Another Year Done

Hi, Everyone, and welcome to Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas! Since I haven't checked in since I started working at the Family Resource Center at DCMC, I thought I would show you a few photos of where I spend part of my days right now.

Dell Children's is a new breed of children's hospital so I am told. It runs on the tenets of Family Centered Care which means we treat not only the patient but the entire family when someone walks through our doors. Evidently the mindset is considered revolutionary, which is so often the case when someone finally puts into effect common sense things we've all known for a long time. Parents are allowed to stay in their children's rooms for the duration of their stay. Each room has a fold out bed, big closet and full bath. Each floor has a family lounge with a stove, microwave, refrigerator and more. There are no "visiting hours"..parents have access to their kids at all times and family is always welcome outside the times of appointments with doctors and specialists and tests.

Moving kids around the hospital is innovative as well. For those too small for wheelchairs, there are big, plastic wagons. Kids travel through the hospital with their blankets and pillows and toys and often medical equipment in tow. It's a riot. And for patients undergoing certain types of physical therapy, there are big tricycles and other types of bikes that go zooming through the halls, often followed by a nurse at a brisk trot. At times it's easy to forget you are in a hospital. There is the smell of freshly popped popcorn coming from the gifts shop, the aroma of cappucino from the coffee shop, visitors arriving with sparkly bags full of get well gifts.

But the often carnival-like atmosphere never quite covers the fact that this is a hospital full of sick kids. From spina bifida to cancer, pediatric AIDS to burn victims, heart patients to organ transplant recipients, Dell Children's serves any child that is ill. This is a Catholic hospital and its mission is to help those who are in need. Families come to DCMC knowing they will not be turned away if they cannot pay. Some days at the library are truly humbling. My work consists of checking out dvds for famlies to watch in their room, helping with internet searches on our public computers and generally coming up with displays and handouts to keep folks entertained and informed while they are with us. It's a super little job, only 3 miles from where I live. I work part-time and am still looking for another job to go with this to make ends meet. But it's a good place with nice people. I'm lucky to have found it! I hope that anyone who has friends or family in a children's hospital finds themselves in one as great as Dell Children's.

Jeff and Wendy are doing well. Wendy is recovering from her massive surgeries. All her "catitude" is back in spades and she's as much of a monkey as ever. She's walking and has figured out how to jump up onto the couch again. You can tell she wants to do much more but she is still quite weak in the hind quarters. The surgeon was very pleased with her at her last check up. It's just going to take time. She will always walk with the slippery hips of a runway model but she's just happy to be up and about.

Jeff has finished his trip on the Lower Colorado River and is now exploring sea kayaking. He and Wendy are down at Jeff's dad's place in Rockport quite a bit enjoying the fishing and the quiet of this coastal town. Jeff had a number of acting jobs while close to home for Wendy's recovery. He's working on being the "go to" guy for when a director swings into Austin and needs a tattooed, bad ass biker/gangster for his film. It's a big stretch for Jeff but he's not afraid to grow for his art.....ha! What I like is when he comes home from a day of being a creepy thug on Friday Night Lights, kisses his cat and makes us risotto while we watch Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares." Makes me giggle every time.

I've been doing some painting when the mood hits me. I've sent a dozen garden fish north for Dave's family's Holiday Sale this weekend (Nov 22 & 23). I haven't done any of those in a while so if you'd like one all the way from Austin, pop on over to the sale in Pownal. They are $10 and come attached to a thick stake. They look great in the garden...or in snow banks!! As in the past, at the sale there will be Connie's beautiful wreaths and gigantic pies and Dave's exquisite wooden spoons and cutting boards, plus tons of other stuff. It's odd to be here watching the pecans dropping from the trees and listening to the wild parrots when I know that the north smells of fir boughs and bushels of apples and winter squash in unheated garages and cellars. I was at Central Market, choosing fresh green beans from the big bin and the smell of garden and earth was so poignant and reminiscent that I started to cry. Funny how scents can immediately transport you places. I do miss having a garden here, rooting around in the soil like a little grub.

Just in time to share the holidays with me, my dear Jamie will be arriving from Yorkshire this coming Monday, the 24th. Jeff and I will pick him up at the airport with his bass guitar, magical laptop and the grand pianobong in tow. There's going to be lots of music and high spirits on Guadalupe Street in the weeks ahead to be sure. Check out some of his recent music at www.reverbnation.com/mrbear Infact run, don't walk, to that site and listen to his beachboys vs faith no more vs kraftwerk...oh it's a rocker!

Well, it's bedtime here so let me wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and joyous holidays. Today marks my one-year anniversary here in Austin. I've seen and done so many new things in the past twelve months. Time flies when you're having crazy!

Big loves from the Lone Star State........xoxo wren