On Friday afternoon, I left work as soon as I could, came home threw a few clothes in my overnight bag and hit the road for Clayton, NC.

Tony and Katie left late Thursday afternoon because Tony's dad was to be at Duke Medical at 6:30 Friday morning to check in for surgery.

For the last several months, since his last surgery for bladder cancer, he's had trouble with his left arm and the doctors had not been able to determine exactly what the problem was. The doctor determined that there was a mass, along with small holes in the bone, which sounds really unusual to me. However, it was causing a tremendous amount of pain. Now repaired and the preliminary pathology report back and looking good, once again Papa Joe received good news. We were all so thankful!

On Friday evening, I was able to spend some time with my mama and daddy. Daddy has been down in his back for the last week. He's 85 and has remained active around the farm. Last week however, his flashback to younger days just about got the best of him. He pulled his back and has been out of commission for over a week now. I spoke with my mama this afternoon and today's been a much better day. Daddy was able to get out and about.

This morning she took him to McDonald's to meet his friends for coffee. They're called the ROMEO club...Real Old Men Eating Out. Is that not the cutest thing you've ever heard? I didn't know about this club until about a year ago when my daddy's brother died with cancer and all the men sat together at the funeral. Daddy's probably the oldest in the group. You better believe by the time they've finished their last sip of coffee...all the world's problems have been solved....or at least they'd like to think.

When I stop to think about it, I'm amazed at the changes these men have seen. I love to sit around with them and just listen...soak it all in. Wisdom pours like lemonade on a hot summer's day. Something you can't get from a book. Something you learn from life.

Saturday I just listened as my mama and daddy, and my in laws, Joe and Ann passed along some very valuable pieces of advice to my daughter about this and that. For years they all have been such role models for her. Planting those seeds of wisdom.

Ginger