Games People Play - Computer Fun

I remember Teresa assembling puzzles in her teens - upside down - sideways - even without knowing what the puzzle was about.  She can see shapes and quickly put them together.  And playing cards was just her cup of tea. On any given day, she would diligently play word puzzles.  Or, she would pull out her calculator to use with math workbooks.  Or, she would pick out just the right magic marker to color a beautiful drawing.  On occasion, she would put a "Good Job" or a colorful star as a reward sticker on the completed page.  As a young woman who has much time on her hands, she has become the student, teacher and recognition coordinator all in one person.

I've recently acquired a new computer with, of all things, games on it.  There is no comparison to a paper workbook.  It's ten times the fun.  I had no idea.

Watching her eyes light up I notice how she is intrigued to learn how to do things on the computer.  You don't need stickers because the sounds on the computer are silly, and sassy and make you grin from ear to ear.  The colors of the games on the computer screen make the paper workbooks seem almost boring now.  You can even play a card game with your computer if no one is around.

Our goal of one new game each week is easy to reach.  We are assembling a page of internet links of really fun games that she enjoys - all of them are free. (that is if you don't mind watching a commercial in between each game). 

Bravomundo to the online game makers, who provide us with this incredible entertainment system.  This makes every day, a celebration at our house.

Planting for the Future

I remember, when I was newly married, an Italian woman telling me that she only allowed her husband to have two fig trees.  Over the years I understood what she was talking about as we have had as many as 6 fig trees at once -- each being a labor of love.  They grow quickly, produce wonderful fruit, and need to be pruned each year.  We now only have two fig trees, having cut down a few last year. 

Yesterday, my husband proudly received a package and I should have not been surprised to see what it was.  Another fig tree.  He couldn't have been a happier guy.
The little tree arrived two days after we received a doctors report summary for our daughter who suffers from her seizure disorder which occurred as a result of injury from a brain bleed when she was two months old.  The report that narrates what changes have occurred in her over the past year-and-a half states her epilepsy is not well controlled, and that her behavior changes including intense raging, could be a result of her seizures.  Further testing is needed.  The report says, as others have told us, that we should consider surgical approaches to clarify where/how the seizures are starting.  They've asked us to find an expert epilepsy surgeon at an expert epilepsy center.  Whenever the word surgery is used, we first think of getting a hematologist on board because of her bleeding disorder (factor V deficiency). 
By next year, we will have progressed with our daughter's epilepsy - both her treatment and possibly recovery from surgery.  By then, we'll also include a comparison photo when we celebrate our fig tree's one-year birthday.  Planting for the future is planing for the future.  By next year it is our hope that both our daughter and our fig tree will be happy.  We hope our daughter will be doing better and strong enough to enter back into something fun in her life.  And by next year we hope that our little tree will be getting rooted and stronger in her life - in order to bear many delicious figs in the years to come.  Both require a labor of love.

Now that I think about it, two fig trees just aren't enough. Yesterday's arrival was truly something to celebrate.

Beading with a Purpose - The Rosary

Teresa would like spend time each day to pray for others.  She is making her own rosary to do this. 
Trying to find the instructions to make a rosary is very easy to do.  There are instructions right on the internet and there are beads that will work at all the craft stores.  We printed out two patterns and read the instructions before we selected our beads and began our activity.

First, sort the beads into an easy to use container. Second, use the pattern shown on the instructions to arrange your beads on a bead-board.

Teresa selected the pearls for the "Hail Mary's" and a crystal bead for the "Our Father prayer".  She is using a metal bead to separate them and a few other beads to add sparkle. She is using the pearl on the cross for the "Glory Be".

Put your beads on your bead board.  Once you have things on your bead board, check the pattern to make sure it is consistent and symmetrical.  String it, tape the ends, see if it's the best length for you.  Get an espresso.

Finally, tie as many knots as you can stand to make and put a few crimp beads in place to hold things together.  We've added a few extra beads to the necklace because Teresa likes to put her necklace on over her head instead of using a clasp, making most of her necklaces longer than expected.

A completed necklace in under one hour.  That makes for a good day.
Now it's time to start praying.
                           Amen.

Beading with a Purpose - Celebrating the Christ in Christmas

I remember the first year I met the D'Ambrosio family.  After knowing them just a few months, the holidays rolled into our lives.  We decorated a Christmas tree at Tony's house.  Teresa, age 13, pulled out a raggedy wooden Manger scene and took it into the family room.  After a while, she called us into the family room and pointed to it and said, "This is the real meaning of Christmas."  And she proceeded to tell us about the Manger scene she had assembled.

After becoming part of the family, and helping the girls complete their necessary communion classes and prayer classes, it became clear that going to church never made the priority list.  We have so many things going on at our house during the week, that the weekends are a time to catch up on things.  The thought of getting dressed up and attending a worship service on a Sunday morning would be a luxury.  Generally, we are trying to get ready for Monday morning and doing all that needs to be done to make it happen.  That includes addressing multiple lingering nuisance bleeds. Those bleeds can catch up with you - first it's a nose bleed that comes and goes, then a finger cut that needs another layer of another band-aid, and then if one more thing happens, it's time to take care of things and go get some FFP.


