Tuesday, Alteration pile is here!

     I came home from the studio with an alteration pile the size of the shop.  So you know what I will be doing today!  I will complete a few customer orders and then start to tackle the remaining  items.  Still have two jackets and two whole outfits to do, but a girlfriend came over and cut out the jackets thanks goodness.  I actually sat and did all my books yesterday.  I am officially caught up  on my books and I am broke.  For someone that works as hard as I do I think I should be rich.  I guess I am rich in blessings?

     I have a whole list of parents that have not paid tuition but they have until today.  I will deal with that when I get to the studio. Hubs has a doctor appt. today so he is home driving me crazy.  I will put him to work later.  He still has to cutout the mouse lair for the studio as the artist will start painting today! Rehearsal with adults is getting better and better.  I got everyone outfitted except 2 men and one woman.  Should have that done on Wednesday.  Need to solidify my crew for moving and stop in and check with theater manager.  I was at the high school yesterday but he was not in. Called insurance company to fax over a binder.  It is all the little last minute things that drive me nuts.  Photographer from the paper was in last night and I think we got a good shot.  So that will go into arts section on Thursday. Web site designer jpegged the correct picture to the printer  for a foam core poster to put up front of the ticket office.  See I am getting things done.  I think......

     Cont:

     Sis and I are identical twins, often, perhaps as high as 1 out of four sets one twin gets all or most of the other twins eggs.  As the twins split it is not unusual for one to take another's vital organs. Which is why one twin is reabsorbed as it dies in the womb. When I get mad at sis I tell her I should have absorbed her when I had the chance. She may be the oldest but I hold the power.   It is a weird trick of nature.  I likely took most of Sis's eggs, I also took a good portion of her appendix or all of it.   My appendix was 13 inches long.  It had wrapped around several organs including my large intestine and colon.  It had also adhered to several goodies inside.  Anyway complicated surgery for its day.

     I remember waking deep in the night and there was a large machine beside me helping me breath.  There was also a body rocking back and forth dressed in white.  I knew it was a nurse.  I wanted to call out for my mom but the nurse would come and hurt me again.  I was in terrible pain.  So I went back to sleep, only to find out years later that it was my mother, gowned up.  She was allowed to sit with me as the nature of the surgery was so serious. I still mourn the fact that I did not call out to her, I needed her so badly.

     Sis and I had never been apart for any length of time.    I was too sick to really notice, but sis was having a hard time.  Children were not allowed in the hospital at that time.  Visiting hours were very strict.  I saw the Uncles hovering over me once in a while.  Dad would come up and stand by the bed, mom would visit, grandma would come and sit.  I was not much company.   After several days mom had Sis smuggled up to see me.  She was so excited and I was so cranky.  It really hurt her feelings.  But I was just too sick to carry on any kind of a conversation.  Besides the stomach muscles being cut all the adhesion's had to be cut and a lot things moved around and bruised.  I was very sore.  After about a week, I was better and the nurses were fun and kind.  I remember getting my hair washed in bed.  That was a lot of work as I had thick hair clear down my back.  The nurses would take turns brushing and braiding my hair.  They would see who could do the most intricate style.  It was very hard to get out of bed and get to the nurses station. Moving was painful.

     Mrs. Reasmon came to visit with a book of paper dolls and an card from Robbie.  I received many gifts even from the snotty neighbors.  The funny thing out of all of this is that Robby and I became fast friends.  He was still a bully, but he was nice to me.  Mom had me write thank you notes to everyone that had sent me gifts and I wrote in the card that he was my hero.  He showed the card to everyone.  I really think he felt like a hero or a nice guy for the first time in his life.  Robby and I were close clear into college.

     The little boy in the room next to me had a ruptured appendix.  His room was quarantined.  He passed away my third day in the hospital.  I just remember scurrying and screaming.  I was drugged but I will never forget his mother's screams, it was awful.  I finally got to go home and I was so glad.  I was lonely, my roommate cried all the time.  I never cried.  I was in pain but I sucked it up.  After the operation I never cried.  I think this amazed the nurses. I was so happy to see my sisters and brother. But they made a game a out of making me laugh and it hurt so bad.  I would get so mad at them. It got to the point that if sis entered my room we both got the giggles.  She was banished for a few more days.  I recovered just in time to enter 3rd grade.  There was no argument on who got to go to the closer newer school.  I was in recovery and mom felt I needed to have less walking and stress.  Ha ha  I finally won something, but the price I paid was way too high.

     Going to different schools was very good for Sis and I.  We were individuals.  Very few people knew we were twins or that I even had a twin.  It was the same for her.  I loved my teacher and she loved me.  Sis loved her teacher.  My teacher was young and played the piano beautifully.  We would sing everyday after recess and she would play and I would watch her foot tap on the ground as she hit the peddle of the piano, she was so lovely.  Sis's teacher was a very old almost ready to retire heavyset Grandma complete with gray hair in a bun.  She knew exactly how to deal with a child like sis.  Both of us were beyond our years in school, so sis was given extra work and she learned how to behave better.  The only thing I got into trouble for in 3rd grade was practicing my dancing under my desk with my feet, and this was by a substitute. I think so many of our behavior issues were based on our twin ship.  We felt we had power in that and we acted up thinking we could get away with being so" cute." (substitute brats)  Well those days were over.  We were not perfect when together but we were better.

     It did not take me long when walking home from, school that first week to encounter a new bully, Mark Huegot.  He  was the oldest of  7  brothers.  He was a mean tease.  I was walking home and he would chicken and dare people with his bike.  Of course everyone ran away.  But I was not running very fast yet and when you are scared you clench your stomach muscles.  When Mark chicken or dared me I froze.  He knocked me down and rode right over the top of my little pink dress and left a tire mark.  I think he was as shocked as I was.  I just remember the thump thump and then something popped.  It didn't really hurt just left a lasting burning sensation.  I got up and did not cry I just held my stomach and hurried home.

     I did not want mam to see my dress as she would ask questions so I went in my room and changed. She did not notice.  But I knew I was leaking something out of m incision.  I kept my hand over it as it oozed onto my new dress.  I was not eating and mom noticed right away something was wrong.  I told her I was fine.  But when I stood up my dress stuck with ooze was glued to my stomach.  To say all hell broke loose was an understatement.  Dad was working graveyard and he was up and running around the house in his white t-shirt and shorts.  When it was found out what happened, I was on my way to the emergency room and Dad called Mark's dad who was an eye surgeon and gave him the what for.  We were told Mark's dad came home from the hospital in the middle of the day and beat Mark all over the front yard with a belt and then went back to work.  Poor Mrs. Huegot, she had a baby every year(a boy) and the last baby just walking.  The walking baby was put outside to fend off the older brothers.  I don't remember anything about Mrs. Huegot except she was tired and pregnant.  Her boys were monsters.

     I was cleaned up and my incision was butter flied.  I was also given a huge shot of penicillin.  Thank you Mark!  Hit him again.  I was left alone be the Huegots for the years I lived by them, so maybe this was a blessing?

Cont:

     Out My Window:  I think the cold snap is about to give up it is 29 outside.

Have a great and productive day.

Kim