Over the river and through the woods

Okay, so let me see......we went over a river or two and we definitely went through ALOT of woods. Yesterday (Saturday) Ed and I drove up to Mt. Vernon to visit with the Ryans, aka, Donnie, Charity, Becky, Michael and Gabrielle. I had made Becky an OSU afghan (how about them Buckeyes beating Penn State??? Yayyyyy! And YES, they ARE a number #1 team! Hello!). Okay, now what was I saying? Oh yes, I had made an OSU afghan for Becky for her 17th birthday and was going to mail it to her but decided to take it to her instead. We had a good visit and I just couldn't get over how much Gabrielle had changed since I last saw her and talk? Does she ever talk!? She had on her OSU cheerleader outfit which used to be Becky's. She was so cute! And I'm sure Becky was just as cute when she wore it! *smile* I got to see Donnie's office where he makes the big bucks! *smile* AND you should see the beautiful sofa and loveseat that Charity got for a steal! Wow! Why don't I ever get those bargains? Here is a picture of Becky and her coveted afghan! Oh, and we saw Michael briefly. He was in and out, socializing at the neighbors and so on. *smile*

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Next, we drove out to Sparta to see Bob and Betty (Sheets). Betty had fixed supper for us and we had a great time visiting, eating and then playing cards. Betty and I handily beat our dear husbands at euchre. Two games to zip! Yayyyyyy!! The last time, the guys beat us and, boy, did they ever rub it in. Betty and I were much more humble in victory. ;-) We are so thankful for Bob and Betty. Though we don't get to see one another very often, when we are together it is such a wonderful time of fellowship.
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We got home at about 9pm, in time to watch most of the Ohio State game. It was a good one! And, yes, Ohio State is a NUMBER ONE team!! Sheesh!

On A Rainy Day In Ohio

It has been rainy and gloomy here in our little valley for the past couple of days and just a little chilly and damp. I was going about the house lighting candles here and there to make it feel a bit more cozy and I thought the candlelight looked so pretty, so I thought I would take a couple of pictures to share with you.

The first one is of a small grouping of pictures on our dresser. The crystal cross was a gift from my sister Debbie. The crystal heart paperweight was a gift from my brother Johnny. The boxed Bible on which they are sitting was given to me as a gift from the funeral home when my mother passed away. The wrought iron candlestick which is sitting in front of the mirror is one of a set that belonged to my mother.

This picture I took in the bathroom, of course...*smile*. The candle was a gift from my friend Stacy. The three little elephant figurines were given to me by my nephew Troy. The teacup and saucer were given to me by my secret sister one year. When I get out of the shower, I just love to look across my bathroom and see the little mementos setting about. Well, they are all over my house actually.....little gifts that I cherish and that cause me to remember and to whisper a prayer for the many people who are so dear to me.

Other happenings

Friday evening, I went with Sis. Debbie and a group of young people to a youth Rally in Athens, Ohio where Bro. Rob Doner is the pastor. We had a great time. Bro. and Sis. Doner, the youth and their church really went all-out in preparing a wonderful evening of music, worship, drama and preaching for all of those in attendance!
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On Saturday, Ed and I went to Lancaster to visit with Bev, Bethany and little Nathen so that I could give him the little Ohio State afghan that I made for him. Erin also stopped by! Here are a couple of pictures of Erin and Nathen, but I didn't get any of the afghan!

Autumn in the Hocking Hills

My friend, Pam, and I went to Conkle's Hollow yesterday to walk and take in the beautiful fall scenery. We walked the gorge trail and it was absolutely beautiful. They had an early American settlement re-enactment on the grounds near the parking lot. I wasn't able to walk the gorge trail AND also walk through the settlement, but I enjoyed it from a distance. I had to pace myself and use my walker. It was so great to be out enjoying nature. We were going to hike Ash Cave, as it is also handicap accessible but we couldn't even get close to it. The parking lots were filled and cars lined the road for a long way on either side, so instead, I just drove us around through the beautiful hills on our way home. Yes, it was Sunday afternoon and yes, we both always take Sunday afternoon naps and yes, our families could hardly believe we were going to go walk the caves, BUT it was so worth it and I think we both actually felt better for doing it. And, yes, we even made it to choir practice on time! *smile*

The Birthday Boy!

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY, ED!!!!

