MAMMOGRAM PINK

I went in for my 6 month mammogram today. There is always a lump in my throat when I go and there is the expectation of doom after the diagnosis in January of 2009. You to the place, sign in, wait, get called up to have your insurance card and ID scanned. Then you sit and wait in this huge room with a lot of people, half of whom seem to be talking on their cell phones. Although there is a sign at the door asking you to turn off your cell. I try to ignore them, but people seem to speak louder on the phone. Why is that? You should speak as you normally do. I personally don't like to talk on my cell phone in front of other people. Not only does it seem rude, I don't want everyone knowing my business.
After the wait, the nurse comes to get you and takes you back to the dressing room where there are wet wipes if you need to remove deodorant. I put on this huge gown that must have been made for a 400 lb patient. I tried tying it in the front with cute bows. LOL I went to the small waiting room where one lady was complaining about one of the techs at the Hoeffer Center who was rude to her last time she had a mammogram. She wished me luck when she went in to have her mammogram. Anyway, I told the other lady I didn't need luck, Jesus is on my side. She agreed with me.
Finally, I went in for my mammogram. This one was only on the breast where I had surgery and it was difficult because there wasn't a lot left. We talked about reconstruction, but I am still undecided about that. After the mammogram, I had to go sit and wait again until the chief tech looked over the x-rays. Everything seems to be fine and I have to go back in January 2011. That was a huge relief. Glad that part is over.

My friend Cresenti is in town doing depositions with her lawyer and the lawyers from J.C. Penney. I am praying that JCP decided to settle with her and get her out of this limbo. She is such a sweet person, I just can't imagine why they let her go. I truly think it was her age and she was making just too much money for them to keep any longer. They could hire two new people for what they were paying her. She worked for them 28 years and only had 2 years to retirement when they let her go. She had outstanding evaluations for all those years until the last year when they got in a new store manager who was younger than Cresenti. She bullied Cresenti and completely destroyed her confidence in the months before she fired her. She gave her another department to supervise when she already had two. She took away her office and made her share space with a young woman just hired from college. I know what it is like to be bullied, I had to endure that for about 2 years and it was miserable. I think that is what triggered my illness, because it was then that I began to get really ill. The same thing happened to Cresenti and she was out on sick leave when she got her pink slip in the mail. How mean is that? I cannot even stand the thought of going to a store that would treat its people like that.  No more JCP for me. It is one thing when you don't know things like that are going on, but when it happens to someone you know, you have to take a stand. I know a lot of our church members that quit shopping there and some even cut up their cards.

I am off my soapbox now. I went to the doctor this morning and I have an ear infection and the glands in my throat are swollen. I am now on antibiotics for the next 9 days. Same thing happened a couple of weeks ago but I was on the Enbril and I have since found out that you cannot take antibiotics when you are on Enbril.  So I guess I am off the shots for a while.
School has started and I haven't heard from the Grandchildren yet. I am sure they are so busy with new stuff. I don't think their dance lessons start until after Labor Day.

Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the LORD, your God (NIV). 

The greatest treasures in my life have been discovered during the darkest times of my life. My weaknesses have given way to strengths and my failures have led to successes. God has used it all for His glory and for my good.  

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Amazing Pink

We went to NC last week to the "Beach House." We had a nice time with Children and Grandchildren. We met Rhonda in Greenville at MacDonalds and took the twins with us to Sam's Club. Later Garrett went to spend the night at a friend's house and we all ate barbecue from Ayden at our house. It was the original NC Barbecue. The restaurant has been featured in many southern magazines as having the NC barbecue. I thought it was alright, but a little greasy because at Parkers' in Greenville they don't chop up all the fat and stuff in their barbecue. It wasn't seasoned as well as Parker's either. We went with Rhonda, Jesse, and the twins, Garrett and Taylor on Saturday night to dinner at the Mayflower in Greenville and had seafood. Their seafood is awesome and plentiful for a very good price.

Sunday morning, we packed up the car and drove into New Bern to have lunch with my son Jeff and his new bride, Sharon. They are so good together. I think Jeff cooked the lunch in Sharon's Pampered Chef pot. He fixed Chicken with veggies and then there was baked potatoes. It was served with salad and Sharon made some brownies and we ate absolutely too many of them. I kept dozing off in the car on the way home.  Sharon's son, my new grandson, Dylan, and Sharon's father was there also. It was a great visit. We watched YouTube videos afterward in the living room. It was so nice to see Jeff so happy and settled. That guy really has his head on straight. Sharon gave me some wedding pictures, that are in this section.

We left and drove home about 4 p.m. It was a nice drive coming from New Bern to where we usually drive to in Ahoskie. Took a little longer but not too much traffic. We arrived home too late to attend our Deacon's meeting. Monday was such a hot day, I stayed in most all day. Ray has to go out occasionally, but I think he tried to stay in as much as possible.

Tuesday, Cresenti drove down. I made a 3-cheese Ravoili w/meat marinara for the Hispanic dinner our ladies circle was having for our Hispanic members. I had to go to the Region I meeting at the FOP in Hampton, but dropped my cassarole off first. I heard later that they loved it. We took care of Region Business for Lions with Jim and Linda and had dinner there. It was a great meeting. Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead.

