Shingles - Not Just for Roofs

Last weekend, I started feeling pain in my shoulder and itchy on my neck and shoulder on that same side.  I just figured they were unrelated and I had slept wrong on my arm/shoulder.  The itchiness turned into a rash and my shoulder ached more and more.  By Wednesday, the rash was feeling hot and there were blisters/welts.  Sleep was difficult because of the shoulder pain.  On Thursday, a friend at work encouraged me to see the doctor.  There is so much I'm working on that I didn't get to the doctor, so I decided to stop at the Instacare on my way home.  I was diagnosed with shingles.  Shingles is a form of the chicken pox virus and only happens to those who have had chicken pox.  The chicken pox virus never really goes away, it just lies dormant.  Age, stress, or lowered immune system can trigger the virus to flare up and it travels along the nerves and up to the skin.  Nobody can catch shingles from you, but people can catch chicken pox if they are exposed to the blisters on your skin (if they haven't had chicken pox or the vaccine).  Itching, numbness, tingling, burning, and outright pain are a big part of shingles.  The blisters will eventually burst and crust over, leaving a permanent scar.  The pain can last longer than the blisters, sometimes for months or years.  With our annual play at work and me trying to create the playbill and take care of a million other things, I don't know what I'm going to do.  Stress can make the pain worse, and that's hard to avoid.  Wish me luck, kids.

Jabberwocky

I'm starting to fall behind. It's time to catch up.

We had a wonderful time for Dexter's last weekend of performances.  Rick, Holly, and Sharon came up from Las Vegas and Bill, Tina, Holly, and Billy came down from Layton to watch the Saturday matinee.  Having them here to support Dex was awesome!  Thanks, family!!  The final night of "The Fantasticks" sold out and we had to turn about 50 people away.  They decided to have an encore performance Tuesday night.  It was a first for any show at Provo High, but I know they're glad to get back to regular life again. 

Emerson was sick (a cold?), then Dexter started to get it and seemed to bounce back.  Dwayne had a quick brush with it, but then I got it.  I held out as long as I could, working as much as I could but trading out for the rehearsals I was in charge of so I didn't expose the kids in the show.  Sneezing and coughing took over by the end of the week and I've been sleeping all weekend.  I have two rehearsals to cover this week, so I hope I'm past the worst of it.

We've had snow, sleet, hail, rain, clouds, and sun - sometimes all on the same day.  Welcome to Utah.  If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes...

Dexter asked me for an explanation of the title of this post...I forgot to add that part of the story.  We went to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie and much of the plot and dialogue incorporated my favorite poem, "Jabberwocky."  My dad introduced me to this poem when I was a kid and he explained that it was an example of how you can write something with total nonsense words and yet still have people understand them because of the context.  For the entire poem, click here.

The Fantasticks

Dexter's final high school play opened tonight and it was great!  I had never seen "The Fantasticks" before and I was very pleasantly surprised.  The entire cast is very good and it's nice to see the seniors go out on such a high note.  Emerson recorded some video.... click on this link  Try to Remember

Please, please, please come see him perform. He really wants to show his skills to the family.   Because the audience is sitting on the stage, the seating is more limited and they are doing 10 shows total (9 left).  Lots of chances to see it:
Friday, Feb. 26  7 pm
Saturday, Feb. 27  2 pm and 7 pm
Monday, March 1   7 pm
Tuesday, March 2   7 pm
Friday, March 5   7 pm
Saturday, March 6   2 pm and 7 pm
Monday, March 8  7 pm  (closing night)

A Chance of Snow

Life can be cold, but even the worst forecasts aren't a guarantee of what the weather will be.  We're halfway through the month of February and nothing seems as expected.  Emerson's job at Birdseye seems to be going well and they're even trying to get him a few more hours each week.  They really like him there (I knew they would) and he's really making a difference in the lives of the boys he is working with.  My job is both a disappointment and a wonderful challenge.  I'm learning to do some website design and getting to do great new design projects and fundraising projects.  I am also witnessing wonderful miracles on a daily basis with the kids at Heritage.  The disappointment comes from being overburdened and stressed on a regular basis and knowing that there is nowhere for me to go there.

