving down to Farmington!), so Katie thinks that someone else in the cafeteria is getting the happy birthday song, then all of a sudden it hits her that the song is for HER!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha It was great.
This final year's planning was the most last-minute of all the years so far. It turned out great, but it will definitely be remembered. Another part of the surprise was to get her home for the weekend so she could help make the chocolate Easter Eggs that All Souls church makes and sells as a fund raiser for their mission trips. She was really sad that she couldn't be home to help, so I planned on bringing her home for the weekend. She was so excited. However, instead of leaving Saturday morning, it was still early enough once we had eaten so we left right after dinner and got home about 9 or so. Saturday, she and Alex helped with the eggs, then I made another round-trip on Sunday to get them back to UMF. They will be home again this Friday since it's Winter Break next week. Yay....a whole week home!!
It's so much fun surprising her. Love you Katie-girl!!!!!
Anyway, I'll now catch up about Katie's birthday surprise.........Every year since Katie has been in college, Alex and I have surprised her on her birthday. The first two years, he was still in high school, so we would think of ways to involve her friends at college, even though we didn't really know them. Once he started going to UMF, it was a lot easier. The first year, I was able to get the names of a few of her friends, and with the help of the RA (Resident Assistant) I got a few phone numbers. Alex and I were able to surprise her at her friend's apartment, where she and a few others were going to have an afternoon of watching Veggie Tales movies. We were hidden in a bedroom off the living room, and when everyone was settled in to watch the movie, we were given the 'signal' to come out---I lit the candles, and Alex carried it from the bedroom to the living room and we all sang Happy Birthday! I, of course, took pictures; that was my job! She was so surprised and so totally did not expect to see us that she didn't even realize the person carrying the cake was Alex, or even that I was there!! It was soooooo great!!! The next year, we surprised her by knocking on the door of her dorm-room, with the candles lit just before we knocked. She didn't expect us again because it was a school day. The next year, Alex was in his first year there, and since they are in the same buiding--just different wings--we used his room as the "staging area", and were able to go right down the hall to knock on her door and sort of surprise her. By this time, she sort of expected something, but didn't know when it would happen. Last year, she knew I'd do it again, so she told me not to have lit candles since they are against the rules and didn't want to get the nice janitors upset. So, when Alex and I surprised her at their Christian Fellowship meeting ( the evening before her b'day) I had candles with stars as the flame. She was very surprised because she didn't expect me to be there the day before, AND she really didn't expect that I would do it at the meeting! ha ha....I have no idea why she'd doubt that I'd do something crazy like that. It was a huge help that Alex is part of the group, but even if not, I'd still have found a way to do it!! The whole group was singing happy birthday....that was fun.
This year, the final year we can do it since she graduates this May, we had t think of something really different and that she'd never, never expect. She knew I'd be down there, but the surprise factor had to be the "where". Sooooo, Alex and I thought and thought and we came up with the cafeteria. I had thought of going to the school where she's student teaching, but Alex didn't think that was good idea to interrupt the class, or even to go to the school in the teacher's lounge would have been not really fun for Katie. Besides the fact that he didn't get out of class until 3:30; he would have figured something out time-wise, but he just didn't like the idea of it being at the high school. (after talking to Katie later that night, she said he was right, and she wouldn't have liked it as much as how we did it. She's too new there, and would have felt out of place there. As usual, Alex was right. That's why I listen to him!) So, we came up with the idea of the Dining Hall at the college. He talked to the guy who runs it in the evenings, and he gave us the OK to be there, and to even have lit candles!!! yay!! However, since Alex and Katie usually go to dinner together on Fridays, the trick was going to be how to get Alex back in the kitchen with me so he can carry out the cake...with the lit candles. It's been the tradition every year that he does that, and I didn't want to back down on that part of it for the final year. Besides, I have to take the pictures! Alex and I were finalizing the plans as I was driving down there (love cell phones!!). He was able to get in touch with one of their friends, and she and her roommates asked Katie to go to dinner with them, since Alex "had already eaten with his music study partner" (not really, but that's what he told Katie). Once everyone was settled, Marissa came back into the kitchen to get us. We stopped near the soda fountains to light the candles, and the dessert lady (no idea who she is, but she was nice) wanted to walk over to the table with us and sing happy birthday. Sure...the more the merrier!! So, I'm pretty much walking backwards so I can take pictures of Alex and the cake, Marissa, who had the flowers (also another tradition---every year Katie gets flowers), was walking really fast, the Dessert Lady starts singing Happy Birthday when we are not quite to the table, that makes the whole cafeteria join in, Katie is SO NOT expecting us because she "just knew" I'd be there the next day (Saturday) since I was "doing emergency paperwork for a cadet at the Base" (not really, but that's what I had told her when she called me as I was driving down to Farmington!), so Katie thinks that someone else in the cafeteria is getting the happy birthday song, then all of a sudden it hits her that the song is for HER!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha It was great.
