It's me again!

Hi, all!

So, I have a question for you. If our normal body temperature is 98.6, why do we nearly melt when the temperature climbs up into the 90's? It seems odd to me that with our normal body temp, we feel most comfortable at 72 degrees - weird! The other thing is, we (me, included) whine all winter about the rain and the cold, and then when it gets sunny and warm, we rant and rave about the heat. I must admit, I've been pretty uncomfortable during this little heat wave. We're never happy, I guess.

OK, I have another totally unrelated question. Why is it that I no longer need to shave my legs (they're almost completely bald), but I seem to have a fair amount of unwanted hair sprouting above my upper lip, on my chin, and other parts of my face? I mean, I'm grateful to be blessed enough to enjoy the "perks" of getting older, but really... What's up with that!


Enough with the questions. We'll probably never know the answers, anyway! I'm spending a few days with my mom while my sis and her husband are in Canada visiting his family. They left Friday morning and will be home on Tuesday evening. We aren't comfortable leaving Mom alone for that length of time, and it gives me a chance to spend some time with her. We always have a great time together, basically doing nothing. We're doing some shopping and she cooks some of my favorite foods. It doesn't get any better than that (my two favorite pasttimes - shopping and food!). And she lets me sleep late (like when I was a teenager living at home). I slept till almost 9:00 yesterday! I haven't done that in a while.


Not much exciting happening at our house. My hubby and son have gone out to the beach house the past couple of weekends. They took our boat out on the ocean to fish for salmon. Last Sunday afternoon they arrived home with 16 beautiful salmon (yum!). So our freezer will be well-stocked for a while. A fresh salmon on the BBQ is not a bad thing! And it's good for us, too - such a deal!


I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all I should be doing to catch up after being at my brother's for six months. I'm just beginning to get my feet back on the ground where I feel like taking on a household project. I DID manage to make several batches of strawberry jam a couple of weeks ago. We'll appreciate my efforts this winter when we're chowing down on toast and jam. I had hoped to do some raspberries, but they are so expensive! I want to make some apricot and blackberry jam before the season is over. I've never canned anything in my entire life, but I love to make jam - it gives me such satisfaction to see those pretty jars of jam all lined up in my pantry.

I'm amazed at everything we're hearing in the news lately - horrendous plane crashes, senseless murders, train wrecks, suicide bombings. And now the Taliban has kidnapped one of our boys. I saw a video this evening on the news, and the poor kid is scared out of his mind. I can only imagine how his family must be feeling right now. I'll bet their knees are calloused from a nonstop prayer vigil for their precious boy, just 23 years old, engaged to be married and hoping to come home and begin his "grown-up" life. Please, please pray for him (his name is Bowe - pronounced like "Beau," in case you missed the news story in the last couple of days). Pray for his safety and the courage to face his captors with strength and honor. Pray for his family.

I don't know about any of you, but Darrell & I get so embroiled and wrapped up in the daily "stuff" we have to do or deal with that we forget about the Big Picture going on all around us out there. You bet! Just like you, we have lots of concerns and frustrations happening in and to our family, and they are legitimate and worrisome. But I need to be reminded that it's not all about me and my life, and there's something bigger happening out there in the big world every minute of every day. I just need to notice. Maybe you need the same reminder...

Sorry to get all serious and maudlin on you. But it doesn't hurt to think about serious stuff now and then. There's Good News though. Although we do need to be aware - to take a moment to stop and think now and then - but we've read the end of The Book. And it ends so, so good! PTL!!!

Love you all SO MUCH!

XOXO
Joanne

MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Psalm 103:1-6 (LB)

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things! [Here's the best part:] My youth is renewed like the eagle's! He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly.