Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this last weekend of August!  The oppressive heat and humidity has left, no more tropical climate here in northern Iowa.  I have noticed that our flowers have been loving the humidity......but not so much the people! There has not been much porch sitting or outdoor work when the "feels like" temperature was 112!  

Speaking of tropical climates and flowers, when we lived in The Philippines, Poinsettias grew wild on big bushes. There were plenty of beautiful flowering bushes there but I was always fascinated wih the "Christmas" plants growing year round in such heat and humidity.  

We had a bit of "drama" here Thursday night.  When I was getting ready for bed and doing my nightly routine for my artifical eye, I noticed it was not where it should be but  appeared to look like it was more in the corner.  Joel tried to move it with the soft tool we were given but he could not.  He took the eye out 2 times but when he put it back in I was feeling a lot of discomfort and it would slide back to the corner.  Finally we got the papers I had been given which had very few instructions.  We tried again....Ouch!  So.....when all else failed I googled "How to put an artifical eye back in"!!!  All kinds of instructions and videos came up.  Turns out the eye had swiveled and was upside down.....we took it out, lubricated it and got it in it's proper place.  Ahhhhh   Of course all this happended as I was getting ready for bed so sleep was slow to come.  We have it all figured out now so if it happens again (this was the first time) we now know what to do!  Who would ever think I would google such a thing.....but....we did ....We got this!!?!

Speaking of that, I am happy to report that the trigeminal nerve symptoms were much less and the blanace issues about 80% gone.  A dental appointnent and the eye drama raised the bar, but it was exciting to have improvement for the last two weeks.  The ear infection seems to be gone and Benadryl is temporarily helping me sleep at night and get rid of fluid in the ears.  Progress is such a good thing~  Still walking 20-25 minutes, worked on the book a bit, and managed to balance rest and activity.  Although....rest is still a four letter word for me....Too many sofa years with Lyme makes it hard for me to find it posiitve to "have to rest".

Speaking of resting, Joel's recumbent has been doing so.  Joel has not been able to ride or do any outdoor projects due to the thick heavy air, heat and humidity.  He spent time in the office....a lot of time actually.  Tomorrow he has services here at a church in town so he has gotten ready for that.   

I was talking to my sister Jan and told her when I go to Heaven I plan on working in a Bakery.....where I can eat all the caramel rolls I want.  I haven't had one for decades.  I have eaten some of a cinnammon roll a couple times but sugar and gluten are not my friends.  Anyway I love the idea of working in a bakery.  AND having a new body with all my working parts again.  sigh....Yeah "Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace"......and maybe bakeries and other fun places to enjoy.  You never know!

Today is International Dog Day which had us thinking about our two dogs, Jake and Levi, both Miniature Schnauzers,  "Sir Jacob Manchester Sackett" was with us for nearly 15 years.  That dog came at a highly stressful time in our lives and spread his love over everyone in the family.  He was protective but friendly.  He slept on our bed for years and comforted anyone who needed it. "Levi The Little Guy" was with us nearly 13 years....came from a puppy mill, and did not have the confidence or breeding Jake had.  He was always a bit anxious but loved to snuggle with us.  Those two dogs were such a joy.  We miss having a pet for sure.....and yet Joel holds back from having one now....so we enjoy our grand dogs when we get to see them.

Last night we watched the movie '80 For Brady".  We didn't know if we would like it so waited until it was free on Prime Video..turns out it was a pretty clean movie, and very funny!  I didn't realize it was based on a true story! We enjoyed the acting by Jane Fonda, Rita Marino, Sally Field and Lily Tomelin.  

Today I am grateful for laughter, movies that carry a message, memoires wih our two little dogs, google for "how to's", artifical eyes, cooler weather, porch sitting again, beautiful flowers the end of August, bakeries in Heaven?  Grateful for phone calls, texts, pictures from texts, emails, and just so much more.......

Enjoy your weekend~~

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where August weather is upon us.  The next few days will be in the mid to high nineties with heat indexes in the low one hundreds.  Okay then.  Yay for air conditioning and early morning porch sitting. Our flowers are happy and in full bloom once again.  So lovely.  I expect they like the humidity.  

