Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year's Eve!


The picture on the blog tonight is one Don took a couple of days ago when I was working on the computer. Our connection from here is dial up, so it’s very slow. Ugh; that’s one of the bad things about traveling, but I’m so glad to be able to connect at all.

Today I’ve been looking for a friend from days in Chattanooga. I have her snail mail address, but the phone number I have is not current. I guess I’ll have to break down and send a snail note! I’ll find her!

Today has been a busy day. I ground chia seeds, made hamburger patties with chia seeds and made a jello salad, jello pieces, a pasta salad and chex. We were out of ground chia and the hamburger was waiting to be put into patties. The rest I just did because it seemed like the time to do it. I walked by myself because it was too cold for Don. He’s so funny; he’s only good for great warm days. It was only briskly cold; the wind wasn’t bad, so I enjoyed it.

We have a couple of ponds by our room and there is a fountain in each one. For some reason neither fountain has been working since we’ve been here. I asked a couple of people about it and called about it yesterday. Still they weren’t working today. I climbed up onto my soap box and called them, again! Everything I see about this place shows the fountains and then we get here and they aren’t working! I took that to be false advertising, so I called for a second time and asked if they could turn on the fountains and told them this was my second time to call. About an hour later they turned on the fountains. I felt like a baby who just threw down my toy and someone picked it up . . . you know? I made something happen. That, plus I cooked up everything in the condo. Ha! It’s been a fun day. Don is up to his ears in football and I’m headed to the Jacuzzi.

I thank God for a great year of healing and repairs. This year has been a financial disaster, but we have love and health and that’s what really matters.

6 comments:

  1. Jo and Don,

    Happy New Year! May 2009 be as great as 2008 has been to our families...God is an awesome God and has blessed us daily with health and happiness.

    Hey, I sent a salad (that wasn't fresh) back at a very "upscale" restaurant last night...I decided that I will never again pay for an unfresh salad as it is one of my favorite things at a nice restaurant...so keep those fountains spouting!

    So enjoy reading your blog...have a great vacation.

    Love ya,

    Donna

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  2. Thanks, Donna, for sharing your sending the salad back when it wasn't fresh. It makes me feel better about getting up onto my soap box and hanging tough until I got some action.

    No kidding, God has blessed us so richly. Actually He's always blessed us, but we could see it so well this last year. This has been an eye opening couple of years for me.

    Kailan has been such a trooper and her example helped me when the going was tough. I think of her every time I notice my scars from the pic line and it makes me smile.

    Thanks for keeping up with us on the blog! It's good for me to know people care enough to read it.

    Thanks so much for taking Ian's journal for me, too. You're the best!

    Love you and happy new year!

    Jo

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  3. Jo~~I guess there's a rebel thread running through both of us!! I would have hung in there until the fountains were on too (sorry Donna...you are braver than me...I'm scared to send anything back!!) Jo, you answered my question: I was wondering if you had dial up as I was going to send you a really cool picture of your two nephews taken between two Titan's cheerleaders last night! Uncle David took them to the "Feff Fisher Show" where they managed to get autographs from Jeff Fisher and one of the players! I knew you would like the picture. Well, 2008 is history; hope 2009 will present challenges worthwhile, enjoyable and rewarding to you.

    Love you!
    Ruthie

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  4. Glad to hear you are well and enjoying your vacation! I hope this new year brings you health, peace, love and joy! I know you are as grateful to start the new year cancer free as I am!
    Happy New Year!
    Love,
    Wendy's Becky

    P.S. I have been thinking about Wendy a lot lately. I miss her so much sometimes. She really understood me and I haven't connected so closely with any other breast cancer survivors since. She was a true kindred spirit and I wish she was still here. She has a certain calmness about her that really eased my heart. I will never forget her and I'm glad she brought me to you!!! Jo, you are an inspiration to me! You really find the true meaning in life and you really live it. Cheers!

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  5. Ruthie, I do have dial up, but still send the picture of the boys. It'll be worth the wait to download it!

    Wonder where we got that rebel streak? I don't think it was Mom or the Fox side. I don't really recall any rebels on the Hodge side, either! Jim sure got a big dose of it! Come to think of it, it was Daddy. Ha!

    Your little rebel sister,

    Mary Jo

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  6. Yes, Becky, I am so grateful. Twice a day when I rub lotion over my scars I thank God that there are no bumps or anything suspicious! I think of Wendy every single time because I know she found those bumps on her 'wound' and under her arm. I check like a hawk; she makes me! Ha! God love her; she was something else. She was so calming and her life had not been easy. She was just a master at coping, I think. She developed that ability as she needed it. You and I were blessed to have her influence us. I hope others will find her story and read it and find strength. She was a joy to me and I miss her, too. I would sure love to have shared these healing times with her.

    I thank God that you are doing well and remain cancer free. God has a plan and we must not let Him down! It's my joy to live and rejoice and hope we can influence others for good.

    Please keep stopping in to check on me. I love hearing from you and you are inspiring to me, too. You keep me on my toes.

    I love you,

    Wendy's Jo

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