Delaware Grammy

Graduation Day!!!

Congratulations, Deborah-Girl!!!

 

 

 

Sitting in Sunday School
Hearing my Beloved Sisters
Reading the Bible Words
About Heaven.

And I think about it
The City of Transparent Gold
The Lamb, Himself the Light
And no more night.

And no more pain
And no more sorrow
And no more crying
And no more death.

These tears that fall here
Will be all wiped away.
We shall know as we are known
And the Mystery will be gone.

He’s THERE!
My Precious Daddy.
HOME FREE!  HOME FREE!
I wonder what he’s doing now.

How can such a Wondrous Hope
And Exquisite Joy
Still be such a wrenching void
And Incredible Grief?

The comfort is to know
That HE IS THERE!
And someday,
Some Glorious Morning,
We shall be there, too!

For pictures from the Potato Salad day that happens every year around this time — Go to Oldest Daughter’s website at:

www.xanga.com/Jesses_Girl99

(These two days have been too busy for me to come up with a posting.  Sorry!)

Last year, for our 33rd wedding anniversary, Certain Man bought this arbor for me, and installed it in our fence row.  I had been asking for an opening in the fence so that I could get to the front yard without going all the way around, and he always has such good ideas, and this arbor was the result:

We found two climbing rose bushes — one at Lowes in Dover and one at Lowes in Lewes.  The were the same color number, but different sizes.  When we bought the first one, we thought it was going to be a deep red because of the buds that were on it- 

How wrong we were!

(We are still delighted with them.  The colors are just perfect!)

The Rhododendrons are blooming  I thought they had been damaged beyond coming back, but, as you can see, They were NOT!

But the Red ones, though beautiful —

Are not nearly as far along as the lavender ones.

I haven’t gotten my flower beds planted yet, but have been the recipient of two hanging baskets:
This one from my sister, Sarah:

I love these geraniums!

 

And this one from Oldest Daughter and Beloved Son -in-law. 

This one is impressive, too!

The spring has been so unusual, but the flowers are spectacular.  The beauty is almost overwhelming!

 

 

It’s official!!!

Our Student Nurse passed her last final with a 95%

And she is done with school!!!

Graduation in 8 days

And a job waiting in Intensive Care!

Ah, our Deborie-girl!!!

We are so thankful for God’s incredible Grace

And for your dedication and Hard work!

Just in case you didn’t know, we’re so proud of you!

Youngest Son is home from College. It is a great feeling to look up from the wash line and see him trucking across the blacktop with his lunch box, after a long, hard day of work. I love having him home. It has actually been three years since he graduated from High School and has pretty much been gone since the following September. About 10 days ago, he turned 21. Sometime in the midst of all the stuff that has gone on in our lives over the last three years, my Youngest Son became a Man. I am so thankful for the choices that he has made in these last three years — largely without me. He has proven that when he needs to, he really can survive without his Momma to make sure he’s doing it right. Not that he has gotten it all “right” (because he hasn’t . . . But you know what? Neither have I!!!)  He has been so patient with me in my muddlesome, meddlesome mothering.

At Thanksgiving, when Oldest Son and Youngest Son were both home and Oldest Son was getting ready to go to Nepal, I spent some time wondering what had happened to me. I felt so numb. Like I was on automatic pilot. Like Mama’s illness and Gertrude’s death and Daddy’s Homegoing and the circumstances at our fractured, hurting little church had changed me so much that I really didn’t know who I was and I didn’t know what to do about it. I knew that I believed in My Heavenly Father’s goodness to me and my family and our church. I knew that I believed that Jesus had come to pay for my redemption, and that Heaven was mine someday, but I felt so bereft of any original thought, wisdom, energy and even hope. 

I remember trying to think of what I wanted to say to Oldest Son as he was leaving. I believed that God was calling him, and I wanted him to be obedient, but I could not find it in my heart to be glad that he was going. I could not celebrate his Calling. I stood in the kitchen the morning that he was leaving and could not even think of a blessing. It felt like my world had consisted of good-bye after good-bye after good-bye and I was sick and tired of it. (And that is probably more accurate than even I know. Sick and tired!!!)  And so, he hugged me, planted a kiss on my forehead and I stood numbly there, not even crying.  Just hating it so much.  And then he was gone.

I’m so thankful for the healing that God brings to wounded people.  It has been an incredible comfort to realize that He knows me.  He put me together and He isn’t surprised when I am unable to function because all I can see is the pain.  There were many times when I knew that how I was dealing with life wasn’t necessarily the BEST way, but I was comforted by the fact that God knew how deep my pain was, and He wasn’t condemning me, even while He was encouraging me to not stay where I was.  No, the process isn’t complete, the journey isn’t over, but there has been progress, and it feels really good to be able to trace the small victories.

