Over and Out

Due to an apparent lack of interest in my blog, I've decided to go on hiatus from blogville. I've certainly enjoyed blogging and making the friends I've made.

Denise

Keepin On Smilin

Today, in spite of the tragic losses of two icons from my teen years, was a good day. I was able to visit my friend, Butch,who is recovering from a stroke (I posted about him yesterday). I was absolutely elated when I left his room today. He has made remarkable progress just since Tuesday! He was talking more than I've heard since the stroke, and he actually moved his right arm and held it tight when I tried to move it. I am just so excited and so grateful to God for this wonderful answer to many prayers from many of his friends. Butch also dismissed me today and said, "bye" in the middle of my visit. I guess I was getting on his nerves because I was trying to talk to him and I think he was tired.

I was concerned about the possibility that he might be neglected in the nursing home, but today when I got there, his therapist was in his room working with him. I was so excited and when she was finished, I talked to her and she assured me that he was improving and doing just fine. She also told me that she comes in and works with him twice a day. YAY!!!

This makes me so very happy and I just wanted to share this.

Later,
Denise

Still Kickin'

It's been so long since my last post; early May, I think. Life has kept right on going and much has happened. My only child, Brandon, graduated from high school. What an exciting and wonderful event. My niece, Kayla, also graduated from a different school. We had a big party at Maman'nem's for the two of them the Sunday following the ceremonies. I've also made a trip to my sister's house in AL to surprise her for her birthday. It was loads of fun and really cool because Michelle is not a cryer like Momma and me, but she really cried! We loved it! The son of a dear friend of mine was married in May. It was a beautiful wedding and I almost felt as if Brandon was getting married, because this young man has a very special place in my heart as I used to baby sit him when he was very little, and later on, I lived with his family for a short time. He married a lovely young lady and I know they will be so happy.

With all this great stuff going on, I also have experienced one quite devastating event. A very dear friend of mine suffered a stroke the day after Memorial Day. He is so dear to me that I can honestly consider him one of my true BFF's. He is 60 years old but he is not your typical 60 year old. He's my karaoke buddy and over the last 5 1/2 years, we have just become great friends, going out singing 3 times a week. Imagine my devastation when a mere acquaintance from the karaoke establishment we frequent sent me a text message first asking how he was, and then when I answered that I guessed just fine, asked me if he'd had a stroke. My heart sank and I felt my face become fire hot. I was sure it was a mistake and this person had the wrong guy. I was so wrong. He had, in fact, had a stroke and was in the hospital, unable to speak and paralyzed on his right side. Being a friend and not family, I felt I should wait before going to the hospital, to give the family time to visit while he was in ICU. No blood clots were found in the brain and his prognosis was good. It was several days before I was able to see him and until I did, I could only imagine the worst. I couldn't rest (and shockingly, didn't have an appetite) and couldn't get him off my mind. I wanted to see my friend for myself and let him know I knew what had happened and that I cared and I was there to help. Several days passed and he was moved to a regular room and I went to see him. It was quite a sad sight. My friend, who is so full of life, always laughing, always singing, always in a happy mood, was so pitiful, laying immobile in this hospital bed. To my surprise, he looked fine, as his face-droop had already corrected itself before I saw him. Still, he had such a sadness in his eyes. I wanted to cry but managed to keep it together while I was in the room with him. All I did was smile and encourage him. The next time I saw him, I actually got him to sing with me. Our "signature" duet is 'Cruisin' by Huey Lewis and Gwynneth Paltrow. I started it and he sang along with me, remembering every word, even when I forgot. He didn't move that right side at all. Soon afterward, his doctor and family determined he was depressed and uncomfortable having visitors see him as he was. He wasn't responding as he should and slept all the time. His family asked us friends not to visit for a while to see if maybe he'd come around and start responding and interacting more without the "threat" of visitors. It was very hard but I wanted what was best for him, so I stayed away. Last week, I was able to see him again and he seemed a bit better in spirits but is still not moving or talking. It has now been a month since the stroke and he was just moved into a nursing home, temporarily, because he had to be discharged from the hospital and rehab facilities turned him down because he does not respond or show initiative to start moving and talking again. He has a feeding tube in his stomach and is unable to eat or drink due to swallowing difficulties. My heart is broken as I see my friend going through this terrible time. I really believed he'd be well on his way to a full recovery by now because he's so strong and just loves life. However, we never know how the patient feels until we are in their "hospital gown".

