A Letter from My Son!

Kaci was chosen to be on a Invitation for Juvenile Diabetes Foundation for a Fundraiser!

Subject: Favor

I normally don't send out blanket messages like this, but I made a promise to my daughter and so hopefully no one gets upset about it and I just ask that everyone spend a few minutes to read this message as it would mean a lot to my daughter and myself. I will explain the reason for sending this at the end.

A year ago on July 28th our lives were changed forever. We took our daughter Kaci who was 7 at the time to her doctor as we were concerned about some items and her doctor sent us immediately to Dell Children's Hospital. Kaci spent several days in the hospital and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. There are a lot of misconceptions about diabetes as many folks as get Type 2 diabetes at an older age when they may not be in the best of shape. Type 2 can be prevented and often kept under control with a good diet. Type 1 or more commonly know as Juvenile diabetes is an hereditary disease and cannot be prevented. A lot of people also think that diabetes just means not eating candy or sugar and that is absolutely not the case. Any Carbs taken into the body convert to sugar and so any carbs have to be monitored and given insulin for - this is fruits, breads, almost anything.

This is a lot for most adults to deal with, but for a 7 year old it is amazingly tough. Kaci has to take a minimum of four shots a day often more and has to poke her finger and draw blood on average of 7 times a day. Anyone that has kids and knows how hard it is to see your kids get shots it is amazing to think that Kaci has taken over 1500 shots in the last year and she has poked her finger over 3000 times. We have been to the emergency room when we can’t get her bloodsugar up. One day when she was sick we poked her fingers over 25 times to keep checking her bloodsugar. I can’t tell you how many times when her numbers are off that we have to wake her up at 2:00am to check her sugar.

I know there are guys out there that work with your hands and have callouses on them, but a pretty little girl should not have to have callouses all over her fingers from poking them everyday. By the time Kaci graduates highschool she will have take over 20,000 shots and poked her fingers over 30,000. Everywhere we have gone for the last year you have to bring her insulin, needles, test strips, blood sugar meter, and emergency sugar no matter where you go. And always taking her glycogen emergency needle in case she was to have a seizure. I hate that pen - I can’t tell you how many times in this year I have read the instructions so I will be prepared and know what to do if something was to happen. Just the thought of having to use it on my little girl makes me hate it as it always on the back of my mind.

With all those shots and pokes the actual worst part is watching an 8 year old go to beach and when all the other kids are getting ice cream pass as she knows if she has it she has to have an extra shot and as a kid you just don’t want to get more shots. To go to birthday parties and watch all other kids have cake and icecream and again will often pass as she is tired of the shots. It isn’t just sweets if she wants a banana, an orange, or strawberry after playing outside as a snack she has to take a shot. As a parent watching your child have to give up the little things of being a kid breaks your heart. To think she will have this to deal with the rest of her life unless we find a cure. She is only 8 now, but she is a shy girl already I think about will it be hard for her on her first date when she gets older to have to check her bloodsugar on her date to take a shot. I want her to be able to be a kid to grow up and not constantly think about this big weight that is always on her shoulders. I want her to go to a movie and be able to eat popcorn without having to measure it out, to go to a sleepover without worrying if the mom there can giver her a shot or else she can’t go. After a baseball game to be able to have an icecream cone with everyone else.

Diabetes leads to problems with your feet, often times blindness and just general health problems with shorter life expectancies. This disease gets the best of a lot of people, but Kaci has chosen not to just live with it. At 8 years old she has chosen to fight for a cure. I am so proud of my daughter - she takes on her own any money she gets from allowance, from her grandparents, anything she gets she puts half in a bank to raise money for JDRF. Instead of buying toys or dolls or any other things 8 year olds waste money on. She has donated books and toys to Dell Children’s Hospital because they took good care of her. She volunteers to stuff folders to give to schools that have fundraisers for Juvenile diabetes. She went on weekends to sit around and take pictures to be on invitations for diabetes fundraisers.

She has chosen to fight and thus my promise. I promised my daughter that as long as she fought this terrible disease I would always fight with her. I hate asking people for money, but if my daughter can raise money I can try as well. If you have $5, $10, $20 or anything you can spare please make a donation to my daughter’s Race for the Cure walk team. you can mail her a check made out to JDRF or you can go the tabs on my facebook page and click on donations and make a payment on my meter with a credit card.

My daughter is fighting for a cure and my promise is to always fight along beside her...

Needless to say when Clint sent this to me on my Facebook I cried like a baby sitting in front of this computer.

When I found out Kaci was diagnosed a year ago today I went into a deep well of depression and was not sure if I could climb back out. For this I am ashamed because I was little help to my son and DL with the grief they were having to deal with. It was around this time that I started writing on my blog hoping to release some of that hurt and never dreamed that it would lead to such wonderful friendships.

It was double hard having Kaci diagnosed because of her age and that I had went through this with my oldest son Chad when he was thirteen and it devastated me then all those years ago and then to have it come back to my only granddaughter well I know I don't have to say anymore.

Chad thank God has taken care of himself and does well with controlling his diabetes. I know some of you have this and I think of you too wondering how you are doing and feeling.

I shared this letter from my son because I knew that you would want to know about what kind of man I have for a son and what a brave young lady I have for a granddaughter. God has Blessed me over and over. So once again I am asking for prayers for a Cure of this disease Diabetes before another child is diagnosed with it.

