Bloody Mary

This morning, I had my first meal since Wednesday night and I must say: did that taste good!!! I had one cracker with cheese spread! There was one more cracker with butter and jelly on the plate and a small container of yogurt, but I skipped those. Didn't want any hassle or nasty stuff to happen..
Half an hour later, I had my first cup of coffee. Sweetened with my favorite hazelnut splenda (thank you my friend!). It was cold by the time I could drink it (have to wait half an hour after a meal to have a drink), but it tasted like champagne.

I'm happy things are going rather smoothly. The nurse emptied the drain that comes from my stomach, in a glass container. Great.. just what I wanted to see: a Bloody Mary.. I'm glad they will free me from the drain tonight, because it was not that comfortable. The assistant surgeon passed by and he was happy to see me that chipper. I could go home tomorrow, but I asked to stay a couple of days longer, to make sure my diabetes is up and going.

I had some yogurt, poached fish and mashed potatoes for lunch. I had no trouble eating it. Of course I didn't finish my plate, but I do believe the amount I ate was plenty.

In the afternoon I had some pudding and another cracker.

For dinner, another cracker with cheese spread, some canned tangerines and coffee. I feel like a stuffed turkey..

Have a little faith

Your sister has left yesterday. Today, you're leaving for summer camp as well. I'm not too sure what to think of it. You and your peers are riding your bikes all the way to Olmen. That's far away.. Since you are not blessed with the best knees, I'm worried about the outcome. I know you.. you won't give in to the pain and you will keep going until you can't ride any more. I'm afraid you'll hurt your knees even more and the damage will be irreversible. Please be careful, okay? I'll try to have a little faith and rely on your sense of responsibility.

I'm sure you and your friends will have a great summer camp! You haven't missed one year of camp and this year won't be any different: fun, fun and more fun. Enjoy sweetie! See you in 10 days!

What a relief..

Yesterday morning at 8:15, they wheeled me into the surgery room. My table was set. Not for breakfast, but for my operation. I was no longer nervous and I was completely ready for it.

The operation lasted for 1.5 hours and I didn't wake up until 3 PM. I was told they were going to keep me in the recovery room overnight. Just to make sure my blood sugars behaved and there were no complications from the surgery.

I had no phone in the recovery room. Didn't feel like making phone calls either, although there were some people I wanted to hear. My night was.. well, how should I state it? Turbulent? My fingers were poked every hour. My blood sugars had never been this stable before!!! Numbers in the range of 130 - 165 mg/dl. That was amazing!

The surgeon came to see me and told me everything had gone according to plan. Good! What a relief! No complications so far. Let's keep it that way.

My sweet diabetes nurse stopped by twice. She's just the best. She's taking very good care of me..

This morning, an ambulance drove me back to the other building, where I have my room. I'll be staying in the hospital until July 15th. I'm glad the kids will be away on camp, so I won't need to worry about them.

Thank goodness for the Internet availability in the hospital. Where would I be without it?

Laugh as much as you breathe

You and your friend from boarding school are leaving for summer camp today. You are going to attend a sports camp in the Belgian Ardennes. In Durbuy, to be exact. You have been there before, when you were about 10 years old. It was your dream to go back there and now you have the opportunity. I hope you will have a wonderful time! Have loads of fun and don't forget to prank some jokes, will you?

As any child, Eva loves to get mail and postcards. Do feel free to send her some!

La Petite Merveille
t.a.v. Eva JOOS
Rue comte Th. D'Ursel 51
6940 DURBUY

Hugs for free

I love it when a friend comes up to you and hugs you for no particular reason. Just like that. Because they care. Because they love you. Because you're friends..

Hugs are important. Love and friendship are important. Without love or friendship this world would be a very cold place. Everybody needs to be loved and is able to give love to others. Whether you enjoy being cuddled or not, you have a choice. I don't think I would ever refuse a sincere hug..

Think twice

Today is the day. It's my last chance to run away and say: this is not for me! Deep down I know I'm doing the right thing at the right time. I know things can go terribly wrong. I counted that in. But I also know things might go just fine and I prefer to stick to that thought.

I'm excited.
I'm apprehensive.
I'm scared.
I'm happy.
I'm anxious.
I'm worried.
I'm cheerful.
I'm looking forward to my future.
I have faith.
I feel.. different.

