The Big City

This week, I have gone to Washington, D.C. twice. Now, my husband works there, so he goes at least three times a week. He can telecommute two days a week, but rides his motorcycle on his commute days. Going to D.C. is no big thing to him, but for me, to drive there and arrive back home safely is something to blog about. Generally, I am directionally challenged and maps and me don't often see eye to eye. Even my trusty GPS guy gets a little irked with me when I don't obey. However, with God being my faithful navigator,we found our way around the gridded streets of our Nation's Capital. Anyway,since reading Crazy Love, I am up for trying new things on my own, so off to D.C. my friend and I went on Wednesday. It was a F-U-L-L day. First, we had lunch in the dining room of the Agriculture building where my husband works. This is unlike any other dining experience in D.C. It is an elegant dining room with white linen table cloths, sterling silverware and china. It has a full salad bar and buffet with everything and great coffee with real cream too. The view is of the mall with the many historic museums and buildings to see as you dine. It is uncrowded and just perfect. Thank you, husband dear. We found a metered spot, fed it full with quarters and met my husband, toured the Ag. building which is one of the oldest government buildings in D.C. I think my husband said it precedes the Pentagon.
My friend and I said bye to G. and we were off to find a parking garage for the day. After we drove just a short distance and deposited my car underground, we made our way to the Smithsonian's Portrait Gallery. The Norman Rockwell Collection, on loan from George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg, was the main attraction for me. However,once we got there, we started on the third floor with many, many paintings and sculptures and worked our way down to the first floor Rockwell exhibit.
If you haven't been to the Portrait Gallery, it is a great day trip. The Norman Rockwell Exhibit only runs through Jan. 2, 2011, so no time to waste. The expression and the sentiment that Rockwell is able to capture in each of the people's faces and their body language is amazing. Each painting is a story in itself. Oh to be able to do that. This was the highlight of the trip for me. Of course getting to see my daughter was the best part of the trip!! My friend's best part of the day was eating lunch in the Agriculture Building's dining room. I have to agree that was pretty darn special.
We also saw The Elvis Collection of photographs from his early years as a Rock and Roller.
Next stop was to meet my daughter for dinner after she got off from work.
We ate at a great spicy chicken place, but I would have to ask her the name of it. Spicy, as in some kind of African spices. Yes, wonderful!
Then off to the Sixth and I Synagogue to see Andrew Bird in concert. I really didn't know who Andrew Bird was/is, but now I do. He is an ecclectic (my word for him) violinist who knows how to do really cool technical stuff with recording as he is performing. He sings well, whistles like a real bird, does head twisting a lot and connects well with his audience. Check him out on YouTube.
When our daughter's friend dropped us off after the concert at the curb near our parking garage, we eventually (long story short) found THE DOOR that led to THE elevator where my car was parked right next to the elevator door on level P-2. What we didn't know is that you need to know the color and the level. Since God is ever watching over us, we really didn't need to know the color~ this time. Next time, though, I will write down all the details.
The parking garage exited us right out on 9th street which only goes one way. This happened to be the way we needed to go. My daughter had told me how easy-peasy it would be and she was correct.
Even driving home at 10:45 at night was a piece of cake on 95. I told my friend that there was so little traffic, 95 didn't even look like 95.
At midnight, I pulled into my driveway,went into my quiet house, climbed into my own bed next to my sleeping spouse and went to sleep. What a fun and full day in the BIG CITY!! The End
PS My firend and I went back to D.C. today for a short appointment she had in Georgetown. That's all we did there today, but now we are pros. Looks like more trips to the BIG CITY are on the horizon.

Soon and Very Soon

There is a song that I like a lot, called "Soon and Very Soon". It is about seeing The Lord when we go to heaven. I just got off the phone with our Pastor whose niece is close to this point. A guy from my high school days is also preparing to see the Savior. I believe that this 16 year old and the almost 60 year old are extremely brave and calm. They know the meaning of these words more so than I. There is another song that is a country song called, "Everybody want to go to heaven, but nobody want to go now." Well,I think that is the way most of us view eternity.
Am I ready to see my Savior? Yes because I trusted in Him when I was 18 years old to save me and to be The Lord of my life. Am I ready to go now? Well, that is the opposite answer.
The fact is, no one knows when we will see Our Savior's face. We are only promised the number of days He has ordained for us. No one wants to see a person in pain or suffering. In these cases, death has no sting, if one is a Christian. The Mother Teresa calendar in front of me for today says, "Never let anything so fill you with pain or sorrow so as to make you forget the joy of Christ Risen."
So, soon and very soon, according to God's calendar, I am going to see The King!!
It may not be tonight or tomorrow or next year. I have no clue, but God is my Sustainer. He is my joy and I will sing, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, I's gwon to see The King." That's a little spiritual twist to the words. I like to sing it that way.
Keep Looking UP and Happy Thanksgiving!!

My 59th Year

I am close to halfway through my 59th year on this planet. Since turning 59, I have run my first 5K and won... (for my age group). I have climbed a mountain with help from my husband and encouraging words from my daughter. I have traveled to more states by plane and by car than any other year of my life. Let's see now, here is a quick list of where I have been since turning 59: Poughkeepsie, NY, Columbus, Georgia, Key Largo, Florida and points nearby, Seattle, Washington and suburbs, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon (Corvallis is very nice),Idaho, Wyoming (The Cowboy Cafe in Du Bois -pronounced DO Boys is great), Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois,Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North and South Carolina. In one road trip alone,my husband and I logged 7,600 miles!! Just as the Johnny Cash song says, "I've been everywhere,man...".
I am fairly sure that my love of traveling is from my father. He was a traveling salesman and knew that Tom Bodett would leave the light on for him as he stayed in many Motel 6 and other hotels over the years.
My mom would say that she is not the traveling kind. She loves the home life and a chair that she can recline in and watch TV. Although, now that she is confined to a wheelchair, she has put many miles on those wheels and may need new tires soon. So, maybe she is becoming a traveler afterall:)
Since I still have about 6 more months to go, before the big 60, it will be exciting to see all of the new adventures God has in store for me. What's next, God?! I am ready, well maybe after a few days at home. That's nice too.

