First Hodge-Podge

Original photo courtesy of Caron,
then heavily edited by yours truly

Welcome to Hodge-Podge Day here on The Beauty of Eclecticism, another semi-regular feature I am introducing for when you need updates on numerous of the disparate threads and interests that hold my life together--or sometimes try to strangle me--in one post. There really is no better metaphor for this variegated aspect of my life than the crocheted crazy quilt, a device which I learned to make at my mother's knee when she finished several projects and had numerous scraps of various yarns left over. Hence, the newly-established badge for Hodge-Podge Day. If anyone else feels the need to do some hodge-podging, you are welcome to lift the badge and use it; a simple link back would be good. (Let me know if enough of you ever want to turn this into a weekly meme, and I'll set it up here.)

Item the First: Volunteering

When you're suffering from multiple emotional health issues, and have been out of circulation from the human race for a while, finding a volunteer position can be a great way to begin to ease yourself back into the world. A couple of hours, one or two days a week at most, is a stress level most people can handle, especially when they're not being paid and can walk away any time if they feel it necessary. For me, libraries are definitely the way to go. I avidly use libraries as a patron, so what could be more natural than giving some of my time back, learning to have a very small schedule of hours when someone expects something of me again, and getting my toe back into an academic world. It's a completely symbiotic relationship, and one that I hope even may lead to a paying job eventually, once I'm ready for that again. I got my first paying job at 16 by volunteering at my hometown library; maybe, in a few months, lightning may strike again for me. In the meantime, I had my grand tour behind the locked doors of Lakewood Library today. I am the newest official volunteer of the Jefferson County Public Library system, and I start next Tuesday. I think even I can handle two hours, one day a week, for the time being.

Item the Second: The Poor

Photo courtesy of Barnes and Noble

I'm beginning to realize just how many of us desperate and destitute there are in the Denver Metro area. Yesterday, Brigid the SuperPreschooler and I had our day together, and even though I had not one dollar in my pocket, I took her to Barnes and Noble to play with their lego station and train table, two activities she dearly loves. As I sat watching my little girl play, the second person in the past three weeks walked up to me and asked if I could help her out to buy a little food. Until recently, I'd never actually considered standing in the Wal-Mart parking lot holding up a homemade cardboard sign asking for food and gas money, so I've never fully appreciated until now how much it genuinely hurts me to have to say no to these people. This woman had two little ones with her; if I'd had that dollar in my wallet, I swear I would have given it to her, considering how many, many people are fighting to help me. Poverty is the painful gift that keeps up a vicious spiral of giving.

Item the Third: Good News?!

Let's not mince words--and I rarely do!--a lot of my life sucks right now, and I tend to share that with you in jagged detail, don't I? I thought it might be healthy to give a short recap of what went RIGHT in 2013, for all our sakes.

I started this year with a mystery illness that left me in horrible abdominal pain and nausea, having to take prescription pain killers and nausea meds every six hours and visit the ER at least once or twice a month. 2014 begins with the mystery solved, my surgeries just a memory now, and the scars nicely healed. They're big and very visible, but they are a reminder that I survived, and I wear them as badges of honor.

Brigid and I safely made it to Denver, where we have found friends--and in her case, family--waiting to help us. We have not gone hungry, and we managed to make it all the way through 2013 with roofs over our heads, a state of affairs that seemed in imminent threat of changing a few times. Thank God, and thank you, all of our wonderful friends.

My applications for food stamps and Medicaid have been successful, thanks to the good people of the state of Colorado, my newly-adopted home. I can buy food, I can get medical care, and though that's not enough, it's two of the major stressers of my life removed at a stroke.

Finally, 2013 saw the end of the specter that has haunted my waking and sleeping hours for 18 years. My student loans were forgiven. All that I went through to see that miracle occur was a hellish experience, but at least it was not in vain. I start 2014 penniless, but debt-free, and there are worse places to start by far than Square One.

No More Spoons!

My dear friends, after keeping you waiting for FAR too long, I am back with the big announcement! I am NOT a Spoonie anymore! In other words, I did NOT have a mysterious, undiagnosable illness that will be with me permanently--I had a giant lump of scar tissue, surrounding the mesh my body had rejected from the previous FAILED hernia repair! It had pulled my digestive organs all different directions out of their proper places, not enough to damage them but enough to create the past 10 months' worth of mounting nausea and pain. The surgery has finally been successfully carried out, I am several weeks into recovery, and I am SO grateful to God and my surgeons that it's finished. I am also VERY grateful to my friends and family for helping me survive and finally escape this nightmare. And for those of you who may be wondering, I AM still progressing with my Re-Education Reading Challenge, and am nearly finished with "To Kill a Mockingbird." I see what all the fuss was about on this one. Reviews coming as soon as I can comfortably use my laptop again!

Surgery Announcement & Reading Update

First off, I have wonderful news--my surgery has been moved up a full two weeks, to January 30!!!!! Thus proving once again that there IS indeed a God, & He hasn't given up caring about me.

In other news, I have begun the second book on THE LIST, & may I say that you guys certainly didn't give me a bunch of fluff to read, did you? :D "Speak", by Laurie Halse Anderson, is profoundly serious from its very first lines. If it has been as influential in YA in the 12 years since it was published as I'm hearing, then it certainly is high time that I read it. All I can say is, I'm glad that I've had enough time for my horrible memories of public school to have stopped giving me nightmares before I started reading this!

Readin' Books and Feelin' Foolish

(with apologies to Simon and Garfunkel)

Oh, my dear friends, it meant so much to me to open my Blogger dashboard today and see so many votes of confidence and promises of prayers for me! It also made me feel like even more of an idiot to have to admit that *drumroll*

my damn surgery got postponed until February 14th!

And to my utter chagrin, it was all my fault.  I was supposed to discontinue one of my regular medications several days before the surgery, and just simply forgot all about those instructions until about 36 hours before I was supposed to check in to the hospital!  It has taken me this long to get over wanting to kick myself and throw things, to work up the courage to admit my utter foolishness here, especially after all your kind words in support of me.  But, I have those encouraging notes now to carry with me next month when I do finally check into the hospital, and to keep my courage up when I get nervous about the whole thing.  So thank you to ALL of you, my knights in shining armour!

The upshot of all of this is that I'm still living with all the symptoms I've been dealing with for almost a year now, and therefore not really feeling up to blogging much. NEVER FEAR, however, because I am already plugging away at the Master List you all generously helped me compile for my 2013 Re-Education Challenge.  I'm nearly finished with the first book, already!  I'm reading them in the order in which you sent the recommendations in to me, which seemed only fair, but I also have the list available on Goodreads in a format which allows you to sort them by title or author.  I will try to put up a post when I start each book, to let you know how I'm progressing on the list, and will definitely be posting a review for each one unless some calamity strikes.  Thank you for your faith in me, and your support.  Hope you're having a wonderful 2013 so far!

Currently Reading:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Radio Silence

Beloved friends and readers, provided that my dumb mistake in forgetting one of my pre-op instructions doesn't throw everything off schedule, I'll be going into major surgery tomorrow, & thus will be absent from the internet for a few days. Never fear, however, for as soon as I am able, I am eagerly looking forward to beginning "My Re-Education Reading Challenge," attacking the Master List that you compiled for me with all my energy and gusto. Happy New Year, & be praying for me/wish me luck, please!

Counting Down...

Dear Readers, in case I have not yet made you aware of this, I am now scheduled for exploratory surgery on January 3rd, by means of which my doctors hope to finally identify--and correct--the source of my medical woes throughout 2012.  Now, not only is there a countdown to Christmas quietly ticking in my head, but there is a much more insistent date staring at me, always standing in large, bold print in my mind's eye.  I am really just a big kid, and never outgrew the wonder and thrill of Christmas, so I'm doing my best not to obsess about things, indeed not to think about the surgery any more than absolutely necessary until I've enjoyed far more Christmas goodies than I should have, had the fun of opening my presents, and delighted in watching my family open the presents I chose for them.  Hence, the appearance of things like coloring and candy corn. 

Still...it keeps hovering in the background...

tick, tock...tick, tock...



Photo by Wolfgang Glock

NaBloPoMo...Again

For reasons that elude even me, I stumbled upon a post from BlogHer about their December theme for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month, which actually happens EVERY month with a different theme), and decided I would participate for the first time in over a year.  It was the word "Work" that caught my attention.  I'm a stay-at-home Mom, a book blogger, a fledgling writer.  Currently, I'm also dealing with an "invisible illness," and indeed am actually still waiting for a definite diagnosis.  I don't work outside the home; I haven't had an actual paying job in over six years, and couldn't have if I'd wanted to, as I also suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and depression issues.  Sometimes I feel like I'm a weak individual whose defects have left her leading a small life.

