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.

Memories

I think my husband and I have become officially "old" people. The reason I say that is it that every day it seems we are saying "remember when". Whether it is something my son used to do as a child, what we did in college or as children we are bringing up the past. Yesterday I was telling someone how in college we used to go "Trick or Drinking" on Halloween. That was certainly a long time ago!

But, at least I can still remember a lot of these things -- recent things, not so much.

One thing I enjoy doing every year that hopefully will bring back memories for my son, is my annual letter I write to him. Every year on his birthday (his birthday was a few weeks ago) I write him a letter. I started this on the day that he was born. For some reason in the hospital I this desire to write him a letter to let him know what I was feeling that day. I don't know why but the urge was so strong I just had to do it. I wasn't sure at the time what I was going to do with the letter but I wrote it and tucked it away in my things when I went home from the hospital. A few weeks after he was born I found it and re-read. I sealed it in an envelope and thought I would put it in his baby book.

On his first birthday the thought occured to me to write him another letter, so I did. I sealed this one up and put it with the other one. Then I realized that this would become my tradition, each year I would write my son a letter on his birthday. My thought at the time was that when he turned 21 I would give them all to him.

Each year, I look forward to writing that letter come October. I write things down over the year that I want to include in it, gather some photos from the year and any newspaper clippings or whatever I might want to include. They don't always make it to the final letter but I enjoy collecting these items as the year goes on. When he was smaller, I used to write all of his milestones down and tell him what I thought his future would hold for him. This experience is really an emotional one for me because I usually pour my heart out and tell it like it is. As he has gotten older, I chronicle his accomplishments -- but of course he will remember those on his own, but I want him to know how he makes me feel.

Since my Alzheimer's diagnosis these letters have become much more important to me. Although I started scrapbooking after my diagnosis to help me remember as well as share what I could with my family through photos, these letters will hopefully mean much more to my son later on.

He's 23 now and there are 22 letters waiting for him. I skipped a year and there is a reason but I won't go into that. Obviously, I didn't give the letters to my son when he was 21. I'm not sure when he will get them -- my first thought is upon my death. But when my disease gets to the stage where I can no longer remember him, perhaps that will be the time he can read them -- while I'm still with him, but not at the same time.

Memory Walk

We are a week away from out Memory Walk here in Athens. It is a little later than usual but that is because of the UGA Football schedule. We have to work around football -- we either have to do it on an away weekend or an off weekend so November 4th was picked. Georgia plays Kentucky in Kentucky that day. But, because all groups have to work around the UGA football schedule, there are lots of events that happen on the same weekends. We have stiff competition from the Heart Walk that weekend.

Anyway, there is still time to donate. My personal goal is $3,500.00 -- and I'm close -- just need a little help from my friends. You can donate online by clicking here and following the prompts.......https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=160213&lis=1&kntae160213=DEB6C0D2006F40EEB471A6DB11D8D104&supId=9079347

Words

I have had the hardest time coming up with words lately. Usually this happens when I get tired but yesterday I couldn't think of the right words for things most of the day. When I get stuck, my husband will ask me "what does it do?" "what do you use it for?" or "what does it look like?" -- which doesn't help at all -- it just makes me more frustrated. I was on the phone last night with my son and couldn't remember some words and it is even harder for me when I am on the phone because I know the person can't see me struggling to find the words. A lot of times, I just have to quit talking and come back later to it -- if I remember!