And shout for joy!
Life is happening right now- all around us!
It is hot.
And very humid.
I get cranky and grouchy and short tempered when I’m hot.
So this is a visual reminder to me (and you, if you need it)
That we can choose.
And today, I choose joy and trust that God will provide it.
Because He provides for all my needs.
…the Joy of the Lord is my strength …”
Nehemiah 8:1o
Last week I had two phone conversations that made me think.
(Actually -MOST conversations make me think- at least a little! 🙂 )
One was with the nurse from my diabetic management team. They call every couple of months just to see if I am still here- ask me a bunch of questions that they want yes or no answers to, and generally waste my time. But – they do get me free testing supplies and needles- so I put up with the inconvenience. One question they ALWAYS ask is – am I depressed? Has my depression caused me to miss out on business or social activities? Have I been diagnosed as in a state of depression? I realize that there are three questions there, but they add up to one. 1+1+1=1 Am I depressed?
no.
well, maybe, since you keep asking.
Conversation #2 was with my brother.
He is depressed. Or as he describes it- down.
We talked- we laughed- we commiserated with each other’s troubles- and then he asked- ” Has your life turned out the way you thought it would?”
no.
or, maybe?
I’m not sure I thought that much about a finished life. Like how it would turn out. I just lived it, trying to do the best thing, attempting to follow God’s leading- looking for ways to do that which was right and good. Loving, trusting, obeying, following, believing, teaching, upholding, giving, taking, reading….
I made a lot of mistakes. I did a lot of things right.
I didn’t have a master plan- I just did what came next to the best of my ability and understanding.
I’m not depressed. I am pollyanna.
I think happy thoughts and search out joy filled moments.
And I escape harsh reality in flights into literature.
And my life is,… well, my life is my life.
I’ve lived every moment of it- experienced joy and sorrow, success and failure, lost and found- it has added up to the grand total of me.
1+1+1+1+1=1
My math skills are depressed.
Thirty four years ago, Frank and I had been married less than a year, we had just returned from living in Edmonton, Alberta and were putting our apartment together and enjoying the June sun in Akron, Ohio.
Robin called me and asked if I would babysit for her daughter, Allyson, in exchange for a basket of strawberries.
Now, whilst in Edmonton, I had missed ALL of my family. I was homesick for reasonable weather conditions and for all the familiarity of home and loved ones- BUT– I had really missed the time watching my sister’s baby girl grow up.
So, I didn’t even hesitate and said YES!!!
I would have done it for the pure joy of the baby- but the strawberries sounded like a great payment, as well.
Robin brought her over and put her into my arms. I held her for the next four hours ( if I put her down she looked around, saw her mother wasn’t there and started crying!) . I was so happy to be back home, to have that precious baby entrusted to me for a little while, to be in the United States, with my sisters and brothers and mother close at hand. I still remember how the world seemed to be a beautiful place.
Yesterday, I got a call from that baby, now almost 35 years old, asking if I would babysit for her foster baby, Nico, in exchange for a basket of strawberries.
Again- no hesitation whatsoever.
“Yes.”
So, I got to hold and feed a two week old baby and feast on strawberries, afterward.
And – really- my world is a beautiful place.
I’m sorry.
I’ve been busy.
And sick.
And I’m still feeling a little weak and my stomach is wobbley.
But Aidan came to stay for a week- and we’ve been playing.
And then I came down with a wretched stomach and head achey thing that laid me out completely on Memorial Day. I’ve been slowly recovering, but this is some serious bug- and it messed up my blood sugar and kept me hovering around very low glucose levels.
Grandpa and JoJo and Cynthia all came to the rescue and Aidan has had a wonderful time. And I managed to take some pictures.
He went on a merry go round- but I couldn’t get a good picture.
He didn’t stay on the horse much longer- too scary, Grandpa!
Then he bounced around a big honey hive- VERY soft BEES!
We checked out some trucks……………….
and a car or two….
then we Popped ALL the bubbles in the roll of bubble wrap!
(LOTS of Fun and Giggles- and concentrated quiet time!)
Then we went into the country to buy some EGGS-
and ran into a whole flock of Chickens.
Aidan wasn’t really thrilled with the peckish nature of the hens- or the loud crowing of the roosters- but he enjoyed the eggs for breakfast today!
Then we went to a pond and fed the ducks.
They were rather squabbley about the food – not well- behaved ducks at all!
And tonight Mommy and Daddy are coming home!
(Notice how I spared you the sad story of sick Grandma? You are welcome.)
Aidan and Luke and I skype a couple of times a week, Meredith and I get into skype mode whenever she is home, and occasionally my brother Ralph will give me a call. It is free, it is convenient, and sometimes I get the best pictures of my loved ones. Here is a couple of pictures I’ve saved in the last few months.
I made this one small- she won’t forgive me soon- but I DID warn her!
Most of the talking with Aidan is while he’s eating supper.
Here Luke told him to stick his thumbs in his ears and stick out his tongue at Grandma- honestly- this is one of my FAVORITE pictures!
Sometimes they are fuzzy- but they are real life and sweet all the same.
I love these guys, these pictures and the opportunity to talk over the distance.
Because I get to enter into the everyday of my loved ones lives.
Have you ever used video web conferencing?
Sounds a little like a line from a bad blues song.
But it is so very true.
