Does It Really Take An Elephant?

Springtime in heaven?

Good morning son! It's been a very interesting and busy week. How about you? I'll bet things are really a hummin' in heaven this time a year with Spring popping out all over and preparations for Easter and Passover. We're having an early Spring this year. Everything is blossoming out, I hope not too early. The daffodils are blooming already. We've been having 70-75 degree weather the last couple of weeks. And now, tomorrow night, it's suppose to be 17 degrees.I'm going to put a sheet over our daffodil bed tonight in hopes that they won't freeze. I've been in cropped pants and t-shirts for a couple of weeks now. Today I'm back to long pants, sweat shirt and socks! I don't like like it. I don't like it one bit!

(L-R) Dylan, Josie, Trey cuddling on the couch

Dad and I were really busy last week, busier than usual. We filled in for Diane at Jon and Corey's! One week, seven kids. "Nuff said?" (I know you're laughing. And I know it's happy laughter knowing we were surrounded by kids and knowing we loved it.) It was fun.  We are totally pooped but we had a great time. It takes both of us to get everything done. But just like we have always done our entire marriage, when we do it together we have this way of being able to see what needs to be done and each of us doing a piece to make it all come together. It doesn't matter if it's taking care of a household full of kids, working at a business or working in the kitchen. We have this way of just flowing together to get the job done. Years ago, when dad was working with Tony and Tony found out dad and I worked together in the office Tony told dad that was the quickest way to end in divorce court. Husbands and wives just couldn't work together. Dad and I had never given it a second thought. We'd always worked together...and we still do.

You remember last week when I was telling you I needed to do something in my studio to increase storage but I wasn't willing to give up my natural light in order to do it. Well, I had to eat my words this last week. I went through dozens of scenarios. Well, actually not dozens. In my 7x9 space, one of those walls is 4'. One entire wall, the longest wall, has a baseboard heater on it. The walls are plaster and lathe and it's a pain in the neck to hang things on them if they're hang at all,  you're options aren't great. But, I had to do something.


In an email to Rita, I told her this morning, I never every thought I'd say the words again, "this weekend I'll...". When I retired last year I didn't think I'd ever have to say those words. But, I hear myself saying them more and more often. Anyway, yesterday, Saturday, dad and I took the opportunity to go to Habitat for Humanity and take a look to see if they had any cheap options. Sometimes just looking around I can find something that will fit the need. I have been thinking, for quite some time about a nine drawer dresser. There really are plenty of them out there, but sometimes they're all dresser and really no drawer space to speak of. I mean the lumber is really thick and beautiful but very little content space. As I was roaming around I found a 6' long dresser. It had three large drawers on either end and a set of doors in the middle. As I took hold of the door handle to open it, I was hoping I would find three additional drawers behind the doors, I really needed more drawers, not just a big open space. And there they were. Three more beautiful drawers.  I took my measuring tape from my purse; 6' long. Perfect, it would fit right against the back wall of my studio.  I knew I could get everything I had in the 7' paper sorter into the drawers of the dresser and the shelving I already had. It was made by Thomasville so I knew it was going to take three men and an elephant to move and load it, but it was perfect. I had set a $35 budget. I know, I'm cheap. Not really. I had been shopping on Craigslist for a month and knew I could find things that would work for that price, but it would have probably been additional mileage to pick it up and dad and I would have had to load it. We could have done it but I would have rather not. Unloading is enough for both of us. So now there was just one thing left to do. I said a quick prayer and looked over at that tiny white 1" square sticker right in the middle of the top of the dresser. I mean really, who would put something sticky right in the middle of a nice piece of furniture. Never mind, I won't go there. Anyway, I eased my eyes slowly over to the sticker and took a look. $25? That couldn't be right. I mean, this was a really nice piece. It was missing one drawer handle but I didn't want to embarrass myself and ask for a discount for a missing drawer handle, or did I? No, just kidding. I did have to take a second look though. $25? Yup, there it was, right in front on me, $25. SOLD! Now we come to the part of three men and an elephant. I lifted on one end. Well, I reached down and thought I was lifting one end. Rather than me lifting the end of the dresser the dresser stayed right where it was and I dropped down. Uh, if Habitat couldn't provide the three men and I couldn't find an elephant, that dresser wasn't going anywhere!

Not really!

Luckily, the elephant wasn't necessary after all. Habitat provided two men and a cart and away they went to the loading dock. Dad backed the car up to the loading dock, we made room for the dresser and they slid it into the car on it's back. It hung out the back just enough so we couldn't get the hatch closed so dad pulled out his trusty length of rope we never go without, tied it down and we headed home. We had an uneventful trip home. Dad and I did have a good laugh on the way home as we pictured ourselves in a VW Beetle that I had wanted when be bought the Subaru. So many times we've had a good laugh when we think about trying to do all the things I want to do in a VW Beetle. I mean I REALLY WANTED that VW. We can always hear your grandma saying though, "It's not your needs that get you into trouble, it's your wants and desires". What a mess we would be in these days if we had not listened to that still small voice telling us that a VW Beetle was the wrong choice. Was it an easy choice? Heck no! I wanted that beetle. Was it the right choice to buy the Subaru? We've never been sorry about the decision a single day. Anyway, We get to the house and then it hits us, no two men and a cart and no elephant. Just us. This dresser is 6' long and has to weigh at least 175 - 200 pounds. I say 300 but dad is a better judge than me. Sure felt like 300 as we both got hold of an end and tried to lift it. Dad was smart though. He backed the car right up to the porch which was the same height. We slid the dresser right out of the back of the car, grabbed hold and just eased it up onto it's legs. You'd think we'd move it right into the house right. Not! We left it on the porch and headed to Pancho's for a Diet Pepsi and lunch! We needed a breather. 

An hour later we were back at the house. Dad sat down to watch NCAA Basketball and I set about to get ready to make room for the dresser. I took one look at the space and realized. I was going to have to move my L-shaped work table away from the window. I didn't like that option at all. As I stood and pondered I realized there just wasn't any other way. If I moved my work table forward I couldn't reach my shelves. If I left it where it was I wouldn't be able to get the drawers of the dresser open all the way.So, rather than just empty the 7' paper sorter, I had to rearrange the space. I slid the sorter out of the space and began. (Luckily I was smart enough to put all large or heavy pieces on sliders when we moved into this house!) Dad came in and helped me turn the work table around. We were actually able to do that without emptying the work table and without standing it on end. We just rotated it in the center of the room. It always amazes dad and I at what we can accomplish when we work together...and without an elephant! We headed to the porch to get the dresser. The most difficult was lifting it about 5" over the door sill but we did it. We just slid it down the hall, lifted it over the door sill into the dining room, put sliders under the legs and slid it right into the studio and put it underneath the bookshelves and the window sill. All without a hitch...or two men, a cart or an elephant. I sent dad on his way to watch his basketball game and I began the transition. By 8 o'clock last night I had a new space and everything was organized. All with only adding one nail to the wall. To rehang my calendar over my work table.

During the entire process I kept thinking about how great God has been throughout our entire lives. There have been some really, really rough times. (I should write a book.) But it has always been a great life. I've learned so much through life experiences. I know that for most people probably, finding this dresser means nothing. But to me, it's like God knowing my heart, the deepest part of my heart. Knowing my desires and helping me fulfill them. I have no expectation that God fulfills my desires or gives me everything I want. But for me, when I find exactly what I want for $25, it's like God, my heavenly Father, looking down and smiling and telling me, okay, you've done your research, you've waited patiently, you're wiling to work to get it, here's a surprise for you.  When I see or experience things like this happening and when they happen for me it's like, wow! With all the creatures in the world having wants and needs, God answered mine. How amazing is that!

