Time Sure Does Fly ~

It is quiet here in the house. No pitter patter of small feet.  No doors slamming.  Sadly, I don't hear anyone calling "Aunt Rene" or "Lola". I've unpacked. My laundry is done. A months worth of mail is opened and put in the trash. I have a "boo boo" on my foot sort of ( I won't elaborate on that!!) that's slowed me down a little. So, I'm not running around just yet. I've been listening to plenty of music, which always seems to soothe my soul. However, I sure do miss The Browning Five. I can't help but feel a little somber.

Time sure does fly when you're having fun.

More tomorrow. ( I suppose that would be later today!)

I love y'all.

PS ~ If this is your first time reading my journal PLEASE go back to my first entry to read about the title MEET ME AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE!! Thanks!

What Was Your Favorite Memory From 2006?

        Happy New Year Everyone!! Welcome 2007!!!

The drive back to South Carolina was uneventful.  Except, for the traffic.  It took ten hours!!  The kids did really well considering.  I slept the majority of time.  I did wake up for the milkshake stop!  Hey, I'm a smart girl!  I have to tell you, the air quality is much better here.  As soon as we stopped I could breathe better.  Gotta love that.  I also have to pat myself on that back because on an average day ANYONE will tell you I am geographically challenged.  Don't ask me for directions, don't ask me to point to a state on a map.  I just don't know.  REALLY.  However, my sister asked me what exit to take off the highway at Anderson....and I knew.  Yeah, I did.  Yes, I was right!!!  Are you reading this Michelle, Red, Cass???  (doing the happy dance!!)

The new year was celebrated with champagne and GREAT food of course.  My father said a short prayer that stopped short of bringing my mother to tears.  That doesn't surprise anyone, does it?  Fireworks were supplied by neighbors, so we were lucky to be able to go outside and simply just watch them!!

Tonight was our last dinner all together before my sister and company will head back to DC in the morning. Pamela asked us what our favorite memory of the year 2006 was. There was much pondering going on.  Seriously, in an entire year to pick out one moment or time and decide it is your "favorite".  The children kept naming a few things and than changing their minds.  Even I was having a difficult time deciding. So narrowing it down to three...my summer vacation to Chicoteague with my brother in law and sister and kids, Christmas Eve, and Thanksgiving. My father who prefaced his favorite memory with what a hard year it has been, continued to say something about the look on my mother's face when she saw their new property and the house they are building....oh and I'd sure like to tell you his exact words but I was too busy grabbing for a napkin to wipe the tears coming from my eyes. Pamela did me in though. She decided she wasn't narrowing ANYTHING down to one memory, even though she was the one whoasked the question. Her favorite memories were the looks on her children's faces when they came off the rides at Disney World, and when her oldest daughter rides horses and feels accomplished, when she was able to spend a weekend with her husband, time spent with my parents on their boat just relaxing.  Ohhh my. Was I crying?  Was she?  Was my mother?  Yes. Yes. Yes.

I wish each of you a happy new year filled with moments and memories of love and laughter and blessings. 

I love y'all.

 

 

On The Road Again ~

My oncologist told me all this "living" is going to make me pop like an overstuffed vacuum cleaner bag.  I told him I wasn't so sure that was a great analogy! 

I ran out of steam Christmas evening. Stick a fork in me. I was done. Pooped. Toast. Down for the count. I got this horrible cough, a sore body, a fun rash, and a fever too!!  I just didn't want to move!

I came back from my brother in law's parent's house. (I have been going to Christmas dinner there since I was 16!!) Crawled into the shower, climbed into bed...and oh yes, you guessed it..... I did not come back out to play until Thursday afternoon. I'm still not fully "recovered" and again my oncologist says to me I just need to high tail it back to South Carolina and get into bed because my immune system just "isn't what it needs to be to fight infections".  Ha ha. He doesn't know me very well!!

Honestly though, it's a three hour count down.  At 10:00 am we are on the road again and starting back to South Carolina. My sister and family will come and celebrate the New Year. They will return back to DC, January 3rd.

I am almost completely packed.  However, I need an extra bag or two.  It must be all the gifts! 

Geez, I hope we still have room for the dog and the kids!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing You
And Yours A Very Merry Christmas!!!!

1:41 am Pamela, David, and I are all awake and wrapping presents. 
Nothing like crunch time!!!!!

