Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Hi Friends;
Back home last evening from a long week-end in Phoenix. We attended a banquet/info session for the MJ Fox Research group which is at Boswell/Bannner Research Institute in Sun City, AZ. They are a wonderful group of folk who monitor Parkinson's Progression of their clients.
Spent time with Ken and Donna - precious friends, and got to see Kath and Alex too. It was good to have a change/rest. Now we are back to home, Missy and work to be accomplished.
Gratitude to Donna and Kenny for a warm and loving place to spend the week-end!
We have a group for Women going through The Journey on September 6th. Looking forward to continued learning and growing with a precious group of ladies! We are busy working on video updating, and preparation. Newsletter to go out soon - like tomorrow.
Little changes in routine and location are like mini-vacations - good for the soul. It's always great to get home again after a trip, and back into familiar routine. We discover however as we age, that it's too easy to be in routine, and not want to leave it - and that bogs us down. So we have decided to take "little vacations" whenever we can - even if they are a few hours long and only go as far as the next town. They change our view and outlook.
Now I must unpack from our last little "vacation."
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Thursday, August 16, 2012
"MY" Stuff
Posted 8/12/12
Amazing how possessive we are about our stuff. For us, we have been and are still going through stuff in an endeavor to simplify. Ron's tools (his and my father's) are being sorted. I'm plowing through china and glassware and boxes of pictures. Some stay, some go. There are some things I question, like the banana curls from age 6 that my mother just HAD to keep, and they are still in the cedar chest. What would our girls want with them? There are some priceless things handed down from 5 generations, and those will be passed on to our children, grandchildren and great-grands. We hide them from view, protected under lock and key.
We watched the need to have and protect demonstrated today. We gave Missy, our mini-schnauzer, a "Greenie." Those chewies are priceless treasures to her, and she wanted to hide, to protect it. For ten minutes she went from place to place in the Family Room, looking for a safe spot, and finally decided on a crease in a burgundy, leather chair. Then she climbed on the hassock near the chair, and laid down to guard it. Later in the day, she recovered and enjoyed her prize.
In reality there are two things we need to save, hide and protect for future use. First are the promises of God which should be memorized and hidden in our memory bank for future use -they will bring reassurance of constant love especially in times of need. The other is the plethora of precious memories of life experiences with our family and friends. These should be hidden in our hearts, because they will bring us joy and comfort for a lifetime.
Simply memorize and hold on tightly to God's promises which are "leaves from the Tree of Life for the healing of the nations," and hold tight and speak often of memories that will connect you to loved ones, creating a feeling of belonging. These are worth the effort to save and protect.
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Amazing how possessive we are about our stuff. For us, we have been and are still going through stuff in an endeavor to simplify. Ron's tools (his and my father's) are being sorted. I'm plowing through china and glassware and boxes of pictures. Some stay, some go. There are some things I question, like the banana curls from age 6 that my mother just HAD to keep, and they are still in the cedar chest. What would our girls want with them? There are some priceless things handed down from 5 generations, and those will be passed on to our children, grandchildren and great-grands. We hide them from view, protected under lock and key.
We watched the need to have and protect demonstrated today. We gave Missy, our mini-schnauzer, a "Greenie." Those chewies are priceless treasures to her, and she wanted to hide, to protect it. For ten minutes she went from place to place in the Family Room, looking for a safe spot, and finally decided on a crease in a burgundy, leather chair. Then she climbed on the hassock near the chair, and laid down to guard it. Later in the day, she recovered and enjoyed her prize.
In reality there are two things we need to save, hide and protect for future use. First are the promises of God which should be memorized and hidden in our memory bank for future use -they will bring reassurance of constant love especially in times of need. The other is the plethora of precious memories of life experiences with our family and friends. These should be hidden in our hearts, because they will bring us joy and comfort for a lifetime.
Simply memorize and hold on tightly to God's promises which are "leaves from the Tree of Life for the healing of the nations," and hold tight and speak often of memories that will connect you to loved ones, creating a feeling of belonging. These are worth the effort to save and protect.
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Change
Posted 8/8/12
Sometimes you just long for a change, don't you? A vacation, a Sunday afternoon ride, a meal out at a restaurant or something just out of your daily routine. Us women like to have a new blouse or dress once in a while and they guys think about a new tool or "techy" item.
