Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from the upper Midwest where winter keeps hanging on.  Woke up to 7 degrees today.  Thursday we had mostly rain though, so can't complain as winds were sustained at 30 mph and with snow?  That would have been bad.  Joel is getting restless to ride again, he does not like to walk for exercise.  I tell him, I do a lot of things I don't necessarily like, but I know are good for me but I'm thinking he needs a winter bike to ride.  I walk around inside the house and make my goal 21 minutes a day.  Strange number?  I had read that you need walk only 11 minutes a day briskly in order to decrease the chance of heart disease, diabetes, etc.  I thought, "I can do that!"  And more.............  With my body still fighting this "sick" eye, 21 is a good number. Can I just interject here that I am so sick of being sick?  Annoying.

Speaking of my eye, we head to Mayo Tuesday for a surgery evaluation.  Since last Sunday I have had and increase in balance issues and the pressure/pain in my head.  The "referred pain".    I am off the pain med but still on Tylenol and two eye drops.  I am still sleeping at night so am very thankful for that.  The doctor says the cornea looks good but still swollen and my eye is shrinking too.  I have been happy to report I have not shrunk at all height wise, but now alas....I have a shrinking eye! 

Joel and I are both struggling with the Old Testament readings.  It seems like so far it is mostly about, war, sex, and death.  Seriously not okay.  And we find the OT God  more than a little gruesome in His actions.  We head into the book of Ruth Monday so I am hoping for a more pleasant read!  Or "listen" as it is.  Give me the New Testament any day.....just saying.

I have really enjoyed looking at slides (on USB) this month.  So many memories come flooding back.  Today I am remembering my "Little Sis" Zita, who was assigned to me at Bible College our second year.  Her husband Mike died this week at age 73.  We remember them both back in 1967 and as Zita and the family grieve their loss now.  So many years ago and yet it can seem like just yesterday that we graduated from Golden Valley Lutheran College and left many friends behind.

We have had 15 major moves and a few moves from one house to another besides.  We left friends behind with every move...many we have stayed in touch with, like Helen and George although we have not hugged on them since 1976!  We will more than likely hug on them in Heaven!  There is something to be said for traveling and living around the country and overseas, but there is also something to be said for putting deep roots down in one place.  

I just put honey wheat bread into a loaf pan for a second rising.  I enjoy making bread for the most part.  Did it for years when the kids were young and our family was not so big.  I think it will be a French toast and bacon kind of weekend.  We try to eat bacon only a few times a year........why?  I guess because it is not so good for us.  I usually buy nitrate free and with the surge in prices we paid a whole lot of cash for 1 package of nitrate free bacon!  And yogurt?  Yikes....and lets not forget eggs.  Just grateful that even though we complain about the prices, we can still afford them.  Yes, grateful.

We started watching a new series on Britbox which is a spinoff from Death in Paradise.  It is called Beyond Paradise and is really good. We like it better than the original series.   I have added in a few teachings by Randy Clark and Kris Vallotton to my week too.  

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.  Joel and both had the Ancestry testing to see what ancestry we have.  Surprisingly Joel came up with a bit of Irish.....and I have a bit of Irish too but not as much as I thought.  He thought, due to family lore that he was part European Jew, but it is me who carries some of that one!  Add to those, Norwegian, French and English for me and Norwegian, Dane, and English doe Joel.  A melting pot, just like our family.  We represent many countries...besides the above our kids and their families add, The Philippines, Koralso ea, Mexico, China, Puerto Rico, Germany, Northern Cheyenne, African American, and probably more.  It is nice to be a melting pot of God's creation.

So today I am thankful, for rain this week (and no snow).  Grateful for sunshine and winds.  Grateful for the life of Mike, well lived.  Grateful for old friends across the country and world.  Grateful for good memories and slides that pop right up on our TV to make us smile.  Grateful for teachings that keep us focused on God.  Grateful for struggling with the OT as it stretches us, and the New Testament that inspires us.  Grateful for homemade bread, bacon, and being able to afford the food we want and need.  Grateful for riding bike and walking.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, Facebook friends, and so much more...

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from snowy Iowa where we are expecting 2-4 more inches of the white stuff today, after Thursday's storm left 3 1/2 inches of new snow.  Winter is getting really old...come on Spring!  Joel's bike rides have been put on hold once again! 

Speaking of Joel, yesterday he did all the floors in our 5 level, 2700 square foot too-big house.  (the half down and half up levels are just bedrooms jutting out in the front of this unusual house) I love when the floors are shiny and clean.  The bathrooms too!  Most people don't really like cleaning bathrooms but I enjoy getting the chrome to shine, and the ceramic sparkle! I can't say Joel has the same enthusiasm for cleaning the floors,  but he gets it done.  Grateful.

It has been another quiet week here at our own "Lake Woebegone".  I am weaning off the Gabapentin because the side effects were too much. The pain and pressure is back in my head, but so far I am sleeping at night and managing to some degree the days with Tylenol.   I am not a person to even take over the counter pain relief.  Seriously, we don't usually even keep it in the house as it gets outdated....but....None of this journey has been easy. The only outing I had besides spending a few minutes getting fresh air on the porch at night was a brief trip to the grocery store.  

Speaking of outings, Joel has taken a "job" filling in one Sunday a month for a couple of churches south of us.  He starts tomorrow........just in time for day light savings time. I never do well with these time changes.  I am back to my same pattern of waking at 5:45 a.m. no matter what time I go to bed.  Ugh.  Lets pick one time and stick with it.  There is plenty of evidence that it is hard on the body....  Come on..............

Speaking again of Joel, he attended a meeting with the ELCA National Bishop Eaton this week.  A meet and greet with her and local ELCA pastors as she was in town for a meeting of some sort.  He is off to Gabby Grandpas this morning having coffee and getting his fill of conversation.  He is such an extravert, and is energized by people.  Are you energized or depleted by people?  I remember once Joel took a test for how extraverted he was and a high score was 15.....he scored 45!  He has mellowed with age some!.  

This week we decided to try bison.  Have you had it?  It really tastes pretty neutral. 

I still walk 20-25 minutes around the house inside.  This goes back, like I shared before, to when Holy Spirit whispered to me to "walk out your healing".  I was being treated for Lyme and the meds were not helping.  After Joel's middle of the night healing I began to persist for the same thing.  I could walk for only 5 minutes without being exhausted....but I bought myself hot pink tennies  and first of all just kept them close by me to remind me I would have the energy to walk again.  Soon I could walk 5 minutes and still have energy...then we celebrated when I could walk 10!  Eventually I could walk 45 minutes.  Cancer slowed me down but I NEVER have stopped walking because Holy told me to walk!  I was healed of Lyme and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and a cyst through prayers. alone.  I was healed of cancer and other things thorough medical interventions.  I will be healed again.  So, while on this journey,  the song below is on repeat here for me.  The words are powerful and speak truth.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  

So today I am grateful for music that soothes the soul.  Grateful for Joel getting the floors done.  Grateful for TV that distracts, podcasts that inspire, teachings that open my mind to new things.  Grateful to know that winter will eventually end~ and so will this journey I am on.  Grateful for phone calls from our son, texts from our 3 girls and family.  Grateful for YouTube videos that make it possible for us to see some of our family at church on Sundays.  Grateful for walking and an area to walk in.  Grateful for prayers, emails, my texting family group, and so much more. 

Enjoy your weekend~ 

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on this the first weekend of March.  We are seeing signs of Spring as the temperatures rise and the rain this week melted a lot of the snow.  We had flood warnings and our East Park was closed due to flooding.  Yesterday it was 43 degrees and Joel went for a 10 miles bike ride.  The path was wet in places, but no ice anywhere. 

This past Monday I saw my regular retina dr. and let him know about my appointment with a Mayo plastic surgeon coming up now in 2 weeks.  I did not realize I was seeing a plastic surgeon until I looked her name up.  I'm a bit apprehensive but am trusting God with this process.  The cornea is looking good and my eye is not so red anymore or painful.  But of course I am on tylenol and pain meds. I am certainly ready to get off the pain med which is causing me a few too many issues.  Low blood pressure.....balance......and brain.  I took a stick of butter out of the fridge and needed to grab something else too.  When I shut the fridge door I couldn't remember what I did with the stick of butter....and found it in my tunic pocket!  What??  I melted butter for bread the other day and put it by the mixer.  Then a minute later went to the microwave to take out the butter and was so confused because it was not in there.....I did not remember I had just removed it! Those kind of things keep happening.   Joel says I talk and move slower, but I feel like things are moving faster.  You know, drugs given to help a person should not make you feel worse in other areas.  Ugh...I am sleeping at night, though. Yay!

