Saturday stuff

Some of you know from previous posts that my son graduated from Penn State, home of the Nittany Lions and Joe Paterno. During the football season I join the faithful alumni in Sarasota to watch the football games. Last week's game was forgettable as far as the Penn State team was concerned. Notre Dame beat them handily.

Today they played a division-AA, which is to say, they should have won, and they did. There are some great freshman and sophomore players playing and getting good experience. Next week will be another story when they travel to Columbus to play Ohio State.

Michigan handed it to Notre Dame. Who would have thought? And now, Florida is getting beaten by Tennessee, and Clemson is leading Florida State.

On my way to Sarasota, the sun was shining brightly, and as I looked ahead, there was a distinct line across the road. As I crossed the line, the rain was coming down, and it was the smell of a fresh rain on a summer day. I don't remember that smell for some time. We've been having lots of rain here in my area. When it rains for two or three hours, intersections near my house are covered with water. It's a good thing we haven't had a hurricane.

A friend sent these pictures to me in an e-mail. I thought I'd share them with you.

That one might strike a chord...
...and then I'm sure many of you can identify with this sign.

Thank you

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your comments about Ella and all of us. You are all so very kind and thoughtful.

Attention, attention!

I have a birthday coming up...Tuesday, the 19th. And I noticed that my first blog entry was September 20.

This is one of those milestone birthdays. I'm now a card-carrying senior citizen. I used my Medicare card for the first time at the dermatologist's office this month, and it will be used a couple of times in the next week.

My daughter doesn't blog, so I may have to do my own tribute...pictures and all that stuff. I'll work on it this weekend while I should be getting ready for my trip to Virginia. I'm going to leave on the 23rd, stopping by a Lacoochee reunion, visiting a friend in north Georgia for a few days, and then going on to Waynesboro where I'll be for the month of October. During the month of October I'll be taking care of granddaughter Ella since Mom is going back to work October 2.

I read this comic strip this morning and thought it fit the occasion nicely (or not.)


Does the period go inside our outside the parenthesis? Judy, can you answer that one for me? By the way, Judy has some funny cartoons on her site today.

And in honor of getting older, I leave you with the comment I found on Hoss's blog by Bonnie..."Overheard at the Incontinence helpline--Can you hold?"

Ella's appointment

 

Ella had an appointment with the cystic fibrosis specialist yesterday. My daughter-in-law said that they spent four hours at the doctor's office, meeting with the nurse, the doctor, the respiratory therapist, and nutritionist. She had her oxygen level tested and was weighed and measured, had a throat culture and two x-rays.

What a day for a baby! and her mother! It was a very hard day for my daughter-in-law as she pretty much saw Ella's future laid out before her. She did find out that her body is producing some of the enzymes naturally but not enough to take her off the enzymes. She'll be tested again in a year to see if the level has dropped which may be the case.

They are beginning to perform chest Pt on Ella twice a day. There are six different positios and they have to "thump" her for three minutes in each position. The respiratory therapist said to plan about a half hour for each session.

As I said after we had heard her diagnosis, this blog won't be just about Ella and CF, but it is so heavy on our hearts. When you read and look at pictures of Ella and the parents, pray for them or send good thoughts their way. Thanks. 

We'll Never Forget

Please read through this post to read the prayer at the end by Max Lucado. And then please read the following post.

September 11, 2001 - a day forever etched in our minds. I had just come home from the gym and turned on the TV to see the second plane fly into the tower. It was inconvceivable that this could be happening to us. That moment is frozen in time for us. We are too young to remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor; some of us were not even born yet.

Most of us remember exactly where we were when JFK was shot. I was just walking with my class back into the school building when someone came out to tell me the news. We remember when the space shuttle Challenger was lost to us. A work day at our school, we sat in disbelief that this could have happened, especially with a teacher on board. On a smaller scale, we in the Tampa Bay area remember the day when the freighter rammed into the Sunshine Skyway, sending many to a watery grave. One of our teachers drove over that bridge every day to come to work, but the day before she had decided to stay in Bradenton over night, so she was safe.

In the week following 9/11, we in the Tampa Bay area were hit by tropical storm Gabrielle. We were totally unprepared; we had been so stricken by the tragedy of that day. The storm was bad enough that my husband could not drive his big truck through the water to do any jobs. He was called to several places to do service work, but he had to tell the people that there was no way that he could get there.

That Saturday, September 15, I had planned to go to a John Maxwell leadership seminar at a church in Tampa with my Pampered Chef® director. The seminar was broadcast by satellite. In view of the events of the week, it was modified in that during the last session, a prayer meeting was held. Max Lucado was invited to be a part, and he prayed a prayer that he had written for the events of 9/11. Please read it here.


Do It Again, Lord
by Max Lucado


We’re still hoping we’ll wake up. We’re still hoping we’ll open a sleepy eye and think, “What a horrible dream.”

But we won’t, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are sad.

There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest, a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old. (Who held her in those final moments?)

We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn’t.
And so we come to you. We don’t ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don’t request it; we implore it. We know what you can do. We’ve read the accounts. We’ve pondered the stories and now we plead, “Do it again, Lord. Do it again.”

Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.
Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children too, Lord. Do it again.
And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

You changed Daniel from a captive into a king’s counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.
Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here last Tuesday, you saw there that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the smoke eclipsed our morning, so the darkness fell on your Son. Just as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced.

And by dusk, heaven’s sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock.

But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter.

We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Christians are praying with Jews. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for these hours of unity.

And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do.