Sometimes routine is comforting, safe, familiar, so it requires less planning, thinking and effort. .And no matter how you slice it, change is inevitable. Our phone bill for example, with no change in service, jumped from 50-something a month to ninety-something a month. Who allowed that? Changes at the grocery store seem phenomenal! Products that used to line the shelves are missing, and every time you shop, prices are higher by a few cents or dollars!
Health changes - just ask us! The more years we put on, the less agile and physically fit we become. The duller the vision and the senses. So then the routine has to change in order to make those muscles and the brain cooperate. And the older one gets, the harder it is to accommodate change.
Relationships change. What once was great, loving and fulfilling can easily become boring and humdrum.
One constant remains - the availability of relief from any of the above changes. That constant is the ever-present, ever-loving, always committed heavenly Father! While everything may fail you, the assurance of His love is always present.
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you. That is why we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Hebrews 13: 5&6 NLT
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Sometimes you just long for a change, don't you? A vacation, a Sunday afternoon ride, a meal out at a restaurant or something just out of your daily routine. Us women like to have a new blouse or dress once in a while and they guys think about a new tool or "techy" item.
Sometimes routine is comforting, safe, familiar, so it requires less planning, thinking and effort. .And no matter how you slice it, change is inevitable. Our phone bill for example, with no change in service, jumped from 50-something a month to ninety-something a month. Who allowed that? Changes at the grocery store seem phenomenal! Products that used to line the shelves are missing, and every time you shop, prices are higher by a few cents or dollars!
Health changes - just ask us! The more years we put on, the less agile and physically fit we become. The duller the vision and the senses. So then the routine has to change in order to make those muscles and the brain cooperate. And the older one gets, the harder it is to accommodate change.
Relationships change. What once was great, loving and fulfilling can easily become boring and humdrum.
One constant remains - the availability of relief from any of the above changes. That constant is the ever-present, ever-loving, always committed heavenly Father! While everything may fail you, the assurance of His love is always present.
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you. That is why we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Hebrews 13: 5&6 NLT
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Attitude of Gratitude
Posted 8/2/12
Everyone experiences hills and valleys along the Journey of life. Reminds me of a poem my Grandma had decorating her wall: "God has not promised skies always blue, flower strewn pathways all our lives through."
AND, the Good Book, especially the Psalms, counsels us to be grateful for the trials AND the treasures we experience. Experiencing the trials are part of the joy felt when they are relieved. The pain now is part of the joy then.
Where is this coming from? It's coming from the relief I feel now that my miserable cough is done with! Somehow I KNEW it was an allergic thing, but it would progress over and over again to bronchitis, requiring antibiotics to cure. This last bout has been treated with an injection for allergies, which produced relief in 2 hours. Now I can sleep nights, and don't hack continually. It is true! The joy NOW is a part of the PAIN then!
Yes, it's a play on words, but all I know is that I am extremely grateful to a Dr. who listens to her patients and is willing to try their suggestions. Thank you Dr. Martinez, and thank you God!
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Everyone experiences hills and valleys along the Journey of life. Reminds me of a poem my Grandma had decorating her wall: "God has not promised skies always blue, flower strewn pathways all our lives through."
AND, the Good Book, especially the Psalms, counsels us to be grateful for the trials AND the treasures we experience. Experiencing the trials are part of the joy felt when they are relieved. The pain now is part of the joy then.
Where is this coming from? It's coming from the relief I feel now that my miserable cough is done with! Somehow I KNEW it was an allergic thing, but it would progress over and over again to bronchitis, requiring antibiotics to cure. This last bout has been treated with an injection for allergies, which produced relief in 2 hours. Now I can sleep nights, and don't hack continually. It is true! The joy NOW is a part of the PAIN then!
Yes, it's a play on words, but all I know is that I am extremely grateful to a Dr. who listens to her patients and is willing to try their suggestions. Thank you Dr. Martinez, and thank you God!
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Surviving
Posted 7/10/12
It's been a summer of survival so far for us! First came the horrendous Ruidoso fires. We were evacuated but no fire came into our sub-division. Such a blessing!
Then we had the New England trip to speak at both Southern and Northern New England Camp Meetings. For a while, the trip was feared, but Parkinson's seems to create fears. Day two there, Ron said he was thrilled that he'd taken the chance to go. We had a wonderful time meeting old friends and making new ones! The speaking was not too taxing, and actually a blessing to us. Being "home" was a joy. One friend came (granddaughter brought him) who is 90 - just to see Ron again. What a thrill! Several friends came and stayed from Connecticut just so they could be with us - again, what a joy and blessing. And we even survived the return trip "home" to New Mexico! YEA!
