Category Archives: one of those days

Daily Prompt: Person of the Year

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You’re asked to nominate someone for TIME’s Person of the Year. Who would it be, and why?

My nominee for Time’s Person of the Year would be my best friend, the love of my life, Mr. Barry L. Baynes. He does not feel he would deserve such an honor, but in my eyes he was the only person I would consider nominating. He has been my night in shining armor for several years.

Barry suffered a massive right-sided stroke in Dec. 2012. I almost lost him. His percerverence and determination not to let that stroke get him down, has given me strength and will to push through the health issues I have currently and really push myself into recovery and staying healthy.

Barry has been my love, my companion and my chauffer through what feels like millions of appointments with numerous doctors.

We started the year off running in January,  with a referral to a breast specialist at Emory over something suspicious on a mammogram. We were off to learn our way around another section of Emory University Hospital‘s clinics. (By now, Barry and I should have a wing dedicated to whatever we want.)

When Barry was not feeling well, he was there, never complaining always supportive. He gets stronger (from the stroke) daily. I can see the changes. He strength never faltered.

He has been my rock, he let me draw on his strength as I needed to. He was always positive. As doctors delivered news we really did not want to hear, Barry had a smile on his face. He tried to keep my mood elevated the best he could.

When I knew he wasn’t feeling his best, he tried to not let it show. He is always encouraging and loving.

All of the above are reasons, Mr. Barry L. Baynes, would be my nominee for Time’s Person of the Year. I could not think of anyone more deserving of this award.

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Jill and Barry Baynes

Daily Prompt: You’ve got the Power: The SPANX Law

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You have the power to enact a single law. What would it be? This is a daily prompt available on the wordpress website. Kinda like an assignment in school. It is total fiction.
Photograhers, artists, and poets: Show us Rules.

 

spanx_powerpanty1

spanx_powerpanty1 (Photo credit: Vince_Lamb)

 

Sit in a parking lot at any busy store and watch as people walk in and out. There will be a few scarey sights while you sit. This is what leads me to this law. If people are not willing to cover themselves when out in public, either teach them what to wear when out or make it a legal requirement to wear appropriate under garments when they wear certain fashions in public.

 

When choosing to wear certain fashions of today or you decide to leave home in an outfit that wouldn’t fit you kid sister, SPANX should be a legal requirement under your clothing.

 

Whatever happened to having a little mystery in your life? I am sorry people, but it is not ok to wear a shirt and pair of pants, shorts, capris, or even overalls out of the house, if they do not meet where they should.

 

Muffin tops, belly rolls, back fat, and thunder thighs all have a place in our society. HIDDEN! I’m not a little girl and I leave home only when dressed appropriately.

 

Even you men out there that think it is OK to shine you muffin tops, back fat or belly rolls. SPANX has item’s for men, too!

 

http://www.spanx.com/home/

 

Jill and Barry Baynes

 

For the Week of June 9, 2013: When You’re Laughin’…

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I shared to topic of the week with my mother, so this one is for her……She shared a little “funny” from her chilhood. So, here goes the take of:

         “My Uncle Owen’s New Cowboy Boots”

My Uncle Owen, spent months, saving up his spare change. When he had enough money, he picked out the boots he wanted and placed the order.

For weeks, he watched and waited at the mailbox for his prized boots to arrive. When they finally arrived, he was thrilled. He opened the box with care, made sure they fit, wiped the boots down, and sat them by his bed to be ready for school in the morning,

He was up early, dressed and ready to go to school. His hair all slicked back, wearing his nicest jeans and shirt with his new boots. He hopped on the bus and grabbed a seat. He was ready to impress a certain young woman when he got to school.

The one thing he had not counted on, was the heel on his new boots. He should have practiced walking with the heel before wearing them to impress in public.

Unfounately, that young woman he was looking to impress was one of the first people to witness his fall from ‘grace’, when he was stepping off the bus. Poor Owen stood up to head down the bus steps. At the top step, he twisted his heel and fell the rest of the way down the steps. Ruining his bluejeans and scuffing his boots up. He also managed to scrape his knee.

Uncle Owen was mortified. When he managed to make it home, he had a brilliant idea to fix his boots. He spent a few hours in the barn after school, when he walked into the house in his ‘ new, new’ boots; we all just looked at him. He had such a bad day, no one wanted to laugh. If we had, we were not sure what Owen would do. He was getting pretty big for a fifteen year old.