Needless to say I am so very proud of both Kaci and her Dad.

Love to all
Maggie

Kaci's site for her fundraiser!

Sorry Clint could not ever get yours to copy and paste for me...lol

My Special Visit and a Giveaway

As most of you know I have been blessed in life with three wonderful children. Two sons and a daughter. Well Saturday my middle son Clint came to check on me and see if I needed anything. Bless his heart he went to the grocery store and brought back all kinds of things but my favorite of course was that he remembered how much I love Cookies. Yep give me a cookie and I am set for the day. Of course with a Diet Dr. Pepper and he did not forget those either.

I enjoyed my visit with him so much and would of loved to have seen my grandbabies and his wife too but you know its good to have just one on one time with a son. Thank you Clint for all you do for your mom. The brownies are good too. lol

Now since I am almost back on my feet I wanted to do a Thank You giveaway for all your prayers and get well wishes. I am a strong believer in being lifted up in prayer by many. So please don't hesitate if you need a prayer for yourself or others. Just ask!

I collect Mola's from Panama and frame them or make pillows. Some people even make purses. Endless possibilities. For this giveaway I am offering one winner a choice of ONE of these three Mola's.

This Mola is an unusual one for Christmas with number 25!
The one below is a sweet Angel.

All you need to do to be entered in this giveaway is to leave me a lovely comment on this post only and of course be a follower of mine. The winner will be chosen by the famous Random Generator. Let's end it August 6th at midnight central standard time. I picked that August 6th because I am hoping to be released from the doctor on that day.

Good luck to all that enter and Bless you for being such a dear friend to me.

Love to all

Maggie

Can You Wash An Electric Blanket?

Okay my friends that is a question I have wanted to ask you since last April. The reason I am asking now is because Yes it looks I am going to be needing a way to stay warm this winter because both of my surgeries results were God sent because all of your prayers. The first thing I saw when I woke up was my sister-in-law Linda and then the doctor walked in and asks me. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” You’re good on both ends and there were no polyps! I have scar tissues in my throat from not being able to swallow for a while but otherwise good. YEP you read it right! All is Good!

I cried from happiness and praised God for all of our prayers being answered. Saying Thank you does not ever seem enough for all that you do for me. It is time for another Thank you giveaway and I am working on it now and will let you know in a few days what it will be.

Your comments were helpful about having a colonoscopy and don’t think for a minute I did not read each every one of them and appreciated all the advice. So if anyone ever wants me to leave a comment about my experience I would have to say it would read something like this :
Go to the store and buy these products to save yourself a lot of pain and aggravation. You will need a big jar of petroleum jelly or Vaseline and the biggest box of Depends on the shelf and the twenty-four pack of toilet tissue. Softest money can buy!

Now then you will be ready for the night of horror. Read the instructions carefully on the kit and two hours after taking the two pills be ready to Run like Hell! Yep it totally happens without any notice and that’s where the Depends would have come in handy.

Then two hours later you’re drinking the mix that will make you think that you were a dang fool for agreeing to such punishment. Several hours after your drink from hell then you guessed it is time again to run like hell. Once again Depends are needed.

Oh and then several hours into the running you might just throw your guts up. This does not happen to everyone but it can and does happen. I was one of the lucky ones.

By the next morning you will figure out why I told you about the Vaseline. Also don’t fool yourself into thinking this running only last a few hours. Nope mine lasted until they wheeled me into surgery. Oh and if you think the running stops after surgery take my word for it It Don’t! haha
So much for my comment….its all over and I am so ready for the next chapter in my life.

Oh and I know the question you all are waiting for me to answer was my doctor a Penguin or a McDreamy? I was hoping for a in between but he was more of a young Clint Eastwood and his bedside manner was all this ole lady could of hoped for. We got to talking and I asked him if he was married. I know how could I but I am one of those crazy mothers looking for Mr. Right for her daughter. He laughed and asked,”Why?” I laughed and told him and he said,”Oh I thought maybe you were wondering if I was like the doctor in Something’s Got to Give and I go for older women. Of course everyone laughed then and I was beet red….then I said, “A girl can dream can’t she?”

The anesthesologistt suggested that they not put me under so we could laugh some more but I insisted I was through with crazy questions and the next thing I knew it was sweet dreams.

I truly believe with all my heart without you I could not have made it through these past three months.
God has given me a gift today and I hope to give one back to him. I have a chance to get to know all of you better and to keep writing silly post.

So my answer to his question What Do I want to be when I grow up would be a better mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and friend to all of you.

And now Can You Wash An Electric Blanket?

“It seems to me that trying to live without friends is like milking a bear to get cream for your morning coffee. It is a whole lot of trouble, and then not worth much after you get it.”……Zora Hurston



Sweet Dreams,

Maggie

A Man That Works On Both Ends!

Hi there just wanted to check in with all of you today and see how you are doing! The last time we talked I was moaning and groaning about having a colonoscopy and you once again pulled me together by leaving me such hilarious and some helpful comments.


Today I wanted to update you on the latest happenings in this never ending cycle of the crazy life of Maggie. When the nurse called and scheduled the colonoscopy they made it for 8:45 Friday morning in College Station. So I agreed and then she calls me back about thirty minutes and later and told me that the doctor had looked at my file and saw that I need my throat surgery done too. Well much to my surprise she said that he was scheduling me for both at the same time. Whoa I thought I misunderstood the woman.

