June Cleaver day

I felt like June Cleaver today. I made cookies, cleaned the tub and its accessories, did laundry, and made a really interesting meal, Moroccan Orange Chicken with Couscous. I did all dishes between and after each mess/meal. My house is in hand. It feels good!

However, when it comes to relaxing this evening, I'm not like June. While she'd spend the evening darning the Beaver's socks as Ward reads interesting news articles to her, I'd like to watch a psychological thriller, like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, or What Lies Beneath. But it's CSI night, and I'll be watching that with David. Actually, they're pretty interesting, if I can endure the icky body stuff...

A typical evening

Noah's watching an old Johnny Quest episode. I really liked this show as a girl; David loved it! He wanted to grow up into Dr. Benton Quest, a scientist-explorer. (He kinda did.) I wanted to be Hadji. (Or at least a tom-boy version of him.)

This is part of our average evening. After dinner, Noah does homework, then cello practice at seven. Following a good thirty minutes of practice, I give him free time til eight. That's when we head upstairs for tooth-brushing and a bath (if need be, about three times a week). From 8:15-8:30, I read to him. We wrap up with prayers and kisses and I put on his Suzuki CD. I try to be out of the room by 8:35. (He has to rise at 6:30am.)

Well, Johnny Quest is over. Time for the bedtime ritual. (And then comes Mom's free-time!)

They (didn't) call me Stephanie

I had a colonoscopy this morning. That could be my main topic. But no, I learned something more interesting today. (The colonoscopy's findings were normal, by the way.)

Just before I was knocked out for the surgery, the doctor and I found we had the same problem: we were given first names that were not used. We were called by our middle names. Like P. John Smith, instead of Peter J. Smith. And all our lives we've heard, "What's the P for?" This required a lengthy explanation that was fun to give the first three times. And then, like a woman asked - for the twentieth time - what her due date is, it got old. But pregancy ends. This doesn't.

I told Dad about this, mentioning the middle names of my doctor and his twin. They were from a 1960's TV show, and Dad laughed at this. Then I asked him, "Who came up with the name, *******?"


"I did." he said, and went on, " I thought it was a very nice name. You see, there was this girl down the street named *******. She was a tomboy - she could play baseball as good as or better than any of the boys in the neighborhood. And when you're eight or nine, that's pretty impressive. You hold a girl like that in high regard." Her last name was Gotloeb. So, here, after all this time thinking I was named the feminine version of my grandfather's name, I wasn't. I was named after a Jewish tomboy my dad knew as a kid. What a sweet little nugget of family history that was. I'm so glad I asked!



As for the riddle of my burbling bowels, that has yet to be worked out. I've been having regular diarrhea, stomach cramping and bloating for a month now. I had such painful cramps a week after this started that I went to the doctor. I thought it was a virus. But he decided I should see a GI doctor. That Dr wanted to start the investigation with a colonoscopy. Oddly, an x-wray on the day of the awful pain showed that I was "extremely" constipated. I will insert a visual now, to show how bad it was, even though I was also having diarrhea at the time.





See that lavender-colored snaky thing, with the bumps? That's the colon, ending in the anus. See the wiggly thing on the bottom left, at the beginning of the colon? That's the appendix. Now, go up to the first bend in the colon, and about 4-5 bumps across. That's where I was backed up to. That's "extremely constipated." The GP's main concern was that I might have a partial blockage, which only allowed liquid through, thus the diarrhea. But the GI doc thought not. And I can tell you, after doing "bowel prep" last night, I most certainly am not constipated.

I will see my GI doc soon, and discuss my situation further then. Meanwhile, my internet research brings me to two possibilities : Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Celiac Disease. Here are my syptoms:

Diahhrea
Constipation
Bloating, cramping stomach pain
Unexplained weight loss over the course of nine months

It seems some foods "trigger" my stomach aches -

• pizza
• lentils
• onions

I've begun to avoid gas-producing foods, such as broccoli, cauliflower, beans, and cabbage. I'm so afraid of getting sick, I've just written them off. I cut dairy out 3 months ago, to see if I was lactose-intolerant, and my terrible gassiness stopped. So that's something.

I just wish I had some answers, though I am very relieved I don't have polyps or diverticulosis. I love nuts, and couldn't eat them if I had divert.

