Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas,

 

            I’m here surrounded my High School Girlfriend, Rachel, Charlie and Little Dixon.  So much love.  I’ve have visits from Gary, Carol, and Dora Ann.  Little Dixon is almost too excited to go to sleep.

 

            Cancer,  I’m going to say it.  I’m about ready for the angels to take me.  It’s gotten impossible to eat.  Eat the little things and it take 5 hours for the pressure to go off my abdomen.  But, I’m sitting here thanking God for the 2 or 3 bearable hours.  And watching Little Dixon race through the house.  Ask anyone who sees us and they will tell you that a 22 month old Brazos Bottom Boy can show true love.

 

Thanks again to friends, family, and strangers who have been praying for and with me.

 

Watch the snowman.

 

craig

December 18, 2009

Staying the course.

 

          The wheel chair has arrived.  The energy it saves me, just going from the bedroom to the front room is surprising.  Also, I’m now taking 2 oxycontin every 8 hours and 15ml of Lortab Elixir in between when the pain starts popping up.  I also take half a tablet of Lorazepam before I go to bed, to help me sleep.

 

          Yes, I question when and how?

 

          Thanks for the friendship, love and support over all these many years.

 

          craig

December 16, 2009

            I hobble forward, reminded that it’s the process that is important.

 

            So winded, it takes me almost all morning what used to take 30 minutes.  Every little process takes a long rest.  Shave, rest.  Brush teeth, rest, eat a little breakfast, long rest, walk back to the bedroom, rest.  But, I’m still hobbling forward.  It took to 1 pm to get out today.  I ate a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and a hot milk chocolate with whip cream.  I’m going to talk with the hospice nurse about a wheel chair soon.  Man it’s getting hard to cough up phlegm in the morning, but you are damn if you do and damn if you don’t.  That phlegm is stickier than gorilla glue.

            The other morning, I did break down and ask God, why me?  Then, why was I chosen for such a wonderful life and why did God give me this wonder time to reconnect with friends, family and myself.

 

            Still Chasing the Texas sunsets,  even if it’s just to the mailbox.

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

Oxygen

www. TrueToTexas.com         

 

            Yes, it’s getting harder and harder.  But right up front, I want all my friends to know that I am happy with my decision.  And, damn happy with my friends and prayer warriors support on my decision.  It seems to help me that I’m controlling my destiny.  The lungs are really getting clogged up.  Mornings are hard.  Nebulizer, to try to get the flem out and then the coughing really takes its toll.  Whatever the cancer has done to my stomach, the smallest meal fills me up.  I mean, it’s like I ate a turkey dinner.  I’m getting out less and less, but still trying.  Another thing, I want someone near me as much as possible.  Not talking, just there.  High School Girlfriend is trying, and I’m trying to get babysitters where she can take some time off.  My sister Joan is filling in.  I asked old friend John Boy if he would take a turn. He did.  I told him he could add that to his long resume:  Babysitting Craig Dickson.

            High School Girlfriend…Who is she?  Well I’ve known her since she was 14 years old.  No, Lavern, this isn’t some kind of Jerry Lee Lewis thing--even though her maiden name is Cassie Dixon.  She ain’t my cousin.  But, I did marry her as soon as she graduated from Katy High School.  I wasn’t taking any chances.  Well, that was over 38 years ago.   Now, some of my friends want to know about Lavern.  Well, years ago when I started writing, maybe even before my road trips, Lavern came into the picture.  Lavern is an “idea” person.  Yes, great ideas on many things.  Marketing, road trips, marquee sayings, politics, advertising and more.  So, I wanted to make sure Lavern knew what I was doing.  But, Lavern was my code name for this idea person.  Lavern started out as  (and is mostly) my cousin, Mark Dickson.  Yes, Lavern is a guy.  The great thing is that Mark doesn’t even know!  But, Mark read many of the writings and the ideas flowed over these years.  Well the world knows now.

            Believe me, it isn’t always peach cobbler at the house, but I’m mostly happy. 

            Again, thank you, thank you to the prayer warriors.  If I’m not proof positive that prayer works, then there ain’t any proof.  By the way, the prayers and cards completely uplifted Cassie.  I saw it happening before she even knew it.

            Check out the attached photo, “Oxygen”.

            And be sure to check out my Blog at www.TrueToTexsas.com.  I’m adding things there, from the house. Little extras.

 

            Chasing the Texas sunsets…even if it’s just to the mailbox.

 

 

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

"If I only had a brain"

            Getting my check over.  What is she really looking for?  “If I only had a brain”.

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

On the Brazos

            Morning has Broken.  First light hits the sycamore trees along the Brazos River.  A little frost and sleet left from Friday snow.

                craig

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

1000 Words

“A picture is worth a thousand words”.

 

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Look at this photo.  Now, this is the story the way I heard it.  I wasn’t there.  Charlie had been driving and baby- sitting for me, all day, that Saturday.  That evening I suggested he take a little r & r.  So he headed down to the east bank of the Brazos River to do a little hunting.  I believe it was about 5:30 pm when he cell phoned the house and said that he had nailed a huge feral hog.  I asked him to load it in his pick-up and bring it up to the house for all to see.  Apparently that hog was a little heavier than he thought.  He couldn’t budge it off the ground.  So, next plan.  He tied a rope to the hog’s feet and drugged it to a low place, to try to pull it into the tailgate.  Hell, he couldn’t get that hog 6 inches off the ground.  About that time High School Girlfriend and Rachel roll into the house from their r & r, shopping.  I tell Rachel that Charlie is somewhere near the river trying to load a hog.  Rachel gets on her cell phone and says “I’m on my way”.

She makes a quick change from shopping cloths to field attire.  She can do that. Quick.  She’s gone.  By now, Charlie is at the barn getting a tractor with a hydraulic hay fork.  He has it under control.  By the way, it’s dark and about 30’F.  Rachel follows in the pickup.  Charlie ties a rope to the hog and then to the hay fork. “Rachel, when I lift the hog up, back the pickup up and I’ll drop it in.”  Didn’t work!  The rope just stretched when the full weight of the hog hit it.  “Let me get that rope tighter” Charlie says and let’s get this thing loaded.  Didn’t work.  Rachel says, “Let’s balance the hog on the hay fork and lift”.  Charlie adds, “That will never work.”  It’s cold.  Tempers are on edge.  Charlie, tries his way a 3^rd time.  Didn’t work.  Rachel says dammit lets try my way.  Charlie is adamant that her way is a waste of time.  Mars vs. Venus.  4 time, no go hog.  Now, I think there may have been some cussing in the bottoms.  “OK, just to show you it won’t work, to waste a bunch of time out here in the cold, Rachel, we will try it your way.  Once.  Then we got to go to my second plan.” Charlie says.  Well, the story goes.  Rachel tied a few ropes and the 300+ pound hog balanced like a tight rope walker.  Charlie, Charlie, I can’t hear you.  Charlie?  OK, it worked, you were right.  “Stop!”  Rachel said.  I want to add something to that statement.  Take my photo.  Where I will have it, next time, I’m dead wrong.  A photo is worth a thousand words.  Charlie took the photo.  Charlie, speaking of a thousand.  The same think has happened to me a thousand times with Rachel’s mother.  After awhile it doesn’t even bother you.

Chasing the Texas sunsets,