Home Alone Stargazing

I was really jazzed about what I saw tonight. I went out in the backyard to throw away some trash and I saw a rising crescent moon and a big bright star next to it. The star was Venus (read article). What a beautiful sight I beheld!

What a week it has been! So busy. Now my men are at camp and I am here alone. The Lord is so wonderful to start my alone time with such a spectacular sight! You know, I was reading Anne Morrow-Lindbergh's book "A Gift From The Sea" yesterday afternoon. I was reading about having time for solitude. Then this morning in my daily devotional it talked of spending time alone with God. Do you think the Lord is trying to tell me something? I am smiling. He wants time alone with me.

This next week on March 6th, I will be having the scan of my intestines. Please pray that whatever is wrong will show up on the scan. I am growing very weary. For about 3 weeks, I did fairly well, but this week the pain has come back with a vengeance. I have been asking the Lord to show me the way and lately, I have been feeling I am ready to submit to surgery again. I remember hearing a message on how we need to swing wide the gates of our heart. I feel this applies to me in the sense that I need to swing wide the gates of my heart and trust the Lord in all things if such things lead to surgery. I really cannot take the pain of this anymore and need to do something. My weight is still low. It hovers around 100 to 102 and never gets more than that. I am using my youngest son's belt to keep my pants up.

I want to thank all of you who have said prayers on my behalf. I am very blessed by you! I am off to do more stargazing this time I will be gazing at the Morning Star - our Lord.

The Day's Blessings

Sunshine
A cool breeze blowing through an open window
Laying on the bed with bare feet, reading a book with Brandon
Peanut butter sandwiches
Sitting at the dining table chatting and laughing
Grabbing cookies out of the cookie jar
Hot tea
Singing birds
Walking outdoors in the fresh air with Eric

These are some of my blessings for today.

Pink Socks

Last night I was so tired I fell asleep sitting up in the recliner. After getting my jammies on I laid down on our ugly green sofa to watch some TV. I fell asleep. I woke up around 2 a.m. and began trying to find my socks. I had laid them on the sofa next to me. Now my feet were cold so I wanted the socks. As I felt around the sofa in the dark I found one, but could not find the other. I was getting frustrated because I just wanted to sleep. Finally my hand hit something soft and I pulled on it. Unfortunately, it was not my sock, instead it was the stuffing from the sofa. I felt more and realized there is a hole in one of the cushions. Sigh. I put the stuffing back in and turned the light on and found my sock.

Once in my bed, I had trouble falling asleep because of pain. All day long I had endured pain and a queezy feeling in my tummy. I laid in bed on my side, but got uncomfortable, so I sat up and held my tummy. My whole body felt in distress. It felt like my bowel was going to stop or burst. I heard a lot of gurgling going on and then finally something sort of popped. After that, the pain calmed down, my body relaxed and I felt completely exhausted. I fell asleep, but morning came too soon. I had to get up early because Eric had an appointment with the orthodontist at 8 a.m.

I have been doing alright today. It has been a day full of homeschooling. This evening I whipped up a batch of cookies for everyone and made their favorite dinner which I call "Cheesy Mac". It always makes me feel good that even though I have this physical problem I am still able to create happiness for my guys. Tonight my tummy is being fairly decent. I hope it stays that way while my men are at camp.

Weekend Gardening

This weekend I went to the garden center at my local home improvement store and picked up some flowers. I filled my flower pots. It sure is nice to have a bit of spring in the sunroom. Our trees in the backyard are starting to get leaves, but they still look bare. Below is a picture of a new doormat that I picked up for $5.00. Isn't it cute?

I also spent some time in my garden weeding, turning the dirt and planting pansies. I love pansies. I have a picture of my pansies in the flowerbed amongst the side pictures on the right.

This week looks pretty busy. We have our 6 month dental appointment Monday. Tuesday is Scouts. Wednesday is the orthodontist, Thursday the guys will be packing for camp and Friday they leave. It might be fun to go camping because they will be camping where I went to 6th grade camp, but they will be tent camping with temps in the 30's at night. I think I would rather stay home and sleep in my cozy warm bed.