Cresenti went to the Womens Bible School at Christoper Newport U. She really enjoyed it. She spent the night with us and was going to go back to NC on Wednesday but when she told me about the VBS for women, I talked her into staying another day and going on Wednesday night with me. It was wonderful. She got up and went to her hair appointment in Va Beach Thursday morning. She is such a sweet person, I sure wish she had her court appearance over and done with. I sure hope J.C. Penney has to pay for all the pain and suffering this wonderful woman has had to go through. I have offered to testify for her. They really messed with her life. I really don't think it is fair when big companies let people go when they are nearing retirement. Cresenti gave them 110% for 28 years of her life and just because she had a little difficulty, they didn't think about the person, only about the bottom line in a time when the economy is about the worst it has been in almost a hundred years. Of course sales are down, but hers weren't down that much as compared to other J.C.  Penney stores in the Region. They wanted to cut that big salary and have someone who was newer, making less money do the job. Actually, I never knew that department managers made that much money at Penney's. I am not sure I will ever shop at Penney's again. I know that there are a lot of ladies at our church that say they won't. I can say that I have avoided the stores since this happened. You wouldn't believe all the things I have heard about other people that worked for Penney's who were fired just before retirement also. Must be a trend. One lady that they fired was all set to testify for Cresenti when they miraculously gave her job back to her but at another store and have told her that if she wants to keep her job, she cannot talk to Cresenti's lawyer or give a deposition. How underhanded is that? She probably won't keep her job long after Cresenti's case is settled. Here I am on my soapbox again. Sorry, if I do drag on. I just hate injustice. Don't you?

This is an "Abraham Lincoln" rose in my front yard. Isn't it beautiful. Actually this was in the sun and makes it look a little brighter than normal. It has a little darker hue with velvet-like leaves. I just love it. I have a "John F. Kennedy" (cream) on the other side, but it is not blooming right now. I just love roses. They bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart.






I ordered "Eat Pray Love" on my Kindle and I am hurrying through my last book to get to it. I just don't want to be reading 2 books at once. If you decide to order I hope you Enjoy! I always like to read the book before I see the movie so I can see what was left out.

2008 Dove Awards Point of Grace Cindy Morgan's -How You Live

My Sister sent me this on Facebook and she said it reminded her of me. Enjoy. I did.

TARA IS DOING BETTER

Tara is out of ICU and doing much better. She appreciates all the thoughts and prayer for her. God is good, all the time. My God is an Awesome God (and the only one there is.)

I have been a little depressed. It started with the mail. Since I pay all my bills online, I don't get them in the snail mail. Every day is mostly junk mail. The only thing is, now it is junk mail from Funeral Homes and Cemetaries. How depressing is that? It was bad enough when I got letters from AARP when I was 35. I know that I am getting closer to the end, but what if I live to 120? That would be a lot of junk mail. I think I have a phone number that I can call to get rid of junk mail. I know I did it before I took early retirement, but that has been a couple of years. I have decided that I will not even open them. I will just shred all junk mail. Maybe I can recycle it into my garden. I just hate to think about all that waste.

Everyone is so awesome retweeting me lately. I am getting over a 100 new followers each day. I am enjoying Twitter so much. Facebook is great too, but I am really getting worn out on FarmVille and FarmTown. It is a bit obsessive I think. I need to start blogging more and get off of the games. Maybe I need a blog partner. My friend Cresenti was going to blog with me but she moved and is busy getting her life in order in NC. I understand, but I really miss her.

Ray is so busy with his business that we don't have much time together with him on his computer and me on mine. I really wish I felt better. I don't know if it is the medicines or the Rheumatoid Arthritis. I don't seem t be able to get around very well and I am in pain so much. I don't like to take pain meds. I miss Zna too. She really motivated me. I was doing so much better on her exercises. I am going to try doing them by myself. Everyone is so nice to me, I just wish that I was able to help others more. I do have quilting on Thursday. My little sewing machine is not very heavy. We have been given keys to a cabinet at church and will be meeting twice a month to make quilts for babies in the hospital. I have one I need to quilt and one that I am still piecing. 

Our Beta Circle collected school supplies for our July mission and they said that we had a lot. I know I bought a lot. It is a shame that the State of Virginia is so poor that it cannot afford to buy school supplies for disadvantaged children. You would think the way we are taxed and with the 'Lottery' we wouldn't have a problem. I am sorry, but to me the Lottery is the Virginia Poor Tax. People who have money don't purchase tickets. I quit going into places that sell lottery tickets because I just want to go over and shake people who are there spending money on tickets looking for a free ride when they could be using the money to buy food for their children or clothing. It makes me ill. I thought of moving to NC to get away from it all together, but then they started selling them there too. It is a plague on our society. Gamboling never solved anything.

Getting off my soapbox now.
God is Good, All the time.

A Father's Heart - (click here for Tara's Blog)

I received a tweet this morning from @calbosch asking for prayer for Tara @AngelHeart2003 (NC). Tara is in the hospital and is heart-transplant recipient. I don't know any of the details of why she is in the hospital, but she needs our prayers.


Father God,
Be with Tara and her family as they go through the trials of illness. Heal her body, in Jesus' Holy Name. She is a devout Christian and lives her life for you, Lord. Let her be the shining example of love that we need to brighten our day.Wrap her in Your comforting Arms and calm her heart. We ask all these things in the name of Christ Jesus. AMEN

http://tara-afathersheart.blogspot.com/ 
and 
http://twitter.com/a2ndchanceatlfe/