Chris back in the USA

We heard from Chris tonight(Thursday)....got a call at 11PM that the JCOC group had arrived in Key West, Florida. They will spend tomorrow in Miami and return to Washington on Saturday, then Chris will fly home to Yuma Saturday night. He has loved this trip, met lots of great people, ("I am the poorest one here"), and has done some amazing things. He did take pictures along the way. Today in Honduras the group delivered some humanitarian aid and soccer balls. He said he was photographed playing soccer with the little kids and interviewed as well, so maybe some of that will end up on the JCOC web site tomorrow. It was so good to hear from him. Sleep--there has been very little for the group. Some nights only 2-3 hours. He did spend the night on the George Washington aircraft carrier. Said they stood out on the flight deck no more than 25 feet away from planes coming in and landing in night maneuvers. They were told civilians are just never allowed that experience, but this group was. Today he played firefighter, carried all the equipment inside a real burning building and "rescued" a mannequin on the 2nd floor. He rapelled another building today, something he seemed to enjoy--quite a thrill. So I am sure there is a lot more to hear about, but because he was needing to go to bed, we said goodnight. Thank you Lord for getting him back to the USA safely and with such good feelings about what he's had the privilege of doing for the past week.

Update on Chris' Travels

Got this email from Chris last night....
Things are going well. Have seen and done some pretty cool stuff here. Sleep 5 hrs. a night at best. On the go everyday, and on many different modes of transportation. Will try to call when I get into Florida late Thursday night.

Maria emailed last night and added that she had heard from him.....he got altitude sickness in Columbia and went repelling off a skyscraper on Tuesday. Now a mother would reason that one had something to do with the other, but I don't know.

April Showers....again

We got up to thunderstorms this morning but looks like the weather has moved on. So today Judy and I and Ray's Aunt Lucille from Chicago are going on a ROAD TRIP (to Hannibal!) for lunch. I am anxious for Idol tonight because our girl Brooke is supposed to be something else according to Andrew Lloyd Webber--well that is what he told Simon yesterday. I included the pictures above today because they illustrate so well the wonderful work of daycare providers. The pictures say it all for me. So while I have been focused on Chris and his adventures of late, there are always little adventures, equally important, just across town!

Beautiful Monday, Chris is in Brazil on the Ronald Reagan

It is finally here! Spring. YES. And I spent almost the whole day at the oncologist's office. Well I am getting ready to go for a walk with Mario. But before I do that, wanted to post that Maria has gotten two very short calls from Chris. Saturday morning he called from Guantanemo Bay, Cuba, and had seen the Iraqi detainees. This morning, he called her from the Ronald Reagan in Brazil.

It's good cartwheel and flip-flop weather here.

Chris is on the move....the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference

My blog today is about Chris' current travels with an ambassador program of the Department of Defense. So if you are interested....read on!

Chris called three times Friday. The first call came at 8AM to let me know he arrived safely to Washington, DC. The second call came in the late afternoon after the tour of the Pentagon and opportunity to meet the group he will be traveling with for the next 10 days. The last one, the quick Goodbye call late in the evening, surprised me a little. I have gotten accustomed to the physical distance between us, but this time, there was a little struggle for me. Realizing he will be out of touch in some amazing situations, I just have to find comfort in knowing how much he is growing and learning, and whatever God's plan is for his life, he is walking the pathways that are opening to him. A mother's love being what it is, there is always yearning to be with him more and to talk with him more. But I must put my selfish mother desires aside again. This is his life, being well-lived. That is what I raised him to do, and I support every step of it. And I am so proud of the man he has become.

So for anyone who is interested, here is what I know about his travels so far. The program sponsored by the Department of Defense is described simply on an internet site. If you google JCOC, (Joint Civilian Orientation Conference), and click on the first thing that comes up, you will see it. In his first call yesterday, he had arrived at the Pentagon and stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, one of the best hotels he's seen. All day yesterday was spent viewing the Pentagon and meeting people like Admiral Hamm, the deputy to Gates who replaced Rumsfeld as Sec. of Defense. He related standing with a group that included an obviously important fellow who was telling the group about himself. Somebody asked him where he was from and he responded, "I'm from a small town in Illinois named Quincy." Well you can imagine Chris did a double-take on that! The guy is a former student from QND, Kevin Wensing, who went on to become an accomplished Navy man and is now the special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense! He and Chris talked about Mario's brother Edmundo, etc., and Chris found out that Kevin is accompanying the group on this trip. So once again....a small world. Also in the first phone call yesterday, Chris related some of the itinerary as he understood it so far: leave Andrews Air Force Base in Washington at 3AM Saturday morning on a C17 Military transport for Guantanemo Bay, Cuba. I think a day there, then on to Rio de Janiero, Brazil for 2 days. Next stop, Honduras, and at some point, Bogota, Columbia. Honduras is apparently where the pesky mosquitos are that carry malaria, and he was unable to get the malaria vaccine. So we have to pray the malaria mosquitos don't land on him! He'll spray down with Deet and cover up and hopefully not come home with any new disease! At some point, the group lands on the George Washington aircraft carrier, literally dropped onto the ship by a C-2 jet. O MY. He related that there are about 40 civilians in the group, divided into smaller groups of 8-10. He had already met some men from the group--the CEO of Sony, the Sr. VP of AIG, and a well-known cardiologist from some big hospital in Houston. He saw the Oreck CEO but didn't get to speak with him yet. He said, "I stick out like a sore thumb here," meaning the group is composed of men and a couple of women in their late 40's and 50's. But he says that's not a problem, that he can talk with all of them. Next he related that they asked for volunteers to suit up with the Marines at a certain point and carry 100 lbs. of gear like they do and go through their drills with them. So Chris and another fellow volunteered to do that. Somewhere in Bogota, Columbia, they are going to a shooting range to fire the weapons the military use, and that seemed interesting to him. And they had a lottery to see who gets to have a seat in the cockpit on the ride home to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington when they are through, and they drew Chris' name. So that will be some kind of thrill for sure. And he was pretty enthused by the cool Department of Defense gear that they all got. He said it was good quality stuff--jacket, shirt, hat, blanket, and other things I can't recall.

