Better late than never...

OK...several days ago now, my daughter graciously passed along a "meme" to me (I'm not really sure what this means; I just do what I'm told). Anyway, my assignment (should I choose to accept it) is to respond to the following:

5 things in my bag:

1. My wallet...duh...

2. My Bi-Mart card (don't leave home without it)

3. Numerous (seriously...numerous) tubes of lipstick. I am fortunately (or unfortunately) a sales representative for a well-known beauty product company. Not too far into my career I made the realization that I have a weakness for lip enhancement products. You just can't have too many, y'know?

4. A list of products that qualify to be purchased with my HSA (Health Savings Account) card. When you're my age you have to know these things.

5. A tape measure. Don't worry...we're not talking about a 6,000-foot huge Stanley...just a nice little oh-so-feminine size that fits nicely in the pocket of my purse. Now there's something that comes in handy from time to time.

5 things in my bedroom:

1. My bed...again, duh...

2. A bit of an obstacle course. I drive my hubby crazy...I admit that I have the weakness of leaving my shoes pretty much wherever I happen to take them off. This becomes quite treacherous when attempting to walk quietly through the bedroom in the dark. 'Nuff said...

3. A collage of our wedding pictures. We're coming up on our big #4 anniversary!

4. The closet, which contains 4 racks for clothes. Three of them contain my clothes. Poor Eric.

5. The June "birthday angel" that belonged to my momma. She's been gone almost 20 years now, but I treasure the memories. Love you, Mom...

5 things I have always wanted to do:

1. Be a hospital/police/fire chaplain. For many years I have been drawn to trauma intervention types of services. Unfortunately, my college degree in music education doesn't give me the qualifications I would need to be hired for any of these positions. Sigh...

2. Work at the zoo, caring for animals. Yep...up close and personal...the closer the better. You know how some hospitals utilize volunteers to come in and rock babies in the nursery? Well, translate that to the animal world and I'm SO there...

3. Hmmm...actually, I guess I've always wanted to be one of those hospital baby-rockers too...

4. I've always wanted to have some sort of a small camping trailer; something that would allow us to pick up and go at a moment's notice. I love camping...but much prefer the comfort of the camper bed. Go ahead, call me a sissy...

5. I've always wanted to be thin...well, at least thinner...I've gone back and forth a bit through the years...that's a tough one.

5 things I am currently into:

1. Facebook. Ok...now, I realize this can be a bit addictive, especially for people like me who have that type of personality. But - the Facebook experience is awesome. Seriously. It is such an amazing way to keep in touch with people in your life...even people you had lost touch with over the years. I've been having fun catching up with people...and even playing games with people who are far away from me in miles. For me, this has been Christian "community" at its finest.

2. Goodwill shopping (and thrift shops in general). Oh man...I can spend hours...

3. My grandchildren. I have 3, with one more on the way. The oldest graduates from kindergarten next week, and the youngest will make her appearance in September. There just isn't anything that compares with this "Nana" love that comes spilling out of me. I should also mention here my adorable little Sarah, my sponsor child from Uganda. She brings me so much joy with her sweet pictures and letters (she calls me "grandmother," which makes me melt every time).

4. Mission Impossible. No...not the movies we have seen of late. I'm talking about the REAL Mission Impossible...the old one...the TV series. Recently, hubby changed our TV service, which gave us a new variety of channels to choose from. I came upon a channel that features re-runs of this long-loved show of mine. Seriously, the plots are simply amazing. I have been watching...often. Willie and Barney...swoon. The theme song to this series is now the ring tone on my cell...it makes people think I'm getting a really important phone call.

5. I'm always into the experience of my journey with God...

5 people who need to do this:

1. Michelle...love you!

2. Kelsey...it will be fun to see what your responses are like now that you're back in the U.S. of A.

3. AJ...you need something "light" to blog about...:)

4. Melissa...you're too far away (sniff)

5. Kathy...you're my hero!

OK Abs...I did it...whew...maybe this will get me inspired to get back into this fun they call "blogging." Hmmm...

My daughter has a recent post in which she bemoans the embarrassment of some of her toddler's public antics, foremost of which was a recent episode in a restaurant involving a straw wrapper somehow becoming lodged in the head region of the woman in the next booth. This story somewhat warms my heart...

When my two daughters were about 3 and 4 years of age, I had the memory-making "I'm the greatest mommy in the world" idea of taking them to a restaurant for lunch one Sunday after church. Their dad was at a meeting or something, which left just the 3 of us to enjoy a little Girls Day Out.

We went to the local buffet eatery and had a nice lunch together. Everything was going just fine. I must say, I was quite gifted at managing my children in public. Right.

After a very sweet time together sharing this midday repast, we were just finishing up when an elderly man from a nearby booth got up to leave. On his way out of the restaurant, he made a special point of stopping by our booth...and he then proceeded to lavish praise on my little cherubs, affirming them in their good behavior and extolling their "good girl-ness." I, of course, was very graciously accepting his accolades.

Then it happened.

As this kind man and I were sharing our pleasantries with each other...from somewhere across the table came this high-velocity missile that impacted me, I believe, right in the chest. WHILE WE WERE TALKING...WHILE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MY PRECIOUS, WELL BEHAVED, PRINCESS CHILDREN. I think all I could muster at the time was to pretend as if I hadn't even noticed and to continue allowing him to continue in his tribute.

Hmmm...daughter of mine...I guess what goes around comes around, eh? Serves you right...

I stand corrected...

My dear friend Gregg has not-so-gently informed me that I may have fudged just a bit when I included the Fab Four in the music of the 70's (see my previous post). In actuality, he says, they broke up in 1970, which barely qualifies them...and also, coincidentally, barely qualifies me as a "youth of the 70's."

Alright then...so...(bracing myself)...I WAS A YOUTH OF THE 60's. There...I said it...satisfied????

No...this is NOT any kind of a mid-life ANYTHING...

OK...so it's almost midnight. I'm sitting here in my chair crocheting an afghan (like any respectable 50-something girl would be doing), flipping channels...and BAM...there he is...in concert...right there on my TV screen...Sir Paul. I'm fixated to the screen, somewhat dancing in my recliner/rocker...even singing along at some points. GASP...now he's singing "Hey Jude"...be still my heart...

You must remember that I'm a youth of the 70's...the decade of the BEST music, in my humble opinion. They just don't make it like that anymore. But these boys from Britain were just something else, set apart from the rest, intriguing, captivating.

In my mind I'm getting up off my chair...I'm packing my suitcase with just a few essential items (not my usual "take everything I could ever possibly need in the next 20 years" style of packing). I'm going to travel with them. Get on their bus and go wherever they go. Be there for every concert. They NEED me...

"Na-na-na-na nanananaaaaa.....nanananaaaaa....hey Jude....."

Eric will understand. I'll just be gone for a few short years. I mean, McCartney's older than I am, so how many more good concert years can he have left?

Hold down the fort, Honey...I'll be back...

This 'n that...

You'd all have to be very proud of me at this point...I haven't mentioned yet that my daughter recently found out that she is going to bless me with yet another grandbaby. Yep, 8 weeks along she is...and this Nana can hardly wait. Isn't it amazing how much love one heart can hold? Just when you think you could never contain it all, along comes another little being to stretch out those heart muscles a little bit more. They had their first ultrasound today...this little grandchild of mine is 8 weeks old, and the size of a bean...and they could see the heartbeat! So amazing. So tell me...how do some people believe that these little beans aren't a living being yet??? Sheesh...

Moving right along...I will be SO glad when tomorrow is over. I am going to have the great opportunity to be put in "jail" for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and will need to raise my "bail" to get out. Sigh. This really doesn't set well with my personality type...I dislike asking people for money, even when it's for an extremely worthy cause. And how they got MY name I'll never know. They get people from various businesses in town as their victims. Anyway, my bail is set at $1600...which is actually pretty laughable (can you hear me laughing?). To date, I've raised about $600...so I'll have to do some pretty hefty phone-calling from "jail" tomorrow. This may be my last post for quite some time...they may put me away for a very long time...

OK...so one more thought for tonight...today I came across the coolest tidbit written by Henri Nouwen...it's called "The Nonpossessive Life"...

To be able to enjoy fully the many good things the world has to offer, we must be detached from them. To be detached does not mean to be indifferent or uninterested. It means to be nonpossessive. Life is a gift to be grateful for and not a property to cling to.
A nonpossessive life is a free life. But such freedom is only possible when we have a deep sense of belonging. To whom then do we belong? We belong to God, and the God to whom we belong has sent us into the world to proclaim in his Name that all of creation is created in and by love and calls us to gratitude and joy. That is what the "detached" life is all about. It is a life in which we are free to offer praise and thanksgiving.

So...when I think about all the love I have for my grandbabies, the beauty of nature, my new laptop, my hubby, Froot Loops, etc, etc, etc...so many things in this life that I adore deeply...my prayer is that God would always help me remember balance, to hold all things loosely enough that God's hand can fit around them too...and most of all that I would always have a deeply grounded sense of Who I belong to...

A plea for prayer

You know, every day of our lives is filled with "stuff." Some stuff is joy-filled, some is full of discouragement, there is the "stuff" of new awareness of Christ's presence or, as I encountered tonight, there are those moments of grief that almost defy description.



I guess it sort of blind-sided me. When there is so much tragedy around us every day (all we have to do is watch a newscast to see how much pain is in the world), we can almost become immune to it...almost numb...perhaps as a way of surviving the pain of focusing on it. But sometimes something comes along that grabs your heart so fiercely you feel it will fall completely out of your body.



Tonight I became aware of some missionaries in training that are desperately in need of prayer support. Following is a quote from their mission organization's website:



Scott, Andrea and Isaac Sward were involved in a car accident on Sunday morning, February 3, 2008 at 10:00 a.m., local Colorado time.

Isaac was fatally injured and died on Monday morning.


