Hey Everyone!!

I'm terrible about keeping up with this blog. I just noticed that it's been June since my last post!

Here's my attempt at catching you up on what's been going on in our lives since then...

JULY

In July, we took a one day vacation to Charleston, SC with some friends from church, Rhea, Rhonda and Monty. We ate awesome seafood, walked the market, and spent some time on Folly Beach. All in all, it was a great little getaway!

This is Monty, and his Sand Legs!

Monty, Rhonda and Rhea at A.W. Shucks

Me and Dan at A.W. Shucks. I really wish I had some of their shrimp right about now!

August

August was by far the busiest month I've probably ever had!

First of all, Dan's cousin, Ashley, had her wedding in Alabama.

I was honored to be asked to be a bridesmaid, and this is a picture of Ashley's bridesmaid's luncheon.

The is Mrs.Ingram (Dan's mom), Mrs. Ingram (haha!), Ashley Davis Watkins and her mom, Ivy


While I was in the gump for some bridal festivities, I met up with some Faulkner friends that I haven't seen in ages! We met at Olive Garden for dinner, and then went to see

The Time Traveler's Wife

at the Rave. It was a really good movie. Bring the Kleenex with you though!

These are just a few of the ones who were there.

Laurie, Taryn, Wendy, Bambi, Brooke, Me, Leigh, and Shanon

August was also the start of school for me. I am in the Respiratory Therapy program at Spartanburg Community College. I'm loving the classes, and being an asthmatic myself, I'm learning so much about how to make life easier on myself too. These are some friends in Lab. We had some free time and a camera, so ya know,..

Me, Deanna, Taylor, Audra, and Ashley

The week after school started, I went back to Alabama, this time with Dan, for the wedding. It was at Lake Martin at Children's Harbor. It was a truly gorgeous wedding and we had a great time. This is the bridesmaids with the bride, on the dock.

August was also one of the saddest months of my life.

See, My mother had been having some heart problems for a while, and was having test after test to determine her course of treatment. At one point, we were waiting for her to have a pacemaker implanted (but thanks to answered prayer, that was deemed not necessary after all). About the same time, my papa had begun having some problems with his health. He was very sick to his stomach and we couldn't figure out why. One Tuesday night, my mother was at Greenville Memorial Hospital, while Papa was at St. Francis Hospital down the road.

I chose to go sit with Mama and see that my dad got some dinner,

and thought I would go to see Papa the next day after classes.

The next morning, I woke up with a wicked sinus infection. I went to the doctor, and then to the pharmacy to get my antibiotics filled. While waiting in line, I called Daddy to check on Papa. As they were getting Papa ready for an exray, they were moving him to a

stretcher from his bed for transport, and they believed he dislodged a blood clot.

He was rushed to ICU, and we were waiting on word.

When I got home, I recieved a call from my mom that he did not make it to ICU, but passed away on the way there, most likely from a pulmonary embolism.

He was 79 years old.

Grandma and Papa at a grandchild's wedding

September
With the month of August behind me, I just dove headfirst into my studies and work. It's so much easier for me to deal with the death of a loved one if I'm too busy to come up for air, let alone think about how he's gone.

October

Dan and I took a break, and went back to Charleston for a few days. We relaxed, and ate great seafood again, and enjoyed the perfect weather. We went on a Graveyard Ghost Tour, which was fantastic!! I truly recommend it. This is the guy we met while waiting for the tour to start. He was nicer than he looks. haha

When we got home, we found out that my mother doesn't ventricular tachycardia like they thought, but she has atrial fibrillation, which isn't super, but it's got a better treatment plan and quality of life associated with it than VT.

As far as November goes, I'm just back to studying nonstop, working nonstop, and wishing I could sleep! We've had some health issues with Moose, but it looks like he'll be okay.

We are going to Montgomery as usual for Thanksgiving next week.

Then my finals are the next week.

Then it's time for a break!!

I'll try not to wait so long to post again.

I hope you all have a

GREAT THANKSGIVING!!

Hoooowwwwdeee!!!!!

Last week I had the priviledge of working at Palmetto Bible Camp for Second Week. This place is incredibly special to me, as my family has been involved with camp since my parents met there when they were around 14 years old. (Insert “awwww” here).

It was wonderful to spend the week with old friends, and even new ones, and to be surrounded by the Word of God so completely. I have a ton of pictures that I want to share with you, but they are not all accessible yet,.. so here’s a few that I can show you so far. I hope you enjoy!!

