Oh the people you meet..

When you have a yard sale. This past weekend I held a yard sale. I had spent weeks piling stuff in the corner of my garage to the point where my van and then finally Katie's car had to sleep outside. Finally a free weekend opened up and I was able to at last try to free myself of the excess debris. I was quite certain that while to me most of what I had to sell really was of little use, to someone else it would be just what they were looking for.

I advertised my sale in the paper and made sure to note the start time 8 a.m. At 7:45 I glanced out the front window and noticed that cars were already starting to line up. "Wow! I must have great stuff." I thought. I moved our cars out of the driveway at 7:50 and at precisely 8 a.m. I opened the garage door to the waiting throngs. Most didn't even wait for the door to raise all the way up. Then like a midwestern dust devil they whirled through the sale. One stopped directly in front of me, pulled out a note pad then quickly went down her list. "Do you have a garden hose, curtains, dustbuster, pillows." She never even stopped to take a breath. I didn't have anything from her list so off she went. I believe I detected a bit of disgust as she walked down our drive.

I started noticing some patterns in the people who visited my yard sale. I have come to the conclusion that this genus, the "Yard-saler", actually has some pretty diverse species. Beginning with the "List carrier", the one who is completely organized and has perfected her system. She will pour over the papers for the garage sale listings, then she will map out her course, make her list (never to be deviated from), and have everything waiting in the car the night before to get the earliest start. She will most likely be the first person to cross your threshold. She is not to be ignored.

The next can be as equally demanding. This is the antique dealer or the reseller. They are looking for a find. They are assuming you will sell Aunt Bessie's prize quilt for next to nothing. They will act as if what you have is of no real value and will tell you they would be doing you a favor by taking it off of your hands. Just a little editorial on my part, if someone shows up at your yard sale almost before it opens, singles out an item then tells you they would be doing you a favor by buying it; kindly pick up the item, apologize for the confusion, "One of my kids must have brought this out accidentally", then get thee to an appraiser!

You will most certainly receive a visit from the interior decorator. This is the young woman or man who is looking to update their apartment. They have a creative eye and can turn that old beat up dresser into a work of art. These you really must appreciate for they are artistic yet frugal.

We mustn't forget the family of 12 who will rifle through every item of clothing on your tables as if they were in Filene's basement. Leaving a wake of destruction in their paths and finally settling on 3 shirts for 75ç.

But perhaps my favorite of them all is the "life story" yard-saler. When I say they are my favorites, I mean that with all sincerity. These are the folks that really don't have need for anything, but they have nothing better to do with their Friday or Saturday mornings. They will drive aimlessly around their local neighborhoods in search of an open garage with a sign out front that basically invites them to stop by. I have found that usually they are retired. They have raised their families and now look forward to the occasional call or visit from the grandkids. They will linger over the tables picking things up and putting them down all the while telling stories of their kids' first books or toys or favorite clothing item. They will share stories of their years in the military or their first jobs picking berries. They will talk as long as you will give them an ear to listen. Sometimes you'll hear of those they have lost and will see the glisten of a tears in their eyes. Eventually the tables of stuff fade away and you are for the moment walking the streets of their memories and seeing it all unfold. They are great story tellers for they are telling their own stories. There is no need for embellishment. Yes, these are my favorite for they remind me of what is important in life. It is not the knick knacks that end up scattered on yard sale tables. It is the time we spend with others. Sometimes doing nothing more than just listening.

To tattoo..or not to tattoo...

That is the question....

Actually the question should be..."Whose tattoo is it?"


So..the answer is....it's Katie's!
Okay and now for the explanation. A group of my running friends were looking for visual reminders to help us with our commitments to run and eat healthy and continue with our weight loss goals. One of the gals suggested we draw Sharpie tattoos somewhere on our hand where we could easily see them. We all got on board and soon were discussing what our tattoos would be. Some gals just simply put "4 ME", others put their weight goal numbers, some put flowers. I chose to draw a small heart with the number 20 in the middle. (20 lbs to lose), on my left hand on the top side just below my left thumb. When Katie saw me making mine she inquired about it and then said, "I want one"...she chose a butterfly. I'm not sure if a mother tattooing her daughter is something that a person should brag about, but a mom hanging out with her teenage daughter and having fun..yeah..I'll take it! While the tattoo may not be permanent, the memories are!

My Kind of Day!

So today is one of those days I would deem perfect.  I was able to swim laps, ride my bike and get in a long walk (next time it will be a run). I thrive on  activities that cause me to get out and get moving. The rainy weather seems to last so long here that I feel compelled to fill every clear day with being outdoors.  What made it ideal was that during each of these things I was joined by either my kids or my husband or both. I am thankful that my children, albeit sometimes begrudgingly will honor my wishes to have them with me. I am grateful that my husband after a very long day at work will jump on a bike and ride for 2 hours, because he knows it will make me smile.  Today I was spoiled with kindness from my family.  It was my kind of day.

 

Speaking of friends...

We are so grateful for the friends that we have recently made over this past year.  Yesterday we were invited to the home of our new friends the Smiths.  We were introduced to the game Beyond Balderdash.  What a fun game that really challenges your creative thinking processes.  

Thoughtful hosts, tasty food, and lots of laughter..the finer things in life for sure!

Friendship...

I started off writing this entry with the mindset of sharing how hard it is to have friends leave and the feelings of unfairness that their exits evokes. Somewhere in the middle though, I found myself starting over as my thoughts trailed down a different path.
A unique situation has presented itself recently. It appears that both my daughter and I will have friends going off to new adventures this year. Katie has friends who have graduated from high school and will be starting the next phase of their lives in various cities at different colleges. I have a close friend whose husband has accepted a job out of the area and will be moving very soon as well. 

In my life I have moved many times, I have said goodbye to cherished friends knowing that I probably will not see them again this side of Heaven. I should think it would get easier with each goodbye, but it doesn't. I have also experienced the unpleasant ache in the pit of my stomach when a friend has been taken away either by death or life's circumstances. Often my selfishness will question why at this particular time God would want to take this person out of my life, as if this person's moving or death was somehow about me. This is where my original post took a turn as I thought to myself, "Wow, what arrogance!" To suppose that somehow God's plan for my friend's life somehow revolved around me and my own desires. Sure, I will be affected and I will have sorrow, but it's NOT ABOUT ME.That's not to say that God doesn't care that I will be feeling hurt. Because He does. I do know however, in these times of drought are the times that God draws me closer to Himself.
I believe that God is intending to draw me closer once again only this time I shall have the company of my daughter. For the better part of Katie's life she has been on the other side of the equation. She has usually been the friend who has moved away. Because her moves have taken her to new places where she has met and made new friends, the effects of saying goodbye have not had to be felt quite as strong as being on the 'left behind' end of departures. She is venturing into unchartered territory this fall. While I, on the other hand, have experienced both sides of the spectrum.
Interestingly, I can foresee the chance to turn what will be a difficult time in both Katie and my lives into an opportunity for she and I to shoulder one another's sorrows. It is also an opportunity for the both of us to encourage our friends and be happy when they head off in response to God's direction or will. Our response should be to pray for our friends and for the paths that God is leading them down. To be thankful for the time, no matter how short, that we had to enjoy each other's company. To offer our assistance with whatever they might need to prepare for their move. To be servants.

