What a year! While I do agree that there were many blessed events and happy times to remember in all of our lives...there have certainly been real tragedies and losses plus the normal ups and downs in family life and what goes on with our friends. We would have to bite a collective bullet if forced to relive 2013.
As Americans, we have survived blow after blow....and just when we didn't know how we were going to stand up, just to be knocked in the dirt again, Phil Robertson showed us that you just do it.
You flat out just do it --because it is right.
It is right to stand up for what you believe. It is ok to be true to yourself...true to your faith and not care what anyone besides the good Lord thinks.
Read somewhere how scientists took a bunch of lab rats and frustrated them....now rats are quite the little problem-solvers if left to their own devices and given time to think. But, in this experiment, the floor of the cage was equipped with enough voltage to painfully shock them as they attempted to work out a solution to all the problems put before them. There was yummy food for the taking, if they solved the problem. The layout was rigged so if they went this direction, they got shocked. If they turned and went another, they would get another shock.
Therefore, the problems were never resolved due to the little fellows being painfully knocked down at every try they made. (I am an animal-person. I say that even a rat has a sense of justice and what is right.) At the end of the gruesome experiment, you know what the little Ratties did when their efforts were foiled at every turn?
They simply lay down on the floor of the cage...they couldn't fight it anymore. They all quit trying, lost their will to fight for what they wanted....they all laid down and just gave up.
Just like those Ratties, we wanted to see things set right....one problem followed another and then was followed by another...a battering ram made of the craziest problems to ever come down the pike. We tried everything in what was left of our power...(all the wrong people had the real power we needed to equalize the game)...yep, we tried to solve the new thing that popped up almost on a daily basis...if talking about it could have solved it, been home free!!
There came a time when we began to see many of us were traumatized and not bothering to get up after the latest blow to our once good senses.
My thanks in 2013 to a faithful brother in the Lord who proved that if you keep God in the equation, you will have the leverage you need to solve the problem. You can remain strong and true to yourself and the values you adhere to... and have no fear of those who show no mercy...who know not a loving Heavenly Father.
Our prayer focus should be for God to touch the hearts of the "mad scientists" who are in control of our nation....show them the path of righteousness....or give us all the guts to show our righteous anger and take our country back!
Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve!
Stormy will be in surgery early in the morning for repair to her knee from an accident at school. Prayers for her a quick and good recovery will be appreciated.
Happy New Year!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Heart is Back in Whack!
Hi, Y'all...summer heat got the best of me as I was cleaning up my beloved eighteen wheeler for possible sale ...or to be put to work if I find a driver. Toying with the idea of re-opening my trucking company. Healthwise, I may cannot make it happen. Spent a few days in local hospital getting my heart back in whack last week. Thanks be to God for modern meds...Betapace is my friend!
Thursday took delivery of my top of the line, four wheel WALKER. Having been declared "disabled and will never work again"...these words so got my goat that I have held that phrase at arm's length like you would "stink bait" for a trot-line.
I need hip and back surgery plus an abdominal hernia repaired....got it climbing on tankers and have worked with it like that for 3 years....torn rotator cuff since about the same time which has almost repaired itself. Cannot do any of those surgeries until heart thing is squared away.
My trucking career has been reduced to sitting in a chair and looking at my truck in the driveway. I hate to give up the profession I loved so much. The next book I am publishing is about a trucker who knows where all the good places to eat are to be found....and a good selection of fishing holes along the way.
Yep, I got a walker. It is a fine one...hand brakes, a little seat across the middle and the nicest shade of deep purple you can imagine...and, hey: there is even a patch of red reflective tape on the frame. I guess I can walk to town without fear of someone rear-ending my rear-end!
We got word Friday morning that John's Dad, age 94, had a stroke and Crestpark Retirement Inn got him to the hospital. John was able to go be at his bedside and I am home with Gabe on call to get me to my doctor appointments. Such depressing events...I had not even checked to see if my books are selling for fear of more depressing news..
Well, let me share what I found on my Reviews...this little lady, Loralu James Conville, has reaffirmed that I must keep the faith....love all God's children and not sweat the small stuff that I think may hinder me.
She gave me a 5 star rating too...that pleased me so very much. Word is that this review is part of what sells a book. I need more reviews but so far I am blessed that these good reviews are written by exemplary people and their opinions are generous and kind. Thanks be to God for all the good people in my life in these crazy days of forced retirement from trucking.
Here is my latest review of JAKE:
***** (5 out of 5 stars!)
Shared Heartbreak,June 26, 2013
Thursday took delivery of my top of the line, four wheel WALKER. Having been declared "disabled and will never work again"...these words so got my goat that I have held that phrase at arm's length like you would "stink bait" for a trot-line.
I need hip and back surgery plus an abdominal hernia repaired....got it climbing on tankers and have worked with it like that for 3 years....torn rotator cuff since about the same time which has almost repaired itself. Cannot do any of those surgeries until heart thing is squared away.