PS- A little update on Dan!
He had a doctor’s appointment with Dr. Lijewski on Friday, to get the biopsy results. He has no diseased tissue whatsoever!!!! Dr. L said he went 5-6 ft inside Dan’s colon during the colonoscopy (yeah, try not to think too hard about it,.. it’s gross), and didn’t find anything wrong, and he took 4 random colon biopsies and they all came back 100% healthy!! He said “Dan, you were a seriously sick man, and there was definitely something showing up on that CT scan. I fully expected to see a diseased colon, but I didn’t. As a physician, I can’t explain it. There is no explanation. You’re just cured and that’s all there is to it.” How amazing! It is so humbling to know that God listened to our prayers, and the prayers of our friends and loved ones, and even strangers, and He saw it fit to heal him and take away whatever was making him sick. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for your cards, thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Trudy

Movin' on Up...

Movin’ on Up…

My younger sis is moving this weekend to a cute little house in a cute little neighborhood (be very jealous). She lives in Johnson City, TN, and if you know us, you know that we can’t do anything without it being a total family affair!! My parents are going to rent a big utility van today, and my older sis is going to get some furniture out of storage, and I am bringing my elbow grease, and we are all headed up to TN tomorrow to help Heidi move. I felt like I should be bringing something cool to the table for the occasion, so this is what I put together last night. Tell me what you think…

The Waiting Room Chronicles: One-Legged Yard Chickens

Sitting in the waiting room, I hear alot of things. Tonight, I was priviledged enough to catch this end of a wonderful conversation. See if you can correctly answer the multiple choice question following this statement.


"You know how bad chickens are about getting out in the yard? Well, you know, if you don't keep em couped up good they'll wander off and stuff? Well, Jimmy told us that if you chop off one of their legs, that'll keep em in the yard and they won't wander off as far. So that's what we did and I swear to you them chickens when we ate em, they was as tough as they could be. It was like eating cats!"


Question: What is wrong with this statement?

A) Chopping off one of the chickens' limbs was easier and seemed more logical to this person than paying for chicken fencing from Lowe's.

B) This individual took advice from Jimmy that involved mutulating their chickens to make sure they didn't wander off, where they could get hurt.

C) This individual speaks of eating one-legged, free-roaming yard chickens like it's nothing.

D) This individual is familiar with the taste and texture of eating cats.

E) All of the above.

If you answered, E) All of the above, you are correct!!

Your prize is knowing that no matter how bad your day gets, you don't have to chase one-legged chickens in your yard for dinner! Thanks for playing!

No, no. Stop that. Put that back on.

While we were in the hospital, Dan would ask me about Moose (our dog) every so often. I didn't go home every day, and if I didn't go home, I would have either my parents or Lavinia run by and check on him. The first night I went home, which I believe was Sunday night (the night I first wrote about what was going on), Moose couldn't figure out where Dan was. He found one of Dan's tshirts lying around, and he drug it with him from room to room, looking for Dan. It was pitiful. He slept on it, he layed on it, he whined on it. He was totally heartbroken that Dan wasn't home. This went on the whole time Dan was inpatient. When Dan asked me how Moose was, and I told him how sad he was, he'd say "Poor thing, He probably thinks you took me back to the pound!" haha.
Last night, when we got home,.. oh boy! I really should have recorded Moose's reaction. He saw my car, and his little head popped up out of the grass. He slowly got up to his feet and saw that Dan was in the car too. When Dan opened the door, he came bouncing,.. yes, BOUNCING up to the gate! He was running around himself in circles and jumping and panting and licking. Pure joy! I just smiled and thought to myself "I know how you feel, Moose. I know how you feel!"

Today, Friday, we got up and Dan had an appetite! He was so excited, he took me to breakfast at Denny's, and then to the grocery store to get some foods that he can eat. When we came home, I cleaned out the fridge and threw away all of the bad foods, and hid the Pepsi. He's decided to try to quit. I'm so proud of him. He hasn't had one in a week now, and you'd just have to know him to know hwat a huge thing that is. Words cannot express.

I have to tell y'all the funny thing that we laughed about in CCU on Tuesday. It was 6am, and I wasn't supposed to be in Dan's room yet, but if they didn't want me in there, they should have locked the door better. :) He was just waking up, and I was standing by his bed, holding his hand and we were talking. This really loud nurse walked by, a tall guy, kinda young. Dan said "You hear him? All night long, he kept yelling at the guy in the room next to me." I was kinda intrigued, so I asked what he was yelling about. He said "I don't know. He just kpet saying 'No no, Mr. So-and-so, Stop that. Put that back on." I was really intrigued now. I asked him "Don't you want to know what it was he was doing in there?!" and Dan laughed and said "I most certainly do not!" I told him I had a mental image of an old scrawny man, standing in his hospital bed, gown wide open, swinging his blood pressure cuff by the cord and shaking his hips with a micheivious grin on his face. It has kinda turned into our inside joke now. We just randomly look at one another and put our hand on our hip and say "No no, Dan. Stop that. Put that back on!"
We are so weird. haha.

Now that Dan is doing fantastic and seems to be on the right track for getting better and better everyday, I would like to ask you to focus your prayers on the Tesnear and Tracy families, as their loved ones are still in critical care. I'm not sure about the Tracy family, but Ms. Tesnear was to have brain surgery today to alleviate some swelling. They were trying at all costs to not have to do surgery, because it would be a very dangerous and difficult case, but apparently that was not how things turned out. I haven't heard the results of the surgery, but I have seen all of your prayers work this week and I know they could sure use them. Thank you again for everything. You are all the best!!

Much Love,
Trudy

There's No Place Like Home!!

We just talked to Anita, NP, and she said we are being discharged today afterall!!! Dan and I had taken a walk around the floor, and he said it felt so good to be up on his feet, he wanted to walk some more. So we went downstairs and walked around the hospital cafe, the gift shop, the lobby, bought a drink and sat down for a while, and when we came back, Anita was waiting on us with DC papers!! Yes!! She said they are decreasing his TPN to 50% for an hour. Then they will cut it off completely for an hour. Then check his blood sugar, wait about 30 mins for results and orders, and if it's in a healthy range, we're out of here!

I saw the Tesnear family a while ago. No changes in her condition. Her daughter is here now, and she's holding up wonderfully. Such a strong, sweet family. They are still in Neuro ICU.

I also talked to the Tracy family. He's having a rough time, but the doc said he'd be okay eventually. They are still in CCU.

Maybe the next post will be from 111 Country Place Dr!!
Love,
Trudy

Wakey, Wakey, Eggs and Bakey!

When we were kids at Palmetto Bible Camp, we had this amazing counselor who used to wake us all up in the morning with "Wakey, Wakey, Eggs and Bakey!" to get us up for breakfast. This morning, Dan ate yes,.. you guessed it,.. EGGS AND BACON! I can't believe it. Dr. Lijewsky (Loo-Ess-Key) the gastroenterologist, called this morning to check on us and said that all we need now is to slowly come off the TPN (total parentel nutrition) through his PICC line, and increase his oral diet, and then we can go home! If not tonight, then tomorrow.

Again,.. I could never express my appreciation and love for all of you who have called, texted, emailed, sent cards and facebook/blogspot comments, etc. We are so humbled and grateful, and I feel like everything happens for a reason. I have already seen some of those reasons manifested in ways that only God could have planned. How blessed we are to be His children!!

Also, and update on my friends. Ms. Tesnear's condition is sorta improved. She's still on a ventilator, but they are weaning her off of it. Her daughter graduates high school on Tuesday, and her heart is breaking for her mother. Ms. Tesnear is responding to commands by wiggling her toes and blinking, so that is where she stands as of 11 am today. Mrs. Tracy's son is still in CCU with some internal bleeding that they don't know where it is coming from. He's been given two pints of blood this morning, and that's the last I heard on him. I will check on both families after Dan finishes eating lunch and we take a walk around the floor. I'm excited. We're calling it our "date night". haha. I might just put on makeup for this!! (Does it matter that I'm wearing the same jeans I wore for the past three days on this date? I do'nt think so. haha.)

Miss Patsy, our sweet nurse, just told us that we are not going home today. We're really not that dissappointed though. I kinda thought it would be too soon to wean him off TPN that fast anyway. So it's looking like tomorrow. That's still good news to us!

Love to you all!
Trudy and Dan

Jello never tasted so good!!!

To say it has been a whirlwind of events and information this week would be the understatement of the year!! Dan has recieved so many sweet notes, cards, phone calls, visits, etc and countless prayers have been said on our behalf. From the bottom of our hearts- THANK YOU!! You will never know how much it all means to us, and we will be eternally grateful to you. We have been so blessed!! Here's a rundown on Dan so far...
Monday- I got to the hospital around 9am. We talked to Brantley Eske, NP for the gastroenterologist who said we would begin prep for a colonoscopy in a few hours. The prep would involved ingesting some contrast, which they would put through his NG Tube, and that in the morning, Dr. L (I can't even begin to spell the last name! sorry!) would do a colonoscopy, take a biopsy of the blockage and tissues, and make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. We'd be leaving the hospital in about 3 days. I stepped in the hall to call family to let them know, and she came back and said that Dr. L had decided against the c'scopy. He said Dan's system wasn't strong enough to handle the prep for it, and that we would treat him with steroids for about 2-3 days, and then try the c'scopy. I called family to tell them the new news. When I walked back to the room, our nurse stopped me and said she'd recieved an order for steroids, which I expected, and an order for a PICC line, which I did not. I was not happy. Neither was Dan. I explained to Dan that they were giving him a PICC line, and that it was a great thing, because he could recieve nutrients through it that would keep him strong while we were waiting for the c'scopy. He was too high on morphine to understand. A few hours later, two nurses came in with equipment for a line, and the process began. It's a long, detailed process, guided by an ultrasound and followed up by a chest xray. Dan tolerated it like a trooper though. Never once complained! I would have been such a baby about it, but he was soo brave and cooperative! They began the TPN (nutrients) and I left to go to work.
Around 5, my MIL was walking around and came to see me in the waiting room. She said he was doing well, and would probably start some clear liquids in the morning. Great news! Two hours later, she called and said "Trudy, don't panic. He's gonna be okay...". I was immediately scared. They had to call a Code Rapid Response on him,.. he was on his way to CCU (Coronary Care Unit) and something showed up on his EKG that the doc didn't like. I know, why are they doing an EKG on him? A thousand questions hit me all at once and I broke down. I managed to get out of the waiting room and get to CCU as fast as I could. When we met the cardiologist, Dr. Shah, he said that the PICC line went in too far and actually was touching Dan's heart (right atrium). This disturbed his natural cardiac rhythm, and sent him into atrial fibrillation. He was in danger of having a stroke, blood clot, pulmonary embolism, and even cardiac failure. Dan had apparently told the nurse that his heart felt funny, and she paged Dr. James, who thankfully ordered a cardiac enzymes screening, EKG (so that's why they took one) and a chest xray, STAT. This saved Dan's life. (I'm choking up as I type this. I never, never, never want to relive that feeling).
He spent the night in CCU, and was alert, oriented, and miserable, but stable.
Tuesday- I snuck into CCU at 6am (visiting hours begin at 9). We sat in the dark, while he tried to rest, and listened to all the beeps and whirrs and hums of his machines. Now he had a nasogastric tube, an IV, a foley catheter, a PICC line, and they were checking his sugar (he's been anywhere from 179- 224!!!!) every six hours, and giving him insulin shots in his non PICC line arm- not to mention he had at least 8 or 9 monitor pads on him checking his heart!!! Dr.Shah said he could go to a regular bed as soon as Dr. James signed some papers. This was around 8am. Dr. James came around 4pm, and signed him off. I called admissions to find out his new room #, and it was 422 (a regular bed). Then they called me back and said Dr. Shah changed his mind and wanted a monitored bed, #612, just to be on the safe side. It was about 7:30 when they wheeled Dan into 612. NOw he has a portable heart monitor on top of everything else. And he was NPO (No Pas Os- "Nothing By Mouth") since he got here Sunday morning. Not even water. After a few hours on the floor, Dr. James came by and said he could start some clear liquids, and if tolerated well, he could take out the NG Tube in the morning. He also took out the foley cath. With help walking, Dan could get up and go to the bathroom or take a shower. It was the first shower he'd had since Saturday afternoon!!!! And the clear liquids were great.
Wednesday- Dr. James came by this morning around 8am. He asked Dan if he was tolerating liquids well. He was. So he let Dan do the honors of pulling out his own NG Tube!! It's in the trash can, people!! He has been working up to a full diet with no restrictions, and in a little while, he will be eating some homemade chicken soup from my mother. God answers prayer!
Dr. James let us know how seriously dangerous surgery would be for Dan right now, but that as a surgeon, he knows it's on of the fastest ways to find out what's wrong. He said "Guys, I have to tell you that there were many times I almost pulled the trigger and said let's go to the OR, but I know now that would have been a devasting thing. I prayed for God to give me wisdom and guidance on your case, Dan, and He blessed me in that. I'm so thankful for that, because now you are getting better!!". I will always feel like I owe Dr. James my husband's life. And I will always be thankful to God for guiding him in his care.
As I type, I'm waiting on Dr. L to come check on Dan and let us know what's next. We've spent the past 2 days trying to get his heart back to where it needs to be, and now that it's stable again, we can begin focussing on his colon again. Right now, the plan is to go home maybe on Saturday. We're not really sure yet, but I've learned to just hold on tight, because this is a bumpy ride with alot of quick turns, but with prayers and good family and friends, we're making it through. Thank you all again so much.

AS a side note, please include the Tracy family and the Tesnear family in your prayers when you remember us. These are some of our church families that are in critical care units here, and they are in serious need for prayers too. Thanks again!
Trudy

"We found a little something in your CT"

