The other little piggy invited this little piggy out to breakfast today. If there is one thing I love more than going out to lunch with my friends, it's going out to breakfast with my husband! This was a follow up appointment day with my radiology oncologist. I hate the word oncology! It reminds me of a lot of really bad things - like the fact that I had breast cancer. The operative word here is HAD. I really feel like it is gone, but these follow up appointments remind me of that shadow on my health resume.
Anyway, when we woke up with another day to praise the Lord, and love each other, Don asked what was on the schedule today. I mentioned this appointment, and said we could have breakfast when I got back.
"I have a better idea," he said. "Why don't I go with you and then we could go out to breakfast afterward?"
He knows he can always entice me with breakfast. So we sat at Ruby's, got the off-duty employee discount without asking (Thank you, Erica, and Ryan) and chattered away the whole time.
I just love these "little piggy dates." He waited patiently in the car while I did my thing, but by the time we got home, he was totally spent, and will probably spend the rest of the day until late afternoon in bed.
Oh, well. I have a lot of yard work to do, and the memory of two little piggy's sitting at Ruby's will carry me through the day. (And maybe tomorrow!)
Like I said, these are our "Memories Days."
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Life's Little Circles
Had lunch with a friend today. She's a new friend, and comes to town once a year from Washington to stay with her son and daughter-in-law. I've always enjoyed her when we see the 3 of them, and determined to have a one-on-one with her before she left to go back up north. Today was the day. The first 2 places we tried were closed on Monday (how dare they!) so we kept driving and talking.
She lives in the small rural town of Linden, and since I really don't know much about her, she began to tell me her "story." Soon the name of Collingridge came up. Now I have an Uncle Ned Collingridge who is the last of that generation on my mom's side of the family, since her last sister died in March. Aunt Genevieve had been in the Navy during WWII and I always remember how spiffy she looked in her uniform. It was a full military funeral complete with flag draped coffin and taps. Some of my cousins asked if I knew the whereabouts of any of Uncle Ned's kids. I didn't, but told them the last I had heard from Uncle Ned, he said his wife, Aunt Gingy went to sleep a year ago October one night, and woke up in heaven! He was shocked, but happy for her. My cousins did not know that, so we talked quite a bit about the Collingridge family.
Well, when my friend used the name, I told her I had an uncle named Ned Collingridge, who was married to my mom's sister. She about fainted. It seems he gave her away at her wedding 45+ years ago. She spoke so warmly about him. Amazing. I had just been talking about him with my cousins.
Dropped my friend off at home, stopped at the mailbox when I arrived at home, and could not believe it when there was a letter from Uncle Ned in the mail! He was responding to my Christmas letter, and apologized for being so remiss. He will be 90 in September, still drives his car, teaches and preaches all the time, and lives alone in a mobile home park. Next he told all about his family, all serving the Lord, and some on the mission field.
Lastly, he signed it with not only his name, but his e-mail address! I think I'll stop now and send him an e-mail to see if he remembers my friend from Washington. Probably does!
Such a nice little life circle today - I can't stand it.
She lives in the small rural town of Linden, and since I really don't know much about her, she began to tell me her "story." Soon the name of Collingridge came up. Now I have an Uncle Ned Collingridge who is the last of that generation on my mom's side of the family, since her last sister died in March. Aunt Genevieve had been in the Navy during WWII and I always remember how spiffy she looked in her uniform. It was a full military funeral complete with flag draped coffin and taps. Some of my cousins asked if I knew the whereabouts of any of Uncle Ned's kids. I didn't, but told them the last I had heard from Uncle Ned, he said his wife, Aunt Gingy went to sleep a year ago October one night, and woke up in heaven! He was shocked, but happy for her. My cousins did not know that, so we talked quite a bit about the Collingridge family.
Well, when my friend used the name, I told her I had an uncle named Ned Collingridge, who was married to my mom's sister. She about fainted. It seems he gave her away at her wedding 45+ years ago. She spoke so warmly about him. Amazing. I had just been talking about him with my cousins.
Dropped my friend off at home, stopped at the mailbox when I arrived at home, and could not believe it when there was a letter from Uncle Ned in the mail! He was responding to my Christmas letter, and apologized for being so remiss. He will be 90 in September, still drives his car, teaches and preaches all the time, and lives alone in a mobile home park. Next he told all about his family, all serving the Lord, and some on the mission field.
Lastly, he signed it with not only his name, but his e-mail address! I think I'll stop now and send him an e-mail to see if he remembers my friend from Washington. Probably does!
Such a nice little life circle today - I can't stand it.
Friday, May 2, 2008
This Little Piggy
Found a yellow sticky on my desk that wasn't anymore. Sticky, that is. It's been around so long, but I just can't bear to throw it away! We've been on borrowed time so long, but a lot of great things have happened since the Dr. said to go home and get your affairs in order. Knowing that the prognosis for metastasized prostate cancer is 24 - 32 months, we took him seriously. But that was in 1989, and this is 2008. Unbelievable!
Life can get very - daily, you know. And the days do flow together with sometimes not much to distinguish one from another.
One day I needed to go to the market and usually left a note somewhere so Don could know where I was and when I would be back. Grabbed the closest sticky pad and feeling a little impish left him a note that said:
"This little piggy went to market."
signed it with a big smiley heart.
All through Vons, I wondered if he would find my note. Would he respond? How would it make him feel? Sometimes a cheerful heart too early in the morning, when you are in pain (as he is a lot) it's not very funny.
I needn't have worried. I found his response on the sticky when I got home.
