The Unexpected Lesson from an EEG

This weekend finds us still on the search for answers to what is behind the seizures that DS2 has been having (to back track on this story begin here) and he is under going a 72 hour ambulatory EEG this weekend.  We went to Charleston yesterday to get it set up and attached (yes, he has to wear it until Monday afternoon...even during sleep but fortunately he doesn't have to stay in the hospital.)  He is a real trooper and hasn't complained which makes me so proud of him and his sweet spirit.

On the way home from Charleston, we stopped for some lunch. Remember, he was attached to the EEG.   It looks quite intimidating, as he has wires coming out from under his head wrap and attached to a little pack that he has strapped on.  Of course, in the restaurant it got noticed.  Not that anyone was overt but you knew they were noticing and no one was more aware of that than DS2.  By the time our food arrived I could tell his mood had become very reflective and serious.  He looked over at me with such seriousness in his beautiful green eyes and told me, "You know how when we see someone who is different, or we talk about someone who is different? Well, it changes a whole lot when you are the one who is different."  We went on to talk about how people who are dealing with illnesses, or just any physical differences must feel.  His heart opened in a way that I don't think I could have ever imagined just by his small experience of being "different."  He has always been a compasionate soul, but I could tell that his view into what others who are different must feel, was heart stretching.  He learned a lesson that no words I could have shared could ever have taught.  He saw that no matter the differences we truly are all God's creations.  My heart just melted as I listened to my 10 year old grow and mature before my very eyes. He poured out his heart concern and love for others, and I don't think I have ever been so touched and proud of him.

Who knew that an EEG could teach so much?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they shall be filled.

~Matthew 5:6

Heavy heart...

My DH and I had an argument last night. No, I don’t generally air dirty laundry here in blogland but some how it seems to be weighing on my heart today. No, the argument isn’t…it is long resolved and was really not a major issue, but in light of the pain and anguish another family we know is facing I feel it was wasted energy. You see, a sweet family that we know is waking up this morning to face the day after learning, yesterday, that their beloved husband and father was murdered. A wife and 3 children are trying to figure out how to cope after being assaulted with the news that the man they loved lost his life at the hands someone he stopped and tried to help. There is hope, though, because this man loved God and worked to share his faith as a Chaplin and youth pastor. I don’t even pretend to know what they are feeling or how they will even get through today. Please pray for this family and hold yours a bit tighter because you can.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope that everyone has a wonder filled day focusing on the things that make life worth living.

Today I am so thanks filled for my God. His grace, mercy and forgiveness are beyond my comprehension but I am so thankful for them.

Today I am thankful for my DH (dear husband). He is the bestest! Just last night he tromped all over shopping with me and took me out to dinner and then this morning cooked a wonderful breakfast for the whole family...even making me heart shaped pancakes.

Today I am thankful for my children. I know so many sweet couples who are trying to hard to have children of their own (or had to go through so much to get the ones they have) and seeing the heartache that infertility can bring makes me focus on the gifts that God has blessed me with. I don't know why I was blessed like this (surely, of no worthiness of my own) but I hope I never lose sight of what wonders they are.

Today I am thankful for the country in which I live. Freedom...real freedom is what we in America have. I am thankful daily for the men & women who continue to fight and the sacrifices that their families make so that my family will be safe and free. I am thankful for those who have died in the fight for freedom, my freedom.

Today I am thankful for the shelter, food and clothing that I have been blessed with. I am thankful that I have access to medical care and that I can provide that to my children.

Today I am thankful for the "Belles", a group of friends who are scattered all over the world but found me when I was really in a lonely place in life and have continued to love and support me. Though we are all in different places and seasons of life our friendship is a beautiful thing!

Today I am thankful that I have a chance to really soak in the blessings and gifts in my life.

1st ever Friday Food tip....Very Clean Veggies

Don't panic...I realize I have never been a plethora of domestic tips but this one I couldn't pass up.

I am fanatical about washing produce. It completely "grosses me out" to think about all the yucky things it comes into contact with on the way to market, not to mention all the people handling it and sneezing on it, etc. (Yeah...I am a real fan of buffet type restaurants....NOT). So, I wash fruits and vegetables even if they are marked ready to eat and tend to buy FIT produce wash http://www.tryfit.com/ or some other fruit/veggie wash. Unfortunately, that is a bit pricey and sometimes I have a hard time finding the FIT but in the May 2007 issue of Southern Living magazine http://www.southernliving.com/ there was a great tip on a "cheaper" ***always a great thing!*** solution you can make at home:

• 
  Southern Living, May 2007, Page 194:
  
  "You may have noticed that our recipes utilizing bagged salad greens call for them to be "thoroughly washed." We added this phrase to our editing style after outbreaks of E. coli in spinach and salad. While rinsing under running water offers some protection against unsafe bacteria, Test Kitchens Food Scientist Kristi Michelle Crowe, PhD, offers some better suggestions.
  
  "Make a solution of 1-1/3 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide and 2-2/3 cups distilled water, and keep in a spray bottle in the kitchen," Kristi advises. "Spritz the greens with the solution, rinse with running water, then spin or pat them dry. Replace the solution once a week. It is an effective, budget-friendly solution to both expensive vegetable cleaners and to bleach, which the processors use."
  
  The peroxide solution works well on other vegetables, too, but Kristi says a good old-fashioned vegetable brush (used only for cleaning produce) and distilled water are good weapons against harmful bacteria.
  
  -- Donna Florio

In the words of the infamous "Martha"....It's a Good thing!