I did not mean to scream into the phone but pretty sure it came out that way I said, “You mean this doctor does both ends!” She sort of laughed and said “Well I guess you could put it that way!”

I am sorry but I guess this ole grandma has lived such a sheltered life because not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be going to get a colonoscopy and at the same time have my throat stretched. Did this man not make enough money doing doopers as my grandchildren call them( they won’t let me use word butt) so he starts doing throat stretches too.
So I told his nurse which I am sure she has heard it a hundred times before, “Well I guess that’s ok but only if he does my throat first!” I would hate to think of him getting confused and using the wrong instruments for the same surgery.

I know gross right but you know when someone tells me something that does not quite seem right to me my mind goes ninety to nothing thinking of all the possibilities. It has been two days since my talk with her but I still can not imagine a man that is smart enough to do both ends.

They sent me to the pharmacy for my prep kit and boy am I excited about doing that today. Nothing to eat today for this ole gal but liquids. Thank goodness I can have my Diet Dr. Pepper. Honestly if they had taken that away from me they would have had to comatose me for the whole day. So at noon I take two pills and then around four the drink from hell is to be taken every 10 minutes until it is all gone. Who are they kidding it will take me an hour to drink one glass full. Then the fun should begin. I will live in my bathroom for the next few hours. Ok you get the picture no use going any further.

I still though can not believe that in the morning I am having both ends done. Do you remember the post I did about I had rather have hemorrhoids coming out of both ends than to be in my pain? Well I remember at the end of the post I said Oh God why did I say that because with my luck this could happen. Seems like to me whatever you put out there in the universe it comes back to you one way or the other.

Anyway I just pray that this doctor looks like a penguin so it won’t matter that he is looking at not the best part of me to look at. Of course now at my age what is the best part to look at. Another time and post I guess we can discuss that issue.

So while you are eating all your yummy food today just remember there is an ole lady in Texas wishing she were with you having whatever it is your having.

It will be a long day not having a cookie or a meal but it could be worse. I could get a doctor tomorrow who doesn’t know one end from the other.

Hope all of you enjoyed Dulcy’s great story she wrote for us. Who is next? Remember we all have a story to tell!

Love to all

Maggie

PS
I hopefully will be back on here late Friday night or Sat morning with the results. I have been told they will know right away so lets hope this is the end of doctors for me for a long while. Go back to the Neurosurgeon on August 6th and he might just release me to go back to work.

Our Next Blogazine Guest is Dulcy!

Hi everyone! My name is Dulcy Stewart and I live in an old rock house in the Ozarks.

I share my home with my photographer husband Jim Mayfield, http://jimayfieid.blogspot.com/
And a couple of lovely little kitties, Iris and Willow.

I was so happy one day when I discovered the sweetest comment from Maggie on my blog. I immediately hopped over to her blog wondering just who this “Grandma Yellow Hair” could possibly be. I don’t know how she found me, but I’m so thrilled that she did! Her stories are a delight, and had me giggling by the end of her first paragraph.

My blog, dulcysdoorstep, http://www.dulcysdoorstep.blogspot.com/
 is mostly about my passion for fiber art, and my journey as a rug hooker. I also add other images from my life. If you don’t know what rug hooking is, check out my blog and the many others I have linked to talented rug hookers from all over. The technique is simple…. pulling wool loops through linen to create a design.

The above is a rug I did inspired by a den of fox pups being raised in our yard. We live on a couple of wooded acres in a rather old wooded part of our town. We watched litters being raised over the past few years, and are totally smitten with the little fox families. Just about all my rug designs are inspired by nature and things I love.


My most recent creation is this tote I hooked for fall. I love to design and hook handbags. All my hooked pieces are made with wool hooked onto linen. This tote is lined with a plaid wool that matches the strap.

At this point I would like to share with you a bit of background about myself, and how I became so passionate about fiber art, and all arts and crafts.

I have been lucky to have the most talented, self-taught artist for a mom. Growing up, I never knew skipping home from the bus stop what I would find. I can remember walking into my room to discover an old time school desk. Remember the ones where the whole top lifted up to get your stuff out? Those were the best desks ever! Well, mom had picked one up somewhere and painted it a beautiful light country sort of blue. She then hand-painted the top with a quill and ink pen running down the side with vines and flowers. Gosh…. What I wouldn’t give to have that today! It probably ended up in a garage sale many, many years ago. I was the only kid in school with a hand-painted lunchbox. It had butterflies and flowers, which surrounded my name on the front. Mom had also given it an old worn look by antiquing it with rubbed gold paint (she was a visionary definitely ahead of her time!) Another piece I could just cry about not having kept.



Mom and I, eventually when I was old enough to help, made most of my clothes. I would get so frustrated when coveting some cute outfit in a shop window, and mom’s words would be, “We can make that.” Off on another trip to the fabric store for patterns, material, zippers, and such. As I reflect back on these times, I’m so thankful for the skills and the art of sewing that my mom instilled in me. I still sew, but mostly it will be constructing a hooked bag I’m working on, or possibly a piece of clothing I’m trying to embellish. I use the same sewing machine that I bought when I was 18 and it was used when I bought it. In other words it’s very, very old!



As my life ebbed and flowed with all kinds of situations, good and bad (as life tends to do) one thing remained constant. I was either drawing, painting, stitching, sewing, crocheting, needle pointing, and now rug hooking.



