"Once a Year, My Dad and I Together"

This Memorial Day, I was blessed to spend some quality time with my dad. I have not always been thrilled to spend a lot of time with him, because he would usually do or say something that would rub me the wrong way, however, I have felt what I would say is the “Spirit of God” reasoning with me about my dad.

I took him to the cemeteries yesterday to put flowers on the graves he has so diligently decorated over the years. I can remember him, my mother, grandmother, and grandfather going out to decorate graves every year. Then one year “grandpa” passed away leaving this task to the three of them, and several years after that, my grandmother passed away; leaving my parents to do the same ritual. Some of those relatives (on both sides of the family) died many years ago, but “daddy,” as I still affectionately call him is very determined to continue remembering those people each and every year. My mother passed away in 1995, thus passing the torch to my dad and me. Every year since we have gone to the graveyards and remembered our loved ones together.

Yesterday after I picked him up and we headed toward Glendale Cementary, I relayed to him how much I cherish this time we get to spend together and that I consider this our time.

I have been blessed to have him for 85 years, most of which I have been angry with him for things he did in the past. By the Grace of God, even though he can still work my nerves, I am starting to realize how much I really love and appreciate him. At least as I have said in a previous blog, “at least he is still here to work my nerves as do many parents to their children.”

“Daddy” has a bladder problem (as do I), but his is much worse. He constantly has to use the bathroom. I remember when it aggravated me whenever I took him places that I would constantly have to wait for him to use the restroom. However, yesterday, I didn’t mind it and believe me, he must have used it about four times at Glendale Cemetary. We spent approximately two hours there trying to find graves we decorate every year; but it did not bother me as it would have in the past. After we left the one cemetery, we went to Sunset Memorial Gardens where my mother is buried. After another trip to the restroom,we took care of a few other graves. After that, I spent approximately an hour and a half trying to help him find a park where our church was having a picnic. He kept saying to me “I’m sorry I’m being a burden/nuisance to you. I told him to “quit it,” I don’t mind," and I meant it.

After I took him home (as we did not find the picnic spot), I watched him climb the steps to his house as he slowly went up, holding on to the rail. It brought tears to my eyes to see a man who has always been so active and a workaholic, take so long to climb the stairs. “Will this be our last year going to the graves together?” I certainly hope not and I will always look forward to this past-time with him as long as God allows me the pleasure to do so.

"From One Granddaughter's Cord to Another Granddaughter's Marrow"

GOD IS GOOD!!!!!


During the recent cord blood transplant my granddaughter had, she underwent a week of chemo-therapy before the actual proceedure. Mom had combed her hair the night before and it started coming out.

Journal

Thursday, May 25, 2006 8:36 PM CDT

Yesterday we played beauty shop and got rid of all the extra hair on "M's" pretty little round head. It was hard to sit there and comb out all the hair she had grown back in two years, Daddy also had a hard time with it, but "M" like the trooper she is decided to be the life of the party. She told us how many cartoon characters she looked like with her hair gone. Daddy said she looked like "Crocker" from the "Fairly Odd Parents". We all laughed and took it in stride because it didn't bother "M" one bit. She was a little calmer today, a little more nauseas. Her white count is .1 (that's good in transplant terms). Hopefully things will continue to progress positively.....!!!

This was the last update we received on my granddaughter's website concerning the cordblood she received from her baby sister. She had beautiful long hair. This is her second transplant in her fight against Sickle Cell Anemia. Asking for everyone's prayers for her. Thank you.

"DOING BETTER TODAY!"

Thanks to the LORD, my little girl is doing better today. We have been playing with her Bratz dolls and other stuffed toys. We talk for them and have made up story lines just like the soap operas. The girls love it when their silly grandma plays dolls with them. Okay, okay -- I am a kid at heart. Little Ms. "M" and her younger sister "O" have a lot of Bratz dolls and they know all of the names. There are boys and girls, plus little baby Bratz. These dolls play together, go together, date, have arguments, make up, go to time out for being bad, go to school, get kicked out, go to games, dining, dancing and to the movies. I was afraid for a minute that the nurse might have me committed, as she was laughing at us having such a great time playing dolls. When "O" comes today, we will resume the next episode with the teenagers in our sitcoms. ha, ha, ha -- I love my grandchildren, they are bright spots in my life.

Oh, oh, I haven't talked to "K" yet this weekend. I'm having withdrawals. I must call and have my weekend conversation with him so we can sing each other songs and talk about his T-ball and soccer games.

The Day After Transplant Day

Today started off very stressful. My granddaughter developed a rash (hives) shortly after the transplant yesterday. This morning those hives started to itch and burn. She was so very uncomfortable and started to cry. It was so bad that I thought she was going to loose it. We told her doctor and she ordered some kind of medicine, but it took so long to get it. The Benedryl that had been put in her IV was not working today. It was very hard on grandma to see her that way. I can say this... Sickle Cell Anemia is NO JOKE. My granddaughter told me that this was about the worse thing she had gone through; that it was worse than the radiation she had undergone during the last transplant. After they finally got the medication in here, she was able to relax and she became her sweet little self again and her pleasant personality came back. I was praying a lot and asked for prayer. May God bless little "M" and keep her well and safe.

"TRANSPLANT DAY!

Today is a special day in the life of my granddaughter. She had a "Cord Blood" transplant for the cure for Sickle Cell Anemia. Oh God, we are praying that it will work out and she will be healed and that there will be no complications and that her body will not reject it. We have every confidence in you and that everything will be successful.

Prayers for my Granddaughter

I am at this moment sitting in the hospital room next to my precious little granddaughter. Tomorrow she will be receiving a bone marrow transplant for the cure to Sickle Cell Anemia. This will be her second transplant because the first one didn't take. She has a lot of prayer going up for her and I have every faith in God that this one will take. She is 12-years-old and very strong. This has been a long hard process for her because she has had to undergo chemo therapy and will have radiation before the transplant. Please pray for her and our family. Thank you

"MOTHER'S DAY BLESSINGS TO YOU"

Mother's Day is a special time that brings families together in gratitude and love. Here's hoping you all received many blessings on this day. If you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle, single parent -- you have all been entrusted with the care and raising of some precious beings. Here's hoping you all had a happy mother's day and many more blessings to follow.

Excited about the new movie, "Superman Returns" Why?

I am so excited about the new movie that is coming out "Superman Returns." It will air in June. Why am I so excited? It's a movie just like any other movie. I haven't really been into Superman movies that much since George Reeves starred as Clark Kent/Superman of the "Daily Planet" Newspaper in a weekly series of Supermannn many years ago when my brother, friends and I sat in front of the television each week to watch the program.

So why would I be so interested in this new movie "Superman Returns?" Because the star, Brandon Routh, is from Iowa. His dad, Ron Routh, was a co-worker of mine only a few years ago. When I first heard about Brandon being picked to play the new Superman, I called his dad and asked "can I speak to the dad of the new superman?" He laughed because he recognized my voice right away as we used to kid each other a lot when we were co-workers. He would tell me about Brandon's accomplishments and I would in turn, share with him the accomplishments of my sons. I don't know Brandon personally but I am proud of him.