ST. JUDE'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Arrie's Ramdom Thoughts: MY LABOR OF LOVE - A fundraiser for St. Jude's Chi...: I am participating in a St. Judes Children's Hospital Fundraiser with my corvette forum that I belong to. I wanted to raise $5000 and d...

Arrie's Ramdom Thoughts: MY LABOR OF LOVE - A fundraiser for St. Jude's Chi...

Arrie's Ramdom Thoughts: MY LABOR OF LOVE - A fundraiser for St. Jude's Chi...: I am participating in a St. Judes Children's Hospital Fundraiser with my corvette forum that I belong to. I wanted to raise $5000 and d...

MY LABOR OF LOVE - A fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Hospital

I am participating in a St. Judes Children's Hospital Fundraiser with my corvette forum that I belong to. I wanted to raise $5000 and decided that I would start a campaign called "LABOR OF LOVE". 

I am making personalized folded bookart for a minimum donation of $70 (or more).  ALL DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE.  Here is how you can order:

Lead time about a week.  Book and shipping provided by Arrie.  For more information, please contact me at:

arriethieringer@yahoo.com

               or text

908-619-7619

Remember your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Payment:

(Option #1) Personal checks, cashier checks, or money orders, made out to: St. Jude Children's Hospital and mailed to co-organizer "pewter99":

Robert Briggs
P.O. Box 17083
Clearwater Fl 33762
Please put "ARRIE" on the memo line of the check so it will be credited to my fundraiser efforts.


(Option #2) Paypal
corvettes4stjude@gmail.com

please include the "corvette forum name ARRIE on this transaction so it will be credited to my fundraiser efforts.

IMPORTANT TAX DEDUCTION INFO: 

Using Option #1 (Checks made out to St. Jude Children's Hospital) your cancelled check will serve as a receipt for tax purposes while paypal will not.

Reminder: please list "ARRIE" on any donation so that we can give your St. Jude Donation credit to Arrie's book folding fundraiser and for record keeping. Posting in the thread also assists us  (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/off-topic/3383608-the-official-2014-st-jude-fundraiser-thread.html)

Thanks again for 11 successful years helping save the children of St. Jude, and children all over the world.

I invite anyone to assist in this fundraiser by conducting local events to help raise $$$.

Here's some info on St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:

http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index...000e2015acRCRD

I appreciate any and all donations for such a worthy cause.  Here are some examples of my work and my work is limited only by your imagination (and 8 letters or characters max of course - any more than that and it becomes difficult to read)

Back to reality…...

What a place to be.  The last three years, for me, have been….oh how shall I say it….less than fun and less than healthy.  And in all this, I have done a full sprint away from God…..clearly NOT my first sprint.  If I ran that fast in real life, I would be a gold medal winning marathon runner.  But life isn't that way.  Today I was hit with the reality that my life used to be SO funny.  So much fun.  My friend, I call her Maria the Greek (because he last name is a million letters long) makes me laugh SO much.  She is SO funny.  I see her on Wednesdays.  I think she is funny and she thinks I am funny.  Today we both broke out in hysterical laughter and she commented that my family is like a TV family - a funny TV family.  And that started me thinking.  My blog used to be funny…..my life used to be funny…..I used to be funny.  But then life got in the way.  Actually, in reality, family (extended) and sin got in the way and in opposition to what everyone thinks, everyone in a pit of sin is NOT having fun.  These last three years have been very hard on my family and on me.

But I am tired of not laughing…..tired of not loving life.  Tired of taking life SO seriously all the time….always having to measure my words, my actions and make sure I have covered all my bases.  That is NOT how God intended us to live life.  Christ died for us to have life and have it abundantly.  And my time to start living again is THIS day.  I have choices each day.  And lately I have made some pretty poor choices and have hurt some people I never intended to hurt.  But this isn't about that.  This is about getting my laugh back on.  Choices…..more choices.

So today I have laughed….hard.  And I have cried when I was alone.  Lamenting for those I have hurt. And for the hurt caused me, but those tears were healthy tears.  Sunday at church the pastor said something profound….he said that only ONE thing from earth will be in heaven……our TEARS.  God holds our tears in his hands.  Another part of the Bible says that the angels catch our tears and keep them.  I must have a TON of angels holding all the tears that I have shed in this lifetime.  Tears are healthy most of the time.  But many of mine were born out of serious hurt, neglect and things unmentionable.  But God has EACH one of them.  That comforts me.

So tomorrow is very near.  And tomorrow I must make different choices and be very cognitive of those choices.  Choices to laugh.  Choices to think about each step I take.  Choices to chase down God for a change.  Choices to look ahead and not behind.  Choices to get out…..see my friends…..be who God intends for me to be.  Tomorrow….

