Nichole’s Slices Of Life, 18 When the Kettle Whistles

I didn’t have any problem getting up early during the summer. It was light at 5:00 a.m. and my body responded. My body also responded when it started getting dark between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. I just didn’t want to get out of bed until it was totally light.  However, that messes my day up big time.  We like to take a mile walk each morning.  It takes a long time to walk as Jim is a very slow walker these days.  It takes us about 45 minutes to accomplish our walk.  When we get back to our home-we  like to   eat a nice breakfast and say our prayers. My day was not really starting until 9:00 a.m. and I didn’t like that one bit.

You might say my day is over as far as household accomplishments are concerned— by about 2:0o p.m.  For you see—-I have to pick up my grandsons from school and take care of them until 5:00 p.m.  Thus, the whole situation was getting to me greatly.

We also have had many evenings during the late summer and fall where we had extra church services.  My days and nights were most unsatisfying to me.  I guess I’m just to0 perfectionistic in my expectations.     I’m silly to behave this way.

Finally, when I got Jim to the VA hospital in Nashville on October 20th by 8:00 a.m.– I knew that I could do better.  Actually, I decided to start drinking coffee again. I had given it up for over a year.  But I didn’t know any other way to jump start my body. 

Jim and I came up with a plan for him to bring me a cup of coffee at 4:30 a.m. (Jim gets up at 4:00 a.m.)  I sip it slowly and enjoy some time with my two dogs.  The dogs like  to cuddle with me in the early morning.  Jim comes back into our room at 4:55 a.m. to listen to the hourly news on the radio.  He then puts the tea kettle on so we can have hot water for our oatmeal.  It is my job to turn the kettle off when it whistles.  So I’ve been making it out of bed about 5:10 a.m. for almost a month now.  My days are going so much better.

The caffeine is not bothering me nearly as much as it once did. I take a powdered calcium and magnesium supplement that I drink as a tea twice a day.  I’ve been doing this for several months.  It relaxes my body.  I’m able to drink some coffee and still sleep these days. Wonderful! 

As far as other tid bits of life are concerned–I’m enjoying my new little grandson a great deal.  I’m so amazed by the miracle of human birth and development. Children are such gifts of God.  I’m so thankful to be a mother and a grandmother.

I’m enjoying my fall baking -especially the challenge to bake quality food that fits within the bounds of our Nativity fasting season which started yesterday.  This is one of my favorite Orthodox seasons of the church year.

I’m going to try to be more faithful to my blog.  Yes, I know I’ve said that before.  Well, I’m picking myself up to try again.  I need another kind of whistle to prompt me.  My inner whistle of connecting with other human beings.  Here is a  toast to another new beginning.

God bless each of you!

Nichole’s Slices Of Life, 13

Did I mention how life is uncertain last week?  Well, I plunged right into an uncertain week with Jim calling me home from work on Monday morning.  I knew he wasn’t feeling well when I left but I had no idea I would end up spending the day with him in the emergency room.

I rushed home and called 911.  I knew that Jim would never be able to endure waiting in the emergency room to be seen.  By calling 911–he would be assured of instant attention.  We had a long day.  Ben, my son ,and Sandy, my oldest daughter ,spent most of the day with me.  Vera was able to come when she finished teaching her class.  Maria had to work at the post office and couldn’t come but her husband came for a bit.

There was nothing very conclusive about the day other than the doctor was very nice–kept checking on us –and worked hard to communicate with the VA in Nashville.  Since it is written all over Jim’s charts that he is inoperatable –no one was in a hurry.  Jim’s main complaint that day was his legs. 

We left the hospital with an energency appointment at one of the VA clinics in Nashville on Tuesday morning.  The doctor there was very attentive and started cutting back on Jim’s medicines.  He also was very compassionate about Jim’s leg problem and ordered him some medicine for “restless leg syndrome”. This doctor checked on Jim both Wednesday and Thursday mornings and further changed his medications.  I have a pill cutter and he would instruct me how to shave the medications.  He also reminded us to keep our appointment with the cardiologist at the VA hospital on Friday.

That proved to be an event that I hope is life changing for the better.  The heart clinic is only open on Friday.  That is why we couldn’t get in to see him during our crisis.  The cardiologist was a “bulldog” of a doctor who gave us an hour and half of his time.  He completely threw out four more of Jim’s medications calling them “crap”.  He told us that by the thickening of tissue in Jim’s CT scans –it is apparent that Jim has never been properly cared for with his chronic blood pressure problem.  That was news to me as Jim has faithfully followed all doctor’s orders about his blood pressure since he was diagnosed at age 28. 

