And so it begins

I wish I knew where to start. But I dont. Suffice it to say, I am a bundle of ragged nerves. I best get used to this condition. Things are happening so fast and it's tough to cope at times.

I am trying to take lots of pictures. I took my camera with me to the oncology center, taking pictures of the people that Mom has gotten to know. In '04, she became somewhat of their 'star patient' because of her outlook and spunk. They made her feel more than welcome and comfortable, but almost like an extended family. Like family members though, you can sense some of the worry, sorrow and hope they have for her at this stage. Any way you look at it, these people do care, they want to help, and their encouragement is practically boundless. I realize that this is a key part of therapy and coping. I also have found out that it takes a certain type of person to choose this as their career path. There might not be a whole lot of super-compassionate people in this world, but they tend to congregate in fields such as this.

I am going to continue posting stuff about Mom in my journal, for my sake, and maybe to let perhaps a small part of the world know more about her, and what she means to me. These are not posts looking for sympathy, though I am grateful to those who have offered their support to me over the various years. These will be instead my thoughts, impressions and feelings set to print. It's not easy for me, especially since I am by nature a very private, quiet person. I just somehow feel that this is something I need to do, because I can.

Hail, hail, the storm is (was) here

A really nasty storm crashed through the area at around 7pm tonight. The power went bonkers several times before staying out for at least an hour. The wind was strong enough that it tore apart the 10x20 foot tent/canopy in the front yard that was set up for Jeff's (since cancelled) Graduation party. Several large limbs were snapped out of trees and scattered around the yard. Mom's beautiful rose bed is in shambles, she did manage to visit it this morning at least. The yard, driveway, street, it's all a mess of leaves, branches and whatnot. Hail fell for quite a while, at one point becoming the size of quarters, so I can assume the cars have been damaged as well.

I can only imagine what else might be in store for me.