Thankful Thursday!

^". . .give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

I Thessalonians 5:18

I had just gotten home from a top-notch swim at the Y when the phone rang.  The job I had applied for last Saturday had actually been filled by an in-house transfer.  I was crushed.  I had thought it was an awesome fit.  Sam had thought it was an awesome fit.  My two references had thought it was an awesome fit.  Obviously, it wasn't.  So I give thanks for what is yet to come . . .

Sounds of Hope!

As I biked by Lakeville North yesterday, I heard a sound I had not expected to hear.  Our marching band drum corp was practicing!  A sound that brings hope for the fall . . .

Socially Distancing!

I went over to my friend Katie's house for lunch today.  She met me at the front door and told me to walk around the house and go on up to the deck.  She met me on the deck.  Her family was seated around the table.  She pointed to a small single table with two chairs and said, "I cleaned that off for you."  Oh.  Okay.  We're not taking any chances.  

Katie has leukemia.  Her middle daughter has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  We had a great time, talking for two and a half hours - six feet apart!

Missing NCU!

That would be Miss Micah

missing North Central University!

It comes out in her baking . . . 

 

A COVID-19 Birthday Party!

We had an eclectic gathering of Y-related people last night to celebrate Steven's birthday!  There were five of us on Jenny's deck - front desk staff, lifeguard, swim instructor and two members - eating the best food ever!

Of course, Micah made the cake!  It was her first marble cake and her first "guy" cake.  According to Carla, who told me THREE times, "this cake is excellent!"

Understatement of the Year!

You gotta love my daughter!  She comes in to our bedroom this morning and says, "Oh, I forgot to tell you last night.  I got an e-mail saying I got a $2000.00 scholarship from North Central".  Wait.  How on earth do you forget to mention a $2000.00 scholarship?  Especially since that was the exact amount we needed to be able to pay tuition this year!

Mouhamed

The village in Senegal that Mouhamed and his family call home isn’t even on the map. To reach it, you must follow a red dirt road for miles, before walking through open grassland. The people of this village help one another — sharing food and stories, as well as each other’s joys and sorrows.

When Mouhamed was 9 years old, a tumor appeared in his mouth. As it grew, Mouhamed seemed to shrink. The tumor disfigured Mouhamed’s face and took away his ability to speak properly, which resulted in him barely speaking at all. Overshadowed by the pain and shame of his affliction, he retreated inward.

Mouhamed’s family searched for two years for a cure, but when a second bump appeared, it seemed like the boy would never heal. To see my child suffering when there was nothing I could do to help him… I was helpless,” Mactar recalled tearfully. “We continued to wait and hope that one day we would be able to find a solution to heal Mouhamed.”

That solution arrived one day when a radio broadcast announced the arrival of the Africa Mercy in Senegal. “When I first heard about Mercy Ships, I felt a new wind of hope,” Mactar said.

Although the trip from their village to the Port of Dakar would be a long one, it would be worth it. After the registration and screening processes, Mouhamed was given a surgery date, turning his hope for healing into a reality.

“I was certainly the happiest father on earth,” Mactar said. “I am an older man, it’s true, but if there were music, I would have danced, I was so happy.”

After his surgery, Mouhamed was a different boy. As he recovered, his spirit began to blossom.  More than physical healing — it was a complete transformation of his spirit. The tumor that had been holding him back was gone, and he was finally set free. Free to be a carefree 11-year-old boy and receive love and return it.

Before the operation, Mouhamed struggled to make eye contact and only replied with nods. After the surgery, Mouhamed’s cheerful voice could be heard ringing throughout the ward when he greeted a familiar face. He made eye contact, but even more than that, he was unafraid to express his affection.

“I hope that those who have never known Mouhamed will never know that something was ever wrong with him,” his father said.

Together!

We can change the course of COVID if we do it together!  Minnesota, wear a mask!

My Technicolor Neighbor!

I biked over to neighbor Chris' house yesterday.  She had spend five hours in the ER the Thursday prior, compliments of a nose dive in the garage.  Really, you never should dive without water!