The doctor drew a chart for Jim to take his blood pressure daily.  He made a column for breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.  Jim is to take his blood pressure only twice a day alternating between those times.  Jim has kept a notebook of bloodpressure checks but the doctor said that the way Jim has recorded his checks is absolutely useless.  We have two weeks of BP checks on this new system and then we return to see the “bulldog”. 

I have panicked though because Jim’s blood pressure has been too high with each check.  Jim has been on a roller coaster for six months now with his BP  either being too high or too low.  Lately, it has been too low a great deal.  I’m concerned now that with so many medications taken from him that he is going to have high bp for two weeks.  That can cause further dissection in his aorta.  Jim said I was extremely odd for singing the praises of this doctor but worrying about whether to trust him now.  I guess I am odd.  Afterall, I’m the one who takes care of Jim in crisis.  It does take a toll on me. 

After dealing with crisis all week–I was wiped out yesterday.  Furthermore, I was wiped out today.  Jim and Vera were able to go the church but I stayed home for the peace and quiet.  I haven’t had a quiet day in months.  I should return to work tomorrow but I don’t really want too.  It is going to be hard to leave Jim alone all day.  Vera always has a long day with her teaching on Mondays.  She is finishing up her classes this coming week.  Then she is leaving us for three months to do an internship with a new Orthodox mission in Kansas, City, Mo.  I have depended on her help so much –especially since Jim has become ill.  It will be a tough adjustment.  Yet I understand that she has a life too–and I want her to live it to the fullest for the Glory of God.

I, too, left my mother at a difficult time in her life.  Mother had Parkinson’s disease and was also taking care of my grandmother.  I wanted to go away to college and taste life to the fullest.  I now understand just how sad my mother was because I’m sad that Vera is leaving.  However, I must let her go.  She has been faithful in helping us in so many ways through my cancer recovery and Jim’s illness.

Hopefully, this week will be a little calmer.  We are indeed blessed to still be together as a family.  I will visit with each of you again next Sunday!

God bless!

Nichole

Nichole’s Slices Of Life,9

I started out last week by waking up with a stomach virus that put me flat on my back.  Throughout the day–I got stronger.  I was very concerned that I wouldn’t be able to take my husband to the Veteran’s hospital on Tuesday.  Thankfully, I was able to accomplish that goal.

We had arranged to meet my brother who works in Nashville for lunch.  He had a terrible accident of falling down his basement stairs in November.  Brad underwent three surgeries–one of which was the wiring of his jaw.  I couldn’t believe how normal Brad looked.  What a miracle!  He is able to drive, work a normal day and he seems very healthy.  We are so grateful for his health being restored. 

Our actual appointment was at the MeHerry Medical Clinic.  We were very impressed with Jim’s doctor.  He spent an hour and a half going over all of Jim’s medical history.  We had asked Vanderbilt to fax all of Jim’s records.  This doctor was very grave though about Jim’s aortic problems.  He wants Jim to see the VA cardiologist and Vascular surgeon.   The doctor also worked on Jim’s medicines.  Some of them had to be substituted according to the VA list.  Our last stop was at the actual VA hospital for blood work.  They told us that Jim’s medicines would come in the mail.

On Wednesday, I started my first day of an eight day assignment of being the librarian at one of our elementary schools.  Librarians teach classes throughout the day.  Much of my work consisted of using internet programs that are transferred to a big screen.  I then had a writing assignment for the children.  The older children worked on Kentucky worksheets.

When I got home on Wednesday, Jim informed me that his new doctor wanted him to get a CT scan as soon as possible.  We decided that Vera would take Jim back to Nashville on Friday.

I had a break from our grandsons on Friday as their mother took them to the dentist.  I had only been home a short time when the VA doctor called to tell me how awful Jim’s CT scan looked.  He urged me to have Jim go to the emergency room if he has any bad pains.  That phone call kind of took my breath away.  I wasn’t much good for anything the rest of the afternoon.  I gave Jim the news when he got home but tried to be low key about it.  Jim and Vera had decided to enjoy some shopping at second hand bookstores in Nashville–and that delayed their getting home early.  Jim didn’t seemed very concerned about the phone call.  Vera was a little shaken by the news.

By Saturday, I felt better because we were told by the surgeon in 2005 that anyone new looking at Jim would be horrified.  This afternoon I read the reports from Jim’s MRI in mid March.  It stated that nothing was significantly different from his MRI in October of 2008.  We now have a copy of all the Vanderbilit records and I felt so much better.  It is not that Jim will ever get any better.  However, if he controls his blood pressure–he shouldn’t get any worse.

Crisis- is the name of the game this week.  Vera decided that she wanted to visit her old parish in Murfreesboro this weekend.  During Vespers last night the ceiling and wall of the alter was destroyed by a bad storm.  Most everyone had the glass broken on their car windows.  Vera took our Chevy Blazer but told us that our car was undamaged.  She is on her way home  as I write.  She did call to tell us that one window is shattered and about to break.  I’m not happy about that report of damage but I know many have much worse window damage.  So I guess I’ll buckle up and try to be thankful that we have miminal damage. 

Tomorrow I start another week as librarian.  There will be testing in the library all week.  I have to travel to each classroom.  The teachers are supposed to mark my websites onto their favorite’s list.  I will be using their “smart boards” to show my internet programs.  I will need a cubby hole to hang out in during my planning and lunch time.  I’m never comfortable with that kind of arrangement.  I guess I will survive. 

What an eventual week it has been with sickness, new experiences with the Veteran’s medical system  and being a librarian.  Lastly, dealing with a storm that took a hit at our car.  The Bible teaches us to be thankful in all things.  If I were getting a grade this week–I would assign myself only a C for thankfulness.  I have much to learn in that area.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will check in again next Sunday evening.

God bless each of you!

Nichole’s Slices Of Life,6

Just a short blog tonight.  Jim had his 3 month checkup at Vanderbilt on Thursday the 5th.  An echo showed that he is bleeding where he should not be bleeding.  His aortic aneurysms were wrapped up in dacron last October.  It seems the blood is coming from that area.  We are going back to Nashville this coming Wednesday for a MRI.  That will pinpoint more where the blood is coming from. 

I did get to substitute teach for 3 days.  I was very sick with my sinus condition but I had classes those days that had instructional aides –so that was a blessing.  I did finally go back to the doctor on Friday and I’m on another round of medication.  I can tell a big difference since Friday and feel so much better.

John, my grandson, who I wrote about being angry with me in last week’s blog had a better week. 

There are so many suffering these days with unemployment, sickness, grief etc.  I want to focus on praying and thinking of others today and in the upcoming week.  Hopefully, I’ll have more to write about next Sunday evening.

God blesse each of you!

Nichole’s Slices Of Life, 2

Well, I didn’t make it back to my computer.  Frankly, I’ve just been exhausted.  I taught for 3 days this week a class made up of kindergarten and first grade children.  I had an instructional aide to help me but it still took a toll on me.  I have to say though that I did really enjoy the children.  Small children can be bad but they don’t get up in your face and cuss you out.  I’ve had high school students who have done that. 

This  job was at  one of our county schools–13 miles from my home.  The damage from the ice storm was readily seen as I drove to and from school each morning.  And then yesterday, we had a windstorm of winds at least 50 miles an hour.  Driving home was a challenge yesterday afternoon.  When my grandsons walked in the door–they were telling me about a tree that had blocked the main road not far from our home.  We all walked down to see it.  There were barricades put up but the wind kept blowing the barricaids away.

Our shingles were coming off our roof  and a piece of our siding got ripped off our home.  Other neighbors were experiencing the same kind of challenge.

Our daughter Maria and her husband Kirk were at the house when I arrived home.  I could tell Maria had been crying.  Things are not going so well for them.  Kirk lost his trucking business in October and he can only find jobs that are temporary.  He thought he had landed a good trucking job where for two months he made a run to Florida twice a week.  He got paid well for that but the company lost it’s contract.  This time last year they were having many problems.  I wrote a blog about the agony of love and it is still my top blog of all times.  My heart goes out to my children when they struggle to do the best they can and all seems to go wrong.  Maria has part time work at the U.S. Post Office but every full time job she has applied for since Christmas –she has not gotten.  She will have full time work at the post office for the next month as it is the annual mail count.  All of the mail is counted for 4 weeks and this is how the salary of the rural mail carriers is determined.

