Did you know?

I think everyone has been aware of the gas prices. UP and back down, although not where I'd like to see them, still down. Groceries have been a little higher and overall, things just seem to cost a little more everywhere I go.

Well, Friday I sent the season program to press. Due to the hurricanes and demand on building supplies, paper costs have risen about 30%!! It is going to cost me $1500 more than last year to produce a piece that is held in the hands of audience members through the concert, and then tossed into the recycle box so they can hold it again next concert or thrown in the trash or scrapbooked by someone's mom because they sang with us.

Seems like a lot of money for something that in the light of eternity is useless. How many wells could I build with those same dollars? How many children could I educate and feed? How many Bibles could be printed? The things around me become more trivial when lit by the light of eternity. What a perspective! It humbles me greatly to know that God sees everything in that eternal light.

peace.

I give up...

I can't make it better at work...only God can.
I can't make it better for my dad...only God can.
I can't make it better at home...only God can.

And the best thing about being completely out of control is now God can.

Thank you God for the reminder that living with open hands is the place of most freedom, most peace, most joy and the place I definitely want to live.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

peace.

Playing Opossum!

At 7:00am Saturday morning, Suki, our 5 year old Akita started barking. It was her "Hey I'm serious about this, something's going on" bark. So Jim jumped out of bed thinking that maybe our out of town company was up and Suki was trying to corral them. He runs out into the front living room and Suki is standing at the back door, frantically trying to get out. Jim opens the door and she races out and to the back corner of the yard where she catches something. Upon further investigation we find out she has cornered a opposum in our backyard and had drug it up to near the middle of the yard. I wasn't sure if she had killed it, so I went out to look. After watching it for a minute or two I noticed the almost imperceptible rise and fall of the little hairy chest. Suki's oppossum was playing opossum!! After giving her the obligatory YOU DID SUCH A GOOD JOB!!! doggy petting, we all went inside. Within a couple of minutes, the much slobbered on, but no worse for the wear, little oppossum poked his head up slowly, looked around and took off like a bat out of hell!!
I don't know if he'll be back.
peace

it's good to have friends...

The last month has been a challenge as everyone who reads this blog knows. My sister, who still has young, busy, non-driving children at home, has had a lot to take care of needless to say. So one of her long time friends calls, says she has something to drop by and ask her to leave her key out so she can put it in the house. My sister gets home after work, soccer practice, football practice and finds her whole house clean, her laundry done, folded and on each bed and dinner in the crockpot. How cool is that? Thank you God for good friends who know it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. We are surrounded by them. Help me to remember to be one of them.
peace.

On the road again...

I'm so glad that I'm not on the road again this weekend. Yes, the great big UHaul made it's way from Seven Points, Texas to El Reno, Oklahoma this past weekend. After 3 weeks on the road, 36 boxes, 3 rolls of tape, and much sweat and some tears, Dad is in Oklahoma!! We are so very grateful to God that he was 2 steps ahead of us every step of the way. So we're here and the lake house is on the market. Once it sells, we're done! For now...
peace! (and my own bed for the weekend!!)

I look great...

for the mother of a 67 year old!!! sometimes dealing with dad is a lot like having little children again. we get to talk about sick tummies, pooping, when to go to sleep, taking baths and changing clothes. Not that he is incapable of taking care of the basics, he just considers some of the basics unnecessary.
Why take a bath, we're not going anywhere?
Why change clothes, I'm just staying home.
Why go to bed, I'm sleeping fine in my chair?
It's like reasoning with a 3 year old!
I have to admit, sometimes he wears me slick. But I'm grateful he's here and we don't have to worry that he's not ok. I'm grateful he's accepting our help. I'm grateful that we can have time with him while he still knows who we are. I'm grateful I have my sister to take this journey with. I'm grateful that God walks every step with me because I could not do this without him.
peace.

miracles still happen

during the recent weeks we have so many dear family and friends praying us through the situation with our dad. let me run down the miracles for you.

