Escape to the South

I think it's a great idea to head to warmer weather sometime during these icky late winter days. After all, warm for me is a great thing! So this weekend, that's what we've done.... head south. We're in Lincoln for the weekend. And I'm sure it's warmer here than it is at home. Why right now it must be at least, well, 32 degrees! It's not snowing here anyway, which is what I here will be happening at home overnight. Ugh.

Anyway, it's been Christmas since we've seen our little munchkin. We needed a grandson fix. And he is amazing! I will tell you all the remarkable things about this boy: He loves books (I've read chicka chicka Boom Boom and more..He is quite fussy about his books) He's working on lots of new words, though I still need an interpreter. I know what Maggie is, bible, daddy, mama, grandpa, grandma, honey, and a new word for today-Zebra! See! Amazing! He signs too, to supplement his words, so he communicates quite well for his age. He loves rulers and cords and cell phones and computers and climbing and being chased. Go go go. Makes me tired! Still, It's a great way to spend a weekend.

Buster Routines

Buster has this routine that, of late, indicates that I need to get out and walk him some more.

He gets Ron up at least once in the night. It's still cold enough that he isn't out too long, but it does interrupt an otherwise peaceful night's sleep. And last night he woke Ron up pushing his water dish around in the kitchen. He was out of water. So Ron had to fill that too.

In the morning he comes and snuggles with me while I read on the couch. He's pretty good while he waits for Ron to finish his morning routine. But when I get home from exercising I'd better be sure to FEED him. He gets two bone treats. Then he hardly has any patience while I get dressed. He likes me to be in the kitchen with him when he finishes breakfast. After all, I still have to give him his cheese treat. Boy this spoiling thing is coming back to bite me, I guess.

Ron leaves for work. I leave for work. Buster gets to spend most of the day in the kitchen or the basement.

After work, after supper Buster is ready to play. He needs exercise and stimulation. All that is left of the ball that we use to play with him with is not a a ball anymore at all. It's 3 rings stuck together, but still tossable. He will run after it until he collapses in a heap on the carpet. That usually gets him through the rest of the evening without being too much of a pest!

But boy, he's looking forward to spring as much as the rest of us are! He needs some walks in the evening...and in the morning....and to help Ron out with the new garage.

Hwy 60

It was raining and icing as I went to work this morning. I haven't had such a horrible driving winter. Just bad enough to make me cautious. I could see from the K64 hill that traffic was not moving very fast. But in comparison to the blacktop, I could fly along. A normal trip would be 20 minutes. Today it took 30 minutes.
The pine tree is a great landmark. The Sioux/Plymouth County line. Railroad parallels the hwy. Fields and more fields. Around the curve and past the Seeny Cemetery. It's an easy drive.

A very Miscellaneous Day

I'm listening to "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Tolstoy. I am depressed. Maybe it will end better.

The dog can't get up on the bed anymore. Age? Can't be his weight, he doesn't change that.

Amy has a birthday on Saturday and I don't think her present is going to get to her on time. How would I know that? They (the store) haven't called me yet and it's Wednesday already.

I learned about firewalls today. Apparently ours at work isn't the high end kind. So I have to decide if I want to leave a door open for my automation system, close it and make them ask permission to come in when they need to, or spend $5,000 to upgrade my firewall. Ha!

I think we could have walked outside this morning. But in the spirit of not doing that until at least March I was congenial about the inside thing.

I have 3 books at home right now. Reading is a struggle in the evening.

PT this morning. They taped my shoulder today. Also got a heat treatment. Those are just lovely. Too bad they actually make me work that shoulder before I leave. It hurts again.

Ron is not feeling well, but his appetite was good tonight!

It's twice this week that I heard about heaven.... and the details about what we know of it. Once from my brother and once, on the way home from work, from my grandson. Amazing that they both said nearly the same thing. (Ok my brother's had a different reason)

I am getting tired of my lunch routine.

Speech tomorrow for the Lion's. At least I'm not giving the same one that I did the first time. Do you all know what these mean: DVD, SILO, ILL,EBSCO,JF,SHHHHHH.....

We didn't get a cancellation in the right way and now the company is saying we owe nearly $600. Ouch.

I forgot my IPod today. No music. Too bad, it really does help soothe the savage beast.

Strength for the Journey

It's been at least 20 years since I've seen her. That girl that I knew is ravaged. But she knew me as I knew her, and all the things that tie us together came flooding back. As I looked at her slumped over, unable to form any words at all, or control how she moved, and I as watched her slide down in the couch unable to change the course of her movements, I wondered at God's plan and timing. I was seeing my cousin in the ending stages of cancer, in those now unfightable stages, I thought that it's no wonder we get it all wrong. Why we wonder at "how in the world could this happen." Crying quietly with the poor guy that's taking care of her who is already beside himself with grief, saying "it's just not right". Any platitude I could offer would seem dull and empty except that I know we see it all wrong. God didn't abandon us to the horror of what sin does, instead He rescued us. He provided the way even though the dreadfulness of cancer still comes upon us. He wasn't even caught off guard by all of this. He knew it before we exsisted. That incredible gift of Jesus has to be explained. We have to look at all this from a different perspective. I must. I can't leave them with this pain that seems so unbearable.
What could I do? My hands can't heal her, but they could hold her. I had to tell her that she wasn't forgotten or forsaken:
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him.

The thing is, I can't tell you how uncomfortable jus the thought of making this trip had made me. When my brother called to propose going, I told him I was thinking of sending a card, or at the most, making a phone call. Not a visit. That's just too uncomfortable. He didn't let me worm out of it, only because I'd sensed God speaking to me earlier about sacrifices. But as soon as I stepped through the door I knew that the decision to go and see what I could do was the right one. I never stopped being uncomfortable, but that was OK. More than anything, I need to learn to be comfortable with that uncomfortableness. May He lead me this direction more often.

Flying trip

Had a long road trip this weekend!Like, over the river and through the woods. What do you do as you ride along... Ha! With your brother no less? Do you have entertainment that you use on your family trips? Here's what we did: Get caught up on family matters... laugh.... discuss the itinerary.... eat pretzels and cheese.... listen to music that's on the IPod..... remember... stop for gas.... (several times in fact) nap...(well, just one of us naps) And all around us are miles of oncoming traffic, rolling hills, frozen cornfields. We run into snow midway through through the trip. The car doesn't handle the snow on the road too well.

Then we cross the Illinois River at Peoria. We've arrived. Finding an address in the dark is a challenge. Good thing we weren't on the Amazing Race because we took a couple of short misturns. And knocked on the wrong door. My directional shorthand notes were a bit difficult to decipher!! Funny the directions I remembered that were never given. And our trip back? Rehashing the weekend... music... movie games...

The whole trip lasted 36hours.

Digital photo frame

I got a digital photo frame for Christmas. I was so excited. I spent quite a bit of time choosing photos to go in the frame. In the end I had (have) room for quite a few more. But I only want my favorites. I take tons of pictures. There are plenty of dogs among those, believe me. That is the nice thing about digital, as I'm sure you all know. But here are some of my prizes!
They scroll through the frame every few minutes. I am reminded of summer days, and family and friends, beautiful scenery and the thought of more adventures to come. More picture taking possibilities. Hurrah! Enjoy these. You are always welcome to come see my cool frame and more of the incredible pictures that I take!