Airport Gal's Blog

The bird feeder

2011-02-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh! Birds are the most amazing creatures!

My aunt and cousins gave me money to buy something to remember my dad by--when he passed away several years ago. So, I bought a bird feeder!

It's hanging up outside our dining room window and has provided hours of amazement! We've experimented with different kinds of food and have settled on safflower seeds and suet (for the woodpeckers).

Squirrels detest safflower seed, so that's been a positive choice. But the suet?! You would think that we put out nectar from the gods!

The woodpeckers come in ones and twos, the nut hatches come sailing in to land upside down and peck away, but the starlings come barreling in--screeching, pecking the suet and any other bird that gets close, hogging the entire feeder until they all swirl away. They are like a tribe of completely unruly and bratty children! Not a single refinement among the lot of them!

The sparrows and chickadees nervously land, pluck up one seed and fly up to the higher branches to break open the outer covering and get at the little piece of seed inside.

We see a sprinkling of tit mouse, wrens, doves, and cardinals...all colors, all sizes, some ground feeders, some shy, mostly just hungry!

Reminds me of people! :-)

I Choose!

2011-02-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

As I look back over 2010 and into 2011, I am amazed at all the things that have happened! Death, new life, traveling, mundane-everyday stuff, great books read, emotional and spiritual growth...on and on!

So, what does this coming year hold? Probably more of the same! And, is there a point to all of this? Does what I think, or do, or say really matter in the larger scheme of things? I think so! I might not be famous or well-known or any of those things, but my life has significance in God!

I'm learning that He delights in me...dotes on me...is crazy about me. I was in his heart and mind before the universe was made. He had already planned out my existence. These thoughts are too high and mighty for me to really take in and comprehend. I seem to see more of my failures and faults than I see worth....but God doesn't look at me that way!

And so, what I decide to do or not do, even today, means more than I can possibly understand. What I say to others, how I respond to each person that passes in and out of my life, how I treat Rusty, how much time I spend on the computer or not, what I think about...all of it has meaning. God wants my whole heart! All of it.

I'm learning about "servant hood." What does that look like? How can I actually serve others--even those closest to me with an attitude of gentleness and graciousness? Once again, I see my failures and faults, but God does not look at me through those "tinted glasses" of a finite being. He sees me through a vast heart of love and mercy that I cannot comprehend!

So, today...I choose to place my life, my hands and feet, my mouth, my whole being into His most capable hands! I give myself to the workings of the Holy Spirit and I wait to see what kind of great adventure lies before me.

It might just be vacuuming, dusting, ironing, cooking--or it might be something high and grand! Whatever it is...I will keep in mind how much God loves me and what I'm worth to Him!

This is for Peri!

2010-11-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

No excuse! I won't do it to you! I'll just write!

I started taking an on-line (sort-of) writing course through the Institute of Children's Literature. I love it, but I can't set aside the time that I need to--to write! What's wrong with this picture?

I have all kinds of things bottled up inside that I want to say. I want to tell stories, share experiences, and possibly be of encouragement to some little kid or young person.

If I can make my bed and keep the kitchen fairly clean, surely I can sit down at my computer and write. You would think.

So, my Christmas shopping is done. I have about 5 gifts left to wrap. I sent off two huge boxes of books to my daughter who arrives at my son's home in Delaware tomorrow with her 2 kids in tow (from Dubai), etc, etc. So, why can't I make time to write for my class, like I'm supposed to?

Any suggestions?

Clown Baby

2010-07-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

We raced blindly down the gravel road on our bikes. All we knew was that Clown Baby was right behind us and if he caught up to us, we would be in big trouble.

Clown Baby was a young bull calf that my dad was raising for the summer. Even though we loved reaching through the bars of his pen to feed him carrots and feel his black, sandpaper tongue-- we knew better than to actually get inside!

Clown Baby’s little nubby horns were pushing up through the hair on his head. He loved to push against our hands and we could see the glitter in his eyes when he did it. Dad warned us again and again that Clown Baby would hurt us if we ventured too close.

To this day, I have no idea how he got out, but he was not only mean, he was smart! One minute, we were circling the yard on our bikes, the next minute—here he came. A black and white streak headed right towards us.

We took off down the driveway as fast as we could peddle. Up the hill was a big left-over pile of dirt from building the road. We raced towards it—jumped off our bikes and scrambled to the top as quickly as we could. In terror we watched Clown Baby lunging towards us!

Dad roared up the driveway in his old Willy’s Jeep. He jumped out, yelling, “Clown Baby!” The sound of his voice must have distracted that calf, because he swung around and put his head down—charging right for my dad!

A quickly swung rope brought Clown Baby to a halt and dad tossed that calf right over the side of the pickup and jumped right in after him—tying him up snug!

We were all crying and blubbering as we staggered down that dirt pile into dad’s open arms! I didn’t know it then, but that night after we went to bed, I heard him tell my mom, “Man, was I scared! When I saw the hole in the fence where that little sucker crawled through—I knew he’d head right for the kids!”

I rolled over and went to sleep. Boy, did I love my dad!

Camping in Circumstances

2009-11-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I last wrote! I used to journal almost every day and thought that I might get back into the habit if I had access to a computer. However, I find that I haven't gotten back into the habit like I thought I would.

I have something I want to "talk about". It may or may not be of interest to those of you who may stumble across this blog. But, it's meant a great deal to me lately!

Numbers 9: 17-23 in the Bible reads as follows: "When the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the People of Israel marched out; and when the Cloud descended the people camped. the People of Israel marched at God's command and they camped at his command. As long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, they camped. Even when the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for many days, they honored God's command and wouldn't march. They stayed in camp, obedient to God's command, as long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, but the moment God issued orders they marched. If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference--when the Cloud lifted, they marched. It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when The Cloud went up, they got up and marched. They camped at God's command and they marched at God's command. They lived obediently by God's orders as delivered by Moses."

OK...that was a bit long-winded, so here's my what has been going through my mind on this one. First of all, this part of the Bible was written in Hebrew. When things are repeated--it's because they were important. We use punctuation to emphasize importance nowadays...but back when this was written, to repeat something again and yet again, showed great importance.

Then....I began to think about the circumstances that Travis and I are in. Taking care of my mother-in-law, etc. It appears that "The Cloud" has camped right here! (The Cloud represented God's Presence to the Children of Israel.) It appears that we need to learn to camp in these circumstances and not be whining or discontented with what God has brought into our lives! Just learn to be obedient in what He's asked us to do.

Has it been easy to always answer kindly? Or to show patience when I've been awakened again for the 3rd or 4th time during the night? I must admit that I've failed in these areas...however, I'm learning to settle my heart--to reach beyond myself where I put my hand in God's Hands and ask for His help! He's got way more love and patience then I ever dreamed of and has promised to pour out His help if we need it. We just have to ask!

I'm asking all the time! Until next time!

Brick-A-Brack

2009-09-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Good morning...oh, such good intentions! I'm going to write more often--opps, didn't do it again! (Sigh)

My mother-in-law is in the hospital undergoing surgery on a parathyroid gland, as I write this. We had 2 really amazing days with her...wide awake, talkative, not too terribly ill, but last night after I had put her to bed...that blasted gland gave her another high dose of calcium and she fell back into a muttering, out-of-touch, poor lady! We're hoping for the best--that this removal of said gland will restore her to a much better state of living!

Someone said to me just the other day, that we love new babies! We can't wait to hold them, coo over them, etc., etc. But, our old people--we find it very unnerving and difficult to deal with them. They need just as much holding and cooing, etc. How true that is! I've watched as Travis or his brother hug their mom...she just melts up next to them. When I walk her--I hold one hand and put an arm around her back. She leans into me. As I feed her, I stroke her hand and she sighs with pleasure--even as she's trying desperately to swallow her soup or juice. We, as humans, need touch, don't we?

Such little things we take for granted. A nice hot shower, clean clothes, brushed teeth! I watch her as we perform all these little things and she glows afterwards. She doesn't necessarily remember any of it, but you can see the cares of life wash away--just like the water running down the drain!

She said to me yesterday, "It's the little things that matter! You can sit on a mountaintop, but you can't sit on a pin!" Isn't that great?

So--let me mention a few little things! I finished painting our office! Yahoo! I had the idea of where I wanted the computer--but Travis suggested a different location--in front of the window and it's wonderful! (It was much easier since all the wiring was on that side of the room, too!) We were able to acquire 2 new sofa sleepers over Labor Day weekend and have the office and basement set up--ready for company!

I'm still working on getting a few more things put away in the office...but it's pretty much organized. Just have to hang a few pictures and I'm finished!

Travis and I have started back once again on watching our food intake and I'm really trying to exercise. This time, I write it on the calendar in the bathroom that is hung over the scales! Ha! It really does help! (And when I mow the yard, I count that as my exercise, too!) It's a big yard and I'm pooped when I finish! That should count for something!

As I close--I want to express my gratefulness to God! I couldn't possibly live this life without Him. He opens my eyes to the little things and reminds me how important they really are! Without Him, I would be constantly trying to sit on the pins and not climb the mountains!

Goodbye Lament

2009-08-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's 5:45 am and I'm very sad! My daughter, Jessica, along with her two little boys have driven away with Travis to catch a plane in St. Louis as they are on their return trip to Dubai. All the "children noise" is gone and the house will be hauntingly quiet again. Don't get me wrong...I like quiet, but the thought of being so far apart makes my heart ache!

The coffee is brewing, so I'll fill my favorite cup, curl up on the couch for a few precious moments with God and pour out my sadness to Him. Life will pick up again, I'll be busy with all kinds of activities, but for this one tiny blog I'll fling out a lament for my daughter's leaving!

O Jessica...que Dios te bendiga y te amo mi hijita tan, tan preciosa!

The Little Woman

2009-08-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm reading the book, "The Little Woman" by Gladys Alyward, to my mother-in-law! What an amazing story of endurance and fortitude, not to mention a tremendous love for God! A must-read! Hollywood bought the rights to her story years ago and produced the movie, "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" starring Ingrid Bergman. I've watched it over and over again!

Of course, being Hollywood, they had to throw in a love story that never existed and weren't really able to portray the tremendous suffering and danger that Gladys lived through. Interestingly enough, my son-in-law's grandmother, Dora Chamberlin, actually had the opportunity to meet Gladys in England, years ago. Dora gave me a little packet of newspaper articles and an actual bookmark from China that Gladys had given to her. It's very precious to me!

Gladys was an uneducated woman...a parlor maid, who felt a call of God on her life to go to China. And she was amazingly used by the Lord to accomplish things that we can only imagine! It gives me hope for my own life! There is such tremendous hope in God! Not just a religious belief, but I have experienced His personal touch over and over and over again!

And to close...I have to let you know that I'm typing on my very own brand new computer here at home! Hey...if you want to hear more about Gladys and don't have time to read and find the book, I'll be glad to post some of her stories! :-)

Mundane Days

2009-08-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Much to do about nothing! That's my blog for today! Lots of little things--nothing terribly significant, but I read somewhere that the mundane should be much preferred to some huge catastrophe! Nothing wrong with having days of sameness, so to speak!

We have thoroughly enjoyed having Jessica, Corban, and Joshua home from Dubai for this past month! Corban turned 9 at the end of July and is getting so tall! He's entered that age of wanting to know exactly what it was that you just said. Not content to be put off with some trite little, "We'll talk about that later." And Joshua? Oh my gosh! The terrible twos are a reality! What a busy, inquisitive little boy! One of his favorite pasttimes is trotting over to the corner cupboard, opening it up and pulling out my jars of nuts. I give him one or two, then he takes it back and gets the next one out!

Jessica's husband, Gary, was able to come for about a week and that was wonderful! He's such a blessing as a son-in-law...and so easy to have around! I can see where his sons get their inquisitive minds! He just loves searching things out and getting a good deal is a real joy to him! Ha!

Our son, Crispin, flew up from Orlando for the weekend--to see his sister and I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to have my kids home. Our home used to be such a beehive of activity, but is now very quiet. I enjoy quiet too, don't get me wrong, but I love to sit back and watch the interaction of brothers and sisters!

