FamilyMatters

2009 -- The Year of Saying Hi, Thank You, Etc.

Among the many start of the year nesting activities I've actually accomplished this holiday break (I love Xmas on a Thursday!) has been to sort through my greeting cards and the random box of my mother's greeting cards I brought back from Wisconsin (this is one of maybe 13 or 14 boxes full of note cards, greeting cards, postcards and invitations my mother had accumulated).

I bought these fabulous card keepers and sorted probably more than 1,000 cards. I actually tossed about 70ish -- when you have 930 left, you can spare 70 old, yellowing cards.

Obviously, this is further evidence that I am my mother's daughter, and that compulisive accumulation of note cards is genetic -- we'll be looking for the DNA strand for it soon.

So what to do with all of these cards?

And then a letter I wrote but did not mail in April 2002 fell out of the box -- addressed to Ramona Advani -- and I knew what I should do.

Use on of these every day (ok 7 every week?) to connect with people, near and far.

The first one is to Ramona - who I have not seen since College (that's a couple of decades) -- but who made a huge impact on my life, by one day saying to me, "you should try PR, I think you'd be good at it," so which I said "what's PR?"

Who knew? I'm sure she doesn't.

And now a theme for the year -- despite tightening belts, challenging work environment, kids who need more and more of my time -- I'm going to make sure I take a moment to say hi, to thank those who may not know that they helped, and stay in touch in the snail mail way with whoever pops into my head.

Ode to My New Christmas Organizer

Oh, Christmas Organizer given by Kristi, how do I love thee?

I love thee because now I know who the hell we sent Christmas cards to, and have been able to capture new addresses in one place to be easily entered into the system

I love thee becuase next year I will be able to see when the Caraher family did everything in 2008 and will be able to say no, I mean decline, invitations that will clutter the calendar

I love thee, becuase now holiday recipes and menus are here and easily referenced, so people won't have to eat the same meal year after year after year

I love thee with the gift tab, since I added a pocket for gifts RECEIVED and have crossed off each one as thank you notes have been written and sent off

I love thee because it's all in one place....

Thank you Kristi!

Santa Called Liam Last Night

A couple of nights ago after watching Polar Express (again) Liam brought me a piece of paper and said "Santa. Note" and then mimed licking an envelope.

So he dictated a note to Santa....

Lee: "Dear Santa....ok Liam what do you want to say."

Liam: "This is Liam."

Lee: "Ok, now, do you want to tell Santa that you were a bad boy but you want presents anyway?"

Liam: "No!!! Me Nice!"

Lee: "Ok -- I have been nice this year, and I want....."

Liam: "Indie whip and hat." (Referring of course to Indiana Jones' hat and whip from the first movie.

Lee: "Anything else?"

Liam: "mmmmmmm" (tapping his finger to his forhead) and then with a triumphant finger to the sky "Indie coat"

We finished off the note and addressed it and put it in the pile to be mailed.

Yesterday Santa got the note, funnily enough at my office, and called Liam last night.

Lee "Liam, the phone's for you."

Liam: "who?"

Lee: "I don't know."

Liam "hi...." Listens to Santa (who looks a lot like Dan from Double Forte) say "Liam is that you?"

Liam: "yes" and then his eyes got really big when he heard "this is Santa"

Liam: "Santa?!??!!??! Ohhhh myyyyyy gosh!"

Then after a very animated discussion about santa, indie's hat and whip, pointing at the tree where Santa would leave the presents, talking about hot hot (hot chocolate) and cookies, we finally had to say goodbye to Santa so he could call other kids.

This morning when Liam came down to wake us up, he ran to my side of the bed and said

"Santa call me! make hot hot and cookies Today!!!"

Yeah, I'd be owing Dan $50 for this one!

I Miss My Mom

Yesterday would have been my mother's 70th birthday. And I went through the day conscious that it was her birthday, missing her, but thinking to myself "wow, it does get easier."

And then I went to church today.

And it hit me like a ton of bricks. First, it's the 3rd Sunday of Advent, my mother's favorite liturgical season. (Here she is with Liam and Mike winter 2002 the first Xmas she was sick.)Then watching Michael acolyte and thinking how much my mother would love that he loves to acolyte and sing at church and school. And then Thomas gave one of his best sermons.

