Christmas 2011 in Florence, SC

 We spent Christmas 2011 with Bill and family in Florence, SC.  Jim and I went to our former church, First Presbyterian, for the 7 P.M. Candlelight and Communion service.  Bill and the girls went to midnight mass at St. Anthony's.  We stayed at a motel and slept in on Christmas morning, arriving at Bill's around 9 A.M. We ate breakfast around 10 A.M. and then moved into the den to open presents.

Caroline announced that she wanted to be Santa this year and hand out the presents. She handed out one to each person in the room and then we took turns opening them, one at the time.  These pictures show some of the presents.

Dec 22 - Nerissa graduates from Clemson

We traveled to Clemson University in SC  on Dec. 21 to attend Nerissa's convocation at 8 A.M.on Dec 22, 2011, for the nursing graduates.  It was held at Tillman auditorium in one of the older buildings.  It was very foggy when we arrived. The 38 nursing graduates walked across the stage and were "pinned".  It was such a nice program.  Mark presented Nerissa with a dozen red roses when the program was over.

Getting Pinned

Roses from Mark

Vahle's: Kristen, Mark, Barb and Chet

Convocation 

Caroline checking out the Nursing pin

We left the convocation and went to the Littlejohn Coliseum  where graduation was held at 2 P.M.  It was starting to rain and it was raining real hard when we came back outside.  We went to Pixie and Bill's restaurant for a late lunch.  

Nerissa graduated Summa Cum Laude

Graduation for 1,200 graduates

Proud Dad

Clemson tradition:  Reversing class ring after graduation

My greenhouse is full!

Saying Good-Bye to my pimple on my nose

Today I spent the morning at the Dothan (AL) Surgery Center to have what I thought was a tiny growth near the tip (and on the left side) of my nose removed by a facial surgeon; surgery, including Mohs surgery, in which skin is cut out and immediately looked at under a microscope to check for cancer. The process is repeated until the skin sample is free of cancer.

 I really thought it was a lot to do about nothing when the Dr. said he wanted me to go to the surgery center for the procedure.  Last Friday I had to get a lab test done at the Elba Hospital Lab to check my potassium and creatine and both were normal, and an EKG, since I have a heart problem called bradycardia.  Nothing has changed there so today I headed to Dothan at 7 A.M. to be there for my 8:15 A.M. appointment for surgery.

I had difficulty sleeping last night; kept waking up all during the night and became very anxious.  No wonder I woke up with Vertigo this morning!!  I stumbled around and got dressed and couldn't have anything to eat or drink.  I sneaked in about 1/2 cup black coffee to get going.

I got checked into the surgery center and just as we were getting seated in the waiting room, waiting for me to go to Pre-Op, in walks Dollie Moore, a friend since childhood who lives in Dothan.  We talked about our "procedures" and she was called in ahead of me for a check-up of her stomach.  She has celliac disease and was there for them to put a tube into her stomach via her mouth (ughhhh).  I decided I'd rather have a small bump removed from my nose.  

At 9:20 A.M. I went into pre-op to get ready for surgery.  Jim stayed with me until they were ready to put me to sleep - around 10 I think.  I kept thinking all of this preparation to take a small bump off my nose.  They put in an IV to use for antibiotics and anesthesia.   The nurse gave me some warm blankets and I almost fell asleep while waiting for the surgeon.  I never did see the Dr.  They put me to sleep before he came in and what seemed like a few minutes, I opened my eyes and asked what time it was, and the nurse said 11 A.M.  I asked when the Dr. was going to do my surgery, and they said he did it already!!  But they couldn't sew up the incision  until the pathology report came back.  The Dr. had to do two more procedures before he got it all and in the meantime I was awake, and they numbed the area to finish removing all of the cancer tissue.  I was getting pretty anxious by this time.   I was so happy when he said, this will be the permanent removal; we will have it all this time, and I could feel him cutting tissue deeper into and farther up on my nose.

Then he started pulling skin over the incision from the side of my face near my nose and he sewed and sewed.
After he finished with the stitches, the nurse applied a lot of small band aids over the stitches. The the bleeding began to come out along the edges of the bandages.  They couldn't remove them. Eight hours later and I  keep wiping my face to keep the area clean.  The numbness has gone now and thank goodness for good old pain killers.

I had to miss the Rotary Club Christmas dinner tonight but I couldn't eat anyway.  I can only chew on one side of my mouth, plus I'm not hungry.  Also I didn't want people to see my "wound".

I go back Dec 21 to have the stitches removed.  The next day is when we are to go to Clemson to attend Nerissa's graduation and Nursing ceremony at 8 A.M. and 11 A.M. on Dec 22nd.  I hope my face will be "cleaned up" by then.  If not, I'll just turn my face sideways when we have photos made.

I'm so thankful that Jim insisted that I follow through with this procedure.  I thought it was a lot to do about nothing - just a small bump on my nose.  A biopsy had already revealed that it was a basal cell carcinoma and you cannot tell how involved it is until you remove it.  Today I found out that it was not just a tiny bump!!

A Christmas Memory

Today I went to the Montgomery Shakespeare Theater to see a play, "A Christmas Memory", based on the story by Truman Capote.  I have read his book and seen the stories on TV several times, but could not imagine how it could be made into a play/musical that could last over an hour.

It lasted almost 2 hours and was fantastic.  The players were so very good, especially Miss Sook, and the young boy Buddy.  And then there was Queenie, the little dog.  My, my.   What a sweet story.

As we got off the bus and entered the theater and the cold wind hit us in the face, I remembered the lines from the opening of the book,"Today is fruitcake weather!"

Aunt Sook and her little nephew were so intent on baking a lot of fruitcakes to give away at Christmas each year, with little money to buy the ingredients.   So, so funny and at times very sad.

I went to the play with some friends from a local church, all people I know.  We went to Dreamland Ribs afterwards and this made the day complete.

A Christmas Memory

A Wistful Southern Premiere Christmas Musical

“an entertaining and heartwarming theatrical work that is just perfect for the holidays. “    
-    Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News

The aroma of pecan pie and the flicker of candles in the window banish the December chill of a 1930s Alabama winter.  This musical version of Truman Capote’s enchanting holiday tale follows the deep friendship and delightful shenanigans of cousins Buddy and Sook, who make the most of what may be their last Christmas together.

Thanksgiving activities

Front row: Judy, Nerissa, Nell, Caroline, Liz, Ally
Back row:  Guy, Bill, Jim, Chad, Ron, Andrew

Thanksgiving Day meal was at noon when we met with the Westbrook family at Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church out in the country near Zion Chapel.

Pictured here are those members of our family plus two friends (Chad and Andrew).  Two of our family were unable to be with us: Cindy (Ron's wife) and Bill's middle daughter, Katie, a student at College of Charleston, who had to work.

My sister Judy and her husband Guy also spent Thanksgiving with us, along with their dog Ollie.



Front row: Janna, Ben, Sharon, Betty, Emma,Linda, Bow
Back row:  Phillip, Ed, Tom, Chip Curtis, Chip, Janet

  My cousin, Linda Westbrook, always invites us to come to their Thanksgiving meal.  Here she is shown with those of her family attending:  Missing from their family were Kathy and Bobby who went to Pensacola to see Timmy and family, and Bill and Lorie from NC.


Four of our 5 granddaughters had fun being together for a couple of days. Liz  graduated from Univ. of Texas and has a job with a scientific journal publishing company in Austin,  Ally is a senior at the University of North Texas, graduating with a degree in Ecology on May 14, 2012.  The next two are sisters; Caroline a sophomore at West Florence, SC and Nerissa, who will be graduating
summa cum laude  with a BS in Nursing from
Clemson University on Dec. 22, 2011.  Katie (not pictured) is a Jr at College of Charleston and has a part time job working as Innkeeper for Ashley Place, a B&B in an old antebellum home.  She had to work on Wed., Thurs., and Friday so she didn't get to come.  We will see her Christmas in SC.


Brothers Bill and Ronnie don't see each other very often since Bill lives in Florence, SC and Ron lives in Austin, TX.  They are pictured here inside the church eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Thursday night our family gathered at my brother Perry's cabin on a little pond inside the city limits on Beaver Dam creek and had a big bonfire and roasted marshmallows.  It got too cold and we had to come home around 7:30 p.m.  The evening was spent playing cards, watching ball games, and just having fun visiting.

Friday we had another thanksgiving dinner at our house for our kids and Judy and Guy.  We had turkey and ham, dressing, veggies, pumpkin pie and much more.

After lunch we gathered in the living room for my 77th birthday.  I got a lot of nice gifts and they took photos of me as I opened each gift.  Everybody but Judy and Guy left early Sat. morning to head home before the big traffic jam on Sunday.  Judy and Guy headed to Sarasota, FL Sunday morning.  It was sad when the last car pulled out.  

My Book Club

Reading books has always been my favorite pasttime. I like reading all kinds of books and can't wait to read Best Sellers (which aren't always my favorites).  When I was growing up in the 40s, during WWII, books were not always available.  I remember receiving "At the Back of the North Wind" when I was in the 5th or 6th grade.  I had wanted one of the Bobsey Twins books or a Nancy Drew mystery.  Mother ordered it from Sears Roebuck and they substituted the North Wind book.  I read it but it was not my favorite.  She felt bad that I did not get the books I wanted that Christmas.

When I was in the 6th grade, our little country school  started a library.  It was housed in my classroom and I was in charge of it.  I checked out books for people to read.  I got to read the new books first!  My favorite was "Doctor Doolittle" and I wrote a play from that story and our class presented it.  I read every book in the library that year.

In the early 50's, The bookmobile stopped in our community. This was great in the summer when we wanted books to read.  We didn't have TV to occupy our time back then. Nobody had TV.  Had not even heard about TV!

So it's fitting that I belong to a book club.  We meet once a month and review the book we selected for that month.  We meet at a local coffeehouse where we can purchase a cup of latte or delicious coffee to drink while we discuss the book of the month.  It's a come if you can sort of club.  We don't count anybody absent.  Many of our group travel and can't always be there.  Last month one member was on a cruise in Europe and another in Ireland.  They usually attend if they are at home.

My Kindle

Our book selection for Nov. was "Hotel at the corner of Bitter and Sweet" -  and a good book it was.  While it was fiction, it was based on real facts.  It portrayed the situation during WWII when the Japanese were interned in camps in the northwest.  I learned so much from reading this book.  One of my favorites this year was a book published several years ago, "The Power of One".  And most recently, "Sarah's Key".

I am usually reading more than one book at the time.  I keep one by my bed and sometimes read if I go to bed early (do this a lot in the winter).  I have a Kindle and love to read when we're on trips.  It has a little night light that really magnifies the print when needed.  I usually order used books from Amazon for about 1/3 the price of regular books, and order paperbacks.  We don't have room to put any more books on our shelves so I read them and pass them on to others to read.  We all do that in our book club.  Plus we give the librarian our book list when we make a new one (about twice a year) and she makes sure at least one copy of our selected books is in the library.

We read "Water for Elephants" last spring and when the movie was released, our book club members car-pooled to a nearby theater (don't have one here in Elba) for a matinée showing of the movie.  It was so much fun watching the characters come to life.  Some were not at all as we had imagined but the movie followed the story, until the ending and they changed that!