Candy, anyone?

This evening Dick and I waited until a bit later than usual to pick Destiny up because they were going trick-or-treating. The city of Reading was like one big trick-or-treat party - kids and their parents EVERYWHERE.

After we got home Destiny poured out her loot. Dick and I looked at it and rolled our eyes. That is a LOT of candy. She's being generous with it and we've all eaten too many peices already.

What are we going to do with all that candy? Looks like Grandpa might take care of it!

The changing seasons

It's the end of the first quarter and I have tons of work to do to get ready for the report cards that will go home next week. I have no business sitting here at the computer. But "somebody" (you know who you are!!) reminded me today that I didn't post yesterday, so I'll do a quick post. I took a picture of our back yard when I got home a while ago and decided to show the change of seasons.

Back in April, when I took this picture, I was just LONGING to see some green.

By the end of May we had lots of green!

Now the green is turning to brown and orange and yellow. The colors are beautiful, but I always feel a bit sad at this time of year, because.......

...I know we're heading toward this. Yes, it's beautiful - for the first day. After that it starts getting dirty, and I just hate driving on snowy, icy roads, and I really, really hate being cold. If I had my way, we would have one huge blizzard each year and we would have to stay home for a week. Then it would quickly disappear and Spring would arrive.

Winter already???

That's what it feels like this evening - winter. With the wind howling outside it would not be hard to imagine snow outside. Actually, it sounds like that's exactly what they got in northeastern PA. For that matter, according to Jeremy it could go down into the 40's in Florida tonight. What is UP?

It's funny - last week my sister Barb in Idaho was talking about the snow they had already gotten. I was thinking, "Oh boy, we're going to be getting cold weather next week." I don't need a weather man anymore, just my sister Barb. Usually whatever weather they have we will be getting in about a week!

Please tell me you're having warm weather this week, Barb!

A blessed Sunday

Sunday morning we had a beautiful time with the Lord and our church family. Lloyd, a young man from our church, preached in his quiet, simple way about passion for God. Following the message, our pastor invited anyone who longs for more passion to come forward so Lloyd could pray for them. A lot of people came forward, young and old. I kept playing softly throughout, and I was so blessed just watching what was going on. There were many tears and many hugs, very little pride or resistance. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

In the evening we went to Dick's parents for a family gathering. Dick's brother Bob, his wife Doris and daughter Judi from Minnesota were there. I cannot believe that we didn't take a picture of Dick with his four brothers and dad. Too, too bad.

As usual, we gathered in the basement at the long row of tables to eat together. The only downside of that arrangement is that you can't hear what they're talking about at the other end of the table. I just hate to miss anything, ha, ha!!

And also, as usual, we gathered in the kitchen before leaving to sing together. If only my camera would have a good video feature with sound so you could hear what this picture sounded like. Seriously. There is nothing quite like good voices singing acapella four-part harmony.

There were only two children at the gathering - Destiny and Natalia, our niece Krista's almost three-year-old. They got along fantastically well, playing with Great-Grandma's collection of old toys.

We left around 8:30 to take Destiny back home. She fell asleep in the car and I dozed too. I didn't get to catch up on my sleep this weekend.

You know, I hate to make you ladies jealous, but it ain't all bad having a house husband. After our busy weekend my house was a mess. But today I got home from a long day of school (staff meeting afterward) and my sink was all cleaned up, my floors were vacuumed, the clean laundry was folded and put away.

Last week he repaired my dryer. About four years ago one of the three baffles had come loose and was knocking around noisily, so Dick had removed it and ordered a new one. We've been drying wash in it with just the two baffles ever since - until last week.

We also were having issues with our kitchen sink faucet. He got a lovely one at a good price on E-bay and installed it. It looks and works beautifully.

I asked him last week, "How are we going to survive after you get a job?" (I'm KIDDING, God!!!)

The three stooges?

Saturday morning Destiny brought her guitar out of her bedroom as soon as she woke up. The lyrics on the piece of paper beside her are a poem I hung in her room. She was putting the words to music! Of course she doesn't know the fingering to any real chords yet, but she has a good strum!

It was a dark and rainy day, just wonderful for being able to stay home and get some things done. Dick was at my school helping to hang sound panels on the walls of the gym/auditorium.

In the evening we had Dick's 40th class reunion. Frank was planning to have Destiny for the evening and we met at the agreed upon place. However, when he got out of the car to come back to our car for Destiny, his door locked with the keys in the ignition and the engine running!

What to do, what to do? He hopped into our car and we drove down the road to a convenience store, then a Pizza Hut, then a Hoss's Steak House, in search of a wire hanger. None to be found.

