Mousetrap

Another lesson in how we treat one another!


A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a
mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I
can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me.
I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house."
The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is
nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow. She said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you,
but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the
farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of
a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did
not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and
she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh
chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's
main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit
with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her
funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all
of them.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't
concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

In the book of Genesis, Cain said this about Able, his brother, to our God:
"Am I my brother's keeper?"

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out
for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER
PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

GUESS THE BLOG PROVES WE ALL ENJOY BEING PART OF ANOTHER PERSON'S LIFE.
Have a great day!

Forgiveness

A friend sent me the following note yesterday. I pondered it all night and it forced me to do a "personal" inventory of my own actions. It was a painful night. I didn't sleep much. Here we go......

"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to
ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably
more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so
remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best
friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry
because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you
love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've
never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute
of happiness you'll never get back. So send this to all of your friends in
the next 5 minutes and a miracle will happen tonight.

I didn't send it to all of my friends. I don't like to be forced into doing something because of superstition or to "buy" a miracle. I just found it very thought provoking. I did write to three special people and after I shared the little verse with them, I asked for their forgiveness for the times I might have said or done something to hurt them. Each one is special to me and I still have another one to send a snail mail letter to doing the same thing.

Growing up I did have one person that should never have let me down...and perhaps they didn't....but from my prospective they did and it has hurt for a lifetime. I wish we could have talked about it and maybe we could have come to some mutual understanding. We didn't.

Who hasn't had their heart broken? Name me one person. I can't think of a living soul who has not had their heart broken several times. Mine seems to crumble when someone I love says something unkind or harsh or blames me for something I really didn't do! And I realize I have broken a few hearts along the way myself. I don't handle confrontation well at all. I have an inferior complex that goes into overtime sometimes and I can't control it and that makes me upset with myself. Broken hearts can be mended but the scars never leave. You can forgive people you love if they try not to hurt you again...and if you try to understand them better. I have been on both sides of that coin.

I have a dear friend that I did have one big misunderstanding with...but we resolved it long ago. We were both wrong. We both admitted it. We are friends to this day. Had we not talked about it or discussed it we would have parted friendship and missed out on a lifetme of being best friends. It was worth the struggle to work it out. You can't mend fences without any tools and conversation and honesty and love, are the best tools I can think of. God gave us the one tool...LOVE and we must supply the other two.

Now since I have only had ONE love.....I can't blame him for anything anyone else did! So I had to pass on that one. But I know plenty of people who will relate to that one also.

I have cried many times because time was passing too quickly. The first time I remember doing that was when my daughter with her new drivers license drove our car out of the driveway and down the street for the first time - BY HERSELF! I sure felt the time passing too quickly then. And again when she left for college....we had lovely smiling goodbye kisses and "have-fun" waves...and then I cried all the way home -- and for the next couple of days! Time was passing too quickly. When our parents died...each one individually....we cried together...where had the time we had with them gone to....and why did go so quickly? And why were we so busy that we didn't take time to tell them just one more time....We love you. But ..now they know it without our saying it. One day in the not too distance future we will join all those parents and friends who have gone before us and then I am sure we will wait patiently for those who will follow us. Time just keeps marching on.
So...yes I do have way too many picture albums and I thought everyone would love to look at them...but it is funny that I am the only one who still loves to look at them! And they are collecting dust these days and someday someone will find them in their garage sale and wonder where the heck they came from!
I still love to laugh. Dave and I laugh a lot. Sometimes at each other!! Scruffy helps supply antics that make us laugh too. My mother had a great sense of humor and she liked to laugh...and my dad loved everyone and loved life - he was a good laugher too (is there such a word?.
Good advise to love like you have never been hurt...that is true forgiveness and trust. How else could you experience a love that is waiting to happen? My daughter has done this beautifully and successfully.

I want to clear up any hurts that I have caused along the way - if that is possible - so that I don't waste any more minutes in my lifetime. It is too short as it is. I have so many people in my life to love that can love me back - I am truly blessed. I still have my soulmate by my side ...laughing with me and loving me and I can laugh with him and love him back....now that is a miracle!
Forgiveness is a special gift from God...help me use it well.