I’m still doing all of those things, but rug hooking is my main passion and focus of attention. I retired from twenty-three years in the teaching profession, which I dearly loved. But now, I have more time to be me. During my last year of teaching, I daydreamed about how retirement might look. I had worked my entire life starting with babysitting jobs at about age twelve. I was ready for some “Dulcy time!”



I decided on many things that I would do. Volunteer, spend time with other friends who had given up the 9 to 5 world, home projects, etc. But…. The most important thing I wanted to accomplish was to bring art into my life everyday. It’s not that I wasn’t doing that before. I believe we surround ourselves with art constantly (if we pay attention). How we dress, prepare and present food, garden, and arrange our homes. For me though, I wanted a more conscious and purposeful artful life.



Last fall I began designing and hooking more than ever. I spent more time with my sketchpad, and am now taking drawing lessons and I try to draw a little each day. Yes, everyone can draw!



I have given more attention to my life as art, and where I can enhance it daily. I rug hook most every day, even if that means sketching, looking at other hooker’s work on blogs, in books, or on display. I recently returned from Maine where I took a class with Jane Halliwell Green, http://rugsandpaintings.typepad.com/







She teaches rug hooking from a more painterly fashion, and I learned just gobs of great new techniques, made new friends, ate lobster every way imaginable (including creamed on toast), and came home more inspired to rug hook than ever. You see, Maine and Nova Scotia (where we spent some time after my class was over) are where rug hooking originated. From what I have learned, the art goes back close to 200 years. I carried one of my hooked bags with me, and people would comment about it and share stories of watching moms and grandmothers hooking rugs. Lots of old hooked rugs show up in motels, restaurants, and other places we explored. Rug hooking is shown in art galleries, museums, and gift shops. I was where I needed to be!



The thing about rug hooking is that to me, it’s sort of a metaphor for life. The process is slow, deliberate, and somewhat labor intensive. This means one must be patient. Each loop pulled is like a step. Sometimes they are purposeful, and other times they simply meander along. The meandering can lead to some of the best designs! Please drop by my blog for a visit anytime!

I just had to share Dulcy with all of you! Thank you honey for writing this great story for us. All of you are so gifted and do so much with your creativeness that I am always in awe of what you do.  Your rugs are truly beautiful and I wish I lived close where you could teach me.

I have to figure out what I need to be doing because I miss that part of my life when I created. Yes believe it or not I use to do things besides mow and chase bad guys. lol



Love to all
Maggie

My Test Results!

Hello everyone,
Tonight I was going to post another wonderful Blogazine story written by Dulcy along with my test results but did not want to take away from Dulcy's story so be sure and come back tomorrow for that post.

I finally got thru to my Doctors Nurse and she said she had be trying to call me all last week and I told her the same but they would not put me thru to her. She was calling the wrong number.

Anyway the results were somewhat a shock to me and I am beside myself right now so will make this a short post. Now that will be a first. Right!

The mass under my breast is a hiatel hernia which she said that the doctor was not as worried about that as he was about the lymph nodes around my colon are swollen.  So now I am waiting on a doctor to schedule me a colonoscopy.  Yes the dreaded oh colonoscopy test that I have never had and of course now regret that I have not ever had one.

Of course I did the big No NO and looked up swollen lymph nodes around the colon and that was a mistake. Would not be so worried but with my history of Breast Cancer I have to admit I am scared.

It's been a long weekend waiting to know something and now I kind of wish I did not know anything. lol
Once again I thank you for all the prayers and encouragement. I can not imagine not having you in my life.
It's about the only thing in my life this past year that I don't regret.

Thanks for being my friend!

Please come by tomorrow and welcome Dulcy.

Love to all
Maggie

Warning Cheating Penguin on Facebook!

Yesterday I opened up my emails and there in the inbox was a message from someone sending me a message on facebook. Did not recognize the name but opened it anyway to see what it was about.

Turns out it was a very strange email from a woman I have never heard of and still have not a clue who could she be. She wrote, “Please Do Not take my Cheaten Penguin Bas****  boyfriend away from me!” Of course my first reaction was “Whoa what is this idiot talking about and what is a Cheaten Penguin?”

Sadly it was the most pitiful email for a woman to write another woman. I felt bad for her that she felt like she had to beg another woman to leave her man alone. She goes on about how he finds women all the time on facebook then becomes friends with them and drops her for a while and uses the other woman and then comes back to her. According to her they have been together over 15 years and he has done this many times and she felt that I should be warned about him. Then after her begging the woman shifts gears and starts saying how she was the one that was in his arms now and for me to back off. She also mentions that they do plan on getting married.

She explains to me that she has found where he has been writing me emails and trying to get to know me. Funny that I don't have any emails on my facebook from some Penguin.
So here I have an email from a total stranger one minute begging me to leave her Cheaten Penguin Bas **** boyfriend alone and the next warning me to back off. First of all I have been lying flat on my back in bed for two months alone except for Tinkerbell and have not had the time nor the desire to chase a man much less one that looks like a Penguin.

