Sunday Seven

Sunday Seven Reasons to be Happy

  It has been a busy week of trying to stay busy and not obsess about the Pandemic, health issues, Oreo's constant spasms, our greatly reduced income, or life in general.

We are in the season of Lent.  Time to take my eyes off me and give it over to Jesus. 

1.  I am happy because I have a wonderful husband who loves me and takes care of all the little technical things that greatly frustrate me.  All I have to do is say the magical words, " Oh Charlie" and help is on the way. Usually followed by a long technical explanation that bounces around in my head looking for a hook to land on.

 

2.  This guy, Oreo the wonder dog.  He loves us with all his little dog heart.  Lately, his stomach spasms are not only keeping him awake but us too.   We have tried frequent small feedings, pumpkin (easily digestible food) Slippery Elm powder (homeopathic food additive to keep regurgitation from happening) long walks, and prayer. He is 14 years old and we know we only have him on loan from God so we are trying to give him his best life while he is in ours.  

3. Staying in the Word of God and journaling.  I am much better at this now that our busy life has been interrupted by Covid 19.  I am doing an at-home Bible Study entitled: Becoming A Vessel that God Can Use by Donna Partow.  Wow, what an eye-opener.  I am really struggling with this but my distress is matched by God's grace and promises in his Word. 

4.  Catching up on long-forgotten blogs I started for each of our grandchildren.  Since I have started writing weekly Memory letters to my 94-year-old mom I have been including them in each of their blogs. Most of them will not remember her but they should know she was a remarkable woman and will know a little bit about Diva's life as a child. 

5.  Semi-retirement:  Major life change rapidly approaching.  Do we re-tire or re-tread?   Outside I am ok, reassured that every little thing is "gonna be alright" but this is the hidden picture of my emotions on the inside.  Thank you Jesus that only you know my innermost thoughts and fears.

6. My Momma.  It has been over a year since I have been able to see my mom in the nursing home in Alabama.  This last week my sister Bobbie was able to hug her and visit with her on the outside porch of the nursing home.  Bobbie has had both Covid shots and they still take everyone's temperature before they let them visit.  Bobbie asked mom if the staff has read her weekly memory letters from me.  She smiles but can't remember.

7.  Coffee:  The highlight of my morning.  My morning can start anywhere from 4:30 to 7:30 depending on how long Oreo can sleep without distress.  Charlie goes to bed much earlier than I do so I try to walk and feed Oreo around Midnight hoping he will sleep for maybe 4 hours before he wakes in loud spasms.  Sometimes it is successful most times it is not.  Coffee keeps me civil and keeps Charlie from being injured.
 

Thursday Thirteen...Mr. Wonderful

My Mr. Wonderful bought me a "Mr. Wonderful Doll" here are my 13 favorite phrases .

1. You've been on my mind all day, that's why I bought you these flowers.

2. You know honey, why don't you just relax and let me make dinner tonight?

3 The ballgame really isn't that important. I'd rather spend time with you.

4. Here, you take the remote, as long as I'm with you, I don't care what we watch.

5. You know I think its really important that we talk about our relationship.

6. No! You don't look at all fat in that dress. How could anything make you look fat?

7. Aww, can't your mother stay for another week?

8. Did you have a hard day honey? Why don't you sit down and let me rub your feet?

9. You're going shopping by yourself? How bout I tag along and carry your bags?

10. Hmmm....you look so beautiful in the morning.

11. Hello darling, have I told you lately that I love you?

12. Why don't we go to the mall, didn't you want to buy some new shoes?

13. Actually I'm not sure which way to go. I'm just going to turn in here and ask for directions.

Just remember ladies, he doesn't take out the trash, smash bugs, bring home a paycheck or give hugs! He is good for compliments though so he has a place on my desk when ever I'm feeling unappreciated. My Mr. Wonderful is still the best for this girl!

Mr. Wonderful.....party animal?

Just said goodbye to my honey for the next two weeks. Mr. Wonderful is on his way home .....back to where he is King of Castle. Visiting is a good thing but he likes his structure, his bed, and his schedule.

Poor man is not a social butterfly like his beloved wife who loves nothing better than being with the kids and grands. While he has been here he has been liked a cage Lion, pacing, roaring and napping. He is ready to get back into action and as hard as it was to let him go I know it was the right choice.

Say a prayer for his safety and think of me sacrificing my time with the new man in my life. Who knew the man of my dreams would be short, balding, and toothless? I'm sure the next two weeks will fly by much too quickly on one hand. Praise the Lord for cell phones and the internet so I can post pictures and here from Mr. Wonderful.