I had a job offered to me today but spent my night with flu like symptoms.  I ached and had chills all night.  Jim kept loading the blankets on me but I couldn’t get warm.  I think the worse is over and I should be able to take a job tomorrow.

We still miss Sam the cat who was put down last Friday.  He was the sweetest cat and he loved to cuddle on a blanket beside Vera’s space heater while she graded her papers.  Oh, how we miss him.

Jim has been volunteering during lunch time at our local Salvation Army a couple of days a week.  He serves the food and helps wash dishes.  The Salvation Army had their yearly appreciation dinner on Tuesday evening.  Jim took me as his guest.  I’m so proud of Jim for making an effort to give his time to the great work of the Salvation Army.

Hope to vist with my readers in a few days!

God Bless each of you!

The Ice Storm, Sam The Cat and Jim

I tend to be an all or nothing person which is why I don’t blog more regularly.  I always feel like I have to write an English composition to blog.  I’m going to try to do better with just giving more tidbits of what is going on in our lives.

First, a terrible ice storm devasted Kentucky on January 27.  We have all kinds of tree limbs in our back yard.  It is still a mess.  My son-in- law is supposed to come today to help clean everything up.  However, we only lost our power for about 8 hours.  Many here in Western Kentucky still don’t have power.  Kentucky has been declared a national disaster so federal money can now be used to help clean up everything.  There are still counties close to us that don’t have power.  Our school system was shut down for 7 days.  We took in our daughter Maria’s family for a few days along with her dog Shadrack.  Kentucky had a terrible ice storm in l994 but this ice storm is three times worse accoring to what I read in our local paper.  On my way to teach school yesterday morning–I passed by Pennyrile Electric Company and trucks were being loaded up with utility poles to take to counties that still have no power.  This power company serves about 4 Western Kentucky counties.  In the midst of the ice storm –our hot water heater also went out.  My son who usually helps me was very ill so I had to call a plumber.  I couldn’t believe we found a plumber in the midst of the ice storm but we did.  Because codes have changed –they had to find a completely new spot for the hot water heater and build an 18 inch pedestal for it.  It was a two day job because they had to leave and take other calls.  In other words, the plumber told us that they never devote one day to any one project.  We are thankful to have hot water and power.

Sam, our 13 year old cat has been sickly for about 6 months.  He has had a lump that has gotten larger and he has lost weight.  Still, he seemed to really enjoy his life.  The spark just wasn’t gone from his eyes.  However, Vera discovered that the large growth was about to burst.  She made an appointment yesterday for a consultation.  It turns out that the growth is a result of the injections that he has gotten for his yearly shots.  It is a type of cancer that can result from those types of shots.  In the beginning when we first discovered the lump–we decided that we couldn’t put money into saving the life of a 13 year old cat.  We decided to just keep him as comfortable as possible and put him down before he suffers too much.  So yesterday was the day.  He had a beautiful last day–enjoying the sunshine coming into our home.  It was rather warm yesterday.  He sat by the door just absorbing the sunshine.  He ate well and we cuddled him a great deal.  Vera and Jim took him to be put down.  He died in Vera’s arms.  We are already missing our dear Sam.  We found him in 1997 just after a county wide flood.  I took him to the vet and she said he was a year old.  I don’t think he had ever had a home because he had many wild ways.  It took months before he stopped tearing open my bread or other food stuff in plastic bags.  But he did finally become a domestic cat.

Now to Jim, he struggles so with his blood pressure either being too high or too low.  He has good days which seem almost normal then a bad day will happen.  Yesterday he couldn’t finish his breakfast.  He had to go back to bed and Vera said that he slept until 10:00 a.m.  After supper he had to go straight to bed.  His blood pressure had dropped to 80 over 40.  Vera has Friday’s off.  I’m so glad she was able to be home for her Dad and for Sam. 

I love my husband so much.  At night I hold him tight and cherish each moment we have together.  I don’t know if this cycle of good and bad days will ever end but I know I will do everything in my power to make Jim’s days beautiful.  People who give up on their marriages quickly and without thought miss out on the love that grows from sharing the good and bad of life.  Now I’m not talking about real abuse.  I’m talking about the little annoyances that drive many couple to divorce.  So I love my dear husband and that is my Valentine’s message to all.  Keep trying , keep  holding on to love.

God bless each of you!

