ABCs of Trip Reporting, Pt. 2-Life Can Be Crappy and Then You Move On (3/7)

[Poolrat]

Awww, Rosie. Thank you so much. I apologize for not getting on here sooner, most nights I'm just too worn out. This time of the year doesn't help. My mom is hanging in there. She very, very weak at times, but rebounds right before going in for chemo again. We are in the process of getting her moved closer to us since she's too far out for me to be there for her if needs me, my brother isn't being a help at all <lives right below her apt.>. Well, unless it's to help himself. My mom does have two primary cancers, thank God they are both primary cancers. This gives her a chance at beating both rather than having it spread. I was told by the doctors nurse she was terminal or the right saying they us is..."It's treatable, not cureable." In other words, for how ever long you can take the poison they put into your body, and the cancer doesn't spread you can live. If that indeed is living. I'm so proud of her, she's really hanging in there, she's a tough lady. But I can't say the prayers aren't keeping her sustained. We truly need as many prayers as everyone can muster up. So thank you again for your prayers, it's meant and does more than you'll ever know.

Oh Camille Thinking about you and your mom.

 

[All7OfUs]

To One of My Favorite Groups of People Anywhere:

I hope this holiday season is finding each of you full of Peace and Blessing this year! However you celebrate and spend your time, I hope it's filled with every Good thing.

Merry Christmas!

 

[englishrose47]

To all my Dis Friends

 

[Poolrat]

Merry Christmas Leisa and Family

 

[teedee]

Life keeps intruding on my Dis time and I DON'T LIKE IT! I took on working after school, so I had 12+ hour days up till our Christmas break, and then was busy getting ready for Christmas since I didn't have time to do much before the break. To my great surprise, I have also managed to get myself engaged! After losing my husband way too young, I never thought I would want to get married again, but I met a wonderful man and we're getting married in June. I'm still having trouble believing it, but I'm very happy. Can you guess where we're going for our honeymoon?? I bet you can!

I loved the latest updates. Storybook Land was one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. It was such a classic Disney attraction! I remember I just kept looking around staring at everything. I was so entranced I forgot to take pictures. I hope to go back and fix that one day!

It's been awhile since you posted the pictures of you and your girls in your gowns, but you were all beautiful. I can't believe you made those yourself, they are amazing!

Terri

 

[tinacaplan]

Merry Christmas to you and the whole family. I can tell from your FB updates that you are having a wonderful time. Love the AK pictures and I love the Lion King show. That music is so great.

 

[englishrose47]

Before it gets by me !!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

phew, ok I'm all caught up, took me a bit as I was way behind, but happy to find you got a little behind to sounds like things are good out your way. Hope you had a good Christmas and can't wait to read more about your trip(s)

 

[norybell]

Finally caught up on "W"! I totally agree with you about FOTLK vs. Nemo. FOTLK is a fun show; Nemo is an incredible one!

Sounds like you've been crazy busy...here's hoping January is more relaxing...for all of us!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Finally caught up! Thank goodness for Winter Break! There is so much to comment on and the inevitability of 2012 coming my way, so I'd just like to wish a...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

[Poolrat]

Happy New Year !!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Happy New Year, Liesa!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year in the midst of all your stress, Liesa.

 

[mom3sonstt]

Phew...one more caught up on!


As always - enjoying the trip! I got a kick out of the first Gorilla picture....the way the sun is shining it looks like smoke wafting up - like you caught him smoking and he's hiding his cigarette.

The gowns are even more beautiful on here than they were looking at them on FB on my phone

I hope things are settling down for Bek and David (Dave?). Your last update on here about them, well their situation, didn't sound promising, but I am still optimistic.

 

[eandesmom]

All caught up! Or as caught up as I can get before this turns into a new thread

A big hello to you, enjoying the FB ball pics and hoping all is well with the start of the new term.

 

[burly]

All caught up also...good stuff as always.
Congrats on the grades.
Happy Christmas and Merry New Year..hugs L.

Hope to read more soon.....


KIM

 

[englishrose47]

Just Poppin in to say Hi !!!! Hope your holidays were great Liesa

 

[All7OfUs]

And this brings us to the climax of the Disney trip of a lifetime. Not that it was long, or grand or we spent an exorbitant (other than the normal exorbitant Disney fees) on an elaborate, all-out vacation, but one that could only happen once in a lifetime because circumstances themselves make it such.

Remember that my mom’s cousin, Carol, met us for the day. We had spent the morning touring the Mary Blair exhibit and doing “the submarine ride”, and now it was time for lunch. It was unanimous that, although we had eaten at Carnation the day before as well, Carnation it would be again. There were just too many memories for all of us at that particular place to say no. Whisked into the prim white and red umbrella-ed patio in no time, we quickly made our orders for this and that- none of it special or extravagant in the way of food, but the happy memories of times gone by more than made up for what was lacking in that department. Reminiscing of romping around what those 3 ladies believed to be their personal playground was highly amusing, and then... then out came some pictures.

Carol had brought a small stack of photos that they started going through one by one. Each one got an “oooh” or an “ahhhh”, but one especially got a “ WOW!!!”

Lo and behold, brought from Burbank just for this occasion was an old black and white photo from 1957 of the exact same three ladies sitting at my lunch table!!!! And not just that, but as my mom stared at that photo, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, “HEY! This was taken right over there!” pointing across Main Street to where in the “olden days” stood a flower cart. Captured on glossy photo paper, there they stood, in all their bobby-socked, poodle-skirted glory. They couldn’t believe their eyes... and then a plan was hatched. Why not re-create the scene more than 50 years later??! YES, we could do that! And we did.

I wish with all my heart I could show you the original. But Carol has never scanned and sent me a copy of it. I have written again today, and as soon as I get it, I promise to post it 

But here is the re-creation of that amazing photo:

And one with Carol holding up the 1957 photo:

It was absolutely wonderful to watch these grown women re-live a special moment, and in the midst of it all create a brand new one that even Disney would be hard pressed to come up with! I knew, in fact, it was SO special and unique that I suggested we take the old picture and head over to City Hall and tell our story. It would be a gross understatement to say that they were completely blown away! The CM to whom we showed the two photos side-by-side took them to the back and showed them to the management in the back and was almost giddy at how utterly cool it was to see 3 women who’d grown up with Disneyland as their youthful stomping grounds coming back more than 50 years later, still having the time of their lives. One dying, but with a grin on her face that not even ALS could mess with. It was a moment in my life I will NEVER forget. Ever.

 

[jedijill]

I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes! What a wonderful memory!

Jill in CO