LAFFTER, AFTER...

Banner and photos created by Brenda Race

PASSAGE INTO PARADISE, ALZHEIMER's ANGELS, SACRED SENTIMENTS and SPIRITSPEAK (Vol I and II),HOW TO LAY ON THE ALTAR WITHOUT WIGGLING (Vols One, Two and Three) and CROWNING TOUCHES OF BEREAVEMENT are now available in PAPERBACK form. Click below to order.

** Please note that the 'SpiritSpeak' books are NOT connected with the online site known as 'SPIRITSPEAK'. We are completely different entities, and are not associated as same. I apologize for any misinterpretation. The official SpiritSpeak site, which is copyrighted, is: "http://www.SpiritSpeak.org"

Welcome, folks to LAFFTER, AFTER......

I am Dorothy Womack, and my clone here is Brenda Race. Our mothers both suffered from Alzheimers and we are their descendants - We are now established on the Internet and also in magazines as writers, authors, and poets....We both have prolific web sites all our own, but we wanted to do one together, to show you that beyond all the heartache and sorrow you endure as a result of Alzheimers in your loved one - there will come a day that LAUGHTER, indeed, comes AFTERWARDS!!!

LAUGHTER, AFTER....

'You think you'll never smile again
Nor ever find a faithful friend
Whose heart will heal your brokenness
Whose light will dispel your own darkness

But I see further than you do ---
I've prepared someone who needs you too
Your serious side will mirror out
Reflecting what her life's about ---

Her playful side will inspire you
Together, I will cause you two
To join as one - in that which matters
And teach the world ---
That there is LAUGHTER ----
A F T E R ...........'

©2001 Dorothy Womack
**Dedicated to Brenda Race

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Before meeting Brenda, I thought I would never smile again, much less ever laugh!!! I started a support group online and Brenda became a strong influence in it - We grew closer every single day, even though she resided in upper New York state and I lived in rural Tennessee. Over time, her mother declined in strength and Brenda too felt she would never smile again. Tears were our constant companion - But we are here to tell you, by our goofy stories, that THE SUN DOES SHINE AGAIN!!! WEEPING ENDURES BUT FOR A NIGHT - JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!!! There IS, I-S, LAUGHTER (LAFFTER), AFTER!!!!! Dorothy Womack

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NEW YORK 'NAPPERS

Brenda Race invented GIGGLE CAMP,located in Upstate New York, close to the Canadian border. This is really where she lives, but she wanted it to be a place for teaching ME how to giggle again!!! So my husband and I drove there from Tennessee for a week's visit. After driving the 1200 miles to get there, we got lost for the last TEN MILES and spent over an hour completely turned around on back roads. I was very frustrated as it was nearly midnight, so I told my husband to stop at the first lit house for me to ask them to call the GIGGLE CAMP to come get us!! My husband was very afraid that someone would shoot me that late at night, but I was so tired, I just said ‘Let them’ and marched up to a lit house for help!! Fortunately, the woman trusted me and called the leader of the GIGGLE CAMP and they came after us – Everyone there was giggling already and found this very funny – however, I was not one of them!! THEN, it was my husband's turn!! Brenda snatched me right up, and put me into HER car - Then put her son into our car and off we went!! My husband's mouth was hanging open, as he was totally lost and just saw his wife literally be 'kidnapped' right in front of him!! None of us had ever seen each other either!! But all was well, cuz Brenda is a sweet soul and so is her son, Jon. We arrived safely in a very foreign place with good, familiar people....

SYRACUSE PIG

GIGGLE CAMP took place later that week in Syracuse, New York – where we joined yet another giggler from the Internet. In the process of driving to our pre-arranged location,Brenda Race, our 'leader', yelled out ‘P-I-G’ from the back seat, merely proclaiming her choice of town mascot. This animal turned out only to be a DOG, not a PIG at all – Which I calmly pointed out to Brenda in order to salvage her pride and prevent the newest giggler from bailing out of the car!! It was very funny because Brenda is the calm, rational one and I am the neurotic, insane one most of the time!! But out of deference to our leader, we only giggled the ENTIRE rest of the week over this insane incident!! My husband even drew a sketch for our leader so she could detect the difference between a DOG and a PIG, should this ever come up again, showing her the SNOUT nose and the CURLY TAIL!!...

