Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you on this last day of the year 2022.  Our weather is cooperating for a nice New Year's Eve, which will be good for those who venture out.  We are, and have always been homebodies when it comes to New Year's Eve.  Expect we will enjoy a few snacks, maybe pizza for Joel, and a movie if we can find one we would even enjoy!  This girl will try to make it til 10 pm and I am not kidding.....I really find myself needing my Woolie comforter and bed by 9:30 at the latest.  Today we talked about our first New Year's Eve together when we were at Joel's home farm in MN.  We went up to the church just a quarter mile away, and rang the church bells at midnight.... 68 times for the year 1968 beginning.  And what a year it was!  A good memory from so many years ago.

A quick update:  We will be heading to the retina specialist Tuesday and see what is going on...hopefully good things as a surgery is in my near future.  I continue to have a sore eye that waters and waters...and blurry vision in the other eye, but I am making it work as best I can.  The tooth extraction on the 12th was a challenge and I ended up on two weeks on antibiotics but now all is well and healing is almost there. Joel's stress test results were normal.  YES!  

Now moving on from the medical updates, how was your Christmas?  Ours was good.  Our oldest son came on the 18th and we made 10 dozen Townhouse cookies (his request to learn) and had a nice meal together.  Enjoyed the hugs the most!  We were alone for most of the holiday, except for Christmas Day afternoon when my sister Kay and her hubby Dan came over for pie and a visit.  I think what made it "the best Christmas ever" was talking to 4 of 5 of our kids who called either Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or the day after to visit with their parents.  We went to church Christmas Eve, then came home for our usual opening of one present from each other and pie.  The pie is pretty important......especially for the now retired preacher.  Being a pastor meant long hours at Christmas, usually starting with a barn service and ending with a Candlelight service Christmas Eve.  Sometimes church Christmas Day.  Not like Lent and Easter, but hectic nonetheless.  So, the quiet time with the two of us began in the early years where we set aside time to fill the stockings (at one time 10) and then opening a gift and having pie.  We continue it today even though the number of stockings is down to 2.

Did anyone see the Steve Hartman special on Kindness, on Wednesday night?  It was so touching, so good, so needed.  Just a little more kindness is what we all need.  Towards others......and even towards ourselves.  Speaking of that, someone left a box of candy in our mailbox again this year from a Monastery in Dubuque Iowa.  It is all handmade by nuns in the Abbey, packaged and sent out.  We received one last year and have know idea who put it in our mailbox...and this year too!  What a nice surprise....a kind thing to do.

Yesterday I was able to connect with my friend Katherine, from New Hampshire.  We met through a Lyme Disease prayer group so very long ago.  She is the person who talked to us about healing, and God wanting us well.  She recommended a teacher we should listen to....we did that Joel was completely healed of Lyme, co-infections, thyroid disease, an eye disease, and arthritis.  Completely....just. like. that.  We actually got to meet in person in 2013 at a Healing Conference in CT.  She is younger than most of our kids,and has a wise old soul.  We try to keep in touch via the phone and messaging....when we pick up the phone to talk it is like time melts and we are family catching up.  She has been such a blessing from God in our lives.  

So now we are coming to the end of another year.  I have been asking God for a word to focus on and the word HOPE has come up so many times, I really can't ignore it.  HOPE.  We are ready for 2022 to end, and stepping out in hope for 2023.  We have our tent "pitched in the land of hope" as David says in the Psalms.  

With hope for tomorrow we are grateful today for the many blessings that came our way in 2022....God's Presence as we walked through the days....good doctors, good reports, good support, the many prayers of others.  Grateful for graduations, confirmation, birthdays, family gatherings, phone calls, texts, and emails.  Grateful for each other....celebrating our 55th New Year's Eve together.  Grateful for medications, miracles, and promises.  Grateful for the love of family and their support.  Grateful to close the door on a challenging year while giving thanks on how God was in the midst of it all.  He is faithful.

Enjoy your weekend.

 

     

Merry Christmas!

                                         

 A Church In The Foothills

Every year about this time I reflect on a very special Christmas service our family attended in 1978. To this day it remains one of my favorite services.

When Joel was in the seminary we spent his Internship year in Malta, located in North Central Montana. Malta’s Parish consisted of four main Lutheran churches, a hot springs resort chapel, and a tiny Catholic church in Zortman, Mt. ~ a historic mining town nestled in the foothills of the Little Rocky Mountains. Joel and his internship pastor ministered to all of these areas.

The services at Zortman were held once a month, with most people driving around 75 miles across gravel roads to attend church and worship together. The small Catholic church sat on the top of a high hill and was one of only a few buildings in this small village. I believe at that time there were 9 full time residents. People from the surrounding area often came to enjoy what the Little Rockies had to offer, and the small café/bar provided nourishment when they visited. We had the privilege of being a part of the Christmas service the year we were there, and it is stored away in our memories forever.

Our family drove the long distance through snow and freezing temperatures that December, arriving with many others shortly before the service began. Everyone gathered at the local cafe beforehand, with all of us dressed for the bitter cold in snowmobile suits, snowsuits, insulated underwear, heavy boots, scarves, and warm mittens. When it was time for the services to begin, everything in the little town closed up. It was dark outside, and as we left the cafe many of us were given lanterns to carry up the long winding hill to the church. We were one of the last families to leave, and in doing so we were able to watch the glowing lights move up the steep winding path as the people walked the trail to the church. As each person carrying a lantern entered the sanctuary, the church filled up with more and more light. What a beautiful sight to see!

Once we arrived in the sanctuary, we all huddled together on benches to keep warm. The wood burning potbelly stove, which stood in the corner of the room, gave off a warm glow and provided the only heat in the church. Our hymns of Christmas joy were especially meaningful as we sang along to the old pump organ. Joel's breath was visible as he preached the Christmas message that night. For many reasons, the Christmas story of Jesus being born in a humble stable held special meaning for us as we gathered.

When services were over, we all walked back down the hill guided by the lanterns and a moonlit sky. All those who attended went into the local bar/café for coffee, dessert, and more fellowship together, before heading back out into the cold and traveling home.

The service in the Little Rockies is forever a beautiful memory etched on our minds. Across the world people were coming together to worship our Lord and Savior and celebrate His birth. It did not matter whether we were worshiping in a big cathedral in New York City, or a tiny “borrowed” Catholic church in a small historic mining town in Montana. The focus was the same ~ giving glory to God for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where winter has covered us with a few inches of snow this week, although it is nothing like north of us...say in Duluth MN where they have had over two feet of snow.  Duluth is a place we are fond of.  We lived there in 1972-74 while Joel was a meteorologist in the Air Force, forecasting weather for the pilots flying in that part of the world where winter was long and cold and the average temperature was 70 in the summer.  Lake Superior kept things cooler.  It is beautiful country with much to see there.  If you enjoy winter, there is snowshoeing, ice fishing, cross country skiing and much more to take in.  We went back to visit in the 90's because that is where our oldest was married ~ her husband came from the area! 

