Found Objects

We had an unexpectedly gorgeous day, yay! In need of Vitamin D, I grabbed my new garden tools and went to work. I'm not a gardener in any sense of the word. Yard work is work. Period. But today I actually enjoyed playing in the dirt. I was grumbling to myself about how much work it is to get down to the roots of those weeds and get them out once and for all, and feeling old because nothing works as it used to (I really have to think about getting up and down off the ground!).

Then I thought about the devotional I had read that morning, about praying with a thankful heart. Instead of griping about the work that needed to be done, I thanked God for giving me the good health to be able to do it. I thanked God for the blessing of being a home-owner, for being able to be out there on such a beautiful day, safe in my own back yard, working to make it more attractive.

Pretty soon I wasn't minding being on my hands and knees, getting my hands dirty. I was sincerely appreciating the new set of tools I picked up at Costco the other day, especially the yellow cushion that padded my knees so they didn't hurt near as much as usual. And that nifty container to toss the weeds in, way better than making piles all over the sidewalk and then having to scoop them up and put them in the big ol' yard waste container that I would have had to drag, kicking and screaming, into the back yard.

And then little unexpected surprises began to appear as I dug deep into the soil. I knew there would be earth worms or possibly a salamander or two, but what I didn't expect was the tiny plastic Barbie shoe, the opalescent glazed piece of ceramic, the pretty green chunk of glass, a tiny pumpkin garland or my favorite find, a tiny white button!

Pretty soon I found myself turning the soil not only to get to the roots of the pesky weeds, but in anticipation of another surprise. Hmm...now that I think about it, it's kind of like the way we live our lives, getting through the muck and the mud in order to enjoy the little discoveries and joys we uncover along the way. I'm very thankful for it all.

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

The Rock & Worship Roadshow 2011 presents "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" featuring MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters & Lecrae.

My new favorite music video!

My Mother's Hands

I was cleaning out a drawer when I came upon this, a tracing of my mother's hand one of my daughters did. It kind of took my breath away. I remember the day this was drawn like it was yesterday. I don't know what prompted me to date it, but I'm sure glad I did. I'm even happier my mother signed it, "Grandma."

My mom was always a good sport about stuff like this. When my girls were about 2 years old, one of them was bringing her Cheeze-Its crackers made into tiny sandwiches. She would eat it and then my daughter would be gone for a bit and return with another. Pretty soon I heard my mom say, "Wait a minute, what is this stuff in the middle, anyway?" and then she just laughed and laughed.

Turns out my daughter was chewing a cracker, spitting it out onto another one and placing another one on top of that, wha-la, cracker sandwiches!

The thing that really says it all about my mom? She knew how much fun my daughter was having, so she kept right on eating them.

Thift Shop Haul

Individual miniature bouquets

I'm not sure what the pretty little purple blooms are made of, but it looks like yarn. At first I thought they were dried flowers, but they're even more nifty now that I've had a chance to look them over.

 

There were several bags at Savers for $2.99 each, so I bought two. Now that I see how well-made they are, I kinda wish I had bought them all. If you know anything about them, tell me, pretty please?

Buttons!

 I picked up several little bags filled with sewing stuff such as buttons (yummy!), dress maker straight pins, thread, an old measuring tape made in West Germany, a very long-big-eyed needle with a rounded end, and lots of brand-new sewing machine needles, jackpot!

And a good time was had by all at Savers.

A PLEA FOR HELP

A PLEA FOR HELP

This is me with my sister and best friend Martha (she’s the one with the short hair). She has had 3 successful kidney transplants throughout her 59 years, all donated by siblings (2 brothers and sister). She is in need of another transplant and there are two possible donors that have been waiting in the wings SINCE OCTOBER 2010, one is our brother, the other my daughter.

We believe Marty is also on the cadaver list, but we can’t be sure because clear, concise information has been so difficult to obtain from the University of California at San Fransisco (UCSF).
Marty is very ill and on the cusp of going back on kidney dialysis, but she doesn’t do well on it, so I don’t know how long she can keep on keepin’ on.

Does anyone out there in Tumblr-land have any contacts at UCSF, anyone we could discuss her case with? Brick walls are what we have been hitting, we can’t even get vials sent to Martha to be tested for antigens, a very basic step in the transplant process. (Actually, Marty did send UCSF vials back in October, but since they have dragged their feet, they are no longer viable. They have yet to send more.)

Martha has great insurance. She is able to maintain the medications required after transplantation and has always paid her medical bills. But we are discovering that the finance department at UCSF is telling her she needs $30,000 upfront before they will even talk about a transplant, let alone begin testing. Her insurance gave her a $2,000 deductible quote, which we can take care of, but we don’t understand where the $30,000 number is coming from.

Marty was also told that if the possible donors do not match, then their insurance is required to pay for all testing that was done. That’s a new one on us and a sure killer to the donor program if I ever heard one. We are hoping that we have been misinformed and that someone will step up and correct it.

Going through 3 transplants you learn the ropes, but it looks like the rules have now changed. We are appalled that this financial requirement, if it is indeed required, will ultimately take Martha’s life. If you can help in any way by providing contact information with someone who is willing to listen to our plea for help, please let me know as soon as possible. Every day that passes means a tougher time for Marty.

Nom

Made a double batch of bruschetta, threw it on some pasta. Nom.

Thrift Shops = Mini Vacations

I don't get to my favorite thrift store often enough, but when I do, this little book section becomes a black hole of time. It doesn't look like much, but I have found some pretty nifty reads here.

There used to be two small rooms set back in a hallway, away from all the other stuff. And other people. One held clothes, bedding, purses and shoes (and a couple of bins of pretty grodie-lookin' used makeup and lotions), the other was dedicated to books, magazines, records and tapes.

Then one day I walked in and all the walls were gone. POOF. I was vewy, vewy sad. I spent many hours in the middle of that tiny room, perched on an old stool, drinking in that old book smell, building a stack or two to bring home with me.

I still enjoy going there, the owners are genuinely good people, and the prices are certainly always right. But I still wish I could get lost in the quiet of that little room down the hall where nothing else mattered for just a little while.

My King-Sized Bed Cozy

I stripped my bed of the bedspread and pillows so you can see that it

covers the entire surface and then some of my California King bed.

A gazillion years ago, my sister Martha and I were on a kick of making scrap yarn afghans (a great way to use up all those left-over skeins!). At the time, she lived in a mobile home, so as her blanket grew she would refer to it as her trailer cozy. When she completed her SINGLE CROCHETED masterpiece, I was thrilled because she surprised me by giving it to me, and I have slept with it ever since. My sister is an awesome possum!

Remembering A Friend

Remembering our friend Velma on her birthday.

She was a part of our family for over 20 years. We will be forever grateful to Velma for her friendship and for bringing her niece and extended family into our lives.

We're also thankful for Patches, (Velma's baby girl) who has turned out to be my hubby's new best friend! We don't know Patches' exact birth date, so we gave her her mommy's...happy sweet 16th birthday, Patchy!