lilyjohn

Yes Judy they are all in Louisiana. I moved out here 9 years ago after my divorce. I was born and raised in the Bay Area what is now known as the Silicon Valley. I do miss a lot of things but then again I spend two months with them each year during the biggest holidays. Honestly the weather back there got to be intolerable along with some other things. Right now where I live the bus picks me up in front of my apartment building. Most of the places I go are withing walking distance on on the bus route. There are some restraints without my car but I survive. There is no good bus system where I lived in Louisiana. Without a car I would be totally dependent on my family. It has also gotten very expensive to live there. None of the things that help me get by on Social Security are offered there. My kids often ask me when I will move back there and I tell them the truth. I honestly don't know. I guess it will be when I am no longer able to make that trip each year. I also remind them that even though holidays are usually spent together that they each have a life that is very busy. Holidays together would be great but there are 365 days in a year. Here I have my friends that are close. I am able to do things that make me feel as if I can make a difference. I also have people who can look back and share so many memories of things I remember growing up. Even just knowing them this past few years it is still that way. Most were born or raised in California. It is a far different lifestyle here than in other places. The California most people see is the beaches and cities and all of the glitz and crazy things. Here it is so much like my valley was before electronics ruined it. I think one thing that I have learned in the past few years is that not only was it the mountains that I missed but that sharing of childhood memories and the sense of belonging that I have felt no where else but here. I love my family and they love me but circumstances have always left me separated from someone I love or all of them. I guess that is why when others talk about what Heaven will be like I think of it differently. Yes it will be beautiful and there will be peace and love but for me it will be a place where I can have all of my loved ones together without any of the restraints of distance or circumstances that have left pieces of my heart spread over so much of this beautiful country. Sorry this is so long. It is just very hard sometimes to explain how things are. I am happy and content most of the time but there are those times when I ache for my family in Louisiana and my brothers and parents who have passed and my dearest Johnny who made so much of who I am and how I feel about life.

I hope everyone has a pleasant Memorial Day. We should never forget the reason we have this day set aside. So many wars and so many who have lost their lives for our freedom. Judy I wasn't sure I would find anyone up this early on a holiday. It is only 6:35 here. I seldom sleep later than 6am and usually am up even earlier. I guess because for most of my life I was up at 5:30 either to get my husband and kids off or to get off to work myself when I was working. It is a beautiful morning here, a little cool but should be perfect for going for a walk. The weather here has been so different this year. I just take each day as it comes and hope that it is alright to go walk. I don't mind the light rain and love the cool temperatures. The only thing that I really have trouble with is the heat and humidity together. It got harder and harder to live with the longer I was in Louisiana. I always think of Memorial Day as the day we would go to the grave of my sister who died before I was born. At that time she was the only one to go to. Then while in Louisiana we never did that. It was while I was away that my brothers and parents passed and were buried. They are all down in the bay area. I haven't been there but a few times over the years. Usually we always used any holiday as a reason to bar b que. My kids still do most of the time. This year my youngest son and his family are camping and my daughter and granddaughter went to spend the day with them yesterday. All of the others were working and my oldest son was home cleaning the fish that he and a neighbor had caught the evening before. They had 150 beautiful perch. They filled a 72 quart ice chest over half way. He sent me a picture. Looking forward to having some when I go for the holidays this year. I would probably have gone to the ceremony to honor veterans today but now I can't because the buses don't run on holidays. Just as well. It was nice having two days that nothing was really planned. Enjoy a good book and my walks and just soaking up the sun. I guess I am really getting old. Judy I hope that you are untethered soon and that everyone finds their problems solved. Have a great day everyone. Oh Judy I almost forgot. I don't know how many posts I have that have gone to lost post heaven both here and on Facebook. Crazy