She had gotten ten stitches under her right eye, along with multiple bruises.  Because she was on Warfarin, a blood thinner, I think she became ever more colorful.  The right side of her face had every color under the rainbow, from the bump above her eyebrow, to her jaw line! 

She, for one, is quite looking forward to Minnesota's face mask law tomorrow because it's going to hide the colors! 

Thankful Thursday!

This week, "Thankful Thursday" follows "Weeping Wednesday".  We began to find out on Wednesday what changes were taking place at the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities.  It began with a text just before lunch from my Aquatics Director saying she had been terminated.  Of all the Aquatics Director's I've had - and I've had ten in the thirteen years I've been there, Barbara was my hands down favorite.  She gave her all to the Y and they gave her the boot.  But she wasn't the only one.  We lost Malaika from the front desk who helped me through those CPRPR Saturday mornings.  We lost Becky from Water-X who was becoming a good friend.  You read in the paper that so many positions were cut, but these cuts are personal.  They are my friends.  Which made Wednesday a very sad day.

On Thursday, my only choice was to be thankful for the memories we shared, to be thankful that our lives were able to intersect, and to be thankful for all the moments we laughed when crying would have been so much easier!

 

 

Two-Mile Tuesday!

It was two-mile Tuesday for me today!  I managed to swim two miles non-stop today, equivalent to running six miles - without the sweat!  It was definitely the first time after the Covid pool closures and definitely even longer since I had swum that far without flippers!  I'm a happy camper! 

We have a Happy Hazel!

Sam and I stopped by Hazel's with the rocks this afternoon.  We had put them in a gift bag with each rock wrapped in tissue paper.  Hazel's was on top.  She opened it up.  We got the largest smile ever.  In her sweet little voice she said, "That's me."  She showed it to her mom and dad and then got the next rock.  Kayla (her mom) asked her what it said.  "What's the first letter?"  "V.  It's Violet!"  (Her little sister).  Next came "Dad" and then "Mom".  She was able to read them both.  Then she tried to hold on to all four rocks - a bit unsuccessfully.  Her dad asked her if she wanted to put them back in the bag.  He said, "Where should we keep them?"  Hazel replied, "In the house."  While she was saying "thank you", cousin Mac, who was visiting, spoke up.  "Do you think you can make me a rock?"  "Definitely." 

Hazel

We have the absolute sweetest little three-year-old neighbor girl named Hazel.  This summer, she has been painting rocks, two of which are in my front yard and one is in my friend Jana's yard.  This weekend, Micah said, "Mom, we should paint rocks for Hazel."  So we did:

Now, if we can ever find her home, we'll give them to her!  

Celebrating with the 2020 Grads!

Usually, we're done with grad parties by now, but not this year!

Last night was neighbor Erik's party where he had the Brick Oven Pizza Bus - seriously!  It was excellent pizza served by a dynamite staff!

Not only was it great food, but we also got to see a lot of the neighbors from our 'hood!

Sadly, there was a lack of six foot social distancing and no mask wearing.  Hopefully, we won't have any serious repercussions from our bad behavior. 

Today's party was for the youngest daughter of long-time friends - think forty year friends!  Yup, college!  We timed it just right to meet another of couple there.  The hosts told us to go ahead and sit at their kitchen table and talk.  So while all the other guests were sweltering in the heat, we were enjoying our time in air conditioning!  And yes, we did talk to the graduate.  We weren't totally selfish!

Thankful Thursday!

What a glorious day to be thankful for muscle memory!  When COVID hit and the pools were closed, I was swimming anywhere from two to 2.5 miles a day, a portion of it with flippers.  Today, after a month back in the water, I almost made the two mile mark without a flipper in sight!  Thankful!  

Marie Madeleine

Marie Madeleine loves school. She believes with a good education, she will be able to accomplish her dreams, and she refuses to let her condition slow her down.

When she was a child, Marie Madeleine developed an abnormally tight muscle contracture in her leg. As she continued to grow, her knee hyperextended backward, leaving her with a severe limp when she walked.

Despite this difficulty, Marie Madeleine continued making the short journey to school, where she was determined to learn.

While the 13-year-old’s condition has caused her to struggle to keep up physically, her family has worked hard to make sure that she has spent her life surrounded by love and acceptance. Still they worried for her future, believing that eventually Marie Madeleine’s condition would hold her back from reaching her full potential.

“My hope is for her to be like every other girl with a backpack going to school,” her grandmother said. “But we couldn’t afford surgery, so we just waited for a miracle.”

One day, that miracle arrived in the form of news from a neighbor in their village, who told them about the Africa Mercy arriving in the Port of Dakar, about 100 miles from their home. The neighbor gave the family the information for the patient selection process, and soon Marie Madeleine had a surgery scheduled. She began envisioning all the possibilities that lie ahead.

Although recovery would be long, Mary Madeleine handled it bravely. She worked with the rehab team for several hours a week to restore mobility and to improve her leg’s strength.

Several months after her arrival at the Africa Mercy, the bright 13-year-old girl with the triumphant smile and straight legs was ready to go home and back to school!

The day after she arrived in her village, Marie Madeleine was back in the classroom. Her classmates asked her, “How come your leg changed?”
 She simply replied, “We love God. God has healed me, and His plan for me is to walk like this now.”

Pool-less Party!

There we were yesterday - at our pool-less party!  Save for Ruth and I who worked together at Oak Grove Elementary back in the day, we all became friends at the Y.  We had Steven, the lifeguard; everyone's favorite Ruth; Carla, my co-swimmer; Jenny from the front desk and me!  We sat socially distanced on Carla's deck, drinking water and eating chocolate chip cookies by Micah.  I'm pretty sure, no matter where you were, you had to have heard our laughter!  Dog stories are always the best!

A Train!

A group of us from Lakeville Berean have been meeting at Jaycee Park this summer at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning for Bible study.  It's a VERY laid back affair, going through the book of James, following the pastor's latest sermon.  The kids play (mine don't even come!) basketball, soccer or on the playground and we do what we can do before we're interrupted. 

Today, it took just one whistle and every child on the playground came over to our circle, all saying the same two words, "A train!"  It was excellent.

Hernia Update!

We're full of happy news here!  Sam lost his buddy, the Cath, today - much to our great relief!  We were all a bit tired of him hanging around.  Somewhere around lunch time, it was all systems go!

Knee-dless to say!

I had my one year bionic knee check up today and the surgeon was well pleased with what he saw.  Both knees are in alignment and doing what they're supposed to do.  You'd never know if I didn't tell you, but my left knee has more of my original bone left in it than my right knee does.  Interesting fact, eh?  The good news - the doctor showed me how to stretch before working out to ease some of the pain I've been experiencing. 

A Smile!

How could I forget?  The nurse who brought Sam out to the car knew me!  I had had her daughter (who is now in fifth grade!) in swimming lessons at the Y.  We took a bit of time to catch up, then I took my honey home!

Hernia Surgery!

In case you're wondering, Sam walked the dog this morning before hernia surgery!

I was able to stay with him from check-in at 6:45 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. when they wheeled him into the operating room.  Then, I went for a swim at the Y and got a few groceries at Cub.  I was on my way home when the phone rang.  For those of you who are local - in the turn lane by Culver's ready to go south on Kenwood Trail.  Yup, I was talking with his surgeon on my phone while driving and ever thankful there were no officers near by to ticket me.  

On the right side, where he had had his previous hernia, there were two more.  On his left side, there was the beginning of one.  The good doctor fixed all three.  I'm sure at no extra charge!

Everyone thought he'd be home by noon, but alas.  If you don't urinate, you don't leave.  So sadly, at 3 p.m. I picked him up with his new buddy, the Cath.  He'll literally hang around until Monday when hopefully, it'll be all systems "Go!" and the catheter will be gone!

Thankful Thursday!

In all honesty, I was so thankful when Thursday was finally over and Sam made a decision.  He had hernia surgery scheduled for 8:15 a.m. this morning (details on that will follow). 

Every other day, all week long, I heard one of two things, "I'm going to cancel my surgery" or "I'm going to have my surgery".  He spent hours every day - that could have really been spent doing other things that REALLY needed to be done - researching the different kinds of mesh used in hernia surgery, which ones were having lawsuits, which companies produced them.  I know so much about hernia mesh now that I am beyond overwhelmed!

