Cuddle Your Children Forever

I had to share this precious picture posted by Mel, my daughter-in-law's sister. Here was my reply under this on Facebook. This brought tears to my eyes!

"OMG but this picture does explain a Mom's love for her children. I will never stop loving and cuddling my children, daughters now and grandchildren until the day I die. Then we will meet again in eternity forever, thank you Heavenly Father. ~ Kathleen Stephenson" 

So How Do We Beat That "Damn Wheelchair?"

The answer lies within the many wonderful products available today for people like me with milder disabilities to those even paralyzed from the neck down. Today I received my personal answer to greater mobility. I can hardly wait to try it out.

Although Phil would push my wheelchair all over any store or mall I wished to go to, I cannot ask him to do this. He is older than me -- and I do not want his health compromised because of my disabilities.

Active Care Spitfire 1410 Mobility Scooter

So please watch this You Tube video to see my "newest baby!" This scooter, as you will see in the video, can be disassembled to load into my car trunk and then very easily put back together for me to ride all over the place. There are two batteries in its battery pack area, so I can travel approximately 30 miles before needing to plug-in the scooter for recharging.

So if you see this old woman go "zooming" by you, don't be surprised. Oh I almost forgot, it has a basket on the front for all this grandma's shopping, and also a wonderful backpack to put on the back of the seat, a cup/can holder to hold grandma's diet coke she must have, and another nylon pocket to hold my wallet, and a dust cover to keep it clean when not in use, etc.


Watch out world here she comes, "That little old lady from Memphis, go baby, go baby, go baby, go!"

Curse This "Damn Wheelchair"

Memphis Humane Society

All who know me also know what an animal lover I am. This is probably one of the most beautiful gifts of love my grandparents imparted upon me. To know I live in a City where so much neglect, cruelty and poor care occurs with these little creatures of God prays on my heart and soul. There are times I see things and cry hard from the deep hurt I feel.

House of Mews

I would love to be able to do more, but this "damn wheelchair" (and my severe health problems) limits me so much. This is NOT the life I had dreamed of when I was retired. My dreams included working with animals at the Humane Society, the House for Mews, and trying to help change our animal shelter which is a disgrace.

Our animal shelter recently moved to a new facility, but the love and care not given these animals is the problem -- not the facility -- in my opinion. This video from You Tube and the beautiful words written along with it say the entire story. A very sad story!

this is a walk through Memphis Animal Services on 3-1-10. our "shelter" has been in nationwide headlines for some despicable things recently. without discussing politics, i want to say that this video is strictly about the dogs and how heartbreaking it is that they ended up here although they've done nothing to deserve it...the shelters are also bursting at the seams with cats too, who also represent millions of precious lives lost each year just because people chose not to care for them properly, or at all.

 i would also like to mention that there are volunteers and others working hard to make it a better place. it's the irresponsibility of the public that make places like this necessary, but these poor animals deserve so much better...

please watch this video and see how many precious dogs there are in a shelter on any given day that will die simply because they are homeless. i've been told that 75 is the average number of dogs killed daily at MAS alone.

then consider adoption, spaying & neutering, and telling your friends not to shop, ADOPT! be an advocate, educate, volunteer, foster, rescue, help save a life any way you can.

thank you.
eric hart ~ the Gage Foundation for Animals

Doggie at the new shelter. Clean for now (we will see how long that lasts),
but can you imagine being locked in here with hardly any human love and interaction. 

What can we all do to help resolve this sad situation and end all this needless euthanization of so many animals? 


We all have to be involved. Do not breed animals to sell -- they are not a commodity for your income. Do spay/neuter your animals. Don't send another homeless animal to meet "Dr. Death." Take good care of your animals for they are gifts given to you by God just as your children are as well. This was a very hard video to watch, but I am glad I did watch it. The two people talking show how hard their jobs of euthanization are on them. To know these people do have feelings for these little creatures somehow helped me bear the pain of what is happening a little easier. God please help us, and please help me know what I can do to help this problem (even in this damn wheelchair which has stolen my spirit and soul)!

