hospital

Hi, this is Phil, Ginny's husband. Ginny is in the hospital with acute diverticulitis. She is on anti-biotics, anti-nausea meds, and pain meds. The Dr. thinks she may be in the hospital the rest of this week.
Pray for us that she will get well soon!
Phil H.

Of Doctors, Cars, and Tastycakes

"The time has come", the walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of doctors, cars, and Tastycakes
Of cabbages and kings
And why the day was not so great
and whether pigs have wings."


I got the feeling today might go a bit askew when I was making the bed and a spider was on the bedspread. I am terrified of them. So you can only imagine me running around the house naked trying to find a way to quickly kill it without getting near it. That over, I went to my doctor for a check up. There I found out that I am pre-diabetic and I likely have some kind of rare genetic disorder that is turining my bones, ligaments, and tendons to mush. Don't know what the disorder may be, because we don't have a name to look up, and such is the state of genetic testing and insurance...blah bla blah. I left the office with a 30 page printout to read, and found out our car was dead again. We put in a call to son and daughter-in-law to rescue us. Daughter in law Melissa stopped in the middle of making jam and was there with jumper cables and our granddaughter in five minutes. Do we have a great daughter-in-law or what? Son arrived shortly thereafter, having missed all the fun. Word to the wise: not good to put your cell on vibrate. Back home, and after photographing me with my five pound diabetes printout, I finally decided it was time for some serious sugar. No irony here! How about it, is this a one cupcake day, or the whole box? I am actually fine because I am not diabetic YET, we have a wonderful family, and the car is back home waiting on our good mechanic. All things in perspective. And let's just totally forget that today was Friday The 13th.


"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4

The Watcher

This is the huge field where Phil and the rest of the soaring club play fly their gliders. And this is where you would have found Phil and I one evening at twilight a couple weeks ago. The field was empty and quiet, only the two of us there, and as usual I settled down to take pictures of the sunset while watching him fly his glider. When we went to leave, the car wouldn't start. Nothing. Not even a click. Phil discovered that acid had eaten through the battery cable. He rummaged in the trunk and found some medical tape and it started. Through all this we had watchers who came out into the twilight, but kept their distance. They were extremely curious. We made it home, though it quit once again. The next morning, our mechanic told him that the car could have exploded at the field while he worked on it. Many years ago, the car quit way out of town and he fixed the broken hose with a razor blade he found. Another time when the car quit, he fixed it enough to get us home, but whenever we needed to get in reverse, he had to get underneath the car while I kept my foot on the brake, yikes! I think someone else has been watching over us besides these deer.

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do...We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield."   Psalm33

Crabby

The crab apple trees are in bloom now, and they're beautiful! Most of these pictures are from the one on the corner. They are all covered with bees, but this one was different.  Usually bees leave me alone and even let me take their picture, because they are busy getting nectar. My friend Judy, over at THRUSQUIRRELEYES, taught me this. She knows almost everything. But these bees were different, and very aggressive! They buzzed me and buzzed me! I must have been a sight, standing on the corner swinging my arms around and trying to cover my head with my camera. A huge swarm finally chased me back to the car, and I am incredibly lucky that I wasn't stung. I had to wonder if they were African bees, at least partially. But then I got to thinking. The crab apple tree gets it's name from the word "crabbed", meaning crooked, disagreeable, or ill tempered. Because not only is the tree crooked like a crab, but the fruit is very disagreeable and sour. So these bees were just full of that crabby, ill tempered nectar. I'll think twice before snapping a crab apple tree again.


"Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings..."   Psalm 17:7,8

A Portrait Of My Love

There could never be a portrait of my love
for nobody could paint a dream
You will never see a potrrait of my love
for miracles are never seen.
Ornadel/West


I wonder how many of you remember the old song "Portrait Of My Love"? Phil and I spent Mother's Day at our son's house, where more family had gathered to celebrate. We sat outside under their gazebo in the cool breeze and watched the kids play. Of course they brought their dolls to dinner, as any good mom would do! It was a lovely day, and us moms each got presents! Mine was two tickets to the new luxury movie theatre in town, and a portrait that our granddaughter had painted of herself!! It was even framed in a beautiful frame. What do you think, not a bad likeness for a five year old! The other big love in my life is my son Mike, pictured here with me. But there is no portrait of the one who loves us more than anyone, so much that he died for us. We do not know a thing about what he looked like in human form, but I am thinking it was very average. He could have been beautiful and swayed people by his looks, but chose not to, chose to be just like the average guy. This is all we know about how he looked.


"There was nothing attractive about him. Nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand."   Isaiah 53


"Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privilages. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life, and then died a selfless, obedient death - and the worst kind of death at that - a crucifiction."   Philippians 2:8

Computer Problems

Having some computer problems, hope to be up and running soon. It's good if this post goes through!

A Strong Heart

Frances Agnes Elizabeth Peters : 1927-2008


She was born in a small coal mining town near Pittsburgh. She was born one month late, and with a tooth already in her mouth. When she was seven, her father left the family for another woman, something unheard of in 1934. That was when she came down with severe asthma, which doctors didn't know much about back then. She spent the next several years in hospitals inside oxygen tents, or at home in bed, at times barely catching her breath, unable to lay flat and still inhale. She had to drop out of elementary school, and was never to return. She had to lie about her age to get a work permit at age 16, and never stopped working after that. From about the age of 45 till she retired at 65, she worked two full time jobs, 16 hours a day, with never a day off. She received many awards, all with no education. At about age 60, she was mugged on a city street. She would not let go of her purse, and was dragged screaming. She was a fighter. She was tough as nails and soft as butter. At age 65, she retired and moved here to Virginia to be with us, but kept on working part time. She adored work, and it gave her her identity. She got bladder cancer and had two major surgeries. Went back to work. Then got lung cancer and had part of a lung removed. Finally the cancer spread. The tumors blocked her stomach so nothing would stay down. The hospital fed her thru I.V., but then withdrew it. We said our good-byes and they put her in a deep sleep, and removed all fluids. She would starve to death. Usually in that state, a person lasts maybe a week. She lasted almost two weeks. She was a fighter. I watched as her nightgown went up and down from the beat of her strong heart. I watched. It was un unspeakable time, so why do I speak of it now and sadden your day? Because it is Mother's Day and I must. I want others to know her. Will this help lessen my pain? Probably not. But now her story is here, and it seems right. For some reason, Blogger won't put my pictures in the right order, but you can figure it out..


"...do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you." Proverbs 6:20,22