I have started listening to books instead of reading them and find it fascinating that I get right into the characters and story that is being read aloud.  I am careful what I watch on TV too but did not expect my body to respond so strongly to an audio story......must be my vivid imagination.  But, anyway, isn't it amazing how easy it is to have such things like audio books at our fingertips!  It is great that we can connect to a book, to another country, to our loved ones, to every area of life so quickly and easily.  When we lived in The Philippines we called home once in 2 years because we could not afford the cost.  $40 for 5 minutes.  I remember calling on Christmas and having to end every sentence with "roger" in order to have the overseas call!  And today?  Just pick up your 24/7 attached to the hip phone and punch a few buttons and talk or facetime!  So blessed.

Our oldest daughter is celebrating a birthday this week.  I still remember the day she was born of course.  she was 3 1/2 weeks late and weighed 8 1/2 lbs.  Such beautiful skin for a newborn.  We were in the military then and I was given a saddle block so I could not help push either.  She had little marks on the side of her head where they pulled to bring her out.  We had to stay in the hospital 5 days, we had to strip our own beds and put our own clean sheets on and only saw our babies during feeding time~!  Good grief.  I still want to shake my head when I think about her on our narrow table on her tummy as we took pictures of her.  She was only a few weeks old and lifted herself up and rolled over.  We yelled and rushed to the table as she almost fell off.  Yikes!  At three months you could stand her up leaning against the sofa and she was stay there.  I also remember was how scared we were.  We knew so little about parenting, and unfortunately she was our trial and error child!  Happy Birthday Bethany.  So blessed to call you daughter!

The house smells like homemade chicken and rice soup today....and just a couple of days ago honey whole wheat bread filled the house with a bakery smell.  I also made myself Paleo Almond Butter bars for a treat.  I do like to bake....and I am better at baking than cooking!

Our favorite show, All Creatures Great and Small on PBS has finished it's season already.  Dang.  We have turned to a new season of Death in Paradise, and watch Murdock on Britbox or ACORN.  We both like American Idol (most of the time) and that has started up..  Still watching NCIS (original) and So Help Me Todd which is really stupid and unbelievable at times....and yet we watch it!  Ha.... We both enjoy Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy too.  Do you have any favorites?  

Expect it is time to close this scribbles.  Thankful today that I am back on my laptop more without issues, grateful for TV that distracts and entertains, grateful for our oldest daughter, her hubby, and the grands, grateful for warm weather so Joel can bike some again.  Grateful for homemade bread, homemade soup, an appointment at Mayo, memories that make us smile or shake our head!  Grateful for how easy life is regarding conveniences and luxuries.  Grateful for texts, phone calls, emails, prayers and praises, and so much more...

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this last weekend of February.  This past week brought a powerful storm dumping up to 12 inches of snow in many places of the Midwest.  We got "only" six inches and that is enough.  Snow and wind brought things to a standstill for a while.  And for Monday?  Rain is forecast!  Crazy weather! 

 Friday morning Joel called me to come look out the upstairs window at 5 deer in the neighbor's yard. They know where they can find some food!  They were pretty to look at from afar.  Mostly gentle animals, I have seen one annoyed with me......It was eating the neighbor's bushes and I went outside in the yard to chase it away.  When the doe started pawing the ground and snorting I heeded her warning and backed off retreating to the deck.  I was not going to confront a deer that perceived me as a threat. I was unable to save the neighbor's bush!

Monday I saw the doctor and asked if they ever do referrals to Mayo for eye surgeries.  The doctor immediately connected with his staff in Des Moines to have them look into it and now I have a consultation with Mayo Ophthalmology the third week of March.  Just like that.  I like my regular doctor a lot and know he has done all he can, but I guess a second opinion is not a bad idea.......and the month we wait will give us time to know if my eye is getting better or not.  I know the pain is still there because I stopped taking Tylenol 2-3 times a day for stomach issues that arose, and was only taking a pain med and I woke up this morning with the pain speaking loudly.  Seriously done with this.  

