Maybe Angels Whistle...

Moma is back in the hospital...bleeding in her intestines...looking at whether she is strong enough for surgery...She's been able to be involved in so many things since she stopped taking the cancer treatment. One of those decisions that is big and scary. Yesterday as I left her at the hospital, it was raining, cold and dreary. I had Moma on my mind, the Lakewood officers and stress was dragging me down...I felt like I was walking thru mud to get to my car. I crossed the pedestrian walk just behind a woman carrying a blue and white polka dot umbrella that reminded me of Ms Beasley. She was quite a few steps in front of me, but I could hear her whistling. As I got closer to her, I recognized the tune from years past. Growing up in a country church we sung old hymns, most of the time without music...and I began singing the whole song as I got into the truck...and began driving home...of course, I got a little teary eyed as I thought about the words, my stresses and worries...but also because God is funny how He speaks to me...it's not everyday that angels in polka dots whistle "Trust and Obey"

Where The Wild Things Are...there's one in all of us

We got to see the movie yesterday...with some special "wild things" and it was a hit! Just like most movies there is controversy over acceptable content. I read some reviews this morning...after I fed the "doggie wild things"...and while my "grand wild things" are "romping" about the bedroom...awake..but not ready to surface. The reviews weren't fair...so I thought I'd right my own...I will try to write it in such a way that you are informed but the movie isn't spoiled for you.
How can people who read the book...go to the movie and not know what they are going to see. It shouldn't be a surprise...the book is about an imaginative boy, who acts like a kid (that's why the darn wild things have parents) who lets his imagination "grow" and take him away into a wild monster filled land, that allows him to have his way...agree? Well...guess what...the movie has the same concept...
Clue...If your child wasn't happy with the book...then they probably won't be happy with the movie...just saying.
To keep from spoiling the movie...I'll be brief...Max is a youth that has a great imagination...feels lonely...and resents the activities of his sister and mother...because they are not involving him. He acts out (imagine, a youth acting out because they are not getting their way, negative attention will suffice) He does take off running from Mom...but guys he comes back...maybe get with the timeline...He runs out of the house at supper time...comes back and eats his supper before the days ends...His imagination was rolling during that hour, remember...
Max identifies with the monsters...Carol is a monster that wants his way...gets mad at those he loves when he doesn't get his way...and learns by the end of Max's adventure on the island that his behavior is not getting him what he wants. He feels remorse for ill behavior...awesome concept. Max gets to face the reality that everyone is different...they perceive and respond differently...and it's all good. There's team work...there's accomplishments...there's lesson's...there's humor...strange humor...and there's wild times...so wild...that one of my "grand wild things" who wishes to remain anonymous, got so involved with the wild rumpus that he begin kicking the seat in front of him, which prompted the patron in that seat to remind him it was occupied...
We had lots to talk about after the movie...we even talked about it more during dinner...which by the way I skipped the frozen corn...they loved it! We have howled and howled...we have talked about Max's explosive episode in the kitchen with his mother...we have pulled quotes from the movie and made each other laugh...like..."that was my favorite arm" and "it's just a dog, don't feed it or it will follow you around."
One good clue for those of you who are planning to take your children...if they weren't happy with the book...they probably won't be happy with the movie...and a 2 year old...wouldn't be ready for the movie...be realistic...it's rated PG for a reason. The "grand wild things" that Papa and I took to view it...were old enough to understand and reason.
If anything...the door is open to discuss how WE ALL (adults/parents included) want to act out sometimes...and how it can affect those around us...and better ways to handle our feelings.
Max is a precious boy. He was adorable, imaginative and growing wise...Several times during the movie, I leaned over and stated to Papa, how precious he was. Maybe, it's because I haven't raised perfect children that I can see precious beings in wild containers.

And it was good...all good.

Did you see it? Whatcha think?

