Why?????

Why? That is a pretty simple question that can be so frigging complicated.

Why is it that I don't have any kids.......but yet I care so much for what is not really mine?

Why is it that meaningless words can stick you in your heart and just don't seem to be able to be removed?

Why is it that we don't realize what we have as far as family until they are no longer here.....why don't we have that realization while they are here & in front of us?

Why is it that I care??? My soul is not at peace.......

Nothing in Particular

This week started off by me going to see Dr. Cathey for my post op check-up with Dr. Cathey. He has released me to do whatever I want....bowl, ride my trike and mow. I worked 1/2 days this week and will start back full time this coming Monday. The mowing went okay, as long as I didn't hit the bumps in the yard too fast. Riding the trike was wonderful. Will try bowling for the first time next week.

Anthony, Kelly and Nora Claire is coming in the end of next week and I am SOOOO looking forward to seeing Nora Claire. Easter Sunday we are having everbody out by us for lunch. Stuffed pork loin, German potato salad, green bean bundles, steamed cauliflower, roma tomato/cauliflower/olive salad, and a couple different deserts. Jason makes the best stuffed pork loin......

The weekend of April 18th Jason will be putting our motorcycles in Motor Cycle Mania in Little Rock and I will be bowling in the women's state bowling tournament. The Thursday after that is the Track & Field Special Olympic games for Area 12. Then on Sunday my brother, Ked, Haley, Abriana and I are going to see Disney on Ice.

The first Saturday in May we will be attending Bikes, Bugs and Blues in El Dorado. We are putting our motorcycles in the bike show. The second weekend we are joining other Honda VTX owners and doing a ride around Hot Springs. The third weekend we will be going to Magnolia for a motorcycle show and steak cook-off. The Wednesday before Memorial Day we will be going to Searcy for the Special Olympic Summer Games. Both Jason and I will be riding our motorcyles during the ride in during opening ceremonies.

June is pretty quite. July 4th we may be riding the bikes down to Lake Livingston for the weekend. August 15th is Jason's 40th birtday. We will travel to Venice, LA for a day of inshore and a day of offshore fishing. We will actually be in the Gulf of Mexico fishing for tuna on his birthday. September is pretty busy.....one weekend we will have our bikes in a bike show in Hot Springs and then we will be going to Bikes, Blues & BBQ in Fayetteville from Thursday through Sunday.

If you notice there is really one thing missing from my schedule......bowling. After July I will no longer be Arkansas Women's State Board. Being on the board has become a job instead of something I love. I am taking the summer off from bowling and HOPE that when next year starts I will LOVE bowling.

Also, on March 31st we celebrated my oldest neice Ked's birthday. On Monday April 6th is Kelly's birthday and on April 22nd is Haley's birthday. To top this off, this year we have 4 big birthdays....June 8th mother turns 75, on December 23 my brother turns 50, on August 15th Jason turns 40 and in August Nora Claire turns 1. We will be having one big birthday party at the end of August.

Well that's it for now!

My Saturday

My goal for this morning was to sleep at least until 9 a.m. Well I got to do it...but the phone rang at 9:09 a.m. I guess I shouldn't complain because it was past 9!

Around 9:30 I was hungry and wanted to go eat breakfast but the co-worker who wanted to buy our old lawn mowers called and he was coming over within the hour to pick them up. I guess I shouldn't coplain because we did sell the old mowers.

For lunch we went to Topp's and my brother joined us. After lunch it was off to Wal-Mart to buy stuff to make mini- burgers for supper. We also bought a palm tree. This is the third time this week we've been to Wal-Mart mainly for flowers, pots and soil.

After we ade it back home Jason re-potted 2 ferns, 2 small palm bushes, 1 palm tree and 3 calla lily bulbs. Next it was time to clean the back porch. It is amazing how much darn pollen made it to our outside table. Not only did Jason use the blower to clean the table he then grabbed the water hose and washed it off. I'm anxious to see how uch pollen will be back on the table tomorrow afternoon.

The wind was blowing pretty good so Jason pulled out the kite (bought so that Abriana could enjoy it). WELL......the kite is a big butterfly with long tails. The kite would make it up then it would vere to the right and then down it went. That happened a few more times and then Jason started getting pissed. By this time I was taking the kite up toward the higher part of our back yard and Jason would take off running with the kite. Worked...once. Okay...I was walking back up the hill and one of my boot shoe strings (were loosly tied I might add) got tangled with the other boot. Well when that happens I fall. I landed on my knees and hands and that scared the crap out of me. I was very still for a few seconds and was praying that I hadn't hurt my neck. Once I realized all was well I started laughing (this is the 2nd time this same exact thing had happend EXCEPT the first time was in the house and it hurt like h--- that time). Jason come up and was like...are you okay...how's your neck...you need to go ahead and go inside. Well Jason just had to take a picture of me!

For dinner we had mini-burgers and I put together fresh strawberries, blackberries, blue berries and kiwi and let them sit with suger over them. We put them on top of angel food cake with cool whip.

Right now I'm on my laptop and Jason is on his. It has truly been a great/relaxing/non stressful Saturday and my neck can sure tell ;). Tomorrow we are going to Hot Springs to take Jason's fuel tank back to the painter and Monday I have a follow up appointment in Little Rock.

Yes today was great!

Surgery

Made it to the Arkansas Surgical Hospital yesterday morning at 6:30 a.m. Got taken back to pre-op about 7:00. After stripping down to my birthday suit and putting the wonderful gown on I settled into my bed. EKG went good, drawing blood was painless and then come the dreaded blood pressure check. I take bp medicine everyday. Low and behold my bp was 118/83. I can't tell you the last time it was that low. Through the whole waiting time my bp never went up much. Donna (pre-op nurse) got my iv in & started without any problems. Jason come in and then the waiting began (surgery was at 8:30). Got to meet the anethesiologist (gas passer) and then the nurse anethesiologist. After that I HAD to go use the bathroom, which meant walking in pre-op in that wonderful gown. Got snuggled back into the bed and the OR nurse stopped by. FINALLY Dr. Cathey stopped in and explained what would be done. He headed back to OR and the nurse come and got me. Said by to Jason and was on my way. I am very interested in medicine & stuff like that. I was totally awake when they moved me to the OR table. They gave me some medicine that was to relax me and started asking me questions. I told them real quick "yea...give me drugs and then ask me questions!". I had everybody laughing...well that is the last thing I remember.

I got a cd of the surgery and Jason and I are going to watch it tonight....can't wait.

The thought was that the disc was bulging mainly on the right and that the bone spur was mostly on the right...well during surgery it was discovered that it was just as much on the left as on the right. Dr. Cathey was really surprised that I didn't complain about having problems on the left not just the right. Dr. Cathey told Jason that I was one of the easiest, non-complicated surgery he has performed in a while.

I am really feeling like I had surgery...my neck is sore, my shoulders are sore, my throat is sore. None of this is any more than what I've felt since September of last year. I just keep in mind that once I am over the soreness from surgery that I will feel great. I just have to wonder though...the metal plate & screws in my neck...will it make the alarm sound when I go through screening at the airport???

Special Olympics Area 12 Basketball

This Friday starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Drew Central Multi-Purpose Facility the Area 12 will be holding their basketball tournament. As of right not officials and score keepers might still be needed. The director for Area 12 is Ked Donham.

If you arent' busy I highly recommend that you try to stop by.

Be A Fan

The next few posts will be tidbits of information on Special Olympics

BE A FAN..Special Olympics believes in creating communities around the world - placew where each person, regardless of ability or disability, is accepted and welcomed and where every individual contributes to the strength and vibrancy of the whole. The movement envisions unity built by the bonds of common acceptance, natural inclusion and joyful celebration of the intrinsic world where attitudes of FEAR, EMBARRASSMENT, PREJUDICE, PITY and INDIFFERENCE have given away to a prevailing atmosphere of GENUINE ACCEPTANCE, DIGINITY and CELEBRATION OF THE HUMAN RACE.

With sports at the core, Special Olympics has grown to be a movement that is not just about the largest disability population in the world, but about all of us. Sports is a universal language which unites people on and off the field of play, cutting across lines of race, religion, ethnicity, education level, social status and economic background.

The movement invites everyone to share in values that EVERYONE can appreciate: UNITY, ACCEPTANCE, EMPOWERMENT, DIGNITY, COURAGE, STRENGTH, INSPIRATION, DETERMINATION, PRIDE, CONFIDENCE and FUN. If you are a fan of sports that create unity, athletes who inspire and connections that foster acceptance, then YOU are already a fan of Special Olympics.

All around the world, peoples' lives have been changed for the BETTER as a result of their involvement in Special Olympics.

To celebrate this global vision of unity, Special Olympics has laucned the Be a fan (trademarked) campaign, a fully-integrated marketing campaign which invites the world to connect through sport.

"Be a fan" (trademarked) is the theme of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games and will be seen throughout the world in advertising, at events, on uniforms, throughout our website (www.specialolympics.org) and more. It is the goal of Special Olympics to reach more people who will not only celebrate dignity, acceptance and the human race, but will join and commit to our movement of change.

Special Olympic 2009 World Games

LET ME WIN, BUT IF I CANNOT WIN, LET ME BE BRAVE IN THE ATTEMPT

I CANNOT begin to cover what all happened this past week. I want to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS to Team USA White (Arkansas). They were the only USA Floor Hockey team that played for gold. While they did not win the gold the smile on their faces as they received their silver medal showed different. Arkansas, probably like most of the USA teams were picked to play together. They come from different cities and had about 3 months to prepare for these games. After watching some of the games involving foreign teams it was obvious that some teams have been together for a while. Didn't make a difference. Team USA White played with heart, determination and pride. When they scored they would start chanting USA USA.

I've learned a couple of things while I've at the games. Jordan, Kuwait, Korea, China, Germany, France...no matter what language there are a few things that are "universal" in language: a smile, a camera, a trading pin, a high five after a game and music. With those things friendships are made.

I would like everybody who reads this post to try to make time and attend a local Special Olympic event. Coming up soon will be basketball & track and field games. I will post when these are going on. Attend, go out and and support, give a high five, exchange a smile and change your life!

Well this is my post for now....or at least until I get my pictures downloaded.