I am so sorry for being absent from the blog for so long.  Many things on the plate…too many things on the plate.  As you know, I was in the hospital over Thanksgiving.  Christmas came and went without incident…thank goodness.  And bad sinus infection over New Year’s.  So, I was nursing a Z-pack to start 2017.  Went to work with fever on Monday the 2ND.  Slowly getting better but not fully recovered.  For an early birthday gift, Bill took me to The Horseshoe in Bossier City for a weekend of wonderful food and relaxation.

So this week back to work and the normal routine.  Made a serious trip to the grocery store to replenish the pantry.  It’s pretty bad when you get down to the emergency supplies that are saved up for hurricanes, power outages, and nuclear war.  I mean my wine cellar was in serious need of pampering.  Heaven forbid running out of the red grape when the world explodes!  Bill was wondering if we were going to eat soup and sandwiches for the rest of our lives.  But every six months…I call it Disposal Time….I clean out the freezer and can goods to replace for the next six months.  It’s always interesting to see what Mother Nature decides to do in hurricane season.  So as every good Girl Scout knows…BE PREPARED!

I guess everyone is gearing up for Super Bowl.  The Texans play New England tomorrow night.  I know miracles happen….we’ll see.  As for the Clemson/Alabama game….yours truly won a nice Las Vegas bet.  Last June I placed a bet in Vegas that Clemson would win the National Championship.  I am smiling big!  Now I need to win the Publishers Clearing House $5,000. a week for life prize.  Like I said…I know miracles happen.

All the animals are fine.  Chico seems to have aged more this past year.  The vet says bigger dogs usually start slowing down around 10 to 12 years.  We are working on keeping him trim since he doesn’t run after the rabbits and squirrels like he used to.  Cleopatra is full of it!  She is a mind challenge for sure.  It’s crazy when you are trying to out think your cat.  Some one once said…”When God made dogs He just sat back and smiled…I’m wondering what He thought when He made the cat”?  Probably , how can I mess with the human brain and entertain them at the same time?   The horses are still wearing their winter coats and still roam with the critters in the horse field.

Got to spend time with grandson Kaden during Christmas.  Finally!  I hated being sick over Thanksgiving and not being able to hold him.  He is quite a handful… as all boys should be.  I hope I can see him again soon.  As I tell my son…the old saying…If mama ain’t happy…no ones happy but if grandma ain’t happy …RUN!  I can’t wait to spoil him and then return him to sender!

I would like to thank David and Sharon Hendrickson of Alberta, Canada for their generous contribution to the Leilani Essary Hurles Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  Dr. Bevers, MD Anderson, and myself greatly appreciate your donation.  Together we will kind a cure to this horrible disease.  God bless you.

Prayers out to Terri who is battling breast cancer, and to all that lost a loved one in 2016.  I hope and pray for the healing of body and minds as we take on a new year.  Happy 2017 y’all!

Ride, Baby,Ride!
Love and hugs!
Leilani

After being off over two weeks….it was actually felt good to get back to work.  After the health scare and hospital stay, Lani arrived from South Carolina.  We had a blast.  Daughter two…Amy….and I picked her up from the airport.  We sat in the Pappas bar in the terminal where we could wait and have a beverage waiting for her to land and get her luggage.  As she rounded the corner …the party began!  We drove back to Navasota where we met friends and had a wonderful visit.  Went over lots of details for Lani and TJ’s wedding in March.  Next few days she spent in Katy with her dad and visited her brothers.  Lani got her hair cut…nails done…and as any good daughter took her dad shopping and came back with quite a loot.  Needless to say, I taught her well.  On Wednesday, Lani and I went to have Chinese food with her brothers and my grandson Kaden.  Kaden and I shared my won ton soup…which he absolutely went nuts over.  Teething now..so soup was about the extent of his Chinese experience.  Then Lani and I hit Charmin Charlie’s …..hiding credit card receipts from Bill’s curious eyes.  Thursday was our annual GNO to the Alley Theater to see “A Christmas Carol”.  Amy, Lani, and me.  And of course an Alley Theater visit is not complete without dining at Birraporetti’s.  Bar tenders Domingo and Roberto took great care of us …as usual.  TJ came in on Friday and the gang left for Galveston.  TJ and Lani took engagement pictures on the beach that turned out beautiful.  Thank you cousin Beckye for letting the gang use your beach house.  They had a great time.  On Monday I took TJ and Lani to the airport and said our goodbyes… which is always a tear jerk-er.

