The Christmas Season

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat and so am I! I've been munching on green and red M&Ms all afternoon! I can't seem to sit still and I keep turning the radio up during I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. The Christmas Spirit is upon me and it is making me long for malls, Christmas wrap, ribbons and eggnog lattes. I've watched four Christmas specials in the last two evenings and every Christmas movie that hits the basic cable channels (that's why we only have basic cable, I'd be in front of the TV 24/7!). I have ignored my Homiletics homework, laundry and cooking dinner to write Christmas Newsletters, knit mittens and go to choir practice. My family keeps looking at me like I'm someone else. What's the deal?

I'm usually the commonsense person at our house when it comes to the Holidays. However, this year I'm thinking that I may as well make the most of the season, after all, I'm turning the five-oh this year and how many more Christmases can there be ahead of me? Thirty tops! That means I don't have any mistletoe to waste! I have a feeling my husband will pull me in when we set out on the shopping trip next week. Little does he know I've already hit the Internet and a couple of stores at the mall. That'll be our little secret!

This is a picture of my brother, Bob, at about 4. I love this picture. He looks so sweet and innocent. He lost that look at about 6! Just kidding, he's really a great guy. That look of concentration as he listens to the rattle of that package reminds me that the anticipation of Christmas is sometimes the best part. My mother used to tell us kids, "Christmas is a season, not a day." I'm feeling the truth of that statement this year. Therefore I will go to choir practice tonight to sing about baby Jesus, eat red and green M&Ms, hit every potluck party I'm invited too and probably spend more than we can afford. I will leave the tree up until New Year's Day and watch Christmas movies until the kids complain!!! Have a Merry Christmas Season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The season for giving thanks is upon us. I try to be thankful everyday, but when a special day is set aside for thankfulness it makes it even more in my thoughts.

This Thanksgiving I will be cooking. Dinner will be at my house. The whole family, well, most of the family will be there. It will be noisy, crowded, and wonderful! I will think of my brother Bob and his family in Idaho, and my sister Lenora and her family who are also in Idaho. My little brother, Ken is around the state somewhere, and I will miss them all. I will also think of my mom and dad who for so many years made Thanksgiving a memorable holiday for me. This year our new little grandson, Julian will be here. He was just a day old at Thanksgiving last year. This year he will get to sample some of the goodies from the table. Kristen will be absent. I'm still trying to reconcile myself to the fact that this new boyfriend must be a serious matter for her to be invited to his parents house for Thanksgiving dinner! But she'll drop by with Josh for desert later.

Other than the well loved family mentioned above, I am most thankful for my good health (except for my arthritic toe of course), a warm bed at night, and someone (Tom) to cuddle with when my feet are cold. The Lord has been good to me and mine and I pray he has been to you and yours also. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

My BFF!

Every two years my office sends me south for a conference. It has been my extreme pleasure to stop in Seattle on the way home and spend a couple of days with my friend Lisa. Lisa and I have been friends now, oh, forever and a day (15 years). We are not the most likely people to grow attached to each other. She is thin, I'm...well, let it suffice to say that I am NOT. Lisa is amazingly talented in the musical department, I'm only mediocre. She is an extremely light and silent sleeper, while I sleep deep and "whiffle". She informed me that my "wiffle turned into a waffle" that last night and she tried to give me that devastating evil eye look she has so polished, but with her hair tousled and her sleepy look, I felt no threat what-so-ever! We both love reading though and exchange book ideas at every opportunity. She is my BFF!

Rich and Tom, our husbands, tend to look the other way when Lisa and I are together. They are left out of the private jokes, the hotel stay, long dinners and window shopping trips we share. They shake their heads when we return without packages from shopping and once again we explain it's not the shopping so much as it is talking and sharing.

The down side of our visit is leaving. After laughing and sharing for 48 hours solid, I miss her as soon as I get on the airporter (she hates goodbyes at the airport). Now it is emails and a stolen 45 minutes of telephone time if our families will allow. Carrumba! Only 23 more months, Lisa, and I'll be camping on your doorstep!

The Harvest

We are back in that wonderful season of crispy leaves, juicy apples and cool mornings! Fall! I love it! We have had several days of sunshine and we are relishing it since our summer was so cloudy and cool.

It's a great feeling to know that the raspberries are all picked and are either frozen or made into jam. There is something about harvesting and preserving that brings a real sense of satisfaction. Even though the urgency of the harvest is a pain, the cupboard shelves full of dark red jam makes me feel I'm prepared for the winter.

My husband, Tom, was born a Wisconsin farmer. The harvest is very unsettling for him. It made him crazy to see the raspberries ripening every day and no one running out to frantically pick them before they fell to the ground. I'm a more relaxed reaper. I enjoy being out in the backyard alone with my MP3 player on a Saturday afternoon when my household chores are done and the kids are all doing what they do on a weekend. I can pick a few for the bowl, eat a few, watch the neighbor kids at play, stretch, etc. Tom has the need to be out at the bushes when the berries are perfect, morning, noon or night! One evening he picked a bowlful of berries and left them on the picnic table to stay cool overnight so we could freeze them in the morning. Not the best idea, the camp robbers (black and white birds who's real name of which I haven't a clue) were chowing down on his hard earned harvest! Lucy, the watch dog, smiled at them as they feasted... We rescued the bowl of berries and added them to our store of frozen summer sunshine.

The harvest is a complicated time. I imagine that's why Jesus talked so much of the "harvest." The urgency of the harvest, caring for the harvest and preserving the harvest. Harvest season is definately not the time to rest, there will time for that when the snow lays deep over the fields (or raspberry bushes) and the darkness of long nights keeps us close to the home fires. We will be able to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing the fruits of our labors are safely where they belong.

Knitting on Spider Legs

Fall is here and I'm jealous of the children and adults heading off to school! I did sign up for a Homiletics course at my local AG Bible College. That helps some. I also signed up for a sock knitting class. Now that is FUN!

The yarn I chose for my socks is a self striping yarn and it is also very fine...skinny in fact. Due to the skinniness of my yarn I also had to use skinny needles....four of them! To top it off, the main color of my yarn is steel gray and of course my needles are, what else, steel! Add the skinny factor of my yarn and needles, the indistinct color of gray and steel, my middle-aged failing eyesight together and the total is trouble!

The next challenge I faced was using four needles on one project! I have seen this done and it looks deceivingly easy! First of all I had to divide 54 stitches into even groups of 4 on 3 needles. They didn't tell me it was also a math class and story problems always throw me for a loop. Once I got the stitches on the needles I was ready to get down to knitting business! Knit two, purl two, knit two, purl two...that I got down pretty quickly, it was how to hold all the needles pointing this way and that that made me crazy! It was like knitting on spider legs. I chanced a gander at all the other beginning sock knitters around me and noticed the strained and determined faces as they concentrated on keeping yarn and needles all straight. It was at this point that the teacher explained secret of reducing "4 needle stress", concentrate only on the two needles you are working on and ignore the other two! They will just fade into the background when you focus! What a deal! It worked! Suddenly foreheads unwrinkled, protruding tongues were pulled back into suddenly smiling mouths and peace reigned supreme at the knitters' table!

As I juggle work, home, church, class and even knitting, I find myself often feeling like my life is being knit on spider legs. I feel poked and tangled by the things waiting for my attention. I'm learning to focus on the "stitches" nearest me at the moment and the confusion of the "yarn and waiting needles" patiently wait their turn. Suddenly I can relax and even enjoy the portion of my day I'm concentrating on at the moment. My forehead relaxes and my smile returns...Sigh! It's nice to not be unraveled.

A Literary Moment

An afternoon at the Library is a lovely thing, especially if the day is rainy and on the chilly side, as most of Alaska's summer has been this year. My youngest son, TJ, and I have made many trips this summer, it's a great bonding time for us and you can take something home for FREE!

