The Brass Ring is Still Out There

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I am in a different place than I was one year ago. The exercise of trying to post every day in the month of November has paid off in a way I didn't expect. Without checking I think I missed 5 days - how about about I treat those in an Anglican manner and call them "feast days" (cheat days as some of us call them)?

Truly the real meat and potatoes (turkey and dressing?) was served while keeping a thankful outlook this last week. The quotes I have posted have been rather tasty - chewed thoroughly and digested completely. I understand now, perhaps for the first time in my life, that a thankful heart is not only "happy" but a choice one makes. It's not a feeling or an emotion. It is a way of living.

After surveying what I have versus what I don't have, I will take that which belongs to me. I'll be the first one to admit that I wish things were better - not only for me and my family but for those many folks around us genuinely hurting. This was made completely clear by the sudden death of one of our writers at Hopeful Parents the day before Thanksgiving.

So I conclude the month of November 2009 with a new insight and perspective. I am fortunate to have this blog where I have met so many wonderful people either physically or via the cyber universe. In a way I've been reminded that I'm still on that Carousel of Life with the brass ring still dangling within my grasp - more than determined to grab that sucker the next go by.

Bohemian Thanksgiving

I certainly have more folks to be thankful for...BUT the gift for dark humor is definitely one Joan and I share. The Muppets are awesome! If they can take something artistic to a new level then even more awesome. This one goes into orbit.

The Longest Day Revisited

A year ago today we were facing the most frightening situation with Ben in quite some time. That whole month beginning in late October in 2008 was series of awful events that just snowballed straight into the Pediatric ICU of our local hospital. What difference a year makes!

From the very beginning of Ben's life he's shown a certain ability to rebound from pretty significant illnesses. Although he obviously has strength and courage I have not personally witnessed before, I'd be remiss If I didn't give credit to the outstanding care he's received over the last ten years from doctors, nurses, and other health specialists who have worked so diligently to maintain or return Ben's health.

So as we continue to enjoy this annual American holiday much more so than last year our family would like to thank all of those folks who sometimes sacrifice holidays at home with their own loved ones to care for those who so desperately need the medical attention. I know that Ben is thankful to enjoy another season of colorful holiday lights.

Happy Thanksgiving from Ben's Family!

Can you guess what I'm most thankful for? Perhaps I'm just a bit biased but I'm very grateful to have the greatest family to hang out with each and every day. We hope your turkey was deliciously stuffed and that now you are as well.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

Giving Thanks 3

We've been thrilled the past couple of weeks to have acclimated Ben's new primary nurse into the family. Over the nearing ten years since we brought Ben home for the first time there have been a slew of home nurses that have come to visit us. Many of them have only stayed a short while just to learn how to care for a child with a tracheotomy. Making a very conservative guess perhaps two dozen nurses have taken care of our boy on a regular basis during that time (it's probably more than that including one male - and don't make fun of him like "Dr. House" - he was retired Marine Corp so I'm certain he could kick major ass).

Joan and I have often talked about the oddity of having a stranger come and live with us for roughly eight hours five days a week. It took a long time for us to adjust to this lifestyle - we cannot imagine how strange it must be for that courageous person who knowingly, willingly, and in almost every case lovingly decides to spend their work days living in this household. Not only are they subjected to the ever-changing conditions of our exceptional son (including changes of diapers soiled by a child not of your own) but they also get to experience the "drama" of our entire family in full blown living color. For the moment think about all those things you really don't want your neighbors to know about you - now think about all those things you really don't want to know about your neighbors. You see where I'm going with this?

My gut feeling is that none of these ladies (and one guy) make a great deal more by choosing this career path. Even if they do make a few extra dollars, I personally don't think you could pay me enough to actually live in another family's home much less care for a special-needs child while doing it! These are indeed special people. And the really, really good ones become part of our family. In our book they have to.

Nurse Tracy and her husband are native South Africans. Having her become Ben's nurse has obviously been one of the most fascinating relationships we've established since we embarked on this journey. This particular day was awesome since Joan took the day off from work and was able to spend some time with Tracy. Yes indeed she has a very cool accent but we're most enjoying to hear about her family's travels and the cultural nuances from places they have lived. Of course our biggest worry was eased quite early on since she fell in love with Ben.

So with these observations in mind on Thanksgiving Eve I want to wish a very deserved blessing upon every person who has chosen nursing as a career - particularly those who walk into a strangers home every now and then...

Special thanks to Vickie, Lisa, Stacey, Julie G., Julie C., Julie A., Kelly, and Mary.

"It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment." Naomi Williams

Giving Thanks 2

Today we took Ben to his weekly out-patient therapy appointment. Every Tuesday within a span of an hour & a half he gets physical, occupational, and speech therapies. We call it his "work out time" and indeed the room we typically use is called the "gym." If you are not familiar with these kinds of therapies, particularly for non-typical children, then you might not think a whole lot could be accomplished in just 90 minutes each week. You would be wrong!

For those of you who've endured rehab for a sports injury you know exactly how important this is for recovery. For a child like Ben keeping up with PT, OT, and ST can be a matter of life and death. And it's not just been those Tuesday visits the past two years that have made a significant difference in our son's well-being - it includes a whole slew of therapists who have met with us in hospitals, in schools, in clinics, and even in our own home.

Our family takes this part of caring for Ben very seriously. Even Jessie knows how to stretch Ben properly and include challenges that will improve her brother's quality of life. It is no coincidence that Ben's hospital visits, even illnesses, have dramatically decreased every year of his life because of the gain in strength and endurance.

So on Day 2 of Thanksgiving Week I'd like recognize the blessing of all of those folks who have made (and continue to make) a tremendous impact upon our family. I know I will forget some but thank you Barbara S., Dawn, Mark, Lisa, Beth, Cheryl, Jennifer, Theresa, Barbara R., KP, Ashley, Vance, Gene, and Michelle!

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to thank with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." Albert Schweitzer

Giving Thanks 1

This week I want to share some of the things I am most thankful for. Yeah, I know it's a bit cheesy but I do think that what folks treasure the most gives an interesting insight into their lives. Note that I'm not judging any of you posting your thankfulness each day this month on Facebook but I think it is much more difficult to condense one's true appreciations over the course of a few days.

Today I am thankful for my children. There was a time in my life that I would shutter had I not placed God in that number one spot. Jessie and Ben are the reasons I still maintain a relationship with The Heavenly Father/Mother albeit a much more improving one from this time last year.

In my honest opinion I think God likes this given his love for His/Her own son. For so many years I really never understood many of those passages where Jesus talked about looking at things through the eyes of a child or even his particular love for teaching children. I do now. In particular is the appreciation of Ben's incredible innocence. That boy has taught me more about unconditional love than any other person or experience in my entire life.

Today's cool quote is from Oprah Winfrey in honor of her retirement from her talk show: "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

Ben Having Fun Watching Football

This has been just a snip-it from our weekend. Joan & I have been completely entertained by Ben the past two days. From Animal Planet to college football to Minnesota Vikings Sunday, it has been a sheer pleasure to be around our boy! If there is someone who deserves this amount of fun it's definitely Ben!

2009 SoulShine Christmas Card Collection

I have to acknowledge the inspiration for this year's set. Had it not been for an inquiry by Cynthia B. (the mother of another handsome young man named Ben) I probably wouldn't have even put one together. She has been kind enough to purchase sets each year that we've had them and usually a great many of them! Thanks Cynthia & Ben!

Unlike previous holidays this year I have three brand new images, not just paintings from previous years that I've had to dig out of my old archives. For 2009 I've embraced my "folksy" influences to come up with simplified themes. They still capture the essential essence of what I do which is use bright colors to define the image. All were influenced by the fourth painting of the collection which is indeed my favorite. You'll soon see why...

"The Star of Hope"

"The Tree of Joy"

"The Dove of Peace"

"The Angel of Courage"
Completed last winter, Ben did about 95 percent of the work on this one. This piece was the starting point for the rest.


As always each set includes 4 cards (one of each image) and 4 envelopes packaged in a sealed clear plastic bag. Let me know if any of them will be a gift so I can include a cover sheet featuring each image. All the cards will be personally signed and include a brief explanation on the back with the name of the painting and a little about who we are. Also the insides of the cards are blank.

The same pricing as years past: $12 for a set - buy four sets, get one set free! Shipping is included. Also if you would like to substitute another card for Ben's image then let me know that in your e-mail as well. We totally understand that some folks might not get it and it's nothing personal against Ben.

For orders reach me at benwaddell@bellsouth.net!

PS - The original paintings (except for Ben's) are also for sale. They are 9 x 12 acrylic paintings on canvas paper. $35 for each or $75 for the set of three.

We've Come a Long Way

The last time the Minnesota Vikings had just one loss this late in the football season Jessie was just toddling and Ben wasn't even a glimmer in his Dad's eye. Before you non-sports-loving individuals leave to read a better written and more interesting blog let me implore you to stick around for a few more moments.

This was our Christmas card image back in 1998 when the Vikings went on a winning rampage. Early in 1999 they once again broke my heart by becoming the first 15-1 team to not reach the Super Bowl (much less win it). But during those wonderful months leading up to the playoffs, we were an excited family. Even Jessie got into the hoopla wearing her Chris Carter jersey every Sunday and putting up with Daddy "trying to make the TV mad" (of course it was the opposite but she was pretty smart just for suggesting it).

In 1998 Joan and I decided we'd mail out holiday cards with our own artwork - and she allowed me to come up with the theme. Little did we know that this would be our foray into professional printing and note card design. Believe it or not the finished product took a great deal of work. We took pictures of the three of us so I could develop caricatures. Those ended up being used to compose the pen and water color pencil image used above. Photoshop may have existed back then but we weren't aware of it nor could we afford it so no screw ups were allowed!

Card stock wasn't readily available either but we found some 8 1/2 x 11 paper that folded nicely into a roughly 4 x 6 envelope. The bottom line is that it worked. Even though most all of our friends follow other teams they enjoyed the humorous surprise.

I say all this for two reasons...okay maybe three. If you are of a young age and choosing a favorite sports team let me suggest some that you might want to steer clear of including the Vikes. Secondly I will unveil this year's SoulShine Christmas card collection tomorrow! We are all very proud of the artwork since one is almost exclusively Ben's. And thirdly, if you want a cartoonish caricature of you or your family for some artwork in the future then please get in touch with me! I'll be honest - it was one of the most fun art projects I've ever done!

Laughter

That was the name Joan gave to a photograph she took of Ben & Jessie back in 2002. She tried to once again capture one of those moments this past spring but failed to duplicate it in black and white - I think she did a marvelous job though in color.

These were another collection of gems hidden in our archive of digital shots misplaced but not forgotten. My wife has a gift with photography that I don't. I can capture some really cool shots of landscapes and abstract designs. Ask me to do portraits and I turn into a kindergartner with an SLR.

Honest to God I wish I could compose those "human" moments but I'm jelly when it comes to the lens and bodies. The same goes for painting portraits although I think I could do much better with a brush in hand rather then a Sony.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy these really cool photos taken by my artistic wife - yeah, she'd say it was lucky. I know better!

The Beginning

While browsing through some old images in search of artwork to use in this year's Christmas card collection I found these pictures of Ben taken during his three-month stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Given that he is now a little over a month past his tenth birthday I find these photos so very important to our family now. Those 90 days or so were the opening chapters of our new life of exceptional living. To say we've come a long way over the last decade is an overwhelming understatement.

For a long time I couldn't look at any of these without shedding tears. Those three months hold some of the most difficult days of our lives. Trying to maintain some kind of balance between keeping a "normal" family experience for Jessie and learning a whole new "exceptional" existence with Ben was a juggling act not for the feint of heart. In fact those props continue to fly back and forth between the two parents still trying to keep that circus act going.

The picture above was most likely taken the night before we brought Ben home (note the lack of any type of IV port). At the time he required continuous oxygen, 24/7 pulse & O2 saturation monitoring, trache care (still doing that), tube feeding (still on that one as well), and a whole slew of medicines to administer throughout the day either by nebulizer or his G-Tube (ditto again but not quite as much). Even though we would have a nurse around the clock the first few weeks at home we were required to care for Ben by ourselves for 24 hours before being released from the hospital.

This is one of the first pictures taken of Ben. October 18th, 1999 was exactly one week before he dealt with the first of several bouts with RSV. In the early morning hours of October 25th we were called to the hospital to say goodbye to him. Ben had other plans.

Even as a preemie Ben had his share of fat rolls. At the time (mid-November) his geneticist was very busy trying to identify some type of syndrome that he might have. Joan and I weren't convinced we were dealing with anything other than a premature birth. Now having a great deal of knowledge under our belts we can see the obvious signs that Ben had a genetic problem.

A little fighter rests up after his "one stop surgery shopping" experience. Early December Ben had a tracheostomy, a feeding tube inserted, and two hernias repaired in one afternoon. He was so tiny and yet he would still have more trips to the hospital in the coming months due to illnesses, hydracephalus, and a cleft repair.

Bones

We went to Ben's orthopedist Friday. If you've not been following along for awhile let's just say this particular doctor would either make an excellent politician or a champion of casual summer footwear. The guy has flip-flopped almost every single visit in regards to surgery on Ben's hips.

Saturday Ben's most recent primary nurse stopped by for a visit. Vickie happened to be with me in January when we last saw the Bone Doc so it was good to have her back me up since Bone Doc is singing a new tune.

In his defense Bone Doc does have some significant worries; mainly how Ben would do under general anesthesia. Although he's never had any problems in his previous dozen or so "lights out" experiences this one will require a much more lengthy time "down under"... like up to six hours. It just so happened that Ben had a tad of congestion at the end of last week which was not the case last winter. Last winter BD was all like, "Hey, he's so strong now we might just to this operation before Ben is fifteen - we'll just delay it until he starts showing pain when his hips dislocate," which they often do.

Evidently Bone Doc is now waiting on his replacement once he retires to make the call on not when but rather if the corrective measure is taken. Fortunately after about 10 days of positioning Ben gently due to obvious pain somewhere around his pelvis he's finally returned to baseline (normal).

The angle of the picture above doesn't adequately present the posture problems Ben faces. Essentially he has what is called a "windswept" growth pattern around his pelvis and related joints. Add in a profound case of scoliosis and we have a young lad with an S-shaped body structure. As you can see in the photo his left leg folds up under his right one - this has become "normal" for Ben...and it's something that we've worked hard to slow down. Ben has worked even harder at it.

So it was a pleasant surprise to watch Ben today at occupational and physical therapies. In fact it was pretty incredible given that it has been almost a month since he's been able to attend his out-patient appointments. Not only was he cooperative and exhibited no noticeable signs of pain, we all agreed that he had one of his best therapy sessions ever!

The strange and unexpected continues in living our lives with Ben. And the emotional roller coaster keeps letting us off at a safe departure place rather than flying off the tracks.

Ben & Bennie

I thought I'd share my newest favorite picture taken last night. We've had a great weekend complete with a tween spend the night party, several good football games, popcorn, homemade boiled peanuts, and a much fun lunch visit from Me-Ma this afternoon. We couldn't be more thankful!

We hope your family had just as much fun.

On the Palette

Raw Sienna: It's mid November in the South and temperatures say it is Spring! Honestly I couldn't be happier. Today I'm wearing shorts since the highs reached the low 80s which is a good thing since we had a slew (okay three) tween girls left over from Jessie's sleep over last night.

Ben obviously stayed up with them since his room is adjacent to our den which has our loud television, near our kitchen which has the much used microwave, and very close to his HP Touch Screen computer which most likely played pop videos well into Saturday morning. He was lethargic most of the day unless we mentioned Jessie's little entourage. Then we got huge sleepy smiles.

Only one casualty was reported. Joan had to drive home one of the girls at 5 this morning due to an overdose of junk food and soda. Note to self: buy non-caffeine sodas next time we host that many kids.

Brilliant Blue: The regular readers may notice that given the challenge of NaBloPoMo I have missing entries for a couple of days. The truth is that I wrote blog posts but removed them shortly afterward. All but one were politically charged and to be frank I am very tired of the political dialogue in this country.

One of the entries made it to Facebook and I made a promise to not engage others there regarding hot topics which will not lead to civil discussions. Too bad because several friends of mine who have differing opinions about our current situation became angry for a variety of reasons. This upsets me a great deal because it is a perfect example of what is happening within our country at the moment - we are imploding from within.

Of all things I despise is when folks pull the religious quotes/sayings/folk-lore for their benefit. Regardless of whether you are an atheist or not (and I know some of our friends happen to be so) you cannot ignore the most overlooked and ignored of The Ten Commandments which in the least sense offers incredible advice: love your neighbor as yourself.

I raise my hand to admit that I am one of those who is most often quick to make a (wrongful) judgment about someone because I might disagree with you. How very wrong of me. How very wrong of all of us to just sometimes shut the hell up and listen to the other side...whatever the other side may be.

My personal feeling is that we are at another crossroads - similar to the one that ended the 1960s. The hope here is that education and memory will make many of us pause before we become so angry that we no longer listen to the real pulse of The United States of America.

Medium Magenta: I still have some interesting photos from my last two shows. For those in the Savannah market I will be down there for Christmas on the River the first weekend of December. Look for some more artwork you might consider as a gift in the next few days!

Art & Verterans Day

Today we pause to honor those who have fallen or continue to serve as defenders of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. No matter your opinion about whether or not our country should be involved in two wars at the moment the fact remains that we have hundreds of thousands of men & women of all races and creeds far away from family and friends putting their lives on the line for me, you, and everyone else who pledges allegiance to the United States of America. Millions more have made the same sacrifice in years and wars past.

Today I will say a prayer for our soldiers. I will read about their stories. I will give thanks for your bravery and courage. And in keeping with the theme of our blog I will share a story of how art can provide healing, bonding, and power to those who have seen the darkest of our humanity.

Peace to each and every one of you.

He is Totally Cool!

Sorry but it has been a busy day. The seminar was awesome and I now have faith in one particular agency in the state of South Carolina. There are some incredibly smart folks in that organization that know how to distribute their funds. Unfortunately we can't say the same for the agencies that distribute the state and federal funds within our counties, schools, universities, non-profits, etc.

From Washington (GA) to Kiawah

Yes, you read that correctly. After a busy weekend in the lovely community of Washington, Georgia I drove 4 hours to Kiawah Island, SC. Tomorrow I drive into Charleston for a workshop about writing government art grants. Joan and the kids were kind enough to let me stay an extra day to relax and enjoy at least half the day here at the beach. It's the first time I've been down here by myself in over ten years. I plan on doing some photography for painting ideas and of course sitting on the back porch with a bottle of wine watching the sun go down.

Tomorrow look for a recap of the weekend. I discovered a hidden treasure about halfway between Athens & Augusta, Georgia. If you're in the mood for a bed & breakfast weekend off the beaten path then get acquainted with the small historic town where I spent this past weekend!

Taxidermy and Hopeful Parents

As usual on the seventh of each month we're over at Hopeful Parents! Go visit HP today while I work the art festival in Washington, Georgia where the best taxidermist has his shop right on the downtown square. He even takes American Express. I shit you not and have the pictures to prove it. Come back for more NaBloPoMo.

Family Scrapbook

While scouring for an idea to write about today I thought I'd go back and check my files to see if there was some old piece I'd written that was forgotten, tucked away in that folder where good blog ideas don't get finished or just aren't fitting for that moment in time. Lucky me I found one!

It's little bittersweet since the coolness of autumn has arrived. I wrote this at the end of our family (and I mean extended family) vacation back in June. Those few days with my mom, brothers, nephew, and nieces are a treasured memory.

As you will read Blair, my youngest brother, and his tribe will be heading to England soon to begin work on his doctorate. It will require them being away for at least two years so that brief reunion back in June will have to serve as the first page of our family scrapbook. Also this entry is fitting since (at least in the United States) November is the time to reflect upon thankfulness. Hope you enjoy!

I’m writing this as we’re wrapping up a brief reunion with my brothers’ families. My youngest brother Blair, sister-in-law Lisa, and their four girls will be leaving for England later this summer for two years to earn his Doctorate in Divinities. Cameron and “Young” Cameron were here from Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the week. Despite recently cutting ties to a large law firm and finally setting up his own law practice, the middle brother and the lone nephew on my side of the family we’re able to hang out with the rest of us at my mom’s beach house on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Unfortunately my wife (work), Cameron’s wife Sheri and my other niece and Godchild, Caroline (varsity cheerleading tryouts), weren’t able to attend even though the many phone calls over recent days let us know where their hearts were. I relate this information to you for two primary reasons, neither of which is to make any of you jealous that basically we leave for home today after a wonderful sun & fun-filled, sandy, relaxing beach vacation.