Let your mercy be upon our President, Vice President, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.
And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you’ve used her to heal a hurting world.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Through Christ, Amen.
© 2001, Max Lucado. This prayer was originally spoken at America Prays, a prayer event held September 15, 2001 by InJoy. Title: "Do It Again, Lord"
Author: Max Lucado
Publication Date: September 18, 2001

Janice J. Brown, 35

September 11, 2001, a day we will never forget, nor should we. People in the blogging community are remembering victims of the tragedy that happened to our country five years ago.

Janice J. Brown is one of the 2,996 victims of 9/11. She was 35 years old. Janice worked as an accountant for Marsh and McLennan Cos, Inc. in the World Trade Center.

I couldn't find an obituary for her or anything about her, except for this comment that was left by a visitor at a site. Shakita wrote this: "I held you as a young baby. My mom was your Godmother. When your grandmother Dinah moved and your mom Juanita moved I never saw your face again. May God bless you in heaven. I read as many articles as I could about you. You are a special angel. The news was stunning to me. Yes, only after your mom passed did we inquire what happened to her daughter Janice. Forgive us. Love and Peace."

To view other tributes, visit this website, www.dcroe.com

Losses

There have been several losses this past week. The first one that I'll mention is the Notre Dame-Penn State game. Oh my, the Fighting Irish did a job on the Nittany Lions. As we watched, we felt we were watching the team of two years ago. Next week will come and this week's loss will be forgotten, well maybe not completely forgotten.

The other loss was that of Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. A sad ending to a young life. Many bloggers wrote about him, and it seems that everyone admired him for being so enthusiastic about his life's work. One's heart goes out to him wife and young children.

The other loss was Andre Agassi's loss at the US Open. No one whose blog I read said anything about this...maybe I don't read in the right circles. Andre Agassi was indeed a colorful figure in the world of tennis during his 21 years. Sports Illustrated had a lengthy article about him a few weeks ago before the US Open. The article described how his father hung tennis balls over his crib when he was a baby. He was driven to succeed. I read once that when he took second place in a tournament, his father was very disappointed and said that second place was no good.


As a young player he came to Bradenton to train with Nick Bolletieri, who ran a tennis academy here. He became well-known as a tennis player and the figure we saw hawking Canon cameras, stating, "Image is everything." You might recall how taken Barbra Streisand was with him. She said, "Oh, he's so evolved." Then he married Brooke Shield, and that marriage didn't last.

Somewhere along the way he got it right. His image changed from the brash youth to a gentleman who loved not only his sport, but his fans. He established a charter school in Las Vegas for disadvantaged youth.

He married Steffi Graf and is now the proud papa of a son and daughter.

When I was flying home from Richmond last Monday, someone left the sports section of the New York Times in the bathroom stall. His picture graced the front page, so I took it along with me to read. One headline said, "From Rebel to Statesman." The pretty much says it all.

And this quote was at the top of the page. "You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you, and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life." Andre Agassi addressing the US Open crowd.

And, Andre, we will remember you and miss you. You may have lost the tournament, but you ended up a winner.

Ella at one month

 
While we were in Waynesboro with David and Sabrina, Ella had her one month birthday. A lot has happened in this first month...the blood tests, and then the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. She now is given enzymes before she nurses to aid her digestion.

She generally is a happy baby in the morning, but by late afternoon she lets you know that she isn't too content with the goings on. Fortunately, she has been waking up only once during the night, giving her parents a chance to get some rest.

One's life is changed forever when a baby arrives, isn't it.

I'm going to ask your advice, or I'm going to take a poll. My daughter and I are seriously thinking of relocating to be near David, Sabrina, and Ella. I know that people have said that you shouldn't follow your kids around, because they may not stay in the same place very long. I know that's true. That's one factor. However, David, Sabrina, and Ella are the only family that Sarah and I have. My husband's brother and family are in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Our hearts are really tugged. Sarah stated that she doesn't want to be a long distance aunt who only sees her niece a couple of times a year. Sarah has a home here in Florida, as do I, and it would be hard to pull up stakes and move...but...
I'd be interested in your input. 

Safely home

Sarah and I arrived home last night from Virginia. Our trip home was smooth flying. Flying to Virginia on Friday into the edge of the storm was something else, especially for Sarah who doesn't travel well in the best of circumstances.

On our way to Waynesboro I commented to her that if we were at home, there is no way we would be out in the weather we were driving in. Thankfully we arrived safely at David's home and spent four days oohing and ahhing over Ella. She's a cutie.

I have oodles of things to do today, but I'll get a picture up of her later on...maybe tomorrow.

What a difference three weeks makes

 
Ella Marie will be four weeks old tomorrow. David sent this picture a few days ago. I can't get over the difference between the firat pictures I posted and this one.

So much for tropical storm Ernesto. We had absolutely no wind here, and very little rain. Yippee! It is very humid here, though. We have had summer rains this year that have left the ground soggy in many places. I remember a few years ago when we were in such drought that the Hillsboro River was at the lowest level that it had been since 1902.

Off to see Ella on Friday. Sarah's going this time to see her niece for the first time. I'm hoping it isn't raining in Richmond when we land. 

Ella - Day 5

 

I tried to upload a photo through Blogger this a.m., but never could, so I decided to try Picasa. It seems to be working fine.

This is a picture I took of Ella when I was in Virginia right after she was born. I know she will have lost that totally newborn look when I see her on Friday.

Hopefully the wind and rain from Ernesto will be out to sea by then. 

Good Monday morning

Last night I was thinking that maybe Ernesto was going to make his presence known here as I watched the maps. I was so afraid that our travel plans for the weekend might be disrupted. Now that would break my heart. I want to get my hands on that baby again.

This morning, the forecast has changed. While the storm was over Haiti, it weakened as it traveled over the mountains of that country. I had an e-mail from Haiti this morning that said that three inches was about all that my friends got in the Cayes area. That is along the southern coast of the country. Considering everything, the damage was not too bad. There were only about three inches of rain.

Maybe, just maybe, it will fall apart and die. No one really deserves to get hit by a major storm this year. As I look at the map this afternoon, it appears that we are still in the path of the oncoming storm. I'm still praying it will fall apart.

At church last night, we had a ministry visit and give a report on their work. Loving hands is a ministry that aids in rehabbing men who have had problems with drugs and alcohol. The ministry takes in these men, houses and feeds them, and fills them with the Word of God. It is exciting to hear their testimonies. One young man is the baby, not yet out of his teens, another 46, who has had a run-in with the law. Others have been messed up by drugs or alcohol and not made good choices in their lives.

Some of the men were raised in Christian homes; some were raised in homes where drugs and alcohol were the norm. As they spoke, they all gave thanks to God for the transformation in their lives. They all ended with Scripture that had been memorized. I was reminded of the verse, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

What, no picture?

So I said to my son, "Send more pictures.!" He said, "I haven't taken any. Anyway, you're going to be here next week." I may have to go through some that I took and post.

Today was the trip to the specialist with Ella. David said it was mostly an overview of Ella's care. She'll start on vitamins and enzymes next week. Apparently, failure to thrive is a problem with CF children because pancreas doesn't secrete the necessary enzymes to aid in digestion.

I don't know about this baby, but she was 6'15" when she went home from the hospital, and now she weighs 9'4", and she was just three weeks old on Wednesday, and she's grown almost 2 inches. In all honesty, David said she wouldn't straighten out her legs when they measured her when she was born.

In reading about this condition, I'm finding that there can be no letup in treatment. Keeping the lungs clear is of utmost importance. As you can imagine, I have been scouring the internet as have my friends. While it used to be that children did not make it to their teens, the average age of a CF patient is now 37.

I know that as Ella grows, treatment can only get better, and maybe they'll figure out how to engineer that gene for a cure.

Here's the reason!

"We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads."...read on Cybersalt Digest from Pastor Tim.

Friends

This blog is not about the baby, but I thought I'd throw in a picture just to grab you. I've been talking to friends who winter in Florida who are interested in seeing pictures of Ella, so I posted this one tonight.

Actually, I just wanted to mention some of the acquaintances that have come my way through blogging. Gordon Cloud is a pastor in Cairo, Georgia. I asked him in a comment on his blog to request prayer of his congregation for Ella. He e-mailed me that after the service a young woman came to him in tears and told him that she has CF. I talked with her yesterday. Now 21, she was diagnosed at 3 months of age. She told me that she weighed 6 pounds at birth, and she did not thrive. The authorities came after her mother for neglect, and it was then that she found out that she had the disease.

On Gordon's blog a couple of days ago, he spoke about how happy he is that fall is approaching. The reason? Hunting and football. There were lots of comments there, and one of them was from a young woman whose name I hadn't seen before. I clicked on her profile and found out that she is a missionary with Worldteam in Australia. When I was 26, I went to Haiti with West Indies Mission. When the work of the mission went beyond the West Indies, the name was changed to World Team. The motto was "doing together what we can't do alone." The years went on and World Team merged with Regions Beyond Missionary Union, and Worldteam became the new name. I commented on her blog and have since e-mailed her, telling her about my time in Haiti.

One day, while reading Michael Fay's blog, he mentioned Sketchpad Warrior Kris is part of the Marines. His job is to draw portraits of soldiers. You can see some of his work and a description of it on his site. When I first went to his blog, he talked about working in Haiti at Fermathe, and he had written the title of his post in Creole. I couldn't believe my eyes. Before I went to Haiti as a missionary, I spent three weeks one summer at Fermathe in Hait. We have conversed a little back and forth in Creole in the comment section.

Another person that I've gotten to know is Tom. Tom is a young pastor who has had many physical difficulties. If you go to his blog and read down through some of his archives, you'll be amazed at what he is able to do today. He is an ardent Cubs fan and a great fan of the Indiana University basketball team. In one of his archives he spoke of traveling in Florida and seeing some strange names. One of them was Rifle Range Baptist Church. I just about dropped my teeth. When I was in high school and university, my friend's dad was pastor of that very church in Winter Haven, Florida.

When I came home from Haiti in 1972, missionaries were beginning to come to the field with microwave ovens and VCR's, and we wondered what on earth the world was coming to. Well, we've had a glimpse, haven't we. Computers and the internet have been wonderful developments in our world, bringing us together. We do truly have a global village. 

Choir practice

Tonight was choir practice at our church. A lot of churches have done away with choirs and gone to worship teams. Our church has a traditional service, called "heritage" service, and then one which is a blended service. When the choir sings, we sing at both services. We just resumed practice in August, and we will be singing this coming Sunday.

For whatever reason, our temporary choir director has selected arrangements of hymns yes, real live hymns, and I was so comforted tonight by his choice. The last few days have been hard, going from wondering if Ella has CF, to hearing yesterday that her diagnosis was confirmed. I feel sorry for my kids, particularly for Ella, who is after all the one who has this disease, and then for myself. My tears have flowed, as have those of my daughter Sarah, but particularly David and Sabrina.

This Sunday we are singing for our choir selection "How Firm a Foundation." Such wonderful words...

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

His grace is sufficient for every need. Hallelujah!

Not the news we hoped for

The news about Ella is not what we hoped for today. Her sweat test is positive for cystic fibrosis. David and Sabrina have an appointment on Friday with a specialist in Charlottesville. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. 

I lied!

I lied. Yes, I did. I just can't resist posting these photos. I received these yesterday from my son. Isn't that baby beautiful? I can just hear you oohing and ahhing over this beauty. Can you believe she's only two weeks old? Thanks for indulging me just a little bit.


Behold my son...all 6'8" of him. After having a campus minister for three years, working in construction for a year, he is now beginning as an eighth grade math teacher. He doesn't have the necessary credentials yet for being certified, so that will have to come. He's a great math student, however, and he is praying that his enthusiasm and compassion for the students will make a real difference in their lives. He's a wonderful young man, if I say so myself.

Tuesday is the day when we'll know whether Ella has CF or not. David said the other day, "Mom, we're putting that behind us and concentrating on Ella." And that is how it should be. If she turns out to be positive for CF on Tuesday, that will not become the emphasis of this blog.

Thanks to all of you who have left encouraging notes to us. I hope that my son and his wife have read them. I know that they read this blog. 

Please visit

If you haven't visited Sketchpad Warrior, please stop by and leave a word of encouragement. Kris has posted some sketches of patients at Bethesda Hospital.

Still waiting

 

My son and his wife got the results of the second blood test done on Ella today. It is positive again. So on Tuesday they are making a trip to Charlottesville for the sweat test. This is the test that is definitive in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.

When I talked to him this afternoon, my son let her "talk" to me. I heard her little squeaks on the phone. I WANT TO BE THERE! Sarah and I are flying up over the Labor Day weekend to see her. I think I'll be adding up those frequent flyer miles for sure.

Thank you all for your concern and please continue to uphold us with your thoughts and prayers. 

A familiar sight

My beautician, or hair stylist, as they are called these days, opened her own shop recently about 20 minutes from where I live. I used to have to drive all of two minutes to get there. She's worth the drive, and really, in our county, nothing is far away.

I stopped in Palmetto for some breakfast on the way home, and as I was driving through town I saw a very familiar sight. Standing on the corner waiting to cross was a trainer with a Southeast Guide Dog puppy. Southeastern Guide Dogs is located in Manatee County, north of the river. They raise and train dogs to be placed with blind people, and now are training service dogs as well.

From time to time at the UPS store, or the grocery store, or anywhere you might find yourself, you will see someone with their guide dog puppy, patiently working with them, getting them accustomed to being around people without wanting to play or respond. It is SO HARD not to reach out and pet them or talk to them.

The folks who raise these puppies are a dedicated bunch, taking that puppy in their home to love them, train them, and then give them up when the time comes for further training.

After the dogs begin their training with their new owners, they can be seen on the streets of our town learning to guide across the streets and maneuver on the sidewalks. I always get a little teary-eyed when I see them. The dogs literally give their lives to help someone.

One day when I was at the vet's office with my cat, someone came in with a huge box filled with collie puppies. They were there for their checkups, and I believe, were destined to become guide dogs. That reminds me of the story I read about the man who took his litter of lab puppies to the vet for their shots. As the vet would give one puppy his shots, he wet his forehead with some water, so that he would remember which ones he had treated, and which ones he had not. Finally the man said, "Oh, I didn't know you baptized them too."

An interesting article about the training program for the dogs in a correctional facility can be seen here.

"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made." --Roger Caras

Losing one's pet

If you are an animal lover, or even if you aren't, this post is a must read.

Mother and child

 
I wanted to show you a picture of this beautiful granddaughter with her eyes open, and oh yes, her beautiful mother.

Thank you all for your interest and concern. When my son called me Friday evening and told me about the call from the pediatrician's office about the blood test, he was understably upset. They took her Saturday morning for another blood test. Results will be known this coming week.

The doctor did tell them that there is a very high percentage of "false positives" with this test and even with the second one. If the second one should be positive, they would proceed with the sweat test at the appropriate time.

So I thank you for your continued concern and prayers. I'll let you know the results as soon as I know.  

Encouraging news about Ben

In April, I began telling you about Ben, a young man, my daughter's age, who was stricken with testicular cancer. Here is the latest update from his wife. I thought you would like to read this and rejoice and pray for continued healing.

Good news!!!! Ben's HCG (cancer count) is down to 24. We also had a very encouraging appointment at a different rehab facility. They seemed very positive and hopeful about possibility for Ben's arm and are recommending him for a day program designed for younger people hoping to get back to work. It is a much more aggressive program and meets 5 days a week for about 6 hours. It even includes transportation which would be a huge stress relief since I've gone back to work now and am not as free to take him to his various appointments. Please pray that our insurance will cover this, and that if it won't, that we will find a way to cover it.

Some disturbing news

My son called this afternoon and told me that the pediatrician called to say that a blood test done on little Ella tested positive for cystic fibrosis. He did say, however, that a large number are false positives. She will go for another blood test tomorrow and they will know by the middle of next week.

Please pray for my son and daughter-in-law, David and Sabrina, and my little granddaughter, Ella marie.

Thank you.

My new granddaughter

Here she is!!! My granddaughter and first grandchild entered the world, Friday, August 4, 2006. I flew up on Sunday to spend a few days with son and daughter-in-law. I arrived on their doorstep just as they were arriving home from the hospital.

It's hard to remember holding one so tiny. I can't imagine what holding a preemie would be like. She looks big in the photo, but when my son, who is 6'8'' holds her to his chest, she looks like a little peanut. I'm amazed at her hair with its two cowlicks. Neither of mine had very much. My daughter-in-law is Asian, and so bets are being placed about her eyes (just kidding) but they would be very happy for that to be evident.

Everyone told me what a wonderful experience it is...and it is. I can hardly wait to go back and spend more time with this new little girl. More to come...

Flying home yesterday seemed like any other day, except for heightened security at the airport. I flew out of Richmond, and when I went through security, of course my knee set off the alarm. I was taken to a private security check area. Often at the airport I'm asked if I prefer that, and I always say that it doesn't matter. Perhaps that is their practice in Richmond. The checker asked me if I was traveling with anyone, and when I told her no, she gathered up my belongings. That is always a concern to me; however, usually they seat me so that I can keep my eye on my belongings. Yesterday as well as checking my body, the checker went through my purse as well, looking for offensive liquids. I always check everything except my purse and may a small tote bag because I don't like the weight on my shoulders.

When I got to the airport and returned my rental car, I tossed the bottle of water that I had after having heard the news that morning. The only glitch in travel was that in Charlotte, the plane that would take me to Sarasota had started at Newark that morning and had been delayed a couple of hours after news of the arrests in London. It had then flown to Kansas City then to Charlotte. It arrived about an hour after the time that I would have taken off for home. I was none the worse for the wear. It was good to be home safe and sound.

Arriving home, a friend met me at the airport. Her first question was "Do you have pictures?" "Of course," I said, "let me get my camera." Well, I scrounged and looked and my camera wasn't there. I called me son, and he said, "Mom, your friends in Florida aren't going to be happy." I had left my camera at his house, so he sent me a couple that he had sent my daughter earlier...so soon I'll have my pictures, and I promise not to bore you to death with them. 

Good News From a Distant Land

Note: I'm off to Virginia until Thursday to see my new granddaughter (and my son and daughter-in-law.)


GOOD NEWS FROM A DISTANT LAND

A man from Holland called simply, Brother Andrew, had just smuggled a load of Bibles in his VW across the Rumanian border. He checked into a motel and began praying that God would lead him to the right Christian groups-- the ones who could best use his load of Bibles.

On Sunday morning Andrew walked up to the hotel clerk and asked where he might find a church. The clerk looked at him a little strangely and answered, "We don't have many of those you know. Besides you couldn't understand the language."

"Didn't you know?" Andrew replied, "Christians speak a kind of universal language."

"Oh what's that?"

"It's called Agape."

"Agape?" the clerk wondered. "I never heard of it."

"Too bad," Andrew replied, "It's the most beautiful language in the world."

Well Andrew was able to locate several church groups in the area and he managed to arrange a meeting with the president and secretary of a certain denomination, we'll call them James and Leon. They sat down together in a small office. Andrew was eager to tell them about the Bibles he had smuggled into the country. He also wanted to find out something about the men and their churches. But soon the three discovered that they couldn't speak each others languages. The men knew several European languages, but none in common.

So there they sat staring at each other across the room. Andrew had come thousands of dangerous miles in his little VW. He longed to bring greetings and encouragement from Christians in the western world to these brothers isolated behind the Iron Curtain. But how? They couldn't understand a word he said.

Then Andrew got an idea. He noticed James had a Bible on his desk. Andrew reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Dutch Bible. He turned to I Corinthians 16:20 and held the Bible out, pointing to the name of the book, which they could recognize.

Instantly their faces lit up. They quickly found the same chapter and verse in their Rumanian Bibles and read this verse:
"All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss."
(I Cor. 16:20) James and Leon beamed back at Andrew. Then James looked through his Bible and found Proverbs 25:25. Andrew found the verse and read: "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

By then all three were laughing together. Andrew responded by turning to the
book of Philemon. He pointed his brothers to verses 4 and 5. They read: "I always thank God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints."

The two Rumanians nodded, smiling. Then Leon's eyes wondered down to verse seven. He pushed the Bible over to Andrew, pointing to these beautiful words: "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints."

These three men had a wonderful time together. They spent half an hour conversing and sharing---just through the words of Scripture. They were so happy in their fellowship they laughed until tears came to their eyes. Finally Andrew showed his brothers the Bibles he had brought for them. James and Leon were overwhelmed and overjoyed. They embraced him again and again.

That evening when Andrew returned to his hotel, the clerk approached him and remarked, "Say, I looked up agape in the dictionary. There's no language by that name. That's just a Greek word for love."

Andrew replied, "That's it. I was speaking in it all afternoon."

Adapted from "God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew in Steven Mosley's book:
"Great Stories and How to Tell Them."


For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!


This is from an e-mail that I received from this website.

The story was sent in by a Pastor Michael Jackson.

Happy birthday

I just would like to announce the arrival of my very first grandchild, a little girl, born at 3:26 this morning. Parents and baby are doing fine. I'll be on my way to see her soon.

Waiting

Tuesday was the due date for my first grandchild. So far, she (the baby) has decided to stay right where she is. Maybe she knows that it is nearly 100 degrees in Virginia where they live. I've been reading and enjoying a lot of blogs lately but not posting. The first three days of the week were hectic, and I didn't want to take the time to sit down and try to do a decent post.

Tom wrote on Tuesday about Greg Maddux's leaving the Chicago Cubs for the Dodgers, and then he mentioned today that he had been a Cub before he ever became a Brave. I had only known him as a Brave. SRP has been writing about her experiences in New York City, from riding the subway to visiting the museums, seeing Broadway plays, and in general describing the neighborhood in Brooklyn where she has been nanny for a couple of weeks to Tanya and Tucker, two cats.

I went to see a baseball game on Monday night. In our area we have the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Some folks call them the "Rays." They prefer to leave the devil out of it...which is o.k. with me. Tampa Bay has a strange sports history. Years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started up and had a losing season for how many years? Well, I haven't looked up the statistics, but probably 20 or so. Then Tony Dungy came and turned the team around with his defense. The team became contenders, but because He didn't get them to the Super Bowl, he was fired. One of the players said of him the other day, "He made us what we are today." I believe he was talking about the character he helped instill in the men as well as the football skills that were taught and caught by the men.

Years ago, the city of St. Petersburg build a dome to house a baseball team. When the leagues expanded, the Arizona Diamondbacks came into being as well as the Devil Rays. What were they named? Tampa Bay...this caused a lot of anger in St. Pete. They sort of lost their identity. Then along came the hockey team...the Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of the Stanley Cup a couple of years ago. They built the "Ice Palace" for them...it is in Tampa. What is it named now? The "St. Pete Times Forum." The newspaper bought rights to the name. So in Tampa they play at the St. Pete Times Forum.

I find myself wandering here...I went to the baseball game, which is now played in the same dome, now known as Tropicana® Field. Tropicana is the orange juice brand which is made right here in Bradenton where I live. As I sat and watched the game, I recognized a few names on the Tigers team. The Rays are a young team. They have traded away their experienced players for younger ones...We're building, they say. The team really does have some talent on it, and management says they have a plan. Hopefully, it won't take as long as the Bucs did to succeed. Unhappily, they find themselves in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox.

A few things that management did this year to try to boost attendance at games was to offer free parking (a savings of ten dollars,) lower the price of food (you can buy a hot dog for a dollar, also a small drink for a dollar,) permit food to be brought into the dome. Attendance is up 30% over last year, and gradually a fan base seems to be building up.

Unfortunately, Northerners who move to Florida bring their team loyalties with them. When the yankees or Red Sox come to town, there are more of their fans their than Rays' fans, but a gradual change is being seen. One day...one day, perhaps the Rays will rule

I have many more thoughts on baseball, but I'll save them for another day. If I contine, those of you who visit here and are not particularly baseball fans will long ago have stopped reading...z-z-z-z.

A Hymn for Sunday

I believe that this is one of my favorite hymns.

And Can It Be?

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

The words and music of this hymn can be found here.

Why We Love Our Cats

I started to name this blog "More About my Grandkittens", but then it took a different turn, thus the reference to Color's not being a grandkitten.

No, this is not one of my grandkittens. This is Color, the kitten who at eight weeks of age worked her way into our hearts and stayed there for eighteen years, before she left us. I remember the first night that she was with us, she ran and played and then just lay down in the middle of the family room floor for a little nap before resuming her activity. My husband, who had not been particulary fond of cats (he had never had one,) fell in love with her and she with him. Every evening when she heard him in the garage taking off his work shoes, she would sit at the door, waiting for him to come in so that he would pet her before he did anything else.
Now, these are the grandkittens, Tucker and Samson. They fill my daughter's life with joy (except for the early hours of the morning when they want something to eat.) That seems to be a common occurrence among cats.

The other evening I went with her to PetSmart to get some cat food. Before she got the food, we went to the room that had cats available for adoption from the Humane Society. One particular Tuxedo kitten reached out to me. She's just a little over a year old, and did she ever play. Then there were a couple of others, who looked wistfully with their big eyes, saying, "Pick me."

When my granddaughter (no, she isn't here yet, but SOON) is about three months old, I'll be going to Virginia for about a month to take care of her. When I come back home, I plan to adopt a couple of cats. I know there will still be plenty available. I do love reading about all the cats in the blogs. Some of the cats even "speak" for themselves.

On the back page of this month's Good Housekeeping magazine, there is a page that is titled, "Why We Love Cats and Dogs." Some of the descriptions of cats are: Supersoft pink paws, their love affair with open boxes and rubber bands, rhythmic purrs and full body stretches, their haughty independence combined with their constant need to be near you, and many more...These are by Alice Oglethorpe.

I know that many of you who read this blog could add many, many more reasons why you love your cats (or dogs.)

Me-ow for now.

Isn't that just like us?

Fred was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up drinking."

Miraculously, a parking place appeared. Fred looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one!"

Courtesy of Pastor Tim.

Happy birthday, Snooty

Last week, our resident manatee, Snooty, celebrated his 58th birthday. Snooty is a west Indian manatee who resides at the Parker Aquarium in the South Florida museum in Bradenton. Nearly 4,000 people came out to help thefamous manatee celebrate the occasion.

Snooty was born in captivity at the Miami Aquarium as "Baby Snoots" on July 21, 1948. He came to Bradenton with his mother as part of a manatee exhibit during the 1949 DeSoto Celebration. When his mother was released back into the wild, Snooty was forced to remain in an aquarium because he had always been hand-fed and did not know how to survive on his own.

When the Miami Aquarium closed, Snooty came to Bradenton permanently. His first home was a small pool and then a larger tank was built in the museum. Even then he became crowded for space. Whenever we took our first graders on a field trip to the museum, seeing Snooty was the highlight of the trip. We wanted to touch him so badly, but that was forbidden because of the spread of germs.
In 1993 a 60,000 gallon pool with upper and lower viewing areas, a medication pool and deep and shallow water for feeding opened at the museum and became Snooty's most recent and most elaborate place of residence.
I wrote about "Cows on Parade" in Chicago. When I flew home to Tampa, before going to get my bags and getting my car, I went up to get a bite to eat. On display in the airport were these manatees. They are similar to what the cows were like in Chicago. AC wrote that her town had bears all over the place.
The manatee is the gentle giant of the waters in Florida. Wild manatees are docile creatures whose survival has been threatened by boats and red tide. Last year, the Florida Fish and Wild Life Commission reported 225 manatees died in Florida. Watercraft accounted for 50 of those deaths and another 80 deaths were from red tide.

I live in Manatee County. I graduated from Manatee High School. At one time I had a "Save the Manatee" license plate. I had it for about 10 years, in fact; then I changed it to "Choose Life", the plate that promotes adoption.

During the winter when the water is cold, groups of manatees can be seen at the power plants that are near the water, enjoying the warmth given off.

I took some of this information from a newspaper article in our local paper. To see some photographs of actual manatees, go to this website. 

Holy Cow!

Several years ago when we went to Chicago for Pampered Chef® conference, the city was celebrating "Cows on Parade." Perhaps you saw them or read about them. Everywhere you looked there were life-sized cows that had been creatively adorned. I believe that after the session was over, the cows were auctioned off, for charity, I assume.

One year when my consultant friend and I went to Chicago, we had tickets for a Cubsu-White Sox game at Wrigley Field. I know that to some of you, you might say, "so?" but we were elated. The reason we were able to get tickets at all was that our seats were behind a post...but we were on the third base line. Seated among about six young men (all Cubbies fans except for one,) we had the time of our lives. Such fun! The Cubs won, but it was a game where you didn't know until the end who was going to win. Sammy Sosa hit a home run; Frank Thomas hit a home run that I am sure is still traveling out in space...and just to be at Wrigley Field was an experience.
As I recall, the Donald was there to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Pretty bad.

Anyway, this year on our stay in Chicago we decided to have dinner at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse. Another fun experience. Lots and lots of baseball memorabilia to enjoy, and yes, this cow with his signature glasses. Holy cow! If you don't know who Harry Caray is, never mind. I know AC knows, as does Tom.


Srp mentioned in a comment that her brother had stayed in one of the round buildings on the river when he was in Chicago singing opera. This must be the one. There are two of them, and if you look closely, you can see the cars parked in the bottom of the building. These are affectionately (or not) called the "corn cob buildings."

More about Chicago

On Wednesday evening before our conference started, a large group of us went on a boat tour. The weather could not have been worse. It didn't rain, but as you can tell from the photos, the clouds had rolled in by late afternoon. A couple of years ago when I was in Chicago, my friend and I took one of the architectural boat tours up the river. It is a must if you ever visit the city.
As the boat left the dock, we entered a lock and waited for the height of the water to equalize before going out into the lake. This particular ride went along the shore for quite a way. The docent told us that Montgomery Ward was responsible for keeping the shore free of high-rise buildings. There is a beautiful park along the water. As we rode past we could see Soldier Field, the Shedd Aquarium, and one of the several museums of Chicago.
.
Before I wrote this post, I searched for quotes about Chicago. Most all of them spoke of the corruption of the city and how unpleasant it can be. But Dear Void, a blogger from the DC area, has an entry about Carl Sandburg and his thoughts of Chicago. Read it here.

Michael Jordan at the United Center

On Friday, July 7, we made our way to the United Center where Women of Faith was being held. Having seen this statue of Michael Jordan on an episode of ER once, I was eager to see it for real.

As we were standing there, we heard a young woman so, "Oh, did Michael Jordan play here?" Duh. I realize not everyone in the world knows or cares, but I found it really neat. Inside the arena were the retired jerseys of Michael, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan, and another player that I did not know. There were also retired jerseys of some of the Chicago Blackhawks (hockey). Those I was not as familiar with since hockey has just begun to be a big sport in Florida.

Hanging from the rafters also were all the banners from all the winning seasons. It was neat to be there. I would have loved to have been there for a Bulls game back in the days of MIchael and all the other great players who played during those years.

At the top of the Sears Tower

 
I flew into Midway Airport on July 6. My friend met me there, and we proceeded into the city for our two days at Women of Faith. After we got to the hotel, we walked over to the Sears Tower and took the elevator to the top. As the elevator was ascending, our ears were popping. The view that day was visible for approximately 30 miles. A museum of sorts is at the top giving some of the highlights of Chicago's history. Many visitors were there, each taking his turn looking through the windows, taking photos, and then moving aside so that others could see as well.
 Looking out and down, the vehicles on the street looked like insects; in fact, when I looked at this photo, I thought I had pressed the shutter with nothing in view, but then when I looked again, there they were. 

Thought for the Day

I had a post all ready to publish the other day from Picasa when my computer decided to do ugly things and wouldn't let me publish. Idon't know how to save my posts in Picasa. There isn't a button for saving it a a draft...I'll post later today, but I read this from Pastor Tim's website:

Thought for the Day

A South American scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with "IBA" or insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late…

The Senility Prayer

Someone sent me an e-mail with jokes about old folks. I was going to include them all here, but then I realized they were probably better just left where they were. I do like this one about these two elderly ladies though. Sometimes I find myself in their predicament.