You know me and painting. Around our house you guys use to say, "the only thing that doesn't get painted is what or who is moving". It's getting warmer all the time so my mind naturally goes to, let's get painting. I thought I had decided I wanted yellow in the kitchen. But, you know how it is with me. I always have in mind what I want, but I'm very versatile. It's really about finding the first right piece and then going with that. For the kitchen here it was the wallpaper border. I found exactly what I wanted. It has many of my favorite color AND chickens.. I was going to paint next but before I could get that done, I found the curtains I wanted. Once I put the curtains up I decided I didn't want yellow at all. It would have totally looked washed out. I was still undecided when we were at Habitat yesterday. I decided to browse their paint section. I walked to the end of the first aisle and there was a can of Valspar paint, a full gallon, in the exact color to match the trim on my kitchen curtains. One gallon of an excellent paint in the perfect color for $4. Now I mean really, coincidence?  You've got to be kidding me. Remember, it's the small things. I was also undecided about the paint color in our bedroom. I have the quilt Aunt Lena made, on our bed. I've tried others but I always come back to this quilt. It has reds, blues, greens, yellows, taupes and browns and some others in it. At first I had decided on taupe and red. But the more I got to thinking about it, I didn't want that much red. So, I hadn't made any decision except for the fact I didn't want blue. It just sounded to boring. Everyone has blue. Until yesterday. As I rounded the corner of the paint aisle I spotted this can of Sherwin Williams paint. It was an awesome color of blue. Again, a full gallon for $4. So for $35 yesterday I found the paint for the kitchen, not just any paint, but Valspar. I found the paint for our bedroom AND, I found the storage for my studio. I'd say God sees the little things. How about you?


Until next week, I love you. Be Aaron. Love mom

Careful - Who Knows Who's Watching!

I

Good morning son! It's predicted to be a beautiful  Spring day again today. The weather has been amazing since we've arrived in NY last year. It was one of the mildest winters anyone can remember. If the last couple of days are any type of indicator, Spring is going to be awesome. Yesterday I had  all the windows and doors open. We opened the back deck yesterday and Jamison spent most of the day on the deck in the sun getting reacquainted with all the birds, squirrels and chipmunks.

It's March and you know what that means around our house, March Madness!  As much as dad talks about it and loves basketball I can honestly say that in the 42 years we've been married this is the first time he's really spent the afternoon watching the games.  I love it! He's having a great time. He and uncle Bill have picked their brackets and call each other a couple of times in the afternoons to just say "wow, did you see that!".

Let me tell you, I was ON yesterday! I threw the windows and doors open and hit the studio. I painted a doll cradle, which will get it's coat of polyurethane later this morning. I made eight greeting cards, some for Easter. I was torn about doing Easter cards but decided to give it a whirl. They were really fun to make and I'll probably do a couple more this afternoon. I hand painted and decorated wooden "eggs" and "chocolate rabbits". I added them to the front of the cards so they can be removed for a keepsake if someone would like to keep them. I did a couple of blank note cards for Spring and a couple of birthday cards. I mean I was really moving. I'm going to try some using vinyl lettering today. I use to do that but haven't done it in a long time. 

I'll get started next week end on another doll crib. Dad is going to start doing all the prep work for me. He can get things ready during the day while I'm at work and then when I get home in the afternoon I can do what I do best, embellish it! Woo hoo! . My studio is in the perfect room of the house. Right off the dining room. My dining room doesn't look much like a dining room any more. The dining room table usually has a project in one stage or another perched on it. My work table is set right in front of a window. It isn't the most efficient use of space since it puts the L-shaped work top right in the middle of the room but I'm not willing to give up the natural light. Speaking of light, what's it like in heaven this time of year? Do you have seasons? Do you have flowers? Does it matter to you if you don't? Probably not! Just curious.(No, I don't want to hear about the curious cat!) I keep waiting for my missing you to subside. It isn't. Maybe it won't. Something was going on with Netflix night before last and before dad knew it he was saying, "I'm going to call Aaron." It just happens in an instant. You've always been such a huge part of our lives it's just weird to not have you here. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want you to come back here for anything. As much as I'd like to give you a hug...and you have no idea how much I miss your hugs, I wouldn't wish that pain back on you for anything. You're exactly where you're suppose to be.

Chickens laid, dad gathered..and ate

Anyway, Spring. As I was taking Jamison out yesterday I noticed green shoots coming up through the grass in front of our porch. It dawned on me, I didn't see those last Spring. For an instance I wondered why I hadn't noticed them before. We weren't here last March. Can you believe in June we will have been here a year. A year. It's almost impossible to believe. Where has the time gone. So much has happened. Our lives are the same, and yet totally different. We're the same and yet, totally different. I don't know if it's good or bad or that it even matters. It's a good life. Always has been. As dad and I were coming back last night from putting the chickens in and playing with Biscuit the sun was setting. I was waiting on

17 March 2012 Sunset Troy NY

dad and standing in Jon and Corey's backyard watching the sun set. It was absolutely beautiful. Between the rim of their backyard and the sun setting, lay the city below in a valley. The lights in the valley were twinkling and orange. It was so gorgeous and I just had to stop. I took a deep breath and said "thank you Lord. Thank you for this beautiful place, for wonderful friends near and far and family that surround us and for trusting us with the care of a home we love. Thank you for helping us arrive safely in this wonderful place and for keeping us while we are here".

This while adventure has been truly amazing. Thank you for your encouragement son. For loving us and for wanting the best for us, over and beyond what your wants and needs were. 

I feel so very blessed in this life. Dad and I have always talked about our life of adventure. You've heard me say many times over the years, "I can never say I've ever experienced boredom". That continues to be true to this day. At times, life has been very difficult. But boring? Not a chance. The thing about having a challenging life is that challenges give us so many opportunities to be resilient, respectful of others, and more tolerant. Challenges show us we're not alone. Everyone faces challenges in life. Challenges are relevant. They are relevant to where we are at the time. One day getting out of bed might be a challenge for one of us. The next person might find it a challenge to share what they have. It might be that our challenge for the day is acceptance of something we don't understand or the challenge of doing something we don't know how to do. It can be a challenge to accept the fact that someone you love is dying and there is nothing you can do to save them. As I said, challenges are relevant. As I see it,  challenge is that thing in your life you are not prepared for but face. They build character and strength....if you accept the challenge and work through it. You can "just wait it out or let someone else do it". Changes are tough. If you choose that path of ignoring the challenge it most likely will "pop up" in your life again and again, if you're lucky, until you face it, work through it and be strengthened by it. Of course it doesn't feel like a good thing at the time. It shouldn't. 

If the flowers in the Spring didn't accept the challenge of breaking through that ground, rock, weeds and force themselves to accept the challenges, where would our Spring flowers be? Sometimes accepting the challenges of life are not about us. Sometimes they're challenges we need to accept because someone is watching us to see how we're going to accept and handle them. We sometimes forget that people do watch us to see if we practice what we preach so to say. They look to see if we really do what we say and believe what we believe. It's one thing to spout how strongly we believe in something. It's something altogether different when we're faced with a circumstance where we actually have to demonstrate that belief. My mom and dad always told us that actions speak louder than words. I know they are right.



I know that I never believed in my wildest dreams (and I've been having some pretty extremely wild ones lately) that God would put the challenge in my life that he did over the last five years. As I look back over my life, over this last half a century, it frightens me to think what type of example I have been during some of life's challenges. At the time I'm sure I wasn't thinking about being an example. I was simply trying to get through the challenge. I hope and pray that as people watched me stumble through the challenge that they were able to see, and that I did, work through the challenge and came out on the other side stronger for it. I hope they were able to come out stronger by watching me work through it.


I can't say that I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead. I can say, I'm tired, physically, mentally and spiritually. Sometimes I don't think I will ever feel strong and clear again BUT, therein lies the challenge. I hope I'm up to it. Who knows who's watching!


Until next time, I love you. mom

Laughter - Just Do It!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Son!

So son, a sunny good morning to you. I'm sitting, stretched out on the couch looking out the living room window. The sun is bright and beautiful this week and is suppose to continue throughout the week.  We continue to get longer and longer glimpses of warmer and warmer periods of Spring breaking through.

Last week I tried an experiment. I decided I'd get busy in the studio and run some errands and THEN write my blog in the afternoon when dad and I normally have out quiet time for the week.  It didn't work. By the afternoon my mind is abuzz with millions of things I need to do for the week, I'm reading, making cards, working through schedules for the week; thus, I'm not able to concentrate and write. So I'll consider it a learning experience and move on.


