Mike's Day

Today is Mike's Birthday!

Mike is a mysterious and complicated guy.  There are so many sides to him! 

 I will tell you about a few...

Many know him as their pastor.  Those people probably don't realize he is actually an introvert because in his pastor role, he pushes himself to be available to all.  He's a natural and easy speaker and a knowledgeable teacher, as well as a kind and caring spiritual advisor.

I like observing Mike as a brother.  I think he's pretty special to his sisters and I know he cares deeply for them.  He makes an effort to keep those relationships strong.

Mike, as a son, keeps his mother's life interesting!  He has long talks with her on the phone at least weekly.   When together, he keeps her on her toes, often teasing her mercilessly!  She loves it, of course.

I pat myself on the back for my choice of Mike as my children's father.  They are blessed to have him as their Dad and they know it.  They can rest certain in his steadfast love for them.  They value his opinion and enjoy his time with them.

Mike as a grandpa is where he has really come into his own.  Cordelia sees Grandpa as her destination for fun!  He's so patient and attentive to her.  They have hours of fun together!  Their bond is already so very strong.

Mike as a songwriter...many who know him have no idea how many songs he has written!  The man's head is full of songs and he is really very, very talented.  I still think he deserves to be discovered!

Mike as a husband, I will say that he is my best friend.  He's supportive and caring, funny and adventuresome.  We've traveled many unexpected roads during our time together and I am so grateful to have been side by side with him on this journey of life!  No one can make me laugh as he does!

No matter all the roles Mike has taken on over the years, this is how I still see him, the farm boy I married...

So, to my very complicated farm boy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I'm really glad your time on this Earth coincided with mine.

P.S. Mike told me I didn't have permission to put his picture in my blog...   ooops!



Have You Had Your's?

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month.  It's not March.  Leave it to me to be a bit behind (get it?).  I'm thinking it is time to get on a soapbox.  What is the point of having your own blog if you don't get to use your soapbox?  Actually, I have several but I'll start here for now.

So, as I was saying...

In years past, before I was working as an oncology nurse, I worked with GI doctors.  Yep, they are the ones that do unspeakable things.  Yes, I am talking about colonoscopies.  Come back here!  Don't you go clicking on to the next blog already!

During those years as a nurse in the GI lab, I sometimes complained to my husband about star status, or lack thereof, for the GI staff.  Goodness knows there are plenty of medical shows on tv.  ER type shows grab most of the coverage.  Sure, they save lives and all, but so did we!  We just did it before the patient even knew their life was in need of saving.

Here's the deal... a polyp in a colon takes several years to grow into anything very ominous.  It starts out as a polite little cluster of odd cells.  They don't bother anything for quite awhile.  That's when we liked to find the sneaky little buggers!  We (and by "we" I mean the doctor of course) could snippity snip that little polyp off and WA-La...life saved.  Most cancers are not so easily cured.  It maybe doesn't give the patient much of a story to tell at dinner parties but our docs even gave them pictures afterward so they could share the excitement if they wished.  (I thought about putting a picture here of one of mine but decided against it, remembering that Mike sometimes thinks I'm too earthy already.) I suppose if they wanted to they could even wear a t-shirt declaring their Cancer Survivor status.

Sometimes people would wait too long for their colonoscopy.  Sometimes they would wait YEARS too long.  I hated it when the doctor would find a polyp that had given up the shy life and was already burrowing into the colon wall.  It was even worse if it was found to have burrowed through the wall and was then possibly starting new outposts in other parts of the body.  You knew that patient would have surgery and chemo in her/his future.

So, if you are 50 or older, it is TIME!  If you know someone 50 or older, it is time to start nagging!  Also, if you have a strong family history of colon cancer or just weird symptoms of bleeding, bloating, etc.  go see your doctor NOW, no matter your age!  And listen to your doctor about when to have your next one, and the next.  One at age 50 doesn't give you lifelong immunity.  I wish it did.

