Wow, It's the last day of July...

Is summer over? Clouds are here, cool breezes blowing, leaves on the maple tree are turning orange...I'm not ready for fall, yet. Global warming where art thou?

We love Wii..

Nathan did his part to stimulate the economy by purchasing a Wii recently. It is great for someone who has disabilities like he does. It can be done with one hand, it can be set up for left or right handed players. It can be played by one person. The set up instructions are not complicated. The games (baseball, golf, tennis, boxing, and bowling) are simple, but can be made harder. They are especially good for eye-hand coordination exercise. They give instant feedback plus a replay of each action. He can operate the whole system by himself from memory and can choose his own games. We are very pleased with the Wii and plan on buying some more games for it. Thank you to the designers of the Wii for making a product that can be used by a person with very limited mobility and cognitive deficits, a product that brings hours of joy.

Only in the Pacific Northwest...

I think this may be the only place where you can put on a sweatshirt and drink hot chocolate in July. That's what I'm doing right now. As a native of this area, it still amazes me that in the middle of summer, it can be this cool and dreary. Looking on the bright side, I won't have to water anything today!

I never cease to be amazed...

Today I took dad to the new out-patient laboratory for Good Samaritan Hospital. It is located several blocks from the hospital in a brand new building. The grand opening is tomorrow. The building is located on a narrow street filled with construction vehicles due to the hospital expansion going on in the area. Parking is plentiful, there is a parking garage under the building. Please keep in mind that this 3 story building is full of doctor's offices in addition to the lab. The door to the main entrance does not have the automated features for those with handicaps. It is very heavy and not particularly wide. I had dad and his walker to manuever through it. I am now dreading taking Nathan and the wheelchair next week. The elevator seemed crowded, not very deep, another challenge when I bring Nathan. To get to the lab there is a very heavy door to go through, again no automated features, followed by a hard right and another heavy door into the lab waiting room. There is also another heavy door to be navigated into the drawing area. Why so many doors and why so heavy and where are the automated door openers? This is a new medical building, shouldn't there be some consideration given for those with walkers and wheelchairs, not to mention young mothers with little children in strollers and in tow?
Why are medical facilities designed to be unfriendly to those with disabilities? I think it should be a requirement that the designers of these facilities visit them in a walker and a wheelchair and try to get around before the building is signed off by the building inspectors.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

...a little brown bunnie looking back at me. He hopped across the front yard. He hopped around a tree. And as he hopped away, I think I heard him say, "Ha, ha, you'll never catch me!"

Better watch out for the coyote little rabbit.

If you want to donate to a good cause...

My best friend, Pam McRea Seip, died in 2006 from complications due to a brain tumor. I miss her and think of her every day. Below is an email I received from her son, Craig, who is training to run in the Chicago Marathon in her honor.

Some of you know, many do not, that I am training for the Chicago Marathon, October 12, 2008. I am running on the team of the American Brain Tumor Association, in memory of my mother. Many of you were lucky enough to have known her: All of you know that she died in November 2006 from complications from a brain tumor. If you could support my run by giving a donation for the ABTA, I would be very grateful. There are surely many families who do not have the resources that mine did as we dealt with her illness, who rely on the ABTA for support.

I'm nearly up to 9 mile runs, and think of my mom even more as I run than I usually do, imagining her cheering me on as she did when I was a 17-year-old cross-country runner bringing up the rear of the race!

If you could pass my link to people who I do not even know...so that we can all further help the ABTA in their cause...I would be further humbled by your love and support.

Below is the link to my page.

Thanks and love,

Craig

http://www.active.com/donate/abta2008/craigseip

Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to Costco I go!

I decided today was the day for the trip to the big box store. They sent me some coupons which I diligently clipped and actually remembered to take with me. I also made a list that corresponded to the coupons, something I don't always do. Then it was off on the grand adventure. First stop was the aisle with the computer printer ink, not on the list, but a useful item. No ink refills for the Lexmark printer that I own and that I bought there. Things were not looking good, better get out the list. Quickly found that even with the coupons, the store brand was a better deal. Chatted with a few other customers on the detergent aisle who had also discovered this. Skipped the meat department and frozen food sections today, after all I was a woman on a mission with a list that didn't include those items. Managed to locate all the items that I had coupons for and only had to ask two clerks for help. My one personal splurge item was a book called The Friday Night Knitting Club, a nice lady looking at the books with me highly recommended it. I am now resting from the big adventure and all the boxes are still sitting in the family room waiting to be put away. This I will have to do soon as the missionaries are coming for dinner tonight. If you want to spend a lot of money in a short amount of time, I suggest a visit to Costco, and it's good exercise too.