You'd better think twice, is what many people tell me. They love to tell me horror stories about people who made the same choice. They warn me of the possible negative outcome. Trust me, I have considered all of their concern. In the end, it's my choice, it's my decision and it's my body. And that body needs help. Because I have many more years to enjoy..

Hold my hand

A tough period is coming up. I know what to expect, but then again, everybody is different. Some heal better than others. I hope the pain will be bearable and the results satisfying. I won't keep my hopes up too high, to prevent disappointment. We have no vacation planned this summer, for I need to stay around. Just in case.. I'm glad the children won't be here while I'm in the hospital. I won't be that entertaining and they don't need to see me suffer. They are going to have a great time, I'm sure they will. I'll text them every now and then, to let them know I'm fine.. Their goodnight kiss tonight was pretty emotional.. I'm sorry I'm putting them through this ordeal..

Please hold my hand..

Total strangers

You were complete strangers to me. Over the years, we grew closer and now, those strangers have become real friends. So unexpected, but so real. Last night, we met for dinner at the seaside. I wanted to see all of you before D-Day and you wanted to give me a good luck-hug. I missed Dr. G, but I know he was thinking of me. He was on my mind as well. He knows what I'm going through. He's been there himself. I know he'll help me through this ordeal, as will all of you. It's good to have you people around. Knowing that I can count on you, gives me a secure and warm feeling. And that's exactly what I need. Hope to give you a call soon, to let you know I'm doing just fine. That's all you want to hear for now..

If you know what I mean

When the night returns just like a friend
When the evening comes to set me free When the quiet hours that wait beyond the day Make peaceful sounds in me

Took a drag from my last cigarette

Took a drink from a glass of old wine

Closed my eyes and I could make it real

And feel it one more time

Can you hear it, babe

Can you hear it, babe

From another time

From another place

Do you remember it, babe

And the radio played like a carnival tune

As we lay in our bed in the other room

When we gave it away for the sake of a dream

In a penny arcade, if you know what I mean

If you know what I mean, baby
And here's to the songs we used to sing

And here's to the times we used to know

It's hard to hold them in our arms again

But hard to let them go

Do you hear it, babe

Do you hear it, babe

It was another time

It was another place

Do you remember it, babe

And the radio played like a carnival tune

As we lay in our bed in the other room

When we gave it away for the sake of a dream

In a penny arcade, if you know what I mean

If you know what I mean
If you know what I mean
If you know what I mean..

Neil Diamond..

A time bomb

My new insulin pump is really fast in giving its boluses. The ticking sound it makes while delivering insulin, can be compared to the sound of a time bomb. Something to remember when we decide to take the airplane to go on vacation. I'd better not bolus near customs, I guess..

Comin' up!

My second Blog Book has been printed and shipped. I'm so looking forward to The Sequel. Wow.. things go so fast! Last year, I had not even thought of writing a blog and now it's already been more than over one year that I post twice a day. I still enjoy the writing and my head is always full of ideas. It's a pleasure for me to read the book instead of reading on a computer screen. I'm still a fan of books and these books tell great memories. My memories, to be exact.

Blog2Print is a fast and easy way to have your stories printed and shipped. It's not cheap, but so aren't the stories. I'm looking forward to receiving the book. It'll be a true joy!

School's out for summer

I just realized school's out for summer. Two fantastic months lay ahead of us. Both children did great in school and now they can relax and have a good time. I'm sure they'll meet up with their friends at several occasions and we'll definitely have some sleep overs. There will be day trips and visits to amusement parks and BBQ's and beach days.

The girls are getting older though. When they used to be toddlers and even when they were 6th graders, they would get up early in the morning and go to bed at 7 PM. Since both of them are in highschool, they get to stay up later and tend to stay in bed longer. They like to hang out on the couch in their PJ's, watching their favorite shows on TV. We made a deal though: they have to help out in the household on a daily basis. They have learned how to cook, iron, vacuum the house, feed the pets, clear out the dishwasher, walk the dogs, .. It's not always their first option, but they know they have to do it. That's part of growing up. It will help them in their adult life. Both of them would like to go to college after highschool and live away from home. I'm a fan of that plan. It'll give them independence and a chance to make their own life.

But first, we'll enjoy the summer holidays. The school books have been ordered for the upcoming schoolyear so now they can go out and have a great time!

Careful

My foot is killing me.. There's no improvement whatsoever. On the contrary. Some days, that ankle is so painful, I can hardly walk. Stretching my left foot hurts big time, as is driving the car long distance.

I went to see the orthopaedist again, after the CT and bone scan. He told me there's nothing he can do. There's been a crack in the bone and that needs some time to heal. And how long will that be??? His answer wasn't what I expected: a year and a half.. Hello??? At the least! There's also the cyst in my foot, that is bugging me. I would love to take the dogs for a walk, but it's too hard to step on that foot while Inthe and Rebba pull their leashes to keep going.

What else can I do but lay back and be patient...

Positive reinforcement

Parents are very important in the life of a child. Especially in the days where the child is still depending on the parents for education, food and shelter. A parent can make or break a child. It is their job to help their children grow and become good adults. Not all parents are capable of raising their children the best way possible. Some even really suck.. while others do a terrific job.

I can honestly say we never lacked anything in our youth, financially speaking. A new winter coat every year, new school supplies every new schoolyear, plenty of food in the fridge and a fully equipped bedroom. We were not spoilt rotten, but we were not short of anything either. Materialism is one thing. Children like material things. They always want more. If there had been computers or cell phones in our days, I'm pretty sure we would have had one.

Emotionally speaking, my youth must have been quite different from the youth of my brother and sister. At least, that's how they see it. I can't say I had a good bond with either one of my parents, nor my siblings. We shared a house, but we didn't talk. At least not about things that mattered. I never learned to solve issues, because issues were not allowed. I never heard my parents say that they loved me. We didn't hug. Of course we kissed each other good night, until I reached a certain age. There certainly wasn't a warm emotional connection. It made me independent though. It made it a whole lot easier to let go. You can't miss what you didn't have, can you?

I love my children deeply, both of them. Although they are so different, I appreciate each one for who they are. We hug and kiss and cuddle all the time. I often tell them how wanted they are and how I love them. Never ever would I give up on them. I remember my mother-in-law telling me once, that she would still love her children, even if they were convicted for murder and serving time in jail. Because that's what mothers do. They love their children unconditionally. No buts, no ifs, no conditions. Just unconditional love between a mother and her child..

I'm so lucky to have people around me, that love me for who I am. They don't condemn me for making mistakes. They still love me, even when I don't do what they expect me to do. I don't have to live up to their standard, for I can be me at all times. What a gift.. I feel blessed..

LBD and KHH

It must have been ages ago, when I last bought a little black dress and killer high heels.. I see my oldest daughter in her first little black dress and she looks stunning. She's a popular girl. Intelligent, articulate, slim, good looking, ship shape. She keeps saying she's not interested in having a family of her own. No husband, no children, no pets. She likes having boyfriends though. And the like is both ways. She likes to hang out with her friends. Go to the pool or do some shopping. They like to listen to music together and make pictures. She's a good kid and she's fun to be around. Her killer high heels are not very killer and certainly not that high. But she does like high heels! She's tall (taller than me, I know, no need to remind me) and she has great muscular legs (that's what ballet does to your limbs). So yes, high heels look great on her. I hope it will be some time before little sister starts wearing her first LBD and KHH. She's still my baby girl..

Houdini

I'm desperate. Don't know what to do..
Last night we went out for dinner. The dog run was ready for Inthe and Rebba, although we don't have a dog house yet. But it was just fine the way it was, so we put the dog beds, food and water in the kennel. The dogs were pretty excited to run around in the kennel. So we left..

We were in Holland, just near the restaurant, when our neighbor phoned us.. Inthe had tried to escape from the dog run. She had managed to wrench both shoulders through the fence and then she got stuck. She couldn't move back or forth and she was in total despair. My nearly 70 yo neighbor heard her scream and howl so he climbed over the fence to free her. He needed some tools to force the bars (he's not the Hulk after all), so he could set her free. Inthe ran into the garden and he couldn't catch her. That's when he called us.. So we raced back home (I hope I won't get a ticket for speeding) to comfort her and let Rebba out of the run. I don't know what else we can do, to make them a safe spot. We want them to be safe while we are out.

