What is family for?

When dad got back this week from Uncle's funeral it took several days for him to remember everything to tell us.  The main thing that stuck with him is how my cousins were acting.

That Uncle has 8 living children. 4 boys, 4 girls.  BEFORE my uncle was buried 2 of the boys almost came to blows, would have probably if others weren't there to break it up.  The problem?  Uncle had always had a little side buisness where he worked on cars and stuff.  Had tons of tools and other "manly" things.  Cousin 1 was like "we got to call and set up an auction to get rid of this stuff.".  Cousin 2 is all like "first, it ain't yours to sell -- it's moms -- and secondly now isn't the time to take care of that.  we got to bury dad and take care of all kinds of paperwork, etc..."  I so feel sorry for that family when their mom dies.  I can just imagne what the kids will argue about.

My dad's cat acted weird the whole time he was gone.  Sara -- the cat -- always misses him when he is away.  It is such a sad thing to see.

Anyway, dad thought she was sick before he left town, so as soon as he got back he took her to the vet.  Sure enought she has a slight infection.  Needs meds.  Liquid meds twice a day.  Mom and dad have never had to give her anything like that.  I offered to come and help but no, dad could do it. 

He has all these marks on his arm.  What happened?  Sara scratched me.  Didn't you wrap her up in a towel?  Guess I didn't do a good job of it. I will be glad to help you.  I CAN DO IT. LOL.

Mom's cat -- Patches -- hadn't been eating right in almost a week.  She would nibble at the dry that is kept down but wouldn't eat the canned food at all.  Mom was all like I guess I will have to take her to the vet.  Well, mom I can tell you why she isn't eatting.  She is mad.  Mad?  Yep.  You re-arranged the furniture and now she can't lay in that one window she likes.  That can't be it.  Ok.  I'll move everything  back the way it was.  Guess what?  Patches is eatting now.

Oh, no, don't, please don't.

I was playing some last night with Sadie and discovered that she HAD to get a nail trim.  Being the big bad cat that she is she won't let me do it.  Do we were off to see Dr B this morning. 

I had also noticed that her acid reflux seemed worse so we asked Dr B about that.

Sadie got her nails trimed -- and she was NOT a happy camper about it -- and some new meds for her reflux problem.

Instead of going in a carrier Sadie wears a harness and a lease when we go to the vet.  So since she is "loose" in the car she usually sits on my shoulder/arm and looks out while I drive. Sadie is well behaved in the car.  But today she got a little restless.  I thought maybe she was trying to tell me something.  Once I got on the street that I live on I told her we would soon be home and just hang in there.  Then I knew.  She new.  She meowed to let me know.  I had no idea what to do.  I am driving.  (I had taken the lease off her so she could roam the car if she wanted to, so if I stopped I would have to get it on her before I could open the car door.)

Sadie and I both knew it was coming and neither of us could do anything.  Well.  There is something that Sadie could do.  In fact she couldn't help herself.

She threw up.  On my leg, on the seat, on the door......I never knew so much stuff could come out of a cat that small.

I floored the car, pulled in the driveway, grabbed Sadie and ran for the house.  Set her down and stripped off my jeans.  Called my dad because I was supposed to meet him to say I would be late.  He offered to come help clean up my car.  I ain't crazy so I said sure.

By the time I was clean and the car was clean Sadie was feeling way better. 
In fact before I left the house she was curled up getting ready for a nap.  Yep, a good throw up did wonders for how she felt.  Bythe time I got back home she was feeling so much better you have never known what had happened.

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

At the moment it isn't raining here.  But it has and will probably rain some more before the storm passes.  What storm?  Hurricane Alex (at least it was a hurricane for a time) is off the coast of North Carolina.  Although I live hours inland we always feel the effects of the hurricanes or tropical storms that hit the coast. 

My uncle's funeral was yesterday -- thank goodness -- dad called and said he couldn't come home today because of the wind and rain they were getting there.  I am sure if he wanted out bad enough he probably could make it, but you never know what you will run into before you can get far enough away.  He is also with Aunt Betty and she probably won't let him drive (they are in her car).

Tomorrow I have my 2nd ever steering committee meeting.  I never gave any thought to a support group having a steering committee.  But I am learning some pretty cool things.  The groups 15 year anniversary is coming up and D (she works for the MHA) asked us if we would like a certificate from the mayor for the event.  I said "you can do that?"  D goes "sure, we just call his office and ask for one."  Who knew? 

I also found out a HUGE mistake that a past mayor made in a speach during Mental Health week once. He called menopause a mental illness.  Oops.  If that were true then 100% of all women would suffer a mental illness in their lifetime.  The Mental Health Assoication didn't find it funny, but it kind of got blipped over.  So glad he is no longer our mayor.

My doctor had to up my meds some and I think instead of helping it is making things worse.  That's just great.  Can't win for loosing and all that crap.  I also know I need to lose weight but when depressed all I want to do is eat.  And I don't want anything healthy to eat.  Nope.  Gotta have McDonalds, pizza, chips, all the good fatting stuff.  If it ain't one thing it is another.  Depression meds is what caused the weight gain, and it is a vicous cycle now.  Oh well.....

Gregg our Golden Child

I know everyone is saying "enough with the awards already."  We had the People's Choice awards and then we gave Vivian one for all her work on the anniversary stuff.  But I feel there is one left to give out and then we will be done.

First, I don't know anything about making awards so you will have to forgive the primitive nature of this one.  It was made at one of those free sites on the web.

Now on to the award.  I am awarding Gregg our own Golden Child for all the hard work he put in making our People's Choice awards happen.  This is a HUGE undertaking, lots of hours put in making the ballots, talleying up the votes in all the different stages of the voting, etc....

Gregg is a great journalist who is there for you if you need him.  He will tell you that there have been times I have e-mailed him in tears and he did all that he could to makeme feel better.  I would find it hard to believe that I am the only one that he has helped in some shape or form.

Although Gregg isn't white, and not a blonde (I hope) this is the best I could find to represent the way I think he primps before coming online. Cause let's face it you know he has to make sure that he looks good before coming on line.  I mean you never know who you will see on line. 

Go to Gregg's and you will laugh your pretty little head off.  Doesn't matter how serious the topic he seems to make it funny.  Which has nothing to do with this award, just thought he could use a little pimping.  LOL

Gregg, thank you for all the hard work you have put in making the People's Choice awards go from an idea to something wonderful.  Your the best.

ps  this would not be complete with out giving a shout out to our SloMo who actually made the award graphics.  Thanks Slo your the best.

virtual weekend over, reality sets back in

AOL J-land has spent the past weekend -- and a long weekend -- partying.  Now itis Monday and back to reality -- as opposed to all the virtual fun we have been having.  And I know it is a little late in the day for this graphic, but you'll just have to live with it.  LOL

Last Wednesday my uncle died.  I wasn't close to him.  I adore his wife and really like some of my cousins from that part of the family.

Uncle N went to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing.  After a day or 2 at the hospital he had a mild heart attack.  Then he started having severe adominal pain so they operated and found he had a blockage in his intestines somewhere.  Then he died the next day.  He was 72 years old I think.  I really worry about my Aunt M -- his wife -- as she has been having a lot of health problems lately.

The funeral was today.  I didn't go because it was out of town and I just couldn't go, dad went (Uncle N was dad's brother in law).  Dad called said there were so many people there. Well, if you consider how many kids Uncle N had -- 4 girls, and 4 boys all married with kids, and some of the kids married with kids, ets....

Dad said the funeral was about 3 hours.  I'm like 3 hours?  Funerals don't last that long.  Well come to find out the family had their thing, and Uncle was a WWII vet so they had something for that, then he was a member of the Shriners (or Mason's or whatever it is,) and they had something to do at the funeral.  Whew......

Sadie has been sick the past few days.  Nothing new, just same old stuff but at times it is worse so I stay up at night with her.  Then she falls asleep on me and I can't get comfortable -- don't want to move after she finally got to sleep -- so I am still awake.  LOL

Love this siggy I have.  Look at it and see if you can see why I like it.

This one is for Vivian

I am not quite sure when and how Vivian came into my life.  I do know that she has been a termendous help to me in several areas of journaling, and as a person I can vent to.

When I was nomiated against her recently in the AOL People Awards I thought "well, no way I can win now."  I knew she would win because she deserved to win.

Vivian and I have become closer friends thanks to the AOL J-land One Year Annivesary.  I have tried to help he with all things anniversary, don't know that I did such a great job but it brought us closer together as friends.

Even though someone else may would have taken up the "torch" to lead J-land to our One Year Celebration, I don't think any one else could have pulled it together and pulled it off in such a gread way.

So Vivian here is the AOL Journal Torch Bearer Award.  Thanks for being that true beam of light that I -- and others -- have needed in J-land.  Thanks for leading us to and through this milestone celebration.

Everyone click on Vivian's name here and go visit her place.  If you have never been there you have missed a real treat.

 

Go visit. Leave comments. Go on now......

Thanks to Jessi for making this for me.  It is the North Carolina state flower which is the Dogwood. Click on the picture to go to Jessi's journal.

 

If you are still trying to figure out what the picture of the "eye" thing below, I updated with what the painter thought of it as so check it out.

I am a day late sharing this with you, but late is better than never.  Right?  I don't know her real name (or I just can't remember it, sorry), but bookncoffee over at My Southern Home had an entry (with pictures) done by her preteen daughter.  Preteen got to go to mom's work as part of career day.  Surf on over there, read the entry and leave a comment for the girl.  Ok?  Clicking on this paragraph will open a window to that particular entry.

One more thing.  Asked this guy to make a tag for me.  When I went to save it I noticed what he had saved it as.  The name was Queen Kathy.  I can live with that.