Joel has been riding between 10-15 miles most days.  Still doing some woodworking but had another accident with the power saw.  This time it kicked back a jpiece of wood, hitting his thumb first and then chest.  He has quite a bruise on his chest, so we are grateful the wood hit his thumb first.  It's sore and bruised also, but it would have been so much worse if it had hit his chest first!  Then yesterday he was changing out something on his pedals and riding really slowly in front of the house when the bike just tipped over and down he went on the street.  It's a recumbent so lower to the ground.  He bruised right away and got a stiff back, but all minor and is a-okay.  I'm just thinking he needs to sit in his recliner for a few days!!  

Monday we headed to Rocheser for a check up of my artifical eye.  All is well....they took it out, cleaned it and polished it, and put it back in.  Go back in 6 months.  Afterwards we went to Trader Joe's...yay....and then stopped at a family member's house half way home for a short visit.  Nice day.  The woman we visited has very limited vision but is so courageous in her journey through life now.  She makes me more brave!

Today our youngest daughter stopped by for a visit.  She came into our lives at age 2 just as our oldest graduated from high school.  Now she is 36 and has a teen of her own.  The years go by so quickly....

I made cookies for Joel this week, plus a gluten free snack for myself.  I have been walking 20 minutes daily and done a little cleaning, but for reasons we don't understand, energy has been low.  One of my favorite things to do when needing a boost is to go to Julie Meyer's Facebook page where she sings the Psalms and prays over people.  So soothing and inspiring.  Singing the Word of God.....it's so good!     I have been listening to audiobooks and finished Barbara Bush's book.  Now I am reading Laura Bush's book, "Spoken From The Heart".  I am a curious person and so these kind of books are very interesting to me.  Especially getting different perspectives from people then what appears on our screens or phones.  

Maui.  What can be said about the tragedy that has swallowed up Lahina.  It is shocking and so sad to see it all unfold.  We need to pray.....help if so led.  Lord have mercy.

This week one grandson has beenn working at the Iowa State Fair, sharing his stories with Papa Joel.  Another granddaughter has stepped into the world of teaching as she embraces young children with speical needs.  Another recently moved to new city to start her pharmacy career.  And today another granddaughter is setting up a new place to call home in her college dorm.  Two more will go back to their own college rooms in a couple of weeks.  My goodness........how much motion and change is happening in our family.   

Today I am so grateful for all our grands and how well they are doing life.  Grateful for a good report with the ocularist.  Grateful for a cool house and car.  Grateful for audiobooks.  Grateful for those helping the people of Maui.  Grateful for Joel fairing well with the "accidents".  Grateful for being able to walk inside when needed.  Grateful for phone calls with family and friends, texts, emails, laughter, tears.  Grateful for Julie Meyer's music and ministry.  Grateful for homemade goodies, plenty of food and Trader Joe's good deals!  Grateful for all this and so much more.........

Enjoy your weekend~

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from North Iowa where the weather has been good, the corn is tasting sweet, and the flowers are still showing off all their beauty.  To repeat myself, our pansies are still blooming!  Wonderful!  Last night we sat on our covered porch enjoying a thunderstorm.  The rain smelled so good.  So have enjoyed our porch this week.

Speaking of this week, Joel has been focused on reaching a milestone on his recumbent bike.  10,000 miles.  And he accomplished it!  This is his second odometer.  The first one held 8,000 miles, this one 10,000.  So happy for him!  He has ridden the same bike throughout it all, having had it rebuilt a couple of years ago, and keeping it maintained throughout the years.  He started with this odometer in 2008, but Lyme disease kept him off his bike for 3 years.  When he hops on his bike now, he rides 10-15 miles spending little to no time on roads, but paths that we are blessed to live close to.  

10,000 miles!

Joel was at Gabby Grandpas this morning when a man we have known for years said, "I want you to know how much the class I took from you meant.  I learned so much.  It was a class on God wanting us well that we taught several years ago.  Then he said, "When I came to your home and you and Renee prayed over me, I had electricity going up and down my body and the back pain left.  I was able to travel on vacation for two weeks without pain.  Another man who was listening said, "They prayed for me too.  I was having some symptoms that were concerning and they went away and never have come back.  In fact, I sweat so much during their prayer time it dripped off me and soaked my shirt."  THIS was Holy spirit at work healing these two men. (Both these stories are in Joel's book, "A Little To The Right of Crazy".) It was so nice for Joel to hear those stories again.  Me too.  GOD does heal.  He is our Jehovah Rapha....The God who heals.