CANADIAN PARK

We took a day tour all the way to CANADA!! This was where our fearless leader drove right onto the park walkway for tourists and simply stopped the car. Neither of us realized that we were not in the PARKING LOT, but actually in the PARK!! A little old man sat on a bench GLARING at us, but we had no clue as to why!! Then our husbands started yelling at both of us to GET IN THIS CAR!! It seems there was really a police station right across the street!! The men were both terrified that we would ALL be arrested in CANADA, of all places, and NEVER GET OUT AGAIN!! But not Brenda and me - no way – we ran quickly to pose beside Canadian landmarks while our the men kept lookout in the car and mildly chastized us for our willful defiance of Canadian laws!!

BIRTHDAY CAKE

My husband and I were fortunate to be at GIGGLE CAMP during our birthdays!! Brenda, our fearless leader, took great care in preparing a birthday cake and also a party which we were intended to NEVER forget!! She baked us a special cake and filled the camp with oodles of presents for each of us – More than we ever expected or imagined ANYONE would ever do – All of this was done with such ultimate love and acceptance, and of course, a lot of giggling!! Our fearless leader lit the birthday candles on the cake,which were TRICK CANDLES (they do NOT blow out!!) But my husband refused to follow the traditional blowing out of the candles,as this usually results in a person spitting right on the cake!! SOOO…As I sat there at the head of the birthday table and watched intently, our fearless leader gave my husband a PIZZA PAN to FAN these candles out instead!! Now, does anyone KNOW what happens to a FIRE when you FAN it?!! SMOKE results!! Since I am highly allergic to smoke of ANY kind, the constant fanning in my direction only made the inhalation worse. When our fearless leader realized this, she first threw her entire body in front of me, with intent to block out the smoke. However, since it was SMOKE and not FIRE? It merely went around her and hit me full force anyway!! It was at this point that our fearless leader, Brenda, grabbed the birthday cake, which was now on FIRE, and ran through the GIGGLE CAMP to the sun porch, trying to eliminate the smoke inside the camp. Once outside, she tried yet again to put out the flames to no avail. She finally snatched a handful of flaming candles off of the cake itself and ran back through the camp to the water faucet in an attempt to extinguish them….She reminded me of a distorted image of the Statue of Liberty, running with her torch of candles in her hand!! Her husband was quite upset by this development, out of fear for my health - but the rest of us were in hysterics at the insanity of having a birthday cake on fire and the recipient near CPR level from smoke inhalation!!

GIGGLE CAMP

The plans were made well in advance
1200 miles...so far...but you would take the chance
To come to camp and spend a week
Not knowing for sure just what you would seek
It was close to midnight after many miles
A long hard day....You had lost your smiles
The road you sought was nowhere in sight
And so you stopped at the first light

Please help me here - You begged those at home
I have traveled far and no longer want to roam
So the call was made and your friend was found
Please bring us to familiar ground....
So close - and yet so very far
Soon your friend arrived in her car
Hugs were exchanged in a driveway somewhere
Not quite what we'd planned - but at midnight you didn't care

So I took you home and settled you in
I even detected a little grin
We already knew that the bond was there
We now had a full week ahead to share
A restless sleep was spent that night
Riley was feeling just a little fright
Would the ax fall while he slept
And so a careful watch he kept

Morning came and you had seen the light
Things looked better and you had some insight
Riley settled into cooking the meals
And you and I tried out hugging, to see how it feels
Off to the nursing home for our first trip out
And it wasn't long before Momma began to shout
David was yelled at and Riley got the raspberries
While Mae followed him and gave him the scaries!!

Monday was spent visiting friends
And giggling so hard that we needed Depends!!
I gave you the cure for AD that I see....
And you laughed so hard that you almost did pee
Tuesday we went to Syracuse and met Kate
This was a very important date
Into her car, we went - Jiggity jig
And that's when we saw the SYRACUSE PIG!!