2 months ago- dad was unwilling and adamant that he would never need our help and never move to Oklahoma
prayer happened
2 weeks ago- dad called and not only asked for our help, but completely turned over everything and admitted he needed our help

2 weeks ago- dad was number 12 on the waiting list for the best place we could find for him to live
prayer happened
6 hours ago- we put a deposit on his 1 bedroom duplex

1 week ago- every doctor we called who accepted medicare wasn't taking patients or if they were taking patients, they didn't take medicare
prayer happened
today-we found a wonderful doctor, who takes medicare, and is accepting patients

and this is just the beginning!!!

Thank you so much to our amazing Father in heaven!!!

GREAT, unsurpassed, unexplainable PEACE!

saga 2 and other news

So the car wouldn't start...My sister's Nissan Murano (very nice) had just had it's alternator recalled and replaced. So of course this is the best car to take to Texas for our whirlwind weekend of daddy business. We wake up day 1, car's dead. We can't jump it, it won't start. So we hook it up to a battery charger and at the end of the day the car finally starts. We have borrowed our cousin's car in the meantime so no real lost time. Next morning, we're packing to leave and leave the hatch open. Little bitty hatch lights drain the battery, car won't start. So we rehook the car to the charger, set it on high, listen to whole car hum and in 30 minutes, the car starts. We all jump in for the ride home, praying for good gas mileage and no head winds. Only one hitch, we have to stop for potty break and food, so we pull into Arby's and I go in while sis and dad stay in the running car and then we trade. Dad makes it out of the potty room just a little faster than my sister who exits the restaurant to see daddy getting into the van of a lovely couple from California. She runs over and asks dad if he'd like to go with us instead and everyone laughs and we cry inside knowing daddy can't live alone and is further gone than we had realized. We drive through, get food and get home. Thank you God!!
So we're leaving again today to run across the red river, sort through the rest of dad's belongings and pack them up so next weekend we can uhaul them back to Oklahoma. All I can say is...I'm driving my car!!!
peace!

answered prayers and the necessities of life

saga 1

well, after our wild trip to Texas, we have relocated one father. God receives much thanks and all the praise for an easy transition in a difficult situation. Daddy is here, happy, compliant and very humbled. He's awesome!!!

now to the necessities of life...we all know we have too much stuff. In light of survival, how we interpret necessities is very individualized. while preparing dad to come to OK, we told him to pack just the necessities he'd need for 2 weeks. When we went to check his suitcase when he was done, here's what he packed:

1 Boyscout handmade leather jacket
1 polished wood kerchief knot
6 pair underwear
1 knife

Needless to say, holding back both laughter and tears, we added a few clothes and his toothbrush. I think we may have left the knife for next trip!?

the adventures in alzheimers have only just begun...

thank you God for your favor, your graciousness, your strength, and your laughter. we could not do this without You!!

peace!

preview: Saga 2...and the car wouldn't start...to be continued!

so vote already!!!

I am sick of political signs, political ads on tv, political phone calls and political mail. I'm so past ready to vote just to end it all!! I don't believe any of the propaganda anyway. I'll do my own research and make up my own mind. I hope you will too.
peace.

I'm molting...

my nest has one less feather...younger daughter is officially moved and I didn't cry. Course I haven't been in the empty room yet, but I think I'm okay with it. She knows I'll miss her and deep down, she'll miss me too. It's been easy living with my children and it is definitely closing down a phase of my life. Older daughter is making noises about being out by September. We're going to rent their rooms to college students! The good news about closed doors is the opening of new doors as well.

Captain, she's taking on water

My younger daughter is moving out. She's very excited, we're happy for her and yet, Wednesday it hit me and I started crying. I wrote her a poem and a little note, and kept crying. everyone made fun of me and I kept crying. I drove to work crying, I called my friend and we both cried. Her daughter is moving out with mine. I got to work and stopped crying. Too much drama there already! So now that I'm dehydrated, I should be able to help her move and bless her on the journey. Fastest trip I've ever taken...
peace.

It's the WEEKEND!!!

Yippee, yahoo and OOOOHHHHHH Boy!!! It's been a week of Mondays and I'm glad it's over. 2 days of heaven and I can't wait. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Rest, relax, kick back and celebrate.

peace!

she's not dead yet captain

well it seems our AC unit just has some leaky valves. So once the home warranty people say it's ok to fix it, we'll have cool air again. yippee! once again, thank you God for home warranties and for temperatures under 100!!