New Adventures

I wrote in a recent post how my son Ben was going to move our washer and dryer from the basement to our kitchen.  He told me that it would be several weeks before he could get to that project.  I’m glad he didn’t tell me ahead of time when he was going to attempt the project.  He just called after lunch last Saturday to tell me that he was ready to get started.  Initially, he was going to just begin the project.  However, he decided to finish the project since he never has a moment’s peace from people calling him to do work. 

Linda, his wife, came too.  She and I visited together all the hours that Ben worked on Saturday.  We went to get pizza and that was the only break that Ben took.  I was amazed to see Ben create plumbing where no plumbing ever exisited before.  My daughter Sandy’s husband came over around 8:00 p.m. to help Ben  drag the washer and dryer up the stairs.  The washer was ready to use but Ben still had the electrical work to do on the dryer.  He came over Sunday afternoon to create an outlet for the dryer and hook up a venting system.  I had no idea that one could purchase a vent hose that was 20 plus feet.  He installed the long hose and attached it to a window in the basement.  I figure that if we had paid someone to do this job it would cost us close to $1000.00.  Ben spent about 12 hours completing the  project.  I’ve been very happy to have my washer and dryer in my kitchen especially since substitute teaching jobs have finally come my way again.

I mentioned in my last blog that I had worked with junior high and high school students for several years.  Those schools know me and the work would have been readily available.  Instead, I wanted some new learning adventures and so on Tuesday I visited all but one school in our district.  There are five schools in the city and five in the county.  I had never been willing to work in the county schools.  For one thing, it wasn’t practical when my children were in the school system.  It would have been too hard to accomplish.  These days, it is no problem.  My visits paid off and I had work the rest of the week.

On Wednesday I worked with four year olds.  They were so precious.  We had a morning group and then another group in the afternoon.  I think that is the most adorable age.  I just had so much fun with them.  (It has really helped that I have young grandsons.)  On Thursday I was called to one of the county schools.  I was a special education teacher that visited different classrooms working with specific children who cannot read or write.  They are not necessarily slow but have tremendous learning disabilities.  I read the assignments to the children and then wrote down the answers that were given to me.  I particularly enjoyed a 5th grade social studies class.  The teacher was extremely excited about teaching her young students.  She provided a very interesting environment for her students.  I finished my week with another different kind of assignment in one of the city schools.  Four substitutes were hired to fill in while teachers were in professional development for two hour slots. I had two second grade classes, a kindergarten class and a third grade class.  We had only minutes to change assignments and had to land in our next room, read the instructions real quick and get to work.  Twice I had to pick up students from their specials ( ex.music or art) before I even got to really meet them.  I had two times of taking children to the playground.  They are so active and I just prayed no child would get hurt.  There were always several classes out at the same time.  I just prayed that when I raised my hand to let them know it was time to leave the playground–that I’d get the right class.  It was certainly an intense day.  Each class had at least one student who just couldn’t keep still.  I had one kindergarten student who literally rolled his little body all over the room.  There was an aide in that room and she just implied that there was not much anyone could do for that child.  I tried to not let it get to me because there were so many others who were doing their work and were behaving quite well.

My experiences in teaching were not new.  I’ve taught elementary school  before but it has been many years.  Children haven’t changed much.  Young ones are very energetic.  However, I wasn’t bored at all.  There is nothing worse than being stuck in a classroom of high school student for 90 minutes at time when there are not enough lesson plans left for the substitute teacher.  No, there will never be a dull moment in elementary school. 

My day is never done though when school is dismissed.  Public elementary school is dismissed at 2:10 p.m.  but they start around 7:10 a.m.  So on the days I work in the city there is still time to pick up my grandsons at the private academy which has school until 3:00 p.m.  On the days that I work in the county–Vera will pick up the boys.  Vera teaches, too.  She works at a career college.  She teaches four hours in the morning and then she teaches a class from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.  I’m grateful for help when I can get it.  We both help take care of John and Alex in the afternoons.  So I have some very busy days.  I was extremely glad to sleep until 6:45 a.m. this morning.  I’ve been getting up at 4:30 a.m.  during the weekdays.  But that is life–there are always new adventures.

God bless each of you!

A Thanksgiving To Remember

I still have one more post to write on my aorta series about my husband’s stay at Vanderbilt Medical Center but I thought I’d take a break to reflect on our Thanksgiving holiday.

