GOD! It's Storming!

Good morning son! How are you? It's been a very interesting week here...as always and more to come. We're in the beginning stages of Sandy! Hurricane Sandy that is. We'll begin to feel the effects this afternoon and by tomorrow night we should be in for some heavy rains. Your Aunt Julie and your sister are probably going to get snow. The girls will be in hog heaven. Snow! They use to love the snow. Remember the year they came to Oregon for Christmas? What a fun time we had. They spent hours playing with the Christmas village and train set on the coffee table. It was so much fun.

Last night we were at Jon and Corey's and celebrated dad and Sierra's birthdays since they're only a day apart. It was a rip-roaring time....just like always; pasta and pesto and/or red sauce, garlic bread and yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting for dessert. Yum! 

Dad, Jamison and I are as prepared as we can get for the hurricane. We picked up some supplies yesterday. If it gets too bad we can head to Jon and Corey's. We should be just fine. Eric and Scott will probably be in worse weather in New Jersey than we are here. We're further North. The news this morning is saying thought that we could get 70-80 mph winds. It's a good thing we just got a new porch. Maybe it will hold. The other one would have disappeared out into the neighborhood.

As the storm approaches I've been thinking about other storms in life. It seems life is never free of storms of one kind or the other. Some are minor, some devastating. I wonder what it would be like to not have life's storms? Are there storms in heaven? If so, what do they look like? I can't imagine that you would. After all, heaven is perfect. But, since I don't know what perfect really looks like, I wouldn't recognize it. Storms here in my life, because I'm the only one I can speak for, can be troublesome in so many different ways and at so many different levels. I do know that when I get so wrapped up in my own storms I tend to miss what others are going through or needing. Last night I was reminded of something very important, “I was crying because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” –Anonymous. I try really hard not to focus on my own storms but keep in mind something I re-heard again yesterday. I never want to lose sight of the fact that somewhere, out there in the world someone is worse off than me. And yet, is so very easy to do. The storms in life hit us all differently. What could be disastrous for one, a hurricane, is simply a rain shower for another. It's all about our perspective on life and from where we draw our strength.  At least that's my perspective. Just about the time I think the storm is going to overtake me and there's no solution in site. Boom, the sun comes out and God provides relief from the most unlikely source.

I was feeling a tiny storm in my head over the last few weeks trying to keep our budget intact.  I said to the Lord, very casually last week that it would be so great if I could find something that would bring in an additional $200-300/mo WITHOUT me having to go to work every day; something that's legitimate, where I can make a difference and something that I can do from home. Then I said, I know that doesn't really exist, but thanks for listening. Geez, you'd think your mother would know better by now wouldn't you? I have always known and believed the Lord can and does take care of our needs but sometimes those needs become something in my head, rumbling around in that storm, too small for the Lord to have any interest in. I mean, He has quite a few things to keep track of and I guess because I'm just this one person in a universe I put human standards and limits on God. He's God for crying out loud. But as a human with limits my brain had difficulty getting around the fact that He is all seeing, all knowing. "All" is a mighty big word. Anyway, back to my conversation with God. Last Thursday and Friday dad and I were covering for Diane while she took a couple of days off so it was a day or so before I got in and checked my email. What do you think I found? You're right, an opportunity to do a job from home that would bring in, you guessed it, $200-300/a month. Something I can do that will make a different, something I love and something that I can do no matter where I am in the world. Yea God! While He's preparing thousand for Hurricane Sandy He's also listening to my storm of the day and answering in a perfect way. Thank you Lord and I thank those who offered the opportunity.

As life's storms continue to roll God continues to provide opportunities to get in out of the rain if we but ask and trust. God's like that you know.

