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!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Little Woman
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! :-)
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! :-)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Mundane Days
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?
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?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
There You Are!
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!
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!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The 9th Life in a Cat's Life
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!
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!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Surrender
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!
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!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Farm Fresh Veggies
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!
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!
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