Thanks for listening!!
Talk to you soon!
ADDED: You know, I really love this tool. When I’m out “talking” a blog post, people will just think I’m having a conversation on my phone and won’t think twice about it. So cool.
Audio Post
Month: July 2010
Mama Grizzlies – Don’t Mess with Our Children
It’s no secret that I stand on the conservative side of the politic fence.
And make no mistake, there IS a fence. Because this country is absolutely divided and this country’s foundation has been shaken to the core.
All thanks to our commander in chief. (*golf clap*)
Don’t even pretend that it’s not true.
This president has seriously messed this country up.
But this post is not about my intense dislike for our president – what’s done is done, (hellllllllooooo November 2010 AND 2012!!), no, this post is about my thoughts on Sarah Palin’s new political tactic.
Watch….
Let’s move past her annoying voice, her hokey delivery and her desperate attempt to show people that’s she’s just a gun-toting, bear killing, Alaskan-surviving regular jane like the rest of us.
She comes across as a dweeb – I won’t argue on that one.
And just because I’m a conservative doesn’t mean I automatically like Sarah Palin. She gets on my nerves for much the same reasons she bugs other people. I don’t care for her tactics, or even her personality, but I do appreciate her willingness to take a strong stand in this politically correct circus we have going on now.
Put all of your pre-conceived opinions about Palin aside and focus on the message. She’s doing something different, she’s pulling out the MOM card.
I actually laughed out loud when I first watched this video. I sort of thought it was a joke, but then I started thinking about it and wow, whoever came up with this idea is a genius.
The mom card?! What mom out there doesn’t want to protect her children? What mom out there doesn’t get defensive and downright vicious when her children are threatened – either physically and/or figuratively?
And who can deny that with Obama’s brilliant new programs our children’s futures are not now figuratively threatened? Our poor kids, and grandkids, are going to have to pay for this administrations power-hungry decisions.
If that thought DOESN’T bring out the mama grizzly in you, then honestly, I don’t know what will.
I’m rather shocked the “mom-o-sphere” isn’t up in arms about Palin’s ad today. (Maybe they are and I’m just missing it. I purposefully don’t follow the “popular” mom bloggers because they get on my nerves so bad).
I also think it’s interesting she’s not trying to persuade any one person to join the conservative movement based on conservative ideals, but rather, is calling to action all the moms out there, regardless of party affiliation, to DO something about this whacked out administration in order to protect our children. Which, I’m not saying is not important, of course, but this Rhetoric mastery is quite impressive to watch. I mean, so you’re not a conservative, fine. But if you don’t step up and make changes all in the name of your child, does that mean you’re a bad mother?
Have I mentioned how much I dig rhetorical language and techniques? It plays on your logic, your emotions, and your empathy. All powerful emotions that often time, if tapped correctly, will compel people to step out of their comfort zones and DO something out of character all because their passions have been aroused.
Interesting.
People are so FED UP with the same-ole-same-ole political rhetoric, the empty promises, the same bullsh*t we’ve heard over and over these past years and that really doesn’t mean anything.
But calling on the mom instinct, making people care by hitting them close to the heart …well, I’m impressed.
I’ll be curious to see how effective this mom card tactic really is.
At the Moment …
My brain is fried.
Wait … let’s try that again.
My brain is more fried than usual.
I have so much swirling in my head that it’s hard to keep it all straight. So … I’ll just start talking and leave it up to you to sort it out.
You’re welcome. 😀
I drove Kevin to his last physical therapy session today.
He told me later that he was going to miss these sessions. He really feels like they’ve helped him (and I concur) with his recovery process.
Plus, he’s the sole focus for an entire hour and he enjoys the attention.
Apparently, I’m not giving him enough attention at home.
Duly noted, my dear.
The PT really ran him through the wringer today. He had Kevin do all sorts of stretching and rolling exercises as well as walking up an incline and stairs. Though he aced most everything that was thrown at him, he did find a few positions that he wasn’t able to perform very well. He’ll be working on those a lot in the coming weeks.
We do not have any more physical therapy sessions scheduled. He’s supposed to go see his bone doctor July 27th and we’ll find out whether he recommends any more therapy. Kev’s PT said he was going to recommend that he continue the sessions to his doctor – he feels like there is still a lot of work to do and again, I have to concur. Even though Kevin has been making remarkable progress, there are still quite a few things that he can’t do comfortably, or at all.
Kevin called his bone doctor to find out if he needed to continue wearing the knee brace. The doctor is recommending that he continue wearing it until his next visit. So, we’ll be taking that knee brace on vacation with us.
*****
Our air conditioner is acting wonky. It barely cools (though to be fair, it does fine as long as the temps don’t go over 90 degrees) and it’s not pulling the humidity out of the air.
So, it’s like breathing underwater in my house right now.
Not fun. And not comfortable.
We’ve already spent too much money on this heap o’ junk this summer, we’re loathe to spend more. Kevin thinks it needs to be cleaned out but he’s incapacitated and he can’t get to it. This of course, frustrates him to no end and he gets cranky, which in turn, makes me defensive and cranky and well … we end up walking on eggshells for a few days.
He needs to crawl under the house to check the pipe thing-a-ma-jig and check to see if the coils blah-blah-blah. I don’t know, he loses me after “coil.” And though I’ve offered to be his legs for him (even though I’d rather have my left arm cut off [and I say left because I’m a leftie] than crawl under the house, where it’s dark, damp and full of creepy, crawly things and *SHUDDER*), Kevin declined my offer. Actually, he snorted, rolled his eyes and THEN declined.
Hey! I can’t help being a GIRL. Dark, damp, creepy places give me the whillies, sue me.
Anyway, we’ll likely ride the rest of this season out (thank God for ceiling fans and box fans) and then concentrate on giving it a good overhaul later when Kevin can get around.
(Again, I offered to help!! Don’t you dare suggest that I didn’t. I’ve actually been forced to step out of my comfort zone several times these past months so … there).
*****
We were on our way to lunch yesterday when I stopped next to the mailbox so Kevin could get the mail. And in that pile of mail, I received an envelope. (I never get mail).
Since I was driving, Kevin opened it for me.
It was a thank you card from one of the schools I volunteer for. Well, I actually maintain their school website for free (long story). They were writing to thank me (once again!) for taking care of their website and how proud they were of it and how often they hear from happy parents praising them for keeping it up-to-date.
*blush*
In addition to their kind words, they sent me two gift cards – one to Panera Bread and one to Barnes and Noble.
Only two of my favorite places on this planet!!
I thought that was so sweet that I had tears in my eyes. Even though I do their website as my way of giving back to the community and I in no way expect, or want, any payment from them in any way, I have to be honest – it was really nice to be acknowledged and thanked. It really meant a lot to me that they took the time to do that for me.
It’s nice to be singled out and thanked once in a while.
But only once in a while. Too much of that and I get embarrassed.
So, thank YOU for making my day. 🙂
*****
The car, (which we’ve dubbed the BOYS’ car because our oldest son, Dude, could care less about it and hey, if he doesn’t care about it then we’ll just call it the EXTRA car instead of HIS car and allow BOTH boys to use it whenever they need to drive themselves somewhere), is dead.
It’s a ’99 Chevy Cavalier and the thing simply won’t start. It cranks over, but it won’t catch. And when you turn the key, every single light on the dashboard lights up, flickers, dies and then alternates with the other lights so it’s like watching lights on a Christmas tree blink on and off. In addition, it makes a funny high-pitched buzzing noise.
This is how I discovered that something was wrong with it: via text from my oldest son.
I was at the library, on the other side of town, killing time while waiting for Kevin to finish his band practice, when I got a text from Dude. I had asked him to go pick Jazz up from band camp because I didn’t want to drive all the way across town to get him when Dude was closer and hello, the boy wasn’t doing anything anyway and it wouldn’t kill him to help his mama out.
I always POUND into the boys’ heads that when they are out driving (well, Jazz isn’t driving yet, but when he gets to that point), to pleasepleaseplease call or text me to let me know that they’ve arrived at their destination safely and/or arrived home safely. That way, my imagination doesn’t go into overdrive, I don’t freak myself out and go on a rampage and my head doesn’t explode.
And that’s what Dude did (because he’s a good kid, er, man).
“We’re home, but something is wrong with the car.”
That was the text I got. Thank God he had put in the “we’re home” part first or my heart would have stopped, I’m sure.
He said that when he got to the school parking lot, turned the car off so he could open the trunk so Jazz could put his saxophone in (you have to turn the car off and take key out of the ignition and pop the trunk using the remote [what kind of asinine design is that??] And if there’s some sort of trunk pop button in his car, none of us have found it yet), it wouldn’t start back up. He had to try three different times before it finally turned over.
Which is actually pretty weird because when Kevin and I went out the next morning, we couldn’t get it to start at all. So it’s sort of amazing that the boys were able to get it home before it conked all the way out. (Think God was watching over my babies? I do).
We have AAA. So, we called them yesterday and they came out and towed it to a garage for us.
We heard from the mechanic today.
The ignition is shot. They have to get the part from the dealer, reprogram the computer and then get a new set of keys for it.
And this is BEFORE labor.
Can you guess how much it’s going to cost?
A LOT.
Kevin and I debated on whether we wanted to spend that kind of money on this 11-year old car.
I thought we should just sell it for scraps.
Kevin wanted to pay the money. He loves that car. It’s cool. (And it is, I must admit).
So, we’re paying the bill and getting the heap of junk fixed. It’s supposed to be ready tomorrow, just in time for the boys to drive out to their cousins’ house. Which is about 30 minutes from our house.
“Do you trust the car to take them all the way out there?” I asked Kevin.
He shrugged. “Well, if it breaks down, I guess they’ll get some experience with dealing with an old car.”
I mean really, who HASN’T held their breath and prayed their car wouldn’t break down at some point in their life? Who are we to deprive the boys of that experience??
*****
Vacation. It’s coming. As in next week. The big question is: cane or walker – walker or cane?
Or both?
The saga continues ….
The Definition of Cool
My mom crochets toys to enter in the fair and then donates them to a children’s charity afterward:
I think that’s just about the coolest thing ever.
