Words to live by:

"Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. "

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Roams 12:17, 18,20,21

Okay, today is the day. I'm cranking up the stereo, diving into wrapping, and by gosh, I am gonna have fun while I do it!

This was the song I used to sing to my little people, long grown now. Guess what? I still feel this way about them, and the new generation of little people...I'm smitten!

"Look at that face just look at it!
Look at that fabulous face of yours,
I knew first look I took at it,
This was the face that the world adores,
Look at those eyes,
As wise and as deep as the sea,
Look at that nose,
It shows what a nose should be!
As for your smile, it's lyrical
Friendly and warm as a summer day,
Your face is just a miracle,
Where could I ever find words to say
The way that it makes me happy,
Whatever the time or place,
I will find in no book,
What I find when I look at that face!"

SOME DAY

Some day I will buy all Christmas presents by Thanksgiving.

Some day I will bake three hundred different types of Christmas cookies.

Some day all my closets will be neatly organized and I will know the location of every item in my house because I'll have all the items listed with descriptions and locations on a wonderful computer disc and also possess a hard copy, just in case.

Some day I really am gonna be skinny...really, I mean it this time.

Some day I will be a whole bunch smarter and I'll ???

Some day I'll...

Some day I'll....

Oh wow, I'm fifty-seven. Maybe I'd better get cracking.

And just how am I spending all my time? Well, there are these little people who I adore, we play office and school and I take Spanish and Algebra lessons from the thirteen year old and pray God will help me hang on to what is left of my brain long enough to keep up with her a little bit, and sometimes we go bowling and play badminton. And I listen to Pixie read me Junie B. Jones books, and we laugh and snort and giggle a lot.

And there are those little K people who love to paint and bake cookies and play games, especially hide and seek with Pepaw, and ask lots and lots and lots of questions...especially "Wheels," who now urgently needs to go bowling again so she can improve her score. There are Lego structures to build and pictures to draw and crafts to make and Bible stories to talk about and Webkinz for goodness sake.

And there is this big old guy who hangs around here loving me, and making me laugh and taking me places and smiling at me and hugging me...he is very distracting.

And of course there are my parents and my sisters and brother and their kids, and Charlie's mom and his sisters and brother and their kids and the farm, and the buildings on the farm falling down, and the firewood to cut and haul.

And my church, and my job, and all the books I'm reading, and laughing and loving, and praying, and living...that's it.

When will I just stop wasting my time and get organized???

God of mercy and love, watch over my family, where ever they may be. Keep them safe and warm, but most of all hold them in your heart and fill their lives with the blessings of your peace and joy. Amen.

Just a note about the next to the last post. Those thoughts were prompted by getting "button-holed" in the drive way by someone who felt the need to tell me where I would be spending eternity...in essence in a far, far place, and most certainly not with him in a good place.

"Wonder Woman," a.k.a "Bright Eyes" wants to be know as "Wheezer." Wow, should we even go there?

There are those who share our belief in Jesus as the Savior of the world who profess to know which among us will see God's face, and those others who will be lost and face eternal separation from God. I am not one of those.

I cannot step into God's place and call out names of those who must step to right or the left. I rest assured on God's grace, mercy, and love. I make no claim to such wisdom and run in the opposite direction of what appears to be "judgement."

Does God give us such discernment? If so, it was not given to me. For that I am eternally grateful. I am happy to leave those choices to a loving and merciful God.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM AN OLD MOM

Motherhood is a terminal illness. You die with their names on your lips and their joys and sorrows filling your heart.

Accept it now! It will make your life make more sense and make it easier to deal with the fact that you

(according to Jason Robards in the movie "Parenthood,")
"never cross the finish line, never spike the ball in the end zone."

Common now, we both know you are gonna lie there taking your last breaths worrying about how this dying thing is affecting them...

Hm mm..you are thinking that I am the one with this problem, yes, I can hear your thoughts. Okay, so maybe it is me.

Never mind.

There are days when my feet float above clouds, and there are days when I feel like I cannot see the sky. I try so hard to remember that God is always there, even when the sky seems dark and full of storm clouds.

Lord, give me courage to hold my candle high into the darkness, and to bravely light the way before me knowing that You are there ahead, guiding me along a path You have laid out for me, and that You will never leave me or forsake me.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? ...For you created my inmost being..."Psalm 139

"Sweet pea" has a new nickname. I call her "Wheels" because she is always thinking, analyzing, studying, figuring things out in her mind.

