We're Grandpa and Grandma!!!

These last few weeks have been a very interesting and exciting time. We had received a phone call from our son and daughter in law asking us if we had any of his stuff left over from when he was a baby and toddler. They were going to be taking in a sibling group of four kids, ages six to six months as foster children. My goodness!!! What a huge influx of little ones for them. Of course we said yes and began planning a trip to Tennessee to deliver the things. We were elated for the children arriving but then other thoughts began to enter our minds.
These included, “What will they have the kids call us, they are not a permanent part of the family?” “Will the kids take to us?” We were finally able to leave on our trip after some delays because of a doctor appointment and subsequent having to find the medication I needed. Ah yes, lesson learned? Never assume you will have a quick and simple doctors check up in going the day you are supposed to leave! We pulled out several hours later than we had planned, but it worked out. We arrived at our hotel around 9:00 after a great supper at Cracker Barrel, a stop made every trip.
We woke up the next morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and then hit the road again. Rather than driving straight down to Smyrna, Tennessee, we took a side trip to Owensboro, Kentucky to visit the International Bluegrass Music Museum. We had read about it several places and our curiosity had been piqued to see what was there. It was a great couple of hours walking around looking at instruments played by the early founders of this interesting genre of music which in some quarters is growing in popularity. The time ended with us buying some souvenirs, of course, and being invited to hang around for the music session, known as a jam, a couple of hours later. Unfortunately, we had promised to be in Smyrna at a certain time so it was “On The Road Again”, as Willie Nelson would sing. I’m sure the museum is a place we will visit again.
We finally arrived and met the children as they were having some supper, pizza, always a favorite. Pat asked me to take the four or five year old to wash her hands. As I got her started on the task, she looked at me and said, “Are you Grandma”? Oh my, what to answer? I really didn’t know what to say. I gave her a neutral answer at that point and we went out to play and read books. The grandkids were really excited about the two boxes of books we had brought along to give them. In talking with Myla after she got home the question of what to have the kids all us was settled. We were Grandpa and Grandma….WOW. The emotions were indescribable to hear those words spoken to us. All weekend it was Grandpa this, Grandma that and it was wonderful! Reading books to them, playing, just soaking it all up. Saturday morning we awoke to the sounds of the baby waking up, talking to herself and zipping around the crib. I got up and went across the hall and saw three little faces poking out of the other bedroom. I said, “Oh, come on, you can get up.” Soon our bedroom was filled with children, toys and books. My goodness!! We were more than happy to let our “kids” sleep in a little bit and entertain the grandkids. A busy day ensued and ended with us taking care of the grandkids so the “kids” could have an evening to themselves…you think we minded much? Not really.
The next day we all went to Chuck E. Cheeses for lunch and a little “burn off some energy” time for the grandkids. What fun it was for all of us. We traveled back to Smyrna and reluctantly said, “Good bye”, with lots of hugs from everybody. We pulled out to head for home. Was it a full weekend, yes! Was it tiring, again, yes! Was it worth the trip? You bet your life! We love these children as though they are a permanent part of the family. They were created by God and deserve His best and we will be the best Grandparents we know how to be for them. The love of children is one of the best things you can have in this world.

