What I saw--Wednesday

I saw joy.

I saw an old motel converted into apartments. The motel was in a U-shape with a big parking lot in the center. Their used to be a swimming pool, but that had been filled and a cement slab poured over the top. At the front of the property there was a large city dumpster.

In this parking lot, I saw a Dad and 2 little boys playing basketball. The only thing they had for a basket was the dumpster. The Dad was making the boys work hard to get the ball in the dumpster.

They were finding joy in that moment and I wondered why we sometimes require so much when so little can bring joy.

My mood today

A chance to make a difference

This is a friend of mine -- you may want to help. I know the quilt will be perfect.

"Our triplet daughter, Tonya, has no choice but to undergo another total jaw replacement surgery on March 2, 2009. It will be the 7th time she has undergone jaw surgery. Dr. Day, a Maxial Facial Surgeon, is one of five surgeons who performs this type of surgery in the world, attempted to pin and put a plate in her left jaw to hold it in place in June but that surgery failed. The only option now is to replace her left jaw with the same titanium parts that he earlier surgically placed in her right jaw in 2006.

Tonya does have health insurance, but no pre-existing condition is covered. The costs have been astronomical and we are still paying for previous surgeries. So! I thought of a quilt raffle and wanted to include all of you!! !

A brief history of Tonya's jaw:

Tonya wrecked on her bike and cut her chin open when she was 10 years old. The doctor stitched her chin up, but there was extensive damage done to the growth plates in her jaws - not detected at the time.

Eleven years later, she underwent her first jaw surgery on January 11,2001, while she was serving a mission in Salt Lake City. The surgeon cut the condyle - the head of the jaw needed for the movement of the jaw - off her right jaw and that just made matters worse. At this time he went in on the left side also. August 16, 2001, while still on her mission, this same surgeon went in again on the right side.

In 2006, Dr. Day analyzed the surgeries done in 2001, not understanding what had been done to either jaw. He informed us that at this point, the only solution was total jaw replacement on her right side, which he performed on November 27,2006. A follow up surgery was necessary on October 15, 2007, to relieve her locked jaw due to the extensive scar tissue.

Her 5th surgery was on April 3, 2008, an attempt to repair her degenerating left jaw. The 6th surgery on June 2, 2008, was a second attempt by Dr. Day to secure the condyle and disc in her left jaw with screws. Both these surgeries were unsuccessful because of the earlier extensive damage.

Tonya has one option left. She requires total replacement of her left jaw in order to be able to talk and eat normally. Tonya has been blending all her food and has resorted to a lot of protein drinks with her fruits & veggies for the last two years due to the healing time required from her successful right jaw surgery and the progressive degeneration of her left jaw.

I am quilting a beautiful quilt pieced by my sister, Susan. The finished quilt will be approximately 90 x 120. I will use it as a raffle quilt - one ticket for $1.00 or 6 tickets for $5.00. Any funds donated will buy tickets. The drawing will be held April 30th• The winner will receive the quilt by mail or if from here, in person.

Please keep Tonya in your thoughts and prayers and thanks!"

Todd & Julie Bosen
P. O. Box 1087
Eagar, Arizona 85925

I Thought I Dodged The Bullet

Remember when this happened?

I thought I dodged the bullet, it only cost me the price of a car wash and carpet shampoo.

But hold on there boy.....

Suddenly my gear shift would not go out of Park unless I warmed the car up. Not putting two and two together, I took it to Lexus to find out what was wrong.

Rick (from Lexus): "We took the whole gearshift box apart and my guy says it looks like someone got soda down in there."

Me: Oh my gracious. I spilled 88 ounces of soda in my car, I bet that's when it happened.

Rick: Yup, that would do it.

Me: How much is that going to cost me?

Rick: $260 to replace the gear shift mechanism

Me: What happens if we don't replace it?

Rick: Eventually, you won't be able to drive the car.

Me: Yikes. I guess there will be no more drinking soda in the car.

A Valentine Celebration

The middle of January Tarzan called me at work:

Tarzan: Hey, let's go see Romeo and Juliet

Me: Okay

Tarzan: Will you call and get us tickets?

Me: Okay

Aren't I a good wife?

I got us tickets, called him and told him I could only get tickets on February 13th the day before Valentine's Day.

Tarzan: Great, Happy Valentines Day

Somehow I think I got cheated in that process.

So, we went to Symphony hall on Friday the 13th, found our seats and sat down to look at the playbill. There were two beautiful ballerinas on the cover.

Tarzan: Is this a ballet?

Me: Yes, why

Tarzan: I thought we were going to a Shakespearean play?

We had a good laugh and he slept through the last act. After all, we already knew the ending.

88 ounces

So, last week I went to the doctor and he got all excited about some little thing and ordered --- A FULL BLOOD WORKUP --- said with a deep and anxious voice.

Today, I went to get the blood workup---3 tubes of blood later...

The wait in the lab was very short so, I called Tarzan...

Me: "Hi, I have an hour to kill. If you are in your office, I thought I would come by and visit with you."

Tarzan: "I'm here."

Me: "Be there in a minute."

Wasn't that a romantic exchange?

My plan was to buy a soda for Tarzan and surprise him. So, I stopped at Circle K where the line was longer than at the lab and bought him a 44 ounce soda and me a 44 ounce soda. After maneuvering my way out of the crowded parking lot (which is also in a terrible location for ingress and egress) and on to the road, I drove the few short miles to Tarzan's office and about 100 feet before the turn into his parking lot, I hit a hole in the road and both sodas flew out of the cup holders, one on the passenger side, and one on the driver side and emptied both cups of soda onto the floor of my car.

Tarzan was outside to greet me, wasn't that sweet? I didn't say anything, I just handed him the empty 44 ounce plastic soda cup. He looked at me with questioning eyes as we walked into his office. I explained what happened and he chuckled (he learned not to laugh at me from the last accident I had).

After about 2 minutes,

Me: "Well, I guess I should go clean it up."

Tarzan: "Right now?"

Me: "Is there a better time?"

Tarzan: "I guess I better clean the car for you tonight, or maybe you should just go get it detailed."

Not wanting to belabor the fact that Tarzan is a procrastinator, I said, good idea and drove straight to the car wash.

Feel the Love Day 7

What is our favorite thing to do as a couple?

Hmmmm, hmmmm, hmmmm, hmmmm. Let's see. Ummmmmm. Gee whiz. What do I put here?

It doesn't matter what I think of to put here we like to do it together. :-).