On the medical side of things, this past Monday I had a tooth extraction that turned out to be a bit challenging.  Today I am feeling good and glad to have it over and done with.  Joel had his stress test Tuesday, he did well, but we don't have any results yet?!?  I see the retina specialist next week.   One thing that I had to put aside for two months was walking, but I am back starting today to build up my strength.  Years ago Holy Spirit made it clear to me that I was to "walk out my healing" literally, and I began walking 5 minutes at a time and ended up walking 45 minutes on a good day.  It is my goal to get back to that.

Yesterday I made Joel Cinnamon Rolls, a pastry cookie that consists of mainly butter, flour, and a tiny bit of sugar. Norwegian I am sure!  We have been eating pretty bland, soft foods until the gum heals.  Since in my family catsup was considered spicy I would say most of what I cook is bland anyway!  Ha.....

 I finally finished getting out our Christmas cards.  Like I said before, no more red envelopes.  It saddens me how hard it is to see when writing, etc. because I have always loved to write, draw, do cards, etc.  When I wrote a newsletter for 150 chronically ill people, I would send one out via the mail every month for years....then every other month.  Now the cost to do that would be so high it would be near impossible to do it.  

As I write today I am listening to Vince Gill's Christmas CD...Yep, a good old fashioned CD.  We still have an old CD/radio and lots of CDs we pull out at Christmas.  Some Yo Yo Ma, Kenny G, Lori Line, etc.  I have a Christmas playlist on Alexa but sometimes I just like the CDs. One of my favorites is an old Alabama Christmas CD that we would put on to decorate our tree when the kids were all home.  Such a good memory.  

It is only a week until Christmas.  Stores are full of people and some shelves are empty.  Including grocery stores.  We are surprised by what used to be "staples" becoming hard to find items.  When Joel was searching for some cookie ingredients, a clerk told him it is difficult to get dates and raisins right now besides a lot of other things.   They are not getting in the big orders they request.  And the cost of things?  Yikes!  I feel so bad for parents trying to find over the counter meds for their sick little ones.  Ugh....  So far our families have avoided RSV, flu, etc.  Except for one older member who battled RSV for weeks.  He is finally starting to mend and we are so so grateful!  I pray you all have a healthy Christmas and New Years!

I hope this finds you listening to Christmas music, maybe your own old fashioned CD?  I hope it finds you getting ready for the coming week.....with loved ones.....in worship.....gathering around the table.....

Today I am grateful for old CD's, favorite Christmas music, worship online and in person, being able to make one of Joel's favorite cookies, healing from the extraction and so grateful it is over and done.  Grateful for antibiotics, good medical care, Joel doing well on the stress test, laughter, catching up with people via Christmas cards.  Grateful for a warm house, a snowblower, texts with family and friends, phone calls, the power of prayer...........and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Hello from snowy Iowa!  We woke up Friday morning to (if you like the white stuff) a beautiful white landscape!  We ended up with around 4-6 inches but a few miles north of us they had over 10 inches.  Winter has officially arrived, although the temps are still fluctuating.

Fluctuating is a good word to describe my continual eye drama. It is no longer a roller coaster ride, although it does cause this lady some tummy turmoil.  It is more like, what will change this week?  Will we be taking a step forward or a step back?  My doctor is quick to point out the good news with each visit, while being carefully direct about what is not going the way he would like. 

Sharing a couple of pictures from the snow, as we continue to see the goodness of God show up in our lives.  For instance....Friday's snow, heavy and wet...I woke up asking whether Joel should be even using the snow blower when the stress test is still ahead.  Those unknowns.  Before he could get outside, our neighbor did the driveway across the street and then came next door and did our driveway!  What a nice surprise.  (Thank you T. and K.) And later our neighbor from across the street came over to scoop up what the plow left at the end of our driveway.  The goodness of God showing up in our neighbors.  Love it.

I have been working on the Christmas cards this week and have a "note to self" tucked away for next year.  Do NOT have cards with red envelopes if you are not using labels.....cuz my right eye cannot see the dark ink on the red very well.  I love to send out cards, so next year's plan is in place.  No red envelopes!

Back to Joel.  We saw his doctor Monday and he will have his stress test next Tuesday.  He has not had one symptom arise since his trip to ER, so that is a good thing.  He has been busy with catching up in the office and working on a new small wood project out in the garage.  He managed one 2 mile walk but it is hard to walk outside now and of course biking is impossible.  

On Thursday I had my 6 mo check up with the urologist.  We were almost two months behind due to the eye thing, but all was stable.  I like those words.  He asked about what else was going on so we did share the eye drama......he then sat back and chatted with us about life in general...his and ours and we spent a good 15 minutes just talking.  It wa so nice....we left with smiles on our faces and as we drove home I turned to Joel and said, we have such good doctors to be grateful for!  The goodness of God showing up in a patient's waiting room.  I have been getting the Christmas newsletter ready and getting cards out, and with my energy much improved I am getting some cleaning and cooking done.  There will be homemade soup on the stove tomorrow to be available after my tooth extraction Monday.  Are we having fun yet?

We are "having fun" in-between the other stuff, with watching a few Murdoch episodes on Acorn TV and any Christmas specials we come across.  We are enjoying the Christmas cards that are arriving.  .  We are enjoying the first snow, albeit through sunglasses for me! And my Christmas playlist is providing us with holiday music!

We had to pick up a prescription this morning and thought we would shop a little but after seeing the full parking lots and so many people heading into stores we decided....nah.....we're good for now!  We will wait and go when people are working and kids are in school.  It is one of the benefits of being a "senior".  

For those of you who read these scribbles, I hope you do so with a cup of your favorite beverage and a Christmas cookie in hand.  Our scribbles have been pretty "medical minded" for a while, which can produce a yawn or two.  But our lives have been just that, "medical minded".  Thus the mantra I have been speaking aloud this week...."This is going to be the BEST Christmas ever!"  Do we have great plans?  Nope.  Are we still in the midst of medical dramas?  Yep.  Will we be spending Christmas with family?  Nope. Will we be having pie and presents?  Yep.  No matter what comes our way, or doesn't, this is going to be the BEST Christmas ever!  

So today, I am grateful that our first snow arrived and left us beauty to enjoy. Grateful for caring doctors.  Grateful Joel has not had any more symptoms, grateful for giving neighbors, grateful for Christmas music ranging from Pentatonix to our 1980's Alabama Christmas CD.  Grateful for a decorated house, for Christmas cards arriving (and going), For Christmas specials, Hallmark movies, and Murdoch series, for texts, pictures, emails, and phone calls that brighten our days, and so, so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this first weekend in December.  It is a cold (-14 wind chill this morning) day here in our corner of the world but it is supposed to hit 40 degrees again.  What a roller coaster ride the weather has been!

