Earth Day :)

Since today is Earth Day I want to share our recent "good for the environment" project.  Followers may recall that a while back I was trying to convince Bob to dismantle the swing set. It had served a good purpose and the kids loved playing on it for many years. But time to move on. So Bob took it all apart and we discovered that the redwood was still in very good shape...even all these years later. What to do with it?

Watching those DIY (Do It Yourself) shows finally paid off and I convinced Bob that we could cut up the 4x4's and make a raised bed garden. If you want details, like measurements and how it all fit together you'll have to ask Bob. My job was to sand 20 years of green paint off the boards after they were cut. In any case, Bob came up with a plan and I expect when he was young he played with Lincoln Logs because the pieces all went together just like he planned.  After the first box was finished we (meaning he) dug out the grass, leveled the ground and set it in place. I did help hold the weed barrier while he stapled it in place. It was easy to then fill with dirt and mulch and add some vegetables.

In fact, it turned out to be so good looking we decided to make a second box. But we were short wood to complete it.  We talked about buying more redwood but the whole idea was to recycle and reuse. Then Bob checked out Home Depot. In their cut wood section were a whole stack of 4x4's that had been 12ft but someone had them cut to 8ft. (Don't ask me why, it didn't make any sense to me either...) But the 4ft sections were exactly what he was looking for and were a whopping .50 each!  Okay, so technically it maybe was not recycling but we were not letting them go to waste by using them. Keeping with my save the environment theme we found a guy close by who was changing his landscaping and getting rid of dirt. When it turned out to be too filled with grass we used it anyway to fill in some low spots in the lawn. Don't ask me where we ended up getting our dirt. I can't tell you...but it was recycled. I also discovered seeds from my last garden attempts (they were dated 1996!).  The Swiss chard from back then is actually growing!


The first box is filled with cauliflower, assorted leaf lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.  Box number two is Matthew's favorite watermelons and cantaloupe plus garlic and green peppers. I think we were too early for Arizona summer gardening and too late for winter gardening but we have already had a number of salads, that included radishes, tomatoes and even beet greens.  If you are not sure you're up for a garden but have kids I really recommend throwing some radish seeds into a pot. In less than a month they are ready to eat and they are so pretty.

Below you can see the final product.  Not sure whether we will attempt to grow anything (other than the melons that are just peaking up through the dirt now) during the hot summer but as soon as it cools down we have a whole list of things to grow.  My mom used to talk about the Victory Gardens grown during WWII.  In our case, it might be more appropriate to say that it's a Victory It's a Garden! 

A Special Palm Sunday

I joined Rebecca for Palm Sunday services in Mesa. The church had palm fronds everywhere and began with a big processional. It reminded me of a very special Palm Sunday we experienced a few years ago...

For Rebecca's graduation we planned a fun trip to Germany, France and Switzerland. Schedules worked out so that we could go during  her spring break from school. I diligently planned our route and reserved hotels for each night. I printed out town information, directions and when available, pictures of the hotels. It was a good plan but...

At the coast of Normandy we got caught up in the WWII history and spent extra time at the museum and beaches. We were reminded of all the history and mourned the loss of so many brave troops. By the time we were ready to leave it was already dusk. Bob stopped at a gas station but for some reason it wouldn't take his VISA card.It was not a worry as we still had plenty of gas. Over the river and through the dale we went, following the map to the next town. By the time we got there it was dark so we decided to stop at the McDonald's and see if someone could help with finding our hotel. Fortunately, a young gal working there spoke good English. She looked at the information and gave us some quick directions. "Just five minutes," she said. "Up the hill, around the corner, center of town, etc."  Off we went. Up the hill, around the corner, center of town... No hotel. So we tried again, thinking we'd missed a turn. No hotel. (Mind you we had already discovered that hotels in Europe aren't nearly as obvious as those in the US.) But, there we were in the center of town, Patton Square, and there was a pay phone. (Cell phones with international chips were not yet in vogue.) Unfortunately, the pay phone did not take money and I did not have whatever it took. What to do... Since we were in the center of town there was a small restaurant across the way. I went in to ask for more directions. Between my poor French and the guy's poor English I thought we had it figured out.  Straight down the road and around the corner. Again, we searched and again, no hotel. Around and around we went. And it got later and later. Suffice it to say it was pretty quiet in the car. Finally, enough nonsense and we went back down the hill to the McDonald's. Even though it was now late that young girl was still working (no one else spoke English!) But more than the hotel at this point Bob was very worried about getting fuel for the car. We could keep searching if we had a full tank. Asked the girl where the closest gas station was, "Just down the road... 5 minutes," she guaranteed us.