So until next time (and I hope the next post WILL be funny again!)…...

Mother of the Year Award AGAIN…..Takes some skill to win ths title more than once.

So with that said, I just figure I am keeping some future therapist employed by the time I get done with my kids.  JUST last night we had a conversation, both of them and myself, how I have done some funny things with them that might have scarred other kids and we actually laughed about their potential conversations in the future with some therapist.  Laughing the entire time.  We are a tight family and can poke fun at each other and ourselves and laugh about it.  Not even sure what the circumstances were yesterday but they were hypothetical.  Today they were real.

So last night I confirm that my kids have half day Wednesday (2 different schools).  This morning I got up, made Raechyl breakfast, saw her off to school and got Adam up and going.  As he fed and walked the dog, I made his lunch, got the backpack together and off we went.  I needed to be here between 2-4 for a delivery today and was panicked as I have to pick him up at 3.  So at about 11 I remember that I have no one to pick him up.  Made phone call after phone call and no one could get him.  I'm desperate.    Cannot think of anything…..I begin to panic.  It is 12:40 and my phone rings.  It is the school and I wonder if something happened to Adam (he DOES have a record of getting hurt - kind of the accident waiting for a place to happen).  But it wasn't the school, it was Adam.  "Mom?" he asks.  "Yes baby.  What's up?" I replied.  "Did you forget I had a half day all week?"……um…..now I'm faced with confirming my kids suspicion that they are going to end up in therapy or give him a bold faced lie…..what would any other mother do?  Well of course, avoid it all together…..Now mind you school let out at noon.  He has sat there 40 minutes before he calls.  "Oh Thank God Baby!  I'm on my way".  No worse for the wear.  However when he got in the car he asked again, "did you forget?".  Now I'm screwed.  Can't lie and already know he will keep some future therapist employed for at least a little while…..My reply…..(blame shift) "well, Adam, you SAW me pack your lunch and YOU put it in your backpack…..you NEVER said ANYTHING" at which point it dropped and we went on to the next conversation.

Skinned my way through that one.  But my guess is that it won't be the last time.  So once again, I am going for mother of the year award and hoping to NOT win the title for the second time…..

Until next time…..

One more to go…..

OK, In the past three months I have had two surgeries and the third is tomorrow.  The first one was a ridiculous accident that caused a shattered nose and fractured orbital socket.  The second one was removing a lemon size tumor from my thyroid and this one is the repair a torn bicep muscle.  I have the body of a 70 year old - lol.  I have more surgical repairs than most 70 year olds.  I guess when God put me together He decided that infirmity would be a cross for me to bear, but He has blessed me with excellent insurance to have it all repaired when necessary.  That is more than I can say for many people, some I know personally.

Am I looking forward to it?  Absolutely not…..I know what I am in for.  I've had both rotator cuffs repaired and that was brutal.  This will be half the recovery so I'm happy about that.  You know it is NEVER good when you are on a first name basis with your surgeon.  But he is a good one.  I know the first week is the hardest and it is downhill from there.  I am supposed to be in a sling for 6 weeks not using my arm at all…..slim chance of that.  I don't think I lasted 6 weeks in a sling with either of my shoulder surgeries.  I am NOT a good post op patient.  What can I tell ya?

I got my net flix remote ready…..my comfy pillow already on the couch and my drawing book nearby. Oh, btw - it is my right bicep and I am right handed…..I will have 2 questions for my surgeon tomorrow:  1)  When can I drive and 2) can I draw.  He already told me that if he can get six weeks out of me in a sling he would be elated.  He also gave me permission to drink my coffee right handed if I promise to lift nothing, push or pull nothing and not use it for anything else…..I told him I'd do my best.  He knows me Oh So Well!  So does my family.  They are already telling me to listen to the doc for a change……good grief.

So this might be my last post for a little while…..so until next time…...

Casting Crown's somewhere in the middle

"Somewhere In The Middle"

Somewhere between the hot and the cold

Somewhere between the new and the old

Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right

Somewhere between the darkness and the light

Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense

Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is

But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands

Somewhere between my faith and my plans

Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar

Somewhere between the altar and the door

Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more

Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side

Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

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Creative juices flowing…...

I guess that is what happens when you just don't sleep.  I haven't really slept (to speak of) in almost 3 days now and the worst part of it is that I have no idea why!  I am exhausted and will fall asleep for an hour then up again.  So, at this point, if I happen to fall asleep during the day, I go with it and sleep.  I am sure that is not helping my sleeping "patterns", but I'm simply exhausted.