  Are you afraid of a really long scope coming in the back door?  Well, I've been through this many times so let me tell you, it's FUN!  Wait, that may be an overstatement, but for most folks it is quite tolerable.  The worst part is drinking the prep that gives you diarrhea, but luckily you get to move through that part of the fun in the privacy of your own home.  After the cleanout you will feel pretty pristine.

At the actual "viewing" you will likely be given IV sedation or anesthesia.  In fact, INSIST on it.  I've had it both ways and either is lovely.  You'll be placed on your left side, still all covered up, with those present saying kind things to you.  In just a second, or so it will seem, they will be waking you up.  You'll notice that you are still covered up and you likely won't believe they did anything.

Soon after, you will likely be tooting quite a bit because the doctor inflates air to expand the colon to see around better.  If you are lucky, most of that business will happen BEFORE you wake up.  The good news is, you are still so pristine that you can putt-putt away without fear of needing a room deodorizer!  Go ahead!  Try for the longest or the loudest.  Oops, my earthy side is showing again!  Trust me, though, it will be hard to impress the staff as they're so used to flatulence, they barely notice. 

You may say a few funny things, which is enjoyable for your family.  A patient I helped, shortly after 9/11, had a question to ask after his scope was complete.  He woke up saying, "Did you find Osama bin Laden in there?"  That of course was when they were still expecting to find him in a cave somewhere.  The patient thought he was pretty funny but when I saw him a few weeks later, he didn't remember it.  When I told him, though, he seemed kind of proud of the remark.

That's it.   It is one very, very easy way to avoid having to deal with colon cancer.

Katie Couric is my hero on this subject.  She had her's done on air.... while awake!  I don't recommend that but I honor her for doing it as a way to raise awareness and to help others get over the "ick" factor.  As you can see, she remained perky throughout.

I admit, it may not be the most fun you've ever had, but it is such a simple way to cure a cancer.  Considering all the cancers that are so hard to cure, it is almost a little miracle.

So, that's my speech.  Go make your appointments.

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/ToolsandCalculators/Videos/get-tested-for-colon-cancer-english

A Colorful Family

This is my Grandpa, Red, and my Grandma, Rose.

With names like that, they were surely meant for each other, huh?

Rose and Red had 6 children.  First came Terry, then Grace followed by Michelle.

This story isn't about those 3 girls, though.  Yes, they are adorable, but let's move on...

Next, came twin girls.  I knew them as Pinkie and Brownie.  That's all I ever heard them called.  I was probably about 12 years old before I found out their names were really Kathleen and Kathryn.  It hadn't even seemed strange to me that their names were Pinkie and Brownie.  It was strange that the first three weren't named Green, Tan & Blue 

The last child was a boy.  He was named Jess Hugh but we all called him Hughie or Hugh. 

If you change the spelling to Hue, his name refers to color as well.

These are things I did not notice or ponder as a child. 

Are you wondering where I am going with this story?

Me, too... 

Pardon My Lenten Smile

When Mike was in seminary I somehow came into possession  of a button that said, "Pardon My Lenten Smile".  I loved that button!   Unfortunately, I lost it some time ago.

I know that Lent is a time to remember all that Jesus had to endure before his resurrection.  I know we have to make that journey.  We need to dwell on the mockery, humiliation, pain, rejection, betrayal and death.  It needs to be real to us.  We need to feel it and own it.  We need to take responsibility for it and we need to be repentant.

But, because I already know how the story turns out, I may occasionally be caught with a Lenten Smile! 

Let's Play!

Cordelia LOVES being outside...

...in her precious blue coat.

Daddy and Grandpa are FUN!

Life is SOOOOOOO good!

Yesterday Maria & I took Cordelia and ventured out of town, just us 3 generations of females.  We had a lovely drive to see my Mom.  We met up at Mom's house with my sister, Tina, as well as my brother, Mike, and my sister-in-law, Pat. 

One of the highlights yesterday was just seeing how trim my Mom has become.  She could do a Nutri-System commercial!  Even as a child I recognized that my Mom was exceptionally beautiful.  It still holds true.  Maria and I were talking about her on the way home, as well.  She's just such a good and caring person.  She's modeled a way of life that puts other's needs above her own.  She's smart.  She's very, very artistically talented.  We're glad to be from her gene pool!