In the middle of what sometimes seemed like a three ring circus was the exceptional cousin, Ben. The Lion Tamer whether he knew it or not was the main focus of attention. In ring number one we had the Little Evie Act. The youngest of the Waddell clan entertained the crowd with antics only a 19-month-old toddler can muster. Misspoken words, dancing with abandon, and demands to return to her new “throne” (Ben’s wheelchair) kept the masses in stitches.

On the far side of the arena The Three Stooges (the three brothers) had children surfing in the waves, building sandcastles (okay, actually pig sculptures and barnyard critters), and generally making fools of themselves playing Pictionary’s Disney version. While much more rowdy and foolish nothing they did could compare to the magnetism of the center ring. The huge smiles, the gibberish sounding coos, the arms stretching for hugs - the other acts within this family circus just couldn’t compete. Young cousins and one big sister wrestling over time spent with The Lion Tamer made the Ring Master one happy grandma!

There is nothing more special than the unconditional love that exudes from Ben but the acceptance and understanding of those who love him most comes pretty close! We are very blessed to have the family that we have: mine and Joan’s. We’ve had tremendous support from so many friends over the past nine years but nothing compares to what is truly a constant in Ben’s life: family.

Ben At Work

Ben had a dear friend come to visit today. Nurse Stacey hasn't been able to work too many hours with Ben recently but today was a day we'd been looking forward to since she was scheduled to take care of him. Stacey has been the only nurse to facilitate his desire to paint since Vickie took a new job.

On top of that another nurse (Tracy) came to orient (learn about Ben) so that she can possibly be a part of Ben's care giving team. Nothing can be more fun than to show off one's artistic abilities! He's obviously feeling much better because it showed in the return to his flirtatious jovial talkative personality.

Given that my last show of the year is this weekend, I have a full plate of "Ben paintings" waiting for me in the studio upon my return...including this newest one. Check back with us often as I complete some of Ben's masterpieces!

Working with his favorite color. Notice his head leaning toward the right. We suspect this is intentional posturing to use the right side of his brain - the creative side.

When Ben is painting he will pause for awhile, lean his head to the right, and think about the next few hand strokes he will be making. Once the decision has been made he begins talking almost incessantly pausing to laugh every once in awhile.

Ben paints using both hands. The fingers of his right hand will spread out while he pushes it using his left hand. Essentially his left hand is "holding the brush" which happens to be his right hand. Note the lack of paint on the back of Ben's left hand at the top of this entry and the accumulation of paint on the right side of his hand above.

Once again he becomes very animated. It was interesting to note that he put his hands toward his face only once today. If you recall in past creative sessions Ben would often put his paint-caked fingers in his mouth while he thought. This is an obvious sign (at least to us) that our son's cognitive abilities are continuing to expand.

More friends participating in NaBloPoMo:

Down to Earth Mama

NaBloPoMo

Most likely only a few of you will understand what the title means and I will get to that in just a moment. Since many of you continue to inquire about Ben I'm happy to report that he finally had a fairly good day. He attended school and even participated in his therapy sessions. For the time being Motrin and Advil are our dear friends.

As with most ailments and problems associated with with our son, inevitably they boil down to a process of elimination. Since there are no noticeable breaks, fractures, or internal structural damage the theory now points to inflammation due to either his fall or the expected growth of his hip joints in an abnormal fashion.

Regardless this situation can actually turn into something very positive for Ben's quality of life. We know already that within the next few years he will have corrective surgery to eliminate the "windswept" look of his hip and pelvic region. Our sign to start preparing for this is when Ben shows increased pain or no tolerance for repositioning him in an effort to achieve a more comfortable sitting posture. The expectation was that this would occur in his early to mid teens; not when he was ten and currently not the Year of the Swine! So there are still plenty of worries for us.

Now you may have noticed that this happens to be the fourth day in a row that I've posted a blog entry. Considering that I've probably averaged one and a half posts a week in recent months dear reader may wonder what's going on. November has traditionally been National Blog Posting Month (hence the clever acronym in the title). I've always wanted to participate but felt a little too challenged to come up with a post for thirty straight days. Plus in recent years I've continued my show season well into the month of November which made the chances of achieving that goal improbable. Well it just happens that I will conclude my show season this weekend giving me roughly two or three entries to prepare ahead of time or finding a guest blogger willing to pinch hit for me in the next few days.

