April 7, 2010

Hello--thanks for checking in! I haven't done a good job of keeping up like I promised I would--no one to blame but me! Hoping springtime is treating you nicely--it is just beautiful here in Nashville! Lots of fun travel going on at GAC-- we're heading down to New Orleans this weekend to cover Tim McGraw's tour. Looking forward to talking with Tim and Lady A. and maybe even a moment with the Lost Trailers too and of course, seeing the show! Definitely happy to head south to the Big Easy--it has been too long since I've been there. Can't wait to have to some gumbo!! Tomorrow night I have the fun job of hosting the Opry's Country Classics show at the Ryman Auditorium. Daryle Singletary, Mandy Barnett, T.G. Sheppard, John Conlee, Suzy Bogguss and Gene Watson are all scheduled to perform. Come see it at the Ryman on Thursday nights if you can. Larry Gatlin is normally the host so I am just happy to be filling in for him! Big, big shoes to fill. Thanks for watching GAC and for checking in here. Life is good, health is great and I sure appreciate your kind support always. Until next time.....Nan

7/12/09

Hey everybody!  Hope the summer is treating you nicely. We've had a  good one here in TN so far...some hot days to speak of, but overall--not too bad.  

I just visited down in Warner Robins, GA at the Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base for their 4 th of July celebration.  What a great time!  I was very honored to serve as emcee for the concert and it was wonderful--Gary Morris and The Miracles performed along with the Band of the Air Force Reserve.  Great musicians and really great performances by everybody.  When Gary Morris sings "Bring Him Home" from his Broadway role of Jean Valjean in Les Mis, everyone is all ears.  An incredible voice.  And The Miracles--well, they are The Miracles!  I had the pleasure of touring with the guys several years ago with the Air Force Reserve on an overseas Christmas tour for the troops and people love their music.  It was obvious that night too.  General Stenner, thank you and your staff for the warm hospitality!  Oh and the best part, the concert was broadcast on the Armed Forces Network to all the troops around the world on the 4th of July.  So special to play a small part in bringing a little home to our servicemen and women on our nation's birthday and to be able to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

We just had a fun day in the studio taping this week's Top 20 on GAC.  Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers are one of the reasons why I love country music to this day and they are going to be our guests this week!!! They are musical heros to me!  I was so excited and enjoyed being around them and hearing them do some impromptu singing.  I was tickled to death...hope that shows cause it will go down as an 'all time favorite tv moment' for me!

Got to get back to finishing up my painting--nothin' like spending the weekend painting the laundry room.  Oh, yeah.

Have a great week everybody and thank you for coming to visit....

All my best,

Nan

   

June 16, 2009

Hello everybody!  It has been a very long since I posted and no one to blame but me! Thanks for the 'update your blog' emails....I appreciate you checking in from time to time.  We all just had the biggest week in country music with the CMA Music Fest and I loved seeing so many of you! I wanted to share the goings on and give you an update.

It has been a several week run of reflection for me...some of it hard to look back at, but mostly just trying to see it all through very thankful eyes. It was a year ago in May when we learned about my lymphoma. Today, I am well and all of my scans and tests are clear!  Thank God the view in the rearview is small and fading compared to the one in the windshield. (Poncho thanks for sharing!) All of the treatments are over and I'm on the fast track to making up for lost time. I thank you again for your continued prayers and concern for me and my husband.  And if you are saying, "your husband? what's happened there?"  Here's the story:

Three weeks after I finished radiation last fall, my 40 year old husband Charlie was diagnosed with colon cancer.  Yes...we were speechless. Though he wasn't having any trouble, his Dr. decided to get him in early for a colonoscopy based on family history (50 is the recommended age.)  And we believe that it was divine intervention because they found a cancerous polyp of a pretty ugly nature. They removed it then and there, but recommended surgery. So on Dec. 1, Charlie had surgery to remove 10 inches of his colon.  Post-op, everything was clear-no chemo, no radiation-- and he is well!    You should have seen the look on our oncologist face when we showed up together! Just saying 'our oncologist' is so strange--it's not like sharing the same hairstylist or something.   We are both so grateful for good health and feeling great.  All is well and life needs to be lived!! 

