Cold, Sweet, and a little Sassy

Word of the Post
Today's Word is: glaciation
/gla`ci*a"tion/ noun
The act of freezing; The condition of being covered with glaciers or masses of ice. My chat buddy Lee Matthews used that word on the radio tonight. You can catch him on 1000 KTOK Radio from 5 to 7 (Central time) weeknights at ShoutOK.com.
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At the moment, Oklahoma City is one big ice rink. You don't really have to go downtown or to the Blazer's training rinks to Skate. You can do it on your own front lawn in your tennis shoes. I spent at least a half an hour today cleaning off my car, just to go buy some milk. I think my sign was up.

My friend "Roadrunner" and I believe that we, as women drivers, have a sign that must pop up on the car when we are in it: WOMAN DRIVER, PLEASE CUT ME OFF. It gets much worse when we are together. TWO WOMEN IN CAR, PLEASE TRY TO KILL US. I am convinced that Oklahoma drivers are just "weather idiots". They crash so much more often in wet or slick conditions. Today, I was happily driving to see "Ferret", and some jerk just decided that I must be invisible, and pulled out from a sidestreet, right into my lane. This would have been uncomfortable on dry land, but today, I almost T-boned him. I was saying things I should not have said, crying and shaking with anger all at once. I made it safely to my destination, and home again. At least if our power goes out, I can keep the fridge and freezer outside. My milk won't go bad.

My friend "Ferret" made it to St. Louis, and back, just fine. The 4 year old is going to have surgery (sometime in the future), to put rods in her back, to help her spine straighten as she grows. She doesn't have enough fat on her (mind you, her 1 1/2 year old sister outweighs her by at least a pound!) to keep going in for multiple surgeries. They are planning on a new treatment that has only been around for about 15 years, and only been done on about 15 people. But there is promise. Without the surgery, I am told, she has a high chance of only living to be 30 to 40. I did not know that spinal curves were harmful to lifespan. The surgery will likely give her loads more time, and make her time more comfortable. This is happening through Shriner's Hospital, so there won't be much cost to the family.

The two of them came to OKC to go to an oral surgeon today. The girl was born with a cleft palate. The roof of her mouth was repaired when she was about 11 months old. Now, they have to go in and give her a flap at the back of her mouth, to give her a way to stop the air from escaping through her nose. She can't make hard sounds like "P" and "B", because her body won't let her. She will talk your ear off, but you may not understand her speech. Today was a check-up and a preparation for the upcoming surgery in February. This surgery will cost more than they have to pay, but it has to be done. Please pray that they can find the money necessary, or that the Children's Hospital works with them for a payment plan.

After all the poking, prodding, and pin cushioning this baby has had to endure, she is still one of the happiest children you will ever meet. She thinks it is cool to wear glasses, and is happy as a lark that she now gets to look like Mommy. She likes to run and jump, and has the usual sister-squabbles. She plays fearlessly. She has a memory that will shock you, and a rather large vocabulary for one who cannot say the words she knows. She knows the path from home to church and back again; if you do it wrong, she will tell you. I am blessed to know her. Hopefully, this rambling mess has made you appreciate the little things in your life, too.