We got back on the highway and I confess to being near tears. The kids were silent. After leaving the McDonald's it was pitch black. We were most definitely in the country. The miles ticked by and it seemed like an eternity but... in 5 minutes there they were, lights of a town. And, what was that on the left? It looked like the sign for a Holiday Inn. Big, neon green and oval. It looked like a hotel. And look, across the street a grocery store and gas station. We pulled in to the parking lot exhausted. There was an automated pay machine and we were able to choose a family room that would have enough beds for all. It didn't matter, we would have slept on the floor at that point. The other hotel, now far from our minds we quickly settled in to sleep.

The next morning Bob got up and ran across the street to fill up the car. We were headed to Mont St. Michel, an island abbey, in the bay. But he was back too quickly. The darn credit card didn't work and the gas station was closed. Bob had stopped and tried to talk to the clerk in the lobby but only found out that it was Sunday. So we both went back to the lobby. The clerk said, "I already told you. C'est dimanche! (It's Sunday!) Quelle dommage! (Too bad). The stores aren't open. This is France!" (The guy said some other stuff... I think he said we were stupid Americans but it didn't matter... Sunday was Sunday.) So we talked about our options. We could stay at the hotel and twiddle our thumbs all day. (I had packed enough snacks that we would get by.) Or, we could test my French further and try to find someone who could help us.  There were a number of people eating breakfast in the dining area. For whatever reason I focused on a young man with his daughter. To our good fortune,  he spoke English but not only that he misunderstood our question and got his wallet out to give us gas money. After we explained about the credit card he understood and then explained to us, that because our card was not from France many automated machines would not take it. The card had to be okayed by the operator. He was from Ireland and had a credit card but was not sure whether it would work. Still, he offered to go with Bob back over to the gas station and left his daughter with me. My guess is Bob and I are not very scary looking people but still, what faith in humanity. In a few minutes they were back with a full tank of gas. Bob gave him cash and our everlasting thanks then we rejoined the kids to give them the good news. Our day was going to be great!

In a few minutes we were packed up headed for the abbey. It is a unique tourist spot with lots of tiny shops. One of the shops advertised galettes which are a French crepe often made with buckwheat flour instead of wheat. Sure enough their's was naturally gluten free which, of course, thrilled Matthew. After eating we stepped outside just in time to see people lining the tiny narrow street. It was Palm Sunday and the church goers were in a processional headed up to the abbey for services. They carried palm fronds and we were handed copies of the processional hymns they were singing. What a chance for us to stop and reflect on the Lord's Providence. Had we not gone through all the ordeal we probably would not have been there for the service. It was a great opportunity to stop and thank God, not only for watching over us but for sending His Son to save us.

We learned a few things and the rest of the trip were smarter. Kept the gas tank full and located the hotels before dark. Good thing because when I printed directions to the hotel in Lucerne, I mistakenly printed directions to the center of the city instead... Sprechen sie Deutsch???

Kefir

I really have to tell you about the past month. Thanks to my brother we discovered kefir. You may have heard about it. Brother John came to visit a while back and was touting it's benefits. It is a cousin to yogurt but different. It has probiotics and natural "good" bacteria that are supposed to help the intestines. Johnny was impressed that it helped with his stomach issues and an added bonus that he had lost some weight.

I won't get graphic. (I'm reminded of the old Pepto Bismal commercial where no one would say the word "diarrhea.") Suffice it to say, Matthew has struggled with this problem for years and years and years.  When we realized he was lactose intolerant and stopped dairy  he improved. Years later when we discovered that he had Celiac Disease and went on a gluten free diet he improved a lot more. But still, there were days...

So when Johnny talked about the kefir my ears perked up. We've stayed away from yogurt and similar products because of the dairy and lactose. I read up on the kefir and like yogurt it is a fermented milk drink. (I know, sounds nasty... but those old goat herders obviously were on to something.)  I went to the store and found the kefir. There is a giant label right on the front Lactose and Gluten Free. We got a bottle and tried it. Amazing things happened. The first week I called it a fluke and didn't say anything.  The second week I told Bob about it and we got another bottle. By the third week I was starting to think this might be real. And yes, it's been 5 weeks and Matthew has not had one bout of diarrhea since we started! Amazing. A small glass at night with a couple cookies and it seems a treat.

Like yogurt kefir has a tanginess. It is commercially produced though I have found recipes to make your own. We are getting the flavored kefir for Matthew which has a pretty high amount of sugar. (My mom tried the plain as it is lower sugar but strongly says it tastes nasty...) We found some splenda sweetened kefir online but not had success finding it in the stores. We have found several brands of kefir in the health food stores but also at some of the regular grocery stores.

For Matthew this has been an surprisingly good experience. And for once, it didn't cost us an arm and a leg.  As always, I'm happy to share more details with you. If you know someone suffers maybe it can help them too.

The Squirrel

Just saw a squirrel sneaking around the grass in my back yard. Squirrels aren't too common in the valley...at least not my part so I always take note. I don't know what this guy was looking for. Sometimes they come for the apples are on the tree. Today he seemed to be enjoying some of the weeds. So today he is my friend. He also reminded me of a funny experience a few years back.

One day I was at a school board meeting at our parochial school where the teacher/principal had informed us she could no longer handle both duties and resigned as principal. After sharing this information she returned to finish up some work in her classroom. The meeting continued and we were busy discussing how we would handle this new situation when suddenly, a squirrel snuck in the open door. Once spotted the meeting quickly went to pot and the group jumped up.  Soon we were hooping and hollaring trying to shoe the squirrel back outside. It was very funny to see Pastor using the broom as others flapped their arms to chase it back. Finally, squirrel returned to the "wild" where he belonged, we shut the door and resumed the meeting.

A little while later the former principal walked back in. We told her about the squirrel. She had heard all the noise and laughing and was glad to hear what it was...she thought maybe we were having a party celebrating that she quit.

The Pizza

Last year following the first or second surgery my parents moved in to help. They had plans to spend the winter in the desert and search for gold. Instead they dropped everything, packed up all their stuff and came home. "We are family, "they said. "We're to help." And help they did. They entertained Matthew and kept Rebecca busy. They made sure Bob had someone to talk to and were a shoulder to cry on. They cooked and cleaned. And on one occasion they made pizza.

You may recall that our house is gluten free. That means we can't order a pizza from the place down the street.  Because of that I keep in the pantry a gluten free pizza crust mix. We make it up and add our favorite toppings. 

One day following a chemo treatment Mom wanted to know what I could eat for dinner. (Chemotherapy can do nasty things to one's appetite.) Surprisingly, a Hawaiian pizza sounded tasty. I must have been delirious as I remember telling Mom that it was fast and easy to make from scratch.

My parents are pretty good sports and willing to try anything so they decided this would be supper. After finding the mix Mom decided that the directions were too small. She needed help..."John, come read this for me." Apparently, too, the directions were more complicated than they expected. Hilarity ensued as they talked back and forth questioning both the directions and then each other. "When do I add the yeast?" "How long do I mix it?" "Do I need eggs?" "You need eggs?" "What kind of oil?  --Where's the olive oil?" "How long should it rise?" "Why is it so sticky???"

With one reading and one helping and a third searching for ingredients I thought I should help. Instead I feigned sleep and lay quietly on the couch snickering. It seemed like it took forever to get made but I'm pretty sure my memory was dimmed by the chemo and most likely I took a nap. I know it smelled delicious as it baked and everyone enjoyed it.

