Right now, my mother and I are sitting in our screened in back porch at home eating pancakes, strawberries and grits. We've been talking about the different birds chirping and hopping from tree to tree and watching the squirrels run back and forth across the grass.

13 years ago this week, I almost lost her to one of those "incompatible with life" diagnoses by the 'Almighty Whitecoats' ( of which I am one) in our traditional health care system. She had a massive brain hemorrhage and was given 96 hours to live...

I did loose my mother, the personality that was Louise up until that time, but have been blessed to get to know my mother, Louise, the personality that emerged and has evolved over these thirteen years.

As her primary caregiver, I take care of this "new" Louise and encourage her to do whatever she can for as much as she can endure each and every day. The daughter in me misses the "old" Louise, my mother, running buddy and friend, but the new and albeit, improved model [smile] does just fine too! It's been rough [an understatement] but , fortunately, the bad times have been punctuated with long periods of very good times which continues to spur us both on and forward, each and everyday.

This afternoon, we're going over to Stone Mountain to check out the annual Pumpkin Festival over there. We'll probably come back pretty messy, but that all a part of it. Yesterday we went to the Great Georgia Air Show. She complained a little bit about the F-18 after burners noise, but after giving her a Coke and a smile, all the complaints subsided.

13 years and counting...

...my lucky number 13....

I cherish each and every moment, day... and 'number' I have with her!