My Good Friend Danny!

Last Sunday morning I woke up ready to get all the projects that I needed to get done off my "To Do" list; I was fortunate enough to get grocery shopping done, and then around 1:30 p.m. I got a text. The text said "Danny had a heart attack this morning and that he was at Centennial Hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow. "

I've known Danny as long as I've worked at my current job (Twelve Years); he's always picked on me, watched out for me, and just made me laugh. He even drove to KY to give me a hug at the funeral home before my Mom was buried last December. He's pretty special, but I didn't know how much he meant to me until I got that text. My first response was to call the person who sent it to me, and find out how bad the situation was. I was able to call that person in between crying, but they didn't have any additional information.

I just couldn't stay at the house when I didn't know how he was; so, I jumped up and drove to the hospital. I got confused in the hospital trying to find his room; a nurse walked me all the way to his room, I must have looked pitiful. There he was laying flat; he was pale with all these tubes and blood, and I just knew it was bad. He did wake up and say my name; he was trying to explain what happened to him when the surgeon's nurse came in to ask him questions about what had happened. I knew the shock of seeing him that way so sudden made me feel faint; I had to get out of that room before I passed out, so I slipped out while the nurse was talking to him. I barely made it to the waiting room, but I did calm myself down and I was OK. Of course, Danny sends his sisters/family to find me.

My good friend Danny Sue (He calls me Penny Lou.) made it through surgery; he has a long way to go, and some life changing decisions. I know he can do it; he has so many people behind him, especially his family and friends. He called me on the phone today to tell me that he had been moved to a regular room, and to let everyone know. That's exactly what I did, but I was so excited to hear his voice, it took me a little while to get the word out.

This year, this week has been rough for me, and many others. You don't realize how much some people mean to you. I didn't think when I got that text; I just was determined that I was going to find out how he was, so I could deal with it. I laugh now thinking back that I held Danny's hand all the time that I saw him that first time, kissed him on the cheek, and told him that I loved him. I can't believe I did that, but I guess you don't know what you will do in those situations.

Danny is such a "GREAT" friend; I have so many more great friends, and thank you for being my friend. Just don't scare me like Danny did, you don't know what I may do.

Love you all!

Monell's Sad Fish Story

Tonight Robin and I went to the "Folk Festival" within Centennial Mall; then we decided to go eat somewhere that we had never ate before, and Monell's Restaurant was just up the street. One table had two chairs left; we had only missed the salad portion, and we started passing the vegetables to the left. Monell's food is served family style; we had ten other people at our table. The menu was mashed potatoes with white gravy, green beans, corn casserole, fried green tomatoes, white beans, broccoli salad, slaw, barbecue ribs, fried chicken, fried catfish, biscuits, cornbread, and banana pudding. Needless to say that my diet wasn't followed tonight, and I was completely full. If you ever have a chance to eat at Monell's, forgo the diet and enjoy!

I was in a picture taking mode outside (as usual) within Monell's patio; it was so beautiful, and one of the employees was taking a break. He had been so nice to us in the restaurant by giving us an event listing of the Italian Festival at St Pius Catholic Church that was being held next week. He began to talk to us outside too. There was a small pond with Lilly pads and a little bridge that crossed over it under an antique light post.

The story the employee told us was that there used to be close to sixteen fish within this pond; one morning when he arrived, the fish were laying sideways. He ran and got help; they drained the pond, and had a water sample tested. Someone had put chlorine in the pond; most of the fish died, but one big fish lived. That fish had swam to the pond through the waters of the Nashville flood.

It is so sad that those fish died; it is also sad that someone would pour chlorine in a fish pond, but wasn't it so touching that the fish that made it there from the flood lived. Sounds like there's a lesson to be learned; the more you struggle the harder you fight maybe?

I love listening to stories and sharing them with others.