Today is Ed's 65th birthday!! He is a genuine Senior Citizen!! Doesn't he look great for being so OLD? *grin* He is in such good health and great shape. I told him that at 60 he got his Golden Buckeye Card (a discount card for Seniors in Ohio). Then, at 62, he could retire early if he wanted.....and he did. BUT, at 65, you can no longer fake it. You are the REAL THING. A Senior Citizen!! *smile* The Lord has been so good to us. One really wonderful blessing has been our oldest son, Eddie and how he has turned his life around. Ed, Eddie and Daniel have been going to watch Eddie's son, Dylan, play football on Thursday evenings. How wonderful that all of the Cavinee men are finally together AND are they ever a handsome lot!!! *smile*

Website Update

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I thought I would just post it here for now. Bro. and Sis. Ken Cook have updated their website which you can find here. They've added alot of new features AND they have some neat pictures of Beamer, their baby dog! Not that Beamer's a puppy. No, he is actually pretty old but he is THEIR baby dog! *smile* You have to be an animal lover to understand! *grin*

Also, I'm going to add some church and minister links to my sidebar,when I get the time, as I acquire them! So, stay tuned for that! God bless and I hope you are having a great week. The Lord is moving in Logan, Ohio!!

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We are off to take Ellie the Cat to the vet. She got a flea from somewhere and because she is allergic to them (OUR cat would HAVE to be allergic to them, hm?) she has to get a shot. She has lost a patch of hair on her back (pictured below) and has little bumps on her skin where she has been scratching incessantly. BUT she'll be all better shortly. The trip to the vet should be a barrel of fun. (just kidding) We have to put her in her carrier and she makes the most horrid sounds. I didn't know a cat could make such evil sounds. Do any of you know what I mean? Sheesh......I'll let you know if we all survive. *grin* Now, it's off to our vet adventure!

Children's Sunday Festival!

This past Sunday, we had a Children's Sunday Festival with Bro. and Sis. Will Rowland and Bro. and Sis. Ken Cook. Prior to Sunday, Bro. and Sis. Cook, along with the youth and several other people from church did outreach in Logan. They went out three or four evenings and on Saturday. Sis. Martin, our pastor's wife, has worked tirelessly for this great day. I am not sure of the exact number but we had approximately 160-170 in attendance Sunday morning!!! There are no words to describe how awesome it was!!! Bro. Rowland did a marvelous job of presenting the gospel to these wonderful adults, youth and children in his own inimitable way. Bro. and Sis. Cook organized and took care of the prize give-a-ways and also the transportation. Sis. Martin, the youth and others had organized games in the fellowship hall and outside for the kids, after the morning service. Pizza and beverages were provided for everyone. And in the shelter house, ladies were giving out popcorn, snowcones and ice cream to everyone. It was such a wonderful day! Ed and I left church at around 4 o'clock that afternoon and there were many, many people still there. We had two new young couples in attendance. And at the end of service, several children and youth were at the altar praying. I believe that this is the jump-start that our church has needed and I will be forever grateful to Bro. and Sis. Cook for all of the love and hard work they have poured into First Church and Logan.

Here is a picture of the sanctuary Sunday morning before service. It is a bit dark but you can still see how beautiful it looks!

This is Bro. Rowland with his chicken just before he led the kids in a rousing version of "The Holy Ghost Will Take the Chicken Out of You!" *smile* What a ministry he and his wife have!
I'll post more pictures but, at the moment, blogger seems to be having some issues with photo uploading. Stay tuned!!! *smile*

I love food!!

I found this food meme at Barbara's blog and thought I would do it here, seeing as how I LOVE food so much! Please feel free to do it at your blog and let me know in the comments if you do so I can come read it and get to know you better!!!

1. How do you like your eggs?
Over medium, I think it is. I want the white done but the yolk a little soft.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Coffee with cream, preferably powdered creamer.

3. Favorite breakfast food?
Eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and jelly and sliced tomatoes if they are in season.

4. Peanut butter - smooth or crunchy?
Crunchy with grape jelly!

5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Thousand Island

6. Coke or Pepsi?
Diet Pepsi

7. You’re feeling lazy, what do you make?
A sandwich. Preferably, Healthy Choice Turkey Breast, Kahn's Bologna or Virgina Baked Ham.
And chips of some kind.

8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
Pizza Crossing All-the-way pizza, minus anchovies!

9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Hmmm, probably fried chicken, some kind of potatoes and green beans.

