Winter in Georgia: Snow Jam 2/ Ice Jam 1

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Welcome Winter!

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Do not push me!

Don’t push me!

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Almost!

Almost ready!

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I'm going......

Ok, ok….I’m going!

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Something smells funny!

Hummm…that smells funny!

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The birds are hibernating!

The birds are hibernating!

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Daddy what happened?

What happened daddy, what is this?

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Looks like pee pee pads, I gotta go! It is cold out here.

Looks like pee pee pads, but cold! I gotta go!

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Look out momma! Here I come!

Look out momma, it is cold out here!

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New pines on the hill, slumped over with Ice!

Poor pine trees!

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Let me in!

Let me in!

I am boycotting Facebook for the next month! Social Media is taking over too many lives, and I am upset!

I am angry! Someone I cared for and has been a big part of my life, for the 30+ years passed away over the weekend. She had struggled for years with breast cancer and finally lost her battle. She is sitting with God now! She no longer deals with pain! She is in a better place.

What I am angry about is the fact that my mother, my husband and both of my sisters found out and Barry was the one who told me. One of my sisters forgot and called me a few minutes after Barry told me, unfortunately too late to get to visitation tonight. My other sister actually said she didn’t call me because I have access to facebook and she figured I saw her post this morning, but she called our mother to tell her, whom lives in MY house!

Quite frankly, who has time to read the miles and miles of post that all of your friends put online everyday? I try to keep up with what is going on, but my eyes do not allow me to read like they used too! My tablet does tons of reading to me.

The lady that passed away was a senior in high school, when I was a freshman; took part in my first home purchase; helped surprise my first husband with a fishing boat; when I was sick and overwhelmed with medical bills, she helped me through a debt consoludation; after my divorce, she helped me buy my first car; and helped my new husband and I with a construction loan for our dream house.

After all that, I am asked “you didn’t read my post?” I AM ANGRY! I believe with good reason! Facebook….I apoligize, but I refuses to sign on again until March 10th. I need a break.

“Worshipping the Lord in Song” (if you can call what I do singing) by Jill Baynes

Some may call me silly, but I choose not to care. I cry at Chipmunk Movies, now that is silly. I cry when a sweet commercial is on television. I’m silly….take me as I am and deal with it!

In 2009, my life changed forverer. I understand I am a child of God and my body is part of God’s plan. I had to learn that God’s plan is different for all and we are unaware of what our plan entails. The changes I endured, due to brain surgery, are all part of that plan. The Good Lord gave knowledge to the doctors to keep me alive; in my book, that means the Man Upstairs is not finished with me yet.

A dear friend spent 6 years attempting to get Barry and I to visit her church. She never gave up, she was never pushy; always encouraging. We put her off due to our business.

God had to really shake our lives up to get us in the front door. I had been through the brain tumor issue, when Barry shocked us all with a stroke; one year after aortic valve replacement surgery. By the grace of God he survived with minimal difficulties.

It took Barry’s stroke to open our eyes. We chose to close the business and focus on us. Barry continued to work, but eventually retired. Work did not do good things to his blood pressure.

We have been active members at Victory Baptist in Loganville for close to 2 years now. Today, I decided it was time to take a new step at church and joined the choir. After the brain tumor surgery, I would try to sing and found I was unable to get a word out.

Several months ago, l realized my singing was improving. As I sang with the congregation, my voice had come back and was growing stronger! I waited a few months and spoke to the choir director. He said when I was ready, just to let him know.

Well, this morning, the choir made me feel loved and welcome, as we waited to rehearse before the morning services. It felt incredible to be part of the group that makes such beautiful music each week. Of course, half-way through the first song, I saw Barry smile up at me and I cried…….

Working Together To Make Life Work

Barry and I have come upon a challenge. We are having a communication issue. After everything Barry endured since August, his response time on everything is a slower.

We butheads when trying to have a conversation and when he is driving. He has never liked being told what to do, but now…..WOW! He snaps a any suggestions and he doesn’t let me finish sentences. I speak slowly at times and other times, my brain doesn’t let the right words out. Leading us to an occasional argument.

We have worked a system out to keep our cool with each other. It all involves redisvovering the quality we both possess “patience”. If he us not letting get words out, I let him know or gently remind him to be patient when I am having difficulties.

Unless I feel like I need to say something to him about his response, I don’t and will bring the topic up later when it can be discussed calmly. As his body heals and all the medications are out of his system, his responses will get closer to normal.

Everyone responds to anesthesia differently and he has been under general anesthesia 3 times since August 2013 with his chest opened up four times. My radiation treatments ended the day he was admitted for the last surgery. We both have a bit of healing to do!

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