The Blast

For days, the weather forecast hasn't been good. Over the past 24 hours, the rhetoric has become more severe. "Potentially catastrophic." "Storm of a lifetime." You get the picture... Central Indiana is to be hit with freezing rain and "considerable icing". Then the snow will hit. (My grandchildren in Zion, IL, are under a blizzard warning with the potential of 16 inches of snow or more.) Ice, wind, heavy snow, and bitter cold temps all make for the possibility of power outages, which is my biggest fear. I have been preparing for several days. *I have three oil lamps, fully loaded, with extra oil and extra wicks, and lots of matches. I have flashlights with relatively new batteries. I have plenty of food and toilet paper. Normally, the water would still work even if the power were out, but I have stockpiled some, just in case. All of the laundry is done. All of the dishes are washed. I have made a pot of chili. I have a gas stove which should work in a power outage as long as I manually light the burners. The snow shovel, sidewalk salt, windshield de-icer, and snowbrush/scraper are by the front door. I purchased a land-line telephone and have it hooked up in the living room. The cell phone is charged. I purchased extra batteries for a portable radio and hand-held amateur radio. Got my hair cut. I have plenty of blankets and a sleeping bag. I bought some yarn for a crochet project, and have both a book to read and a puzzle book to work, by lamplight, if need be. I even got some cash in case some delightful young entrepreneurs show up on my doorstep and want to shovel me out. In short, I've done everything I know how to do to prepare for this mess, which has a lot of hype on the media right now. *Please, God...I can handle deep snow. I can even handle ice. But I REALLY don't want to deal with a power outage! *Freezing rain is occurring in Plainfield right now. Here we go!

Artie McNary

In Sunday school today, we were charged to name someone in our lives who had influenced us by living as Christ wants us to live. I thought and thought about the saintly Christian people in my life whom I have always admired, but the one name that kept coming back to me was Artie McNary, my former father-in-law. *Artie was a little man with a flat-top haircut. He was a farmer on a 40-acre farm near Greencastle, IN, and an employee of IBM there for many years. He was a tool-and-die maker. In retirement, he had a little lawn mower repair business. People trusted him. *Artie wasn't book-smart. He probably read at a 2nd grade reading level, but there was nothing dumb about him. In old age, when he was undergoing radiation treatments for prostate cancer one winter, he started reading Louis L'Amour westerns, just to keep his mind busy. I think he had every book L'Amour ever wrote and used IBM cards to keep his place, making notes on the cards to keep the characters straight. *When it came to mechanical problems, his son and I were careful not to present too many concerns to him because Artie would keep himself awake nights just figuring out how to fix whatever was wrong. He would worry and worry about something until he finally had an answer, and his answer was most always a good one. *Artie was no saint. He didn't smoke; he didn't drink. Still, he was a character. He had opinions, but never foisted them on anyone other than himself. If he was wrong about something, he admitted it. And he was honest. Maybe TOO honest. He was known in all of the Greencastle area as someone who took care of his things and was meticulous about his relationships with others. I liken him to the image of Honest Abe Lincoln. If Artie owed you a nickel, he would go way out of his way to make sure you got it. He was well-respected in the Greencastle area...and in mine. *It's pretty hard to characterize someone like Artie and his wife. I'm not sure that Artie ever went to church, but he certainly embodied the things that Christ wants us to do. *My special memories of Artie mean a lot to me. On one occasion, as we were walking up the hill to his house, he thanked me for making it easy for he and Helen (his wife) to see their grandchildren (Joe's kids) without divorce jealousies. That was so meaningful, largely because my own husband had never thanked me for the efforts I made for his children. Another time, Artie and Helen were watching our daughter at my house in Plainfield so I could be in IL with my ill father...and suddenly a new cabinet door appeared. The door had been absent when I bought the house. I had no idea how to find someone to replace it, but Artie did. It took a huge responsibility off my shoulders. *But here is the kicker: When my mother died suddenly in 1986, (long story) Artie and Helen drove from Greencastle, IN, to Streator, IL, just for the funeral. They really didn't know my mother, and wouldn't stay for the bereavement dinner, but when I turned away from my mother's grave under the tent, there was Artie, tears streaming down his face, giving me a hug that spoke worlds to me. I will never, ever, forget that moment. *Artie passed from this world in 1994, just a few months after my father did, and my stepchildren's maternal grandfather. All three of the McNary children lost their grandfathers in the same year. I missed my father, of course, but I was shocked at how much I missed Artie. This plucky little guy had made a huge different in my life. I miss him to this day.

