Emphasis on REAL. Yesterday, as I was carting the kids hither and yon, I heard a news blurb on the radio. Kids at a local college were being taught to write REAL letters. They interviewed one of the professors and she was discussing a few recent surveys about the lack of letter writing skills among college age adults. Absolutely amazing. She went on to say that many universities are finding their students lack the ability to write letters at all-- formal or informal -- because they only know how to text and certainly don't know how to email a proper letter, either.
"Wow," I thought as I was driving, "I am certainly glad that I homeschool!" We began teaching the children to write proper letters at an early age. headings, salutations, body, complimentary close and the signature. I consider not being able to write a proper letter by the time you go off to college as being functionally illiterate. It is mind boggling that schools are not teaching students how to write a proper letter.
When is the last time you wrote a REAL letter to a friend. Not an email, but a real letter. Is letter writing a lost art? I make hand-stamped cards and love to send them to friends and family. Try to make a point of writing a letter to a friend today....... a REAL letter!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas Wishes
Every year, as Christmas rolls around people start asking, "What do you want for Christmas?" Truthfully, what I want isn't something that anyone can give. Well, other than God Himself. I want a cure for Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome and Mitochondrial Disease. I want to never bring my children to the hospital for medical tests and procedures. I want my children to be healthy and not have daily health problems that impact their lives. Sounds like I'm asking for a normal life, doesn't it?
Over the last several years, we've had to make 15 out of state hospital trips and every fall, we end up having several surgeries-- this on top of the routine bone marrow biopsies and other testing. This fall was the first fall in 5 years that we didn't have an extra surgery scheduled. That certainly doesn't push us into that elusive land called normal. We've had high blood pressure (one child, not mine!), dizzy spells, severe migraines, and lots of their continuing pain issues over the last six months. I wish that we knew there would be an end--- if this next battery of tests were the end and we could fix it, then we could fix it and get on to regulalry scheduled life. That would be a gift-- fix it-- find a cure!
Yesterday, I was thinking about our oldest son. He is "normal" and healthy. I was wondering if, perhaps, the problems my other two have on a daily basis might be in the realm of normal. Our oldest rarely, if ever, complains of pain, headaches or anything. He has never had trouble walking -- except for the time he sliced his leg open when running into a metal bleacher. His blood pressure is normal. He is rarely sick...and when he is, it never gets too bad. Just small colds. When I do this, I realize there REALLY is something wrong with my other two boys. Sigh.
All I want for Christmas is a little slice of health! If the tilt-table test isn't normal, then we won't have to repeat the MRI (he has a small lesion -left temporal lobe) and we will have an answer. I don't think the lesion is an issue-- we found it in 2006, repepated MRIs with and w/o contrast and an MRA tat same month, then repeated the MRI the following year (2007) and the lesion showed no change at all. His headaches have gotten worse and the dizzy spells seem more frequent, but that really could be any number of things. We are trying to get the youngest in to see the MDA clinic PTs. We've heard they had experiecne with Mito. The last time he went to PT, the PT made the pain worse. Here's praying the MDA clinic PTs know how to help him.
Over the last several years, we've had to make 15 out of state hospital trips and every fall, we end up having several surgeries-- this on top of the routine bone marrow biopsies and other testing. This fall was the first fall in 5 years that we didn't have an extra surgery scheduled. That certainly doesn't push us into that elusive land called normal. We've had high blood pressure (one child, not mine!), dizzy spells, severe migraines, and lots of their continuing pain issues over the last six months. I wish that we knew there would be an end--- if this next battery of tests were the end and we could fix it, then we could fix it and get on to regulalry scheduled life. That would be a gift-- fix it-- find a cure!
Yesterday, I was thinking about our oldest son. He is "normal" and healthy. I was wondering if, perhaps, the problems my other two have on a daily basis might be in the realm of normal. Our oldest rarely, if ever, complains of pain, headaches or anything. He has never had trouble walking -- except for the time he sliced his leg open when running into a metal bleacher. His blood pressure is normal. He is rarely sick...and when he is, it never gets too bad. Just small colds. When I do this, I realize there REALLY is something wrong with my other two boys. Sigh.
All I want for Christmas is a little slice of health! If the tilt-table test isn't normal, then we won't have to repeat the MRI (he has a small lesion -left temporal lobe) and we will have an answer. I don't think the lesion is an issue-- we found it in 2006, repepated MRIs with and w/o contrast and an MRA tat same month, then repeated the MRI the following year (2007) and the lesion showed no change at all. His headaches have gotten worse and the dizzy spells seem more frequent, but that really could be any number of things. We are trying to get the youngest in to see the MDA clinic PTs. We've heard they had experiecne with Mito. The last time he went to PT, the PT made the pain worse. Here's praying the MDA clinic PTs know how to help him.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Fundraiser
I haven't done much fundraising for Shwachman-Diamond America this past year, so I've decided to donate all the proceeds from sales through my Stampin up! website from now through Christmas to Shwachman-Diamond America. Shwachman-Diamond America has done great things this year. SDA supported the North American Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Registry whose website went live this year, they supported Camp Sunshine with a small donation, paid expenses for Dr. Harris to present grand rounds at Wake Forest, just approved an $8,000 USD research grant and approved a minimum of $8,000 USD to support the Sixth International Congress on Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome in NYC next year.
SDA would love to donate more to the Congress, but in order to do that, SDA needs to raise more money.
Please consider helping the cause. Stampin Up! Sells great scrapbooking, card making and crafting items. Their products make wonderful Christmas gifts, too! No special promotion code needed..... I will donate all proceeds from on-line sales now through Christmas Day to Shwachman-Diamond America. Just visit http://www.pattiecurran.stampinup.net/ Here's a picture of a card and matching luminary I made over Thanksgiving. I gave a set like this to a friend as a small gift and she loved it!
SDA would love to donate more to the Congress, but in order to do that, SDA needs to raise more money.
Please consider helping the cause. Stampin Up! Sells great scrapbooking, card making and crafting items. Their products make wonderful Christmas gifts, too! No special promotion code needed..... I will donate all proceeds from on-line sales now through Christmas Day to Shwachman-Diamond America. Just visit http://www.pattiecurran.stampinup.net/ Here's a picture of a card and matching luminary I made over Thanksgiving. I gave a set like this to a friend as a small gift and she loved it!
Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas and LSU
I don't just do crafts, manage medical care and homeschool. I'm an LSU fan. Yesterday, I temporarily became an Alabama fan because their winning against Auburn would be better for LSU. When it comes to the national Championships...... if LSU isn't in the game, then I will cheer for any SEC team. SEC rules. Today, I am decked out in my finest LSU gear. LSU T-shirt, LSU sweatshirt, LSU sweat pants, LSU socks and LSU Crocs. I told my husband today that all I needed was an LSU headband to complete the outfit. I even have a special LSU bowl to serve the chips in.
Today, LSU is going to beat Arkansas. Or so I hope!
Something I don't do: Black Friday. We had some friends cme over last night, they had a successful Black Friday. This is a tradition for their family. They enjoy it. I'm too scared to brave the crowds and crazy people. ~smile~
We had a great Thanksgiving with friends. All the guys and kids played football in the front yard. A traditional Thanksgiving event. I created Christmas luminaries and matching cards. Really cute. In fact, I like them so much, I want to make more!
A peaceful day for me? A wonderful day for me? A day where I can craft or scrapbook while watching football. It just doesn't get any better than that! Well, it does get better than that if LSU or Green bay wins!
Today, LSU is going to beat Arkansas. Or so I hope!
Something I don't do: Black Friday. We had some friends cme over last night, they had a successful Black Friday. This is a tradition for their family. They enjoy it. I'm too scared to brave the crowds and crazy people. ~smile~
We had a great Thanksgiving with friends. All the guys and kids played football in the front yard. A traditional Thanksgiving event. I created Christmas luminaries and matching cards. Really cute. In fact, I like them so much, I want to make more!
A peaceful day for me? A wonderful day for me? A day where I can craft or scrapbook while watching football. It just doesn't get any better than that! Well, it does get better than that if LSU or Green bay wins!