But when I think about the fact that over 100 people now follow my blog on some form of social media, leave me comments and interact with me and tell me in many small ways that they connect with what I have to say...

When I remember that I'm the Mommy of a beautiful 3-year-old girl, who loves me with a beautiful, unconditional love, trusts me because she knows she can depend on me, that I wasn't supposed to ever be able to have children, and yet through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and the grace of Her Son, Jesus Christ, I have my miracle baby, that I competently care for her needs each day...

Photo by Kolossos

When I remember that I currently have several writing projects whirling in my head, and that I do occasionally sit down and capture a chapter here, a chapter there, when the muse will no longer let me hide, that I'm making progress with them, though slow it may be...


When I think of all the hell in my health and my emotional health and the complex life issues that I've endured that got me to this point...

I realize that I do work. That I have worked hard in the past, and have every intention of continuing to work that hard for the foreseeable future, because this is my life, and it does take work, like everyone's life takes work. But I am not weak, because "Christ's strength is made perfect in my weakness," and human beings who are truly defective don't exist.  Every one of us is valuable, of intrinsic human worth, and we have the right to be proud of the work we do.  Living is hard work, and not possible for the faint of heart.  We are all busy working, and we are all pillars of strength, each in our own way.

Reviewing My Way to Joy

Friends, unless I'm just going to lie to you all, I have to say that it's only Tuesday and already I've had a shitty week.  I hope and pray that it can only get better from here, that my doctors will continue to make progress in finally diagnosing my mystery illness, that my daughter will be able to overcome her new and worrisome addiction to playing games on my iPod Touch, and that I will stop feeling a bit like Chicken Little, running about screaming, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"  I'm going to take an important first, optimistic step toward this week looking up, and share another review from my Review Backlog Files, which always makes me feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile.  New posts instantly make me feel a bit more chipper, especially when you lovely people stop by and leave encouraging comments.  It's a beautiful circle of blogging friendship, really. 

*I'd like to teach the world to sing/
In perfect harmony* 

Ahem...sorry...moving on...

April 8, 2012

A Light in the Window

by Jan Karon

[I must warn you that there are SPOILERS in this review, but since the book was published in 1998, it's kind of fair game at this point, don't you think?]

So, the second of the Mitford books, and our sweet, kindly, fusty little vicar is engaged, of all things!  Or at least, by the end of the book he is, but there's an extraordinary amount of hemming and hawing about it before he and his lovely next-door neighbor finally get it sorted out.  In other words, when it comes to romance, Fr. Timothy is a scaredy cat!

Of course, you can hardly blame the man, as he's highly distracted by the machinations of a nauseating female parishioner.  She's recently widowed, and as she was never very fond of the poor blighter who was stuck with her for all those years, she's now determined to drag the poor old vicar into her bed by any means necessary!  Naturally, he would rather eat carpet tacks, and on top of everything else, he also has to find some way to keep her from driving the local diner out of business.  Never a dull moment for the harassed, well-meaning clergyman.

Honestly, these books are about 6 parts Mayberry, USA, 3 parts tent revival, and only one part believable plot, but they're soothing to read.  They're not total escapism--the characters do actually have some problems and heartaches--and though I didn't like this one as much as the first, I can still recommend it to anyone who needs something as cozy as an old bathrobe and fuzzy slippers after a long day in a busy, care-worn world.

Seeking Courage

Well, folks, Friday certainly proved to be an eventful end to my week.  I finally had my appointment with the new gynecologist recommended by my family doctor, and all I can say is, thank God that there are still doctors in the world who actually listen to their patients, and believe that those patients have some idea what is going on in their own bodies! My new doctor took me seriously, listened carefully to everything I had to say, and gave me some rather sobering news--we're probably looking at a large, invasive surgery in the near future. Though that is serious news, it is also EXCELLENT news, in my opinion, if we really have finally found the source of my phantom pain and are going to take decisive action to free me of it!

First off, more of the interminable tests.  The doctors all suspect endometriosis at this point; I have to go in and have an ultrasound Tuesday, to see exactly how bad things have gotten and--hopefully--to verify or disprove that theory.  Depending on what the ultrasound reveals, I may have a hysterectomy before the end of November.  A lot going on, a lot to think about and process, and I'm having many different reactions to all of this from moment to moment, as you might well imagine.  I'm more thankful now than ever that God gave Michael and me our little SuperToddler, and that she is flourishing and healthy, for there will be no more children in our future.  Still, we three form a happy little family, and we are truly blessed.

