Friday, June 7, 2013

Honeysuckle....ummm....its smell triggers childhood memories, mostly pleasant!  Right now, the sweet fragrance wafts on the air with such a tantalizing aroma.  The "natural" part of our back yard is filled with them; the walking path just down the street from our home is lined with them; seems its scent is everywhere.

One of my first childhood memories was in

Hostas and Honeysuckle

Lexington, Kentucky, where we lived with several other families.  Out back was a rock wall covered with honeysuckle on which my sister Heidi and I were sitting, eating the nectar from the tale end of the honeysuckle.  It was spring and the blooms were everywhere.  So were the bees.  One unhappy bee stung me right in the finger and greatly insulted me.  I know I cried.  Yet, I still love the simple honeysuckle.

Even at Stepping Stones, I will sometimes take a fretful child out for a walk to see and taste the honeysuckle, to see and touch the white petunias, the red and purple salvia, and the brightly colored artificial butterflies in our two big pots out front.

Tonight, I breathed in the honeysuckle fragrance as I peddled the whole length of our trail, down one creek and up another, watched a moment of Rolla vs Salem softball game, then toiled back the other direction and home.

John was working on his sermon.  Tomorrow he presents his story "40 days in the Wilderness" (my title) to our Rolla Church.  Salem and Waynesville heard it several weeks ago.  He was asking me for clarifications once again of those many days when he remembers so little.  Always, somehow, I am able to tell him something new, something he has never heard before.  Today, I told him about Natasha.

Rosie out front by the garden

When I called her late that Monday night after receiving the CT scan report that John's aorta was dissected, she simple said, "I am coming."  I have so treasured that.  She didn't say, "Do you need me?" or "Shall I come?"  Rather, "I am coming."  In fact, both she and Jeremy came, and they arrived at Barnes Hospital by about 5 am Tuesday morning.  I don't think I had ever told John that before.  He may have read it in the blog.  But it made him teary-eyed.

John has been back to work almost a month.  It was this weekend last month when we were at Southern for Karissa's graduation.  He is still at the same weight as then, about 160 pounds, despite his heroic efforts to eat and to work out in order to build muscle, he is still the same.  He has also been pretty tired.  I think he is overdoing the working out but that is just my humble opinion.  Today, he did go and get some blood drawn for lab work which his kidney doctored ordered.  We will see what the results are and then talk to a doctor about it all.

Rosie posing

Sabbath is drawing on and I am grateful for the rest it will afford.  We only go to Rolla tomorrow.  So it might in fact be a restful day.  We have no plans for Sunday.
 ......
Sabbath was wonderful, really, but not too restful!  I invited Naomi and Jonathan and McKenzie and Todd home for lunch.  While John went for his "lay activities", we all walked at a quiet woodland park and thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors.  Such beautiful weather; clear skies, no humidity, temperature just right.

Later, Bev and I went over to see Marlena's garden.  She has three little girls at Stepping Stones, has a flower shop, and a wonderful country home.  It was like a park and such a treat to enjoy it, her daughters, and their little kittens.  Back at our house, Bev shared some supper with us and we had wonderful and meaningful conversation.  We had the mandatory garden tour at our house and then at the church, too. 

Today, Sunday, we had a downpour for hours but not before I had worked outside, gone and gotten a tetanus shot, cleaned my whole car (first time since before January 14!), and grocery-shopped.  Later, it cleared nicely and we got to work in the yard some more.  Now John is getting ready for bed.  Sabbath really tired him out so today has been a slow day for him, though he did some mowing and vacuumed HIS car.  We have so much for which to be thankful!