A Good Report...

God is good all the time, all the time God is good...

Even as we journey through trials and hard places in life... Yes, God is STILL good! He's still in charge and still is Master of our lives.

This has been a tumultuous week for me. Again, I had to endure the process of "cancer or cancer free".

Thursday I was scheduled for my quarterly Cystoscopy and biopsies. Always, with the negative thought trying to invade my mind, "will they find invasive cancer this time?"

• 5:25 am Up and getting Bud (husband) ready and off to work.
• 6:25 am Good Bye Kiss, Bud tells me, "I love you and you know I've been praying for you and will be thinking about you today." I observe the "worried" look behind his expression. He's going to work this morning and will be back around 11:30 am to take me to the hospital.
• 6:30 am I sit in my recliner reading and trying to calm my mind. Jesus and I have a wonderful conversation. I am assured that all is in HIS HANDS and nothing is going to happen to me that is not His Will. We will go through this together, Hand in Hand!
• 8:00am The craving for my morning coffee (I can do without the FOOD... just give me my coffee!!!) is strong... I have to get up and DO something to avoid the Caffeine URGE!
• 9:00 am The URGE passes...
• 10:45 am Start to get my things ready... pack my little black bag.
• 11:00 am Shower, fix hair... and I'm ready to go when Bud gets here.
• 11:30 am Bud's home and changes clothes, grabs his Bible and a book.
• 12:15 pm Dad, Mom, Bud and I have prayer and we're off for the hospital's Same Day Surgery Department.
• 12:45 pm Nurse calls and says can I come in NOW... he's got an early opening. YES, I want this over with... "I'm in the parking lot now... will be up in 10 minutes."

And thus the day goes on... I was back in the preliminary surgery area and the man next to me was having a complete Cystectomy done and the bed across from me was have a Nephrectomy. I am lying there calmly, basking in the love of Jesus and feeling his peace enfolding me with the comfort I need for this circumstance of life!

I hate to be anesthetized! I don't like NOT being in control of my person! But once the injection... I quickly fall asleep.

• 3:30 pm I peek out from under my heavy eyelids... "Yes!!! ...I'm still among the living."

When I'm finally able to answer questions, the nurse asked... "Do you want something to drink?" "YES...strong black coffee!" And she brings it to me, "Freshly brewed." Ummm, so good! Could this be a sin? :) I sincerely hope not!

Finally, I'm back in the room and they are getting me ready to leave in an hour or so. I'm not nauseated this time... wonderful! I feel pretty good... Actually, I feel wonderful! It's GOOD NEWS... the surgeon did find a small spot... feels he got it all and took the usual biopsies of different areas of the bladder. Told Bud he felt all is well... and nothing to worry about!

• 5:45 pm HOME... home never looked so good to me! Bud fixed a wonderful dinner of yellow squash, corn on the cob, carrots, peppers, cabbage, candied sweet potatoes, and Italian meatballs. It really is a pleasing combination... :D

Yes, God is good all the time. Even had I received a BAD report... God would still have been there... and He still would have been GOOD! He is ever present with us!

PS ~ A bit of humor: While getting ready for surgery... the nurse told me that I would have to take off my hairpiece! :D Bud quickly told her that was NOT a hairpiece. You could see the look of disbelief in her eyes. So, I took out the two clips holding my hair up and down it fell... she said... "Oh my gawd...that really is all yours." :D

Tuesday's Muse...

I Woke up this morning feeling fine... I woke up with heaven on my mind...

This morning was beautiful.  Had I time, I would have sat on the porch for a while savoring the smell and taste of the soothing liquid in my "mug" and enjoyed the morning coolness, listened to the song birds, and resting my eyes upon the myriad of colors of the flowers.  Yes, today was a GOOD DAY to be living for Jesus!

  This is a photo of one of the birds enjoying our offering. Aren't the yellow gladiolas beautiful? 

 

 

The photo is of our Day Lilies.  They are a vibrant burnt orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is part of our front porch.  We enjoy our flowers and front porch.  The glider came from hubbies parents and several generations have enjoyed it.  The Triple planter stand came from his parents also.  I'm rather sentimental and these items were always on their front porch.  I wanted it on ours too.  So, we now have them! 

 

 

This is Bud's grapevine and some mums that our youngest son left with us for taking care of their puppy while they vacationed in Florida. 

 

         This is "Teddy".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our tomatoes are coming along nicely and we've already picked a few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bud enjoying the glider and the fruit of his labor. We love plants and gardening.

 

 

 

 

Our sons and grandsons still enjoy the glider which is probably over 40+ years old.  That's my dad and his dog and Marc our youngest son and his son, our grandson, Micah.  I've more photos of family that I'll post at a later date.

 

Just thought I'd share a bit with you this evening.

Random thoughts and photos...

It has been a busy 2-months for me. Moving my parent's in with us has been an adjustment for all of us. But we are doing just that... adjusting. My mom has settled in quickly... my dad... it's hard for him. We are out of his "known" territory and "stomping grounds" and since his eyesight is almost totally gone... he can no longer drive or read. For a man who was constantly reading and studying... this is extremely difficult for him to accept. Listening to CD's or tapes is just NOT the same as READING the WORD. I suppose this could be a lesson for ALL of us... READ while we can! I simply cannot imagine not being able to read. Books are my lifeline! It seems I've always read!

My mother will "shoot me dead" if she sees this photo... but we were at DQ getting ready to eat/drink a blizzard and some startling news came on their BIG screen TV (this is something new in our DQ)...

I probably won't show her this picture :D

Here's a photo of them at the surprise "Welcome" party our church gave them after their first service with us.

This is my Dad with "Tina" their almost 16-year old Chihuahua before we left Missouri for Tennessee. She is their baby!

Back in April we had our first strawberries of the year and leaf lettuce from the produce store just down the hill from our house. They were delicious and I dried the lettuce in the salad dryer and kept it in an airtight bag for almost a week! I'm not big on "head lettuce" or Boston lettuce. It just doesn't have the flavor of REAL lettuce or a good Spring Mix.

My first Rhododendron bloom of the year! I've buds all over the plant this year.

This is my back yard... which slopes down hill and we have left "natural". It is exceptionally filled with "green" growth this year. I guess the combination of rain, sun, and temperature was just right this spring... because I don't ever remember it being this "lush" this soon in the year! Hubby keeps the area around our patio and dog run clear... but the rest is left for all the "creatures" including the deer. The kudzu has just now turned green. Fortunately, we do NOT have kudzu in our yard. The beautiful mystical shapes are delightful to look at as long as they are on someone else's property and not mine!!!!

I've many more photos of our plants around the house and will try to be more diligent in posting regularly.

One last photo... my GREAT Granddaughter, Chloe. My dear daughter-in-law sent me these recent photos they had taken of her. I have more... but will not weary you with them ALL right now.

This is her "I'm so EXCITED" expression.

Yes, I'm still around...

Whew, the days have flown by.  I was online the other morning to check email and discovered that I was WAAAAY behind in reading my favorite blogs and that I hadn't written in my in almost a month!!! 

GRADUATIONS

We had a four high school graduates this year in our church and had our usual graduation cake, etc after Graduation service last Sunday Evening.  The cake turned out beautifully and whoever decorated it did a great job.  The cake was moist too!

I haven't uploaded the cake pictures yet.

 

Tyler Middlebrooks

Mike Cox

 

Derik Watts

Sharon King

 CONGRATULATIONS

2008 GRADUATES

All is well...

Just a brief update to let everyone know I made it to Missouri all in one day.  Didn't have any trouble and it actually was an enjoyable trip.  I had 11 1/2 hours to think, pray, worship, and just contemplate the goodness and God's love and mercy.

Got into my parents place around 7:45 pm their time Saturday evening and Sunday we worked sorting their personal belongings and packing the camper and storage trailer.  Went to church Sunday... their service is at 4:00pm and they only have one service on Sunday at the church they were attending in Missouri.

Monday was a run errands and last minute lab and prescriptions, etc. including a trip to Springfield for Dad's lab work.  I kept the rental car 2-extra days until I was sure all the running around was completed.  I did not want to drive the truck with the camper on it anymore than I had to around town.

However, I did find that with the extended mirrors I didn't have any problem driving the truck.  I only had to back the trailer twice and that was a comedy act.  When you can't see the trailer you're trying to back... it gets a little hilarious.  I can back a trailer if I can see where it's going... otherwise, its direction is anyone's guess!

I will write more... this is the first time I've had a chance to spend more than just "email check".  I know we will all get into a new routine... and we will all adjust to the differences in routines.

Almost time...

Well, I've not done as much to the house as I anticipated doing. With working full time and not being able to devote a WHOLE day to a project, it's rather difficult to complete them.  I'm in the middle of several!

I'm off this Friday or Saturday morning early (3:30am) to drive to Missouri and move my parents into our home. Thankfully, hubby is all for this. We both (us and my parents) have some trepidation about how this is all going to work out... they not wanting to feel like they're giving up their "independence" and us giving up our "empty nest". I know it will be challenging, but if we keep our attitudes in adjustment... it will work out. They will be 83 this July and I know they do not want to live in a nursing home and I can't see them in a nursing home as active as they are in mind and body. We cannot afford an assisted living apartment... my mother-in-law lived in a beautiful assisted living apartment until she could no longer take care of herself. She refused to live with any of us and later went into a nursing home where she had been the recreational director when she was much younger.

I request your prayers for me on this trip... there and back. I will be driving a BIG dullie pickup truck with a huge camper and pulling a small trailer. I find that just a little intimidating... the trailer pulling part! Because with the camper I can't see the trailer I'm pulling. I'll have to make sure I do all "pull throughs" so I don't have to do any backing up :).   I will take photos along the way and post them later. 

I know this is very difficult for my parents.  Giving up their home sorting through all their belongings and moving to a different State at their age.  Please pray for them.  Pray for a SAFE and uneventful trip. 

Technorati Tags: prayer,parents,moving,trucks,campers,trailers,attitude adjustment

 

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Procrastination Guilt...

Technorati Tags: procrastination,flowers,yard,excuses,family,decluttering

Today has been a typical Saturday morning. All the intended plans have been forsaken for impulsive or should I say spontaneous activities. I guess spontaneous sounds more exciting and a little less dysfunctional.

The day was supposed to be totally spent doing decluttering in the house and garage in preparation for my parents coming to live with us in TWO weeks! Instead, Bud (hubby) took my car to have a wheel bearing replaced. So now I have a perfectly good Ford Tempo to commute back and forth to work in and no excuse to buy another vehicle! On the other hand, his Buick needed more than a front end alignment and new front tires... it needed another $250.00 worth of work that will have to wait until the end of next week.

Instead of working in the garage, Bud is out planting azaleas bushes and a rhododendron bush and just fooling around outside. I was tempted for a few minutes and trimmed my fern and another hanging plant that I've forgotten the name of. Then the guilt set in and I wandered back inside. However, I have yet to settle down to one particular project! This is my downfall when it comes to decluttering. The mess before the decluttering just about does me in! Choosing the place to start is another one!

Now don't write me and tell me to read all these books on decluttering, organizing, cleaning, and simplifying... I've got shelves full of them. They're all excellent! It's the implementation of the principles that is difficult!

As you can surmise... this blog is just another attempt to stray from the job at hand... so, off I go... I'll try again!