Celebrating with Turkey!

Jonathan's 17th birthday was on Thursday
but it was not possible to have
the big turkey dinner that he had requested
then.

So, last evening I served a 22 pound turkey
and all of the trimmings to 21 people.

Georgia got home from the hospital
around noon and so was available
for the dinner.

She says she feels fine!
She and my Mom are such a blessing to
me. They pretty much did all of the clean-up
because by that time my cyst was hurting so badly
I just wanted to cry. I guess I'll have to do
something about it soon.

Back to Georgia, Jonathan said that having
her out of the hospital was his best birthday
present. Wasn't that sweet...especially since
he meant it with his whole heart.
He is so marshmallow soft inside!
I love that kid!

It was a good time.
We enjoyed the fellowship
and I enjoyed the contented
look on Jonathan's face.

This celebration involved our church family
so I am pretty sure that there will be another
party for Jonathan's friends from Co-op at
some date in the near future.

He is going to make up for three years of "messed
up" birthdays.
In case you missed the post where
I described our last few springs...
Two years ago, I was in the hospital
and delirious...
last year Gene was in his final days.
This year Georgia was in the Hospital.
Maybe he isn't supposed to have birthdays...

Aunt Bev and Uncle Allan...
Jonathan loves his new T-shirt.
He wore it to church yesterday.
Thanks for pointing out that he loves
to wear black...lol.

Grandma Georgia presented Jonathan with a
Shrek Chess Game. Every time we go to the
library with any amount of time to spend,
Jonathan and Chelsea sit down at a table and
play chess. It reminds me, so much, of when
my brother and I enjoyed challenging each
other. I haven't played chess for a very long time.
I'll have to see if I can remember how to do it.

My Mom and Warren's Mom had gone together to buy
Jonathan a Bonsai Tree at Longwood Gardens.

I think it is adorable. Mom also got Jonathan a book
to tell him how to care for his Bonsai Tree.
This is a very good thing since I am notorious
for my brown thumb.

Hope your day is lovely,
wherever you are and whatever
you are doing.

I will be up to my ears in schoolwork,
running north to buy more soy wax to
fill another order,
(I cannot believe how fast I go
through 50 pounds of soy!),
enjoying some visitation with a dear elderly
lady from church who has recently entered a
skilled nursing facility, and then finally
attending our final Moms Meeting of this
School Year.

Blessings!

The Reality of the Resurrection

Last week this time we were celebrating the
wonderful fact that
Jesus did not remain in His Tomb.

In fact during this time in history,
after the resurrection, Jesus was walking
and talking with His disciples preparing
them for a longer separation.

Poor Thomas...I love that he was so honest
as to truly wonder...could it be?
Is this truly our Lord?

I love that Jesus did not get mad.
He invited Thomas to check Him out.
See and feel the scars.
The body was real.
The pain that had been inflicted was real.
Thomas came to understand.

...And yet, while the body was real,
it was different. Doors did not
limit Him. A group of disciples were
meeting together and suddenly Jesus was
there too. He did not come through the
door. He simply appeared in the room.
Cool!
Maybe a bit unnerving.

These people knew Jesus.
They trusted Him.
Now they were being sent on a
very important mission.

Tell the world!

Really!

What if these men had not believed?

It takes a lot of nerve to go around
telling strangers that you know a guy
who was conceived outside of wedlock
that was crucified and then came back to
life and is the One Who can take your sin
and punishment on Himself...
and in doing so you can enjoy life
forever... so BELIEVE!

Simple, huh?

That is why it is called Faith!

God's plan is amazing!

We have the eye witness recordings of
four men, written from their perspectives
and with their personalities evident in
the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

I love to compare and see the similarities but
the different emphasis each of these men placed
as they wrote words that would be preserved and
kept for us to read two thousand years after
the fact.


As for understanding their mission,
Not only did these men "get it" but they
obeyed and went out to share the good news.

They took what they had seen with their
own eyes and told others.
I am so thankful for the faithfulness of the
original disciples who carried the message
to those around them.

Now it is up to us, as disciples.
Our mission is the same.

While we did not see these things
with our own eyes,
and I did not put my hands on the scars,
I KNOW that my Redeemer lives.

