Relay for LIFE...

Tonight I get the honor...and yes, I do consider it an honor...to walk in the Rockwall Relay for Life supporting one of my teacher friends, Leigh Plagens. When I first began my career teaching at Rockwall High School Leigh was already a veteran there. She quickly became a friend and a mentor and to this day I still treasure her friendship. After I left RHS to begin a career in educational administration, I lost consistent contact with my friends there, but they have never been far from my heart. A couple of years ago I learned that Leigh had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I knew...just KNEW...that she would come out the winner in that battle. Leigh is a fighter...a strong spirit and a compassionate heart. I've seen Leigh a couple of times over the last year or so and have kept up with her fight. She has NEVER been anything but 100% positive. So it is with pride, and not just a little bit of thankfulness, that I will be be on 'team Plagens' tonight...sharing the joy and celebration of a battle won. Not all news on that front is good news. However, as Leigh says, "Cancer is a word, not a sentence." Leigh's precious husband, Clarence, is fighting his own battle against cancer. He is not doing as well...but this race is not yet run. So while celebrating Leigh's victory, I will be walking and praying...asking God to reach out to this wonderful man and extend His healing hand so that Clarence and Leigh can continue being a joy to their friends and family. As I've had an opportunity to think about things over the last month or so, I recall all of my friends and family who have been touched by the ugliness and scariness of cancer. I'm sure that I will fail to list someone here...not because they aren't important to me, but because I have the memory of a gnat, and because I'm on steroids again for poison ivy and they make me crazy! Kristin Durbin: my daughter. Diagnosed with uterine cancer at 24 years old. I remember the emptiness I felt at hearing her say, "Mom, two of the tumors are malignant." I felt like a sleep-walker. I can only imagine how she felt. I am proud to say that today Kristin is perfectly healthy and has even blessed us with another grandson since her healing. For privacy reasons I will now only use first names: Judy: A friend. Diagnosed with breast cancer about 5 years ago. Fought and WON her battle. Pat: A friend. Diagnosed with colon cancer about 5 years ago. Fought and WON her battle. Mary: My Aunt. Diagnosed with colon cancer. Fought and lost her battle. Kim: My cousin's daughter. Diagnosed with breast cancer. Fought and lost her battle. There are others. Friends and spouses of co-workers. Neighbors. Some win their battle and others, sadly, do not. Cancer is an ugly, dreaded, horrific disease that, pardon me, scares the hell out of you. But, as my friend Leigh says, it is a word. It is no longer necessarily the death sentence it once was. So, if you are so inclined, reflect on those you care about who have been touched by cancer. Send up an extra prayer on their behalf. Give them and extra hug. Thank God for letting them be a part of your life. I know I do.

Picture Perfect

I won't bore you (or gross you out) with the pictures, but I am sure that you will be thrilled to know that you have been reading the blog of someone with a "beautiful" esophagus. That's right. I said "esophagus." I will explain.

I have suffered...and by that I mean SUFFERED...for years with acid reflux. It got so bad about 4 1/2 years ago that I thought I was having a heart attack. I was returning to my car from shopping at Tanger Outlet Mall. I love that place. No crowds. Close parking. But I digress. Walking across the parking lot I began having severe chest pains. I got in the car and just sat for a few minutes while the pain moved up into my left shoulder and into my neck and jaw. It scared me. Before I even pulled out of the parking lot I called my doctor and scheduled an appointment. A doctor visit, a cardiology referral and a few dozen tests later I was referred to my gastroenterologist, Dr. Zopolsky. I love this man. He's like a life-sized Weeble. As sweet as they come. Anyhoo, he scheduled me for a surgical procedure called an EGD. Bottom line, they put you to sleep and run a scope down your throat to look at your stomach and esophagus. My esophagus was severely inflamed and that little flap that covers your esophagus was having a field day with spasms...thus the pain. A high dosage of omeprazole and I've been good to go. Or so I thought. On my most recent visit in order to get my prescription renewed another year, Dr. Z informed me that I needed another EGD done...and will apparently have to have one done every 4 or 5 years. It seems that acid reflux puts you at a much greater risk for esophageal and throat cancer. Oh boy.

