Late to the Party...as usual

Hey there, I'm lying here sick as a dog and catching up on email messages when I saw that I had missed a very important message.

My dear, dear blogging sister Kelli has been waiting almost 4 years for a new kidney. Obviously, this is an issue close to my heart. It is time for Kelli to get her kidney. Things are finally in place to test donors and the search has begun to save my friend's life. Since, as I mentioned, I'm really sick and coherent thoughts are not possible, I'm just going to copy and paste the information I received.

If you don't know Kelli, I highly recommend that you spend some time in the archives of her blog Living in Grace. After you get to know her, please consider how you might be able to help. Not only does Kelli need a living kidney donor, but she also needs financial gifts to pay for expenses associated with the whole process that insurance doesn't cover. Thanks for taking the time to pray for and help my friend.

I will now return to my not-quite-but-really-close-to-death bed.

Thank you for offering to be a part of the call for living kidney donors, and to help with our fundraising efforts. It is a true blessing for this family, and we love you all.

Here is the basic info on being a living kidney donor and the process. Feel free to put in out in whatever way you see fit, letting me know if you need further info or anything.

1) I will be listed with OHSU in Portland, OR. If someone is interested, they should contact us at jkbach@comcast.net and we will get them the contact info they need.

2) Because of some complications, I will most likely not be able to use a cadaver donor, although I have been listed with another hospital on the UNOS list for 3 years.

3) I will need donor with the A or O blood type. If you don't know your blood type, they will have you get tested.

4) All medical costs are billed directly back to OHSU where my insurance covers 100% of all incurred costs. This allows the donor candidate to have all testing up to the end done at their local hospital or Dr. office at on charge to them.

5) Pre-screening involves an over the phone health questionnaire, then a simple blood test where my blood and theirs are combined and cross-matched. If that is ok, then they will have a series of tests done locally to them and billed directly to my insurance.

6) All this will lead up to a scheduled date for everyone to meet in Portland for transplant. The process, from the time a suitable candidate is found, is about 3 months to the actual surgery.

7) Fundraising is currently under way for all costs not covered by insurance (all non-medical). This includes things like travel and lodging for the donor, my housing and support for the month or more I am required to stay in Portland after surgery, etc.

We are going to be using giveitforward.org for the fundraising efforts.

The fundraiser is located at:

http://www.giveforward.org/kidney4kelli/


Thank you again everyone, and please let me know if I can give you more information.

Kelli

She's Back!

P.J. Sugar that is! If you recall, two of my favorite fiction characters by Susan May Warren are Josey, and P.J. Sugar. Both are intriguing, insightful, and very, very funny. So, I was absolutely delighted when I received my copy of the second book in the P.J. Sugar series, "Double Trouble"! The story picks up almost where the "Nothing But Trouble" left off, so I don't feel as if I've missed out on anything while waiting...patiently, ahem...for the second book. :)

The story is filled with all the things I loved about the first book: P.J. getting herself into dangerous situations that she thinks she can handle by herself, but never can; two guys fighting both to protect, and love her--one a former Navy SEAL, and her boss-- the other, her high school sweetheart and fellow trouble-maker turned police detective. Romance, mystery, and lots and lots of laugh-out-loud humor make this yet another of my favorite Susan May Warren books. It's a fun and entertaining read that holds your attention and leaves you wanting more.

And more there is! Susan is giving away an amazing prize package to celebrate the release of the book, and it is just as fun as the book itself! You can click on the "Double the Sass" button above to enter the Double Trouble Prize Package Giveaway! The giveaway ends February 28th, so hurry up and go enter! Details are below.

Prize Details

Double Trouble, the brand new PJ Sugar novel by Susan May Warren, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re running a HUMDINGER of a contest!!

One Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 SUPER SLEUTH prize package that includes:

* A brand new iPod Shuffle (perfect for those all-night stakeouts)

* A $10 iTunes gift card (we recommend the ALIAS soundtrack)

* A $10 Amazon gift card (why yes, they do sell spy pens)

* A $10 Starbucks gift card (for fuel, obviously)

* A pair of designer sunglasses (be stealthy AND super chic)

* A gorgeous scarf from World Market (can also be used as a blindfold, and/or for tying up bad guys)

* AND signed copies of both Nothing But Trouble & Double Trouble. (romance! danger! intrigue! sooo much better than Surveillance for Dummies!)

We’ll announce our super sleuth winner on March 1st.

Giveaway Going on Over at The Preacher's Wife!

One of my all-time favorite blogger/friends has written a book! I can't wait to read it myself, and I definitely plan on buying a copy or three for some friends of mine. But Lisa is also giving away copies at her blog, so go over there and check it out!

Compassion International Disaster Relief Updates

Through Compassion International, I was able to give just $35 and provide food and clean water to a family of Earthquake victims in Haiti for an entire week. There are many other ways to help if you want to as well. If you have a link or information to share, please feel free to leave it in the comments.

Sad and Proud....all at the same time.

It's no secret to any of you that I'm a fan of The Texas Longhorns. But this past 4 years, I've become not only a team fan, but a player fan as well. For the past 4 years, my team has been led by Colt McCoy. This picture is my computer desktop wallpaper. And I chose it because it's obvious that Colt is giving God praise, but when I opened the thumbnail in full screen for the first time, I liked the picture even better. If you click on it to enlarge it, and then look at Colt's right arm, you will notice a wristband that reads, "I Am Second". I wear that same wristband. It's a testament to the world, that in my life, and Colt's :), God is first...always.

In fact, Colt doesn't just wear the wristband. He recorded a video for the "I Am Second" project. Here is what he had to say about both God and football.



Just words? It's easy to sit in a room full of Christians and talk about living out your faith on the football field, but how easy is it to actually do it? After being injured in the opening drive of the biggest football game of his life, and having to endure the suffering of watching the team he has led for 4 years fight for victory and come up just short of football glory, this was his response to the world.




And it isn't just Colt either. His favorite receiver and best friend, Jordan Shipley, openly shares his faith, as does field goal kicker, Hunter Lawrence. In fact the two of them are known for sharing scriptures with each other before games, and during games for encouragement, and confidence.

All in all, this has been a wonderful class to be able to cheer for at The University of Texas. So, while I am sad that they didn't get to bring home the national championship, I'm very proud to be a Longhorn fan at this particular moment in time.

Oh, and Colt, if you're reading this, I have an amazing daughter who is about to be nine, if you could just hold off finding Mrs. Right until she is old enough to date, I'd really appreciate it. :) [It's only going to be about 15 to 20 years...you can wait that long, right?]

Seen and Heard

Today I was working with Maddie on a History review. The material was comprehensive including all that we have studied so far this year. Since we take off school from Thanksgiving through the New Year, it's been a little tough to get back into the swing of things. And some of that material from way back in September can elude the 8 year old brain, you know?

So, taking this into consideration, I was trying to prompt her with some leading questions to see if she couldn't bring some of that long ago information back to mind.

Her question read something like this, "______________ time is when the farmer prepares the meat for us to buy in the market."

She was struggling to remember, so I prompted her with this question.

"What do you call it when they kill the pig to get the meat?"

Her answer, "Pork?" :)

"Well yes, the pig meat is called pork. How about the man in the market who cuts the meat so we can buy it. Do you remember what he is called?"

Her answer, "The Pork Chopper?" Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

*By the way, the answer is Butchering Time... in case you were wondering. :)

Ask and You Shall Receive!

Okay, so after having absolutely NOTHING worth posting yesterday, I had my eyes wide open for anything that might be remotely interesting to post. Lo and behold.....

On our way home from dance class, we had to stop for a red light. As we were sitting there, the lady one lane over and one car up from ours, opened up her door. My attention turned to see what she might be doing, and I noticed that she was holding in her hand a travel mug. I assumed that she was about to pour an old beverage out onto the street.

But I was wrong.

As I watched, I noticed that she was dipping a tea bag up and down in her cup. I was wondering why she was about to pour out a cup of tea that she had seemingly just made? It occurred to me that perhaps it wasn't the tea that she was pouring out, but I just couldn't fathom that I could be right about the only other possible thing she could be doing.

But I was right.

She then proceeded to squeeze the tea bag and DROP IT IN THE STREET!

She then closed her door, the light turned green, and she drove away!

Honestly, have you ever seen anything like that?

I've seen people toss apple cores, chewing gum, banana peels, etc. out of a car window on the highway, but I've never seen someone make a cup of tea and drop the tea bag onto Main Street and drive away. Definitely a first for me!

So tell me, what is the strangest thing you've ever seen on the streets of your hometown?