HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

The KNEE-D-DAY has arrived! As we sit in our respective favorite spots - me on the right side of the loveseat, Jack in his office - I realize I am soon going to have to give up my favorite spot to my VALENTINE! Jack goes in at noon today and will be having a complete knee replacement surgery on his right knee. I will have at least one more morning on the couch, as the earliest release record is one day, and I highly doubt that will happen for him since his surgery is late in the day. However, I am the LAST person to give up on the power of prayer and positive thinking!

Even though I am F.R.O.G.ing totally, I still have a teeny bit of that worrisome little guy on my shoulder desperately trying to drag my thinking down to that dark place. I can't help but remember the night we first met. It was 36 years ago on this special "LOVE" day, that we met at a dance nightclub in Sidney, MT. Because this is a G-rated blog, I will spare some of the details. The gist of it is this: My friend, Peggy, had set me up on a blind date with a handsome, wealthy rancher near Sidney. We were sitting near the dance floor and had danced a couple times. I spotted this really cute guy with a baseball cap sitting across on the other side. I had been watching the cute guy all evening and not giving much attention to my blind date. When my date decided to place his hand on my knee, I think I remember politely excusing myself, and left him to walk over to the "cute" guy. (You have to remember this was back in the day when it was "safe" to talk to strangers.) After visiting with the "cute" guy, who I soon discovered was Jack, he offered to give my friend Peggy and I a ride home. I lived 11 miles away in my little two bedroom house, so, when the nightclub closed in another few minutes, we took Jack up on the offer. After arriving there, since we were all hungry, I offered to feed them breakfast. I need to back up a bit and explain that I had an old ringer washer and no drier, so when it was nice weather, I hung my clothes outside on the clothesline. During the colder months, I had no choice but to hang them all over my house on chairs, railings, or whatever I could find. Well, that particular day was my washday, so, you can imagine the sight when we walked into my little tiny house. Wall to wall clothes! As I begin preparing eggs, bacon, and toast for a late night/early morning breakfast, Jack did what he has repeatedly told many: "My first big mistake was __ years ago when I folded all of GG's clothes." (Now, you have to understand Jack's sense of humor…because if you know him, you will also know that those words are terms of endearment.) He folded my long underwear (yes, it was cold in MT, and I wore longjohns-especially on days of recess duty!) and all of my other clothes, and after a short time we sat down to eat the delicious (or not so) breakfast that I had cooked. After one bite into the eggs, we knew they didn't taste right. Thankfully, before we had eaten anymore, we realized the eggs were spoiled, and dumped it all. Jack, perfect gentleman that he is, gave me one little Valentine's kiss, said he'd call me, and headed back to his ranch home 70 miles away! I can only imagine what he was thinking as he made that long drive that night---Obviously he did call me again, and, well….the rest is history-as they say. We laugh about the night we met every time this sweet VALENTINE'S Day rolls around each year. It's a very special day for us-the day JaG began!

With all of that history under your belt, it's time to move on to the present day. I have about 60 minutes before the Action man is going to be chomping at the bit. Me, being "Ms Indecisive", I'm having a hard time deciding whether to come back here tonight or pack everything up to stay with Jill and Ryan tonight. It's a horse apiece-closer there, but I have to pack a bunch of stuff.:P So…I'm hoping I can make a decision in the next hour!

I'll be posting on here as Mr. Jack progresses with his surgery, therapy, etc…so I guess you could say this has evolved from GG's Journey to JaG's Journey. Don't worry, you'll get a few spatterings of GG's journey, as I meet with my radiologist on Thursday and my Medical Oncologist on the 21st. So…as you finish reading today's blog, I ask that you lift Jack up in your prayers this time. Please pray for the surgeon and other medical staff, for the least amount of pain, and quick and proper healing. I don't think it would hurt to throw in a few for Jack's peace of mind-even though he is my ROCK, and claims to not be worried at all-he IS a human being, and there has to be a teeny bit of worrying going on within him. So, I'll continue to meditate on Philippains 4:6 and ask Jack to do the same. Sure can't hurt, right?!

PRAYER WARRIORS:

GOOD NEWS so far, anyway…my sis-in-law, Barb, came through her procedure yesterday with a good report from the doctor. He said he didn't see anything to be concerned about, however did biopsy the two inflamed areas on her esophagus and upper stomach area. He is pretty convinced it was caused by some of the many medications she must take for other health issues. So, we are very happy, and hopeful! Thank you for your prayers, and continued requests for a clean pathology report!

Please pray for my former schoolmate, Mark, who is seeing a specialist in Houston today in hopes of more and better treatment for his advanced prostrate cancer. He and his wife, Corine flew down yesterday.

Please also continue prayers for my BBF, Jo, who soon begins her radiation treatment. She is SOME kind of BBF! I have gotten a card in the mail from her nearly every single day since I was diagnosed! AMAZING lady! I am so thankful she is in my life!

Please pray for Betsey, my new BB from MN; a young mom of four who was diagnosed with bi-lateral breast cancer. 

My Puyallup BBF, Susan, who recently finished radiation and returned to teaching yesterday after being out on medical leave since Dec. 1.

I know there are so many more who need our prayers-whether they are fighting the battle or remembering loved ones who have lost it-God knows who they are-all we have to do is hold them up in prayer!

GOD IS SO GOOD! 

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13