A Garden Tour

This morning I took a photographic tour of my tiny garden.  There are some exciting things happening out there and also some lessons learned.

Happy Cucumbers

My cucumbers are deliriously happy.  I planted a bunch of them because we ran out of Grandmother Atkinson's Lime Pickles this year and THAT CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.  Cucumbers and tomatoes are the main reason for my garden's existence.  And basil.  More on that later.

Roma Tomatoes with Parsley and Cucumbers in front

My Roma tomatoes are also blissfully growing alongside their parsley and cucumber cousins.  This year I am trying a new support system.  I put in bamboo stakes on either side and ran twine between the stakes.  When the tomatoes look droopy, I run more twine and tighten things up.  We'll see how this goes when the plants get really heavy with yumminess but so far I like this system.

Can you see all those blooms and baby romas?  

This is gonna be yummy!

The reason this makes me so happy is that I love Caprese Salad!  Have you had it before?  It's sliced tomatoes with basil and sliced mozzarella cheese (the wet kind) with Balsamic vinegar.  Grocery store tomotoes are hardly worth the effort but if you have a delicious garden grown tomato . . . Oh Honey!  You have deliciousness!  I planted a lot of basil but so far only one of the plants is really happy.

Happy Basil Plant

Last year we didn't get ONE tomato but our basil went crazy.  Hopefully, the other basils will come on quick.

We also planted strawberries

One of two plants and the lonely strawberry

and squash

Can you see the baby squash under there?

I don't think we'll have enough strawberries for jam, so that's one lesson learned.  Next year I'll plant about eight strawberry plants.

In the interest of keeping it real, here is the other side of my garden.

The sad, pitiful Better Boy tomatoes and the killer dill plant (with a few zinnias and thyme thrown in)

I put in these robust Better Boy tomatoes, looking forward to some yummy slices on sandwiches this summer.  Then I planted a tiny, little, grown from seed in my kitchen, dill plant in front of it.  The dill went crazy.  This is cut back to about half it's size in an effort to encourage my tomatoes to live and not die.  The tomatoes looked much worse before I did that, if you can imagine.

I couldn't figure out what was wrong with those plants except that "Better" Boy was apparently NOT better, so I called my master gardener Mom about my problem.

She said, "I don't know" and we continued garden talking.

I told her how much I love the fresh dill on my scrambled eggs and she said, "Oh!  I bet you will have some beautiful butterflies this summer.  They love dill too."

Mystery solved.  Butterfly babies killed my better boys.  Or at least bullied them.  Those butterflies had better be pretty!

I May Be Back!

I really can't believe it's been four and a half months since I blogged. Then again, I've had a hard time keeping track of time lately so I guess it has been. For example, how long have we lived in this house? I'm pretty sure it's been a year and a half but it seems like at least three years. How old is Charlie? He'll be four in June but he seems two to me, while it also feels like I have had him forever. Charlie got a hair cut while I was away. He really needed one. Bless his poor, pitiful, filthy heart! This is the before picture:

But Tiva, his groomer, made him happy again. Yay for Tiva!

A couple of weeks ago our daughter and I went to Wheaton College to let them wow us and WOW us they did!

Wheaton is a lovely college that has produced many well known missionaries and evangelists as well as being the alma mater of some of our favorite people. Our daughter wants to be a missionary and we think Wheaton would be a great fit. They are a relatively small college in a cute town that is close to a big city. Wheaton is a thirty minute train ride from Chicago, where we had a wonderful time.

We took the train into the big city.

We ate great pizza.

We explored Millennium Park

and had a great time checking out the people and architecture. Chicago is a great city. When I think about Micayla going so far away (twenty hours by car), I feel a little sad but I also know she will more than likely live really, really far away after college. At least if she is in Chicago we can use frequent flyer miles to get home every once in a while.

i LOVE this . . .