So, on Monday of this week we trekked off to the surgical center AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING!!! The only good thing about that was that I knew that I could go back to sleep during the procedure and that the "anesthesia hangover" would let me actually REST while sleeping the day away.

Oh, yeah. There was the post-surgical report from Dr. Z that I have a "beautiful" esophagus. So. There you have it. Eat your heart out all of you with plain and/or ugly esophaguses...esophagi? Whatever.

And for my doofus brother-in-law, Keith: No, they do not use the same equipment they used with the colonoscopy of the patient before you!

Doctor, doctor, gimme the news....

The diagnosis is in. It's official. I have been diagnosed with...Spring Fever! Of course, it was a self-diagnosis, but I believe that makes it even more accurate. Beware! I understand it is highly contagious.

Symptoms of Spring Fever include, but are not limited to the following:

An uncontrollable desire to pick up the alarm clock and hurl it through the nearest widow...open or not. This desire is usually initiated upon the incessant buzzing/ringing/chirping, etc. of said alarm clock. Do not...I repeat...DO NOT give in to this desire as it can result in costly repairs, replacement of said alarm clock, loss of employment, etc.

Spontaneous cravings to be a spectator is outdoor sporting events such as TEXAS RANGER BASEBALL! A little sun, a little partaking in the consumption of adult beverages, a little "fellowshipping" with family, friends and fans...aahhhhhh! The only time that I can determine this activity to be dangerous is if it results in repeated absences from work. Proceed with caution!

Visual acuity. That's right. You suddenly develop an eagle-eye for every weed, empty spot in the flower bed and landscaping faux paux in your immediate proximity along with an insatiable need to "fix" everything at one time. This can be hazardous to your budget as you stroll through your nearest Home Depot or Lowe's suddenly desperately needing every tool known to mankind along with bedding plants, soil preparation materials, mulch, fertilizer, bug killer, etc., etc., etc.

Narcolepsy. That ability to instantly fall asleep during your favorite television program right when it gets to the best part.

And finally, the relegation of gainful employment to last place on the priority list. While it may appear otherwise, this is usually a Lose/Lose situation. While the loss of a job may net you freedom and control over your own schedule and how you spend your time, it will also result in an immediate reduction in funds which then determines how you can AFFORD to spend your time. Not a good thing.

So, if you find yourself experiencing any of the above symptoms, do not seek medical attention. There is absolutely nothing that they can do. Instead, look at your calendar, look at your budget and determine when and how much you can afford to wallow in the symptoms of your "illness." Good luck to you, mate. Not to discourage you, but I'm fighting this battle and it seems to be uphill. Arg! Summer, you need to put in an appearance really soon!!!

There but for the grace of God...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012, is a day that will not soon be forgotten in the DFW area. That rarest of cosmic events transpired which put those of us living in the area in the path of not one, not two, but up to 20+ tornadoes. Most of the time thunderstorm and tornado watches leave me unconcerned. They're never really close to the area that I find myself or my loved ones in. Yesterday was different. It didn't matter where you were...you were in potential danger. My first "awareness" of the weather came in the form of a text from my son. We were planning a birthday dinner for my daughter later that evening. I texted reminders to all of the time and the location. Ryan texted back a message telling me to watch the weather. He works in Ft. Worth and was being blasted at the time. I checked the radar and, sure enough, there was a huge storm cell out there. Not long after that the secretary at the school where I was working came in to the room to make me aware that we might have to initiate emergency weather precautions (duck and cover in the hall). I was still thinking, "No big deal." Shortly the announcement came that everyone was to seek cover in the hallway. In truth, it didn't look that bad when I looked out the window. But, whatever. Fortunately I grabbed my cell phone before heading into the hall. Via cell I was able to keep up with my family and reassure my friends who were calling and texting to check on us. Keep in mind that in the hall we were cut off from computers, newscasts, etc., so we really had no idea how serious things were. Until. Yes, until I got that message that a tornado was on the ground in Forney...about 3-4 miles from my house (as the crow flies...or, in this case, as the tornado flies). My husband and puppy were home. Then I got a message saying that a tornado touched down one block from my daughter's office in Plano. Thankfully she had already left work and grabbed her kids from school so they could all take shelter in my son-in-law's office. My son-in-law in Mesquite was being told to take cover because there was a confirmed tornado in their neighborhood. Then I heard that Ft. Worth was getting a second wave of activity. I must admit, I was fearful. The people that mean the most to me in my life were in danger and there wasn't a damned thing that I could do to protect them. I don't consider myself a control freak...but I had no control and I was worried. Thinking back on things, I was never worried for my own safety. I was, however, scared to death that someone I love would be injured...or worse.

