Twenty-six years and some-odd days ago, I was born. (No, it is not my birthday anytime soon.) However, when I was born at seven months' gestation, my mother had to be air-evacuated from Flagstaff to Phoenix because the Flagstaff hospital did not have a unit for premature babies. I was born. I lived in an incubator for the first weeks of my life, after receiving surgery to repair the holes that burned my under-developed lungs. This came as a result of breathing oxygen for the first time. As a further result of my prematurity, surgery, medication, and so on- I lost part of my hearing. I have lived my life not knowing what it was like to hear any better than I could, with 70% loss and 80% loss in each ear. I didn't know anything different, and my life has been very happy. I also know that if I had not been shipped to Phoenix, my life could have easily been something very different.

A friend told me about this website, and I include my personal story because I ask you to consider looking up this website & petitioning.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/padpetition/index.aspx?a=1&z=1&c=1&l=en

In other news, I have had a great weekend! My Aunt Linda came to stay with me on Saturday morning. She lives in Tempe but desperately needed girl-time and change of scenery. Sedona specializes in scenery! We spent Saturday in Jerome, wandering through the little shops and had a fantastic lunch at Haunted Hamburger. Last night we watched "The Devil Wears Prada," she hadn't seen it before. We ate apples and fancy cheese, and drank a delicious chardonnay. This morning we hiked along the Bell Rock Loop trail, a flat and scenic little path well-covered by tourists. Sayde trotted happily along in front of us. My uncle came to pick her up shortly after the hike ended, and I retreated into my bedroom and had a blissful two-hour nap! Now I'm putting around the house and enjoying the remainder of my weekend... I am considering taking Friday off of work this week! Mm.

Have good Sunday afternoons, folks. Ciao!