By God's Grace

Sleepover

I have a visitor here for a sleepover! Last time we tried this, Cordelia had a headache and then got sick in the night. This time, things are much better!

Immediately upon arrival she wanted to show me what she brought in her suitcase, right down to her hairbrush and her toothbrush. It was an adorable little show.

 Then we played some games.

She won 2 and I won 1.

Then this happend... fake nose-picking

...and fake eating of it. 

There was also fake sleeping.

 And there was most definitely lots of giggling.

Laughter Allowed!

As I've told you, I have a new position where I work. It was the job left vacant when one of our own lost her life to suicide. Thoughts of that day leave us all with such a heavy feeling of sadness. No one else wanted to do the job I now do. There are several reasons for that. One of them was that it wasn't a happy thought to work in the little office that was her's. A few people even had almost a superstition about the room.

When I first started working in that room I didn't want to rush any changes. It seemed disrespectful to our friend. However, I didn't want that room to be a place of sadness. Sometimes, as I sit there, I wonder what she was thinking when she last sat in there. Other nurses who stop by have mentioned how the room makes them sad thinking of her.

The time has come. I have taken on a big project by trying to make that feel like a happy room, a place of peace and calm, and where laughter is as appropriate as tears. So, I started by crocheting. Yes, crocheting. Remember how I chased my styrofoam wreath around the Walmart parking lot? I never did catch it and I expect it is now somewhere in South Dakota. Anyway, I bought another and I crocheted a wreath shaped sweater for it.

I added a  big green bow and some dangling twine thingies. It sounds weird but it looks  ok. I superglued a tiny little decorative clothespin at the bottom. Sounds even weirder, huh? I took it to work and hung it on the office door. I am using that little clothespin to clip on a cartoon for the day...cartons such as this one:

...and this one:

A little quirky, yes, but I've seen people smiling. There were maybe even a few chuckles. That is all I wanted.

Now, I am working on some little personal touches within the office. It is a very small office so there isn't room for much. Really, it would be smallish even for a walk-in closet. Anyway, I am taking this vase in, just because it adds a pop of color and it can sit on the floor in a corner. It makes ME happy.

Additionally, I am making something with twine and fake pearls. I'm not certain what, but I already like it.

So, that's what I've been up to.  You?

Silly Girl

OK, let's keep it light today. I made my Mom cry again with that last post. So, here's some happiness...


Cordelia looks good in a crown.

I asked her why they made this crown in Sunday School. I was hoping for her to tell me what their lesson was. Her answer to why they made crowns...

 "Because the teacher said to."

Silly girl!

Born in Heaven

 A while back I talked about the babies we lost through miscarriage. I spoke of the babies my mother lost. I directed you to our daughter's blog, where she spoke of the babies she and her husband lost as well.  We spoke of the pain that doesn't go away. A person doesn't get over such a loss, but rather learns how to adapt to it, how to manage it.

Recently I was talking with a friend at work. The discussion of miscarriage came up. We sometimes have patients come to our facility for a D & C.  This is a procedure that cleans out the womb when a baby dies but is not expelled. When assigned to such a patient, I try to find a way to allow them to speak of their grief if they wish. Some really don't want to talk about it, or maybe don't want to speak of it to a stranger. Maybe they already have a good supply of people who can assist them through it. Sometimes, though, the young mother is just so grateful for someone to acknowledge her loss.

Anyway, as my friend and I spoke, I found that she also believed that miscarried babies, even those that died early in pregnancy, are real souls...souls we will meet in heaven.  My friend then said something I'd not considered before. She spoke of miscarried babies as babies "born in heaven". Oh, how I loved that phrase! It brought me comfort to think of those babies as being delivered right into heaven! That has to be a lot more grand than being born into this troubled world. Just picture it...born right into heaven!

I just wanted to share that thought. It brought me comfort. Maybe someone reading this needs such comfort as well.

This photo doesn't  have much to do with this post except that it is of our daughter, 

mother of four children, two who were born in heaven.

Quiet Joy

Fun With Uncle Sam

I do not take these precious times for granted.