Thankfully I was sitting in front of Denora today -- angel on earth who notices EVERYTHING -- who worked her special prayer magic on me.

And then NOT only Amazing Grace BUT ALSO Jerusalem -- Gina's #2 and #1 favorite hymns.

Frankly I was a mess -- and everyone was wondering why the tears streaming down the face.... I mean really.

Thank God for St. Paul's. Not only is my mother there, so I can visit anytime, but my village kicks in whenever I seem to need it.

Another thing my mother would have been so excited, thankful and appreciative of.

Heavy sigh.

Lee's Back - An Update

Well Dr. Chen is a MIRACLE WORKER -- when I come back in my next life, I'm going to come back as a spinal muscularskeletal specialist with an additional degree in Medical Acupunture.

I saw him before Thanksgiving, and there I was literally sweating and breathing heavy just to move. Dr. Chen has me move through some motions, fiddles around with my back and my reflexes, and finally says "why are you sweating, it's cold in here?"

And I say, "because it hurts."

And he says, "well that's not a 5-level pain then, that's a 9 or 10"

Anyway, more film to be taken and the 2 days later I'm back standing in his office, because sitting is too painful.

"Good News!" Dr. Chen proclaims. "No Cancer!"

"No Cancer? Cancer? You thought I had cancer?"

"Well sometimes this much pain means a tumor on your spine. But good news is no cancer!"

Holy shit.

Any way, so it turns out I have arthitis that I will need to manage.

And 3 corisone shots (at one time) + 2 acupuncture sessions with 4 to come, lots of ice, and lidocaine later and I am on my way back to a fully-moving body.

Thank you Dr. Chen!

Thank God.

I didn't really realize how limited your acuity becomes when in pain.

I Hurt My Back in the Dentist Chair

A few weeks ago I was having two of my old silver fillings replaced and the Dentist knew i was coming in and prepared extra numbing for my right jaw because I have deep deep deep roots on that side.

I got in the chair, the dentist drilled in the novacaine and the whole jaw got numb and he went in.

And hit a nerve.

And I levitated out of chair, arching my back, and threw it out -- my back that is.

And it hurts.

This was complicated by some sort of nerve issue with my arm. So I emailed my doctor who ordered the MRI.

And I go to the MRI and they put me on the machine for a 20 minute scan. The two technicians -- very nice guys -- put down the cage over my head to hold it straight and put me in slowly. And as the table moves in my hair gets stuck.

I squeeze the ball and the techs come over the speaker.

"Are you ok?"

"I need you to take me out."

And out I come. And one of the techs goes "you're not going to get all claustro on us are you?"

"Well I might, but first I need you to move my hair, bc it's all caught in the cage."

and they do that and back in I go, eyes closed.

One of them comes over the speaker, "ok Lee this will take about 20 minutes."

And I open my eyes as the noise starts and I'M IN A COFFIN the walls are so close, and the ceiling of this machine is about a centimeter from my nose.

I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

20 minutes later, ish, who can tell -- my right elbow starts to get hot. I think I can bear it. But the MRI keeps going and my elbow gets hotter and hotter. So i squeeze the ball again -- convince that these guys have gone to the bathroom or gone to get coffee -- but no, they answer thank God. And out i go again, they put a blanket behind my elbow and back in I go.

And I'm there for another 45 minutes.

Have i mentioned that I'm in deep pain the whole time? Yeah. It was fun.

Just to find out at the Dr.'s appointment that they only took the film of the Cspine and NOT the lumbar. AAAAAAAAA

So I get referred to the Spine specialist, whose receptionist I basically need to beat to a pulp to see me in the next week.

So I stay quite still, take slow walks, avoiod lifting and bending. But am thwarted on Monday morning when I stepped into the shower -- not looking at the tub at all -- and slip and fall on my butt. I'm down there, happy that I can move it all, and I realize that the tub has a blue film on it, a blue film that smells like Pete's shaving gel.

MIKE HAD TAKEN A BATH the night before and had DECIDED THAT IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO SHAVE, and he did'nt wash out the tub. Did I mention that Mike is 10?

Did I mention that I hurt my back in the dentist chair?