With this ring....

As I sit here waiting for tomorrow I am thinking of Eternal Families. I am glad Robert is starting out his marriage in the temple. It has been a long hard battle to make it come about. It has taken 2 years to come to pass but without her parents here. Nancy is here with her sister and her sister's husband as her escort.

Now they have all the paper work in order, have had there interview and we are counting down the hours. I do wish my wife could be standing next to me as they are sealed. She always wanted to see this happen. Sandra has been gone almost 3 years and that is just about as long as this has taken. Sandra never met Nancy but she saw pictures and hear alot about her.

The reception in Mexico was a full blown affair. As soon as I find some time I want to blog about it. Right now my brain is full of other things. Let it be said, it was great. The reception tomorrow will not be as big but we do expect about 25 people from her ward to make the trip to San Antonio for the reception.

Robert can't wait to claim her as his. If you know what I mean. They will honeymoon in FL. Disney world and all the other sites in Orlando. Plus they will take a trip to the coast, one with out oil, same distaint to the gulf coast as to the east coast. We shall see.

memory triggers.

Is there buried deep in your mind triggers that bring back pictures and memories?

I have them, deep in my memory. One of the ones I remember is Smell. I recall walking home from school as a young boy, I guess about second or thired grade. I would get to the corner of the street where I lived and I would smell the hot sweet scent of my mom baking pan dulse. Mexican sweet bread. I would start running and the closer I got to the house the stronger the smell. Rush up to the door and push open the kitchen door and grab one and eat it, still warm. So soft and sweet, with it's homemade topping. That memory comes to my mind when I go pass the panidrial (sp) Mexican bakery.

Diesel smoke. Now and then I get trapped behind a city bus. When it starts to move it emits a cloud of diesel smoke and my mind takes me back to my navy days. Tied to a pier, waiting to depart for parts unknown. All the visitors have departed the ship, the band of the pier is playing music and we are standing at "quarters for leaving port" Lined up along side the ship, we can see our loves one on the pier waving at us, at last the last line is thrown off and the ship blows it's horn. We are underway. Band starts playing Anchors Aweigh. The tug boats gun there engines and the diesel smoke hits you in the face.

Now when I am behind a bus and the smell of diesel smokes hits me I go back in time, back to my youth. My minds eye shows me the pier full of people and a line of sailors, our thoughts on our families that we are leaving and places we will be visiting. I fight to bring myself back to where I am.

The song, "Teddy bear song". I recall a young girl who was hired and trained to work on print circuit boards where I worked. She was newly married and had been hired about 6 weeks. She had been trained for about 4 weeks, in anticipate of a new contract to make equipment for the military. I called her Teddy Bear because I thought she was as cute as a teddy bear. Then on day she called me over and said " this is my last day". We didn't get the contract and her skills were not needed. So as she packed her little tool kit she had been made to buy, little wire cutter, needle nose pliers, small screwdrivers, ete. She was trying not to let the tears flow but she told me they had just gotten use to the extra money.

I wish I had button eyes and a red felt nose, khaki cotton skin and just one set of cloths, sitting on a shelf in a local department store. With no dreams to dreams and nothing to be sorry for. I wish I was a teddy bear, not living or loving, and not going no where, I wish I was a teddy bear.

It went something like that. The song came out about the time this happened. I guess that's why I called her Teddy Bear. I hope things worked out well for her.

So now when I hear that song, I return to yesteryear and see her again. I wish I could have had a million dollars to help her out. She was so kind and sweet that she got under my skin. Funny, I don't remember her real name.

Other songs, "Rambin' Rose," "She was a wild and lovely Rose", Pretend you don't see" and others, and her name wasn't Rose. Enough said about that.

So, do you have memory triggers?

Back Then

Return with me to 2007, Christmas time.

Three month post the passing of my wife. I didn't want to be at home that Christmas. The memories would have driven me crazy. So I went seeking friends to visit with. And a great time I had.

I met people I had chatted with for years and had wanted to meet for years.

The first person to get to the gathering was my gal pal Sal.

