Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from this rainy morning in northern iowa.   It is tropical and we appreciate more than ever, our air conditioning.  We had a few days where the temperatures and  humidity were lower and the doors and windows could even be open. But right now it feels like a tropical paradise and  I use the word paradise loosely.... I am not a fan of the heat and humidity anytime or anywhere

Joel has been getting up and riding bike early, which has been nice. He's been able to get a little bit of yard work done, but mostly office work, a few indoor projects, and shopping.  And with gratitud he's helped me through a challenging time again with reactions to the glaucoma drop.

  Speaking of that, I attempted to take it a second time but had extreme anxiety and irritability again. So I am back on my old one until I hear from Mayo clinic.  I'm still walking 20 minutes a day. Indoors mostly. My friend Lana and I are doing a Bible study on Daniel and Esther together over the phone.  It feels good to be studying the word and she is involved in so much study of the word that it's beneficial to me too.  

This week we had new Wi Fi installed, which took several hours because in this house, nothing is simple.  We also cancelled the cable we've been getting for 29 years, and we are doing Hulu + live.  It is an adjustment for sure, but we're saving two hundred dollars a month, which is wonderful.  These oldsters can and will adjust to it.  We got this!?!

Do you recall that our oldest daughter and her family gave us a monthly scavenger hunt as one of our christmas gifts this year. Once a month, there is something new for us to do. And this month, we would go to the bulba tea shop here in town and give it a whirl.  The way our schedule was joel decided to just spring at home, and we would test it out here.  He purchased the mango boba tea with tapioca, black pearls in it.  Interesting.  Not really a fan.  Joel  remembers that when we lived in the Philippines fifty years ago, we tried it there, but I don't recall it all.  He was telling the clerk that waited on him that he had first had it 50 years ago in the Philippines, and the guy said,  during the Vietnam war?  Joel said yes....And he replied   i'm Vietnamese and born there.  I don't think we'll be heading back to that shop for tea, but it was fun to try something new and bring up old memories.  

Our oldest son, had an emergency surgery this week on his throat when something got lodged in his esophagus.  He is doing very well thankfully.  You just never know..... It is the suddenlys that send us running to God.    

A couple weeks ago, we ordered ten pounds of blueberries from the mennonites, so we've been eating a lot of blueberry muffins, coffee cake, smoothies, on our cereal or in our yogurt.    There are only a few days in the year that I do not have a handful of blueberries.  It is one of my indulgences. 

As I listen to the rain, I am grateful for it..  it ,  grateful for the rolling thunder. I'm grateful for the crops that grow when they are fed from above.  Grateful for boba tea and the fun times we've had with the scavenger hunts that our daughter and family gave us.  Grateful for the memories of the Philippines that have come up surrounding this drink of creamy milk and tea with tapioca, pearls, to add to it.  Grateful that I have the old eye drop to take while we try and figure out the plan for moving forward .  Grateful for being able to walk and ride and exercise.  Grateful for everything blueberry this week and last week.  Grateful for phone calls, emails and texts from the ones we care about.  Grateful for all this and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend !

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on this first weekend of August in northern Iowa. We have had more than our share of rain this past week, ending up with flash flood warnings and before that, spending a few hours in the basement, waiting for 80 mile an hour winds that never came here but surrounded us?  The weather has been crazy. Right now, we are enjoying some cooler temperatures, sunshine, lower dew points~~porch sitting weather, if you can tolerate the bugs.  

Joel is off to Gabby Grandpas  this morning.  He has been catching up on yard work, but the air quality is bad from the Canada fires so he doesn't spend much time out there. It's a good time to catch up on office work.  Biking is out due to air quality alert.

I have been dealing most of the week with unusally high anxiety, which we still have not pinpointed the cause . hmm, I started the new eye medication, but went off of it after several days and then back on the old eye drops.  Since the anxiety has not subsided I will try the new drug again to see what happens.  Ugh.  Like I said before......I would rather deal with pain, nausea, fatigue, etc. than anxiety.  I did make cookies for myself and blueberry muffins for us along with homemade whole wheat bread this week. Walking most days.  

