Angels at Toys R Us

Tell me that you, too, have been in a hurry...trying to get a number of things accomplished in a specific, unrealistic amount of time. Unfortunately, it is sometimes seems like a way of life for me, especially when I am 'on the road'.

Like now, I am a visitor to the 'homeland' where I grew up, staying with my daughter, trying to help out and trying to DO Christmas. In fact, I am trying to DO Christmas without my best friend and help-mate, Jim. In fact, I am not even ready to TRY to DO Christmas.

So, I had 2-1/2 hours when I left the house. Plenty of time to get an oil change and do some Christmas shopping before supper. That was before the 1-1/2 hour oil change...ok, 1 hour left. I can at least make a quick stop for toys. And I would have made it home on time if I wouldn't have had to get off the Interstate to go back, risking life and limb (ok, that is a bit dramatic) on an icy highway then hitting all the red lights before getting back to Toys R Us.

Crying, pleading, and praying all the way...I called on God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, my guardian angel, and any guardian angels who may be in the area...please, please, please! It only took me 12 minutes, but it felt like 30 and I drove right up to the outdoors buggy corral in the row I had originally parked...No! Not There!

I ran into the store and cried out over the other customers at the courtesy desk..."Did anyone find a purse in the parking lot?!!" Oh, yes, some nice man brought it in! Follow me, ma'm! "Oh, thank You, God!" What color is it? "Brown! Yes, that's it!" I hugged that young man so hard he had to cough and clear his throat before I backed off!

So, I have to thank the angels at Toys R Us!  Once I got home, I checked, nothing missing! Oh, God, I am so sorry that I am rushing through this season of Jesus' birth with so many mundane thoughts in my head and errands on my mind. Help me be mindful of You and the greatest gift the world has ever received!

Savoring This Time

I am sitting in a cold, dark motel room watching my sweet, two-year old grandson sleep. He is covered up in a Mickey Mouse towel and his Grandma Mavis' sweatshirt-style robe...you could say he is wrapped in love.

As I look out on the ice and snow, listening to the cars and trucks lumbering tires upon the snow-packed pavement, I think that this is where I am supposed to be at this place in time. It is, in some way, a desolate place to be just before Christmas, certainly not for those who live here...but perhaps for those who have to be here and away from home. It brings to mind the plight of Mary and Joseph on the night baby Jesus was born. They did not pick that place.

We are here for our miracle, believing God. Briggs' heart sugery is scheduled for 9:30 am tomorrow and Grandpa Chet and Grandma Kim will take over caring for this sleeping angel while I wait on Tracy and Jeremy's family: Mom, Mavis...Dad, Curt...sister, Stacy wait on him. We will all be waiting for good word from the surgical staff.

In the recovery days that follow, I will have the privilege of accompanying Owen in his coloring endeavors, walking around, playing, puzzling, reading...etc. I am not just putting in my time but will savor this time, make memories with this time and enjoy every minute I can with him.

Oooo Smell That Smell...

No, not the song. I am talking about the memories that certain smells evoke. No, not the one where Dad says, "Pull my finger!" I think we all have that one somewhere in our past---a Dad, brother, uncle, Grandpa...but always a guy. The men just seem to master control of muscles and body functions that we girls would never think of!

I've gotten back into the somewhat daily routine of walking with Belle and it is Autumn is Georgia. The leaves are starting to fall and they are beautiful in their death robes of crimson, brilliant orange, and yellow. Of course, Belle has more primitive urges to take care of while I contemplate God's beauty in Nature...smell that mailbox, squirrel!, smell that ditch, squirrel!, oh look-another dog, grrrr!

AS I walk along, I can pick out scents that I can see no evidence of. The air smells not just of freshly mowed grass and back-yard grills, but radishes, sweet peas, carrots, onions, corn husks all jumbled together. Then FLASH, I am back in Dad's garden, weeding, helping harvest, pulling up a carrot, wiping the dirt on my jeans, and taking a big bite with a huge smile on my face.

That was in north Moorhead (MN.) in the corner of the backyard. I thought our garden was huge until I got a little older and we were living on the old Cook farmstead south of Fargo (N.D.) and we had a whole pasture at our disposal. First we used a little piece of it, which grew each year...then started to dwindle down again as we kids got older and weren't around as much.

I sure miss the garden and I sure miss my Dad. I think about him so often, and especially in the Fall when the air is so rich with the scents that seemed to cling to him. Do you smell that smell? Isn't it glorious!?!

Long Live the King of Tomfoolery!