We usually spend our Thanksgiving holiday with my brother, Brad, who lives in Nashville.  Brad and his wife Susan– have taken very good care of me the two times I’ve had to spend a couple of weeks at Vanderbilt.  I asked him during my recent stay in Nashville if our usual Thanksgiving feast was still to be held at his home.  He assured me that was the plan.  Brad and Susan live in the suberbs of Nashville.  They own a home on five acres of land that are woods.  I always feel like I’m at a state park when I visit their lovely home. 

Last year our plans were changed because Susan’s father was very ill with cancer.  She wanted to have Thanksgiving with her mom and dad in Chatanooga, Tennessee.  Brad came to our place and our entire family went out to eat.  I had just learned that I had breast cancer and I was in no mood to cook a Thanksgiving dinner.   Susan’s father passed away with cancer last spring.  Now Susan’s mother has moved to Nashville to be near her.  Thus, we were pleased that the celebration would be at Brad and Susan’s home. Then suddenly another tragedy occurred.

On November the 12th, Brad fell down his basement stairs.  He experienced three places of trauma to his head and broke his left arm.  He had two major surgeries within his first days at Vanderbilt.  We went to see him on Sunday the 16th.  He was just beginning to come out of his induced coma.  He did seem to know us but it was hard for him to talk because his jaw had been wired shut.  Brad’s head was so swollen.  It was very hard to believe all of this happened to my very special brother.  However, by the things he was able to say–it was apparent that his mental faculties were doing fine.  And  that proved to be true with each day of his recovery. Brad wasn’t totally out of the woods as another break was found in his right wrist and he had another surgery.  That surgery was not has serious and he was able to be awake for that one.

We talked about what we would do for our Thanksgiving.  I’ve never had to plan a whole meal by myself.  I didn’t think that was what I wanted to do.  Yet, with living on disability pay–it didn’t seem right to spend a large amount to eat out.  Finally, I decided that I would cook a big Thanksgiving dinner.  Sunday afternoon I was just getting ready to go to Kroger to buy what we needed–when we noticed a box on our porch.  Someone had left a turkey and some canned goods for us.  I knew that I was definitely supposed to cook this year.  I went ahead and made the trip to Kroger because Vera wanted me to buy sweet potatoes to make a casserole. 

All day Wednesday, I prepared casseroles .  Vera made a big pot of regular mashed potatoes.  I finished up my evening by baking  three pumpkin pies.  It had been several years since I had tried my hand at making homemade pie crust.  The pies turned out wonderful.  Thursday morning, we cooked the turkey.  All of my family were able to come.  We ended our feast by sharing Thanksgiving blessings. 

I had a very special blessing to share.  I had a mammogram on my remaining breast and the report came in the mail the day before Thanksgiving.  The mammogram was perfectly normal.  I have made it through one year as a cancer survivor.  And I was also very thankful that Jim has had six good weeks at home.  He will never be able to have open heart surgery again–but if we take care of him–he can live many good years.

Later that evening I called Brad and Susan.  He has just gotten on from the rehabilitation center on Wednesday.  He was able to talk very well through his wired jaw.  He talked about making a good friend at the rehab center.  His new friend has been in a car accident.  Brad was able to give him some legal advice. ( Brad is a lawyer)  He talked about how the two of them raced their wheelchairs around the rehab center.  I was pleased with Brad’s upbeat attitude. Lastly, Brad told me that he wasn’t in any rush to see his basement stairs again.  I think their plans are to totally rebuild them and make them safer.

       I’ve also realized how dangerous basement stairs can be.  I’ve been running up and down my basement stairs for 23 years now to do laundry.  I fell once  but broke my fall with my left hand.  I did have to have surgery on my little finger.  I also fell a couple of years ago and my head hit a desk that was near the end of the steps.  I had a huge swollen place but no lasting injuries.  I’ve been taking the stairs very slowly since Brad’s accident. 

So Brad is home.  Jim is home.  And, I’m a one year cancer survivor.  I have the love of my husband, family and friends.  Although, we have some new challenges to face in 2009–I know love will carry us through.

God bless each of you!

The Story Of Vera And Her Family, Chapter 24

Sandy started her freshman year at our community college.  I was excited when Sandy and Rob decided to paint our living room over Labor day weekend.  I paid for the paint but I let Sandy pick the color she wanted.  She chose a dark hunter green.  I just let them paint away.  It was so nice not to have to do the work myself.  I went to Wal-Mart to pick out some new curtains that would match the dark green paint.  Later on in September, I painted our master bedroom and bought  a new bedspread and curtains.  There was just such a spirit of new adventures in our home– that were actually fun.

Ben and Pam came by often.  Pam’s birthday was on Halloween.  I remember giving her a 5 quart crockpot for her birthday.  Sandy was doing well in college.  She knew that she loved math and accounting and excelled in those subjects.  Little did she know that one day her math teacher’s wife– who was a certified public accountant –would be her boss. 

Vera, you continued to love science.  I just couldn’t believe the joy you had in disecting a rat.  You continued to talk about wanting to be a veterinarian.  Maria ’s friendships formed around those that were on her speech and debate team.  She especially enjoyed her friend Ross.  They did everything together but they were not sweethearts.  They were like a brother and sister.  It was her junior year in high school and she even went to the prom with Ross. 

Around Christmas time we began talking about getting a word processor.  We felt it would be sufficient for the growing needs of our family.  Sandy was not happy about our getting the word processor and it turned out to be a waste of our money.  She pouted that we gave it to you children as one of the family Christmas presents. 

On the happy side, Phillip had moved back in with his wife Teresa.  Teresa was still working on her master’s degree to become a school psychologist while living in North Carolina. They came to visit Teresa’s parents during the Christmas season and came by the house.  I remember Phillip making himself quite at home as he watched a murder mystery in our newly painted living room.  He loved the hunter green.color we had chosen for the walls. However, he would not talk about his life in a personal way.  Teresa and the boys were still involved with the group that I believed was a cult.  I knew Phillip was under a great deal of pressure to conform to their ways.  Yet, I know he didn’t bend to all of their demands. Therefore, although he lived in the same home as Teresa –they were more like room mates.  Teresa was cordial but kept her boundaries very tight.  And I kept thinking that her studies in psychology should be helping her to leave this religious group.

With the Christmas season over–Ben and Pam began talking about getting married right away.  They didn’t let us know the date of their wedding. They just walked in  our home one afternoon in late January announcing that they were married at the courthouse.  Her parents were at the wedding but we were not invited.  Your dad and I were devastated but we tried not to show it.  Pam began withdrawing from our family shortly after her marriage to Ben.  Wheras she used to seem to love to visit with us–now she only came over if we were having a family function.

Although I couldn’t emotionally connect with Ben and Pam– I coped because there was still a great deal of excitement over Sandy having set her wedding date for July 15, 1995.  We began looking at wedding dresses and thinking about all of the little details of planning a church wedding.  Sandy also convinced us to buy a real computer and printer.  It was an expensive investmnt in l995.  I think the computer cost $2,000.00 and the printer cost $500.00.  We didn’t have that kind of money in savings so we used our credit card.  We never had credit cards the first 15 years of our marriage.  That was a big mistake buying something that we had not saved our money for.  Yet, it did seem that  the computer was a necessity for our high school and college girls. 

We were fast becoming the all American family who lived by borrowing money.  Our home had reached the point where it needed some necessary improvements.  In early spring we decided to have all of our windows replaced.  Then we decided to have the exterior of our home painted.  It took some time to get a second mortgage.  Finally, in late May our big house remodeling project began.  We got our loan to replace all of our windows, have our two porches and window trimmings sided—-and to have the exterior of our home painted.  My head was spinning with all the debt we were accumulating.  Moreover, we still had a wedding to finance.

Jim was working six days a week on a regular cycle.  I can remember taking all of that over time to help with financing Sandy’s wedding. Even so–we still ended up putting a great deal of the expense on our credit card.  Rob lost his factory job and so we gave him the job of painting our home.  His uncle was a professional home painter and told Rob the kind of primer and paint that would last a long time.  He also gave Rob many tips on how to paint.  Rob started blasting the old paint off our home on Memorial day.  He finished painting our home a couple of weeks before their wedding.  Our home did look a great deal better .  The work did need to be done.  However, we were over extending ourselves with debt.

Sandy and Rob’s wedding was beautiful. Even today–many years later– I still enjoy looking at their beautiful wedding pictures on our living room wall.  Sandy was a raving beauty.  Vera, you and Maria were also very lovely. I was only 43 years old and two of my children were already married.  Sandy was still only 18 years old.  She wouldn’t turn 19 until September.  Thankfully, Rob had found a job working with a heating and cooling company.  They enjoyed a short honeymoon.  Sandy had to get back to work and plan for her second year at the communtiy college.