I Still Got It!...(with a little help from my friend)

There was a time when you could find me out with up to 10 babies/children/youths, a mixture most of the time...It was nothing for me to take them to the park, on a hike or to the swimming pool, etc. This morning Scarlet was going to take Mom to her doctor appointment and Becky had an appointment for her car. So...I volunteered to meet Scarlet and Becky at Fayette Mall, at 0915 take their younguns (both almost 2 years of age) to the play ground and go sight seeing. This I did until 1225. I'm still alive. Both children are safe and taking naps (at least Emily is right now... Ethan looked like he might zonk on the first roll of the wheels when his moma drove off with him)...visually overstimulated and not wanting the adventure to stop. We talked about mannequins without faces, without heads, remote helicopters, read books, romped on the playground several times, had a snack in the food court, went outside for a walk, looked at statues, flowers, listened to the birds and sang songs...The five little monkeys swinging in the tree, teasing Mr. Alligator, is definitely their favorite! For three hours...Hey, I still got it!
A little secret though...right before I left the house...I called my neighbor, Delva...who has five children, including a set of twins...and she let me borrow the BMW of all strollers. I'm not sure how my adventure would have turned out had I not had that little/big help from my friend! Bless you, Bless you, Delva!!!

As I was getting out of the truck this morning at the Mall...Air1 was talking about a woman who went to the hospital thinking she was having a stroke...she was 41...turns out...she was in labor...and didn't even know she was pregnant...I WILL TAKE THREE HOURS WITH TWO - TWO YEARS OLDS ANY OLE DAY!!!!

Drooling in My Soup Bowl...

It's been almost 2 hours since I left the dentist office. She had to repair a filling I got when I was 12 years old...for those of you that are counting, yes, that was some time ago.
I'm starving...and I thought the numbness was almost gone. As I sit here, leaning over my bowl, trying to sponge the broth off my chin before it runs back into the bowl...I have an epiphany...this is what Doc meant...when she said, "Oh, I've numbed your mouth up good."

Witty World of William...Again

William came in last night from running with his ROTC Major...he grabbed a Cliff, chocolate brownie flavor...as we sit in Johnny Carinos last night, 09/11/2009, recalling what he had eaten...he stated, "Whoever decided to name that flavor chocolate brownie was a radical optimist."
He says things like that...I can't seem to record them all.

You Will Be Missed!

After sharing a roof for 4 1/2 months...Connie packed up and we took her to meet her sister, Alice (from Puerto Rico), in Ohio to catch the Amtrack to Washington state. The picture you see was created by Connie when she had originally planned to drive back...that was before her car refused to be a part of the plan.

Alice is 11 months younger than her sister Connie...
and I know they will enjoy their time on the train...

I am positive they will be laughing...alot!

You will be missed around here, Ms Connie!!!

I will miss my female companionship…with all her tidbits of information and wise sayings and pretty pictures…Jesse will miss you…he doesn’t realize all you do around here…but he will…William will miss you…not because he won’t have anyone to argue with…cause he’ll find that anywhere…he’ll truly miss you… Winston will miss you…I know he looked forward to your walks…Pikachu will miss you…and the little tidbits of food you shared…the garden will miss you…the birds will miss you…the neighbors will miss you…all the visitors that stop by will miss you…How will I ever make Emily understand where her Ms Connie is?

Just because I am not creative in expressing myself like you are…don’t think you’re leaving will be unnoticed…You will be sorely missed…I so wish you could have just gotten an apartment here in Lexington. Washington is so far away…but we’ve been here before and managed our friendship…we’ll do it again!
I wish the best for you in the new spot. I pray you can settle and gather dust. :O)

And no matter where you are…remember, your Donna loves you…even in her busiest times…

Kentucky will miss you!

Seasonal Mistake

Back from vacation but still have a few days before I must return to work so, I set out today to take care of some house cleaning…that NEVER gets done unless I do it…and HAS NOT been done for a while…a year at least. The first item on my agenda was window cleaning. I believe this is a spring cleaning type of deal and was looking forward to completing the task. Windows are important to my serenity.
Yesterday evening when putting away the groceries I cracked my right elbow on the corner of the microwave. It was still swollen this morning and achy but this was the allotted time and so I ignored the elbow pain and at 8:30 this morning, I began by taking the little valances down from ten windows. I have more windows but these are the only ones with little lacy valances. I got them started in the wash and began on my bedroom windows. A little snafu occurred as I was taking the screens out…the little plastic, not good for anything locks on the screen broke.