Jessica, Sara, Erich, and I had a garage sale last weekend and made about $350. Doesn't sound like much, but I got rid of tons of things that have been piling up in my basement. Some of the oddest things were the first to go, too! You never know what will be appealing to different people. I think I was most pleased to see so many of my books go!

I love to read and have hauled tons of books (literally) to South America and back. But, over the past few years, I feel like my obsession with having books everywhere has come to an end. I realized that I'm quite happy with or without shelves and shelves of books that I will never read again! I never thought that I would come to this--but it's really quite liberating! Don't worry! I still have lots that I wasn't ready to part with!

This past weekend, I was able to take advantage of the "no sales tax" and purchased a new computer and 3-in-one printer for our home office. Our old computer still ran (sort of) but I would turn it on--go put in a load of wash, do some dishes, come back--type in a passcode, go off to do some more chores, and so forth! I'm not kidding! Talk about slower than molasses in January! It's all set up and ready to go. After the kids all leave, I'm going to paint the office and get some shelving put up to hold all of my letter-writing paraphenalia, etc. I'm really excited to have it turn into a real office and not just a catch-all!

Have you ever watched "Clean House" on STYLE? Great program! But, I don't want my home to turn into a place where those folks would come visit! I really don't have the greatest decorating style, but I'm having fun with paint! And, I LOVE color! I think I've mentioned that before.

Some real exciting news! Maria gave birth to a little girl...Madison Marie Widelko and Joah's fiancee gave birth to Ethan Cruz St. John just a few days later. So, our family stretches from newborns to 91+ years old. And we are excited with the new and blessed with caring for the old!

Well, I think I've caught you up on everything that's going on. Oh yes, my mother-in-law! Evelyn really is fading before our eyes. She takes a tremendous amount of care, but sleeps most of the time. She perks up after having a bath--tells me over and over that she loves being clean and loves the smell of soap and water! I've had some consistent breaks--usually in the afternoons when she has her extended nap. A lady comes over and is just there in case something comes up--so I come to the airport to help with mowing or run errands, etc. I still try to read to her every day and she loves listening to music on a walkman that Erich gave her!

Much to do about nothing! I love the mundane--how about you?

There You Are!

2009-06-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

I read back through a couple of my postings and I have to chuckle! Such inspirational thoughts--I know that they were inspired by Someone outside of myself. And how do I know that? Because, I'm in the grubby business of life right now. There may be wonderful colors in my life that only God can see...I sure can't.

But, this really isn't about me, is it? We have a new family member living permanently with us. Well, as permanent as life is here and now. Changes are constantly popping out around the next corner. My mother-in-law, Evelyn, has come to be cared for by Travis and myself. Her daughter watched over her for 5 years and is completely burned out, so we stepped up to take a turn.

What a ride we're on! You never know from day to day what's going to be on the agenda! All I can say is that whoever invented "Depends"--Diapers for Adults, needs a big hug! Mind you, accidents happen--but not on purpose, so that makes it easier to deal with!

The other morning, I popped into the "tulip room" to say good morning. Evelyn has named it that as I have a bright yellow comforter with tulips on her bed. She stared up at me and said, "Who are you?" I answered, "I'm Lucy." She said, "No you're not, Lucy has longer hair." I chuckled, "Oh, I have my hair pulled up with a barrette." I let it down and she got the biggest smile on her face. "Oh, there you are!!!" (Do you remember that scene in the movie, "Hook", where the little lost boy is pushing Peter's face around and then exclaims, "Oh, there you are, Peter!")

Did you know that little kids get very upset when adults in their worlds, change their hair style or color? So, quite often, we are talking to a little girl living in an adult body! At other times, Evelyn pops back into the picture and we have some very adult conversations!

I keep thinking of a quote that I heard from Rick Warren (Purpose-Driven Life). God has called us to SERVICE--not SERVE US! That's been a huge help in adjusting my schedule, my time, my feelings to taking care of an elderly person in the last stages of her life!

Like I said, you never, ever know what's coming next! But, life really is a great adventure! And we have a choice! We can grow with each circumstance or we can hunker down in self-pity, anger, having a discontented heart, etc.

I choose ADVENTURE today!

The 9th Life in a Cat's Life

2009-06-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Two days ago, another cat showed up here at the airport. He was gray and white, very skinny, but just as friendly as Hensley, a Russian Gray that showed up several years ago. Hensley has since passed on...so when I saw another kitty with his same long, lean look and constant purr, I was excited!

He was very hungry--all I had on hand was a stale hotdog bun, but that seemed to fill his belly, at least until I could get some regular cat food. I bought a small bag of food, but he seemed to have trouble chewing it.

Rusty, our dog, was his usual gracious self--when it comes to cats, but did emit a few low growls when the cat came close to his bowl! :-)

I made an appointment with the vet, took him in yesterday afternoon, but received the sad news that he was dying of Feline Leukemia. In fact, his scruffy, unwashed appearance, constant lying down (even with the on-going purr) and tenderness in his mouth was indicative of a fatal disease. There was really no choice to be made...he needed to be put down.

So, I paid the bill and left him in the sympathetic arms of the vet. As I drove away, I was thinking about God's creatures. The Lord must have sent him to us at just a time in his life when his suffering needed to be alleviated. We could have ignored him--shued him away, but I think that we need to have God's heart towards animals. The Lord has put His creation into human hands to care for--not to abuse, nor to exploit, or torment!

Now...with that said, it's time to go mow!

Surrender

2009-06-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mindi, inspired me to sit down and write again. I will not bore any of you with my excuses. I'll just write!

I just read something interesting. And I quote, "God expects us to surrender to Him. When we look at everything God has made, we might see what could help us to understand. The sun, the stars, the flowers, the trees--they are all in His power."

Let me pause here. I started thinking about the things in nature. They really don't have ANY choice about anything, do they? Trees are made to drop their seeds. Seedlings grow wherever they fall--good or bad soil, doesn't matter. Birds migrate, make nests, raise their young, migrate, die...all because that's what they're programmed to do. Flowers bloom wherever they are planted. Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, drought...comes and goes, but nature doesn't have a choice as to what it's subjected to. And surprisingly enough...it lives on--just as it is programmed to do!

We, as humans, are the only creatures with CHOICE! We can do, or say, or be, or....anything we choose to do or say or be....We can choose to get up in the morning if we want, we can choose to drink or eat too much, we can choose to love or to hate, to hold a grudge or forgive, to open ourselves up to God or shove Him away. We can choose to surrender our lives to His Power or not!

I have been thoroughly enjoying a little flower garden that I've planted (with lots of help) along the front of the our house. Every morning, I walk out beside it to see what new thing might be poking it's head up out of the ground. When the irises were blooming, I was thrilled! I couldn't get enough with staring down inside the flowers to enjoy all the varying colors represented in one bloom.

And...I'm much, much more motivated to keep it weeded now. I won't begin to tell you what a mess it was last year...no flowers, a few bushes and hundreds of weeds! If my flower garden is going to look beautiful, it's my responsibility to maintain the upkeep of it. Doesn't God do that with us? He's asked us to surrender to His Will...to bloom where we are planted...to respond to His Care! Won't He care for us more than I would for a few irises and hostas?

I think that I often live as if I don't believe that's true! I get frustrated, angry, grumpy, lazy...and bury myself in pursuits that are meaningless! I forget that the Lord is leaning over me...gazing into my life and experiencing great pleasure at colors that I don't realize I have! As I come out of myself--quit focusing on silly, negative thoughts and turn my face to the Son...Surrender to Him becomes more and more of a great adventure!

And that's what we all want...purpose and adventure in our short time here on earth. We have no idea what awaits us on the other side of death! We get glimpses of heaven as we read about it in the Bible, but who wants to live a purposeless and mindless life here and now?

I think I'll be a Daylily today! (those are the next flowers in my garden to bloom!) I wonder what color or colors will pop out as I quit thinking about myself and start thinking about those around me, but most of all about the One who is the great love of my life!

Farm Fresh Veggies

2009-04-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Have you ever heard of giving a farmer a lump sum of money before the growing season starts and then having a box of fresh veggies and fruits delivered once a week to a designated spot to be picked up by you?

Well, we're trying a new thing this spring! Since I have no time to put in an actual vegetable garden (I can barely stay on top of mowing the yard and weeding ONE flower bed), we're buying "boxes" from Sellmeyer's Farm here in Fulton, MO. I picked up our first box last night!

A big bunch of radishes, a lovely bunch of green onions, a bag of lettuce, chives, oregano, cilantro, 1/2 doz brown eggs, and a small loaf of applesauce bread. Since the growing season is just beginning, the box was a bit sparse--but it will be filling up more and more!

So, I made a lovely salad with sauted shrimp sprinkled on top for supper last night! And was it ever delicious!

Top 4

2009-04-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for a day such as this to sit down and write to all of you! Travis is flying his mother and Adela back to Minnesota and it's very quiet here today at the airport. Maybe I'll get this written without too many interruptions!

For the past month, my dear mother-in-law has been staying with us--as you know. There have been days when I felt stretched past my endurance, but other days have been wonderful!! I don't know what I would have done without our dear friend, Adela, being here! She carried the bulk of care during the days when I had to come to the airport and what a blessing she was! It really is important for more than one person to be caring for an elderly parent. Kind of like raising kids...you need a mom and a dad, as well as extended family and friends for support! My heart really goes out to single parents!

So, what have I learned from this experience of caring for a person of advanced age?
1. It's important to get some exercise! Adela would walk on the trail near our house as often as possible. I prefer a "Leslie Sansone" DVD for a walking workout! But, either way...exercise is a complete stress reliever!
2. A sense of humor is an absolute MUST! I don't think that I've laughed and giggled so much in ages! And getting up in the middle of the night--several times? Yep, a sense of humor!
3. A strong sense of urgency! Things need to be done NOW! Not just physical things...like walking someone into the bathroom--but addressing issues! Sometimes, hurtful things are said on both sides and it's important to take care of those things! More often than not, things from the past are rehearsed over and over again. When that happens, I've learned to stop the conversation and verbally explore the reasons behind it. Amazing results!
4. A constant connection to God! He is the source of love and understanding! He has turned irritating circumstances around time and again--filling me with peace and mercy!

I'm sure there's a great many other things that I could think of, but those are the top 4! By the way, getting old is not all it's cracked up to be! But, in God's wisdom, He allows all of us to grow through difficult circumstances!

I went home for lunch and walked into an empty house! Was it quiet? Yes, but pretty doggone lonely. No little old lady sitting in her chair to greet me and say, "Good morning!", when it was clearly the middle of the day! Sigh...

Ups and Downs

2009-04-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Time to update you a bit!

First things first! Crispin is home from Iraq, safe and sound! He spent a week with us and just left this past Monday to drive back down to Orlando where he lives! We had lots of time to process through many of his experiences in a war zone. All I can say is that GOD was there! HE covered Crispin before and behind!

So, that's an "Up!"

We're taking care of my mother-in-law for awhile, as my sister-in-law needed a break! Evelyn is now 91 years old and we've seen a sharp decline since last year. She remembers less and less--even confuses stories from long ago--mixing in details from other people, etc. But, we've had some good conversations tucked in here and there! She is most alert in the morning at breakfast, but also in the evening about 6 pm. So, we have to take advantage of those moments by reading stories to her out of a marvelous book about animals. We read the Bible in the morning and sing hymns to start her day. Sometimes she's there and other times, she's not! Just the way it is! Not easy! Can't change a thing! Just love on her!

That's kind of a "down!" Not being able to change some things!

Now, for a very funny thing! A few days ago, she was in a huge pout all day! Nothing was right! Everything was wrong! Wrong food, grump, grump, grump! I have to help her to the bathroom, as she has little use of her eyes! So, we shuffled into the bathroom and I got her in position by the toilet. She can manage the rest of the way. As I headed out the door, I said (as always), "Now Evelyn, you take care of business and I'll be back in to check on you." She said, "Why do I have to do everything? I even have to pull down my own pants!!!"

