What joy, Sassy! We already knew that you were a winner though!!!! ma

Dear Sassy -
Your winnings is a perfect example of the old saw, "Good things come to those who wait."

We cancer survivors can add to that: ... wait, and survive to appreciate them!

I am sure you have some plans for this windfall, but hopefully you will indulge yourself with part of it.

Thank you for sharing about your good fortune. I was with my Mother-in-law when she won a scratch lotto prize of $20,000 about 15 years ago. I remember the excitement like yesterday.

Yeeehaaa!!
 

Made My Day
 

I woke up early to get to work early (so I can leave early Friday even though there is no chemo-sneaky sneaky! ha). While brewing coffee I heard the bedroom door open. To my surprise it was Mighty Oak getting up really really early.

Today's Joy: Getting a kiss goodbye from my favorite person in the whole world!!>>Believe51

Awww....
 

Sometimes I let my mind wander and go into my own little world. Today when I was visiting there I made a wish and just when I did...........

Today's Joy: A ladybug landed on my shoulder!! Does that mean my wish comes true????

Hope so! I hope ALL your wishes come true!

A Total Joy
 

I went home early from work because I had a date with my sweet 4 year old granddaughter, Tia. It was going to rain so my son picked me up at home and dropped us off at the ice cream stand so we could get a head start on our festivities. Having a grown up conversation with this year old is a complete joy in itself but it only gets better the longer I know her.

I used to be a demanding Mom to some extent and seeing the ice cream melt all over herself was something that previously would have made me squirm (she was 'watching balloons'-hehehe!). I am a new and revised person now and although I reminded her to lick her cone, I basically ignored it. Her conversation was more important.

As we were finishing up our frozen treats she looked up to the sky and spoke like I was not even there and said: "Boy, I cannot wait to get back to Grandma Marie's home (never says 'house') so I can wash my hands!!"

Today's Joy: Was the look on her face when I pulled out a Ziploc bag full of wipes!! And Friends, I almost had to give her a full sponge bath right there she was sooooo sticky!!

I live to love another day>>Believe51

Great fun, Marie -
Can't wait till I read about the day that Might Oak take on the ice cream run himself. Hope his energy is on the upswing these days.

MY joy was getting my procedure to unblock my vena cava moved up one week to the 15th. Right - who is joyful about going into the hospital again?!?
Did not sleep well last night and then I tend to get back to sleep in the early morning and then sleep til 9am! Not a good pattern ...

Hubby asked me to buy some ice cream and I keep forgetting since we don't eat it. He thought it might cheer me up!

My joy for today is I got 2 year old Dilly today. She's here for a week so she can go to the Fourth of July parade with me on Friday. She doesn't like the fireworks though.

They Really Got Me
 

As you may know, last Monday June 23 was my birthday and my week started by eating mini cakes celebrating our friends birthdays. And I ate and ate and ate more cake as birthdays were arriving.

Well it is July 3 today and my boss and my staff got me a cake. I was out with Mighty Oak on my birthday and they thought they could throw me off by stalling. They did!!

I had told them how much cake I have eaten that week. Their reasoning for postponing the celebration was they thought I would say something like...."I am so full" or "Look how bloated I am"

Today's Joy: Not just getting remembered BUT I DID SAY THINGS LIKE THAT ALL WEEK TO EVERYONE HERE>It is good to know these people I work with know me so well.........well enough to figure out my demented mind!!...........Burp....Oooops! 'scuse me!! I am still laughing!>>Believe51

Where is all the joy??
 

Joy
 

My joy was when my 6 month old grandson put both arms around my neck and hugged me. He is a Blessing, Jeanette

O Yeah!!
 

Joy; the kids brought their report cards home from school yesterday and today is the first day of summer break.

Joy Column
 

I am happy about every birthday I celebrate, being able to do normal everyday things, accomplishing a goal, days with no side effects, hearing great medical news, spending time with good friends, hearing good music, watching a great movie, enjoying beautiful scenery and many other things. I am just thankful to be alive and kicking.

Today's joy was celebrating my husband of 35 years, birthday (55) with most of the family here. Joy next week will be going to Seabrook Island to celebrate my grandson's 5th birthday. It will be a lovely weekend at the beach!

A neighbor gave us some free tickets to a nearby waterpark so I took three of the kids yesterday (one was off at a track meet). Most Japanese pools are only slightly deeper than my waist, in case people can't swim (and so many people never do learn to swim!), and my kids and their friends never have any chances to actually jump or dive into the water. This pool had a 5 meter deep diving pool with some low diving boards and a platform about as high as the old low diving board remember at our local pool when I was a kid.

People were enjoying taking turns timidly dropping off straight down into the deep water and building confidence to actually try jumping or diving. A few fathers made everybody (about 70 people standing around watching and or waiting for their turn) laugh making huge splashes belly flopping off the 2 meter high platform. The lifeguards supervised well and made sure that each diver was out of the pool before they let the next person jump.

My daughter N (soon to be 11) challenged me to go off the
platform so I stood in line and waited for a turn. The lower diving
boards had shorter lines so I was able to see N and her big sister J (15) jump a few times while I waited. When my turn finally came, the crowd seemed suddenly silent. What was this fat, white haired, foreign grandmotherly person doing up there on the platform? My daughter was smirking in anticipation of a big splash.

Did I walk and stand at the edge and drop off feet first? No, I took two firm and quick steps and a jump and propelled myself up and over half the pool, flying through the summer sky in a perfect swan dive (my first in several decades). I heard a big collective "oooooh!" as I glided splashlessly into the cool, deep pool.

Boy did I show them! :-)

I was careful to readjust my swimsuit on my way back up to the surface to keep the show G rated.

I think that this makes up for my dismal performance velcro-wall
jumping earlier this year.

What a joy!

Cricket-cricket
 

I slept in the only none-air-conditioned room in the house last night.

Today's Joy: I gently fell asleep to the sound of crickets, which may I add reminded me of all things good from childhood...what a treat>>Believe51

Colleen and the kids went on vacation and I got to stay at home and work. (Thats not the good part.) The good thing is that I opened the cabinet for a bowl for cereal and there it was! The Bunny Bowl! What a special treat! Pour in the cereal and milk and it's "Bye, Bye Bunny, see you soon." And when you are a member of the clean plate club, it's "Bunny, your back!" Bunny always comes back, he's reliable that way. It's good to know that some things will always be there for you. You just got to find them.

Spike