Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where December keeps marching on. What a week of weather to talk about!  On Wednesday it reached 68 degrees here in the upper midwest....in mid December!  Unbelievable weather and it brought with it unbelievable storms.  Thursday the temperature dropped into the 20's.  Again, unbelievable.  It looks like a green/brown Christmas this year, though, since all the snow from before has melted. 

Yes, speaking of unbelievable weather, the forecast was for a fast moving line of storms, possible tornadoes, and then straight line winds to come through Wednesday afternoon and evening.  We had an appointment at Mayo scheduled, so headed out early Wed morning.  Fog made driving down right scary at times, but once the winds picked up the fog dissipated.  We made a quick stop at Trader Joe's to stock up before my appointment, which went well.  We then quickly headed home getting back by 3pm.  We were gone 7 hours and 4 of that was spent in the car.  

We prepared for the storm, putting outdoor decorations away and making sure we had candles and flashlights available.  By the time we headed downstairs to wait for the storm itself it hit, we knew that there had been wind gusts up to 90 plus mph one state over from us.  The storm came through quickly and even though tornadoes were all around us, we did have one right here.  Unfortunately in a small town just east of us they got hit hard with a lot of damage.  Other places the same.  We decided to head upstairs to bed by 10 but Joel woke me soon after saying the winds were so high we needed to head to the basement.  We live in a tall, tall house......so we were up in a high tower and vulnerable to tree or wind damage.  We slept all night in the basement.......me on a comfortable wicker sofa and Joel on a futon.  We only lost a few small branches and three shingles off the back roof.  Grateful.  

My sister Kay and her husband Dan ended up without power from Wednesday evening until midnight Thursday making for a very cold house!  They came over Thursday night for soup supper and we kicked on the fireplace to warm them up.  We offered them a bed but they headed elsewhere.....thankfully they are now cozy in their own home.

One of our kids told me I might be obsessed with the weather..........and I probably am.  Having a meteorologist for a husband (Air Force) weather was always on his mind and mine.  Having lived through earthquakes, seven typhoons, tornadoes, storms, floods, and blizzards I am a bit focused on what weather is coming!  The first earthquake I experienced was when I was a baby so had no clue......the second was in the Philippines ~ did not last only a minute or so, but with everything shaking, the dining room light swinging, and doors banging, and walls rippling, it kinda surprises you!  Our "sew girl" was working at our house that day and was very relaxed about it all.  I was not!  All I could think of was that we were on an island in the middle of the ocean and the earth beneath us was moving and grooving!  Ha....  The third brief earthquake we experienced was in west central MN!!  During our daughter's graduation ceremony there was a tremor and shook things up. It was quickly over but pictures on our walls at home were crooked when we got home...I have probably shared these stories before.  Forgetfulness.  Brain fog.  Think I will blame it on the med I am taking.....

We finished up our Christmas shopping this week, which was pretty easy as we are giving out gift cards to our family.  We made more pumpkin bread, homemade chicken and rice soup, and I got the Christmas newsletter out.  Our holiday itself will be quiet, but the day after Christmas our family starts arriving for that evening, the next day, and the morning of the day after that.  Short but sweet.  We are praying the weather holds!  No snow, no wind, and no tornadoes in December!

Joel has kept busy shopping, making more wood projects, and rewashing the windows.  It seems the winds blew in dirt from places like Kansas and it rained wet dirt, leaving our shiny windows filthy!  I am on yet another antibiotic as the infection did not completely leave. Thus the brain fog.  I have been baking a bit for Joel and working on a puzzle, walking, and trying to sleep past 5 pm.  I took Benadryl for a few months to help me sleep through the night, but read a couple of studies that said consistent usage was linked to dementia so I am off of that.  Just sayin'   I don't need help in going down that road!

So this week I am grateful the shopping is done, Christmas is coming!  Grateful the storm did not cause us damage, and that the tornadoes avoided us.  Grateful for phone calls, Christmas music, laughter, medications when you need them, PT help, a husband willing to wrap my arm and hand in bandages every night, the fireplace, the love of family, memories that make us smile, our tree, and so much more..

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our home where ........"the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...."  What a difference a day makes!  Thursday it was in the 40's and Friday afternoon the snow storm hit.  Much of Minnesota is covered with 8 - 21 inches of snow!  For us in northern Iowa we are estimating 4-5 inches on the ground.  Joel is out blowing snow from the driveway,  and clearing the sidewalk and back deck.  Two days ago he was outside all day doing woodworking from our driveway.  Definitely a big change.

This past week we decorated our tree.  We were going to get a real one, but the more we thought about it the more it made sense to get out our artificial tree.  The first picture shows how the bottom half of the tree lost its lights and the second picture is what it looked like after we added three more strings of lights!  It looks good!!! The third picture is of it all decorated.  My favorite part of Christmas is worship on Christmas Eve and the decorations we bring out that hold so many memories.  Our tree is filled with ornaments the kids made, or ornaments friends and family gave to us over the years. Many represent places we have lived.  So fun..,,,,

half the lights working

Let there be lights!

Decorated for Christmas!

Speaking of fun, this past Wednesday our oldest son came for a day long visit.  We had a great time visiting, playing cribbage, and eating a good meal together.  He also helped his dad get a big, heavy, older TV out of the house and down to the Salvation Army for someone else to enjoy.  

Right before Thanksgiving we received a pumpkin pie from a neighbor who has moved away.  Friday Joel went out to the mailbox and came back with the mail and a box of caramels wrapped and sealed from ??  We don't know!  It was not mailed to us, but left in the mailbox.  What a nice surprise!!  Joel said they are delicious! 

Speaking of delicious, we made pumpkin bread this week.  It freezes well and it is our tradition to make many many smaller loaves using mini bread pans, or cans we bake in and then we give some to friends and send home loaves to each of our kids and families.  The recipe I use is from a cookbook that came out at our church, St. Olaf Lutheran, in Austin MN when I was 16.  I have a copy of the cookbook that Joel has put back together for me a couple of times.  Many of our traditional recipes are from there.....like for Lime Pear Salad, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Bread, and Ginger Cookies.  Now I am getting hungry!

Joel kept busy this week with woodworking while the weather held and a couple of walks outside. I worked on getting a newsletter ready to mail out this year for Christmas.  I often wonder if people read them.....we read the ones we get, and after the holidays when January weather has us bundled under blankets in front of the fireplace we re-read them and look over the photo cards we have received one more time.  We have lived many places and have friends who have moved around too, so it is fun to catch up on what people are doing.

So today, I am grateful for Christmas greetings that come in the way of cards, photo cards, and newsletters.  I am grateful for the tree that stands in the corner of our living room, for surprises that show up on our doorsteps and in the mailbox,  for decorations that bring back memories, for a visit with our oldest son and his warm hugs, cribbage, for love and forgiveness, the snow....and our fireplace, Christmas music, laughter, tears, pumpkin bread, caramels, and so much more............

Enjoy your weekend!

The Pot Was Boiling

I have struggled with what I felt was Holy Spirit telling me to write about for my blog.  Seriously?  Putting our personal stuff out there?  Then at morning devotions the Guidepost story for today was about anger and how most anger could more accurately be labeled fear.  "Anger is usually fear wearing a scary mask".  My response was, "Okay.  Someone must need to read this............so here goes.

This week, in the late afternoon after a beautiful day spent decorating the house and tree...the boiling pot on the back burner of our lives boiled over.  Unexpectedly.  Surprisingly.  It was sobering. 

