Fanciful Quilts

Yesterday, dear husband & I ventured out into the rush of Christmas shoppers. Shopping this close to Christmas invigorates him; shopping this close to Christmas tips my scale of holiday cheer into oblivion. Plain and simple - it blows my overblown sense of control. If I was truly organized, why am I out here with the Christmas crazies shopping this close to Christmas? Why am I wondering down the aisles of Books & Co with the great ideas that just formed? Where is that Pooh book I suddenly envision as THE perfect gift for several family members? Where were these ideas weeks ago?!?!?!? Why can't I enjoy the thrill of the hunt at the last minute?!?!? I do know the answers - I'm just not willing to answer them publicly. I do know this. Every year I sit down and write a long list of resolutions. They look great on paper. They appear to be achieveable. The number of them are usually under a hundred. None of them involve riding a camel across the Saraha. Inevitably, the list c...

Christmas is just around the corner - and I'm still running behind. I managed to pick up some sort of bug which started just this past Monday evening. I hosted a small office party on Tuesday - got through that, and yesterday morning woke up to some very unpleasant stomach virus symptoms. I took off yesterday from work - and slept most of the day. Today I feel human - and almost have that Christmas spirit, late as it is. Yes, still running behind but at least I feel like catching up with it. Monday I had played Mrs Claus for a special needs class in an elementary school. I'll have to do a post on that later. If you're ever feeling really down - visit a special needs class. It will either do one of two things - shake you up enough so that you'll never want to visit again or you'll count your blessings feverently and want to do something. I don't think anyone can just walk away without feeling something. I'm back to counting my blessings. ANGEL45402

Yesterday, sis & I drove to daughter's and son-in-law's (aka THE KIDS) new home and helped unpack a few boxes. The result: almost useable kitchen, clothes hung up granddaughter's walk in closet (she's a year old and has a walk-in closet. I foresee trouble here....), helped with a few loads of laundry and learned something very valuable. When one wants to feel needed, just ask them for help. I don't believe there is a better feeling in the world than knowing you're needed. The kids' home is beautifully located in a safe neighborhood. Lots of space and already I saw touches that say "this is our home". It was a joy being part of the 'moving in' process. Dear husband hasn't seen the home yet. I'm hoping we can drive up on Christmas Eve if the weather holds. Now both our children own homes - and what a nice feeling that is. While we enjoy apartment living now, we raised both of them in a lovely 4 bedroom home with a n...

Today I get to spend time with our daughter & granddaughter. Recently, daughter & son-in-law bought a home - their first. We weren't able to help with the actual move from leased townhouse to house so today sis & I will drive the 90 minutes or so and help organize the new home. Sunday I'll meet son at a local YMCA - he'll play basketball (church league) and I'll watch grandson. Mom is working - so I get the honor of entertaining the "little man", as dubbed by son. Family blessings, you bet. Dear husband will be directing a chess tournament today & tomorrow so the blessings extend solely to me. This bothers me a great deal. The hardest part of growing your own family is the reality that someday they will grow their family and family events now become their own family events. Getting together for birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas present more and more challenges. In some families, those challenges serve as an excuse and family celebrations n...

Once again, I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit. It was just this morning that I wrote about the elusive Christmas blues. While not overwhelming, it stuck there for awhile - despite listing my many blessings. I left for work this morning and immediately after going out the front lobby (we live in a terrific high rise apartment building - yes, we are proudly 'cave dwellers' as one of my coworkers pointed out), I was hit with tiny ice crystals. Yes, sigh, winter is here. As most cave dwellers do not have the luxury of an attached (or detached) garage, I had this feeling the car would require a light scraping of the ice off the all window surfaces. But not so! The windows, albeit frigid cold, were clear as could be. Terrific! I drive to work, snow flurries everywhere but not a slick spot to be found anywhere. Within an hour of settling down to work, reports of car accidents are coming in by the minute - as many as ten cars involved. Ah - but this is not the gentle remin...

It's 4:55am on a Thursday morning. 15 degrees outside - and while the calender hasn't announced winter yet, I know it's out there. Lurking and just waiting to catch you unawares. Darling husband is away on a business trip to San Diego and has been there since this past Monday. Winter doesn't touch San Diego, much to the delight of San Diego residents. Christmas is 17 days away. I am most pleased to say that with the exception of a two particular items, I am finished with shopping. Only family reads these posts (and then I wonder if I'm fooling myself), so I won't go any further with Christmas details. However, I did go on the great quest for the TREE yesterday after physical therapy (which was my last session - wrist is doing fine, by the way). The tree was not to be found. It's a simple quest, really. Four feet high and prelit - and of course, green. I remember a time when one did not have to specify the color of the Christmas tree. I could have just as eas...

