Also Sabbath, November 2, 2013

After a wonderful last day at work (!) on October 18, I left right after lunch.  It was wonderful because of:

-- a dozen roses on my desk when I arrived
-- two farewell cards

-- take out chinese for lunch

Paula's firepit and cabin

I came home and packed and said goodbye to John.  Within about 90 minutes, I was at my old friend, Paula's house in Mountain View.  Before long, we were sitting around her outdoor fireplace in front of their picturesque cabin. 

Being too eager, we put our tin-foil wrapped potatoes and our shish-ka-bobs on the fire too soon and though somewhat charred, still we had a great appetite and a wonderful meal!  It was overcast, so we did not see the Harvest Moon that we all knew was up there.  I had also looked forward to seeing stars since it is so very dark out there in the country.

Paula and David at Greer Spring

Paula slept with me in the little cabin loft and that was such a comfort to me in my frazzled and worn down condition.

Sabbath, I helped Paula with the kids' Sabbath School at Willow Springs Church.  We left afterwards and picked up our picnic supplies and David, Paula's husband, and drove east through Alton to Greer Springs.  The day was glorious, the colors just developing, and the company precious!  It was a short hike down to the Springs, which come out of a cave and form a beautiful rushing river.  A second spring comes up right into the river, with a gorgeous aqua colored turbulence.  Paula and David had been there recently and so they knew to walk downstream where we conjectured on the use of a cable-car strung over the river.  It was locked up tight but nevertheless we had to sit in it and imagine its purpose.

We walked on along the river, finally heading up and

emerging just where they had seen an old, abandoned mill, Greer Mill.  From there we walked back along the highway to the car.  We drove on to Falling Springs where we found our sunny picnic table and enjoyed a wonderful meal.  A picture of that spring is now on my timeline.  It was an old homestead and mill and a lovely spot!

Back at the cabin, we made our fire again, this time making tin-foil packets of potatoes, vegetables, hot dogs, and mushrooms.  They came out so good.  This evening was clear, the stars bright, and the moon rose with great majesty over the trees. 

Sunday dawned bright and clear and crisp.  Paula and I worked very hard to create two raised beds for her spring garden.  We hauled old top soil from her back yard, raked up leaves in the back woods, gathered decomposing hay, and finally shoveled goat dirt to make the piles which looked like

freshly dug graves.  Then we planted cabbage and turnip seeds.  We felt so good about our accomplishment and Paula was delighted!  I am so grateful for the friendship and comfort I received from Paula and from David...THANK YOU!

By mid-afternoon, I left and drove the scenic Route 76 over to Becky's Vermilyea’s house in Mountain Grove, enjoying more beautiful fall colors.  Her husband Bayard died in April and she is always happy for company and I needed hers! We ate a yummy supper and went to bed early, both of us being tuckered out.

Monday we did the majority of her berry patch, clipping old canes, she working with her chain saw and I with clippers.  When she went to work, I visited with Michael and Benita Alexander.  She had apples so we made two large apple crisps then took a walk around her home.  After supper at Oriental Hut with Becky Nancy Littrell, we joined Benita at her church for Kids Crusade.  It was by far the best "evangelism" that I'd ever seen with a couple who did a very inspirational and entertaining ventriloquist act and other short "vignets" which blessed kids and adults alike.  A very personal and touching altar call followed where we were invited up to the altar where a trained adult spoke with the kids and then prayed for them.  I was very inspired!

Tuesday, Becky and I finished the berry patch and she was thrilled.  I did some errands, then visited with both Loretta and Evelyn.  Back at Benita's, we worked in her garden and made some progress which encouraged her.

Wednesday, I stayed at Becky's and worked around her yard, cleaning up perennials and raking and gathering leaves to pile onto her raised bed.  I made lentil soup for our trip and had supper ready for her when she arrived home.  Everyone needs a wife like me!

Thursday morning, we headed out early to Arkansas where

Becky and Sylvia reflected in a rain puddle at Pedastal Rocks

Sylvia Mason had arranged a wonderful three day hiking adventure.  After lunch and a short tour of her coon-cap business, we packed up their van and with her wonderful son, Daniel, we drove over to Pedastal Rocks where we had our first hike.  The day was beautiful and the rocks were amazing and the outdoors so refreshing.

Sylvia is like a long-lost cousin to me, her parents and mine having been classmates in nursing and medical school.  So we had known each other as kids but had not seen each other since we were teens, probably. 

From Pedastal Rocks, we drove on to Jasper where Sylvia had rented a little house for our two nights there.  After supper and visiting we were all glad to head to bed.

On Friday, we had a long 7 1/2 mile hike in the Ponca Wilderness.  Our destination was the Goat Trail, an indentation in a massive bluff above the Buffalo River.  I had seen a picture of it when John and I were in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and had wanted to hike it.  But, oh, boy, it was amazing and almost frightening to be at times on a four foot ledge which descended 400 feet down to the river.  We maneuvered it without difficulty, thankfully, thoroughly enjoying the views down to the very pretty river, over to other bluffs, and up to the mountains all around.  After the hike back up, we were ready for a rest and lunch!

Sabbath, we took two three mile hikes.  The first was to

Lost Valley.  Each day we saw the increase in fall color and this day was the peak, we thought.  This hike meandered through forests, following a wet-weather creek, and gradually up to the base of some majestic bluffs.  As we followed it up, we came to a cave, which we explored.  David, Sylvia's husband, had joined us Friday evening, and he lent me his head-lamp.  We maneuvered through narrow passages ways which eventually opened up into a large room where a stream emerged from the ground.  Interesting!  Now, let's get back to the sunshine!