And now, since the Ruidoso fires, there's a threat of flooding. This is monsoon season and it has come in like a LION! Haven't seen so many clouds and so much rain for years here. The town is preparing for the worst, but we are counting on the best. The grass has greened up and looks beautiful, albeit quite tall! Can't cut as yet, 'cuz it's WET!
So we still survive. Amazing how powerful the human brain is. Even though the brain is so powerful, we count on the physical heart, designed for love, and open the door widely for God to dwell therein. Now there's the secret to peace!!
Wonder what we're talking about? Go to www.kardiakare.com and find out!
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It's been a summer of survival so far for us! First came the horrendous Ruidoso fires. We were evacuated but no fire came into our sub-division. Such a blessing!
Then we had the New England trip to speak at both Southern and Northern New England Camp Meetings. For a while, the trip was feared, but Parkinson's seems to create fears. Day two there, Ron said he was thrilled that he'd taken the chance to go. We had a wonderful time meeting old friends and making new ones! The speaking was not too taxing, and actually a blessing to us. Being "home" was a joy. One friend came (granddaughter brought him) who is 90 - just to see Ron again. What a thrill! Several friends came and stayed from Connecticut just so they could be with us - again, what a joy and blessing. And we even survived the return trip "home" to New Mexico! YEA!
And now, since the Ruidoso fires, there's a threat of flooding. This is monsoon season and it has come in like a LION! Haven't seen so many clouds and so much rain for years here. The town is preparing for the worst, but we are counting on the best. The grass has greened up and looks beautiful, albeit quite tall! Can't cut as yet, 'cuz it's WET!
So we still survive. Amazing how powerful the human brain is. Even though the brain is so powerful, we count on the physical heart, designed for love, and open the door widely for God to dwell therein. Now there's the secret to peace!!
Wonder what we're talking about? Go to www.kardiakare.com and find out!
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Time Flies
Posted 5/27/12
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog – much going on in our lives, I guess. Our granddaughter celebrated her High School Graduation with cheering family and friends in attendance. Our daughter and her husband flew the friendly skies from Florida to join in the celebration. We spent the next week doing a Kardia Kare Sunday night through Friday, and today we are resting a bit before Granddaughter number two celebrates becoming a teenager. Many “doings” in a short period of time, and we’ve so enjoyed having family closely around us. This is our last day with our Florida daughter and her husband, as they fly home tomorrow.
Days filled with activities seems to race by quickly before we know what’s happening, and the older we get, even months and years fly by! We look in the mirror one day to see a face we can still recognize, but one that displays age spots and wrinkles. As the old saying goes, our hair has turned to silver. But inside, in our minds that are as old as we are, we still think young. We still want to do what we did when we were in our twenties, and when we try to, our muscles scream and bones seem to cry out in protest. We want to just sit and do nothing, yet know that if we do, we’ll have a harder time getting up. And anyway, if all we did was to “veg,” what enjoyment or fulfillment would there be.
So now, for the next few days, we will rest a bit, publish the newsletter, and prepare for a trip to Phoenix to do a question and answer period and visit the Parkinson’s Research Center and see our special friends for an hour or two, and then fly home, so spend a bit of reminiscing time with some friends who are “passing through” the area. Then it’s final prep time for New England Camp meetings, and after, the lazy days of summer in our beautiful mountains.
We make the most of each day, knowing the memories we make become more precious and time continues to race by. Hope you’re doing the same!
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It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog – much going on in our lives, I guess. Our granddaughter celebrated her High School Graduation with cheering family and friends in attendance. Our daughter and her husband flew the friendly skies from Florida to join in the celebration. We spent the next week doing a Kardia Kare Sunday night through Friday, and today we are resting a bit before Granddaughter number two celebrates becoming a teenager. Many “doings” in a short period of time, and we’ve so enjoyed having family closely around us. This is our last day with our Florida daughter and her husband, as they fly home tomorrow.
Days filled with activities seems to race by quickly before we know what’s happening, and the older we get, even months and years fly by! We look in the mirror one day to see a face we can still recognize, but one that displays age spots and wrinkles. As the old saying goes, our hair has turned to silver. But inside, in our minds that are as old as we are, we still think young. We still want to do what we did when we were in our twenties, and when we try to, our muscles scream and bones seem to cry out in protest. We want to just sit and do nothing, yet know that if we do, we’ll have a harder time getting up. And anyway, if all we did was to “veg,” what enjoyment or fulfillment would there be.
