Savannah Says

Recently Savannah checked this blog to see what Grams might possibly have posted about her. Well, I haven't talked about her for awhile. For two years I've written my journal on www.caringbridge.org/visit/kat2009.

When Savannah lived with me, she was my daily humor. Now she just comes to visit every other week or so—my guest room is her place to crash. Although she’s a full time CNA living on her own and she has celebrated another birthday, she’s still a little kid at heart.

Several months ago I put a basket on a shelf in “her” room. Every week I put something in there—a little change, a porcelain pig, a T-shirt, a cartoon or maybe a piece of jewelry.
Savannah usually greets me, but before she stops to call friends or turn on TV she checks her basket.

Wonder which one of us enjoys the basket joy more?

BLIND! NOW SEE!

I've posted the story on caringbridge--but needed the photos side by side for effect.

Even in the midst of pain, laughter is a great way to start the day. What's funny in your world?











Enjoy, smile today.

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

Body Building Weight Setup

Dear freinds,

Because my husband passed away on 11/25/09 I'm needing to sell this weight set.

My mother is coming to live with me and I need the room.

Gary bought the best his money could buy. He weighed 240 when he started using this setup, his bench had to be able to handle a lot of weight.

Weight Setup

Body Vision 547
Bench with Curl over and leg extension bar
Two barbell setups

Weights:
2 25 lb
2 11.25 lb
8 10 lb
8 5 lb
4 4 lb
2 2.25 lb
4 1.25 lb

2 25 lb dumbbells
2 20 lb dumbbells

I haven't set the price just yet, working on it. Please feel free to email me:

lionheartedkat@cox.net

Also own an Elliptical Machine

Paid $125.00 last year

Mandy Mouse Lives at Lydia House

Omaha author and Bible teacher, Tara Rye has created a long needed book for children, Mandy Mouse Lives at Lydia House is illustrated by Molinda Sunde.

Mandy Mouse Lives at Lydia House is the story of a Momma mouse and Mandy, an adorable creature with a curl that insists on flipping this way and that.

One day Momma mouse explained their predicament to Mandy. She’d lost her job and they don’t have even enough money for a jar of honey. Shortly they are evicted from their home and have no place to live. With no place to go, they got in their car and drove to a park not too far away.

Under the stars Mandy Mouse says to her Momma, “I love to watch the stars in the sky. They make me feel safe in the park late at night. The stars are bright and they give us light.” Momma Mouse smiled and patted Mandy’s head.

Although Momma and Mandy live in a car, the children at school do not know about the situation. After months of near starvation, Mandy cries out to God, “God will you show yourself to me?”

The results of that prayer are how Mandy and Momma eventually end up at Lydia House, a part of the Open Door Mission in Omaha, a special place for those in desperate circumstances.

Rye has added the Homelessness facts we need to know—three and a half million in our nation and two thousand in the city of Omaha are homeless today.

Although the story is about a mouse family, it pertains to the real facts around us. Mandy attended school and her classmates had no idea of her situation, or that she lived in a car. Every home should have Mandy Mouse in their library to create an awareness of the problems other families struggle with daily, homelessness is real.

Special Note: 100 % of the proceeds from Mandy Mouse goes to Lydia House to help with homelessness.

Allow the Blessing

I couldn't believe the grocery delivery to our front porch, but we were blessed today when a friend filled our porch with eggs, home canned chicken in broth (for my nausea days), potatoes, pears, apples, and a watermelon straight from the farm.

At the time I wondered how to say thank you, how to pay back the kindness. Then I realized, I can't do anything at this moment except let my friend bless me and she did. Way beyond what I could think, dream or imagine. Wow. And the potatoes were all scrubbed, too.

The same dear lady is going in for surgery on October 22nd and I’m inviting all my readers to begin praying for Dee Miller right now. She has spent her summer growing a garden and all fall harvesting, canning, and preparing for the winter months.

When I sent Dee an encouragement note tonight I realized I was coaching myself in writing to her. Here are some things I mentioned:

• Prayer is the Key to Heaven and Faith Unlocks the Door” (an old gospel song.) Every surgery is MAJOR MAJOR SURGERY and you need the body of Christ lifting you in prayer. Tell your friends, neighbors and church now. Ask them to pray for your medical team, your neighbors, your parents and your immediate family. The enemy will use whatever he can at our most vulnerable moments.


• Remember, the day after surgery you will be the most vulnerable. Two weeks after surgery you’re going to think "I should....." well forget it! Get smart girl, let your men pamper you. Take care of your body, you only have one. Three weeks after surgery your gonna think it’s taking too long to heal, remember SLOW IS NORMAL.


• Forget being wonder woman, you spent all summer being Proverbs 31 lady of the house, preparing for such a time as this. Allow yourself every moment of healing necessary.


• In the first stages of his cancer, Gospel singer Roger Bennett said a pastor told him, “People are going to want to help you and the best you can do is to allow them to bless you at this time.”
  
  That all sounds pretty motherly and preachy, but I’m actually talking to me. On Tuesday I way overdid, worked five hours and ran errands. By night I hit a pain-filled wall. I’m learning it’s okay to ask husband for things. He says, “This is all a part of my caregiver package.”

One last thought. Last weekend we stopped by Kmart where I bought lotion. The loudspeaker blared: “Blue Light Special in the Grill Section.” Well if Kmart can have their “Blue Light Special," I can have a Lionhearted Kat Middle of the Night Special.

Anyone reading this special can purchase a Capsules of Hope: Survival Guide for Caregivers for $5 off the going price. Normally $18, if you tell me you saw this special, you can have the book for $13 (plus s/h if necessary).

This is a win-win-win deal. Many of you have asked how you can help me, well buying Capsules of Hope will help tremendously. You have blessed me. You can read the book and share with a caregiver (maybe someone you don’t know well, but you just want to bless them.) And, my monetary gain helps me on the days I’m not working. (win-win-win).

Place your order at lionheartedkat@cox.net and mention the “Middle of the Night Special”
(Kat's Breast Cancer Photo shoot coming this weekend.)