This final year's planning was the most last-minute of all the years so far. It turned out great, but it will definitely be remembered. Another part of the surprise was to get her home for the weekend so she could help make the chocolate Easter Eggs that All Souls church makes and sells as a fund raiser for their mission trips. She was really sad that she couldn't be home to help, so I planned on bringing her home for the weekend. She was so excited. However, instead of leaving Saturday morning, it was still early enough once we had eaten so we left right after dinner and got home about 9 or so. Saturday, she and Alex helped with the eggs, then I made another round-trip on Sunday to get them back to UMF. They will be home again this Friday since it's Winter Break next week. Yay....a whole week home!!
It's so much fun surprising her. Love you Katie-girl!!!!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Making Money.
I absolutely have to make more money. I've been thinking about this for a long time, now, and the only thing I keep coming back to is writing. It's the job that will give me the most flexibility, and it's also something I love to do. Maybe one day I can combine it with photography, but for now the writing alone will have to do. I know exactly what I want to write about, too. Raising blind children to be the best they can be and to relieve some of the stress/burden from the parents. The kids will thrive in an environment of "you can do it" as opposed to "here, let me help you with that". I'd like to get my columns/newsletter/story into the Bangor Daily News on a weekly basis, or in a blog. If it's via a blog, I don't know how to get the word out. Well, I have some ideas, but I'd have to see if they would work. Of course, I'm on the BlindForum, and I'm sure my blind friends on there would love to give me feedback.
My first sentence would be something like, "'Your daughter is blind and may have a heart defect.' Those words 23 years ago set my feet on a completely different path than I could ever have imagined....." Or, something like that. After that, though, there's so much to consider: do I go at it in a consecutive manner, or just relate tidbits and stories as I think of them and remember them. Do I compare the present trials and tribulations with when they were younger, or take each new "adventure" as a completely new adventure.
I feel like the key to my future is this wonderful computer I'm typing this on, so no matter what I try to do, it will involve the computer. Ahhhhh,,,,we shall see.
I'm falling asleep as I write this, so I better get to sleep!!! G'night!!!
My first sentence would be something like, "'Your daughter is blind and may have a heart defect.' Those words 23 years ago set my feet on a completely different path than I could ever have imagined....." Or, something like that. After that, though, there's so much to consider: do I go at it in a consecutive manner, or just relate tidbits and stories as I think of them and remember them. Do I compare the present trials and tribulations with when they were younger, or take each new "adventure" as a completely new adventure.
I feel like the key to my future is this wonderful computer I'm typing this on, so no matter what I try to do, it will involve the computer. Ahhhhh,,,,we shall see.
I'm falling asleep as I write this, so I better get to sleep!!! G'night!!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Katie's 23rd birthday!! Yay!!
Today is my precious baby girl's 23rd birthday. I think it should be a national holiday. Twenty three years ago life as I knew it changed forever as I held this small, beautiful, cuddly bundle in my arms and melted with the extraordinary, immeasurable love that I felt for this perfect bundle of joy that I held. I loved being pregnant with her; every day I had "morning-sickness-that-lasted-all-day", I knew I was blessed to be pregnant and never complained about being so sick. Once that wore off, after a few months, then I was able to be "just pregnant" and not clutter it with throwing up constantly!! I was in complete heaven. Then she arrived. I never, ever, ever, in a million, gazillion years, could ever imagine the depth of love I felt for her. It was stunning. Becoming a parent was my defining moment; the moment I knew I had a reason to be on this earth. Watching her grow from a tiny, helpless infant into a sweet, adorable little girl, then into a beautiful, confident woman has been more than a blessing...it's been an act of love. I can't believe she is student teaching this semester, and in May will graduate from college!! Teaching high school English will be an incredible job for her. I am so proud of her!!! Thankfully, this has been a rather uneventful year for her; no major health concerns, no switching majors (again), and no bad roommates (all of them have been great). Her Aortic Stenosis is progressing at a much, much slower rate than was predicted when she was smaller, so where at one time the doctor thought she'd have to have her valve replaced by her early 20's, she is still going strong with no operation in the foreseeable future. Thank You so much, God!!!! She still loves her major of English Lit for high school, and her roommate this year is a "girl" she used to be friends with in grade school. Life really does goes full circle. I am so, so proud of the young woman she has blossomed into. I love you Katie-girl. Happy birthday. Love you, MOM
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Just making it through the day...
Financially, I am hanging on by a thread, just making it through one day at a time. I couldn't imagine starting my day without God beside me, and I can't imagine ending the day without knowing He was with me the whole day. I feel like I'm burning the candle at both ends, yet not really making any progress with getting where I need to be. I'm confident enough to know I can write, yet unsure enough to put myself out there. It's in my head that writing a column on raising successful blind children is what I need to do. However, my brain is stuck on "the economy is bad.....no one's hiring...." etc. Yet, if I don't try I won't ever know. I need to just sit down, write a few pages to show what I can do, go over to the Bangor Daily News, and get started. If they say 'no', then I can at least pursue other avenues. I need lots of prayer and I need to get myself in gear, believe in my strengths, and go for it!!!
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