“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”

Matthew 1:21

We have much to be thankful for again this year. Here is a list, by no means complete, or in any particular order.

1. We are thankful that Honey is still a Ford Motor Co. employee. 40% pay cut and all.

2. We have not had anyone in the emergency room or hospitalized the entire year!!! WOO HOO!!! Has to be a record!

3. The Ab-Cat and The Boy now have their drivers license. This has changed our lives in a HUGE way!!!

4. TV. I know it’s cheesy, but I like to watch TV with my family.

5. Key Lime pie

6. My Life is Good pajamas. Or, as we call them at our house, Potato Clothes.

7. That our pup Katie is still with us after her health crisis this summer. Abby is especially thankful for her baby and is giving extra loves and kisses.

8. I asked LMNOP, who is a professional, to take our family Christmas card picture, and she said YES! Maybe The Boy will behave himself. I doubt it.

9. We have the whole weekend off and are already talking about what we will do AND eat.

10. That Mousey is still a snuggle bunny.

11. I can take my troubles, big and small, to Jesus. He cares for me. He said so.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

12. That all of our kids seem to like being with us. Most of the time.

13. For my wonderful Friends, from the many areas of my life. God jut really outdid Himself in this area. I am blessed. Immeasurably.

14. The Sewer Debacle is almost over. Thank you Lord for Roy!! If I had a Time Magazine Man of the Year, it just might be Roy!

15. For Honey. Who helps me in every area of my life (well, not the laundry!), who provides for our needs, who solves a LOT of our problems, who makes me laugh, regularly, and takes me  away on vacation and tells me that he is looking forward to retiring with me. What is not to adore?

Happy Thanksgiving Guys!

P.s. Don’t forget to vote for Suzanne here. Once a day until Dec. 7th. She really needs this job, and it is a very simple thing. Thanks so much!

I have to tell you something so amazing, I’m not sure where to start.

I have told you about our sewer problems before. Here and here and here. They have been an ongoing concern.

At our last meeting with the city people, the inspector, the engineer, and various other men that attended, all agreed that they were not at fault. Well, the sewer line guy didn’t say that, because he couldn’t. Someone from his department did not do their job, and even though he did not say anything, we knew.

We left that meeting with an understanding that they would do their own research as to how we could fix our problem, the problem most certainly not of their making.  Even though they were not admitting responsibility, they wanted to be certain to get all up in our business to make sure that things would not be fixed incorrectly. That would just be wrong.

That was in October. You can imagine getting all those schedules coordinated takes some time. They finally called back and wanted to set up the meeting the week that we were in Florida. We said that was not going to work for us, and rescheduled for yesterday morning, the 19th of November. Two months and a day from when we found out that there were serious, problematic, expensive defects in our line. Before that, we were blissfully ignorant, and thought things could simply be fixed.

Honey and I have talked about this, on and off, for years, and more extensively, for months. Even before we knew the extent of the problem, we knew we would have to do something. We put things off until after the family reunion we had here in July, because nothing says PARTY like an exposed sewer line.

I think we have been concerned, but not consumed with this problem. We asked God to intervene on our behalf. We asked for the city to show us  favor. To treat us like people that they knew and cared about. To be fair and helpful. We asked that the city would hear us.

Honey and I, and many of you, have been praying for a solution ever since. The plumbers solution was to reroute our entire sewer line, wrecking our entire basement in the process, adding a holding tank under the floor of our basement.. That option was the one that would cost more than our first house. We didn’t really like that option for many, many reasons. Plus, our city informed us, they didn’t like that option either. They wanted the tank on the outside of the house.

The city guys knew we needed a solution, and they knew they that whatever it was, they were going to have to approve it. They put their thinking caps on. Like Tom Terrific. The two solutions they came up with were complete destruction of the basement, as well as our bank account, with gravity feeds and tanks of sewage and pumps that always need to be fixed. This, and only this, was the focus. No other solution was available, we were back to the rock and a  hard place.

It seemed like all was lost. The talking had stopped.  Honey gave one final plea. He said that when we built our house 10 years ago, we paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a builder, we paid almost $8,000 to the city to check the builders work. All we know is we did what we were supposed to do, and now it is all our responsibility, with no one accountable for the problem they caused. He didn’t loose his temper, he wasn’t accusing, he just spoke the truth. All were quiet.

And then, in a no win situation, God gave Roy, the guy who doesnt even do the sewer work for the city, an idea. Roy said, “Why can’t we just do this?” Honey said everyone started talking at once!

It was a GREAT idea! It would fix our problem, the city would approve it, it could be done! We would be able to sell our house when we were ready to leave it! It was amazing!  It is still costly, but the basement and house will be intact!!!

And, it was a total God thing. All 8 of those men were professionals at what they do. They have to deal with these kinds of problems every day. They didn’t have an answer. They couldn’t solve the problem, they had looked into it for 2 months.

Our BSF lesson this week was John 6 with bits of Mark . The one where Jesus put the disciples into the boat and then He went to pray. A storm blew up and the waters grew rough. When he saw them struggling, He walked out on the water to them, and while at first they were afraid, they took him on board.

One of our questions asked if the disciples  were in difficulty because they had sinned in some way, or because they had obeyed the Lord’s command.

Jesus put  them into that boat. He knew the storm was coming, that was no surprise to Him. They were right where they were supposed to be. They obeyed and were still in rough waters.

We sang a song this week at BSF and the line that kept repeating over and over in my mind was “Trust Him when to simply trust Him seems the hardest thing of all”. We know that God hears our prayers, but we are more than aware that the answers are not  always what we want to hear. We have no doubt that God can solve our problems, but the solution could be unsatisfying, or hard to get to, or painful. Or expensive, like this one.

Sometimes I feel like we are problem magnets. We have unusual  things happen to us, sometimes in rapid succession. I have wondered if people think we are the most disobedient Christians around. Or just plain dense. Why else would we be tested over and over again?

That’s why I really liked this lesson. We can be right smack dab in the middle of God’s plan, and still be tossed around in the rough seas of life. God is never going to be finished refining us this side of heaven. We might as well get used to it. Because of the storms of life, we learn to trust Him more. And one thing we have learned over the years? God makes a way for us to navigate every storm. It hasn’t always been easy, but He has never left us hanging.

We are so thankful  for this answered prayer! We are so thankful that some of you interceeded for us as well. You have no idea how that comforted us.

And Roy, bless his heart, was a kiss on the cheek, straight from God.

The Boy has been busy. Busy getting into accidents. In the last 2 weeks, he is 2 for 2.

Before I tell you about the accidents, I have to tell you about the ticket.

He got a ticket after he had been driving for about 3 weeks. It was for turning left on a yellow light. He says yellow, the police officer said red. He was sick about this. Seriously, he was in distress. I know how he feels. That is a bad feeling when you are pulled over.

I would be more upset about this, but to be honest, the police in our town have just gone hog wild. They have a new little racket. They like to give a ticket with points for a minor infraction so you can go before the judge and have the points removed if you will pay a higher fine. Honey and I have both gotten tickets in the last 3 years for this. Like I told the judge, it’s a judgement call for me to make if I feel like I can slam on my brakes, so I can catch  the yellow light. In that split second, you weigh your options. Sometimes, especially if it is raining, or in Michigan, snowing, or you have someone thisclose on your tail, the better choice is to go. Plus, do all of my passengers need to grab for the safety bars, just so I can stop, when I could have made it through with no problem? Most of the lights in our town have left turn signals anyway.

All of this would not be nearly so annoying if we did not live in a town that has  people flagrantly turning left on RED lights as a matter of course. They just keep on comin’. Or speeding, or not paying attention because they are talking on the rackin’ sackin’ phone! Go get those guys!

The boy now has a fear of the yellow lights. Being the conscientious driver that he is, he now stops at ALL yellow lights, if it is in his power to do so. But the woman behind him last week was not privy to his history. When the light turned yellow, he stopped. She accelerated, and drove right up into his truck. She broke his bloody truck!

We were so thankful  that The Boy and LMNOP were not seriously hurt. They had sore necks and really bad headaches, but were fine. The Boy was going on a retreat with his jr. high youth group boys that night. It was a long weekend for him! Those jr. highers like to hang from him like baby possums.

It doesn’t look as broken in the picture as it really is. It looks like a giant stepped into the truck bed and bent it.

They want to throw it away. That is probably for the best, it has over 160,000 miles on it, needs a new exhaust, every warning light is permanently on, door locks and windows are haphazard. After he got home, the truck bed door fell off.

The woman who hit him was really sorry. She said that she thought he was going to go through.  She was not paying close attention.The Boy said she was so rattled that he gave her a hug.

Honey and I both agreed with The Boy that we were GLAD that it wasn’t his fault. That made it a little bit better.

Last Sunday, The Boy was on his way to church with his friend, Tiger BatBoy. In Tiger BatBoy’s car. Tiger BatBoy was going about 45 through a yellow light when a car turned left, right in front of him. WHAT UP WITH THAT?????

Now Tiger BatBoy’s bloody car is broken.

They both have sore chests where the seat belts caught them. The airbags didn’t go off.

Honey and The Boy have been spending quite a bit of time looking to replace the bloody truck. They are sharing Honey’s Grandpa Gray Taurus. I am back in the big high top conversion van, which I quite like. Comfy leather seats, good cd player, temperature on the rear view mirror, chapstick, kleenex.  Honey’s car lacks certain amenities.

All of this is inconvenience.  A big, fat, costly inconvienience. A little treat we like to call Michigan No Fault Auto Insurance. 

We are most thankful to the Lord for the safety he provided to The Boy, LMNOP and Tiger BatBoy. We know how quickly your life can change in a vehicle. We are grateful for the hedge of protection.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~Kahlil Gibran

Paddy, The Schmenkman’s rescued beaver, has passed away. Their hearts are broken.

Honey and I were married on October 19, 1995. *** EDIT  1985, I stand CORRECTED!!!***   Twenty four years ago. We sure were young and naive. I have said it here before. If I only made one right decision in my life, it was him.

We could have never imagined what was in store for us on that day. No newlyweds can anticipate such things. We have both changed so much. God took two headstrong, stubborn people, and taught them to pull together. To work for a common goal. To make a family. To have and to hold. In good times and in bad.

Our honeymoon was in St. Lucia. I am still, to this day, not sure where that is located. I don’t recommend it. As you can see, Honey had a mishap. which was really just an prelude to many other vacations we would have together. There were chickens walking around in the hospital. Anyone who has known us any length of time has heard that unfortunate story. I still don’t like to vacation where the medical care is suspect. Between separating his shoulder the minute that we got there, and the drugs he took to dull the pain? Let’s just say that we made a memory. It was not to be our last.

Look how young we look!

Don’t you admire the quality on that sling? Someday I am going to have to tell you that story!

They had weird food at this resort. Kidneys and things I couldn’t identify. I ate a lot of bread and desserts.

Even though I had great hair and was skinny back then, and Honey was fit and trim, and could finish a huge project in one day, I would not trade our life now. I would never go back, unless it was a complete Do-Over. We were like 2 jagged rocks thrown together in a bag. All these years we have been bumping up against each other, wearing each other smooth. We fit now. We know each other on a different level. We are growing old together. I love him more, now.

We both have strengths and weaknesses. God, in His infinite wisdom, made sure that we compliment each other. Honey is task oriented,  while I am a world class multi-tasker. He is a problem solver, I ask for help. He is good at math, I can spell and edit. He knows all about cars, I handle all of the medical appointments. He likes to cook, I like to clean up. See, it’s all good!

 Someday, we will be one, whole, complete person!

Happy Anniversary Honey Bear!    “I dee and dough”.

It was 14 years ago today that the kids and I were in the car accident that altered the course of our lives. I wrote about it here last year. Honey had the date wrong for years. The kids would not be able to tell you if you asked them. One, maybe two, might  know the month. I can’t seem to forget.

While I don’t want to seem maudlin about this every year, I feel I need to address it. As I address all things on this blob. Be they trivial, or somehow, important to me. There is a veil of sadness that descends. It affects me. To deny it, would be dishonest.

I can’t help but go back and remember that day, that season of our lives. Re-live it, re-think my decisions, remember what our family was like on October 6, 1995. We had a good life, a happy family. Not perfect, by any means, but we knew we were blessed.

I wish that I had kept a journal of those days after the accident. To record all the ways that the Lord showed us mercy and grace. How He provided us with the support that we so desperately needed, daily. How prayers for our family ricocheted across the country. To remind myself of all the “God things” that happened. He did all those things to encourage us, to help us remember that we weren’t in this without Him.

Whenever I say “I wish…” about anything, Honey always says, “I wouldn’t waste a wish on that”. I’m here to tell you that I would waste a wish on that.

