Done With Genesis; It's Over for Brooke

You know you've had a good day when you've cried tears of joy twice.

Bible Study ended today. We'll have a nice breakfast next Wednesday to officially end our year. I am so glad I decided to join this non-denominational group of Christian women. Our small group of about 15 had a good chemistry...lots of good conversation and learning. There were 3 former students in my group, and the leader of this group of about 80 women is a former student too. It is gratifying to see what good people they are and concerned parents, spouses, and siblings. And one thing I continue to understand--family life experiences are pretty universal. All the way back to the time of Jacob and his sons!

Well maybe I am overinvested. I cried with Brooke when she got the boot off Idol. But they were not sad tears. What a gal. I can't remember who predicted it, but somebody in the family said early on that there would be 3 guys left at the end. Looks like that will happen. Mario is a fan of Syesha. Thinks she has the whole theatrical performer thing down. I do believe Syesha will sashay right on over to Broadway when she's through with Idol.

Chris sent the above photo today. Now does he look like his momma or his papa? Can't decide.

Fun with Nolan, Pics from Chris with Quincy boys, the George Washington Aircraft Carrier

In the first picture, Chris is with Kevin and Tim Wensing, who were students at QND back in the late 70's/early 80's. Kevin retired from the Navy and has a position in the Department of Defense. He accompanied Chris' group on the trip. The second picture is the George Washington Aircraft Carrier. His group actually landed on the ship, and he got to spend the night there. More stories are still coming in; I hope you find them interesting!

Nolan and I had lunch with Grandpa Mario at QND today. Then Nolan decided he wanted to "slide," so I took him to the play area at the mall. He did about 30 minutes worth of sliding and jumping. Then he told me it was time to go to Grandma's house. Unfortunately, it was time for his nap at Mommy's house. (Time for Grandma's nap too!)

Mario and I are into Dancing With the Stars. Tonight we saw the football player take the lead over Kristi for the first time. But she came back with a great dance, and I am not sure who actually won the night. I like all the couples who are left, but I think the final will be between those two.

Looking forward to Idolmania at the Eilerings tomorrow night. I like all the finalists there too. (I will be cheering for Brooke, still my fav.) And I have started appreciating David C. more. Of course David A. still has it going on, and what can I say....Jason is charming without even trying. Syesha will probably be next to go, but she will move right on over to Broadway with the rest of the gals.

End of a quiet weekend here....

I felt so relaxed today. I spent almost the whole afternoon on the couch dozing. That is not my usual approach to Sunday afternoon, but that's all that happened with me today! Well, I do have one little dilemma. I have noticed for the past three weeks my guitar was not holding its tune when I would get ready to play for mass. Today I discovered why. The bridge is cracked. So I will take it in tomorrow and see if the guitar shop guy can put a new bridge on it. Have no clue why the wood failed, as I treat my guitar very kindly.

Chris is back in Yuma. He called this afternoon to let us know. He started out in Miami Saturday morning, flew to DC, then his commercial flight out of there was delayed. He got to LA after the last flight left for Yuma, so he had to spend the night there. He said Makenna was smiling and laughing when he got home, glad to see him. He was very tired and sure to sleep a lot the rest of the day/evening. There is a nice "Summing it up/What next?" end piece on the blog at the JCOC web site. And there will be a DVD with 1200 professional photos from the trip he will get eventually from the Department of Defense. Looks like they want the participants to share what they saw and learned.

The Dede gang were on a soccer trip tournament this weekend. Came back with 2nd place. In the championship game, they played a rough game against a busload of Mexican kids from Detroit. Lost 2-1. But happy to get out of there with arms and legs intact.

I resumed my volunteer job at the hospital Tea Room on Friday. The little ladies that work there were gracious and kind--seemed genuinely pleased to see me back helping out. I will continue my every other Friday afternoon cashier routine.

Now I am looking for an additional little volunteer job. I will not be returning to PSR. The program has changed, and I would not work so well in it. I think they want all the teachers to be teachers from the school anyway. I am sure there is another need to fill out there. I just have to find it.

