Sabbath, June 29, 2013

John went to bed before 8 tonight because he didn't get to rest all day.  Our head elder at the Waynesville Church is on vacation in Maine so we went down early to pick up soldiers.  That meant we got home from church in Rolla around 1:15, had a quick bite to eat and then headed straight down there.  It made for a long day for John and he was wobbly and weak by the time we left there about 6:30.

Generally, he seems to have sort of plateaued in

his progess, so he seems to be about the same these last few weeks.  His weight has maxxed out at 163 but he keeps dropping back to 160.  Food just does not taste good to him.

My two gardens are doing wonderfully well; they provide wonderful opportunities to unwind in a productive and creative way.  Just today I picked two beautiful heads of escarole.  Not everyone will appreciate escarole because it has quite a bold flavor but it does well in a salad blended with milder lettuces with a good strong dressing.  Anyway, I brought one to Rolla Church and Marilyn was delighted to take one home.  I brought one to Waynesville Church but didn't find anyone who wanted it. 

Scarlet runner beans are blooming beautiful and add some bright color to my mostly green garden.  I planted my unique hyacin beans (see

photo) because they have lovely dark red foliage, lavendar blooms, a bright almost fuscia pod, and then these gorgeous seeds.  It's a vine and climbs nicely on fence or trellis.

Last Sunday I harvested my garlic, so I just must post a picture of it, too....I have lots and will save some large bulbs for my seed garlic to plant in the fall. 

One of my delights is working with the children in the school garden.  I take just a few with me at a time because it is a hard job to keep them from harvesting anything they see, pulling up stuff that isn't weeds, or walking where we have just planted seeds!  They just love being in it.    And just as I imagined, they are willing to try something that they helped to grow!  The other day it was kolrabi,
beets, peppers, pea pods, and cucumbers!  I am so
proud of them when they at least try.                          

Sabbath, June 14, 2013

Six months ago today was the beginning of our medical detour and so much has happened in these months.  John is definitely healing, slowly but surely.  He figured he would be the exception and would heal quickly so he is disappointed that it is taking so long.  He preached twice today and didn't even go to bed until 8:30 pm so that is progress!

Yesterday, he took his morning walk, even taking off his shirt to get some sun; but not too much cause it is not good for the tender skin of his incision scars.  As he walked along, shirt off, binder around his middle, a man approached, stopped, and asked if he had had an aneurism.  This man had had one  8 years ago and recognized John's scars.  Talk about an immediate bond between men!  They could empathize.  It made for a wonderful sermon illustration today as John preached about Jesus being our high priest and well able to sympathize with us because he was here with us!

This morning, John said something about his "grand opening", referring to his initial surgery when his chest was opened for the first time.  I said, "Well, it was nearly your "grand finale"!  We've been laughing about that all day.

At Stepping Stones Child Care Center, I so appreciate my manager, Marilou Medrano, a high-powered nurse manager who essentially volunteers her time.  Her husband, Dom, mostly volunteers, too, as do their children Guilla and EG.  But it is Marilou who works side by side with me in problem-solving, dealing with irritated parents, scheduling appropriate staff, and so many other helpful tasks.  The other day, we just happened to be dressed alike.

 As you can see, she is cheerful, self-possessed, consistently pleasant, and as petite as she can be!  They are also our best neighbors.

Well, our next door neighbors are pretty dear too since they continue to mow our lawn!

But the whole Medrano family are just marvelous friends, neighbors, and helpers.  This is my tribute to them...

Today, we came back from preaching in Salem to a picnic at the park in Rolla.  It's always a risk coming late to a picnic.  There were still some people there and just enough food.  I brought a pasta salad and people were glad to see it, too!

Afterwards, three of us walked around the lake and then I wanted to walk home, too.  Guilla wanted to walk with me.  So, we went on an adventure and found our way home through the woods, following mountain biking trails that are every so close to our house that we hardly knew were there!

 

I've only found one tick on me but just feel creepy crawly all over my body, worried there are others.  The walk was worth it, though! And now I need to take my bike onto those trails and really explore them a bit more...

After the picnic, John came home and got a good nap in before we headed down to our church service on the Fort. 

Now it is Father's Day and how glad we are that our girls still have their Daddy!  Natasha sent him a card with a Taco Bell gift card...right on the money, honey!  John still enjoys four Tostadas when nothing else sounds good to him!

We went on a walk this morning after John looked at the weather radar map and declared there might be a tiny shower but that is all.  On the way back, though, it started to rain and then to pour.  We found shelter under the trees but gave it up and got soaked on our walk back..."This just might be our Waterloo!" he said with a grin.

But my garden is delighted with the shower that has continued, sometimes at a downpour, for over an hour.  So much for a little cloud....how is it that these cells just materialize out of nowhere?!!

Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful dads out there.  John and I are sure missing ours today.

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!

