A birthday visit

My son, Tim, lives in Oklahoma City, which is approximately 1000 miles away from my home in Indiana. So I try to go visit him about every 2 months when possible.

My mother-in-law (from my first marriage), Tim's grandma, also lives in OKC. She is 87 years old. She is nearly blind and has a hearing aid; but she continues to live alone in her own home. She gets along amazingly well. However, on Friday ( the 8th), she tripped on her own feet and fell. She didn't initially tell anyone--she is fiercely independent; and she said that Friday and Saturday her side was hurting but it was tolerable. Tim has been going to see her every Sunday; when he got there on that Sunday (the 10th) she was grimacing and moaning and in severe pain. He said he'd never seen her that way before. He immediately took her to the Emergency Room, where they found she had bruised ribs and one fractured rib on the right. Tim stayed with her that night and has been staying with her ever since. I know she has really appreciated his help, as well as just having his companionship.

An added benefit for Tim, is that grandma has been teaching him how to cook. He made a delicious taco soup; and he is now making eggs over-easy every morning for breakfast. So maybe now when he gets back to his own apartment he'll be able to have more meals at home. I think he's actually enjoying doing some cooking.

I apologize for the quality of the pictures. I cannot even believe it--but I forgot to take my good camara. These were taken on my phone camara. I left on Thursday the 14th to go visit Tim and "G-Ma". In spite of her injury, we had a great visit. On Sunday, she was able to go with us for dinner at my cousin's house, to celebrate Tim's birthday. I think she was glad to get out for a little while.


Tim really wanted a computer, so G-ma and I got him one for his birthday. He is very excited to be able to catch up on technology. He is on facebook, and has just enjoyed 'surfing the net'.



I HAD to include a picture of our sweet little Aiden. He is the great-grandson of my first cousin by marriage; I never can figure out what that makes him to me--maybe a 3rd cousin. Maybe some of you geneology buffs can help me out. Anyway, he's a sweetheart, but he fell asleep before dinner, so this was the best picture I could get.


I know many of you know a little about Tim's background and challenges. I am just so very much encouraged, as he is seemingly doing very well: complying with probation, has worked part-time for a man who has a moving company, spending time with his G-ma, and going to church. Spiritually, he seems strong, for which I am very thankful.


It's always good to go visit; it's also wonderful to be back home. Now I need to get back into my routine of exercise, proper eating, etc. I am just so thankful for the blessing of a relationship restored with my son.

What Does 100 Years Look Like?

Yesterday we had the privilege of attending an open house for Clara Gerig. She has been a member of our church for a long time, and very active in church. She is also related to me through my grandmother on my mother's side. On Tuesday (she informed me that is her actual birthday) she will be 100 years old.

She was telling some stories about when she was a little girl. And I was thinking, I hope I remember the stories of when I'm a little girl if I live to be 100. She is a dear sweet lady who loves the Lord, and gives Him all the glory for her length of years and good mind.

What was going on the year Clara was born? William Taft was President; the Cubs were actually in the World Series--they lost to Philadelphia! Also, the price of a first class stamp was 2 cents!

In the 1920's, the Prohibition Act was enacted (we could use that again), and thenwhen Clara was 19, there was the infamous stock market crash. And then in the early 1930's unemployment was at an all-time high; that decade was called the Great Depression.

It seems that what goes around, comes around. The 1930's don't sound much different than today, and the stock market is certainly not stable.

However, we weren't focusing on all of that . We were celebrating a life well-lived, and the birthday of a fine lady, who has had her share of difficult living, but in the last few years since I've gotten to know her better, I can't remember seeing her without a wonderful smile.

The Bible speaks about old age--and it seems to me being 100 years old would fit in that category.

Proverbs 16: 31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Leviticus 19:32 Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you,

and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Psalm 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me O God, till I declare your power to the

next generation, your might to all who are to come.

Certainly, Clara Gerig has declared to all those she comes in contact with, the power and might of her God.

Happy 100th Birthday, Clara!

My Hope is in God My Savior

Psalm 25:4,5 "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth, and teach me. For you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.


These are my memory verses for the first 2 weeks of January . I plan to be accountable through blogland, initiated through Leah, at The Point. I want to not only memorize them, but meditate on them. The plan is to memorize a new verse/verses every 2 weeks. (By the way, it's not too late to join us, if you'd like to be included in this Bible memory accountability group.)

So, I wanted to see if I could find out more about 2 words in these verses. First, what exactly is God's truth? I first went to Webster; it said "that which conforms to fact or reality; characterized by being in accord with what is, has been or must be". My New Concise Bible Dictionary, edited by Derek Williams, says "truth is an attribute of God who is utterly reliable." It also says He judges in truth and that demands a truthful response to him through obedience.

