Middle of the Night Thoughts

I am up in the night with the spirits, the richest part of my day. Many people are on my mind at this time....

First Uncle Bobby. Joni emailed that he had a heart attack early yesterday--100% blockage in an artery but no permanent damage to his heart. Praise God. Uncle Bobby's work here is not finished. And Joni says that he plans to attend the reunion Saturday night. Well the will to go on is the most important thing to have in a health crisis, so I believe he will be there! Mom reminded me that he is 66.

Also thinking of an acquaintance from Bible study who has been diagnosed with colon cancer. She is newly divorced, torn up from it as I understand it, and has two in high school and one in jr. high. She is getting her treatment in St. Louis, so many hours of driving back and forth for chemo and radiation. Friends and relatives will help her. Can't imagine what it would be like to go through cancer treatment out of town with three teenagers in the mix. God love her through this. What I can do is pray for her and send her Pizza Hut gift cards.

Then there is my friend from CVS where I get my photo developing done. She told me tonight that her dad has 3 brain tumors. The treatment is very tricky. No symptoms other than every now and then saying something that didn't make sense or fit the situation. One morning, her mom found him in the kitchen unable to pull his pants up. From there they went to the dr., he had an MRI, and there were the tumors.

And then there is Carrie's friend's mother-in-law. The friend is somewhat estranged from her own mother, so the mother-in-law is a significant relationship for her. This past week, the mother-in-law died suddenly from a brain aneurism (sp?). I think I have that right. She was 56, one year younger than me!

Lastly, my friend Jan went to St. Louis to the cardiologist Wednesday to find out if her heart is strong enough for surgery to remove the growing mass in her abdomen. She has a long history of heart problems. I hope the cardio man gives the green light. I don't know what happens if he doesn't. Everyone in Quincy, people all over the area, love Jan. She is such an example of our loving Jesus. What would we all do without Jan? I cannot think anything but healing thoughts for her.

Spirit of the Living God, pour your healing on each of these folks and all their families.

On Thursday I have my last acupuncture treatment for awhile. Dr. Espejo calls this treatment "winterizing." This doctor and treatment have been so good for me. I am blessed.

Tonight I finished my preparations for the Johnson reunion. I mounted Aunt Margie's photos of Norway so everyone can see them. I also made a collage of the photos Heidi sent of Mary and Earl with her kids. I gathered a few other pics and things for the display table. Carolyn has the power point presentation done. So we are ready to go. I plan to make Mary Beth's tortellini recipe, a double dish of it, and brownies on Saturday morning to take to the reunion. Our number has grown a bit, so I expect around 110-115 Johnsons/those connected to Johnsons to attend.

On Friday I will help Carrie with the daycare kids at the library. They dress in their Halloween costumes and participate in some kind of program there, then trick or treat. I am looking forward to that.

One last thought.....soooo glad Cloris is finally gone from DWTS. I think I can now get Mario to watch it again. I like La Lucci, but she may be next. For 61, she does alright. She did busta move in the group hip-hop performance Monday. But she will not be able to keep up with the ones who are left. I think it will be between Lance/Laci, Derrick/Brooke and Cody/Edyta/Julianne. I love the football player. He may be a dark horse, because he's got so much personality on the dance floor. I wouldn't bet against him.

It's nice to have a diversion like DWTS.

I am listening to Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli singing The Prayer on my mp3 player. Press replay. Great middle-of-the-night music. :o)

Autumn

Trees are colorful now. Our weather has changed; we are totally into fall here with 60 degree days expected over the next week. Finally had to turn the heat on this weekend.

I have been finishing up the work on the Johnson reunion. We are ready to go. I am sure everyone who comes will have a good time. The planning has been great fun for me, and I am grateful for the help of Carolyn and my cousins. Actually, Carolyn does all the work with the computer. I give her a lot of ideas, but she knows how to create the power point presentation. The cousins really came through with the photos we asked for, so there will be something for everyone's family in the trivia game. I have enjoyed the reminiscing, the laughter, and some serious conversations as well. Thanks to Trish, Barbie, Joni, and Diane, and especially to Carolyn for all she has done that nobody sees.

I have been busy cleaning out my closets. Taking many things to 2 thrift shops here in Quincy, and finding a few treasures in both places for myself. Next I will attack the purse shelf. When I get something new, I don't move the old, out of style, out. Packrat. That's me. If a good or meaningful memory is associated with something, I cling to it. Trying to change that. What's the word....simplify? Don't be attached to the things of this world. Hmm. Well I have figured out that Designers Again is like a recycling center for brand name clothes and the nicer stuff from Kohl's, Bergners, etc. The York Street Shop is for the usual stuff, and every now and then you come across an amazing item of clothing for an amazing price! Just there at the right time.

Niece Stephanie is going on an adventure with her husband Donny to Alaska. He has law enforcement employment there, and Steph will go in early December. I well remember my adventure following Mario to New York to play professional soccer when we were 22 and newly graduated from college and newly wed. It seemed a world away. It was! No computer connections, no cell phones. Well it was good for us. Then our adventure in the other direction to Arizona....we got to see the West and learn a lot about ourselves. So my hope for Steph is that good things are in store for her. May God bless her as she makes her plans to leave the known for her new life in Alaska.

Nolan will soon be starting allergy shots. His eyes are all inflamed now, and he saw the allergy specialist today. He has exsema (sp?), and the dr. wonders if changing his diet could help that. He has a lot to contend with besides being a 4th child.

I saw Hannah's report card today. She has done very well in her first quarter of first grade. That means a reward from Grandma, probably some cash. That's what they like now, all but Nolan. He still likes trucks and tractors and balls.

Cora tried out for the middle school drama club and made it. She will be in a play sometime soon. Blake is now finished with outdoor high school soccer. Indoor will begin in November. He is full-fledged into girls now. No surprise. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Seems to be a pretty tight reign on him from Momma Carrie.

Dancing With the Stars.....will be soooo ready for Cloris to get the boot. If she doesn't, I might have to start voting!

Getting Ready for the Cold; Special Persons Day and a visit from Aunt Carolyn

You never know what look is going to be "in" with teenagers. Nolan got in here twice somehow.

I spent a lot of yesterday and today going through my clothes and taking the big ones to our nice thrift shop. That was work! Hopefully I can get a few bucks for a few things and buy some new winter clothes that fit.

Had a nice time today with Hannah at "Special Persons Day" at her school. Mary and Jerry came too. We made a family tree, had cookies and punch, and had lots of time to explore her classroom, including a large iguana in a glass house. Hannah says it belongs to the class.

This evening Bailey is playing volleyball in Quincy, so Carolyn was here for about 3 hours between games. The Dedes came over, and we had pizza, etc. Then Carolyn, Cora, and Hannah played with thousands of little beads and safety pins that used to belong to Paige and Bailey. I gave Nolan a new little tractor, truck, and trailor, and a container of beans. He hauled the beans around for a couple of hours. We think he should have been a farm boy. He loves the tractors, end loaders, bulldozers, and concrete trucks. Cora demonstrated the songs she has taught Nolan. Fun evening.

Tomorrow Carrie and I (and maybe Carolyn if she can fit in the walk between Bailey's games), are walking downtown in the Breast Cancer walk. I probably won't do the distance, maybe half. It is done with great spirit and raises money for low-income women to get mammograms.

The grandkids will stay overnight tomorrow night, as Tony and Carrie hit the town to celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary. I am not quite sure what "hitting the town" means to them at this stage in their lives; I imagine just being without children responsibilites will make it a nice evening :o) Happy Anniversary guys!

Thinking of my friend Jan; Makenna and Family Photos

Jan is on the left....

Tonight I am praying for my good friend Jan. I have not spoken to her, but Carrie talked with her daughter Laura today. Jan had told me about this dr. appt., and now what I know is that the mass has grown, and she is scheduled to have surgery in St. Louis very soon to remove it. At that time, she will find out if it is malignant. A few weeks back, she entered the hospital after taking a fall, and she recovered from that problem, but they found this new one. So I am so hoping and praying that whatever this is, it can be removed, and Jan can continue her loving and caring ways in our world. So tonight I am abruptly awakened from a deep sleep with Jan on my mind and in my heart.

I enjoyed Bible Study Wednesday morning. We are in the 3rd chapter of Revelation, and as we study this book, we are frequently referred to passages in previous books. I am learning so much in this study.

I made another trip to our "upscale" thrift shop Designers Again. Since I have lost some lbs. throughout the past year, my pants and skirts no longer work for me. I found a home for most of the pants, but there are many items in my closet that I have to move out. So I have become a regular at the thrift shop, and surprisingly, I have found some new things that work for me there. Shirts and pants from Chico, Jones New York (my favorite line because they fit me well with the square cut wasteline), and Lee, Calvin Klein, Liz, and a few other nice jeans. Wish I'd found this approach to shopping for clothes sooner! I have gotten many brand new or like new items for $10. We have another thrift shop downtown I have also visited. One can pick up a real nice pair of name brand jeans for $6 there. You just have to be there at the right time and check things over closely. I have sold quite a few things--you get 40% of the selling price, still better than garage sale prices. Carrie got me on to the thrift shop. Thanks Car!

On Thursday I will take the Caddy in for an oil change and walk with Judy at the mall. I am trying to be ready for the Breast Cancer 5K walk on Saturday morning to raise money for the Blessing Breast Center, for mammograms for low-income women. A great cause. Carrie will walk with me. We will probably cheat a little and park a vehicle about a mile away. 5K probably too much for me. There is a nice health fair at Washington Park downtown, and some nice giveaways for breast cancer patients and their supporters. I think I have enough pink ribbons :o)

The Eilerings will be in town for Bailey's volleyball tournament Friday evening and Saturday. Looking forward to seeing Bailey's team play and visiting with John and Carolyn.

Carrie and Tony have their 7th wedding anniversary coming up, so we will have the grandkids Saturday night so they can have a night out to celebrate. So I have a lot to look forward to in the next few days.

Makenna here and there.....

I laid on the couch most of today. Just very tired. This evening Mario and I took our pastor, Fr. John, for dinner at Maya. Next time we will get Fr. Carlos from QU to go with us too. Very nice people. I am looking forward to Dancing With the Stars tonight to see if they finally let Cloris go home. I loved the two jitterbugs last night. Wish I could do that. Looks like fun.

Maria sent new photos of Makenna. Chris had meetings in San Francisco recently. Maria and Makenna joined him and toured the town, including Alcatraz. I am posting of few of their photos. Makenna is starting to get up on all fours. After a little effort to move, she bellyflops at last report. In her crib she is starting to get up on her knees and let it be known that she is ready for somebody to get her outa there. I can't wait to see her in a couple of weeks. Blake and I are flying out there Nov. 5 for a few days. Always something fun to look forward to. Then after that, Nov. 14-16, we make a run to Kentucky for a visit with the cousins down there. So November is going to be a wild time, beginning with the Johnson reunion on Nov. 1. About 110 have indicated they are coming. We have the power point trivia game almost completed, and it will entertain and inform. There will be a few laughs and some time for thought and reflection, as well as some learning...."What do you know about being a Johnson?" It's been enjoyable getting it together with Carolyn and the cousins.

Busy Weekend, Good Monday

Makenna going after Chris' licorice.

I enjoyed a trip to Jacksonville Sunday. Mass with family, lunch to celebrate Marty's birthday, and reunion planning. We had a great time, us 6 cousins, putting together the trivia game. Lots of laughs and stories. We have over 100 attending the reunion.

