Relatively Speaking
Call me strange, but I like them.......
OCTOBER 2005
I’ve heard it said that relatives are like fish, after a few days they start to smell. If so, then it’s a smell I like and miss when it’s gone. Bring them on, I say, and the more the better. Like, my brother Mylan (and fam) for a weekend, such a treat, or when we used to do FHE's with Daurell's sisters, our kids looked forward to it, vacation with Corey and Mary, the best, Mark, Jen and the girls for Sunday dinner, such a delight, family reunions with either side, great memories. Laughing with Nalani, a favorite. Heart to heart’s with Sharon, memorable. I would enjoy vacation with any of Daurell’s family or any of mine any ole time. I could go on and on.......... Over the years the grown up nieces and nephews add such wonderful new dimensions to family gatherings that there is always something (or someone) new. I'm sure there are probably some who might consisder me more like fish, but for me the relatives are my first choice in company.
When I wrote this one I was felling all warm and fuzzy about how grateful I was for being born into such a great family and what a blessing it has been to have married into such a great family. Just because you are not mentioned does not mean I don't have great memories with you. Like when I french braided Carrie's hair...... And relatives include the few people not related by blood or marriage that started out as friends and became much more. Like those who take "taking the plunge" literally.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Made You Look, Made You Stare
About 4 years ago I decided to write my life history in the form of stories/experiences from the past and as they happened. Someday I will compile it all in a book for my children entitled "Life As I See It; Perspectives of Jana Bell". So tonight as I was perusing my various writings I decided I would pick one to post for my blog. All my Thanksgiving pictures are sitting snugly on my camera (I finally got it back from Amanda), so, when she can show me how to uplaod or download or overload them I will show you all that we had a TERRIFIC time at Keith and Barb's on Thanksgiving Day (and not just eating either, however that part was sure good too). Meanwhile I have selected the following experience from a year ago to share with you all. A day in my life...........
Made You Look, Made You Stare
How to make a famous person wonder who YOU are……..
December 10, 2006
Jay Buehner is a retired professional baseball player who played for the Mariners here in Seattle for many years. I’ve heard he lives somewhere on the Eastside. The other day I was coming home from Issaquah and was on the bridge over I90 when I glanced over and saw it was him in his car next to me at the stop light. He is bald, very white, (as in fair skinned) has a gotee and is a very familiar face around here to pretty much anyone who hasn’t lived in a bubble the last 10 years. It made me think about what it would be like to have people stare at you everywhere you go, even driving in the privacy of ones own car. In my car, I was listening to Les Miserables where Marius was singing dreamily to his newfound-and-bound-together-forever love, Cosette, saying,
How to make a famous person wonder who YOU are……..
December 10, 2006
Jay Buehner is a retired professional baseball player who played for the Mariners here in Seattle for many years. I’ve heard he lives somewhere on the Eastside. The other day I was coming home from Issaquah and was on the bridge over I90 when I glanced over and saw it was him in his car next to me at the stop light. He is bald, very white, (as in fair skinned) has a gotee and is a very familiar face around here to pretty much anyone who hasn’t lived in a bubble the last 10 years. It made me think about what it would be like to have people stare at you everywhere you go, even driving in the privacy of ones own car. In my car, I was listening to Les Miserables where Marius was singing dreamily to his newfound-and-bound-together-forever love, Cosette, saying,
“I don’t even know your name,.........dear Madmoiselle….”
The music from Les Miserables moves me deeply, without fail, every single time I listen to the sound track. At that moment, however, when I noticed it was Jay Buehner next to me, I got distracted from my private concert and wanted to gawk at the celebrity next to me so I could say I had my moment. Albeit, he was right there to the side of me, I didn’t want to be obvious about it, (which, contrary to public opinion, I can be subtle) and so I thought, “Hey! I ought to get you to stare at me, Mister All-Famous Think You Are So Hot Because You Are Bald and Rich and Famous and Everyone Knows Who You Are!!” Right then Dearest, Beloved, Marius drew my attention back to him as he sang with all the angst and passion of a bursting heart in love for the first time,
“My name is Marius Pontmercy….”
Then, with all the feeling, drama, arm motion and lip syncing ability I could muster I put on an Alone-In-the-Car, Favorite-Song-Playing show for Mr. Buehner right as Cosette sang back to Marius,
“……and mines Cosette.”