Kid Art

I was blessed with a little bit of artistic talent...or at least an eye for it. Somewhere around the house here, I have a "bird book" that was created in 2nd grade, and I have to admit that my bird pictures were pretty darned good for my age back then. Of my young attempts, only the bird book and two bilious attempts at ceramic art remain--an elephant sitting on his butt, and a mermaid on a rock. How can I throw them away? *Back when Megan (my daughter) was in middle school, she produced some things that have equal non-discardable status in the house. One is a piece of black plastic, diamond-shaped, that is a clock. It hangs on the living room wall and continues to keep perfect time! It isn't beautiful, but it functions as the only time-keeper in that room. I could never, ever, throw it out! Another piece of her artwork from the same era, or just before, was a multi-colored collage of theatrical masks, done in marker. I loved it! I found a frame that worked well with it, and it still graces a wall in my house. *Slightly over a year ago, after my granddaughter was sent to live with her father, I was in receipt of her "things" from her school here in Plainfield. Among them was a perfectly beautiful water-color release "wash" of sea animals that Robin had done in her art class. I looked and looked at that all that fall. It was magnificent for second grade and deserved something to make it special. After searching long and hard for a frame that would fit the picture size, I finally found an appropriate frame (wrote about it on here). The frame was a whopping $45, but I thought the art was worth it. I wasn't sure how it would be received as a Christmas gift since it wasn't a toy. Even when Robin unwrapped it, she didn't seem all that impressed, but what followed told the tale. When each faction of the family arrived at the door that day, she sat on the couch with the picture on her lap facing outward so everyone could see it. That was the best $45 I ever spent! The picture still graces the wall in her bedroom and gets comments from people who see it. "You did that???" *My grandson, Ryan, doesn't have his sister's artistic bent, but he is in awe of it. He is more into sports, but I can see his envy for Robin's talent. This Christmas, after his mother and stepfather left for California, he took some colored pencils that he got as a gift, and instead of doing the color-by-number picture he was given, he just started drawing. Ryan NEVER draws! He drew a female with blonde hair and colorful stockings like his mother had worn, but said it was a picture of his "sister". Robin reminded him that he didn't have any blonde sisters. I think he was drawing his mommy, but he wouldn't admit to it...and it was absolutely the best picture that I had ever seen from him. After the children went home, I found the picture on the living room floor, folded as if to be a paper airplane--probably part of his discouragement--but I fixed him! I sent the picture to his mother in California, so he now knows how much we loved it. *I know how stupid this sounds, but just a little faith in someone's young talent can make such a big difference. When I was in second grade and we had moved into a brand new house in Danville, IL, my mother showed me a catalog. She said something like, "You have a good eye. Which one of these two sets of draperies would you pick?" Unbelievably to me, she bought the ones I chose! I never forgot it. Such a little thing but so big an impact! It's all good. God bless the children!

Come On, America!

We are getting a little extreme, aren't we? Since I am retired and relatively shut in by weather, I watch a lot of television. Or, perhaps I should say that the TV is always on SOMEWHERE in the house...for company. Doesn't mean I am watching it. But I am getting really weary of the "experts" telling us what is good for us by way of food. We are being bombarded with reports of how fat we have become and what is/isn't healthy. I think the powers that be believe that education is the answer. Sorry! Not true! I KNOW what is supposedly healthy for me. I just don't always choose to eat it! Trust me: we don't like being fat...but we are in a society that celebrates happy (and sad) occasions with family dinners, meals out, and good booze. But now we have the Fat Police. Parts of California have banned Happy Meal treats. Schools have replaced snack machine offering with "healthier" choices. Ad nauseum. So...what is the true culprit that America is getting fatter with each passing year? Care to know my opinion? LONELINESS. *Cell phones and the Internet and our mobile society have made us a nation of lonely people. We don't have to be face-to-face with people anymore. We can create our own environments that may or may not be based on reality. We are so afraid of perverts and scam artists and criminals that we don't let our children go out to play or venture into the outside world ourselves. We are glued to our televisions, watching bad news and bad programming. Teen Mom and Jersey Shore and other horrible examples of Americana make us look like a nation of wimps. What's left to feel comforted and encouraged? FOOD. I am as guilty as anyone else. I'm already heavy, but have gained 10 pounds this winter. Why? Because I'm lonely. Unlike my father, I have never suffered from hunger...but I have suffered. *This month's Reader's Digest has an article about diet which blasts everything I have learned. According to the article, carbohydrates are the problem with weight. That means that fats and proteins are good...which raises cholesterol and blood fats. What's a heart patient to do?? *Until and unless America recognizes the REAL problem with why we overeat, it ain't gonna get better. I'm just tired of hearing about it!

