Oooh! Aaaahh!

Yes, it's fireworks time again! For the third year in a row, we have had the good fortune to be invited by some wonderful friends of ours to the Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks display that is held by their church. The church is HUGE and in the middle of nowhere. But, it is so impressive that such a small area can support such a large congregation (I think they said 2000+).

The church is Rock Springs Congregational Methodist Church in Milner, GA. It's not too far away from us (we are in podunk also) and it's just a huge party on the grounds with bouncy rides for the kids, a climbing wall, several other things, a petting zoo, famous frisbee dogs, etc. For $3 you can get a hamburger/hotdog meal with lots of extras, plus they won't charge any family over $10 to eat regardless of the number of people. That's a really nice thing in this economy.

We ate before we left home because DS12 has a hard time in crowds and the food is in a very large fellowship hall, but it is so crowded that he panics. It's just easier to eat at home.

Due to my injuries, we had to take a kitchen chair for me to sit in with my modified donut pillow. Yep, I looked like a total dork, but it kept me from hurting very much. We also brought a cooler with some ice and a few drinks and water bottles.

It's always a great group there. People are friendly, even though the place is very crowded. There is no cussing, no trauma, no fighting. Excellent behavior abounds and it is so very nice. We enjoy visiting with our friends and DS12 does better in a crowd if it is a well behaved one (me, too!) and we are outside.

The fireworks display is always top notch! We were expecting rain and storms, but the rain held off and we had a lovely breeze and a fabulous view of the fireworks. The breeze pushed the pyrotechnics closer to us and we did have a bit of debris falling, which was a bit strange.

A good time was had by all--and since the display was tonight, we will still get to see the municipal display on the actual 4th of July!

Sick kiddo

DS11 has been back to the doctor since he is having more asthma problems than he should be having. So, we have adjusted his medicine and he is on an antibiotic since he has a lingering cough. Fun.

One of my students went to Girl's State 2 weeks ago and she was exposed to a genuine case of H5N1 bird flu. Oh joy! Fortunately, she is doing well and being monitored.

I mentioned before that my boss' kids have whooping cough.

Drink your orange juice!

Austerity Parties?

Sounds odd, I know, but has the potential to be really fun. I read about this on another blog earlier this week and kind of like the idea.

Face it, the economy is total crap right now. Nobody has funds for major entertaining, but we still like to have fun. So, the idea is to do it in an austere fashion. For example, meet up with friends and family in the park and hold a potluck. Have someone bring a frisbee and everyone brings chairs and some cheap to make food to share.

It's about fellowship, not hardship.

Pertussis

Just when you thought it was safe to go out and about, guess what seemingly eradicated childhood disease is making the rounds? You guessed it! Pertussis, otherwise known as Whooping Cough.

Why is it making the rounds? Or better yet, why is it making the rounds among children who have been immunized? Because people are refusing immunizations in droves. So, their children get these diseases. But, these folks don't keep their children away from other children so we all suffer from their decisions.

I can tell you that if my immunized kids get pertussis I am going to be seriously pissed.

Wait, if you are reading this and don't know me well, don't jump to conclusions about my motives. Don't tell me about poor kids with autism from shots (you definitely don't want to get me started about that one) and how they aren't necessary any more. I AM a mom of an autistic kid, one who likely developed symptoms as a direct result of the mercury based preservative in the doses that he received. I get it.

However, that doesn't mean that these parents and their ill functioning logic are off the hook. Oh NO!!! See, immunizations don't contain any of those preservatives anymore. Plus, as an informed parent (and not one jumping, uninformed, on a bandwagon) you can insist that your child receive a dose with no preservatives at all. This is what I do for my Aspie kid. He gets all of his shots and is kept healthy that way.

I understand trying to avoid autism. But, if my kid can be immunized in a way that does no further harm, then all kids should be protected. I immunize my kids in hopes of avoiding deadly disease. Perhaps I should immunize them against the by-products of uninformed, unintelligent parents.

