TUESDAY - March 4, 2008

Maria Austin's Update 3-3-08

To My Dear Friends and Fam-Lee

This is like a Championship 15 Round Fight, this is the 6th round and Maria just got knock down. Maria had been making some pretty slow, but good progress. Almost to the point where I was gaining confidence that we had made it over the hump. Then the Hospital called me this morning and told me I needed to get there as soon as I could. You know whats going through my mind. My son Tony and I walked into a mass of Doctors and nurses surrounding Maria. Even the Nun, Sister Daniele was waiting for me. Well, Maria had one of her lungs collapse on her and she was not getting enough oxygen to support her heart or anything else. They had to intubate her again and do compressions on her lungs. Her heart did not stop completely, but was struggling to make it. They did not have to paddle her. They gave her atropine for a boost and other meds that got her going. They had even given her something to sedate her, to get the ventilator back down her throat. When we left there at 11:15 pm tonite she was resting well and starting to get color and warmth back into her loving body. That's why I'm always afraid to get to excited with her progress, because it always seems like something like this will let us down. I still believe God is not ready to take Maria home, as she has not finished working on me. She has such a good heart, and would help anyone. We have a lot of support from Fam-Lee and Friends, Your prayers and Thoughts are still working, and I believe she will make it. She will get up, dust herself off and get back into the fight, round seven coming up. Watch out!

Thank You, For All you Do.

Mike and Fam-Lee

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Northern Arizona Back to Backs

First of all, a big thank you to Dick and Nancy Swenberger and Susan Hyden from the Ahwatukee Swim and Tennis Club for a phenomenal weekend in Phoenix. Two great cookoffs with a bunch of happy winners!

That leaves only 2 more cookoffs in Arizona this season:

The Northern Arizona Back to Backs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year is the 25th Annual Route 66 Regional in Flagstaff, yup, our Silver Anniversary! And on Sunday June 15, the 37th edition of the Arizona State Championship will be hosted once again by the Mazatzal Casino in Payson. We've got a great day planned for you in Flagstaff, with special prize money for the 25th Anniversary, great raffle prizes, including a Route 66 Regional Cookoff Quilt pieced by Jinny Kost of Pine, AZ for first prize. Every cook entered in each category will receive a ticket for another special prize being made by my wife Sarah, so if you enter all three, you have 3 chances to win it!

A map giving you good directions to Payson will be provided to each cook going down there for the State Championship on Sunday. It's one of the prettiest drives in Arizona! They run a fantastic event at the casino on Sunday, so plan on making the trip to the cool pines in June for the Northern Arizona Back to Back World Qualifiers!

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Bakersfiled, CA District

Calling all cooks and judges in the vicinity (or further) of Bakersfield, Ca.

The Bakersfield Optimist Clubs are hosting their 1^st. district chili cook-off

March 29, 2008. This event will be benefiting children with cancer.

They need cooks and judges to make the event a success. Send entries

to Walter Scott on the ICS web site.

Jim Beaty, chief judge

Donnie Gordon, scorekeeper

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