My trucking career has been reduced to sitting in a chair and looking at my truck in the driveway. I hate to give up the profession I loved so much. The next book I am publishing is about a trucker who knows where all the good places to eat are to be found....and a good selection of fishing holes along the way.
Yep, I got a walker. It is a fine one...hand brakes, a little seat across the middle and the nicest shade of deep purple you can imagine...and, hey: there is even a patch of red reflective tape on the frame. I guess I can walk to town without fear of someone rear-ending my rear-end!
We got word Friday morning that John's Dad, age 94, had a stroke and Crestpark Retirement Inn got him to the hospital. John was able to go be at his bedside and I am home with Gabe on call to get me to my doctor appointments. Such depressing events...I had not even checked to see if my books are selling for fear of more depressing news..
Well, let me share what I found on my Reviews...this little lady, Loralu James Conville, has reaffirmed that I must keep the faith....love all God's children and not sweat the small stuff that I think may hinder me.
She gave me a 5 star rating too...that pleased me so very much. Word is that this review is part of what sells a book. I need more reviews but so far I am blessed that these good reviews are written by exemplary people and their opinions are generous and kind. Thanks be to God for all the good people in my life in these crazy days of forced retirement from trucking.
Here is my latest review of JAKE:
***** (5 out of 5 stars!)
Shared Heartbreak,
By
Loralu James Conville "Old Lady Athlete" (Ruston, LA, USA)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jake (Kindle Edition)
The heartbreak of the unthinkable ---our child being injured so drastically that we loose them-while their body is physically present with us--and the years of watching that body fade until they take their final leave from us. Marion, bears her soul--and gives the recount from a mother's eyes of her son, Jake and his injury and slow leave taking. We see more and more TBI, and know of those that live with the consequences daily as they caretake their loved one, but few are brave enough to share their story. A must read for those that are experiencing this in their life, but also for those that have lost a child, as well as those that are experiencing grief of any type. Read one mother's story of how she endured the heartbreak and what would sustain her during those long days. This is well written, insightful, and told with poignant truthfulness of the life altering and forever present tragedy of loosing a child--far too early.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
I am so flattered but feel so understood....
Hey, Y'all...Ruston author, MaryLou Cheatham reviewed my book about JAKE. (I wanted her input not only because she is a writer and I aspire to be....but also since she was a nurse here in our town when Jake was hurt.) She watched us go through "all that" and grieved for us...I knew she was aware of things that we were not experienced enough to know.
I want to say that if I ever have need of a therapist again, I will see if she is "for hire"....she has read JAKE...and in this review, she touches on "things" that help me understand how and why I finally found the strength to write of our tragedy.
Please read what she has written....I think it is helpful to anyone who stops here to read her words even if never getting around to reading my JAKE. Thank you, Marylou Cheatham; you are generous, gracious and loving. God bless you and yours.
A Beautiful Songbird Sings Again June 5, 2013
Format:Kindle Edition
Jake
In every life grief comes, but all of us are surprised when it slams us. We can't talk much about it when we are in the deep mire of it.
At some point - it's different for every grieving soul - we become able to yank our grief out of ourselves long enough to analyze it before it slips back into the fiber we're made of. We don't ever lose it, but it wears down enough that we are in charge of it. We grow comfortable with it, actually, because it's ours in its unique way.
Once we reach that point of acceptance in our grief, we can help others who are wading through the muddy pathways of life, where there are few perceptible landmarks. Marion McCann has reached that place. Because she has known such sorrow and loss, she has waited years to write this book.
Those of us - the ones who know her as a friend, admire her as a woman, and appreciate the writing talent she has demonstrated as an entertaining columnist in the Ruston Daily Leader -- realized the Lord would lead her to share some of her story eventually . . . that she'd offer comfort to other hurting souls.
Marion tells of premonitions she had before tragedy struck her family, but she had no idea how challenging life would be. How much more of God's love we know once we've lived through the times we would have found impossible if we'd known about them before they happened!
Her ebook JAKE not only delivers the emotional impact of what her family has gone through; it has valuable information about traumatic brain injury. Her family has fought this battle twice. As an RN, I love the way she has explained what happened in laymen's terms. It is educational for all of us. Over the years she has acquired an impressive amount of knowledge and understanding about TBI. She opens her heart here and shares her interactions with her family. Most of all it is a testimony of the way God has moved in her life.
I highly recommend this book to those who have suffered TBI, those whose loved ones have gone through injuries, nursing students, counselors, and people walking through grief. If you don't fall into any of those categories, I recommend you read it because Marion has a fun style of writing.
In every life grief comes, but all of us are surprised when it slams us. We can't talk much about it when we are in the deep mire of it.
At some point - it's different for every grieving soul - we become able to yank our grief out of ourselves long enough to analyze it before it slips back into the fiber we're made of. We don't ever lose it, but it wears down enough that we are in charge of it. We grow comfortable with it, actually, because it's ours in its unique way.
Once we reach that point of acceptance in our grief, we can help others who are wading through the muddy pathways of life, where there are few perceptible landmarks. Marion McCann has reached that place. Because she has known such sorrow and loss, she has waited years to write this book.
Those of us - the ones who know her as a friend, admire her as a woman, and appreciate the writing talent she has demonstrated as an entertaining columnist in the Ruston Daily Leader -- realized the Lord would lead her to share some of her story eventually . . . that she'd offer comfort to other hurting souls.
Marion tells of premonitions she had before tragedy struck her family, but she had no idea how challenging life would be. How much more of God's love we know once we've lived through the times we would have found impossible if we'd known about them before they happened!
Her ebook JAKE not only delivers the emotional impact of what her family has gone through; it has valuable information about traumatic brain injury. Her family has fought this battle twice. As an RN, I love the way she has explained what happened in laymen's terms. It is educational for all of us. Over the years she has acquired an impressive amount of knowledge and understanding about TBI. She opens her heart here and shares her interactions with her family. Most of all it is a testimony of the way God has moved in her life.
I highly recommend this book to those who have suffered TBI, those whose loved ones have gone through injuries, nursing students, counselors, and people walking through grief. If you don't fall into any of those categories, I recommend you read it because Marion has a fun style of writing.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Am going to try my hand at being a writer. JAKE was released on Amazon.com in the eBook department on May 8, 2013. So far, two people have reviewed it and thankfully they gave the book a 5 star rating. I will post the reviews for you here so you don't have to go research the location...
Customer Reviews:
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon
Awesome book. I am a Registered Nurse and firmly believe it is compelling stories such as this that brings more education to families, than any doctor, therapist,etc.... May this book touch all those who have or had a loved one who suffers/suffered from TBI and may it help them to find hope and faith in The Lord.
5 out of 5 stars
An awesome story of one family's struggle to cope with Traumatic Brain Injury!
By Carol H. Gilmer
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
An awesome story of one family's struggle to cope with Traumatic Brain Injury!
By Carol H. Gilmer
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a mesmerizing read! I am an RN who spent many years in critical care. As I read this story, it so took me back to the times of being at the bedside and caring for such a patient. Over the years, I cared for many patients like Jake! Critical Care Nursing is more than the mechanics of doing an exemplary job of caring for that patient; it is the emotional rending of your inner self, as you interact with the family, deal with their interpersonal relationships, their pain, and their grief. All exact a heavy toll upon the nurse at the bedside. This book brought all those times back to me.....my reasons for commitment to such a task, and my reasons for later career changes. Though my nursing skills could stack up to the best of critical care nurses, my experiences left me emotionally broken. To remain the nurse I trained to be, with the empathy needed to render the best of care, I had to leave my first love in nursing behind and move forward. The other choice would have been to become callous, hard, and uncaring; that was simply unacceptable! Thank God and providence that I had an opportunity to move into other work that helped me to maintain my caring attitude and give my soul a rest! As much as I loved it, I would not have consciously made the decision to leave critical care; I thank God for other opportunities that, again, have made me whole! I can only imagine what a family must feel in times like these; I can see why a book like this would be of help to families who are dealing with a brain-injured loved one. As a nurse and a mother, It is definitely a read I would recommend.
NOTE: Thank you two ladies for your good reviews of my book and for the good feeling that maybe the tragedy we have gone through as a family will help another struggling family make it through the worst of times.
--Marion
--Marion
Friday, April 12, 2013
Five Years Later...
The computer is in the same spot in my office...although I have been "Out of the Office" pounding up and down the nation's highways since 2008 after the last Blog entry instead of pounding the keyboard; it all comes back like not forgetting how to ride a bike.
What brings me back is that I have too much time on my hands...thank you Congestive Heart Failure and all the pressure that caused it to develope... I still have a lot to say...and will keep the blogs short this time...because I just don't feel the best these days.
More times a week, I glance in my mirror and see my grandmother staring back at me...I really need to put some color on this grey hair...it is not even pretty grey hair but looking like the coat of a possum to me...how did I get so old and not remember how I got here...it has been a busy few years...too busy.
One of my old classmates has long been touting the principle of stopping long enough to smell the roses...maybe I will now that I have this inconvenient heart issue...which frankly speaking also concerns me...one of my favorite writers, Lewis Grizzard, died of it.
Writing is good therapy...so is the beauty of all outdoors on a sunny day after the rains have washed away the pollen.
Will get my walker and go outside, observe and think how nice it is to be living in the homeplace of my youth. John has planted pretty pansies in every pot and the edge of the flower bed that runs the length of the 3 huge old plate-glass windows on the lake side...it is 65 degrees and will drop to a low of 49....even little details such as temperature intrique me as I adjust from being on the run so many years.
Hope all my friends are safe and having a good day wherever you are.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Personal Geography By Marion McCann
Personal Geography By Marion McCann
No one ever says life is fair. Day to day life in this world is an ever-flowing stream....and then it stops and you die. In the meantime, seize the day! Make your choices and experience your losses but do not be a victim. Misery is a choice.
--Marion McCann
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