Now when I make pizza I always think about the one my folks made. It was funny watching their efforts. But,  what I remember most is how they dropped everything to come and keep some semblance of order in our suddenly chaotic lives.  Family--yep, glad we have them.

Want Company?

Do you know someone with a special needs child? Do they come visit very often? Chances are the answer is no. As parents of a special needs child we know all too well how challenging it is for our son to follow all "our house rules" let alone those at someone elses house.  When Matthew was younger we rarely visited people unless they were very familiar with our needs. Even going to family's homes could be traumatic.

When Matthew was young we visited my sister. Normally this was a pretty safe bet as she and her husband were good about helping monitor our then hyperactive child. This trip though he zipped into the other room and before I could react had opened the new inherited Grandfather clock causing it to tip over with a crash. Fortunately, he was not squashed and the clock was repairable. Trust me though, I wished we could dissolve into the floor at that moment... It served as a strong reminder that other's homes were not usually Matthew proof.

He doesn't look like trouble...

We were reminded of younger days recently when a friend came by with her challenging child. This young person often acts rashly and as a result doesn't get to practice appropriate behavior. It's tough to be the parent.

The sad part is that the only way our special needs children can learn to behave appropriately is if offered opportunity. Fortunately we have family and friends who actually would invite us over. And over time Matthew learned what he could or couldn't get into.

Maybe you know someone with a special needs child and would like to help. You would be a blessing but there are some things you should know.  There's often little privacy--our kids may look in the medicine cabinets, refrigerator, laundry room, at your magazines, etc. They may want to touch everything. If they decide they are hungry they may just go into the frig or cupboard and look for a snack. If the parent comes to visit with more than one child you can expect that the kids will go in two different directions and you might have to help a bit.

If you invite your friend over try to be understanding if the child's needs suddenly jump and the parent has to leave. We parents don't like our children to misbehave or do foolish things. A five minute visit might be all the child can manage for the first few (or even many visits).  Preparing for a visit is much like when a friend brings a young child--if you know the child likes to touch things and you have a favorite collection it might be easiest to sit in a different area or close the door to the room. Grandmas are used to putting up fragile items. If the child likes to watch television maybe a planned visit when his favorite show is on or invite him to bring a video. With Matthew it won't keep his attention--too much else to look at when at someone's house but it often serves as a good redirect. If you want to serve food it's a good idea to ask ahead of time if the child has any dietary restrictions. There is nothing worse than accidentally offering a goody only to find that the child has a food intollerance to it. Taking the food away once given still causes a meltdown with Matthew.

After lots of practice, patience and time we are now able to visit many friends. It's good for us.  It's good for Matthew.  And I think it's even good for the friends.

The Guessing Game

Knowing what a nonverbal child (or adult) is thinking can be a real challenge. With my son I generally can guess what he is trying to tell or show me (it's the usual: Batman, Superman, Mr. T, or reading the TV Guide with Matlock, NCIS or another favorite show). But some times even mom is challenged...

A while back we had an electronic device that plugged in to the computer and  you could download information to special chips. (I think it was part of a reading program). We hadn't used the device but thought we might one day so it floated around the house. It was a little bigger than my hand, green and had a cable. I didn't think twice about it until one day when Matthew started carrying it around. He showed it to me and I responded that yes, it went to the computer. But I could tell that wasn't what he was seeing.

The next time I saw Matthew with it he carried it outside and set it on the porch. Then he looked at the sky. It made no sense. I asked him what he was doing and of course his only response was to show me the device again. This went on for weeks. What in the world was he thinking? I had no good ideas and it seemed all my guesses were wrong.  But one day it struck me. I realized I had seen that very thing and I had seen his actions...in a movie.  It was Ghostbusters. And the device (to Matthew at least) looked like the ghost catcher from the movie. He was setting it down, stepping on the cord and pretending it was catching a ghost.

I laughed as I called Bob to tell him I had figured it out. Matthew was happy that I finally had. Now he could show company his treasure and mom could explain just what he was imagining.