Among Friends

[snappyfrappy]

Dear WaJa, by now you have finished that antibiotic and hopefully the infection is much better.

Your little GS is just darling! They do bring so much joy. The cycle of life.

I got a picture today of my sister wearing her new blonde wig. Sort of a bob. It makes a huge difference and I know it will boost her morale to look in the mirror at someone she recognizes as herself.

Nobody will ever say she didn't try, that's for sure. She no longer speaks about scans or blood work, so I think her doctors are just doing these infusions so she feels like she is doing everything to fight and they won't harm her.

She has trembling, but that's from the chemo she already had. I don't know when I'll get to see her. It's up to someone to take me out where she lives and I'll need to rely on her daughter to say when is the best time.

I can't get up the stairs into her own place, but if she could be at her daughter's house, I could get inside.

The Lord will guide.

I pray that you all have a wonderful weekend together.

Love,

snappy

[snappyfrappy]

Hello to each of you, anu, Selah, Rowan, agnesann, gloria jean

and sorry if I've forgotten anyone.

I have no idea when I will get to see my sister. It's up to someone to take me, and to when her daughter thinks is a good time, and to stamina. But, we are in contact. She is too tired to text much, but perhaps that will improve now that she doesn't need daily shots, etc.

I hope all you KS people have a truly wonderful weekend. Enjoy each other, nature and your time with the Lord.

snappy

[Issy379]

Hello, my dearest Snappy.  Thank you so much for stopping by to give us an update.  I am so sorry to hear about Shirley, but I know that you are a great comfort to her.  

I am doing okay.  It has been terribly busy at work, which is a good thing.  I am tired and looking forward to the weekend of just rest and relaxation (I hope).  

BTW, my neighbor, Joan is still with us.  Her husband, and their son take care of her, along with in home care providers.  I communicate with my friend in New Jersey quite often, so it makes the loss of her moving less painful for me, and of course, finding some little "pretties" always helps.

Hi MsLomo.....so happy to see you, too.  Hope that your DH is doing well.  Hi Cute, Selah, Rowan, Hilo, Lurky, NAES, Bathina, Delaney, Agnes & Jacob and QAnu, and GloriaJean.  Hope that the ladies have a good time at the Kfest.  Safe travels.

See you later.

[LurkyLoo]

A good Sunday to good friends and blessings to all! 💞 I didn’t even realize how far behind here I was. This passage of time seems to be moving along faster, or else.. I'm just unable to keep up with it like I used to. @MsLomo, you put it well. Though there were some hard, rough things to endure back then, so many things seemed lighter within the world.. and I dearly miss many who have gone Home before me. That's the downside of living a long life, but we are so blessed with those we yet have here- and peace of knowing our dear ones aren’t actually lost. We know where they are! As to missing online friends.. we can’t help but wonder when they disappear with no explanation. We had one on another site who did that after being as regular with posting as clockwork. After some time, another member found her obituary online. So sad! 😰 Like someone here was saying, (Joy, I think) opening up to caring for and loving others is a very vulnerable thing. I'll always treasure my memories of her delightful and spirited posts. She suffered much, but had a great outlook and sense of humor. Your days now are a painful struggle due to your beloved husband’s suffering, and all of the responsibility with his care. Whenever you can and feel up to it, I hope you find moments of care-free pleasure. Your tender heart and mind need that. I always look for your wonderful, thoughtful posts when I visit here. I understand why they have to be more rare now.

Thank you all for remembering young Erin in your prayers! Her parents are deeding their house to her, now that they found somewhere else to live. That worry is over, but her condition continues to progress. There is such pain in her ankles, knees, hips and lower back, that her posture suffers. She's already becoming stooped- which really shocked me at her age. They have her wearing a back brace and doing very painful PT 3 days a week. She cries just talking about it, and I can’t fault her at all. So wish they could cure this, all cancer, Alzheimer’s and so many other things. Yes, we all have our day to pass on, but it's the suffering in the meanwhile. They have her on the same medication I used to take, that was later deemed too risky for my CHF. I hope and pray it doesn’t lead to that for Erin. 

