To Nap or Not to Nap

We have arrived at a difficult age with Miss G. She has always been an excellent sleeper. She slept six hours a night by 8 weeks old. We have recently hit a bump in the road. She loves her "sun nap" and has begrudgingly started to give it up. If she doesn't nap, she's really grouchy and cranky by suppertime. If she does nap, she can't go to sleep at night. I know that it's just a phase and it will resolve itself soon, but today she had a nap and now Big Momma's got trouble.

Tonight, she snuck into the study dragging her yellow pillow.

"Miss G?"

"Mommy....(insert long, dramatic sigh)....I saw a scary shadow and heard a noise and now I can't sleep."

"What did it sound like?"

"I don't know....but it was REALLY scary."

"I think it was just an outside noise. We're safe and there are no monsters in here and it's time to go back to bed."

Cue pouty lip and teary eyes.

"Miss G, you really need to go back to bed. Let's go. I'll take you."

Cue clinging on the legs and guttural throaty, crying noises.

"Miss G, please stop. Let's not have hysterics tonight."

She froze, thought a moment and squeezed her eyes tightly together several times. Then she reached up and touched her tears and said,

"See, these are REAL tears. I'm NOT fake crying!"

She's definitely saving the drama for her momma! It's only 9:52 and counting....9:53....9:54....

The Power of Words

A little something to help cool you off.

It's 101 degrees here today. Does the stifling heat cause harsh words and bad attitudes or have they been festering in our hearts and we use the heat as an excuse to let them out?

I am reminded today of an old hymn we often used to sing...

Angry Word

Angry words! O let them never
From the tongue unbridled slip;
May the heart's best impulse ever
Check them ere they soil the lip.

Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment's reckless folly
Thus to desolate and mar.

Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitt'rest tho'ts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken
By a single angry word.

Love one another, thus saith the Savior;
Children, obey the Father's blest command;
Love one another, thus saith the Savior,
Children, obey the blest command.

Growth is painful. It's physically painful when we're young. It's emotionally painful when we're teenagers and it's spiritually painful when we're older. Our church is involved in an epic (and what I'm beginning to believe is a traditional) battle between what I will call the old and the young. Youth brings energy and passion for God. Age brings wisdom and knowledge and ...well...money. Trying to find a balance between these groups is extremely difficult for our church.

Angry words kill energy and passion. Angry words negate wisdom and intelligence. When angry words cause hurt feelings, small trifling matters become blown way out of proportion and can kill a church or a family or a marriage.

Change for the sake of change isn't necessarily a good thing. Resistance to change because we've always done it this way isn't necessarily a good thing. There has to be a middle ground and it has to be Christ centered.

How do we find this middle ground? I think we could start with kind words of encouragement. We could appreciate each other's opinions. I think we could really listen to one another. I think we should truly communicate. One "thank you" or "you're doing a great job" or "you are inspiring" can go a long way. Let's not be complacent and come to expect nurturing and care. If someone is working hard and trying their best, then they deserve our thanks not our criticism.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

Please continue to pray for our church.

Critters

Below are various critters that can be found in our back yard from time to time. If anyone can name them, please let us know.


?????????????


I believe this is a cicada shell.


This spider looked like it had a crab shell attached to its back.



This big daddy was very scary looking. He was probably 3 inches long.



Oh wait....that's no critter. It's just Miss G with a rubber snake in her mouth. Who knew?

Prayer Request

Please pray for our church.

The curriculum director and the youth minister both left our church this week. There is a feeling like the whole church is about to implode. A serious negative undercurrent is running through this church which stifles any attempt at growth. Much prayer is required.

Mixed-Up Words

The members of our household speak mostly Texan which is a special version of English that is long and drawn out with a special twang. Mr. Reserved speaks a unique dialect of Texan which I call West Texan. When he speaks, which isn't often, he speaks quietly and slowly with long pauses in between words. It used to drive me crazy to wait for him to complete a sentence. Now I've grown to appreciate his words because they are so few and I eagerly await them.

