2007 - The Year of Interesting Holiday Celebrations

Didn't really think I'd be back tonight, didya? Well, neither did I! But, I have just returned home after spending the last 8 hours at the Emergency Room with my neighbor, who dislocated her hip, and her 13 year old granddaughter. Not necessarily how I was planning to spend my New Year's Eve, but it felt good to squeeze in one last good deed for the year. She was ever so grateful!
But, this was nothing compared to my Valentine's Day. We had an ice storm and my power went out early in the morning. By late afternoon, my house was 55 degrees and I was shivering. Friends of mine happened to call and told me that I must come up to their house. This is one of my favorite couples in the world, who happen to be great friends of mine, and happen to be lesbians. I tried to protest that they should be alone on Valentine's Day, but they insisted I come over and defrost. So, I went up, ordered Chinese food, and spent my Valentine's Day and over night with a lesbian couple. What can I say!

Dear 2007......goodbye....

Dear 2007 -

Thank you for the challenges you brought. There have been health issues, dissatisfying love-life, friends lost, terrible job situation, and disappointment in the choices the ex made for the kids.

I must admit, I did not rise to the challenges at first. I fell to the floor and allowed the pain to be heaped upon me. Did you lift me up, 2007? No, you did not! You continued to beat the living hell out of me until I had no choice but to get up or turn into the puddle of loss you were aiming for.

While it wasn't until the end of the year that I was able to begin turning things around, I am looking forward to the direction that I've been heading. So, here is what I was able to do in 2007:
- Get a new job at a prestigious, world-renowned University
- Re-finance for a great deal which allowed me to pay off all credit cards, and get cash back for home repair and vacation
- Had electricians come in and put ceiling fans in all of the rooms, fix electrical issues, got chimney fixed
- Booked vacation to Atlantis, Paradise Island for me and the kids in March, 2008....paid for in full due to re-finance
- Provided a great holiday season for my children, focused on their needs/wants and filled with love and fun!!!!!

I look forward to reflecting on what I have learned and will learn in 2008!
Helen

Darn, I don't have a medical problem!

So, I have no explanation for the constant viral issues I had all summer, the 30 lb weight gain over this year, or the chicken pox-like marks all over my legs.
No diabetes, cholesterol, or the ever-hoped for Thyroid problem to explain why my arse doesn't fit into any of my pants.
So, the diagnosis is: Fat and scaly, but otherwise, healthy..........great!

Dear 2007....

Dear 2007 -
You suck.... *X-strike that-X* *cough* *eh-hem*.....

Dear 2007 -
I'm so glad you're over.... No..no...that's not what I meant to say...... how should I say this......

OK, I'm thinkin' I'll try again when I'm more inspired. I think I'll take a moment to read, relax, take a warm shower before I try again.

Merry Christmas!

Here it is, just after 5:00am on Christmas morning, and I am awake....unable to get back to sleep....like a small child eager to get downstairs to the presents. Why is this? My kids are at their Dad's, so it's just me, I don't even have a pet jumping all over me to get outside. Although I haven't counted, I'm pretty sure there were no additional presents put under the tree while I was sleeping. So, why am I awake? Guess I just wanted to be first!

The Joy of Scrooge!

Today I am Scrooge. My kids were picked up at noon, will spend the evening with their father and his live-in girlfriend (perhaps fiancee after their weekend in NYC together?) going to her church and waking up with them.
Tomorrow at noon, I will pick them up and as Scroogish as I feel today, I will be overwhelmed with the joy and excitement of being with them again. My brother will come over, we will open gifts, eat good food and have wonderful fun! The following 2 days will be filled with playing and fighting over the gifts, whose is best, who got most.....and I can't wait!
For today, I will allow myself to feel the Scrooge knowing what tomorrow will bring!

Life IS Stranger Than Fiction!

I've spoken a couple of times about Cystic Fibrosis. It is in our lives, and it's not our favorite part. Some days I deal with it better than others. I cringe when my daughter coughs, sniffles, has stomach aches, or gets tired from regular activity.
So often, I feel alone when dealing with this. There was no discussion or feeling of connection in my marriage with Cystic Fibrosis. My ex used to say "her issue" instead of actually using the words Cystic Fibrosis, disease, chronic condition.... so I felt alone there also. It was always better to ignore things because they might go away if you did.
The strangest connection came about today. I work with many people, some of who have been at CTE-JHU for a while, others who have been there a short time, like me. For the first time, I made up Christmas Cards and put candy on all of the envelopes. I've not really done this in previous jobs, I'm just so happy to be there, I was caught up in the excitement of the season. The cards I made up were the ones which I purchased from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). I even put the cards in so when they were pulled out of the envelope, that is what would be seen before the lovely face of the card. It's just my little way of putting it out there to get into people's minds.
Today, one of my co-workers said that she had noticed that my cards were from CFF and she wondered if I supported the charity. I told her that my daughter has it. She smiled and said that she also has Cystic Fibrosis.
WOW!

Drew, Ginny, and Helen Elves

Check out our Holiday Elf Song & Dance by clicking the underlined!!!

Christmas plays & concerts - a new twist

'Tis the season for children's plays, band concerts, pageants, etc......... The kids are full of excitement, anxiety, the thrill of the stage! What isn't fun about that?
Memorizing lines, choreography, staging, creating costumes, and gathering concert dress uniforms adds to the season with last minute button pops, unthreaded hemlines, and ......how do you tie a necktie?
Kids hang out with their friends and become "a star" for the night while parents cringe at forgotten lines, dropped scenery, and the general torture of the first school play of the year.
But, here's the newest addition to the season.......
the ex-husband bringing a date to the children's school events....
I know I've focused this blog on spinning the positive of the insanity of life. I'm having trouble with this one. My kids have lost friends who are no longer allowed to play at their Dad's house or spend the night because there is a stranger living there. There is no engagement, no marriage, so.......essentially, my ex is bringing a date to school events, to pick up my kids from school, and into their home. I must say, I'm also tired of answering the questions of my friends regarding this situation. My friends are the teachers at the kids' school with whom I used to work side-by-side. My friends are also the parents of the students I used to teach, some of them from Kindergarten, up to 8th grade. Where is the positive spin on that one?
The talents of my children are a reflection of their parents.......well, at least me, as the music major, best actress of my high school thespian club, and recorded CD artist. Now, there is another person stating her excitement over the Christmas musical because she used to do musicals as a kid....... Great, but her upbringing in the cheesehead state has nothing to do with the nature OR nurture of my children's talents and abilities to get up on a stage and "do their thing". That has to do with the confidence instilled by their upbringing and education from a school which has always assigned, supported, and encouraged public speaking.

It has been my pleasure to see my kids perform, dress up, and play with the confidence which has been fostered under my tenure as their mother. Long Live the Mama, LONG LIVE MY SWEET BABIES! Long live my DNA.........

First Snow of the Season

Today was the first snow of the season. It was beautiful when I was driving in this morning. The snow was swirling around and it made me want to spin and spin around the flakes. But, the roads were icy, the air was cold, the sidewalks were slick. Progression of the storm along with the cold weather made the driving worse, the schools close early, and the after school activities shut down for the afternoon/evening.
Beauty comes in many different ways...............

• It can be the season swirling flakes around you as you walk down the street.
• It can be the warmth you feel inside your house, even though the outside is cold & windy.
• It can be the excitement of a 2-hour delay or snow day for the kids when the schools can't handle what the weather has decided to deposit upon their lands.

Let's appreciate the "swirling now" part of the day. Ignore the accidents, cancellations, and mass delays due to traffic which guided the day.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow..........................