Dad just walked nine hundred feet at a pretty good clip. Sitting up in a chair now . Didn't sleep well but other than that, doing well .

surgery update

There is a certain camaraderie amongst people assembled in a surgical waiting room. A shared anxiety. We all watch the flat screen monitor for updates of our loved ones. As it scrolls through various codes, we may determine whether our patient is in pre-op or surgery or recovery. Someone forgot to update Dad's code and as far as we knew he was in pre-op for 3 hours and surgery for one. The opposite was true.

Unsmiling doctors in blue scrubs came in and out of the waiting room, giving factual reports to waiting family and friends. Smiling recovery room nurses summoned families to follow them to the patient's rooms.

A quartet of young people periodically broke out in peals of laughter. One of the gals laughed so hard she snorted. I love it when someone laughs so uproariously that they snort. As long as that someone isn't me.

Mom and Dad's pastor joined us twice during our long wait. Suzi and Tim arrived about three o'clock. My choir director and his wife came in to see how things were going. Around 4:30 Roger, Cheryl and the kids arrived. There were 11 of us anxious for word of Dad's surgery.

Then the surgeon entered. He looked a little surprised/alarmed as we all surrounded him. But the report was good. Although they removed about three times as much of the colon as they had anticipated, Dad fared well during surgery. His diabetes and pacemaker behaved themselves. The surgeon predicted a three day hospital stay.

While Dad was in recovery, we went to Sonic and took over their picnic area. Fortified by greasy junk food, we rushed back to the hospital just in time to accompany Dad to his room.

Nurses who had minutes before been strangers to Dad, now called him 'sweetie' and 'honey' as they checked his vitals every 15 minutes.

Dad was pretty out of it, but woke up enough to acknowledge that the nine of us were there.

We are so grateful. Grateful for this wonderful man we call husband, father and grandpa (frampa in Emilee's case). Grateful for pastors and choir directors who stop by to add support.
Grateful for a wonderful family. Grateful for blog friends who pray and the emails, facebook comments, texts and phone calls of concern. Grateful for my husband who stayed behind to take care of KimmeeSue, giving Mom and Dad much peace of mind.

Grateful to God for His healing power.

picture ponderings

Beautiful sunrise this morning. Drinking in the beauty of a new day is a reminder that 'morning by morning, new mercies I see..'

bale out (tee hee)

With our car experiencing troublesome difficulties again (transmission wise - yikes), it is tempting to wonder where our bail out is, but I am reminded that 'all I have needed Thy Hand has provided.

double the sweet delicate blooms on our hibiscus

Great is Thy faithfulness O, LORD!

~~~~~

Scurrying around here trying to get things done before Dad's surgery and company comes. But ever mindful of God's care for us.

May you know the same this weekend!

favorable

red day lilies with blue atlas cedar backdrop

Benign.

A wonderful word.

The biopsy report came back yesterday.

Dad still needs to have surgery, because the tissue, though benign now, would become malignant in a few years.

This morning we go in for Dad's pre-op appointment. Our steps a little lighter.

My mind is swirling with praise songs and menu plans and to do lists.

But mostly praise.

Thank you LORD!

playing with scissors

here and there and everywhere

love this combination of rudbeckia and speedwell

Where to start? The last few days have been kind of a whirlwind.

Nathan and Michelle closed the deal on their house yesterday. Nathan will move in this weekend; Michelle after the wedding. It looks like a beautiful place from the pictures we have seen. I know the two of them will turn it into a happy home. The wedding is less than a month away now (and yes, I have my dress - more on that another day).

Jon is on a mission trip to South Dakota. Kristi and Josh really miss him while he is gone, but Kristi is looking for ways to serve others to help pass the time.

Daniel is in Canada (presumably - he was on his way there yesterday). He is in the wedding of a friend - the first of three weddings that Daniel will be involved in this summer.

Suzi and Tim will be traveling here from Minnesota this weekend. We see the hand of God in the timing of this trip because we found out yesterday that:

Dad will be having surgery on Monday. I will spare you all the details, but the recovery will involve 2-4 days of hospital recuperation. Suzi and Tim will be able to keep Mom company while Dad is hospitalized. Roger and Cheryl will probably come down too for part of that time (right, Rog?). Tim will leave Wednesday and Suzi will stay until Saturday.

We will be able to tag team our visits to the hospital (45 minutes away) and keep Dad company.

If blogging is sporadic next week, I'm sure you'll understand.

And we'd appreciate your prayers of course.

creativity

I guess our ears should have been burning.

As we circled the block last night, we stopped to talk to some of our neighbors who were out working in their yard. The sun had dipped behind the trees on the fence row, so working and walking outdoors were more comfortable.

"We were wondering...is that a vegetable garden or a butterfly garden you have?"

"Both," we replied.

Every day, a walk through the yard brings new delights. Fragrances and sights. And tastes. We have enjoyed our first tomatoes from the garden. Why do we every buy any from the store? There is no comparison in flavor.

We invited them over for a little garden tour. They said they would stop by soon.

In just a little over a year, we have seen our yard transformed. Oh, we had help. Hired shovels wielded by those with strong, young backs placed trees and shrubs for our enjoyment. And saved us from chiropractor bills.

It is easy for me to ignore the weeds as I study the symmetry, form, color and fragrance of the various blooming things around here. The beauty is stunning. And just think: all created in six days.

And He saw that it was good.

I am partial to purple flowers. We have lilacs, lavender, butterfly bush, cone flowers, verbena, phlox, hostas, speedwell and gladiolas. All purple. And all so very, very different. Amazing.
~~~~~~~
I was thinking about my own creativity (or lack thereof). For me creativity takes blocks of time and some modicum of success. I was working on a quilt before we moved. As I pieced together the last of it, some of the squares didn't match up quite right. Did I fix it?

Nope. I packed it up in a box, went to work on a quilt for Josh and forgot about the other one. Oh yeah, and we moved too.

Now I am ready to tackle that quilt. I think I need to be more intentional about setting time aside to sew, play piano, knit or other creative endeavors.

Too often, I leave those things until I 'get everything else done'. Of course, I never get everything else done.

Do you schedule time for your sewing etc.? Any tips for me?

flowers for you

The beastly hot weather was temporarily cooled by a severe thunderstorm.

More beastly hot stuff today.

Off to a doctor appointment. We are very thankful for air conditioning! lilies
speedwell

hot stuff and hope

We have had the air conditioning running for two weeks now. No open windows. Even the early morning is hot and muggy. By 9:00 a.m it is 80 degrees and nowhere to go but up.

The sign in front of the church down the road reads:

"You think it is hot here..."

A thunderstorm accompanied by light rain is moving through the area now.

The good news about that is I won't have to water our new trees and shrubs today.

The bad news is I didn't get to walk.

The good news is I can probably walk later.

The bad news is it will be scorching hot with withering humidity.

The good news is the garden is thriving.

The bad news is so are the Japanese beetles and various fungi. And the weeds.

Good news brings us joy and encouragement. It helps us get out of bed in the morning and put one foot in front of the other.

Bad news can discourage and debilitate. Or it can build character and perseverance and hope.

"We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

Romans 5:2b-5

like father, like son

Jon, age 2 (1985) - pardon the dirty shirt, probably just had a fudgesicle at Grandma's
Josh age 14 months (2009)- looking dapper

Is it just me, or do those two look just a little bit alike?

As I was thinking about these pictures, Father's Day, my dad, my husband as a father and now my son as a father, I was reminded of these verses:

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

How blest I am to have an earthly father, a husband and sons who take this verse seriously.

They have modeled to the best of their ability a life of following Christ.

Happy Father's Day to each one. They are all wonderful examples to follow!

hemmed

The trees are planted.

While the workers worked, I weeded and hoed and harvested.

Now that the trees are in our back and side yard are bordered with greenery. It is a very cozy feeling. We are hemmed in.

Word came from corporate headquarters yesterday that the economic downturn is being felt by the company for which Pat works. This will negatively impact the employees of the company.

When Pat told me how it would affect us, I looked around at our kitchen counter. The morning's harvesting was still in bowls and strainers - the lettuces and radishes and one tomato (so far) from the garden. There was a bowl full of new potatoes from the farmer's market. And a loaf of sourdough bread.

Peaches and tomatoes from the fruit stand. Bountiful provisions not only on the counter, but within the cupboards and refrigerator and freezer.

It was impossible to feel fear at the future.

"Give us this day, our daily bread.."

He has and He does!

I feel hemmed in and protected.

rhubarb bars and other sweet things

Here is the promised recipe for rhubarb bars.
I used the fourth recipe from the top. When I make this again, I will line the pan with parchment paper. Even though I greased the pan and there was butter in the crust, I had a difficult time removing the bars from the pan.

And as I mentioned before, these are delicious (reminiscent of lemon bars), but not very appetizing in appearance. Next time I think I will garnish each square with a strawberry slice.

And speaking of sweet things!! Look at this picture I 'borrowed' from Kristi's facebook wall. Who cares about rhubarb bars when you can stare at this delightful little boy!

I looked through some of Jon's baby pics yesterday and see a strong resemblance. When I get around to scanning a photo or two, I'll post them and let you be the judge.

See how Josh curls his toes - his daddy did/does that too!

Trees are being planted today. We think. It is supposed to be in the lower 90's, but the weather lady cheerfully announced that 'it will feel more like 100-105'. Yippee. We will keep the plants and people plied with water and sweet tea respectively.

Then we will retreat into the house to 'stare a hole' in the above picture.

today's post

oak leaf hydrangea

Pat killed a black widow spider that was hanging out under the hinge of our mailbox. We had noticed the tell tale crisscross messy looking web, but had seen no spider. A long spray of spider killer outed the culprit and she is no more.

Our trees are still not planted. The gal in charge of the project called yesterday and sounded terrible. We hope she gets well soon. In the meantime we water and put the trees back upright when the winds blow them over. (Often)

I made some cherry cobbler yesterday. Oh, yum. Our neighbor invited us to pick (sour) cherries from their tree. We picked about a quart. My goodness, that cobbler is good. And almost gone. We did share with Mom and Dad.

I had also made a gallon of cole slaw last week after the farmer's market. That, too, is gone. And good. Yep, shared with Mom and Dad.

And I keep forgetting to post the recipe for rhubarb bars. They were delicious, though their appearance was not too appetizing. They looked kind of like celery bars. I'll post the recipe tomorrow, because the farmer's market opens in ten minutes and I don't want to be late!

edited to add: Our tree lady just called. She has food poisoning! Poor thing. No tree planting today. Maybe tomorrow.

sweet tea and trees

love this burgundy day lily

The trees arrived yesterday. Today the dirt and stones. I've got a pot of sweet tea brewing for the workers.

They plant 'em, they guarantee 'em. So, even though it costs a bit more, we are happy to let them plant thereby saving us chiropractor bills and pain pills. Win.win.

Here is how I make sweet tea:

Boil a few cups of water with a half cup of sugar. After sugar dissolves, add three large family size tea bags (I use Lusianne decaf) and let steep for 20-30 minutes. If serving immediately (recommended) pour over ice and enjoy. If putting in the fridge for later, add enough water to make a half gallon.

The original recipe I found in my web wanderings called for 1 cup of sugar. Drink that and you can feel your teeth hurt. Half cup is fine and perhaps less would work.

Have a great day everyone~

risks

Sunday's sermon was taken from Philippians 2:25-30. The pastor spoke about the fact that Epaphroditus had taken risks to advance the gospel of Christ. He then spoke of the 'talents' God has given us and how we are not to bury them but to multiply them.

So, I have been pondering these things in my heart. What risks am I taking for the Kingdom? What are my talents? Am I burying them or using them to bring glory to God?

When we lived in Wisconsin, (I thought) I had all this stuff pretty well thought out. Now, a year into our Tennessee residency, I am still watching to see what God would have me do. I have a few areas in which I am serving.

But it seems to me like there is something more....
(
Trees today? We shall see.

of particular interest to my sibs and 'rents

Two years ago, my sister Suzi and I took a little road trip after Cornerstone Festival. We traveled from western Illinois to southeastern Tennessee. My mother's childhood home was conveniently located halfway through so we stopped there on our way back. My aunt, uncle and cousins still live in this little town in southern Illinois. (This is where Mom and I went last week for her friend's funeral.)

We drove by my grandma's home. And were a little shocked by its condition. It was rundown and shabby looking.

Not at all how I remembered it. I loved going to visit there. Two front porches, one filled with books and places to sit and while away long, lazy summer afternoons. I read many a Hardy Boys mystery from my uncle's collection.

There were stain-glass window transoms in some of the doors. The linoleum kitchen floor had a satisfying creakiness to it. We would sit at bar stools (red and chrome if I remember correctly - very fifties) and eat breakfast - Life cereal and fresh peaches - my favorite summertime breakfast.

I don't recall any closets in the house, instead Grandma had tall cedar wardrobes.

Here is what the house looked like two years ago:

Two front porches, two entrances with the living room in the center. No garage, just a carport. Which no longer exists.

Here is what it looks like today:

Once entrance, vinyl siding, palladian window in the center of the living room. My cousin was able to go inside and said 'It doesn't look like Grandma's house any more'.

An improvement from the shabby shell we saw two years ago, but no, not Grandma's house.

If I had unlimited funds (I don't), I would buy both of my Grandmother's homes and restore them to reflect my childhood memories of them. Impractical yes, but I have such fond memories of both places and the wonderful people who once inhabited them.

I guess you can't go back. Instead I cherish the wonderful memories.

~~~~~~

Our trees and shrubs were not delivered yesterday. It really bugs me when people don't follow through on their commitments. I'm trying to maintain a 'grace-filled' attitude regarding this. We did have some very high winds and severe thunderstorms here on Thursday. Perhaps this impacted their ability to deliver.

But wouldn't you think they could call?

yard work

Yes, Linda. Most of the flower photos on the blog were taken in our yard and with my monstrosity of a camera. It seems like there is something new blooming every day. The coneflowers are currently putting in a showy appearance.

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a delivery truck this morning. Any minute. Dogwoods, lilacs, redbuds, Leland cypress, winterberry bushes, red maple. And a load of dirt, some lavender and creeping thyme to put between our raised beds so we don't have to weed whack there.

Should be a fun day!

images

The conversation at my aunt and uncle's dinner table covered many topics. Including our recent trip to attend Jimmy Carter's Sunday School class. Mom wanted me to tell the story of the Secret Service's reaction to my camera. So I did.

My cousin's boyfriend, a brand new acquaintance of mine, cautiously asked if he could take a picture of my camera. He works at Best Buy. I am quite sure he couldn't wait to show his co-workers this antique.

I must say, though, that he was impressed with the quality of pictures it takes. And its longevity. As well as its ability to be used as a defensive weapon if necessary.

And...some good laughs.

This isn't my camera, but it looks almost like it.

Standing at a proud four and a half inches tall and five and a half inches wide,

she faithfully records the images I use on my blog.

old ways

The past. I love it. I love reliving memories, looking at old photos and reminiscing. When Mom and I went to her friend's funeral, we got to do all that. Drove past my Grandmother's home, walked on streets I had walked on in my childhood, as had my mother and grandmother before me. Sat in the church where my parents were married and I was baptized and Grandma and my Uncle both have taught Sunday School.


Here is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, ‘Which one is the good way?’ Take it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

Aunt Casey's funeral was simple and fairly short. The pastor exhorted us to honor her memory by following her example. Love God. Love your family. Love children (she was a school teacher for 25 years).

Prior to the funeral, Aunt Casey's three sons stood beside her casket and greeted people. In a not very morbid (I hope) way, I mentally pictured my three sons doing this someday. They are my legacy and I couldn't be more thankful for those big and medium sized lugs.

Lots of ponderments this past week. The meaning and brevity of life. The importance of family. The memories of the past that have shaped who I am today. The treasures of friendships that span decades.

Sometimes it takes a funeral to get you thinking about what is really important.

telling

Mom and I got back from our trip last night. It was both wonderful and sad.

We had a nice lunch with my brother and sister-in-law and the kids on our way to Illinois. Cheryl (who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a few months ago) looks wonderful and is well on the road to recovery. For this we praise our Mighty God. The kids are growing by leaps and bounds in stature and in maturity. It is such a blessing to see how Roger and Cheryl are raising Derek and Ethan and the irrepressible Miss Emilee.

How I thank God for my family! Immediate and extended. Everyone is so likeable and funny and easy to be with. I know that in many families there is dysfunction and difficulty. We might be quirky and some of us even odd (that would be me), but I think we have the most wonderful family!

Thankful for a great trip, a great family and a Great GOD!

(more tomorrow.....I need to get caught up on a bunch of stuff around here...)

Joyful reunion with family. Sorrowful farewell to an old friend. Poignant road trip with Mom .

fragments

Yesterday I worked at the food pantry.

Yesterday I was a computer 'expert' for a neighbor lady (and as a result had a very interesting talk about faith-related matters - one of those moments that only God could orchestrate).

Yesterday I organized one of my boxes of stuff.

Yesterday we received some sad news. And as a result Mom and I will be traveling to Illinois (southern) to attend the funeral of one of her best friends. We leave in the morning and will return Tuesday. Dad and Pat and KimmeeSue will take care of southeast Tennessee while we are gone. (Blogging will be via text message, if I can remember how to do that.)
~~~~~
Today, there is packing and baking and mowing to do. Tonight our neighbors of rhubarb and zucchini fame are having a little get together. And speaking of those neighbors, they invited us to pick cherries from their tree. We picked about a quart of cherries. What a wonderful gift!