I tried all day yesterday to get here but nothing worked. I tried searching for the site and my bookmark and each time it took me to the main page. I would click on message board and it would just take me back to the same place. I quit trying late yesterday evening. This morning I came here and wa la first thing it came right up. As for the disappearing I posted day before yesterday and my whole post ended up it lost post heaven somewhere I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I see you have had a busy one so far Judy and Bud. It has been quiet for me. Went for a walk yesterday morning then spent the rest of the day reading. I have to stop once in a while because my eyes blur so much that I can't see the page. I read almost a whole book. Won't take me long to finish it. It will seem strange to not have a car again for a while at least but I just can't afford to find out what the problem is and get it fixed and put the license so it will have to stay parked for a while. The bus system here is pretty good but it takes longer to do anything and of coarse the bus doesn't go out to the farm where I buy fruit and vegetables this time of year. I will have to depend on the Farmer's Markets and trucks parked on the side of the road in my area. The farm is about half the price but at least it is fresh and local. I see a lot of you are in the middle of a heat wave. The weather here is just crazy.Usually by now our temperature is up to 100 and over but this year it is staying cool and getting a lot more rain. Not the flood type rains but rain this late in my is not the normal. I don't mind the cool or the rain really as long as I can get out and walk. If I go too many days without walking it is hard to start back. Well everyone have a great weekend. It will be a quiet one for me. Will be back here if the site stays up.

It has been a long day so I will try to keep this short. Thank all of you for your well wishes and support. I was really upset at first but then I said what the heck just one more bump in the road. It could be a lot worse as we have seen from the weather. Got the no op tag today so my car is officially off the road for a while. I am not a person to be out and about a lot. Most of what I do is at home and all of the stores or most that I shop are within a mile of where I live. Buses are pretty good here too. So I will make do. With the price of gas and insurance and now trying to find the problem and fix it is just a luxury I can't afford right now. Heck I want to walk so now I will be walking more. I bought a new adjustable cane. I have found that I can walk a lot more and better when I use it. That sciatica causes my leg to feel like it will give out on me sometimes so it takes some of the pressure off and reassures me. I walked about a mile and a half this morning. No rain today and still cool so that was great. So tomorrow I will try to catch up with everyone. Now I am planning to watch Jeopardy then Swamp People(I know all of the area where it is filmed) and in between try to finish the book I am reading. I should be able to read more now because without a car I am forced to turn over some of the jobs I do to someone else. I think that could be a good thing for me for awhile. So good night. Sara nice to "meet" you though I wish you had no reason to be here just as I do for all of us. Oh before I forget we did make the news at least Chico did with a very rare tornado, in fact there were several but two touched down and caused some damage and they were listed today as F1s. Several thousand almond trees were destroyed and a barn and s few other out buildings. That is about 80 miles from me and as close as I want it to get.

Hello everyone. I am glad to see that all of you are safe. I hate to see all of the destruction and loss that is taking place across our country. Praying that all are safe and for those who have lost so much. I had planned to come and give myself a pity party but then I turned on the tv and realized how lucky I am. As most of you know I had to put out $120 to get back on line. Well yesterday I went for the smog test so I can get the license for my car and it failed. With the cost to just find out what the problem is and the license it is beyond my means. That is without even fixing whatever is wrong. On SS only $100 is like thousands. Two years ago I was going shopping and not worried about how much I would spend for the first time after I retired. On the way home my brakes went out. It took me months to save to get it repaired and back on the road. Then of coarse my yearly trip to be with my family. I was going to get my first clear check in July last year after that. Well in June my dentures broke! June is when I will be caught up this year, last payment on dentures, that is until my internet modem died and now this with my car. Anyone see a pattern So I have decided to lay my car up again for a few months and during that time of riding the bus and walking decide if it is worth keeping my car at all. I don't drive it that often other than to the grocery and there are two within walking distance at least when it is not 104 or 110 degrees or more! One thing is that a lot of the jobs I do for my neighbors will have to go to someone else. I hate that is some ways but in others I am ready to spend more time on me. Sounds selfish I know but I have a lot of things I want to do. Maybe someone is trying to tell me it is my time now. Bud I do admire you for keeping up with the rides. I do understand what you mean about that stationary bike too. I have done that for a while but did not like it, Very boring and they keep it too hot where it is. Same for walking in the mall. I hate that because there is nothing really to see and I want to be outside. I love to walk out in nature. Not too sure what I will do when the heat hits. Might just ride the bus to some stores and walk in them or go out at night with some other people. Annette I am so sorry that you have so much to keep you stressed out. That kid sounds to me like he needs someone to take him out behind the barn with a good stiff switch Not sure that stress will be good for your mom at all when she gets home. I know you can't use the switch any more and he knows that too. That is why he acts like a little &&&. Good luck with him. I think I would be in jail in no time if I had to deal with that. Eric you my friend amaze me. I can't imagine all of the traveling you do but I feel that keeping active keeps us going. Enjoy your retirement. I am mine even if things don't always go right financially. Judy Key West hope you get past all that sickness soon. I hate to see you have to go through that again. You and so many more will be in my prayers. Bruce good to see you back here. We too are having cool but pleasant temperatures for this time of year. Paulette a pool sounds good when it gets hot even if I don't swim. Katie hope your birthday is going better than it was earlier and of coarse Judy MI always good to hear from you. I hope that I have not missed anyone. Well I am off of here and as I watch the weather channel I am thankful that all I have to worry about is a car that needs work. Pray for all of you to be safe and well.