....Cool

Today we had the privilege of hearing Justin Roper (Duck's quarterback) give his testimony. Very charming and humble guy. Katie says he looks like Peyton Manning. Our church had it's annual Golf tournament. Justin was the guest speaker during lunch. There were about 40 people who played. Sadly my shoulder injury prevented my playing this year, but the kids and I went for the lunch portion of the event and to hear Justin. It's always interesting to get an inside peak at what goes on..on the field and on the sidelines. I love hearing how the Lord works in the lives of some of these young athletes.

More Nostalgia...Aunty Lucky

If you are reading these posts you will notice that they appear backwards...you can scroll down and begin where it says Nostalgic if you wish.

This entry revolves around my Aunty Lucky. Her real name was June, but, for reasons that escape me now, we called her Lucky. She was my mother's youngest sister. Probably 10 or more years her junior. Aunty Lucky was around pretty frequently when the 7 of us were little. My mother was very young, only 17, when she married my father and thus became somewhat disconnected with her family, with the exception of Aunty Lucky. As the years drew on however, we eventually lost contact with Lucky as well, until years later when a strange twist of fate would once again usher her into our lives.
It was the summer of 1978. We were spending a week at a rented house at Salisbury Beach, before we packed all of our belongings into the back of a U-Haul to make our move to California. The house was just a short walk from the boardwalk where my siblings and I would spend the day eating cotton candy and playing arcade games. One early morning my younger brother and I headed over to the arcade with dimes in our pockets. We were going to play skeeball all day in hopes of finally earning enough tickets to buy one of the prizes on the top shelf.

A young woman in cut-off jeans and sandals came up beside my brother and started playing the game beside him. She commented on how good he was doing and how many tickets he had. She asked me if I was his older sister. I eyed her warily and responded with a yes. She then asked me what my mother's name was. When I didn't respond, she rephrased the question. "Is your mother's name Dolly?" My eyebrows raised and I prepared to grab my brother's arm and bolt. "It's okay" she said, "I am your mother's sister".

I hadn't remembered Lucky, it had probably been 8 years since I had seen her last. "Is your Mom here?" she continued. I nodded and we began walking back toward our vacation house. My parents were sitting out on the sand watching the older kids play in the surf. I remember it took my Mom a few minutes to recognize Lucky. It turns out, Lucky was renting a vacation home just a few over from ours.

Many of my mom's siblings had at one point in time or another been involved with the caring of horses, particularly race horses. True to most 12 year old girls I was a fanatic horse fan and would sit, mouth agape as Lucky would talk of her horses.
She asked my mother's permission to take me riding before we departed for California. We visited a local stable where Lucky was well known. She picked out a gentle brown mare for me and a beautiful black gelding for herself. She rode bareback. We rode through the trails behind the stables with her tenderly giving me instructions. I was in Heaven. We returned home that evening to Aunty Lucky's beach house where we dined on lobster. We slept on the floor and giggled and laughed until we fell asleep.

Growing up in a home with 6 siblings experiencing one on one time with anyone was minimal at best. Aunty Lucky had a way of making me feel important. By the time our week at the beach had reached it's end, she and I had become the best of friends. I hugged her tightly and we promised to write. Then we drove off in our family station wagon, my brother and I in the back seat waving out the window.

We had been in California for only a week when I received my first letter from my Aunt. She was back home in Kentucky living on a ranch and continuing to be courted by a man named Gary. She sent me a book of how to draw horses. I wrote her poems and stories and sent them to her often.

Photos began accompanying Lucky's letter's. Photos of the horses on the ranch and the polo ponies that she trained and the new foals of the season. Then the announcement of her and Gary's marriage. A simple ceremony by the justice of the peace.
I was so happy for her. Her letters soon contained plans to have me visit for the summer. Details of which horses I would ride. My anticipation mounted as my parent's agreed that I could go.

One day a letter arrived, thicker than the others I thought as I pulled it from it's envelope. It began with the usual salutations and questions of my schooling. Then the tone of the letter changed as my Aunt began to tell me of someone new who had entered her life. Someone named Jesus. Of course I was from a Catholic background and I knew who Jesus was, but not this Jesus that she described. She talked of making Him her Saviour. Of the inexplicable joy that she and Gary were experiencing since inviting Jesus into their hearts. How she prayed for me everyday and that she knew God had brought her to the beach that day so that she may one day pass on this wonderful news to me. She talked of their growing excitement to see me in the summer and how they would share all of this with me. I read and reread the letter. Often times confused. Some began to call my Aunt a Jesus Freak. I wish I had understood more.

Three days later a phone call in the very early hours of the morning woke us all from our slumber. I heard my father answer and then his words, "Oh God..." There began a flurry of activity. My mom began packing a suitcase. Dad was on the phone again, calling airlines. From my bed, I heard him tell my older brother, "Aunty Lucky was in an accident, she's dead". My brother responded, "Deanna's Aunty Lucky?" The words repeated over and over in my mind. She's dead. My mother came in my room and sat on my bed. Through tears she explained that it had been Gary on the phone. He explained to my mom that Aunty Lucky had been outside working in a ponding basin on the ranch. There was some type of malfunction on a pump, and my Aunt was electrocuted. My Aunt was just 26 years old and they had just learned that she was pregnant.

My mom flew back for the funeral. She met Gary for the first time. When she returned home she unwrapped some trinkets that Gary had sent along for me. Small horse trinkets that had belonged to my Aunt. I sat with them in my lap as I fingered the last letter my aunt would ever send me. The one where she talked of her new life with Jesus. I was angry and confused and grieving. What good had this Saviour been for her? But God, I love those words... But God. But God had plans for this wounded child. Plans that would not yet be revealed but were to come. Plans that began with a letter, a seed of hope, that would one day hold the meaning to total healing and to a renewed life.

Years later, I still have the letter and the trinkets. But more than that, I have her Saviour. I imagine the day I accepted Christ my Aunt rejoiced in Heaven alongside the angels. What a blessing to know that God had called her to Himself, knowing her appointed time and she had accepted His free gift. What a humble notion to think that God would then allow her time to send me one last letter. What an even greater blessing to know that someday we both shall stand together in the presence of our Lord.

Nostalgic...

