MILLSTONES

BETTY WYATT

2012-03-02T17:57:00.013-08:00

Born Andrews, Texas on January 3, 1943

Died Vancouver, Washington on March 2, 2012

Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister-in-Christ, and Servant to many. Betty passed peacfully Friday morning from this life into the arms of her God. We already are missing her, but we are comforted by the many delightful memories about her life and the love she expressed to family and friends. We are better people for having been touched by her sweet spirit.

FACING UGLY WORDS AND TRANSITIONS

2012-03-01T08:16:00.008-08:00

I remember my Great-grandmother Hancock up high on her bed. She was bed bound in her final days of life, yet she was feisty, loudly hollering orders to her caregivers and waving her arms about, perhaps in frustration over her limitations. I also vividly recall her demand that my mouth be washed out with soap for saying “ugly words”. I don’t remember what the words were, after all I was only five years old in 1945, but I do recall how quickly my Grandmother Gail took me to the galvanized sink and how vigorously she followed her mother’s instructions. We all know words have meaning and power, and I learned that day there are “ugly words” that are extremely upsetting to some folk.

Our “ugly words” over the past few days have been “pain”, and “pain killers” and “confusion” and “incontinence” and “unresponsive” and “dying”. We have watched Betty go through an astonishingly rapid decline since Tuesday, and have seen her suffer terribly from the pain caused by the cancer and by a recent fall. Once on sufficient medication to relieve the restless agony and writhing she was experiencing, she has been “unresponsive” and interactive communication with her is not now possible. We have been reduced to a “hospital bed” environment in the family room and a host of accompanying changes to permit the best care possible. A new challenge in personal care involves “protective garments” and the difficulty and indignity required to change them. Bathing now involves a washcloth. Even keeping her lips protected from chapping are among our ways of offering simple comfort. So much for dealing with "ugly words".

Because she is not conscious, Betty is unable to take any pills from the arsenal which had been prescribed for either the cancer and its related effects or for her Parkinson’s Disease. Now only a couple of liquid sedatives can be given by dribbling them into her cheek with a small plastic syringe. Early in this transition even that did not have much effect on the pain and only seemed to sap her awareness. Her agitated arm waving and evident discomfort was distressing to all of us. To our relief as we wrestled with these critical end-of-life decisions, the medications finally allowed her to rest quietly. Now we are facing the reality of what is coming as her body is shutting down, and she is no longer taking nourishment or even fluids.

My mind has been trying to find words for metaphors for what Betty is going through, and I am again drawn to childhood experiences. Remember that book about learning important lessons in Kindergarten? Or First Grade, etc? My teacher then put what must have been whole milk into a big square jar which had wooden paddles in it. Next came a lot of cranking and we all put our hands to the task. What eventually resulted, after all the turmoil and turbulence was a sweet. yellow butter she served to us on saltine crackers. Because the remaining watery milk was not so pleasant, it went down the drain. That’s what our transit through life is like; initially there is a great deal of being thrashed and sloshed about in the “jar-of-life”, but finally, what is extracted is a golden product fit for God, and the remainder of our dross is discarded.

Remember the “seed-in-a-cup” experiment? My class did that too. The first time the lima-type beans did sprout, but they were so leggy and malformed that we finally tossed them out. The second chance came soon, but the seeds were dark and shriveled and frankly, ugly! We had no hope, but we planted them anyway and a few weeks later we all had plants bearing small but beautiful flowers! Amazing! So it’s not the husk you start with, but the final product that bears the beauty. And it's not how we start, it's whether we bloom. We should all aspire to finish well. I don't want to just remain a seed, do you?