"Wonder Woman" no longer wishes to be know as such. There is simply no better nickname for her than "Bright Eyes." No guesses necessary as to whom this refers, right? This change is subject to her approval, of course.

Have a wonderful Monday all my sweetlings; Boo, Pixie, Wheels, Bright Eyes, Princess and Spiderman (who may morph into Ironman at any moment.)

I wonder how many of us spend even one minute on Thanksgiving Day counting our blessings. I worry that more thought is placed upon the menu than on giving thanks. I have too often been guilty of this, and hope to rethink the meaning of the day in this post.


I wonder if I made a list, could I even begin to enumerate with any accuracy the abundance that has been rained down on my life with such grace and mercy? At the risk of forgetting important things, I might try.

My Blessings

When I hold the hand and heart of a man, so very unlike the world's mistaken ideas of what constitutes a "real man," but filled with a noble humility, who loves with his whole heart and life and breath...I am blessed.


When I stand beside a family table and hear my eighty year old father give a heartfelt, loving prayer...I am blessed.


When I put my arms around my dear mama and know she is still here with me and in my home...I am blessed.


When I hear the voices of my siblings on cell phones, and travel far distances to laugh and cry with them, and love their families like my own in all the good days and bad days...I am blessed.


When I see the faces of my children and their spouses, see them as parents and know they are giving it their all...I am blessed.


When my heart leaps with joy when I see the faces of my sweet grandchildren and feel their hugs and kisses...I am blessed.


When I raise my voice in church to sing a hymn of praise to my God...I am blessed.


When I know that no economic crisis, or stock market woe, or bailout or crisis of any kind can change my unchangeable God, or His love for all of His creation...I am blessed.


When I know with all my heart that passions and philosophies and beliefs and words can separate us, but the power of unshakable love will keep us as strong and whole as any fortress built of granite...I am blessed.


Thank you, God, for all of it. Thank you for the joys, the pains, the sorrows and the triumphs. Thank you for the grace that forgives my broken places, and the mercy to hold me up when I fall over and over again. Let every breath I take and every thought I think bring glory and honor to your name, and may I never forget to be eternally grateful. Amen.

I am a great seeker of wisdom. Wisdom differs greatly from knowledge. Knowledge is more easily won, wisdom comes through great trials, soul shaping experiences, and for me, long years of living and striving.

I have learned through pain and loss to treasure those nearest to me. I would give everything I own for one minute with my grandmother. I would just love to hear her voice, place my check against hers, and breathe in her wonderful and unique scent. It is only through my acceptance of the wisdom of Jesus Christ that I know I will sit with her in heaven, hold her hand and hear her laugh. It is our hope, all us "crazy" Christians.

So many words are wasted on mostly unimportant things. I want the words I speak to be like little space traveling vehicles that carry love from my heart to those God has placed in my life. I promised Charlie the day he was born that I would live to be at least eighty-four, because no child should loose his grandmother until he is at least thirty years old. That gives me twenty-seven more years to love. This is the goal of my life, love and love alone. God please give me the strength and the years to accomplish this goal.

In the hills we have a saying,

"Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you."

This week I am feeling a little like the bear is behind me, gaining fast.

I started a new job on Monday. The church I am working for does its weekly worship bulletin on Microsoft Publisher (Vista of course:() I have not used Publisher for at least ten years, so the learning curve seems very steep right now. Besides the fact that I feel "watched" due to being such a newbie, I feel extra dumb to boot. Actually everyone is being wonderful, I just like to be more "on top" of things than I am currently feeling, it'll pass.

Monday was my youngest sister's birthday. Today is my second granddaughter (Pixie's) birthday, tomorrow is my Dad's eightieth birthday, Friday is my niece Jenny's birthday and my cousin and his four very active grand children are coming to stay at our house, and then on Saturday we are all having a huge party for my Dad's birthday. Whew!

Why is it that stuff just comes in big bunches followed by weeks and weeks of ho hum, yawn city?

I just keep remembering that I only have to do things just one at a time. Lord help me to enjoy my life, whether things come up on me in huge waves, or just roll into my life like a soft wave.

Praise God for life, in all its challenges and blessings.

