HOW TO LEAVE COMMENT - updated

Some have asked how to leave a comment. Here are some instructions.

(note: Carissa is hijacking this entry and making some modifications for folks who are still having problems leaving comments...)

Before you create your comment, you need a Google Account, or a Gmail or Blogger account. Any one will work just fine.

If you don't have any of these things, but you want to leave a comment, do this:

(1) Go to this page: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount and create a new account. You'll be asked to supply an email address (use an email address that you can access easily), and create a password.

(2) After you've supplied the requested information and verified your new Google Account, log into your account. You can log into your account here: https://www.google.com/accounts/Login

(3) Go to the entry here on Cheryl Stands Tall where you want to leave a comment. Then...

At the bottom of each "post" is the word "comment" in green. Click on that. You'll see a screen with a box labeled LEAVE COMMENT. Put your words in here and remember they are posted for anyone to look at.

Next fill in WORD VERIFICATION by typing the same letters as on the screen.

Also, If you stay logged into your Google account, you should be able to leave comments much more easily in the future by just clicking on the comments section of any post.

MY WORD THIS YEAR.

Last year Carissa told me about a new idea in place of a New Year's Resolution. I always mean well with these but alas -- they soon are forgotten. The new idea is choosing just ONE word, one word to focus on all year. This year with all this, I have chosen "COURAGE". I have made 2 little signs with this word - one for the hospital and one for my bedside. I've also made a list of things to check off as I accomplish them. You won't believe what's on this list -- things like lifting a coffee cup, drying my hair myself, putting on socks(way down the line), putting a shirt over my head,rolling over in bed UNASSISTED, getting out of bed all by myself. The list has about 40 things and ends with great things like: driving myself, cooking dinner, walking outside.

WHY I'M GOING THROUGH ALL THIS

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If you can take it here is a photo of the xray of my spine. It not only twists from side to side in an "S" shape but the whole spine is rotated. The surgery will place a metal rod in my spine and screws will be connected through vertebra into the metal rod. In addition to this they will take some bone from my pelvis and mix it with bone stimulator material. It is pretty amazing that I can be spared being eventually contorted and wheel-chair bound. I am so grateful and willing to go through the long recovery to STAND TALL. They say I should be 2" taller. Thank you for your concern in tangible ways. I feel greatly blessed to have such an incredible support team. I know for a fact, because my doctor tells me this, that I could not go through all this without Doug, Carissa and my supporters.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A national holiday based on food and gratitude. What a great idea.

Foodstuffs for the family

One of the surprise blessings of Mom's pending surgery is that we have so much time to plan for it. This puts me in my happy place. Of course things are not going to go exactly according to the script. They never do, and therein lies the adventure. Still, I find it comforting to plan ahead.

Folks are starting to ask if they can bring food to Mom and the family while she is in recovery. The answer is, yes!

Here is a detailed script of what we are looking for, and when. (See? I love planning!)

- Week of Dec. 21 -
Because Mom will still be in the hospital through this entire week, we anticipate lots of back-and-forth between my parents' house and the hospital. We would love to receive two dinners during the week of finger foods, cold cuts, sandwiches, etc. -- "portable" foods we can take with us to the hospital or nibble on when we're back from the hopsital.

Our ideal dates to receive dinners this week:
Monday, Dec. 22
Friday, Dec. 26

- Week of Dec. 28 -
Hopefully Mom will be coming home at some point this week. From this point forward, we would like to request foods that are full of protein (since her muscles will be working hard to grow back) yet relatively light (Mom will be relatively sedentary during her recovery and doesn't want lots of rich food). Ideal dishes for this period would be "substantial salads" with chicken, soups with chicken or turkey, or even the occasional pot roast.

Our ideal dates to receive dinners this week:
Monday, Dec. 29
Thursday, Jan. 1

- Week of Jan. 4 -
More of the same -- high protein meals.

Our ideal dates to receive dinners this week:
Monday, Jan. 5
Thursday, Jan. 8

If you're interested in preparing some food, please contact Joy Chapman to sign up for a meal:
Joy~at~kalonmedia.com (email is preferred method - replace the ~at~ with the @ symbol)
770.630.9690

You can either bring food to CBC and leave it there, or call ahead and deliver it to us. Either one is fine. Joy will give you further instructions when you contact her. Please bring foods in disposable containers wherever possible. Also, don't feel like you have to make something from scratch. Store prepared or takeout offerings will be enthusiastically received and devoured.

Thanks to all of you for your help in taking care of Mom!

Seeking your favorite funny movies...

In some ways, we are already fast-forwarding to the time after Mom's surgery is complete and she is recovering at home.

One of the things we want to do is load her Netflix queue with tons of funny movies. It's important, you know, as her spine heals, that she exercise the funny bone (heh. Amazing — I don't get paid for this stuff! It just flows!).

If you have a favorite funny movie you think Mom would enjoy, let us know in the comments. (Note that you will be asked to sign in through a Google/Gmail account if you don't have one already.)

I'm already thinking of some favorites. Some of them Mom has seen, but some she probably hasn't. Above, from left to right: Fletch, The Incredibles, The Jerk, Peter Sellers in one of the many Pink Panther movies where things don't quite according to plan, and a very young bunch of Ghostbusters.