On Thursday we drove to my hometown an hour away and met with my good friend Lana that I talk to nearly every day. She was there for a reunion, and we met at Culvers for lunch.  So good to hug each other in person. On Friday, old friends stopped by on their way south. He's a retired pastor and a missionary kid who grew up in Brazil.  We have a long history. I used to pray for him as a kid because our church sponsored their family.  I was always interested in missionaries....Dave, one of five boys, was a pastor in Minnesota in the same synod as Joel....we met and realized who he was and he and his wife became our friends.  SO good to catch up.  He even gave the sermon at our son Kevin's funeral.  We'll never forget it.  

So this day I am grateful to have seen Lana and also friends Dave and Deb.  Grateful there are times when anxiety subsides some.  Grateful for the smell of homemade bread,.....and taste.  Grateful for cooler temps and lower dew points.  Grateful for God walking with us through the anxiety drama,  Grateful for walking, fresh mennonite blueberries, blueberry muffins, being able to travel to my hometown.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, and emails.  Grateful for all this and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend~

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on this hot and humid July weekend in our corner of the world.  We have had plenty of rain, heat and humidity the last couple weeks, and are in a flash flood warning until Sunday.  The corn loves it, the people not so much. 

It has been a while since I posted here and a lot has gone on in our world. Joel has been busy finishing up the project that kept hiim on scaffolding.  It's finally done!  Thank Heavens!  He preached on the 14th, drove us to Mayo Clinic on the 15th for my appointments.   Tuesday there were men here installing two new extra large windows.   Friday we drove back to Mayo for two more appointments.  Saturday Joel drove to a funeral in  North central Minnesota and later spent time with his brother and cousin and worshiped in his home church.   He even got in a 20 mile bike ride on his favorite trail.  He drove back home on Monday having had lunch with our son Mark on the way.  Two of my siblings came down to stay with me and help out while Joel was gone. It turned out to be a mini reunion, 2 more and spouses came over on Sunday for Pizza and a visit.The rest of the week has been catch up and rest up.  

My appointments were a mixed bag.  The appointment with the prosthetic eye people turned out okay. Things looked fine, except the tissue is shrinking  so in August, we'll go back, and they'll build up the artificial eye.  I saw the glaucoma specialist on Friday morning early and the surgery only helped a little bit with the pressure. So now I am attempting to adjust to a new medication that combines two eye drops into one drip.  My vision has gotten a little bit worse probably due to the surgery.   Disappointing.   I also went to the lymphedema clinic, and I saw my physical therapist who had good news regarding  my arm and hand.  It is doing great and we are weaning me off of the list of things to do each day.  She also had information for me regarding my lack of energy and weakness, explaining to me how much my body has gone through and how depleted it has become from surgeries. (18 of them) and cancer treatments and the medicines. I'm on and then getting Covid  and 4 months later getting that nasty influenza B.  And then the last ...laser surgery. She would like me to start walking more, to build up my heart and lungs,  muscles and bones. And use a solid walker to do so because of the balance issues.  Yikes! So that is next on the agenda.  Plus seeing my oncologist soon.   All this has, to be honest, given Joel and I pause.  

 But we pray and move forward..Joel is off helping with Habitat for Humanity this morning and I'm writing a Saturday's Scribbles.....

Grateful today for spending time with Dan and Kay, Dickey, Janelle,, Todd and Jeannie and for having Janelle and Dickey come stay while Joel was gone.  Grateful for good news regarding the lymphedema and a plan to strengthen my body. Grateful Joel could go to the funeral and see some family, ride his favorite trail.  Grateful for a new eye drop to try.  Grateful for phone calls,  texts,  emails and so much more.  

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this middle of July weekend. Joel is gone to Gabby Grandpa's for his Saturday rendezvous. It's anywhere from 3 to a dozen men who gather weekly to visit and have coffee.  He'll take his own mug, although he just finished his first coffee on the porch where he takes in nature every morning.  Yesterday he was able to observe a couple turkeys and a few crows besides the resident squirrels and our backyard wren..  She likes to sit on our back deck railing and serenade us.  She uses the wren house Joel has tucked in the Lilac bush.  Our black eyed Susan ivy is doing o well this year.  Our red geranium has tons of leaves but not so many blooms rirght now. Everything is lush and green due to all the rain we have had.