This is gonna be short and not so sweet. I don't know what to write because we dont know what it is yet, but please keep us in your prayers. My husband, my soulmate, my Dan, is in the hospital. Admitted today thru the ER. He has an NG Tube, and something in his abdomen. He's so sick. I don't know what to do. His parents drove here as fast as they could, and they are with him right now. I'm at home, supposed to be resting up since I've been up for 24 hours now, but I can't sleep. He's on morphine, and that's keeping the pain around a 2 or 3, verses the 8-9 it was this morning.
Counting my blessings:
My parents are amazing. They drove to SRHS, got my keys, and went to my house and cleaned my kitchen and living room, and consoled my dog who is worried sick about Dan. I'm not kidding. He's dragging Dan's shirt around the house, crying. He knows soemthing's not right.
Dan's parents are also amazing. They drove up as fast as they could from Montgomery, AL. They have been as comforting to me as they have to him. So incredibly compassionate.
My sisters- they have called and called and texted and said all of the right things. Lavinia is worried sick, and though she coudln't come herself, she sent her friend to spend the day with me while we were waiting. He was such a huge help. He even came back later tonight. Heidi's boyfriend, Paul, is equally amazing. He's called and prayed and letting Heidi use his phone since her's went on the fritz today. I'm so grateful to all of them. Heidi even offered to drive 3 hrs to be here tomorrow. I told her to just stay by a phone for now. Paul's. Not hers.
Our doctor- Dr. Hugh James. I love this man. I truly do. I've worked around this man for 2 yrs. My two favorite things about Dr. J is one: He frequently prays with his patient's families before and after procedures. His mind and heart are always focussed on The Great Physician, and I respect that in him very much. Second, his motto is "I may be a surgeon, but I"m gonna try everything to not take you to surgery". He recognizes surgery for what it is; A necessary thing when everything else fails. He's not out to cut what don't need cuttin'. I feel good with Dan in his hands, and he knows me, so I feel like he may have an even more personal interest in Dan's case. I hope so.
My job- I can still work while Dan is in the hospital, and be just a hallway away from him. It's a blessing to not have to use sick days, or vacation days, or lose pay.
Our Church Family- I couldn't tell you how many well wishes and prayers have been ours today. I love them so much. Boiling Springs Church of Christ is as much a part of me as my right hand. And I'm right handed.

I will keep you updated as I can. I guess I better to go lay in bed.

If you want to.. here's a free way to cheer Dan up...

If you click here, you'll go to the SRHS website, where you can send Dan a free cheer card! The little volunteer ladies bring them around in the afternoons. I think he would love to hear from you! Above all, though, please pray for him and Dr. James to get this resolved without drastic measures.

How to Escape from a Grizzly

I remember a few winters ago, we were having a Christmas party at my Aunt Betty Sue’s antique house. There was only one television set in her dainty livingroom, and my grandfather had long ago designated its use to show Andy Griffith all night. No fear, because the cousins and I had brought board games, as was our custom and still is, and made ourselves at home in her parlor floor. Ashley, and her new fiancée, Doug, had brought their new favorite game, “Worst Case Scenario”. I remember this game vividly, because when it was Doug’s turn to read aloud his scenario that he had to survive, he did so in his thick, low country, getchee accent and we all had sore stomach muscles from trying not to laugh out loud at him. The card said “How to Escape from a Grizzly Bear”, but what Doug read was more like “Ha ta ‘scay fru uh Grit Lee Beh”. Hearing him describe with great energy and lots of hand movements the steps one must follow if they want to survive such an encounter was so obviously hilarious, even Ashley laughed out loud.

I haven’t thought about that night in ages, not until just a few weeks ago. I was sitting at the desk at work, and there was only one family in my waiting room. They were sitting behind me, and discussed everything from Obama being “fine lookin” to one lady’s account of her ‘pastuh been flirting wif me’. All very entertaining, if not mostly annoying. And then, to my delight, the object of pastuh’s affection got up like she was going to leave. She walked by my desk and I nodded politely at her, careful not to engage her in conversation, and counting her steps to the door- the steps that would leave me in peace and quiet!
“I can sho talk!” she said, proudly displaying her two gold front teeth.
Again, I gave her a nice smile and a polite nod.
“See, I’s movin my cah, and I’s gots to do it fo’ my mama decide she gon’ come wif me, cuz I dun tol’ hur she cain’ go wif me cuz if sum man decide he gon’ come afta me I’s gots to be able to fights him and I cain’ fights him if I’s takin’ care o’hur, you know?” She has ceased to move towards the door, and is standing in front of my desk, knock-off purse flailing around as she uses her hands and fake nails to tell her story.
“See, we’s been raised up ruff. I tol’ mama I knows how to gets away from a man if he gon’ come afta me. All I worries is if he’s gots a gun, but I can still handle dat. Alls you gots to do, is go at his growin’s and kicks em in, and when he draws hisself up like this (proceeds to demonstrate), then you jus knock dat gun outta his hand and keep beatin him (demonstrates beating a man with her knock-off purse). I tol’ mama, you jus gotsa have some strengf and you can beats him. I gots strengf, cuz we’s raised up ruff. I dun chop up wood when I’s raised up, so I gotsa strengf.” And with a smile that could mean nothing more than self pride and confidence in her demonstration. She opened the door and began to leave, but not without turning around to me once more and saying “I’s be aight!” and with that she left to move her car in the dark, downtown parking lot.

I pity any man that tries to take her down.

Funky Panties

First of all, here's some new super healthy, super yummy recipes I made up...

Chicken Swiss Wrap
Take one whole wheat tortilla. Spread one wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese on the tortilla. Take three slices of shaved chicken lunch meat and place on top of the cheese.
*You can add reduced fat bacon to give it some crunch.
*I also like to add some Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic seasoning in leu of salt for added flavor.
*Try other varieties of The Laughing Cow Light cheeses. French Onion is also great in this wrap.
Wrap it up and enjoy! It also keeps in the fridge really well.

