MY MAW-MAW

Oh my, I don't know where to begin. This time last week I was praying to Jesus to heal my Maw-Maw, give her strength, get her through yet another sickness that has landed her in the hospital.

Here's how it started, Maw-Maw had been sick off and on Thanksgiving week, she went to the ER Friday night, only to have them send her back to the nursing home that evening. Then Sunday morning, I got a call from Mom, they've taken Maw-Maw back to the hospital, no need to come up there, she'll call when we know something. Get a call that evening, she has an infection in her colon, which is what is making her so sick, going to keep her and give her IV antibiotics. I am not going to see her Monday, she'll probably be to tired for visitors. I'll go Tuesday.

Monday morning get a call from my Mom around 7:30, everyone's at work, the hospital called had to take Maw-Maw to the ICU, she's having a little trouble breathing, Mom didn't think it was a big deal, ask me to head up to the hospital for the 9:00 visit, check on her and tell her Mom and Dad would be up as soon as they got off work. OK, here's where it starts going down hill, so I get there and go into the ICU, which I really hate, Grandmother died there, I hate the way it smells, the sounds just the way it feels, but I am there........alone. For those who know me, I don't handle things like this very well. SO I get there and go into the double doors, everythings fine, right, well, I ask the nurse where Betty June Nicholson's room is she points to 287, where there are a couple of nurses and a doctor working on someone, she tells me to step in the hall and they'll let me know when I can see her, as I walk by I see what I believe is a breathing machine hooked to Maw-Maw, not good, I get scared. I stand in the hall at the door way, every time the door opens I see more nurses and the doctor still doing something. At one point the maintenance
guy had walked by a couple of times, guess he could see I was worried, What's your grandmother's name, he ask, I told him and he told me he was going to pray for her. The one of the nurses tell me to sit in the waiting room and that the doctor wants to talk to me. OH CRAP! So I sit and wait, then she comes and gets me, takes me to Maw-Maw bed, she doesn't look good at all, she is on a breathing machine, the doctor tells me that she is critically ill, the infection in her colon has caused her kidneys to stop working, they also think she had a slight heart attack, low blood pressure, high blood cells, he's not sure she going to make it. I get upset, I gotta call Mom, they've got to get up here quickly!!! As I sit and wait on them, I called Nick, Alex and Karen then I am alone in the waiting room, my mind is going in slow motion. What's going on I am not ready to lose her, I'm not working my second job any more, I told her the last time I saw her I would start coming by more often, she was excited about that and so was I. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!!!!

The rest of the day, the whole family came to the hospital, it's hard to just sit and wait! Around 5:00 a doctor came out and told us he didn't think she would last much longer, ugh! The rest of the night, we would all take turns going to her bed, I told her what a wonderful Maw-Maw she was and that I loved her very much, Trevar and I were the last grandchildren to leave, it was close to midnight, the only ones left were Mom, Dad and my dad's sister. I was going to go home, take my contacts out, sleep for a couple of hours and head back up there, but she left us at 2:00am on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. When Dad called and told me I cried, then I started thinking.................when I went through my divorce 2 years ago, me and Maw-Maw would have some wonderful talks, she helped me through an awful time in my life. She told me how when she was 35 years old, her husband, Granddaddy Nick, her one and only true love had died and she had never dated or re-married, all I could think about was, after 45 years of waiting, they were together again!! It gave me peace!!

The days that followed were hard, we cleaned out her room, so many people came to the door, in tears they are going to miss her too!! We had the visitation, again, she was such a wonderful woman and she had touched so many lives, then the funeral!!

All of this happened between last Monday and Thursday, so it's not over!! I always loved going by there to see her, she was SO funny!! Boy did she have some stories, she never complained, no matter how sick she was. Like I said I know she's in heaven with Granddaddy Nick and I know she can run around and not hurt any more, but man I am going to miss her to much!!!!

Pray for our family, Christmas wont be the same without her, but Jesus now has two of the sweetest angels, Maw-Maw (Betty June Nicholson) and Grandmommy (Irene Tressillian) And I miss them both!!!

September 11th

Well, today is September 11th, until seven years ago it was just another day, but then September 11, 2001 things would be changed forever. The United States were attacked, it was something you only saw in the movies or in other countries, it couldn't happen here!! I am sure at least once today everyone thought about what happened. where you were when it happened and how lives were changed. This morning when I got to work I was listening to Rick and Bubba, they replayed part of their show from that very day, it hit me so hard, I started to cry, it was like all those fears were coming back again and the pain of all those lives lost! I remember that day, we were at work and someone came in and said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, we just thought it was an accident, so we turned on the TV to see what they were saying about it, just as we turned it on we were just in time to see the next plane crash. That night we gathered at church and prayed for people in New York, people in Washington, people in Pittsburgh, our country and our President. All this to say, we need to keep these people in our prayers still, even though we get to go thru our lives these people have to live with it every day!! So, keep praying!!

ON A HAPPIER NOTE: Today is my birthday day!!!!! I have had a good day, but I have sneezed all day, what the crap!!!! Just took some medicine, so I should be asleep in about an hour, fun birthday. But really today I had many friends and family members calling me, texting me, emailing me leaving me myspace and facebook messages. I am so blessed to have wonderful people around me. Now I am getting sleepy, I am gonna go now!!

Have a wonderful evening!!!
Word to yo mamma!

Remember to love one another!

So, Thursday was like any other day, until I got to work. Once I got here I hear that one of our co-workers, Rusty, was killed in a car accident on Wednesday night. WOW, I was sort of in shock, not sure what to do or what to say. He had worked here for 10 years, got off work went by his mom's house, like he does every day, and then on the way home was hit head on by lady with two small children in her car. On Friday we heard she had also passed away. Since then, I have really been thinking, wondering if I were to die right now, do the people that I love know how I feel about them? I don't tell every one of my family members, except Trevar, every day that I love them, I don't tell my friends that I love them either. Sometimes I will go weeks without telling someone in my family that I love them, but do they know that anyway. I sure hope so, it makes me realize how you take so many things for granted, just think it's always going to be the same way forever, but it's not. Things change, people change and it's all in God's plan, His love is the only thing that stays the same. So, if you are reading this today, please tell your friends and family how much they mean to you and that you love them.

On a happier note, my little brother, Nick, had a birthday yesterday, 34 years old!! I remember for some reason thinking he was born in our house, I think because I was almost 4 and the only thing I remember was Mom being pregnant in her room and then me going in there, probably days later, and her holding him in her room. I also remember thinking, why do we have to have this little baby in our family. I really didn't want him, I know that was mean, but I was only 4 and was spoiled rotten!! BUT, today, I am every grateful to God that He placed us in the same family. I don't know what I would do without my Nick. Over the years we have gotten closer, probably a little closer than he would have liked, lol, but I am so thankful that I have him. Plus he gave me my little Hannah and Noelle!! :o)

Until next time, word up! :o)

Different Stuff!!

So, 20 year class reunion,um, what can I say about it. Hard to believe I had a 20 year anything much less being out of school for 20 years. SO, it was a little strange, I dated and married the same guy from high school, so everybody there only knew me as me with him and now I am not AND I went by myself, which was HUGH for me. Not real good about doing things, especially like this, by myself, but hey, I made it and had a great time!

Alex's brother Eric is in town from Illinois, he's a fun guy! They give me a hard time and when Trevar's with them, like last night, MAN it's a wonder I want to hang with them at all, but I know they are just kidding around with me. Last night we stayed up until 1:30, with them playin Rock Band, I must say they got pretty good, Trev on guitar, Eric on drums and Alex on vocals.

Hey, my sister-in-law, Jenny so she's like an awesome photographer, I mean really good!! If you haven't already check her web-site, http://www.jennifernicholsonphotography.com/, but anyway, so she got invited to be in Birmingham Artwalk 2008 and I am so EXCITED!! This is going to show a bunch of people what a talent she has, I mean I know she's my sister and all but really guys see for your self, she is awesome! So come out and so the love, it's downtown Bham, Sept 5th & 6th. This is going to be huge for her!!

I've told you some about my brother and let me tell you a little about my sister (in-law), you know how you are sometimes protective over your little brother (or sister) and who he/she dates, well when Nick started dating Jenny I liked her, right off. She fit in our family perfectly, guess that's why she's still around. I always kid Nick and tell him if something was to happened to them, she stays and he goes, now I am just joking but that's how much I love her! She and I have always been close, I can only think of one time where we had a disagreement and it was stupid, we talked it out and everything worked out. BUT she is a talented, sweet, loving person, you can't help but like her when you are around her. She has this amazing voice, that I think our little Hannah also has, but it is such a beautiful sound when she sings. I keep kidding her about when(if) I get married, I am like, "You are either going to be my maid of honor, my wedding singer or my photographer" Maybe we could figure how to do all three, lol! She likes to be behind the camera, which isn't always good, we need some pictures of her, that's another thing she is so pretty. (I am not trying to suck up to Jenny, I am just telling you about this awesome person) She is a wonderful wife to my brother, a great mom to Hannah and Noelle, an awesome aunt to my Trevar and absolutely a terrific sister, if you don't believe me just ask her real sister's Susan and Sabrina. All I am saying is that I am so thankful to God that He put Jenny in my brothers life and gave me a true friend that I can call a sister! I love you Jenny!!

OK, gotta go start a fun filled weekend with my Trev and the Slichenmyer brothers!! UGH, LOL!

Be Safe!

It's Been A Long Time

WOW, so it's been a long time since I blogged! Again, not even sure if anyone reads this, but when I have time I like to do it. SO, what's been happening since June 19th. Um, let's see, not much really. Um, I had a week off in July, the week after the 4th. Didn't do anything, just hung out at Alex's apartment, hit the pool a couple of days, by the end of the week I had a scratch on my eye, so I could hardly keep my eye opened. That was a lot of fun. OH, I dyed my hair really, really dark brown. Alex suggested it and I thought why not, I need something new. SO, my hair is brown and so far I've got lots of compliments. What else, OH, we went to the Georgia Aquarium for Trevar's 18th birthday. Me, Alex, Trevar, Mom, Dad, Nick, Jenny, Hannah and Noelle, we had lots of fun! It's always fun to be around the fam, they make me happy! Pretty much the rest of the month just working. Working two jobs, stinks, but if Trevar and I are going to get into an apartment, that's what's gonna have to happen. OH YEA, we registered my little one into COLLEGE, YIKES! I can't believe he's going to college. It's crazy! BUT the craziest thing is my 20 year reunion is this coming weekend, I have been graduated from high school for 20 years.

Um, that makes me really sit and think, what has 20 years brought me, confusion, happiness, heart break, stress and now back to happiness. I think right now in my life I am happier than I have been in a while. It's not a person that makes me happy, even though Alex makes me happy, um most of the time, lol! It's just my life. For so long I lived in an unhappy relationship because I was afraid of change and scared of something different and that's just what you do, you stay in it until it gets better, well after 16 years it didn't get better it got worse and even though it was not my choice to leave the relationship, NOW I am so grateful it is over and I can learn to be happy! As crazy as it sounds I am 37 years old and having to deal with emotions that I am not always sure how to deal with. Sometimes I think, this is not how my life is suppose to be, I should be married, have my own house, be in a loving relationship, but you know the more I have thought about it, I am right where God wants me to be. I heard for about 2 years now, "Everything happens for a reason" until I am sick to death, but everybody's right, everything does happen for a reason, it's just not my time to know what that reason is.

SO, for now I am learning to deal with the life I have, I am learning to enjoy it, be happy, even when I think I can't anymore, I can. Cause you know what, there's always someone out there that has it worse. I have the best brother and sister-in-law, two beautiful nieces, a wonderful mom and dad, an awesome son and a great friend that I lean on more than I need to, not to mention all the terrific friends I have around me all the time! SO, happiness has found me, love will find me, I just have to give it time. Right now the focus is an apartment, so if your reading this right now, say a little prayer that in a couple of months an apartment will come through for me and Trevar.

I'll keep you posted on the reunion, this should be FUN!
Love & Peace

Aw, America's greatest past time, BASEBALL!

I LOVE BASEBALL!! Really I do, not just the cute guys in the tight ball pants, but the game! I grew up in it, now I played softball, cause girls didn't play baseball, but I was all around it. My Dad's Dad, Granddaddy Nick, whom I never met, was the first President of Greenwood Dixie Youth, which was a long time ago, my parents have a picture of my Dad's baseball team, with Granddaddy Nick as the coach, my Dad was just a little guy, maybe 9 or 10. Once we got old enough, which I was probably 10 and Nick was probably 6, we started playing at Greenwood, boy did we have some fun, fun times there! The park was small, not too many teams, if you played there you pretty much knew everyone that played there. It was sort of like an extended family. As we got older, my parents got more involved, my Dad actually was the president and any given week day afternoon he could be found on the lawn mower dragging the field and linin it off, getting ready for the night games. Mom help with the concession stand, during Allstars, if we were not playing somewhere and we had a tournament going, you could usually find us taking up the gate money, working the press box or working the concession stand, for $5.00 a game. We would also go watch the Birmingham Barons play, now Im telling my age, but we would go to Rickwood Field and watch, fun times! There was a player that I really liked, his name was George Foussianes, when he got up to bat, everyone would start saying, FOO, FOO, FOO, it was so much fun! Then as I got older and had Trevar I couldn't wait for him to play, neither could the rest of the family, my Dad gave Trevar a baseball jacket and ball cap, before he was even born, we didn't even know if he was a girl or a boy, sure enough, he played from 4 years old to 15 years old, we were at the park ALL THE TIME and loved every minute of it. SO, now here I am 37 years old, yikes, and I still love the game, the Braves, the Barons, and yes even the Cardinals, I'll watch it on TV, it doesn't matter who's playin! The fun thing now is, I am hanging out with a guy that loves the game as much, or more, than I do. Alex plays on the Shockers with Nick, so baseball is every where!! Last year he and I went to Montgomery to watch the Biscuits play the Mississippi, Braves, which his buddy plays on. Also, we keep scorin tickets to the Barons, nothing better than a FREE baseball game. So, tonight on Thirsty Thursday, drinks $1 and $.20 wings, we are GOIN TO THE BALLPARK, and I can't wait!

I'll leave you with a quote from The Great Bambino: "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way" Herman "Babe" Ruth