And this week, life was enjoyed: CMA Music Fest.  I was really overwhelmed with wonderful feelings. Last year, I couldn't be anywhere near Music Fest because my immune system was so low. But, this year-- I asked GAC to please put me anywhere and everywhere!! Seeing all of you and my artist friends was great. I cried with joy in many of your faces. Thank you for all the kind and supportive words about me and Charlie.  How lucky I am to be able to meet you all face to face and tell you thank you for your prayers and your concern. 

Highlight of the week for me--Blake Shelton's fan club party! !! Blake,  his wonderful BS'ers and his fan club team held a campaign online to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to honor those who have fought blood cancers, me included.  That night, his fan club pres. Carol presented Blake a check for over $11k to LLS to celebrate Blake's birthday courtesy of all of his BS'ers contributions.  How special..and to top it all off, Blake asked me to sing a song on stage with him. I was completely honored and thrilled (and nervous!)  To be included in the line up of Miranda Lambert, Steve Wariner, Keith Anderson, Craig Morgan and of course, Blake....I will never forget it.  Thank you, Blake for everything!   

On Wednesday night, GAC shot our Top 20 Countdown from the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge.  Great fun!! To say that it was hot doesn't even describe it.  The Opry team beat the After Midnight team with stars like Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Montgomery Gentry, Darius Rucker all on board.  Again, it was so wonderful to be with all of the artists, but just as meaningful to see all of you in the stadium and say hello!

I am turning over a new leaf with this blog and website. We will try to keep the 'news' section current and informative too-like what's airing on GAC, guests from that week's show and so on. Thank you for reading and coming for a visit. I hope you will come back again.  Your support continues to be appreciated so much.  Thanks for watching....

 All my best, Nan

Hello everyone.... I'm very much overdue for an update. First off, thank you for your continued and uplifting support--all of your emails, cards, letters and your prayers.  They are working! Heading into the final treatment next week--thank God! Fall has always been my favorite season, but now more than ever, I'm ready to see the leaves change and ready to live like I've not lived before.  It feels like a new beginning.  This path has been a bit bumpy in the last several weeks--that's why I've been off the tv radar lately.  I experienced some side effects from one of the chemo drugs, but I am all better with that now and we are in the home stretch! The prognosis is still very good and we're on schedule.  The last treatment is next Wednesday, followed by a short break and then almost a month of radiation--which I understand is a snap compared to chemo.  I've missed working and interacting with everybody.  It's probably going to be several more weeks just to make sure everything goes as smoothly as it can in these final steps. So I will miss all of you on GAC.. but only for a little while longer!  Thank you all again for your much appreciated support, love and concern and most importantly, your prayers-- opening up an encouraging card or email sure makes this process easier. Many of you have shared with me your cancer journeys and I want you to know that I think of you all daily and lift you up in prayer too.  God bless you.  Talk with you soon!

I sit here at my desk at home and I can't even see the top of it through the many cards and notes from all of you.  I'll fall short of fully expressing how I feel, but I'm going to try....thank you with all of my heart to everyone who has reached out to me!  I am so humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, and most importantly prayers from so many people across the country..... Each one is such a lift and a source of happiness to me during the process.  In case those of you reading this don't know, I am undergoing treatments for Hodgkin's Lymphoma this summer and I'm doing good.  My prognosis is very good and the doctor feels that all is going well. This week is my 4th treatment (each one two weeks apart) with 4 more to go, followed by a month of radiation. If you've ever been thru chemo, you may know what I'm talking about when I say 'you have your bad week and then you have your good week'.  Thankfully, no problem with the infamous nausea (good medicine for that) just chasing around the aches and pains and fatigue. So during that good week, I try to work and I'm running around feelin' good about feelin' good. My husband Charlie is with me every step and taking great care of me...he's told me how pretty I look more in the last couple of weeks than he's told me in our entire relationship!!  And I'm not complaining--hair will grow back, right??  I don't know how anyone can face this alone.  GAC, the Opry and the country music community have been so amazing and that's why I love what I do--I am surrounded by some of the finest, most compassionate people in the world.   You all are apart of that, too, along with my friends and family here in Nashville and in MIssissippi.   Again, I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your well wishes, your emails, cards, and your prayers.  I thank God for your support and His hand is on me...and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I'll keep you updated thru out the summer.  God bless you all....