Noah performed at our city orchestra's music hall this weekend. We were all very excited to hear our little virtuoso! He clowned around with his friends before the lights went down, but then sat remarkably still. He waited and listened to the violins, the violas, and the violins again. And then - it was time for the cellos! Up he marched with the other children, finding his instrument, safely parked where he left it. Out with the endpin, up with the bow, and waiting for his teacher's prompt to begin... he was off! Bowing away in unison with the others, some older, some younger. They were all very serious, to be sure. And how we all clapped when they finished! Soon, all the strings were on, singing - occasionally squeeking - us into swells of parental pride. Were there ever such talented children anywhere else on the face of the earth?

And then we went to Friendly's, where Noah appropriately dripped chocolate sauce onto his dress shirt. After all, he had kept it clean and tucked in until then.







Fans, left to right, Aunt Bev, David, Ben, Papaw, Bubbe, and Nanny







Pre-concert silliness calms the nerves. L-R: Isaiah, Noah, and Jamison










Serious musicians











Noah with Miss Barb











Proud parents, David and Jill, with their small cellist

a floral walkabout

I had the most pleasant time with blooms and foliage yesterday. I had to capture the joy...

My neighbors azaleas. I think this is the best color. It's old-fashioned, like my heart.









Again, the neighbor's flowers. I don't know their name, but they were so sweet and unpretentious, I had to add them to my collection.











My clematis, not sure of the variety, but I like them because they remind me of pink dogwood.
They have overtaken one of our mission arborvitae. I think it is demurely pleased to be so elegantly clothed.









More clematis...










Clematis buds, quietly waiting for their debut...










Couldn't resist one more shot. Isn't the little purple bud dear?









Holly - their blossoms, so often overlooked, deserve som attention. Faint pink and white, jutting their pollen out on stalks. Come, bees, for a tasty appetizer!







I always enjoy these bright, white little flowers. They remind me of edelweis. They're probably weeds, which is all the more reason to capture them. Persistent and lovely - shouldn't we take a lesson?






Ah, the majestic purple iris. This has been one of my favorite annuals, since 1986. It required a showcase indoors.

March 2010

David and I were married 25 years ago this last March. Our family threw us a party to celebrate, complete with a silver-trimmed cake and many silver gifts.












Sarah, Jill, David, and Rebekah, March 2010










A sweet sentimental gift from my mom - the sterling silver candlesticks she used for about 40 years.









Then a caravan of us headed down to VA to see Rebekah in the play, An Inspector Calls. It was a morality play set in about 1912 Britain. It was so good! Of course, Rebekah shined! Afterwards, her director and teacher for 4 years took David and me aside. He told us that she was the best acting student he'd ever had, that there was never anything artificial when she was in character. Wow!





Our lovely Rebekah, as Sheila, a newly-engaged upper-class young lady













The adoring fans - L-R: Nanny (Winifred), Papaw (John), Ben, Rebekah, David, Jill, Noah, Grandpa (Gary), Erin, and Grandma Brenda

What a busy month we've had! It all started with Noah's Book 1 Suzuki cello recital. I enjoyed getting the house ready for this musical soiree. I laid out cookies, fresh vegetables, nuts, crackers, and hot herbal tea, as well as coffee. I also collected various bloom from our yard, and put them in the candle vases I have. I thought they looked very nice for the occasion. His teacher, Miss Barb arrived early so that she and Noah could brush up on his encore, as duet of French Folk Song. Soon all the guests arrived - David's parents, "Nanny" and "Papaw, my parents, "Bubbe," "Grandpa" and "Grandma Brenda." Also, my sister, Gayle, her son, Michael (Noah's best friend), my brother, Steve, and my two little sisters, Erin and Robin, plus their guys, Brian and BJ. And of course David, Ben, and me. So it was a nice gathering, but not overwhelming. And of course, we were an easy crowd to work, clapping for most any little thing. And some big things, like Minuet #2, or Happy Farmer.
Next came Easter, and then a very big event: Noah's learning to ride a bike! He and David put it all together, and then, 2 weeks later, off came the training wheels! Noah learned in a snap. He's enjoying his bike so much now. I just took him to the park today.

In the midst of all the busy-ness, I did get a picture of the back yard from our balcony. I'll nver tire of all the color - the dogwoods, redbuds, and azaleas all blooming at the same time.