12-15-2007

Well, it finally happened. My Uncle KD lost his battle with cancer on Thursday (12/6) at 4:25 pm. It will be a long time before the hurt goes away, but it will, I know it will. His wife of 47 years (Mary), his son (Duke), grandchildren (Timmy & Melissa) & daughter-in-law (Brenda) are all suffering more than I, but that does little to ease my sadness. His memory will stay with me as long as I walk this earth.

Jerilyn and I spent Monday doing yard work. Leaves were all over the place and our grass needed cutting in some places. We loaded it all up and took it to the city dump. The truck was full and leaves fluttered out as we made our way there. By the time we returned home leaves were again covering our yard. I think one more trip to the dump will do it, but I must wait several weeks. Then the chore will be done for another year. I always enjoy fall, watching the leaves turn and then drop slowly to the ground. After a while, the weather turns cold and I have to don warm clothes and walk briskly to wherever I’m going. Isn’t it amazing how cold air can add a little juice to your steps? I walk nowhere slowly in the winter time. Nightfall is here by 5pm and we are safely tucked inside our home by then. Jerilyn stays busy getting ready for Christmas, while I do things on the PC or read the paper. I wonder how she stands me sometimes. I really need to be more helpful.

We travelled with our close friends, Don & Louise, to Roanoke Rapids and the Randy Pardon Theater (brother of Dolly). We enjoyed the trip with our friends and the show was probably a 6 on a scale of 10. Isn’t it amazing what a little diversion will do to raise your spirits? I needed that trip, I spend too much time thinking about the loss of my uncle. The show was titled “Carolina Christmas” and was attended by a lot of people on bus tours. Seems as though Randy Pardon has lost his job. He appeared on stage drunk and was arrested. He was fired from a job paying him 1.5 mil. It appears his name will be removed from the theater. The folks in Roanoke Rapids are upset, apparently, they financed the theater via additional taxes.

Jerilyn and I will be attending a Christmas party tonight (Saturday) given by our close friend Joann. She does this each year and we always have fun. A lot of the people at the party we only see once a year and, yep, it’s at her party. This has been going on for 15 years and the holidays would not be the same if she stopped doing it. Special people do things like that don’t they?

I went to my doctor yesterday to have my 6 month prostrate exam. My reading jumped from 3.2 to 5.0 last June and I had biopsies taken then. They were all clear. The doctor said if the reading stays around 5, then we will continue the 6 month examination routine. If it has gone back down to 3 then we will check it once a year. I should get my results next week.

A retired Methodist minister (Lewis Morgan) wrote a wonderful Christmas poem and sent it to Jerilyn. I would like to include it for you to read:

A Plain Man slouches toward Bethlehem,
wondering as he wanders:

What happened to that Old Gang of Mine, gone like a used sunset?
No wonder I can't find them, they're chatting on the internet.

who took away my memory and hobbled me with fears?
Who stole my yesterdays and left me with all these years?

What alien kidnapped my grandbabies, absent from my empty lap?
How I miss all the rasslin' and the hasslin' ! May I please have them back?

Who absconded with my Thanksgiving Friday and painted it black?
And how is it that upstart Rudolph now gets to lead the pack?

I really miss "Joy to the World" and all the Christmas rhymes.
Guess what I just heard? "Let it snow, let it snow" for the 1000th time.

And what Grinch took my baby Jesus? Could anything be stranger
than a thief who would throw out the Babe and cop the Manger?

Which merchant emptied out my bank account and made me sad like this?
Thank Heaven, O Thank Heaven, they didn't get my Christmas Mailing List.