I am helping out our Missions pastor, doing volunteer work a couple days a week at my church. A few weeks ago, my husband asked me to take a picture of one of the pastors, Brother Charlie. I asked him why, I can't just blindly obey, you know. He said he wanted to make masks and wear them to our church's alternative to the traditional Halloween, Fall Festival. I thought it was kinda silly and a little lame and, in truth, didn't think it would even happen...but I dutifully said yes and took my camera to work. I did this for a couple weeks but could never catch him.

Finally, I met him in the coffee room Monday. I asked if I could take his picture then realized I didn't have my camera that day. He said, "Get your cell phone." YAY! He asked why and I said, "It's a surprise!" He shrugged his shoulders and obliged me. What trust! I can learn a thing or two from him, I thought! My mind said... I hope he won't be sorry for trusting me!

Well, Jim spent an hour or so at the Office Depot trying to size it right and making 40 copies on heavier photo paper, then another hour or so purchasing elastic and making about 8-10 masks before he ran out of elastic. I picked up more and we did an assembly line, sort of. He cut out the eyes with a razor blade then I cut the face out, leaving tabs at the ears to fold over for more stability for the staples. Then Jim measured and cut elastic and stapled it to the mask. It took over an hour. I was surprised at the amount of work that went into a practical joke! (Maybe that was the joke on us!)

Jim had me run a picture up to the church to post on Charlie's door, as a preview. We modeled our masks for each other and I had a premonition I would regret the ability to have peripheral vision on a dark night in a crowd. (I was right!) We wore our matching caps backwards so the masks fit better, but that was also a rather signature "Charlie" style. I thought we should wear them right away...Jim thought if we did so, we would be swamped for the extra's...but it was quite the opposite.

First of all, we saw Charlie and he hooted...he loved it! We had our picture taken together and he asked for a mask...only 36 to give away now! We were not swamped, in fact, we had to explain what we were doing alot of the time. Some thought it was funny, some thought it was mean, some wouldn't even talk to us! The most open to taking a mask and wearing it were children! Some were visitors and didn't even know Bro. Charlie...but laughed and took a mask! Some people followed us to get a better look..."See, I told you is was Brother Charlie!" I heard one say to his wife. Some folks took part but it was nothing like we thought it would be. As we were leaving, we got more requests but after 1-1/2 hour we had finally gotten rid of all our masks and somewhere, there were 40 (including the original, Charlie Bibbs running around.

In retrospect, I remain surprised at some of our acquaintences' lack of a sense of humor, or misunderstanding why we did this...thinking it was, in some way, a hostile act. My husband Jim is like a little boy, as our kids and grandkids can attest to...and if there were an election for a King of Tomfoolery, he would certainly gain a spot on the ballot. That's one of his qualiies I cherish, but also one that can irk me at times when I don't let my sense of fun into our conversations. We are so thankful for Brother Charlie Bibb and the fun he injects into our church family and worship experiences. He would be on the ballot, too!

Not Skin Deep

Sometimes I feel very unlovely. I learned long ago, in a Beth Moore study, "Free To be Me", that feelings of low self-worth are actually another form of pride. (It was the study after "Breaking Free" and I may have the title wrong, but I remember that week's lesson vividly.) When I am feeling down on myself, I am concentrating only on myself...I am being selfish...rather than focusing my life on my Lord and Savior.

I was having one of those days, or weeks, earlier in the month and as I tried to get to sleep one night, the Lord gave me a very simple poem that prompted a prayer I thought I would share:

Thank You for today
Thank You, Lord.
Thanks for the beauty
You've created in this world.
Thank You for the beauty
All around me that I see.
And thank You for the beauty
I may not see in me.

Dear Lord,
You have created me to be the perfect me and there is beauty in everything that has come from You. I have that measure of beauty that You have blessed me with, which make me ME. Please forgive me when I do not act, think, or speak beautifully. I owe You so much more than that. I love You.
In the mighty name of Jesus,
AMEN

My Love/Hate Relationship

I used to have to have it in mass amounts every day. As I matured, which took over 30 years, I just needed to know it was in the house and I could get by with having it once in awhile...but if needed, I could splurge.

Now after 50 years, I can wait...I guess it's called 'delayed gratification' and I believe it is a good thing to practice in this microwave age we live where we can have anything we want anytime we want. I cannot believe how much I have bought into this...and you don't even need a microwave to buy into it.

The quick desserts from the freezer section...that one used to only find in the finest restaurants, unless you wanted to spend hours pouring over cookbooks, then buying the exact ingredients and following baking instructions to the letter...you might get lucky, now you just pay $5 and it's yours right from the freezer, anytime you want it.

The finger foods we have grown to love...just pop them in the oven: pizza rolls, boneless chicken, chicken creme puffs, french fries, loaded potato skins, garlic cheese bread...you name it. You don't even have to make a sandwich from scratch or have all the makings, if you keep a box of frozen pocket sandwiches or panini's on hand.

This said, it is the season, you know. I discovered that Cracker Barrel (restaurants) have brought back their 'seasonal' dessert, Coke Cake! (I ask for it all year long but it is 'seasonal'!)This is chocolate, yes CHOCOLATE cake with yummy chocolate fudge frosting, made with Coke. It is served warm with vanilla bean ice cream and has the consistency of a cross between chocolate cake and chocolate brownies. Yes, I discovered this was THE SEASON over 2 weeks ago, after ordering breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Had I noticed beforehand, this would have been my breakfast.

Now, I know where it is and how good it is....now, I wait for the right moment to drive to my local Cracker Barrel and meet a friend, or go with my hubby, for a special dessert time when I will savor, slowly, each piece on my tongue-in my mouth-down my throat-to my tummy...with cups of hot black coffee. Oh! Sometimes I can hardly stand the wait, but I am busy with life...working and traveling and cleaning.

The day will come! I await this visit like the visit to a grandchild. I know it will be great! I know it will contain special moments for me! I know it will be a visit always remembered, replayed in my mind. But sometimes the waiting is hard.....

Number 74

Do you ever think that you must find a meaning for everything that happens? Well, we are taught that everything happens for a reason, right? So...

I was taking a bath one day last Fall and just being lazy, soaking in my bubbles, reading a great book. After starting to wrinkle, a real clue is that the water is getting cool, I put my book down and started to scrub and shave my legs.

All of a sudden, something seemed to fall from the sky/ceiling in a floating nosedive...ever so slowly. It landed on my freshly-shaved knee. It was a small piece of white paper with the black number, 74, typed or stamped on it. My, I thought, I wonder what this could mean? Could it be a message FROM ABOVE?

I thought of all the things Number 74 could be and all the things it was not. Well, 76 is a 'famous' number, as in "76 Trombones", a song my Aunt played on the piano and my mom taught us to sing. But, I didn't know a song with the number 74 in it.

I knew a rhyme with "four and twent blackbirds" but I didn't know a poem or rhyme with a Number 74 in it.

I tried numbering my relatives and friends. I tried to think of someone age 74 that I was maybe supposed to call...or help bathe...or shave her legs...nothing seemed to make sense. So, I sat it on my dressing table and everyday looked at it as I passed. Many days, it made me ponder this mystery...I sometimes paid no attention for long periods of time.

Almost a year went by and one day, while in the tub, doing just about the same thing I do all the time...it happened again. This time it was Number 26 and I saw it coming, as I placed my bottle of bodywash back on the shelf over my tub. I think it was the inspector number! I wonder if Number 74 knows how much he/she made me think this last year? I also believe my Father in heaven must have had a good chuckle. If He meant anything by it...it is still a mystery to me.

I like the fact that I don't know it all, because I still keep discovering, uncovering mysteries about the One who loves me more than anyone!

Where's My Routine?

We are back in Georgia from a summer up north!

This is bittersweet, as I had to say a temporary goodbye to my side of the family...but then, a hello again to Jim's side of the family!

We spent a great July traveling to Washington, spending 10 fun-filled days with the Bailey Bunch, and traveling back Shell lake, MN. I can see myself living in Washington, or closer than we are now, being able to be a part of the lives of my daughter, Robin, her husband, Ted, and our grand-children: Natalie, Will, and Lydia. But, I truly can see us living anywhere we have family, be it Moorhead, MN, Alexandria, VA, Lexington, KY or right here in Georgia. I can't be in five places all of the time but I can be in five places some of the time.

I have learned that it's hard to and I can no longer make promises. The best I can do is say...., God willing! Last winter, we'd planned to be in Washington around Christmas, and ended up in Isanti, MN. This August, we'd planned to attend Robin's triathalon in Seattle, WA but Tracy gave birth to Briggs!!! YAY!!! And Aunt Robin even ditched her tri to be with Tracy! I had also said yes to watching Robin's kids while she and her husband go on a 10 day missions trip to Cambodia in January...but that, too, is on hold as Briggs may have heart surgery around that time and Tracy may need me too. The Lord knows I want to BE THERE for my kids when they need me...so, I don't understand, but I will pray. And I will go where I can, according to God's timing.

