THE CARNIVAL

WHOOPEE, TODAY WAS CARNIVAL DAY. NOW IF BOBBIE JO HAD BEEN ABLE, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. AS IT IS, JESSICA IS PTA PRESIDENT, AND SHE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE MOST WONDERFUL SCHOOL CARNIVAL I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE MONEY AT THE BAKE SALE BOOTH, BUT WHEN I ARRIVED, THERE WERE ALREADY 3 WOMEN BUSILY TAKING MONEY, BAGGING GOODIES AND WHATEVER. I SAID, "I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HERE" AND WAS TOLD, (WITH A SMILE AND A FIRM ATTITUDE) THAT THEY HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AS WELL AND HAD THINGS IN HAND. NOW, NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE INSISTED ON STAYING AND FILLING MY COMMITMENT, BUT HECK, THE CAKE WALK WAS BECKONING ON I COULD NEVER RESIST A CAKE WALK! SO, WITH A CHEERFUL, "TELL JESSICA I TRIED" AND "SEE YA!" I GATHERED UP MY GRANDSONS AND WE ENTERED THE CAKE WALK. BETWEEN ELI, JACOB AND MYSELF, WE WON 4 CAKES! I AM ALL FOR SPENDING MORE TIME HERE, BUT THEY GOT BORED- SO OFF WE WENT. BOY, CARNIVALS ARE SO MUCH FUN! I PLAYED THE FISHING BOOTH, PLINKO, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, (WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY IT OUT) AND LOTS OF OTHER STUFF. THERE WAS A SILENT AUCTION, AND ONE ITEM IN PARTICULAR WAS A YARD FLAMINGO THAT HAD JEWELS GLUED ALL OVER IT. ONE OF THE STUDENTS HAD MADE IT, AND SO I BID 10.00-(GOT TO DO MY PART AFTER ALL). I FIGURED IF I GOT AWAY WITH ONLY TEN BUCKS I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN OFF EASILY. NOW, YOU KNOW MY LUCK DOESN'T RUN THAT WAY, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM JESSICA SAYING "MOM, YOU WON THE FLAMINGO!" GREAT! I LOVE FLAMINGOS- BUT JEWELED FLAMINGOS ARE A BIT OF A STRETCH. WELL, NOT TO WORRY IT IS ONLY TEN BUCKS, RIGHT? HECK NO! JESSICA SAID I HAD BEEN OUTBID, (SHOOT) AND KNOWING HOW MUCH I LOVE FLAMINGOS, SHE BID 25.OO TO MAKE SURE I WOULD GET IT! SO, NOW I HAVE A 25.OO JEWELED FLAMINGO TO PUT-????????????? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MARTIN TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS! IF HE GIVES ME ANY CRAP, I AM GOING TO GLUE IT TO THE FRONT OF HIS FISHING BOAT. THAT WILL TEACH HIM! AFTER THE CARNIVAL, WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN AARON AND HIS WIFE SARAH AND ME. SINCE AARON IS A DOCTOR, HE PATIENTLY EXPLAINS WHAT IS GOING ON WITH BOBBIE JO. SHE IS DOING NO BETTER, AND WEAKENS EACH DAY. SHE WAS GLAD TO HAVE US, BUT SHE IS GETTING A HUGE REGIMIN OF THAT LAST CHANCE CHEMO, AND IS IN LOTS OF PAIN. (SHE IS A BIT CRABBY). SHE IS TRYING SO HARD TO FIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON, SHE SAYS SHE IS FINE AND PUTS ON A BRAVE FRONT. (EXCEPT WHEN ONE OF THE NURSES COMES IN, THE ONE SHE DOESN'T LIKE) SHE THEN IS QUITE RUDE. I TOLD HER I HAD RAISED HER BETTER THAN THAT, AND SHE SAID, 'OBVIOUSLY NOT, I FEEL PERFECTLY FINE BEING A (B) TO HER." I HAVE HAD TO APOLOGIZE SEVERAL TIMES TO THE POOR NURSE- SHE IS JUST EFFICIENT, AND IS TO THE POINT WHEN SHE IS CARING FOR BOBBIE JO. TO PROVE THAT SHE IS GETTING BETTER, BOBBIE FORCES HERSELF TO EAT. SHE ORDERS FOOD, AND TAKES A FEW BITES, THEN PUSHES IT AWAY. IT SEEMS THAT SHE IS EATING A LOT, BUT IN TRUTH IT IS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT. HER TUMMY IS SO SWOLLEN, HER STOMACH IS CROWDED TO THE POINT THAT SHE CANNOT HOLD ANYTHING. HER ARMS ARE BLACK AND BLUE FROM INJECTIONS, AND SHE HAS TWO PERMANENT LINES FOR GIVING MEDICATIONS AND BLOOD. HOW LONG CAN THIS GO ON? I HAVE NEVER BEEN THROUGH SUCH A NIGHTMARE. I AM BEGINNING TO DREAD GOING TO SEE HER AS MY HEART ACHES WHEN I SEE HER SUFFERING. I WOULD GLADLY TAKE HER PLACE, SOMETIMES I TELL MYSELF THAT HEAVENLY FATHER SHOULD TAKE A USED UP OLD NANA IN BOBBIE JO'S PLACE. SHE HAS SO MUCH LIFE AHEAD OF HER.
I MEANT TO TELL YOU, THE OTHER DAY, THE CHAPLAIN WAS IN THE ROOM. HE IS A SWEET MAN, VERY KIND AND LOVING. AFTER A NICE VISIT, HE ASKED IF HE COULD PRAY WITH US. BOBBIE JO SAID YES, AND WE ALL HELD HANDS. DURING THE SWEET PRAYER, MY MIND SUDDENLY OPENED UP AND I REALIZED THAT THERE WERE LOVING WOMEN IN THE ROOM- I OF COURSE DID NOT SEE THEM, BUT THE IMPRESSION WAS VERY STRONG. ONE IN PARTICULAR, WAS STANDING AT THE FOOT OF BOBBIE JO'S BED. THE LOVE I FELT FROM HER WAS OVERWHELMING. HER FACE WAS SERENE AND KIND. AGAIN, I DID NOT SEE HER IN THE FLESH, BUT WAS STRONGLY IMPRESSED THAT SHE WAS THERE. SHE HAD LONG DARK HAIR, AND AGAIN THE KINDEST MOST LOVING EXPRESSION. SHE WAS THERE TO COMFORT BOBBIE JO, I TRULY BELIEVE THIS. I WAS SO INVOLVED WITH THIS EXPERIENCE, THAT I DID NOT REALIZE THE PRAYER WAS OVER. I LOOKED AT MY MARTIN AND SAID, "GOSH, I THINK THERE IS A GUARDIAN ANGEL IN THIS ROOM". HE JUST SMILED AND NODDED HIS HEAD. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HEAVENLY FATHER DOES NOT ALLOW US TO TRAVEL THROUGH TRIALS ALONE, BUT THAT THERE ARE THOSE WHO LOVE US WHO LEAD THE WAY. WHAT A JOY TO BE ALLOWED TO KNOW THAT BOBBIE JO HAS SOMEONE GUARDING HER. MORE TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE