Just Another Day -- version 4: If you could read this copy and make suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Uggghhhh -- I don't know if I am cut out for writing stories. Maybe I should stick to what I know. Thanks for reading and commenting.
The snow pounded down. Normally Jane and her children loved snow, but this was more of a snow storm, not the gentle fluff they were used to. It matched her mood. Jane Chesney looked like any other suburban housewife, but she wasn’t, or at least she thought she wasn’t. She was suffering from depression, and a host of old ghost-like issues had recently risen up and led to her giving up her job as an inner-city school teacher. She had thought that she would be able to find another job immediately, but hadn’t counted on her depression kicking into high gear. She was in daily, which made jobs hard to find.
So here they were, at Christmas, with just some stocking stuffers for her boys, a storm raging outside that mirrored the one inside her. “Damn, I just wish that I was strong enough to handle things better, to handle life. I can’t seem to get myself together. Shoot, even when I do pull it together for a while, it doesn’t take long before I start to unravel again.”
Hey Mom!” Joel barreled around the corner. “I’m hungry; what’s for dinner?”
The realities of motherhood snapped Jane out of her thought process. “Well, we can either have sloppy joes and fries, burgers and fries, or Hamburger Helper and fries. What…”
“Ewww -- can’t we have something else besides that nasty ground beef and those cheap fries? I am tired of them. When are we going to go grocery shopping?”
Snapping back, Jane snorted, “When I get another job or it starts raining money.”
The crestfallen look on Joel’s face was enough to make her want to eat her words. “I am sorry hon. I didn’t mean to sound ugly. I am tired of the same old, same old too. I am just trying to stretch the money as far as I can. I can’t afford to have anything go to waste and we had this stuff in the freezer. Dad gets paid this week, and I will go shopping. Can we not do this right now, please?”
Joel took a long look at his mom. He saw tired blue half moons under her eyes. He knew that she suffered from mental illness; he just wished they could have a break. He looked out the window at the snow already piled up over a foot deep on the driveway. “Mom, I am sorry. I know you are trying. Let’s make sloppy joes -- come on, I’ll help.”
They walked together through the house. Looking around, Jane never quite felt settled in the house, although they had lived there for almost ten years now. It was squat and looked like a cracker box on end. Not a yummy box of Keebler crackers, but a plain old box of saltines. Nothing pretty or unusual, just a cracker box. It was decorated with cast off and hand me downs, just like the rest of Jane’s life. Even her name was plain. Perhaps that was part of her issues -- that she was to never be happy with anything, that everything always felt and burdensome. Even her family that she loved so much felt that way at times. Like now, when they had to have ground beef for the fifth day in a row -- there is only so much you can go with ground meat.
At 6” tall, Joel looked much older than his 14 years. Sometimes he showed his old soul too. He really was a good kid. Jane watched him as he browned the ground beef at the stove, gathering all of the things he needed for the sloppy joes in between stirs.
”AAAARRRRRRROOOOO!”
“Get it boy!” said seven year old John barreled through the kitchen following Buddy, his big coon hound, closely. “I’ll bet Dad’s home!” John was built like a football player, and acted like a line backer -- he never moved slowly, always rushing headlong into whatever was happening next. This event just happened to be the arrival of Dad; it was cause for celebration every day when he came home
He was loved by his family, that was for sure. He came stomping in. “Brrr, it is cold out there!” John and Buddy both flung themselves on David. “Hey guys, can’t you let me at least get in the door? John, you are never going to learn that if you fling, Buddy flings! Remember that we are trying to teach him calm, submissive -- not knock someone down?”
“Oh yeah, but Dad I just had to get here first to tell you that there is a canned food drive at school for the, for the -- uhhh -- oh yea, for the less fortunate, and the winning class gets out of homework for one whole week! Do we have cans I can take in? Do we?”
“I’m sure we can find something. Now let me go put my briefcase down so I can give your mother a big sloppy kiss.”
“EEEWWWW!”
Jane took it all in. It was a great picture, and she didn’t understand why it didn’t make her happy. It should. She had things that many people never get. A home, a family, and a husband who was good. Good to her, good to the boys, good to everyone.
“Hi honey, how was your day?”
Making his way through boys and dogs across the house to the kitchen, David walked over to Jane and kissed her. “I had a great day, how about you?”
Jane looked around her -- at her family, at her house, and realized that she had everything she wanted right here. “I had an OK day. Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you go change?”
Wanting to be what her family needed, Jane worked hard at getting her depressive episode in check. She knew that she needed to get back to work, but therapy was going so well right now. She was watching David with the children, and suddenly realized that he was exceptionally happy looking tonight. Her brain kicked into overdrive, and old worries began to surface.