Chris is heading home....

Got a call today from Chris from Washington, DC. His flight outa there was delayed, so Mario and I had some time to talk with him about his impressions of the experience he has just had. I believe his eyes have been opened very wide concerning the work of the US Military in the world. To use his words, "The world is so much bigger than Illinois or Arizona." I believe he has great admiration for our military and what they are doing in all the areas he had the opportunity to see over the past 8 days. I look forward to seeing the DVD he will receive that has 1200 photographs taken by 2 professional military photographers who accompanied the group. He will share what he has learned in many ways when he gets home, and that is the idea. He met the President of the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild in the group, as well as a big Hollywood producer who made Charlotte's Web and the Duck movies to name a few. Good that some Hollywood people were there. He said the group ran the gamut from far left to far right. He has an idea to try to put together a trip of SIUE soccer players to go where he was in Honduras or Columbia or somewhere for a humanitarian/public relations soccer trip like Mario got to do when he was at Quincy College. And I think the most important thing I heard him say in that hour is that everywhere they went, Americans were loved, respected, and welcomed, unlike what we are led to believe by our press these days. So he will get back to Yuma sometime in the next 24 hours, and that is a relief for this mom!

DefenseLink News Article: JCOC Delivers School Supplies, Soccer Balls to Hondurans

DefenseLink News Article: JCOC Delivers School Supplies, Soccer Balls to Hondurans
Click on this link to read the article and see the pictures of Chris in Honduras with the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. This information comes from the JCOC web site. There are many articles and pictures that are interesting to all who have an interest in what our military is doing in other parts of the Americas.

Chris back in the USA

We heard from Chris tonight(Thursday)....got a call at 11PM that the JCOC group had arrived in Key West, Florida. They will spend tomorrow in Miami and return to Washington on Saturday, then Chris will fly home to Yuma Saturday night. He has loved this trip, met lots of great people, ("I am the poorest one here"), and has done some amazing things. He did take pictures along the way. Today in Honduras the group delivered some humanitarian aid and soccer balls. He said he was photographed playing soccer with the little kids and interviewed as well, so maybe some of that will end up on the JCOC web site tomorrow. It was so good to hear from him. Sleep--there has been very little for the group. Some nights only 2-3 hours. He did spend the night on the George Washington aircraft carrier. Said they stood out on the flight deck no more than 25 feet away from planes coming in and landing in night maneuvers. They were told civilians are just never allowed that experience, but this group was. Today he played firefighter, carried all the equipment inside a real burning building and "rescued" a mannequin on the 2nd floor. He rapelled another building today, something he seemed to enjoy--quite a thrill. So I am sure there is a lot more to hear about, but because he was needing to go to bed, we said goodnight. Thank you Lord for getting him back to the USA safely and with such good feelings about what he's had the privilege of doing for the past week.

Update on Chris' Travels

Got this email from Chris last night....
Things are going well. Have seen and done some pretty cool stuff here. Sleep 5 hrs. a night at best. On the go everyday, and on many different modes of transportation. Will try to call when I get into Florida late Thursday night.

Maria emailed last night and added that she had heard from him.....he got altitude sickness in Columbia and went repelling off a skyscraper on Tuesday. Now a mother would reason that one had something to do with the other, but I don't know.

April Showers....again

We got up to thunderstorms this morning but looks like the weather has moved on. So today Judy and I and Ray's Aunt Lucille from Chicago are going on a ROAD TRIP (to Hannibal!) for lunch. I am anxious for Idol tonight because our girl Brooke is supposed to be something else according to Andrew Lloyd Webber--well that is what he told Simon yesterday. I included the pictures above today because they illustrate so well the wonderful work of daycare providers. The pictures say it all for me. So while I have been focused on Chris and his adventures of late, there are always little adventures, equally important, just across town!

Beautiful Monday, Chris is in Brazil on the Ronald Reagan

It is finally here! Spring. YES. And I spent almost the whole day at the oncologist's office. Well I am getting ready to go for a walk with Mario. But before I do that, wanted to post that Maria has gotten two very short calls from Chris. Saturday morning he called from Guantanemo Bay, Cuba, and had seen the Iraqi detainees. This morning, he called her from the Ronald Reagan in Brazil.

