Wednesday – 11/13/2013

These past few days have allowed me to spend quality time with close friends, some of whom I have not seen in a while. Last Friday evening, I enjoyed dinner and drinks with, Jody, a friend and fellow writer who was in town visiting from Phoenix. The last time I saw her I was still in the nursing home, so it was nice to hang out and catch up in a much more relaxed setting. While she wasn’t able to bring any of the warm Arizona weather with her, she did leave me with a few goodies.

Cindy and her two kids, Owen and Kelly, along with Eric, came in from Toledo to spend the day with me on Saturday. In addition to watching football, terrorizing my cats and introducing them to Melanie, I also received a very special gift from Owen. It turns out that after he first heard about my planning a fundraiser he wanted to do his part. He took it upon himself to make bracelets, he called “hope cords” and sell them to his classmates. In fact, he even convinced his teacher to share my website with the class so as not to be accused of any shady profiting!

The budding entrepreneur was able to raise $165 through his efforts and gave it to me along with my own Scarlet & Gray hope cord! Such a proud moment for him, and a very meaningful one for me! The picture below captures the presentation quite nicely.

Holly was also in town from Los Angeles this past week and we were able to spend a few days together. She was very excited when it started snowing Monday night and was quick to run outside to take it all in. I would not have been surprised to find her outside making snow angels in the parking lot. I suppose it’s easier to get excited about the snow when you know you don’t have to deal with it for very long. While we were preparing ourselves for the drop in temperature, she was quick to inform me that it was 91 degrees in LA and she would be back there in a few days. If only we could all be so excited about the vision of snow flurries gathering on our vehicles.

I will admit it was hard not to marvel at the juxtaposition of seasons the first snowfall brought with it. While leaving for the gym on Tuesday morning, we were greeted to the sight of a pristine, white blanket of snow decorated in spots from the trees’ leaves, still boasting their beauty through an array of deep burgundy, gold and orange hues. Although a beautiful scene, it still couldn’t keep Holly from jumping into the van to warm up. So much for those snow angels!

If you have a few moments, I would encourage you to read an article that was written by Rachelle Friedman that really provides some perspective on the misconceptions people have when they see paralyzed individuals getting on with their lives and living a happy existence. It’s worth the read.

Finally, I am pleased to report that I have moved forward with ordering the FES Bike. Again, this would not be possible without the wonderful support I have received from everyone. I am truly grateful for all of your prayers, support and generosity!

Stand Strong!

Scott