Speaking of roller coasters...........Joel and I have been hanging on tight  as we ride one, trusting God is with us as life keeps sending surprises.  We found out my retina was detached a few days before Thanksgiving.  Not good news.  Pressure was still low.  This past Wed. we drove to Des Moines and the pressure had come up three points...Yes!  The Dr. told us he still wants to do another surgery to inflate the eye with an oil bubble and try to attach the retina to keep eye from shrinking.  Things change weekly and we just keep holding tight to God's promises.  On the 12th I will need a tooth extraction that was postponed due to the eye drama.  Now, add to this, (I am not kidding) another trip to the ER because Joel woke with an aching jaw and other mild heart symptoms on Thursday morning.  They found nothing but told him even though he is is good shape he could have blockages so that will now be pursued.  We have started praying for a hedge around us as this garbage continues.  We believe it is "the enemy" that comes to kill steal and destroy as stated in Scriptures, so we pray against him and his hoodlums.  

Let's move on to the great time we had at Thanksgiving.  Our family started arriving Thursday afternoon and the last ones left for home Sat. morning.  We had our big meal on Friday noon.  There was cribbage and Yahtzee going, and even some World Cup Soccer on TV.  It was so great for Joel and I to catch up on hugs from everyone.  We were pretty tired out still, but the family took over cooking and clean ups, and by the time they left Saturday, things had been cleaned, put away, organized, food sorted out, our Christmas tree up and the living room rearranged.  What a gift for us to have all that done!  

A big gift for us is to see our family together, laughing, talking, snuggling, playing.  We see them as a group usually only once a year so we soaked it all in.

Joel and I enjoyed a great Hallmark movie, 'Three Wise Men and a Baby".  We laughed so much over this movie, one of the best we have seen on Hallmark.  We recommend it highly!  There have been a few Christmas specials on already too.

This past week a friend of Joel's died.  He was a friend to many many people here in Mason City at The Globe Gazette where he worked, at his church, and in many other areas of the community.  He edited Joel's book, and they got to know each other during that time.  John Skipper will be greatly missed. 

Joel's mom would have been 105 today.  One of her granddaughters said she was not overly affectionate, kinda stern, but you knew she loved you. Yes, we did.  She certainly loved the Lord and prayed for so many people, including us.  We miss you Mom T.

Our tree is up thanks to some of the grandkids, and Joel and I decorated it yesterday.  We are getting a few decorations for the house out and the Christmas cards are starting to arrive.  This is a season to celebrate.  And there is much to be grateful for.

Giving thanks that our Thanksgiving went well, we got to hug on family, enjoy the laughter and love of all who gathered here, and eat some good food....and for us, pie!  Grateful that the pressure in my eye came up three points, grateful for good doctors and a tech who asked if he could put me on his prayer list~~!  Grateful for Joel getting the help he needs and that God is walking with him.  Grateful for movies that make us laugh, for new ornaments on the tree, Christmas music, safe travels, the love and prayers of family and friends.  Grateful for all this and so much more......

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this cold and windy day here in our corner of the world.  We woke to a high of 18 and are heading downhill from there.  The high winds are giving us a "feels like" temp of 2 degrees, blowing around the snow we have on the ground.  Still, tomorrow we rebound up into the thirties so that's not too bad.  Winter has definitely arrived.  

Speaking of arriving, our kids will start showing up on Thursday afternoon.  We will have our Thanksgiving meal on Friday, having ordered it from the local HyVee.  Joel and I just don't have it in us to cook a big meal.  We'll be making pies and cranberry sauce and our usual pumpkin bread is already in the freezer.  It will be good to see everyone again.  We will be missing 3 but our usual gathering group will be at the table.  I hope you all have people you love and care about to share a meal with. 

My retina appointment went okay....Pressure still too low......inflammation coming down.  No vision....After 5 weeks I am ready to be off the eye drops and visits but it is going to be a while.  Thankful that I am only going to the Dr. once a week now.  

Speaking of thankful, God has been sending me messages about "gold" lately.  A close friend, K. said that when she was praying for us she saw very clearly a large gold nugget from God.  She knew she needed to share that with us.  A day later in my Facebook memories up popped a post about how when a vase breaks in Japan it is often put back together with gold.  They do not hide the flaws of the vase but emphasis the fractures with gold as part of its beauty.  Soon after that I was walking around the dining room and saw a piece of paper on a chair.  I picked it up and the title of the article I had written years ago was "Finding GOLD in the dirt".  A friend, ML wrote a post on Facebook that spoke of shimmering gold......When I get so many messages from God I pay attention and today it dawned on me that giving thanks....in the darkness....in the middle of a difficult situation....brings out the gold God has for our lives.  We see things differently when it is through a window of praise and thankfulness.  I am sure God has much more to reveal to us so I am looking forward to what else He is going to share about "gold".  

With my "wonky" vision, I have discovered that the best time of day for me to look outside and enjoy the view is just before the sun goes completely down.  I can take in the trees, snow and sunset without my eyes watering or needing 2 pairs of sunglasses.  It has become a moment of gratitude for me.  I can see the view, and it is such a peaceful view to see!  We all need those moments to pause, take in the view and give thanks. 

So today I am giving thanks once again for doctors, drops, and all the help I have been getting for my eyes.  I am grateful for Joel's endless love and support whether it is getting me to all the appointments, helping me make pumpkin bread, or being my "eyes" when necessary.  Grateful for a warm house on a cold day, for texts, phone calls, and photos that bring the family close.  Grateful for the beautiful view from my living room window, for family coming, for God's continual messages about gold.  Grateful for the abundance of blessings we have...........and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend~

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from Iowa where the cold has come to stay.  Thursday it was 70 degrees, but Friday only 27 degrees and today we awoke to a dusting of snow with temps hoping to reach 30.  November is making itself known, yet it is really even a bit chilly for November.   The yard is ready for winter, the Christmas lights are up, and the only thing left out are the two porch chairs where Joel goes to sit for his morning coffee.  I am not sure why there are two chairs because I don't plan to join him in the cold, nor any other neighbor as far as I can tell!

This past Saturday we set our clocks back.  Ugh.  If you are like Joel, he sets the clocks, goes to bed at his "normal" time and wakes up at his "normal" time.  If you are like me, I am horizontal by 7:30 forcing myself to stay up til 9 and waking at 5:30 every morning.  Every. morning.  I think we need to pick one and stick with it.  It messes with too many body clocks.....when we mess with our clocks!

I saw the Retina Dr on Monday and am able to wait until next Monday to go again.  That is progress?!?  Inflammation still going down but pressure is not going up yet.  Hopefully this Monday we will see a change there.  This is definitely a slow process.

Speaking of processes, the Midterm elections were last Tuesday, as if that is news to you!   It is nice to have it over, although it is really not over is it.  We voted early which was nice. We are glad to have all the ads gone from TV, although I wish we could make the medical ads disappear too.  Over and over and over.......enough already!

This week we were discussing grandparents.  Our grandparents.  We realized that we did not know our grandparents well.  My paternal grandparents and maternal grandfather all died before I was born or when I was a toddler.  My maternal grandmother and I spent only a little time together.  One of my favorite memories is going sun fishing with her in a small wooden boat on a small lake in southeastern MN.  I remember she filleted the fish we caught and fried them in butter and flour.  "Tillie" was quite a strong independent woman who ran a cafe/bar/hotel after her husband died and she even fought off a robber who tried to steal her purse when she was in her 80's.  Joel spent little time with his grandparents.  A couple died early and his paternal grandmother spoke only Norwegian.  We have always wished we had more time with our grands.....and we wonder what our great grands will be like. And will they remember us?  Cuz, honestly, we don't remember our great grandparents...never knew them.  We truly are here just for a moment in time.

Before I get too melancholy, we are excited for Thanksgiving.  Our family is coming this year and spending time with family is so important.  Most everyone will arrive Thanksgiving Day and head home Saturday.  We are looking forward to filling the house with laughter, the voices of the grands, and turkey and pie too!

There is not much to write about this week as we wait and watch in a holding pattern with my eye.  But there is a lot to be thankful for.  Conversations with 4 of our kids and family, texts with sibs and friends, prayers that sustain and comfort, our first dusting of snow, energy increasing, homemade chicken soup, pumpkin bread in the oven, doctors who care and know what they are doing, a fireplace on cold evenings, a furnace that runs, heated car seats, french toast on homemade bread with fresh strawberries and old fashioned whipping cream.  Oh yeah.  Grateful for so much in this second week of November.  Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

It is the first Saturday in November.  My favorite month went by quickly.  The first half filled with all that is Autumn, the second half filled with all that involves a major medical crisis.  Joel continues with his porch sitting moments, but like nature, he is preparing for winter, although it is between doctor appointments and doing most everything domestic once again...taking over where his wife is sidetracked right now.  We are still finding peace and strength in Fall and all it graces us with, like last Thursday's morning visit from a beautiful buck that walked through our backyard.  

Where do I begin with all that has transpired the past 25  days?  At the beginning I expect,  although it has been challenging to revisit what has transpired.  Writing on my laptop is not always easy, opening up the doors to all the trauma that occurred  is never easy.  But seeing God in the midst of it all is very necessary to the healing process.

On Tuesday afternoon, October 11th I had an eye injection.  We were excited because the exam showed that the new medication was working so well and I no longer needed to go every 3 weeks for a shot....but 4 and maybe longer.  BUT I woke up Wednesday morning to very strange vision in my left eye where I had the shot.  I knew it was serious, called the Retina emergency number and an hour later we were on the road to West Des Moines.  By the time we arrived my vision in that eye was completely gone.  Just darkness.  I saw the doctor quickly and soon was at their surgical center having cultures taken and two injections of broad spectrum antibiotics injected in the eye.  They believed and later confirmed it was an aggressive Strep bacteria that had come in through the injection hole.  Rare, but they have dealt with it.  We stayed with our son and daughter in law that night and the next morning I was seen again.  We went home with a number of eye drops I was putting in up to 16x a day,  but I had to go back the next day, Friday the 14th.  Very quickly I was sent back to the Surgical Eye Center.  It was already closed but the doctor called people back in for emergency surgery.  This time I was put out for awhile, and then they pulled out as much infection as they could and injected me again with 2 different broad spectrum antibiotics.  We spent the night again at our son and daughter in law's before seeing the doctor Sat. morning at their (closed) clinic.  I continued all the drops at home and the next week I saw him 3 more times.  Twice here in our clinic and once in their main office in West Des Moines.  My pressure had gone up to 33 but by the time the week ended it was bottoming out at 2-5. Neither number is good.   I have continued to see doctors 3x a week here and in West Des Moines which is a 240 mile round trip.    Things are now improving as far as inflammation reduction and cornea less swollen, less debris.  My vision is still gone and at this point there is only a slim chance some vision will return.  Right now our focus is on making sure the infection is gone and inflammation is going down and pressure up.  The appointment this past Wednesday has given us the most hope as progress is being seen.  The doctor was pretty excited after the ultrasound. Another surgery is in my future to clean up all the inflammatory debris and clean off the cataract implant.   

The doctors have given me good care.  The prayers of friends and family continue to sustain us.  We are "broken hearted" and "crushed in Spirit" over what has happened.  I am still trying to adjust to having vision in one eye.  This eye has dry macular so on a chart I "see" 20/20 but because of the dry things are a bit distorted and dingy and my vision blurs in and out.  My depth perception is way off and I am actually seeing things that are not there due to the retina/brain connection trying to compensate fir what has happened.............entoptic phenomena........and the steroid and antibiotic eye drops have caused nausea and excessive fatigue/weakness.  Now that they have lowered the number of times the drops go in it that is somewhat better~  I've stopped losing weight and am a bit stronger at times.  This journey is very hard for both of us......impossible without God.  

A Bible verse comes to mind for me "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your OWN UNDERSTANDING. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."  We don't begin to understand this journey.  God did NOT orchestrate this in any way shape or form, but He did allow it.  And the healing process has been one big scary challenge.  Seeing at 20/20 and going to a distorted blurry vision has and is a one day at a time journey.  Yet we see God in the midst of it.......the doctors who have seen me on Saturdays , their days off...have reopened a surgical center with everyone showing up to help with the surgery.  Staff and techs bending over backwards to bring us comfort and care.  The prayers of so many friends and family.  A neighbor bringing by a "gift basket" and offering to cook for us.  Our son and daughter in law opening their home and our son there to steady us at both surgeries and several appointments.  Good weather to travel in.  Even when the doctor gave me his personal cell number and told me to call him anytime in the night if anything changed after the first surgery.  Seriously God showed His love and care through so many others.  This is what I am grateful for today.  We don't know what is ahead.....we are tired, and we are certainly living and breathing one day at a time as this long slow healing process continues, but we already can look back and see how God has been in the midst of yet another medical crisis.  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We would love to pray for you and your needs too.  So much to be grateful for on this first weekend in November.  

Saturday's Scribbles

It is a beautiful fall day here in our corner of the world.  Recently I read a post on Facebook that said, "My favorite color is October" and I have to agree.  I am embracing all the beauty of this season.  Some of the trees are really showing off!  The temps are up and down, but mostly up which is nice, too.  

Speaking of nice, yesterday we went on a little excursion very close to home.  I saw on an Iowa site that there are only two covered bridges in the state that are still accessible.  AND one of them is only 8 miles from our house!  So we headed over to Rock Falls, IA to go into the park where it is located.  What fun to see it.  Of course, Joel had to go underneath to see how it was constructed and supported. The bridge was completed in 1929.  It is located in a nice little park area where you can also camp or
ride trail bikes.  Who knew it was so close?!  

covered bridge in Wilkinson Pioneer Park

Covered bridge

Inside

A tree in the park

Last Sunday after church we headed to a nature reserve near town for a mile walk among the trees,  brush and paved paths.  A perfect day to be out enjoying fall, and within easy access to our house.  It is still good porch sitting weather, good biking weather too.  

