Do Not Go Quietly

My friend, Alice is on her way to Florida to say her last good-byes to her little sister, Nancy. They called her today and told her it was time for Nancy to go.

As many of you know, about two months ago Nancy was diagnosed with nasopharengeal cancer. It is an aggressive cancer and she was given weeks to months to live. Yes, it was that fast. I've asked all of you to pray for her numerous times and many of you have emailed me and contacted Alice through her site to let us know you were praying. I am thankful to have such caring friends on my list and I know that Alice has appreciated the notes and emails you have left for her.

Tonight, Nancy's time has run out. I don't know how many days or hours or minutes she has before God calls her name, but I suspect, from Alice's description of the past weekend, it will be very soon. The following is an excerpt from Alice's email.

Nancy had to go to the ER on Sunday, 01/06/08. Her left side was contracting and her had was 'drawing up'. She has lost control of her bladder and bowel.A cat scan was done - she has new lesions on her brain = the technicians quit counting after 20. Death is imminent - approximate time limit - a mere few days...She canNOT speak. But you can call her house or cell and ask to be put on the speaker, and Nancy will respond by writing on a white-erase board and someone will read it.

You can see this is not for the faint of heart. So, for this one final time, I ask you to be in prayer for Nancy and her family this week.

I am hoping Alice gets there before it is too late. It will be very hard if she doesn't get to say good-bye. I don't know what it means to lose a beloved sister. I have two younger sisters and the thought is beyond my ability to entertain. I know what I would be feeling were I in Alice's shoes. I know what I would feel if this were my child. Nancy's parents are still alive and must get through the passing of their little girl. Keep them in your prayers for the days to come. They will need it.

Nancy and Alice are my friends from 360 and just before I came over to Multiply, she got sick. Alice followed me over to Multiply and started a page for Nancy. I've known Alice over a year and met Nancy through her. We shared a love of writing. With each email, she encouraged me to keep pushing myself to write the story I am working on. I don't know if it is really as good as she said but I believe she knew what every insecure writer needs to hear. She fed me encouragement and lifted my confidence. If I ever finish it, Nancy will have played a big part. I am so thankful that I got to meet her, even if it was just a cyber meeting. I like her a lot. I wish we had an opportunity to actually meet and talk. I think we would have liked each other immensely.

Hug your loved ones close tonight. Tomorrow may be the day you have to say goodby. Don't waste your time on the foolish and petty arguments and disagreements of today. Bury them without grief. If at all possible, tell those you love them right now, before you close your eyes. They may not care today, but you can close your eyes knowing you did all you could, said all that mattered. And someday, they will be glad you did.

Good night, my good friend, Nancy. I am so glad for the opportunity to call you friend.

Reading, Reverie, Rumors and Rants

Try saying that three time, very fast! I like my titles to have some bearing on the content. I read once that when writing, introducing something in threes was an effective technique. I've found it works really well with titles, something at which I am not very good at coming up with. Whew, what a sentence!

I have bit of a cold. I started taking cold meds as soon as I felt it coming on so I hope the worst will pass me up. Several people at work after the holiday have colds. The boss had it the day before I left and two others when I came back. One was on the mend but the other girl had to go home after noon on Wednesday. She was really sick with it. I was concerned that I'd get it during my time off but I stayed away as much as possible from the boss the couple of days he was there. I am concerned I'll catch it from the newest victims. I had to be in the room with the two girls this past week but I tried to stay far away and not touch anything they touched and wash my hands and even my face!

Normally, I wouldn't worry too much about a cold but Sarah gets very sick and if she runs a fever we are on high alert for seizures. So, I am medicating, keeping my distance, washing my hands obsessively, and just refusing to accept it. LOL Don't know if that will work but hey, can't hurt.

I had my massage yesterday. You remember, my sister bought me a gift certificate from a spa. She gives me one either for Christmas or my birthday. I loved it. She made my shoulders and neck feel so great! I came home and felt so good. Better than I have in awhile. NO pain anywhere yesterday. Today, a twinge in my neck and a longing to go back.

I've been visiting blogs this weekend, along with finishing the latest Martha Grimes novel, "Dust". I love her Richard Jury novels and have read all but one, which I did not realize I had not read. These are mystery novels. American author writing about a Scotland Yard detective. If you like long reads with great characters and good stories start with the first one. "The Man with a Load of Mischief". All her books are named for British pubs, whether real or not I can't say. I just know I love the characters and after reading her for about 20 years, I know them pretty well.

The blogs were all very interesting. Drifted into a few that are contacts of my contacts' contacts. Whew! I found a few that were really good reads. I recommend that you visit your contacts' contacts. There are some great people. Mostly, I just wanted to catch up on all of my friends. It sounds as if the week after the holidays is anti-climactic. There's not much happening, everyone trying to recover a balance after emotional highs or lows. No wonder people get sick this time of year. Perhaps too much stress floating around just wears down our resistance.

