Today's Word is Happy. Oh, and Optimism. Today's Words are Happy and Optimism

What a month so far.  Thanks everyone for the tremendous support of this blog and this gorgeous wife of mine.  We have now had over 12,000 page views of Keeping Up With Patti.  While that's probably not a record, I'm glad we don't have to write Thank You notes....

The Good News From the Top:

1)  As most of you know, Patti's 1/23 MRI returned another boring and activity free scan.  You can probably imagine the angst leading up to these things.  And the reciprocal relief lifts hearts and spirits.  Patti keeps us all grounded and says her prayers each morning and night.  We don't ever worry about her bringing us down.

2)  Kiley is getting married!   Handsome Karl King has proposed and we are delighted that Kiley said yes.  No wedding date yet but it will likely be during the chilly months of '14 or early '15.  Mary Catherine will be the Maid of Honor.

2 -a)  Speaking of Mary Catherine, she has been offered a summer internship with a PR firm in NYC this summer.  This has long been a dream of MC's and she will show Broadway what bright lights really look like!

3)  Patti has been invited to visit Lourdes in France as a guest of the Knights of Malta.  Buckets of thanks to our friends Ed and Diane Festa who nominated Patti and will escort her (and me) to this Holy place in early May of this year.  Catholics especially recognize Lourdes as a place where magical healing happens.  The Knights of Malta interview the sick and choose a planeload to go over every Spring.  Patti will be a "Malade" and will receive the waters and the prayers of this Sacred site.  We are truly blessed.

I think that's all for now.  'Cept friend Liz Gett came to visit again.  Not good for the liver.  Thanks Liz!

                                                                 
                                                                     Kiley and Karl

The Grotto at Lourdes 

2014 is the Year of the Patti!

Happy New Year All!         

Are the Holiday’s really over?  I've got an old friend who claims the Holidays don’t end until the Super Bowl….. I hope he’s right…. And wrong.

Since we last communicated very little has changed.  What wonderful words to type.  Patti is on her chemo meds this week which tends to make her tired.  But not cranky.  Nephew Christopher Thompson, a senior at the Naval Academy, is visiting Atlanta for New Year’s and Mary Catherine saw to it he was well entertained.  He’ll be an Aviator soon and makes us all very proud.

 Yes, we hosted exactly 30 for Thanksgiving at Erymwold with guests from Birmingham, Dahlonega, Augusta and Atlanta.  No one went hungry and the cheer was genuine.  Hopefully we can do it again next year.

We have learned that medical residents tend to get married at Christmas when their schedule allows.  Patti and I plus the kids were invited to a great affair in Athens on December 21^st and then Kiley and Patti went to a beauty in Nashville the next weekend. Can’t remember a ‘do nothing’ weekend in quite a while…. Soon we hope.

Christmas traditions are in Atlanta so the whole crowd was at Club 22 for the celebration of Jesus’s birthday;  New Year’s Eve too.  Patti has held up great through it all and in fact tends to lead the mischief making.  Her Aunt Kitty convinced her to blonde her hair a bit and the pixie cut combined with her beautiful face make Patti prettiest woman in every room.

(Lucy Shuler, Patti and Jane Leonard planning Thanksgiving)

(Mary Catherine and Patti at the wedding of Gini and Rett Reeve)

Your continued prayers are solicited for 2014.  It is rare for a family to go into another year with so much uncertainty.  But so be it.  This is the year cancer loses, and Patti wins.