(Check out the back – his suspenders criss-cross. Too cute!)
Back in a Flash
I noticed my dad posted this on his Flickr account last night.
It’s my sister, with her pacifier, about 40 some odd years ago.
Is she is the epitome of cuteness or what!
And I don’t think I’ve ever seen this picture. Hhmm….
I’m taking the day off from blogging, (sort of). I have a ton of work to do and I seriously need to focus. So, I’m shutting you down Internet, please don’t take it personally.
I shall return shortly.
Thankful for a Speedy Recovery
Kevin’s physical therapy (PT) has been a God send. Every time we go, they either tell us something new, or they show us something new to try – often times, they do both.
Initially, Kevin thought physical therapy was a waste of time. “I can do this stuff at home.” he’d say. “Why do I need a therapist to help me?” I would get annoyed with him. It’s not like we’ve been down this handicapped road before – neither one of us knew what the heck we were doing.
But he went. Not because he really wanted to, but because deep down he knew it was helping him. The PT’s helped him build his confidence and showed him that though he had limitations, they were only temporary. I can’t tell you the number of times we would go to a session and they would ask him to do something, he would give me a dubious look but then do it and be totally surprised that he could do it.
Take today for example. They had him roll onto his belly. Though he’s tried this at home, it hurt him. And though he didn’t think he would be able to do it for the PT’s, he did it. He not only rolled onto his belly, he was surprised that it didn’t hurt him.
They also asked him to get up on all fours – which he did with surprising ease.
They also suggested we buy a cane and have him start walking with it, slowly weaning himself off the walker.
And that’s what we did.
We went to Walgreen’s after his session today, bought him a cane and he’s been using it all day. At first, I thought he wouldn’t be able to handle it, every time he’s walked without the walker, he has been hunched over and very jerky in his movements, and though he’s not walking completely normal yet, he’s walking upright and his movements are starting to smooth out.
Once again, this man of mine has surprised me. And once again, I’ve underestimated his determination to get back to normal.
He only has one more session with the PT’s. Our insurance will pay for more sessions, but this is all we’ve scheduled at this point. Since we’ll be leaving next week for vacation and he goes to see the bone doctor shortly after we return, we’re going to hold off on making any more appointments and see what his bone doctor suggests.
We would not be where we are right now without the help of the various physical therapists he’s seen these past weeks. His progress has been phenomenal and the PT’s routinely comment about how fast he’s recovering. And though some of this might be said to encourage him, I also believe they are truly surprised by his progress.
It’ll be twelve weeks since the accident this coming Friday.
They intitially said he wouldn’t be able to put weight on his legs until twelve weeks and yet, here he is, on his feet no longer dependent on a wheelchair, no longer dependent on the walker, and really, no longer dependent on me. Though I knew, in my heart, that Kevin would surpass everyone’s expectations, I had no idea just HOW FAR he would surpass my own expectations.
And we have God to thank for his speedy recovery.
Sometimes, we travel that dark road, the “what if” road, especially when he starts getting down about his situation and his attitude drops several notches.
“What if you had had a brain injury?”
“What if you had been paralyzed?”
“What if you had died?”
And suddenly, this situation seems trivial when compared to the “what if” possibilities. (How could I have handled a paralyzed husband? How could I have gone on and lived my life WITHOUT him?)
This accident could have been so much worse, and yet, it wasn’t. I truly believe it was our firm belief in Jesus Christ and our unwavering faith in God our Father that saved us from those terrible “what ifs.”
We have so much to be thankful for.
Kevin’s life and remarkable recovery are at the top of that list.
Emily at Chatting at the Sky hosts a weekly “noticing” party – giving us a chance to unwrap and share the little gifts that God gives to us on a daily basis.
Flash Fiction: Fiction or Reality
“You’re reading … again? I thought we were going to go out to dinner.”
Sahara held up a finger to indicate she needed a moment longer.
“Seriously? You’re going to do this on our anniversary?” The keys in Jacob’s palm cut into his fingers as his grip tightened.
“Just one more minute,” Sahara snapped and exhaled a breath in irritation. She refused to look at him, deciding instead to focus her eyes on the text to try and recapture the images swirling around her imagination; the story was simply too good to put down. “I’m at the good part,” she fairly whispered and licked her lips in anticipation.
Jacob looked at the clock on their mantle. He had made reservations for them at their favorite restaurant, the restaurant they had gone to on their first date nearly four years ago. They had eleven minutes to make it. And he knew, from past experience, if they were even a second late, the maître d’ would give their table away with nary a guilty thought.
He could feel his resentment beginning to boil. He felt the familiar tug of unsuppressed rage but worked to control it. He glanced at the cover of her book. “Romance. I should have known.”
She ignored him.
“That trash is ruining our marriage, Sahara.”
That got her attention. Her eyes flew up to lock with his.
“I’m done. You’ve got a choice to make – your damn stories and make believe men, or me, flaws and all. Decide.”
_________________________________
Fiction under 250 words.
I recorded this story through AudioBoo. You can find the recording here.
Write From Karen 