Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Gettin' Somewhere


This is my Dad's brother, Kenneth; his wife, Billie - whom Mom loves from way back when they were both newly marrieds into the Cotharn family, and they could hang out and chat together; and their daughters: Debbie, Rhonda, Lisa, Kenny Beth, and Kerry - whom Mom has always had soft spots for - as they were sort of surrogate daughters for a Nancy who was trapped in a house full of men. Growing up, these five girls shared one bedroom in Robinson, TX. Worse, they shared one bathroom - with their Mom and Dad! Petticoat Junction and The Brady Bunch haven't got a thing on these girls. Peeking into the corner of the picture is Kendyl - the less loquacious half of Kendyl and Shelby.

Debbie left a sweet comment in a post on the Nancy Update:
Your mom is and has always been my role model for years. I wanted to raise my 3 boy just like she raised hers. She is my Hero. Tell her I am always thinking about her.

Debbie has said she fixed her sons' hair like Mom fixed our hair - and the hair got mussed up. She dressed her sons in white shorts, like Mom dressed us in white shorts - and the shorts got uncleanably dirty. She taught her sons good manners, like Mom did with us - but it didn't seem to take in quite the same fashion.

Of course, Debbie's sons are, now, much more polite than Bruce and Bradley...

Meanwhile: Mom's balance is progressing!

A week ago, Mom graduated from her walker, and began using a quad cane. A quad cane has four little legs at it's base. This week, Mom has been turned loose on the quad cane. She is allowed to use it without a therapist at her elbow. She now canes her way - steady as she goes - up and down the slope between Hilltop House and the Therapy Center. As Jerry Seinfeld observed about "No calls the next day":
"Well, now we're gettin' somewhere!"