This has happened before and it takes a bit of nudging the guy who is locked into his computer business. While I was attempting to lite the fire under him, I decided to use an ammonia/water mixture and the car washing brush to reach the outside top windows. Doing this created a white milky mess that was incredibly hard to get off the windows. I used vinegar, glass cleaner, and alcohol…not the drinking kind…however, if I had use the drinking kind, I might have not been so concerned with washing the windows. It was early morning though so, that option was out anyway. During the scrubbing, I hooked up the water hose to try and rinse whatever transfer I had made from the brush to the windows. NOTHING was working!!!! I switched from paper towels to a white t-shirt…still the same…I cut up a pair of jeans and use them…still the same. I was experiencing such difficulty beyond my belief!

After the combination of scrubbing, rinsing, not using the brush, leaning out the window backwards working my fingers to the bone the white milky smeary stuff was disappearing. I used all my glass cleaner up on the two windows in my bedroom. I had cut up clothes, I had climbed in and out the window so many times that my back was already hurting, my elbow was talking to me but Pa had gotten up and fixed the screens and the two windows were clean. So, I cleaned up the extensive mess and moved to the dining room area.

I mixed a vinegar/water mixture and used it on the back door glass with paper towels as a test. All is good and I move on. The three windows by the kitchen table should be easier to clean than the bedroom and I began…only to have two of the screens do the same thing the bedroom screens did…again, getting Pa’s attention and the screens were mended.

I then move to the front windows. I open the first one, and try to remove the screen and I don’t need to tell you what happened. I opened the second window and a swarm of ANTS went helter-skelter everywhere! I would shut the window and clean them up and when I would open it again, a bigger brood of ants would run into the house. Connie assisted in the killing as I got a bucket of water and went outside to douse the window and wash the pests away. It didn’t work…and so we are trying to control this invasion…I send Papa out with the broom to brush them off the sill…yes, even after the water they are still parading around in swarms…I found they were dropping out of the window casing…so from the inside of the house I started spraying up in the casing to make them fall out so Pa could sweep them off.

It was working really well until I accidentally sprayed Pa right in the eye with the vinegar/water solution. As I am apologizing profusely…he stops trying to treat his eye and I see him put his hand to his mouth. He spits something into his hand…couldn’t figure out what was happening…until he looked up and said, “I jumped back and knocked my teeth together and now my tooth is broke.” OH! MY! STINKING! GOODNESS!!!!! I postpone my fight with the ants and call the dentist, Connie continues to fight the ants and Pa goes to the bathroom to assess the damage.

They can see him today…I am so grateful. Ant poison was applied to the windows and the cleaning was eventually complete. Valances are hung back in place. I look up at the clock and it’s 1:00... 4 ½ hours to clean 10 windows. I have NEVER!!!! Taken so long…I used to clean houses for a living…I would clean a big house in Hartland, upstairs and down in 4 ½ hours, have something to show for it AND make good money!!!!


All I can figure is, window cleaning is a spring cleaning kind of deal and one should not try to wash windows in the summer.

View I noticed from my kitchen window as I was cleaning. Taken after the cleaning of course!

Two days without internet service or shower capibilites...three days without a signal on my cell phone. The first few hours of no signal were distresting...but it got easier as the time went by. We get use to our technology and can't imagine life without it.

My camera can't even measure up what has transpired in the first leg of our trip. The photos taken don't even come close to the first hand sight of the wide open sky view with mountains after mountains looking like ocean waves in a distance. It couldn't capture the thrill of playing around in the pool with my husband...yes, youngun's Pa was in the pool, "swimming like a seal."

I didn't dare use my camera to capture the stuning flutterby that was resting on dog turds.

DEDICATION

Papa was caught documenting this incident so I thought I'd share one of the photos with you.

Every week on the first day back to work, we have inspection...our cruiser's are to be clean inside and out. Seems like since I have been on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday RDO's ...every Monday back is either rainy or looks like rain. Well, this Monday it was one of those "bring it on" rains. So, I took advantage of it and did a little maintenance...it's looks like dedication...but it might have just been an excuse to play in the rain!

And it's an opportunity to let the former co-worker from FCDC see I do use the umbrella!

Deja Vu

I'm sure you all know that William is the last one home...I'm not sure if he's more difficult then the past five (Ariel would say he most certainly is), but I do know I am tired of the speeches that I have given over the years and how they consistently have to be repeated as if they were never heard before. At fifteen, for crying out loud, don't they get it by then!?

