Posting For Nelle

Most of you know Nelle was sick last week. Early Monday morning she made a trip to the E.R. with respiratory distress. She was admitted with bad bronchitis and breathing problems. She is still hospitalized but hoping to come home in the next day or two.

She is now suffering from 'Internet Withdrawal' and will be back online ASAP.

(Posted by Rob, her husband)

Another Round with Illness

Last Monday I left work with a terrible sore throat. It felt like it had razor blades in it. I woke up Tuesday and decided I could not go to my job and speak all day on the phone with my throat hurting so badly I could not swallow at all. I had another ordeal to deal with. The IRS had sent a letter saying that my 2008 taxes were never paid. I had ignored that first letter because I KNEW they had been paid. Well when I received a REGISTERED letter from them Monday evening I learned otherwise. Thankfully I was able to call them on Tuesday. What I learned was that my accountant had sent me TWO sets of vouchers (which get submitted with payment.) One was for the full amount to be paid now and the other was a set to PREPAY for 2009 the amount divided by four. I wrongly assumed that the four vouchers were the choice of making several payments instead of one big payment. They told me that they would put a hold on the account. They were going to levy us. I told her that I would get the money to them ASAP. Thankfully I had an emergency account that I could take the money from and send it. Here is what I consider to be the ridiculous part though. Once I explained and they realized what the problem was they said the money could NOT be moved from one account (2009) to 2008. I explained we will not have this problem and the money would not be due then as my husband was out of work half the year. "Sorry" she said "but you did send the payments with the vouchers you did and wrote the voucher numbers on the checks as well."
I called the accountant and at first I was annoyed. I reread the letter accompanying the vouchers and there was a reference to the vouchers but for someone like me who had no idea, I don't believe they explained it adequately.
He offered to try to assist me but I told him since I had been threatend I was not comfortable doing anything other than complying. A few days later the logic of the thing hit me. I should have known money for last year would be 2008 NOT 2009. So next year I should be receiving a nice tax refund. Unfortunately, if I run into an emergency that won't help me.
But I digress..........getting back to work. On Wednesday I went in and managed to blow my nose several hundred times and annoy all my coworkers that I was there. They all know the strictness of our attendance policy. The one girl who was first sick (and was there each day for five days coughing and sneezing and spreading germs) is a single mother. She cannot afford to lose her job for too many call outs and our boss told her if she left sick it would count against her.
The boss got sick first. He came to my desk several times and then by Tuesday I was pretty much sick. Somehow I made it through Wednesday but Thursday I woke up feeling rather dizzy. I had breakfast, went to work and seemed okay until I stook up to walk somewhere. I slumped to the floor, feelilng I was passing out. I came into the meeting room and my boss and coworkers were concerned. I was wheezing when breating, my nail beds were purple and my hands were shaking. They asked if they could call 911 for me. I begged them not to. I got my doctor on the phone who told me to come right in. She was upset when she saw me saying I should have come in sooner. My chest sounded like the right lung had pneumonia again. She gave me meds for pneumonia and sent me to the hospital. The hospital said I did not have pneumonia. She put me out of work Friday. I am still running a fever, coughing uncontrollably and worried about not going to work. I wake up at night, soaked with sweat. I am just never catching up. Because of the attendance policy so many sick people are at work. This causes other people with health issues, such as myself a major problem.
I have been awake an hour. I need a snack and more sleep. I am hoping to get better. All summer I didn't have one day for the beach. All my work times goes to sick time.

Rain slowly clearing

We will be leaving shortly to go have dinner at my mother's. My sister has invited us, my brother who lives next door and his wife. I have made a few simple things to take with us. This morning I suddenly realized that I had not had my INR tested in nearly seven weeks. I am supposed to do this every four weeks and be rigid about it. I messed up. Went to the hospital this morning and got that done. There were police officers all over that area checking to see if people were on cell phones. I have a bluetooth device for when I am in the car and need to be talking on the phone, which I don't do often. I was pulled over and asked if I was on the phone. I told the officer I was not and offered to show him my cell phone was in my purse which was unopened. He told me it wasn't necessary and sent me on my way. I then mailed bills and went to the mall. I used to love Macy's. Now they have coupons that increasingly limit what they will cover. I waited in line ten minutes only to be told that it would not cover a shirt I was buying because it was some kind of special buy. How would I know this? So...I went back and found other things that would be covered and stood in line again. I had forgotten to bring my card so each purchase required fishing out my driver's license and feeding my social security number into an electronic pad. I had a gift card that I was finally able to use and got some good deals but the lines were not easy. People tend to get testy in these situations.

I wanted to put a link here to the most wonderful blog where my friend (and artist) Judith HeartSong published pictures. THE ART OF TEA is a blog showing the clever and creative minds of several artists. Some of them defy description, at least by me. We own several teapots and Rob loves to use a diffuser and make a strong pot of tea. I also like tea but do not feel the decaffeinated ones are as good.

It is wonderful to have another weekend. They are my job now. That is when I can take a deep sigh and relax. During the week life is much too hectic. I hope all of you who are reading this can take a deep breath as well and enjoy some ME time. We all need that. Have I told you lately I appreciate you? If you take time to come here and share my life, I appreciate that time and YOU.

A Fabulous Day

Yesterday Rob and I had a simply marvelous day. It began with pulling our Halloween stuff out of the attic. We have two containers full. Each year we usually add one thing and often they are things gifted to us. For my birthday in July my sister-in-law Stephanie gifted me a black cat decoration. Rob loves all cats and we use them a lot for Halloween. After we did that Rob took down and washed the living room miniblinds. We have found using dish detergent in the tub works best. I took down my little valances which I love and saw that the sun has ruined them. I need to find replacements. That lead us to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and they had nothing I wanted but we ran into a former next door neighbor and her daughter. This was a two year old when we met her and I was shocked at how lovely and tall she is. We then went to the mall and had a delicous lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. I had a glass of sangria that was delicious. We picked up some soaps and candles then I called my brother who lives about ten minutes away. His wife was seriously injured in a car accident about a month ago. She is very sweet and this has been so hard on her. She has had to have artificial and human bone put into the leg. She still cannot put any weight on the leg and is in a wheelchair. She has to sleep in a hospital bed and isn't allowed to go in public because she cannot afford to pick up any germs. We had a nice visit and I took her a fall candle. On the way home we swung by the Coach Factory outlet. I had wanted to go there but heard it was still very expensive. I was talking with a coworker on Friday who told me she picked up a pocketbook for $80.00. I was really surprised because in the mall they are at least $300.00.
We pulled up and there was a LINE of people waiting to get into the store. They said it was due to fire hazard safety. I waited about ten minutes and found a beautiful handbag with all the discounts I think it was $120.00 but it is all leather. It is beautiful. I have never had a Coach bag and always thought I would like to own one. I decided to splurge on myself. I rationalized this because I had used all my birthday money to pay bills. Now I am pretty much caught up.
We came home and just relaxed. That is something I don't get to do very often.
I am going to finish putting out some Halloween decorations today. Hoping for another relaxing and enjoyable day. We wanted to have my mother take Dad to the beach....there are areas on the boardwalk you can sit and it is wheelchair accessible. We can take his aid along as it is only about a 40 minute ride. My mother thinks it would be too much trouble. She is also embarassed about how my father acts. That really annoyed me. I told her people can see he has had several strokes and anyone who would be bothered by that does not concern me. She has always been so concerned about appearances. I don't know if her generation was raised to be this way. Many of my friends mothers are the same way. When my father gets upset he curses repeatedly. This doesn't happen that often but she just gets beside herself. Another thing I have never understood, these are just words why does she percieve them as being so powerful? There are other words I detest but they are usally words used to insult, hurt or show prejudice to people. A word used to express anger or frustration does not upset me. Anyway, hoping for another good day. I have really enjoyed this weekend thus far and now for the bonus day.

private journal

I am going to be making a private journal with entries that will be shared with friends as opposed to a public journal. I am going to be setting that up today and all readers I currently have their emails for will be automatically invited. I do not have everyone's emails though....so if you would like to be added to that list just send me an email to: McJerseygirl@gmail.com and if I know you, you will be added. The explanation of why I am doing this will be the first entry.
If I have neglected to send you an invite and you are a regular reader it is only because I don't have your email addy so please send it. I am not going to stop writing here, just things that are more private will be in the other journal.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!!!!

September 3rd and 4th

Today is September 3rd. The first man I fell (really fell) in love with, passed away about seven years ago, before Rob and I were even married. We had met as teens and as I grew up a bit I could see things that were going to be real problems for us. I broke up with him (he did not make it easy) and shortly afterwards married my first husband. He begged me not to marry him, telling me that he was the wrong person for me and in hindsight, he was right. I spent many years wondering how things might have been. He found a woman who was right for him and had a good life with her and their two sons. Sadly, he was a heavy smoker from an early age and this lead to him having lung cancer. While he battled it courageously from those I talked to, it was probably diagnosed late. I think of him throughout the year but especially on September 3rd. This would have been his 58th birthday.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of my son's diagnosis with leukemia. It was the day after Labor Day that year. I will never forget seeing the school buses (the hospital was located across the street from a Catholic school). I was keenly aware that my son might not start school with them. Later that morning we learned he had leukemia and that he needed immediate hospitalization to begin an intensive chemo regimen. What was not anticipated was the reaction his body would have and for the next four and a half months we practically lived in the hospital. The few times they sent him home did not last and within a day or so we would be back. After the second month I came to feel that the pediatric ward (adolescent wing) was my home away from home. The other mothers and nurses were my support team. Many friends shied away, and the ones who tried to keep in touch, simply didn't understand. He never was able to go to school that entire year. He did get "passes" from his doctor to attend a bonfire and such activities. I will never forget driving him there and parking where he couldn't see me...sitting there and crying for joy that he could have a few hours to be "normal". Every year since then, when I see the school buses picking up the kids that first day, it is very difficult. This is the first year that I did not break down and cry. My son is still with me. I am so very fortunate. He will never be the person he was before. He has an overwhelming sensitivity to the plights of others which sets him apart from most people. He is keenly aware that he is different and thinks people look at him differently. There are no outward signs except for his scar where his Hickman line was removed. Most of the scars are deeply hidden. He can talk to me about it, knowing I went through my own battle. I know this. My world forever changed that day. Facing the possible mortality of your child is overwhelming. I was luckier than many because I still have my son. I will always be keenly aware though that none of us have a guarantee. I want to go back and be the naive young woman who never had to think of those things. A part of my innocence left that day. I mourn that each year around Labor Day. It was better this year though, for the first time.