Living in the Moment, An emal from my Mary....

As I've been packing,pricing, creating for next weekends show today, I wondered if my "Mary girl" was going to be UP to coming. And when i finally sat down to check my messages, I found this email she posted Tuesday, to dear friends and family.

Spinal cancer removed, Check, Radiation, Check! A waiting healing period and then her cancerous kidney removed, Check! She'll be evaluated and tested again next month. I'm praying and holding my breath.

She doesn't really "DO" email. Well, a bit, but mostly forwarding Jokes or Cartoons,,,so I was surprised to read what she wrote ...

(Sorry,again a pic from our trip to Farm Chicks in 2011,,,,)

Mary's Words Tuesday.....................

Hello to my dear friends and family-

For today my one true sentence is: My life is good. It is the truest thing I know at this moment. Even when I walked in that black cloud, a part of me knew that this, too, would pass and somehow, sometime, I would feel human again. Right now I know that I have had the best life can offer. I also know that I have to keep that thought firmly with me.

I have to keep remembering that I had the best childhood, the best growing up years. I have the best husband, and I have the best family and grandchildren for me. I've had the best experiences in life and love. I have traveled, although never far enough or long enough. And I have experienced many things:

Being loved by Ross
Being touched by a hummingbird
Being Mom to Brodie and half the neighborhood kids
Being a partner in the best of marriages
Being a big sister
Being intelligent enough to learn from life's lessons
Being a lifelong friend to my dear five muscateers (you know who you are)
Being able to work
Being able to get up each morning
Being able to go anywhere I wish

My life is good because:

I know that I am truly loved
I know that my only child Brodie, my "best accomplishment" loves me and chooses to be with me
I know that Brodie, Mary B, my grandchildren and family and friends love and support me
I know that my health can be fragile
I know that I am capable of dealing with whatever comes
I know that I have passed my hardest tests
I know that I am not alone
I know that I have finally learned the lessons that Ross tried to teach me

Thank you, Ross
Thank you, God


I cry and smile as I type this because I love this woman, my "sister" who has been in my life since I was 9 and means more to me than I can ever say. She is brave. She Is strong. And she has stood by me for 45 years.

She's the one I got my ears pierced with. She's the one I told when I was 20 I was on the Pill, "Shelly Louise!" She's the one that didn't just marry my brother, but the whole Family!! She's the one that made me and "Auntie" at 15 and forgave me on my first "all alone" outing with my Baby Nephew Brodie and LOST his "Blankie."

I love my brother. He is SUCH a good man! He's a great dad, a great grandpa and, according to Mary, the BEST husband ever. He has achieved a LOT in his life, Medals in the Viet Nam War, His Phd. He even invented some vaccine that keeps Salmon from getting a certain Virus. He's reserved man, but I KNOW he has a heart of Gold. And I KNOW he's the best husband ever. But maybe that's because he married the BEST woman ever. She helped put him through College and life wasn't always easy.

I'm hoping Mary will be able to come to the show. I understand if she isn't up to it. I just have to give thanks for ALL the times she and I have been together. I hope there are MANY Many more years of that!!! I love her so!!

I'd love it if you keep her/us in your prayers. And lift those up who support and love you, every day! It's SO simple and yet, SO important!!!


Hugs and Love to you ALL and an appreciative BUS on the Cheek
Shell