My Valentine

    Happy Valentine's Day to all my family because it is a day to remember those you love. My special Valentine is Don my husband of 56 years who gives to me daily the kind of love that some only receive on special days like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. He looks after my every comfort. He never complains or expects any notice of all he does. I watch him as he does all the chores of upkeep that this home and 20 acres requires. I look out from my warm house to see him hauling wood from way across the yard to the house and down to the furnace room, I hear him up on the roof clearing the frozen vents and cleaning the chimney's of the fireplace and wood stove, I hear the scraping sound of the roof rake as he clears the roof of the heavy snow so gutters can run when the thaw comes, then he is down stairs draining the water heater and changing filters on the furnace. Everyday he goes out to fill the bird feeders and put fat out for the wood peckers, a Pileated wood pecker eats a lot of fat. He sprinkles some cracked corn around should the turkeys come by. He carries the table scape's out to where the foxes come to eat, we have 5 beautiful foxes that come at dusk. And if he does not have enough to feed he is hoping that the Pheasant hen and rooster he saw just up the road will come to eat under his feeders. He patiently holds doors so people can pass through, he always opens doors for me, something a friend noticed and admired. He sees to it that I do not spend too many days at home by taking me out for breakfast or lunch. Is he perfect, perhaps not to others but too me as I sit under his arm on the couch each night to watch television he is perfect enough. I get my valentine from him daily in actions not cards . Love should be given out in daily doses so that it grows stronger as the years go by. He is not a joiner nor does he care for large group events but never the less he took me to the church Valentine party the youth put on, because he knew I would enjoy it, and I did, but I knew it was his gift to me. You see this things never go unnoticed I hide them as jewels in my heart.

Are you available?

   This was a day that I have waited 12 days for, to get out of the House, I had hopes of going to church but when Don saw the extreme low temps. he said no but if it warms up enough at noon he would take me out to lunch. Goody it warmed and it was wonderful to drive the familiar route and enjoy a meal out. My knee is still swollen but I can walk without aid of the crutches and I feel so free.
   You can always tell when people have been sick or wounded themselves because they are the kindest and most considerate to people who are hurting. They bring things like home made cookies or fruit or like my neighbor, home made chicken noodle soup, but they sit down and visit and hug you when they leave. You feel loved and cared for and I believe you heal faster. God uses your lips to express love and your arms to hug with. Are you available? Some researchers say that when we touch someone there is something that transfers they can't quite put a name to it but there is a reaction. I think it is God using you to send healing vibes to that person, Jesus always laid hands on the sick.
   Today we received a phone call from Don's sister Lorraine in Florida.  My heart aches as I listen to all her health problems, she wants desperately to sell her home and move nearer her son Randy and wife Terri, but the market being what it is she is trapped. Randy who is a doctor wants his mother near him where he can get her the care she needs. What I hear is someone who is alone and afraid. She needs the human touch. She needs that person who comes with warm cookies fresh from the oven, a cup of coffee, someone who will sit down and lend an ear, someone who will give her a hug and a promise to return, someone who will pray with her. Lorraine holds her little dog and says it's nice to have a warm body near you. Do you realize how many people move among us and no one ever touches them. I ask for prayers for her
   I have received so much from friends and family, cards, gifts, food and visits and how it made me feel was loved and I think God is saying to me " remember how it made you feel go out and do likewise".