I used to tell our kids that often there is a pot on the burner of our lives that is simmering with "stuff" that happens.  Sometimes it gets closer and closer to boiling over and just one last drop in the pot can cause an eruption that makes a mess of things.  That happened to Joel and me this week.....It had us asking, what happened here and why?

Joel and I disagreed on what it meant to put ourselves at risk for a Covid exposure.  I felt he was taking a huge risk and he felt he was minimizing the risk well. We both thought we were on the same page , but turns out we were not and instead of handling it well, fear bubbled over and I became angry and found myself raising my voice.  He reacted and raised his voice and the argument brought us to the worst disagreement we have had in probably 20 years.  We just don't fight.  Yes, we disagree, but we never escalate, raise our voices, or carry on.  When we had Lyme disease we just did not have the energy to get into a boxing ring over anything.  Period.  And we liked it that way......it has worked well for us for the last couple of decades.  

And then...........the pot boiled over.   

Later that evening we sat down and talked about the question we both were asking, "What just happened?"  It is why God has asked us to be transparent here,  sharing it for the world to see.  Because I expect the past two years have had all our pots simmering on the stove at higher levels than normal.  The pandemic is something new for all of us.  The fear, worry, caution, isolation, division, death and disease, has taken a toll.  For us, add to it the continual medical marathon with my body and the daily managing of the lymphedema and fractured ribs and maybe we have reasons for the pot to be boiling.  Yep.  And I expect we all have more than one issue that has kept our pots boiling or at least simmering on the burner of life. It is obvious with the increase of violence in the streets and on airplanes alone that many are not handling it so well....this season of conflict, disease, death, and even loneliness.

So, how do we become more aware.  When we are thinking we are really handling it all so well.......being the stoic, independent, determined people we are.....we sometimes miss the warning signs of when we are at the point of "enough is enough".

In our circumstance, Joel and I first apologized to each other, forgave each other, forgave ourselves, and then took it before God and repented.  For us all those steps were important.  And then we sat down and discussed whether we had missed any warning signs that brought us to the "boiling point".  And just how are we taking care of ourselves in the midst of it all?  

Our journey is challenging some days, to say the least.  So is yours.  And yours.  And yours,,,,,,,,,,,, The scriptures tell us over and over...........'Fear not".........."I am with you"............  Don't let the sun set on your anger..........." Trust in the Lord your God".............

I don't begin to understand why this pandemic continues to bring sickness and death.  I don't begin to understand the political climate in our government the past decade,  On a personal level I don't understand why something else keeps coming up to fight in my body.  But I do understand that God is with us.  He is faithful.  He will work all things out for good.  This week the Advent candle is Peace.  We all need a little peace, don't we.  And our peace comes in Jesus.  He is our peace. 

There is someone who needs to hear my words today.  Holy Spirit has told me to put this out there for this person to read.  He loves you that much.  He wants you to hear...........:Fear not.  I am with you,  Let it go.  Release the fear and anger.  Receive His love and peace.  The pot will stop boiling..........Trust Me. (God)"

What are we all doing to keep the pot from boiling?  

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our home here in Northern Iowa where fall weather has continued to grace us with temperatures in the 50's for several days.  Hard to believe it is the first week of December, although Joel and I remember one year after we brought home our tree from a local lot, Joel went out to mow the yard afterwards!  

We did experience some chilly weather when we went north to spend Thanksgiving with our middle daughter, son-in-law, and three grands.  It was so fun to actually go somewhere on a holiday. Married to a working pastor that just did not happen.  We traveled the back roads to avoid busy city traffic and headed to our home state of Minnesota on Wednesday.  We enjoyed our visit with the family so much, even though I ended up at urgent care Saturday morning the the worst UTI ever.  We had to wait and head home on Sunday so I could get the antibiotics working.  We did take the backroads home and stopped six times along the way.  Are we having fun yet?  We used to live in the area and found it very interesting that after 25 years away that we were still recognized.  In the pharmacy I handed them my card and the woman behind the counter asked, "Are you the Dahlens who used to live here?"  Turns out her father-in-law and mother-in-law lived across the street from the parsonage at that time.  We remembered them well.  

For the Thanksgiving feast our grandson made a delicious rhubarb custard pie and I made a pumpkin pie to take along.  One of our granddaughters made tiramisu which was very good too.  I confess I had to google it to see what it was.  Evidently they had it when they visited Italy. There was homemade bread and all kinds of traditional, unique, and fun food and fellowship while there.  We watched a movie the kids wanted us to see called Enola.  It is on Netflix and a cute family movie.  

Joel has been able to bike a few days this past week.  He sticks to the same trail and avoids roads....which I am more than grateful for since one of his long time friends was hit by a car this week here in town while on his recumbent and spent time in the hospital with 5 broken ribs.  Stick to the same trail, Joel......

Joel has been keeping himself busy making small boxes with lids out of recycled redwood.  You could say he has been a bit obsessed with his project since at last count he has made 88 boxes! Some are boxes within boxes which reminds me a bit of God.......we can sometimes put God in a box based on our own perception of Him or our own desires.  Maybe we make Him smaller and smaller...a box within a box until we are comfortable with our image of Him.  He is so much bigger than we could ever imagine.  I expect we would be completely undone by His presence and His glory if we met up with Him!  It is so important to be bold at times in how we see and experience God.  That is one of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie The Shack so much.  It took me out of my comfort zone in how I might see God, Jesus, or Holy Spirit.  I loved that!  

I just finished reading the book, The Veil which definitely took me out of my comfort zone.  I have another book I'll be reading as soon as my brain is no longer in an antibiotic fog.  I apologize for anything I might write here today that does not quite make sense!  I'm on a double dose of Cipro.....and cannot be blamed for anything I say.  (haha)

In this wanting-the-sofa state of mind I'm in, we are trying to decorate for Christmas.  We have pared down our many tubs of decorations, but still enjoy making the house festive.  We made ginger cookies this morning together (thank you Joel!) and I'm getting out the Christmas CDs and old boom box today to release a little Christmas spirit in the house!  We are still deciding on whether to get a real tree this year or use the one we have that needs some work!  A few Christmas cards are trickling in, which are always fun to open.  

December is a month that reminds us not only of God's love for us, but of those loved ones who are no longer here.  Gr. Jo died on December 1st last year, Joel's mom died on December 5th 2011, our son Kevin died on December 13th 2004, and my dad died a couple of days before Christmas when I was seven.  It is not a sad month for us, it is just, for a few moments, a time of reflection.  We give thanks for all their lives and how they shaped us to be who we are today.

So on that note, I am giving thanks for the lives of those I just mentioned, and so many more.  I am grateful for antibiotics and such things like "urgent care" and familiar places and people.  So grateful for homemade cookies that fill the house with a delightful smell, Christmas music, decorations, and trees, texts, phone calls, emails, bike trails, and prayers.  Yes there is so much to be grateful for.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from Iowa, our home for the past 25 years.  Blows my mind to even say that! So many years in one place.  The trees are mostly leaf bare as we head into the third week of November.  Snow has not entered the picture yet, and in fact today we will have a high of 48 if the weathermen/women are correct.  

Speaking of warmer weather........it is a great day to get our windows washed.  Well, that is what I told Joel anyway!!  It is one of his least favorite jobs, but alas.....it has to be done.  I have put on some Christmas music to help energize us for the task ahead.  (I say "we" but unfortunately the task is mostly on Joel!) 