Obviously we rode out the storm. No one that I know was hurt...none of us suffered any damage to our property. We all awoke this morning to a beautiful morning that reeks of freshness and renewal. Thank you, God, for your merciful hand on all of us. And thank you, too, for the affirmation that I am loved. I can't say how very special it was to me to receive that phone call from Yola, that text from Tina, the Facebook messages from Karen and Reba (high school friends living elsewhere) and Amy (a former co-worker in Scurry) and Jo and Jeanne and so many others. They wanted to pass on the information that they were concerned and praying for me during the midst of the storm. Thank you...all of you. I have witnessed first hand the miracle of an answered prayer. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that maybe, just maybe, if you hadn't interceded on my behalf this blog might have a different tone today...if, indeed, there even was a blog today.

When I got home after 2+ hours of being locked down in a hallway with students and strangers, we had no electricity. There was still no electricity when I went to bed at 9:30 last night. That meant no television...no computer...no reading after it started getting dark. It was quite a peaceful evening. Not something I would want to do every night, but not a bad break from the clamor of a busy life.

No electricity also meant no ability to watch the news coverage of the days events. It wasn't until this morning that I learned many of the details of yesterday's weather phenomenon...homes in a former work community destroyed (and this not the first time for Lancaster)...a former co-worker's community devastated by the twisting, roaring winds of a funnel...the cars, trucks, RVs, semis, tossed about like Hot Wheels. So in the midst of my thankfulness and humility, I feel an ache for those that were not as blessed. I ask God to reign over their lives and pour out His blessings as these individuals and families draw together and begin the process of rebuilding their lives. As they rebuild, I pray that they recognize that even in the turmoil there is a merciful God at work and that they make a place for Him in their lives as they move forward from this day. And I think..."There, but for the grace of God..."

This picture was taken from the parking lot of the Wal-Mart located in Forney at Hwy. 80 and FM 740. It is responsible for lots of damage to homes in the area and a nearby elementary school.

Updates and Lamentations...

February has come and gone and March has almost passed since last I posted. Why? Um...I've been busy? In truth, I HAVE been busy. After the cruise I came back to town and went right back to work. I took a "short term" position subbing at the alternative school in the GED program. Short term was supposed to have ended in February. It has now been extended until at least 4/30. Whether or not the position is still here will not matter to me. MY last day in this position will be 4/30. I wouldn't have accepted the job if I had known that it would last this long. I did not retire to work full time. It interferes with my play time!

Other than working what have I been up to??? Well, we went camping in the RV during Spring Break. Not far...just to Joe Pool Lake, but it was a nice getaway and it made us aware of some things that we need...and need to get done to the RV...before our camping trip in May. Ford Motor Company has issued a recall on the RV. Something to do with a sharp edge on something that might cut a cable that tells you which gear you are in. Ronnie is getting that fixed even as I type this. While on our camping trip in March a couple of problems manifested themselves. We are scheduled to get those fixed in April. Add a tow package, an ice maker (already ordered) and a couple of hammocks (also already ordered) and we are ready to roll. Can you tell I'm a bit eager?

We went to Shreveport with Ryan and Richard one weekend in February. No, I didn't win...but Richard won $1500.00 so we still had fun. I live vicariously through other people's good luck! Lol

I've also been several times with Richard to play Bingo. Again, I did not win, but Richard did. Hmmmm. I'm sensing a pattern here.

Spring has reared it's lovely head and while my allergies are kicking my butt, I am soooo loving sleeping with the windows open at night and the ceiling fans on. LOVE this time of year.