My Frustrating Medical Journey

Right now I am on the verge of tears. I am totally frustrated and want to let some people have it but know it certainly wouldn’t enhance my Christian testimony. Heading toward a month ago Ter and I went on a camping trip. After we got home my skin went absolutely BONKERS! I was pretty sure what was wrong, but gave it a few days to calm down. I called my dermatologist and ended up getting a big runaround. I called my regular office, was told to call the other office in the same building, they told me to call the first office back. I was literally begging for an appointment with the girl on the phone. I even offered to come and sit in the waiting area as a “work in”, where you wait for any crack in time to be seen. I was still refused an appointment for two and a half weeks!!! I went into Ter’s office in tears with all the crap I had just been through. This included listening to ads for new dermatological treatments while I was on hold! They promised me I’d be on a waiting list for any cancellations….I wasn’t going to hold my breath. My dear OB-GYN finally called the dermatologist office to let them know I REALLY needed to get in to see a doctor. She even got the runaround when SHE called. She was NOT impressed. I FINALLY had my appointment last week and my suspicions were confirmed that my psoriasis has flared up as badly as back in 1994. They decided to put me on this ultra expensive medicine, enbrel, which costs 30k per year. This was because it would actually be cheaper for us out of pocket wise. Over a week later we are still in the process of getting this medicine started. First it was certify to the insurance company that I am not a good candidate to go back on the UVA therapy because our insurance company would want a $40 copay every time I walk in the door for a treatment. Tally that up at three treatments a week for a month….almost $500! Then I was told to come back the next day to get a TB test so I would have over the weekend to react if I would. I did that, then was informed I had to get yet more bloodwork to test for things they don’t usually test for during my yearly physical. All right, once again I’ll do what I’m told although I am starting to loose patience with this whole process. After forty eight hours I called the doctors office to see if the results had come through. I was informed yes, they had, but now we’re waiting on approval from the PHARMACY and their delivery to the doctor’s office. For God’s sake, how many approvals do we have to go through so I can get started on my healing!? I’m certainly NOT afraid to give myself the shots they are talking about. I lost my fear of needles many years ago. I’m sick and tired of sleeping on the couch so I won’t wake Ter up with my tossing and turning, not to mention trying to get my feet up to try and at least keep the horrible swelling in my legs and feet half way under control. I’m sick of laying on the couch more than I should because of this condition. My goodness, if this were a life or death situation I would have died days ago with their dragging things out. I was told when I called today pretty much, don’t call us again, we’ll call you when the medicine comes in from the pharmacy. I would NOT give this office as high marks for compassion and efficiency as when I’ve gone in the past. Yes, they gave me a couple of different crèmes which are at least making me half way comfortable. I can walk a little more comfortably and my plaques (areas of psoriasis) are not quite as angry red. I am also more willing to go out in public in shorts, even though I still have the large areas of discoloration which is what the Enbrel will heal. What I really want to do is get started on the actual healing process and quit this lollygagging around. What in the world will things be like when our lovely, forced down our throats, Obamacare really kicks for “health care reform”? I know this is uncharacteristic of me to unload here on my blog, but I would appreciate prayers to get past these roadblocks and get going on this thing. Thank you all

What a week!!!

It has been quite a week. We spent last weekend working at the MayFest Bluegrass music festival at the Lowell Fairgrounds. The only disappointment was we missed a lot of the music with making sure the monies from the sale of t-shirts, hats and other things were turned in to help support the bluegrass association. We did very well with sales as well as the attendance. Attendance was up quite a bit from the past couple of events where we have worked. The bands were absolutely great including my personal favorite, Cats and the Fiddler. The group is comprised of twin brothers and their female cousin and their talent is absolutely phenomenal!! They are only fourteen years old and are about to release their fourth CD, absolutely amazing!! They have already appeared before the International Bluegrass Music Association for their songwriting talent. I feel they look forward to a great future in the field. I did have to leave for a little while Sunday morning to participate in our end of choir season musical which went very well.
We also decided to try out our new-to-us pop up camping trailer along with seeing how Tippy, the wonder mutt would take to camping. The trailer did fine, Tippy not so well. Tippy made it known she did not like being left shut up in the trailer. She wouldn’t bark, but she would cry and cry. We took her home because we didn’t want her bothering the other campers. I don’t think she’s going along when we take our camping trip up to Charlevoix. She just has to be around people and unfortunately she isn’t welcome everywhere for sightseeing.
Tuesday night was also the end of season District Award dinner for Boy Scouts. I do have to admit I was wondering if something was up because so many people had asked if I was going to be at the event. I wouldn’t allow myself to think about getting anything because it usually only serves to lead to disappointment. We got to the dinner a little late but before the eating had started. After dinner the handing out of awards began. I always enjoy walking in the “Old Crabette” Patrol walk where we welcome in new members. I don’t really understand what is behind it all, but we have a lot of fun. Ter was welcomed as a member of the “Old Crab” Patrol which he has wanted since I was brought into the “Old Crabette” one. Now I can officially call him “Old Crab”, better be ready, dear! As the evening wore on, many deserving people were recognized. Our Troop had around half a dozen people who were recipients of different honors during the dinner. The portion of the evening where the bigger awards are passed out came around. The requirements for the “Chuck Champlin Outstanding Commissioner Award” were read and I kind of heard them tell my dear friend Mary to escort me to the front where they announced I had received this award. All I could do is mouth the words, “Thank You”, a couple of times and walk back to my seat. I sat down and started to cry. I was overwhelmed as I have never thought I would be eligible for any of the bigger Scouter awards because I’m not nearly as active in Scouts as some of the other people. The lady kind of MCing that portion of the award brought up the extremely difficult situation I was handed my first year as Commissioner which made me think of the people who helped get me through that time. Thank you all so much for helping me to this honor. They surely saved me from being a washout in a very short time. I had a hard time settling down to sleep for several reasons that night. Thank you so much Mary Cooper for nominating me for this high honor. The Award will hang on my office wall in great pride.

