Let's Get Together

This isn't my normal post, but then what's normal for a goat? Anyway, today I want to tell you all a little story and ask a little favor. You see, I have a blogging buddy clear across the country in Maine. (You know that place that is like Alaska only snowier?) Well, you may remember that last July, Lisa over at Pink Porches hosted our little UnIntelligent One, the Little UnDead, and took him on the tour of his stupid little life. They went to Stephen King's house and several sites included in his books. In case you don't remember, or if you are just tuning in, so to speak, you can catch up here. Anyone who is willing to take on the Stubby and UnAnimated One has got to be a Saint in my book.

But you don't know the half of it. You see, in all the time we have been reading Lisa's blog, this is what we knew. We knew Lisa has a wonderful sense of humor and can manage to see the lighter side of most any situation. We knew Lisa lives in an old farmhouse. We knew she is an incredibly talented lady who can seemingly make wondrous things out of nothing. She can reupholster furniture, she can sew, she can even remodel with the best of them. We knew Lisa loves animals and has many, including goats. (This fact, of course, makes her a top notch person.) And, we knew that Lisa has a special needs child.

However, it is what we didn't know about Lisa that is important. We didn't know that Lisa has not one, but two special needs children. They both have a very rare metabolic condition diagnosed in only about 60 cases in the world. They reached about a six month developmental level and then stopped. And to make matters worse, these two special people are not expected to live past teen age. We didn't know that Lisa's old farmhouse has only 900 square feet, with only two bedrooms and one bathroom ( non-wheelchair accessible, by the way) to accommodate the six people living there. We didn't know that the roof leaks and the sills are rotting. And the reason we didn't know all these things is that Lisa never complains. She always manages to see the glass half full in the face of such tremendous odds - somehow. In her own words, " I have mentioned that my boys have special needs, but I try not to focus on that. I never want my children to be defined by their disability-though it is the first thing you notice about them. ... They are amazingly sweet kids and I am blessed that someone up there thought that I had the fortitude and strength to parent them."

So now to the favor part. The boys' physical therapist has nominated Lisa's family for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition. This family really needs to be selected, and you can make a difference by sending an email to castingbangor@gmail.com. Put, "Pick the Twomblys" in the subject line and then write a little note of support. It doesn't have to be much. Sign your name and send it off, and maybe, just maybe, by banding together, we can help some truly wonderful people who so richly deserve it. I wonder if I could bribe the judges with Peanuts. Oh, well, maybe they don't even like Peanuts, although that is really difficult to imagine.

At any rate, please take the time in your busy day to send that email, and ask people you know to do the same. Sending you all goat love and asking you to please, please, please pay it forward.

P.S. We only have until April 1st!

Marigold
Oy and Out!