There'd want to be a prize at the end

News out of Canada..

The former warden of the Municipality of the District of Digby severed up to four fingers and part of his left hand during a tug of war contest in Bear River on Saturday.


Paramedics rushed Jim Thurber to hospital with "serious hand surgeries" around 3:15 p.m., an Emergency Health Services spokeswoman confirmed later in the afternoon. He arrived in serious condition at Valley Regional Hospital, Krista Beck said.

It seemed a small blessing that the 59-year-old former politician is right-handed, his son said on Saturday evening.

"I’m not certain, but I’ve been told it’s the four fingers," Cory Thurber said. "He’s on his way to Halifax, if he’s not there already for surgery . . . Apparently, they got the fingers on ice quickly (and) there might be a good chance of them being able to attach them."

Thurber retired from municipal politics last month after serving as warden for 10 years.

Tim Wilson, whose wife organized the fall festival, said the tug of war contest is an annual tradition in the community. The Bear River waterway divides Annapolis and Digby counties and residents try to pull the other side across the bridge that divides their regions.

At first, the contest seemed lively and competitive Saturday, each side digging in to try to gain ground, another witness said of the 50 people taking part.

"There were men, women, children, (and) people in period costume," Patty Busby said Saturday evening. "They were pulling pretty hard and it was just looking like fun. People were cheering and then, all of a sudden, people at the far end started waving their hands and yelling ‘Stop, stop, stop.’ "

A few voices began to shout for paramedics and an RCMP member who had been walking around the festival grounds ran to the scene.

It’s unclear exactly how the accident happened, but Busby said Thurber reportedly wrapped the rope around fingers during the competition.

"It was shocking, definitely," she said. "One second, you’re sitting there cheering and the next minute you have something very tragic happen."

Paramedics transported a 59-year-old man from the Valley Regional Hospital to Halifax for treatment after he severed four fingers and a portion of his hand, a 7:30 p.m. report on the police scanner said. A spokeswoman for the Annapolis area hospital could not confirm the man was Thurber.

Now that the former warden’s schedule had cleared, he planned to spend more time on the golf course, his son said. The sport is one of his favourite pastimes.

"It’s tough to think about," Cory Thurber said. "Hopefully, they can do a good job (with the surgery). He likes golfing and that won’t be possible, or easy, anymore."

All I can say is I can't imagine too many things I'd be THAT invested in a tug-of-war for.  (I love how his son is worried about the golf game...."hope they do a good job...he loves his golf...) ;-)


It'd take a pretty shiny pair of Louboutins to get me into it. ;-)

Mon petit amour

You are three years old today, my baby boy!  You're getting so grown up, so suddenly!  Suddenly toilet training, talking, making friends.  My little baby is slipping away from me, turning into the most delighful of little boys.

From this...

To this...

And now this..

I am not quite sure how to wrap my head around this, my little love.  How is it possible that we've been lucky enough to love you for 3 whole years?  And how is it possible that we have only loved you for 3 years? 

I remember the first moment I disovered I was pregnant with you.  I remember how my hands shook and my heart raced.  I remember our fear for months, as we nearly lost you so many times.  But you're a stubborn little thing, my darling and finally, after the longest months of my life, you were ours.  Forever.

Before we decided to make you, my little Sam, we thought we were complete.  Daddy and Alexander and I - a perfect little family of 3.  I didn't think that anything was missing from my heart. 

Until you came along, Sammy Tom. I didn't know, of course, about your bright, sparkling blue eyes. I didn't know about your deliciously chubby cheeks and dimples.

I don't quite know what we did with ourselves before you came along, Little Sam. I'm sure life was exciting, and we laughed a lot. But not nearly as much as you make us laugh, little one. You're such a funny, cheeky boy. Daddy says you get that from me, you do seem to have my snarky sense of humour already. I'm a little nervous about what that will look like when you're 14. Will Mama have met her match?

I didn't know how much you were going to love your big brother. I didn't know that you were going to fall completely in love with him and give him the best friend he'd always wanted.

But oh, sweet boy. How much you have added to our family.  We are richer, happier, more complete than I had thought possible.  It's not so much that we needed you as we have been blessed with you - by you.  A perfect, wondrous gift to our family. 

You are incredibly passionate, fiesty.  You feel things so deeply - your love, your hate.  It washes over you with such force, sometimes i'm not sure you know what to do with it.  I know how that feels my darling, and I hope it gets easier for you.

You're obsessed with cars and trucks.  It seems so obvious, such a clear gender stereotype.  But you came upon it on your own, at such a tender age.  By the time you were a year old, it was by far your most devoted past time, lying on the floor parking your lines of cars and trucks. 

You're a terrible sleeper and eater, a pay off, I guess for such a dynamic personality.  But the hugs you give!  The charm of you!  The ladies at daycare are openly smitten by you.  When you walk up to Sue and kiss her hand, she actually swoons.  And don't you know it?  They say you give the best hugs they have ever, ever had.  I'm inclined to agree.  I could sit and hold you for hours, Sam.

You come into our bed each night now, a new habit.  And while I don't sleep a wink while you're there, I seem utterly incapable of discouraging the habit.   You hop in with me, back to my front, head on my arm, hand in mine. "Huggie Mama", you whisper as you drift immediately back to sleep, and I'm left, filled with wonder as I breathe you in.  For hours I can lie there, just tracing my hand up and down your arm, until Daddy finally plucks you from my arms and deposits you, all tucked in to your own bed.  I know it's where you belong, but oh, my arms feel strangely empty without you in them, Sam.

Are you doing this for you or for me?  Do you need the extra comfort from Mama lately?  Or are you giving me a precious, amazing gift?  Longer with my last baby.  Time with you, knowing this is the last time I will experience this, letting me savour every moment you give me?

Maybe it's both.  I don't mind which.  I just know that for as long as I live, Samuel, I will never, ever forget this.  I will never forget these past few months of having you in my arms so much.  I will forever cherish the memory of your curls tucked under my chin, your hand grasping mine.  Your breath sychronised with your Daddy's.

 We love you, Little Love.  Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our family.  Thank you for letting us love you forever.

Mama

This is a Flog Yo Blog Friday Blog Hop (Go on, say that 3 times fast).   Pop over to Lori's blog to read the details and join up!

3 Steps back

I'm not sure what to say.  I'm sorry I've gone quiet here, but I'm utterly lost at the moment.
I'll be back.

I am afraid to go to sleep - the dreams are horrific, and stay with me for days.  So I stay awake as long as I can, and struggle my way through sleep deprived days.

I'm jumpy, the hair on the back of my neck seems to be always raised, and I'm on constant high alert.

I want nothing more than to curl up in my bed and hide from the world.  I'm struggling once again to speak, and to leave the house seems far to difficult to be worth the effort.

But it is school holidays.  One can't fall apart on school holidays.  Keep moving. Keep breathing. It will pass.

Love

*

Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

Louis de Bernieres

My heart still races.  I still blush when you look at me that special way. I'm still in love with the lines around your eyes when you smile. I still crave your touch.

13 years on - and this thing we have is even more beautiful than it was before.  2 amazing children.  A family the likes of which I'd only dreamed.  I love you.  I love our sons.

Thank you, a thousand times, for marrying me.

*With my parents, on our wedding day.

I wouldn't stop for red lights.

So, of course, I've been browsing around, trying to find some new TV show to fall in love with. 

Nothing's cutting it.  I just want to stay in love with my old TV Show.  I want it back..

I miss Leo. :-(

Who doesn't miss Lionel Tribby? ;-)

One of the most poignant scenes ever.

“This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you, can you help me out?’. The doctor writes a prescription and throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?’. The priest writes out a prayer and throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by; ‘Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?’ and the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here!’. The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.’. Long as I got a job, you got a job, you understand?”


- Leo McGarry

The West Wing - 2x10 Noël

One of my very favourite Charlie moments.

CJ: Okay. Well. Okay, it’s over. That’s that. [CJ throws her binder on her desk; the desk collapses.] So, how long do you usually make people your bitch?

Charlie: Depends.

[The West Wing 3x14: Hartfield’s Landing]

Donna: Josh.

Josh: The call?

Donna: On the cell.

Toby: Josh, you need us, we’re standing right here.

Josh: OK. [To Senate Majority Leader on the phone.] Hi Senator. Why don’t you take your legislative agenda and shove it up your ass? [Hangs up.] Turns out I was fine.

The West Wing, 1.20: Mandatory Minimums

Donna: Is it possible that there’s a situation involving Sam, a woman, and C.J. being denied information about something?

Josh: OK, here’s what I’m gonna do-

Donna: Hide in your office?

Josh: No! I’m not going to hide in my office. I’m going to go into my office and devise a strategy, that is what I do. I’m a professional. I’m not a little boy.

Donna: Mm, that’s the spirit.

Josh: But if she calls, I’m at the dentist. I’ll be back in an hour.

Donna: [smirks] Got it.

Josh: [opens door to his office] Gah!

C.J.: Wow, are you stupid.

The West Wing 1.03 - “A Proportional Response”

I STILL can't hear the word 'accidentally' without this scene flashing through my mind. :-)

Sam Seaborn: About a week ago I accidentally slept with a prostitute.

Toby Ziegler: [pause] Really?

Sam Seaborn: Yes.

Toby Ziegler: You accidentally slept with a prostitute?

Sam Seaborn: A call girl.

Toby Ziegler: Accidentally?

Sam Seaborn: Yes.

Toby Ziegler: I don’t understand. Did you trip over something?

THE WEST WING 1x02 “Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc”

What show do you miss?