The Band-Aid

Tuesday morning I had a dermatologist check up appointment. Dr. Fenn looked at my skin and moles, and he found two moles that looked suspicious, so he ended up telling me that he needed to take biopsies on them. I was fine with that until the nurse led me into another room instead of leaving. You see, I thought that I would come in another day with my mom to have them taken off, but Dr. Fenn wanted to do it immediately.

I frantically told the nurse that my mother wasn't there and I was alone and had to drive myself home, but she just said that it was okay. That didn't work. Then I told her that I am not good with needles and with things like this, I get queasy sometimes,  and I've never had a mole removed. She said that it would be okay. (Not the reactions I was looking for.) And so, I just told her I did NOT want to look at the needle or see ANYTHING that they were doing. And she said, of course, that it would be okay.

And so she gave me the numbing shots. I closed my eyes and probably made weird faces. She gave me the one on my upper abdomen first, then the one on my back which hurt way more. He then razored them off and I didn't even know he was doing it except for the pressure.... Then came the worst part. The band-aid.

Ever since I was a child, I've hated band-aids. I've always hated blood and needles and casts and such. I would scream if someone came around me with a cast on or with any limb amputated. My extreme hatred of anything medically related was over the top. When I'd get a bloody knee, I'd be more upset because I had to put a band-aid on it and I knew that it was going to hurt when I had to pull it off.

I've improved since then. I got shots for Haiti last year all alone, and I got these numbing shots alone, though I did make some painful noises and faces. I can now help other people who get boo-boos and need band-aids. I can be around people with casts and not cry. I've come a long way, but the band-aids still get to me. Especially when I know they are going to hurt!

You see, at our house we have these intense water-proof band-aids. They are good in theory... until you put them on! They are the stickiest things I've ever seen. It's like those heart monitor stickies that they put on you when you get put to sleep for surgery. Has anyone else ever woken up when they haven't taken them off and suffered through the pain of ripping them off?

Well, these band-aids are like that! And they are painful to get off. It's hard to get them off because they stick so closely to the skin, you have to use your fingernails to peel it up. I have to change two band-aids twice a day, so I have to do it a lot.

To sum it up, the band-aids have caused me more stress and worry than the procedure itself ever did. 

Pray that the biopsy comes back with good results (no cancer) so that I won't have to have another worse procedure where they take out more. Skin cancer runs in our family and I have decided to wear more sunscreen so I don't have to wear more band-aids! 

I love do-nothing-summer-days.

They are my favorite. I've done some things in the past few days but the things don't really count as actually doing something. They include shopping, eating, walking, talking, and things of the sort.

Last night we ate dinner at Red Lobster with Granddaddy and his "lady-friend," Wanda (aka Mamaw).  Well, they were so cute together and he was so alert, it was so fun! I asked him what he was going to ask for for his birthday Sunday, but he replied with, "Well, [long pause] I don't know. What would a man my age ask for? A car? " (He doesn't drive).

Granddaddy is awesome all around. We all love spending time with him, and he has lots of good things to say. He makes us laugh lots, and I'm going to tell you what I've been laughing about today.

Granddaddy's birthday is this coming Sunday. And today is Friday, which is his daughter, Ang's birthday and his granddaughter, LA's birthday. (Our family has so many birthdays right now). Anyways, Ang and LA went to visit Granddaddy this morning, and Anne (the woman who takes care of G-dad) put two cards on his lap and told him, "These are for Ang and LA for their birthdays today."

He didn't look at the cards for a long time and just talked, but a few minutes later, he looked down and said, "Oh, look-a-there! I got some birthday cards." He opened one card and looked at it excitedly, and then LA (who is 3 today) asked him to open the other one. He let her open it, and a check came out. Mind you, both of these cards are actually from him and to Ang and LA. He was excited about the check.

Then Mamaw called him, and he told her that they were celebrating his birthday, and she said, "Doug, you're birthday isn't for two more days."

He told her, "Well, we're just celebrating it a little bit early."

He got off the phone and Ang was trying not to bust out laughing because she didn't want to ruin his exciting "birthday."

He went back to the envelope said, "Woah, look at that check!!! $2,000! Oh my! Who is that from?"

Ang said, "Oh no, Daddy, it's just $200."

He was still excited about the $200, and then he looked at the front of the envelope which said "Ang" and he said, "Oh, it's from Ang! Well thanks Ang!"

...like Ang would give him a check for his birthday... He wouldn't know what to do with it because he doesn't have a clue as to what he would want for his birthday. We always get him real presents.

And so, that was Ang's birthday present this morning, a big laugh from G-dad. I hope she ended up taking the card and check with her. He probably won't remember it, plus we're having a big 78th birthday party for him Sunday. That'll make up for his lost card.

The Lady with Purple Hair does make a Difference

Time to go back to school! Well, actually, rush! I'm headed out in a couple of hours. What an incredible summer it has been. I've never in my life had a summer that passed so quickly.

My cousins and sisters--Merd, Mars, Lars, Lone-- and I made a list at the beginning of the summer of random things that we were going to do before the summer was over so that we would never run out of ideas of things to do. The summer went by in such a flash that we didn't even finish our list of 15 things.

Here are some of the pictures:

We jumped into the river downtown. Mom and dad and my aunts and uncles said we couldn't go to Fripp Island, our family vacation, if we jumped in because they thought that was so rebellious. But we evaluated the danger and decided we were willing to take the risk, and it was well worth it. The river was calmer than the 3 foot pond in my backyard and we didn't even get sick from the water. All that worrying on mom's part for nothing.

We dyed our hair blue as one of the events. Mine never really showed up too well and then everyone else's ended up fading to gray. Now they look like they have a gray streak of hair in their pony tails.

Having a fun school year is going to be hard to beat the fun that I had this summer. But, I really think I can do it if I put my mind to it. I'll only be in college once, and I have to remember to have fun and not concentrate too much on my classes, right? Grades, they don't really matter in the long run.

I'm just going to take millions of vitamins and try to sleep regularly (though that might be hard living with Gav and Gnat because we'll be having so much fun all the time) and hopefully I'll stay healthy! Getting through a month without a virus will be a feat for me! And I will be thankful for any bit healthiness that the Lord gives me!

If I've learned anything in this past year, it's sympathy for people who aren't well. I really feel for people who are sick because of my sickness. I know how it is to lay.sit.rollover.lay.sit. in bed for days. And now I can see that God will use that experience in my life to glorify Him through me relating to other sick people.

And secondly, I've learned acceptance of all types of people and their spiritual gifts. The other day, I found myself defending the curbside preacher who was yelling at the top of his lungs. I used to think those guys were just horrible, turning people away from Christ because they were so annoying. But now I believe that the Lord does use all types of people in all types of ways--even those guys. I mean, Merd was saved by the lady with purple hair and fake eyelashes on TV. Do you know which one I'm talking about? Who would have thought that lady would actually impact someone's life?

So anyways, I think that now I have a more open mind after my year-long bumpy ride, but I am hoping that the Lord will use me to glorify him through experiencing those tough things and that this year will be easy. That's probably not really the right thing that I should be praying, but it's true. All I want is a fun, easy year. In my new apartment. With my awesome roommates and friends next door. With my family safe at home. And that I will be able to stay up in Collegetown having fun over most weekends!

So here's to a great upcoming school year for me and for all of you!

(It's sparkling grape juice, of course!)

Eventful and Exciting

So it's been a while since I've been on here. For having no plans and no job this summer, I've had a very busy last few weeks. I went to Auburn and Lake Martin a couple of weekends ago where I had so much fun with John, Rosson, Blake, Merd and the Maidens. I think I busted my eardrum jumping off a high cliff thing so that has been my ailment of the week. Then Gnat, Beal, Mims and Gav came in town and we really enjoyed catching up. We picked out material for curtains for our apartment which I am pumped about. Then, I stayed busy last week with Granddaddy sitting, painting, and chores.

A couple of days ago, I read a verse--

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

The verse really stuck with me for the next few days. I really considered what the verse meant in my life. There are plenty of times when I get so worked up and concerned that I literally feel sick to my stomach.

I went to White Water on Friday where I was scared of just about everything because most of the time I have the mentality that something bad is going to happen and it will most definitely involve me as the main character (kind of like the ear thing). But I remembered the verse that I had read the night before. I cannot think that bad things are always going to happen. Living with anxiety is simply not living. I have to trust that God's plan is perfect and that his commands are always best. To have fun with the Suddaths and my cousins at White Water, I had to stop worrying. 

We left the park late so we didn't get home till about 7 and we were having a party that night at my house at about 7:30. I still had to take a shower and cook. But I remembered on the 2 hour trip back- "Do not let your hearts be troubled." And hey, that was so much easier. It turned out fine because there was nothing worrying could do.

And yesterday, the Fourth. Well it was an eventful, exciting day. And honestly, eventful and exciting are not two of my favorite words. I just want normal for a while. But, God has other plans for my days. First off, I started making jello by boiling water on the stove top. Then I proceeded to go to the pool for a while then to my aunt's. Two hours later I remembered the boiling water on the stove and I ordered Mary to sprint down to my house as I pictured my kitchen in flames and the firefighters not being able to put out the fire. I borrowed my aunt's car and drove down here praying to get home to a house that was not on fire. I was so relieved to find my house with only a black pot on the stovetop.

I thanked God for sparing me the huge burden of having burned my house down (and also losing all of my favorite clothes).

The family Fourth of July picnic was in the evening. We were all eating and having a good time. There were about 150 people at my aunt's house next door from around the neighborhood. I was standing in the yard when a man came running up and said, "Big Bill just collapsed." That's my dad. 

I was standing next to Garren and he ran down the hill to find Dad but I just stood still and started to cry, not knowing what else to do. My mom came sprinting across the field with her shoes in her hands and then the doctors, first responders and policemen who were at the party ran down there. They wouldn't let us go down there, so pretty much I was just freaking out because I'm not calm in emergency situations. 

My cousins and I got in a circle and prayed. An ambulance came but Dad had woken up and refused to get in it. I was worried sick. Literally.

And then I remembered the verse. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in me."

Troubled. That means disturbed, upset, worried. That was exactly what I was. I could barely carry on a conversation because I was so consumed with the circumstances, but really, God is so much more powerful than I. He could allow my dad to be fine or to be hurt. And God is all knowing. He knows what I can handle and He knows what will make me stronger. He wouldn't allow anything to happen that is not good for my character.

God loves my dad so much and he loves me and my family so much. He's not going to let anything happen that is not the best thing. I just have to trust Him. 

Trusting in Him means obeying his commands. He commands me not to let my heart be troubled. So that is what I will do. This command, for me, is one of the most liberating ones in the bible. I shouldn't be upset, uneasy, or distressed because Someone has it all under control and that's not me. 

And that is probably the best thing I have heard in a really long time.

My dad stayed at home last night after the  incident and he ended up being fine. I was no longer troubled and went right to sleep, forgetting that my windows and sunroof were down. I woke up this morning to some much needed rain for the garden and grass and some soaking wet leather seats in my car. But hey, it's just a car. I won't be troubled over that. 

Cheddar, Elephants, The Golf Channel and Almond Butter

This weekend at the lake, I have learned a few interesting facts, and I thought I should share some with you so that you can sound really smart one day.

Has anyone ever wondered what the difference between mild, sharp, and extra-sharp cheddar cheese is? Well, I have too and I learned the answer. Mild cheddar has aged less than 5 months, sharp is from 6-12 months, and extra sharp cheddar is over a year and sometimes up to 5 years. That sounds slightly disgusting, but hey, it tastes good.

Elephants are the only animals physically unable to jump because they weigh too much. I'm not a huge fan of elephants anyways, so that doesn't bother me. I don't really like any large animals, like cows or bigger.

My aunt who was at the beach with a friend of a friend who is high up in Comcast who told her that the Golf Channel is the most-watched channel on cable tv. Everyone thought the man who thought up the idea of making a channel for golf was crazy, but he ended up doing very well.

Speaking of golf, my uncle told me that Phil Mickelson makes twice as much money as Brad Pitt. And I didn't even know who Phil Mickelson was.

And that leads me to think of Rosson (he plays golf too). I am hoping that he will someday make twice as much money as Phil Mickelson so that one day I will really come watch him play golf, as he will really be able to bribe me. I would be very supportive then.

And lastly, I have something that you should try. It's really good. It's almond butter.

You know, like peanut butter, but with almonds instead of peanuts. And it's really good. Almonds are so good for us, and although they are high in calories, they have very good fat in them and many other beneficial things in them. Actually, many of the cultures around the world who on average live the longest have diets that consist of many, many nuts. Almond butter is found at most grocery stores I would say, or you can make your own by blending at high speed some almonds with a pinch of salt and maybe a small amount of oil, depending on how you're feeling that day. To make it extra good, add some honey or even dark chocolate.

Fresh Fish and Seafood for Dinner Please, All of that.

So I'm back home, still not unpacked. I can't find my straightener anywhere, along with half of my life. I took a picture of my crazy room and was going to show you but, of course, I can't find my connector thing for my camera to the computer. So I will show you some other pictures maybe.

Anyways, my job for the summer is staying with my grandfather because my grandmother died in March and he gets really bored being alone, and he also doesn't know how to do the laundry and stuff like that. Sooo... I stay entertained all day long. I go up to his house which is next door at 9am and do dishes and he goes to his office from 10-1 and I shower, chill, do homework and chores and then when he gets back we go on walks or do errands.

This is granddaddy and me. I absolutely adore him.



He is HILARIOUS. He answers the phone, "Doo Drop Inn, How may I help you?" or something like that and he confuses the heck out of people.

Yesterday I tried to call his cell phone but he didn't answer, so then I called the office and talked to him, and he explained to me that he was pretty sure his cell phone didn't have to be on for it to ring. But, I tried to assure him that he should leave it on in order to get calls. I still don't think he understands.

Tonight we went to J Alexanders for my parents' anniversary and the waitress asked what Granddaddy wanted and he said "Fresh Fish and Seafood," which was like the title, like "Appetizers," "Salads," etc. Then I tried to ask which of the fresh fish or seafood he wanted, and he said, "I want a little bit of everything." I didn't know what to do. It was really awkward, and the waitress was so confused. I finally just got him to order shrimp. Then laughed about it later. But, I'm telling you, some of these situations are just plain awkward.

My sister's friend's mom was over at our house today and he walked up and grabbed her and started dancing with her. He had no idea who she was, I guess he just felt the urge to dance. Luckily, she laughed. And we all laughed.

He really keeps me entertained. And he keeps me busy. When he can't remember something, he flat out tells people that he has the early signs of Alzheimer's and it makes people feel awkward.

I really need to get unpacked and get my life in order. I am supposed to get done at g-daddy's at 5 but he doesn't like to be alone so like last night I stayed till 8; therefore, I get nothing done at home. Not that it's hard, I really do have fun.

Since I have no pictures of my room or dinner tonight, I'm going to show you a few of the things that I'm excited about this summer.

This is my adorable little cousin Bryan who lives next door and helps my dad with his garden. I am pumped about chillin' with him this summer. And about the garden too-I'm ready for some fresh vegetables.



The church we go to in the summer. It's just a summertime church, and I love it. It's realllly old, the windows are open the entire service, and there is a bell in the front that the little kids ring at the end of the service.



I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'm going to stay on top of this this summer, but I just got swamped with things to do for a couple of days. Hopefully everything will slow down soon because I don't want the summer to fly by me. I need it to last for a little while before school work begins again.

You Need to Laugh

My abs are hurting and I have tears in my eyes because I've been laughing so hard.  This video cracks me up every time I watch it. I don't know why I think it's so funny. You should probably take a look. It just might make your day a little bit better.

Today I had my last exam in Portuguese; therefore, it was also my first day of SUMMER! I have been looking forward to this day for quite a while now, and it feels so great! While I am excited for a break from my dang business classes, I am really going to miss my friends here and that is why we all made blogs so that we can keep up with each other over the summer. I've had some rough times this year with school, and life too, but I've also had some good times with my friends here! We cook dinner together each night, sit next to each other doing our homework (yeah right) every night, and make random trips to TCBY or Rita's wayyy too much (almost every night).  I live on the floor with so many awesome people--I don't know what I'm going to do when I get home and I actually have to drive to see my friends. 

Well, we will figure that out when the time comes. But for today, we are going to have fun together making memories that will last a long, long time, one of those being making these blogs together.  

Tomorrow we are going shopping to see if we can find any steals on some rockin' summer clothes. None of us really have money, but maybe we'll find some deals at the outlets, and I'm sure we'll have fun anyways. We always do.