So…this week it was back to work on Tuesday.  All was good.  I really was glad to see all my friends and get back in the swing of things.  Need to make a little money to pay for all the shenanigans that Lani, Amy, and I pulled during the week.  Life is good….then you PAY!!!!

Sending prayers out to several … Dr. Max Brand and wife Sheila have asked for prayers for their friend Mark who was diagnosed with liver cancer.  Polly has asked for prayers for Darrel who had leg surgery due to a bad infection. And my good friend Ann Wilson James who is battling shingles…ugh!   Several have requested prayer warriors help and want to remain anonymous .  Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.  Major group hug!

God bless you all.
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

To all my family and dear friends.  God issued me another challenge over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Monday evening I was sitting in my recliner with a glass of wine and a plate of cheese, fruit, and crackers.  As I got up I doubled over in pain.  One minute perfectly fine…next minute the worse I ever felt in my life.  And that includes my head on collision with ovarian cancer.  Every hour on the hour I was vomiting pure green bile.  No diarrhea….no gas.  Could not use my bowels at all.  Went to emergency room early Tuesday morning.  Told nurse I thought maybe food poisoning but had no idea what I could have eaten that would have made me so sick.  Was admitted and had a CT scan done immediately.  It showed partial blockage of lower bowel.  Or at least that is what I was told.  I was put on total bowel rest for three days.  So while y’all were eating turkey I had a hydrating IV.  Nothing by mouth.  Not even ice cubes.  On Thursday…Thanksgiving I was sent to x-ray for a x-ray video of my abdomen.  This procedure took six hours.  It involved drinking some contrast that tasted like burnt Mountain Dew.  But…that burnt Mountain Dew forced whatever was happening inside of me to start functioning again.  I have never welcomed a poop so much in my life.  And once I started …I couldn’t stop.  I begged them to release me on Friday ..due to the fact that I had a Butterball turkey in the fridge thawing out that had to be cooked that day.  I was released on the promise that I would stay on the liquid diet they put me on Thursday after the x-ray.  So I was on a liquid diet until Monday morning when I was switched to soft-mushy diet.  Everything from soup to mashed potatoes went into the smoothie blender.   As of today I am OK to start a normal diet.  Dr. Bevers has been in constant touch with me and has guided me in all my decisions.  I will follow up with him next week and he has ordered another CT scan just to ease his mind and of course my mind as well.  He is not totally convinced that their was a blockage of scar tissue or if there was where did it go?  He said there is a condition were the bowels get paralyzed.  They actually freeze up.  Numb!  No one knows what causes it but it is common in people who have had abdominal surgeries.  So we will find more out next week.

So, I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and had loving moments with family and friends.  It is very lonesome to be in the hospital during a holiday.  I thought of the poor kids that are battling horrible obstacles, against all odds.  I am incredibly fortunate to be here and have the love and support of my family and friends.  God bless you all.  May all your Christmas prayers be answered.

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

Thank you for being patient.  It has been a mixture of many side tracking events.  Bill and I just got back from a week in Vegas.  Thank you Amy once again for House sitting, all the yard work on the property and loving on all our babies.  We had a wonderful time.  Was able to mingle with many, add new friends and sold books.  Attended a Caesar’s Entertainment event …A Halloween Bash.  It was on top the LINQ Hotel and over looked all of Vegas.  It was just beautiful.  All the costumes were incredible. They had “The Donald” …Hilary in handcuffs….the exorcist priest  with the possessed girl in a bed….Mr. Monopoly….Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf…..and so on.  People really went all out to win the grand prize of $10,000.00.  One of the bartenders was dressed up as the Tin Man.  He asked me if I’d like to see his oil can…..I told him that not this trip….OMG!

