Results tagged “Personal”

I am a proud alumni of The College of William and Mary a.k.a. The College of Knowledge a.k.a. The Alma Mater of a Nation. I graduated in 1988 and go back whenever I have the opportunity to visit. The four years I spent at William and Mary shaped my future. I have so many fond memories of my days there and I never stopped being in awe of the history of the place. When you walk on the cobblestone sidewalks or up and down the stairs in the Sunken Garden or in some of the older buildings on campus, you can't help but notice the 'divets' - the reminders that thousands of footsteps have walked there before you for centuries. The campus of William and Mary is beautiful. It is quiet and serene and outside was a favorite place to study.

As an alumn, I receive the William and Mary alumni magazine. In this past issue, President W. Taylor Reveley III spoke of Charter Day. William and Mary's charter was signed February 8, 1693. Every February, the college celebrates Charter Day. President Reveley spoke and recorded some o fhis speech in the Alumni magazine. It reminded me of the pride I feel about having attended a college with so much history and in honor of my alma mater's 317th birthday, I thought I would record it here.

We are trying to lighten our load as we look towards moving in the months ahead. Below is information about the Stairmaster we have and our looking for a new home for. We are asking 500.00 for it. It is commercial grade.

In 1996, Daniel and I purchased a brand new StairMaster Freeclimber 4400 PT for approximately $3600.00. For the first few months, I used it regularly, then off and on. Daniel used it regularly for a couple of years, then sporadically since. The machine is in good working order and is not broken or damaged in anyway. It also comes with a mat to sit the Stairmaster on, two instructions books. So, instead of paying an expensive health club fee, why not get this awesome piece of equipment to use in the privacy of your own home. Trust me, it will give you a great workout! And your heart will thank you for it!

Below, you will find information about the StairMaster 4400 PT that comes from the manufacturer. This item is available for you to pick up only or you may arrange for shipping if you would like.

The StairMaster 4400 PT has the new upright rail-less configuration design. This encourages correct posture, and prevents the ability to cheat by transferring weight to the arms. This stepper made by the industry-leading manufacturer of steppers. The independent step action offers the extra wide "sweet spot" that makes the Stairmaster so effective and enjoyable to use. It offers a wide range of exercise options to provide constant motivation and challenge for everyone regardless of age or fitness point during the workout. The new computer console motivates the user during workouts, with different program options and workout statistics. With its 2' x 4' floor space footprint, this is one of the most space savings steppers available.

Console Readouts: Elapsed Time, Calories Burned, Miles Traveled, Floors Climbed, Step Rate, Relative Workout Intensity "MET's" and Power Output for Workout-to-Workout Comparisons

My husband has a thing for monkeys...a few years ago, one mysteriously appeared on his desk at work and ever since then we have added to his interesting monkey collection. He has office monkeys, a monkey in a banana that I won at a carnival, and a set of office monkeys.

This year for Christmas, Katrina and I were wandering around Target and we saw it...the perfect gift for Daniel: Sock Monkey!

Sock Monkey was an instant hit with the family. He is always into some kind of mischief. Sometimes he helps Daniel with his work.

Stay tuned for the Adventures of Sock Monkey... As you can see...he's very photogenic!

First, none of these things have to do with one another, but they are all on my mind. And rather than write three short posts, I thought I would put it all here.

The number one news is that Tess is much improved and will be going home tomorrow with 24/7 care (a combo of hospice and nurses aides). Her brother, Paul, and sister-in-law, Faye, are down visiting right now. Her niece and daugther are trying to work out a visit next week. We are so excited that she gets to go home tomorrow. And so grateful since last week, we didn't think she would be leaving the hospital alive.

The second news story is the incoming storm. The weather people are really uncertain about this one. Predictions for us range from 7" to 18". I predict that on Sunday morning, we will know how much snow we have received!

Lastly, I am not sure if you are aware, but we are experiencing an Eggo Waffle shortage. Flooding at an Atlanta bakery during heavy rains in October forced Kellogg, which makes Eggo products, to shut down production temporarily, said company spokesman Kris Charles. Plus, equipment at Kellogg's largest waffle facility, based in Rossville, Tenn., needs extensive repairs.

Food Lion ran out first, then last month, Sam's ran out of Eggos. This morning, Jack ate the last Eggos in the house. This shortage gives a whole new meaning to the term "Leggo my Eggo!!" What I have read indicates that the shortage may last until mid-2010...I may actually have to ...GASP... invest in a waffle maker!

What I didn't include in my last post (which was supposed to publish yesterday, but I hit the wrong button) was how we got to this spot with Tess.

Dr. Franco is Tess' oncologist. He told her at some time in the past that chemo was not an option for her. Her age, the three major surgeries she has undergone the last two years and the fact that she only has one functioning kidney (and due to her age, it is only functioning at 50% or less). So he sent her to a surgeon who might be able to help. That surgeon, Dr. T, was the one who took care of the previously mentioned surgeries. Dr. T. looked at the CAT scan and told Tess that because the liposarcoma was located on her liver he could not operate.

