Two years ago today my mom passed from this life on to the next. The last years of her life were punctuated by the horrors that Lewy* brought. Today, however, I choose to not dwell on those times and instead dwell on the amazing woman that was my mother.
I have so many good memories of Mom that it would take many, many blog posts to cover them all. Here are some that come to me today….
*Putting together my “grown up lady” Halloween costume one year.
*Sitting in the Granada on her birthday waiting into the wee hours of the morning for the tow truck to come and tow my brother’s Mustang. Someone had cut the battery cables while I was at work and we were concerned that the person may have been planning to come back and steal the car if we left it sitting in the parking lot over night. (Have you thanked me for saving your baby, big brother!?!)
*Mom being so excited about being a Grammy, but being “too young” to be a grandma. Thus she became GrammyMommy to six grandchildren.
*Her laughing at me and teasing me for years because I tried to outdo her by making a perfect angel food cake from scratch….still haven’t managed to accomplish that one!
*Late nights in the trailer park in Altus when she let me get up after the girls were asleep. That was when she taught Thomas and me to play Canasta, when we tried silly experiments like what Dr. Pepper tasted like warm, and when we had our first talk about the birds and the bees.
*Coming into the living room the summer I lived with her and Dad to see them sitting on the couch holding hands, still so much in love after all these years.
*Her telling Dad, “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown.”
*The laughter she shared with her five crazy sisters.
*The long walks we took in the evenings after dinner the summer I lived with her and Dad before moving to Oregon.
*Her beautiful smile and indomitable spirit.
Mom was loved by many and I think I speak for my siblings when I say that we were incredibly blessed to have her as a mom.
I love you and miss you Mom, but you live forever in my heart.
*Lewy Body Dementia – for more information visit the Lewy Body Dementia Association
Collecting Ebenezers as I travel through life. "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
I'm the Short One
I came around the corner of the grocery store aisle on a mission to find the Diet Pepsi and almost ran over a little lady with my cart. She was standing in the middle of the aisle and when she saw me she smiled.
“Can you help me?” she asked. Then she pointed at some bottles on the very top shelf.
She could barely reach the shelf much less the bottles. All she needed was for someone to get several bottles down for her. For one brief moment I felt tall! I helped her and went about by business.
As I finished my shopping I couldn’t help but be amused by that incident. You see, rumor has it that my siblings got all the height in the family while I got all the brains and beauty. Okay, so it’s not really a rumor, but just something I say. While I am not overly short I am the shortest among my siblings. I am not the one people usually ask to reach things on the top shelf. In fact, in my kitchen I have a little stool that I made in 8th grade wood shop. I use it often so I can reach the top shelf of my cabinets. Nope, I’m usually the one asking for help.
This incident made me think. I view certain aspects of my makeup as weaknesses and other aspects as strengths. After helping the lady in the grocery store I realized that’s not necessarily the case. I am what God created me to be. I never know how He may choose to use me; sometimes it will be in what I consider to be my strengths, but others it will be in what I consider to be my weaknesses.
“Can you help me?” she asked. Then she pointed at some bottles on the very top shelf.
She could barely reach the shelf much less the bottles. All she needed was for someone to get several bottles down for her. For one brief moment I felt tall! I helped her and went about by business.
As I finished my shopping I couldn’t help but be amused by that incident. You see, rumor has it that my siblings got all the height in the family while I got all the brains and beauty. Okay, so it’s not really a rumor, but just something I say. While I am not overly short I am the shortest among my siblings. I am not the one people usually ask to reach things on the top shelf. In fact, in my kitchen I have a little stool that I made in 8th grade wood shop. I use it often so I can reach the top shelf of my cabinets. Nope, I’m usually the one asking for help.
This incident made me think. I view certain aspects of my makeup as weaknesses and other aspects as strengths. After helping the lady in the grocery store I realized that’s not necessarily the case. I am what God created me to be. I never know how He may choose to use me; sometimes it will be in what I consider to be my strengths, but others it will be in what I consider to be my weaknesses.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Snow Day
Woohoo, snow day today! It’s not often the company I work for closes because of weather, but we are getting lots of snow around here these past few days. Today has been reminiscent of those school time snow days that we all loved as kids. Such possibility they held. So far today I have read the newspaper and worked on the puzzles, caught up on some reading, checked out some of my favorite blogs, snuggled with my kitty cat, and thought about some of the “grownup” things I should do like maybe cleaning the carpets or balancing the checkbook. Instead I decided to make a list of some of the things I am thankful for.
1. Having a warm, cozy home in which to ride out this snow storm.
2. Having a job to have a snow day from.
3. My sweet Wilson who is currently curled up on my bed taking a nap. When I walk into the room he will look up, un-tuck one white paw and wave at me. Such a sweet boy he is!
5. Wireless Internet access that allows me to connect from anywhere in my house.
6. Not having cabin fever because I can connect with the outside world through the web and my phone :-)
7. My family.
8. A God who loves me.
9. Good books.
10. Diet Pepsi
1. Having a warm, cozy home in which to ride out this snow storm.
2. Having a job to have a snow day from.
3. My sweet Wilson who is currently curled up on my bed taking a nap. When I walk into the room he will look up, un-tuck one white paw and wave at me. Such a sweet boy he is! 4. The beauty of the landscape covered in snow (I appreciate this more when I don’t have to be out on the roads that aren’t so beautiful covered in snow!)
5. Wireless Internet access that allows me to connect from anywhere in my house.
6. Not having cabin fever because I can connect with the outside world through the web and my phone :-)
7. My family.
8. A God who loves me.
9. Good books.
10. Diet Pepsi
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
How Many Pairs of Shoes Does a Girl Need?
How many pairs of shoes does a girl need? I don’t know the answer to that. What I do know is I like shoes; I have a lot of them. People who know me might be surprised by this statement since I tend to wear the same shoes over and over. But, I have had an obsession with shoes since about the 10th grade. Way back then I bought a really cute pair of blue corduroy flats for $7. Then I gave them to my sister and had her give them to me for Christmas! Since then I have accumulated more shoes than one girl can ever wear and periodically give them away to Goodwill.
Today I was watching the news and there was a story about Blake Mycoskie and Tom's Shoes. According to the web site Blake is the Chief Shoe Giver for Tom’s Shoes. The news cast said Blake describes himself as a Social Entrepreneur. He’s using his business skills to do something for the less fortunate. He traveled to Argentina in 2007 and came back with a desire to help the children he met. Tom’s Shoes, which stands for Tomorrow’s Shoes, grew out of that. The goal is to give one pair of shoes to a child in need with every pair of shoes purchased. “One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.”
Shoes for a good cause, a girl can’t beat that! I don’t own a pair of Tom’s Shoes yet, but Christmas is a coming. Maybe I will buy a pair and tell the family member who has my name for the gift exchange to consider my gift done :-)
Today I was watching the news and there was a story about Blake Mycoskie and Tom's Shoes. According to the web site Blake is the Chief Shoe Giver for Tom’s Shoes. The news cast said Blake describes himself as a Social Entrepreneur. He’s using his business skills to do something for the less fortunate. He traveled to Argentina in 2007 and came back with a desire to help the children he met. Tom’s Shoes, which stands for Tomorrow’s Shoes, grew out of that. The goal is to give one pair of shoes to a child in need with every pair of shoes purchased. “One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.”
Shoes for a good cause, a girl can’t beat that! I don’t own a pair of Tom’s Shoes yet, but Christmas is a coming. Maybe I will buy a pair and tell the family member who has my name for the gift exchange to consider my gift done :-)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
64 Days to Christmas!
Just a friendly reminder! I know some folks aren't wanting to think about it, but I am one of those freaks who puts my tree up early in the season (no, it's not up already, but probably in a few weeks) and begins to play Christmas music before everyone else. I love the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas. My one wish is that everyone, myself included, would slow down at this time of year and enjoy the season. It's too easy these days to get caught up in the trappings of Christmas and forget to just relax and appreciate all the good things about the this time of year. So, I am sorry if I caused you stress by pointing out that there are only 64 days left 'til Christmas. Don't think about it as only 64 days left; think about is as 64 days to have fun and celebrate!Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Blog, blog, blog
Have you noticed the preponderance of blogs on the internet these days? All it takes to get your thoughts out to the world is access to a computer and a connection to the world wide web. As I was reading a blog today I realized a couple of things. One is that I enjoy reading other people’s thoughts and their blogs. Two is that the world wide web is a really accurate description. With the advent of blogs the world is a little more connected.