Well you guessed it Ms. Pearl comes out and starts typing a reply to this woman. If you are a follower you know Ms. Pearl can and does get somewhat carried away when she thinks someone is stepping on her toes.
Ms Pearls reply was

Who in the heck are you? What makes you think that I would want to date a Penguin? First of all I never have dated a Penguin and why at my age would I start now. Next lady I certainly would not want a piece of crap like you are trying to hang on to and why PLEASE tell me do you want him? No one on this earth is worth having if you have to beg other women not to steal him away from you. Come on! To think you would even consider marrying a man like this is crazier than anything I have ever done and believe I HAVE done some crazy things.
Please send me $50.00 for my advice and if you need more advice the price will go up!

Well I did not hit the send button because I have not replied to this email yet. I did forward her email to my friend Alan and this is what he sent me back today to send to her!

Dear So and So,

I wanted to thank-you for your very informative email. I just wish I would've received this before I let him spend the nite. But too late for that. Anyway I am really confused as to why you are trying so hard to keep him cause he sure isn't very good in bed. But then I guess you may be really easy to satisfy. That brings me to the main reason I wanted to reply to your email and that is I was wanting to make sure that you knew I told him in advance about the herpes warts but he didn't seem to care. He was in a hurry but I am sure you are familiar with that. So don't call me when you break out with that disgusting medical problem. One last thing…do you really think if you marry that cheating penguin bast…. he will stop his errant ways? Think about it . You can sprinkle sugar on a turd but it still smells like sh**…

OF Course I did not send that one either!

I am ashamed to admit that last night Alan and I laughed our fool heads off for quite a while about this email from this stranger. We were laughing so hard because she kept calling him a Cheaten Penguin. Is that even a word Cheaten? Also Alan and I could not figure out was she trying to say her boyfriend looks like a Penguin or is there such a thing going around now called a Cheaten Penguin Bas.......Let's face it I am behind on things after being confined to my room for two months.

The email in itself was nothing to laugh at because obviously the woman not only has wrote the wrong girlfriend but it is terribly sad that any one would stay in a relationship such as the one she is obviously involved in with this guy.

Alan will now for the next week or so be sending me every joke in the world about Penguin's and of course drilling me about my activities on facebook. Like I have explained to him over and over I only got on there to play their game Farmville with my granddaughter and that never happened and I rarely sign in to it because it is really not my thing. Obviously it is for some people though. hahaha

Now my question for you my friends is what reply should I send to this woman or should I even reply. I know all of you can beat Ms. Pearls reply and possibly Alan's. So give it a try.

After reading Kim's last comment to me on the post before this I am not sure she will believe that I am innocent of all charges.

Another question I know we all get pretty crazy on here sometimes and do you possibly think someone that reads my blog and knows I am on facebook wrote me this as a joke. Bunny honey are you playing a joke on me or JoJo or Shell come on someone confess.

This afternoon I called the Doctors office for the third time about my C scan and of course they gave me the same ole run around that when the doctor knows anything he will call me. Well I almost cried to hear this knowing that I had already waited a week and now a long weekend ahead with no news.

Oh well as the saying goes No News Is Good News. Things could be worse I could have a Cheaten Penguin Boyfriend!

Sweet Dreams
Maggie

Sissie's Shabby Cottage is having a giveaway for $60.00 gift certificate from CSN be sure and click here to win!

Pool Therapy!

Just thought for a change of pace I would share my pool therapy experiences with all of you.
The very minute the neurosurgeon mentioned that I was going to be doing pool therapy my brain went into overdrive visioning myself in a bathing suit. I completely blocked out everything else he was saying to me and just sat there thinking that if anyone sees me in a bathing suit they will need therapy afterwards. Thank goodness Sharon was with me in the room because I knew she would hear what I did not.

Never mind the man was explaining to me about how I needed to lay flat on my back for the next 8 weeks and did I have someone at home to take care of me. Nope did not hear anything except the words Pool Therapy!
I live in a small town that was established way back when Columbus found America. Never did my history on the town since this is not where I was born and raised but most of the old families are of German descent. Your thinking here she goes off on a totally different story than the one she started. But you see all the way back from the doctor’s visit from College Station I was telling Sharon the only bathing suit I am getting into will be one like they wore in the 1900’s. She of course being the friend she is started calling every woman in town over 85 asking them if they had one of those bathing suits. She even put it on our Country Store. Desperately in need of a woman’s bathing suit from the early 1900’s. Thank God she did not tell them why she wanted one. Since Sharon is a collector of everything no one probably thought anything of it.

No luck so now what. I talked to the people at the Rehab place and they told me I could wear anything that was not cotton so if I found shorts and T-shirts that were not cotton that would be fine.

Usually when I have a crazy problem my friend Alan and I laugh about it on the phone. He usually being older than me can come up with some pretty good ideas sometimes I listen sometimes I lay the phone down and go do other things. This was one of those times I should of laid the phone down because I said something like can you just see me in a bathing suit and he replied, "That is a vision I am trying real hard not to experience!" Smart alec!
He suggested I go to the men’s department at Wal Mart and buy what he wears around the house during the summer because they are so comfortable and they were 100 percent polyester. So I go to Wal Mart went right where he told me they would be and bought me a pair of men’s polyester shorts and tank top. Tried them own in the dressing room and since they were men’s the outfit pretty much looked like the bathing suits they wore a century ago. The shorts were long and baggy and the top well we want go there.

A kind sales lady there new what I looking for so she brought me several women’s bathing suits to the dressing room and tried to convince me that I should buy one of those instead. I tried them own and actually screamed when I turned and looked in the mirror. Oh my Gosh it is hell getting old. Well I told her no but heck no I was sticking to men’s outfit.