Speaking of our house, it was 19 years ago today that we moved into this place we call home.  This is epic.  This is something we could not fathom....cuz.........well, before moving to Mason City we had never lived in one place longer than 6.5 years and in my life I have never lived in the same town longer than 7 years. ( an example?  In one year as a young child I went to three schools in three states..) For Joel it is 21 years on the home farm.  And here we are, living in the same house for 19 years!  A lot of work had to be done to this house to make it livable for us.  It had not been taken care of for years if not for ever.  Joel put a lot of work into it, the people we hired for floors, counters, etc. put a lot of work into it.  And some of our extended family put a lot of work into it!  It was a house I was reluctant to move into but Joel felt very strongly that God wanted us here and I began to see his vision.   He remembers standing on the back deck, which at the time was really unsafe,.....and "hearing" God speak to him giving him the sense that I would heal in this house.  My history since that day shows much sickness and disease but God has walked with me and healed me of Lyme, thyroid disease, chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a cyst through prayer alone, and from 4 bouts with cancer through medical treatments.  And there has been a lot of inner healing that has taken place...yeah.....healing has come.

The house has several levels and is really too big...we just don't need the space with our family seldom gathering here, BUT the stairs have kept us moving and the space is nice when winter, a pandemic, or sickness keeps a person confined.  We know some day we will say good-bye to this house and our neighbors, but right now we are so grateful to be able to own our own home in such a beautiful area, surrounded by great people.  Yeah....we are blessed.

Speaking of blessed, I am so grateful for the oral surgeon who will be removing a tooth for me.  I had a consult with him this week, but before him the endodontist.  Because of my medical history their conclusion was to remove the tooth and that will happen in early November.  No other option was acceptable I guess. Going to them pushes the pause button and reminds me, "Oh yeah, after the Lyme and cancers your immune system has a "limp" so my body needs careful attention.  And how grateful I am that they are so concerned.  We discussed a lot, once he hears from my oncologist and we have the go ahead, I will lose a tooth.  Aging.  Sigh.....

Speaking of aging, I find that when I go places, other people will stop cars for us to cross or even open doors and hold them for me.  This week a younger woman went striding past me with a look of determination, but then stopped as she opened the door and moved back to hold it for me.  What a kind gesture.  The same thing happened with a man going into the store this week at the same time as me.  There is still a lot of kind people out in our world who are kind.  It's a good thing.  

I am thankful today for specialists who care, for an immune system that keeps putting forth the effort, for an outing to a covered bridge, a nature center, and East Park.  Giving thanks for fall weather, 19 years in one house, the memories, and all the large windows that let views of nature into our home,  homemade wheat bread, walks, and bike rides for Joel.  Grateful for kind courteous people.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, Wordle connections, phones at our fingertips, our grands, children, and in-laws, extended family, and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday on this first day of October!  This is pretty much my favorite month of the year regarding nature and all its beauty.  The leaves are starting to turn and some have even let go and are blanketing yards.  Our mums are blooming and our one geranium plant is still gracing us with a vibrant red as we sit on the porch.  The air is crisp in the morning but the sun is still warm when you bask in it.  And basking in it for a minimum of 15 minutes a day is what health experts tell us is necessary.  Ducks are starting to fly south and yesterday as Joel was porch sitting a flock of migrating robins came through. Last Sunday afternoon we drove 35 minutes to a pumpkin patch on a farm.  It was a bit disappointing for me, but we did see a few goats and chickens and little kids have a great time!  It was definitely a place for kids.  We ended up at a local market here in town where we bought two pumpkins and some gourds...and one yummy squash.

Porch Pumpkins

Gourds

Speaking of Fall, we have noticed our neighbors, including ourselves, have started to get those projects done that are needed before the snow comes.  It is also great biking and walking weather and paths are a place to greet others as they enjoy Fall.  For us it has been dry, with cool mornings and temps around 68 in the afternoons.  Just perfect.  And it is a perfect day for Joel to be off at Rendezvous Days about an hour from here in southern Minnesota.  His one day a year to enjoy all the creative experiences that go along with this 3 day event.  He goes for Saturday and comes home at night smelling like wood smoke, having eaten more than his fill of good things while watching the events of the day and listening to music, etc.  

Speaking of weather we cannot help but be aware of what has happened in Florida and now South Carolina.  Such devastation.  It will take years to reconstruct and will those who lived through the hurricane ever fully recover from the trauma?  We pray so.  The typhoons we went through in the Philippines were minor in comparison but I can remember the anxiety as the winds rose and the rain came so fast we had water coming into the house.  Joel was off working as a weather forecaster on the base on Thanksgiving when the worst one hit.  Our maid Amphy and myself stood each at a door with a broom and swept the water back out as it came in like a hose under the door,  Action and prayers were both necessary, and to be honest most of our experiences in The Philippines required action and prayer.  Not a bad combination.  Back to those affected by Hurricane Ian......you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Speaking of prayers, there were a lot of those last week as we waited for the results of an ultrasound after my oncologist felt something she could not define.  I got in right away for the test, but had to wait  4 days for the results as my doctor was out of the office.  My Oncologist is very thorough which means I have a "love-hate" relationship with her.  So thankful she checks out everything and so annoyed that she checks out everything.  Ha.....   I did okay until the woman taking the test asked me if it was me or the Dr. who felt the "lump"......guess that was written on the chart? I guess the word "lump" was hard to hear.  The test only took 10 minutes which was really fast.  I expressed that and the woman said, "Oh I "found it" right away!"  Found what???  Right??  I talked myself down off the ledge a few times by remembering the words God sent me on Facebook that spoke of God already being at work.  I just needed to trust and rest in knowing that.  Yeah.....He is a good good Father.  Always with me no matter what comes my way.  With GOOD results(a lymph node surrounded by scar tissue) we have been praying a lot of gratitude prayers that all is well.  In fact an x-ray taken showed the ribs to be healed and the blood work this time was great.  Iron levels excellent even with 1/2 the dose so we have been celebrating the good news and after 2 and 1/2 years of appointments every 3-4 months I am going now in 6 months.  Yippee!  Over the past year I have really come to appreciate each morning I get up and hear Joel say, "Morning, Missy" Isn't life precious?!  

Getting back to Ian hitting Florida and South Carolina, I texted a friend whom I met while living in the Philippines in 1974-76.  They live in South Carolina and were going to be hit by the force of Ian.  Seems she had suffered a heart attack recently.  She was recovering, thank God, and my mind could not help but go back to our time together.  We called each other "sisters in Christ" and even though I have not hugged her in person since the day we said good-bye at the airport, we will hug some day~!  As I have been writing about our two years there lately, I can only reiterate once again on how much those two years impacted our lives.  So blessed and grateful for the people we met, the experiences we had, the family we grew. 