Organ Donation

So...an officer of IMPD was shot on Sunday. He was hit in the cheek, in the chin, in the thigh, and on his bullet-proof vest. He's been in a coma, "fighting for his life". Naively, I wondered how those particular injuries could be so grave, but they did an MRI on him yesterday and discovered that one bullet fractured his spine and another went through his brain stem and major blood vessels. The police chief held a press conference this evening to announce that the doctors have determined that he cannot recover from his injuries, that his family is preparing to "give David back to God," and that they are in the process of donating his organs. It's sad, really. He is a good looking young man, laid low by a nasty criminal with a long "rap" sheet. I think it is the family's hope that he will live on after this tragedy by giving his viable organs away to those who need them. It is a noble effort. *My only brush with organ donation came at the same time as my biggest brush with death: the brain aneurysm rupture. I felt pretty punk, but I didn't feel like I was dying. Still, I was airlifted to St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, IL, from Memorial Hospital in Springfield. It was night time. Once there, I was plunked into ICU. (I had to ask. I still didn't feel bad enough to be critical.) Once I was settled in, the nurse--a man--told me I could watch TV if I wanted to. I expressed concern that I would disturb the person in the other bed. His sad response was, "I wish you COULD disturb her." Without asking too many questions, I discovered that she was in her late 40s and brain dead, on a respirator, with the same malady as I had. Pretty sobering! *She and I remained roommates through my tests, craniotomy, and beyond. She didn't have many visitors because she wasn't conscious, but family members would come in, from time to time, and talk to/weep over her. "We will miss you," they'd say. One said, "You always had such beautiful eyes, and now someone else is going to see with them." I wanted out of there, not because I was afraid for myself, but because I felt that I was intruding--even with the curtain closed--on some very private and personal moments in the lives of that family. It also seemed like an insult to them that I was alive and well, when their loved one wasn't going to recover. She was kept alive for organ donation. *One night, a team of people in scrubs arrived with satchels and computers and all kinds of clap-trap. The comings and goings went on all night. They were the organ donation team. To my knowledge, no surgical procedures were occurring on the other side of the curtain, but apparently there are a lot of tests to take and data to gather. Although I hadn't said anything, my night nurse was apologetic, saying they were trying to find a bed for me outside of ICU. It was a long night. (In hospitals, every night is long!) The next day, I was put in a regular room. *I don't know the agony that Patrolman David Moore's family is enduring right now, but I have a hint. I was an unwilling spectator in one family's tragedy. I hope they got some comfort in knowing that parts of their loved one lived on. I hope the same for Patrolman Moore's family.

I Forgot...

In the confessions of my "eating machine" syndrome of yesterday, I forgot a couple of other items that I ate. Another of my indulgences was one of those quick-cups of macaroni and cheese that I plopped some canned peas into...and yet another was (get this) a bowl of high-fiber Kashi cereal. You know, the kind that has almost half of your daily fiber needs in one cup? Hmmm...wonder if that was the piece de resistance that threw my digestion in the crapper...literally? *Oprah did a show today looking back on a few of her "Coming Out Day" stories, where she had gay guests that talked about how the shows had changed their lives. Almost without exception, the guests--both male and female--said they knew they were gay when they were quite young. How is that? I was probably in junior high school before I even knew what homosexuals were--largely because the boys all called each other "homos" on the playground. (Back then, the term "gay" still meant happy and carefree.) What did we know about homosexuality back then? (What do we know about homosexuality NOW?) *I was one of those kids who played cowboys and Indians. I always had to be Roy Rogers, yet I am female. I had toy guns (much to my mother's chagrin). I climbed trees and went barefoot all summer. I had dolls, but I rarely ever played with them. I was an outdoor kid, a rock collector. I didn't think babies were ooooh, so cute, and I didn't particularly like to dress up or be treated like a princess. In short, I was a tom-boy. If I had been thinking about sexuality back then, I might have wondered if I were a lesbian. I didn't have interest in boys OR girls back then. I just wanted friends to play with because we moved to often for me to have any. *One of the female guests on Oprah today mentioned that she fell in love with another woman while married to a man. She apparently had no inkling that she was lesbian before that. Well...I remember falling in love with another female back in junior high. We had just moved to Oak Park, IL. My newfound friend's name was Kathy. She wasn't particularly pretty; she had arms like Michelle Obama and could do more chin-ups than any of the boys, as well as outrun them all. She was very smart (in fact was skipped a grade in junior high) and came from an affluent family. Her parents treated me like I was another member of their family, and my parents threw another plate on the table for dinner if Kathy was staying. (She'd always ask what we were having first because she wouldn't stay if we were having liver and onions.) She good-naturedly made fun of my folks' little pot-bellied aluminum salt and pepper shakers (that I still have, just because of that). She wasn't quite five feet tall. If she was going through the hall at my house in one direction, and my dad was in the same hall going the other direction, he backed her down the hall with his belly. She laughed. Her father and I danced all over their living room while we were listening to "The Rain in Spain" from My Fair Lady. I loved everything about Kathy and wished I could be just like her. After she'd go home after spending the night, I'd lie on my bed and cry because I missed her and could still smell her hair on the pillow. Did that mean I was a lesbian? Of course not! *So how do all these people know at age 5 or 15 or 35 that they are homosexual? Because they played like people of the opposite sex or fell in love with someone of the same sex??? I'm not doubting them. I'm just saying that I don't get it. Maybe I'm not supposed to...

