HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is so good to be with family and enjoy being with each other and giving thanks before the hectic season really begins. I have to admit that the holidays are very hard since the loss of my parents and my precious Jennifer. Turkey was one of Jennifer's favorite foods....except cheese, of course. This is the first time I have been able to bring myself to buy a turkey and cook one since her death. My precious sister, Kimberly, has been doing that for us. This year, I am going to cook for her!!! Bless her heart, she has been the hostess of all the holidays. I am looking forward to having Thanksgiving here this year. We will celebrate on Wednesday this year because we will be working on Thanksgiving. Even with all the heartache we have had, we know that we are truly blessed and we are grateful for what we have. Our family is shrinking, but we have many friends that are like family to us. I have a huge in- law family and they have done alot to help us through hard times. Hopefully, we will all be able to get together soon for a dinner. Everyone is always so busy, but life is very short. This Thanksgiving, I will give thanks for all that I have, my family and friends, and for all the wonderful memories that I shared with my loved ones....Happy Thanksgiving!!

Our Precious Ginger

After Jennifer passed away, my sweet nephew in Illinois gave me the most precious gift....a little Yorkie named Ginger. She won our hearts within hours after coming to Arkansas. Jazzabelle was Jennifer's beloved cocker spaniel. She was not too happy at first having someone in the house that quickly became her shadow. It didn't take Jazzabelle very long to accept or at least tolerate little Ginger. Ginger followed Jazzabelle everywhere and did a good job keeping up with her. After our move to Hot Springs, they really became almost inseperable. Everday they would run and make their rounds around the garden and the pond. Ginger would come running as fast as she could behind Jazzabelle.....then they would take a long nap together before going out again. They were so well mannered and good natured. Richard would always call them Mutt and Jeff because they looked so funny and cute together.

Yesterday morning Richard was cutting wood up by the creek. They didn't like the sound of the saw, so they came back down. Richard cut a tree down and went inside to get some tea. He saw Ginger lying in the yard in her usual place. When he came back out, he sat down beside her to rub her back as he always did....but she was dead!! We can't understand how if the tree fell on her, she could have gotten out from under it.....or maybe when the tree fell, it knocked her over, or maybe she had a heart attack. I would always say that when she ran, it sounded like she had asthma or CF, because she breathed so hard. The vet never found any problems with her when she went for her checkups...the only thing she had to have done was four baby teeth pulled that didn't come out. We will probably never know what happened to her, we can only speculate. What we do know for sure is that she brought us so much joy and happiness....and that we will always miss her.

TIME

Where does the time go? Just wish that there was a way to find more of it. I thought that when I lost my precious Jennifer, that time would just stop. Somehow, it keeps on going. I still miss her so much...my heart just breaks, especially this time of year. Jennifer loved the holidays so much, as well a did my Mom. Mom would get so excited this time of year, and she would always try to keep that childhood excitement in us. I remember after losing my Mom and Dad, one day Jennifer told me that she didn't see how we could lose our parents and still breathe. She was so loving and had so much compassion for others. Sometimes I wonder myself how life can go on, and why things happen the way they do. I know that my new favorite book, The Shack, shows us how we have to go on, even after the loss of a child. (I still want everyone I know and meet to read this book). My Dad told me many times how the older you get, the quicker time passes. I must really be getting old, because time sure gets away from me.



On my friend Lisa's blog, she challenged us to slow down this Holiday season and to only commit to and do things that mean alot to us and our families. I accept her challenge. I hope that everyone will slow down during this busy time of year......just take time to know and remember why we celebrate Christimas! Jesus is the reason for the Season! Enjoy this truly wonderful time of year, and cherish your friends and family!!

THE SHACK

My friend, Linda, gave me a copy of the book...The Shack by Wm. Paul Young for my birthday. Ever since I opened the front cover, I have been captivated. It is the best book I have read in a very long time. It seems like every time I mention the book to someone, they have read it or are in the process of reading it. I just don't want to put it down, but also I don't want it to end...it is that good. It has been said that if you read one fiction book this year, it should be The Shack. If by chance you haven't read or heard about this book, I urge you to read it. There is also a website...www.theshackbook.com. I must go now and get back to my reading...just had to stop and pass this along.

FALL IS HERE!!!!

I don't where the time is going.....I just wish that I had more of it. I can hardly believe that it is almost November. Thanks to Aunt Toots and Lisa, I delivered fall bags to the hospital for the patients. Aunt Toots decorated the bags in a fall theme and put some cute fall things in them. Lisa had made some darling CD mobile kits and magic wand kits. These should keep the kids from being quite so bored in the hospital and give the XBOX a rest. I love going into their rooms and seeing that they have been busy with our little projects! Jennifer would be so proud that we are doing this!!!

We are FINALLY getting settled in Hot Springs....still alot of work to do, but there always will be....it will be an ongoing project for a long time. I had almost forgotten what a beautiful drive it was over here when the trees start to turn. Fall and Spring are my favorite times of the year!! I love the crisp air and the briskness!(is that a word?)

I am looking forward to having our next Ya Ya day here. Wish that we would have all our projects completed....but we won't! Just takes time and money. I am learning to be more patient and accepting......and grateful for what I do have!!

TRAGIC WEEK

This has been such a hard week for everyone at ACH. One of our coworkers lost his baby son in a horrible accident. Another friend's son lost his good friend. In times like this, you just wish that you had the magic words and wisdom that would help these precious families. I know from losing Jennifer, that caring thoughts and prayers is all that is needed right now. Nothing else will help ease the pain. We will all just have to be available for them and do whatever is needed. Please keep these loved ones in your prayers.

Popeye Is Back

Don't know why, but out of the blue from nowhere, my Popeye arm (the name the grocery clerk gave my arm before therapy) decided to flare up. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon...took off the sleeve so that I could wash it and do my therapy. Thought I was feeling a little puny and maybe coming down with a cold....then when I saw "Popeye", he was all red and hot...then the fever and chills started. The next morning I called Dr. Hagans and got started on Levaquin...wonder drug!! The fever broke and hopefully I caught it early enough that the infection is on its way out!! It just doesn't make sense to me....how this could just flare up....no scratches, cuts, hangnails......maybe it is just to make me more grateful for how much better my arm is now. We were just talking about my arm Monday at work and how well it was doing....perhaps, we jinxed it....who knows...but it is great to be on the way to recovery again...not fun to have chills!!!