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!!