We planned to go to Ash Wednesday services but the snow storm had us staying home to worship.  We also had communion and distribution of ashes at home.  Plan B.  I was remembering one Lent growing up when there was a storm.  We still went to church.....walking the mile to get there through a whole lot of snow!  There was only one other family at church besides us.  Our reward for trooping through the storm was being able to stop for hot chocolate on the way back home! That did not happen here! No walking through the snow or hot chocolate!

Friday we went to the theater to see the movie, "Jesus Revolution", based on a true story.  I felt strongly that we were to go see it.  And since we had not gone to a movie theater for 8 years, it was a new adventure.  Especially with my eyes.....but I took a fleece blanket and my sunglasses and it went well.  After coming home, I did research on the names and ministries that came from this period of time when the hippies in California started believing in Jesus.  It is certainly a story from our generation, and a powerful story of how God works.  It just came out this week and runs parallel with the Asbury Revival in my thinking.  The most interesting character for me was Pastor Chuck Smith and what happened in his life and in the lives of thousands when he stepped out of his comfort zone and said yes to Jesus.  So good..........

As I bring this scribbles to an end today I am giving thanks for going to the movie, Jesus Revolution, for the Asbury Revival and those hungry for more of God.  Grateful for doctors, for worship, for prayers, for movies about Jesus, for those brave enough to step out in faith and obedience to God.  Grateful for a warm house, fireplace, wool comforter, and homemade chicken and rice soup.  Grateful for the internet live streams that have Bible studies, worship services, and teachings about God at our fingertips.  Grateful for Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  Grateful for homemade soup.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, emails, and so much more............

Enjoy the weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this third weekend in February.  This week we had one day of rain...steady.....and then a bit of snow later in the week.  Will be close to 40 again today.  The world around us is stark and black, white, and brown in color.  The river below is full.  The animals are still mostly quiet except for a few squirrels and deer.  Of course I wouldn't know what moves around at night.........I am never out at night!  When I start getting ready for bed at 9 there is not much time for "partying" before that!  Ha

Speaking of partying, our son Mark turned 48 this week.  We have spent time thinking back on how he came to our family ~ I wrote about it on Facebook~ and we are so thankful for this soon to be 50 son of ours.  Where does the time go?  It can't have always been easy for him to be in our family where his dad served mostly rural or small town churches and there would be so few if any people who were not white. With his beautiful skin and afro hair he stood out for sure.  I remember once an elderly woman in church reached over the pew and patted his hair.  At age 3 he turned around and looked at her and said, "Yes, my hair is curly, and I am black, too!"  A woman who was curious on how his hair felt!  Seriously, though, racism did raise it's ugly head at time with our beautiful family.  I am not sure much has changed.

On a lighter note, has anyone heard anything about the Asbury (University) Revival going on at a Kentucky non-denominational college campus?  It's all over social media and has caught my attention for sure.  I have watched the live stream a couple of days and it is exciting to see so many youth seeking more of God.  Busses have come with kids and staff from many other universities, people are driving and flying there from across the country and out of country?  Wow....Bless them all Lord!

My eye saga continues.  Pain led me to using a pain medication which is taking awhile to take affect.  We are talking about eye removal and where to go for that.  What do I want?  Relief.

February also brings with it an AA birthday for my mom.  She celebrated 35 years of sobriety before dying at the age of 92.  So proud of her courage and determination.  If she was alive I would  not be speaking of this...it would her story to share, but for anyone who may have a family member or themselves are struggles with addiction, it is possible to live a full and healthy life again.  

Not much going on this past week....seeing a retina dr got me out the door.  Shopping for groceries.... Otherwise I made Joel cookies, cleaned a couple of bathrooms, and and cooked a few meals.  Seriously, just day to day while managing the drama.  One of the highlights of the week was talking to my sister Jan for an hour and my friend Katherine who blessed me with some powerful prayer time.  She is on fire for the Lord and I sure miss giving her an in person hug! 

Hope you had a good Valentine's Day~!  So thankful Joel and I have had 56 February 14th celebrations together!  So blessed!!!

We have kept up with our Bible listening and I have not found Numbers anymore exciting than Leviticus....except for the talking donkey!!   The supernatural power of God at work!   The book of Mark which we listen to daily also, has much to say!  We listen to the weekly podcast too which gives us a better understanding of what we are reading.  It has actually been fun to get into this!

Best close this scribbles.........We are grateful for the continual help and guidance from God with my eye.  Gratefu for what we are learning about the Bible.....Never too old to learn more~  Grateful for my mom and the years we had with her.  Grateful for laughing with my sister Jan. Grateful for praying with Katherine.  Grateful for this Asbury Revival and what it is stirring up.  Grateful for our son Mark and his 48 years of life. Grateful for a great phone call with him.   For celebrating 56 Valentine Days with Joel.   Grateful for texts, emails, packages that arrive in the mail, phone calls, and so much more...

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from the Upper Midwest where temperatures will reach a balmy 40 drees today.  What???  Such strange weather this year,  Up and down for sure.  Snow still provides us a winter wonderland but I expect the lakes are not so safe for ice fishing or kite flying with the fluctuation of temperatures.  Even though it is only February, we are so ready for Spring here!

Speaking of weather, the other night I told Joel I wanted to walk around the cul-de-sac after dark.  He put his coat on to go with me and off we went.  We got as far as two steps onto our sidewalk from the porch and started to slip and slide.  I grabbed the side of the house and Joel navigated us back to the porch where we took in a little fresh air but no walking!  I'm sure it was comical to see  but not experience!  The cold...warm...cold....pattern has made the ground slippery at times.

That cold...warm...cold pattern seems like my journey with my eye too.  Last couple of days have brought me more pain and discomfort which is frustrating but we have been forewarned that this is how it is.  Still trying to save the eye.  We know that God could heal my eye in  a blink of mine.....he heals eyes, the Bible tells us so.  Have we seen my eye healed?  No.  Do we continue to pray for it?  Yes.  And even when we don't begin to understand and have a million whys we would love to get answers to, we remember that God is faithful.  He is good. 

Speaking of God, I often hear from Him through scriptures that come and come and come again...repetition speaks to me of God.  But he has been silent and then yesterday when Joel was praying for what direction to go with my eye I heard a quiet voice, the familiar although not often heard voice say...."Trust Me".   So, we intentionally trust even when we don't understand..  We worship as a sacrifice if necessary.  This was all affirmed to me this morning as I listened to a Lisa Harper YouTube video on the same subject.  So, we move forward or stand firm living one day at a time, praying for guidance and healing while lamenting with honesty our suffering.  God is good with that.  

Does anyone else have wild dreams?  I sure do.  The other night I woke myself up from one.  I dreamt a drone was attacking me.....(I am not kidding) and I woke up swinging my bed pillow up in the air trying to hit the drone while yelling..."Get away from me"!  Where did that come from?  Well, a week ago I watched a funny show called, "So, help me Todd" and in the show a drones were attacking and chasing a couple of people...it was humorous....but  showed up days later in my "nightmare".  Joel talks a lot in his sleep and laughs and also prays in his prayer language in his sleep which often wakes him up.  I am thinking I need more of his kind of dreams!

We are moving forward in our daily Bible listening in both the Old and New Testaments.....into Numbers now.  I still do not like how God handles things in the Old Testament.  Such wrath.  Ugh.....  We are also in Mark, which is about Jesus and his ministry....that makes sense to me!

We have been watching our favorite show, "All Creatures Great and Small" on our PBS channel Sunday nights.  A new season started and it is as good as the last,  We are old enough to have watched the original series many years ago....and of course we read the books.  This newer version is even better!  

So, as I end this week's ramblings, I am thankful for our favorite show starting up again.  Grateful for hearing God speak quietly in my head.  Grateful for the days I am better, and for days we can open the windows to let in fresh air.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, emails, and more.  Grateful we are through Leviticus and half way through Numbers in our Bible journey.  Grateful for warmer weather, walks in the house for me and outside for Joel.  Grateful for Lisa Harper's videos on YouTube.  Grateful for family and friends, good doctors, and great prayer warriors....and so much more....

Enjoy your weekend!