10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Oh myyyyy, my mom's potato salad or her round steak and gravy and cole slaw. My mom made the BEST potato salad and cole slaw. Also, one of our Sunday dinners was fried Whiting fish, french fries, baked beans and cole slaw!!! Dad would help mom fix this dinner and it was sooooo awesome!!! Oh, and every Tuesday was ironing day for mom and we would always have beans and cornbread for supper and it was good!!! Sometimes mom would put potpie in the beans and we loved it!! AND, Mom made a banana split cake that was to die for!!! It was a work of art, let me tell you!!

11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Oh my word! Once in a GREAT while, mom would fix fried pork or beef brains! YUCK!!!!! I tried to eat them but just couldn't. And we had to eat what was put on the table, so when THOSE were on the table, I just ate whatever else was provided. We weren't allowed to get up from the table and fix ourselves something else. Now, this wasn't considered a bad thing or mean where my parents were concerned. It was just how it was in many homes back then. You ate what was put before you.

12. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Pimento cheese. I've tried it. Can't do it.

13. What was your favorite food as a child?
Hmmmmm, it was mostly home-cooked food that my mom made, because we didn't eat out. It would have to be the round steak and gravy that mom fixed with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Oh, and when they had bake sales at school, I always wanted an iced sugar cookie or popcorn ball, if I had the money to get one.

14. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
I think it would have to be beef liver. I love liver and onions now!

15. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
None that I can think of.

16. Favorite fruit and vegetable?
Strawberries or bananas and green beans and corn

17. Favorite junk food?
Doritos!!!!

18. Favorite between meal snack?
Chips or Doritos

19. Do you have any weird food habits?
Yessss......I don't like the seeds in tomatoes or the slimey stuff around them, so when eating sliced tomatoes, I take the seeds and slimey stuff out of them. Yes, it is tedious work but I love tomatoes. Now, I don't mind the seeds and slimey stuff if they are cooked in soup or some other food. Go figure. I have done this since I was a child. My family teases me about it, still. *grin*

20. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Fruits and Vegetables

21 . You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
A Big Mac Value Meal! Pizza Crossing All-the-way pizza! Dortios!! The Whole Bag!!

22. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
Mild. I have a very low tolerance for hot or spicy food.

23. Can I get you a drink?
Diet Pepsi!

24. Red wine or white?
Neither, thank you.

25. Favorite dessert?
Cherry Whip or Carrot Cake

26. The perfect nightcap?
I usually have a drink of cold water before going to bed. Exciting, hm? *smile*

The Week That Was!

Hello Everyone! I apologize upfront for the light blogging but it has been a busy week!! I haven't even had my computer on for two days! We've been having special services with Bro. Ken Cook and his wife, Julie. Our services were this past Sunday through Wednesday night. We didn't get home any night before 10:45! Needing a little time to unwind and all meant we usually got into bed at around midnight. Our inner clocks are set to 6am, so, of course, we were always awake at the same time every morning, no matter how late we went to bed! But the services have been wonderful!!! Bro. and Sis. Cook have been doing outreach with the youth and others each evening and will be doing so again today at noon. I am hoping to join them.
We are having a children's crusade tomorrow (Sunday) with Bro. and Sis. Will Rowland (Sara Darst). We are so excited about what the Lord has been doing this week in Logan, Ohio and are even more expectant about tomorrow! Our revival continues through next Wednesday evening.
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My sister Debbie was taken to the hospital this past Wednesday afternoon. She had been experiencing severe pain in the left side of her chest. At first, they thought she had a collapsed lung.....probably due to her smoking and intense coughing, but later discovered her lung was infected and inflamed. They prescribed meds and sent her home. I went to spend some time with her Thursday evening and, sure enough, she was smoking! I just couldn't believe it. I used to smoke. I KNOW how hard it is to quit, but if I can quit, anyone can. So she called me last night and told me that she thought she pulled a muscle in the left side of her chest....where the original pain was. She had raised her bedroom window and felt a severe stabbing pain in her left side when doing so. It couldn't possibly be that her lung is still infected and inflamed because she is STILL smoking and irritating it? I told her that she could not expect to get any better if she was going to continue smoking but she just said something about she was taking her medicine and so on. It is more than a little exasperating. Her children really have a difficult time handling all of this when she continues to smoke. I just keep praying for her, knowing that that is the best thing I can do.
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The cool fall weather has finally arrived in Ohio, going from the low 90's on Monday to the low 50's! Brrrrrr! Talk about a shock to the old body!!! Whew!!! It was so funny to go to church Tuesday evening and see everyone with coats and sweaters, all huddled up! I love the cooler weather though, especially at night! Cuddling weather, finally!!!! *smile*
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I read on Donnie's blog that Pastor Kramer has been in Mt. Vernon for 31 years! Well, before pastoring in Mt. Vernon, Bro. Kramer was my youth pastor in Lancaster, Ohio, under Pastor Jack Leaman. I came into the church when I was 23. I was single and the Lord so graciously delivered me from a life steeped in sin. Bro. and Sis. Kramer befriended me and helped me so much. Bro. Kramer and Bro. Leaman taught three different new convert classes a week and I made sure that I was in everyone of them. All of these years later, I am still so thankful for the foundation that they gave me. It is so imperative that we help new spiritual babes in the church to become connected to the family of God and have a safe place where they can learn and ask questions and become grounded spiritually. Thank you, Bro. Kramer! And Bro. Leaman!!!
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The Buckeyes play at home against Kent State at noon today. Go Bucks!! The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network and you can listen at 1460AM, 97.1FM and 100.9FM!

