This is my Mom on her recent birthday, celebrating with the traditional Norwegian Kransakage. She is the sweetest, nicest and most kind-hearted person I know.
Some unscrupulous person just came and ripped out four of her prized dwarf fir trees and stole them right out of her yard! My Mom has babied these trees for two years. Since when has stealing trees been the trend? If you’re in Olympia, WA, guard your shrubbery.
My Dad is disappointed because it’s his clinic that was robbed. He built the clinic, from the ground up, and is the main practitioner. He’s going to have to install security cameras around his office. On a side note, if you’re looking for a great family doctor in Washington state, his web site is here.
These are the before and after pictures. Those little trees made a difference in the overall appearance of the facility.
The trees were ripped out by the roots. The shock of the ripping and transporting them will probably kill them.
And even creepier? Mom just caught a man taking photos of the rest of the trees in the landscape. When she went to talk to him, he ran away.
I’m bummed. My Mom doesn’t feel safe. My Dad is out cash. Crime sucks.
Thanks, Anne-Marie, for your Dad’s philosophy on attachment parenting and the vaccination issue! I’ll let the Moms on my Washington board know this and, maybe, some of them will head over his way!! The acceptance on extended breastfeeding and co-sleeping will be a joy to share with them! Parenting brings so many new things to think and learn about, and acceptance from others on things can make a big difference on a new parent’s emotional outlook!
Vaccination can be a tough issue between doctors and patients and, often, subject to heated debate (to put it mildly)! So many doctors will not even agree to take on patients that either don’t vaccinate or choose to vaccinate selectively. I know of several instances of doctors actually “firing” their patients over this issue (right here, in our town).
We stopped vaccinating our son after we nearly lost him at his 6 month well-child check when he received 6 vaccines: Hib, HepB, DTP and OPV (they were still using the DTP and OPV in 1999), one right after another. Within 30 seconds of the last one, he went blue, limp and stopped breathing, right on the exam table. A routine, 20-minute well child check turned into a terrifying 3 hour experience, the doctors agreeing it was one of the vaccines (probably the Pertussis component) that caused his anaphylactic reaction. Talk about a parent’s worst nightmare! Thankfully, he survived and had no lasting effects from the reaction and is now a very healthy 9+ year old.
However, our subsequent research caused us to stop any additional vaccinations since that day. I wouldn’t call us “hysterically uninformed” either!! ( 🙂 I do understand your Dad’s viewpoint!) We’ve read, and continue to read, medical journals (JAMA and Lancet) and books on immunology, spoken with doctors, nurses and pharmaceutical reps, we’ve spoken with veterinarians (they demanded the thimerosal be removed from pet vaccines years ago!), read the myriad pro and con vaccination websites (some of each ARE over the edge), and the literature and research available from the manufacturers themselves.
We quit the practice where the reaction occurred after finding out that doctor was in violation of Federally-mandated recording and informational practices. We were refused as new patients from 9 different practices unless we agreed to vaccinate (even in the light of our son’s adverse reaction). One went so far as to say we HAD to agree to vaccinating and they would simply be ready for a reaction with the appropriate resuscitation equipment and drugs, if needed!!! Needless to say, we told them “No, thanks.” Happily, we now have a doctor we love and is fine with our choice. It is a great relief, though we rarely see him!!
So, through this long-winded response, I thank you for posting the info. Your Dad’s practice sounds really nice and accomodating for all their patients (love the cloth everything and the warm instruments!). Your parents must be nice people, look at their daughter and son!!! Soapy hugs… Leslie
Leslie,
Thanks for the sympathetic words for my mother and compliments to by Dad. He has always respected patient choice, supports extended breast feeding and believes there is no right or wrong way a family to sleep. He has an acupuncturist in his office, and sponsors a Physician Assistant heavily into herbs, supplements, and other “natural” healing modalities. He is adamant; however, that while he respects the choice of parents to be foolish AND ethically challenged the failure to vaccinate children is a bad decision.
I asked Dad to comment on vaccinations. He said: “While ALL medical procedures have some risk, those of vaccination have been wildly overblown by poorly informed hysterics.” (I guess he has an opinion on that subject).
Further, he asserted, that individual children in the U.S. and other highly developed nations can skip vaccinations with little risk ONLY because the vast majority of OTHER children are being immunized. That is like choosing not to join the “neighborhood watch” or take the risks of the volunteer fire department, knowing that others will do those things and thus give you or your children a “free ride” off their efforts or risk. However, with the growing influx of 3rd world travelers and immigrants and ever more exotic travels by young Americans – their exposure to potentially devastating illnesses is likely to increase.
