Alexandra - Our Super Achiever!

Well, she did it AGAIN!!! Another assembly for family and friends to celebrate the achievements of the students of Alex school. They started doing the award assemblies and inviting the families only recently. They give awards often but in the past it was during class time. This is a great idea having a special time set aside to bring the students accomplishment as a celebration for all to attend. Alex father did not excel in school, but he is very motivated helping Alex. Her intelligence has been a Godsend for Kevin. Life is sure amazing, we never know what blessings will become part of our life - simple blessings that make a difference.

My house will be busy again for a couple of days - our truck driver son, Don, is on his way through town with a delivery. He'll be stopping by for food! We are very thankful for his miracle job! Do your kids go to the refrigerator first thing when they come to visit?

Daughter Suzanne is still in the hospital - no word on when she will be discharged and placed in another location. She has said they will put her in a group home. They do have all sorts of activities for the patients to participate in as well as exercise. She is socializing with the others and I am thankful - she can be stubbornly anti-social, although, she does have a sweet personality and a terrific laugh and sense of humor. Her illness poses many problems for her. Most of her medication helps her cope and we can tell when she hasn't been taking it appropriately - or if the physician has changed it. The smallest event can be extreme if her medications aren't balanced.

We haven't heard from Soldier Tom for a few days. They will be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday in Iraq with all the extra snacks as allowed for this big game. I heard a place in Chicago sent pizzas over. There are only two months and a couple weeks before Tom heads back to the states from Camp Taji, Iraq. I wish we could drive out to Ft. Bragg to welcome him back. I'll bet that is an awesome event to be on the tarmack when the troops land on base and are greeted by family!!! He thinks he will be coming home on leave in May - can't wait to see him. We miss him so much.

I had the dreaded Kentucky Fried Chicken desires yesterday - I'm not suppose to eat that greasy extra crunchy stuff - but once a year I give in and yesterday, I just had to have some - well, you know what? it just ain't as good as it use to be, and yes, it made me sick. I told Bob to never buy that stuff for me again. When will I learn?

Well, that's it in a nutshell from here. I hope you all are keeping warm and safe. Hope all's well at you place. God bless and keep you!

Help! I need a GPS for life!

My highway of life is like everyone else's life, I know, except for different faces and trials. Good days and horrible, and some days that shout out "holy crap, what next?" Ahhh, I've learnt not to say that though because there's always a "what next" and it ain't pretty.

Recently, we were blessed with a huge "miracle." One of our sons lost his job last year and moved in with us then had a motorcycle accident and his right arm was almost severed off. The arm will never "work" right but he can use his hand, write, etc. I didn't think he'd be able to go back to driving a truck, and he was declined any disability or assistance. His work experience was truck driving so once he was able, he feverishly pursued that line of work. A few weeks back a company contacted him and right now he is driving on his 90 day trial period. It is a miracle in that with today's economy and his condition he could get a job. God was truly with our son and our family. We are so thankful! I didn't think it would happen and he would be living with us forever!

Right after our son went to work, our daughter went into the hospital. She had taken an over dose of her medication - on purpose. She has a mental disability. I know this illness is not uncommon in our children today - I hear stories all the time. She had been doing fine, except in the past couple of months there's been a lot of stress, her social workers have not been as helpful but without realizing putting a lot of stress on her and it finally took its toil. Like many occurrences in life, sometimes things happen for the best - maybe she was having a relapse and we didn't see it. She recovered from the overdose and is still in the hospital being treated. She had lived in her own apartment but now will go back to group housing. She wants this change which tells me there's more to the picture than this mother is aware. She is being cared for and her medication monitored. We can visit her and when we do, she is in great spirits. There's so much as parents we just don't know.

Bob and I have our dream, but we are also helping our son and granddaughter - still. I often wonder whether God's plan is not what our dream is - sometimes it's very frustrating as an adult not to have the freedom I want because of other responsibility, and maybe my rebellious attitude is only giving me a negative attitude. It isn't easy - struggling against what you know must be done when you'd rather be doing something different.

That's life, isn't it? I am wise enough to know God has already given me His GPS for life - but there are some day's I'm too stubborn to turn it on.