I was thinking...Instead of the same speech over and over again...why not have a pop up player, in the hallway, on the wall, set up with each speech...(it's the same thing over and over anyway)...and instead of raising my blood pressure or wasting my precious time when he has taken yet another half hour shower, I would say, "William, go listen to the "water speech" or when he tells me yet another lie, Go listen to the honesty speech." And so on and so on. Because, I feel like I'm been here before...wasting my breath!

Donna's idiom

So, I am getting ready for work Thursday afternoon and drop to the floor to commence push-ups. My dog, Winston, is lying on the floor approximately 12 inches from my body. Pikachu, my cat, is lying cozy on the bed curled up around my duty belt, as she is a cat with a weapon fetish. My husband is sitting in the chair beside the window, stroking his everloving laptop....

I complete my push-ups and sit back into a shell position...and moan...loudly...and with much expression. Winston, looks up at me, inches away, moans and lays his head back down. Pa doesn't even look up...and Pikachu, the most coziest in the room...jumps up and off the bed, meowing as she quickly comes to my arm and rubs her head against it and continues to cat speak.


Which makes me think...Pika is a female, for sure...she sees a loved one experiencing a diffiicult time...who calls out in need...and without wasting anytime comes to her aid, giving encouragment.


And so...I am reminded to thank all my girlfriends out there...remember we gotta stick together. It's a "dog eat dog world."

and time keeps ticking...

Today we celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary.

*and yes, I passed my final PT test this morning!

"Find what makes your heart sing...

It's not been the best past few days for me. Yea, I've met obligations but my heart hasn't been happy. I've somehow lost my ability to manage my time...and I have been struggling with finding time to do create my own music. It makes my heart heavy.my mind blue.my countenance downcast.my eyes tearful.

If I don't make time to be who I am...I get lost...I know what makes my heart sing.

I have dropped the ball with all the hospital, doctor visits and plain ole stuff that has taken over my life...my exercise routine has suffered and the final PT test is this coming Monday. I know I am deficient. I am so very disappointed in myself. I have allowed myself to be consumed. Course, being sick for two weeks and taking antibotics for an upper respiratory infection didn't help, either.

I mowed the grass today...to absorb some sunshine and work is always good therapy for me...worked out in the yard, weeding and such...I cried my eyes out...don't feel badly for me...they were therapeutic tears...


Then I listened to Chonda Pierce ...and Jeanne Robertson...Emily came over and we played...I fixed supper...then Emily painted the fence, with water. shortly after, Pa,Winston and Emme B and I went for a walk around the block. We stopped and talked to a family of five passing with their dog. The dog came up and licked on Emme, the three children all came up and petted on Emme. The parents said, "Oh, what a pretty little girl." Emily absorbed it all! When we got back the Muirs were outside with the new twins...and we sit and chatted and played for quite a long while until Becky came by to pick up the little squirt.



I did not go anywhere today! I did not get in a car. I did not have any appointments or engagements. I have not had a day like such for too long.

I have instead been full of hurry and worry. Even now my mind is trying to skip back to thinking about tomorrow...Pool Patrol 1300-2000...then Monday is our 24th anniversary...do I get to celebrate it? Well, somewhere after the final PT test at 0800...and my shift of 1600-0200...the next day, Mom's oncology appointment...then Thursday the final Oral Board @ 1400 and then to work...my birthday is Friday...I am off...but no I'm not. I signed up for Pool Patrol remember? So, my assignment for that week landed on my 44th birthday...1300-2000...the Foster family reunion is the next day. When am I suppose to workout...do laundry...study...tend to the family?

I used to be a great time manager.

I haven't even gotten to see my newest little nephew, Henry.

Listening to Papa right now play tunes for me on his guitar...as I type my thoughts out, I can smile with meaning...

It's amazing how different you can feel at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day.
It's all because I was able to take the time to create my own music...like Pa is doing right now...wish you could hear it. It is beautiful...it sounds like wind chimes making music.


"Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music." ~Mac Anderson

A Mother's Love is Not Limited

Sweet little Momas

And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see -- or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read.-- Alice Walker

Happy Mother's Day to All who have embraced a child for many years...for a brief span of time...or for just a few moments maybe, just glancing and smiling toward an unknown child and giving them a sense of hope. Opportunities are everywhere.

