Safely home....

Mario is back in the USA as of last night, and I am back from Phoenix at 3:30 AM today. It's good to be home :) Goodnight.

Battle in the Head

There is a Battle in the Head between two wolves that live inside us all.

One--Unhappiness
fear worry anger jealousy sorrow self-pity resentment inferiority

The Other--Happiness
joy love hope serenity kindness generosity truth compassion

Which wolf wins?

The one you feed.

There is a natural bias to the negative, so make an effort to notice the good that happens to you.

(I wrote this on a slip of scrap paper during a break while I was working in the Tea Room at the hospital. I don't know where it came from. If I knew who to credit it to, I would.)

I'm outa here tomorrow....

My bag is packed and I am ready to head west to Phoenix tomorrow at 1:00. Today I talked with Mario. He is in Guadalajara, Mexico, with 3 of his brothers visiting the places of their youth. He talked non-stop for about 30 minutes. He described very poor conditions but very happy people. He has eaten lots of good Mexican food, and so far his tempermental stomach is holding up to it. It was good to hear the joy and excitement in his voice.

I saw Mama Mia at the movies today with Judy and her mom and granddaughter. What a fun movie. Meryl Streep continues to amaze. The music is very good. I will be singing Dancing Queen in my sleep.

I have my nose in 3 different books right now. Today I got a wonderful book about Bobby Kennedy's run for the Democratic nomination in 1968. It's a great story. I also started Barbara Walter's book a few days ago--it's a long one--and I can see how having a mentally handicapped sister shaped her whole life. The other book is written by a Western doctor who uses acupuncture in his practice and has helped a lot of people that have not been successfully cured or rehabilitated with traditional Western medicine. Hm.

I had Cora, Hannah, and Nolan for a sleepover last night. Well, 2 out of 3 stayed the night. At about 10:30, Nolan got up and brought me his shoes and asked to go home with Mommy. He had stayed the night once before and did fine, so it surprised me a little. He loves his mommy, and I think he didn't feel good, so she was what he needed. The girls spent the morning creating art projects. Cora has a creative streak that is entertaining. I always make sure I have art supplies for her. Hannah follows along, but Cora has the ideas.

I will be away from the blog til the end of next week when I return from Phoenix. I will have some new photos of the Arizona Camachos. And hopefully Mario will have a few from Mexico too that I can share. I am sure he will have many stories. Adios amigos.

It's quiet around here...

Mario left for Mexico today. He called from the Houston airport--excited that Frank was joining him very shortly. They flew from there to Guadalajara this evening, and by now I expect they have joined Andy and Edmundo for a late night tour of their birthplace. I am excited for him. I requested he take a notebook and keep a journal of each day's activities so we could write the story for future generations of our family. Of course, he has a camera also! And I am sure he will gain lots of new material for storytelling for his various audiences.

I enjoyed our last evening with Eddie, Connie, and Heidi Monday. We had a great dinner at the restaurant where Cassie works. After that, we all went to Kathy's workplace for a tour, the Youth Service Bureau in Springfield. Very impressive place, good karma when you walk in the door, and nice, genuine people who work with the youth. Kathy knows what she's doing there, and the area is blessed to have this home for kids with various struggles.

Looking forward to tomorrow--will see the Dede kids and the new breakfast bar Tony built in the kitchen. I hope Cora and Hannah will come and spend the night. I really don't like being alone at night! And I will get my bag packed for Phoenix. Chris called tonight after his first two days on the new job. I could hear a lot of energy in his voice. He likes what he is doing and sees a bright future there. Lots of action and he's learning all kinds of new things very quickly.

Monday, Monday

Had a good weekend away. I saw "The Secret Garden" at the Muni Saturday night. Must read the story, as there were multiple things I didn't understand. But the singing itself was very good quality.

Sunday was a good day for the extended family. Grant, son of Bill and Missy Naeve, became a child of God after 10:00 mass. Then Eddie and Connie's party, Heidi too, at Hamilton's--a great crowd and good food and spirit with the immediate family, some friends, and Haycraft and Johnson aunts and uncles and cousins. We told lots of stories and just celebrated being together.

