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Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Photos and other things






Here's the computer again - still no vacuum cleaner bag but the Salt & Vinegar chip lid remains (a new one). That's hot chocolate in the cup and the sunflower cup behind it is a gift from Rochelle. For once, I didn't cut Gizmo's (frilled lizard) head off.

Tina in the Czech Republic was asking for descriptions of computer areas. I responded but how do you describe something like this? Told her I had some photos back in the archives but I'd probably post another one. Update - it wasn't Tina and now I can't figure out who it was. Whoever, there it is. Further update on 1-21-06. Finally found her again. It was granny fiddler.

The other photo is recent. It's what my bed looks like when it's been occupied for almost three days by a sick child whom, you will notice, is still there along with a sleeping cat. We actually managed to see a doctor today and it's strep. By this morning she had a rash to go with the sore throat. The doctor said it often goes along with a virus.

She was a little better today. She ate Ramen noodles, jello, and a little pudding at home and soup, tapioca, and Gatorade at the hospital cafeteria. We had to take her culture from the pediatrician on one side of the street to the hospital on the other and it started pouring. We ran from the car to the door and decided to wait it out for a few minutes. I was hungry by then too and she'd never seen the cafeteria. I wish it always took as little to make them happy.

No special recipe for Jello. It's just Jello. Plain, red, Jello.

By the time we got the lab results and the doctor called in the prescription, she was sleeping. Early morning will be soon enough. The doctor wants her out of school for 24 hours after she begins treatment. I'm pleased they're not starting medication before lab results come back. It used to be automatic and I've said often that kids (and adults) are sometimes overmedicated. It certainly has its place but, like the NIX, it can lose effectiveness, allergies can develop, and antibiotics are not a cureall.

No new visitors today but many returnees. Thanks to all for the kind words and the suggestions. Blogging Baby had a post today about lice that was frightening. This may be my last use of chemicals on the girls. With all the suggestions, I'll try to find something else and if it comes down to cutting their hair (which will grow back), so be it. I think the school has a requirement about chemical treatment but that's one I can fight and win if it ever becomes an issue. More documentation comes in all the time.

I answered some of the comments in the earlier post and some by email.

McGlee Historical Preservation Society may sound like a new visitor but it's Uncle Roger in disguise. He has given permission to use the word b**g as long as I pronounce it jo**nal.

The Sun-Star printed my letter today and Brokeback Mountain will be showing here beginning on January 27. Meantime the Asst. Editor, a friend, emailed me to expect our local homophobe's letter to appear shortly. We have more than one but he stands out in a crowd. My letter wasn't printed early enough to have any impact on the theater's decision but I'm sure the phone calls and the four Golden Globes did. It may have been promotional all along. Wait for the awards and build an audience.

In the meantime, I wrote another letter, wearing my tree hugger hat. I had stayed out of the "build a racetrack" controversy because my environmental knowledge is sketchy and I didn't want to be seen as a NIMBY. Then the Sun-Star printed a letter from the opposition which was an attack on all of us who had misgivings. (To international readers who may not be up on American acronyms - NIMBY, not in my back yard)

He asked three questions in his open letter asking us if we had ever done anything in our own lives to cut down on traffic, pollution, and noise and closed by calling us all Maynard G. Krebs among other things. What do Dobie and friend have to do with all this? I answered with yes, yes, and yes, and I also knew how to write a Letter to the Editor without dredging up old t.v. shows.

Have I ever written to my Congressperson or spoken out, he asked? I could paper the walls with the letters I've written and the petitions I've both circulated and signed (as a volunteer for a cause I believed in, not for pay). Have I met with our elected officials? Duh. Etc. etc.

Lawyers have a saying. Never ask a question when you don't know the answer. The Sun-Star will be inundated by environmentalists.

The only times I write to the Editor is when I'm furious. These two letters are a little close together but some people have letters in at least once a week. Usually from the other side which is one reason I don't do it. I'm a little freaky but I'm not a wingnut and I don't want to get that reputation.

Rochelle and Elcie are fine. Elcie was a little put out by not having her head treated (can you imagine wanting that stuff?) but I gave her a nice shampoo tonight and checked her again. I think she just needed a little pampering to catch up with baby sister. Rochelle was her usual self; helpful and funny. Her Report Card came in. One B, everything else A & A-. Her conduct stayed at oustanding in spite of the rock throwing incident which some of you might remember.

It's hard on the other kids to have the sick one get the attention but I made enough Jello and pudding for everyone which soothed them. Dessert isn't an everyday occurrence and Jello is a rarity in the cold weather.

Speaking of food, our new commenter from India, Neets, is planning to post recipes. I can hardly wait. I worked for a lovely man from India in San Francisco who used to take me to lunch. He knew what to order and it was wonderful.

Maybe tomorrow I'll finally get to the Hermit cookies. By then Rebecca may be able to eat one.

20 comments:

Mother Sharon Damnable said...

Hiya Granny

I've started my spring cleaning so have been busy :>)

Tea Tree oil and lavender are very good for getting rid of lice.

Never ise the essential oil neat, dilute in almond or other oil, comb through the hair, wrap in a towel and leave for a few hours or overnight.

Comb through with a nit comb and wash out. them little critters hate the smell of the tea tree and the children have hair that is in lovely condition.

I used to think teachers kept nits (as they're called here) in a jar and sprinkled then on the childrens heads!

Mix Lavender essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spray the childrens bed linen, this will aid restful sleep and again deters critters.

Prob best to repeat the tea tree oil treatment once a week for about a month to kill off eggs

Mother Sharon Damnable said...

(((((((((Rebecca))))))))))

I am burning a candle and am sending healing energies to you, I hope you feel better very soon.

Andrea said...

I had strep around the same age. cant remember too much about it other than that was how we discovered i was allergic to penicilian

I added that link for you.

your post made me tired, so mucb happening

typing with baby in one arm, very hard

Alice said...

I stick with my original suggestion regarding head-lice. Regular combing and treatment every so often with vinegar.

Works wonders for us.

Bloody lice. They creep me out. And no matter that my hair is clean and I wash regularly, if I get them from mum (got to love being a teacher of 4-12 year olds. All those fringe benefits), I still always feel unclean somehow, like I'm dirty.

Anyway. Chemicals in the end are useless if you have to use them more than three times on the same child, no matter what time frame it is in; close together or far apart. Lice get used to the properties very quickly, and the chemical treatments then simply cease to work.
The old remedies are best. Vinegar, lemon... They hate the stuff, and the acids seem to kill them every time.
As I once told a friend who was horrified about what we used to tackle the problem; which is better? An expensive 'treatment' which only works once or twice, or spending £1.50 on a HUGE bottle of cooking/malted vinegar that works like a charm??

Anyhow, good luck. Hope Becca feels herself again soon, love to all and well done Elcie and Rochelle for continuing good progress.

Mother Sharon Damnable said...

Hiya Alice

Lice go to clean hair!

Please be careful using vinegar, it can burn sensitive skin.

Good to meet you :>)

Granny said...

Yep. I said someplace a couple of posts ago something about clean hair. We do our best to keep their hair clean but maybe we should give up shampoos?

Mother damnable and madcap both said the same thing about tea tree oil. They're the herbalists of the group. Now all I have to do is find out what they're talking about (for the next time). I think this one is over.

Gawdessness said...

I am sorry about your sick one, it is hard and unpleasant but I also remember being the not sick one and how much I hungered for that attention they were getting.

Humans are funny creatures.

In my searches to find remedies for the dog lice I came across nothing that was remotely non pesticidal. SIGH.
So we broke down and used a commercial product on our pets. Not my favourite thing.

Then someone suggested mayonnaise. THat had me snorting wiht laughter.

All I could picture was three dogs, one very hairy and big one at 95 lbs. covered with oily goo chasing each other through the house and licking non stop!

