My daughter, Laurie, (married to Matt), called me after midnight crying! I couldn't understand a word she was saying...but the longer I listened the more afraid I became because I could hear nothing but sobs at first! Laurie has had an unbelievably hectic June. She drives in from Greenbrier at 8:15 to go to summer school and gets out of classes at 2:30. Her day shift at Conway Regional Hosp. had to be switched to evenings. (4-10p.m.) However, the first day of her evening shift, she was told she couldn't clock out until 1:30 a.m.!!! I know she is married....and I know she is all grown up! But the "mom" nature in me still frets over her driving to Greenbrier, alone, at 1:30a.m. every night!!! Getting home that late, then up so early, ended up being a blessing, because it forced her to decide between school full time or work full time, but NOT both. She choose college, and gave her 2 1/2 week notice at the hospital, but it has been the hardest 2 1/2weeks of her life. Laurie thrives on 8-10 hours of sleep and lots of time with her husband. This month....she has had neither!! Matt's evenings at home got long and lonely without her, so they made great use of texting or phoning each other on her breaks. Another perk of going to school full time, was the new lap-top, Matt bought her! It is their first, ever, computer with internet! So....they've been able to also e-mail notes to each other while separated by work. On the night I got my frightening phone call, my mind had jumped to 10,000 HORRIBLE scenarios before I heard Laurie say, "Mom? Are you up?" "Yes!!! I'm up--I'm up...what is it?!?!?!" "Mom? Can you get to a computer?" (*sniff....*sniff....) "Matt decided to take up trumpet playing during the evenings...and....and....you're not going to believe what's happened!" "I'm on the computer.....what am I looking for?" "Go to your e-mail.....I just sent you a picture that he sent me from home." (her voice was shakey, she was still sniffing back tears...but something in her voice made me ask.....) "Are you laughing or crying, Laurie? What happened?!?!?!".....but just then, I clicked on the picture of what "horrible thing" had happened to Matt and heard her belt out a huge laugh..... The picture he had e-mailed her was taken of himself from their new Mac lap-top...... And this is what I saw..... 
Of course, it was her laughter I perceived as crying!!! My daughter, my "sleep-deprived-Matt-deprived-Laurie" was in uncontrollable hysterical laughter! I listened to her contagious laugh....and the momentary fury of being scared half to death, flipped quickly to relief and somehow the combination of both emotions within such a small interval of time, hit my funny bone! It probably doesn't make sense to most, but if you've ever been in that place, you know what I'm talking about!--- Then I looked again at the picture........... 
I listened to Laurie's hysteria and her begging, "Look at him! Just look at him!" and suddenly I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe!! She had been laughing for 2 hours over this photo, and could not quit!! That one fact alone made it impossible to not join in! Several faces of people who have found themselves in this state, flashed through my mind! (My mother was given a shot by the doctor to calm a laughing-fit in high school. Caleb laughed for 6 hours on a trip, years ago, and I wished I'd had the shot! . My siblings do it. I do it....) It is a desparate, horrible, wonderful place to be!!! When at then end of the emotional rope---some cry, some blow a fuse.....and some fall apart in laughter! I have always....always.....perferred the latter! Laurie came by it honestly. Matt's picture came at the perfect time to release every bit of anxiety she had stored up for the past few weeks! I released a lot myself...and didn't even know I was in need of a good crying-laugh! Her 2 1/2 weeks of craziness are over!! Session one of summer school ends on Monday. And I have the best screensaver in the world!
Thank you, Matt! | 
A double celebration for you!))
....we decided to forego the trolley ride back across the Arkansas River and walk the whole distance. It was a dreamy night to me!! Weather was perfect. A young couple took our picture (below). Music was playing and a crowd was cheering on the other side for the Traveler's at a baseball game. The River Queen Steamboat was below and the sky was filled with a wide assortment of pastel colors.