There is no doubt that He speaks to me,
through His Spirit.
He works in my life.
So many times I have questioned what in
the world He wanted from me.
Was He really there?
Every time He was faithful to "Show Himself"
in a way that I could recognize.

He lives!

So, fellow Disciples...let us carry out
this important mission.

Let us remind all that we know...
Jesus is alive and well...
HE alone is the answer for the guilt
and consequences of sin!

It is like passing on the torch when we spread
the Good News.

All a person needs to do is call on HIS
name and believe! This was the only person
in the history of this world who could have
taken our sin upon Himself...HE was it!
Only through Him can we enjoy eternal life
in a place He is even now preparing for us.
REALLY!

So often, I am caught up with the daily grind.
To my shame, I do not pause to even think
about this wonderful news and reality in my life...
let alone tell someone else.

If you do not know Him,
Consider yourself told today...
Jesus died for your sins.
Eternal life can be yours.

I continue to celebrate these days after the
Resurrection as there was so much teaching
and preparation that directly affected our
ability to hear and understand.

Small Town Living - Part Two

The Gossips Courtesy of All Posters


As I got home, Wednesday,
from a whole day
at the hospital with Georgia
I was tired to the bone.

Climbing out of the car my neighbor,
and friend, Ellen
called out to me.
She had news.
Sad news, about a former neighbor.

We chatted a bit.
I told her about Georgia
and eventually I came inside to
get dinner prepared.

The next morning on this blog,
there was a sweet supportive comment
from another neighbor/friend, Judy.

She had heard about Georgia from Ellen.

Does this make me a part of the "network?"

Do you remember this painting by Norman Rockwell
that shows regular folks on the telephone,
one after another, sharing some piece of
information?

Sometimes it can seem like gossip...
Sometimes it probably is gossip...

but not this time.

This was about caring and sharing.
This was about community.

Thanks Ellen...Thanks Judy!
I like being a part of
your Small Town.

Small Town Living

When we first moved to Lancaster County
I had a major adjustment to make.

I was coming from State College where
my father was fairly well known and we had
sung in a group that traveled to the local
churches. It was nearly impossible to go
anywhere without seeing someone we knew.

It drove Warren crazy that we could not
go out and just run errands without having
several conversations along the way.

I lived for those conversations.

I love that sense of community.

When we moved here the people that we met
through work or church warned us that this
was a tight knit community and not to
expect much, in the way of the locals being
friendly.

One man on a political campaign that I assisted
with stated that he was still a newcomer after
eighteen years.

All of this did not sit well with me.
I am after all the
"Friendship Ambassador to the World!"
Really!

I have gone to the places where the locals
go, volunteered, hosted neighborhood picnics,
and generally gone out of my way to be friendly
around our sweet little town.

It is paying off! We have been in the area for
almost eight years and today at the library I saw a couple of
familiar and friendly faces. People that I actually have
some sort of a relationship with.

It was interesting to go to the Library when we first
moved here. The staff and volunteers all were a bit
stand-offish. I have no idea why.
It just is what it is here.

We stopped at a local Christian Bookstore and saw yet
another familiar and friendly face.

We are breaking down the doors!

Yee-HAW!

Maybe when we are great-grandparents of Lancaster County
Residents we will be accepted as "near natives"...

I doubt it!

Oh, well, I still love this place.

They are losing Their Minds...

...and taking mine with them.

These are actual photos taken March 27, 2008.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

Seventeen years ago today we were not
sure if our first child would live or die...

If you have not read his story
you can do so by clicking here.

I am so glad that the Lord granted us years with this young
man, rather than hours or days.

For the past two years bad things have happened on
or around his birthday that have made him express
a desire to change the date that we celebrate.

Last year his Grandpa was on his death bed and
we had to postpone his party...

So, as we should be celebrating this birthday tonight
Warren is at the hospital with his mother.
Jonathan is feeling a bit sad.

We will make it up to him...
I promise!

I am planning a turkey dinner for Sunday night
...at his request.

Update - Good News!

The Doctor told Georgia this morning
that they are going to hold off
on surgery for now.