Hail farmers who feed us

It has been all too long since I posted a blog. It’s not that there isn’t anything going on…it has been extremely busy. We are getting ready for Relay for Life, Scouts is winding down for the season, and so are choir and AWANA at church. I will be ready for the summer break for sure this year.
Things are busy on the farm, too. Unlike the past couple of years they have been able to get on the fields early for planting. Here’s hoping we don’t get a late freeze or a sudden influx of rain to drown things. It is good to see life going on for another season on “Belly Acres”, as my husband calls the place. It amazes me how the place has been very productive for almost 120 years. My great grandparents bought the place in 1891. Even though it has been downsized fairly drastically the part we own is still very productive. I heartily disagree with those who criticize farmers from every direction. You’re ruining the earth with your farming practices whether you use chemical or “au naturel” (manure) type fertilizers. You are mistreating your animals if you have a beef,pork, or chicken operation. At times you wonder how much about farming some of these people actually know and understand who are making the rules. It is no wonder more and more farmers are selling out and the big what they want to call “factory farms” or CAFO’s (concentrated animal feeding operations) are becoming prevalent. With all the government regulations, poor prices for the crops or whatever is produced, and other factors family farms can no longer remain viable. Or they do with great difficulty. It is like the “mom and pop” type stores which can’t compete with the big chains. It is a shame what is happening and there are people who don’t want to admit the government interference as a factor. Here in Michigan we recently had the Governor declare a “Meat Free Day” through out the entire state. Don’t eat meat at all on this particular Saturday. It did not go over well with the population, particularly the farmers. They saw it as a slap in the face to the second or third largest industry in this badly hurting state. The howls of protest did reach the Governors ears and she changed the proclamation to “Agriculture Appreciation Day.” In California the irrigation water to one of the richest agricultural valleys in the state was shut off by the federal government because of a smelt type fish they said was endangered. Protests to Washington officials were ignored even when the Governor of California protested the move. The unemployment rate for the region quickly jumped to about 50 %! Pennsylvania had a very short lived law which stated no one under the age of eighteen could drive farm equipment on the road…not even the farmer’s children. Not even to cross the road if interpreted strictly. They couldn’t even drive a pick up truck to help with the work along with having to keep a log of the time they were driving in fields much like a truck driver keeps. Thank God this was quickly amended to not include farming.
There are times you wonder if people think the food at the grocery store just magically appears for them to buy. They don’t realize the work and expense behind how the food makes its journey from the field or barn to the store. Many farmers are carrying a lot of debt trying to stay in operation. The big buildings , equipment, and everything exist but how much of it is being paid for over many years? I know of a farming operation which had a manure spill. They reported themselves to the state which resulted in a $15,000 fine plus they had to build a new containment system which cost over $300,000. Not a small amount of money!! I know my opinion is biased with growing up on a farm and I will never be ashamed of being a farmer’s daughter. My family was never rich, but we had pride in what we did and what we produced. We were proud of the quality of milk we sent to the processor and the corn and wheat we sold at the elevator. Things have changed drastically since I was a kid with much more foreign competition in many markets. I pray each year as the growing season starts that our renters will have a good crop and no disease will go through their dairy herd. God bless our farmers!!!

Meeting A Long Lost Relative

A few weeks ago I had a very emotional moment. I heard the voice of my namesake Aunt for the first time. December 8, 1951 was not a good time for my mother’s side of my family. My Aunt and four other young people from the area were coming home from a high school basketball game when a horrific accident occurred and all five lost their lives. The accident sent shock waves through this, at the time, small farming community. I was born about two and a half years later and was given her name for my middle name. I never knew of the tragic event until my middle school years when I noticed Mom would get very emotional around the date of the anniversary of the crash. This is when I found out about what had happened and where my middle name came from. Of course this opened up many questions in my mind. What was she like? Did I look like her? Did she sing like my Mom did? Some of my questions have been answered over the years by people who knew her and that has meant a lot. Mom didn’t talk about her very much and now I can kind of understand why. The pain of my Aunts loss devastated Mom and the rest of the family.
Years ago I found some home recording discs which were made by my Uncle before he left for the Air Force in the 19 40’s, or while he was home on leave. They sat around here for years as I thought, “There is no way these are going to play as they are so old.” It was after a cousin of the family passed away last September things began to happen. It was specifically mentioned in her obituary how she and my Aunt would go around the area with their guitars and sing for various functions. I knew this cousin, whom I called “Aunt”, played guitar. The accident devastated her and it was many, many years before she would pick up her instrument again. She played and sang in church a few times before I pretty much left home,got married, and began attending other churches.
At the visitation for my “Aunt” my cousin, her daughter, and I were talking and I told her about the old recording discs. We both wondered if there were any with her Mom and my Aunt. We discussed whether they could be restored or not with my cousin saying she knew of someone who might be able to do it. I still have not found any recordings of the two of them, but will continue to look around and hopefully God will provide in that way. Both my cousin and I would surely like to hear them from that time.
One night I walked into my husband’s office and there were the recording discs. He then said he was going to try and see if he could restore the recording of my Aunt. He had researched what speed was used to play the discs and other information and would give it a try using a program on his computer. I came home the next night from choir practice and he was putting the song into an Mp3 file on his computer. He finished and said, "Let’s hear what it sounds like." Oh my, it was awful!! There was a lot of sizzling, crackling, and popping and you could hear just a few notes of the singer every now and then. He was still working on it when I went to bed. I really didn’t know what to pray for, whether it be that he could restore it or if he wouldn’t get too frustrated trying.
The next day I had a doctor’s appointment and some errands to run. It was lunchtime when I got home and he asked me to come into his office. He started a Mp3 file and I heard this voice. I looked at him and said, “Am I hearing my Aunt?” He said, “Yes, you are.” I wanted to cry. There was some doubt for a little bit because of something said at the end of the recording. After some quick research, we determined absolutely it was my Aunt!!! My emotions ran high as finally I had this small connection to my past. I know now my Aunt had a beautiful voice and music runs through this entire side of the family. God has allowed me have this small glimpse into my long lost Aunt and I praise Him for it. I’ll see you on the other side, Auntie!!!

Our Southern Christmas-part two

We all got up Sunday morning and had a nice visit to the breakfast buffet at a near by Shoney’s. It was a nice variety of things. After arriving back at the house, we finished loading the TrailBlazer for the trip home. After lingering good-bye hugs we pulled out of the driveway and headed out of Smyrna. The trip was really quite uneventful until we got near Louisville, Kentucky and snow started. It wasn’t bad, nothing we hadn’t handled in Michigan so we crossed the border into Indiana. There the adventure began in earnest. The snow fell harder and faster and the roads became fairly treacherous the farther north we went . As we progressed toward our planned stop over in Anderson, Indiana we saw more and more cars off the road. Let’s face it, the wreckers were really doing a business. The road trucks simply could not keep up with the pace of the falling snow.
I began to feel the effects of not having eaten since we left Tennessee. It was sugar crash time! I was looking for anything we had in the car to get some sugar in me. I finally remembered some animal crackers I had bought at the hotel on the way south. When we got gas Ter got the crackers out of my suitcase and after having some I was doing better. In a little while we spotted a McDonald’s and pulled over to get some actual food down me, not to mention getting off the road for a little bit. We were at the McDonald’s about half an hour but it turned out to be worth it, both for the food and the break from the stress of the driving conditions. We finally made it to our hotel about eight hours after leaving Smyrna. The trip is normally about four or five hours. We were both very thankful to have made it safely after checking into our room. Luckily one of my favorite movies, “The Sound of Music”, was playing on TV and made for a relaxing end to the day.
We had breakfast the next morning at Cracker Barrel, fueling up for the trip home. While on the road we decided to make a stop in Shipshewana, Indiana, to visit the Amish community there. The meat and cheese store we really wanted to “raid” surprisingly was closed, which was kind of disappointing. We walked around some of the other shops. I saw a tin of herbal tea I would have loved to purchased but I couldn’t justify ten dollars for it. We had lunch at one of the restaurants, my Amish chicken noodle soup was delicious, and then continued our trek north. We got home around four in the afternoon and began to get back into “normal” life again.
Even with the adventure coming home, I really wouldn’t have changed anything. It was a good time, especially with seeing the loved ones in Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Michigan branch of my family before we left. Much has happened in the family the past year but we have all managed to make it through. May 2010 be a blessed and great year for all of us along with you and yours.