Days in between

   These are days in between for me as I wait for the day of my coming surgery on my knee. There have been days when I waver as to whether I should still do it, but those are only days when my knee feels better then the day comes when pain returns and I know I must. I had never heard of a torn meniscus but now I know it is quite common and some of my friends tell me they have had the surgery. They all say to go have the surgery because more then likely my knee will get worse and I will wish I had it over with. People have been so good to me through all this, cards and visits from the church and friends, I won't forget their thoughtfulness.
   I have had something to get my mind off my knee, it is something we bought...a bread machine! I have never had one before and it has been fun trying the different recipes and peeking in the glass lid to see the bread mix, knead and bake. I may need to buy shares in a dairy where I can get all the butter I want because home made bread takes more butter. I got a recipe off the Internet for whole wheat bread and oh it turned out so good. My system does not like white bread but whole wheat bread is fine so it is important to me to get a good bread and if you have priced the better whole wheat bread you know it is expensive, I figure I save $1.50 a loaf. It takes me no time at all to put the ingredients into the machine and then I merrily go on my way while it goes about the task of filling the house with the wonderful scent of baked bread.
   Now I think of myself as old fashioned but really am I? Let me think... I have two dustbusters because I hate crumbs or lint on the floors and I have my wonderful electric Eureka Quick Up vac which weighs next to nothing and has a very long cord and does such a great job I don't have to drag out my heavy vacuum. Oh yes there are the two computers I spend more time on then I like to admit. Perhaps I think I am old fashioned because I like to cook from scratch so we don't eat all the wrong fats and fill up on chemicals with names I can't pronounce. Have you notice there are no such labels of contents on fresh vegetables. I read the label on a bread wrapper and it listed 30 things that went into that bread and one of them was the dreaded corn syrup, and I know it only takes 5 to make bread. Hmmmm. Well it's time to stop here and go take my bread out of the machine, OH BOY

The Blessing of Christmas

   When I want to complain about the pain in my knee and dread the coming surgery to correct the torn meniscus I only have to look around me to see how many people live daily with pain that no surgery can fix. They bravely face each day going about their daily chores and even find time and energy enough to help others. The smile on their face shows no indication of the pain they endure. Then there is the pain of the heart when someone looses a loved one and faces life alone, there is no medication to ease that pain. For these the holidays become lonely sad days to face.
   Christmas becomes a time of sharing and opportunity to show love and concern for those around us, those of you who read Angie's blog will know what I mean. Angie has felt the warmth of Christian love and will remember it all her life. How can we leave Christ out of Christmas when it is because of Him that we are moved with compassion for our fellow man and we are reminded of His words "truly, I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me"(Mt 25:40). We should remember this as we slip our small dollars into the Salvation Army pails or when we have an opportunity to give for special projects at church that reach out into the community.
    As I sit in my recliner with my book and I glance out my window to see the birds at our feeders and the pine trees with the branches decked in snow I am over come with a feeling of peace and thankfulness, I am warm and comfortable here in my home with my loving husband who looks after me so well and I am so blessed. A Christmas wish is that each of us count our blessings.

Christmas past & present

    The cards are all addressed and sent, the wreaths are all hung on the outside of our house and inside the final Christmas decorations are in place. No it is not like years past when we had our 10 ft tree in front of the wall of windows and each year I would work on a new Christmas theme, like the year when the tree was decorated with things from our forest like moss, berries, acorns, pine cones etc. I couldn't wait for the children to see the tree. I spent hours baking and the smell of cookies and pies hung in the air. Don made deer using logs and branches and stood them out in the yard, choosing the best branches for the antlers and hanging red bows around their necks. The ceramic village and train I made complete with a church would be placed in it's special spot on the mantle. Candles everywhere with the scent of bayberry. What wonderful memories! It was Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays for Christ was the reason for the season and in my mind it shall always be. I wonder how many children's Christmas programs I have attended starting with my three and then the grandchildren. I still have to smile when I remember the Christmas my mother gave our boys bathrobes, they wouldn't wear them but they got good use because they would show up each year on the wise men at each Christmas program. Mother gave Don a robe too but like the boys he would not wear it but God forbid you should end up in the hospital and didn't have a robe was mother's thought. God bless her, I miss her today and Christmas will never be the same without her. But this year Don and I will go to a children's Christmas program at our church and no they are not our children but they will be adorable dressed as wise men (perhaps in discarded bathrobes) shyly repeating their lines glancing quickly at mom and dad for encouragement like mine did. My eyes will tear up as they always have. My family which started with Don and I now numbers 33 and though time and distance may keep us apart they are never far from my heart and prayers, and so my dear family .....Merry Christmas and God bless you all.

Proverbs 3:5&6

    This is scripture that I have often repeated to myself and have relied upon, it goes like this "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight". He has shown me so many times that He has gone before me and just recently He has done it again. I want to share with you how He takes care of us when we ask Him to.
    This Nov. 9th Don and I flew down to Avondale Az. to visit with Dale and Carol at their apartment there and to see the area that they have moved to. We had a very nice visit and about 2 days before we were to fly back home I developed a very sore knee and the next day it was very much worse and I had excruciating pain, so much so I could not walk on my right leg at all. What to do...I had to fly back home the next morning. Dale and Carol dashed to a Goodwill store before it closed for the day and bought a pair of crutches and spent the evening teaching me how to walk with them. I slept with my clothes on because it was too painful to remove my jeans, I say slept but no sleep would come all night for any movement of my leg was intolerable. Carol came to my bed to pray with me and that gave me hope and comfort. The next day they drove Don and I to the airport and I was put into a wheel chair. God had already set out a path and all along that path he stationed his helping angels. Enter Kelly, who took over my wheel chair and like a mother hen with her precious chick she got me through all the check points and got us to the US Air gate. Now Don had wanted to get us on an earlier flight but both times when he asked he was told it would be at a substantial cost increase but stirred to try again he went to ask once more, enter Debbie, who said I'll take care of this" and we were transferred to the earlier flight at no added cost and she personally took me onto the plane and turned me over to two stewardess's there. One stewardess asked me what happened and I explained and she said you have a torn Minisca, seems she had it happen to her and I was encouraged to see her walking so easily. Now I was on a high dose of Advil and I was due to take the four tablets and you should not take it on an empty stomach but on US Air they serve no snacks only drinks so I took my pills but started to get a pain in my stomach. Enter Katie, the other stewardess, down the aisle she comes  passing my aisle seat and without a word or a glance she slips two cookies onto my tray and hurries on. Those cookies put my stomach at ease. Soon we were in MPLS airport and looking for the shuttle from the Park and Fly hotel where our pickup was waiting, as it drove up I realized I had another challenge, getting up the steps and into the van. With help I was soon settled into one of the seats, one of the ladies in the van asked me what had happened to me and again I explained, now up to now God had sent a person all along the way to help me but this time he sent a van full because to my surprise these ladies all worked at an assisted living home in Omaha, Neb. and they took over and made sure I was put into our truck as easily and as painless as possible. Don and I were so amazed at it all.
    As of today I have had an x-ray and MRI and my orthopedic surgeon says I indeed have a torn Minisca and surgery will correct it, but my knee has improved a bit so I have decided to see if my body can heal itself and if not I will have the surgery. Now this has been a time of pain but I would not change anything because to witness God's great love for me is greater than any situation, to realize I was enclosed in my Father's unseen arms will warm my heart forever. He indeed has a plan for my life and a path but it is up to me to read His road signs.

The paints come out

    The leaves are dropping and Don is busy circling the yard on his mower picking up the leaves with his leaf rake. It looks great till the breeze comes by and the trees drop the next batch. I don't think Don minds that much since he enjoys being outside. If he isn't on the mower he is out in his woods cutting, splitting or stacking his fire wood for next winter. He comes in for coffee and a cookie at 10, in for lunch at noon and back in at about 3pm, like going to a job. No wonder he is so fit.
    I have my own routine which keeps me busy too. I like order and try hard to keep things neat. I found out years ago that if my house is a mess it makes me feel tired and frustrated. Frustrated because when you need to find something it never is where it should be and that takes more time and energy. As you age you find you need to keep better records and to not count on your memory. I have what I call my "book of records" it is a note book with many tabs all labeled, example "insurance" and in it is the insurance info including dates of payments due, address and telephone numbers, policy numbers etc. I also have a section labeled "Paint" and in it is the paint records for each room and a sample of the paint color. Good records make for fewer mistakes.
    Speaking of paint I have taken up my brushes again and have turned my extra bedroom downstairs into my studio. Don has made me another easel and I have bought more oils and so I have begun. Painting for me is a time where I become lost to the world. I have no sense of time, I'm in my own world and it is good that I have to stop to make meals for Don or I would forget to eat. All the fall leaves have inspired me, I paint the picture in my mind first often as I lay in bed at night then I try to put that picture on canvas. I may not be any famous painter and that's okay it is the act of doing it that feeds my inner soul. I wonder if someone way back in my family tree was also someone who liked to paint, did I inherit a painting gene, perhaps that person had green eyes like me, I wonder since no one of all the family tree information had green eyes. Maybe there was a lady on The Isle of Man with green eyes painting pictures of the Irish landscape many years ago. I wonder!