So Rae and I have been coloring lately.  It is SO cathartic for me and we love it.  But Becky slept over last nigh and she and Becky took the markers and went into the basement to watch movies and color.  So, that left me with no coloring "tools" and no coloring books.  So I dug out my old (and I DO mean old) sketch pad and decided to draw something.  Nothing I draw comes from my own head.  I have to see it somewhere or something like it and then I can bring it to the next level, but I, alone, am not creative.  So I decided to draw an eagle.  I love what the eagle stands for in America.  Freedom.  Majestic Beauty.  Strength.  Power.  and Lord knows I LOVE the American Flag.  That red, white and blue just brings me to tears  And to marry the two together, well that, to me, is a symbol of profound liberty, freedom, strength and a love for this country that I cannot hide.

The funny thing was that I had my sketch pad.  No pencils (weren't sure where they were since I haven't sketched in forever) and all I had was a few pens.  So this eagle is done in pretty much red and blue pens with a little brown and yellow thrown in.  It still isn't done, but as soon as I publish this, I'm going to sit down and finish it.  I could use some "therapy" right now and art is mine.

So, until next time…...

God at Work……..

So…..

Almost 4 years ago we moved into this house - a mother/daughter set up.  My mom was already living with us but it was time to move into separate houses.  Well, my mom moved out and we have this empty house back there.  When we moved in, my husband and I discussed what to do with this "other" house when Mina is no longer with us and we have been SO blessed of God that we wanted to be able to bless others.  We imagined maybe unwed pregnant women who don't know the Lord, missionaries on the move, etc…..all temporary housing as 1) we cannot rent it as we are not zoned to rent and 2) we don't want to be landlords and are VERY particular about who is back there as it is attached to our house and the families will co-exist out of necessity (shared yard, decks, basement, etc).  So yesterday I go to get my nails done and the lady who does my nail for the last 4 years wasn't there so I asked the only other lady I knew there if she could do my nails.  Her name is Mary and of course, she said yes.  Now in 4 years, Mary has done my nails ONCE.  NO ONE does my nails except for Lee.  So Mary and I were talking and it turns out that she has been down on her luck.  Raising 4 children alone (21, 17, 14 and 13) and lost their home 3 years ago.  Lost their apartment 3 months ago as she could no longer pay rent, buy food and take care of her four kids on what she makes.  She does nails.  She works 7 days a week, 12 hour days.  NO help from dad - NONE……EVER.  So, her and her daughter (17) are sleeping at a friends in a closet on an air mattress.  Her 21 year old is living with her boyfriend to have somewhere to sleep and her two boys (13 and 14) had to go to their dad's as she had no way to care for them.  They have NEVER been with dad and dad has never been involved in their lives but out of necessity, they are now with their dad that they barely know.  Family split up.  Mary an incredible woman who loves the Lord and is trusting God and all of a sudden God impressed upon my heart that I should show Mary the house and offer her to live there until Amanda (17) graduates from High School, which is the ONLY reason she hasn't' taken her family and gone somewhere else that they can afford to live.  After all, we cannot charge rent so she would live there free.  I showed her the house and immediately called Eric.  Told him.  Tonight Mary and her daughter Amanda came to meet with us and they are now sleeping in the bedroom back there.  Mary had her food in her car as she was that close to living out of her car.  AND, Erics heart is SO big that when he heard that her family was split, he told her that we (he and I) needed to pray but he cannot bear to know that a family is not together.  At which point, Mary started crying…..hysterically.  When I finally got it out of her why she was crying she said because she has been praying so hard and so much that God would somehow bring her boys back to her……So I'm pretty sure there isn't much to pray about….I'm pretty sure by the end of this weekend, Mary's boys will be home with mom……

Though God is active in my life SO much lately especially, He never ceases to amaze me how He, and He alone, can work things out like this.  This could ONLY happen by divine intervention.  I am just in tears over our blessing of being able to help a family in need and to know that God is using what He has provided for us in a way only He can.

Praise be to God, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.  The Father of Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Redeemer and my Savior.

Until next time…..

Happy Birthday Mina!

This was Mina at Christmas last year with my bestie Sharon.  Mina is what we call my mom……when my oldest child was young she just couldn't say anything remotely close to grandma and she just kept calling her Mina….so 17 years later, Mina it is.  Today is my mom's 89th birthday!  Is that incredible or what!  I am so blessed to have a mom all these years since she didn't have me until she was 45.

My mom now lives in California and let's just say we weren't able to tell her how much we love and miss her and to wish her a happy birthday because we have no direct line and I will not go thru the only contact I have.  But my mom was the very first thing on my mind this morning and still on my mind.  We had a small family celebration (no cake or anything - just prayer and talks of memories of Mina) here….it was all we felt we could do.  I can only hope that someday she will call us, but whether or not she does, she is very much loved and missed.

