"The Pink Flamingo's and my Mother..."

“The Pink Flamingo’s and my Mother…”

Today I was able, puny and all, to make it to radiation. They think I must have caught a bug, as it’s too late for the type of nausea I had to be related to the chemo 8 days out. Regardless, I’m glad my stomach, while still a tiny inferno, is not afire like it was yesterday.

My dear friend Jenny Smith drove me to KU med today. Jenny, a former cheerleader, was her typical spirited self and reminded me that I need to continue to exhibit my “zany” persona. She reminded me of the “Pink Flamingo” incident, and it brought up many laughs. Two summers ago, my hairstylist friend Diana and I were shopping at Wal-Mart and found those ‘Pink Flamingos” in the bargain aisle. I thought it would be creative to start a chain and signature page, and go place them in our friends’ yards late at night. We decorated 4 flamingos up, attached a note with instructions that whomever received them had to adorn it with something, and move it to someone else’s yard within 24 hours.

We left spots for 20 signatures attached to each Flamingo, and the last signature was reserved for a return to the Blair front yard. My intentions at the end of the Flamingo escapade were to have a BBQ and everyone who had been graced by the flamingo yard art would come to our home for a “Flamingo Party.” Well, long story short, 3 of the 4 Flamingo’s found there way back to our house. It was amazing and the birds looked completely different, and were decorated with a variety of tokens and gawdy, tacky trinkets from each household. However, it was amazing and fun and unique to follow the trail of who had received the lovely Pink Flamingo’s in their front yard. It was one of my most unique ideas, and a fun conversation piece for a span of that summer. We never did have the BBQ, but that may be a new summer project for me again! Jenny simply reminded me that that creative soul still exists, and I need to keep my chin up. It was good, sound advice from a good friend.

I’m a little ambivalent tonight. I’ve been my mothers’ primary caretaker for the last 10 years. She’s moving tomorrow, her house is nearly empty, and, while I know this is best for her, I wasn’t prepared for her to move out of town. She’s needed assisted living for quite some time, and we were preparing to find her a place in Atchison. I’m going to be lost not looking in on her, running her errands, calling her multiple times daily and doing “honey-do” chores around the house. Fulfilling her needs allowed me to nurture someone. It fulfilled my need since I don’t have children, but still had the need to take care of someone. While my world was hectic, I still saw her daily and will miss her terribly. I hate seeing both of us having our lives changed in the span of about a month. I do know that Falls City, Nebraska has my brother and his wife, and my niece and her husband and my three great niece and nephews, and so “Grandma” is getting all kinds of attention from the little ones. That is wonderful and so necessary for her to experience right now, and I’m pleased that my great nieces and nephews adore her and will get to experience my mom’s perky spirit.

Hopefully, with a little luck, I won’t be as puny tomorrow, and will be able to go to KU “Beta Theta Pi” Moms weekend with my sis and nephew. Nothing could make me smile more than being around both “family” and “KU.”

Much Love,
Julie