Well that night our sweet friend Susan from Art of Mine called to check on me and of course I explained to her what I did and she is laughing on the other end trying to imagine me going to therapy in what I had bought. She then saved the day by telling me that she had been to a Wal Mart there and saw some cute women’s bathing suit shorts with tops that matched. I told her I was sure they did not have them at mine because the kind ole lady there never showed me anything like what she was talking about. I did promised Susan I would go back and see if they did have anything like she was talking about.

Much to my surprise they did have them and once again a friend from Blog land saved my day. I bought the biggest pair of white shorts they had because the black ones were only in small sizes and I found a cute top to go with the shorts. I take them in the dressing room and the shorts are fine except for white on white you could not tell where the shorts ended and my legs began. But the top was a different story. It was of course low cut and backless with two straps. I kid you not in this top my boobs looked like they had dropped to my waist. No support I guess might give you that look. Not sure because I know I am not that old yet. Getting there yes but Jeezzz Marie. So I played with the straps and pulled them up several inches and thought well this might work if I take it home and tack them up.

Traded the men’s outfit for this one and felt a little better about being seen in public in a bathing suit. Of course while shopping I bought the biggest beach towel they sold so I could cover my bod up walking to the pool.

As the day got closer I tried on the suit again and realized just too much cleavage for a woman my age. Plus my tattoo from my radiation treatments showed and if you can see that then you can see too much of my breast. Hahaha I kept thinking okay what next. I went into my one and only closet in this ole farm house and started searching for something that might work under it. I found a tank top that was not cotton and it had you know one of those built in support things where you could wear it without a bra. Bingo I put in on under the bathing suit and NOT Bad at least my front was covered.

Well the day I dreaded came and I went into the dressing room to change. I guess I was taking too long because one of the instructors came to find me. I don’t know if she thought I had fallen or what but she hurried me out of there.

I rounded the corner from the dressing room to the pool area and immediately I thought I was an extra in the movie Cocoon. You know the movie about all the old people that gather in this pool and all kinds of things happen to them from outer space and they feel like a million dollars. Would you believe all of sudden I felt like Marilyn Monroe! I felt young and alive because everyone in the pool had to be a good twenty or thirty years older than me. Isn’t it strange how God answers so many of our prayer’s even the small ones. I wasn’t afraid of sending someone into therapy for seeing me in my suit because I figured at the distance I was from them most of them poor things could not see me.

Once in the pool I felt good because then they could only see me from the neck up. The pool felt good and since my fall I felt good and so I enjoyed doing the little exercises they gave me to do. I was even having so much fun watching the others that I did not keep count of how many I was doing. Which turned out to be a big mistake two days later. By Sunday I hurt so bad I could not get out of bed. You can bet that when I went yesterday I made sure I did no more than the ten count and maybe sometimes I might have stopped at 8.
The only thing bad is the pool is small and at times too crowded and the first day I kept running into the old man who had his leg stuck out in back with a weight on it. He was tall and I could not figure out why he was in the four foot end where I had to be to keep from drowning. So I kept bumping into him and I did it so much he thought I was flirting with him. He started grinning from ear to ear and winked at me. That’s when I decided what the heck I will go to the deep end and take my chances of drowning.

Still no word on my test but with all your prayers I just know the results will be fine. I went back to the workers comp doctor today and she would not release me until August 6th and that was only if it was desk duty and light duty and only four hours a day. Well there is no light duty in law enforcement and we work 12 hour shifts so I dropped the paper work off with my Captain he looked at it and shook his head. What that means I don’t know but we shall see. I seriously doubt they will consider letting that happen so I will continue to go stir crazy looking at the ceiling a while longer.

Loved the Blogazine story Karen did for all of us. Thanks Karen for taking the time to do it.

Also thank you all for all the lovely comments and encouraging words. I hope to catch up on all my blogging visits.

Love to all

Maggie

PS
Sorry did not realize this post was a chapter long! Will of course let you know my results as soon as I know them.

Welcome Karen as our next Blogazine Guest!

Life is like a book with many


different chapters

Some tell of tragedy

Some Chapters

are dull and ordinary

others intense and exciting



The Key to being

a success in life

is to never stop on a difficult page

to never quit on a touch chapter



Champions have the courage

to keep turning the pages

because they know better chapters lie ahead.

My life is like a book, some chapters I have had control of and some chapters have been written by others, and yet I had to go through each chapter to make me the person I am today, a person who when I look in the mirror......... I like........... Maggie asked me to do a blog and what better way to introduce myself............ but with a story this is my story.

Once upon a time a long, long time ago a little girl was born in a town in the middle of England and her name was Karen Elizabeth, when she was 8 years old her parents decided to go on an adventure to deepest, darkest Africa.......... her father had always been a restless spirit..... they arrived in the land of sunshine with three daughters , aged 4,8 and 12, five suit cases, five hundred pounds and a mountain of hope and dreams ......................

Karen Elizabeth was a very shy girl and spent most of her growing up years a bright red colour.....her parents send her to an all girls school, which did nothing about her ability to mix with the opposite sex..........

After school a stay in England forced her to get over her shyness and taught her how to communicate with people, but she had very few boyfriends so when Prince Charming arrived at the castle gates she fell madly in love............ did not think of the things that a union require, friendship, similar hobbies, the ability to communicate , they say that the chemical reaction called love lasts 2 years and then it is all about the foundation that was built, and it is sad that her union was built on the sand, which slowly washed away, grain by grain and although almost 30 years later they parted ways....... he was always her first and only love the problem was he was not prepared to be her knight in shining armour, he only wanted her to be his slave...............

During the union of these two people two beautiful daughters were born, both brought up by their mother to be independent free thinking girls, who could look after themselves, and who would stand up to anyone or anything that might come across their paths. Both completely different from one another Kira the sensible one, the artistic one, the sensitive one, and Kayla the people person, will try anything, will do anything, will speak to anyone, so different in nature and yet so alike in their values, their dislike of unfairness their dislike for people taking advantage, their constant support for the underdog .....................

God started worked in her life, and took her to places where she never thought possible, doing church services, organising woman's retreats and ladies tea's......... this from someone who was more at home in the boardroom, her nicknames, Iron Lady, the Ice princess, Cruelle de Villa..... someone who went back to work when her children were a few weeks old , who hated children's parties, who never had a conversation about nappies, or vomit or sleepless nights............all of this was to get her ready for the changes that were to come....... changes that would turn her world upside down, and yet the right way up............... .....

He brought into her life, an abundance of friends who cared about her, and for her, who took her into their hearts and into their lives, so that she could begin to build a new life for herself.

And as all fairy tales end, she will live happily ever after, there will be a knight who will ride up on his white horse, and look after her............... because she knows it is what she deserves, and because she knows she is worthy.................

I think the best thing about life, is that there is always a tomorrow, and it doesn't matter what a mess you make of today, tomorrow is there to try again........ and again ..... and again......

Thank you Karen for doing this wonderful story for all us. I know everyone would like to find Karen so please  go to her site at Life Is What You Make It...She is a sweetheart to get to know
.
I can not begin to thank all of you for your prayers. Sunday I stayed in bed all day due to pain I thought the all day thing was behind me but honestly I think I overdid it at the Pool Therapy. You can bet on Tuesday when I go again I will not do more than what I am suppose to do. hahaha Also I know I promised a post and pictures so that is coming but I wanted you to meet Karen since she has been waiting long enough for me to do her story.
Today is my c scan scheduled for 10:00am. I feel good about it because of all of your prayers. I know whatever happens God is still there for me along with all of you and my family.
But just in case the news is not what we want to hear you have all been promoted to Warden ... lol (see Warden post a few post back) Test results take a while so it may be Wednesday before I know anything. I also have to get busy after this scan and find a doctor to do my throart surgery. Isn't it crazy we have to do the searching for doctors under our insurance. I was surprised when the doctor gave me this task to do. Jeezz Marie what has our medical world come to. Next they will have us doing our on surgeries. Gripe gripe .......and gripe some more.

Remember if any of you want to be a Blogazine Guest be sure and send me your story. grandmayellowhairsblogazine@gmail.com  Remember we all have a story to tell. If any of you have sent me a story and you have not been posted on here please please let me know. As crazy as my life has been the last few months I could of missed yours.



Love to all
Maggie

Big Girl Panties!

Thanks to all of your prayers that by the way are already working, I got up this morning and put on my Big Girl Panties! Who could not do just that after reading all your lovely encouraging comments. You never let me down and always know what to say to get this ole gal going.

Your loving comments touched me just like Warden Henderson's words if not more. So what if these test are not what we want to hear then it's nothing left to do but to kick butt and fight. A lot of you have been through this yourselfs and did not sit around having pity parties you put on your Big Girl Panties and beat it.

Knowing you as I know you I had to do this post before the weekend because I did not want you worrying about me over the weekend.  I am okay and to show you I am not taking this lying down I made up my bed this morning. lol  Since my accendent I have been in this bed so much it hardly ever gets made up.

My cat scan is scheduled for 10am Monday morning. They have not scheduled my throart surgery yet.

My next post will be about my pool therapy yesterday afternoon. I might even include pictures. Too crazy
was that experience. You should of seen me this morning when Tinberbell was slapping me awake for her breakfast....I almost had to crawl to the kitchen...I think I overdid the therapy. lol

Remember I love and appreciate each of you!


What happiness there is when I awake to find near me the gift of a Morning! ..Abbie Graham
and you as my friend....Maggie

Once Again I Need You!

This is a picture of Warden Henderson, Me, Captain Starkey and my friend Sharon. I have forgotten now why the Captain thought I needed to be blown up like a dumb blond.

Years ago on my 45th Birthday I remember lying on a cold steel table in a hospital being tattooed for the beginning of ten weeks of radiation. I had been told a month before I had Breast Cancer and so after surgery the treatments would be the next defense against this horrible cancer. What was really strange about being my 45th Birthday was my dad was also diagnosed with Breast Cancer when he was 45.

I remember every day driving myself to treatments an hour away and then afterwards to work which was just a thirty minute drive from there. This went on until my last three treatments when my Asst. Warden at the Prison I worked sent me home for at least three days of rest. He took one look at me during the last week and decided enough was enough. Go Home!

This Warden took my having Breast Cancer as hard as or even harder than I did. Not a day went by that he did not come looking for me to see if I was still keeping my head up. The day I found out he took me into his office and for the first ten minutes he just sat there with the saddest expression and neither one of us said anything. I got up to leave thinking why did he call me in his office if he was not going to say something. When I got to the door he said, “Don’t let me catch you without your head up and a smile on your face or you will be back in the office!” I looked at him like he had lost it and went back to my assigned area. Little did I know that was the best advice anyone gave me during my cancer. Because he was telling me Maggie you’re going to fight this and you’re going to do it with your head up. I made up my mind that day I was going to do just that and I fought and won.

The reason for me telling you this story is because I can’t sleep tonight because there is a chance that I may need to hear those words again. On and off for a long time I have had problems swallowing and years ago had my esophagus stretched and now it is closing up again and now my doctor will start the ball rolling tomorrow to find a Doctor to do this surgery that of course carries my insurance at the Sheriff’s Dept. His only concern with the throat is that it has been going on too long and that increases the chances for cancer.

This though was not his biggest concern because remember the other day I mentioned waking up with pains in other areas besides the back and neck. I was hurting really bad under my left breast and after looking and feeling of it there is a mass there which I told him it could be from my fall. It could be I broke a few ribs when I fell but the thinks I would have known it before now but I told him I have been on so many pain pills and my back hurting so bad that maybe I did not realize this was hurting too. Well he is concerned more about the Breast Cancer returning so he ordered a CAT scan for that area.

I felt bad telling my kids about it tonight because it seems like all I ever have lately is bad news. I was going to wait and tell you after my test were run but could not sleep knowing that I should tell you because if this were you I would want to know plus I truly believe in the power of prayer by many. So my friends once again I need your prayers. Not sure when they will do the C scan hopefully by Friday. Tomorrow is my pool therapy but if they sat up a C scan I will do my best to do both. Not sure when the throat surgery will be but it is an in an out procedure and if they don’t find anything in there it will be a piece of cake.

Of course my doctor told me not to jump to any conclusion and to not worry. Which I will do my best to think of Warden Henderson and hold my head up and pray for the best.

I am hoping it is just a broken rib causing this pain.

Boy I have been a pain to all of you lately but without you I would of already gone AWOL.
Hope you all entered Donna’s giveaway! I can not wait to see the finished piece.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being my friend and listening to my troubles. Now that I know you are praying for me I can go to sleep. I was lying here thinking before I got up to do this post about my kids, my grand kids and you. If this does turn out not to be good news I am going to print out all of your comments from all the post back and make me a book out of them so I can pick them up and read them whenever I feel down. Your comments always crack me up. You are the best!

My friend Janie went to the doctor with me and she went through the first cancer with me at the Pack Unit and I told her I don't think I have the strength to do this again but that's when she reminded me of Warden Henderson and his calling me into his office.

Love to All
Maggie










 

Hemorrhoid's and a Lovely Giveaway

Hi everyone,

Lets start first with the lovely giveaway! Sorry Donna for putting your giveaway along with this other nasty word.
Donna at Brynwood Needle Works

We all know and love Donna well if I did not love you too then I would not be telling you about this giveaway because if you do the math this lessens my chances of winning.. But it is no secret the love I have for you so go on over and put your name in for a chance to win this gift.  It is of course coming from Donna a one of a kind piece that we all will drool over and pray to win.

Okay you all know that is if you are faithful to my site and keep up that sometimes Ms Pearl rears her ugly head and says things she regrets pretty much after they are out of her mouth.  This morning I woke up with all kinds of new pains that I have not been having over the last two months plus to top that off I dreamed I was dancing cheek to cheek with a step Uncle of mine that I never liked because he was mean to my Mama. In fact since they have me all doped up I have the strangest dreams. Another post I suppose.

Sorry back to what I was saying. Oh yeah Ms. Pearl I guess is fed up with this lying around, going nowhere, doing nothing , not working  and just hurting. So she sends her Sgt. a text this morning and told him ....I had rather have hemorrhoids  coming out of both ends than to keep living like this!

Good gosh she even hit the send button.  Now Maggie is here wondering why in the world Ms. Pearl would send such a email to her Sgt.

What really upsets me is I have learned from experience you had better be careful what you wish for or put out in the universe because Lord knows Maggie does not need hemorrhoids from both ends or maybe she already has them since she was stupid enough to text this to her boss,

Not even sure if I spelled hemorrhoids right that just does not look right to me.

Anyway back to that hard bed!

Love to all

Maggie

Happy Fourth of July!

This is how I want to think of you on this Fourth of July. Sitting with your best friends or families and laughing about everything!

My hope for all of you is to have a very safe 4th full of whatever you enjoy doing and that we all take the time to remember our troops fighting today and everyday for our freedom and the pursuit of happiness. With out them there would be no celebrations.

Can you imagine the courage it took to be one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence knowing that putting their signature on that document was treason and could cost them their lives?

I am just as in awe of our young women and men in the Arm Forces putting their lives in danger every day for us. What courage our brave country men have always shown from 1776 to the present 2010.



This will be a quiet day of celebration for me but that’s okay. Before my fall I was asked to ride in the local parade in Round Top in a 1959 Cadillac Convertible and throw candy to the kids but my back keeps me still at home resting. I would love to spend it with my children but their not coming down so if Tinkerbell will let me I will tie a flag to her tail and let her parade up and down the porch. Could you just imagine that happening. Chances of that are like me and this handsome fellow below taking off for a ride tomorrow!

Pray for Our Nation!



Maggie

PS  I never can think of a parade without thinking of the movie where Ferris Bueller is singing this song in a parade.