Speaking of family I realized this week that three of our kids were married in October.  Happy Anniversary to all three couples!  May you be blessed with many many more years to come!  Happy Birthday to a granddaughter too.  Celebrations can be a daily occurrence when you add in anniversaries, birthdays, good medical reports, graduations, confirmations, and so much more!  Ha  

So today I am giving thanks that Joel is off at Rendezvous Days having a great time, that the weather is perfect for Fall, the oncology work up was all good news, biking and walking is still part of our days, October is here, pumpkins sit on the porch, bread is rising, birds are migrating, projects are getting done, Fall meals are on the menu, Florida and South Carolina are beginning their recovery, my friend H. is recovering, phone calls, texts, and communication with family is ongoing, and just so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this last weekend of September!  The weather?  Tuesday it was 92 degrees and felt like 98 degrees.  We were breaking records!  Yesterday the high was 56 degrees and rainy......September!!  We have noticed a few trees are turning a golden color.  I'm looking forward to the explosion of color that is coming our way as fall continues and September 22nd, the first day of Fall has come and gone making it official.  

Speaking of Fall, our mums are blooming a bright yellow/gold and an orange/yellow as they stand proudly in front of our porch.  Our red geranium is blooming again, and our fern is still full and beautiful.  All the rest of our potted flower plants we have said farewell to.  We hope to head out to a pumpkin patch soon to gather up pumpkins for our front porch steps and gourds for the house.  I have laid out a table cover that my sister-in-law gave me.  She is an excellent quilter.  Our fall pillow slip cover is out and our little pumpkin pillow, along with other fall decorations.  Not too many but enough to announce that Fall has arrived!

This past week we went to the local park and enjoyed all the plants and bushes that are still blooming. So many marigolds this time of year.   Joel got in a couple of bike rides and and I have walked daily inside or outside depending on the elements.  Doctors and a dentist were part of the equation too.  And a lot of searching for a mini fridge to replace our old fridge that now has a continually running motor.  Spendy.  Why do two people need a second fridge?  Well, we don't really except that we buy in bulk food items we cannot get in our corner of the world.  We drive nearly two hours north to pick up almonds and cashews, almond butters, organic applesauce, almond flours, etc. and we buy for 4 months at a time.  Yeah, it saves us that much money to do so.  Thus the second fridge, but what we purchased in a 4.5 cu. ft one with a designated freezer.  It will work just fine and we were happy to find it.  Used fridges?  Near impossible to find!    I will say, only in America does a couple in their 70's have a second fridge to hold the excess.

As I wrote this a visual memory popped up of two children, around ages 5 and 6, who were digging through our garbage can in The Philippines.  They were sent out looking for food....."wealthy" Americans throw away a lot of stuff they would devour if they had the chance.  They visited our garbage more than a few times. One day a garbage truck broke down on road on the side of our house.  I watched Filipino men dig through the piled garbage, then build a fire and warm up what was there and eat it,  Two men got into a fight over what they had found.  Needless to say, it was an eye opener to see this unfolding.  I think it subtly put me on a course to use up our food....eat our leftovers.....try not to waste anything we were privileged to fill our plates with.  So long ago............but such vivid memories.

Speaking of memories, our oldest and her family purchased a Christmas present for us where we answer questions given to us weekly, and it is put in a bound book.  This week's question was to ask how our country has changed in our lifetime!~!  I think a person could write a whole book on just that one question.  What has NOT changed in the past 74 years would be easier to define.  Haha  It had us both thinking about all the changes with cars, appliances, careers, TV's, phones ~especially phones~ politics, civil rights, and so much more.  One vivid thing for me that came up was the invention of cell phones.  I can remember when we had to limit our "long distance"  phone calls.  Talking to my mom, even after seven pm when it was cheaper, would cost $20.  We called home once from The Philippines in two years and talking 5 minutes was $40.  The phone bill could easily run into the hundreds if you were not careful.  So many changes in our world..............many good.........still too many bad.  It gets you thinking doesn't it?  One conference speaker I listen often asks how many people under the age of 30 are in the audience.  She will then talk about church pews and to the younger crowd explain what they were!  Ha....SO many churches have very comfortable chairs and even cup holders!  I confess, I prefer the cushy chairs!!

So today I am grateful for cushy chairs when I get them.  Grateful for cell phones that make it possible to call anytime...and receive amazing photos.  Grateful for Fall arriving. Grateful for our plates being "full", having excess for a mini fridge, for colorful mums, questions that make us remember and pause, for bike rides and walks,  for phone calls from every one of our kids last week!  Giving thanks for our oldest granddaughter's birthday, our oldest daughter's recovery going so well.  Grateful for naps, a good night's sleep, buying in bulk, waking to a new sunrise every day....and so much more.  

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Sunday to you on this partly cloudy fall day here in Iowa where we have lived for 26 1/2 years.  How did that happen?  We enjoy our neighbors and community here in Mason City, and as sojourners are settled in as much as we know how to do, but we do miss Minnesota lakes, loons, and vivid northern lights.....and a few people too (ha)!  Being ex-military and retired from ministry, we still call Minnesota "home".  There was always home to go back to when we were living out west or overseas.  Vacations were mostly spent going "home" to see family when you were moving at the military's orders.  And when Joel was a pastor, we moved about every 6 1/2 years until we were called here to northern Iowa.  Then things changed.....and even in retirement, we still live here, for a number of reasons.  

This reflecting all came up for me after talking to my friend Lana yesterday about our history and the plans we had as young adults.  Joel and I both wanted to be in the mission field, following in the footsteps of his second cousin David Simonson who served in Tanzania for 50 years until his death.  He is buried on land given to him and his family by the Masai tribe.   I started thinking about missions when I was around 13, long before I knew Joel.  I would look at photos of a missionary family posted on the bulletin board at our church.  They were in Brazil and I would wonder what it was like to be there.  Joel grew up hearing about his second cousin and the work he was doing in Africa.  It became our dream..............and then life shifted our plans.  Joel was drafted...........eight years of military ..............seminary...........and Montana called us.  And the idea of putting our kids in boarding schools did not fit for us.....so it never happened.  We talked of going when our kids were all grown and living their own lives but then sickness and other things interfered.  So here we are.  Still living in Iowa but missing our "home" state at times.....and thinking periodically about the "what if" of the missionary life we once desired.  Isn't life what happens when you are making other plans?  But God has blessed our lives, we have met many amazing people while livingn in 7 states and one third world country.  And Iowa is the home now where we lay our heads at night.

Speaking of home, with Fall hanging around, I have taken out our Fall decorations for inside and out.  It is my favorite time of year..........as anyone who has read my blog knows, I love the colors, smells, weather, and so much more about this season.  Could it last a little longer, Lord?  

