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My brother almost died Christmas weekend. From an ear infection.

Okay, it's a tad more complicated than that.

Sunday morning I got a call from my oldest brother in California. Our younger brother, Jason, was admitted to ICU. We didn't know what was wrong with him except that he had a blood infection. They ran 5 million tests (all of which he'll have to pay for because he just started a new job and didn't have insurance yet).

He was admitted to the hospital early Sunday morning and is still there. He tried to leave shortly afer they admitted him. He became violent. His fever was extremely high, he was severly dehydrated, and delerious. He wanted to leave but the doctors calmed him into submission by telling him that he was very ill and that if he left he would be dead within two hours.

The diagnosis, as of today, was that he had an ear infection for a long, long time and either didn't realize it, didn't treat it, or both. Over the Christmas holiday he drank. Alot. This is how he got dehydrated. And after he got dehydrated his body couldn't adequately fight his infection anymore. The bacteria spilled into his blood stream and turned his whole body into a war zone.

I talked to him finally yesterday. He was feeling better. His temperature had gone down and stayed down after so many, many IV bags of antibiotics and thanks to the saline drip his blood pressure was finally regulated. He was taken out of ICU and taken to a regular room today. He told me, "Dad's going to kick my ass." I agreed.

I acquired a new appreciation for my family this week. One of the best Christmas presents I could ever receive is another holiday with all my siblings present and accounted for.

New template

I'm addicted.

It's embarassing. But I think you all should know.

I think about it all day and night. It's the only thing I want to do. I'm pathetic. I should go to rehab. But it makes me feel so...sigh...good!!

I'm addicted to manipulating blog templates.

There!! I said it. I feel so much better. I created my first template here. It's our oldest son's blog. Yep, he's bloggin' to. And here is Joe's new template. I'm currently working on my new template which will be so much different than this one and I'm really looking forward to finishing it. Keep checking back. It'll be up soon...

Anyway, I hope you won't think any less of me, being an addict and all. ;0)

Hey, here's a challenge for you guys: Name all of Santa's reindeer. When you click on the comment link, you'll have to refrain from peeking at everyone else's answers! Are you up to it?

All I want for Christmas...

I wondered if anyone would like to share their favorite Christmas memories. Perhaps family traditions that you really enjoyed and maybe still do...

Christmas is getting so close and this is the time of the year when I play Christmas music (Nat King Cole, Doris Day, The Chipmunks...yeah, I said it, Bing Crosby, etc.), I prepare the holiday stockings, and protect the Christmas tree from vandalism.

As it stands, our tree is naked from the waste down. All of the ornaments are on the top side so that our youngest (3 and 1) don't take turns pulling them down and hurling them across the room.

A problem in the storage room this year, courtesy Hurrican Katrina) caused mildew to grow on our stockings, so this year I plan on making them by hand. One for each member of the family. Should be fun!

So, how about it? What are your favorite Christmas memories?

A week.

Oh, I bet you think I've fallen off the planet. It's been a week now since I've done anything with my blog. I think it's as good of an idea to take a vacation from your blog as it is to take a vacation from your everyday life. Not that either are bad, just persistent.

I've taken this week to read a book. It doesn't happen often and it's not really a special occassion, but my husband sucked me into the world of Dan Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code" amongst others. I literally did not want to do anything except sit down to read this 500+ page novel. We've borrowed the rest of his novels from the local library and I intend to read all three of those, too.

For those of you who still hang around even when there really isn't anything interesting to read here, I want to deliver a heartfelt "Thank You".

Oh, my sis-in-law started her own blog! You can find her here. She just finished barber school and I'm just itching to get into her chair to see what she'll do! We're really very proud of her and her husband, Josh. They celebrated their first wedding anniversary this past October. (Hooray!)

I'm still working on the new site for The S.O.C.K Project. Those not familiar can pop in here at the current site. I got an email from a woman who sells socks online and she offered to send me some socks for the project. I was extremely grateful and eager to receive the extra help. I also received another donation which brings my to $55 toward a basic sewing machine. The project is going slowly, but I'm an organizer which means that I need everything to be in place before I really get the ball rolling. It's good, it's bad. BUT, it's rolling!

Thanks for taking the time to keep up with me. Here's something for your trouble!

Anniversary

Yesterday was Joe's and my anniversary. Eight beautiful, love driven years.

In the beginning I lived with his mother and helped to take care of his sister and also with the housework. Meanwhile he lived with his father. One day, about a month after I moved in, he came for a visit. I had seen a picture of him, but didn't want to look "interested" in him. So, I dabbed on just a tiny bit of chapstick, and put on a barely-there layer of mascara. I stayed in my t-shirt and cut-off jean shorts. I don't think I was even wearing shoes or socks.

In walks this boy. Tall, handsome, and seemingly completely at ease. I was impressed by his confidence. More than impressed...intriqued. He spoke to me without fear and I knew immediately that we would get along.

We talked all night every night for 3 days. Then he was to return to his home in Mississippi. I didn't want him to leave because I was afraid he would never come back. But he did. And the night he came back I was so overjoyed, that I stayed in the bedroom and and waited until the last possible moment to come out and welcome him so that he could not see my desire.

Not only did he come back, but he never left again. Since that day in September of 1995 we have been together. Some times were good, some bad, and some ugly. But we were always together.

A toast to the one soul who keeps my heart afloat: may you always know your strengths and conquer your fears. There is no man who can make me float as you do. Cheers to the most beautiful, completely wonderful man on this earth!

Bunny

Where's there's bunny, there's money!

Advertisers in America have made a lot of money by using the bunny as a marketing tool. Quick! How many bunnies can you remember being used on television, in newspaper ads, and on the radio to sell a product?

Time's up.

Bugs Bunny has been used to sell toothpaste, TV dinners, diapers, toys, you name it!



The Energizer Bunny has been used to sell Energizer batteries.

The Easter Bunny of course has been used to sell easter products such as candy and decorative grass.

The Milk Chocolate Bunny can be placed in the same basket (wink).



The Nestle Quick Bunny has been used to sell Nestle Quick's chocolate drink mix.



And the Trix Bunny, of course, has been used to sell the popular kid's cereal, Trix.

Bunnies have become popular tools because of they are one of the least hostile of creatures and nearly everyone likes them. They don't bite, growl, eat your shoes, make terribly annoying sounds, or leave surprises in your shoes. They don't roll around in the dirt, eat garbage, get stuck in your tree, or jump on you when you get home. They are really wonderful pets! America has a love affair with rabbits and this simple fact brings more validity to the fact that where there's bunny, there's money!

(How I'd do? Did I forget any bunny?) :0)

Control

I finally finished my semester up here at the local community college. I aced my Literature final and got a low A on my Western Civ. II final (Hooray!). I haven't done this well in school in years.

I learned some very important things about myself this year. Those things have helped me to understand that making excuses for why I'm not doing something is really the only thing keeping me from actually doing it.

It was a frustrating semester, no doubt. There were times when I would be reading through my textbook looking for certain answers and I would myself thinking "ctrl F, ctrl F!" Other times I was unable to concentrate on what I was reading and would wish for the chance to "ctrl, alt delete" so I could start fresh.

But, here I am. I made it. And I'm none the worse for the wear.

I sent a letter to my school requesting a degree audit. After 7 years of undergraduate school, I figure it may be time to actually graduate with some kind of degree. Oh, I know that an associates degree is unimpressive and wouldn't get me much of a job in the long run. BUT, it would be a great milestone.

Joe was a tremendous help this semester. He rejoiced with me when I was doing well, and encouraged me to do better when I appeared to be defeating myself with more excuses. He is my life. There is no one on this earth I would rather share all my joys and sorrows with.

I'll spend the rest of this year working on The S.O.C.K Project and will hopefully get to send lots of dolls off before Christmas actually arrives. Then, in January, I'll begin another (and hopefully the last for a while) semester.

Enjoy your holiday, everyone!!