The Happiest Dog in the Whole USA!

I just realized that in most of the pictures that I have taken of Rocky, his tail is blur because he wags it so wildly. The tip of it touches his sides when he wags his tail because he shakes his whole backside! How could you NOT love this lovable animal? He was waiting for his treat this morning when I took this picture of him.

Count Your Blessings!

I just haven't been feeling very well this week. I've tried all that I know to keep myself up spiritually and emotionally and physically but here I am on Saturday evening......the Buckeyes are winning......and still feeling yucky. And then I went to Chantell's blog and she decided to just write out a list of positive things she has in her life. Sooooooo, I am going to copycat and go for it here, too! 'Cause after reading HER list, I found MYSELF feeling so much better. So here I go in no particular order.

1. I have a wonderful, comfortable home that I love and it is not too big for me to take care of. It is just the right size for us. It isn't fancy schmancy. It is home and comfortable and where we love and live.
2. We are blessed to be debt-free. Please know that I'm not bragging here. It's just that I am not able to work any longer and Ed is retired (he turns 65 this month!) and we have worked to achieve this place in our lives and I am so thankful that we have been able to do it.
3. We have the happiest dog "in the whole USA"! *smile* Rocky is just a huge, huge ray of sunshine in my life. I love that dog sooooo much! I could just pet and hug him to death! I love Ellie, the cat, too, but she's a cat. End of story. *grin*
4. Our son Daniel has a good.....no.....a great job......and he and his sweet wife walk in truth with the Lord. And Erin is just like a daughter to us. I am so thankful for the special relationship that we share.
5. As I've lost the ability to do certain things for myself, my sweet husband has just stepped in and helps without complaint. You should see us when he helps me put my hose on! We ALWAYS end up laughing but he is getting better at it!! LOL The Lord sure knew what He was doing when He brought us together so many years ago.
6. I have met some new dearest friends and spiritual family through blogging AND reconnected with friends that I had lost contact with. Isn't blogging great?
7. The Lord has blessed me with the gift of playing the piano and singing. Sometimes I forget what a blessing it is to just be able to sit down at the piano and play away my troubles and sorrows and hurts to the Lord, until I get to the place where I am able to lay them all down at His feet and begin rejoicing and singing "I'm Livin' By Faith" or "Won't It Be Wonderful There" or "Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus".
8. While from the waist down I may not be much good for anything, I sure feel good in the upper half of me!!! *smile* AND the only medicine I take is one little eensy pill to keep my blood pressure in check and Darvocet for pain. Other than that, I am healthy and feel wonderful! Sometimes I say, "I woke up this morning feeling great! And then I stood up! " LOL
9. I am able to read and I love it when I find a really good book that I can just get lost in. There is just nothing like finding a good book that you just can't put down. It's almost like taking a vacation, going places you've never been before and so on.
10. My circle of friends. What would I do without you? You each bring something special and different to my life and I don't know what I would do without you. I hope I enrich your lives as much as you do mine! We've laughed and cried and commiserated and gotten through alot of STUFF leaning on one another.
11. I'm comfortable in my own skin. Wow. 55. This is such a great place to be. I wasted so much of my life worrying about things that just didn't matter. I am who I am and I'm endeavoring to be who the Lord wants me to be. I'm not perfect by any means but I am striving to be like Him each and every day.
12. I'm so thankful I can do my own hair! So many women struggle with this but I determined many, many years ago that I was going to learn to do my own hair. I threw many a hairbrush and shed a few tears but I finally got the hang of it and even learned to do hair for other ladies.
13. I can cook some pretty good vittles, aka food. When you consider that I couldn't cook at all when Ed and I got married, I've made pretty good progress in 21 years. *smile* I was 34 when we got married and I had never fried chicken! BUT, if I remember correctly, I could make a mean baloney sandwich!!!
14. I just love my brothers and sisters. We are all sooooo different but I love calling them and talking to them and sharing the happenings of our lives. I have a twin brother, two older sisters and an older brother. We are all within five years of eachother in age.
15. I love Wednesday nights at church. You see, Sundays can be so busy for me what with doing music and all for two services. But Wednesdays are just so much more relaxed and a small group of us get there like really early and we usually sit around and talk and visit before it is time to go to the prayer room and I just enjoy this time so much.
16. And I am thankful to be an American and to live in this great country. I am thankful for our many freedoms and privileges. Some people complain about taxes but to me, it is a small price to pay for all that we are blessed with.
There you have it. And I DO feel so much better. Thank you, Chantell!
"Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done,
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done."

