Good morning! What’s up?
In case you are in the neighborhood:
Gaston Lecture Series, April 5, Arkansas State University Mountain Home. Editorial cartoonist/writer/speaker Marshall Ramsey presents a program on using humor to deal with tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Begins at 7 p.m. in Gaston Lobby.
In case you are in the neighborhood:
Gaston Lecture Series, April 5, Arkansas State University Mountain Home. Editorial cartoonist/writer/speaker Marshall Ramsey presents a program on using humor to deal with tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Begins at 7 p.m. in Gaston Lobby.
Mornin’ folks . On the road all day yesterday-Meridian for braces, then to Starkville for big brother’s induction into Phi Alpha Theta, the honorary society for history majors. He was one of 30 inductees. The keynote speaker was Dr. James C. Cobb from Atlanta. Very interesting gentleman; I plan to look for his blog, and he is a regular contributor to WSJ, Atlanta Journal-Constition, the New Yorker, etc. Very dry sense of humor and quite entertaining. I felt like the village idiot compared to the rest of the room!
Monday, my eye exam had me ordering my first pair of bifocals, yesterday Chicklettte got her braces, and I pray nothing else finance-related jumps on us before payday.
I read on twitter that Rusty Van Reeves passed away last night-it was on this morning’s Jackson news-which I can’t get thanks to DISH. He was a wonderful man, and an inspiration. He broke his neck playing football when he was around 16, and I think he was in his mid 50’s or so. He wrote two books, and was very intelligent. He will be missed.
Ok, I’m going to try to go to sleep. I was awake all night. Y’all have a good day, and be safe driving today. Love y’all ~ mean it.
Good morning folks. Immediate prayers for PM. Don’t know the status there, but she needs our support.
A soggy day in store for us. With all the rain, I’ve only run the vacuum pump about an hour in the basement. I expect to need it again and just wait for the alarm to go off.
Hoping everybody has a safe drive to work. Smiles and hugs to all.
I just read yesterday’s FFA. PM, I am so very sorry. Will he be coming back home or in a hospice-care unit/facility? If you don’t want to answer on here, just text me. You know I love you. sweet lady, and know my heart is with during this time. God bless you. (((PM)))
Thanks OB, Clucky, and everyone else. Clucky going home to God. Hospice today and it is a very nice, homey looking atmosphere. I know it is the right decision, but to say the words Hospice is really hard to swallow at times. I really don’t look for him to hang on much longer but I know it is God’s time and not ours.
CornPop the three months he spent in ICU, the hospital, and Methodist rehab was a blessing to me. He was done wrong, he survived and came back against all odds except for the short term memory loss, but he reached his goal to “walk” again!. I was truely blessed so many people loose their loved ones without that chance to spend another minute with them and I had a few more months. I have so many memories but another of my funnies was the first time he had one to many beers and slept (passed out) on the couch. We were in our first 6 months of marriage. I rolled his but off the couch for him to sleep on the floor where a drunk should be :) I went and crawled into the bed and thought that is my husband for better or worse so I got up and went and slept on the couch next to him. He was rather surprised the next morning wondering how he wound up on the floor? We have had many laughs over some of years and antics that happened.
Love, Hugs, and Prayers to everyone here on the blog. Prayers for Marshall’s sister still just because the funeral is over the hardest part is now before her, to continue her life and to need the support of her friends and family.
Thanks PM. And you know you will have my prayers as well.
PM, you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh, PM, hugs and prayers, dear!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you both!
May the Lord give you comfort during this time, PM.
I can’t say enough good things about the hospice group that took care of Mom.
PM – I’m going to post twice to keep from having a long post. The first thing I want you to read is the article I wrote about my grandmother when we brought her home to hospice care. I know that word is hard to swallow – believe me – I cried at least once a day from January 29 until December 31 of that year. She went home on June 8 (will be exactly five years this Friday, June 8.)
Grandmama lingers in the twilight
Her stamina is amazing. She is living proof that doctors don’t have all the answers.
Grandmom came home to her corner in the care of hospice on January 29. We were told she had two weeks.