Today I took Nolan and his buddy Carter to McD's for lunch and play with Judy and her granddaughter Katie. They play very well together, and we enjoy the time to catch up. Nolan laughs and smiles almost the whole time. I love watching him having so much fun.

Tonight our 3rd session of "Why Catholic" was terrific. Lots of very meaningful discussion and everybody participated. Very comfortable group to guide. We decided tonight that we will add food to the deal. Had volunteers for next week and the week after. That's a sign that things are going well!

Heard this somewhere along the way, and I think it's very good...

Experience is the hardest teacher because it gives the test first and the lessons later.

Friday thoughts....

senior pics of Cassie; 9-month(?) photos of Makenna

The dreary days of oncoming winter...how we do have to combat them one at a time. Today was not a pretty day like the many we've had recently. Glad I had a birthday to celebrate....my longtime friends Suzie Longo (birthday gal), Sharon Mackenzie, and I have made a plan to get together for each other's birthdays. Soccer tied us together for so many years. But now that Mario is out of coaching and Frank is gone, the three of us put our birthdates on the calendar so we at least sit down at table 3 times a year. Must make the effort. These are valued friendships of 40+ years, and we still have some good laughs and stories to share.

I was thinking today about my trip to Jacksonville this Sunday for the last reunion-planning meeting. It is strange to spend a day there and not see Paige. I know she loves her new life at Augustana, and I would not wish her back home just for myself. But I wonder if she has any idea how much she is missed by all of us. I have missed seeing Cassie this week, as she has been home for her fall break. I hope to catch her next time. Since Carrie has never left Quincy, I have not gone through this with a daughter. But how well I remember the two years of grieving my loss when Chris went to college at SIU. I didn't tell him about it, although I did ask Mario to call him a few times and tell him to call his mom (which he of course did!) There just isn't any easy way to get through the nest emptying. But there is certainly a lot to celebrate when a child leaves enthusiastically to start the next phase of their lives. They are always our babies. And even though they don't think in those terms, we let them go because that is what God designed for our children when they are ready. And the best part of it all is when the "baby girl or boy" calls on the way home from work, or is sitting in an airport waiting for the plane, or is in some faraway place, or is at home and just calls to talk to you. Simple, caring conversation. It completes something in me, though I don't know quite what. It's just the wanting to talk to Mom. I know that feeling myself.

Tomorrow we will go to a 50th wedding anniversary celebration in the evening. I like all the people in this family very much, and I was on the TEC recently with a couple of the young men from the family. Outstanding young men. So I will look forward to seeing them and toasting the special occasion with all of them.

Next weekend our church is honoring all the couples in the parish who have been married 25 years or more. So I dropped a wedding photo off at the rectory, and someone there is making a power point presentation before the 5:30 mass. A nice thing to do. Mario and I are taking our new pastor, Fr. John Burnette, out for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant on Tuesday. We sat with him at QND's football game Friday night and enjoyed talking with him so much. He likes Mexican food, and there are apparently parishoners from this restaurant, so this will be a doubly good visit/dinner.

I came across the photos I've posted of Cassie when I was looking for the photos of Makenna. Somebody sent them to me awhile back for the blog, but they were lost in a folder til just now :o)....I still don't really understand how my computer stores photos. I just have to get lucky sometimes to find what I am looking for! I have over 1500 photos stored on my computer, and Tony tells me I have plenty of room for more.

Happy weekend, all.

Making Apple People With Hannah at School

I had a great time in Hannah's classroom last Friday making apple people. She is in 1st grade. Her teacher is the daughter of a fellow Quincy University Phys Ed major and my supervising teacher from my student teaching days at Payson. Small world. She is an energetic, creative teacher, and Hannah is doing well in her class. Hannah says her teacher says she is a very good math student. Good for Hannah! Didn't get that trait from Grandma Camacho for sure.

Gratitude

I got soaked going out to Bible study this morning. Not prepared at all for the downpour. But by late afternoon, the rain was gone, and I took my first good walk in several days.