I have been chatting with Sally since she was known as Tiffy and then Tiffy2. OK, so I'm not Glen Beck but I got a hug anyway. Thanks Sally, you remain in my heart and will always be there. You are a special person.


The gangs all here! The best of the best! Left to right, Kings fan, Me, Angie, who organized the get together, Thanks Heart! Next to her is LisaM, she has a blog that I follow. I admire her courage and I can feel the love she has for her kids. Then there is Lammy! The one I pattern my blot after. I loved her blog. She spoke about things as she saw them.

I miss reading her notes and keeping up with her family. But I still would not want to get on her "bad side". Next hiding is Sally, and Ducky. Ducky is Angie's S-I-L.



Again, left to right. My friend Lisa, Lammy, that old guy and Ducky.

When I met Lisa that day, I didn't know she was the Lisa who's blog I had been reading. It was not till I got home to Texas that I put 2 and 2 together and realized she was LisaM from blog land. Duh, wish I had known. Ducky and Angie had their husbands and Ducky had her kids with them .



After a fine meal and some face to face chatting I took a break to go wash my hands. When I returned to our table there was a gift in the place I had been sitting. They gave me a book! I didn't expect that at all. My son, Robert, who was with us didn't give me a hint that something was going one. Somehow they had been passing it around and everyone signed it. Took all I had to keep from crying.

I was sorry The Shauna and Brandi and other from long ago could not be there but I was glad that some of the best people from cyberland were there. Busdriver Fred and his wife were there too, but I can't find a picture. ( had a HD crash and lost most of my pictures.) Robert was there too and he thought they were a great group of people.


While in Utah, I went to temple square. I had always wanted to see the lights at Christmas. So my son and I went one night. There was this group of sister missionaires there. There were singing carols along with an older elder. I told my son to take a picture of us and went and stood with them. As you can see, they had a hard time not laughing! I don't think they minded but the old man I was not to sure about. I think they thought I was some kind of nut.

I had a good time.

I remember the Reeve's family

I was reading the blogs of fellow transplanted friends. One of my friend had a lung transplant and the other had both lungs transplanted. Reading them brings back many memories..

I remember throwing up blood and the doctor not letting me drive to the hospital. My heart was racing and my blood pressure was very low. We were talking about how I had driven to his office and how he would not let me leave on my own. I called a friend to come and take me to the hospital. The doctor was about to call an ambulance to come get me when my friend walked in to take me. I told him he saved my life and for the first time he told me it was luck. He thought I was going to die.

I remembered talking to my donor family on TV. Back then it was news when one met the donor family. They wrote the hospital where the organs were harvested and they sent the letter to the hospital that did the transplant. Then I wrote to them, sending the letter to my hospital and they send it to the other hospital who then sent it to the family. We were not allow to give out our name or address. They had wanted to meet and I said okay. So the hospital got together, picked a date, called the TV stations and I drove the 72 miles to the hospital in Austin to meet them. First we had to be together in front of the cameras. I tried to lead the discussion to talk about the donor family. I remember tell them ( heck, I got the video of it) that they were the heros. I could not help getting sick, I had no choice. They had a choice and choose to give life.

After the camera left and we were allowed to just talk among ourself the mom told me how hard it was when they asked her about being a donor. The hardest part was being asked, organ by organ and having to sign for each one. Would you donate the kidneys, yes, sign here, will you donate the heart? Yes, sign here. Would you donate the liver? yes, sign here. When it came to the eyes she said no, told me she just could not give the eyes that she had looked into.

I told her that of all the people I knew on the transplant list, not one of us wanted anyone to die so we could get an organ. I never prayed that I would receive one because I knew someone would have died. I tried not to be afraid and I don't believe I was. On the day I got the call, I had gone to where I use to work to say good bye to a few special friends. I knew my time was running out, I had all the signs that I had been told about. While there, my pager went off and I called in. I remember the words I heard, "get your yellow fanny up here, we believe we have a donor." I told the girl I was talking with at the time to spread the word and I started home. I could not go without my wife. That was almost 13 years ago. The date was Feb 14, 1997. My donor died Valentine Days, Feb.14, 1997. He left a wife and 2 kids, one boy, age 18, one girl age 21. His wife was in her 40s. They had been high schools sweethearts.

Today, Christmas season, I think of the gifts. The Son from our Father in Heaven and my liver, from a person I never knew. I recall the TV reporter that asked the wife, "how do you feel sitting next to the man who has your husband's liver?". She answered, "it is not my husbands liver, it is Lee's, to live with as he wants to." A great answer.

To my transplant friends, give thanks to people who shard there love ones with us. Every now and then, think about them and say a prayer for them. Without them, where would we be?

Birthday

Oh Boy! Mom is here with my cake and stuff and my teacher put a crown on my head! It is my day! I am 6 years old now.
















Lianna, at her desk with frosting on her lip. Kindergarden is fun! Next year she will shall be in First Grade. That will be a jump for her.









This is the cake Lianna had in class. It is a bunch of cupcakes covered in frosting. That is a lot of frosting. There were enough cupcakes for everyone in class and some left over for grandpa at home. And the care bears went home with her too. Next up, Christmas!!!

the parade pictures

There's mom!
Sophie joins Lianna under the covered area


















Lianna, sitting under the covered area waiting for rest of parade to join them.















Lianna, coming into the covered area where her mom was waiting.

the big parade

Today was the annual school Halloween parade. As last year, I went this year too. I missed all of the parades when my boys were in school. Had to work and Sandra had all the fun.

I really enjoyed this years parade. It was shorter as they didn't have the contest and other stuff. That will be held this evening and they will show free movies in the covered area.

I enjoyed, most of all, the kids and before that waiting with Sophie. I got there early for the 9:30 parade only to be told it was postpond to 10:15. Should I wait or go home and come back. I live about 8 blocks from the school but I waited anyway. Sophie had a great time, I let her run in the play area and I saw many smiles as I chased after her. Only once did she make a dash for the parking lot. I didn't know I could still move as fast as I did.

At last, time for the parade. I went to where the kid left the school grounds and around the block to the parking lot. After taking a couple of pictures I ran to the parking lot to get a couple of more pictures of Lianna. It was good to see all the classes taking part. The first class was the special needs class. They didn't know anything about that, they were just happy to be there. I waved and they smiled and waved back. So I started calling out the characters I knew and boy did they smile! Hello Spiderman, Hi princess, Hello etc. Then I looked up and the class behind them was waving at me. So I stayed there till Lianna passed by and I almost missed her. In fact, I didn't get a picture there.

So off to the end of the route I went. Lots of parents there. Looked for Sophie and her mom and found them. Asked Stephie if she had gotten any pictures and she said "Not really, had to hold Sophie". So I held Sophie and told her to get take some pictures. The I decided to take Sophie to where Lianna was sitting and let her see her big sister. Sophie was thrilled and I put her down and she went and sat with her sister and all the other big kids. Big smiles on Lianna and Sophie. Stephie took some pictures. Hope to have them soon. Will post them when I get them.

Sophie didn't want to leave her sister but we had to leave as it was time for the kids to go back to school for what ever they had to do.

My pictures didn't turn out to good. My batteries were to weak to allow me rapid picture taking and I miss lots of good shots. The picture posted at the top is of Lianna coming out of the school grounds and heading for the sidewalk. The street was blocked for work they were doing. She is the Fairy Princess.

My thoughts back to the parade, good time for me and Lianna and Sophie. The cool weather and early hour was forgotten as I saw the smiles on the face of Lianna and the other kids. I think I will try to hang around for Sophie's parades! Teachers dressed as witchs and gobblens and WOW, a can can dancer!!! Moms looking at their kids with pride written all over they face. Only a few dads. Guess that's why grandpas go to school activites. Happy kids. Hope I don't hear the songs, monster mash, Adam's family and Thiller for a long time. Smiles, smiles and more smiles.

A warm feeling as I left, Sophie looked tired. Stephie feeling good.

Thanks God, I needed this.