Returning to work after a week off is always a pain in the ass.  But made it through the first week back.  In the meantime…Daughter two…Amy had a hysterectomy on Friday…and is doing well.   Times sure have changed since I had my tubes tied after the birth of Dusty.  Now they just suck everything out in one quick swoop.  Stitch up the inside through a tiny hole and glue the outside.  Of course my removal of ‘the stuff’ came with the removal of the tumor and blood transfusions.  It is so hard to believe that this January will be seven years.  It is all the support and your prayers that have kept me going.  And for that, I am so grateful.

Getting all the decorations out for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season.  Put up the Halloween props and making room for the Christmas tree.  I want everything ready when Lani comes in to visit the first part of December.  I pray they move back to Texas soon.  She and TJ are getting things lined up for their up coming wedding.  Taking pictures etc…and all the bridesmaids are coming over for a girls night.  So, she will be fitting many things in for the short week she is here.  Doesn’t anyone elope any more?  I thought things were expensive back in the day.  This is insane!

Lani called me the other morning and said that TJ had offered to put the food up, clean the dishes and do the laundry so Lani could go to bed early.  The next morning Lani finds the entire crock pot ….bottom, electric cord and “all” in the fridge.  I was laughing my ass off.  At least he tried….right?  LOL!!!!!  A picture is worth a thousand words.  This marriage ought to be entertaining.

Hope everyone has a wonderful November.  Tomorrow we will have a new president.  I pray our nation stays safe with whomever wins.  Bill and I plan on voting tomorrow morning.  I think everyone knows who we are voting for.  We have not made it a secret.  Please God…let there be PEACE!   And prayers out to my friend Lindsay…..My sis-in-law Libby for a speedy recovery from her surgery…..Daughter Two, Amy for speedy recovery….and my brother D, to resolve the issues with the pain in his hands.  God Bless!

Love and hugs!
Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

I was up for an eventful day…. so…I thought I would write a Thursday Update.  Before I really get started, I’d like to thank everyone who was concerned about Lani being in South Carolina with “Matthew” visiting the east coast.  Lani and TJ are fine.  They did lose power a couple of times and tolerated the wind and rain.  They called me at 5AM the morning it hit and Lani was cooking bacon by sterno.  TJ had teased her about buying sterno saying they would never have to use it.  It took 30 minutes to cook bacon but her point was made!  Like mother…like daughter.  Our idea of camping is the Holiday Inn and maybe black and white TV.  South Carolina was hit and poor North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia were battered.  We pray for all of those who lost their lives or a loved one during the storm.

In the meantime Leilani’s ass was out helping Bill fire up our new generator.  We fire it up once a week to keep it ready to go in case of an emergency.  So, Bill was connecting the battery and asked for some help.  Would I please hold the nut at the back of the connector so to tighten the cable to the post.  Sure….!@#$%^&*()_+!  I’m holding the pliers and I swat at a fly that is determined he is going to fly up my nose and the pliers accidentally touch the other post and the world blows up in front of me.  One good thing out of it is the fly got the hell out of Dodge.  Nothing happened…as Bill snickered and said I couldn’t get shocked….but with sparks flying right before my eyes, I found it NOT amusing!  Next thing I know Bill is firing it up and all of a sudden I hear nothing…silence….too quiet.  Bill walks in with the cord that you plug into the battery to keep it charged and a part of it is completely melted.  Bill…you won’t believe this.  Leilani…try me.  Bill…when I started the generator up I forgot the cord was attached and it was sitting against the exhaust.  Leilani…not amused again!

