WHAT A WEEK!

 My daughter called me Monday. She finally decided to tell me she had found a lump in her breast. 

A biopsy was done and she was going to the doctor for the results. It is cancer.

She has been in for tests most of the week. First was an MRI. They found more cancerous tissue. So far it is all in one breast.

Then they did a bone scan to make sure it had not spread to any bones in her chest. There have been other tests but I cannot remember what they are.

The doctors are going to consult and then let her know what they believe to be the best course of treatment. Naturally she is scared.

As soon as something is decided I am going up to the big city. I will not be able to stay forever but I am hoping a couple of weeks will help.

As we are dealing with this my brother-in-law is in the hospital. He is her favorite uncle. So far we have not told her about him because she has enough on her plate. 

He is suffering some sort of dementia episode. They do not know if it is permanent or not. So far they do not know the cause.

My father-in-law (his father ) had Alzheimer's disease. Or there may be another cause.

So I will be renting a car and driving there. I considered other forms of travel and decided this is the safest. The airlines have people on so many flights who cause problems. The nearest train station is about 100 miles from here. Too far. I have traveled this route on the bus before. There is a layover in Chicago and a change of buses. A 2 hour layover is not my idea of fun.

Either way I will be packed in with a bunch of people who may or may not be vaccinated.  I will drive.

I will probably take my laptop with me. It depends. I my write a post or not. It depends.

Better? I Think Not

 I have no problem with anyone who thinks they are better than me. No they are not. They can be as good but they are not better. 

I remember a few. Examples are in order.

One town I lived in was also home to the chiropractor and his wife. They were better of financially than most members of the community. The wife wore expensive clothes and often wore a fur stole just to show off. 

She may have been a nice person. I did not know her. She was a short round woman who wore too much make-up. She had perfectly round very red rouge on her cheeks. Her eyebrows had been shaved or plucked completely off. It looked as if she painted eyebrows in their place.

She bowled in the women's bowling league. I usually was the pinsetter those nights. She would waddle up to the foul line and set her ball down. The slight slope of the lane would allow her ball to roll slowly toward the pins. It seemed like it took forever.

More than once the pins would stop the ball. Then I would have to carefully crawl out of the pits by way of the gutter,retrieve the ball, slide back through the gutter with the ball, and send the ball back to her.

As I said she may have been a nice person. She thought because her money could allow her to have nice things she was better than most folks in town. She was not better.

In another town lived a large woman. By large I mean tall and heavy...not fat just big. She fancied herself to be the social matron of the town. My sweet mother who rarely said an unkind word about anyone called her 'an old battle-ax'.

This woman reminded me of those society matrons in the old Three Stooges movies. She believed she was above everyone else and felt she should be the center of attention at all times.

Once at some social function she sauntered up to the buffet table. Of all the goodies at the table her eyes landed on the pickled crab apples. She picked one up by its stem and held it high in the air loudly (so everyone could hear) "Ah. Pickled crab apples!" 

She threw back her head to receive the delectable treat. The apple fell off the stem into her more than ample cleavage. Everyone noticed.

As you can see she was not better. Perhaps as good. I do not know.

My point is that everyone has good points and bad points. We are human. No better, no worse than the next guy.

 

 

Just Do It. Please

 Recently my youngest sister called me. She had seen on Facebook that a relative had died.

She was very pretty in her pictures. I never met her but she must have been a special person for my cousin to marry her.

I spoke to another cousin (his sister). She was preparing to go to the funeral which is next week. Since she lived in Oregon and the funeral will be in Nebraska she is planning on staying for a week.

My cousin's wife (which makes her my cousin) did not believe in getting the covid vaccine. Sadly she was in the hospital for a month before she died. Covid-19 was the culprit.

I do not argue with the beliefs of anyone who does not want to be vaccinated. You are entitled to your beliefs. At the same time I am entitled to be safe as are my children.

I want everyone safe and healthy. It is only a couple of shots in the arm and a few minutes of your time. 

There are various people who are actively asking you not to protect yourself. Many of them have already received their shots. 

If you are unsure do some research. Not from a religious leader, not from a politician, not from any famous person, not from me, certainly not from Facebook. Your own doctor would be a good person to ask. Then you can make an intelligent decision.

In the end I am going to hope you become vaccinated. Please. I do not want anything bad to happen to you.

What A Find

 

My sister found this picture online. It is of my great-great-grandfather. He is seated on the left. 

I know the names but I am not sure who the others are. I believe them to be my great-great-great-grandfather who is also seated. The other might be my great-great-uncle. 

So this is the grandfather of my mother's father. The internet is a wonderful place.

Life

 My part of the country seems to be teeming with life. I love seeing it.

I have been taking my son's dog for short walks. She needs the exercise even though she has free reign in the yard. She also needs to learn that she can survive without being at my son's side at all times. The walks have been fun.

On my way into town to pick up prescriptions  mother deer and her fawn ran out in front of me. The fawn was so small. But it was the first one out on the highway.

Of course the turkey vultures were out on a nice day like this. They soar and dive looking for prey. I did not see any turkeys today though.

I spotted a hawk just sitting on the ground by the road at the end of someone's driveway. It did not even flinch as a car came from the other direction on it's side of the road.

At home I saw a black ant. It was carrying another smaller black ant that was dead.

There was some sort of little red bu on the steps. At first I thought it was a box elder bug but it was not.

Now comes the shocker. I SAW BIGFOOT! It was right next to an old pickup in a country yard. What a shock!

Actually the Bigfoot was cut from metal. It was brown and rusted and sort of blended into the scenery. It woke me up let me tell you.

What Day Were You Born?

 

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace.

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living.

And the child born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.

 

                                                  Nursery Rhyme; Author Unknown

 

I was born on a Sunday. I am bonny and blithe, good and gay. I am a member of the Baby Boomer generation. My Chinese zodiac sign is the sign of the Pig. My star sign is Virgo. I was born the same day as actress Anne Archer, author Paulo Coelho, racing cyclist Roger De Vlaeminck, and Admiral Vladimir Masorin.

 

The father of my children was born on a Saturday. He did indeed work hard for a living. Member of Baby Boomer generation. His Chinese zodiac sign is the sign of the Rat. His star sign is Aries. He was born the same day as actor Edgar Selge, actor Adam Baumann, and member of European Parliament Jens-Peter Bonde.

 

My oldest son was born on a Monday. He is fair of face. He is a member of Generation X. His Chinese zodiac sign is Goat/Sheep. His star sign is Taurus. He shares his date of birth with chess player Simen Agdestein, rower Veronica Necula, diplomat Ernesto Araújo, politician Paul Low Seng Kuan, actress Madhuri Dixit, balalaika player Alexey Arkhipovsky, and baseball player John Smoltz.

 

My second son was born on a Friday. He is loving and giving.  He is a member of Generation X. His Chinese zodiac sign is Monkey. His star sign is Capricorn. Also born the same date as him are race-car driver Michael Schumacher, actor Ingo Brosch, actor John Ales, entrepreneur Lorenzo Fertitta, and actor Matheus Nachtergaele.

 

My third son was also born on a Friday. He is loving and giving. He is a member of Generation X. His Chinese zodiac sign is Rat. His star sign is Virgo. Other birthdays on the same day are boxer Derrick Gainer, Miss Nepal Ruby Rana, and snooker player Marcus Campbell.

 

My daughter was born on a Wednesday. She is full of woe. She is a member of Generation X. Her Chinese zodiac sign is Ox. Her star sign is Libra. Other birthdays the same as hers are singer Quique Gonzales, actress Deniz Ugur, soccer player Marcus Phillips, comedian Bhagwant Mann, and reality star Carlton Gebbia, 

So... what day were you born>

Happy Birthday, USA