Some Fun Stuff

So we have a few fun things, that are going on. We have 2 Craft Shows this weekend. Which seems like a lot. And well, it kind of is. But it should be fun! And it's probably one of the last events we have, to make money for our Scholarship Fund. We won't be doing much fundraising, until next Spring.

The first is today at the Albuquerque Talent Development Academy. At 1800 Atrisco NW. From 9AM-2PM.

Tomorrow we'll be at Holy Family Church. At 562 Atrisco  Dr. SW. From 8AM-3PM. If you need to do some Christmas shopping, you should try coming out to one of these events. There are always so many talented artists!

Next, I started a YouTube page. On December 1st. It took what seemed like forever, but our first video is now up. I'll probably be uploading a video, once a week. Maybe more. Depending on what's going on. It doesn't take long to record a video. But it takes FOREVER to upload them.

And lastly, I nominated my Mom, on Ellen's Show. Ellen has been a HUGE part of our life. For years, we've watched her. It was my Dad's favorite part of the day. To see Ellen dancing. And doing such good deeds for others. Making us laugh. We rarely missed a day. He ALWAYS wanted to meet her.

Now that my Mom is sick, we spend much of our time, watching the Ellen Show too. She is just so positive. I wanted to nominate my Mom, to maybe meet Ellen. Or win a present from the 12 Days of Giveaways. Something like that. Just to give her a little holiday cheer.

You know, we spend much of the day...worrying about things. Like bills, doctors' appointments, her cancer, treatments, things like that. I worry about a lot of things. Like paying the bills. Will my Mom ever find a doctor? Or get her insurance straight? Will our car, be reliable enough, for the ton of doctors' visits...that are in our future? Things like that.

So I hope, at the very least, that my Mom might get a little present. I often wonder, what our family will look like in a year. Will my Nanie still be here? My Mom? What will we be doing? So I think it would just be nice, for my Mom to have a little cheer. If you'd like to nominate her as well, you can go here. It's super fast. And easy!

And on another important note...today is my parent's wedding anniversary. They would have been married 28 years. Today! That is pretty incredible. Happy Anniversary! 🐦

Blessed

My Mom and I feel so blessed. The last few days, have been full. Of lots of love. Family time. And a little holiday cheer. It's also been a long while, since we last made it to church. But on Thanksgiving morning, we made it. And it felt so good!

 

It's been that one piece, that has been missing for a while. My Mom happened to be feeling better. So we decided to make the trip. And even though, she was in a bit of physical pain. I could see how beneficial it was to her. We also made it today. Lord knows, he has blessed us so much!

We also found out today, that there are other people in our community, needing prayers. And love. And support. A friend of ours, has breast cancer. She had surgery recently. And will soon, start her treatments. One of the Fathers at our church, also has cancer. And they had a fundraiser for him, at church today. We went. Enjoyed a nice breakfast. That was HUGE! And it felt good, to lend a "Hand Up."

But when I say that we are blessed, I mean it. We have family that is rallying behind us. Friends who are lifting us up. And faith, that is helping us, to carry our troubles. When I think about the last few days, all of these things, were in action.

On Wednesday, a friend who is more like family, came to visit us. It had been a LONG while, since we last saw her. And it was so nice to catch up. To see pictures of her family. To hear that things are going relatively well for her. Honestly, just to talk to Rose, felt good!

My Mom and I, spent Thanksgiving with a small group of our family. But it was nice to see my cousins, my aunt, and uncle. We were so blessed, to spend the day, with my Nanie. Who isn't doing well. And for me, that was the biggest blessing. Making memories, with my Nanie.

When I think about loved ones, that have passed on...holidays ALWAYS come to mind! I think about those people, who spent the day with us. I'm not sure what the next year will bring. Or how many of our loved ones, will join the Lord. But I am thankful, to have spent the day, with our family.

It just got me thinking. Will my Nanie be here next year? My Mom? Who will the Lord call home? What will our family look like? Will I be working next year? That's quite possible. Will there be more people in the family? Will I begin a family? Maybe add a fur baby...

Lots of unknowns. We also spent Friday evening with my aunt, uncle, and a bunch of my cousins. Mostly from out of town. And that is ALWAYS a blessing. Just seeing family, that you don't see often. Having time to laugh and smile. To forget about your problems. To share good food. And make a ton, of new memories. The pizza was so good, I didn't even get a picture!

Today, we finished our weekend...with a visit with our good friends. Who we were supposed to join them for Thanksgiving. But they understood, our need to be with my Nanie. Such amazing people! I know the Lord blessed us, when he sent them to us. Leonor and Albert, have been that constant, that we've needed.

They are much more than friends. Family really. For a long time, Mrs. H wanted me to be part of the family. And I joked, if they had had one more son, I'd have been all in! I mean, all their sons are married. What's a gal to do? I still dream about marriage, and lots of babies!

No lie, Leonor and Albert are our family. And it's just nice, to get to reconnect with them. Sometimes, we let lots of time pass. Without seeing or talking to each other. But whenever we do see each other, it feels like no time has passed. And we pick up, right where we left off.

Are we going through a difficult chapter? YES! Are we blessed? Most certainly! With so much love, support, and prayers. Funny how on Thanksgiving weekend, so many more blessings happen. Many more, than you'd think. And all I can say is, Thank You Lord! For all that you've blessed us with. You are my strength. 🐦

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish everyone, a very Happy Thanksgiving! I'm super excited about today. It's one of my favorite holidays. We're invited to so many places today. And I'm really happy to get to see so many friends and family.

I'm also very excited to eat lots of yummy food. Without having to do all the cooking. I know, that must sound horrible. But it's been a tough year. And having a fun day, like today to celebrate, without all those other things to worry about...is definitely an answered prayer!

Wishing you and your families a happy, safe, and fun holiday. Filled with lots of memories. It's not always easy, to enjoy holidays. But look for the positive. The laughter. The memories. Food, football, family, friends, and fat pants. Yes, I said fat pants! I know we're all dragging them out, on this great food holiday! Happy Turkey Day! 🐦

Wow!

So I had this idea. To have a fundraiser. I was thinking maybe a bake sale or craft sale. Maybe a dinner. You see, we have another foundation. That my Dad started before his death, in 2015. And we were planning a dinner for that. So that we could provide larger scholarships this year. And grow the foundation. Give back, more to the Cancer Community...that embraced us during his battle.

But with my Mom's current illness, we postponed that. We all know, her health is more important. There will be plenty of time, to grow our foundation. As much as I enjoy working on it, I need to start moving my focus. To my Mom.

So a few weeks ago, I sent out an text. To family and friends. Many of which, where out of town. So I decided to run that, one more time. This past weekend. In the matter of hours, we had a ton of family on board, a location secured, and the plans where in full motion!

I think I'm still in shock! But it's a good shock. Other than my Mom needing some help, it's nice to see the support of our loved ones. To feel their love, prayers, and generosity. It's something that was greatly missed, during my Dad's cancer journey.

With my Mom's health issues, it's just different. I know, we need support. Lots of it! We've been through a major illness with my Dad. It's tough on a good day. Sometimes, you just need to know people care. Did people care with my Dad? Yes. And no. Maybe it was his personality, our situation, or some people...that made it feel so lonely. Like you couldn't reach out, and ask for help.

Maybe it's also that, we've grown. That my Mom and I, both know what's in front of us. Maybe we just haven't fully recovered, from the last time around. Either way, it's nice to know, our family is rallying behind us! It's going to be a long and tough journey. We need this love, support, and prayers. We need people to care. To come around. To make us smile.

So here are some of the details so far:

We are having a Spaghetti Dinner. On December 11, 2016. From 2-5PM. At the American Legion Post 72. We need help. Cooking, setting up, tearing down, planning, decorating, serving, and selling tickets. Actually, anything you can think of, we probably need help with.

Let me know, if you want to help. Or if you can help. Seriously, we need it all! Thus far, my cousin paid for the Hall. My aunts are cooking. We've got help. But I know, to make this a success, we need lots of help!

And I just want to say Thank You! To everyone that rallied together. To see, in less than 24 hours, how much was put together...still floors me. To know, my Mom is up against a major illness...scares me. For more than one reason. But to see the love for her...it just makes my heart swell with love, tears come to my eyes, and a loss of breathe. Because who does this?

We are also keeping this a secret from my Mom. To surprise her. When more details come together, we'll let her know. Because I feel like, she doesn't need to worry about this either. And if we tell her now, she might not accept our help. My Mom doesn't like to ask for help. So we'll wait a few days, to tell her...what we've all been up to.

My little plans, grew much larger. And I hope, this is one less thing, that my Momma has to worry about. She has enough on her plate. It's also nice to know, that we have other people in our lives, who are more than willing to lend a hand. Means the world! Thank You! 🐦

Ugh! Insurance...

So there are a lot of things that weigh on my shoulders. A lot of the day. Every single day. It's the thing that happens, when you become the one responsible for everything. Being a caregiver, is much more than taking physical care of a person. It's more than making sure the person you are caring for is fed, bathed, and safe.

There are all the other things. When my Mom was hospitalized in September, there was a ton of paperwork to be done. Her medical background. Getting all her care and treatments organized. You start on things like medical paperwork. Which usually means Living Wills, a regular Will, course of treatment, insurance, Power of Attorney, Estate Planning, DNR...

You are all of a sudden, having those tough talks. My Dad didn't want to deal with any of this stuff, when he got sick. He signed some papers, when the nurses and social workers talked to him. Just them and my Dad. And that was that. My Mom and I know, how important it is, to get this crap in order. So important!

In fact, I think I'm way ahead of my parents. When I was 20, I did all this stuff. Sure, I was working in a hospital. And it was required of me. But I still got it in order. I have a signed DNR. My will is in order. Every I is dotted, every T is crossed. And I update my paperwork, every single year!

But now, it was time for my Mom. And time to get insurance. The thing she had been looking into for a while. Trying to find something that worked. Something that didn't break the bank. And something that she could easily roll, into the insurance that she really wants. The same one, my Dad had. She's not eligible until early next year. Ugh!

During the last two months, we've hit many roadblocks. It's frustrating as crap. How in the world, do you set up legal documents with no problems...but have all these issues with insurance. It's beyond frustrating. She's not old enough for this. Too sick for that. Needs A 100% diagnosis for this one. Can't afford $2000 a month. Makes $50 too much for that. Needs to be working for this one. Oh, yeah there is a waiting period of 6 months for that one too.

Call after call, I get more frustrated. I want to hit a wall. Scream! Whatever. We've been to so many offices. Talked to more people, than I can remember. In fact, I was pretty frustrated last Friday. Watching all these families qualify for assistance. Because they are illegally here. And have children. By no means, am I putting them down. But it's frustrating to see someone like my Mom, who has worked her entire life...not get help. But these people with 5 and 6 kids, not working, getting everything under the sun.

Then I thought, I can go back to work full time. I was on a part time schedule for years. While I cared for my Dad. After his passing, I wasn't ready to jump head first into it again. 120 hours, in that stress...is tough. But in the Summer, I started to get my toes wet again. Would go in for a shift or two. Working 48 hours a week. Whatever they needed.

So maybe I could go back. Then I could add my Mom, to my insurance. I can't, while I'm part-time. But that wouldn't work. She can't be left alone. Can't do much by herself. And if I did go back to work, we'd need to hire a full time nurse. Which after looking into it, with a few friends from work...didn't make any sense at all. Not financially. Not with her care. Not for my career.

Back to square one, I went. There are a few more options left. Not many. But my fingers and toes are crossed. We can pay a HUGE fee, until February or March. Maybe even May...to get insurance. We can continue to pay out of pocket. Or we can just wait. To me, that last one, is not an option.

But that's kind of the way, things are going. Right at this minute. Obama Care, is for the birds! Because maybe legally, insurance companies can't deny you insurance. But in real life situations, it's still happening. Some say, it's because of reasons A, B, or C. Maybe all three. And other companies are so high, that you could NEVER afford to have insurance. Having a major health issue, is just not working out...

I know how expensive my Mom's care is looking. Just from this side. Even if she had my Dad's insurance. If you add to that, and insurance bill of even $1000 a month...we're in deep trouble! So I'll keep making calls. Digging around. Hoping, against all odds...that I find something. Sometimes I wonder, if being an American citizen...in America, doesn't work against you. I'm not lying. It's the truth. I'm so proud to be a citizen. Natural born. Hard working. Positive member of society. But really, what does a lifetime of hard work get you? 🐦