It's been eighteen years since Teresa first told us about the Manger scene.  This year, her wish was to not have any Christmas shopping, events, gifts, decorations or a tree. All of this mixed in with medication issues caused just too much noise and anxiety.

So, on Christmas Day, I asked her if she wanted to attend a Mass.  She nodded.  We got dressed and went to the same church where she grew up and took her communion classes.  We took it all in, admiring the Manger scene, the stained glass windows and the sermon, most of which we couldn't understand because the Priest had a thick accent.  The calming effect of attending a place she remembered brought a sense of hope and we lit a candle to welcome in the New Year.

Later that week we began making a necklace, one with a cross.  Teresa wears it most days now.  Some very good days.

Beading with a Purpose - Medic Alert Necklace

Incorporating purpose into a beading activity is not difficult.  It brings ideas for new projects and makes for interesting conversation when people admire your jewelry.

Anyone with a chronic medical condition knows about Medic Alert bracelets and necklaces.  It's the first thing a paramedic will look for if you call 911, and they come to your rescue.  You can purchase these online and they cost plenty.  So, why not make one, instead?  Why not make a few and you can wear different ones, depending on your outfit!
 
The actual charm needs to have the correct information engraved. Teresa's has Factor V deficiency engraved right on it.  That will tell them she has a bleeding disorder and it also tells who to call.  One of her charms has her home address information and the other one tells them to call the Puget Sound Blood Hemophilia Care Program.  They are there 24 x 7 and can help someone with a bleeding disorder when they need support.

What a sense of accomplishment in making your own Medic Alert jewelry.  Congratulations to Teresa for taking a snowy day and putting it to good use!

Color me Bright

Doing something you like to do makes for a really fun day.  It passes the time and brings richness to even the rainiest of Seattle days.


I have to guess that when I see Teresa and her marking pens out on the table, that she is having some fun.

And I feel like such a pest when I want to see what she's done that day.  It's kind of rude to bother someone who is busy at work.


It's almost a shame to have to set the table for lunch or dinner and put things away. She can get on such a roll.

A few years ago, we framed her images and created a gallery that we call "Teresa's Collection".

There are lots of good days in those pictures.

The pictures used she decorated used to have many colors and each pattern was carefully and crisply decorated.

A year and a half ago she stopped doing pictures altogether.  A few months ago I noticed she's starting to do them again.  With the pictures that are done now, there is little distinction in the pattern, and sometimes entire sections left empty. 

I know why there is such a difference.  It's the integration of the various seizure medications that is causing her so many problems. It's causing sleepiness, sluggishness and a lack of vigor in her life.  So many of the seizure medications available actually cause bleeding.  For a woman with a bleeding disorder, she has few choices of seizure medicines, some of the few she can use cause unpleasant side effects.  

I can't wait for someone to help us sort it out. 

Prende Caffe?

 

Italians love espresso.  And the art of drawing a precisely great shot from your espresso machine (a shot that has a layer of crema at the top) is considered a legendary experience and one taht must be acknowledged with every shot.  ("Oh, that's a nice shot, look at the crema on that!"), And you must (absolutely) add ample sugar to your tiny espresso cup with a very tiny spoon.  

Teresa and I even add whipped cream to the top of ours, what the heck.

The phrase at our house on the weekend mornings is always, "Prende caffe?", which means would you like coffee?

But making espresso really leads to the bigger question,  "Do you want to hang out with me for a while in the kitchen?"

Which leads to, "Do we want to just make an espresso?" (which means "Do you have10 minutes?") or "Do we want to make mochas?" (which means "Do you have 20 minutes?").


And once the process begins with either an espresso or a mocha, the next question is,
"Do we have any biscotti's in the cupboard?" and then, "Do you want the hazelnut one or the chocolate one?"

And once all that is settled, and whoever wants to hang out in the kitchen, has arrived and the smell of espresso is in the air, the drinks are sipped. 

Next, we have to see what's going on outside the kitchen window and what flowers are new for the day.  If there are new blossoms, that warrants a walk outside to check it out.  [We don't want to talk about the days that ALL the beautiful flowers have been snacked, on by a visiting buck, we call Truman.  He's not welcome and neither is his family, no matter how cute a fawn is to look at.]

If we are having a mocha, which takes longer to make and to drink, we might ask, "is there a good movie on TV tonight?" or "if you are going to the store, what is available for $1 in Red Box?".

So the innocent question of "Prende Caffe" can mean lots of things but most of all it means we are having a good day and getting ready for more things to come.

When Teresa needs an infusion for a bleed, there is usually a promise of a latte from the nearby Starbuck's in the adjacent hospital lobby.  No matter if it's in the morning or afternoon or evening.  After all, espresso also comes in decaf.  We don't skip having a daily espresso, latte or mocha unless there are serious medical situations (like those days in ICU).  It's a priority in any Italian's lifestyle. And we only sneak our lattes into hospital rooms if the nurse agrees.  After all a hot latte right before they take your temperature could lead to some bad conclusions in someone's chart.