In addition to checking out the limit of books and movies, we always take time to browse through the discarded books that are looking for good homes. Once they were all of the science fiction genre, another time they were cookbooks. Today most of the free books consisted of "more power to the women" books, not of much interest to my 17 year old tough guy. He did, however manage to find a book or two to add to his home library as did I (Sketches, by Washington Irving...YES!!!). TJ and I carried our treasure out to the car, stopped for pizza and ice cream (I only had one bite...honestly!), and then home to review our booty! There stuck between the cover of my hard back book and a video was a small paper back. "TJ," I say, "I think I have one of your books in my stack, it's called...." To my surprise I noticed the unmistakable logo of Harlequin on the top of the cover and a ooh-la-la picture of a passionately embracing couple! "TJ!" I call as I hold the book for his viewing, "I'm surprised you want to read The Spaniard and the Pregnancy Proposal (No lie! That was the name of the book!). "Mom," he coolly says, "That's YOUR book!" Well! I haven't read a Harlequin since high school! After all, I am an accomplished reader! I selected Washington Irving, not.....whoever it was that penned this little, dare I say it, trashy novel! As it turned out, I inadvertently picked up two other books that were in a stack that I had, I think, set MY stack on top of.

The dilemma here, as I see it, is what to do with the SPP book. I really hate throwing books away, but don't feel I can in good conscience send it to the good will with all the "good" books I have ready to donate, ...good taste and all that jazz... Hmmm. Well, until I decide I guess I'll just put it safely on my nightstand....Yawn! I think I'll take a little nap : )

Dreams, Hopes, Wishes

Dreams...Hopes....Wishes.... Words that thrust us toward the future. It seems to me that those words have been popping up on a regular basis lately. Our pastor preached about the dreams of Joseph on Sunday; we have been studying about the hope of Abraham on Wednesday night; and who doesn't associate the word wishes with a little green bug with a top hat and cane?

Suddenly I'm reevaluating my dreams. I have had those late night dreams that sort out my chaotic thoughts and feelings of my waking hours. My sister, Masha, helps me form them into plausible and sometimes hilarious interpretations. My hopes tend to run toward the usual: I hope I loose a pound this week, I hope our car holds out another year, I hope I remembered to turn the coffee pot off this morning. And what of my wishes?

• Starlight, star bright,


• first star I see tonight,


• I wish I may I wish I might


• Have the wish I wish tonight...

At this point I close my eyes, cross my fingers and mumble, "I wish to go on a three month cruise to the Greek Ilse." Even as I'm wishing I know it ain't a-gonna happen! I'm so sorry, but "when you wish upon a star..." more than likely your dreams will not come true. Yes, Jiminy Cricket lied...

As an adult I can deal with this truth, although it is rather disappointing. But that's where hope comes in.

Joseph's strange nocturnal visions eventually came to pass, but he had to wait for the cup bearer's (fortunate man) and baker's (poor man) dreams to come to pass. The coming of Joseph's dreams was also the result of Pharaoh's two dreams. Of course Abraham's dreams were waking visions bringing him a hope of children by the dozens! Although his dreams came true, he never actually saw the heirs too numerous to count, except from Heaven's shores. And what of Pinocchio's wish to be a "real boy"? Well, in fairy tales dreams do come true, and he became a real boy, loved by his creator, Gipetto.

I'm not sure where my dreams, hopes and wishes are taking me, even at this semi-late date in my life. I do know there are things I want to accomplish, places I want to go, things I want to see, but wishing will not take me there, somehow my hopes are linked to my faith, and my dreams will come about by the grace of God, blessing my efforts.

So..., I will make a move toward pursuing the dream, in hopes of fulfilling God's plan for me, and please...wish me well!

Bumping Behinds

It's a beautiful day in Anchorage, AK, so I jumped at the chance to take a deposit to the bank for my office. I have never been entrusted with this much coveted task since I am somewhat of a lower end employee, but since most of the office is on vacation I had my long awaited shot! I took the very important looking black bag and hid it behind my purse to discourage any pick-pockets that might be lurking in the shadows for an unsuspecting, important employee, such as myself. With heart pounding, I checked out all the cars in the parking lot of the bank to determined that no one suspicious was watching and darted toward the double doors. Once inside the pleasantly cool lobby a voice interrupted my visual sweep of the perimeter, "May I help you?" she asked? "Yes," I answered in my most efficient, business like attitude, " I would like to make a deposit." Amazingly, the teller counted my funds, tip-tip-tapped a secret code on her computer and the deed was done. Having felt like I had accomplished an important task, I casually strolled back to my car and began the process of backing up.

