I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated our site and blog. So much has happened including a wedding which I'll have to blog about later.

We have continued work on the store and have completed much of the stocking. Hopefully we will be open in the next couple of weeks with a Grand Opening Celebration around the 4th of July (God willing!)

But rather than tell you about the store, I'll show you some pictures!

Until you get a chance to see us in person, please stay in touch with us through Twitter and Facebook.

And if you can't wait to start shopping, please visit one of our Etsy stores: HeritageGeneralStore and HeritagePostcards

I knew we HAD to have a souvenir section. I remember loving all the little trinkets I would buy on our vactions and I wanted to have a section of the store to bring back those memories to others, too. I hope some of our salt and pepper shakers or collector's plates will trigger great memories for our shoppers.

I love the spinning wheel - but it was taking up so much room

I had to go UP with it!

We also have a section of "new" gift ideas with handmade gifts and inspirational items. Some of our consignors have not brought their items yet, so this area should get more interesting all the time!

Of course we had to have a great front porch for our shoppers

to just sit and relax a spell in one of our rockers.

I can't wait until we're open and we can share all the fun with you!!

I've considered setting up separate blogs for our Etsy Stores: HeritageGeneralStore and HeritagePostcards, our family and epilepsy awareness. But after thinking about it - this is who we are. A family - a family running family owned businesses - and a family dealing with epilepsy. We also have other categories we fit into - homeschoolers, Christians, large families, etc. So, I've decided not to divide our thoughts into all these different pigeon holes. If you are coming to this blog interested in one specific topic, you can click on the categories section over on the right and just see blog posts about that particular topic. Hope that helps!

Today, I'm going to start with Part 1 in a series about Epilepsy - describing our experiences in laymen's terms. By no means do I mean to present myself as an expert. This is more like a report from the front lines of what we have learned since epilepsy invaded our family.

I “met”  Vivek Anand Dattani on Twitter after watching the video celebrating his brother’s life and mourning his death from SUDEP. http://ravindattani.co.uk/  We started “talking” after that because we share the common denominator of epilepsy affecting someone we love. In my case it is our 10 year old son Ben who had brain surgery last summer.  (You can read his full story at: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/BensNewBeginning)

Mr. Dattani asked  the question ,“What would you like for others to know about epilepsy?”  I really could write volumes about that subject but, for today, I will limit myself to a discussion of the diagnosis of epilepsy.

First of all, in many ways, epilepsy is a meaningless diagnosis. For years, as we struggled to have Ben correctly diagnosed and treated, many people would ask, “Could he possible have epilepsy?”

MedicineNet.com defines epilepsy this way:

“When nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses at a rate of up to four times higher than normal, this causes a sort of electrical storm in the brain, known as a seizure. A pattern of repeated seizures is referred to as epilepsy.”

So what do I mean by meaningless? For us, it was meaningless because we already knew Ben was having a pattern of  repeated seizures. The diagnosis of epilepsy does not answer the big questions: What is causing it? How serious is it? How will we treat it? Will the seizures ever be stopped?

Imagine your doctor told you calmly that you had cancer, but then sent you home without telling you what type of cancer you had, how you would be treated or what your long term prognosis was. Can you imagine how frightened you would be? You don’t know if you have treatable basal cell skin cancer or stage 4 lung cancer.

That’s what the diagnosis of epilepsy is without having a further diagnosis.

Some types of epilepsy are easily managed with drugs and epilepsy makes a minimal impact on one’s life. Some people with epilepsy may have very infrequent seizures preceded by an aura that warns them that it’s coming. Sometimes drugs, special diets and surgery don’t work and an individual suffers from dozens or hundreds of seizures a day - greatly affecting their quality of life. Sometimes seizures won‘t stop and a state of status epilepticus occurs. And others may die - SUDEP.

These different forms of epilepsy, many with long scary names,  require different treatments and medications so identifying the form of epilepsy is critical. Just like you wouldn’t treat lung cancer and skin cancer the same, different drugs or surgery are needed depending on the underlying cause of epilepsy. So, step number 1 in dealing with the challenges of epilepsy is to never give up until you have a grasp on the cause and/or type of epilepsy that you are dealing with.

Above all - do your BEST for Epilepsy Awareness:

Break Epilepsy’s Stigma - Talk!

Patty Ramsey

See me on Twitter @theheritageohio: http://twitter.com/#!/theheritageohio

You can test your knowledge of epilepsy with this quiz:

http://www.medicinenet.com/epilepsy_and_seizures_quiz/quiz.htm

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And if you love vintage - come see us at HeritageGeneralStore:

  http://www.etsy.com/shop/heritagegeneralstore

and HeritagePostcards:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heritagepostcards

Well, our introductions have taken longer than I anticipated! The only 2 of our family that you haven't met are Heather and Hannah.They would probably say I have saved the best for last!