All I do is pray and visit as often as I can. I don't karaoke anymore because it is just too sad without my buddy. I've decided that until he can sing again, I won't be singing again. Yesterday, I went to see him and on the way, I prayed for the Lord to give me some glimmer of hope, something to let me know his mind was good and he just needed more time, but would be ok later. My prayer was answered and the visit was good. He was alert and stayed awake the whole time I was there. He winked at me and held my had a lot. He sang 2 songs with me and responded to everything I said or asked him. He's still not moving on the right side and he's not talking except to answer, "yep" or say "alright". It's so weird that he can sing anything but won't speak more than those two words. Anyway, I feel better and I do still have hope. He's such a sweet, fun, friend to many and he just has to recover and be himself soon.

I've prayed so much for the Lord to heal him and let him make a full recovery, so I know this will happen. Now, my prayer is that he is not neglected by the staff at the nursing home and that he his receiving some small form of therapy now to help him gain enough strength to be moved to a more skilled facility to begin serious full-time rehab.

I know "this too shall pass" but it sure is painful right now. Thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read this post and I will ask you to please say a prayer for my friend, Butch. I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer and I will appreciate even the smallest prayerful mention of him.

I've updated my blog music playlist with my favorite songs that Butch sings at karaoke. These are some of his best and the most loved on his list by me and many other karaoke friends. If I could figure out how to download my CD with him actually singing, I'd put that on here but I'm not that savvy yet.

Later,

Denise

Ya Got ta Have Friends ~

A couple of weeks ago, I experienced the great pleasure of having breakfast with all my best girlfriends at one time. We all went to high school together and I'm proud to say, we remain close to this day. Of course, because we all have lives of our own now, there have been some time warps where some of us have gone a while and not seen or talked to some of the others, but the minute we do regain some contact, it's like we've never been apart at all.

This picture below was taken by a little old lady coming out of the restaurant we had been in. I asked her to take the group photo and she warned me that she was not very good at taking pictures because her hands shake. I think she did a fine job, don't you? :)

We have our 25th year class reunion this coming September and I just hope the rest of the class is as well preserved as we are.

I'd like to dedicate the song, 'Thank You for Being a Friend', to my best buds! The lyrics are written below for your reading pleasure.

Thank You For Being A Friend - Song Lyrics

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant
I'm not ashamed to say I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
If it's a car you lack I'd surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night
I'm not ashamed to say I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And when we both get older with walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
And when we die and float away into the night, the Milky Way
You'll hear me call, as we ascend I'll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend !

Easter Cuteness ~

Beware of identity theft this Easter :)

Have a blessed and happy Easter.

Denise

It's Definitely a Laughing Matter ~

"Some people laugh through their noses . . . some people laugh through their teeth goodness sakes, hissing and fizzing like snakes . . . some laugh too fast, some only blast . . . others they twitter like birds . . . then there's the kind that can't make up their mind . . ."

These are a few lines from the song, 'I Love to Laugh', from Mary Poppins, sung by Uncle Albert, Mary Poppins, and Bert. The whole song and scene are quite amusing, as it is totally about laughter - hence the name of the song :P

As I have said over and over again, I really love to laugh and I love to make others laugh. There is just such a release that comes from a big ol' belly laugh. At work, there is a woman who sits across the building from me and has this really loud, funny, machine gun-like laugh and every time I hear her, I have to laugh too. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere when everything is silent - what a joy! My co-worker, Andy, and I both enjoy her laugh and every time we hear it, we laugh with each other about this other person's laugh. We call ourselves the laugh connoisseurs of the office because we have always had a thing about the different laughs that our co-workers have and we decide if they have great or annoying laughs. I was surfing the net, looking for interesting laugh material, and I came across 'Types of Laughs', by Shi Hui Lim. I thought this was very amusing and want to share it with you. I really believe there is nothing we can't get through if we can maintain a sense of humor and laugh at least a little at ourselves and our situations. Which laugh best describes yours?

The first type of laugh, the BLAST, is a loud and long burst emitting from a person's mouth, followed by shorter and softer bursts that slowly die away. Blasts usually emanate from loud, outgoing persons, making them seem sure and confident in themselves. After all, it is a loud type of laugh that will attract attention from those around the blaster, which is not always a good thing. Outgoing people who blast their laughs usually have an interesting sense of humor, laughing at things that may not seem funny to others. This can be a problem in movie theaters and other public places where silence is needed. A blaster is also easy to pick out of a crowd, like a giant billboard advertising where he or she is. A blaster's friends will be able to find him/her easily, but the same could be said for enemies of the blaster. Others view blasters as friendly, outgoing people, easy to make friends with and always fun to be around.

The next type of laugh, the HISS, could be mistaken for an actual snake in the snake section of the zoo. These laughers sound just like snakes, laughing through their teeth as Mary Poppins rightfully put it. Hissers do not always fit into what society sees as a normal person. These are the 'oddballs', the ones that others do not wish to include in activities and are not well liked by other laughers. Hissers are cynical bystanders, watching and observing, never allowed and never wishing to partake in events, laughing at the stupid actions of others. The hissers are the smart ones, wary of their surroundings at all times, which is something that cannot be said for the next group of laughers.

The GIGGLE is a twittery, small, bubbly kind of laugh; one could say the cute laugh of the six. The same can be said for gigglers, usually small and very bubbly and bright kind of people, the most common being small children and girls. Gigglers are easy to please and laugh easily, having a bright and cheery disposition most of the time, but are also seen as dumb and bird brained. Gigglers are very nice to all they know and meet, reliable, trustworthy, and loyal as well. They make very good friends.

While gigglers are young, bubbly, and bright, WHEEZERS are older and have lived and seen it all. Not all wheezers are extremely old; some people are only a wheezer due to smoking or bad lungs. Most wheezers try not to laugh, as each time they do, deep gasping and coughing follows. They save their laughs for special times, only using it when something is extremely funny, not just merely. It is wise not to be the one who makes the wheezer laugh, for the next time a wheezer laughs, it may result in his/her death and it is the instigator who will feel the guilt. Wheezers are wise and know much about life, often telling stories and reminiscing about how life used to be.

Most people have heard a CACKLE, a high-pitched sort of squeal, usually by the evil people in old movies. In real life, evil people do not laugh like a cackler, rather those who are more annoying to the general population. Cacklers are the people that all others pretend to like. Everyone else puts up with them and tolerates them, but in reality, they are not liked at all. Cacklers are obnoxious and talk too much, usually about nothing at all. When intelligent conversation swirls around a cackler, all he/she does is add irrelevant information or act rudely and begin a conversation with another in a very loud voice.

SILENT laughers, where no sounds emit from a person's mouth and one only sees a silent laugher's body shaking and convulsing, are the exact opposite of blasters. Hissers and silent laughers are alike; both types of people do not join in activities and only observe. Unlike hissers, silent laughers are welcome to join if they wish, but are usually forgotten or too shy. Silent laughers are introverted, very quiet people, keeping their laughter to themselves and in their own little worlds. They are not well known to others and choose to spend time alone or with other like themselves.

Each laugh is very unique and different, as are the people who laugh the laughs. The six laughs each have certain advantages and disadvantages, not one better than another. Each laugh is special, fun, and interesting to listen to. If for any occasion one has an opportunity to listen to the many laughs all together, maybe at a party, sit back and enjoy the unique symphony of laughs.

I hope you are having a great week and have managed to get in a few laughs no matter what your current situation. Maybe this post isn't so long that you got bored before the end and didn't find the humor.

Denise :P

"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~ Milton Berle

"A laugh is a smile that bursts." ~ Mary H. Waldrip

"Seven days without laughter makes one weak." ~ Mort Walker

My kitty katz made it home Saturday morning at 8:15 am. So far, pretty good. They seem to remember us. They are pretty affectionate but still just a bit shy.

This is Purrl, just as she always was, perched on the back of the couch.

Gonna have to sue Cassie for feline starvation of Jozie - she's so skinny!!! :)

Have a great week!
Denise

Party 'Til the Cats Come Home

I am a real animal lover. All my life, there have been dogs in the family. When I was a kid our dogs were mostly strays that would come and go but there was always one or two around. There have also been a few fish and birds, but more dogs than anything else. There were never any cats because my mom, sister, and brother were all allergic to cats. When Brandon was little, we got our yellow lab, Buck, and then later, a black lab, Delta. We also had a hamster at one time, and then a guinea pig, that I loved very much. Back in 2003, I decided I wanted a cat. I was a grown up, married woman with a house of my own and we weren't allergic, so I decided to get a cat. The people across the street had a littler of kittens which included two calicos. I've always thought calicos were so pretty so I got one; long-haired, and named her Purrl. We already had 2 dogs but I still brought this cat into the home. Things were good. When my husband and I decided to separate, Brandon and I moved into an apartment and took Purrl, with us. Well, after she was a couple years old, I heard of another litter of kittens that would soon be abandoned so I decided to get one of those so Purrl would have a companion.

An adorable brown tabby, that I named, Jozie, was very sweet and playful. Well, Purrl was not so crazy about her new playmate. In fact, her personality changed so I knew she was angry with me and I don't think she ever got over it. I guess she preferred to go it alone, and needed no sidekick. Nevertheless, we then had two cats, and I had never had cats in my life - remember? I learned quickly what all cat owners know . . . "nobody owns a cat". Still, I enjoyed my cats and learned how to just let them be. Even though I loved my cats, I was missing the love and companionship of a dog. In 2006 I decided to get Shotzie, my beagle. I won't dwell on her because you all know her well. The next year, I found myself in such a financial hole that I couldn't dig out. Brandon and I would have to go live with Momman'nem for a while. As I mentioned before, my mom is very allergic to cats and mine were not invited to come along. Shotzie was invited to go with us but I had to find some other accommodations for the felines. I agonized and cried and asked everyone I knew until I happened to mention it to my hairdresser, Cassie, who agreed quite quickly to take both my cats and give them a home. She already had other animals but it didn't matter. She really did me a huge favor. I was so relieved, as I knew they would be loved and well-cared for. This was a temporary arrangement and I told her I'd take them back as soon as I could. Well, I stayed with my mom for a year, then I moved to an apartment where I couldn't have them because I already had Shotzie and had to pay a deposit on her; I couldn't afford deposits for 2 additional pets - uugghh. Cassie kept the cats and always told me how they were and would take pictures for me. Last year, I missed my cats and decided I would see about getting them back and just try to keep them hidden from the apartment managers, and not pay the other deposits. I mentioned it to Cassie, but I felt that she was attached to Purrl and Jozie, and really wasn't ready to give them up, and I wasn't going to ask for them back if I thought she still wanted them. So, I rescued a kitten, which I've written about in past posts, Moonshine (now, Moonie, for short). Moonie is now 10 months old and she and Shotzie live in blissful harmony. Last week, Cassie asked me if I was ready to have my cats back, which indicated to me that she was ready for me to have them back. I understand completely because Cassie now has a little boy who is crawling and getting around, and I know it must be hard to keep him out of pet hair and dirt. Of course, I told Cassie that I was ready to take the cats back, because after all, she did me such a big favor when I needed a home for them, how could I tell her no? She's an absolute angel and really saved me when I was in a bind.

Here is a glamour shot of the girls together shortly before they "moved away".

Tomorrow is the big homecoming day! I'm actually quite excited to see and have my girls back home, but at the same time, I'm very nervous because cats are just crazy and I know the fur's gonna fly when they come home and Moonie gets a load of them. I just can't decide who is gonna take it worse, Moonie, or the other two. Remember, Purrl never forgave me for getting Jozie years ago. Then, I gave her and Jozie away to another family. Now, they're coming back to me, where there is a new cat, not to mention Shotzie, who they were probably so glad to be rid of, back in the picture. I tell you, I'm scared. I've been surfing the Internet, looking for all the suggestions and helpful hints to keeping a clean, fresh house when you have multiple cats. The last thing I want is a cat lady house, that everyone dreads coming to because it stinks so bad. When I was a kid, there was a house like that (30+ cats lived there) next door to my grandmother - whew, what a stink hole!

Wish me luck. I've got a really big heart for animals but very little patience. I really, really want this to work out so everyone is happy. I'll keep you posted. If you have any helpful hints, please let me know.

Thank you, Cassie, for all you've done for me, to take care of my cats when I couldn't. I will be forever grateful.

Have a great weekend!

Denise

Are They Smiling Because They're Happy, or Happy Because They're Smiling?

Friday Puzzler # 6

Happy Monday! I'm posting my Friday Puzzler that should have been posted Friday, today instead because I simply forgot to post it on Friday. Uuugggh!

Being the literary scholar that I am -LOL!!!, in all my 42 years, I can count on one hand the number of books I've read, besides those I was forced to read in the 4th grade by my beloved teacher, Mrs. Casey. I will never forget how disappointed in me she was when she found all of my unread library books shoved up under my desk to hide them from her because I hated to read. . . .

ok, out of digression and back to the puzzlement . . . I have always wondered why in the world would "they" decide to call a made-up story FICTION, and a true story NON-FICTION? That has always sounded very backward to me. Is it just me, or have you felt this way too?

A good example of non-fiction would be this biography of Lucille Ball's life. I have read this.A good example of fiction would be this wonderful classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. I have read this as well.

Have a wonderful week!

Denise