I'm up early this morning and feeling somewhat back to myself so will try to update the blog a bit. Chris came by on his way home from work last night to lend us a computer to use for webcam class last and, Rose has gone to meet him and return it. While he was here he gave us a bit of update on Kate and Austin's wedding. He had some pictures in his phone, but they were taken from afar while he and Jalen were decorating the bride and groom's car during the ceremony. Mark Lary, we need pictures.

I wasn't up to going to the wedding. Chris and Shelly stayed with John, Jana, and Ellie in Lenexa, KS, on Friday night while Scott and the boys came here from Louisville on Friday and got up early Saturday to proceed to Lawrence. Shelly helped Nancy decorate for the occasion which was held in a gazebo outside on Saturday afternoon. I talked with Mark that morning and he was still trying to think of some words of wisdom to impart to her as he gave her away. I wonder what he settled on.

Margaret went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday. She is healing nicely and will be able to put 50% of her weight on her bad leg in a couple weeks. She doesn't know how they will determine how to measure the 50%, and the doctor didn't tell her. She can't get in Normm's truck or Stef's van so uses Sabrina or Catrina's car for transportation when she has to go out.

Donald called on Sunday. The brothers' annual fishing trip was over. They had gone to see Wanda Jean after they got to Birmingham and before they went to Panama City Beach. Donald is going to fix her up a computer. That way maybe we can all get more family facts straight. I think Wanda lives with her son, Ricky, but from there the guys are confused. Donald admitted that - after all these years of deep sea fishing and catching some fish - this annual trip is also a BS session. He said it gets pretty deep at times. He didn't claim complete innocence.

More later.

Hello, it's Rose here with a very quick update. Yesterday Sue had a follow-up appointment with her gastrointerologist, another young, petite, intelligent, and beautiful woman. Sue has had some kind of 'bug' that caused inflammation and it seems to be healing (slowly). Self-limiting, the doctor called it. Because being ill for four weeks has sapped Sue's strength, this physician is recommending a course of treatment with steroids to hasten the recovery. Sue is checking with her primary neurologist to make sure he is in agreement with the treatment before having the prescription filled.

I am happy to report she is 'some better.'

On another topic, here is some information Brother Joe sent about his daughter, Lisa:

"Lisa Lilley , master Spanish teacher at Glendale, was selected by unanimous agreement at Saturday's Board meeting to be the Foreign Language Association of Missouri's Distinguished Foreign Language Educator 2008. Her striving for excellence in her students, her colleagues and herself clearly spoke from the pages of the nominating materials. She will be officially recognized at the Fall Conference in October, 2008, and she will also be Missouri's nominee for Central States Teacher of the Year to be selected in 2009 in Chicago. The Central States Teacher of the Year then goes on to national competition.

Any of us around the district or state can speak to Lisa's deserving this award. One of her former students put it best, 'You're the best Spanish teacher ever! 'Spanish teacher' really doesn't do you justice...You really care and you really put a lot of time into inspiring your students...and you succeed at doing so. You're really something special, Mrs. Lilley. Just look at the part you've played in making just MY life as cool as it is shaping up to be!' --Kara M. (university student recipient of a scholarship to Chile next year to set up a literacy program)"

Congratualtions, Lisa! This is a wonderful honor.

Update on Margaret:

My momma is home!! We made bail about 1pm and sprung her from that cell. She's resting now in her recliner. Stef, Dan and I (Catrina) are here getting her settled in and Sabrina will be here after while. She will visit the surgeon again in about a month and until then, she's off her feet. We'll update as we know more, for now - it's just waiting for the bones to heal around the pins and plate. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes - now that she's home she can get on the mend and start getting some better.

In Greenwood parlance, Sue is some better. She had the colonoscopy which showed nothing apparently out of whack. (That's a new medical term.) The physician who talked to us after the procedure said it would be several days before all the biopsy results were in but that all looked well. Since coming home, she has slept a lot and has some appetite. We did one more consult today with the neurologist who manages her IVIG treatments for the neuropathy. He didn't think moving up her next infusion (now scheduled for July) was necessary. That was our main question for him.

Margaret is coming home from the rehab facility on Thursday. Catrina has found a solution for getting in and out of the house--some kind of elevating device for a wheelchair. I knew it was only a question of time until that young lady solved that problem. Last week I had a $310 bill for my health check-up that my insurance company refused to pay. What to do? I called Catrina, who within one hour had the thing taken care of. The insurance is paying. For someone like me, that is a walk on water.

[For those who might not know what "Greenwood Talk" is, let me explain. Our home town newspaper, the weekly Marshfield Mail, printed various reports from around the county. One was titled "Greenwood Items." The reporter wrote things like, "So and So is some better," one week. The next week, the report might read, "So and So has taken a turn for the worse." If you missed the very first installment, you might never know what So and So's problem was. Another page was devoted to "Tandy What Nots." I think the What Nots reporter kept track of where the local preacher ate Sunday dinners. It was a very progressive paper.]

A quick update from Lake Woe Be Gone: Some of you may know Sue has been under the weather for the past couple of weeks, mainly diahrrea that has left her pretty weak. She has been to see her primary care physcian who has had her run through various (and variously unpleasant) tests and has had her try four different medications. She has consulted with her favorite neurologist, Dr. Hogan, about side effects of the medication he has her on. And she has tried various home remedies. Nothing has helped.

The next step is tomorrow morning when she is cheduled for a colonoscopy--also a most unpleasant affair. To top off this tale of woe, this morning around 1:40 am Sue fell and hurt her nose and wrist badly--not broken we think but swollen and painful. However, by this time the prep for the colonoscopy was well underway, and, as those of you know who have had one, the prep is the problem. Rather than go to the Emergency Room in the middle of the night (which would have been a disaster on top of a catastrophe), she toughed it out til this morning. After more consultations with various physicians' assistants and the anestheologist for the colonoscopy, the word is to go-ahead. So, tomorrow morning Sue will have her second colonoscopy in about two years.

Candace, Sue's former daughter-in-law and a perfectly wonderful human being, is coming from Columbia tomorrow to help us out. She will stay overnight. Chris will be checking in after work to provide some help. And Mark Goldman (whom Scott has dubbed "GoToMan," has phoned and e-mailed to tell us he is on call and five minutes away for anything we might need.

NO ONE PERSON SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH MISFORTUNE AS SUE HAS HAD!! Sue and I both hate to post bad news, but sometimes that's all we have. Leslie, Sue's friend from Springfield, called several times today. When we didn't answer, she knew something was up. This evening we called her to fill her in, and she said PUT SOMETHING ON THE BLOG. So, this post, Dear Readers.

In spite of the complications we've encountered, life goes on. Shirley was in Milwaukee and Chicago over the weekend. I (Rose) go to Chicago tomorrow for a teaching gig that has been set up for some time. I return on Wednesday. We were scheduled to go to Lawrence, KS, for Katie and Austin's wedding next Saturday. [Katie is Sue's granddaughter.] That trip is probably off. We were so looking forward to having Scott and Sons come here Friday evening, then all of journeying together Saturday morning for the wedding and reception. Alas, the plans of mice and women . . .

Shelly and Chris traveled to Nashville this past weekend to run in a half marathon. Makes me tired just thinking of it.

Shelly had a wedding shower for Katie a week ago last Saturday. Katie has grown into a beautiful, mature young woman. The shower was a lovely event. Shelly does know how to entertain royally.