What's Your Cooking Style?

Barbara at Stray Thoughts had an interesting post about cooking and cooking styles and I thought I would do it here on my blog. You are welcome to join in and tell us about your style of cooking on your blog if you like! And with the cooler fall weather here, I get newly inspired to cook and bake and have been doing more of both!!! I have a huge stack of cookbooks and magazines on my side of the dining table and I have been browsing through them the past couple of weeks in search of new recipes to try. Anywayyyy....here's a little more about me:

So what kind of cook are you? Meat-and-potatoes? Gourmet? Or somewhere in between?
I am definitely a meat and potatoes cook because that is the kind of food that Ed and Daniel (when he was still at home and now when he and Erin come for dinner) like. I do experiment once in a while, though. I will probably never be what you would call a "gourmet" cook. I love homestyle cooking. That is what I grew up eating and cooking.

What’s your favorite cookbook/cooking magazine?
Here is a picture of my favorite cookbook. Our home economics teacher offered these to us for $2.95 when I was a sophomore. $2.95!!! As you can see, it is well-worn from much use, believe me! I learned to make bread and rolls from this cookbook. It also had wonderful recipes for brownies, pie crust, meatloaf and noodles. Yes, I learned so much from this cookbook. Here are a few pictures of the most-used pages! Oh and this was before they made brownie mixes in a box. You had to use the chocolate squares.




Now, I mostly buy church cookbooks. I also check out issues of Quick-cooking, Cooking for Two, and Taste of Home magazines from the library. I also like Cooks Illustrated magazine because they have such great culinary tips.

What is usually in your pantry, your staple ingredients that you can’t do without?
Besides the essential shortening, oils, sugars and spices, I keep canned meats, vegetables, fruits, soups, beans, noodles, cake mixes and frostings, pie fillings. I also keep a variety of dried pastas, rice and rice mixes. I always have something I can fix a meal with. I guess this is something I learned from my mother and also learned over the years in taking care of my family.

What is your favorite type of dish to cook: main dish, sides, breads, desserts?
I would have to say main dishes. I am not a big dessert person. I can do without dessert, but not Ed. He is the sweet tooth. He HAS to have something sweet around. Right now it is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, which is his favorite. Mine is carrot cake, if I'm going to eat cake! *smile*

Do you have a signature recipe, one that everyone knows you for?
If it is summertime and we are having a family gathering, I am always asked to bring my baked beans. Everyone loves them! If it is in the winter, say Christmas, and we are having our family get-together, I am asked to bring rolls, dressing and sometimes noodles. Oh, and especially oyster dressing! You either love it or hate it! *smile* Daniel, Erin and Brian loooooove the Dutch Potatoes that I fix and that is what they ask for everytime they come for dinner, no matter the season.

What’s your favorite appliance or gadget that you couldn’t get along without?
Without a doubt, the microwave!!! I don't know what I would do without it!

And finally, what is your husband’s favorite recipe that you fix? You know, the one that says “I love you - this is especially for you!”
Would you believe Smoked Sausage and fried potatoes sometimes accompanied by eggs? If I should ask him what he would like to have to eat, this is what he almost always asks for. His second choice might be Creole Vegetables with Smoked Sausage and cornbread. In the heat of summertime, though, he often asks for a chef salad, loaded with boiled eggs, bacon and usually grilled chicken breasts.

If you would like any of the recipes that I mentioned in this post, just let me know and I'll gladly send them to you!!!

It's me again!

Well, I got one lady's hair done and the other switched her time to Thursday morning, so that helped out as far as my busy morning went. I put pepper steak in the oven for Ed and made mashed potaotes to go with it for his lunch. I then managed to do my piano lesson at church and then Laura and I went out for lunch. You might wonder how I do all that I do when I say that I am in pain. Well, I just push myself and ask the Lord to help me because I can't just quit. I have to keep moving and besides I had not been anywhere since Sunday. I had a couple of errands to take care of, too. The weather has been absolutely beautiful, so I am thankful that I can be outside and about to enjoy it.
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I've had a bit of a problem here of late. You see, Ed and I took care of a couple of business matters last week where we had to send some forms in. They had to do with our retirement plans. Both of them had to notarized and so on. So we were very careful. Had copies made of everything and mailed them off. Wellllll......we got a call last Friday saying we forgot to enlcose a copy of his birth certificate with the form. I said we enclosed the form! But after checking, Ed found the copy in the folder where we keep this info! *sigh* AND THEN I got a letter saying I had sent the copies instead of the originals. Okay, I KNEW for sure this time that I HAD sent the originals, BUT upon checking MY folder saw that I had indeed sent the copies! *sigh* AND THEN after I posted early this morning, Becky left me a comment and told me that I had said, "Good THURSDAY morning to all" instead of TUESDAY!!! Oh my word!!!!
If I have an excuse it is that pain tends to cloud your thinking sometimes. Now I do take one darvocet every 6 hours for pain but it doesn't make me groggy or dopey or anything. It just takes the edge off of the pain. So anywayyy....that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it! *smile* Oh, and I did get all of the proper papers sent off and on their way. *feeble grin*

Good Tuesday Morning to all!

Well, I am up early (5:30ish) because I have a lady coming at her usual 6:30 to have her hair done and another lady coming at 7:30. The second lady usually comes on Friday morning but she has been on vacay in California and just got home and needs a "do" in the worst way! *smile* Then I have a piano lesson at 10:00am at the church. I am just praying (seriously) that I can manage all of this. You see......I went to my chiropractor Friday. It had been three weeks since I had last seen him. Well, I have been in pretty bad shape since then. I mean, I know that usually after my session, that I am going to feel a bit worse before I feel any improvement but it has lingered this time. I was unable to do anything Friday evening and or Saturday. I could barely get around here at home and had to use my rollating walker here in the house whereas I usually only use it when I go somewhere. Our home is smallish and I can usually hold onto something when I walk around here. Oh, and I got a NEW rollating walker. I had been using a friend's but she needed it for a day or so, sooooooo.......here came Ed home Friday evening with a new buggy for me!!! Isn't he just the sweetest? It is a gorgeous blue....to match my eyes! I'll take a pic of it soon and post it here for you. Anywayyyyyy.......the pain level has really been UP there. But if there is one thing that pain will do, it will keep you close to the Lord. And it causes you to realize what is really important in life. My, but when I look back at all that I thought I just HAD to do or things that HAD to be done, I realize how wrong I was. I think of Mary and Martha, in the Bible, and how the Lord told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part in sitting at His feet, spending time with Him, listening to Him. And somehow He becomes so much more precious in the difficult places of our life. I'm reminded of a poem that I read many years ago, so I googled it and here it is. I know many of you have probably read it at some time. Enjoy!

Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of my heart

By the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace

With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me,

Amidst the confusion of my day,

The calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension in my nerves

With the soothing music of the singing streams

That live in my memory.

Help me to know

The magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art

Of taking minute vacations of slowing down

To look at a flower;

To chat with an old friend or make a new one;

To pat a stray dog;

to watch a spider build a web;

to smile at a child;

or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day

That the race is not always to the swift;

That there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward

Into the branches of the towering oak,

And know that it grew great and strong

Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,

And inspire me to send my roots deep

Into the soil of life's enduring values

That I may grow toward the stars

Of my greater destiny.

Wilferd Arlan Peterson (1900-1995).