My aunt

I have an aunt that is one week younger than I.  My dad's little sister.  She has Down Syndrome.  It took longer for her to walk and she still does not talk real well.  Back in them days many Down Syndrome children did not live pass the age of 12.  Sharon was in the hospital a couple of times.  Times are really different now.  Back then they could not go to school.  Now they go to school and have surgery.  Praise God!  My uncle Don and I went to the same country school for a couple of years.  Grandma sent Sharon to school and Don and I watched over her.  Sharon and I was 7 years old, and in the second grade.  I had gone to a different school in the first grade.  My grandma lived until I was in my 30's.  I asked Sharon the day of the funeral if she wanted to come and live with me, and she said yes.  My husband told me that she could live with us.  My grandma had made arrangements for my uncle to take care of her.  She has really lived a very good life and loved her home and friends.  Right now they think she may have congestive heart failure.  I would really appreciate any prayers.

 

My mother loved to tell the story about Sharon and I.  One day mom and grandma went to town while we were in school.  We walked home with other kids on the country road.  Mom and grandma got home late.  My grandma was so worried about Sharon being alone by herself; so they stopped there first.  Sharon was in the kitchen cooking herself some eggs and toast.  lol  When they got to my house I was cryin' my head off!

 

Sharon and I were the only little ones until we were 9 years old.  We got all the toys at Christmas time.  lol  We did not get real close until we were around the age of 11 years old.  We went to visit a lot of weekends when we moved to Oklahoma; 40 miles away.  We would spend the night at my grandma's.  Sharon would know when we were coming so she would buy the 16 oz. bottles of Pepsi and potato chips.  We would eat them in bed!  lol  Mom always told the story about my Aunt Betty's son Jimmy being there one weekend when we came to visit.  We really got into trouble because Sharon had saved the Pepsi and potato chips just for her and I.  lol  Sharon said they were not going to be shared!!  lol

 

I was never around other kids much being an only child.  One time my aunt stayed with grandma and grandpa for a while.  My little cousin Sandra was about 2 years old.  That would have made me about 11.  Grandma had an old record player that Sharon and I got to play with.  I remember the song ShaBoom (I guess that is the name of it).  It went "Shaboom, shaboom. lalalalala shamboom shaboom."  Sharon and I would sit Sandra on the dresser and sing and act silly.  Sandra learned to say "Saboom, saboom".  Kids are so cute at the age of 2 and 3 years old.  She was a cute little girl.

 

Grandma and I didn't really get close until I was around the age 15 to 18.  My dad wasn't quite 21 when I was born; and grandma was still raising Sharon and teenagers.  When I got older I would stay a week with Sharon and grandma in the summer.  I would tell grandma to wake me up early in the morning; but she would always let me sleep.  She said I needed my rest.  lol  I did a lot of the house work for mom since she worked.  Grandpa was always in the field working or outside.  My grandpa was real quiet.  I remember asking grandma if she thought grandpa would take Sharon and I to get some pop.  She said to go ask him.  Boy did I not want to ask him that!  (Laughing now!!)  He said he would.  We went to this little spot in the road about 3 miles from their house and it was closed!  Ugh!  Sharon and I was so disappointed... especially me since I had been living in town close to a store!  lol  Grandpa said he had to get some feed so he would just drive over to the next little town.  We were so happy.  lol  Later I learned in life that grandpa was concerned about everyone but just didn't let them know it!!  lol  The thing I remember the most was him letting Sharon and I comb his hair while he was sitting in his chair.  We were around the age of 5.  Funny what a person can remember from childhood.  My grandpa passed away at the age of 63 with amassive heart attack.

 

This is a picture of my grandma when she was in her 60's.  She got 80 acres of Indian land when she was 16.  She had it until the day she died at the age of 69.  The last few years that my mother was alive she would tell me, "The older you get, the more you look like your grandma."  I will have to find a picture of Sharon and I.

 

 

I just got this email from my aunt today; thought you might want to read it:

 

I went up to see Sharon today, she is amazing, she was dressed and as soon as I drove up and she saw me, she went to get her purse and was ready to go eat and shop, lol, she has lost so much weight,  but has been going to work shop every day, the care taker said she goes to bed at 10 p.m. every night and gets up at 4:30 every morning.  The doctor said on a scale of 1-4 she is a 3 with her heart failure.  They are running test on Sept. 4th and then her regular doctor and a cardiologist out of Joplin, will talk to Don about her treatment.  When she got sick, they took her to the hospital and did not notify her regular doctor, and he is very angry because he was not notified, she could have died, because of their incompetence, Don is furious and may bring charges against the hospital or Class Limited, ( her caretakers),  anyway she was happy to see me and got to go shopping at Wal Mart where she used to work, everyone knows her , and then when we went to the new Chinese Rest. she saw people from her church and work shop.  She loves Parson's because that is her home town, and where all her friends are, that is why Don won't move her here  to Coffeyville because it would really upset her, she is so independent, she reminds me of Grandma Sarah, daddy's mom, Sharon is just like her, a little woman with a lot of spunk and a fighting spirit, she puts us all to shame, because even with her handicap she has never quit trying, she learned to write her name and signs her pay checks, until her bad health she lived in her own apartment with assistance, and loved the fact that she had her own keys toher place and could lock all her "stuff " up and no one could bother her things, lol,  Will keep you posted, love you

