A New Path

Has it really been 9 months since my last post? Well, I guess that in itself speaks volumes. My life is changing rapidly and I'm not yet sure in what direction it will take me.

The past year was very difficult. My husband of 58 years suffered with health issues, was in and out of the hospital and recovery center. He has now gone home to be with the Lord. At last he is in peace, but where does that leave me? I am not at all sure.

I have spent the past little while going through "things", getting rid of "stuff" that I no longer have use for. It seems to be a never ending process, but it also has value in that it is therapeutic. So many memories, so many tears. I am in no hurry to move on. I know I can take my time and I praise God for that blessing alone. He has blessed me in so many ways and I know that my future is in His hands. I just need to be attentive and open to his directions. Waiting is both a blessing and a frustration. Help me Lord to be patient and to take the time I need for your plan to unfold.

This & That

It has been awhile since I last posted anything. Perhaps that is why my site indicates that it now has 3 followers. Have even some of my kids given up on me? I am OK with only a few dedicated followers. This is way to public for my comfort level.

Chris came over today to do a favor. I had downloaded Windows 10 in anticipation that it would allow more graphic options, but it really screwed up a lot of the old options, primarily printing and search options. It was driving me bonkers, so he reversed the install and I am back to what I am more comfortable doing. Thank you Chris. 

We have had about 6 weeks of no medical appointments. that is about to change. Between next week and the end of the month we have at least 8 scheduled between us. Please be in prayer that the weather holds. It is so hard for dad to get out in nasty weather.

Rick was down for a few hours on Saturday. He was going to tack up the rest of the woodwork in the hall where we moved the door, but ended up cutting all the huge weeds on the back slope instead. He did manage to finish calking the 1/4 round in the bathroom and spend some time visiting as well. He has been a tremendous help. Thanks Rick.

I have been busy putting together some more family trees. One for dad's cousin, one for her husband, and am currently working on a tree for one of my cousins, his mom's side. All these trees are different, though some have similarities. Each has a unique story to tell and it gives me so much pleasure to fill in blanks for folks. Mostly, because it brings them joy.

I need to go to bed, so will sign out. For those 3 who follow my blog, thanks for your patience and for caring enough to do so.

Almost there

Family have been urging me to post photos of the new, remodeled bathroom. While not completely finished, I guess it is complete enough to get a good idea of how it will look. Right now it works in it's entirety, but still needs storage shelves above the toilet. sealer on the tile, a couple hooks and a cover plate put on. It also still needs a door, no minor item should we have company. Hope you like it.

 

The wall-hung sink allows wheelchair access (knees fit under)

 

 

A 3 inch riser has been added to the toilet for ease of standing. Grab bars are installed on both sides of the toilet and a transfer pole helps both in that area and when getting off the shower bench. Small tile allow for greater grip.

 

 

The shower head and wand provide water to wash in all areas while seated. A tiled shelf holds washing supplies and a mounted hook (barely visible behind wand tubing) holds long handled bath brush and sponge. Grab bars have been installed in the shower under the shelf (horizontal) and vertically (not visible) adjacent to the plumbing hardware.

 

 

A bit fuzzy, but this photo shows complete layout of room as viewed from doorway.

A remodeled bathroom

Can you hear me screaming? Though only in my mind, it is very loud. Seems that every cut of trim, every line of tile, every everything in our beloved 1924 house needs to be custom. It takes so long and is so very resource consuming. It just goes on and on and on. First one wall of the original bathroom had to be covered with a false wall in order to properly fit the plumbing and electrical. This is because the original wall was comletely covered both by a layer of 1”x 6” lumber and lath and plaster that sat directly over a concrete foundation wall. You could not get through the floor to the crawl space and you could not get into the wall because of the Fort Knox construction. But that was only the beginning. Nothing in the room is square, plumb, or level. Thence, all the customizing. But I must say, it is looking pretty good.