Inspiration for writing can come from the most bizarre of places. Even just a simple exchange of conversations can trigger a memory that somehow warrants being saved in written form. My thoughts today come from memories of my teen years. Particularly in relation to persons in my sphere of influence who very much shaped who I am today. I think this is going to be a several part post.
For some reason, when I was young, I tended to gravitate toward those at least a generation and usually two generations older than I. Today I was reminded of my time shared with a neighbor. Her name was Wy. (pronounced "why"). We had moved to California from New Hampshire when I was 13. Wy lived in the house next door. She and her husband Bill had been married for at least 45 years when I met her. From time to time I would help Wy carry groceries into her home and she would invite me in for a visit. Over time our visits became more frequent and lasted for several hours. Looking back I imagine some would wonder why on earth a 13 year old would want to spend so many of her hours visiting with an elderly woman. I guess it may have been that she was somewhat of a surrogate grandmother for me, as I had left behind the only one I had ever known when we moved. What I loved about Wy, was that she would just talk with me as though I was any one of her friends. She would tell me stories of when she was young, of the depression, of how she met Bill. She taught me to play Gin Rummy and to make a doll out of safety pins and beads. She showed me the ins and outs of CB radios. She and Bill frequently communicated through CB radios. I wish I could remember their radio names now, but as with many other little details of the past they have drifted off. Every evening around 4:45 Bill would radio in and let Wy know he was on his way home. Wy would always say, "Can't wait. Your wine will be ready. Love you." Wy had been told by Bill's doctors that a glass of red wine in the evenings would be good for his heart.
For four years this continued, my visits with Wy. She became my confidant, my cheerleader and often times, my inspiration. She always had time for me and I delighted in every moment. Bill retired during my senior year of high school and Wy looked forward to having him home. Within a month of Bill being home full-time he suffered a massive stroke. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a few months later. Bill in a wheelchair, not able to speak. You could see how he loved Wy though. How he cherished all those who had come to celebrate. The photo albums filled with their memories were passed around the tables and I recognized almost all of them. This was to be the last anniversary that Bill and Wy would share.
I remember coming home from school and seeing all the cars in Wy's driveway. I slowly made my way up her front walk fearing what I would hear, but already knowing inside what had happened. Bill was gone. All I could do was hug her and sob. It hardly seemed fair. Wy's children lived several hours away. She longed for family after Bill's passing so she moved away to be closer to them.
I lost something very special the day Wy moved away. She took a piece of me with her. But she had also given me so much of who she was that the trade was worth it....
I lost touch with Wy after I graduated from college. I learned many years later, that she had also passed away and was buried beside her Bill.

How then, can people call on someone.....

....they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? - Romans 10:13-15

In the above photo you see our friend's Paul and Sheila Gunderson. You will find their website in our 'favorites' list. Paul and Sheila are missionaries with New Tribes Missions. They are remarkable people whom we love and cherish deeply. Paul and Sheila both have a passion for foreign missions, particularly in the area of the unreached peoples of the world. Mark and I are privileged to be members of their "senders team". Paul and Sheila are home for the summer and tonight we had the opportunity to visit with them and the rest of the senders. They shared with us a video of the incredible work God is doing in the lives of the Dao people through a young couple named Scott and Jennie. Scott and Jennie have been living with the Dao people for over 3 years and recently were able to present the Gospel message in their native language. What is amazing about this, is that generally it can take up to 15 years before such a feat can be accomplished. The message..well..really the Bible up to the time of Christ's resurrection is presented in a series of daily teachings that span 2 months. As I sat and watched the footage I could not fight back the tears, nor did I want to. Watching the faces of the tribe's men and women as they heard the story of their Creator unfold. Seeing the sadness and dismay in their eyes as they heard of Christ's crucifixion, then watching their smiles as they heard of His resurrection and what that means for those who believe. One by one around the room the tribes people began to cry out, "I believe". It's really not possible to describe in words the joy that you could see on their faces.

I looked down at Sheila seated at the foot of her mother and watched as her mother stroked the head of her daughter. I was suddenly struck with how real it all was. Sheila and Paul have been in training for 2 years and will be in training in Indonesia for 2 more years before they move to their final tribal location with their young son, Nathan. They are giving up their lives here in the states to be tribal church planters, to hopefully experience the same successes we witnessed in tonight's video. What perhaps is more astonishing to me is that Sheila knew at age 8 that she wanted to be a foreign missionary. That God would bring Paul and Sheila together and join two hearts that are so passionate for foreign missions is a love story that to me is on a whole other level. I cannot tell you how these two young people lift my spirits and bless me. If you have read this post all the way through, I hope you will take some time to visit Paul and Sheila's site, as well as the New Tribes site. Perhaps God will stir in you, as He has in me, a desire to support these two as they share God's love and redemption to a world that needs to hear.

Hmm..thought I'd share this.. written June 28th.

Today we departed for our trip to California. I know up to now I haven't shared our vacation plans. This was not an oversight on my part, but an intentional omission. Partly due to wanting to surprise my sister-in-law, who turned 50 last week, and partly because, well frankly there were other stories to tell. Although you will be reading this after we have arrived at our destination, I'm actually writing it in the car, somewhere on I-5 just south of Shasta Lake.
What caused me to put pencil to paper and risk the possibility of car sickness( as I have never quite handled reading and writing while traveling) was the correlation between the long car ride...and life. Many people lament the long car ride. The hours of monotony, the fuzzy radio stations, the pins and needles in their feet as they awake after falling asleep in awkward positions. The disdain for the car ride can be so great however, that even the promise of an amazing destination is not enough to entice them to take the plunge.
What I have learned in my life is that the long car ride has been necessary to allow me to experience joys this side of Heaven that God has given me. I will admit, the long drive is often times boring and physically tiring and sometimes filled with challenges. It would of course be grand if we could just wake up and be where we want to be, but I wonder if that would somehow minimize the joy of the destination. If my life were void of "long car rides" and everything came easily or instantaneously would I still long for the destination of Heaven? Maybe, but would I truly appreciate all that God's promises have for me?
For now, I am content to ride in the car alongside my husband allowing the excitement for what's to come to build, knowing that every mile and minute that passes brings me that much closer to an eternity with my Saviour.

New Web Link

So, I've added a new website in my favorites. It's a link to my Flickr Photo page. Enjoy.

What a beautiful Day...

here in Eugene. It's supposed to be 78 today. I certainly can't complain about that. We all slept in this morning basking in the comfort of our own beds. I finally shuffled downstairs around 7 and started a pot of coffee. There were 8 days worth of newspapers waiting outside the front door. I rifled through each days for the comics, and made a stack in chronological order. As far as my children are concerned, the comics are really the only section of the paper worth reading. Many days, I agree with them. It wasn't long before Mark was downstairs as well. When Daniel joined us a short time later, Mark launched into his short-order cook mode, preparing mouth-watering pancakes, served with what else but...peanut butter & Karo corn syrup. Those of you on the Hart side of the family know all about peanut butter and syrup! It's an acquired taste, and after 20 years of marriage.....I still haven't acquired it. However my children were weaned on the combination. I was content with a protein shake. Katie was the late-comer I think she may have rolled out of bed around 9:30. (She had to heat up her pancakes)
Following breakfast Mark headed outside to mow the lawns, while I set to work on putting away suitcases and washing laundry.
As noon approached Mark and I donned our bicycle helmets and pedaled over to the Festival at Hayward Field. (The Track & Field Olympic Time Trials) The event was providing complimentary valet bike parking which made for easy coming and going. We walked around the festival for a bit, stopping to chat with a few friends. Basically there was food and clothing and sales pitches. We split a chicken burrito and I picked up a snazzy running shirt from SportHill. We ended our excursion with a short walk up to Prince Pucklers for dessert. A kid-size cinnamon espresso scoop for me and a single scoop cookie dough for Mark. Back on our bikes we rode along the river towards home. We are very fortunate here in Eugene to have such well-maintained bike paths. The view along the river was quite scenic. The sky along the river was a bright blue dotted with billowy clouds. I like clouds, always have. I commented to Mark about the lack of clouds in California. We did not see one cloud the entire time we were down there.
There was a lone boat on the river with two fishermen. They looked very happy to be alone. I couldn't tell if they had caught anything, but I wonder if that really mattered.
Back at home now, I've got the grill heating out on the patio. Today is just too nice to cook indoors. Daniel is catching up on some television shows and Katie has a date with a rather adorable brown-eyed boy who appears to be quite smitten with her. I think it may be the way she prepares his macaroni and cheese or her bubble blowing skills, all very important qualities to a two year old. This evening when Katie has returned we shall all venture out for a walk. When you live in Eugene, you just never know how long the warm, clear days will be with you and you must take every opportunity to pursue outdoor activities.