So they finished the day in Washington Friday with a nice dinner, then back to the room to pack a back-pack for the first 2 days of the trip. The rest of the luggage would not be with them, so whatever they need for the first 2 days had to go in the back-pack. He was wondering how the two women would handle that! It was the final thought he expressed in the 3rd call of the day late in the evening, just before "Goodbye. I love you."

I am thinking that by now, (Saturday morning), they are in Cuba already, and the real adventure has just begun. I will post anything new when I hear from Maria. He will have a couple of short phone opportunities with her during the trip, and she will call us with info. Please pray for safe travel and good health for Chris.

End of the Week Stories....

I am sitting in the early morning hours at the computer, and the strangest thing has just happened. The room was shaking. The chair I am sitting on moved. The computer screen shifted a bit, and the keyboard moved beneath my fingertips for a few seconds. Now what was that? Have I had a visitor(s)? Was this an earthquake? I checked outside, and the wind is blowing a little, but not enough for this kind of action. Well, if the spirits are here with me, I hope they enjoy my stories and pictures.

It has been a great week of discovery for me. After a strict gluten-free diet, and the total exclusion of acidic foods for the past 2 weeks, I am so excited to report that I am not having the pain that has plagued my life for years. Only on last Sunday, I ate something unidentifiable, some kind of spices/dressing on the vegetables at TGI Fridays, and I had a severe reaction in the wee hours Monday morning. Now I totally see the connection between eating things that my body can't handle and its allergic response. It had to happen for me to see the connection, the hyper-reactive soft tissue response. After all the years of searching for the cause of the pain and extreme fatigue that goes along with it, it is so simple. Don't eat any foods that have wheat, oats or barley, and for now, no acidic foods. When I get myself healed from all the years of trauma from this, maybe I will be able to reintroduce small amounts of these foods from time to time. It will take time, and I may never get over the fatigue part because of the damage that has been done. But let me tell ya....just being free of the pain these continuous allergic reactions were causing is a reason to be joyful right now. And it all hinged on getting to the right medical intervention. A young female doctor from the Phillipines, relatively new to Quincy and working in our hospital's arthritis clinic, listened to my story for a couple of hours in June of last year. She referred me to physical therapy, and that is where I met Dr. Natalie Stratton, a young wife and mother, ordinary in her style and manner, but I believe a gifted healer. She knows where her power to heal comes from, and I knew when we began working together that this would result in something positive for me. Then I discovered the cancer in August, and her treatment plan was to "maintain," to just keep me from getting any worse while I went through the toxic slush and radiation. But the treatment was more harsh trauma to soft tissue. Natalie saw how strong I am as I bucked up to endure this. But once I was finished with the cancer treatment, we went to work. About 2 weeks ago she told me it was time to be 100% committed to the gluten-free diet, as well as avoiding all acidic foods, so we could really know if this is what has caused my trouble. Well I am happy to report....after being around the world on this....that I have found the solution. So simple. Eat meat and potatoes, veggies and non-citrus fruits, cheese and dairy, and certain kinds of chocolate are OK, thank GOD! (Dove and Hersheys for sure). I now read every food label, and when I go to restaurants, I request gluten-free and non-acidic foods. Praise God. This goes hand in hand with avoiding chemicals of all kinds that cause me to have hives. Very few have any idea what this has all cost me through the years. Most people look at my outside, have no idea what has been going on in my inside, and think that I just look terrific! Well I do! I have fought the hard fight to survive these allergic reactions for so many years. But truthfully, I was losing ground fast, as my insides were/are so worn out from this. Praise God! I am offering prayerful thanksgiving for this healing and whatever good comes from it.

I have couple of grandkid stories to tell.....

Cora (almost 10 and in 4th grade), came home from school a couple of weeks ago and told Carrie that the girls in her class were starting to wear training bras and wanted to know if she could get one. So Carrie obliged, finding some sort of athletic type undergarment that she thought would fill the bill and satisfy Cora. So Cora and Hannah are getting out of the tub, and Carrie brings in the little item for Cora to try on. Hannah ( 3 1/2 yrs. younger, age 6) takes a look at it, then at her skinny naked big sister, and pronounces, "Well I'm bigger than you!" Perhaps will be the story of Cora's life in this anatomical region.