Hannah                                  Heather

Heather is 24 and is an LPN. She is currently working towards her RN. She works at a nursing home and has come to really enjoy working with older people. She has a great mix of humor, strength and compassion needed for her duties. She enjoys playing the keyboards at church and working with the youth. Some of her nicknames are Red (yes, she is the brunette but enjoys adding red highlights) and Ding Dong. She has earned both of those titles. She holds the record in our family for the number of flat tires - 5!

Hannah is 20 and has been working at Frisch's. She is currently assessing what she wants to do next. She has considered cosmetology school or mission work. Last summer she was able to take a mission trip to Ecuador. It was a life changing trip for her and she would love to go again. Hannah is very interested in fitness and makes the rest of us feel like couch potatoes with her running and exercise. Well, a few of the girls can keep up with her - but not me! She also enjoys music and singing.

Well, those are all of the children and grandchildren so far!

Be prepared in case there is a pop quiz!

As I write on Ben's page, it's hard to decide which audience to write to. Many family members and friends have been so diligent to check on Ben and pray for him. But we've also "met" new friends -who have never really met Ben who have also been so faithful. As I read over the comments, it's amazing at how many of you have never met us. We are truly grateful to you, too. And then I also know we have viewers of Ben's page who are going through the same, awful ordeal that our family has gone through. You are desperate for answers, advice or understanding. I hope that what you find here is honest, transparent and helpful. Since I haven't written in awhile,and since I am writing to different types of audiences, this post will be a little longer than usual as I summarize and update Ben's situation.

This time last year, Ben was preparing to go into surgery to have part of his brain removed. He had his first surgery 2 days earlier which implanted sensors on his brain to detect the originating locations of his seizures. It wasn't until after thesurgery, when the biopsy was done that we knew for certain that Ben had cortical dysplasia - a birth defect - which was the cause of his seizures.

Before surgery, Ben had deteriorated to the point of having over 40 seizures per day. He was not functioning normally at all which did make the decision to do surgery much easier. Right now, Ben is having 2-3 seizures a month and most of those are in his sleep. His days and ours are much more normal now. His physical abilities are back to normal and I don't notice any weakness at all on his left side. (I really had to stop and think about which side was affected- that's how normal it is!) Before surgery it was so hard to get him up in the morning - I would start trying to wake him up 2 hours before he would be awake. He was so exhausted by his night seizures. Now he is usually awake by 6:30 and talking up a storm.He says more now in his first couple of hours awake than he used to in a whole day - or even week sometimes.

After having been in a state of fear and medical crisis for over 4 years, we have new issues to deal with. I think some part of us hoped/prayed/believed that if the seizures stopped, we would have our old Ben back - the one that we had for the first 5 years.Unfortunately, that did not happen and Ben is developmentally delayed. One of his healthcare workers told me point blank, without much prelude, that "Ben will never be normal". Now that the medical issues have calmed down, the reality of having a child who may never read, drive, have a job, get married or live independently has started to sink in. Fear is replaced with anger and grieving at his losses. In the slideshow  I used the theme song of "Before the Morning" and celebrated Ben's new beginning after surgery. I am very thankful for the medical new beginning Ben has, but have to realize, that barring a miracle, Ben's real "Morning" won't come this side of heaven.

As for Ben, he is mostly a very happy child and he doesn't seem aware of his seizures. When I try to ask him about them, he doesn't seem to know what I'm talking about. I am very thankful that he is not having to deal with fear of seizures. He seems to accept without question the medicines he takes and the restricted diet he is on. His obsessive/compulsive behaviors have been greatly reduced although you will still frequently see him straightening up the shelves when we are in the stores. He enjoys drawing, doing puzzles, playing video games and watching videos. He is still his Dad's shadow and wants to be with him all the time.

As a family, we have the struggles of bringing balance to everyone's needs when one child requires so much attention. It is tempting to give in to Ben's every demand,at the expense of the other children, knowing how much he has gone through. The older kids are very good at including Ben in their activities: fishing,swimming, tubing, hunting, hiking.

So, if I were summing up for another family our experience with surgery I would say....