Mom took him out on the porch to talk about his boots. He had cut the heel off both boots in the barn. What he did not realize, was that without the heel, the toe of the boot curled higher. He looked like he was wearing a pair of shoes from Denmark. The wooden shoes with the pointed toe.

Mom came in and ‘shhh’d us all. Owen walked in a few minutes later, without his boots on and sat down for dinner. We never spoke of the incident again. Owen never ordered boots from a catalog again.

Jill and Barry Baynes

Word of the Weekend: Orotund

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orotund\OR-uh-tund\  adjective

1 :marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : sonorous 
2 :pompous, bombastic   Josh cleared his throat dramatically, then did a dead-on impression of the professor’s orotund, patronizing speech.

 “Comedian Bob Hope used to tell an anecdote about Franklin D. Roosevelt housetraining his Scottish terrier, Fala, on the Chicago Tribune. It was a reference to Roosevelt’s greatest hater,Tribune publisher Robert R. McCormick, an orotund aristocrat who considered the New Deal indistinguishable from Communism.” — From a post by Edward McClellan on NBC Chicago’s Ward Room blog, April 23, 2013 

Did you know?

The Latin roots of “orotund” are related to two more common English words—”oral” and “rotund.” Latin “or-” means “mouth,” and “rotundus” means “round” or “circular.” The Roman poet Horace joined forms of those Latin terms to create the phrase “ore rotundo,” literally meaning “with round mouth,” and figuratively meaning “with well-turned speech.” “Ore rotundo” was modified to “orotund” and adopted into English in the late 18th century. It can indicate either strength of delivery or inflated wording. 

Jill and Barry Baynes

Daily Prompt: RSVP: “Princesses for the Day”

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At a birthday party before

At a birthday party before

Plan the ultimate celebration for the person you’re closest to, and tell us about it. Where is it? Who’s there? What’s served? What happens?

The person I am closest to is of course my husband, Barry. Although Barry deserves a huge celebration, there 2 others in my life that could really use a day to let go and do something crazy. My sisters, Sandy and Kristie, could both use a day of leisure or a day og being “Princesses of the Weekend”.

We would start with packing our bags for the weekend, loading in the car, and checking into the local hotel at the winery near our home.

The day we check in, we will take trail rides and have supper by the lake,  picnic style. We’ll roast marshmallows over the fire and head back to the hotel just before dark.

After a nice long sleep, we slept late and missed breakfast. We had appointments for mani/pedi’s at 2pm. Facials at 3:30pm, then finish the spa day off with a full body massage. Supper served in our room at 7pm.

We rushed to our rooms to prepare for supper. We had pre-ordered the lobster dinners with house salads, with crème brûlée for dessert. I, personally, was starving.

Over dinner, the three of us talked about our lives and families and discussed where we would like to be in 10 years. Each of us verbalized being happy where we are and only had a few things we would change about our lives. Nothing big, just minor little nothings like being healthier, relaxing more,  and more time with our families.

All together, we wished we could work it out to spend more time together and have more time for ourselves when at home. Our families keep each of us terribly busy. Kristie is raising 2 boys and doing a great job. She is also job-hunting, since obtaining her teaching degree. In her spare time, she takes care of our father, he lives next door to her.

Sandy works more hours than humanly possible at her church, but I admire her dedication.When she gets home, she takes care of her home and disabled husband.

Then myself, I’m retired and stay at home. Our mother lives with Barry and I. She can no longer live alone. Barry had a massive stroke in 2011, There are days when he and I takes turns being the clearest head in the house. Barry has a few minor issues from the stroke that he is learning to manage. We research and study my disease daily. It is sad to go see a doctor and know more about the disease you have than the doctor does.  It is truly sad, but that is how rare diseases are.

Sandy, Kristie and I got along wonderfully,  We had a wonderful time and hated to leave. After lunch, we had to pack up and head home. We made a vow to do this again and spend more time together as we headed out.

I chose to write this post over a post about Barry and I. The celebration I would have with Barry would be entirely private and not to be shared with the WordPress world. I like to keep those moments between Barry and I.

Jill and Barry Baynes

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Another Mom moment….Love ’em

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While mowing the grass yesterday,  I was unable to make a sharp turn and I think I hit Mom’s pineapple tree she is attempting to grow in our Georgia red clay!

While discussing that I may have hit it with her, she appeared a little sleepy. I was attempting to apologize, when Mom looked at me funny. I asked what was wrong and she asked me why I was in her refrigerator with the lawnmower. Then proceeded tomtell me to leave her pineapple alone. She told me she was trying to grow her own, but it might take awhile.