It was inevitable, and yet I am still adjusting to the reality. I got a job! I am officially the new church secretary for Highlands Presbyterian Church. It seemed like such an easy and smooth process, even DD said it seemed like "divine intervention." The Mister got his work hours cut by 20% and I was hired by the church within days.

God is so good, he is good indeed.

Please stop what you are doing and pay heed to the following announcement.

I AM SICK OF POLITICS!

You may now return to your regular programming.

There are just some words that scare the dickens out of you. That word today for me is Alzheimer's.

The verse that I am clinging to today is this:

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

Lots of folks are "from Kentucky" and I am one of those. My body needs only to cross the invisible plane that hangs in the air above the Ohio River and liberal uses of "Y'all" and a native southern drawl magically reappear. My husband and I once made a hasty journey to Frankfort to get my birth certificate and he told me I was fully "Kentucky conversant" with the sweet records clerk who so graciously met my need to be "certified." I never even noticed the dialect change. It was just like breathing, purely natural.

Our parents grew up in northeastern Kentucky, and left there when Dad entered the ministry in 1958. I was six years old, and obviously a dyed in the wool southerner by then. Our Michigan cousins used to love teasing us about the way we spoke. We used to howl and roll on the floor when we asked them to say "hog" and "dog." You see all our vowels require the adequate amount of time to get said properly. None of this short, clipped speech would do for us. If someone in Kentucky wants to tell you a story (and they all have stories, believe me) then you had better just plan on pullin' up a chair for a spell. It is gonna take some time!


Last weekend we took our parents back to see the those who stayed and lived their lives south of the river. There have been a few sporadic visits over the years when the hectic pace of life allowed. Last weekend we saw too few, spent way too little time with them, and all too soon it was time to travel back across the river and north to home.

It is good to know we come from such solid and God fearing stock. I have missed them, and they love me without seeing me as much as they would like. I wonder what our lives would have been like if we had stayed "south of the river?" Goodness knows.

For the next month or so I will be working in our church office two days each week. Since I spent twenty-five years on the church staff, it seems pretty natural to be there, much like a familiar habit. I enjoy the people, but I have so much to do at home.

There are so many of my Dad's books that still need to to find a home, many little treasures my mom isn't ready to let go of which must be stored in my basement and/or attic space, and all the regular every day chores and tasks that I have grown to love. My dear sister gave me a full cardboard carton of books that need to be read and enjoyed, we have soccer games and birthdays coming, and what on earth are Pepaw and I going to wear as costumes for Maya's birthday/Halloween party?

I surely must not have time for "work" again. I have settled into my life at home, and am at last content with my life. Only a deep abiding love and compassion could have moved me from my nest back out into the world away from my home.

We finally had the mammoth garage sale to try to "finalize" my parents' downsizing move. We spent more than we made, but I think my parents were pleased with the results. My dear husband said he felt like their move was finally over, and now maybe we can at last get his Ford truck back into the garage. Life moves on. Blessed be the Lord.

Yesterday a funeral watch, seated along side loved ones, whose grief was complicated by broken relationship, lost dreams of what should have been.
Today the march of ordinary everyday life- of dirty floors, boxes of memories to be sorted and sold at a weekend sale, wishes for healing of a dear friend.
O Great Giver of Life see me through the contrasts, the highs and lows, the gifts received and the hopes lost. Stand beside me as I live this day for You. Amen.

Added to Things I Never Thought I Would Do

Watch the Home Shopping Network with my mom who is watching the Home Shopping Network while she talks to me by cell phone about stuff they are selling. It was actually kind of fun:)

There Is A Fountain

It turns out that the lovely flowing waters on our front sidewalk are on our side of the pipes. I felt that "Oh no" feeling right down to my shoes. I called DH at work to share the bad news and he insisted that I call the folks we have purchased homeowner repair type insurance from and see if we were covered.

Yeah! We are covered. I had just chosen to increase our coverage last month, reluctantly due to our financial pinch. Although expected, the jump in our natural gas bill last month gave me a huge jolt, but now I am so glad I went for the full coverage.

Now I just have to keep praying that out beautiful maple tree (the most likely culprit in causing the pipe problem) will not have to be taken down during the repair.

Question: What do you do when you see water bubbling up underneath the main water connection located in the sidewalk in front of your house?

Answer: You start praying the leak is on the "city's" side.

Today is just a normal Monday. I am enjoying doing laundry, cleaning, and making lists of chores for the week. It seems it has been a while since our lives felt at all "normal."

