A Project Oh So Close To Completion

Since I spend oh so very much time in my office, known as the COD (Cody's Old Room), I decided it needed a little updating. It takes me FOR. EVER. to complete a project partly due to time, partly due to difficulty making decisions. Well I am happy to say that with the exception of a few details, the room is complete. And I love it. I can't be sure, but being in such a pleasing environment may also be having an impact on my productivity. And since the harder I work, the more I get paid, yes I would say it's all good.

Before -- Too many desks, boring walls. Too much disorganization.


One desk removed, painted walls and I can look out the window while work. The neighborhood now gets away with nothing.

The closet after a little bit of cleaning out. Ick.

The finished closet -- my own little scrapbook store.

One of my painters, but her dad had to finish the job who can paint a wall in 15 minutes without getting 1 drop on the ceiling. I think that's amazing. He worked while I was out so no pics.

In the corner, is the bookcase, Brenda and I painted this summer. If you could see it, the white frame above the bookcase has pictures of flowers that I took myself. Nothing like one's own artwork.

Surrounded by pictures and things that mean so much to me.

So, now next on my list is ripping off NBA wallpaper in Carson's room and painting, then onto the bathroom upstairs then our room and bathroom. Could take a while .....

The Tick of Time

As a wedding gift, Brenda and Dale gave us a beautiful clock that I believe Dale made. That clock has been on a very visible and prominent wall as we moved from home to home. Each week, Mark gets the key from behind it and winds it up again. Then one day a couple years ago, it quit working.

I carefully took it down off the wall and brought it to a clock shop and asked if it could be fixed. They gave me no promises, but said they would take a look at it. A couple days later, I stopped in the clock shop to find out the prognosis. The owner told me it could be fixed, but it would cost $125. If Brenda and Dale paid that much for my wedding gift, I owe them something because my gift to them wasn't even close. When he said $125, I blinked a couple times, swallowed hard, looked down at my feet, looked back up at him and said,

"Fix it please."

While that clock was in the shop, we all commented on how much we missed it. Someone was always looking at its spot on the wall to check the time and all we saw was an empty wall. No one realized how often we checked the time by that clock. Elizabeth says it ticks loudly and she needed to stop it to study; I don't usually hear it unless I make it a point to listen for it.

I look at that clock and think about all the ticks of time that have gone by since we first received it as a gift. Brenda and I have been married for greater than 30 years (not to each other of course), we weren't able to stay in close touch over the years, then got it back, we had children, now each of us has a child married, and this week Brenda became the grandmother to a beautiful baby girl.

That clock is a reminder to me of a sweet frendship, of how time slips through my fingers with each tick and how to make every second count. Every time I look at that clock, it reminds me of the blessings I have been so graciously given over these past 30+ years. Glory.

This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Today's Thanks:
1. The new life of Ruth Vinson, healthy baby, healthy mom.
2. A really good beef roast for dinner tonight.
3. A work slowdown, but still plenty of work.
4. Being with Cody, Elizabeth and Carissa.
5. Watching Nicholas and Michael play football and their joy in playing.
6. Answered questions for Tate.
7. My children and my husband.

With Lifted Hands:
1. Safety for Brenda and Dale as they travel to PA.
2. Elizabeth.
3. Continued healing for Tate.
4. Job searches.
5. Friends who have been hurt.

Wish List

So, I have been realizing that retirement is just not that far off for us. That got me to thinking about what I want to do with that time and here's a list of what I've come up with so far.

1. Go places. I don't mean to spend a couple days or weeks somewhere. I am thinking about spending 3 months, 6 months, perhaps a year in some of these places. I would like to live in Estes Park, Colorado. Then to a loft in downtown Chicago. Spend time in Duluth -- and of course it simply has to be in the winter. How about Maine or Vermont in the fall? I believe I will have to stay in Alaska for an entire year to experience all the seasons there.
2. Travel. These are places to visit. The Netherlands to see the kinfolk there. Italy because they have fabulous shoes and purses. Switzerland to see the Swiss Alps. Didn't everyone read Heidi when they were young? Austria because The Sound of Music is one of the best movies ever. It would be fun to go down to the Plaza in NYC and see how the Today show works.
3. Learn. I would love to sit at the feet of someone like my mom's friend Harriett and just soak in her knowledge of God's Word.
4. Read, read and then read some more. I'm starting my list of books now just like my cousin Nancy was doing this summer.
5. Wherever we are, join a women's Bible study. Because how else will I get to know people? Visit many, many churches. Maybe we'll find one we don't want to leave, maybe we will just keep visiting.
6. Volunteer: As a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. Read to elementary school students. Read to senior citizens in nursing homes. Serve soup at a homeless shelter. Be an usher at a Chicago theater.
7. Mission Trips: Number 1 is Africa to work with AIDS patients and children orphaned from the AIDS epidemic.
8. Up my knitting skills. It's time to move on from scarves and caps.
9. Bring my work computer with me in case I can pound out a few medical reports now and then. But only when I want to.
10. Write fabulous stories about my adventures on this here blog business.
11. Keep Des Moines as my home base. Because I love Des Moines and everyone has to come home.