It's good cartwheel and flip-flop weather here.

Chris is on the move....the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference

My blog today is about Chris' current travels with an ambassador program of the Department of Defense. So if you are interested....read on!

Chris called three times Friday. The first call came at 8AM to let me know he arrived safely to Washington, DC. The second call came in the late afternoon after the tour of the Pentagon and opportunity to meet the group he will be traveling with for the next 10 days. The last one, the quick Goodbye call late in the evening, surprised me a little. I have gotten accustomed to the physical distance between us, but this time, there was a little struggle for me. Realizing he will be out of touch in some amazing situations, I just have to find comfort in knowing how much he is growing and learning, and whatever God's plan is for his life, he is walking the pathways that are opening to him. A mother's love being what it is, there is always yearning to be with him more and to talk with him more. But I must put my selfish mother desires aside again. This is his life, being well-lived. That is what I raised him to do, and I support every step of it. And I am so proud of the man he has become.

So for anyone who is interested, here is what I know about his travels so far. The program sponsored by the Department of Defense is described simply on an internet site. If you google JCOC, (Joint Civilian Orientation Conference), and click on the first thing that comes up, you will see it. In his first call yesterday, he had arrived at the Pentagon and stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, one of the best hotels he's seen. All day yesterday was spent viewing the Pentagon and meeting people like Admiral Hamm, the deputy to Gates who replaced Rumsfeld as Sec. of Defense. He related standing with a group that included an obviously important fellow who was telling the group about himself. Somebody asked him where he was from and he responded, "I'm from a small town in Illinois named Quincy." Well you can imagine Chris did a double-take on that! The guy is a former student from QND, Kevin Wensing, who went on to become an accomplished Navy man and is now the special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense! He and Chris talked about Mario's brother Edmundo, etc., and Chris found out that Kevin is accompanying the group on this trip. So once again....a small world. Also in the first phone call yesterday, Chris related some of the itinerary as he understood it so far: leave Andrews Air Force Base in Washington at 3AM Saturday morning on a C17 Military transport for Guantanemo Bay, Cuba. I think a day there, then on to Rio de Janiero, Brazil for 2 days. Next stop, Honduras, and at some point, Bogota, Columbia. Honduras is apparently where the pesky mosquitos are that carry malaria, and he was unable to get the malaria vaccine. So we have to pray the malaria mosquitos don't land on him! He'll spray down with Deet and cover up and hopefully not come home with any new disease! At some point, the group lands on the George Washington aircraft carrier, literally dropped onto the ship by a C-2 jet. O MY. He related that there are about 40 civilians in the group, divided into smaller groups of 8-10. He had already met some men from the group--the CEO of Sony, the Sr. VP of AIG, and a well-known cardiologist from some big hospital in Houston. He saw the Oreck CEO but didn't get to speak with him yet. He said, "I stick out like a sore thumb here," meaning the group is composed of men and a couple of women in their late 40's and 50's. But he says that's not a problem, that he can talk with all of them. Next he related that they asked for volunteers to suit up with the Marines at a certain point and carry 100 lbs. of gear like they do and go through their drills with them. So Chris and another fellow volunteered to do that. Somewhere in Bogota, Columbia, they are going to a shooting range to fire the weapons the military use, and that seemed interesting to him. And they had a lottery to see who gets to have a seat in the cockpit on the ride home to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington when they are through, and they drew Chris' name. So that will be some kind of thrill for sure. And he was pretty enthused by the cool Department of Defense gear that they all got. He said it was good quality stuff--jacket, shirt, hat, blanket, and other things I can't recall.

So they finished the day in Washington Friday with a nice dinner, then back to the room to pack a back-pack for the first 2 days of the trip. The rest of the luggage would not be with them, so whatever they need for the first 2 days had to go in the back-pack. He was wondering how the two women would handle that! It was the final thought he expressed in the 3rd call of the day late in the evening, just before "Goodbye. I love you."