We purchased a used truck with what the insurance gave us for our old truck (surprising) plus some loans we hope to resolve soon.  Without a second vehicle, there was no way for both of us to work.  Emerson's day job may be part time, but it is in a very remote area (Fairview, Utah).  I had been getting rides with a coworker for about a month, but she doesn't work Fridays, has many more vacation days than I do, and now that we have rehearsals to supervise, I was only able to ride with her maybe one day a week.  The bus wasn't an option either because of how far I'd have to walk from the bus stop to work.  The truck is in pretty good shape for its age and the guy gave us a better deal on the price because his dad grandpa taught him to be extra nice to Native Americans.

Physical therapy has gone well and I see why it's important.  The exercises are helping.  The tough part has been fitting it into my busy schedule.  The swelling in my foot has gone down some and I finally can wear a men's wide athletic shoe.  I keep finding myself walking wrong so they are retraining my gait to undo the things I have done to avoid pain.  Most days I do fine walking around.  The night I work rehearsals really wears me out - too much standing and walking without rest.  I also remember what Dad went through when he injured his hands.  He would sit there every night working his fingers back and forth, trying to get more movement out of them, tears running down his face and the occasional cry of pain.  Even though I respected his efforts then, I really admire them now.  He got back most of the movement in fingers the doctors told him he would never be able to use again.  The scar tissue in my foot is quite bulky and causing problems with the movement of one of my toes, but I am determined to be my father's daughter with this.

Dexter is about to star in his final high school play.  They are doing "The Fantasticks" and he plays El Gallo.  Performances begin Thursday, Feb. 25.  They have 10 performances total (Feb 25-27, March 1-2, 5-6, 8) and 2 of them are 2 pm matinees on the Saturdays.  I highly recommend coming to see him in this show.  It has a small cast and the audience is seated on the stage with the actors, so everyone has an excellent view.  If you have not seen Dexter perform yet, you must not miss this.  He sings some great songs and it's the kind of role that's a perfect fit for him.  He is also progressing towards graduation with the completion of 2 English packets and work on 3 more.  Only 3 packets left after that and he'll be caught up to where he should be.  Dexter had some creative things to say about life and even about family members in his blog.  I put his blog link up so you can check it out.

As January Ends

As January comes to an end, we are plenty busy in the Tapahe household.  We think we have Dexter back on track for graduating in May.  He has a lot of work to do, but at least we know what it is.  The insurance company gave us more than we expected for our totaled truck.  I didn't expect more than enough to cover the deductible.  They didn't give us a lot more, but it's enough to help us find something suitable for around town driving.  Emerson and I went shopping over the weekend and we have our eye on an old Ford truck.  Smaller trucks are almost impossible to find right now and the economy has changed the used car market (more popular).  I started physical therapy for my foot.  I didn't really want to do it, but the swelling in my foot hasn't gone down and I have to do something.  Our schedules are making it harder to get around, so I'm excited about getting a vehicle again.  I have found myself thinking about my dad lately.  One year ago I experienced the miracle of being connected to my dad again.  It was a huge roller coaster of emotions, but I'm glad I got a chance to know him (or at least know about him) again and I got to tell him that I love him and forgive him.  Love and forgiveness are truly powerful!  I find myself grateful to have learned from my in-laws that family is ultimately important and you drop all grudges and arguments when a member of your family is in need.  Having his family there in his last days (despite how he had lived his life) was the best thing we could do for him.  When I had my accident and broke my foot, it was so comforting to see my husband spring into action, my sons jump in and do more, my brothers and their wives check up on me, and my in-laws pitch in any way they could.  That's what feeling God's love and charity is all about.

Converse Christmas

Dexter's big Christmas present this year was a Converse gift card that allowed him to design his own pair of Converse shoes.  He picked double layered shoe and then got to choose the color/pattern of fabric for each side of the shoe (inside and outside), the tongues (both sides), plus the color of stitching, the color of the rubber on the bottom edge of the shoe, the color of the stripe on the back of the shoe, and the custom lettering on that stripe.  The biggest drawback to that gift was that he had to wait so long to actually get the shoes he designed.  Once they arrived, Dexter was completely engrossed in examining every bit of them, carefully lacing them, and trying them on.

Jobs Update

Since paying the bills is our main focus these days, here is an update on the jobs in our little family:
Dexter has been cast in "The Fantasticks," taking him out of the working world until his show is over in early March.  Dwayne continues to work via a temp agency.  He receives incoming calls at some sort of marketing firm and does what he can to get full time hours in.  Some weeks leave him low on hours when there aren't enough calls coming in.

