Will the Real Wilma Please Stand Up?

Last week Frank and I went to visit my mom at the Adams Dementia Unit.  When we entered the doors and walked down her hall there she was coming towards us with her arms open...waiting for hugs.  It was such a touching sight.  I immediately went into her arms, the ones that comforted me when I was a child and felt safe for a moment.  Then she hugged Frank, grabbed both of our hands, and we moved into the sunroom to visit.  I was glad to see that she was not in bed today.  Many times, because of the Sundowners, when I go to visit my mom during the day she is in the bed asleep....so our visits are nothing more than me holding her hand while she sleeps and kissing her forhead when I leave.  We were having a great visit in the sunroom....or so I thought.  After about 15 minutes(length of her attention span these days)...Mom excused herself to go to her room.  I figured she was going to the bathroom.  She was gone a few minutes and returned to our table.  Five more minutes passed and she excused herself to walk down the hallway.  She said her legs needed to stretch.  I smiled and looked at Frank...he was getting a bit antsy so I knew our visit would be over soon.  She returned from her walk....but she did not come back to our table....nope...she went to the other side of the sunroom and sat down in the chair she had vacated when we arrived.  I watched her stare down the hall, watching the doors to see who was going to come through them.  We sat like that for about five or so minutes when she finally looked to the other side of the sunroom and noticed us sitting there.  Her face lit up and she returned to the table.  Five minutes passed and I knew our visiting time was over.  She was off in her world and it was as if we were not there.  We hugged and kissed her and left.  That same week I had gone to see her during my planning period.  We were having a lovely visit in the sunroom....and she excused herself....this time she did not return and I got a little worried....so I went to her room to check on her.  There she was....sitting on the side of her bed, taking off her shoes, readying herself to take a nap.  I told the nurse I was leaving....and left.  My cell phone rang at 8p.m. and it was my mom....wondering why I had not visited her today.  Somedays I can't win for losing....somedays I cry when I see her....most days, I have to laugh at her antics and remember that the woman who is housed in that body....is not my mom.  Will the real Wilma please stand up?  God bless you all today.  Stay safe over the weekend.  If you have one, hug your momma...or at least call her and tell her you love her.  Ciao!

Camping with Ghosts

“So let me get this straight,” Tom said as he eyed my sleeping bag. “You’re going...CAMPING?”

Why was it so difficult for him to comprehend? Yes, I was camping. Big deal. So why was Tom staring at me like I had one of those goblins from Labyrinth on my head?

“I love to camp,” I said, stuffing a bag full of camping stuff. You know, things like a lantern, games, caffeine, my iPod Touch...(what? This is modern day camping. Kudos to the people who can set up in a mountain and turn off technology and can live off the land. I am not one of those people.)

“You just...don’t look like a camping person to me,” Tom admitted. “Your idea of roughing it is going without hot water.”

Hey. I can camp! I can totally be a camper. I’m down with sleeping on the floor.

“Plus, you freaked out over a moth the other day. There will be lots of moths when you camp,” Tom reminded me.

Okay, I did freak out over a moth but it was HUGE. And it kept fixing its beady eyes at me as though it had a sinister plan. I think everyone would have been wary of a moth like that. And if I encounter one while camping, well, isn’t that what bug spray is for? And if all else fails, can’t I shout for a fellow camper to come get it for me?

“There also could be bees,” Tom rambled on.

Ew. I do not like bees. I’ve been known to streak across our yard screaming, “BEEEEE!! BEEEEEEEE!” Look, I’ve been stung before and it wasn’t fun. So when a bee approaches, my natural reaction is to run. I can’t help it. They love to torment me.

“Everything will be great,” I told Tom. I mean, how hard could camping be? My friend Amanda and I decided to go to the camping spot on the base on Saturday. Mainly so we can get some peace and quiet. It’s sad that we have to camp to get that but oh well. We plan on playing games all night. Oh, and eat. My bag is stuffed with all sorts of snacks. Chips, cookies, cream soda....

“It’s supposed to rain,” Tom said. Ugh, he was starting to kill my camping buzz. He was probably trying to talk me out of it so he wasn’t stuck with the children.

“That’s what tents are for,” I sang, checking out my sleeping bag. It was still in it’s package, never opened. I had bought it thinking that one day I’d totally camp. Of course that was a couple years ago but still.

“Do you know how to set up the tent?” Tom asked.

Er. Okay look, putting things together is not my forte. I try to put together toys for the kids and usually wind up in tears. Like once Tommy asked me to transform his Transformer back into the car and I couldn’t do it. I followed the instructions but when I was finished, two pieces had broken off and the Transformer looked like a plastic blob.

“Amanda knows how,” I said. It was her tent we were camping in.

“You know they say it’s haunted down there. Sometimes while on post we get calls about a girl screaming and no one finds a thing,” Tom explained.

A GHOST? I’d be sleeping with a SCREAMING GHOST?

“Everything will be great,” I said again, but my voice faltered a bit. A screaming GHOST? What if she screamed in my ear and woke me up? I don’t take kindly to people waking me up, alive or not.

“Good luck then,” Tom said, shrugging.

“Thank you. Everything will be great,” I repeated, with a sharp nod of my head.

Right?

Letter From Amanda

Amanda set up a Caring Bridge page for Randy.  She posted in the journal this most heartfelt post and I felt the need to share it with all of you.  If you would like to visit Randys site and leave him some words of encouragement please do.  His Caring Bridge address is:  Randy Brown.  Caring Bridge is a really awesome website for people to feel connected to their loved one and for the loved one to know that people care!  Any ways Amanda's post began with this:  "Dr. Pippas, the hematologis​t just stopped in to check on Randy and asked a few questions about his history of sarcoidosis and Addison's disease. He's very attentive, not interruptin​g, just listens carefully to what you are saying. He also informed us the leukemia is not the result of, or connected in any way to, the sarcoidosis or the Addision's.​ He also said it was ok if we didn't get to Emory today. He will most likely work in tandem with Dr. Langston, handling the one-day chemo infusions in Columbus, while the four-day regimens are handled in Emory."  P.S.  He is at Emory as this comes to post.  I was talking with them on Skype when the ambulance arrived.   PTL!
Her request is this:  "Pray that everything goes smoothly for the transfer tomorrow. I know that God is in every detail and is making sure things are where they need to be when they need to be there."
Then she shared the most wonderful story she had read:  "I read a wonderful story today that speaks to that very thing. One of the doctors here in Columbus, an orthopedic surgeon, spent some time in Haiti after the earthquake and shared his experience there and the lessons he learned:
"Fi​rst, I learned that relationshi​ps mean everything.​ The relationshi​ps formed with patients adn co-workers are what occupy my thoughts now. Everyone has a story to tell. Most of these stories are so impactful. My relationshi​p with God was also strengthene​d while I was there. I practiced more of the spiritual disciplines and felt God's presence unmistakabl​y. Secondly, I saw how God multiplies effort. Through small acts of kindness, gentleness, smiles and service, I witnessed utter chaos turn into a palpable peace, easy to see on patient's faces. As an example, a primary care doctor named Meg lost her grandmother while we were there. Everyone was silent as I made rounds with her one morning. Then, one by one, each person approached her and started loving on her just as she had been doing for them. Her efforts were multiplied many times over. Thirdly, I witnessed God's abundant provision and the generosity and commitment of St. Francis Hospital, my brother (another orthopedic surgeon), and others who worked very hard to gather and send much needed medical supplies. Just as we ran out of essential equipment, pallets of supplies arrived from St. Francis Hospital. Members of our own team went to the airport at 11 pm that Friday night to bring the supplies back to the hospital. Another true story involves an anesthesia ​monitor that broke. It was going to be difficult to replace. Then, the hospital administrat​or came in one day with exactly the monitor needed. He told us that he had won it as a door prize two years ago at a medical meeting in the United States. The lesson - God often has the solution before we have the problem."
"God has put many things in place to bring us exactly where we are today and He will most surely take us through this. I marvel at His greatness!"  I love these two people with all my heart.  When I was floundering in my first marriage....Randy and Amanda were my strength.  They have always been there for me....and now it is my turn to return the favor.  Their daughter, Ramona, shared a song with me yesterday and I am going to share it with you today.  Pray for them as they make this journey. TGIF!

Sometimes.....

.......it’s not worth the battle.







I totally let Natalie out like this while we ran errands.

When Life Knocks Your Feet Out From Under You

Last night(Tuesday) late, my singing partner/cousin/adopted sister Amanda called me and told me she was leaving Boston at 5 a.m. because her sweet husband Randy was in the hospital.  He had a bleeding issue...his blood was not clotting and they were going to be doing some tests on Weds.  Weds. morning I got up and called Amanda about 8 to see where she was.  She was in Newnan, GA and on her way to St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, GA.  I told her we had some meetings but would be there as soon as possible.  As always, our meetings took longer than we thought they would and so we got a late start.  I wanted to be there by 12.  It was 12 by the time we got to Opelika.  30 minutes more before we would be in Columbus.  I pondered throughout the trip about what was happening and prayed that God would touch Randy with his healing hands.  When we got to room 208 and I saw Amanda's face I knew something was wrong.  Amanda then dropped the bombshell...Randy has leukemia...A.L.L.(acute lymphatic leukemia)...something children suffer from....not an adult disease.  It is not the worst leukemia...but it is still leukemia.  They took Randy shortly after we got there to place the port in his arm so that he could begin chemo on Thursday.  Wow...this was all happening to fast and hard to ingest.  Randy's sister, Debbie,  stayed in the room with us and we waited for them to return.  Two hours passed and we had to leave because I had my final band practice tonight.  When I left the word was...it is not curable...but it is treatable...but...right now there is no expiration date.  He would be doing chemo for 7 days at Columbus Medical Center and then he would be doing another type for 2 years.  After that he would be doing another treatment for 12 -18 months and then hopefully he would be in remission.  After I got home and went to band I called to see if there was an update...and there was...he is NOT going to the Cancer Center at Columbus Medical Center...he is going to Emory in Atlanta.  His case is unique (that is just like Randy...nothing plain for him)....and it is the best place for him to be.  UAB in Birmingham is the heart hospital of the south...and Emory is the Cancer place!  Randy will be in good hands there....and I serve a mighty God.  I have entrusted Randy to Him and know that His will will be done.  I love this man....I love this God....and I know He is in control.  Randy has been in my life since I was 18 years old.  He and Amanda married very young and I have always loved him.  He has a gruff voice, is a fabulous cook, he is funny, loves people, loves his family, is a good guy all around.  They don't get much better than Randy.  This man took 4 hormonal women on a 9700 mile Pacific Northwest trip and did not bat an eye.  What a guy!  I am asking that you all please pray for Amanda and Randy as they walk this path....Amanda's mom just died in March...and this is a rough enough road without that.  God bless you all and I will keep you updated.

