Tagged

OK, Jules...

Ten Years Ago - In 1995 I was married and living in Salina in a very family-oriented, close neighborhood. I was a stay-at-home mom with a 6-yr-old and a 3-yr-old, babysitting a little girl who continues to be one of my daughter's closest friends. In the summer of that year my Mother-In-Law was diagnosed with Stage IV aggressive intestinal cancer. The following 5 months were filled with doctor appointments and chemotherapy sessions...and we watched helplessly as she slipped away. It was a very difficult and sad time and the months that followed were some of the darkest of my life.

Five Years Ago - By the year 2000 I had been a single mom for three years and was actually at a good place, personally. I had a very supportive and loving network of family and friends, the kids were doing wonderfully and my former husband and I had worked through the bitterness, coming to a point where we could get along and make decisions together. I was working at the University library doing Interlibrary Loans and had a flexible schedule that allowed me a lot of time to be with my children. I met the man I'm married to now in February of that year and I knew instantly that he was someone I could love and count on especially when a month after meeting, a bleeding lesion was found in the post temporal parietal region of my brain. Many extensive tests followed as well as a trip to Mayo Clinic and KU Med. With an inconclusive finding I was sent home to monitor any neurological changes....and so far, so good! James and I became engaged in October of that year and began preparations to blend our families, move to a new community and begin a new life.

One Year Ago - 2004 marked our 3rd wedding anniversary and the second year of living in our new house. My youngest stepdaughter graduated from high school and headed to college - a transition that was more emotional than I'd expected. My daughter was promoted as Valedictorian from her 8th grade class into high school and my son started his first year in Junior High: Babies no more. I had a very unexpected and urgent hysterectomy with blood transfusion and a long recovery, followed by thyroid surgery 6 months later.

These time frames - 10, 5, 1 year ago...happen to fall during trying times in my life, but there really have been far more blessings than difficulties!

Yesterday - I was at the fair with my family, feeling content with life and at home just where I am.

Five favorite snacks - I basically love everything! Let's see.....Peanut Butter Twix (or anything chocolate), ice cream, popcorn, Chili chips, sunflower seeds.

Five songs I know all the words to - wow...I remember a lot of words. "Till We Meet Again", "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (lots of musical numbers!), "Me and You", "Teddy Bear's Picnic" and "The Star Spangled Banner".

What I would do with $100 Million Dollars - Pay off our house, our household bills and all of my medical bills. Finish our basement and build a retaining wall so we don't have to worry about water anymore! Finish off the rest of our house (landscaping, porch, garage, shed) and move in some really big trees since our house was built in the middle of a field and all of our trees are VERY small. Buy a tractor for my husband. Finally get all of that dental work done. Take my family on a vacation. Get a vehicle that has less than 200,000 miles on it! Put in a walk-in Sonic or some type of eatery in town where families can meet and teens can gather after school. Help out my church. Do MANY anonymous things for family, friends and people who are truly deserving. (This is fun to think about....!)

Five Places I Would Run To - Galveston, Seattle (would love to see my brother's home), A cozy B&B somewhere in the NE in the autumn, Ireland and Paris.

Five Things I'd Never Wear - a bikini (been there...but those days are long gone!), a bungee cord (no way, no how!), a tattoo, a mumu, black fingernail polish.

Five Favorite TV Shows - According to Jim, What Not to Wear, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (good family activity!), Ambush Makeover and anything on HGTV.

Five Bad Habits - Eating junk food, being too hard on myself, staying up too late, having my clothes all folded neatly....but not putting them away, procrastinating.

Five Biggest Joys - My husband and children, music, sharing Thanksgiving...the Pumpkin Patch, Christmastime, special times...with my parents and siblings, a relaxing day with a close friend and the written word - books/writing.

Five favorite Toys - My cameras, the computer, my CD player, my art stuff and Hobby Lobby.