We met with the surgeon this morning and really liked him. He thinks 3 of the metatarsal breaks will heal on their own but the 4th one (big toe) is crushed and will need a plate or pins. He won't know until he does the surgery.
That freaked Ryan out, but we had a FANTASTIC nurse and she was so sweet and kind. She asked Ryan what he feared the most and talked about the fears and explained what will happen. (mostly what I told him, but she was much better!) Naturally he is still nervous, but not quite as bad at present but it's another day of waiting...
Surgery will be 8AM Saturday morning.
We found out that the ER was VERY off when prescribing his pain meds. They did 1/2 tsp. Tylenol w/ codeine every 8 hours. The dr. said he prescribes 3-4 times that for a 47 lb. child and that is EVERY 3 HOURS! Ryan weighs 142! No wonder his pain has been so bad.
I must have gotten up with him during the night last night about 20 times. He kept having night terrors or hallucinations. He'd be trying to get away from "large green grasshoppers that were crunching away at his foot" and the thrashing would hurt him further. Things like that and trying to get to bathroom and once to the computer room. I am sooo tired.
I appreciate so much your prayers and comments. They really mean a lot. I don't have time to read hardly any blogs right now and I feel badly about that. It's hard to have time to visit my own, but I am reading your sweet comments and they lift my spirit.
Thursday, April 30
Wednesday, April 29
Update
Most recent: I took him to the ER and we hardly had any wait this time. They said it was okay and showed me how I could determine it rather easily. I'm glad I took him tho, or I'd just be worrying. They did tell me that we aren't keeping it elevated enough and if we elevate it more some of the swelling will come down.
He is sleeping off some of the pain med right now. Wish I could sleep but I'm still too keyed up. I only slept 2 hrs since all of this happened.
I appreciate your prayers and comments so much. Thank you!
Earlier: I got a whole two hours sleep last night and feel like I'm funning on vapors.
Ryan has been sleeping off and on. He sleeps, then comes to the computer (which is NOT a laptop and we are SOOOO wishing it were!), then goes back to bed.
He sees the surgeon tomorrow morning at 9AM.
However, I think I'm going to have to take him back to the ER this morning yet. It's swelling so much, his toes are looking purple and are very cold. We both dread the long wait at the ER, but better safe than sorry.
Someone from S.S. is bringing supper tonight. Since I need groceries and am so busy with Ryan and dead on my feet, I am very thankful!
He is sleeping off some of the pain med right now. Wish I could sleep but I'm still too keyed up. I only slept 2 hrs since all of this happened.
I appreciate your prayers and comments so much. Thank you!
Earlier: I got a whole two hours sleep last night and feel like I'm funning on vapors.
Ryan has been sleeping off and on. He sleeps, then comes to the computer (which is NOT a laptop and we are SOOOO wishing it were!), then goes back to bed.
He sees the surgeon tomorrow morning at 9AM.
However, I think I'm going to have to take him back to the ER this morning yet. It's swelling so much, his toes are looking purple and are very cold. We both dread the long wait at the ER, but better safe than sorry.
Someone from S.S. is bringing supper tonight. Since I need groceries and am so busy with Ryan and dead on my feet, I am very thankful!
An accident and long ER visit
I write this at nearly 1AM in the morning after a long and stressful day. It will be a long night.
Today Ryan went on a hike with my father and my nephew. What started out as a great time turned into a nightmare when Ryan fell over a waterfall, dropping 12 feet to a ledge, bouncing off that and dropping another 6-7 feet. My nephew accessed his injuries and helped get him to where my father was. Together they started carrying my son through the woods, trying to get to the main path.
My son’s ankle and foot were terribly swollen and seemed to have taken the brunt of the fall. He couldn’t put any weight on it. My father is 72 years old and got quite the workout, but after a while of slow-going Ryan just couldn’t go on. He was exhausted and possibly in shock from the trauma. At that point, my nephew Dan picked him up and carried him on his back. (Reminds me of how when we can't go on, God picks us up and carries us.)
Dan is a year older than Ryan, is taller than Ryan, but weighs less than Ryan! And he was carrying him! They had no water and it was hot and they were getting dehydrated.
Dan called us on his cell phone and told us what happened. They thought they’d make it to the main path in 30 min., but it ended up taking much longer. We finally went to meet them, but couldn’t get very close with the car. We’d taken water bottles, ice packs & ace bandages & ibuprofen along.
What did we do before cell phones? My sister-in-law, Donna, decided to meet them on the trail to give them water and help carry Ryan. She and my mom wouldn’t let me attempt the walk, even with my oxygen. All 3 of us had phones and kept touching base with each other. Again, what did we do w/o cells?
3 hours after Ryan’s fall (at least!), they made it to the car. Ryan threw up a while. They guzzled every bit of water, then we got Ibup. down him and Donna wrapped his foot in ice – she’s a missionary (they are recently home on furlough) and had First Aid training and stays very cool and calm in emergencies.
Donna went with me to the ER and helped get Ryan into the wheelchair and then helped him while I did paperwork and answered questions.
Let me back up and say for those of you who don’t know, Ryan has Aspergers. His anxieties were at an all time high and his nerves were so bad his whole body was quivering and he was in a panic continually about what they were going to do to his foot. Plus the pain was so bad.
He had an Xray of his foot and a CT scan of his head, plus they checked his body over for other injuries.
His foot is broken in 4 places. They said it’s quite crushed. Right now it’s in a splint and I have to call tomorrow about taking him to the surgeon. He doesn’t understand he will be having surgery yet and I’m afraid to tell him. He thinks they will just put a cast on, but doesn’t know the rest. He’s so terrified over needles and pain and all, he just totally melts down and I just dread this.
We spent about 4 hours at the ER. We are very thankful he wasn’t killed or hurt worse in a fall like that. My dad feels just awful about the whole thing.
Tonight he’s running a fever of about 100.8, so I’m scared to go to sleep. I gave him the intercom, to call if he needs anything, but I want to keep checking on him because of the fever.
One last thing, I called Ryan’s Karate Sensei while I was waiting for them to get Ryan up the trail to the car. He called to check on Ryan this evening and then came to the ER to see him. He is such a kind man and it meant so much to Ryan that he did that!
But no Karate, swimming, skateboarding, scootering, hiking for Ryan for most of, if not all of, the summer. I feel so badly for him.