Sabbath, May 25, 2013

It's a Happy Sabbath. John has had a pretty good week.

Yesterday, he outdid himself and actually mowed a section of our yard. Without good core strength, he felt the internal pressure through his middle but he felt good doing it for the first time. Our neighbors, Randy and Susan, have blessed us with the gift of mowing all this time, during the time when grass grows the fastest!

I think our yard is the brightest with color on our street. Love my sweet williams which are so bright and cheerful. The pansies were planted last fall and lasted all winter. They just just gotten brighter and brighter! My corner herb garden is growing nicely, too

All this to enjoy despite a nasty case of pink (well, in my case RED!) eye.  Despite these itchy, irritated eyes, I have much to be glad about.  Remember PollyAnna?  Her dad had taught her the glad game...trying to always figure out what to be glad about. 

This last week I listened to the book.  Winston (Karissa's boyfriend) had bought me the movie and I watched it recently, then decided to listen to the book.  And I loved it!  The whole moral of the story is about being glad/thankful in all things...truly a biblical principle.

I am glad I still have a husband who is ALIVE!  I am glad I have a "ministry" job.  I am so glad for our two beautiful daughters.

 

 

 

Sunday, May 19

Last Monday, I received this wonderful card from Jeremy and Natasha. It buoyed my spirits all week long! Can you see why? The front of the card is Natasha and Karissa and I the afternoon of Karissa's graduation. Inside is a picture of Natasha and I on her wedding day, along with the precious personal message. She gave me permission to post it all. I'm such a proud mamma!

Sabbath, May 11, 2013...still in Branson!

Interesting pair of turkeys

It has been a glorious and restful Sabbath.  I took my Bible and "Passionate Prayer Promises" out to the picnic table and while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine did a study on peace.  My biggest lesson from the 30 verses that I studied is that peace comes from keeping our mind on Christ.  So often I start to worry, trying to find solutions, and zippo--there goes my peace cause my mind isn't focusing on Christ.  Sounds so simple--why is it so hard?

After lunch, we walked twice around the lake at Fox Cove.  John was feeling so good in the fresh air and sunshine.  We also drove around and saw some of the residential areas, seeing

Poppies growing by the lake at Fox Cove

two turkeys in one yard.  Then as we headed back toward our condo, we stopped at a playground by the creek.  It is a beautiful creek with little waterfalls here and there and the sounds are so refreshing and musical.  We found several pretty rocks including one with some fossils in it. 

We made time for some good prayer together.  With John starting back to work this week, we need all the guidance and wisdom and direction that we can get!  Thank you, Holy Spirit! 

Mini blue butterflies flitting around stump

Steel bridge above Roark Creek

Friday May 10, 2013
Branson, MO

John and I left my sister, Heidi's, place in Nashville last Monday and drove straight through, arriving here at our place at Stonebridge about 4:30...no time to spare since the office closes at 5 pm.  We have a spacious, one-bedroom condo here in this huge 10,000 acre resort.

Our first couple days here were very quiet.  John

John on a bench on the pretty pathway leading to Branson Belle

needed lots of rest after Karissa's heavy-duty graduation weekend!  It drove me nearly crazy to have to lay low cause I longed to be outdoors being renewed and refreshed with nature.  Fortunately for me, by Wednesday, John was ready to venture out a bit.  We packed a picnic lunch and drove to Indian Point where we ate and relaxed at the swimming beach.  The water was too cold for swimming but I enjoyed wading.  We watched as storm clouds approached since rain was in the forecaste.  The water of Table Rock Lake was very smooth since there was little wind but the rain never came and eventually it cleared off.

On the nature trail at StoneBridge with Becky

Driving down to the town of Branson, we crossed the dam and then walked around the grounds of the Branson Belle because the azaleas were in full bloom and it is such a pretty area.  I so wanted to take a tour of the lake on a boat but The Belle is a dinner cruise with a show and people pay $50 for a two hour cruise and that was way too much to pay.  We drove back into town and walked around the Titanic and took some pictures along the strip.

Fortunately for me, Becky Vermilyea arrived that evening.  We stayed up and watched a

movie instead of going to bed at 8 with John.  He still goes to bed early, gets up late, and then sleeps during the day, too.  That's way too much rest for me!  Thursday, Becki and I set out early to walk the nature trail from the Club House.  It turned out to be a muddy and rough road so we took to the paved roads through residential areas, getting ourselves lost but enjoying the golf course and creek views along the way.  We explored further in the car, finding Fox Cove with a walking path all around the lake which suited us perfectly.

On the train to the "Diamond Mine" course of mini-golf

For lunch, we went to John's favorite...Golden Coral where we could all eat anything we wanted!  I always eat TOO much...but we worked it all off (well, maybe not!) as we played Miniature Golf at Lost Treasure.  The sun was out and it was wonderfully warm and we leisurely enjoyed the game.  Becky really had us beat the first half then I came up from behind and beat them both...!