Briggs was born a very special baby in many ways. He was so loved and prayed over before he was born and then the news came, a few hours later that he was a Down's baby. That took nothing away from who he is or the joy over his birth...it just added an element of concern about something we didn't know or understand. Then a little later, the same day, that he had a significant hole in his heart and would need an operation within 6 months, probably. Here, the concern deepened. Surgery is scary even when you are grown. Briggs Benjamin is such a sweet child and so loved. He has an attentive, gentle big brother who will be his teacher and protector and wonderful parents who would move the earth for him. God is so good and I believe He will see us all through any crisis we imagine. Our God can do anything! I kept telling Briggs to memorize my face so he knows me next time!

I thank Him that we had time to spend with Tracy, Jeremy, Owen and Briggs before Sarah Mae's baby, Temperance Grace Parham was born. Tempie is just a doll! She has a beautiful skin tone and nice ricebud lips that I think Sarah Mae called juicy. Tempie has the longest fingers I have ever seen on a baby and I am sure this means something for her future vocation or hobby. She seems quite calm in a home with 2 inquisitive dogs who also vie for attention. She appears to have a laid back disposition, which speaks of her Mom and Dad. Their cozy little home now seems complete. Sarah's Mom, Carrie, is staying with them for 2 weeks to help out. Bert's mom, Lynn, is on her way. We only stayed a day but will go back when others have cleared out for a bit, although I know Hiway 75 will be torn up all the way to Lexington with 3 sets of granparents traveling back and forth.

We had time to spend with Rachel in Alexandria, VA before going to Lexington and I have to say that I felt like I had gone back in time to the time I had my first apartment and was on my own in a place where I knew no one, Glen Burnie, MD...almost 10 years ago. As I walked into her apartment, I smelled my own and wondered if all apartment owners use the same brand paint, carpet, and cleaners. Rachel has a knack for "decorating on a dime" and the place looked like a million bucks, to me! She loves her job at Nordstroms and is a successful salesperson. She has met and sold to several popular people, such as American Idol David Cook, Senator Gephart, Atlanta Braves baseball players, Manager Joe Torres, and others I cannot recall. She is bubbly and happy and filled with joy as she begins her new life and we are so proud of her!

Yesterday, James and Jamie stopped by for an early supper of Minnesota-caught fish and a new ice cream dessert I tried. They were on their way back from a Bulldogs game and it was so nice to see them in their matching Pamama City, Florida T-shirts. Jamie said they have got to start checking when they pack for a trip, but it was so cute! We had such a nice visit but they did have more driving yet to get home and get ready for the work week, as they are both teachers. I think they are up to 7 dogs and 2 cats and has ready-family members nearby to help watch them so they can travel occasionally. Lexington and Tempie will be their destination for fall break, which is the same time Rachel will be going. Something tells me that Bert and Sarah Mae will not have many 'alone' weekends.

So now, we have got most of our cleaning done, most of our laundry done, and are trying to settle into our old routines. Normally, we would be on the lake and fishing before or right after breakfast, break for a late breakfast or lunch, go out and fish some more...or take a nap first. Make supper then go out again, or the other way around. Now we are floundering...ok, pun intended. What WAS our old routine? We are slowly finding our way, as Jim looks for work and I attempt starting a new volunteer job at church with a new pastor (new to me). After Briggs has his surgery and recovery, I will also be looking for work. And in this process, we seek His face and His blessing, and His plans for our day, every day.

Lazybones

I Love to write and I love to share my thoughts with others, so what is the problem? Why can't I keep up a blog? Well, here I go again...my daughter has given me some of her steam...let's try again, shall we?

Since the last time I've written, we have a new president, we am living at the lake, Belle was deathly ill and is now recovered, I lost 20 pounds and gained alot back...ladedadeda.

What's going on now? We fish, eat, read, and sleep. Life is rough. Should we go to town and do laundry or wait for a rainy day? That's one of our biggest weekly decisions.

We worship at a great place called The Northwoods Harvest Barn Church at 6 pm on Sunday evenings. It's called Cowboy Church. We open with the Pledge of Allegiance and close with Happy Trails to You. The local talent is a mixed bag, sometimes the singing is hard to listen to, but their hearts are sold out to the Lord and that comes through beautifully! They play the spoons, guitar, bango, a washtub base and we all have a wonderful time. The part-time preacher, Brian Erickson, is truly annointed. He shares a Cowboy Poem, gives heartfelt prayers, and preaches a message that can strike a chord with all. They have a potluck meal before and after you are invited to come on down to finish it off and have dessert. This place is found between mile markers 48 and 49 going east on Highway 34 out of Detroit Lakes. Come on out...you will love it!

Oh, I caught a 6.5 pound walleye...check out the photo. Have to go wake up sleeping beauty so we can get back on the lake...oh, did I mention that we nap?