The Wedding ~ Throwback Thursday

I sit in the front pew of the church feeding the baby, jiggling her so she won’t cry, and holding my camera ready to push the record button.  I’m not a multi-tasker.  I cannot rub my tummy and scratch my head at the same time.  The wedding is already fifteen minutes late in starting.  The organist is repeating her selection and glancing towards the back of the church…  looking for a sign of life.

The photographer, who is also my husband (Gary) goes downstairs to see what’s taking them so long.  When I left downstairs fifteen minutes earlier the girls were half dressed and Marissa sat with half-a-head of curls while her stylist kneeled beside of her with a lock of hair held tight to the curling iron waiting for another to set.  Jake raced back and forth through the rooms, looking for something to get into.

Gary returns with the news that they are almost ready.  It seems Jake dropped the ring down the steps…  tink.. tink.. tink…   His mom and dad laugh, three rows back, hearing the news.  It’s so…  Jake.

Soon the wedding begins.  My daughter marries the father of her two children… and they are officially family.

Love my grand-angels!

 

No Place Like Home

Today I helped empty out my sister Lindy's clothes closet.  Most was taken to Goodwill but I brought several shirts home for myself.  Her perfume still lingers.  Her presence is undeniable.

Her favorite flowers on one of her favorite sweatshirts

It was strange.  Invading her privacy like that.  Going through her clothes and throwing them into garbage bags as though she would never be coming home.

But it's true.  She would not be coming back to her earthly home.

I grabbed a photo from her refrigerator before I left.  Gene (her husband) said I could have it for Lindsey.  I remember the day like it was yesterday.  June 8, 1990.  We loved going to plays.  The Wizard of Oz was playing at ACC and we had front row seats.  Going to plays with Lindy was so much fun.  She showed such enthusiasm and excitement.  The highlight of this particular play was when my two year old Lindsey decided to plead with the mean wicked old witch during the scary scene...  saying aloud, "Please don't hurt me wicked old witch..  please don't hurt me."  We talked about that all the way home.

After working so hard cleaning out her clothes closet, we did what Lindy would have wanted to do had she been here.  We went to the casino to play.

I did not think about it.  Honestly, I did not give it a thought.  I played what has become my favorite machine and yea, I have won a little here and a little there.  I have never won over $65.   (I am not a gambler.  Just like to play a little now and again but I usually lose)  The machine:  The Wizard of Oz.  Suddenly Dorothy's slippers started clicking and clanking and moving around the screen and my money was growing...  my $50 became $75.... then $100...  up, up, up it went... and before you know it I had $286 racked up!!!!

I collected my money and waited on the others to finish playing (and losing).  And as I waited and held tight to my winnings, I thought about what had just happened.  I don't really believe in luck but this did not seem coincidental...  no more than snow on the day of her funeral had.  I thought of the picture in my purse pocket...  the one of that magical night of The Wizard of Oz play and I knew.  Lynn was with me.  In my heart.  On my mind.  On my side.  I can't explain it because it is magical.  Beyond understanding.  It just is.

She's with God.  And she's clicking her heels saying, "There's no place like home."  And she is.  Home.

Spring

I thought I'd be back before now...  but I just didn't feel like blogging.  After my gallbladder surgery on the 10th, first I spent a week in agony, then I couldn't think of anything to blog about.

I'm feeling better each day but still a lot of soreness in my belly.  I was glad to be back to work five days after my surgery.  Of course, sitting in an office doesn't take a lot of umph.   I just need to be careful about how I twist, turn and move around.

The first week I could only sleep on my back.  Tylenol was my friend.  Sleep was not.  A heavy, burning pain radiated through my gut and I wondered, was this surgery successful or did it leave me worse off than before?  About a week out the pain slowly but steadily became less and less.

A couple more weeks and I should be back to normal.  Heres to time and healing!

Spring is next month.  I'm ready.  How about you?

Celebration!

Last night my son and daughter-in-law took us to Wasabi  Sushi Japanese Restaurant for dinner.  It was fun and the food was great!

Jasper loved seeing them cook the food.   In preparation the chef would ignite a fire in front of us and whhoooosh the fire jumped high into the air and then the chef prepared the stir fry of rice, veggies, chicken and shrimp.   He would then go around the bar filling our plates with whatever it was that we ordered.  The finished product was so very tasty!

It was Jessica's birthday dinner, and so they brought out a big sparkler and a dessert with a candle in the middle.

No coffee for me in the AM till I go to the hospital and get some blood drawn.  Getting ready for gallbladder surgery on Wednesday.

I've been trying to stay away from junk food that makes me feel bad.  Cake is my weakness, so this was really hard to resist though:  Hostess Cupcakes (sold at an antique mart we visited on Friday) for only $2.50!!  What a deal!  And check out the sell by date on the bottom right hand corner.  Only five months out.  I know. Hard to pass up!

Joy

Each year of my life I recognize more and more how drama and negativity need to become

a thing of the past.

Concentrating on all that is good will bring peace.   

This time of year I begin to plan for the years good stuff.  The vacations.  The family time together.  

It keeps me sane through the gray days that threaten to steal my joy.

So, I have our beach condo's reserved for August.  It will be a little different this year.  Some who were there last year will not be returning.  But new faces will take the place of old ones.  We had a blast last year and hope for more of the same.

We never know what life will bring.  But we can be sure that it will be full of surprises.  Last year I lost my brother to cancer in January and then in December I lost my sister to kidney failure.   I was alone with my sister when she died.  Words could not describe my grief.  But, life goes on.    

Life can be crippling at times but after the storm comes the rainbow.  The good stuff.  Like watching the sun rise and set over the sea.  Breathing in the warm ocean air.  Laughing so hard that I cry.  Playing silly games with my grandchildren.  Sharing in life with my husband and my kids.  Being still and feeling God's presence.  

There is no doubt that my life's journey will include more loss and sadness and I try to mentally prepare for this.   Sometimes....  Many times...  I have to close my eyes and say, "God, change my heart that I can sweep life's bitter, empty nothingness under the rug...  and I can live my life experiencing Your joy."   And in time, he does just that.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I'm trying some new stuff for my business.  Google Ad Words.  I find this to be very complicated but every day I try to learn more.  I finally have it set so when (in our area) hearing aids are clicked on my business is generally right on top.  It's tough.  There is a lot of competition here.  On National Highway alone there are 3 other hearing aid businesses within miles of one another.  

This July will start our sixth year.  Even though Gary has retired, I still say 'our' because he will pitch in and help when needed.  He's good like that.

We get a lot of referrals from satisfied customers.  We also have many customers because of the big gold ear in our front yard.  This year our 'ear guy' is going to carve us a new ear.  It's time.

Business is good and we beat all competition in pricing.  I love working with the elderly (mostly).   Servicing their hearing aids and sometimes just counseling them on how to use them or what to expect.  Today one of my customers hugged me tight before she left and said, "I love coming here.  You are not only my hearing aid provider...  you have become such a good friend as well."

This is going to be another great year.  January, which is usually quite slow,  has been very prosperous!

Come on over to ALL ABOUT HEARING and check us out!   My web page is not perfect...  but I did it myself and I change it around a lot.  I get a fair amount of business from it.

Hey, Phil says spring is just around the corner!  Are you as ready as I am??

Ready for It?

Regardless of what that groundhog sees when he pulls himself from his little cubbyhole next week...  shadow or not... 

The calendar says that the following month will be spring.  

Are you ready for it?

Summer and Rissi and....  AND I'd like to Introduce to you my new granddog Ellie May.