This week was yet another week of doctor appointments.  Monday was the eye doctor I see for glaucoma.  That is holding steady...yay.  The changes I see in my right eye (good one?) is the macular...dry...so nothing can be done.  The doctor said once again, "Your vision is still 20/20 and that is really great for the concerns you have".  Thank you Jesus.  Wednesday I saw the medical oncologist and had another good exam.  The surprise here was that the CT showed I did not have just two fractured ribs but "a line of them" from the radiation.  They are still healing which is good news.  Thank you Jesus.    Friday we headed to Mayo again and worked with the PT to figure out what to do for my hand that keeps swelling.  She sent me to a place called "The Limb Lab" where they make artificial limbs.  Strange place to go, but they have a woman there who helps fit you to the right sleeve and glove.  So we are still in the trial and error phase, but grateful for all the people helping to keep my arm working and the fluid manageable.  I must add in here that I am so grateful for Joel as we walk yet one more medical marathon together.  He wraps my arm every night using "fluff", gauze, short stretch bandages and a certain kind of foam placed in areas that have too much firmness.  He's getting pretty darn good at it!

I was thinking I would not get my walking in on Friday but we had to go to the Mayo Medical Store and that was a walk and a half from where we were.  Of course we got a bit lost as we had not been to the store in 2 years.  People are always willing to help direct you, which actually reminds me of when we were in Grand Central Station in NYC!  One of my favorite things at Mayo in the Gonda building is listening to someone play the grand piano in the lobby area.  

Moving on............we decided to watch a Diane Sawyer special last night on the Turbin family out in California.  What those 13 children went through because of their unbelievable evil parents was shocking.  And the realization that they got away with it for over 25 years?  Joel and I were curious about the story, but also felt like the two sisters who shared had a story that needed to be heard.  We noticed that the police officers and investigators involved in the case still were very emotional when talking about what they saw when they rescued the kids.  Officers see some horrible things and I know that when they involve children it is extra hard to absorb.  Just watching the special was difficult enough.

Last Sunday we headed off to church where we are still required to wear masks.  We find that a good thing with our county in an "extremely high transmission" level.  The church was packed which was unusual for the service we attend.  We realized it was Confirmation Sunday so just a few minutes after we sat down we got back up and walked out.  Joel just felt it was too crowded and I was in agreement with him.  We watched Lutheran Church of Hope from home instead.  It is so great we have those options isn't it?!  I can go to Facebook on my phone, get on Lutheran Church of Hope's page and then cast the service from my phone right onto the TV.  I am old enough to think this is amazing!  Ha....

So, you may be thinking, if they are so cautious about Covid what do they do when they travel?  We stop at rest areas, carry our own lunches to eat in our car at a park.  If we go indoors somewhere we are masked and use hand sanitizer.  We carry our own mostly because I react to some of them.  Are we tired of masks and avoiding people and places for the most part?  Of course we are.  BUT for us, it seems necessary for our own protection.  When I read that vaccinated people over the age of 80 still have a 13x higher chance of dying from breakthrough covid we cannot ignore that.  Just saying.......doing what we thing is best for ourselves and those around us.  Not out of fear.........but out of caution.  Not preaching here, just sharing what we do.

We did go to a food Co-op in downtown Rochester.  We picked up a few things and then checked out.  As Joel put away his card in his wallet we started to walk out and the clerk said...."You forgot your bag!"  What?  We both burst out laughing.  Yeah......sometimes we wonder how we get around at all!  Anyone else been there, done that?!?!  This store is a store we went to years ago and when we decided to buy cinnamon in bulk Joel opened the wrong slot on the lid and when he shook the cinnamon into a small bag it went up in the air like a cloud and landed everywhere~!!  The clerk was not impressed when we asked him for help.........and that cinnamon that went everywhere was on Joel's pants and when we went to get in the car he noticed it was all over the top of his boots too!  We have laughed more than once over that fiasco and wondered if they would even let us back in the store!  Ha..

Today I was washing the glass storm door and putting some heavy tape in one area where the wind blows in.  I needed scissors so left the entryway and when I came back a couple of minutes later there was a gift sitting on our porch in front of the door.  How did that get there?  Ans where was it from?  I brought it inside and discovered it was from our old neighbor.  They just moved from our neighborhood.  He is a realtor and he left his card on it.....and she is the nurse anesthetist I have had for several of my surgeries.  Really nice family.  What a nice surprise to find a frozen pumpkin pie on our porch!  

So, on this Saturday in November I am giving thanks for good news from the doctors, all the help I am getting with the Lymphedema, Joel washing windows, Christmas music (already), memories that make us laugh, lunch in the car, rest areas, safe travels, watching church from home, texts, phone calls, pictures that come across our phones, puzzles, a surprise pumpkin pie on our porch, and so much more..............

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where chilly temperatures have arrived along with our first dusting of snow. Fall is definitely waving farewell here in our world.  Yesterday morning I sat in the living room with the fireplace on while Joel took his coffee out on to the porch where he enjoyed watching our three young resident squirrels play in a balmy 32 degrees.  Joel loves his morning porch visits, in just about any weather.  

Speaking of Joel he did get the Christmas lights up this week before the weather changed.  We have a mum and geranium still holding on, which he puts in the garage every night.  He did some tree branch trimming too which means he was up on a ladder, which means his wife was worried and watching out for him just in case he took a tumble.  What IS the age men quit climbing ladders?!  Watching him reminded me of when we had this narrow 30 foot tall antenna in our yard in The Philippines and Joel would climb up and sway with it.  And then their is the ceiling of this house that is 30 feet high over the stairs where he used an extension ladder at it's very top to paint when we bought this house 17 years ago.  Of course I knew nothing about that at the time!  Not afraid of heights for sure...but again I ask, when is too old for extension ladders just that ~ "too old?"

Our neighbor asked Joel if we wanted our yard to be free of leaves via his big John Deere that gathers them.  We came home on Thursday to a yard free of leaves. Of course there are more to drop later, but that was so nice......and he had the people he hired do the neighbors yards, too.  Such a kind, generous thing to do.  Being this is World Kindness Day, it makes sense to share the kindness of our neighbor,  John! Now it's my turn...........our turn to be kind!

Last Monday we headed back to Mayo and received good news.  The volume of fluid in my arm had gone down 50%....yippee!  It had us wondering if the machine was malfunctioning.  But every measurement was down 2cm.  We are still bandaging 2x a day and have added foam to target an area that is too firm (fibrosis?) and that seems to be helping some.  I have learned to eat with my left hand or use a long handled "ice tea" spoon to get food to my mouth when using my right hand.  We have had these spoons for 53 years and they are still some of my favorites.  Now more than ever.  Tomorrow we move to a sleeve and glove during the day and bandages at night, keeping an eye on things.   So thankful we are seeing progress in managing this stuff.  As time goes by I learn more about it and know that it has to be taken seriously.  It is one of the pluses of Facebook...people have pages that give info on Lymphedema and just what it does and how it affects the whole body.  So helpful.

Thursday I told Joel I felt like shopping..........now here's why that is a big deal.  I don't really like to shop at all so this was a surprise to us both.  We headed to a 50% off Christmas sale at Hobby Lobby for an hour and had such a good time.  Came home with a couple new fun decorations and a Christmas themed puzzle.  All half price so you can't beat that.  

Friday with the wind blowing snow around we decided it was a good day to make a stew.  We dug out the slow cooker ( once known as a crock pot)  and made pork stew our style with pork, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, and peas.  It was yummy.  

Speaking of yummy we are once again watching the new episodes of The Great British Baking Show.  It keeps us entertained although we really find the humor a bit over the edge and just plain annoying.  

The day we went to get our booster shots we had a good laugh.  We have lived here 25 years, so we kind know where things are.......we drove right by the drug store a couple blocks before both of us said, "Did we drive by the store?  Where is it?"  Then we turned around to come back and before we got there we both said, "Did we miss it again?? Where is it?"  We had a good laugh before I told Joel we should not tell anyone about this.....and so here I am putting it out there~!!  Hahaha

Thursday we went shopping for a few groceries and learned that we were getting 15% off of our total bill because Joel is a veteran!  What a nice surprise.....Joel spent 8 yrs in the Air Force, first as an airman working with radioactive testing on planes and then after applying for and getting an education program he graduated with a degree in meteorology and spent 4 years as an officer meteorologist forecasting weather for pilots.  We have always been grateful for our years he served our country and how our lives were shaped.  We are also grateful he did not have to go to Viet Nam as part of his service.  As close as he got was to forecast weather for the pilots flying there from The Philippines.  

Yesterday the books I ordered with my last Amazon gift card arrived and I started right in.....My favorite is the book, "Sweet Like Jasmine" by my long time online friend Bonnie Gray.  We connected when we were both bloggers years ago and she has now gone on to write books.  God has richly blessed others as she shares her own story, broken, healed and so beautiful.  Way to go Bonnie!  

So today I am grateful for the fireplace that flips on with a remote, the porch for Joel to still enjoy, the improvement in my arm and hand, a fun shopping trip, new decorations to enjoy, Bonnie's book, Sweet Like Jasmine, a neighbor's kindness, our years while Joel served, phone calls, texts and emails that connect us, laughter, Hallmark Christmas movies, the British baking show, Christmas lights up, pork stew, the power of prayers, and so so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from Autumn in Iowa, although today it is supposed to get up to 66 degrees!  One last hurrah after a week of below freezing temps at night and highs in the 40's and 50's.  We lost a few of our plants this past week due to a hard freeze, but it is the end of the first week of November so it is to be expected.  Our sturdy mum plant is still gracing us with it's beautiful blooms, and one geranium is hanging in!  

Speaking of the first week of November, we ended October by going to church in the morning to help celebrate Trinity's 150th Anniversary,  and then welcomed trick or treaters Sunday evening. I think we had around 80 kids come through our neighborhood.  Joel likes to sit on the porch and greet them. I expect his mask looked like part of his "costume" since he was wearing his usual attire.....a denim vest, jeans, shirt, cowboy hat and boots.  Fall has definitely arrived when he pulls out his boots and vests! 

On the first day of November we headed to the Mayo Lymphedema Clinic for a consultation that lasted nearly 2 hours,  We were given so much good information and Joel was taught how to wrap my arm in bandages, which he does two times a day ~ morning and evening.  We are seeing the fluid go down some so that is good news.  

On Wednesday afternoon we went to a local drug store for Moderna booster shots.  I have to say I was very concerned that the nurse who administered the shots did NOT wear a mask.  Most who were there were in the 80's  ~ vulnerable to not only CoVid-19 but also flu and pneumonia.  Every medical facility we go to has a mask policy, so in my opinion so should the nurses giving shots at local pharmacies.  

Joel and I felt fine Wed night, in fact we went to the pre-sale for the Bazaar at the church thinking Thursday may bring a few side effects..........which did happen.  I spent Thursday on the sofa in pj's and Joel took extra naps.  Early bed and a fitful night's sleep....then the fever broke and I felt better.  Joel was back to normal Friday and I am feeling good now too.  Worth the challenge to be protected.  

Joel has been busy mulching and bagging leaves.  A few days ago the hard frost had the trees raining leaves.  It did not take long until we had a thick layer of leaves on the front lawn, driveway and street.  It definitely tells us winter is on its way.  There are many times I wish we were spending winters in Arizona or some place not so cold, but we are grateful for our warm house, cozy fireplace, and the beauty winter brings..........at least the first month or so until it "gets old".   I like having four seasons every year.  It is kind of like life.  We all have winter seasons that blanket us with "cold" challenges, but there is always hope and the knowledge that Spring WILL come.  Summer WILL follow.  H.O.P.E. rises....

Fall is my favorite season.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  As a Pastor, pastor's wife and family we were always sooooooooooo busy at Christmas and Joel was always at the church so Thanksgiving was more of a family time for me.  No pressure.  Just turkey with all the rest, a time to be together.  We spend every other Thanksgiving with our family gathered here now, except for last year when Covid made that impossible.  So once again this year it will be the two of us for the holidays, with the hope of gathering after Christmas Day.  Not always fun, but it is really what we make of it, right?  Well, mostly.

So today I am grateful for the memories of Thanksgivings with family, for the Thanksgiving to come as each one is a gift, for Fall, for a couple warm days before the temps dip, for the Mayo Lymphedema Clinic and specialist Jenny, for Joel patiently bandaging my arm 2x a day, for getting our booster shots over, for lefse in the freezer, for trick or treaters, walking, Joel's bike riding, devotions with my hubby, phone calls from family and friends, texting, the prayers of others, keeping in touch with friends via Facebook.  And then there is laughter, that healing medicine........and so much more.

Enjoy the weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on our last weekend in October.  A beautiful day here in northern Iowa with temperatures forecast for 55-60 degrees before a cold front moves in.  There is a chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight here due to a solar flare.  Having lived so many years in six different places in Minnesota where the lights are more common,  we have missed the beautiful Aurora borealis, and are hoping tonight is the night for us "southerners" in the upper Midwest to get a glimpse of them.  

Speaking of glimpses, deer have been coming through this week.  We had one yearling settle down right outside our living room window one morning for a half hour rest.  This morning Joel watched a buck meander on through the neighbor's yard.  We have noticed a lot more geese flying in formations too.  Fall.......

Speaking of fall, this past Monday Joel was able to accomplish his long time goal to ride the trails around Lanesboro MN again.  He drove 2 hours to his destination and then rode 35 miles enjoying mostly a solo ride, as few riders were out on a weekday or this late in the year.  He then drove the two hours home, tired but happy.  He has managed a couple of local rides, and a lot of wood project work this week. Once a month he meets with his colleague group that has been together for 24 years.  Pretty amazing that that many pastors have stayed in the area churches....a couple pastors are retired now and Joel is the oldest.  He has thoroughly enjoyed the group...it is a safe place to go and share and encourage and be encouraged.  Just the same 5-6 guys getting together to nourish their souls and of course eat lunch at their favorite places!  A good thing.

I have had a week where my body has demanded more rest.  Not where I want to be, but trying to be ok with it.  This morning I did make some homemade honey whole wheat bread with our Sunrise Mill "special" flour. I seem to digest it much better than regular whole wheat.  Joel grew up with homemade bread as a staple, and during the early 80's I made all our bread with a Bosch bread mixer making it a lot easier.  Now, it is more of a treat, although it is quick to put together with a mixer and dough hook!  I do enjoy the crust/heel of the loaf warm from the oven with a little butter and apricot fruit sweetened jelly!

