Some days just turn out better than others.  Bill and I started out at 4:30 this morning.  Getting the trash out to the curb, grabbing a quick cup of coffee, and waiting for Jennifer to arrive so that we could all head out to the TV station KHOU 11.  Get to the station a little after 7.  We noticed the front door was unlocked and ajar.  So we went in and sat in the lobby.  After about 5 minutes… in walks Elvis.  Nothing against this dude but he needed special help.  So Elvis leaves the building only to return later on the Deborah Duncan show.  Then the security guard comes in and asked “how did you 3 get in here”?  Ahhhh, we picked the lock?  Dumbasses never cease to amaze me.  We all decided that this guy should not be carrying a weapon.  Barney Fife for sure.  Mayberry would have been perfect for him.  No sir, it was unlocked.  OK….don’t let anyone else in.  So…we are all sitting around waiting for 8 o’clock to arrive.  Everyone else is outside and we are in the cool air conditioning.  At 8 we walk into the DD studio to have pictures made with our group with our banner and then we were seated in the audience.  Every other group got on the air. BUT US!  Deborah was very nice.  We had pictures made with her and she wanted a copy of my book, cards , and donation info.  The whole group got to meet her and then we talked about September and ovarian cancer month.  Hopefully we can return in September and have our own segment.  Bill and I want to thank everyone who showed up today and helped us spread the word about ovarian cancer.  Oh yeah…Bill forgot his hearing aid.

Getting ready to close on the Navasota property this week.  Bill is driving everyone nuts.  He is so antsy.  He has managed to piss just about everybody off. And me 3 or 4 times.  If there is something that needs done, I arrange for it to happen.  Yesterday, Dusty took down the basketball goal so that it could be transported to grandson Braden.  He no more had it in two pieces that Bill was ready to haul it out of here.  He has hit his hand twice were he already had cuts from falling over backwards in the chair.  He got himself wrapped up in the garden hose…unfortunately it wasn’t around his neck, and I found him trying to chop down my poke berry tree.  An offense punishable by hanging.  So needless to say I ‘ll be glad when this week is out of the way.

It finally rained here.  I thought the neighborhood frogs were having a “toada party”.  That’s toga for amphibians.  Nothing like birds, horses, and dogs going out and getting wet.  The cars needed a good rinsing too.  I was tempted but if I had done something to my healing foot, Dr. Parker would have shot me.  The cardinals and mockingbirds have been bathing in the swimming pool.  They use the beach entrance and play and splash.  So spoiled around here.  The squirrels that used to drive Starr nuts now play freely without interuption.  She just looks at them goes back to sleep.  It’s hell getting old!  And to her defense..way to hot.

Happy Birthday to my good friend Linda.  Too bad you will always be older than me.  Had to get that in.  We enjoyed having lunch with you and Dave today.  They introduced us to a Chinese place in River Oaks.  Best I’d ever tasted….lunch prices were good too.  So if you are in the Houston area please try the Cafe Ginger.  You won’t be disappointed.  And they have a bar. 

Stay cool my friends.  Have a wonderful week and special prayers to brother-in-law Ray in Ohio recovering from pancreatic surgery and our friend Sharon Williams also in Ohio for luck on your shoulder surgery.  All of you in my prayer jar are covered as well.  God Bless!