My son Rick originally took a week of family sick time off from work to remodel our bathroom to meet handicap standards for his dad who was in a rehab center. It took two days just to gut the room and to construct walls for the new shower. Thre was trouble finding a preformed handicap shower locally and the cost was prohibitive. So that had to be custom built, starting with a 36”x36” shower pan. Would you believe that plain white subway tile was hard to find? Well enough of it anyway. Rick ran into trouble with old plumbing and electrical, losing precious hours before we finally ended up calling in the pros. Thank God both were available. On other projects, I have had to schedule their services weeks in advance. Needless to say, the week was soon done but the project not nearly so. So a couple weeks later, over a long Memorial Day weekend, Rick took another stab at it, hoping to complete the work in 2 ½ days. Don't laugh, he worked his tail off and made a lot of progress.

It was Rick's intention to work until about noon so that he would have time to finish the job, clean up, load his truck and spend a couple hours relaxing before the long drive back to Seattle. At 4:00 p.m. he still had not finished the trim, grouted any of the tile, or repaired the wall in the hallway were the bathroom door was widened. By 5:30 he did manage to hang sheetrock on the hallway wall, cut the ¼ round that goes around the floor between the tiled floor and baseboard in the bathroom, and drill holes in the shower tile for attaching the grab bars. But someone else, most likely my daughter Dianna will need to do the grouting, nail in the ¼ round, and actually hang the last two grab bars. I will need to do the fill work, painting and papering before this project can be declared complete. Thank goodness I still have some more of the wallpaper left that is in the hallway. I don't want to redo the whole thing.

All our kids contributed some funding and/or labor, and we re-used what materials we could, but this bathroom will keep us pretty broke for the rest of the year. Supplies, professional tradesmen, and equipment rentals are to the point where I don't even want to think about them.We have been talking about remodeling this bathroom for many years, but there have always been “other things” that took priority. So what can I say, our hand was forced and it will end up being a room safe for my husband to use, a room styled to the period of the house, a room we can be proud of. Please tell me it will be finished soon.

Spring in Oregon

Deciduous magnolia, snow drop, red bud, and water hyacinths fill the senses. 

 

It is spring in Oregon, at least in the Willamette Valley. The sun has brought out the flowers and people are out and about once more. Our evergreen clematis is nearly covering the fence by the deck.

 
 

Frustration

Frustration is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as being blocked or thwarted from doing  what you want. This applies to so many aspects of every day life, as well as to major goals. Sometimes we can easily see why we are prevented from having or doing "things", but other times the reason is evasive. The later is where frustration has us pulling our hair out.

This winter has not brought the extreme cold and snow we had last year. Heating bills have reflected this milder season. So you would think the monetary difference would help ease our over all budget, but NO. The money saved on heat has already gone to extra medical expenses and now I need to have some work done on my car. Hopefully, nothing too major, but still it is frustrating.

We are advised to save for the metaphoric "rainy day" that comes to all people. It is raining here in Oregon. I can think of no family member that is not frustrated in at least some aspect of their lives. But where there is frustration, there is also cause for rejoicing. We serve a loving God. He is our ultimate provider and His resources are without end. All we need do is look back on our own history to see how He has taken one frustrating situation after another and carried us through to the other side.

This process sometimes increases our faith. Sometimes it keeps us from veering off on a path of destruction. Sometimes it provides a lesson we will need to navigate life's rapids yet to come. One of the most important lessons being Let Go and Let God. This is not an easy lesson and we often need to learn it over and over again. Don't kick yourself. Just get on your knees and hand both the frustration and the solution over to the only One that can do anything about it, our heavenly father.

 I pray that your frustrations will yield positive provisions from above. Please pray for us, as well.

Happy 2015

Good by to 2014 and good riddance. There are so many wonderful memories of that by gone year, but way too many bad ones, as well. As I choose to  look forward, I will not fall into listing any of them.

Winter is here and spring will soon follow. My garden will need a lot of attention. But for now, I am working on my office. A son-in-law and his son-in-law came by on New Years Eve and moved some heavy file cabinets and furniture for me. This will make access much easier. I am grateful for that act of kindness. I have already began to sort, organize, and put away. Next will be our taxes.