In no particular order, tonight I feel like writing about things I love:

1. I love Oklahoma. It has been my home state for more than thirty years. The people are friendly. There is beauty all around. My parents live here. And we have a great theme song, which I sing at the top of my lungs every time we cross the border from another state. 'Ohhhhhklahoma, where the wind comes screamin' down the plain!' Yeah. I sing the whole thing. Whatever conversation we are having can pause. If people are sleeping, I try to sing kind of quietly but it somehow wakes them up anyway. I don't know why.

2. I love my sisters. They are my best friends. They are the ones I call to rant, brag, cry, get advice, laugh, and make plans. I love hearing about the details of their lives and I love being a part of the good times and bad. I love their children like they were my own and enjoy their successes with pride and pray for them in their difficulties. My kids love their cousins more than anyone else on Earth. Oh, and did I mention we are going to see them in one more day!!!! Yippee Skippee!!!!


3. I love my hubby. He is so smart and sees things so clearly when they are cloudy to me. He is flat out crazy about me and lets me know it every day. I am such a lucky woman.


4. I love my doggy. He and our big, black dog were at my mom and dad's from Friday morning until Sunday night and I missed him so much. While he was there, he was eating his dinner with the big dog watching him. The big dog eats in the morning, don't worry. Charlie stopped during his chow down, turned and placed 3 pieces of dog food in front of Zeek, and resumed his meal. Isn't that sweet? That's just like him. He is sweet and funny and wonderful.


5. I love my kids. Our son has been home more lately and I have been enjoying heady conversations with him about quantum physics and the sovereignty of God. He's brilliant and it's always (ok, usually) been so fun being along for the ride as he grows up. Our daughter and I have been eating lunch together pretty often lately and I enjoy her so much! She and I have so many similar interests and I really feel honored to be her confidant. I am a blessed mama.


6. I love my job. As a counselor I do see some really sad things. In fact, I think Christian counselors should have front row seats to watch Satan being kicked into the firey pit by God at the judgement. But I also have a front row seat to some of the most amazing things God does and God does some amazing things! Also, because I work at a Christian ministry, I get to be close to some amazing people who love people only a little less than they love Jesus. Working with other believers on things that I think matter makes my life feel so worthwhile.

7. I love Christmas. How amazing is it that God came near?! Immanuel! God with us.

Glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace among men upon whom his favor rests.

This Weekend

We have had a fun and restful weekend. Friday night we took our girl out for a greasy burger. It rained buckets at exactly the time we were leaving the restaurant. Of course by the time we got to our house, in the safety and dryness of our garage, the rain had stopped but while we were walking to the car we might as well have been taking a bath.

She used the meal as an opportunity to attempt to convince her dad and I that it is reasonable for her to buy a plane ticket to Hawaii for a weekend trip so that she can check out the place she wants to go for missions next summer. She has a friend whose family is there for a month and has offered for her to stay with them. Seriously. She's planning to do missions in Hawaii. How do you get that assignment? And yeah. She thinks it's reasonable to just pop on over to check it out this summer. ha! I love teenagers!

Yesterday my hubby and I spent the day together shopping and having fun. Then last night we spent the evening with our adorable niece and nephew and my brother-in-law. We made gourmet hot dogs. Not really. We just grilled hot dogs and heated up some Wolf brand chili but it was fun. We hadn't seen the kids in a couple of weeks and we kind of like having them around. Cade does fun things like pointing a finger gun at you and expecting you to fall over - dramatically. I take great pleasure in obliging. He especially likes to shoot me while I'm cooking. Hmmm, hope he's not trying to tell me something. Calea does fun things like laughing that amazing little girl laugh that just melts your heart and makes you want to do whatever it takes to keep her laughing. Yes. We do silly things to produce that sound around our house. Totally worth it. My brother-in-law does fun things like bringing the kids to our house.

Today we had lunch with Mom and Dad. Mom is doing better all the time. She has her last surgery in about a week. We are all really looking forward to her being able to fully recover instead of recovering just enough to have more chemo or another surgery. Who knows? We may even take a trip together in the fall!

