This is the rhyming story of the days leading up to and the days while Sherri visited Judy in Tennessee and her brother in Kentucky.
A few days before Sherri arrives:
My online friend is coming to visit
What an awesome way to start a new year!
I’ll get to experience her wisdom and wit
And I know each minute will make memories so dear.
We have so much to do and so much to learn
I’m not sure there will be time to sleep!
Others may think our PD will be cause for concern
But we are determined – “It will not make us weak!”.
My goal is to show my friend, Sherri,
More fun than she thought she could have,
And create memories that she can always carry
Of the special vacation in TN & KY she had.
I’m sure she’ll find my family a bit different
And my friends and routine something to behold
I’m praying she’ll feel like the trip is time well spent
And our friendship will develop into something worth more than gold.
Maybe we can write a poem together
To describe all the events of her stay
You know… the good, the bad, and the better
And with her help it will have more than my say.
[Thursday]
It was Thursday, January 16, of 2009
and Judy was full of great glee,
She waited outside the security gate
Ever so anxiously
Sherri was to arrive at the TRI at 4,
It was going to be just as she wrote
And making sure Sherri could find her at the door ,
Judy was wearing ‘da coat.
Judy received
a few unusual looks,
From ones peering over their traveling books,
Wondering if this woman in colorful attire
Had to grab anything she could find while fleeing a fire!
A stop at Wendy’s for lunch, then onto Carol’s school,
Sherri’s toes finally warmed up, after being so cool.
A visit to the Good home to meet Judy’s mom and her dad
And a good visit it was, with her parents that we had.
Finally on to the last stop of the day,
To Judy’s house where Bill asked if everything had gone OK.
Sherri put her things in the spare room,
All the while the girls with PD were losing their ‘zoom zoom’.
They chatted and chatted, caught up on their lives
brainstormed a new logo, while waiting for ideas to arrive
Planned some more on their agenda, but their minds were getting slow,
So off to bed, they decided they must go.
[Friday]
Up and refreshed on Friday morning at nine
To run some errands for an evening divine
It would include some games, seriousness and fun
While meeting the Antioch women, young teens and then some.
It was 2 o’clock before we stopped our pace,
And entered Roly Poly’s, to feed our face….
A Philly Steak roll-up and a Chicken Ceasar too
Decked with lettuce, avocado an lots of goo.
Back to Judy’s house to pack for some fun
Within an hour we were finished, ready, and done.
Onto the church for the women’s retreat,
where we awoke the next morning tired and beat.
In the dead cold of winter, down to 3 degrees,
The ladies arrived one by one with multiple snacks to please!
Games were played, including the Wii,
And sharing of some personal needs.
It was time for the fun to finally begin
As the drum rolled for the KING to appear
With a cape of blue and a belt of sequins
Could it be that Elvis was here?
Songs were sung by Karoake,
with a scavenger hunt to go,
fresh cookies were made and ready to eat
while others nibbled raw dough.
Some slept all through the night,
others not so well
and come early morning,
You could really tell.
[Saturday]
Hopefully this afternoon, we will get some rest
All the while packing up for our Kentucky test trip.
Time will tell and then so will we,
But for now a breakfast break with the sleepy La-Dies.
Well, noon came and went without a much needed nap,
And when Judy nodded on and off, Sherri’d give her a wap
And then she’d declare in her nicest of voices,
“On with the logo, who said sleeping was one of your choices!?!”
After that we were off to PD’er friend Peggy,
To see her and Carolyn, which made one more than three.
Just four PD women, headstrong gals at the least,
Who vow never to give in, to this chronic dumb beast.
PD’s a creep, we think you can see,
Something all four women would all, most agree -
But we all also refuse to let it get the best of any of us
A positive attitude is a definite must.
Afterwards, off to dinner at Fatz in Elizabeth-ton
More stories and laughter and then we were all done -
Done with dinner but not with the night
For it was then off to Magic Mart, where the prices are just right.
A dress for Clara and a shirt for Ken,
An Elmo towel, and Judy found a punching penguin.
Then over to Beall’s Outlet for Tamara’s orange shirt
And a soft pair of socks for the dear, little squirt.
One more stop and then onto the Hensley home
To work on this silly, long-winded poem
Which boasts of our adventures, travels and such
About trips, outings, fun times – so much!
Now it’s off to bed
But there’s sure more to come
So grab some coffee ‘cuz
You’re in for more fun.
[Sunday…]
Fun is all relative, you may hear some say
We awoke early for church the next day
We washed and we scrubbed and we dried our wet hair
Only to hear the news that Sunday School was cancelled there.
The roads were slick, icy and wet
Morning church that day was all you were gonna get.
Off to Pals went Andrea, with Carol and Bill
Bringing back breakfast for all – it was biscuits and gravy for their stomaches to fill
Carol and Bill had differing views
About the biscuits and gravy news
Bill thought that Sherri wouldn’t like the food
But in reality she found it very good.
They went to church and after went back home
Packed clean socks, their toothbrushes, a book and a comb.
They stuffed them in the van, those overstuffed suitcases
And off to Kentucky, famous for Bluegrass and crazy horse races.
Sherri’s brother Greg’s house was the destination on this trip
Where they would start the next leg, showing up in wax lips.
Standing on his doorstep, at just after six o’clock
He answered the door, and was in for a shock.
Never had he seen such big lips on anyone, large or small
And almost fainted, falling back against the wall
Sherri removed her lips of deep red
And apologized profusely for messing with his head.
After a tour of Greg’s well-kept man’s castle,
He guided us to Frankfort, Kentucky’s state capitol.
The destination? Rita’s – his lovely girlfriend
With whom his spare time he does spend.
Serving us dinner of homemade chili and more
We talked and laughed, all of us four.
Tired and weary, it was off to bed
To rest up for the next day and the adventures ahead.
[Monday]
After awakening late Monday morning (is 9 am considered late?)
We stopped at an unnamed restaurant and that’s where we ate.
Biscuits and gravy, green eggs and ham
Dr. Seuss would have been proud it wasn’t purple spam.
We went to ‘Completely Kentucky’, The Peddlar and Goodwill,
The grocery store for burger and put gas in the van without even a spill.
We sampled Bourbon Balls, Chocolate Creams and drank Ale 8-1
Bought Boo Boos and shirts and then we were done.
It was then off to the capital building, where we saw the Flower Clock
Viewed the governor’s estate near a snow-covered walk.
The Kentucky River below was murky and much dirty too,
But it would clear in the spring – that much we knew.
Driving across the singing bridge toward the cemetery,
To see the spot where Daniel Boone was laid and then buried.
We observed several headstones of fallen heroes from wars of the past
And felt thankful for the lives given unselfishly so that ours could last.
We headed back to Rita’s where Greg fixed lasagna and Rita a salad,
It was delicious served with some bread and satisfied our palette.
Afterwards it was time to watch some T-V
And everyone agreed the time spent together was more than just lovely.
[Tuesday]
We caught on some sleep while in great KY
And awoke in time to see Obama’s inauguration on the T.V.
Packing our bags, we left at high noon
Heading back via I-75 to Tennessee – too soon.
Not rushed to make Carol’s basketball game now,
For the weather had caused all games to be cancelled, somehow.
So of course on the way we stopped and ate
And shopped in a bookstore, leaving much too late.
Straight on to Judy’s support group for a cancelled and recalled meeting
All members present contributed to ideas they were needing
It was on the way home that Judy found out
Her mom was in the Emergency Room, sick from her chemo – no doubt
After checking on her mom, Becky, we ended our day at Zaxby’s Chicken
Chatting over salads and drinks and where we had been.
Back to the house, downloading photos and feeling beat
Sherri kept falling asleep in her seat.
It was off to bed to rest up for the next day
They said goodnight and then hit the hay.
[Wednesday]
Home again, home again, to catch our breath
A new partner in our travels, twas Carol, we saith.
Enjoying a day off (well, really the third),
Because of the weather that must be endured.
So – what do you expect 3 girls to do with their dough
But to spend all their wad at a store called Cato’s.
After enjoying a delicious meal at Ridgewood BBQ,
We stopped to look in on Judy’s mom, and saw her cousin, too.
Expressing our hope that she’d be going home soon,
We showed her some pictures that afternoon.
After dropping Carol at a friend’s house for a Bible study,
We went on home to do some work as good buddies.
We taped a video of our journey with PD
Hoping it may be of help to the newly diagnosed community
Speaking straight from the heart, being honest and true
We answered questions in our crazy interview.
Once again it was time for good night
Hoping the next day when we awoke, we’d feel rested and bright.
But poor Judy – between her meds and thoughts in her head
Never did make it to bed.
[Thursday]
The last full day we’d be able to spend together
Brought with it the most beautiful weather.
Blue skies and a bright shining sun,
We were ready to head out and enjoy some more fun.
Off on some errands and then to check in on Judy’s mom,
She seemed tired, yet joyful, hopeful and calm.
We stayed for a little bit and chatted just as long
Then prayed with her for God’s healing and to make her body strong.
On to pick up pictures, buy some men’s pants, a bag of candy,
Then over to North Carolina to see what we could see.
Thirty or so minutes later, we were shopping in a little town,
Where we found small treasures in reds, blues, and browns.
The mountains were covered with a light blanket of snow
And the sun set on the barren trees, putting on quite a show
Reds and yellows, golds and oranges too
Radiated from limbs and branches, in breathtaking hues.
Meeting at Cracker Barrel, the Hensleys and Sherri, too -
It was obvious to all of us, a lifelong friendship God grew.
Pancakes and eggs and eggs and bacon
Only Judy actually ordered dinner when the order was taken.
After our tummies were full, clear to our brims,
We scouted for bargains on the table of bargains.
Another shirt for the squirt, some bird shakers too,
More than a few items would be considered taboo.
Back at home they gathered up all the loose ends
Of work they had done, as kindred spirits and friends.
Planning to make their website the best it could be
And coming up with a plan so they would succeed.
Once again, all good things must come to an end
And they got ready to get some rest once again.
But they’ll awake in the morning, refreshed at the least,
Ready once again to face their common beast.
As one PD’er once said, and said it well for all of us
“We may have PD but it will never have us.”
And so this poem closes and we must say bye for now
But we’ll meet again soon, somewhere – somehow.
Other articles you might like;
