Link to My Other Blog

I was thinking one day about the fine print in the Bible. I debated where to post it, but I didn't feel like it really fit here. It you want to read it I posted it on my other blog.


 http://songatdaybreak.blogspot.com/2015/07/reading-fine-print.html

Seeing Beauty Where You Find It

   When I got out of the car at Dad's house this past week, this is the first thing I saw. The rain had just washed those little purple faces.  My Dad takes care of his flowers as well as he does Mom.

  We took a kitten along for Mom to enjoy. I took a few pictures of her with the kitty, her hair wasn't done yet. But who can tell an old person with Dementia that she has to wait to hold a kitty till she gets her hair done. Here she is.....

                 She liked the kitten. I'm not sure the kitty liked her the whole time but Mom loved her.

This Past Week

    I took a short dash up to Matt and Kate's house this past week from Wednesday until Saturday morning. They are the directors for Vacation Bible School at their church. So I took the kids up for that.

    Ella Mae and Emma stepped in and did Grandma's shower for us on Wednesday.

   I was back on Saturday in time to do Mom's shower with Angie. She seemed very happy and easy going . Dad ran for some groceries while I stayed with Mom.

 Donna stayed with Mom in the morning while Dad was at work. He actually took her along at 10am and then Donna picked her up at 11am. According to Donna's FB report, things went well. Mom was cooperative and decided to be a good girl.

   Mom seems to know people so far. While I was up north I saw Daria Newenswander.  I got a picture of her and her baby so I could show mom. Mom didn't know her, which I wasn't surprised about, but when I told her that Daria is Carrie's girl, her face lit up and she remembered Carrie.

  Steve was with me at the folks house one day recently. Just nicely sitting on the couch, when Mom started crying. When I asked her what was wrong she got this distressed look on her face and pointed at him. So I don't know what he triggered in her mind.

  Pop took Mom with him to an Amish place this past week. He left her sitting in the van and told her to stay there. When he got back to the van she was missing....again....(he hasn't learned yet) He found her in the house. It is so uncharacteristic of Mom to go into a strangers house. She would never have done that before. Who knows, maybe she thought she had to go to the bathroom.

Stayin' with Mom

  Today was my day to stay with Mom while my Dad worked at his recycling job. Mom sat in her chair and slept most of the morning. I took Merry along because her and Mom always get along well and it helps the time go faster for Mom and she doesn't miss my Dad so much.

  Mom was in a mellow mood today. She stays in her chair for hours and doesn't make much trouble. At least not today. She wasn't in a throwing mood today like she has been sometimes.

  On Wed. when we were there for her shower. Angie had left and I stayed a little while because Pop wanted to run to town for coffee. Merry was with me that time too and she wanted some ice cream so I thought maybe Mom wants some too. I noticed a large shake sitting on the counter when I got there and it still felt cool to the touch I figured it must be Mom's so I gave it to her and she very nicely drank it down. Bout that time my Dad comes home and I asked if the Shake was mom's. He said yes it was. He had given it to her earlier and she just wanted to throw it on the floor so he took it away.

  Mom wasn't very happy about her shower on Friday.After we got her in the tub she looked at me with this very dark look and shook her head vigorously. Then when I reached out to help her undress my arm went across her mouth and she tried to bite me. That was the second time that happened. I am getting a little wiser about letting my flesh come in contact with her mouth.

  Today while I was there I read some of what she wrote about her life. It is very interesting. She was just a kid yet when my dad wrote to her for the first time. She said she showed the letter to her parents and asked them what they think and they said she could do whatever she wanted about it. I was nearly freaking out. I can't imagine saying that to my 16 year old daughter. I'd probably say you can tell him anything you want as long as it is NO!

  But I am impressed....that same young boy is the man who says he will take care of her till he drops.

Till I Drop

I wished for a Smart Phone again today....

 It rained, so the library seemed like a good option. I couldn't really send my noisy offspring out in the rain.

   When we drove up to the library I saw a van that looked like Grandpas. Sure enough, that's who it was. Guess who was sitting in the van?  Yeah You got it! Mom! She saw me too. So I went to see her. But my Dad had locked the doors before he went in and when I got there it appeared like she couldn't remember how to unlock so I just waved at her and went in. She had a huge grin and a 32 oz.Coke.

    Not long after Isaiah says, "Mom, Grandma wandered in here."
Sure enough, there she was clutching her pop and grinning with her characteristic big eye look. I went over and grabbed her hand and took her back to her van. About that time my Dad came out and took her home.

   We have had some concern about Mom's care being too much for my Dad, so we asked him about it this week. His reply was, "I will take care of Mom until I drop."

 I would love to have a picture for you of the library episode, But my Dumb Phone just don't cut it.

The Super 8 Encounter

  We were on our way down to Illinois to load up with books again and to attend Staff Meeting. We don't usually get a motel on our way , but this time we did because it was better than running all the way home and then backtracking the next morning. Steve and I had spent the day filling bookshelves in S. Milwaukee.

  When we left our Motel room, Steve said, "Lets just go to McDonald's, the kitchen is full here this morning."
  I said, "Well, but let's at least get coffee here. I was thinking of saving food money for Choice Books.
He said,"That's fine." and so we walked in. I made it to the coffee before he did, and here's the difference between the male and female brain. He's a hunter, he walks in, shoots it, and drags it home.