Remembering Through Tears

This is a You Tube video one of our band students prepared about our precious Bob (Robert Abel, Jr) who we lost recently. He is with his Heavenly Father now -- and it will be a beautiful reunion when we all meet again. It is so hard to tell others how special Bob was. He was one of the most amazing people I believe I have ever known, and I so appreciate his love and kindness to my two sons in the band as well as myself.

Here is some of the thoughts from the students as well in this video. Get a Kleenex, you will need it!

A Proud Mom

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”  ~ Plato

This is a picture taken by Billy Talerico of Tarpley Music. Muleshoe Mighty M Band earning their Sweepstakes!
Thanks Billy! ~ Nick Stephenson

As I write this, I don't think I have ever been more proud of my Nicholas Earl than now. He pursued his love of music for a career, and his heart and hard work have always been there for his students.

This is a picture of my sweet Nicholas, the band director, with his band group. A friend named Billy Talerico took this photo, and I so appreciate having this picture. Thank you, Billy, for this wonderful photo of my son I so dearly love.

Nick's wonderful band of very hardworking students achieved all ones at their Sweepstakes competition. This is the first time since 1990 the Muleshoe Mighty M Band (Muleshoe, Texas) has achieved such an honor. For those not knowing much about band competitions, they are very tough and especially in Texas. The competition is very, very intense in Texas!

Congrats my dear sweetheart, Nick. I am also very grateful for his very musical love of his life, Mikayla, who stands behind him all the way. She is the woman "always behind a man's success!" Love you both (and the grandchildren too).

Unfortunately, good news and bad news can often come "hand in hand," but we know Nick's friend, Bob, is now in that wonderful Heavenly band.

Today Bob was laid to rest. He is greatly on Nick's mind I can tell, as Nick just posted this message on Facebook.

"I was sitting here thinking about Bob Abel. Today one of my band brothers from Craigmont High was laid to rest. God be with him and his wife. The success I've had would not have been possible without the mentorship of so many people, and Bob was an inspiration early on. RIP Bob." ~ Nick Stephenson

Our sweet Bob with that sax he knew how to make sing.

Craigmont High School Band, Memphis, TN

These were Nick's earlier days in music from a competition in Atlanta 1997. Nick and Bob were both in this picture. Nick's posting on Facebook under this photo brought tears to my eyes. I know Bob's death had to be very sad news to Nick -- it was to everyone who knew this precious young man with the beautiful heart and smile to match!

"Robert Abel was an inspiration to me as a young band student. He was a classmate that would give you the brutal truth. I remember after making All West band in jh [junior high] him saying 'how'd you do that' when he saw my region folder, and then busting out with a smile. I spent hours with him and loved him for his spirit and equal love of music. I can't believe he is gone. Bob, I hope that heaven has a sax ready for you. If it does, the musics that much better with you there. God Bless!"  ~ Nick Stephenson

The Love of Grandmas

All of my grandchildren are so blessed with the love from both sets of grandmas.

The twins in Memphis not only have Grandmaw Kat to love them, but Selena's mom Pam adores them as well.

(Left to right) Jesse, Grandma Pam, Luke

My other set of grandchildren, Mackenzie, Joey, Zachary and our latest "bun in the oven," have their Grandma Rodriguez in New Mexico only 35 miles away. All of Mikayla's family adores these sweeties, and I am so blessed to know they are safe and happy with Mikayla's family there.

(Left) Mel Rodriguez, Mikayla's sister and (Right) Mary Rodriguez (Grandma Rodriguez)

Grandma Rodriguez is battling stomach cancer and going through chemotherapy at the present. Unfortunately, it has metastasized and she will have to continue chemotherapy to keep the cancer from spreading rapidly. 

Please stop whatever you are doing and say a very special prayer for our Grandma Rodriguez. I want the best for my sweet Mikayla, but I also want my precious grandchildren to know and love their Grandma Rodriguez for many, many, more happy years.

Thank you for your prayers everyone! I believe in Miracles, and I truly believe Mary can be healed through the Power of her Heavenly Father.

Lovely

How could anyone ask for more beautiful grandchildren? Sure wish Muleshoe, Texas, was a bit closer to me.