A new cure has been found...............Aunt Kelly's Spinach Dip!

We will be contacting the New England Journal of Medicine to provide all the scientific details of our study concerning the excellent recovery of Paul's ability to eat and swallow food once again. We will then encourage Aunt Kelly to bottle and sell this incredible cure for public consumption!

Yesterday, I was encouraged by the fact that Paul ate his fruit and some of his eggs for breakfast. It was a very long process to get him to finish that much, but he did show that he could swallow food. When we got home from his therapy, I was not sure what to prepare for lunch, so I fixed some chicken, green beans and a grilled cheese sandwich. I also set out some of Aunt Kelly's terrific spinach dip with cut up pieces of french bread to use with the dip. There was also a bowl of cut up fruit. He looked at everything I had set down, then pointed to the spinach dip. I fixed a few pieces of the bread/dip and set it on his plate. He started to eat that immediately, and about 10 pieces later (and these were fairly good size hunks of bread with dip) he stopped and gave me the thumbs up. I had been alternating fixing some for him and some for me, so that we both could enjoy this delicious treat. It is common knowledge in the whole family that all of my sons really enjoy Aunt Kelly's dip and she has never failed to make it for them when she is with us or if they are visiting the Brown's in Napaerville. Actually, I don't think there has been a family event that it has not been served! I tried to make it one Christmas and my son Jon told me it really wasn't quite as good as Aunt Kelly's. I have not attempted it after that........I have left it to the pro! I wish I had thought of this 'cure' for Paul weeks ago!!! But as the saying goes, better late than never.

The really funny thing is, 2 nights before Keith and Kelly brought Abby the dog back down from Naperville (Chicago area), I had a dream about Kelly's spinach dip. I am not kidding about this! I was dreaming that I was with my sister Mary Beth at a reception at someone's home. I really didn't recognize the people in my dream, but Mary Beth came up to me and she was chewing something and I asked her what it was. She said it was spinach dip. I asked her if it was as good as Kelly's and she shook her head no, as she made a face showing it was not very good at all. So when Kelly and my sister Beverly came to the house on Saturday and were planning the food for everyone to have after Mass, Kelly said she was going to be bringing her spinach dip. I then told her about this funny dream I had had. Little did I know we were at that very moment discussing what would end up being Paul's cure!

Paul ate all of his dinner last night without a problem, the process is still a bit slow, which is fine with me just so long as he eats. He has not been able to swallow liquids though. I will be calling Naperville today, to see if Aunt Kelly has any suggestions or recipes!

We had our first social visit last night also. Now that Abby the dog (she has been called this ever since Keith and Kelly took her to Naperville and had to distinguish between their daughter Abigail and our dog)is home, we wanted to make sure she is very happy. She had a very active life with the Brown's and had lots of dog friends and went to the kids sporting events and on errands with Kelly. So we decided a short trip to Aunt Bevy and Uncle Joe's house would be a good trip. They live about 2 miles away. We got Paul and Abby into the van, and drove over there. Paul knew eactly where to go in the house, and he immediately took over Aunt Bevy's lounge chair. He was so content being there. We had a really fun visit and while Paul didn't want any pie or ice cream, he stayed awake and alert for a lot longer than we thought he would. We were there until 9 p.m. and he had been up since 5:45 a.m.! When I asked earlier if he wanted to go home, he shook his head no and so we stayed. It was so good to be doing a very normal thing with our family............hanging out at the Rickels house!! Paul loves his whole big family very much, but doesn't show his emotions like his mother and aunts. We are very demonstrative about everything! Paul hugs everyone in his quiet way and does more watching than talking when there is a huge family gathering. Unless he and his brothers start to debate, then he becomes very vocal and can hold his own very well. But it has become evident these last 2 months that Paul thrives on family. His biggest efforts at recovery have been after his brothers were all with him in the days around Christmas, and then this past weekend when so much of the family was in Atlanta for the 'Abby, Welcome Home' event. He was up so much more alert and stayed up later than normal. It was by his choice too. He just sat and watched all the family and listened. He took it all in, just as he has always done.

God has created such a wonderful gift for His children on earth. The gift is family. Thanks be to God for all that He provides and for the love He shares with us through each other. When we encounter love, we encounter God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We experience a minute fraction of heaven on earth! To know there is an abundant love far greater than these 'huge' moments of love we have on earth makes me so joyous as I wait until the time when I pray Jesus will meet me and take me home.

To all of you, my family on earth, may your faith, hope and love of Jesus, our Savior, grow more perfect through the intercession of Mary, Our Mother in Heaven and St. Joseph. The Holy Family has shown us the way. Follow them boldly!

Love,
Jon and Rebecca Fidero