Image by Robert Diedrichs

Turning to less somber news, some exciting things are coming to The Beauty of Eclecticism.  I wanted to give you the health update in this post, and let you know that there may be a brief interruption in posting if I go into the hospital for surgery, and of course, have to spend some time afterwards recuperating.  But the now-famous list for My Re-Education Reading Challenge 2013 is complete, and I'll be posting more information about it shortly.  Also, there will soon be a regular feature involving the art of a dear friend of mine, who has agreed to hold a weekly showing of one of her works here on my blog.  I know--doesn't that just sound impressively high-class?!  We're pretty excited about it, and hope that all of you will enjoy it, as well.  Exciting things await you, so stay tuned!

With a Little Help From My Friends, or The Giraffe Thing

As I'm having a flare-up this week--complete with trip to ER last night--there seems no more appropriate time to introduce all of my faithful readers to a dear new friend of mine.  First, however, you'll need a bit of backstory. *special, fade-ish effects on the screen as we step back into my childhood*

When I was a baby, the first toy I ever received was a stuffed giraffe.  Considering that he was made in the 1970's, he was actually quite a realistic looking giraffe, and I loved him dearly.  He remained a good friend and companion long enough for me to name him when I began to speak--I called him Gerri-raffe.  Obviously, I was just trying to say the word "giraffe" and wasn't yet able to accomplish it at 2, but the name stuck, and to this day, I still have my Gerri-raffe.  (Unfortunately, he's in a box packed away right now, and I'm in no condition to fetch him out to take a picture for you, but you know the kind of thing--yellowish, long neck, brown spots, weird fuzzy protrusions on the top of the head.)



Photo by Hans Hillewaert

Flash forward to last week, and the SuperToddler and I were shopping in Barnes and Noble.  Well, I say shopping, but actually, she was busily playing with their model train display while I enjoyed the chance to sit down in a spot where I could keep a direct eye on her while playing Yatzee on my iPod.

All of a sudden, my eye fell upon the most adorable little giraffe I've ever seen (although to be fair, she looks far less like a REAL giraffe than my old friend Gerri-raffe does).  I had noticed the display of My Blue Nose Friends many times, and always thought they were very sweet, but on this day, it just struck me that I needed this little giraffe in my life.  I had a feeling that a flare-up was slowly building, and I thought to myself, "When I'm having to spend the day drugged and wallowed down into my recliner under my blanket, she will make a perfect little comfort animal for me."  And she does.

Don't you just LOVE her little patches?  And it's very fitting that she has one right on her tummy.  It was those patches that really made me decide I had to have a Blue Nose Friend, because they all have them, and naturally, when I discovered there was a giraffe, she was the one I picked.  Like me, she's not all brand-new-shiny-show-room-perfect; she's seen some hard knocks in her life, been patched and repaired (or at least, she was made to look like it), and I thought, "How fitting!  We may not be as young or as healthy as we once were, little giraffe, but we can hang in there together, can't we?"  Her tag says that her name is Twiggy, which I immediately tried to deny because it reminds me of the stick-figure modeling star of the 1960's who went by that name.  Too late!  As soon as I saw it on the tag, the name stuck in my brain as an adorable handle for a sweet little stuffed giraffe, and so she is Twiggy, and ever more shall be.  I periodically have to remind the SuperToddler that the "sweet little giraffe" belongs to Mommy, and may only be played with in very short, careful turns, but other than that, Twiggy has settled very quickly and comfortably into our home.  As I said, she didn't arrive any too soon.

A Good Cause

Folks, I just wanted to drop you a brief note about a really cool site I found today, and recommend it to those who might find it helpful to themselves or someone they love who suffers from one of the many battles that we're all hoping medical science will someday help us be able to win.  As regular readers will know, a number of major causes are very close to my heart--the fight against lupus (my mother, +2011), heart disease (my dad, +2007), diabetes, PTSD, PCOS, IBS (all of which I have)--and I've been searching for a while now for a type of "cause jewelry," so to speak, that really appeals to me.  Today, I found this.

Teal is the color for PCOS.
Bravelets come in a wide variety of colors/causes.

They're called Bravelets, as is the company that sells them, and for each one sold, the company donates $10 to the cause which the particular bravelet represents.  If you have experienced any of these illnesses, or have had to watch someone you care about suffer with them, you can understand why a person might need the admonition engraved on this bracelet, might need some encouragement to keep fighting the simple, daily struggle that living can be at times.  Each Bravelet is $35, and is made of stainless steel and leather, so even someone with ludicrously sensitive skin like mine can wear it without developing green patches and heinous rashes.  I'm not a paid spokesperson for this company or anything; I just believe in what they're doing, and felt I had to share it with all of you.  I hope you will find it as uplifting as I did.

A Small, Sweet Pearl

" 'After all,' Anne had said to Marilla once, 'I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.' "

--Anne of Avonlea

by L. M. Montgomery

(photo by Tanakawho)

 

Today was not a grand adventure or a major event.  That will come tomorrow; I'm turning 35, and thus far, all that's been revealed to me about the big surprise coming up is that Michael, Brigid and I will be dining with my in-laws tomorrow night, Brigid will be staying there at Grandma's house, and Friday morning, Michael and I will be setting off to some "major metropolitan area" to do something that I am assured I will be "thrilled about" that will take up most of the holiday weekened approaching.  My family knows my tastes pretty well, so I have no doubt the surprise will live up to their promises, but for tonight, I remain in suspense.

 

(The only picture I have easily available of the vehicle in question [see below]
is from our wedding day five years ago--hence the snow.)

 

However, I got another lovely birthday present yesterday evening, in the form of my little Ford Focus resurrected from its coma and breathing new life thanks to a new transmission.  (In case you're wondering, yes, everything you've ever heard about how expensive it is to replace a transmission is perfectly true.  "Somewhere between 'Ouch!' and 'Boing!' ")  Sweet little SuperToddler Brigid loves my car almost as much as I do, so we were both deeply excited to hear that "Blue Car is fixed!"  In celebration, she and I spent the day simply enjoying our re-established freedom, i.e. our ability to leave the house even when Papa is at work and has taken "Green Car" with him.

 

We went to her favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden--expensive tastes, my child--where we BOTH ordered off the children's menu.  It's cheaper, it's actually less food, and it's pretty much the only guaranteed way in that particular establishment to order garlic-free food.  Thus, a meal without IBS pain for Mama, allowing her and SuperToddler to continue their day out together.  I'm learning as quickly as I can how to manage this thing.

 

 

Naturally, at some point in the day we had to make a stop at the bank, which is never really fun but unavoidably necessary.  The nice lady behind the counter gave us a pretty blue balloon, which brightened up the proceedings immeasurably!  Still, we were both much more pleased with our next port of call, one of favorite places in the whole world.

 

THE LIBRARY!  Brigid gets excited the moment we pull into the parking lot.  It's funny, because we spend most of our time playing with the toys in the Children's Department; we looked through a book or two briefly, but took much longer creating a "perfect tower," as my budding architect deemed it, with Duplo blocks.  Still, we're building positive associations with books, reading, and the public library system, and I always consider that time well spent.

 

Finally, we found our way to Wal-Mart--surprise, surprise--where we picked up a few household supplies, but it was mostly an excuse to extend our day just a bit longer.  Besides, we enjoy toy shopping together, believe it or not.  It allows me to have a direct say in what comes home with us (or at least to try), and at times, I'm as excited about our new finds as she is!  Tonight was DEFINITELY one of those times.  Remember THESE little beauties?!

 

Ah, the View-Master!  How my heart lept with joy when I caught sight of one on Wal-Mart's Toy Department shelves tonight!  How I mentally kicked myself for ever letting my precious childhood friend and its little film reels get away from me!  The SuperToddler wasn't interested at first--too busy with more tangible-looking treasures--but when she figured out that I was really enjoying viewing something she wasn't seeing, human curiosity reeled her in, and the magic of those tiny "3-D" images did the rest, like with every other kid since the thing was first invented.  We had at least an hour of fun with them when we got home, and I'm already fondly imagining shopping for new cards on Amazon or even for vintage cards on E-Bay.  So THIS is why people have kids!  It's the only way to have this much fun again once you've gotten old and boring!  It was a lovely day, just a day out for me and my girl.

 



Another fine day...

