Sleepy Sleepy

Oh so sleepy so much of the time.  WebMD says it's possibly depression, hypersomnia and other things like Narcolepsy.  I'm not exactly falling asleep in the middle of conversations but I'd sure like to sometimes.  Don't think I'm depressed.  Too busy for depression.  For some reason a "low socioeconomic status" can cause sleepiness.  That's odd.  Rich, powerful people get super sleepy too.  I must have hypersomnia.  I look forward to the weekends... not for the fun things we do but because I get Saturdays as my sleep-in day.  Hubby gets Sundays.  The thought of staying in bed, putting in ear plugs and pulling my comforter up to my chin is the most enjoyable blissful moment I could have.  Of course my kids give me lots of blissful moments but they don't come equipped with ear plugs nor can get their own cereal.

The weather is changing too.  This makes me even a little more sleepy than usual.  Living in California, we don't see much of a seasonal change but for the past few days it's felt a bit like Autumn.  Fall is my favorite... a little breezy, a little crisp, a little "just right".  We are all set for Halloween.  Hubby has been building (yes, building) his own Ghostbusters outfit, I am going to be Emily the Strange (I needed "easy"), the oldest will be the Bride of Chucky and the youngest will be a doggie.  Doggie was her second word right after "Daddy".  "Mama" was like her seventh word.  WHATEVER.  She is my little smoosh angel.  She says Mama when she doesn't feel good.  Moms are comforters.  We have a hotel booked for the weekend of the 23rd and will spend the entire weekend at Disneyland with our friends.  They have Mickey's Halloween Haunt on the night of the 23rd where they close down California Adventure and kids and parents all dress up.  The kids then collect candy from a variety of locations throughout the park.  It's great fun!  A couple of years ago, Hubby went as Indiana Jones, our oldest was the pink Power Ranger and I went as Little Red Riding Hood.

This weekend, we are going to drive a couple of hours to see some old friends of mine.  They have seven children.  I've held all of them but one when they were babies.  The oldest is now twenty.  Wow.  Then my best friend is having a kid-friendly birthday party for about six people that all have their birthdays around each other.  Food and music will be the order of the evening.  Can't stay out late though... Sunday is not my sleep-in day.  Although Sunday will be nice as Hubby and I are getting a babysitter for a few hours so we can see a double-feature and have lunch together.  Maybe I'm so sleepy because we are so busy... not to mention the fact that I work full time... have a husband... two kids... two dogs...  oi vey.  Yep, must be it.

Mom's update is that she hasn't been sleeping very well but the good news is that the current radiation treatment does seem to be helping a little bit.  Even "little bit"'s are worth taking note of these days.  I would trade in all the hours of sleep I want and get for her to have the comfort of just one night's precious sleep. 

I'm keeping up on the blogs of those currently in South Korea.  We may not really know each other but I'm praying for you all...

Your strength in getting well is what will pull you through.  Your faith and each other is what will give you strength.

Roads and Reasoning

Last night I was looking through some paperwork at home and came across pictures Mom gave me a couple of years ago of my father.  With it was also a poem I wrote her more than twenty years ago.  At the time, she was contemplating starting a small business in Breckenridge Colorado.  For me, I thought "why not"?!?  But then had to realize how hard it is to pick everything up and start something so totally new, not knowing what could happen.  What is it with me and roads?  I wrote this to basically say... it can be scary out there but you have to keep pushing through, you have to keep moving and keep exploring and living.  Don't stop traveling down that scary road.  That road is your life.

When the road seems long and dreary and a year feels like a day

It's the "same" that makes me teary, I don't know why I stay

When Saturday feels like Tuesday and tomorrow is today

I'm tired of traveling yesterday, I want to fly away

Must the road be where I live?  Must the road be who I am?

Is the one thing that I ever did was never give a damn?

