Monday, August 22, 2011

Mishmash. Veritable.

Okay folks, I’m just warning you right off the bat that this is going to be a veritable mishmash of a post. But hey, sometimes mishmashes of the veritable variety are the way to go!

The first item of news is that this is a certain young lady’s last day to be fifteen years old. Tomorrow Princess Groovy Chick will celebrate her Sweet Sixteenth birthday and what a celebratory day that will be. (If you’d like to leave a comment and wish her a happy birthday, that would be wonderful.)

In other news, I blogged on Friday that the three of us were headed to Greenville to be with the family of a church member who was having a mastectomy. We got to the surgery town about noon and decided to stop at Burger King for a quick lunch.

Steve had started driving that morning but we had switched off halfway so I was behind the wheel when we pulled into the restaurant. As I was getting out of the van, I decided that I was going to be liberated for a change and not drag my purse inside with me. I keep threatening to not take my purse everywhere I go but I usually don’t follow through on those threats. On this day, however? It was Follow Through On Threat Day. I proclaimed to myself that I was not going to be burdened down with a 47-pound purse, just to run into Burger King for lunch.

The purse was on the floor on the passenger side so I leaned over, laid the keys in it, and hopped out of the van.

Sarah got out of the middle seat and hit the button for the automatic door to close just as Steve came around the back of the van saying, “Becky, do you have my . . . (door slides shut with a thunk) . . . keys?”

The light suddenly dawned. I realized (two seconds too late) that I had thought that his keys were my keys. And I had just put his keys into my purse. (Along with my keys.)

My response was a classic wife reply, “Um. Why yes, I do have your keys, honey. They are safe and sound. Inside my purse. Inside the locked van. Along with both of our cell phones.”

It was not the happiest of moments in the Smith Family Annals although I must say that except for one very long sigh, Steve did an excellent job of keeping his cool. We went into Burger King so that Steve could call a locksmith; unfortunately, the restaurant did not have a phone book and they said it was against company policy to allow us to call information. So Steve trudged on over to a nearby gas station to use their phone book and phone. The first three locksmiths he called couldn’t be there for at least an hour; the fourth one said he could come in thirty minutes. Happy day.

We had our lunch, waited on our Knight In Shining (Locksmith) Armor to arrive and finally made it to the Surgicenter about ten minutes after Cindy had been taken back. So much for being the organized, on time, efficient pastor’s family!

However, since much of the reason for going to someone’s surgery is to be with the waiting family, we were at least able to do that. It was a 3-hour surgery so we had plenty of time to chat with Cindy’s daughter, Michelle (also a breast cancer survivor), as well as Cindy’s husband.

After about forty-five minutes of pleasant chit chat had passed, we three figured we didn’t want to wear Michelle and John out with to0 much conversation, so we settled ourselves nearby for the duration.

Can you tell what our Passing The Time Equipment Of Choice is? Michelle thought our little line up was hysterical and that we needed to get a picture. . .

surg1

. . . or two.

srug2

By the end of the three hours we were told by the surgeon that the surgery had gone excellently and that the lymph nodes were clear. We were all so grateful—especially Sarah, Michelle and I, who have been through our own scary cancer surgeries.

_____________________________________________________________

On a completely different note, I was in a particular business last week when I saw this toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. It just struck me as really, really funny and I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a picture to share with my lovely blog readers.

Aren’t you so glad you dropped by here today?

cindy

And lastly, on our long trip home from Florida recently, Steve and I were discussing for the fourteenth million time why people insist on driving slowly in the passing lane. I saw this picture on Facebook today and decided that I was going to lobby Congress to have this sign installed on every freeway in America.

Dontcha love it?

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COMMENTS

Mrs. Pam said, “What a fun picture! (Referring to the “jumping photo” I posted last week.) I think Sarah should go out for cheerleading. So, does this mean that Nathan and Meagan have all the professional photos now?

Mrs. Pam, we don’t have the professional photos yet. This was just one photo that Meagan had posted on Facebook. The rest of the photos should be ready very soon, though!

Trine said, Does Sarah still have to go to checks and so on at Duke since she is NED or is there no need for that anymore since she has been NED for 5 years? :)

Trine, actually Duke would like to see her every year since they are still following some heart/lung/hearing issues that she has. Plus, they just like to see their long term survivors on an ongoing basis because 1) long term survivors of NB are rare and 2) it helps them to keep records of the survivors’ progress and side effects.

However, since none of her issues are serious, we have been cutting back on the annual visits, simply for financial reasons. It’s a long trip that usually requires a hotel stay and very few of the appointment costs are covered by insurance. I really hate that because going back to Duke was always a highlight for us, getting to see her old doctors and nurses, visiting the transplant unit, etc.

I do stay in touch with her Duke oncologist by e-mail though and send him pictures of from various high points of her life. You can be sure he will get one of her celebrating her sixteenth birthday—a day that NONE of us us ever thought would come.

So grateful . . .

29 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

TiffanyH said...

Sarah,
I hope you have a wonderful 16th birthday tomorrow!!! Enjoy your day, and enjoy your whole year of being 16!! It is a great age!! :) Happy, Happy Birthday!!

Jan said...

Happy birthday, Sarah! I can't wait to see photos of you in the Smith birthday hat. :)

Jan Reuther

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Sarah, What a wonderful day it will be. You are just as beautiful now as you were at 6. Have a wonderful day (tell your mom to post lots of pictures) :-)
Gail Puckett
Kingsport, TN

MaryH said...

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH - 16 IS A WONDERFUL, FUN AGE - ENJOY EVERY MINUTE - SO GLAD YOU HAD A GREAT PARTY WITH GOOD FRIENDS - SPECIAL DAY FOR YOU, FOR SURE SARAH SMITH - YOU ARE A BLESSING TO THIS WORLD. SMILE!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Sweet Sixteen Sarah!!! Looking forward to seeing the birthday pictures and seeing your family soon.

Cindy from Sonoma

Frapper said...

Best Wishes, Sarah, on your 16th birthday! I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating it, and wearing the traditional Smith birthday hat.

Love Being A Nonny said...

Sarah, YOU ARE 16! Can you believe it???? Happy Happy Day to you!

Ericka said...

You guys should get a cheap prepaid cell phone with just a few dollars on it to keep in the car so you can make emergency calls while you are on the road, like to locksmiths! :)

Anonymous said...

Wishing Sarah a very Happy and Sweet 16th Birthday!

Debbie H. in Sacramento

Anonymous said...

happy to hear that your parishioner got a good report after her surgery.

a friend of mine had a car with a a key-punch-code-number-thingy on the door to lock and unlock the door. I think that should be standard equipment on all cars. My one compulsive disorder was/is to double check my purse before I got/get out of my car to be sure I put my keys in the purse. Can you tell that I've locked them in the car more than once? Now I have a wee stuffed pink elephant on my key ring, so it just sticks out of my zipped purse, and I don't have to re-check. of course, all this wouldn't help you since you didn't know whose keys you had.

will be back tomorrow to leave a message for the 16 year old!

mrs pam

Anonymous said...

You Rock, Sarah!! Happy big girl birthday!! Jojy in Cali

Marshmallow Woman said...

Happy happy birthay to a young lady whose beauty and grace shine both inside and outside.

Have fun!!! :P

Margie said...

Happy birthday Sarah. You will love being 16.

MeLaNiE said...

Happy 16th Birthday!!! Have a great day! I have a friend who's son was born last year on your birthday! You are growing in to a wonderful young lady!

Miss Judy said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH, and I hope you have many, many, many more to come!
Hugs and Blessings,










1

Anonymous said...

Happy 16th, Sarah! My daughter just celebrated her Sweet Sixteenth two weeks ago.

What surprised me most about this post, tho, wasn't that you locked the keys in the car, it's that it is SAFE to leave a purse on the floor of a car?? Here, one would be offering enticement to someone to do a quick break-in. You're lucky!

Katrina said...

Happy birthday, Sarah. What a inspiration you are.

And Becky this reminds me of entry you once made when Sarah was 9 that ended with 'Can you imagine her as 17?

... And now you are celebrating her Sweet Sixteen. :) We do not have a thing like Sweet Sixteen here, here it is 13 and 18 that is consindered as swwet.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, Sarah! It's been wonderful watching you grow into a beautiful SWEET SIXTEEN!! (I've been following you for years on Caringbridge!) Havea wonderful day!

Rosemary in Albany NY

Carolyn said...

Happy Birthday, Sarah! What a joyful day!
Carolyn Smith
Blacksburg, VA

Anonymous said...

Hi there Sarah

Not all 16 year olds are sweet... but you surely are!
In fact, you just might be the sweetest of sweets!!!

Wishing you the happiest birthday ever (until next year's b-day). You are just one of the loveliest young ladies that I have been privileged to "know".

HAPPY, HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY, DEAR SARAH!!!

love and prayers from Mrs. Pam and
the Preschool Pen Pals

Shannon said...

Happy Happy Birthday to my "share the day" Blog Friend Sarah!!!! If it weren't for the fact we were several states apart I would suggest we celebrate together over ice cream.

Happy Sweet 16....I hope it is the very best!! :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Sarah, I hope you have a great day.

Chase from Denver, CO.

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!

nancy Irving said...

Happy Happy Happy Birthday Sarah, hope you have a wonderful day

with Love
Nancy Irving
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

jenny said...

Happy Sweet 16, Sarah! You are my hero! God bless.

lesley said...

Today is the Big Day!!!!! Happy Sweet Sixteen Sarah!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy 16th Birthday Sarah! What an amazing testimony you and your family have! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating YOU!
~Joleen

Anonymous said...

Happy 16th Birthday sweet Sarah! Jill-FL

The Pennington Point said...

Oh my goodness you are too funny! That picture of you three lined up in the hospital with your laptops...perfection. We'd be the same, only it would be phones we'd be messing with. The highway sign....my favorite EVER! Lisa~