My only regret is that we didn't do it sooner. I will always wonder if Ben would have the challenges that he does if surgery had been done earlier. Of course, since no one knew it was cortical dysplasia until AFTER the surgery, hindsight is 20/20. The advice I would give is:

1.Give each medicine a proper trial - don't give up on it too soon. Sometimes it can take an adjustment to the dosages or how they are given to get any kind of success. Since most of Ben's seizures are in his sleep and usually when he is falling asleep or waking up, we adjusted when we give his meds. We give part of his dose at 8:30 PM to get a head start of his levels before he goes to sleep and then the remainder of that dose at 9:30. He would frequently have a seizure around 6:00 AM, so now we (Dad :)) give him a dose at 4:00 AM. Just changing the timing of his dosages really seems to help.

2. If meds aren't working, consider the Ketogenic or Modified Atkins Diet. The Modified Atkins diet receives almost the same result as the Ketogenic and it is much easier to implement.

3. Be your child's advocate: keep journals, look for trends,don't be afraid to question or disagree with your neuro's recommendations. You see your child everyday and have information that they don't. Don't be afraid to switch neuros or get a second opinion.

4. Find a community of support. There are many social sites available where you can share with others who know exactly what youare going through.

And for all of you who are once again reading about Ben, thank you for your love, your prayers, and your kindness. We are blessed to have those in our lives who love Ben, who take the time to talk to him and try to understand him, and acknowledge him.

May God bless you ten fold for your kindness,

Patty

Time to continue on with the introductions to our family… Today it’s time for Nick ( 18 )and Will (21). Nick just graduated from our home school and is looking into a future in landscaping. This summer he will be working on the grounds of a nearby YMCA campground. He has been in charge of our vegetable garden and flower beds for some time and does a great job. He is also looking forward to going to Ichthus again this summer and he helps out there with the set up and tear down of the stages and lighting.

Will is a partner in Butch’s construction business and they will be busy this summer building a new home. They mostly do remodeling of kitchens/baths, finishing basements, additions and building homes. However, they will take on just about any type of home improvement project. Will is also very interested in buying/fixing/selling cars and he keeps our insurance agent very busy constantly changing our policies.

Nick and Will, together with Jacob are very outdoorsy guys. They love to hunt and fish. Seasons around here are measured by: bow hunting deer season, deer gun season, goose hunting season, crappie fishing and bass fishing. Mushroom hunting falls somewhere between goose hunting and crappie season. If the fish aren’t biting here, there’s always Georgia, Michigan and Canada. Will and Nick are both great big brothers to Ben and often take him out and hunting with them. Of course they spoil their little sisters, also, and let them tag along mushroom hunting or take them out tubing on Will’s boat. Well, actually they spoil their big sisters, too, as they get recruited to do car maintenance and heavy lifting.:) When I talk about the "guys" working on the house, I am talking about Butch, Jacob, Will and Nick.

And I can't forget to mention, they really, really like food!

Will

Nick

Saturday, in between rain showers, our men had to put a hole in our store! Why? Because our shelving units wouldn't fit through the doors.

I think one of the fun things about collecting antiques and vintage  is that every item has a story. And with furnishing our store, this is very much the case. When you walk through our front doors, we want to transport you back in time to Ike Godsey's store (that's from the old TV series the Waltons for you younger folk). So, we are always on the lookout for old shelving and displays.

We had the opportunity to buy several counters and displays from a very old store - Jones Hardware in Tarlton, Ohio. I fell in love with the counters and Butch instantly spotted the shelving units. They were not being offered for sale the day of the store's auction, but we later negotiated with the new owner of the building. I could not imagine how the guys would get this all loaded to bring home, but of course, they did! We did look like the Beverly Hillbillies coming home, though, with our truck and trailer piled high. Due to their size, they would not fit through the door, so it was either cut them down or cut a hole in the building. Saturday was the day, and we managed to get them inside. It is helpful to have them there, although the guys will have to work around them, so we can lay out some inside walls, lighting, etc. around them. I don't think we will do much restoring to them - we love their distressed look.

I forgot to take a pictureof the hole until they had started reframing it.

Look at the size of this - no wonder it wouldn't fit through the door!

Another Shelving Unit

One more shelving unit!

Did I mention we have library ladders?         Gerbil (aka Keely) finds a hiding spot

We found these at an auction in WV.

I'm very excited about my counter!

Can you imagine the stories this counter could tell?

Our grandaughter Keely - also nicknamed "Sunshine"

How do you set stairs in place without a block and tackle?

You use Jacob as an anchor!

Our junior carpenter team: Our son Ben (10) and Jacob's son Cruz (3)

Yesterday was Ben's 10th birthday by the way and he has gone 17 days without a seizure!

An overall view of some of the work done this weekend!