___Amendment to the early morning post.__

Almost all six were able to visit for lunch...Anna was here in the form of the rose she presented me with the night before. These guys are my first dream...raising them were the happiest years of my life. The rest is just icing on the cake.

Mom and Scarlet were able to visit, too!

She Sings For Her Supper

Anna had a performance tonight at the Common Grounds Coffee Shop...She's a real jewel...I watched people come in that didn't know her, listen to her play and sing...and then place money in her tip jar...and/or buy her CD...She took her money out of the tip jar at the end of her show and held it up to Papa and me..."I'm so excited!" she said, "grocery money!"

I thought, Yep, she sings for her supper..."Songbirds always eat ...If their song is sweet to hear... sing and you'll be fed."

Speaking of the little things

I got spend some time with Emme B and Ethan today...4 hours...the sun was shining. After the first 2 and 1/2 hours, Emily conked out and Ethan followed sometime after.

I Live for Little Moments Like That...

And so the twist and turns of adolescents is wreaking havoc on my home. I find myself shocked, frustrated and plain out disgusted. Everything gets a tint of grey over it when the issues peak. It’s easier for me to forget the good stuff.

I signed onto my email today in the thick of my repugnance, searching for something to help me not think about the continuous cycle that I must endure for a few more years. My email held a note from my daughter-in-law who was advising she started a blog…and she honored me with it.

Now… that little moment took me out of a funk and was just what I needed to remind me of what I’ve been meaning to post for about a week…. I meant to post about:

Listening to the song, I Live for Little Moments Like That by Brad Paisley and how it made me think of the little things recently that I have seen and experienced…that brighten me and take me to a level of contentment…like…

Walking along the trail at Pine Mountain, listening to the songbirds, feeling the breeze on my neck and Papa reaching over and taking my hand.

Stopping by Craig and Becky’s for a short second while on duty. With Becky bringing Emme B out to the cruiser to say hello to her Mimi. I take a Jr. Police badge sticker and place it on her shirt…and we talk about Mimi’s badge and Emme’s badge and she shines…then days later when she comes to visit Mimi she finds a business card of mine. It has a badge logo on it. She takes the business card, places it on her shirt and tries to make it stick. I still tear up reminiscing that moment.

Watching the squirrel on my “squirrel proof” bird feeder trying to steal sunflower seed and slipping and FALLING seven foot to the ground…landing on his feet, picking up a seed off the ground and acting like nothing happened.

Waking up to find a note on my dresser from Ariel…knowing she looked in on me as I slept and took the time to write a note…I felt like I had an angel looking over me.

Seeing my mom, as the smooth talking Oncologist tells her hard to swallow information in such a way that she smiles and giggles like a school girl. Gosh, it was so hard to fight back the ocean of tears dammed behind my eyes.

A co-worker’s devilish grin as she really wanted to put that stray cat in her buddy’s cruiser…

The little guy less than two years old, in the back seat of a car at a Speedway…with a seat belt on and no booster…I pull the babysitter aside and advise she’s not leaving until the child is in a booster seat…and by the way, Ms do you know what it would do to the little guy if you had a collision and he was just in the seat belt made for bigger folks? I look back in at the little guy as we wait for a friend to bring a booster seat… finishing off his candy bar, Curly black locks of hair, big brown eyes, smiling a serious chocolate smile as he looks up at me…innocently.

Yeah, I live for little moments like that.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

"Dark Eyes" My lastest treasure

I found my Fuchsia - Dark Eyes at the Farmer's Market last Saturday. Simply fell in love with it. I walked by the table first, glanced at her and said to Connie, "We are going to stop back at this table." (Love at first site...) She just stunning to me.

The flower reminds me of an icing decoration for a snazzy bakery cake. If you were to turn it upside down...She hangs on my porch by my front door and blesses me each time I go in and out.

I hate that it's taken a week to get it up to share.

If you click on the photo you should get the actual size...and OMG!!!! She is sooooo elegant! I even caught a few bugs on this shot...I always like to catch a bug and flower together. :O)

Timely Revelation

Okay...so she's embarrassed walking back from her turn at striking, disengaging and drawing her tazer...after she had some kind of brain fart...in front of 30+ competitive macho male officers...she's noticing a few heads shaking in what appears to be disgust...and this real gentlemen looks at her and sees the turmoil her psyche is experiencing...and says nonchalantly something to the extent of, "It's okay, different people have different strengths. And well...a needed revelation for this ole timer...each time the scene is replayed in her head, she just reminds herself... Yeah...Different people have different strengths.