No trips are planned for 2015. We will most likely stick pretty close to home. Our daughter Amy anticipates coming for a short stay in the spring and I imagine others will find their way to our door, as well. It is always good to have company for short periods. Family and friends are very special to us. So many are, like us, aging quickly. We never know when we say good by, if it will be for the last time.

May 2015 be looked back on as being a year of peace, love, and friendship. May the Lord bring health and happiness to you and yours, no matter what stage of life this year finds you in today. Happy New Year to all.

Who knew

Life can throw you some really unexpected curve balls. Who knew I would be invited to share a family vacation with my daughter? Who knew that one of my son-in-laws would suffer a massive stroke? Who knew that the summer would shape up to be so very busy? Certainly not me.

In May, our kids decided that I needed a break. How would I like to go to Italy for a couple weeks down time, all expenses paid?  OK, if someone would stay with Richard. So Dianna agreed to do so. Then just before I was due to leave, her husband Paul suffered a stroke, his third and worst. It landed him in the hospital and then in a recovery center. But since Dianna was not needed to care for him at home, she still wanted to stay with her dad. Then Paul had a brain bleed, which meant that he could no longer take the medication (blood thinner) that helped prevent additional strokes. He was readmitted to the hospital.

At this point I went ahead and found someone else to stay with Richard, a student that attends our church. She was thrilled at the opportunity to earn a little bit of money to go see her own dad. So I was off to our daughter Amy's house in Germany. I drove up to our son Rick's and left my car at his place. He drove me to the airport and Amy picked me up in Frankfurt. From her home, we drove down though Switzerland to Levane, Italy, about an hour south of Florence.

They had rented an apartment in an old villa from where we took many day trips and long scenic drives. We went to Rome, Piza, Florence, Luca, a large lake in Palusia Province, a formal garden, and one of the ancient hill cities. But while I was away, our son-in-law died.

Dianna had Paul's remains cremated and will have a memorial service for him on July 4, it would have been their 9th anniversary. Because of financial loss, Dianna will need to move, as well. So I, and others, have been helping her sort, get rid of, and pack. It is all a process, one we will get through. But it is hard.

We are expecting a lot of company too. It is always great to have company, but I was not expecting so many, in such a short time. I will deal with it and enjoy each one as they come. But I reserve the right to get tired. I do that a lot these days. It just kind of goes with the territory of getting older.  

Wild Spring

It has been a wild spring. Tradition goes that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This year has clung to that saying in many ways, not all related to the weather. Yes it has been stormy and sunny. Today is just gorgeous. But March also brought a long string of visitors, family for the most part.

Having company is both wonderful and stressful. On one hand, you cherish the time together. On the other hand, it is exhausting. Our granddaughter from Germany arrived on March 17. We had not seen her for two years. She had not been to Oregon since she was a child. She is all grown up and doing her own thing these days. So it was great to have her here. Of course none of the local relatives had seen her in almost ten years, so that meant they came over several times, as well. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing all of them, but it was wave after wave in a short span of time.

One full day was spent driving a seven hour loop through the Cascades. There were areas that had only just opened from having been covered with snow and unfortunately, some of the sights were not yet accessible. Too bad, because they are beautiful.

During the second week of our granddaughter's visit one of our ex-son-in-laws died and so his children (both grown) flew out from Florida. They came down and spent the night, along with their mother. The house was full. It is always nice to see these two, it doesn't happen often. The circumstances could have been better, but they had not seen their cousin from Germany since she was three years old.

On March 27 our daughter and a grandson from Germany joined the group. She rented a vacation house at the beach as a birthday venue for me. So we all drove to the coast for three days stay. Unfortunately the house was not wheelchair friendly, but it was in a great spot, right on the beach. Our son and his family spent the entire time with us and all the local family joined us on my birthday. In all, there were fifteen of us. A friend also came down for one evening, bringing three children she cares for. We had a fireplace, lots of food, flowers brought direct from Amsterdam, all sorts of activities, live music, and a great view. We also stopped at several view points along the coast to take pictures. It was a birthday to remember.