Today is my first trip to Ikea and I'm really excited about it. I've always wanted to go. Pictures to follow. Have a great day.

Toe -rrific

Just got back for the orthopedist. Mr. Wonderful had his big toe x-rayed and it's still in 4 pieces. It may never heal but it doesn't bother him very much. He says he can predict cold and rainy weather now. This is the volley ball base that he dropped on it. It weighs over 100 pounds.

We almost got through the year injury free! We are just thankful that he has been able to function without much pain. He will tell you that it looks like his dream of being a toe dancer is gone now. I don't have the heart to tell him that he wouldn't look good in tights.

Keep our Becky and Emma prayed up today as they fly into New York City.

Steel Toe Shoes and a Happy Ending

Just got back from seeing the Orthopedist concerning Mr. Wonderful's mangled and broken big toe. The new x-ray revealed two breaks but no bone displacement. He has a purple big toe with no toe nail but remarkably no pain. Good news is that no pinning will be necessary.

We asked when he could wear a shoe again as today was rainy and cold and the little canvas sandal provides no protection. He was told as long as he isn't having pain he can wear his shoes. So of course I insisted that we go immediately and buy him some steel toed safety shoes.

He bought a really nice pair of Timberlines that look really nice and feel even better. I feel much better knowing that his bare naked nail less toe now has some protection should anyone decided to drop something on it or should he accidentally hit it against something in the warehouse.

We go back in two weeks unless he develops pain or infection. We praise God for his remarkable healing ability and his amazing goodness to us. Thank you for praying.....it's working!

Us in LOVE

We had a wonderful romantic getaway in Philadelphia this past weekend. It was very hot and the fountain behind us looked very inviting. This was taken at Love Park in downtown Philadelphia on Sunday. The heat index was about 100 degrees that day and for a lark I wore a pedometer hoping to get at least 10,000 steps. Would you believe we ended up with 19,384? (that translates into about 9 and 1/2 miles!)

We stayed in the Historical District and walked the square mile of history. We rode a double decker tour bus to see most of the sites, we also rode a ferry over to Camden, New Jersey to see the Aquarium. We got our share of cheese steaks, history, crazy pictures, Ben Franklin, as well as sore muscles and blisters.

Mr. Wonderful and I read several books on Ben Franklin, his politics, and inventions. My favorite was called, "Stealing God's Thunder". Isn't that a great title? As you can see I'm still quite smitten with the man and his accomplishments. I was very disappointed not to be able to see the huge statue of him that has been on display at the Franklin Institute. It is not on display while they are renovating the building and won't be till 2010.





I caught up with Ben at the National Constitution Center where I whispered to him some words of advice on how to vote. He seemed most appreciative.






We saw the Constitution Cow (located in the Visitors Center) and as you can see Mr. Wonderful decided to "milk it for all it was worth".







I got to see what Rosie the Riveter must have felt like at the Independence Sea Museum .







Mr. Wonderful had the opportunity to "bring out his inner Shark" at the Aquarium.










Over all we decided that we make a pretty good team in the game of life. We have some really wonderful memories of Philadelphia . Hope you are making some great memories this summer too. More later....just wanted you all to know we are back safely.

I'm so vane

When most people drive down a country lane they look at the landscape, the flowers, the animals and houses. Not me.....I check out the roof for weather vanes. I have become quite fascinated by them and have been doing some research on them.

When Mr. Wonderful asked me what I wanted for "Mother's Day" I promptly told him a weather vane and even showed him the web site , which one I wanted and he SURPRISED me and ordered it. My weather vane has been sitting in the box waiting for just the right time to be put on the roof.

I think I should add here that :

1. Mr. Wonderful is not good with heights and especially roofs.
2. Mr. Wonderful is not good at asking for help.
3. We have a tin roof which gets hotter as the day progresses.
4. Mr. Wonderful was already tired from loading a container on Thursday.
5. I am simply ground control, hold the ladder, and call EMS.

By now you are probably thinking that I should make my weather vane a garden ornament an
call it a day. I am nothing if not persistent, so I called my good friend and neighbor Beckie and she talks to her hubby Mike and the next thing I know I hear the pitter -patter of little feet on the roof (no, it wasn't Santa).

What followed was a lot of male bonding and anxiety. We call our home the Nest so I choose a Hen with chicks to top our cottage. I'm happy to announce the mother hen is now properly displayed on the roof summit and no one was hurt in the process.

