We Adopted a Teenager

(Another guest entry by Kim)

CJ’s adoption was finalized in court on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. We could not have asked for a lovelier experience on the big day.

CJ had wanted to keep the event low-key, i.e. not a big party with all our friends. We wanted to respect his wishes and keep the day about him. But as we neared the official date, he decided he wanted to invite three of his school friends (Jacob and twins Maggie and Andy), along with their parents. These two families have been a big part of CJ’s life this past year and have warmly welcomed him to the community, and we were so happy to have them be part of this occasion. We were also impressed that CJ decided to share his Adoption Day with his friends.

Also in attendance were CJ’s grandparents, Cathy and Bobby; CJ’s brother Liam and Liam’s mom/my friend Karen; CJ’s social worker Katy and his lawyer Garry; our social worker Maria; my sister Kara and her boyfriend Brian; and our good friends Jim and Eileen. Robin’s daughter and son, Miranda and Will, both took the day off work to be there (Miranda flying up from DC just for the day) and we are grateful to both of them for making this a very special family event.

In the courtroom, the super nice judge came down from the bench and sat with us at a table and talked to us about our lives and the adoption. She was full of appreciation for what we were doing, and remarked how nice it was to have a happy occasion in court. In a remarkably thoughtful touch, she gave CJ the gavel and instructed him how and when to use it to finalize his own adoption. I loved that. CJ was indeed happy and enthusiastic about the whole occasion, and his good spirits were contagious to everyone.

Talking with the judge in court

Should we be worried that after CJ’s adoption was decreed as “final and irrevocable,” he muttered to us, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” ??????  Haha love that kid.

Family! Robin, Kim, Liam, CJ, Miranda, William (with judge in back)

Friends!

After court, our group of 20 went to a nearby restaurant for drinks, snacks, and cake. We had a little speaking program in which nearly everyone, including the youths, got up to wish CJ well, and said nice things about him and about us. We really felt the love! One doesn't get to be the center of attention very often in life, but we did enjoy it on this special day.

In a way Tuesday was just a formality. We first met CJ seventeen months ago, and since then we've been working on becoming a family. We’re pretty much an ordinary family now, albeit one in which the three members of the household have three different last names and the 13-year-old calls his parents by their first names. But I still get a hug every morning and every night at bedtime, and Robin is helping CJ with his algebra and shepherding him through his fall soccer season, and we’re trying to get him to brush his teeth without us having to remind him Every. Single. Time. It is all I hoped it would be, and more.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all our friends and family who have given us your unconditional support, and opened your hearts to CJ, during this incredible process. Life is Good.  

Sudden Hearing Loss

Hello Readers,

This is Kim once again, "guest blogging" with an unfortunate new development in my life.

I have learned this week why it’s such a good thing that our bodies evolved with so many redundancies: two ears, eyes, limbs, etc. When you lose one, you still have the other! As many of my acquaintances know, I’ve been suffering from an “ear blockage” and deafness in my left ear for the past six weeks. On Monday I finally saw the ear specialist and my official diagnosis is SSNHL (sudden sensorineural hearing loss). She gave me the unwelcome news that I am now permanently deaf in my left ear.

I learned that the feeling of “blockage” had nothing to do with a head cold or trapped fluid in the ear; that there is no known cause for this condition, but it affects about 5 in every 100,000 people; and that the leading theory is that a virus causes inflammation of the inner ear, which destroys the nerve cells. Had I seen a specialist in the first two-four weeks, I would have been treated with steroids in an attempt to reduce the inflammation, which sometimes works. But although I first went to a CVS Minute Clinic and then my own nurse-practitioner in the first 12 days of my symptoms, neither of them referred me to a specialist immediately. My NP flagged the possibility and called Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and they advised us that I should see a specialist, but the first available appointment was four-and-a-half weeks in the future. When I finally saw her, six weeks after the onset of my symptoms, she told me the hearing loss is untreatable and irreversible.