It's been less than a week since I had a ganglion cyst removed from my left wrist. I had opted for that lovely "twilight" anesthetic and awoke to a huge bandage from wrist to past the elbow. I thought this to be a bit overdone. The surgeon wasn't available to talk after the surgery and I have yet to talk to him. Three days after the surgery, I had the wrappings removed and a real cast was applied. The surgeon's assistant explained that the surgery was a little bit more intensive than anticipated and the cast was to prevent wrist movement. This has taught me a few things we so often take for granted.... 1. Typing is to be considered a slow art when one is wearing a cast - especially when typing within a format that doesn't have an "undo" feature. 2. Resting is restorative - even if it means suffering through half a day at work and slinking out for the remainder of the day. 3. Peeling hard boiled eggs with one hand is not possible. Therefore, ...

Tomorrow I'll finally have the ganglion cyst removed from my left wrist. This has been bothering me for more months than I care to think about. Life threatening - no. Cumbersome - yes. Terrified about tomorrow - no. Mildly scared about tomorrow - oh yes. I've had several surgeries in my life - most of which were considered "major". Not to go down a road of tangents - but who determines what's major and what's minor? If it's a removal of an ingrown toenail, it's major. I've been reminded of these surgeries when the question came up several times in the past two weeks. Dates of previous surgeries? Who remember dates? You want details - I can give you details. Eating at White Castle the day prior to the first surgery - and which time the diagnosis was 'unknown mass, possibly cancer'. Okay - so I loved White Castle then. I've since moved up to Wympee's, a real down-home 40 year old plus diner not too far from where we live - which has s...

Today my sister Carol has surgery. While it's not major surgery, it's surgery just the same. We "listened" to the procedure via computer over a week ago. Computer information has now replaced the doctor's explanations and support. Sad. Technology has its place - but this goes beyond the pale. Nice thing about providing comments afterwards - you can. So today is the day for her - and I'm so grateful to have a job that allows the ability to take off the day to be with her. I haven't been there for my sister in a long, long time. She is now legally separated from her husband of 15 years. This wasn't a decision she took to lightly...and my prayer is that he'll wake up some day, realize he needs help and will seek God for wisdom and strength. Today isn't just about the surgery...it's about learning to give. Carol has said more than once: "I like to help people". It's just not that she likes it - she loves it. God gave her such a gi...

12 October 2006 I am home after being away for a couple of days - and it feels good to be here. Both my sister & I are over 50 now. The fact we have parents in good health is a blessing - not to mention, amazing. Every year we visit them, either by driving or by flying. This time, we drove. Actually, I do the driving - as sis does not drive. We left later than usual. My grandson is now 2 years old and we couldn't miss his birthday party (which will be another post). Sis & I left around 5:30pm on Saturday & arrived around 10:30pm at what we call our "half way" point. 10:30pm in Merrillville, Indiana is not exciting. Finding the hotel after 20 minutes of cruising the streets wasn't either. After we located the hotel, we unloaded a few pieces of luggage and then we located a Dennys and a very friendly waitress (even if she couldn't rustle up a bowl of soup for sis). A word for the wise. Late night traveling does not lend itself well to anything that conta...

Every year, my sister & I undertake the yearly trip to visit our parents five hundred miles away. Most times we drive (actually, I drive as my sister does not). The first half of the trip ends in spending the night in a motel - and then I drive us the rest of the way in the morning. This trip usually takes place in October, mainly to take advantage of decent weather (they live in Oshkosh, WI - have you EVER experienced their winters...!?!?!?!???) and to get a "freebie" federal holiday. Working for the federal government, I try to take advantage of those holidays and work time off around at least two of them a year. To save a little on postage, we take our Christmas gifts with us - and leave them with the folks to distribute to each other and to our brother & his wife on Christmas morning. So, this afternoon I spent three hours shopping with my sister in preparation for our October trip. Christmas shopping is a very serious endeavor. One either finds THE perfect gift ...