I love the picture of gizmo, he is just the right kind of thing to have on top of a computer!

The post on lice on BB was frightening. Knock on wood, we have never had human lice, but if we ever do, I will try every natural alternative first!

Writing letters is important and I think both of your recent ones make a lot of sense and it is good for dissenting opinions to be expressed -
We don't have dessert much at our house either. I never wanted it as a daily thing (except when I was a kid) because it always seems to make eating the actual meal seem like a chore!

Mmmm. Jello, haven't had that for a while. Especially not red jello.

Perhaps I will save that for next week when my husband is away in Germany and Scotland.

Hope all is looking up at your house!

ipodmomma said...

glad that Rebecca is feeling a bit better... Jello is a great thing! they call it jelly here... and jam is just jam...

glad you'll get Brokeback... sounds like a great flick!

is Rebecca allergic to penicillin? I can't remember... turns out J was fine. but now she has very little appetite... which isn't necessarily a bad thing. but she's quite cross, because she'd like to eat, and doesn't feel hungry...

Anne said...

Just visiting with you "granny". Saw you over at the gobhole.

Anonymous said...

i'm going through a week, where i don't really get what anyone is saying. i'm kind of muddled up. first week of a new semester does that to me.

anyways, all i can remember to say at this point, is that when i get sick, i want to come to your house, and also, holy cat lickers, i've never seen that many icons on a desktop in my life. are they in any particular order?

Andie D. said...

Strep is so rough. It went through my family right before Halloween. I was so sick that I begged my son to eat cereal for dinner so that I didn't have to move (Mick was out of town). I was actually "grateful" that the baby was sick too, because she slept a lot and I'm not sure if I could've taken care of her.

Hope she's well soon!

VMC said...

I read your letter at the Sun-Star website, Ann. Good, you tell 'em.

When Fahrenheit 911 came out, the local theater didn't run it. I did the same thing you did and wrote a letter to the paper, which they printed. I used much of the same tact you chose, but since we'd already driven the 80 miles to go see it, I told the readership that we had done so.

I also pointed out that their marquee was full of yawners, which was true. The next week, the movie was here, so I took the whole family and bought the popcorn, too.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Granny,

This is my fist look at your blog, boy are you popular!

May I wiegh in on the lice thing?

Weekly olive oil treatments makes the hair wonderful silky and discourage lice. And blow drying the kids hair dry after a shampoo, burns and dry out the lice and nits as well.

My mom use to make hot jello for me when I was little, and was sick with a sore throat.

Janice~

Jen said...

Sorry about the damnable lice and sickness! What a week!

Pant pant pant pant, I am tired just reading about it!

Sp00kalot said...

Oh poor kid! I had to go back and check the picture twice to see a body under there! If she still has trouble swallowing tomorrow, grind the cookie up in the blender with some milk and give her a straw.

Hey, just trying to be helpful.

Tina said...

Wait, I was?

Granny said...

No Tina, you weren't but someone was. I was going to post a correction today.

It was one of the newer visitors who had written an entire post about people and their computers.

I went back to your blog, couldn't find it, and said oops.

I hope whoever I responded to takes a look at the photo.

Sorry about the confusion.

Jen said...

Hi Ann...

Thanks for the compliments on my blog. Scott also recommended I visit your site, so here I am.

I hope your granddaughter is feeling better! Poor little thing, she looks so bushed in that picture!

The Rainbow Zebra said...

I was thrilled to see that Brokeback Mountain is *finally* playing here, began today. I'm going to try to go see it in the next week or so.

Yay Golden Globes!

Anonymous said...

the vinegar works by dissolving the 'glue' the nits/lice used to stick their eggs onto the hair shaft and lots of combing is good, not only to get rid of the lice and eggs but also it damages the female lice, breaks their back legs as I remember from my science teacher and they cant lay any more eggs, good luck, I use plenty of conditioner and comb through every hair wash just in case, touch wood, we have been going through a lice-free spell from quite some time!