To MJ's house, we three headed out
And we sent the boys away, so they wouldn't pout
Where we could talk - and laugh - and pray
And they wouldn't be in our way!!
At 2PM, the men were promptly there
And Riley found an ax, he was willing to share
After lunch, we said our farewell to Kate
A task we have all come to hate

Hitting the road, we headed for MJ's
As she was right along the way
Arriving there, we all piled in
Another friendship for you to begin
Arriving back home later that day
We giggled and laughed in a whole new way
Camp has been good to all of us here
The closeness we feel had removed all the fear

Wednesday came, and the week was flying
To think about this brought about crying
We went to see Momma again on this day
And Dorothy rubbed her back as she continued to pray
We went to the store to shop for some things
And Dorothy taught me some of what life brings
While there, we played with toys and giggled ourselves silly
And found a turkey who was like a hillbilly!!

Thursday dawned - another day
Out of bed and soon on our way
First stop was Eisenhower Locks
To see just how a ship fits into a box
Next we went to the Indian Reservation
To see how they live within their own Nation
On to the casino we did go
And there the gamblers put on their show

Next we traveled to Canada, over a bridge that was so tall
Where we saw new things that really surprised us all
Into a strange shop, we did roam
Clicked our heels together - trying to go home!!
A few little treasures we purchased while inside
And visited a park, where the sidewalks were wide
While Dorothy got her picture taken - the men tried to hide
They feared that the law was going to come to our side!!

Next we stopped at some novelty shop
I tried on some hair pieces while Dorothy giggled and couldn't stop
Soon we were headed back to Camp for more fun
Each day being better than the last one ....
Friday came - This was our last day
I tried not to think that soon they would be on their way
I baked a cake for the two of them
Half for her - and half for him ....

And placing the candles upon the top
Not even thinking that the fire would not stop
Riley quickly began to fan the blaze
And the room soon filled with a smokey haze
Dorothy sat there and then began to choke
The fearless leader had forgotten her allergy to smoke!!
So across her body, she threw herself to protect her friend
Hoping that soon, it all would end....

The smoke, however, went up, over and around
And the fearless leader knew a solution must be found!!
So she grabbed up the cake and out the door she flew
But the flames never died - They only grew
Try as she may, the fire grew brighter
Oh good Lord - Why did she ever use her lighter??
Thinking the cake would all soon melt
She knew she had to soon put it out!!

So a handful of flaming candles she clutched in her hand
All the while thinking she had killed Dorothy -wasn't that grand??
To the sink she flew - Right past her poor Sister
Fully knowing that her hands could blister
She saved the day, which she almost lost
Now realizing what it might have cost ....
Then the giggles began to pop out
While David pointed his finger and did a little shout

That night was spent reliving the week
And all of the fun that we did seek
I tried to stay awake all night
But that proved to be a rather useless fight
We did graduate in the proper way
For we learned to giggle, EVERY DAY
With all of our toys, we sat around
But knowing full well they would be homeward bound

Left a sadness in me that would not go
Even though I did not want it to show
The next day was very hard for me
It was like letting your child go free....
But the memories I will always hold dear
Until we all meet again and can be near
To hug, and laugh, and share our hearts
And once again, the GIGGLING STARTS.....

© 1999 Brenda Race **Written for Dorothy Womack

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LEAPIN' LIZARDS

After picking up Brenda at the airport, I thought it might be a good idea to stop at the local mall, to break up the ride home and give her some time to walk around. We went into a pet store, since I LOVE little animals, even reptiles!! I saw a very cute LIZARD, which I promptly held up to Brenda to admire - She recoiled immediately!! So I thought perhaps a different one??? It was THEN that I realized she was NOT pleased with either one of them - so I proceeded to tease her by chasing her around the pet store with a LIZARD squirming in my hand!! hahahahahah - Then when we got home, I threw my cat, Tabby, a very nervous, neurotic little cat, onto Brenda. I only meant to HAND him to her, not THROW him. However, this caused Tabby to stick his claws in her skin and leave his ‘mark’ so to speak. We got wedged between the wall and the washing machine later that week – Brenda took ONE STEP and Tabby decided to be a BUZZ SAW and tear her left leg up!! He bit her on the ankle, like biting a chicken, and then scratched her foot in ten places too. I doctored her as best I could, held her foot and prayed for her healing, then poured an entire bottle of iodine on her foot because I could not get the brush part to work!! Then I used four other ointments and bandaids just to make sure she did not get infected - Poor Brenda!!