(I took these pictures yesterday - he was having so much fun! He was using his zorries - flipflops - as brakes. I know - he should have had a helmet on!)
Today Ryan went on a hike with my father and my nephew. What started out as a great time turned into a nightmare when Ryan fell over a waterfall, dropping 12 feet to a ledge, bouncing off that and dropping another 6-7 feet. My nephew accessed his injuries and helped get him to where my father was. Together they started carrying my son through the woods, trying to get to the main path.
My son’s ankle and foot were terribly swollen and seemed to have taken the brunt of the fall. He couldn’t put any weight on it. My father is 72 years old and got quite the workout, but after a while of slow-going Ryan just couldn’t go on. He was exhausted and possibly in shock from the trauma. At that point, my nephew Dan picked him up and carried him on his back. (Reminds me of how when we can't go on, God picks us up and carries us.)
Dan is a year older than Ryan, is taller than Ryan, but weighs less than Ryan! And he was carrying him! They had no water and it was hot and they were getting dehydrated.
Dan called us on his cell phone and told us what happened. They thought they’d make it to the main path in 30 min., but it ended up taking much longer. We finally went to meet them, but couldn’t get very close with the car. We’d taken water bottles, ice packs & ace bandages & ibuprofen along.
What did we do before cell phones? My sister-in-law, Donna, decided to meet them on the trail to give them water and help carry Ryan. She and my mom wouldn’t let me attempt the walk, even with my oxygen. All 3 of us had phones and kept touching base with each other. Again, what did we do w/o cells?
3 hours after Ryan’s fall (at least!), they made it to the car. Ryan threw up a while. They guzzled every bit of water, then we got Ibup. down him and Donna wrapped his foot in ice – she’s a missionary (they are recently home on furlough) and had First Aid training and stays very cool and calm in emergencies.
Donna went with me to the ER and helped get Ryan into the wheelchair and then helped him while I did paperwork and answered questions.
Let me back up and say for those of you who don’t know, Ryan has Aspergers. His anxieties were at an all time high and his nerves were so bad his whole body was quivering and he was in a panic continually about what they were going to do to his foot. Plus the pain was so bad.
He had an Xray of his foot and a CT scan of his head, plus they checked his body over for other injuries.
His foot is broken in 4 places. They said it’s quite crushed. Right now it’s in a splint and I have to call tomorrow about taking him to the surgeon. He doesn’t understand he will be having surgery yet and I’m afraid to tell him. He thinks they will just put a cast on, but doesn’t know the rest. He’s so terrified over needles and pain and all, he just totally melts down and I just dread this.
We spent about 4 hours at the ER. We are very thankful he wasn’t killed or hurt worse in a fall like that. My dad feels just awful about the whole thing.
Tonight he’s running a fever of about 100.8, so I’m scared to go to sleep. I gave him the intercom, to call if he needs anything, but I want to keep checking on him because of the fever.
One last thing, I called Ryan’s Karate Sensei while I was waiting for them to get Ryan up the trail to the car. He called to check on Ryan this evening and then came to the ER to see him. He is such a kind man and it meant so much to Ryan that he did that!
But no Karate, swimming, skateboarding, scootering, hiking for Ryan for most of, if not all of, the summer. I feel so badly for him.
(I took these pictures yesterday - he was having so much fun! He was using his zorries - flipflops - as brakes. I know - he should have had a helmet on!)
Saturday, April 25
I'm going on a date!
Going on a date is a big thing in our marriage. My husband isn't home a lot and, even when he is, finances don't allow a lunch/dinner date.
Today is our 22nd Anniversary!
This last year has been one of the hardest in our marriage. I won't go into it all, but will say that I've been doing the Love Dare book and trying to address how I love him and how I treat him.
This evening we are going on a double date to the Acropolis with some friends who have been wanting to go out with us.
R will be staying at my parents. My brother and his family are home on furlough for 3 months and are arriving at my parents this afternoon. So my son will have a good time with his cousins while we are gone.
When we return we will all visit and spend some time catching up. My brother lives in the Marshall Islands so I don't see them or talk to them very often.
Today is our 22nd Anniversary!
This last year has been one of the hardest in our marriage. I won't go into it all, but will say that I've been doing the Love Dare book and trying to address how I love him and how I treat him.
This evening we are going on a double date to the Acropolis with some friends who have been wanting to go out with us.
R will be staying at my parents. My brother and his family are home on furlough for 3 months and are arriving at my parents this afternoon. So my son will have a good time with his cousins while we are gone.
When we return we will all visit and spend some time catching up. My brother lives in the Marshall Islands so I don't see them or talk to them very often.
Friday, April 24
Grilling Goodness
It's time for some Grilling Goodness, brought to you by good ole Golden Goodness. (She's not really "old"!!!)
1. When you were in school, did you study hard or cram the night before?
I studied VERY hard! My brother and sister are both brains. My brother never had to study. Even in college he would just recall what he heard in class. We went to college together and were in some of the same classes, which didn't make things any easier for me!
2. What can pull you out of a really funky mood?My son. He's such a funny, witty and crazy kid - he's always making me laugh. Other than that, Christian music!
3. Do you keep the invoice after you've paid the bill?I don't pay bills! My husband insists on doing that.4. Do you have yard sales? Shop at them?
4. Do you have yard sales? Shop at them?
Oh, I hate doing yard sales! Every few years my husband wants to have one and I say "Go to it, but I'm not getting involved!" I think they are a waste of time, unless you have some large-ticket popular things. Which I would sell on e-Bay! (I've sold quite a bit on eBay.) I used to go to them when R was little, but no more.
5. When was the last time you rode a rollercoaster?Never. And I never will!
6. Spring cleaning...do you do such things as wash your windows?Of course! Do you mean there are people who don't???
7. How often do you clean out your refrigerator?Every couple of weeks. Before anything starts getting stinky and growing a culture.
8. Have you ever been a victim of identity theft?No, thank the Lord. I feel so badly for people who have been.
For more Grilling Goodness, go here for some links!
1. When you were in school, did you study hard or cram the night before?
I studied VERY hard! My brother and sister are both brains. My brother never had to study. Even in college he would just recall what he heard in class. We went to college together and were in some of the same classes, which didn't make things any easier for me!