Back home, the grandkids and their mom planted my garden, pruned the two largest apple trees, and mowed the lawn. That was a big help. We made a trip to see another granddaughter's new home and did a bit of shopping. During this time we also met a man who shares our last name and whose family originates from the same area of Sonora as ours. He runs a local restaurant. So we had a couple long visits with him, including a meal at his establishment. All our German family left on April 6.

By this time we were exhausted. The next two days found us going to bed early and sleeping in. The days were spent doing as little as possible. But life goes on, dishes and laundry need to be done. Medical appointments need to be kept. Friends come by to visit. Others visitors come as well.

This morning I found a doe and her fawn grazing in the back yard. These creatures have become way too at home around here. They are beautiful, but grass is not the only thing they eat. My peas and other tender plants are at risk. So, I may have to put up some sort of fencing to keep the deer out. So it goes.

Time Flies

2014 - Two months already gone. I know where they went, snow storms, hospitals, long recovery (still in it), and so on. I expect this year will vanish right before my eyes. But I need to focus on something else; good "things" that are happening or anticipated.

1. Spring is coming - I got sugar pod peas in the ground and put in an additional three rassberry plants.
2. We are expecting company - the kids and some of the grandkids will soon be converging to celebrate my birthday.
3. Richard is getting stronger - he made it to Sunday School yesterday.
4. There are no current crisis in the family - Thank you Jesus. 

The Old is Nearly Gone, Hail To 2014

We all need new beginnings. It is another opportunity to "start anew". Happy New Year everyone. It is my sincere wish that each and every one of you has something, no matter how insignificant, to look forward to.

We here in Corvallis have had a stressful 2013. Loved ones have gone on to be with the Lord, great for them but hard for us. But there are signs that life continues with new jobs, new homes, & visits from far away family to look forward to.

One grandson has completed specialized training and is starting to find work in his field of choice. One granddaughter and her young family are moving into a new home. Several other grandchildren are hard at work at universities around the globe and a couple of others have landed their dream jobs.

While we no longer travel, we can look forward to visits in 2014 from loved ones who live both across the county and across the globe. The Lord is good. He provides for ALL our needs. As we close out the current year, let us not forget that we are but a grain of sand upon the beach. It is only God's grace and love that holds us together. He makes us each important, don't forget to give Him praise for we are nothing without Him.

Happy New Year.

Cristmas 2013

Christmas 2013

Another year has come and nearly gone. Seems that as you get older, the years pass with increasing speed.

This year has brought joy in that everyone in the house has been relatively well. There have been no trips to the ER. No hospital stays. No debilitating illnesses. But there has been sadness, as well. This year several friends and members of our extended family have passed away. The latest was Richard's brother Benny. His wife Christine died in late September, a first cousin and a dear friend both died about the same time. There have been others as well. Our generation is rapidly coming to a close. We need to prepare to meet our Lord Jesus. He alone provides hope of life, life without fear, pain, or strife. Hope of being united with our loved ones who are in Him.

Richard and I have stuck pretty close to home this year. Just leaving the house has become a challenge for Richard. His power wheel chair allows him to get around the neighborhood and to a local pond where he enjoys feeding the wildlife. But if he needs to go anywhere else, he must use his manual wheelchair. It is very heavy to lift in and out of the car trunk. I was able to travel to Washington to celebrate our oldest grandson's graduation from training as a deep sea diver. But other than that, we have not left Corvallis more than a couple times all year. However, we have not been isolated.

In the summer, we hosted the family of a dear friend from Taiwan and our daughter Amy, along with one of her sons came for a visit over Thanksgiving. Then too, there have been many visits by other friends and family spread throughout the year. They brighten the day and give a sense of connectivity.

