December 2010

December 2010

Illness: Everyone in the family has been sick except for me. Nikolas was sick for three weeks and had to be on breathing treatments. He just wanted to be held and snuggle all the time.

Christmas concerts: Madeline & Christopher had their annual band concerts. Madeline's was held at the "snowfall" in Celebration. Madeline & I sang in our ward and stake Christmas programs. This year they asked to play a flute duet as well. Christopher played a trumpet solo at the ward party. I love the carols and Christmas hymns that remind us of Jesus's birth and life.

Santa Lucia: was celebrated Sunday, December 12. This year we honored our Swedish, German, and Norwegian ancestors in the outfits worn by the children.

Parties: M, C, & I went to the ward party and the McCarl party. Both were great events. The

ward party had over 200 people in attendance. The missionary couple- the Swains read

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" with her turning pages hidden behind him reading the book. At the Mccarl's, we had a hayride through the neighborhood singing carols. There are so many amazing families in this ward going about doing good for others. I love it and love their example!

Funerals: two dear elderly sisters passed away over the holidays. I was only able to attend the funeral of Sister Edmunds, where I sang with Sis Rucker and McCarl. The last five years of her life were spent in a home, and the last year she has been unable to speak. Her husband has visited her and made sure she knew he still cared.

Christmas: Santa was sneaky, and there were surprises under the tree. I love the holiday and love looking at the lights on the tree and the smell of pine and Christmas cookies.

Work: Rick has been preparing for an art show New Year's Day. I have been working extra long hours due to holiday travel and snow storms in the Northeast.

At the end of this month and year, I am grateful for our health, our home, our family, and the joy the gospel brings into my life. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

ChristmasTime is here...

We were able to go to Utah for Thanksgiving and an early Christmas party last week. It was a short trip. We left Wednesday and came back Friday on the red-eye flight. It was nice to see many family members.

I was surprised all the teens still wanted to dress up for the Nativity. :) The ones that are not dressed up are the Narrators.

We played games, ate dinner, broke a pinata, performed the Nativity play, and opened presents. Thanks to everyone involved and especially grandma Barbara for the party.

A Thankful heart is a happy heart

"A thankful heart is a happy heart. I'm glad for what I have, it's an easy way to start."

I've been thinking a lot about the hymn: "Lord, I Would Follow Thee."

Savior, may I learn to love thee, walk the path that thou hast shown,

Pause to help and lift another, finding strength beyond my own.

Savior, may I learn to love thee- Lord I would follow thee.

Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly?

In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see.

Who am I to judge another? Lord, I would follow thee.

I would be my brother's keeper; I would learn the healer's art.

To the wounded and the weary, I would show a gentle heart.

I would be my brother's keeper- Lord, I would follow thee.

Savior, may I love my brother as I know thou lovest me,

Find in thee my strength, my beacon, for thy servant I would be.

Savior, may I love my brother- Lord, I would follow thee.

We talked about having a fleshy, spongy (gentle) heart instead of a rock ( hard) heart in Sunday school yesterday. I think part of how we do that is to give thanks for what we have and serve others. We do not know what challenges others are facing, and many have "sorrow that the eye can't see."

I am thankful for my family. The family that I grew up in. I had a great childhood. My parents did all that they could to ensure that; the family that I have now- my husband who works very hard for us, and my children- two who are growing up quickly, one who is quickly approaching his twos, and one we long to see again; and my extended family that continues to grow.

I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ- for the hope of eternal life and families, and the blessing of the Atonement and His mercy; modern day revelation and prophets, and local leaders striving to follow the commandments and serve.

I am thankful for my home, my neighborhood, good neighbors. I love President Monson's talk about how turning off their electricity made them remember their life by candlelight. I love our modern conveniences.

I am thankful for the beautiful world we live in- the flowers and trees, beaches, mountains. I love to ride my bike and enjoy the scenery.

I am thankful for animals. I love seeing them again through a toddler's eyes. They are amazing and wonderful. Niko names them by the sound they make : Baa, neigh, moo.

I am thankful for my job. It has afforded me and my family many opportunities to see more of the world and visit loved ones. I have gotten to call many co-workers friends.

I am grateful to live in a free country. I will never take this for granted.

I am glad for many things. I hope I remember to have a thankful, gentle heart.