The grandsons came to stay with us last weekend. Trenton and I went outside to wash my car. I washed...he rinsed. Most of you know my penchant for foot problems. Well.....I happened to drop the hose reel (containing two 100ft. waterhoses) on my big toe. I'm thinking that pedi isn't going to last. And that was my first pedi since the car accident last year. I've been afraid to go...afraid they would hurt my ankle. Finally got up the nerve to go and now the toe is swelling underneath the nail and pushing it up. Hurts like crazy! Such is the story of my life.

I think I'm getting spring fever. I am picturing all these projects in my head...repaint living room and do something special in the inset...strip master bath cabinets and re-stain...strip and resurface ceiling in master bath...refurbish the patio...etc...etc...etc. Just have to keep reminding myself...one step at a time! But I will have all this time on my hands once school is out for summer! Oh. Wait. I'm thinking of teaching summer school...

It Went By in a Flash...

You know how it is, I'm sure. How you can look forward to something for so very long and time just draaaaagggggsssss ever so slowly by. Then whatever you are looking forward to gains speed as it gets closer, it slams into you and passes before you even know what hit you.

That's how it has been with our family cruise. We have been looking forward to this for almost 3 years. Ronnie told the kids we would take them on a Caribbean cruise when we both retired. I retired in June, 2008, and Ronnie retired in March, 2009. We were ready to schedule the cruise but then...life intervened. First one thing and then another reared its head to postpone our trip yet again. Kristin got pregnant. Ryan switched jobs. Kristin lost her job. Ryan couldn't go during his busy season. Kristin got a new job. Ryan switched jobs again. Kristin didn't have any vacation time. etc. etc. etc.

Finally, we scheduled the cruise and said, "Hope you can make it on this date. If not, we'll take lots of pictures for you to see." Amazingly, everybody was able to make it on that date. The anticipation began. It seems like we waited an eternity for the date to get here and then all at once I needed to get busy packing! I blinked and now I am back at home with the luggage unpacked and the dirty laundry in piles waiting to be washed, dried and put away.::sigh::

Let's backtrack and see if we can piece this together. Step one: Reservations were made. Our traveling party consisted of Ronnie and me, our daughter and son-in-law, Kristin and Scott, our son and son-in-law, Ryan and Richard and our grandsons, Trenton and Carter. Traveling with us were my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Virgil and Carlene, their grandson, Garrett, her daughter Dovie, Dovie's friend, Lisa, and family friends Alan and Tina. Count them. That's 15! Yeah for big groups!!


Our Family Caribbean Cruise was scheduled to set sail from Galveston on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, and we would visit Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel before returning to Galveston on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Being somewhat eager, and also being retired, we were able to get away a little bit sooner than most. Ronnie, Ryan, Richard and I headed to Galveston on Friday, Jan. 20th around 1:00 p.m. Richard has a very generous friend, Jim, who owns a condo on Seawall Blvd. in Galveston and he graciously loaned us the use of the condo for the weekend so we took advantage of that and headed down on Friday. Scott, Kristin and the boys joined us on Saturday. The rest of the crew was staying just a couple of blocks away at the Hilton. Our accomodations were great! Such a nice condo I could have been happy living there. All the amenities needed for a life of contentment. Our only problem...which turned into a HUGE problem...was the thick, thick, thick fog. You literally could not see the water if you were standing in the middle of Seawall Blvd.::more on that later::
Pics of the condo












On Saturday morning we took a drive around Galveston, had breakfast and just basically hung out waiting for the Durbins to arrive. Finally they came rolling in between 2p and 3p. After they got settled in we needed to eat. None of us had eaten since breakfast. The other part of our group was still on the road and had eaten lunch so we set out for Mario's Italian Cuisine where we stuffed ourselves. Back at the condo, we snacked, read, worked puzzles, watched television, etc. until we all gave up and went to bed.

Sunday morning arrived with heavy fog and a text message that our ship, the Carnival Magic, was delayed because the port was closed. Indications were that the fog would clear around 9a...it didn't. Neither the Magic nor the Royal Caribbean ship was cleared to enter the port until almost noon. At that time we were allowed to enter the building. Before that, Ron and I had been sitting on the sidewalk reading and holding our place in line while the kids went for lunch. Once we could enter the terminal we quickly went through the check in procedure and then it was hurry up and wait. And wait. And wait. We weren't cleared to board the ship until almost 4:30p. During our delay in the terminal we noticed that Carter was coughing quite a bit and you could literally watch his condition deteriorate. Once onboard the ship we ate, walked around the ship a bit, and participated in the muster drill. After that, Kristin and Scott headed down to Deck 0 where Carter was seen by the ship doctor. Asthma. Some breathing treatments and medication and he was packed off to bed. We were told the ship would sail around 8:30...then 11:30. Because the ship had to refuel we were trapped in port when the fog rolled back in. Our ship finally set said nearly 12 hours late...at 3:15 a.m. I had no idea until around 4:30 when I woke up because Ronnie was up looking out the window. Finally, we were on our way.


