Words Cannot Express

Dana's my friend. As many of you know, for years now she's been "my Dana". That's who she is to me. I temporarily revoked the title once just to get her goat & it worked so she became mine again. She has gracefully moved roles in my life from one of my core group girls during my stint in youth ministry to now a priceless friend. She's also a total sneak. Here's the story:

I make baubles. Technically they're called woven dragon boats. That's a long name so I shortened it to bauble since that's what they are. When at a Diedrich show with Kaisara & the band I make baubles. It doesn't take alot of mental capacity & it keeps me from buying cookies. Dana has always been intrigued by the bauble. Last year I gave her one made of varigated pink thread. You'da thought I'd given her $50 in cold hard cash. But no, just a bauble. I continued making them. It's a good mobile project. You all know I'm never doing nothing.
This summer I mentioned to a few people (Dana included) that I was interested in making a few baubles to try to sell to a local boutique or two. Too scary. Didn't happen. They could've turned me down you know so it's better no to have tried very hard. ANYWAY...Dana, ever the encourager, periodically asked me how that venture was going. Yesterday she calls me asking if I had any baubles made because she had a coworker interested in maybe buying some & she wanted to show my product. Sure. "Can I pick them up now?" "Okay." Later that night she calls & asks if I could come over for 10 minutes to help her with a costume she's making. "Can you bring it here since all my stuff's here?" "No" "O.k., let me finish putting dinner in the oven & I'll be right over"

Here's what I came to her house to find (only displayed much prettier)

That's right folks! I've now got a tree to display my baubles on. She also designed & had made a rubber stamp with my logo on it, printed cards for bauble customers & printed cards for clients of the clothing variety. Wow. I didn't cry just then. I think I was too suprised. I did however weep myself to sleep thinking about how much she put into this & how I could never express it's meaning to me. I'm truley blessed.

So all of this sealed the deal of a prospect I was given last week. A coworker is selling some items in a craft fair & invitied me to participate. I thought about it but really what was keeping me from jumping right in was how I would display my baubles. Well Dana solved that for me didn't she? So I'm selling my wares at craft fair this Saturday the 4th in Yorba Linda & also on Sunday, December 3rd in Orange. I better get winding & know that I'm loved not because of the things I make but because who I am to others. Makes me tear up again just thinking about it.

Sooo Cute!

The notoriety of my profession has come to it's fruition. I was asked to judge the dog costume contest at my sister's animal hospital. What fun! They were so cute. Even the chihuahuas that wouldn't shut up. Laurel, one of my SCR coworkers & I had the hard decision of choosing 2nd place. Please, 1st place was no contest. Here are a few pics from today's festivities:




2nd place, winning a free bath, was...the lobster!
1st place, winning a 1 year wellness package (shots & stuff) was...Carmen Miranda!

Here's a close up of her headress complete with hoop earings!


There was a professional photographer there taking portraits of the pets with proceeds going to emergency animal clinics to help pay for the cost of care for an animal who's owner doesn't have the means to pay. The photographer will also be there with a Christmas set-up on November 11th for anyone interested.

Punch, cup-cakes, dogs & photos. A wonderful way to spend a couple hours.

Happy Birthday, Boy!

Yesterday was Kaisara's birthday. Unlike 2 years ago he actually knew how old he was turning. 33. Happy Birthday to the my perfect match!

This was the earliest picture I have of him. He's in the upper left wearing the boater. His brother Tony is in the lower left. I think this picture was taken in New Zealand with one of his aunties & other cousins.

Inspiring

I cried out loud & like a baby while reading & watching this. Kaisara came in to check on me to see if I was o.k. This is so great. I want to be this guy.

Be sure read the following story before watching the video.

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

And the video is below....



here's another video of them. aren't they great?

Happy Birthday, Mer!

I'm a bad sister. This post is a day late.

The best big sister that ever was & that ever will be turned 35 yesterday. Isn't she a cutie? She's 4 1/2 in this photo. Her beau brought her flowers at work, took her to lunch & dinner. I've a couple little gifties for her but I'm not sure when we're be doing the family birthday festivities.