This is the best news because
the surgery that was proposed
sounded simply barbaric!

Thank you for your well
wishes and offers of help!

I am tired and my own body
is fighting me on all of this stress.

Keep the prayers coming and
we shall see what this day brings.

On another note:

I saw a message posted on a Church
Billboard that made me crazy.
It said,

"When all else fails turn to God."

What am I missing?

When all else fails?!?!?

Just wondered if that strikes you
as "wrong" as it struck me.

Update on my Crazy Life

So, I spent today at the hospital
with my poor mother-in-law, Georgia.

It looks like she'll be having
another surgery tomorrow.

There is yet another bowel obstruction.

She needs LOTS of prayer.

This is just TOO much.

The anniversary of Gene's death is coming
up soon and to have all of this pain
and another surgery is testing her greatly.

This was very unexpected and an unwelcome way
to spend this day.

Bowling and Grad Meetings

Yesterday was just a fun kind of "regular" day.
We worked on our schoolwork together in the morning
and then, after dropping Mikey at work,
Chelsea, Jonathan and I headed for our Tuesday
Afternoon bowling time.

I've got to tell you, I have come to
adore bowling.

Who would have thought!!!!

One of my favorite things about bowling
is a pair of Grandparents that come
most weeks and make it a real competition
in the best possible way.

Bob and Phyllis are great people!

There is a great sense of competitive spirit
but always with humility, encouragement and
lots of laughter.

These people just happen to be Mrs. Rabe's
(Creekside Cottage) parents.

Yesterday, Bob and I bowled four games. The last
two after everyone else had bowled enough.

He beat me, of course....
but maybe next week I'll get him!

Thanks Bob! It was fun!

Last evening was our monthly homeschool
Graduation Planning Meeting.
Since Tabitha had her accident and her
Mother is the head of this Graduation
her Dad ran the meeting,
but as president of the
Sponsoring Organization I had to take a
much more active part in the meeting
than I usually do.

There are many details...
Bio's to edit and get approved,
seems simple? Nope!
Invitations with problems from the printer,
A Brunch to plan so the Grads can meet their
Keynote Speaker in advance,
Class song to be learned,
A Formal and Banquet to plan,
The person doing video collage had a motorcycle
accident and is having surgery Thursday,
A fundraiser controversy...

Just about a billion details.

Thank goodness for competent people
heading up the committees to deal with
these issues.

I really felt for poor Suealyce and the
questions she gets asked and decisions
that need to be made. She is doing a
huge job.

We have 89 graduates in this class.
It is interesting because while they are
from all over the County and many did not
know each other before our initial get together
in September...they totally love getting together
and we almost had to kick them out last night
as it was time to go home.

This is a great class!

I am so proud of the work of homeschooling parents.
Seeing the end result is a thing of beauty!
It is so encouraging for those of us still in the daily
grind, for lack of a better word.
While I am extremely thankful for the
freedom to homeschool, I recognize the enormity
of the task. My hat, or bonnet,
is off to the many
thousands of families in this country
who have made this commitment to each other.


Just some rambling thought for today's post.
Not much going on.

I am still in the process of deciding what doctor is
going to do the recommended surgery.
Then when in the world to find the time for a
surgery and recuperation...so much to do!

As long as my little pain pills give me enough relief to
make it through the day and to get sleep at night,
I am taking my time to make sure I get the result that
is best...and hopefully fixes all of this stuff!

Have a great day!

Thanks for being here!

Some School Fun

Edited to add:
Oops! I meant to post this on the school blog...
oh well, enjoy!

We are studying about ancient Greece and Persia.

There was a war in Marathon that caught everyone by
surprise when the Greeks(Athenians) won.

After it was over the Persians got back in their
boats and left.

This made the Athenians get to thinking that perhaps
the Persians meant to sneak to Athens and declare
Victory and take the Spoils.

Everyone would believe them because they always won.

The Athenians decided that they had better send a messenger
to let the people of Athens know that they had won The Battle of
Marathon. Their man ran the 25 miles, announced that they had
won and dropped dead.

This is the origination of the Marathon Races that we know of
today that are 26 miles in length.