Now that we’ve read several articles about it (see links below), it is clear that anyone experiencing sudden hearing loss should go to a specialist or the ER immediately. But as the articles explain, this condition is actually so rare that few medical practitioners know how urgent it is to receive speedy treatment. And the symptoms are very similar to head colds or fluid blockages, which is what everyone thought I had. Those conditions are treatable or resolve themselves, and I was taking lots of decongestants, nasal sprays, etc. to try to clear the blockage when that was not my problem at all. Yes, I am feeling some anger and incredulity over how it happened that although I sought medical attention twice within the treatment window, and even had MEEI on the phone, I somehow never got advised to seek urgent treatment for sudden hearing loss.

Still, what’s done is done, and even if I had been treated, chances are iffy that it would have worked. I definitely had additional issues of vertigo the first week, and the articles say that hearing is recovered less often when those symptoms are present too. Sometimes one just gets unlucky, and that seems to have been my fate.

Enjoying London in February with one good ear!

As to where I go from here, I found out that hearing aids can’t help since amplifying sound, just to reach a non-functional nerve, would be futile. There is a type of “transmitter” they can implant in my skull on the left side, which would send sound over to my right ear, theoretically improving my ability to hear sounds from my left. The doctor says most people find this doesn’t help enough to be worth the effort, and that most make do with their one good ear, but it is something I can explore. I also asked what would happen should my right ear suffer the same fate. She said that was highly unlikely, kind of like being struck by lightning twice. SSNHL is almost always in one ear only, and chances of it happening to me again are 5/100,000. They told me at the doctor’s office that if I ever DO feel the slightest problem in my good ear, to rush immediately to the ER at Mass Eye and Ear. Also, no scuba diving, loud machinery, or rock concerts in my future – a “monaural” person has to keep their good ear as safe as possible.

Anyway, although it must be recognized that this is somewhat life-altering, (yeah, I can't hear a lot of stuff now), I am focusing on being grateful for my general good health and all my blessings. Robin and CJ are going to be very supportive and remember to talk to me in my good ear. I’m also feeling appreciative that here in the US the driver sits on the left side of the car, so my passenger can still talk to me (wouldn’t work if I were driving in England!). Thanks be for my good ear, as I’ll still be able to enjoy life “almost” to the fullest. I guess when I think back on the past six weeks, there have been some irritations and inconveniences, but life in general has gone on. I have much to look forward to.

Patient Guide Sudden Deafness

Washington Post article

Memories of Pixie

Hello Readers,

This is Kim, a guest contributor to Robin's Rural Rides. Both of us have been really saddened by the loss of our dear Chihuahua, Pixie, two weeks ago today. As Robin said, "There was an enormous amount of character, loyalty, and affection in that little body of hers. We are really going to miss her."  

We wanted to capture some of our happy memories of Pixie over the past three years, and there were many. Here is what we came up with.

Pixie came to us on April 2, 2010. She had been found as a stray on the streets of Worcester in February. She went through Worcester Animal Control, the Worcester Animal Rescue League, and then Great Dog Rescue New England, who asked us to foster her. By the time we got her medical issues sorted out, we couldn't give her up.

She had three surgeries the first year with us: spaying, tooth extraction, and eye removal. The latter was a tough decision but was so right, as it ended her pain and she adjusted beautifully. After those surgeries, she was in good health, although we still cared for her like a baby and spoiled her rotten. In the spring of 2013 she started suffering from IBD, which daily Metronidazole miraculously cleared up. Her last week she was slowing down, but her death was unexpected and sudden.

Cutest one-eyed dog

Pixie lived life to the fullest right up to her final day. She died on July 7, 2013 of congestive heart failure. Her clay paw print is buried next to our crab apple tree under a white azalea bush we planted in her memory.

Pixie was full of life and personality. She greeted us with furious tail wagging when we came home, and waited until we acknowledged her and petted her before she went back to her spot. She loved to come on errands, and followed me around the house to make sure she wasn't missing anything.

She had a furious little bark and afterwards made little motions with her mouth like she was adjusting it back into normal position. She always barked at our dog walker, Amy, even after she’d been taking care of Pixie for months and years.

We sometimes described her as ornery since she didn't like strangers. During her past, she must have had trouble with a tall man wearing a baseball cap, as she could be quite aggressive towards that type. She once lunged and bit a plumber matching that description on his way out. (Fortunately, she did no serious damage.) After that we learned to keep her separated from service men visiting the house. However, she accepted many of our friends and relatives by sitting in their laps on the sofa.

Mt. Kearsarge 2011

She participated in hikes and walks in the woods with us and our other dogs. She gave us a scare the first year by taking the wrong trail and getting lost in Pisgah State park – she could be a little too independent! Sometimes she would go on ahead (especially on the way home). But more often, she would trail behind, sniffing, and we would have to call her to come trotting back.  She could put on quite a show of speed when she wanted to. Her longest hikes were 6 miles, up Mounts Percival/Morgan in New Hampshire and Mount Ascutney in Vermont – both steep, rocky climbs. Her only reservation was crossing any stream or watery spot, so we had to pick her up and carry her over. Otherwise, she loved the woods and the outdoors like any dog.

We got an Agility set for Christmas one year. During the months I had the weave poles set up in the basement, Pixie was just as proficient on them, if not more so, than the other dogs!

She made an endearing little grunting, throaty sound when she settled herself down.

She shed like a year-round blizzard going on in our house.

She loved her heated dog bed, especially in winter. She also sought out any spots where sunbeams came through our windows.

Pixie loved when Robin and I were close together on the sofa or in bed, and insisted on snuggling between us. She showed her contentment by licking our hands, arms, and legs.  She was quite a “licker.” A true lap dog, she spent many, many hours in Robin’s lap while he worked at his computer.

She was a faithful sleeping companion. In the winter she would sleep cuddled up against our knees under the blankets. In the summer, she would sleep right next to us or on top of us. She spent the winter nights of 2010-11 with Miranda, who lived here during her last year of vet school. 

Pix, as we often called her, impressed many in our circle of friends, who told us of their affection for her, most notably Miranda's friends Jenni and Sarah. She did not win over everyone, but those who were won over often told us how much they adored Pixie.

In the morning when Pixie woke up, she would come lie on my stomach and gaze into my eyes, and I would massage her and she would half close her eye and stay there for as long as I would pet her. Her ears would go horizontal and she reminded me of Yoda. She always welcomed a tummy rub too.

Pix was part of the group that drove to Memphis and back in 2012. On long car rides she would stay in my lap with her head in the crook of my arm, wrapped in a blanket, and snooze the journey away.

She loved coffee with cream and sugar.  She had a special bark for coffee, and would come into my lap and try to get at it. I usually gave her the last few sips from the cup.

During her last two springs and summers, she discovered joyriding with her head out the car window. She loved this with a passion. Thanks to the stern warnings of Cousin Jeff, she was harnessed and tethered while she did this. She would follow me around in the warmer seasons, hoping for a car ride each day. During her last few months she got in a lot of joyriding, including on her way to the vet the day she died. She especially enjoyed the trips to Kimball’s and getting a spoonful of ice cream.

Pixie was ingrained into the fabric of our lives and was a daily bright spot. She loved us, and we loved her, with all our hearts.

Thanks for all the love, our little Pix.

Dambusters

A recent trip to England has re-awakened in me my interest in the "Dambusters raid" of 1943, officially known as Operation Chastise. First, we (Kim, Mia and I) decided to go and see the new statue of Barnes Wallis at Herne Bay while we were on our day out to Howlett's Wild Animal Park. Then, while looking for a book to read at the airport for the flight home, I saw (and bought) Dambusters by James Holland.

The book tells the story, in great detail, of the early stages of the idea by Wallis and the struggle to get it taken seriously; the go-ahead and the formation and training of 617 squadron of the Royal Air Force; the raid itself, which happened almost exactly 70 years ago; and the aftermath. It's an excellent book - very well written.

I should of course point out, that Barnes Wallis was an "Old Blue," that's to say he, like me, went to Christ's Hospital. Indeed, he was a familiar presence there when I was a boy. It is said that he was devastated by the huge losses of the bomber crews. If I recall correctly, he used the money that was given to him later by a grateful government to fund scholarships at CH for the sons of RAF officers.

The statue, is placed there because of the bouncing bomb trials (see photo below) which occurred there in the early part of 1943 in preparation for the raid. The trials were at the time considered to be at Reculver, rather than Herne Bay. But Reculver is rather difficult to reach these days and it is all the same bit of coastline.

All this reminded me of the only unpleasant German I ever met (I've met a lot of very nice Germans over the years, by the way). He was the ticket agent at Bochum when I was visiting in 1979. I wanted to see Wuppertal (where I was born) and in particular wanted to ride on the Schwebebahn. I stood in line and when I reached the window, politely asked for a "hin und rundfahrt" ticket to Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof. "Kein Hauptbahnhof in Wuppertal," he almost screamed at me. So, I was forced to leave the line and consult the chart. Clearly the main station was at Elberfeld. So, I rejoined the queue and eventually got my ticket. That memory has always rankled with me and when I think of the thousands of innocent folk who perished as a result of the dams breaking, I like to imagine they were like that railway man. What a contrast from the agent in Stockholm on another occasion who after I asked for a ticket to Uppsala, replied in the most perfect English "would you like a single or a return?" The irony is that, since 1992, the station in question has actually been called Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof.

But back to the Dambusters. There was an excellent two-hour documentary on Nova entitled "Bombing Hitler's Dams" recently in which a team of engineers tries to reenact the Dambusters raid. The technical challenges were formidable, even with today's technology. How they managed to get it working in just a few months during the war is nothing short of amazing. The goal of the documentary team is to build a small dam somewhere up in the wilds of Canada, and destroy it with a bomb. You'll have to see it to find out if they succeed.

One thing which I don't entirely understand is why the actual raid had to be flown at 50-100' all the way from England to the targets. Wouldn't it have been possible to fly high, like normal bomber raids, and then swoop down? Many of the crew losses seem to be attributable to this night-time low-level flying. In at least two cases, the planes flew into power transmission lines, hundreds of miles from the targets.

Anyway, it's a great story of ingenuity, dedication and sheer bravery. The 1955 movie, which I saw for the second time a year or so ago, is a great way to see the entire story.

The Carlisle Fieldfare

Fieldfare

(from Wikimedia Commons, copyright Adam Kumiszcza, license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)

Well, I know it's been a long time. The topic that has prompted me to resume my electronic pen is the "Carlisle Fieldfare."

What is a fieldfare, some of you may be asking? It's a large Eurasian thrush that hoves to this side of the pond about once every 35 years or so. Here is the Wikipedia entry although it is rather disappointingly brief.

This particular bird was seen first on St. Patrick's Day (perhaps it was an errant Irish bird?) on the Greenough property (where we take out dogs walking regularly) by fellow-Brit Alan Ankers. I'm not sure how serious Alan was about birding before he left England, but since living over here he has become very expert. I've been on a few nature walks with him. Nice guy. See his posting on the Yahoo group for Nature in Carlisle that he set up (and which I subscribe to).

I don't know when I first saw the posting but probably the next day. I didn't pay it much attention. It's just a fieldfare, I thought. Whoa! Wrong response. To every other American birder, a fieldfare is big news. See the article and photo in our local paper later that week [this link probably won't work after a certain period of time so I have reproduced the photo here - with many thanks to our wonderful Carlisle Mosquito].

Judging from the posts on the MASSBIRD listserv, the scenes probably got even more crazy later. People were still pouring in from all over the Northeastern US just to see our bird.

Again, based on MASSBIRD sightings, it would appear that our fieldfare only stayed a week, after having moved a little Southward. But apparently, the homeowners on Maple St. and the police have all been very helpful and welcoming to the twitchers.

So, it got me wondering. Where exactly have I seen fieldfares? I seem to recall them in large flocks mixed in with redwings. On Otmoor, perhaps? Or have I only seen them further North? I probably should have rushed out to get another sighting early last week when I heard about it.

So, it seems that Carlisle has finally found itself in the news, although as far as I can tell not in the radio or TV media. If you're interested, google Carlisle and Fieldfare and you should get plenty of hits, including some good photos of the actual bird, such as this one by J. R. Trimble.

Cheers and good birding!

Just another Tuesday

It's the eve of the 2012 election, as well as the 407th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, and I have a few thoughts to share. Nothing very amazing but I've taken a lot more interest in this election than in most previous elections. Why is that? Two reasons -- and both relate to the Supreme Court. The first and most obvious is the composition of the nine justices. Because the appointments are for life, the vacancies can't be easily predicted. With twelve years of Republican administrations, the number of democratic seats has dwindled to historically low levels. What's that you say? The court is supposed to be non-partisan? Tell that to Al Gore.

The second reason has everything to do with the decision that the court made recently which essentially allows corporations and individuals to give as much money for political purposes as they like. What that means of course is that enormous sums of money are being spent by both sides this time around. Given that there is no legal requirement for all of this spending to promote the truth, we are being barraged by scaremongering and misinformation on behalf of the "establishment" represented by the richest 1% of the population and their representatives. For these people, it is very fortunate that there are at least 40% of the population that are extremely gullible and love to believe in conspiracy theories. There was a hilarious series of interviews at a recent political rally in Ohio where the attendees were asked about their various concerns. One woman was very concerned about possible losses of freedom that might ensue if the incumbent wins. Needless to say, she couldn't actually name or otherwise identify any of these freedoms at risk. Another woman was concerned about Obama's religion (and that of his father, as if that is of any concern to us). He's a follower of the Rev. Wright, he's a muslim and an atheist. When asked which of those she believed he was, she simply said "all of them." The level of ignorance is staggering.

I could go on and on.

But the one thing that I was shocked to hear is split right down the middl, is the belief (or disbelief) in anthropogenic global warming. Ten years ago, largely thanks to Al Gore, a substantial majority of the population believed in AGW. But so much money has been put in on the other side now (money, I should point out that could be better spent trying to figure out what to do about the problem), that approximately half the population now believes that global warming is a hoax. And this despite a devastating series of hurricanes in recent years that surely even the backwoods boys have heard about.

While of course looking at just one aspect of climate doesn't prove anything, I am still convinced that the vast majority of specialist climate scientists, almost all of whom are of the same opinion, are right. These are the people who have the expertise, the data, and the networking to look at every aspect of the issue. Thank goodness there are still such people who are willing to speak up.

I feel strongly that the opponents of the mainstream view, and who are politically or financially motivated (actually those are the same thing), are actually evil. When we should be listening to our scientists and planning for the future of our children and grandchildren. we are instead, like Nero, prevaricating.

Over the years I have come to realize that there are three essential differences between the Democrats and the Republicans:

• long-term view versus short-term;
• distribution of wealth (and correspondingly maximizing GDP) versus concentration of wealth;
• hope (and open information) versus fear (and censorship).

Everything else derives from these three. I dare say that you could make a good case for combining these into just one.

Just think about the way the internet is viewed by democrats and republicans. The former have embraced the new medium, the latter want to control it, by making information companies liable for anything posted on their sites. In this way, the internet is to conservatives as the printing press was to the Catholic church. Another obvious example is the politicizing of evolution. Only countries ruled by religious fanatics are fearful of the theory of evolution.

Heaven help us if the wrong guy gets elected tomorrow. The future of our 236-year-old experiment in democracy will then be in serious jeopardy. And I will probably have to delete this post!