My cousin Toni, who I affectionately call my twin, has come into town from Maryland this week. The occasion is somber, her father passed. She’s very heartbroken over the loss as you can imagine.

She called me at work to give me the news and asked if she could go see mom. Ah…of course! I know mom would love to see her. So, we met up after work and headed home.

Once she hit the door, the laughter never stopped. When we’re together it gets out of control. In a good way. The first thing she asked me to do, once I changed my clothes, was to take her to Paganos Steaks on Ogontz Ave.

They make the best massive beef and chicken steaks. If it’s a steak sandwich she wants, so it’s a steak sandwich she’ll get. I haven’t had a chicken cheese steak in about two years and now looked forward to the treat.

During the drive, I tried to explain that the shop makes a huge sandwich and it usually takes me a few days to eat it. She didn’t believe me.

We watched them make the steaks and then they placed her steak onto the foil to be dressed and wrapped. I looked at her and said, “That’s yours.”

I have to pause here and apologize. I was without a camera and missed a Kodak moment. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers and she last her words. The sandwich was massive! You cannot close this sandwich. Naturally, i laughed while she tried to answer the man behind the counter asking what she wanted on her steak sandwich.

It’s never a dull moment when we’re together. I’m happy I was able to make her laugh a little instead of crying.

About two years ago I decided that I wanted to learn to knit.  So I went to A.C. Moore and purchased My Knitting Teacher: 25+ Projects (Includes Special Left Hand Instructions) and started knitting.  Well, attempted to knit.  It was very awkward and, after a few attempts, I decided knitting wasn’t me.

Second Time’s the Charm

Around this time, mom was bit by the crochet bug and was working on blankets, blankets and more blankets.  I thought, since I taught myself this in high school, I should be able to get right back in the swing of things.  I was right and started crocheting here and there.

Then the guilt set in.  Did I really give knitting a chance?   Not really.  So, I gave it another whirl and took the project into to work.  It was then I learned most of the women I work with were knitters or crocheted.  AWESOME!  Now, I had someone to ask my stupid questions.

And Away We Go

So, I happily gave knitting another go and finished a scarf using the only stitch I know.  Knit.  Three scarves later, I think I’m ready to learn another stitch.

Giving Praise and Honor to God the Father.

Dear Children of God,

Thank you so much for your loving prayers and well wishes as I take this journey. It’s nothing but God’s hand on me that I feel wonderful and sound so positive about this journey. There is nothing to hard for God!

The first part of the journey is moving on and the second part is forming. Therapy, chemo and radiation. So, I’m asking God to direct me on this part also, and to keep me in high spirits throughout both treatments. To keep me from any side effects. His will, not mine, be done.

Also, I’m asking the children of God to continue to pray for me and Clesha. We don’t know when therapy will start. We are standing on our faith that God will bring us through this too.

God Bless you all and also your families. Love you all!

Your friend in Christ,
Mildred

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!

Today is Easter Sunday and, like most Christians around the world, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This Easter was calm and filled with laughter.  Mom and I were invited to the home of her best friend Nicky for dinner.  Nicky loves to entertain (she’s very good at it) so I was expecting a lot of church folks laughing and sharing Easter lamb.  That so wasn’t the case.

When we arrived, we learned that we were the only guest.  Great!!  No, I really mean great.  I love when she has a house full of guest because I get to be a fly on the wall, but this Easter I was enjoying the solitude.

The dinner was de-li-cious!  There was lamb baked with fruit, baked chicken, beets, greens, seasoned cheese grits (a new dish), and orange pound cake for dessert.  Everything was delicious and I, of course, ate a bit more than I should have.

I tasted everything on the table.  I say this because I usually don’t eat beef or pork.  Today, I had lamb.  And it was good.  <sigh>

The conversation was just as good and taught me a lot about old Philadelphia, Keeping Up Appearances and a few other BBC shows I never heard of.  It also lead into a family debate that got more interesting and passionate as it went on.

Soon it was time to head out.  We all had to get ready for work the next day.  We gathered the goodies Nicky had for us and headed home.  Today was a good day.

I hope your Easter was just as enjoyable.

God bless!

This year, on February 14th, my Uncle George looked beyond the hills and went home to be with God. In the midst of everything that’s going on with mom, I didn’t have much brain power or emotional will to write a farewell to him until now.

Uncle George was known throughout the family by different names, Uncle Young, Uncle Shortie, and Shortie Do-Wop (Kam-Marie’s pet name for him. It always made him laugh.). He was the youngest of ten children and not a very tall man. But, what he lacked in height, he more than made up for in personality. He was the lady’s man and he loved having a good time.

Every year, we have the annual family Christmas Eve dinner at our house and he always made an appearance. This picture of him and I was taken at the 2006 Christmas Eve dinner. He didn’t make it to the dinner last year and he was missed.

I’ll miss our off-beat chats about relationships, life and growing up in the South. He always had advice about something, no matter the topic. Take it or leave, he had an opinion about everything.

One thing that wasn’t in doubt, was his love for God. I believe that will all the decisions he made in his life, the decision to always walk with God is one he held on to without apology.

So, now I’ll say good-bye to you Uncle George. I’ll miss you. I’ll always love you. And you will never be forgotten.