Home Sick: My Own Story

Once upon a time, when I was an elementary school librarian/media specialist, there was a Newberry Award Honor book entitled Homesick: My Own Story. I have borrowed the title, with a space between "home" and "sick" to fit my own purposes. Last night, I was home...and sick. *Yesterday, I was an eating machine. I started the day by finishing the Bob Evans mashed potatoes so I could take my morning pills. A little later, I finished off the Tyson meat loaf by making it into a sandwich. After that, I had two fairly large helpings of leftover cabbage, ham, and potatoes. Then, there was most of a tube of Club crackers and some creamed cheese that were calling to me. A bottle of caffeine-free Diet Pepsi. A few Hershey's kisses. All of this by noon. Just about the time I needed to be getting ready to drive to Monrovia to help with the radio club at my old school, I became aware that my belly was giving me little twinges of cramps. Then the diarrhea hit. It wasn't so bad at first, but it got progressively worse as the day went on. Needless to say, I didn't go to Monrovia. I decided to stick close to home and deal with the challenges. Horrible to say, but in the beginning of the discomfort, I was still looking for food. I had actually taken ingredients out of the pantry to make a macaroni and chicken casserole! In short order, I realized that I shouldn't be putting anything else in my stomach...and so the long evening/night began. Through the waves of cramps and trips to the bathroom, I felt better lying down. (Cramping always causes me to feel cold, so I huddled under the covers, fully dressed. It helped.) *Finally, by about 10:30 PM, the cramps and bathroom trips had slowed down, so I could doze. I sipped on some water and made it through the night. Whew! *I don't make a very good sick person. When I was a young kid, I think I enjoyed the Sympathy Factor because my well-being was somebody else's responsibility. As an adult, however, I just endure. I have adult friends who go to bed and stay down for days just with a nasty cold. I can't do that. Unless I'm in pain (which I was last night), I stay up and moving as best I can. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm not crazy about people fussing over me when I'm ill. I just wait to feel better again. Of course, the time will come when the illness from which I cannot recover will hit, but for now, I do what I do. *Why is that? I wish I knew! As a younger person, I would seek medical attention for this thing or that thing right away. Most of the time, doctors would give me the news that nothing was broken or seriously wrong, and I just needed to go home and take care of myself until I got better. Now, I do that FIRST. If I don't get better, THEN I seek medical attention. It's worked, so far. (Okay...well, perhaps I was a little foolish the night of my ruptured aneurysm, but I didn't feel good enough to get out of bed, much less leave the house to see a doctor! Thankfully, I survived!) Once upon a time, I had debilitating migraine headaches that nothing helped. Then they disappeared forever. I outgrew them. I look at things that way now. "I'll get past this. I usually do!" *So, here I am, the day after the heebie-jeebies hit. I am eating (lightly) and will take it easy for the day, but I feel okay. I am so thankful for that!!

What Happens When an Old Lady Has Too Much Time on Her Hands?

She writes a blog, of course! *Since I have nothing else inspiring to do with myself in the cold and snow, I've had a lot of time to think about stuff. (Yes, I MEANT to say "stuff" even though I objected to it when my students used it.) Today, I choose to write about some of the little inequities of life. *Inequity #1: My sister got all of the the good family genes. Definitely not fair! She is the petite one, with the full head of not-gray, straight hair. She always looks like she just stepped out of the dry cleaners, even though she pretends that she's just "grungy". Yeah, right! *Inequity #2: Why is it that now that I can sleep in any day of the week, I am always awake at 5:30 AM?? *#3: Why do people make fun of old folks? It is a source of comedy on every angle, but it's not funny! Once upon a time, I wondered why old people took tiny steps and walked more side-to-side than front-to -back. The ultimate answer is that leg strength--the ability to raise the knees in order to walk properly, is lost. Hell, I can't even open jars these days without help. Lost strength is a big issue. #4. I have only three surgical scars on my body, and all three are from the neck up. WHY couldn't these have occurred in places on my body that wouldn't show???? *5. Why do I watch Animal Planet and realize that I could give a nice home to a kitty, when I really don't want another life to take care of, other than my own?? *6. Why must I be so tired of winter when we are only a month into the season? Probably because we had 3-4 snowfalls before Christmas. Ugh! *I'm sure there are more things for me to whine about, but maybe I'll wait for another occasion to do it. I haven't left the house in two days and it is beginning to affect my perspective. Come on spring! I'm ready!

Oh Well

Went to lunch with a ham friend today. Did I need the food? NO! Still, the fellowship was good. *Snow is on the way. Maybe 3-6 inches. I'm ready. Have milk, bread, eggs, and pills...and the freezer is full. I should be able to hang in for a week or more. Bring it on!

