I was going through my emails and I found this message that my son Scott wrote to his friends back in February of 2014.  (It is pretty wonderful when one of your children brags on you! ) I had written a blog about how I couldn't cook when I got married.  One of Scott's friends read it and commented on it and Scott answered her with the following: 

"Now, my Mother is a Fantastic cook.  She taught me as a child to cook...she had a Tumor in her right Atrium in 1972...the Tumor was the size of a Racquetball...was malleable enough to allow blood to JUST get by.  She couldn’t stand or walk because she would tire out so quickly.  But, she could sit and talk with me. 

So, from the age of 8 to 9 years old, I stood at the stove and my Mom would tell me what to put into the pot and how to cook it.  I had to cook because I was the only one home from school by 5:00 and my mother would not DREAM of eating out.  My older sisters were in Jr High and High School.  They had their extracurricular activities and would be home at 6:00 PM along with my Dad.  Dinner had to be on the Table at 6:15 every night. 

  

I cooked for our family for 18 months.  Start to finish -> to the table -> Table Set -> to the Dishwasher.  Her health was that bad.  She had open heart surgery in September of 1972.  She had my brother Jonathan Matthew that April of 72.

The Doctors told her that if she had the child, her heart would not be able to handle it. They said…  “It WILL FAIL and JANIE, you are going to DIE.  Abortion is your only option here. God will understand!  You have to abort this baby.”

Continued tomorrow...  (The capital letters are Scott's words--he is quite a story teller!!)