New Taxes Coming

Well, the California legislature passed the budget with its tax increases. I am wondering what will become of our state. To be honest, I am afraid. Mark saw his friend Bill this past week. He was laid off last October. He still has not been able to locate a job. He said, unless he wants to move out of state there are no jobs. Thankfully, Bill is single, but he is taking care of his mother so he does not want to move right now. Last night at a Bible study I ran into an old neighbor of mine and she told me that she lost her job and has not been able to find another. She said there just are not any jobs out there. She said that she is trying to rely on the Lord, but she is scared.

When I think about our government, I think of the saying "You can't get blood out of a turnip". If we do not have jobs, how can we pay our taxes? And those of us that do have jobs, will have less money in our pocket. And yet there are many people that look to the government to solve all our problems. Definitely "man" does not have the answers, only God does. It is interesting how many people are looking for a "man", I wish they would look to God.

Cleaning

Today I broke out my vacuum. While vacuuming, it dawned on me that I have not been able to do my usual cleaning for a couple weeks. It sure felt good to be back in action. Before I got sick with the nasty cold virus, I was having trouble with pain. With my pain level being more tolerable these days and the virus almost gone, I had the energy to give the house a decent cleaning. My men do alright with the vacuum, but they are not a professional like I am. ;-)

Some good news! I got a phone call from the radiology department at the medical center today. I was really surprised that they called me to set up an appointment, especially since the paperwork only got submitted yesterday. My appointment for the small bowel scan is March 6th, which is just the week I wanted to have the scan! And there is no prep, I just have to stop eating at midnight the night before the test. Yahoo!

Rainy Day

This picture is my attempt at being artistic. (Are you laughing?) This morning it rained, but at lunch time there was a break in the clouds. I took the opportunity to snap off a few pictures of our plum tree. I love the pink flowers against the blue sky.

Okay, Mark made a call over to the medical center this morning to see if they had gotten my paperwork to schedule the test of my small bowel. Well, they still did not have anything. So that meant I had to go down to the medical center and get things straightened out after dropping the boys off at school. It is always a hassle to go to the medical center because of the parking situation. The parking structure is small and always packed full. I have gotten in the habit of driving to the top (which I think it is 6 stories) because there is always open spaces up there. Then I always take the stairs down and back up for the exercise. As I came down all those flights of stairs and then made my way across campus, I was sure to step carefully through all the puddles of rain. I finally got to radiology and the gal there was super nice. She told me that I need to get a "star" number from my doctor. So I went back to my doctor's office for the 2nd time regarding this issue and finally got the problem solved. So I can call at the end of this week and get my appointment. Yahoo! I did some research on the net regarding the problem with my bowel and I am convinced that I have a partial small bowel obstruction. My symptoms fit the bill. I am praying that the site of the obstruction will show up on this next test.

Psalm 27:14: "Do not be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and He will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted and courageous. Yes, wait and He will help you."

Exodus 33:14: "And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

New Blog

Hello friends, I have another blog that you might like to read. The blog is titled Hopes & Dreams. I am not quite sure what I am doing with it yet. Mostly just posting things to stimulate spiritual thinking. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This morning we exchanged Valentines.
Here below is a picture of Valentines I made up for the boys.

These are Scotchmallow dark chocolate hearts from See's Candy.
Yum!
Later tonight I have planned a nice dinner for my men.
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies and for dessert
chocolate pudding with whipped cream and raspberries.

Mark is sick same as me. The boys are feeling much better
so they are loaded with energy and up doing what boys do.

~From our house to yours~
Blessed Valentine's Day!

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:
continue ye in my love.
John 15:9

Thank You!

Dear Friends, thank you so much for your prayers. Yesterday I woke feeling awful. I had not gotten very good sleep for a couple of nights straight due to body aches. I was not up to homeschooling and my boys were misbehaving, so I decided to ask for prayer. After posting I went to bed and my sons took care of me. Mark came home for lunch and made me something to eat. Afterward, I fell asleep on our big leather sofa and slept for hours. My sons watched over me, they were good boys. Thankfully at bedtime I got more restful sleep. I certainly needed it because today I had to take the boys to school. I still have congestion in my head which is making my teeth ache along with a slight cough, but I am doing much better than yesterday. The body aches and sore throat are gone, praise God.

