Blast from the Past!

This weekend I did something I haven't done since I was a kid - I tie-dyed with the girls! We wound up with a shirt for each of us, and we each did a pair of socks. Much fun! And, my hands and feet wound up tie-dyed as well. Hands, you can probably understand. But feet, I bet you're wondering. I was sitting on the edge of the porch, squirting the dye onto the shirt, and when it dripped it splattered off the pavement onto my feet. Some of it is still there!

Milestone Birthdays

I'll be 30 in less than a week. I'm really not bothered by the number as some people are, but I have surprised myself by sort of taking stock of my life as it is now and thinking about where I want it to be in the next decade. I really don't know why I'm surprised, because I am one of those overly introspective people who actually look forward to making New Year's resolutions and generally just looking for any excuse to make a fresh start. Fresh starts always happen with each new year, but also my birthday, my anniversary, my kids' birthdays, Tuesdays, etc.

I've been thinking about all of the milestone birthdays. Turning 5 seemed like a big deal but I'm really not sure why, then 10 because I was finally in double digits and officially a "preteen". Then there was 13, obviously because I was officially a teenager. Next would have been 16 for being able to drive (legally), then 18 for officially being an adult (or so I thought!). 20 really wasn't a big deal, but 21 was for being able to drink alcohol (legally). Though, by that point I had really gotten all the wildness out and had been married with a child for three years. I think at 25 I felt a mild quarter life crisis. Now I'm staring in the face of 30, which I guess I feel is a milestone because it is 3 decades that I've been alive. Thinking about it, it seems that from here on out all milestone birthdays will likely be the decades. At least until retirement age, which seems to be made later and later every few years. Perhaps by the time I retire the retirement age will be 85? If I get to retire at all?

June Curse

Many of you probably don't know this about me, but I am cursed. I call it the June curse, because really bad stuff always happens to me (and my family) in June (sometimes May, but usually June) EVERY YEAR. I can trace it all back to 2002, when we had our horrific car accident where I was ejected out of the passenger side window. Most years since then I have had a car accident in May or June (thankfully more minor than that first one), and when there isn't a car accident it's something else. Let's see, last year was a car accident, the year before was when I ruptured my kidney (extremely painful, if you're wondering), the year before was another car accident. In other years we have had deaths in the family in May/June.

And now the curse continues! This year it's been my emergency appendectomy (May 29), and now Issy's cat is at the animal hospital in multiple organ failure. Dr. Caldwell is REALLY going above and beyond in an attempt to keep her alive, but it doesn't look promising at this point. If Delilah doesn't pull through, Issy will be extremely heartbroken. We've been a bit unlucky in the cat department lately. Issy had a black/white tuxedo cat, Sammy, for a long time, and then he just disappeared in November (he was neutered and only ever ventured into the neighbors' yards prior to this). That was a heartbroken Issy. Then we let her adopt a cat from a shelter in late December, and that cat had extreme anxiety issues and could not adjust to the dogs, our other cat (Fat Marley), and other activity in our house. We took him back to the shelter in late February after trying many expensive meds and "alternative" treatments. Of course, this broke Issy's heart. We decided to go with a kitten this time around so that it might adjust more easily to the other pets, but none of the shelters had any. After some searching, I discovered that an old friend I had lost touch with had a litter of kittens, and this is how we got Delilah. Issy adores this kitten - she sleeps with her every night, cleans her litter box every day (often without being asked), gave her a special pink bed and gave her a prayer shawl she was given when she broke her collar bone a few months back to use as a blanket. Issy makes homemade toys out of old socks, string, and paper for Delilah.

I am feeling incredibly guilty right now about Delilah's situation. After Sammy's disappearance, we decided any future cats would be inside-only, and because of this I decided I would just get Delilah's shots when I had her spayed, which I figured I'd do when she was about six months old (I like to fix 'em early, well before they have the chance to procreate!). I had done it this way with Fat Marley when she was a kitten, and she has always been fat and healthy from the beginning. I have always vaccinated my dogs from the very start, though, because they go in and out (dogs don't really take to a litter box, from what I understand!). Now I just keep thinking that if I had gotten her vaccinations, she might not be sick now. Of course, at this point we really don't know what is making her so suddenly sick, and the possibilities include congenital issues that I would have had no control over, but I'm the type of person who seems to like to beat herself up over everything.

Now, I love Delilah and I will be very sad if she doesn't make it through this, but what will upset me more than anything is the look of absolute heartbreak on Issy's face when I have to tell her. Any parents out there will know exactly what I'm going through with this, and will understand why I'm willing to do ANYTHING to keep this kitten alive. Am I worried about the vet bill? Of course. But if worse comes to worst, I will prostitute to keep this cat alive (just kidding, but I really am desperate not to break Issy's heart).

At this point, Dr. Caldwell is diligently keeping me updated, and all I've told Issy is that Delilah is very sick and that she needs to pray (I have not mentioned the dismal prognosis). If anyone reads this tonight, please PRAY!

Anonymous Flowers

Today I received some beautiful anonymous flowers! I walked outside and there they were, sitting on the porch. It really helped brighten my day since I have been sitting at home alone, recovering from my appendectomy. There was no note anywhere, and I really wondered who was so incredibly thoughtful.


Then this evening I found out who left them - it was a dear fellow church member who had heard about my surgery! She called to ask how I was doing and if I had found her gift. I am very blessed to have such thoughtful, caring people in my life!





A word on the surgery.... All is going well, I suppose. I have had much less pain today, though I still feel a lot of pulling at the incision sites when I try to stand straight. My appetite is slowly returning - I ate a biscuit, some peaches, and some macaroni and cheese today (which is much more than I ate yesterday). There's a lot that the docs don't tell you when you have surgery. And I think whoever decided it was a good idea to go in through a person's belly button with the camera must not have tested it out on himself (I say "him" because only a man would come up with something so harebrained!). If you take your finger and push it hard into your belly button, then you know the feeling I have constantly in that region right now. And it is bruised, to boot! The other two incision sites are longer, but don't bother me hardly at all, including the one that is is constantly rubbed by the band on my panties. I just can't wait until I can lay all the way down on my back again, and even better would be laying on my side. I tried it today, but it's still not such a good idea at this point.

I have had some incredibly supportive friends helping me (and the kids) through all of this, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank them properly. Thank you Carol (and family) for all your help with Issy and Emmy Friday night and Saturday. Thanks also to Kimberlyn for coming to the hospital and staying with me as I went into surgery. Thanks again for the flowers, Gladys. Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed, or stopped by to check on me ~ Mama Bear and Papa Bear, Bobbi, Steve, Scott, Dana, Steph, and all of my supportive FB friends. Thanks very much to everyone who prayed for me. Thanks to my sweet hubby for taking care of me and the kids and the pets and the house. Thanks to my beautiful girls, Issy and Emmy, for the beautiful artwork, handpicked gardenias, and careful hugs. If I've forgotten someone, please don't take offense! This is all coming off the top of my medicated brain! Thanks to everyone!

P.S. The lightning bugs are back!