“Cosette, I don’t know what to say,”
“Then speak no sound…”
“I am lost…..”,
“I am found…”,
I could see out of the corner of my eye Mr. Baseball Boy (in his decked out, spotless, probably-got-it-free-for-being-famous, white, Ford Explorer) looking at me, smiling. He even nudged his wife to look at me. I had his full attention, had him staring at me and humored him for at least a full 15 seconds. Yes, it is true.
So, that is how you get a famous person to look at you and wonder who YOU are for a change. Admittedly, he didn’t roll his window down and take my picture or ask for my autograph, but, still, I had him for a moment.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, does it make you think?
Friday, November 9, 2007
In my other lives...
I took Carrie's idea, it made me laugh..........
1. My rock star name (first pet and current car): King Suburban
2. My gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor and favorite cookie): Brownie chunk Lu
3.My "fly girl" name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name: J Bel
4.My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal): Purple Feret
5. My soap opera name (middle name and city where you were born): Lynn Logan
6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name): Belja
7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front): The Red Lemon (ade)
8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers): Oscar Alonzo
9. My stripper name (name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy): White Linen Turtle
10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names): Olson Orstrom
1. My rock star name (first pet and current car): King Suburban
2. My gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor and favorite cookie): Brownie chunk Lu
3.My "fly girl" name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name: J Bel
4.My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal): Purple Feret
5. My soap opera name (middle name and city where you were born): Lynn Logan
6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name): Belja
7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front): The Red Lemon (ade)
8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers): Oscar Alonzo
9. My stripper name (name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy): White Linen Turtle
10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names): Olson Orstrom
Also.....
Last night as I was boiling Olivia's pacifier I thought, Hmm, I forgot to put the best part of my child care experience in my blog entry; which was: as Eliana was going potty, Olivia tossed her binkie in the toilet. I'm thinking of sending the idea in to David Letterman for his segment, "Will it sink or will it float?"
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
A New Appreciation
Today I babysat 2 little girls, one was 3+ and the other was 15 months. They are VERY cute and I was looking forward to our day together, HOWEVER, in hindsight, I have to say I've forgotten a lot over the years. While the baby, Olivia, was eating dirt, the older one, Eliana, stripped to her princess panties and was doing a fairy dance in my (fortuantely clean) garment tops, yes, tops---plural. I had some baskets of laundry to fold and she found what appealed to her with glee. So for the next four hours she paraded around in flowy (not a real word, but, descriptive) whites watching Monsters Inc. and then Olivia, when she wasn't transferring dirt from the potted plant to a chair (she quit eating it after a few tastes) unfolded everything I folded SEVERAL times and said, "Look", like she had no idea how it happened. Good thing she is cute and they were both entertaining even if it was hard to get anything done.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Back with the Living
Where to start, I just don't know? I haven't posted since June 21st. HA! and that was done by Amelia. Actually, there hasn't been much in the past 5 months to share or to want to remember. Amanda has commandeered my camera, and making much better use of it, I must admit. That is my excuse for no pictures but really it's because there is no one here to show me how to do it. The whole summer I spent laying on an ice pack wondering if I was ever going to be able to more than hobble from point A to point B, but, now, I am happy to report that I am back with the living. I went to stay with my sister Lesa, in North Ogden, for the month of September. Her husband is a physical therapist and works in a clinic with every contraption imaginable to lengthen, strengthen, shorten, soften, relax, ice up, heat up, and rub down. I was able to have PT everyday doing exercises and then traction, electrical stimulation and ultrasound at the end. All the pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in my left leg that I had had all summer (caused by pressure from the bugle on a nerve) was gone within a week or so and then the rest of the time was healing and strengthening...... okay, and eating and movies and laughing and shopping. I had a great time while there. I really needed it. I didn't have to drive or cook or be any one's mom. When I didn't feel good I could get some ice and go lay down and not feel guilty because of everything else I should be doing. I was really happy to get home but enjoyed the time down there and am sooooo grateful to Don and Lesa for letting stay for so long, for all Don's help and his tolerance with having me mooch for so long. I am walking in the mornings with friend and doing yoga again. I can even sit through church. It feels wonderful to be able to move around again. The potential for back problems will always be there but as long as I am careful and keep exercising I will be able to do pretty much what I want. I am back working at Williams Sonoma and it is still fun. I really look forward to the holiday season. It get so crazy but I just love it.