I went to bed Wednesday night and he was going to go through with the surgery.  I woke up Thursday morning and he was not.  All I could pray for all week long was that he would have wisdom and peace.

We finally had it out last night.  "I don't care what you do, but I need to know where you're going with this because I haven't been able to pray for you.  And one of us needed to walk the dog in the morning." 

At 7 p.m., he told me that he had decided to have the surgery.  It was confirmed today that that was the right choice.  See the next post. 

Covid Share

I went swimming early yesterday morning.  There were guys in the first two lanes, I was in the third lane and the fourth lane is used for water jogging.  Seriously, there was a woman in the jogging lane who was working out, sharing every puff of air with me!  She could have turned in three other directions and I would have felt much safer, but oh, no!  Breathe on me!  Less than three feet away!  So I did what any wise person would do. As soon as my eighty-three year old buddy, Glenn, left, I took his lane and made it an eight foot difference!

Celebrating with cupcakes!

 

Micah made this order for our neighbor, Sally.

You can't celebrate the 4th without some chocolate! 

Happy Fourth of July!

The Dead Bird Float

This is the saddest story.  Ever.  

We have a bird bath in our front yard.  My girlfriends had gotten it for me in memory of my mom when she died.  In the tree above the bird bath, we have two bird houses on different branches.  One of them has a family in it for sure.

One of the little birds somehow fell face down into the bird bath and was definitely doing the dead bird float when I found it.  It was gross.  It was yucky.  

That's my story, the saddest story ever. 

An Early Fourth of July Cake!

You have to bake when it's your day off, right Micah?

Of course, it's

CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate for the Whiner!

or

What to do with home-made strawberry jam!

Last Saturday, neighbor Kent stopped Annie and I, giving us a jar of home-made strawberry jam.  Not one to eat strawberry jam or toast, and since we don't do peanut butter at our house, I started hounding Micah about a cake I wanted her to create for me.  Finally, yesterday . . . I got a four-layer chocolate cake with ganache, home-made whipped topping and that delicious strawberry jam between each layer and again on top!  Be jealous . . . 

You'll be pleased to know that I did share with neighbors Tom and Nancy (a break from house painting), Don and Bernice (guaranteed to heal Don's broken rib), and Kent and Cindi (welcome home, Cindi!).

Thankful Thursday!

On this particular Thursday, i am working on being thankful that I can change my mindset from a negative to a positive.  My Type-A personality wants nothing more than to go to the Y, swim without stopping and leave.  But it doesn't work like that.  

You see, Jenny, at the front desk - her daughter found out today if she got a teaching job in Arizona for this fall and her son is being deployed to Kuwait in January.  Jenny was in tears.  Jenny needed a friend.  I'm thankful that was me.

Glenn, at the ripe old age of 83, wanted to share a bit more of his life story with me.  His wife was a teacher, my husband is a teacher.  It only took some of my time to listen.

Steven, our lifeguard, was frustrated with his parents - and honestly, rightly so.  It took thirty minutes to talk through his situation and that which was fine because there wasn't a soul in the pool area besides the two of us.  

After answering Linda's question in the locker room of how I'm doing with a "fine", I thought I'd better ask her the same.  She wasn't doing fine.  Her husband is battling cancer and he's lost so much weight.  She's tired.

In this time of Covid, I am thankful that I have time to give, even in ways that my Type-A personality doesn't want to.  

Weed Eater!

A long time ago, we were challenged to be home owners verses home renters, with the encouragement to take care of our yards all the way out to the street.  We took it to heart and we even weed the weeds in our gutter!

With Annie's "Old Dog Syndrome", her morning walks have become a slow meander.  While she meanders, I pull weeds from different gutters in our neighborhood!  When she stops, I pull.  When she walks, I walk. 

Neighbor Tron came over to talk to me while I was pulling our gutter weeds the other day and said, "I'd never do that!"  I said, "You don't have to.  Annie walks so slow, I've pulled most of yours!" 

Neighbor Kim caught me weeding by Jana's mailbox and invited me over to her house anytime!  Sadly, I had to tell her I only weed when I walk Annie and Annie can no longer walk that far!