I wrote a post this week on breast cancer awareness and my own journey.  My sister Janelle sent me a site that talks about research that shows that those women with dense breasts benefited much more from an abbreviated MRI's than mammograms.  An abbreviated breast MRI can see the dense breast tissue in ways a regular or 3D mammogram cannot, making detection earlier.  I believe it would have made a difference in how soon I was diagnosed the second time around.  Prevention is the best cure of all.

Joel and I went shopping this week at a Christmas Open House in a local store that carries all kinds of fun and unique decor.  lt was nice to get out and of course we found a good deal on a Fall decoration (40% off) and a Christmas decoration (20% off your highest price item).  Always like a good deal!  We headed to Joann Fabrics too, where I purchased a new mask to "match" anything navy or denim that I wear, cuz that's important to accessorize and for me a mask is just a necessary accessory right now.

Picture of new Fall tin I purchased.

BTW:  the wooden walking cane behind

 the chair was purchased in the Philippines 

in 1975 and has caribou bone inlays.  

Harvest blessing!

My sister Jan flew to her and her hubby's winter home today and I found myself praying for them to be safe.......not unusual..........but to be safe from any people who get angry quickly over the littlest things.  This week another flight attendant was injured when a man punched her in the face and broke bones......yes broke bones in her face.  People like that need to be banned from flying.  Period.  No excuse.  So, like I said, I not only pray for Jan and Lanny to have safe travel with planes but with people.  Sad state of affairs we are in.  Warning bells are going off every day for us in malls, in work places, on airplanes, etc.  How disappointed Jesus must be at times. 

We had planned to get our Moderna boosters later this week but realized we were heading to Mayo on Monday so thought we better wait.  Last time I had a fever and flu like symptoms for a few days and we don't want to have to cancel my appointment.  Looking forward to what Mayo has to say........well, mostly. 

The past couple of weeks Joel and I have been watching the show "Castle" on the Lifetime channel.  We had forgotten how much we enjoyed the show and how much humor was in it.  A detective show with humor?  Always a good thing in my way of thinking.....I actually try to avoid the beginning which will often show the murder or victim....and just watch the solving part.  We have tuned in to an Amazon Prime show on Britbox also.........kind of like a British House Hunters, but better.  You get to see alot of the United Kingdom's countryside and landscapes, which is fun.  What have you been watching?

So this week I am grateful for Joel's bike ride in MN, a cozy sofa when needed, new decorations for the house, good "deals", the show Castle that makes us laugh, walking 20-30 minutes most days and fresh air while walking, sweatshirts on a cool morning, homemade bread, deer visiting our yard, phone calls, texts, and pictures of grands,  warmer weather holding on, the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, and so much more...........

Enjoy your weekend!

The Journey

 

As I watched a woman speak about her journey with breast cancer this morning on the Today show,  I was reminded once again of my own journey, and that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  There are over 300,000 women every year diagnosed with breast cancer, and one out of five are under the age of 49.  Those numbers are staggering.  And the answers to why are not forthcoming. With detection and treatments the number that die from this disease has gone down over the years, but there are just too many women...........too many.  

In my family, my mom, Gr. Jo, and my sister have all been diagnosed.  And of course me.  My mom was 70 and lived to be 92.  Gr. Jo was 60 and lived to be 87.  My sister's diagnosis was the "best case scenario" for breast cancer and she is cancer free for several years now.  My diagnosis of breast cancer at age 67 was said to have an "excellent prognosis" and yet just three years later l was diagnosed with a more aggressive and advanced form of breast cancer in the same breast.  As you know a double mastectomy and chemo and radiation followed. 

I have shared much of my journey here, but today when I heard other women, 20-30 years younger than me, talk about the hard journey beyond the treatments and surgeries, it brought to mind so much of what I, too, have and am going through.  One woman said, "Going through surgery and treatment is just the beginning for most. There is no roadmap." 

Being honest here, this past year has been very challenging with my reactions to the arimidex, the brain MRI, endoscopy and colonoscopy, and CT scan with contrast to "rule out" cancer for the "new" symptoms I experienced.  They are always looking and I am always holding my breath until the results come in.  And now one more challenge...........lymphedema....another chronic illness as a result of the treatments,  in a body that has fought hard to survive. 

Every day is different in how I feel physically.  Every day is different in the how medication affects me in body, mind and emotions.  Every day is spent with the reminders of what I have been through.  The scars, disfigurement, compression sleeves, meds and vitamin routine, exhaustion, and other side effects that ebb and flow are all a daily reminder.  

In the segment I watched today one young woman was diagnosed a second time now with metastatic breast cancer and yet she appeared so calm and at peace.  When asked about how she handled what was happening to her she said, "Cancer stole enough from me, I am not letting it steal anymore of my life."  

So, why do I share this today?  Because we women ( and some men) have a choice BEFORE cancer ever would come knocking.  GET a mammogram....a 3D mammogram.  And if any of us have a family history?  Get a MRI of your breasts.  Stay on the offensive because the sooner you are diagnosed, the better it is for us.  W need to take care of our bodies the best we can.  Friends, during October, of which few days remain, do something for yourselves.  Get examined.  Get tested.  Be proactive.  

Remember, breast cancer and the treatments don't just take from you..........they take from the ones you love, too.  Think about your family, your loved ones, your future and be proactive.

I am still learning how to live this life after BC.  After 4 battles with cancer, it is hard not to see it as a Goliath in my life.  But then David was a young teenage boy and took down Goliath with one smooth small stone.  The truth of that story is that David listened to GOD and trusted God to provide what he needed.  And He did.   Every day I wake up and decide how to live for the day ahead.  Don't we all?  Some days I live well, other days, not so much but I am working on not letting how I feel physically determine my level of joy for a new day.  AND I remember that I am never alone.   Cancer has taken away enough of my life, too, and yes, there may be no roadmap, but there is a guide as I move forward, as we all move forward in our journeys.  He is the One who is a "lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, " and with Jesus I can live my best life.  We all can.  

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where Fall continues to grace us with all that comes with this season.  We have a beautiful colorful tree in our cul-de-sac that brings joy to all of us who live on this street!  Colorful leaves, geese gathering, squirrels getting their food supply stored up, the crisp morning air, warnings of overnight frost, our favorite tree, and the smells and sounds of Autumn ~ Love it.

Our neighbor took this photo of our 

neighborhood tree.  So beautiful!

Speaking of Autumn, we traveled back home from the cabin on Monday afternoon, stopping at the LaCrosse WI rest area where we could overlook the mighty Mississippi River.  So beautiful to view.  There are many parts of Minnesota we enjoy seeing, and this area with it's views of the Mississippi are at the top of the list.  

This weather has me thinking of puzzles.....so I took out one of the three new ones I purchased over the summer.  For some reason the colder it gets the more I think more about staying inside and working on a puzzle.  

This has been another week of tests, doctors and thankfully, good news.  On Tuesday I emailed "my team" at radiology oncology at Mayo for a referral regarding the Lymphedema.....and quickly received a phone call and within 1 hour I was given an appointment at their Lymphedema Clinic for November 1.  That is fast........although honestly I wish it was faster!  Things are not improving.   I saw the urologist on Tuesday afternoon....all looks the same.....on Friday I had a CT with contrast and just 3 hours later my doctor's office called to tell me the scan of my chest wall did not show any signs of cancer.  They were checking due to lymphedema.....just in case.  Also, my fractured ribs (from quite awhile ago) are healing.  Love good news!  