Man oh man! That hit my funny bone. I still am chuckling to thing about how overworked she is! Even has to pull down her own pants! :-)

Another "up!"

She asked me, "Why am I still here? Why doesn't God take me home?" And I realized that she's in my life right at this time to help me grow in areas that I wouldn't otherwise! I'm being stretched to love when it might not be that easy to do, nor even remembered! I'm being asked to get up in the middle of the night for a bathroom run and be pleasant even when I just want to pull the covers over my eyes and ignore those calls for help coming through the baby monitor. God is asking me to rethink my meals that I prepare. I can't always make what suits my fancy. I have to think about another person that has very different tastes than Travis and I do!

So, that feels like a "down", but it's really an "up!" In the long run, I'll be a better person for having gone through this.

Our Bolivian friend, Adela, is here with us, as well! And she's a God-Send! She's visiting during the same time as Evelyn is with us and has been nothing but a huge HELP! She's very loving and kind to my mother-in-law and she's being stretched by having to practice English as well as step in for hours at a time when I come out to work at the airport, while Travis is giving lessons and flying!

So....that's life right now! Ups and downs! Maybe it's always like that for all of us! Some bad mixed in with the good...stretching and growing us, if we'll allow it!

The Cow Prayer!

2009-03-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

On to the topic of the day! Down the street from the airport is a lovely old house that sits on 10 acres. It has historic value, has been completely remodeled and was recently (last summer) purchased by a family from ????

I met the wife who came through looking for one of her cats--and she told me that they love horses. Indeed they do! They fenced off a corral, promptly brought in 2 horses and a pony! It appeared an idyllic setting. Then, they brought in a dairy cow...then, winter set in.

Now, the whole area is one churning sea of mud. The grass is gone (eaten or trampled), the little shed that was built for perhaps two animals has to house four, and for most of the winter--cow was locked into this tiny cubicle--never let out into the main corral for exercise.

Well, I decided that God loved the animals way more than I did. I'm not a farmer, so know little about taking care of large farm animals, but seeing cow locked away like that just didn't set well with me.

My mom came to visit and since she was raised on a dairy farm, she threw a fit! (I guess I was right...cow did need to be let out.) So, guess what? I started praying! Every morning and evening as I drove by, I asked the Lord to help the new owners to receive some kind of instruction about letting cow "out of prison". And yep! You guessed it! Cow has been released!

The horses and cow go in and out of the little shed at leisure! Cow wanders over to the fence and stares longingly into the huge field where lots of beef cattle are grazing. Once in awhile, a few of them amble over to say "hello", but at least she's out and moving again!

And, I realized that instead of just driving by and griping about the treatment I felt was unjust, I needed to "get off my high horse" and start praying about it. I didn't have a clue as to why that was happening...probably lack of knowledge...so what good was I doing by criticizing? The Lord loves His Creation and has put us here to be good stewards!

I call my mom once in awhile and say, "Guess what?! Cow is OUT!"

God's Treasures & My Bathroom

2009-03-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I must carry on this theme of "treasures" while it's still fresh on my mind! Maybe if I write about it...it will stick in my mind and heart!

We are ALL God's treasures! Does that mean that He loves what we do, what we think about, how we act--all of the time? I don't think so! Jesus would have not needed to come to earth if that were true! But, God really does look at each human being (no matter how broken, wicked, dirty, ugly, etc.) as His own personal jewel! How can He do that? Because His love knows no bounds!

The other night, we were watching Fox News and a little news flash popped up showing the most messed-up looking guy--the worst serial rapist (of children) that had ever been captured...yes, captured in Las Vegas. The first thing that popped into my mind was, "Look at him! He's My TREASURE!" And, I said (inside my head), "Yes, Lord, he is!" Period! Not...but look what he's done, look at the lives he's ruined, what about the children, what about their parents, what about, what about....Those "what about" questions came later in the evening as I mulled over what he represented and his horrible actions against humanity. And I'm convinced that he will go to prison and have to pay for his crimes in one way or another.

Last night, I met with a group of friends in Columbia at a Sushi restaurant to catch up with each other. One of them brought up the fact that her adopted daughter's real dad was named Billy ----. Coincidentally, 2 of my other friends had had direct dealings with this guy and he's not a blessing! In fact, he's a scum bag! Dirty (literally), mean, cruel, abusive, horrible to be around, etc., etc...and then? We started talking about God's treasures! And guess what? We came to the conclusion that he was one of those precious jewels in God's treasure house. But, did we automatically feel anything but repulsion? Nope, that was something that only God could do in our hearts! Any thoughts? I'll leave this theme for the moment--

My bathroom! Yahoo! I finally painted it! (I love color, in case I've never mentioned that). Our whole house was painted stark white when we moved in. I know, I know...all those pale colors are all the rage, but they don't speak to me! Color speaks to me!

I wanted a "camel" color for the bathroom, but this time I blew it! The color was way, way too pale for me! I painted on--because that's what I had to work with. At the end, I felt intense disappointment!

A brilliant thought popped into my brain...buy a new shower curtain, bathrug, and a few "sea worthy" decorations that had color in them. I have a lot of shells and things from the sea on display in that little room.

So, I made a run to Hobby Lobby and Walmart (my budget couldn't afford more) and Wa-La! A small photos of lighthouses resides above the mirrow now, along with a string of wooden fish. A shower curtain that takes you on a walk down the beach fills the room and perwinkle blue rugs draw your eyes to COLOR!

Have a glorious day! Look for those bright, sparkling jewels around you and enjoy some "color", as you gaze upon God's Treasures! And, if you're struggling with a bout of spring fever--paint a bathroom!

Mother Teresa

2009-03-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

I have such good intentions...really I do! I intend to write something interesting and then I get busy and one day runs into another and pretty soon, it's been two or three weeks since I sat down to put my thoughts on this blog!

So, to begin...my mom, Travis and I have been on quite a journey lately. After the pastor of our church gave a talk on modern-day heroes, one of which was Mother Teresa, I bought a biography off of Amazon.com and we started reading it out-loud in the evenings. What an amazing story! She was quite a lady! I think what I've been most impressed with was her continual turning to God! She was not perfect--human just like the rest of us, but she remained true to her calling up until she passed away.

The other amazing thing was her real love for people. And, throughout the book, it was recorded again and again, that she had to talk to the Lord constantly to have HIS love in her heart. It was impossible for a human to carry their own love for people. We just don't have the capacity to do that! Even for those who are close to us...we get our feelings hurt, we judge others with a critical spirit, etc.

So, what does all of this mean? Hmmm...not sure! But, I've become more and more aware of how much I want to be in-tune with the One who has that love! And, as I run head on into all kinds of different people, I've been more aware of my inner motives. Sometimes, I don't feel one ounce of love--other times, I feel overwhelmed with love. But, God is ALWAYS full of love for everyone!

In the most recent "Discipleship Journal" magazine that I receive...there's a whole section about ministering to the poor and vulnerable. My mom and I have also been watching the made-for-TV series about "Christy"...the young girl who traveled up into the Appalachian Mountains right after the turn of the century to teach school in Cutter Gap--a place of great darkness.

And...another really cool thing happened to me in church the other evening. (We go on Saturday nights, as Travis has to open the airport on Sundays). There was a handicapped person sitting in front me (I won't tell you what...it might make you feel uncomfortable) and for the very first time, I was able to see her weakness--but then look right past it to see HER! And to remember--she is God's Treasure! God loves HER! It doesn't matter about her looks, etc. It doesn't matter about her past or what's going on in her heart in the present, etc., etc. That's what God's love is all about!

Gratefulness

2009-02-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'm always thinking about writing in my blog, but I have a hard time with procrastinating. I think that maybe the things that I'm pondering aren't worth writing down, but I'm going to quit dwelling on that and just write....

I've been thinking about the word "gratitude" a lot! There is such a lack of it in the world today. I get very tired of all the complaining and moaning that goes on around me...then, when I stop to listen--it sounds an awful lot like MY voice, too.

So, I'm going to tell you about why I'm grateful tonight! God has given me such an amazing life! Everyday that I wake up...there are new things to see, hear, and experience! We have a bird feeder outside our dining room window and all kinds of birds come to visit. We recently changed from the run-of-the-mill birdseed and bought safflower seed instead. It's supposed to keep the squirrels from throwing everything all over the ground. They still come to check it out, but it's working! And for that...I'm truly grateful!

Then...there's the comfort that my bed is to me! Last year, I was able to buy one of those therma-peudic (?) mattress covers, 600 count cotton sheet sets and a new comforter. My back was always killing me on our old mattress and the cost of replacing it was astronomical. I found this whole "set"at Sam's Club and now it's with great pleasure that I crawl into bed at night (and in a few more minutes--since it's after midnight)

Ok...that's enough. Thank you for listening and maybe you can tell me about some things that you're grateful for, too! I think the world would be a better place if we stopped listening to the constant harangue of what's wrong! :-)

Short Thought

2009-02-10T11:49:00.001-08:00

And...life moves on! It's a very warm day today--although we have snow in the forecast for Friday! But, that's Missouri weather for you!

My youngest daughter, Sara, and her boyfriend, Erich, bought us a year's subscription to NetFlix. Man oh man, we're having so much fun! We watched a really interesting movie yesterday (while the rain poured down) called, "Goodbye, Mister Tom". It was all about a little boy who had been sent out into the countryside of England during World War II (along with lots of other children) to escape the bombing that was going on. He was assigned to the home of Tom--a very cranky, bitter, old man who needed a little boy like William to keep him company!

Even though it's "make-believe" and a great story--I think God works that way in all of our lives! People and circumstances come along that we need! We all need to be stretched--not that it's pleasant when it's going on--but we are better off because of them/it!

Taking Up the Bible

2009-01-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of the Bible. Now, for some of you...that probably sounds like the most boring and irrelevant subject in the world! For others of you--you probably feel the same. So, let me explain for a few minutes of writing as to why I feel that way!

While in PR, I had lots of time to just read and I felt my soul expanding, rather than my waistline. Now, mind you, I have a long way to go to reduce my physical weight--but I've been finding that I'm sick to death of thinking about losing weight, eating less, cutting down on sugar, exercising, etc. etc. In fact, I think that my over-obsession with that whole subject is like bowing down to an idol made out of gold or silver.

So, instead, I've been taking my Bible in hand and just reading! Not stopping to ponder a whole lot (unless something just jumps out at me), but just reading chapter after chapter. And interestingly enough, I feel like I've been caught up into a whole sweep of history! God's history! And my soul is expanding because of it!

One quick scripture that has been rolling around in my brain--out of the Message version. Daniel 2:20-21. "Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: he changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also bring them down, he provides both intelligence and discernment."

For you that lean to the left politically, you might be cheering! Yes, finally...an old "regime" brought low...a new beginning with President Obama leading us on into a wonderful life. For those of you that lean towards the right, "Oh, this is the most horrible thing that has ever happened to America!" What has pumped into my heart is that fact that, "God guides history. He raises up and brings down leaders for HIS PURPOSES!"

Are all of God's purposes positive...in other words--do we always get protected from evil? Are we always deserving of the "good life"? Can one man truly be our savior? Only Jesus! He's the only one. So, we must not be gloating or in despair or whatever. We must be about our lives--extending ourselves to those in need, turning away from wrong doing and selfishness, opening up our hearts to the One who guides history--standing in the gap during our times of prayer!

History moves on--there are good times and bad times! There are times of horrible injustice and times of peace and right ruling! We forget that our time here on earth is relatively short in comparison with eternity. So, I've been asking God to help me keep His perspective and to not fall into bitterness and hatred or pride and arrogance!

Not an easy line to walk...at least not for me personally! I can't believe how quickly I can get puffed up in my attitudes over some trivial little thing that I do right! And as soon as I even get a hint that someone may be putting me down, I find unforgiveness and anger quickly raising it's ugly head in my mind. Man oh man! I do need a Savior--THE Savior!