In one elementary science class we raised various creatures in jars and in the bug box. One large container had window screening to view through to see the hideous little green caterpillars inside. Before long they were gone and here and there on the twigs were strange little capsules. Eventually came a day when the teacher let us watch for hours the emergence of butterflies from those broken, brown shells, and it was a thing of wonder. As the emerging insects fought for release from their limiting enclosures, there was great struggle, and we feared the fragile things would surely die. Of course, some didn’t make it and did perish, but several, gradually, left their binding chrysalis, and their wings took form and filled and strengthened, and at last were fully extended, taking on brilliant colors and patterns. By the next day, there were perhaps twenty beautiful butterflies which our teacher promised to release after school. That’s what Betty, and by extension, the rest God’s children are going through. We begin as mere creatures with little loveliness in this world. [One Christian hymn originally refered to us as worms; “and such a worm as I”.] Then for a while we are tightly enclosed in the limiting shell of this world as God prepares us for emergence and release. Eventually we pass through the struggle of transition and we escape our former husks. We put on the beautiful bodies and brilliant souls God has miraculously made for us and we become eternal beings fit for heaven. Watching Betty’s struggle now would be much more difficult if we had no concept of the spiritual outcome God will achieve in her behalf. What yet remains for her, once her “wings” are ready, is for us to release her from the here-and-now to her promised destiny in the gardens of heaven.

As I write this, early morning light is beginning to reveal that March is not coming in as a roaring lion, but with 3 or 4 inches of new snow. Outside it is pure, calm, and lovely. My heart is eased by the realization that this is the state of Betty’s spirit and soul even now, but still my tears are flowing like the cold rain that is surely coming soon.

CELEBRATIONS AND PREPARATIONS

2012-02-25T13:46:00.005-08:00

Thursday, February 23, 2012, was a major marriage milestone for Betty and me. Given the uncertainty of life, we did not know whether we would both be here to celebrate this anniversary or not because of the diagnosis and progress of Betty’s cancer after we became aware of it last September. But by the Lord’s mercies, since the diagnosis we have seen Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, our birthdays in January, and now perhaps the most precious of all to us, our 48th Anniversary.

Do you tend to measure the periods of your lives as we do like chapters in a book or by the milestones passed, or by important events we choose to commemorate? Where we lived, which major events occurred and when, and what was going on in the world around us – these are distinguishing landmarks in the journey of life, and we refer to them repeatedly as we celebrate where we are and where we have been. It’s how we keep track of family history and a host of friendships.

Although our lives had apparently crossed earlier, we really didn’t meet and become an item until we met at Pepperdine, then still a small Christian college in south Los Angeles. We managed a whirlwind courtship as this brief outline will suggest: our first “date” on January 4th (between our birthdays), my proposal on February 4th, and our wedding on Sunday, February 23rd. We cut classes to honeymoon at Disneyland on Monday only to find it closed! With limited options, and no time or money to squander, we ended up visiting a new place called Knott’s Berry Farm for lunch before crossing the street to take in the Alligator Ranch as well. Back at school Betty was not allowed to take the mid-term test she missed on Monday and had to repeat the class later. And that week we moved into our first home in the WWII barracks called Normandie Village, Pepperdine’s housing for married students.

After we both graduated we moved to Beaumont, California, where I taught English and Speech for two years. That began my career, but our best achievement there was the birth of our first child, David Matthew. Unable to raise support to do missionary work in Japan, we opted instead for Juneau, Alaska, where I continued to teach English and other related communications subjects. Betty did some substitute teaching and worked a while for the State. Twice again our finest accomplishments in the early years there were Patricia Kay and Geoffrey Kent. Our lives revolved around the three children, our active participation in the Juneau Church of Christ, my various employments, and exploring the recreational offerings of the Alaskan frontier.

While the kids were young, Betty was always home to care for them. We believed it was vital to promote their education - socially, academically, physically, and spiritually - and we tempered every decision in light of those fundamental principles. Even after all elementary schooling was behind us and Betty worked for the Federal Fisheries Laboratory as an editor and primary support to the Academic Dean, it was understood that her children’s needs came before her job. With her skills and value proven, her boss, a world-famous fisheries scientist was both supportive and protective of this arrangement because he needed her and knew she would not abuse their agreement.

During our remaining years in Alaska, we continued to be involved in church and community activities, and any other pursuit which would strengthen our family or support the abilities of our children. They in turn, excelled in school and in their own areas of interest. By the time we left Alaska and relocated in Washington State, Betty and I had been married twenty-three years and two of the kids were in college. We selected Vancouver, so Geoffrey could complete high school at Columbia Christian High School, and we were more than rewarded by the outstanding results over his three years there. Almost before we could get settled, Patty married her high school sweetheart who had followed her to Harding University. In only a few years we experienced what may have been our most interesting transition – marriage-wise! We became empty nesters and had the delightful opportunity to get to know one another all over again. The following years brought some travel, an opportunity to serve the church in a special way, David’s marriage, and the first granddaughters, but it also brought the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease for Betty in 1990.

Some highlights of the next decade included a little international travel. We twice had the opportunity to visit Togo, West Africa, while Edwin and Patty were working there with a missionary team planting churches. Later, Geoffrey taught school in Caracas, Venezuela, for two years and we enjoyed visiting him in that lovely place. We drove across the country, attended meetings and seeing friends on several occasions. When Betty wrote her book about “Jessie” - a book everyone should read!! – we drove to Alaska twice for on-site research in Eagle on the Yukon River. Memories of those travels are special to us. Another major activity we have loved is hosting mid-week Bible Study Groups during the past twenty years or more. Some of dearest and closest friends have been those who are now or who once were a part of these awesome fellowships. All we have done has been done together and has helped us grow closer and more focused as man and wife, and we hope the advice and assistance and example we have shared with others makes their marriages as strong and as loving as is ours.

Clearly, I could wax on and on but this “short blog” is not the right format for that. Today we are dealing with Betty’s decline caused by the uterine cancer which has captured her bones. This week we are dealing with much pain and trying to control it still with an ever stronger combination of pills. Betty is having periods of confusion and disorientation and even disconnect. Part of the time she is mixing the reality of the moment with recent dreams or her own private perceptions. We are having trouble understanding and interpreting her words which are often inaudible or without meaning to us. Her injuries and disability from that fall last week are not diminishing and since the x-rays did not show any fractures we are now guessing the she pulled muscles or tendons in her thigh and groin which are painful and prevent her from bearing her own weight.

Today, Saturday the 25th, all three of her kids are with her. Geoffrey arrived yesterday from Juneau; David came from Kennewick; Patty has cleared much of her schedule to be here too. At the moment they are singing camp songs like “The Bear in Tennis Shoes”! With this kind of stimulation, Betty is more alert and responsive and at times able to participate to some degree in the conversations. Her need to sleep so much and the ebb and flow of the effective minutes of her medications requires us to be extremely flexible as to when to plan meals or entertainment or any other activity. Domestic chores are worked in when least disruptive or while she is napping.

Finally, to wrap up this posting, it is the moments of prayer, or Bible reading, or as someone sings to/with her that Betty gets that far-away look in her eyes as though she can somehow see just beyond the veil and catch a glimpse of the heaven that awaits her. Last night, upon learning of the death on Friday of our precious friend Kay V. from her own battle against cancer, Betty remarked, “She was a good lady and a good friend. We are going to be together soon”. With similar confidence, we are all looking forward to the comforts of heaven one day. Betty will be first, but all the rest of us plan to join her when our own passing comes. Even so, right now my hardest moments come with the tender thoughts in prayers and in considering the meanings of the verses in songs about heaven and about finally being with the Lord where He has prepared mansions for the faithful. That, and enduring this terrible process of watching my darling decline from the wonderful way she has always lived life are almost unbearable. I’ve had in mind a thought early Christians expressed, “Maranatha”, or Come Lord. And as the Revelation concludes, Jesus says, “Yes, I am coming quickly". And the writer John responds, “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus”. And I can accept that now, for her sake. So, Lord, if it is your will, do come quickly.

PS Check out Patty's blog "A Gentle Touch" on www.clayinkpot.blogspot.com or link to it on my sidebar.