  I'm a different story. I have to deliberate. Do I want straight coffee or do I want cream? Should I put in Hot Chocolate mix and make it Cappuccino? Maybe I should just get OJ too. Steve was in a hurry, he got his coffee and headed out.I decided on OJ and Cappuccino.

   I knew Steve was in a hurry so I was under pressure to get going. I was also emotionally stressed because of trying to work out some details about Mom's care etc....I had just finished mixing the Cappo with those flimsy little straws. It wasn't mixing too well. Because of my hurry, I tried to put on the lid with my left hand while my right hand was occupied with my OJ.

  Something went horribly wrong and the whole Styrofoam cup flattened under my hand and flooded the counter with hot Chocolate Coffee. I groaned and glanced around for napkins hoping my whole mess would go unnoticed. I was halfway through when a young man approached me and asked.

  "Are you Amish?"
I groaned on the inside. "No, I'm not Amish." I answered, still feverishly sopping up my mess.
  "Well, whats that thing about on your head?" He ventured

  I looked at him squarely, for the first time taking my eyes from the mess, and kind of absently noticed that he was a special needs youth. At the time it didn't really soak in though.
  "Its a Prayer Covering and I'm not the only person in the world that does it." I felt like I was almost snapping at him. Which isn't my normal personality at all.

   "Oh, I'm sorry." He said, backing off
  I immediately felt bad and softened my heart, "No, it's OK, I don't mind if you ask.

  At that point I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

  Tonight I'm a little shocked at myself. Where was the sweet person who shines for Jesus? Why was I irked because someone took me for Amish? I can't help feeling sorry for the young man. I hope no one else bit his head off that day.

  But I wonder...how many times when we encounter someone who isn't really kind....do we think what in the world is wrong with that person? Maybe in reality they are not dealing well with the pressures of life.

God is Good, All The Time

   There is a lot of beauty in this world that displays God's signature. There are a lot of painful things as well. Sometimes we  humans are tempted to wonder why God allows the ugly, the hurts and the trauma.

   I don't know that I have all the answers, but one thing I do know is, I have tasted of the Lord and found that he is good. He is my shield, my strength, my peace, my joy, my salvation, the lifter up of my head.

  The real guilty culprit is the devil. He's the one that drives wedges, causes disagreements, turns hearts angry and cold. He is the accuser, The one who tears apart and divides.

  So why do I think God is good? In the middle of seeing my Mom lose her mind, doing things she would be embarrassed about today if she only knew. I believe God is good because he will have the last word in this conflict. The Bible says the last enemy to be destroyed is death. What a great day that will be! So many people look for the fountain of youth in the wrong place.

  Everything we are looking for is found in Christ. Do a word study for yourself. Take your Bible and look up the word sanctified and see what God has to say about those who put their trust in him.

  Sometimes when I face conflict I find it hard to respond in a right way. Usually I put a hold on my emotions and do nothing or little. Because I know there is no good thing in myself. If I wait long enough then God begins to work his work in me, and most of the time he diffuses it before I make a total fool of myself. I have done that already but I didn't like the end result. I like God's way much better.

  So along with the Sweet Singer of Israel I pray that the beauty of Christ could be seen in me as well as in his beautiful creation. Let his signature be on my heart.

Mom Was Happy Tonight

   I know I have not been here for a week. I am painfully, acutely aware...

But now I am here and I hope you are too.....

   Angie and I went over to do Mom's shower this evening. She was happy to see us and full of smiles. One thing that is really cool about Mom since her Dementia is she is so free with her hugs. Mom was always kind of reserved with her emotions. Oh, I remember lots of hugs when I was little but as we got older there wasn't as many. Now we get all we need, and she gets them right back!

                                                           

                          Angie gets a hug tonight after Mom's shower, before I got her hair done.

   Sometimes I wonder if I can really remember my Mom as she was when she was normal. Sometimes in my dreams she talks to me. I love that. Sometimes I can almost remember the sound of her voice. I cherish the moments today though. Angie and I have many precious times with Mom.

     Someday....Someday.....things will be different. Someday Mom will be young again, in that land that is fairer than day. Then we will hear hear her voice and her laughter again.


 Tonight while we showered Mom, Pop left for awhile so we stayed with Mom and while he was gone, we spent the time listening to The Chuck Wagon Gang on Youtube. Mom used to enjoy them a lot.

                                                       Here she is, listening to the songs

                                                             
                        
                                                        

Happy Meals

Today Phebe, Ella Mae, Janessa, Jessalyn and I made meals for the freezer at Mom's house. It was Angie's idea. She felt like the folks weren't eating good enough and she came up with the plan. But she had to work today so the girls and I tackled it. We started around 9:30 and were done by 11:30. It all went very well and they have roughly 60 meals in the freezer now.

 Ella Mae, trying to avoid the camera

 Phebe filled in the Veggie's first and put them in the freezer while we were cooking the Chicken, Meatloaf and getting potatoes cooking for Mashed Potatoes and Scalloped Potatoes. We also did Lasagna and Chickenetti.

 Making Lasagna

 Garlic Bread to go with the Lasagna meals

 Labeling containers and putting it all together

Mashed Potatoes and Veggies, waiting for Boneless Chicken thighs and Meatloaf to cool off enough to be put in.