I walked down to the Island grocery store this morning (more about the walking later)- but I got there about 20 minutes too early so I walked down to the park on the bay. On the way I passed the old bridge which is still working-
but only if you want to go to Marsh Island.
Which I didn’t.
So I followed the ducks to the wharf.
Where they were having a small duck convention with ducklings in tow!
And while hanging out on the wharf, I heard a siren or whistle going off incessantly. It sounded familiar and when I realized what it was, I hurried over to a place where I could take a picture of the old bridge opening up so that a boat could go from the bay to the ocean.
By this time, Family Pride Supermarket was open- so I went to do my shopping and walked back home.
Frank wanted to start on landscaping today, so we pulled and dug and chopped and sawed and pulled and yanked some more- until we filled up 10 huge garbage bags. And then we put the old gas grill with them and called for pickup.
But now the beds look more like flower beds than jungle adventures.
Yesterday we powerwashed ( that is NOT the royal “we”- I actually helped!)
So the house went from filthy-
to bright and white!
Right now I’m making banana bread- I’m taking a break from working.
I had enough leftover to make a muffin.
And then I’m going to make some meatballs for spaghetti tonight.
Tomorrow’s Wednesday- I’m going to be whipped and wimpy!
Because Frank is a slave driver and there are only the two of us!
Today is my baby’s birthday.
He is twenty-four years old.
I look at him and the last 24 years flash by-I see the baby- hear his sweet voice and watch in my memory as he grows and learns.
He is a man, and hates me to do this.
He doesn’t want to be blog fodder. Or to have his face be plastered on the walls of my website. But today is his birthday and it has been my privilege to be his mother and I am overwhelmed by the years that have gone by.
And pleased at the man he has become.
And thankful that God has placed this man in my life.
To celebrate, I picked myself a bouquet of flowers-
and made a batch of chocolate cake pops for Jordan.
Because it is a momentous day for both of us!
My mother used to say I should buy her flowers on my birthday, because she did all the work to bring me into this world. I’m happy to pick my own flowers.
And all of this is just to say,
“Happy Birthday, Jordan!”
Allyson, Cynthia, Aiden and I went to Stan Hywet for a garden walk today.
It was so beautiful- the spring flowers all blooming, the grass so green, the sky so blue, the wind playfully tugging at Aiden’s Happy Birthday balloon.
This was Aiden’s favorite garden- the one with the tractors and big machines working in it!
The lilacs and wisteria were so fragrant and lush-
and there are wonderful walled and doored gardens to enter and explore! I loved the balloon tied to Aiden- we Always knew where he was or was going!
Sometimes he took it in hand and kept it under control.
Sometimes it just flashed behind as he ran down the Birch Allee.
And sometimes, it was all of Aiden I could see!
It was so beautiful today- clear and temperate and slightly breezy-
We found fountains …
and butterflies…
greenhouses and tulips……
and fiddlehead ferns and grape leaves.
And then – suddenly- tiredness set in-
Tired and HUNGRY!
So we went to Aladdin’s for lunch – ate falafel and hummus and baba ganoush and dawali and kibbee and licked our fingers and smacked our lips and finished off our celebration with cake pops!
Happy Birthday, Aiden!
Saturday was Meredith and Aidan’s birthday!
And we celebrated with a train ride and lunch at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula!
Allyson’s Aiden has a birthday in May- so we enjoyed the train experience with both boys for their birthdays!
They had such a good time- both on the train and playing on the tracks-
and climbing on the rocks and checking out the view of the river.
Then, after a ride back to Akron, and a car ride home to Copley, we had cake!
Actually a yummy torte.
Belgian Apricot Torte.
It is kind of crumbly- but so great with tea and low in sugar that we loved it!
Here’s the recipe:
3/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 TBSP oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
3 cups flour ( all purpose or pastry- I used pastry)
1 1/2tsp baking powder
grated rind of lemon
grated rind of orange
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup apricot jam
confectioner’s sugar for dredging
Line a 8 inch pan with baking parchment.
Beat the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla until fluffy, then add egg and beat well.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, and gradually work into the creamed mixture along with the grated rinds.
Knead together as for a shortbread dough. Divide in half, and coarsely grate one portion into the pan so that it covers the bottom evenly.
Beat the jam and apricots together and spread the mixture evenly over the dough- taking it right to the edges.
Grate the remaining dough evenly over the apricot layer and bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 1- 1 1/4 hours, or until lightly browned and just firm. Remove from the oven and set aside until cold
Remove the torte from the pan and strip off the paper.
Dredge heavily with sifted confectioner’s sugar.
I was going to take a picture of the whole round- but we ate it before I could get my camera out. This is so easy to make- easy for kids to eat and just delicious.
Aiden and Allyson and I went to Tulipan and Quail crest last week.
It was grand!
Aiden shared a pot of Rooibus Chai tea.
He added a LOT of milk to his tea.
( “Hot, Heidi. Hot tea!”)
We took lots of pictures and ate lunch and shared desserts(3).
Aiden enjoyed looking at them so much I wanted to see how they looked, as well!
But it was just a picture of me.
Which reminds me- the smirking redhead?
That’s me, too.
Frank has been bugging me to get my hair done. So I finally went today.
I asked for light brown/ash blonde to cover the gray.
I got red.
And I can’t take a good picture of myself – hence the smirk.
I’m going to make some bee sting bars with almonds and honey and white chocolate – maybe tomorrow- I’ll share the recipe and pictures.