Hi SHaron and all,

My goodness you certainly have been busy and you bet we'll pray for you during this time. How wxciting! And what milestones too have been yours.

I'm writing a short note here too because not a lot has ben going on for me except caring for mom. That has had increasing responsibility. She's doing well all things considered. Just pray we make right and quality decisions during these challenging days.

Still doing podcasts. A little behind schedule but I'll be back on track soon.

Thanks for sharing I hope others will chime in here too.

Blessings,
Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: Sharon Hooley  <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018 5:43 pm
Subject: Lots of stuff going on

>
>
> Hi all, I hope everyone is doing well these days.  What are you up to?
> 
> I have a lot of things going on in my life.  First off, on March 1, I will have lived in this home for ten years!  Gracie had her decade in December last year.   Also, I had a decade of my cochlear implantation in January.  Then there are two decades birthdays; my sister Judy turns 70 in may, and our  main  caregiver turns 60 in December this year.  So you see there are four reasons to have a decades celebration!  We foursome, if not all five, plan to go out to eat, maybe in early next month.
> 
> Then, on the 16th and 17th I participate in Mis Amazing talent showcase and pageant for girls and women with disabilities.  It's not exactly like a regular pageant, but geared toward friendship and achievement oriented.  I've never done this before, so I'm excited to see what happens!  You can certainly pray for me during this time that The Lord will shine through me.
> 
> Over a week ago I had a tooth extracted because of infection there.  that's my first adult tooth loss since three of my wisdom teeth were removed when I was a teen.  I was told that I'm in the advanced stage of periodontal disease, in which the gums recede.  This has made some mobile teeth, and I have to do extra work to take care of them.  In a way, I'm looking forward to getting rid of all of them so it won't take as much time with dentures.  I know it will be harder to chew food, but right now I say it's worth it. :)
> 
> I've started a rather new hobby of building electronic projects with kits.  The ones I'm doing right now snap together sort of like Legoes.  Someday I would like to be able to make at least one thing that will benefit blind and deafblind folks.  I'm thinking of making an optacon-type device that vibrates pins in the shapes on the fingers that the camera sees.  The reason is that I might not be accepted to receive the Brainport that uses electric currents on your tongue.  I'm trying for it though.  I filled out a document for insurance, then got an intake document to fill from a caseworker, so just maybe I'll qualify!  They offered a support program to help get my medical insurance to pay.
> 
> I am now working with a caregiving business called Faith and Prayer caregiving.  After going through two turnovers, I've been assigned a sweet Spanish lady who was born in Mexico.  She seems to be a devout believer and goes to a conservative congregation.  My brother Dale gives me six  hours a week now.  One of the things we've been doing is walking a mile at the mall that's not too far from my house.  dale and his wife Diana are giving me the incentive of 25 dollars a week.  I wish everyone could have that kind of support.  Another  thing we started is going to my sister Judy's house to be with our dad for awhile so that she could take a break.  Dale  had agreed to pay for the gas once a month since it's quite a drive.  We did this for the first time, but now I'm not sure what will happen, because she now needs a lot more hours of support from a caregiver who might be the same one.  Dad's dementia has gotten worse, and Judy has some emotional needs, so she needs more time to get away for awhile, I think especially because my brother-in-law has to travel a lot for his business.  She has a friend who has given some of her time, and the plan is to have her stay some nights while Judy and her husband take some time away.  I understand that she will want a caregiver to come spend eight hours around two days a week, but I'm not sure exactly.
> 
> And there's good news about the group I used to attend on Fridays.  Amazing Amigos is merging with another nonprofit organization called My Places.  They had been meeting two Fridays a months for awhile, but now it looks as though they will start going every Friday.  Hopefully we'll get more activities going for us.
> 
> Well, now it's your turn for an update.