God Does All Things Well

Since getting back from our "See the USA" trip, I have been struck by the grandeur of God's creativity. From the Grand Canyon, to Yellowstone's Old Faithful, to the Grand Tetons at sunset to The Rocky Mountains and to the crisp, cold waves of the Pacific Ocean, God allowed us to see some of His majesty. Heaven's scenery is beyond our grasp on this side, but my husband and I got a mini view of His handiwork.
This video/song is pretty much how I would describe our trip ~ indescribable...I was talking with a friend today at the Y as I shared a few highlights of our trip. He has experienced nature firsthand when he spent some time in western Canada. He said it's like watching a sport in 3-D. If we just watch a baseball game, he said, it seems pretty boring and slow, but if we experience it, it is fast-paced and full of movement. That is the case when one sees a western sky in all of its vastness. My husband saw a shooting star just driving along one night with the endless sky to gaze upon. After he saw it, I continued to look up at the sky hoping that I too would see a shooting star. Even though I didn't see one, I still enjoyed seeing the stars and their arrangement in the midnight blue. The quietness of the canyons, mountains and lakes is another aspect that one doesn't get to appreciate too much as we busily go about our days. As we drove along in Wyoming, for example, we would go for miles and not see a telephone pole, house or even another car.
Seeing an antelope literally lope as he ran across a field reminded me of an imaginary animal in its movement. They hop along with both front feet moving at the same time and then their back feet hop together too. They reminded me more of big bunnies hopping along. I got to be quite good at spotting a herd of them as we drove and drove and drove some more!
Tomorrow, we will begin our new book study on Crazy Love. The first chapter talks about being in awe of God and not taking what He has done for us for granted. We need to view God anew and not allow Him to become just a common thing in our lives. We need to see His "crazy love" for us fresh each and every day. As my friend at the Y reminded me today in thinking about Our God's creativity~"It's crazy!" Yeah, it really is.

Looking Forward and Up!

In a couple of weeks, our community Bible Study group which just began its 4th year (yea!) will begin to study the book Crazy Love. I just watched the above video about the book and am already chomping at the bit to read and discuss what Francis Chan has put together. Right now, we are just wrapping up a study of The Red Sea Rules. It has been a 10 week course (broken up over the summer) on how God, who brought us to something, will see us through whatever it may be.

The online resource for Crazy Love is found at www.crazylovebook.com
It is fun to take a sneak peek at each chapter. Awwww, go ahead take a look. Who knows, you may even start a Crazy Love Book study group too.

"Be Still and Know that I am God"

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

I want to share with you some thoughts about being still. I had the privilege a couple of weeks ago of doing for 5 days what young moms do everyday and that is to take care of young children day and night.
At the end of each day after Ethan and Clare had had their showers, I read to them the same book each night because that is what Ethan wanted. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I would even mix up the stack of books and he would root through them until he found it. That was the best part of my day with the younger 2. We were still. Ethan and Clare just sat there and listened. They didn’t say, I want that, I want to put the peanut butter on the bread, I want to carry the plates, etc. They were just still.
We need to be still everyday. Your idea of being still may be different than mine. I like to be alone and read a book. You may like to go for a walk. It doesn’t matter how you are still just seek to have that time.
When I was in school as a student, my teachers made it clear that we were to leave margins on our paper. Both sides and top and bottom. I looked up the definition of margins and the one that applies here is: the blank space that surrounds the text on a page; "he jotted a note in the margin"
We need margins in our lives. Blank time, down time, time to think and not to do. Without the margins and spaces on a page, all of the words would blend together and we would have a very hard time deciphering what is written.

We are all so different. Let’s really focus on God and what He would have us do. He says, Be still and know that I am God.
Any science experiment or art or craft project needs down time. Time to dry, time to set, time to ferment, time to dissolve, whatever. We too need time to “not do”.

It's a Good Day!

This song is so happy. Since this is such a beeee-u-tiful day, thought I'd share this song and words!! Enjoy:)

Oh! It's a good day, for singin' a song,
An' it's a good day for movin' along,
Yes, it's a good day, how could anything go wrong?
A good day from mornin' 'till night!

Yes it's a good day, ( it's a lovely day for shinin' ) for shinin' your shoes
An' it's a good day ( if you wan' a silver linin' ) for losin' the blues
( You got . . . ) Everything t' gain ( everythin' t' gain and nuthin' ) and nuthin' t' lose,
'Cuz it's a good day from mornin' to night! ( You're right! )

I said to the sun, "Good Mornin' Sun!"
"Rise an' shine t'day!"
You kno' you gotta get goin' if you're gonna make a showin'
And you kno' you got the right of way!

'Cause it's a good day for payin' your bills,
And it's a good day for curin' your ills,
So, take a deep breath, throw away all your pills,
'Cause it's a good day from mornin' 'till night!

Just this very day, I said to the sun, "Good Mornin' Sun!"
"Rise an' shine, why don't you rise and shine?"
You kno' you gotta get goin' if you wanna make a showin'
And you kno' you've got the right of way!

'Cause it's a good day for payin' your bills,
And it's a ' gooood ' day for curin' your ills,
So, take a deep breath ( Ahhh! ) throw away all your pills,
'Cause it's a good day from mornin' 'till night! ( Say that again! )
Oh it's a good day from mornin' 'till night ( That's what he said! )
Yes it's a good day from mornin' 'till night!

Labor Day Weekend

Today is Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Yesterday, we celebrated our older daughter's 29th birthday. Yes, I was in labor on a Labor Day weekend that many years ago. The day was picture perfect weatherwise. We had a friend and some family over for gourmet sandwiches and a specialty cake from one of our favorite local cafes. I got to go shoe shopping with my daughter. I got one pair and she got two pairs. I also talked to our younger daughter several states away who couldn't be here and found out she too had gone shoe shopping and purchased four pairs. When our older daughter was just a baby, she was dubbed the name "Shoe Baby" by a toddler friend. I guess at that point in her life, she probably liked chewing on shoes or something because he could see her fascination with shoes at an early age. I do not know how many pairs of shoes she has, but needless to say, she does love shoes!!
Anyway, I digress. Today, we had a great sermon at church from Ezra chapter 4. The gist of the sermon was not to despise the small things. It has been a relaxing Sunday. I even went for a fun jog late in the day. Tomorrow, I will go to the Y early, visit my mom, and get rid of some clutter in the family room and around the house. Since it will be Labor Day, I will spend part of the day doing decluttering/organizing work.
When I was a teacher, I always felt ready for the new school year after Labor Day. Although, most of the years that I taught, school began before that day. When I was a child and all through my high school days, school always began afer Labor Day. Maybe that is why I really looked forward, as a teacher, to beginning school then. I guess I felt in the school mode. In a couple of days, I will go to the school where I taught for 20 years and give a talk to the younger children of the school during their Chapel time. That will be fun because it's after Labor Day! I am ready!! All I really need is my trusty red plaid sachel that I carried when I was in elementary school. I loved to carry that stewart plaid book sachel with my Dick and Jane book and other school supplies. Oh well.... I will take my green Y bag instead filled with my workout clothes, stretch bands and a few other things to share about the topic of "Flexibility".
Thanks to this three day weekend of celebrating, relaxing, worshiping, exercising and working, I am one happy and thankful lady!!