The Feline

Our cat wears the pajamas in this house...

,,,sometimes I think it must be nice to lounge around the house all day in pajamas.

"Keep your face to the sun, and you cannot see the shadow"

The top of my head feels like it is going to crack…maybe it’s the sudden spike in blood sugar as after 2 cups of coffee and breakfast in bed after missing dinner last night. I’m dressed to run but I’m drawn to the sun spot on the carpet at the base of my bedroom window. So I lay down on it… warmth is always soothing. After propping my feet up on the window sill, my cat decides it’s going to have to be shared and gets me to adjust and make room for her. Any open window is hers…I should have known that. Lying on the floor looking up into the sky, the trees that are taller than our house are still naked…the sun is exposing the dirty windows in need of spring cleaning and dust is floating through the air. It’s comes natural to me to start worrying about when things will get done…and then amidst the worried thoughts I see a five inch rainbow on my curtain…caused by the same sunshine that is exposing the dirt…and I am reminded of His promises…He makes all things good…and as I focus on the rainbow I began to hear the birds singing merrily…and I see a chickadee in the naked branches flitting to and fro…and I know there is a lesson in this…a little birdy told me so.

It's that time for a new beginning!

They say it's a hoax...but every year, I balance a raw egg on my mantle. They say it can be done any day of the year...well, not at my house. :O) It only happens on the first day of Spring! AND I do it without any tricks...no cracks, no salt...just balanced.

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/62/equinox.html

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/errata/a/equinox_eggs.htm

What does STOP mean to you?

For years I teased the kids as I drove “Mom’s Taxi” and we approached stop signs, spelling out loud “S- T- O- P –then shout GO!” as if that is what stop meant.
Just a funny thing I did which in a way allowed them to learn that we sometimes see what we want to see or we hear what we want to hear.
I’ve been keeping an eye out for the past seven month and it’s down right predictable; when one approaches a stop sign with intent to turn right, it magically becomes a yield sign. The driver approaches the stop sign and usually keeps looking to their left as they turn right at the STOP sign. And some will say, “Well, nothing was coming” And I say, “How do you know a pedestrian was not approaching the crosswalk from the right…or a child on a bike from the right…or someone’s lost pet running into the intersection from the right…What if someone as crossing the street from your right just above the intersection away from the crosswalk…You didn’t even stop to look.”
That’s the whole reason there is a STOP sign because it’s an intersection and you never know “from which way what cometh.”
Kentucky law states, “Except when directed to proceed by a police officer, every operator of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall STOP at a clearly marked STOP line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the operator has view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering it. AFTER having stopped the operator shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such operator is moving across or within the intersection in junction of roadways.”
So…without starting a STOP in Lexington campaign let’s try to remember: STOP means STOP and Yield means Yield and the meaning does not change when turning right.


AND finally a joke for those drivers who say…”Well, I slowed down…”

A car slows down at a stop sign and keeps driving. A cop sees him and pulls him over. The cop asks, "Why didn't you stop?"The man says, "I slowed down." The cop pulls out his nightstick and starts beating him. "Now," the cop says, "do you want me to stop or slow down?"

Loitering in Winter

Donna's View 2009

I was thinking recently about things I have done/not done/wished I had done differently in the past. That stuff can get you down. I came upon a little narrative at the bottom of my calendar with a quote from Henry D. Thoreau.

"We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us, like the grass which confesses the influence of the slightest dew that falls on it; and did not spend our time in atoning for the neglect of past opportunities…we loiter in winter when it is already spring."

I won't add anything to that.

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/christn/cheshdtaf.html Thoreau's Spring

Donna's View 2009

Now here's a thought..."When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say,"Jesus, could you get that for me?"

...That's Bologna...