Has anyone else watched the endless coverage of Queen Elisabeth's death and soon to be funeral?  The world over we are fascinated by her 70 years as queen.  I honestly don't think we grasp the significance of her legacy or her passing here in America.  We don't have a Monarchy, nor Kings or Queens, but I do find it all impressive and intriguing.  I wonder what their future holds.  What happens there, sends ripples across the world.  We are all connected. 

Friday Joel and I baked apple crisp from the apples Joel brings home from his bike rides.  He goes through the college campus and there are apple trees, at least one, and no one picks the apples so he brings home a few in the fall and we cook them into something good.  He has been getting in some rides again lately.  Saturday morning he rode with a few from our church to Clear Lake where they ate breakfast before heading back.  The ride was less than 20 miles and in nice weather.  After lunch that same day we headed to a town NE of us for their Fall Festival.  We walked around for an hour checking out the vendors but did not buy anything, but we got out and got some exercise.  A win, win.  Last Sunday we drove to Clear Lake for a satellite service of Lutheran Church of Hope and then headed to the lake for a walk before going to the local mercantile and purchasing two mum plants.  They have a nice variety and are quite inexpensive.  Mums, fall decorations, and soon to be pumpkins on our porch steps are sure signs of Fall!

So today I am giving thanks for Fall descending on us, for trips to the lake, worship at Hope via live stream, phone calls from our kids, our oldest's surgery and recovery going well, memories that make us smile and make us ponder, all our experiences and adventures as military and in ministry.  Grateful for our grands and how well they are all doing.  Grateful for walks and bike rides, our home state and our present home, the Queen and her legacy and all we are learning by watching the coverage.  Grateful for every sunrise and sunset that graces Joel and my lives together.  Grateful for apple trees and apple crisp. Grateful for family and friends and so much more..................

Enjoy your week!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from a rainy and cool day in northern Iowa.  Fall is showing up periodically to remind us summer is leaving us.  The animals have been more quiet, fewer bunnies or deer around right now.  It is getting time to put on long pants and I have to say, I am not ready for it!  I like the comforts of summer capri's.  Alas, we know what will be ahead, so in this moment we savor what Autumn brings. 

Speaking of weather, one of our girls asked me once why I always start with the weather on my Saturday's Scribbles.....I think it is because I am not only married to a retired pastor but to a retired Air Force meteorologist and farm kid!  Weather has always been a part of the day's observations.  

Joel gets up most mornings and takes his morning coffee out onto our front porch.  He enjoys nature, watches the animals, and takes in the fresh air....even at 32 degrees he is outside bundled up and communing with God through nature. Not too long ago someone asked the question of how we connect with God.  For me it is in the sunrise and sunsets, in music and in praise.  For Joel is in every facet of nature. Even while biking or driving he seeks it out.

Speaking of nature, on Labor Day we headed north to Pilot Knob State Park about 35 minutes away.  It is a heavily wooded 700 acre place of beauty.  Let me get out of the way that going into such a wooded area that is a home for thousands of ticks is a step of faith for me....We had a good time walking around, having a picnic, and Joel hiked up to the stone tower.  I was going to try, but the first section of the trail was too steep for me so I waited in the car while he ventured off into the "wilderness".  ( a careful tick check resulted when we arrived home).  After leaving Pilot Knob we drove down to our favorite lake and sat watching boats and of course the people.  It was a nice day.  

Pilot Knob pond

Picnic time

Path to the stone tower

"Over the river and through the woods to the

stone tower we go.........."

Stone Tower

Our grands are back in school and college now.  Such adventures they will experience, so much learning they will absorb.  And fun too!  Transitions are hard, and the journey is not always straight but this is what we raise our children to do.....become independent adults who go out into the world to forge their own path with, hopefully God's guidance.  Some stay close to home, others are out of our reach, like all of our kids.  When loneliness seeps in I try to tell myself that we raised our kids to become independent and blossom in their corners of the world and in our circumstances they are out of our reach! 

Thank heavens for texting and phone calls!

Last Saturday Joel and I watched a ridiculously fast paced, sometimes violent, and funny movie called "The Lost City" with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.  It was silly, far fetched and made us laugh until our sides hurt!  My favorite movies with Sandra B. are The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds, and Miss Congeniality.  Laughter is such good medicine and that would be the "redeeming value" of "The Lost City.  

Tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of 9-11.  It is not a date we can easily forget.  I expect just like when JFK was assassinated, we who are older know where we were and what we were doing when we first heard.  WIth JFK, our president gunned down on TV, it was a shock that resonated around the world.  I was in 10th grade history class and I can remember our teacher was called out of class.  When he came back in he told us with tears in his eyes what had just happened.  The whole school of a couple thousand kids was dismissed and sent home.  Everyone was home on the day of the funeral to watch on TV.  With 9-11, I was sitting in front of the TV watching Good Morning America when it began to unfold.  I remember shaking from head to toe when everyone realized what was going on.  Our country was under attack.  Our oldest called and we talked a bit about what was happening, and was her hubby safe because at the time he worked in a downtown Chicago industrial area. Where would they strike next?!  And where was our son, a police officer, and were our other kids all safe? Joel was at work, focused on the church, and really did not grasp what I was trying to relay to him.  Or maybe he was in denial?  He finally came home and we watched together, stunned at what was happening.  Joel and I prayed about him going into the Air Force again as a chaplain once our military was involved.  He was too old.  IF he was a Catholic priest, they needed them, but a Protestant Chaplain in his 50's was a no go.  Of which, looking back, I am grateful for.  Today gives us pause while we remember......  

And speaking of remembering, Queen Elizabeth II died this week and it has been fascinating to learn all the information about the longest reigning monarch in history.  She was certainly dedicated to serve her country and did a fine job doing so.  I loved reading one of her quotes that spoke of her faith in God helping her through all her years as Queen. 

So today I am grateful for the good times we had at Pilot Knob State Park and Clear Lake Antiques in the Square plus lake sitting.  Grateful for a picnic outside.....a first in a long while.  Grateful for the rain that is still coming down.  Grateful for all the biking Joel got in this week and all the walking for me.  Grateful for memories and moving forward through those memories, grateful for movies that make us belly laugh, grands who are moving forward in their lives, and grateful we miss our family for wouldn't be awful if we didn't!  Grateful for the reign of a Queen dedicated to her people.  Grateful for all this and so much more..........

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this first weekend of September and Labor Day Weekend 2022.  Yesterday it was hot and humid with rain coming later in the evening.  Just a few days earlier it felt like fall!!  A little tease by Mother Nature before the summer heat returned.  This time of year I am ready for all that Fall brings us.  