“Didn’t you hear me Mom? I asked you how therapy went today. Are you OK?” The look on David’s face changed from happy to worry in a flash.
“I’m sorry. I did hear you. Therapy went really well. I really like the group leader, and I am learning things about myself and how my brain works. So, Jane paused for a moment while she watched the worry drain from her David’s face, “You said that your day went very well, anything interesting?”
David just smiled mysteriously. “Oh nothing really. I’m gonna go change.”
Just then, Joel said to his mom, “Sloppy Joes are ready, are the fries? And, can John set the table? I mean, I cooked and all, and he knows how to do it.”
“Kay, hey Johnny, can you set the table for mommy? I will help you.”
John came into the kitchen with Buddy, whose tail was wagging as briskly as a whisk broom in a busy hand, trotting behind. “Sure mom, you gonna pay me?”
Laughing, Jane answered, Pay you in what? Kisses? I sure don’t have any money!”
Just then David walked back into the kitchen. Leaning down to scratch Buddy behind the ears, he said casually, “I got a promotion today.”
“You what?” Jane squealed!
“I got a promotion,” he paused dramatically, “and a raise! A huge raise, a $10,000 raise, and a bonus!”
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it! Right before Christmas! Did you say a $10,000 raise?”
I did,” David said proudly. If that isn’t good enough for you, ask me how much my bonus is!” Before anyone could even get the question out, David blurted out, “Equal to my raise! Do you realize how many bills we can pay off?” Beaming like the Christmas lights that decorated their house, David hugged his family close.”
Jane realized then that she was going to be OK. She would always be affected by her depression, but she had a loving, supportive family, and she would continue fighting the good fight.
End
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday's Attitude of Gratitude
My attitude of gratitude today: I am thankful that I know my needs are being met. Perhaps I don't have wants, but really -- who does? I am also thankful for my children, for whom else would I be able to get up at 4 am with, and who would make me laugh? Finally, I am thankful for my husband, who works hard at providing for his family, and helping me on this journey. What is your attitude of gratitude today?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday's attitude of gratitude
Something new I am trying (of course it comes from Hyland's therapy courses) is a daily attitude of gratitude. I know with depression that we tend to focus on the bad and bleak -- so to turn that around, we need to focus on what we are thankful for. Today I am thankful for my family, especially my husband. I know I don't talk about him that often, but he is wonderful. I don't know how I would make it through this without him. He is more of a rock than he knows. Of course, this is terribly stressful for him -- I think man mentality is that they fix a problem when presented with it. He can't fix this; he can help me, but he can't fix it. I am the only one that can fix it.
Thursday
I didn't go to therapy yesterday. Too much going on. I had an appointment elsewhere and another at 2:15 -- therapy runs from 11:30 until 3:00. I left appointment #1 at 12:15. Appointment #2 was a sleep lab. Doctor thinks I may have narcolepsy, and wants to do a 22 hour test! Yes, you read right -- 22 hours. Crazy, I know, but I am going to go through with it. My appointment for the actual testing is November 18 -- one day after my 15th anniversary. I researched narcolepsy and other sleep disorders yesterday. Wikipedia.com has a lot of interesting things to read, Web MD not so much. I also have a bit of literature from the company. I will, of course, post the results.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Help me with the story I am writing
I am writing a story to submit for publication. Here is what I have so far. I would like comments, suggestions, and any other input. I ad a talk with my husband last night -- I have 6 months in which to make a go of it as a writer, or I have to go back to the classroom. Anyway, I am getting serious -- so please help!
The snow pounded down. Normally Jane and her children loved snow, but this was more of a snow storm, not the gentle fluff they were used to. It matched her mood. Christmas was right upon them, but there was no Christmas spirit in the Chesney household. Jane, suffering from depression, and a host of old ghost-like issues had given up her job as an inner-city school teacher. Just walked away. She had thought that she would be able to find another job immediately, but hadn’t counted on the sudden economic recession, which made jobs hard to find.
So here they were, at Christmas, with just some stocking stuffers for her boys, a storm raging outside that mirrored the one inside her. “Damn, I just wish that I was strong enough to handle things. To handle life. I can’t seem to get myself together. Shoot, even when I do pull it together for a while, it doesn’t take long before I start to unravel again.”
“Hey Mom!” Joel barreled around the corner. “I’m hungry; what’s for dinner?”
The realities of motherhood snapped Jane out of her thought process. “Well, we can either have sloppy joes and fries, burgers and fries, or Hamburger Helper and fries. What…”
“Ewww -- can’t we have something else besides that nasty ground beef and those cheap fries? I am tired of them. When are we going to go grocery shopping?”
Snapping back, Jane snorted, “When I get another job or it starts raining money.”
The crestfallen look on Joel’s face was enough to make her want to eat her words. “I am sorry hon. I didn’t mean to sound ugly. I am tired of the same old, same old too. I am just trying to stretch the money as far as I can. I can’t afford to have anything go to waste and we had this stuff in the freezer.”
Joel took a long look at his mom. He saw tired blue half moons under her eyes. He knew that she suffered from mental illness -- he had heard enough stories about when she was younger and had lived through another million. She tried so hard. He just wished they could have a break. He looked out the window at the snow already piled up over a foot deep on the driveway. “Mom, I am sorry. I know you are trying. Let’s make sloppy joes -- come on, I’ll help.”
They walked together through the house. Looking around, Jane never quite felt settled in the house, although they had lived there for almost ten years now. Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to buy it initially, but Nathan had bought it anyway. It was squat and looked like a cracker box on end. Not a yummy box of keebler crackers, but a plain old box of saltines, sitting end up. Nothing pretty or unusual, just a cracker box. It was decorated with cast off and hand me downs, just like the rest of Jane’s life. Even her name was plain. Perhaps that was part of her issues -- that she was to never be happy with anything, that everything always felt and burdensome. Even her family that she loved so much felt that way at times. Like now, when they had to have ground beef for the fifth day in a row -- there is only so much you can go with ground meat.
“Hey Mom? Where is that can of sloppy joe mix?” Joel’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Ummm, it is right over here.”
“You know Mom, it is going to be OK. We have a house and lots of stuff. A lot of people have less than we do. You and Dad are getting the bills paid, right? I mean, I know it really isn’t any of my business, but things are paid up, aren’t they? Please don’t give me that look like I am a kid and shouldn’t know what is going on. I have ears, and I hear you guys talking about things. And no matter what, we have each other, and we are going to take care of each other.”
At 6” tall, Joel looked much older than his 14 years. Sometimes he showed his old soul too. He really was a good kid. Jane watched him as he browned the ground beef at the stove, gathering all of the things he needed for the sloppy joes in between stirs. “Mom if you get the fries, ready, I’ll put them in the oven. I have it preheating.”
“Thanks son. You really are something else, you know that?”
”AAAARRRRRRROOOOO!”
“Get it boy!” said John as he barreled through the kitchen following a big coon hound closely. “I’ll bet Dad’s home!” Almost as tall as his brother, but two years younger, John was built like a football player whereas his brother was tall and thin, almost willowy, especially for a boy. John acted like a line backer -- he never moved slowly, always rushing headlong into whatever was happening next. This event just happened to be the arrival of Dad, It was cause for celebration every day when he came home.
He was loved by his family, that was for sure. He came stomping in. “Brrr, it is cold out there!” John and Buddy both flung them selves on David. “Hey guys, can’t you let me at least get in the door? John, you are never going to learn that if you fling, Buddy flings! Remember that we are trying to teach him calm, submissive -- not knock someone down?”
“Oh yeah, but Dad I just had to get here first to tell you that there is a canned food drive at school for the, for the -- uhhh -- oh yea, for the less fortunate, and the winning class gets out of homework for one whole week! Do we have cans I can take in? Do we?”
“I’m sure we can find something. Now let me go put my briefcase down so I can give your mother a big sloppy kiss.”
“EEEWWWW!”
Jane took it all in. It was a great picture, and she didn’t understand why it didn’t make her happy. It should. She had things that many people never get. A home, a family, and a husband who was good. Good to her, good to the boys, good to everyone.
“Hi honey, how was your day?”
Making his way through boys and dogs across the house to the kitchen, David walked over to Jane and kissed her. “I had a great day, how about you?”
Jane looked around her -- at her family, at her house, and realized that she had everything she wanted right here. “I had a great day too. Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you go change?” Jane realized then that she was going to be OK. She would always be affected by her depression, but she had a loving, supportive family, and she would continue fighting the good fight.
The snow pounded down. Normally Jane and her children loved snow, but this was more of a snow storm, not the gentle fluff they were used to. It matched her mood. Christmas was right upon them, but there was no Christmas spirit in the Chesney household. Jane, suffering from depression, and a host of old ghost-like issues had given up her job as an inner-city school teacher. Just walked away. She had thought that she would be able to find another job immediately, but hadn’t counted on the sudden economic recession, which made jobs hard to find.
So here they were, at Christmas, with just some stocking stuffers for her boys, a storm raging outside that mirrored the one inside her. “Damn, I just wish that I was strong enough to handle things. To handle life. I can’t seem to get myself together. Shoot, even when I do pull it together for a while, it doesn’t take long before I start to unravel again.”
“Hey Mom!” Joel barreled around the corner. “I’m hungry; what’s for dinner?”
The realities of motherhood snapped Jane out of her thought process. “Well, we can either have sloppy joes and fries, burgers and fries, or Hamburger Helper and fries. What…”
“Ewww -- can’t we have something else besides that nasty ground beef and those cheap fries? I am tired of them. When are we going to go grocery shopping?”
Snapping back, Jane snorted, “When I get another job or it starts raining money.”
The crestfallen look on Joel’s face was enough to make her want to eat her words. “I am sorry hon. I didn’t mean to sound ugly. I am tired of the same old, same old too. I am just trying to stretch the money as far as I can. I can’t afford to have anything go to waste and we had this stuff in the freezer.”
Joel took a long look at his mom. He saw tired blue half moons under her eyes. He knew that she suffered from mental illness -- he had heard enough stories about when she was younger and had lived through another million. She tried so hard. He just wished they could have a break. He looked out the window at the snow already piled up over a foot deep on the driveway. “Mom, I am sorry. I know you are trying. Let’s make sloppy joes -- come on, I’ll help.”
They walked together through the house. Looking around, Jane never quite felt settled in the house, although they had lived there for almost ten years now. Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to buy it initially, but Nathan had bought it anyway. It was squat and looked like a cracker box on end. Not a yummy box of keebler crackers, but a plain old box of saltines, sitting end up. Nothing pretty or unusual, just a cracker box. It was decorated with cast off and hand me downs, just like the rest of Jane’s life. Even her name was plain. Perhaps that was part of her issues -- that she was to never be happy with anything, that everything always felt and burdensome. Even her family that she loved so much felt that way at times. Like now, when they had to have ground beef for the fifth day in a row -- there is only so much you can go with ground meat.
“Hey Mom? Where is that can of sloppy joe mix?” Joel’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Ummm, it is right over here.”
“You know Mom, it is going to be OK. We have a house and lots of stuff. A lot of people have less than we do. You and Dad are getting the bills paid, right? I mean, I know it really isn’t any of my business, but things are paid up, aren’t they? Please don’t give me that look like I am a kid and shouldn’t know what is going on. I have ears, and I hear you guys talking about things. And no matter what, we have each other, and we are going to take care of each other.”
At 6” tall, Joel looked much older than his 14 years. Sometimes he showed his old soul too. He really was a good kid. Jane watched him as he browned the ground beef at the stove, gathering all of the things he needed for the sloppy joes in between stirs. “Mom if you get the fries, ready, I’ll put them in the oven. I have it preheating.”
“Thanks son. You really are something else, you know that?”
”AAAARRRRRRROOOOO!”
“Get it boy!” said John as he barreled through the kitchen following a big coon hound closely. “I’ll bet Dad’s home!” Almost as tall as his brother, but two years younger, John was built like a football player whereas his brother was tall and thin, almost willowy, especially for a boy. John acted like a line backer -- he never moved slowly, always rushing headlong into whatever was happening next. This event just happened to be the arrival of Dad, It was cause for celebration every day when he came home.
He was loved by his family, that was for sure. He came stomping in. “Brrr, it is cold out there!” John and Buddy both flung them selves on David. “Hey guys, can’t you let me at least get in the door? John, you are never going to learn that if you fling, Buddy flings! Remember that we are trying to teach him calm, submissive -- not knock someone down?”
“Oh yeah, but Dad I just had to get here first to tell you that there is a canned food drive at school for the, for the -- uhhh -- oh yea, for the less fortunate, and the winning class gets out of homework for one whole week! Do we have cans I can take in? Do we?”
“I’m sure we can find something. Now let me go put my briefcase down so I can give your mother a big sloppy kiss.”
“EEEWWWW!”
Jane took it all in. It was a great picture, and she didn’t understand why it didn’t make her happy. It should. She had things that many people never get. A home, a family, and a husband who was good. Good to her, good to the boys, good to everyone.
“Hi honey, how was your day?”
Making his way through boys and dogs across the house to the kitchen, David walked over to Jane and kissed her. “I had a great day, how about you?”
Jane looked around her -- at her family, at her house, and realized that she had everything she wanted right here. “I had a great day too. Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you go change?” Jane realized then that she was going to be OK. She would always be affected by her depression, but she had a loving, supportive family, and she would continue fighting the good fight.
Therapy, Day 5
I know I missed writing about a day of therapy. This is, it was just too painful to share. Sometimes that happens. As for day 5, I spent a great deal of the therapy day with my psychiatrist, whom I like more each time I meet with him. I don't know if it is because he is so good at what he does, or what his deal is, but I trust him. He doesn't ever talk down to me, nor does he try to counsel me. he says that there are therapists for counseling. He is about controlling my symptoms with medication and find the right combination of meds that will really help. He changed my meds again. The prescription is at the pharmacy, ir I would share the new drugs and amounts. I know one of the drugs is Ritalin.
