Bringin' Home the Bacon...

I've been providing in-home speech therapy for about 6 years. I often purchase or donate items for the families I work with. But in some cases, I end up leaving with items that have been given to me. Scott is no longer surprised to see what I am carrying when I walk through the door at the end of the day. Of course, I am often given treats while I'm there. Sometimes cookies... a piece of cake now and then...today I had some monkey bread made from biscuit dough. Once a week or so, I purchase fresh eggs from one family. They have tried to turn me on to raw milk and homemade butter...but I hesitate. Several years ago, I stepped in a large pile of dog poo at a home and when I arrived at the next home, I left my shoes on the doorstep. The Mom felt so sorry for me, she gave me a pair of shoes to wear home. I've been given clothes that were no longer wanted, picture frames, gloves, candles, air fresheners, books, toys...the list goes on and on. Scott has banned me from bringing home any more live animals...I have brought home cats, puppies and even a turtle.
This week I received a skillet. What dialogue led up to me leaving with a skillet? I had offered to make a dog bed for my friend B., who has a child that I provide services for. I recently got a sewing machine (that's another blog post coming soon). I am trying to practice my stitches so I thought I could easily sew a dog bed for her 2lb dog named Peanut. B. offered to pay me but I refused to accept so she comes out of the kitchen carrying a gigantic skillet, complete with glass lid. B. does not keep anything in her home that is not required for survival so she wanted me to have this skillet since she has 2 of them. So I bartered a dog bed for a skillet. Scott was thrilled! He loves skillets. I think it makes him feel like a real man to have a big skillet.
I have learned over the years to accept these gifts graciously. When someone comes to your home every week for 3 years to play with your kid, saying Thank You is not always enough. What's more important is giving someone a skillet to fry up the bacon they bring home.
And that's all the thanks I need.

Quick Post

Congratulations to my friend Holly L. who had the best caption for our vacation picture! Holly, I loved it and your gift card will be on it's way soon.
I am still cancer-free! Scott and I saw Dr. G last week and things still look great! We did have a little communication block for a moment. Dr. G asked, in her accented speech, "how is your memory" and when I looked over at Scott and said "Why don't you tell her", I got a deer in the headlights look from him. Apparently, he thought she said "How are your mammories" and he thought I wanted him to tell her what he thought of my boobs. Otherwise, it was a great visit. Dr. G did say she wants me to see the neurologist again for my continued memory loss. I told her I would never return to the jerk I saw before, whose identity shall remain unknown but whose name is synonomous with the color of darkness. If you remember, Dr. Darkness told me I couldn't remember anything b/c I had too much anxiety and I kid you not, he said Take 2 pills a day and call me in 6 months. I knew I wouldn't like him as soon as I walked in the room. I do not like old doctors. And when I say old, I mean old enough to date my great-grandma.
I continue to have very poor balance due to the neuropathy in my feet. I set a record last week for the most injuries sustained in the shortest amount of time. Tuesday, I fell on the gravel and to quote SpongeBob, "I ripped my pants!", along with the skin off my knee. Friday, I made the mistake of trying to catch myself while falling and ended up with a very bad sprained ankle. I would have been better off if I had fallen, then the knees in my pants would have matched, hole for hole. Instead, I will be limping around for a few weeks.
So that's all for now. Keep in touch!
Michele

Love, Honor and Cherish

Tonight I told the girls to sit on the couch b/c I had a surprise for them. I went to the basement and brought up a box that hadn't been opened for nearly 15 years.
The box contained my wedding dress. I sent it to the cleaners after the wedding and they cleaned it and sealed it up in a box.
So I took the dress out of the box tonight and let the girls see it...
They even tried it on...

Why would I choose to open it now?

Because I am donating it to a very special cause. The Mary Madeline project will use my dress to make outfits for the tiniest of babies that are born in hospitals across the country. The outfits are donated to hospitals and given to parents when their baby is born too tiny. This offers them a chance to have pictures taken in a beautiful outfit that actually fits their baby. I am donating the dress in honor of my nephew Declan who was born weighing just over a pound. Declan's name will appear in a card attached to each outfit. Some of the cards will also feature the name Kamryn Olivia, in honor of my friend's baby who was born too tiny.
When I first opened the box tonight, I whispered to Scott that I didn't think I could do it. But as I looked at the dress, I realized just how many outfits could be made from it. I am sure this is what I want to do.

I am so grateful I can put my dress to good use. I felt so helpless when Declan was born. All I could do was stand back and pray. Now I will know that the dress I wore on the day I vowed to love, honor and cherish will help other parents love, honor and cherish the memories of their tiny babies.

God Bless.

Love,

Michele