Labor Day?

Where the heck did August go????? I thought July had a nice pace, but August just flew on by.

Tomorrow my life returns to it's normal pace of working at school. I'll also start putting in "after hours" at Aspire to meet with staff who work the 2nd shift. I'm feeling tired already just thinking about it. I'm also playing for at least the rest of the month at my own church while they start the hunt for a new organist. I have already told them I will only be available for one Sunday in October.

The first weekend in October I'll be going to Nicki's for the Regan's annual Octoberfest. The second weekend I would like to go to WV for a Venturer's Ride-In but due to my taxman messing up my taxes, I have to pay some back taxes. (At least he will be paying all the penalties and late fees). The last weekend in October I'll be playing at St John's in Elma as well as the first weekend in November. I have also told them I will return for the winter as their organist, hopefully for the last time.

I started doing physical therapy in July and found out my back had several vertebrae that were not moving. After a couple sessions, one had broken loose and through treatments and exercise I'm living with a lot less pain.

The toughest part of the summer was learning that the man I have been dating/seeing since the beginning of the year, will be moving to NC in the near future as part of a job promotion. We have decided we will enjoy the time we have left together and then see what the future holds. He wants to give NC at least a year and I'm sure he will love it there. Drats, how I hate NC. OH well, I have decided I'm giving up on men (no I'm not becoming a Lesbian - no matter what my ex-husband wants to believe, asshole) but I have found I'm so content with my life now that I don't need a man to make my life complete. Oh yes, it's nice to have a warm body around from time to time, but I just don't think I need to have one around too much. I guess I always was more of a loaner then a people person.

My special friend Russ

Highlights of the summer? WOW, so many! The trip to Springfield, MO for the Women On Wheels (r) Ride-In. Seeing old friends, especially Kate and Liz Greenwood from Mulkeytown, IL and finding that travel by motorcycle with the extra wheels is still part of my life. Traveling to Nicki's for a couple concerts featuring Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price. Spending time with friends in Canton, OH to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Pastor and Kate Knauff. Spending time with Russ whenever we had the free time. Working, smiling and keeping the bills paid. And a real highlight was meeting and traveling around the area with fellow Venturers JohnJr, an American living in Switzerland, Rudy from Germany, Romek from Poland and Mike from Ireland. What a blast!

From left to right, Romek, JohnJr, Rudy and Mike at Niagara Falls.

Another fun thing was having some new neighbors move into the area. After much research and debate, it was determined that my new friends are Cooper's Hawks. I haven't seen them lately, but then I haven't been around too much either. It will be interesting to see if they return to the area next summer.

I'm just plain Mad

It's just one of those days. I'm mad/sad as Hell and know there's nothing I can do about it but vent through this blog. I hate it when life seems to go out of control. Even though I'm OK, a good friend is not and while I admire her strength and resolve, I'm still angry that she has to go through what she is going through.

I HATE CANCER!

Tomorrow it will be 35 years since my wonderful Maternal Gramma died of Cancer. It was also the same day I came home from the hospital with my new baby daughter. Gramma had lived with us since I was little girl and we had been very close. While I was pregnant I had the feeling that she would never hold my baby, the little girl she knew I was having while we were all saying it would be a boy. The day I went into labor, she had just undergone what was considered 4 major surgeries at the age of 79. Mom called to tell me that Gramma had survived the surgery, and I remember feeling what a relief. Within moments my water started to break. I gave birth the next morning and when Mom and Dad came to visit, I was assured that Gramma was doing just fine. Finally I was told that things weren't really going well, but that Gramma had been able to come out of her rantings of speaking to her lone gone brothers and sisters, put on her glasses, sit up in bed and look at pictures of my baby, say that she understood that I had a little girl, laid back in bed and went right back to her almost como like state. The next day I came home, then received the phone call that Gramma had died that morning.

Cancer, The Big C, the whispered word, the anger, the frustration, the secret, call it whatever you will, I hate it. It has taken my Grandmother, one of my uncles, two of my cousins at ages 25 and 51, brothers who ended up getting the same cancer, another cousin's wife, countless friends.

Tonight I got a call from a friend from work. After fighting off breast cancer about six years ago, she is now facing the fact that the cancer is now back in her body in her other breast. She has put on such a brave face for us all for so long and now that damn cancer is back in her body and she must once again put on the fight for her life. Last year she had told me she already had her funeral planned but we all had been so hopeful that she would still win the battle. After having a mammogram this morning, she knows there are seven tumors in her breast and two under her arm.

Below are two pictures of Laura from last spring when she and I went to do a little yard work at another friend's house who had been away for the winter.

Laura is always making me laugh and of course hamming it up for the camera, but now that I look at this picture it makes me think of her spirit and perhaps saying to the cancer, "kiss my ass cancer and get out of my body". Never give up the fight Laura!!!!