My road becomes more frightful, the older that I get

What once was so delightful, I'm starting to forget

Today I crashed into a rock; on the ground I was laying

With all the strength I had, I fought, but ended up just crying

When on Sunday came a speed bump, I didn't know what to do

It's when I feel I have to jump that I always miss the view

On Monday came a tumbleweed and blocked my lonely path

Afraid, I closed my eyes and pled; Oh please just let me pass

On Friday with my might I tried and demanded another road

I begged, I pleaded and lied; but to whom?  I was alone

For me there's no escaping; I'm forced to forge ahead

Alone, there's no debating; my feet were meant to have bled

One day I came upon a fork and had to choose my way

Having to look into myself and decide to choose today

So I turned to one direction as was guided by a Light

The sun was bright, the warmth was soft and gave ease to the night

And now it's been twelve years or more and this road I think I'll stay

The rocks I kick, the bumps I ride and the weeds I blow away

For as long as and I am living, I must never halt my tread

Stopping in my tracks and waiting, for it's then I'll know I'm dead.

Yes, mom did end up going to Colorado and starting up that business.  She never halts her tread... she never has.  Thanks to her, I never will either.

Holding Pattern

All is still status quo at the moment.  Just waiting to hear when and if we can board that plane to South Korea.  Thank you, Kristen, for sharing your grandparents blog from Korea and thank you, Mom for reminding me about Mark Smith.  I read his website awhile back.  His family was doing all they could to raise enough money for him to go to Dr. Moon's treatment facility and now he's there!  HK and Mark must be going through treatment at the same time.  It's truly a small world when the Internet can connect us.  Even those without an Internet connection at all... I can see where you live thanks to Google Earth.  :-)

I also really want to thank Dusty Donaldson, lung cancer advocate and survivor. 

She has graciously allowed me to link her blog from this one.  She didn't just survive lung cancer but she fights for funding and awareness of a deadly disease that gets less attention than the other major cancers (which causes less death than lung cancer combined). 

http://dustydonaldson.blogspot.com/

Life is a Highway

... yes, it certainly is.

There are times I look down a long highway and excitedly anticipate what's going to be coming up along side me.  I especially love a good road trip first thing in the morning.  I've driven up to Mammoth when there was snow just covering the side of the road with the sun coming up creating little twinkles outside of my car window. 

There have also been times when I've left a little too late on my return trip home and have found myself on long highways in the dark.  What I anticipate then are desert creatures darting out in front of me and imaginary stalkers hiding out in the shadows just waiting for my car to break down. 

Boy, have I driven a lot of highways in my lifetime.

Do you believe in "fate"?  Do you believe that God has a "plan" for all of us?  I don't.  I believe that fate is what happens to us at the end of a decision or situation.  And I believe that God gives us many highways... some we choose and some we just end up on.  

This is a link to the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov/), specifically to their Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment page.  

On this page, there are the different stages along with links to current clinical trials. 

There is also a "patient" tab and a "health professional" version tab at the top of the page. 
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/non-small-cell-lung/healthprofessional/allpages

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

This is exactly the way a cake I made would look.

Besides marking the WONDERFUL day of your birth, Mom... here are some other things that happened on this day...

EVENTS

1877 - “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” With those words, Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians surrendered to the U.S. Cavalry. The surrender took place at Bear’s Paw, Chinook, Montana.

1930 - This was a big day for CBS. Following the orchestra broadcast (above), Father Coughlin, "The Fighting Priest" was first heard on the radio web. He lit up the airwaves with oratory that aired into the early forties.

1934 - The first major network radio show to originate from Hollywood aired on this day. "Hollywood Hotel" was heard on CBS and was heavily promoted as being the first to broadcast from the West Coast of the U.S.

1936 - Coaxial cable strung between New York City and Philadelphia made it possible for the first intercity telecast.

1939 - As long as Ted Weems’ orchestra recorded on Decca Records, so did the featured vocalist in his band, the barber from Canonsburg, PA, Perry Como. Before becoming a star in his own right, and making the move to RCA Records and NBC, ‘Mr. C.’ recorded "I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now" with Weems on Decca.

1947 - The first U.S. president to make use of television addressed the nation from the White House. ‘Give ’Em Hell’ Harry Truman accomplished the feat. In this speech, Truman requested that the American people not eat meat on Tuesdays, nor poultry on Thursdays, to save on feed grains to help the starving in Europe.

1947 - A small Northern California company got a major boost from Bing Crosby. The first show recorded on tape was broadcast on ABC radio. ‘Der Bingle’ was so popular, that his taped show promoted wide distribution of the new magnetic tape recorders that would become broadcast classics -- the venerable Ampex 200.

1952 - After an 11-year run on ABC radio, "Inner Sanctum", the legendary mystery series, was heard for the final time. We’ll never know if they oiled that squeaky door...

1958 - The record charts were dominated by a folk song for the first time. The Kingston Trio scored with "Tom Dooley". The story, told in song, is of an embittered Civil War veteran, Tom Dula. It seems that he had been forced to make a confession just before having to face the gallows, saying that he had killed his girlfriend out of jealousy. Some said he was innocent. The story became a folk song in the 1860s, and The Kingston Trio, a group of clean-cut, shorthaired, button-down shirted, young men, rode the folk revival to fame and fortune with their rendition of "Tom Dooley".

1965 - Adding to his many credits, accolades and honors, Henry Mancini received a gold record for the soundtrack LP from the movie, "The Pink Panther".

1974 - The Beach Boys’ "Endless Summer" was the #1 album in the U.S. The lovely Olivia Newton-John had the number-one single. "I Honestly Love You" was #1 for two weeks. The album that single was taken from, "If You Love Me, Let Me Know", hit number one the following week after the one-week run by the Beach Boys.

1978 - The Nobel Prize in Literature goes to... Author Isaac Bashevis Singer for “...his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life.”

1986 - Figuring that the booming 1980s were prime time for a business news show, ABC broke ground with "Business World". The half-hour program was hosted by correspondent Sander Vanocur.

1983 - Solidarity founder Lech Walesa was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, founder of Solidarity, campaigner for human rights, for his efforts on behalf of Polish workers.

1989 - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for nonviolent efforts to free his homeland from China. The Committee’s citation read, “The Committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.”

1989 - Former evengelist, Jim Bakker, was convicted by a jury in Norfolk, VA of bilking 116,000 "P.T.L." ("Praise the Lord") TV show followers out of $158 million. Bakker was released from prison in 1994 after serving five years of his 45-year sentence. During his jail stay, Bakker’s wife and former co-host Tammy Faye divorced him.

1991 - Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch (with Loleatta Holloway) hit number one... one... one in the U.S. with "Good Vibrations".



Birthdays - October 5

1829 - Chester A. (Alan) Arthur (21st U.S. President [1881-1885]; married to Ellen Lewis Herndon [two sons, one daughter]; nickname: The Gentleman Boss; died Nov 18, 1886)

1882 - Robert (Hutchings) Goddard (‘father of the Space Age’: launched a liquid-fuel powered rocket as early as 1926; died Aug 10, 1945)

1902 - Ray Kroc (entrepreneur: founder of McDonald’s; baseball team owner: San Diego Padres; died Jan 14, 1984)

1908 - Joshua (Lockwood) Logan (III) (producer, director, writer: Ensign Pulver; director: Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, Fanny, South Pacific, Sayonara, Bus Stop, Picnic; died July 12, 1988)

1917 - Allen Ludden (Ellsworth) (TV host: Password, The G.E. College Bowl, Liar’s Club; married to actress Betty White; died June 9, 1981)

1919 - Donald Pleasance (actor: You Only Live Twice, Fantastic Voyage, Tale of Two Cities, The Adventures of Robin Hood; died Feb 2, 1995)

1922 - Bil Keane (cartoonist: Family Circus)

1923 - Glynis Johns (actress: Mary Poppins, The Ref, A Little Night Music, The Sundowners, Coming of Age, Glynis)

1924 - Bill Dana (comedian, actor: The Steve Allen Show, The Bill Dana Show: "My name, Jose Jimenez.")

1925 - Gail Davis (Betty Jeanne Grayson) (actress: On Top of Old Smoky, Blue Canadian Rockies, Cow Town, Brand of Fear, Winning of the West; died Mar 15, 1997)

1929 - Richard Gordon Jr. (NASA astronaut [walked in space on Gemini 11: 1966], orbited the moon on Apollo 12 [1969])

1930 - Skip (George) Homeier (actor: Starbird and Sweet William, Cry Vengeance, The Gunfighter, The Halls of Montezuma, The Interns)

1933 - Diane Cilento (actress: Winner Takes All, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Tom Jones, Negatives, Hombre, The Naked Edge)

1935 - Peter Brown (actor: Lawman, Laredo, Darby’s Rangers, Ride the Wild Surf, Backtrack!, Days of Our Lives, Foxy Brown, Calendar Girl Murders)

1935 - Margie Singleton (singer: Keeping Up with the Joneses [w/Faron Young], Eyes of Love, Old Records; TV performer: Louisiana Hayride)

1936 - Václav Havel (government official: ninth and last president of Czechoslovakia [1989-1992]; first president of the Czech Republic [1993-2003])

1936 - Adrian ‘Odie’ Smith (basketball: Univ. of Kentucky [NCAA title: 1957-58], U.S. Olympic team gold medal [Rome: 1960], Cincinnati Royals)

1938 - Johnny Duncan (singer: She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed [Anytime], Slow Dancing, He’s Out of My Life, Hello Mexico [And Adios Baby to You]; with Janie Fricke: It Couldn’t Have Been Any Better, Thinkin’ of a Rendezvous, Stranger, Come a Little Bit Closer; died Aug 14, 2006)

1938 - Carlo Mastrangelo (singer: group: Dion and The Belmonts: I Wonder Why, No One Knows, Don’t Pity Me, A Teenager in Love, Where or When)

1943 - Steve Miller (singer, songwriter: group: The Steve Miller Band: The Joker, Rock’n Me, Fly Like an Eagle, Jet Airliner, Abracadabra, Take the Money and Run)

1945 - Robert Holmes (football: Kansas City Chiefs running back: Super Bowl IV)

1949 - Brian Connolly (singer: group: The Sweet: Little Willy, Funny Funny, Co-Co, Wig Wam Bam, Blockbuster, Jell Raiser, Ballroom Blitz, Teenage Rampage, Fox on the Run; died Feb 10, 1997)

1949 - B.W. Stevenson (singer: Shambala; songwriter: My Maria)

1950 - Eddie Clarke (musician: guitar: group: Motorhead: Please Don’t Touch, White Line Fever, Leavin’ Here, Overkill, Bomber)

1950 - Jeff Conaway (actor: Taxi, The Patriot, Sunset Strip, A Time to Die, Almost Pregnant, Bounty Hunter 2002, The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission, Grease, Pete’s Dragon)

1951 - Karen Allen (actress: Ghost in the Machine, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Backfire, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Starman)

1951 - Bob Geldof (singer, songwriter: group: Boomtown Rats: Looking After No. 1, She’s So Modern, Rat Trap, I Don’t Like Mondays, This is the World Calling, Love like a Rocket; organized fund-raising group: Band Aid)

1952 - Clive Barker (author: The Inhuman Condition)

1955 - Leo Barnes (musician: group: Hothouse Flowers)

1965 - Mario Lemieux (hockey: Pittsburgh Penguins scoring star [1984-1997]: Calder Trophy [1984], Art Ross Trophy [1986, 1993], Hart Memorial Trophy: [1988, 1993], Stanley Cup winner [1991, 1992]: holds record for points scored in a game [8]: Conn Smythe Trophy [1991, 1992])

1970 - Josie Bissett (actress: Melrose Place, Secrets, The Hogan Family, Desire, Mikey, Book of Love, All-American Murder)



Chart Toppers - October 5

1945

Till the End of Time - Perry Como

If I Loved You - Perry Como

I’m Gonna Love That Guy - The Benny Goodman Orchestra (vocal: Dottie Reid)

You Two Timed Me One Time Too Often - Tex Ritter



1953

You, You, You - The Ames Brothers

No Other Love - Perry Como

Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford

I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know - The Davis Sisters



1961

Take Good Care of My Baby - Bobby Vee

The Mountain’s High - Dick & DeeDee

Crying - Roy Orbison

Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke



1969

Sugar, Sugar - The Archies

Jean - Oliver

Little Woman - Bobby Sherman

Since I Met You, Baby - Sonny James



1977

Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band - Maco

Keep It Comin’ Love - KC & The Sunshine Band

Don’t Stop - Fleetwood Mac

Daytime Friends - Kenny Rogers



1985

Money for Nothing - Dire Straits

Cherish - Kool & The Gang

Oh Sheila - Ready For The World

Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night) - Ronnie Milsap