 

Well this is a long entry!  My aunt will be reading this entry.  Wishing all of you a blessed weekend.  All are in my prayers.  God Bless, Janie

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Blessed

My mother told me one time that I was religious when I was real little.  I asked her why, because we did not go to church.  Her answer was that she did not know why.  lol  Around the age of 2 1/2 my dad's little brother, Jimmy, use to come and visit me.  He would put bobby pins or anything in the floor and love to watch me pick them up.  I asked mom why he did that.  She said he just liked to watch my little fingers pick them up off of the floor.  He died at the age of 16.  He had a mastoid and they could not do anything for him.  Mom said they sent him home to die.

 

A couple of years before he died, him and a couple of boys crossed the Verdigris River on horses.  One of the boy's horse got tangled in wire and he drown.  While delirious Jimmy wanted to get up off of the sofa.  My grandma would tell him to lay back down.  He kept telling her he had to go, the boy who drown was on a white horse, riding around the house, and calling his name.

 

Not long after, mom and daddy would take me to a movie and I would scream and cry... "My Jesus and my Jimmy is not here!"  I asked my mother what they did.  She said, "Why it was embarrassing and we would have to leave.  People would be looking at us."  She did not know why I was doing that.  My Granny must have said something to me about Jimmy going to heaven to be with Jesus, because I don't think I could just pull this out of a hat.

 

It wasn't must longer when the Catholic sister sat beside Granny and I on the bus.  Funny how God worked in my life and I was not even aware of it.  Books, crayons, pamphlets,  and all kinds of religious things mailed to me from the age of 3 to 9 years old.  When 9 years old Queenie got run over by the truck.  Jesus tells us we must be like a little child believing all things.  By letting Queenie live He instilled in me the knowledge that God does answer prayers.

 

Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard:  The master of the vineyard wanted workers, so he went out in the road and asked those idle if they would work in his vineyard for 1 pence.  A couple of hours later he saw people still standing in the road, so he went out and asked those standing around if they wanted to work in his vineyard for 1 pence.  This continued throughout the day until an hour was left of the day.  When it was time to pay, he told them he would pay them starting with the man who was hired last.  After a while the ones who had been working all day started to complain because those who only worked an hour, half day, and etc. were getting paid the same as them.  The master of the vineyard told them that he had asked them if they would work in his vineyard for 1 pence and they had agreed.  He was the master of his vineyard and he could pay whatever he wanted to pay.  He also told them that sometimes; those that come last may come first.

 

Jesus is explaining that there are those that have been Christians all of their life... but there are some that may only be a Christian for an hour.  Everyone receives the same.  Yes, He does tell of crowns in heaven; for those that are rewarded; but in a different part of the Bible.

 

He also tells us this:  If a man owes much to his master and he tells him he does not owe the debt; and he also tells a man that owes him little; who will love the master the most... the one who owes little or the one who owes much?  Jesus is talking about sin.

 

I feel like God uses broken vessels (us).  How do you really know what suffering is like if you have not been through it, divorced, abused, cheated on, and more.  What a testimony these people have!  God takes all of it away.  It takes time but he heals your broken heart and gives peace beyond understanding.  I can not explain it; you have to experience it yourself.  He helps you to let go of all this GARBAGE that you are carrying around.  I don't need a shrink ... I need Jesus.  I don't have all the answers... but He does. 

 

I have often thought about the men that Jesus chose to be his disciples.  I can just see Peter on the ship with the men.  I wonder what his language was like when Jesus saw him?  Peter cut a man's ear off when they arrested Jesus.  Jesus replaced the man's ear.  Peter denied Him three times.  They all hid after Jesus was arrested.  Jesus knew when He was going to be arrested.  He asked them to keep watch.  The disciples were sleeping.  Jesus even woke them, but they still slept.  Even so he loved them enough to die for them.  He even asked His Father if He would take this cup from Him.  Jesus tells us... there is none without sin, all have fallen short of the glory of God.  The Lord knocks on our heart's door.  He will do it for a while but then moves on.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  No one is perfect enough.  He accepts us just like we are!!  I remember traveling one time driving down a hi-way in a thick fog.   I could not see 2 feet in front of me.  It was sooo scary!  Well that is what life is without Jesus Christ.  My dad was 63 years old when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Just a few seconds before closing his eyes forever... he said this:  "Well, Jesus that is You."  My grandpa died when my mother was 7 weeks old.  He told my Granny that the angels were on the walls and they were coming to get him.  Keep a watchful eye because He comes like a thief in the middle of the night.

 

Many blessings.  All are in my prayers.  God Bless, Janie