So the next solution is to tie netting around the fence, so she can no longer stick her head/shoulders through the bars. Both dogs had been in the kennel before, but only with us in their surroundings. This was the first time that we were out.

Feeling hot hot hot

We no longer need to fly to Turkey or Morocco, to get good weather. The sun was burning hot today, reaching a temperature of 90°F! Ouch! Now that's hot, at least for Belgian standards. I didn't feel like coming outside and my blood glucose played tricks with me.. too many hypos in one day..

I'm not complaining though. We did ask for sunshine after all. I know it's a little too much, but hey, what did you expect? There will be more red fruit if the sun keeps shining.

The dogs need to find some shadow. Hubby is still working on their kennel. The run has been placed and floored and now he's building the whippets a nice custom made dog house. They will love it! It's like their new kingdom! Let's hope they will feel the same, once they have to stay there for a couple of hours. They are tired, laying all over the place, and their tongue licks the floor to find a cool touch. I'm happy we have no problems keeping the house cool. There are huge chestnut trees in front of the house, protecting us from the heat. It's been a hot day..

We're off to Holland now. Out to dinner: the first mussels of the season have arrived!

Feel funky, feel good!

Another year passed by. Some things have changed in the past year. You have reset your boundaries by giving me two whippets. I know you were not fond of the breed at first, but you are their number one fan now!
You have also been promoted at work and that was well deserved. You're doing great and I'm proud of you!
And last but not least: you quit smoking! I think that's the best reward you could give yourself. The girls and I are so happy you finally gave up. It will improve your health and lengthen your life. Good on you!

This Sunday, your family will be ready to celebrate your birthday with plenty of cake and presents. Let's hope you'll be back from work in time to help us clear the cake plates!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

What a performance

After having seen an interview with Gabourey Sidibe - who plays Claireece Precious Johnson - , I couldn't wait to see the movie. It was shocking and moving at the same time. What a great performance by this young girl.. Respect, nothing but respect.. I hope her real life is a whole lot better.. This is the story:

A 16 yo black obese uneducated girl by the name of Claireece "Precious" Jones, lives with her dysfunctional family: her mother, who beats her up and abuses her both verbally and physically , and her stepfather, who got her pregnant twice. Her firstborn child Mongo (short for mongoloïd...) is being raised by her grandmother. Claireeces mom lives off welfare and has no intentions whatsoever to make a living of her own.

Being pregnant for the second time, Precious gets suspended from school. Her principal arranges an alternative school for Precious, where she will learn how to read and write, in the hope to break the circle and provide a better life for Precious and both her children.

Precious has a way of her own, to escape the devastating reality of life: she pretends to be someone else. She daydreams, and she pretends to be elsewhere while being raped by her stepfather.. (who started abusing this girl at the age of 3).

Precious does real well in her new school. She and her new teacher, Ms. Rain get along real well and she even moves in with the teacher for a while. She flees home with her newborn baby Abdul, to get herself a better life. That's how she and Abdul end up in a half-way house, where she learns to take care of herself and her child.

In the meantime, her stepfather dies of AIDS. Precious is devastated to hear that her stepdad gave her the HIV-virus. But she's determined to go through living her new life. A life she has planned for her, baby Abdul and daughter Mongo..

Keep the kleenex by the hand..

Snapshots in the sun

Photo by Eva Joos

Both our girls like to take photographs. Buying that camera was definitely worth the cost.
This week, Eva made a picture of Inthe, our youngest whippet. She's just adorable. Full of mischief, but still so loveable.

This snapshot was taken in the hot sun of June 2010. I have entered the photo in a contest. It would be great if all of you could leave your vote for Eva and her picture of Inthe? I think she did real well on capturing Inthe on camera.

It would be a real boost to Eva's selfesteem, to get as many votes as possible. A very good photographer - Lieve Blancquaert - is always looking out for upcoming talent. Her pictures are just sublime. I know our pictures are not coming even close to those of Lieve Blancquaert, but she sure is a true inspiration.

Thanks for voting for Inthe! I'm proud of my little photographer and the model isn't too bad either!