Today I'm spending the evening with our grandson. He's almost 2 years old - and one of the smartest young men I've ever met. What a joy it is to watch him examine everything! Now I wonder - did I appreciate the moments when our children were small? I hope so - and I hope they remember good times. The relationship between grandchildren and grandparents is extraordinary. As a grandparent, you have all the flexibility in the world. You can choose to be wonderfully foolish. You now have the time to cuddle, get on the floor and play with legos, and listen with 100% attention to every word spoken by the grandchild. Simply - I love it. The closer I get to retirement, the more I will love having that extra time. And I pray that I have the chance to spend a lot of it with our grandson or granddaughter. I hope they look back and remember the grand times they had with their grandma and grandpa. Thanks God for proving two wonderful children - two wonderful soul mates for the both...

10 September 2006 Tomorrow marks five years. There will never be a time that the world does not picture destruction, chaos and anger when "nine-one-one" is spoken. I was on my way to the Dayton International Airport with our son. He had joined the Air Force Reserves and that day was his departure to San Antonio, home of the famed "Basic Training". His dad was going to join us at the airport to see him off. We were about halfway there when the phone rang. Our daughter had been watching the news - and the rest is history. Our son's departure was delayed - and the world became so very different. And still today I hear we shouldn't be over there. I just don't get it. What is it that it not understood? The land we claim to love was attacked - thousands of Americans died just by going to work and doing their job - and we shouldn't be over there? I woke up with these thoughts this morning - on a Sunday morning, barely 6:30am. I would much prefer to wake up ...

10 August 2006 For a couple of months, I've been experiencing what most of us have gone through - whether we admit it or not - a really down & out feeling that's been tagged by the pharmasuetical companies as depression . Rather than latch on to that tag (which would probably result in screaming down the streets in search of the latest antidepressent), I would much prefer to think of it as a semi-pause in the process of living. Everything in life has an opposite - there's life and there's death - no, come to think of it, as a Christian - there isn't death other than death of the life we now know - but then I digress. Okay - another tact. There's good and there's bad...well, I think you get the idea. Going down road (which I admit, sometimes it's a really rough ride), you can either choose to live - or choose that semi-pause. And I chose to dwell for too long in the semi-pause. Everything - and I mean everything - was subject to a short fuse and a rea...

7 August 2006 On our way to spend Saturday evening with husband's parents, we stopped by for a short visit with our daughter, son-in-law & baby granddaughter. By a short visit, that means anything less than 8 hours. Rheya is growing so quickly and it's a joy to see her when we can (which is not enough). We have a wonderful family - and to be able to be part of that family is more than joy itself. My son-in-law calls me "mom #2". You cannot imagine the thrill I feel each time I hear it. He probably is unaware of just how much those three words mean to me. I can see that he makes our daughter happy and that he's a good dad, a good provider ... and that's all I need to know. And our daughter - she's a stay-at-home Mom and loves it. I would have never guessed how fulfilled that makes her...and you can tell just from the way she talks. When I observe her with Rheya, I see all that is good in the world. And Rheya ... she is a gem. She has this w...

1 August 2006 Yesterday morning I discovered an "extra" wrist bone. How long it's been there, I have no idea. After feeling numbness and tingly fingers, it was decided a visit to the doctor's office might be in order. The diagnosis: 'ganglion cyst'. In the scheme of things, it's a small problem - but bothersome. I have learned the following: 1. Rest means rest. That doesn't mean a couple miles of bicycle riding that evening. 2. Anti inflammatory pills are a wonder of nature - they work 3. Borrowing a pain pill from hubby's stock isn't necessarily a bad thing 4. Taking a day off from work to rest should mean just that - rest So on that note, since typing doesn't fall in the category of resting - I will close for today. ANGEL45402

2 July 2006 Today was good. We spent a good portion of the day with our son, his wife and our grandson. God gave such a gift to parents when He made it possible for them to become grandparents. We get so busy when raising our children. We focus on work, paying the bills, rushing from soccer practice to basketball games to swim meets - and the next thing you know, the kids are grown and they leave home. Both of our children found their soul mate (mothers just know those things) and then blessed us with grandchildren. And this is where God's magnificant plan comes into being. When we become grandparents, God gives us time to slow down and enjoy. I've been given this precious time to pick a flower and hand it to my grandson - and watch him slowly pull the petals off the flower and afterwards holds it out to his mommy as if it were still whole. And then moments later, when he has the now bedraggled flower back in his hand, smiles when I said it was okay to let it go and it f...