All Hallow's Eve 2010

Our celebrations started early with a ward party/ camp-out on Friday night. We did not stay over since Rick and Niko were sick, but the kids and I still went for the party. It was fun to be with good friends and trick-or-treat around the tents.

Saturday night, Christopher, Niko and I went trick-or-treating at downtown Disney. There were lines for the candy. We didn't stay long, but it was fun to see the mass amount of kids in cute costumes. I wish now that I had taken pictures.

Halloween was on Sunday this year. To trick-or-treat or not? Well, I decided that Halloween is great time to meet or visit your neighbors. My next door neighbor made a "Hiccup" costume to go along with Niko as a dragon. I had to work, but got off early and took Niko around the block. We probably gave out 250 pieces of candy, but in downtown Celebration people gave out 2000. We had a really enjoyable night with our neighbors. Even the missionaries stopped by to give us candy and pass-along cards.

Happy Halloween!

A thought: My little town on Halloween is a micro-causm for society. Instead of teaching self-reliance and kindness to others, we teach to ask and even demand handouts. So many people come here for Halloween that it is getting ridiculous. This year, they decided to have bus service from the gas station just outside town in order to reduce traffic. It didn't really work. I heard that there were complaints that no bathrooms or drinks were provided. This is the opposite of what the church teaches us. We should make wherever we are home, take care of it, and beautify it. We should each try to make our own neighborhoods nice.

Gatorland

Trick-or-treat at Gatorland.

Madeline was at an all-day band competition, and Christopher was at an almost all-day Scout service project, so just three of us went to see the Gators.

The only costume Niko would wear was his brother's coon-skin cap. I guess wearing that particular hat to an animal park is kind-of creepy and fitting. Creepy because racoons are cute animals and I can't imagine making a hat from one. Fitting because Gatorland is still a little red-necky and after you look at all the gators, you can buy some gator nuggets to eat, or a small gator head to put on your shelf.

Niko's favorite part was feeding the goats and cows at the petting zoo. My favorite part was feeding the birds- which was almost Niko's favorite until a bird landed on his hand. I guess he has a little of his grandma Bunnie's fear of birds after all. Rick liked the Adirondack chairs the best. He was starting to come down with the bad cold we've all had for weeks.

An added bonus: it was free.

Boston

Memories of our one-day trip to Boston:

~Whale watching while landing in windy weather. We weren't really whale-watching, but we were close enough to the water that if any were there we would have seen them. The airport borders the ocean.

~ Freezing wind.

~Eating Boston soups: Lobster Bisque, Clam chowder, Chicken pot pie, Butternut bisque ( my favorite).

~ Faneuil Hall shopping: hearing 80's heavy metal done by an Acapella Choir, unique comic book store; old brick buildings.

~ Harvard:traffic; fun Japanese shop with studio Ghibli stuff; seeing sculling teams practicing; Harvard book store. Campus is a shopping plaza.

~Isabella Stweart Gardner Museum: Amazing house, running with Niko through it; beautiful courtyard; empty frames from the missing paintings that were stolen in the 90's; carved wooden wall; rooms all a little too dark to preserve the collection.

~ Niko chasing Canada Geese.

~ Christopher and Dad's acorn fight. The acorns in the NE are huge!

~ Expensive Parking and no spaces, although we did find out that President Obama was also there the same day. No wonder the traffic was so bad on a Saturday.

And so it begins...

Starting October 1, I work for United. It is strange. So far as my job is concerned not much has changed yet, except we moved to a new terminal at the airport.

Update: The first plane with the United paint job came in last night and went out as flight 1593 to Newark. We all took pictures. We are excited, and glad we, for now, still have a good job. The passengers didn't even notice.

One of the first big changes starts Tuesday. We will have food for sale on board. We have been, for many years, proud to be the only airline that still has meal service in coach for free.

I'm wondering what other changes are in store..

baby maze

The weather here is beautiful! 60's at night and 80's in the day. My friend graciously let us use her Disney pass to admit some of us to Epcot for the day. It happened to be the food festival. We ate our way around the world three times. I liked South African food- nice and spicy- and Belgian Waffles - plenty of real whipped cream-best. Niko liked his P-jelly rolls that I packed for him. Rick ate and ate and ate... good thing he didn't have to climb out of a rabbit hole at the end. ;0

A little night music

Sold out concert, and he's only in 8th grade! :)

Who knew about Pippi?

