What Does An Amazing Mom Look Like?

What does an amazing mom look like? Let's see, she brings adventure to her family. She allows them to invite friends along, drives them 45 minutes to the next town in order for them to go ice skating. Just for fun. An amazing mom goes hiking, in order to explore Indian Ruins with her kids.  An amazing mom takes her family on picnics in the mountains, and doesn't get upset when she forgets the buns for the hotdogs.  Afterall, it is an adventure. On an adventure one never knows what unexpected surprises await.

What does a fearless mom look like? She hops on a homemade go-cart with her son, riding it all of the way down the street, skinning her knees when she lands, yet laughs the entire ride and walk home. A fearless mom allows her kids the freedom to create and make mistakes. Her children develop imaginations as they build forts in the backyard & tents in the house. They find scorpions, tarantulas, and bring home stray animals. Sometimes they come home with ringworm. She never gets mad but embraces the moment. A fearless mom takes her entire family hot air ballooning to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary.

What does a giving mom look like?  She is a brownie troop leader.  Every Saturday she types up the church bulletin on mimeograph paper, which means one typing error and she has to redo the entire process.  She takes this to the church and stands in front of the mimeograph machine, hand cranking the big barrel apparatus.  Each crank produces a single copy, and all the while she takes her kids on imaginary bear hunts. As her kids become older, she volunteers her time for Make-A-Wish, designs and sews pastoral robes and altar cloths.  She takes part in various other church projects like being on the school board, painting murals on classroom walls...basically creating beauty and love in everything she endeavors.

What does an intelligent mom look like? She graduates from college while raising 4 kids.  She gets her Master's Degree while raising 4 kids and working full time. She spends 2 years in Germany teaching.  She spends several summers volunteering to put together a library at a glass-blowing school in another state, so she can learn the art of glass blowing. She continues teaching and taking classes after she retires.  She takes her grandkids to Europe, on Alaskan & Mexican Cruises to expand their appreciation for culture. She is forever learning new technology and utilizes it in her every day life.

What does a creative mom look like? Besides her quilting, scuplting, painting, glass blowing, sewing, designing, pottery, and so much more, she gives art lessons to her curious grandkids.  She teaches her daughters and granddaughters how to dye silk scarves in her back yard. She takes those interested to art galleries, museums, concerts, plays, ballets.  She is forever expanding her abilities to create and weave art into every area of her life and the lives of those around her.

Thank-you Mom for all you've given, all you've taught, all that you are.  Happy Birthday!

Love,
Joanne

¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

¹³ She finds wool and flax
    and busily spins it.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
    a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
    her lamp burns late into the night.

¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
    and opens her arms to the needy.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
    Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 

 ³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Best Husband Ever

 On May 25th, we had a wedding shower to attend.  Not only Michael and I, but all of our kids were invited to a couple's shower for my daughter-in-law's  brother and fiance.  We were excited, as it meant we would get to see Lauren and her blossoming pregnant belly.

That Saturday, I was up early. I was surprised to see Michael was already out running errands before I'd even had my coffee. When he isn't mowing the lawn, he often makes a run to Home Depot or the car wash. I was a little perplexed though, when his normal errand running time had passed and he still hadn't returned.  Still browsing the web, drinking my coffee and wearing pajamas, I finally heard the front door open.  I thought I heard a second set of footsteps and wondered if maybe this hadn't been a typical Saturday morning for errands. Maybe he and Elisabeth had something to take care of.

I was caught off guard when I found my son, Christopher, standing behind my chair.  Michael thought it would be a fun surprise for everyone, including Lauren, if he bought him a plane ticket and flew him home for the weekend.  Christopher is currently living in Texas for a 6 week internship, while his lovely wife holds down her job, and takes care of their unborn baby in New Orleans.

We had a great weekend.  Wish it had been longer, but what an awesome husband I have,

And family too! Only Travis was missing for the photo.  I have more pictures of the next day,with him, but Christina and Danny are absent from those.  But hey, 12 of us....err...13 are together.

Truthfully,

Joanne

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—For your love is better than wine." (Song of Solomon 1:2)

I Hate It When...

my internet is down.