My sister, Tina, drove her motorized wheelchair from her own home not far from Mom's.  I'm so happy that she has that new wheelchair!   It was a little scary seeing her maneuver it up the steep ramp and through doorways that suddenly seemed real narrow, but she did well with it. 

Mike and Pat seemed remarkably calm, considering their house sold and they have to be out in just a few weeks.  That may not sound like a big deal, except that their new living situation is not yet settled and they aren't quite certain where they will be in the interim!  They are walking in faith, though!

On our way home we saw an antelope about to give birth, at least we think that's what we saw.  We didn't stop because we felt she needed her privacy.  We did see lots and lots of antelop that were not giving birth, including quite a few cute little babies.  Sometimes I've seen a herd of buffalo along that route as well.  I really wanted a picture to post of buffalo but they were shy yesterday.  It may seem hard to miss a herd of buffalo but the prairie goes a long, long way and apparently they were hiding out behind a hill.

I'm just going to leave you with a few people pictures from our little day trip...

Pat and Mike, showing us his new I-Phone.

Cordelia and Maria playing with a doll my Mom made (I'm telling you, my Mom can do ANYTHING!)

Me, Mom, Mike (brother), and Tina (sister)



HOPE- A Tribute to Bobbi

I don't know if any of you felt it yesterday, but the world lost some of its glow.  Our friend, Bobbi, went home to Jesus.

I only met Bobbi because she had cancer and I was an oncology nurse.  That's how our paths crossed.  She was sick and I, among many, tried to help her.  Well, as happens often enough, she probably helped us a lot more than we helped her.

Bobbi was one of those people who shared her smiles freely.  There was a warmth about her, and a zest for life.  Bobbi loved her family and friends and she knew that she was well-loved in return.  Bobbi had much to live for.

Bobbi had a theme word, HOPE.  One day we were talking about my love for giraffes.  Another patient had told me that in Africa, giraffes were the symbol for hope.  Bobbi said, "Oh, that's my word!"  After that, we always mentioned the word, "hope" to each other.   One day she brought in 4 red letters to spell "hope" and gave it to me.  I have had them on my bathroom mirror ever since.  I wanted it where I would see it first thing each morning.

The last time I went into our chemo clinic was rather a hard day for me.  My recurring illness had become annoying enough that I was no longer able to continue doing the job I loved so much.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  My plan was to come in, clean out my desk, and leave as quickly as I could so that I wouldn't cry in front of people.   It just so happened that Bobbi was there that day.  She called me over to her treatment chair.  She gave me a hug and spoke words of encouragement to me.  My situation was not as grim as her's, but she was speaking words of assurance to me.  She was ministering to me.  I was so very grateful.

So as we are mourning our loss,  I am trying to focus on HOPE.  Mike helped me find a bible verse that comforted me.  Romans 5:3-5  "...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our  hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Bobbi suffered and endured.  She had great character, and she had HOPE.  Bobbi knew her life would not end when cancer claimed her body.  She knew she was wrapped in God's love and she knew that she would go to be with her Lord. 

See you later, Bobbi.

Another Confession of a Pastor's Wife

So, here's an awful story from my past.  I'm going to tell you about one of the first times I publicly humiliated myself in the whole business of being a pastor's wife.  Some of you know this story already.  Sorry about that.  For some reason I feel compelled to tell it again.  This compulsion to tell on myself is probably part of some undiagnosed mental health problem. 

It all started innocently enough...

Photo taken June 1989, Mike's ordination day and my first day as a Pastor's Wife.

After Mike's ordination, we went to live in a small town in Central Montana.

Most of you know exactly where we were but I like to pretend I have thousands of unknown readers so let me be a little mysterious here...   It was Mike's first call (meaning it was the first parish he pastored, right out of seminary).

I wasn't terribly worried about being a pastor's wife.  The first day at our new church was a bit scarey, just because everyone seemed to be looking us over.  However, I had reasonably good manners and didn't expect I'd cause too much trouble.   Our children were young but usually well-behaved.  I tried to just be myself, but of course the best version of myself that I could muster.