Some people think blogs are a waste of time and are only for the narcissistic. I admit that I can get lost in time while perusing blogs, but I often come away changed by what I have read. Many bloggers have a list of their favorite blogs and with a click of the mouse you can jump off to read another blog. I haven’t made a blog list here yet, but I thought I would share some of my favorite blogs. So, here they are in no particular order.
Sunshine Days is written by a young lady who goes to the same church as I do. We have never met, but I found her blog through a friend. What I love about this blog is that the writer shares her world in an unassuming way. Her Christian faith shines through, but also her humanness. She is what she is and is not afraid of that.
Scribble Chicks is a fairly new blog started by five Christian women authors. Their tag line is “A bunch of us pecking our way through the publishing world.” The women range from multi-published to a new author whose first book hits the shelves in January 2010. They have a theme each week and each one posts her thoughts on the theme. It has been great to read about their triumphs and challenges as they peck their way through.
Thoughts From Along the way is written by a friend’s brother and his buddy. Jeff writes a little more often than Scott, but then again Scott is the father of a new baby and even I know that takes a lot of time. What I enjoy about this blog is the casual way faith is interwoven into the conversation. Jeff writes with a transparency that often hits me right in the heart. His faith is a down to earth kind of faith. He doesn’t get caught up in the trappings of religiosity but lives out his belief day to day.
Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Books. His blog is full of helps for writers. I like his no nonsense, pull no punches kind of style. He says it like he sees it.
Wanna Be Published, written by Mary E. Demuth is another help for writers. She provides great insight into the struggles would be writers face.
Terrible and Beautiful is another blog of a friend of a friend. Lorri is a young mom fighting a courageous battle with cancer. Hers is “a daily weblog of cancer, God, and life.” Despite having never met Lorri I have a great deal of respect for her. She has taken a horrible situation and sought the beauty that exists in life. She is determined to rise above the cancer and has chosen to keep living each day to the fullest.
And no blog list would be complete without a shout out to my new favorite author, Jennifer Valent. Jennifer is the author of Fireflies in December and Cottonwood Whispers. In her blog she parlays her thoughts on the writing process. Her easy to read style shines through on her blog. By the way, if you haven’t read her books, I highly recommend them!
So, that’s a little taste of the blogs I follow. When you get a chance, feel free to cruise on over to visit with my web of "friends” and see what you think.
Some people think blogs are a waste of time and are only for the narcissistic. I admit that I can get lost in time while perusing blogs, but I often come away changed by what I have read. Many bloggers have a list of their favorite blogs and with a click of the mouse you can jump off to read another blog. I haven’t made a blog list here yet, but I thought I would share some of my favorite blogs. So, here they are in no particular order.
Sunshine Days is written by a young lady who goes to the same church as I do. We have never met, but I found her blog through a friend. What I love about this blog is that the writer shares her world in an unassuming way. Her Christian faith shines through, but also her humanness. She is what she is and is not afraid of that.
Scribble Chicks is a fairly new blog started by five Christian women authors. Their tag line is “A bunch of us pecking our way through the publishing world.” The women range from multi-published to a new author whose first book hits the shelves in January 2010. They have a theme each week and each one posts her thoughts on the theme. It has been great to read about their triumphs and challenges as they peck their way through.
Thoughts From Along the way is written by a friend’s brother and his buddy. Jeff writes a little more often than Scott, but then again Scott is the father of a new baby and even I know that takes a lot of time. What I enjoy about this blog is the casual way faith is interwoven into the conversation. Jeff writes with a transparency that often hits me right in the heart. His faith is a down to earth kind of faith. He doesn’t get caught up in the trappings of religiosity but lives out his belief day to day.
Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Books. His blog is full of helps for writers. I like his no nonsense, pull no punches kind of style. He says it like he sees it.
Wanna Be Published, written by Mary E. Demuth is another help for writers. She provides great insight into the struggles would be writers face.
Terrible and Beautiful is another blog of a friend of a friend. Lorri is a young mom fighting a courageous battle with cancer. Hers is “a daily weblog of cancer, God, and life.” Despite having never met Lorri I have a great deal of respect for her. She has taken a horrible situation and sought the beauty that exists in life. She is determined to rise above the cancer and has chosen to keep living each day to the fullest.
And no blog list would be complete without a shout out to my new favorite author, Jennifer Valent. Jennifer is the author of Fireflies in December and Cottonwood Whispers. In her blog she parlays her thoughts on the writing process. Her easy to read style shines through on her blog. By the way, if you haven’t read her books, I highly recommend them!
