Cold morning

After a week of warm weather, we had a "Texas blue norther" blow in. Freezing temps with a strong cold wind which makes the clouds look blue-gray. Ah, I'm glad to have typical winter weather back, although the blooming pear and plum trees are going to be pretty miffed.

Also in the way of good news, my cousin survived and was transported to an out of town psychiatric hospital where they are actually treating her depression and tremors simultaneously! Evidently, that never occurred to her docs in the little Missouri town where she lives... I find that I am very angry, a little at my cousin but very little, and a lot at the docs who thought they could get her off anti-depressants without treating her tremors. Her neurologist is out of town until May!
I am concerned that her speech problems indicate some brain damage, though, although I think speech therapy can help out a lot with that.

There have been several good long conversations with her husband, who is being an absolute rock throughout all of this, thoughtful, loving, and absolutely aware of his own reactions. What a hard time for the whole family. I appreciate the prayers for Elaine, Terry, and Kelly as well as for our family. It is amazing what the prescence of support does!

Help!

Please pray HARD for my cousin Elaine, her husband Terry, and her daughter Kelly. Elaine is in an ICU bed fighting for a life she is pretty sure she does not want. She has struggled with depression for many years, complicated by severe tremors of the head and arms. Her local doctors have pretty much given up on being able to help her so she tried to help herself out of this life. She took a 3-month supply of pills all at once. She is just kind of holding her own at this time.

This is my beautiful sister/cousin who believes in God and in Jesus but is no longer able to stand the pain of her life. All of our lives, Elaine and I have seemed to live parallel lives, ones in which we understood each other better than anyone else on earth. We named our daughters for each other, dealt with depressions at the same time, even cut our hair in the same style at the same time although we lived thousands of miles apart. Even though we did not always make the same choices, we always understood how it was that the other made that choice.

Elaine is a precious, precious child of God who feels like she has no hope in this life. Please pray that she is surrounded by love and hope. I have noticed in this life that sometimes we have to hold the hope for those who feel that there is none.
Please God, bless my Lanie! Bless my Lanie! Bless Lanie!

20 Years Ago

It has been 20 years since I met the Native Texan who has so transformed my life! I really can not believe that time could go by so quickly. We married 19 years ago on this coming Tuesday. Little did I know 20 years ago today that my life was going to change in such a profound and wonderful way. Despite the ups and downs of illness, job woes, etc., he still keeps on truckin' and keeps on loving the people in his life in such a magical fashion. Tex's health may be fragile, but his spirit is strong and vital; and he blesses my life each and every day.