Banana Wrap
This is really good for breakfast.
Take one whole wheat tortilla. Take a spoonful of low fat peanut butter and one spoonful of honey. Microwave the pb and honey for about 10 - 15 seconds, just to make it more spreadable. Spread it on the tortilla. Cut up one whole banana into bitesize pieces, like you're going to put it on your cereal. Soak in lemon juice to keep the banana pieces fresh, and to add flavor. Let it soak for about a minute. Drain the lemon juice off and put the banana pieces on your tortilla and wrap it up like a burrito. This is great to eat right away or you can keep it in the fridge too.

More recipes to come!


Okay, now for the Funky Panties story...
So, I took Natalie to the mall last Weds to buy her mom something for Mother's Day. Natalie was having "Funky Sock Friday" at school, so after I bought her the funkiest socks we could find, she decided that was exactly what her mom needed was a pair of funky socks. I couldn't agree more.
We left the tweenie-bopper store we were in, and went to the nearest department store. I figured the socks would be near the underwear. We went walking past the bras and panties, and I didn't even notice the mannequin dressed in a sexy bra/panty set, but you can bet Natalie did. I noticed she wasn't standing right beside me, so I looked behind me and sure enough, she was still standing in front of the mannequin, staring up at her purple lace and see-through outfit. You could just see the question mark forming on her small forehead as she tilted her curly-haired head slightly to the side the way Moose does when I am talking to him.
"Did you see any funky socks over here?" I ask her. Without taking her eyes off the purple lacey thong, she pointed to the frills on the hips and whispered "Aunt Choody, What are those things for?".
Well, what am I supposed to say? Overcompensation? Your husband's birthday? Stripper attire? I had to think quickly. I knelt down to her level and said, "Well, Noodle, it's kinda like your socks. You know how we went to buy you some funky socks, and you're really excited about them? And even if you wore tennis shoes and no one else could see them, you'd know they were there and that would make you feel a little extra funky?" She nodded her head, still staring at the frills. "Well, those are like the same thing. Some women like to wear them, even though no one else will see them, they know they are there and it makes them feel a little extra funky."
"Funky panties?" she asked.
"Yes, Noodle. Those are funky panties", I said, taking her hand and leading her away to the socks.
About a minute later, she softly said "Aunt Choody?"
"Yes, My Noodle" We always call her that.
"Does my mama wear funky panties?"
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
"No, Noodle. Not since the last time I saw your mama's underwear."
"Do you?" she whispered, so not to embarass me.
"No, I don't. I'm funky enough without them." My eyes were welling up with tears of laughter. I was about to bust.
She pulled my hand down so she could whisper to me "Me neither!!" and then she giggled. We both giggled. And then we ran, hand in hand to the socks counter.
Little girls are so much fun!

As a side note, Natalie said "I want Mama's socks to have hearts on them because I love her". We found some obviously left-over valentine's socks and she pointed at them and said "Those! that's the ones!". No arguement from me. We got the socks and headed to the dollar store in the mall to pick out a gift bag. She pointed to the obviously left-over valentine's gift bag that said "I love you" with roses on it and hearts on it. "That one!" she said, "Because I love her!" So Lavinia had a very Valentinish Mother's Day. When I explained the hearts on the socks and the bag, Lavinia just smiled and said "I couldn't love anything more!"
My family is so awesome. :)

Monthly Resolutions...

... are what I am now working on. I've decided that making a resolution at the beginning of the year is more committment than I am able to, well,.. commit to. I am a list person- when I clean house, the first thing I do is make a list. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I can mark something off my list and know that it is completely done. Therefore, I am combining my list-a-bility and my desire for a new resolution, and doing a Monthly Resolution. Hopefully, four weeks of working on a new resolution will start a new, good habit for me and it will become a lifetime resolution instead of just a monthly thing. I'm picking two small, easy to do goals for this month, since this month is halfway over already.

#1. Drink more water. I never drink enough water. I don't really like it. I'd so much rather have a tall glass of semi-sweet tea. Granted, my sweet tea is nothing like everyone else's. I put about 1/3 of the sugar most people do, and I buy decaf tea, so it's not the caffeine that I'm addicted to. It's the tea taste- the way it tastes like summertime, the way the condensation forms on the outside of the tall glass and drips down it's sides in slow motion like drops of summer rain tracing the outside of my bedroom window panes. Water is so much less romantic than a tall glass of tea, but right now, there's not much in this world that is more unromantic than my hips, so I'm choosing to drink the H2O and end my affair with my tea. My measurable goal is 6 full glasses of water a day. Baby steps, people! Baby steps! I may increase from there, but 6 is the minimum.