Evolution of Dance

In keeping with the Theme of Music, I couldn't resist sharing this YouTube video. This guy has great moves and the variety music is outstanding! I hope you enjoy something a little different from Grandma's House. Oh, I've turned off my music for this special event - tomorrow, Nickelback will be back! Take care.

Music to soothe the stressed out mama!

The other day Tom had called home from Iraq and I have been curious about the type of music he listens to, so I asked him. I do know Tom likes classical like the "Four Seasons" but normally he will listen to his stuff. I must add, if Bob and I ride in the car with him, he will play mellow tones without asking thus showing a super side of his consideration for his old grandparent

I wrote down the names of the bands Tom mentioned. I wanted to check them out on iTunes just to see if we were in sync with music melodies. There was no difficulty locating the various bands on the iTunes store library so short term listening to various popular selections was easy - the difficulty was actually listening. Unfortunately, the sounds of some of Tom's bands were too "much" for me - I suppose on the same level the sounds of my son's heavy metal bands were too much for me in his youth - - - and the same with the sound of Elvis Presley to my mom. Oh my gosh, I was not permitted to listen or watch anything to do with Elvis Presley, even if he was on the renowned Ed Sullivan show!!!

I must be quite honest though, there was one group Tom likes - Nickelback - had some songs I thought were quite good. The one playing now. The words are quite profound. I know music is a personal entity and what is soothing to one can be nerve racking to another, as well as "being in the mood" for a certain sound. It is good for the soul to be open to at least try something new rather than be stuck in the same ole groove.

The thought has occurred to me of the generation gap and just how old I am. Oh for Heaven's sake! It is the way it is - isn't it? I've heard complaints about "elevator music" from the younger generations for years - so I can just say to them - deal with it!!! I'll take a good George Strait or Michael Buble tone any day to some bouncing head music. Holy Cow - that stuff gives me a headache but I must be fair, aw no, I don't have to be fair - there's payback - wait until they have kids. Can you imagine what the music will be like in 10 or 20 years from now.

I was raised on the Big Band and classical music - my folks and aunts and uncles went to dances constantly and mom talked about the fun they had back in the 30s and 40s. I saw Tommy Dorsey once when I was in grade school when he and his band played for us. Cool!

I think the most radical music I have in my large selection is Sting, the Police, Eagles, and the Bee Gees, I like soft jazz, mellow piano and singers, but my favorite is the Brazilian music king - Antonio Carlos Jobin, and some Charlie Byrd - boy he's good on the guitar. And now, I have added Nickelback to my collection - thanks to Tom, and to Airman Mom, too!

I haven't had the peaceful opportunity to listen to my music and relax - and I miss that - maybe that's why my blood pressure is up, well, that's part of it! I'm still waiting for instructions from God how to deal with problems of adult children and survive being a senior citizen.

EAGLE OF THE MONTH

We just received the happy news Alex has been selected for Eagle of the Month in the Second Grade. The photo is Alex with her Principal a few weeks ago as she received her Honor Roll certificate.

She works so diligently and is very thoughtful of her classmates. Last night we were talking about the paper the students fill out to share why they should be Eagle of the Month and also who they would recommend for Eagle of the Month. Alex wasn't so much concerned about herself, but the friend she recommended. She went into detail of their friendship at school and how he treats the other students. It was emotional to listen to her thoughtful expressions of unselfish compliments for another person.

She had given me a piece of paper yesterday with a drawing of a dress and pants and she told me she wanted to make these for her doll. I was very impressed with her design and choice of style. I told her I thought maybe she had abilities to be a dress designer. I am trying desperately to pack and due to constant interruptions with family crisis I am not getting much done and sewing dresses for Alex's dolls would definitely not fit in now. I did promise her once we are settled again I will teach her to sew - and I will encourage her to continue her drawings for her doll's clothes. I am not at all a perfectionists at sewing but we'll work at it. Something to look forward to doing with my granddaughter as she grows up. She has always enjoyed drawing since she was a little thing. I have boxes of her drawings some of which I've had to part with because there are only so many boxes of children's treasures a person can keep.

