J I T

I come in contact with approximately 300-400 people a day. It's part of my job. I get to interact in their experiences and lives for "smatterings" of moments. Then there are probably another 100-200 people I know. These people are in my life for various reasons and I see them occasionally for diverse reasons. My close circle of people include about 25-30 people that I see or hear from on a daily or weekly basis. We either work together or are related. Then there are those very special friends that I hold dear to my heart. They are there when I need them. Time is not a constraint. Calling them at 3 in the morning is more than okay with them. And I know that even if they get upset with me, they still love me. Ruth is one of those people.

We first met when I started teaching kindergarten in a private school on the other side of our state. (That was in my other life) Her older daughter was in my first class. We were instant friends and have been for some 30 years. Even when I just see her name pop up in my personal e-mail box, it makes me smile.

Ruth is unique. She is intelligent, level headed, creative and so talented that she could have easily been a professional musician. I consider myself so blessed to call her my friend. We have been through a lot during these years - My divorce and remarriage to the same man; my parents illnesses and subsequent deaths; my first husband dying; her parents dying; me changing jobs several times; me moving to O-town; the marriage of both her daughters; her becoming a grandparent; my recent remarriage; and at the top of the list, her survival from breast cancer.

We have a survey that we do in my department. It's called "J I T" or Just In Time. It is a survey to capture something that our guests have just experienced and to get their reaction immediately after the event. Ruth is one of my "J I T" friends. She always calls or writes or visits Just In Time. She sent an email today to see if we can do dinner this Wed. We'll meet half way between our two places of living and get to spend some time yaking and catching up. But best of all, she will listen to all my "woes" and make me feel better while she listens. That is just what she does, and she does it well.

NEEDS V. WANTS

When does a "Want" become a "Need" or visa versa? Bob thinks I am high maintenance. When it boils right down to it, I'm actually not. I can't think of one thing that I actually need that I don't have. Wants? That's a different issue all together.

Probably at the top of my list of wants is my car detailed. It is such a nice car, but so filthy dirty right now. Of course, here in FL it is the rainy season and it doesn't make much sense to have detailing done this time of year, but when is a good time?

Another want is more energy. My "daughter" says that she has the remedy for all that ails me. I personally feel 2 weeks at the beach would cure anything.

Want No. 3 would be some new knee-high hose. I am down to my last pair and they look like cats have been fighting over them with all the snags and stretched areas.

World Peace and the end to World hunger fit somewhere in between on my list of wants. The list is usually short, depending on the time I have to think about it and when I actually verbalize it internally. My attention span varies depending on what type of meeting I am attending at the time.

So you see, I really don't NEED a lot of anything else, except, if someone were to donate a new dark blue Mustang convertible with a parchment colored top, I wouldn't turn it down. Oh and yes, make the interior leather, please.

HI HO; HI HO

It had to happen sooner or later - Bob went back to work today. This is the first day after his surgery. His doctor gave him two thumbs up for all his bloodwork. "Cancer Free" is a good thing to hear. Thanks to all who have offered prayers for us during this time. The hardest thing today was - Wiener was so confused. She IS almost over her PMSing, but was terribly disappointed that Bob was not here to play with her today. Even though I feed her, walk her, take her to the Vet, he is her favorite. Oh well. As you can see, she was so upset she had to go back to sleep. She has such a rough life.

A very close relative of mine (remember-no names) spent several hours with me Sat at the emergency room as I had another round with this stomach problem. I am so tired of this. I had to leave work, but all the tests were negative. The Dr said there was probably residuals from the "flu" that I had earlier in the week. (I'll spare you the gory details.) She gave me 2 shots to ease the pain and I finally woke up today and was able to function again. I don't remember what it was, but man it certainly worked. And, if you have to visit a hospital, my advice is Sand Lake Hospital on Turkey Lake Rd in Orlando, and Dr O'Brien is totally awesome. If she was in practice somewhere, I would DEFINITELY recommend her.

Today I had to have another set of bloodwork done - 3 in 2 weeks. My question - Where does all this blood go and why do they like mine better than any other person I know. It must be valuable! I think I'll start selling it. That would be a better way to make vacation money. On the other hand...

PMS

Any woman of age knows the symptoms of PMS-the pain; the aching; the "blahs." One thing you might never have been privileged to is observing a female dog "PMSing." I have never had a female dog before so this is all new to me, but I have learned a thing or two this week. A moaning, sighing, frantic dachshund is NOT PRETTY!!! If she were not in pain, it could also be considered comical.

She is laying on the top of our couch, upside down, with her head propped up on one of the cushions beside her. She also lays on her back with her head "dangling" over the back of the couch with her feet straight up in the air. She sighs. She moans. She snorts. She looks at me and rolls her eyes. In my "imaginative" mind, I can hear her saying - "Oh dear God. I am sooooo miserable. If I could only find the heating pad and my aspirin. But, I don't have thumbs so how would I get the lid off? Oh dear God. I'm in pain." And, then she sighs again!!!

I guess I need to get my old charts and graphs out and "teach her" all the facts she needs to know. Ah! The joys of being a woman.

Looking back

If Tom had lived until tomorrow, we would have celebrated our 41st anniversary. In some ways, it has been a very long time and in others, it has gone as quickly as the mist of a spray.

It was raining that night. Tom forgot to go by the florist and pick up my bouquet, so he had to call all over the area to find a florist still open and got me an orchid. It died within 3 days, before we came back from our honeymoon. We had gotten blue and white polka dotted sheets as one of our wedding presents and my mother had put them on our bed when she had left our apartment earlier in the day of our return. Tom went back to school and I went back to work.

We moved into an extremely large trailer park close to his school and I was working for a publishing company in downtown Nashville, TN. We worked; he went to school; we got to know each other better and it was great; for a while. It was his senior year and he wanted to leave Nashville to live in the mtns. I had lived in the mtns all my life. I loved Nashville. I had a great job. I didn't want to leave, but he applied for jobs all over NC, GA and FL and he was hired to teach band and chorus in a small-town high school in Jasper, GA. Some time during all of this "decision" making, I found out I was pregnant.

Life happened and then he died. And, now I'm remarried and live in "O-town" and work in a very magical place. I'm retired from teaching and my recent husband just went through cancer surgery.

There you have it. Except in 1972 while living in GA, at the height of some of the "most hostile days of my first marriage" I found out I was pregnant with our second son. I was remembering that today when we had lunch together. He is such a joy. He is his father's child with "smatterings" of me in him. I like to think he has the best traits from both of us. And, if the truth were told, I am probably closer to him than any other person on this earth. He knows me! And, he still loves me. That was soooo his father. How he turned out so well is only by the Grace of God. And I am so proud of him.

One day he will have to make decisions for my care. One day he may have to sign DNR papers for me. Or, one day, he may have to take care of the "arrangements" for this earthly body I have. I know I am in good hands with him.

God has been so good to me to allow me to have such wonderful men in my life. I am extremely blessed.