I could wait for retirement, but as I look my list over, I realize there are a lot of things on this list that I can certainly start right now. It's always good to get a jump start.

Just Thought I'd Share

A friend sent this to me recently and I thought it was good enough to share. Lots of memories of my grandmothers in here.

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears . From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an Apron.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Part of my job with Iowa Health System is to do what is called "Net Learning." By definition, Net Learning is The Ultimate Learning System. I suppose it's an OSHA requirement or some other government-required standard. We used to have to sit through meetings where they taught us about safety, fire hazards, what to do in an emergency, etc. So it's definitely an improvement to just read a module and then take a test and, hooray, you're done with that one for now.

Truthfully, I don't usually read the material. I jump right to the test. And this has worked pretty well for me. Not that I'm so smart, but quite frankly the questions are pretty easy. Here's a couple examples:

True or False: If you see a fire, you should pull the fire alarm.

Hmmm, let me think a bit. I think that might be true. Why yes, that's right. Here's another:

True or False: If there is a tornado, you should run outside and take all the patients with you.

I'm going to go with false on that one. And yes, I'm right again.

I kid.

But really you do not need to be a genius to pass these tests.

However, last summer I did my usual of jumping right to the test and wouldn't you know it. I failed. Now in my defense, it was a little harder. It involved Environmental Safety, Safety Management, Hazardous Materials, Emergency Management, Medical Equipment Management, Utilities Management and that all-encompassing Further Information. Is anyone completely familiar with Medical Equipment Management? Well I did find this bit of info "No weapons (firearms, clubs, knives with long blades) may be carried on hospital property." I'm certainly relieved, but I don't think there was a question about that on the test. Which is surprising. On this test, I had to know what was a hazardous material, how it should be labeled and how to properly dispose of it. That might sound easy. Trust me, it's not. There's all kinds of hazardous materials in a hospital. Who knew? Medical Equipment Management? Not so sure about that stuff either.

So there I was Monday morning doing my volunteer work at the surgery center when the thought occurs to me that we really aren't very busy, perhaps I should work on my Net Learning. Especially since I probably should read the material this time. I don't know if they keep track of how many times you take a test, but I don't want to take a chance and take it, like 5 times and someone monitors that stuff and thinks I'm a total idiot.

So I'm reading about Environmental Safety, Safety Management, etc., etc., and I'm thinking this is not fascinating reading plus I work from home. If there's an emergency, I would be the emergency. I don't think you can self administer CPR. And I don't think we have any hazardous materials around. But one thing I did remember from my reading was that if anything bad ever happens while I'm at the hospital, I should dial 777.

The action in the surgery center picked up a bit so I abandoned my Net Learning for the time being and I picked up People magazine or maybe it was Better Homes and Gardens. I know it wasn't Oprah because I don't really care for her, so I didn't want to read her magazine. As I'm sitting there, one of the registration clerks frantically came running out of her office telling us her patient, who was a child, was having a seizure and he had been seizing for 5 minutes. We all pretty much froze at that point, we're all volunteers at the desk and they don't give us training on these kinds of things. But then I think, this is probably the time to call 777. So I did, they announced it throughout the hospital and all the personnel from the surgical area came running. It was quite a to-do. It all turned out okay though. The child was fine. He wasn't actually there for surgery, just a procedure, and I saw him later running around.

We have all heard of UFO sightings. We talk about G.O.D. sightings. I think G.O.D. sightings are truly common, we just don't look for them. We call them coincidences. Or luck. Was the fact that I had been doing my Net Learning a coincidence? I've never tried to do that while volunteering before. Would I have remembered about 777 if I had not failed the test the first time? Was it a coincidence that I was there on the same day that this little guy had his appointment and I knew about 777, but I doubt any other volunteer knows about it. I don't believe in coincidence. I don't believe in luck. I do believe that sometimes God puts us in a place and gives us the knowledge we need to know to do what needs to be done. G.O.D. sightings -- Look for them. You will be amazed at what you see.

My Grateful Heart
1. Talking with Cindy on the phone last week.
2. Talking with Dena today.
3. Kids with faith bigger than their circumstances.
4. Talking with my mom today.
5. Seeing the Church Basement Ladies with friends the other night.
6. My D-Group and how they are growing.

Please God ....
1. Heal Tate. Please.
2. Wisdom for people making decisions.
3. The right jobs come up for those who are looking.
4. Healing.
5. The upcoming election.

Live With Passion

I love my Tuesday morning ladies Bible study. Westview's own Susan is a wonderful teacher, we've done videos by Beth Moore. Whoever is teaching, I come away blessed and learn so much. I know there are so many problems in our world today, but I do believe we live in a time with more resources, music, etc. to help us grow in our life with Christ.

Our study right now is with Beth Moore - John, the Beloved Disciple. Yesterday she talked about having passion, which is a topic Dena and I talk about quite often. We talk about wanting more -- not more money or more stuff, but to have this amazing abundant life. That's the life God wants us to have, a life of passion. a life of adventure. Beth Moore said we have a desire to be passionate. So much so, that there are times when passion can be misguided. But sift through the feelings and make the priority Christ. Beth Moore has a passion for God, oh my but she has a passion for God. Dena has a passion for God. I desire that. But here's the problem. It's not something that comes easily.

Dena is married to Greg, a nice Dutch man from a nice Dutch family from the nice Dutch town of Pella, Iowa. I'm a nice Dutch girl from a nice Dutch family from a not-so-Dutch town in Wisconsin. Dena will be the first to say that she neeeded someone like Greg, but it's also true that Greg's family needed someone like Dena. They needed Dena because when she went to see them, she said it was like visiting the wax museum. I think that coming to see us might be like a visit to the wax museum. I don't want to be like that. I want to live out loud. I want to have passion in my life. I want to feel strongly about issues and do something about things that aren't right. I want God to make my thunder from His lightening.

I just learned today that Katie ran for the student senate at her college. She won, which I'm so thrilled for her, but that's not the point for me. What I love about this is that Katie willingly put herself in a vulnerable position and took a risk.

God likes to put us beyond where we want to be, He likes to make things a little bit uncomfortable. So maybe it's time for a little discomfort. I want to be more willing to follow God than follow my fears. It's never to late to start taking a few risks, to live the life of adventure that a passion-filled, God-filled life can bring.

Thanksgiving
1. Talking with Carissa on the phone last night.
2. Being with Macee at the ICA VB game and meeting the daughter of friends from NWC.
3. Beth Moore and Susan and the gift of teaching they have been given.
4. Carson's job and his way of writing.
5. Elizabeth -- her Birthday is Today :).
6. A successful procedure for Mark's dad.

With Lifted Hands:
1. Healing for Tate and his decisions regarding college.
2. Good study habits and success in school for Carissa, Tyler, Garrett and Katie.
3. Healing and pain control for Ken C.
4. Mark, Cody, Elizabeth and Carson.
5. Complete healing for Mark's dad.
6. To live the adventure God has planned for me.

Update

Wow, it's been a while since I've been here. I'm not really sure where August went and now September is half over. I brought Carissa back to Chicago with a buzz up to Wisconsin and then we moved Carson to Fairfield, Iowa where, glory hallelujah, he got a job as the sports editor of the Fairfield newspaper.

My visit to Wisconsin was wonderful. I saw so many people and being there for a couple days, got to spend some quality time with those folks. Brenda and I did some things together, I saw all my aunts and uncles who are so dear to me and just spending time with the 'rents, brothers and their families is always a blessing in itself. I had lots of highlights, lunch with Shari, Nicki joining us at Firehouse Pizza where it is my opinion they have theeee very best pizza anywhere. Then there's Johnson's Bakery. **sigh** Lands sake, I can never get enough of their mudpies. I loved our tirimasu night in Sheboygan. I would mention the name of that restaurant, but I don't remember how to spell it. Trust me, it was good. As you can see we had a wonderful little group of us.

So, yes, it was marvelous time there.

Since I've been home, I have had numerous projects going on. I cleaned up Carissa's room and I am not joking when I saw that was a waaaaaaay bigger job than I thought at first. I believe the child makes lists about everything and never throws a single thing away. There are still boxes waiting for her visit home to decide if they contain anything she will ever look at again.

The project in my office continues. It's been painted for a while, now I'm working on the details. I have pictures so will put up before and after pictures. I'm going to love it and since I work in there, it's going to be a nice place to spend my time.

Finally, we continue working on the hillside that was weeds, weeds, weeds. It's been a long project; we killed the weeds, mowed them, raked them, removed them, tilled, raked again and last night we finally got the seed down. Now we have to water and watch it bloom. They say these things take several years before they are firmly established, but it will be fun to watch it take off. We should get some plants up this year. I've learned a lot and can't wait to see how it all ends up.

Now, I hope that I don't wait another month to come back here.