2. What can pull you out of a really funky mood?My son. He's such a funny, witty and crazy kid - he's always making me laugh. Other than that, Christian music!
3. Do you keep the invoice after you've paid the bill?I don't pay bills! My husband insists on doing that.4. Do you have yard sales? Shop at them?
4. Do you have yard sales? Shop at them?
Oh, I hate doing yard sales! Every few years my husband wants to have one and I say "Go to it, but I'm not getting involved!" I think they are a waste of time, unless you have some large-ticket popular things. Which I would sell on e-Bay! (I've sold quite a bit on eBay.) I used to go to them when R was little, but no more.
5. When was the last time you rode a rollercoaster?Never. And I never will!
6. Spring cleaning...do you do such things as wash your windows?Of course! Do you mean there are people who don't???
7. How often do you clean out your refrigerator?Every couple of weeks. Before anything starts getting stinky and growing a culture.
8. Have you ever been a victim of identity theft?No, thank the Lord. I feel so badly for people who have been.
For more Grilling Goodness, go here for some links!
Do I talk funny?
I feel as if I'm in another country lately.
We moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia 1/07.
I was just out for a hair appt. and to stop at 2 stores on errands. Every person I spoke to said "Whaaaat?" I'd have to repeat myself several times before they understood me! One lady stopped me to ask where I got my purse.
"Penney's"
"Where?" (she looked like I was saying some place she never heard of)
"Penney's"
"Oooooh...Peeeeinies"
It works the other way, too. A lady in Walgreen's asked me to read the label on a small box for her. All I could make out was "eyes". Since she was holding it out to me, I figured she wanted me to read something, but I couldn't figure out what. I told her which contacts it was for and hoped that was what she wanted to know!
I'm only in another state, but I might as well be in another country with the differences in our accents!!!
I think I talk normal!
We moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia 1/07.
I was just out for a hair appt. and to stop at 2 stores on errands. Every person I spoke to said "Whaaaat?" I'd have to repeat myself several times before they understood me! One lady stopped me to ask where I got my purse.
"Penney's"
"Where?" (she looked like I was saying some place she never heard of)
"Penney's"
"Oooooh...Peeeeinies"
It works the other way, too. A lady in Walgreen's asked me to read the label on a small box for her. All I could make out was "eyes". Since she was holding it out to me, I figured she wanted me to read something, but I couldn't figure out what. I told her which contacts it was for and hoped that was what she wanted to know!
I'm only in another state, but I might as well be in another country with the differences in our accents!!!
I think I talk normal!
Thursday, April 23
Fixin' myself up!
Next month I will turn 49 years. My sister prepared for turning 50 by joining Weight Watchers and losing a ton of weight. It was like a total makeover! She was determined to be healthy when she hit that magic number and looks great!
I've been wanting to lose weight, myself, but have the added problem that I can't be as active because of my advancement of my CF...plus I'm just not that disciplined.
I'm being honest! I'd MUCH rather bake and eat than exercise!!!
However...M (otherwise known as Lil' Chris' Mom) has started a Challenge Diet blog. You should check it out! It seems to be working for me better than other types of diets because I'm focusing more on getting points and not so much on "what I can't eat." Don't get me wrong, I'm still changing eating habits, but I'm focusing on earning those points by exercising and meeting goal challenges she sets each day.
I get points for every 5 min. I use the treadmill. 5 min! If someone told me 30 min. I probably wouldn't even get on, but Hey, even I can do 5 min! Then I add another 5, then another...I do all kinds of exercises on my Total Gym and I get points for every crunch, every curl. Hey, it's do-able all of the sudden. I like this!
(Well, I don't look like this yet!)
I can feel myself toning up and as I do, I am also noticing I am not WANTING to eat as much and am not WANTING to eat the sweets that usually taunt me. I don't know if I've lost much weight - I'm still avoiding the scale.
But I feel good. (And my CF doctor is going to be soooo proud!)
My problem is now I'm having more challenges with my time. Time to exercise, time to homeschool, time to do housework...
but so much of my time get's taken up with the outside and I need to be careful that I'm spending time working on my inside.
God is more interested in me spending time with Him and the type of person I am in my heart than how I look, or how my house looks. I'm sure He wants me to be disciplined in those area's, also, but I need to keep working on finding that balance.
I've been wanting to lose weight, myself, but have the added problem that I can't be as active because of my advancement of my CF...plus I'm just not that disciplined.
I'm being honest! I'd MUCH rather bake and eat than exercise!!!
However...M (otherwise known as Lil' Chris' Mom) has started a Challenge Diet blog. You should check it out! It seems to be working for me better than other types of diets because I'm focusing more on getting points and not so much on "what I can't eat." Don't get me wrong, I'm still changing eating habits, but I'm focusing on earning those points by exercising and meeting goal challenges she sets each day.
I get points for every 5 min. I use the treadmill. 5 min! If someone told me 30 min. I probably wouldn't even get on, but Hey, even I can do 5 min! Then I add another 5, then another...I do all kinds of exercises on my Total Gym and I get points for every crunch, every curl. Hey, it's do-able all of the sudden. I like this!
(Well, I don't look like this yet!)
I can feel myself toning up and as I do, I am also noticing I am not WANTING to eat as much and am not WANTING to eat the sweets that usually taunt me. I don't know if I've lost much weight - I'm still avoiding the scale.
But I feel good. (And my CF doctor is going to be soooo proud!)
My problem is now I'm having more challenges with my time. Time to exercise, time to homeschool, time to do housework...
but so much of my time get's taken up with the outside and I need to be careful that I'm spending time working on my inside.
God is more interested in me spending time with Him and the type of person I am in my heart than how I look, or how my house looks. I'm sure He wants me to be disciplined in those area's, also, but I need to keep working on finding that balance.
Wednesday, April 22
Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane
Lynnette Kraft, of Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground, is encouraging us to
When I was in kindergarten I was a little angel.
Our teacher would regularly gather us around the piano for music. We would sit on that uncomfortable floor while she got to sit on the piano seat, which just doesn't seem fair, does it?
One time she stood up to check on the kids on the side of the piano, who she couldn't see. I thought she was finished and didn't need her chair anymore, so I pulled it over and sat down on it.
She didn't know this and sat down on the floor!