Last summer also brought a flurry of activity as we had both a plumber and carpenter busily working on a remodel for our back addition. Both bathrooms had their floors replaced. The plumbing was relocated for the toilet in the master bath and the sink in the main addition. The entry stairs for what we call “Harry's Room” needed to be torn down and a new set of stairs and porch built. It all turned out great. Then there was the garden. We had a fairly good vegetable garden this year. It provided many a great salad, summer squash, and other seasonal produce. The flower beds got a nice layer of compost and were weeded by kids from our church. That was a chore I am glad I didn't have to do. Rick gave me an electric mower so I no longer have to struggle with the heavy gas powered version. It really helps a lot.

Today we are sitting in a deep freeze. It has not been above freezing for several days. The news says that it is breaking records and was actually down to as low as -10 a couple nights ago. It looks like Christmas out there. I measured an accumulation of 8 ½ inches of snow on the table outside our living room and it isn't melting. Not to worry, we have plenty of food, heat (gas fireplace) and so far the electricity is on. I am taking precautions to prevent water pipes from freezing and so far so good. It is supposed to get up to 33 on Wednesday, followed by another storm. Hopefully it will not be another Arctic blast. Cloud cover actually acts like a warm blanket and holds in the heat.  

We are grateful this year for all of our family and dear friends. We are blessed for our being in our own home. We thank the Lord for our relatively good health and we look forward to 2014 with all the promises that it holds.

Our best to you and yours,

Richard & Nancy Moreno

How frustrating!!

My daughter goofed up her blog and had to create a new one. I was able to log on to it yesterday and print off a photo and specks for our granddaughter's new home. Nice place, Liss. But this morning, Google will not honor my log in to access my daughter's blog account. Really strange, since there was no problem using the same log in to get onto this account. I hate computers!!

Just an Update

Life here at Moreno Manor has been a scramble all summer long. Sure does make time fly by.

Starting in early July, we had a plumber and a carpenter working on the room used by my Uncle Harry when he retired in the 70s. This room has its own bathroom and a private entry and was rented out several times in the late 80s and 90s. But over the past 10+ years the "room" was relegated to storage. So, I cleared it out and had it renovated. What a chore, sorting through box after box of old video tapes, paperwork, photos, and "stuff". There are now no less than 5 big boxes of photos waiting closer scrutiny sitting in the guest room. About a dozen boxes await further sorting in the family room, and a ton of "stuff" was either tossed or given away.

The bathroom floor and entry stairs had to be rebuilt due to water damage. While we were at it, we had the plumber move sink. It was installed in a new counter in the room itself, freeing up badly needed space in the bathroom. I repaired and painted walls, did a ton of cleaning, moved in furnishings to essentially create a studio apartment again. Now that the room is complete, we are advertising it on Craig's List. 

The floor in the master bathroom also had to be replaced because of a failed water heater. The plumber moved the plumbing from a wall-hung toilet to accommodate a floor-mounted one and the carpenter removed the cabinetry so that he could rebuild that floor. Rick and Chris re-hung a sink in that bath so that it is functional. A complete remodel of the master bath will have to wait on funding. The old cabinetry now resides in the basement laundry room.

But life does not stop just because you have a big project to work on. My garden has done well this year. There a lots of vegies that have needed watering, weeding, etc. all summer. These have been so very yummy. We even have melons this year.

Now that fall is here, I am wrapping everything up for the winter. Outdoor furniture needs to be put under cover, hedges need a fall pruning, the grass needs to be mowed a couple more times, you get the idea. We were also blessed with a few yards of great compost that Shelley and Eric delivered as a birthday gift for Richard. I don't have any notion of spreading it all at once. It will slowly go to the planting beds as I get them ready for winter. First will be the small beds where I plant garlic. It needs to be in the ground really soon. Then compost will be added to those areas in the front yard that didn't get any last spring. By Thanksgiving, It should either be on the beds or covered, such that it will be available for early spring planting.

Then there is the anticipated "family meeting" that is scheduled for when Amy is here in November. Years ago, Richard and I created a Living Trust. I have now made a copy for each of the kids. It includes a power of attorney, pour over will, and instructions on health issues, should we no longer be able to make choices for ourselves, and other instructions for burial and distribution of assets. No one looks forward to this kind of meeting, but we do look forward to everyone being on the same page when the time comes. I have previously put together much of the detail outside the Trust that will be needed for the meeting. But now I need to make sure it is all together, copied, and is complete. Never a dull moment around here.

