Rwayne Dennis

Rwayne Dennis was my uncle. He died last week and his funeral was today. He had a military funeral and he deserved it. He served during an unpopular time-the Vietnam War. I feel that all our veterans deserve every honor given to them.

Rwayne was the brother closest to my mother in age. He and his wife didn't have any children but they always had dogs. My earliest memory of him was when I must have been about 4 years old. We had gone to their house and I went in only to be met with a huge dog. It was a boxer and I am sure that it was average height but to me it was enormous. It scared me to death but I was also curious because this dog had shoes on. It had baby shoes on it's feet so it would not scratch the floor. I know I had never seen a dog that wore shoes and I don't think I have seen one since. I know Rwayne always remembered this because he would tease me about it every time I saw him and now I am glad that the thought of it put a smile on his face.

Rwayne also fascinated me because he rolled his own cigarettes. This was a time before cigarettes came with warnings. I can remember watching him pour the tobacco into the paper, roll it up, lick the paper so it would stay closed, and then lighting it and smoking it. I know this wasn't a good example to set for a young child but when we would go to visit my grandparents I would always ask if "that man that rolled his cigarettes would be there". My youngest brother always knew him as the man with the fire lighter-that probably contributed to my brother's fascination with fire.

Unfortunately Rwayne's smoking habit caught up with him. About 5 years ago it was discovered he had lung cancer. Whether or not he would have lived longer than the 79 or 80 years he had already lived is unknown, except to God. What I do know is that at my grandfather's funeral he was a comfort to a 14 year old girl that had lost a man that she dearly loved and I will never forget that.

Liz

Dog Fight

Our dogs were so funny this morning. I heard the most awful racket coming from the backyard and I thought that one of them must be hurt. I ran to the back door and saw that both of them were barking and snarling while trying to stick their noses under the gate.

I started yelling at them and then they turned on each other. It was like they were trying to take out their frustration by attacking one another. I kept yelling until they quit and then they walked on off like this was an every day occurrence.

I went back in the house and went outside through the garage. On the driveway there was a small dog with 3 grown men trying to catch it. It seems that it had gotten out of a backyard while these men were mowing the yard. It had run over to our house and our dogs were doing their best to be vicious. The 3 men finally succeeded in catching the dog and taking it home. Everything returned to normal.

Liz

My Husband

My husband Richard is the best thing that ever happened to me. He is patient and loves me and most of all he puts up with me. He has also endured my family, which can be somewhat overbearing-mainly my father. He loves them and is always willing to help them.

Approximately 7 years ago a brain tumor was discovered on the right side of my husband's head. When you first hear that diagnosis your whole world suddenly falls apart. In my usual fashion I started thinking the worst and I should have trusted God. I did go to Him in prayer and we had so many people praying for us during that week. After having many tests done it was determined that it was non malignant and that surgery wasn't needed. He was to have follow up MRIs done every year, which he faithfully did.

Fast forward to 2007. During those 5 years nothing had really changed but he suddenly started having "deja vu" episodes. They started out as brief episodes but as time went on these "events" increased. Not knowing what was happening Richard first went to a cardiologist. Those tests showed no abnormalities so the next stop was a neurologist.

The neurologist did more MRIs and it showed that the brain tumor had begun to change and the "events" were coming from the tumor. Medication would control them briefly and then the tumor would overcome the medication and the "events" would return. Finally in September of 2007 we went to see the neurosurgeon.

Dr. Bruce Mickey has to be the kindest most optimistic neurosurgeon around. I will admit that my experience with doctors with that speciality is limited but he has been nothing but encouraging to us. He explained everything to us and performed the surgery on September 13, 2007.

The recovery period is long and the recuperation involves many ups and downs. Although they were able to get 95% of the slow growing tumor it is always in the back of our minds that the symptoms would return.

Richard has to go to see Dr. Mickey every 6 months and have an MRI done. Yesterday was one of those visits. We can't help but get anxious when these visits roll around. The visit was good-nothing has changed and everything is stable.

I have learned so much during these past years. The most important thing I have learned is that God is there always, even when I feel that everything is falling apart. During Richard's surgery there were people praying for us-people we didn't even know. I felt so calm and optimistic during that time and I am usually the one that is falling apart. I know that it was only because of those prayers lifting me up and God hearing them.

If today you feel that your world has been shaken turn to God-He is the constant in this ever changing world.

Liz

Note: The visits to the neuro-oncologist and the neurosurgeon were very positive today (Monday). Things are stable-return in 6 months.

The Tree Now

This is how the tree looks now. It has been compacted and is ready to be picked up on Monday.

Liz

Timber

After looking at the tree and discovering that it had split we knew that it would break again after another storm. So the decision was made to cut the tree completely down. We hated to do it but felt that we would have no choice.

My brother John came over to help so now the tree has been cut down and piled up at the street waiting for Monday when the trash is collected. Fortunately we live in a town in which anything (except hazardous material like paint is put out) is picked up. When I say anything I mean anything-hot water heaters, furniture, etc.

Liz

Beethoven and Bizet

On Thursday and Friday I substituted in choir. My best threat was if they didn't behave I would sing for them and I knew they didn't want that.

On Thursday some of the classes had to read some articles. One was on Jason Mraz and the other was about the birth of Rock and Roll. One of the articles mentioned Beethoven.

In order to make sure they had actually read the articles I would ask them a question about it. I asked one boy to tell me something that he had read and he mentioned Beethoven. I asked him to tell me what it said about Beethoven thinking he would tell me that the composer was deaf. Instead the student told me that Beethoven played music (duh!).. When I asked what kind of music he played the boy told me, "Jazz". I told him to go and read it again.

On Friday all the classes watched a video named Bizet's Dream. I had never heard of Bizet but I learned that he was the composer that wrote the opera Carmen. Even I learn when I am at school.

Liz

Storms

Tuesday night storms rolled through. The weather service reported there was possible tornado rotation at a mall close to our house. The tornado sirens were blaring and I was trying to get our dogs in the house so they could share the bathroom with us.

While I am trying to entice the dogs into the bathroom the wind started blowing extremely hard. After deciding that I wasn't sure which would kill me-a possible tornado or the dog smell -I could tell that the wind had died down although it was still pouring rain. I looked out the window and observed that the above tree was in the yard and partially on the street.

When the rain quit I went outside (mind you it was 10:00 and pitch black) and surveyed the damage. Thank goodness the tree had sustained the most damage but there were fence boards in the yard. One was even driven into the ground. My daughter had come over and we walked around our backyard to see if pieces of our fence were missing. Our fence was intact so she went home and I went to bed.

This morning I went out to take pictures and pick up twigs and small branches. I looked across the street and figured out where the fence boards had come from. The house directly across from ours was missing its fence. It was laying all over their backyard.

We have now determined, in our own unscientific manner, that we had some type of rotation or mini twister/tornado start to come down and didn't touch the ground but went back up into the sky.

I think this weekend we will be cutting up tree branches. Free firewood anyone?

Liz