Great Auntie Patti's Comment about Paradigm Shifts

Patti's comment about paradigm shifts:

"Also, I have NO fear of fireplace fires. After we were burned, Dad took much time and care so we did not have anxiety about fireplaces."

(Back to my comments): Ken was in the hospital for 11 days, I think. Patti and I were in the hospital for four months, although Patti didn't need to be there. They knew that separating identical twins might make me fade and die (they were probably quite right). After 45 years, I heard a memory today from Patti I never knew. Write her and ask her what that was...

Anyway, when I came home, I was in huge splints to immobilize the grafts (ask Kerry and Uncle Ken about their graft stories), and couldn't yet walk (thanks to Mrs. Wing for scaring me into walking--but that's yet another story).

The way people got rid of their trash in the 60s was to burn it in their fireplaces. My parents would go a long time without lighting the trash fires because I was so afraid of fires then. My easy chair was set up in the living room pretty close to the fireplace.

It took a lot of work to lift me to my room and back because of not messing with the big splints so the grafts would take, so I had to get up courage somehow. When fire day finally did come, I said I could do it, and would try to be brave, but I would scream when a lick of flame went too high.

It was a pretty bad thing and obviously couldn't go on, so dad changed our paradigm. He took Patti and me out in the backyard and gave us a box of matches to light. Now how fun is that? We got to light all the matches we wanted, and ever after that I wasn't afraid of fires--well, until one day we were on our way to our grandparents house and a beautiful victorian two-story close to the side of the road was engulfed in flames and we had to drive by to get by--it was on a corner and we didn't see it coming, and that meant no turnaround place and traffic was dangerous, so we had to forge on. That sure set me back, I can tell you!

Here's a picture of me in the hospital and you can barely see the straight legs. I thought I had a photo with the whole family, but I can't find it now. Anyone have it? Okay, Great Auntie Patti and Great Grandma found it. Thanks for sending me a copy!

Here's a picture of us on our birthday in 1964 with our anesthesiologist, Dr. Horn. His birthday was on November 30. Patti is standing. Isn't she pretty? I look a little hammered. :) Mrs. Wing took this picture. It appeared in a Napa newspaper. She was a photographer for a Napa paper at the time. I guess while we're at it, I'll tell you the Mrs. Wing story. Same neighbor around the corner that the (below) paradigm story is about. A great friend of my mom's for over 50 years. Yes, her name is Bea. I went to her house one day and she yelled at me and scared me and told me to get up and walk. She scared me so bad with her command that I jumped up. It worked. I might have been a touch miffed at the time, but she knew that it was now or never, if I didn't get up now, I never would. I owe her everything now, but then--I about fainted :) Here's a picture of the kids. Can't find a picture of Mrs. Wing right now--can someone send me one?

Aha, found a picture of Mrs. Wing from Facebook. This is on a picnic above the Angwin airport.


The end. Stay tuned for the next paradigm shift installment...