July 20, 2007

  • FOR THE RECORD

     

    How does one remember all that has happened in the last couple weeks.  They have been so full, I have hardly the time to write it down, but if I don't, I'll forget it. Life goes so fast, how does a person keep up with life?
     
    Thursday, July 5, 2007, I went to speech therapy and then on to Oregon.  My nephew had passed away, and Thursday eve was the viewing. Arriving at the funeral home we walked in to pay our last visit to Ron.  He had lost so much weight that it didn't hardly look like him, but it did finalize the fact that he truly was gone. 
     
    Memories of him include:  The time we first saw him, he was only a couple days old and my 7 month old daughter tried to play peek-a-boo with him over the sides of the basket. He walked at about 7 or 8 months and his legs were as bowed as a cowboy who has been riding the range from birth. He did outgrow  the bowed legs.  A boy loves to tease and so did Ron, I have a picture of him at about 18 months splashing water on my daughter, and the look on his face is one of mischief.  They were playing in a wading pool. Many were the family gatherings that we were together at along with his family. 
     
    I remember one Christmas we were at my brothers place and the children wanted to sing us some Christmas songs.  When it came to "Hark the Harold Angels Sing", we listened and when it came time to sing "with the angelic host proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem,"  Ron sang out loud and clear "with a jelly roll proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem." When Ron was in high school he was on the wrestling team. He won the state championship in heavy weight wrestling. I remember his wedding ( his bride was about half the size of him)
     
    After he was married and our children were grown, Ron's mom and dad both passed away with cancer.  My younger brother also passed away with cancer.  After that I kind of lost tract of my nephews, but I missed them and would think of them often. 
     
     Several years ago I called several of them and we gathered together at the home of Mrs. Darling for a family gathering that was just my brothers children and my children. It was so much fun to get caught up. We ate and visited for hours and it was decided at that time to keep getting together once a year, and it certainly been a pleasure. At the gatherings I would listen as Ron told of mission trips to India and his love for the Lord, his desire to serve the Lord with all his heart. 
     
    Then we heard Ron had cancer and it wasn't very many months till he was gone.
     
    One of my daughters flew out from Kentucky, for the funeral. After the funeral we were together at Mrs. Darling's for eats and visiting.  My children were all there but the oldest daughter.  I just love it when the family is together. 
     
    On Saturday morning my daughter, Gwen rode back with us to Idaho.  On the way back we stopped at La Grande, OR for supper at my grandson,  LaRay's,  place.  There we had a delightful meal of BBQ chicken and several salads.  My oldest daughter Robin was there also.  She had flown in from PA. to spend some time with me.  We left her with her son, (who was going to bring Robin to our place the next day)  and came on, arriving home around midnight.
     
    HERE I STAND ON THE EDGE OF THIS NEW MORNING WITH THE WINDOWS OF MY HEART FLUNG OPEN WIDE.  O, LORD LET ME TAKE IN YOUR WORLD....YOUR CHILDREN...YOUR LOVE ! 

July 4, 2007

  • July 3, 2007

    Here it is July already, the year is half over and it's been a good year. (Everyday is a good day with God) As we look back over the year there have been trials and blessings, but as usual with God in your life the Blessing are for more than the trials.
     
    I have 9 children with 9 different personalities. There have been times of trial, but most of all there have been times of blessings.
     
    We raised our family in the foothills of the cascades.  The house was a big old 2 story house, (that now could tell a thousand stories)  It had been vacant more than a year at the time we bought it.  The farmer across the field had let his cows graze the fields and lawn, therefore when we looked at the place the first time, there were cows in the yard, and under the house.  The yard was so full of metal and glass that the children couldn't go barefoot for about three years after we moved on the place.  But we thought with lots of love and TLC we could make the old house into a home, and we did! We moved in and it wasn't long till I realized that though I was busy during the day there was someone else busy at night. Outside the back door there a beautiful Japanese Rose that was full of yellow blossoms, I picked them and put in a vase and in the morning all that was left in the vase were stems, and on the table lay the beautiful yellow blossoms.  On further examination there were other things that were not like I left them the night before.  In short we soon discovered we were sharing the house with a family of pack rats. Till my family got together and did away with Mr. Pack Rat and family, we had several stories to tell.
     
    That winter the wind blew and it also blew through the house.  The children and Pop and I moved downstairs and slept on the floor in order to keep warm. Since it was an old house and our dream was to remodel it with windows that didn't let winter through, we decided that instead of buying plastic to put over the windows, we used masking tape and the harder the wind would blow, the more we taped the windows.
     
    As the years passed we had lots of parties, family gatherings, slumber parties, along with tears and laughter, seriousness and silliness. So the family grew, and so passed the years.
     
    And through the years there were births and deaths.  The month of July seemed to be the popular month to die (as if death is popular anytime) My grandma passed away in July(1956), My uncle(1960), Mom(1981),  Dad(1991) and my younger brother (1995)  My older brother, Norman, passed away in January (1990), leaving me the only one left in my family.
    Now it is July again and Norman's oldest son, (Ron) passed away July 1, 2007.   He was only 47 and died Sunday of Colon Cancer.  My 2 brothers and now my nephew all died at around 50 years of age.
     
    We are leaving Thursday morning to go to Salem, OR for the viewing and funeral.  It is a blessing that I have no doubt where Ron is. He loved the Lord and I'm sure he is beholding the wonders of heaven at this time.  Won't it be great when we all get there.
     
    I haven't been very faithful in posting the last while, It seems like life is so busy right now.  I go to speech therapy 3 times a week.  I enjoy the times of therapy and they are definitely helping.  Thanks to all of you for your prayers. I'll let you know when I get an actual name to whatever is bugging me.
     
    Lord willing 2 of my daughters are flying out this week-end. I because of the funeral and my oldest daughter is flying out to visit me for 12 days.
    There are possibly 10 of us adults going to be at, or close to Mrs. Darling's house Thursday and Friday night.  It will be great for some of us to be together again.
     
    EVEN THO I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHAWDOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME  PSALM 23:4 (niv)
     
    When your heart is empty, filling it with happy memories can help.....
     
                            image

June 27, 2007

  • ANOTHER DAY

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS.  I felt better just knowing friends were praying.  

    I went to the DR. this afternoon, and the good news is, I Do Not have cancer.

    The not so good news is I not only have Dysarthria but I also have Dysphagia. Our friend "google" can tell you all you want to know about both, and some things you probably don't want to know (anyhow I quit reading).     I think about it and I could ask, why me? but instead I thought, why not me?  My God is no respector of persons and He can supply grace enough to carry me through.  I still cry sometimes when I am alone, but like I said, I'll leave it up to God to decide what I have, because He knows what I can take.

    Tomorrow our day is full.  I go to Therapy in the morning and after that we are leaving for (guess where) Multnomah Falls and Lost Lake again.  I should rename it Found Lake because we sure find it often.

    I wish I could spend more time on here, but I got to get ready to go. Pop says

    I'll miss you all, it seems like if I can keep in touch with all my friends. It helps my day a lot.

    Thought for today:  "IT IS NOT THE GREATNESS OF MY FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS, BUT MY FAITH IN THE GREATNESS OF GOD."

June 23, 2007

  • PRAYER REQUEST

    It seems like all I've got done this week is go one kind of doctor or another, and I'm kinda tired out.

    I've made 3 trips to my speech therapist and 2 trips to the doctor. They are trying to figure out what is wrong with me.  Poor Pop has tried for years and hasn't figured out yet.

    The speech therapist thinks there is something going on besides just speech. My symptoms are........Dysarthria (speech), Dysphagia (swallowing) weakness in my upper arms and legs.  Soreness in my upper arms and legs. Dry eyes and dry skin (the last two I contribute to living in Idaho)   

    The doctor I went to Wedensday set me up for some tests and those were done today.  Most of those came back clear, but he streched my esophagus.  I was asleep, but after I came home, well, I've always thought I could handle pain as long as no one was messing with me.  But after I came home about everytime I would swallow, I would raise up out of my chair.  It's getting better now, and I am thankful for that.  But I guess it wouldn't be a doctor if he didn't find something wrong...........He says I have an ulcer in my stomach.  I would argue with him, because I never have heartburn and my stomah never hurts.  but he gave me a picture of it.  Now I love pretty pictures but folks, this ain't purtty.  I don't even think I'll put it on my post.

    Now the worrisome part, he told Pop he wants me to come back in so he can do a biopsy of it, because........(and he told Pop not to tell me) The Dr. wants to check it for  cancer.  I guess I don't want to cry wolf, wolf because I think it can't be, but would you be so kind as to pray for me that it is NOT.  I feel selfish when I think of all the people that have it worse, but for now this is my trial, and I think God understands.

    I have a day by day book of quotes and today it says........

    ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND....Matthew 7:7 niv

    And from the deepest recesses of our beings we cry out: LORD! And that is enough.

June 19, 2007

  • THERAPY

    I'm sorry I haven't made my rounds like I would like too, I miss reading your posts, but it seem like I'm pretty tired when I get done with all the appointments.  (I don't know why, cause I kinda enjoy them.)  I guess I have to get up too early.

    But slowly and surely I'll catch up. I have to confess I've left more footprints than  comments, this past week.

    But one of these days, I'll post lots and lots, when I get my house cleaned up after getting behind, because of being gone so much.  That's my excuse anyhow. 

    Pop is building me a tiny fruitroom (about 6 x 6) and I just love it. He is very talanted and when he does something, it's done right.  (It's just getting him to do it)

    I'm thankful he is my husband.  Thank you God for Stan, my husband and the father (Pop) of my children.

    I'm most of all thankful for My Heavenly Father. 

June 17, 2007

  • A SONG (Evening Skies)

    image-2

    Psalms 104:19  He appointed the moon for seasons the sun knoweth its going down

    image

    Evening skies, sun rise, lakes and rushing water...

    image-1.jpg

    Makes all things unlovely, from my soul depart.

    image-3.jpg

    Purple mountains rising high,

    image-4.jpg

    Trees against the sky,

    image-5.jpg

    Life is beautiful because God speaks within my heart.

    image-6.jpg

    Starry skies, moon rise, far eternal heavens.

    image-7.jpg

    Take away my smallness, make me long to grow,

    image-8.jpg

    Vastness of the universe, timlessness of space.

    image-9.jpg

    Life is beautiful because, God lives within my soul !

    (Photography by Virginia)

    I'M GLAD HE LIVES, HE LIVES WITHIN MY SOUL!!!

     

June 14, 2007

  • ANOTHER DAY

    Yes, I've been lurking and I seen some very inspirational sites. And I've gathered some prayer requests. What a privalage we have to serve as God that can answer our prayer's, even when we pray for strangers anywhere across the globe.

    Actually if we've given our heart to Jesus and belive on him. We are brothers and sisters, and that's a cozy thought.

    Tonight was my Grandson's 20th birthday and we went to the city park for a birthday party for him.  There was a nice comfy crowd there (around 40) and just because I had to show it off, I took along with me a couple collages I recieved from a blogging friend and I heard things like  "O, how beautiful" "I wonder how she does it" "I'll bet she could sell them" "O, that little tatted butterfly is so cute" "I like the one with the baby in the bathtub." "I like the one with the little girl" ...... on and on it went.   Thank you friend !!

    No wonder I love the blog world, There's a Northern Idaho calender hanging on the wall, and I think Pop checks it as often as he used to check our barometer when we had one.  I didn't have to eat Pops year old fruitcake at Christmastime,  I got some delicous fruitcake from a friend, also.  I love to make new friends, and since I can blog without having to talk, I get along just fine.

    Some friends of ours were over here from Oregon's Willamette Valley, they stayed for the party also.  My grandson recieved som cut gifts mostly gift certificate's.  Afterall what do you get a boy????   His sister gave him a pair of girls flip flops, a rubber duckie and a little stuffed animal that say "Now I lay me down to sleep" Every 20 year old boy need a little sister, don't you think.

    This week has been full, full of appointments at the therapist and it seems I'm so tired till I get home I can't do anything, but sit and wish I could do something.  I'll kind of be glad when I find if there's really something wrong or if I'm just lazy.  If I'm lazy I can do someting about it. If there is something wrong well........  The therapist told me differant things it could be and I can't decide what I'd sooner it be, so,  I'll let God decide, He knows what I'm able to take.

    I ahhhh'd for 19 seconds today, I'm getting good. The only problem is, my son-in-law can hold his breathe for almost a minute. 

    She wants me to talk louder so she gave me some neon colored orange stickers, yesterday, that said LOUD on them. She wanted me to put them up. on a mirror, the dash of the car, etc.  I didn't do it so today she gave them to Pop.  Pop just loved it He put them up, so now I have a big bright orange sticker on the dash of the car that says, LOUD. I guess I'm too proud, but I don't want orange stickers all over the house that say LOUD, after all I can, still remember to talk loud. One thing for sure if a thief would see my car in a parking lot he wouldn't try to steel because he couldn't figure out if the car belonged to a person or not, or if it just had a LOUD thief detector.

    I'm thankful for God's protection on the highway.

    GOD SAYS " EVERYONE THAT BELIEVES IN ME, SHALL NEVER DIE."

    YES LORD, THIS MIRICLE OF HOPE AND LIFE ETERNAL, LEADS ME TO A HIGHER PLACE.  MUCH HIGHER. HELP ME LIVE BY IT AND FOR IT.

     

June 10, 2007

  • THIS IS THE DAY

    This is the day, that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.................

    Another Sunday morning, although a rainy Sunday morning. It's a cozy morning.  I'm tired and feel like sleeping in but then I think, the Lord might have something new for me today.  I read my Bible which is always a blessing to me.  Next it's off to our home fellowship.  I was greeted with a big smile from my grandson, which is another blessing. Although we have very few in our home fellowship (My daughter and her family and us)  We still find new blessing's each time we meet.  A special blessing was in the song we sang, (and being a grandma, I can't remember the words, It was a new song) But it reminded me that to be a Christian is to be alive. So often we ( I ) get bogged down but really there is lots of joyful life in Christ.

    Yesterday I was looking up Blue Moon on Google, the picture I took at Lost Lake the other night was of the blue moon over lost lake.  Someone reminded me that the blue moon was in June, but after looking it up I found that it would depend on where you lived as to when the blue moon would occur this year.  We live in the Americas so we see the blue moon in May, some parts of the world see it in June and some parts of the world have to wait till July.

    I hope I don't bore you to death, but God created the heavens, and I find all of his creation very interesting. Not only in looking at it, but to study deeper into it.  On our family site the other day my grsndson put up the address of NASA.gov where you can see beautiful shots of some of the planets.

    Years ago the definition of the blue moon was, the 3rd full moon in a quarter, where ther are 4 full moons, the new definition is the 2nd full moon in a month.  May full moon was both, so I feel quite blessed to be able to see it much less photograph it.  When the moon first came up behind the trees, the Mountain reflected in the lake and it was so beautiful at first I could only but gasp. but then Pop reminded me that we were there to take pictures, not just look.

    image-1.jpg I know you've seen it before but it makes me wonder "How beautiful Heaven Must Be"

    We've tried for more than 4 years to get this shot. Sometimes it is clouded in, and sometimes the moon just does not rise in the right place.  I remember one night I stood there for hours waiting for the moon to come up and low and behold it appeared after it was too dark to take a pictue and it was at the top on the mountain on the right side. It was beautiful, but it was too dark for the camera to record.  Also there is a lot of wind at the lake which makes so the mountain don't reflect but the other night it was perfect. and it was for me.  God is so good !!

June 8, 2007

  • DONE CRYING (FOR NOW)

    Today was a beautiful day in the desert, not too hot, not too cold. I cleaned house today. Nothing exciting happened.

    I want to thank you all for yours prayers and encouragement, via comments, emails, and messages. 

    I having problems completing the assignments that the therapist gave me to do.

    She says the speach is connected to a muscle in the bottom of the stomach, she said below the diaphram which is not the bottom of the stomach. So it must be down below the vocal chords somewhere.

    She wants me to practice breathing from my stomach, which I normally do.  I'm suppose to take a deep breath and say ahhh as loud and as long as can. I'm suppose to say it high, medium and low.  Now the problem...The neighbors dog barks when Pop blows his nose...what will happen if I start saying aahhhh as loud as I can over here? I don't know wheather to give them a warning, or let them call 911.

    Next time I'm suppose to bring a album in of my hobbies and the things I'm interested in.  Well I used to sell flower seeds. greeting cards, make wood fiber flowers and sell them at school. That was when I was in the 5th thru 7th grade, and I felt pretty pleased when the dentist's wife bought a corsage from me and wanted me to make her more. I sold dill pickles in high school, everyone ate dill pickles in study hall in the evening. (I boarded at the dorm Monday thru Friday) I did ironing, house cleaning, mending and custom sewing, I've decorated cakes, catered arranged flowers, photography, now I am selling photo note cards, I sold Stanley products, Avon, Amway and Tupperware.  No wonder Mrs. Darling says she had to change her own diaper, (I didn't time to change it)  I love to crochet, sew, and cook.  Where do I start and where do I end?  I kept myself very busy, doing what, I don't know

    I'm tired but I feel better today. So till next time all I can say is... AAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

    THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS-----"I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME; YOU ARE MINE" Isaiah 43:1 niv

    A little lad prayed in church one day...... "Our Father which art in heaven, How'd you know my name?"

June 7, 2007

  • DYSARTHRIA

    Why is it that I have to feel so guilty when I cry?  God has given me so many blessings I can't count them...then when a little something happens, I cry. I can't cry when I'm suppose to...like funerals and such, but let my little world tip just a little bit and I cry.

    I've spent the last 2 days feeling like a weakling, a whimp, weak and helpless, and yes, I can cry at any given moment. I've actually been given good news (not real good, but good)

    Wednesday, June 6, 2007, I went to a speech therapist because of my speech.  The therapist is a woman, which is the first good news.  She thinks she can train me to speek better after 8 or 9 weeks of therapy, which is good news.  She wants me to go to a neurologist (sp?) to see if they can determine what has caused the problem.  She named the problem but she can't tell me what caused it.

    It is called Dysarthria,  (You can google it)  Myself, I'd probably been better off if I hadn't.  It sounds like it's not serious in itself, but the cause of it might be of a progresive nature, which could lead to something more serious in the end.

    The problem I have is often the result of Lou Gerigs or Parkinson's, but it don't have to be.  It can be head injury or brain tumor or all kinds of exciting things.  That is why the therapist wants me to go to someone that can determine the cause.

    BTW the therapist strongly outruled Parkinson's. because after asking me lots of questions. I was still with it enough to answer all of them right.  She asked me what day it was? On which street was the office located on, in which town and all kinds of questions pertainig to numbers. Yesterday she had me count to 100 one number at a time.  She said people with Parkinson's can't remember numbers, and often drop things like pens, etc.

    I'll have 3 one hour sesions each week for about 8 weeks.  I'll probably know the way to Meridian with my eyes closed when it is all over with. Meridian is east of us, close to a 50 mile drive one way.

    Before we left she showed me her card..... she is a Speech Language Pathologist, a certified VitalStim Swallowing Specialist also a Certified Lee Silverman Voice Treatment.  (you can also google Lee Silverman Voice Treatment)

    I feel kinda guilty, because the reason she showed me her card was because we told her our children think all Idaho has for doctors is jack-rabbits.  But you will find if you look it up that Idaho has 3 of these Lee Silverman Voice Treatment therapist.  One in Moscow and one in Coeur d' Alene.  I think Oregon has 42 such therapists. So I'm in good hands.     Don't be too hard on my darlings, I know they love me, and they want me to have the best. (Portland, OR)

    The series of events shows me God is with me:  We had a therapist in Ontario that moved on (hopped off) before my appointment, Pop looked in the yellow pages and after several trys, decided on the first one he could get, where a real people answered the phone, and I could get right in.

    Why do I cry?........I don't know, it seems like I want my children close....I guess I'll go out tonight and see if I can get a couple sage brush bushes to geve me a hug.

    HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEARY....THEY SHALL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES.  ISAIAH 40, 29&30 /nkj

    I am weak but thou art strong:  Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I'll be satisfied just as long, as I walk, let me walk close to thee.   (Author Unknown)