To me, it means that my God is absolutely dependable, and that He has provided His Word to show me the truths I need to live by. It is very reassuring to me, that because He himself IS truth, I can totally trust in His word to be truth.

Second, I was thinking about Hope. We hear that word tossed around a lot. "I hope it doesn't snow", or "I hope I get that job". Even when there seems to be no rational grounds for it, people continue to hope; and more often than not, they are sorely disappointed. Webster says, "desire with expectation of obtaining what is desired, or belief that it is obtainable; trust".

In this verse, it tells us what true hope should be. Our hope needs to be placed in the Lord, and not in any situation or circumstance. It is belief in our God, who keeps His promises and who works in our daily lives and circumstances for our best good. Hope , Faith and trust are almost synonymous. We put our trust, and hope in the Lord, who has proven His faithfulness over and over again.

So, as I seek to know His truth, and place my hope in Him, I can be assured that He will show me the path that I should go. We truly have an awesome God!

This Is Scary!

As is my usual routine, the other day I made coffee, prepared my cup with a little milk in it, and went to brush my teeth while it brewed. (It seems to take longer to brew if I'm standing there waiting on it)

I poured my coffee, brought it in and put it on the stand by my recliner, and sipped on it while I started checking e-mail on my computer. But, as is also very common, I got busy on the computer and my coffee got cold. S0-o-o, time to go get another cup.

What is this? It is the filtered water that we keep in the frig. All of the sudden I found myself by the frig, with my coffee cup in position, starting to get some water! What? No, No, Donna! You were coming for coffee!

I poured out the water, filled my cup with coffee, added cream, and came back to my recliner and computer.

I once again placed my cup of coffee on my table, but made sure I spent a little time enjoying it, before working on the computer again.

Oh my goodness! I'm way too young for these things to be happening! Just thought it might be encouraging to anyone who has had a similar experience.

One of the best old-age forgettfulness stories I've heard was from my Dad. I don't know if it actually happened, or if he was just sharing his wonderful sense of humor; but he said, "I was on my way upstairs, and sat down to rest a minute; when I got back up, I couldn't remember if I was going up or coming back down".

To those of you too young to truly appreciate these things, you will probably be able to relate some day.

Choices--A reflection for the new year.

I wrote this poem last February, and I posted it then. I haven't thought about it for many months, but came across it again as I was going through my journal. (True confession--I started journaling again last year about this time, but didn't keep it up--only about 2 months.). As I was thinking about the events of this past year, and some goals for the coming year, it seemed to me that the paths we find ourselves walking through and many of the circumstances we find ourselves in are a result of the choices we've made.

As we begin our journey through 2010, may we seek the Lord's guidance and wisdom in the choices we make.

CHOICES

In God’s perfect plan, He made a way,
For us to make our own choices each day.
Sometimes we chose well, sometimes bad,
We surely often make His heart sad.

So many choices we are allowed to make,
What career we’d like, and what way we’ll take.
Where we will live, city or country,
Who to marry, and who our friends will be.

In some things we have absolutely no control,
We don’t understand, and it grieves our soul.
We would never chose to suffer great loss,
Yet He chose to suffer for us on the cross.

No matter what the circumstance may be,
I know the Lord’s working it for good, you see.
As my love for Him grows greater still,
I chose to seek and follow His will.

So many promises we find in His Word,
When we pray, we will always be heard.
He gives peace and joy, we can’t comprehend,
And for every need, on Him we can depend.

So, I’m making a choice to give Him praise,
I want others to see Christ in me all my days.
Many times I will fail, but He gives strength to the weak,
He will guide and direct me when I listen to Him speak.

Thank you, Lord, for blessings you bestow,
With praise to You, may my heart overflow.
May I be an encouragement to others, I pray,
Help me to serve you joyfully each day.

Recipe Books Revealed

The big secret was finally out--and the recipe books were given to sisters and nieces at our Gisel Christmas on Saturday. You can tell from all the smiling faces that they were pleased to get them. Amy is in the front on the far right (in the pink--I don't always get my 'right' and 'left' dirctions very well).

I'm sure these will be not only used, but kept as a little piece of history from mother. The only problem is--what will I do with all my time, now that the books are completed? I know I'll think of something!

Apparently everyone wanted a picture of all of us with our books. It all of the sudden seemed quite funny to see all the men with their camaras, preserving this moment in time for blogs, scrapbooks, photo albums, facebook, etc. So of course, we had to get a picture of the men taking pictures.

We all met at the Holiday Inn Express in Fort Wayne and had a great time. They have a big breakfast room and sitting area combo that was great for us to visit, play games, etc. Following are some of the happy faces as we enjoyed spending time with family.