The Big 7-0

I left on Saturday morning for Springfield, IL, to participate in a surprise party for my brother-in-law's 70th birthday. It took place at a golf course not too far from their house. I got there with about 15 minutes to spare. *Roger (my bro-in-law) and Shari (my sister) arrived at about 2:00 Central Time. He was surprised! Apparently he saw and recognized my car in the parking lot (although I had tried to park in a spot where he wouldn't see it)...and saw a couple of other recognizable vehicles...and asked Shari if he was going to have a heart attack when he went in. We got him, and he didn't have a heart attack! The BIG surprise was that his sister came in from North Carolina. We hid her behind one of his daughters. He was totally and happily shocked to see Dixie. He doesn't get to see her nearly often enough. In any case, a good time was had by all. (Yes, I am aware of the passive voice statement--so hackneyed! Do I care? No! I'm not the grammar police anymore!) *After the party, Shari, Roger, Dixie, and I went back to their house, then went to a nice restaurant for supper with a couple of their friends. The owner of the place spent some time at our table and sent a piece of red velvet cake, with candle, for Roger. We ate well and enjoyed the time. Thereafter, we went back home, and I crashed because #1 I was uncomfortably full, #2 I'd had some wine, which always makes me tired after food, and #3 it was my bedtime (Indiana time). *Yesterday, Roger was still in "afterglow" mode. He was so happy and walking down Memory Lane with his sister. Bless him, Roger suffers from depression most of the time. Medications don't seem to help, but he is a perfectionist and does many good things in life. It was good to see him so happy!! *Sunday, we watched some football and did some talking. Everyone was fairly low key. (My sister had to be exhausted, planning the party on very little time when Roger wasn't on her heels.) She fed us a great pork roast; we played Wii bowling; and just chit-chatted until bedtime. *Both Dixie and I were to leave today. She had a rental car to drive back to St. Louis to pick up her flight back to her daughter's in Atlanta. I determined that I wanted to leave in the morning in order to beat the weather home. When I left for IL, the forecast for IN wasn't good. Apparently, the forecast changed because there was not a drop of precip on the way home...and none forecast for tonight. Oh well! I'm not sorry that I came home, however. This time of year, I do better in my own surroundings. (Sorry, Shari!) *Upon departure from IL, I went to give Roger a hug. He deliberately pulled back, looked me in the eye, and kissed me! I said I hoped he'd had a nice birthday. He said he did "because you were there". Wow! Roger has been my bro-in-law for very nearly 50 years now. I was in junior high when he and my sister married. We have not always seen eye-to-eye on things, but he has been a great provider for her. It felt really good to see him so happy! *I had no problems on the trip home. Light traffic. No weather. Long drive, but the car performed. That's all that matters! *Catching up on things now. Cheers!

Snow, Snow, Snow...

Just heard this on the local news: 49 of the 50 states have measurable snow on the ground right now. (Florida is the only state without.) I assume that includes mountain peaks. Interesting statistic. I thought we only got 4 inches here, but when I went to dig out my car this afternoon, I cleared off a good 6 inches...and we aren't totally done. There were a couple of inches on top of what my neighbor blew off the drive yesterday...and I didn't see it happen! My little house-on-a-slab can be cozy and snug in weather like this, but I sure begin to feel closed in. Since I'm retired, I guess I could live in warmer states, but I need to maintain at least this much proximity to my grandchildren. I've lived in this home longer than I have ever been anywhere in my entire life. It isn't much, but it's mine--and still "home" for my grandchildren. (God knows, MY grandparents' farm was the meeting place and oasis for all of the military children of the family--my siblings and cousins--and my nieces and nephews beyond that. My parents retired to there. Until the death of my grandparents and then my parents, and the place lost its magic for me, I never tired of going to the farm. We sold that beloved place to our farmer who takes care of it.) *I hate this time of year. The days are short and the nights so long. Travel is always dependent on the weather. I need more sunshine! I always do better when the sun is blazing, no matter the temps. I do have a luncheon date with one of my former students tomorrow. Her husband (also another former student) is deployed in the Middle East. I had Kristie in 4th grade and 6th grade and again in high school. (Poor kid!) I saw her last weekend at a benefit dinner for another former student. Kristie is one of the few who is still totally recognizable from her younger years... *I am due in Illinois on the weekend for my bro-in-law's 70th birthday. We'll see if the weather cooperates!

Brain Injury

The word out of Arizona is that the assassination target from last weekend, Gabrielle Giffords, is doing miraculously well. Her neurosurgeon says she has "no right" to be doing so well, considering the extent of her injury. I have a little bit to say about that... *In July of 2007, I was visiting my sister in Springfield, IL. We had attended a dirt-track race that her grandson was driving in. When we got home, sometime around 10:30-11:00 PM, I poured myself a glass of wine and went downstairs to their computer room to check my email. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs, I was aware of a horrible pressure/pain in the back of my head. I flushed hot. I turned on a fan and thought I'd just lie down on the floor...but I was also horribly nauseated. Had to get back up the stairs quickly before I threw up. And I did throw up! I threw up all night. My head hurt; my neck hurt; I was vomiting fairly nonstop. My sister wanted to take me to a doctor or the emergency room, but I didn't feel good enough to travel. She provided me with two ice packs--one for my forehead and one for my neck. I just thought I had picked up a bug. *By the next afternoon, I felt well enough to go to a prompt-med place at my sister's behest. The doc heard my symptoms, then sent me for a CAT scan at a hospital. In very short order, it was determined that I had a brain bleed from a ruptured aneurysm. I got a helicopter ride to Peoria, and a craniotomy to clip the bleeding blood vessel. *How did I survive? I have no clue! I was told, up front, that 60% of the people who have what I had don't even make it to the hospital. Another 20% survive, but with disabilities. I was one of the remaining 20% who survive without any problems. I would LIKE to attribute my survival to prayer, but the fact is that I was pretty much okay before the praying public even knew I was sick. Did my sister's ice packs help? I don't know... All I know is that I came out of that situation smelling like a rose, and a whole bunch of people were worried about me! (Apparently I did the right thing along about heart attack time, too. Ain't life fun?) *What I am saying is that Ms. Giffords isn't merely lucky. The hand of God is on her. If she survives, she will have challenges, but she will be alive. And if ANY of you think that you have any control over your lives at all, you are mistaken. Pray without ceasing. That doesn't mean that life will be perfect for you, but it does mean that you might have an edge to health and perfection before the devil knows you are a candidate!

Typical Sunday

I have done very little today. Got up in time to make it to church and Sunday school. One of the young female choir members on a riser just beneath the men all but passed out. I saw one of the men point to her. The next thing we knew, they were walking her out. She was on her feet but it looked like the men were doing most of the walking for her. One of the pastors went to minister to her. Turns out that she was having some kind of a blood sugar crash...and she's pregnant. She was okay, but went home. It was all handled very tastefully. I'm sure she was embarrassed but there was no need to feel that way! *My church does prayer blankets. If someone is in need of prayer, someone can order a blanket that is embroidered with a graphic and scripture of choice, then congregation members come up to place their hands on the blankets and pray over them. I always go up to pray over the blankets because my co-grandparents ordered one for me when I was recovering from brain surgery, and it meant so much. A blanket offered for prayer today made me cry. One of our members is a pediatrician who ordered a blanket for one of her 7-year-old patients who has an inoperable brain tumor. The child is not part of our congregation but Dr. Kinnamon is...and she felt the need to comfort the family in this way. It must be tough to deal with young ones who are so sick. God bless her for caring that much...and God bless the family that faces untold heartache in the months ahead. Every day of my life, I thank God that my own grandchildren (who are that age and near that age) are healthy. It is a gift that can change in a moment. So, I prayed over the blanket, then went back to the pew and wept. Again. *On my way to church this morning, I noticed that that the Public Library was registering 6 degrees on its display. Yesterday morning, it was 15 degrees...but today felt so much warmer. The difference was the lack of wind. We are expecting 2-4 inches of snow sometime tomorrow evening, I think. My radio club meets tomorrow evening. If the stuff is coming down, I won't go even though I am the club secretary. I'm a wimp. Just don't take the kinds of chances that I used to because there is no one here to rescue me. I have friends who are willing, of course, but they are all in the same situation as I--OLD AGE. It gets tough to adjust to not being able to do the things that used to be so easy!! *Travel is in my near future. Megan and Denis went out to see if they could spot whales on the coast today. I hope they did!

