Sun., October 11 - A long, overdue update!

It has been several weeks since my last blog update, and there is lots of news to share ... all good!! First, I will start with George. He is making big strides in his progress every week. It seems like all of a sudden a light has been turned on, and he is walking just about everywhere in the house unassisted! He gets himself in and out of bed, to and from the bathroom, kitchen, and den. It is WONDERFUL for both of us that he is gaining some independence. He still needs a hand to keep him steady outside when walking on uneven surfaces, or over door thresholds, but hopefully before long, he can master that too! George continues to go to out-patient therapy on Mon-Wed-Fri of each week, and in fact, he was one of the patients recognized by Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital Katy during National Rehabilitation Awareness Week. A celebratory event was held on Friday, September 25 honoring him and others who are overcoming their disabilities as well as saluting the staff who have aided them in their efforts. George & I will both be forever grateful to the wonderful therapists, aides, assistants, nurses and medical staff who provide such compassionate care, not only to their patients, but to we the families who experience the anguish along with our loved ones.

Now, to my news ... tomorrow (Monday, 10/12) I am starting a new job! As many of you know, I have been working from home since April. It has been such a big blessing to be able to stay with George and nurse him back to health, but it has also been very hard for me to be a caregiver 24/7 and be tied to the house. The company that I have worked for over the past 9.5 years has been soo good to me and did everything they could to keep work flowing in my direction after the corporate move to Dallas. However, at the same time, I know it has been very hard for them to justify keeping me here in Houston. A month or so ago, I was contacted by a former co-worker about a position with her company. I turned the interview down ... I didn't think George was ready to be on his own during the day, and the company is located downtown (I've never worked that far from home before!). A week or two later, however, George started motoring all around the house and I was approached again about the position, so after praying about it, I agreed to an interview. Everything about the company and the position seemed right, and as the old saying goes, "they made me an offer I couldn't refuse!" So, as of tomorrow, I will be out in the working world again, and besides a little concern about George being "home alone," I am really excited about the opportunity. My back-up caregivers, Lindsay & Dave, are still working flood claims in Atlanta, but my mom has volunteered to help us out by taking George to therapy three days a week. My mom has never taken George out on her own before, so this experience will be new to both of them. Please keep them in your prayers; I don't want either one of them injured! And, if any of you are ever out in the Katy area with some spare time, I'm sure George would love to have some company during the day or have a lunch partner!

Hope all is well in your world!!

Sunday, Sept. 21 - Take a Guess!

QUESTION: How many men does it take to get George through a yard and to the car? ANSWER: Six ... 5 nephews and 1 brother! Actually, the task started out with just three nephews, but they seemed to be having a little trouble, so the rest of the crew showed up and offered moral support, if nothing else! It was definitely a Kodak moment, and to think, I typically do all of this by myself!! However, I've had a LOT of practice! This family get-together we attended occurred on Friday for a very sad reason. George's niece passed away suddenly on Tuesday evening, so we traveled to Nixon on Friday for her funeral. Afterward, a family friend hosted a dinner, and while it was so nice to see everyone, we sure wish it would have been under different circumstances. This is the second death in the Luker family in just a few weeks; we certainly hope it will be the last for quite some time. Our deepest sympathy, love and prayers go out to George's sister, Peggy, on the loss of her daughter, as well as to Marti's husband, son, grandchildren, siblings, etc. I know she will be missed terribly!

Tues., Sept. 8th - Happy Birthday to Me!!

Well ... today is my 51st birthday, and I've been celebrating with friends and family all weekend long! I received beautiful, sentimental cards from my daughter, brother, and mother that made me cry, funny cards from friends that made me laugh, a lot of great gifts, flowers and soo many birthday emails and phone calls today that I lost count. But I think these video clips that I shot this morning capture the best present of all ...

Friday, Aug 28 - We've Come A Long Way Baby!

This week marked the 9-month anniversary of George's stroke, and he knew how to make it memorable!! Yesterday, for the first time ever, George got up from the kitchen table and walked to the den ALL BY HIMSELF ... meaning both unassisted and unescorted!! As many of you know, his walking has really improved and he has needed little help now for a few weeks except around corners, through doorways, or on/off the couch, etc. I think with September just a few days away, and hunting season lurking, he's decided to put some extra effort into his recovery. So yesterday, he and I were both finishing up lunch, when I got a business call. I stepped out of the kitchen into my office which is in the front of the house, and when I hung up 10 minutes later, I headed back to the kitchen to check on him. As I turned the corner, he wasn't there, and for a minute I thought, "Where did I leave him?!?" And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him sitting on the far end of the couch with a big ol' smile on his face! If any of the neighbors were out, I'm sure they thought we were having a party inside, because I started hooping and hollering, praising the Lord, and then Brady got all excited, and he started barking and running around with his squeaky toys! However, I think George got the biggest kick out of my excitement and wanted to "high five" me several times during my celebration! And then this morning, I had walked him into the bathroom and before I knew it, there he was coming back toward me down the hallway! I could hardly wait for his therapy appointments at MHKRH today so I could relay the good news to all of the therapists, aides and assistants who have worked so tirelessly in getting us to this point. In fact, I took cupcakes to sweeten the occasion! Paige and Jennifer, a PT student that has been also working with George for the last month, posed for a picture with him before they got started today, but don't let those smiles and cute faces fool you. They make George work really hard for the full hour they have him, and then Jennifer has to "recharge him" before they hand him over to Darrell for OT! Darrell has done a great job on George's right hand. Thanks to the use of pulleys, building blocks and peg boards, George is finally starting to use his hand more and more. In fact, over the weekend, I sat him at the table and had him cut up all of the veggies I use in my blackened fish tacos. I worried about him using a paring knife, but I kept a close eye on him (and band-aids handy!) and he did awesome! So, as you can see, we've had a really remarkable week on this 9-month anniversary.

I want to thank Mike Ligon for bringing over dinner last night and staying with George while we girls attended a church function. We are certainly blessed to have such wonderful friends and health professionals in our lives. We could not have made it through this very tumultuous time without all of you ... you're the best!!

On a much sadder note, George's "partner-in-crime" ... Charles Lee Luker ... lost his battle with lung cancer. The deer lease trips will never be the same, and George will miss their annual fishing trips to Port O'Connor the most. They were family, but they were also best friends. We look forward to being with family members on Tuesday in Victoria to share stories and memories at Charlie's memorial service.

Saturday, August 22 - All is Well!

We have good news to share ... Emily, our sweet, 13-year old granddaughter is home from Texas Children's Hospital and all is well! As many of you know, Emily was born with a heart defect, and she had open heart surgery before she was a year old. The doctors perform thorough tests every year, and after her check-up a few weeks ago, they saw some changes and decided they needed a closer look. They told Emily that they might put a stent in one of her arteries so her heart didn't have to work soo hard since one of her valves does not work properly. However, once they got the cameras inside, they didn't think the stent would be beneficial, and it might make it more difficult for the surgeons down the road when they have to replace her "broken" valve. So, after a very long day at Texas Children's Hospital on Thursday (where her mom, dad, grandpap, her "CiCi" and Lindsay & Dave kept her company), she got to come home that very same night ... with only an incision and sore groin area. And, the best news is that after 5 days of limited activity, she can continue to play volleyball and stay on the 8th grade cheerleading squad ... GO EMILY, WE LOVE YOU!!


On Wednesday evening, our good friend, Van Gilbert, came to stay with George so I could go play bunko! He and George ate dinner and then rooted the Astros on to victory! We met Van, and his wife Jo, when we all joined St. Peter's UMC many years ago. We both had daughters the same age, so they went through Sunday School together, and then they both became awesome volleyball players in high school, played club ball together, and then went on and played intramural volleyball together at Texas A&M. Amy just had an adorable baby boy, Evan, two months ago, so Van & Jo are experiencing the joys of being a grandparent. And they also have a very handsome younger son, James, flying for the Naval Air Force. (this picture was taken Christmas 2007; I just love a man in a uniform!). Congrats and God's blessings to the entire family!!

Mon, August 17 - Mixing and Mingling

Hello there. It's been a couple of weeks since our last blog update. I believe I was off to Dallas to train at my corporate office when I last wrote. Lindsay, Dave and their dogs moved in for 3 days to take care of George, and they did a great job. Lindsay is an awesome cook and Dave is a master at the grill, so I know George ate much better than when I am at home with him. I was a "side dish" queen, George always grilled the meat or made the main dish, and I came home from work and did the veggies and salad. Now since I am in charge of all three meals, I have to really work in the kitchen, and I must admit that things get a little boring. We seem to take the easy way out more and more ... meaning ordering "to go" several days a week. It's hard to come up with both lunch and dinner every day and doing all of the cooking and the clean-up by myself. Life was much easier when I had a side-kick to help me out with meals (and the house, the errands, the finances, Brady, etc. ) and I wasn't a full-time caregiver and taxi service to therapy and doctor appointments too! Ahh, the good ol' days! During the days I was Dallas, Dave played baseball and basketball with George on the Wii. He really enjoyed that, and it's great therapy for his right arm and hand, but I can't get George to do it by himself! The kids also took him and my mom to Kemah for lunch one afternoon which I know he really enjoyed as well. Terri & Emily had an appointment in the medical center that same evening, so they stopped by and had dinner with them too. All-in-all it was a good three days for BOTH OF US! I loved being in the office with my co-workers once again, going out to lunch together, sleeping all night long, and getting up and just getting me ready for the day ... it was great and I sure appreciated the break.

Nothing much new and exciting to report as far as George's progress. Paige has a "partner in crime" with her these days ... Jennifer, a new graduate of PT school who is doing her internship at KRH, so George is getting the benefit of working with two physical therapists during his sessions. Jennifer is eager to put her skills to work, so she is trying electrical stimulation of his leg once again, and some other new mat exercises, so we'll see what happens! Hopefully this week I'll get a chance to take some new video or pictures.