I get in the shortest checkout line, but as soon as I get there, it doesn't move.  At all.  The manager opens 3 additional lanes, but doesn't take anyone in particular, so even if I ran, I'd still be 3 carts back.  I stay put for 15 minutes and nothing happens.  The line still doesn't move.

the load of laundry I put in to wash last night is still sitting in the machine wet.

I'm on a diet.

it's 90 degrees outside.

there is construction on the only main road out of my neighborhood...for months.

my doctor's office calls with my results, but I miss the call.  Instead of leaving the information they say, "your doctor would like you to make an appointment to follow up with your results."

Truthfully,

Joanne

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing...." (James 1:2-8)

Happy 86th Birthday~!

Happy Birthday Dear Mom-In-Law!  Thank-you for the courage it took to move to Colorado 6 years ago, and for sharing our home the past 3. You've given nothing but love and encouragement to me the past 30 years.

Thank-you for raising your only son to become the perfect husband for me. He has so many of the same wonderful qualities you possess, kindness, gentleness, a great sense of humor with a penchant for fun and family.

Missing you today, but hope you are having a wonderful time in Arizona, celebrating with family there. We've loved being able to celebrate the past 6 with you.

80th Birthday

81st Birthday

82nd Birthday

83th Birthday

84th Birthday

85th Birthday

Happy, Happy Birthday.  You are loved and missed.

Truthfully,

Joanne

"Since the day you were born, I have carried you along. I will still be the same
when you are old and gray, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe." Is. 46:3-4

I'd Say I Was Frugal

As I await the birth of my second grandbaby, flashbacks of being a young mom bombard my brain.  Some memories make me laugh. Others cause me to cringe. Was I overly health conscious when it came to food, or merely a penny-pinching, frugal mom?  Did I follow my own instincts and personal likes/dislikes with some of my choices? I'm thinking specifically about treats and desserts.

Sometimes I purchased pre-packaged desserts to pack in my children's lunches.  I could never figure out why Swiss Cake Rolls, Ding Dongs, Twinkies, and the likes came in packs of two.  Were most kids allowed to eat two at one sitting?  At night, as I'd prepare as much of their lunch as I could, I would open up the desserts and rewrap them in single portions. I could have saved a lot of time by just giving each kid 2.  With the extra wrapping, did I truly save any money. Did my son's (or daughters') friends laugh that they only received a half of a dessert. Wouldn't two Twinkies have been way too much fat, calories, and sugar?

On occasion, I would treat my children to donuts on the way to church.  In order for this to happen, I had to get up extra early.  You would think that not having to make breakfast and stopping at the local donut shop would save time.  Nope.  Knowing they would be having sugar, I'd fix them an extra big breakfast with plenty of protein to help balance out their diet.  It wasn't until I met up with a friend and her kids for donuts did I realize that the donuts WERE breakfast.  My kids were shocked when they watched their friends indulge in two donuts a piece.  With 5 kids, including me, I would have had to purchase an entire dozen.  Imagine 12 glazed, sprinkled, and sugared delights devoured in minutes. That seemed like a huge expenditure, but maybe not so bad had I not already prepared them eggs and bacon. Besides, eating just one donut (sometimes they couldn't even finish it) reduced the possibility of chocolate smears on their Sunday Best.

I made a lot of brownies for lunchbox desserts, as these gooey treats were a favorite.  Or did I make them, knowing that since I didn't like them, they'd last longer and I wouldn't be tempted to partake myself?  With so much dessert talk, I suppose I can rule out that I was overly health conscious, but at the time I did try to provide balanced, nutritious meals, with a bit of dessert added.  It's just too bad I didn't realize that I had at least one daughter with Celiac Disease.  I shudder to think of how much gluten I fed them.

Truthfully,

Joanne

 "So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish.  Make the best use of your time." (Eph. 5:16)

A Boy, A Bike, A Dog

Honestly, the dog is not attached or forced to follow behind the bicycle.  Ethan finally stopped and put her inside the basket.  Two happy campers.

Truthfully,
Joanne

"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth." 1 Timothy 6:6

I'm Sorry

Glad you are both okay, Sarabeth and Travis! Hopefully, the other guy never runs a red light again.