I knew that my coworker Pam lived somewhere in the area, so I dialed 411 on my cell phone, not even knowing if she had a house phone. She did! Directory assistance gave me her number. I called her house, got her answering machine, and proceeded to explain our dilemma, asking her to pick up the phone if she was listening. She was! She picked up and gave us directions to her house. By this time the rain was just POURING! She brought a wire hanger to her door, we went back to Frank's car, and the two men, Dick in his suit and Frank in his shorts and tee shirt, with my hot pink umbrella partially keeping them dry, worked and worked and worked and worked and worked to get that door unlocked.

I could hardly stand to see how wet Dick was getting as I watched the time slipping away. There was to be a class picture taken before the meal and I so wanted Dick to be there for it. I was praying out loud, reminding the Lord that He can move mountains, surely He can open a car door. After about 15 minutes I quit praying. It didn't seem that they would get that door open.

But they kept trying. After a while Destiny said, 'Lord, You can lift a car, You can lift a truck, You can lift a mountain, can You please lift the lock?" I was thinking, "Come on, God, how can you turn that prayer down?" And THEN, I kid you not, I saw the guys open that car door! Destiny and I clapped our hands, and I said, "Destiny, it must have been your prayer!" She said, "It was, it was!!" as she got out and ran front to her daddy's car!

We had planned on being early, but we actually arrived just at the exact time the picture was to be taken. And guess what? The place was chaos, and everything was running very late. There were a LOT of people there. I knew very few of them, but I'm not exactly shy, so I still enjoyed the evening. There was lots of reminiscing, so the subject of unemployment didn't come up too often, praise God. Below is a picture of people who went to the same elementary school, junior and senior high! Dick is in the back.

After we left we headed back to the same place to meet Frank. Just as we got there he called and said Destiny had forgotten her coat, so he had to turn around and go back to the house to get it. So we waited and waited, and while we waited Dick decided to read the memory book that had been made for the reunion. He couldn't find his reading glasses and realized he had apparently left them on the table at the reunion.

So after we finally had Destiny back in the car with us we had to go back to the reunion where a few stragglers were still dancing. Sure enough, his glasses were there! Boy, we sound like the three stooges, don't we? It was 11:15 when we finally got home.

Dick's 40th reunion, and his sense of humor

I went to Reading after school to get Destiny and have been chillin' ever since. Dick went to the football game at his alma mater, Hempfield High School. This weekend is his 40th class reunion. They had special seating at tonight's homecoming game. Tomorrow evening we'll go to the reunion banquet. I half dread it. What do guys typically ask each other - "So where do you work?" I'm so tired of the whole unemployment story, I don't know if I can listen to it or take part in it for a whole evening. One of Dick's classmates he met this evening is now a retired chiropractor and is planning to move to Myrtle Beach to retire. Another classmate owns this community that our house is in, as well as maybe a dozen other communities. Do I sound like sour grapes? I'm afraid I do. And I hate when people sound like sour grapes.

So I'll tell a little, rather intimate story to show you Dick's sense of humor in the midst of our sorry situation. When he works out or plays basketball at the gym, he showers at the gym, usually several times a week. It saves our hot water! Last weekend Ray took a shower in our guest bathroom, which Dick considers to be his bathroom. Ray left his bath towel hanging in the bathroom when he was finished. On Wednesday night Dick noticed that towel and wondered why it was hanging there. I told him Ray had used it this past weekend. Dick said, "You mean I didn't shower in there since the weekend?" We realized he'd been at the gym three days in a row. I said, "Well, at least you didn't use our hot water." Thursday morning when I was getting ready for school I found myself in a situation without toilet paper. I called out the bathroom door, "Hey Dick, can you bring me a roll of toilet paper from your bathroom?" He brought it to the door and said, "You're going to have to start going to the bathroom somewhere else to save toilet paper." I just cracked up and it makes me giggle every time I think about it.

Bless the Lord

Well, I admit that today I shed tears. Dick got disappointing news from the one job prospect that we thought was hopeful. The outlook looks pretty grim right now.

The other Sunday I sang a song as a special during the offering and this evening I've been getting it ready for our worship team. The lyrics express what I want my heart to be saying. I'm just not quite there tonight.