Yesterday evening, George & I took our neighbors, Pat & Mike MacKenzie, out for burgers and fries at Mooyah. It's a great new little burger place across from Cinco Ranch High School that has the BEST fries in town. Mike has been such a great help to me since George's stroke. He installed our new light fixture in the hall bathroom as well as the towel bars, mirror, toilet paper holder, etc. He has also come to our rescue when George has fallen, and he and Pat are always there for moral support as well. And, when I invited them out for a burger on Sunday, I didn't realize it was also his birthday, so it worked out perfectly! My sweet Mom also had a birthday this weekend, as well as Dave's sister, Kate ... and there are more August birthdays coming up in the next couple of weeks of some of my favorite people! Party time!!

I also want to thank Jack Peak for calling George this week, as well as Butch Scherer. I know George appreciates the calls!!

Saturday, Aug. 1 - Hello Old Friend

George got a surprise phone call last week from an old friend who lives in Arkansas ... he and his wife were in Houston and wanted to come by for a visit. George and John Sullivan worked together here in Houston more than 30 years ago and were great friends "back in the day!" They had lost touch over the years, but when they saw each other, they picked right up where they left off! John & Jeanie came by the house and visited for a while, and then we all went to lunch before George had to go to therapy. George had a lot of fun reminiscing about plumbing jobs and also about the good times they had after a hard day's work! John is semi-retired now; he has owned his own plumbing company in Arkansas for many years, and his customers won't let him fully retire, so they had to head back this weekend, but we hope it's not too long before they come back to Texas and visit again!

We also had a fun visit with another one of George's former co-workers ... Karen Bradford from Klare Plumbing and her son, Derek, came over Tuesday evening. We went to Victor's for some mexican food and then came back to our house for dessert. I made a homemade angel food cake with crushed pineapple baked inside, and even though it tasted good, it all fell apart when taking it out of the pan! Derek made me feel good, however, he went back for seconds! Derek is going to come spend a day with us very soon. He is going to show George how to play some games on the Wii that I bought recently. George gets bored sitting on the couch during the day, so I thought some sport-type games would not only keep him occupied, but would possibly help rehabilitate that right hand! From what I understand, Derek is a real pro at Wii, so George will be learning how to play from the "master!" We look forward to your visit, Derek!!

There will even be more activity at the Luker household this coming week ... Lindsay & Dave and their two dogs are moving in for a few days! I have to go to Dallas on business; our corporate office is there, and I will be doing some training and having meetings on streamlining our accounting procedures. George will be in good hands with our daughter and son-in-law, and Brady will be soo happy having Macy & Cooper here to play with 24/hours a day! Have a great week ahead!!

Mon, July 27 - Good friends catch you ...

... when you fall. In George's case, it's been neighborhood friends and they have actually helped him up AFTER he fell! George felt "out-of-sorts" last week and it showed in everything he did, especially walking. It started over the weekend when he fell trying to sit down and he missed the chair all together. It was in our bedroom, so he fell on the carpet and Greg was here at the house, so it wasn't so bad. But then on Monday, it happened again. This time, we were coming in the house from the backyard patio, and his foot just couldn't get over the door threshold, and when I tried to help it over, George lost his balance and started weaving, and I did everything I could to keep him on his feet, but my arm couldn't hold him so he had a "controlled fall" to the wooden patio floor. I knew I wouldn't be able to get him up myself, so I left him on the ground and ran outside to see who was around. The only one I found home was our neighbor, Abby, and I wasn't sure we two girls could get George on his feet, but we did it on the first try! George said we both must have had our Wheaties for breakfast; he never thought that we would do it. On Wednesday morning, it happened again in the bedroom. This time, George was trying to dress himself and I had just stepped away for a minute and I heard a kerplunk. He had somehow tipped the chair and he was laying flat on his belly in the middle of the carpeted floor. He did manage to roll over and sit up himself, but once again, I knew I wouldn't be able to get him to his feet. So, out the front door I went again, and this time Mike McKenzie's car was in the driveway. I called over to his house and he came over right away and helped me get George off the floor. I just thank God that George didn't break any bones or get any cuts since he is still on that blood thinner, and I thank the good Lord that we have such great neighbors that are always willing to lend a hand ... and their muscles!!

Last week ended on a much more positive note than it started. George's brother, Johnny, who lives in Alice, TX came to visit for a couple of days. George loved having him here, reminiscing about old times, talking sports, watching "guy things" on tv. And I think Johnny enjoyed being here as well ... and he was such a great dinner guest! Johnny's a truck driver, and a bachelor, so he eats lots of fast food meals and mostly by himself. Therefore, he LOVED everything I cooked ... blackened fish tacos, pork loin, and even my chili-cheese dogs that I made for lunch one day! And, I must have earned extra "brownie" points by baking brownies Friday night, because on Saturday morning, he made a trip to Home Depot and replaced the breaker for me that has been giving us trouble. It was definitely a "win-win" situation, so hurry back John ... we sure enjoyed your visit! And, we had yet another good evening on Sunday. Kathy & Gary Nelson, old friends and former neighbors, came and took George & I for ice cream. Ritter's Frozen Custard is always a great treat, but nothing beats catching up with old friends ... thanks, guys, we had fun and will have to do it again soon since I forgot to take a picture for the blog!

