Repurpose

Don't you just love the idea of repurposing?  This old French wine bottle caddy is perfect for holding fresh flowers.

Daisy Fresh

 

There's nothing that says Spring like a Daisy does.  I just couldn't resist these orange Gerbera Daisies from our local flower shop.

Rare Disease Day: To Zebras Everywhere

Detail from Red Zebra by Linda Hickerson Hofheinz

Today is World Rare Disease Day.  I take this opportunity to give virtual hugs to the friends and families all over the world who deal each day with the rare genetic, metabolic disorder called Porphyria, and to salute our friends, families, nurses and physicians who support us in this illness.  So here's hugs to all you rare, beautiful Zebras.  I hear your hoofbeats!

Porphyria Information/Support:
What's a Zebra?
How do I deal with Porphyria (Hereditary Coproporphyria)?

Facebook Porphyria Group

Facebook Porphyria Support Group

Open Source Homeomedical Formulas Help Us Help Ourselves

Mapping Porphyria, the "Unchecked for" Disease
Porphyria: Monstropedia
European Porphyria Network
The American Porphyria Foundation

Distant Angels

My angels in Spain: for the Winter holidays, Dad took them to ski in the Sierra Nevadas, Spain.

Alexander, our teenage grandson, left us on short notice...a student position unexpectedly opened up at a school in Madrid.  We miss him but are happy for him, as he really missed his little brother and sister, who are also in Madrid.  You see, his two little siblings were answered prayers.

When Alexander was about seven, he really wanted a little brother.  He was a lonely little Jewish boy at a Catholic school in Paris...and he was a skeptic.  Sister Maria, concerned about his skepticism,  asked him  one day if there were anything that he really longed for.  Without giving it a thought, he answered that he would give anything for a baby brother.  Sister suggested an experiment...they would go to the chapel and pray for a baby brother.  Alexander reluctantly agreed.

Months later, as he was putting away his coat, a file fell off a shelf in the closet.  There on the floor was an ultrasound film of a baby that was very clearly a boy.  "Mama, Mama, Sister Maria was right...prayer works!  We are going to have a baby!

Cecilia took a bit more prayer.  My daughter had been told, based on testing, that she was past her child bearing years.  Then she started having symptoms of ovarian cancer.  She quickly went to her gynecologist to tell him her fears.  After an extensive exam, Misha was ushered into the doctor's office by a solemn looking nurse who helped her into a chair and patted her shoulder tenderly.  "O. K., how long do I have to live?  I have two boys, who will be without a mother, so I have to make plans."

The physician answered, "I have no idea when you will die, but what I do know is that you do not have cancer...instead, you are six months pregnant.  It is a baby girl."

Alexander was not surprised.

A Belated Christmas?

These Danish Advent Elves are from Maileg via Garnet Hill.

Who says Christmas is over on the 25th of December?  These Danish advent elves say it isn't so.  They will be travelling to Spain to surprise my little granddaughter and grandson, when they return from a winter vacation with their mom and teenage brother, Alexander.  There will be a large jar of 25 interesting toys and gadgets with each elf.  Alexander and his mom can choose a day to start the process and choose which toys to slip into the pockets each day.  I think these two elves will ease the family into a new year at a time when things are usually a big letdown for everyone. 

He's the Gingerbread Man

Tall Husband won this adorable Gingerbread Man and gingerbread house at his company's holiday party yesterday.  Thanks Sue for such a great door prize.

One of Tall Husband's favorite sayings is, "You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man."  This he remembers from childhood, when his English grandmother read the story, "The Gingerbread Man" to him over and over.  To them this was a story about being brave and invincible (never mind the tragic ending for the little gingerbread guy.)  I do believe Tall Husband is invincible and I already knew he is brave.  He has made a great recovery.  In spite of his concussion, and surgical repair of an artery (from a broken nose) he's back to his work, slapping together algorithms and other number crunching feats.  You go, Gingerbread Man!

Saving Love

A loud thump awoke me and our two dogs who had been asleep beside me. I felt for Tall Husband; not finding him, I called to him. There was no answer. By the time my feet hit the floor, Scooter, our Maltipoo, had found Tall Husband in the hallway and returned to herd me through the dark . When I turned on the light, there was Tall Husband on the floor with a large pool of blood under him. For a millisecond I thought, "So this is how it happens," as he appeared so pale and lifeless. Then my heart screamed, "No!" and I was suddenly on auto pilot. I called his name, felt for his vital signs and determined that the blood was coming from his nose and that he seemed to be going into shock. As he was breathing and had a pulse, though a weak one, no CPR was needed. I covered him with a blanket and decided not to attempt to stop the bleeding as his face had quite a bit of damage. I told him he would be fine, then ran to call 911.

As I spoke to the 911 operator, Scooter ran to herd me back to his daddy. Skipper, the puppy was licking Tall Husband's face, as Scooter positioned himself to stand watch. The 911 operator told me to lock away any pets before the ambulance arrived, so with a great deal of difficulty, I put both dogs in the kitchen, shutting the old french doors behind me. As I ran down the front walk to open the gate for the EMS team, I heard the french doors burst open and a doorknob hit the floor. Scooter and Skipper ran to greet the EMS team and lead them to Tall husband's side.

At the emergency room, we learned that Tall Husband had a drop in blood pressure and had passed out, sustaining a broken nose, a fracture to the cheek bone and a concussion. Late that morning, we returned home to two worried dogs.

I wish this were the end of the story. Though Tall Husband seemed to recover, a few mornings later, the nosebleed began again...this time it was profuse. As he was conscious, I decided to take him to the Medical Center myself, not wanting to risk his care to the outlying hospital near us. I put him and the dogs in the car and drove to our nearby veterinarian's office where the staff quickly took the dogs so we could be on our way.

As Tall Husband exhibited signs of a concussion and kept bleeding, he went from the emergency room, to a hospital room and finally to surgery. In surgery, he was found to have an artery that had been punctured by a bone fragment. We are all home and he is recovering. Scooter, Skipper and I are reluctant to leave his side. When he goes to his office out back, we leave the intercom on so we can hear him if he needs us. I was so cool headed through it all, then last night alone in the laundry room, I broke down and sobbed...remembering how I first thought Tall Husband was dead, and feeling how grateful I am that my Love is still alive.

Note: Thanks to all our friends, family, hospital staff, 911 operator and EMS staff for your loving care and support. Thanks to Scooter for being a great little service dog. And thanks to Skipper for being there and offering puppy support. Also, I thank each medical and CPR trainer who taught me through the years to keep a cool head and break down later.