Happy 1st Birthday Regional Library Mayor's BBQ Hot Success

26 . the catoctin banner . September 2009
A little Mystery
By Valerie Nusbaum
A few weeks ago I was sitting at
my makeup table getting ready to
go out when Randy walked into the
bedroom. He absently picked up the
remote and turned on the television.
Then he sat down on the bed and
started reading the newspaper, all the
while telling me about what he’d been
doing outside. He’s talented and can
do several things at the same time.
While I was putting on my
mascara, I listened to his story and
then I told him that I’d completely
forgotten to put on eye makeup
the day before when we’d gone out
to dinner. He said that he hadn’t
noticed. He hadn’t noticed???
“Do you ever actually look at
me?” I asked. I was all set to let him
have it.
“Yes, and you’re always beautiful,”
was his answer.
I sputtered a little and turned back
to the mirror. He makes it hard to
argue with him. Oh, I know he’s full
of it and I protested feebly, but the
man is good. What woman doesn’t
want to hear something like that from
her significant other, even if she knows
it’s a crock?
That conversation got me thinking
about how well we know each
other. I decided to find out if we’re
compatible according to the leading
authorities on love and marriage. I’m
referring to Cosmopolitan magazine,
of course. There was a quiz in an old
issue that I felt sure we’d pass with
flying colors.
The first question asked us
to specify what size and type of
underwear our partner prefers. I, of
course, listed the size, type, brand and
color that Randy likes.
He grinned proudly, and
pronounced, “White. You like white
ones, right?”
“Sometimes I do,” I answered,
“but do you know what size I wear?”
He scratched his head and said,
“Do they come in different sizes?
Are they waist sizes like men’s
happily ever after
underwear?”
I realized then that in the nearly
twenty years we’ve been together,
Randy has never bought underwear
for me. On the other hand, he hasn’t
bought underwear for himself either.
I think he thinks that it just magically
appears when he needs new stuff.
Not that he ever throws the old stuff
away. I periodically find a pair in the
laundry with so many holes in them
that I can’t imagine what purpose
they could serve, especially when you
consider where the holes are located.
Whenever that happens, I’m forced to
bury them at the bottom of the trash
can in the laundry room in order to
get rid of them.
It’s the same thing with socks.
He says that his stuff just starts to
feel comfortable and soft and then
it’s gone. I know he suspects me of
doing something because I’ve seen
him pawing through his drawers (no
pun intended) looking for something
he obviously can’t find, and then he’ll
give me a look that says, “I know
you’re behind this.”
We finished the quiz, and
discovered what we probably already
knew. I pay attention to some things
and he pays attention to others. I
know all of Randy’s favorite movies.
He doesn’t know any of mine, but he
does know what music I like. I think
he knows that my favorite flowers are
white roses, but he still buys me pink
carnations because that’s what he got
for me when we were dating.
Maybe it’s best not to know
everything about each other.
Sometimes a little something left
unsaid or unknown can help keep us
from becoming too familiar. I know
it’s true with us. I don’t really want to
know how those holes got there, and
we’re both better off if Randy doesn’t
solve the mystery of the disappearing
underwear.
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A “Heartfelt” Message from Rosemary
McDermott
Many of you are aware that
our friend, Rosemary McDermott,
has temporarily relocated to the
Philadelphia area while she is
recovering from a heart transplant.
The transplant was necessary because
of a heart condition caused by a
gene inherited from her mother.
Rosemary’s mother died from the
condition but the gene was passed on
to SEVEN of her FIFTEEN children,
including Rosemary. The family
cardiologist from Johns Hopkins
Hospital, Dr. Traill, maintains a
huge file on the extensive study he
has conducted on the McDermott
family. As the eldest of the children,
Rosemary was determined to prove
to her younger brothers and sisters
that with the advances in the medical
field, it is possible to correct this
condition via a transplant and live a
full and normal life. When I asked
Rosemary’s permission to share her
experience with her friends, she
offered the following testimony:
“It was the day before
Thanksgiving, 2008. The courtroom
was hushed as we awaited the Judge’s
verdict. My client sat next to me
sweating. And then, relief washed
over us removing all fears as the
Judge ruled in our favor.