Next we drove up the mountain and made the hike out to Hawk's Bill Crag, also called Whittier Point.  Oh, wow, oh wow...it is supposed to be the most photographed spot in Arkansas.  The colors were magnificent and everyone knew it was peak weekend.  Sylvia and David had never seen so many people there!  We ate our lunch overlooking the valley and enjoyed the scenery to the full.

That night, we returned to Masons enjoyed their daughter, Melody's beautiful new cabin, built with site of Sylvia and David's home, right on their pond.  I had watched its progress on Sylvia's facebook and to see it all completed and to enjoy sleeping in it was such a pleasure.

Becky and I were together almost 7 days and she was

wonderful to be with.  Thank you for your love and care, Becky! 

Sunday, we headed home to Becky's and from there, I came home, after 10 days of being away.  I am glad to be home.  It is strange for both John and I to be home together all day.   I managed to keep busy and now tomorrow, we will head back down to Chattanooga to see our kids.

Sabbath, November 2, 2013

I see that my last post was way back on June 29.  Four months have passed and they have been memorable, to be sure!  Finally, in August, after three months of “trying”, John reluctantly admitted that he could not do his job.  He had not recovered at all since he started back to work in May, had gained no weight, and if anything, had lost energy.  When he finally called Robert Wagley, our Minsterial Director, to tell him he could not do it, Robert was understanding.  Immediately, he started the wheels turning so that John could receive Medical Disability.  Initially, they told us that John would start disability toward the end of October.  

We kept asking ourselves, how are we ever going to survive in this job another few months?  It was a few weeks later that Robert called back and said the following Sabbath (toward the end of August) would be John’s last Sabbath at Rolla and that the next week would be his last at Salem and Waynesville.  They would put him on medical leave until his disability would begin, about November 24.  We were extremely relieved, though somewhat surprised, to say the least.

Becky Vermilyea and Nancy Littrell with us in Branson

Our church leadership was not surprised, though some were extremely disappointed.  Naturally, others were not!  I am quite sure that some also felt abandoned by us.  We hate to LEAVE anywhere but in this circumstance, though we were sad, we also saw the necessity. 

Since the end of August, John has not gained much energy but he has gained weight, so I will have to say THAT is progress!  He walks about 2 miles every day (used to be 2 ½) and he works out almost every day.  How much he works out depends on his energy level.  He has regained muscle and is definitely looking better and more filled out.  He always wears his abdominal band which helps to support him where he has lost his Abdominus Rectus muscle.

Unique mountain community of Eureka Springs

We had planned on an extensive Western trip beginning in late October.But the closer we got to the date, the less John was inclined to go.  I was disappointed, to be sure.   

John and I had made a Labor Day weekend trip down to Branson and over to Arkansas and Oklahoma.  On Sabbath afternoon, Weavers (Winston’s grandparents) invited us to their lake home, where their family was gathered.  We got there around 2 but about 8 am that morning, Winston and Karissa who were also visiting, got engaged!  We were delighted to be part of the celebration and to see the video of the event.  Winston had called us at our hotel the night before to ask John’s permission, which he readily gave, so we had wind of it.  They plan to be married on May 31 in Arkansas.  He’s a great guy and is so good to Karissa.

In late September, we traveled to Chattanooga and spent 5 days with

Seeing Karissa was a highlight!

our kids there. We took care of ourselves during the day, then when the kids were done with work, we’d get together for supper and a walk or tennis.  One day, we went and saw Karissa on her work unit at Erlanger Hospital.  So proud of her!  Saw where Winston works too.  Both Natasha and Jeremy are doing clinicals.  The weekend was all OURS and we hiked at Lula Lake, a beautiful natural area on Lookout Mountain.

My work at Stepping Stones was stressful and it was hard not to talk about it with John.  That only increased HIS stress.  I also felt like we both were suffering from PTSD but not POST Traumatic Stress Sydrome, rather PERSISTENT TSD!  Also, the pastor’s wife does not need to hang around once the pastor is gone, so reluctantly (well, there was some relief, too!) I finished my job as day care director, October 18 being my last day.

So now, what?  Our home has been for sale now for some time.  We are not sure what our next step is, but GOD KNOWS and we are trusting him to open doors for us.  I used to say, like Sound of Music, “When God closes a door, he always opens a window”.  But the reality is that when God closes a door, the hallway can be hell!  We should feel footloose and fancy-free, instead, the way ahead is murky. 

Our Sabbath hike together to Lula Lake

We had wanted to go down and live near our kids who are both in Chattanooga.  Karissa and Winston will be moving from there next summer.  Natasha and Jeremy may be there another six months or so after that.  My perspective was that it would be a temporary stop-over, not a permanent move.  This may be the only time in their lives when they live nearby each other.  Since our home has not sold, however, it just does not seem wise to go that direction. 

We do have an option to live in John’s folks’ old home in Falls City, OR, next door to his sister, Ruth, and her husband, Larry, for low rent.  Right now it is rented.   Though neither of us is keen on living in the Willamette Valley again, it might be that it is the right option for us for now when our home here sells and Ruth assures us she can make it happen.  Guess time will tell.