Shady X Four

I've been meaning to write on this topic for some time now, about how proud I am of my beautiful four daughters. They are each beautiful both inside and out. I'm not exaggerating, no motherly bias here...nope...not one bit....the facts are just the facts.

Daughter number one, Melissa, has taken the world by storm. To her credit are the wise choices she has made along the way to that big three-oh birthday she celebrated this summer. Melissa is a modern day multi-tasking woman as she mothers, works, and is involved in community and church.

Daughter number two, Betsy, has been a storm of her own since the days of childhood. Named in part for a hurricane I experienced as a child, Betsy brings a special joy and energy to everything she encounters. Betsy's nurturing nature has been felt by all who know her.

Daughter number three, Golda, will change the world. Golda has an innate ability to see and tackle problems that many are afraid to admit exist. She is a champion and a believer in dreams.

Daughter number four, Allie, also known as Alex, once played the role of Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. I believe she would bestow goodness upon us all if it were within her power. Her smile alone is enough to light the world.

But what makes me the most proud is the sisterly love they have for each other. They give each other support, guidance, and comfort. They celebrate each others accomplishments. They are the quintessential example of what sisterhood and family should be. They are the joys and pride of my life.

Okay....perhaps a bit of motherly bias....!

(Note: picture is a few years old...Melissa, Allie, Betsy, Golda)

Perceptions on Twelve Days

Not all hospitals are created equal. Zale-Lipshy was at one time a private hospital built with the newest technology in 1989. It is now a university hospital as part of the UT Southwerstern Medical Center. Next door is Parkland Memorial Hospital a taxpayer financed hospital. Also, adjacent to both Zale-Lipshy and Parkland is Children's Medical Center. All three hospitals provide excellent care. During my husband's stay at Zale-Lipshy I decide to stretch my legs and check out the other hospitals. I was amazed at the great difference in ambience between the three.

Zale-Lipshy, with spacious uncrowded carpeted hallways has a feeling of peace and comfort. Every patient room (as well as hallways and other areas) is decorated with a unique Asian textile donated by The Eugene McDermott Foundation. There are over 350 museum quality textiles.

Children's, designed with the child in mind, has a huge trainscape in the front entry area. The hallways are brightly decorated. A window view into the hospital pharmacy allows one to observe a robotic arm at work. Wagons are available for patience transport.

Accessible by tunnel to both the other hospitals yet a world away is Parkland. With twisting uncarpeted hallways (in the areas that I saw) I found myself confused and lost even with plenty of signage. The waiting areas held the typical crowds one sees in television hospital scenes. An attached McDonalds is very busy no matter the hour. If I did not know of Parkland's outstanding reputation, first impressions would worry me.

Perceptions can be strong. It is important to look beyond to see the whole picture.

Life without a connection...

It has been frustrating the last few weeks. It became apparent quite quickly how much I relied on the internet after our home connection was disconnected and the school year ended with it ending my daily work internet connection. Suddenly I was without directions to new places (online maps) and without the venue to find immediate answers to my questions, such as what major event was going to take place across the street at Southfork. Now though (fingers crossed) I am back among the connected. Yeah!!!! We purchased a laptop and aquired a wireless broadband connection through the "New AT&T". Yesterday was our first reconnected day...and it was not looking good. We lost our connection a few times and had to reboot each time. Not good. Today though, we have had a solid connection for a few hours....yeah!!!! Now I can work from home, write from home, find directions from home, and get answers to my questions. Life is good. Oh....and we can do all those things anywhere in the AT&T network! HHmm......carpal tunnel could be in the wings....



In other news

....the rain keeps coming....I think we are on day 20....lost count....

....I'm spending the summer with hubby....he has back surgery scheduled in a few weeks....

....AND...we finally finished moving and said goodbye to the old house!!!!!

How high's the water MaMa?!?!

Remember that flood I mentioned a couple of weeks ago....'tis here. We are now back in our trailer...but they did not fix all the problems in the more than two weeks they had it, so it will be going back to the shop soon. Hubby is still laid up with his back...it has improved a tiny bit. Workman's Comp is a very slow process and we are still awaiting a check and a definitive treatment plan.

There is good news though....I got my new library card today!!!!!!! I'm at the Harrington Branch of the Plano Library system. I'm typing on one of their loaner laptops....it's mine for two hours! I will have to checkout a book or two of course, wouldn't be right to leave here empty handed.

So....with library card in had....while the water is still high....I can keep afloat!

Ya gotta roll with the punches...or something like that

As I mentioned to a friend recently: "When it rains it pours, but this time I feel a flood a-coming!" Here are some recent happenings...reasons why I haven't had time to put my myriad of thoughts down:
1) Moved.
2) Had electrical problems at the new place the first time we plugged in and had to put trailer/home into the shop (that was two weeks ago...).
3) Temporarily moved back into the old place which is a mess and almost furniture-less.
4) Husband hurt back at work.
5) Took husband to ER for back....problems ongoing...
6) Had moving sale.
7) Last week of school year....have to work hardest this week closing shop in the library.
8) Forgot to send in jury duty notice to say I moved. (Hopefully they will like my letter I sent today.)
9) Trailer/home still in shop.
10) Hubby still in bed with bad back. (Thank goodness we hadn't gotten rid of the bed already!)

The good news.....summer starts in two days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be doing a happy dance that day!

Sigh...

I'm sure I have something to say.....but I can't think of what it is just now. I haven't forgotten about the blog. 'Tis the moving chores that have me bogged down...and lack of internet access at home. Stay tuned....I'll be back shortly!

Ain't gonna move no more, no more...

Okay...so that title is definitely dramatic and a lie but I like the way it sounds. Here's something to ponder a bit:

Every time I move I get rid of lots of things. I donate clothing and other items to charity, have a yard sale, and trash what is no longer useful. Why is it then that the next time I move I have to do this all over again!

I'm thinking there must be a mathematical formula something like this:

aT(5 J - 3 J) = 2J41 when J = junk, T = time, a = any amount

(2J41 is the only way I could manage to portray 2 times J to the power of 41)

For those who do not know, my husband and I have decided to downsize for awhile. We will be moving into a fifth-wheel trailer. It is a 38 footer from EnduraMax Wide Open. This requires that we 1) get rid of lots of stuff and 2) find storage units for the rest. Let's just say that we have been stirring up a lot of dust at home getting ready for the move! Eventually we hope to buy some land and build a house that will be less susceptible to influences of termites and shifting of the ground, in other words it will have a metal frame, be pretreated for termites, and have foundation stabilizing technology in place...oh...and be in the country of course. For the time being we will be living in Parker, Texas, which is a country town surrounded by Plano, Allen, Lucas, Wylie, and Murphy. The population in 2000 was a mere 1379 but has risen considerably due to a couple of subdivisions. Remember the Southfork Ranch from the television show Dallas? We will be living across the street from there...high class neighborhood...