Did you childrens play nice while I was gone?  Better not let me hear anything bad! 

This past week has been an eye opener to me.. WE should all be counting our blessings..

I spent a week with a 35 year old kid with Down's. (his dad has had both hips replaced but he was doing well - not that much trouble).

Their house had alarms on every door because he had a pendant for going out and wandering off so not only were there alarms, but door had to be kept locked with keys but keys had to be kept in pockets or at least hidden.

he could not brush his own teeth (and do you know how long it's been since I brushed a kid's toothies..). Running his bath water was not an option for him (just getting him to take a bath was a project - I spent half a day running water and him letting it out - he was protesting taking the bath). After about the forth tub he finally got in the tub, but hid the shirt he'd been wearing for days (that needed to be washed badly). Took a bribe to get him to take that off and let me wash it.

But if he didn't get his way.. it was fit throwing time. One time he and I were having a little disagreement about what he was supposed to be doing and he looked at me and said, "Who's in charge?" (After I quit laughing) I told him I was when his mother wasn't there and he'd better not forget it.. Then he told me he loved me.

And while I was there, I got a phone call from my neighbor who was feeding my dogs.. My house had been broken into.. and my barn.. Joy joy .. made my day..

So I got home last night -- the culprits who broke in my house apparently put the dogs in the house (nothing in the house was stolen that I can find) and LEFT them then went to the barn and stole some stuff (I haven't been down there yet this morning, but my BIL went down there and said the welder and compressor are missing..).

THEN my son calls and Caleb (my oldest grandson) fell and broke his wrist and a finger.. Well, Caleb gets on the phone and tells me how his parents are abusing him by not giving him the TLC he needs in his time of pain and suffering. So I may be making a fast trip to Tulsa to bring him home with me and nurse him back to health..

I went thru the house and looked at the MESS and sat down and had two glasses of wine, thought about and figured it would be here this morning (and it is) and went to bed.

So this morning I'm contemplating getting started on Spring Cleaning (which I actually was thinking about anyhow ) and now I MUST do it. So I guess if you want to look at the glass half full - this might not have been that bad a thing to happen.

And had I been here and this had happened I might have shot the intruder and then I'd have all that blood to clean up so it's probably good that I was gone at the time. 

But this past week has given me a whole new outlook. My problems aren't near as bad when I look at what that family is going thru and there's no end for them. And she's an ordained minister and still out trying to help others. (She retired as a state prison chaplin).

So I guess now it's time to get up from this computer and get to the Spring Cleaning.. Been thinking about getting to it since April 15th so I guess now I'll do it.  ..

But the next time ya'll get down - call me and I'll give you something to think about .. my whole attitude changed about my Mickey Mouse problems.. Think I'll start counting blessings instead for a while..

Oh and by the way -- I missed you guys.. 

What an adventure Barbara.

If only your CH family weren't spread all over the world we'd be able to pop around to help clear up the mess so you can fuss over Caleb.

It's been said if we all piled our troubles in a big pile and had to choose troubles to take out we would take our own. It's all a matter of perspective. We see someone else and we think they have the world by the tail, only to find out what is really going on and we find instead the world has them by the tail, but they are keeping up appearances.

Some very good friends from church have a son with Down's who is now mid-20's, and I wouldn't trade my problems for theirs for anything! John is a sweet, loving young man, but the constant care for him as if he was a backward three year old is so wearing on them. BUT, it has created such a sweet, caring, disposition in his elder sister! She graduated with honors in pharmacology and went to work at Cancer Centers of America, because she wanted to be where she would make a difference.

Every difficulty and trial, if treated right, has beneficial outcomes all around. We just sometimes need our perspectives realigned.

Glad you are back.

Jerry