Holiday Season

Every year we say that we can't believe it is time for Christmas again.....but come it does. I am one of these people that shop all year round, but now I forget what I buy so it makes it harder! I've started keeping lists, but then I forget to put things down on my list! But, in the end, I don't think anyone will be forgotten and if they are, they will certainly understand.

I'm anxious for my son to be home. He's coming in later than usual this year, and it will seem as if Christmas is a bit rushed. However, he is staying until after the first of the year so we will still be able to have time together. That time becomes more and more valuable to me.

The shopping crowds are a bit too much for me, so it is a good thing I do shopping throughout the year. Panic attacks set in rather quickly these days and all those people are just a little overwhelming for me.

The cold has gripped the South today and will be with us for a few days. Being a native midwesterner I miss the cold and snow sometimes. Having 60 and 70 degree weather in the winter just doesn't seem right.

US News and World Report

Has this article on their website today. This issue will be on newstands next week. It's a good read.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/061203/11alzheimers.htm

Time

It's gift giving season and it's hard to know what to buy some of my friends and family. I know some of my family members are having a hard time buying things for me......but when it comes right down to it.....I don't need anything. If I want something I usually go and buy it.

I say I don't need anything, but then I do. I need time. I don't know if "time" is considered a "thing" or not, but just the same I need time.

Time to spend with my family. Time to spend with my friends. I realize how precious that time is as my disease progresses and that is what is so valuable to me.

When we are babies time is inconsequential.
When we are children, time doesn't seem to go by fast enough.
When we are teens, it seems like forever before you turn 16 and get your driver's license.
Then it is an eternity waiting until you turn 21.
After that, those big birthdays that end in "0" come all too quickly.
Suddenly, you turn around and wonder where all the time has gone.

Time, spend it wisely. You never know when you are going to run out.

Craziness

Well, Thanksgiving is over. We had a nice dinner with friends and it was very relaxing. It's always nice to eat someone else's cooking for a change. But, I've eaten way too much and have to get back on the wagon so to speak. I'm trying not to gain too much weight this holiday season.

Shopping is becoming much more difficult with the crowds. I have panic attacks so bad with large crowds that I really need someone to go shopping with me. It is funny because I can go to a large sporting event and it not bother me as much, but I think it is because for the most part people are sitting down and not milling around. Being the midst of a large crowd going every direction scares me and I need someone with me. I guess it is a good thing I can buy things over the internet. It is much less daunting to me.

My nephew in Illinois got engaged over the holiday weekend. He and his girlfriend were on a trip to Ireland and he proposed "across the pond" if you will. I haven't heard all the details yet and I haven't met his intended but I'm really happy for him.

I hope everyone had a good holiday. More to follow.

Happy Thanksgiving

to everyone. I appreciate all your support this year and am thankful to call you my friends. As we all think about the holiday gift giving season, we all need to remember that friends and family and the some of the best presents we could get. And sharing time with those friends and family is a better present.

Thelma And Louise

Before I retired, I was the director of a performing arts theatre. It was very stressful and I worked long hours. I had to deal with agents, promoters, tour managers, tour accountants, groupies, roadies and of course the talent itself. Sometimes working with these people was fun, sometimes it was a nightmare! But sometimes the most interesting people I dealt with were the fans themselves. I really came to understand the word "fan" as being "fanatical". There were all kinds -- good, bad, weird, obsessive, good natured and fun. I could go on and on about the fans I have met over the years. When Bob Dylan came to play at our venue the fans were extremely strange. We had lots of gifts, flowers, letters, etc. that were sent to the venue to give to Mr. Dylan. The rock groups had their groupies. We had to do a lot of homework when an act booked with us to see what the fans were like and what we had to expect during the days and nights leading up to the show.

Which brings me to "Thelma and Louise". Back in 1997 we booked Kenny Rogers for one of his Christmas Shows. I received a phone call from two ladies that live in Stone Mountain Georgia. They told me what big Kenny Rogers fans they were and wanted to come over to the look at the theatre so they could "pick out their seats". Our venue was relatively new at that point so many people were not familiar with the layout of the theatre. My first thought at the time when I was talking to them was, "I just don't have time to show two women the theatre so they can "pick out their seats". Besides many of our seats were pre-sold to season ticket holders and these women didn't have a chance of being able to "pick out their seats", because the ones that they wanted would probably already have been sold. But after talking to them for awhile, I relented and told them to come over. They lived a little over an hour away and we made an appointment for them to come visit me.

When they arrived, they turned out to be more than a typical fan -- these ladies in their late 40's early 50's were true fanatics. They are sisters and they told me that they had been to over 500 of Kenny Rogers' concerts. They were also going to be buying close to 100 tickets (or more) because they had so many people from Stone Mountain that wanted to come with them that they needed to accommodate them. They were renting buses and making this a grand affair. They also wanted to feed these people in one of the banquet rooms adjacent to the theatre. At the time, Kenny Rogers had a chicken franchise called Kenny Rogers Roasters. There was one in Athens and the women wanted them to cater this dinner prior to the concert. So, what turned out to be a meeting with these two women to "pick out their seats", became a big sale and a catered dinner. On top of that, TNN, The Nashville Network, called me to tell me they were doing a piece on these two for one of their shows and wanted to come to the center and video tape them at dinner and at the concert. So, we got a little press out of it as well.

I really enjoyed meeting them and their zest for life. Their enthusiasm for Kenny was a little over the top to me, but that is what being a fan is all about, right?

Needless to say, while making all the arrangements for this trip, the ladies and I became fast friends. I really enjoyed working with them and they always made me laugh. But they had this passion that I had not seen in anyone for a long time. I started calling them "Thelma and Louise" -- just because of their zest for life. The funny part was that they didn't know who "Thelma and Louise" were. So, they went and rented the movie. They called me in horror after watching the movie and said -- "But Kris, we didn't kill anyone!". We all had a laugh and they have been forever, Thelma and Louise. Now they fight over who is Thelma and who is Louise.

All of this took place about ten years ago and these two women have stayed in my life. I've gone to two Kenny Rogers' concerts with them, met them in Las Vegas when they were there seeing Kenny and continued to keep up with many of their trips. I could go on and on about them and you would laugh along with me -- they are so great. To date, they have seen 963 of Kenny's concerts and expect to be at 1,000 by next summer. And yes, they both have jobs, so arranging all the travel and tickets, etc. for each of the concerts is a lot more work for them.

Their mother had dementia so when I was going through my diagnosis, Thelma and Louise were right there for me. And, continue to be. Today, my husband and I are driving over to have lunch with them. I haven't seen them in quite awhile but we keep up with each other.

You never know who is going to play an important part in your life. Thelma and Louise will always be in my heart.

Home but tired

We made it home from California last night. It was a short trip but it was nice to visit Alan and his girlfriend Jennifer. I don't travel as well as I used to but I have this week to rest up. We had great weather while we there.

One day we went into San Francisco and it was a holdiay -- Veteran's day -- so there were many more people in the crowded shopping area and park we were at than normally would be for that particular day. The schools were out so there were lots of kids in the shopping mall areas. We went to a new place in town that just opened up and it is an entertainment/shopping district that had an ice skating rink. You all know how I like to ice skate! But, there were way too many kids on the rink for me to feel comfortable -- if it had been an average day I would have been out there in no time flat. But, it wasn't to be. I don't usually miss an opportunity to ice skate. Being in large crowds is hard for me and I need to be sure that I stay close to whoever is with me. Panic attacks usually hit me in these types of situations, but I got away with not having one. I was glad to get back to the hotel though that night.

More soon after I have rested. The photo at top is of us at a winery in Napa Valley. Alan's girlfriend, Jennifer Lee is in the photo with us.

California or Bust

We are off to California to see Alan tomorrow. He was going to come home for Thanksgiving but airfares and schedules didn't work to his advantage. So I'll blog when I get back.

Here's a photo of my team from Memory Walk. I'm real proud of them! We raised over $7,000 and the total for the Walk is over $62,000 and we are still counting.

Thanks

to all who walked in the Memory Walk yesterday. It was a great success. Weather was great, lots of people and we exceeded our $50,000 goal.

Thanks too to Barbara for her wonderful comment she left on this blog. What a great idea to bound your letters for you and your husband. I know that project gave you as much joy as it has me.

I'm tired from the walk. More soon

Walk

Our Memory Walk is tomorrow. This year I have taken a much less active role because I knew that I couldn't do what I used to be able to do. It is way too much stress for me now -- I think I am finally learning my limitations although I don't always listen to myself! But I knew that it was time for someone else to take over the reigns of the Memory Walk. And, the lady that we have had chair our walk this year was outstanding. She has worked tirelessly for the cause and she is really to be commended. I appreciate all the things she is doing so much, I can't express it enough. It's a big job to do and she has totally embraced it. Thank you -- Eve -- for all you have done. Hopefully, I can post some photos after tomorrow's walk. Thanks to all that donated. We will definitely reach our goal for this year's walk of $50,000.