I don’t want to be a dr. hopper. Working in a dental office I am aware of how irritating the dr. hoppers are. Skipping from office to office to get the free comprehensive exam or the free teeth whitening and then moving on. That is why I am opposed to such offers but that is an entirely different post.

I left my last Ob-Gyn because I heard some things about his personal life that made me question his character. I had always been happy with him as a professional but morality typically crosses professional and personal lines. So I chose someone new.

Yesterday at the office of my new Ob-Gyn, after depositing my cup in the wall (I was pleased to compare my hydration to that of the much more yellow cup still remaining on the shelf) I went back to my room and waited.

And waited.

And waited. For 40 minutes. My back hurt sitting on the exam table and so I lied down and nearly fell asleep. Finally the nurse practioner came in and we listened to the heartbeat.

Big moment.

But by the time I was in the upright position again she was saying to me “Looks like you’ve done this before and you don’t need anything else from me!” as she hurried out the door.

Approximate time spent waiting: 45 minutes (add 5 minutes in the waiting room)
Approximate time spent with health care providor: 5 minutes would be generous

I called Richard and told him I wanted to switch doctors again. He said no. It’s a good thing I have him in my life to keep me from being the person I don’t want to be.

A friend of mine told a story on her blog about the odd choices her son made when allowed to eat whatever he wanted. I don’t recall what he chose, but it took her by surprise.

The other day I was sitting here at the computer and Cameron came in with a lettuce wedge. Although I’m not sure why, I tried to take it away. He insisted that he wanted it and it finally occurred to me that it was lettuce, not cotton candy. So I let him eat it.
I mentioned in the fall that my mom and I signed up for a Community Sponsored Agriculture co-op. In the fall you pay money that is used to plant. In the spring and summer your money is a credit for you at the farm. My mom and I took our first trip out there last week and I came home with onions, asparagus, carrots and bok choy.

Bok choy.

I had no idea what it was or what to do with it. But today was that day, the day before grocery day where the selection is nil. So I got online and found a recipe for bok choy soup. It was delicious.
What does this mean for my family? Just the idea of my four year old eating a lettuce wedge for a snack and me eating bok choy soup for lunch brings visions of hairy armpits and L.L. Bean. Someone help me.

So just to keep myself grounded I bought frozen chicken nuggets and white bread on my grocery run. I haven’t had white bread in a really long time.

Every year the Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Boise hosts a festival/fundraiser with delicious food. My little brother Evan is currently serving a mission in Greece and this last week marked one year for him. It seemed fitting to celebrate his One Year Anniversary at the Greek Festival. Richard took the boys to a father & sons campout so I went to the festival with my parents and my sister Lori and her husband Sean. A meal out with adults and no children is always a pleasure. MMMM….GYROS. We thought of you Elder Hall and the delicious food you get to eat and the beautiful cities and ocean you get to view.

I don’t know if people like it when I post YouTube videos. But this one is short and clever. My favorite kind! Not funny clever, but dramatic clever. I guess it was part of a contest done by the AARP called “u @50”.

The stomach flu paid us a visit the last few days. It started on Thursday with Eli, and for an unexplicable reason waited until Monday to strike Cameron and myself yesterday.

They cut my hours at work. Since I only work one day a week any cut is significant. They actually cut everyone’s hours. 20% across the board.

The other day we received our county assesors estimation of the value of our home. It was worse than we thought. But we had seen it coming and worked through the appropriate stages of grief. Denial, Pain, Anger, Depression, “the upward turn” and Reconstruction.

We are now in the Acceptance & HOPE stage. Richard assures me that this experience will make us better people, and our posterity will be more frugal and financially wise. I think he’s right. I appreciate his optimism.

For awhile I didn’t directly feel the effects of this recession. Even though I watched people around me struggle it didn’t hit home. But now we are starting to make our own sacrifices and I hope that we DO learn from this.

I read an article the other day that talked about how self-reliance isn’t just self-serving. I have been able to personally witness examples of families who practice financial wisdom being able to assist families in need.

So even though it isn’t death we are dealing with here, it is nice to feel HOPE.

I spent the weekend at Richard’s aunt and uncle’s cabin in Donnelly. It was a retreat with some members of Richard’s family including his mom and her inlaws. I’ll admit I was a little nervous about it. But when my Friday departure was threatened by Eli getting sick on Thursday night, I realized how much I wanted to go.Fortunately he was feeling better Friday morning and I could entrust his recovery to my own dear mother and I left.

The purpose of the weekend was to make preparations for an upcoming 80th birthday. I spent an extensive amount of time scanning old pictures for a slideshow of Grandpa Bird’s life. I had the privilege of having his wife, Richard’s grandmother close at hand along with two of his daughters and two daughters in law.

What a great experience this was for me. My own four biologic grandparents all passed away before I was a teenager. It has been so fun for me to have grandparents again through marriage.

As I scanned the pictures the women around me shared the stories and background. And although I know it sounds cliche, the people came alive to me.

This picture was my favorite. It is of Grandpa & Grandma Bird in 1949 before they were married. Also in the picture is Grandpa’s sister, JoAnn. It just struck me that 60 years ago Ray & Larene were in love. Here they are almost exactly 60 years later still in love.

Talk about committment. I’m so grateful for the choices they made along the way that have directly affected my own life and I am so grateful to know them.

I’m just going to type and see where it goes.

Yesterday was Memorial Day. I had fun but our dog got out on Sunday and ran away. That left a pit in my stomach all day yesterday. And today. It is really starting to upset me.

We went bowling and boating for Memorial Day. Cameron was in a 4-year old paradise. I’m quite sure those are his two favorite activities.

Every Tuesday a Jehova’s Witness couple comes to chat with me. I’ve politely informed them of my own religious resolves and they insist they just like to visit. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for these visits and I don’t invite them in. Sometimes even when I invite them in I can’t focus on what they are saying because the man’s mustache is so long it completely covers his upper lip. I am perplexed because I don’t see how it could be possible for him to kiss his dear wife.

Sometimes when I invite them in and I actually pay attention we have good conversations about Jesus Christ. And that can only be a good thing. They take their job as a witness of Jehova very seriously. I can learn from that too I suppose.

That’s all that is on my mind today. Misha. J-Dubs.