We recently went to the Orlando Repertory theater ( Children's theater) production of Pippi Longstocking. When we walked in the foyer, we were greeted by hundreds of little girls dressed as Pippi. I didn't even know that many people knew about Pippi.

The play was good, even though Pippi overeacted a few times. She had a great voice. C loved the "bad guys" one of which was a girl. They were really funny. M loved the child actors, they were cute. I was touched by the scene where her mom is watching over her from heaven. Rick loved the sets. Pippi's house was amazing and cute, and the picture shows the Rosmaled opening curtain.

early morning

I have been teaching early morning Seminary this year. Since I live outside Utah, it is an unpaid calling in the church. No release time here. I teach in my dining room at 6a.m. M-F. I have to wear church attire- which I don't mind.

The 7 students in my class are really good kids. When I think that they are the only 7 kids out of their whole high school, which is much bigger than Provo High, that are learning these gospel principles every day it overwhelms me with even more respect for them. They definitely have different challenges than I dealt with, and they continue to choose the better part.

It has been good for me to really study the scriptures, too. Last year at this time, I was trying to find a way and time to study my scriptures- well the Lord provided a way. :)

We have been learning D&C and church History. My parents instilled a great love of church history and our early leaders in me as a child. We went on 2 cross-country church history trips to church sites. As I have been teaching about these leaders and especially Joseph Smith, I am gaining even more knowledge, respect, and reverence for their calling and efforts for us.

Atlanta 2010

We recently returned from Atlanta/Dragon*con 2010. I can't really say I went to Dragon*con because I didn't. But I did enjoy watching the dragon*con parade on Saturday, and we did get Niko this cute dragon costume. And the biggest news... Rick won Best in Show!! at the art show at Dragon*con... and he wasn't even there to accept the award.

We enjoyed eating great food: at Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles, Rosa Mexicana, and La Madeleine.

We enjoyed great company: Will, Aga, Bill, Cindy, Tam, Kurt, Kathleen, Daria, & Hannah.

We enjoyed great weather and sights: temps in the 80's ; Georgia Aquarium, Olympic Park, Atlanta Temple, Suntrust plaza fountains, and Atlantic Station.

Last year, I was really unimpressed with Atlanta, but this year we really enjoyed the city and are looking forward to another visit next year.

All dogs go to heaven

They say all dogs go to heaven. Charlie is definitely in heaven. We are so blessed to have found him. Abandoned by his previous owner, or lost in small town Utah, we'll never know, but we do know that there will never be another dog like Charlie.

~ Clean: Every time after Charlie ate, he would clean his paws and his face like a cat. He liked to be clean. He did not like dirt or anything on him and would hide or mope about until he was cleaned up.

~Royal: Charlie always had that regal look about him. He was a no nonsense min-pin.

~ Protective: He was always protecting us and our home from snakes, squirrels, lizards, bees, sprinklers, and strangers.

~Serious: Charlie always gave us that look or left the room when we tried dressing him up or when we were being silly. We knew he was not amused by our antics.

~Loving: Charlie was always ready to snuggle. He loved taking naps with anyone who was around. He loved to sit next to you on the couch with his head in your lap. And he always made sure the children were watched over. He checked their ears to make sure they were ok. If you were sick or sad, he was extra attentive and loving.

The day he died, I talked to him and asked him if he were in pain, and told him it would be ok if he watched over us from heaven. He cried a little and whined and then put his head in my lap. We will miss our doggie. He was our best friend.

Vacation

On our recent trip to Las Vegas and Salt Lake/Provo, we were able to see:

grandma Barbara, Alexanders,Watson family, Condies, Goslins, Nancy and Woffindens.

Highlights:

~Helped Julie move into her new classroom. Saw Lake Las Vegas and the Vegas Temple.

~Giggled with Niko as we showed him Mary Poppins, " I love to laugh."

~We went to Sundance Theater with Heidi and saw the musical Big River based on Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. If you haven't seen the play: See it! It follows the book, has fun music, and is just a great story. The boy who played Huck was amazing. I hope he can keep his humble personality in the stressful theater business. The familiar looking Tom Sawyer portrayed young Joseph Smith in the recent Restoration film. :)

~Finally got to hold baby Greyson. He is a sweet, mellow baby.

~ Toured temple square. Nikolas loved running up and down the circular path to the Christus statue.

~Kids played with cousins and friends and saw grandmas and grandpa.

~Went to a Folk dance class at Education Week with Madeline. So much fun! Also went to see Marvin Goldstein.

~ Visited Anakin's grave.

I really miss my dad. Seeing Spence take care of Heidi the way my dad used to help his grown children made me miss him. Going to Education Week made me miss him- the last time I went, I went with him. Just being in Provo and remembering my happy childhood made me miss him. Watching Marvin Goldstein play the piano made me miss my grandma. Seeing my three children at Anakin's grave made me miss him and the time we couldn't spend with him, watching him grow. I am grateful for the knowledge that families are forever.

A cute pict of the kids at temple square

Happy Birthday Buddy!

There's another teenager at our place. His love of animals has earned him the nickname Critter. He is tender-hearted. He is good brother and has a great sense of humor!

We love you, buddy! Happy Birthday!

iphone worship

Is this going a little too far for ? I'm teaching the Old testament this year, and couldn't help but notice some similarities to our time from the time of Elijah. :)

We're having a heat wave...

We have been having the hottest summer on record, and certainly the hottest since we've lived in Florida.

So- we have been spending a lot of our free time here...

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Hooray for water parks!

Lord of the Flies.. Rated G version

My husband went to a few days of scout camp this year since it was my son's first year and I was a little ( lot) nervous to send him alone. Our scout troop goes to the Georgia/ North Carolina border- about a 10 hour drive away from home. They are there for 8 days. The scout/military? camp has a rifle range, archery, and shotgun range. They also have small boat sailing, and a myriad of other boy classes to take.

This year they decided to raft a bigger river to pass off class IV rapids. I should say here that I had some friends in college that were river guides and told me all the horror stories of people getting thrown out of the boat and caught in the rocks and drowning. My last words to my son were "grab your knees." Because when and if you get thrown out, you are disoriented and you start panicking and thrashing around. You forget that your life-jacket will buoy you up. The best thing to do is grab your knees, so that your hands and feet are tucked in.

(..And yes he did get thrown out of the boat in the first five minutes of rapids they hit. )

Well, they survived, and not only did they survive, I think they had a blast. They came home singing camp songs...and my husband does not sing :)

Moosey, Moosey on your way...

My country 'tis of thee

I have always considered myself a good citizen: I vote - and I read up on candidates and issues before I vote; I keep my neighborhood clear of litter; I volunteer; I support patriotism and good values; I love patriotic music and used to play each year with a neighborhood band- now I usually sing in church; I support the government. But this year I am torn..

How easily can our elected leaders put aside the good of the people to promote their own selfish interests? I'm talking about local laws as well as federal laws.

I mean what happens when small, little laws that may seem insignificant are used against the values they are trying to uphold?

I worry about the future. I worry about our local law enforcement, elected officials and anyone in a position of power.. because frankly once you gain that position you are even more prone to abuse that power.

What makes America great? America is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.. Not one person or one interest group- the people- all people. So even though you may carry a big stick America- tread lightly and remember who you represent.

America, America.. God shed his grace on Thee.

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

North Carolina

We had a great time hanging out with cousins in Holly Springs, N.C.

We loved smiling with baby Hannah, making goo-clay dinos and snowmen with Daria, playing in the crazy sprinklers, cooking with Aga, and seeing the baby temple.

Holly Springs is so beautiful with all the Sycamore trees. We loved relaxing and enjoying its natural beauty. Hopefully we can go back again soon.

Quite the week

A fun family visit

One very ill doggie

Lots of extra time at work

And one girl preparing to be a Pioneer

Oh.. and I forgot to mention Harry Potter doesn't need floo powder.. he flies Continental.

Summer

"Oh what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?"

Summer is calling to me: lots more sunshine, longer days, afternoon thunderstorms, beach days. Heat and humidity that makes the air feel heavy, and makes me want to take long afternoon naps, followed by warm evenings at the pool or park. I love summer, and the freedom from a busy routine for awhile. I love watching fireworks on the Fourth of July from the downtown swimming pool. Isn't everyone happier in the summer?

"Summertime, and the livin is easy.. Well your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin', so hush little baby don't you cry." This summer, I am looking forward to spending time at Blizzard beach and Typhoon Lagoon with the family, and getting some much needed projects done at home. Time to stock up on the gatorade and popsicles, because summer is just around the corner for us. 7 more days of school! And two and half more weeks until vacation for me!

Happy Birthday - 15!

Today is my daughter's 15th birthday. We may not always see things the same way, but I love to hear her opinion. She is a great help to me with her baby brother, and she is a great student!

She has always been independent. She also has a great sense of style.

Life Is Beautiful: Relay 4 Life

Madmea will be walking this Friday for Relay for Life. She will be holding a raffle of her favorite print ( of her dad's paintings). One chance for $5 or three chances for $10.

Life Is Beautiful: Relay 4 Life

The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of Celebration, FL:

What's goin on

A lot has been going on here in Celebration. A few of the things that have happened are: My mom and niece came to visit, my airline merged with United, and our little Charlie has diabetes.

'' When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now. Will you still be sending me a Valentine..." I have been thinking a lot about aging. My mother is 74 and going to Disneyworld is not fun anymore for her. She would rather be home than anywhere else.

We just found out Charlie has diabetes. He spent the first week being angry at us because we stopped letting Nikolas feed him table food. My husband says.. " if this is how he's going to be, maybe we should put him down." Really. He said that. The next week, he stopped almost eating anything. I can see his ribs. It makes me so sad.

I have worked at Continental Airlines for 18 years. 18! It means nothing. I may as well be a new-hire, because some of these people started working there when I was in middle school. And now that we're "United", some of those people started working when I was two. I still don't know what changes are in store for me, so for now I will just be grateful for all the blessings working at Continental has brought into our lives in large and small ways. ( That may be a post for another day...)

spring cleaning

At least one person in the family likes to help clean. :)

March of Dimes

We did it! Oh..and the Force was with us. Han and Leia look very familiar.

It was a great day with perfect weather, good company, and beautiful scenery. It was six miles through pretty neighborhoods and around lakes in Maitland.

I am especially glad that the fundraising part is over. It was tough. I was team captain this year at work, and it has not been a joy. My motto was: Whatever we raise today is a dollar more than they had yesterday. I did not take anything personally, even though people were sometimes a little less than kind. But it is done! Finito! Next year I'll just do it on my own again, much less pressure and much more enjoyable.

10 years

It's been 10 years since Anakin came and left. Yesterday was his birthday and today, 10 years ago, he went back to his Heavenly Father. He would be 10.

It's hard for me to describe my feelings this time of year. Without even realizing it, I become restless, physically exhausted, sad, and usually a little angry. I'm still grieving.

My view of life changed forever with his death. Parents are supposed to outlive their children. When so many people told us to be grateful that he was spared a hard life, we could only see the good things he was missing and the things we would miss without him. A lifetime of memories. We only had one day.

Anakin we miss you, and we look forward to the time when we can see you again and spend those precious moments with you that we didn't get in this life. We will try to relish those moments with your sister and brothers while we can.

Austria 2010

It's very neat and strange to take all the pictures and experiences and adventures we had on our vacation and shrink them to a collage. Here are a few more highlights and details:

All roads lead to Munich...Or not. We couldn't get in .. we couldn't get out. First we tried to get in after arriving from the U.S. Then after we finally found the Altstadt and saw the sights of Marienplatz, we tried to leave. I fell asleep with jetlag, and woke up expecting us to be close to our destination. What?! We were still in Munich?!

~The food

Gelati anytime for 1Euro, even when you're freezing.

Wienerschnitzel at IKEA in Innsbruck.

Cheesebread, Bavarian Cream yogurt, chocolate, kindereier, cheese, salami, and apfelsaft.

~ The clothing

People still wear lederhosen, beautifully tailored wool suits and hats.

~ The buildings

Amazing architecture everywhere. Those Hapsburgers had some huge houses. Can anyone say.. Order of the Golden Fleece?

Cute Alpine homes and grandiose palaces, and a church in the center of every city or small village.

~The music and the art

They love music and art in Austria. Music is everywhere, from Buskers to concerts in all the cathedrals and castles. They have a huge art collection in Vienna. Favorites included the Dutch masters as well as some fun food and fish heads.

~3a.m. a rest area somewhere in Germany

Rick: Look a cute little hedgehog.

me:What if it's a rat?

Rick: No.. I have to take a picture.. it's a hedgehog...

ok..

IT'S A RAT.. and it charged at me. You would have screamed.

~ The culture shock

Dogs are allowed everywhere.

Non-smoking in Austria means: Don't smoke in bed please.

Mail is delivered by bike.

Everyone walks everywhere.. and the cities have huge pedestrian areas..no cars allowed. And we wonder why Europeans are thinner than Americans? It's not the food.:0

No paper or plastic: bring your own bag to the supermarket.

Small TV's in hotels.

Keys lock the door on the outside and inside.

Changing rooms are optional.. and co-ed. (Water parks are probably not a good idea for YM/YW activities in Europe.)

Yodel-rock music for kids.

Exact change .50 for the bathroom. I got tired of needing exact change to go to the bathroom. And I went to the men's bathroom in Salzburg because the cleaning lady told me to since there was no toilet paper in the women's. She then left me there alone to the shock and surprise of the two men entering as I left.

Easter is a huge event, and Easter markets are in every city with elaborately decorated (blown)real eggs.

~The power of prayer...

Christopher was lost in a blinding snowstorm at the top of the Alps for almost two hours. He prayed, I prayed ( because he was missing and I got a sick feeling he needed help), and a stranger came along that spoke a little English and guided him down the mountain. The hymn they sang in the Saturday morning session of General Conference "How Firm a Foundation"' is brought to mind: "Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. At home or abroad on the land or the sea ( or the top of a mountain).. as thy days may demand.. so thy succor shall be. "

Austria, auf Wiedersehen!

one year ago...

One year ago, a little baby was born...and now he's 1! He has brought such joy into our lives in the past year. We can't imagine life without our little Niko ( which means smile in Japanese).

I'm really not a redneck

My brother was here last week, and we went to the strawberry festival. I have been wanting to go for years. I have heard..: "oh the strawberry shortcake, the food, it is so much fun, I can't believe you've never been." Well, after going last week, I decided... I'm not a redneck.

There is a whole world out there that I have never really been a part of. I've never raised a steer, never entered a jam or jelly, never been in a royalty.

It was an interesting day. I went to an Oakridge Boys concert. Let me say that again.. I went to an Oakridge Boys concert. I enjoyed it. "Elvira..." man does that guy have a low voice. It was Senior citizens day, so everyone sat still throughout the concert.

Nikolas, as a pig rooter, rooted his pig on to win the race! He even got a medal! We saw amazing cakes, and someone had even made a crocheted dollhouse. Did I mention they had fried butter? I didn't try it, my stomach isn't made for such things.

I enjoyed myself, but I felt like a duck out of water. I finally mentioned this to my brother as we were leaving and he said he's never even been to a rodeo. Yup, I'm not really a redneck, or even a cowgirl.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Things I love

I love this: powdered sugar sand that doesn't stick to your toes.

illness abounds.

We are all feeling under the weather now that the actual weather is beautiful! :(

It is FCAT ( Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) week, and Christopher started by telling us how sick he was. Then Madeline came home with a fever. Call me a bad mom, but they are both still going to school, because make-up test days are the worst.

Nikolas also has a fever, and we just found out he has MRSA. Last week, he had a big red sore thumb that looked like he had jammed it in the dresser drawer. I didn't think much about it, expect he didn't sleep much that night and was really fussy..so unlike him. " Mommy called the dr, and the dr said..." it's an infection, not a smashed thumb. I won't go into gory details, but they tested the fluid, called us back yesterday, told us the antibiotic he was currently on wasn't strong enough, and that he has MRSA.

MRSA...hmm. that superbug that a lady at work got and ended up in quarantine in the hospital for weeks. She almost died, and they traced it back to a paper-cut that she got at the ticket counter at work that let in the MRSA ( staph infection).

Today I am grateful for modern medicine to fight disease. Medicine like Motrin for fever and pain, and antibiotics for infections. I just watched a British TV series called Cranford about a small town doctor. In the series, which takes place in the early 1900s, it is so sad, they try to save lives, but they don't have the means or knowledge to do so, including even running water to wash their hands, and often they lose the patients. Also just finished watching Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, another British mini-series. Both are great series and have actors from other movies I love like Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter.