The "REAL" Moon Walk

Had my one day off and started it at the high school with my daughter who started Guard camp today. Nine to nine, Monday through Friday out on the hot asphalt of the high school parking lot that has been painted like a football field.

I volunteered today since I had the day off (although I had a million other things to do.)



I met three other guard moms (who are stay at home moms.) After two hours of listening to them talk about their relatives, husbands and in laws..I knew I wasn't really needed all that much . I left to go get Massey some lunch, came back and ate with her. I stayed a while and then said I had to go to the grocery store and post office and would be back to bring her dinner. Had she said "Why aren't you staying?" I would have stayed the entire time, but since she was okay with it and the "Real Housewives of Coweta County" seemed to have it covered..I slipped off.



I work in my yard for sometimes five hours and get no sunburn. Sitting doing nothing for two hours I was roasted. Even my lips are sunburned. At least now I have figured out that all I have to do is drive to the school about three times a day and spend an hour or so each time...just in case.



The reason we are there (supposedly) is in the case of an emergency or if something out of the ordinary happens. I hope neither does, but I am okay going up several times a day, always asking the "Housewives" if they need me to bring anything back or if there is something else I can do.



So far it is a win win situation. I am doing my part and I am making it as painless as possible.



My husband just walked through the door from picking her up at nine and it seems there were no rumors about the "run away mom."



I have found my niche with this group. Just show up every day and ask if there is anything I can do, if there is I will do it gladly. If everything is okay I will go back to my own life for a few hours, work a shift and come back to claim my kid.



Talk about "One step for man, one giant leap for mankind".



All that these organizations need is some kind of effort on the part of every parent and I am down with that!



I will be there every day this week, just at different times and when I can fit it into my work schedule.



But ya know, that is all that is needed to make it a well run system. It's the parents that just can't seem to squeeze in an hour a week to help out that put a kink into things.



I mean if we are paying over $700.00 for our girls to be a part of this group. I for one, want to see it in progress...be there every step of the way and get the most enjoyment I can for forking over almost a thousand dollars (after wind suits, undergarments ...shoes and other equipment.)



I am just happy to know that they are a friendly group...all they want is SOME help. I can do that!



SEGUE... I used to call this "Anyhoo".



Can you believe that a man walked on the Moon forty years ago? How did time fly by so quickly and where did it go? I remember us all huddled around our black and white TV with the aluminum foil wrapped on the rabbit ears for better reception.

When I was a kid we had one TV and one phone in our house. The TV was as big as a love seat. The phone was a black rotary dial hanging on the wall in the kitchen. As far as video games go... we had Atari. Man , was that fun batting that little ball back and forth with our straight line paddle! As you got better you could speed it up to another level . I don't think we ever had a push button phone, but I always loved using the one at my friend's houses and was always amazed at how fast they could punch in the numbers. Me, I fumbled around looking for the next number and just couldn't get that rapid dialing technique down like they did.

In our house now , we have five televisions...all with cable. We have four telephones, a computer in the downstairs and my daughter has a lap top. We all have cell phones. If you had told me forty years ago that I would have all of this in my house when I was grown, I would assume that I was going to grow up to be a millionaire... especially if you told me I would have a riding lawn mower parked in my garage as well. Heck , even having a garage would have impressed me almost as much.

I am not rich. I am far from it, but I am blessed.

Went to see my co worker tonight (this blog is a two day long post) at The Sheperd Center. The girl is looking great! She finally got the cast off of her leg and is coming home on Saturday. I asked her if she was X'ing off the days on her white board in her room and she said she was. Her younger brother is here from Michigan and he noticed that she was a day behind in marking off the days. She said she was glad to be going home and felt bad about the way she had treated some of the nurses when she first arrived. She said she had apologized to every one of them ... I told her they were most probably used to reactions like that from patients when they first arrive. I told her the nurses probably had a mark off calendar counting down her release as well in their nurses station !!

If a man can walk on the Moon forty years ago...my friend can walk out of that hospital on Saturday and be on cloud nine. She has a great family support system and people sending up prayers every day on her behalf. I told her tonight that she has given me a new perspective on life and has inspired many, many people.

I am going to see Frances tomorrow in her new digs at the Rehabilitation center. Today at work, "The Girls From the Home" (see previous post) came in to eat with me. They are from an Alzheimer's Home and are quite a hoot. At least this visit they all kept their granny panties on. One of them did slip an appetizer plate in her purse as she passed a table on the way out of the door. Hey, if it makes her day a little brighter, I would give her a stack of them! But she was happy with her one little stolen plate and they all thanked me like I had just given them all a massage and pedicure. While they were eating I chatted with the nurse that had brought them and told her that my father's cousin had been sent to a certain rehabilitation center and asked if she knew anything about that particular place. She said it was a great place and was where they sent their own residents for re hab. That made me feel better about Frances being in her new temporary home.

Men walked on the Moon forty years ago... and my co worker and cousin are making just as great an achievement every day.

God has blessed them both and made my life richer just being able to witness them healing and getting stronger every day. They both could not have impressed me more if they had walked on the Moon themselves.

The inspiration these two women have exuded has shown me that landing on the Moon and making a miraculous recovery from a devastating downfall can be just as amazing and much more satisfying.