Top Gun!

Today was the annual Boo in the School at the Washington Center. Each year the kids get to trick or treat around the hallways and enjoy a huge Halloween party just before they head home for the weekend. And each year at the party one student is chosen as having the Best Costume.

When Ben started attending his school we didn't make a big deal about Halloween. In fact I honestly don't recall if we even dressed him up for his first Washington Center All Hallows Eve experience. There was a good ominous reason for not liking this semi-holiday at that time which I will blog about later this weekend. But all that changed three years ago.

Ben's primary nurse in October 2007, Lisa Stamey, was bound and determined that Ben was going to win that Best Costume Award regardless of whether his parents participated in the fun (we didn't). After seeing the fabulous finished costume we knew that Lisa's design (created and built solely by her) would win by a landslide. We were wrong. Putting it bluntly, "We was robbed!" That year the judging took place before Ben arrived at school and even though we have to admit the winning entry was quite clever, Ben portraying Lightening McQueen was far superior (okay so maybe there's a tiny bit of bias on our part). Because of this monumental travesty of justice Ben's family and care-givers made a vow to avenge Lisa's loss! In fact we swore a sacred oath to hold onto that Best Costume Award as long as Ben attends the Washington Center!

So last Halloween Ben's two nurses, Vicki Robertson and Stacey Brophy, began scheming and planning weeks ahead. The costume had to be perfect - so perfect that the contest would be a smack-down of epic proportions; a weeping and gnashing of teeth sort of thing. Let's just say the gauntlet was dropped like Sumo wrestler falling out of a three story building. It wasn't even close.

Which brings us to today.

I'm not gloing to claim that my first attempt to defend our victory comes anywhere close to the previous two years. In fact my job was probably made much easier by last year's crushing landslide win. But like Lisa I was pretty much on my own until the very end. Thankfully Joan and Jessie came home from work & school respectively to help rescue me from my knotted mess of duct tape, cardboard, and Rustoleum paint. All in all it became a team effort including Ben's current nurse, Dee.

The result couldn't have been more pleasing! A happy Ben and another victory in the bag. So while I head up to McDonald's to share in Ben's award stash enjoy our ace Top Gun: Ben(nie) & the Jet!

Dee checks out Ben as he taxis onto the runway.

Our pilot goes through his pre-flight check making a special note not to read the blog from his laptop while flying. If you look closely you can see his headphones and microphone with which he keeps in touch with the tower. By the way, the red device front and center is called a Big Mac. It's a communication device for special needs kids. Basically you record a word or phrase and when the child presses the red button it plays it back. We recorded the intro of "Danger Zone," the Top Gun theme song. Evidently Ben liked it because he was way more interested in pressing that switch than trick or treating!

Nothing like jetting about your school too make someone laugh this much.

Bombs dropped from this aircraft can be quite lethal!

Ben's air base: the Washington Center Air Command.

You can see Ben's right hand about to slam back down on the Big Mac.

This Tom Cruise isn't into Scientology nor does he jump up and down on Oprah's couch.

Note the second pic in a row of Ben staring at the Big Mac. We're a little tired of Kenny Loggins at the moment.

Construction last evening. We've reached the part where we try to figure out how in the heck do we attach this to his wheelchair.

Ben was fascinated with the aluminum paint finish.

As I said it became a whole family effort. Jessie applies paint to the "decals."

Coordination

Looking back over the past few weeks I realized that I haven't really blogged too much about Ben. When that happens it's generally a good thing. That means things have been rather uneventful and Ben is healthy. At the moment those two assumptions are mostly true.

Ben finally got to attend therapy today for the first time in as couple of weeks...and it showed. He is usually excited and energetic when he attends. Today was different. Not only has the weather turned crappy here (cold and rainy) which he obviously feels but both his usual therapists were not in attendance. The biggest reaction came when his left hip dislocated which for the first time caused him a great deal of pain (more on that in a couple of weeks).

Also school attendance has been almost non-existent this month for two reasons: having a touch of the "sickies" and unreliable nursing. That situation is still a freaking circus and it is putting a strain on our relationship (me and Joan). We've made several suggestions that have met deaf ears (obviously) and I have had it! Enter our new ally.

This afternoon Joan and I got to sit down with Ben's new Service Coordinator. This person is the state represented head coach so to speak for all of our son's needs - the position requires an understanding of government services, where the funding comes from, what are the actual needs of the family, and how to achieve the almost impossible task of making all of those things work together. After spending two and a half hours with her (definitely a record for this type of meeting) Joan and I agree we have found a true diamond in the rough!

Because of the sensitivity of some things discussed I cannot tell you a great deal. What I can say is that Marie is obviously a God-send and our nursing situation shouldn't be an issue very much longer. Some things we thought never possible just might become possible. Even better is that the position she took working for our county has been an obvious transitional job. For our new friend and ally, she wants it to be a permanent position! Awesome stuff!

One last thought: I get very teary-eyed looking at the above photo. That is my family! My apologies to folks who think otherwise but I have the most wonderful wife and greatest kids in the world! The picture was taken on Ben's birthday which fell on Challenge Day. They were so very kind as to bring that joy to me later in the evening by visiting Hendersonville, NC where I was attending a crappy show.

May our smiles make yours broader!

Woolly Worm Wrap-Up 2009

For the record that deer stag was not sporting a red nose on Saturday. It suddenly appeared early Sunday morning and he was not smiling. Rudolph pretty much sums up the feelings of the vendors participating in the 32nd Woolly Worm Festival.

This is the fifth year I've been doing outdoor art festivals and ultimately this season it seems I'm making up for all the weather situations I hear other artists tell me about. This year has definitely been the Year of Packing Up in the Rain. And to the growing list of bad weather weekends I can now add one selling art in the snow.

So as I finalize preparations for the Bluffton (SC) Seafood Festival near Hilton Head where temperatures are expected to reach 80 this weekend I'll share some shivering memories from Banner Elk.

Note all of the hay surrounding my booth. The two truck loads of hay bales went a long way toward drying up the park we were in.

By clicking the image you can get a closer look at the snow still left on mine and Charlie Smith's canopies.

Rug braider and great friend Peter Steidle hides his bourbon flask to acknowledge he hasn't frozen to death...yet.

And then the sun came out encouraging some very crazy folks to come out and race woolly worms.

Christy Buchanan is glad she stopped at Wal-Mart for those spiffy Zebra-striped gloves and scarf.

The eerie view of the fall foliage at peak color while Grandfather Mountain is covered in snow.

Bennie's Chicken Brunswick Stew

Like Frogmore Stew, this more soupy traditional Southeastern dish has several different varieties depending upon regionally favorite meats and vegetables. Like many southern dishes the origins are unclear. Both Brunswick, Georgia and Brunswick County, Virginia claim to have coined the term but there are plenty of other names associated with the stew. Here in South Carolina a similar dish made with rice is called "purloo" (pronounced pur-LOW) while Kentucky and Tennessee refer to it as "burgoo" (similar pronunciation). Of course most folks will recognize the more famous name the Cajuns of Louisiana call it: gumbo.

Each version of the concoction though has a two common ingredients: a tomato chicken broth liquid base creating a vegetable soup with meat added into it. Most recipes use shredded chicken as the primary meat source. Other meats I've read about in similar recipes include salt pork, pulled pork, hamburger, deer, duck, rabbit, fish, shrimp, crawfish, and even alligator. Our family prefers a less complicated version of the stew.

Ingredients:
Frozen gumbo vegetables (substitute soup vegies if you don't like okra)
1 to 2 cups shredded chicken (we generally use leftovers from a baked or rotisserie bird)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (do not drain!)
1 cup water
Cajun seasoning (Zatarrain's is THE best)
celery salt
1 clove minced garlic
1 small onion chopped
1 to 2 cups sliced or diced cooked potatoes (drained)

Combine all the ingredients except the potatoes in a medium pot. Bring to a boil for three minutes on medium high heat. After adding the potatoes reduce heat to simmer for one hour. Serve with fresh cornbread for dipping!

For gumbo:
Substitute cooked rice (2 to 3 cups depending on how thick you want your mixture) for the potatoes. Also substitute diced tomotoes for the whole peeled ones. You can also add ground red pepper or your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick.

Woolly Bully!

See that palm tree to your left? I love that palm tree! Even though I no longer have this particular painting of that palm tree I know where the real palm tree exists. It's in a warm place. In fact it is very warm where this symbol of summer time is planted.

The actual temperature at this very moment where this palm tree is located happens to be exactly 98.6 degrees. There are close to 3000 varieties of palm trees in the world and after nearly a quarter of a century of painting palms or palmettos a few new species have sprouted up within my summer-loving brain. This just happens to be the one I'd like to be sitting nearby this weekend.

Instead me and the family plus one are headed to Banner Elk, North Carolina. Because of my stubbornness and desire for the Waddells to have at least one "family gig" while doing something fun each year, the annual Woolly Worm Festival has sort of become that event.

Over the past four years we've endured some interesting weather. A little rain, a bit of cold temperatures, even some pea soup thick fog which is very possible at any time of the year in western North Carolina. But all in all the trip has been not only financially successful but a visual smorgasbord to our senses. Each October we predict the color splattered upon the mountainsides couldn't top the next. Each autumn we have been wrong.

Yet the 32nd annual Woolly Worm Festival offers a new experience: snow showers. Yep. High temperature for Saturday predicted to be 41 degrees (Fahrenheit for you not in the USA). 38 for Sunday. Whoopee.

Let me tell you that I used to be an avid snow-skier. In fact I got my first wife into it, so much so that her family still spends time in places like Utah and Norway (I think both might be states by now). Anyway, once I turned 40, skiing began dropping to the bottom of the list of "things I want to do with my daughter" faster than "let us collect boyfriends together." The fact is that I've turned into my dad. He HATED cold...HATED. The fact that he paid for ski trips each Christmas for about a decade still makes for a fun discussion each time my brothers and I get together.

For the record I think I have finally bought into my dad's idea of a good life. The kids and grand kids playing on the beach...me? Lying on a couch in an air-conditioned room sleeping. Bliss.

Instead I get to pay my dues this weekend. I have scarves, layers of clothes, and a really cool heater fueled by those Coleman bottles ready, willing, and able. I have two kids plus one wanting to race Woolly Worms which will sit idly on a string because it is so freaking COLD. I will finally have my family with me for the first time this year.

I feel warmer already,

Birthday Challenge!

My sincerest apologies for the delay in getting these uploaded. I have no excuse other than our family passing around "the sickies" the past week and a half. True to typical form, Ben ends up with a "birthday month" culminating in our family's annual visit to the Woolly Worm Festival this weekend in Banner elk, North Carolina. Our friends Rita & Peter Steidle have some furry critters in training for our three race teams so we're all getting excited!

I mentioned earlier in another post how special this year's Challenge Day was for our family. Not only was it a wonderful occasion to reflect upon having our son and brother reach 10 years of age but this was the first time Joan, Jessie, & my mother were able to attend special Olympics with him. They were not disappointed!

The following are just a few of the photos they captured from their trip to Bob Jones University. Once again I want to commend and thank those folks for welcoming the kids of the Washington Center to their campus. It is an amazing experience and I would encourage all of our readers to either attend or volunteer for one of these some day.

After the opening ceremony MeMa (my mom) yells so loud that she gets Ben's attention. He looked directly at his family and they got this response! Andrea, one of his new friends poses with him.

Let the games begin! Andrea and Brittany help facilitate Ben's activities.

As you can see Ben had a blast!

Ben has a need for speed.

The faster the better for Ben.

Ben receives his bling!

Parents and BJU students cheer the athletes during the Parade of Champions!

And on the Seventh Day...

...you will find us at Hopeful Parents! That is my regular date of each month to contribute to our on-line community of folks living with, caring for, praying about, and just plain loving someone special. If you haven't joined us yet then come on over. Every one is welcome! Plus we have a brand new discussion forum where folks can talk about issues, ask questions, get ideas, or just swap interesting stories.

By the way, I haven't totally forgotten about Ben's birthday. Suffice it to say he is having a birthday week even though Friday was indeed a special day for him, Joan, and Jessie. There are pictures I will soon share that shows just how much he enjoys his school's annual Challenge Day! So head on over to HP today and come back here to visit tomorrow!

Birthday Eve!

As we prepare for a milestone tomorrow I've had the opportunity to reflect upon almost ten years of life with Ben. You can find my thoughts today over at Hopeful Parents! My hope is to share more later this weekend about our son's tenth birthday but alas, I will be working in Hendersonville, NC the next three days. Most likely we will have a family celebration sometime next week. Don't worry though - Ben will indeed have a special day tomorrow.

Each year about this time a local college hosts Ben's school for Challenge Day. That is their name for the Special Olympics. In 2009 it just so happens to fall on our son's birthday. We're letting Jessie skip school tomorrow so she and Joan for the first time get to watch Ben participate! I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures to share over the next few days.

In the mean time Ben is resting up for Challenge Day...