I'm still working at Heritage...and likely will be for some time. The time frame for the annual musical our clients do has changed, so I am back in the middle of rehearsals, playbills, advertising, etc.  Auditions were held last week and "West Side Story" will be performed  April 15, 16, and 17.  I'm still keeping my eyes open for other jobs, but my boss has plenty for me to do for now.

Emerson has started teaching the Adaptive Physical Education course at Utah Valley University.  It is one night a week and going well so far.  He's a real natural at this!  He is also starting a new part time job as the teacher at a treatment center in Spanish Fork. It's a small treatment center and he is THE teacher.  The job is not so much about teaching classes as it is about tracking the students' progress with their independent study coursework and helping them with problem areas.  He is still searching for a full time job that will work, but listings for PE teacher jobs are pretty rare right now.

Etsy Shop

Our Etsy shop is up and going now.  I like this better than listing handmade items on ebay since you don't have to hope someone discovers them before the auction is over.  There are a lot of fun things out there on Etsy and I have to admit I've purchased a thing or two.  The other nice thing is being able to sell what we have as we finish things instead of trying to make enough to have a table or booth at a craft fair.  The link is here on the blog and I have it on my Facebook page as well.  Can't hurt to try to make a little extra money while we wait for our fortunes to change...

Broncos!

I'm sitting alone in my living room (for the first time in months) while Emerson and the boys are in Denver at the Broncos football game.  This was such an amazing gift from Gene and his family and I know how much the guys are enjoying it.  Unfortunately, the game didn't go our way.  I discovered that without the guys here to yell at the tv screen during big plays, I filled in nicely.  It kind of took me by surprise!  I'm going to post some pictures Emerson took with his cell phone. The first few are of their pitstop on the way to Denver.


Then there is a picture as they get ready for the game to start. 

He caught a lovely picture of our boys during the national anthem.  Gotta love the Broncos gloved hand over the heart for Dwayne and the jersey over the winter coat look for Dexter.  Glad to see Dex remembered to bring his glasses so he could see the game better.

Things did not end well for the Broncos and the loss today ended their season - no playoffs.  This was Emerson's "after" picture.  Exactly how I felt too!

Now I'm waiting for them to come home.  It's kind of eerie being here alone.  Reminds me of getting scared of every little noise when my parents left us home alone when I was a kid.  The alone time is kind of nice, though.  I got out my tatting to play with...but managed to mess it up quickly.  I painted my fingernails since nobody was here to complain about the smell.  The dogs proved to be a little too much for me to handle since getting them out to their pen to play is pretty difficult for me still.  Dexter can thank me for washing the dishes he was supposed to do before leaving.
Other than watching the Broncos game, I was able to skip watching football and have been watching "Platinum Weddings" and other fun shows.  Although I would never spend that kind of money on a wedding (I think ours cost about $1,000), I still dream of someday having a vow renewal and living it up a little. I was so nervous at ours that I barely remember the details of the day.  We talked once about doing something like that in Las Vegas, but we'll need to wait until we're on steadier financial footing.  Who knows?  Emerson and I are going to open an Etsy shop soon to sell his beadwork and my tatting or other crafts.  Watch for details soon.

Happy New Year!

I have to be honest....I really mean it when I say "happy new year" this time.  Last year saw the death of my dad, the disintegration of relationships with my sisters, turmoil with my children, the loss of Emerson's job, me totaling our truck and my foot, not getting my dream job, and a lot of tears.  There were some bright spots - getting to know Tina's parents better, being able to let go of my dad, , Dexter getting starring roles in his plays, strengthening my marriage, having my hubby take care of me, and not losing my job.
On Facebook today, I received a great message through an application called "Message from God." 

God wants you to know that today you have a cause for celebration. Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise yourself.

I definitely feel tempered in the fires of adversity and hope that will strengthen me and keep me going in this new year.  I have confidence that Emerson will find a new job and that we will continue to find happiness together.  We will see Dexter in a starring role on stage once again and then graduating from high school.  Perhaps we will even see Dwayne figure out what he wants to do with himself.  Now that my brothers live closer, I hope to see them more.  Maybe my sisters will even let me back into their lives.  I will leave myself open to possibilities and hope for a great year in 2010.