In our lives together dad and I have been through many, many storms. Some have been wind and rain. Some hurricanes and tornadoes. Some have ravaged our lives and we will never be the same again. But, in the end, God has brought the answer. That's not to say we don't usually try to do it on our own. Human nature tells us that "me can do it". Most of the time I believe the answer would come much quicker if we'd just talk to the Lord sooner and not try to do it ourselves, but truth be told, and speaking just for me, I tend to learn the hard way. Guess my dad was right, "Jan has a mind of her own". God made me. He knows me, He waits patiently for me as I finally get around to saying, "Help me Lord, I'm in a storm".

 Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

"Red & Yellow, Black & White"....

Good morning son! And how are you this beautiful, crisp, colorful Fall morning? Bet the gold, topaz and ruby gems are really standing out these days! Dad and I took the three mile trip to Walmart yesterday afternoon. I could have probably picked up what I needed a lot closer, although I don't know, the local Walmart doesn't carry fabric so I doubt I could have found embroidery thread. But, I digress. Oh, hush, yes, I know that's normal for me. Anyway, we made our three mile trek. You cannot imagine the color. Oh wait, I guess you can. Anyway, the colors I had seen when I made the trip last week were enhanced by a hundred fold. I was so glad we made the jaunt so that dad could see. I picked up a few groceries and the red embroidery thread, can you believe they had a hundred colors (well almost) but no black embroidery thread? Anyway, on the trip home dad and I were talking about the colors that we see in this world. Just imagine. Why did God make colors? I mean He/She could just as easily have made the world and everything in it all black and white. I mean we were the last thing made so it's not like we would have noticed any difference. Everything could be in black and white and it would have appeared absolutely normal to our eyes. As I try to imagine the brilliance off color we experienced on on trip yesterday in black and white I just can't imagine missing it. The reds, golds, browns, greens and oranges. What would it have been like if God had left all those colors out and just made everything black and white? Would the world have appeared dull to us? How? If we had never experienced color, how would we have experienced dull? We definitely know the difference between bright and dull. I mean that's something that's pretty evident all around us, every day.

Research says that color, or lack thereof, can affect our very mood. I know it's true for me. I need light and windows so the light can get in. I need color to reflect the light. Just painting two accent walls blue in our living room has made a dramatic change in my view of the world outside. It's made a dramatic change in dad's view of our home. It's helped to make our home more of a home. It's adding those "special effects" if you will, that makes our home truly our home. Color enhances our surroundings. It helps our mood when we are surrounded by colors that we love. Color can give us energy. It can soothe. It can energize. Color works magic. What would our lives be like if our world were just black and white. Just picture the world every day after the sun set. The darkness. Picture your home painted totally in black and white. Now don't get me wrong, I love the contrast of black and white. But, because I've seen color, because I've experienced color, I certainly wouldn't want to be limited to a pallet of black and white only.

Don't you find it interesting where we find a variety of colors? Take for interest animals. I mean we have birds in an array of every color of the rainbow. Reds, yellows, blues greens, pinks, oranges, you name it, there are birds of every color. Now look at dogs. Why are they basically black, greys, browns and whites. Cows. When was the last time you saw a blue cow?  Why did God make some animals of every color and leave others in the most basic of colors? Why did He do that? Take Jamison for instance. Our Scottie dog Jamison. Not Jamison our great-nephew. Just want to clarify. He's brindle. A combination of black, white, grey and some undertones of browns. We just accept the fact that's the way God made him and we don't expect him to be blue or red or another color of the rainbow. You see where I'm going here right? I thought you might.

Let's move on to people. The people of the earth, that I believe, God created. Remember the song we use to sing, "The B-I-B-L-E"? One of the verses says, "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world"? God could have created all people black. Or white. Or red. Or yellow. But He didn't. He created multitudes of different colors and nationalities. Why? He knew we'd have problems with the different colors. He knew we'd have problems with different nationalities and yet He did it anyway. Why? If God created all the colors in the world for our joy and pleasure and the seasons for our joy and pleasure, why wouldn't we also believe that people of other colors and nations were not created for our joy and pleasure? We act as though adversity between those of nations and colors is something new. It's not. People have fought over color and nations since man (and I use this in the broadest sense) was created. But why? Why do we waste our time. Why don't we embrace the colors of nations and seeks to find the beauty in all? I believe God made us different, made us contrast for a reason. We could learn so much from each other, but just as with nations previous we spend more time fighting over the differences instead of embracing and learning from them. If we spent just a portion of the time embracing and celebrating the differences in colors and races as we do appreciating the colors and brilliance of the colors of the seasons God created. What a world of color and brilliance we would have.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. Enjoy the color and brilliance of the world you create around you. Embrace the colors and encourage the ways they can reflect the light when they are encouraged to do so.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

Relishing the little things

Good morning son. As I look out the living room window this morning, past Jamison and the birds that are enjoying their morning feast, I see one tiny spot of orange among the green leaves of the trees in our yard. Our trees seem to be some of the last to loose their "Spring green" and ripen to the colors of Fall. I've been waiting patiently. Well, it's not really like I've had any choice. it's not like I can squeeze my eyes shut, twitch my nose and make things happen. I know, shock of all shocks, you always thought I could. It's kind of like those "eyes in the back of my head". You really didn't believe it but there were times when you weren't quite sure. 

Our view from "Aaron's Rock"

Dad, Jamison and I took our trip this week to see the transformation in the foliage on Rte 9 and up into Lake George and Queensbury. It was our first trip to the area and we had a great time. We didn't realize that for the most part, Lake George is closed for the season. But we enjoyed the ride and the colors we did see. The interesting thing to me was that as we took the exit to re-enter Troy the color was brilliant. I suddenly realized we were surrounded by more color than we had seen the entire day. It was all around us if we had just looked. Sometimes we miss what is right in front of us because we're always looking for something we don't have. I personally am finding that I am very much enjoying what dad and I have. That doesn't mean I don't dream. Dad panics when he asks me what my "dreams" are and I say I don't have any. I always have dreams but the trouble begins when you dream so much you miss what is already in your life.

Okay, so what's happening where you are? I don't imagine there are many changes in colors. I mean who would want to change colors when you're living with jewel-tones from actual gems. Or, the shimmer and shine that comes from all the light bouncing from the gold or silver. Or the glistening light as it slides across the pearly gates. I mean really. Tell me though. We talk a lot about heaven here on earth. Do you even notice the gems, gold, silver and pearly gates? I would doubt it. I think you're probably so busy with the things of the Lord you really don't notice. It's kind of hard to imagine that you are surrounded by those things and don't notice but then again, I'm reasoning with a worldly mind and heart so I can really only imagine worldly things. But, while I'm still here on this earth, and dreaming, I'm also enjoying. 

It's been great this last couple of months here at home just enjoying doing the things that a lot of people will probably consider drudgery. I'm finding real joy in cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, vacuuming, dusting and especially sweeping off our new front porch. It really is true, for me anyway, that I truly find joy in "the little things". I've waited a long time to be able to get up in the morning and spend my day doing what I want to do. For instance. The cost of groceries have just gone out of sight. Dad and I knew we had to figure out a way to eat right but not spend a fortune. It would be great if we could live on potatoes, beans and cornbread. But because of the way dad needs to eat in order to stay healthy, that's not possible. Years ago I found this site on line, Cooks.Com. It's an amazing wealth of recipes from thousands of great, "everyday cooks". Sometimes the recipes have been passed down, sometimes they're originals created by the author. Because of diabetes dad is very careful with his sugar and carbohydrate intake, just as you were. But, he has developed an affinity for the new Fig Newton, Lemon Crisp Cookies. I can't keep them in the house. Yesterday I found a recipe on Cooks.Com for Lemon Cookies made with real lemon juice and rind. He loves them. Thought I'd share it.

LEMON PUDDING COOKIES

Printed from COOKS.COM

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1 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 pkg. (3 3/4 oz.) lemon instant pudding (dry)
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until dough forms a ball. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each to 1/4 inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake until edges are delicate brown, about 8 minutes; cool. Frost with Lemon Butter Frosting (below), if desired. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

 

LEMON BUTTER FROSTING:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1-2 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 drops yellow food color

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and food color; beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.

 

Note: I mixed the frosting to "drizzle" consistency and just added a taste.

The other thing that we're eating a lot of is oatmeal. I use to make it with grated apple, cinnamon, and nuts for you and you loved it. I tried it for dad and it was the same success. I found this recipe for oatmeal in Reader's Digest the other day and it is yummy. It keeps and reheats wonderfully.

 

 I'm in the middle of making a quilt for Cole (fire trucks, police cars and ambulances), Megan and Clay's third. I have to get it done before the next one comes along in April! No, I don't know how I got behind. It's a good thing she said something or the poor little guy would have been the only one without one. 

 

Today I'm going to try something new. I want to paint the cabinet dad built years ago a deep rose. I have some deep red and white paint and I'm going to see if I can mix it, a little at a time, and see if I can't get it the color I want. What can it hurt. I bought the paint at Habitat for $4/gallon so I really have nothing to loose.

 

The Lord continues to be good to us as always. Dad and I love and appreciate our home. We appreciate the little things more than ever. For instance, lemon cookies.

 

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

Words, Language & Conversation

Good morning son! I'm sitting here looking out the living room window willing the leaves to change faster than they are. We took a short trip yesterday and the colors are so beautiful. It's amazing to me how the world can look one way one day and the next, everything is different.But talk about how fast things change, you'd know better than anyone! Is heaven that way? Does it look different every day? ARE there days in heaven? Does time seem to go on forever without a break? Do you even notice time? As you know, dad loves to study time and time continuum. Me, I'm content with the moment I'm in. No, dad is too, he just loves the studying. It's a good thing he has your uncle to share these thoughts with because I am totally clueless. I know that you and he both enjoyed reading, studying and having conversations about time and dad misses that. There's a lot of things we miss with you being gone. Outside of your dad you were my best encourager no matter what I was doing, BUT, I know you're doing that in heaven and I know you're doing a great job. I try to imagine you and your perfect body. How exciting that must be for you. How silly is it that I would even think of that? I bet you haven't even stopped long enough to even think about it. Do you think in heaven? I mean, think like we know it here on earth? Conversations? Do you have conversations in heaven? I mean really, how would people like you and I survive if we can't talk in heaven? No literally "survive". I mean you're in heaven and "eternal life" is pretty self explanatory isn't it? Conversation and words have always been such an important part of our lives as a family. We always talked about everything. Dad and I tried to answer all your questions. I believe that because of that you always felt free to ask questions, to ask why and to question what you were told. It made you a stronger person and a more well rounded person. It made you a more tolerant person. A person who was a great listener. A person who understood that people learned by having conversations and asking questions.

 Conversation is so important to who we are as people, kids, parents, and in all walks of life. Corey asked me what we did last Tuesday. We were having this conversation  while we were on our "field trip" to the grocery store. That's what we do a lot of the time in order to have a visit, we push our carts around the grocery store and visit as we go. I know, weird, but it works for us. As I thought back over the week and thought about that day I realized dad and I had spent about three hours that afternoon just talking. We spend a great amount of time lately having these wonderful conversations. We were so very busy when you were growing up. I look at what parents are doing these days and ask myself, "how on earth do they keep up?". But when I think back over the last 40 years I realize our lives looked exactly like theirs. We did the same thing. Our weeks were full of dad being gone and traveling for work. At the peak of my career I was working 50 and sometimes 60 hours a week. Saturday's were "fun days" and getting ready for Sunday. Sunday was church all day and evening and then came Monday again. Life was non-stop. Sometimes now I feel like I need to be doing so much more and then I think no, I don't have to do that anymore. I can do what I want, when I want. I don't have to move at that speed any more. I don't have to feel guilty for not "keeping up". I did that. Dad did that. So, if we want to sit for three hours and just have a conversation, we can do that and feel good about it. We're just making up for all the hours of entertaining clients. If we had a three hour conversation every day it will take us the rest of our lives to catch up. That's a very good thing. Getting comfortable in this "retirement skin", takes some time, but, having conversations about what we want to be doing with this time is a wonderful way to spend some of that time.

In our conversation yesterday, Dad said that he wants to walk again with Relay for Life next year. Made me smile. We thought we could do it this last summer but we just weren't ready. Yes, at first we felt guilty because we didn't do it, but it's okay, as I always say, "guilt works"! We may be moving slower than we thought, but we're moving and that's whats important. 

So, let's get back to the conversation topic. Nice try to take me somewhere else but conversation is so very important. I've been thinking about it a lot since the conversation with Corey this week. As dad and I stop each afternoon and have our conversation and coffee it's such a sweet time. Now that we have our new porch I'd like to take our time outside but to do so right now would give your dad a chill and would end up being a very unpleasant time for him. I try my best to get some "meat on his bones" but about the time I get a few pounds on him he manages to walk or work it off. Wish I had that problem! 

We're having a great time walking and talking every afternoon when we take Jamison on his walk. We were reminded last week though, as we walked longer than we anticipated because we were talking and not watching how far we walked, that it's the same distance back. In the past, when dad and Jamison have walked to far they could just give me a call and I could go and pick them up. Doesn't work so well when I'm with them. But, the conversations we have as we stroll along are wonderful. It's so great as we stroll along on our walk, take a trip in the car or just sit in our living room to be able to have these conversations. The difference for me now is that this conversations are possible without a defined end time. When you were growing up and we were all involved in tons of activities the conversations had to fit in between everything else. Now, everything else can fit between our conversations. I like that change.

The other side is though that conversations can be hurtful and harmful. Why anyone would want to use conversation in a hurtful way is beyond me. When there are so many words in our language to lift people up, to make them feel good, to relay a joyful message, to pass along the words in books, to have conversations to share the history of our country, to share the history of family and life, to share our religious beliefs. Why oh why I have to ask myself would someone choose to have a conversation that tears someone down, make someone hurt, to rob someone of their joy, to tell an untruth? You get the picture. Why would someone do that? The only thing that comes to mind is selfishness. Someone would do that to make themselves feel better? How on earth would tearing someone apart with hurtful conversation possibly make someone feel better about themselves? I've never been able to figure that one out. I do believe that sometimes people use conversation as a game. What a pathetic way to live a life. As you know, life is too short. Especially for games, hurtful games. I hope that during your life here on this earth you saw me only use conversation and words to encourage someones life. I work very diligently to only use words and conversations to build someone up. To bring joy to their life. Now I know I'm not always successful. I know at times I've hurt someone with words or conversations. It has not been intentional and if I become aware that I have I try to make it right. I had to do that the other day. It wasn't something I said, it was something I neglected to say, "Hello". While we were on our walk the other day we came across a woman and two small children walking and playing in the area we were walking. The little boy and girl came over and played with Jamison for a minute while dad and I chatted and then we all went on our way. Later on the way home dad mentioned that it was good to see so and so (I won't use her name ) and her grand kids. I looked at him dumbfounded. That was, so and so? He said yes, didn't you recognize the grand kids. I hadn't. I felt so bad. How could I be so rude. As we approached her house I told dad to go on, I needed to take a short detour. I stopped by her house and knocked. She came to the door and I said, "I am so very sorry I didn't speak to you a little while ago. That was very rude of me. I simply did not recognize you". She looked at me as though to say, "why are you apologizing?" but said, "that's ok, no problem". I said, "No, it isn't alright. My mother would have been horrified that I had been so rude." She nodded and I headed home. My point, words can hurt when NOT said just as badly as when they are said.

What a gift God has given us. The gift of words, language and conversation. They can bring joy or pain. But we should always be truthful and not "throw bouquets" as dad has always said. Conversation is a powerful tool. We should be careful how we "throw it about".

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom