Delaware Grammy

       First of all, I want to thank all of you for the many great wishes for my birthday.  It was a really special day, beginning when I first came downstairs in the morning.  Both Middle Daughter and Youngest Daughter were hanging around with that air of expectancy.  (Oh, Great!  What are my poor, unobservant eyes supposed to see that I’m not seeing?)  I looked around carefully whilst they snickered, and finally decided that I should just go and get my ladies up. 
       Says Middle Daughter, “Mom, I think you should just go about your morning routine the way you always do, and you will see.”
       So I began by opening the vertical blinds that cover the sliding glass door.  And there it was!  Certain Man’s birthday present to me—

These wind chimes were some that I had admired in New York a few weeks ago.  I especially loved them because they sound like Westminster Chimes.  In fact, their name is “Church Bells”.  Certain Man had made contact with his sister who had purchased them and brought them to Ohio a few weeks ago when Certain Man’s Aunt passed away.  He brought them home on the airplane, and they were stored at Eldest Daughter and Beloved Son in Law’s house.  I am enjoying them immensely.  He could not have pleased me more.  I love wind chimes.

Praises-

Youngest Son (home for a few days!)

Rainy morning (just like he ordered!)

Forgiveness (I need it on several counts today!)

Eternal Promises  (I need them on ALL COUNTS today)

Friends (I’d sure be in poor shape without these, too)

Brown sugar cookies with maple frosting (I could do without these, but do I want to?)

Classical Christmas music (Yes, well.  It is the 20th of October.  I’m not ready for “Jingle Bells” yet, but I do love Handel and Bach and Vivaldi and Pacheibel and Tchaikovsky.  I feel carried by the majesty and fullness and sweeping music that fills my world.)

Our Church  (These people who gather together to weather the storms of life, celebrate the good things of living, mourn the hard things as well, laugh, cry and pray together.) 

My Family  (I’ve been so blessed with the husband I’ve been given, the parents I was given to, the children that have come to bless our lives, the ladies that share our home, my brothers and sisters and their families.)

This is a season of Grateful Praise

After that last posting —

Our Nettie Girl had Carpal Tunnel Surgery on Wednesday Morning.  In the evening, I took Youngest Daughter to Drivers’ Ed and shopped for some things for the Pollard/Miller wedding.  Delivered it to someone who took it to somewhere and someone picked it up there, and took it to Pennsylvania.  So it would be there before the last minute for the wedding.  What a blessing the people of God are!

Wednesday evening, while shopping, we got word that our friends, Marty and Dianne Wenger were coming for the night on Thursday evening.  They hoped to see some people from church.  There was a church cleaning planned for Thursday night, but we decided to have a simple supper and invite some people who knew their family for supper.  After which, Certain Man, Youngest Daughter and maybe Middle Daughter would go forth to the cleaning at the church basement.

Thursday Morning was usual Bible Study.  The children behaved very well.  The babysitters did a splendid job.  The Ladies participated and contributed and the time was sweet.  And when they left, Certain Man’s Wife galvanized into action to make the supper.

Marty, holding Rosie, Diane hold Galadriel, Clara holding Pierce, Corin, and Kirdan Wenger

Marty and Diane and six of their seven children (+ the dog) arrived before one o’clock,   and it was so good to see their faces, to hug Diane, to talk of our journeys since we saw eachother, and catch up.  Diane peeled the apples for apple dumplings, we finished up the soup, and along about 5:30, Gokum and her husband and GrammaDottie and her husband showed up, and we had a simple supper of Chicken Corn Noodle Soup, Cottage Cheese Salad, Sweet Muffins, and Apple Dumplings.  After supper, Gokum and her husband, Certain Man and Youngest Daughter left for church, and shortly thereafter, Middle Daughter was called upon to take something to Church that was needed there.  “Can I take the van?” She queried.  I thought about that and decided there was no reason why not.  Ah, Woe is me.  She left for church, and our company hung around for a while.  About 8:30, after everyone had gone and Diane and I were cleaning up, it suddenly dawned on my fur brain that I needed Nettie’s meds before bedtime.  (This is why I use Happy Harry’s who stay open on weeknights until 9:00– I often forget until late that I need something!).  But then I didn’t have a vehicle.  Except for the car that Middle Daughter drives which belongs to Youngest Brother and has a bad reputation for letting poor uninformed women quite stranded.  If there were time, there would be a CMW story concerning the adventure to the drugstore in said car.  For pity sakes, and oh, dear me!  What a trip!  But I finally got home again, in one piece but considerable more worn down than I had been when I left.

