Memorial Day Weekend

 Hi everyone,
 This page is from 3 years ago and I haven't been able to make any new scrap pages these last few days. So I came across this one and was so delighted at the memory of making it for my sisters and friend Kay. I think this was Jamaica but not sure. It is so hard to keep up with these 3. I am happy that they get to go and have fun and do things. It is a real nice feeling when I stumble across these on my Facebook memories and see them. I also have some photos to share with you today before I get into what is bothering me. I haven't had a very good weekend so far. And I am tired but it is what it is I suppose.

 In response to Memorial Day, I have kept hearing over and over words like... 3 day weekend whoo whoo... Well yes you might have a 3 day weekend but do those of us that acknowledges Memorial Day, do you really know what it is about?
 We have taken this day and have used it for a celebration instead of what it really is about. If I hadn't had company this weekend I would not have spent it or a great deal of it on Swimming, Barbecuing, or doing anything else and I have the rest of the weekend and tomorrow to acknowledge what it really means.....

 It is to pay respect for our fallen soldiers that have given their all for our Freedom. It is a huge price to pay for everyone's 3 day weekend. I am not saying that you should not enjoy the 3 day weekend. Not at all because we are a culture that works sometimes 7 days a week, but I am hoping that we can as a country, take the time to at least acknowledge what this day really means.

 This was what my Memorial Day looked like 6 years ago today.

 This is my back yard when I lived in Arkansas. We experienced the mighty 100 year flood. This water was rising in my back yard when I snapped this photo. I am waiting for someone to take me across the street to the hill that I might get my car and head to higher ground. All of my gardens are under water now.

 Pretty soon after the photo of my back yard this is what the front yard looked like. I am with the Mayor in this photo. We drove as far as we could. They were having us turn around at my drive way. This was as far as we could go.
 I was able to keep in contact with local authorities.  I was evacuated shortly before this photo was taken. Around 5:00 pm. By night fall the water had risen to the top of the windows. Only a part of the roof was showing. Once the water started coming it came in fast. Just to think that at 8:00 that morning they said that we still had about 3 days. They were so wrong. Thankfully my car and everything I could take was already packed and they used a rowboat to take me and my dog to the hill for my car.

It was very hard to go thru this. It was almost 3 weeks before FEMA and I could go to the house. We had to wait for the water to go down. The stench was awful, and it had brought in thousands of snakes, frogs, and I don't know what else. Lots of fish also got trapped in the house. I had the most gorgeous flowers there at the fence line. Petunias, sunflowers to the left and moss rose not to mention all the others, like rose bushes and pine trees just planted. It was all gone in a matter of hours. There was no celebrating that year for our town. We were too busy trying to survive and offer others help and rescuing animals. We took in a few until the owners could be found.
 We were part of the lucky ones because my friend the Mayor had a house in town that she let me stay in until I could get back into mine. Well not actually get back in. Another friend parked his RV in my driveway and let me stay in it.
 The work was horrible. The inside had to be gutted and what could be burned was burned. Months of hard work was gone. I didn't own this house. I rented and in lieu of rent I fixed up this house inside and out. I had help of course but the second time around I didn't have much help because I couldn't work.
 My job was still under water. I did what I could. I was also getting sick at this time and could barely walk. My legs hurt so bad and I began having terrible pains when I tried. Not only that but I was not able to keep much food down. I ended up in the hospital several times for my esophagus was closing at the end that led to the stomach and would only open occasionally to allow food into my stomach. When my legs left me where I could only walk a few steps my vascular surgery was arranged. I closed up the house... I couldn't do anymore.
 While in the hospital 2 hours away for 11 days the house was vandalized. Everything stolen. It was the last straw. My daughter Karyn decided I was going home with her and at this point I agreed. My neighbors were supposed to have taken care of my dogs. I don't know what happened to them. When I went to get my things Bandit was gone. The other one had was still there but she was being well cared for so I let him keep her. I cried so hard for that loss.
 These memories are hard for me so now I will move onto something else.

 My girlfriend came in on Friday. It was not a pleasant visit. She beat me here before I got home from the doctor. She is .... I don't know how to describe her. From the first 5 minutes it was chaos. She never stopped talking or complaining. I was too slow. I couldn't walk fast enough, etc. Karyn became very agitated with her the complaints kept coming and she had enough and told her, "My mom has a lot of disabilities and her medication has a lot to do with her being slow." She just wanted to go go go the entire time she was here.
 I had not slept in 2 days, and I did remarkably well in my opinion keeping up with her. We toured the facilities, went out to dinner, which she complained practically the entire time after our meal was delivered, went to Wal-Mart where she rushed me and called me 3 times to ask where I was. I said the front entrance where I am waiting for you. Well she finally made it to me then spent 30 minutes consulting with the pharmacist about aloe vera juice. We made it back and she wanted to go to the pool. I told her that the pool closed at 10:00 and it was already 9:45 pm and she kept saying, "Well no one will know" but I held firm and told her, "I am tired. I have not been to bed in over 36 hours, I need to sleep. She finally agreed but she talked and talked and talked. I fell asleep with her talking.
 She kept saying she was probably allergic to my dog and she was itching. The next morning she did have bites all over her but she spent a great deal of time outside and Mosquitoes are already bad. Also she was having a heated debate about her renters saying that they had bed bugs. The next morning she said.. You have bedbugs. No I Don't. But that didn't stop her. She went to the store and bought all kinds of stuff to treat my room. From a light detection kit to sprays. So I tore my room apart and sprayed and sprayed and took all my bedding and stuff off the bed and spent $20.00 washing it all and her stuff.
 We went to the pool yesterday after the laundry was done and she complained that Karyn and I were spending too much time at the laundry. Well I am not about to go off and leave our laundry there so we can go to the pool. I spent money I didn't have and borrowed from Nathan so that we could grill out. Ok so we did have to eat but good grief. Last night after we went to the spa.... which I fell and banged up my shin (Reason I don't ever go) we came back and 5 minutes in the door she kept saying I I itch all over. Finally I said you might need to go to the hospital. I gave her directions and told her where to go and I went to bed. I guess she must have gone because sometime during the night she woke me up and said she had gone to the hospital.
 I thought that I was dreaming, I really did. But I woke up this morning and she and everything she had was gone. She didn't leave a note and she didn't wake me up to say goodbye. She just left.
 Well she will not be back to my house again. If she ever comes back to this city she will have to get a Motel. Not that I actually invited her anyway. She called me and said she was coming to Austin and wanted to come and hang out. I said Ok. Big mistake. One that I feel is one I won't ever repeat again.
 Karyn said that she got mad because Joe was talking to a neighbor and she had gone to him and asked him to come and cook the food at the grill. Why would she do that? Karyn and Joe had plans with his family. Not ours. Besides why would she go and seek him out. She just said I will be right back and guess what? She had gone to seek out my son in law and then went to Karyn's to complain that Joe was taking to long talking to a friend!!!!
 Jonathan said that she had complained about so much that it gave him a headache and he went to bed to avoid her.
 I am not sad to see her go because truthfully I don't think that I could have dealt with her 2 more days. Now I remember just why I stopped having anything to do with her.

 So that is my rant for today and I think that after I get my kitchen cleaned up I am going to go and lay down and relax. I am rather tired, more mentally than physically.

 Karyn is picking Matthew up from the airport... I will be so happy to see him. He will be a bright spot in my life and weekend....... I am closing for now... BB