Hugs
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

My first swim of the season!  I was so excited.  Dr. Parker took my cast away and gave me an attractive “pump up” boot to wear.  But boots come off when the doctor is not in range and the pool just happened to be there waiting.  So.. I do a few laps (Dr.Parker- just in case you are reading this…I didn’t use my fins)… arms only and enjoy my relaxing swim.  Bill comes out to keep an eye on me and decides to sit in the saloon, wine in hand, and enjoy the beautiful day.  He selects a comfy chair and preceeds to sit down.  I am at the end of the pool looking right at him as he tips over backwards in the chair.  All I see is four chair legs and two Bill legs.  I thought I was dreaming…I haven’t seen so many legs in the air since being in the maternity ward.  Am I at the gynecologist office?  The man has fallen backwards but did not hit his head, did not break anything, and did not spill a drop of wine.  The table that was behind him was leaning over his head.  The table had a piece of plexiglas for it’s top and and an ashtray anchor (off of Magoo’s old boat), weighing about ten pounds, dangling on the edge of it.  I jumped out of the pool.  Got there just in time to say don’t move, just as the anchor is sliding toward his head.  Not that it would have hurt him.  Just knock some sense in that hard head of his.   Bill finally squims his way out of the wreckage and rolls to safety.  Yes, it took me several wines to recover.  It seems that the chair he chose was damaged.  Two bent back legs.  Lord…give me strength!

I try to keep myself in half-way good shape.  About the time I’m dropping a size a damn holiday comes along and forces you to eat.  And eat good stuff…not healthy stuff.  I mean what’s a 4TH of July without homemade ice cream and my daughter-in-law Jennifer’s awesome potato salad.  What’s Labor Day without a huge chocolate cake.  What is Halloween without stealing snickers from the kids.  What is Thanksgiving without , turkey , dressing and pumpkin pie.  What’s Christmas without a Honey Baked ham, mashed potatoes and the works.  Then comes New Year’s …my birthday…Valentine’s, St. Patrick’s day and beer, Easter and another Honey baked ham, Memorial Day BBQ, and then guess what?  We start over again.  Not fair.  No wonder my scale doesn’t work properly.  It’s not used to an elephant standing on it.   Having the surgery had to be done but it only postponed the exercise regiment.  What is a girl to do?  Guess I’ll go eat leftovers!

For those of you who have asked….here’s the Leilani story.  The name is Leilani.  It is Hawaiian.  It means heavenly flower.  (Although in high school my friends decided it was more like “hell’s weed”.  I was named after Bing Crosby’s #1 hit song in 1937 “Sweet Leilani”.  At the start of WWll, my dad enlisted in the Army and was a reconnaissance pilot.  Each pilot got to name their air plane.  Dad named his “Sweet Leilani”.  After the war my parents decided if they ever had a girl they would name her Leilani.  So here I am.  An added coincidence is my mom’s name was Leila (pronounced Lee-la) and my daughter’s name is Lani (pronounced Lonnie).  So Leilani has both Leila and Lani in it.  I feel I always carry a part of my mom and a part of my daughter with me at all times.  So now you know the rest of the story!

Getting ready to close on the Navasota property next week.  Getting real excited.  We went out to see it again yesterday and measured a few things.  Our realtor/broker is Dr. Max Brand.  One of the coolest pastors ever.  He reminds me of my retired pastor and friend Dave Peterson from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.  Max is the pastor of the New Hope Church in Navasota (corner of Hwy 6 and hwy 105).  Isn’t it funny how God works.  He definitely has a sense of humor.  I figure He decided I’d better not go too long without some type of spiritual guidance.  Nothing like putting a pastor in your path while house hunting!  So now poor Max will be making me behave in the front row.  If you are out that way for a Sunday morning drive…drop in and visit. 

So…living the life and trying to stay out of trouble.  It’s soooo hard.  But now that God has double teamed me, I guess I’d better behave myself…a little.  Stay cool and be safe!