Tues., July 14 - Heard A Rumor

I heard a rumor on Sunday that we (the Katy area) had rain on Saturday. I sure wish I could have seen it because I've forgotten what it looks like! I was in Dallas over the weekend attending a wedding, so I missed the wet stuff. The weather man keeps promising more, but so far, nothing! While I was in Dallas, George had a good weekend with his daughter, Terri, and her family. I dropped him off in Willis on Saturday morning as I headed out of town, and then Saturday evening, Terri and her crew headed back to Katy so Brady wasn't home alone! George enjoyed the outing to Bass Pro Shop at Katy Mills Mall on Sunday afternoon; it sounds like he and Paul checked out every aisle of hunting and fishing gadgets and accessories, but didn't do too much damage on the pocketbook! Emily, our granddaughter, decided to stay with us for a couple of days which is always a treat. Terri & Paul are coming back to Katy to pick her up tomorrow, and then George's brother, Johnny, who lives near Corpus, is supposed to be coming either tomorrow evening or Thursday morning to visit us for a few days. Busy household lately!

I took a video yesterday during George's physical therapy session. Paige is still working on improving George's balance, and I think it's going well. Watch him do "knee squats" without holding on to his cane or to Paige:

Thurs., June 16 - The Walking Wounded!

Look at these two guys ... aren't they a sight?!? We caused quite a stir at Panera Bread on Tuesday when George & I met Shirley & Ike Lucas for lunch. Ike had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago, so he is wearing a support stocking and walking with a cane. He is doing GREAT in his recovery, and if the guys had a race, Ike would definitely win. However, I have to say, George is doing SO MUCH BETTER walking with his cane and his leg brace that Paige recently had adjusted for him. He can even take quite a few steps unassisted, so we are THRILLED! Maybe next week we'll take some video of him walking. Of course, I need someone to take the video, or stand by George's side, because we don't want any accidents ... we've come too far! I've been making George walk everywhere we go ... no more wheelchair, except at therapy or where we have to walk long distances, and I think it has really helped his progress. Of course, he gets mad at me and thinks I nag him too much ... my new nickname is the drill sergeant. He tires pretty quickly when he's on his feet, and of course, he moves slow, but he's getting there. I do see light at the end of the tunnel. I think the fact that deer season is getting closer might have something to do with it. George is realistic and knows he won't be able to hunt without assistance this year, but I think him just being down there, even for a weekend or two, will do him a world of good. Heck, even the thought of cooler temps and being able to get outdoors around here will help. He is sooooooo bored watching tv all day long while I work. Mon-Wed-Fri's are a little better since he has therapy on those days, but Tues & Thurs are long days for him. I try to get him out in the evenings after work on those days ... even if it's a trip to Wal-Mart or Randalls, where he can ride around on those scooters for 30 minutes and be independent of me. He was pleasantly suprised today by some special callers ... T.W. Bevil (an old friend from the plumbing industry) and also Bill Peak, a cousin and fellow hunter ... both phoned him. Thanks guys, for checking in with him. I know he misses his male bonding time! Oh, and George wanted everyone to know that he helped me think of tonight's blog title; kudos to him!!

Sunday, July 12 - Birthday Boy!!

We have a birthday boy in the house today, and our family all went to Pappasitos to celebrate! Most of us feasted on the special ... fajitas and grilled shrimp ... it was soooo good! Then of course, we HAD to help George eat his dessert after the waitstaff serenaded him. George got some great gifts too: a new fancy electric shaver from me, Lindsay, & Dave, my mom bought him cologne, and David, Cheryl & the kids got him a new pair of shorts and a t-shirt to wear to therapy! He received a birthday "wake-up" call early this morning from his cousin and hunting buddy, Jack Peak, and then later today he got calls from his son, Ricky; daughter, Terri; as well as a call from Dan & Barb Zora in Austin. I think George felt pretty darn special today! We actually started celebrating his birthday yesterday along with Beverly Brewer (who, by the way, turned the BIG 6-0!) and her daughter, Heather (#34!), who also has a birthday today. Those three "crabs" have been celebrating birthdays together for as long as I can remember, but yesterday's birthday luau was the best one yet ... thanks to Bev's milestone!! She had a lot more candles on her cake than George and Heather did on theirs, but the "ol" girl still has lots of hot air and blew them all out! So, to George, Bev, Heather and Mike Ligon (who had a birthday last week) ... I hope all of your birthday wishes come true!!

Tuesday, July 7 - WHOOP!

Well ... it's a bittersweet "whoop!" We sold George's truck on Monday, which is a good thing for us financially, but George was sad to turn over the keys to its new owner. The only consolation is that it has found a good home with someone in "the family." Kevin is an Aggie, class of '92 (if I'm remembering correctly!) who lives in Austin, and traveled all the way to Katy (twice!) to find the truck he was looking for! My neighbor's daughter, Missy, lives in Austin and works with Kevin's wife. When Missy heard that Kevin was looking for a truck, she mentioned that we had a truck for sale, passed along the information, and the rest is history! This is just another example of one of those "god-things" that happen in our lives. Pieces just seem to fall exactly in the right place at the right time! So, thank you, Missy, for making the introduction, and Kevin, we wish you safe travels! And, maybe we will run into you in Aggieland!! As for George, I told him we are not giving up hope of him driving again. It is just taking him a little longer than expected to get on his feet, but when it does happen, we will get him a truck that will be easier for him to get in/out of and something not quite so BIG!

Monday, July 6 - Red, White and FLU!!

Hello everyone. We hope each of you had a fun-filled, safe 4th of July. George & I had our most boring ever, and it's all my fault! I got sick on Friday with flu-like symptoms ... congestion, fever, body aches ... so we did absolutely nothing. I didn't want anyone around us to catch what I had, so we stayed in and watched a lot of tv and ate whatever was on hand. No bar-b-que or fireworks for us; very disappointing holiday weekend. Lindsay was brave enough to come over and help with her dad Saturday morning, and she also transported me to the 24-hour clinic so I really hope and pray she doesn't come down with this stuff next. I'm sure she will be fine; her good heart will keep the bad germs away!! And, we want to give a "shout out" to Ike Lucas who is recouperating from knee replacement surgery. Maybe Ike and George can do their leg exercises together in the coming weeks! And speaking of George and his therapy, I do believe the "pep talks" he had the week before did some good. His therapy sessions went really well last week and he even asked me to help him get to the pulleys in the kitchen yesterday so he could do his arm exercises. Hopefully the new trend will continue!!

Monday, June 29 - Pep Talks

Hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I did! Thanks to Vicky, a family friend from Abilene, and Lindsay & Dave, I spent the last few days in Rockport with my bunko group ... and we had such a great time shopping, eating/drinking, playing games, watching movies, and getting some sun. Vicky and the kids took good care of George and Brady for me, and I am very appreciative!! George & I have had a rough couple of weeks so the few days apart did us some good. Progress in his recovery is definitely slowing, and we are both frustrated. I know George feels like I am losing my patience with him, and I admit that I am because I feel like he is giving up and not working hard enough to regain his independence. It has now been 7 months since his stroke and we were told right from the beginning that 75% of your recovery occurs during the first six months, and the window for improvement will close after a year. George does work hard in his out-patient therapy sessions 3 times a week, but I can't seem to get him motivated to do much on his own here at the house the other 4 days of the week. He just doesn't get how hard it is for me to now have the responsiblity of handling EVERYTHING in our lives plus caring for him AND working full-time. I want him to try doing more on his own, but I know he hates when I "nag" him, so I was happy that Butch Scherer, a long-time friend of George's that also attends our church, came by last week and gave him a pep talk. Butch even took the time to walk the hallways with George! When we arrived at therapy today, we also had a little "pow-wow" with Derrell and Paige, George's therapists. Along with reiterating to George how important it is that he do his exercises every day, they encouraged us to try and find a stroke recovery group that might help us deal with the emotional "trauma" that both George & I have suffered with this life-changing ordeal. Another of their suggestions was to have George visit with a nueropychologist who is trained to detect brain dysfunction in cognitive skills due to brain injuries. Of course, I welcome these suggestions, but it's just something else to add to my "to do" list which is already a mile long! Oh well, the old saying goes that God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but to that I must say, he has more faith in me than I have in myself right now! Anyway, George ended up having a pretty good day at therapy after the therapists' pep talk. He and Paige worked on sitting and standing and "making turns" on his own. He was doing so well that Pagie let George wiggle and wobble until he caught his balance. I was proud of him; he did good! Here's a quick little video clip that I took of that action:

So, just keep us in your prayers ... along with rain before everything dries up completely!!

Sunday, June 21 ... Happy Father's Day!

I hope all of you fathers had a great weekend celebrating with your loved ones! I know George had fun with both of his sons, son-in-law and two grandsons down at the deer lease. Ricky, Kurt & Donnie picked him up Friday morning and headed to Gonzales, and then Paul & Greg joined them after work on Friday. The boys filled up the deer feeders while George supervised and rode around the pasture in the four-wheeler with them. From what I understand, the deer weren't the only things being fed well. I heard that George's grandson, Kurt, made some finger-licking good ribs Friday night, and some great breakfast tacos were on the menu for Saturday morning. I also heard that Donnie, grandson #2, took extra-good care of his Papaw, even for the night-time bathroom runs which by the way is really good practice for this soon-to-be new dad! Paul & Greg were willing to stay Saturday night at the lease with George as well, but he wanted to come back home! I guess it is just too hot and dry right now to enjoy the great outdoors ... or he just missed me nagging him to do his exercises and use his right hand ... ha! Anyway, he had a great time and is looking forward to future trips in the fall!

Lindsay & Dave are still in Indiana (hurry home, we miss you guys!), so we joined my brother and his family for Father's Day brunch in Richmond. However, before we left, George opened a Father's Day gift from "Brady" (the new shirt and pair of shorts that he is wearing in this picture), a card from Lindsay & Dave that arrived yesterday, and he also got a phone call from Lindsay just as we were leaving the house. Terri must have called shortly thereafter, but we were already gone, but George did get her sweet message when we got back home. This evening, we took a ride out to Houston's National Cemetary and visited my Dad's grave. It's been nearly 8 years since he passed away, but I still miss him like it was yesterday! As a tribute to my dad, and to all of you great dad's out there, here's one of my favorite quotes by Anne Geddes ... "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." Happy Father's Day!!

P.S. to Butch Scherer: Thank you soo much for stopping by on Saturday; George was really sorry he missed you!

Wed., June 17 ... Male Bonding

Question: What's a guy to do when his wife leaves him on the third Wednesday of every month to go play bunko with her girlfriends?!? Answer: Have a little male bonding time of his own!! Since our kids are still up in Indiana processing hail storm claims, I was just wondering what I was going to do with George this week so I could get my monthly night out. Mike Ligon and Rick Krustchinsky must have been reading my mind over the weekend because they called and said that they would pick up dinner and come watch the Astros game with George Wednesday night. Wasn't that soo nice?!? I know I've told you all a hundred times (or possibly more) but we have THE GREATEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD! The guys used to go on these "man dates" (as Lindsay calls them) nearly every month while we girls play bunko, so George has missed his male bonding time since his stroke. I know he enjoyed the seafood from Capt. Tom's boat, but he really enjoyed the company (even though the Astros lost) ... thanks again, guys!!

Wed., June 10 ... Definition of CLUTCH

Webster's online dictionary defines "clutch" as the act of grasping and holding tightly, securely. And no one does that better than St. Peter's United Methodist Church's Care Team! George & I have been members there for approximately 25 years, and even though the membership has grown leaps and bounds & pastors have come and gone, the culture of St. Peter's remains the same ... loving, giving, caring. When George had his stroke six months ago, our family, friends, and church family all rallied around us with comforting words, prayers, hugs, and kind deeds that made a huge difference in our lives and George's recovery. The St. Peter's Care team made hospital visits, sent balloon bouquets, vases of flowers made from altar arrangements, sewed a prayer quilt, delivered soup and cornbread for George's lunch, and continues to send weekly cards of encouragement. Reverend Kim Myers also brought communion to George several times when he was unable to attend church services. This is a very special group of people, and I wanted to thank them for their outpouring of love and support. The Care Team meets every Monday night, so this week, I baked some goodies for their meeting to let them know how much George and I appreciate their work ... sort of like "sweets for the sweet!" Thanks again to all of you for the tight hold during the biggest challenge of our lives!!

There is also another definition of "Clutch," however, this one is NOT in Webster's dictionary ... just in the vocabulary of our fellow Houstonians. As I'm sure all of you know, Clutch is the mascot of our Houston Rocket's basketball team. A month or so ago, I mentioned that Clutch made a visit to Memorial Hermann Katy Rehabilitation Hospital when George was at therapy, and the pictures from the photographer have finally arrived. In this case, it was Paige (George's physical therapist) that had a grasp on George while he and Clutch celebrated the event. WE ARE SOO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES THAT HOLD US TIGHTLY AND SECURELY ... much love, Cindy & George!

P.S. Happy Birthday to my very special nephew, Alex, who turns six years old today!!

Sunday, June 7 - RV there yet?!?

The answer to that question is: Yes! Our kids have made it safe and sound to Indiana ... pulling their brand new RV! As many of you know, our son-in-law recently returned to his previous profession of claims adjusting when the banking industry took such a hit, and he just got back from Atlanta where he spent nearly 8 weeks living in a hotel away from home, our daughter and their two dogs. Last Wednesday evening, Dave got called to work a hail storm in Indianapolis and hated the thought of being alone again, so since Lindsay is still not working, they made a decision to purchase a fifth-wheel trailer and she and the dogs went with him! Within 24 hours of the call, they purchased the RV, had the hitch installed, stocked it with essentials, and they hit the road! We moms and grandmas were a little nervous about them pulling the RV such a long distance for the first time, but thank God they made it safely, and already have some funny stories about getting set up in Indiana. Before they left, we went over to check out their new home away from home, and I told George that I would get him as close to the trailer as possible so he could peek inside, but that didn't sit well with Dave. That young man was determined to get his father-in-law inside that RV, so with Lindsay and I acting as spotters, Dave somehow managed to get George up those three metal steps and inside! George was so happy to be inside with us and part of the preparations (even though it was sooo hot!), and was just as tickled as could be that Dave cared enough and was strong enough to get him inside to look around. We don't know how long they will be in Indiana, but after traveling over 16 hours to get there, Lindsay hopes they don't have to turn around and come back too soon. She's like her mom; we prefer flying to our destinations! Anyway, the RV is stocked with essentials for this trip, as well as some tailgating essentails for the upcoming college football season. Lindsay's Aunt Bev keeps her stocked on A&M accessories, and they have already found their home in the RV, as well as some of the new ones that Dave just got for his birthday from Lindsay ... an A&M branding iron for hot dogs as well as a propane tank cover! We all just bought tickets for the game that will be held at the new Dallas Cowboy's stadium in October, so I guess the RV will be coming with us! The kids and their friends will have soo much fun camping and tailgating this fall, however, the guys will all have a problem showering ... it's just not made for tall people!! Dave is definitely the tallest of the group, but I think most of the husbands in their circle are over 6 feet ... too funny! We already miss you, Lindsay & Dave, but we know you are making memories (and money), so have fun!

Thursday, June 4 ... Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

And that we did!! Terri and Emily came to Katy for a two-day visit this past weekend. Terri had volunteered to come and sit with her dad so I could attend Hannah's (my sweet little niece and Godchild) ballet recital Saturday night at the Stafford Centre in Sugarland. After the Willis girls arrived on Saturday, we all went and ate lunch, and then Emily and I ditched George and Terri and headed to Memorial City Mall for a little shopping. Emily had some money that was burning a hole in her pocket from her very successful pig shows during rodeo season, and a little Easter money from George & I. Emily is as cute as she can be and built just like a model, so anything and everything looks good on her. Needless to say, we found things she just HAD to have at every store we entered, and in a matter of a few hours, she had a new summer wardrobe! We managed to get home just in time to change clothes, pick up my mom for dinner, and then head to the ballet recital. What fun Emily & I had together; thanks Terri for letting me escape for the day!

On Sunday morning, I woke up with lighting problems in my kitchen once again. One of my ceiling light fixtures either blinks or doesn't come on at all. I knew the problem was in the ballast, and for the last month or two, I've tried everything from taping the light fixture to make it fit tighter to hitting it with a broom handle! I decided that it was time to break open the piggy bank and buy some new kitchen lights instead of fighting with the darn thing. Afterall, these lights have been hanging for 25 years; I think we got our money's worth. So, we took a family outing to Lowes and Home Depot. Once there, we realized that we had questions! We couldn't find the exact same size, and since Terri & I are not electricians, we weren't sure if we could change the size and/or shape of a light and the wiring still work. Terri's attempt to call Paul was unsuccessful, but she did manage to reach her father-in-law for advice. I found some lights at Home Depot that I liked, but of course, they only had one and I needed two! So, we had to load George and the wheelchair up once again, and head to another Home Depot to make the purchase. Thank goodness they did have the inventory that the computer showed; now we just needed to figure out who would be the lucky one to have to install them for me! Greg was at the house when we returned, so I didn't have to call Dave. Of course, Terri and I had to give Greg our advice on installing them and looked over his shoulder the entire time to make sure he was hanging them straight, used the right bolts, etc. George hollered in at one time for Greg just to ignore us, but I must admit, we are a little hard to ignore ... ha! Greg has much more patience with us than his dad does, and he did do a good job on installing the lights, PLUS he and Terri gave our patio table and chairs a much-needed coat of paint, so the more I think of it, maybe Emily and I were the only ones having fun this weekend!! Hope all of you had a good one too!!

Friday, May 29 ... Time Flies

Time flies when you're having fun AND deadlines at work! I've been attempting to update the blog all week long, but have been very busy. So, here it is Friday evening, and I still haven't posted pictures from Memorial Day weekend yet. Oh well, better late than never ... or so they say!

Last Saturday, Bev and Jim Brewer came out to Katy for the day. We started out at Victor's; Bev was hankering some mexican food. Afterward, we drove our guys back to the house and Bev and I took off to do some shopping. I had some birthday gifts to buy for my wonderful son-in-law, and we girls managed to find a few things for ourselves as well. Bev also bought George a pretty new aqua blue shirt to match his eyes and brighten his spirits! He is sure getting restless sitting in that wheelchair looking around the house and seeing all the things that need attention, but hopefully he'll be on his feet soon. While Jim was here, he did a few things on my "honey do" list, like hang my new wall accessories in George's bathroom. I didn't give him the right tools at first, so he (and Brady) were trying to figure out what was going on, but the end result was good!! Thanks, Jim, for always willing to lend a hand; we love both you and Bev very much! Later that evening, after the temperature dropped, I decided to get down and dirty and plant some flowers in my front flower bed. I am not a gardener, George has always been the one with the green thumb, and I don't like to get dirty either, but lots of things have changed over the last 6 months, and I find myself doing things all the time that I don't like to do! My neighbor, Mike McKenzie, came over with a bottle of water for me and said he should go get his camera and take a picture of me planting flowers since he's never seen that before ... he didn't do it, but I did take a picture of my flower garden after I was through. I figured I better do it now, just in case the flowers don't make it! On Sunday, Greg volunteered to plant the rest of the flowers around one of our big trees. I quickly took him up on his offer before he could change his mind. I didn't tell him that George would be right along side him offering advice and his opinion, but I'm sure he already expected that!!

The best part of the holiday weekend was a surprise visit from a very special friend and her family. Susana, is a co-worker of mine that moved to Dallas along with our company several years ago. She and Paul used to live just a mile or so away from us, and I loved spending time with them and getting to know Susana's family from Mexico when they visited. She and Paul also have two handsome little boys, Michael & Ryan, that were born here in Houston, so I miss seeing them especially on their birthdays and holidays. Brady loves them too, as he does all kids that never tire of throwing his balls for him! Unfortunately, they only got to stay and visit for a few hours, but we had a nice lunch and got all caught up, and hopefully they will be back this summer and stay with us for a few days ... hint, hint!!

Tuesday, May 19 - Memorial Hermann Outpatient Therapy

As promised, here are some video clips of George's therapy sessions last week. As you will see, George's right hand is coming along great! He and Darrell "play ball" several times a week, and Darrell says that George can typically throw for several minutes before dropping it, but of course, since I was taping, it didn't happen. If he continues to improve, however, maybe the Astros can use him!?!



His right foot and leg are the stubborn ones. Paige says at times he is taking really good steps; unfortunately, there are still quite a few off-balance ones too! Since I've been making him walk to and from the bathroom and kitchen all day long now, hopefully we will see an improvement in his walking ability soon.



George had a little "spill" in the bathroom while I was attending a bridal shower this past weekend. Greg was home with him, but not present, so George tried going it solo. NOT a good idea! George got a bruised knot on his side and on his knee, and another bruise on his arm. I was thankful there were no cuts or gashes since he is on a blood thinner, but needless to say, I was still not happy with either one of the guys. I guess it will be one of those lessons learned the hard way!!

Sunday, May 17 ... A Special Visitor

Tonight's weather sure can't be beat; too bad our Houston Rockets were!! I still don't know how they can play soo well in one game, and then stink it up the next, but overall, they gave the Lakers a good fight, and I'm proud of them! We just need a few big guys that can stay healthy throughout the season ... oh well, maybe next year!! Losing the game, however, didn't deter any of our appetites; thanks to Lindsay & Dave, we ate well!

This morning, we had a very special visitor ... Charles Lee Luker. This is George's partner-in-crime/deer lease buddy that we talk about often. Charlie has had a rough few months after being diagnosed with lung cancer, and has not been able to get out much. His son, Mark, that lives here in Houston, goes to Victoria every weekend to check on his parents and help out, but Mark thought it might do his dad good to take a little trip and let his Mom have some time "home alone." That little plan worked out great for us! George has sure been missing Charlie, and so has Brady!! I don't know who was more excited to see him, but I know Brady got the most hugs and kisses! Brady loves to bunk with Charlie at the deer lease ... and hump his leg! We can't figure out why, but supposedly that is the way Brady always greets him down at the lease. Greg, George's son, and Mark told their dads that they would try to take them on a day trip down to Gonzales soon. I'm not so sure how the wheelchairs will "motor" down there, but I guess where there is a will, there is a way! In the meantime, we all had a great little visit and lunch, and we hope to do it again real soon. We love you, Charlie, and continue to pray for God's healing touch!

On Friday, I THINK I captured some video of George's therapy sessions on my camera, so I will try to add that to the blog tomorrow. I hope each of you have a great week ahead!!

Thursday, May 14 ... Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!!

This has been another busy week; the days just seem to fly by between working, therapy appts., medical appts., household chores, etc. And everything takes longer these days because George wants to go everywhere with me! I can't blame him; I know he gets soo bored sitting in the house but a 20-minute trip to the store turns into an hour by the time I get him and the wheelchair loaded and unloaded both at home and our destination. However, he is getting to be a pro at using those electric scooters, and I think he likes the feeling of being in the "drivers seat" for a change! We went to Wal-Mart early in the week, then to Target yesterday after therapy, and then today he went to Randall's with me to get some of his prescriptions refilled. Randall's has the fast cars ... Target's are super slow ... and Wal-Marts fall somewhere in between. George just shook his head the entire time we were in Target; he said he could go faster in his wheelchair, and we know that is true ... afterall, he was the wheelchair race champion at Katy Rehab Hospital! I hope to post some video clips of his therapy sessions next week. I thought I had captured some good stuff this week, but there was an operator error on my part, and it didn't record. Darrell, his OT, has him really using that right hand well, and Paige, his PT, is getting really good steps from him these days. In fact, I told George no more "wheeling" to the bathroom. From now on, he needs to use his cane (and me, Linday, Dave or Greg!) to walk there. He is never going to walk if he settles for 3 hours a week at therapy; he has got to walk as much as he can EVERY day. It takes a little more time and effort on my/our part, but afterall, practice makes perfect (I hope and pray!). Please keep those prayers coming; George is still quite a way from being independent, but that is our goal. I BELIEVE!!

Thursday, May 7 ... FOR SALE

No, not George (although I did try to get an offer for him at the garage sale ... ha!), but his beloved truck. As many of you know, George drove a company truck for years, and then after he retired, he drove a hand-me-down truck that we had bought Lindsay when she went off to college, and then in May 2007 when he decided to go back to work part-time, he finally bought a beautiful new truck of his very own. And, George didn't just buy a truck, he bought a F-150 Lariat Supercrew, leather interior, fully loaded, and then added a spray-in bedliner and grill guard complete with bug deflector package. In other words, a REALLY NICE truck! Unfortunately, since his stroke, it has sat motionless on our driveway, depreciating in value while we continue to make car and insurance payments. And while we truly hope that George will be able to drive again one day, we think that it is going to be too high for him to get in/out of and a little "too much truck" for him to handle. So, if you hear of anyone in the market for a truck, can you let him know we have one for sale? The truck has approximately 28,000 miles on it, and we are asking $24,000, and of course, I have all of the paperwork on the truck and added accessories!