Something to Think About

The Poet, Christina Rossetti said, “Better by far you should forget and smile than that you should remember and be sad.”
As I was reading this quote last week in a novel, I couldn't help but think of my mom. During her lifetime, she has had her share of sorrow. I think the hardest thing my mom had to live through was the death of my brother, her only son, in 1996. Even though, mom and her siblings were abandoned by their father when she was just 6 years old, the trauma of losing my brother was far, far greater. It is my thinking that she began to suffer from depression, which can be a part of dementia, from the death of her beloved son. My brother's name was David, which means "beloved." Many times as I was growing up, I thought that mom loved David more. I guess I had the Tommy Smothers' feeling of "Mom loved you best", as he would banter with his brother Dick on TV. David looked like mom, he had the leadership qualities she still has and he was a quick thinker,just like mom!
Now that mom has dementia, she doesn't remember that David is gone. She will ask me where David is. Rather than tell her that he died, which would be a very cruel thing, I tell her, "He is at home." This is true, as he is in his heavenly home.
Then she will smile. I know that she is happy and content at this stage of her life. I have often prayed that God would take mom to heaven so that she will not have to go through the very last stage of this disease. God is in control of the days we spend here on earth and I know that He will take her to be with Him at the PERFECT time and not one second before. I don't understand from my perspective why God would allow her to continue to live with so much confusion, but I have learned that that is not my concern. He has His reasons which may or may not be revealed to me when I get to heaven.
So when I read that quote, I smiled. It gave me comfort to know that mom is happy. Dementia may not be such a bad thing. She doesn't remember any of the things in her life that has caused her pain.
Sometimes I think about what I may be like when I get to be her age. Will I be lucid like my father or will I have dementia like my mom? Someone whose mom also has dementia asked me if I was worried about getting it. I told her no. I do worry about a lot of stuff, but dementia is not one of them. There is a test that is being developed to determine whether a person will get this disease. Why would anyone want to know? The theory is so that the person can plan for their future care. Since God is in control of all of my care, then no test is needed. :)

Life

On Wednesday, I held the hand of a friend who was at the end of her life on earth and about an hour later, held a brand new baby about 12 hours old. One was ready to enter her heavenly home and the other one was just beginning her journey in her new world. When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I had no idea that I would be saying goodbye to an old friend and hello to a new one. God controls life's every detail, of this I am certain.
Today, my old friend entered her eternal home and is free from any pain or discomfort.
I know she would want us to have joy as we should at this time. Although her husband and son will miss her more than we can imagine, they are sure of her comfort at this moment.
I have another friend who is torn apart as his wife just left him with their precious little girl. My heart is torn for them. However, God is The God who mends.
Although I have never had a broken bone in my life, I am told that the bone is stronger after it heals. May my friend who is broken right now, be stronger because of this difficult time.
God truly does work all things together for our good. May we know this truth constantly.

Travelin' Days

Johnny Cash sings, "I been everywhere, man...". The month of July was that kind of month for me. First, I spent a few glorious days in south Florida. After a must stop at Robert IS Here Fruitstand in Homestead, FL for their amazingly scrumptious Keylime milkshakes. My husband and I continued on to Key Largo and points further south. I experienced my first snorkeling adventure. Even saw a scorpion fish hanging out on the bottom of the water. Fortunately, my niece was with me and her hand signals implored me to stay away. The fish really looked like a rusty, multicolored rock, so I probably would have reached out and touched it. The second new experience was deep sea fishing. I caught 4 snappers and ate them along with the other fish my kinfolk caught for dinner that night.
The next stop was to see our daughter and son-in-law in Georgia. They have a lovely townhome and the area where they live is so pleasant. Even though they are further away from us now, I am thrilled that they are in a lovely and less-trafficy town. They have super neighbors and I think they feel very happy in their new place.
After a brief stop at home to wash clothes and repack, I was off to the Pacific Northwest to visit my niece, nephew and sister-in-law. As Perry Como and Bobby Sherman have sung, "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle...". I found this to be true! So to the top of the Space Needle, to Pikes Place Market, to a Mariners' Baseball game,to a boat tour of Lake Washington, to a stroll through a folksy german village in the Cascade Mountains and to a shopping mall in Bellevue, I had a full week of fun things to do.

When I took the red-eye home last week, I and the other passengers looked like zombies walking around the Atlanta airport to catch the next flight to our final destinations.

I think I am finally over jetlag. I am so glad to be back in my own bed and plan to stay home.... at least for this month. I do have a traveling bone or two in my body.

Don't Take Your Husband for Granted

A few days ago as I was just beginning to wake up from a good night's sleep, the words "Don't take your husband for granted" came through my mind. Since I'm not "Oooohhhh, what was that all about?" or charismatic at all in my faith, I wasn't real sure why that would be so clear. Usually when I first wake up, my first thought is of a cup of coffee and something sweet to go with that coffee. Maybe God was speaking to me in His still small voice, yet ever so encompassing. I kept thinking about those words throughout that day and into the days since. After being married for more than 3 decades, I have had days when I DO take my husband for granted. Maybe, just the day before this audible thought, I had not appreciated my husband as much as I should and this was God's gentle reminder to me.
As a Mentor Mom for MOPS, I will encourage these young moms to put their husbands above their kids. This is not an easy thing to do when little ones are clinging, wrapping, sliding, swinging all over you. Nevertheless, this is a God mandate that will cause our marriages to be healthy and lasting. Proverbs 14:1 says, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
So as I renew this commitment to honor my husband, I will seek to listen to his voice, be interested in his thoughts and his take on life. Yes, men do have a different approach to life than most women do. I,for one, need to consider this difference. I will take joy in his presence when we are together. I will encourage him with words, touch, and looks. I will strive to stay in shape which is also giving him pleasure.
Thanks, God, for helping me day by day not to take my husband for granted.

Poughkeepsie Wedding

This past weekend was the wedding of our niece. So off we went on Saturday morning with plenty of time to change into our fancy clothes and then on to the wedding at 5:30. That was the plan, I should say. As soon as we pulled out of our driveway, the car went beep-beep-beep and I could see the "needs coolant" symbol showing on the instrument panel, just barely. The lights are so dim there. It would cost a bunch to fix it, so we have just left it that way. We have to guess at what the symbol is. However, with the lighting just right in the early morning hours, we could see it was the coolant symbol. My husband had just added coolant last week. The temperature gauge was in the middle and not going toward the H. We just figured it was beeping for no reason. Oftentimes, when my husband is driving, the car in which he is driving will beep. He normally gets exasperated and says,"WHAT?!?!" So off we went for mile after mile. Every so often, the beep-beep-beep would go off just to say hello. Somewhere in the tri-state area of NY/NJ/PA, the temperature dial starts edging over to that dreaded H. We pulled off at a gas station, added more coolant, filled up the tank, added a quart of oil, let the car rest a bit and off again. This should have made the machine happy. You know, like giving a kid what it wants so the trip will be more enjoyable. Shortly after this, we found ourselves getting off at the next exit, because, yes, the needle was moving to the right again. This time when we opened the hood, the coolant was totally gone. There was a leak, no doubt. I got out our 'gecko' insurance card to ask for a tow truck and to get a rental car to finish the trip. My husband was on his cell trying to locate a rental company to no avail. The Gecko came through for us on all counts. Within 30 minutes, the towtruck had the car on the flatbed and us in the cab. The towtruck driver was nice enough to drive us to the car rental place, before taking our car back home to our own mechanic. Yes, the Gecko will tow your car wherever you want it taken, if you have the towing on your policy. Yea, so glad we have that!!
Now we are heading to the wedding in the rental car, but it's 4:00, we are 50 miles from the hotel and 25 more minutes to get to the wedding by 5:30. 4:00+50 miles+time to change+25 minutes doesn't equal 5:30. We made it to the hotel about the time the wedding was starting. So,we changed really quickly and started off down this way, turn that way onto streets that weren't clearly marked. My husband said the wedding was going to be in a barn, but apparently that is what our niece had originally wanted. He didn't know that those plans had been nixed. As we found the Country Club where the wedding and reception were held, we just said, "Well I guess this is a NY style barn!"
We did enjoy the reception. The food was sooooo good! Our nephews make me laugh with their funny jokes. One of our nephews could have gone into stand-up comedy and made a fortune just by standing up. He is that funny!! We heard that my brother-in-law did a fine job of giving his daughter away and didn't even trip going down the outdoor aisle. They said the actual ceremony was about 10 minutes. Are we glad we went? Yes. Are we glad to be home? YES!
Click-click, there is no place like home!!

