Monday morning

I often wonder what in the world I have to blog about, and then I make a comment on someone else's blog and think to myself, "That would make a good post."

Thursday night I attended a support group for patients and caregivers of people with myasthenia gravis. I was diagnosed with MG back in 1990 and was quite sick for a while. After a few years with the right medication, it has been under good control. (Most of the time) MG is an auto-immune neuro-muscular illness. It isn't terminal, neither is it a disease in which the muscles waste away.

When one has MG, fatigue causes certain muscle groups not to respond correctly. One of the noticeable symptoms of MG is droopy eyelids. Other symptoms are difficulty chewing and swallowing, double vision, slurred speech, breathing difficulties, and weakness in the limbs. Any or all of these symptoms can appear.

After all these years, I've learned to live with it. Right now, my main problems are in swallowing and occasionally by evening I have difficulty speaking well. Often it is noticeable only to me, but it is there nonetheless. It really isn't worth mentioning.

However, the other evening, there was a young couple there at the support group. The husband was diagnosed in January after experiencing several symptoms. His dear wife is expecting a baby this week. I am not sure if it is their first child or not. My heart just went out to them. He is so concerned about not being able to help around the house, and then, of course, there is his job. He was very soft spoken, and I didn't get exactly what he does, but it appears that it is some type of work where he can take breaks to rest a bit.

We have a wonderful doctor who attends each meeting, and he reminded this young man of the ADA and the fact that businesses have to accomodate disabilities. I'm hoping for the best for this couple. I wanted to embrace them and assure them that everything was going to be all right. And I'm sure it will be for them, but I know they must be scared to death, not knowing exactly what they're dealing with.

On a lighter note, there was one of those feel good articles in our newspaper that is just too good not to mention. A St. Bernard/Pyrennees mix was found on the streets by animal service and taken to the humane society. They cleaned him up, checked him out, and waited the necessary time for an owner to come claim him.

When no one did, they knew they would have to find a home for him. They received a call from a lady at an assisted-living facility who wanted to know if they had a big dog. It seems they were looking for one to their place, a dog who would be tall enough so that the folks in wheelchairs could put him easily. It seems to be a match made in heaven. What a nice valentine for this dog and the folks at the facility. Read about Liam here.

Flash!

Flash! This just in. I received this photo today from Ella's mom. Does she look like a baby any more? I think not. I had planned to leave this past Sunday to go visit them again, but I had to change my plans. I'll be going up on the 18th to stay for a while. Needless to say, I can hardly wait.

Thank You

Thank you to all who have responded to Great Strides (See post below).

If you would prefer to mail a check, instead of giving online, here is the address:

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Tampa
4902 Eisenhower Blvd., Suite 115
Tampa FL 33634

Put Great Strides in the memo line along with my name, Beverly Whitcomb.

This past weekend was our Sweet Adelines show. What a great time and what fun! I don't have any pictures yet, but when I get some I'll post them. One of these days I'll get some video and post that as well. We had great reviews from all who came.

And what about the Super Bowl! I love football and spent Sunday evening with some friends of kindred spirit. Most of them were cheering for the Giants, and so I joined in cheering the underdog. We had a great time in the last two minutes of the game watching Goliath being felled by David.

When I was looking up some information on the CFF website, I found this article about one of the Super Bowl champions, Shaun O'Hara. It does the heart good to read about men like this. Another former athlete and sports analyst, Boomer Esiason, is a great supporter of the cause of cystic fibrosis, as well. Boomer has a son, Gunnar, who has CF. His foundation has been established to heighten education and awareness of cystic fibrosis and to provide a better quality of life for those affected by cystic fibrosis.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your friendship and your listening ear and your giving hearts.

GREAT STRIDES

Every year the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has walks all over the country to raise funds for research for a cure for CF. Those of you who have been reading my blog know that my little granddaughter has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder which leads to digestive and respiratory problems. It is a progressive condition.

The median age of a CF person is now 37. Years ago, many patients did not reach their teens. Through research, improved medicines have been developed, and patients are living longer. I have learned through reading a lot that life is not easy for a person with CF.

This year I'm walking with a team to help raise funds to aid in research. Will you consider making a donation? I have a webpage to which you can go and donate. I will thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want Ella to live a long, healthy life.

Please go here.

Whatever the Weather

Tomorrow is our annual Sweet Adelines show. Our theme this year is "Whatever the Weather." If you could come, you'd find us dressed in raincoats as we sing about all kinds of weather. A clever skit will tie the songs together. Some of the songs that we're singing are: "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," "Sunny Side Up," "Wind Beneath My Wings," "It's a Good Day."

We always have a guest quartet join us for our shows. This year's group is The HotShots. They always bring good music and a good laugh.

During the second half, a small group from one of the local high schools is going to sing one song. I hear they will knock our socks off with their music.

The photo above is from our 50th birthday party of our chorus. We had a grand party in May. We had a good time singing and eating. Several other choruses and former members joined us to celebrate. (I'm in the top row, next to the last on the right.)

I wish you could be here. We have a performance at 2 and then another one at 7. Hopefully our weather will be good for all who come out to see us. There's no better place to be than here on the first Saturday of February.

A good reminder

If you haven't been to Nathan's blog lately, go there today and read his list that he wrote in the middle of the night. It's dated Monday, January 28. It's good reading for the soul.

A wonderful song

Last Thursday night before I went to Orlando, I went down to Fort Myers to hear the Gaithers concert. It had been years since I had seen them live. My husband and I used to go regularly years ago.

One of the last songs that they sang was this one. No commentary from me is needed.

Computer woes

I was going to upload photos from the fair last night, but when I plugged my cord into the port, nothing happened. I have a laptop that I bought in 2002, and one of the USB ports quit working a while ago. My friend, the computer repairman, told me that probably the solder had broken on the motherboard. Oh dear. Then he told me that I could go get a hub to plug several in. I have already done that because a while ago the disc drive quite working, so I have an external disk drive.

Along with that I had bought an external hard drive to hold all the photos that I've uploaded, and then there's the scanner, the printer, the mouse, and ....

