Results and answers, national identity, Christmas plans

Mama got a call on Monday afternoon that there were several cancellations for the sleep study if she was interested in coming in that night. I had come home from work early due to weather and I told her to go ahead and take the slot. Snow had been accumulating all day, the roads were packed and icy so I could understand the reason for the cancellations, but for me it was an answer to prayer. I had prayed for the test to be done that night so we could go to Bowie for the remainder of the week and not miss an opportunity. Turns out, our travel plans were cancelled also.


Prayers were also asked that Mama would sleep as she usually does and that the technicians would immediately see her need for help in breathing while she slept. As I picked her up on Tuesday morning she told me they had awakened her after about two hours and fitted her with a CPAP facemask and she spent the next five hours sleeping with the mask as they regulated the pressure to her airway. That saves her going back to have the adjustments made in an additional sleep study. Praise the Lord! Mama is now a little disappointed that our follow up visit to the doctor is not until the 13th of this month. All in all, there were several answers to prayer in that one night.

I stayed home on Tuesday due to the weather but by late in the afternoon the streets were beginning to clear as the bright sun beat down on them. It is amazing to watch. The temperature never got above 25 degrees but the sun was able to melt away the layers of ice covering every exposed spot on the blacktop. It made travel easy this morning even though the outside temperature was 15 degrees – three times what is was on Monday morning.

Also on Monday I started to research Mama’s background to begin the process of applying for her to become a member of the Cherokee nation. Her great grandmother was some part Cherokee and I would like to get her instated into her Native American heritage because of the many benefits our government offers to descendents of that culture. It would benefit Grandma and her siblings greatly if we can succeed. Time will tell.

As it turns out, I met with a fellow employee for lunch yesterday to discuss some issues related to the office her in Borger. His name is James Journeycake. I asked the background of his unusual name and he explained that he is a direct descendent of a Delaware chief who negotiated the treaty to let the settlers in the early colonies build their towns in Indian lands. He is one eighth Cherokee. He is also an attorney. I asked if he would be a resource to us in our search and he happily agreed.

With our travel plans cancelled for this week, it leaves Grandma and Grandpa pretty much alone for the Christmas season. It is a good thing they are in a church. At least there will be someone to share the time with. Mama suggested they come over to Amarillo but Grandpa would not leave the farm animals for any more than an overnight visit and that would not be worth the fuel spent on their part.

Times are a little hard, but we have seen worse and gotten through. We will get through this also.