I love postcards! In fact I am addicted. There - that's my confession but I have no intention of repenting and changing my ways! At last approximate count, I have over 10,000 cards. Some have been priced and are waiting for our store to open. Some are for sale at our Etsy stores:

Heritage General Store and  Heritage Post Cards

But the majority of them are packed away in photo storage boxes. What a shame and what a waste of beautiful photos and artwork.

So, today I created a treasury on Etsy called : If You've Got It - Flaunt It!

It is a challenge for everyone to get the things they love - the great old photos, greeting cards and postcards, out of their boxes and albums and proudly displayed in our homes!  Here are a few teasers to get you excited about the prospects! You can check out the treasury at the link above and shop for these items there.

by WoodsofNarnia                              by IriBlueArtWorks               

by Anythinggoeshere

by Hazelhome

by AtticRat

Well, I'm going to go out of order and jump to our oldest son Jacob (26) and his wife Heather. On April 25th (which happened to be my Mom's 92nd birthday), the adoption of their four foster children became final. They were surrounded at the courthouse by 25 family members - if I counted correctly. I think the judge was surprised to see the courtroom so filled!

Cruz (3) and his sister Keely (2) have been with Jacob and Heather since Keely was 2 days old and only 4 lbs. Heather nicknamed her "Sunshine" and she is that "sticky, gooey stuff that holds their herd together" - to paraphrase badly Sid the sloth from Ice Age. (Our family often talks in movie snippets and I am notorious for butchering the phrases!) She is truly one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. Cruz has the most expressive face and his every thought and emotion instantly projects for all to see. He has a T-shirt that says, "All My Great Ideas Get Me Into Trouble". It was definitely appropriate when he got it, but he is growing up and seems to have fewer trouble causing inspiriations.

Kaden(5) and his sister Kyler(4) have been with Jacob since last August. Kaden had been counting down the days until the adoption. We think of him as a little man - so serious and trying to be grown up. It's great to see him laughing, playing and giggling like a litte boy. Kyler is a beauty who knows how to turn on the charm. She loves playing with our girls and they have fun dressing her up and listening to her talk. The phrase "strong willed" does come to mind - but strong willed can be a good thing - right?

So now Tess at 6 is an aunt to Kaden who is 5. I have to remember that they are aunt/uncles and nieces/nephews to our children instead of cousins. We are very proud of Jacob and Heather who have taken on this big responsibility and are providing the children with such a great home!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will stop writing and post our memories from Adoption Day!

Keely                                                Kyler

Jacob, Heather and family!

It's Official!

Well, it's been a long time since I've introduced any of the children. The last couple of weeks around here have been rough. The flu attacked our family, divided and conquered, and then set up residence. As I posted on Facebook:

"There are 13 Ramseys living in a house. One of them comes down with the flu and sneezes in the kitchen. If a new Ramsey gets ill every 28.5 hours and remains sick for 7.2 days, when will ALL the Ramseys be well again?

Part 2: If half of the Ramseys get well for 18 hours and then relapse with a fever - how many bottles of Dayquil and Nyquil do you need to buy?"

We are somewhat better, but once we start laughing, everyone starts coughing and we still sound like a sick ward for people with pneumonia!

To review: so far I have introduced Tess-6, Tara-8, Ben-almost 10, Abby-11, and Mercy -13. Now it's time for Emily and Grace.

                                   Emily                                                                                       Grace

Emily is 16 and Grace is 15. It's so amazing to see our "middle" children growing up. Emily and Grace are the 2 who are closest in age - only 17 months apart and we have often teased them about being "twins". I always wanted a set of twins and they were the closest I came to it. The two of them have been very close their whole lives - sharing a room and doing almost everything together.

Grace                                                                                   Emily

Right now, they are excited about going to California in June. Their aunt and uncle are flying them - along with Mercy -out for a very fun filled trip. It will be their first time flying and their first time to California. I'm trying to be calm about the whole thing

Emily sells dolls on Etsy and also creates beautiful Treasuries - usually for the CAPSTEAM or EEWIL. Grace has not caught the antique bug yet - I keep trying  to find an area she will be interested in. Within our family - she is our fashion police and has had her own style since she was a little girl. Both girls are very good with little children and help out at church with the children's ministry.

Emily, Grace, Mercy and Abby are the four of our children that people have the most trouble with keeping straight. If you can sort the four of them out - you are doing a great job!

I usually try to be gone when the guys are climbing around up high and trusses are dangling in the air. This time I was around to see the boom truck do it's thing and I think it only took about 1 hour to get these trusses in place.