We'd been there maybe a year or so when one day I was with a friend from our church.  For the sake of this story let's call her, ummmmm, just off the top of my head I'll say, Rosemarie.  Rosemarie had met a woman who was new in town.  She'd invited her to our church and Rosemarie introduced me to her, stating that I was the pastor's wife.  I made a mental note in my head so that I would remember the name of the new woman.  You know, those kind of mental images or name play things you do in the privacy of your own brain when you want to remember something later.  That was all well and good.

A few weeks later, again I was out in public (Why am I even allowed out in public?), when Rosemarie approached me with this same woman by her side.  Rosemarie, kind friend that she was, didn't put me on the spot and started to say something like, "Sue, you remember..."  That's when I cut her off, proudly announcing, "No, don't tell me, give me a second, I'll remember..." I believe I said the first name correctly and then kept talking OUT LOUD ... "Wait, I committed your last name to memory...oh yeah, it breaks down into 2 words...."  The lady had a funny look on her face.That's when I remembered the visual image I'd attached to her name.  Unfortunately, I burst out laughing at myself.  It was one of those laughs where I truly went over the age.  It was oh so very inappropriate.  I may have even drooled.  I know that I had to hold up my hand in a gesture meant to say, "Excuse me please."  I ducked into a nearby bathroom, still laughing.  

Her last name was Horan.



Nonsense about Socks

I am hoping, through this blog to have days where my readers are provoked into exploring deep thoughts about fascinating topics.

Today is not one of those days.

 This is not one of those topics.

I just want to say that I really, really enjoy socks with some character.

It makes me happy to wear fun socks.

I feel financially secure when I have plenty of socks.  OK that may be stretching it a bit but I do appreciate that I don't have to apply for a loan to get a new pair of socks.

Oddly, we have a cat that also loves socks.  Meet Mindy, a.k.a Hoot Hoot, a.k.a. Momma Huggums, a.k.a Bunny Coat... Sam and Mike both think they are good at giving nicknames.

You'll likely never see Mindy if you come visit us.  She is very paranoid of any new face.  She goes to great extremes to avoid being spotted.  When strangers are in our house (she still considers Maria and Eric strangers!) she spends most of her time hidden above the shower in our basement laundry room.  The ceiling is unfinished and she pretty much scales the wall to get up there.

Anyway, Hoot Hoot comes out to play when we are out of the house.  One of the things she loves to do is steal socks!  I believe she gets on top of my dresser and leans over, hooks her paw through the loop style drawer handle and manages to pull it open a bit.  She then works to pull out the bundled up pairs of socks.  I later find them ALL OVER the house!  It is a little annoying to have to hunt down my socks but I understand her love of them so I don't get too upset.  In fact, it makes me think maybe she is a bit of a kindred spirit.



A COOOOL Sunday!

We got to have little Miss Cordelia Sunday afternoon while her parents went to see a movie.   Cordy has proven that she has the obsessive gene that seems to be rampant in our family.  You know, the ability to TOTALLY focus on one goal only.  We received snow again and Cordelia love, love, loves snow!  Since we are grandparents, we just opened the door and let her check it out...

We all took her out for short bursts, Grandpa, Sam and me.  She was ecstatic and seemed oblivious to the cold.   I wasn't so oblivious so I brought her back into the house.  She was sweet about it but VERY persistent.  So, we compromised.............

She loved her snow in the house as much as she loved it outside.

Cordelia likes to share the things she loves.  She gave each of us pieces of her snow.

A bowl of snow...

Examining the snow...

Was your Sunday as COOL as our's?

Question From an Opera Singer

I hope by now you've all gone to http://www.thenuttersisters.com/ to meet some of my new Twitter friends.  I follow their blog and am very entertained by it.

Another friend I met on Twitter is a young woman living in Madrid, Spain.  She studies microbiology AND she sings opera.  I've known people who've studied microbiology before, in fact I took one microbiology class myself and the instructor was one of my best friends.   But I've never known an opera singer!  I can't wait until her CD is ready.  I'll buy it and when I play it I'll just casually brag, "Yea, that's my friend the opera singer."