Andrea is scheduled for surgery at 7:30am (Mountain Time) Tuesday morning, to stabilize her neck. The surgeon will be inserting a plate between the C7 and T1 vertebrae. Doctors are optimistic about the prognosis for repairing the fractures. Andrea has multiple injuries, including a broken clavicle, a broken jawbone, two fractured vertebrae, two broken arms, a broken ankle, a broken leg and some internal injuries. On Monday morning, her lungs collapsed, but the doctors were able to re-inflate them. The nurses are encouraged because they note that she is responding and fighting.


At this time, her blood pressure and vitals are holding strong without medication. She responded to being directed to move her arms and legs and has movement in her extremities. She is heavily sedated and it is expected that she will remain that way for the present.


Scott had an MRI on Monday morning. They are still waiting for the results. He had multiple internal injuries and has been in Intensive Care, close to Andrea. He has been conscious since the accident occurred.



I have been overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and grief for this sweet-looking young couple. Not only are they dealing with the physical pain of their injuries, but also with the deep, searing emotional pain of losing their child...and I felt nudged to share their story here.



Please pray. I am positive that they are utterly and completely dependent upon the prayers and support of others.



Scott and Andrea are part of our family in Christ...and they need us right now.



(to keep updated on this situation, you can check out the following website... http://www.friendschurchsw.org/swardupdate.html)

I'm a very blessed Momma...

So...my sweet girl Abbie, in the midst of her early pregnancy pukies, honored me with this "award" today..."because mommas are just the best at giving smooches just when you need them." I consider myself to be incredibly blessed and honored to have the privilege of being a momma...it's the best job I ever had...so those smooches come easily!

Let's see...I think I'm going to pass this one along to my friend Melissa, who is very far away from home in a place with no maple bars. I love you, Melissa...you're going to be an amazing momma one of these days!

...and I even love my pukey daughter...

Sigh...

Without question, one of the better moments of my day...

Beautiful...

I found this little nugget of truth today on a blog I like to visit. This quote really clicked for me... finally putting into words and making some sense of things that have been rumbling around in some of the deepest parts of me. This is what it said:

"When suffering shatters the carefully kept vase that is our lives, God stoops to pick up the pieces. But He doesn't put them back together as a restoration project patterned after our former selves. Instead, He sifts through the rubble and selects some of the shards as raw material for another project - a mosaic that tells the story of redemption." (Ken Gire)

Wow...

It's true...I'm a sap for wildlife...

If you have read my profile, you know that I have a deep love of animals...which could be attested to by many people who have known me during my life. I was sitting in a staff meeting the other day when all of a sudden, THUD...a bird flew into the picture window where we were meeting. This caused a momentary glitch in the rhythm of our otherwise stimulating gathering, but soon everything was progressing again. However, I was mentally running over to the window over and over in my mind, trying to check on the poor little thing. In my heart I was running outside and down the sidewalk to see if a warm box and a few drops of cool water might help alleviate what must have been excruciating pain. Or...even worse...was he even alive?...was mouth-to-beak needed? I may never know.

Then there was the time in my life when I worked at a camp/conference center for about 10 years. It was during that time that the camp was offered a couple of peacocks. Now how cool is that??? A conference center located in the beautiful northwest, right on the ocean, nestled in the woods...and adding a couple of peacocks wandering around the grounds seemed like the perfect match. Or so I thought. Actually, eventually mine was a lone voice of support for these beautiful creatures. I was thrilled beyond words when they would wander past the window of my office and stop to look at me for a few minutes. Just me communing with nature...sigh... But then the comments started. There apparently is quite an issue with the amount of ... ummm..."excrement" that these little beauties can drop. I mean, it really is quite remarkable. Our head housekeeper was freaking out because of her fear that people would be tracking this "stuff" into the buildings...and outside there were piles in the most inappropriate places. At any rate, this was a battle I lost... and the peacocks went bye-bye.

I could go on and on...but let's just leave it that I am incredibly passionate about God's gift of animals in our world.

SO...all of that to say that the past couple of days I have been becoming more aware of a current situation with polar bears. The change in our weather patterns is gradually destroying the habitat they live in. Now, there are differences of opinion as to whether these weather changes are a natural occurence or whether they are due to mankind's mismanagement of the environment...but regardless of whose fault it is, the fact still remains that there is a very real risk that the polar bears will become extinct one day. So sad...so incredibly sad...

Self portrait

There I am...do you see me? Right there...the one in the back. Yes, that's the one...the one with all the little cracks...yep, that's me alright...

I tried...but I just couldn't do it...

I really liked my old format...so here it is, back again...and I feel better.

New year update...

So...I've been a bit out of touch the past few days....and while I know it's no crime to be a sporadic blogger, I have been much more regular of late...thanks to my dear hubby and his Christmas gift to me...

Yes, it's true...my very own laptop! Prior to this I would have to isolate myself down the hall in the office to work on the computer, leaving aforementioned dear hubby in the living room all by himself. I didn't spend much time in there, and thus didn't get a lot accomplished in blog-dom.

So, thanks Sweetie...I owe you big time...and I really love sharing the same space in the house with you!