The first hint that I might have a problem understanding him came when Mr. Reserved and I started dating. We were over at his parents' house and his mom said something from the back of the house. I didn't have any idea what his mom said but chalked it up to her being in another room. To my surprise, Mr. Reserved not only understood her but answered her. What was really disturbing was that I didn't understand Mr. Reserved and I was standing right beside him. Since our relationship was still new, I just smiled and determined that I would learn this language they spoke and I have, almost. Occasionally he'll speak and I'll look right at him and will have no idea what he just said. I think he believes that I haven't understood because I'm not paying attention, but I really didn't understand his words. They didn't translate.

I speak a unique version of Texan. You could say that I have come full circle as a Texan. I was born in Austin and lived in Texas until I was eleven. Then we started moving and I lived in 4 different states by the time I was 18. The greatest linguistic challenge came when we lived in Pennsylvania while I was 15 years old. Since I was a teenager just trying to fit in, I dropped my accent right after I embarrassed myself in choir practice. I had only been in school for 4 days when I handed my shared sheet music over to one of my fellow altos and said, "Y'all can have mine. I'm fixin' to leave." Their jaws dropped open and one of the girls actually said, "Say it again. I want to hear you say that again." I resolved at that moment to never use my Texas accent again. I began saying "Yous guys" and "Come with" and anything else that didn't have to do with Texas.

Now that I have lived in Texas for the last 22 years, my Texas accent is in full swing again with only a few holdovers from my other states. I insist on saying "pen" for the writing instrument instead of "pin". I also say "ten" for the number instead of "tin". As for the rest of my words, they are just as Texan as the rest the citizens' in this great state.

What has this done to Miss G? Poor child, she had no chance. With half her family speaking West Texan and her mother with her own strange brand of accent, why, she's just convoluted. It will take her the rest of her life to undo her raising. You should hear her say "boy". It has 3 syllables and takes about 3 seconds to say. It's no wonder she gets her words all mixed up. In Texas we also use Spanish words, especially Spanish food words. In the pictures above she has just made me a "chin-cha-lada". I said, "Baby, do you mean enchilada?" No, of course, she didn't. She meant chinchalada. She also called a tortilla a "tee-a-da" and worst of all an orangutan a "nine-orphan". I've just decided to have her hearing checked.

Our accent, our speech, is part of what makes us...well, us. Do I want to get rid of my accent? No. I probably couldn't now even if I wanted to. Does it make it difficult to talk with people who aren't from our region? Yes. I knew English. I had lived in Texas but I still had to learn Mr. Reserved's language. Will Miss G speak Texan? She already does. Her brand is different than anyone else, and that's okay. Her smile is universally translated as a welcome which she generously hands out to all especially when she serves you a delicious chinchalada.

Lemons

I've been craving tart things lately. It happens about this time of year. Texas is hot and sweaty and tart flavors are refreshing. It doesn't hurt that I enjoy tart flavors, but especially in the heat they seem to quench your thirst. We have been going through gallons of lemonade and a limeade from Sonic is a wonderful treat. I mourn for those in this country that don't have Sonic. A moment of silence please.



Okay....where were we? Ah...yes...tart things.

Below are some of my favorite lemony recipes. See if you can spot a pattern.

Recipe #1

Unbelievably Good Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 lemon, juiced

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice until creamy. Cover and chill before serving.

Recipe #2

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice

Beat all ingredients until fluffy.

By the way...this recipe is good on anything. The usual cake and cupcake is fine, but boring. Try it on a cookie.....or.....some ice cream......or......a spoon. My sister-in-law and I polished off the last of my mother-in-law's cupcakes so we got the "extra-icing" bowl out of the refrigerator and began to experiment. She was several months pregnant and I was....... being supportive. Trust me. It's good.

Recipe #3

Lemon Icebox Pie

2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 carton of cool whip
1 small can of frozen lemonade concentrate

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk and lemonade concentrate. Mix until smooth.
Combine with cool whip. Pour mixture into crusts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Stay cool and add some lemons to your diet. You can leave out the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Just put some in your water and enjoy.

The Un-Baby

Miss G keeps telling me that she's growing up. Each day I am visually reminded of that very fact. Her legs look longer. Her shirts keep getting shorter. I have always called her "Baby" but she's starting to take exception to that name.

"I'm not a baby, ya' know."

"I know your not a baby, but I've always called you Baby. Do you want me to stop calling you Baby?"

"No...that's okay. You can call me Baby. I'm growing up, ya' know."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm gonna' grow up and move away."

"Will I get you see you a lot?"

"Well, not every day. That would be too much."

"I thought you were going to grow up and marry Daddy or Uncle B and we were all going to live together. What happened to that plan?"

"I can't marry Daddy. I'm going to marry a grown up man like my Daddy only different and we're going to have twenty children."

"Twenty?!? That's a lot."

"Yeah, it is. But that's okay."

"Maybe you'd better discuss that with your husband."

"Why?"

"Uh....uh....uh....don't you think he'll want to have a say in how many children you have?"

"Why?"

"Most men do."

"He'll think twenty is okay. Well....maybe if I have twenty children you can come live with us."

"Sweetheart, if you have twenty children, I'll come to visit every once in a while. Every day would be too much."

WALL-E

We took Miss G to see WALL-E the other day. Mr. Reserved and I really enjoyed it. Miss G liked it but lost interest toward the end. I think it's really better suited for an older audience.

This is one of the few, if not only, animated movies I've seen that actually made me uncomfortable about the direction we humans are moving and what we are doing to the earth and ourselves. It's been several days since we saw it and I'm still dwelling on the movie's futuristic illustration of us. Granted it's an animated exaggeration but it hit a nerve.

Part of Rebecca Murray's review:

The Story

In the not so distant future, humans have quite literally trashed the planet to the point it's uninhabitable. With no means to sustain themselves – the plants have all died or are buried under miles of garbage – humans have fled in luxurious spaceships where their every whim is satisfied by robots. After hundreds of years living in space not having to move a muscle, we've devolved to the point of being fat couch potato globs that vaguely resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Back on Earth, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) goes about his lonely job of compacting trash. It's what he was built for and programmed to do, and there's no reason for him to stop. He was inadvertently left turned on when everyone took off, so he goes about his work each and every day with only an indestructible cockroach named Hal for company.

And after hundreds of years of this, WALL-E has developed a personality. He's an inquisitive little guy who collects weird items of trash that he then uses to furnish and decorate his home. He's also developed an affection for Hello, Dolly! and watches the old VHS tape over and over again.

Hello, Dolly! has taught WALL-E about holding hands and falling in love, and the lonesome robot has dreams of finding that someone special. After endless years of waiting, WALL-E's shot at love appears in the form of a glistening egg-shaped drone named EVE. EVE was sent to Earth to check for any signs of life, and our little WALL-E falls head over wheels for this state-of-the-art metallic cutie. He wants nothing more than to make a connection with this beauty, but EVE's not on the same wavelength. Fortunately, WALL-E's a persistent suitor and when EVE's sent back to report her findings to the people on board the Axiom spaceship, WALL-E goes along for the ride. Nothing will stop this starry-eyed robot from being with his EVE, not hundreds of thousands of miles of space travel, evil robots, or weird jelly-ish people who've lost all concept of what life on Earth was like before their ancestors all but destroyed our planet.

The Bottom Line

There are a number of important messages contained in WALL-E, but fundamentally it's a touching sci-fi love story. Yes, you can take from it the lesson of protecting our environment. And it's definitely a cautionary tale about our reliance on technology to do everyday tasks for us. But above all, WALL-E is simply one of the most romantic tales ever put on film.

With few spoken words, WALL-E relies on the movements of a trash compactor wearing binoculars to convey emotions and move forward the story. And because of the skills of the master storytellers and animators at Pixar, within 5 minutes WALL-E is no longer a mere robot but a real flesh/nuts and blood/bolts creature who feels things as deeply as humans. The animation is stunning. The sound design is perfect, the little dialogue there is is witty, and the story flows smoothly without a single unnecessary minute to slow things down. And talk about pleasing an audience… The preview screening I attended sounded like a rock concert when the credits rolled. I've never heard an audience react so strongly to a film as they did at the end of WALL-E. The applause was loud and sustained, and people were all smiles as they exited the theater.

WALL-E's such a joyous film you can't help but be totally caught up in the world of a lonely robot looking for love. Pixar's put together yet another movie to be enjoyed by all ages and one sure to go down in history as one of the best animated movies ever created. I know those are strong words, but I believe they are completely justified.

Screen shots from here.

Heart and Soul

(picture by CannonZ)

Miss G...

"Mommy, what is the name of that lady that lost her job...I mean got FIRED...for playing the piano?"

"Her name is Rhonda."

"Is she our relative?"

"Yes."

"She must have played REALLY bad, huh?"

"I think she was just teasing you at the reunion."

"But she really could play the piano."

"So you think she played well?"

"No. She kept playing the wrong notes and besides...she got FIRED. What was the name of the song she was playing?"

"The song was Heart and Soul."

"Sing it for me! Pleassseee!"

"Just a second."

Google search .... Heart and Soul lyrics....

"Okay...here we go...

Heart and soul, I fell in love with you heart and soul,
the way a fool would do, madly
Because you held me tight
And stole a kiss in the night

Heart and soul, I begged to be adored
Lost control, and tumbled overboard, gladly
That magic night we kissed
There in the moon mist

Oh! but your lips were thrilling, much too thrilling
Never before were mine so strangely willing

But now I see, what one embrace can do
Look at me, it's got me loving you madly
That little kiss you stole
Held all my heart and soul."

(words by Frank Loesser, music by Hoagy Carmichael)

Homemade Wheat Bread

I found a great recipe at this site. It looks like Tammy has lots of good recipes but I tried this one last night. I've made some bread before, but I'm no expert. Surprisingly, this turned out perfect. I used my mixer with a dough hook and mixed it for a little over 5 minutes. Very easy! Also, I used 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpuse flour.

I must say, it's REALLY good still warm with creamed honey on it. Yum!


Homemade Wheat Bread





(Tammy's pictures)

A slightly sweet, healthy half-whole-wheat bread.

Yield:

1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Instructions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir.

2. Add flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

3. Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If loaf starts browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening.

5. Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth. Slice and enjoy while still warm! Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight bag or frozen until needed.

Enjoy!

A Worthy Cause

My good friend Cindy, and nearly Miss G's favorite person on the planet, is working for a good cause and a dear little girl named Avery Grace.

Cindy's petition follows...

Dear Family and Friends,

On September 14th, I will be riding in the Texas Tough bike ride to benefit Children's Medical Center Dallas. Due to the great gratitude that Paul and Angie (Avery's parents) have to Children's for their part in saving their daughter Avery, I will be riding in her honor with the team named "Team Avery". The challenge to all riders is to raise $300.00 a piece, but as a team we are shooting for a greater goal. With that in mind, if you would like to donate to any rider listed under the "team fundraising pages", please visit here.

You can select me as an individual rider to donate to and it can even be done anonymously. You can visit my Fundraiser page here. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. Paul and Angie have chosen to designate the gifts to the Gastroenterology (GI) practice at Children's. Thank you for your support, and I will be excited to let you know how the ride goes. Please visit Avery’s page to read her updates here.

You can learn more about the Texas Tough here.

I close with my sincere thanks and appreciation for your support in this great endeavor.

Blessings,

Cindy Breen
cbreen456@juno.com

An Educational Swim

Miss G has really taken to swimming lately. I must give credit to the Red Cross swimming lessons that she recently completed. Their courses and instructors were great. The level of supervision was very comforting to the parents. There were only 4 kids in her Pre-K class with one instructor, two assistants and one life guard assigned just to them. I'll take a 1 to 1 ratio any day. As a result of these lessons, Miss G has become really confident and has begun putting her face in the water. She wants to swim every day.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. A puffy, animal-shaped cloud day with an amazing blue sky. We decided to go. As we drove up to the pool, negativity started creeping into my heart. At these moments I try not to say anything out loud because I don't want Miss G to catch or learn this annoying habit I have of looking for bad things. There, parked and taking up half of the parking lot, was a big yellow school bus that said "Kinder Kare" on its side. I glanced over at the pool and sure enough the "kiddie" part of the pool was swarming with little ones. I decided that I wouldn't let this sway our resolve and destroy Miss G's happiness and we'd swim anyway.

We found a spot beside the fence for our bag and towels and ran-walked to the pool. Miss G was undeterred by this hoard of little ones, in fact, she was excited that there were so many kids for her to play with. We found a narrow entry into the pool and took our spot. As soon as I sat down in the water I was swarmed by children. "My name is Marshall. My name is Joshua. Watch what we can do!" They all began to show me how they could swim and dive underwater. They crowded in until they were touching me and they all started talking at once. Thank goodness I'm not the least bit claustrophobic or I would have panicked. As I tried to keep an eye on Miss G, they continued talking and showing and touching. I thought to myself, these kids are starved for attention. They'll do anything to have me glance their way or acknowledge their presence. As I got around to talking to all of them, the hubbub quieted and they started to play with one another again.

I looked around for the people in charge of these little ones and I found the two. They were standing a good 30 yards away guarding the 3 1/2 foot line, making sure no one got past. I think how hard their job must be. How can two people care for 25 - 30 kids from the age of 4 to 7? That is an overwhelming responsibility, especially in water.

Miss G packed 2 water guns and a boat for our trip and asked if she could get them out. Knowing the issues that 3 toys will cause among so many but unwilling to say no, I told her that she would have to share. She agreed and got the toys. Again, we were swarmed. I got them all together and told them that we could all play with them if they could follow the rules. They would have to share and they could not squirt anyone in the face. They all agreed. They happily began to play with the toys. They even took turns trading with one another. This went on for a good ten minutes when one of the caretakers noticed they were playing with the toys and told them that wasn't allowed. The children could not understand why they weren't allowed to share the toys and I couldn't either, especially when they were sharing so well, but I obliged and put the toys away.

As Miss G continued to play, the children continually approached me. They wanted to talk and be heard. They wanted to touch and be touched. They wanted to tell what they knew. One even jumped on my back in a half hug, half tackle. Was God reminding me how blessed I am to be able to go swimming with my daughter in the middle of the day?

These children seemed smart and funny. They seemed to be well rounded, except for the one who spit on me. Why would they instantly take to me? Do I have one of those motherly faces? Did they crave an adult's attention so much that they would throw themselves at me? It struck me instantly that this is exactly what I'd been mulling over in my mind for the last several weeks about our decision to homeschool Miss G. This was exactly why we are willing go against the grain and homeschool our daughter. I want to talk with her...all day long. I want to see her...all day long. I want to touch and love her...all day long. I want to know exactly who she is and what she's thinking and judging by these children, that is exactly what they want too.

Homeschooling has lots of advantages for your child's education. Curriculum can be tailored to their needs. You can advance as quickly or slowly as they need. Your child receives hours of one-on-one "teacher" time that they wouldn't receive in public education. No one will care more than you do if they actually learn. All these reasons have been listed by other homeschoolers before me. They are not new, but they are valid and a small part of our decision to homeschool. If we only wanted to grow a highly educated young woman then here our reasons would stop.

Education is a good goal. Heaven is a better one. I want to be there, everyday, all day, to help grow her into a Godly woman. I don't want a stranger to instill their own agenda into her while I'm away. I want her to learn about all cultures and all governments and all the ideas of our history from a Christian perspective. I realize that there are good schools out there that can do all those things for their students. I just want to be the one to take that walk with her.