So now, for the next few days, we will rest a bit, publish the newsletter, and prepare for a trip to Phoenix to do a question and answer period and visit the Parkinson’s Research Center and see our special friends for an hour or two, and then fly home, so spend a bit of reminiscing time with some friends who are “passing through” the area. Then it’s final prep time for New England Camp meetings, and after, the lazy days of summer in our beautiful mountains.
We make the most of each day, knowing the memories we make become more precious and time continues to race by. Hope you’re doing the same!
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More....
Posted 1/26/12
More . . .
Why is it, as humans, we seem to learn things the hard way? Or maybe it's just me.
I have learned a difficult lesson in the last couple of weeks, and my health took a dive because of it. Fortunately, I'm on my way back now.
What I learned was this - don't keep doing the same thing over and over again hoping for different or better results. I used to believe the addage that "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," and now I am not so sure about that old saying (the way I had previously lived my life). More and more I am coming to learn that there are some things in life not worth frustrating, fretting or even fighting over. When you get the message that you're just banging your head against the wall, quit banging or eventually you'll have brain damage and die!
So "Be still and Know" is very sound advice. I chose that better part this week, partly out of more frustration and partly out of what I considered defeat and others not wanting to hear what I had to say. My blood pressure will come to within normal limits because of it and while I may not see the results that were originally planned, at least I can shrug my shoulders and not feel responsible. I can remain in the arms of God, resting and being content.
So can you . . .
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More . . .
Why is it, as humans, we seem to learn things the hard way? Or maybe it's just me.
I have learned a difficult lesson in the last couple of weeks, and my health took a dive because of it. Fortunately, I'm on my way back now.
What I learned was this - don't keep doing the same thing over and over again hoping for different or better results. I used to believe the addage that "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," and now I am not so sure about that old saying (the way I had previously lived my life). More and more I am coming to learn that there are some things in life not worth frustrating, fretting or even fighting over. When you get the message that you're just banging your head against the wall, quit banging or eventually you'll have brain damage and die!
So "Be still and Know" is very sound advice. I chose that better part this week, partly out of more frustration and partly out of what I considered defeat and others not wanting to hear what I had to say. My blood pressure will come to within normal limits because of it and while I may not see the results that were originally planned, at least I can shrug my shoulders and not feel responsible. I can remain in the arms of God, resting and being content.
So can you . . .
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Be Still & Know
Posted 1/17/12
Frustrations . . .
Just can't get to sleep . . . ?
Having computer hassels . . .?
Can't seem to loose weight . . . ? and on an on goes the list of things that frustrate me the most.
How very easy it is to get caught up in the merry-go-round of negative self talk that usually accompanies the things that frustrate us. "How dumb can you be? Oh common, smarten up!, etc. etc."
Does all that nonsensical lingo help any? Not at all! The more the chatter persists, the greater the angst - right?
So take a couple of deep breaths, sit back in your chair, say a prayer for guidance, clear your mind of the negativity and start thanking God for the answer and/or the "how to", and soon you'll find yourself doing the very thing that your inability before had caused the frustration.
"Be still and know that I am God." The counsel DOES work. I know, because I spent that last hour trying to get into our own blog (changes, always computer changes) and finally The being still and knowing got me here!
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Frustrations . . .
Just can't get to sleep . . . ?
Having computer hassels . . .?
Can't seem to loose weight . . . ? and on an on goes the list of things that frustrate me the most.
How very easy it is to get caught up in the merry-go-round of negative self talk that usually accompanies the things that frustrate us. "How dumb can you be? Oh common, smarten up!, etc. etc."
Does all that nonsensical lingo help any? Not at all! The more the chatter persists, the greater the angst - right?
So take a couple of deep breaths, sit back in your chair, say a prayer for guidance, clear your mind of the negativity and start thanking God for the answer and/or the "how to", and soon you'll find yourself doing the very thing that your inability before had caused the frustration.
"Be still and know that I am God." The counsel DOES work. I know, because I spent that last hour trying to get into our own blog (changes, always computer changes) and finally The being still and knowing got me here!
Back to Home Page
Missing Blogs
Somehow we managed to get two blogs going so you folks have missed some. We are now attempting to add in the ones you've missed. Unfortunately they won't show on the dates they were posted, however, we will attach the date it was first posted in the blog body itself.
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