Just my observation..........sm

observation [2008-11-21]
Sounds like a good time to call mom and get some tips.

Just my observation..........sm [2008-01-26]
First of all, I noticed you said the baby was just born 8 days ago, but also said the husband took off for 2 weeks. Are you positive he is back to work by now? I really see where she could be withdrawing due to the clubbed feet and embarrassment as the others stated, but at the same time she knows you know about that so why would she avoid you because of it? She is experiencing some extreme let down that her baby is not normal in the life we know of having a good, healthy, non-malformed baby and wanting to share and show off our baby; not that her baby isn is that a possibility? I would say the news or the site that her baby has clubbed feet in itself could definitely set in postpartum depression. I would suggest and talk to her mom about it who is closest to her. I would call and ask to speak directly to her and not leave a message for her to call back. If you get no where with that, either cook a meal for them and take it over hoping to get a chance to see her and baby or pick up a gift for mom and baby and take it by and try to visit with them. If you don't want to do those, definitely send her a card letting her know you care and hope she is feeling up to a visit soon. I also wonder if maybe she wonders why you haven't called in the 8 days to check on her? Maybe having the baby is more important than the normal of you not calling when her husband is around and she wonders why you haven't called. Just my 2 cents.

more [2008-02-14]
I think you missed my point. It was not meant as an insult in anyway. Simply an observation and a suggestion. Some people just come off as abrasive and selfish, even if they aren't. Maybe you are one of those people. Would you be even more upset if they never asked you if you were upset, or if anything was bothering you, or if you were doing okay? If I were in your shoes, I would ask myself if it was worth losing my kids or grandkids altogether just because they ask me once in awhile if something is wrong just because of the sound of my voice on the phone. Not worth that risk to me. Lucky for you that you still have at least one kid that calls you once in awhile. Some kids are so self-absorbed in their own lives that their parents are an afterthought. Just as an example, my friend found out yesterday by a mass e-mailing from her daughter-in-law that she will be a grandmother again soon and that her son was being deployed for the third time. The kids apparently didn't even think to pick up the phone to deliver the news to mom instead of having her find out along with distant relatives and the friends of her son and daughter-in-law that she doesn't even know. She has always been a very involved mom and grandmother and this very difficult for her. Maybe you don't think like this but I would be counting my blessings that the kid is calling, even if it is annoying once in awhile. Life is too short and too full of regrets for most. Your whole life can change in a split second. My dad used to call me at the worst times but I still listened and conversed with him. Now he has passed and I would give anything to have that opportunity again. I truly wish you well.

static electricity and cats [2008-01-30]
This is so weird, it house, and my cat was just rubbing all over my sweat-panted legs and every time my double chin hit the underbow on my headphones I got shocked. Random observation - I know, like anybody cares.

Do you know that about Cuba from first-hand experience? [2008-01-26]
I traveled through much of Cuba a few years back and unlike the other countries mentioned, there are no luxuries that fund education or health care...but, having said that, and stating that the country is very poor, many things that are in place today are much better than before Castro. The education system is quite extraordinary for those who excel in school and wish to take advantage of it and are true to the communist idealism. The economy is now mostly based on its tourism industry, and still it is a bargain to visit there. This will probably change soon, though, as the government is investing heavily in building new hotels and resorts. They are working hard to build relationships with countries outside the US influence and are just beginning to tap those potential benefits. Having experienced healthcare services while in Cuba, I must say that everything was top notch. I did have to pay for it. The clinics for non-Cubans are not free, but it is exceedingly affordable. What amounted to an emergency room visit and observation here in the US was handle with an ocean-side view room with cable TV, my own private doctor, private nurse and private pharmacist and including a week's worth of Cipro was less than $177 US. Yes, there is a lot of poverty and third world hardships (my personal belief is there is no longer a reason to have the embargo and I am against it), but the people are wonderfully interprising, hardworking, long suffering, happy, friendly and very pround about how their lives are so much better now than under the previous dictatorship. They have come a long way under Castro's rule (I'm not debating I think he is perfect, but he is very loyal to his country and ideals).

Thank you guys [2008-01-18]
for such encouraging words. I sat in on the consult today with the doctor. They are going to keep my friend in the hospital for eight to ten days under observation, but they feel he will be fine.

Yes, I had that before! [2007-11-07]
I know darn well my symptoms were caused by stress - I had a job I really hated, marital problems, commute woes, extended family issues, you name it! I went to the ER about it and their solution was to offer to check me into the psych ward for a mandatory 2 weeks for observation! I declined. I ended up leaving the job and the symptoms went away. Once in a great while now I get a brief, mild reoccurrence and I know that I'm stressed and need to mellow out.

Wow! [2007-11-07]
The ER doc wanted you to go to the psych ward for 2 weeks for observation???? Didn't they at least to a CT or something? Sounds like a quack! Glad you got out of there and that you quit the job that was stressing you out. Did they at least tell you it was anxiety or something like that???? I would get a second opinion, a third even.

Cat haters [2007-10-02]
I understand your irritation with people who make statements about how they hate cats. When I have heard people make those comments I often wonder what the reason is. After years of observation, I come to realize that most of these kind of cruel statements are founded in ignorance. Some of it is cultural, some of it is bad experience, and supersition passed down in families, which of course, is sheer ignorance. There are cultures that believe that cats are evil spirits, devils, and the like, hence the stigma (unfairly) of the black cat during Halloween. A lot of this nonsense was perpetuated in the 15th century by of all things, the Catholic church as a means of controlling and converting the masses. Sometimes ignorance like this toward an innocent animal gets passed down generations without anyone questioning it. My mother-in-law, who hated animals, especially cats, was horrified when she would see my cats sit near by children when they were babies. She said they were going to suck the air out of the baby's mouth, and that they were dangerous!! Talk about stupidity. I realized she hated cats and animals because she found them too much to take care of, and pointed more toward her lack of compassion or ability to be kind and giving of herself. People may have traumatic experiences as children, and never get over that, always targeting the poor creature as a potential danger. I myself find people who hate animals, or dislike them, are lacking somewhere, missing something.

This is my other kitty, adopted 10 months ago. [2007-10-01]
This is Xanadu -a 2-year-old calico Persian. When I first got her (both came from Persian Himalayan Cat Rescue in Mill Valley), I figured she But after 10 months of careful observation and getting to know her really well, I decided she needed a companion. She had a pretty traumatic history with other cats at her original home, one of whom scratched her cornea, so her new friend had to be exactly the right cat. And as always, the people at rescue matched me up with the PERFECT kitty-companion in Charlotte, the one posted below.

the 2nd is a rhetorical question... [2007-08-23]
Just an observation on my part that I find...weird, creepy, scary...

No money for illegals [2007-06-01]
That was such a good observation. They also buy up chunks of our property here, but if we buy there in Mexico it reverts back to the government after 99 or 100 years. If that is how they are to us, then I say no US property should be sold to those without citizenship. I think she should spend another two dollars an hour and hire Americans to work around her house. There are good American people out there who, like us, only want to make a living wage and these people are driving them out of employment.

(sm) [2007-03-19]
After reading your post, and knowing nothing about this condition, I wondered if it was the food smell and/or appearance, so maybe he could eat blindfolded for the appearance, and somehow avoid cooking odors. Maybe put Vicks Vapor Rub under his nose? Drink through a straw, maybe from a can? I remember when I was a child, cooking odors absolutely nauseated me. I thought people were being polite when they raved about the smell of food cooking. So I always thought it was better to eat at a restaurant where you could sit down, order, and get your food quickly. Or fast food in the car - even better. I could be quite happy just eating bread and butter, if only it didn't cause health problems. After reading just one article about this condition, it sounds like a challenging problem. (I wish I could help). However, it also sounds like the kind of things moms figure out better than anybody else! I suspect it will be you and your son who will be best at tailoring a strategy from close observation. I'm sure you are doing lots of reading right now! But you're welcome to try my suggestions if you think they might help. I will pray that this improves soon.

jan 2nd? what happened to 12 days of Xmas?.... [2006-12-10]
funny observationin this country....the earlier peeps put up their Christmas stuff, the quicker after Christmas many of them take it all down (not me though). There are 12 days of Christmas which equates to like the 5th or 6th of January, the EPIPHANY!.....so I don Everyone I know who puts it all up before Thanksgiving, takes it down either the day after Christmas or the day after New Years.... I keep my stuff up until nearly the 2nd week of January (my birthday *lol*).... Happy Holidays To All!

My first thought is that it is kind of selfish [2006-12-06]
that you would not do it just in case something happens with the two of you and you want more children. What if something happens and his next wife wants more children, even though he says now HE doesn't? Just my observation :)