After reading this today we called the Grandma's and had them
join us for a mini marathon. The kids stretched and then ran
about a quarter of a mile. With the cold air and no training
leading up to this it was very hard for them to do.

While they are active kids, Mikey had his work boots on and
the other two just weren't really ready for this kind of a run.

A great practical lesson in how hard it would have been to
run 25 miles.

It was also a lot of fun to watch!

I Just have to Say...

Warren pointed out to me that
our children have no expectations
for Easter Baskets or candy on
Easter Day...

They know that we will take them to
buy it in a day or so after when it is at least
half off.

We are soooo cheap!!!!

We do this for Valentine's Day, as well.

The kids have caught on.

Is this sad?

Back to Longwood Gardens

Warren did not have to work yesterday.

When Mom, Jonathan, Chelsea and I had gone to the
gardens earlier this month he mentioned
how much he would enjoy going.

So, we took this opportunity to go
again.

We went to parts of the garden that I have
not seen. It is all simply lovely!

A small sundial. There is a larger one, in another garden, in which you become the "shadow producer".



I think I need one of these....well, the whole package really...pond, gazebo, blue skies with just the right amount of white puffy clouds...

Maybe we need a little boxwood garden too. I love seeing it in Williamsburg when we go and then this at Longwood is so nice and neat.


First the sun was doing a "happy dance" in the center of the trail...

Then the family took a trip up the trail...


These little guys were just scattered all across a large open grassy area.


This Bird of Paradise Flower was in the Dupont House's "Solarium". I am not sure if that is the right word for it...but Chelsea and I sat out there and I read while she played Sudoku as we pretended that we had just finished a lovely breakfast and were having a leisurely day in our lovely home.
Enjoy "our" view in these next few pictures.




These orange flowers were just to the right of us as we sat in the wrought iron chairs and enjoyed the view...and our delusions of grandeur.
Who says you can't pretend?


This is the one photo that I will show you from the Conservatory. There will be pictures from the Conservatory on both Chelsea's Blog and the Homeschool Blog a little later today.




Warren took time to teach Chelsea some features of the camera. She had a great time and learned so much!

While the rest of us were enjoying the Conservatory, Jonathan was scouring the Chimes Tower. I have not been there yet...but he loved it. He spent hours hiking trails and tramping through the meadow. Mom had to go find him at 5pm when the Gardens closed. He was having the time of his life!

Have a wonderful day. Hope there is abundant beauty in it...and lots of imagination.

Easter at the "Church with No Name"!

The Day was glorious!

When the alarm went off at 5:00 AM
I was pretty sure it was not meant for me...

then came those loving hands that gently
shook my shoulders to get me aware enough
to realize... oh yes, the morning of the
Sonrise Service and Breakfast!

Out of bed and on our way to finish all
of the details...
to load the car...
to gather my music, food, flowers for the
centerpieces.
So much to remember!

We got over to the rented facility at about
6:25 AM.

Made up centerpieces for each table with a
vase of flowers and a sweet plush bunny on a
coordinating napkin.

I asked Chelsea to set the tables with springy paper
plates. It looked festive.

Then it was time to head over to the pond for
our Sonrise Service.




It was chilly!

It was short!

But it was sweet!

I just had to get this picture with some of the guys
spiffied up.


We have been struggling to find a new name to suit us...for months!
We may have found it...
Someone suggested Sonrise Community Fellowship.
We like it.
We vote on a new name soon.
Some of the other ones under consideration are:

Living Word Fellowship
Living Word Community Church
Living Way Fellowship
and now...
Sonrise Community Fellowship
or
Sonrise Christian Church

Any Opinions?


It was so neat to look at the faces of these people we have worshiped with for years but had never shared a Sonrise Service with.
A first for this congregation...
but, I think not the last.


The pond was very pretty in the early morning, reflecting anything that it possibly could.

Our breakfast was preceded by some impromptu competition over
some pancake making between Brenda and Myself...too fun,
we ate a great breakfast.
After praying for the meal,
Pastor Mike had our friend, Phil,
read my Dad's poem aloud.
The one in the previous post.
This was a surprise for my Mom and
brought her to tears.

I snapped this picture as people began to be seated.
Look there is room for you!
We are a small congregation but we had an
awesome worship service!
God is so Good!
His presence was so real!

I don't know what the future holds for us
but I do know WHO holds our future...



I hope you know THE ONE who Rose on the third day. HE is in Heaven preparing a place for those who call upon HIS name for eternal salvation. How sweet to know that our Redeemer LIVES!


One of the kids snapped this picture of a banner I made for our old church building.
It made more sense there, aesthetically, but I think it
is sweet that Pastor Mike brings it to whatever facility we are
renting to bring a bit of "home" with us.

It serves as a great reminder...to Rejoice!


A question to ponder for fun: What happened to the dead people that came
out of their tombs as Jesus Died. This is reported only in Matthew 27. None of the other gospels say a word about it and then we never know what happened to them. Did they continue living lives and then just die of old(er) age or did they return to the tombs a little bit later. I don't think we can know that answer. It is just not given...but we had a lively discussion about this...just for fun.

My Dad's Easter Poem

When Death Began to Die
By Garry S. ~ April 1, 2002

Abroad in the land in the dark of the night
Death rode on his ghostly white steed.
And wherever he went there went
With him there
His followers, Sorrow and Greed.

At his presence so cruel, the bright heavens
Grew dark,
And the wind – it blew bitter and cold.
And when Death drew near the harsh grasp
Of fear
Gripped the hearts of the young and the old.

On he rode and he left in his terrible wake
Many broken and sin mangled forms,
The bodies of thousands of those who
Were slain
By sickness, and battles and storms.

And as he progressed, ever greater he grew
In the minds of the people of fear.
And great terror arose if ever they thought
That Death might be drawing near.

But Death rode one day to a bleak, lonely
Hill
Where three Roman crosses stood,
And on them hung three dying men,
Two wicked, and One, oh, so good.

To the first of the crosses he came with delight
(Taking pleasure in anguish and gore)
And said to the thief in a terrible voice,
“Suffer Dog, and then suffer some more.”

The skies were as dark as the bowels of a cave
And the thunder, it pealed like a bell.
“Soon your sin curs’ed body will rot in the grave,
and your soul will go down into hell.”

The thief on the far cross when hearing this threat
Broke out in the cold sweat of fear.
And over his rough sin hardened cheek
Crept a sign of repentance, a tear.

Then he turned to the man on the cross in the midst,
And said, “Sir, I confess, I’ve done wrong
I’m a lost wicked sinner, deserving my fate,
But you are so gracious and strong.

Won’t you think of me, sir, when the veil
You have passed?
When you enter your Kingdom so fair.”
Jesus said, “My dear friend, I’ll do better than that;
On this day you will be with me there.”

“He’s a sinner.” Said Death, “And I claim him
by might
He’s mine, and he’s going with me.
There’s no way on earth that he has the right
To a bless’ed eternity.”

He’s a sinner who stands in a long line of men
Defiled by Adam’s foul deed.
The soul that sins, it surely shall die
His fate is by Heaven decreed.”

Then turning full face to the tall middle cross
Death pulled himself up to full height.
“I’ve come with a claim upon all that have sinned,
To take you at last is my right.”

But when monster Death took note of the face
Of the Savior who hung on the cross.
He was shocked and amazed at the visage Divine,
And he knew that his cause was a loss.

The man in the middle, quite unlike the rest
Had never, no never, known blame.
Upon this pure soul that never had sinned,
His threatening bark had no claim.

He could scream, he could yell, he could
Beg, he could whine,
But he could not enforce his demand
For Jesus was sinless, unspotted and pure,
So Death took his hat in his hand.

And said, “Pardon me sir, I’ve made a mistake,
With me you do not have to go.
On him who is sinless I can’t make a claim
This whole thing embarrasses me, so –
I’ll just leave you now.”
And he turned to depart
His boasting diminished, his snarl all gone
A stake through his vampire heart.

Epilogue

When Death turned to go, he knew he had lost
He knew that to Christ he’d no right,
But a voice from the cross turned old Death
in his tracks,
The same voice that started his flight.

“You’re right, Mr. Death, I don’t have to go;
You can’t make me follow your call,
But by going with you I can forever prove
That you are a fraud after all.

For three days, three only, I give up my life;
The life upon which you’ve no claim.
But come Sunday morning, I’m taking it back;
I’m taking it back once again!

Then all who will trust me, like that broken thief,
Whose sin-weary soul shed a tear
Of humble repentance, of sorrow for sin,
Shall live evermore without fear.

Tread softly now Death, as we go hand in hand,
To rest for a while in a cave.
But never forget it, that just three days hence,
I’m going to burst from the grave.

And when that’s accomplished the whole
World will see
That you are a liar and fraud.
And bowing before me, the saints will declare
That I am their Lord and their God.”

Warren is Home!

It is always sweet to have Warren return
safe and sound after a journey.

He came home to a houseful last night.

There was an excellent turnout for our
Good Friday Small Group here.

We started by reading the account of Jesus'
last Friday before His Crucifixion.
We read about fulfilled prophesies
that happened one right after the other during
those brief hours...
We read about His death.

Then we sang.
We sang about His sacrifice on our behalf.
The songs were somber but beautiful in harmonies
until they built in praise and adoration of the
ONE...
Who willingly took all of our sin upon Himself
and the volume grew as the people rejoiced in what
has been accomplished for those who believe!
We found ourselves singing many songs
bursting with Alleluias!
Some even requested by the
young ones in the group.

Finally, we prayed!
Oh, the outpouring of thanksgiving that
flowed from the mouths of the people.
It went on for quite a long time...
and yet...
it did not seem very long.
There is such beauty in Praise!

After the final Amen, the food came out.
We enjoyed sweet fellowship.
I had made a huge pan of Monkey Bread.
It is nearly gone.
At some point during this time
Warren walked in the door.

It was so good to see his smiling face.
I also like his big bear hugs.

Today I will be in preparation for Easter
Sunday and our Sunrise Service and Breakfast.

I have some shopping to finish up and need to
figure out how I am going to make the pancakes
in our rented facility. I want to have chocolate
chip and blueberry pancakes as well as plain
freshly made for all to enjoy.
I am hoping I can dig out an electric griddle or
two.

Also on the menu are:
Sausage
Egg Casserole
Fresh Fruit
Banana Bread
and
Juice, Milk and Coffee

Should be yummy!

I'll be out looking for beautiful
plates and napkins because
food just tastes better when it is
presented beautifully.

If you are in the Lancaster area
you are invited.
Email me for location and times.

Oh, this is a long post.

I just seem to have so much
to say every day...

Must get that from my Daddy.

I'll be posting one of his Easter
poems tomorrow.

It is long...but very worthwhile!

Blessings on this day, my friends.

I am rejoicing that:

Tabitha is home from the hospital.

Warren is safely home from his trip.

Mikey has shown no signs of head injury
after his fall.

The Lord is Good...ALL THE TIME!

Whew! What a Day!

Yesterday was quite a day!

It was our last day at co-op for this school year.

I was in the Mom's Room chatting and mentally
preparing to teach my last music class of the
year when a young man ran into the room and up to me
saying, "Mikey just fell from the basketball hoop."

I asked him if Mikey was ok.

He wasn't sure.

I RAN! Up the stairs and down the hall to the gym.

When I got there I could not see Mikey.

Finally, there he was lying on the floor at
the far end of the gym.

Please understand that Mikey does "stupid
Mikey tricks" regularly and hurts himself.
Most of the time I never hear about it...
he just gets up and keeps on going.

I got to him and he was shaking and in a lot
of pain. There was a mark the size of a
50 cent piece on his cheek that was raised,
white and had the pattern from the flooring
indented in it. He was so pale!

He was not nauseous so I waited a bit until he
could move and we went to get some ice.

We headed back to the Mom's Room, ice on his face.

His arm was hurting more than his head...

Oh, let me tell you what this kid did.

He was climbing up the wall and grabbing the basketball hoop
where he planned to flip over and land on his feet.
Apparently he has done this many times before.
The adult gym teacher "didn't care".

This time his hand slipped as he was upside down and
he came down on his cheek first then hand and knee.

Long story and a nurse check later...by a Mom at the co-op
he seems to be fine. He is in a good bit of pain and
I expect that to get worse over the next day or two
from the bruising. I am watching him for any signs of
brain injury.

So that was how yesterday's co-op started...
flash forward to the end of the day and my
fourth to sixth grade music class.

We had just completed another hymn sing.
When we did the first one earlier this year
the kids loved it and had more requests than we could
get to so I decided that we would close the
year with another one.

I told the class to get their backpacks and to come to me
to choose their candy from my basket before heading to
the gym to meet their parents.

There was the usual rush to be first in line...
then suddenly one of the boys became ill...
vomiting on the floor and piano!

He was allowed to go to the restroom to do whatever
he needed to do...
and wouldn't you know the next thing I know he is back
in line, green face and all, for his candy!

I quickly gave it to him and got he and the other kids out of the
room and on their way to the gym.

As I was going to get supplies to clean up the unpleasantness
I ran into his mother in the hall.
She felt so badly, the whole family had already had this "bug"
except this young man and the toddler in their house.
She came back to the room and cleaned it up for us.
I am very grateful.
The stomach bug is the worst as far as I am concerned.

So, then we came on home to get ready for a run to Harrisburg
to meet with some clients. The poor lady has pneumonia
and was having a hard time breathing. I have a bad habit
of making people laugh...not good for someone with pneumonia.
She will be fine. I don't think I did
any permanent damage there.

But, finally returned home at 11pm to find Grandma Georgia
hanging out in Mikey's room with he and Jonathan.
She was watching them
play some video game.

That was surreal!

Georgia does not like their video games...

Yep, it was quite a day!!!!

Hope this one is calmer.

We are hosting a Good Friday Small Group at
our home and Warren will be getting in from
Branson late this evening.

Should make for a cozy day.

A Few of My Pretties

I absolutely love glassware, dishes and all pretty things.

So, this morning I thought I would take a couple of
pictures of some favorite things in my China Cupboard.

Enjoy!

This is the teapot to an entire set from Warren's Grandmother.



A pretty plate that was a gift from my friend, Carol.



This is just too fun!
I love to serve romaine lettuce for sandwiches on this plate.
The large leaves mimic the shape of the plate perfectly.

Update on Tabitha

Mrs. Rabe and I went and saw Tabitha
yesterday. We were surprised to be
allowed in her room in the intensive
care.

This little girl is in for a very long
recovery. She may still need surgery
but the doctors are taking a wait and see
approach. The body is an amazing thing
and will heal itself if possible.

Imagine being 7 years old and being told that
you have to be on bedrest for two weeks and then
no running for months!

I talked to Tabitha's big sister this morning and
learned that Tabitha has been moved out of intensive
care and into immediate care. That is good news.

Oh, and Mrs. Rabe...you'll be glad to hear that
Tabitha gets to eat jello today.

Thanks for praying!

Blessings!

Please Pray for Tabitha

Tabitha is a 7 year old daughter of some dear friends of ours who
had an accident on a scooter yesterday and is in Intensive Care
in a medical center about an hour from her home.

She lacerated her liver and tore her gall bladder.

This is quite serious and may involve surgery today.

Close Ups

A close up of a book sent to me by Daisy...

Daisy, I am at the part where they are meeting at the church. You are right, It is a complicated thought process that Jim is going through!
Thank You!

I'll be passing this book along sometime next week.

A close up of a pretty bag Miss Paula sent as a surprise. I'm just guessing that she picked it up on her Hawaiian Anniversary Celebration. Thank you so much, Miss Paula! I LOVE it!!!!


A close up of Jason Castro, (American Idol)...singing is not always pretty business.
Although, Jason is one of the best looking contestants...this shot was amusing.
This is a shot of our tv screen so it is a bit blurry...

I found American Idol to be a bit stressful last night. I am ready to move on to a new genre. I think enough Beatles music already! I am pulling for young David Archuleta. Love him! Chelsea picks Brooke and Jonathan likes David Cook.


A couple Close ups of Kimmy...hanging out with us last night...



A close up of...Me...



Are you ready for your close up?

Have a great day!