Homeschooling isn't for everyone. There are good schools whose education is top notch. There are fantastic teachers who go way above and beyond to help their students (my mom was one of them). Not every parent wants or can spend that much time with their child...but I do. I'm trying not to have unrealistic expectations. I know that it won't be easy and there will be hard days. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! Looking into her eyes and heart everyday, watching her grow in love and wisdom, is exactly what this mother wants. Ultimately, it's what every mother wants for their child no matter what their educational choice.

A Mother's Legacy

One month before my mother passed away, we took a trip to North Carolina to visit Biltmore. Although my mother didn't acknowledge the seriousness of her condition, I knew that she didn't have very much time so I booked a trip for just the two of us. I selfishly wanted to be with her, alone, for as much time as possible. I wanted to learn everything there was to learn about her. I wanted to say everything that was yet unsaid.

Mother grew up hearing about Biltmore from her father. During her father's day it was "the" American marvel of architecture and construction and the ultimate destination that he dreamed of seeing. She caught his dream and so did I.

We drove from Texas to North Carolina. It took us two days to get there. I wanted all that car time and empty airtime so that we could talk. I wanted to talk about everything. I needed to know everything there was to know about her. How else was I to go on without her if I didn't know everything she knew? I began asking her about her childhood.

Children can be selfish creatures. If there is no direct impact to them, then they are very likely not to ask or want to know. At 37 years old, I was asking my Mom for the first time what it was like to be her when she was growing up. What I found out shocked and amazed me.

My mom grew up in a home where only one parent loved her. Her mother wasted no time with her and saw her only as a servant. Her mother had a hard time showing affection and vary rarely gave hugs or said positive things. At best, Mom did her chores and was left to her own designs which were usually something outside close to her father. Mom's father was a great man who loved her dearly. He was a kind hearted man that tried as best he could to shield her from her mother. In fact, he spent most of his life trying to shield people from his wife and make up for her mischief.

During our talks I learned many things about Mom's hardships growing up. One of the things that shocked me most came out while I was reading Anne of Green Gables to her. As Mom tired every afternoon, I would read to her. Mom loved it. Granted, Anne is a very lovable and funny character, but Mom was really enjoying it. I paused one afternoon and Mom said, "This is the first time anyone has ever read a book to me." I think my heart actually stopped. I said, "What?!?!" She said, "No one ever read to me growing up." I was so astonished I couldn't speak. Listening to Mom read to us was one of my greatest joys growing up. How could no one have ever read to her? When my voice returned my egocentric self said, "But you read to us day and night growing up." She said, "I wanted you to have what I didn't."

Over the course of the trip, I found out that mom wanted us to have lots of things she didn't. She wanted us to know what it was like to have books read to us. She wanted us to have family vacations. She wanted us to have the security that comes from a traditional, loving family. But most of all, she wanted us to have and feel unconditional love. Her sacrifices for these goals were numerous and great and now as I am fully involved in raising my own child, I can better understand their depths.

My mother overcame lots of obstacles throughout her life. She was a fighter with a God-given, unswayable positive attitude. She wanted better for her children than she had and worked hard at overcoming her own mother's attitude towards her.

I learned a lot on our trip. Biltmore is truly an engineering and architectural marvel and well worth the drive to North Carolina. I learned that my mother was one of the most amazing people that I have ever known and there was far more to her than being just a mother. Her influence over people was vast and profound. The number of cards I received after her passing testifying to the impact she had on friend's lives were too numerous to count. I learned that she had overcome great hurdles to become the Godly woman that she was and that life was not very easy for her although she never showed it. I learned that she fully relied on God. I learned just how much I would miss her.

We arrived home on a Sunday. Mother went into the hospital the following Wednesday never to return home again. Less than a month later she was gone.

How do you sum up some one's life? What benchmarks do you evaluate to determine its' value? Her life was hard. She overcame a difficult childhood with a difficult and mean mother. She overcame many tough choices she had to make throughout her marriage. She lived through 10 years of battling cancer. In the end, her love for God surpassed all these difficulties. Her reward is heaven.