Tuesday this week I'm having some friends come over for a craft night and just a good time. We're going to make some cards, have some snacks and laugh. I wish my friends from Springfield were here. All my friends in Springfield would love this group of friends.

Laughter, a common bond.

We could have such a great time together. I've been reconnecting with friends in Springfield and checking in more than I had been. It's so good to talk with all of them and find out what's going on in their lives. For so long now I've been wrapped up in what's happening in my life, and they have been too. You know, the truth of the matter is, even in all of the tough times, our family has been able to share laughter.  If we hadn't, I don't know where we would be today. I grew up with laughter. 

What do you mean you're not laughing?

As far back as I can remember our home growing up was always filled with laughter. Sometimes when I think about growing up and remember family events, because we had a lot of them, I can hear the laughter of my dad and mom.One of my best memories, that always makes me smile and giggle, is the sight of my dad coming up behind my mom while she was working at the kitchen sink, patting her on her butt and that chuckle coming from my dad!

I can remember coming home from school and walking into my grandma's kitchen. Before I even entered the house, I could hear their laughter. My mom and my grandma sitting at the kitchen table in my grandma's first house, corn everywhere as they cut it off the cob for canning, my shoes would stick to the linoleum from the corn juice, sticky floors, and stream from the pressure cooker filling the room and they'd be laughing. Even as I was walking up the walk I could hear the laughter. 

My mom and dad. Laughter abounded.

Your grandpa had a wonderful laugh. Sometimes, without even thinking about it, I can hear grandpa laughing. He loved to laugh. He loved people. He LOVED his kids and grandkids. I can still hear your grandma laughing. All your grandparents loved life and laughter. I wonder, how do people make it in today's world without laughter? Even now, I can look at pictures of you and hear you laughing. I know you're laughing in heaven. I can just see you and grandpa pulling pranks on the angels and rolling with laughter as you wait to see their reaction. Have a great time son. No more pain. I'm so happy for you.


Laughter is a wonderful commodity. It would be a shame not to hare it. Laughter gets us through so much. We, as a family, have always approached life with laughter. 


As I write this blog I just learned that a co-worker's grandmother has passed away. The co-worker is half way around the world from her grandmother.I'm feeling her loss. Even though we weren't half way around the world when you left it, as a mom it sure felt like it. I'm feeling for her right now. It devastated me when my dad and grandparents passed away and I was only a state away and I could get to my family. She is so far away and has to be heartbroken. I lift her, and her family, up to the Father.In the days and weeks to come she too will again find laughter in her life and it will help to heal the hurt. I know from experience, that at some point, when the time is right, even though she doesn't think so now, her laughter will return. The sun will shine and she will again have peace.

If you don't laugh...you need help!

Laughter is a great friendship "binder". I don't know how I would survive in life if I didn't have the gift of laughter. Laughter can defuse so many moments in life. I think the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a true statement, or at least the very least, the apple helps. I think an even truer statement would be, "A laugh a day keeps the doctor away".

As I look back over my life and even today. Laughter has been my best medicine. If I look back through times with friends, what did we do the most of? We laughed together. We still do. Through thick and through thin, rough times, happy times, sad times, celebrating times, we laughed together. When you choose to have joy in your life, laughter seems to be a natural follow-up.  My goodness son. When I think back through our lives, we did a lot of laughing. We always found something to laugh about. Even if it was a dumb "knock, knock" joke. I mean really, "How do you know an elephant has been in the refrigerator? By the footprints in the butter." I mean really. What's not to laugh about that? 

Take yours today!

Through all the years, all the changes, all the moves, all the cities, all the states, all the friends, all the family, all the heartache, we managed to find laughter. That has been a constant, solidifying, continuous stream in our everyday lives here on earth. What a legacy to leave; to know you have had true joy and happiness and to pass those gifts forward. You did that! Sure you did! Through all the pain, grief and loss, you left a path of joy and happiness. I hope that someone, someday when I'm gone can say the same about me.


Until then, all my love, mom