Do you know that sickening feeling when you come to the top of the worlds tallest roller coaster and zoom towards earth at a heart stopping speed? It's the same feeling you get when you feel a spine jarring jolt and hear that "WHOMP" sound of two bumpers slamming together. Suddenly that very important, accomplished feeling I had a split second before vanished and there I was, an idiot in a parking lot who didn't bother looking twice in the rear view mirror. I did what all good Christian girls do at that moment, prayed, "Oh God, please don't let that person swear at me....!" Thankfully, it was a little elderly lady with perfectly white hair and a little powder blue, polyester pant suit who was backing at the same time I was. She exited the other car and obviously had been praying the same prayer I had just prayed. We checked out our "bumped behinds" and quickly determined there was no damage except for some dust knocked from the bumpers and a dent in our pride. We exchanged smiles and "good days" instead of insurance info and carefully drove away from the parking lot.

Funny how that little quote from the Good Book is so true, "Pride goes before a fall (behind bump in this case)." I am happy to report I am back to my comfy lower end employee position and my pride has been sufficiently deflated, for the moment.

This Hallowed Ground

I had the honor of speaking to a women's group the other night. My topic was in reference to suffering and my scripture text was from 2 Corinthians. Paul lists a whole plethora of things our suffering does for us, but one that caught my attention was how suffering makes us revere those who have suffered honorably.

November, 1863, several months after the battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3), President Lincoln was invited to make a "few appropriate remarks" at the consecration of a cemetery for the Union war dead. It was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered a speech that was only three minutes in duration. The following is an excerpt from his Gettysburg Address.

“But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”

Lincoln sensed that it didn't matter what he said, he could not consecrate what was already made reverent by the suffering of Union and Confederate soldiers dying in horrible pain for what they believed to be freedom. If you were to visit the Soldiers National Cemetery this summer, that same hallowedness would still permeate the atmosphere and you would hear people hush their voices, remove their hats and lower their gaze in honor of those laid to rest on that battlefield, and hopefully realize it was done on their behalf.

The elements of Communion are sacred because of the suffering they represent. The bread-the broken, crushed Body. The wine-the freely flowing Blood. As I hold them in my human hands, I am amazed at their holiness made available to me though the suffering of Christ, done on my behalf.

Today, I think of someone I would honor who has suffered for the things he has believed in, but I cannot make holy the "ground", for his suffering has already accomplished this task. However, to you, I do give my heart felt regards and undying respect.

Ho Hum!

Sometimes I sit down to a blank screen, knowing I really need to update my blog, but nothing that would interest you comes to mind. Not that I don't have huge issues going on in my life, they would probably just bore you. I could tell you that I finally got my flowers planted. They sat on my front porch for a week. The pansies almost croaked before they were planted, but they seem to be rebounding well (okay, that was very boring). My grand baby, Julian, came over yesterday. He's sooo adorable! He's eating rice cereal now...what? You say that's not of interest to you either? Tough crowd! Hmmm...

On those days when life seems to be the most usual to the outsider, the insider (that would be me) deals with the uncertainty of the future, the question of loyalties, the doubt of self-worth and a myriad of other issues. These are the things that we seldom share with our most intimate relationships let alone the entire world (okay, I know there are only 5 of you out there that actually read this blog). Life does tend to keep me humble and prayed up. I won't share all the "boring details". I know you also have issues you face everyday that are kept from the view of the world, as they should be. Some things are just to private (or boring) to share.

I propose a deal: You pray for me, I'll pray for you! And surely we'll all survive!

On my honor, I will come up with a really great entry for your reading enjoyment!

What To Do With Rosie

This last week we watched yet another of our 5 children march across a stage dressed as a scholar to receive a high school diploma. It's amazing, but 16 years ago a two year old girl with huge brown eyes, dark curly hair and a pixy grin came bouncing into our lives! She made us break the rule we had so rigidly clung to: We will not adopt foster children! When the social worker asked, "What will we do with Rosie?", "We'll keep her...adopt her." came flying out of my mouth before I even realized what I was saying! I have never regretted it.