Hugs from Fulshear,
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani 

It’s really not nice to scare the crap out of an old lady at 10:30 at night.  Actually, anytime of night.  I had fallen asleep watching TV in bed.  I woke up to flip the TV off.  Our bedroom french doors face the backyard with a full view of Magoo’s old house…Dusty’s new residence.  All of a sudden,with no lights on except the back porch and the stars above, a bright light, of high beam headlight caliber, shines on Magoo/Dusty’s house, stays on for maybe 15 seconds and then turns off as fast as it came on.  I knew it could not have been a flashlight.  Strange!  I get out of bed, grab my 9mm pistol and, with Starr (playing the role of “Under Dog), proceed to go to every window in the house, take a peek out into the darkness and see absolutely nothing.  I check on the Jeep and the truck…nothing.  I thought someone was in the Jeep and accidentally turned the lights on.   I go back to the bedroom and wake Bill up.  He sees the gun and jumps out of bed screaming what’s wrong with you?  Oh, nothing, just thought I’d wake you up to see if you’d notice the gun.  What do you think, Bill?  So now we are both up searching.  Then, I start thinking, was that dad and Lilly here for a short visit?  After all, the bright light was of heavenly strength.  Bill chalks it up to I’m dreaming and I’m left wondering that myself.  Then, talking to my neighbor Bernie, I find out that the sherrif’s department drives by several times at night and shines their spot light on different things as to keep us safe.  The cops nearly caused me to go insane (more than usual),  almost giving my husband a heart attack, visualizing angels, and having my dog think that there was a 300 pound opossum at the window.  So, don’t go shining lights into the backyard…..this pistol packing momma is watching and to my relief so is the Ft. Bend Sherrif’s Department. 

It was time.  The dreaded “give the dog a bath time”.  Starr with her tail between her legs is slowly lifted into the bathtub with a look on her face that definitely spells out …I’m pissed!  Of course, not even halfway of soaking her down I get the shake off.  Scuba gear needed.  Snorkel a must.  Then I proceed to get hammered with water for the next ten minutes.  And as expected …a quick exit to dry off outside in the warm sun.  Only to return after a roll in the grass which included a dead frog.  Back to square one.

Saw Dr. Parker yesterday.  I no longer have to wear the cast condom.  Cast came off but the “big black boot” went on.  So imprisoned for another few weeks.  But at least I can get in the pool.  Can’t swim but I can wade around.  I’ll take it.  I also visited Tracy (one of my nurses) at Kirby Glen.  The place where I get my port cleaned.  But they were so busy Bill and I left and will have to re-schedule.  See Betsy (nurse out with back surgery),   they need you.  Get well soon.  Talked with Dr. Bevers and my pet-scan was all clear!!!!  Ta-Da!  So very proud of myself, good CA125 and clear pet.  Life is good!

Have had several hits on the property.  Was even offered a bid for the horse field.  Very funny, their are two different interested parties for that.  So keep praying to St. Joseph that we sell the house too.  We close on the Navasota property by July 19th.  With the help of my daughter-in-law Jennifer, we are selling lots of things on Craig’s List.  What doesn’t sell we will have a moving sale.  Lots of nice furniture.  Oak bedroom set, recliners, bunk beds, end tables, TV and so on.   Just can’t take it all to Navasota.   And Bill will be moving without his favorite pair of work boots.  The Mexican brigade came to weed eat and mow yesterday and one dude split his boot and asked Bill if he could borrow his.  He did not bring them back.  Bill is beside himself.  His Academy treasures are missing!

Many have been asking about the different diets I been talking about.  There is also a list of super-foods that the pet imaging center gave me if anyone is interested.  Blueberries, oranges, oats, almonds, garlic, salmon, tomatoes,spinach, onions, olive oil, green and black teas, and my favorite…dark chocolate.  So enjoy and stay healthy.  I have really been watching my wheat in-take.  Don’t feel as bloated.  Of course the scale tells me something different.  I don’t think it’s working properly.  Does anyone else have a malfunctioning scale? 

Healing thoughts out to all in my prayer jar.  And I have to add my sis-in-law Libby’s mother, Ellen, to the list.  She fell again and broke her leg.  So  please say a pray for Ellen.  Have a wonderful 4TH of July and stay safe.  And have a blast with the “big bang”.

Hugs!
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

Back to back doctor appointments.  The “Bev” and Dr. Parker (foot doctor extraordinaire).  I guess when doctors order exam tables for their offices they either say with or without stirrups.  Good thing I didn’t have a third appointment for the day at the dentist…”open wide” might have caused quite an uproar. 