Bless the Lord
Laura Story

You give and take away for my good,
For who am I to say what I need?
For You alone see the hidden parts of me,
That need to be stripped away.
And as You begin to refine,
I'm learning to let go, to rely
On the One who walks with me.
As hard as it may be,
You're teaching me all the while to say,

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
All that's in me bless Your name.
Forget not Your power untold,
Not Your glory or Your fame.
For You came to heal the broken,
To redeem and make me whole.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Though my faith my falter,
My strength may fail,
I pray for eyes to see.
The richness of Your mercy
Is shown to me.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
All that's in me, bless Your name.
Forget not Your power untold,
Not Your glory or Your fame.
For You came to heal the broken,
To redeem and make me whole.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.

2008 Gleaning Publishing/New Spring

A bare face (!!) and a good book

I don't want to offend any of my readers who do not wear make-up, but I do. I usually can't stand to look at myself without it and wouldn't think of appearing in public without it.

At least not if I can help it, that is. This morning after I was finished dressing and doing my hair, I took one last look in the bathroom mirror, as usual. I thought to myself, "Boy, I'm looking old."

On the way to school it occurred to me that it didn't feel like I had any lipstick on. Suddenly I thought, "I don't have ANY make up on!!" I had forgotten to do my face. Luckily I carry a little emergency make-up kit in my car. Sorry, folks, I just can't do it. I could NOT have taught a day of school with a bare face.

I think I finally found the answer to a good workout on the elliptical machine - a good book. Ever since I can no longer use the treadmill, I just have not been able to enjoy the elliptical as much. The thing I loved about the treadmills at the gym was that they each had their own personal TV. I could get on the treadmill, start watching a good show, and in no time 40 minutes had passed. Since I've had to use the elliptical instead I've been trying to read magazines to pass the time. When the choice of magazines became unbearable, I started taking my own. But even those drove me crazy. Finally today I went to the library before I went to the gym. I remembered how much I had enjoyed a few of Nicholas Sparks' books when I was traveling last year, so I loaned two of his and one of Karen Kingsbury's. Wow!! I started The Rescue while I was on the elliptical after school today, and the time just flew by. It's about a young mother with a child with disabilities. They were in a car accident and the little boy disappeared. Now don't anyone who has already read it tell me the outcome. I want the suspense to draw me back to that elliptical as many days as possible!

A fun weekend

This was a fun weekend. Ray came up from Virginia Beach and last evening Sam came home from Downingtown to do his wash. Sam was in a mood for something sweet to eat, and my cupboards were absolutely devoid of any such thing, so late last evening found me making brownies from scratch. Ummm - the smell of baking chocolate. They're already all gone and I didn't even get a picture. Today I put peanut butter on top of a brownie, microwaved it a little bit, then topped it with vanilla ice cream, banana slices, and chocolate syrup. Very bad, I know, but oh, so delicious. Now I must go back to being good again.

We have had much cooler weather, with downright COLD nights this weekend. Ray has become a wuss since living in the "south", and just hates being cold. Here's how I found him this afternoon.

I took this picture of him drinking coffee before he left - just for you, Thyda, so you can look right into his eyes!

Dick and Destiny were playing Connect Four. Ray was teaching her some strategies.

Last week I went to Salvation Army to look for some winter clothes for her. I love the challenge of finding just the right sizes and stuff to match each other. Here she is in a pair of pants that are size 7 slim. They are off-white with purple and lavender embroidery several different places. I was tickled to find this lavender shirt to match.

Now she's back home and it's time to focus on my school week again.

Still a mechanic

Yesterday after school I came home to see how Dick was doing after his chemo treatment (last one!!), then I headed toward Reading to pick up Destiny. After about 20 minutes I noticed that a red light was lit on my dash and that a needle on one of the gauges was in the red zone. I pulled over as smoke or steam(??) came out from under the hood. I called Dick and he came to my rescue. After just a little bit of poking around he noticed that a hose had popped off of something. I remembered I had heard some kind of unidentifiable noise shortly after I left home in the morning - must have been that hose popping. I took the Explorer to Reading and Dick called AAA to send a tow truck to take him and the Buick home.

When I got home from Reading he was waiting and ready for the Explorer. He had a very important high school football game to attend.

Shortly after he went to bed (around 11:30 PM) the phone rang and it was Ray. He was driving home from Virginia Beach and was having car trouble that he needed to ask Dick about. Apparently his power steering belt was seriously frazzled and slipping. Dick gave him advice and Ray did make it home.

So today Dick tuned up his auto mechanic skills which aren't getting much use these days. This morning he fixed my car here in our driveway. This afternoon he and Ray went to Dick's dad's place, where Dick is storing his tools, to fix Ray's car. Apparently to get to that particular belt they had to practically take half of Ray's car apart, and Dick was concerned that he might not get it finished before he had to start work at Advance Auto Parts at 5:00.

I was shopping for groceries when Ray called me at 3:30 and said, "We're done!" I exclaimed how wonderful that was and he said, "Yeah, Dad's an animal. He's a BEAST!" In case you're wondering, that was a compliment from Ray, his way of exclaiming about Dick's strength! And anyone who knows Ray knows exactly how he sounded when he said that! He also wondered if he could clone Dick and take him along back to Virginia!

How ironic that this guy who handles chemo like a breeze and knows how to fix every mechanical problem we have, has 30 job applications out there, and still no job. We can only rest in the fact that apparently God wanted to give Dick a break, He wanted to give us a chance to more fully rely on Him, and hopefully He's still orchestrating the details of that next job!

And speaking of grocery shopping - does anyone else out there HATE when your grocery store remodels and you just can't find anything anymore? And if you go on a Saturday, nobody that's working there knows where anything is either. At one point today I was so frustrated trying to find the new location of the store's brand of chopped garlic in a jar, I honestly felt like sitting down on the floor and bursting into tears. (Now that's a picture!) I was quite sure it should be in the produce section, but there was nobody working in produce. The three clerks working in the deli nearby admitted that they had no idea. The teenage girl working at the service desk told me confidently, "Aisle two." She was wrong. A mother of one of my students was there. I asked her and she pointed toward where it used to be, but no longer is. Later, after I had given up, she found me and told me to follow her. Sure enough, there in the produce section, on low wooden shelves at the far end of a refrigerated fruit display case, were the jars of chopped garlic. Quite a switch from being above the fresh vegetables. Thanks, Deb Newton!!

Life isn't very funny, but God still cares

I wish I could think of something funny to write about tonight, but I can't. Life just isn't very funny right now for a lot of people. In one week's time we found out that our nephew, our brother-in-law, and one of Dick's best friends were released from their jobs. Also, I had to go to the mall a couple of times recently, and I was struck by the lack of crowds and the huge amount of available parking spaces. Maybe I just went during slow times, but I have a feeling a lot of people are doing just what we're doing - we're hanging onto our pennies. At the same time, I realize that that is part of the reason why people are losing their jobs. What a cycle.

I have begun to keep a list of the ways we have experienced God's provision during this time. I think I'll share one of them tonight and embarrass myself in the process. You all know I like my hair dresser and the magic he works on this grandma's hair every six weeks and the hair products he recommends for me to use. I admit that as I have been reworking the figures of our budget there are a lot of things that I would rather give up than my hair care. (Dick and I joked that we could save money if we would both let our hair grow long and gray - we could look like an old hippie couple!) I told that to my hairdresser the last time I was there. As I was paying my bill I noticed a basket on the counter with products that were on clearance. There were three bottles of a product I use. I could not believe the price they were - about 1/4 the regular price! I asked him why they were on clearance. He said that the company changed the formula a bit, and these were the last three bottles of the old formula. Well, you'd better believe I bought all three!! My hair dresser was obviously touched as he realized what a blessing it was to me to be able to get them at that price. I love it when God shows His care even in the little things.

Only a week ago

Is it really just a week ago that I had the day off school and we took Miki and her kids to Sears Portraits and then to the Newark Airport? It seems like a whole month already. I MISS THEM.

I admit, I'm having trouble switching gears. I just feel in the mood for doing something more fun than going to school every day. Maybe it's having a hubby that seems to be on a long vacation. But we're hoping that will change soon. He got one bit of hopeful news from one place yesterday.

A day in the woods and a cute story

Last evening Dick went with his brother Jim to their hunting cabin in Juniata County. Jim went bow hunting today while Dick scouted around for a better "home base" for himself when he goes deer hunting in November. It doesn't seem too promising - all he saw today were bushy-tailed squirrels. But he did take some nice pictures.

He just got home and I'm glad. I really hate being home alone, especially over night. I went to sleep last night with a Christian TV channel on. I guess I thought the Lord would protect me better that way, ha, ha, ha!!!

Boy, I'm so tired of hearing about the election and the economy. So here's a cute little story to take your minds off those tiresome subjects:

GRANDMA'S INVENTION

Before I introduce my kindergarteners to so and mi and la, I teach them the "Do, a Deer" song from The Sound of Music. We have fun motions that we do with the song, and it's a great hit. Most of the kids at that age have not yet seen the movie from which the song originated. When Destiny attended my school for kindergarten two years ago, she learned the song and loved it, just like everyone else. A few weeks ago she told me that her music teacher at her school in Reading sang that song with them. She said, "I told my teacher that my grandma invented that song." On my word, that cracked me up!!!

LOTS to do

Okay, the fun of the past few weeks is over.

This morning it hit me - this is October 13 and I have a LOT to do between now and the Christmas program.

Beautiful Sunday

Late this afternoon Dick and Destiny went for a bike ride on a trail that used to be a railroad track. They did a five-mile ride, which is pretty good for an 8-year-old girl and a grandpa that's on chemo, wouldn't you say?? This grandma got a good, old-fashioned nap on the sofa - no clock set. I'd wake up every so often and look at my watch and go right back to sleep. I didn't even have any phone calls, a truly rare thing, indeed.

I said it yesterday, but let me say it again - we are having GORGEOUS weather!

I know some of you also read Lisa's blog, but just in case you don't, I just have to post this picture of Sophie practicing for her soccer team. This picture is SO her. She does everything with all her might. I surely do miss her.

Looking better

Things are looking a lot better, thank goodness. Dick's stepmother took Destiny out for a few hours today to buy her a birthday gift and take her out for lunch. So while she was gone and Dick was here to answer some of my questions, I had the perfect situation for making order out of all those papers. We now have a COBRA file and an Unemployment file added to the filing cabinet. Hopefully we won't be needing either one of them for very long.

We had absolutely gorgeous weather today. Dick planted more tulip and daffodil bulbs. I wish we could go right from Fall to Spring and just skip Winter. I know, I know - my kids in Florida will say there IS a place where that actually happens!

H-E-L-L-L-P!!!

Help! I'm drowning in paper! Now that our family has all gone back home it's time for me to tackle all the mail that's been coming in and coming in and coming in.

And it's not our normal mail. Now it's stuff about COBRA, unemployment, medical bills and more medical bills and more COBRA stuff and more unemployment stuff. Do they have to send everything several times????

I need the lady in the picture above. I found her on a website called Organize It with Martha. Come on over, Martha. I need some help!

A different kind of Friday

We had no school today, so I had time to catch up with work around my house. Dick had his third chemo treatment this morning and two job interviews this afternoon.

Later this afternoon I went to Reading to pick up Destiny. This evening she and I went to the Manheim Farmshow while Dick went to the high school football game close by. We saw lots of animals, including some of the hugest rabbits I've ever seen.

Destiny also loves sitting on big tractors for some reason.

Then there were the food stands and the kiddie rides. We got deep fried cauliflower (yummy!) and a baked potato.

One more fun day with our Swedes

This morning we headed to Sears Portraits to get pictures taken of Miki and the kids. What a crazy time. Miki has always been a ham, Bjorn is even worse, and Katrina just rolls her eyes and tries to put up with them! We got a black and white sheet of little thumbnails of the 12 poses taken; some are shown below. If you look closely you can see Miki acting like she's choking Bjorn on the one picture.

We left at 12 noon for the Newark, NJ airport and had some more fun on the way there. We need new rear shocks on our Buick, and with their heavy luggage in the trunk and Miki, Katrina, and I in the back seat, and the bumps on Route 22/78 we felt like we were on a Hershey Park ride sometimes!!

Wow, I hated to say goodbye at the airport. This has been such a sweet and fun visit. I sincerely hope that it won't be four more years before I see them again. I miss them already.

We drove back home through the hills of New Jersey and PA wondering what's next. With their visit over it feels like this would be a good time for Dick to finally get started with a new job, especially as good as he's been feeling in spite of chemo.

The economic news certainly sounds dire this evening. But God is still on the throne. Nothing catches Him off guard. I'm so glad we know Him.

Parade night

This morning Dick drove to the Baltimore Airport to pick up Miki and the kids. They had spent a few days in Tampa, even went to Busch Gardens yesterday. And just as I expected, they're crazy over Sophie. This was their first time meeting her.

The past couple of days Dick and I were preparing for the big event we had this evening. Our local town of Manheim is having their annual farm show this week. On Wednesday nights there is always a parade through town. Our school had a float in the parade. We had made a CD of our favorite praise and worship songs, which the children and I sang along and did small choreography with. It was a tremendously fun night in spite of the light rain we had. Dick was on the float as well, to operate the CD player. Miki and her kids sat on the lawn of our niece Laura, who lives along the parade route.

Afterward we went to the food stands and saw lots of people we know. It's always such a fun night. I feel so bad that Destiny had to miss it. I think she's watched this parade every year since she was one year old. She also just loves to see all the animals at the farm show. I hope most of them are still there when I take her on Friday.

Tomorrow our school has parent/teacher conferences. Since I am not a homeroom teacher I don't have any scheduled conferences, so I'm going along to the Newark, NJ airport to take Miki and the kids. I can hardly stand to think of them leaving.