At one point, through our conversations, my new friend asked me if I was a believer.  Of course I answered "yes" I am a believer.  It was a simple question and a simple answer was all that was needed.  On Twitter, simple answers are a necessity since you only get to write 140 characters or less at a time.

I kept thinking about her question, though, and realized I couldn't remember anyone ever asking me that before.  Maybe some don't ask because they don't really care.  Maybe others don't ask because I wear a cross so often, it is pretty obvious.  I suppose being married to a pastor also leads to the assumption that I am a believer. 

This train of thought made me think about early Christians who had to fear for their lives if they were identified as believers.  Think back to Peter, fearing for his life and denying he was a believer after Jesus was taken captive.  Later, Christians were killed in a variety of horrible ways, just for being believers.  There are places on this Earth where people are still tortured or killed just for being Christians.

I remember hearing a story about the Christian fish symbol.  I don't even know if the story is true but I've remembered it for many years so I'm going to share it.  What I was told was that in the early years of the church, when two people met, one would casually draw one side of the fish symbol with their foot in the dirt.  If the other person was not a Christian they'd just see it as foot doodling.  If they were a Christian, they'd draw the second half.  In this way they'd both know they were safe to discuss their faith. 

I have a fish symbol necklace that Mike gave me more than 30 years ago. 

I also have that symbol on my Bible cover. 

Like I said, I don't know if that is true but I've liked the fish symbol more since I heard that tale.  It helps me remember those who've travelled this path before us.



The Nutter Sisters: Vintage, Vintage, and More Beautiful Vintage

Remember the Nutter Sisters?  They are the sweet and very funny ladies I met through Twitter.  I've been reading their blog ever since.  They make me laugh!  Well, today they did a promo for our shop.  They did this out of the kindness of their hearts!  So, I'm just referring you straight on to their blog.  After reading the article they did for us, be sure to scroll down through their other posts.  You'll soon be laughing!

The Nutter Sisters: Vintage, Vintage, and More Beautiful Vintage: " WWW.ETSY.COM/SHOP/WYOMINGROSE Wyoming Rose Boutique Wyoming Rose is a mother and daughter who unexpectedly found themsel..."

Eve's Shopping Trip

So, every now and then I think I'm kind of clever.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I and my baby, Sam, were shopping for groceries.  OK, so Sam is about 9 feet tall and almost 18 yrs old, but he's my baby.  Now, where was I?   Oh yeah, checking out at the grocery store.  For some reason, I thought of what I'd put in my next comic strip cartoon.  Remembering that I don't have a comic strip cartoon, I decided to lay it on you here.  The check-out lady didn't laugh when I told it but I have to go on the assumption she just didn't hear it right.  Anyway, I was encouraged because Sam thought it was funny.  Sam is CONSTANTLY thinking of jokes and puns and he is rarely impressed with my attempts at humor.  Here's a picture of Sam NOT laughing.

To set it up, I have to first be sure that you all know that a perennial is a plant that comes up every year.  You can count on it to be the same plant year after year.  An annual is a plant that you only get to enjoy one season as it will not be back in the Spring.  I am thinking maybe the check-out lady didn't know these things.

Having said that, here we go....

We have Eve (as in Adam and Eve) shopping.  She's wearing her strategically placed leaves and shopping at a plant nursery.  On one side of her you see leafy plants marked "perennials" and on the other side you see leafy plants marked "annuals".  Eve is looking rather disdainfully over her shoulder at the perennials.  The little word bubble above Eve says, "Those leaves are so LAST year's fashion!"

Are you laughing?  Grinning?  Even a pity smile?   Man!  This is a tough audience!

I also noticed the new fashions are getting skimpier every year!  Maybe I'll build on that before I go on the road with this show...

Honoring Vietnam Veterans

My son-in-law, Eric, is a curator at a veteran's museum.  He spends a lot of his time with veterans and has become quite an advocate on their behalf.  One project he's been working on is a large display for Vietnam Veterans.  At this museum, each display is about a particular veteran, his  or her story, in addition to things such as letters, uniforms, etc.  