She was so angry, she reported me to my parents and almost failed me in Kindergarten. Can you imagine flunking kindergarten? All because you were an innocent child who was tired of sitting on the floor? My parents finally convinced her that I wasn't trying to be mean, that I really thought she was finished sitting down.
and
that same year I would kiss all of the boys on the schoolbus before getting off.
The bus driver finally assigned me a seat right behind his. I didn't realize that I was being disciplined, though. I thought that I was privileged that I was getting to sit next to the driver. I was privileged, alright!
For more Memories, visit Lynnette's site! (She has a great one, herself!)
When I was in kindergarten I was a little angel.
Our teacher would regularly gather us around the piano for music. We would sit on that uncomfortable floor while she got to sit on the piano seat, which just doesn't seem fair, does it?
One time she stood up to check on the kids on the side of the piano, who she couldn't see. I thought she was finished and didn't need her chair anymore, so I pulled it over and sat down on it.
She didn't know this and sat down on the floor!
She was so angry, she reported me to my parents and almost failed me in Kindergarten. Can you imagine flunking kindergarten? All because you were an innocent child who was tired of sitting on the floor? My parents finally convinced her that I wasn't trying to be mean, that I really thought she was finished sitting down.
and
that same year I would kiss all of the boys on the schoolbus before getting off.
The bus driver finally assigned me a seat right behind his. I didn't realize that I was being disciplined, though. I thought that I was privileged that I was getting to sit next to the driver. I was privileged, alright!
For more Memories, visit Lynnette's site! (She has a great one, herself!)
Tuesday, April 21
Holey, holey, holey
R went out to play in the woods this afternoon. He loves to hang out there. He was gone for a while, tho, and I was starting to get worried. We do have the occasional black bears, a few wolves, many coyotes & stray dogs, plus I was starting to conjure up images of him laying helpless from a fall.
Just when I was about to blow the car horn (our signal) and then hike into the woods if he didn't respond, he walked into the house.
He said he got caught in some briars. Glad he had on old clothes!
Just when I was about to blow the car horn (our signal) and then hike into the woods if he didn't respond, he walked into the house.
He said he got caught in some briars. Glad he had on old clothes!
"A boy is a noise with dirt on it."
Dirt is not dirty, but only something in the wrong place.-- Lord PalmerstonI find it ironic that the dog, who rolled in deer poop, is smelling R!!!!!
Monday, April 20
Must they roll in it?
Great picture, huh? It goes with my question of the day...
Why is it that every time your dog finds something nasty, they have to roll in it? (I honestly know the answer to this - to show ownership, right? - but it is such a nasty thing to do.)
I mean, they are wandering around the yard and they see deer poop. "Oh, that smells GOOD!!! I need to ROLL in that!!!! Head first!"
My dogs did this, once again, this weekend and have been smelling RANK. Then they wonder why I don't want to pet them!!! My husband took a wet cloth to them twice, trying to clean the smell off of them.
Do you know where I'm going with this?
Aren't we kind of the same way? Something temps us and we just can't hold ourselves back. We know it's sin, we know it's going to mean trouble down the road, but for right now we are going to have our own way!
Then, when we realize we really need to "clean up", we might think it's just good enough to tell ourselves "Well, I just won't do that again." "I'll just work on that." But that's not good enough.
We need to confess to God our sin. Then we need to dig down deep and clean out the stink. Sometimes it's painful and not what we want to do. It may mean avoiding certain places, or giving up someone we've been associating with. It may mean looking inward and examining why we gave in to that sin and cleaning up that mess underneath.
My dogs are NOT going to smell better until they get a good bath and scrubbing! Wiping them down with a wet cloth or spraying them with Febreeze just isn't going to fix the problem!
We always want an easy and quick fix, but sometimes we just need to do more.
Friday, April 17
Grilling Goodness #26
Time to Grill again! Grilling Goodness was created by Tin at Golden Goodness. Just some fun answering random questions she puts out! For more Grilling Goodness, visit here.
1. Do you prefer reality tv or dramas or comedies?Drama's, except for Biggest Loser- which is my very favorite AND has a lot of drama!
2. If you could have free cosmetic surgery, what would you have done?No doubt about it! It would be my "gobbler". I've always had a double chin and these days it hangs down so much I feel like I hardly have a neck. Sometimes I squish it upward in front of the mirror to see what I would look like w/o it and I look so much younger!!!
3. What are you itching to get but you have 'bitten the bullet'?
Not sure I understand this one. Bitten the bullet should mean I have gotten it, but it's worded like they are asking what I haven't given in to so I'll do that. Red shoes! I think they'd look great with my jeans and my b&w outfits!
4. Do you have a bad habit that you hope your children don't pick up? Yes, my sweet tooth, but I think he's already picked it up.
5. What was your favorite meal growing up?
One meal stands out because I haven't had it since. I wouldn't call it a favorite meal but it is one I wish I could have again - Hash! My parents used to grind up left-over beef and potatoes and make Hash and I loved it!
6. What meal did you have as a youngster that you don't have as an adult? Liver!!!!!!
7. What is your earliest memory of a "vacation"? Where'd you go?
We used to go to Rye Beach (NH?) and rent a little cottage across the street from the beach. We'd eat all of the meals in the cottage and spend most of our time on the beach. My dad and sister would go out at about 6AM for a Polar Bear Dip each morning!
8. What was the "Best Thing" you ever got for Christmas, before age 12? I don't remember anything that I got for Christmas back then! Probably my Barbies and the Barbie-clothes my Grammy made.
1. Do you prefer reality tv or dramas or comedies?Drama's, except for Biggest Loser- which is my very favorite AND has a lot of drama!
2. If you could have free cosmetic surgery, what would you have done?No doubt about it! It would be my "gobbler". I've always had a double chin and these days it hangs down so much I feel like I hardly have a neck. Sometimes I squish it upward in front of the mirror to see what I would look like w/o it and I look so much younger!!!
3. What are you itching to get but you have 'bitten the bullet'?
Not sure I understand this one. Bitten the bullet should mean I have gotten it, but it's worded like they are asking what I haven't given in to so I'll do that. Red shoes! I think they'd look great with my jeans and my b&w outfits!
4. Do you have a bad habit that you hope your children don't pick up? Yes, my sweet tooth, but I think he's already picked it up.