Then, at work.  One of fellow employees got appointed utility person for the day because some one didn’t show up.  He came around a corner with the most unbelievable look on his face.   One of the managers and I were standing there talking as this kid walks up.  He said that we had a dick sprinkler in the store.  He said you know those sprinklers that go choo choo choo then return sweeping the other way…well we have a dick sprinkler in the store.  The manager and I were bent over laughing so hard.  I had never quite heard it put that way.  Hilarious!!!! 

Getting my haircut tomorrow.  A much needed haircut I might add.  So going over to my buddy Velma’s house for a cut and then lunch and drinks.  It’s always a fun day together.  Notice she cuts my hair before the wine bottle opens.  I always thought, to try it wine first would be an adventure.  We may have to do that one of these days.

So many birthdays in October.  So happy birthday to all my friends born this month.  I noticed on Facebook there were like four or five on October 23RD.  And then of course Halloween is right around the corner.  So be prepared for the day after Halloween…here comes all the Christmas ads.  Hard to believe we have made a complete cycle of the holidays again.

Love and prayers for you all.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

Hard to believe fall is actually here and the holidays are right around the corner.  I have Bill busy getting fall decorations out of the shed.  Which is actually killing two birds with one stone.  He is out of my hair and helping out at the same time.  Halloween stuff is out and “turkey time” is on standby.  Good friend Amy spent the weekend with us and helped out with a lot of small chores.  Bill went to bed early and Amy and I stayed up quite late drinking wine and solving world problems ..of course.  I once heard a quote…”I woke up hungover to the sound of my neighbors lawnmower …I figured he’ll just have to mow around me because I’m not moving”!!!!  That is about how we felt the next morning.

We are looking forward to several fall trips we have planned.  A trip to Vegas and several more local getaways to sell books.  Trying to fit in fun vacations while we are still healthy enough to enjoy them.  I told bill that with this last birthday of his…he turned 76…that I need to look into a walker with an airbag and an ice chest for his beer.  I guess we both thought growing older would take a little bit longer. 

Decided to be a witch for Halloween.  I already own a broom…just need to figure out how to fly it.  I have a black cat….Cleopatra is ready to go partying.  And, I have an awesome pumpkin that will light up at the same time I get LIT!!!!   What a plan!  Bill puts on his Elvis costume….”the KING” he’s not but he is my Prince….only can’t hear.  Did Prince Charming wear hearing aids? 

Prayers are needed for my friend Gwen who is fighting the return of her ovarian cancer.  She is strong and I’m sure will beat this once more under Dr. Bevers care.   Haley, who is having a heck of a time with migraines at the tender age of sixteen.  Pray that her neurologist appointment goes well tomorrow.  For my sis-in-law Libby, who is getting ready for surgery to remove an unwanted cyst and bladder lift.  (It’s hell to get old”).  And my daughter Lani who is fighting a kidney infection.  She works for a group of doctors so she is in good hands.  And …as always my prayers to all of you…may God bless you.

Ride,Baby,Ride!!!!
Love and Hugs
Leilani

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I know….where the hell have I been?   As they say, it’s all in the timing.  And Bill and I have been trying to time everything out so as not to kill ourselves in the process.  So much has been going on.  From personal fun trips to business meetings and even a gala added in.  And….as always, I was devastated having to take my Jeep in to have the air conditioner fixed.  Which took two weeks due to waiting on parts and a mechanic that was involved in a car wreck.  We have been sharing the pick-up and I hate parking that thing.

Bill and I took a trip to Bossier City for business and pleasure.  It is always fun to meet and talk to people about my books and hear their stories about their adversities.  On our return I visited my dentist for an overhaul of a fifty year old filling that needed to be replaced.  At least I got my moneys worth with the old one.  Spent the Sunday of the 18TH with old friends at Gerrard and Patty’s house for the Texan game.  Then on Friday, Bill and I were honored to be invited to the Big Brother Big Sister Gala at the Omni Hotel in Houston.  We participated in the silent action and came away with a Texas A&M football signed by Coach Kevin Sumlin.   In every instance I feel so lucky that I have friends that make it so hard to say goodbye.  To me… that is truly loving life and thanking God everyday for the love and friendship He has managed to put in my path.  As some old philosophy fart once said….”You don’t spell love ….you feel it”!