It was like the light bulb over her head turned on and shebstarted lsughing. She then asked where thst came from and requested we get her home quick. She said she needed to nap badly. Two minutes later, she was sound asleep.

I just love that goofy women!

Jill and Barry Baynes

Just Write: Loss

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Loss comes in many forms, when you least expect it.
It can mean anything from a loved one to body process, like speech. Loss hurts.

My brain tumor has left my voice weak and I have a lot of trouble speaking. When I have something to say, I feel like I am pushing words out and I can be loud.  I cannot help it. I truly cannot help it, nothing hurts more than having people talk over you.

One thing I have learned since becoming disabled, is people are rude. No one has respect for anyone. What has happened to civility?

People do not listen if you have a speech impediment. They automatically discount you as a person, the minute they realize you have a problem. They take what they think you are saying and go with that, even when they have it totally wrong.

It hurts worse when it is those close to you. The pain is worse when someone you love cuts you off mid-sentence without attempting to hear what you have to say. I actually fired someone for insubordinance when they made fun of my voice. It was at a time when Intruly needed the help, but I wasn’t putting up with that type of behavior.

I feel childish complaining. Barry had a stroke in 2011 and mom is in the beginning stages of dementia. In a house full of brain injuries and so many losses, do I have the right to be upset? When I need help with a phone call, should I be given flack or help with a call?

I am becoming used to being disabled, but this part is getting worse and I am struggling with how to handle my home situation!

We live a quiet life at home, not a lot of noise. Noise bothers all of us.

I’m 47 yesrs olf living like a 80 year old. Maybe it will help down the road.

Jill and Barry Baynes

 

Writing through Cancer for week of June 2, 2013: Hope is a thing with feathers!

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When I think of hope, the saying, “Hope springs eternal” is the first thing that comes to mind. The sad thing about this phrase is it sounds cheerful and sweet, when it means things are hopeless! What a nice way to say something is hopeless. (from Alexander Pope’s poem, “Essay on Man” from 1734)

-Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never is, but always to be blessed:

The soul, uneasy and confined from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

– Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

Origin of Hope Springs Eternal From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Springs_Eternal

Definition of Hope From:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope

How do I write about hope? My best example is my great-niece and nephew’s birthday party. My great-niece is older, so she understood presents a little better than her brother. I love kids, especially my sister’s kids and their grandchildren. Since I was unable to conceive a child, I spoiled my sister’s children with the loudest, most annoying toys I could find. I was younger and in better health with my older sister’s kids, so I was able to spoil her children more than my younger sister. But I’m having fun with them now, they are older and understand my illness better.

Julie-bug is my oldest sister’s daughter. I have recently discovered that she doesn’t care if we give her kiddo’s noisy toys, Soooooooo…….watch-out Bugs, you may not know what your quiet Uncle Barry is capable of. He is a prankster in disguise. My oldest sister’s brother’s do not have children yet, so their time will come. We cannot wait!

The party we went to was precious. My niece has turned into Super Mom! She is so creative and always has been. Home-made everything from decorations to the cake. She is Wonder Woman. I am so proud. She has always made me feel like a special part of her life and I feel honored that she has let me be part of her life! She has accepted Barry as her uncle as if he had been around her entire life. It thrills Barry to be a part of her kids lives. Luke too, of course. Julie did a super job in that department also. Her hubby is a sweetheart and treats her like a gem!

OK, back to the party……our little nephew would open his gifts, play with the toy for a while and  on to the next gift. When he got to the last of the gifts and the only thing left was paper. He searched every inch of the paper, numerous times,  looking for another present. Until his sweet mommy picked the paper up, he was positive there was another gift lost in all that paper. When Julie took the paper away, he had a look of sheer disappointment on his sweet little face. Just adorable!

About 30 minutes later, he found the bag of gift wrap. By the time he was found, he was upside down in the trash can still looking through the paper. When he was pulled out of the can, all he said was “Birthday, please”. The can had to be removed from the room.

I love kids. I would have had a houseful if I could have, but Barry and I are enjoying being Aunt Gege and Uncle Bear! All six niece’s and nephews have called us that. I’m still called Gege by the 30 year olds. They are still adorable. We love you guys! I hope this is a good example of Hope. A little boy’s Hope that there were more presents. Adorable! I am a little prejudiced.

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month

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Thanks for everything you did!

Thank you for everything you do to aid those of us dealing with this daily!  God Bless you all!

Jill and Barry Baynes