When I unplugged the second port and plugged the camera cord in, nothing. Boo-hoo! I wasn't planning to get another computer at this point, but I may have to do just that. At least if I do, I'll be up-to-date for a little while.

So I'll be back sometime. I'm to a weekend in Orlando for a regional workshop with Sweet Adelines. Have a good weekend.

Ella in the snow!

I just received these photos from my daughter-in-law. They must be hot off the press since I had read that they were having their first real snow today.

When I was there in December, there were a few flakes that fell, but they didn't stay. This looks like a nice covering.

As far as Florida goes, it's nasty here today. It's the opening day of our county fair. My mother always said that you could tell when it was time for the fair to start...it would either be raining or be freezing cold. Today it chose to rain.

What's Up?

Not much. When I read the goings on in others' lives, mine seems quite ordinary, but I think that is o.k. Along with many others I check out the blog about Nate, Tricia, and Gwyneth several times during the day to see what is developing at Duke. My heart is moved each time I go there and read the updates and the comments of many all around the world who have read about this family and are praying for them.

Another blog that I faithfully check out is A Mountain Too High. This dear lady writes about her daily living with her husband who has Alzheimer's. It too is a very moving blog to read. She is able to write so poignantly about their life now. She has those who comment who have lived a similar experience and they are able to encourage her in her daily walk. I read and comment and yet I've never experienced that.

Our Sweet Adeline's chorus is getting ready to do our annual show February 2. We're practicing twice a week and I'm singing in a couple of small groups, so we are having extra rehearsals as well, so I'm singing my way through the week. I love it!

On Tuesday nights we rehearse until around 10 and then we go out for a bite. In our town it's hard to find places that are open late. We used to go to Appleb*es, but the evening that we went there was karaoke, and it was always so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk.

One evening after a movie a group of us went to a local sports bar called "Eat Drink and Be Che*ry." We enjoyed our food and so we asked them their hours, mentioning to them that we were looking for a place to get something to eat and drink after rehearsal. They said that they'd be glad to have us there, and so we began going there each Tuesday evening.

Last night there were about twelve of us who went. When we got there, we were about the only ones there. We started talking to the server who always waits on us. He knows us all by name, what we like to drink, and usually what we want to eat unless we throw him a curve.

In talking to him, he told us that he's getting his AA degree at the local community college and is hoping to go into some sort of sports business promotion. I asked him what he does besides serving there, and he said that he works at the local A. M. radio station and on Wednesdays they did a sports broadcast from the restaurant.

So today at 1 I tuned in and, sure enough, Jay mentioned the Sweet Adelines. He announced our show coming up and said that he planned to come. What a neat young man.

Before we left last night, the manager asked us to sing a couple of songs. We sang "Heartaches" and "Kokomo," and then he said, "Ladies, whenever I get married, I want you to sing at my wedding." How's that!

It doesn't take much to make a bunch of old ladies smile.

Thankful

Every time I look at this little girl, I thank God for the measure of health she has been given so far in her young life even with the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Ella has been our joy and delight, and we pray that she will have many more years of health and that despite the naysayers that a cure will be found for this genetic disorder.

Right now at Duke University Hospital, there is a young woman fighting for her life along with her newborn daughter. Tricia, who has CF, had been preparing for a double lung transplant when it was discovered she was pregnant. This week because of her weakened condition, her baby was born by C-section at 24 weeks. Gwyneth Rose is doing remarkably well despite her premature state. Tricia is still sedated and has not awakened yet.

People around the world are praying for this family. Visit Tricia's husband's blog, see this tiny infant, and join in prayers for this family.

The Tongue Always Helps

Here She Comes!

Don't you love the tongue! I remember always having my tongue stuck out like that when I was little and trying my best to accomplish something. Ella's mom said that her legs were too short to reach the pedals, but she was trying her best. It looks like fun!

There she goes.

You Have to Love This One

"Cannibal Team"

Five cannibals get appointed as engineers in a high-tech company. During the welcoming ceremony, the boss says, "You're all part of our team now. You can earn good money here, and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat. So don't trouble any of the other employees."

The cannibals promised not to trouble the other employees.

Four weeks later, the boss returns and says, "You're all working very hard, and I'm very satisfied with all of you; however, one of our janitors has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to him?"

The cannibals disavow all knowledge of the missing janitor. After the boss has left, the leader of the cannibals says to the others, "Which of you idiots ate the janitor?"

A hand raises hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals says, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating Team Leaders and Project Managers so no one would notice anything, and you have to go and eat the janitor!"

from Pastor Tim's Cybersalt

Freeze Warnings

It's coming...cold weather, that is. Predictions are for the coldest weather that we've seen here in our area of Florida in the last four years. We should have a hard freeze here. Up further north, temperatures in the teens are being forecast. The strawberry farmers will be busy tonight as well as the other farmers in the area, working to save their crops.

On the way to the hospital the morning that my daughter was born in January 1977, it was 26 degrees. That was cold! School was closed for a couple of days that year because they could not heat the buildings adequately, and there were rolling blackouts to assure everyone of having heat and lights during most of the day and night. But that year it was cold for a long time.

I have house guests coming on Friday from Minnesota. By that time the temperatures should be back up in the 70's.

Here is a thought for the new year from Steve Goodier.

No Future in the Past

The man looked a little worried when the doctor came in to administer his annual physical, so the first thing the doctor did was to ask whether anything was troubling him. "Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes," answered the patient. "You see, I seem to be getting forgetful. No, it's actually worse than that. I can never remember where I park my car, where I'm going,or what it is I'm going to do once I get there -- if I get there. So, I really need your help. What can I do? "The doctor mused for a moment, then answered kindly, "Pay me in advance."

Actually, forgetfulness isn't all bad...especially when we decide to forget all that pain from the past that threatens to ruin the present. Like one song says, "There ain't no future in the past."

The past is to be remembered -- how else will we learn from it and keep from repeating it? But why would I want to remember every time I felt hurt because of my spouse, my children, my friends, my boss or anybody else? Why would I want to fill my mind with a detailed catalogue of past pain? Better to remember the times they brought me joy or love or feelings of warmth. Unfortunately, even those wonderful and magical moments too easily fade away.