And by the way...I'm thankful for all of you who take time to read this little blog! Our differences of opinion are all protected under the laws of this amazing land that we live in! Isn't it wonderful that we have the freedom to express our views and still be friends? More to come...

Sunny beaches

2009-01-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since I last posted anything. So, let me just jump right in with both feet and tell you all the news!

First of all, as you may remember, we had struggled greatly with renewing the contract here at the Fulton Airport. Our hearts burned for something new, but in the end--we thought that it would be prudent to keep the contract until something else opened up.

Joah, our son, and his girlfriend, Ingrid, both received unexpected end-of-the-year bonuses and they purchased round-trip plane tickets for us to come down to Puerto Rico for a 10-day visit! We thought that it was a bit "over-the-top", but what could we do? The tickets were purchased, so we went. My mom is here visiting us...so she went along too!

My oh my! God really, really does know us intimately! It was exactly what we needed. 2008 had been a tough year for us and little did we realize how desperately we needed a rest.

So, the day after the contract was signed, we flew out of St. Louis and landed that same day in sunny San Juan. I can't begin to tell you how just flying down there brought so much relief to me! And I had hours upon hours to rest, read, and reflect on what I had read without any interruptions.

The oddest thing happened to me...well, it shouldn't seem odd...but it was the first time in ages that I had felt this way. I curled up on Ingrid's couch and just read the Bible. It was like reading a really good novel. I couldn't put it down. Chapter after chapter after chapter. No interruptions, no worries, nothing! Just reading!

We did all kinds of fun things...runs to the beaches, wading and finding treasures of coral and shells in the sand, visiting a light house on the western end of the island, going to quaint restaurants and having some of the best fresh sea food ever, shopping in a huge mall, visiting a rain forest, watching "chick flicks" with my mom and Ingrid while Joah and Travis went flying, flying in the same planes that Joah flies, etc, etc.....

Glorious, glorious time! And now, Travis is over in Dubai for 2 weeks with Gary, Jessica, and their two little boys. I went last year and it was his turn to go! My mom and I are holding down the fort and enjoying some special time together.

So, that's just to catch you up.....

This and That

2008-12-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon, all my faithful readers! I continue to be amazed when I hear about someone reading my blog. I guess I've never really considered that I might have anything very important to talk about!

First of all, I hope that each one of you had a very happy! We did, although it was probably the smallest gathering that we've ever had in our home! Just my mom, Sara, and her boyfriend, Erich! That's it! But, we had a great time!

We watched, "Christmas with the Kranks"last night. What a very funny movie! Have you ever seen it? I think it's the epitome of the hype before Christmas...

We received a very early morning phone call from our son, Crispin, this morning. Their base in Mosul, Iraq had been attacked early Christmas morning and one doctor was killed and several others wounded. We were supposed to talk to him via the internet that afternoon, but he was never online...so my mom, Travis, and I paused in the afternoon to lift him up in prayer.

He explained to us that the internet gets shut down when there is a death, as the govt doesn't want the family back home hearing of a death through unofficial channels. Makes sense!

So, how are we feeling? Very, very sad for the families that will receive this sad, sad news! Very thankful that God has kept His hand on Crispin, and feeling much more earnest in our times of praying for his safety and well-being....emotionally and mentally!

We listened to Rick Warren's Christmas message on Fox News the other night. One thing really touched my heart. He said that when we're feeling overwhelmed, or guilty, or fearful, etc...we need to see God. Not seek God about our problems or sins....but to seek HIM! That He is worthy of our seeking and as we turn our hearts to HIM...longing for that close relationship, these other things will be taken care of in their time. Might not be exactly like we would hope, but God works ALL things for good in our lives!

Gotta go make lunch! Love you guys!

Up and Down

2008-12-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

Good morning, dear readers and family: Oh, life, life, life! One minute up and then next minute down!

We had a great Thanksgiving...missed my daughter-in-law, Erica and ended up with only one dish of corn! (Read previous blog)

Remember that we sold one of our planes to the Brazilian guy? Well, he made it back safe and sound and loves the plane...so that's an "up"!

This past Friday afternoon, a pilot came to rent our other plane...a little yellow Cessna 150. It was pretty cold outside, but he said that he was just going up and staying in the "pattern"...working on his landings and take-offs. So, that was cool....however, he got tired of doing that and decided to fly north to the practice area.

To make a long story short, something happened while he was practicing his maneuvers and he had to set the plane down in a bean field. It was about a mile long, all the beans had been harvested and Travis said that you could have set a jet down in it with no problems! But, this man forgot all of his previous training on what to do in case of an emergency and the plane ended up with the front wheel smashed and one of the wings damaged.

All I can say is that we're so thankful that he walked out without a scratch! Travis and 2 other guys (one is our mechanic) went to rescue him and ended up calling the FAA. Whoever Travis talked to told him that he couldn't touch the plane...had to leave it exactly as he found it until it had been inspected by either themselves or someone that they designated.

So, Travis had to leave the plane right where it landed. The next morning, he drove back up to this field, along with the designated person and crew to retrieve the plane and his heart fell into his shoes. A strong wind had come up the night before and the plane had been flipped on it's back and was completely totalled!

To say that we were "down" is an understatement! Punched in the stomache is more like it! Life, life, life! You never know what's coming around the corner. Sometimes good, sometimes bad!

Now, I can't possibly leave you there...because good things are all around us. We are surrounded with kind and caring people who have taken us out to dinner, dropped by to console us, called us to console us, and prayed for us. And it's that wonderful time of year when Christmas cards start arriving in the mail.

To conclude this "down" side of things, the insurance adjuster came out yesterday and said that he would do all in his power to get a check into our hands asap. He also felt very badly about the whole deal and the pilot that caused all of this? He's devastated! We feel so sorry for him! But, things happen and he wasn't hurt!

You might wonder...where is God in all of this? Oh, He's right here! Walking with us, consoling us, lifting our hearts...working behind the scenes to take awful things and bring good out of them. Will He hand us another airplane? I think not! But, good things are worked into our souls when we suffer! All kinds of things...patience, endurance, a softened heart, more compassion for those around us who also have "down" days!

I leave you here...I can't wait to go and check the mailbox later on this morning and see what lovely cards are waiting!

Trivial Pursuit

2008-11-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I have a little snippet of time, so will sit down and give you a couple of updates! Nothing really big! Just some St John trivia to pass on....

We sold our 4-place airplane to a guy from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici. He left a week ago, but is dawdling around somewhere in the Caribbean! Now, the plot thickens!

Joah, who flies inner-island planes in Puerto Rico for a company located down there, called Travis yesterday and said, "Hey dad, guess what happened? I just landed this morning at the town of Fajardo and as I was getting out of my plane, I glanced over on the ramp and there was your plane that you just sold!"

Joah received a special award when he was a little boy in the Christian school for being the "Most Observant". I guess some things never change!

So, Travis called Abrao on his cell phone and left him a message telling him to call Joah as they were right there in the same place. I guess they're going out to dinner or lunch today in San Juan! Small world, huh?

Travis, Denny (my brother-in-law) and I are driving over to Kansas City to have Thanksgiving at Sara's new apartment. Allen lives only about 15 minutes from her, so will also be coming to dinner, along with his son, Drew. Unfortunately, his wife, Erica, has to work. Of course, Sara's boyfriend, Erich, will be there too. So, should be lots of fun!

Now, the funny thing is this...before we decided to move the dinner from our house to KC, I asked Sara what she wanted to bring. She immediately said, "Corn!" Now, how hard is it to cook corn? Hmmmmm....we've been chatting on Face Book and giggling about her big contribution for the past couple of days.

I told her that since the dinner was moved to her house, I was bringing the corn and she could do the the rest of the dinner. But, that didn't fly! She's still providing corn, although she is going to make mashed potates now too.

I called my brother-in-law last night and asked what he would like to bring....Yep! Baked corn! Looks like the meal will be real yellow!!!!

Oh, life is so much fun, isn't it? I love all these little diverse pieces of trivia that pop up all over the place...just to make things interesting!

So, if I don't talk to you before Thursday...have a very happy Thanksgiving and for heaven's sake, don't eat too much corn!

Who am I, REALLY?

2008-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you really want to hear about this, right? Well, once again, I have to write about something else that has been stirring in my heart! :-)

I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?

Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."

So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!

I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)

Procrastination

2008-11-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Blogging is so much fun! Why do I wait to do it? I've been seriously working on not procrastinating so much. Did you know that this goes along with trying to be perfect? Yep! I've learned all about it (AGAIN) as I've been working through one of my "Recovery" classes that I facilitate on Monday nights.

When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".

OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!

I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.

I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!

So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)

October News

2008-10-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, my dear friends and family! I read back through my last post and must confess that we didn't end up doing a complete 10-day fast. We had an invitation to a special birthday dinner on Saturday, so we broke our fast on Friday so that we wouldn't be in dire straights after a big meal on Saturday!

We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.

His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.

We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.

We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!

Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.

I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).

I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!

One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.

I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!

Talk to you later!

How long is too long?

2008-10-09T11:27:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon. So, how long is too long to start blogging again? Gosh! It feels like forever. My problem is that I want to blog something of importance, but that's all relative to the reader, isn't it? What I think of as important may be completely boring to someone else.

Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!

Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.

I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!

Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.

We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!

OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!

Humbled

2008-09-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Good morning! This past Sunday, it was pouring rain and flooding in all the lower areas, so I decided to stay home and listen to a DVD sermon about forgiveness. The effects of this decision are still being felt in my life!

Example: Yesterday I came out to the airport to help Travis with the mowing. We are way behind, especially in the area of weed whacking and spraying weed killer! But, I had it in my mind as to exactly what I was going to do and how. After all, he asked me to help and I envisioned this pleasant day--working side by side out in the fresh air!

NOT! When I arrived, there was my husband, playing a computer game, then fussing over the new printer that somehow had become "disconnected" from the network of computers. So, I went out to the tractor shed, started up the grasshopper and went to work. He never appeared. Hmmm!

Then, I got the weed whacker and went to work until it broke down, then I got on the big tractor and went to work until I needed a break. Still no Travis! When I went inside, there he was on the computer...playing a game and very grumpy!

Well, let me tell you...I was furious inside. Why did I have to do all the work? Why was he grumpy at me? What gave him the right to sit and play while I was working? etc., etc. Get the picture?

I remembered the sermon that I had listened to on Sunday and tried to change the tide of my rebellious, judgmental thoughts! And, it worked for awhile, but they kept creeping back in.

Things came up that needed attending to...a plane needed fueling--Travis played on, so I got up and went out to do that. Again...ugly thoughts and mutterings.

To end this....I was finally sitting in front of the computer, posting some checks and entries into the accounts, when I glanced down and looked at the date. September 17th. I hadn't thought about the date up until that moment and suddenly--the light bulb went on! It was our oldest son's birthday...He would have been 38 years old, if he was still alive, but he had died a month before his 28th birthday.

Oh my gosh! All the bitterness and complaining washed right out of me and I couldn't hold back the tears. It was horrible, wonderful, cleansing, but most of all---very humbling! No wonder Travis couldn't get up the gumption to come out and pleasantly weed whack with me! No wonder he was grumpy and slumped over a computer game. Emotionally, he was whacked! And suddenly, so was I!

No more mowing--just waves of grief! Not huge waves, but waves none-the-less! So, once again--I was reminded, rather strongly, that I DIDN'T know what was really going on and my rights had NOT been violated!

Conclusion? I told Travis to go home...take some time by himself--I would close up the airport for him. And he did! When I returned home, he had been able to share with one of our kids, over the phone, about something happening in their lives and was renewed once again! He'd been able to cry and woke up this morning--back to his cheerful self.

Needless to say, I'm still feeling pretty embarrassed and humbled inside. I just wish that I could remember this lesson the next time something comes up!

Called to Love

2008-09-10T09:11:00.001-07:00

I've been doing a great deal of thinking about friendship. And, what does God really have in mind when He tells us that we need to love one another!

I have a close friend who is going through a very difficult time. She loves God, but is married to a person who does NOT! So, that's an issue between them...but more than that...he has chosen to be very unkind to her. I'm not pointing the finger or drawing conclusions about his beliefs vs. her beliefs. Love is a DECISION! We choose to love and there have been many times in my life when I've chosen to not love, because of my selfishness.

So, I think that it all boils down to this. I have a duty, an obligation, a responsibility, but more than that, the privilege to stand beside my friend through this hard time because she is a sister in the Body of Christ. Jesus told us to love members of His family fervently.

What I find so interesting is that often times, members of God's family are not necessarily people that I would choose to "hang out with." I don't always have much in common with them...they may come from completely different backgrounds than I do. They believe differently about what "church" should look like, they don't always respond like Jesus (nor do I), etc. etc., and yet, I'm told to love fervently!

I'm not told to straighten everyone out (according to my standards) or to be judgmental or critical, but to love! I think this takes practice. And discipline. And realization that I must choose to love--that I won't always feel like it. And acknowledgment that I can not do this without God's intervention.

So, guess what God is having me do? I'm out here at the airport and am being directed (in my heart) to serve and help my husband. I would much rather be home--cleaning up the house, starting another painting project, making crafts, etc.

Instead, Travis needed help yesterday with spraying weed killer behind him as he weed whacked. It was stinky, hot, heavy to carry the apparatus for spraying and I did NOT want to do it. But, that little voice came into my head and said, "Are you going to choose to love or will you make this hard on one of the members of God's family?"

I started spraying and little by little, I began to enjoy being outside! Then, Travis had to go fly with a student and the thoughts buzzed around in my head, "Oh sure! He leaves you to do the dirty work!" But, other softer thoughts said, "You are being a help to him! You are loving him by lifting the load."

Within a very short period of time, the job was finished. Are there still hours of spraying and weed whacking ahead? Yes! Hours of mowing, etc? Yes! Will it all end? Yes, when the cold weather sets in. But, I am being disciplined through this experience to learn what it means to be a servant and how to love more like God loves us!

My friend? I'm walking with her through this time...praying for her and her husband, trying not to be critical and bad-tempered towards him. And Travis? I'm trying to remember that yes, he's my husband, but most of all, he's another member of God's family and I've been called to LOVE!

I'm still here...

2008-09-06T07:02:00.001-07:00

Good morning! It's been well over one month since I last wrote. So much has happened in such a short amount of time!

My mother-in-law, Evelyn, came for a month visit. Travis and I flew to MN to pick her up and bring her back. It was interesting getting her into a small plane, as she's not very mobile now. I guess being 90 years old gives her some excuse! She requires constant care and my sister-in-law, Sandy, needed a much-needed break!

Jessica and her boys were also with us during most of that time and Evelyn thoroughly enjoyed all the hustle and bustle of having little children around. Corban (8) was quite fascinated with watching Travis give his mom insulin shots and often wondered why she didn't remember things that she had just said.

Joshua (7 months) was really crawling and pulling himself up on furniture, chortling and "talking" up a storm! She loved his soft little head and constantly commented on how cute he was.

We spent lots of time singing old songs, hymns, listening to CDs and reading out loud from James Herriot's book, "All Things Bright and Beautiful".

All in all, it was a very good visit and we all came to appreciate the care that is required to make her final days on earth pleasant!

Our house is quiet again. It's nice, but sad too! I miss all the liveliness of youth, but they have their own lives to live also. Just wish that they weren't so far, far away from us!

My mom gave us a sauna when I was in Alaska. It's a one-person unit that has a pad that you lie on, and a dome apparatus that fits over the top of you. So, Travis and I have been enjoying that in the evenings. We put on a good movie, then take turns in the "sweat-box". All I can say is that we sure sleep well!

Travis and one of his students, Shawn, were taxiing on the turf runway, getting ready to do a short-field takeoff, when all of a sudden, the front of the plane dropped to the ground. They jumped out and found that an old storm-drain had collapsed when the nose wheel rolled over it. Needless to say, it was fortunate that no one was hurt, but most unfortunate for the plane. There is some damage that needs to be addressed and our other plane that we use for training is still sitting in the mechanic's shop waiting for repairs, as well.

God provided another plane that we could lease for training and one of Travis's students who was ready to take his check ride, was able to finish up and get his pilot's license! In the meantime, the insurance company will cover the whole thing, but the plane will probably be out of service for over a month!

You never know what life will bring, do you? And yet, the Lord desires that we praise Him even when we don't understand why things happen! I'm so glad that I'm not in charge of running the universe!

Well, that's about it for now! Just to catch everyone up! And, I promise to take "pen" (keyboard) in hand and write more often!

A quick confession

2008-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you something very quickly. I was reading back through my posts and came to the one about flying to Alaska next to the soldier returning to Iraq.

I told Crispin about him putting his wedding ring on before landing and he said, "Well, mom, he probably finally felt safe."

I asked him what he meant and he said that no one wears jewelry of any kind over there. Especially wedding rings. If they are captured by the enemy, they can be tortured or their families can be brutalized because of this knowledge.

It makes me feel like crying even now to think about a young man coming home to his family and only feeling safe when he crosses over into Alaska that he's able to put his wedding ring back on! So I apologize to all my friends and family who read this blog, but especially to John for thinking ill of him! We truly don't know the whole picture, do we?

Random Thoughts

2008-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's pouring, pouring, pouring rain outside...my mother-in-law is taking a nap, Travis is out at the airport, Jess and family have just left for the store and it's quiet! So, thought I'd sit down and write some random thoughts!

I've tried to approach blogging from a very realistic point of view...everything neat and in order, daily activities, etc. But, it's not working that way and perhaps that's for the best! No one wants to read about what I bought at the store, how many times I cruised past the post office to drop off whatever bill needed mailing, or what I was going to make for supper--but didn't have the right ingredients.

I did read somewhere that we need to be very thankful for the mundane. If we're living in the mundane, everyday kind of life...then, we're not facing crisis! So, I'm thankful for mundane!

No, I want to talk about a book that Travis and I are trying to read together. I say "trying" because, we don't have much alone time to even do this right now...but the one thing that I've read--I can't get out of my mind.

The book is called, "The Forever Feast" by Dr. Paul Brand. Dr. Brand talks about the earth and how taking care of this precious resource reflects into our Christian lives, as well. It's fascinating reading and I'll bet you can find a copy out on amazon.com or one of the other used books sites.

I quote, "In the biology of the Christian faith, seeds are wrapped in attractive fruit. If a vine bore only naked seeds, nobody would pick them. Everyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to bear fruit. This does not mean that we all have to be successful in bringing many people to the point of decision to become a Christian. It means our lives have to bear the taste, the fragrance, or the nourishment that makes people appreciate what we are and what we have to give. The people we work with, the members of our family or Sunday school class, should sense the pleasure and benefit of being with us. They should know that the flavor of our life comes from our abiding in Jesus Christ.

One day something may trigger the beginning of new life in someone you know who has tasted the flavor of Jesus through contact with you. We may not ever know how or when it happens. But it will be the germination of a seed that was planted because your own personal life was delicious.

I don't remember exactly when I was converted. It was not in response to a challenge from an inspiring speaker. The lives of my mother and father were dedicated to God, and their nurture of us children was an expression of God's love. I wanted to be like them and to know the spiritual resources that made their lives so fragrant. d didn't know about the seed or the new birth--but I knew their fruit, and I was attracted to it."

OK...so, I've been thinking a great deal about that! What an amazing picture of what we need to be about. I've been reviewing my motives, my actions, my speech, my attitudes, etc. Not that I'm trying to earn brownie points with God, but I hope that my life is flavorful, and nourishing to others.

By the way, my mother-in-law is thoroughly enjoying Joshua Reier Lamb, Jessica's baby. He's just 8 months old and is crawling, climbing, drooling, laughing, discoverying, and carrying on like babies do! She touches his little bald head and says, "Oh, feel that head! Just like velvet!" Watching her, I'm convinced that families need to be pro-active in keeping the varying generations involved! It's good for her, it's good for us, it's good for our kids and for our grandkids! There's continuity to life!

I still have a vague memory of my great grandmother Parker. She had white hair, was dressed in a white lace nightgown and was sitting up in a bed holding her wrinkled hand out to me. Because we lived in Alaska and were so far away from family, I was scared of her and didn't want her to touch me. Just imagine if I had the opportunity to be around those wrinkled old hands and that kind, kind voice on a daily basis! What would I have learned about life, about a generation that was dying, and about myself?

Eternal Purposes

2008-07-24T10:52:00.001-07:00

Oh, this is crazy! I keep thinking about posting every day, but because I continue to suffer with perfection/procrastination, I don't do it! Nobody said that I had to do a blog perfectly...it's just a matter of sitting down and communicating! :-)

It's turning into a very interesting summer. First a trip to Alaska and going through a whole gammit of emotions--thankfulness, grief, hope, sadness, joy. Then, having my house turned upside down with grandchildren (which has been wonderful--but also a bit disruptive to my normal schedule), and now a new situation!

By the way, Jessica and boys met up with Gary in Buffalo, NY, and flew to Canada for a couple of days, then back to Chicago for a visit and will return here this coming Monday.

This past Sunday, we borrowed a friends "faster-than-ours airplane" and flew to Minneapolis, where we picked up my 90 yr old mother-in-law, Evelyn, and brought her back for a 2 week stay here with us in Missouri!

She's one of the sweetest ladies I know, but her memory has failed to the point that we talk a lot about things that happened years and years ago. Many of the stories, poems, songs, sayings, etc. get stuck in her mind and are repeated over and over again. I have to help her to the bathroom and remind her of each task that has to be performed. Sometimes, she remembers where to put her hands to lift herself up and sometimes she doesn't.

My sister-in-law, Sandy, who is her caregiver has taken a much, much, much needed vacation to California and I'm hoping that she's thoroughly enjoying the time spent there with family and friends!

Now, what was I talking about? My schedule? HA! Gone again. But, I've also been doing a great deal of thinking about our purpose here on earth and here's what I've come up with (for the moment). That each situation that we find ourselves in--however menial--is an opportunity to practice God's Word! I have a choice. I can be kind, loving, helpful, forgiving, cheerful, serving, or I can choose the opposite.

My purpose here on earth is to glorify God in all I do! Will I always get a pat on the back? An "atta girl"? Nope! But Paul wrote, "Do everything as unto the Lord!" Am I trying to "make points" with God? I don't have to! He loves me unconditionally and with complete abandon!

And so, I've been praying a lot for Evelyn. That she would be ministered to--down deep inside her spirit...whether she remembers or not, whether she knows who I am or not, whether she can follow a short story or not, it doesn't matter! She is loved unconditionally by the Lord and with complete abandon!

And the Lord is using this time for His eternal purposes in all of our lives. Did I mention Travis's role in this? He has to give her 4 insulin shots a day, make other arrangements for time spent at the airport, etc, etc. So, we are being stretched for "God's glory".

What's happening in your life? Same thing, right?

Small Fry Thrills

2008-07-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our house is brimming with life! Jessica is here with us for an extended period of time this summer, along with Corban (7--almost 8) and Joshua (7 months). Our days begin with a bit of quiet time, then Corban comes in to snuggle in and watch a bit of the Disney channel. He LOVES a little program that teaches classical music terms, songs, etc. with the use of make-believe characters. A bit of Mozart, or Beethoven, etc, is a nice start to the mornings.

We look forward to seeing Joshua's smiling, happy face as well. He's been cutting 2 more teeth lately, so has not been his normal self.

But, we've so enjoyed watching his "discoveries". He's started to crawl, and pull himself up since he's been here! Do you have any idea how exciting it is to pull oneself up on the coffee table and dump out a big basket of shells? After the clattering noise is over, a few tears are shed, then it gets really exciting to plop down and start "tasting" all those funny-shaped things lying about. Well, until mom or grandma comes and takes them all away!

It makes more and more sense to me why Jesus loved little children so much! They have such an uninhibited ability to enjoy life...to begin each new day with enthusiasm and excitement for what's ahead. Yesterday's hurts and misbehavioral problems are a thing of the past--everything is brand new!