...spent in the hospital.  At last, we have a semi-solid diagnosis--Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  I say "semi-solid" because there's a hell of a lot that medical science still doesn't know about this deal, hence its on-going designation as a "syndrome," which is doctor speak for "We know it exists, but we don't really know what the hell it is."  We now enter the lengthy process of figuring out which foods or food combinations trigger my flare-ups, so we can very decidedly NOT DO THAT EVER AGAIN!  The front runner seems to be garlic right now; don't ask me how this works, but every time I've ended up in the hospital recently, I've eaten something containing copious amounts of garlic some 6-12 hours before.  Coincidence?  Who knows; we continue experimenting to find out the best ways for me to live each day ER-free.

Check out the Spoon Theory at But You Don't Look Sick!

Meanwhile, it has been pointed out to me by some cyberfriends of mine that I am no longer just a Spoonie in solidarity with my late mother and all others affected by lupus, but am now a Spoonie in my own right.  A rather dubious honor, but I'm very glad there's a community out there that I can count on in such times.  For those of you who are not familiar with "The Spoon Theory," I suggest you click on the link above and found out all about it.  I also recommend all those who are on Twitter to take the little birdie's advice and follow @bydls (which stands for "But You Don't Look Sick!").  Even if you don't have lupus, fibromyalgia, Crohn's, IBS, or one of the other mystery syndromes that torment so many people and continue to baffle medicine, odds are pretty good you know and love someone who does.  We can use all the support we can get.

It's Alive!!!

Yes, dear friends of the blogging community, I AM still alive, although rumors of my continuing health catastrophes have not been that greatly exaggerated.  To make an excruciatingly long story short, the doctors suspect either Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome at this point (sorry to anyone who's eating while you read this), I've been in the hospital TWICE more since I last wrote, and have finally decided that since I'm obviously going to live through whichever I have, I'm going to start living my life again.  That's more complicated sometimes--for example, I've given myself permission to just read what I want (or not!) for now, and if I magically finish all the reading challenges I took on at the end of last year, that's just icing on the cake--but I'm going to live, all the same.  I've also continued surviving a sort of mini-nervous breakdown over all the deaths in my family in the past few years and the "joys" of PTSD, but I have good friends, dear family, a good medical team, and helpful drugs.  Let the blogging recommence!

May I just say here and now, throughout the last few months of not blogging, I've only lost two followers, and that says a lot for you guys, I think.  You're loyal friends, good and true, (at least, those of you who actually check your subscriptions regularly, =D ) and I'm grateful.

Okay, a few quick announcements:

Queen Rocks!  FREDDIE MERCURY FOREVER!
*ahem* Moving on...

Photo by Rev Stan

The Olympics!  Did you watch?  The world's greatest atheletes and some great painkillers got me through my latest hospital stay with my sanity intact.  London, you did yourselves proud, and your most wayward offspring (namely, us bloody defectors here in "the Colonies") still love you all.

Fellow Geeks (and those who love us despite our Geekiness), behold some of my three-year-old SuperToddler's current favorite toys--

She chose them herself, and would not let them out of her hands for hours after they were bought!  Her Geeky training is coming along beautifully, and my motherly Geek cup of joy runneth over!  (If you're thinking that C3PO looks slightly terrifying, I agree with you--he's oddly made, but she loves him, anyway.)  If you're thinking that the picture is blurry, you are also correct.  I'm still learning to take pictures with *drumrollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*

THE WONDERFUL NEW iPOD THAT MY EVEN MORE WONDERFUL HUSBAND BOUGHT ME as an (early) 35th birthday present!  I have named her Casilda (I'll give you a moment to Google that name of one of my favorite Roman Catholic saints...*Jeopardy theme plays in background*...), and she is one of the highlights of each day, as I discover all the things of which she is capable.  I use a PC laptop, I love my iPod--I know, I'm "bi" where my computing is concerned. =0)  My Mac-loving husband cannot understand why I cling to my PC, but he puts up with it, bless him.

And finally, for all my fellow book bloggers--

throughout my recent trials, I have continued to read, and am excited to announce that I have acquired and am getting ready to read my first Georgette Heyer novel!  It was a two-fer, actually, a beautiful, hardback double edition that I found in the Bargain Books at Barnes & Noble.  I LOVE shopping their Bargain Books; finding a book like this one for $9.95 makes me feel like I just discovered the Rosetta Stone or won the Nobel Prize or something much cooler than what I actually did, which is give Barnes & Noble $10 of my money.  It's the little things that make life worthwhile, you know?  After all my troubles, however, I'm giving myself a free pass on any review backlog, and am just going to enjoy reading and blogging as time permits for a while.  Thank you all for your patient faithfulness, and I hope you swarm me with comments--I've missed you all.