Eric's Dad is a Vietnam Veteran and this display features his story.

Yesterday was Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Celebration Day.  As we know, many soldiers  returning from the Vietnam War were treated with disdain.  They were sent to fight a war and all the horrors that come with that experience, and then returned to a country that didn't want to thank them.  Eric's Dad said he was even spit upon.  Today was a day we could say, "Thank-you".  It's not about the politics of the war.  It's about remembering that a lot of these people were just kids when their lives were interrupted to fight a war.  Many didn't make it back.  We were really proud of Eric and the work he did to bring honor to these men and women.

The press was there, many veterans and their families were there, senators, even the Gov. of Wyoming.  We were all there to show support and to say "thanks".  Good job, Eric!



Nutty New Friends

Well, besides starting a blog, I also decided to dabble in the world of Twitter.  It is a strange world there my friends!  You have to become adept at one-liners.  I wanted to do it to see if I could get more people to check out our Wyoming Rose Boutique.  I didn't really understand how it worked.  I thought I'd just write a line and the whole world would see it.  Aren't I sweetly naive?

Let me tell you what I've learned.  Yes, you can just type your one-liner and send it off, but likely no one will see it.  What you have to do is build up "followers".  To do that, you click to become followers of others and hope they follow back.  It sure seems like a strange way to make friends, huh?  And I thought Facebook was odd!

I found that close to 1/3 of the people I chose to follow would follow back.  Sometimes, as I read more of their "tweets" I had to, unfortunately, "unfollow" a few.  I try to not be a judgmental prude but I have my limits.

 There is a whole Twitter Language that I'm just beginning to learn.  Tweets are what the little one-liners are called.  The act of tweeting can also be called twittering, I think.  And it seems that those who follow you on Twitter are your "Tweeps".  If a "Tweep" "unfollows" you, it is heartbreaking.  You feel rejected.  It's a lot like when a friend in junior high decides they don't want to sit by you at lunch anymore.  But, you move on and just "follow" someone else.  Keep up with me on this stuff if you can.

Every now and then I find some really nice and interesting people.  Through their Twitter Profile (oh yes, I have so much more to teach you) you can click on through to see their blogs.  Some are trying to sell things but I politely take a look since really, that's what mine is as well.  However, I find some real gems among it all.  I'm following some delightful blogs now.  It seems strange to read about the lives of people I've not really met I suppose, but I find it more heart-warming than reading about the lives of celebrities and such.  I actually feel a bit more hopeful for our world. 

For non-Twitterers, here is what a Twitter Profile looks like...

The Nutter Sisters

@thenuttersister Shhh...she's napping.

Humorous Blog: Three sisters share a compulsion to reveal family secrets by way of clever entertaining stories. Enjoy! ~Helen

http://www.thenuttersisters.com

When you click on the link you go right to the blog of the profilees.  This is the blog

I want to introduce you to today.  I was drawn to it immediately because it made me laugh out loud!  I love to laugh!  Who doesn't?  This blog is written by 3 sisters.  You can actually pick up on their love and support of each other between the lines.  They are very, very funny.  I read part of one of their posts to Mike.  It was advice for women on how to manage the "man cold".  My man, of course, is not a bad patient.  I've heard, though, that some men are pretty mopey when ill.  Anyway, perhaps their blog is best read by women because when I read it to Mike, he told me they were "heartless shrews" and forbid me to read it again.  That of course, makes it all the more delicious!  You can find these ladies at http://www.thenuttersisters.com/ but please finish reading the rest of this post before you run off.

These ladies not only followed me back on Twitter but they checked out http://www.etsy.com/shop/wyomingrose and said nice things about it.  They offered to do an ad for us on their site!  AND, they aren't charging us for the ad!  Lots of sites charge pretty steep fees if you want to advertise on their blog.  I asked about a charge and there is none.  Here is the latest tweet from them: 

"It's so wonderful when nice people support nice people! Makes the world a happier place. :)"

I'd already planned to tell you about their site in a post, just because I liked it.  Now, I know they are not just funny but also quite sweet.  Please, take a look at their blog and click on "follow" if you enjoy it as much as I did!   http://www.thenuttersisters.com/

Medals and Memories

Yesterday was not our typical day.  Mike and I ventured out of town to visit one of his sisters, Karen, and her husband, Greg.  They'd moved into a new home awhile ago and we finally got ourselves in gear enough to go see it.  We enjoyed visiting with them!

Karen entertained us showing family treasures.  I'll start right out by saying the most fun for me was seeing Carol's (my mother-in-law) old swimsuit, complete with ruffles on the hinder.  Yes, I said hinder.  Karen also had Carol's old square dance dress.  I had a hard time envisioning Carol square dancing but I'm not sure why that is.  She's tried a lot of things over the years and still takes classes on new things.  Carol is a very elegant lady and I suppose that is why these old items were fun to me.  I got a glimpse of her in another era.

Karen also had a lot of their Dad's military things.  George died way too early.  He died when we'd been married only 1 month.  Of course Mike has lots of memories of his Dad but they never got too far into knowing each other as adults.  It was precious to see Mike going through these things of his Dad's.  I think it made him feel a bit closer to him. 

Our son-in-law, Eric, is a curator at a veteran's museum.  He and Mike are going to go through some of George's military things together.  There are medals and other things that we know mean something.  Eric's head is full of knowledge of such things and he also knows how to do the research to find out more.  Mike is excited to show them to Eric.

Mike knows some of the stories.  I see the pride in his eyes when he talks about his Dad being involved in freeing prisoners from concentration camps.  If George never did another thing in his life, that in itself would've earned him hero status as far as I'm concerned!

It is rather a week of remembering veterans around here.  Eric has been working hard to prepare for the opening of a Vietnam War Veterans display at the museum.  Tomorrow is the big day!  We plan to go to help honor some of those who were treated with contempt when they returned from war.  They were given a job to do and they did it.  We need to thank them.  We're proud of Eric for all his hard work.

You Are Lucky To Be Different

After Sunday School I had a lovely conversation with one of the girls I teach.  She's a 5th grader and I try to instill words of wisdom in her.  I don't know if I managed that but she certainly gave me some words of wisdom.  I was so impressed with this girl.

First of all, she was wearing a kimono.  That in itself made me smile.  She is a very self-assured little person.  She told me she was wearing a kimono because her mother was going to take her out for sushi after church.  I told her I loved seeing her in her kimono.  I didn't mention that I also smile when I see her come to church in a dress that would be fancy enough for any prom.  She has her own special sense of style and doesn't worry that she dresses differently from other kids.  She told me about one of her favorite outfits which she calls her "optical illusion" look.  It involves tights, skirt, top all in black and white strips going different directions.  I can't wait to see that!

This young girl told me that one of her friends had once written about her saying she was lucky to be "different" and she hoped she wouldn't change.  I was happy to know that girls her age appreciated her uniqueness as special.  There are likely those who tease her as well but my little friend didn't really care about that.  She was very self-assured and confident in who she was.  I quite enjoyed visiting with her and left feeling she just might be able to be herself even in those peer-pressure teen years. 

Tomorrow I think I'll wear something bright orange...

TODAY

What are your plans for this day? 

We're up early, as we are most days.  Sundays have a regular pattern for us.  Mike usually gets up first, having some quiet time to himself.  I stagger out a bit later, my hair is usually, shall we say, "interesting".  Sometimes he teases me, sometimes not.  We'll go about our preparations and then be at church by 8ish. 

Mike goes about doing some last minute things.  Really, I'm not sure what he does because I go right in and look for Allen.  Allen is my friend and we share a traditional Sunday morning hug and then I hurry to my place on the Worship Team.  I don't want to give you the wrong impression here.  I LOVE to sing but I am not a strong voice on our Worship Team.  Don't call me and ask me to sing at a wedding or anything!  They are a nice group of people that include me and for that I am very grateful.  It is something to which I look forward all week.

At the end of our practice time, our daughter's family arrives and little Cordelia blows kisses up to me.  I LOVE that!  Grandpa then gets to walk around with her in his arms.  They BOTH love that.