@HiLo- you know how my heart and soul is right there with you. I read your messages here and on email from Joy, then and pray through tears. How I hate this for you and Rob. I'm so glad that @snappyfrappy is here (when she can be) to try to help you through this, as she has been through it with 2 of her own children. I agree with you that the one dr was rather negligent. Things would not have grown so risky if this was found sooner. Those basic tests don't reveal much at our check ups, and this along with all cancers on the uprise. Not surprised that you turned directly to the Lord- even if in shock and desperation at first. Who wouldn’t feel just that way? When it happened to Angela, I pleaded with Him to take it from her and give it to me. So ridiculous in hindsight, but that was my initial reaction, as though I could make a deal with God. I will await word by email on the latest news, but oh, how I pray it hasn’t spread to his brain. 🙏

@snappyfrappy, I hope dear Shirley can soon get to her daughter's where you can visit with her. Understand what you mean about stairs! I would like to hope that the infusions could help with the side-effects from chemo and radiation. At the very least, they should give her more energy. How nice that she has a wig she likes. We do feel better when we look better to ourselves. I'm glad the UTI is more tolerable for you right now, though sorry about the leaky pipes. Always something with a house or apt. Good they found the sources before anything got ruined.

I remember Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free! 😜 I'm not too fond of that name either.. Agreeing with Marcia, though- I've heard worse, too. Sometimes it seems that parents put very little thought into the child having to live with a name. It's all about them spreading some obscure message, or making a statement about themselves. I think they follow too closely what some celebrities do. I'm waiting with you on the gender reveal! Very exciting for your families, cute's and Joy's since her daughter has decided to adopt! This is Baby Central- I love it! 

Ladies, I heard from Agnes by email last night that all had arrived safely in N.C. for KS-Fest. So thankful! They were visiting Selah and Rowan's church today, then relaxing with a cookout. Tomorrow they begin the 3-day retreat at Billy Graham's Cove. Thursday will be filled with shopping and those other activities previously mentioned for those who don’t care to shop. Then Friday they head to the beach on the Outer Banks for next weekend, before going home. Marcia and Mike had a little layover during their long flight. That woke Tyler, who was very cranky for the second leg. He calmed down again when they arrived at Selah's and he is fascinated by Winona's cat, Mosey. 😅 Tries to catch the kitty, since he is now walking around the furniture but still tottering over a lot. Joy's GS, Jax is now there to entertain and play with him. 

I'll be back soon. Sending love and prayers until then!

Ruth Ann 

[snappyfrappy]

Hello, Issy. Good to see you. Hope you did have a restful weekend. I imagine you are ready for another one.

Thank you for the update on Joan. Grateful she has good helpers around her. Glad you are in contact with your friend in the east. Things change all the time.

My sister has her new wig. It's a short blonde bob and she feels more normal wearing it. She has partial vision loss from the chemo and many other issues. I don't know how the medication they are giving her now is working. It's not meant to cure.

We have had plumbers here for days and days. They don't spend hours per day, but we can't do anything else and have to get up early. DD hasn't been able to enjoy her vacation at all, and they found several cold water lines with leaks. They are putting a liner inside the existing pipes. The water doesn't taste good, but the lines have to be purged and maybe that will get better.

It's horribly expensive, and they don't put new dry wall up when they finish. We have to get a man here to do that. And they charge a lot also. But the water was leaking under the cement slab foundation so we couldn's see any puddles to tell us of the problem.

Yesterday the ultra sound was done to show the gender of the baby on the way. Put in a sealed envelope, given to mommy who was to pass it to her mom so they find out at Sunday's reveal along with everyone else.

I'm hoping for a boy to carry on hubby's last name, but Star is so beautiful that another one like her would be very nice too. She will be 2 on Saturday.

Hello to everyone of your dear ones.

snappy

[snappyfrappy]

Hi Lurky, thank you for the information about the KS ladies. I'm sure they will enjoy themselves just being together.

It's hard to believe that Tyler is walking around the furniture already.

My sister has her new wig and appreciates that it makes her look more "normal" to herself. She has puffiness from the steroids she has to take. I guess next Monday will be an infusion. I pray she can tolerate them and that they do give her the time she wants and quality of life. Her vision has been affected. I haven't heard from her for a couple of days. Need to text her daughter to see how she is.

The plumber just came inside and said he's all done!!!

He's cleaning up. I can't tell you how grateful we are. Praise the Lord! It's so expensive, and the house is not at all in order. The holes in the walls have to be repaired, but not by them. Another expense, but necessary.

It will be good to be able to sleep in again, and not have people in and out.

DD needs to have some of her vacation to do the things she wants to do.

I'm thankful you are okay. Looking forward to Sunday when we find out the gender of the new GG baby!

My UTI seems to me to be at bay. I have symptoms all the time that bother me more at night, but I use OTC things like coconut oil to treat the side effects.

All the Lord's best to you and everyone here.

snappy

[Issy379]

Hi, Snappy.  I am so happy to hear from you.  Thank you for the update on Shirley.  I hope that you get to visit her soon.  

OMG.....water leaks.  I feel for you, but at least it is over with, except for the drywall repair.  Things are so expensive these days.  I was looking at an old movie recently, probably 1940, and the main character was a truck driver.  He stopped at a gas station and bought 17 gallons of gas and some oil and the bill came to a whopping $3.25.  Can you imagine that????  

I am hoping that you and DD#2 will be able to at least spend some of the vacation time doing fund things or just being able to relax.  

Simone and I went to a new restaurant in town for lunch yesterday, and had a great time--sea food, etc. and kind of expensive, but worth it.  It was nice to have a "sit down" lunch for a change.  The restaurant is by the water.

Hello, Cute, we miss you.  Hope that you come back to visit soon.  I hear that Connie Craig Carroll, Bret Chuckerman and Robin Wall are all leaving HSN.  Things never stay the same.

Hi, MsLomo.  How are you doing?  I went shopping this past weekend at a little asian import store.  The clerk brought out a lot of kimonos from the back, and I purchased one of each for $15 ea.  All colors of the rainbow.  That was so much fun.

Hello Bathina, NAES, Rowan, Selah, Hilo, GloriaJean and Lurky, Agnes and QAnu.

Hi, Delaney; I can't believe that Tyler is walking around the furniture.  My, how time flies.  Little Elijah is growing like a weed and talking up a storm.  He is a whiz kid with his phone & tablet.  He also has very specific eating habits.  He loves steak, and he only wears Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein clothes.....

Well, that is all for now.  I will be back tomorrow.  Take care.

[Issy379]

Hi Snappy.  I am sorry that DD#2 has not been able to enjoy her vacation.  It seems like there is always "something" going on.  Hopefully, the two of you will get a mini vacay soon.  I don't like getting up early on the weekends at all.  

Last Saturday, I did some shopping for summer type clothing.  I haven't been to a mall in years.  It is so much more convenient to shop online or do HSN, etc.  

I talked to my SIL yesterday.  She is still going to grief counseling and she also takes some type of medication.  Also, she signed up for another six weeks of sewing classes.  She made some little projects for around the house.  She said that she had a hard time at Easter, but she managed to get through it.  My brother, Jason talks to her just about every day, and that helps a lot.  It will never be "right" but we manage to continue to live.  I pass the cemetery every day on my way to and from work, and I say hello to him.  

Hello, MsLomo......hope that you and your DH are doing okay.  Hi, Cute; we miss you.  Hello to all of the Kindred Spirit ladies.  Hope that all of you had a wonderful time together.

Hi, Lurky, Bathina, Hilo, NAES.....come back soon.  Have a great weekend.

[DeLaney]

Dear, Hilo/ M.O.M., we are all here at the Outer Banks today and will leave for home tomorrow. All anxiously awaiting news on Rob's surgery, whenever and however you feel up to sharing. We prayed for him (and all on the Prayer Request list here), as a group, led by Joy in the Chatlos Memorial Chapel's Prayer Room and in Ruth Graham's Prayer Garden, which is so lovely and peaceful. Is he still in the hospital? If his surgery was similar to Snappy's son, I must assume (and hope) that he is. It's sad and very frustrating that though he did all the right things, the cancer wasn’t discovered until after it had spread. Hopefully the surgeon has explained why she hadn’t returned his calls on the lung test results by now. Not that there's any logical excuse. Our hearts are with you—my mother, Cora also sends you her love. ❤️

Thank you for thinking of her. She yet has moments—sometimes days—when her grief strikes hard for the early loss of my brother. We all do, but it's worse for her. She looks for similarities in Tyler, who you know is adopted. She adores him and is even more over-protective than I am.

He's 8-months old now, so tottering about and falling a lot! He loves to pull up on sofas, step to and fro along the length and bob up and down at the knee. I think he believes he's dancing like Baby Girl. 😁 Then, he'll collapse into his own footprint, which makes him angry. We have to stay one step behind him at all times. He has his two front bottom teeth now and loves to show them off and use them. Of course, whatever he grabs goes into his mouth, including a ball of moist beach sand. Yuck!! 🤢 Yesterday when we arrived here, he was very excited by the ocean. Standing up by holding onto Mike's bathing trunks, he nearly pulled them all the way down—from the front! 😳 He's getting pretty strong. . . and very unpredictable.

How are your great-grandchildren doing? Just think, had Donna's prayers not been answered, those two precious children may not even exist! God's mysterious and miraculous ways.

I'm so proud of Lauren, stepping up to help you around the house, while working and attending classes, too. Not surprised, since she has a heart of gold like you! 💛💛 May she return to recognizing we are all serving grace, or its enemy, rather we realize it or not, moment by moment. She just may bring her fiancé with her, in time, through example. We know that none sealed to Christ will be forsaken by Him. He is always faithful to His Word, even though we all slip and slide. Cultural cognitive dissonance is no threat to His saving grace, though it blinds many now temporarily, by design.

Tell her, as you know, that none of my life thus far went as I planned. I only recognize now, in hindsight, that God had far better things and purposes in store for me all along. This, as my faith had to be tested, too. I would not have chose any of it, including the rented house fire by the gas explosion that eventually led me to where I live, attend the better church, met Mike's family, decided to marry, etc. All of the delays in my education leading to my career showed and taught me more than the actual education about people's needs. So no, never become discouraged by the delays! Soldier on. Even these, by Providence, have a vital purpose. I became then more determined to find a field specializing in what seemed to work—to help those willing to help themselves. Bringing me to young Ryan. . .

Has he ever considered Cognitive Therapies? Including Behavior Modification? This is not lying on a sofa for years of psychotherapy. You can read a bit about it here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_therapy

And, knowing him so well, decide if it might help him. This is not to say that psychoanalysis and psychotherapy doesn’t help many who require it, and some then move on to Behavioral Therapies once they understand WHY they developed certain patterns.

Regarding your friend's son with a brain tumor, who is opting to only use Medical Marijuana. . . I'm pleased and surprised that the tumor is shrinking. I've only ever read studies that it's helpful with the side-effects from chemo and radiation. Here's a couple of links from NCBI and Cancer. org:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964193/

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/...

I couldn’t be so daring to go that route alone, unless the brain tumor is inoperable and had chemo and radiation failed first, but I pray this man will be healed. There may be reasons he can’t safely undergo traditional treatments, but working closely with neurologists and neurosurgeons, I've heard the greatest success in treating brain tumors is via surgery, followed by aggressive radiation. Not possible in all cases, sadly. Medical Marijuana has proved to be great in helping with nausea, lack of appetite and pain associated with chemo/radiation treatments, as well as glaucoma. 

I think, if memory serves, Donna is there with you now, which brings me such a relief for you. I'm sending my love to you and your whole family, with constant prayers up to our merciful Lord. Talk more soon. 

Biggest Hugs,

—Marcia 💞

[DeLaney]

Dear, Snappy thank you for the welcomed hugs! We're all missing and thinking of you, your family and all of the sweet ladies here. Anu told the tour guide at the Cove that we knew you, who had with your DH, sang in Billy Graham's choir in CA. She said, “God bless them both!” See my post to Hilo on how we prayed for you all there. We had 3-days of wonderful seminars, though we didn’t lodge there. Too expensive, even at group rates. We did dine there twice, since it was included in our package. We stayed at a nice hotel, just 4 miles away. They provided free shuttles to the Cove and other activities, so we could leave the rental vehicles parked. Some evenings we shopped and enjoyed a lot of ice-cream treats. We toasted our cones to you, @MsLomo, @cute_t and @Issy379! 🤗

We have WiFi in this beach house, and since I had to come in and bathe and get Tyler down for a nap. . . plus cut up a watermelon that I bought at a roadside stand to refrigerate; I told the girls I would check in here to see how everyone is doing. I'll pass your news along. We'll have watermelon on the deck this evening after dinner out. The guys all chartered Nosh's big fishing boat—Nosh's gf went with them. She sure doesn’t let the poor guy out of her sight! I hope they make it back in time for our reservations. I'm looking forward to some seafood. I wonder what Tyler will do when he sees his first crab leg. No doubt try to gnaw on the shell. Our weather has been so nice and I've finally adjusted to the time change, so naturally it's time to return to MT tomorrow. 😜

Do I have it right? You'll know the gender of the new baby tomorrow?! Woo-hoo!! 👏🏻 So excited for you and yours—Star will be over-the-moon! I wonder what names she'll choose for HER baby? Have my fingers crossed for a boy, though it's long since determined. Heaven bless him or her either way. ❤️ 

Yikes! I was shocked and dismayed at the costs of building supplies now, even since I had the custom cabin originally built, when we added on Tyler's bedroom with bath. Then the plumbing. . . They make a very good living, plumbers! What a way for your DD to begin her long awaited vacation. Glad it's all over but the dry wall, sanding, painting and the bills. Plus you got in some nice fellowship and witnessing! Fruitful you are, always.

Know you want to visit Shirley and maybe later you and DD can get away to your favorite seaside village. Happy the OTC remedies are bringing you some relief. SO glad that Shirley's estranged son has been in contact, even if by FB. Affirming his love for her, maybe in the only way he can right now. It must tug at her heartstrings—bittersweet. Family dynamics can be so hard for too many. . . We long for Divine Healing for this, too. 🙏🏻 

I'll be sure to check back soon for the big reveal! Keep taking care. Sending my and everyone’s love to you! 

—Marcia 💞