Have a FaBuLouS Fourth of July Weekend!

I have been up and down trying to decide what to do about my Mother's 79th Birthday on the 4th of July; yes she is a firecracker baby! Everyone celebrates her birthday!

She lives 12 hours away from me and I really wanted to go see her since the visit for my brother " Randy's" Memorial so was short. I know she misses him dearly and so do I, when we talk on the phone we both end up in tears.

But, we have to go on, as he would wish us too, even thought it is so hard to do. After we lost him, he got approved for $16.00 worth of food stamps a month. Can you believe that? How can anyone be expected to live on that? I know he participated in the "Angel Ministries" with my Mother that helped a lot and he hunted and fished for food. Well, I hope she can keep participating in that gift with my other brother.

I really wanted to take her birthday presents to her and be with her for this special day. Life says NO! Too many things have been happening lately to even go into but my husband is on medical leave again from his job and is to go for a cat scan on Monday. This way they can see his back more with more dimension and see what to do and what is happening with it. He was discovered to have severe osterioposis when he was in surgery and that alone is causing his delay to get back to work without restrictions. We will see...

I had got her some beautiful Paula Deen dishes from Cracker Barrel on my trip to Louisiana last fall when my nephew got married. These restaurants are wonderful bathroom stops and to walk and stretch my legs a bit. Mother adores pink in anything, so I know she will adore them. I was just a plate, saucer or bowl and coffee cup but I hope she uses them just for herself. I meant to just take them to her on my next visit when I got them but that won't happen anytime soon so I just sent them UPS to her along with a beautiful flower arrangement of orchids I found at Michael's and I added a ribbon and some lace, pearls, jewelry finding to them for a kind of wedding like bridesmaid look and she can lay it on a table. She used to grow beautiful orchids when she had the desire. She even got me into them and we went to our Birmingham Botanical Garden shows that I have tons of photos from somewhere. I will have to find them and add to our new photo picture frame. It is mainly dog photos now but we have lots of room to add more.

I also saw a very pretty cotton shirt last week in Sam's Club and I got her the pink and me the blue. I hope it fits her, I know she will love the colors and it has faux lace on it. SO, her Birthday present is in the UPS truck on its way to Memphis and then on to Missouri. She will probably get it Monday but she knows it is coming.

Well, life has to change, I have been running all the errands and taking my husband where he needs to go, as he is not to drive with some new medications he is taking. I don’t mind, I just want him out of pain. I do know about chronic pain and I am urging Congress to look at the RX medicines that are available to us. Some people just need them and most do not abuse them like in the news.

Also I would like to remind everyone about being VERY CAREFUL with your 4th of July Fireworks. In 1984 when my daughter was 16 she took my 1973 White Corvette; my Treasure, up our street to watch fireworks with her friends. She had been up with her car a Fiero, remember them, Anyway, a bottle rocket were haywire and my car caught fire, Instead of going UP in the air, it went sideways down the street and caught my gas tank on fire. We had just filled it with gas that day and it was full, evidently leaking a little fumes. Well, I got this phone call; your daughter is hysterical and your car is on fire! I still get chill bumps just thinking of it. So, you just never know where they will go!

We now watch the fireworks on TV with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. I adore Keith Lockhart! They have an awesome show on the river and I think this year Neil Diamond will be there. Oh, I adore Neal Diamond too! Check that one out! It is best to keep your animals inside too, Emma will be and the cats too! I heard fireworks go off in the distance on my way from from the grocery store last night

Happy Holiday Weekend!
Smiles, Cyndi