melaniek

I got to Knoxville!!! YAY! Very happy to see my family! My mom is doing well and even lost weight! She is pretty mobile, but still uses her cane or walker just in case. My niece is SO tall. She is getting close to me in height and we wear the same shoe size.....and she is 10! She has always been bigger and taller than her age. She is so cute. We ate at Calhoun's and I stuffed myself with fried catfish and a half slab of ribs......mmmmmmm. I got more BBQ sauce and got some for Lisa and Debbie. My aunts and my sister-in-law were there and we had a grand time laughing and joking. My brother came by when he got off from work and arrived just as our meals arrived. We shared with him and it was so funny to see him tease and bother my niece! We all hung out for a bit and then I got to vacuum out bettie, and then I vacuumed out mom's van too. Bettie has been initiated into the family by being fixed with duct tape. I found out that my cousin bought her in 99 and she had 90K miles on her, and she now has almost 97K. Soooo 7K in 9 years! Wowza! I was very scared to drive an untested car for 7 hours, but she made it!
Being back in Knoxville made me have an overload of feelings, regrets, etc. I felt that I had basically reverted back to my young adulthood, driving around in a gifted car, listening to my old favorite radio station, beginning my life all over again. It was also hard to tell my family the down low. I mean, they already knew the basics, but it was hard to give the particulars. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and just too many emotions to list. I cried myself to sleep that night. I am just glad that I had all of those feelings, got it all out in the open, and that I have an opportunity to have my own little life back.
Anyway, I think that we need a song......I heard this on the way back to Indiana.

Just Like Heaven