But, with the exception of the vaccination question, he definitely has a great history of respecting women and their choices with regards to sleeping arrangements, breast feeding and natural supplements. And bonus, he even has heated female exam equipment for those yearly exams. =)
A-M
How lame! I can’t imagine the kind of person who steals trees. I’m sorry for your parents and the violated feelings they must have. 🙁
It happens in Alabama too! My sister had Azaleas stolen from her yard. And a friend of my Mom’s had some valuable rose bushes stolen. The really odd thing about that was, that they actually took his nice roses and replaced them with cheap ones! They didn’t just throw them there either… they planted them!
Hi All –
I’m in Olympia, staying with my parents, on my way back to Bellingham from Portland.
What a day! It was wonderful gathering and I loved to meet everyone.
At my parents house, I was able to show my Mom these comments and she is totally moved by your outpouring of comments and support.
More later on the tree theft (there’s more!), cupcake jones visit, the Soaper’s visit and my Dad’s philosophy on vaccinations =)
But for now, I’m sharing cupcakes with my folks and playing the card game, “Rook.” I can’t wait to share photos from the day though …
=) Anne-Marie
I am so sorry your mom and dad got robbed. That is awful. Every time I have something stolen from me (6 times in my life) whether it’s from my person or my car, I =feel so violated. What makes people think that others possessions are available for the pick? I take it personally every time. I can’t help it. I hope your parents feel better.
🙁
xo
Joanna
The things people do…*grrr*
Have your folks reported the theft?
What kind of a pathetic person steals trees?! I’m so sorry for your parents and you! I’m sure Karma will catch up with the tree thief!
Horrible. I hope you find the person who has done this to your family’s property.
That’s so sad; I’m sorry.
Irena
Some people are just truly rotten. 🙁 Your poor mom and dad. Like Lovemichie, my mom had her pursed snatched and was dragged too (this was in Vancouver), and my parents’ place has been broken into several times. The sense of violation is awful. How can a human being do that sort of thing to another?
That is such an absurd thing to do…who even thinks of stealing shrubbery?! Its also disheartening when things like that happen to good people. So sorry to hear it.
So ridiculous! Who on earth would want shrubbery so bad that they’d steal it???? Takes all kinds to make a world I guess. I’m so sorry this happened to your family AM! It is such a violation!
Hey, I’m really sorry for what happened. I feel bad for your family. I know what it’s like to be robbed. My mother had her bag snatched from her hand by a man on a motorcycle and she was dragged a little way with it. This was also the second time it happened. I hope he gets whats coming to him.
It is so sad that people do things like that. How horrible.
The same thing happened to a friend of mine: he bought several orchid plants to make his mother’s new home feel welcoming. Within a day they were stolen off her porch. I’m sending good thoughts to your parents, who must be feeling very disheartened and sad right now. I’m just glad no one was hurt. Maybe some bright motion-sensored outdoor lighting might be in order too? Ugh!
hey-ive been watching and reading your blog for about a month or so and i love everything you do and i’ve never commented before but i can not believe that this has happened to your adorable mom and family-i really cant believe what the world is coming to i’m only 24 and i swear the world never use to be this bad–or has it been?
Man, that really bites. People can be so awful. Sigh!
That is so sad. I feel bad for your parents and the trees.
Jeez!? Who DOES that!? That’s terrible!
Sorry to hear about what happened. @#$%^ creeps! If your parents see the photographer again, they should take pictures of him and show the police.
Hey, can I ask you a quick question about your Dad’s practice? I post on a forum revolving around natural parenting. They are always on the lookout for family practice docs that are respectful of personal choices such as no vaccinating, co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. Does this sound like your Dad’s type of practice? Let me know and I bet we can send some business his way!!
Leslie
Hard to believe that these days landscaping isn’t even safe…
That is shocking! So frustrating that someone would do that!! Trees are so very lovely in landscaping and it is emotionally painful to be robbed.
P.S. I like the philosophy of your dad’s practice. That is hard to find nowadays. 🙂
SJ
You have got to be kidding!! I am shaking my head…why would someone do that!?!?!? And, yes, very strange indeed about the man with the camera. Sounds fishy.
Hope you’re having fun at the Portland outing and find some yummy cupcakes…
J