I went over to the Refugee blog and listened to the rumors that are still flying about regarding what is going to happen to Yahoo. I don't really care anymore. I still have my page up on 360 and will probably leave it until I get everything deleted or until they shut it down. I started blogging through Blogger before 360, so I don't have the emotional attachment some appear to have with Yahoo. I do like the on-line friends I found there and want to keep in touch if possble. I cross post to my Blogger blog, something I could never do with 360, by the way. So it makes it easier because I can choose whatI want to cross-post to which blog. It is awsome.

However, I do not miss the dropped comments of friends, the lost posts, the inability design the page the way I want, to add features like music and photos and interesting content at Yahoo that I get here. I do not miss the lack of support from Yahoo -- can't miss what wasn't there! And, if in fact, Yahoo adds those kinds of things, I don't think I'll bother. I'm learning to do things here and learning it once is enough for me. Yes, it is difficult but there are so many help resources it is amazing and people who know how to do it are just so good at sharing how to do things. All I ever got from Yahoo where help is concerned is a form letter and a "thanks for asking us" reply or I got instructions to consult the help file, which was no help at all!

So, Multiply, I'm here as long as you keep doing the customer service as good as it is now and as long as I can do interesting things to the site. I hope to meet new people and in fact, I've added a couple of new contacts. I welcome them and hope they don't find me tedious or boring. I can be both at times. There are times I come on and rant about whatever earthshaking event is happening in the world or in my house or on my job. I hope you are not put off by it and will continue to stop by.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I hope to go to church tonight. I didn't get to this morning. I made the mistake of loaning my car to my son and he decided he couldn't go this morning. I had no way to go unless I went after the car. Well, long story there that I don't want to delve into. Just hope tonight I can go.

Be safe, be well, be blessed.

Enough Stuff

O.k. I'm pretty sick of this whole mess. I have a horrible headache that I went to bed with last night and it has only worsened today. My neck and shoulder hurt too. I took two muscle relaxants last night to see if it would help but it didn't. So, my weekend appears to be going down the toilet if I can't shake this off. I am going to lunch with my son and his family and he has magic hands that I will ask him to use on the neck if he wants to get a free lunch!

I'd appreciate all you praying friends to say a prayer for me right now because I've had enough of this headache!

I have gone around to all your blogs and caught up with some of the reading. I actually realized I had not visited a few in over a month! Wow, what a busy couple of months I had. Nano and Thanksgiving in November and Christmas and two birthdays in December!

Now, I am focusing on working on Mist and I have to get busy with my church website. It has been down a year becasue I have computer problems. But my son said I could come over and put it up from his. I also want to work in my two nano novels from 06 and 07.

So, it would seem the rest of the year is already planned? {sigh} I'm tired already!

I will leave you with this thought:

Year, n. A period of 365 disappointments.--Ambrose Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary

Weekend Approaching - Proceed with Caution

I've been out since the 21st of December and the office was open for three days during that time. I am so buried in paperwork I couldn't see daylight when I got in on Wednesday. I am so thankful the weekend is only one day away.

I still haven't told everyone about our Winter Warm Up services. This was December 27th & 28th. Pastor Scott Graham from Illinois preached the night services and it was wonderful. On Thursday night he preached "Stay Out of the Woods" and on Friday night it was "Walls and Gates". I hoped to put something on here about them but I've just been so busy I have not had time to do much on the blog. Becca got them on cd so I may borrow them and re-listen to get some idea for posting. I wish you could have heard the whole thing.

I am going to stop now and run out for food. I have been wading through mounds of paper and can finally see a glimmer of light. I hope to be through with the five moves I have to process today! Whew!

I've changed the music on my blog but it isn't what I was hoping. I love the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace. I've decided to ask my family to have that played at my funeral. I also like the old hymns with the bluegrass sounds. But the ones I could post appear to be short clips. Still pretty though.

Hope you all have a great week and wonderful day!

New Year, Same Story

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season and that you have begun the new year with a commitment to your goals, whatever they may be.

For me, today was rather uneventful and tomorrow I must go back to the mines. I dread this but it is a necessity. My pain has been at peak levels all week because I had too little sleep. Tonight, I took a Flexril and will take another when I turn in at last to try and shake this pain in my neck, shoulders, arms and back. I really have to start going to the Y regularly now. I dread that too since every New Year's liar will crowd the place for two months.

I just posted the 29th Chapter of Hidden in the Mist. I know a couple will dash madly over to check it out. Let me warn you, it is short, too. I apologize but at the moment, it seems to be presenting itself in short segments that just seem to lend themselves to chapter breaks. The nice thing about this is that I can write more often in short breaks! I've worked out some kinks I think and now I have to get cracking on this case with Samantha. There is a murder to solve and the mystery of the Circle of Seeing relating to Samantha's sight.

When I call these chapter, you must understand that on the off chance I get this completed, the current chapter divisions will most assuredly change. The current format simply followed writting perionds. I had to stop in the middle of something... so I break in places where I "feel" that transitions occur.


I will bid you all a good night. May the One Eternal God smile on you in this new year. May He grant you grace and mercy. May He bless your going out and your coming in. And may you cultivate a desire to learn of Him, grown in Him, and live for Him. May you quench the thirsting of your soul by drinking from the living waters that flows from the eternal fountain.

God Bless and Happy New Year