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Hello Lofters!

I hope you all had an awesome weekend! My weekend went quite well! Had fun with my sister Susie, as we looked after Daddy for my brother and his wife. She and I take care of him one day a week so that they (brother and sis in law) can have a day for themselves. He is not difficult to look after, but he is a two person lift in case something happens, and it's also a time where she and I can do things together. This past saturday, we also spent time with my brother, sis in law, my brother's oldest daughter, her friend, mother and daughter, (my great niece, Squishy Nose) as well. We arrived there early and they left there late, lol. Anyway, Kelsi Jo, aka Squishy Nose, made my day, crawled on my lap, called me AUNT Missy Squishy Nose and giggled, just like her mother did when she was her age (3 yrs old). In fact, Kelsi Jo looks like a clone of her mommy, Brittany Jo. ANYWAY... she was a joy! Sue and I had a good time together, though she was in lots of pain. Poor thing (tongue in cheek cause we have a somewhat morbid sense of humor when it comes to each other) recently had a gastric bypass done (Jan of this year) and decided to go for an 16 mile bike ride with her husband. She rode the first 8 miles with her breaks on, without realizing it. She worked muscles that she didn't know she had and on Sat, she was in a good deal of pain. Anyway, again, we talked, spent some time with Daddy (he loves it) and just enjoyed each other's company.

On Sunday, Susie, myself, along with our sister Karen, went to visit our oldest sister's daughter, Laura, for her 20th birthday. This was her first birthday on her own and her first birthday without her Mom. She cried when she saw us, cried when we left, but in between, she laughed, and that was a birthday gift she gave to us. Karen presented her with an afghan our sister, Laura's mother, had made for Karen for Christmas one year and the way her eyes lit up was an absolute joy to behold! If she's anything like me, she'll wrap herself in it, knowing that each and every inch of that yarn that made that afghan, went through the hands and fingers of her mother. I know that still, now, after 18 years, when I wrap myself in the afghan Mother made for me the Christmas before she died... when I close my eyes and picture my mother, crocheting it, knowing that her touch was all over it, makes it feel like she's hugging me. It's a comfort and I pray that in the coming years, Laura will take comfort, wrapped in that afghan, knowing her mother's love and feeling it in her heart.

On the ride home from our visit with Laura, it was a time for Sue, Karen and I, to bond. It's difficult, Susie is a member at the church where we grew up. Karen is a member of an ultra conservative fringe church, not a cult, but not one I would attend lol. Anyway, there we were... two married straight conservative christian women, wearing pants and tee's, and me, the lesbian, dressed in plain clothes (Mennonite clothes) and we were bonding. We (they) were speaking of obeying their husbands. I could never submit to a man, but of course, I would never marry one LOL. However, I too, believe that I, as a conservative Christian woman, am called to submit to my spouse (if I ever am blessed with one) and it encouraged me to hear them speaking about it. Sue, in fact, said that she had to insist that the word "obey" be in her marriage ceremony, because she so strongly agreed with it. Karen didn't have to insist on it, but she feels just as strongly about it. It was refreshing to be with like minded women, refreshing to hear and share in the conversation that unashamedly centered around Christ, God, faith and what we believe our roles (OUR roles) as Christian women, are. I stayed silent for most of the conversation, although they know what I believe as well. They didn''t speak of blind obedience, and they don't worship their husbnads, by FAR! LOL. But they DO love them and believe they are doing as they are called to do.

It was a GOOD weekend!

It reinforced what I already knew about myself, my family and my faith. It gave me renewed hope and it renewed my resolve and faith that there is someone out there for me. Not to complete me, but to share life with me. God complete's me.

Today was frustrating. I was supposed to have a procedure done today and it had to be postponned until the 19th. I get anxious about these procedures, because they always use general anesthesia. They use that, because they are searching for potential bleeds (I am losing iron and my hemoglobin is falling) and I am put under, in case they find something they have to take immediate action over. Each time you are put under general anesthesia, your risk of complications and not waking up, increases. It already makes my blood pressure run very very low. Like 55 over 39 low. And while I am closely monitored, it's still unnerving to have your monitor alarm shooting off it's bells and whistles everytime your blood pressure is taken. WHICH BTW, is taken every 15 minutes, unless, of course, there's problems, like low blood pressure, then it's taken as often as every 5 minutes. Which sucks.

So, instead of being put under today, I had a perfectly free day, in which, I rested. Because I was so nervous about the procedure, that I didn't sleep last night. LOL

Tomorrow, I've got some shopping to do, some sewing to do, and some cleaning to do. Nothing major, but just a busy-ful (I made that word up, of course) day!

Hope all is well with each of you and this turned into a much MUCH longer post than I had originally intended!

BTW, it didn't get out of the 70's today, which means autumn is officially close! I love autumn. I love all four seasons, my favorite is winter, but each season I find special in it's own way.

Spring, planting, the flowers, new life, an awakening, a resurection... Easter.

Summer, sunshine, warmth, lazy days by cool mountain streams, swims in the lake, fishing in the river, lightening bugs (fire flies) whiporwills, crickets, frogs and children laughing and long strolls through warm summer rains.

Autumn, harvest, thanksgiving, crisp air, falling leaves, cool breaths, the scent of fall, the violent storms (love lightening and thunder and often will simply stand outside in the middle of a storm) the slumber of nature, the orange, gold and crimson colors that turn the world into a breath taking vision of vibrant, fiery glorious colors.

Winter... Christmas, the sky, the blueness of it, no other time of year does it happen... the green of the wintergreens, the snow.. the way it wraps the world in pristine white, innocent white, making anything it touches, into a thing of beauty. The way it silences the noise of every day... cocooning us and nature in it's insulating flakes. For me, there is nothing as romantic as a stroll through a heavy snow, especially in the woods. I love it.

OK... another added missive. I am in a "verbal" mood today and am getting itchy to finish my writing project, so I can start another. I've already ended the one and started the other in my head, I just have to get it down on "paper".

Take care and have an awesome rest of your day!!