There is an actual website about this challenge but as of the moment I still haven't been given access and most likely won't be able to add A Work of Art to their blogroll. It honestly doesn't matter. The bottom line is that this is a personal challenge - not unlike someone taking up running or biking to participate in a race. Unless you are a professional there is no winner. Achieving a "personal best" is the victory.

So with that explanation I hope you'll visit often this month. My plan is to provide some interesting stories from this past art festival season, informative memories about Ben & Jessie, preparations for art shows in 2010, and the ever changing always unpredictable happenings surrounding Ben's family.

PS: If you are also participating in NaBloPoMo then let me know. Through out the month of November I will have a list of blog friends that accept the challenge so you can quickly check their link!

Down to Earth Mama

Touch Smart Magic!

Finding Nemo was Ben's first theater experience. He enjoyed it until he finally dozed off about halfway through. When Cars came out we knew Ben would have to see it in person even though it was chancy knowing that when his senses are overloaded he has a tendency to shut down - as in close his eyes and go to another world. As it turned out Ben was more of our entertainment than the movie!

The hip issues are still there even though X-Rays tell us all is okay at the moment. Keeping a steady dose of Motrin rotating with Advil seems to keep him comfortable enough to go about business as usual. Since he sees his regular orthopedist next Friday we'll have to make some tough calls about school, therapies, and other activities until then.

For now enjoy Ben enjoying his most favorite possession: his HP Touch Smart Computer. One day our not-so-little boy will be able to thank Aunt Casey in person - at least that is a huge wish of ours...

"Hello Monday...It's good to see you too."

This was a direct quote from Joan about 2 & a half hours ago. It was uttered dripping with sarcasm as she cleaned up a spot in the carpet after the cat hacked up a hairball in the doorway to our bedroom. Shortly before this Joan had led a queasy exhausted Jessie into our bedroom to take comfort from her dad after a night of almost throwing up. As Jess crawled into our bed my wife was careful to keep the mattress from spreading more waves of nausea over to me since I'd tossed and turned all night with my own stomach issues. At least someone or rather something had finally barfed.

A few minutes later Joan would greet Nurse Dee to explain why Ben looked like he'd been in a Saturday night bar brawl. Although Dee has proven to be a trusted care-giver of our son she is still fairly new to the family. If there was an inkling of an urge to pick up the phone and report Ben's parents to local authorities as child abusers Joan wanted to nip that in the bud right away.

Of course that conversation was followed by a discussion about the possibility that Ben injured his fragile hips in the Halloween Bungee Jump off the couch sans the bungee. After careful consideration of all the circumstances the conclusion was made to keep Ben home from school today and cancel therapy for tomorrow. Who knew a severely physically challenged child could be so clever as to participate in Extreme Sports?

And poor Joan: up with Jessie much of the night with zero help from hubby facing a day at the office meeting with auditors. Good times people, good times! In golf, players use the term "mulligan." If you're unfamiliar with the word it basically means "do over." Yank your first drive off the tee into the duck pond on 18? "Hey guys, I didn't get a chance to warm up so I'm gonna try that one again."

In an Andy Rooney-esque fashion I'd like to make a suggestion to God (or whatever Lords of the Universe you might choose to believe in): I think we all deserve a mulligan on Monday morning every now and then.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

The last 24 hours haven't been the best Ben has had in quite a while. Late last night I gathered my boy into my arms on our sofa to spend the last waking moments of Halloween in a snuggle fest. When I got up to head off to bed I didn't expect Ben to try and follow me. He did.

You wouldn't think falling 30 inches on one's face would cause such a distressful mess but when you can't react to protect yourself from accidents you are open to all kinds of injuries. Both me and Joan are feeling awful for not being more alert.

Ben still had his glasses on and the inner corner made a ghastly looking gash next to his right eye. To add injury to insult we think Ben may have hurt his hip - a situation we had already been concerned about. Let me rephrase that: extremely concerned about.

There is a bunch on our collective plate at the moment and none of it is very tasty. I'll fill the blanks in over the next few days but our week may get busy due to this being the last show weekend of the year. Add to that agenda that I'd really like to participate in the annual blog fest of posting every day in November...I'd say it was a bad month to start.

I'll have much more to blog about tomorrow...when we feel better about Ben.