Weighing in at the Bev’s was very traumatic.  I told the nurse that the damn cast must weigh 20 pounds, the jewelry about 5 pounds, clothing about 5 pounds, and purse, shoes, etc. about 10 pounds…so I’m really weigh in at a sleek 130.  I don’t think she bought it.  As I am told to disrobe and get into the who-who position, I’m thinking to myself that they better have stirrups as big as the ones on my saddle.  And even that is questionable.  So the Bev comes in and we are all on the floor laughing.  My cast will not fit in the stirrup.  So of course, you are not a member of MD Anderson’s physician staff, professor (and so on with his credentials), unless you have a solution to just about everything.  Dr. Bevers said ” Let’s frog it!”  Frog it…a Bevers term for describing the position that a frog would take on it’s back to either be dissected or play dead.  So stirrup-less, with legs up on the table attempting to keep my casted foot from not slipping off while having both a rectal and pelvic exam, and trying not to roll off the table sideways, I am praying that this never gets on a YouTube video.  I felt like an Indian squaw, in the middle of the forest, giving birth to her papoose, in squat/frog position, with a cast!  One of those experiences that you hope is once in a lifetime.

Next stop was Dr. Parker’s to get the laser treatment for my foot.  Dr. Parker has many things for sale in his office.  Lotions, creams, gels, special shoes, and nail polish.  All products to help protect one’s feet.  I need to get with him about developing a clothes line for the “cast impaired”.  I find myself going through my closet trying to find a pair of pants that fits over the cast.  Anything with a giant leg.  I feel like I am wardrobe deprived.  My mother, who was a model for Sakowitz,  is probably cringing from the spirit world at what I have put on my body.   Thank goodness the legs of your underwear stretch to the appropriate size.  I am stuck wearing either my black or white capris or shorts.  Which I think not.  My legs are so white, not to mention the right one is so hairy, I would be scared that I might give someone a heart attack from the shock.  Dr. Parker could come up with a cute pant, in all colors, that zip down the leg so that one could just position yourself on the bed and zipper yourself up with ease.

Dr. Parker gave me a book called “Wheat Belly Cookbook”.  If you haven’t heard about the wheat diet, it is a diet to eliminate the wheat from your meals.  Lose the wheat…lose the weight.  Great recipes and something to seriously think about.  Wheat is not the wheat that grandma used to eat.   Lots of added stuff and no protein like the good old days.  Interesting read.  And speaking of diets.  The ovarian cancer “good foods” list consist of tomatoes, carrots, endive, red onion, green peppers and salmon.  Fish oil, Vitamin E, and turmeric.  No wheat!    Basically, eat your veggies and limit red meat, exercise (unless you are in a damn cast), and be good to yourself.

Great news on my blood work.  CA 125 came back a 4.8.  Same as last one taken at MD Anderson 6 months ago.  I have a pet-scan on Wednesday to make sure all is well.  Two more laser treatments for the foot and I get my port cleaned.  So busy week.  The hard part is orchestrating appointments with showing the house.  But God has His way of helping you dodge the bullets.  He seems to keep me calm and keeps me from getting in the ” OMG what next?” mode.

Hug a frog. 

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

 As we all know, every family should have an emergency evacuation plan in place.  In our case it’s not for fire, flood, storms, or a bomb attack, it’s to get out of the house ASAP in case the realtor wants to show it.  Timing is everything with evacuating 3 dogs, making sure dog beds and pillows are put up, candles blown out, horse gate locked, trash disposed and for me….make sure I don’t forget Bill.  Although selling Bill with the house is an option.  Thursday, in the middle of the night, I hear a loud thud!  At the same time the covers go flying off the bed and Starr is growling.  Bill fell out of bed.  He is OK…but has a bruised rib on his left side.  Thud, crash, bang, moaning groaning and blaming me for pushing him around the house on the floor.  Obviously in the middle of a demolishion dream.  So I waited until he was fully awake before I started laughing my ass off.  Before going to bed Thursday night, Bill and Dusty decided it was time to hit the “Crown”.  Drinking it straight on the rocks.  They were solving all the world problems and then some.  I heard everything from their childhood fist fights to how they plan to fix up the new property.  You would deduct from their incredible stories that they should be named “the bad ass twins”!

A bit of good news.  I had a video made about the book “Ride,Baby,Ride!”.  A company “Zoom”, owned by Christina and Michael Meade did the work for us.  It turned out wonderful.  Soon it will be on YouTube and Facebook.  So if you ever need a professional video made…call Christina and Michael.  I will definitely have one done for the new book..”They’re Pistols and They’re Loaded!”.  Which by the way is in Tyler’s hands (my editor) as we speak.

I have been doing pretty well since foot surgery.  If I have to go anywhere I have to hitch a ride.  Most of the time I’m stuck with Bill as my chauffeur.  And you know how I feel about him driving me around from past blogs.  There isn’t enough alcohol or drugs to sustain me through a trip anywhere.  I even had women come up to me in the grocery store with their condolences that I had to shop with my husband.  I think it’s kinda an unwritten code among females that we’d rather shop without a man.  I have learned to shop with a short shopping list to make my store time quicker.  I don’t like being on the handicapped cart anyway.   People do not get out of your way and I have a hard time trying to get down an isle with 15 baskets coming at you.  I give Bill the list and tell him to meet me in the wine department.  I feel at home and if us drunks run into each other no one gets mad.  But I do feel there should be a room where you can drop your man off and let him drink beer, play pool or video games, read manly magazines and eat a hot-dog while the woman shops in peace.  Like dropping the kids off in daycare!

Special prayers out to several ladies in my prayer group.  Also a big hug and prayers sent to my friend Betsy, who also happens to be one of my chemo nurses, after her back surgery.  My prayer jar is full and I know the good Lord hears them all.  Should hear something about the new property tomorrow or Wednesday.  Bill and I are praying that all goes well there too.  Fulshear property has had a lot of activity.  Brochures are flying from the box and have witnessed many lookers.  School is out now so hoping to have lots of visitors soon. 

Have a great week….smile at the next person you see.  Very contagious!
Hugs!
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

Like last week…whatever the speed limit for life is …I’m going way too fast.  It’s not like keeping up with the Jones’.  It’s like trying to keep up with yourself and doing it on one leg. 

Selling the property has taken priority over just about everything.  And I have a feeling we haven’t even hit full stride.  We have found a beautiful piece of land in the Navasota area.  The first property we looked at was bought out from under us before we even got home to make a bid.  So the cute little dog that we discovered will have to live without us.  But after a few more weeks of searching we landed on a partially wooded lot of 7 1/2 acres.  It reminds me so much of girl scout camp as a kid.  Nature trails, nice house, sheds, and plenty of room to expand.  Dusty wants to build a log cabin on it.  And this time my sign from the heavens was a road runner.  I kept thinking I was going to hear a “beep beep” and the coyote running after him.  And like my neighbor said …the Acme anvil falling from the sky.  Shows you what impressed me as a child.

Bill and Dusty have been kept busy with all the chores I have listed for them.  I get “the look”  from them constantly but nagging is the only way I know to get things done around here in due time.  I can’t be in my usual “on their ass” mode because I lack “a hopper” and can’t move too fast.  I start talking and they scatter like roaches when you turn on a flashlight in a dark room.  Bill has managed to break a glass candle holder, fall off the step ladder on my good foot, break the pressure washer, and drive me nuts all in a three day period.  Dusty has managed to piss me off as only a youngest kid in the batch can do by not keeping his adobe clean, keeping Chico and Rufus clean, eating us out of house and home, and keeping his front porch free of “man cave” items.  And when do boys quit eating like there is no tomorrow?