Today Mario has completed his packing for his trip to Mexico. We are heading back to Jacksonville for another round of visiting, and Mario will catch a ride to the airport with Eddie on Tuesday, as their flights leave about the same time. I will come back to Quincy and get ready for my short run to Phoenix on Friday. Chris is already there, starting his new job with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council today. Maria and Makenna will come Friday. The movers will arrive Saturday with all their belongings. I am looking forward to seeing Makenna, as she is now talking a lot--Ma-ma, Da-da, etc., and being lots more active at last report. We are going to have some fun!

Relaying for Life

Today was as full as it gets, and I am ready to hit the sack. I will be gone over the weekend for Muny and Mom's party for Eddie, so thought I'd write a few lines before calling it a day. We started with a nice breakfast with our friend Al Knepler. He's been here visiting and headed out after breakfast for a trip to Minnesota. Next I had my once-a-month massage. Just terrific. Then I headed to Carrie's for my afternoon siesta while her daycare boys were napping so she could go to Blake's 1:00 soccer game. I got to see his 4:00 game, and he got a nice goal. Then out to Flynn Stadium for the Cancer Relay for Life. Just as the evening was getting underway, the heavens opened and dropped an inch of rain on Quincy. So we took cover for about an hour and had some food and visits with a few people. There was a pretty good crowd at the beginning, but the true survivors stuck it out and began their walk after most of the heavy rainstorm passed. Carrie and I did 3 laps total, 2, rest, 1. Mario did 6. We think Cora and her little friend did about 10, most of them running on the track in their cute little sundresses and bare feet. She is a free spirit, and she loved the evening. Thousands of dollars are raised for the American Cancer Society on this evening. I appreciate the support of my family for this, and Carolyn and John too. It means a lot. I look forward to tomorrow--Cora and Hannah will go with me to the Muny to see "The Secret Garden." Mario will hang out in Jacksonville. Sunday we look forward to seeing everybody at Eddie's gathering at Hamilton's. Another fun weekend.

Summer fun...

Monday and Tuesday have been spring cleaning days around here. Mario got on a ladder in the kitchen and cleaned on top of the kitchen cabinets where my angel habitat is located. Now how do food crumbs get up there? Amazing what was on the rags he used to clean the tops of those cabinets. He also took off the screens and cleaned all the windows from the outside. As soon as I buy some "green" window cleaner, or maybe I will just mix up some vinegar and water solution--that's how everybody used to clean glass--then he will wash the inside windows. The inside of the fridge is gonna get it next.

I am finished with my PT treatments, but I will continue going 3 x a week and use the machines to keep building strength. It is work, but it is helping me get physically stronger.

Tuesday night Mario played softball with the young guys, many of them Chris' friends. He can still get around the bases as fast as anyone and field at shortstop very well. Had an impressive double play last night. Still has the competitive genes fully alive in him!

Chris is in his last week in Yuma. He will move to his new job on Sunday in Phoenix--Vice-President of International Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. (I memorized that.) He says he will be doing all kinds of stuff and knows he will travel to Germany in August. He sees this move as a stepping stone to get back closer to home. We will look forward to that time, but in the meantime, we are excited for him for what he is going to learn and do in this new job. Maria also will be working as a speech pathologist at Banner Hostpital. I am flying out next Friday to play with Makenna and take care of her as much as I can while they are attending to moving. A moving company is actually moving them, but there will still be lots to do to get settled in to their house in Scottsdale, which is just a few miles from their work. They will be living 10 minutes from the airport. That will make travel so much easier for everyone. Goodbye to Yuma....thanks for your blessings.

Mario is leaving in a week for Mexico with his brothers. He will travel with Frank, who lives in Houston. They will meet Mundo, who lives in Mexico City, in Guadalajara where they were all born. Andy lives there, so at least 4 of them will be there, maybe more. Mario is excited to see where he grew up. He hasn't been back there since he left in about 1962. There will be lots of laughter and storytelling with this bunch, I can tell you that.

Blake, his buddy Dylan, 4 girls, and 2 of their moms went to Six Flags yesterday. Carrie's family may be going soon, and we will possibly have Nolan hanging out with us for the day. He likes coming here, so we should be ok.