"This little piggy loves the other little piggy BIG TIME."
Now each day when we wake up we say we have another day to praise the Lord, and another day to love each other. Our days are already numbered, and only He knows what the number is. But I'll take all the sticky notes like that that I can get along the way!
Life can get very - daily, you know. And the days do flow together with sometimes not much to distinguish one from another.
One day I needed to go to the market and usually left a note somewhere so Don could know where I was and when I would be back. Grabbed the closest sticky pad and feeling a little impish left him a note that said:
"This little piggy went to market."
signed it with a big smiley heart.
All through Vons, I wondered if he would find my note. Would he respond? How would it make him feel? Sometimes a cheerful heart too early in the morning, when you are in pain (as he is a lot) it's not very funny.
I needn't have worried. I found his response on the sticky when I got home.
"This little piggy loves the other little piggy BIG TIME."
Now each day when we wake up we say we have another day to praise the Lord, and another day to love each other. Our days are already numbered, and only He knows what the number is. But I'll take all the sticky notes like that that I can get along the way!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tea with Lucy
Since we are out of babies at our house, finding some more out there was a tremendous gift to me. Lucy, age 3, and her little brother, Charlie, age one, are my newest grandchild friends. This week, I got a call from Lucy's mom that Lucy wanted me to come to tea, and they were wearing hats. My red hats are always handy, so I was set. Lucy not only wore her hat, she also had on a tutu, pink plastic heels, and a sequined blouse from her dress up clothes that had been given her as a gift. I could tell the blouse was a little itchy, but Lucy was undeterred as she poured tea in our little tin cups. We had two kinds of sandwiches, (Thank you, Mommy) cookies, and small colored marshmallows. Lucy always has a lot to say, but her conversation was mostly about the cookies that day. She daintily ate and with each bite her "Yummm" increased in intensity. She punctuated her cookie eating with "Want some more tea?" and kept us nicely supplied. No coercion would get Lucy to try a sandwich though. Then abruptly, she got up and announced that she wanted to invite her dolly to tea. There was one more place at the table, with chair, cup and everything, and we all enjoyed having the dolly with us. Lucy thought she needed to eat the dolly's cookie, though.
I was reminded that we are all invited to the celebration of the Lamb, and we will have full rights to partake of the feast. No one will have to eat our share for us. I can hardly wait to see Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Until then, our bread and cup at communion will remind us of what He has done to purchase our redemption, and seat at the celebration, and help us look forward to the day when we see Him face to face. I wonder what kind of cookies we will have.
Monday, March 31, 2008
How did this happen?
I just don't know how this happened! Just a few clicks, and drop down menus, and they tell me I have a blog? Now I suppose I'll have to spend time writing things. Anyway, it was almost more than I could stand when the drop down menu had dozens of things to characterize my life, and none of them fit! Retired wasn't one of the options! Neither was Grandmother! At this stage of my life, I just hang around being a child of God. That wasn't on the list either! When I first resigned my job as Reading Specialist at Whittier Christian School, I worried about what I would say when someone asked, "What do you do?" Then I thought of a real clever answer (or so I thought).
I would tell everyone I was in Management! I manage to get up in the morning. I manage to go out to lunch with my friends. I manage to get to the mall now and then, and the rest of the time, I manage to give my husband a whole lot of trouble.
But nobody asked! And so, I still just hang around being a child of God.
The exterminator came to the door the other day. It was the day for his regular service, and Mike is a really nice guy. He always asks about "the Mister" because he knows he's on oxygen 24/7 and I sense that he really is concerned. But this day, I told him we were really concerned about our oldest daughter who is battling a chiari malformation which causes major headaches.
Mike used the Lord's name as an expletive, and since he brought Him up, I responded, that yes, that is exactly who we needed. So I camped on the name of Jesus Christ saying that I could hardly wait to see Him. I asked Mike if he knew where he would go at the end of his life, and we were off on a major discussion of whether our goodness counts, or if it is the blood of Jesus. Mike says he is a good person, and I have no doubt he is. But there is only one way - Jesus. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Mike listened politely, but soon had to get to work.
I can't report any miraculous conversion or anything, but if God is calling Mike, maybe our conversation was a little water on the soil of his heart to soften it toward the gospel.
God knows about Mike, and maybe just that little encounter is what is meant by just hanging around being a child of God.
I would tell everyone I was in Management! I manage to get up in the morning. I manage to go out to lunch with my friends. I manage to get to the mall now and then, and the rest of the time, I manage to give my husband a whole lot of trouble.
But nobody asked! And so, I still just hang around being a child of God.
The exterminator came to the door the other day. It was the day for his regular service, and Mike is a really nice guy. He always asks about "the Mister" because he knows he's on oxygen 24/7 and I sense that he really is concerned. But this day, I told him we were really concerned about our oldest daughter who is battling a chiari malformation which causes major headaches.
Mike used the Lord's name as an expletive, and since he brought Him up, I responded, that yes, that is exactly who we needed. So I camped on the name of Jesus Christ saying that I could hardly wait to see Him. I asked Mike if he knew where he would go at the end of his life, and we were off on a major discussion of whether our goodness counts, or if it is the blood of Jesus. Mike says he is a good person, and I have no doubt he is. But there is only one way - Jesus. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Mike listened politely, but soon had to get to work.
I can't report any miraculous conversion or anything, but if God is calling Mike, maybe our conversation was a little water on the soil of his heart to soften it toward the gospel.
God knows about Mike, and maybe just that little encounter is what is meant by just hanging around being a child of God.
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