Amy (niece) and T.J. (G-nephew)

Lynn and I

Sheila (sister-in-law), Lowell (Bro) and Rog (b-i-l )

Dan (nephew), his wife Bethany, and niece Katie

Sis Lou, G-niece Tanyale, and her mom, Sharice

Sis Brenda and hubby Bob

We played a game called "Kemp", which I had never heard of before. You can play with unlimited numbers of people (each has to have a partner), and we started with 12 of us, but soon realized it was a little cumbersome with that many. We divided into 2 groups. I am not going to explain the game (not even sure I can do a good job of that); but suffice it to say, it was a bit hilarious and noisy. Thankfully, I don't believe the hotel was very full, or we could possibly have been considered a bit disruptive.

This was our group of six; I was Amy's partner and sitting across from her, but I'm hidden by Dan's head. As you can possibly surmise from this pic, T.J. was obviously the life of the party, and he and his dad Brian (white shirt) kept us in stitches.

We originally weren't going to get together at Christmas, as it is difficult to get everyone there with bad weather, long distances, etc. I am so glad that we decided to still have a family gathering for those that could make it. If my math is correct, this was a little less than half of us, as we have a total of 40 in the family and we had 16 of us there.

We had a great time, and plan to get together with the whole family in June, when the weather is more conducive to travel. I am truly thankful for each family member. My husband said, "you have a great family. Everyone is so nice and you have such fun". I couldn't agree more.

The Secret Project

Some of you will remember that a few weeks ago, in one of my posts, I mentioned a secret project that my niece, Amy, and I were working on for a Christmas surprise for our family. It all sort of started, I believe, in late summer, when we obtained some recipe boxes that held my mother's recipes. Amy had one box, and I had the other two. I started typing some of them, to make them more readable, and thought I would put them in a book. Then I decided that my sisters (and sister-in-law) would enjoy having them also. And I just happened to find these really cute recipe books online and bought 4 of them.

Then I called Amy. I thought maybe she would have some recipes I would like to include, and she had said she was going to type some of them also. So I asked if she had started typing any of the recipes yet. She said she hadn't started yet, but then she said, "I thought it would be great to put them in a recipe book for everyone". Well, I explained that I had already planned to do that for my sisters, and she sort of insisted that the grand daughters in her generation would love to have them also.

We agreed to do this, keeping it a secret from everyone else. At the time, I didn't realize how MUCH of a project it would turn out to be. We felt like we needed to type them to be more readable, but decided we would also like to make copies of the originals, so they could have them in mother's handwriting.

Did I mention, I have 4 in my generation, and 7 nieces (granddaughters) so we would be doing 11 books!

I quickly found the web site where I had gotten the books, and ordered the books, plus some additional recipe cards to go in them.

What a process! Amy typed the recipes she wanted to include, and copied the originals, and gave them to me. Because we live so far away from each other, and of course I am retired and have lots of time, I told her I would get them all put together.

I took the typed recipes, cut them to fit the recipe cards, and glued them to the cards. Then I put them in the plastic inserts, and put them in categories with tabs between each (cookies, meats, etc). I found plastic protector sheets to put the originals in, but they were too big, so I had to cut them down and hole punch them to fit, and then of course put the originals in the plastic sheets.

We ended up with 60 recipes in all, so you can do the math--60 x 11--for all the books. Above is a sample recipe page with 2 recipes per page.

Lest you think I'm complaining, and that this was drudgery, that was not the case. I really had fun doing it, although at one point I was feeling very overwhelmed, and wondering if I would ever complete the project. I kept Amy up to date on the progress; at one point a friend was going to help me, but the day that we had designated for her to help she was sick.

I am now very excited to see if everyone likes the books as well as I do. You know how I am with poems, so I just had to write a poem to go in the front of the book. This was the poem, called "Recipes Remembered".

We all can remember so many good things to eat
From Bernice's kitchen, most were healthy, some sweet.
Old recipe boxes among her things were found,
Browsing through them, what treasures did abound.

It seemed only right to preserve them in some way,
To pass on to future generations one day.
There are cakes, breads, casseroles, and cookies by the dozens,
Some were provided by sisters, aunts, friends and cousins.

This recipe book was put together with love (and lots of glue!)
We hope it will bring pleasure to each one of you.
As you look through this book, and try some of the recipes,
We're sure it will bring back many fond memories.

So now the secret is out! Our family members will be receiving their books at about the time this is being posted. (A few of them of course, will not be able to be there, so some were mailed.

Remind me next time I get a great idea like this, that I might want to pencil in a big block of time to get it accomplished! We hope it will be something to treasure, as well as providing lots of good eating.