A friend of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross,asked her about a particular traumatic event in her life. Miss Barton seemed perplexed. "Can't you remember?" the friend prodded. Clara Barton replied, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."

Dwell on the past -- but not the negative past, not the pain of the past nor the sadness. Dwell on the good. Be consumed by past joys and obsessed with gratitude. Dwell upon the moments that uplifted you, the times you laughed and the memories of love shown to you by friends and family. Not everything should be remembered, and those who live well know what to forget and what to cherish. Like the song says, "There ain't no future in the past." But there IS joy there. And love.And kindness...if we choose to remember.-- Steve Goodier

At Year's End

Where did the year go? That's what everyone always says, isn't it. Someone said that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The nearer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. The year sort of goes like that too.

In a football frame of mind yesterday, I went to the grocery store and ended up buying some chips and salsa. There just are not really healthy chips, are there...but they surely are good. I had planned to watch the Penn State-Texas A&M game with the faithful in Sarasota last night, but fog rolled in about 6, and I decided it would be better for people on the road if I stayed home. And so I did. It's not quite as much fun to watch it alone as it is with a crowd. But Penn State prevailed. It didn't look like they would at the start.

I find it a little sad when Christmas is over. All the pretty decorations come down, and it's back to business as usual. Last year I wrote a post in which I quoted from Lauren Winner's book, Girl Meets God.

She writes: "The calendar tells us that this all culminates on December 25, but really the whole season slouches toward Easter. Jesus became incarnate now, in the manger of Bethlehem, but if His incarnateness is meant to make Him more relatable to us, if we are meant to have better access to God because our God has a body like we have, if we relate to Him better because He knows what it is like to weep and throw up and be tempted and suffer, then the Incarnation that starts on Christmas isn't finished until Good Friday. And the miracles that start in the strange inexplicable Virgin Birth aren't finished until the Resurrection.....Even his birthplace takes us to the Last Supper: Jesus, the Bread of Life, is born in Bethlehem, bet lechem, "house of bread," and at the Last Supper, He will break bread for us, and then on the cross He will break His body. Nothing in Scripture, even the names of birthplace towns, is coincidence."

I didn't have an opportunity to sing in my church's Christmas concert this year because I had been away so much, but I had the privilege to listen. Some of the songs were traditional; some were new. This particular one expresses to me, like Lauren's quote above, what Christmas really is all about. The title is "I Believe" written by Natalie Gr*nt.

In a land far away, timestood still long ago.
There were shepherds in fields,
This is how the story goes, the story goes.

Woman with child and an inn with no room.
Born in a manger, foretelling a tomb,
This is how the story goes.

But it's more than a stable,
and it's more than a fairy tale,
and more than my mind can conceive--
I believe.

The wise men saw the baby boy
the angels called the Son of God.
Heaven's child, the great I AM,
born to take away my sin through nail-pierced hands
Emmanuel has come. I believe.

Two thousand years, still the story lives on.
God's gift to us, sent to earth wrapped in flesh,
His only Son--His only Son.

And the heartbeat of heaven confounded our wisdom,
But it's still the simple truth that set me free.
I believe the wise men saw the baby boy
the angels called the Son of God.
Heaven's child, the great I AM
Born to take away my sin through nail-pierced hands.
Emmanuel has come and I believe.

Precious child, how can it be
That God's great plan for history
would send you to a lonely tree,
That you would come for one like me?
I believe.

O Come, Emmanuel

I called my daughter this morning to tell her where I would be during the day. She commented that I hadn't posted since Monday. I guess she checks up on me that way. I've been reading everyone's posts and commenting, but I haven't posted all week.

I was reading over at Jamie Dawn's about the nostalgia that arises during the Christmas season. Sometimes it's happy memories, sometimes sad, or a mixture of both. One morning this week, as I woke up, my husband was on my mind. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, but that morning he was especially on my mind. As I got into the shower, the tears began to flow mingling with the water from the shower, much as they had done in the weeks following his passing. Even though the love of family and friends is present, the one who is missing always brings a bit of sadness.

The music of Christmas is so wonderful to me. Last night my hand hit my remote in such a way that I came across a channel that I didn't even know was on my TV. Several months ago, I signed up for Ver*zon Fios, and on channel 894 is the Worsh*p channel. It was on our regular cable for a long time and then went off. I felt like I had found an old friend. What joy to listen to the music of Christmas and see the beautiful scenery that accompanies it.

A blessed Christmas to you all. I leave you with one of my favorite Christmas songs.

O Come, O Come Immanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.


O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Winter is here

The temperature dropped 35 degrees overnight here in Florida. Some areas in the central part of the state had freeze warnings. Later in the week temperatures should be back up to 75. I remember when I first lived in Cincinnati after I graduated from college. That was the furthest north I had been, and when I saw the little bit of snow that arrived during that first winter, and as I watched older people out shoveling, I realized why Florida had such an appeal.

I had a young man come visit me on Friday. It was rather cloudy, but he kept saying, "This weather is incredible." He had flown from Wisconsin the day before where there had been a foot of snow on the ground. I took him for a drive over the Sunshine Skyway and then out to the beach. He was amazed. It's interesting how our everyday life becomes so commonplace. I find that when I go to Virginia and enjoy the mountains that I'm experiencing the same awe that he did.

Anyway, today, there is not a cloud in the sky; the air is cool. One might need a sweater or a light sweatshirt. To those of us who live in Florida year-round, we look forward to this all year long.

Are you a fan of the Food Network? I am. Right now the Barefoot Cont*ssa is on working her magic. A favorite of many is Paula De*n. She's a hoot, isn't she. She has a recipe for fudge that I intend to try one of these days. My problem is that I watch these shows, but I rarely cook any more.

For those of you who do like shortcuts, I have a great fudge recipe for you. You can use your imagination with it, and it only takes a few minutes to make.

Directions for making fudge: Melt one bag of chips in microwave or on top of stove. Stir in one can of frosting. Add extras. Enjoy.

Rocky Road - 1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips, 1 can chocolate fudge frosting, 1 1/2 cups of marshmallows, 3/4 cups chopped mixed nuts.

Toffee Butterscotch - 1 bag of butterscotch chips, 1 can caramel pecan frosting, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup almond brickle bits.

Peppermint Swirl - 1 1/2 cups white vanilla chips, 1 can vanilla frosting, 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, 4 drops red food coloring, 2 tbsp. peppermint candies, crushed.

Favorite cookies and cream - 1 12 bag vanilla chips, 1 can Oreo frosting, 10 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, cut into quarters, 3 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed.

After you melt the chips and add the frosting, add the quartered cookies, spread in pan, and sprinkle with crushed cookies.

Let me know if you try any of these and how you found them.

Christmas Love - I Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.


If I work at a soup kitchen
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids
to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there
to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those
who are able to give in return;
but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things
endures all things.
Love never fails.


Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust;

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Thanks, Pastor Tim.

Christmas Came Early

Yes, Christmas came early for our little family this year. I flew to Virginia on the second. Sarah drove to Knoxville to be in a girlfriend's wedding, and then she drove up on Sunday. For a few short hours we were together, and so we had Christmas dinner and had tons of fun watching Ella open her presents.

My daughter-in-law had this little tree that she had had for years. She said if it got destroyed, it wouldn't matter. But Ella has learned very well. Her mommy told her to touch with just one finger, and she was very good about it.

We opened our gifts before we ate so that Ella wouldn't be too tired. She really got the hang of opening the gifts. Such fun! Her aunt Sarah brought her some shoes and pretty shirts, and, oh yes, she brought her one of her Eeyores from her vast collection. Pooh can't be by himself in the bedroom.

I found this puzzle online. When you match the animal to its shape, it makes the sound of the animal. Pretty cool, and it's not too loud, which makes everyone happy.

Monday morning Sabrina dropped me off at the airport in Charlottesville. According to schedule I would have a two hour wait in Charlotte. I sort of looked forward to that because there are so many neat shops, namely The Chocolate F*ctory. As it turned out, the plane coming to Charlottesville had been fogged in in Asheville earlier in the morning, so it was an hour late coming. When we did board, the pilot made up some time going to Charlotte.

I don't know if you've ever been there, but it is a long walk from the express flights (little planes) to the other gates. I took advantage of the carts and got to my next plane with plenty of time to spare. Before I left I called the airline to see if they had any first class seats available. They happened to have some on the trip from Charlotte to Tampa, and so I used some of my air miles to upgrade. The only trouble with that is that one gets so spoiled to the nice big seats.

I'm still trying to catch up. Every time I come home it is one doctor appointment after the other. Thank goodness they're only maintenance. And so I'm just now getting to posting again.

It's always good to go away and good to come home again. I think my next trip will be in February after our Sweet Adelines show.

B-r-r-r!

This Florida girl is cold in Virginia. And guess what! It's snowing. Flurries, but it's snow, and there is a little accumulation. I've taken a couple of pictures to remember it by. I know when you live in a place where you have lots of snow that it is not remarkable, but I would think that the first snowfall of the season must be something to see.

I've been by to read all your posts, and I'll take some time to comment today. Ella is at the sitter's so I have lots of time to read and comment. When I arrived on Sunday, she looked at me with a little recognition. Her parents show her my photo often, and she knows Grammy in the picture.

It's amazing the growth one sees in a month in a toddler. Her attention span is much longer when she listens to stories, and she has added many more words to her vocabulary. I'm getting to know Winnie the Pooh all over again. When I was here in October, I bought her the DVD, and David said after I left, that she had fallen in love with Pooh.

When Sarah was a baby, I recall that the first cartoon that she reacted to was Winnie the Pooh. It was on TV on Friday nights, and I remember her sitting in her daddy's lap, grinning from ear to ear at the shenanigans of those animals. It's fun to see that happening again.

I've taken a couple of pictures of Ella, but I haven't uploaded them yet, but they'll be there.

As Tigger says, "TTFN." Ta-ta for now.

Guess where I'm going

Tomorrow I'm on my way to Virginia. I'll bet you couldn't guess. I'll be there for just a week this time. Sarah's driving to Knoxville on Thursday to be in a friend's wedding on Saturday, and then she's driving on up to David's. We'll have a day there together, when we will do our Christmas early.

I'll be posting from Virginia, hopefully with some photos of you know who.

God's Faithfulness

I've written a little about the fact that I lived and worked in Haiti many years ago before I was married. I learned many lessons while there. I lived among people who had very little of this world's goods, and I think I learned not to hold onto anything too tightly.

A custom on New Year's Day was to take everything out of the house and wash it out completely so that one could start the New Year all clean. That was not a hard thing for them to do. I try to get rid of stuff and there seems to be more all the time, rather than less.

Recently tropical storm Noel passed through the Dominican Republic and Haiti, dumping much rain and leaving death and destruction in its path. I recently read an e-mail from a lady who works there and her experience of attending church on the Sunday after the waters had receded.

I leave her note with you for your consideration.

Singing to the Lord After the Flood

Sunday morning there was a break in the rain. The welcome sun shone through and our church family in Torbeck gathered. In the days before, the flood waters in Torbeck had filled the church up to the height of the bench seats.

Many church members had suffered loss as heavy rains fell day after day. One lady of the church, Monique, had her house washed away. Others put their children up on the rafters as they watched the water run through their houses, two or three feet deep. Others lost important papers, household supplies and livestock. No one had lost family members.

The waters had run off now, the church was swept out, and the people came to God’s house to praise and thank Him for His protection during the flood. Their voices filled the damp church building (in the Creole language):

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided,
Great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Through the flood they had experienced God’s hand of protection, and they sang His praise with all their hearts. Can you imagine their songs of thanks? We all thank you for your prayers. Join them in thanks for God’s faithfulness and provisions in their time of need. Pray with us that the testimonies of their lives will point hungry hearts to Jesus. Join us in praying too that their needs will continue to be met, through international aid or personal gifts.

From Sarah

Who would have known that on May 3, 2001 a black furball of a kitten would
come into this world and then two days later steal my heart. Sheila, a lady
I worked with in NC, came in a said a momma cat had adpoted her family and
had kittens. I couldn't wait to see them, there was one black one and two
tiger striped. At some point in going over to see the kittens day after
day, I was holidng the black one and he fell asleep. I made the comment
that he was "tuckered out". Thus the name Tucker came into being for this
blue eyed black fuzzy furball. I was adamant that I would have him, so I
wrote a letter to my land-lady asking if I could have this kitten. She
didn't want pets in the house I was renting, but I told her that I would be
sure to have the carpets cleaned and everything when I left. She said YES!

So, after 6 or 8 weeks, Tucker came to live with me. Not too long after, I
moved back to FL (Sept 2001). So we took our first road trip together...
and like me... he doesn't fare well in moving vehicles when he is a
passenger. Go figure! He got to be cooped up in my room at my mom's house
for what seemed like forever to him I'm sure... except for the few times he
got out only to go torment Color. She was not very pleased to have this
youngster in her house. Thankfully, we didn't stay too long and moved into
the house I am in now.

He has enjoyed the windows, the doors being open, listening to the birds and
watching the lizards. We've had our good times and our bad times. The bad
times being losing my dad and then earlier this year the discovery of a mass
on Tucker's side and finding out it was cancer. In May we had it removed,
only for it to return at the beginning of August and grow ferociously since
then. The surgeon would not remove the tumor again and
chemotherapy/radiation would not have helped at all. We tried a holistic
vet and she recommended some herbs that might help slow the growth of the
tumor. We tried the herbs but then Tucker got tired of my making his wet
food taste gross so we stopped using them.

This Thanksgiving weekend, I noticed he was not eating very much, if at all,
and he was sleeping ALOT. The tumor is finally taking all his energy. He
hesitates to jump up on things because this mass is so big it gets in the
way and hurts him. I realized in all of this, it is coming time to say good
bye to my baby, my Tucker. He has been my best friend and constant
companion for 6 1/2 years. I would do anything for this boy, I love him so
much. Some people say, "he is just a cat". Oh they are sorely mistaken. He
is my family. We know each other better than we know ourselves. I will
miss him sitting here on the computer desk, or climbing up on me to take a
nap in my lap or on my chest... messing with the blinds because he wants to
look outside... and getting that look in his eye when I would say the word
"treat"... the other T word he knows besides his name.

So, I said good bye to my baby today, November 27th.... He will be with my
dad and be able to run around after mice and lizards and watch the birds in
that special place in heaven I believe God has for our beloved pets.

With sadness,
Sarah

My daughter

Please keep my daughter in your thoughts. She is having to deal with putting her cat down. Several months ago he had surgery for a tumor which had grown in his side. He appeared to be doing well, but the tumor came back. The surgeon told her that it would not do to do surgery again.

He had been doing pretty well, but the mass is quite large, and now today, he doesn't have much energy, and he is not eating well. We have shed many tears today. Tucker came into her life as a brand new kitty when she was living in North Carolina, and he has brought much joy into her life.

She just e-mailed me and said that she was going to call the vet tomorrow and talk to him.

She reads this blog, and she also visits many of yours. I know she will appreciate any thoughts that you pass along to her.

Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's early afternoon, but I didn't want to let the day go by without wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day. I started to make a list of all the things I'm thankful for, but the list is very long, so I'll forego it right now. Needless to say, I'm thankful for this little girl and for the measure of health that she has had during this first year of her life.

So many Scriptures speak of being thankful. Psalm 100 is a familiar one to most people. I post it here as it is in The Message.

On your feet now --applaud GOD.
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves
into His presence.

Know that GOD is GOD, and GOD, GOD
He made us, we
didn't make Him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with
the password: "Thank you."
Make yourselves at home, talking
praise.
Thank Him. Worship Him.

For God is sheer beauty
all
generous in love;
loyal forever and ever.

The Van Gogh Family - Gathered for Thanksgiving

I received this in an e-mail. Perhaps you've already seen it.

The dizzy aunt -- Verti Gogh
The brother who ate prunes -- Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store -- Stop N. Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia -- U Gogh
The cousin from Illinois -- Chica Gogh
His magician uncle -- Where Diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin -- A. Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin's American half-brother -- Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach -- Wells Far Gogh
The constipated uncle -- Cant Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt -- Tang Gogh
The bird lover aunt -- Flamin Gogh
His nephew psychoanalyst -- E Gogh
The fruit loving cousin -- Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking -- Way To Gogh
The little bouncy nephew -- Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco -- Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in a van -- Winnie Bay Gogh
And there ya Gogh!

For this week of Thanksgiving

Sing praise to God Who reigns above, the God of all creation,

The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation.

With healing balm my soul is filled and every faithless murmur stilled:

To God all praise and glory.

What God’s almighty power hath made His gracious mercy keepeth,

By morning glow or evening shade His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;

Within the kingdom of His might,

Lo! all is just and all is right:To God all praise and glory.

The Lord is never far away, but through all grief distressing,

An ever present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing.

As with a mother’s tender hand, God gently leads the chosen band:

To God all praise and glory.

Thus, all my toilsome way along, I sing aloud Thy praises,

That earth may hear the grateful song my voice unwearied raises.

Be joyful in the Lord, my heart, both soul and body bear your part:

To God all praise and glory.

Let all who name Christ’s holy Name give God all praise and glory;

Let all who own His power proclaim aloud the wondrous story!

Cast each false idol from its throne, for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:

To God all praise and glory.

Humor for High IQ People

A friend sent this to me in an e-mail. It says it's for high IQ people. Some say tht puns are the lowest form of humor, but I love them.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
-----------------------------------------------------
Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a
rest.
-----------------------------------------------------
Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
-----------------------------------------------------
The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
------------------------------------------------------
The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
------------------------------------------------------
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
------------------------------------------------------
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
------------------------------------------------------
The short fortune teller who esca ped from prison was a small medium at
large.
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A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
-------------------------------------------------------
A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened
criminal.
-------------------------------------------------------
Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
--------------------------------------------------------
We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
--------------------------------------------------------
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U. C. L. A.
--------------------------------------------------------
The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
--------------------------------------------------------
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
----------------- -------- ---------------------------------
The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
-----------------------------------------------------------
A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
-----------------------------------------------------------
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
-----------------------------------------------------------
A will, is a dead giveaway.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
-------------------------------------------------------------
A backward poet writes inverse.
-------------------------------------------------------------
In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
--------------------------------------------------------------
A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
-------------------------------------------------------------
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
---------------------------------------------------------------
When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
----------------------------------------------------------------
You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
------------------------ ------- ----------------------------------
Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A calendar's days are numbered.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
------------------------------------------------------------------
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A plateau, is a high form of flattery.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
----------------------------------------- ------ --------------------
When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine
--------------------------------------------------------------------
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Finding Sadie

When I was with Ella in November, we read lots and lots of books. This particular book interested her because of the textures that were on each page, as well as the puppies on each page. Simply Coll adopted Sadie, a springer spaniel last year some time, and she often blogs about her. Her photos are so appealing.

As we came to this page I said, "Well, there's Sadie in her younger days."

Namaste!

Has this ever happened to you?

The day after we moved to a small town in Colorado my wife Bev did
grocery shopping. We moved few food items with us so she filled four
grocery carts full. She asked if she could pay with an out of state
check. "We just moved here," she explained, "and don't have local
checks yet."

They said, "Yes, no problem." But when she began looking for her
checkbook, she discovered that she had left it at home.

All of the groceries had been checked and sacked. "I'm so sorry," she
said, "I thought I had it with me. If I could just leave the groceries
here for a few minutes, I'll run home and get the checkbook."

"Don't worry about it," the cashier told her. "Take the groceries
home. The next time you're in the store you can pay for them."

We had just moved from a large city and she couldn't believe what she
was hearing! This clerk had never seen her before. But she treated her
as if she were a VIP. She was somebody!

Don't you love it when you are treated like you are somebody? Because
the truth is, we are all somebody. We are all important. And maybe
most businesses cannot (and should not) let everybody pay with credit,
but even strangers can be treated with honor and respect.

"Namaste" is a polite Indian gesture of greeting or farewell. From
Hindi, the word literally means "bowing to you." Namaste has also
been used to mean "I honor the sacred that is within you." What a
remarkable thing it would be to actually honor the sacred that is
within each person we meet! Even strangers. Nobody would go unnoticed
and everybody would count.

Here is an exercise that may dramatically change your life: for one
month treat everybody you meet as if she or he is the most important
person in the world. The man sweeping the sidewalk, your spouse and
children, a teenager in the neighborhood, the elderly woman seated
across the aisle from you -- honor that which is sacred in all of
them.

Give your undivided attention. By your words and actions, communicate
to them all how important they are to you. Show them great respect and
kindness. You may be amazed at what happens to your relationships!

You may not single-handedly solve the problem of world peace -- but in
one small way at least, you will make a great difference.

Namaste.

-- Steve Goodier

I saw this in action today. I was scheduled for a stress test this morning. In the other part of the room, a lady, who had already been on the treadmill, was having her nuclear photos being taken. While she was lying there, the technician kept talking to her, asking about where she lived, where she was going to go for lunch, and all such stuff. Later, when I was having my photos done, I inquired about the lady. He told me that it must have been the first time she had done this because her heart rate was so high. He said that as he talked soothingly to her, her heart rate came back down to where it should be.

On my way out of the office, there was a lady standing at the window. I didn't see her face, but I could tell that she was crying. "He was such a good man," she said. I'm assuming she was speaking of her husband who had perhaps recently died. The physician was standing there, listening to her. The office girls were listening, giving her the time that she needed.

Such kindness. I walked away, feeling blessed to be connected to an office where they really seem to care. One doesn't always see that these days.

Namaste.

And a good time was had by all

This past weekend, I, along with 29 other ladies from my church attended the Women of Faith conference in Tampa. I became acquainted with this group by way of radio about twelve years ago. I listened to a report of these meetings popping up around the country, and I decided that if there was ever one near me, I would be there. The next year I attended one in Lakeland. After that it moved to Orlando, and now this year, for a larger venue, it was held in Tampa.

It is a great weekend of laughing, crying, being encouraged by women who have met with success, many of them facing uphill battles and yet triumphing through God's love and grace and mercy.

Many of you have seen the video of the crazy lady doing the William T*ll Overture, recounting her day's activities with her children. She was there as she has been for the last two or three years. Seeing that was almost worth the price of admission.

Nicole C. M*llen was there. What a dynamo! With her she had a group of young people whom she mentors and takes with her on these weekends to dance and sing praise to God. With her was her nephew, the little boy, who at 4, won the Oscar Ma*er Wiener singing contest. You may have seen him on O*rah some time ago when she had him on.

The speakers were great, but to me the highlight of the time was hearing Sandi Pat*y sing. As one said, she probably has the greatest singing voice of our day. She doesn't just sing. She really gets the message across with her interpretation and the orchestration that accompanies her singing.

I leave you with the song that most struck a chord with me. In these days of uncertainty, we have a mighty God, a mighty fortress. You can read some of the history of this hymn here

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Isn't she lovely!

One day when I was spending time with Ella, I turned on the TV and O*rah was on. I don't watch her as a rule, but that particular day she had on outstanding couples in show business, and I left it on for a while. The second couple was Stevie W*nder and his wife. He was not on the show that day, but his wife was. She is a fashion designer and at the end of her conversation with O*rah, several models came out wearing some of her creations.

The last model was Stevie's daughter. What a beauty. His wife said that this was the young woman for whom he had written the song "Isn't She Lov*ly!" back in 1973 when she was born. Although he could not see her with his eyes, he caressed her and wrote the song which so beautifully expressed his love for this new creation in his life.

My daughter-in-law works with a woman, who after Ella was born, made a copy of that song for her. She said that upon seeing Ella, the song came to her mind. While I was in Virginia, I went to my daughter-in-law's work one day, and her co-worker and I went out to lunch together. We've just really connected. She was talking about her mother and doing things with her and for her, and I happened to ask her how old her mother was. Sixty-six was her reply. My next question was what her birthday was. And guess what! It is the same as mine. How often would that happen?