Joel spent much of the week climbing scaffolding or sitting on the garage roof fixing on the house.  He has not been on his bike in quite awhile because he is always up in the air.  I am amazed at what his 79 year old body can do.  He spent most of his childhood doing farm labor.....bailing hay, driving tractor, rock picking.  He has been buying his own clothes since he was 12 and I have never heard him complain about it.  "Work is a privilege" as his dad always said.  I do hear him complain about one thing he does .........our floors!  Doesn't like to vaccum or wash the floors.  He doesn't really complain....he just avoids them as long as he can.  Ha. Tomorrow he preaches at a local church, filling in for  a pastor.  It is the church we recently joined, where Joel worked for 10 years (96'-2006).  We are happy to be back there......smaller churches just work better for us and this one is very familiar.

I spent too much of the past week fighting for energy..  I get things done...cleaning baathrooms, baking bookies, cooking some,  etc., and walking but it is all done with effort that requires rest.  I don't like it but it is what it is. I talk most days to an old friend, and we do a weekly BIble study together by Max Lucado on Daniel and Esther. This past Monday our friends from Tucson came by for another visit as they were on Plan B .....or C...or D!  regarding the reno of their RV they live in.  It was delightful to be with them again.   

Speaking of Plan B, next week is very busy with 4 Mayo appointments on two different days. We are praying that the eye laser surgery worked to bring my pressure down.  If not, we will move on to Plan B.  Tuesday we have two new windows installed.  Our windows are oversized and the cost of two?  Shocking!

Speaking of shocking I cannot help but think about all the lives lost in Texas along the Guadalupe River.  So many children.  So many celebrating th 4th of July found their lives over.....so many deaths.  For me it is one of the why questions that do not get answered....who lives and who dies......why the children.....Our hearts are breaking for the loss of life. Life is so precious and this kind of tragedy brings that to our attention.  

How have you been spending your summer?  What books are you reading? What TV shows are you watching?  Places you are seeing?  Thanks to the journey of a friend named Kendra, I am grabbing each day in the grip of my hands to enjoy.  Accomplish what I can.....laugh, love.  Grateful for every morning.  We are still watching the original Magnum P.I., America's Got Talent, Antique Road Show, and a couple of Britbox mysteries.  I have limited time reading, but am doing that Bible Study and at times pick up the Guidepost or Reader's Digest.  I am still listening to Father Tim books by Jan Karon on audio.  Joel likes such shows as, Building off the Grid.  We traveled to Wisc. of course which was wonderful.  Hoping for more travels to come. 

Today I am grateful I have been able to bake, clean, porch sit, walk, and more.  Grateful for Joel's energy and enjoyment working. Grateful for friends coming by again.  Grateful for our mutual love for Jesus.  Grateful for the Bible Study I am doing with Lana over the phone.  Grateful for TV and books at our fingertips.  Grateful for new windows waiting to get installed.  Grateful for our beautiful black eyed Susan ivy.  Grateful for Chiropractors, and others who help our bodies.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, emailss, and photos.  Grateful for all this and so much more..

Enjoy your weekend~

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on this rainy first weekenf of July.  The temperature will be 10 degrees lower today than the last couple of days and our heat index will no longer be over 100.  The only critters we made contact with on the porch were the mosquitoes that are out in full force from the heavy rains.  

Speaking of weather, we spent a pretty quiet fourth behind closed doors and enjoying the A/C!  Joel grilled pork chops and I made homemade strawberry shortcake to enjoy.  We watched the Capital 4th Fireworks last night after watching our local fireworks from our living room window on the 3rd.  The highlight of our day was connecting to a few family and talking to our oldest son.  

Speaking of our oldest......We spent last weekend with our oldest daugher and son-in-law at their newly renovated and constructed home on the lake in Wisconsin.  So great to be with them and our grandog Koda.  Joel enjoyed kayaking with Beth and Kevin took them for a boat ride.  We also went out for brunch and visited a Wisc. cheese factory and store that carries a huge variety of cheeses including one that looks and tastes like fudge~The check out lines were long and we came home with a few chunks of cheese to enjoy.

We drove back home Monday which was also our 57th wedding anniversary.  We stopped briefly by the Mississippi and then stopped at my hometown where we were married.  We also had a brief visit with Helen, a member of the family.  We were ready to get home and unpack although a nap came first.  

Speaking of coming home, while we were gone our friends found themselves homeless for a few days so they did some housesitting for us when we were gone.  Since they live in a 35 ft RV full time they had a bit more space to spread out here but  I am thinking it made them appreciate even more their "tiny home" on wheels.  

Speaking of our oldest, I shared before that she gave us a monthly scavenger hunt for Christmas last year. For June we were to go to Central Park and Gardens in Clear Lake.  We arrived in-betweeen storms and enjoyed it so much we plan to go back.  There was a manmade waterfall and creek and a pond with koi fish. Lot of flowers and grasses.  We have really enjoyed her thoughtful,  creative gift! 

Celebratng the fourth of July this year has been more challenging for me, I confess.  What we stand for, welcoming others, freedom of speech, religion, and race does not look so free.  I keep asking, what would Jesus do?  And that leads me back to asking myself what I can do to embrace the freedoms I have taken for granted.  We lived for two years under Marshall Law in a 3rd world country where poverty and  fear reigned.  May I never forget the sacrifices made for my/our freedom.  May our freedoms for all of America be a firm foundation we continue to stand on.

Grateful today for the freedoms we have in America.  Grateful for being able to travel to our daughter and son-in-law's.  Grateful to be together for a few days.  Grateful Joel could go kayaking .  Grateful for air conditioning in such hot and humid weather.  grateful for being able to go to Clear Lake Central Park to enjoy nature, grateful for another scavanger hunt advnture.  Grateful for seeing the Mississippi again, and for 57 years of marriage.  Grateful for the rain and the sunshine.  Grateful our friends had a place to crash.  Grateful for texts, phone calls, emails and so much more

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from northern Iowa, where our heat indexes today are supposed to go over 100.This is not OK! Yikes!  Besides people, I expect all of our resident critters will be hunkering down today trying to stay cool.  We had plenty of rain this week.  Even getting flash flood warnings here in town with a few cars stranded on flooded roadways.  Now it's sunshine wind and humidity and heat....

Joel did manage to get up on the scaffolding and take care of most of what he wanted on the sides of the house. He'll have to finish next week or when it eventually stops, as we're looking at hear and rain almost every day in the forecast. Joel went biking with church people on Wednesday ridiig from here to Clear lake, which is about 8 miles, And then having breakfast before returning on their bikes.  Mostly he's been up on scaffolding. He has one hip that's been complaining some, which took us back to when we lived in Zimmerman, Minnesota and the winter  he climbed up on the roof to fix something by the chimney and slid off the roof and landed on this cement below.  Long story short, the clinic did not call him to tell him that he had fractured his hip.  So he walked on it for a couple weeks beford he got help......it healed, but now, 50 years later, it's complaining We celebrated Father's Day with Rhubarb pie, and also Joel's 45th anniversary of his Ordination. Such a special time that occured at his home church in the country, South of Fergus Falls Minnesota. '

On Monday, I went to the second meeting of a  Visually impaired group at a local church. It's very much a bag of mixed emotions for me to be there. BUT overalll it is a good thing!

 Tuesday, I headed to the dentist and Wednesday to the eye clinic here in town. So far the surgery has not changed my pressure. But we're hoping when I go back to Mayo in a month we will hear better news. Second of all my Doctor was quietly affirming that  I do have severe glaucoma  and losing my vision is part of my future,  He told me to keep moving forward in life, eat healthy, exercise. Do what you can let the doctors do what they can with this age-related eye disease.  Okay.  In-between i did some house leaning and walking.  You know,most everything takes effort and work but as my doctor said ....keep moving forward.   

Minnesota has been all over the news this week. So tragic.  So senseless.  And while children mourn the death of their parents, people still say terrible hateful things about those who died or were injured.  Jesus must be so sad.  

 Last night I noticed the movie "Jaws" was on NBC. It took us back to 1975 when we were living in the Philippine Islands...All I could think of was the theme song to that show and Joel saying we're not going to that movie, it's too scary. Too real here.  I never swam in the ocean. When we were there, we did take a trip across it in a bunka boat.  The kids  played on the beach  by the ocean.  But we kept our feet out of the water except for Joel, when he went on a houseboat with his colleagues for work and they swam in the water.  We didn't watch the movie last night either!

Our youngest daughter Sarah turned 39 this week. Happy Birthday girl.  Hope it was a good one. 

Grateful for a cool house in beastly hot weather, grateful for the rain.   Grateful for the rain ending too.  Grateful for the vision group,  good doctors and the ultimate healer Jesus.   Grateful for energy for work....and times to rest.  Grateful for walking,  biking, painting and cleaning.  Grateful for a daughters birthday.   Grateful for Rhubarb pie, and the good father Joel is.  Grateful for texts and phone calls and so much more. 

Enjoy your weekend!