Summer is going by quickly!

An Ending and a Beginning

We began the day Saturday at Dan the Builder's funeral. His wife Barbara and adult children were composed but sad. Barbara agreed with someone's description of Dan as being a "character." Yes, he was one of those guys that made the rounds to lots of places and it seemed almost everybody knew Dan. He wasn't very good at hanging out in the recliner, and seems his life was heading that way, so God just decided to take him away from that.

In the afternoon and evening, we attended the wedding of one of QU's former soccer players that Mario helped coach back when he was working with Jack Mackenzie in the men's program. The guys all rallied round the groom, and I took a group photo. Mario had a great time, and I enjoyed sitting with Sharon and another coach's wife. The bridal couple were very attractive, and the bride's dress was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

I got my new guitar at last. The company replaced mine because the bridge cracked, and they actually sent me the next model up, so I got a pretty nice deal. It's rare these days to get such great customer service. I played it today at mass. It has a rich resonance and is a nice looking instrument.

We had lunch with the Dede bunch at Wendy's. I rested up this afternoon, and now Cora and Hannah are here along with their friend Anna Kammerer. They are spending the night. They are watching some TV show and know all the words to all the music.

Blake had a soccer tournament this weekend. He got tangled up with a kid during the first game and has an injury, but he did get in the end of the game yesterday. His coach told us last night that Blake had a fantastic goal in the last minute of the game. The coaches are encouraging him to step up his game. They tell him he has talent, and they want to use him at midfield on the Varsity team next year. But they want to see him show up with his "A" game every time. So he responded by hitting a nice shot the next game. He is still the smallest guy on the field, but he is getting stronger.

Thoughts from this week

I found out this week that our friends Donna and Bill Robson are moving to St. Louis. They have been in Evansville for the past several years because Bill's work took them there. Now Bill has the option of losing the job there in cutbacks or relocating to St. Louis. Donna likes her job in Evansville, and her home, and her hairdresser, and nail lady, etc., and has some trepidation about the move to the big city. I told her that while she is somewhat unhappy about the sudden upending, I AM THRILLED! Mario and I have gone to Evansville twice to visit them with Marty and Joyce Stevens, and going to St. Louis will be so much easier. So Bill has already relocated to begin the job, and she is staying on til their house is sold. We have several friends in the St. Louis area, mostly college soccer buddies and their wives, but nobody we feel we can just show up on the doorstep and spend the night. We can do that with our buddies Bill and Donna! O and the best thing of all for them in this move: their first grandchild is expected to arrive in Jacksonville near the end of July. Donna is so excited about being a grandma and will love being 1 1/2 hrs. away from that baby boy who is already named Alex.

I really did enjoy the cancer support group at Madison Park Christian Church on Wednesday. The group has a good supportive spirit, and I can see that the purpose of being there is to be helped by those who have already gone through what you are going through. In my case, I think I will be a helper AND one who is being helped since I am newly through the battle. There are men and women in the group and all kinds of cancer experiences. So this is a bit different from the breast cancer group, who are all women pretty much in the same boat. I am meeting many friendly, spirited people through both groups. And there are many compelling stories with lots of faith and laughter. Shelia, the woman who invited me, is currently being treated for colon cancer. Her OB/GYN found it in a routine exam. She had no symptoms. We must all be on the lookout. Hopefully, early discovery will save her, as it has so many. That's the key--early detection is the best prevention, and you have the best shot.

Blake is holding his own playing high school soccer on the JV team. There are sophs and juniors on the team. He is a sophomore and a bit on the small side, although we can see that the training he has been doing has built that little bod up quite a bit. He knows what he's doing on the field and sees plenty of playing time. And Carrie told me that when he is not in the game, there are plenty of buddies on the bench to have fun with. He's growing up.

I thought about another thing Dan the Builder and I talked about when he called. He was having a hard time being stuck close to home. He has a big black truck that he traveled around in; I think he would light at lots of places in the course of his day. Well, he told me how much he missed getting around to see us. So I told him how much we all love our duplexes that he built, and that he sure has a talent for building nice places at an affordable price, and he seemed so appreciative to hear that. Actually, I would try to tell him that all the time, because he wanted his buyers to be happy with their homes. He was just 59. He had many of Dad's qualities. We talked once about Dad, and I told him he had a lot of similarities to him. Now I am wondering if they will pass paths wherever they are. They would have some very lively discussions, the two of them! I am going to miss Dan. And Mario will definitely miss entertaining him with his jokes and card tricks and magic. He was a great audience.

Busy Day....

Mario headed to Jacksonville ISD to translate for a prospective new student, actually for the parents. I did my hospital Tea Room volunteer cashier job today. I sold lots of gifts--there was a steady stream of customers all afternoon. The register was cleared with almost $1000!

We are saddened by the death of our friend Dan the Builder, my affectionate name for the guy who built our duplex. He'd struggled with health problems for awhile. He had recovered from heart surgery, but recently had 2 small strokes. His wife came home from lunch this week and found him in his recliner. He used to come by all the time and visit us. He loved Mario and all his stories and card tricks and magic. Just about 2 weeks ago, while Mario was gone on the mission trip, Dan called and talked to me for about half an hour. He was serene and happy. He told me about going to places over the past couple of years, and if he found out the waitress was a QND student, he would ask if they knew Mario. He talked about how the kids all love Mario. I told him that I would have Mario call him when he returned, but unfortunately, Mario never made the call back. So while I feel I got a good last turn with Dan, Mario is sad. So once again we learn how precious and unpredictable life is, and if there is something you want to say to somebody, don't wait.

We have a wedding tomorrow of a former QU player Mario used to coach. We also have Dan the Builder's funeral. And Blake has 2 soccer games. It will be a busy day.

Sobbing like a baby!

Well who knows when those emotions that get buried through the course of everyday living will come exploding out!

This morning I got the stitches removed from my chest where I carried the port around for most of the past year. It was painless and quick, and I got the doc's blessing that I can do whatever I want. Now it doesn't get any better than that. So I came home and finished off the dogs and potato salad from the 4th of July, then went to the bedroom, and down the tears came. I think I had tears only once during the whole cancer battle--when some well-meaning cancer society member/survivor called me before my surgery back in September to tell me what I was going to experience. She set me off for some reason, and I figured out I didn't really need anyone telling me their horror stories to prepare me for my own. So I tried to laugh my way through my experience, and for the most part, I did, with the support and listening ears of some angel family members and friends. But I think the tears today were tears of relief that it is all over. This evening I have been invited to join a small group of cancer survivors at Madison Park Christian Church for prayer and fellowship. Sherry is the 3rd person who has asked me to join this group, so this time I said yes. I will see if they laugh a lot.

The Teenagers are here!

Now this is a first.
Blake and two of his buddies are spending the night, and two of our neighbor girls who happen to be friends of the boys are visiting. Cute and nice kids, they played cards with Mario; he was of course delighted. Now they are all downstairs watching TV and throwing the nerf balls around. Sometimes our place is so quiet, and I enjoy some noise besides the TV. Oh and I forgot, Hannah is spending the night too.

Today I took Hannah and 2 of her friends to see the Kit Kittridge movie, based on the American Doll character. It was a very good movie, and I recommend it.

Tomorrow the stitches come out, and the deal is done. YEH!

More Photos from May '08

Cora and Hannah's dance recital, Cassie's graduation party, and prom. Lots of pretty girls!

And a great day at the ballpark.

Today began with a trip to the Quincy Country Club pool with my friend Judy, her granddaughter Katie, and I took Hannah and Nolan. The temperature rose to 97 by 12:30, so we headed home. Hannah is swimming like a fish, and Nolan is getting a little more brave, but he wants to hang on when the water gets to his chest. Not a daredevil in the water! Judy treated the kids to ice cream sandwiches before we left, and after Nolan scarfed his, he asked, "Where can I get a hot dog?" So I called Carrie, and she had two steaming dogs ready and waiting for him when I took them home.

Cora is gone visiting her great-grandma, so tomorrow I am going to take Hannah and her friend to see Kit Kittridge, the movie based on the American doll series. Hannah has struggled a bit with Cora getting to go on this trip, but Hannah is beginning to understand the family heritage a little better. After Carrie offered the explanation again about Cora's mother, etc., Hannah was quick to think about Great Grandma Dotty and if she is REALLY Cora's great-grandma. Carrie assured her that since she married Tony, and Cora is her daughter too, that Great-Grandma Dotty is also Cora's great-grandma. But Hannah did offer to Carrie the explanation that HER (Hannah's) Great-Grandma Dotty hands out money, and she has never seen Cora's great-grandma do that. Actually, I don't even know if Hannah has ever seen Cora's great-grandma! Kids are funny, how they try to even things out for their peace of mind.

I think I have included all the back photos now. I can't figure out how to retrieve exactly what I want when I want it, but I know they are all in there somewhere!

On Vacation in Vegas

Well most of my pictures are of people rather than scenery or activities! Blake and Mario had a good basketball competition at the ESPN Restaurant at New York New York. We saw the Rat Pack is Back, a very amazing take-off of the real deal from the 60's. The big event was the 6-yr. old losing the front tooth. I am grateful for the time we had together.

4th of July fun

I never seem to remember to load the last picture first! Well, our 4th of July celebration was a great day--mild upper 70s, good food, swimming, an interesting game of croquette, (sp?), and finish with fireworks.

I am working on our vacation photos. I downloaded them but can't find them! I will keep looking for them. May need some help from the family computer expert.

May and June, '08

I am getting back to the blog after a couple of months hiatus. For those who like following what's happening through this blog, and I glad to be back in the chair. A famous writer once said that step one for any writer is "sitting the ass in the chair." So I am back in the chair.

Since I last wrote in early May, I've had some great fun, as well as some challenge and loss. My favorite news is I got the port out of my chest this week. It was literally popping out of me, like the pop-up thermometer on the butterball turkey does when it is done. I guess I am done! So my terrific surgeon shot me with some local anesthetic, Mario looking on, and popped the port right out. Mario was totally impressed with the stitching technique, and he now has some new material for his storytelling. I am out of the pool for a week til I get the stiches out, well, not underwater anyway, until next Wednesday. I feel like I am finished now. It's all over except the 3 month visits with my favorite Pakistani, Dr. Ali. They will take my blood for a long time to come, I am told, just to make sure there are no nasty cells running around in it.

A highlight of May was watching niece Paige graduate from Routt High School. What a delightful child! I also attended a lovely party for niece Cassie who celebrated graduation from Sacred Heart-Griffin. Paige will study occupational therapy at Augustana College in Rock Island, and Cassie will attend Wake Forest.

Granddaughter Cora celebrated her 10th birthday on May 23. Tony and Carrie had a great little party for her, and she was delighted with her presents. She has now moved to a new downstairs bedroom across the hall from Blake, and the pre-teen evidence is there!

In June the Camacho clan headed to Vegas. We have a time-share at the new Marriott Chateau just off the Strip between Planet Hollywood and MGM Grand. Both Carrie and Chris and their families joined us. We were quietly celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. We saw great shows, went to some fun restaurants, met up with our friends Al and Bart, and stayed with Eddie and Connie for a couple of days. We had never taken a 2-week vacation before, and I must say, I LIKED IT! It was slow paced and relaxing. Mario learned some new magic tricks for his magic club that he supervises at his high school. We saw some great comedians that are still making us laugh. We went to the Rat Pack is Back show, also very entertaining. The Phantom of the Opera was not Mario's favorite, but the tickets were free from Marriott, so he went with me. It was just a great couple of weeks. And of course, I did stop in for a prayer at St. Joseph's. The statue still stands--St. Francis is doing very well greeting people in the narthex. But it is not the same there and never will be without Fr. Joe.

That's an update on May and June. Sadly, we lost Uncle Jimmy. But what we have decided to do since that time is plan a Johnson family reunion for Nov. 1--for the descendants of Everett and Marge Johnson. A group of us cousins have already met and put some ideas together that we will soon get out to everyone. Eternal rest with Jesus, Uncle Jimmy.

Oh one other good memory....got to see my first Cardinal game in the "new" stadium after all these years.

Will post some photos from our vacation tomorrow.