Dr. T. then made a referral to another surgeon at a cutting edge institute. The referral was to see if there was anything new that he wasn't aware of. The note he put on the file was 'Research.' Well apparently, the surgeon didn't read the file. He walked into the room, asked Tess why she was there. She told him about her tumor (not really understanding the research bit probably) and he told her he couldn't operate on her and sent her to an oncologist. This surgeon dropped the ball as far as we are concerned. She went to this oncologist...no idea whether this person paid any attention to the file and why Tess was there or not. Our feeling is that the oncologist probably thought that Tess, like many, was looking for the glimmer of hope (we were told that chemo had a 15%-20% chance of helping).

So that's how we ended up with Tess in the hospital fighting for her life against infections that she shouldn't have been vulnerable to. We are glad it turned out as well as it did.

Again, this is just a bit more information that may help you in a similar situation.

We got up yesterday morning, got all of our belongings together, checked out and headed to the hospital. Daniel still wasn't sure what he was going to do, but Bruce, Jack, Katrina and I were going to head for home after lunch.

I left the kids and my stuff in the waiting room, then headed towards Tess room and immediately knew something had changed. Her door was closed and the nurse getting ready to go into her room was suited up in a blue gown and gloves. The head nurse approached me and told me that Tess had been diagnosed with MRSA. My heart sank to my toes.

Sharon came out of the room and filled me in. The news was not as bad as my first thoughts. Turns out the ER doctor was on the ball. When he saw the blisters on Tess, he felt MRSA was a very real possibility and put her on triple antibiotics that would help her other infections as well as the MRSA. So, by the time we found out she had MRSA, she was on her way to recovery. I wish we had known that they were thinking MRSA was a possibility. We were all good about washing hands when we entered the room, but didn't know we needed to wash them when we left. None of us have open wounds, so hopefully we will all be okay.

Her doctor came in and was much more positive today. He said she will need another 7 - 10 days of strong antibiotics and she would be receiving 2 pints of blood later in the day. He said her white blood cell count is coming back up, her color is good, her vitals are good. He told us she could go home with hospice (we are also setting up round the clock nursing for when hospice isn't there). Tess applauded when she found out she could go home. We were told that radiation is not an option (Tess wanted to know). The tumor is so deep inside of her that the rads needed to reach it would destroy her bowel in the process. There will be no more CAT scans or horrible gook that she had to drink before them. Dr. Franco told us he didn't do tests for the sake of curiosity. There is nothing else that can be done for the cancer, but we still have time with Tess and for that we are so very grateful. Our goal is for her to be as comfortable as she can be and to have the best quality of life she can during her time remaining.

Tess has survived against amazing odds. She was admitted barely alive. She had a fever of 103, her blood pressure was 220/130, one 50% functioning kidney (she lost one years ago), pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, MRSA and liposarcoma of the liver with no white blood cells or platelets because of recent chemotherapy. We left her with the infections under control and the hope that she will be able to go home with Johnny (their greatest wish) in a week with hospice and 24 hour nurses.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for giving us some more precious time with Tess. Thank you for the possibility that she and Johnny can be at home together as they wish. Thank you for Sharon. If not for her, Tess wouldn't be here today. And we are so grateful that she is on the same page as we are as how we want to see all this played out and that she is so willing to help since she lives here.

The middle of December, Tess called to tell us that they had found another tumor in her body. Over the last three years, Tess has had 4 surgeries to remove tumors that are growing within. She has liposarcoma. She had one 24 years ago that when they removed it was 35 pounds and she lost one kidney. She went another 20 years without problem, but in then there was an 18 pound one and since then they have kept close eye on her so they could perform surgery as soon as possible.

She told us her doctor was going to do another CAT scan in March to see what the growth was before they did another surgery. Then she called back and said that the doctor had called again saying she needed chemo because the tumor was on her liver and couldn't be operated on. And she had an appointment the end of the month. Still, she was saying this was non-cancerous...

Tess does not hear well nor does Johnny. Both come from an age when you didn't ask questions of the physicians and that the physician knew best. We are not sure what when on during an appointment with an oncologist the end of December or how their options were explained to them, but Tess called us and told us they would be installing a port in her chest and that they would be giving her chemotherapy which would involve her being in the hospital for four days at a time and then home between sessions.

When I first started going to Bethlehem Baptist Church 2 1/2 years ago, I was impressed that they had a minister who had been there for 16 years. I had been in several churches where ministers moved on after two or three years and I was excited to find a church whose Pastor had been with for so long. Last June, our pastor announced his resignation. This was a shock to many of us in the congregation. He and his wife were well loved by the congregation and many of the younger people had known them all their lives. But he said God had called him to go elsewhere.

