Winner, winner. Chicken dinner.

Yes. Today I rolled 4 bunkos. It was fun. I won a cash prize. Small potatoes, I know. Good fun comes in small packages sometimes. Sometimes that is the best fun. Being with my girlfriends yesterday and my bunko group today felt like a continuation of being with my sisters last weekend.

This week is speeding by. I hit the ground running when I got back Monday. Last week I enjoyed spending the night with our youngest and his family, then three nights with Mom,  then the weekend was spent in New Orleans with 6 sisters, two sisters-in-law, and two nieces. Only missing sister was the one from Virginia, who continues to keep watch over her son that was in an accident two and a half weeks ago. More about that later.

We called the weekend "Paulette Palooza"! It was Sister Paulette's birthday, her wedding anniversary, and the one year anniversary of the death of her husband. We were, indeed, celebrating life. Her two daughter's were there and provided much fun and laughter. We insured a happy time for her and the girls - just the way their Dad had lived. Full of life and laughter. (And mischief!!) We ate so much. We drank so much. We laughed so much.

We attended a cooking demonstration and then enjoyed the four course dinner that was prepared. I enjoyed some alligator sausage as well as some turtle soup over the weekend. Those were new to me. I ate fried oysters, two different versions of barbecue shrimp, gumbo, crab cakes, and then there was the Sunday Jazz brunch buffet!!! I drank wine, bloody marys, a sazerac, and a drink called heaven and hell. Yum.

We flirted with everybody we met. They loved us. And we loved them back. The hotel staff was especially considerate. Oh but the people of New Orleans are outrageously friendly. And talented. I could just sit all day and listen to the street musicians. What a treat the entire weekend was!

Here are a few of my favorite photos...

My Mimi. 

Every time I got up the first night in the hotel my hair got a little worse until it looked like this in the morning. A hot mess. 

Me and Marsha on the street car. On our way to Pascal's Manale.

Paulette and me at Jax Bistro. 

Sisters and nieces making their wish at the well of the Court of Two Sisters. 

A limo ride home and a night spent at son, Beach Boy's, house Sunday. Then. I did get to stop and enjoy some baby sugar from Cecilia on the way home. 

And now it is the next week.

 ***

Back to reality. 

Sister from Richmond is still in Memphis where her son continues to struggle after his auto accident on January 9th. His lung was badly, badly damaged, and only time has revealed how bad it really is. He is once again in ICU and on a ventilator. Today for the first time Sister is feeling the discouragement of the doctors. 

We are praying mighty prayers this day. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. – Psalm 103:1-3

Saga continues.

Nephew is not out of the woods. He is on his way to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. And. That is the good news. Not sure what issue he is facing. Haven't talked to sister since before the CT scan. Doctor saw something that cause him to facilitate the transfer. At minimum, his lung is not re-inflating as hoped.

Am maintaining radio silence until the transfer incomplete. Hoping for improved medical knowledge and attention.

Prayers accepted. And appreciated.

Today?

Sending up healing prayers today as nephew is unhooked from the suction machine. The suction machine has pumped blood and unwanted fluids out of his chest and lung area. The lung was very bruised and has bled longer than the doctors had anticipated. His ICU stay has been twice as long as doctors predicted. Lung has not re-inflated as quickly as described. Three days has turned into 5+ days. If all goes well the chest tube will be removed tomorrow. When the chest tube comes out he will be moved to a regular room for another night or two before they let him go home.

Sister and brother-in-law have hung in there all week. At one point they were leaning towards a move to Memphis and a larger hospital, with a better variety of medical professionals. In the end they were convinced that a course of patient waiting was best. That is what they are doing.

In the mean time they have had to deal with small town police department, local hospital, cramped ICU waiting room, besides grown son's injuries. Police report was not available until after last night. Hopefully the other motorist is insured. Don't even know that, yet. Maybe today.

So. Today that will be my mantra - "maybe today"! It didn't work for my powerball tickets last night, but perhaps it will work for an inflated lung - "maybe today". This will be my prayer... Dear God, maybe today?

Father-in-law continues to do well under the care of his children. With social interaction and good nutrition he is improving. Slowly. He has had a small foot issue. Hopefully it will stay small. Maybe today his foot will start to heal and feel better.

The weather this week has been lovely. On the cold side. Sunny, though. Today it might get up to 63 degrees. Maybe today.

The fun of buying the lottery ticket is in the hope and dream of "what if". It is the hope that I buy. I hope that the winners will be generous with their money. And smart. I hope it doesn't ruin their lives but enriches the lives of many. Maybe today.

Namaste.

Ties that bind us.

I love having a plan. It is in my DNA. That is how I function. Even if the plan goes awry. Or gets tossed. I still love having the plan.

And so it was. I had plans. For Sunday. Until I got the call. Saturday night. Sister from Virginia. Her grown-up youngest child had been in an accident. He was in ICU. She couldn't get to him for a good 24 hours. I offered. She accepted. I packed. I was gone by 7:00 Sunday.

Here I must say,  I love driving through my state. Especially the Delta. There is something so earthy over in the Delta. Miles upon miles of farmland. Fields with row upon row. Vacant of crops this time of year. Silos dot the landscape. Cotton gins are recognized easily. Some are ghosts. Land of the blues. Small towns that boast easy cash stores, big banks, and several tractor dealerships. Homes that still look like sharecropper houses. You don't have to close your eyes to think you are in a time warp. Just look around. Oh brother where are thou.

Seeing the nephew's face was worth more than a thousand words. It was a relief to see and know that injuries were specific to one body area and, in time, would heal. Lucky stars were thanked that mobility wasn't affected at all. Ribs and one lung. Serious. Not life threatening. In time the lung will re-inflate. The ribs will heal. His plans will resume. He knows. He knows how very fortunate he is.

Sister and husband arrived late Sunday night. I had already left to find a niece's house and spend the night. She has four precious children. They kept calling me by my sister's name. She visited last summer and they still relish her visit. Niece and her husband were so warm and welcoming. I was utterly at home with them. I even got to attend the 6 year old's birthday dinner. This morning we all shared a pot of oatmeal. The baby didn't get a bowl of her own. She finished off two of her sibling's bowls of oatmeal. It was like "It's a Wonderful Life" right there in my niece's kitchen. Life was teaming all around.

Then I drove back home. Back past the barren fields. Back past the tractor stores. Farm houses and barns.

My people. This big clan of mine. What can I say? I needed to do this. I needed to be there. We need each other. We are there for each other in crisis. We are bound by love.

Hug your family today.

The new normal.

This year is already a challenge. Today was comically crazy. Let's just say I was on a wild goose chase and am learning to appreciate the sister-in-law in town. A whole lot.

I felt like I was running around with my head chopped off. And. I bought a new coffee pot for father-in-law's house only to find it defective.

I have demanded dinner out tonight. Not in a mean way. While in town we will return the coffee pot.

Father-in-law came home from the swing bed/hospital on Tuesday. His children are tag-teaming sitting with him 'round the clock.

On a fun note. I reconvened with my girlfriend lunch group yesterday. And. It. Was. Fun. I do love those girls. On Sunday three of us are driving to the state capital for tea with our First Lady. It's an adventure. And I'm driving. How fun is that? I am planning on lots of laughs. Good times, man.

Planning more adventure with some sisters later in the month. Should be fantastic.

Happy hump day, y'all.

Bring it.

I had all these wonderful thoughts at 2:00 a.m. I should have gotten up and typed this then. Instead, I just took two tylenol and went back to bed. Only to toss and turn for another hour. 

Too much celebration. 

Anyway. Some of what I wanted to say is this. 

We are all on the same page. We all get to start this new year fresh.

Clean page to write on.

We have this wonderful opportunity.

To love. To forgive. To show mercy.

Fail? Wake up and try again. 

And again.

And again...

Namaste.