I can smell homemade bread in the oven as I type this. I enjoy making it for Joel. He does so much around here~it is a way to say thank you and enjoy something good too!  I have Been walking daily 20-25 miniutes and have done some house cleaning.  Thing is, I LIKE cleaning, especially making bathrooms shine.....and kitchens too.   I am still on medications for the ears but seeing improvcement. 

Joel will be off doing services for two churches tomorrow again.  Last week he did one here in town.  He keeps busy for sure.  We have been enjoying outdoor church this summer too.  Hoping to get back to it, but Joel is booked for 3 Sundays this month elsewhere so we will see.  He finished building new back steps on our deck this week.  They are stained too.  He'll stain the rest of the deck this fall I expect.  As you can tell, he is not one to sit around.

Today I am thankful for those healing stories that were shared.  Grateful for the book Joel wrote regardinghealing and his story.  Grateful for the healing I have experienced in the past and expect in the future!  Grateful for new steps made from refurbished wood.  Grateful for Joel reaching his 10,000 miles mark on his bike.  Grateful that he can ride!!  Grateful I can walk daily.  Grateful for homemade bread and it's wonderful smell.  Gratefufl for beautiful weather, a porch for sitting, rain to nourish the land. Grateful for texts and pictures from Europe.  Grateful for phone calls, and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend.

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this first weekend of August.  The wind is helping to cool the temperature although it is lower today than the past couple of days.  Tomorrow a cold front comes through with rain and a high of 70.  That will be nice!  Our geraniums are taking a hiatis from blooming right now but our two pansy plants are still giving off vivid blooms to share!  

Joel has been adding a few extra miles to his biking this week, riding 15 miles each time instead of 10.  He will soon be reaching a big goal of his and is eager to rack up the mileage.  He has done a bit of wookworking and yard work and spent time in the office for tomorrow's service he will have at a church here in town.  He is filling in a couple of Sundays this month at different places.  I had hoped to go along, but a virus and ear infection (again) has me at home.  This. is. getting. old.  

Speaking of getting old I just have to say that I get super annoyed when medical people, or anyone for that matte, who treats me like I am a child becaluse I am perceived as old.   Example:  The nurse at urgent care asked me if I was still on Timilol.  I said yes.  He then proceeded, in a singsong voice to ask...."And do you KNOW why you take it?"  I said, yes, for glaucoma.  AND He replied with a smile....."Yes, you are correct."  What the heck???!??!?  Annoyed.  Officially.    I was not going to share anything medical today...it is booooooring......and repetitive  BUT God showed up for us on Friday.  We came of of the urgent care upset....still dealing with ear infection and now some virus.  Joel was looking down as we walked and saw a feather.  "Look, he said....a silver feather"!  We brought it home.  You know why?  Feathers have meant something special to us the past 6 or more years.  It reminds us that we have refuge under God's wings and are cared for.  A dear friend often sends me photos of feathers as a reminder.  God knew we both needed this reminder yesterday as this stupid saga continues.  God showed up and we hold tightly to those reminders.  He is good. 

Speaking of good, we had such a good time with friends Mary Lou and Keith during their time in Mason City.  We spent several hours chatting last Sunday and then said our good-byes....until we meet again!  They have other places to go and people to see before they head back to Tucson to serve the homeless.  In their retirement years they have found a way to "re-fire", not just retire and they are really enjoying their life serving God.  

Speaking of retire, there is no word for retire in the Bible.  Or so I have been told!  Our plans were to also re-fire, but life threw us a curve ball...or two.  Of course Joel is doing great but there's not a lot of gas is this engine to refuel the refiring!  But alas, we find things to do and enjoy.  I expect most of those who are retired do.  Life is too short to sit around and do nothing. 

Best make this short.  Grateful for seeing good friends again.  Grateful for laughter and tears, and prayers together.  Grateful for medications even if they make me feel wonky.  Grateful for 15 mile bike rides for Joel.  Grateful for retirement.  Grateful for pansies still blooming. Grateful for phone calls, texts and emails.  And great photos from our family visiting Europe.  Grateful for feathers provided by God at just the right moment.....and so much more!

Enjoy your weekend.