Jacqueline

Emma has finally heard from the liver specialist, and she is scheduled for a biopsy on Tuesday morning. We are glad that they are going straight to a biopsy because we want to know what this is as quickly as possible. I will be going into Syracuse on Tuesday to be close to her. She said I didn't have to (she has a very close girlfriend who will be with her and she worries about our financial situation with gas prices being so high and all), but there is some risk from the procedure, and I want to be there.

Just updating since I have posted about it before. Positive thoughts, prayers, and lots of good energy are still welcome!

Look at the pretty new user pic bunnykissd had made for me! I absolutely love it!

Sunshiny summer here I come!

( More pics here! )

Waking up early!

Three girls who stayed awake all night to see the sunrise!

Being able to trim my own yard by myself.

Knowing that everything will be ok no matter what.

Knowing that Diana loves me.

Knowing that Diana and I will be together no matter what, and that is what matters most.

This weekend, Diana and I had to stop at A.C. Moore. It was a hug parking lot, and on a tiny strip of grass in the middle of it, there was a tree. From the tree, we heard birdsong. First it sounded like a blue jay or maybe a crow...then a robin...then something we couldn't identify...then a chipping sparrow! You can probably guess that it was a mockingbird. It was probably nesting there 'cause even all the noisy cars didn't scare it away. We were able to get close enough to it to see it very well with the binoculars!

We picked up a small package of brown polymer clay for Faerie Garden Fancies (I am proud of Diana for being so frugal and not getting any scrapping supplies!), and then headed home. On the way home, we saw a killdeer on the edge of the road. Also close enough to see very well (this time with the naked eye.) I haven't seen a mockingbird ever before, and I haven't seen a killdeer since I have been keeping a birding list so it was a very exciting day for me! When I got home, I added Northern Mockingbird and Killdeer to my bird list after looking up info on each species and listening to their songs online.

The last two day the kids have been so busy cleaning their rooms! I am so proud of them!!! It all came about 'cause I as teasing them about what they would do for a Klondike bar. Antonio is almost done. Perhaps I'll post some pics later this week.

A few years ago I was blessed with a huge collection of coppery goodness. Most of it is jello molds but there were also some other vintage copper pieces as well as a few other metal items. I decided to put it up for sale! I have been busy listing items which is rather time consuming to me. Unfortunately we do not have enough room to display all of these things, but many of them are beautiful items. I only have a tiny fraction of them listed so far, but if you'd like to check them out visit Copper Clad Treasures.

All within a five minute period I saw 6 chickadees, 1 chipping sparrow, 1 white-breasted nuthatch, 1 grackle, and 1 male goldfinch at the front feeder; 1 mourning dove and 1 gray catbird perched on the wire; 1 flicker pecking at the top of the tree; 1 chipping sparrow pecking under the feeder; 1 chipping sparrow, 1 gray catbird, 1 grackle, and 1 robin pecking in the yard on the other side of the driveway; and 1 big black crow perched at the top of a tree in our wood.

This year my eczema is really bad. It has been 3 years since it was this bad. I find myself being awakened several times a night from the intense itchiness. I have red welts in various areas of my body, and if I don't stop scratching, then it won't heal. Sheer willpower works up to a certain extent...usually including lots of crying...but nothing else has proven consistent in stopping the itching.

Sometime cortisone creams seem to help, but sometimes the base whether it is cream or ointment seems to exacerbate the condition. Sometimes one of the ointments that actually numbs the skin (like lanacane or gold bond) help, but usually for no more than five minutes, and sometimes they make it worse. Having as few things touching my body as possible usually helps, but standing up with no clothes on all the time isn't always practical. It is really hard to sleep standing up not propping against anything! ;) Ice packs and cold water just make me more itchy. Oatmeal bath products do help while I'm actually soaking in them and for about 5 minutes afterwords, but I can't stay in the bath all day.

I have been searching for other help online and have found two things that I haven't tried, Claratin and the hot water cure. Unfortunately Claratin is out of our price range at the moment. We are broke! So when I saw it mentioned by a couple of doctors at different sites, I decided to try the hot water cure.