Some Scenes from Friday Morning

Clara Shivers!

Two handsome Wenger Boys — Corin and Kirdan

Getting loaded to leave — this is a full flivver!

Friday morning, we made breakfast for our company, and at 9:40 we got them off, and then soon after 9:45, Certain Man and I went to pick up my Sweet Mama for a trip to Baltimore for a six month check-up with her thoracic surgeon.  We had some adventures finding the hospital since he is practicing out of a different hospital, but we finally found the place, and saw the doctor (and everything is great!) then came home again, flew to Georgetown to pick up Middle Daughter’s (finally!) repaired car.  We needed to get tags and registration (inspection was already done) so we picked up the papers, flew to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles — and got turned down at 4:24 because of a technicality.  (Certain Man was not happy!)  Came home again, and left shortly afterwards to go to Youngest Sister’s house for supper.

One of my incredible sisters — (Youngest One, this time) fields yet another phone call.

 What a great evening!  Middle Brother and his sweet wife, Rose,

 their son, Mike, his pretty, pregnant wife, Heather, their two splendid children, Lauren and Jadon,

Lauren plays!

with my Sweet Mama, sat around the table with Alma, Jerrel and Gabriel and had the best supper I’ve had in a long time.

Rose and her grandbabies, Jadon and Lauren

Nel with the same two little ones.  How very much they light up our lives!

This morning, then, it was up to give showers to Cecelia and Nettie-girl.  Then we gathered up
Beloved Son in law and Eldest Daughter    

as well as Youngest Daughter   

and sped to Greenwood where we picked up

my Sweet Mama,

and headed to Pennsylvania for the wedding of Jeremy Miller and Renee Pollard. 

This was a grand event,

and we saw so many friends,


visited with people we hadn’t seen in a long time, and witnessed a beautiful wedding.  We had good food, and good fellowship and good admonition.  When the afternoon was well spent, we piled back into the car, made a quick side trip to Good’s Store which we found closed, then headed for home.  We pulled into the driveway at Shady Acres at about 8:30 to smell brown sugar cookies baking, and a house that was quiet and orderly.  Middle Daughter had kept the home fires going, and it was warm and inviting.

So that is why there has been very little updating going on around this house in the last few days.  This morning I had pretty much determined to take a fast from the computer.  It still doesn’t sound like a bad idea. –but I wanted to post some of these pictures, and I wanted to tell you about this incredibly interesting and most demanding week — I also wanted to tell you of the blessings of our Heavenly Father.

Good News from Baltimore about Mama’s Health

Successful Surgery for Nettie

A basement at Church that is basically finished

Good friends who came to share supper with us and our visiting friends

Good fellowship, great times catching up with Marty and Diane

A way for Wedding things to get to PA without any last minute scramble

A new Home established where the Name of Jesus will be lifted up

And last, but not least, Certain Man — who took off work on Friday to drive us to Baltimore and back again, and drove every mile to Lancaster and back today.  I’m thankful for his good driving, and for the protection of the Lord over us.

October Tuesday morning-
The day is full of Sun.
We’re going to Aunt Mary’s house.
We’re gonna’ have some fun!

I am the nice big brother.
My legs are very strong!

I ride the trike around and ’round.
And Nevie comes along.

Middle Daughter is on Fall break from school.
Today was one of those lazy days at Shady Acres.
It rained all day.
So she worked on her nine-patch,

She started this little wall-hanging quilt some time ago.  She enjoys drawing, and always has some sort of craft project going.  She has named it
“PATCHES OF SPRING”
and drew all of the blocks before she began to carefully embroider each one.  This is the patch that she is on now:

And I am amazed at how meticulously everything is done.  The pictures do not begin to do justice to this beautiful  piece of art. 

After working for a while on the patchwork and doing some ironing and helping to clean up the kitchen, she decided that she wanted to do some harvest decorating for me.  I have a hodge-podge of harvest decorations.  I collect pilgrims and I love the silk fall foilage.  So she decided to give our fireplace a new look.  Usually we have a lighthouse picture with lots of ocean accessories on the mantle with our humpback clock.  She took everything off the mantle except for the clock, and this was the result.

We have a little side window that looks out towards our driveway.  I have an upholstered blanket chest under the window and it is a cozy nook for curling up with a blanket and a book.  This is the window above the reading place.

And beside the blanket chest (you can see it there in the background) is this chair — just waiting for someone to come and sit by the fire for hot chocolate and a visit.

Wait a minute—  maybe you had better wait until Certain Man is ready for his sermon on Sunday.  He uses this room to study, here by his book case and with a good reading light.  He has been suffering from a serious cold this week, and we are hopeful that his voice will be ready when he is!!!

Tonight he said that he thinks he will start putting price tags on things in this family room and start selling things.  Was that nice?  I don’t think so, Mr. Yutzy.  (Most of them only have sentimental value, anyhow.)

OH!

I

LOVE

A

RAINY

DAY!!!

(BUT I’M SORRY ABOUT THE HOT DOG ROAST/HAY RIDE THAT GOT CANCELLED FOR TONIGHT!!!)

Now go on over to www.xanga.com/organic_survivor  and see the difference!!!

What a blessing our new basement will be to our church!!!

What a blessing we have had in J.R.’s leadership and planning and hard work!

What a blessing we have had in all the helping hands along the way!

Our first potluck is planned for October 22.  I can barely wait!!!

Riding in the car on this golden, golden day.
Clouds sailing high, and breezes just perfect.
I remember last year at this time, and find a catch in my throat.
(Where are all these tears coming from?)

Last year, we were on our way to the wedding of a precious nephew.
Daddy was preaching the sermon, and he was doing so well healthwise. 
He and Mama rode with us in our van.  What wonderful memories!
(“I wanna sit where you wanna sit!”)

Last week, one of Daddy’s friends died. 
One of the last memories I have of him and Ivan was at church.
He and Ivan, two very sick men.  Standing in the foyer.  Heads bowed.  Praying together.
(Oh, Daddy were you there to welcome him home?)

This morning, in far away Florida, Uncle Monroe died.
We knew it was coming, and this week has been long.
Long because of his suffering.  Long because of our sadness.
(Dear Florida Family, how very much your courage has blessed me from afar!)

Our Sweet Mama is grieving so hard.  I see the pain in her eyes.
I hear the sorrow in her voice when I talk to her on the phone.
She took flowers to Daddy’s grave this week for the first time.
(“He isn’t there!” she says, and she is more real than I am.)

“Last year at this time. . . ”  I’ve said it so often.  Remembering things this whole year long.
Today, thinking ahead, I realize just how much I hate to see this year end.
It feels like he isn’t quite so gone when I can say, “Last year at this time. . . “
(Is this year even a minute to you, Daddy Dear?)

I feel so “left behind” today. Like I am missing out on something really important.
The “Song of the Redeemed” has been singing in my heart for many a year.
But somewhere, there’s a harmony to that song being sung that I can’t quite hear.
(I wonder if my Daddy is singing tenor?)

It feels like a long, long time since I’ve seen my Daddy’s face.
And it feels like a hundred years since I heard my Daddy’ voice.
And it seems like a thousand years since I got that last hug.
(How can these days be so interminable in their brevity?) 

And so, I know that there will be days like this.
There will be days when I will remember him and smile.
And there will be days like to day when I will just miss him.
(The good part is, I’m really not missing out on anything there! Heaven Waits!)

And some sweet day, we’ll all be going home!

If you all want to know
where I’ve been the last two days, go on over to www.xanga.com/pollythepatchworker and you can see
the whole sordid tale
(including some not so flattering pictures, I fear!)
  I forgot my camera
(and nearly my head, if the tale were to be told!)
so Polly gets the honor of chronicling the trip!

Lord of many blessings,

Here I raise my grateful praise —

For Golden Autumn Days.

For a Washing Machine that works.

For MERCY from a case manager over clerical errors.

For MERCY from a pharmacy when insurance wouldn’t cover Nettie’s much needed meds.

For a Husband whose words and hands and actions speak LOVE.

For Offspringin’s whose respect is more than I deserve.

For this big old farmhouse that has been home for seventeen years.

For the Love of a Sweet Mama whose presence blesses and encourages me.

 For our Church Family.  For Sins Forgiven.  For the Eternal Hope of Heaven.

Oh, Lord Jesus.
So many things to be thankful for!
So few words to adequately express my praise.
May you be pleased to inhabit the praise of your handmaiden.
And may you be pleased to live in my heart.