I am looking forward to this summer so much.  There are already things that I know are going to challenge us.  And even the prospect of having both of our sons home for the summer causes me to ponder a bit, because while I’ve been busy changing, they certainly have not stayed the same.  These are days to hold on to the grace given to us, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (for there is sure to be some of that!) fervent in Spirit.

The one thing that I do know is that over these past 18 months, this Xanga network has helped to keep me sane.  I have found such an earnest, compassionate, encouraging fellowship, and I thank every single one of you.  You have been God’s messengers to me over and over again, and I surely do love all of you, even when I don’t find time to tell you!

 

News from Nepal —

Last week we got a letter from Eldest Son.
  (This gave me a start!)

Last weekend, Certain Man and his siblings met at the home of their Daddy and Mom for a work weekend. 

This is Daniel’s middle sister, Rachel, and her husband, Ivan.  They have seven children, six of whom are married and they have 20 grandchildren.

 

This is Daniel’s youngest sister, Ruth, and her husband, Andrew.  (Ivan and Andrew are brothers)  They have four children, and three are married and they have nine grandchildren.

 

And this is Daniel’s Oldest Sister, Lena, (on the right) talking to Aunt Betz.  Lena lives in San Diego, CA, and she is business manager for a busy medical group there.  She had the longest way to come, but we would probably never get anything done without her.  She is a dynamo!!!  Aunt Betz is married to Daniel’s Uncle Homer.  (Homer is one of Ralph’s brothers, and I was dismayed to find that I didn’t have a single picture of him.  He came on Saturday morning and made it possible for Ralph and Sue to attend the wedding of a grand-niece that was in the local community.  That was an incredible blessing to us and to Ralph and Sue.  Thanks, Uncle Homer and Aunt Betz!) 

 

Daniel’s Father, Ralph, once an energetic and strong man, is now almost eighty-three, and deals daily with issues of health and aging.

 

  His wife, Sue, a year older, is better able to deal with the daily things, but taking care of Daniel’s Dad is really too big a job for her, especially as she gets older. 

LET THE WORK BEGIN!!!

 

The boys (Daniel and his two brothers in law) came for the primary purpose of making a ramp on the front of Ralph and Sue’s comfy little house that would enable Ralph some independence in getting in and out of the house with his scooter.  The day was rainy and cold.  Andrew and Ivan, the brothers in law, both had bad headaches.  But in the morning, when the three of them were discussing the ramp with Ralph, he forcefully announced that they would never get that ramp done that weekend.  There just was no way.  That was enough to motivate the crew of three and they worked through rain and cold, stopping only for lunch and by evening, the ramp was done!

And a pretty ramp it was!!!  Here it is with Ralph and Sue and the infamous scooter.

That evening, (Friday) we were surprised by the arrival of a grandson, Jeremy, with his wife, Doreen and the youngest of their three boys, Donovan

Jeremy’s were on their way to Wyoming.  They were pulling a big camping trailer that Jeremy had sold to someone out there and they needed to deliver it.  What a blessing their family was to all of us as we traversed the next two days.  And Donovan kept us amused by just being his sweet self.

   

Sweet, sweet little boy.

 

During the day, we ladies did lots of things:  One of the grandson’s in law had gotten a speaker phone to aid in communication.  Ruth and Lena figured it out for them.

We cleaned, of course.

Ruth tried out that nifty scooter.

We had to go out and see what the men were doing in the shed.

 

That was also quite a job!  But they kept at it and made great progress.  Daniel and his brothers in law were able to separate out some tools, and Daniel was quite pleased with how everything went.

 

 

When things were pretty much finished up, Lena took us all to the Eskimo Queen there in town for ice cream.  Her treat!

Lena pays.

Donovan LOVES ice cream!

Happy, happy times!

And then it was church on Sunday, visits with good friends, and then catch-up on Monday morning, including a breakfast at Der Dutchman with the Beachy’s (Sue’s family) and finally, we got on the road about noon, and came trucking on home, safe and sound.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for us.  We are very aware that the weekend’s success was because of God’s goodness to us.  And we are most grateful.

Communion

Homemade Bread

Home Canned Grape Juice

Freshly ironed tablecloths

Just laundered towels

Folded to hang just right.

All these, done for love–

Of You, My Savior

And for my Brothers and Sisters

Whom I also love.

Tonight I feel the tug of weariness

The reminder of the labor of the day.

But even more,

I feel the joy of once more

Being allowed to serve. . .

The quiet satisfaction of

Being “handmaiden” to the Lord

By serving

His Body, The Church.