Yesterday Bill and I insulated the generator house to make sure our new generator doesn’t rust.  It was quite a project but didn’t take as long as I had anticipated.  A building project with Bill is an experience in itself.  It took everything I had to keep from aiming the staple gun at him.you think backseat drivers are bad …try a backseat builder!  The future is just as busy.  So many things and so little time.  Pastor Max is coming over today with his tractor to remove a fallen tree from our yard.  (Leftover from the May storm).  Also, need to put aside time to burn a bunch of twigs and limbs and to blow the fallen leaves from the front deck.  Throw in a couple of social engagements and events and we will be through the month of October.  Wow…then we are looking at the holidays.  Eight weeks until Thanksgiving and thirteen weeks till Christmas.  Has anyone started shopping?

I’m calling on the prayer warriors for several prayer request.  My sis-in-law Libby will be having surgery the first part of November and dear friend Amy’s daughter, Haley, is recovering from heat stroke and dehydration.  Haley is sixteen and very active in school activities.  She is a sports trainer for the football team and in the choir.  As most kids…pulling herself all ways and not taking care of her own body.  And for all of you who are facing some of lifes little throw backs …I will keep you in my prayers.  Love…hugs…and smooches!

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

It has been an exciting three weeks.  Many things done …many things accomplished.  Lani came in and left.  Had my port flushed.  Worked non stop for the week before we left town and headed for Atlanta on August 19TH.  For those of you who have never had the privilege of flying into Atlanta…don’t!  You think Houston airports are bad….you think Houston traffic is bad….Atlanta is a nightmare!  But we finally made it out of Atlanta in our rent car and headed for Cherokee, NC where we spent the weekend with Lani and TJ.  We had a blast.  We left Monday the 22ND and followed Lani and TJ back to Columbia, SC. (their home) and stayed with them in their new house until Wednesday.  Had breakfast Wednesday morning and got in our rent car and headed for good ole Atlanta to fly back to Houston.  It took us longer to drive from the airport to Navasota than it did the 2 hour jaunt from Atlanta.  But all in all a great time.  Then it was back to work and into the old grind.  We met many new friends and ran into old ones.

We just bought a new generator since our old one went to the generator graveyard.  We had it since 2006 and used it through several hurricanes.  But when we moved to Navasota we neglected it.  Not starting it once a week to keep the juices flowing was a big mistake.  Sooooo, we are now proud owners of Gen2.   It will at least keep Bill’s ass busy once a week.  We started talking about it when we woke up yesterday morning to the sight of three storms in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific.  I don’t do well with camping out without plumbing and fresh water.  My idea of camping is a Holiday Inn. 

Well, got to get to work.  More later.  Have a great week and be safe.

Ride, Baby, Ride!
Leilani

What a wonderful weekend.  Dusty and Amy came over Friday and spent the afternoon.  And of course brought little Kaden.  And as requested… Mamie made spaghetti.  Kaden turned 5 weeks and has grown so much.  At last check-up had grown an inch and a half and gained a couple of pounds.  Oh…and of course, looks like his Mamie!