Truthfully,

Joanne

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." (Ps. 91:1-2)

It Does Good Like Medicine

Last week was a busy one.  It was extra difficult, because my car remained stuck in the snow in Estes Park.  My home desperately needed cleaning,especially since I had weekend guests coming.  Preparations & decorating for the baby shower had to be finished.  Tragic breaking news brought distractions.  A close friend's husband passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday. I had 2 doctor appointments scheduled and it seemed every time I turned around another event would pop up.

One of those events was one Sarabeth brought to my attention.  "Oh by-the-way, Mom, Travis' mom asked if you and I would like to attend a Ladies Event at her church.  I told her yes, so she bought the tickets."

Sure, I'd be happy to go.  It would be nice to get to know what most likely will be my daughter's future mother-in-law.  "So when is this event?" I ask.  That would be Friday evening.  Yep, the Friday night we were scheduled to decorate the home of the woman hosting the baby shower,the same Friday I take my mother-in-law to her weekly hair appointment, the same Friday Michael and I had planned to drive to Fort Collins to spend the day with Hilary to view the Engineering Students Senior Design Projects.  She isn't a senior yet, but her boyfriend is. Not only did we want to be supportive of him and also Hilary but we don't get to spend that much time with them. It is also a fun and interesting time of learning just how smart these kids are.  I was also hoping to squeeze in a 2 1/2 drive to Estes Park to retrieve my poor little baby. Another snow storm was to blow in on Saturday and I didn't know when it might be clear again. Would there be time to visit with my daughter-in-law? I'd planned to make food for the shower on Friday since the shower was Saturday morning and I am NOT a morning person.

I realized something had to give.  Who do I disappoint?  I let go of the trip to get my car, and the trip to see the Senior Design Projects.  I was glad Michael was willing to go without me to be with Hilary.

Late Friday afternoon I put dinner in the crockpot, threw on some clean clothes,Sarabeth and I arrived at the church. It was a few minutes early, giving us time to meet up with Janet and meet her friends.  The program began promptly at 6:30.

It was a night of music, comedy, and dessert. The first song was comedic and I smiled.  By the second of the piano duets, I was melting into my seat.  I hadn't realized how much I had needed His Peace.  The music washed over me, and I realized it had been awhile since I'd felt so relaxed.  I silently thanked God for His overwhelming presence and peace.

By the time Kerri Pomarolli began I was able to laugh heartily.  She truly was hilarious.  Not only did I feel peace, but the more I laughed, the more rejuvenated I became.  Joy filled my heart.  I thanked God for prompting Janet to invite us.  I thanked Him for Sarabeth and that she listened to the Holy Spirit and accepted the invitation knowing that we really didn't have time to add one more event to our calendar.

The evening ended with a lovely dessert buffet.  I'd skipped dinner and figured we wouldn't find anything gluten free, but went to the Fellowship Hall anyway.  To our surprise, on every table was a selection of the most delicious looking gluten free cakes.  They were heavenly! 

Thanks Sarabeth. Thank-you Michael & Hilary, for taking the extra time to pick up my car.  I got teary-eyed when I pulled in the driveway and saw her sitting there.  Thank-you Elisabeth & Christina for decorating without us.  Thank-you Lauren for spending all of Saturday with us.  Thank-you Christopher for sharing your wife and baby with us. Thank-you Lord for blessing me so abundantly beyond what I could ever ask or think.

Truthfully,

Joanne

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones." Proverbs 17:22

It's Almost Thyme

Twenty-eight years ago, I began praying for a little girl. I didn't know who she was at the time, but I wanted my son to have a wonderful wife, one who would become the mother of his children, and my grandchildren.  I asked God for very specific things.  He more than exceeded my expectations and hopes when Christopher married Lauren. I suspect she too will begin praying for her little one's future mate.

Here is Lauren, at 28 weeks, with my girls. We celebrated her this weekend with a baby shower.

I didn't take all of the pics I'd intended to take.  On the right in the above photo, are the "It's Thyme" plants.  In the background you can see one of the mobiles that was made. Thanks to Grandpa for watching Ethan during the festivities. Ethan had a great day working with him.

 So proud of my girls for their love and hard work they put in to bless Lauren (and Christopher.) 

I was so busy watching Lauren open her presents, I missed taking pictures of the lovely gifts she was showered with.

So many of the out-of-town relatives really wanted to come to the shower, but just couldn't make it.  We would have loved spending time with them, but are thankful for everyone who did attend.

Lauren's mom is a sweetheart! 

Lauren didn't grow up with sisters, but look at how many sisters she has now!

Wait, how did Derek get in there and is he pregnant too???? (Lauren's Brother and fiance)

The blessing of extended family:  To the left are Christina's inlaws, on the right Elisabeth's future mother-in-law, all came to bless Lauren and Christopher.  This is what family is all about.

Of course a party wouldn't be a party without good friends willing to share baby sweetness making it that much more difficult for us to wait the remaining 12 weeks to see the new baby.

Truthfully,
Joanne

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Ps. 133:1)

Betrayal

The past seven years have been good ones. I love spending time with you and do every chance I can.  Right now, I don't know what you are feeling or what you are thinking. Do you feel betrayed?

Our relationship works, always has.  I've done my best to take good care of you, provide for your needs, pamper you, protect you.  You in turn have been there for me, a faithful friend, going along for the ride whenever I'm available.  You are always up for whatever adventure I choose.  I treasure your company.  You make me smile.

I know some family members find you irritating at times. You are not up for crowds, it is too much for you to handle.  Your comfort zone is pushed to the limit when more than two of us try to join you.  Some say you are difficult to deal with and choose not to come along when we go out. I'm okay with that.  We always have fun together.  We have a good relationship. 

I hope you have not misconstrued what is happening.  I know too well what it is like to be judged, how my actions can be perceived to be something they are not.  Please understand, nothing has changed.  I still love you.

I know it is not like me to leave you vulnerable, exposed to the harsh realities of the world.  I care about you and would give anything to keep you from getting hurt. I don't send you out by yourself, or leave you alone for long periods of time.  Where you go, I go.

I know you are confused.  Don't be. There is an explanation for why this has happened.  You may hear well intentioned people question my motives, wonder aloud if I care, ask if you'd like to live with them, and hear promises of better treatment.  I'm sorry you have to hear such expressions.  I'm sorry for the fear, stress, and worry you may be going through because of the words of others.

Please know, it was never my intention to hurt you.  I'm truly sorry for my actions.  I'm very, very busy this week and with the weather being such a huge factor in getting things done, I can't spend time with you.  I can't come get you. You can't come home right now, but soon.

Baby, I'll try to get there by Sunday. Here is a pic of me on the last day we spent together.

And there you are, sheltered beneath that great big tree.  You will be okay. Twenty-seven inches of snow is a lot, but I will get you out of there. I truly had no idea this would happen to you, or I would have left you safely at home.  Don't think I betrayed you, see it as an adventure.

Truthfully,
Joanne

"Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed." Ps. 57:1

Romantic Getaway

We arrived in Estes Park yesterday afternoon for a romantic getaway. For Christmas our girls bought us a weekend getaway. Hoping for the best weather, we waited for the last available time. The roads were clear and the weather pleasant so at the last minute we decided to drive my car.

The view from our room was beautiful. The drive up here was equally lovely. We had a delightful day. We were to head back this morming but encountered a slight problem.

Doesn't look like a lot of snow but there is about a foot of fresh snow and it's predicted to contine falling for the next three days.

Here is our view this morning. Looks like our getaway will last a little bit longer, weeeeeee! Twenty plus inches headed our way.

Truthfully,
Joanne

 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”, yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

I Make A Bad Patient

Not sure if I ever mentioned I am in the process of a dental implant.  The oral surgeon I use is pretty insistent on using drugs that cause his patients not to remember anything about their procedure.  I am not real excited about this type of sedation.  His explanation satisfied me so I submitted to this type of anesthesia for the first procedure.

This is the same Dr., same meds used when Hilary had her wisdom teeth removed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys9Dg-HYo78&feature=share

When I went in for my bone graft, as soon as they placed my IV, I don't remember a single thing.  It was very disturbing.  I awoke 6 hours later.  Like Hilary, I wondered how I'd gotten to the car, how I got home.  Did I change my clothes?  I had a hazy recollection of spitting out the gauze in my mouth and saying that I had to rinse my mouth.  Apparently the aftercare instructions explicitly said not to spit within the first 24 hours, or rinse my mouth.  Oh well.  Michael claims I also refused to keep the ice pack on my face, the one I was supposed to wear for 24 hours.

I'm a bad patient.

Yesterday I went in for the second part of the procedure.  In case anyone is wondering, this is usually about an 8 month process.  I started mine in August 2012 and still have a ways to go.  I was to have the same type of sedation again.  The Dr. suggested I bring one of my daughters to this appointment.  I wonder if he thought they'd do a better job at helping me follow the aftercare instructions.  I told Michael he could videotape me if he'd like.  A part of me wanted to be see myself, and to know what I said during this weird sedation state. Was I really a bad patient?

Funny thing is, it was different this time.  The nurse had a hard time getting the IV started, but finally got it to run.  She added Propoful and I believe I faded out for a bit.  But then I seemed to come to.  I was draped in paper drapes, the kind you see on television for surgeries and such.  My hands were confined with straps on the arms of the chair.  The only exposed area was my face.  I opened my eyes and saw the IV pole.  My IV was no longer dripping, which could explain why I was no longer in a twilight state.  I could tell I had a block in my mouth to keep it open.  I needed to swallow very badly but couldn't with this block in place.  I was able to move it and flip it to the side.  I could then swallow, but then pushed it back in place because I knew that is where is should be. I also couldn't keep my legs still and kept shifting around.  I heard a nurse say, " She needs more Propoful.  This is the same drug Michael Jackson used for sleeping.

I wriggled my right arm loose.  I'm not sure why, but I didn't like it stuck in the strap.  After about the third time of swallowing with the block pushed to the side, I reached up and removed it from my mouth, then just held it in my hand.

I'm a bad patient.

I heard a nurse groan.  "I can't get that block.  My hands are sterile and she has it in her hand."  I couldn't really open my eyes.  I felt someone take the block from my hand and place my arm back under the drape and into the strap.  I waited a moment before I slid my hand back out and just left it hidden under the drape, just in case I needed it again.

I'm a bad patient.

I don't remember much after that.  I have another hazy memory of Michael going through the Starbucks drive thru because I wanted a coffee.  I think I said something about needing to go to the bathroom and he let me walk into Starbucks all by myself.  He waited in the car.  The only memory I have is running into someone on my way out, and that is it.  They must have thought I was drunk or something so early in the morning.  I can only imagine what I must have looked like-especially since the doctor doesn't allow eye makeup for procedures.  I asked Michael why he let me go in Starbucks by myself.  He said he didn't want to talk about it because:

I'm a bad patient.

I went to bed when I got home, without my ice pack, without even finishing my coffee.  Apparently I answered an email too, as when I went to respond today, and found that my friend had answered the one I sent yesterday.  Oh well.  I also wasn't supposed to start the antibiotics until today.  Ooops!

I'm a bad patient.  I'm glad I don't have to take care of myself when I'm in this state.  I only have one more of these procedures to undergo, (poor Michael) and then I will be finished with sedation.  Next time, I'd like to have at least one video tape to see if I really am a bad patient.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9sAqqEbbkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9sAqqEbbk

Secrets

Oh my word, on one hand I LOVE a good secret.  On the other, keeping a secret gets harder and harder the older I get.  When I was little I could easily keep a secret.  I prided myself in keeping a secret, unlike my sister Carolyn. I wrote a post about that here.  The reason I wrote that post was because I knew a secret.  I knew that my son was going to propose, that he'd already asked her parents permission for her hand in marriage.  All the remained was the actual proposal.  He did NOT share that information with us.  It would be a surprise.  So I had to wait with the secret knowledge until the event happened and I could share the great news.

Okay, I did post once that I HATE keeping secrets, but that was different.

Another secret I kept, but posted about it on my blog, was a trip we took to surprise my inlaws.

Last week, I took Hilary to Arizona to celebrate her 21st birthday.  My mother had planned dinner at her home to celebrate my birthday, Hilary's 21st, and my brother's wife Kathleen's birthday.  My sister Carolyn, her husband, Larry, and daughter Cara even drove down from Flagstaff ( a nearly 3 hour drive) for the event.  It was so much fun to see family.  Towards the end of the evening, my niece (I can't mention names just yet) passed out colored Easter Eggs for a game we were to play after dinner.  When she said we could open them I squealed when I saw what was inside.

I was so excited for them I squealed.  Then I ran to the happy couple and hugged them both.  Somehow I missed the bigger surprise.  I hadn't thought anything of the TWO eggs inside.  I heard my sister, Laurie ask if they were having twins.  Yes, they are expecting twins.  Talk about keeping a secret!

Anyway, I am thrilled for the happy couple, but since they haven't made it public on Facebook, it is still sort of a secret.  I know some of my kids claim I can't keep a secret, but they will realize that I can keep a secret.

Time

Why, in the 21st century, do we continue to participate in Daylight Savings Time?  If we covet more daylight hours in the evening, why don't we stay on DST year round?  Sure, many would argue that if we did that, kids would be standing in the dark, waiting for school buses to arrive.  I found that this happened regardless of whether or not we were on DST or standard time.  So let's pick one and stick with it.

The arguments once used to validate changing to DST really no longer apply.  I won't bore you with all of the arguments of saving energy by using natural lighting and such.  It doesn't happen anyway.  Many people indoors have their lights on in the daylight anyway.  We will use electricity regardless of the time.  Construction work on freeways is often done in the middle of the night thanks to portable and fixed lighting.  If we really want to adjust our lives to the operation of the sun, we should be daily adjusting the time work/school starts according to the sunrise. That would make way more sense than twice-a-year change does.

Why do we torture ourselves with something as ridiculous as springing forward and falling back?  Babies and children don't understand the concept.  We both suffer until we manage to trick ourselves into the new time schedule.  It is RIDICULOUS.  Just because the actual change happens very early Sunday morning, doesn't give us time to adjust.  That takes weeks.  The older I get the more my body protests such change.  Why do we do this to ourselves, our children, even our pets?

 Sure, the pet owner who has a dog that wakes him up every morning at 4 a.m. probably loves springing forward with the hope that the dog never catches on to what has happened.  In the Fall, that one night of extra sleep doesn't mean much when that same dog now wakes up at 4 again.

Please, for the love of sleep, can we quit the nonsense of twice-a-year changing of the time?  Maybe it is time to move to Arizona, the smartest state in America.  They don't want or need the extra hour of daylight.

Truthfully,
Joanne


"Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years" Gen. 1:14

Today I Feel Special

My Victoria's Secret card came in handy today. If you aren't familiar with it, let me explain.  It's a  little card any Victoria's Secret employee will happily give you. It lists all of their bras. You can check off your favorites.  There is also a space for you or your bra specialist to write in your perfect size-just in case you forget.  Of course you can also share this special, little card containing your Secret information with friends and family. They too can buy special gifts for you.

Today, though, the card might have saved a life.  It was a lovely day when I went into the store, but when I came out, it was snowing. I was caught off guard, as the weatherman said possible snow beginning after 3 p.m.  It was only noon.  I don't carry an ice scraper in my car because normally I don't drive my car in the snow.

I attempted to brush the freezing cold stuff off with my hand. My fingers were freezing! Plus, it had already begun freezing.  I found my Victoria's Secret card tucked in my pocket. I pulled it out and voila! A perfect snow scraper. Because I could see out my back window, I didn't hit the bicyclist, I nearly didn't see.  Apparently I wasn't the only one caught off guard by the snow.

Guess I won't be sharing my bra size with everyone.

Truthfully,

Joanne
"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40

Thunk Thursday

Healthcare Costs:
I didn't realize mail order prescriptions offered me free shipping.  How generous of them.

And yes, I did actually have to pay $1,075.97 for this drug.

My daughter, who just turned 26, will lose her health insurance at the end of the month.  She works two part time jobs but cannot afford Cobra's cost of  over $500/month.  We have yet to find an alternative for her.  She doesn't qualify for any government assistance, but if she became pregnant she would. To get healthcare from work would require her to work longer hours. Healthwise, she can't be on her feet for that long.  Plus, she'd lose her second job which pays more, but isn't full time.

In addition to having to pay 100% out of pocket for healthcare, she will now have to pay a penalty fee, thank-you-Mr.-Obama, because she can't afford insurance.What a novel tax idea that was.

Truthfully,

Joanne

 "A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days." (Proverbs 28:16)