Lady Traveler's Journey with brother John Part 2

(UPDATE on brother John at the end of this blog)

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of striving safely 

in one pretty and well preserved piece,

but to skid across the line broadside,

thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting

GERONIMO!!"

Up and Away ... Brother John and me on our Mexico cruise
(Cabo San Lucas)

The above quote describes me on most days,

(especially the 'thoroughly used up' part)

because then I know that I've accomplished something,

no matter how small.😓

I felt like this on my "Making Memories" cruise last week

with my brother John, Ger, Christie, Todd, and my Robinski.

Since returning from our California/Mexico trip last week

I haven't done much in the way of communicating to anyone.

Just me and my thoughts,

and Robinski and Popcorn, which is adequate for the moment.

Today is the first day that I've felt like sitting myself down in front of my iMac
in Lady Leaf's Lounge.

I don't know how long I'll sit here so I'll type

the first thoughts that come to mind.

As I wrote in my previous blog,
the purpose of our Mexico Riviera cruise was to 

spend time with my baby brother John.

He was and is my priority,

so whatever he felt like doing, I did.

I followed him around like a puppy.

Watching every move.

Listening to every word.

Holding back tears.

Wondering if these might be the last words I would hear him speak.
(I'm just being honest)

THEN, I told myself, "SNAP out of it, you little baby!

Where's your faith, hope, and love?"

Or maybe it was Jesus speaking to me, not sure.

The first day on board after breakfast, we were walking on the top deck exploring,
when suddenly he stopped and unashamedly said,

"I'm going to my cabin to take a pill and rest."

Me and brother John having dinner on our first night at sea.

I did a lot of talking to myself on the cruise (silently of course),

and even more, talking to Jesus,

especially at night when I returned to our stateroom at the back (aft) of the huge ship.

I'd wrap myself in the long white robe that the large Havana staterooms furnished,
(remember, this was the LAST cabin available when we called!)

and go out on our spacious veranda to 'sit and sip'

while watching and listening to the sounds of the Pacific Ocean kicking up waves below,

and sometimes counting the stars in the sky.

These were some of my favorite moments on our cruise ...

Each night sitting, listening, watching.

These moments took me back to my fourteen months when we sailed
the seven seas and three oceans on the WWII ship Restoration back in 1994,

only this time on a ship that had stabilizers and air conditioning.

The view from our balcony on the Carnival Panorama Mexico Riviera cruise.
the deck below is private for "Havana staterooms" ... two jacuzzis and a serenity pool. 

Morning coffee and evening wine on our spacious Havana balcony 

Each day I silently listened as John shared his heart with me.

Pure straightforward honesty.

I wasn't going to bring up half the stuff he talked about,

but he is so brave, and honest, and funny.

He made talking about stage 4 cancer seem easy,

until he began to speak about leaving his beloved family behind.

Yes, we shed tears together,

but knowing where his strength and his hope comes from,

gives us both courage to face each day that God gives.

Taxi boat to shore in Cabo San Lucas (our ship in the background. Big, huh?)
Christy, John, Ger, and lil ol me!

We shared a week of fun and laughter,
combined with somber, yet peaceful moments.

A glass of wine with John, a margarita with Christy in Cabo and Mazatlan,

and gallons of coffee on board with everyone.

My humble, kind, loving, and funny brother.
Last day in my cabin preparing for departure.
How I hate to leave my baby brother.
A prayer and a kiss,
Until we meet again ....

There was more but I'll ponder those memories in my heart for now.

Upon John's return home to Zion, Utah, his doctor 'installed' a port.
He will not go the chemo route.

Instead, John is now waiting to be approved for
"Keytruda immunotherapy."

I will keep you posted.

John and our family appreciate your concern and prayers,
more than you'll ever know.

(Update below)

I am blessed to have a humble, kind, loving and funny man of my own!
I love you Robinski, especially in Cabo!

I wish you oceans of daily blessings!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize?

Run* in such a way as to get the prize.

I Corinthians 9:24

*For whatever reasons, many of us can only walk. 

That's okay, as long as we're moving toward the prize that is set before us ...

Eternal Life with our Lord Jesus Christ.

UPDATE MARCH 2022:

Two years now, and the Keytruda therapy is no longer helping.

The cancer has spread.

John's doctor gave him two options:

Chemo or hospice.

At this writing he is choosing chemo.

He is weak, yet strong in spirit, never complaining,

only speaking the reality of his journey.

Rob and I are on standby but at this writing we'll be driving to

Utah the end of April to spend precious time with him.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

A miracle is appreciated.

Sweet precious brother John went to heaven

March 25 2022

Lady Traveler's Journey with brother John Part 1

(LAST UPDATE on John at bottom of page)

There will always be the unknown.

There will always be the unpredictable.

But faith confronts those frontiers with a thrilling leap.

Then life becomes vibrant with each new adventure!