After our lunch, one afternoon when I came into the house, Sabrina was playing a CD. Guess what it was. "Isn't She L*vely". It was then that she shared with me how she got a copy of the song.

Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderfull
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old

I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely
made from love.

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angels' best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed

I can't believe what God has done
Through us He's given life to one
But isn't she lovely
made from love.

When you have nothing else to do

I found this game on someone's blog last night and enjoyed playing it. Have fun.

Halloween Night

The last thing that I got to do with Ella before I left Virginia was to watch her as she went trick or treating on her street. Last year when she was three months old, she and her parents sat on their front step while the children came around. This year, all decked out as a flower, we accompanied her as she got to know some of her neighbors.

One of my daughter-in-law's co-workers has a couple of daughters a little older than Ella, and they have passed on many lovely outfits for Ella to wear. At the beginning of the month, they gave her a couple of costumes that had been lovingly crafted by a relative. One was a lamb costume; the other, this flower. When my DIL came home with them, I pulled out the lamb hat and put it on Ella, and did she ever look cute!


I went upstairs for a few moments before going out, and while I was up, Sabrina brought Ella upstairs to see me, and there she was, the lovely flower that you see here. Have you ever seen anything so cute?! I don't think so. What a lovely evening for meeting some of the neighbors. How gracious they all were, and of course, everyone oohed and aahed over the ever lovely Ella.

It was so much fun to watch her. The town limits the age of trick or treaters to twelve, and so there were not a lot of big kids in scary costumes. We were so pleased to see that she was not at all frightened of the kids in costumes, and it didn't take her long at all to figure out what was going on. On doorsteps where there was a basket of candy, she carefully picked up one and put it in her basket.

I left on Thursday morning after being in Virginia for a month. I so appreciate the graciousness of my son and his wife in allowing me to live in their house for a whole month. I was able to care for Ella four days a week. Wednesday was my "day off" so that I could run and do whatever I wanted. I even did a little cooking for them while I was there. I stopped on the way home to visit Judy. We met last year when I was on my way to Virginia at a restaurant and had breakfast together. This year I stopped by her house, and she served a lovely lunch. I also got to meet Mr. Kenju, who is recovering from a stroke.

I came on home on Friday. Today I watched Penn State beat Purdue. Yeah! And now, Florida State is playing Boston College in the background as I'm writing this.

My week coming up is filled to overflowing with appointments and responsibilities. I hope to get back to more regular posting and visiting soon.

Boo, y'all

This is Sarah's cat, Tucker, from a photo last year. If you recall, he had surgery for a cancerous tumor about three months ago. The tumor returned, and it continues to grow, but Tucker is still functioning well. Sarah sent me a photo of him the other day, and you can see how big the lump is in his side. I'll post it later.

I'll have to have post-Halloween photos of Ella. They'll be up after I get home. Today she's a farmer. We're headed over to her mom's work at UVA where they're having a farm theme for their party, so she will fit right in in her overalls. She's taking her favorite stuffed pig with her. Tonight I believe there will be a different costume.

Later.

A Hymn for Sunday

Last weekend I was in North Carolina attending a wedding. As I drove from Virginia to North Carolina, I saw many beautiful views. The first one was the view from the motel room the morning I was leaving to come back to Virginia. I was reminded this week as I thought of a post using these photos my time spent in Haiti. The name Haiti means high ground. Four-fifths of the country is made up of mountains. One familiar saying in Haiti is "Deye mon, gin mon." The translation is "Behind mountains there are more mountains." And that is so true in that country. My job in Haiti was that of a school teacher for children of missionaries, four of the best years of my life. Today many of the young people that I worked with are serving in different places as missionaries. I considered it my privilege to work with these junior high students.

Whenever we were together as a school group or in a get-together with their parents, if they were asked for their favorite song to sing, often they would suggest the hymn, "Unto the Hills." The words truly expressed the thoughts of Psalm 121 as the psalmist wrote of our heavenly Father who watches over us day and night, never sleeping .

Unto the hills around do I lift up my longing eyes.
Oh whence for me shall my salvation come, from whence arise?
From God, the Lord, doth come my certain aid
From God, the Lord, who earth and heaven hath made.

He will not suffer that thy foot be moved, safe shalt thou be.
No careless slumber shall his eyelids close, who keepeth thee.
Behold, He sleepeth not, He slumbreth ne'er.
Who keepeth Israel in his Holy care.

Jehovah is Himself thy Keeper true, thy changeless Shade;
Jehovah thy Defense on thy right hand Himself hath made.
And thee no sun by day shall ever smite;
No moon shall harm thee in the silent night.

From every evil shall He keep thy soul, from every sin;
Jehovah shall preserve thy going out, thy coming in.
Above thee watching, He Whom we adore
Shall keep thee henceforth, yea, forevermore.

May your Sunday be blessed with His presence.

My Bella

She doesn't look like a baby any more in this photo, does she. This one was taken on the way to church. I've taken a lot of photos of my Bella since I've been here, but not a lot of good ones. She doesn't sit still very long. Surprise, surprise. While I've been here, I've watched Ella four days a week and had Wednesdays off. We've had a good time together, and the month is quickly coming to a close. I'm sticking around until Halloween. One of my DIL's co-workers has daughters older than Ella, and he has loaned her some costumes. I can hardly wait to see what they decide on her wearing. The weather will play a part in that.

There is some fall color, but many trees are losing their leaves without a lot of color. It's raining today, hooray! I'm assuming it will be cooler after the rain.

In the photo of Ella, up in the corner is a photo of my husband. That photo was taken just a month before his death. We had had photos taken for our church directory in March. He died the last day of April. I'm so glad I have that photo of him. When he saw it, he made the comment that he didn't realize how much his hairline had receded. But it had.

I shall return

In the words of General McArthur, I shall return. I spent the weekend in North Carolina. I drove down on Friday and back on Sunday. Ella decided she didn't really need a nap this afternoon, so now I do.

Later.

Back of the clouds

After I took the photos of the storm clouds in my last post, the next day or so I snapped this one. The photo doesn't quite do it justice. The cloud truly had a silver lining.