During the week I had put some dry beans to soak on the stove. They sat there a couple of days because I got sick. I also had some very ripe bananas waiting on me to turn them into something delicious. Today I was able to make a pot of soup with the beans and some muffins with the bananas. It felt good to get that accomplished. I am also trying to get caught up with my laundry.

Tonight I am having pain after eating. The pain is so strong I cannot block it out. In some ways the pain has been better than it was, but in other ways it is not. I still struggle with a pressure pain in my right side (which is a referred pain). This trial has been hard because it has gone on for so many years. I thought after the reversal of my colostomy I would come into rest, but I am beginning to think maybe having the colostomy was a rest since my digestion was so wonderful at that time. It is hard to understand His ways, but through it all I have seen His great love.

Prayer Request

Dear Friends, please pray for me. I have been trying to eat more food since I have been having less pain, but catching this virus has made my weight drop. I am back down to 99 lbs. I am having a difficult time right now. Your prayers are much appreciated. Thank you.

A Great Website

Today, since I am so sick, I am taking the opportunity to get some reading done on-line. One of the sites that I like to read at is called The Berean Call where they keep up to date with new trends in the church that may lead a believer astray. They point out false teachings and ways of thinking. They always back it up with scripture. My reading today helped set me straight in a few areas. Whew! Praise God for The Berean Call.

Majesty Amongst Concrete

I just had to take a picture of the mountains to share with you all. I know it isn't a very good picture, as I took it from a freeway overpass, through a fence. But this is what we saw on our way to school this morning. The big city all busy and bustling and in the background this gorgeous view. Even though I live in a concrete jungle, I look for beauty around me. It makes me feel closer to God and brings me in touch with His majesty.

1 Chronicles 29:11 ~ Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Colds

The boys and I are sick with colds. I started to have body aches before I went to bed last night. I was hoping that I would just sleep it off, but I woke up with a sore throat. It was a good day to be sick because it rained and hailed all day. In the late afternoon the rain cleared out and I went out to the market to pick up a few items. The air had a definite nip to it. I could see the mountains and they were covered with snow. It was beautiful!

Since I am sick, it looks like I will have to put off having my next test done. My tummy was not behaving itself today. I've had nausea off and on all day, along with pressure and pain. No fun having a cold on top of that, but the Lord will see me through.

Psalm 147:11 ~ But His joy is in those who reverence Him, those who expect Him to be loving and kind.

A Winter Day

This morning the sun came out, but just before lunch the clouds moved in and it began to rain. It was gloomy and cold the rest of the day. Today was Scout Sunday at the Congregational Church. That means there is a pancake breakfast before the service. My men woke up early so that they could set up and start cooking at the church. When I arrived at the door of the Fellowship Hall, I had two scouts ready to seat and serve me. It was darling! I had pancakes and sausage and it all went down just fine...no pain!

Once we got home from church, I made a pot of Italian bean soup and baked a batch of oatmeal coconut cookies. My men loved it all. Poor Brandon though, he is not feeling well, his cold got worse after church. The soup was a good thing for him. Tomorrow we start the 2nd semester, so it will be back to our regular assignments. I cannot believe half the school year is already over.

Blessed Day

Another beautiful evening sky here in Southern California. It has been raining off and on all day. The air has a feeling of freshness. We desperately need the rain as we are behind on rain and snowfall this year.

This morning I decided to go to the Farmer's Market being held down by the university (UCI). I took my oldest son, Eric, with me. We drove in the rain all the way over to Irvine. The market is held rain or shine. Thankfully, the rain let up as we arrived. There were loads of booths selling fresh veggies, fruit, baked goods, etc. I loaded up on veggies, bought some fresh baked bread, mandarins and a bag of kettle corn for Eric. The last item I bought was a bundle of pink sweet peas. They are so fragrant.