Joel is off to "gabby grandpas" this morning after we took an early trip to the grocery store.  He has been biking when he can, but it has been really windy.  He still is working on woodworking projects, getting a few Christmas gifts done for this year.  He did go walking with one guy at the mall on a particularly windy day.  I'm still walking 20-30 minutes a day and keeping busy with house stuff.  Day to day blah blah blah....  haha  We noticed that neither of us were into cooking much this week....oatmeal became the supper of choice more than once!

I watched a conference this week put on by Randy Clark and the Voice of the Apostles.  My friend Katherine from out east is there with two of her older children.  It is always good to soak in the words of God's servants.  I managed a podcast by Kris Vallotton and Ana Werner too.  Always a blessing to fill our souls with good things.  

Speaking of good things, yesterday when the nurse was getting my IV line in and ready she asked about my family...our family.  It got me thinking.  Today is one of those days I miss them soooooo much.  Once in a while I ponder what it would be like if we had lived in one spot ( instead of 23) and our children lived and worked where we live.  Even though our lonely days would be few and far between, our children have made such good lives for themselves, I could really not wish anything different for them. 

 Being in our seventies and having to deal with life threatening illness shifts your perspective a bit.  You treasure the days, the hours, the moments more.  What you have and what you make is not as important as who you love and whom you embrace.  God made us for relationships with Him and others. Treasure those......don't take them for granted.  I once asked Joel what he would do differently in his 40 years of ministry and he said, "I would have put my family before my calling more often than I did".  As you can tell, I am doing a lot of reflecting today.  Partly it is due to yesterday's CT results,  The last kind of cancer I had likes to show up in the chest wall.  As I waited for the results of the scan, I thought "The results of this one test could change our lives, our future".  (Been there, seen that.)  So hearing the good news, I am giving thanks often, wanting to reach out and hug our kids, in-loves, and grands.  Grateful for more time with them........for the "guide us" and  "what now, Lord's" that are ahead.  With family.  With others.

So, today, I am giving thanks for clear scans, good x-rays, kind nurses, Autumn, phone calls, texts and pictures, my loving, supportive husband, laughter, tears, our family, prayers of good friends, Dr. S. and his quick responses, our cul-de-sac neighborhood tree, a conference live stream, fall squash, a full fridge, a new puzzle and so much more...........

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from the north country, where we are waking up to a lake view on this bright and sunny fall day in Wisconsin.  We were hoping for a few more colorful trees this far north and we have not been disappointed.  Sitting in the living room of our oldest and her hubby's cabin, we are blessed to take in a beautiful picturesque scene before us.  It calms the soul.

early morning view

Speaking of calming the soul, Joel and I both felt the need for that after a roller coaster week with lymphedema challenges at rehab and in my body.  By Friday when rehab unexpectedly canceled my appointments for next week, we felt the need to "get out of Dodge". (An old Gunsmoke reference).  We decided to see what was available to us......and low and behold our daughter and son-in-law graciously said their cabin was free...."start packing".  We decided this at noon and by 2:30 were on the road.  It was not all smooth sailing and makes for a few funny stories to tell.

The first part of the drive was easy peasy...........then we hit construction.  No big deal just put us behind a half hour or so.  By this time I needed a bathroom and Joel needed coffee...........But my phone GPS had us going the "quickest" route, which turned out to be a lot of twists and turns through wooded areas on 2 lane roads.  No bathrooms.  No coffee.  Once we got on the main two lane road heading east we were good....but still no bathrooms or coffee. A local bar and grill was packed so we opted out of that.  We came to a town of about 900 people and thought surely there will be something.  There was...........a dingy little A-frame station.  I think the guy behind the counter was about as dirty and the bathroom I stepped into.  Desperation has you do desperate things and i covered the seat with tissue pretending not to see the dirty floor OR door I had just come through. Would it sound judgmental to say the clerk looked like he just got out of prison and was into illegal substances?!   I came out of there praying for protection from germs, Joel got  his coffee which turned out to be old and lukewarm but we kept going.  Here's the kicker!  Just 2 blocks further.......2 blocks...........and we saw a beautiful brand new Quick-Trip station!!!!!!  An oasis in the desert! Seriously?!?!?!?  

We headed to the cabin in the dark and were pretty proud that we found it on the first try!  Joel headed to where the keys were to be hidden.............and only one key was there.  It did not open the cabin.  Joel searched the hidden location and no other key.  We finally called our daughter who was in the middle of driving 20 confirmation kids to a retreat....so we called our son-in-law who was out east on business.  He made a couple of calls and told us the key was put back after the A/C guy had been there, so it must have fallen on the floor.  Joel spent the next half hour unloading the hidden area and searching the floor to no avail. Then another few minutes putting stuff away.  Another phone call had us in the car driving to their friends cabin on the other side of the lake where our son-in-law talked us into the house,,, we put a code into their side door and went inside where we were instructed to go to a place where spare keys were kept to each other's cabins.  Can I just interject here and say how weird it felt to "break in" to someone else's cabin and dig through a bunch of stuff to find the keys to our daughter and son-in-law's cabin???  And can I then tell you how grateful we were that they had spare keys for us?! I do confess that we were both more than a little tired after this mini crisis.....

This sign seems appropriate when we 

finally got in the cabin!

An hour and a half after arriving, we entered the cabin.  YAY!  When we finally got in we found the keys we were originally looking for on top of the fireplace!  Not exactly accessible from the outside and not where they were supposed to be!  The A/C guy.........Ha...... We sat down to a quick supper at 9 pm and then crashed for the night.  What a day!!

So today we woke up to a new day and we are really hoping that all the chaos and craziness is behind us for a few days. We are just grateful to be here.  The year itself has held too many challenges and a lake view just soothes the soul.

Last week and weekend our days were full.  First our oldest grandson came for a two day visit on his way back from Utah.  What fun to spend so much one on one time with our grown up grandson!  Then our middle daughter and her kids came and our house was full to the brim that night for sleeping.  Thursday our oldest daughter and son-in-law came, along with our second oldest son and his son, our grandson arrived and while we were at the wedding rehearsal our granddaughter arrived from college.  We came home to a full house and lots of chatter!  What fun!  They were all here because our youngest daughter got married,  and most moved to hotels Thursday night.  The wedding was outdoors at a beautiful country venue,  and the day was warm and beautiful!  There were a few last minute glitches just like at most weddings, but we are very happy for the newly married couple.  Praying for God to bless them on their journey together.

Sarah and Derek

As I look out over the lake this morning I am seeking that peace I see before me.....letting it soak in and soothe our weary souls.  I'm grateful today for that view, our youngest getting married, a new son-in-law, the option of heading to Mayo for the lymphedema, dappled sunshine, funny adventure stories, the generosity of our daughter and son-in-law, phone calls from friends and family, trees showing off their fall colors, crisp fall mornings, safe travels, laughter, tears, my amazing husband, hot coffee, white grape juice, country stores and so much more........

Enjoy your weekend!

Anyone Else Hearing the Fire Alarms?

 

So Joel was grilling burgers and we had everything else ready, so I stuck my bread in the toaster to toast.....and promptly forgot about it.  A bit later the fire alarm by the open stair case that goes either up or down went off.  We looked around, did not see any smoke, so Joel went downstairs to check the dryer.  Then the fire alarm in the dining room went off so now two were screaming alerts to us.  Joel ran upstairs and checked while I did a sweep of the main level.  Nothing.  Then the fire alarm in the kitchen went off and Joel checked the walls to see if they were hot before heading back into the kitchen.  He promptly said, "It is your toast!"  The toaster had not popped it up and it was very very burnt, and smelling enough to set off alarms in three rooms without us smelling it.  Since it started in the entry we did not think the problem was in the kitchen.  We were fooled by the alarm in the kitchen going off last.  After we got it taken care of I said, "Well, THAT was stressful and exhausting.."

It reminded me of other times in life where an alarm is going off, an alert to warn us but it takes awhile to figure it all out.  One simple example is this journey with lymphedema...I did not notice my upper arm slowly growing until I noticed my hand was puffy.  Then my arm drew my attention.  It was such a slow subtle growth it did not draw my attention until my hand alerted me..."Houston, we have a problem."  Stressful and exhausting.  Putting aside health or house issues, there could be other things in life that send out warning signals we may not catch right away.  I would say that one of those is the major issues with out government.  I am NOT speaking about the red or the blue here but how over many years things have slowly changed and become so divided, and half truths are thrown around by both parties, and those supposedly representing the people are more concerned about being reelected than being honest, and really caring about those they represent.  And lets not get started on how we expect our president to be our savior..........we already have one of those, His name is Jesus.  

Another subtle erosion of humanity is social media.  I think there is a lot of good in social media and I am on Facebook and Instagram.  I am careful what I read or watch, but it is not all bad to be connected.  Unfortunately it has also made it much easier to speak hate or division in such things as politics, science, and just how we do life.  Different opinions should be welcome, not trashed.  Again, a slow and subtle change caused a spiral down in how we treat each other.  It is a sad state of affairs we are in.  Stressful and Exhausting..

Most of what I have shared here is pretty negative, so where is the upside?  For sure there is one.  And it begins with us being more aware of what is going on around us, whether it is with something medical, political, social, or more.  It begins with seeking out the Word of God and what we can gather from the Bible to live a life filled with love and grace, forgiveness and peace.  I begins with how we treat each other, how we speak to each other, our neighbors, our community, etc.  And so much more.

Our fire alarms going off today were confusing at first, but eventually we figured it out. We are smart people created by an amazing God,  and we can figure out these other issues in our country too as we become aware and notice the "fire alarms" going off around us.  It's not too late. 

Today we are giving thanks for our fire alarms working so well..........and for our own inbuilt alarms that make us aware of what is happening around us, in us, and through us.  

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where morning fog and clouds greeted us today.  The ground is coated with leaves after yesterday's "gust front" and we are seeing a lot more gold and orange in surrounding trees as the leaves began to change or let go.  It has been a week of beautiful weather except for a couple of days in the 80's.  I'm so over summer and ready for the crisp fall temps to take hold.....it may be awhile.

Speaking of "so over" and "may be awhile" this has been quite a week for this old body.  I have always been open about my journey with life and that includes health issue of which....I have had a few.  This week I was at rehab for lymphedema three times.  The first picture is of me on Monday...........the second picture is of me yesterday.  So here's the story.......I went in Monday and they "wrapped" my arm to bring down the lymph fluid in my hand, wrist, and arm.  It was cumbersome, and down right painful for me.  I live with chronic pain, especially nerve pain and the layers of wrapping and the firm foam used triggered high levels of pain which made for tough days and tougher nights with a few tears and lots of "I can do this!"   Anyway the fluid started going down in my hand and wrist right away which is good news.......but the therapist was concerned about the pain, and on Friday as we talked about the upcoming wedding she thought maybe we should try a compression sleeve for now with a hand glove.  Thus the second photo.  The pain levels decreased right away with the compression sleeve due mostly to the smoothness and less cumbersome padding, BUT the glove she had for me to try is too loose and my hand started filling with fluid again later on.......arm good, hand not so much.  We will see what Monday brings. At least right now I remove it at night and can shower then....and use my right hand to eat, scratch my nose when it itches and all the other stuff a right handed person does!  The breast cancer journey?  It is a "gift" that just keeps giving.......

Arm wrapped with foam, etc.

Compression sleeve and glove

Speaking of gifts, someone we knew and cared about went to be with Jesus on Monday.  He and his family were a gift to us when we moved to Medicine Lake Montana in 1980.  Roy and Cheryl are some of the nicest people we have ever met.  Roy was a big gentle giant of a man with, as his obituary described, "a heart of gold".  He was 75 when he died........way too young.  This week our family has been flooded with many memories about our short three years there with Joel as pastor of their three point parish.  We seldom made it back there to visit with life, too many responsibilities, health issues, etc. but we have never forgotten the people and the community.  Especially Roy and Cheryl and their two kids.  We spent a lot of time with the family and cannot help but feel their loss.  I know Jesus welcomed Roy home with open arm

Joel is off riding a bike trail about an hour north and east of us.  It is a trail that goes about 14 miles before he will turn around and head back.  It takes him through farmland, prairie land, woods and more.  He was planning on Rendezvous days in S. MN today, but Covid seems to have put a stop to that....his favorite event of the year.  It is still happening, it is just happening without Joel.  His usual bike trail is finally back in operation here too so he is getting out a bit more in-between getting me to therapy, picking up the slack because of my arm limitations, and preparing for the wedding.  

Speaking of the wedding, do you remember when I talked about my trusty sewing machine last week?  Vintage 1976 and never needing repairs?  Yeah......I am better off not speaking things out loud~ it broke the day after!  I managed to get done most of what I needed for the wedding but it is definitely in need of repairs.  I have also been walking, resting too much, reading, and watching too much TV.  Some days are like that.

So, this week I am grateful I can use my right hand to type today, grateful for fall colors, smells, and sounds, grateful for memories of a good man and wonderful family that shaped all our lives, grateful for Joel getting to bike a longer trail today, grateful for texting, phone calls, and emails, for our oldest son starting to feel better from a Covid breakthrough, for the power of prayer, for God's promises to hold on to, Hallmark movies (some days you just need a happy ending!), packages in the mail, and so much more..............

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where Autumn is bringing us cooler nights and low 70's during the day.  The leaves on some trees are starting to let go, although our Maple tree will hang on to it's giant leaves until late November.  We don't hear the birds anymore, only geese.  There is an open area in our association that used to be farmed, and hundreds gather there this time of year.  Fall, I love it!

Speaking of Fall, we were hoping to take a few trips after our daughter's wedding, but this lymphedema will now have me with a wrapped arm over a layer of foam and therapy 3x a week for a month.  Can use prayers that after that the swelling will be reduced enough for a compression sleeve.  My niece's hubby is a lymphedema specialist and I now know I need to be really careful not to get a cut, or even a hangnail in that arm....infection comes quickly.  If we lived closer we would be at the Mayo Lymphedema Clinic, I was there once and we were very impressed.  I confess that we are both weary and trying to muster up a better attitude about this new health issue.  Enough already.

Speaking of enough, it is only a couple of weeks until the wedding and I ordered enough dressy type jackets for three people with the hope that one will fit.  I am now on Plan C.  Not a bad choice, but not my first choice.  Isn't it funny how we want to look so dressed up for an event that lasts only a few minutes....buying clothes we may never wear again?  It is so much more important to be there and enjoy the moment which is but the beginning........ Yes, we are concerned about Covid.  Nasty stuff.  Our oldest son is battling a breakthrough case right now and we know others who are.  I purchased a mask with an over lay of lace to be "fancy" at the wedding!  Too bad the compression sleeve I will be wearing just for that day can't be lacy too!  At least my arm won't be obvious with wrapping.

My hubby has been on a strong anti-fungal medication for over 2 months.  Slowly I noticed a change in his personality...a bit irritable......napping 2-3 times some days....and the biggest change?  He would wake up "down" in the mornings.  Totally out of character.  It took me awhile to realize what was going on, we both finally were aware, so he called his doctor who said, "Just STOP taking it!"  He did, and within 3 days he was more his old self.  He took a tumble off a ladder recently, being three steps up and said to me later, "I just forgot I was on a ladder I guess".  Yeah..it was time to get off that drug!  It made me think about all the medications the elderly are put on and how much it changes them subtly over time.  Sad really.  I know my brain is much better since I went off the arimidex.  I still have other symptoms but memory is back 95%.  We just need to always be aware of how medications affect our bodies and our minds.

The other day while surfing through channels to see exactly what we do have I came across one called "Decades".  They carry a lot of the shows from the 50's, 60's, and up.  Mary Tyler Moore Show......Dick Van Dyke show....and many others.  It was interesting to watch some of them...so simple and yet so funny too! Joel and I find little to watch on regular TV anymore.   

Speaking of Joel, he is off to the installation of our new synod bishop today.  I'll be watching livestream on TV.  It is right here in town this year and the new bishop lives right across the street.  Our neighbor was a pastor at the church we just joined and will now be our NE Iowa bishop.  He is a great guy and we think he will do a superb job.

  Joel has been riding more this past week and working on some wood projects. He keeps very busy "putzing" as we call it.  I've been spending way too much time on the wedding "outfit" which means that even though I bought my new pants in a "short" length I still need to hem them up 3 more inches.  Yeah, my legs are that short!  I had to drag out my faithful sewing machine that I have had since 1976 without it needing any repairs.  When our household goods were shipped back from The Philippines, there was some damage done to my old machine and some of our furniture we purchased while there, so the Air Force bought us a new sewing machine!  We also bought a freezer that year that is STILL working. Must have been a good year for machines.  Most of the furniture we bought while overseas was wicker or rattan.  A loveseat, coffee table, chair or two, night stands, and more.  Plus we took a picture of a grandmother clock we wanted down to a builder while there and they made us a beautiful clock. We got the "innards" from Germany via the military.  We love our grandmother clock!

 I have been doing self massage for lymphedema all week and I have walked 20-35 minutes this week, hit the pillow at night by 9:45 most nights and started reading a new book my sister Jan sent me written by author Nicole Philipps from South Dakota.  A few inspirational podcasts by Kathy Vallotton have given me a spiritual boost.  

I think it is time to end this ramble........or scribble.  Today I am grateful for being able to start rehab this Monday, finding a Plan C to wear to the wedding, fall weather, gathering geese, old TV shows, phone calls, texts, photos we get through our phones, laughter, tears, neighbors and a new bishop too, podcasts, porch sitting on a cool evening, and so much more.............

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where beautiful Fall days have graced us this past week.  Loving those Autumn days with dryer air, cooler nighttime temperatures, and all the sounds, smells, and colors of Fall beginning to arrive.  There is nothing not to like about Fall except that it goes by too quickly!

 Thursday we drove to a nearby town to see our youngest get another fitting for her wedding dress.  She is getting married in a few weeks.  So happy for her and her fiancé.  Was fun to see her in the dress....so beautiful!  Both her and the dress!

This past week has had me at too many doctor appointments, although we have had mostly good news! I finally did get the results of the biopsies in the stomach and the colon polyp.  All were benign and normal.  Yay! The eye shot went well, and things are "holding steady".  I did end up at the oncologist again due to fluid building up in my arm, wrist and hand.  An ultrasound followed to rule out any blood clots.  There were none, so now I head to the Lymphedema people at the therapy center.  There is one more test she wants me to have ~ a CT on the chest wall to once again "rule out" cancer.  That will happen after the wedding, but when I told here I was so weary of all the tests she replied, "We are trying to take care of you the best way we can and you have had breast cancer twice, the second time very advanced."  Reality bites.  So, I am trying to be grateful for their continual watchdog attitude while trusting God with my healing, my life.  Sometimes practicing "each day is a gift" takes some effort when you want the whole package. 

After the doctors call in Friday afternoon we were both feeling a bit down.  While surfing the TV we ran across one of my favorite movies, "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock.  It cracks me up no matter how often I watch it.  We laughed ourselves silly, which was a good way to end the day!

I have been stepping up the walking to 25, 30, and sometimes 40 minutes a day.  Joel has gotten in some biking, and is "putzing" on projects outside and in the garage. He is off to "Gabby Grandpas" this morning for an outside coffee chat with a few guys he knows.  I spent countless hours online again looking for something to wear to the wedding ~ just saying, it seems to me Covid has affected everything including available clothing to purchase!  Not much inventory.....

Speaking of that virus, all I can say is "Judas Priest"...(an expression my mom used).  It is over the top once again and we know so many people with breakthrough cases.  People vaccinated who are so thankful because they have gotten sick anyway, but able to stay at home for the most part.  Someone I know says it is a 5 hr wait to be seen in ER in large hospitals south of here.   Our county's numbers have risen greatly, and we are definitely more cautious now when going out and about.  "Lord.....listen to your people praying...." 

Speaking of the Lord, last Sunday we became members of a local church.  We hope to get involved more now that Joel is "officially" retired and not feeling the desire to be working in ministry.  Oh, I know that could change, but for now we sit together in a pew on Sunday mornings and I like that after 41 years!

We watched the movie, "Red Joan" this past week.  It was based on the oldest and longest active spy for Russia in Great Britain.  It was interesting and we had to look up a bit of info on her ourselves.  She was in her 80's when arrested.  We always look forward to the new fall TV schedule, but I am not sure why, as most shows we find un-watchable!  I guess we are always hoping for something light and upbeat that has clean humor or something without nightmare-producing drama or terror!   So thinking back on TV, I can't help but remember some of our favorite family shows like "Happy Days", "Laverne and Shirley", "Cagney and Lacy", "The Carol Burnett Show", "The Wonderful World of Disney" (Sunday nights with popcorn and pop), the original "Magnum P.I.", "The Waltons","The Partridge Family", "Little House on the Prairie",  "The Brady Bunch", "The Rockford Files", etc. etc.  What favorite TV shows come up for you?  

 I have struggled this week with people's reactions to wearing masks.  It just blows my mind.  Not that people have feelings about wearing them, but their responses to the "rules" set up by states, or businesses concerning wearing them.  I think about the many who have physically attacked airline attendants for enforcing a rule the companies have set up for protection of others.  I can't help but shake my head over the three women from Texas who physically attacked and punched a young woman who asked them for their vaccination cards before they could eat inside at a NYC restaurant.  Here is the thing, they KNOW the rules are there, they KNOW they will enforce them so as far as I am concerned they should be charged with premeditated assault.  The rules apply to everyone.  No one is exempt.  Don't want to follow them?  Don't fly.  Don't eat inside.  And for heaven's sake, why is your response violent!?!  There is such a sense of entitlement in our country. We all need more checks and balances in our lives.  Such anger.  We definitely need God more than ever, don't we.  

So this week I am thankful for persistent doctors who annoy me but want me healthy, for walking more, for seeing our youngest in her wedding dress, for texts, phone calls, funny movies that make us laugh,  for Fall colors, smells and sounds, for the power of prayer, for good news, for a church membership, for Joel's loved and support, for rules that protect, for each day, and so much more.........

Enjoy your weekend!