Tonight my husband has taken my son and some of his friends to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the NBA playoffs. Our daughter is at youth group and I'm home alone reflecting on a weekend well spent.

Tomorrow we all go back to our work weeks. We are ready. We have laughed. We have played. We have rested.

How about you? Did you get some rest and some laughter this weekend?

He's All Grown Up

I love this kid.



Who could resist that smile and those eyes? Not me!

We finally got around to getting his senior pictures done and Joy at Tapestry Photographs did such a good job! It's going to be so hard to choose. I keep having to remind myself that I can't just order every one that I like.

The Power of "We"

The other day something my sister said made me think about why we have spent so much time up at the hospital.  As I've posted before, most nights when Mom is there one of us sleeps in her room.  When Mom is just coming out of surgery she needs someone there to give her ice chips, help her get comfortable in bed, and to keep track of all the information the nurses and doctors are giving her while she is semiconscious.  Also, since she has had four abdominal surgeries, she needs help doing things like lifting her legs back into bed for the first few days. 

I've written before about how sweet this time has been and I am so glad we have been there but I have just been thinking about how we decided that this would be our routine during this time.  While pondering that I remembered the feeling I had when I heard that Mom had ovarian cancer and would be having surgery the week that school started and one week after we moved into a new house.  I felt so utterly overwhelmed and afraid that 'I DO NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES' to do this well.  For a couple of hours panic took turns with denial thoughts like 'it won't be that bad' and 'I can do this' but I was really scared.

Then my sister called. 

That sentence deserves its own paragraph.  She called and said "how are WE going to do this?"  My sisters live fourteen hours away.  It hadn't really crossed my mind that I would be able to truly share this load with them in any way other than occasional weekend visits and lots of phone calls and emotional support.  But one of my sisters is a 'stay at home minnie' and she has left her life for weeks at a time to come help Mom and Dad - and therefore to help me.   The other sister has taken time off  from work to come give us a break when she could.  Together we have made it through a very difficult year. 

Mom has one more surgery, Lord willing, and this one will be small compared to the other four.  I wouldn't trade the time I have had with her for all of the gold in the world.  And the reason I have had that time is that my sister called.  She wouldn't let me do this by myself and I wouldn't let her sacrifice so much to help me without giving my all in return.  Because of that we can finish this year of hospital visits with a sense of having done well and having been pleasing in God's sight.  Without her, I couldn't have dared to give this much.  Together we have climbed a difficult mountain and as I look out over the view, I feel peace and gratitude for the sister who said "we".

My Baby

This is my baby girl.  I show you this stunning photo because of the one I'm about to show you.  You see, she turned 16 two weeks ago and was slightly excited.  If you read my last post you are aware that being excited is not conducive to photogeneity (haha!  I think I just made up a word!) in our family.

Two weeks ago yesterday, my daughter woke up and was asked to go get something from my van in the garage.  When she got there, this is what she found:

And she was pretty excited.

It is a 1987 VW Cabriolet convertible named Daisy.  What?  Your kids don't name their cars?   She (the car) is a little cantakerous about how you start her and since Micayla is used to driving a new minivan that's been a little bit of an issue.  But Micayla is in love and Daisy has taken my daughter away from me.  I knew it would happen.  The nice thing is that since she is so old, she will spend some time in the shop and I will get to have that quality time with my girl again every once in a while.  Sigh.

How to Get Lost in the World Wide Web

First you go to pioneerwoman.com and look at the sites she loves.  Then you start going to those sites.  Start with Aiming Low where you will read a discussion of making eggs in the microwave.  Yawn, but somewhat fun to read.   At that site you can also click on an ad for Mabel's Labels and consider spending $50 on labels for everything your kids have ever lost at friends' houses.  Then you realize that your kids are not kids any more and probably would neither put the labels on their stuff nor allow you to do so. 