My dad died in 1997 and for about 5 years prior to that, I took care of him and my mom (he died when he was 80) because it was very difficult for him to much of anything that required labor.  So I mowed, shoveled, painted, etc.  And when he died, I took care of my mom in her home.  I had been married the whole time…..I was married in 1994.  My husband was amazing as I was at my mom's half the week and home the other half (with my daughter) for years until she could no longer live alone and she moved in with us.  So I have really never known life without my mom.  Today was a most difficult day for me and I suspect Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year will be as well.  But she is loved and missed sorely.

So, Mina, here is to you.  I pray for you each and every day.  Praying for happiness, health and another 89 years this side of heaven.  I know I will see you again.  That assurance gets me through each and every day.  So until we meet up again………I love you Mom!  Happy Birthday!

Until next time…...

The Gym Is NO Good For You!!!!!

OK, I was SO done with surgeries, particularly after my face and my throat in the last two months, but about a year ago I tore my bicep muscle.  I'm telling you.  Half my injuries happened at the gym.  So I'm thinking that I should stay out of the gym.  Not only have I torn both rotator cuffs, my left ACL and every time I go there, my heart starts to race, I begin to sweat, I can hardly breathe and my body hurts.  The gym is DEFINITELY NO GOOD for your health.  But I digress again.

I have been nursing this thing for the last year.  Did therapy - to no avail.  I did cortisone - to no avail.  So I sucked it up until it got to the point recently that I can't use my right arm much and when I do, it KILLS.  SO I am scheduled for bicep surgery November 14, 2013.  My surgeon is a riot.  This is my second surgery with him.  My friends say I am friends with all my doctors and I thought that was pretty normal, but according to them - not so much.  Anyhow, Dr. Kocaj is a great surgeon and a great guy.  I called him and told him I cannot do the pain anymore so I went to see him for last consultation before scheduling surgery.  I asked what the "typical" recovery time was.  His response to me was (and I quote), "OK, Arrie, we ALL know you suck as a post operative patient.  Just tell me what it is that you want to do and we'll discuss it".  I told him there was nothing specific I was looking to do, I was just wondering.  He said, "Really??  Last shoulder surgery within a week you were scrubbing barn walls WITH THE SLING and grooming your horses and digging holes to plant bushes and I think the sling lasted 2 weeks, not 3 months and I'm pretty sure that the one year total recovery, for you, ended at three months".  So I told him my horses are being shipped out in two weeks (no grooming), it is fall so no digging and my car will be put away in about 4 weeks so no waxing……I really didn't want to do anything specific I was just wondering how long I was going to be laid up.  So, typical recovery is sling 6 weeks, nothing more than 1 pound lifted for 3 months and full recovery by 6 months…….WTH!  There is NO way I'll last that long and he knows it.  So he told me that he would be "tickled to pieces" if he can get 6 weeks in a sling and no typing or writing out of me…..I told him that was a bit much to ask and assured him that IF I do something I shouldn't he KNOWS that I tell him the truth.

He sighed.

Am I friends with all my doctors?  I guess I am since I haven't seen him in 2 years and we talked about his kids skiing, Okimo, Aspen/Vail…..my kids, my horses and of course, my new vette.  I still think that is pretty normal to be personal with all your docs, but whatever.  Maybe I am just that open book with everyone.  People tell me that one conversation with me and they feel right at home, like they have known me for ever.  I call it "the gift of gab".

So Dr. Kocaj says no blogging.  SMH.  Is he kidding me?  So next Thursday I go under the knife AGAIN and I swear this is my VERY LAST surgery.  PERIOD.  I have had more staples, stitches, anchors, titanium markers and fake pieces like braided ropes than anyone should ever have.  A CT Scan of my body is hysterical.

So, remember, the gym is no good for you and make friends with your doctors, you never know when you will need them to be kind to you….

Until next time…...

Pumpkin Carving Frenzy Over (THANK GOD!)

I always loved carving pumpkins, less the scooping out of the guts, but I always carved these ridiculous carvings, just to watch them collapse about 2 weeks later.  So about 3 years ago I decided to start carving styrofoam pumpkins (before every craft store in the world started doing it…..of course).  It took way longer because they are thicker and harder to carve into, but each year we add to our collection by taking out the old ones and carving a pumpkin or two more to add to the collection.  However, this year found me in a rather somber mood with some family situations that had me in a place of solitude working things out with God.  So, that left me way more time to carve way more pumpkins.  So much so that I had to give away 6 of them just so that our house didn't look like a pumpkin museum.  I love doing it…..sometimes too much.  I'm thankful I cannot find anymore styrofoam pumpkins in the stores now or I might still be carving.  Here are some of my obsessive carvings.  Nothing great on this read, but some cool pictures to look at…..