Kisses and hugs are freely given and freely received! Great joy and curiousity are all wrapped up in each tiny experience. Joshua was absolutely fascinated last night when we hung up his new "Johnny Jump-up". He sat on the floor--starring up to the seat, then up, up, up to the clamp attached to the archway! The look on his face was priceless!

Corban turned my family room into a tattoo parlor. I have no idea where he came up with this idea, but I have a butterfly on my leg now...drawn on with a ballpoint pen and colored in with a "washable" magic marker. It's even framed with "To Gramma", "From Corban" printed on the top and the bottom.

He gave Grandpa an airplane tattoo and charged each one of us 5 cents for his artwork. We paid him a quarter...a 15 cent tip! Wahoo!

He's loving hearing "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" read to him. I happen to have about 4 of her books and he just loves all her magical cures for bad behavior!

We had a fascinating, exhilarating time blowing off fireworks on the 4th of July. Corban had the tremendous responsibility of lighting the big box called, "The Grand Finale". Oh my gosh! You can't believe how thrilling that was! We heard about the Grand Finale all evening and when it was finally time to put the punk to the fuse...you would think that the 2nd Coming had arrived!

And to think that Jesus wants us to be like "little children". Are we excited about today?

Upwards Journey Taken

2008-06-19T16:20:00.001-07:00

I arrived in Alaska without any mishaps. Drove straight to the Mat-Su Regional Hospital with my brother where we checked in on our parents. My dad was doing fairly well and my mom was tired but glad to see us both. She had been sleeping on a little cot right in his room...refused to leave him! :-)

The following day, I drove back to the hospital by myself and found out that my mom had collapsed in my dad's bathroom...hitting her head on the tile floor. I spent the afternoon with her in ER, where the medical staff ran all kinds of tests, etc. It turned out to be a stress-overload. As soon as my brother and I arrived, her body had stopped being in care-giver mode and just called a "time-out". She had quite a shiner and was very embarrassed!

The next couple of days went well, then on Tuesday night, my dad took another nose dive (healthwise). The following day, I cornered the doctor and nurse practitioner who told me directly that my dad was "actively dying". I realized that neither one of my parents realized what was happening, so took my mom out into the hall and broke the news. She just wrung her hands and said, "Oh, your poor dad! Oh, your poor dad!" She made the decision to not tell him.

He was NOT up to being moved on Wednesday, but the hospital staff said that there was nothing more to be done and that he could go home.

My brother, Pete, drove them up to Talkeetna (60 miles) on Thursday, and I followed behind with another friend of the family to stop and buy some much-needed groceries for the house.

We had a hospital bed delivered to the house on Friday and my dad was much more comfortable, although he couldn't stay awake for any length of time at all. He would wake up and wonder out loud, "What's the matter with me? Why can't I stay awake?" At one point, he woke up and asked me, "Lucy, am I still here?"

Friday night, he woke up--ate a very good meal, talked a bit--knew exactly what was going on and who everyone was. That night, I heard him tossing around, so got up with him about 1 am. His covers were all in disarray and I calmed him down, told him that I loved him and that everything was ok--then straightened out his blankets--he responded to my voice and said that he was ready to go back to sleep.

My mom got up about 3:30 am and he was in a big mess again. She washed him up, soothed him and then felt prompted to put her hands on his head and recite Psalm 121.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

At that point, he sighed happily and went back to sleep.

When I woke up at 8 am, I went out to see him, but he had left to be with his Lord and Savior! Am I sad? Yes! Am I happy for him? Yes! Do I wish that I would have had longer? Yes! But, God has appointed each one of us a time to die and I'm more than thankful that He allowed me to go home and be there for this amazing journey that my dad went on ahead of all of us! I realized at one point that I had NO regrets! Everything that needed to be said had been said--on both our parts.

A friend of my parents summed it all up in one of their cards by saying, "I stomp, I cheer, I shout as George raises his hands in victory!" What a picture! Standing in heaven, seeing the Lord face-to-face for the very first time ever and raising hands in victory!

So, I stomp, I cheer, I cry, and I shout knowing that my dad has passed out of this time and is in the most amazing place of all! Can't wait to go see him! But, guess I'll stick around for awhile longer! :-)

The Land of the Midnight Sun

2008-05-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Good morning, my fellow readers! I looked back at my last post before starting this one and I can hardly believe that only 1 week has passed since I last wrote. It seems like months and months ago.

I left last Saturday for my trek to Alaska. Had a 5 hour layover in Minneapolis, so had a wonderful lunch with my sister-in-law, Sandy and my mother-in-law, Evelyn. We had time to catch up on things and also were able to sneak into a Border's Bookstore! Of course, I purchased a couple of "must reads"!

Sat between 2 interesting people on the plane flying north. One was a soldier (John) just returning from a 4 month stint in Iraq. He wanted to tell me all about his time over there (this was his 2nd tour), so that gave me some kind of idea what Crispin will be facing! Guess it's that time of year for dust storms...sounds incredibly awful! Dirt everywhere and pretty hard to escape. The one sad thing that I noticed about this young man was that he never mentioned a wife and 3 kids until right before we landed--then he slipped his wedding ring on. I thought, "Oh, this is way, way too sad!"

The other lady was busy making crocheted pot scrubbers out of strips of netting material. John leaned over and asked her if it wouldn't be less expensive or rather "less abrasive" on her hands to just buy them from Walmart! :-) I gave her a lesson on making "granny squares" and she told me that she traveled all over Alaska--out into the villages, etc., where she stepped into jobs at the medical clinics so that other nurses could take off on vacation. Her favorite place was Nome, Alaska! Really a neat lady.

Landed in Anchorage and my brother, Pete, was there to meet me, as well as a close family friend, Marilyn Anderson and her granddaughter, Rachel! It was such a wonderful welcome. My cousin, Nicky, was there to pick up our other cousins, Dave and Chris, along with their daughter Megan, who had flown in from California to see their new twin grandbabies! We had a very short--but sweet--family gathering! What are the chances of that happening?

Pete and I drove straight to the Mat-Su Regional Hospital outside of Wasilla, AK. Oh my gosh! What an amazing place! It's located right in the middle of the Matanuska Valley and faces the most amazing set of mountains! Pioneer Peak is right there....jagged peaks thrust up into the sky--still covered in snow! Fabulous, wonderful view!

We checked in with my dad and mom, then I drove their car and followed Pete on home to Talkeetna, where I spent the night at my folk's house. Alaska really is the land of the midnight sun...didn't get dark (well, sort of dark) until about 1:30 pm. People were out and about all over the place--"You've gotta make hay while the sun shines" really fits living in the north!

We almost lost my dad the day before yesterday. He's home now (Thank you, Lord) but it's just a matter of time. Sleeps about 98% of the time...is still eating and drinking fairly well, but can't wake up for any length of time. We're just trying to keep him comfortable and enjoying what little time that we have left with him. I won't bore you with all the hospital/medical details, but life has spiraled down to breathing in and breathing out. His old dog, Jim Jim, lies beside the bed and nuzzles my dad's hand--hoping for a pat on the head. When my dad wakes up a bit, he scratches Jimmy's ears and tells him to, "Go get that old white dog"--who happens to live across the street.

We've all shed many tears and shared lots of hugs with so many, many friends and family members! My parents have an amazing legacy in Christ! They've been so tremendously hospitable to so many, many hurting people over the years!

One last thing before I close today! My poor mother fainted and fell in the hospital bathroom this past Sunday. I spent the afternoon with her in ER...but the conclusion was that she had been under such incredible stress, that when I arrived to help...she just collapsed. She has a wicked looking black eye and is so self-conscious about it. I told her to tell all the visitors that my dad decked her because she wouldn't travel out to mining camp with him this summer. (Of course, he'd never, ever dream of "decking" her and couldn't possibly travel to the mines even if he wanted to). We've all just laughed about it! And yes, I'm trying to take good care of her, too!

Thank you, my dear friends, for sharing this journey with me! It's such a comfort to know that you're out there--thinking of us all during this time.

Until next time....

Glorious Enthusiasm

2008-05-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

One more thing....I just found this quote by John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914). "A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."

That's my heart! I want to worship with glorious enthusiasm...no matter what the circumstances. Even when I must be silent--I want my songs to go on forever.

And so, as I get ready to travel tomorrow...this will be my steadfast thought and hope....to worship and never cease!

Start...then stop

2008-05-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! I've been trying to post a blog for several days now. I've gotten this far, then shut the whole thing down because I couldn't get my thoughts in order to even write.

Nothing has really changed--so this may be pretty random.

Of course, large spaces of my brain are filled with images of my dad. He's now in the Palmer Hospital. My mom drove him to the emergency room yesterday afternoon and he was admitted right away. He had suffered a mild heart attack within the past few days (not enough oxygen getting into his system), and has pneumonia in one lung. He was put on a breathing machine, pumped full of antibiotics for the pneumonia and settled down with a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

I spoke to him last night and his voice is very faint and "far-away" sounding. He tracked right along with our short conversation, which was good. My mom stayed with him in his hospital room and I'm sure they were a comfort to one another.

Tomorrow, I'm off to St. Louis to catch a plane flying north! My cousin and his wife "just happen" to be landing in Anchorage 2 minutes before me...coming in from California to visit their son, daughter-in-law and brand-new twin grandbabies. We're going to try to meet up with each other for a few minutes in the terminal. :-)

Travis couldn't fly yesterday, so I stayed home to do some urgent housework! I ironed for about 3 hours and got everything hung up in the closet, etc. Why iron? Years ago when I was young, we lived out on Cache Creek for the summers while my dad mined for gold. There was an elderly lady who lived on up the creek from us and one day we were visiting with her...talking about the hard work of washing clothes, trying to stay clean in such a dirty place, etc. She said, "There's no excuse for being dirty or sloppily dressed. Just because we live in a mining area doesn't give us an excuse to look like it!"

I remember my mom and I talked about her attitude on the way back to our camp and from then on, out came the ironing board after all the laundry had been washed and hung out to dry for the week.

Then, when Travis and I lived in Bolivia, it was the same once again. I didn't have a washing machine for about the first 5 years that we lived there. Sometimes, I did the wash by hand, but more often than not, we hired help! It's hard to keep up with 7 kids! :-) And, the ironing board was a constant companion. You might see poor people everywhere, but most of the time, their clothes were clean and ironed! No excuse to be dirty or sloppily dressed....

Now, don't get upset if you don't iron! Most people pull things from the dryer and hang them right up---I'm just stuck in a time warp between an Alaskan gold mine and Bolivia! Ha! Besides, I have a little VCR player that I watch movies on. Yesterday, I watched, "Sound of Music" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Both a couple of my favorites. So, you see...I wasn't really suffering at all! I just had an opportunity to go escape into the land of Austria and down-home Alabama!

Talk to you again from Alaska!

North to Alaska

2008-05-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Did you ever see that silly movie starring John Wayne, "North to Alaska"? Well, I'm headed in that direction this coming Saturday! It's time for me to go home and help my parents.

My dad is now unable to go into the bathroom without someone helping him. My mom was shaving him this afternoon when I called. So, we have very little time left with him here on this earth!

Emotionally, I'm very up and down. One minute just fine, the next minute not fine at all. But, what a blessing to have the Lord in my life! I know that it's just a step "over Jordan" and he will be home with God! And then, his REAL life begins! How hard it is to say good-bye, though. Even when I know that it won't be long and we'll be there with him!

This is the prettiest time of year to be going to Alaska! I will definitely be blogging while I'm there! My brother has a computer and I will try to send some posts from that faraway place! It's the oddest thing. As soon as you board the plane (either out of Minneapolis or Seattle) something changes. You step into another culture--another kind of people! Landing in Anchorage is the best of all! Mountains on one side, the ocean on the other and planes of every description flying all over the place.

Inside the terminal, there are huge glassed-in displays of a polar bear, a Kodiak brown bear, etc, etc. And everyone wearing jeans--lots of beards and mustaches, long hair, etc. You catch whiffs of people that use wood for heat...there's nothing like the smell of wood smoke!