OK, here's BRENDA's view:

When I arrived in Tennessee, we stopped at a local mall on the way back to their home. Dorothy promptly plopped a LIZARD on me, not knowing that I absolutely HATE them!! So, she thought I did not like THAT one, so she got out ANOTHER one and chased me all around the pet shop!!! EEEWWWWW!!!I felt very much at home upon arrival until one of the two kitty cats was tossed into my arms. Poor Tabby was scared to death and could I blame him! Here was this BIG but petite woman with a very deep voice and he was literally tossed to her…..Normal reaction would be and was to lash out. I was a human runway and got a few scars from the rush!! Later in the week, I decided to catch up on the laundry - OH OH!! I accidentally stepped right on Tabby AGAIN!! So, Tabby decided to slice and dice me on my way through! Dorothy did a fine job at doctoring me up and praying I would heal and PLEASE stop bleeding! She is so good and I am so thankful to have her as my sister!

SHOW ME YOUR BUNNIES

We drove down to Huntsville, Alabama to meet two special Internet friends. The man reminds me SO MUCH of my own father!! He looks like my father and acts like I am certain mine would have, had I had time to get to know him. First we had an argument over chair positions, then we presented the woman with presents. The man noticed our transfer tee shirt bunnies - which Brenda had made for all of us - as we dressed up in overalls and bunny tees to meet them. He stated to me: ‘SHOW ME YOUR BUNNIES’, cuz I had the flap up on my own overalls at the time. I immediately obeyed, then thought later how stupid to respond so quickly to someone whom I hardly know!! What can I say?? He reminded me of my father!!

OK, here's BRENDA's view:

Today we went to Huntsville and met two more Internet friends. We all dressed in our new overalls and bunny shirts. We pulled into the parking lot and waited. Finally after sitting there and me saying NO WAY, THEY WOULD NOT BE INSIDE! Dorothy went in and sure enough…I was wrong! We all piled in and met them and a chair war insued between Dorothy and one of the men! I liked them very much - We exchanged gifts in the parking lot…. It does seem that Dorothy and I are beginning to appear to others as though we are ONE person split into TWO bodies - I find this rather funny as I feel like wwe are one and the same person and everyone sees us as the same!

SLIMY SLUGS

Brenda goes outside to smoke at night and the SLUGS come out then, which really grosses her out. Brenda decided to try out the theory of salting slugs to make them disappear. This obviously works, but our husbands both told us that this was like a ‘slug abortion clinic’ – like what they do to unborn babies, since it is a raw membrane!! ICK YUCK - After coming inside, she reached down thinking my husband had squirted her with a water gun and felt a REALLY SLIMY SLUG on her leg!! So then I had to inspect her shoes and make sure she was safe. Her hair was actually standing on end - not just on the top of her HEAD, but on her LEGS too!!! Not really - hahahahahahah.....

OK, here's BRENDA's view:

I also got to see and feel some genuine Tennessee SLUGS. Seems here people feed them Cat food and it really attracts them! One crawled up my leg, while I was outside having a 'smoke break'- I did not feel it until I got INSIDE, and then it was STUCK TO ME!!! I had to literally PEEL it off of me!!! EEEWWWW!!! By the time we left they had slugs that weighed 10 lbs. And I found out how to make them shrink up to a very small size… a little salt on the tail!!

VIRGIN MARY

We went to Rutledge Falls, a tourist attraction nearly. I told Brenda to look at the statue of the VIRGIN MARY overlooking those falls!! She did and was at EYE LEVEL with a pair of BREASTS!! Shocked her pretty good, but she found out I do not know who the VIRGIN MARY actually is!! This is NOT the Virgin Mary indeed!! Now, after almost TWO YEARS, she still shows me EVERY SINGLE VIRGIN MARY STATUE we come across in stores!! She is such a silly person!! How would I know what the Virgin Mary looks like?? All I saw was the BACK, with the shawl thing hanging down - never bothered to check out the front side!! OH GOD - Is that sacriligious or what??

OK, here's BRENDA's view:

Today we went to a place called Rutledge Falls, very beautiful. At the top there is a statue that Dorothy told me was the Virgin Mary. As I approached it from the back, I thought how very nice it was that they had placed her here to watch over this place of nature and beauty! I walked around the front only to be faced eyeball level with TWO BOOBS! WHOA - I guess this is not the same Virgin Mary I knew and loved while growing up within the church!! I was so shocked I forgot to get a picture of her frontside!!

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