Once again the question comes around, "What will we do with Rosie?" It would be more accurate to say that Rosie is asking, "What will I do with my life?" There's so much to consider. Obviously money plays a huge part in what direction she will go. College is so expensive and as her father would tell you, he was born good looking instead of rich, so the college of "choice" may not be the college chosen. There is always the sports issue, where can she go to benefit from the sports programs and who can benefit from her skills. What about a music ministry major? Where would be the best place to go to fulfill that calling? And what about mom? Where can Rosie go where mom can still make sure she is fed, clothed and safe? Obviously this entry is to be continued!

We will keep you posted on the Rosie saga. It's sure to be interesting, exciting and inspiring, just like Rosie.

Run For The Roses

I'm not a huge fan of horse racing, although I do love horses. But then I've never had to clean out a stall or make sure they have feed and water in -40 F weather. My husband, Tom, owned a horse for many years. Stormy wasn't a race horse but he did chase down a few cows now and then. He definitely had a western attitude and although he allowed the kids to ride him, he was a one man horse. I sat atop of him on occasion but we had an understanding: If you don't buck, I don't scream!!


I just happened to catch the Kentucky Derby a couple of weeks ago. Seeing the horses and hearing the crowds cheering brought up pleasant memories of the movie Sea Biscuit. The movie was such an inspiration to me that I HAD to read the book. It amazed me the way that horse, as mismatched for racing as he was, and despite any handicap they weighted him down with could maintain the desire to take the lead. It was his heart more than his brawn that made him win.

The "run for the roses" ended with the favorite, Big Brown, winning in grand style, but it was the little filly, Eight Belles, that caught my attention. After winning second place, Eight Belles collapsed on the track and before any accolades were handed her way, was "put down" due to both front ankles being broken. I am not a horse expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I would guess that this must have happened in that last burst of speed that takes place in the last stretch for the finish line. I have read that she was whipped mercilessly by her jockey, that it was sheer cruelty on the part of her owner, trainer and the racing industry as a whole, but in my naivety, I would like to believe her spirit for winning pushed her physical beyond endurance. I would like to believe she gave her all for the prize. Nevertheless, a sad but inspiring story.


I would hope that I can take a lesson from this filly. Take a risk. Wager it all. Run with the big boys and give it all you got!

The Importance of "Stuff"

I should have known...March is the great deceiver! The melting was just a hoax. We now have snow again!!! The upside to the snow is that it won't last long. The April sun does have some warmth to it and the white stuff is disappearing quickly. I am longing for sunny beaches and the smell of sun screen.

Today I am feeling overwhelmed by the everyday "stuff." The dishes in the sink, the neglected journal on the coffee table, and yes, even this blog with outdated info makes me squirm with guilt. The everyday stuff that at the moment of processing seems so minor in importance, but when stacked upon each other in mega mountains of mess, screams for attention!

I will get to the "stuff", as soon as I drink my coffee, take my walk, read another chapter in my book and grab a quick snooze in the sunshine...sigh! I always intend to start a load of laundry, sweep the floors or write a thank you note when I get home from work, but catching up on the latest fashions on Opera, stopping at the library or meeting a friend for coffee at the local Starbucks tends to distract me and it's bedtime before I know it! And I do love bedtime! Just kick the laundry off on the floor and it's off to dreamland.

I keep telling myself, as soon as the kids are gone (there's only two left), some of the "stuff" I have trouble getting to will go with them...but I have suspicions that I'm only fooling myself.

Well, I have a lot of "stuff" to do, so I'd better run. Hmmmm! A rice bowl from Carrs sounds really good, and then maybe a snooze while I watch Dr. Phil..., and then I PROMISE I'll take care of the "stuff"!

Daffodils and Pot Holes

"When it's springtime in Alaska, it's forty-below." That's not quite how it is here. March is the odd month running warm and cold. We have icy mornings and melting afternoons. The days are getting longer than the nights and Easter is closer this year than ever! I guess we really can't call March springtime, but I do think spring quite a lot these days, and there are signs appearing.

