Gratitude

Let me paraphrase Thomas Fuller for a quick sec. September came in like a lion. May it go out like a lamb. 

My mom is healing. Marty Sunshine is happy like I haven't seen him happy in years. 

I'm going to take a moment and enjoy this. 

Mom Non-Drama

Word from Darwin is Mom's brain tumor is benign. However it is inoperable. For now, the doctors are  "watching it"--which I find maddening. She will have another MRI in three months. Additionally, she's had a bout of unrelated Bell's Palsy, which has caused the facial drooping. Darwin said it is clearing up on its own. He also told me she's maneuvering really well with the walker and/or cane while her broken knee cap heals. She will be going home "late next week." 

According to Mom, she's having a monthly MRI to evaluate the tumor. She's walking really well and she's going home Friday. 

Let the Adventure Begin

Marty went to the office this morning around 8 a.m. and arrived home less than a half hour later. He's been the happiest I've seen him in a long time. 

Though we didn't expect the news for a few weeks, this past weekend, we made a Walmart pantry run, stocking up on pet food, peanut butter, rice and and salsa. We also went to the Shreveport Sam's Club because it has a wider selection of items and picked up a bit of meat. With the freezer bulging--it was pretty empty--and the garden's harvest, we are set for a while. 

The Young Adults are looking at Marty's glee with a jaundiced eye. Given Marty and I grew up dirt poor, this isn't too scary for us. Our bills are minimal. Our luxuries are small. I passed on getting my hair colored this morning, opting for the gray to sparkle through. And I doubt I'll be hanging out with the Thursday Lunch Bunch for the next few weeks (if I go, someone will insist on buying my lunch when word gets out and I'm not up for charity). However, Marty told me not to cancel my Branson meet-up with Bliz planned for later this month. But this will be my last trip for a while. 

Meanwhile, Marty is on fire. With the idea of keeping the house and letting the Young Adults hang out here for the next few months while their lives shake out, he's dumping his resume everywhere. Florida where Uncle Sunshine lives? Why not. Arizona? Possibly. Little Rock? Actually, it's a nice city. As an acquiesce to me he's even looking in the cities of Saginaw and Midland Michigan--though I'd prefer he waited until the spring thaw to search that area. And yes, Texas is an option too, but maybe not El Paso please. Of course, Texarkana is on the table and if a job shows up here, that would make the most sense. 

Saturday Harvest

Every Saturday, Marty and I pick the okra. Every single one of them. The following week we pick them again, marveling at how huge they grow in one week. I'm not a fan of okra. There are a few grape tomatoes and a regular tomato in the basket too. 

Marty's Job

Whelp, it's been an interesting time at the O'le Sunshine Manor. Not gonna lie. I bought a mouth guard because I began grinding my teeth. In addition to Mom's issue, there's been another bit of chaos closer to home. 

Marty's company is in trouble. Bigly. He and I discussed it in length during our drive to Florida last summer, so the announcement didn't come as a surprise. However, the company started Hail Mary maneuvers in the past couple of weeks. This week, the Powers That Be actually let Marty and his teammates in on their woes. I heard everyone acted completely astonished and surprised--"acted" being the appropriate word here. 

In the interest of cost-saving, the company is now is plucking employees from their desk and escorting them to the door. And even if the company makes a dramatic come-back, Marty's been told to expect to be unemployed "shortly," but hasn't been given a date, What does this mean for us? No idea. We intended to drive to Dallas yesterday to buy a car, but that is now on hold. So, there's that. Our financial advisor gave us advice, which is rather promising, but doesn't change the fact Marty will be looking for work. And yes, Marty's resume is everywhere. 

By the way, Marty is in good spirits about this change. To him, the company is the Titanic and they've given him a lifeboat. As I've pointed out, this job has become soul-crushing. The more the company struggles, the more dictator-type rules come into place. Recently, Marty, though salaried, was directed to clock out before leaving his desk to walk to the company kitchen to grab a drink of water. And don't get me started on the arbitrary rule put into place which made Marty have to work on his vacation.   

I'm not sharing this with the folks in Texarkana because 1) this is a local company and if the business isn't sharing their news, it isn't up to me to let the cat out of the bag and 2) someone might figure out if Marty doesn't have a job with his current company and if Texarkana doesn't have a lot of computer-type positions available we might not be staying--which I already knew but they don't. If this is the case, I'll cross that emotional bridge when I come to it. 

Meanwhile, to assuage the Young Adult's fears, we came up with this. I picked the 19th. Marty picked the 30th. Polly picked the 15th. Buck hasn't picked just yet. 

Mom Drama

In addition to the spot on Mom's brain which hasn't been diagnosed (but Mom swears is benign, and why not?), last week, she walked into a store and face planted into the concrete breaking her knee. She spent five days in the hospital and is currently in a rehab facility. My brother, Darwin, is flying in tonight to visit for the weekend. He hoped Squirrel or I would join him in Nowhere Vermont, but alas, he's on his own. 

Mom is in good spirits. After a week she's walking with some help. She doesn't expect to be in the rehab facility too long. And she promises she isn't being a complete jerk to the staff. If she is, Darwin will will straighten that out. 

Darwin--bless him--is also going to Mom's neurology appointment next week so we can have some accurate information and get an idea of what her treatment plan might be. 

Still Holding Out

Sydney Jean, my 2014 Rav4, hasn't hit the mark just yet. She has 700 miles to go. 

The "Win Big" prize is now a family meal with the rest of the Sunshine family. The winner gets to pick the restaurant and the rest of us can't complain. Buck is promising McDonalds or a Japanese Steak House (None of us know where we'd find one). Polly said she's picking Verona--the fancy Italian restaurant in town where lunch will cost us $175 but it will cost the restaurant $15 in ingredients. I think if I win, we are getting Wingstop and staying home and playing Uno.