Blake's soccer season ended last night with a win over Chatham Glenwood. Indoor soccer starts in the next few weeks, so there will still be plenty of soccer here. Mario still plays too.

We had another good "Why Catholic" session on Monday evening. Still have one quiet participant; our goal is to encourage her more next week. But some folks just like to listen and take it all in, and that is ok. We have lots of talkers! It has been a good experience.

Tomorrow I have my 8th acupuncture treatment. The national and local news have recently been doing features on the advantages/helpfulness of acupuncture for cancer patients. While I can say that some of my longstanding physical weakness has not been helped by the treatment, I am in a better place overall from it. That probably doesn't give much explanation, but I do want to give acupuncture a positive vote.

Had a wonderful lunch/couple of hours yesterday at a gathering sponsored by our hospital cancer center. It was called "Music as Therapy." There were two ladies presenting, one a dr. of some kind who showed us with demonstrations and videos how she uses music to help impaired people of all ages. The other was a performer who sang beautifully, mostly inspirational and gospel songs. We are fortunate in Quincy to have such a supportive cancer center that provides all these great opportunities for learning. My surgeon gave a presentation on the latest methods and technology involved in treating breast cancer. There is a new kind of power port now that is hooked into the jugular vein. They also use ultrasound during surgery to help guide the dr. There are so many advances in the treatment, so all the $ being raised is helping the medical profession help the patients.

I have posted some photos Connie sent today of Lindsey, who supported the cause in Las Vegas recently. They raised an incredible amount of money there. Thanks for your support Lindsey. And everybody else along the way who has supported this cause that now affects one in eight women. We are blessed :o)

Photos of this and that....

The weekend weather was perfect here. I didn't make it downtown to the re-enactment of the Quincy Lincoln-Douglas debate or the evening (belated) 4th of July fireworks. (We were flooded on the 4th, so fireworks were rescheduled to coincide with the historical event.) But I do have some pictures of the grandkids from the riverfront.

Friday afternoon Mario and I went to Nolan's 3rd birthday party at Bonkers. What fun! I was a hit with the grandkids and their friends, because I made the rounds with my change purse full of quarters every few minutes to make sure the excellent video games, racecars, etc., were fully funded. The little kids mostly spent their time climbing all the webbed paths to the highest heights. The big kids went back and forth, chasing or playing with the little kids, then playing video games. It was all fun to watch. And it was hard to round them all up for cake and presents. They were just having too much fun. You can see a few of the big ticket items Nolan raked in....the tractor and cart from Mom and Dad and the racetrack and cars from Mario and me among them. The daycare families were very generous with their gifts. Nolan had a great day, and he fell asleep on the way home and had to wait until Saturday morning to play with all his new stuff, which I am told he shared with his sisters.

On Sunday Tony, Carrie, Hannah, and Nolan went flying. Tony is a pilot and has a plane in Pittsfield. So up they went on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was Nolan's first trip; Carrie wasn't sure how he'd react. From the photos, looks like he was delighted to be a co-pilot.

Craig has moved back to Alexander, and I have posted a couple of photos of him with his 14-yr. old son, JD Vaniter, who I believe lives with his mother in Waverly. I have not met JD yet, but he and Craig joined several family members for church and lunch at Hardees last weekend.

Lastly, just a couple more photos through which we remember Bailey's day....note the dads serving the specially prepared Homecoming dinner to their children and their dates :o)

Today I will meet my friend Judy and her granddaughter Katie for lunch. I am taking Nolan with me. Tonight we have our second session of "Why Catholic." I saw in our bulletin yesterday that 327 parishoners are taking part in the program. I am not sure how many small groups there are, but I think this is a good number for a new program.

Will have to DVR Dancing With the Stars tonight and watch it later :o) I hope the chef stays. I am ready for Cloris to go. Two weeks of her was enough for me. Did you think her act was entertaining/funny last week?

More Homecoming Memories....

The pictures say everything.