Nope, huh uh, no way - I refuse to believe that it's Labor Day weekend already! I mean, really. How can that be? School just got out yesterday, I'm sure it was just yesterday! My grandma always used to say how the passage of time speeds up as you grow more mature (notice, I didn't say "older"). Now, at the tender age of 66, I know exactly what she meant.
Today was busy. We ran a bunch more town errands, and the phone literally rang off the hook - some serious potential CraigsList buyers, others were just "Lookie-Lou's." My poor brother, who has difficulty with speech (particularly on the phone), just hung in there and struggled through talking with all the callers. Only a couple of times did he ask for my sis or I to take the phone and do the talking. It's SO HARD to watch him struggle to come up with even the simplest of words to make a complete sentence. Although, sometimes he does really well, too.
We even got an email from a guy somewhere in Africa, or some such place, who wanted to send a cashier's check - Blah, blah, blah! Uh huh, sure. Another guy wanted my brother's bank account and routing numbers "so he could deposit a check" to his account for one of the cars listed for sale. Yeah right! They came out of the woodwork! Anyway, to make a long story short, we sold two cars today - one to the guy in Florida, of all things. He bought it sight-unseen from a few photos posted on CraigList and some additional ones we emailed. He wanted pictures of the under-carriage of the car, of all things. I was NOT going to let my ailing brother crawl under a car in this heat, so I just held my camera under the car in several places and pressed the button. Fortunately, my attempts met whatever weird expectation he had, and (after a dozen emails back and forth) he sent payment today via overnight mail to seal the deal.
The guy is having the car shipped to Florida. This whole thing was somewhat of a surprise, since the selling price of the car was hardly more than the cost to ship it to Florida. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. He guy said this car is one he's looked and looked to find. Kinda weird, but oh well... He's tickled and my brother is happy to have the car sold.
We're having a big family get-together tomorrow at my brother's. My neice & nephew are coming (with kids & spouses, etc.). My mom is making a "vat" of her famous potato salad (at my neice's request) and we're having other picnic-type stuff to go with it. We're looking forward to a great day together, in spite of promised triple-digit heat (without A/C).
I've been thinking for the past couple of days - dangerous, I know. Tuesday was my first-born daughter's birthday. Talk about time flying by. She's nearly twice the age I was when she was born, and truly, in many ways it seems like only yesterday. I still remember EVERY detail of her birth and the way I felt when I first looked into that little face when they plopped her up on my chest. I have to believe that the deep love we feel for our loved ones helps us to understand how much God loves us and wants the best for us. I loved that baby girl before she was born, just the way God must love us. At the Beth Moore meetings a few weeks back she kept saying, "God is crazy mad ABOUT you." I'm completely convinced that the love we have for our kids, family and friends is there to help us understand God's love for us - even when things are in an awful mess and we're tempted to wonder where God has gone, it's there. What a comfort that is!
I love you all - thanks for being there!
XOXO
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Psalm 139:13-18
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.
"You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and you scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
"How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday and counting...
Hi, guys:
Not much to report since my last post. My brother took the second dose of his new chemo medication Tuesday night at bedtime, so we kept a pretty low profile yesterday so he could rest. Actually, we were pretty surprised - and happily so, that the medication didn't cause any terribly negative side effects (extreme fatigue, mostly). However, we just hung around the house most of the day and concentrated on trying to stay cool - it was 99! In fact, my sis' car thermometer registered the outside temp at 105 just before 4 p.m. on a quick trip down the hill to mail a birthday card. These three old northwest gals are really feeling the heat! Our bedroom never cooled below 80 degrees all night, and today is even hotter than yesterday. Whew!
In the morning yesterday (before it got too hot), my sis & I vacuumed and cleaned out one of the cars my brother is selling. We were going to wash it too, but it got just way too hot before we could get at it. My dad always said you should never wash a car in the sun or in the heat of the day. So, what could we do? You have to follow your Dad's advice, right?
This morning I got a couple of additional items posted for sale on CraigsList, and added some photos to a couple of existing ads. My sister has the phone growing out of her ear because of spending tons of time on the phone bird-dogging the local Kaiser office people. She is trying to get some necessary documentation for Aflac to pay a pending high-dollar insurance claim for more than a year's worth of my brother's chemo treatments. It gets complicated dealing with Kaiser because of the way they charge (or don't charge) for their services. She has gotten the royal run-around on this claim since the beginning of April - it's getting ridiculous! (You gotta love insurance stuff!)