So, the search for a new minister began. We found an interim pastor fairly quickly. Pastor Crewe and his wife have served our church for about 5 months. They are lovely people and have done a good job of helping us to move on from our grief and have kept us from chaos.

Tonight we got to meet our potential new pastor at a meal at the church. Our pulpit committee has spent the last several months reading resumes, listening to sermons, interviewing candiates. They felt like Darren Miller and his family would be a good match for our church. Tonight we got to meet Darren and Catherine and their children Jesse and Katie. We enjoyed a fine meal that only a group of church women can put together. Then Darren told us about himself and his family. He answered our questions with openness and sincerity.

I know it had to be a bit nerve-wracking for him and his family. How many jobs does a whole family go along for the interview? But, he handled it well and shared some funny stories with us about his growing up. Tomorrow, he will preach for us and then we will vote. Another nerve-wracking experience for him and his family to be sure.

I hope God will guide all of us to create the outcome he wants so we can go in the direction he would have us go.

Last year I made a list of 100 things I would like to do before I die. I published it on December 31, 2008. In the last year I have accomplished some things. I would like to have accomplished more, but I hit a couple of biggies! And there are wonderful things we did this last year that weren't on my list.

Added awesomeness:

1. Going to the beach with someone who had never ever been before.
2. Going to Sea World for the first time.
3. Petting a koala bear.
4. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.
5. Petting a kangaroo and a wombat.
6. Watching my daughter hold a python without fear.
7. Having my first born son turn into a teenager.
8. Watching my daughter start her first business.

1. Visit Hawaii


2. Visit the Pyramids


3. Visit Greece


4. Visit Australia - Completed September 2009


5. Visit Disney World


6. Visit The British Isles


7. Visit Germany


8. Visit Switzerland


9. Take a cruise to Alaska


10. Take a cruise on a paddleboat


11. Spend a romantic weekend at The Poconos with Daniel


12. Take some art classes


13. Learn how to play the piano


14. Exercise regularly


15. Visit the Statue of Liberty


16. Take a train trip across the country.


17. Learn how to quilt


18. Play with my grandchildren (when I have them)


19. Go on a camping trip


20. See a play on Broadway


21. Go on a safari


22. Learn how to snorkle - Completed September 2009


23. Play a marathon game of monopoly


24. Go skinny dipping


25. Meet a President of the United States


26. Ride in a gondola in Venice


27. See a total eclipse


28. Get a lottery ticket that wins more than $50


29. Visit Yellowstone


30. Spend a night in a museum


31. Volunteer at the library


32. Go to a Pow-Wow


33. Become a certified Paralegal


34. Go Deep Sea fishing


35. Participate in an archaeology dig


36. Go to space camp


37. Ride through the snow in a horse drawn sleigh


38. Hit a Jackpot in Vegas


39. See a ghost


40. Spend a weekend on a sail boat


41. Buy a stranger a meal at a restaurant


42. Spend a week on a houseboat


43. Walk on a beach by moonlight


44. Get a makeover and have a photoshoot


45. Have my portrait painted


46. Spend a week at a secluded beach


47. Find a hidden treasure


48. Drive a Lambroghini


49. Spend a winter weekend at a ski resort


50. Attend a grand ball


51. Visit the White House


52. Go to a drive-in theater with my kids


53. Act in a play


54. Visit the Aquarium in Atlanta


55. Live in a Victorian House


56. Take a ballroom dance class


57. Join a book discussion group


58. Serve at a soup kitchen - Completed April 2009


59. Learn how to Square Dance


60. Whale Watching


61. Get flowers for no reason


62. Eat a meal prepared by a world class chef


63. Build a snow fort with my kids


64. Ride on a motorcycle


65. Spend a week working in a planetarium


66. Have a white Christmas


67. Fly in a helicopter


68. Meet Johnny Depp


69. Sing a solo in front of an audience


70. Renew my wedding vows


71. Eat a dish that involves truffles (you know the really expensive truffles) - Completed September 2009


72. Purchase and restore a 1975 Monte Carlo


73. Purchase and restore a 1984 Monte Carlo SS


74. Learn to play handbells


75. See the Changing of the Guards in London


76. See the Northern Lights


77. Visit Antarctica


78. Visit islands in the Carribbean


79. Be Queen for a day - not with the decisions, but with the trappings


80. Make a really good snowman - Completed March 2, 2009 12 inches of snow storm


81. Fly in a private jet


82. Go to Oktoberfest in Germany


83. Go to a big New Year's Eve Party


84. Go to an adult Halloween party


85. Visit the White House


86. Live in a penthouse suite for a week


87. Ride first class on a trip overseas


88. Save someone's life


89. Sit on a jury


90. Visit Hershey, PA


91. Meet Stephen King


92. Go to a mystery dinner theater


93. Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras


94. Visit a Presidential library


95. Go to a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass


96. Spend a night in a haunted house


97. Visit the Ozarks


98. Take a year travel trip across the U.S. in a RV


99. Have a surprise birthday party


100. Publish a book