Go back to the aim lower blog and read some comments, which will lead you to a blog post that is entitled (excuse me but it's just what it's called.  I didn't name it.  I just read it.  And posted it on my blog.)  "the suckiest suck that ever sucked" because you just have to read about the suckiest suck that ever sucked.  There you will find that your life was very easy last week even though your mom went into the hospital for unrelenting vomiting that led to emergency surgery that now has everyone waiting on pins and needles for her digestive system to come back on-line.  But even that week was not the suckiest suck that ever sucked and the Domestic Goddess may actually have won the prize for that with the events that inspired her blog.

Hit back on your browser and you will come to Boo Mama where she will link to Conversion Diary and a great blog about autonomy not being all it's cracked up to be.  This will lead you to "do you want more children?" which might lead you to a great article by Chuck Colson that you might also post on your facebook.  Then you can go back to the conversion diary and consider the "openness to life" viewpoint and grieve a little (again) that you and your husband so quickly got the "snip-snip" when your second was a baby without fully considering whether or not you wanted to be finished having children.

Then, you write a little about the whole experience on your blog, wish you knew how to do those neat little links that don't have all the punctuation garbage in them (which I discovered and fixed!), and tie it off and move on so you can get your to do list done for the day.

A Pretty Needle Holder

Today started with a trip to my mom's fabric store - the one in the closet of her sewing room.  I found some great fabrics that I took with me but I didn't end up using them in my finished project.  I just couldn't find anything at the (slightly) larger fabric store that went with it.   I'm joking, Mom does have a lot of fabric, but not THAT much.  It was nice to see Mom and Dad though.  While I was there Dad and I moved the gardening workbench that he made for Mom from the basement to the deck.  It is amazing!  I come from a long line of creators. 

Here is what I created today:



It's a roll up crochet and knitting needle holder.  I found the pattern and instructions at Made by Loulabelle.    This is what it looks like rolled up:



I have a habit of telling people what is wrong with the things I cook.  It drives my husband crazy but I am actually just thinking outloud about how I will make it better next time - a habit he has benifited from during 20 years of improvements.  So here is what I will do differently on my next needle holder.  First, I will use one of the patterned fabrics on the outside rather than using the plain fabric.  I think it would be prettier and it would also make the top of the inside look more polished if it matched the outside.  Second, I will put a buttoned top on one of the pockets to hold small items.  I don't think they will fall out because it is wrapped pretty tightly but I would just feel more secure with a buttoned top.  And security matters.

I bought some fabric to make another one but I think I have decided that I don't really like it as much as the fabric I used for this one so I'm heading back to Hancock's tomorrow.  I may make the next one a joint venture and send the fabric to my sister for mongramming.  That would be fun!  A cross country sewing project!

Charlie Haiku

In honor of PW's recent haiku contest and because I still haven't found my camera cord, I offer this ode to my dog:

"Charlie is my dog

He is a white fluffy mess

Of love and kisses"

I don't think it's officially a haiku since it doesn't reference anything in nature, unless you consider Charlie to be something in nature.  And no, I didn't name him after PW's dog.  I didn't know about her when I met him.  Here's a picture of him on our first day together.  Isn't he the cutest thing ever?!

And this is what he looks like most of the time - especially when he wants me to play with him instead of working on progress notes.



I admit that I am a little bit obsessed with this dog.  I do try not to dress him, although I did buy a sweater for him on clearance at Walmart and haven't been able to make myself return it.  And a frog costume for Halloween. And I've thought about crocheting something for him.  Hey, I'm just being honest here.   He's never actually worn any of them though because - well, honestly because he doesn't like them.  I know.  It's ridiculous. 

Well, I just thought I'd share The Cuteness with you.  You are welcome.  Feel loved.

A Deletion

Due to some insight into secret keeping from my husband a certain blog entry has been removed.  

I just thought you should know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving!  Our tummies are full and the first load of dishes is in the washer.  More family will be here soon for the leftovers meal and the BIG GAME!  And I have time to update my blog. 

The big news today was that Mom was able to come to Thanksgiving!  She has had a rough month.  The chemo treatments have been hard on her.  The stories we hear about people working full-time during their chemo worry us a little because she DEFINITELY COULD NOT work  right now.  She is exhausted.  Her blood counts have been seriously low and she just feels cruddy most of the time. We had been concerned about whether or not she could come to dinner because her white count was down too low to be around people.  Her platelets and hemoglobin were also really low so she had a transfusion two days ago and we were waiting on a call during the meal to know whether or not she had to go inpatient for a platelet transfusion.  Thank the Lord she was able to be with us and didn't have to go into the hospital today.  She will have another blood test tomorrow but it looks like her numbers are coming back up.  The doctor said they will decrease her meds some for the next chemo treatment because apparently, although this was the normal dosage for her weight, it was too much for her. 

The reason it's been so long since I posted is that I have tried to return to my normal work schedule.  Dad has been such a blessing and a wonderful caregiver for Mom.  It's what she was "thankful for" during our meal today and I am truly grateful as well.  My dad has always been a great man - an Air Force pilot, a leader in every church we attended even though we moved every two years, a college professor and dean, my husband's mentor and my son's hero.  Now he is showing us all how a man loves his wife "in sickness and in health".  As their daughter, I have been given a gift that I must attempt to repay - both to them and to the Lord. 

I have been sick A LOT this month. Nothing ever really serious but some fever and just crud that keeps me from being able to see Mom.  It's been pretty frustrating.  And why have I been sick, you ask?  Ummm, let's just call it stress.  I started taking vitamins today and I am trying very hard to remember that everything I say "yes" to that I really want to say "no" to requires me to say "no" to something I really want to say "yes" to.  Did that make any sense?  Read it again if you need to.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

I think the most important lesson I'm trying to learn right now is to say "no" to people.  Especially people I love.  We have had two divorces in our family this year and they have resulted in some really serious needs that we want to meet but can't always.  It is really hard for us to see someone we love in a hard situation and not try to help.  It is definitely our first inclination.  But we are learning that if we use all of our resources helping in "emergencies" we will miss out on the things that are truly our responsibilities and the things that bring us joy.  Wade and I are just trying to be led by the Holy Spirit and keep our priorities straight.  Not easy.

SO . . . today I am truly thankful for another day with my Mom and Dad.  I'm thankful for a husband who is my partner in this life.  I'm thankful for a job that brings me satisfaction as well as income.  I'm thankful for two teenagers who are growing in grace.  I'm thankful for little doggies that cleaned up my meal prep mess from the floor as I was cooking.  And I'm thankful for quiet moments in between family times.  Life is good.  God is better.

Cancer=bad Family=good

Back at Mom and Dad's.  Dad and hubby had breakfast this morning and then Dad is running errands and this is day 4 after chemo round 2.  For those of you who are cancer illiterate, that means today is NO FUN.  Mom is in bed after waking up nauseous.  Thank God for anti-nausea medicine.  As Mom said a couple of days ago "you do this or you die", so it's worth it.

In happier news, I finished a project!  Okay, for those of you who know me, are you okay?  Did it hurt when you just fell over?  I hope you didn't actually pass out from the shock of that announcement.  Here is my first chemo hat.

I finished it while watching "Invictus" with my 17 year old last night.  Good movie.  Great kid.  I kind of love him.  He killed a gopher at Mom and Dad's yesterday.  It was part of an ongoing saga that included the gopher making holes and mounds all over their yard, an attempt at a humane trap that was merely a snack shop, and my dad sitting on the deck with a bb gun.  My non-hunting dad.  My college professor, nature loving dad.  

My son was over helping fix some sprinkler heads that were hard for Dad to reach 3 months after hip replacement surgery when the gopher showed his face - actually I think it was his rear end that was sticking up.  I won't give more details for those of you who are ASPCA inclined, but suffice it to say, they got the job done.  It needed to be done.   And now my son has a story to tell at school today.

Life Goes On

Today my daughter was in the Homecoming Parade!  That was fun.  My kids go to rival high schools in our medium size bedroom community.  Here's the best picture I could get of her float.  I have this new phone see . . . and I can't figure it out.  I pointed the camera STRAIGHT AT HER and pushed a button and the screen went BLACK!  I had to chase that float around a corner to get this:



Yesterday was my "big" work day.  I got home at 9 and started again at 8 this morning.  Tomorrow I will head out around 8 and get home around 6.  But Friday I get to spend the day with Mom at the infusion clinic (since Dad has a cold) and thats totally worth working for.    She had her blood work done today and if her blood levels are good, she can have chemo.  If not, she has to wait.   So we are praying . . .

I made this homemade chicken pot pie with pie crust maple leaves on it for dinner tonight.  It was YUMMY! and PRETTY!  and hubby and I ate almost all of it by ourselves. 

Short - really short - hair

We cut Mom's hair (off) last night.  She is still so pretty!  She went right in and put on a beautiful, brightly colored scarf and looked great.  It's a new look for my conservative, elegant mother but it's a good one. 

Then I came home and ate the most amazing candy covered apples from another wordpress blog.  You gotta read that recipe!  I'm pretty sure it's a few hundered calories of reading pleasure but it's SO WORTH IT! 

Earlier in the day I took a day "off" and cleaned my windows, did laundry, read some required reading for work, and BAKED.  It was heavenly and ended perfectly by sharing a yummy apple with my hubby! Sigh . . . 

Back to work today!

Cancer Sucks (sorry for those that offends, but it does)

Today has been a bad day for Mom.  It's day 14 after chemo round 1.  She said her hair is starting to fall out but she's not ready to cut it yet.  She wasn't feeling great this morning and when I called tonight, Dad said she has had a rough day and was in bed.  I am worried about her and trying to tell myself that this is just what cancer is like.

I went over early this morning and she was up eating oatmeal (with raisins, just like I make it) and offered me some.  We sat and ate and I showed her some bargains I found this week (which she admired).  A few minutes later she told me she had just thrown up, took some anti nausea medicine, and went back to bed for a while.  I slept too.  When I woke up and checked on her she had also just awakened so we watched the PBS shows that we both love  the most (America's Test Kitchen and Oklahoma Gardening) and talked about how much we use the information from those two shows.  Then we went out on the deck and sorted daffodil bulbs, dipped them in fungicide and she sent them home with me.  I left around lunch time with some delicious roast, potatoes, carrots, and bread (extra food that people had brought to them) as well as a bag of daffodil bulbs for my garden. 

How did she do that?  How did I end up just talking to my Mom about my life like nothing was different and leaving with food and flowers when she is so sick?   I know that the answer is "because she's your Mom" but that answer doesn't change the feeling I have that I have been in the presence of Great Love today.   

I just feel really sad tonight that there's nothing I can do to make her better.  And nothing I can do to make her live forever.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed" Proverbs 31:28

Wigs and Hats

Yesterday we went wig shopping with my mom.  Her hair hasn't started falling out yet, but the shop owner said that her scalp looked like it won't be long.  The very first wig she tried on looked just like her hair after she has been to the beauty shop!  It was beautiful.  I think she feels really good about it.  We loved this shop!  It's called The Egyptian Salon and the owner's name is Ann.  As a cancer survivor herself, she is full of love and good advice.  If someone you love in the Oklahoma City area needs a wig, send her there!

While we were there, my sister and I were talking about the hats I have crocheted for my daughter and how soft they are.  I use "I Love This Cotton" yarn and they are just the softest things ever (next to Charlie after he's been fluffed and muffed).  Here's a picture of one.



Ann said that if I make some for her shop she will sell them for me but I think I'll just make some for Mom since  I barely have time for that.  And there's a certain pillowcase that I've been working on embroidering for over a year that I have to finish sometime . . . maybe I'll give you more details about that someday.  Anyway, yesterday I bought some yarn and doodads that I think Mom will like and my sister called me from Hobby Lobby saying she was doing the same thing.  Today I made manicotti and we're going to go to Mom and Dad's for lunch.  Maybe afterward my sister and I can look at the stuff we bought. 