Oooooo! Very important P.S.

MOCK THE WEEK!  If you haven't yet discovered this rib-crackingly hilarious BBC show, search for it on YouTube--you won't be sorry!

AND then we had to call the cable guy...

During the harrowing health adventures I described in my last post, my poor, beleaguered husband was also having to move us to another apartment, because our lease was about to run out, and the owner of the condo we were renting had decided to sell.  (The appliances were older than I am, and even less "work-brickle," as we say where I'm from.  Believe me, both sides were ready to say good-bye.  Our new place is much nicer, thank God, even if it is smaller.)  With me unable to pick up the SuperToddler, let alone pack and move boxes, because of my recent hernia surgery, Good Man Michael has been doing most of this on his own, with the aid of his parents and a few faithful volunteers from church.  (THANK GOD FOR OUR NEW CHURCH!)  Meanwhile, I have been untangling things like forwarding addresses, cancelling old utilities, establishing new ones, and calling the cable company to set up FOUR DIFFERENT APPOINTMENTS (so far) to switch service from our old to our new place. 

1. This new apartment had no cable (the previous occupants were dish users), so the first cable guy couldn't do anything for us.  They had to send out "a crew" to "dig" a new line, and I dare not think about all that was involved in that.  This is truly the joy of being a renter; the owner approves the digging, it's their property, let them worry about it.
2. The crew came, and apparently they dug and spliced and whatever else they do.  They knocked on the door when they were finished and announced, "OK, you can call the company and have them send someone to turn it on now."  Thanks.  Did I mention that they were also installing the internet?  Yeah; serious web surfing withdraw, and having lived in Kazakhstan for a short time, I can tell you that NO, that is NOT just a first-world problem.
3. Guy came today and turned everything on.  Hail, o glorious Internet!  Sat down to play with the new remote for my new cable box, establish my list of favorite channels, etc.  Wait.  What the WHAT?!?!?!?!  Where are the premium channels I actually paid for so Brigid could have them (Disney, Cartoon Network, Nick Jr.)?  (Yeah, I know, we're sickeningly into 1st-world problems now; it still pissed me off).
4. Called customer service--"We'll send an agent over tomorrow."  Yipee.  At least he's coming on a Saturday, rather than making us wait until Monday.  And this has been my day, and my week.

The point, however, is that I DO have internet again, so I can once again BLOG.  And let me show you by far the best aspect of our new place.

Yes, that is my SuperToddler enjoying her brand-new, fully fenced-in back yard, the whole of which I can observe through the lovely French doors at the back of our living room.  This arrangement makes everyone extremely happy.

Isn't that just the cutest little Elmo-clad monster you've seen all day?

So, What've You Been Up To?

Here's a brief run-down on my absence of the last three weeks or so:

• ER visit #1--nausea and...other unpleasantness; CT scan #1; sent home
• ER visit #2--pain--a hella lot of pain; CT scan #2; diagnosed with a hernia; sent home
• Doctor visit--scheduled a surgical consult--Pain continued to escalate into
• ER visit #3--somebody finally had the good sense to call in the surgeon and get me admitted
• Hernia surgery--sent home with painkillers and post-op instructions after 3 days in hospital
• 2nd day home, started having nausea and...other unpleasantness...again, which led to
• ER visit #4--Apparently, being unable to sip water and keep it down will get you admitted quicker than screaming pain--who knew?
• Another three days in hospital, during which digestive system HOPEFULLY reset itself, and the hernia incision healed nicely.

I am now home, and praying to God that I get to stay here this time.  Meanwhile, I tend to the SuperToddler as best I can, even though I won't be able to pick her up for another two weeks (proving that even Papa STILL being layed-off has its silver lining), while Good Man Michael packs us up and moves us, because our rental lease just ran out.  I know there could always be more chaos in our lives, but I really think we're about as fully stocked up on it as we can handle for right now. 

The sweet little SuperToddler has been a little trooper about it all, trying to roll with our punches and not freak out over all these disruptions to our daily routine, but she has been pretty worried at times.  Yesterday she announced, "Mommy is here and Papa is here!"  She also caught sight of my incision; she had to look me very seriously in the eye and ask, "Are you OK?"  I explained to her that I was, that this was my "OW-ie" that the doctors had worked on and now it was getting all better.  After that, she could run off and watch her Leap Frog video again.