The first of September the girls moved out and the first of October we had 2 young men move in. One was Aaron Anderson who is a med student from Las Vegas who was doing a radiology rotation at UW/Harbor View for 1 month. His wife is the daughter of Gary and Mandy Ottley in Quincy. She and their 2 little boys were at her parents for a couple weeks then went back to Las Vegas. Gary and Daurell grew up together in Quincy. The Ottley's called a week before to see if it would be possible for Aaron to stay with us or did we know any place where he could stay. It worked out great for us because, Stephen, who's lease was up and needed a place to live for 2 months until he gets married December 1st, was moving in the same weekend. He and his fiance' are friends of Amanda. Aaron left the end of October and we have really missed him. What's not to like, I thought, he helped me fold towels (among many other things)! He and Stephen saw each other about 4 times the whole month as they were both very busy, but, become fast friends in a short amount of time. Aaron is a AVID fly fisherman and was out on a stream every spare minute of day light possible. Turns out it can be quite an extreme sport. He and Daurell went over to Eastern Washington one Saturday to spend a leisure day on the Yakima River. As Aaron put it, it went from bad to worse. Daurell had invested in his very own pair of chest high waders (already had a rod from Christmas 8 years ago) and in waist high water slipped on a slimy rock. Bending over to catch his balance the moving water found it's way straight into the top of Daurell's waders. Gasping at the near freezing cold water filling his boots soaking his clothes, he realized his cell phone had probably seen it's last day. Fortunately Aaron has some extra jeans etc. that Daurell could change into. After that crisis was handled but no chance of reviving the cell phone, they moved to a shallower spot in the river. Nice and dry and ready to try it again, they get out in the river and start once more only to have Daurell slip again, only this time the water much more shallow. In trying to catch himself from falling into the water, Daurell somehow pulled his hamstring in his left leg. He was paralyzed with pain and couldn't move. Aaron had to hike up to the road and selectively flagged down a muddy looking pick-up truck and asked the drivier to help him get Daurell out of the river. Luckily it was a guy who had been duck hunting and said he didn't mind getting his feet wet. After a while in Urgent Care in Issaquah Aaron brought Daurell home loaded up on painkillers. David, excited Dad was home from fishing, ran out to the garage, took one look at Daurell , came back in and shrieked, "Dad's unconcious!" We had theater tickets that night, with one look at Daurell, I knew we would not be using them. The following week for poor Daurell was spent in agony. We kept it wrapped tightly and with regular doses of Advil and vicadin (sp) he still managed to mow the lawn and blow the leaves. A man does have his priorities. He is working at Expedia.com on a short term basis right now and enjoying the work. Pulled hamstrings make it difficult to sit so he had to work standing up for a few days. Awkward, but, one does what one has to do.
We had a fun celebration of Sharon/David birthday. The tradition of David's favorite tacos was carried forward. It was fun to laugh. David is now 13 and uses hair product. The Beehive girls one day told me they just love David, he is so fun to tease, he is so cute, I love how short he is, etc. etc. etc. When I told him what they said he said, "Ha! They hate me. They are so mean to me. They won't leave me alone. They always try to touch my hair and they say I'm short." Once I explained the girls to him, that that is their way of getting his attention, he has been a whole new boy. It was probably best to have left him thinking they didn't like him, but, he does look better with his hair clean, coiffed and styled. He has even gotten picky about his socks.
I will try to update my posts more often and maybe some Sunday Amanda can help me with a photo or two. CONGRATULATIONS to Nalani and Carrie! What fun for you both.
The first of September the girls moved out and the first of October we had 2 young men move in. One was Aaron Anderson who is a med student from Las Vegas who was doing a radiology rotation at UW/Harbor View for 1 month. His wife is the daughter of Gary and Mandy Ottley in Quincy. She and their 2 little boys were at her parents for a couple weeks then went back to Las Vegas. Gary and Daurell grew up together in Quincy. The Ottley's called a week before to see if it would be possible for Aaron to stay with us or did we know any place where he could stay. It worked out great for us because, Stephen, who's lease was up and needed a place to live for 2 months until he gets married December 1st, was moving in the same weekend. He and his fiance' are friends of Amanda. Aaron left the end of October and we have really missed him. What's not to like, I thought, he helped me fold towels (among many other things)! He and Stephen saw each other about 4 times the whole month as they were both very busy, but, become fast friends in a short amount of time. Aaron is a AVID fly fisherman and was out on a stream every spare minute of day light possible. Turns out it can be quite an extreme sport. He and Daurell went over to Eastern Washington one Saturday to spend a leisure day on the Yakima River. As Aaron put it, it went from bad to worse. Daurell had invested in his very own pair of chest high waders (already had a rod from Christmas 8 years ago) and in waist high water slipped on a slimy rock. Bending over to catch his balance the moving water found it's way straight into the top of Daurell's waders. Gasping at the near freezing cold water filling his boots soaking his clothes, he realized his cell phone had probably seen it's last day. Fortunately Aaron has some extra jeans etc. that Daurell could change into. After that crisis was handled but no chance of reviving the cell phone, they moved to a shallower spot in the river. Nice and dry and ready to try it again, they get out in the river and start once more only to have Daurell slip again, only this time the water much more shallow. In trying to catch himself from falling into the water, Daurell somehow pulled his hamstring in his left leg. He was paralyzed with pain and couldn't move. Aaron had to hike up to the road and selectively flagged down a muddy looking pick-up truck and asked the drivier to help him get Daurell out of the river. Luckily it was a guy who had been duck hunting and said he didn't mind getting his feet wet. After a while in Urgent Care in Issaquah Aaron brought Daurell home loaded up on painkillers. David, excited Dad was home from fishing, ran out to the garage, took one look at Daurell , came back in and shrieked, "Dad's unconcious!" We had theater tickets that night, with one look at Daurell, I knew we would not be using them. The following week for poor Daurell was spent in agony. We kept it wrapped tightly and with regular doses of Advil and vicadin (sp) he still managed to mow the lawn and blow the leaves. A man does have his priorities. He is working at Expedia.com on a short term basis right now and enjoying the work. Pulled hamstrings make it difficult to sit so he had to work standing up for a few days. Awkward, but, one does what one has to do.
We had a fun celebration of Sharon/David birthday. The tradition of David's favorite tacos was carried forward. It was fun to laugh. David is now 13 and uses hair product. The Beehive girls one day told me they just love David, he is so fun to tease, he is so cute, I love how short he is, etc. etc. etc. When I told him what they said he said, "Ha! They hate me. They are so mean to me. They won't leave me alone. They always try to touch my hair and they say I'm short." Once I explained the girls to him, that that is their way of getting his attention, he has been a whole new boy. It was probably best to have left him thinking they didn't like him, but, he does look better with his hair clean, coiffed and styled. He has even gotten picky about his socks.
I will try to update my posts more often and maybe some Sunday Amanda can help me with a photo or two. CONGRATULATIONS to Nalani and Carrie! What fun for you both.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Gotta Love That Prune Juice
I have some sad news... after getting back from the cruise in Alaska my Mom was having some back aches. It ended up being so bad that she went to the doctor to see what was up... she was in too much pain to do any tests until yesterday. She had an MRI done and they found that her L3 disc in her back is out of place and I can't remember if she said it was shattered or not. So for the next 4-6 weeks she has to lay there in bed and can not move. If anybody has an extra cathader (spell check) laying around to please send it her way.
She is a lot of fun talking too because she is so heavily sedated... she wanted me to tell you that she is "getting tired of looking at the cealing... and so I close my eyes..." and then our phone call ended like that.
Her current drug cocktail contains the following...
Percocet
Oxycodone
2 antibiotics
Steroids
Antihistamine
Muscle Relaxer
Stool Softener ... which hasn't worked but the prune juice sure has!
So if you have a moment give my Mom a call, she will be the one to answer with the slowest and longest hello you will ever hear. She can't get down stairs to the computer so a phone call would be really nice. She appreciates that I call from here in Sweden because she tells me "Everybody has abandoned me Amelia!" So please, call my Mommy 425.392.2179! She said she'd appreciate it also.
- Amelia
She is a lot of fun talking too because she is so heavily sedated... she wanted me to tell you that she is "getting tired of looking at the cealing... and so I close my eyes..." and then our phone call ended like that.
Her current drug cocktail contains the following...
Percocet
Oxycodone
2 antibiotics
Steroids
Antihistamine
Muscle Relaxer
Stool Softener ... which hasn't worked but the prune juice sure has!
So if you have a moment give my Mom a call, she will be the one to answer with the slowest and longest hello you will ever hear. She can't get down stairs to the computer so a phone call would be really nice. She appreciates that I call from here in Sweden because she tells me "Everybody has abandoned me Amelia!" So please, call my Mommy 425.392.2179! She said she'd appreciate it also.
- Amelia
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