I'll never forget when a friend of mine, named Bob, came back from a trip to his cabin and brought me a blanket. It smelled like wood smoke and I refused to wash it! (It was clean to start out with...don't get me wrong) But, I just loved the smell! Silly, I know!

By the way, thank you for the prayers!

Present Circumstances

2008-05-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

I can't get back to my "history" yet. There's been too many things going on in my life.

First of all, my youngest son, Crispin, is now in Iraq. I was very emotional at his deployment ceremony and felt equally weepy when it came time for him to go back to Texas after his 4-day leave here at home, but for some unknown reason, I'm not weepy now. Odd, isn't it? You would think that I would be feeling worse now that he's over there. But, now, the battle really begins, doesn't it? That battle that takes place through prayer.

Secondly, my 4th child, Joah, moved to Puerto Rico about 2 days after Crispin left Missouri--to take a flying job. This is a very good move for him, but he's lived at home for the past few years and I've gone "accostumed to his face"....(quote from "My Fair Lady"). Travis and I are official "empty nesters" and it feels both odd, but also very good.

And thirdly, my dad's health is slipping away at a very rapid rate. I've already talked about the "end of life" deal, but I also feel right on the edge of tears, a lot!

So, what is the point of this "post"? Just to tell you a bit about some close circumstances that I'm going through and to let you know that I'm determined to get back to "living communally".

End of Life

2008-05-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Just a quick note to share some thoughts! First of all, my dad has suffered (for several years) with pulmonary fibrosis. It's a lot like emphysema! The original diagnosis, by a very cold and unfeeling doctor, was 2 years left of life and absolutely nothing could be done!

He and my mom found an alternative medicine doctor who is also a licensed medical doctor who has done a myriad of things to help him in this journey! He has recently began treatments with an acupuncturist with the hopes that the build-up of phlegm in his lungs will be diluted and discharged--making breathing easier.

He's always been such an active, independent man and now he's relegated (just in the past few months) to hobbling to the bathroom, or to the front door to let the dog in or out, and that's about it! He's on oxygen all the time and appears to be declining at an extremely rapid rate. He told me last night that he doesn't want to sit around feeling sorry for himself and has prayed that the Lord would help him think more of others!

I DON'T want to think that he's approaching the end of life--here on earth! I don't want to give up that parent/child relationship. Yes, I'm an adult and have raised a whole passel of kids myself. But, my dad is MY DAD! And yet, I know that there is a far, better place waiting for him. The Lord Himself is there and what could be better than that?

I'm just one tiny human being in this amazingly long chain of humanity that is facing the death of a parent. Millions have been before me and millions more will be after me, so why do I think that my suffering is any more important than anyone elses? It's not, but it's still very personal and I'm very thankful that I have the comfort of the Lord and the comfort of family and friends, as well!

I titled this blog, "End of Life", but it's not really....it's just stepping over into eternity! I end this posting on a note of thankfulness! Thankful that I've had my dad for 83 years, thankful that he became a Christian and left a life of encroaching alcoholism behind, thankful that he has been faithful to follow in the ways of the Lord all these years! That's the legacy that I want to leave behind, too! Faithful....

Ode to Mother's Day

2008-05-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have a little "revelation" that came to me at 3 am last night, when I couldn't sleep! And the no sleeping thing, is just menopause. That's another whole subject!

I was thinking about all my kids getting ahold of me yesterday. I realized that I was waiting to hear from each one of them and as they called...I "ticked" them off in my mind. Allen didn't call until about 9 pm and I had given up hearing from him. But, when I answered my phone and heard his voice say, "Happy Mother's Day", I felt complete!

Silly, huh? But, then I thought about God. He chose to make us in His Image...so doesn't it make sense that He longs to hear from us, too? And not on just a holiday, like Christmas or Easter! But often! He just wants to hear our voices. He wants to hear what happened to us that caused us to think of Him. (It doesn't matter if He already knows about it--He wants to hear our side!)

And so, as I crawled back into bed at 5 am (just long enough to catch the alarm at 5:30), I told God all about my revelation and thanked Him for Mother's Day and that my kids had contacted me! And my heart went out to the Lord, because I could picture Him waiting, waiting, waiting...

Why is Life so Hard sometimes?

2008-05-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

OK...I'll try really hard not to be a big downer today! However, I'm feeling kind of low. I even went for a 2 mile walk with Travis, as I know that exercise will lift your spirits.

We had a good weekend! Sara and Erich came from Kansas City and spent Saturday night with us. Erich had never met Crispin before and really wanted to see him! And of course, Sara, being the little sister, has a great affection for her brother (even though they fought like cats and dogs when they were young).

Erich's mom Szu (Sue) came over for lunch after church on Sunday for the first time since Sara and Erich started dating several years ago. She was put right to work chopping tomatoes, onions and potatoes, as we were fixing "pique" a WONDERFUL Bolivian dish! It was lots of fun having her with us!

Crispin, very reluctantly, came with us out to the airport in the late afternoon, to be introduced to all of our friends who just happened to be barbequing. We didn't stay to eat, as Crispin doesn't do well with crowds of people. So, we went home and just the 3 of us watched a movie together. It was very nice--although the movie was a bit scary. "I am Legend" with Will Smith. The mutated humans leaping out of the dark were unnerving, so I had the comforter up around my shoulders so that I could dive under it at a moments notice! Naturally, Travis and Crispin scoffed at my "fears". "It's just a movie, mom!"

So, why am I feeling down? Just the politics of the City of Fulton vs the airport (us) is wearing on me! Also, the fact that 2 of my boys will be leaving for a year's duration...I know I shouldn't complain, and I'm trying not to! So many others have it much, much worse than I do!

Oh yes, we all talked to Jessica and saw Joshua on the web camera Saturday night. Crispin got a chance to chat with her too, so that was great! And he's so cute (the baby)! They're coming to the states the middle of July. We can hardly wait!

This helps to write...thanks for reading. I'll get back to my earlier "history lesson" within the next day 0r two. I just needed to "vent" for a moment!

Interruption

2008-05-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends! A quick interruption in the "history lesson" of my life!

By the end of next week, I will have 3 children living over seas. You know about Jessica, Gary, and kids in Dubai, but Crispin (27) will be sent to Iraq on May 7th, and Joah will be moving to Puerto Rico on May 8th to start a new flying job! Just the thought of it makes me want to cry! They will all be so far, far away now!

Travis and I have been reading a book called, "Psalm 91--God's Shield of Protection" by Peggy Joyce Ruth. Very wonderful, encouraging book! Lots and lots of testimonies about the protection of God in times of danger and distress. My hope is to have it finished so that I can send it with Crispin.

He's coming home tomorrow afternoon for 4 days leave before heading out! I'll try very hard not to smoother him. He's never, ever liked crowds of people and to think that he was born into a big family! :-) So, I'll give him space to read, rest, and relax--but will be enjoying having him home for this short duration!

Other news...our other son, Isaac, his wife, Jeni and granddaughter Brylin have moved to Suffolk, Virginia. Yep! Their new house was only 3 miles from where that huge tornado whipped through. They had just arrived that day and were in the house--but had no idea the destruction that was taking place not very far away. They did say that it was raining "cats and dogs"--so to speak! Isaac will be returning to the Coast Guard base in Louisiana, then heading back for the birth of their baby at the end of May. I think they'll all be together by the end of June, as he transfers officially at that time.

Allen will be traveling to Alabamba the middle of May to meet his "birth family". His sister, Sarah, is graduating from college and the whole family will be there. So, that should be quite an experience for him!

Oh, how amazing life is! You just never know what's around the corner, do you? We really are on a great adventure!

Back to the "history lesson" later on!

Entering the Commune

2008-04-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon! I know that it's been quite a while since I last wrote, but I do have some good excuses. But, let me get on with my "story".

I had been dating a guy that I went to high school with and realized or rather "admitted to myself" that we were going in two different directions, so we terminated our relationship before I moved into my apartment. Because of the loss of that relationship, I was really lonely. I had been attending Abbott Loop Christian Center since moving to Anchorage, but it was way, way too big for me! I felt lost and totally disconnected--even though I knew a lot of people there.

There was a Christian rock band called "JC & Company" that had a couple of members from ALCC and 2 guys from Gospel Outreach. They practiced at Jerry & Debbie Wilkinson's home...which was a couple of streets over from where I lived. I was friends with Debbie, so often found my way over to her house where I hung out with her and listened to music.

I'll never forget the first time that I met a couple of the "sisters" from GO. Talia and Sydney were dressed in long dresses, black combat boots, long straight/or super curly hair and had come out of the whole hippie/drug culture. They were wonderful people and invited me to one of their Bible studies. I decided to go (which was pretty brave of me) and remember going to a house over in the Spenard area of town. There were a bunch of people sitting around on the floor, one guy playing a rhythm guitar, and a guy with a long dishwater blond beard, dressed in overalls who read chapters out of the book of Ezekiel.

I've often wondered if he had even a clue as to what Ezekiel was all about, but people would say, "Far out" or "Amen" at seemingly appropriate moments. I couldn't concentrate, but kept looking around the room and wondering what in the world I was doing there!

Another time, I went over to a house in Mt. View that was called "the sister's house"--where all the single women lived. Now, that was an experience! I pulled up into the driveway in my little red Vega, wearing black WIDE-leg pants, a white blouse and a little short black and red vest. Once again, I walked into another world...everyone sitting on the floor (no furniture), long dresses, bib overalls, long hair, long beards, and some super spacy people!

I don't have a clue what they talked about, but there were long readings of scripture, playing guitars and singing Psalms, and some pretty "far-out" testimonies! One guy (Danny) was so fried that he could barely speak, but later on, the Lord totally renewed his mind! It was awesome.

That's where I met Travis. He had only been a Christian for about a month and was still a very scary person to look at! Damon, his 3-year old son, was running all over the place...also with long hair and Travis came up to welcome me. I babbled on about my brother being lost in the drug world and beat a hasty retreat. Travis told me later that I looked so scared and very out-of-place!

But, I was so impressed with how much people loved God! They had received an amazing touch of Jesus and that drew me! I was very hungry and thirsty to be a part of something more meaningful than my little apartment or my job at the DA's office. I wanted to be a part of something that made more sense than what I had. So, I asked the leaders if I could move in. They couldn't believe it...why would I want to do something like that?

My parents came to Anchorage in November and we all went over to the "sister's house" to meet all the girls, as well as talk to Scott & Ellie Snedeker (who were in charge). Everyone was really impressed that I had parents that cared enough to come see what I wanted to do. My folks said, "Yes, you can do this, if you want to". Later on, they told me that they were pretty concerned about me moving in with such an odd bunch of people, but it turned out to be the very best thing I could have ever done!

So, I sold my car to my dad--who sold it to my brother, took most of my mini-dresses and personal things home, then moved into the "sister's house." There were about 28 of us living in one 3-bedroom house. Bunk beds had been built into the walls and were stacked 2 and 3 tiers high! We weren't there very long...the leaders rented another house over by the Tarwater House (brother's house) and I was moved over there. There was lots more room!

My 1st Apartment

2008-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

After about a year, I was hired as a receptionist at the District Attorney's office. At the same time, I decided to spread my wings and get my own place.

I had talked several times to one of the legal secretaries at an office on my route and she mentioned that she also managed a little row of efficiency apartments quite close to my new-to-be job. So, one evening after work, I met her and she showed me a tiny, little apartment that would just fit my budget! I was so excited to sign my first lease and get ready to move in.

But, oh....dirty? That's not the word, so I spent several days scrubbing, etc. It had blue tile (linoleum-type) floors--the kind that you had to scrub on your hands and knees, rinse, then put down a coat of wax. They absolutely GLOWED when I finished! I was so proud!

Hmmmm...also extremely, extremely naive! Little did I know that I was moving into a real pit, so to speak! My next door neighbor turned out to be a raging alcoholic with her front teeth missing. She would stumble home from the bars with all kinds of guys--pretty scary dudes! Several times, when she was semi-sober, she would come over to use my phone and one day, she brought this big, black-haired, black-eyed, scarred up man in with her. Oh my gosh! I just sat there and prayed that nothing would happen to me! It didn't! He was obviously with her, but I never let her in after that if she had anyone with her!