So, that’s a little taste of the blogs I follow. When you get a chance, feel free to cruise on over to visit with my web of "friends” and see what you think.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Catch Some Zs - Dementia and Sleep
Back in the 90s I decided it was time to go back to school to finish my bachelor’s degree. I was working about 70 hours a week between a full time job and a part time job. I was carrying a full-time work load at school. And I tried to still have a life around all of this. In the interest of getting everything done I cut back on sleep. I told people that I thought sleep was overrated and that I was weaning myself. During the week I would often sleep only two or three hours a night. Then on Saturday evening I would crash and sleep for hours. I managed to keep this schedule for a while, but then weird things began to happen.
Slowly, one by one I began to do strange things. I called to purchase a plane ticket and I couldn’t remember how to spell my name – the same name I had been spelling for about 30 years! Then one day I put soup in the microwave and when it was done the microwave was empty; my soup disappeared. I found it a while later in the drawer of the microwave cart where I put it instead of in the microwave. One night on my way home from work I stopped at a stop light and then couldn’t remember if I should turn or go straight. The final straw was the night I almost had an accident on my way home from school because I had traveled into the opposite lane of traffic and didn’t even realize it. Thankfully I didn’t cause an accident, but I finally knew that I had to cut something out of my schedule in order to get more sleep.
In our society today sleep is often the first thing people skimp on when their schedules get busy. Truth is I still do skimp. It’s hard for me to get a full 8 hours of sleep. Over the years, though, I have learned that sleep is more important than most of us think. It is not just lazy time; our bodies need it to be able to function. Lack of sleep has been linked to poor cognitive performance, diabetes, and increased body fat to name a few. Now research is showing that sleep deprivation may play a role in developing Alzheimer’s dementia.
Recently a research team at Washington University in St. Louis found that depriving laboratory mice of sleep increased levels of amyloid beta in their brains. Amyloid beta plaques are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Further study is still needed to determine fully what this means. However, understanding this connection will allow for better identification of people at risk for dementia as well as increase the possibility of finding a treatment for the disease.
So, while we don’t know for sure the role of sleep deprivation in dementia I think getting a few more z’s each day couldn’t hurt. Maybe I will go take a nap….
Michael Purdy. Sleep Loss Linked to Increase in Alzheimer’s Plaques. September 24, 2009 (accessed October 17, 2009) http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/14696.html
Slowly, one by one I began to do strange things. I called to purchase a plane ticket and I couldn’t remember how to spell my name – the same name I had been spelling for about 30 years! Then one day I put soup in the microwave and when it was done the microwave was empty; my soup disappeared. I found it a while later in the drawer of the microwave cart where I put it instead of in the microwave. One night on my way home from work I stopped at a stop light and then couldn’t remember if I should turn or go straight. The final straw was the night I almost had an accident on my way home from school because I had traveled into the opposite lane of traffic and didn’t even realize it. Thankfully I didn’t cause an accident, but I finally knew that I had to cut something out of my schedule in order to get more sleep.
In our society today sleep is often the first thing people skimp on when their schedules get busy. Truth is I still do skimp. It’s hard for me to get a full 8 hours of sleep. Over the years, though, I have learned that sleep is more important than most of us think. It is not just lazy time; our bodies need it to be able to function. Lack of sleep has been linked to poor cognitive performance, diabetes, and increased body fat to name a few. Now research is showing that sleep deprivation may play a role in developing Alzheimer’s dementia.
Recently a research team at Washington University in St. Louis found that depriving laboratory mice of sleep increased levels of amyloid beta in their brains. Amyloid beta plaques are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Further study is still needed to determine fully what this means. However, understanding this connection will allow for better identification of people at risk for dementia as well as increase the possibility of finding a treatment for the disease.
So, while we don’t know for sure the role of sleep deprivation in dementia I think getting a few more z’s each day couldn’t hurt. Maybe I will go take a nap….
Michael Purdy. Sleep Loss Linked to Increase in Alzheimer’s Plaques. September 24, 2009 (accessed October 17, 2009) http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/14696.html
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Pampered Chef Party
Woohoo! I love Pampered Chef and tomorrow is my sister's party. Guess I might have to replace the melted rice cooker, but I am also excited to purchase some pie making items to assist me in my quest to make a great pie :-)
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