Family members came and went. We all hovered close for the next 14 days. And then the two weeks stretched into three … four … five … twelve.
A couple of times Grandmom went right to the door of heaven. I thought for sure she would quietly push open the pearly gate and step inside. But for some reason, she has lingered awhile longer.
As I have watched her frail body get even more frail, I marvel at the strength of years that flow in her veins.
Although she has been here 88 years, inside her beats more than 150 years of knowledge from her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Knowledge such as how to kill a chicken, when to plant corn, who Aunt Corrie was and you can’t hurry a growing tree.
Perhaps it is this love she has always had to see things grow and to have the patience to nurture it to maturity that has made her a good grand-mother.
I have watched her plant sticks and call them trees. She planted a cherry tree one day and said “I may never see it bloom, but my children and grandchildren will.” She was always interested in leaving something behind for us to enjoy.
Willows are her favorite tree. Weeping willows have been a part of her hill for as long as I can remember. She loves the way the branches bow gracefully and swing in the breeze.
Many a summer afternoon I’ve watched them dance in the wind while the quail called “bob white” from the distance.
I have spent these weeks struggling to recall all the lovely times I’ve had with her. One day my two cousins and I were together at her house. We spent a precious few moments laughing and talking.
Grandmom smiled at the stories we told. I could tell she was enjoying listening to us girls having fun.
But lately … smiles come occasionally through the pain … we realize she is lingering in the twilight.
Soon, she will step into the daylight of heaven, and the willows will weep softly in the wind.
And PM we will weep softly with you. I love you. CardinalLady
This is so beautiful, CardinalLady! It literally brought tears to my eyes!
Dear Lord, what do you pray?
Our words seem so inadequate – but I thank You that they are for we have nothing good in us that would allow us to stand before your throne and ask for help. God our prayer today is for this dear one who loves her husband with all her might and doesn’t want to say goodbye.
I understand that. I know what it is like to ask You for ‘just one more day.’ We know that YOU numbered those days from eternity past.
As PM walks through the twilight with her dear husband, I pray that you will give her sweet memories to hang on to.
I ask for your dear angels of love to hover around her and minister to her during this time. God she needs your comfort, draw your gentle arms around her and sit her on your lap like a little child and envelop her soul with Your peace.
Give her wisdom, patience and understanding during this time.
We love you and thank YOU. In Your precious name, Amen.
Amen! :’-)
So mote it be!!
Amen. As always, well sais, cardinal.
Eloquent as always!
Mornin.
morning gang! already busy.
PM, I’m so sorry I missed your news yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t ignoring you. You are such an inspiration to us all, my dear. The way you have stood by your beloved through sickness and health . . . May our Dear Father draw you into His arms for comfort.
Morning! Sleep was an elusive thing last night! The nursing staff started calling at 8 pm to inform me that Daddy had a fever. I reported the fever to them at 5:30 pm and they didn’t medicate until 8! They call and inform me of every action they take. I’ve got to go check on him. His Parkinson’s shaking has become worse in the last two days!
Good Morning Everyone! PM my prayers are with you always. AW, sorry for the lack of sleep coupled with the stress of caring for your parents. My prayers are with you also. CP, I hope hubby continues to tolerate treatment well.
Prayers to all in need today. Stay strong and know you are loved.
Good morning.
Work location flooded last night. Had to park on the county road and walk in (about 1/2mi). Water is shin deep. Trying to dry my work boots. They’re almost ruined.
Sorry, Blues! I know that is aggravating.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{PM}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} If there is anything I can do for you, please call.
Morning. Sorry I was so busy getting my paper to bed and ready for an alderman meeting last night that I didn’t get a chance to even fly over. I’m going to go back to PM’s thread to post a prayer.
It’s Easter week and we are getting ready for the arrival of a new niece. My little sis is going to be induced tomorrow.
*siigghh* Marshall – *tears* I love you.
Beautiful writing, as usual, Card.
We just got back from the Rankin County Health Fair at the new Muse Center at the Rankin campus of Hinds CC. It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to see the building and it really is nice. There were booths for health care providers, goodies to pick up, door prizes, entertainment and hamburgers, chips and drink for lunch.
PM, I laughed at the thought of you rolling him onto the floor! Sound like something I would do to Hubby, if he were drunk!
about time to wrap it up. hope all have a great evening.
((((((PM)))))
Wow, I slept HARD. Card with her beautiful words as always. AW, chills making him shake more perhaps? CP, I so hope y’all get good news that this treatment is working.
Blues, I hate walking in wet shoes . Yuck.
Chickadee is so not liking her braces. Wax is her new best friend. Her boyfriend brought her a red rose in a vase and a HUGE stuffed monkey-almost her size, seriously. This guy is awesome, and awesome for her.
Marshall, your sister and family have been on my mind. It seems like yesterday you found out he had ALS. Pardon my French, but DAMN, that was fast.
I went and spent some time with him today. I had been yelling about his urinary catheter being in since Feb 4. They didn’t want to take it out due to a small pressure sore. He has a urinary tract infection. But fever and catheter are gone as are the shakes, duh!!
those things are supposed to be changed at least every 30 days. So sorry your dad was put through that.
I tried to post earlier from the facility but the internet doesn’t work so well up north off of Pear Orchard? He made the transfer ok, he was very disoriented and confused as he has been before from a move.
Everyone have a good evening.
Evenin!
Been trying to clean up my fb account. I’m seeing so much stuff I don’t want to see, but it’s a pain to fix! No offense, but I don’t WANT to see when someone is playing a game.
Anyhoo, got more tomatoes transplanted to larger pots tonight. I’ve got peppers, tomatoes and squash EVERYWHERE! Mom’s birthday is tomorrow and my gift to her is going to be spending the weekend with her and taking her some of the heirloom tomatoes I grew from seed. And some squash and peppers, also from seed, just not heirloom. I’m going to have to miss the RFTS, but dying Easter eggs with lil sis and my niece A with Mom looking on takes priority. Also going to sunrise service with her Easter morning, then potting up the veggies I’m taking to her.
Now back to AI and fb cleaning.
It is with a heavy heart that I pass along to you the call I received from PM just a few moments ago. Her husband, “ParrotDad”, passed away at 8:00 this evening. Please remember her in your prayers. I’m not gifted with the eloquence of CL, but I know he was ready to go, and was surely welcomed with open arms into Our Father’s Heavenly home. His suffering is no longer, yet I am saddened by the loss for PM; he was the love of her life. They had been through thick and thin together. Many of you may have thought (as I did), “Why does she do EVERYTHING for him?” One word answers that question: LOVE. Because she wanted to, not because she had to.
I am so sorry! Please convey my deepest sympathy to her if you speak to her.
My heart is breaking for PM right now. I don’t know that I have ever known a woman to stand by her man the way that she has.
Love, hugs, and prayers for PM. May the man she loved, that we all knew as PD, rest in peace.
My heart breaks for PM. He fought a good fight.
Lord wrap your arms around PM. Instill in her your peace that surpasses all understanding. Rest in Peace PD. You fought a long courageous battle.
So sorry to hear this. Hugs and prayers for pm. She has been through so much. But yes PD is no longer hurting.
I am so sorry, PM. I know you are numb right now. Please call if I can do anything at all for you or if you just need someone to talk to. I was widowed at age 28, but I can still remember and since he had been in and out of the hospital for a few months, I can relate to how you must be feeling.
PM, you have my number, too. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. I don’t know much, but I DO know you will check in with us here on the blog as soon as you can. Please take some amount of comfort in knowing that the MRBA love you and are praying for you.
PM, please take comfort in knowing that your beloved husband is no longer confused, disoriented, or in pain. Know we are all here for you if you need us. I would call, but I know you probably have enough to deal with right now. If there is anything I can do, please call.
Thank you all. finally have him moved. A bit agitated to say te least. Now he is dosing after a second half dose of some anxiety meds.
AW praying for your dad too.