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me....I know we've been friends for a long time.....but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is." Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

THE SENILITY PRAYER
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

A new blog

I found a new blog yesterday. Fire and Ice is a blog of an artist commissioned by the Marine Corps to paint images of the war in Iraq. He is now back in the States, and he has introduced a new artist, Sketchpad Warrior. Kris is a landscape artist, who has now been commissioned by the marines to do a similar job.

When I went to his site, I found out that he had lived and worked as an artist and missionary in Haiti. In 1965, I went to Haiti and stayed with the same people that he worked with many years later. I'm constantly amazed at how the internet brings people together.

Stop by and encourage him in the work on which he is about to embark.

"The Literary Cat" or "So you thought you'd read the paper?"

 

One of the reasons for my going to Chicago was to attend the Women of Faith conference at the United Center with my good friend, Peg. Since it was July 7,8, and then I had the Pampered Chef conference the 13-15, I stayed a few days with Peg out in Huntley.

Peg and her husband (my former pastor here in Bradenton) moved to the Chicago area to work in the office of the Baptist General Conference. It was a hard move for Peg. She had spent her adult life here in Bradenton and had made many lasting friendships. Their cat, Sandy, had died of old age here in Bradenton about a year ago.

After being in Huntley for a few months, Peg once again had the longing for a cat. She and her husband searched the shelters, and then one day, as she was leaving one of them, the lady in charge told her that there was a cat who was isolated from all the others because she tested positive for feline aids. When Peg saw her, her heart melted. Jacinda, her original name, came home to live with Don and Peg. She's about 2 years old and is one of the friendliest cats I've ever met. She was up in my lap the minute I sat down. She loves to be loved, and loved she is.

With Jacinda, there is no need for a television. She entertains with her romps and playfulness. She appears quite well, not displaying any symptoms of her illness.

And as you can see, she has found her place on the newspaper...perhaps checking out the weekly cat food specials, or reading some mouse tale. 

It's good to be home

I left Bradenton July 6 and attended the Women of Faith conference at the United Center in Chicago with my good friend Peg. If you've never been, that is quite an event...usually 16,000 women all in one place, most of them needing to go to the bathroom at the same time. I've attended every year except for the very first one. I was listening to the radio one day and heard about this women's meeting that had taken place, and I determined that if it came anywhere near where I was, I'd be there. It was, and I did.

After that I spent a few days with my friend in Huntley, and then back into the city for the Pampered Chef conference. I didn't see and do all that I had hoped. My spirit is willing, but sometimes the flesh is weak. I'll post about some of my activities when I get the pictures downloaded and all that stuff.

A note from Becki

I received a letter from a young woman the other day who is completing four years of work with the same campus ministry organization that my son worked with. She wrote something in her letter which really struck me.

At a training we did with CCO staff in May we were taught the difference between "roles" and "identity." This was a valuable lesson for me to hear as I prepare for this transition. I need to remember that though my role for the past four years has been OLT manager, it is not my identity. My identity lies in Christ and in who God created me to be--and that will remain constant no matter what my role my be.

I wish that someone had taught me that many years ago. When I retired from teaching. I was no longer Mrs. Whitcomb, first grade teacher. When I went to a doctor's office and had to fill out a form and state my occupation, it struck me that I didn't have an occupation any longer...well I did, but not the 7:30 - 4:00 kind of occupation.

When my husband died, and again I had to fill out a form and mark "widowed", that was almost more than I could bear. When you live and work with someone for almost 30 years, your identity is entwined. After his death, I flitted here and there, sort of like a butterfly from flower to flower, trying to figure out who I was and where I fit in.

So I thank you, Becki, for writing that paragraph in your letter, helping me to distinguish between "role" and "identity." May you soon find your new role that God is leading you into.

Happy fourth of July

This website is a wonderful tribute to our founding fathers and those who fought to make us free.

Have a good day with family and friends as we celebrate our freedom.

Abraham's Drug Store

I should be cleaning my house. I should be getting ready to leave on Thursday for ten days. I should...I should...I should...but here I am.

Some of you may wonder why I chose the name, "Lacoochee Kid", for my blog. Lacoochee is the town in Florida where I was born. I was only there until I was four, but as I've gotten older, and studied the history of the town and its people, I've come to love it. I said in an earlier blog, that I had thought Lacoochee was a bad place. I can remember hearing my parents say, "When the war is over, we're leaving Lacoochee." They must have seen that the saw mill business would not go on forever. Indeed the saw mill did close in 1955, and many of the residents did move away. My parents just chose to move away 10 years before that.

 
The photo above is a little blurry. It is a photo of a photo. As the photo is blurry, so is my memory about a lot of things in Lacoochee, but I'll never forget Abraham's Drug Store. Elias Abraham immigrated to the States, found a place to live, and then went back to Syria to get his bride. Lacoochee, which was pretty much a company town, did have a string of stores on its main street, one of which was the drug store. In my memory, it was big, but as I look at the picture, I realize how small it was.

As with any good drug store, you could get almost anything you needed here. What do I remember? Ice cream. And I'm sure there were only chocolate and vanilla...maybe strawberry, but with chocolate, who needs anything more.

Elias, or Abe, as he was called, has been gone for a while, and Abraham's Drug Store is no more. His son, Louis, who became quite a force in Pasco County and Dade City died three or four years ago. His daughter still lives in Dade City, and she is the one who has filled in a lot of gaps that I didn't remember about Lacoochee.