Raising Painters II

Melanie working on a still life on the porch. Our favorite place to paint!

I'm an Auntie!

Abby Catherine was born on June 23. She's our first neice and my kids first first cousin! Congratulation Julie and Jason, we're so excited!!!

Happy Birthday, Mindy!!

A shout out to one of our collective favorite people in the world!! We love you!

Maters!

We have two tomatoes that are ripe enough to pick today! Our first successful growing adventure!

Ron Clark, My Hero

Not everyone gets a chance to meet their heroes. I, myself, have a short list. Ron Clark is one of them and I shook his hand last night. I also heard him speak. I will write more about him later but I ask that you take a few minutes and browse his website. The link is at the bottom of this page.
Watch the video of his class in South Africa. This guy's got it right!

Melanie's Family Portrait

Raising Painters

Summertime and fun with a box. Nuthin'wrong with this!

Going Under the Knife

I was advised to surgically remove the broken piece of cartilage that has lodged itself into my spinal column. I was advised by the surgeon, my chiropractor and a random woman at the gas station who had had the same surgery last year. I always look for random confirmation when I am making a big decision. So, after the kids go back to school in August, I'll do it.

I am relieved to know what's making my legs numb. I don't like the feeling. I am no longer in acute pain, but I am uncomfortable. I am certainly restricted. Tomorrow I get to visit the GYN, because it's doctor visit week in the Coulter house. I am thrilled. I'll have to remember things and answer questions. I hate that.

Muggs is doing good. His finger is still attached. He also goes to the dr. tomorrow to get a tetanus shot (I hear you , Mindy!) for it was a rusted, soiled hedge clipper! Who knows what's growing inside him....

On a brighter note, I get to go to a party for Ron Clark on Wed night. He's quite a guy. He co-founded the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. He's an educator of the future and I totally dig him. Muggs and I are going to a party to raise $$ for one student to attend for one year. It's at his boss's house, he and Ron are buddies. So I get to schmooze and hopefully crack a joke or two. Check out his website.
Visit http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/ron_clark_academy/home_nonflash.asp

We're going to try to have a low key day tomorrow. I'm working on a painting for my chiropractor and loving the therapy. Later!

Father's Day

The past couple of days have been relatively uneventful. We've been going to the pool a lot and I've been taking it easy, getting massages and such. I have an apointment tomorrow with the neurosurgeon to see what's really up with my back. Hopefully nothing too serious. It's definately better. Chiropractic is amazing! I don't know what I'd do without Dr. Lili. She has saved me so many times, and she is incredibly compassionate.

Our favorite priest left our church today. Fr. Casmir has been an ispiration to us. He is full of the Holy Spirit, always smiling and joyful, always giving an encouraging word. It is really cool to be around people who are convicted and so sure of the truth. There is no dualism in Fr. Casmir. He will be greatly missed.

To round out a perfectly lovely father's day, Muggs decided to trim the fir tree next to our porch. He borrowed the electric trimmer from our neighbor, and got up on the roof to take the top off the tree. He took his finger off instead. We spent the latter part of the day (7pm-midnight) at the ER while he got sedated, x-rayed and 7 stitches in his left birdie finger. Happy Father's Day, Muggsy! Then he locked the keys in the car and had to call a locksmith. Oh yeah, and I ran over Emma's foot in the harried ER trip. Didn't do damage, just black tire marks on her flip flops and the side of her foot. What a day!

Battle of the Bulge

No, it's not (just) the 20lbs I need to lose, it my L4 and L5 discs that are bulging and herniated! I am officially wounded. No more painting for a while, no more hard labor period. I am doing PT and will talk to my doctor next week about options. It really sucks getting old. I finally understand what Mindy means when she explains that her exercise regimen gives her longevity of movement. It's not about looking hot in a bikini anymore. It's about being able to freakin walk.

So I have these really cool pictures of my innards and I'm letting you all know that if we're ever starving to death and you have to eat me, there's some great looking beef around my lower back, so start there.

I guess it's time to rev back up and get my intervals and diet in check again. That means my therapist, Mindy, is going to have to take my calls again. She's so damn expensive! Seriously, checking in with a buddy is the best way to stay on track. When I don't call, I don't do what I should. It's really immature, but it's like when a kid puts his hands over his eyes and thinks no one can see him. She knows I'm eating that cupcake!

Well, it's off to bed with my 15 pillows and my oxycodone. Nighty night!