Carrie was excited to be able to get the daycare kids outdoors for the first time this week. Tony was gone for 2 days for a meeting, and she thought this would be such a nice way to spend the time while he was away. But she forgot....on the first day out, you have to teach the rules all over again....They have poured a nice new concrete patio that the kids can ride bikes on and play on. So Nolan sees one of the kids on his bike and just hauls off and waps him. "Nolan, you cannot hit somebody because they are riding your bike. You have to wait your turn," Mommy Carrie instructs. Moments later, same bike, same kid, and Nolan hauls off and kicks the heck outa the kid. "No Nolan, you cannot kick somebody because they are on your bike. You have to wait your turn." Well, at that point, Nolan decided to get the last word/gesture in. He pulled up his thumb and pointer finger in the shape of a gun and "shot" the kid on the bike. "No, Nolan, you can't shoot 'em either." So Nolan runs off and gets the soccer ball. This will surely work for him. He has watched Blake kick against the neighbors' soccer kickboard for years. But Nolan will use the back of the house with the brand new siding instead. He just kicks the hell out of the ball before Carrie can stop him, and I am not sure what size dent he put in the new siding, but he must surely have left his mark. "No Nolan, you can't do that either." Hopefully by days' end, Nolan found some things he COULD do!

Chris has begun his trip with the Military this week. He left for Washington, DC yesterday. Today he will meet with Condoleeza and Michael Cherthoff for sure and spend the day at the Pentagon. He told us three of the executives on the trip are the CEOs of Earthlink and the Oreck Corporation, as well as 2nd in command at WalMart. He is at least 15 years younger than anyone else, so he says he will again get the nicknames he has previously heard from the older guys like Kiddo, Big Shot, etc. He will be able to make short calls to Maria from time to time over the next 10 days while he is traveling somewhere in South America and spending at least one night on an aircraft carrier. Then she will be in touch with us, so we know where he is and what he is doing. I am praying for safe travel and a great experience for him. He just called from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Pentagon complex and sounds upbeat and excited about this.

We are counting down days 'til the end of school here. Mario is tired and will be ready to let the job go for a few weeks. He is going to work at Catholic Heart Work Camp in Pennsylvania for a few days the end of June, supervising teens from around the country doing service work in poor areas. Some other QND staff go too, including his friend George McDonnell.

I am hopeful that I finally get to see New York City in late July. I will keep you posted on that one. It is the one place I have always wanted to see. In the meantime, the Camacho family is gearing up for a family vacation in Vegas in June. Part of the time will be spent at our Marriott Chateau timeshare. We are looking forward with great anticipation and hope the kids and grandkids enjoy it too.

So that is what is in the plans for the Camachos for now. It's been a great week.

Into the Wild again

After reading the book Into the Wild, I checked out the movie again....understood it so much better the second time around. I find this story intriguing. Has so many messages important for life in general. I have passed the book on to a friend. You never know if somebody else will like what you like. The last time I recommended a movie, it fell flat. I think I have tastes that vary far and wide, or I am interested in a broad range of things, so I can go with it if it is credible to me. So anyway, I am glad I invested time in this story.

Saw Light My Fire (Michael Johns from Idol) on Regis and Kelly today. He related that Dolly called him at 4 in the morning after he got the boot and told him she wants to write for him and maybe duet with him. Figured. No great loss for him to get booted. Under Dolly's wing now!

The funniest thing I heard today was Kathie Lee Gifford on the 4th hour of Today telling the crowd that when Frank's gone, she is going for "the younger man."

Blake's team won two games in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, then lost a sudden death PK shootout Sunday morning to just miss the finals. But he had a good time with the teammates. Carrie and another parent took them to the mall on Saturday night, while Tony and Nolan did the hotel pool thing. So everybody got some quality family time of one kind or another. Chuck's twin brother Chris (Karlson, Blake's bio dad) showed up and spent about an hour with him. Seems as though he was traveling through Cedar Rapids with his job. Was good for Blake to have somebody from Chuck's family care enough about him to show up. I guess Chuck calls Blake every night and is doing alright working day to day construction in Florida and living in some kind of halfway house. We all just like to know that he is ok.

I had a serious pain bout at 4:30 this morning. It woke me up. Thought I might be having heart issues. My hands felt swollen and numb, and I had the most intense pain behind the sternum. Got up and took my pain medicine, then anxiety medicine because of the pain, then a swig of Maalox, then a swig of belladonna about a half hour later, and finally got relief. Went back to sleep til about 9. What in the heck caused this? Was it the spice I did not recognize on the veggies I had at lunchtime at Fridays? Was it the orange slice candy piece I had just before bed? Is it the beginning of another of those gunky infections? What wakes you up in the wee hours of the morning and does this to you? This kind of scared me.

I accomplished one thing of value today--watched the Dede daycare kids sleeping while Carrie took the girls to the dentist this afternoon. I guess that's something.

Time for Dancing With the Stars.