Monday Memory....the balloon that grew!

When we lived in North Dakota, "Happy Joe's" Pizza palor was a favorite of our children. They made a good pizza and it was definitely a kid-friendly environment. They also gave each of the children their very own helium-filled balloon on a string. The balloons would be secured on the back of their chairs until it was time to go home and then I would tie them on each child's wrist as we headed to the car and home.

Becky was 6 and very independent. She declared that she was old enough to hold the string by herself and didn't need it tied on "like a baby". Suzy, who wanted to do everything her big sister did, also decided that she didn't want her balloon tied on. Not wanting to make a scene, I told her ok but warned her if she let go of the string the balloon would float away.

Sure enough, we had barely made it out of the door before Suzy's balloon slipped out of her hand, passed Mr. Wonderful, and into the North Dakota sky. Immediately salty tears poured out from Suzy's eyes and she began to cry. Mr. Wonderful picked up Suzy and held her closer to the sky and said, "Don't cry Suzy, your balloon is going on a trip......I bet it's on the way to Texas for our family reunion. It's small so it needs to get a head start. Wave it goodbye and tell it to have a good trip!"

This seemed like a perfectly logical thing for a balloon to do and so Suzy started waving and shouting to the balloon. "See you soon! Bye Balloon!"

A day or so later Suzy asked her Daddy, "Where's my Balloon now?"

So Mr. Wonderful would get out a map and show her where we were, where the family reunion was to be held and all the states in between. Then he would say, "The weatherman said, it was windy today so I'm sure Balloon didn't get very far. I think it's probably in South Dakota by now." That seemed to satisfy her curiosity so off she'd go.

Every night before she would jump in bed she would have to say her prayers. She "God Blessed" everyone she knew and she always ended with, " and God help my balloon help make it to Texas."

A few days later the grandparents arrived and the house was busy with activities in preparation for our long car trip to Texas to the family reunion. In all the activities the balloon was soon forgotten and we didn't bring up the subject again.

Imagine our surprise and Suzy's delight one morning when we were eating breakfast at a restaurant and looked out of the window to see a huge hot air balloon that looked very similar to Suzy's "Happy Joe's" balloon. "Oh look, Daddy," Suzy said excitedly, "Look how big my balloon got! It's here, just like you said it would be." "How did it get so big?" she asked.

"Well," said Mr. Wonderful, as if he were expecting this question all along. "The balloon had to get bigger to make the long journey. Every time you prayed God made the balloon bigger."

Again, this sounded perfectly logical to Suzy and she was satisfied with the explanation. Becky, ever the skeptic, looked at her Dad and said matter of factly, "Aren't you glad she stopped praying when she did?"

The Faith of a child is so pure!

Happy Birthday Mr. Wonderful

Happy Birthday Mr.Wonderful!

Today is Mr. Wonderful's birthday and unfortunately it will be spent taking me to get lab work, seeing the dietician,getting a chest x-ray and writing a very big check to the hospital. (Gulp!)

Saturday is the day of my surgery (Lord willing) depending on my lab work, ekg, and chest x-ray . I'm not anticipating trouble but you never know till they tell you to report for surgery.

For his present he gets to take care of me all next week. What a lucky guy. Please keep him in your prayers too. When I'm alright he will be too.

Thank you for being my playmate, my soul mate, my lover, the father of our children, my provider, my handy man, my protector, my strong arm to lean on, my companion, and my best friend for the last 34 years. Love ya babe!

People who make me smile!

This is my Mr. Wonderful. We have been married for the the last 34 years and he still makes me smile. He has a goofy sense of humor (note the hat) , has an amazing mind, and can repair just about anything with his leatherman and ingenuity.

He protects me from wild animals, makes sure there is gas in the car, and wood in the heater. He is a hard worker and has a deep thirst for knowledge. He is thoughtful, kind and a man of integrity. He is a wonderful father, friend and playmate. No matter how difficult the journey, I know he will always be by my side to offer help, comfort and encouragement. I can't imagine my life without him being a vital part. I am truly blessed.

Now who's the dizzy daisy?

Poor Mr. Wonderful has had a hard day. The trip to the doctor's on our country roads is like going on a roller coaster ride and it only made him dizzier and more nauseated. I had to bring him into the doctor's office in a wheelchair as he couldn't even walk. They put him in an exam room right away as no one wanted to sit near him while he was retching!

They gave him a shot to help with the nausea and prescriptions for vertigo medication and nausea medication. So far it is helping and he is starting to feel better. His color is better and he has been able to keep down fluids. Sure hope this is a viral infection that is short term.