So, I am bringing dessert for the get together. Brownies and rhubarb bars. I'll post the recipe next week.
~~~~~
I don't know if Mom and I have ever traveled together - just the two of us. "Like Thelma and Louise", Mom said. "More like Momma and Cherise" I replied. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble.

Have a great weekend everyone!

fragrance

A walk through the yard is a delight to the senses these days.

Bursts of orange and yellow from the lilies, purple pansies, coneflowers, speedwell and verbena, red roses, multi-colored zinnias and white hydrangea meet the eye.

Different fragrances emanate from different sides of the house. The lemony smell of the magnolia, the undeniable rose scent and the sweet perfume of the hydrangea.

Birds and butterflies flit to and fro. The air is filled with song.

In the top cul de sac of our subdivision, for the past few months, there has been a piece of skunk hide, not much bigger than a dollar bill. It still stinks. Especially after a rain.

Amazing how powerful fragrance is. Some delight, some repel.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15.

The aroma of Christ. That is our job - to spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Not in a skunky, repellent way, but as a sweet floral bouquet of life.

speech, speech

"Now, where y'all frum agin?" the owner* asked.
"Wisconsin." I replied.
"Thas raight," he said. "Ah knew Ah rekanized yer accent."
(my accent...?)

Apparently he buys the cheese he sells from Wisconsin. No wonder we like his products! The man he purchases cheese from talks like I do. My speech patterns gave me away.
~~~~~~
It has been fun working with kids again at VBS. I am beginning to know some of their names and who they belong to. I love their little 'yes ma'ams' and their soft Southern drawls.
~~~~~~
People can tell where we are from when we talk, but they can also tell the conditions of our hearts by what we say. This verse came to mind this morning:

"Let your speech be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
Colossians 4:6

Talk nice now, y'hear?

*The owner is a very nice man. Very welcoming and a near neighbor. He says he is 'just a hillbilly'.

VBS

The travelers arrived home yesterday afternoon. You never saw a happier puppy dog. She looked like she could wag right out of herself. Welcome home, Mom and Dad! I think we showed Kimmee a pretty good time, but there is no place like home.

~~~~~

I was able to help out with Vacation Bible School last night. Fun times. It was good to be working with kids again. I worked in the craft area and came home relatively paint free. 100 kids were in attendance. They were fed (I help in the kitchen tonight), loved and taught God's Word. Lots of laughter and energy in the church building last night!

This year's VBS is called Boomerang Express. An Australia theme, mate. I'm not sure who comes up with these ideas for VBS themes, but there are some very creative people out there.

New ways that tell the same familiar, wonderful story.

G'day!

encouragement

I picked up K. from the airport Sunday afternoon. Her flight was a bit early, luggage arrived just fine. No hitches.

We chattered all the way home. She caught me up on family news and I filled her in on our family stuff. Since we had not seen each other for well over a year, there was plenty to talk about.

She enjoyed her first glass of sweet tea here. After supper on the back porch, we drove to Bald River Falls and we both enjoyed the beautiful scenery there and along the way. Stocked up on necessities at Malwart. Then I took her to A&W for her first drive-in. Root beer floats for all!

She talked about how excited she is about this summer. How wonderful it is to be serving the LORD. How she can't wait to tell the people she comes in contact with this summer about Christ.

Our time together was such a blessing to us. I am so glad God placed us here at this time so we could play a small part in getting her to where she was going.
~~~~~

In other news....it is nice to have a doggie in the house. KimmeeSue is very well-behaved and I enjoy her company on my morning walks. And noontime walks. And evening walks.

We may skip the noontime walk today. Supposed to be 90*.