A couple of days before her passing, while she was in hospice, she talked about the "people" in the corner by the Light waiting for her. One morning she told me she had talked to Jesus that night and she now understood and was ready to go home. Some may say that these are the rantings of a woman on morphine. I don't believe they were. Her passing was calm and peaceful and beautiful surrounded by love. She knew what she was doing and she knew where she was going. It is just as the Lord designed. Light, peace, love and beauty are His creations and they are her rewards for her life devoted to Him.

We all have issues. We all have things we have to overcome and work through. How do we work through these issues? How can we solve our problems? We can't...at least not alone. God is the answer. He knows us and knows what we need even before we ask. Mom fully relied on Him. Yours truly is learning to fully rely on Him. You'd think that after 40 years I would be a little quicker to turn to Him but I'm not. I struggle and wallow in serious negativity until I remember that I can't do it alone. It's like my brother said, "We are sheep and sheep are stupid." Actually, I wish I was more like sheep because I think I would listen for His voice more than I do. To be only slightly smarter than a sheep is a dangerous thing. Too much self reliance will knock you to your knees and take you to dangerous depths where our problems seem insurmountable. But nothing is too big or too hard for God.

Thank you Mother for teaching me the value of relying on God. I'm a work in progress and with God's help I can grow to become a force for Him just as you were. Our issues are nothing for God. He can wipe them away and fill you with His light, love, peace and beauty if only we'll seek Him.

Freedom

Many, many men and women have fought for the freedoms we enjoy in our great nation. They continue on this very day to fight on our behalf.


Thank you.



We are very thankful for the freedoms that we have. Freedom to...



...learn to swim in a State Park,




...build sand castles,




...hike to a fishing hole,




...paddle in a canoe built by my father-in-law's hands,



...order said canoe off the Internet for 1 million dollars,




...pout because one isn't getting one's way and...




...dig in dirt and rocks and get as dirty as possible.

I understand that these aren't the usual freedoms identified when discussing the 4th of July but as a young citizen, Miss G is probably more cognizant of these blessings than us old hardened folks.

We can be heard complaining a lot in this country. Oil is too high. The politicians are crooked...crime, education, economy, pollution, etc. I hope you took a few seconds this 4th and focused on what we do have; on the blessings we have in these United States. We have the freedom of choice. We have the freedom of religion. We have the freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. This is a great country founded upon the great ideals and great people. The glass is definitely half full. May God bless us.

Conversations with a Four Year Old

You never know what you're going to get when having a conversation with Miss G. The subject matter is widely varied but you can count on one thing....drama.

Confab #1

We returned home from an errand this morning and I walked to our study to check my email. Miss G was busy playing and although I could hear her, she couldn't hear or see me.

All of a sudden I hear a panicked shout,

"Mommy!?!"

"Yes, my darling."

I hear little feet running down the hallway. She runs into the room and throws herself into my arms and says,

"Oh, thank goodness you're alive!"

"Did you think something happened to me in the last five minutes?"

"I couldn't hear you so I thought you were dead."

Yes...I've probably said that to her. Maybe not with her dramatic flair and I know that I didn't use the word "dead", but that's pretty close to accurate.

Confab #2

Last night while we were watering flowers, I accidentally splashed her feet with water. She said indignantly,

"Hey! You just watered Her Highness!"

I said,

"Oh really? Her Highness?"

"Yes! I am the Queen."

"The Queen of what?"

"Of Highnesses."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry your Highness
of.....er.....Highnesses. Where do you reign?"

"What?"

"Where is your kingdom?"

She grinned really big, threw her head back and as she rotated her wide-spread arms said with contented certainty,

"Right here."

I guess that makes me her loyal subject. And...it makes Grandma her royal seamstress.

Goodness, my life would be dull and boring without her. Without my loves who knows where I'd be. I'd probably be some grouchy, old-before-her-time woman working in a toll booth listening to Duran Duran on my walk-man chewing on strawberry Bubalicious trying not to break my glittery Lee press-on nails while taking people's money. I'd be stuck in the past and stuck on myself. Thank you Lord for my daily dose of what's truly important, especially broadcast in high drama just for me, Miss G.