baby boy lives two different lives...

Kd spent the night last night.

It was good to spend the afternoon with her

and we played scrapbooking so that was awesome.

When BFOB, Rebecca, Hughsky doo, and Miquel (Owen) visited,

extra bonus!

We laugh at the fact that sometimes baby boy

seems jealous to the fact that his momma

doesn't blog about him more.

However it is complicated to blog about BB.

You see he is very opinionated

about some things

(not sure where he get that from ;^)

and sometimes if I don't say things completely right

he must correct me or ask why I said/blogged that.

Well that makes it for complicated blogging...

Yet the boy is at work this week.

On what he calls his home of steel in the deep waters

of the Gulf of Mexico.

Even if I didn't know this I would figure it out and I

will tell you how...

Because when the BB is at his "home away from home"

he becomes a facebook stalker.

I not only wake up at 5 am to find that he commented

on many of my facebook pictures but that he is on

facebook at the same time as me.

All his comments to my pictures are both funny but

also full of his loving sarcasm that has become a part of

the man he is. Correcting his momma seems to

make him happy these days, it makes his momma

laugh sometimes, but not always.

This morning I laugh at all his comments.

The boy loves some facebook when he is at work.

We chat for some time and even though

he tries to hide his sweetness, sometimes it just

slips out...

I chat to him that his Eskimo pie and wife spent the night.

BB: "yeah I know she is up right now"

mom: "Oh did I wake her up or did you?"

BB: "she had to go pee and now she can't go back to sleep"

BB: " go hug her for me"

Okay now this is the boy I raised.

Wanting me to go to the back of the house where his

wife and Eskimo Pie lies to give her a hug from

him....AWHHH

I surely will do this when I am sure she did not fall

back asleep. A momma needs her sleep.

Thanks, BB for giving me a blog topic this Am.

Even though I don't blog about you as much

as you may like....

My love, thought, heart are always with you.

I hope you feel it most days...

giving up on White...

( The picture doesn't have much to do with the blog, I just like it)

Don't get your panties in a bunch.

I am blogging about giving up on edible whites.

As every Monday, I find myself yesterday coaching

into the fact that this Monday will be the one that I:

"Change my eating habits"

"Not diet but change my way of life"

"give up the desserts and sweets"

"Eat healthy and exercise"

Yeah, yeah, Yeah, just like many of us

I always have to begin my positive life on a Monday.

Usually by Oprah time I am done but not this week.

I am more determined than ever.

My niece, Lisa sends me this awesome, easy to follow

food plan. Six pages of simple to follow rules

that has helped her change her eating patterns.

It is simple, nothing that any of us have never heard before,

yet when put together in 6 pages it is like an AHA moment.

As I read, I think

"Well, I can do this"

Then I begin to really read:

IF IT IS WHITE YOU CANNOT HAVE IT

What no white to the potato queen of Golden Meadow?

Everyone knows that creamed, fried, au'gratin...

potatoes, they are my favorite!!!!!

Okay so maybe I can do it for a week.

Wait... no rice?!!! Rice is the staple of a Cajun life.

What is beans without rice, oh and I can't have beans either...

Fricassee' without white rice....

Oh on to the fruits...

at least I can have some fruits, I like me some watermelon...

Yet what are the fruits to avoid?

"NO BANANAS, MANGO'S, GRAPES, OR WATERMELON"

Ugh, there goes my very favorite ones...

I write this all jokingly because what Lisa gave me is

a little gemstone. Six pages of something that any of us can do

with a little will-power and just like

it takes two weeks of continuous doing to make a habit,

it takes two weeks of not doing it to break that same habit.

I began yesterday by making a trip to the grocery store.

I leave my favorite Evangeline Maid white bread on the

shelf and substitute with 100% wheat.

I pass the vegetable crates filled with my potatoes

and place the vegetables that are recommended,

cabbage and cucumbers.

I then go to the rice aisle. The brown rice goes in

and I pet the white morsels I am so used to.

Yesterday was a good day and what did I find out?

Brown rice is not really any different than my favorite white.

Really, when eating the low-fat pepper steak I made for supper

I could not tell that there was no white rice in there.

What else?

Wheat bread still is good, especially when I spread my

favorite protein, peanut butter on it.

I am happy with the way I have done these last two days.

It really isn't so hard until nighttime comes and I crave

my oreos and milk....

but I know two weeks without it and the habit should be

broken.

Thanks Lisa, for the simple explanation of how I should be eating.

Now if i could just make the E word (exercise)

part of my new habit...

September is national cancer awareness month...

(megan Henry)

I should know that September is

cancer awareness month, but until reading a

caring bridge site I follow, I didn't know.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/meganlynn

Megan is a 21 year old nursing student who was

diagnosed with A Wilms' Tumor such as me

at the age of 15. Six years later this young woman

is still battling the disease.

She is so courageous as she continues her daily grind

only to end her day with chemotherapy.

She is amazing.

Today her mother shares some quite interesting statistics

that I feel the need to share.

CANCER IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH BY DISEASE

IN CHILDREN.

I OUT OF 5 CHILDREN WITH CANCER DIES.

3 OUT OF 5 CHILDREN SUFFER LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS

(looks like I am not alone here, but then why are doctors unaware?)

THE US SPENDS 5 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON

CANCER RESEARCH BUT ONLY 3% GOES TO

PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH.

Then she ends with a statement that I have never heard before

but impacted my strongly:

"WHEN YOU LOOSE YOUR PARENTS YOU ARE AN ORPHAN.

WHEN YOU LOOSE YOUR SPOUSE YOU ARE A WIDOW(ER).

THERE IS NO NAME FOR A PARENT WHO LOOSES A CHILD

BECAUSE IT IS JUST TOO UNSPEAKABLE"

So true and her words once again remind me of just

how darn lucky I am to have beaten the odds when kids just didn't survive.

HOBL and I are monthly contributors to St. Jude hospital.

If you are wondering what you can do this month

to assist in the fight, you can donate to St. Jude,

you can pray for cures,

you can follow Megan's fight on caringbridge.

Gold is the color ribbon used to support childhood cancer...

I didn't even know this,

looking for gold ribbon to wear proudly.

waking with Gina B. on my mind...

So because Gina is on my mind, time for another

Aha Gina moment...

When the diagnosis of ALS was new, fresh

all who love her were going through these

stages of grief.

For some time there was the denial stage.

We all wanted to pretend this was a mistake.

This would have made the whole thing easier for me,

to be able for a few weeks pretend it wasn't so,

but I just never doubted that our Gina B. had ALS.

Through this time I had thoughts almost every day

that I had to be the one to explain to her that

the denial thing was not going to help her because

of the fact that this part of grief was slowing down

the medical help she should be getting.

However, how do you tell this to someone?

I was stressing big time about the meeting that had to take place.

During this time HOBL and I took BFOB and his family

to eat at one of our favorite places, the Half Shell

and who is sitting there with her little family but Gina B.'s

sister, Kia. The whole meal all I can think of is that I have

to talk to Kia. I have to tell her the dilemma I am in.

As we are leaving I get the courage to sit there and

as Kia tells me all that is happening and how maybe Gina B.

doesn't have ALS, I say it.

"Kia, don't ask me how but I have to tell you, your sister has ALS"

She looks at me and says you have to tell her.

I know, I know but how do you tell a friend you love so darn much

who is grasping for different answers than the ones she was given

that she has the worst possible diagnosis?

I share this with Kia but I now know, no matter what, I have to do it.

I believe this was on a Wednesday.

I begin praying for God to help me.

My prayers are all about please, please tell me how to do this.

That Sunday, HOBL and I decide it is time to tackle our yard.

It has overgrown from the winter and our flowerbeds need

some TLC. I am thinking it is going to be a long day but

something I love to do.

As I step out of my house with my protein peanut butter sandwich

in my hand..... yes there across the street is my Gina B. and Perry.

She jumps right out of that car and literally God planted her

in my front yard!!!

She and Perry had been looking at the house for sale across the street.

Okay, now how can you call this a coincidence....

I prayed for guidance and the Big Man planted her in my front yard!!

Still freaks me out when I think about how this happened.

I waste no time giving her loving right in my front yard,

and I tell her, " Gina we have to meet, I have things that I feel

God wants me to tell you and I am coming to your house this week

but the main thing I have to tell you right now..."

We make eye contact I am holding her shoulders,

"Gina, you have Lou Gehrig's"

She nods her head and says she knows. She is finally

coming to the realization and my confirmed words tells her it's true.

You see Gina B. and I have had so many AHA moments that we

both know the Big Man works through the two of us.

I am sad but I am also relieved because the task is finally done

and that night I sleep well for the first time in a few nights.

Unexpected plans have me up and excited early this morning

Last night I am on the all mighty facebook when I read a comment

on little Miki's wall to the effect that he is going

to the swamp with his girl to stay with his momma.

What? A swamp trip planned without Auntie Lil knowing?

Hmmm wonder if this was not done on purpose to keep me

away from the Sayra....

Oh no, this will just not do.

Right away I begin assuring that I will not only see

my nephew but the woman he is now calling his "baby"

I have been wanting to meet this Sayra since I have found out

about her and because they have now stepped up the relationship

to a live-in status, well time for some Auntie Lil loving.

So today I am up bright and early at 5am because

I am going to cook for my company.

White beans, fried fish and booyee cake for dessert.

If you are in the area, stop in.

Rosie is going to go and pick up the Mumsie for the

added bonus. Amazing how things like this pump me up.

I tell Lil Miki and Rosie to prepare this poor girl

for me... Hope they did.

My intentions? Put some food in her belly and then

find out all I need to about this woman who is so special to Miki.

After many tries and much struggle in his life,

I believe that lil Miki finally has his best chance for a happy life.

Funny how sobriety and a good, clean life are the key to finding

all the good things you have longed for in your years of living.

I always put my faith in good people.

No matter what type of trouble my little nephew has found himself in,

he always, always had the desire to "do it right".

It just didn't come as easily for him as it does for most.

I want to be a part of this newly found chance he has worked hard

to get. Can't wait to spread my words of advice to both of them...

It's going to be a good day in the Riera home...

but first, first, there is a garage sale I am just dying to get

my booty to...