Lani arrived Friday night late.  Stayed at her dad’s house and got to spend Friday night and Saturday with Kaden.  Aunt Lani or better known in the circle as Aunt LaLa….held him so much that she went back to South Carolina with a sore arm.  But Sunday, her friend Amy (not Kaden’s mom but her long time friend Amy, my long time friend Velma and myself) hung out at Pappasitos all day.  Not to mention we were all wearing our Auntie Mame T-shirts.  (Remember…”life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death”)!  We picked Lani up in Katy..went to see Casey and Jennifer’s new home…and got to Pappasitos at 11… and stayed until 4.  Specials on drinks didn’t hurt the wallet but made one’s Monday at little hard to handle.  I have never laughed so much in my life.  Thank you to bartender friends Andrew, Bryan, and Pete for a great time.  They are one reason why Pappasitos is one of our favorite hangouts.  At 4, Amy and I drove Lani to the airport to catch a 7:30 flight.  We sat there at the corner Shell station to waste some time and drink a few last toasts before her departure.  Her leaving was bitter sweet.  The only thing that kept me from getting emotional is the fact that it won’t be long before Bill and I will be visiting with her and TJ.  So looking forward to that trip. 

Had my port flushed yesterday.  Somewhere, in the day before, I gained a pound or two.  I made sure to text the girls and thank them for the extra poundage!  With Pappasitos food..all the alcohol….and did I mention all the alcohol, I’m surprised it wasn’t more.  Amy said that it would have been four pounds but I had laughed the other two or so pounds off.  Good point.   While in town Bill and I ran a few errands.  Needed oil and filter change, some pants hemmed by tailor/seamstress extraordinaire, Mary, Target for a couple of items, and bank deposits.  Had a nice lunch and drove to Casey and Jennifer’s new home so Bill could get a tour. Then returned home around 4 to feed the animals.  Back to work today.

Hope everyone has a great week.  Stay cool!!!!!  Prayers out to my friends Chris and Jennifer and family on the loss of his father.  God has him in His arms and he is in Paradise.

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani

The other day I found myself in my closet staring at my clothes… which I call “clothes surfing” and thinking all kinds of thoughts.  Lani called me a short time later and she said,” I was thinking about you mom.  I was just standing there in my closet and thinking all kinds of things.  What I’m going to bring to Houston for my week-end visit, the clothes we bought when we were together…recently and back in the day when I was a kid.  It was like being in a dream, reminiscing”.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was like we were doing the same thing at the same time.   I had been looking at an old photo 18×24 that my parents had taken of me and had matted in a beautiful frame.  The beautiful dress that they had dressed me in for that picture in 1953.  The clothes that my mom used to buy me when she modeled for Sakowitz and at times when I modeled with her.  But the thoughts were like dreaming of old times…old wonderful times and then just as quickly…back to the present and the clothes I plan on taking later this month to South Carolina to see Lani.  Sometimes I thing God slips little precious pieces of love and “mind pictures”…to keep our loved ones close to us.  Both the departed and those still here.  So… now… when I want to remember the little things in life that I cherished both in the past and the memories of things just captured in my mind, I just go in my closet and DREAM!

Bill has been working hard outside cutting up tree limbs and clearing brush that fell during the big rains several months ago.  Got the insurance money to repair the downed fences and have huge pine trees cleared.  He comes in soaking wet.  So I have developed a system…just like for the kids when they would come in from a day outside and played in only God knows what and smelt the same way!  First…jump in swimming pool and rinse …then stop in laundry room.  Strip down and dry off.  Fresh clothes waiting on hook.  Deposit wet clothes in basket by washer.  Then proceed into the normal living space to re-hydrate on Gatorade.  It is so funny how time travels in circles.  As I remember doing the same thing growing up. Only mom or the maid would douse us with the water hose.  Now, there’s a blast from the past…Maybe I should do that technique on Bill!  Over and over…dirty blue-jeans are here to stay!  And that for some reason reminds me of Neil Diamond’s song “Forever In Blue-jeans”!

Still enjoying work and meeting new people. I have sold several books and am looking forward to our trip to South Carolina to reacquaint myself with friends that I met on previous visits and book speeches.  I hope all of you are enjoying these last lazy days of summer.  I am ready for a breezy fall and all the beautiful colors it brings.  So blessings my friends and if you need some wonderful quiet time to yourself…Closet Dream!!!!

Ride,Baby,Ride!
Leilani