The church service is great.  We are part of a congregation of a really nice mix of people.  From my vantage point on the Worship Team I can see little kindnesses done around the room, such as someone helping a newcomer find their page.  And of course, the sermon is always inspiring.  Mike shrugs it off when I complement his speaking abilities but he's very good and natural.  He likes to add in some dry jokes but people seem to tolerate that.  He's just himself and he speaks easily to the congregation.  I'm alway proud of him.

After church I have time for a quick hug or two from Cordelia then I'm off to teach 5th and 6th graders in Sunday School.  If you aren't around kids that age much, I'd encourage you to find a way.  I love that age!  They are inquisitive and joyful.  They keep me on my toes!  The best thing is they aren't quite yet too cool to get really involved in the stories. 

After church we sometimes go to the hospital to visit people we know.  On the way home we generally grab something to eat.  By that time Sam, who has his own wheels for church, has usually sent several texts to me, all asking for Taco Bell. 

After we eat Mike and I read the paper together on our big bed.  He likes to read a section, and then toss it at me.  By the time we are done, the paper is a mess.  It's really and odd routine but somehow it makes me feel special.  After all that comes THE NAP!  What's better than a Sunday afternoon nap?!

Later, Eric and Maria and Cordelia arrive and we enjoy lighthearted family time.  We eat a meal together, sometimes the guys go bowling, but we just enjoy being together.  That's a time when I most miss Ben and Sara.  It just seems like we should all be together.

So, that's my plan for today.  I hope your Sundays are just as delightful! 

The Kingdom of the Sky Queen

My daughter and her husband are both artists.  They are artists with a multitude of talents.  They take on so many different projects and I've no idea how they learn to do much of it.

Last night, they had an opening at a local gallery.  This show was entitled "Abstracted Landscapes in the Kingdom of the Sky Queen.  Eric had made a film by that title, and all the art displayed went with that film.  They even had the film playing in loops and the film's costumes on display.  It was really cool. 

This is my ever so talented son-in-law, Eric, anticipating a great show.

We were so pleased to see many of our friends from church coming to support our kids.  Cordelia made a showing and did the meet and greet.  She usually started small talk by showing her cracker and mentioning that it was "yummy".  Then, she would point to the pieces on the wall and say "art".  She also did a lot of "tweeting" because many of her Mom's pieces are bird images.

Maria showing one of her pieces....

 

A smiling visitor...

Chasing My Own Tail

Being new at this, I get all excited when I see my follower numbers rise.  I always check to see who followed and then I try to check out their blog if they have one.  Well, it turns out that I'm apparently getting confused in the middle of my following frenzy because on multiple occasions I've discovered I'm following myself!  How'd my picture get there among my followers? Sometimes I'm following myself twice!  Now that's pretty self-absorbed, don't you think?

Like most people, I think I am pretty self-absorbed.  I don't like it and I don't want it to be so, but there it is.  I realize this is a survival thing; I need to be self-absorbed enough to notice when I am hungry, wounded, cold, etc.  That ensures that I'll take care of my basic needs and keep myself alive and well.  However, I think I worry too much about whether my clothing or hair looks appropriate, whether I've said something dumb or embarrassing (OK, we all know that ship sailed long ago), or if people like me.  I think about where I'd like to go for a vacation, what I'd like to have for supper, what song I want to hear on the radio...I think more about myself than others, no matter how I hard I try to do otherwise.  Sure, I may do something thoughtful for someone else, but I quickly return to thinking about me.  Are you like that?  Please tell me it is not just me!

Actually, the more I think about it, how can a person NOT be self-absorbed?  I mean, really, I'm inside my own head, day in and day out.  How can I ignore myself?  Hmmmm...I never thought of it that way. 

At any rate, I think I've crossed a line somewhere when I "follow" my own blog.  I've managed to remove myself several times but sometimes it just doesn't work and I'm stuck there, my face among my own followers.   It's embarrassing but probably speaks a truth.  I'm sure I'm more concerned about my own blog than anyone else could be.

So there you have it...I'm following myself...it's dizzying!