I'm A Survivor!!

Today, it's been five years since my cancer diagnosis!! 
FIVE YEARS!!
I am a five year
CANCER SURVIVOR!!!

The Princess Takes The Metro, Plays At Houston's, And Does Philadelphia Too ~

I wasn't really thrilled about taking the Metro...and why didn't that guy talk louder so I could hear what stops he was approaching??  All in all, I got on the Metro to Rockville. The "trip" was uneventful and I was able to reconnect with my old friend, Beth  Oh no she isn't old in age!!  I've just known her since we were in diapers.  Matter of fact, we are only ten days apart.  We grew up with only one house in between us.  Our mothers used to sit on the front lawn with a blanket and just watch us play. Like I said, we were able to reconnect after a few years and I was thrilled to see her. Not to mention, meet her adorable son, and quite comical husband!!! 

I was off to Houston's on the Pike after my visit with Beth. (I decided the time spent with her was too short!! Next time, we'll have to make a day of it!) Michelle  planned a little "shin dig" for "the girls".  I could't imagine a better way to spend an evening out! Me and "my girls".  Oh and Ronny! (Ronny always has an invite extended to him...and ONLY seems to show face when he knows he's going to be the only gentleman present!!!)  Houston's isn't very PATRON FRIENDLY by the way.  So we won't EVER be going back there.  However, Barbie, Heather, Michelle, and I....Ohhh and again Ronnny had great food, talked about old times, and laughed loudly. You can't get any better than that!! Sue joined us half way through dinner.  I love Sue Bee!!  She's one of the nurses from my office.  Seeing her was like having a breathe of fresh air, a hundred times over.  THAT was long over due!!  Our "party" later moved itself to TGIFridays, where Jose was much more accomadating.  He even carded me!!  I could have kissed him! We had a few festive drinks, but called it an early evening (for us anyway). Our RING LEADER (Barb) had to work at 7:00 am, Michelle still had to get me back to the base, and I was Philly bound come morning.

Philadelphia here we come! My cousins Rachel and Jesse were fortunate enough to be born on the same day.  How my cousin Marsha managed that, I don't know.  But, she did it.  We went to Philly to celebrate their 15th and 21st birthdays and to visit with the relatives too!  Traffic was miserable.  We were in the car for four hours. It was a beautiful day though, and once we unloadedand got settled....who could complain!! The time spent with my family was amazing. There were moments of uncontrolled belly laughter where I thought I was going to fall over.  Irreplaceable! I always wonder why we didn't take the time to have more of these moments while we were growing up...but I don't suppose it matters now.  It only matters that we are taking advantage of the time we have together now.  I love that!

We left Philly around 8:30 pm.  Somwhere around 10:00 pm my tummy was telling me I wasn't very happy.  I suppose it was all that good food my aunt served us!!! (Damn, that chopped liver!!!)  Plastic bag in hand, window opened.....I heard my oldest niece tell the other two kids something about Aunt Rene isn't feeling well.  It really wasn't the words she was saying so much as the tone she said it in that caught my attention. It made me realize she actually GRASPS what is going on with my cancer.  THAT was painful.  It made me cry. Sigh.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. It is also something far greater than that.  However, you have to "stay tuned" if you want to know what!!

If I get my angel wings tonight and I don't see you tomorrow....meet me at the breakfast table, ok??

I love y'all so much!!

This Is What I Get....

From being outside with Ranger Rick and all the forest creatures. Or maybe it is from running around everywhere with my sister and the kids and not going to sleep early like I should.  Or perhaps it's from spending a few nights out late, gracefully swallowing a few fruity drinks too many.  It's probably a combination of all of the above. Not to mention, my compromised immune system. But oh my, I have a very bad cold!!!!!!!!!!

It's 3:08 pm. I have my big ole Clemson sweatshirt on with my flannel pj bottoms. I'm brewing some hot tea.  My sister just left to get cough drops for me.  It would be nice to snuggle into bed and go back to sleep but I still have Christmas cards I need to stamp!  Stop looking in your mailbox!!  I haven't sent them out yet!

You're thinking that maybe now I regret not slowing down and taking it easy?? Nope, not even a little bit!!!  It's all worth it. Like I always say, live in the moment. The moment is all we have.