Day 1 There / Day 1 Back

Going Home

We’re now at Marie & Ken’s house, and had just a great time getting here. We always feel like this is HOME to us, because they are the best hosts ever, and let us just practically move in. Yesterday morning, we stopped off at the Fenton Art Glass Company and spent nearly two hours walking around, looking at displays and deciding what I wanted to buy. We participated in a factory tour, which was very cool. Actually, even with the glass furnaces clocking in at upwards of 2500° F, they had these huge doors open, so the cold air got in and it was pretty chilly.

Dang’d Old Devil

For 14 years of marriage, I have wanted to go to the Fenton Art Glass Factory where we went yesterday for a tour. Each and every single time, it was either in the middle of the night, or we had to “make time” on the road. So for 14 years, we pass by the factory and never go there to see it, or the store.

So we’re standing in line for the tour to start – something for which I’ve waited 14 years – and that danged old devil did it to me: I had a panic attack, right there in line for the tour. There were only 6 of us, and I knew that if I bolted, it would be quite noticeable. So I just breathed out and breathed in and tried to slow my thump-thumping heart.

I haven’t had an attack like this in nearly 10 years. My biggest fear was always that I’d faint and fall on the ground. And I got SO MAD at my panic attack yesterday, that I thought,” GO AHEAD. Make me faint. Let me fall down. They’ll just pick me back up again and we’ll keep on going. SO THERE!”  This is NOT to say that the panic attack stopped. It kept right on going just like a nasty little thing that it is. But I still asked questions and really enjoyed seeing the heated glass and the artisans doing amazing work with such fragile pieces. I’d go on the tour again in a heartbeat.

Thinking back on it right now - from the comfort of Marie’s easy chair - the panic attack started when I realized that I left my camera in the car and wasn’t going to be able to include photos with this post. And this is typically when I have a panic attack, when I am too caught up in my perfectionism to stop being angry at ME for something which, in the big scheme of things, is totally inconsequential. (Yes! I just spelled that without looking at the keys, and without a typo! I *heart* me sometimes!)

Big Sister

Marie is a big sister to me. She’s 6 years older than Rob, and therefore, 9 years older than me. I love her to pieces and hate that she’s going through so much stress and anxiety and having to deal with MS. I pray mightily for her to be completely delivered from the things which she’s now dealing with. I pray for Jessie Lynn that she will over the heartache of losing her serious boyfriend to, I guess just not loving her anymore.

I tried to explain to Jessie Lynn this morning that 1) she wouldn’t always feel as bad about it as she does today and 2) that if he says he just doesn’t love her, it’s better that it happened now, instead of after they’re already married and have a couple of kids. She said that didn’t help her feel any better right now, but she understood what I meant.

Jessie Lynn also asked for gas money (she’s 18 and a Senior in HS) and ponied up $20, then dug for another $10 which she didn’t want to take, but I willingly gave up to her because we never do for Jessie and her brother Drew like we do for Mindy.  There just isn’t the need for it. I think that’s been my favorite thing today, that I HAD the money and that I could give it to Jessie Lynn and just tell her not to worry about paying it back. It was fun. Money well spent if you ask me.

Huggy Bear

OK I don’t even remember what Rob was saying when I took this picture. I just remember that he was saying something like Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear in Starsky and Hutch. I was laughing so hard and sheesh, I can’t even remember why! Oh well, I still think hubby-dear is a cutie!
Sweet Melissa
With any luck, I’ll have cell service and Internet service and be able to call Melissa today. I am SO EXCITED, you just don’t even know! I’ll post pics if she’s OK with it, but since I haven’t had Internet, I don’t know what’s going on in the wide world. Hope it comes on soon!

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Day 1 Back

We made fantastic time on the road yesterday. I don’t understand how we could have gotten home in only 13.5 hours, but praise God, we did. We had snow in the mountains, and we saw snow devils. That would have been cool, were we not driving!

Our pets were so glad to have us home last night, and it was pure heaven to sleep in our own bed. Mmmm. I have pics of seeing Melissa and three of her kids, but I don’t have them edited yet, and we’re going to see my parents in the Hospital today, so I think I’ll post them tomorrow.

Mom and Dad

My dad has epilepsy. He’s rather high-functioning, and if you didn’t know he was on 15 kinds of medications, you would only think he was a little slow. Which is amazing because my dad likens his meds to taking 4 Benedryl tablets and then trying to walk around and do your regular business. Which for most people is ludicrous, but for my amazing Dad, he does it all the time.

Dad is having testing done, to see if the drs can surgically correct the seizures so theoretically, he’d not have them anymore. A complete and total blessing. I am not afraid, I am only excited at what the Doctors can do for him. Again, Praise God!

So, after I work out and take care of a few things here, Rob and I will make the 2-hour jaunt to Detroit to see my folks and hang out and just wait with them. We don’t have to go back to work until Thursday (again, Praise God!), and so I imagine I will have a little time to blog about our trip and post pictures.

Missed you all!!! *hugs*

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