Imagine a 45 year old taking Ritalin. I never thought that would be a drug I would take. At this point in my life, I am willing to do almost anything to correct or change how I feel. I haven't shared 100% truthfully with the people at Anthony House, but I will share with you. Yesterday was the first day in about a month that I didn't feel suicidal or have a plan. You see, I know if I would have told them that I was feeling that way, they would have, by law, had to place me on inpatient status. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to go that route. I know the med change must be working, because this is day two that I don't have those thoughts.
My psychiatrist signed forms for me to continue to use FMLA until the end of the school year. I am going to apply for short term disability. I sure need it. We are not making the bills each month. I have been calling creditors to explain. Most have been reasonable. One said that they couldn't do anything about current payments, but that if I enrolled in their insurance program and was on disability, that they would pay off my credit card. Then if I don't carry a balance on the card, they won't charge each month for the protection. I enrolled today and am being sent paperwork. We will see if it is as good as it says. I have $4000 racked up on the card. That would be a huge monkey off my back.
Need to go. I have therapy yet again and must continue getting ready. I want to have time to go to Wal-greens before I go to Anthony House. Have those new meds to get.
Thanks for reading.
Imagine a 45 year old taking Ritalin. I never thought that would be a drug I would take. At this point in my life, I am willing to do almost anything to correct or change how I feel. I haven't shared 100% truthfully with the people at Anthony House, but I will share with you. Yesterday was the first day in about a month that I didn't feel suicidal or have a plan. You see, I know if I would have told them that I was feeling that way, they would have, by law, had to place me on inpatient status. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to go that route. I know the med change must be working, because this is day two that I don't have those thoughts.
My psychiatrist signed forms for me to continue to use FMLA until the end of the school year. I am going to apply for short term disability. I sure need it. We are not making the bills each month. I have been calling creditors to explain. Most have been reasonable. One said that they couldn't do anything about current payments, but that if I enrolled in their insurance program and was on disability, that they would pay off my credit card. Then if I don't carry a balance on the card, they won't charge each month for the protection. I enrolled today and am being sent paperwork. We will see if it is as good as it says. I have $4000 racked up on the card. That would be a huge monkey off my back.
Need to go. I have therapy yet again and must continue getting ready. I want to have time to go to Wal-greens before I go to Anthony House. Have those new meds to get.
Thanks for reading.
See Grant's Farm before it is taken over by Inbev!
I have decided to do a series of reviews of entertainment locales in and around St. Louis. My first was Six Flags St. Louis. Another great place for a family visit is Grant's Farm. It is located just outside of St. Louis in Affton, Missouri. It was a one time home of our 18th President, Ulysses S. Grant.
In the early 1900s, Grant's Farm was purchased by the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. fame. It was their home for many years prior to opening it to the public. It is now a 281 acre wildlife preserve. Although Grant's Farm is not as highly publicized as some of the other places to visit in the St. Louis area, it is one of the best! It is a wonderful place to spend a morning or even the day.
Entry into Grant's Farm proper is free, but you must pay to park. This wonderful preserve is home to hundreds of exotic animals from around the world, including several varieties of deer, horse and cattle, including my children's favorite, the Oreo Cookie Cow (actually a Belted Galloway). Upon entering the property through a covered foot bridge, you wait in line at Grant's Station for the next tram to take you on a tour of the wildlife preserve. The longest time I have ever waited was during the Fourth of July weekend -- forty five minutes. This, however, is a rarity, as the wait for a tram is generally only ten minutes or less. On the tram ride, one of the first sites you see is Grant's cabin, called Hardscrabble. It is the only existing home that was actually built by a president. Although he only lived there a short time while his "real" home was being built, it is still an exciting piece of history. There are tours periodically throughout the year through the cabin, but these are few. If you do happen to be lucky enough to go into the cabin, you won't be allowed on the second floor; it is closed due to age, and is not considered structurally sound. It is worth visiting when the cabin is open for tours though, just to gain insight into that piece of history.
After passing through a gate that separates Hardscrabble from the actual preserve, the tram ride continues. The length of the ride varies depending on the cooperation of the animals who call Grant's Farm home. You see, if an animal decides to block the roadway, which does happen, you are stuck. During one visit, the tram my family was on was "held hostage" by the bison for about fifteen minutes! It was quite interesting though as there were deer on one side of the tram and a baby calf on the other licking the tram. There is no guarantee that you will see animals on your ride though. Of the dozen or so times I have been there, there was only one time that I consider the tram ride a failure, because we saw no animals except for ducks and the fish in the pond. A personal recommendation is to go during cooler weather when the animals are more active or in the early morning if you go during the heat of the summer. After the ride through the preserve, you are dropped off at one end of the Tier Garten near the petting area for the goats. You can purchase a bottle to feed the babies. There are also a variety of animal shows in outdoor theaters throughout the day. (Signs are posted with the times.)