Dear husband and I are making a list of chores that need to be done at our house. I am making fewer trips to my folks house, and I am trying to feather our nest for a change. We would like to get our yard and flower gardens into better shape, hopefully to enjoy a little more of their beauty before the cold weather hits. We are trying to decide how to store my dad's books and preparing for a garage sale at the end of the month. There is great joy in purging, as I am finding out.

Hurrah for normal!

"O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee;

I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean's depths its flow may richer, fuller be."

Matheson/Peace, The Methodist Hymnal

************************************************

"This is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe,

Your Holy Presence living in me.

And I, I'm desperate for You.

And I, I'm lost without You.

This is my daily bread, this is my daily bread,

Your very Word, spoken to me.

And I, I'm desperate for You.

And I, I'm lost without You."

Michael W. Smith

"Rock of Ages,cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."

Tomorrow the long awaited weekend of moving begins. Final boxes must be packed. Sixty years of life and memories sorted and stuffed into cardboard boxes. I have learned that stuff is not stuff when memory begins to fade. It morphs into an anchor, a sign post, and trail marker that can take you back to a sweeter place in time and somehow fill a disquieted spirit with calm.

So we will try to work the miracle. We'll smile and encourage and ooh and ah over new places, new things, less space to clean, less clutter to manage.

We'll rest assured in a God who never leaves us or forsakes us, but goes ahead of us into new places. Thanks be to God.

We are a family that loves to quote movie lines to one another. My kids have many of their favorite movies memorized, and the first one I can remember hearing them quote a lot was "The Princess Bride."

"Inconceivable!" "He's been mostly dead all day." "As you wish."

If you've never seen the movie this sounds like meaningless drivel aired by certifiable nut burgers. Usually we don't care if other folks don't get it. We love crazy lines from "The Breakfast Club," "The Godfather," and on and on.

In the movie "Mixed Nuts" Madeline Kahn's character tells Rita Wilson's character that she could see the "bright side of the plague." There are just some of us who just keep looking for the "bright side," most especially those of us who are "nuts."

Life can make you crazy. You can laugh or you can cry. I highly recommend both, simultaneously if possible. Remember those unforgettable words of Dolly Parton in "Steel Magnolias."

"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."
Words to live by.

Saturday is moving day for my parents. It has been a rough and winding road to get this far. Everyone is worn out. It isn't as if the busy lives of my siblings and their families have been suspended...jobs must still be worked, papers written, children moved to colleges, life to be lived across two states has gone on, as it well should.

If only we knew that this was the right choice. All of us are still not sure that we are making the correct move. There are so many unknowns, and so many what ifs.

I know so clearly now why Solomon chose wisdom over riches. I feel the weight of not knowing so heavy on my shoulders. I pray for wisdom, for patience, for courage, and for strength. God has never failed us, and I know He will not fail us now.

Some of the challenges in my life make me feel like a limp, wrung out dishrag. I am too dry and parched to do any good any where, and I need to be immersed in the Word, to bathe in the Spirit, to be refreshed and renewed so that I have usefulness again.

Fill me up, Father God. Wash me clean, and saturate all my fibers with your love and peace and strength. It is good to know that I can come to you and be filled, over and over. Amen.

Dear husband reminded me that I would knee drop anyone who threatened our grand babies. Guess I am not such a peace lover after all:)

Families are interesting and complicated. Everyone has their role to play, and sometimes those assigned roles (or assumed, not sure which) can carry on for decades. God help me, I am the "peacemaker."

I stink at confrontation. Pretty much I am the family wimp. I sort of stand back and let other people be the dragon slayers. I just mop up the blood, stitch up the wounds, and bake everyone cookies after the battle has been fought. I am no warrior. I listen to everyone, and can truly feel their pain, even if I am not sure they are always "right." Pain and loss make people a little crazy, and everyone needs someone to tell them that it is going to be okay. That is one of my best things. I say that a lot. I actually believe it too.

Sometimes I do wonder if I am playing the role that God chose for me, or the one I feel safest playing. Is God nudging me closer to the front lines? Or am I still needed in the tents caring for the wounded?

Fifty-seven is entirely too old to indulge in such self-examination. I think I'll go bake some cookies.

Our Grand Children's Nicknames

" Sweet Pea," "Spiderman,""Pixie,"

"Princess,""Boo," and "Wonder Woman."

Can you guess which is which? Spiderman is not such a mystery.

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. ~Robert Louis Stevenson~

I spent Tuesday in Newark at my parent's home. It was a pretty rough day for my Mom and Dad. They are both worn to a frazzle by the ups and downs of illness, multiple and confusing medication changes, and waiting for their house to "close" and preparing for moving. No one is sleeping much. There is plenty of sadness and frustration and exhaustion for both of them. Prayers would be much appreciated.

Gentle and compassionate Father, save us from our lack of knowing. Give us peace and joy and gentle words, even as our time here away from you grows shorter. Hold us up a little longer, gentle Father. Keep us safe in your loving arms, and give us peace. Amen.

Today is one of those days.

Thirty-fours years ago my dear Grandma passed away, and exactly one year later our sweet baby girl was born.

Grandma, I still miss you.

Chelle, you have filled my life with love and joy. Happy birthday!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Lord!

I forgot to add that Charlie and Steve won the "Corn Hole" tournament at the family reunion. They were loud and proud and only mildly teasing cousin Tim's daughters about their corn hole skills. No one would believe that Steve had never played the game before. Did they think he had been taking corn hole training somewhere? Too funny.

We had such a wonderful day on Saturday sharing memories and joy with our big "Krumm" family at our first ever family reunion. My husband's brother and sisters, and most of all their families were there to meet and greet one another after several years absence in some cases.

As the giant Krumm family (all sixty or so of us) sat and stood in the hot noonday sun posing for a big family photo, dear husband and I were a little prideful of the fact that our whole clan was present and accounted for, all twelve of us smiling and only mildly grumbling about how long the process was taking. Spiderman was yawning on my lap...after all, stillness for a three year old can only mean sleep, otherwise perfectly good wiggling, jumping, and running time is being wasted. The grand girls were gracious and kept posing and smiling, and the clouds just never came to make the picture "perfect."

Our grown kid's aunts and uncles and cousins got to meet our grand children and lots of hugging and smiling was taking place. I liked introducing my grand children to everyone. I think our eighty-six year old Great-Grandma Krumm was enjoying seeing all of her family together. We have all wanted to do this for a long time. Gathering at holiday times is too difficult, so this seems a wonderful alternative. We look forward to next year's gathering.

On Sunday we were able to gather and celebrate Spiderman's third birthday with lots of laughter, lots of presents, and lots of goodies. He quickly figured out how to open presents and not worry too much about tearing off the paper. It is wonderful to see how much we all love him. And how in the name of heaven can he be three already!?!

Now comes Monday, and the greatest blessing for me is that I do not have the stress and pressure of running off from my home to go to work and be filled with anxiety over deadlines and expectations. I dread my husband going back to work, but I always get a little leap of joy in my heart when I remember that I get to stay here at home and keep the house for all of us.

Blessings to all. Have a great Monday.

The Cordle Kid's Mealtime Prayer

(as taught to us by Dad's Aunt Ann)

Thank Thee Father for this Food,

And all the Blessings, Amen.

Several of the blogs I read participate in a joint expression of gratitude. If I were to list my blessings I would hardly know where to start. My life is blessed beyond imagination.

• I was born into a home where my parents loved one another and loved God. They blessed me with sisters and a brother.
• I was blessed with a wonderful Grandmother who fed us when we were hungry and provided a farm for us to explore. All my aunts and uncles were that "salt of the earth" type you read about in great books.
• I went to a small school in a small community and took piano lessons from a Welsh teacher who taught me to love music.
• We almost always had enough, never too much, but always enough.
• My parents made sure I learned to cook, clean, and take care of babies.
• I fell in love with and married a wonderful man who (after thirty-seven years) still thinks I am funny, smart, and pretty. Go figure.
• I had two terrific kids who were so great it made me look like a good mom. They married two terrific people who are very tolerant of me.
• I got to work in a church with families of young children for twenty-five years and I had people fooled that I was smart and stuff.
• I live in a great house with a green yard and I even have a deck!
• I have six unbelievably wonderful grandchildren who I adore.
• I love God and He loves me.
• Boy, oh boy! I got it all!
• Undeserving? You bet! Blessed and saved by Grace? Absolutely!

PSALM 139

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely,
O Lord."

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."

Romans 8: 38 and 39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Please pray for my sweet and gentle mother. She is struggling with stress about life changes and illness. She is simply overwhelmed, and sometimes feeling like an unbearable weight is on her small shoulders. She is in a dark place, and needs to feel safe and loved. Thank you.

"O God our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home!"

Eternal God, give me wisdom, kind words, patience, and joy in each day. Keep me safe and centered in your will for my life. Teach me your ways, and guide my steps. Amen.

Even though the sun has been up for quite some time, I am struggling to rise to the Monday morning routines of laundry, menu planning, and weekend recovery for my home. It is not that I had a bad weekend, it is that we had such a wonderful weekend.

Because we live nearly fifty miles (or more) from most of my husband's family, we do not see them as often as we would like. Their busy lives paired with our busy lives makes getting together a rare occasion. This weekend we had two high school graduations to celebrate and got to see many of our dear ones at both. What joy!

It is sad that people no longer can send a lilting "hello" over the back fence and summon a sister, cousin, or mother-in-law. My husband and I were filled with a small sense of loss over the years missed in the lives of these bright and talented young people. Our nephew Andrew treated all of us to a percussion recital that was incredible, despite thunder and torrential rain hammering at the roof of the school auditorium. Our niece's daughter Marisa shared her plans for attending training for law enforcement, and we were pleased with the opportunity to hear of her plans.

It all makes me wonder about heaven. I think of those who have gone before us and the joys they have missed here. I know that my dear father-in-law would smile from ear to ear if he could see his grandson's and granddaughter's children. I have so much to do here, and I am in no hurry to go there yet, but I hope our Lord and Father gives us all lots of time to "catch up." I have so much to tell them.

We are surrounded by voices that urge us to buy, spend, and continually acquire more stuff. It seems the basis of our so called "economic health" in the United States is based upon all of us being good and faithful consumers of more and more things.

One of the television shows I sometimes watch is called Mission Organization on HG TV. It is amazing how much folks can accumulate, and I do not exclude myself from this reality. There is definitely an underlying note of "giving away" in this show, but an even stronger note of just learning to purchase the "correct storage receptacle" in order to not look like an over buyer. I'm not sure where the shows are that tell us to stop and think before we purchase. Is this an idea whose time has come?

Where does all our stuff come from? And where does it all go? Why do we just keep getting more and more?

I am convinced that folks are trying to fill some empty space with things. I do not wish to paint everyone with a broad brush, but it seems this is one issue that our modern society does not dare tackle. Where would our economy be if we just stopped "buying?" Since we dare not mention God or the lack of His presence in our lives, the hole stays empty and the "stuff" just keeps pouring in.

I made up my mind some time ago that I would always answer the requests from charities for donations. I will try to be a wiser consumer, and I will try to honor God in my purchases. My prayer is that God will keep His hand in my life, as I try to consume less, buy less, and live more.

Psalm 37:25 "I was young, and now I am old; yet never have I seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging for bread."

Lately I have been a frequent observer of the trials of aging. I have seen the physical and intellectual frailty, and felt the anxiety that unwelcome change brings. I have witnessed joy, laughter, tears, anger, and sadness. I have felt powerless to change circumstances, and have tried hard to listen, love, and help.

What comfort the words of I Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

I do not have to know about the exact details of the future, because God is already there. That is peace.

There is some unchangeable law of the universe that if one plans a move, has a baby, is getting married, or God forbid must attend the funeral of a loved one, the weather will be in some way too hot, too cold, or just plain nasty.


I can report that this particular bit of reality was in full force this past weekend. My husband, my older sister and brother -in-law and I (all folks in our late fifties), traveled to Indiana to help our youngest sister and her family move. The temperature was well into the nineties, and on the way there big sister and her husband had to sit out a severe thunder storm huddled in their car and watching light poles being blown down. (These are the same folks who on their last trip to our youngest sister's home had a huge deer run into them and crash out their windshield.)

Despite the weather the move was on. When you take into account the litany of "old folks" complaints among the four of us such as; always impending gout, a recovered stroke patient, an injured back and one very bad knee, I am surprised we were any help at all! I think we were surprised that we helped as well as we did. I plan on never moving for the rest of my life. Ever.

Now...if I could just pay someone to go into my parents home and take everything away on some dark night. Sigh.