#2. Be early for everything. I have the curse of the Holders, and I'm late for everything. I will be late for my own funeral! I've been doing alot better about it lately, but I would like to make this an official goal to not be late for anything at all (as it is within my power of course) for the rest of the month. Whether it is work, church, bible study, meeting friends or whatever, I am going to be more than on time,.. I'll be early! I've been driving to work about 20 minutes early for a few weeks, and I sit in my car and just chill out before going in to the rat race, and I'm noticing that I'm less stressed, and in a much better mood throughout my shift. I don't have to worry about speeding to get there, or hunting a parking spot, and I can do little things that I normally have no time for (today, I trimmed my fingernails and organized my purse). I am hoping to keep this up and apply it to everything else I do.

I hope you are all having a great April and stay tuned for my May Resolutions!! What is the one thing you would work on for a solid month in hopes it becomes a daily habit?

Spring Fever!

There are few people in this world that are as excited that it is April as I am! One of the things I love most about living in SC is our seasons. We have 4 very distinct seasons, and for someone who gets bored easily, that's a blessing. When asked what my favorite season is, I always say "whichever one is coming up next" because I anticipate it so much- the foods, the festivals and activities, the holidays, the weather, the clothes- and then about halfway through it, I'm done. I'm ready to move on and get to the next set of foods, festivals, holidays, etc. haha. By late August, I'm craving pumpkin pie and Halloween parties. By early November, I want Santa- Now! When January hits, I start looking at fabrics of daisy print and shamrocks. Now that it's officially April, and the dogwoods are blooming up and down my street, I am tickled pink!

When I have time, I like to organize my grocery list in two parts- things that I must get at Ingles, and things I can get at the Dollar G. Paper products, shampoo, cards, canned goods- usually come from Dollar G. Meat, produce, etc- from Ingles. I'm not sure if it saves me all that much money, but I feel like I'm being smart, so I do it. On occasion, I walk through the book section to see if there are any cute coloring books I can spoil my neice with. Yesterday, I found myself in the garden section. I was amazed at how much stuff they carry! Ever since we got married, I've wanted my own little garden. I tried growing tomatoes in a planter on the porch of our first apartment, but they didn't do so well. I tried growing peppers in a planter on our back porch last summer,.. again,.. it was a flop. I'm thinking I should move onto something else,... like flowers. I love flowers! All kinds, all colors, all shapes,.. I love love love them. I also love the cheesey tacky garden ornaments. Not so much the ceramic gnomes, but I did see some wire flowers that you stick in the ground and they were really tall. I thought that was cute. And chimes,.. there was an awesome chime I saw yesterday there too. They even had potting soil! I started on my garden at the end of last summer, but didn't finish it. It's small, in front of our house, and needs alot of work. I think it'll be a great summer hobby for me. I can't wait to finish what I've started! Pictures will definitely be coming soon!!

Also, this weekend, we (myself and Dan, Lavinia, Natalie, a friend, and my parents) are all going to Lake Jocassee. We're taking a boat with us, so we can travel around the perimeter of the lake and see some waterfalls. I can't wait,.. I love waterfalls as much if not more than flowers. Flowers along side a waterfall? Wow. I may not be able to contain myself! haha. Spring time,.. I love you!

Come back soon for some pictures of me and my spring time bliss!

Hatorade

It isn't often at work that I get to press the panic button. The panic button is located just under my desk, where I bang my knee on it every time I cross my legs. It seems like every hour at work, I'm thinking "Ouch! Stupid panic button!" as I rub my hurt knee, but Monday, I was so glad it was there. Panic Button, I will never call you stupid again!

It was about 4:00 pm on Monday, which is also the time that all of my help leaves to go home and I am all alone, when a young woman came up to my desk to ask about her father's surgery. I explain that it wasn't time yet for me to call for an update, but I could call in 40 minutes and I would if they don't call first. She seemed appeased. She sat back down with her family. Maybe 10 minutes later, she returned, with another family member, and asked me again. This is not unusual. I find myself repeating things to the same people dozens of times a night. So I didn't think anything of repeating to her that at 4:40 I could call and check on him, but not before. We certainly would not want to take the surgeon's attention away from the patient anymore than was absolutely necessary, and I would be so happy to call at 4:40 if they hadn't called me first. She didn't say anything, but sat back down. Not 5 minutes later, she returned, nostrils flaring, hands on hips and in her best Bon Qui Qui ebonics, said "I wanna speak to your manager!".

My manager is Judi and is a sweet, mild tempered lady. I call Judi, and tell her to explain to this woman that I can't call back until 4:40, I think she'll understand. Boy, was I wrong! I said "Ma'am,.. this is my manager, Judi, on the phone..." and handed her the reciever. Please imagine this going on in a quiet surgical waiting room, and in the most ghetto dialect you can muster...
"Yes, Miss Judi? Um, yeah, I would like you to know that this thang you got up here is rude and dont need to be working here. Yes, this,.. what yo name? Trody. Trody, she don't be helping no body and I dont like her. Mmm hmm. I'm gonna say it, she racist. She dont be helping the black people. She racist."