It's getting interesting with these CraigsList ads. We're getting responses on a couple of the cars (we have 7 vehicles listed) from as far away as New York and Florida. My brother said he would love to sell one of his cars to someone in New York, just for the bragging rights!
You won't believe this, but my sister just made a big bowl of popcorn - my crazy brother was craving it, so... I guess I'd better go get some before it's gone!
Love you all!
XOXO
j.
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 35:3-6 (LB)
"With this news bring cheer to all the discouraged ones. Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, "Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you. And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing!"
We claim this promise for my brother and another friend who is battling this awful disease.
Not much to report since my last post. My brother took the second dose of his new chemo medication Tuesday night at bedtime, so we kept a pretty low profile yesterday so he could rest. Actually, we were pretty surprised - and happily so, that the medication didn't cause any terribly negative side effects (extreme fatigue, mostly). However, we just hung around the house most of the day and concentrated on trying to stay cool - it was 99! In fact, my sis' car thermometer registered the outside temp at 105 just before 4 p.m. on a quick trip down the hill to mail a birthday card. These three old northwest gals are really feeling the heat! Our bedroom never cooled below 80 degrees all night, and today is even hotter than yesterday. Whew!
In the morning yesterday (before it got too hot), my sis & I vacuumed and cleaned out one of the cars my brother is selling. We were going to wash it too, but it got just way too hot before we could get at it. My dad always said you should never wash a car in the sun or in the heat of the day. So, what could we do? You have to follow your Dad's advice, right?
This morning I got a couple of additional items posted for sale on CraigsList, and added some photos to a couple of existing ads. My sister has the phone growing out of her ear because of spending tons of time on the phone bird-dogging the local Kaiser office people. She is trying to get some necessary documentation for Aflac to pay a pending high-dollar insurance claim for more than a year's worth of my brother's chemo treatments. It gets complicated dealing with Kaiser because of the way they charge (or don't charge) for their services. She has gotten the royal run-around on this claim since the beginning of April - it's getting ridiculous! (You gotta love insurance stuff!)
It's getting interesting with these CraigsList ads. We're getting responses on a couple of the cars (we have 7 vehicles listed) from as far away as New York and Florida. My brother said he would love to sell one of his cars to someone in New York, just for the bragging rights!
You won't believe this, but my sister just made a big bowl of popcorn - my crazy brother was craving it, so... I guess I'd better go get some before it's gone!
Love you all!
XOXO
j.
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 35:3-6 (LB)
"With this news bring cheer to all the discouraged ones. Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, "Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you. And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing!"
We claim this promise for my brother and another friend who is battling this awful disease.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday already - Where has the week gone?
Hi, All:
It's hard to believe it's Tuesday already! We've been in California a week, and it seems like we just got here.
Saturday we basically just hung out at the house. My sis-in-law's kids dropped by for a visit and we spent most of the day resting, reading, listening to Gospel music, and eating - a very relaxing day. In the evening, my sis made a gigantic bowl of popcorn, which took the place of supper. (Works for me - I'm an admitted popcorn-aholic!)
Then on Sunday we made a major grocery shopping trip to the giant Wal-Mart Super Center in nearby Vallejo. We wanted to give my brother and his Beloved some time to themselves, so we elongated our errands with a couple of additional stops, along with a bite of lunch at Taco Bell. Then we stopped in Napa on the way home to visit my neice (my brother's eldest) for a couple of hours. It was an enjoyable day, and we felt good about providing a bit of a respite from our visit.
Yesterday was a rather intense day. My brother had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, and we were all a little afraid of what the doctor might have to say. We ran several town errands in Napa for our sis-in-law while they went to visit the doctor in Vallejo. On our way home from running errands, they called to say they were going to stop for a bite to eat, and of course, we interpreted that as having the worst possible meaning - they were probably having difficulty absorbing some really bad news from the doctor. Naturally, we imagined fear and sadness in their voices and dreaded learning the "bad news." But when they arrived home, they were in great spirits and all seemed well.
Finally, later in the evening we could stand it no longer, and asked what the doctor had to say. "Nothing much - just more of the same," my brother told us, but he later shared with Mom that the doctor had evaluated him as being "way ahead of the curve" with regard to the length of time he has survived since his diagnosis in May 2007, and the tiny encouraging signs that have happened since the first dose of the new chemo medication 6 weeks ago. For instance, the feeling is returning to his right foot, which has been totally numb. We are sure that has to be a positive sign. Little miracles! However, the speech difficulties, seizures and motor-skill problems are still there, in varying degrees, depending on how stressed and/or tired he is. So, your prayers are still desperately needed. Thank you for hanging in with us.
Stay tuned!
XOXO
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Psalm 92:1-4 (LB)
"It is good to say, Thank you for your kindness, and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness. Sing his praises, accompanied by music from the harp and lute and lyre. You have done so much for me, O Lord. No wonder I am glad! I sing for joy. O Lord, what miracles you do! [and Lord, we so need one now!] And how deep are your thoughts!"
It's hard to believe it's Tuesday already! We've been in California a week, and it seems like we just got here.
Saturday we basically just hung out at the house. My sis-in-law's kids dropped by for a visit and we spent most of the day resting, reading, listening to Gospel music, and eating - a very relaxing day. In the evening, my sis made a gigantic bowl of popcorn, which took the place of supper. (Works for me - I'm an admitted popcorn-aholic!)
Then on Sunday we made a major grocery shopping trip to the giant Wal-Mart Super Center in nearby Vallejo. We wanted to give my brother and his Beloved some time to themselves, so we elongated our errands with a couple of additional stops, along with a bite of lunch at Taco Bell. Then we stopped in Napa on the way home to visit my neice (my brother's eldest) for a couple of hours. It was an enjoyable day, and we felt good about providing a bit of a respite from our visit.
Yesterday was a rather intense day. My brother had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, and we were all a little afraid of what the doctor might have to say. We ran several town errands in Napa for our sis-in-law while they went to visit the doctor in Vallejo. On our way home from running errands, they called to say they were going to stop for a bite to eat, and of course, we interpreted that as having the worst possible meaning - they were probably having difficulty absorbing some really bad news from the doctor. Naturally, we imagined fear and sadness in their voices and dreaded learning the "bad news." But when they arrived home, they were in great spirits and all seemed well.
Finally, later in the evening we could stand it no longer, and asked what the doctor had to say. "Nothing much - just more of the same," my brother told us, but he later shared with Mom that the doctor had evaluated him as being "way ahead of the curve" with regard to the length of time he has survived since his diagnosis in May 2007, and the tiny encouraging signs that have happened since the first dose of the new chemo medication 6 weeks ago. For instance, the feeling is returning to his right foot, which has been totally numb. We are sure that has to be a positive sign. Little miracles! However, the speech difficulties, seizures and motor-skill problems are still there, in varying degrees, depending on how stressed and/or tired he is. So, your prayers are still desperately needed. Thank you for hanging in with us.
Stay tuned!
XOXO
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Psalm 92:1-4 (LB)
"It is good to say, Thank you for your kindness, and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness. Sing his praises, accompanied by music from the harp and lute and lyre. You have done so much for me, O Lord. No wonder I am glad! I sing for joy. O Lord, what miracles you do! [and Lord, we so need one now!] And how deep are your thoughts!"
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Saturday Stuff
Well, here we are again. Yesterday was pretty much spent in the car. Sis & I ran errands up and down the hill. Some friends of my brother's came in the morning to help with a fencing project that my brother is unable to complete, so we went to town to pick up some deli sandwiches to feed the guys. We were instructed to stop by the peach orchard at the bottom of the hill to buy a box of tree-ripened peaches, which we happily did. They are so luscious sliced atop a bowl of Cheerios or on a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We will enjoy them all weekend. For lunch we ladies opted for yet another fresh tomato sandwich, still a real treat since we so rarely have tomatoes fresh from the garden (we can have a deli sandwich any old time). I'm trying to make up for my Lutein deficiency (ha!). Wow, I can tell you they taste like real tomatoes, unlike the store-bought variety.
After lunch, we ventured back down the hill to pick up some items our sis-in-law needed around the house, and made a run through the super market for weekend meal supplies. By the time we finished and got back to the house, it was time to think about fixing some dinner. We've been trying to take care of meal preparation, but our sis-in-law made her famous homemade quesadillas (yum - restaurant quality!), which we dutifully scarfed up in a hurry - so good! During the evening we enjoyed Gaither music DVD's (my brother's favorite gospel group), and went to bed just before 10:00.
My brother didn't rest as much as he should have yesterday, and by evening he was exhausted - we were rather concerned about him. He needs several naps through the day, but he just wasn't comfortable laying down to rest with his friends outdoors working in the heat on a project he felt he should be doing. That's so hard for a man. Then we learned last night that he had a seizure soon after we arrived on Wednesday evening. I was busy unpackng and didn't notice when it happened, but Mom & Sis picked up on it at the time. Apparently, they asked him about it this morning, and he admitted it had happened. Stress or lack of rest can bring on a seizure, so we want to try to guard against either of those things. Thankfully, after a night's rest he seemed some better today.
The weather has been in the upper 80's -- 88 yesterday, and similar temp today. Fortunately, it has cooled off enough in the evenings to be able to sleep without feeling like we're lying in a sauna. I haven't slept well since we've been here, but it has nothing to do with the temperature. I keep waking up and mulling over everything, and praying for a miracle and the strength to face whatever is ahead. More prayers, please (this is the "broken record" speaking!).
Stay tuned - I'll try to update y'all in a day or two.
Love you! XOXO
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 65:24 (LB)
"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
After lunch, we ventured back down the hill to pick up some items our sis-in-law needed around the house, and made a run through the super market for weekend meal supplies. By the time we finished and got back to the house, it was time to think about fixing some dinner. We've been trying to take care of meal preparation, but our sis-in-law made her famous homemade quesadillas (yum - restaurant quality!), which we dutifully scarfed up in a hurry - so good! During the evening we enjoyed Gaither music DVD's (my brother's favorite gospel group), and went to bed just before 10:00.
My brother didn't rest as much as he should have yesterday, and by evening he was exhausted - we were rather concerned about him. He needs several naps through the day, but he just wasn't comfortable laying down to rest with his friends outdoors working in the heat on a project he felt he should be doing. That's so hard for a man. Then we learned last night that he had a seizure soon after we arrived on Wednesday evening. I was busy unpackng and didn't notice when it happened, but Mom & Sis picked up on it at the time. Apparently, they asked him about it this morning, and he admitted it had happened. Stress or lack of rest can bring on a seizure, so we want to try to guard against either of those things. Thankfully, after a night's rest he seemed some better today.
The weather has been in the upper 80's -- 88 yesterday, and similar temp today. Fortunately, it has cooled off enough in the evenings to be able to sleep without feeling like we're lying in a sauna. I haven't slept well since we've been here, but it has nothing to do with the temperature. I keep waking up and mulling over everything, and praying for a miracle and the strength to face whatever is ahead. More prayers, please (this is the "broken record" speaking!).
Stay tuned - I'll try to update y'all in a day or two.
Love you! XOXO
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 65:24 (LB)
"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
Thursday, August 21, 2008
From Sunny California
We made it! It wasn't a bad trip at all. We left at 7 a.m. yesterday and arrived at my brother's at 7:30 last night, with stops in Salem for breakfast and Grants Pass for lunch. Not to mention, an ice cream cone break at McD's in Redding (justified as a potty stop) and a stop to fuel up in Williams, CA where we headed west from I-5. (Hot! The car's thermometer that registers the outside temperature read 105 degrees).
My sis did most of the driving on the trip, although I drove from Grants Pass over the Siskyous to Redding. During my stint at the wheel, they slowed us down every five miles (perhaps exaggerated a teensy bit) from 70 to 55 mph for road work - irritating! In spite of my lead-foot driving, the Volvo SafetyMobile got over 30 mpg - I was pretty impressed.
I was disturbed to note that my brother has deteriorated significantly since I last saw him at the end of July. He has such difficulty finding the words to carry on basic conversation. Every sentence is punctuated with hesitation, stops, and incorrect or unusual combinations of words (parts of two words run together as one word). During the evening, I had to retreat to the bedroom a couple of times in tears. This is even harder than I anticipated - Prayers, please!
Last night we unloaded just the bare necessities from the car. So, much of this morning was spent unloading and organizing our "stuff." I sat down near my brother after we got organized and I had taken my shower. He said to me, "When it's time to write 'something' about me, I want you to do it - When it's time, I want you." Whoo! I burst into tears and ran and hugged him and kissed his neck as he clung to me. Both of us crying by this point. You know, you read about this stuff and watch stories on TV, but there is NO WAY you can appreciate what it's like unless you've been there. Later, out of my brother's hearing, I confessed to my sister that I'm not sure I can do this - like I have any choice in the matter, right? Prayers, please!
I slept fairly well, but several times during the night I woke up and literally begged God for a healing miracle (for His honor and glory and only within His perfect will). I know that hundreds of people die every day from this awful disease, but we still pray every day for a miracle.
This morning we learned that earlier this week my brother could hardly walk and could barely speak at all. He shared with us that somehow he had been taking more than the prescribed dose of one of his meds. Since adjusting the medication back to the correct amount, he has improved a bunch. In fact, he said he felt so good this morning that he wanted to get dressed and work on a couple of little projects he had been wanting to do. We hope to go with him to a doctor's appointment next Monday - we have questions we'd like to ask the doctor and hear the answers firsthand!
Well, everyone but me is in the kitchen making sliced tomato sandwiches for themselves, so I'd better get in there before it's all gone. However, the tomatoes are freshly-picked off the two extremely fruitful plants in my brother's back yard. The tomato plants are named are Julius and Caeser. I'm not kidding - They really do have names! They also have a "brother," a baby walnut tree named Earl. You don't have to be crazy to be part of our family, but it helps!
Before I go, I want to tell you the story behind Earl, the walnut tree. There was a bag of walnuts (still in the shells) buried under "stuff" in the garage. When my brother and his wife were cleaning out the garage early last fall, they happened on the bag of walnuts. Growing up out of the top of the bag was a spindly, yellowish sprout from one of the nuts. My brother took pity on this little nut struggling to be a tree. He planted it in a large pot on the patio and began tending and watering it, and named it Earl. When I visited here last October, Earl was about 12 inches tall. Now he is a proud tree towering out of his pot almost two feet toward the sky. You go, Earl! It seems like a positive omen in all of this - struggling to live, and winning!
Love you all - Gotta go make my sandwich.
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Phil. 4:12-13 (LB)
"I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to (even this!) with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power."
Or as it says in the good old KJV (familiar and well-loved): "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."
My sis did most of the driving on the trip, although I drove from Grants Pass over the Siskyous to Redding. During my stint at the wheel, they slowed us down every five miles (perhaps exaggerated a teensy bit) from 70 to 55 mph for road work - irritating! In spite of my lead-foot driving, the Volvo SafetyMobile got over 30 mpg - I was pretty impressed.
I was disturbed to note that my brother has deteriorated significantly since I last saw him at the end of July. He has such difficulty finding the words to carry on basic conversation. Every sentence is punctuated with hesitation, stops, and incorrect or unusual combinations of words (parts of two words run together as one word). During the evening, I had to retreat to the bedroom a couple of times in tears. This is even harder than I anticipated - Prayers, please!
Last night we unloaded just the bare necessities from the car. So, much of this morning was spent unloading and organizing our "stuff." I sat down near my brother after we got organized and I had taken my shower. He said to me, "When it's time to write 'something' about me, I want you to do it - When it's time, I want you." Whoo! I burst into tears and ran and hugged him and kissed his neck as he clung to me. Both of us crying by this point. You know, you read about this stuff and watch stories on TV, but there is NO WAY you can appreciate what it's like unless you've been there. Later, out of my brother's hearing, I confessed to my sister that I'm not sure I can do this - like I have any choice in the matter, right? Prayers, please!
I slept fairly well, but several times during the night I woke up and literally begged God for a healing miracle (for His honor and glory and only within His perfect will). I know that hundreds of people die every day from this awful disease, but we still pray every day for a miracle.
This morning we learned that earlier this week my brother could hardly walk and could barely speak at all. He shared with us that somehow he had been taking more than the prescribed dose of one of his meds. Since adjusting the medication back to the correct amount, he has improved a bunch. In fact, he said he felt so good this morning that he wanted to get dressed and work on a couple of little projects he had been wanting to do. We hope to go with him to a doctor's appointment next Monday - we have questions we'd like to ask the doctor and hear the answers firsthand!
Well, everyone but me is in the kitchen making sliced tomato sandwiches for themselves, so I'd better get in there before it's all gone. However, the tomatoes are freshly-picked off the two extremely fruitful plants in my brother's back yard. The tomato plants are named are Julius and Caeser. I'm not kidding - They really do have names! They also have a "brother," a baby walnut tree named Earl. You don't have to be crazy to be part of our family, but it helps!
Before I go, I want to tell you the story behind Earl, the walnut tree. There was a bag of walnuts (still in the shells) buried under "stuff" in the garage. When my brother and his wife were cleaning out the garage early last fall, they happened on the bag of walnuts. Growing up out of the top of the bag was a spindly, yellowish sprout from one of the nuts. My brother took pity on this little nut struggling to be a tree. He planted it in a large pot on the patio and began tending and watering it, and named it Earl. When I visited here last October, Earl was about 12 inches tall. Now he is a proud tree towering out of his pot almost two feet toward the sky. You go, Earl! It seems like a positive omen in all of this - struggling to live, and winning!
Love you all - Gotta go make my sandwich.
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Phil. 4:12-13 (LB)
"I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to (even this!) with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power."
Or as it says in the good old KJV (familiar and well-loved): "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Major Praise!
So far you have heard from Grammy J, but I have something so awesome to share today you get to hear from me. My hubby and I are on a group health plan from where I retired. In July I got a monthly premium notice for over $25oo. (What!?!) Since I paid the usual premium, I got a bill in August in excess of $4000. I have been on the phone to Customer Service several times since mid-July. From everything I could gather, it seemed to be a computer glitch (dontcha love 'em?) and would eventually be resolved. However, I have had to go to the doctor, have a blood draw and refill prescriptions that I thought I might have to pay on my own if the worst came to pass.
As you learned yesterday, Mom, sister and I are headed to the Napa Valley tomorrow. I wondered how this insurance thing would all work out in my absence. I could deal with it from down there but it would certainly not be as easy. Now here's the good part - I have such a loving and caring Heavenly Father that He took care of this confusing mess in time for me to get a call from Customer Service today. Yup, I was told that it was an error and had been corrected. It made me cry. Not because the error was fixed (I was pretty sure that it would be eventually) but because He is so good that Customer Service called me the day before I am going out of town to ease my mind. Is that neat or what? As my brother-in-law would say, "God is gooood all the time!"
Amen on that!
As you learned yesterday, Mom, sister and I are headed to the Napa Valley tomorrow. I wondered how this insurance thing would all work out in my absence. I could deal with it from down there but it would certainly not be as easy. Now here's the good part - I have such a loving and caring Heavenly Father that He took care of this confusing mess in time for me to get a call from Customer Service today. Yup, I was told that it was an error and had been corrected. It made me cry. Not because the error was fixed (I was pretty sure that it would be eventually) but because He is so good that Customer Service called me the day before I am going out of town to ease my mind. Is that neat or what? As my brother-in-law would say, "God is gooood all the time!"
Amen on that!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday again
Missed y'all the past couple of days. Sunday was a hot and muggy day. We mostly worked around home and tried to stay relatively cool in 100-degree temperatures. Hubby did some finishing work on the housepainting project in the morning, before it got too toasty outdoors, and in the late afternoon ran the ride-on mower over our two-acre patch to drive back the dandelions. They seem to be able to survive almost ANYTHING - isn't that the way with weeds! Our grass has long since dried up and turned a lovely shade of beige, but the dandelions are thriving - Go figure!
We had some excitement on Sunday. In the evening (about 6:00) my hubby was putting away some of his painting stuff. He was taking the 14' aluminum ladder down from the side of the house, folded it and was carrying it to its hidden resting place under the eaves behind the house. On the way from here to there, there's an old root that sticks up out of the ground - each of us has tripped over it a hundred times in the four years we've lived in this house. Yup, you guessed it, this was one of those times. Hubby's toe caught on the root and his hands were involved in carrying the ladder - he totally biffed his face against some sharp edges of the ladder. He came running into the kitchen with his hand cupped to cover his lips and chin, announcing that he had fallen as he carried the ladder. I checked it out and immediately knew there would be stitching involved, and we headed for our local emergency room.
In the car on the way I learned that he also had injuries to his right upper arm and left shoulder, causing him a great deal of pain. Now we can add a couple of x-rays to the stitches I already knew about. The folks at the hospital were very kind and provided excellent care. Praise God, the x-rays showed no broken bones or shoulder dislocation. The doctor put in a total of 14 stitches (5 in the lip, 9 in the chin). Of course, I had my digital camera with me and dutifully recorded it for posterity. It's not serious, but is a pretty sad photo! The good news is that he slept well last night (thanks to good drugs) and feels much better today.
That brings us to Monday. Our eldest daughter's four children (ages 9, 11, 14 and 15-1/2) have spent most of the summer visiting their cousins on the Oregon coast. They came home over the weekend, and we grabbed them today and took them to lunch. We had a delightful time with them debriefing about their summer. They've grown so much - both physically and spiritually. Listen to this: When we arrived to pick them up, they had cleaned and swept the kitchen, started the laundry, and changed the cat's litter box. All this without being asked! This would NOT have happened two months ago - Wonderful progress!! We are so pleased and proud.
Tomorrow I will spend the day packing and preparing to leave Wednesday morning to be away from home for an open-ended period of time. I will take my laptop with me to my brother's, and hope to resume blogging by Thursday, Lord willing. We will be enroute in the car all day Wednesday (and possibly part of Thursday, depending on how tired of the interior of the car we become on Wednesday). This is a 13-hour trip, and we aren't sure we'll have the stamina to do it all in one day. I'm thinking "motel" at about Redding or Willows, but we shall see.
At any rate, please pray that we have "journey mercies," as my very favorite pastor always puts it (He knows who he is!).
XOXO to all!
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 33:2-3 (LB)
"But to us, O Lord, be merciful, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in time of trouble. The enemy RUNS at the sound of your voice!"
See, this is me, packing up my computer till Thursday. Catch you later!
We had some excitement on Sunday. In the evening (about 6:00) my hubby was putting away some of his painting stuff. He was taking the 14' aluminum ladder down from the side of the house, folded it and was carrying it to its hidden resting place under the eaves behind the house. On the way from here to there, there's an old root that sticks up out of the ground - each of us has tripped over it a hundred times in the four years we've lived in this house. Yup, you guessed it, this was one of those times. Hubby's toe caught on the root and his hands were involved in carrying the ladder - he totally biffed his face against some sharp edges of the ladder. He came running into the kitchen with his hand cupped to cover his lips and chin, announcing that he had fallen as he carried the ladder. I checked it out and immediately knew there would be stitching involved, and we headed for our local emergency room.
In the car on the way I learned that he also had injuries to his right upper arm and left shoulder, causing him a great deal of pain. Now we can add a couple of x-rays to the stitches I already knew about. The folks at the hospital were very kind and provided excellent care. Praise God, the x-rays showed no broken bones or shoulder dislocation. The doctor put in a total of 14 stitches (5 in the lip, 9 in the chin). Of course, I had my digital camera with me and dutifully recorded it for posterity. It's not serious, but is a pretty sad photo! The good news is that he slept well last night (thanks to good drugs) and feels much better today.
That brings us to Monday. Our eldest daughter's four children (ages 9, 11, 14 and 15-1/2) have spent most of the summer visiting their cousins on the Oregon coast. They came home over the weekend, and we grabbed them today and took them to lunch. We had a delightful time with them debriefing about their summer. They've grown so much - both physically and spiritually. Listen to this: When we arrived to pick them up, they had cleaned and swept the kitchen, started the laundry, and changed the cat's litter box. All this without being asked! This would NOT have happened two months ago - Wonderful progress!! We are so pleased and proud.
Tomorrow I will spend the day packing and preparing to leave Wednesday morning to be away from home for an open-ended period of time. I will take my laptop with me to my brother's, and hope to resume blogging by Thursday, Lord willing. We will be enroute in the car all day Wednesday (and possibly part of Thursday, depending on how tired of the interior of the car we become on Wednesday). This is a 13-hour trip, and we aren't sure we'll have the stamina to do it all in one day. I'm thinking "motel" at about Redding or Willows, but we shall see.
At any rate, please pray that we have "journey mercies," as my very favorite pastor always puts it (He knows who he is!).
XOXO to all!
MY TEXT FOR TODAY: Isaiah 33:2-3 (LB)
"But to us, O Lord, be merciful, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in time of trouble. The enemy RUNS at the sound of your voice!"
See, this is me, packing up my computer till Thursday. Catch you later!
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