And now...some good news!

Caitlin is going much better, thanks for asking.
She just celebrated her birthday in style.
Below is the text from the Aug 14th Brantford Expositor
(Not reprinted with permission. Shhh! Don't tell!)

Perfect fit for a princess

City girl fighting cancer thrilled by special gift of Disney dress

Posted By SUSAN GAMBLE, EXPOSITOR STAFF

A little city girl who's battling the cancer monster got a big boost Wednesday with a dress worthy of a Disney princess.

Caitlin Hutson, who recently turned five, is enduring the extensive treatment necessary to combat a Wilms' tumour she was diagnosed with last January. She quickly underwent surgery to remove the tumour, which had engulfed her right kidney.

Now in the midst of 31 weeks of chemotherapy and having already undergone 13 radiation treatments, Caitlin finds solace in playing dress-up, immersing herself in the world of Disney princesses.

MUSIC FAN

But when the Help a Child Smile foundation sent the little girl to see the Disney on Ice version of High School Musical, Caitlin found a new love.

"Ever since that night she's been hooked on High School Musical," said her dad, Darren Hutson. "She sings all the songs."

"Now," said her mom, Tara, with a laugh, "we know all the words to all the songs, too."

One day, as Caitlin and her grandma, Joyce Hutson, watched the movie version of the musical, Caitlin saw the long gown worn by the character Gabriella.

"I saw that beautiful dress," Caitlin said Wednesday, "and then grandma's friend made it for me. I guess she just had the right stuff."

In reality, grandma had toiled long and hard trying to contact people at Disney and through the Disney on Ice company, Feld Entertainment, about getting a similar dress for Caitlin.

Hutson learned that a Halloween version of the dress won't be out until later this year and resigned herself to making the dress herself when she got a call from Feld Entertainment, which produces Disney on Ice shows.

Continued After Advertisement Below

Advertisement

LATEST IMAGES

Entire Album

`

"They said, 'We'd like to make it for her'," said Hutson.

Plans for Caitlin's fifth birthday were quashed when the little girl was hospitalized for several weeks but on Wednesday she was strong enough for a small family party in her back yard.

Beth Merrick, a representative of Feld, showed up at the Hutson's Wellington Street home with a large golden box, a bouquet of balloons and a big box of cupcakes.

Caitlin allowed Expositor photographer Christopher Smith into her bedroom to take pictures of her opening the box and holding up the custom-made white gown that's covered in teardrop rhinestones and adorned with a brilliant blue sash.

But she whispered that there would be "no peeking" by the reporter and photographer when it was time for her to change. "When I'm done, you can see how it looks," she said firmly.

That's pretty typical of the self-possessed youngster, said her mom.

"She's a little girl who knows what she wants, when she wants it and how to get it."

Caitlin has endured the indignities of cancer treatment but tells her mother that she wants to be normal. She has lost her long curly brown hair and has to have a feeding tube because "I kind of stopped eating."

LABOUR OF LOVE

Accompanied by her grandma with a High School Musical tune playing in the background, Caitlin stepped out onto the deck in the gown and urged partygoers to get involved in her fantasy by playing horses and guards for her castle.

"Two boy guards please," she called out. "You guys need to stand in front of the castle and guard us. Who wants to be the horses?"

A large letter from the dressmakers came with the gift.

"Dear Caitlin, we are so sorry that you are not feeling very well," said the letter. "We have made this very special for you and even had Tinkerbell sprinkle some pixie dust on it."

Merrick said the woman behind the dress's creation was Dawna Oak, the director of costumes for Feld, who said she loves sharing the magic and joy of Disney.

"Making this dress for a beautiful little girl brought such joy to me and my team. We are honoured to have been part of providing something special to her," Oak said in an e-mail from Palmetto, Fla.

Merrick said the work had been a labour of love for Oak.

"I'm so happy to be able to deliver it. The dress looks so pretty on her."

Back in her play clothes, including a pink High School Musical hat, Caitlin held court in the yard with a chocolate cupcake in a slightly trembling hand.

"Maybe I'll wear my dress on a special day," she mused.

"Maybe on treatment graduation day?" asked her mother.

Caitlin's treatments will wrap up in mid-October as long as her health is maintained.

Meanwhile, the tiny girl's party was missing just one thing: "Don't you think it's a little quiet?" she asked coyly.

Time for more Disney music.

(Not reprinted with permission. Shhh! Don't tell!)

Below is the text of an article from the Aug 16th Brantford Expositor

Hobby heaven

Local donors come through for soldiers in Afghanistan

Posted By SUSAN GAMBLE, EXPOSITOR STAFF

Hobby supplies donated by Brantford and area citizens have reached the Kandahar Model Club in Afghanistan.

In a letter received this week, Capt. Bruce MacKinnon of Paris reported that model glue, paints, paintbrushes, sandpaper and other supplies, along with an infusion of cash, have been safely delivered to the Kandahar Model Club.

The club provides a pastime for its 270 members that's sorely needed in the war zone.

Although a large number of model kits had been donated to the soldiers, MacKinnon and his friends found that it was the small supplies needed to finish the models that were either impossible to find or ridiculously expensive to purchase.

A $2 bottle of paint in Brantford

costs about $15 to buy in Kandahar, if it can be found.

That's when one of MacKinnon's buddies, DJ, decided to try and rustle up a duffel bag of paintbrushes, glue and paint.

GET INVOLVED

The effort turned into a community-wide one with various area suppliers and stores donating boxes, the city, fire halls and police departments collecting donations and area military clubs urging patrons to get involved.

"I would like to thank the citizens of Brantford (and Hamilton) who have generously donated funds and supplies to our club," wrote MacKinnon in a letter this week. "You have given something wonderful to our soldiers that is well needed here in this volatile area of Afghanistan."

MacKinnon is an environmental assessment officer in Kandahar. He was home on leave in July and returned to Afghanistan with as many of the supplies as he could carry. Others were flown out through CFB Trenton.

SPECIAL THANKS

MacKinnon sent out special thanks to the South Brant Legion, Naval Vets Club, the Army, Navy, Air Force Veterans Club, honorary Col. Donald Wilkins, 56th Field Regiment, Hamilton Police Services, Brantford Police Services, Brantford Fire Services, and members of the city and county councils.

"With all the support, you have helped me raise more than $2,500 in cash and supplies for the Canadian troops in Afghanistan."

Currently there are about 2,700 Canadian troops, representing almost five percent of NATO's 57,000 troops.

"Your support is very important to us all."

DJ continues to collect similar items. He hopes to make a further donation of supplies to the troops at Christmas.

He will ensure donations are picked up if anyone gets in touch: http://djwbee.blogspot.com

Article ID# 1159413

Them Russians are a Comin'! Them Russians are a Comin'!

news item...

Russia invades Georgia.


Somewhere, on a dirt road between Atlanta and Augusta; Bubba, Skeeter, eight of their buddies and two dogs in 3 pick-up trucks are waiting for those 'Red Commie Russkies'...

Support Your Troops Drive For Supplies Wraps Up!

The response to the drive for model supplies was fantastic!

The goal to fill Capt. Mac Kinnon’s duffel bag was far exceeded. To date, more than $2000.00 in supplies and cash has been donated.

Several local businesses stepped up to the plate.

They need paint and brushes? Sue at Sales Paint Center in Paris said to come help ourselves.

They need sandpaper? The folks at www.sandpaper.ca in St. George sent a huge supply.

Need a truck to get it all to Trenton? Nick from T& C Delivery in Brantford is the man!

Need a wholesaler? Mike from Mohawk Convenience hooks us up.

Then there was the community response.

Susan Gamble at The Expositor gave coverage that we couldn’t buy.

At Brantford City Hall, Councilor James Calnan and Mayor’s Executive Assistant Josie Mannen spearheaded a drive that saw a thirty gallon drum nearly filled with various supplies.

Cindy Oliver organized a drive amongst the staff at the Brantford Food Bank, as a thank you to the Troops from Brantford that help out at Christmas Baskets every year.

Deputy Fire Chief Jackson and Police Inspector Dave Weidrick offered their respective facilities as donation points.

South Brant Legion pulled out its checkbook and asked, “How much?”

The Navy Club and the AN&AF Club gathered donations from their patrons, and one of the bar stewards even went as far as buying toys for the Afghan Children.

There have been numerous cash donations and people giving supplies. One lady in Milton went to a hobby store and bought a big bag of supplies, as her Husband had recently retired from the Forces, after making more than one tour of Afghanistan, and knew full well the boredom to be relieved.

To attempt to thank everyone would result in an extremely long page, and someone would get missed.

Why did they want to help?

Capt Mac Kinnon tells a story of one Forward Operating Base (FOB) that gets bombed from 5:00 to 8:00 pm daily.

Every day.

So, every day the Troops go to shelter for hours and wait. While the earth gets pounded overhead, these guys need to have something to keep their minds off the daily blasting.

What do the Troops do with finished models?

They give them away.

There are hundreds of Afghan Children with finished scale models to display and play with, thanks to our troops. Hard to think that for some of them it’s their only toy.

To all that offered something, anything, thank you.

The Troops will be made aware that Brantford cares.

Donations are still being accepted, and can be made at The Navy Club, 54 Wadsworth St. Brantford or by contacting DJ at http://djwbee.blogspot.com/

Support YOUR Troops Drop Off Locations

All I can say is WOW!

The support is overwhelming.

Thanks to Susan Gamble and The Expositor for the incredible write up

Follow up is here

The following agencies have come on board as donation points:

• ALL Brantford Fire Halls

• Brantford Police Service, Front Desk
  

• The Brantford Armories ...during normal working hours

• Brantford City Hall
  

• The Navy Club, 54 Wadsworth Street Brantford

• South Brant Legion, 72 King Street North, Oakland
  

• And the Sea Cadet Hall, Thursdays 7:00- 9:00 pm

Donations will be accepted until the end of June, and Bubba will take as much as he can carry back with him to the Troops in Kandahar.

The Troops will be made aware of where all the donations came from.

Thanks for caring.

DJW

Support YOUR Troops! NOW Dammit!

With the recent loss of Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder from Penticton, B.C. and Capt. Steve Leary of Brantford, Ont, moral for our guys and gals in Afghanistan is at an all time low.

When I first heard of Capt. Leary's death, it was initialy reported as an "unidentified soldier from Brantford" and I panicked. More than a dozen people from 56th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, which I served in, are there now.

Some of them close friends.

Some of them I grew up with.

Capt Leary will be honoured in Brantford on Wednesday, June 11th. If you would like to lend support, you can find details here.

The troops there are lonely, miss home (you would too half a planet away) and have taken up hobbies and pastimes to while away the off hours. (Yes, they do get down time). Some practice martial arts, some read, knit, do whatever they can to distract themselves.

There is no drinking, the base is dry to respect the customs of their host country.

Even the luxurious living quarters like the one pictured here get a little cramped.

One of the more interesting clubs over there is a scale model building group. Yes, trained soldiers building model airplanes, ships, cars, whatever they can get their hands on. Having built many scale models myself, I know how well it can take your mind away from everything around you. Some corporation even stepped up and donated a swack of kits, and if I knew who it was, I'd plug them.

Trouble is, they lack supplies to build them with.

Paint, brushes, glue, sandpaper (mind you they have lots of sand !) all are at a premium over there.

Yes, they seem like silly little things to send to a war zone, but it would do so much for moral.

When you were a kid at camp, did you not long for something from home?

We buy "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, cups, dog collars etc. Heres our chance to do it directly.

One of my comrades is making the trip home soon for a few weeks and we could send him back with a duffel bag full of supplies.

If you would like to contribute, just let me know.

If you don't want to contribute, thats fine too.

There are 85 Canadians that have contributed for you in the past five years, and hundreds in the last sixty years.



DJW

Boil Water! I have to shave my legs!

Below lies the chronology of an emergency situation in most houses, a minor blip in ours.

• 6:30 pm Wed-- While putting on my shoes on my way to a meeting, I notice water seeping (on the verge of running) from the utility/work/storage/I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it-put-it-in-there room.
• 6:31 pm Wed-- Investigation reveals water gurgling out of the top of the water heater.
• 6:32 pm Wed-- Turn off water to heater
• 6:33 pm Wed-- I paid for extra super enhanced emergency priority service, I now need to find # to call.
  
• 6:34 pm Wed-- turn water back on long enough to get a sink full of water to do dishes.
• 6:35 pm Wed -- Found 1-800 number, called it, entered the required 14 digits to get to "Emergency and After Hours Service"
• 6:39 pm Wed -- get busy signal
• 6:39:01 pm Wed -- Swear
• 6:40 pm Wed -- Repeat phone sequence, relieved (and somewhat amazed) to get human voice.
  
• 6:40-6:45 pm Wed -- Explain my plight to pleasant female voice, so hired to calm upset customers. ( I wonder: do female callers get a Barry White sound alike?)
• 6:46 pm Wed -- I'm at the top of their emergency list, they will be here on the double, lights and sirens, between 8:00 am and noon Thursday. They'll have a new, bigger tank.
  
• 6:47 pm Wed -- Turn off gas and hook up garden hose to start to drain tank.
• 7:00 pm Wed -- Leave for meeting, leaving My Darling Bride behind to mop up.
• 7:01 pm Wed -- Duck as I go out door, dodging flying bucket.
• 7:02 pm Wed -- Call work to leave message that I won't be in tomorrow.
  
• 10:15 pm Wed--Return to find hose still in front yard, crime scene tape stretched across door to utility/work/storage/I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it-put-it-in-there room.
• 10:16 pm Wed -- Thing One and Thing Two, my teenage daughters, bristle at the prospect of either cold showers or B.O. for Thursday. They are reminded that water can be heated on the stove, and that they can use wash cloths to wash up as far as possible, and down as far as possible, leave possible for later.
• 10:17 pm Wed -- After a warning, turn off water to whole house so I can remove tank, thereby expediting matters for Thursday.
• 10:18 pm Wed -- Turn water back on so tub and buckets can be filled. ( my family has lived with my plumbing expertise before)
  
• 11:00 pm Wed -- Tank removed, pipes capped, water back on and... no leaks!
• 7:30 am Thu -- After a glorious extra 2 1/2 hours of sleep, I awake to find my two teenage daughters, Thing One and Thing Two, prepping to be late for school, a big pot of water on the stove.
  
• 7:31 am Thu -- Thing One sprints from the bathroom, legs covered in shaving cream. Nice weather today, wants to wear a skirt. She takes the pot from the stove, and re-enters the bathroom. Before I can get there. The dog graciously offers to let me use her bathroom, I decline.
• 7:58 am Thu -- Thing One re-emerges from the bathroom with wet hair and shorn legs.
• 7:59 am Thu -- I get the bathroom!
• 8:05 am Thu -- Call from service people to say truck will be here in 15 minutes, driver will call when he's closer.
• 8:45 am Thu -- Driver is closer now, and calls.
• 8:55 am Thu -- Service Dude arrives, examines the dead body of a tank sitting in the middle of utility/work/storage/I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it-put-it-in-there room.
• 8:56 am Thu -- Service Dude pronounces, and the Tank Coroner will be by shortly to remove the body. And bring new tank. A bigger, better tank. If it doesn't fit, they will go seek out a smaller, better tank.
• 9:30 am Thu -- Waiting
  
• 10:00 am Thu -- Waiting
• 10:30 am Thu -- Waiting
• 10:35 am Thu -- Two Service Dudes show up, remove the corpse and measure for a 60 gal tank.
  
• 10:38 am Thu -- After 3 'mike' calls, it is determined that the super colossal tank is too tall to fit in the utility/work/storage/I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it-put-it-in-there room, and the biggest that they can squeeze in is a 50. A few more 'mike' calls and they postpone their 10:30 appointment to take care of my problem, as I already have done half the work, removing the old tank.
  
• 11:15 am Thu -- Big , shiny new tank is in place, hooked up and burning. Cost? No charge because I paid for extra super enhanced emergency priority service.
• 10:00 pm Thu (projected) -- Thing One and Thing Two will conduct extensive tests to see how long it takes to drain and recover all the water in big, shiny new tank.
  

Fortunately, we were awake and home when this happened. If it had happened 10 minutes later, we would have come home to a flooded house. If it had happened in the middle of the night, we would have awoke to find the dog floating on the couch.

Lessons to be learned here:

• Show your family members where critical service connections are and show them how to turn them off. If I hadn't been here, there could have been a disaster.

• If you have paid for extra super enhanced emergency priority service, put the phone and customer numbers close to the appliance. If you are the only one who knows who to call, your family will have difficulty in your absence. By the way, extra super enhanced emergency priority service costs me $5.60 a month.
  

• If you have appliances that may leak (including the fridge) above the lowest level of your house, the cost of installing a floor drain under or near them is likely a lot less than your insurance deductible, and a lot less headache when they leak, and they will.
  

• There are several devices available to sound alarms when water leaks occur, some can even cut off the water supply if necessary. Check your local home improvement store and compare the costs involved with installing one of these again to the cost of your insurance deductible, factoring in the heartache and hassle of submitting a claim.

DJW