Mom's Purse

I just got home from a picnic with my mom and many other families. The home has a yearly picnic with the director and staff flipping burgers and grilling hotdogs. The courtyard area was set up with canopies to keep the residents out of the sun. Normally my mom would only be outside for a few minutes, but not today. She enjoyed her plate of picnicky foods and ice cream for dessert. She loved watching the little children sporting their sunglasses as they enjoyed the day out with their great-grandparents. She didn't even ask to go inside!!!! My mom doesn't go anywhere without her trusty purse. This purse is like her security blanket. I really want to buy her another one, but it has to be one that looks very much like this one. I know she can't remember a lot, but I have a feeling that she would know if I switched it. This purse has many things inside. Her hairbrush, her keyring with my dad's picture, mine and two of her grandchilren as babies.She carries an emoryboard for her nails. Sometimes, her carryaround phone is in there. She sticks her mail in there. On some days, I have found part of her lunch in there. I think it goes back to the time of the depression when people didn't throw away anything. She has had melted candy and a smooshed banana. Unfortunately, the lining is cloth, so periodically, I empty everything and wash it out as best as I can. Today I noticed the outside is in sad shape too. If you happen to be out and see a purse that would pass as this one, but in a newer condition, just let me know. Until then, I will keep looking for it's twin.

Mason Jennings

Last night I went to a Mason Jennings Concert with my daughter and one of her friends. You may not have heard of him, but I kind of like the way he sings and plays the guitar,so this was something I had really been looking forward to doing. As we sat in the balcony and listened to this storyteller-songwriter-singer,I found myself intently listening to the words. Yes, I do have a hearing loss that my husband likes to remind me of, however I wasn't having any trouble hearing or understanding what was being sung, I just appreciated his ability to convey deep thoughts through a string of words. His voice is unique and the cadence is different. Many people have compared him to Bob Dylan and I think that is accurate.
My favorite song, Lemon Grove Avenue, wasn't played last night, however the one I have included in this blog was. He does a great one called The Field about a soldier who does not come back from war.
There was a song he played about hoping the wings would clear the treetops and then a lot of something else that didn't make much sense to me. I am really not sure how many people understood the meaning of that number.
Not all of his songs have a Christian flavor, but most of them are thought-provoking.
He sings one called Your New Man about getting an old girlfriend back. It has a super style to it and fun lyrics with a cute twist as he concludes the song.
I like this concert going business, especially when it involves going with one of my daughters:)
I'm thinking Brandon Heath will be my next concert event. What do you think, daughters?

Concert

Mason Jennings

Pack Rat Am I

I have watched The Hoarders Show on TV once, no, twice, but it was the same episode, so I guess that would be once. Although I am not one of these people, I could have been if my husband weren't here to remind me that I don't need all those bandaids or all those nails or all those books or all those fill in the blank. Right now, I am cleaning, organizing, sorting and making throw-away/giveaway/keep piles in what was my Mom's basement apartment in our house. I did not get the Pack Rat gene from Mother. Before she came to live with us in 2003, she downsized most of her stuff by garagesaling, donating or throwing away. She did this with seemingly no sentimental attachments. Ah, there the key word~sentimental. If you are born with this tendency, watch out because stuff will accumulate. When I taught, I had a teacher's assistant for most of my teaching career. I don't know how anyone worked with me because my "I may need that" was always growing. I kept old magazines so the children could cut out pictures to enhance science, social studies or art units. I needed lots of yarn for making tactile letters for phonics or yes, art projects. Of course many, many books to look at and to expand their young minds. One of my assistants, who is still my friend, helped me by saying,"Throw this out." I guess I needed someone to tell me I didn't really need the quantity of stuff to educate.
Now, I am once again going through tons of pictures, both photographs and paintings and you name it items and having a hard time getting rid of anything. You will be pleased to know that today, I emptied the entire contents of one drawer and kept only one item. This one thing was for my husband's motorcycle and I asked him if he needed it before throwing it out and lo and behold he wanted it. I am making progress. I have taken countless bags, bulging and heavy, to the dump. I have taken several bags to Goodwill. On Friday, AmVets will have a myriad of items that will find new homes. So, slowly but surely, I am making headway. Will I ever be totally cured from the ailment of packratitis? Probably not. There is something cleansing and cool about giving up stuff. Isn't that what Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to do? I wonder if he was a packrat too.

Help the Spotsy Y

Wednesday, when my friend and I went to the Y to workout and to try to stay in the best shape we can be in at our age, we talked with a fellow Y-er as we three exited at the same time. She is in AMAZING shape. My friend and I want to look like her. She chatted about how she had emailed Ellen Degeneres and pleaded our case for new equipment. Our local Y needs help in repairing, replacing, getting new equipment, etc. I think she even took some pictures of missing piece parts on the equipment that is. Don't get me wrong, I love (well not love, really don't look forward to) going to the Y each day. The people are great, the place is bright and inviting, the atmosphere is family-friendly. However, when it is time to do triceps with the chair-bench, there is only one!! This could lead to a problem of a too much muscle power demonstration as others want to use that same chair-bench. Granted, there is another highback chair bench, but it is difficult to do triceps on that one. We need bands to help we females do pull-ups or maybe an assist pull-up machine. The other Y has one of those beauties. Anyway, with a little coaxing from our totally in shape friend, I too wrote to Ellen. I said something like she could dance her way into our Y and do what you wanna do. Let's call it Ellen Helps the Y Day!! She has some fun games on her show, so doing a few of those could draw a crowd, don't you think?
I have written to many people over the course of my life and most of those people have written back. I wrote to the first heart transplant recipient, Louis Washkansky and received a letter from his wife. I called Senator Daniel Inouye and got an answer on their home phone when I wanted his wife's recipe for a dessert. Can't remember what the dessert was right now; I think it was a lemon cake. It was sent to me in the mail. I wrote to Charles Colson when he was in prison and he wrote back and sent me a copy of the book that he had read in becoming a Christian. I wrote to my husband before I ever met him and look what happened!! So hey, I think Ellen may be among this illustrious list and just might respond. We shall see.

And Then We Had Cake!

As I mentioned in the last post, my birthday was this past Saturday. We had a scrumptious cake made by a downtown bakery. They specialize in specialty cakes. My husband asked me to check the cake I wanted and so I did. However, I didn't get it. When he placed the order, the lady said, "Why don't you get her this one? It's even better than the one she ordered." With this helpful hint, the other cake was ordered. It was a chocolate-orange cake. I have always liked those two flavors together. The candle was lit, I made my wish and didn't blow out the candle on the first try. No, it's not that I was short of breath, as my nephew surmised, it was because my chair was at an awkward angle for the task. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! I reckon that means I don't get my wish. We shall see. I think the idea is that the wish has the whole year to come true.
The day after my birthday was Mother's Day and since I'm a mother, I got more cake! No,not a different cake, just more of my birthday cake. I do love having birthday/Mother's Day celebrations. When I was a teacher,it was always Teacher Appreciation Week the week of my birthday. Then, it seemed the festivities never ended.
Next year, my birthday and Mother's Day fall on the same day. I think this will make it even easier for my family! You're welcome:)

My Fifty-ninth Year

On Saturday I will begin my fifty-ninth year. I could be like my dad and say that I am turning 29 one more time, but that was his line. I have never been one to fudge on my age. Age is a state of mind, right? I do believe it is. I think back to when I was 18 and that really doesn't seem that long ago. Although when I went to my 40th High School reunion last August, I did wonder who all those old people were. When I look in the mirror, I see a face with a few more lines and a little more sagging here and there. My husband calls it pudding, which is a cute name for these signs of aging. Thanks to my daddy's genes, I do not have any gray hair. Thanks, Daddy!! At least hair color wise, the aging process has not been that traumatic. What will I do during this last year of this fifties' decade? I will run my first 5K in a couple weeks. Yes, I do plan to run the whole way. My friend and I have been running several days a week to prepare for this event. I will visit Seattle for the first time later in the summer. I will continue to "buffet my body and make it my slave" as I use the torture machines at the Y. I will be a mentor mom again for our local MOPS group. These are just a few of the things I hope to do. I must say "hope" because with God in control, He doesn't always give me a heads-up about what may happen tomorrow. I will laugh at funny jokes and even not-so-funny ones. I will walk my little dog or rather watch her run around in circles which is her version of going for a walk. I will continue to write cards, letters, emails, journals and blogs. I will smile and enjoy all of the days God has blessed me with.
On Saturday, when I blow out those 59 candles (or the equivalent of depending on what my husband chooses to put on the cake), I will make my wish and eat a BIG OLE piece of cake! As they say, "It's all good, man!"

What Did You Say?

This weekend my daughter and son-in-law were up for a visit. While my husband and sil were doing manly things like getting haircuts together and figuring out how to put a 22 back together correctly, my daughter and I made two brief visits to see my mom. Mom is in an assisted living facility not far from where we live. Even though mom has hearing loss and memory loss, she is still very much who she has always been. She has a keen sense of humor, a big heart and a strong will. She told my daughter yesterday,"I will love you from now until eternity." Something my daughter and I will never forget.
It is interesting to hear some of the conversations going on around us. Yesterday, a lady at the table in the dining room next to where my mom was sitting was quite perturbed with a gentleman sitting next to her. He tapped her on the arm to talk to her as the other lady at the table was dozing. She said, "I don't think it's right for you to touch me like that." The poor guy kind of shrunk back and we felt so sorry for him. All he wanted to do was chat. Today the same lady was wheeling herself toward another resident's room. The lady who lived in that room said, "This is my room. That is my name on the door. I bought it and you need to go to your own room. Do you know where your room is?" The lady in the wheelchair responded that she didn't know where her room was. The lady saying that was her room must have misheard what she said because she said to the wheelchair-bound woman,"You swallowed it?! I don't think you can swallow a whole room!"
The other day, one of the nurses told me that my mom was sitting in her recliner and her roommate, who mumbles a lot, was in her recliner. The nurse walked in to hear mom's roommate saying something which could not possibly be understood to which my mom replied, "I understand what you're talking about." The nurse said to me that she was glad someone understood. What is funny about that is even if mom's roommate were speaking clearly, my mom's hearing problem, not to mention the memory loss, would have prevented any type of communication.
I am finding that each time I go visit I enjoy the fun comments. The people are very happy in this home. They receive excellent care. They maintain their dignity and they care about each other. Just like you and me, there are times when they get their feathers ruffled. The good news is those times are quickly forgotten. A friend from high school wrote this quote in our senior yearbook, "The power of remembering may be a gift, but the power to forget is a blessing." What did you say? Let's hope we remember the fun and the profound comments of life and let's hope to forget the sticks and stones.

Daughters!

Today is my younger daughter's birthday. It is hard to believe she is the age she is.
Wasn't it just yesterday that I held this little pink joy bundle? I was so thankful when she entered the world at 10 minutes to midnight. I can remember thanking everyone in the delivery room. If the custodian had been in there, he would have been thanked too. Several years after she was born, I learned that Hitler was born on April 20th, whoo, that was close. The doctor called her "The Midnight Rider" and he called me a professional mom at her birth.
Maurice Chevalier sang a song called "Thank Heaven for Little Girls". In the song, one of the lines says, "Thank heaven for little girls
they grow up in the most delightful way!"
This is definitely true of the daughters God blessed us with.
Little girls steal their daddies' hearts and do all the other things that make their dads crazy about them. We know a young man who is very much a man and he just found out he will be the daddy to a baby girl in August. He will be an amazing dad! Yes, I am positive every man would love to have a son, but in God's grand design, He knows exactly what each man really needs.
I am not my daughters' papa, but oh how happy I am to be their mama! Thank you God for my daughters!!

Family

I don't normally write a blog two days in a row, but when I wrote yesterday about marriage that led right into this. When I was a little girl, one of the first song I can remember singing was "Love and Marriage". You know the one, "go together like a horse and carriage..." I was thinking of family today. We all have families. Although when you take a look at some siblings, it is hard to believe they are even related due to different looks, way different personalites and likes and dislikes. We are part of the family of God once we put our trust in Christ. We are part of an earthly home family. We may be part of a church family. We may be part of an extended family through a group we have ties with. When I was teaching, I had a school family.
The other day, I visited my mom at the Assisted Living Home where she lives. She has a dear freind, Wilma, who lives a couple doors down from her. Mom hasn't been feeling very well the past two weeks and Wilma comes in her room in her wheelchair and holds her hand and talks to her. I thanked Wilma for taking care of mom the other day and she said, "Well she's a part of me." Family once again. Both she and mom have dementia but they meet each other's needs. They care for each other. They may not remember each other's names but their faces are a familiar and welcomed sight. My "Mother Teresa" daily calendar right here in the computer room says for today, "You must try to bring the presence of God to your families. I think that just being together and loving one another brings peace and joy and strengthens the bond between family members in the home. That is the way to overcome all the evil that is in the world." As Dionne Warwick would sing,"What the world needs now is love sweet love....". We can echo that in our own family whether at home, in church or in an assisted living home.

Heart Healthy Marriages

Today I shared with the MOPS moms some thoughts on Marriage~A Blessing or a Burden.
A couple months ago, my friend B. and fellow Mentor Mom shared her thoughts on Motherhood~A Blessing or a Burden. I shortened my Mentor Moment since the Y ladies were there and we wanted them to have the time to answer exercise-related questions and a time to do some exercises.I shared about "wifering" and not allowing "mothering" to take a front seat to being a wife. I know first hand, as I was guilty of this when our children were preschoolers. We hear constantly about high profile marriages in shambles from Tiger Woods to The Goslings. Truth be told, many marriages silently are in shambles because marriage priorities are wacko. What happened between dating and several years into marriageland? I guess you might say, "Well, I got my man, now I'll drop the ball." That's what happens more often than not. As my husband has said,"It doesn't take much to make a man happy. There are women out there who, on a daily basis, are offering themselves on a golden platter even if your husband is dog ugly." Wake up, wives, date your husbands!! Sure, Professor Henry Higgins had a fun conversation in song with Pickering about why can't a woman be more like a man, but men are interested in the opposite sex, not a carbon copy of themselves. Proverbs 14:1 says "A wise woman builds her home and a foolish one tears it down." You are the heartbeat of your home. Have you checked your heart rate lately?

Blossoms

What is it about the first signs of spring that cause us to rejoice? Although my favorite season is fall, I would have to claim spring as a close second. We have a red bud tree in our front yard. My husband planted a red bud tree the day after my brother died in 1996 in his memory. That tree was destroyed in a wind storm a year or so ago. So the new red bud is in the same spot and is thriving. Its blossoms are a deep pink. Our pear tree is also in bloom and its blossoms are white. We have apple trees and peach trees sharing in the glorious show going on in our yard. You would think I would be content to just sit and look at all the signs of spring right here on our property. But.... when I saw the cherry blossoms on TV in our nation's Capital, I just needed (wanted) to go there and see them close-up. My husband and I were going to go on Good Friday until we saw the I95 traffic going that way. Then, we decided to go after church on Easter Sunday, however, the traffic said once again,
"That is not a good idea." What we ended up doing was surprising the blossoms and the traffic by being covert and coming in to DC from another angle. Yes, it worked! Of course once we got to Cherry Blossom Central, we encountered the rest of the world who were also there to witness the pretty trees. With no place to park, my chauffeuring husband and me,with camera ready, snapped pictures right and left as our souvenir. We even went to Haines Point where my family and my husband's family had taken us when we were both young children. We may have even been there at the same time way back then and didn't know. Needless to say, it wasn't as crowded back in the sixties as it was this year.
The lesson learned on this Easter is one of gratitude. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of Jesus who died and rose again for each of us. The blossoms sure are pretty too. Thanks, God.

The first day of spring

This morning I was all set to go to a regional book conference with a friend. She and I both enjoy reading and writing, so that was the plan for this first day of spring. We were looking forward to just spending the day together, talking, enjoying the drive, the springy weather and all the things we would absorb from the seminars. However, things don't always go the way we think they will go. Our plans changed due to an emergency in her family. So at 7:30ish this morning I found myself wondering who to call so early on a Saturday morning to go with me or I could go with me, myself and I. It is more fun to spend the day with a friend especially when going to something that we both would love to do. Most of my other friends aren't interested in learning to write short stories, novels or memoirs and I wouldn't have any friends if I called them at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Then a lightbulb from God came on in my head.... "A" would love to go. After making that terribly early phone call and finding out that "A" could go, I thought, "Thanks God for Your Hand in this that You put in motion before our change in plans."

"A" and I both chatted and enjoyed the scenic drive. We learned much from the experts in the writing field. We learned that a picture book should never have more than 800 words tops. Well,of course, that makes sense. However we writer types can get wordy, so just remember a picture is worth a thousand words and be word skimpy.
We also learned to grab the reader with a great opening sentence. That sentence doesn't need to be steamy, raw or over the top, just a really big BANG!
It's also best to write in the present tense so that the reader can feel a part of the story. Go easy on the adverbs and adjectives. Finally, if you are looking to get that manuscript published, don't give the editor a reason to stop reading.
On a personal note, remember that the experts who are critiquing your work are giving you their opinions, so keep writing and don't get discouraged if you get rejected.

That's about all that I learned today on this first day of spring, except for one more thing.... Don't speed:)

St. Patrick's Day

Since today is St.Patrick's Day, I wanted to write a few thoughts about being part Irish and my heritage. In 2005, my daughter and I took a trip to Ireland,Scotland and England. One of her college suite mates was from England and my daughter was going to go solo and spend part of the trip with her suite mate, S. At the last minute she asked me to go along. Well, with her planning every aspect of the trip, all I needed to do was pack and have my passport in hand. I had always wanted to go to Ireland in particular after hearing stories of the Dwyers (my dad's mother's side of the family) and the Jamisons (my mom's mom's side of the family). So, I am probably somewhere between a fourth and a half Irish. There was even talk that my maiden name, Ford, had been O'Ford originally. I'm not sure of the truth about that one. Anyway, off to the land of green we went. Since Ireland was our first stop, we were jet lagged and it was raining. The stories of rain in Ireland are all true, hence the green part! We stayed at a B&B on the outskirts of Dublin and had what the Irish ate for breakfast. One day, we endeavored to walk to Dublin from the B&B. We soon learned that was too far to walk and became acquainted with the bus system there. Ireland has LOTS
of buses going constantly. One day while we were in Dublin, the rain and wind tore our cheap umbrellas, that we had brought from the states, into inside out unusable pieces of fabric and aluminum. So that gave us the opportunity to buy Irish umbrellas, or umbrellas purchased in Ireland. I still use mine today. My daughter also got a cute raincoat that day.
On our way home, we had to find the right numbered bus that our B&B lady had told us to take. There was a pub right down the street from the B&B and we didn't want to miss our stop. So,not knowing the name of the pub, my daughter told the bus driver to let us off at the pub. Yes, there are many, many pubs all over this land of my ancestors. We knew what this pub looked like, but not the name of it as I recall. The bus driver must have really thought we needed a drink badly, because as soon as he came to the pub, he said, "There's the pub!!" We got off quicker than a leprechaun, clicking our heels and happy to be at the pub! Instead of going into the pub, we ran soaking wet back to our comfortable home away from home to put on dry clothes and recoup.
So, today, when you see a pub, pray for the Irish. When you see an Irish Setter, pray for the Irish. When you eat your Lucky Charms cereal, pray for the Irish. When you see 11:11 on your digital clock, pray for the Irish. These are all reminders of the Irish part of my heritage. Since St. Patrick was a praying man, let's honor the day with prayers for the people of Ireland and your Irish background, even if you just have a wee bit of the green in your genes.
Oh, the video is in memory of a dear friend of ours who loved River Dance. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A Cat's Tale

From as far back as I can remember, we have always had a cat in our home. My dad's family loved cats. My mom's family, as she was growing up probably had cats to keep the mouse population down, but I have only heard her talk about the dogs they had.My earliest memory of a cat in our home, was when I was about 5. I was afraid of them, so when our cat had kittens, I carried one in an upside down hat, so it wouldn't scratch me. My brother, on the other hand, inherited the cat lover gene from my dad. He took those baby kittens, put them in my babydoll stroller and came in first place in the annual "babydoll" parade we had in our town. My mom dressed us both up. He in a black top hat and suit and me in a colonial-looking dress. I did not place in the parade because my stroller carried a babydoll of all things:)
So from house to house we would have a kittley-cat, as my brother called them. Even though I would sneeze, have watery eyes and one could tell there was a feline allergy there, my family's motto was, "The cats are here to stay."
I don't know who was in charge of the naming of our cats, but here is a sample: Puddy,Pooper,Rocky,Sugar (both of these being named for the boxers Rocky Graziano and Sugar Ray Leonard), Milo, Dixie, and Demerit. At present, I am finding myself still around cats. Even though my allergies are still around too. My mom's second Milo cat is one that I care for although he lives outside these days. I also feed a feral cat which I captured in a crate, took it to get it spaded and released again. She is called Cat Scan (my husband named her) and her kitten, Will Feral, which is about 1 year old now.
My daughter, who has the same love for cats that my dad, mom and brother had, rescued an expecting cat a few months ago. She didn't know the cat was expecting. She just found the small one outside of her apartment complex and took her and her kitten in. I think that since she had a small kitten with her, we just didn't consider the fact that she was pregnant with yet another litter.
That first kitten, a male, is now happily living on a farm with several other cats. He has a wonderful home.
Then on December 6 of last year, the 5 little kittens were born. Four males and 1 female. Yes, they were named, Big O., Baby Girl, Loud Mouth, Bojangles and Hissy Fit. She named the mama, Mamacita.
So now my new job description is Home Finder for Cats. I have found homes for four of the kittens. Two went to a family with a boy and a girl. Two went to a family with 2 girls, one for each. I happen to see the lady who took those two quite often, so I am told these cats wear outfits and are getting fat. So they're happy!
Tonight, Hissy Fit, will go to a family with 3 children. Mamacita may be going to an elderly lady who has called about her. Even though, I am not a cat person, I do get attached to them. I try not to pet them too much and when I do, I wash my hands to avoid the effects of feline fur. I was especially attached to our Dixie cat, but she was incontinent due to the breed- a manx. "Smelly Cat" as Phoebe on Friends would sing about would have been what Dixie was too.
If you happen to have a cat that needs a loving home, don't call me.

Uncle Dick

Last week was my husband's Uncle Dick's funeral. He had broken his hip just before Thanksgiving and never really recovered from this. He was a man on the go and a broken hip plus other complications didn't spell "go". His daughter told him to "Fight, Dad." His answer was a simple, "NO!" He was ready to go as he missed his wife so much when she died 5 years ago.
At his funeral, 2 of his friends spoke of his gusto for life. His son spoke warmly of a dad who explained the workings of a refrigerator and car air-conditioning system to his brother and himself as teenagers. The joke is that if you asked Uncle Dick what time it was, he would tell you how a watch works. He had an ability to explain anything complicated so that even a 2 year-old could comprehend. One of his friends shared humorous stories of their outings on the water as Uncle Dick loved to "captain" the boats he sailed and motored. He was a great captain. Then it was my husband's turn to share his memories of this beloved uncle. The word joy is what my husband shared. Uncle Dick was a joy-filled man. He delighted in the love of his life, Marg, to whom he had been married for 54 years. He enjoyed fixing things. His degree from Virginia Tech was in Electrical Engineering.
Everytime we would go visit Uncle Dick and Aunt Marg, he would teach me something new. I learned the secret to making scrumptious pancakes. I learned what to look for in a griddle pan.I learned what "muzak" is. I learned how to get a bang for your buck! I really needed Uncle Dick at his funeral because right after the funeral and before the reception, I ran into the bathroom. I wanted to go before the group of people got there. Anyway, I got locked into the stall. I twisted the lock every which way. I jiggled the door. I lifted up and pushed down. Nothing! My only recourse was to go under the door in my dress, which didn't have a full skirt. There was noone else in the bathroom of 3 stalls for me to call upon for help. Where was Uncle Dick when I needed him? He could have not only opened the door with whatever McGiver tool he had, but he could tell me how to fix the lock so that any other unsuspecting bathroom-goer wouldn't get stuck again. I shared this story with my husband and cousins and that produced a light-hearted moment. Yes, his degree was in electrical engineering, but he was an excellent teacher.
Generosity was his middle name. He was fun, lovable, intelligent and will be dearly missed.

Lent

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. Through most of my years as a Christian, I thought of Ash Wednesday as a Catholic thing. I didn't understand the purpose of the ashes on peoples' foreheads. In my heart, I thought of Lent as just another meaningless ritual. However, in the past several years, Lent has become a season in my life that gives me time to reflect on all that Christ did for us leading up to the cross and while on the cross. As our pastor put ashes on our foreheads last night and said, "From dust you came and from dust you shall return", it made me realize once again the brevity of life. What can I do differently in the next forty days leading up to Easter to learn more of God. Yes, I have given up chocolate, much like many others during this period of time. What else? Then God planned a thought in my mind during the service last night. I have spent a lot of time, precious time, on Facebook this past year. I play scrabble with my cousin, which I enjoy, even though I continue to lose:) I like to eavesdrop on other facebookers as they post their "what's happening" posts. Wouldn't it be better for me to seek the FACE of God and spend more time in His BOOK? That really isn't a question, just a simple observation. There are no thoughts in my head that are not brought to mind on my own. They are all a result of God's sovereignty. So, so long facebook for this lenten season. "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" by Keith Green, will be my lenten theme for the next forty days.


Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

I want to take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.

I want to take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Loaves and Fishes

Just before Christmas our "beginner" church was just that. We are renting a lovely sanctuary from a Seventh Day Adventist Church that does not use the sanctuary on Sundays. We are very grateful to have a such a beautiful place to worship. However, on most Sunday mornings the group of us numbered about 20 or so and the sanctuary can seat about 200. Then sometime in mid-December, more people began to come. Several people from another denomination had started to come before the pews began to fill up. Those several people liked what they heard and saw and they encouraged more families to try our church. The sanctuary has a center aisle and once you have found the pew and side you like, you pretty much stay planted there. Well, my husband and I are left-sided sitters as you would look at the sides from the back of the church. The newcomers clumped on the left side too. So, we were a bit lop-sided for a few weeks. Then the snow descended upon our area and church services were cancelled for 2 weeks in a row. Yesterday, which I will call "The Loaves and the Fishes Sunday", more people came and we are lop-sided no longer. The head count was just over 100!!! Before church started yesterday, a friend who sits on the other side, asked me, "Were you a former ________ (the name of the denomination that has joined us)?" I said,"No." Shortly after my friend said this, I looked back and saw many more filling in the right side. I am just amazed at how God is growing us. I am not one to stand up and shout Hallelujah or Amen, but with the loaves and the fishes He is giving us, I might just surprise myself and shout out a word of praise.
As we prepare for Lent on Wednesday, may the ashes remind us of the season between February 17 and Easter. A time to reflect and contemplate what God has done for us. Thank you, God, for the loaves and the fishes and many other blessings that You will reveal to me during this time.

So Much Snow

This weekend, we had around 18" of snow. It is very pretty! In many ways, it is nice to be snowed in. Our neighbor began shoveling our street with his tractor/plow on Friday evening. If it weren't for him, our street would be impassable each time we get a heavy snow. So thank you, Charlie and son and son-in-law for the terrific service for our street. The county plows have not been seen on the side streets, but I am sure there are many main roads occupying their time. We lost our power for about 6 hours yesterday. It came back on around 6 PM yesterday, then out again from 8:30 through the night and back on again mid-afternoon today. My husband cooked breakfast and made coffee on our gas grill. Love that man!! He started a fire in the fireplace and then when breakfast was ready and the house was as "cozy-ozy" (my daughter's lingo), as possible without power,he called me to come and get it. I do think I will keep him.
I have often said if I were a pilgrim, I would be one of the dead ones in that first winter in America. That's a fact.
Since we didn't go to church, our pastor encouraged us to worship at home and to use Psalm 19 as a focal point. Even though we were without the kind of power I have grown accustom to, I am never without the power of God as He reveals Himself to me, especially in a snowstorm.
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard. [a]

4 Their voice [b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Groundhog Day

When I was teaching, I taught the children this little ditty about Groundhog Day. I had heard it when my own kiddos were little.

"I'm a walkin' weather station. I only work one day a year. It's the perfect occupation, because on February 2, I say what the weather's gonna do!"

Phil the Groundhog saw his shadow this morning. Spring is not just around the corner. I think he sees that shadow more times than not. Keep on keeping on, but also pray for no more snow. We have had more than enough of the pretty white stuff for a while. Oh, and Happy Groundhog Day!

Just A Little More

When I set out for my first hour of PT on Wednesday, I had no idea that I would not finish. After an hour and 20 minutes (20 minutes of warm-up), I had only done arm super sets. Yes, super sets was a new term for me. What that means is, 1 set of this type arm exercise and immediately go to another type of arm training. You start off with 15 reps at the lowest weight, then decrease reps by 2 while increasing weights. Got that? Anyway, once all the arms' work was done, I went to the leg press and perfect squats. Let me be the first to tell you, there is nothing perfect about the perfect squat. It may very well be the most dreaded exercise machine ever invented. After doing 1 set of not-so-perfect squats, I nearly passed out. It wasn't because I was out of air, it was because I ran out of strength, literally. Does muscle failure sound like a good thing? My husband who has been working out since before Noah built the Ark, told me to always quit before muscle failure. I didn't know muscle failure was lurking in my body, otherwise I would have said to J. STOP!
Today, I will be looking for that sneaky thing and will breathe through my nose, not my mouth as I did on Wednesday and try very hard not to look like I'm ready to keel over. Here I go!

Personal Training

As one of my Christmas presents, I received a gift certificate for 3 sessions of personal training. Today will be the first session. Apparently, there is a special, so since I have the 3 sessions , I will get a 4th one free. Oh Boy! (said with no excitement) It is part of my daily routine to workout. I will run one day and lift the next. The personal trainer part is what is different. I have had 1 shared session with J. and toward the end, I turned a shade of grayish-green as the amount of weight he had me lifting was way more than what I would normally do.
There are many trainers out there. Some of them just say, "Great job, you're doing awesome!" When if the truth be told, you're not really doing much. They are just there to encourage, yet not really push you to your limits. J. is not one of these. He pushes his clients to be all that they can be and that's not an Army slogan only.
If I don't work very hard today, he may just say some things which I won't want to hear but are necessary words to "motivate" me.
So, what am I saying about the upcoming torture hour? I am saying, I know I won't die (at least not from this). I know what he has me do will make me stronger. I will be sore tomorrow. Let's get this over with, at least until next week.

Bob

My brother-in-law Bob died on Tuesday.I will miss him. Just like his name, Bob was uncomplicated. If he had on a plaid pair of pants and a striped shirt, that was just fine. They are clothes. If his belt was undone, so be it. Some of his favorite songs were, "The Bird Is The Word" (uncomplicated lyrics), "I would Walk 500 Miles" and "Do It Anyway", by Martina McBride. The words are here:


You CAN spend your whole life buildin'
Something from nothin
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You CAN chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great but sometimes life aint good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This worlds gone crazy
And it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all YOUR heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
love em anyway

God is great but sometimes life aint good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yeah I do it anyway, YEAH,

You can pour your soul out singin'
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yeah sing it anyway, YEAH, YEAH

I sing
I dream
I love anyway, yeah.

He was a suppportive brother-in-law. When my husband, his youngest brother would tease me about something, I would say, "I'm calling Bob." I knew he would be on my side.

Bob loved to play golf,fish, watch TV sports and teach Sunday School. Everybody liked Bob, yes everybody.

See ya, Bob.

2010

This is the first blog for me as we begin 2010. I took down the Christmas tree today. Well,it's still standing, naked though, as my husband has to carry it outside. We still get a fresh tree every year, unlike many others who seem to be going fake more and more. We will always have a real tree because that is the way it is! Even if I should outlive my younger by a year and a half spouse, I will drag a smaller one in (tree, not husband) and decorate it. I put the yulelog away that he made in junior high school. The rest of the decorations are in boxes but not stored in the attic just yet. I seem to always forget one or two Christmasy things around the house, so I will finish the storing part tomorrow. I went to the Y and ran my usual 30 plus minutes on the faithful treadmill. This was my second time to run in the new year and today was a lot easier than Saturday. New year's resolutions? Well now, let me see.... I think I will pick one and hope to keep that one. Even though we are 5 days into this new decade, I haven't settled on that one. For now, I will endeavor to keep putting my random thoughts down and enjoy each day!!