My naked face showed up in the kitchen. “Mom, take a picture before makeup.” Her first shot took my arms and feet so she aimed again. Then she stood in the doorway and said, “Well, me too. Take a picture of me before I dress for church.” She sounded like a five-year-old rather than my mom.

I giggled, snapped the photo and we started again. Me with makeup and jacket, Mom dressed in clothes, then I added the wig, not Mom. She didn’t add a wig. She popped her false teeth loose, hung them free in her mouth and smiled. “This is what I looked like years ago. Wish I had teeth that showed when I smiled.”

Today’s post is nothing but nonsense to anyone else, but Mom and I had fun and we were ready for church on time, too.

Necessary Fun

Laughter swallows up the pain,
it chases away the blues,
it allows us to talk about husband with joy.

Laughter takes us back to husband’s humor,
His mimic of Danny Kaye and the Court Jester,
His wearing out the “Ace is the Place” commercial.

Laughter creates smiles across the face
Smiles that erase the worry wrinkles
Smiles that tease away the loneliness.

Laughter is good, do something fun today.

Kat©2010

Enjoy,
Still Lionhearted, Kat

Mom's before wouldn't stay in the upper corner, sigh. The pictures loaded where they wanted and I don't have time to mess with them. Enjoy your day. We will too. I don't know what happened with the wig picture, oh well, you got the real me. Kat

HOW'S YOUR STRESS SCORE

I stumbled on a stress score sheet husband and I used in the ‘80’s while counseling young people. The score sheet is messed up, yellowed with age, but relevant. I didn’t search for updated materials. This worked. It proved I’d better adjust what I can change, let go of what I can’t change, and ask God for help with the rest.

According to two men at the University of Washington, Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, if your stress points tally 300 or more you have the great possibility of a major illness occurring within the next two years. I’m already in the thick of a major illness and my stress points tally 592. I never thought I’d appreciate that old boxed life, filled with nothing but routine.

Knowledge is power, now that I know what I’m facing what will I do?

1. Journal daily—not the caringbridge writing, not blogging, but the journal where only the Lord can see, where I can release my anxiety.
2. I will endeavor to write on caringbridge.org/visit/kat2009 daily. I enjoy sharing with others.
3. I will give up my kitchen and quit stressing
4. I will begin to work from lists again—I learned to leave husband a list he could complete when and how he wanted. I can do the same for Savannah. She’s great help and doesn’t need a micro manager.
5. I will have devotions with Mom and Savannah. What a golden opportunity.

Nuff for today.
If anyone wants a copy of the stress sheet, email me:
lionheartedkat@cox.net