I have a kid with autism. To have kid with autism who has whooping cough would push me right over the edge.

Sigh.

The beat goes on---and on.

There is very little activity of note around here. Since I am post surgery, but have to wait to get my stitches out, I am very limited in what I can and can't do.

I'm very bored.

I have read books and watched movies and talked to friends. And while I have greatly enjoyed all of those activities, I really miss having some level of freedom and independence.

I guess I like sitting around the house better when it is my CHOICE to do it. Right now, I feel like a lazy slug. Sigh.

The boys have been checking my volunteer blackberry bushes and we are getting some fruit off of them. The spring rains that we have had really helped out with that. We are putting the fruit in the freezer to work up later into jellies, jams, smoothies, whatever!

Today, I will venture out just a little bit. I will take DS11 for a haircut, a doctor's appt (asthma is flaring up again), and to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Can't wait! I get to go bye-bye.

Can you tell that I have been cooped up a little too long???

Summertime, and the living's easy....

Imagine that line sung with a sultry, sexy voice that I don't have.

Well, not exactly easy, especially if you are me. My klutzy nature ensures that I am constantly on the brink of some minor (generally) disaster or another. At least it helps to bolster my prayer life when things are out of control.

We are back from our glorious, week long vacation at Jekyll Island. Sigh.

What a nice, calm place (filled with family and wonderful friends) to recuperate from my little surgery. Ahhh.

Except that I fell (hard) on my fanny the first day we arrived. On tile. Tile laid on top of cement. Can you say, "boom?" Can you say, "very bruised tailbone?"

I was trying to go into the narrow, tiny bathroom in the vacation house.

So, I am in a wheelchair and/or walker as need requires. My butt hurts. REALLY hurts. To the point that I no longer notice that my foot hurts. So, I begin to walk. I figure that what is the worst that can happen. A little bit doesn't hurt. Soon, I am walking (hobbling) more and more because sitting is painful and getting up from a seated position is an excruciating proposition. My family doesn't want me to lay in bed all day (and it is boring after a few hours, even with a good book).

Eventually, I am comfortable sitting in a car for a little while and can get out fo the house and go for a ride. I enjoy it a lot after being more or less trapped in the house. My mother refers to it as, "airing myself out." We laugh a lot at this statement.

So, the verdict is that vacation was nice and restful. Perhaps a little too restful for me, but my family had a wonderful time. However, I do hope that I never have to do forced rest on vacation again. My toes never touched sand and I couldn't get close enough to hear the sound of the waves on the beach. I really missed that part.

But, I did get to see my friend Karen and her beautiful family. We have been close since we were in the 7th grade. She lives in Tennessee and I am a Georgia girl, so this is our one chance to connect each year. I wouldn't miss it for the world and I am so glad that I didn't even if it was a really bizarre thing to go on a 5 hour drive to vacation 3 days after surgery!

My Dad did the cutest thing for me, though. He took his phone to the beach during a quiet moment and made a 30 second recording of the waves on the beach. I could even hear the ocean sounds. I love it.

So now we are home and I can walk as much as I need to (comfortably) but am stuck in this surgical shoe and bandages for another week until my stitches come out. Hubby cut a donut pillow that we purchased so that it has a notch in the rear so that I can sit without my tailbone touching anything solid.

Is summertime easy? Well, not this year, but it is certainly looking up right now for me.

Fireproof

While Fireproof is not a new movie, by a long shot, it is one that I hadn't had a chance to watch until this evening. Hubby bought it for me to watch during my convalescence with my foot.

I must admit that I enjoyed it very much! The acting was great, the cinematography was even better than in Facing the Giants, and the story was morally sound. I truly loved it.

Every marriage has its ups and downs and even though I am blessed to have been married for almost 22 years, it brought up some really good points on how, not only how to save a troubled marriage, but on how to make sure that it doesn't become troubled.

I highly recommend it.