Weekend Woe

Posted on 01/23/2014 by chick

Last weekend was the weekend from Hell. Friday night around 11:00, I began experiencing stomach and back pain. Then came the vomiting. All night long, I retched periodically and was wretched constantly. There was no way to position my body so that the pain went away, so I kept moving—pacing, arching my back, lying down, getting back up—but still the pain went on and on. It was worse than labor. At least in labor you get breaks between contractions! I didn’t sleep at all.

At 8:00 a.m., I woke up my husband and told him to take me to the doctor. It was Saturday, so I had to settle for the urgent care center. The doctor there told me that it was probably stomach flu. I refused to accept that diagnosis. I almost never catch stomach flu, and when I do, it does not cause nonstop back pain. Then he said, “Well, I guess it could be gallstones.” He suggested that I make an appointment to have an ultrasound. That sounded reasonable, so that’s what I did.

Later that morning, the pain and nausea subsided enough that I was able to get some sleep. I was also able to take Advil, which was a very good thing, because somehow I managed to pull my back, too. Ouch!

I had the ultrasound on Monday, and it was conclusive. I not only have gallstones, my poor gall bladder is practically bursting from them. Apparently I’ve had this condition for a long time. It explains some of the digestive issues that I’ve had over the years. My symptoms were somewhat atypical, which is why they were repeatedly misdiagnosed.

Sadly, if I had known about the gallstones years ago, I might have altered my diet enough to avoid this situation, but it’s too late now. My doctor says that my gall bladder is a ticking tome bomb. It’s only a matter of time before I have another attack, and each attack carries the chance of life-threatening complications. My gall bladder has to go. I have an appointment to see a surgeon next week.

But on the bright side,

  • Gall bladders are unnecessary. Most people do just fine without them.
  • The surgery will be laparoscopic, which means I should have a quick recovery and only three small scars.
  • I’ve gotten a lot of reading done.
  • I’ve lost weight.
  • I’m happy to finally know what’s wrong with me, and I’m relieved that it’s fixable.
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Story Time

Posted on 01/21/2014 by chick

I was working on a Shutterfly album the other evening when Livia came over and said she wanted to tell me a story. She asked me to type it into the computer, so I opened up a new blog post and let her dictate the story to me. It’s a good thing I can type as fast as she can talk! Then Marshall insisted on telling a story, too. And I didn’t want to be the only one who hadn’t told a story, so I made one up for them.

Livia: Once upon a time there was a cow. He ate some grass. And then he ate the remote control. He ate a net. He ate Dora. He went into a box. Then he took my birthday banner down. That’s not good. Once upon a time he ate a cat. He ate a computer. And then he ate a cup. And then he ate markers and crayons. Then he ate my slippers. All the slippers. He ate Mommy and Daddy and Livia and Marshall, too. Then he ate the light and the blocks. He got a tummy-ache. Then he burped a big burp. He said, “Sorry.” And then he ate a window. And he ate the wall. Then he threw up everything. Then he ate a ball. Then he ate all the games. He said, “Sorry.” Then he ate a jewelry box. Then he got the hiccups. Then he’s going to eat the world.

The End

Marshall: Once upon a time there was a frog eating flies. And then he ate a house. And then he ate all of the grass. He was a monster. And he ate all the things in the whole world and he also ate the whole world. Then he ate a cat. He just ate more stuff, and he didn’t say sorry when he burped out all the things and they climbed out. And then he ate a cow, but he didn’t want to say sorry. Then he ate mommies and daddies and Livias and Marshalls. He was a monster, and he was getting fat from eating all of that stuff and he just grew, and then he ate a computer. And then he ate cats. And then he ate slippers, all of the slippers. Then he ate this thing (Marshall waves a CD case) and all the computers and this homework (waving homework paper), too. He ate all the stuff in the whole world and then he burped out all the stuff in the world. And everything else.

The End

Mommy: Once upon a time there were two little kids named Marshall and Livia. Marshall was a boy who liked to wear his green shirt. Livia liked to wear her pink princess dress. One day a monster came to the house and threatened to eat all of their favorite clothes. It ate all of their jammies first. Then he burped everything out. But their jammies were full of holes and covered with the monster’s stomach slime. Marshall and Livia didn’t want the jammies anymore. So they gave the jammies back to the monster and said, “Take them away, please!” And he did. And he was happy. And everyone else was happy that he was gone.

The End

Posted in Livia Says, Marshall Says, Writing | Leave a comment

Everyone’s a Critic

Posted on 01/16/2014 by chick

Livia has been learning the ABC song from Marshall. She sings, “A, B, C, D, E, F, G—Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Z, Now I know, next time sing with me!” (or something like that). I thought I’d try to help her learn the rest of the song. I started to sing. “Stop, stop, stop!” she shouted. I asked her what the problem was, and she put her hands to her ears and said, “My ears don’t like noise.”

Posted in Livia Says | 1 Comment

Finishing up 2013: Part I

Posted on 01/15/2014 by chick

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, A-

I enjoyed this slightly unusual book about a boy who, in the farmhouse where he’s staying with family, discovers cupboards that connect to other worlds. Parts of the premise were difficult to believe, and the book was clearly written to be the start of a series (I hate that). But some of the writing was excellent. I liked it enough to keep it, and I plan to read the sequel.

