VARIOUS NEWS ITEMS

This WEATHER!!! Like Johnny Cash, "I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when." But I'm not stuck in a prison unless it's of my own making -- I tend to get depressed during gloomy days like this. I'll be glad when this cloud cover moves on!

The news from Mississippi is that our Aunt Faye (108 years old) is now in a nursing home. Her son Bobby could not continue to take care of her, and Sue, her daughter who lived close by, was also trying to nurse a sick husband. It just got too much for both of them. Aunt Faye is not a happy camper right now from all reports; she doesn't understand why she can't just go to sleep and not wake up. And I'm guessing that with her feisty personality that she is not a very cooperative patient. The good news is that there are several of my first cousins who are in the same home and they can visit with each other.

Speaking of illness, my sister BJ is at home recovering from some sort of infection that has attacked her red blood cells. After spending almost a week in the hospital when her blood count had dropped to a dangerously low level, she is taking it easy and trying to get her strength back. Since she has bounced around going from one activity to another all her life, this is an unusual state for her. She has always been on the giving end and is now being forced to receive (very graciously, I might add). It must not be easy for her to let people wait on her when she has always been such a servant to others. Her blood count is back up to normal now and she is slowly recovering her strength.

That's all my good, cheery news for the day. You can see what kind of mood I'm in!!