My mom

So here I am, sitting at the computer just killing a little time, and I decided to catch up on some blogging - both doing and reading.  I was trying to think of what to blog about, so I started instead with reading my friends that I hadn't caught up on in a few days.  So I go to my mom's blog - I can always count on her to have a new entry! and  I find an entry that just blows me away and nearly brings me to tears.  You see, I know what a wonderful, amazing person, mother and friend she is.  I've had the absolute joy and luck to have known this for a longer time than anyone else, and to have experienced it firsthand my entire life.  I know how she always manages to have the right answer, or can make you laugh when you need it most, give you a shoulder to cry on when that's what you need instead, and somehow just generally has it all figured out.  But no one else knows this quite like I do.  And so when I read her latest post - "What goes around comes around", it made me smile because it's just one example and one way for everyone else to see the rock that she is.  I am so proud of her, and I know that my Meemaw is too.  Here is her post...

Hi All,
I came in this morning and quickly checked a few blogs that I had not read in a few days. One was Lisa Bearnson's blog. This is the post that I copied from hers...

Hey Everyone!I recently found out about a terrific scrapbooking gal who desperately needs our love, support and prayers. Barb Larsen is from Montana and has been sick for months with lots of testing going on. They finally found a tumor the size of a baseball in her spleen. This is a very rare kind of cancer and she has been in a lot of pain.This is a photo of Barb (on the right) with my pal, Lori Chadwick. (Would not let me copy the pictures. See Lisa's Bearnson's blog)

The hospitals in Montana have told her this is to big for them and they are transferring her to Houston, Texas. Even with all of this going on, she has been working on the farm and continuing her work with her 4H girls. She was even painting the animal pens at the state fair with her girls last week. When asked why she would possibly do this, she said it was the best way to ignore the pain because it would be a long time before she would get to work with her girls again. She loves scrapbooking and is very dedicated to it. She even teaches her 4H girls and they make albums together.

Let's all send Barb a card and a note of support to let her know we are thinking of her. She leaves for Texas on June 15 but her family will forward the cards to her.
Her information is:
Barb Larsen
Box 116
Galata, MT 59444

When you send a card, just leave your name, hometown and state on this blog. I will be gone for the next week on vacation but when I return (Friday June 19th) I will randomly select two people who have sent a card. Here's the fun part. I will send a box ofscrapbooking goodies to each of the winners! So--don't delay. Send your card to Barb today. It will surely put a big smile on her face to know people all over the world are thinking of her.

I just knew after reading that I wanted to offer to do whatever I might be able to while Barb was here in Houston. I can't imagine how scary to be sick and so far away from home and friends and family. I have always maintained that are scrappers are the best of the best and we never meet strangers. While we might be a bit strange we don't know what a stranger is. I immediately sent Lisa a comment to her post offering mine and Kim's (don't ya love how I speak for her) help in anyway. I heard from Lori Chadwick in minutes and you could just hear relief in the tone that someone would care about her friend and help her out. I can't tell you the feeling I had that I had made such a difference with what I think is just a small offer of not much. I just felt this pull, a desire to want to go visit, meet these people, maybe offer a bit of comfort. In emailing back and forth I have to say I am really looking forward to meeting Barb and her husband Joe. They sound like fine people. Lori and Barb met through scrapping (there is that bond again) and on a Bazzill bus tour as a matter of fact. Same one I will be taking in August at CE. Small world don't you think.

I ask that all you that read this keep Barb in your prayers and send her a card.

It makes me so proud to think of her opening her heart to be a friend to this total stranger, and hopefully making this experience a little less scary.

I love you mom!