May You Stay Forever Young

We went to Texas Roadhouse the other day to celebrate Tommy successfully finishing second grade. Texas Roadhouse, I should add, is Tommy’s favorite restaurant. He takes after his mother and loves the rolls.

When we all got our drinks (sweet tea for me), I proposed a toast.

“Congratulations, Tommy,” I said. “And to quote a fantastic song from the great Bob Dylan, ‘May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true, may you always know the truth, and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong, may you stay forever young.’”

I expected the table to be moved. I mean, hello, great song.

But they just blinked at me as though I were speaking Swahili.

“You listen to weird music,” Tom said, sipping the cherry limeade that he ordered. The glass was huge, almost as big as my arm.

“You listen to weird music,” I retorted. Seriously. He listens to music where the singer screams at you and sometimes calls you a pussy. I don’t want my music insulting me, thanks.

Since Tommy is finished with school, he brought home tons of classwork that he had done throughout the year.

For example, he wrote a story about our cat Max:







Yes, our cat pukes a lot. I was amused that Tommy would write about it. Tommy said they could write about whatever they wanted and Tommy chose to write about cat vomit. Lovely.

And also, he made this:



For those who don’t speak Tommy, in the top corner is his family. (Aw!)

Then there is Wal-Mart. (Ha)

Beside that is McDonalds. (Yes, we love it there. It didn’t faze us to learn that a Happy Meal found a year later looked basically the same as when it was bought. We love the fries.)

Underneath that is Target.

And beside that is Colorado, which we drive to so we can get to MORE shopping and food.

I’m amused that these things are the map of his heart.

I’m raising him well.

Wednesday Wickedness According to Old Blue Eyes

I got an email invitation today from Janera Jepson who has a blog called Wednesday Wickedness. She is like other memes in that she will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But her little "twist" (and what was so intriguing to me) is that each week she will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of the questions will be based on the quotes. Here is this week's meme!  The quotes this week came from one of my favorites....old blue eyes himself... Frank Sinatra.
1. “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” How often do you drink alcohol?  Seldom.  I am a tea and Diet coke kind of girl.  I like to be in control.
2. “The best revenge is massive success.” Have you ever gloated or wanted to over success?  Once...the weekend of my twenty year class reunion when I got to tell a former teacher....I had a Master's Degree in Education and had amounted to something....and was successful.  Funny thing...it did not make me feel like I thought it would.  Sigh!
3. “You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the [butt].” What do enjoy most about your life?  All the blessings God has given me.... my family. my voice, my job, life in general.
4. “I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.” Do you ever overthink a situation in your life?  Always....especially when I was a teenager.  I would overthink my mom's reactions to something.  I have learned with age to just go with my first feeling.  It is usually the right one.
5. “I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.” Tell us about your best friend.  They know so much about me...that if we were not friends anymore I would have to kill them.  They are part of what gives my life meaning.
6. “I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.” How important is intelligence when picking (or having picked) a s/o to you? Intelligence is more than book learning....but whether the person is a college grad or has mega life experience...everyone should use their brains.
7. “I drink to the confusion of our enemies.” What's the closest situation that you've had to dealing with an enemy?  My fathers illness and death to cancer (bad enemy) and my mother's placement into a dementia unit...(dementia is a nasty enemy too).
8. “Orange is the happiest color.” What's your favorite color?  Blue...any shade...it is a peaceful color....and as an Auburn grad...goes well with Orange. 
9. “Dare to wear the foolish clown face.” Are you ever clown?  I love to.  I love to make people smile, laugh...whatever.  I am a teacher...therefore I act.
10. “Don't get even, get mad.” Have you ever tried getting even?  I don't do that...the only time I ever tried it backfired in my face.  If I am mad I just put on my big girl panties and deal with it.
Thanks for the invitation Janera.  I will return again and play another day!  Happy Wednesday to all.