5. What was your favorite meal growing up?
One meal stands out because I haven't had it since. I wouldn't call it a favorite meal but it is one I wish I could have again - Hash! My parents used to grind up left-over beef and potatoes and make Hash and I loved it!
6. What meal did you have as a youngster that you don't have as an adult? Liver!!!!!!
7. What is your earliest memory of a "vacation"? Where'd you go?
We used to go to Rye Beach (NH?) and rent a little cottage across the street from the beach. We'd eat all of the meals in the cottage and spend most of our time on the beach. My dad and sister would go out at about 6AM for a Polar Bear Dip each morning!
8. What was the "Best Thing" you ever got for Christmas, before age 12? I don't remember anything that I got for Christmas back then! Probably my Barbies and the Barbie-clothes my Grammy made.
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesdays Walk Down Memory Lane
Join Lynnette Kraft and other bloggers on Wednesdays Walk Down Memory Lane!
I wish I had lots of lots of pictures to insert with my Walk Down Memory Lane, but so many of my memories take place before digital camera. Thank God I can still see pictures in my mind.
We will be celebrating our 22nd Wedding Anniversary later this month. Because I already have showed some of the pictures from my wedding on my blog, including the wedding cake that I baked and decorated myself, I thought I would tell about our honeymoon. We had quite the eventful honeymoon!
We spent 2 weeks in FL. As soon as we unpacked we discovered that our camera had broken somewhere between the wedding and the honeymoon, so we had to go camera shopping right away.
One of the first things I remember is a fight about the temperature setting in the motel room! He had it absolutely ice cold in there and I would go out onto the deck and sit and cry because I was so frozen in the room and couldn't understand why he didn't care about my comfort! (Now we have reversed and I have hot flashes and am hot all of the time, plus breathe better in cooler air. He had a triple by-pass 10 years ago and now he's always COLD!! lol)
The first week we went to Epcot, Sea World, and Cypress Gardens. I got sun poisoning right away. I had this red, bumpy, itchy, burning rash all over my legs, arms, hands, feet, neck, face, chest...It was awful! I plastered myself with zinc oxide so I could still walk around Epcot and everywhere else. Epcot was very crowded, but everyone gave me a wide berth because they didn't want that white stuff rubbing off on them! Even then God was taking my trials and making them into blessings!
Our second week was at Daytona Beach. Well, obviously I could not go out onto the beach because my sun poisoning was even worse after the prior week in the sun and heat. So my husband would lay out at the pool with all of these bikini-clad babes around him and I would sit in the motel room watching TV. Once in a while I would go out to him and remind him, quite loudly, that he was married now! lol Would kiss him and kiss him and remind him what was waiting inside the room! lol
I was starting to get sick by this time. Most likely from going from the hot into the freezing, ice-cold room!!!!!!! On the way home to PA we stopped in NC to visit my parents. I clearly had bronchitis by then and my dad worked at a hospital and got an abx prescription for me so I could start "mending."
From there we stopped in VA at my inlaws. We had been married there and left all of our wedding gifts with them, plus the remainder of the wedding cake. We opened our gifts, then set off for home in PA.
About 40 min. from home we had a flat tire! We were on the interstate and had to walk to the nearest farm (about 1 mi. away) to ask for help. We met a very nice guy who actually knew someone my husband knew, and he came and helped us out. Our car was just filled to the hilt with wedding gifts and luggage, so much of that had to be unloaded. There we were, sitting there with everything sitting alongside the highway!
The poor top to our wedding cake didn't make it. :-(
Don't get me wrong, there were many great times during those two weeks. But when we reminisce, this is what we remember: broken camera, freezing motel room, sun poisoning, bronchitis & flat tire!!!
But we're still married 22 years later!
I wish I had lots of lots of pictures to insert with my Walk Down Memory Lane, but so many of my memories take place before digital camera. Thank God I can still see pictures in my mind.
We will be celebrating our 22nd Wedding Anniversary later this month. Because I already have showed some of the pictures from my wedding on my blog, including the wedding cake that I baked and decorated myself, I thought I would tell about our honeymoon. We had quite the eventful honeymoon!
We spent 2 weeks in FL. As soon as we unpacked we discovered that our camera had broken somewhere between the wedding and the honeymoon, so we had to go camera shopping right away.
One of the first things I remember is a fight about the temperature setting in the motel room! He had it absolutely ice cold in there and I would go out onto the deck and sit and cry because I was so frozen in the room and couldn't understand why he didn't care about my comfort! (Now we have reversed and I have hot flashes and am hot all of the time, plus breathe better in cooler air. He had a triple by-pass 10 years ago and now he's always COLD!! lol)
The first week we went to Epcot, Sea World, and Cypress Gardens. I got sun poisoning right away. I had this red, bumpy, itchy, burning rash all over my legs, arms, hands, feet, neck, face, chest...It was awful! I plastered myself with zinc oxide so I could still walk around Epcot and everywhere else. Epcot was very crowded, but everyone gave me a wide berth because they didn't want that white stuff rubbing off on them! Even then God was taking my trials and making them into blessings!
Our second week was at Daytona Beach. Well, obviously I could not go out onto the beach because my sun poisoning was even worse after the prior week in the sun and heat. So my husband would lay out at the pool with all of these bikini-clad babes around him and I would sit in the motel room watching TV. Once in a while I would go out to him and remind him, quite loudly, that he was married now! lol Would kiss him and kiss him and remind him what was waiting inside the room! lol
I was starting to get sick by this time. Most likely from going from the hot into the freezing, ice-cold room!!!!!!! On the way home to PA we stopped in NC to visit my parents. I clearly had bronchitis by then and my dad worked at a hospital and got an abx prescription for me so I could start "mending."
From there we stopped in VA at my inlaws. We had been married there and left all of our wedding gifts with them, plus the remainder of the wedding cake. We opened our gifts, then set off for home in PA.
About 40 min. from home we had a flat tire! We were on the interstate and had to walk to the nearest farm (about 1 mi. away) to ask for help. We met a very nice guy who actually knew someone my husband knew, and he came and helped us out. Our car was just filled to the hilt with wedding gifts and luggage, so much of that had to be unloaded. There we were, sitting there with everything sitting alongside the highway!
The poor top to our wedding cake didn't make it. :-(
Don't get me wrong, there were many great times during those two weeks. But when we reminisce, this is what we remember: broken camera, freezing motel room, sun poisoning, bronchitis & flat tire!!!
