Sharon Palmer 

Lacey Hardin

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Sharon Palmer and Lacey Hardin's astute column, Not Dead Yet! appeared as a "guest column" on Mondays in SFPNN. Due to Sharon and Lacey's health difficulties, these sisters co-author Not Dead Yet! to allow each other the leisure of telling their stories as their health permits.  It is temporarily being featured as "Website Only" as both Sharon and Lacey are in the process of undergoing brain surgery and recovery.

Sharon Palmer 

My life has always taken a series of twists and turns. I've never been one to sit still, or stay in one place for any length of time.

When I graduated high school in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (near Nashville), I wanted to be a journalist, but I went to college on a full-tuition music (vocal/keyboard) scholarship. I chose a small liberal arts college, because large universities held no attraction for me. I wanted to be more than a "number."

I joined the music program, naturally, but also spent a lot of time in the journalism department. By the last quarter (yes, we were on the quarter system), I lived in the journalism department and the theatre department. I had won the role of "Maggie Anderson," the principle female dancer in "Brigadoon." I guess 16 years of classical dance lessons had paid off! My music participation suffered, and by the end of the year, I had decided not to return, as the college offered no journalism major.

After that, I drifted. I worked as a cocktail waitress, bartender, "chick singer" and keyboard player in a local band, day-care teacher, secretary, administrative assistant, assistant human resources director . . . You get the idea. In the midst of that, I married a drummer who ended up working for Jimmy C. Newman on the Grand Ole Opry. He drums for Merle Haggard now, and his brother has won the CMA instrumentalist of the year award for the past two or three years. He is an awesome guitarist! Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last long and we were divorced about a year later.

I remarried soon after -- this time, to a singer/songwriter. During that time, I was declared disabled and could no longer work. I had agoraphobia, which is a condition that makes one homebound, for fear of having a panic attack. I probably had about six or seven panic attacks a day, when I was at my worst. That lasted close to five years, and helped to ruin my marriage. The year we divorced, my ex-husband had signed a deal with Sony Records and released his first CD, which spawned a couple of hits. Needless to say, I didn't listen to the radio very much! We stayed in touch sporadically, though. Unfortunately, five years after we divorced, he died of cancer. I was devastated, and still can't believe he's gone.

I had returned to college to major in psychology, then had rejoined the work force, but that didn't last long.  I started having extreme pain, headaches, and a plethora of other symptoms. I worked as long as I could, but eventually it became impossible. I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain syndrome, and was back on disability. Not long ago, I was also diagnosed with Arnold-Chiari malformation, which was confirmed during an appointment with a specialist near Asheville, North Carolina, in early February, 2000. The next step was surgery, which took place March 29, 2000.

Although I have had days when I haven't felt like going on, for the most part, I try to remain upbeat. Whining doesn't seem to help much! Besides, it has me back focused on my writing, which I look forward to sharing with you. It seems I've come full-circle. Perhaps this is God's way of getting me to sit still, and telling me I need to write. Well -- I'm listening!

--- Sharon Palmer

 

You can E-Mail Sharon at: shron62@worldnet.att.net

 

 

Since the debut of Sharon's story, Toothless Grin, in the SFPNN Special Edition and Heartwarmers4u, her work was selected to appear in several books under the titles "Toothless Grin" and "Something To Make Me Happy."   Click on the links below for more information or to make a purchase.

Chicken Soup For The Parent's Soul	Stories For The  Extreme Teen's Heart	Stories For A Cheerful  Heart

"The bond that links your true family is not one of of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.  Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."        

   --- from Richard Bach's Illusions

 

 

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Lacey Hardin

I am an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Tennessee Air Pollution Control Division. I obtained a B.S. in chemical engineering from Tennessee Technological University in 1987. I married my high school sweetheart, Billy, in 1986, and we have two beautiful daughters, Rebecca, born April 28, 1990, and Erin, born April 30, 1994. I enjoy reading science fiction and mysteries, but have little time to do so. I played clarinet and saxophone (tenor and baritone) in high school and college, and particularly enjoyed participating in jazz band. I listen primarily to contemporary Christian music, but enjoy jazz and classical as well. I was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari Malformation with Syrinx in September of 2000, and am in the midst of deciding whether I wish to have surgery. My older sister is Sharon Palmer, who had surgery for the same condition in March 2000. Several studies are presently occurring to determine if this condition is hereditary.

At work, I draft operating permits for sources of air pollution, primarily those facilities subject to Title V of the Clean Air Act (large facilities). I started working for Air Pollution Control in December of 1988. I am very fortunate in that my supervisors are understanding of my health problems. Although I could make more money in private industry, I would not have the flexibility I have here. This was important even before I started having health problems because of my children.

Billy is a car enthusiast, and we are members of the Music City Mustang Club. He has 2 Mustangs, a 1970 Boss 302 and a 1990 convertible. He also has a 1967 Pontiac GTO, and a 1965 GTO that his father bought shortly before learning that he had terminal cancer. He passed away in September, 2000. The GTO’s are presently unassembled while he restores them. He works for a property management firm as chief maintenance person for a large skyscraper downtown, and is known as a jack-of-all-trades. There isn’t much out there that he can’t fix.

I have a younger sister, Jennifer, a music teacher. She and her husband, Russ, have a beautiful daughter born October 24, 2000. I have 5 nieces, 3 nephews, 2 great-nieces, and 1 great-nephew on Billy’s side – he has 4 siblings. My father is a high school French and English teacher, and my mother is a nurse. She works in the local emergency room part-time, and is the parish nurse for our church. Our immediate family all live nearby. I have extended family in Illinois, Mississippi, and Georgia.

Our girls are involved in dance, and reluctantly take piano lessons. We are very active in our church (we are United Methodists), and stay very busy. If we didn’t have our families to help out the girls wouldn’t be able to do as much. Billy’s older sister has kept the girls since they were 6 weeks old, and his mother makes sure they get to dance every week. My mother gets them to piano lessons every Tuesday.

We are working through my health difficulties as they occur, and trying to make the best decisions for us. Thanks to extended family, our children are able to lead normal lives. We praise God for them, and for the fact that I’m "Not Dead Yet."

You can e-mail Lacey at: Lhardin421@aol.com