I am thinking that by now, (Saturday morning), they are in Cuba already, and the real adventure has just begun. I will post anything new when I hear from Maria. He will have a couple of short phone opportunities with her during the trip, and she will call us with info. Please pray for safe travel and good health for Chris.

End of the Week Stories....

I am sitting in the early morning hours at the computer, and the strangest thing has just happened. The room was shaking. The chair I am sitting on moved. The computer screen shifted a bit, and the keyboard moved beneath my fingertips for a few seconds. Now what was that? Have I had a visitor(s)? Was this an earthquake? I checked outside, and the wind is blowing a little, but not enough for this kind of action. Well, if the spirits are here with me, I hope they enjoy my stories and pictures.

It has been a great week of discovery for me. After a strict gluten-free diet, and the total exclusion of acidic foods for the past 2 weeks, I am so excited to report that I am not having the pain that has plagued my life for years. Only on last Sunday, I ate something unidentifiable, some kind of spices/dressing on the vegetables at TGI Fridays, and I had a severe reaction in the wee hours Monday morning. Now I totally see the connection between eating things that my body can't handle and its allergic response. It had to happen for me to see the connection, the hyper-reactive soft tissue response. After all the years of searching for the cause of the pain and extreme fatigue that goes along with it, it is so simple. Don't eat any foods that have wheat, oats or barley, and for now, no acidic foods. When I get myself healed from all the years of trauma from this, maybe I will be able to reintroduce small amounts of these foods from time to time. It will take time, and I may never get over the fatigue part because of the damage that has been done. But let me tell ya....just being free of the pain these continuous allergic reactions were causing is a reason to be joyful right now. And it all hinged on getting to the right medical intervention. A young female doctor from the Phillipines, relatively new to Quincy and working in our hospital's arthritis clinic, listened to my story for a couple of hours in June of last year. She referred me to physical therapy, and that is where I met Dr. Natalie Stratton, a young wife and mother, ordinary in her style and manner, but I believe a gifted healer. She knows where her power to heal comes from, and I knew when we began working together that this would result in something positive for me. Then I discovered the cancer in August, and her treatment plan was to "maintain," to just keep me from getting any worse while I went through the toxic slush and radiation. But the treatment was more harsh trauma to soft tissue. Natalie saw how strong I am as I bucked up to endure this. But once I was finished with the cancer treatment, we went to work. About 2 weeks ago she told me it was time to be 100% committed to the gluten-free diet, as well as avoiding all acidic foods, so we could really know if this is what has caused my trouble. Well I am happy to report....after being around the world on this....that I have found the solution. So simple. Eat meat and potatoes, veggies and non-citrus fruits, cheese and dairy, and certain kinds of chocolate are OK, thank GOD! (Dove and Hersheys for sure). I now read every food label, and when I go to restaurants, I request gluten-free and non-acidic foods. Praise God. This goes hand in hand with avoiding chemicals of all kinds that cause me to have hives. Very few have any idea what this has all cost me through the years. Most people look at my outside, have no idea what has been going on in my inside, and think that I just look terrific! Well I do! I have fought the hard fight to survive these allergic reactions for so many years. But truthfully, I was losing ground fast, as my insides were/are so worn out from this. Praise God! I am offering prayerful thanksgiving for this healing and whatever good comes from it.

I have couple of grandkid stories to tell.....

Cora (almost 10 and in 4th grade), came home from school a couple of weeks ago and told Carrie that the girls in her class were starting to wear training bras and wanted to know if she could get one. So Carrie obliged, finding some sort of athletic type undergarment that she thought would fill the bill and satisfy Cora. So Cora and Hannah are getting out of the tub, and Carrie brings in the little item for Cora to try on. Hannah ( 3 1/2 yrs. younger, age 6) takes a look at it, then at her skinny naked big sister, and pronounces, "Well I'm bigger than you!" Perhaps will be the story of Cora's life in this anatomical region.

Carrie was excited to be able to get the daycare kids outdoors for the first time this week. Tony was gone for 2 days for a meeting, and she thought this would be such a nice way to spend the time while he was away. But she forgot....on the first day out, you have to teach the rules all over again....They have poured a nice new concrete patio that the kids can ride bikes on and play on. So Nolan sees one of the kids on his bike and just hauls off and waps him. "Nolan, you cannot hit somebody because they are riding your bike. You have to wait your turn," Mommy Carrie instructs. Moments later, same bike, same kid, and Nolan hauls off and kicks the heck outa the kid. "No Nolan, you cannot kick somebody because they are on your bike. You have to wait your turn." Well, at that point, Nolan decided to get the last word/gesture in. He pulled up his thumb and pointer finger in the shape of a gun and "shot" the kid on the bike. "No, Nolan, you can't shoot 'em either." So Nolan runs off and gets the soccer ball. This will surely work for him. He has watched Blake kick against the neighbors' soccer kickboard for years. But Nolan will use the back of the house with the brand new siding instead. He just kicks the hell out of the ball before Carrie can stop him, and I am not sure what size dent he put in the new siding, but he must surely have left his mark. "No Nolan, you can't do that either." Hopefully by days' end, Nolan found some things he COULD do!

Chris has begun his trip with the Military this week. He left for Washington, DC yesterday. Today he will meet with Condoleeza and Michael Cherthoff for sure and spend the day at the Pentagon. He told us three of the executives on the trip are the CEOs of Earthlink and the Oreck Corporation, as well as 2nd in command at WalMart. He is at least 15 years younger than anyone else, so he says he will again get the nicknames he has previously heard from the older guys like Kiddo, Big Shot, etc. He will be able to make short calls to Maria from time to time over the next 10 days while he is traveling somewhere in South America and spending at least one night on an aircraft carrier. Then she will be in touch with us, so we know where he is and what he is doing. I am praying for safe travel and a great experience for him. He just called from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Pentagon complex and sounds upbeat and excited about this.

We are counting down days 'til the end of school here. Mario is tired and will be ready to let the job go for a few weeks. He is going to work at Catholic Heart Work Camp in Pennsylvania for a few days the end of June, supervising teens from around the country doing service work in poor areas. Some other QND staff go too, including his friend George McDonnell.

I am hopeful that I finally get to see New York City in late July. I will keep you posted on that one. It is the one place I have always wanted to see. In the meantime, the Camacho family is gearing up for a family vacation in Vegas in June. Part of the time will be spent at our Marriott Chateau timeshare. We are looking forward with great anticipation and hope the kids and grandkids enjoy it too.

So that is what is in the plans for the Camachos for now. It's been a great week.

Into the Wild again

After reading the book Into the Wild, I checked out the movie again....understood it so much better the second time around. I find this story intriguing. Has so many messages important for life in general. I have passed the book on to a friend. You never know if somebody else will like what you like. The last time I recommended a movie, it fell flat. I think I have tastes that vary far and wide, or I am interested in a broad range of things, so I can go with it if it is credible to me. So anyway, I am glad I invested time in this story.

Saw Light My Fire (Michael Johns from Idol) on Regis and Kelly today. He related that Dolly called him at 4 in the morning after he got the boot and told him she wants to write for him and maybe duet with him. Figured. No great loss for him to get booted. Under Dolly's wing now!

The funniest thing I heard today was Kathie Lee Gifford on the 4th hour of Today telling the crowd that when Frank's gone, she is going for "the younger man."

Blake's team won two games in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, then lost a sudden death PK shootout Sunday morning to just miss the finals. But he had a good time with the teammates. Carrie and another parent took them to the mall on Saturday night, while Tony and Nolan did the hotel pool thing. So everybody got some quality family time of one kind or another. Chuck's twin brother Chris (Karlson, Blake's bio dad) showed up and spent about an hour with him. Seems as though he was traveling through Cedar Rapids with his job. Was good for Blake to have somebody from Chuck's family care enough about him to show up. I guess Chuck calls Blake every night and is doing alright working day to day construction in Florida and living in some kind of halfway house. We all just like to know that he is ok.

I had a serious pain bout at 4:30 this morning. It woke me up. Thought I might be having heart issues. My hands felt swollen and numb, and I had the most intense pain behind the sternum. Got up and took my pain medicine, then anxiety medicine because of the pain, then a swig of Maalox, then a swig of belladonna about a half hour later, and finally got relief. Went back to sleep til about 9. What in the heck caused this? Was it the spice I did not recognize on the veggies I had at lunchtime at Fridays? Was it the orange slice candy piece I had just before bed? Is it the beginning of another of those gunky infections? What wakes you up in the wee hours of the morning and does this to you? This kind of scared me.

I accomplished one thing of value today--watched the Dede daycare kids sleeping while Carrie took the girls to the dentist this afternoon. I guess that's something.

Time for Dancing With the Stars.

Love Sunday Morning....

I always hope I awaken in time to watch the Hour of Power at 7AM on Lifetime on Sunday morning. Robert Schullers, father and son, pastor the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California. The message and the music are always very good, and I like to start Sunday that way.

It was a short night because I watched one of those late night Lifetime movies. I think it was called The Match Keeper's Daughter, something like that. The story had been on the New York Times bestseller list for many weeks awhile back. The end was very moving. I won't give it away in case anyone decides to watch it. Well acted. The usual Lifetime drama!

Had a good time with Cora and Hannah yesterday. We hit the road for the ice cream social at Hannah's school by 11. There were games and tattoos and balloons and a book fair besides eats. We took it all in. Then we killed about an hour at the mall, looking at the teacup chihuahua puppies in the pet store that go for $750. The regular size chihuahuas are half the price. Now does that make any sense? Half the puppy for twice the price??? There are some things that I just don't get at all. Then off to the indoor playground where I watched Cora jump off many high places. Hannah gave a couple of them a try, but isn't really the flyer of the two. We finished our outing meeting up with the Eilering girls at the dress shop where they had their final fitting in their prom dresses. Both are stunners. After flitting around the shop for an hour, Cora and Hannah decided to try on dresses. They did, and they decided they looked like Cinderellas. It was Carolyn's great idea to let them join in the fun. The girls spent last night at Grandma and Grandpa Lovell's. I am certain I did my part to wear them out for a good night's sleep. Needless to say, I was done in myself.

Just hangin out on Friday night

Today's big event was getting the carpet cleaned. It took all my umph to empty the living room and put it all back after it dried. Looks good.

We've got the girls while the boys and Carrie and Tony go to Cedar Rapids for a soccer tournament. Crazy! The weather I mean. I can't believe they are planning to play in this stuff. The girls and I will go to Hannah's school tomorrow for their ice cream social. Hope it's indoors. I am such a wuss these days.

Hannah is learning to read, which is fun to see. She brought a new book over that she bought at the school book fair. Now Cora is reading to her as they try to settle down to sleep.

I am catching a bit of Donny and Marie on Miss USA. In between "have you got your teeth brushed," etc.

Heard from Chris today. They are having beautiful weather--that time of year there. They are going to San Diego this weekend, then out on the boat next week, then he leaves for his trip. He seems very excited to make this trip, and I am glad he is flying Maria's mom out to stay with her and Makenna while he is gone.

Mario has been very busy with his translating work for ISD, as well as winding down the last 6 weeks at QND. He says he will be ready for school to be out. He has a great summer to look forward to. We have our trip with the kids in June, then he goes on a service trip with Catholic Heart Work Camp (high school kids from all around the country), and in July his trip to Mexico with Frank and Chris. Looks like a couple of brothers will be joining them for at least a part of it. He will get to see where he grew up, and they are finishing up in Puerta Villarta. I am hoping one of my ass-kicking sisters will get on the ball and organize my New York experience!!!

What did I do yesterday???