Here is how it works. You put the affected body part (or if it is widespread your whole self under the shower) under hot water. You gradually turn the cold water down until the water is basically scalding you. (You don't really burn yourself because your skin can take a lot of heat.) You do need to get the water quite hot though. Then you leave the skin under the water for a minute or two...as long as you can stand. Then pat dry and the itch will be gone for a few to several hours.

When I woke up this morning I tried it with my lower legs under the faucet in the bathtub. I did one leg at a time. To begin with the hot water made the leg intensely itchy, but I just ignored it, it was only a couple of minutes. As I turned up the water the itching got worse, and I was worried that it wasn't working 'cause testimonials said that the relief was immediate. Well in my case there was no relief while under the water. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I patted my legs dry. They didn't itch! It is now 3 hours later, and they still don't itch! This is the first time they have been itch free in over a week, and they are now starting to look like they will heal.

About an hour after doing my legs, I did my hands and lower arms in the sink, and they are now itch free too. Unfortunately I have other itchy areas so soon I will hop in the shower and do all of me! No one seems to know why or how this works, but it seems to work on all caused by an allergic or autoimmune reaction. Most feel it simply works by goofing up the nerve cells temporarily. Some suspect the hot water actually changes the histamine response in some way. It does seem to prompt healing as well as itch relief, but this could simply be because you aren't scratching in my opinion, especially in the case of eczema.

Today I read about Kenneth Zucker on fluffthebunny's blog. It seems that this man, who supports reparative therapy for transexuals, has been nominated to chair the working group that will be updating/revising the "Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders" section of the DSM-V (the manual used by mental health professionals for diagnosing and also sometimes used by policy makers and others in developing programs or laws dealing with mental health issues.)

His appointment is highly contraversial because the methods he uses to "treat" transexuals are not widely accepted as safe or effective by the mental health community. When boys age 10 and under are brought to his clinic, he tells the parents to ban anything stereotypically considered "girl". No playing with dolls or other "girl" toys. No playing with girls. No girly clothing. Nothing pink. First of all this is terribly stereotypical! Second of all it is mean. His theory is that this will keep the child from becoming a transgendered adult. I think it will keep the child from being happy! As an unschooler, I have to add that children have a right to joy just like adults do! What if your child died tomorrow? Would you want to think that you had spent a significant portion of their life in battle with them over what or who to play with, or what to wear?

The fear is that if a man who supports and actively is involved in this type of "therapy" is involved in the current DSM-V revision project, then there will be backward movement in how the mental health community perceives and/or treats transexual individuals, and that could lead to regression in other areas probably starting with homosexuality. I would like to add after doing a lot of reading on my own that he seems very controlling and didactic, and not someone who I would want in charge of anything important.

If you would like more information on this topic here are some links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTrXIKKO0-k
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90247842
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow/332234

And here is a place where you can sign a petition if you are opposed to Kenneth Zucker's nomination:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/objection-to-dsm-v-committee-members-on-gender-identity-disorders

As the sun set at Mexico Point, I lay in the grass and took pictures of Diana dancing.

( More pictures here! )

Yesterday we had the best Solstice celebration ever! My only disappointment was not getting to see the sunrise, and we really needed the extra sleep instead. I spent most of the day preparing the feast! Then we had a family purification ritual of silence. We all prepared our letters for the time capsule. (We do this every year.) Lia had made a cute stick lady for us to attach the things that we wanted to get rid of to. When Diana wasn't quite ready and the rest of us were, I led the kids in a silent game of follow the leader, switching leaders periodically. It was so cool how I got them all involved without saying a word. I was exhausted by the time it was over though.

Then I told a story, and we read last years letters and sacrificed this years. The kids had been ready days in advance, but Diana and I had just finished up. Next it was out to the fire circle where the kids and I had carefully prepared things earlier while Diana took a nap. (She had had to work with rambunctious Kindergartners that day, and they can be exhausting!) I cast the circle, we called the quarters, and Ant lit the ritual fire! As the lady burned, we discussed the things that we had written down on our papers. Some of us couldn't remember, and we discussed the significance of that too.

Next came the dancing. I pooped out early. (I was still exhausted from follow the leader. Esme is fast!) Then the feast! Yum! We had hotdogs cooked on sticks over the fire, two huge platters of fresh summery fruits, bright orange cheese curls, and orange cupcakes. There were s'mores for dessert!

We talked and laughed and had a lot of fun.

Today the fun continued! I have been having bad nights due to eczema, and this morning, I found out that my oldest daughter could be very ill. I was not at my best. Diana suggested that we go out to Mexico Point for a picnic though, and I am so glad that we did! I made sandwiches and packaged up leftover fruit for lunch, and we were off!

It was so fun. The kids got to swim a bit, we ate in the light rain, then the sun came out, and we all explored!


These have been a wonderful couple of days!

Fear Meme from littlebuhnee ( here! )

Oddly enough, despite my results, I consider myself a very fearful person. I think it is because the fears I do have can be debilitating.

I went back outside with the intent to birdwatch and spent some time one the step with the binoculars. At one point there were two white-breasted nuthatches and smaller red-breasted nuthatch on the tree. Various chickadees were feeding at the feeder and occasionally a white breasted nuthatch would jump over, grab a seed, and hop back to the trunk. The red-breasted nuthatch was much more timid. The bird with the red markings came back twice to the top branches of the tree. Still not able to figure out what it is!

Then Lia went to frolic in the wood, and the bird activity died down so I headed inside. I have a feast to prepare for this evening so I need to get started! :D

Although it is not as sunny as I would prefer, the birds seem to be out in force celebrating. This morning while I was saying good-bye to Diana as she headed off to work, there were chickadees and chipping sparrows at the front feeder. A downy woodpecker was pecking up at the top of the tree, and some kind of nuthatch was crawling on the trunk. Scroll forward a couple of hours, and I am heading out to get the laundry. When I first open the door, a whole murder of crows takes off from our front yard! I am able to count ten as they leave, but there were more than that. A robin quickly takes their place. I look over at the feeder tree, and there are both the male and female goldfinches and a chickadee eating. Up above them, the nuthatch (I am not sure it is the same one but assuming) is crawling on the trunk again. I quietly ask Lia to bring me the bird book, and Ant to bring me the binoculars, and I manage to ID it! It was a red-breasted nuthatch which is not as common as other varieties in our area!

Then, just as I was about to actually go get the laundry, this pretty bird with red markings perches near the top of the tree. Yesterday, Diana saw a bird with red markings that she thought might be an orchard oriole or a scarlet tanager. This was definitely the same bird! Unfortunately it didn't stay around long enough for me to ID it. If it was a scarlet tanager it was definitely molting. The orchard oriole doesn't look right to me either. I hope we see it again!

Tonight Diana and I went moongazing.

The first time we went, it was too early. (I was impatient, and the data I had received was slightly off.) The second time, about 20 minutes later, we were armed with the correct data, and after quite a bit of walking (trees were in the way here), we were greeted with the majestic sight of the moon peeking over the horizon! She was so beautiful! We gazed until she had fully risen, and Diana took several pictures although I am sure that none will do justice to the real thing. Then we wandered home and sent Organization VI (otherwise known as our children) on a mission to see! I am so glad they did because they enjoyed it as much as we did. :)

( See here. )

Goodreads

Goodreads is a website were you can keep track of the books that you have read. I have used it to keep track of all of the books that I have read this year. The site creates a personal database for you including each book's title, author, rating (they have a 5 star system), and the date you read it. You can also assign "shelves" to books. These are categories like "young adult" or "historical fiction." You can create any shelves you wish. Some use the site to keep track of books that they want to read also, simply putting them on a shelf labeled "to read."

There is so much more to Goodreads that just creating a booklist! You can also add friends. These might be people you already know, or people you meet on the site who have similar interests to you. There are communites for all sorts of things. For example, just looking at random I see: Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library, Knit 1 Read 2, and Guinea Pig Lovers.

It is also a great place to discover books you might want to read. You can write reviews for books you have read and read the reviews of others. Each book has a detailed description and the average of its ratings displayed. When I use to want to find out more about a book, I would research it on Amazon. Not anymore! Goodreads is less commercial (although there are ads) and easier on my computer.

If you have a Goodreads account or set one up, consider adding me, ivorygrace7, to your friends' list! It is a great site!

The birds have found our front feeder. I am so excited!!!

I have read 41 books this year.

Recent reads have included Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, and Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep.

The late afternoon sun was beautiful today!

( More pictures from today here! )