Happy Birthday, Mer! I love you!

New Couch & Other News

We got a new couch. It's used but it's new to us. This is our 4th used couch & so far we've only had to pay for one of them (not this one). Our previous three have been through people at church. Our latest is from Dana's parents, Debby & Gregg. I went over to their house last week with Dana to pick up some curtain rods for her & Jeremy's condo. During our visit Debby asked me if I'd like a couch. Umm, yeah! Mom came over with her van today & we picked it up. Yeah for us, new couch. Yeah for the Williams', it's not in their dining room anymore.

In other news, I ended up at the doctor for my broken butt. I fell on Sunday afternoon & by Wednesday afternoon my back was beginning to kill me & I couldn't raise my left leg. I called & got an appointment for the next morning. I'm so glad I called when I did since I woke up Thursday with my left arm & leg feeling really weird. Like there were almost asleep. Freaked me out. The doc ordered a bunch of x-rays & it turns out I'm not broken. Yeah! The back, arm & leg thing were a result of swelling keeping nerves from doing their job right. He gave me prescriptions for 800mg of ibuprofin, muscle relaxors & vicadin. I've never had so many drugs at once. My back, leg & arm are back to normal & my tailbone is getting better. Still hurts pretty bad but I'm relieved to know it's not broken so it shouldn't hurt for too long.

Gotta go. Dana & Jeremy are picking me up soon for one of the band's last Diedrich gigs. Stupid Starbucks is buying 'em all up at the end of next month.

I Gotta Cracked Butt

A few weeks ago I picked up a pair of rollerblades & wrist braces at a garage sale for $10. What I find! I took them for a little spin in my parking lot that day & was almost taken out by the speed bump so I've been conquering my fear of them just being in my closet for 2 weeks. Today was the day to beat those mocking chunks of plastic. I'll show them!

Crista & I went out this afternoon. I let her know that I haven't gone out on them yet because I didn't want to be by myself when I fell & wouldn't be able to call the paramedics :-). Why is skating so hard when you're old but such a breeze when you're little. And more importantly why does it hurt so bad when you fall when you're old but no big thing when you're a youngin'? Man! Here's the route we took because I foolishly thought it'd be flat. You know, since it's my first time out with the death wheels strapped to my feet. Over 3 miles! Go us!

I'm pleased that I met my top two goals for my little venture. #1 no broken bones (i think) #2 no broken skin. Our route proved to be very hilly & I very much hit the pavement on the first hill. My poor butt. I kept going with some bruised flesh & ego. I knew I was going to fall but want to do this bad enough to get past the falling stage. It's more of a work-out than I realized as well. Man, I was huffing & puffing.

It was lovely day for my first venture with a beautiful breeze to cool us off periodically. I'm so glad Crista was there with/for me. She's great and was very patient. I told her I knew she was a true friend because I knew I'd be looking like a fool & invited her anyway. She was very encouraging. We've committed to walking after work on Tuesday (my cheeks won't be ready for the skates by then) & I can't wait. I hardly ever fall just walking (be quiet Kaisara!)

Sweet Sounds

I was just at my dining room table, eating my lunch of left-over pasta, flipping through a magazine when a sweet sound made me stop, look up & smile. I love the sound of a fall breeze going through trees. It's one of my favorites. Next time you feel a breeze surround you, close your eyes & listen. It'll be time well spent.

All Clear

Went to the dentist today. No cavities! Yeah me! Although Joanne, the hygenist, didn't give me an "A" due to lack of flossing. Man, you can't fool those people! She didn't have to scrape too much & I'm more than happy with getting outta there with no repeat visit necessary. Joanne loaded my goodie bag with lots of paste, new toothbrush, a refrigerator magnet with my April appointment written on it, and of course, floss.

I'm also excited because I've been inviting Joanne to Bible study for a long time now (albeit twice a year) & now she's coming. Last week was her first time & she said today that she really likes it. She even brought a friend & is hoping another friend & her sister will come.