Restful Waters

Today was a good day for Dave. Went to Mass early, out to breakfast and then shopping for natural and organic food (not easy tofind). Then when we got home Dave took a nap and I worked in the yard. Too hard to work! So I took Scruffy for a jet-ski ride! He is a hoot...he just sits there with his little nose in the air like he owns the river!! It was fun. Then I packed a "dinner" for on the pontoon boat so Dave and I and Scruffy took a late ride and had tuna salad sandwiches on home made brown bread...olives...mellons..apples..and ice tea. (treats for Scruffy too)
It was a day to be thankful for. Dave was feeling much better. Last week was scary....to day was a blessing. He still has a long way to go, but at least he is feeling more human again. I am sure it was just the flu last week.
Sure do miss the kids...(Jerra, Josh and Jake)after having them here (each one in different intervals) through the month of June; it is difficult not seeing them or talking to them. Would be great just to exchange e-mails with them all - perhaps when they get on line at home Jerra might slip in an e-mail to us once in awhile in between checking the hotties!! haha. No calls or word from Stacey either. We really miss her too. They all lead busy busy lives and have a large family all there in Georgia. I remember how fast time used to slip away when I was young (was I really ever young???) and raising my two kids. Every day seemed to go by too quickly. Davey calls regularly ...just says, "Hi Mom, how are you and how is Dad feeling? how about the Cubbies......tell Dad I love him" and that is is about it...and about the same each time.....but nice of him to call and check in on Dad. Sometimes if Dave is feeling okay, he likes to chat with Davey for a little bit. Seems Davey is busy too doing yard work every day or odd jobs. Busy lives that everyone leads. That is a blessing.
Sometimes time goes very slowing here on the restful waters at Serenity....and sometimes even peaceful when Dave is feeling good. Today was one of those day...we were thankful to live here at "Serenity" on restful waters. God is good. Thank you to all of you for all your prayers.

This too shall pass

This last week Dave was so very sick again that it seemed we were back in the chemo treatments. He had high temperatures, headaches, cold chills, fever and just couldn't get out of bed. Started a week ago today. I was again his "dumb-waiter" (as he lovingly calls me sometimes when I am delivering food and water to his bedside!) bringing food up and dishes down.
It is hard to describe how you feel inside when the person who is such a part of you that it is difficult to separate yourself from them, is so sick but you can do nothing to make the pain go away. I know the desperate feelings now of people who are watching their partner get ready to pass on to the next life. I have had those feelings many times while Dave is suffering through his chemo side effects. The fatigue is really difficult for him. My daily rosary seems to get sucked up quickly with almost desperate prayer for his recovery...then the peace settles in and I realize Dave is in GOOD HANDS and God really is taking care of him. Whether he allows him to recover and stay with me for a long time.....(yep..that's the prayer!) or decides he has to go first to prepare the way.....I am okay with God's decision.
I think (Dr.Loner speaking now) that Dave just had a bad case of the flu and on top of him being so weak and run down, he was just super sick again. Called the doc a couple of times...got prescriptions to help and just toughed it out. Today...he is back feeling about a 5½ on a scale of 1 to 10. That is really great since he has been averaging about a 2 or 3 since chemo started. I am hoping we are over the hump of this latest problem...(I'm still betting on the flu bug) and he can really start to feel better soon. The doc said that this fatigue is ugly and sometimes takes one to two YEARS to go away as long as the cancer does not return. Whew, not sure he can handle two years of fatigue...but we will do what we have to do. He looks wonderful to me. (But then he always does!) His hair is coming in now and is fuzzy and soft! Looks dirty sometimes because there is black coming in with the snow white! I think he is beautiful. I got my first kiss in a couple of weeks today!!! It was wonderful! His cold sore was all across his bottom lip and he could hardly eat let alone kiss!! But I don't need kisses to feel our connection...I just close my eyes and think of him and I can smell his presence and feel his touch. God performed his best work when he created love between two people.
Sometimes it amazes me how many years we have shared...46 married and 4 dateing before that.....some 50 years. Then we actually went to first grade together so add in another 8 years....I have known him most all of my life. Where has the time gone to? It has gone too fast...that is for sure. We have shared our lives for a lifetime and now we are in the "winter" of our lives with many less years ahead of us than we have behind us. Unless you count ETERNITY! Then we have forever together. I'm so thankful. I wish I had the talent to write how I really feel...but I don't know how to put it into words. I am just grateful for each day, each minute we have together and am thankful that the pain from last week seems to be passing.

Count your Blessings

For the last month we have enjoyed having our grandchildren share some time with us. Jerra spent the most time, Joshua spent about three weeks and Jake only had about 5 days. But every day was joyful (and trying at times) with them.

Jerra is such a beauty - inside and out. She has beautiful blonde hair (which I can never get her to wear down!) which she dyed brown before the end of her time here. She looks great whatever color she chooses! I still love the blonde if I had to be honest! But she likes the new look for awhile. She loves to bake and bake she did! We always had cake or brownies or cookies fresh from the oven. She liked the jet ski...even if it is a little slow-poke one! We had some great times, and funny time floating down the river with a friend. She had fun with her friend in Michigan for a week too. She seemed to like and enjoy her birthday gift of a computer, monitor and printer ....grandpa set it up here on our internet and she was on it daily.....for hours sometimes! She is really computer savy! I'm impressed!

Josh is just getting taller and taller and so good looking. He has beautiful brown wavy hair (which he wears too long....but heck, if I had his hair I would wear it long too!). He is passing me up quickly! He had most fun, I would guess....at the golf course. Dave gave him a couple of lessons at the driving range and I played a few holes with him one day also, and after two days he just felt like he knew everything about golf! (hummm.....think he might be in for a surprise if he really takes the game up! I have been playing for years, and still don't have it right!) Dave also had him running sprints in the yard and he is getting faster and better all the time. Wish we could watch him play football this year, but too much distance between us now. Dave will miss that. Me too. He also had fun with his two friends...at two different times...coming to join us at Indiana beach and spending a night at the lake with him. He knows everything about everything. He loves movies and Dave took him to Batman and then we all went to War of the Worlds... (still not sure I liked that one!). They rented movies to watch at home too. He also liked the boat ride up the river where he could swing on the rope and tow-bar hanging from a tree. He is a good swimmer and liked floating down the river and harassing his sister! He loves TV even though we only have a few channels and no Games! He liked the computer when Jerra would let him get on-line.

I picked up Jake on Wednesday night and we had a few days left that he got to spend here with all of us. He loves Indiana Beach and he rides EVERYTHING! He liked Meghan, the granddaughter of my friend who got us passes for the beach, and they stuck together like glue!
He is the very BEST fire builder you could ever find! We had great bon-fires every night. He worked like a trooper gathering wood from the wood pile and arranging it Tee-pee fashion in the fire pit. He even made fires first thing in the morning! He helped cover the boat (and uncover it before boat trips) and that was a lot of help for grandma! He is getting so tall that he is almost passing me up just like Josh is !

We all spent a lot of time swimming and on the boat and floating down the river. We did go shopping in Lafayette for jeans and stuff and made many a trip to Wal-Mart in Monticello. We also enjoy the dunes with Jerra and Josh (and Scruffy). We went to a couple of movies and rented some to watch at home. We went to Indiana beach twice for the pay-one-price all day rides and they were there ALL DAY! Jake only got to go once, but he surely got his money worth.

This was a tough time for Dave in the beginning as his last chemo treatment was May 24th and we were still going back and forth to Lafayette a lot. Sometimes Jerra and Josh stayed home and took care of Scruffy and just swam and watched TV. A couple of times they made the trip with us and went shopping at the mall. Dave was tired and not feeling too good some days, but he got feeling better toward the end of June and spent more time with all of us. There was much laundry, dirty dishes, shopping for food, picking up and instructing them to pick up....and even though I slept for 12 hours the day after they all left.....it was wonderful having them all. They are truly our "blessings" and we enjoyed them very much. However, I do know why 66 year old women don't give birth!! Golly....kids can make you tired after you get old!
Jerra was so excited about going home and seeing her friends, but it was wonderful having her for probably the last time for a long visit. Now she is going to graduate from high school...get a job...maybe go to college and will be starting her busy life as a pre-adult learning to be responsible for herself. Quite a giant step. It isn't easy being 18 years old in the world today.
Hopefully, there is still time for Josh and Jake to come for vacations with us before they are too grown up.

Stacey and Justin spent Saturday and Sunday with us before they headed home with their three children and two goats (pretty good sized ones at that) in a jeep and a prizm. They were packed to the gills!! But thankfully, had a safe trip home and now are back into their routine as Dad and I are back into ours.
We took yesterday and treated ourselves to a SLOW day...went to do errans in Monticello, then went to the ZOO in Indianapolis and loved the new Dolphin dome and all the animals and then took in a INDIANS baseball came at Victory field which is beautiful. Indians were awful...but the evening was just Perfect with Dave sitting by my side in the warm evening air under the lights of the baseball field.

Today I really...counted my blessings....all of them -- Dave, Stacey and Justin, Davey and his boys, Jerra, Josh and Jake -- and not least of all...Scruffy! God is good. Another good day...one-day-at-a-time.