SOWING THE SEEDS OF FRIENDSHIPS

2012-02-17T17:33:00.001-08:00

*** Over the years we have been fortunate to form many close and interesting friendships. Wherever we have lived our lives have become entwined with others who became like family to us. Their activities and interests and achievements were interesting and important to us and their families and ours often shared meaningful events together. The roster of these friends include married couples near our own age, many single individuals, older couples who sometimes served as surrogate parents, children who grew into adult friends, and even some of our own relatives became part of the mix.
*** Naturally we were most often attracted to others our own age. They may have been friends from work, or folk with similar hobbies and pursuits, but usually they were just other couples like us from where we attended church. Just after our move to Alaska, for example, we were part of a group of six or seven young marrieds who spent most of our free time together in outdoor recreation or in one another’s homes for meals and games, as well as sharing in church related activities. Over the years, especially after kids came along, the nature of these relationships evolved, but the mutual support and affection endured even as our lives changed considerably.
*** At times we were mentored by those senior to us, and we deeply enjoyed and needed the time spent in such mature company. We watched and learned from these mature Christian examples who helped us grow more able to manage our own marriage skills. Sometimes, however, we fell into the role of counselors to younger folk who entered marriage after we had established the friendship. This latter opportunity to lend encouragement and support and to serve as a living example to newlyweds we always took as a serious responsibility.
*** The closeness we developed with several young, single individuals were precious indeed and most of the friendships based upon these “virtual adoptions” continue today. We seemed to gather more unmarried young ladies (daughters) than fellas, but all of them just needed some “family” to gather them in and show them some love and attention. Over time some of them did marry and we were able to include a new son or daughter into the fold. In fact, while we were collecting college aged friends one of the couples was married in our back yard. The groom in this fine couple grew up with our own kids in Alaska so he also serves as an example of children we once knew who later became adult friends.
*** SATTST – “Said All That To Say This”. We are finding a great deal of truth in Bible verses we have learned over the years but which we had not entirely experienced before. In the midst of much other wisdom, Ecclesiastes 11:1 tells us (and I paraphrase) “if we cast our bread upon the waters, it will someday come back to bless us when we need it.” In this sense, all the efforts we have made in forming and protecting strong, faith-based friendships are coming back to us now in the love and encouragement and uplifting prayers and visitations of loved ones who are not only beloved in the present, but those cherished friends of yesteryear also. In terms of developing a personal network of kindred friends of like spirit, the ongoing and eventual rewards more than repay the effort and care invested. Whether you pay it now, or pay it back, or even pay it forward, in terms of making and nurturing friends, I can not believe you will not be deeply and frequently blessed at some point.
*** Today a man and his wife whom we love dearly came to visit and to pay their respects to Betty. Almost four decades ago this gentle and remarkable lady came from her native India to live in Juneau. This friendship – especially between the ladies – was close and tender and vital. For over six years we prayed that her husband would be able to come also, and eventually that came about. Now they have raised their children, completed their careers and retired. Knowing about Betty’s situation, today they made a lengthy drive to sit with her and demonstrate their love and concern. The beautiful visit today was a gracious bookend to when we supported their immigration long ago. Indeed, we unexpectedly received back a blessing we had offered to them so many years past. That verse in Ecclesiastes is right on!
*** On Wednesday, after we had waited for several days, a technician brought a portable X-ray machine to our house, and without requiring Betty to get out of bed, took five films, including a pair of each hip and one of the pelvic area. Fortunately, there are no breaks or hairline fractures, so that fear has been overcome (and probably through the host of prayers many of you were offering). What was discovered is that she has a case of “aggravated osteo-arthritis”. Basically, something – perhaps her fall, but maybe due to the aggressive cancer or changes in diet or medication (or weather or politics or Northern Lights, or the price of tea in Southeast Asia, or…, or…, or… ) – something has caused this condition to flare up and cause considerable pain and discomfort. Slight adjustments in medications and other accommodations in daily care are helping us back to the current normal. Clearly, we are on a dangerous, slippery slope and we notice that Betty does not recover fully from each event she experiences. Now we are beginning to see occasional mild signs of confusion or disorientation, and we fear that is among the challenges on the horizon
*** Let me close by mentioning again the many thoughtful, meaningful, and detailed comments some of you have left on this blog. Because of the intimate nature of some of these personal remarks, I did decide to not post them. All were appreciated, but some have just been too personal to share in this format. I understand your hearts and how you want to reach out to Betty and me, but this is a time to honor Betty and encourage her with the cards and letters and personal news about yourself that she so enjoys. Please drop her a note and remind her of good times and happy events we have shared. It will make her day lighter.

