A Treasured Tribute

Today was a big day for me.  I got to see Susan in Hello, Dolly for the first time.  I am almost speechless, both because of her performance and because of this from her bio in the program:

"Susan dedicates this show to her very own Dolly Levi...her mother, Linda Stovall!  After years of loving care for my wonderful father during his illness...she has "rejoined the human race" in a way that has amazed and blessed everyone around her!  "BEFORE THE PARADE PASSES BY!!"

I am flattered and honored beyond words that Susan said this about me.  I will never forget it.  She, however, is Dolly Levi!  In an early scene she states that one of her purposes in life is to step in when the good Lord needs help!  She glides across the stage elegantly and effortlessly in beautiful costumes.  Her dialogue is hysterically funny and delivered with impeccable timing.  The entire cast is appealing and does an excellent job.  The theatre is charming.

Now don't you let this parade pass you by!  I guarantee an afternoon or evening of pure entertainment and enjoyment!





 

"Could you do that just once more?"

I have been knocked off my throne as queen of the photo do-overs.  Yes, for years I have been a leader in the art of asking my subjects to re-enact or re-pose missed photo ops.  I always seemed to just barely miss the really good shots.  (Just ask Jay.)  But last night an event at Martin High School involving my dear son-in-law put me to shame.

To set the scene:  It was the junior voice recital.  Maddie was performing.  Susan was in dress rehearsal for "Hello Dolly," therefore unable to be there.  I walked in with Rob, and we discussed how nifty his video camera was...and that the cord had been lost...and that he was so glad he found it...and that the thing was now all charged up and ready to go.

Maddie was first.  She was mesmerizing.  About half way through I saw Rob reach for the nifty video camera which was on the chair next to him!  Disaster had befallen.  He had forgotten to video!

After most of the audience had left Rob fessed up to those of us still there what had happened.  With a lot of bumbling around, (and my egging on) Rob asked Maddie if she would sing again and Jana Harville if she would accompany again!  They agreed, and we had a perfect re-enactment, complete with as much applause as our small group could muster.  

So I'm abdicating my throne.  I don't think I'll ever be able to top Rob's do-over!

Let me tell you about my Mother

LaVerne McKinney Lynn

 

She was only 15 when she married my Daddy.  She did not finish high school, but you never would have thought that if you had known her.  She was very intelligent, and required that my two brothers and I  always use correct English grammar.  She was beloved by many and taught a Sunday School class for several years.

Her parents lived on an honest-to-goodness farm near the tiny town of Osage, Texas.  It was called the 3-R Ranch--Rocks, Rabbits, and Rattlesnakes!"  No inside plumbing.  Clothes made from feed sacks.  Animals of every variety.   A working windmill.  

My mother loved my daddy like crazy and vice versa! There were never cross words spoken between them. 

I have no idea how Mother knew all the things she knew.  For instance, I remember her correcting me when I pronounced diphtheria "dip-theria."  She instructed me that the pronunciation is "dif-theria."  She was right, but how did she know that?  She also taught me how to correctly place silverware in a table setting.  Believe me, that didn't seem likely with her background.

One day I sneezed extremely loudly. Mother said, "Would you have sneezed like that in church?" I then realized that I could sneeze quite quietly if I tried. She taught us to chew with our mouths closed. She did not allow us to use the word "fool" directed at another person. This one is most unusual...she did not allow us to accuse each other of or use the word "lying." 

She was an excellent seamstress. I remember that she made me a beautiful new dress to wear on my first date with Jack Stovall!

Six months after Jack and I married, Mother got sick.  The problem turned out to be a benign but troublesome brain tumor.  There was a surgery to remove it, but it grew back.  The second surgery damaged her brain to the point that she was paralyzed on her right side and couldn't stand or speak or swallow for 3 years. 

Mother had a spelling board that Daddy made for her.  It had all the letters of the alphabet on it, and she could point to letters with her left hand (opening her hand at the end of a word) faster than we could read.  The only specific thing I remember her spelling for me was when she found out we were expecting a baby (Susan.)  She spelled, "Who ever heard of a grandbaby you can't sing to?"

Mother died right after she turned 50 years old.  Susan was 9 months old at the time.  I so miss not having been able to know her as an adult.  I have now been blessed to live over half again as long as she did.  I not only got to sing to my grandbabies, they now sing for me.  

MAPQUEST, SCHMAPQUEST!

One of the competitions for Martin's one-act play progression was held at Waxahachie High School.  Wanting to be the cool and independent Mimi, I looked up the route on Mapquest.  Big mistake.  I think I was within a mile or two of the school when my directions had me exit Hwy. 287 and go completely wrong.  When I finally stopped and went in a little country store, I was about 4 miles from the school.  This was o.k. for me--I was early enough that I made it in time to see the play.  But...

My friend Silvia Monzon suffered the same fate.  She ended up in Red Oak following her directions!  The really bad part is that Silvia had the young thespians'  lunch with her.  (Silvia is amazing.  She has a full time job and still does this kind of thing all the time!)  So she and I did a lot of commiserating!

Now when I bought my Priius I got a built-in navigation system.  I was excited until I tried to use it.  My first hint of trouble came when I entered the "start" point, my home address.  The thing told me that address did not exist!  I persevered, and entered the address of Silverado when I was visiting for the first time.  I had no earthly idea how to get to 8855 W. Valley Ranch Parkway, Irving.  Off I went, feeling so confident.  That lasted until I got to a point (nowhere close to Silverado) where it was instructing me to make a U turn, then another U.  I was going in a circle--a very small one.  I was an hour and a half late for my appointment. 

In Jay's eulogy at Jack's funeral, he referred to the fact that Jack never used Google maps, a GPS, or even Mapsco.  He used old-fashioned paper maps.  He had dozens of them.  But you know what?  I don't remember him ever winding up in Red Oak!  As Jay said, "I am pretty sure he could get anywhere he wanted to go."

A Few More New Things!

A few weeks ago I showed you here my redecorating efforts in my guest bedroom.  Since the family was coming for Easter yesterday, I just had to get into high gear again and complete the project.  (By the way, if that "here" above works and refers you to my earlier blog, I must say I am thrilled.  I have only worked on being able to do that for an hour or so!)

So here's the new area....

I love the flower arrangement:

And I just happened to think of this clock, which was at the office, but not in use.  Jack found this clock and liked it.  He had it repaired, and it works.  Isn't it perfect?

 

As for the picture, I didn't look at any that did not feature an eagle.  I love the scriptures about eagles.  This one quotes Psalm 103: 1, 4-5.  "Bless the Lord...Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, so that your strength is renewed like the eagle's."

My Personal Trainer!

Recently Susan talked to me about joining LA Fitness.  She thought the recumbent bikes and elliptical machines would be good for me.  I agreed, so I joined.

After a few days I got a call suggesting that I come in for a personal fitness evaluation.  I'm sure you can imagine that I was not too excited about that, but I wanted to get my money's worth, so I went.

Here is a picture of my personal consultant.

Well, it IS his picture, but it was taken a few years ago when he was 50 years old.  He was Mr. U.S.A. in 1981.  He also has pictures with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris.  His name is Jay Hall, and I was so pleased when I was assigned a counselor nearer my age than the typical LA Fitness employee.  He asked me not to reveal his current age, but he is a "leetle" older than I.  And in a lot better shape!

So...Jay very graciously wanted to show me how to do crunches and lift weights and who knows what else!  I told him I would be doing good to use the elliptical and recumbent, but that I would let him know when I was ready to progress!  The evaluation certainly showed that progress is needed!

The Way to Treat An Alzheimer's Patient!

The verse from Ephesians that I used in my last post first came to me right after leaving Jack at Silverado on November 21, 2008.  The part of it that is so amazing to me is that it says God is able to do more than we ask or even imagine.  Yesterday I finally asked myself, "Just what did I ask of God on that day in November?"  The answer:  only two things--that Jack be treated well and that they not decide they couldn't keep him.  That's it.

So...how did God answer my meager prayer?  Here are some of the ways.

1.  They engaged Jack.  Rachael, Kisha, and Raul took him along on errands almost every day.

2.  They honored Jack, the construction expert, by asking his opinion and making him feel that it was important.

3.  They involved Jack by asking him to sit in on their meetings.  It was amazing!  I would arrive,and there they would be around the dining table--all the management personnel--and Jack! Later he would invite himself to any meeting he saw taking place.  Even other families accepted Jack's presence at their conferences!

4.  They (especially Mary Poole, R.N.) were more intuitive about his physical needs than I was able to be.  She could tell when his behavior indicated he was suffering pain--from a hernia, for example.  And she was able to smoothly get the problem corrected.  Mary also knew and knows more about Alzheimer's Disease than anyone else I have run across in all these years.

5.  Silverado provided great long halls where Jack was able to walk without limitations--day or night.  (There was only about one week of his life that he was bedridden.)         

6.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that EVERYONE at Silverado LOVED Jack.  This should really be No. 1!  This was not a passive love.  This was an action-filled love.  And it was not just the caregivers.  It was also the families of the other residents.

My concern that Jack's behavior would cause Silverado to send him elsewhere is almost laughable.  Mary was kind enough to say several times to me (in her beautiful Scottish brogue) that Jack was "a walk in the park" to care for.  I really believe that on his worst day they probably would have fought anybody who tried to take him away!

So, do you think I was a little faithless in my request of an almighty God on that day in 2008?   I KNOW I was.  But His goodness does not depend on me, for which I could not be more thankful.  

I have realized that writing these thoughts on this blog is therapy for me.  I thank you if you have hung in and read it.  Feel free to send me a bill!