Today we travel hundreds of miles in the first of the summer's heat to help family change their address. They go from a large house to a small apartment. It is one of those big changes in life that we either eagerly anticipate or fearfully dread, sometimes feeling both emotions simultaneously.

In our society of buyers and wanters we often long for whatever it is that we do not have. In magazines and on television we see the glories of palatial gardens, the coziness of homey surroundings filled with careworn antiques, and we think about owning, having, enjoying.

Today I feel with certainty that the place I am now is the home I was meant to have. I pray for the privilege of taking care of it, not for the praise or recognition of a larger audience, but only for the comfort and enjoyment for ourselves, our family, and our friends. So many in this world would see our lives as blessed beyond measure, see our suburban tract home as a palace, our well stocked refrigerator and pantry as largess beyond their wildest dreams. We have so much. We have so much. Make us worthy of these gifts, dear Father.

"Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent."
Psalm 91:9-10

It is easy to get lost in the "what ifs," the fears, the scary places of the mind. It takes courage and wisdom to accept the hand of God in our lives. I must know beyond knowing that God is my refuge and strength and that His plans for me are good. Give me the wisdom to accept His grace, His love, and His mercy. Amen.

I almost never watch the Today show. It is not my cup of tea, but today for reasons obvious I was channel cruising and landed on a health segment. Dr. Oz, a major hunk by the way, says that having chronic reflux can cause one to be the "cold getter/sickie" when everyone else is just fine thank you.

Whoa! No wonder my doc is trying so hard to get me to take those anti-reflux meds. Now I get it. I am most definitely the "sickie" of all the adults in our family. You better believe I will be hitting the Prilosec every day from now on.

And, oh yeah, I still hate being sick.

My parents are soon to be eighty and seventy-nine years of age. Their home which they dearly love is becoming more than they can safely manage, and they have decided to sell it and move to more accommodating housing. Because of a life spent in active ministry, this is the first home they have owned in over fifty years. They have lived in this home longer than any other place they have lived together. They are resigned, and yet often sad.

My role in all of this, and the role of my siblings, is to get the layers of time, dust, and memory organized enough that strangers can walk through the house. It is very difficult, because neither of my folks really wants this to be happening, and neither is really ready to allow us to "pack away" things, or do any kind of truly efficient decluttering or staging.

All this hubbub takes a toll on all of us, my dearest mother most of all.

God grant her peace, give me "wonder woman" like energy, and help me use only words which heal and never words that hurt. Amen.

Too many of us spend today planting flowers and mowing lawns. We should be thinking of the sacrifices made by those who lie beneath waving grasses and granite stones, just so we could cook out and plant flowers today.

I spent most of my day yesterday with my mother and father trying to help them decide some things about selling their home. I looked at piles of books, sermons, fabric, family photos, all representing untold years of memories.

I tried to be gentle and helpful and cautious as I listened and tried to think of simple quiet things I could do to help my Mom. My Dad is less enthusiastic about moving, and far less able to be of any help in the organizing and planning of the many years of accumulation still to be sorted and pared.

As I drove home I was again reminded of all the reasons that I wish to make my family my priority and how little joy I feel at the prospect of returning to the world of work. Charlie and I keep praying that somehow we will find ways of making our finances work so that I can still be available to our family. Send prayers if you got them.

One of my new favorite things to do is reading "frugal" blogs. I pore over them with a fevered intensity hoping somehow to find new ways of keeping me at home and away from the big, bad world of work.

I do not have the creativity that many of these bloggers have, but I certainly am willing to try new things...which is really trying "old" things. When my husband and I were growing up, everyone had a garden. People spent many summer days and evenings outdoors, not for exercise or recreation, but for the very pragmatic reasons on needing more economical food to feed large families. My mom made most of our clothes, and getting something handed down, remade, or used was really no big deal. The truth is that much of the furniture in our house once belonged to someone else, but I rarely ever think about that, except to remember whose it was with fondness. We have an entire bedroom set that once belonged to on of my husband's maiden aunts. It's green...so who cares?

In our 1950's gardens we grew corn, tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers. More ambitious gardeners grew melons and more exotic vegetables. We "canned' in glass jars with lots of boiling water and the eminent threat of explosion. My grandmother had a huge freezer and nothing could compare with the frozen peaches and strawberries we ate when there was snow piled outside the windows.

Regardless of the old versus new argument, we need to use our property for more than a place to grow an overpriced, over-treated lawn which is rarely played upon. We need to grow food for ourselves and for others who do not have the luxury of space that we have here on our little suburban homestead.

I'll keep reading blogs, and trying to find ways to make the most of what we have. Reduce, reuse, recycle will be my mantra. I really want to be a homemaker. I just need to find lots of creative ways of cutting costs so that we can live on what we make. God, please bless our efforts.

It seems the caprice of the financial environment of our country, but most especially our household, are forcing me back out into the work world.

It is certainly not unusual for any of us to face strains in making the means and the ends meet, but I have a dilemma. For the past three years I have taken a natural (cheap) approach with my hair. It is very, very long, and very, very gray. At first I got lots of complaints from my grand girls. I just did not look like the well dyed lady they knew and loved. As time has passed they have kindly accepted the change. Baby Charlie doesn't know the difference, he has only seen me gray.

The question is whether tis nobler to be my really gray self and just expect the world to see me as capable, or to cave in to the real possibility that no one will get past the gray. I hate reality, don't you?

Well folks, it's official, I really am allergic to Spring. I love Spring. I love the flowers, the grass, and the beautiful bud-filled trees. I love the color of spring grass, and the way it smells after the first mowing.

The problem is that Spring is a fickle friend. It simply does not love me back. Each year I think that this will be the year I beat the curse, weather the sniffles and march gleefully toward summer with no need for a prednisone shot, antibiotics and/or cartons of Benadryl. WRONG!

While fearing that I am some weak genetic mutation of my much stronger fore bearers, I still love Spring. Maybe next year?

My dear husband and I have been trying to make the means and the ends meet, with a pretty big gap in between. I have longed for the time when being a stay at home wife, mother, sister, daughter, and especially grandmother would be my profession...so I am not giving up the fight easily.

Lately I have become fascinated with on-line blogs about simple living and frugality. I like reading about how other folks have opted to jump off the speeding train and work toward simplicity and serenity in their lives.

We have done the two career thing, and although I do miss the friendships and people, I do not miss the stress, the anxiety, and the never ending pressure. I am not excited about the idea of jumping back into the job world.

I am determined to make our choices work, and we have made changes (giving up our land line, no more newspaper, no on-line Weight Watchers) and are hoping to see results soon.

Now, just how am I going to make the income and the outgo balance? Stay tuned folks.

I just figured out that I have two blogs with the same name. How did that happen?
From now on I'll be posting in this one, so if you read my blog, look for me here.

It is difficult to explain to grand children as to why you will be serving jury duty. Unfortunately they associate courts, and the judicial system in general, more with the law breakers than the peers who volunteer to help with trials. This we can be sure is due to the over exposure of "courts" on television. In my limited experience, real court seems almost nothing like the courts we see on television.
Since I grew up when President Kennedy asked us what we were doing for our country, I really don't mind serving. In this century it seems like the idea of "doing something for your country" is passe. Performing your civic duties, such as voting and serving on a jury seem to have fallen into that category of "things to try to get out of doing." I have received several creative, and very funny "excuses" that I should offer up to keep me from having to serve.
The truth is that as the mother of a patrol officer, I may have an excuse already. What self respecting defense attorney wants a "law and order" gal like me hanging around tainting the process?
Despite the obvious inconvenience to a "burb" dweller, I am actually looking forward to serving. I look forward to the "people" watching. I pray diligently that I am not asked to serve on any case involving children or crimes against them. And no way will any "bad cop" stuff ever be under my consideration I'm sure.
This should be way better than Dr. Phil. I just hope to serve honorably. An early "sixties" notion, but as we know, I am as old fashioned as they come.

"Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I, but when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by." One of the very few snippets of poetry that I can recall. I just wish the wind would stop "passing by" so loudly at this time of the morning.

There is no special purgatory to compare with waiting for repairmen to come to your home. You cannot under any circumstance leave, remember it has taken days of telephone desperation to get them coming at all.

You dare not start a project. It is realistically probable that your fingers will freeze to a sewing needle when they disconnect the natural gas line.

Let's face it, even going to the bathroom is risky...what if they think no one is home when you don't answer the door quickly enough?

In all the great trials and struggles of life this falls far short of important, noteworthy, or even memorable (at my age.) But just for today, I feel stuck, and thank God for the great vast emptiness of cyberspace where I can freely fling my angst.