Saw Dr. Parker today.  I had the pleasure of sharing my mishap stories with him.  So I started with the “cast condom” story.  You know the thing that you stick your foot in so your cast doesn’t get wet.  Appropriately named the “cast condom”.  It takes about about 15 minutes to get the damn thing on….as time goes on you get quicker at it.  The first time I got it on and had forgot to take my pants off.  So I had to start over.  The technique is to get naked…get on the bed…on your back…and start the process of getting the condom on.  Second thing…you need help.  It takes two people.  You’d better pick someone that doesn’t mind seeing your fat ass naked…and won’t laugh.  After all they have to face you and have to see your who-who at close range.  Maybe I should hire “the Bev” to do it.  He hasn’t laughed at “it” yet.  But he hasn’t had to approach me with a condom the size of a boot!  OMG…where is Lani when I need her.  Of course we would have peed in our pants laughing so hard.   Hell, you need to take a nap after you get it on.  It takes everything out of you.  The nurse asked Bill if I had been good and followed Dr. Parker’s instructions.  Before he could answer I told him that if he wanted sex anytime in the near future he would take the 5TH!  He did and she didn’t blame him.  Dr. Parker (alias…”No pain Parker”) said I have to leave the stitches in another week and the start laser therapy.  Then another cast goes on it.  I see my swimming season dwindling down to nothing. 

Planning my day for tomorrow.  You have to plan because it takes so long to do everything.  Our house goes on the market tomorrow….if they call to show it…Bill and I have to gather the dogs up and take off till it shown.  Let’s hope we have some breathing room.  We’ll see.  So, everyone have a great week.  I’ll keep all informed on the progress of home and foot. 

Love and hugs,
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

It seems like the past two weeks have flown by.  I really believe life travels faster than the speed of your brain.  I have hired a maid service, had storage packers, house painters, house photographer, foot surgery, and full blown supervising of the property operations.  I have to say that men need women….I’m not so sure about the other way around.  The day before my surgery the guys are loading the trailer to take things to the storage unit.  They are trying to push two large tool boxes, full of Dusty’s bazillion tools…which weigh a ton, up the ramp to the trailer.  Here I am with a bum foot and deciding whether or not I’m supposed to go out and help them push.  Decided to help before the tool box rolled back on them.  If I had not been there…I would hate to imagine.  Then I get a mosquito bite on my right foot.  My surgery foot.  The foot that will spend the next 2 weeks ina cast up to the knee.  I plastered that bite with everything known to man to keep it from itching.  I had two days to get it normal.  I could just see me with a big hanger….stuck down my cast …to relieve the misery that the mosquito proboscis bestowed on me. 

Surgery went well.  The nurses were great and Dr. Parker was his usual wonderful self….BUT…I have a bone to pick, no pun intended, with the anesthetist.  At 7AM, I was putting my gown on to prepare my butt to get on the table.  Since surgery was on my heel, to remove a bone spur, I was going to have to get on my tummy.  No, they put me on my back and told me nurse Phillip was going to flip me over after I was put out.  So the last person I see is “Phillip the flipper”!  The doctor puts a mask on me…tells me to breathe four times real deep and let him know when I’m asleep.  Cute! Ha-Ha!  First of all….I get naseated with gas.  Ever since I was a kid and had my tonsils removed at age four, I remember that smell.  That ether smell!!!  It has not changed at age 62.  Gross, nauseating and when I came back to the real world I was sick!  All my other foot surgeries, 2 other to be exact, I was IV’d out.  So much better and no sickness.  Anyway got home and will see Dr. Parker again on June 3rd.  I have found a way to relieve myself of the cast when I can’t stand it anymore.  It’s in two pieces and I remove the bandage and take it off for a while and then put it back on.  I use the ice machine to keep the swelling down but I never took a pain pill.  When I opened my eyes in recovery..besides being sick, I had a foot that could have belonged to the Jolly Green Giant!  I called Dr. Bevers and told him he needs to get a bigger right stirrup for my who-who visits! I was given a cast condom for my showering needs.  I feel like one of Jeff Dunhams puppets.  He’s got Jose Jalapeno on a “steek” and I am Leilani on an ice machine!