Monday was a day at sea. We passed the day sitting in the hot tub, reading, playing Bingo, eating, going to the shops, etc. At this point I have to say that the ship doctor is awesome because by Monday morning you couldn't tell Carter had ever been sick.


Tuesday was a day at sea as well. We did many of the same things as Monday...just generally relaxed and hung out doing the things we wanted to do.

Wednesday was our first day in a port...Jamaica. Our delayed start leaving Galveston put us late arriving in Jamaica so our stay there was extended until 7p. Unfortunately for some of our party, our excursion started almost immediately upon arrival and we had to hustle off the ship. Ron and I chose to ride the Jamaican Bobsled Team training track and climb Dunns River Falls. We had a blast. First, we climbed the falls. I thought I might have a heart attack when I stepped in the water. It was icy!! It was a ton of fun...but it was cold. During our trek up the falls I stepped in a hole and felt the crack in my left foot...which immediately went numb. I was certain it was broken. Ronnie fell in a hole and twisted his ankle. But...we made it to the top in one piece. It was an incredible time and I'm glad we did it. (My foot hurt the remainder of the day but was fine the next day. Ronnie's ankle is still swollen...probably sprained). From there we boarded a bus and headed up to Mystic Mountain to ride the bobsled. Awesome!! You get in a bobsled car by yourself and race down the side of the mountain through the thick forest of greenery. Absolutely breathtaking! We were supposed to be able to eat at the restaurant at the top of the mountain, but the excursion was running late. Our guide, Salvia, got the food boxed up and we ate it on the 90 minute bus ride back to the ship. We arrived back at the ship with 4 minutes to spare so we weren't able to do any shopping in Jamaica.






Following a shower we ate, attended the shows, made donations in the casino and hung out. A tiring but incredible day! My daughter and her family had a catamaran adventure. Unfortunately, the minute he got in the water my son-in-law's wedding ring came off his finger and fell to the bottom about 40 feet below. He was VERY upset. Several people tried to dive down for it but the water was just too deep. I will say this for Scott, when I tried to console him by telling him, "It's a ring...a symbol. It can be replaced." his reaction was, "Kind of." He cherished the significance of the ring that was presented to him at their wedding ceremony. How many men do you find these days who get that?


Thursday put us in Grand Cayman, British West Indies. Cayman is beautiful. The water is such a crystal blue color. Our excursion for the 8 of us was a trek out to Stingray Island Sandbar to swim and snorkel with the stingrays. The water there is so shallow you can stand up in it and watch the stingrays swimming around your feet. Of course we each got to hold and kiss a stingray (for 7 years good luck) and play in the water. Ronnie spotted a barracuda swimming around while I got a "stingray blanket." This is where you hold the stingray and lay on your back in the water. The stingray is laying on top of you covering you. My stingray was right in my face and lifted its front lip(?) for a kiss. I gave it a kiss. Must have made it mad because it flapped its fins(?) and splashed me right in the face! What fun! We returned to the ship...but not without incident. Ronnie was putting a window down on the boat when it slipped from his hand. Unfortunately, Carter chose just that moment to put his fingers in the window sill. The window smashed down on his fingers and cut them on both the top and the bottom.
Back in port we did a quick tour of the shopping village. Ronnie and I went to the Green Parrot, a beach side bar, for a quick drink before getting back on the ship. Once aboard, another shower and a night of entertainment. Dinner, a show, a trip to the casino, reading on our balcony, poker in the Red Frog Pub aboard the ship and falling into bed exhausted.






Friday morning found us in Cozumel. This is the one port where we did not book an excursion. We got off the ship with Ryan and Richard around 10:30 and headed into town for lunch. Senor Frogs was a blast. Our waiter, Reuben, really got into the act. He picked on us the whole time we were there. We laughed and ate and drank and laughed some more. Reuben was awesome. A 20 minute taxi ride from there put us at Paradise Beach and Resort where we lay around on the beach, swam, read, napped, baked in the hot sun...etc. Kristin, Scott and the boys joined us after their swim with the dolphins and we all had a great time. About 4:00 we headed back to town and got back on the ship. Another night of shows, casino, etc. and the realization that something we had so long awaited was nearly gone.






Saturday was another sea day as we sailed for home. Kristin and I went up to the Serenity Deck (adults only) and were joined by Ronnie as we sat and read. We had lunch...then a nap...and at 3p Kristin and I, along with Ryan and Richard, went to play bingo. I won!!! It was a $100 game and I had to split it with 2 others, but I still won. I was thrilled. Back in the room to dress for dinner, we packed and got ready for our early morning departure.

Sunday morning arrived, we got off the ship quickly and headed home. A quick stop for donuts and then lunch, we still arrived home by 3p. I have a ton of pictures and great memories of this trip. I love spending time with my family and we were able to be together and enjoy each other's company with no problems. The kids loved cruising and I think they are all hoping to do it again soon.

Time is a relative thing...something best spent with relatives!

Oh, my goodness! Time flies when you're having fun. Apparently I have been having a ton of fun because almost a full month has passed since last I spit out my thoughts in blog form. Allow me to rectify that situation now!

When last I rambled I talked of my current obsession for crafting. I believe that I need to enter a 12 step program for my pinterest.com addiction. Time may have passed, but my need to create has not. However, let me take things in chronological order...that's just the way I roll. Actually, I get lost if I don't take things in order. Indulge me.

Christmas Eve came and went without a hitch. We rented the meeting room at the Terrell Holiday Inn Express because none of our homes are big enough to accommodate the size of the McMahen Clan. Ususally averages around 45 people but if everyone shows up it can be as many as 60+. By renting a space, we can spread out and enjoy ourselves. This year we opted to drop the traditional turkey/ham and dressing dinner because we would all be having that the next day. Instead, we opted for the non-traditional Mexican food dinner. It was delicious and so much less stress for me. I admit, I am not a cook. Every Christmas I scramble around to find a decent dressing recipe. Every year it's either soggy or dry. I just don't "do" giblet gravy. That stuff is nasty. I was able to make my version of my mother-in-law's Mexican Chicken casserole. Along with that I made a pinterest dessert...chocolate cobbler. A couple of tons...um, I mean tubs, of tea later and I was done. Score!! I had decorated some wine bottles as centerpieces for the tables and I grabbed my CD player and some wine and headed out the door.

::insert side note here---of all the people who have tasted and bought my wine, family is not among them. So I brought some wine for them to taste and some bottles to be purchased should they choose to do so. They did. Anyhoo, after dinner we let the kids open their gifts and then the adults conducted our annual white elephant gift exchange. In our version you draw numbers and then go in numerical order to select a gift. When it's your turn, you can steal someone else's gift and make them either steal another gift or select an unopened gift from the pile. After a gift has been stolen 3 times it is frozen and can't be stolen again...so there's a lot of strategy involved and family members making deals(i.e., "Get that for me and it will be frozen and then I will get what you want when it's my turn.). For some reason there seems to be a lot of activity on those gifts that contain alcohol (i.e. Crown). We're a bunch of cheaters...but we have fun...and it is all in fun. After gifting, we tasted wine (and some who had managed to secure a gift of alcohol opened it and gave out tastes) and visited. It was a relaxing evening with people I love. A great "pre-game" for Christmas Day. We ended the evening between 9p and 10p so that those with kids could get them home and in bed so that Santa could finish his rounds.

Christmas Day arrived and I swear it was without a doubt the easiest, most relaxing Christmas Day that I have ever had. We put the turkey on the smoker the previous evening and weren't planning on eating until 5p so Ronnie and I had a very relaxing Christmas morning enjoying our traditional Christmas mimosas.

I believe I even took a nap before people started arriving. About 1p I put the ham in the oven and then prepped the other dishes for the oven. That way I could slip them in the oven 30-45 minutes before everyone was supposed to arrive. Green bean casserole...check. Sweet potatoe casserole...check. Frozen ice cream pies moved from freezer to fridge...check. Rolls out and cranberry sauce slice up and plated...check. Frito salad prepped and ready for fritos and dressing to be added...check. Yep, all was ready. Kristin, Scott and the boys were the first to arrive. Ryan and Rich had eaten a late lunch with Rich's family in Ennis and they texted us to go on and eat without them. They would eat when they got hungry. So we ate...and ate...and ate. It was delicious ::insert pat on my own back:: At this point I feel it is necessary to tell you that I had been sick for six solid weeks. I had been to the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis and given a shot, a steroid pack, an antibiotic and medication for my nebulizer. I SHOULD have been well. I was not. In fact, by Christmas day I could barely talk (laryngitis) and was coughing like a barking seal. My nurturing daughter said she would fix me a hot toddy. She did. I drank it and almost instantly my condition improved. When it got worse...she fixed me another. Later, still another. And apparently later, yet another. That's FOUR for those of you that may have lost count. I said "apparently" because I don't know for sure since I can't remember anything of the evening past a certain point. I know that we had eaten, the big boys arrived and grabbed a bite to eat, we opened Christmas gifts. Selecting gifts was very easy for me this year. Since we are taking a cruise in just a couple of weeks, the kids wanted money. My challenge was finding a creative way to present the money. I finally decided on a floral arrangement. Who wouldn't want to get these flowers???

After gifts were exchanged the adults began playing Texas Hold 'em. I remember feeling perfectly fine and playing poker. Then the hot toddies hit. The next thing I knew I woke up about 2 a.m. where I had fallen asleep in my recliner! I have heard from my kids and my hubby that I am apparently not a happy drunk. As the kids were packing up to leave I was yelling at them that they MUST take the leftovers and was opening and slamming cabinet doors as I searched for containers for them to take the leftovers in. They kept trying to get me to sit down but I was having none of it. At least that's what they tell me. I certainly can't prove otherwise!

I need to tell you about our family gifting. Our daughter, Kristin, has continued the family tradition of taking the kids to the dollar store and letting them pick out a gift for each person. No attempt to influence their choice. No telling them "no." They get to choose what they want to give. This always proves to be humorous. In the past, when Trenton was younger, he has given Uncle Ryan a bag of birdseed (Uncle Ryan does not have a bird!), my dad a can of motor oil, Ronnie a plastic Viking ax (for when he goes pillaging and plundering) and Ronnie a ceramic Indian influenced vase that I swear is a bong. My gifts have always made sense (a crossword puzzle book because he had seen me working sudoku puzzles and cereal bowls with a built in straw). As Trenton has gotten older his gifts have become more practical. This year his gifts were things like sunglasses and trinket boxes. Carter, on the other hand, gave some doozies this year. This year Carter's gift to Uncle Ryan was...cat toys (no he doesn't have a cat). Uncle Richard got a can of green beans. I got doggie poop bags (which I put in the RV for when we take Beau out for a walk). The best gift of all this year went to Popaw. He got maxipads. Yes, you read it right. Maxipads! We all got a giggle out of that one!!

Moving right along...Ronnie and I took the RV to Lake Tawakoni State Park on Friday before New Years.

We camped and relaxed. No pressure. I took my paints and a canvas and re-did a Christmas painting that I had done. I thought it was too dark for the occasion so I painted over and repainted it.
Before:

After:

I sat outside a lot during the day. At night it was just too cold to be outside. We did make some new friends while camping. The couple parked next to us was from Sulphur Springs. Their names, Marta and something that sounded like Cashew. Not really sure what his name was. They had another couple camping with them and when they saw me outside painting they came over to see what I was doing. We struck up a conversation and I ended up bringing out my wine and letting them taste what I had with me. They wanted business cards and said they'd be ordering in the near future. One of the guys in the group and his mother have both been painters in the past. He was impressed with my painting and we talked about that, and pinterest, and wine for a good half hour to 45 minutes. Ronnie went over to look at Cashew's custom tow package on his RV since we now have a car we can tow. It was fun meeting and getting to know new people. While there we found that one of my teacher friends was camping with her family about 100 yards from our campsite. She checked in on Facebook and I messaged her to let her know we were there. She and her friend came down and visited with us and Leigh and I shared a glass of wine. Unfortunately all good things must end and so our camping outing ended on New Year's Day. We leisurely packed up and about noon we headed back home.

My Christmas Break at Rockwall lasted through January 4. During that time I got a lot accomplished. I ordered and received our cruise t-shirts. I found this guy in Royse City on the internet. Soooo easy to work with and very affordable. If you ever need custom shirts let me recommend Kyle Jenkins of Custom Grafix. Shirts were ready so I picked them up and went home where I tried mine on and took a picture so I could text it to all who would be wearing them. Let me reiterate...THESE SHIRTS ARE TOO STINKIN' CUTE!!! That being said, I immediately got a response back from Kristin, who designed the shirt for me. Her text.."Oh, no, mom." Immediate panic on my part. Her next text..."the date." As many times as both of us had proofed this shirt...(I know that I proofed it at least a dozen times because it has all 15 names of the people going as well as the phrase McMahen Family Cruise and the destination ports...Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel)we both missed the fact that it said January 2011 instead of January 2012. Kristin was devastated. You could hear the disappointment in her voice. Blaming herself. I said, "No big deal. If we need to we'll black it out with a marker since it's a black shirt with white print. Plus, the print on that part is so small. At any rate, I am not at all concerned about that. I still think the shirts are perfect!


I guess I should tell you at this point that after Christmas Day I made another trip to the doctor. A chest x-ray revealed a pocket of pneumonia in each lung. Well, the doctor said it's either pneumonia or scar tissue from the horrific coughing that I have been doing. Another shot and an RX for a rescue inhaler and a CT scan scheduled. Came home and really started using the nebulizer along with double checking that I took all of my meds in a timely manner. Narcotic cough syrup helped settle down the cough and improvement being made. All's good, right? Well...not so much. It seems that either the prednisone or the albuterol (rescue inhaler) caused a reaction and on Thursday, Jan. 5, I awoke to a tongue that was solid blisters. So sore I can't eat. Trying to chew or dissolve anything in my mouth is excruciating. I have been advised to swish a 1/2 & 1/2 mixture of liquid benadryl and maalox in my mouth several times a day...BUT DO NOT SWALLOW!! Kinda scary. What happens if I accidentally swallow it? Not a chance of intentionally swallowing it...you don't want to know what it tastes like.

Had a CT scan done yesterday. It will be a few days before I hear about the results and I'm not sure whether the doctor will change anything with my treatment or not. Wait and see.

I have to say that I have done quite a bit of painting over the holiday break. I find it very relaxing. I am pleased that my canvases aren't horrific. They are good enough that I am not ashamed to hang them. The problem seems to be that I am running out of places to hang my paintings! Here are a few that I completed over the holiday break. Note: I am not creative or talented...but I can copy just about anything. The vases and the vines are 16 x 20 canvases. The treescape is 40 x 30 and hangs in the masterbath above the tub. I am happy with the way each of these turned out...and if I get tired of them I can always paint over them!



I also made a memorial"item" for a friend who lost her 29 year old son to coronary artery disease. I can't post a picture of that because she hasn't received it yet. I can't begin to imagine her grief and sense of loss. It is an aberration for a parent to bury a child. Hopefully my project will be meaningful to her and she will be able to remember the good times with her son.

Moving along...in the last couple of weeks I have gone a couple of times to play Bingo with Richard and some of his family. Richard is one of the luckiest people that I know. He wins EVERY time!Ronnie and I also went to Chesterfield's one Wednesday night to one of Richard's poker tournaments. Ronnie came in 3rd. I don't know where I fell in the ranking but I didn't embarass myself. After I was out I went over to the slot machine and turned my $5 into $20. I was happy.

Today I plan on purchasing stain and finishing the desk that I am working on for my brother-in-law. After that.....? I need to work on setting aside the clothes I will be taking on the cruise...in 13 days!! Other than that...a little laundry...a nap...a glass of wine...a bath....reading....a little television...you know. The mundane, but relaxing things in life.

Till next time...~Cheers!!