Home Again!

Well! What a whirlwind week! We made it home this evening around 6:00 p.m. All of us happy to see our house. Katie and Daniel slept most of the way home. I managed at least 3 hours of shut-eye, and Mark about and hour (when he wasn't driving of course)
The temperatures certainly cooled the more north we drove. We actually were very fortunate to have fairly cool temperatures in the Central Valley while we visited. By cool I mean in the low 90's. We were reminiscing last night about the July 4th of 1991, I was very...very pregnant with Katie and it was 118 degrees. I'm thankful I don't have to endure those temperatures anymore.
We really appreciate all of those who made this trip so amazing for us. Our friends in Eugene who watched our dog, Jenna. Our friend who kept an eye on our house. Our family and friends in California for their hospitality and feeding us so well! Tomorrow we shall attempt to get back into our routines.

Happy 4th of July

Hello All! This is the first chance I've had to post anything in a couple of days. Sorry about that. We are in Visalia at the home of some long-time friends. We are enjoying their hospitality and their swimming pool. The weather has been hot, but not unbearable. The kids are thankful that we are heading home tomorrow as they are missing their friends in Eugene. Tonight we are going to bbq some steaks and have some homemade icecream and swim until midnight! (Okay..maybe not til midnight..but last night it was close to that)
As you can see in the picture..Katie made fast friends with their little girl Savannah.

Here in Fresno

Lots of Red everywhere. Yayyy Bulldogs!! We all went to the movies today and saw "Hancock". We were not impressed. Looking forward to some barbeque chicken and shrimp tonight. We may head down to the pool later, it's a little warm here in Fresno. We will definitely get a game of Nertz going!

A Day at the Lake

We spent the day on Bass Lake with Mark's Dad and Donna and my sister-in-law Joal. My brother ended up being called to an emergency meeting with his company. The sun was shining bright and we had warm temperatures which made the water very inviting!
Tomorrow we are off to Fresno where we will stay with my brother and his wife. Unfortunately, for the rest of the trip we probably will not have access to a computer, so the rest of the pictures will have to wait until we get home.

A Beautiful Day in Yosemite...

We spent the entire day at Yosemite National Park. The weather was perfect, not too hot..not too cold. In the picture with Mark you will see he is pointing to Half Dome. This is where we were originally going to be hiking to with my brother and his wife. However, due to a knee injury the 17 mile round trip hike had to be post-poned. (To a date far...far...in the future) Tonight we are going to soak our weary bones in the hot-tub. I have a ton of pictures from today, but need to do some editing on them first.

Lonely Girl at the Bar...

We were sitting at the bar in the kitchen enjoying some cold drinks. Katie had received a text message from her friend back in Oregon who was at a gathering of her drama friends. Sort of a post-play party. Although Katie is enjoying vacation, she was a little sad to be missing hanging out with her drama friends. The look on her face in this picture is priceless. I just sort of giggled as she resembled someone drowning their sorrows in a fruity drink.

VACATION...

We arrived at Dad and Donna's house last night around 8:00. This place is such a solice. We enjoy the peacefulness. This morning we ate homemade pancakes and bacon out in the gazebo. Mark, Dad and Daniel are out wandering the property. Daniel has brought along his video camera to shoot some footage for his latest movie idea. Donna is across the room from me working on her computer. And Katie...Katie..hmmm..I think she's awake now. Ahh...Katie is sprawled out on her bed with book in hand. (She's actually been awake for a few hours) The temperatures are supposed to be warm today, but this home is surrounded by trees and enjoys the benefits of slightly cooler temperatures.

"You Can't Take it With You" Encore

What: AHHA's Encore Performance of "You Can't Take it With You"

When: Friday, June 27th, 8:00 p.m.

Where: Eugene Bible College

Who should come: Everyone!

This will be Katie's last performance for a while. The play is fantastic. Katie plays a very lovable somewhat ditzy mom. (hmm..okay so she was somewhat typecast...except the mom part). I think this is probably her best and favorite role to date. She brings a lot of life to the character and a lot of herself.

"When you go through deep waters...

I will be with you." Isaiah 43:2.

That was the memory verse of the day on Air 1, this past Friday, June 20th. The verse would prove to have direct significance to our lives that day. Mark's cell phone rang at 7:30 that morning, on the other end was one of our employees informing Mark that she was standing in water at our plant. Hmmm, probably not a good thing. As it turns out a hose had burst sometime after hours and water gushed all night. The water covered probably 4000 sq ft of the plant, including some of the offices. The employees along with Mark worked on cleaning up, until the kids and I along with one of Katie's friends arrived to relieve them. Water sloshed out from beneath our tennis shoes as we walked along the carpets. We had shop vacs, carpet shampooers and fans going all over the place. Thankfully it was a very warm day and we were able to have all the doors and windows open.
The insurance adjuster arrived sometime midday to evaluate the damage and to let us know what we could expect to recover. We will still be out some money, but it could have been much worse.
Our screenprinter, who is a very kind-hearted Christian man pulled us aside to tell us about the verse of the day that he has e-mailed to himself. He said he hadn't thought much about it, until he walked into work that morning. He then called his wife and asked her to pray. You see, some of what had happened was a bit of an oversight on his part. He felt awful. Mark and I both reassured him that we did not blame him nor were we angry. I told him that it's not in the easy times when everything is going our way that we learn dependence on God, but it's in these 'deep waters' that we learn to trust. God is and will always be faithful, He will always be with us. Of this we can be sure.
Mark and I spent our entire Saturday at the business, putting things back together and fixing the plumbing issue. Before we left that day, Mark had the idea to print out the Isaiah 43:2 verse and frame it, then we glued the piece of the hose that had burst to the front. It is now displayed outside of the room where the incident began as a daily reminder to ourselves and to our employees of God's promise to be with us.....even when we "go through the deep waters."

I know the grandparents love these...

Yes..the rest of the world..probably not so much. HAHA!

More Butte Photos

Spencer's Butte Hike..as seen through my sunglasses..really

So tonight was our hike. We headed out around 7 p.m. with our friends Dave & Kay Smith. We didn't do such a great job at gauging when the moon would appear. The sun set long before we ever caught a glimpse of the moon. The trek down the butte in the dark was adventurous to say the least! We may have made a few wrong turns and paved a new path, and even backtracked at least once but we were smiling and laughing all the way! What a great night with friends! We are blessed.

How does the cookie know???

So, let me start by saying I am not a follower of fortune cookies, but today's lunch out at a local Chinese restaurant left Mark and I both laughing. As some of you know I love to hike and I absolutely love when the moon is full, so when the two are presented as a pair my cup runneth over. Tomorrow night we have planned a hike up Spencer's Butte to watch the full moon rise. Today's fortune's in both my and Mark's cookies said, "Next full moon brings an enchanting evening." Ahhhhh.... how did the cookie know?

Really great picture of Katie that Daniel took.

God's Grace...as revealed to me by Yoshi

I love the nights where our family just hangs out together. Last night our entertainment of choice was in the form of a video game, Mario Kart Wii. Our son had rented the game for the week and had been looking forward all day to a match-up with his sister. My husband and I, wanting to embrace the moments of family time, joined in as well.
Video games can be quite entertaining, if you are of nimble fingers and quick reflexes. I possess neither. I play however, to see my son smile and because I know these opportunities will be gone before I know it. What I didn't expect, was to have God's Grace revealed to me in the form a little green...little green...what is a Yoshi anyway?
For those of you who are not quite literate in the world of video games and I fall into that camp. Mario Kart is a racing game. You choose your player and your vehicle and wait for signal to GO. I picked Yoshi (He has a friendly face), and a very cool looking motorcycle. The game is played with the four of us racing against each other on a track in some remote exotic location...or on some occasions..a mall. So there we were lined up side by side when the clock counted down to 1. "Press 'A' Mom, that's how you go." came the last minute instructions from my daughter. Off we went. Well, off they went, I apparently pressed A too soon and stalled my motorcycle. Yoshi was forgiving and soon we sped off. The track was a blur and I was all over the road. I saw up ahead road signs, big blaring arrows pointing to the right. Okay, I thought, I'm supposed to go right I get it. Thumb firmly holding down 'A' I used my left thumb to navigate the joystick to the right. I made it around the turn with precision only to find a sharp cliff off to my right. A cliff? Why are there cliffs? I didn't know there were going to be cliffs! My children whizzed by the cliffs without so much as a glance. My inexperience with the game led me promptly to the edge and then over. I felt my stomach come up in my throat just as anyone would when they are plunging to their evident demise. "That's it, I'm dead." I announced.
"No, you're not Mom, just wait." Sure enough there appeared a turtle with wings returning my dear Yoshi to the track. "Everyone gets to finish the race Mom." Cool. Yoshi experienced many plunges last night, but always was brought back to finish the course.
As I was falling asleep last night reliving some of the days events in my mind, I was suddenly struck with how my own life is very similar to the Mario Kart game. I have found myself on many occasions speeding through life watching for the turns and cliffs on the roads but not always navigating them correctly. When this happens I will usually run into a wall or veer off the course, or in some cases plunge off a cliff. It's in these moments that my Heavenly Father through His Grace, will pick me up and put me back on the track allowing me once again the opportunity to finish the race, this time learning from my mistakes and slowing down to allow time to safely complete the turns.

Who we are supposed to be..

I am a sucker for sappy movies. I love to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a box of Kleenex and let the waterworks flow. Without exception the movie that wins the award for most tissues consumed by me is "I am Sam", followed closely by, "Martian Child", vying for 3rd would have to be "The Champ" and " Monsters Inc." (Yes, you read that correctly Monster's Inc makes me cry)

As I scan over my list of favorites I realize that there is a common thread that weaves it's way through each; unconventional relationships that work really well. There's a line in Martian Child that goes like this: "Why can't you just be what we all want you to be?" I love that line because it makes me think outside of the context of the film to the real world. Why do we do this to people? Why should we want to change who God created them to be? I believe we all have a tendency at times to look with a quizzical eye at relationships that for some reason or another seem out of the range of normal to us. What we fail to do is look further beyond what on the surface perplexes us to the underlying reason of why the relationship works.  There are some film makers who are extremely adept at revealing the reason to their audience before the characters discover it themselves.   It's not that the characters have some big revelation or undergo a major personality change, it's that they are coupled with someone who allows them to be exactly who they are supposed to be without rejection or expectations. To watch it on the screen is a delight. To see it unfold in real life....a gift.

Blooper Reel

Dance Dress

Homesource had their end of the year dance last night. Here is Katie pre-dance.

Reflective mood

I was thinking this morning about selfishness, and how we get caught up in living our lives often times oblivious to those around us who are in need.  I know I am guilty of this.  I was reminded this morning of something though, something I will share with you all.  A reason for me to reflect upon how I almost wasn't which in turn would have meant my kids almost weren't..and so forth.

This will require a little work on your part though.  Open this link 

http://www.carnegiehero.org/search.php  then under first name type in Rene.  Under last name type in Charest.  Click submit.  On the next page click the Rene R.  Go ahead..I'll wait...the post won't have the same meaning unless you do. 

Rene (pronounced ree nee) Charest, my dad, at the age of 23 and already with 4 children at home (I was not one of them), set an example for me of unselfishness, before I was even born.  It was quite possible that my dad could have died that day and thus this blog would not even exist as I would not exist.  I'm not sure I have ever really contemplated that or have been grateful to God for protecting my Dad as he gave of himself.  

These thoughts have stirred up in me how I often times become so over-protective of me, my family and my life that I turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to those around who may be drowning. Often rationalizing that someone else will save them.  My Dad, when he recalled the story to a reporter those many years ago, said he didn't think, he just reacted.  I pray God would enable me to develop this trait.

Hmm..I should clarify this.  I definitely have the predisposition to react without thinking, but not in a positive, for others way. So my prayer would be that God would teach me to 'think before I act' when it comes to acts of selfishness..and 'act before I think' when it comes to acts of selflessness.

Adding 'comedian' to my job title

As my children have aged I've discovered that I have the innate ability to make them laugh. Sometimes they laugh with me, but more often they laugh at me.  I have become somewhat of an improvisational artist to them as I navigate through this life often times 'winging it'.  Don't get me wrong, my children love me, in fact I'm quite certain they worship the ground I walk on. Yes, yes I'm sure they said that this very morning.  But with their growing stature has also come their growing awareness of Mom's quirks.

At first these oddities were somewhat obscured from the outside world.  Existing only within the walls of our home and between my two precious ones and myself.  And then they learned to speak.  Mark would chuckle knowingly to himself as they would share with him some of the "Funny Mommy" moments of the day.

 Following the movie, Finding Nemo, my nickname promptly became Dory.  The location of my cell phone is a never ending source of comic material, and whenever I forget what I was going to say my family is quick to chime in with, "It probably started with Has anyone seen my....?"

My sensitivity and overactive tearducts lend themselves to some amusing moments as well. 

My sweet son, curled up on his father's lap last night, could not stifle his snickers as I wept through the movie we were watching.  A very low budget film, entitled Flywheel, which was filled with scene after scene of God's faithfulness.  The acting was mediocre at best, the video quality like that of a home movie, and yet I blubbered. 

What perhaps was the highlight of the night however, was the ability of Katie to recall one of my bigger blunders and to relate it in such a way that we all drifted off to sleep giggling.

We had spent the majority of Sunday and Monday cleaning out Daniel's closets and rearranging his room.  I realized that one of Daniel's favorite stuffed animals was in need of some 'refreshing'.  When he asked about it's location at bed-time I said, "Oh, I've put him in the laundry room to be washed."  Katie chimed in from her bed, "Mom, you can't wash those."

"Sure you can." I snapped back.  Then my beautiful daughter in her sweetest voice filled with encouragement and not a bit of sarcasm responded, "That's what you said about that other stuffed dog, ................May he rest in pieces."   

Yep, I can still hear them laughing.

Blog Tag

My friend Deanna, (I just love having a friend named Deanna), has dangled before me a game for which I have never played but am greatly intrigued and so I will take the bait. It's a game of blog tag and it goes like this:

1. Write the title to your own memoir using six words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag five more blogs.

My most recent post actually gave me the idea for my memoir title....

I Choose to See Blue Skies-

hmmm..now who to tag...

Bob,Sheila, Jen

unfortunately that's all the bloggers I currently know.

The sun is not shining..but the skies are blue in my world.

Often times I will be a little 'goofy' around my husband and kids and they will say,

 "The skies are always blue in Mom's world". 

 I think for the most part that is true.  There is a God in Heaven who allows me to live under His Amazing Grace, and I have wonderful people who surround me.  I find joy in simple things, like hearing my son play his guitar or the piano, or watching my daughter teach a classroom of kindergartners at church. The gentleness of my husband as he helps me stretch my shoulder. I'm almost certain in those moments I hear Louis Armstrong singing, What a Wonderful World.

God grants us moments to cherish, like the time a few weeks ago when our whole family was venturing up to BiMart to purchase some item that escapes me now.  Our kids were walking in with their arms around each other engrossed in some funny story, and an employee asked if they were really siblings. 

"It's so nice to see siblings who get along", he said.

 Mark and I squeezed each other's hands and just smiled and concurred with the man. "We are blessed".

I love our kids and rejoice in who they are becoming.  God even allows glimpses into what they will be in the future, I don't mean in the career sense, but in the type of adult they will be.  

Two nights ago our neighbor had a near disaster as she came home with her two young boys to find her home permeated with the smell of natural gas. Apparently the cleaning person had accidently turned on two of the burners on the stove while cleaning.  As fire engines lined our streets we invited the two small boys back to our house out of the rain, while their mother talked with the firemen.  It was 10:30 and Katie had already gone up to bed. When she heard us come in with the boys she came down to visit with them.  The youngest boy, who is 5, crawled up on Katie's lap and cuddled under a blanket.  I couldn't help but smile as I watched Katie's 'mothering instincts' come to light.  The hugs from her students at church and the squeals of the little one she babysits when they see her, foreshadows the woman she is becoming.

I've rejoiced in the giving nature of my son, Daniel. He has a heart that is full of compassion.  Whenever we are in a store check-out line and the clerk asks if I would like to "donate a dollar" to this charity or that.  Daniel will always look at me expectedly.  "It's only a dollar Mom".  I'll never forget the time we as a family were walking around the streets of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Daniel couldn't have been more than 5, and there was a man begging on the street. He held out a paper coffee cup and was asking for spare change.  This was Daniel's first experience with this type of thing.  He looked up at us quizzically and said, "What is he doing?" Mark explained that he was asking for money.  Daniel answered, "We have money Dad!" It just seemed simple to Daniel.  The man obviously needed money, so much so that he would ask a stranger for it, and we had money.  Sigh....living here in Eugene has opened his eyes some to the world of panhandling, but has not squelched his spirit of charitable giving.  For the most part Daniel is quiet, but he feels and thinks deeply, as is reflected in some of his lyrics and poems, and the way he plays his music.

So yes, the weather in Eugene today is bleak and gloomy, but in this Mom's world...

The skies are always blue!

Our son....sigh...

Here he is before his performance last week.  Daniel is kind of funny about having his picture taken, and about performing in front of people.  It just really isn't his 'thing'.  Hmmm..wonder which parent he takes after?  Okay, admittedly a little of both.  I do NOT like having my picture taken, but the performing part, well, most of you know I don't have a problem with that part.  Mark on the other hand is very capable of the performing part, but it's not very high on his list of things he likes to do.  As far as having his picture taken he really hasn't had much of a  choice with a wife who is shutter happy!

I'm Tired!

Here I sit,  10:18 in the evening, pretty much exhausted from an over-committed weekend.  The AHHA performance was this past Friday and Saturday nights, which pretty much meant that I spent Friday and Saturday during the day being a chauffeur.  The show was fabulous and Katie played her role magnificently .

 When I wasn't driving Katie to rehearsals I was assisting Mark at the plant with the task of remodeling our lobby area.  We really didn't think it would be too big of a job.  After all he and I have remodeled 6 houses, how hard could one lobby be?  HA! How hard indeed!  There were two things we needed to accomplish; remove the old carpeting, and paint the walls. A three hour job we thought, no problem we quipped, we'll be home in time to enjoy the sunshine before heading to Katie's performance.  Again HA!  As we began pulling up the carpet the first few pieces came up smoothly, all was going according to plan, then a little more muscle was needed to pull up the carpet, soon it was not budging no matter how hard we pulled or pleaded for that matter.  The old glue was playing a game of tug-o-war with us and we were losing!  Hours and I mean many hours (actually it took two days) later Mark had succeeded in getting the last piece of carpet to surrender.  The glue however was not about to give up without a fight.  Off to Jerry's to peruse the aisles for the most potent of glue killers.  (Okay, we know, Thou Shalt not murder..but you had to be there)  Armed with enough chemical warfare to wipe out an entire downtown highrise, or at least it's carpet glue, we set to work.  Carefully donning our safety glasses and protective gloves. (I have to throw that in, just in case my Mom reads this) My job was to brush on the chemicals, Mark's was to scrape it off, and Daniel's was to scoop it into a large dust pan and carefully dispose of it in the trash receptacle.  (It was actually a cardboard box, but that's really not important) Soon we had perfected our process and it became somewhat of a dance.  We had Mark's computer on and used his ITunes library to entertain us while we worked.  We rocked out to Queen, yodeled with Buck Owens, and praised with Mercy Me.  We finally made it home this even at 10:00 p.m.  Next weekend the real work begins, painting the lobby floor, installing the receptionist desk which I refinished a few weeks ago, and the final decorating touches.  And then I think I'm going to need a vacation!

A Better Reason to Run!

Thank you to my friend's Dave and Kay Smith for introducing me to this run! Sadly, after living here for 4 years I am just know learning of this wonderful resource center here in town! I am looking forward to the race as well as helping to further the work that LPSC is doing here in the community!

Ever heard of an incentive picture?

Okay..so here's my, "What I never ever want to look like again picture". Watching the videos with the kids the other day brought back some painful reminders of what I looked like back then. Wow! The picture was taken when we lived in VA, about 8 years ago. I don't even think I realized how out of control my weight had become. There were certainly no 1/2 marathon runs for me in those days. In fact I think the furthest I would walk was to the refrigerator and back. This month I am determined to once again be deliberate in my running. To pick a time and a day and get out there and run!

A trip down memory lane...and Mothers

We spent the afternoon yesterday watching family videos. All 4 of us curled up on the couch. Correction: all 5 of us, the dog joined in as well.

My kids rolled their eyes as I teared up at their baby pictures. There was a video of Katie with Mark's Mom, Kathryne (Katie's namesake) where they were at home waiting for the word from the hospital to find out if Katie had a new baby sister of brother.

I am so thankful for those films. Those moments where I am able to get a glimpse into my child, minus Mom and Dad's presence. Katie adored her grandmother. The two were mostly inseparable when Katie was a toddler. Grandma left us far too soon. We knew Grandma would most likely not see Katie grow up, we knew the day I delivered her. I delivered Katie by C-section and was not with Mark when he brought Katie out to show the waiting family. I wish I could have seen Mom's face when Mark told her our baby's name. It meant so much to us, she meant so much to us, we wanted her to know that she would always be remembered every time we looked at our daughter.

Then there are the videos with my own Mom. My child on her hip, just as natural as could be. Mom was born to be...well..a Mom. She began motherhood so early, just 18. She went on to have 6 other children in the following 9 years. 7 children, no maids, no live-in Nanny. She was and IS remarkable. At 68, Mom is still mothering. She and my Dad have been raising my nephew almost since birth. He is now 16. My mother taught my daughter to love yard sales, showed her how to find bargains and always shows up with some little something for my kids (and sometimes even for Mark and I) everytime she is here. The videos showed our children playing with Nana's latest 'find', their faces glowing and Mom's sheepish grin as she proclaimed, "I got it for 50 cents".

More videos and we are introduced to Grandma Donna. Mark's Dad's wife. Grandma Donna held nothing back. She accepted her new position as "Grandma" with such grace. She doted on Katie and cuddled with Daniel. She spoiled as all grandmother's do. At first, it was hard for Mark and I. Our sadness over the loss of Kathryne was profound. Donna never pushed and we were grateful. She loved Mark's Dad, that was clear and she was prepared to love his kids and grandkids as well. What we have found in this new "Mom" in our life we are so thankful for. I value her friendship, her laughter, her graciousness and our "secret looks".

God has blessed us with amazing mothers..I hope someday my children will say the same.

Mother's Day 2008

Today our annual tradition of hiking Spencer's Butte did not occur. Katie woke up not feeling well and so today I get to be Nurse Mom. And I count it a privilege. I think back over the years to how often I have worn that 'nurse' hat. Katie was an extremely healthy baby, she hardly ever even had the sniffles. She blew through the toddler years fairly smoothly as well. It was however, shortly after Daniel was born that Katie started having some very serious stomach problems. What at first we believed to be nothing more than a stomach bug lingered for weeks. Her coloring was very pale and she often would find herself running to the bathroom after only a few bites of food. At what was probably her 4th doctor's visit she had a stomach x-ray. The pediatrician noticed something 'abnormal' and sent us immediately an hour north to the Children's Hospital. After weeks of tests that a 4 year old should not have to endure, Katie was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I knew the disease well, having seen my father suffer with it for years. Katie was the youngest case in the state of California. She had specialist all over the country conferring on treatments. It began with a strong dose of steroids and antiiflammatories. We noticed only minor changes. Mark and I began praying fervently over her every evening. Our pastor and elders prayed over her sprinkling her with oil. Katie's attitude was phenomenal. She smiled through every blood test which were weekly events. What was the most amazing about Katie however, was her faith. She had known Jesus since she was 3. She had no problem sharing the "Good News" with whomever would listen. Jesus lived in her heart and He was going to see her through. One morning about 6 months into treatments Katie woke and came to Mark and I in the kitchen. She wanted to know if we had come into her room in the middle of the night. We assured her we had not. She replied she didn't think it was us and began to relay the story of someone coming into her bedroom and touching her on the head. With complete certainty she said, "It was Jesus, He came in and touched me on the head. I know he healed me."
Our now 5 year old daughter was looking at us and proclaiming her healing. We smiled and hugged her, but really, how was a parent to respond? That day we noticed that Katie's symptoms were absent. A fluke we thought. Oh, we wanted to believe, but alas our faith was weaker than our child's. A week passed with no symptoms. Katie's appetite returned. A month...could it be? Her follow-up appt. with the specialist left us with a caution of "don't get your hopes up, it (the disease) has probably gone into remission".
Mark's job starting taking us to new destinations. Our first stop was in Los Angeles for 6 months. We met with the specialist at the re-known Long Beach Children's Hospital. The doctor was impressed with Katie's progress and without looking at her original testing would have thought she was a healthy 5 year old. He instructed us to continue with the medicines.
Our next move was to Kansas City. Katie met with the Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Children's Mercy Hospital. Again, the doctor was impressed with how well she was doing considering what a sick child she had been, but cautioned us that remission probably wouldn't last much longer. We continued with the high-doses of anti-inflammatories, but she was now off the steroids. Katie would just grin through it all. The medicine seemed so silly to her. She knew Jesus had healed her.
Virginia became home next. Katie was now 7. We were matched up with a specialist at Virginia Tech's Medical Hospital. This visit however was different. This time we were dealing with a specialist who also was a believer. He perused Katie's medical records then requested we run some tests. We returned for a second visit and the results of the testing. "On the record, your child," he said, was misdiagnosed." Then he began to tell us that unless he had it documented in her records that she was misdiagnosed, she would run the risk of health care coverage and life insurance in the future. But knowing the healing power of Jesus. He trusted Katie's diagnosis. She had been healed. He had seen her original tests, he knew how bad it was. "They don't like us to put 'healed' on the records."
Katie was taken off all her meds and Mark and I learned a humbling lesson. "Unless you have the faith of a child."

I would experience a similar lesson years later, this time through my son Daniel. But this time, I remembered how God had healed Katie and I held onto his promises. Not necessarily that God would heal Daniel, but that Jesus would indeed see him through. Daniel's story started around the same time as this blog began. In fact this blog has it's roots in a venue for us to keep family updated on his condition.(Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) Today, Daniel is healthy non-symptomatic and has been for over 3 years.

Reflecting back on it all today. I am so grateful for the Grace that God has extended to this Mom during my times of unbelief.

Daniel's Album Cover

So, here is the boy with his new guitar. He is now taking lessons for both guitar and piano. We refer to him as a young "Barefoot Boy" which is the nickname Mark has for Keith Urban. Oh, and his Science Fair project won first place at his "school".

Forty....something???

Okay...so the cake candles give away my age. My children surprised me with a wonderful cake and homemade cards for my birthday. I am so blessed to have such selfless kids.
My day began with coffee being delivered to our room at the Cricketwood B & B in Bend, Oregon. www.cricketwood.com. Mark and I had been over in Redmond for a tradeshow on Thursday and decided to make a mini-vacation out of the trip. We stayed at our favorite Bed & Breakfast on the outskirts of Bend surrounded by horse farms. The B&B boasts phenomenal views of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. The inn-keepers, Tracy and Jim, know how to spoil their guests. Warm cookies each evening with your choice of beverage is only the beginning. The cooked to order breakfasts are really the Pièce de résistance! My favorite is the Creme' Brulee' French Toast. I had mine with the fresh fruit of the day, strawberries and Kiwi. We chatted with our hosts and visited with the other couple who were staying at the Inn. Paul and Barbara were from the San Francisco area, but are moving to Bend in June. I can hardly blame them, the region is just so beautiful.
Back at the room Mark gave me my birthday present. A much desired running dress! This should provide me with the incentive to continue with my running.
We packed up our item, thanked our hosts and headed for home. The weather was perfect, with blue skies and white puffy clouds laid out in front of us. We enjoyed the sweeping road through the mountains that runs along side the McKenzie River.
We arrived home at 1 p.m. Where I was greeted by my children and birthday cake! I blew out the candles and each of us, forks in hand..dug in! (It was my birthday..so no dirty dishes allowed). At 3 p.m. we decided on an early dinner and visited one of our favorite pizza places, Pegasus Pizza by the university. We had our fill of BBQ chicken and Meatlovers pizza then returned home for some outside activity, namely spreading some mulch around my Blueberry bushes and then reclining on the patio!
A craving for pie somewhere around 6 had us visiting Marie Calendar's for a slice of Double Cream Lemon Pie, which we brought home and enjoyed as we watched October Sky.
We retired early as we had all had a somewhat exhausting day, but not before Mark and I made plans to recommit to our healthy eating the next day!

Painted Hills

Mark and I spent a perfectly beautiful day exploring the Painted Hills in Central Oregon. We were reminded of the world as God's canvas. The name "Painted Hills" is certainly an appropriate one. We were treated to a day of quiet solitude, as we were able to experience the wonder without intrusions. Although the tourists were scarce, a cougar paw-print reminded us that we were definitely not alone.

Daniel's Science Fair Project

After 3 weeks of very hard work, Daniel has at last finished his Science Fair Project. He chose to make a working model of the water cycle. The 'model' is in a fish tank on our back porch. We will be bringing it to his Science class tomorrow. I will take more pictures then. This is a picture of the board that goes with the project.

Katie girl

This is the photo that was used for the actors board during the Shakespeare's class performance of "Much Ado About Nothing."

Global Warming?

When we lived in Wisconsin this was not an unusual sight.  Snow at the end of April.  Here in Eugene, Oregon however, snow is definitely not the norm this time of year.  We are expecting precipitation in the form of a 'wintry mix' all day today.  Please, those of you in California, stop laughing!

P.T. = Physical Therapy????

Or does it stand for Physical "Torture"?  My orthopedic surgeon has dubbed me..."Woman with 'frozen shoulder'."  I have very limited mobility in my left shoulder.  While there may be a small tear it is really insignificant at this time, at least until we can restore mobility to the shoulder.  

So, just how does one go about restoring mobility?  Through P.T. of course.  Picture archaic torture chambers with prisoners strung out on wooden planks being stretched in two.

Okay...it's not that bad.  The Physical Therapist was actually very kind and understanding of my pain.  She still made me do the stretches, but she was sympathetic.  She demonstrated each stretch and then observed my technique as I attempted each awkward position. (Which really weren't awkward at all for someone with full use of their shoulder) I left the office with a printout of my homework; exercises to be done at least 3 times a day, as well as 5 follow-up sessions and a prescription for chocolate chip cookies whenever I feel pain- yes, I made that up.  

And so, my road to recovery has begun.    

Oh the Joys of Growing Old

"The linear signal abnormality involving the posterior labrum is strongly suspicious for a tear."

If you can understand the above, then you are doing better than I.  They are the results of my recent MRI on my shoulder.  Okay, so let me back up and tell you all a story. 

Sometime in early January our family decided to take an impromptu trip to Sunriver and enjoy a weekend in the snow. Two days prior to our departure I was tidying up the house to prepare for our being away. 

We own one of those central vacuum systems, which in and of themselves are not a danger, unless of course you happen to be vacuuming the stairs, and  your name is Mom/Deanna.  The hose was stretched from the bottom of the stairs to the top, as I turned to go down a step my foot landed on top of the hose which promptly caused my foot to roll off of the hose and proceed down the stairs.   I extended my left arm down and behind me to catch my fall.  My legs continued to slide down the stairs as my arm stayed behind secure on the step that I had put it on.  After sliding a few steps I came to a stop and anticipated the pain.  I very slowly pulled my arm around forward wincing with each little movement. I thought I had made quite a commotion, but alas, only the dog seemed to be aware of my circumstance.  

I breathed a few, "Please God, don't let it be broken" and stood up.  So far so good.  Lots of pain, but I could still move my arm so I concluded that nothing was broke.  

Later, I relayed the story to my husband who sympathetically hugged me as he tried his best to assess the damage.  I assured him I was okay to go our trip.  

With a good dose of Aleve in my system I was able to enjoy the snow and even did some sledding.  My husband did all the lifting, and took on the task of helping me to dress myself, as I couldn't lift my arm above my waist.  

After several weeks the mobility returned to my arm, but I still found some movements very painful.  With much fuss and resentment I called my Doctor,  who upon seeing me, scolded me for a good 5 minutes for waiting so long to go in.  An X-ray at the office revealed no break.  ( I was impressed with my self-diagnosis, I knew it wasn't broken).  The next step was an MRI which was done yesterday morning.  The results..(see above) were delivered to me today by my doctor along with a referral notice to an Orthopedic surgeon.  

What???!!!!  Okay fine, so next week I get to once again venture into the belly of the MRI machine, only this time with some kind of dye injected into my arm to determine if in fact there really is a tear.  After that..who knows?  I'll keep you posted. Until then, Mark continues to take in stride the unfortunate job of having to dress his wife.

Is it Spring Yet?

Another Driver on the roads of Eugene

At last the day arrived yesterday!  Katie passed her Driver's license exam.  She made her first solo drive home from her classes yesterday. (I followed behind her in the truck, threatening to push anyone who got too close 'into the wall') Daniel was laughing hysterically.  Why is it so hard to let go?  

Our family is excited about this conference!!!

Katie's 60's Look!

Rain Rain...GO AWAY!!!!!

What is the most frustrating about living in the Northwest is that somehow the rains know when it's the weekend. We have had some glorious weather all week and now as we head into Friday night the clouds have turned dark and the rains are once again coming down! We had hoped to have a beautiful 60 degree tomorrow as it was yesterday. We had yard work planned, walls to move, dirt to dig. Now it looks as if we shall wake to very cold wet weather in the morning without much of a reprieve until Monday, just in time to go back to work. Ahhh the joy.
Daniel has been fighting very unsuccessfully against a cold all week. We have rented the move "Underdog" for tonight and hope to catch a few lines of the film between his coughing. ((((Daniel))))
Katie is primping for the dance. Tonight's dance theme is "Through the decades" Katie found a 60's looking dress and is making her hair as 'big' as possible! What a blast. We tried in vain to find white go-go boots.
I'll try to post some more pictures soon. I've got 3 rolls waiting to be developed. If only I can find the time!

Do you Bird Count?

Beginning today through Monday the 18th one can participate in the Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. www.birdcount.org.
I have followed the Bird Count somewhat in the past, but this year, armed with my National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds, my F100 complete with a new 300 zoom lens, and a checklist, I am ready to add my totals to the Count! My children stand at the ready to assist in flipping through the guide and identifying the birds by their markings.

We are being treated to another day of sunshine and if the weather experts are on target we may have sunshine all weekend.

Valentine's Day

Alas..the sun shines in Eugene! Such a glorious sight. Especially when one is a fair weather runner. Although, I have learned that a little moisture will not melt my running shoes, no matter how much I try to convince my dog to the contrary. But today, I shall gladly lace up and head outdoors and reap the benefits of increased Vitamin D!

As I write I am being serenaded by our son playing Fur Elise on his piano. Our daughter is engrossed in her Advanced Mathematics lesson. Just another day in the life of a homeschooling family.

We have enjoyed an impromptu visit by my parents, who stopped by to drop off a few Valentine goodies for the kids. Mark was home for lunch as is common. On the menu today? The ever popular peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with tortilla chips and salsa on the side. Funny how even at our ages (Mark and myself) we still find a little joy in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Tonight we shall huddle on the couch for a movie night. Undoubtedly there will be a little chocolate involved. I believe we may watch 10 Angry Men. I am preparing for my role in our upcoming Easter play at church entitled "Twelve Angry Jurors". Hopefully the movie will give me some motivation.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Vacation shots