Last weekend Joel was up in west central Minnesota visiting his family.  He headed out Thursday and arrived home Sunday night after connecting with family, biking 20 miles on his favorite trail, deck sitting in the middle of a clear starry night, going to a "plow down" that his brother holds yearly, and then driving south to give one of our girls and her family hugs.  The plow down involves old tractors and plows that brings back the history of farming and gives those who hang on to those old tractors and plows a chance to use them, and plow the land the way their ancestors did.   

I spent Thursday night alone....I share that because it is in the first time in 11 years that I have been alone overnight in our home.  Yep.  To say that it was on the bottom of my list for accomplishments would be an understatement.  The back story is too long to share, but I just don't "do" alone anymore if I can help it.  Friday afternoon my sister J. came from Minnesota to spend two nights and my sister K. and brother-in-law D. came over for a visit too.  Saturday our brothers came with one of their spouses from Minnesota for a sibling visit which involved their favorite Godfather's Pizza.  It is well known as the best in this part of our world. 

This visit brought up childhood memories that had us laughing and remembering our early years.  I was raised by my older sister Jo ( 15 yrs older) and her family and joined the group when I was first 10 and then 12 for good.  We are close in age and enjoy a unique bond that I am forever grateful for.  These hours of reminiscing are always a good thing.

Speaking of a good thing, our bathroom reno is complete now and we are enjoying it!  A tub I can easily climb in and out of when showering, soothing gray walls and floor, with navy accents, and no NASCAR explosion in the mornings!  Yay!  Here are the before and after photos...

NASCAR explosion

Part 2

Ahhhh  Soothing subtle gray

Gray and white combo with navy accents

It is Labor Day weekend, which signifies the end of summer and beginning of the school year for most.  Oregon is the first state to recognize Labor Day as a holiday to celebrate the achievements of American  workers.  We plan to head to an antiques in the park event on Sunday in a neighboring town.  What is on your agenda?  Hope you enjoy!

So today, I am grateful for this first September weekend, Labor Day, and what it means.  Grateful for Joel's trip to visit family, bike his favorite trail, and attend his brother's "plow down".  Grateful for my time with family here at home.  Grateful for the memories and reminiscing last weekend. Grateful for our new bathroom, and it's soothing colors.  Grateful for the hint of fall that is in the air today.  Grateful for the power of prayers as grands head off or back to college, or their jobs out in the world.  Grateful for pictures that bring us "right there" with family hours away, grateful for phone calls, texts, and any and all connections to those we love and care about.  Grateful for all this and so much more.....

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where we live in one of those "middle ones".  I say this because I was reading an article by Brent Olson, author and Midwesterner, and he talked about when he went to a conference with a lot of people who live on the "edges" of our country.  When he told one woman who asked where he was from, that he was from Minnesota, she said "Oh, that is one of those middle ones, isn't it?"  Yeah....Minnesota or Iowa....we kinda are just one of those states in the middle..... and grateful to be!

Speaking of that topic, when we went to a conference in CT in 2013 we would tell people where we were from.  Iowa.  When they would introduce us they would say we were from Ohio.  We quickly learned that for most of those who live out East nothing exists beyond Ohio!  Ha  And when we went to Bethel Church in northern California in 2017 and told people where we were from they would get a blank look...and reintroduce us as from Idaho!  We decided it worked best when we said, "We are from Minnesota but live in Iowa now".  We would always get......."Oh, Minnesota!"  That state they recognized.  I often wonder if people study geography at all in the classrooms??  Maps happen to be a favorite of mine....love geography!  But alas, I confess, I also get those small clustered together states confused out East!   So I better watch my words, right?  

We have had a lot of rain this week...and that pesky ceiling exhaust fan in our beautiful newly renovated bathroom started leaking again after a heavy rain...drip...drip.  We do seem to have a thing with water in this house.  Over the years we have had frozen pipes, flooding toilets, tree roots blocking sewer drainage, a leaking exhaust fan, and water going into our furnace ducts during one crazy toilet overflow when we couldn't shut off the rusty valve.  And speaking of that isn't that just what happened when we were renovating the bathroom and woke up in the night to water dripping through the main floor entry light fixture?  What?!?!?  So, yeah, we are a little skittish around water here!  We hope to get our carpenter back here to put a cap on the exhaust fan (on the roof) ASAP.  

Speaking of bathroom renos, our bathroom is done!  Yay and Yahoo!  We spent the last three days getting a shower curtain, new knobs/handles for the cabinet, buying a few towels, and searching (and still searching) for the right rugs.  We are soooooo happy to have it done after 18 yrs of a black and white NASCAR explosion!    Not our choice, just the way we bought the house. Stay tune next week for a before and after reveal!

With the reno over we spent most of this past week also doing deep cleaning.  That dust gets everywhere.  I probably have explained that we have sort of a 5 level house.  The basement is finished, then there is a half up to the main floor bedroom that juts out.  Then the main level....and then a half up bedroom (office) that juts out before going all the way upstairs to the top level where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom.  The main floor is open to kitchen, living, and dining.  So cleaning is usually a two day affair.....but Joel did the heavy lifting....washing all the floors on two levels, vacuuming rugs, on all levels and shampooing our living room wool rug.  I did dusting on all levels and cleaned 2 bathrooms and the kitchen.  We organized some and the plan is to keep going and get "Fall" cleaning done early!  Don't you just love a clean house?!

Speaking of houses, this summer three of our kids and their families in three different states at different times have gotten or will have new roofs due to storms.   The weather it is a changing........ 

I have spent little time baking this week.... a loaf of Almond Flour Paleo Blueberry Bread used up the last of our 10lbs of blueberries.  I use maple syrup for a sweetener.  Pure Maple Syrup.  Thinking about this made me think about our grocery shopping this week.  The prices of many things are out of control.  Dairy and meat especially.  We usually eat meat once a day now and throw in a meal of eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, or grilled cheese.  I have observed that a lot of the amazing people our age do the same.  Ha!  It does not help me lose weight, even when cutting down 1 of the 2 snacks I eat.  Can I just tell you how annoying that is?  Okay, moving on.  Our neighbor gave us a DVD to watch called "Forks Over Knives".  It is based on eating a plant based diet. I watched it years ago but we will watch it together now.  At one time our Lyme doctor wanted us to stop eating meat along with the sugar, dairy, gluten, etc. that we could not ingest while under treatments.  It lasted about 10 days and then Joel got so sick I had to cook him up some meat to get him to feel better.  Neither one of us are comfortable eating animals that can feel, have emotions, etc.  But we also need protein that comes from meat, especially as we age.  That's our story.  

Better close today's scribbles.....so I will wrap it up giving thanks that the bathroom is finished, that there is a solution to a leaking exhaust fan, and that we will find rugs for the tile floors.  Grateful for all the shopping we got done this week, for cooler days, for living in one of the "middle ones".  Grateful for a new shower curtain and towels, for new knobs, for porch sitting, blueberry bread, for being able to afford the foods we enjoy, for all the cleaning we got done this week, for new roofs, for music, TV, texts, emails, phone calls, the games Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle......and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!