Breaking the "No ER" Streak

Yesterday we broke the 18 + year streak of never taking my kids to the ER, and we did so in a BIG way!

L had a seizure while we were shopping 30 min North of home.  She and I rode to the ER in the ambulance, and spent the next 6 1/2 hours confirming that she was ok.  It ends up that the most likely scenario was the recent medication increase that she started the previous day.

It turns out that I can deal with emergencies fairly well in my patients, but I don't do so great when it's my kids.  All I could think as I watched her seize and turn blue and remain unconscious, was that she was going to die.  Right there on the floor at Sam's Club.

She is fine.  J and I are having some PTSD type flashbacks, but we are all home and ok.  I can think of 1,001 things that I would rather do than spend 6 1/2 hours in the ER with my child on a Saturday (or any day for that matter), but it's worth it to know that the incident was not caused by anything more sinister.

Please hold your loved ones close today, and I'm wishing you all health and happiness.

Around the Farm

I have been desperately trying to get the pool ready to use, but am thwarted at every step.  First we faced a chlorine shortage, next we couldn't find a fixture to replace one that apparently cracked over the winter, then we were low on water (everywhere, not just in the pool) and we hauled 3 loads to fill it up, and finally found that the skimmer itself was cracked.  We have been trying to use epoxy to stop it up, but keep having a tiny leak.  I just want it ready next week when J has her graduation party!

In the effort of cleaning off the veranda in anticipation of said party, JP and I have listed the Big Green Egg for sale on Craig's List.  When we moved it to the garage for easy loading by a future buyer, one of the wheels fell off.  It has taken us the past couple of hours to get it fixed, and in the process, one of the garage door windows got broken.  We crawled around on the concrete for a long time, picking up tiny shards of glass.

I discovered this little bugger amongst my strawberries when I was picking them yesterday.

On a happier note, we put together this swing set for the girls over the Memorial Day weekend.  JP has been promising the girls for one for YEARS, and needed it to happen before J left home.  It is pinned to the ground with 4 giant screws - shouldn't go anywhere!

The pear tree is absolutely COVERED with tiny pears this year.

I am off to do some more veranda cleaning - it appears that the cat threw up on the chair covers and have clawed one of my benches into splinters.  SIGH.

Summer Starts Here II

Last day of school...whew.  This year has been a MESS!  L couldn't handle the lack of structure and accountability starting in Feb or so.  It has been a non-stop struggle to get her to actually do her work and not sleep all day.  I'm SOOOOOO relieved we're done!

We attended our annual (excepting 2020) end of school party at our friends', where J was spotted wearing a cap of a different kind.

At the end of this extremely warm day, we attended graduation at the High School field.

Notice J's footwear?  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  This is me 30 years ago at my college graduation.

And there we have it - sum, sum, summertime!

Red and Black

I just finished steaming J's graduation gown for tomorrow.  It's hard to believe that she is finished with school!   (Of course she managed to get her only detention EVER on her last day of high school - what are the odds?  She spent 30 minutes sitting in the office prior to graduation practice yesterday.)

Also in the theme of Red and Black:

My newest flower (although I appeared to miss it at it's prime.)

My strawberries are going gangbusters!

And my "Red Hot Poker" has 3 blooms this year!

We have almost survived the disaster of a school year that was 2020-2021!

The End

L received her 2nd COVID vaccination today!  Everyone on our hill has now been vaccinated, so I am declaring the Pandemic on Poplar Ridge over, effective today!