Is This Your Lemon Pie????

Let me take you back a few years.

My friend, Sandy, could bake up a storm. She could look at a recipe and know immediately that she could make an award winning copy of whatever confection she had just read about. She was young and knew that there was nothing culinary she couldn’t accomplish.

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Read it again!

Confession time: I HAVE NOT WANTED TO BE  PRODUCTIVE FOR AGES!

Ok, that is off my chest. I wish I was being dramatic; but, alas, I am not. I have been struggling with it so badly.

Today I thought I would pull myself up by my bootstraps (except that I am wearing flats) and get in gear. I am beginning another personal blog regarding a line of my children’s ministry products. To that end, I needed to go through my stash of articles on children’s ministry and see if I can re-purpose a few.

There’s Always Someone….

Many (many, many) years ago, as a bride, it began to slowly dawn on me that my life as an Air Force wife was going to be significantly different from my former life as a college student in North Dakota.

We were new to the service, living in Japan in a village just outside of Tokyo. My husband had his dream job–flying a C-130 into lands we had only heard of as kids. Our life became fairly routine, as he flew off to Bangkok or Hong Kong and I stayed behind with the other wives exploring the more exotic environment of Tachikawa village and learning the fine art of Japanese flower arranging.

Words! Words! Words!

My growing up years in North Dakota were idyllic in the sense that our parents more or less left my sister and me on our own. It was the time in history when kids played outside from dawn to dusk without interference from adults. A quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich at noon and we were good to go for the rest of the day. We were sent into the world with certain instructions however. “Wear shoes!” “Stay away from the river.” “Don’t chase strange dogs.” “Leave your sister alone.” “Be home by dark.”

From Beagles to Books

About ten years ago, two months after our beloved beagle, Annie, went to that big dog bone market in the sky, I decided I could no longer bear living in a house without a dog. My daughter, married and and mom to my two perfect grandsons, concurred and began “shopping” via the internet at  local Pet Shelters.

“Mom,” she would say. “You should see Precious. What a doll—I think she’s perfect for you.” I’d check Precious out on-line and say something like “nah uh—no Great Danes.”

Seeing It All…Maybe

As of today, the 23^rd of December, 2015, I have officially seen it all.

I drove into a perfect parking place at the local St. Louis Bread Company, and decided to finish listening to a wonderful Christmas carol playing on JOY FM. We were in the midst of what we used to call a “gully washer” in my home state, and I hoped that by staying in the car a few minutes more maybe the rain would slow down a bit and I wouldn’t have to regret the fact that I forgot my umbrella at home.

Hail and Farewell

HAIL AND FAREWELL

     Did I tell you that my friend is moving? Not just a down the street and over two blocks move. It’s a pack-the-china-carefully, hit the highway, and drive across the country move. And I am not happy. In all truth, of course, it isn’t about me. It’s about my friend and the enormity of what lies ahead for her. But in the nitty-gritty of life, it is about me, because I am going to be left behind to miss her.

Writing Weekend

It is another retreat weekend again.YAY! We returned to Rend Lake Resort again. Apparently we like it here.

I’m writing this as I sit at the wooden table in our room. The table is moved close to the door because the light in this part of the room is the only decent light we have. However, the other two are snoozing so that light is off. But I have the bathroom door open and the light from there along with the computer light is sufficient.

Bathroom Reconstruction

So, my bathroom is under construction. Ever been there? What an ordeal.

The entire house is dusty, chalky footprints everywhere.

Ah, Those Pesky Struggles

Our dog Willie recently had surgery and was required by his Vet to wear a “cone” for 10 days. To say it cut into his worldview would be to minimize the trauma this caused the poor pup. He banged into doors, and tripped over his own feet. He had to smush the edge of the cone into the floor in order to eat his food or quench his thirst. But worst of all, the wold passed him by without him ever seeing it–encased as he was. There were squirrels he couldn’t chase and butterflies that flew by without a “woof” or a growl. Apples fell from the trees and lay, untouched by canine teeth, in the grass where they rolled. To put it mildly, Willie struggled.