Kate the Great

 

I hope all is well in your world. We had a wonderful time celebrating Miss Lucy's second birthday.  Check back on Friday for birthday pics.  I have a special post for you today about one of my favorite people.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you are probably familiar with my dear college friend, Kate. You can find the posts that I have written about KTG  here, here, here, and here.

To refresh your memory, Kate and I went to an all-girls college in Lake Forest called Barat College. We liked to refer to it as the Vassar of the Midwest.  For some reason, that tag line never took off. It closed several years ago, so you'll have to take my word for it when I tell you that we were National Honor Society Scholars and Captains of every sport, including underwater basket weaving.

In those few moments when we were not studying, we would blow off steam at the local disco, Scornovaco's, dancing to Saturday Night Fever. 

Kate has a wicked sense of humor.  Her favorite thing to do in the old days was to approach me within minutes of being introduced to a prospective sucker suitor.   She would ask me in a stage whisper, "Are you going home with him or us?"  Another of her favorites was "hope you get engaged tonight." 

You never saw a guy run so fast in your life. 

We remained close through the years, and Kate visited me in almost all of our homes (we moved seven times), and I visited her at her homes outside of Chicago and Santa Fe as well.

When there was no such thing as blogging, I threw my efforts into Creative Memories.  This is a page from my album chronicling Kate and her girls' visit to Florida. 

When we were in our forties, Kate noticed some balance issues and visited many doctors for a couple of years, but no one had any answers.  Until one doctor at Mayo made a diagnosis.  It was ALS. There are many forms of ALS, he explained, and she probably wouldn't die of the disease; she just would not have a quality of life.

I remember her phone call like it was yesterday.  

I felt like I got punched in the gut.

Not only did the Doctor lack a bedside manner, but he also misjudged Kate. My buddy lived life to the fullest and was not about to change her lifestyle. 

Over the years, I gave Kate a nickname - KTG for Kate the Great, a well-earned title. Kate works with physical therapists on a daily basis and is diligent about working out.  She seldom says no to a lunch or dinner invitation and frequently travels with her high school buds to Palm Springs.  KTG and her brother took Ireland by storm a few years ago, and she had the time of her life visiting the Pubs.  She is active in the ALS community and continues to follow research studies.

I have never heard KTG utter one complaint or experience one poor me moment.  She has a strong faith and considers the Blessed Mother to be her bestie.  There is no such word as can't in KTG's vocabulary. She continues to lead a full life of adventures and loves her family and grandchildren with all her heart.

The good news is you can get to know KTG through her blog.  The first post is hot-off-the-press today!  Hop over to Kate's blog here, and don't forget to follow her on Instagram @ktg_als.