around the Charles River in Boston. My son Patrick volunteers at the MDA office and told the rest of us about the walk. So Patrick David and Scott did the walk. I can't walk any distance. Scott was actually pushed in the wheelchair by his brother David for the 3 and a half miles. They did this in groups and our group walked for Scotty. We got teeshirts with the Walsh Bros. on the back. I was so proud.

Scott has been housebound for most of the winter and the fresh air and involvement with other people was really good for him. He also felt that he was doing something important and trying to help himself at the same time. I think it made him feel less helpless.

He wants to get involved with clinical studies but his docs. are dragging their feet. Our group raised about 2000 dollars. It was a good day.

Scott had all kinds of neurological tests done yesterday. He's adjusted to the wheelchair better than I exspected. I'm proud of him. We are on the third floor so when we go out I need to assist him down the stairs. We have fallen a few times. I'm waiting for some applications for handicapped housing to get back to me. He's pretty much housebound except for important appts. and we are taking a chance everytime we attempt those stairs. The new therapist sounded pushy on the phone. I hope not. I don't get along well with pushy people. No means no. Can't means can't.

We really liked the last therapist. They really don't seem to change anything but it gives Scott something to do. My 18 year old went from the Westboro State Hospital to a group home with his disability checks in his pocket and the freedom to have girls sleep over in his room. So he has a girlfriend who is 23 and insists he won't come home for visits unless she can sleep over too. I won't be seeing him for awhile I guess.

My seventeen year old son is living in a residential school which specializes in behavior modification. No changes in the past year...He doesn't come home as often as he used to. I guess even with their disabilities I'll still go through some part of the empty nest syndrome. But Scotty and I are best buddies. My old boyfriend moved back in a couple of months ago. Don't know if he is coming when we move. He doesn't get along with my 17 year old who is not home very much anyway. I'll be fine one way or the other. That's about it for now....

in order to get my son a much needed electric wheelchair. The MDA association has been slow in responding to the supplied documentation. When my son is registered with them he will be entitled to a one time grant of 2000.00 towards the chair but I dont think that will pay for the whole thing and our insurance refuses to help at all.

On top of all that we live in a 3rd floor apt. and I have to carry him down the stairs on the few occassions he has doctors appts. We have fallen a few times. I don't have the money to move and my son is virtually a prisoner of his home.

I'm writing to every agency I can think of. Years before Dad died he was honorably discharged from the marines. I wonder if the VA would help, especially since he's been disabled sinse childhood? Oh well....

My oldest son Scott (20) has been finally diagnosed as having Freidricks Ataxia - a form of muscular distrophy. Nothing has changed with my 18 year old, but he's been in good spirits. My 16 year old had 3 ekg's this week and they urgently want him to see a cardiologist by christmas eve. The 24th at 10:00 am.

It's times like this that I get angry with their father for dying on us. Then I feel stupid and it passes. Pat (dad) loved everything about the christmas season and I'm feeling him around for the last couple of days.

But all in all I have much to be grateful for and life is too short to spend it worrying unnecessarily. We are all going to die in one way or the other, maybe sooner-maybe later. But if I stay in the here and now, I realize that we are warm, well fed, have a loving family and love each other deeply. So right now all is well and it's going to be a great Christmas. Happy holidays everyone!

You'll be missed. My poor cat Charlie had to be put down. He was only 2 yrs. old and was the daddy of the four kittens we have. Mama and our other grown female are healthy. Charlie got a back-up in the bladder and his system shut down. I might have been able to save him but it may have gone up to 2000, with no guarentees and I dont have a credit card or that kind of money. Especially since I may have had to put him down anyway.

We really miss him. He was a talker. When you talked to him he would meow back no matter how many times you did it. He would howl if we closed our bedroom door at night. When he got in he'd walk all over me while I was sleeping. But I've decided to get insurance for my other cats. For 7 dollars a month for cats I would get 80 percent coverage. I can't ever let this happen again. But the vet didn't give us much hope for Charlie. It's been a week. I was too sad to write about it before this.

I've been reading for days. Some understanding finally filters in. Couldn't join in RP and didn't understand most of the Irish terms and beliefs. Well, I've sped through the cycles of Ulster, Fenian, and Irish Mythology. Tale of Eithne. Aisling Oenguso. Battle of Ventry. Gods and fighting men, for whoever is interested says Taillte bade her husband Duach the Dark to clear away the wood of Curan so people could gather around her grave. (fiction)?

As I guess most celts know it's hard to tell the difference between the sources they came from and the grain of truth in them. I like to think that much of the names and places are correct as well as whats imbred in tradition. Dates heh. Their Heroes and Kings and Druids and Bards and even their despicable -If they didn't exist to a great degree- There would be no Irish history. No ancient existence and that's not possible.

Hope I can retain these strange spellings and characters. I have a lot written on flash cards for quick reference. I had NO IDEA that becoming a citizen of Celtia would mean so much study. And I would have really thought about my family name. I just took what was given me. I really dont belong in Ireland. I guess the Helvetti tribe may have come from the Swiss area. So I can't really participate with roleplay or focus on a part of Ireland as having been my roots. At most, I could be a runaway slave or something, but the Helvetti's were massacured before ever reaching Ireland. This really dappens being a celt for me. If I could give advice to newbies it would be to research your family name and origins because once you commit you can't change it. I'd rather be a Mac Roth or Fenian or Mac Morna or Cormac. At least I'd feel like I belong. Anyway I look at it My background is going to look amaturish and after all this trying to absorb the culture to be stuck as an outsider really ******me off.

If things dont turn around soon I may just wait until I can afford another patronage and maybe this time it'll be Mesopotamia-after I've studied!

After viewing some film of riots in the streets of Ireland I had a couple of impressions (un-educated at best) and they were this. They are still doing what they are genetically predisposed to do, especially given a reason. They fight. They have always fought.
Second: With The Potatoe Famine wiping out millions and chasing away as many they have imbred in them another reason for anger. We romantisize the past because it is so far away. But it was ugly too.