It all began with these two ... Mom & Dad's wedding at
Shaw Air Force base Sumter, SC  1944

So far the new year 2020 had been good to me.

Just to be alive is pure thrilling.

Even before my first cup of coffee.

But two weeks ago things changed when my sister-in-law Ger called
to tell me that my sweet brother John (72) was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
(several weeks earlier he thought it was just an irritating pain).

A week later, more news.
John calls me with all the test results:
 Stage4 cancer.  Stomach.  Liver.  Lymph nodes ...
6 to 9 months to live.
Now my stomach is hurting ... and my heart is aching.
I pull myself together, and reply, 

"that's the doctor's report.
We believe in miracles, so there!"

Mr. Doctor tells John if he feels up to it,

go ahead and take the 8-day Mexican Riviera cruise on January 25th
that he and Ger had planned months ago.
"And here, take these pain pills with you," he adds.
With a nod from Rob, I immediately ask John,
"Would you mind if we join you on the cruise?"
John started laughing and crying at the same time.
"Could you? That would be so great if you could!"

I hung up and Rob called their Carnival travel agent,
telling her our circumstances and how important it is that we are on that ship.
"Hold on ... let me see ... well, we just happen to have one cabin left."
"We'll take it!" we said in unison through the speaker phone.
She added, "This must be God that we have this cabin."
We replied, "It is definitely God working on our behalf!"

Brother John & Ger in their garden
 Zion Utah Summer 2016

Long story short:
Rob and I are sailing on an 8-day cruise with my brother John and his wife Geri,
his daughter Christy and husband Todd.

I know many of you have been through this when you receive what we call
Bad News.
You've felt the shock, the pain, the hurt, the fear ... every emotion there is.
And then Jesus ...
He reaches out and holds you tight and whispers,
Everything will be all right.

Let me take this opportunity to tell you about my sweet brother.
I'm probably writing to myself but that's okay.
I need to get this part of my journey down in writing.

My brother John is fifteen months younger than me.
We shared the same bedroom until I was in seventh grade.
We had an invisible line in the middle of the room that spoke,
"You keep your trucks and teddy bear on your side,
and I'll keep my dolls and panda bear on my side."
Then one Christmas Santa left him a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ranch.
That's when I agreed to meet him in the middle so I could pretend to be Dale Evans
riding the range on Buttermilk!

I was elated when Daddy converted our garage into John's bedroom.
My very own bedroom! I never took my bedroom for granted.
I loved my privacy, and my pink walls!
There was only one problem ...
brother John had to walk through my room to get to his room. Yuk!
He still reminds me about the night I made him
walk through the back yard in the rain just because
I was talking on the phone to one of my many boyfriends.
I know, selfish sister.

Years passed, and we were married with kids when Mommy was diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis and needed full-time nursing care.
 John and I worked together to help Daddy cope with this situation
until she went to heaven at the young age of 66.
A few years later when Daddy was diagnosed with Parkinson's Decease
we pulled together again until he went to be with Jesus at the young age of 91.

Yes, we are a brother and sister who loved our parents,
and showed it by giving a little something back to them ...
our time and our love.

You and I have been told over and over that we know not what tomorrow holds.
So again I remind you and encourage you (and me)
to hold close to those you love, both near and far.
And no matter what the circumstances look like,

never lose your faith in miracles.

Bro and Sis at his home in Zion 2016


I am blessed to have a brother that laughs and has a sense of humor
(we inherited these traits from our funny parents).
John is loving and kind and loves Jesus, his family, and his friends.
He is a simple man, like our Daddy.
I have the best brother in the world and I'm honored to be his sassy sister!
I've learned through my 74 years
that a simple, loving, and kind man is the best kind.
And I also happen to be married to one!

I thank all of you for your friendship, both near and far.
And most of all, thank you for praying for John as the Holy Spirit leads you to do.


By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed by God's command,
that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Hebrews 11:8-10 NLT

UPDATE EARLY MARCH 2022:

Two years now, and the Keytruda therapy is no longer helping.

The cancer has spread.

John's doctor gave him two options:

Chemo or hospice.

At this writing he is choosing chemo.

He is weak, yet strong in spirit, never complaining,

only speaking the reality of his journey.

Rob and I are on standby but at this writing we'll be driving to

Utah the end of April to spend precious time with him.

UPDATE LATE MARCH 2022:

No time for chemo. Less than a week of at-home hospice.

Rob and I are on the road to Utah mid March

and arrive just in time to give hugs, kisses, and our

last "good-bye, see you in heaven."

Heaven-bound on March 25th, 2022

May 24, 2022

Today is John's first birthday in heaven

and I'm down here missing him like crazy.

I miss his nightly/daily phone calls that we shared over the last two years.

He spoke slowly, softly, and in the end couldn't speak so

our phone calls ended.

That's when Rob and I hit the road to Utah.

Tonight I'll light a candle on a cupcake and try to sing 

"Happy Birthday, sweet brother,

happy birthday to you ...."