Akiane Kramarik Documentary

I just found this really interesting and thought you might as well.

It's a Bit Breezy!

 Yesterday, after work, I stopped by Walmart on my way home. I had a few little things to pick up but what I was most excited about was getting a couple of supplies to make a ribbon/wreath/bow thing for the door of my office. I had an idea of what I wanted to make and I wanted to do it tonight. Inspiration is like that. It needs immediate attention.

The main thing I needed for my craft was something like this...

It was styrofoam. It was lightweight.

I pushed my cart out of the doors at Walmart, a breeze (aka hurricane force winds) came up and the sack with my wreath form went whoooooshing off into the night. I don't know how strong the winds were last night but I know that today's forecast states there may be gusts over 60mph here. Anyway, I chased my foam circe down and stomped on the corner of the sack until I could pick it up. I tucked it into the cart and kept it secure as I made me way to my car. I put that sack into the trunk first and proceeded (I feel like I'm on Judge Judy. People are always "proceeding" on that show.) to set the other sacks into the trunk. 

I thought I had everything under control but the stupid wreath sack rose up out of the trunk like some kind of crazy ghost, gave a flutter wave and took off across the parking lot. I stashed everything else into the trunk, slammed it closed and darted after the wreath. I saw it stuck up under a tire of a truck in the next row. Of course, it turns out it wasn't quite that stuck and off it went again. I wandered through a couple of rows, looking under the vehicles, until I noticed a guy who seemed to be a bit afraid of me. Me! OK, I was acting a bit crazy.

So, I went to my car and drove it slowly up and down the rows, looking for my errant craft item. No luck. I finally realized that I was spending a lot of time looking for that $2 item. It was time to give up and go home. 

I spent the rest of the evening pouting because I couldn't complete my project. Maybe I will try again tonight but I may have to stuff the sack inside my coat or something. 

Is it windy where you are?

Tiny Indoor Snowmen

OK, all you grandpas out there, pay attention. The following photos will show you how a cool grandpa, who doesn't want to go outside, handles that question, "Grandpa, can we make a snowman?" He's pretty creative! Instead of a corncob pipe and a button nose, these snowmen had facial features made out of candy sprinkles. That made this event not only a fun activity but it also served as a little snack.

Gray Day Beauty

We woke up to a 2014 covered in a soft, fluffy frosting.

It is one of those mornings where the sky and the snowy landscape kind of blend together. The sky is still heavy with snow.

In fact, the clouds must be kind of softly bumping together up there as every now and then a poof of snowflakes flutters down with the breeze.

The sun isn't making much of a statement today, starting the year out a bit shy.

At first glance it seems a bit gloomy but wandering outside with my camera really helps me see the beauty all around.

I don't really make New Year's Resolutions much anymore but this morning I did make just one. 

I want to be more intentional about enjoying the gift of vision. 

I want to be able to notice the loveliness more, rather than just rushing by. I want to not only delight in the fantastic colors of sunrises and sunsets, but also the softness of the gray days like today. I want to treasure the vision of faces, from the fresh, expectant newness of a child's soft face, to the faces that display more history in the fine wrinkles. I want to notice the patterns seen in nature, from the beauty of a snowflake to the delicate designs seen in new leaves. 

It occurs to me today that if I am looking more for beauty, I will see less ugliness around me. It is my hope that it will force me to manage my feelings of needing to rush, always wanting to get more accomplished. My hope is that it will center me around a calm column of gratefulness. That may be a lot to expect from the gift of vision but it is just one way of being appreciative of all that I have been given. 

Last Sunset of 2013

On Getting Old

A friend of our's, who turned 90 this year, sent this cartoon with her Christmas card.  It cracked me up! 

In case you can't read it the words are:

I'm getting so old that all my friends in heaven will think I didn't make it.

Recipe for Fun

Take one leftover Christmas box.

Add one young artist equipped with washable markers.

Add one little sister.

Throw in a dog leash and a dice game because you 

never know when you might need them.

Find a grandpa willing to push and drag the box.

Then relax and enjoy the ride.