We are very thankful that he wasn't sick on our 5 hour trip back home or during his interview. I'm not used to him being sick and like most men, when they are sick, there is no one in the world that is sicker. My poor baby!

Got to go check on him.....sure hope tonight is better than yesterday night!

Sunday Seven...Home from Canada

Sunday Seven.....Home from Canada Edition

1. We are back from flying the friendly skies. Our free trip, thanks to Northwest Airlines was great. We had plenty of time between flights to get where we needed to be and Mr. Wonderful made sure that I didn't have to run to catch the next flight.

2. We enjoyed the much cooler weather, the fresh vegetables and baked goods at the Farmer's Markets and the first hint of leaves starting to change colors. It will be a month of more before we see that here in Virginia so it was a nice start to fall. There were even frost warning while we were there.

3. I got a deeper appreciation for how large Canada really is. We were in Saskatchewan (the prairies) right over North Dakota. I waved at my friend Pea in Ontario (1200 miles away) and also to my friend mompoet in Port Moody ( British Columbia equally as far in the other direction!)


4. I noticed that the Canada Geese were starting to head south while we were there. I love watching them fly in formation and hearing them honking over head. I knew when they started heading south we would be heading that way ourselves way too soon.

5. We especially enjoyed our little Emma that fit "just right" in her Poppa's strong arms. She always had a special smile for him and of course he always responded immediately. Even now, he'll say, "I wonder what our Emma is doing right now?" Can you say smitten?


6. We got our fill of Saskatoon berries and brought home enough syrup to keep Mr. Wonderful happy for a long time (not to mention a 5 pound jar of Saskatoon jelly!) The Saskatoon Berry Pie at the Berry Barn was totally delicious and tasted like more!

7. We were thrilled and amazed to see what a wonderful mother our daughter has become. She is making her own baby food for Emma and got some excellent bargains on adorable clothing for her. She also helped her dad polish up his presentation for the CEO position of a medical ministry. (Please continue to pray as we have just been told that they will be making their final choice between Mr. Wonderful and one other applicant!)



We had an amazing time in Canada and it was really hard to leave. We are excited that Emma and her mom are working on coming home for Thanksgiving. ( Now all I have to do is a little arm twisting on her brother and sister to come home too.) God is good all the time! Cue the music, dim the lights and exit thankfully for another week.

Happy 34th Anniversary Mr. Wonderful!

Today is our anniversary. Thirty four years ago today I walked down the aisle to a very nervous groom and made impossible promises about loving, honoring and cherishing him for the rest of my life.

Wow! It amazes me that at that time I thought I was an expert on the care and feeding of Mr. Wonderful. I was sure that I could never love anyone as much as I loved him at that exact moment.

We had no money, no experience, but lots of enthusiasm.

Now, 34 years later, 3 kids, one grandchild, lots of experience and still no money, I find that I have barely even scratched the surface of loving this man.

That sweet boy that I married, is now a seasoned veteran of life. There are days when the energy and enthusiasm are missing but not a day goes by that I don't know that I'm loved and adored.

He shows me love by bringing me a cup of coffee to the bedside every morning. My gas tank is always full, the house has heat in the winter, cool in the summer. He makes sure that anything mechanical works, and allows me time to be with friends and family. He is very protective of me and constantly surprises me with little gifts he finds that he knows will make me giggle or delight me. (such as the stuffed gorilla that sings "I Go Ape over you")

It a practical kind of love....very little roses, and romantic dinners or walks on the beach. He doesn't read me poetry or worship at my feet but he can make a great pecan waffle in a pinch and he never complains when I spend too much money at the Green Valley Book Fair.

So Happy Anniversary Mr. Wonderful.....you are so much more than I ever dreamed or even hoped for. I love you more now than I ever thought was possible.

Daisy and The Big Apple.

After spending our morning in the 17 Century we spent the afternoon and evening in Manhattan. Andy joined us and I finally got to see some of the City that I had missed viewing earlier.

We walked all over the city and it was amazing. I certainly felt like a tourist as I spent most of time looking up at all the tall buildings, signs and sights.

Mr. Wonderful does not like crowds so he had his "don't mess with me" face on. We did get him to loosen up a little especially when we went to F.A.O. Schwarz toy store.

Times Square always gives me "goose bumps". There is always so much going on and the city is in constant motion. We went to the new M&M store at Times Square as well as the Hershey Store. The store smells like chocolate and reminded us of the chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Wonderful is a Fox News guy so he and Andy had to have a picture in front of the studio. They took it especially for our Becky's amusement (they just wished she could have been there!) This one's for you babe!

Suzy and I are hamming it up with the door man at F.A.O. Schwarz .

Who doesn't enjoy a toy store? It certainly brings out the kid in all of us (even Mr. Wonderful). Mr. Wonderful enjoys calamari and is always talking about eating octopus. So he enjoyed hanging out with this stuffed Octopus version. (They do look like pals, don't they?)




Not to be out done by Dad....Andy and Suzy look like they have the catch of the day.


I even got to "hang With Hagrid" who is made entirely of Lego's. Do you see a family resemblance?

We ate at John's Pizza and had New York style pizza thanks to connections of our son Andy. We had the best booth and great service. It was a great day full of fun and great memories.

The Daisy has returned!

Ah....Yes, Spring was definitely in the air in New York this past weekend. We had such a good time that it was hard to leave. Miss Suzy (the ultimate tour guide and hostess) had a variety of activities for us to chose from.

Of course this daisy had to see the Botanical Gardens! It doesn't matter how many times you've been there ....there's always something new in bloom. We got in on the early spring program called "Mud, Bud and Bloom" which included blooming cherry trees, daffodils walk, tulips and early varieties of lilacs. (pure heaven!)

As you can see even Mr. Wonderful got in the "spirit" of the beautiful blooms and started serenading me. What more could a girl wish for?

Home from the Hospital!

Were back home at the Daisy Patch! Surgery went well and except for some dizziness and nausea from the anesthesia ( I'm sure the long ride over bumpy hilly country roads probably didn't help either.)

Mr. Wonderful is safely tucked away in his own bed with the remote control right next to him and our two cats as well.

The surgeon told me everything went well. He can do what ever he feels up to doing . The hard part will be trying to keep him down so he can heal, so don't stop your praying yet!

We appreciate your prayers and well wishes!

The Not So Friendly Skies!

Is it ever right to be too right? You know, is it ever politically, morally or spiritually correct to tell someone who is already frustrated and irritated that if they had only listen to you in the first place they would not be in their present circumstances?

Years ago I remember reading about a curse the Greek gods placed on a man that he would always know what was going to happen in the future. The curse.....No one would believe him!

Some times I think that my mister has been cursed with the same affliction. He invariably knows the right way, the right timing, the right road, the right answer, the right course, the right equipment, the right tools etc.

However, he fails to factor in the human element...... emotions, lack of motivation, unforeseen circumstances, mechanical failures, procrastination and airplanes being over booked.

This was the situation this afternoon when we drove two hours to Richmond to get my Canadians on a plane bound for the frozen north land. We left in plenty of time despite having to turn around once for a forgotten pillow and blanket. We had a lovely meal and even did the some shopping.......Thus the problem.

You can't always make the line at the check out counter go faster. By the time we got to the airport a wild dash ensued to the ticket counter to get bags aboard. That's when it turned ugly.

There was only one counter person with 6 disgruntled consumers with lost luggage from a previous flight, the current flight was over-booked and they were not letting any one else check their baggage.

It was a very intense scene with lots of emotions and no satisfaction to my travelers. Oldest daughter in tears, having to pay extra to ensure they have tickets for tomorrow's flight leaving at the same time, lost wages from not being able to go to work, his parents inconvenienced as they were to pick them up at the airport, another two hour trip back home and the road trip continues tomorrow to get them back to the airport.

The mister taking all this in......begins venting that he knew this was going to happen, that's why he didn't want to leave later than.....how he hates to be late......why he always allows extra time especially at the airport.....and especially during a holiday! (I'm sure there was more to follow, but no one heard , especially me, as Mount Saint Lazy Daisy erupted.)

I have always been told that everyone carries two buckets with them.....one filled with water, one filled with gasoline. Whenever a fire breaks out we have the choice of which bucket we will throw on the fire......water, or gasoline!

The fire is already blazing......My child already feels bad enough about the whole situation. Is telling her how she messed up really the right time for a teaching opportunity?

I have learned many things from doing things badly. Failure has taught me to change certain habits. I remember harsh words said to me in anger, and frustration.......words that still haunt me even as an adult......words that were never quite erased from the "tape that starts playing in my head whenever things go wrong."

To the Mister's credit......Kindness won out! My child knows that we love them enough to be inconvenienced. (That Family does come first.....that even though the skies may not be so friendly they will always have a soft landing place in us.)