I have a box, up in my closet. Filled with cards and notes from people, known and unknown. Praying for us, lifting Abby before the Lord, asking for healing. I have not looked at them in a long time, but I keep them, because I know that I will want to go through them again. Someday.

I have a place up in my heart that is full, full, full of the love  and kindness that was shown to us. Our Family, our church Family, Friends, Abby’s school, and strangers opened their hearts to us. You don’t forget things like that.

People cut our lawn, made us meals, did our laundry, cleaned our house, cared for our children, visited us while we lived at the hospital for 7 weeks. Did for us, when we could not do for ourselves. 

Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:24

That’s what happened. He upheld us with His hand. He used a lot of you that read this blob. And a lot of others who don’t.

When Abby was in the PICU, there was a cassette player above her bed. We brought her favorite lullaby tape from home. It was a Disney thing that all 3 of our children loved. We brought others as well, but she requested this one over and over. I’m pretty sure that she was not listening to the words, but I was. It was heartbreaking.

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you’re fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true

The first time that she was able to stay awake and alert for any length of time, she asked for her colored pencils. I gave her some lined paper that I had in my purse. She drew a rainbow. That entire 7 weeks in the hospital, she drew rainbows. We have much of her rainbow collection. I believe those rainbows were a kiss on the cheek from God.

So, even though the last 14 years of October 7ths have not started out as the best day, it always works itself around to the part that I like remembering. God’s faithfulness. I cannot have one, without the other.

We still  have a good life. And a happy Family. And we will SO never be perfect! Or normal. We are still  blessed.

Summer of ‘95

This was in the little devotional thingy that came to our e-mail box this morning.

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the
Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.
Psalm 73:28

Timely, I must say.

Well, I’m not sure how to explain the meeting with the city people. It was all very quiet and professional. Honey explained our saga, complete with visual aids, compellingly. The city agreed that something needed to be done. While, of course, not assuming responsibility. But not denying responsibility either.

We left the meeting with the understanding that the City Sewer Guy was going to speak with our Plumber Guy and hear all the gory details and speak sewer talk with him. Then, somehow, the City People would verify all the Plumber Guy’s information, and we would reconvene for another meeting in a week or two. Or more likely, 3 or 4.

So, what I have to tell you is nothing. BUT, they did not say they were not responsible, and don’t let the door hit you as you are leaving, so I choose to take that as a positive. That gives us more time to pray. God knows the perfect solution. Even if we don’t. Or the city doesn’t.

And maybe, the solution is to not worry about the whole kit and caboodle, because the Lord is coming back before we have to sell our house and the whole point is moot.

Thank you all for your prayers and concern. We are, as always, waiting expectantly to see how God is going to work.

Hey, I broke out the knitting again! I have a bunch of delicious scarves to make. For sure 5, and possibly 10. Do you know what I have discovered? It takes me almost as long to prepare all of the yarn and put the colors and patterns together, as it takes me to actually knit  the dad gum things!

But they are delicious!

 Warren, over at My Home Among the Hills, had this meme last week. He graciously offered to pick 5 words for us if we wanted to play along. Since I seem to be fresh out of my own ideas lately, I told him to count me in. These are the words he sent over. Captivate, poetry, fantasy, drama, and people.

 This is what he says we are supposed to do with the words. “The way this works is that she gives me five words, upon which I am supposed to ponder and delight you with my expositions on the meaning to life as related to said words…” Here goes.

captivate- This is a good word. When I first read it, I was reminded of a song from the 90’s (I think) that I don’t know the name of or who sang it. It had some of these words, “I’ll be your crying shoulder”  There was also some weird line about love’s suicide or some such nonsense. But ANYWAY, he says “I’ll be captivated, I’ll hang from your lips….I’ll be the greatest fan of your life. ” That’s what I think about Honey. I am his biggest fan. One time he was annoyed with me (ONE TIME???)  because I asked him a bunch of questions. He said WHY would he know that? I told him that he should be flattered, I assumed he knew everything!  See, captivating! But I do not hang from his lips.

Those were my first thoughts. THEN, I started thinking about what captivated me. What fascinates me? So many different things at so many different times! I have been captivated endlessly by crushes. Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy, Randolph Mantooth (Emergency! anyone?), The Beatles, John F. Kennedy Jr.

Certainly captivated  by our children. Who is not completely captivated by their own precious, delicious, can’t get enough of you,  babies? Grown children as well. I can still look at them and  my heart overflows with love. Does that ever end? I can’t imagine that it ever will. I hope it doesn’t, I would be very sad to lose that feeling of pure, undiluted love.

A short list of things that have captivated my attention; books, especially my Girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder, movies, scrapbooking, Jewel Quest and Zuma, Freecell and Penguin, cards, and blobbing. January will be my second year of my in-captivation.

poetry- Not a fan of the poetry. I have no culture. I am way too literal, I don’t even get some of it. Too foofy and silly. Unless it is funny, I can get behind the funny. The word poetry looks pretentious to me. Whisper it, poetry. See? Way too serious.

 fantasy-I know that this word has connotations of Disney, and all that word incites. From Princesses to talking animals, to amazing love stories, to unbelievable inventions. But to me, it reminds me of the science fiction of my youth. I LOVED “Lost in Space”, “The Time Tunnel”, “Land of the Giants”, and “Star Trek”.  I wanted to BE Penny Robinson. 

I spent endless hours thinking about these shows and entertaining the possibility of living those lives.  My brother and I played those shows. Throwing ourselves around the basement to simulate space turbulence. Running and hiding to escape aliens, or giants. Transporting here and there. I’m not quite sure why I loved this genre so much. I am not particularly a sci-fi aficionado now. I guess I was captivated!

drama- Another word that I am not a fan of. Drama has only negative connotations for me. I do not enjoy this particular brand of People. Their philosophy is to spin things around themselves in the worst way possible. To make every life situation into something bigger than it is, or exaggerate it until it no longer is truthful. Which, by the way, is LYING.  Things never need to be worse than they are.

They live for upheaval. They enjoy ill health. Any little blip on their radar is cause to launch into their tale of woe. Do they think that when we ask how they are, we continually need to be treated to  their boring, laundry list of busy-ness? Everyone has seasons of busyness, but if your whole life needs adjusting, all the time, you need to take it to the Lord. Who is in control of their lives anyway?  Maybe they will run themselves around in circles so fast, they will turn into melted butter. Get a grip, Tigers.

I don’t  understand the need to do this. They live on a plane of emotionalism that I am not impressed with. They are not dealing with things uncommon to man. They are having life.

Oh My. That word hit a nerve. Evidently, my last one on that subject.

people- “People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world” Oh, I have hit the jackpot in this category. I LOVE my People!

 I would say that I am a people person. There are a few kinds that make me want to throw myself off a tall cliff, but for the most part, I like people.

What amazes me about people, are their different gifts. God has made us all in His image, and He has allowed some access to extraordinary gifts. Gifts of prayer, finances, sewing, organization, creating beautiful things, wisdom, cleaning, painting, compassion,  cooking, teaching, vision, gardening, encouragement, helpers, healers, servers, animal whisperers, leadership, humor, caregivers, worshippers and do-ers. This is not in any way a complete list.

People also seems to be a collective word. As in We the People. It’s who we are. We belong to this group. It’s us. A body, God’s body, with different components, with different jobs. That makes me glad, because I am not gifted in all the areas on that list above. And that’s ok. I am not the entire body of People. I am a part. I can do my part.

Hey, if you want to play along, let me know in the comments and I will send you 5 words of your very own!

We have our meeting with the city about the sewer line this morning at 10. We would appreciate your prayers.

I have no good news to share. The Sewer Debacle is not looking promising.

I had a post in my mind about my new watch, but that didn’t go as planned. After I exchange the new watch  later today, perhaps I will have something to tell you.

I was also going to post a picture of Mousey’s swim meet. Honey did get ONE good one, after extensive cropping. But the swim meet ended poorly, and I don’t mean the score. I don’t know if I need to subject you Folks to another sad tale. Of course, Honey with his mad skillz, did actually catch the disaster on film. If we can figure out how to post it, you can see it all go south.

I have also just realized that I am periously close to The Mark. That could possibly be contributing to the feeling of pervasive sadness and general unfairness of life. Sprinkle that with a heavy dose of PMS, and you might want to visit this blob again in about 2 and a 1/2 weeks.

Go read Big Mama and June over at Bye Bye Pie. They usually make me feel better, and are a much better choice at this juncture. Maybe you will like them too.

OK, that’s enough of that.