Good morning Judy and everyone else. Judy I hope that you will be off of the oxygen even sooner. I remember having that tubing running all through the house. Johnny would take it and flip it aside while walking. I can still picture him doing that. Hope those doctors were right and you can get on with your recovery. Take care and rest. Bud you little dog is a cutie. They get so spoiled. My granddaughter's little dog thinks he is human and doesn't like dogs. He is actually afraid of them Well I guess I will get busy and try to go for a walk and do a little of my fitness class today. Sciatica is still bothering me but I need to walk, if I let this stop me it will take me forever to get started again. I really feel better after I walk if my leg and foot would just not hurt so much and my foot go numb. I really enjoyed our neighbors from Little Country Church yesterday. They really provided us all a very nice day.I have gone there a few times but often don't feel what I expect from a church. It is called Little Country Church but there is nothing little about it. There is room for over 500 people and they have 3 services on Sunday and one on Wednesday night. I guess I just got spoiled to our church in French Gulch when I lived there. There were only about 15 of us who went every week. It was like family and very personal. Nothing like that sense I moved down here to Redding. Well got to go. Have a great day everyone.

I am here too. I had a busy day. The church up the hill came and made a big bar b q dinner for us today then I came home and put my feet up. Sciatica has really been kicking my butt for a few days. I know that you all had a great time at your concert. Glad to see so many survivors went. Glad to see so many survivors I hope that someday I can meet some of you in person. It is hard to believe that we have never met face to face when we have shared so much of our hope, joy, grief and anger. I hope you are all safe from the weather. My heart aches for so many who have lost so much. I posted a joke to try and give a laugh to lighten my mood and I hope some others as well. Take care everyone.

I was going through some old papers and found this from several years ago. I think about now we could all use a good laugh so here goes. Enjoy. Surrogate Father The Smiths were unable to conceive children, and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family. On the day the proxy was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife and said, "I'm off. The man should be here soon." Half and hour later, just by chance, a door to door baby photographer rang the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. "Good morning madam. I've come to________" "oh no need to explain. I've been expecting you, "Mrs. Smith cut in. "Really?" the photographer asked. " Well, good! I've made a specialty out of babies. "That's what my husband and I hoped. Please come in and have a seat." After a moment she asked, blushing, "Well, where do we start?" "Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch and perhaps a couple on the bed. Sometimes the living room floor is fun too_________ you can really spread out". “ Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn't work for Harry and me." "Well, madam, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.""My, my that's a lot of ___" gasped Mrs. Smith. "Madam, in my line of work, a man must take his time. I'd love to be in and out in five minutes, but you'd be disappointed with that, I'm sure." "Don't I know it, " Mrs. Smith said quietly. The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures. "this was done on the top of a bus." " Oh my god!!Mrs. Smith exclaimed, tugging at her handkerchief. " And these twins turned out exceptionally well, when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with." "She was difficult?" asked Mrs. Smith " yes I'm afraid so. I finally had to take her to the park to get the job done right. People were crowding around four and five deep, pushing to get a good look." "Four and five deep?" asked Mrs. Smith, eyes widened in amazement. "Yes". the photographer said. " and for more than three hours, too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could hardly concentrate. Then darkness approached and I began to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just packed it all in." Mrs. Smith leaned forward. " you mean they actually chewed on your um ___equipment?" "That's right. Well madam, if you're ready, I'll set up my tripod so that we can get to work." "Tripod???" "oh yes, I have to use a tripod to rest my Canon on, it's much too big for me to hold very long. Madam? Madam?________ good Lord, she's fainted!!!”

I am finally back on line after 3 days without a computer. I can get online with my phone but it is hard reading. My eyes are growing weaker. I am so glad to see you back Judy. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that soon the breathing issue will be solved. If it is from a medication let's hope they find it soon. I have always believed Johnny's started when they took him off of Theophlyn without doing it slowly. Annette I hope your mom is well soon. I know the stress of having someone in the hospital and trying to be there and everywhere else at the same time. I have been trying to walk everyday. It hasn't been easy this past week. During the rock a thon there was never a shortage of rockers so often I was either standing or sitting on some metal folding chairs. Anyone that has had any experience with sciatica will know what that does to you. I use the cane and keep going but sometimes I wonder if I will make it home. Just can't give up hoping it will be better in a few days. I sometimes walk a mile and sometimes two and once in a while one and a half. What ever the mood strikes me and what direction I go determines how far. I had hoped to be able to go out to the luminaria ceremony last night in Anderson but was stuck here waiting for ATT all day then they called around 7 to say they wouldn't make it. I was really looking forward to that because I have never been to one. I couldn't go because I would have had to park about a mile away and walk up hill. In the evening with my leg like it is there was no way. My neighbors had gone earlier because Karleen could get just one car in to park with the teachers team. I missed out on that. Probably would have had a hard time sitting that long anyway. Pray I get to do it next year. Well I hope you all have a good and safe evening. I will try to drop in now and again. Trying to read some and not sew or cook but other things still seem to keep me busy.

I posted on the wrong day. So came back to open the Air for today. I guess I am slipping up on a few things lately. Anyway here is my post from yesterday that should have been for today. Hi it's been a while. I thought I should drop in and check on everyone. Annette sorry to hear that your mom is not doing well. I will pray that she is better soon. It is so hard watching and feeling helpless when someone you love is in danger. I was hoping to see a post from KW Judy. Have seen nothing of her on facebook and know that she is on treatment again. I hope she will post soon. As always she and so many others are in my prayers. I have wondered about you Bud. Looks like you are in some small spot between the violet weather and the fires. Stay safe and keep up the great exercise you get on that bike. I am still walking every day but some days not as far. I am sure that those of you on facebook have seen my report on our rock a thon. It was a huge success. Our team goal as a new team was $1200. We raised close to $2700. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of reminders but it was really worth all of the work. We got a lot of publicity being the first ever to do a rock a thon for Relay For Life. There are a lot of people out there like my neighbors who can't walk but want to do something. This was a perfect way to accomplish that. Not only did we raise the money and make a lot of people aware of things they didn't know about Lung Cancer but they got to feel like there is still something worthwhile that they are capable of. It was a win win situation. Well time for me to have a bite of breakfast and get ready for my morning walk. Take care all and stay well and safe. Oh Becky before I forget. Thanks for all of your help and it was great "talking" to you. Report this post

Hi it's been a while. I thought I should drop in and check on everyone. Annette sorry to hear that your mom is not doing well. I will pray that she is better soon. It is so hard watching and feeling helpless when someone you love is in danger. I was hoping to see a post from KW Judy. Have seen nothing of her on facebook and know that she is on treatment again. I hope she will post soon. As always she and so many others are in my prayers. I have wondered about you Bud. Looks like you are in some small spot between the violet weather and the fires. Stay safe and keep up the great exercise you get on that bike. I am still walking every day but some days not as far. I am sure that those of you on facebook have seen my report on our rock a thon. It was a huge success. Our team goal as a new team was $1200. We raised close to $2700. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of reminders but it was really worth all of the work. We got a lot of publicity being the first ever to do a rock a thon for Relay For Life. There are a lot of people out there like my neighbors who can't walk but want to do something. This was a perfect way to accomplish that. Not only did we raise the money and make a lot of people aware of things they didn't know about Lung Cancer but they got to feel like there is still something worthwhile that they are capable of. It was a win win situation. Well time for me to have a bite of breakfast and get ready for my morning walk. Take care all and stay well and safe. Oh Becky before I forget. Thanks for all of your help and it was great "talking" to you.

I haven't been on here in a while so am behind on most everything. As soon as I saw Randy's post on Face book I just knew it was Jeanne (Marisa). My heart is so heavy. The first time I (met) Jeanne was on here, never in person. Someone had said something to her to cause her to question her Faith and she wrote to me telling me that she wished she could have the Faith I and many others on this board have. We wrote back and forth for a while and she made a turn around about Faith. Eventually she sent some pictures and she saw some of mine. We became friends.I remember one time she said that she had some issues but was afraid to go to the doctor. She was afraid that the cancer had returned. She didn't mention it again until the headaches started. We hadn't been in touch for a while when she sent me a message telling me about the headaches and her fear of a return of the cancer.Then she got the news that her cancer was back and that her headaches were from a tumor in the brain. I could tell by her writing that something was wrong. We talked on the phone just once and she was having a hard time talking. Finally she wrote to me and told me that she had decided to have no treatment. She wanted quality of life instead of times of illness from treatment.She was resigned that the cancer would take her life. She also had so much Faith and no doubts about God looking after her and where she is going. It was a complete turn around from the Jeanne that I first "met". I wrote to her a few weeks ago concerned because I hadn't heard from or about her. She wrote back and told me that she was still in no pain and glad that she had had the brain tumor removed and chosen no other treatment. She was at peace with her life and death. She had lost down to around 80 pounds and was very weak but still in no pain. Somehow I knew it would be the last time I heard from her. She was truly a great friend and a great lady. I have such admiration for all who battle the monster but she will always be in a special place in my heart right beside Dean Carl. Such courage and inspiration. I will miss you my dear friend, I will miss you

Annette we must have posted at the same time. I hope you start to feel better soon. I know how bad a back can get to you and how quickly. Try alternating heat and ice if you can. That should help. Hope all goes well tomorrow. Happy Easter to you and your mom and nephew.

Good morning and Happy Easter to everyone. Judy I am so glad to learn that you are feeling better and that you will be home today. Bud take care of that hand, you still have a lot of fishing ahead of you and it helps if you have both hands. Randy I understand how you feel. I have those same feelings each time a celebration is due. I guess we will always feel a little lost without the one who was so much a part of us. I know that there are many heavy hearts today. We are all so sad about the loss of Ned. My constant prayer is that soon no one will be lost to any kind of cancer and no one will have to fear those terrible words that so many dread. Today on this beautiful Easter Sunday as we celebrate the miracle of Easter I have a very special prayer for mankind. I pray that God will fill our hearts with so much love and compassion that there will be no room for, fear, greed, hate, discrimination and violence. I pray that we learn to appreciate one another for our differences instead of hating them. If we could live as Jesus told us and love one another as he loves us we would have so much more time to search for cures to cancer and so many other things. Who knows maybe then mankind as a whole would be much more worth saving from all of those things. God bless and to those of you on Face Book thank you for your prayers for my nieces husband Paul. He is doing much better today. Please keep up the prayers.

I am so happy to see your post. I have been meaning to write to you but I have been very busy. You my friend are a miracle. It is good to know that you are in no pain and that your spirits are high. I think about you often and you are always in my prayers. I am working right now on a new project. Sense most of my neighbors are seniors and disabled people we have never been able to participate in Relay For Life. This year we have started the first ever team to Rock for life instead of walk. On May 13th we will have rockers in our recreation hall and our team will take turns rocking. We will follow all of the other activities that the Relay does. So far our 10 team members have passed our goal of $12 by about $300. We still have a month to go.You are one of the reasons I am working so hard for this. Take care my friend. Love Lillian

Hi Judy. I am glad to see that you are on your vacation. I hadn't been on in a few days and you were having doubts last time I checked. I seem to keep pretty busy right now so don't come as often as I would like. Trying to get in a little exercise and still keep up with everything else. I am working hard for the Relay For Life project we are doing. Sense it is the first in the country we are hoping to make it a big deal so others will decide to try it next year.I posted an article on Facebook about a team in Red Bluff. They started a Ride for Life team 3 years ago. This year it was held Saturday. Nearly 300 horses and riders took part and they raised about $35,000. As usual when I start my trying to exercise and eat right problems started. First it was pain in my muscles and spasms then the acid reflux kicked up. Now I seem to be starting another round with the gout. Last year it was the toe next to the big toe. This year I can't really say it is the toe. It is just below my big toe on the same foot. I just hope it doesn't get me down where I can't walk. I don't want to have to take the medication because it causes my stomach problems to kick up and I am just getting past that. When they say getting old is not for wimps I know what they are talking about Bud I hope you are having a great birthday and that everyone is safe after all of that bad weather. We have been having more Spring like weather but it is supposed to change. A little rain expected and lower temps. Back into the 50s and 60s instead of the 70s and 80s we were having. Well I have to go and see if I am going to be able to walk a little. Seems like all other forms of exercise are determined to keep me down. Have a great day.

Good morning Judy and Annette. Sounds like you need to finish your night now Judy. I hate days when I sleep late and just can't seem to get on track. I used to always wake up at 5:30 am like a clock but after not working for nearly 4 years I do sleep in to 7 sometimes and that just throws my whole day off. Annette I had a brother that always looked guilty. If he gave a bill at the grocery they would hold it up and check to make sure it was real One night we all went to a dance. There was a bar in a separate part of the building and of coarse you had to be 21 to go in. My youngest brother was married but still a minor and Arthur was several years older. Well when they went to the bar they made Arthur show his ID and Harold put his arm on his shoulders and asked if that "kid" was bothering them. They said no and let them both in without Harold showing his ID. I went to a meeting last night for Relay For Life. I really enjoyed it. Our team actually had the most members there and we turned in the most money last night.Today I will help enter all of our donations that are not done through the internet into our team page on line. We had noise makers and made the most noise. It surprised even me. Sad to say we only have about 22 teams right now and there should be 44 so will try to get more people interested. We learned that it is a fact that we have the only team in the country so far doing a Rock A Thon. I hope we can get the word out and more people will start teams. I am sure there are many who would like to help but just can't walk. I was just getting home last night and got a call from my daughter. She wanted to tell me what she had learned about her Uncle George. He had gone to MD Anderson in Houston over the weekend. They had planned to remove his bladder but after running tests they sent him home saying there is no more they can do for him. His cancer has spread to his kidneys, stomach, bones and now his lungs. They give him just weeks at the most months. Just breaks my heart to see them going through this. It is really hard on my old father in law. They are brothers in law and very close. He just buried his sister last week. She was his only remaining sibling and the baby of the family. So I have more reason to hate cancer and work to do all I can to help make a difference. I just wish I were able to do more. Well I had better run, another busy day. We have fitness class and I want to get that information into the computer and I have other projects that need attention. Tomorrow morning I have a meeting to go to for those of us who help distribute commodities. I see a few clouds as day breaks. They are not supposed to be there! I just hope our sunshine and 80 degree temperatures are not put on hold again. I am waiting to spend some time this week just sitting outside and soaking up some sunshine. Take care everyone and have a great day.

Good morning. Nice to see that everyone seems to be feeling better and in a good mood. For the first time in a couple of weeks I woke without the sound of the rain falling. There are no clouds and I heard the geese fly overhead. When the weather is nice they fly one way in the morning and back the other way at night. We have thousands of them that live here year round. Nice to see them but when they all hang out in one place they sure make a mess. Anyway it is colder this morning too. I keep my heater turned down to 58 at night and it came on for the first time in a long while. Today is a busy day. I will be going down to coffee with my neighbors and while there we will have a short council meeting to approve some spending. I usually have my fill of coffee before I leave my apartment but it is a good time to visit with my neighbors. During the winter months unless there is some kind of function we don't see a lot of each other. I guess I have to give in and do some housework I have been putting off a couple of things for a few days now. Spend a lot of time on my sewing projects and now Relay For Life activities are taking up some of my time. We have a meeting to go to tonight. Next week we are having a hot dog sale and bake sale. It will be the first of 4. I am making cookies for each of those and helping with the sale as well as making a couple of cakes. We want to make sure that everyone on our team meets their minimum amount in donations. So far I have exceeded mine but am hoping to double it. Well time to get busy. I see old Mr. Sunshine and I want to go out and say hi to him Have a great day everyone!!

Good morning everyone. Judy I am so glad that you are feeling better. I hope it keeps up so you can take your trip and enjoy it. Bud I could sure use a good mess of those Crappie or any fresh fish. I haven't been fishing in a couple of years. I hope to change that this summer. My son leaves on the second for his annual trip to Toledo Bend. Just him and several other guys spend the whole week bass fishing and eating. What a life! lol I just want to say congratulations to Bruce. Grandkids are great! Spoil him a lot. That is what they are for. Becky I really have to struggle with the weight issue. I am doing pretty good right now but having a lot of stomach problems. Darn thing is the bad for me food doesn't bother me. The good food sends my digestive system into shock and I am not feeling that great all of the time. Still trying to do some moving and eating a lot less. Hope I can continue and my stomach will adjust and behave itself.

Good morning. Still windy and rainy here. Judy I sure hope you feel better soon and can make your trip. I know what it is like to want to go but dread it because you don't feel well. I think I am going to have to give in and admit that I probably have a bad gallblader. I have been having a lot of problems with bad gas and heartburn. It gets so bad that both of my sides and both breasts hurt. I can feel it from mid stomach to my back. Everything I eat or drink causes it to flare up. Strange thing is that when I am in bed I don't feel it and I sleep good. My crazy body always has something going on but I can't complain. I see people with so much more to deal with. We had some excitement last night just before dark. I heard a helicopter and looked out and at first it just kept circling then it hovered over our parking lot. Then the police cars started going back and forth. First thing you know I saw a police car come in our parking lot and then one passed under my window with the search dog. Someone said that a car was stolen but why were they looking for someone on foo? I guess I will learn more this morning. I think Linda may have spoken to them. I just locked myself in my apartment just in case. Well I have to run. I need to eat something but do dread the results of that.

I see I am early. I thought I would go ahead and open the Air. The weather we are supposed to have could cause us to loose power so wanted to get in early. Another major storm is moving in right now. It is raining lightly now and the wind is gusting up to nearly 50mph. They just said on the news that they are expecting heavy rain and gusts upwards of 70mph. I don't mind admitting that kind of spooks me. I don't have any big trees over my apartment but some of my neighbors do. I have one small one in front and it is bending in half already. Another good day to stay in and work on my sewing and a puzzle. We do have several things going on today but I don't have to go out. There is a breezeway between the apartment buildings up here on the second floor. May get a little wet passing there but not much. I love it when someone tells that they are feeling better. Judy I hope to see you on that list soon. It is good to kind of take it easy for awhile. The next couple of months are going to be very busy. There is a lot of work to do leading up to the Rock A Thon. We are having a hot dog/ bake sale every Thursday during the month of April. I will be making cookies every week and a cake for at least two of those days. Doing my projects in plastic canvas to try and sell at the event for donations. I still have nearly 2 months so I am hoping to get a few made and that they sell for enough to make it worth while. Guess I will run for now. Have a great day everyone.

Good morning. Rain and wind here again today. It rained all night and is supposed to continue all day today with another storm even stronger tomorrow. Good days to stay inside. I am very lucky that I can do that. I have to say the rain here doesn't bother me because it doesn't seem violent like it does back there. Still all of this rain has Lake Shasta full just 13 feet from the top. They are releasing water and the Sacramento river is causing some scares in places. Not much going on today. Just coffee with my neighbors this morning. I say I go to coffee but I drink mine at home. I just go down there to visit and catch up on the news or gossip. I take my sewing and work on that. Right now I am making a tissue box cover in purple with the white ribbon. I'm sure you know those are the Relay for Life colors and white is the Lung Cancer ribbon color for the ACS. I hope to make several before our event in May and some glass cases and checkbooks too. Maybe I can get some donations for them. If I have time I want to make an extra gingerbread house and see if we can raffle it. I was saddened to learn of Elizabeth Taylor dying. She was always my favorite. She had a very sad life. I know she brought a lot on herself but I think of her like I do Elvis. Too much of the things they wanted and the their special gifts made for a lot of personal problems. I can't imagine having to live your whole life undercover so to speak. I think her marriage to Mike Todd was a fairytail marriage. I also think it was her best. I remember so well when he was killed in that plane crash. Just a short time before the picture on Life magazine was of them with their new daughter Eliza. Well enough down memory lane. Judy I hope you feel better soon. Just take care and get the rest you need. Everything else will be there when you are ready. I do hope you get to have that dinner with your neighbors. Annette I like your kind of exercise! I have to do a little more or I would get to where I would be so big I couldn't walk at all. Bud riding in that wind must be like a double workout at the gym. I really do admire you for doing that and sticking to it. I guess I will go now and get some breakfast and start my day. Take care everyone.

Good morning Ginny. Nice to see you here. I too seem to be early this morning. I have not been coming as often lately. Just seem to be so busy all of the time. We had Spring weather the whole month of February then right at the end of the month we had snow. Not only did March come in like a lion with March Winds but it brought the rain. All of the mountains around are covered with snow. Don't feel bad about the badge thing. I think we all get to a point where those things seem to happen more often. I was leaving yesterday morning and went into a panic because I couldn't find my house keys. I don't leave without locking my door. After searching a few minutes I put my water bottle down and then realized my keys were on the strap wrapped on my wrist with the water bottle strap. Never knew that retirement would be so busy. I do a lot of different things but seems that everything takes me 10 times as long as it did just 5 years ago. I am putting a lot of my time into the Rockathon we are doing for Relay For Life in May. We are hoping to inspire other retirement communities and people who can not do a Relay walk to start their own Rockathon. I think everyone should be able to participate in some way to help beat out the monster Cancer. Hope you all have a great day. Ginny I know you are so ready for the weather to give you plenty of pleasant golf time. I hope you get that very soon. Got to run now.

I haven't been here for a while and looked in on a very slow day. I keep pretty busy most of the time but like to check in once in a while. I check facebook often because my family is on there and I can do it quickly. I have been spending a lot of time helping get us ready for the rockathon. It is my job to arrange activities and sense it was my desire for us to feature and work for Lung Cancer I have been gathering information. I wish the money could go to Lungevity but Relay doesn't work that way. We are supposed to have tv coverage at the event in May so I plan to try and get some of our points across especially about the low funding and the stigma it carries. I also want to let people know that they can not catch it by becoming involved!! Crazy the ideas that people get. I have also been spending more time on family contact and taking time for myself to read and just be a little lazy with some of my neighbors. This has been a pretty eventful week and not always in the best of ways. On St, Patrick's day we had a soup luncheon and that went great but on the same day I found out that one of my cousins I visit in Bakersfield passed away from a stroke. You may remember I talked about her and how her stage 4 lung cancer showed NED even in January. Other health issues just caught up with her. It really took me by surprise. This morning I found out that my ex husband's uncle has Bladder Cancer. He is going to MD Anderson , I think in Houston where they will remove his bladder and put him a bag. Just a couple of hours ago another of my neighbors passed from Lung Cancer. We knew that it was coming for a while. Just a few days ago I learned that another neighbor is going to start CHemo and Radiation for palative reasons. She is in her late 80s so it won't be easy on her but she has cancer of the womb and the tumor is coming down out of her. Cancer seems to take so many that I know and so many that I love. That is why I am working so hard for this Relay. I want to help make a difference and I just can't get out and do a lot and never have any spare money to donate. This way I can do both. I will be making cookies and some of the plastic canvas things I do to sell and raise extra money for our cause. We are having a hot dog sale every Thursday in April to help raise more funds. The community seems to be stepping up to give us a hand. I want to thank Katie for her support and for posting my link on her facebook page. It really means a lot. Well I have to go now. My daughter went fishing today and is on her way home so will be calling me soon. Did I mention that she is coming with my granddaughter in July for a 10 day visit? Anyway tomorrow starts another busy week. I will be helping distribute commodities tomorrow then most of the week is planned after that. Well I guess I am writing a book here. Time to get off and Judy I don't see you here today. I just want you to know that my prayers are with you and I have faith that you will continue to fight hard and have a good outcome.

Thanks all help is appreciated. My next project will be to tell people of those I know who are survivors especially long term survivors. Anyone want to let me tell a short version of their story please let me know. I won't tell without permission.