I finally got to see my brother yesterday. I worked from 5 to 10 yesterday morning and got on the highway right from work. We hug out on his deck for a little while and just chatted and had coffee. He looks really good except for the fact that he has lost 25 pounds in the past 3 weeks. He made himself a lunch type thing. He can't eat a lot at one sitting so he divides up his meals into several smaller ones throughout the day. After he ate his wife thought he needed to rest. Her and I went blueberry picking so he could nap in peace. Although it was hotter than hell, we each ended up with about 7 pounds of berries. Plus it gave us a chance to talk without ears being around. I think she really needed to unload. My brother has been known to be a gigantic pain in the ass when he is sick or hurt. THE BIG BABY!!

  Anyway, we stopped for more coffee on the way home. I hung out for a while longer and then went to my parents house. I stopped at the store and bought my Dad some cookies from the bakery. He is always saying that he loves dessert and my Mom won't make him anything. She tells him he doesn't need it. Hell, if the guy wants a cookie, give him a cookie. They gave my an album of all the families formal potraits from the party. They came out so nice and now I finally have photos of everyone. I left there after an hour or so and got home to find that Toms and Justins cars had both broken down. Justins was down the street so a neighbor help Tom get the car back up here with his tractor...in the pouring rain. They were both drenched when they got back here. My neighbors are great here. They don't mind things like that. Small towns are boring, but the people are the best.

  

Ok so everything has finally settled down. The boy is doing well, my brother is home and will start visits with the oncologist this week. Becky and her kids left my house this morning. They got here on thursday and I really enjoyed this visit. I had to work on friday so they had to fend for themselves for that day. Dinners were interesting to say the least. Trying to feed 3 adults and 7 kids at one good sized, yet still too small table was kinda fun. Not to mention the fact that our lovely town well, which supplies our water, had become contaminated with ecoli earlier in the week. Boiling enough water to take care of 11 people, 2 dogs and 2 cats sounded like way more than I wanted to take on, so we made do with paper plates and bottled water. Of course, 18 bottles of water lasted the weekend, so I only had to boil water to wash dishes in.

  I think I may have somewhat impressed Becky with my ability to spend $200 on groceries in about 15 minutes. Yes, I hate shopping that much that I have memorized the stores and can whip thru them without a pause. I must admit that I did kinda have fun at the mall. I bought some evil babies for husband. You could check them out at www.kryptkiddies.com. I know most people would think they are awful, but we have an odd sense of humor and they are going to be perfect for halloween. I also splurged on some bath and body works stuff for myself. My big girlie indulgence for myself is to take a bath in my lovely old fashioned clawfoot tub. Believe it or not, the only reason I bought this house was for the tub and the original 15 panel french doors in my livingroom. I wanted something with character and I thought those two features would do it. Guess I was right because they are still my favorite parts of the house!!

 

    Back to the weekend. Seeing Becky and the kids was great. Lois and I had a wonderful talk on the way down to Portsmouth and conversation is always great with Becky. I love having her company and seeing the kids change every year or so is always a treat. When I met them, the middle child was the youngest and she was only an infant when we met. Now she is a 9 yr old who still puts a smile on my face. The youngest seems like he should still be a baby also, but he is 7 now. It just doesn't seem possible. I hope someday to get to visit her and see all the sites around her house.

OK, this was freakish. Becky checked her blog from my house, then forgot to sign out. I tried to post a new entry on my blog, but it went to Beckys instead. I will re-post here and she can delete mine from hers when she gets back.

 

 

I took the day off yesterday to take the boy to the doctors. Actually, we saw two doctors. The oral surgeon tells me that his jaw is not broken, but his cheekbone is. The muscles and tendons have been somewhat damaged and that is why he is having trouble opening his mouth. We have to give it another week or two and see if things improve. If not, they can give him a retainer type thing to help stabalize the muscles so they can heal. Monday,he will be having surgery to repair the mashed nose. Then its on to the dentist for the fixing of the teeth.

  My brother is not doing well. He has been running a fever for nearly a week now and they still can't regulate his heart. His stomach is all bloated and although they have tested him for infection, they still can't find a reason for all the problems.I haven't been to see him yet, but everyone else is reporting back that he looks like shit. I know he has been tired and angry everytime I call. He never was a good patient, but he is way beyond normal.