Just to be clear, while I have some health issues, I am relatively healthy. But I don't want to put our kids in the position of trying to locate the information they would need should I fall ill. Hopefully, this meeting will be a way of taking some of the stress off them when and if that day does come.

prphetic word

Today's sermon was on trusting God. So many in my family are facing situations that will require trust in God. His word says that "He will direct our path according to His understanding of our future (paraphrased). Because we have no way of knowing our future, we really need to trust. He has never let me down, but I have failed to trust and eventually come to regret acting on my own understanding. Trust is so important. But it is necessary if we want to emerge from crisis on top of the game. Hang in there. We don't need to understand, just do our part based on His word, and trust Him for the rest.

So Tired

A few weeks ago, we were presented with an opportunity to remodel a room in the back of our house, once used by mu uncle. The idea was that front money would be provided to do repairs and would then be repaid out of rent we get for the room. We have rented out this space before, but it has set empty (at least not occupied) for several years. Our rental space has it's own bathroom and entry, so it only makes sense to do this.

However, this room has been a catch all for everything from exercise equipment to old document storage. What a job to clear it all out. My grandson came over and moved the exercise equipment to the basement. His mom helped me sort out several boxes of "stuff". But most of the work has fallen on me alone. I have cleaned the little refrigerator, rounded up the furniture for the rental, hired contractors to build new entry stairs and move some plumbing, and sorted through a ton of old papers (tax returns, school and work related materials, photos, etc), tossing trash can after trash can and re-organizing the rest. I'm still not completely done, but the room has been cleared of everything except what will stay in it. Now to find a spot for the office and art supplies, five boxes of photos, well you get the picture.

The rest of the house now needs clearing. I am on it. Shelves and drawers in my office are my current project. Those in the family room and sewing room will follow. This is going to take awhile. The kids are just glad I'm getting a lot of the work done so they won't have to do it when I'm gone. They shouldn't get too relaxed, there will be plenty left for them to do when the time comes.

Reflections of Mom

Today marks twenty years since my mom went home to Jesus. You would think it would get easier after all this time, but the waves of grief do still come. They are just further apart. I still miss mom very much.

Mom lived a hard life. She knew nearly every sort of hardship: financial; loss of health; war; trust of a spouse; a child who got into drugs; a father who left his family in need; etc. Still, mom never lost hope or her faith in God. He saw her through all these and more. Mom was a great inspiration.

As I grow older, I look forward to my reunion with mom and all the other loved ones who will be waiting for me. No, I am not ready to go, but someday, most likely within the next twenty years, I will join mom again. In the mean time, I will try to carry on her legacy here on earth. That is the best way I can think of to honor her.  I love you Mom.

Eventful weekend

Saturday began with Richard bringing me coffee in bed, not an easy thing for for a man using a walker. It was wonderful to lay in bed and relax for awhile before getting up and starting the day. What a day it was. By mid morning I had received several phone calls, e-messages, cards and e-cards from family and friends. Dianna and Chris stopped by with a hand made gift and stayed to visit. Suddenly the sound of singing and a burst children through the door sent my heart a-whirl. Two more grandchildren and four great grandchildren had arrived bearing a huge vase of spring flowers. What a surprise. They had driven down from the Olympia area for the the weekend. Later in the day, Shelley and Eric brought dinner and cake. They stayed on to visit after the others had retreated to Dianna's for the night.

On Sunday afternoon, Dianna, Paul, Chris, Doug, Bridget and her four little ones brought Easter dinner and had fun hiding eggs in the back garden. They are such good kids, ages 10, 8, 6, and 17 months. They were all dressed in Easter finery.

Unfortunately there was a down side to the day. Dianna's beloved cat Cinder died on Easter morning. She was old, about 14. Dianna loved Cinder so very much. So there was also a feline funeral among the flowers in the yard yesterday. I am glad Dianna had so much support and so many caring shoulders to cry on. Cinder will be missed.

We have great news that Doug will be starting school (underwater welding/salvage) in Seattle on April 8. He has wanted to do this for a long time, even was certified as a diver while still in the military. The seven month school is paid for by the government and includes a pretty good living allowance. We are very happy for him.

Today all is quiet at the Moreno house. I went back to bed after breakfast for a short nap. Amazing how the unbounded energy of little ones can sap your own, even when you're not the one tracking them. Still, I will look forward to seeing all of them again soon.

has it been that long?

Wow, my last post related to my recovery from a stubborn virus. I have pretty much recovered, still not much energy though. Seems it is really taking forever to be able to work for more than a couple hours at a time without resting. I'm getting old, you say? OK, I concede. Tomorrow I will be 73. Is that old? Well, maybe, but I am relatively healthy and should the Lord will it, I fully expect to live a lot longer.

Having said that, I fell again on Wednesday. My foot slipped on some wet soil in the driveway and I went down, impacting with a sharp plastic support on the inside of a landscape cart I was moving. It cut a gash in my head, right at the hairline that required attention. I went into immediate care where they cleaned the wound, closed it with super glue reinforced with steri-strips. No big deal, until I had been home for awhile and the adrenaline in my system dissipated. Then I discovered that I had also tweaked my left knee and triggered an arthritic flareup. I have done this before, so I know to stay off it and just let it rest. So I iced it down, took some asprin, got a good night's sleep and waited till morning.

Early Thursday I called a friend that I had lent my wheelchair and had them bring it home. So now I am skooting around the house, doing chores from a sitting position that does not put weight on my knee. It is already starting to feel better. Should only take a few days to a week to heal. At least I didn't break anything this time. Thank you Jesus!

It is a busy week (at least the last part) around here.  Yesterday some guys from church came and removed a large old ice cream freezer from the basement as part of a metal drive to send the youth group to Jamaca on a missions trip this summer. They had quite a time getting it out of there. The old car in the driveway has been purchased and will be removed today so that a load of compost can be delivered to the driveway (a birthday gift). A friend is outside now, mowing my lawn. BTW, the electric mower I received as another gift works great.

Plans for the weekend include dinner prepared as a BD gift on Saturday and Dinner on Easter Sunday as another gift. Add to this the repacement of my compuer a couple weeks ago, and it has been a really red letter year. Thank you to family, friends, and others that I don't even know their names. You are all tremendous blessings.

Recovering

Monday following Thanksgiving, I came down with a cold, the worse cold I have suffered in about 10 years. It progressed to my chest and I was miserable for two 1/2 weeks. I am slowly recovering, still have some sinus drainage and a bit of a cough. But the most annoying part is the total lack of energy. I did manage to get the Christmas tree up. It took two days and both of us to do it and it is still only about 1/3 decorated.  Not much else will get done before the holiday. I just am void of stamina.

Our kids were here for a short visit last weekend. As always, it was great to see them, but under the circumstances it was nice that they spent only a short time. A friend came over on Thursday and took out the trash. She also helped me bake some gluten free cookies for Richard. Small blessings that mean so much.

Praise God that Richard has had only had a few sniffles. The last thing he needs is a full blown case of bronchitis.

Last night the power was off for about an hour. We lit the gas fireplace and an oil lamp, turned on the portable radio Rick had given his dad for Christmas to a station playing Christmas music, and just soaked in the peace of the moment, nice. We have so much to be thankful for. God has been very good to us. He has provided all we need; heat, light, shelter, food, love, and family.

 When you look at the world around us, it is not hard to be thankful. There is not a lot we can do to change others, but to pray. Only God can bring about the magnitude of change required for peace and love on a large scale and according to His word, peace may not be His long term plan. But we can hope for positive change in at least the short term. So pray and do your part. Don't forget to be thankful for Christ, who gave his life that we might live forever.

Merry Christmas.