I am only required to do one thing these days…supervise.  Actually, I’m pretty good at it.  I was in charge of the family Memorial Day get-together.  I really missed Lani and TJ but we had the rest of the gang and then some.  Debbie (Bill’s daughter) came in from the Lumberton area with her hubby Jason and youngest daughter Erika and boyfriend Dustin.  So we had two Dustin’s.  My Dusty and oldest son Casey were here with their girlfriends and daughter-in-law Jennifer, fiancee Tim, Tim’s daughter Amanda and boyfriend Jonathan, along with grandson Braden, Jennifer’s brother Greg, and last but not least, my nephew Walker.  Lots of food and fun.  Thanks to my youngest, Dusty, for the great job with the BBQ.  Swimming, football, Frisbee, pistol practice at the pit and ice cold beer and wine!  Facebook pictures tell it all!  I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.  Thank you to all our troops …past and present, for your service.  We love you!

So as I hobble into time that travels so fast I can’t even think, I am praying for a fast recovery and dreams of getting into the pool quickly.  I have not been able to exercise with my bum foot and now nothing doing with the cast.  If we could put time in a bottle …what would you save??????  Hugs!

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

The past five months have been so stressful yet so educational.  And not in the ‘book form” way.  But in the lessons of life way.  As I was deciding what and how to write this blog, I fell asleep.  I had an unbelievable dream or vision or whatever one wants to call what the crazy mind does while you are in a trance state.  And of course there is no explaining my mind.  However, the things that came to me were so amazing.  I have been very sad for all the things that have happened to our family.  I have dealt with them one by one and tried to help each person that the situation directly had an impact on.   Inviting people over, taking them to lunch, phone conversations, and moving my youngest son in with us.  My dream was me going around telling people it was OK to grieve and cry and get pissed off.   Not that anyone would listen to me but I was trying to take their pain away from them.  When I woke up, Bill was bringing in the mail.  There was a letter from our church.  They are putting in a Memorial Garden.  (What a wonderful idea.  I have seen them before and it really helps the family decide what to do with a loved ones ashes or a place to put a Memorial for them).  In the letter was a couple of papers on Grieving.  Can this be?  I was just dreaming about this.  It was letting everyone know that it was OK to grieve.  How you grieve is your way of getting through it…not someone else’s.  You do what you have to do to get through it.  Talk to pictures, go for walks, visit the people who make you comfortable, but most of all don’t lose those special memories that you have in your heart.  No one can take those away from you.  God wants you to be happy.  Getting back to being happy comes with work.  Mental work.  I was on a trip to Navasota with Bill and my son Dusty on Saturday.  We were looking for property to buy.  We met one of the local preachers who just happen to be a real-estate agent in that area.  We found the most beautiful piece of property with his help.  It is peaceful, on an old country road with beautiful rolling hills.  I looked at the sky and thought to myself..God please give me a sign.  The cutest hound dog walked up to me from the ranch across the street, waging his tail, greeting the three of us like …welcome to the hood!  I knew then and Dusty looked at me and said…”mom, this is it”.  Bill was in agreement.  Wow!  A new start for Dusty.  That was my goal in getting him to go with us.  Keep Michele’s memories but move on like she would want you to. 

Life in the fast lane seems to be my lifestyle.  I go from one project to another at a pretty rapid pace.  I am having my foot surgery on Wednesday morning…out patient, and Bill is my driver.  Thank goodness I will be heavily sedated and will not witness the drive home.  Dr. Parker’s office called today and has sent my meds into the pharmacy.  Pain pills, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotics.  I will make sure they are all taken before I crawl in the Jeep.  Not to mention a blindfold.  Have a follow up with Dr. Parker on Friday..and it’s my right foot so Bill will be driving again.  You know this is why I have put it off so long.  Then this weekend we are having family over for Memorial Day.  Sunday seems to be the day of choice…so it’s BBQ on Sunday.  It will be simple since I can’t move around but my chaise lounge is real close to the bar.  Dusty is in charge of the grill so all is good.  Pain killers and Merlot….should recover very quickly.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend.  Be safe and pray for me.  Not about the surgery but about the drive home ordeal. 

Hugs!
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

We had a ball!!!  Vegas was fun and we returned in one piece.  Broke but in one piece.  I do, however, have an issue with the airplane potty.  I really try not to go, at all, in their facility.  Urinating in a tight place is one thing but pooping is impossible!  Infuriating!  Women try not to sit on the seat no matter what.  At a young age we are taught to hover over the seat.  Hovering over the seat at 37,000 feet is a whole new skill.  Especially trying to poop.  And remember I am having foot surgery next Wednesday so my balance is done without the help of my right foot.  Now we hit a small amount of turbulence.  I looked like a pogo stick …bouncing on one foot…trying not to go crashing through the door.  Flushing button was hit by accident…BIG MISTAKE!!!  Everything within three feet was sucked out.  Now balancing on one foot with ass being vaccumed into the bowels of the aircraft. Could not find my wine cup.   When I finally emerged, the flight attendant was laughing.  Not funny!  I did get free drinks the rest of the flight.

Neighborhood mystery.  Our neighbors went out one morning only to find their two little rabbits dead.  So sad and very unusual.  One had a puncture wound in the neck and the other the neck was broken.  At the same time something had jumped the fence in Dusty’s backyard and got the attention of his pit-bull, Chico.  Chico went flying down the yard and managed to scare whatever it was back over the fence.  And whatever it was broke part of the fence and left some fur behind.  Scary stuff.  Talked with our neighbor who lives behind us and we came to the conclusion that it was either a coyote or the granddaddy of all raccoons that she has seen wondering around.  The last few nights I get up and look out the window.  Don’t ask me what I would do if I actually saw the raccoon as big as a person or a coyote.  Of course I would crab the shotgun and a new pair of underwear on the way out.  Then I’m feeding the birds and I see this tail going into the bird feeder.  A snake!  Don’t ask me what kind…I don’t care.  But when Bill finally got it to come out of the feeder…it was 4 ft. long.  Not to mention in 4 pieces.  But that took some doing.  Bill had the shovel that had the wide teeth at the bottom and kept missing him.  After I retrieved the correct spade the reptiles life was ended.  The birds were so excited and Bill was exhausted..

Lani is now back in South Carolina.  She was here for 2 weeks and I miss her so much.  She and Mr. Wonderful,TJ, got to see their old friends, visit Galveston, and attend Ryan and Leah’s wedding in Kerrville.  (Ryan is my nephew).  The trip to Kerrville was so much fun.  Bill stayed home with the animals and Dusty, Lani and TJ were my companions for the weekend.  It was great to see my brother and Libby and old friends.  Only misfortune was the starter went out in the truck but Dusty had that switched out in no time and we were on our way.  Ryan and Leah are now in Jamaica having a wonderful honeymoon. 

Great news on the cancer front.  It has been 1 year and 2 months since my last chemo.  When it recurred the first time it came back 1 year and 1 month later.  So I have made it an extra month.  Time to celebrate!  According to stats it comes back sooner each occurrence.  So I guess I have defied the odds.  Not going to hoop it up too much but that is progress!  So after my foot surgery on Wed. I will be able to get back on the treadmill and start exercising again.  Man, I feel like a kid who just got the training wheels removed from my bike.  YeeHaw!  So please keep those “No cancer prayers” going.  They are working!

Hugs from Fulshear!
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani