Memorial Day..... Celebrations Part-1

May 30th marked the national Memorial Day here. Its a day when the nation goes out to their family graveyards to visit their dears departed. Its kind of remembering them but slowly it has turned to be a week long holiday when different families get together, remember their loved ones, enjoy camping out side, go to resorts and lakes. The temperature around here runs to around 80 f but it is very difficult for them to face this temperature. It was, however, like the start of winter in Pakistan. Main family had already decided to go to the lake near Branson, about 140 miles from Lamar, to celebrate this day there but Helen and myself could not join them as we had to go to Kansas city to see Jim, Pearl's husband, who was admitted in the Kansas University hospital in an emergency. He is still in the emergency at the moment but not stable. He has been diagnosed for lung cancer but the doctors are struggling with him. When I appeared on his foot side of his bed he immediately recongnized me. I saw his eyes soaked. I held his hand in my hand and tried to pacify him but I think he knows a lot of his sickness. He asked me to pray for him which I did there by raising my hands before God. Jim is Helen's brother-in-law and a very nice man who, I remember, transported us to Rogers on X'man day in 2003 forgetting his own unties for that day. Helen was very happy to join her all daughters at Sandy's on this important day. He had told me that he knew how one would like to be with one's children at X'mas and it was for this reason that he had driven us both to be with our children there. It was a very kind act on his part which he extended to Helen on this occasion. ... A telephone call: ----- Janet, Raymond's wife, rang today from her farm house to tell me that there was a telephone call from the Hospital in Kansas City about Jim latest health position. She was worried about him and further told me that according to the telephone message which she recieved it was a matter of days. I told her that it is how life moves and that all of us who are in the old ages are facing one or the other serious illnesses. Any way she asked me to tell Helen when she returns from the job. I wished her good health. She thanked me and hand up. ........ Back Home ...... ........ ....... After having spent Sunday and Monday at the lake Helen, Coudee, Alisha and myself returned home around 2pm. There is lot to tell you about our trip to the lake but I am so tired that I could not post a single word. Instead I went to sleep on that soft bed in our bed-room and was only up for super. Helen was surprised to see me sleep on the bed, a very soft bed, instead of sleeping on the floor. Mona and Lori were here towards the evening. They had gone to the family graveyard earlierand prayed for the dears departed.They had met Edina's family there too. I had also met aunt Edina, now 86, a day earlier. It was great fun to talk to her and hear a lot of things about the Scholes family.Helen belonged to the Scholes family while Vanice, her first husband, was from the Mangins. Emily is a sister of Vanice and a very nice and composed lady. Sharon and Penny, our daughters in Springfield were also at the lake. Lori was there too but she left early morning on Monday as she had some important work to attend to in her office.It was Lori's second outing trip for she had been earlier to Florida for a week.They had a wonderful time their. As Danny, her husband, was also there they had a good time there but gift of this trip was that all of them had tanned.

• Amber and Samie had joined the group there before we arrived there. Sandy was lucky to be there with her eldest son, Billy too. He was there with his girl friend who gave us company when Billy went with James on the motor-bike. Amber also had her boy-friend with her. Tristin, Penny's son, was always there to amuse the guys. Penny had some friend there who had a small baby girl with her. I could not resist and took the baby in my lap but as she was not feeling easy I returned the baby to her mother. While I was handing over the baby back to the mother she asked me if that was enough for me. I am happy she knew my sentiments as to why I took the baby in my lap. While I was returning the baby I prayed for her future and a happy life. She is a beautiful baby girl. I had earlier told them that I had 13 grand-kids in Pakistan and 12 in America and I am a person who always enjoyed the company of the kids.