Vacation Bible School

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Sorry, I had to clean my keyboard. Someone was typing with sticky fingers...yuk!
Today we began our week of VBS, also known as vacation bible school. Those three words once raised hairs on the back of my neck. I thought VBS was mind-control-Chinese-torture when I was a kid. I wouldn't be caught dead with the dorks I knew who went to VBS.
Things change. My kids have been going for years and they absolutely love it. Matching t-shirts, learning all the hand motions to the songs, meeting new friends...it's a blast. I am working this year in the craft room with Jessica (that's her cuttin coups in the picture)and we have a pot of coffee and lots of fun getting to know the kids who breeze in and out our door. So that's our week this week.
At least that's the kids' week. I may have different things to look forward to. I had an x-ray today of my back and there are two vertebra smooshed together. Apparantly there is supposed to be a pillow between them. We don't know where my pillow is. I am having an MRI tomorrow afternoon to find the pillow. I am looking forward to finding out what's going on, but not so sure about the treatments. Of course surgery is always an option, but who wants that?! I guess some shots could help the pain, but will they fix the problem? I don't

Julianna made dinner for us. She's going to be a great chef someday!

Six Degrees

Remember that movie Six Degrees of Separation? It has always stayed with me and my theory of the universe. Today I was on the table getting a massage from Emily when I tell her about another friend who has a mother in law who is a healing woman from Belgium. Emily stops and says "you're kidding, what's her name?" Madeline. "I grew up with Madeline, I was in her wedding." We're in Woodstock. I met Madeline at a party at Mindy's house near Chattanooga, and Madeline lives outside of my hometown, Rutledge. Damn, it's a small world!

Stuff like that makes me feel safe. Someone Else has got this all organized for me, I just have to plug in and hang on!

My back still hurts and I'm going to lay down. (Emily's great but this time I've really done it)As soon as I get batteries in my camera I'm going to upload some photos. After my nap.

Unbearable Likeness of Backache

My back went out last week. Did I mention that already? I've taken lots of meds and gone to the chiro, but no relief yet. I have a recurring issue with my lower back, possibly related to carrying, birthing, and hauling 5 kids and their stuff for the past 12 years. I don't know how people start families in their mid thirties. My sister in law, Julie (not Knoxville Julie) is having her first baby in a couple of weeks, God bless her. She's almost my age. I hope she's in better shape than me, 'cause I'm beat up. She and Jason (Chris' brother) live in a cute little town in New Jersey and work in The City. They used to live in Hoboken and we loved to visit them there. We haven't been to their new house yet but Muggs (Chris' real name) is chomping at the bit to see his first niece. He wakes up thinking about her and when she's coming into the world. Jason and Julie are really educated. I think they know too much. When I had Emma I had never held a baby before. I was completely ignorant to all the things that could go wrong. It was a blessing. Sometimes I hear things on the news or radio or from a friend that I just can't let in. I have to cradle my psyche like an innocent life and try to keep it focused on good and viable progress, not fear. Sometimes that's really hard. I love the Internet. It gives me instant access to answers, which I cherish. On the flip side, it can innundate my life with useless information, "knowledge" and wasted time. The need for self control and discernment is at an all time high.

That said, my oldest, Emma, and I had a conversation about what we're selling. That sounds wierd but I believe that when we go out of our homes, we're always selling something. That is, if we're conscious and somewhat passionate people. The way we dress, we walk, talk, the things we do, the eye contact we do or don't make... all says something about who we are and where we are. I was explaining my theory to Emma today in response to her "mimick" dressing that has been going on for the past few months (Shorts getting shorter, tops getting tighter). She was able to think about what she was saying by her dress after we tredged through the sticky, stinky, burping muck of emotions for an hour (also known as a fight). She was compensating for her belief that her face was unattractive. She's going through puberty and I REALLY REMEMBER seventh grade. I hope she learns the skills of discernment and self awareness. I'm still working on those. If I could give her the gift of awareness I would wrap it really nicely and throw a party.

Goodnight.

First Day of Summer

In my mind today is the first day of summer. The first Monday we would usually be running off to school. My eyes popped open at 7:40am. Melanie followed at 7:50 and Andrew, Julianna, and Jack were next. Emma will sleep until dinnertime.

I'm sad and a little disappointed in myself. Last week my neighbor brought down a nest of baby birds for us to care for. They fell from a tree he had just cut down. They were so tiny, no feathers yet and of course I jumped to care for them. They lived for a week. There were two that seemed really healthy and promising. I had visions of teaching them to fly and them returning to my porch to feed over the year. I'm not Snow White apparantly. They all died two days ago and I still can't shake it! I failed at nurturing something. That's supposed to be my forte'. I suppose there's a lesson for me in there somewhere.

Luckily my kids and husband are all alive and well and we're going to have a great day hanging out, drinking lots of coffee and seeing a movie. It's either Iron Man or Indiana Jones. Nim's Island was outvoted (Sorry Melanie!). We have free movies three days a week at our local theaters over the summer so I'll get to catch up on the ones I missed this year. Bee Movie, Evan Almighty, Alvin the Chipmunks, Mr. Magorium, etc.

First it's a visit to the chiropractor to set my back straight. Apparantly logging is not the best activity for a tricky back. My mom's house was hit by a tornado a week back and we cleaned up her yard. I love chainsaws. I threw it out and have been really pathetic for a couple of days. Muggs (hubby) is really tired of me walking like his Mamaw and groaning. Not sexy!

Have a happy day!