When I got home I put the sweet peas in the crystal vase above. The vase is an old Valentine present from Mark. After setting the flowers up in my room, I made some grilled cheese sandwiches with one of the loaves of bread I bought. The bread was a sourdough veggie bread. I grilled it with smoked provolone cheese. The sandwiches were delicious.

Forgot to mention that this past week I picked up a cup I painted at Color Me Mine. Here it is below.

On the health front there is good news. My pain level dropped (PTL!!). Last weekend I had horrendous pain, so it is a true blessing to feel better. I have been doing some serious massage on my stomach where the pain has been. Maybe it is helping. Definitely it is God blessing me. ;-) Even though I am doing better this week, I am not completely normal. I still experience pressure and sometimes bouts of nausea. I just keep pushing through and doing what I need to do for my family. I pray that my body may be made whole so that I can do even more for others.

Morning Hike

I awoke to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was cool. Clouds were rolling by in the sky, the weather report was forecasting rain. The boys have finals this week, so there are no assignments, only studying to be done. Since the work load is light, I thought it would be good for the boys to take a hike. We had some breakfast, packed up some water, loaded up in the car and drove to the park. From the park we hiked into the canyon. I felt a bit weak, but I pushed through, so glad I did. It felt good to get out and enjoy nature rather than dwell on my problems.

As we were on our way back from our hike into the canyon the wind started to pick up which meant the rain was coming. It was glorious to stand in the sunshine overlooking a marsh with the soft moist wind blowing around me. The boys were running around playing as a Snowy Egret flew by. God's blessings were all around me.

Thank You

Dear Friends, thank you so much for your support through your wonderful comments and prayers. It has meant so much and I thank God for you. Good news, my colon is fine. Praise God! The only problem is that my doctor is getting very frustrated with my case. So it was an emotional appointment for the both of us. The next step is surgery and neither him nor I want to do that right now. Please pray for him. The next test will be a barium x-ray of the small intestine which I have not scheduled yet.

In other news, my son Eric is now a Life Scout. He got his award last night and I got pinned by him. It is a beautiful pin too, a red heart with the Boy Scout symbol in the center. I am so proud of Eric. Now he is on the road to Eagle. You know, we forgot to bring the camera. Oh well! I was so upset regarding the doctor appointment, that I forgot. It was a beautiful evening. There was a potluck and I got to see friends I have not seen in a long while. Many friends were surprised to see me and noticed how thin I am. The wonderful part of being in scouting is watching each others boys grow up. We all have so many memories to share.

Also, a neat thing happened. I was so overwhelmed with emotion over my health situation that I was having a good cry. All the sudden, my boys ran in and told me that an old friend was out front and wanted to see me. I was completely surprised. I have not seen this friend for a long time. She said that she was riding her bike with her son and she all the sudden had the urge to go down my street. So she did and they crashed in front of our house at the very moment I was inside crying. My boys were out front and helped them, neither one had a scratch on them. When I saw my friend we hugged and it was just what I needed in my despair. It was God's way of loving me and it was just so wonderful!

Time for Hearts

Time to think about Valentine's day. My grandmother's pink vase and the light pink plate are displayed. The rose teacup my husband gave me.

This is a wreath I made last year. A local artist made the wooden conversation hearts that I have attached to the wreath. I am always so blessed by the wonderful artistic women who make these lovely pieces.

This is my Valentine potholder that I wanted to share with you all. Made by another local artist. I adore this!

This is a picture of some placemats I bought recently. A set of 4 for $3.00. I like pink and snowflakes so the combo was too hard to pass by.

Okay, last item I am sharing is this picture. It is a picture from my old 2008 calendar. I thought the artwork was too pretty to throw away, so I framed it. I like the scripture verse on it too.

Over the weekend I watched my niece play soccer. A lot of family showed up so we went out to lunch after the game. Had a lovely time visiting, but afterwards my pain kicked in big time. Sunday morning I woke feeling less pain, but weak. By evening the pain began again. All this pain keeps me up part of the night. This morning I did not have any breakfast and I was able to relax and sleep. By lunch I was hungry so I ate a little something. Tonight the pain is not as bad as it has been praise God. Tomorrow I see my doctor.

I have been asking the Lord to speak to me and I received this verse...

"So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10