Sometimes I cannot remember what exactly I did yesterday....I am thinking here. Give me a minute....
Routine stuff....PT, errands. Home to see Chrissy and Martina on Oprah. Surprised to hear that Chrissy is getting married (3rd or 4th time, can't remember) to Greg Norman. They are going to build tennis facilities all over the world at his 80-100 already existing golf courses. Martina lives in the mountains somewhere, somewhat reclusively. Saw her dog, but no girlfriends.

We saw Idol and Dancing With the Stars last night--Mario now interested in both--even knows the channels now. We pick Carly to go and had chosen the comedianon Dancing. I was surprised Priscilla was in the bottom 2. I think she was also. Work harder, honey. They're not gettin' any younger out there. At 62, I think she does an amazing job. But it looks like her face hurts.

Got the taxes done. We have to pay our usual ballpark figure, so no surprise there. A little blessing we have is our tax people have kids in Mario's class at QND, so the tax boss gives us a gift certificate! That saves a couple of bills.

I continue the gluten-free diet. No bread, pasta, or anything that says wheat, whey, or malt on the label. So I can eat potatoes, eggs, peanut butter, meat, veggies, fruit, certain kinds of chocolate (Dove and Hersheys), ice cream, chips, corn torilla chips. Have to read all labels. Too early to tell if it is helping to do this. And she told me that I would not have to stay off gluten products forever--just long enough to clear the inflammation and allow healing of the tissues. Then I could reintroduce in small amounts. So it is worth the effort for two weeks to see if she's on to something.

Bible study is starting to wind down. We have been in the book of Genesis all year. We are at the place now where Joseph is giving his starving brothers food, but they don't recognize him in his Egyptian governor get-up. (He was a nice Hebrew boy before his jealous older brothers gave him away to be a slave. Boy, are they sorry now!) We finish in about a month, then I am going back to the oldsters swimming class on most M, W,and F mornings.

Gotta go get my lesson done, especially since I missed the last two Bible studies to do the Idol parties!

My 50/50 hopes go down the tubes....

Who woulda thought UNC would not even be able to pass the ball to each other for the first half or so of the game Saturday? Well I wish Randy and Alisha good luck. We will be watching Dancing With the Stars here tonight (Mario's idea, amazingly!).

I spent yesterday transferring my Christmas clothes from my closet to the storeroom. About time.

I am about finished with "Into the Wild." You should get a copy of this book. An excellent story. If anyone asked me, I would say put it in the senior high school English class as required reading.

We had a good lunch with the Dede bunch after mass yesterday. Nolan is now a jabbermouth. The restaurant is on a busy intersection, and he stood a lot of the time yelling, "Big truck. Another big truck." We could keep him entertained for hours just sitting on Broadway watching the big trucks. I am picking him up today, part of our plan to separate him from Mommy Carrie for awhile, and taking him for lunch with Grandpa Mario and to the playground for awhile. It is good for both of us.

Just wondering who will go next in Idol. I will be heartbroken if it is Brooke. I love that girl. I hope she comes up with a great performance. That will save her. I still think she could be a dark horse. But I am totally supportive of Syesha after she took on "the tiger" last week with the most famous Dolly song, "I Will Always Love You." You don't hear people sing that song because it is vocally extremely hard to do. So at this time I am going for Syesha, Brooke, David A., and Light My Fire.

One of my best memories of the past week was taking a trip out to Franklin and recounting all the good memories from my years at Franklin Grade School. I actually stood out on the playground where we played softball before there was any such word as "Co-Ed." Barb Oxley could hit the ball farther than anybody. The only thing I can remember is I could run fast. I went inside and stood in the doorway of my 5th grade classroom where Doris Fairfield was my teacher. She was beautiful, joyful, a great teacher, and valued all of us. I also visited the other school, taking a long look at that long sidewalk where we roller skated and Chinese jump roped at recess every day. A quick stop at the church and cemetery were included, as well as a long look from the railroad tracks at the growing-up home. I have found that in my rebuilding time following cancer, I am much better at thinking about all the good and avoiding trouble. So that's what I did. Oh, and I stopped by Don and Gene's, but they were not home.

Today I will get Nolan for a couple of hours, and let me tell ya, that is all good!

Final Four Hopes....