We dropped John off at his favorite hang-out, Anytime Fitness.  Becky and I found the Secret Garden with romantic clothing.  Such fun it was to look around that beautiful store with fashions of yesteryear and some even of yesterday.  Becky found a lovely yellow crocheted top which suits her to a "t".  We picked John up and headed back to our condo to prepare for our outing to Shepherd of the Hills pageant. 

Years ago, I read, then purchased, the book by the same title.  It tells the story of some of the original homesteaders to the Ozarks and the pageant is one of the oldest Bransons "shows".  Because I so loved the book, I have always wanted to see the show, too.  In the morning, we paid for our tickets and looked forward to it all day.  Alas, when we arrived, the show had been cancelled due to approaching storms.  We were so disappointed.

To the right of the sign here, in the background, you can see Inspiration Tower.  Deciding to walk

Sons of the Pioneers sang beautifully

up that direction, we headed down the path to "Matt's Cabin", the original building on the homestead.  Such a lovely ol' cabin, too!  On our way back, we heard music coming from a pavilion.  Becky recognized it as the good ol' cowboy music of the "Sons of the Pioneers" with their very distinct sound.  The group listening had just finished their chuck-wagon BBQ and were enjoying the show.  We did, too, for about 30 minutes, all the time watching the storm blowing in from the west.  We listened too long and got nearly soaked as we ran all the way up the hill to our car while the wind whipped.

We'd decided to go listen to the SIX show instead and drove the few miles to the Mickey Gilley theatre.  SIX are brothers who sing without instruments but making the sounds of percussion and horns and other instruments all with their voices.  It was a great show with wonderful inspiration at the end with three spiritual numbers, so moving and harmonious.  Of course, no pictures or recordings were allowed.

It was still raining hard when we got back about 10.  Took us a while to calm down so we could go to sleep.

Friday morning, we had a wonderful morning and another good prayer session together.  Becky just recently lost Bayard, her husband of nearly 15 years.  We've done lots of reminiscing and each appreciate the other's support through these rough months. John and I both loved Bayard, too.  So prayer has been such a comfort that we can share in person and apart.

Becky and I set out on our next adventure by mid-morning and easily found our destination.  We set out along the woodland path and were surprised to come upon blooming irises.  Soon we discovered the Owen Homestead, a recently acquired property with famous old stone walls, a stone house, shown here, and a marvelous rock pathway, below, in addition to the long rock stairway down to Lake Taneycomo.

What was most amazing to us was all the flowers and shrubbery, signs of someone's hard work and perseverence.  It seemed impossible that anything but a big crew could have built it all.

Down the stone steps, we did eventually find a sign telling us that seven men worked on them over the period of a year, and a saying to the effect that it was not just stone and mortar that went into their building but blood, sweat, and tears, as well.  The stairs were often curved with railings, followed by horizontal pathways to make the climbing up or down less strenuous. 

Because of the recent rains, water was dripping everywhere and it was muddy in places.

Before the stairs started downward, this rock pathway and wall adorned the top of the bluff.  Here were numerous flowering shrubs and the blooming iris.  We saw evidence of many daffodils, late blooming lilacs, and other lovely landscaping features. 

Becky and I noticed right away the beauty of the place and all the love and attention that someone had worked hard on to create a lovely homestead. 

 As we followed the stairs down, we saw a few interesting caves which made me think of my cave-loving friend, Paula!  But the majesty of the trail came as we found bluffs along which the trail skirted.  These bluffs got ever larger till we reached the "Grotto" with a lovely waterfall.  I took several videos at that spot but no still pictures...that was a booboo!  We walked and walked, seeing two box turtles on the trail, columbines growing out of the bluff and along the trail, and catching glimpses of the river.  But the trail never sloped downward to the river, to our disappointment.  Due to lack of time, we did not get to got the very end, either, however. 

It so interesting that when the trees are leafed out, these bluffs are hidden from the view of those on the river and yet they are so beautiful.  They are one of my favorite features of Missouri. 

At the SIX show the evening before, we had talked to people around us.  Most people come to Branson for the shows and to eat.  Very few come to enjoy the lake or the dramatic topography of the area.  It's what I LOVE about Branson and almost no one else pays any attention to the natural beauty of this gem of the Ozarks.

While we were in the Lakeside Forest Park, we saw only four other people.  I was so thankful for this walk...it was without a doubt the highlight of this visit to Branson.

Lakeside Forest is at the corner of Fall Creek Drive and Route 76 in Branson.  It is a city-owned park with trails that wind around the ridge top, an old homestead just recently acquired, which includes 350 stone steps down the side of the bluff and almost to the Lake Taneycomo.  I'd been on the trail, seen them, but didn't get to go down and had always wanted to return and go all the way down.  Becky is such a great adventurer and is always willing to find a lovely new spot.