On December 27, 2017, I had surgery to correct a hammer toe on my right foot. The specialist said that it would take at least six months for the full recovery from the surgery, but I thought I knew better. After the surgery I really believed that all would be back to normal in a couple of months. But things did not turn out that way. During the follow-up visit I was told that all went well as far as the surgery was concerned, and that the rest of the problem was in my head. My foot was still doing the weird curling of the toes, making me keep walking with a limp, and sometimes I heard a shuffle while walking. I made another appointment with the doctor, but this time I was forlorn. I still could not wear tennis shoes, or other thong-type sandals due to the massive amount of scar tissue, and any closed toed shoes caused pain. The doctor’s response was that I needed physical therapy to learn how to walk again. I felt insulted by his choice of words, but nonetheless I did follow-up with the therapy.

If you have ever been to a beauty school, where the students are in training, you sometimes you can’t really tell the difference between the teacher and the student until you get a really bad haircut. Well, the first physical therapy place was a like this, a bunch of young therapists in training.  After three sessions, I wanted nothing more to do with this. as the robotic millennials were overly friendly but incompetent. I canceled my appointment because I was going to the Holy Land, but in reality I had lost faith in physical therapy.

As life would have it, my foot continued to be my cross and complaining was a constant. I purchased a comfortable pair of lightweight shoes for the missionary trip, but this only caused further damage. Good Friday was one of the worst days because of the discomfort, and all the walking we did that on that day set me back to a pronounced limp.

I continued with my workout regiment wearing Mike’s sandals, I called them my boyfriend shoes. These shoes did not cause pain and I could fasten them securely with the Velcro.

Thinking that this was my lot in life, I pretty much surrendered to the problem. I was having other health issues with back pain, and made an appointment with my primary care physician. I brought up my foot problem, and he told me again that it was an issue of mind over matter thing. My interpretation from this advice was that this doctor thought I was creating this problem in my head. I was also advised to return to physical therapy.

Taking matters into my own hands, I decided to no longer return to the podiatrist who told me it was in my head,  and made an appointment with a foot surgeon. The meeting went well but the specialist said  “You forgot how to walk!” “So, are you saying it’s in my head?” I asked.  His response was “Yes.”

For three years I put off the surgery and was compensating for my injury, and my mind and body got accustomed to defective toe doing what seemed natural. So when the surgery came, I really had forgotten how to walk normally. All three doctors were right, so now I’m back in physical therapy. No students this time, just professionals, sports specialist, and this is finally working for me. I am doing toe yoga, along with a lot of other exercises, to improve my balance and to learn how to walk again with proper stability. Sometimes it feels as if I’m taking a sobriety test with the different types of walking exercises that are required.

We went to dinner at Las Brisas, in Laguna Beach, on Friday, with the Louisiana Crew. We walked down to the beach, and for the first time in years I felt like I was walking normally.

Hindsight shows that we pay a big price in putting off what needs to be done in a timely matter.

Proverbs 6:4-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

In other words, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

They were eight coming in from the  New Orleans area. A direct flight from Louis Armstrong Airport  to LAX, with a pit stop at In-N-Out hamburgers, brought them to our doorstep at 2:00 A.M. My sister Jo was staying with us and her two sons and their families were staying a stone’s throw away from Disneyland.

Day One:  They wanted to go to Hollywood to take in the sights, but I informed them that it was Gay Pride Week, and the traffic would be a great deterrent. Then they wanted to go visit where my mother once lived, but their cousin  Sonja told them that that would be too dangerous. Sonja used kind, loving words, “I would never take my children there for fear of their lives.” Our son Mikos came in and piled more fear about the dangers in the City of Angels. Our son-in-law Russ heard that they wanted to attend a game at Dodger Stadium, and warned them that they could be stabbed. So on the first day, they stayed within the compound of the Marriott Hotel and hung out by the pool. My sister Jo kept mentioning to me that all we were doing was discouraging all their plans. Later, I will share a story with what they put me through when I visit them.

Day Two: They wanted to go to the beach but the riptides and waves were too dangerous for swimming in the ocean. The Dodgers were in town playing the Atlanta Braves, so they went to the game. The last time that Frank was at a Dodger game Fernando Valenzuela was pitching. These brave Southerners stayed the entire game. We usually leave after the third inning or after eating a Dodger Dog.

Day Three: Frank and Nick, my nephews, are getting married in Las Vegas this June 15, so we planned a family barbecue. It was a perfect day for a family gathering, and my brother Mike and two of his sons and their families joined us for the gathering; we were a total of 27. Mike made his famous Cherry Cola Ribs and hamburgers. We shared many stories and made wonderful memories, while all of the kids swam. Every last one of the beach towels was put to use, then we discovered that our clothes dryer was on the brink.

Day Four: Universal Studios, I cannot express how I loathe the crowds, and waiting in long lines. I am not a Disney fan either, so Jo and I stayed behind.

My sister is the same way when I visit her, as she never wants to do anything touristy and refuses to take me to the French Quarter.

We are like cats when visiting each other, taking many naps in between our ventures. All of us three sisters, Norma included, share another thing in common; we care for our grandchildren and many times our schedules revolve around their timetable. In reality, that is what family is about, right?

On Thursday, round two with more Cajun’s arriving.

“And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” ~1 John 4:21

Matthew 18:6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

On May 24, 2018, I was asked to speak at the School Board Meeting. California passed a law on sex education that was to implemented on June 5, 2018, in our district. For me as grandparent this poses a big problem, because of the severity of the information that is going to be inflicted on our children.

The school board meeting was standing room only. I followed the proper protocol and filled out a form, I was number seven of more than twenty speakers. We had three minutes to state our grievances against this new policy. Within the group were concerned parents, physicians, college instructors, students, and persons of diverse religions.

The future of our children is in jeopardy, because these new laws are about indoctrinating children starting from Pre-K to high school. To introduce them in a casual manner through “Teen Talk,” instructing our youth of the do’s and don’t of sexual conduct and, informing student of all the choices of “gender spectrum.”

My talk was about the fact that at any time, a minor of any age in California may consent to birth control and abortion services. Additionally, a parent’s permission is not required to excuse a minor during school hours for confidential services (Calif Family Code 6925). If my grandchildren suffer from a headache, the school cannot dispense an aspirin, but they can leave campus to get an abortion? For the full three minutes I pleaded my case. I ended my talk with informing the school board that they are not only accountable to the parents but also to God.

The irony of this meeting is that most parents are oblivious to these new laws. One school board member kept reiterating that parents have an opportunity to opt out, but even this is a half-truth. A parent can opt out of some of this so-called “sex education,” but not all.

This tactic is bullying to a new level, and parents should be in an uproar about this.

Ed Code 51932 (b) says parents MAY NOT OPT OUT or EXCUSE their child from any instruction that discusses gender identity or expression.

CSBA AR 6142.1 (also states NO OPT OUT)

This instruction can be for ANY GRADE LEVEL and parents do not need to be notified ahead of time when instruction is given.

 Another “great” teaching moment is telling our children that different genders exist and should be respected.

According to the California Teachers’ Association Magazine (California Educator) in the article “Embracing the Gender Spectrum” (March 2017, Vol 21, Issue 6, p. 21) , genders can fall in MULTIPLE CATEGORIES… (Gender Expansive)

They can be:

1)  GENDER NONCONFORMING– which means their gender expression is outside of  the their assigned sex at birth.

(pronouns used:  Feminine identity or Expression: she, her, herself Male Identity or Expression:  he, his, himself)

2) AMBIGENDER– meaning you can actually have BOTH GENDERS at the same time

(pronouns used:  they, them, their, themself)

3) AGENDER– They don’t associate with either gender

(pronouns used:  ze, hir, hirs, hirself)

4) GENDER FLUID– to  have no fixed gender (it can fluctuate back and forth between                                               male and female at anytime)

(pronouns used:  May fluctuate between Feminine and Male pronouns)

5) QUESTIONING– they are unsure of or exploring their gender identity.

Are we not already confused enough? I promise you that 90% of parents have never heard of these terms. These teachings should be left to the parents and not the government!

Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” 

Some of the books that are going to be introduced, starting with Pre-K:

http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/looking-at-gender-identity-with-childrens-books/

This is just the tip of the iceberg, because what this law is forcing explicit information, like teaching children that anal sex is safe. Dear God! Help Us!

Do not accuse me of any homophobic behavior! The government interfering with our kids, is like a stranger telling me that my mother has cancer. It is not their business!

Please watch the emergency board meeting video, which shows Brenda Lebsack, school board member, speaking about the need to protect of our children. This enables you to see for yourself the big mess we are in. Please watch the video in its entirety, and pray, pray, pray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJOxKkUWNjM&sns=em