The day begins with me reminding myself how many things I have to be thankful for.  Sometimes we let problems overwhelm us and don't think about how much worse some people have it.  We seem to dwell on what's wrong rather than what's right.

The Bible says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  That is pretty personal. "You."   It says concerning you, not everyone else.  I also remind myself that it says "in everything," not "for everything."

All I have to do is turn on the news which is constantly blaring with what went wrong today and last week.  Tornados, murder, school shootings, etc.

I opened my Bible last night when I went to bed and started reading the Psalms.  It's almost like David the king could look into the future and read my mind.  Know what I need, what I think, what I need to change, what I need to thank God for.

I am still basking in the after-glow of my birthday party.  It was so much fun.  Friends are the most wonderful thing in life.  And all of my friends are at the very top of the friends list.  They are awesome.

The next day, Tony came and hung a door to separate my house into two sections.  The back  part is three bedrooms and a bath. My part is master bedroom, living dining room, family room and kitchen.  

It's kinda like a mother in law suite.  Tony said he could put in a small kitchen in the smallest bedroom if I want to.  Then it would be like a duplex.  I'll see if I want to do that.  Tony has already torn everything out of both of the houses I bought down here in Edmond and redone them for me.  God gave him the talent to do things  perfectly with building materials.  He is awesome.  I'm not moving again.  I swear.  I just need to have a place ready if I need a helper to move in and help take care of me.  Not yes.  I'm still a spring chicken.

Yesterday was one--if not the--best days of my life.  It was definitely my best birthday ever.  My friend Kim Larmon drove Carolyn Brown and Kathy Davidson to Edmond to celebrate my 85th birthday.  It was awesome!! We, actually, THEY) told funny stories from the last fifty years.  They know every stupid thing I've ever done and made sure everyone who was there knew about every story.  It was just an awesome day.  

I told them I didn't want presents, PLEASE don't bring me stuff,  that my present was going to be to give them a present--for them to go through my house and take something they wanted.  It took them a while to believe me, but once they got into it they had a lot of fun.  And I had fun watching them do it.

One of their stories was about me stripping and changing clothes on a plane going to France. I don't know if it was true or not, but every time they tell it, it gets worse and worse. We all traveled overseas so many times together that none of us remember where we were when those incidents occurred.  

Becky catered dinner with awesome food for all of us and baked me a pineapple upside down cake.  How she got that done, I don't know because she has just worked 13 solid days in a row.  I didn't have to lift a finger.  Jeanette set the table.

God has blessed me with wonderful friends.  My heart is full of joy. 

When I had chemo, I lost a lot of hair.  This morning I read something funny about a woman who had gone through that and only had three hairs left.

"Since I only have three hairs," she said, "Today I am going to braid my hair.

The next day, she had only two hairs left.  "Today, I'm going to part my hair down the middle."

The next day, she had only one hair left and said, "I'm going to wear my hair in a pony-tail today."

The next day her last hair was gone.  She said, "Oh! Good.  I don't have to mess with fixing my hair anymore."

I guess it is all about attitude?

The publisher sent me edited copy from their point of view.  As soon as I get it back to them, they are ready to go.  So, I am going to use this week revising and reviewing.

Maybe I will blog, but I really want to get the revision back to them...so give me a week of grace????

I had such a problem with my first publisher, that I was uneasy with the publisher who has bought my second book.  But yesterday, I received copy...their copy.  Edited and ready for my revision.  This is really going to happen!!!

 

I will probably accept all of their changes unless they are so radical they mess up the scope of the book.  I called Bill to tell him he is about to be famous (ha-ha) and he is excited as well. I am excited beyond words.  I'm an author!

And....they said they would take the other two books I have finished.

Which means I can get all of it out of here and concentrate on a book I'm writing about my dad.  His father was murdered when dad was seven years old.  They never found the killer, or a motive.  He was reaching for his gun on his hip...too late.  Anyway, I can now concentrate on that story.

This week it is all about food.  My neighbor Jeanine shops for my groceries.  God put her here for me because He knew there would come a day when I truly needed someone with a gift for caring about others.  She takes care of everyone she knows--sometimes to her detriment.

She calls, asks what I need from the grocery store, and brings it to me.  I gave her a personal credit card that she carries everywhere to make my purchases.  It is such a blessing.

Then there is Jeanette, she calls and asks what she can cook for me.  Is there anything I am hungry for?  Sweet and sour chicken is my favorite.  She makes enough for me to freeze.

And Norma, a nurse in my Bible class, who insists I call her when I have a medical need...she came and took care of me every day, the week I was so-so-so sick.  She drove me to eat lobster on Monday.  Friends.  What would we do without them.