Monday – 8/2/2010

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them.”

Hello!

Today’s quote was shared with me by my friend, Jeff. I used to work with Jeff at Calphalon in Toledo. He now lives in Atlanta but found himself in the area for work and was able to pay me a visit on Sunday.

I haven’t seen Jeff in a few years and it was great to catch up with him. We spent most of our time laughing, telling stories from our past and present. I had a chance to introduce Jeff to some of the lively characters that reside at Rae Ann. He seemed to get quite a kick out of it. One of the many stories we shared centered around one of the products I developed and launched while at Calphalon. Upon leaving this evening, Jeff presented me with an utstanding gift that only a few would be able to appreciate. He and Joel, another friend from Calphalon, came up with something so cleaver that I will keep it around me and share it with others for many, many years. While Joel wasn’t able to make it up this time, I also want to thank him and Jeff for their extreme generosity. Thank you guys for your thoughts, prayers, and generosity…it is so greatly appreciated.

In addition I had several other great visits this past week. Last Sunday my friend, John, from Halex stopped by for awhile. We found ourselves complaining about Cleveland sports teams, as we usually do, but still agreed to try to make it to a Browns game together this fall.Wednesday night found me holding court in the courtyard with about 7 others. Father Canfield and Kevin H. from St. Ignatius were here; my friend, Matt, my friend Kathi and her friend, Jodi, as well as my parents all found themselves up here at the same time. There was a lot of great fodder to be had.

I spent a good deal of time talking to Jodi, an aspiring screenwriter, about the screenplays we have written. I wish her luck with hers. Thursday was a treat when I met Mary, a physical therapist, who was referred to me by Bonnie. After spending some time together Mary agreed to donate some of her time every week to help me with my therapy needs. I feel very fortunate to have met people like this. In fact between Mary, Pat and Dave, who help range and stretch me throughout the week, I am getting a lot of the therapy I need. All three of these people were introduced to me by friends that I have met since my accident. People are very willing to help out in any way they can, and it really says quite a lot about our society today. Quite reassuring in fact.

Thursday evening was our weekly “dinner with Kathi”. We had a special guest this week when one of the local residents sat down and decided to join us. It was a blast, and he was quite appreciative which he showed by planting a wet one on Kathi’s cheek. I made sure to invite him back to next Thursday’s dinner.

Friday, my friend and realtor, Donna, stopped by and dropped off a basket of goodies for me, as well as more information on some potential houses. This past weekend was beautiful, and I was able to take advantage of it again. I headed over to Crocker Park on Saturday to have some drinks with my Aunt and cousins, who I don’t always have a chance to see as much as I’d like. It was especially nice since Melanie was able to join us. I have not seen her in over 9 years. It was such a treat to spend some time with Deanna, Andrea, and Melanie at the same time. My aunt MaryAnn was also there, which further added to the fun. And of course, my mother was with me, and our friend, Lucy. Lucy left me some homemade brownies and MaryAnn left me some cheesecake – can you ever get enough of this stuff! I have attached a picture of my cousins, Aunt and myself.

This was a rare photo op that I wanted to be sure to capture!

All of that brings me back to today, which started with a surprise visit from Bonnie and Matt. We always have some great conversations and laughs when we are together. It actually ended up being a day filled of the Voegele/Altieri team, since Will and Betsy showed up later in the afternoon. Will and Betsy feel more like family than friends thanks to all they have done for me as well as how comfortable we all find ourselves amongst each other. The same could be said for Matt and Bonnie, who just so happen to be family with Will and Betsy.

It was a busy week of family and friends but I still found myself working hard to stand in my Easy Stand and trying to move all my different body parts. The company often helps take my mind off the fact that I still can’t move. But at the same time I draw strength from the visits and determination.

Finally, I hope you all have had a chance to explore my new website. A tremendous Thank You to Mike Hart, Margie Shoop, and all of the great people at Hart Associates for making this a reality. I encourage all of you to watch the short video about the spine as well as check out some of the links to learn even more about SCI’s. I plan to update this information frequently in order to further raise awareness for SCI’s. I will post details this week about the August fundraiser in Lakewood.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, support and generosity. It is so appreciated by my family and me.

Scott