Yay for manicotti!  And yay for new yarn!  And yay for Ann and beautiful wigs!  And yay for soft chemo hats! 

Charlie

We have a dog that I will always call "puppy".  His name is Charlie and I think he is the perfect dog - except for the occasional puking on my new carpet.  He is an armful of soft fluff and I still love his kisses - on the cheek or anywhere but my mouth.  He is relentless when he wants to play fetch, unless it's time to go to sleep.  Then he snuggles up as close to you as he can get, sometimes giving you a back ache by morning, which he makes up for by bringing you his ball. 

This is what he looks like when he wants me to play and I need to work. 

No wonder I can't seem to get much done on that book I'm trying to write! 

This is what he looked like the day he came to live with us:

The head tilt still cracks me up 2 1/2 years later.  And he uses it to his advantage - like when you are getting on to him for something, he will sit down and tilt his head at you which makes him entirely too adorable to discipline.  But he is actually pretty disciplined.  He is my easiest child - by far.  He obeys really well, wants to go outside to use the potty (unless his apple cart is VERY UPSET), and makes us feel like really good doggie parents.

Charlie needs to be brushed every other day to keep from getting mats and he needs to be bathed once a week to keep from getting disgusting.  He really should go to the groomer once a month but since his haircuts cost more than mine, he only goes when I can't make him look decent anymore.  This is what he looked like one Sunday morning about 10 minutes before we needed to leave for church:

That Sunday someone stayed home.

This month since I have been at the hospital about half the time, Charlie has been pretty neglected.  Finally today, I stayed home for a while and gave the puppy a bath.  He usually hates baths but I think he actually knew he felt better after this one.  I love the crazy run around the house after the bath routine.  That's when the ball game gets serious!

The hubby and I are going to Branson later this week for a conference.  I'm going to miss that puppy!  Maybe we should bring him with us.  He makes a pretty good traveling companion . . .

Good and Pleasant

About a month ago my mother had surgery for ovarian cancer.  She seemed to be recovering very nicely while she was in the hospital but we began to be concerned about her while she was recovering at home and at her two week follow up appointment, we learned that she had not healed properly and required another surgery.  That was 10 days ago and we expect to be in the hospital for another week.  One of my sisters has come from Alabama to help and what was expected to be a one month visit has turned into what will probably be two months.  My other sister has come twice for long weekends to relieve us and to see Mom.

During this time out of respect for my mother's privacy as well as her need for rest we have asked that she not have visitors at the hospital and have not relied heavily on friends to stay with her.  My father was recovering from hip surgery (which he had a week before she was diagnosed) so he needed help at home and driving to and from everywhere he went.  For this reason my sister and I divided our time with Mom into 24 hour shifts, every other day.  I have to admit I was really worried about how exhausted I would become but instead I have found it to be a really blessed time.

During the days that Mom was drifting in and out of wakefulness without really waking completely, it was such a joy to care for her and to share the burden with my sister.  So many times I was reminded of the times my mother came to care for me when my children were born.  She would stay with us for two weeks, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the baby while we slept.  Her advice and tenderness during those days made our homecomings almost magical in spite of medical complications. 

As my sisters and I have worked together to take care of mom we have also watched out for one another, listening, advising, crying together, sharing our fears and thoughts as well as our prayers and hopes.  I have been so grateful for the time with them and for our love for one another and I'm so aware that not every family has this kind of harmony and ability to work together.  It is truly a blessing from God. 

Each day has new challenges and new victories and we do not know what the future holds but we know that we have a loving Father who does know the future and holds it in His hands.  And we know that we will walk into that future together, grateful for the time that we have.

Psalm 133:1, 3 "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. . . For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore." (ESV)

surrounding me

I was born into great love,

that I did nothing to deserve

A fierce love that required my very best

I am surrounded by deep love

that comforts me and gives me life

And takes life from me,

making it beautiful.