For those of us who can't wait for the crocus, and tulips to emerge from the snow, we buy daffodils at the local grocery store. The idea is to buy them tightly closed with their "brown paper wrappers" still intact. It takes them about a day to come into full bloom and then you have the sunshine yellow and smell of spring right at your desk for several days! O joy! This makes me love those little trumpeters of spring....my favorite flower of March!

Pot holes are also a sure sign of spring. The thawing and freezing reeks havoc with our streets! The road to where my children attend school crumbled this month. Yes, crumbled would be the correct term. Small breaks in the pavement soon joined with other breaks and quickly became "Pot Hole Heaven", a name so dubbed by the morning radio DJs. It's been rumored that some of these pot holes have no bottoms...and neither do the cars who have dared not slow down for them!

My son TJ recently uttered these words of wisdom to his impatient mother who accused him of wasting her time: "Time is only a measurement for growth or decay, nothing more." I have to admit, it made me think. It seems the changing of seasons makes this even more real. Not only the seasons made evident by the tilt of the earth to the sun, the dirtiness of my car or even the grass beginning to show, brown as it is, along side the roads, but in the people I know as well. Just this week I have had sad news of three, no, four people I know or are acquainted with who have passed away. One elderly gentleman was the Rev. Harold Kennedy, who was for many years my pastor. He watched me grow up on church pews, heard me plunk away at hymns and learn to play choruses by ear, he performed my wedding and dedicated my babies. Another link to my childhood laid to rest. Decay. A measurement of time. Also this month we had news a new baby girl, born to my daughter's friend. A new little bundle of spring (I voted for the name Daffodil, it was vetoed). My little grandson, Julian, has new teeth and is beginning to reach for teethers, blankies and hair! Sure signs of life continuing as it should. Growth. A measurement of time.

In my endeavor to stay as "young" as possible heath wise, I try to keep a positive and "young" outlook on life. As time inevitably passes, I try to avoid the pot holes and smell the daffodils, and yet I realize both are a part of that growth and decay that marks the passing of time. The Apostle Paul makes the comment "...We never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day." With the passing of time, my daffodils will surrender to decay, as did the road, and try as I may, my body is slowing losing the battle (Ouch! My ankle hurts), but my spirit can experience everlasting spring when I "fix my gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:16, 18 NLT

Me & The Queen

Oh, Royal Joy! My youngest daughter was voted Homecoming Queen of her highschool! What a shock for this mom who didn't even dream of attending the Homecoming let alone being queen. Rosie was voted in on the basis of grades, Christian Character and of course popularity. She is also on the Varsity Basketball team which adds to her visibility. She is a well rounded (character wise) young lady and her dad and I are so proud of her. Congrats to you Queenie! Love from who else? The Queen Mother! XXOO

SADD? Not Me!

The days are getting longer here in the far northern regions. Not terribly noticeable by the human eye at this point, but any extra rays is a good thing. By the end of February we will be having 4:00 shadows at 2:00 instead of noon. March will bring a little warmth with that sunshine, but we'll still have single digit temps in the morning. April, ahhhh April! That is what we all live for...slush and gray everything, but it is spring!

During this time of year, many of us suffer from SADD, otherwise known as Seasonal something or other (I can never remember), one of the symptoms is loss of memory (joke), and depression. It seems we require a certain amount of sunshine to keep our serotonin levels up and of course that vitamin D thing is a necessity. However, quite often we Alaskans leave for work, school etc. while it is still dark and return home in the dark. We become sunshine deficient! We get lazy, grumpy, jumpy, hungry, and we have dreams of Hawaii, Mexico and Cruises. Ultra violet SADD lights are a source of help and they can be purchased at any department store and Costco carries them at times.

My husband thinks I have this disorder. Of course I assured him rather loudly that I am NOT SAAD and please leave me alone with my pillow, chips and electric blanket! Okay, I'm not that bad. I probably could even pass a SAAD test (is there such a thing?). Nevertheless, I am glad the days are longer and the sunshine is out today! Think spring, flowers and little baby ducks, spring is just around the next 8 to 10 corners.