South Dakota, July, 2011

I just returned to Oklahoma, from an annual trip to South Dakota. This trip included a high school reunion, and a 'Fletcher family reunion' (Marge & Evert Fletcher)....It was a great reunion. Dick & Gloria Black were amongst us. Dick is a great 'Interviewer'... Gloria is a very compassionate lady.

I met cousins that I didn't know about. I re-met cousins that I forgot about. I interacted with cousins that I had not seen in years. It was just a wonderful interactment!

I enjoyed a road trip with my sister Sandy. I enjoyed a long visit w/Barbara & Edwin @their house.

Everything is Good!

My Uncle Dick and Aunt Gloria..................

I will tell you one thing....... These Two People are just Absolutely Amazing! I have not seen, nor connected with my Uncle Dick Black......EVER! However, we are family. I just absolutely love Gloria................she is so grounded! What A Treat To Meet and Interact with them! I absolutely loved the experience!

I Am Ashamed of Myself

I am absolutely ashamed of myself for not posting. My sister Barbara asked me for a picture of 'Mama's ashes ceremony' on Medicine Butte in Reliance, South Dakota, and the only one I had to offer, was this one on my website.

Well, she was able to do whatever she needed to do, in order to 'copy & paste', or whatever. Anyway, she retrieved the picture she wanted.

She is writing a book about her life.....and, I am anxious for her to finish it. Reason being, I don't REMEMBER much about 'our life' prior to my being 18 years old. By then, I was 'on my own'.

I asked for a copy of what she has written so far..... No, you have to wait for the finished product.....We are all so weird, aren't we? Barbara, what if I lose my mind tomorrow?..........I'll never know 'the end'.....but, yes, I do.

subconscious thoughts

I am amazed most mornings, coming out of my very restful sleep. My dreams are very fresh, and I really have to concentrate on all the experiences encountered prior to waking up, or they flee within five minutes. Guess I should have a paper & pencil @hand to capture my thoughts.

This morning was exceptional. Many truths about myself were revealed, sort of in a chronological order, but still all mixed together. Happenings and friends from childhood to my forties.

Some truths were harder to look at, than others, but the bottom line was positive, so I'm taking that as forgiveness.........from myself and from God. I woke up with a positive and very happy heart. It's a great way to start the day.

I should pick up the phone and re-connect with a quick hello to all the friends in my final dream of the nite............It only takes a few minutes and is worth its weight in gold.

A 'NI HAO KAI LAN' MOMENT

So, as usual, I pick Rileigh Shea up from pre K @exactly 10:45 each Monday thru Friday. If I need to run an errand afterwards, I take her with me...(we do enjoy each other's company, after all). Today, I just could not stand my hair another moment, so, I informed Rileigh that 'taotao' needed a haircut, then we would get a lunch of her choice. 'Good Idea, taotao, I like to go to your haircut place'. (of course she does, she loves 'WHIRLING THE CHAIRS AROUND' at a record speed).

We enter the salon.......... One post-teen lady is waiting ahead of us, the hairdresser is @the opened back door, visiting..........'Hi, have a seat, be with you in a minute' she hollers......So we sit, & we sit.

'Hi, are you a Chinese girl'? asks Rileigh of the girl next to us. The girl is not affected at all & says 'yes, I am Chinese'. Rileigh responds, 'I know, I can tell by your hair'. I just look her in the eyes and smile....she responds by telling me that she thinks Rileigh is a very bright and an outgoing child & is enjoying the interaction........

The Chinese girl gets her adorable cut, then it is our turn. A couple of men show up for a cut, and we are all lined up like crows on a telephone wire.....(rileigh in the chair next to me)....... She fidgets, and she fidgets. I ask her to calm down and just sit still for a little while. 'Taotao is almost done, honey, just be still for a little longer, okay?' 'Okay, taotao.' Then she jumps down, walks over to my chair...........'I wuv you, taotao'. 'I love you too, rileigh shea'. She stands there, just looking at me & then out of the blue, says: 'Okay, so now will you take your teeth out?'

I am thinking, (what did she just say?), and then I realize: she said what she said!, "taotao, will you take your teeth out"?

WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

You say: 'well, I can't right now, honey. We are in a beauty shop, and there are too many people around'...................Then there was a LOUD ROAR. Amen.

Alzheimer's Scares Me To Death!

Let's see, today is 18 October 2010, and I am 71+ years old. So far, I don't have any REAL tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's. But then, every time I catch myself not remembering (IMMEDIATELY), how to do something, where I placed something, OR anything, something, my first thought is 'Oh My God!, I'm getting Alzheimer's! I am scared to death of it...........and why? Because of Mama. She was never diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed with dimentia, however, I don't see much difference. Well, maybe I do. She was VERY CLEAR on certain things. For instance, when all of us girls would visit her @once, she always knew our names, and our order of birth........ Everyone poo-poo's Alzheimer's off, by saying things like: 'well, who cares?, don't worry about it, you will be the lucky one, you're in a world of your own, and you don't know what is happening, anyway, so don't concern yourself!

So who do I concern? Vicki & John, and their family? ... maybe not! Vicki & John have always told me that if I am diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they will put me in a HOME. After I am settled in, they will paint a MURAL on my wall of the beach and ocean, put a well planted standing oscillating fan next to the painting & myself, & let me think I am receiving the Island breezes, and back on Guam. I told them that works for me! hahahahahaha

I bring this up, only because tonite I received a message from Twilla on fb, regarding her father, Bill Dinwiddie. He HAS Alzheimer's. She sent me a message that she showed him a picture of me from my fb page, and he recognized me immediately. I told her that it was because he loved me, and love does not have the same vision as the world. And, I believe that.

Homecoming Parade

Well, well, Homecoming parades in Newcastle, America are really something to behold! Now, I was raised in a very small farming town in South Dakota, during the 1950's. Our consolidated school did not have a football team, however, we had a fantastic, State Championship, Basketball team! Because of this, I KNOW ABOUT FLOATS! Newcastle, America, in 2010, does not know how to make an attractive Homecoming Float!

I delivered my granddaughter, lauren, to her 'float site', B/4 the parade............I was sorta surprised...no, scratch that.....shocked to see the floats that were about to enter the parade! They were barren, they were plain jane........ I could not believe what I was seeing.

So, I will contact lauren's Papa Martin , and ask him to help me next year. (Vicki says he has a trailer) I think we should make a decent appearance @the parade!