I guess it wasn't meant to be

Last Thursday was the deadline to apply for the job I really wanted.  I had thought that they would begin to set up interviews that day.  Andrew assured me they might want until after the deadline, and since the offices were closed Friday for the holiday, he was certain I would get a call this morning.  Sadly, it is now after Noon, and no call has come.  I don't mean to brag, but I really thought I was perfect for the job.  I can't believe I didn't even get an interview.  Not only did I think my skills and contacts were a fabulous fit for the job, but I because they knew me I thought I had proven I was a good worker.  Not even getting an interview makes me wonder if it is time for me to get a job that is entirely elsewhere.  I try to tell myself this the way it is supposed to be, and it will work out however is best.

It's hot

The weather around here has become oppressive.  Early afternoon the heat index was 97 degrees.  Ugh.  Nothing fun about that.  I don't know how Andrew managed to paint outside all day!  I just checked the forecast again because it had suddenly started raining.  At nearly 11:00, the heat index is 85 degrees.  This is not the kind of weather I enjoy, although it has been this way for days, and this is all there is in the forecast for the next week.  July is definitely here!

Independence Day weekend

We've spent most of the weekend cleaning and painting.  We did take some time last evening to go visit friends.  It was nice to get out and see other people for a while, and I know it was especially good for the kids.  Catherine's episodes are becoming fairly predictable, which is helpful.  As long as she doesn't get overly tired, she is functioning fairly well.  We started letting the episodes run their course, and they are usually lasting only 10-15 seconds.  This can be difficult, but it could be so much worse.  Overall, it wasn't a bad long weekend at all!

My grandfather's Army jacket

In all of the chaos of the last week, I forgot to write about my grandfather's army jacket.  As our family has been going through things, we came across my grandfather's army jacket.  Grandpa served in the Pacific in WWII.  He passed away when I was 13, so we never discussed his service time, but Mom told me he was in supply, not in combat.  When Mom came across the jacket, she hung it in the living room.  Last week, when we were there, she told me she was thinking about giving it to Thomas.  I told her he would love to have it, but it was her decision.  She said that he has worked really hard so she called him into the room and told him he could have it.  His face absolutely lit up and he looked at mom and me, thanked my mom, and told us he really, really liked it.  Tears filled my mother's eyes.  She was so pleased that my son had something from her dad that truly meant something to him.  It was very emotional for us.  When Thomas got home, he tried it on.  It made me emotional to think that my grandfather was only a few years older than Thomas is now when he was wearing it.  It's very special.

I am finally legal

Fifteen years ago I purchased my first minivan.  We bought it used off of a private owner.  Because the previous owner had originally purchased it out of state, there was no front license plate bracket.  That was not legal in Ohio, but I never did anything about it.  Generally speaking I knew that I wasn't going to get pulled over just for that.  Almost seven years later, we purchased our next mini-van, also used, but this time from a dealer.  We realized that it didn't have a front bracket either!  We never did anything about it either.  Last year we traded that van in on our used C-RV, which we also purchased from a dealer.  Many Hondas are made right here in Ohio, but lo and behold there was no front bracket on this vehicle either!  Finally a year ago, Ohio passed a law that the front bracket would no longer be required, but it wasn't going to go in effect until July 1 of this year.  Finally, the day has arrived.  After fifteen years, my vehicle is legal again!

We can keep this in perspective

Catherine is having about 50 episodes a day.  However, she is not in any physical danger.  When she isn't having an episode, she is in good spirits and can function well.

Saturday is the one-year anniversary of the passing of the eight-year-old son of friends.  It is heart-breaking.  A teacher in our former school district, the mother of two children aged seven & two, passed away yesterday.  I can't even imagine.

We will get through this.  We can deal with this.  We currently have a "new normal" but so does most of the country in some way.  I absolutely have faith that our family will be stronger on the other side of this.

The year is half way over.  What a year it has been!

I could NOT be more proud

Andrew received an email today that made me cry.  I could NOT be more proud of my kids.  If ever there was a time we needed this, it is right now.

A neighbor forwarded an article from this past weekend's newspaper.  It was about a special needs young man and his participation on the high school swim team.  The article interviewed the young man's mother.  She mentioned that the entire team had been supportive of her son, but that two in particular really made it possible for her son to participate.  She goes on to explain how devoted Catherine was to her son.  It then goes on to mention that the second person who was instrumental in helping her son was Thomas!  Oh my goodness!  As I told my kids, rarely in life do you get to know how much you touch a person's life to this extent, and yet this woman made sure everyone ready knew.  I am so grateful, and so incredibly proud of my kids!  They are good people!