The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts by Hilaire Belloc, B

Rhymes about animals. Too short, dated.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, A-

This is the story of a boy who is flung into a terribly dangerous world where he meets some dwarves that sound like they came from a Monty Python movie, a sort of female version of Dr. Moreau, and other elements of fairy tales and classic stories that have been turned upside-down. Some might call it “derivative” or “a pastiche,” but I thought it was original enough and that the jumbled elements worked together because the story is framed as a journey. While The Book of Lost Things seems like it ought to be a book for young adults, I think it’s just a little too dark. Recommended for adults only.

Duma Key by Stephen King, B+

A contractor who sustained lasting physical damage from a construction-site accident goes to a Florida key to convalesce. There he discovers an artistic talent so powerful that he seems able to affect the future by painting it. But, as his painting ability grows, an ancient evil is rising.

Parts of Duma Key are beautifully written. As I recall, nothing happened for the first 100 pages except the main character’s recovery, but it was engrossing. The problem was the silly, old evil that he had to combat later in the book. That part just didn’t work for me.

Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler, A- and Sugar Snaps and Strawberries by Andrea Bellamy, A-

I’m thinking about doing some small-scale gardening someday, and I hoped these books could help me get an idea of what to grow and where. I don’t remember too many details about either book, but I thought both contained adequate information to get a beginner started. They convinced me that I should grow strawberries, blueberries, or potatoes at some point. But a big failure for both books, IMHO, is that they discussed every type of pest that might invade a garden except deer. If I do ever start gardening here, deer are likely to be a huge problem, so I will have to look elsewhere for strategies for dealing with them.

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer, B

In Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer, a 12-year-old detective takes on a seemingly innocent case that could ultimately put his life in danger. I could tell almost immediately that this book wasn’t going to be a favorite. The writing is tolerable, but the characters and events are all nearly unbelievable. I just couldn’t get past certain things and that ruined the fun for me.

The House Between the Worlds by Marion Zimmer Bradley, B+

In this book, the main character is Cameron Fenton, who takes part in a test of a new drug, called antaril, which is supposed to increase ESP. For Cameron, it does more than that. It allows him to astrally project himself into other worlds. During these drug-induced “trips,” he discovers that all the worlds are in danger. There are those who would rip apart the boundaries between the worlds for pillage and plunder. To stop them, he must find the House Between the Worlds.

The House Between the Worlds used to be one of my favorite books. Maybe I was in a bad mood when I reread it this, the umpteenth, time. Or maybe it has finally become too dated (it was, after all, written when Dungeons & Dragons was really hot). If I had graded it only on this most recent reading, it would have fared worse than a B+, but how can we not forgive our oldest and dearest friends some flaws?

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Riddle

Posted on 01/14/2014 by chick

Marshall told me a riddle the other morning. He doesn’t know the standard wording for a riddle yet, so I’m paraphrasing here, but basically it went like this:

What do you get when you cross a crocodile and a rooster?

A croc-a-doodle-doo!

I don’t know where he got this riddle. If he made it up himself, I’m very impressed. If he got it from somewhere else, then I’m still pleased, because he chose to share it with me.

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May 28-29, 2002

Posted on 01/13/2014 by chick

I found this in my drafts folder. I figured I might as well post it.

Our Stay in Bath

When we awoke in the morning, we discovered that which we already should have known. It’s rather chilly in England at the end of May and it rains in the morning. I had only brought two long-sleeve shirts and not a single sweater, and my jacket was practically useless. It wasn’t even water-resistant!

My mother had given me a digital camera and England was my first chance to use it. But I wasn’t quite comfortable with the technology yet, and I wasn’t sure what problems I might encounter in trying to charge the batteries, so I brought my regular camera, too. I took pictures at some places on only one of the cameras, but at some places, I used both. In Bath, I often used my film camera, so the pictures had to be scanned to include them here and they are consequently a little grainy.

Now, as I write this in 2011, I wonder why I’m so determined to set down my memories of this trip. After all, it was just three weeks out of one year, and just one year out of 38. I think the reason is that because over the course of time the days start to blend together, the weeks become a blur, and finally even the years go by in a flash that’s far too fast to recall in detail. Events, such as vacations, are the markers we use to remember our lives. If it weren’t for vacations and occasions like graduations, births, weddings, and holidays, there would be no way to differentiate one year from another, no markers on which to hang the notes of our lives.

In 2002 I had been at my job for nearly seven years, and I had been dating Faithful Reader for about two years. It was less than a year after 9/11. And that, offhand, is about all I can recall of 2002 except for this vacation. Remembering how I felt and thought during that trip helps to connect me with that time of my life, a year otherwise almost completely lost.

To continue, on the morning of the 28th we went to the famous Roman Baths. Because I’m something of a hoarder, I still have my ticket, so I know that it cost £10.50 then (about $16.00) and I bought it at 11:37 a.m. It was worth the money. It was warmer than outside!