I would go into the little laundry room at night to throw in my wash, but would always just miss the other people who lived in the complex. I would hear them talking on the other side of opposite door as they walked away--never did see them.

When I went to the "manager's office" which was this secretary's personal apt., I remember almost dying on the spot. There were piles of doggie do-do all over her shag carpets, cats crawling or lounging all over her furniture and counters, a little girl running around in filty clothes...quite a wake-up call for a little country girl (me) who had been very sheltered from the world. I couldn't put that image of her together, in my mind, of the fashionably-dressed lovely lady who would show up to her office every day.

The Lord surely protected me all the time I lived there! I remember being very lonely, so got a little orange kitten to live with me. I think it was just as lonely as I was, because I had to leave it all day by itself.

My parents came to visit me several times and later on, my mom said that they were very concerned about me living there! Of course, they immediately saw all the creepy people around me and prayed constantly for my safety! I'm sure glad they did!

Company & Old Memories

2008-04-22T14:41:00.001-07:00

It's a very warm (80 degrees) afternoon and absolutely beautiful out. Today is Travis's birthday and we have some very precious friends visiting us from Grand Junction, Colorado. They're on their way east for a month long vacation and are spending 2 nights with us!

We've known Milana for years and are just meeting her "new to us" husband, Bob Deal, for the 1st time. What a wonderful, kind man! They have been working as counselors in a Drug Rehab place for quite a long time and it was so uplifting as they told us story after story of the people who have come through the program and remain clean and sober!

That takes me back years ago to 1973, when I joined Gospel Outreach (a Christian communal ministry) up in Anchorage, Alaska. I was so fascinated by the people that I met there--people who had suffered through the hippie/free love/drug era and who were touched by God! I was so hungry and thirsty to be a part of something meaningful, so I moved in.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll start at the beginning and spread these old memories out over several days! By the way, that's where I met our friend, Milana!

I graduated high school in 1972, moved to Anchorage to work for Anchorage Messenger Service and rented a downstairs bedroom from my boss, Betty Hicklin. She and her husband, Joe, took very good care of me and put up with all my homesickness, etc.

My job was so cool! This was before the age of computers, internet, email, etc. I owned a little red Vega (car) and drove from attorneys office to attorneys office, to the bank, to the court house, etc. delivering and retrieving papers, bank deposits, etc. It was a great experience!

To be continued....

Spring Flowers

2008-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yep! The weather is absolutely gorgeous today! Light breeze, warm--not too hot, sun shining and the grass and flowers are practically leaping out of the ground with delight, in celebration that winter seems to be "almost" over. Spring really is a time of new life--the dead of winter is finally past.

So, why am I blogging? Well, there's a young lady sitting in the next cubicle taking a Cosmetology Test and it's one of my many jobs to monitor the testing center here at the airport. But, as soon as she's finished...I plan to get on the bike and take Rusty out for a run around the hangars. In the meantime...I'm going to catch you up on just a few happenings!

Did I tell you that our 2nd to the oldest son, Allen, found his birth mother right after Thanksgiving of 2007? Travis was digging through some files in our office and came across all of Allen's adoption papers, including a copy of his original birth certificate. He told Allen that it would make more sense if he had those papers, so Allen and his wife, Erica, (who was also adopted) began pouring over them. Allen said, "Gosh! I've tried to find my birth mother online, but now I realize that I was spelling her first name wrong all these years."

So, being the computer whizzes that they are...when they returned home that night, they did an Internet search and FOUND her! Just like that!

Allen sent her an email that said, "Did you know a Christopher Allen Holotik" about 30 years ago? She promptly wrote back and said, "Yes, why do you ask?" And that's where it all began. She had been looking for him herself and was thrilled to be back in contact with him. She's already made one trip up to Kansas City and stayed with he and Erica for a week. Allen will be traveling to eastern Alabamba in May for his sister, Sarah's, graduation from college. Not Sara St. John, but another sister! Amazing, amazing!

He feels like a huge missing piece of his life has been handed back to him and we are thrilled for him! Did I mention that he was 10 years old when we adopted him? So, even though he was given up for adoption at age 5, he has many memories that are finally making sense to him!

I can't get over how quickly it happened, but when God has something planned for us, He doesn't mess around! Things just fall into place exactly at the appointed moment.

I sent her an email over the weekend to introduce myself/the St. Johns and she just wrote back saying that she would like to be in touch with us, but is getting ready for the graduation day when all kinds of family members will descend on her tiny house for 2 blessed events! Graduation and reunion time for Allen with a whole other family!

What will heaven be like? We will arrive at our appointed moment, and there will be all of our brothers and sisters (some familiar, most not) waiting to greet us...but best of all, Jesus will be there! And God, our Father! There won't be one weird feeling, either! Wondering what people think of us, not past hurts, all our tears washed away, just absolute delight in being together! Oh what a day that will be!

So, in the meantime, let's enjoy the warm weather, sunshine, and flowers bursting up out of the ground in celebration of spring--that glorious new life--the dead of winter past! And, if that's not happening in your area of the country...it won't be long before it does! Blessings!

Onwards and Upwards

2008-04-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm involved in a very interesting sideline. I write letters for a Christian organization that receives request for help, literature, correspondence, etc. from people all over the world.

This org is based out of Colorado--so periodically throughout the year, I get packets of letters to answer. All gifts (used Christian books & Bibles, etc) are sent out from Colorado--I just write to the folks afterwards. Well, yesterday, I received a BOX (yes, a BOX) of letters to answer.

I have a database set up on my computer where I keep track of each person, when I last wrote, if I sent out a Bible study or a copy of some article that would bless them, etc. It's turned into quite an amazing "ministry", so to speak!

I can't imagine how much fun we'll have when we reach eternity. I picture Mrs. Dagumarti running up and saying, "Oh hello...it's me! Remember when we used to write back and forth??" And even though I never met her here on earth...I will know who she is!

As I organized all the letters alphabetically last night (which took a very long time) I thought about all the needs represented in that one box. And I began to think about Jesus. Did you ever see the movie, "Bruce Almighty"? All the prayers that were hurled skyward?

How can He possibly pay attention to each and everyone of us? Billions of people on earth with billions of needs and requests! There are people around the world who are enduring great suffering, even as I write! And yet, the Lord knows each and every one by name...knows their thoughts and desires, knows their needs and despair! Knows when they reject Him, knows when they love Him! Knows! And loves unconditionally! How does He do it?

So, over the next week, I'll begin to pick up each letter and read through it. My prayer is that I will be an encouragement and help---being sensitive to each need...Even when I have to tell the person, "No, I can't send you any money!"

What an opportunity we all have...reaching out to those that come across our paths--whether through a letter with a colorful stamp from another country, or our next door neighbor who needs to borrow a cup of sugar or an egg!

Onwards and upwards! (a quote by CS Lewis in his book, "The Last Battle")

Mid-Morning Coffee Break

2008-04-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Good morning! It's quiet here at the airport. The winds have picked up, which makes flying in smaller aircraft not as fun! But, there's a student out in our Cessna-172 who's willing to buck the elements to learn this crazy skill of defying gravity and sailing above the earth.

You might wonder..."Are you a pilot?" Heck NO! But, I love to go along, hold the charts, watch the instruments and look out the window! It's amazing the perspective you get when you're up in the air! You see all those tiny little ant-like semi-trucks moving down the freeways--being passed by tinier vehicles of varying colors and speeds! Makes you wonder how God could possibly be in tune with each one of us individually...right down to knowing the number of hairs on our heads! Wow! I mean there are millions of people around the globe all going about their lives! How could He possibly keep track of all of us? We come (born) and go (die) willy-nilly--or so it seems, yet He knows exactly what's going on with each of us! His love is so great that He is constantly moving closer and closer to us...waiting for us to relate back to Him! Amazing!

Moving along here! I must report that I'm feeling much better today! Much more positive! I slept well last night, which helps a great deal, I've noticed!

I haven't done my exercises yet, but I did make oatmeal for breakfast (which sticks with you and is healthy)...so will try to ride my bike out around the hangars later this afternoon. My trusty dog, Rusty, will run with me!

Talk to you later! Have a great day!

Depression

2008-04-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

I went out to dinner with 5 other ladies from our church the other night. We have been friends for a very long time! I only get to touch base with them about once a month, because I live too far away now...but it's always such a treat to be together.

We are in various life journeys...a couple are divorced, a couple of us are married, all of us have kids, some of us have grandkids, a couple lost their moms within the past 6 months....so we always have lots to talk about.

Sherry mentioned that she wasn't sleeping very well and we all thought/said, "Menopause!" However, Phyllis (in a small voice) said, "Depression will do that to you, too."

I don't know why that stuck with me, but last night when I couldn't sleep, I got up and went out to the living room to mull over some things that I had on my mind and Phyllis's words came back to mind. Now, what would I have in my life that would depress me?

A myriad of difficulties came to mind and I realized that I really do have a touch of depression. I'm not motivated to do much of anything in the house. I'm tired all the time. I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I've gotten tired of a lot of my possessions! And on and on it goes.

So, with that "revelation" I promptly opened up my Bible to read and took some time to pray. I didn't get any big directive from God, but I felt very comforted! Almost like someone put their arms around me and said, "OK, now you know...so let's work on this together!"

Am I tired this morning? Yep! Do my muscles ache? Yep! But, I did do my exercises this morning before breakfast and put dishes away out of the dishwasher and drainer.

I'm out here at the airport now and thought I'd just write this down. Maybe someone else out there needs to hear this or has some suggestions! Or maybe not...it might just be for me!

By the way, I'm on Book 5 of the "Left Behind" series. I never wanted to read them, but one of my boys passed them on to me, so thought I'd plow into them. I had quite a bit of overload on "End Time Events" years ago, so have not wanted to think about all of that stuff.

However, I'm enjoying the stories---not at all sure that things will play out like the books say, but it does give one food for thought. I can see why our world today would eventually want a one-world government. We are so much more connected through the internet and technology that is advancing so rapidly. When we are constantly hearing hearing about bad things happening around the world...it makes a person wish for peace.

Enough about that. I'm off and running! (well, maybe not running, but putting one foot in front of the other!)

Cold, Blustery Morning

2008-04-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

What a great time to stop and write a few thoughts! Cold and blustery...that's what's outside, but inside the terminal building, there are a couple of Civil Air Patrol pilots sitting at the little table in the "lobby"--working on the never-ending paperwork required of CAP pilots!

Travis and Wayne are in the pilot's lounge mulling over some important airplane STUFF, Rusty (dog) is lying by me on the floor--hoping that someone will take him for a run and Scruffy (airport cat) is lolling on the couch--doing what most cats do continously--sleeping!

All we need is a little woodstove with a crackling fire and a jingling teapot!

I read a quote by CS Lewis this morning that went something like this..."Whatever small decision you make on any given situation--may one day be the result of some glorious victory in your life." So, I promptly went into our office and put my "walking" video in my little TV and went for a 2 mile trudge...thinking that someday I might reap a glorious victory in my constant battle with weight! I wish I was this motivated every day!

Very first blog

2008-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've never done this before. But, I love to write, so why not give it a shot?

I've decided to call my blog...Airport Gal's blog. Do you want to know why? It's because I practically LIVE at the Fulton Airport! (Elton Hensley Memorial Airport, that is!) Did I ever think I would do such a thing? Nope, NEVER!

But, I've been here for several years now...going about my daily business of managing the office, mowing acres of grass in the summer, fueling all kinds of airplanes, sharing meals with folks that come out to barbeque in the evenings, etc, etc. You name it...I probably do it! Everything but fly airplanes. I ride along, but I don't pilot planes!

And so, I'm going to start posting my thoughts, activities, dreams, etc. This will be different than just emailing! I'm hoping that this will turn out to be fun! If not fun, then interesting!

Talk to you soon! Lucy