Grown-ups and Kids

     When I was growing up there were only two types of people in my world: grown-ups and kids.
     My parents were grown-ups. My grandmother was a grown-up. My brother who is 14 years my senior was a grown-up.
     My brother who was five yers my senior and my cousins were kids. I went to school with kids.
There were no senior citizens, no middle agers just grown-ups.
     Now, that I qualify as a senior citizen, and have for quite sometime, I am experiencing things that the grown-ups in my world never told me about or intimated that they were dealing with: inability to understand the muttering that others, mostly kids, were doing; taking five minutes to rise from a chair to standing position; or not sleeping through the night.
      It isn't that they didn't have these problems. You just didn't discuss them in public. In other words, out loud.
      When I now complain about not being able to understand people or not sleeping through the night, I know that I am now a grown-up.

Being Quiet

     When we were growing up being quiet usually meant not talking and we were asked that daily, multiple times.
     My voice seemed to carry over every hill and holler and my mom was always saying, "Stella Marie, Could you be quieter?" I tried. I really did.
     Now, that I am older, and so are my relatives and friends, I hear, "Stella, What did you just say? Could you speak up?"
     There is quiet and quiet. Quiet as in no noise and then quiet as in keeping your mind trained on not thinking. Not that easy. I believe that is what God means when he says, "Be still and know that I am God."
      In a Bible study not too long ago, we were asked to be quiet for one minute and say nothing. It was to prove how we are doing something all the time.
     When the minute was over, most said it was not that easy. One woman said she had repeated the Lord's Prayer during her minute. I really hated to say anything, and didn't, sometimes silence is the better part of valor. I think that the repeating of anything, was not the point.
     Sometimes you really have to be still and listen to God. He speaks in a still small voice.
     It isn't that easy, but try it sometime. Don't pray. Don't repeat verses. Don't plan dinner. Just listen. For a minute.
     Til next time. Have a quiet time.

Driving Pet Peeves

I have been trying to think what to blog about today and finally came up with pet peeves of driving.

going to a show tonight, we had to cross a bridge to get to the road we wanted. There is a stop light at the end of the bridge that you can go either straight across or right turn. Invariably, we get behind one person that wants to go straight across and two others that want to go right, as we do. Of course, the light is red when we get there, so we have to sit through the entire light and be bounced on the bridge by others driving on the bridge. I hate bridges, anyway, so this is not comfortable for me. Why couldn't we have a right turn lane here. Hum. Could be because the highway is about a hundred feet off the ground here. Anyway, I think we should be abel to sort the drivers into right turners and straight a headers by having the right turners go first. Please don't ask how we accomplish this, I just think it a good idea.

Another pet peeve while driving, is people who speed up when you try to pass and slow down when you can't pass. Why is that?

I think that is it for this evening. Have a great night.

Cancer and Me

    A few months ago I was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
    I got to this diagnosis by way of ultrasound, biopsy and examination. By the time we got to the
biopsy I was sure there would be surgery involved. Why there would be surgery was not my fear. Surgery was my fear.
    I think the reason that the cancer diagnosis wasn't a problem, was because that at every turn I was told that if you had to have cancer, this was the one to have, because the cure was elimination of the container of the cancer: removal of the uterus and accoutrements.
    In other words, surgery. I had had none until now. Still have my tonsils, appendix and had all my children vaginally.
    I was terrified. Would I feel good until the surgery and then rotten after? Yep. That was my interpretation. I was wrong.
    Boy was I wrong. The surgery I had was done by the daVinci method, or robotic. Only three or four incisions and not much pain. Well, i vote for not much pain.
    there was pre-op preparation. Meaning, bowel cleanse. If you have never had this, bless you. In my case it made me sick as in throwing up the last bit of wonderful go lightly. You don't go lightly, by the way. Anyway, I spent that day sitting, well, let us just say, that my bathroom and I got on really good terms.
     I had to be up at 4 am to get showered, dressed and driven to the hospital, a 45 minute drive and be checked in by 5:30. Surgery was at 7:30am.
     My husband and I managed to do this and then we waited while they got everything ready. I was given an iv port, or whatever, so that the iv was just plugged into that and then waited.
     They sent him out and I waited.
     Doctor came in and checked my computer and said hello and left.
     The next visitor was a nurse who attached my iv and pushed my gurney out into the hall and down to surgery. I remember thinking,"How will she get those doors opened and push at the same time? Oh, yeah, the big button.
     The next thing I remember is saying,"My legs feel shaky." and the answer was, "Yes, honey, they had them in stirrups." Which meant the procedure was over. and then they ran me down the hall and into the elevator and up to my room.
     I stayed overnight and went home the next afternoon. I had maybe three pain medications and went home with a prescription for some pain meds, but shredded them after a week.
    I had a pet scan, c/t scan and everything was clean.
    I had three radiation treatments for prevention of return, which can happen, but hopefully won't. They were not hard either.
    I have to tell you that I have felt way better after surgery than before. Especially just before.
   God has been very good to me and I try very hard to be very good to Him. I give praise and credit where credit is due. I know that the surgeon and all those who attended me did the physical work to get me here, but God put me in the right place at the right time and He deserves to be given credit.
    Thank you to everyone who has helped along the way.
    Surgery is not a problem anymore. Just the bowel cleanse. Oh, yes, I had my annual physical after all this, with a new doctor and he was looking at my history and with a wicked grin, said,"Haven't had a colonoscopy, huh?"
     I asked if a c/t, pet scan that showed only some diverticulosis would suffice.
     He was disappointed. I was not.

The Week-end is Over

     Well, the week-end is over and the Nelly concert went on without a hitch.
     There were no incindents and Branson is still here. It seemed to be a help to the end of August economy here. When the kids go back to school, the visitors have somewhere else to be and so, from what I heard on the radio this morning, this helped fill the hole.
      I think in my last post I said I don't care for Nelly, and I really don't. Will he be the reason that some will do harm to others? I hope not.
      Now, perhaps we can go on to other matters in the press around here Like:
       will the tomatoes last til the end of August or will I have to go buying them?
      It really would be nice to have visiting stars back in Branson, and I know that there have been some, but to get into the habit of having a list of stars, be they whatever genre, would be nice. That said, remember we are a family friendly venue.
      And it would be nicer still, if we welcomed them and treated them with the hillbilly hospitality for which we are famous.
      Til next time, take care and God bless.

Nelly

Here in Branson there is to be a concert by the hip hop artist, Nelly, this week-end. It was not allowed to be outside at one of the theatres, so another one stepped up. It will now be held at an indoor venue.

There is a lot of talk going on about how we should be behaving toward this concert in the land of family entertainment known as Branson.

As a Christian, I cannot say I am in support of it, however, we live in the United States of America and we are free to attend this if we desire. Which I don't.

I think that anyone who opposes it should just state the facts: I don't support it because of his content and what I think his outlook on life is which is to be holding women and the law in contempt. I may be wrong. I will not tell someone else they should not attend. I will say that my underage children, if I had any would not attend.

I resent people trying to disrupt this concert in the name of Christ. I know he defended sinners while he was here on earth. He still does. I just think that if I believe it to be wrong, I should say so and leave it there.

I will pray for Nelly and his followers. Perhaps my information on the content of his songs is wrong, perhaps he has changed and is not the put
downer of women he was. I pray so.

Blogging

  This is my first attempt at blogging and letting the world into my world.
     I am retired from work, for now. i am married and we have three grown children and seven grandchildren and two great grandsons.
     We live in the greatest entertainment area of Missouri: Branson. we love it here and enjoy all the things there are to do.
     We go to shows, attend church and do the things you need to keep the house running well.
   I am in the handbell choir as a sub and in the choir.
    I think that is about it for today. see ya later.