We were going to visit Suzanne tonight. She is doing better, but we don't know yet what the doctor has decided to do with her. She just called to say they would be moving her to another location this evening and we're to wait until tomorrow.

I do appreciate your prayers. It is difficult some days to stay on top of things. I don't know what I would do without the strength and guidance I receive from my faith. There was a time after Brian died when I didn't talk to God, although I knew I was being prayed for - I was upset with Him because I knew He could have saved Brian and healed him from his brain damage and respiratory problems. God did give me strength to take care of Brian for all those years. My list of faith accomplishments and involvements with God are lengthy and extend many years back to when I was a child. Even as a child, I felt the protection and guidance of the Spirit in my life, but wasn't as wise then about what that Spirit was. I am a very humble Christian and sometimes rebellious Catholic.

Yesterday, as I was driving home from my hair-do appointment with my wonderful hairdresser, I was deep in thought about our family situations right now. I was in the left hand turn lane and had the permission of the green light to turn. The car in front of me was going a little faster than I and had made the turn and was well ahead of me. For some reason I hesitated. I felt like I was confused even though this turn was in our neighborhood and I was very familiar with the area. I hadn't actually gotten into the traffic lane and I as I looked to the left I realized a car was coming from that direction towards where I was going to turn driving a very fast speed. There were two other cars that had already came to a full stop in their lanes. This guy was going like a "bat out of hell" and ran the red light - which had been turned red for several seconds. It is an area around schools and is an area not prone to extreme speeders but this guy was moving. I sat there for a moment still in my turn lane in semi-shock I suppose because I realized had I not hesitated he would have ran right into me. I know there are incidences in our lives that guide us, prevent us, or we sense to make a different judgement than we originally planned and I know this is the work of God in our lives. We are protected and guided because we have more to accomplish in His name on this earth.

Our trials are many and our joys and spiritual gifts are many too and they compliment each other to balance out the burdens and treasures we have on earth - if only we believe and trust in God. I know there will always be good and bad days but how we deal with that day may determine the outcome. A minute can change a lifetime.

Feeling very mellow

Haven't quite felt like blogging the past few days - too many happenings in and around the house, you know how that is some days?

Daughter Suzanne is still in the hospital - they are still evaluating her. My blood pressure is over the top and I was doing so well. Too much going on - looking for a relief, but no easy way out.

We talked and joked about why we didn't get a "how to" book when we were young and raising our kids, but never did we even imagine the trials and worries we'd have when they grew up. We have to be thankful for those good days and lasting memories of laughter.

Gotta make a list!

It's been a weird and busy week in our home. A miracle of sorts happened for which we are very thankful. However, as is my philosophy I know there's always something unexpected around the next corner and there was. Our daughter is in the hospital. So, we are in the waiting mode for the next telephone call. She is stable but her problem requires time to solve. So, we wait.

I hope you all are well and you life is good. And for those who have family members with health problems, I am praying for you too. Yesterday, God had His hands full saving the passengers on the airline that went down in the Hudson River in New York. Wasn't that phenomenal! Take good care, and God bless!

Hand written note

It's quiet here in the house at the moment - my favorite time for writing. I haven't actually written Soldier Tom a letter since December because we communicate during the week quite often via Yahoo messenger or email, but I do like to write and send clippings occasionally. And 99% of the time, I type it out and include photos and funny clip arts into my typing. Today since it is quiet I thought I would actually hand write. I love fountain pens and have a nice collection, but a special one is one Soldier Tom gave me for my birthday last year. You know how much you treasure those unique gifts from your children! This fountain pen is extra special because it came from him.

A few years back when I was caring for Brian, I would sit at the dining room table - the dining room was right next to his room. I could watch him easily, you see, we never left him alone for any length of time. We were always concerned about his respiratory problems and he also had seizures. From the dining room table I would write letters to our friends about Brian's condition and the rest of the news of our family. I could write pages and pages of news and information. I did have a principle not to "complain" or "whine" but to inform. I felt no matter how bad we had it, there was always someone else who worse problems. For a short time, Bob and I with Brian, attended a meeting for Traumatic Brain Injured individuals. The TBI patients and their parents attended. Everyone but Brian was active and could talk and move and none in that particular group were as severe as Brian was. Bob and I listened to their struggles hoping to learn. Apart for the difficulties of the lifestyle of caring for a TBI patient whether a child or adult, the majority of their problems however were with their doctors, the hospitals and insurance coverage. It was a huge struggle for them. We were more fortunate in that case because Brian did have coverage with the Veteran's Administration and was classified 100% disabled as a result of his accident which meant he receive excellent benefits. I can't say that I didn't have to fight for many of Brian's benefits, but I know in that way we were better off than those trying to get proper care through civilian methods. It was very necessary to become very savvy and fight, but the benefits were there. It wasn't easy, don't get me wrong, but Brian did have full coverage. We were very grateful for that regardless of anything else. I realized early on, there was always something worse to deal with until later when Brian died. My life changed. I stopped writing letters. I had a broken heart and could not put the pain into words. It took several years until I could "express" how I felt, and even still, after almost nine years I cannot go into some of the depths of sadness I felt then and still now.

In general, and on a level thinking space, I do enjoy writing but unfortunately, getting older and having acquired arthritis the written word is curtailed and disrupted from what once was a beautiful handwriting. It is discouraging and probably one reason I hesitate to hand write letters more often. I do think taking the time to write a personal letter by hand is the purest expression of friendship and love. Using a word processor program is quick and there's the availability of the spell checker and thesaurus too. I do have a big Oxford Thesaurus and Dictionary available even with the spell checker fails. I recall when I attended Catholic schools back in the day when things were extremely articulate we were taught to turn in hand written pure clean papers with no scratched out words. And, the exception would if you did make an error, only one clear clean line through the word and make the correction next to the misspelled word. A neat paper was the utmost goal as pursued by our teacher back then. There are habits I learned fifty years ago that remains, another was the finger position when I was playing the piano. If you were never taught this way, you wouldn't realize the advantage or the beauty in these two simple things.

I hear the beep of the coffee pot telling me I have a fresh pot of Dunkin Donut coffee ready to be savored. The sun is shinning through the bay window in the kitchen where I can observe and enjoy the peace of the morning and watch the hummingbirds feed on the feeders outside the sunny window. Having a calm environment will relate to the words I put on paper for Tom to read and experience. He'll be coming stateside soon so in the next couple of weeks, I'll be sending fewer letters to Iraq ----- unless he's sent back.

I hope you are well. I hope you have a blessed calm day with little worries. God be with you.

Gary Sinise of CSI NY

We just finished watching Fox News - Gary Sinise visiting the troops in Iraq last year. He also appeared with his band - Lt Dan's Band. The show was awesome, check the link above you are are interested in reading and viewing about his trip. He's been visiting the troops over there since 2003.

Just received a lot of photos from Tom today. This photo was taken at Freedom Rest - a place in Iraq for the solders to go to relax for a couple of days. He was even able to wear civilian clothes which he had to go out and buy from the Camp Taji store. He really had a great time. He's back to work now.

Windy and Sunny

All's quiet on the Sullivan home front! Aaahhhh, hear that? Nothing, no sounds except for two - Bob's practicing his guitar and singing solo - - so low so no one can hear him.

New Years eve and the first day of the year and the rest of the week passed without much a-do! We took the Christmas down this week and I am working on packing the ornaments now. Actually, I'm repacking and taking my time. I love to do this task, it's like going down memory lane since many of the little things we have on the tree are from the kids when they were little and the grandkids too. Our tree is decorated in an old-fashioned motif - the old with the new. I'm an eclectic decorator anyhow, so why shouldn't my tree be too.

This is Granddaughter Alex, she's all dressed up to go to school to get her Honor Roll Award. The school principal decided this semester to have an assembly for the parents to attend to see their child/children receive their awards - great idea.

I am waiting on Tom to send more photos from Iraq, then I will post them here. He only has a little more than three months until he's back stateside.

Hope you are well. God bless. And, thank you God, for prayers answered. We are grateful.

An Army Christmas 2008, Camp Taji, Iraq