The Death That Rocked The World

I’m not talking about the execution of Saddam Hussein.

I’m talking about something much bigger and profound than that.

Today the girls and I attended a funeral for their 8-year-old classmate Tatiyania Harris. She has been fighting leukemia for 5 years. I would like to share the obituary that was printed in the program.

Tatiyania Mylie Renee Harris was born on July 10, 1998 in Tacoma, Washington. She went to her homegoing December 22, 2006 surrounded by her parents Jeffery and Timika Harris and many friends and family.

Affectionately known as “Tati Mommas” she was raised in Tacoma all of her life, and attended schools in the Tacoma and Puyallup School Districts.

As a young child, “Tati Mommas” was very independent and determined to have things her way. At the young age of three, she was able to write her own name and complete a 25 piece puzzle. Tatiyana loved to write letters, draw pictures, color, do puzzles, play video games and decide what to eat for dinner.

During Tot’s first year of school at Edison Elementary she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Many years, days and hours were spent at Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma where staff always extended their love and support. In time, she became royalty and has earned the title “Princess Tatiyania”.

Tot was very dynamic in proving herself to the medical field as well as her community. No matter how sick she was, she was always eager to go to school. Her inspirational courage has earned her much recognition including Terrific Kid Award (three times), Kiwani’s and Meeker Soaring Eagle award. The City of Puyallup officially proclaimed December 2nd as “Tatiyania Harris Day”. And she didn’t stop there! The first Tuesday of each month has been recognized as “Think Pink Day” at her school as well as citywide.

She will be forever remembered by her parents, Jeffery and Timika Harris, brother Jeffery Jr., Tavion and Jaylin Harris, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family and friends.

I cannot tell you how humbling it is to sit in a church with two daughters the same age as this beautiful little girl, staring at a flower-draped tiny pink coffin. The sadness is all encompassing.

Everyone was asked to wear pink to the funeral, and as far as I could see, everyone did. There was a slide show set to music – the music that my girls love. I had no idea that “Cheetah Girls” would ever have made me cry.

And man, did I cry. The entire time I sat there with my hand covering my mouth, with tears dripping off my chin…. Oh, it was just terrible. And the girls, I think for the first time, understood what death really meant. They are still crying – that silent type of crying with their eyes digging right into my heart for answers.

And all I can do is think, “Thank God you’re okay. Thank God you are with me. Don’t EVER go away. I could not stand it even for one minute.”

Isn’t it amazing, on a day like today when every televison and newspaper and internet site is weighing in on one death, that another can be so, so much more important? It proves to me that death can be much more powerful in the quiet sad corners of our lives than it is on the world stage.

Rest in peace, sweet girl.

I’m It

I haven’t been tagged with a meme in a long time. This one is easy enough and does not involve delving into my heart of hearts (which is small and black as coal, by the way).

Here is the premise:

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book.
3. Name the author.
4. Turn to page 123.
5. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
6. Copy the next three sentences and post to your blog.
7. Tag three more lucky souls

I happen to have one right here next to my keyboard that was just purchased last night. It was purchases “for the girls”, but I seem to have it in my possession. I don’t know why.

“Pirateology” by Captain William Lubber – Pirate Hunter
September 13, 1723
(this book does not have 123 pages, therefore I chose page 12)

“Born in Bristol, England, as Edward Teach, Blackbeard believed that the best way to control his pirate crew was to make sure they were always drunk. On one occasion he shot one of his own men, saying that if he did not kill a man every now and then, his crew would forget who he was.”

That is just creepy – my parenting style in a pirate book.

Strange.

I tag …

1. Davey Jones
2. Captain Morgan
3. Jack Sparrow

The Other Shoe

I suppose it’s inevitable. I actually got grumpy today.

It’s not often that I do, so when it happens I’m not very good at it. Or maybe I’m really good at it – I guess it depends on your perspective.

Here is as complete a list as I can come up with to explain my bad attitude.

1. My right ankle has swollen for no apparent reason. I did not injure said ankle, and I find it insulting that it thinks it has all that much to complain about. It caused me discomfort today, but what’s more, it caused me to not sleep too well due to disturbing thoughts of rapid-onset congestive heart failure that I very well could have self-induced over the holiday-season-of-eating-nothing-but-crap. Potential death, especially my own, tends to just piss me off I guess.
2. I was surprised to find out that I am still harboring resentment over not getting the job. The resentment is aimed at no one, but it is there. It really needs some sort of target (see number 3).
3. John got me a “bath set” for Christmas. Now this is all well and good, and I hate to be one that looks a gift horse in the mouth – but this horse seems to have no teeth to speak of, thereby making it a bad potential purchase (if you know what I mean, and I think you do). First of all, I don’t even have a bath. That is to say, I only have a shower. So a “bath” set seems a bit silly and not well thought out. Also, it had more exfoliation tools included in it than you could shake a pumice stone at…. I can tell you with certainty that he has no idea whether I am in any need of exfoliation.
4. I don’t have any good toenail polish colors.
5. I am too tired to go to the store to buy any good toenail polish colors.
6. Being tired is making me mad.

So, there you have it. If they would have just given me the damn job I wouldn’t have to put you all through this. After all this ranting I should say “I’m sorry,” but in reality….

They are sorry.

Or they sure should be.

Caroline’s Marshmallow Cookies – By Request

From Grandma Thelma’s old cookbook, for Rennratt and Nooze…

Beat 2 eggs and add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

Melt 6 squares semi-sweet chocolate with 3 tablespoons margarine or butter.

Mix first two mixtures together, then add…

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
6 cups colored miniature marshmallows

Shape into logs, roll in 3/4 cup crushed grahmn crackers.
Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate.

When set, slice into thin pieces.

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

This holiday weekend has, so far, been fantastic. Friday night the girls and I were invited over to our neighbor’s (Natalie, Mistah and Grace) house for a bit of holiday merriment. Natalie had hot buttered rum on her mind, but called me in a panic that there was no hot buttered rum mix to be found in the entire town! (I know! The horror!)

I assured her that all would be fine if we just had a pre-Christmas pirate themed holiday get-together with only the bottles of rum.

Christmas. Pirates. Rum. Yo-ho-ho, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Roxy the dog donned her best pirate-y Christmas gear to greet us at the door.

Later into the evening, after imbibing in the Christmas grog, she was a bit more aggressive. Man, I hate mean drunks. Especially the kind that won’t give up the squeaky newspaper.

Actually, Mistah ventured out into the night and came back with two of the last three hot buttered rum mixes that were left in all the seven seas – or at least the closest three major grocery stores. The girls erected the Christmas village scene in the window while Mistah, Natalie and I paid respects to good ol’ Davey Jones.

Aye. Twas a damn fine party, it was.

Today, I was once again at Natalie’s to make Christmas cookies. I tried out an old recipe from my Grandma’s cookbook. “Caroline’s Marshmallow Cookies.” I remember these from when I was a kid. I thought they were the most magical and beautiful cookies ever. But, it is slightly funny that they start out looking like a kitty litter covered cat turd. Merry Christmas!

But, you see, when you slice them, they turn into fanciful stained glass window bits of sugary magic! The cookies on the right are those awesome peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s Kiss on top. They rock. Plus also, Santa loooooves them.

Then, it was on to making the annual treat for the reindeer. I know that many people leave them carrots, but they get very tired of chewing carrots all night long. They get chilled flying through all this weather so we like to whip them up a big batch of Blue Mush. Blue Mush is reindeer’s favorite food.

You need quite a bit of blue food coloring to get it just right.

Then, you set it outside on the step. Or if you are in the country you put it in the hayloft of your barn. The reindeer will be happy tonight!

This time of year I think back to when I was little. I distinctly remember my Mom asking me, “Shari, are you excited?”

And in response I would break into tears and run screaming down the hall.

No, dammit! I’m not excited! That’s just ridiculous! How the hell would you think I’m excited? Don’t be so crazy!

*runs down hall crying hysterically*

I Won! I Won! OhmyGod! I Won!

The results from the voting are in – hanging chads and all – and the winners are as follows:

Third runner up – Daniel!

Second runner up – John!

First runner up, and the person that will succeed Shari if she is unfit to complete her duties – Candice!

And (drumroll, please) your winner of the 2005 1st Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater contest is….

Shari!

And now some words from our lovely winner….

I am pleased and incredibly proud to be chosen for this great honor. Rest assured, I do not take this achievement lightly and will use my role of Miss Ugly Sweater to help eradicate world hunger and promote peace among nations. I would like to thank whoever’s Grandma made the sweater that made this great day possible.

Thank you,

Shari – Miss Ugly Sweater 2006

The President In My Head

This Just In!

Exciting news regarding the Ugly Sweater Contest coming first thing in the morning…..but, now on to bigger and better things.

Sophie informed me when I kissed her goodnight about 30 minutes ago that we all have presidents that live inside our head. They are part of the good germs (the orange ones) and the good germs consist of a president and a whole bunch of guards.

Purple and white germs are bad but they don’t live in your head.

I Have The Holiday Spirit

Tomorrow my co-workers and I have decided to have “Ugly Holiday Sweater Day” – the more horrendous the better. The sweaters need to be the kind of thing that invoke speechlessness and/or gales of laughter.

I was hoping to find one that, with a hidden battery would light up a Christmas tree and play “Jingle Bells” in a tinny computerized tone….but I found something better.

I found a sweater that just absolutely screams, “Great Aunt Mimi crocheted this just for you – on her first try!”

I am SO going to win.

Updates!

Maya and Sophie have updated their blogs (links to the right) and should be writing regularly through winter break!

Lucky you!

The Clan of the Cave Bear

In the weeks before I was to find out about the job, I was having a bit of a hard time sleeping. My dreams were snippets of insecurity peppered with powerful visions of flight and world domination. But the one that was the most vivid was dreamt on the night before I was to find out the bad news that I didn’t get the job.

I was walking down the back road of the ranch in Montana. It was fall and the grass was brown and tall alongside the ditch. At the time it did not seem strange that I was meandering along with a 5 foot tall, walking-upright badger.

I felt very solemn as I strolled along with my arm around the shoulders (?) of the badger. Emanating from him was a feeling of calm wisdom. I wanted most desperately to talk to him and to have him give me some wise and badger-like advise.

Before I was able to even get started a herd of tourists crested the hill in front of us. It was obvious that they were tourists due to the fact that they all had cameras hanging from cords around their necks, they all wore sunglasses, and under each of their arms was a folding lawn chair. Most of the lawn chairs were the type made by weaving strips of plastic in a checkerboard pattern. And the majority of the chairs were also a weird turquoise color.

Upon seeing the teeming throng of tourists, I dragged the badger down into the dry ditch bed and pulled the long grasses that grew on the side of the ditch bank down over us.

I did not want to be disturbed – especially by a group such as this.

Much to my consternation they throng of chatty tourists (all women, by the way) dropped down into the ditch and began unfolding their lawn chairs – lining each side of the ditch with their touristy madness. The badger and I crouched amongst them covered with our horribly inadequate camouflage of wispy dried plant stems.

At one point I realized that all the tourists knew that we were there, but they tried to politely ignore us. They seemed the types to want to avoid any type of conflict or embarrassment, and this irritated me all the more.

I woke up with a sense of frustration so great I wanted to go immediately out into the world to find any tourist that fit the demographic – a woman, a camera, a fake and uncomfortable smile, and of course that stupid, idiotic folding lawn chair.

It makes me mad just thinking about it.

After finding out that I didn’t get the job I wondered if the dream held any message for me. The more I thought about it, the more interpretations I came up with.

Today, after Googling “Badger” images to show a co-worker what a badger looked like I found this.

Now, if you are too lazy to actually click on the link, I am going to include the incredible information that I found below.

Who knew that I had an animal totem? Any of you who know me well will recognize that this is truly the animal that is the essence of me.

All this with no peyote buttons, too….

Cunning badger of the forest,
Guide me to wisdom, truth and light.
All injustices against me,
Wipe clean the slate and set them right.

Aggressiveness, Reliance, Self-Expression

The power of the Badger totem is its aggressiveness and the willingness to fight for what it wants. This aggression can also be turned to healing – for Badger is the keeper of Earth’s healing herbs.

Badger people are quick to express their feelings with concern for the consequences. They are often healers who have the courage to use unconventional methods. Badger has the ability to persist to find a cure.

Badger people are often leaders and bosses, the one who will get the job done.

If you have a Badger as a totem, you will likely be solitary but comfortable being alone. You are comfortable within yourself and very self-reliant.

Badger anger can get your out of apathy, but be careful not to cut yourself (or others) to ribbons using.

Badger is a powerful totem when used properly.