Last week I came in from the hospital and I was passed the point of hungry. Ever been so hungry you didn’t have the sense to eat? Well, Papa fixed me a sandwich with a V-8 and some Ruffles. It wasn’t just any ole sandwich. It was a poor man’s gourmet sandwich. It was picture worthy…just didn’t have the camera sitting close by or I would have snapped it. I think it could have been sold in a restaurant.
Wheat bread toasted mayo, salt and pepper, pepper jack cheese, baby spinach and fried bologna.
It was tasty, tasty, tasty. I raved about it and gave Papa kudos for the creation…and he said, “Well, appetite is the best sauce.”
And tonight I was reminded of that tonight…it was 6 o’clock and I had gotten Aunt Juanita home and settled in, the 35 days worth of accumulated belongings put away…went to the store / pharmacy…came back and fixed her a peanut butter and mayo sandwich… not typical hospital food you know…and chatted with her as she went through a huge pile of mail…forgetting to eat something myself for lunch. If you had witnessed her coming into the house and moving about, going through this and that you would have never guessed she was just dismissed from the hospital. At 2:45 I got her settled into her “sleeping chair” for a nap…Papa stopped by with a thermos of coffee and left for his appointment. And then it hit again…Granny was at the back door; she came stumbling in and looked all worried. “Donna Lynn” she said, “Will you run me down to the Urgent Treatment Center? My veins don’t look right. I was sitting in McDonalds and looked down at my arm and my veins are really big.”
Now, for a bit of history... Granny watched Aunt Juanita’s cat while she has been in the hospital. Sometime after two weeks of Aunt Juanita being gone the cat, “Skippy” got out and didn’t come back. On March 1st, she came back home, Granny was there…and as Granny fed her, Skippy bit her! Bit the heck out of her hand! And for 10 days I have worried about that hand, she comes and asks me to take her to the doctor…and I wasn’t passing it up. The doctor agreed it looked angry and said to have her back in two days. If the infected hand did not show improvement, she would have to be hospitalized and given antibiotics intravenously. Then it was off to the pharmacy…and to cut it short…I was HUNGRY!
When I got back Aunt Juanita fixed the tomato soup and I fixed the grilled cheeses. Campbell's tomato soup has never tasted so good...And I was reminded again…Appetite can be the bestest sauce.

Be Still My Beating Heart...

I can’t sleep…I have sooooo much on my mind…

On February 4, 2009 @ approximately 1800 hrs, I received a call from my mother. She advised my Aunt had fallen in her home, that Granny could not get her up, and EC was on it’s way. I arrived and met the ambulance workers as they were taking my Aunt out of the house on the gurney. (Geez, I haven’t blogged in so long I’ve forgotten how to write normally…that all sortta has a report flow to it.)
Since then, for the past 34 days, I have been “hospitalized” and tomorrow I’ll be “dismissed” with my Aunt only to be a house guest in her home until my friend Connie arrives on Friday from Missouri to live with her.
I exercised for about 45 minutes tonight to relieve some stress. Probably would have worked if I hadn’t waited to do such right before going to bed. Just in case you don’t know it…exercising energizes you. It’s one o’clock and I’m wide eyed with a mind so busy, I’m confusing myself with my thoughts.
My mother fell on the 11th of February, Rosie’s birthday =) and was in the hospital for almost a week. She was on one side of the floor, Aunt Juanita on the other. Me? I was all over the place, bouncing from room to room. I always took the stairs…
When Aunt Juanita was stable and progressing in her recovery she was moved from ICU to the fifth floor. Again, I always took the stairs. I was so very thankful the day I moved her from Central Baptist to Cardinal Hill. The fifth floor sometimes three times a day was just about to suck the life out of my young at heart knees.
I wanted to share the stairs with you…at least the art that is up. I past the pieces so many days and still would see something new each time I climbed up or ascended down. The really nice thing about it all was the fact that with each passing I was reminded of different people in my life, which encouraged me in my plight of the nursing assistant. I won't post every photo nor mention everyone here that I was reminded of...Just enough to give a good idea of how the "Art for the Heart" made the journey a bit more tolerable by keeping my mind off of my racing heart.

Aunt Juanita says this one looks like he just belched. =)

This is me when I'm fussing at William

This one reminded me of Rosie

This one reminded me of Alice, Connie's sister in Puerto Rico

The eye with the clouds...Ariel

The apple with the table...Megan

This one reminds me of heart surgery

This one of Courtney, my mentor

This one of my sister, Scarlet

Both of these combined reminded me of Dad and Mom