Some good news: Sue and I went to see Margaret in her rehab quarters in O'Fallon on Friday. Margaret is doing well. Norman was there, as he is most of the time. A few days into Margaret's rehab, Norman knows everyone in the facility. While we were there, the duty nurse made her rounds. She checked HIS blood pressure. Margaret's family is having a wheelchair ramp built so she can get in and out of the house easily. She is thinking she will go home next Monday. Sue and I were relieved to see her doing so well. The plan Friday eveing was for various Abbott generations to gather for dinner with her in the rehab center.

Margaret and Norman's granddaughter, Erica (Randy and Lynn's daughter) is graduating from high school this spring. She has a great scholarship for Westminster College in Fulton, MO, where she will start in the Fall. We are very proud of her! Brains and beauty and personality--nice combination.

The Felin Brothers, Joe, Pete, and Donald, are on their annual fishing outing in Florida. Have a great time, Brothers. Don't forget--set those hooks!

This medicine I'm taking makes me sleep a lot so after sleeping most of the day I'm going to add some more to the blog. Last Saturday Shelly hosted a bridal shower for Katie. Rose took lots of pictures and says she will post them when she gets time. Shelly's house was decorated beautifully and she had lots of food,snacks and drinks for everyone to indulge themselves in. Kate and Austin got lots of nice gifts.

Pete called this morning. It's still cold and windy in Idaho. We've seen a bit of spring here in Missouri. Pete and Joe are going to Birmingham next Monday. Then on Tuesday they're going with Donald to see Wanda Jean. Wednesday the three fellows are heading to Panama City for their annual fishing trip. Don't forget to set the hook!!

Rose and Shirley had planned a trip to Milwaukee this weekend and I was going to spend a few days in Louisville with Scott and the the boys but since I'm not feeling so hot Rose and I are going to stay home. It's baseball season for the boys and I just love seeing their games and/or practices and hate to miss going. Brayden's coach told Scott the other night that he would give Brayden the game ball every game if he could and he can't believe he's just 5 years old. Jalen's female coach told Scott that Jalen is the most polite boy on the bench. It sure makes Scott a proud dad.

Chris and Shelly are running in a half marathon this weekend in Nashville, TN. If Chris runs into Al Gore he going to thank him for inventing the internet. He's also going to look for Willie Nelson.

We badly need an update from our 2 LL side of the family. What has happened to you?

I've been under the weather and haven't felt like updating the blog and I'm not back to myself so this may be a short one. They've moved Margaret to a rehab place in Ofallon called Gardenview Rehab, we think. We call her on her cell phone there. Norm makes about three trips a day to see her. She says this is very hard on him. Her kids stop as often as they can. She'll have to stay until she can get around without putting any weight on her broken foot. Robbie is going to build a ramp off the back deck for her wheelchair so she can get in and out of the house. Her spirits seem good in spite of the situation. Margaret, we admire you for that.

I had a good 64th birthday yesterday. Rose and Shirley made me a special dinner. I got serenaded over the phone several times and got lots of cards and phone calls and email cards. Shirley's nephew Michael and his wife Leslie came over and brought me a bottle of wine.

I have more updates but have to rest for a while.

Rose and I just got back from seeing Margaret. That hospital is like a Miami hotel. Marge says most of the rooms are private rooms. They will bring Norm his meals too. Marge says the food is very good and they give you choices of different things that are equally good. The phone number in her room is 636-916-9240. She will be there for a couple more days and then will have to spend some time in a rehab place. They're not sure about any of the details on that yet.

Brayden had his first ballgame night before last and he was "star of the game". His prize for this achievement was a brand new baseball. I guess the coach made the presentation. I'm not sure what he did but he had some hits and some catches. Jalen's first game is tonight.

The second webcam meeting of Rose's class is tonight. We meet on the webcam every two weeks and she's hoping all the little glitches we ran into two weeks ago are ironed out.

I talked to Margaret this morning. Her spirits seemed good. Norman and Stephanie were both there with her. Her block for the pain in her leg probably hadn't worn off yet cause she wasn't in awful pain. Sabrina said Margaret's pain yesterday was excruciating. They were told yesterday that she could probably leave the hospital today but now they're going to keep her for a while. Since she can't put any weight on the foot for such a long time they're not sure what to do next. Sabrina told me that they're going to talk to a post operative care consultant this afternoon. Margaret's cell phone number is 636-577-1809. I'll get the number in her room next time I talk to her.

Catrina just called. Margaret is out of surgery and is in recovery. She hasn't been brought to her room yet. The doctor told the family that the break was as bad a one as he's ever seen. He put in a plate and 6 screws on one side and 2 screws on the other side. This break happened on her right foot. She won't be able to put any weight on it for 8 weeks. Sabrina told me while ago that Margaret might be released tomorrow but I think that must have been before the surgeon came out to talk to them. Will post more as we learn it.

UPDATE ON MARGARET: Sabrina just called. Margaret has been in a lot of pain since this happened. The leg is all bruised from the fall. She is just now being put under general anesthesia and will have surgery when the anesthesia sets in. (I don't know how to spell anesthesia and I don't think spell check is on.) The break is more in the ankle and leg and the surgeon is going to put whatever repairing devices (pins or/and other things) are needeed to mend the break. She has a room number already - Room 2240 - Barnes Jewish Hospital - St. Peters, MO. I'll get phone number and other information as the girls give it to us.

Today is one of the first really pretty spring days we've had and it's too bad the Abbotts had to spend in in the hospital. We had snowflakes on Sunday and today is convertible weather.

BULLETIN: Margaret fell this morning about 4 A.M. and broke her foot. She is scheduled for surgery sometime later today and is being admitted to Barnes West. Stef and Dan were picking Sabrina up from work just now because she didn't have her car today. Catrina was already there as I'm sure Norman was. Margaret had just finished her radiation treatments last week and was hoping she wouldn't be feeling so tired and sleepy all the time. I'll update more as we get more information.


Goldman and I took Jalen and Brayden halfway to Louisville on Sunday to meet Scott and leave the boys with him. It is sure quiet around here.

We've had lots of compliments on the pictures of the improvements the boys did on the lakehouse. Joe thinks we should rename the place 'the furlined'. Sabrina loved it and wanted to kniw whose idea it was and I had to admit it was Doug's. My harem consists of a bunch of hardworkers.

I'll post more on Margaret when I hear more.

Rose met us on Wednesday night and we got back to St. Louis rather late that night. Jalen and Aunt Rose went to Art Mart next day for some of his artistic supplies. The boys brought their rock band with them and spent lots of time serenading us. They took turns on the guitar and the drums. They're both very good on both. When I was in Louisville Scott and Sherry serenaded me one evening. Sherry was pretty good and Scott surprised me with his musical talent. I didn't know he had that much musical talent.

We went to Goldman's classroom on Thursday. We've already posted the pictures that Rose took there. The class was recuperating from some tests they had been taking all week and the classroom was more like blab school. The students all like and respect Goldman and one of them who took us to the office told us that he doesn't have any 'teacher's pets'.

When we got back from visiting Mark's classroom, both boys made him some decorations to post on the bulletin board in his classroom. Both worked very hard at making something that his students would like. Needless to say, both decorations were very special and Mark posted them first thing when he got to school this morning.

Friday, April 11, was Shelly's birthday. Chris said he took her shopping for her birthday outing. He bought her some planter urns as a gift. Saturday night was prom night which Shelly had to attend and Chris told us he was being forced to attend. Lunch date is here. More later.

I've been behind in posting updates since I've been in Louisville and then the boys came back with me for a few days so I'll try to catch up. Rose and I have to go meet with our insurance man this morning and then I'm having lunch with two old GMAC friends. I've known Melba and Betty longer than I can remember. They both knew Brick and I know Betty knew him before I did and Melba may have. We will have a good time reminiscing.

Back to the week's happenings. Rose flew to Chicago on the 5th and I flew to Louisville. Goldman dropped us off at the airport. Scott and the boys were waiting at the airport when my plane landed. Scott had to work some that evening so Sherry brought us pizza for dinner. Jalen's best friend, Christian, spent the night and the rest of us went to bed long before those two boys did. Brayden had baseball practice practice Monday. He plays T-ball and it's fun to watch. Jalen had practice on Monday and it's quite competitive. His practice lasts two hours and is a real workout. Wednesday's night was rained out - at least we thought it was. It had rained and we thought it would be too muddy.

Scott drove the boys and me half way to St. Louis and Rose met us. We didn't get to do everything we had planned but we kept busy most of the time. We visited Goldman's classroom. More later. Gotta go.

This computer has a mind of its own. The photos we are posting are all mixed together, probably because we don't know exactly what we are doing. Anyway, look at the ones that interest you and skip over the rest. We wanted our readers to get an overall view of Mark Goldman's classroom. He is a marvelous teacher. Sue told the student who escorted us through a maze of corridors that she had known Mr. Goldman since before Kindergarten. The student was astonished--as if Sue were talking about the Civil War or something of that era.

We went to see Mark Goldman in his classroom on Thursday. It was state test day, and his students were unwinding from a stressful morning. Note Mark's shirt: "May the Fours be with YOU." Four is the highest mark on the tests. We were greeted warmly

Rose and I went down to the lake house Wednesday and felt like we were in a different house when we got into the downstairs. It is absolutely stunning. Doug did most of the designing and he did a marvelous job. It's opened up now so whoever is cooking or working in the kitchen can see the deck or the lake and talk to anyone sitting at the table. There's more cabinet space than before and that ugly shelf at the end of the eating area is gone and is replaced by attractive cabinets and shelves. Thanks to Doug, Goldman, Scott, and Maddog. Ray helped out one of the weekends before. Maddog was still there on Wednesday touching up some of his painting. He did a meticulous job. I don't know what I did over the years to earn their love, help, and plain old work but I'm glad I did it. Using their vacations and spring breaks to do carpentry work wasn't something they would have dreamed of as teenagers. I knew most of them then, too. Thank you all again. Thanks, Suzanne, for the use of your husband.

Rose and I met Joe for lunch Wednesday at Denny's at the lake on Wednesday before we went to see the house. He never brags about his kids so I'm going to brag about my niece and grand niece. Lisa is now a teacher in the International Baccalaureate program. Joe and I both had to let spell check help us with the spelling. Joe thinks that after 16 years at Central High Lisa needs a challenge. Lydia, his grand daughter, is a student in the program. She is also going to get the highest Girl Scout award possible sometime in May. Pete, did he have your credit card? We went bto the ladies room when the check came.

We've got lots of pictures of the new kitchen at the lake house and will post them as soon as Rose has time. She has been busy. She is teaching a class on line again and is using the webcam so we can see the other students. One is in Mexico City. I may not be star student this time.

The forsythia are blooming and some of the daffodils are blooming. The trees out front are starting to bud so maybe Spring is coming after all. We loved the Kansas update. Keep us posted.

We had Ellie's 2 year birthday party this last weekend. We had lots of family and friends drive from St. John, Belpre, Salina, Manhattan, Nortonville, and Mound City to spend the weekend with our little princess. Karen, Cristian and Ryan came up Friday night and we had take out from Buffalo Wild Wings. While we were waiting for our order, Ryan (who is 2 1/2) went up to Ellie and yelled "Let's Go!" and they both ran for the door to try to escape all the chaos from the NCAA Tournament.

Saturday, Tricia and Walter arrived just in time to help us get the clubhouse decorated for Ellie's party. We had the birthday party at our community clubhouse in hopes that the kids could play outside in the playground but the weather did not cooperate. When we returned back to the house, Debbie, Joe, Sabrina, Joshua, Jr, and Martesia were there along with Cathey and Gary. Danny showed up in the morning.

It was nice to have everyone around and got a chance to catch up with everyone. We headed to the clubhouse around 5pm and John's family all showed up. I made some salads and we had wonderful Kansas City BBQ! The kids didn't eat too much as they were too busy popping balloons!

When it came time for Ellie to blow out her candle, she did a good job but was really bashful when we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She kept trying to press her face against mine and turn her head to try to hide. Opening presents was a different story - she dug right in! For about the first dozen presents, she would open them and have a big surprised look on her face - then the the next several, she would say, "Look what I found!" She was especially drawn to those cards that had money in them. She opened one and I asked her what it is and she said "Money". I asked her what she is going to do with it and she said, "Put it in my pocket." (She gets that from her father, everything of his goes into his pockets!)

Some big ticket items included a pillow and body pillow along with a bench with cushion that Great Aunt Cathey made for her, her indoor playhouse/tent from Old Great Aunt Debbie and the Hearn's, a cabbage patch doll and her money for her pocket from Great Grandma Felin, a Radio Flyer bike from Papa Danny, a tea set from Aunt Tricia and her play clothes from Aunt Karen. She also enjoyed the My Little Pony from John's sister, Kristin. In fact, of all Ellie's presents, that was the only one that Ryan just had to play with!!! I think Ryan will need one for his birthday except it will be blue instead of pink.

Sunday, we all had BBQ lunch together at our house and Old Great Uncle Joe had to talk Debbie into NOT going to Nebraska Furniture Mart. We think that Debbie needs to come up some weekend and go by herself - it's such a great place. We were sad to see everyone go - we had such a good weekend.

Ellie was a bit tired when everyone left but would not take a nap. It was not until we got in the car around 3pm to go to John's niece's birthday party, that she fell asleep and managed to sleep all through Chuck E. Cheese's. We had to wake her up so she could play a few games before we left though.

This weekend, she is getting her 2 year pictures and managed to get a big red mark on her forehead at school yesterday. Lots of red scrapes from tripping on the concrete at recess. I've been medicating it at all times to help it heal - if all else fails - I'll get out my concealer.

That is all to report from KS. We are going to the Bon Jovi concert in Kansas City on April 17th of anyone wants to go with us - we have 2 extra tickets - otherwise, someone may need to bail us out of jail for scalping outside the Sprint Center.

Here are some pics

Ellie-sleeping at Chuck E. Cheese

We had Brayden from Wednesday to Sunday so didn't have much time to post an update on the blog. He and I spent Friday night and Saturday night with Suzanne, Lukas, and Josie and he was really glad to get away from all these 'old' people. Rose and Shirley had out of town guests coming in on Friday and he took me aside and asked me confidentially if these people were going to be old too. He and Josie and Lukas played hard and did not want to go to bed at night.

The harem got a lot done at the lake house. Rose and I plan to go down and back tomorrow cause we can't wait to see it. The steps between the houses are done. The kitchen project is complete. The weather was bad and time ran out so they didn't get the deck power washed and stained but the foreman (Doug) has a schedule for completing those things. Doug gets one thing done and his mind is already on the next one.

My boat was in the shop all winter and this hillbilly assured me it was fixed when he brought it back a couple weeks ago so I paid him. It had been overheating. The boys finally drove it Saturday afternoon and it heated up after about 5 minutes of running. Doug is going to meet him Saturday afternoon and take him for a ride. The hillbilly says it can't be overheating. I'm sure I won't get my money back and it's too late to stop payment on the check. It's already cleared the bank. At my age I should be smarter.

Shirley went yesterday for her final results on her breast scare and got a complete everything's okay. She doesn't have to go back for six months and what they found was nothing to worry about. She told me in some technical terms but the bottom line was she's fine.

Fr. Ed Schramm, who was pastor at Holy Angels parish when Chris taught there, died on Sunday. He was also a good friend of Rose's. When Chris taught at Holy Angels he and Fr. Ed were the only two males so, when the teachers needed something from Fr. Ed, they sent Chris to ask. He really had no choice. He couldn't say no to all those teachers. Fr. Ed was a wonderful man and taught Chris a lot.

We're hoping Joe can meet us at the lake house and we can all have an early dinner at my favorite restaurant, Ruthie D's. Pete, does, does he have your credit card?

I hope this entry makes sense. I'm in the process of changing meds for my seizures and accidentally took an overdose of one yesterday but I'm getting back to normal this morning. Breakfast is ready and Rose is calling me.

I'm back in St. Louis and part of my harem is working away at the lake house. Doug, Maddog and Goldman are there and, though I talked to them several times yesterday, I haven't heard from them today. They're probably too busy to talk to me. One of their outdoor projects was power washing the deck and the weather was probably nice enough today. Scott will get there tomorrow evening late. I talked to him this morning. He didn't want to know about their progress. He just wanted to hear that they had made a lot of it. Maddog is painting the kitchen cabinets white and they are turning as good as I had hoped they would. Maddog says we can't cook in the kitchen now because we might get grease and dirt on the cabinets.

Karen, Mark Lary's wife, took a spill on her bicycle last week and broke her pelvis. She is using a walker to get around and can't sit for a very long period. The only cure is time and she just has to take it easy for several weeks before she can resume her regular activities. She and Mark are avid bicyclers so this is hard on her besides being painful. Katie's wedding is May 3 in Lawrence, KS. and Karen thinks the trip over there will just take several stops along the way but she'll be on the mend by then.

As Scott goes to the lake tomorrow night he's going to drop Brayden off here with us three old ladies. Of course we're all excited about that. Rose and Shirley are having out-of-town guests Friday and Saturday so Brayden and I are going to stay with Suzanne and the kids those two nights. Brayden will like having someone who knows how to play PS2 or PS3 - whichever he has. We don't know how. Doug will still be working at the lakehouse.

I'm still waiting for updates from other contributors. St. John relatives are going to celebrate Ellie's second birthday this weekend so there should be some news from there. 2 LL's, where are you?

I'm back at the lake again with only part of my harem. Today we had some really good news. Shirley had a double biopsy on Wednesday and the results came back today that she does not have breast cancer. It was her second biopsy so we were really worried. The surgical center had said she might have had to wait until Monday for the results. That would have made for a very long weekend.

Margaret's 70th birthday is the 28th of this month. Her home address is #4 Peg Elaine Ct., St. Peters, MO. 63376. Home phone is 636-397-5674. Cell is 636-577-1809
Her treatments are almost over and are going fine. I'll let one of the girls update you on her progress. Rose, Shirley, and I found the perfect birthday card for her. It's a singing card - Johnny Cash singing "Ring of Fire". She and Abbott are still big Johnny Cash fans.

I talked to Janet on line for a bit last night. She was busy making three lamb cakes for their grandson Eric's 16th birthday party which is tonight. I asked if Pete was the one who taught him to drive, but she said Nancy did. Pete taught me and it's been nearly fifty years ago. Rose and I still use some of his sayings, like "If I had time I'd teach that SOB a lesson". Might I say he didn't say SOB.

The guys are having their annual workweek this coming week. Maddog, Goldman and I came down yesterday. We grocery shopped this morning and got some stuff at the hardware store. Doug can't come until after his kids hunt Easter eggs and after Easter dinner at his mother's on Sunday. He's mad at the Easter bunny. Goldman and Maddog are unskilled labor, and Doug limits their tasks because he's afraid they'll mess things up. Scott can't get here until Wednesday and he's chomping at the bit. I'm going home Sunday. For one thing, I can't stand the mess.

It was a great weekend at the lake in spite of the dreary weather. It rained off and on all day Saturday but when Pete called for his weekly report he said they still had three feet of snow on the ground so a little rain didn't seem so bad.

My harem this week was Doug, Maddog, Danny and Ray. Danny slept in his shoes and glasses so he didn't lose any time in the mornings. They cut down a tree in front of the house which didn't take long but burning what that cut took all day. After Doug cooked breakfast he and I went to Lowe's and bought a cabinet. Then we went by the water place but it was closed. Then we grocery shopped. He didn't bring a hat down with us and we couldn't find one at the lake house so then we hit Target. We had forgotten a cabinet handle when we were at Lowe's so we had to go back there. He was very nice to me about all his stops but I was glad I wasn't Suzanne. He cooked steaks on the grill for dinner that night and made breakfast again next morning. Goldman called and after Doug told him about all his kitchen work, Goldman proclaimed "See!! It's not easy being a cabin bitch!" Doug then told him about the other stuff he'd done besides kitchen duty.

Doug installed the cabinet and took a lot of measurements for what they're going to do next week. Crappie were biting late Saturday and he and Danny caught a 'mess' of them. It was just too cold to clean them. They fished some Sunday morning but they weren't biting then.

I'm still waiting from some updates from other contributors. I may be getting boring.

I'm off to the lake house again this evening with part of my harem. We are going to decide some of the things they are going to accomplish week after next during there regular spring workweek. Doug and I are going to go look at a whole house reverse osmosis water softeners. The water down there is awful. It smells really bad as any of you that have been there can testify. We bring drinking and cooking water. Pete has one at Quartzsite and says it works. When we used to go to Palm Island they also had reverse osmosis water softener and I didn't even know they had it or needed it. We will no longer have to carry in gallons of water down there. Part of the men's spring workweek chore is replacing the steps between the houses, some remodelling in the kitchen, staining the deck, felling a tree, and I don't know what else. I'm not sure how many guys are coming but Scott says he wouldn't miss it if he had malaria.

I set out for my walk yesterday morning and my ambition was to go further than the 3.1 miles I had gone the day before. I was trudging along and next thing I knew I was in an ambulance and someone was giving me a choice of hospitals to be dropped at. I was on the sidewalk of a rather busy street and I have no idea who called the ambulance and didn't have enough wits about me to ask the attendants before they left me at the hospital. This happened about 9:30 yesterday morning. I had the nurse dial Rose for me and she rushed right down to get me. I was a bit woozy by then but was ready to leave. They had 119 people through the emergency room yesterday. It was late afternoon before we got out of there. If I'd checked myself out before they released me, insurance would not have paid for the ambulance so we stuck it out. They finally got in touch with one of my neurologists who said get a blood sample and we'll check her medication level and call her tomorrow and then let her go. I feel fine today and the neurologist hasn't called about the medicine. draft 3:48

Chris went for an interview with Mark Lary's company and he got the job. He, needless to say, is thrilled. It will mean for one thing that he won't have to work evenings like he does now. He will start April 7.

Shirley just came in from the grocery store and brought me a shamrock necklace. I guess we're prepared to be Irish for St. Patrick's Day. Doug is picking me up in a few minutes. Goldman isn't going this weekend and is dogsitting one of Chris's dogs. Tucker had surgery this morning and the other dogs bother him if he stays home. I'm not a doglover and little Brayden says "Granny, do you hate cats too?" He sets in the dog's bed with him and hugs him and can't understand why everyone isn't a dog lover. I'm in a minority in this family.

I'm OK after my stay in the hospital. The handsome neurologist wanted me to have some X-rays so Chris and I waited all day Friday for 5 minutes of X-rays. I still have to have some more tests through my primary care doctor (a woman instead of a handsome young man) but the handsome young man said he is just probably being overly cautious.

As soon as I got home Friday Goldman and I headed for the lake. Maddog was already there. Rose had to catch a flight to Chicago that evening so Shelly came by and took her to the airport so Goldman and I could get an earlier start. Shelly had Eli with her, their sheepdog. I had told Chris that Eli had never seen a sheep in his life and wouldn't know a sheep from a horse. They got Eli a stuffed toy sheep to train the dog to recognize a sheep if he ever saw one. We'll probably never know if it works or not since he'll probably never see a sheep.

Pete called Saturday morning with his weekly update. Caitlin was home for her spring break. They still have more snow on the ground than we do. Ours should melt this week. He said Donald and Vita were in Plattsburg celebrating some grandsons' birthdays but have to be back in Birmingham tomorrow night. We were hoping the two of them would stop by.

Maddog cleaned up old leaves and burned them at the lakehouse. Goldman had papers to grade. Maddog said he thought Goldman made a 6 hour job out of a one hour job with the grading papers to keep from helping with the outdoor work. My harem and I went to Ruthie D's, my favorite restaurant down there, Saturday night for dinner. The maitre d' there calls me 'Miz Boze'. I never bother to correct him. I just answer to it.

We came home yesterday and then Chris and Shelly took me to dinner. Chris was spending the night because he and Rose didn't want me staying alone. He wasn't much fun. He went to bed and Shelly and I stayed up and visited for a long time. He's coming today and we're going to Steak and Shake for lunch. I hope he's perked up from last night.

Good news to report: Sue's angiogram showed she does NOT have an aneurism (sp?). She has to lie flat until midnight then can come home in the morning. She's awake, has eaten dinner, and feels just fine. This is one wonderful hospital staff here. Many of the physicians, residents, aids, food workers, nurses, and others whose functions we don't know know Sue from her 10-12 hospitalizations in the past year. One woman was just in and said, "Oh, you're that woman who walks the halls for exercise. I know you." Seems that to be a doctor or a doctor-in-training here requires that you be beautiful or handsome. And young.

I have another correction. Wrestlemania is in Florida. The wrestling event that we got Brayden for his birthday was something else and was in Louisville. Brayden corrected me on that when I talked to him on the phone.

I'm back at Barnes and thought I was only here overnight for my periodic IVIG. Dr. Lopate measured my strength and I haven't lost any and may have gained some in my legs. I've been having some double vision and headaches for the last few weeks. The other neurologist and the neurosurgeon think the headaches are from the incisions and Tylenol or Advil helps there. They didn't venture a guess about the double vision. Dr. Lopate thought it needed further investigation and I had a two hour MRI last night. It was pure torture. I was all set to leave this morning. The IVIG was finished. I was dressed. Rose was here to get me.

Then came the bad news. When they read the results of the MRI, they discovered an aneuresym (sp?) in my neck. I have to stay here at least another night and have an angiogram this afternoon. I've never had one of these before so I'm not sure what it entails. I can't eat or drink for 6 hours and have to have an IV. Then I'm semiconscious and they insert dye through my groin to get a better look at the aneursym and then I have to lay flat for 6 hours after that. I'll know more after they get the results from the angiogram. The neurologist said this probably has nothing to do with my neuropathy or my seizures. How many more afflictions can I get?

Rose saw her neurologist yesterday and got a clean bill of health from her Bell's Palsy attack. This one asked how they diagnosed what she had but she didn't tell him that she had found it on the innernet and that was the reason she went to the emergency room.

I hope I have better news in the morning and I'll update the blog again then.

CORRECTION: Joe and Lisa didn't go to Kansas City yesterday. He and I were talking on IM and I thought they were going yesterday cause we were about to sign off when we talked about it. They're going probably after Lisa gets back from the Paris trip. Joe says looks like I'd better keep my long johns out until the Fourth of July. Spring is only 16 days away so he must be wrong.

I've had to trade my short sleeved shirt and shorts for long johns. It's been snowing all day long and I think Rose has shoveled the front sidewalks three times. We must have 8 or 9 inches and I think it's finally letting up but coming down some still. Shirley is driving to Chicago tomorrow and is not looking forward to it at all.

Joe went to Kansas City yesterday with Lisa for her to see her eye doctor. I don't think they got snowed on. Lisa and Lydia and a high school group are leaving for a week in Paris on March 15. A dinner in the Eiffel Tower is on their schedule. What an exciting adventure!

Beth, Lydia's mom, continues to work toward completion of her MBA and should finish this summer. Dave is taking some sort of preliminary airplane pilot lessons. Joe, aren't sailboats much safer?

Joe has signed up for an advanced genealogy course titled "CEG - 406-01 Genealogy - Beyond Basics" at the Ozark Technical College. I'm taking a course in Jungian psychology that Rose and a colleague are teaching online. I've been accused of being teacher's pet and I need all the help I can get. It's been 45 years since I've had homework but I'm enjoying it more now than I did then.

Rose and I went for mammograms on February 12. My report came back fine after the first check but Rose had to go back for more extensive testing. I was having my eyes checked yesterday while she was having her additional tests and we thought we'd be done at about the same time. I had an eye exam, pupils dilated, picked out new frames, got re-examined after pupils dilated, and then waited over an hour for her. She said the procedure should have been called a MANogram. This mammogram was much more involved than the ones that she and I had on the 12th. It took over two hours and as she put it, they put her through a torture chamber. She is sure the procedure was invented by a man. When she was all finished they told her she was fine and to come back in a year. She and I both urge all women to have this done yearly.

I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday and he said my incisions had healed up nicely. He didn't comment on my butch haircut. Rose and I went to the post office this afternoon and she remarked that she hadn't combed her hair today. I topped that. I hadn't combed mine yesterday either. I go in the hospital for my IVIG tomorrow and plan to work on my homework while I'm stuck there. Shirley just cleaned the front sidewalks again. Hopefully, the snow has quit.

We've had a Florida day here in Missouri today. The temperature reached 75 degrees, and I did my walk in shorts and short sleeves. Cold, rain, and possible snow is forecast for tomorrow, so this springlike weather is going to be shortlived. Mark and Karen took Rose and me to brunch at an old greenhouse that's been converted into a restaurant and rental hall in Tower Grove Park this morning. We kept having to go back and fill our plates time after time. I dropped a shrimp on the floor, but Mark graciously kicked it under the table. There were things on the tables I didn't recognize, and some were named. I had never eaten them, so I tried a little bit of everything. I was a bit embarassed cause I was the last one eating but I 'cleaned up my plates'.

Pete called yesterday for our weekly update. They weren't having Florida weather in Idaho. He and Janet are already sick of winter and ready for spring. Joe had been under the weather. I talked to him on line, and he's back to normal. Joe and I and Janet and I chat on line a little bit almost every day. Remember 419W? Cut it out, kids!!

The three of us are keeping doctors busy this week. Shirley has a follow-up visit with one in the morning. I see the neurosurgeon for a followup checkup in the morning, and then I'm having my eyes checked. Rose is having a mammogram at 6:45 A.M. Wednesday and I check in at 8:30 for my IVIG. Rose then sees a neurologist that afternoon for a follow-up to her Bell's Palsy attack. She and I had dental appointments Wednesday but had to cancel cause we couldn't fit them in.

We gave Brayden tickets to Wrestlemania for his birthday and last night was the big event. Scott and Chris loved wrestling when they were kids, and Uncle Norman took them to this sort of event one time. They've never forgotten it. Jana says she and Trish loved it, too, and Bobby took them all the way to Kansas City one time to see some matches when they were kids. I'm not sure where Scott had to take them, but Brayden and Jalen were both excited about the forthcoming event.

Thanks again, Donald and Vita, for our wonderful accomodations in Florida. Our stay was just too short. I walked over 3 miles here today but the scenery wasn't nearly so enticing. Three miles here seems longer than three miles in Florida.

We're back in Missouri after a wonderful week in Florida. We spent a good part of the last day trying to leave it in as good a shape as we found it but, in spite of our best efforts, we weren't sure if we did. We never did find a junk drawer, something that exists in every other home we've been in. There's some snow on the ground here and the temperature is in the 30's. We adjusted to the Florida weather quickly and probably won't readjust to Missouri quite as fast.

Yvonne and the baby came back on Wednesday to get Loretta, and we were all going to go out to dinner that evening at a seafood place that Vita had recommended. It was at some distance from where we were and near a place where we could have watched the boats come in. (Fishing boats, I guess.) When the tow truck driver had brought us our second rental car on Tuesday he had it running, so Rose didn't try the ignition. When we got ready to go to dinner on Wednesday, we thought the ignition key didn't fit. Both Rose and Shirley tried with no luck. We couldn't all six fit well in Yvonne's car, so we went to a nearby restaurant which turned out to be superb. Luckily it wasn't far cause Rose and I took turns sitting on each other's laps. The seafood was great as was the service. Our waiter even offered to try to start our rental car for us, but it wasn't within walking distance.

After we finished dinner and got back to the house and before we called Avis to complain, Yvonne suggested she give the key a try. She went outside and came immediately back inside to say she had it running. We felt like three senile old ladies. The rental car was a Dodge van and the key did not look like a key. It looked more like a remote door lock and unlock and that's what we assumed it was. Needless to say, it was the ignition key. Avis did knock $100.00 off our bill for the troubles we had with the first car. We didn't mention our troubles with the second car.

I had an email from Mike Madden. He had gone to Springfield to celebrate Aunt Virginia's birthday the week before. He said she is doing fine. Joe runs into her sister at arthritis exercises occasionally, and she keeps him posted.

I also had an email from Sandi 2 LL's. She's been very busy and was down with the flu for a week. Maudie is coming to Missouri this summer to spend some time in Conway with her sister. We hope she isn't coming that far without seeing all of us. Sandi is going to try to come for part of that time. I hope some of the rest of you 2 LL's can make it, too. For that matter any of our relatives.

Shirley is going to Chicago on Wednesday. I have to stay overnight that night for my IVIG in the hospital, and Rose is going to Chicago on Friday. Goldman, Maddog, Doug and I are going to go to the lake and decide what their projects for workweek are going to be. These young men are like my other sons.

Goldman dropped us off at the airport when we left for Florida and picked us up on our return. Meanwhile, while we were gone the garage door stuck open. He took care of calling the repairman and seeing that it was fixed. He is truly named - GOLDman.

Today is Wednesday and almost the last day of our vacation. We have had a wonderful time. Donald and Vita’s guest house is more like a playhouse. The houses in the community are all named, and this one is named ‘Happy Days’. ‘Turnbo South’ would not do it justice. It has every commodity you could wish for. The only thing we haven’t found is the junk drawer. Donald, you’ve gotten above your raising. Rose, Shirley and I arrived last Wednesday and the week has flown by. We would have had no trouble finding the place if we had listened to the GPS, but we made a few wrong turns.

Shirley’s niece Yvonne, and Yvonne’s daughter, Savannah, drove Loretta over from Louisiana and they arrived later that first evening. They didn’t listen to the GPS either and drove around the area for quite some time until Rose drove out of the subdivision and flagged them down. Savannah is almost two and lots of fun to have around. She and Yvonne are coming back today to get Loretta. We’ve only eaten dinner out once because we hated to leave. A rush trip to the grocery store is the extent of our outings. We just enjoy the ocean which is a beautiful aqua color, the sandy beach, the solitude, and the sunshine. It has rained some, but we just played cards and ate while it was raining. Vita, we’re glad there are no scales. This is some of our usual entertainments when we take our pre-Spring vacation.

There are several swimming pools here, a tennis court, a playground, restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop, chapel, and I’m sure lots of things I’ve missed. I’ve been walking almost every day and have made it to almost three miles a couple of times according to the pedometer. I’ve had to be careful not to get lost but managed to find my way back without using the cellphone to call for directions. All the other houses are cleverly named too and I’m trying to think of a clever name for the lake house. Any suggestions?

Rose and I had to leave the premises yesterday, and did so reluctantly, but had to find a Walgreens to have a prescription filled. We were driving a rental car with less than 1,000 miles on it. The nearest Walgreens was 12 miles away, and this time we did every thing the GPS told us to do. We pulled into a parking spot and a young man started opening my door. I thought it was just southern hospitality and that he was being cordial. Soon I heard him yelling “Get out. Your car is on fire!” I got out as fast as I could (which isn’t very fast) and Rose hopped out, too. The fire was underneath and everyone stood back until it seemed to have gone out. Needless to say, we were afraid to drive it. Rose got on the phone immediately and tried to contact the emergency roadside service assistance number at Avis. She did get a person who asked if it was drivable and she had to be extremely explicit about the fire. After about being transferred around about ten times and then getting cut off, she finally got a person who would take the information and promised to send a tow truck with a different rental car for us. It was going to take a while for the tow truck to get there so we ask a man a Walgreens if there were a seafood restaurant in walking distance. He told us about ‘Dirty Dick’s’, which was near. We had time to kill and didn’t want hamburgers, so decided we’d try it. There was a roll of paper towels on the table and the silverware was wrapped in a paper towe,l but the menu was a bit pricey. Pete, we needed your credit card. We had the best crab cakes we’ve ever had in our lives. They came with Hush Puppies which were superb and red beans and rice which Rose liked but I didn’t. The service was excellent. Donald had advised us to tip more than two and a half per cent or they would think we were Canadians, so we left a good tip. We told the bus boy how much we liked the crab cakes, and he said the grouper cakes were even better. We had never heard of them. We’re going out to eat tonight and are going to check the menu.

When we got back to Walgreens, there was still no tow truck with our car. Avis called on Rose’s cell phone to say the driver had gotten stopped by the police. When he finally arrived he explained that the police asked him to remove an accident from the highway. The car he brought us wasn’t nearly as nice as the one that caught, on fire but we hope it’s more trustworthy. Moral to this part of the entry: EAT AT DIRTY DICK’S AND DON’T RENT FROM AVIS

It's a cold windy rainy Sunday here in St. Louis. We're looking forward to leaving for Florida on Wednesday. Though it won't be really hot down there, it will be better than Missouri has been and better than what the forecast for here is predicting. Pete called Saturday with his weekly update. He said they still have lots of snow on the ground in Idaho Falls and it was snowing there again as we were talking.

Maddog went with me Thursday evening halfway to Louisville to meet Scott and to pick up Brayden. Scott had suggested we meet in Santa Claus, Indiana. Maddog talked to Scott a couple times on the cells phones while we were enroute and he kept asking Scott which side of the road it was on. I couldn't imagine why he kept asking this knowing we could easily see the town from the highway. Finally Maddog told me he was expecting a giant Santa Claus, NOT a town by that name.

My 'butch' haircut hasn't grown any. Brayden won't let me go anywhere without my hat. Joe says he doesn't have much hair either and can wash it with a washcloth so not having much hair does have its advantages. He says his does grow fast and he has to get a haircut monthly. He knows when it's time when Pepper, the dog, needs his nails trimmed. He takes Pepper to a dog salon, but Chris said he trims his dogs' nails himself. He felt really bad last time cause he made one of them bleed.

Chris and Brayden took me to the wig place Friday to be fitted. They had lots of different colors - even purple - but none that matched the little hair I have left. They special ordered one that was fairly close to my colors (gray and black) and are having it overnighted. It should be here and be styled before we leave for Florida on Wednesday. The salon that cut it so short has agreed to pay part of the cost of the wig, but I'm holding out for the whole amount and would like to see the stylist fired. He would make a much better barber.

Goldman is going with me tomorrow to meet Scott halfway again and deliver Brayden. Goldman has been to Santa Claus before so he will know what to look for. We've had a wonderful time with Brayden, but it seems too short. He's only had one little bout of missing his Dad, and when Jalen called this morning he was too busy to talk to him. He says he still feels four even though he's been five for almost a week now. He and Shirley are both great Harry Potter fans, and she very patiently explains things as they watch the movies. He asks all kinds of questions about what is going on.

Dinner's ready. Rose and Brayden are cooking and he set the table. My next entry may be from Florida. We also need some news from other parts of the country.

We'll have photos to post soon.

My computer has a 'virus' and Shelly has the flu so Chris is taking care of both and hasn't had a chance to bring the computer back yet. I'm using Rose's in the meantime and hope to have mine back tomorrow. Margaret got worried about me Saturday cause she didn't see me online all day and called to see if I was okay.

We liked Sabrina's update. I could tell that it took a lot of time and effort. Let me explain where "I hope I don't look too cheerful" originated - When Uncle John died Sabrina came to Rose's and was blubbering and crying and could barely talk and I don't even remember what she was wearing but she blubbered to me "I hope I don't look too cheerful". She certainly didn't mean to be funny considering the circumstances but it was. It's become an old family expression that we use in different situations.

She mentioned Margaret's unfavorable results from her mammogram and the treatments that she's going through. This inspired both Rose and me to go for mammograms. We went this morning and they said we should have the results in a week or two. I went to the neurologist yesterday and all he did this time was change my medication a bit. The results they got from the electrodes weren't what they had hoped for but he said never say never. This is the neurologist that was born in the same hospital as me and Donald. He asked if I'd been down that way recently but I said no but my brother volunteers at 'our' hospital.

Brayden turned five today. Scott took him and Jalen to an indoor waterpark in Cincinnati Sunday and Monday. He got to skip school Monday and Scott said he didn't care if he got to go anywhere if he didn't have to go to school. He still cries til he gets to the carpet in the morning. Scott peeks in the window to check. Uncle Chris says it's okay cause he cries everyday on the way to work. Brayden called me today and said he may be five but he still feels four. Maddog and I are going to meet Scott and Brayden halfway between here and Louisville Thursday night and we get to keep him for the weekend.

Pete called Saturday morning with his weekly update. This week he was in blizzard conditions. He said the snow plow had been by three times already that morning. It's really cold here and we had just a bit of snow and ice last night but not much. It's supposed to stay cold all week. We leave next week Wednesday for Florida and are getting excited about it. Donald called yesterday with directions and said the key is in the mail.

I know I wrote about how they shaved the sides of my head when I had the surgery and it looked terrible. I wore a hat or a scarf for a few days and then said to heck with it. I went yesterday for a haircut and explained that I wanted my longer hair trimmed a bit and I was just waiting for the shaved part to grow out. He gave me a BUTCH!!! I'm going Friday to get a wig. After the haircut Rose and I drove around a bit and I cried a while and we went back. The man who cut it hid in the back of the shop. The manager won't tell us who owns the shop but I think this is a matter of public record. They are going to refund my money but say they won't pay for a wig. I'm going to get really nasty. Rose took some pictures this morning and I'll let her post them when I get a wig and I have a before and after.

I'm typing this on Rose's computer so it may say she wrote it. She could type it in about 5 minutes when it takes me probably at least 30.

We had a most wonderful and complete contribution to the blog from Sabrina, Margaret and Norman's second daughter. We post it here with great delight:

"I woke up at 6:30 this morning, for whatever reason, and started thinking about your blog and how Aunt Sue said I was added as a contributor. I was wondering what the heck I would say, and started thinking about it. Here's my contribution, is it too much? Do I look too cheerful?

So, I was asked if I wanted to be a contributor to the famous Felin Blog. And at first, I wondered, what would I write about? I decided that maybe an update on the “Abbott Clan” would be sufficient.

I’ll start with the two that started the so-called “Abbott Clan”, my parents, Margaret and Norman. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last August, in a fashion suited to their lifestyle, a simple dinner with all of their children and grandchildren, in a small restaurant in a small town. When you get us all together, there are 21 of us (including Nathan’s fiancé, Nichole, but more on that later). Mom and Dad epitomize love to all of us. Through thick and thin they have been there for us, for each other. Dad celebrated his 80th birthday in October, and the day after his birthday celebration at my house, Mom discovered a lump on her left breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer less than a week later. She had a partial mastectomy and has just started her radiation, with about 27 more treatments to go. She will complete her radiation just in time to celebrate her 70th birthday on March 28th! My parents still look at each other with love in their eyes, still hold hands and are soul mates in the truest sense.

We’ll go in birth order on Margaret’s and Norman’s children, starting with their eldest, Stephanie, “My Sister”. Stef and Dan have been married for just over 26 years, and another example of two people destined to be together. Jessica, their daughter who passed away in 1988, would’ve been 25 this August. Nathan, their first son, will be 23 in March, celebrating his birthday on the same day as his Meemaw Maggie. Nathan is a free spirit of sorts, figuring out what to do with his life, and enjoying it every step of the way. He is engaged to Nichole, who is studying to be a Pharmacist. I can see her working, while Nathan stays home and takes care of the children. Then there is Jacob, Stef’s and Dan’s second son, who turned 20 in December. Jacob is a special soul, always searching for how he will “fit in” to the world around him. He is going to college now, studying to be a gaming programmer. Jacob had a tough beginning, being born 2 months premature, and having a sister who died two months after his birth. God bless his Mom, struggling with a premature newborn, and her first born’s passing, how hard would it be to nurture and grieve all at the same time? The effect on those two boys has been profound, to say the least.

Next in birth order would be me. I married my true love, Dave, in December 1992, had my first son, Alex, in January 1994, and my second son, Brett, in March, 1995. There is 1 year and 47 days difference in age between Alex and Brett, and 1 year and 48 days difference in age between “My Sister” and me. That amazed me the first time I figured that out. Today my boys are 14 and almost 13, both of them taller than me by more than 4 inches and both of them are amazing athletes. These days are filled with basketball and then more basketball. Alex started and co-captained the undefeated 8th grade team this year, while Brett held his own on the 7th grade team and another select team. Brett is taller than Alex by two inches, standing 5’ 9”, weighing 125 pounds, tall and lean. To say that they are my pride and joy would be an understatement. God knew what he was doing when he gave me two boys. I work a lot of hours and travel often with my job. Dave takes them to all of their basketball practices, drives them to school every morning, while being self-employed as a painting contractor. I used to hate it when Dave could take off any time he wanted while I had to work, but that has turned out to be the best thing for our family, like I said, a blessing. Dave’s daughter, Lauren, was 7 when I met her. People used to ask me if being a stepparent was hard, but Lauren was always more like my daughter than my stepdaughter. She’s just one of those people who has always been easy to love, not only for me but also for my entire family. Today Lauren is married Josh, who is a Marine, and they are living in North Carolina. They have a little baby boy, Tristan, who turned one in December. Josh has already served two tours in Iraq, the second time coming home last September, and he is only 24 years old.

After me, comes my brother, Randy. Randy is one special man, hard for me to believe that he is a man, because when we were growing up, Randy was my best buddy, and always such a boy. Randy has a wonderful family, starting with his wife, Lynn. They will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. I hope one day (a long time from now), that I will have a daughter-in-law as special as my parent’s only daughter-in-law. Randy’s and Lynn’s first daughter, Erica, will be 18 on February 13, 2008. When Erica was born, I was single, thinking I would never have children of my own. Erica looked more like my daughter than Lynn’s, and used to love to watch her for Randy and Lynn. She spent weekends with me and I would take her the stores with me, pretending that she was mine. Erica is now exploring colleges to go to next year, leaning towards Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee. She makes really good grades in school, just like her Aunt Bebe did back in the day. Their second daughter is Amanda, who will be 16 in June. Amanda is the spitting image of her mother, a real beauty inside and out. Amanda is a sweet and gentle person, with a real sense of style. Connor is Randy’s and Lynn’s third child, a son who will be 15 in September. Conner is a scholar and an athlete. He is the top of his class, making straight A’s and acing his assessment tests. The most amazing thing about Randy’s children is how humble, yet confident they are. As for Randy, he has learned that his calling in life, besides having a wonderful family, is spreading the word of God. Randy drives down to the city of St. Louis every Thursday night and preaches the word of God to a group of homeless people, a growing group of people who continue to show up week after week, to hear him. He has been successful at getting some of them off of the streets and into homes. Lynn is Randy’s Pillar of Strength, who is, in my opinion, much like my Mom, the glue that keeps the family together.

Okay, so then one would think, after all of this, Margaret and Norman had one more child? What could make this child special? So, lastly, there is Catrina. I am old enough to remember the day my Mom brought Catrina home from the hospital. Old enough to remember how Stef and I used to feed her and then pushed her belly because we like to hear how it sloshed when we pushed it, neither of us liking, though, how she spit up on us after we did this for a while. The joke about “My Sister” is that I always referred to Stef as “My Sister”, because I called her “Sis”, so when Catrina was born, there was “My Sister” and Catrina, and this still holds true today. Old habits I guess. I liken Catrina to my Brett. I don’t think Catrina was “planned”. I am pretty sure that my parents were surprised when they found out they were going to have her, given that by then Randy was 6, I was 10 and Stef 11. We lived in Germany when Mom got pregnant with Catrina, and Mom says the reason she cried so much when she found out about her pregnancy with Catrina was because she was afraid the doctors would make us stay in Germany until after Catrina was born. The reason I liken Catrina to my Brett, is because, I too, was shocked when we learned we were going to have him, after all there is only 1 year and 47 days age difference between him and Alex, but now I could not imagine my life without Brett anymore than I could imagine my life without Catrina. They are equally special. I think Catrina was parented differently than the rest of us. While we were all scared of my Dad, she had not even an ounce of fear. The belt, the sir and ma’am, cleaning up your plate or you don’t leave the table, even if the brussel sprout you were given 3 hours ago is cold and even grosser now than then, the chores…. Catrina knew none of that in her childhood. Catrina has always been the rebel in the family. Today, however, she is married to a wonderful man, Rob. Catrina has two children, Sam and Liz, from a previous marriage. Rob adopted her children and also has two sons from a previous marriage, Andrew, 18 and Matthew, 14. Andrew just joined the Marines, while Matthew lives in Phoenix with his Mom. They both love Catrina. Sam, Catrina’s son, is the most kind hearted and gentle soul that I know. He has one of those voices that just soothes a bad mood. Now Liz, well, she’s her Mom’s daughter, to be sure. Sassy and precocious, she isn’t going to take any flack from anyone. I’ve no doubt that she will make her mark in the world as will her Mom.

And this concludes my update on my family. I think that the older I get, the more I appreciate the family that I have been given, or more correctly, blessed with. I pray that I never take this for granted, for I know firsthand that everyone is not as fortunate as I. My wonderful family extends way past those that I have mentioned here, to my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Second Cousins, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, and Grandparents….we are all blessed. Let us not ever take this for granted.

I think my contributor access might be revoked after this update...."

It's been a while since my last post but there hasn't been a lot of news around here. Rose has recovered from her Bells'd Palsy. She had some twitches of her eye for a while and food fell out of her mouth for a few days (which suited her cause she thought it helped her diet) but she's finished her round of prednisone now and seems fine.

Donald and Vita went off to there place in Florida for a few days. Rose, Shirley and I are scheduled to go down there and spend a week later this month and are all excited about. Shirley's niece, Yvonne, is driving Shirley's sister, Loretta, over from Louisiana to join us. She always joins us on our winter vacation. She makes our fourth for cards and relaxes, eats, chats, and just does nothing with us.

Pete and Janet left Arizona early this year and went back to cold wintry Idaho. Joe found it hard to believe they would do that but Pete told me they were leaving last Monday. Probably missing the kids and grandkids.

John is still working on this side of Missouri and going back to home (Lenexa, Ks.) on weekends. Jana said he had a couple interviews this week. I'm sure they will both be very happy when their lives get back to normal. John is staying with Chris and Shelly during the week and he really likes the dogs which he says Chris and Shelly treat like people.

Sabrina is going to be our new contributor to the blog but Margaret told me she's been in Mexico this week. We need some updates from some of our other contributors, too.

We may get to have Brayden and Jalen for a weekend later this month. Brayden will be five on the 12th and what he wants for his birthday is tickets to some wrestling event - WWE. Some of the same guys wrestle that wrestled when his dad was a boy and I'm sure they take steroids and some of it is fake but he and Jalen both love it. Scott picked him up from school the other day and asked him if he had thought of anything else he wants for his birthday. He replied "Yes, how about a trip to Florida?" "Out of the question" Scott told him.

I have an appointment with one of my neurologists on Monday. Attaching the electrodes to the surface of my brain didn't give them the results they had hoped for
so they aren't going to proceed with the brain surgery. The activity is coming from both sides of my brain so it would be risky to proceed and do both sides. I'll find out more on Monday what they'll try next. This is the neurologist that was born in the same place I was - only 18 year later.