Where's his sign...

well a short update to a short fix up. The AC guys still haven't called, so it's still pretty warm in here and we're looking forward to the 110 degree day tomorrow!

The wiring in our house is fine. The mystery switch actually operates the light over the garage...strange that it's in the dining room, but at least we know what it's for. The dishwasher was looked over by a dishwasher repairman yesterday and he couldn't figure out what was wrong because there was no power to it. So when the electrician came today, he looked all under the dishwasher, pulled it out just like yesterday, PLUGGED IT IN, and it works great!!! DUH, we should have asked the dishwasher specialist to show us his sign first, would have saved a lot of time!

So one down, one to go. We're praying for rain and a call back from the AC guy.

peace....

It's gettin' hot in here...

Well, not only is it 106+ on the outside, but it's now topping 83+ inside as well. yes, gracie, our AC is leaking! and when your AC leaks, it don't keep things cool. So it's soon to be naked night at the Crawfords, be careful about dropping by.

It seems that the previous owner of our new abode let his male dog do a whiz bang job on the AC unit, literally. We noticed when we looked at the house that the coils were deteriorated on one side. After asking what might have happened, said past owner let us know that was where his dog liked to pee. I guess dog urine is fairly corrosive because not only are the coils corroded but our AC repair friend says it's also corroded the coolant line. Yippee!!! All I can say is thank you God for home warranties!!! Now all we have to do is wait for the warranty people to find an AC guy that isn't booked for 3 weeks. Yippee!!! Naked night may last weeks, we'll take the quarantine sign off the door when we're clothed again.

More new house excitement...seems we have an electrical issue as well. Our new dishwasher stopped working last night and the repairman said that the lack of power to the unit is probably the issue. Once again, thank you God for home warranties!!! Such are the dreams of the every day housewife...

So life moves on at a very warm pace...I'm so excited to hear it will be in the 90's this weekend, I'm pulling out the winter clothes!!! and gas is under $2.80...miracles will never cease!!!!

enough sarcasm for today, the heat must make me cranky.

from puberty to menopause...

we survived and even enjoyed our week with the nephew and niece. I had forgotten the joy of pubescent hormones!!! In the same week I got to experience Menopause the Musical. 2 dear friends and I celebrated a mile marker birthday for friend 1 by going to see this hysterically funny musical. I never knew menopause could be so fun. So from one end of the hormone spectrum to the other, it was a great week!!

adventures in parenting...

my kids are getting older and it's been a while since I've had young kids around for any length of time. well...that ends tomorrow. my 13 year old nephew and 9 year old niece are coming to stay for a week while their parents go to Vegas. we're expecting good times, lots of fun and being exhausted by Friday!!! I think I'm glad I did kids when I was much younger. good training for the grandkids...WHOA- there's a sobering thought!

peace!

Thank God it's Friday...

and I have an entire weekend that belongs to me!!! No work!! It doesn't get much better than this. I really do love my job and the people I work with. But being an arts organization or an office of women sometimes lends itself to being drama-full! Sometimes, it's just nice to step away and relax for a couple of days. That's what I'll be doing this weekend. Even if I clean a little, it'll still be at a very slow pace. Me and Barney, making our little corner of the world a hair free zone!

Enjoy your weekend! Rest, relax, read...whatever floats your boat.

Just enjoy the ride...and thank God it's Friday! He'd love to hear from you.

peace.

that other girl...

I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day. I don't know if he'll remember, but I hoped he enjoyed the moment. Alzheimer's is a nasty disease. It doesn't just take your memory, it erases who you are moment by moment. I see my daddy sliding down a slope and he can't stop himself and we can't help. I know God has a plan for him and for us and I'm trusting in His strength to carry us all through.

While talking to dad he asked me how that other girl was doing. I'm assuming he was talking about my sister and just couldn't recall her name. So we chatted about my sister, my daughters, our husbands and that boy (my nephew). Sometimes, he seems almost normal and then he starts a new sentence without finishing the one he was saying. Or he tells you a story about something he was told, not remembering you were the one who just told him. Sometimes, more than once.

I guess what I'm learning through all of this is use it, don't lose it. Treasure each moment and live with an attitude of gratitude. Today is a gift. Share all you are with all those you love. And let your little light shine!
peace.