At this point, I am totally in shock. A RACIST?! What?!! I tried very hard not to react to her statement, because I know that's what she wanted- she wanted me to react so she would have something to say. I just sat at my desk and stared at my ink pen in disbelief. Meanwhile, a sweet white woman (about my mother's age) had heard the whole thing. She decided to chime in.

"Oh please! That is uncalled for! She was not racist with you! She's doing her job. Leave her alone!"

To which Bon Qui Qui replied "I am not talking to you, Woman! You just hesh! I was talking here to dis Miss Judi!"

The conversation is getting more and more heated by the second and Bon Qui Qui's nostrils are flaring in rage. Necks are rolling, gums are smacking, fingers are pointing. Time for Panic Button. My shaking fingers are searching blindly under the desk for that little white button of hope. Where is that button! I bang my knees on you all night long and now you want to hide from me when I need you! Where oh were is.. ahh!! There you are! I press it several times in a row.
Within seconds, I get a call from security guard, Anthony, who confirms that I need some help right away and sends me three officers while we are on the phone.
By now, Bon Qui Qui has slammed the phone and gone back to her seat, out of sight from my desk. Simultaneously, my boss shows up from her office and sits with me for a minute to get an idea of what in the world is going on. I show her my documentation of where they've been updated more frequently than any other patient we'd had that day, and how it simply wasn't time for another update yet. She tells me to stay in my seat and she'd go talk to her.

Minutes pass by,.. and it feels like an eternity before Judi reappears at my desk. Guys, this is the best part of the story...

"Well, I talked to her and she's calm now. She's still pretty upset with you, and I want you to know you handled this well and did nothing wrong, so don't worry about that."
I breathe a sigh of releif that she is on my side.
"Well, I just wish I understood where she got that I was being racist. I mean, that's a horrible accusation to say about someone. I haven't been anything but polite to her."
Judi shakes her head and says, "Don't even think about it. She's crazy. (which Judi NEVER calls people crazy) She also said you tried to jump her and fight her, and had the white people in the waiting room helping you."

WHAT?! Jump her?! Fight her?! What?

Now, today is Friday. Her father is still in the hospital. Every night this week, they have walked by my windows in the waiting room, staring me down. I go to the cafe, and they are there, staring me down, pointing at me, talking about me. I sit in the main lobby to catch a 5 minute break, and they stop and stare at me. Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture? I can't wait for this man to be discharged so I can work in PEACE!!! Will this work week ever end?

Cooties!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6ylxWcwkUM

So I've had this nasty cold since Friday night. I mean nasty! I literally can't go 3 minutes without blowing my nose and coughing up a lung. Today is going to be my first day back to work since Friday night, and I am dreading it! And I wouldn't be going back today, if it weren't for my new friend Mucinex D (but of course, I had to sign my life away at the pharmacy to get it. Do I look like a meth head to you? Don't answer that. I'm sick, okay?!) So what have I done with my two days off from work (other than sneeze and hack)? I've gotten a jump start on my spring cleaning. I know, not really smart, seeings how I'm sick and should be in the bed, but it started out innocent enough. I wanted to "decontam" the house so Dan won't get sick, so I started in our kitchen, sterilizing everything I've touched since Friday. Then I moved to our bathroom, and well, I was on a roll and one thing led to another and before I knew it, I had cleaned out our closet, lots of old papers and notes that I had kept (for some unknown reason) and washed all of the laundry (including our pillows). Our bedroom hasn't been this clean since,.. well, I'm embarassed to say! But I feel so good that I have gotten that major chore accomplished and that feeling is the best medicine! If I can do that, I can certainly handle a few angry hospital guests tonight, right?
By the way, tomorrow I am turning in my application for school. I am nervous that I will forget or something, or that I have the dates wrong and it's really due today and I've already missed it (I've checked the school's website twice today already) or something will happen and I won't be able to get there, like a flat tire or something. They only allow you drop off the application between 8am-12noon tomorrow. Period. I should know by mid-April if I'm in. If I'm in, Dan and I will definitely go celebrate in a big way. Not sure what that will be yet. And if I don't get in, well, let's not think that for now, okay?
I hope you are all having a great week,.. and stay away from the cooties (they're everywhere apparently).

Fresh as a Daisy!

So I'm starting over on this blog bit, because something really weird happened to my old blog (www.danandtrudy.blogpsot.com), so now it's www.danandtru.blogspot.com (creative, I know). I will try to post some more great stories from work, life, and maybe even a few more chapters from my ongoing novel project. I've been writing some more lately, and now I've completed somewhere around 15 chapters so far.

Just wanted to let you know why there's a new Trudy blog and why the other one has nothing on it.

Blog on, my friends! Blog on!
Trudy