Busy Day

The sun shone brightly on Central Indiana today...but it was colder that a witch's you-know-what! I don't know which I hate more, the snow or the cold. Guess I shouldn't complain. South Bend, IN, got "3-4 feet" of lake effect snow today. We have maybe an inch on the ground. If winter comes, can spring be far behind? *I was on WIBC radio today. On Saturdays, they have a home and garden show to answer questions about...well...home and garden questions. I called in about my ball-shaped arbor vitae shrubs on the south end of the house. I basically got no information that would help at all! Oh well! *In the wee hours of the morning, my "nightlight" television started "pixelating"...and finally froze in a scrambled format. All of the TVs were affected, but the ones on the smaller digital boxes in the bedrooms were just frozen. After TWO calls to Comcast, we got it figured out, but I'm still not happy. Even after the fix, the TVs acted up. My TV reception has never been so bad as it has been since Comcast went digital. Ugh! *My daughter has been bugging me about going out to California without the grandchildren so we can explore places together. She JUST booked flights for her and hubby to be back here for spring break, and now has booked flights for me to fly to CA for a couple of weeks in February. As much as I enjoy being out there with them, I have to FLY to get there...and it is always somewhat unnerving. So much to take on faith when you're up in the air! *I worked on reclaiming the living room today after the Christmas Chaos. Got the carpet vacuumed and spot-cleaned. Moved some dust around. My little house looks nice when it's clean. Too bad it has to be so lonely here in order to look nice! *This afternoon, I went to a rehab/nursing home to visit one of my Sunday School classmates who has had both knees replaced. I honestly think he is ready and willing to be home, but there was a meeting of minds that determined they would keep him until the insurance quits on Thursday. He and his wife are good souls. I hope all goes well for them when he does get home. *After I left the rehab center, I stopped at the grocery store...then left for Danville, IN, for a benefit supper for one of my former students who has been in critical condition since sometime early in December after the birth of her second child. Apparently she has a blood clotting disorder called Disseminating Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) which caused bleeding and blood clots that prevent blood from circulating to vital organs. When I first heard of her situation (before Christmas) she was on a ventilator, heavily medicated with organs shutting down, and not expected to make it through the day. (I think she is in her late 20s.) In any case, she has been on a lot of prayer chains and is still alive but still in critical condition! Her newborn is at home waiting for her to get well, if she can. The benefit tonight was at the American Legion Post in Danville, and it was standing room only. I saw a lot of former students, a couple of co-workers from my school days, and ate some pretty good food. I have buried a number of students through the years from automobile accidents, suicides, and drug overdoses. Never had to give one up due to complications from childbirth... *I need to hit the sack. Stayed up to watch the Colts lose in the last three seconds of the game. Season over!

Uh...

When I posted on Wednesday, I forgot to mention that it was my father's birthday and my parents' anniversary. Unfortunately, the observations for both had to occur in Heaven because my folks have passed on...but I was sure thinking of them! *I am preparing a box of things to send to my daughter in California. Just some things that need to be THERE instead of HERE. *Colts playoff game is tomorrow. I'm trying to decide if I should have a gathering of friends for the game. Am I nuts?? Am still putting the house back together after the holidays... Decisions, decisions...

Bye-Bye Christmas

On Sunday, I got the boxes for the Christmas decorations out of the minibarn and onto the patio. Today, they have made it INSIDE the house. Slowly, slowly, the decorations are being put away for another year. I have eaten through MOST of the fattening leftovers in the refrigerator and have finally managed to get all of the Christmas serving dishes washed and put away. Taking things down always takes longer than putting them up. Have to make sure that breakable ornaments are protected and that non-breakable ones go together. Candles stay in the house so they won't be damaged by minibarn heat over the summer. Batteries come out of the electric things. Cloth items go in plastic tubs that are mouse-proof. None of what I have is precious, but some of it does have history. I do the best I can to preserve it from year to year. *I'll probably run out of steam before the day is over, but at least (for now) I'm going strong!

Marathon

Okay, so I have a lot to write. If you aren't interested in reading my family blatherings, log off! Once again, the system won't let me make paragraph breaks. (I need to figure out why!) Thus, there will be an * between paragraphs. *On Christmas Eve, I went to the 9:00 candlelight service, with a 25-piece orchestra and augmented choir. The music was exquisite, the service meaningful, and the message full of hope. I usually weep my way through the service, but this year, I didn't cry! What's up with that???? *On Christmas Day, my daughter and son-in-law (Megan and Denis) were due to arrive at Indy International 5-ish in the afternoon. The Internet is a wonderful thing! I could IM with Megan while waiting for their flight out of San Jose, CA...then could track their flight to Houston on the web. I then talked to her on IM again in Houston. Our last contact before they boarded for the flight for Indy was for her to call my cell phone when they got their baggage while I waited for them at the cell phone lot at the airport....but after they were in the air, I discovered that my cell phone wasn't working. Ugh! I panicked. Left her a message on HER cell phone that she should call me at the house when they landed, but I worried...then tracked their flight again. She got the message, but not until they already had baggage in hand. I launched for the airport and timed myself: 11 minutes from my front door to the terminal. Not bad! We ate some goulash that I had prepared, then got settled in. The children were to arrive 10-ish the next morning. *Megan got word via the children's father that they wanted a little more time because of a church service they wanted to attend before bringing the kiddos here. The delay gave me just enough time to get the children's rooms picked up after their last visit, get the turkey in the oven and the table set, etc. They got here a little after 1:00 PM. Then the fun began! Ryan went straight to my computer for his Spore game. Robin went to find her mother (who was in a back room drying her hair). We opened stockings and presents. There were Russian candies, cards, and stuffed cartoon toys from Denis's parents in Russia... and iPod Touches and games and watches and cash...and toys. (The kids got the iPod Touches. Thereafter, we usually only saw the tops of their heads!) We had a good time! *The next day or two, we had a major thaw. ALL of the snow that was on the ground melted away, thank God! I don't remember the whole litany of what happened on which day, but Megan and Denis took the children to the zoo on the last evening of Christmas at the Zoo in Indy. We played Clue and Monopoly. We ate well. We watched movies on TV and ate popcorn. The kids played with the neighbor children. And most of all, the kids played with their iPod Touches. Megan and I got some chances to talk. Denis did some work on his computer...and the techno-adults (not me!) determined that my router wasn't working correctly, so they went out and got a new one for my house! (Thanks Meg and Den!) *On New Year's Eve Day, little Ryan came down with a fever. He wasn't complaining of anything, but it was obvious that he wasn't up to speed. The worst part for him was that he couldn't play with his buddy next door. We got some children's Tylenol to help him get through the day...but he really didn't feel well. The night before, Meg and Denis had prepared some Olivier salad, which is a traditional food for the Russian new year. New Year's celebrations in Russia are bigger than Christmas. Their Christmas is on January 7th, but they don't give gifts for that...only for NY. Our plan here was to connect with his parents in Russia on Skype close to midnight there (4:00 PM our time), then connect again at our midnight (8:00 AM their time). It was pretty special. In Russia, it is traditional for the President to address the country just before midnight, then there are twelve bell tolls just before midnight. We drank champagne with Luda and Sergey via Skype...and again later that night. *We had our corned beef and cabbage dinner on New Year's Eve, since Megan and Denis were leaving very early on New Year's Day. Along about 9:00 PM, Judy and Phil (the other grandparents here in Plainfield) joined us for food (Olivier salad, shrimp and cocktail sauce, chips and dip, crackers and cheese...and a cake that Judy brought at my request--to die for!). We played a game of Clue, then reconnected with Russian on Skype, opened another bottle of champagne for a midnight toast. Grandpa Phil could talk to Grandma Luda in Russian. (He was apologetic about how poor his Russian was, but I was impressed...and so was Luda!) In the meantime, it was so warm outside that I had the back door open in order to dissipate some of the heat in the kitchen...then a thunderstorm hit with a lightning strike so close that there was a very noticeable POP just outside in the back. (We had fireworks to light off, but the thunderstorm upstaged that.) Phil and Judy left at about 12:30 AM; the children and I went to bed, but Megan and Denis never did. *At about 4:30 AM, Meg woke me up so we could take them to the airport. We plunked the children in the car in their jammies and headed out in the rain. By 5:00, the kids were back in bed and asleep. I stayed up long enough to see Meg and Denis board their flight...then took a nap. I woke up just as they were landing in Denver. Unfortunately, they were delayed about five hours in Denver, awaiting a connecting flight. That day, I took the kids to McD's for lunch, then Grandma Judy and I took the children to see "Tangled" at The Rave in Plainfield. (Great flick! If you haven't seen it, you really must!) Ryan still had a fever but didn't feel bad enough to stay home. When I determined that Megan and Denis were home safely in California, I could go to bed. Mommies never stop worrying! *Yesterday, (January 2nd), the grandchildren and I went over to the other grandparents' for their family Christmas luncheon with their father and step-mother. I was included. Nathan and Kendra (my former son-in-law and his wife) gave me a lovely card that made me cry...and the children enjoyed their visit. I came home and the rest of them left for northern Illinois. And that was that. *There is no such thing as a good divorce. My grandchildren have been through a lot in their young lives over the last few years, but I am so very proud that most of us have been able to put aside our concerns in favor of making things work for the grandchildren. Praise be to God, my former son-in-law's parents can come here and break bread with my daughter and her new husband, and I can rub elbows with my former son-in-law's family and his new wife...and her family. The grand recipients of all of this are the children. They didn't ask for what they got, but at least they know we are all here for them! *My daughter has had a health scare. I don't think things are bad, but she has been frightened by it all, as are we all when things feel out of control. It was probably good for her to be here in the cold Midwest for a few days. Now the real work begins. Please pray for Megan as she seeks ways to feel good again. *I had a great holiday week! It was wonderful to have all of my chicks back in my nest. I'm not sure how poor Denis felt about being trapped in a small house with the chaos that comes with kids, but he didn't seem too put out. Denis is a very patient, soft-spoken person. He plays games with a vengeance! *Oh...here's a funny. There is a game on Ryan's iPod called Moron Test. Every time he played it, he kept getting the "fail" notice. Finally, Denis asked him if he had passed the moron test yet. Ry said, "No! It's too hard!" Ha!

Long Time

I haven't posted on here since Christmas Eve...but so much has happened since then! You will have to forgive me, however, because I am too tired to write. Tomorrow, I will update the blog for those of you who might actually care! Tomorrow!