There are several other animal exhibits to see, including bald eagles, giant tortoises, and elephants. After a walk though the Tier Garten, my family is always ready for a soda in the Bauernhof. This is also the area to catch a tram back to Grant's Station. After our tram ride out, we like the visit the General Store. There are several souvenir shops located throughout, but this is the largest -- and our favorite. Once used by the Busch family as a stable, it is now a show area for their carriage and tackle collection. There are a variety of horses stabled there as well. This is also the area to catch the tram back to Grant's Station. A final stop at Grant's Farm should be the Clydesdale training and breeding are located at the north end of the parking lot. Known as Label Stable, you are almost always guaranteed wonderful Clydesdale views. For more information, check out the website at www.grantsfarm.com.
10501 Gravois Rd
Saint Louis, Missouri
(314) 843-1700
In the early 1900s, Grant's Farm was purchased by the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. fame. It was their home for many years prior to opening it to the public. It is now a 281 acre wildlife preserve. Although Grant's Farm is not as highly publicized as some of the other places to visit in the St. Louis area, it is one of the best! It is a wonderful place to spend a morning or even the day.
Entry into Grant's Farm proper is free, but you must pay to park. This wonderful preserve is home to hundreds of exotic animals from around the world, including several varieties of deer, horse and cattle, including my children's favorite, the Oreo Cookie Cow (actually a Belted Galloway). Upon entering the property through a covered foot bridge, you wait in line at Grant's Station for the next tram to take you on a tour of the wildlife preserve. The longest time I have ever waited was during the Fourth of July weekend -- forty five minutes. This, however, is a rarity, as the wait for a tram is generally only ten minutes or less. On the tram ride, one of the first sites you see is Grant's cabin, called Hardscrabble. It is the only existing home that was actually built by a president. Although he only lived there a short time while his "real" home was being built, it is still an exciting piece of history. There are tours periodically throughout the year through the cabin, but these are few. If you do happen to be lucky enough to go into the cabin, you won't be allowed on the second floor; it is closed due to age, and is not considered structurally sound. It is worth visiting when the cabin is open for tours though, just to gain insight into that piece of history.
After passing through a gate that separates Hardscrabble from the actual preserve, the tram ride continues. The length of the ride varies depending on the cooperation of the animals who call Grant's Farm home. You see, if an animal decides to block the roadway, which does happen, you are stuck. During one visit, the tram my family was on was "held hostage" by the bison for about fifteen minutes! It was quite interesting though as there were deer on one side of the tram and a baby calf on the other licking the tram. There is no guarantee that you will see animals on your ride though. Of the dozen or so times I have been there, there was only one time that I consider the tram ride a failure, because we saw no animals except for ducks and the fish in the pond. A personal recommendation is to go during cooler weather when the animals are more active or in the early morning if you go during the heat of the summer. After the ride through the preserve, you are dropped off at one end of the Tier Garten near the petting area for the goats. You can purchase a bottle to feed the babies. There are also a variety of animal shows in outdoor theaters throughout the day. (Signs are posted with the times.)
There are several other animal exhibits to see, including bald eagles, giant tortoises, and elephants. After a walk though the Tier Garten, my family is always ready for a soda in the Bauernhof. This is also the area to catch a tram back to Grant's Station. After our tram ride out, we like the visit the General Store. There are several souvenir shops located throughout, but this is the largest -- and our favorite. Once used by the Busch family as a stable, it is now a show area for their carriage and tackle collection. There are a variety of horses stabled there as well. This is also the area to catch the tram back to Grant's Station. A final stop at Grant's Farm should be the Clydesdale training and breeding are located at the north end of the parking lot. Known as Label Stable, you are almost always guaranteed wonderful Clydesdale views. For more information, check out the website at www.grantsfarm.com.
10501 Gravois Rd
Saint Louis, Missouri
(314) 843-1700
Monday, October 27, 2008
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis is located at I-44 & Allenton-Six Flags Road in Pacific, Missouri, just minutes from St. Louis. Their phone number is (636) 938-4800. It is thrill seeking, St. Louis style.
Six Flags is good for a day's outing. There is a lot to see and do. However, I have to admit something up front, I hate roller coasters! Several of the rides are not suitable for the younger set, but I do have thrill-seeking children and one crazy husband. They love the thrill rides! There are a ton of things to do while you are there. My favorite area is Hurricane Harbor. There are water slides and tube rides as well as a play place for kids. My family likes the Lazy River to tube in, but when the park is busy, you can only go around one time, then you have to give up your tube and get back in line. Hook's Lagoon is a fun place to play with your kids. It consists of a five story tree house and eight water slides. You have to be less that 48" for the pirate rides and at least 42" tall for the slides. This area also has a 1,000 gallon water dump bucket that that is awesome on a hot day. We also really enjoy Hurricane Bay. It is a 30,000 square foot wave pool. Only rental tubes are allowed in this pool, and the pool is cleared every hour for several minutes for a safety break. If you go to Hurricane Harbor, just make sure you are wearing swim wear if you want to do the slides or any of the other rides, as they won't let you on in street clothes.
Another favorite area, located in the main park is the 1904 World's Fair, which is home to the Colossus: an 18 story ferris wheel. You can pretty much see the entire park from the top. Very cool. The Warner Brother's Back Lot area has a couple of roller coasters that my husband loves. One is the Batman: a huge inverted (yep, upside down on this one) steel roller coaster. Another one is the Ninja. Six Flags calls this the black belt of roller coasters, it has a double corkscrew among other things. My daughter's favorite roller coaster is the Boss. It is a 122 foot tall wooden roller coaster featuring a 150 foot first drop, and a 570 degree helix. She says this is an awesome ride! It isn't in the Back Lot area though.
If you want to ride a water ride, but forgot your swim wear, you can ride the Thunder River, which is a white water rapids boat style ride in the main park. You have a good chance of getting soaked on this one. My favorite ride as a kid was Tom's Twister: a centrifugal force ride where the floor actually drops from beneath you leaving you suspended mid air! Other fun things to do include the Speed O'Drome: go carts at additional cost. Must be at least 58" to drive. There is a ride the is similar to a bungee jump, where you are strapped in and launched from a 152' tall tower and free fall about 50' feet before swinging pendulum style. I don't know the particulars on this one, but I think the cost is somewhere in the $25 ranger per person. I have never done it, but it is very cool to watch. A couple of other rides that bear mentioning are the Log Flume, which is a canoe style ride fit for the entire family, and the Mr. Freeze: a roller coaster that runs forward and then in reverse. Not for the faint of heart --this one pulls 4 Gs! There is also the Screamin' Eagle: a 110' tall wooden coaster. This one is good because there is seldom a long line.
One of the two areas for little kids is Looney Tunes Town and the other is Bugs Bunny National Park. Looney Tunes is an older kids play area. There are some rides for preschoolers there. Bugs Bunny National Park is newer. It has rides suitable for little kids, but they are large enough that older siblings or even parents can go on them -- and, yes, enjoy them. There is also a huge climber play area. If you plan a trip to Six Flags St. Louis, be warned that food inside the park is expensive. However, you can leave the park to eat elsewhere and return. My advice is to bring a cooler and leave it in the car though; it is too expensive and too crowded to eat in the park. You can get your hand stamped to leave and re-enter. Some people even bring the little bbq grills and cook out on the grassy areas around the parking lot.
Six Flags is good for a day's outing. There is a lot to see and do. However, I have to admit something up front, I hate roller coasters! Several of the rides are not suitable for the younger set, but I do have thrill-seeking children and one crazy husband. They love the thrill rides! There are a ton of things to do while you are there. My favorite area is Hurricane Harbor. There are water slides and tube rides as well as a play place for kids. My family likes the Lazy River to tube in, but when the park is busy, you can only go around one time, then you have to give up your tube and get back in line. Hook's Lagoon is a fun place to play with your kids. It consists of a five story tree house and eight water slides. You have to be less that 48" for the pirate rides and at least 42" tall for the slides. This area also has a 1,000 gallon water dump bucket that that is awesome on a hot day. We also really enjoy Hurricane Bay. It is a 30,000 square foot wave pool. Only rental tubes are allowed in this pool, and the pool is cleared every hour for several minutes for a safety break. If you go to Hurricane Harbor, just make sure you are wearing swim wear if you want to do the slides or any of the other rides, as they won't let you on in street clothes.
Another favorite area, located in the main park is the 1904 World's Fair, which is home to the Colossus: an 18 story ferris wheel. You can pretty much see the entire park from the top. Very cool. The Warner Brother's Back Lot area has a couple of roller coasters that my husband loves. One is the Batman: a huge inverted (yep, upside down on this one) steel roller coaster. Another one is the Ninja. Six Flags calls this the black belt of roller coasters, it has a double corkscrew among other things. My daughter's favorite roller coaster is the Boss. It is a 122 foot tall wooden roller coaster featuring a 150 foot first drop, and a 570 degree helix. She says this is an awesome ride! It isn't in the Back Lot area though.
If you want to ride a water ride, but forgot your swim wear, you can ride the Thunder River, which is a white water rapids boat style ride in the main park. You have a good chance of getting soaked on this one. My favorite ride as a kid was Tom's Twister: a centrifugal force ride where the floor actually drops from beneath you leaving you suspended mid air! Other fun things to do include the Speed O'Drome: go carts at additional cost. Must be at least 58" to drive. There is a ride the is similar to a bungee jump, where you are strapped in and launched from a 152' tall tower and free fall about 50' feet before swinging pendulum style. I don't know the particulars on this one, but I think the cost is somewhere in the $25 ranger per person. I have never done it, but it is very cool to watch. A couple of other rides that bear mentioning are the Log Flume, which is a canoe style ride fit for the entire family, and the Mr. Freeze: a roller coaster that runs forward and then in reverse. Not for the faint of heart --this one pulls 4 Gs! There is also the Screamin' Eagle: a 110' tall wooden coaster. This one is good because there is seldom a long line.
One of the two areas for little kids is Looney Tunes Town and the other is Bugs Bunny National Park. Looney Tunes is an older kids play area. There are some rides for preschoolers there. Bugs Bunny National Park is newer. It has rides suitable for little kids, but they are large enough that older siblings or even parents can go on them -- and, yes, enjoy them. There is also a huge climber play area. If you plan a trip to Six Flags St. Louis, be warned that food inside the park is expensive. However, you can leave the park to eat elsewhere and return. My advice is to bring a cooler and leave it in the car though; it is too expensive and too crowded to eat in the park. You can get your hand stamped to leave and re-enter. Some people even bring the little bbq grills and cook out on the grassy areas around the parking lot.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Check out epinions
I have been a writer for epinions for a long time. A product review site, it is my first stopping off place when I am looking to buy something new. I love being able to see the pros and cons of others to help me make up my mind before shopping. It helps me make more informed decisions.
Here is a link to my page:
http://www.epinions.com/user-patricknjacob
Here is a link to my page:
http://www.epinions.com/user-patricknjacob
Attitude of Gratitude
Attitude of Gratitude. This is one of the catch phrases that is used at therapy. I lost it, as I always do when I am depressed. The attitude is supposed to be one of thankfulness for all of the good things in your life.
When I am depressed, not just sad, but really deep down I-am-not-sure-I-can-make-it-anymore depressed, I lose my attitude of gratitude. I am sure I am not the only person that had felt this way, but when you look at it objectively, it is stinking thinking that puts one in this place. I call it the spiral to hell, because at the bottom of the spiral is a dark place where all of the hurts of the past that I haven’t dealt with just well up and overtake me. It blocks out all of the good in my life until I am so blinded by the trash, that I can’t see anything else.
More trash surfaces, more good is blocked, and before I know it, I am at a place where I don’t see the good. I look at my children and think, “How can I effectively parent when I didn’t have a good model?” I look at my husband and think, “He is so going to leave me when he finds out what I am really like.” I look at my job and think, “It is all a great sham and the children know that I can’t effectively manage them.” You begin to see how stinking thinking because this great all-encompassing fireball.
I get why group therapy works for me. I listen to others talk about their stinking thinking. I can see that their path is not the right one; I can see the good in them. Once I begin to talk to others about their good qualities and the good things in their life, I begin to picture my own, and my attitude of gratitude starts to build. As I sit here typing at 4 something am, surrounded by my still sleeping family, I can see through the fog at the goodness they bring into my life – and how their love and faith can rebuild my Attitude of Gratitude.
When I am depressed, not just sad, but really deep down I-am-not-sure-I-can-make-it-anymore depressed, I lose my attitude of gratitude. I am sure I am not the only person that had felt this way, but when you look at it objectively, it is stinking thinking that puts one in this place. I call it the spiral to hell, because at the bottom of the spiral is a dark place where all of the hurts of the past that I haven’t dealt with just well up and overtake me. It blocks out all of the good in my life until I am so blinded by the trash, that I can’t see anything else.
More trash surfaces, more good is blocked, and before I know it, I am at a place where I don’t see the good. I look at my children and think, “How can I effectively parent when I didn’t have a good model?” I look at my husband and think, “He is so going to leave me when he finds out what I am really like.” I look at my job and think, “It is all a great sham and the children know that I can’t effectively manage them.” You begin to see how stinking thinking because this great all-encompassing fireball.
I get why group therapy works for me. I listen to others talk about their stinking thinking. I can see that their path is not the right one; I can see the good in them. Once I begin to talk to others about their good qualities and the good things in their life, I begin to picture my own, and my attitude of gratitude starts to build. As I sit here typing at 4 something am, surrounded by my still sleeping family, I can see through the fog at the goodness they bring into my life – and how their love and faith can rebuild my Attitude of Gratitude.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)