But we're still married 22 years later!
Gifted Christian Artist
This afternoon I was driving in the car and had the local Christian radio on. They were interviewing Frances Drost and playing samples of her songs. Have you heard of her? She has a beautiful voice and composes beautiful Christian songs. Here is a video she has on her blog with one of my favorites:
She also does songs for "Songs of Love", which is a non-profit organization that provides songs for children with life threatening illnesses. They played one for a little girl named Maddie that was so precious and gave you tears. I believe Phoenix has a song written for him through this organization, but I think his was done by someone else. If you have a child going through a serious medical issue, go to Songs of Love and let them know. Someone will tailor a song especially for your child, with their name in it. Frances writes the song, puts it to music and performs it, recording it in her studio, but they have many others contributing also.
She also does songs for "Songs of Love", which is a non-profit organization that provides songs for children with life threatening illnesses. They played one for a little girl named Maddie that was so precious and gave you tears. I believe Phoenix has a song written for him through this organization, but I think his was done by someone else. If you have a child going through a serious medical issue, go to Songs of Love and let them know. Someone will tailor a song especially for your child, with their name in it. Frances writes the song, puts it to music and performs it, recording it in her studio, but they have many others contributing also.
Tuesday, April 14
Unusual event - for me!
Today I went shopping.
Clothes shopping! The last time I went shopping for clothing was last summer!
I hate shopping. I get tired so easy. The stores always seem to warm and stuffy.
It's depressing to see my overweight body in the mirror!
I'm trying to carry my purse and my oxygen and look at clothing. That's not easy.
I've had a Gift Card for Kohl's since Christmas but have been either sick or too busy to go shopping. So today my mom and I went to Kohl's.
I think I've only been in a clothing store once since last summer, other than when I get groceries at Walmart. This was a BIG EVENT!
I tried on about 40 items. I bought 8 items! 7 were on sale.
Did I mention this was a BIG EVENT????? I've needed clothing so badly that when I've left the house I had a choice between my green slacks...or my green slacks.
~~~~~~~~~~
You know me, my posts are always more than one topic!!
Someone posted this on the CF board today. Have you seen it? It's worth watching, just to see Simon and the other judge's reactions! Listen to this lady. It's really a shocker!
~~~~~~~~~~
Our lab, Raini, got quite sick on Saturday. She threw up for 5 hours straight after we got up and was panting hard and not looking too good. My husband took her to the vet and they did an xray to check for blockage or anything serious. They said she just had a virus. She got worse that night and I thought for sure she wasn't going to make it through the night.
Now she's doing quite a bit better.
Except she is farting something TERRIBLE. I mean, TERRIBLE! I have to put Vicks on my nose and my mask on, burn a candle, and I can STILL smell it a few rooms away!!
Clothes shopping! The last time I went shopping for clothing was last summer!
I hate shopping. I get tired so easy. The stores always seem to warm and stuffy.
It's depressing to see my overweight body in the mirror!
I'm trying to carry my purse and my oxygen and look at clothing. That's not easy.
I've had a Gift Card for Kohl's since Christmas but have been either sick or too busy to go shopping. So today my mom and I went to Kohl's.
I think I've only been in a clothing store once since last summer, other than when I get groceries at Walmart. This was a BIG EVENT!
I tried on about 40 items. I bought 8 items! 7 were on sale.
Did I mention this was a BIG EVENT????? I've needed clothing so badly that when I've left the house I had a choice between my green slacks...or my green slacks.
~~~~~~~~~~
You know me, my posts are always more than one topic!!
Someone posted this on the CF board today. Have you seen it? It's worth watching, just to see Simon and the other judge's reactions! Listen to this lady. It's really a shocker!
~~~~~~~~~~
Our lab, Raini, got quite sick on Saturday. She threw up for 5 hours straight after we got up and was panting hard and not looking too good. My husband took her to the vet and they did an xray to check for blockage or anything serious. They said she just had a virus. She got worse that night and I thought for sure she wasn't going to make it through the night.
Now she's doing quite a bit better.
Except she is farting something TERRIBLE. I mean, TERRIBLE! I have to put Vicks on my nose and my mask on, burn a candle, and I can STILL smell it a few rooms away!!
Sunday, April 12
The Bridge - The Most
I saw this short vido on Becoming Me today. Just in case you haven't seen it, I wanted to share it with those who are stopping by.
Hopefully on this Resurrection Day, we are all spending more time thinking about Jesus. Which makes it a great time to see this clip. In Angela's words: "The short Czech film below is a beautiful allegory about God's sacrificial love for His most beloved creation---human beings."
To learn more about the film, visit here.
Hopefully on this Resurrection Day, we are all spending more time thinking about Jesus. Which makes it a great time to see this clip. In Angela's words: "The short Czech film below is a beautiful allegory about God's sacrificial love for His most beloved creation---human beings."
To learn more about the film, visit here.
Friday, April 10
Grilling Goodness
Welcome to another edition of Grilling Goodness. Grilling Goodness was started by Tina over at Golden Goodness as a fun way to get to know each other better - and make us think a little!
1. What's one of the best things you've seen lately?
My son understand Mechanical Science! I am no help to him in this area, so I have a qualified friend coming over to tutor him and he did such a good job today. He actually slowed down, thought it through and could do the work! Yeah!
2. Has Spring brought you something you don't like?Allergies!
3. What kind of sandwiches do you like?BLT's, Finch sandwich (grilled sandwich with bacon, turkey, muenster cheese & mayo)
4. Do you carry GermX with you at all times?
Yes! Absolutely!
5. Does each person in your house have their own hamper or do you have a central hamper for everyone?
Central hamper
6. How often do you balance your checkbook?
I'm not ALLOWED to balance it! It's not that I'm not capable of doing it, but my husband is somewhat of a control freak and won't let me.
7. What's the hardest thing you've done lately?Quite a few things...exercise, not eat sweets or junk food, hold my tongue
8. Are you a texter?No. We'd have to pay extra so we don't do that. It would have come in handy the nearly 2 months I didn't have a voice, though!
For more Grilling Goodness go here.
Thursday, April 9
CF Clinic Day
Yesterday was a long day. The days that I go to CF clinic always are.
My mom spent the night Tuesday night, so that she could go along with me. We got up WAAAAAYYYY too early for my taste (since I don't get much sleep at night) and left the house at 7AM (EST). We were traveling into Central Time, but I will just give all times in EST so that it's less confusing.
We arrived at Vanderbilt (Nashville) with 5 minutes to spare, for my Glucose Challenge at 10AM. Diabetes is a common problem for people with Cystic Fibrosis so we get tested each year for it. They do one fasting blood draw, then you drink this syrup that's like soda. Kind of. You have to drink it w/in 5 min.
Then I had to wait for 2 hours until they could do another blood draw. The nurse was so nice and offered my mom and me a clinic room to hang out in for the 2 hours! She even brought my mom coffee! (I hate coffee, but I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink yet, anyway.)
After my 2nd draw, we ate lunch that we had packed and hung out until my PFT (Pulmonary Function Test). That turned out pretty good. I've been trying to remember what my numbers were in January - I remember they were way down. It was something like 31%. Then I had gone on IV's for 4 weeks and had another PFT afterward and it was 45%. Yesterday's was 42%. For those of you that don't get the numbers, just take it that it was good - for me. (I haven't been above 45% in a few years now. Hm. I was just wondering if my age and my PFT has ever matched.??) Yippee for the 42%!
I met with a social-counselor for about 30 minutes. It is a requirement in our clinic that you meet with them at least once a year due to the stress CF has on your emotional & financial well-being. After that I met with 2 CF drs. and then had more blood drawn.
All in all, it was a pretty good visit. All of my results were pretty good, especially for an "old" CFer like me.
We left Nashville around 4:30 and stopped at Cracker Barrel for supper. We arrived home about 12 1/2 hours after we'd left.
I took this picture at a Rest Area on the way home. I thought it was so pretty the way the sun was setting on the water.
My dad hung out with R for the day. They played games, watched Open Season 2 and went for a walk for 1 1/2 hours at a park near us.
Today has been so busy, between teaching school and catching up on so much work that has been piling up for the past few days.
I feel like I am never going to get caught up on reading blogs!!! I don't know if I'll have time to leave comments on all of them, but please know you aren't forgotten.
It's going to take me until next Wednesday to get caught up on reading the Memory Lane's on Lynette's blog yesterday!
My mom spent the night Tuesday night, so that she could go along with me. We got up WAAAAAYYYY too early for my taste (since I don't get much sleep at night) and left the house at 7AM (EST). We were traveling into Central Time, but I will just give all times in EST so that it's less confusing.
We arrived at Vanderbilt (Nashville) with 5 minutes to spare, for my Glucose Challenge at 10AM. Diabetes is a common problem for people with Cystic Fibrosis so we get tested each year for it. They do one fasting blood draw, then you drink this syrup that's like soda. Kind of. You have to drink it w/in 5 min.
Then I had to wait for 2 hours until they could do another blood draw. The nurse was so nice and offered my mom and me a clinic room to hang out in for the 2 hours! She even brought my mom coffee! (I hate coffee, but I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink yet, anyway.)
After my 2nd draw, we ate lunch that we had packed and hung out until my PFT (Pulmonary Function Test). That turned out pretty good. I've been trying to remember what my numbers were in January - I remember they were way down. It was something like 31%. Then I had gone on IV's for 4 weeks and had another PFT afterward and it was 45%. Yesterday's was 42%. For those of you that don't get the numbers, just take it that it was good - for me. (I haven't been above 45% in a few years now. Hm. I was just wondering if my age and my PFT has ever matched.??) Yippee for the 42%!
I met with a social-counselor for about 30 minutes. It is a requirement in our clinic that you meet with them at least once a year due to the stress CF has on your emotional & financial well-being. After that I met with 2 CF drs. and then had more blood drawn.
All in all, it was a pretty good visit. All of my results were pretty good, especially for an "old" CFer like me.
We left Nashville around 4:30 and stopped at Cracker Barrel for supper. We arrived home about 12 1/2 hours after we'd left.
I took this picture at a Rest Area on the way home. I thought it was so pretty the way the sun was setting on the water.
My dad hung out with R for the day. They played games, watched Open Season 2 and went for a walk for 1 1/2 hours at a park near us.
Today has been so busy, between teaching school and catching up on so much work that has been piling up for the past few days.
I feel like I am never going to get caught up on reading blogs!!! I don't know if I'll have time to leave comments on all of them, but please know you aren't forgotten.
It's going to take me until next Wednesday to get caught up on reading the Memory Lane's on Lynette's blog yesterday!
Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane - Dad's injury
After reading this memory, visit Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground for many more great memories!
~~~~~~~
When I was still single I was getting ready to go on a date. We were just getting into the car when my brother yelled out the door that someone needed to drive to the Emergency Room. He came backing out the front door with his hands in front of him, cradling my father's bloody hands.
He said that my father had cut his hand on the table saw and to go get some rags. Ok, I was a little rattled and not the smartest cookie in the jar. I ran into the house and came out with...a dusting rag! Well, it was a rag!!! It was just very ...dusty...and dirty! But they wrapped my dad's hand up in it and we took off in my date's VW bug.
The car didn't have very good shocks and we lived in the country. Every bump in the back road my dad would groan and yell, but Neil knew he needed to hurry.
When we got to the ER, my brother went in with my dad and I took care of the signing in. Then we had to find my mother. My parents had a very elderly couple visiting. My mom and the woman had gone shopping, but I was pretty certain I knew where they'd gone so we drove there and I told my mom what happened and brought her and the friend back to the hospital.
Then we remembered the man. It turned out, he was very hard of hearing and never even knew anything had happened and that we had all left the house! We had quite a laugh over that.
My dad cut off one finger and the tip of another one. The dr. couldn't do anything about the finger cut off, so we wrapped it in foil and put it in the freezer. My dad has always been fascinated by science and medical things, so we figured he would want to check it out when he was home. But his mother, my grandmother, was coming to help out and he was afraid that with her bad eyesight she might mistake it for sausage, so he asked us to throw it out!!
I have a closeup shot of my dad's hand when he was playing pool a few years ago, but it's on a CD and I can't figure out how to get it onto the computer. So here is a picture of my family years ago, just so you have a picture!
I'm the cutie in the middle, looking up at my dad. This picture is a huge one that is hanging over my parents bed.
Saturday, April 4
Cat chase
My neighbors moved out of their house and left their 2 stray cats behind. I say "stray" because they were mostly outdoor cats. That leaves us with about 4-5 stray cats because of the other ones in the neighborhood.
I'm a proponent for keeping your cats safely inside. My biggest worry is that one of our dogs is going to chase after one of those cats and get hit by a car. Usually when my dogs are outside they are in the safety of their dog run, but sometimes they are loose in the yard with one of us. But those cats catch their eye and off they go.
Our dogs will then have tunnel-vision and seem suddenly deaf. I'm so afraid they will dart across the road and be hit.
I think we are a lot like that. We let things side-track us and get our full attention. Then we are off chasing after them, not thinking about the danger. Not thinking that we aren't where we are supposed to be.
God wants our eyes on him, our attention focused on Him. If we do that, the things around us fall into place and we are happiest.
So, this weekend, don't take your eyes off Him and go chasing after any "cats" when you know you shouldn't!
(You know what else? My dog knows where to turn to when he's scared! My son is vacuuming and my Golden is terrified of the vacuum. - wuss! - So he has run to me and hidden under my legs at the desk because he knows who will protect him! I think there's a lesson in there, too, don't you?)
I'm a proponent for keeping your cats safely inside. My biggest worry is that one of our dogs is going to chase after one of those cats and get hit by a car. Usually when my dogs are outside they are in the safety of their dog run, but sometimes they are loose in the yard with one of us. But those cats catch their eye and off they go.
Our dogs will then have tunnel-vision and seem suddenly deaf. I'm so afraid they will dart across the road and be hit.
I think we are a lot like that. We let things side-track us and get our full attention. Then we are off chasing after them, not thinking about the danger. Not thinking that we aren't where we are supposed to be.
God wants our eyes on him, our attention focused on Him. If we do that, the things around us fall into place and we are happiest.
So, this weekend, don't take your eyes off Him and go chasing after any "cats" when you know you shouldn't!
(You know what else? My dog knows where to turn to when he's scared! My son is vacuuming and my Golden is terrified of the vacuum. - wuss! - So he has run to me and hidden under my legs at the desk because he knows who will protect him! I think there's a lesson in there, too, don't you?)
Thursday, April 2
Answered prayer!
Why is it that we spend so much time in prayer, praying for certain people and situations...and then we are surprised when God answers the prayer?
Let me back up. God always answers prayer! It's just that sometimes God's answer is "no" and we tend to ignore that and say "God hasn't answered my prayer!". We tend to think we know better than God.
But when we pray, so often there is no faith in the conversation with God.
Mark 11:23:
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
If God can move a huge mountain (without our help!), he certainly can do anything else. So when we pray, we don't we expect great things?
Why was I shocked when I saw this, this morning?
Alan Henley, able to stand on his own for 30 minutes! Isn't it amazing?
I've been praying for this, but was surprised to hear it and see it.
And they've been approved for another week at Lakeshore! That's almost as amazing as Alan standing, if you know the struggle with BC/BS they have been through to get ANY help for Alan.
God is good. I feel ashamed that I only say that during these triumphant times. Because God is good no matter what we are facing and what His answer is to our prayers.
God is good!
(To follow the Henley's, click on this link.)
Let me back up. God always answers prayer! It's just that sometimes God's answer is "no" and we tend to ignore that and say "God hasn't answered my prayer!". We tend to think we know better than God.
But when we pray, so often there is no faith in the conversation with God.
Mark 11:23:
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
If God can move a huge mountain (without our help!), he certainly can do anything else. So when we pray, we don't we expect great things?
Why was I shocked when I saw this, this morning?
Alan Henley, able to stand on his own for 30 minutes! Isn't it amazing?
I've been praying for this, but was surprised to hear it and see it.
And they've been approved for another week at Lakeshore! That's almost as amazing as Alan standing, if you know the struggle with BC/BS they have been through to get ANY help for Alan.
God is good. I feel ashamed that I only say that during these triumphant times. Because God is good no matter what we are facing and what His answer is to our prayers.
God is good!
Wednesday, April 1
Down Memory Lane
I found a great new site this morning. Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground. She hosts Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane. "A blogging opportunity designed to help you document those precious times in your life that you don't want to forget! But it's also an opportunity to share your life with your fellow bloggers!"
I have such fond memory's of visiting my Grammy and Gramps when I was growing up.
Grammy loved to feed us! As soon as you were in the door, she was trying to serve you some food. She, herself, loved to eat and I can just hear her voice "They are really good, aren't they, Debbi?" She enjoyed everything WITH you.
One of the reason's it was so fun to be around them was because they were strong Christians and showed it through their lives. Grammy always taught children's Sunday School classes and her door was always open to all of the children in the neighborhood. They were so sweet.
You never heard my grandparents say an unkind word to each other or about each other. Never once. Their love for each other was evident and their love for God was evident in their speech and actions.
Grampa died about 22 years ago. Grammy is in her 90's and has hardly changed. Her memory is quite poor and she repeats the same questions over and over, but you still never hear her say an unkind thing about anyone.
(Grammy & Mom)
I'm not sure if I will live long enough to be a grandparent, but if I do, I want to give fond memories to my grandchildren that my grandparents did to us. I want to be Godly example to them in speech and actions.
I have such fond memory's of visiting my Grammy and Gramps when I was growing up.
Grammy loved to feed us! As soon as you were in the door, she was trying to serve you some food. She, herself, loved to eat and I can just hear her voice "They are really good, aren't they, Debbi?" She enjoyed everything WITH you.
One of the reason's it was so fun to be around them was because they were strong Christians and showed it through their lives. Grammy always taught children's Sunday School classes and her door was always open to all of the children in the neighborhood. They were so sweet.
You never heard my grandparents say an unkind word to each other or about each other. Never once. Their love for each other was evident and their love for God was evident in their speech and actions.
Grampa died about 22 years ago. Grammy is in her 90's and has hardly changed. Her memory is quite poor and she repeats the same questions over and over, but you still never hear her say an unkind thing about anyone.
(Grammy & Mom)
I'm not sure if I will live long enough to be a grandparent, but if I do, I want to give fond memories to my grandchildren that my grandparents did to us. I want to be Godly example to them in speech and actions.
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