It just keeps getting better
So I was watching a movie last night, trying to relax over all the stress of my brother when the paramedics called. My middle boy and his friends got jumped by some guys who just got out of 2 cars and started beating the hell out of them. Friend number one ( whom I can't stand and my son is not suppose to be around) basically got nothing. Friend number 2 who is like my adopted son ended up with 5 stiches under his eye. My son has stiches in both lips, a broken nose and probably a broken jaw. We have to go see an ENT to get another type of x-ray done to find out for sure. His face looks like raw meat. Really, I've had enough. Let someone else play now!!!

My Brother has cancer. I know its an abrubt way  of saying, but its like pulling a bandaid off of a cut. I have to say it quickly so it doesn't sting so much. He hadn't been feeling well and had bad pains in his belly. He went to the hospital the day before the big party and was there all day. He made an appointment with his doctor, who sent him to another doctor. That doctor did a colonoscopy last tuesday and they found a spot they didn't like. They sent him to yet another doctor on the following wednesday. That doctor ran tests and did a  cat scans and more x-rays. He then called my sister in law wednesday night and told her to take my brother straight to the hospital, the first doctor punctured a hole in his colon with  the scope. When he got to the hospital, they started IV's and had him transported to Boston via ambulance. He had surgery from 11:00 am to about 5:30 pm yesterday and as of 9:30 night, he was still in recovery. He is not reacting well to the morphine, has a fever and his diabetes is out of control. He had a malignant tumor removed and they repaired the puncture. We are going to have to wait for a few days before we find out how far the cancer has gone. Please, if you are reading this, send a thought, prayer, good karma or whatever you think will work his way

Back to work

I'm bumming. My vacation is over as of 5:30 tomorrow morning. I don't know if I can handle it. I had such a great week. We did the party on sunday. Monday was a cookout at my brothers house. He bought 30 lobsters, 20 pounds of steamers and some steak for my daughter and I because neither one of us like lobster. We swam and hung out with most of the crew. My oldest brother, his wife and their 2 kids left on monday morning, so we didn't get to hang out with them too much. On tuesday, third oldest, his wife and their kids, my parents and 2 of my kids and I went to the Kangamangus highway. We did a little hiking, a little wading, and a lot of sightseeing. On wednesday, 21 of us went to Canobie Lake Park. My mom even went on some rides with us. Just not the corkscrew! She waited patiently as we went on it, got off it and decided it was too much fun not to do it again a few more times. Thursday, 14 of us went to the beach. The kids had a blast splashing in the water. It was a novelty for the kids from Alaska. We all had lunch and packed up just as the clouds rolled in and the rain started.Friday was suppose to be a cruise thru some old forts in the area. Being New England and all, the weather didn't cooperate so we ended up not doing that. That was fine by me though, I needed a little break in the action.

      The best part of all of it was spending time with my family and getting to know my nieces and nephews better. All of it was paid for out of the family fund we set up almost a year ago. Its something I wish we could do every year, but I don't see that happening. Its nice to have something to look back on though. 

The Party's Over
All those months of planning. All the conference calls. The hours spent with my brother, going thru pictures and writing out invitations. Its all done. The anniversary party was yesterday and if I do say so myself, it was 5 star. The mansion was the perfect spot for a gala. The only glitch was that an old family friend, who is a priest, didn't show up so my parents didn't get to renew their vows. In the end, it didn't matter. My parents had a ball. Everyone looked beautiful and happy. We got quite a few pictures, which I will post a select few here when I get them. I am officially on vacation and we have some more quality family time coming this week. Today is a cook out at my brothers house. We also have a day at the beach planned out as well as an amusement park trip and a trip to the mountains. But for right now, my destructive puppy has eaten another hole in my wall, so I better go repair it.

46 Things You'd Never Think to Ask...

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
no

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters ?
no way, I wanna enjoy every minute

3. When was the last time you've been sledding?
not too long ago. I love sledding

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
with my hubby

6. Do you consider yourself creative?
mostly

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?
yes, i think the man is a maniac and a liar

8. Carmen Electra or Jenna Jameson?
for what? biggest tramp?

9. Do you totally dislike someone right now?
nope

10. Do you know how to play poker?
nope

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
I don't think so

12. Have you ever cheated on a test?
no

13. Who was your first crush?
Shaun Cassidy

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around would you run a red light?
Maybe, if I was in an insane rush and it was completely safe (no other drivers around)

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?
Actually I don't

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?don't care one way or the other

17. Have you ever been ice skating?
Of course

18. How often do you remember your dreams?
most of the time. they're usually pretty vivid.

19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
I do that most of the time

20. Can you name 4 songs by The Beatles?
I could, but the Beatles suck so I'm not going to

21. What's the one thing on your mind?
housework, which is what I should be doing right now

22. Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe in instant connections, but true love takes time to develop and strengthen.

23. Do you know who Ba-Ba-Booey is?
Who doesn't? Gary Del'labate

24. Do you always wear your seat belt?
no

25. What talent do you wish you had?
I'll have to think about that one-good question.

26. Do you like Sushi?
Never tried it-never will, thank you.

27. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?
If I actually avoided it, how would I know if it would have been fatal??

28. What do you wear to sleep? nothing

29. Left?
left what?

30. Does size matter?
Are we talking about the size of a piece of cake or an ice cream cone?

32. Rock or Rap?
rock

34. Do you know anyone in jail?
Not that I'm aware of

35. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?
Everybody does... (don't they?)


36. What food do you find disgusting?
sushi

37. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?
No. I do it right in front of them so they can enjoy it too.

39. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
Sure.

40. Have you ever been punched in the face?
yep

41. Who was the last person you slow danced with?
I think it was my dad at my brothers wedding...9 years ago

42. Do you own any stuffed animals?
Yes, I love toys and stuffed animals

43. When was the last time you tripped?
Who knows? I do it all the time. I try to go too fast!!

44. Do you have a major crush on anyone?
yup

46. Do you miss someone right now?
yes, but I'll be seeing them all at the party tomorrow. Well, not all of them, but the summer is young and I hope to see the rest of them by the end of it

I have been listening to a lot of songs lately. The words to a song can make it, or break it. I have made a short list of some of my favorite lines of songs. Some are funny, some are sexy, and some just mean something to me. I'm sure I could list a lot, as there are a lot of songs out there, but the following got me thinking.


The Space between a blink and a tear, Death Blooms - Mudvayne, Death Blooms. I know this one is kinda weird, but think about it. What do you do right before the tears start? You blink. A lot can happen in that 30 second time frame.

And it's been awhile, since I've seen the way the candles light your face
And it's been awhile, But I can still remember just the way you taste- Staind, Its been awhile. No explaination needed here...thats just sexy

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be, why can't it be mine- Pearl Jam, Black. How many of us wish someone had said that to us?

Which one of these words don't you understand? Talking to you is like clapping with one hand. - Antrax, Caught in a Mosh. One of my favorite expressions to explain a difficult person

If ever words were spoken painful and untrue, I said I loved but I lied. - Pantera, This Love. Phil at his finest. How many of us had something similar said to us?

They say that life's a carousel. Spinning fast, you gotta ride it well. The world is full of Kings and Queens, Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams; It's Heaven and Hell. - Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell. These words couldn't have spoken the truth any better

Would you know my name If I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same If I saw you in heaven?- Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven. This makes me think of a live performance I saw of his. He explained that he wrote this song after his little boy died. He cried while singing it. How sad!!

Not two days ago I was having a look in a book and I saw a picture of a guy fried up above his knees. I said I can relate, cause lately I've been thinking of combustication as a welcomed vacation from the burdens of the planet earth, like gravity, hypocrisy, and the perils of being in 3-D but thinking so much differently – Incubus, Pardon Me. Another well spoken lyric from Incubus.

What do you mean, I dont support your system? I go to court when I have to. – Megadeth, Peace Sells. Now this is just funny


Youre up there under the spotlight, your silver trophy shines. With all you got, my lord!
You must get high. You need a whole lot more than money; you need more than to survive. You need to keep your love, Keep your love alive. Heart-Love Alive. Lets face it, whenever we have a bad day, the only way to snap out of it is to be around something or someone you love. Money doesn't matter, fame wouldn't matter. Love makes it all real

Like I said, a lot of songs have a lot of meaning behind them. Which ones do it for you?