Then we went to the Bath Abbey. There are tablets all along the walls of the abbey. They were placed there as monuments to various people of Bath whose family members had had the money and the desire to memorialize them. I took pictures of some of the monuments because I found the inscriptions funny and/or interesting. Here are some examples.

Fletcher Partis, Esq., who died August 31, 1820

…He evinced his gratitude for the blessings a kind Providence had bestowed on him, by repeated acts of Liberality, to several Public charities during his life, and also by a desire to alleviate the sufferings of his Fellow creatures in providing an Asylum for thirty decayed Gentlewomen being Widows or Daughters of Clergymen, Merchants, or Professional Men, whom adverse fortune had deprived of brighter prospects, where he hoped they would find rest and comfort in the evening of their days, and which his widow is anxiously desirous to see Established….

Alexander Thomson, Knt., a lawyer who died April 15th, 1817

His Understanding was sound and strong, his knowledge in every branch of the law, accurate, extensive, and profound; his attention to criminals unremitting, his humanity judicious. He was patient in hearing, laborious in investigating, cautious in deciding, and his judgement (on which every man had more reliance than himself) seldom erred. Simple and unostentatious in the application of his talents, and courting neither favour nor popularity, he deservedly obtained the confidence of the country. To these public virtues were added, in the habits of his private life, a general acquaintance with literature and the arts, unaffected piety, unassuming manners, and steadfastness in friendship, with the kindest heart.

Some of the other things we did in Bath included…

  • A cruise of the Avon River. I saw a fox. Fun, but I was freezing the whole time!
  • The Museum of Work. Loved it!
  • The costume museum. Yawn.
  • Bath After Dark tour. Hysterical.
  • Shopping for rain gear. We realized after a long, cold day that we needed some protection from the rain. We each bought a jacket which lasted us not just for the trip, but for many years after. I still own mine and even use it occasionally. I also bought a pretty little umbrella. It was green with a hint of iridescent purple, and it was small enough to fit in my jacket pocket. It lasted through the trip and then stayed with me for many years, until one day I forgot it at the office. It was weeks before I was in the office again and thought to look for it. It was not there and no one could remember seeing it. I hope it was picked up (because it was presumed abandoned) rather than stolen.
  • Sally Lunn’s
  • Touring the sites, such as the Circus, the Crescent, and Pulteney Bridge.

Cat of the Royal Crescent

Avon River

Posted in Out and about | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pttt!

Posted on 01/11/2014 by chick

One day I served pizza to the children for lunch. Livia refused to eat it. I wanted to convince her to give it a try, so I put her stuffed rat toy next to her plate and pretended that he was eating the pizza. In my best rat voice, I said, “Yum! This pizza is so good!” Livia look at me and exclaimed, “My rat doesn’t like pizza!” Then she mimicked spitting the food out, saying, “Pt! Pt! Pttt!”

I guess she told me!

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Forgotten Pictures

Posted on 01/10/2014 by chick

I was so serious about cleaning up my digital files that I even took the pictures off my phone. I had a ton of pictures in there, most of them no longer relevant. That always seems to happen to pictures on my phone. But there were a few pictures that I still found interesting.

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It’s scary how thick this poison ivy vine was. I’ve heard that in some places poison ivy grows like a tree. Seeing this vine, I can believe it, and I get itchy just thinking about it.

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The decor at my hair salon is a little over the top, don’t you think?

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Ouch! Could the graphic on this baby-changing table be much more graphic?

Posted in Out and about | Tagged | 1 Comment

Best Friends

Posted on 01/06/2014 by chick

A few days ago Livia was playing with her Leaptop (a talking toy that mimics a computer). It asked, “Who is your best friend?” Livia replied, “Mommy, Daddy, and Marshall.”

Aw!

Posted in Livia Says | 1 Comment

Favorite Things: Jingle Shells

Posted on 01/05/2014 by chick

The problem with owning many things is that it’s easy to forget that some of them exist. Whether they get accidentally buried under other things, or deliberately stowed away, or just plain overlooked, it’s all the same. They are wasted. It is therefore a good thing to be reminded of our forgotten belongings from time to time. And that’s something that children are good for, because they get into everything.

Livia was rummaging through my stuff one day when she found my bucket of jingle shells. For those who don’t know, jingle shells are translucent, opalescent shells from the sea. They come in a variety of shades ranging from white to yellow to orange. They may be flat or curved. Some come with natural holes, ready to be hung on a cord as jewelry. And some come with etchings on them, as if some sea creature had decided to write a note using its own undecipherable code. Jingle shells also make beautiful clinking sounds when they impact one another, which is probably how they got their name.

IMG_2095 (copy)

IMG_2087 (copy) I picked up every single one of the shells in this bucket myself. I used to hunt for them as I walked up and down the beach at sunset. I spent many happy hours that way during my last year in Milford. And some unhappy hours, too. That was a tough time for me in a some ways, but I enjoyed my beach walks immensely and they helped to keep me on an even keel.

I love my jingle shells for their beauty, for the jingling sound that they make, and for the memories that they bring to mind. That is why they are some of my Favorite Things.

Posted in My Favorite Things | Tagged , , | 6 Comments