Holiday Monday

Like all good government contractors in the D.C. area, I have off today. Yipee!

Went down to Burke to have lunch with my Mom and baby sister. "Baby" as in youngest, but quite accomplished. Got to see the brother-in-law's new/used Sportster. Niece and Nephew (11 and 9 years old) are crazy about it and want Dad to take them for rides all the time. Both kids take after thier father in that they don't know the words "slow down". Especially "the boy" who is balls-to-the-wall on anything that moves. I have 8 nieces and nephews, but these two are my favorites. Great kids. Great parents.

Speaking of parents, Mom disclosed that she has breast cancer. Again.

30 years ago she had a radical mascectomy and many courses of chemo. Obviously she survived. What always impressed me during that time was how well she handled the whole thing. She was rarely off her feet from the treatments and never seemed down. But, that's kind of the way she always is. She's the kind of person who loves to laugh, loves being around other people, loves her family and heaps praise upon her kids and grandkids. She's without a doubt the strongest person I know. A visit with Mom does me more good when I'm blue than anything else. It did today, too, even with the bad news. Now I get to take care of her like she has always done for me.

The cancer is just a tiny mass, undetectable by feel. She sees the surgeon on Wednesday and will find out what kind of surgery will be necessary. I'm fairly certain it will be minor and tried to convince her that she's not going to have anywhere near the mess she had before. As usual though, I think she's going to end up pulling me thru this, rather than the other way around! Mom's are great that way.