Today is beautiful! The sun, the temp....I am outa here to find a place to walk. Just had webcam time with Chris, Maria, and Makenna. She has the big blue eyes going and smiled and talked a little for us, so we have had our big thrill for today.

Mario had softball practice this morning...the KC season starts next Thursday night. I have just been enjoying some reading and listening to my tunes.

At 5:00 I will be downstairs with Mario and the big screen to cheer on our teams. Go North Carolina! Go UCLA! (We desperately need gas money...)

Just for the record...Nolan is talking up a storm, and I can understand just about everything he says now. The speech lady has definitely helped him form his sounds and words. He loves her, as she comes with bags of toys and plays with him 1 on 1. Not sure how much of that he's had in his little life with 3 older siblings and a house full of daycare kids. So he loves her and the fun they have.

I am trying a gluten-free diet at the suggestion of the arthritis dr. and physical therapist to see if the inflammation I have is caused by an allergic reaction to it. I am learning as I go about how much of this gluten protein is in our food now, and some people's bodies cannot digest it. What a miracle this would be if it were that simple....just don't eat anything with wheat, oats, or barley in it! I will be on this for two weeks and by that time should see a marked difference if it is a reaction to gluten. I have had allergic reactions to many things; maybe this will be the miracle I have been waiting for!

Making Plans, Looking Forward to a Fantastic Weekend!

It's all set. We have Mom's 77th birthday party plan in place. 1:00 Saturday, May 17th, at the new MCL Cafeteria on Wabash in Springfield. The Springfield sistas are taking care of the cake. I'll take care of her meal. So I hope everyone can come and bring your families. I will be in touch when the time gets closer to get a number to tell the restaurant for seating. The Springfield Art Faire is also on that date--downtown--so if anybody is interested in going to that for a couple of hours in the morning...I am up for that too.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend. I will be outdoors somewhere enjoying God's wonderful gift of nature. I am so ready to be outside for a good walk in the sunshine.

Got my new couch all situated and am looking forward to spending the evening on it. Don't know what's on TV tonight, but I am into the book "Into the Wild," so that is probably what I will be doing tonight. This afternoon I reminisced on email about my grade school music teacher Marge Darley--how great she was putting the love of all kinds of music in me. I have been checking out all kinds of music CDs from our library--everything from the Three Tenors to Reba to Paul McCartney to Casey Kasem Presents Long Distance Dedications. I have found listening to all this music very uplifting. I like that saying "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." That happens for me for sure when I listen to or make music.

I'd like to hear Syesha sing Whitney's "The Greatest Love of All." I wonder how I could send her that message???

Idolmania thoughts, More with Ryans and Haycrafts

Bill, Mom, Pat Ryan, Jimmy (top photo);

Bill and Shirley; Mom and Pat; Mom and Mike Ryan

Sad to see Ramiele get the boot on Idol. But she was the right one to go on Wednesday. Love Brooke more each day. It was a very good results show, and Dolly did her thing well. Couldn't help but notice the Jesus focus on the show. Hmm. And I would like to buy Phil Stacy's CD. The music will be good. Everybody in the top 12 has an opportunity to make a career in music if that is what they want after the exposure on Idol. Good for them! Loved the Idolmaniac party at Eilerings again on Tuesday. Gracious hosts, good food by Missy (and others I think), tasty wine by Kathy, and an appreciative group being entertained by some awesome talent. What better way to spend a cold spring Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, Mom got to greet her Ryan cousins, Mike and Pat (with wife Nancy), as well as Bill and Shirley and Jimmy and Jonnie, at the new MCL Cafeteria in Springfield. Sam and I sat at the end of the table and visited during lunch mostly with Shirley, who looks so good from the last time I saw her. Some new meds are helping. Well, it was a joyful occasion, and we are going to get together again in a month. All are welcome to come. I think the Ryans and Haycrafts would enjoy seeing more of "the Johnsons." So I will keep you posted on the date. It will be at 11AM at the MCL Cafeteria on Wabash.

Feel happy and feel good! (what I drew out from "The Secret.")