Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dreamer: Your friend is still in my prayers and I hope she stays strong through this latest setback.

Rhianon: Hug your boy from all of us here in the guild. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the VT students and staff, the victims, and their families and friends.

My apologies for not being around much recently - life is being less than peaceful for our family. My 92 year old grandmother broke her hip, and we are now in the process of packing up her small apartment as she will be released to a nursing facility and not back home. She accepts this situation with dignity and grace. It's not likely she'll last out the year, but she is ready to go to that bright space beyond the stars to meet her maker.

My cousin, who has been in remission for the last several months, may now be coming back out of it... she's a college student at a small community college in Oregon - trying to get her BA in her mid-fifties, and due to her grants, she is expected to carry a certain number of credits, regardless of her medical issues. This was difficult for her when she was in & out of the hospital for chemo the last go-round. She is really dreading the thought of having more bone marrow work done as well. I am hoping that she'll pull through this once again.

Added to that, on Thursday my mom's car was totalled due to some idiot driver. He decided he didn't really want to exit, so attempted to whip back onto the freeway in the approximately 10 feet of space between her vehicle and the "V" that ends the exit. She hit her brakes hard, but there was no way she could avoid hitting him. To top it off, when he got out of his car, he didn't even ask if she was alright - just went back and started yelling at her and trying to blame her for his stupidity and lack of judgment. The sheriff and state patrol weren't inclined to see it his way and he was ticketed. Unfortunately, she's in a great deal of pain. She is also quite nervous when I drive her around, gasping as I come up behind brake lights, and pressing her foot hard into my floorboards. I don't deal well with the gasping part as it tends to throw off my focus of the vehicle in front of me - not a good plan for me to be looking around to see what trying to hit us when it's nothing but the car I am already fully aware of in front of me. I also live a good thirty miles from where she lives so it is hard to run errands for her on weekdays. She is trying to make arrangements with a co-worker to get to/from work, and we've all advised her to get an attorney.

With all of that going on, plus work, housework, kids, etc. my Gaia time is getting to be less and less. I will try to get back on as much as I can to check on my dear, sweet geezers whom I absolutely adore. You are a great group of people! heart

I'm sorry all that is going on, Lil Brat. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers. Funny how stuff seems to be dumping on alot of people right now. My boyfriend's grandfather just died a couple of weeks ago, and his grandmother had her cancer come out of remission, and is expected to pass soon. Then my cousin is entering would could be a nasty custody fight (the baby's paternal grandmother wants custody, after 2 years of her son not really being interested enough in the child to NOT have drugs around child evil ), then during this process my cousin had to have a couple of byopsies done on "suspicious masses" in her breast. Then my mother had a stroke scare after she fell. no one is really sure what happened, but she's is recovering wonderfully. This spring just really hasn't been pretty on certain levels.... But we all persevere. heart

So cheers to life experience for giving us the wisdom to know that eventually, we make it through. heart

Thank you mAOri WaHIne, Cosmic, and Lil-Jo. We will get through this as we do with all things, slowly but surely.

And it does seem like a lot of not-so-fun stuff is going on with a lot of us here in the guild. My hugs to everyone, and know you are all in my thoughts.

Cosmic - sounds like you've got your plate full, too ~ so you're in my prayers, too.

Lil - hope things are going along smoothly in the adoption process. Skye is very lucky to have such wonderful people in her life.

Hugs round the guild to all heart

Thanks Lil Brat. I just found out today that mother of my best friend from high school (who is now also the step-mother of one my best friends from college - it's a long story, don't ask) just had a masectomy (yeah, I can't spell) and isn't doing as well as hoped. All this cancer stuff just scares the heck out of me.

Thanks for posting that link, Eirwyn. I wish I had seen it when the thread began.

Well, we currently have legal custody of Skye, there is a 90 day wait before we can finalize the adoption. At that time we will be giving her a new name, Jasmine. My husband has never had the chance to name a baby so this is his first time... We are starting to use that name now so she gets familiar with it. She is just starting to reconize some words (NO seems to be the only one that she hates so far).

Wow - seems like things are progressing along nicely. I'm so happy for you and Mal, and of course for baby Jasmine... heart

Thank you for the invitation to this guild I am very happy that there is a guild like this.

I finally had a moment to catch up with this thread (I tend to lurk a lot) and just want to say that it seems like everyone is having a very rough time of it this spring. We are, too - family issues, house issues (I only have time to read now because I'm waiting for paint to dry!) - and I just keep hoping that fate will be kinder to everyone in the summer, and that everyone gets that big boost of positive news that we are all waiting for.