Eight days later I found myself in
the intensive care unit of Frederick
Memorial Hospital fighting to live. My
cold had turned into a vicious form of
pneumonia that attacked my alreadydefective
heart causing a serious heart
attack. My cardiologist from Johns
Hopkins gave me the dire news:
“Start your good-byes or consider a
heart transplant.” I didn’t hesitate. I
wanted to live. There was too much
left to do. “A heart transplant,” I
responded, starting one of the most
exciting adventures of my life.
Dr. Traill decided that the best
place for a heart transplant was
the Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania, and he set up an
immediate appointment for me. I
had three weeks to get all my affairs
in order, and relocate to Philadelphia.
A Higher Power was with me as I
found the right person to manage
my law firm, and the right couple to
take care of my home and my little
herd of goats during my absence. A
friend drove me to Johns Hopkins
to meet with my cardiologist since
I was unable to drive. King Lion
George Bolling wanted to know
what the Lions could do to help me
with the move. They helped me more
than they know, both spiritually and
materially.
On January 16, 2009 my brother
and sister drove me to the Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania,
where they immediately admitted
me. Here I was in the intensive care
unit of a strange hospital being tested
from head to feet to see if I was a
candidate for a heart transplant. ,
After a meeting of the cardiology
team I was put on a priority list. To
keep my heart going the doctors put
me on some intravenous that made
me sound like Darth Vader. I had to
stay in the hospital for two weeks to be
sure the medicine would work. It did,
so the team allowed me to stay at my
sister’s house while awaiting a donor.
I had to follow all kinds of rules
since my immune system was low.
No associating with children, no
being around animals, no eating
sushi, no digging in the dirt, no
swimming in lakes or ponds, no
shaking hands or hugging. But the
hardest part was awaiting a donor. I
had a pager and had to be ready to get
to the hospital within an hour. Every
time the phone rang, my heart jumped.
Three and a half weeks later we
were sitting around the kitchen table
and the call came. A very young
man in West Virginia was killed in
an accident, and his heart appears
to be a perfect match. I was to be
at the hospital within an hour. With
an excitement I never felt before, I
went to the hospital with my brotherin-law
and sister. The traffic on a
Friday night in Philadelphia was
bumper to bumper. Everyone at the
hospital was waiting for me, even the
security guard.
continued in the October issue...
monthly calendar
Mondays ..... Bagged leaf & grass curbside pickup at 6:00 a.m. for Thurmont residents.
Monday evenings, 5:45 – 7:15 p.m. Massage student clinic at Synergy Healing Arts Center and Massage School in Blue Ridge Summit. Prepaid
$25, schedule appointment 800-286-1931 or 717-794-5778.
1st Sunday of each month.... Woodsboro Fire Co. Breakfast 7:30 a.m.-12:00 noon.
1st Monday .........Avid Readers Book Club, Thurmont Regional Library. 6:30 p.m. 16 and older.
2nd Monday... .....Dragons and Droids, Emmitsburg Branch Library. 4:00 p.m. Ages 8-12.
1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month..... Bingo at Thurmont AMVETS, 26 Apples Church Road. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., bingo starts at 7:00 p.m.
Food available, Jackpots $250 & $500.
3rd Tuesday... ......Explorer’s Club, Thurmont Regional Library. 7:00 p.m. Grades 3-5.
3rd Thursday ......Breakfast at Bollinger’s Restaurant, Employees of Claire Frock Company. 9:00 a.m.
1st & 3rd Tuesday ......Bingo, Thurmont AMVETS, 26 Apples Church Road. Doors open/ 6:00 p.m., bingo starts/7:00 p.m. Food available,
Jackpots $250 & $500.
Every Wednesday... ......Bingo, Thurmont AMVETS Post #7 Doors Open/6:00 p.m. Games start/7:00 p.m. 301-271-3371.