It was hard to believe that Maria was going to be a senior in high school.  Vera, I just couldn’t believe you would be a junior. And what about dear mom? I was beginning a new adventure of taking care of an elderly lady.  With all of the debt that we were accumulating–I had to help provide some of the money to take care of our family.  I didn’t want to work as a substitute teacher.  I thought it would be a nice change to help an elderly person.  Little did I know that I would be taking care of her dog almost as much as I would be taking care of her. 

Thus, the summer of 1995 was ending.  Sandy was back at work and starting her sophmore year in college.  You , Vera, and Maria were back in  high school.  Ben and Pam were busy with their own lives and I was about to begin a five year stint of taking care of an elderly lady and her dog.

Guest Blog: Mary’s Points To Ponder

My friend, Mary, asked if she could write a guest blog.  We both became teenagers in the l960’s.  Mary is particularly fond of those days.  So here is her contribution to my blog!

Growing up in Southern California as a teenager –I became a beach kid.  I loved the Beatles and all the other bands that hailed from England.  We also loved “Mama Cass” yelling out her song California Dreaming. I was so proud to be one of the “chosen few” who actually lived in southern California. 

During high school, I spent time with my friends trying to learn how to surf.  My best friend actually spent a great deal of her time waxing her surf board. I don’t know the reason why she did this except that the Beach Boys sang about it in their song: Surfin USA. We all wore our St. Christopher metals around our necks.  Before going into the ocean we would kiss our metals and ask St. Christopher to pray for our safety. As a young 15 year old I thought that St. Christopher had to be the greatest surfer that ever lived.  Why else would God have made him a saint?  I thank God for Psalm 24 in which is written …”recall not the sins of my youth….”

As a 58 year old woman, I still like to listen to the music of the Beach Boys.  The other evening I was listening to one of my compact discs and singing the song Little Deuce Coupe  with Mike Love.  I then looked over to my icon corner at my icon of Christ and the Theotokos.  Somehow, I felt God’s pleasure that I could enjoy some good clean entertainment. 

Does that surprise me?  Nothing our God can do surprises me anymore.  I now live in the South.  God had to bring me to the “Bible Belt” to discover the Orthodox Christian Faith.  I live in a town with only four other Orthodox Christians that I know of.  However, God is beginning to move in a wonderful way in Western Kentucky and on into Tennessee.  I have seen how the Holy Spirit is raising up converts to the Orthodox faith.  I have witnessed first hand the work at St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Christian Church. In fact, I became a catechumen the same Sunday morning,  that my friends Nichole, Jim and Vera were chrismated into the Holy Orthodox faith.  Later, I was chrismated while attending the community of Orthodox believers at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.  Our little community was named Saint John the Evangelist.  The mission of St. Elizabeth  in Murfreesboro is growing so fast that they are now looking for property of their own.  They have been renting a space for almost four years. 

The community of Ft. Campbell has now become an actual parish.  We meet in the old chapel of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.  Our new name is : The Protection Of The Virgin Mary Orthodox Church.  We are part of The Orthodox Church In America.  

There is also an Orthodox mission that has started in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  They are being sponsored by St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Louisville, Kentucky.  Nichole, Jim and I have visited some of the Orthodox folks in Bowling Green during one of their Tuesday evening fellowship hours.  We pray for them and they pray for us.  Their mission is named: Holy Apostles Orthodox Church.

I have been in Catholic and Protestant churches my entire life.  I was involved with the Jesus Movement in California during the l970’s.  I have experienced many different kinds of prayer groups but I would have to say that by far the Orthodox Christians have the greatest depth to their prayers.  At least that is my opinion.  People who know me– who are not Orthodox– ask why the Orthodox Church prays so much.  I believe it is because we have this constant sense of our communion with the Holy Trinity and the saints.  My saint is Mary of  Egypt.  Although she is not living on this earth–she can still pray for me.  There is not the division between life and death that is taught in other faiths.  I truly take comfort in the communion of the saints. 

Now how did we get from the Beach Boys to the Orthodox faith?  We got there by tracing the steps of my youth towards the path of my becoming an Orthodox Christian.  I’m often referred to as the comedian of our little parish.  I continue to listen to the Beach Boys here and there.  I love to sing along with their music.  Somehow , I think God still smiles at me.  He created me and He knows that I’m still a Californian at heart.  His pleasure towards me is truly the greatest joy of my life.