Holiday Letter for 2010

Happy Holidays to All,

If there was ever a year that I looked back on and scratched my head, this would be it. What an awesome, beautiful and extremely challenging year 2010 turned out to be! The year kicked off feeling like I had really pissed off a Higher Being, but I have ended up looking back on the year’s gifts and they were greater than I could've ever dreamed of.

Tip and Henley continue to be one of the greatest gifts. Henley is turning out to be one heck of a swimmer and if she continues on this athletic path she will out do any athletic accomplishments of anyone to date with the name "Tippins". Her sense of humor continues to remind me that she can see past any "Cool Mimi (Aunt Amy)" ruse I try to pull on her. Recently, I was discussing with her how the kids sometimes give her a hard time on the bus. I informed her that kids made fun of me when I rode the bus and she quickly quipped back "Yeah, I can see that about you". I guess no matter how cool we think we are sometimes we just can’t pull it off. Tip reminds me of myself at his age and older; determined to do what he wants to do and unwilling to waver even if that means being punished for disobeying. While I don’t worry about him buckling under peer pressure, I worry that he might be shipped off to a deserted island if he keeps it up. I feel for Clay and Lori; and oh yeah, sorry, Mom and Dad.

This year has been a struggle with my health. More days than not were spent dealing with some medical issue between an ankle cadaver ligament replacement, broken hand, appendectomy and come this Thursday I will be having shoulder surgery. While I have spent a few days this year in tears over frustration (try not being able to walk for 2 months), I have realized that I am pretty damn blessed. In February, while recovering from my ankle surgery, I ended up coming across an article about a man who is the heart recipient from my donor. While it took a moment to understand what emotions I was feeling, what I knew was that there was someone else out there who shared the same love for a complete stranger - a complete stranger’s death  had given us both life. To the outside world that might sound trite, but to a transplant patient that is something sweet, wonderful and emotional to share with another person that you have only talked to on the phone.

In January I found myself facing a lack of employment. So, I decided I would start a sportswear company that focuses on the transplant community with the longer term goal of raising awareness on the life possibilities of transplant patients and also the moral responsibility they owe their donors. While I could sit here and write a 15 page letter about my emotions on what patients are capable of, I will narrow it down to few sentences. RockScar Love is about patients embracing a lifestyle that reflects a patient surpassing the boundaries of their minds, body and spirits - living their life understanding that transplant is not an excuse, but it is the moment in life when the bar is raised on how they are expected to live and their accomplishments. While I have absolutely been broke as can be starting RSL, I have gained wonderful new friends, moments of humbleness for the kindness that strangers have bestowed on me and moments of tears when others share their stories. While I hope and pray that this business venture continues to grow, I can tell you that it has already given me back more than I will ever put into it.

Normally, after the review of my year I venture down a path of some deep diatribe about an epiphany I have had throughout the year that has something to do with the meaning of life. Not this year. This year my letter shall stop at my review of gifts. While I have had some lessons this year, the year has definitely been an overwhelming year for me of blessings. I hope your year has been one of blessings for you and the ones you love. May 2011 be a year blessed with love, kindness to others and compassion for those less fortunate.

With Love,

Amy

Night of the Killer Raccoons

Every few months I go to Palm Beach Gardens to visit one of my best friends and his family.  I sleep in the guest room that has a glass sliding door downstairs on the main floor of the house.  In the case of a fire, I think I probably have the best room in the house.  When it comes to a group of mass murderers coming to get us, I am totally screwed.  This past trip I was leaving to come back home on Monday morning around 5:30AM but ended up getting an early 3AM wake up call.  Being the world's lightest sleeper, getting early wake up calls often contributes to baggy eyes.  On this particular morning, I woke up to the motion sensor patio lights going off.  Immediately, I locked the bedroom door and checked the sliding glass door to make sure it was secure so the savage beast who had come to attack could only get to Chris and his family and not me.  Because there was a 6ft locked fence going around the patio that is attached to the house, the only thing it could be is a mass murderer or a family member going outside. After locking all my doors, I proceeded to text Chris with the statement "Did you just go outside? The patio light went on".  (I did this on my pink blackberry because pink is the color of superheroes).  As soon as the text was sent, I heard the rattling of the front door. Someone was trying to get inside!  I instantly went under the covers and began trying to convince myself that if I cannot see them then they cannot see me!!!!  I was sure that this would keep me safe!  After a few minutes there is no murderer and the light went off, but I was still convinced they are waiting outside my door... waiting to kill me.  The next 15 minutes are spent under the covers (that was really a thin blanket that my feet are sticking out of) with a tight grip on my phone as I started to compose a text to family and friends telling them that I love them.  All of the sudden the light comes on again!!!!! At this point, I jump out of bed and hide behind a wall that is attached to the sliding glass door hoping to get a glimpse of this vicious killer.  The light goes off again.  THEN ON AGAIN!!!  I finally see shadows of the killer I have been waiting to get me, and I am convinced this is the end!!!  I am scared out of my mind as the killer is getting closer with what I am sure is a meat cleaver in hand like in the movie, Scream.  As the first images of the killer come into site I am shocked to see the face. It is a daddy raccoon and his baby coming to hide while mom climbs over the 6ft wooden fence with party favors in hand for dinner.  So, this was my killer.  The same killer that my friend, Chris, had received a text message about, gotten out of bed and saw the raccoons from his room and failed to text me back to tell me that I would see sunrise.  For a brief moment I was not sure if I was embarrassed or relieved that it was a family of raccoons, but I do know that whatever it was I was happy to be able to make it through the early morning hours in one piece.   

Talk of the Town-Courtesy of Winder Television

http://www.youtube.com/user/RockScarLove#p/a/u/1/aCtIHHu23pk


http://www.youtube.com/user/RockScarLove#p/a/u/0/YCmYGVcHlo8