I had just read the night before about Louise, a young woman in Michigan, who had succumbed to leukemia. She had a bone marrow transplant earlier this year, and fought so bravely, but finally lost the battle. And then a gentleman in our church, who had been battling throat cancer, passed away. I thought of them as I looked at this cloud with the light shining behind it.

It also reminded me of a college friend of mine, a friend who reconnected after thirty years. Our university set up a site where we could search for friends in our class. I received an e-mail from her when I was in Virginia in April. I answered her e-mail then, and after I got back to Florida, I didn't follow through.

While I've been up here again this month, I looked her up, and we've begun correspondence again.
When we were freshmen, we met, and our friendship formed. We discovered that we both liked to sing, and we would often go to the "practice shacks" and sing our hearts out. One song that we sang went something like this:

"Never fear though shadows dark around your path may fall.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Just remember God in heaven watches over all.
He will surely care for you.

Back of the clouds, the sun is always shining.
After the storm, the skies will all be blue.
God has prepared a rosy tinted lining,
Back of the clouds, it's waiting to shine through."

Many of you follow Melange. If you've never visited her blog, go there. She is a very gifted person, physician, mother, daughter, sister, and she is just so smart. Today she writes of her beloved Max. Go there and take your tissues.

(Somehow the formatting just does not work right for me. Forgive the appearance. I tried.)

Stormy Skies

Photowannabe posted several photos of stormy skies in her area of California last week, and I told her I was going to post some. I took the one at the top one evening as I was coming out of church. It looked like the bottom would fall out at any time.

On my way home I snapped another one...clouds still heavy. While I have been gone, Sarah called one night and said that it was raining buckets. Hopefully we have caught up on rain. I know that our drought has not been as bad as in some areas, but it seems that we are always down. The good thing is...no hurricanes.

Ella's Laughing Eyes

Well, I thought I would have a photo a day for my blog. For one thing, it's hard to catch Ella still to catch a good pose, or I'm not quick enough. Then by the time evening comes and I go upstairs, I'm not into posting. I've been enjoying everyone else's posts in the meantime. Last evening we were at the table and after Ella's daddy got up, she decided to climb up in his chair. I had my camera in hand, so David took it and snapped these photos.

Days are full with a toddler. One's work is never done. Of course, I don't have to tell any mothers that or anyone who is a caregiver. After my first day of taking care of Ella, I was ready for bed. She's such a good baby, but very busy, and one wouldn't want it any other way. She loves to go outside and see the birds, feel the breeze, and run her hands through the leaves, and pick up tiny sticks and whatever else she sees.

During the day we look at lots of books. Probably her favorite is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." I know that many of you are familiar with that book. I picked up the DVD of it some months ago and gave it to Ella. Her daddy says that she likes it. Yesterday she brought me the DVD case. After I figured out how to play the DVD (I'm not really too technologically challenged, but there are lots of buttons to push on David's remote) we watched it, and watched it, and watched it. She seems mesmerized by it. I finally turned it off because her parents don't want her watching too much.

She has several CD's with kid's music on them that someone gave to Ella right after she was born. We listen to music a lot, and she loves to dance. Some of her moves are hilarious.

With CF, because of digestive issues and problems with failure to thrive, a high calorie diet is required. Ella has breakfast, then she has a snack, then lunch, another snack, and then dinner. The nutritionist encourages high calorie, high fat and salty snacks. Cheese is a great snack, peanut butter on graham crackers makes another great snack. A CF diet goes against everything that we're trying to incorporate into our diets today...low fat and low salt everything.

When I first began reading about CF, I read a post by a mom who said that she had to have a completely separate cabinet for her child's CF snacks because she (the mom) was gaining so much weight. David mentioned how hard it is not to pop anything into your mouth that she doesn't eat, and I understand completely. Every little mouthful adds up.

Ella went to the doctor on Monday for a throat culture to see if the Pseudomonas is still there. She has a few more days on the inhaled drug and then has a month off. Her doctor put her in a drug study, so her treatment is paid for.

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I so fully support that. Dear friends have had breast cancer. One of my cousins died at 33 from breast cancer. I do wish that there was more Cystic Fibrosis Awareness. The number of people with CF is relatively small. There are approximately 30,000 in the United States with CF. A genetic disorder inherited from a recessive gene that both parents carry. When both parents have that gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance of having a baby with CF. Unless there is reason to suspect it,parents are not routinely tested.

Fortunately for Ella, Virgina had just begun newborn testing in March before she was born in August of 2006. Florida just began testing July 1 of this year. Only a little over half of the states do routine testing in newborns. Early detection is one of the keys to having a healthy baby and toddler.

Well, I could go on and on, but I won't, but I will write more at another time. Thanks for checking in and reading.

Fourteen months old today

I'm still alive, and Ella is surviving me. This has been a busy week. Monday was very uneventful. We played in the house, played outside, ate several times and all in all had a good day. Tuesday started out o.k., but during the morning I noticed Ella wasn't playing. She crawled up in my lap and stayed there. I went in search of a thermometer, and she indeed did have a high temp. So her daddy came home and off we went to the doctor's office. Because of the cystic fibrosis, the didn't want to take any chances, so the pediatrician sent her for blood work and a chest x-ray. Everything apparently was negative. Yesterday she was more like her old self and today she seems to be feeling fine.

She does have an appointment on Monday with the specialist who wants to do another throat culture to see how the Pseudomonas is. She is still on an inhaled antibiotic twice a day as well as her regular treatments. She's so good about everything. It's harder on her parents on me than it is on her. She pretty much takes everything in stride. We are praying, of course, that the bacteria has not had time to colonize in her lungs.

The weather is warmer every day. It was 87 today. The humidity is not as bad here as in Florida, so it doesn't seem nearly so hot. I do have the air conditioner on upstairs in my chamber, though.

Many of you have been following Ella's journey with cf since her birth. Others of you are newcomers. I appreciate all your kindnesses and tender thoughts and words as you read about this grammy and her Ellla. She's a precious little girl.

I read a quote by C.S. Lewis today on my homepage. It read, "God is not proud. .. He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him." That brings to mind the verse, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." I'm so glad He took me in.