Going to the Theater

My amazing Great Aunt gave me her two tickets to see Dirty Dancing on stage during the Summer Musicals.  I invited my BFF and off we went, and we had the best time.

The moves and most of the lines were exactly like the movie.  However, they added a storyline involving the Civil Rights Movement.  It was fine and worked, but it was just different.  They had a male and female singer who sang a few of the songs, which I love in the movie.  I tell you . . . that guy can sing to me any time.  He has a beautiful bass voice, and I loved it.

It was a little sad thinking about Patrick Swayze and Jerry Orbach not being in it.  :-(

Thank you, Aunt Darlene!  We had a great time!!

Independence Day and Amazing Helpers

Happy Independence Day!

My Great Aunt and cousins invited me for lunch for brisket and the fixings.  The food was great and the company was wonderful!

My BFF's husband and son came over to help me with my yard.  I can do the mowing.  I have run a mower since I was 7, but I need help with weed eating, trimming trees and shrubs, and hauling off junk and trash.  Her awesome husband tackled the weed eating and mowing a strip of land I have behind my back fence while her son and I trimmed shrubs and cleaned up junk/trash and then hauled trash can after trash can to the curb.

For the first time, we saw a snake.  I'm so glad her husband was here when it slithered out and to the yard behind us.  (It is hard to see.)

Her son and I watched a crawdad/crayfish in the far back yard while her husband cut that strip of land.  I have seen their little houses/holes my whole life, but I have never seen an actual critter back there.  Well, we got one to come out of the hole and played with it.

I will forever be grateful to Tim and Connor Culmo for all their help today. They didn't have to, but they did.  They have no idea what it means to me.

I ended the day with my BFF and her family. Her mom invited me over for BBQ and fireworks.  I had such a nice time. I am so thankful to them for including me.  It really means so much to me. (I am not thankful for the chigger and mosquito bites.  Ha ha!)

Run for God Virtual Summer Race 2015

Today was the day--Run for God's Summer Virtual Race.  I entered this months ago, so I couldn't not do it. I decided that I would break it in half.  I walked to Curves, worked out, and walked back.  Got more than my 5K completed and a workout.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the males out there who play an important role in the lives of children.

Like Mother's Day, not all males have had the opportunity to father a child, and I can imagine this day is a little sad for them.

For others, they have lost their father.

This is my 12th Father's Day without my dad.  Honestly, I am not sure what my thoughts or feelings are on that. I don't know if I can put them into words.

Prayers to everyone having a difficult day today.

My sweet BFF and her mom invited me over for dinner.  It was great being around friends today.  I hated to intrude on their family, but they were so sweet to include me.

Good-bye, Mom!

Today, we celebrated Mom's life with a nice funeral and graveside service.

Sickness, Decisions, and Good-bye

On Tuesday, I took Mom to the ER in a local town. What I didn't know at the time was that her Platelets and White Blood Cells were all but zero and her Red Blood Cells were almost that low.  The hospital couldn't care for her without a room in their ICU, so they CareFlighted her to the large hospital in another neighboring city.  She was doing fine, talking, etc.  They put her in ICU and gave her around 12 bags of Platelets and at least 2 bags of blood.  She was tired and sick, but she was fighting and hanging on.

On Wednesday, she was weak, but she was still mentally fine, talking when she could, and fighting. My brother came in, and we were on the same page with decisions.  However, we had absolutely no idea that time was running out.  We seriously thought we had months.  The doctors and nurses were amazing, caring, honest, and compassionate.

On Thursday, we were told that her numbers were not coming up and that her kidneys were failing.  Dialysis was not going to be an option.  Again, the doctors and nurses were wonderful.  Again, we didn't realize the time frame.  Mom talked to my niece and nephew--knowing exactly what they were doing, making perfect sense with her questions, etc.  The conversations sounded so normal and not anything like where we were headed.  When we left the hospital that night, they were moving her to a regular room to get some rest and would have Social Services meet with us on Friday.

On Friday morning, we talked with Mom. I could see her breathing was different.  We talked to Social Services and were lining up Hospice.  A prayer team from my Great Aunt's church came and prayed over her and with us.  After they left and before the Hospice nurse arrived, Mom passed away.

It happened so fast.  We thought we at least had a few days.  We had no idea we had minutes.
We had no idea it would happen like this. She went peacefully with my brother and I at her side talking to her.

We greatly appreciate your prayers during this time and for months to come.  I worry about my niece and nephew and them forgetting her.  Not having her there for all their big events.

Have I Lost My Mind?

Have I lost my mind?  I just agreed to be the Service Unit Manager for our local Girl Scout Service Unit.

I have been the Troop Organizer and Registrar, but never a position like this.  It will be a learning experience.  I hope everyone is patient with me.