SOWING THE SEEDS OF FRIENDSHIPS

2012-02-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Over the years we have been fortunate to form many close and interesting friendships. Wherever we have lived our lives have become entwined with others who became like family to us. Their activities and interests and achievements were interesting and important to us and their families and ours often shared meaningful events together. The roster of these friends include married couples near our own age, many single individuals, older couples who sometimes served as surrogate parents, children who grew into adult friends, and even some of our own relatives became part of the mix.
Naturally we were most often attracted to others our own age. They may have been friends from work, or folk with similar hobbies and pursuits, but usually they were just other couples like us from where we attended church. Just after our move to Alaska, for example, we were part of a group of six or seven young marrieds who spent most of our free time together in outdoor recreation or in one another’s homes for meals and games, as well as sharing in church related activities. Over the years, especially after kids came along, the nature of these relationships evolved, but the mutual support and affection endured even as our lives changed considerably.
At times we were mentored by those senior to us, and we deeply enjoyed and needed the time spent in such mature company. We watched and learned from these mature Christian examples who helped us grow more able to manage our own marriage skills. Sometimes, however, we fell into the role of counselors to younger folk who entered marriage after we had established the friendship. This latter opportunity to lend encouragement and support and to serve as a living example to newlyweds we always took as a serious responsibility.
The closeness we developed with several young, single individuals were precious indeed and most of the friendships based upon these “virtual adoptions” continue today. We seemed to gather more unmarried young ladies (daughters) than fellas, but all of them just needed some “family” to gather them in and show them some love and attention. Over time some of them did marry and we were able to include a new son or daughter into the fold. In fact, while we were collecting college aged friends one of the couples was married in our back yard. The groom in this fine couple grew up with our own kids in Alaska so he also serves as an example of children we once knew who later became adult friends.
SATTST – “Said All That To Say This”. We are finding a great deal of truth in Bible verses we have learned over the years but which we had not entirely experienced before. In the midst of much other wisdom, Ecclesiastes 11:1 tells us (and I paraphrase) “if we cast our bread upon the waters, it will someday come back to bless us when we need it.” In this sense, all the efforts we have made in forming and protecting strong, faith-based friendships are coming back to us now in the love and encouragement and uplifting prayers and visitations of loved ones who are not only beloved in the present, but those cherished friends of yesteryear also. I n terms of developing a personal network of kindred friends of like spirit, the ongoing and eventual rewards more than repay the effort and care invested. Whether you pay it now, or pay it back, or even pay it forward, in terms of making and nurturing friends, I can not believe you are will not be deeply and frequently blesses at some point.
Today a man and his wife whom we love dearly came to visit and to pay their respects to Betty. Almost four decades ago this gentle and remarkable lady came from her native India to live in Juneau. This friendship – especially between the ladies – was close and tender and vital. For over six years we prayed that her husband would be able to come also, and eventually that came about. Now they have raised their children, completed their careers and retired. Knowing about Betty’s situation, today they made a lengthy drive to sit with her and demonstrate their love and concern. The beautiful visit today was a gracious bookend to when we supported their immigration long ago. Indeed, we unexpectedly received back a blessing we had offered to them so many ago. That verse in Ecclesiastes is right on!
On Wednesday, after we had waited for several days, a technician brought a portable X-ray machine to our house, and without requiring Betty to get out of bed, took five films, including a pair of each hip and one of the pelvic area. Fortunately, there are no breaks or hairline fractures, so that fear has been overcome (and probably through the host of prayers many of you were offering). What was discovered is that she has a case of “aggravated osteo-arthritis”. Basically, something – perhaps her fall, but maybe due to the aggressive cancer or changes in diet or medication (or weather or politics or Northern Lights, or the price of tea in Southeast Asia, or…, or…, or… ) – something has caused this condition to flare up and cause considerable pain and discomfort. Slight adjustments in medications and other accommodations in daily care are helping us back to the current normal. Clearly, we are on a dangerous, slippery slope and we notice that Betty does not recover fully from each event she experiences. Now we are beginning to see occasional mild signs of confusion or disorientation, and we fear that is among the challenges on the horizon
Let me close by mentioning again the many thoughtful, meaningful, and detailed comments some of you have left on this blog. Because of the intimate nature of some of these personal remarks, I did decide to not post them. All were appreciated, but some have just been too personal to share in this format. I understand your hearts and how you want to reach out to Betty and me, but this is a time to honor Betty and encourage her with the cards and letters and personal news about yourself that she so enjoys. Please drop her a note and remind her of good times and happy events we have shared. It will make her day lighter.

SUNBEAMS PIERCE THE CLOUDS

2012-02-10T19:05:00.003-08:00

The windstorm blasting out of the Columbia George lasted five days or more and was accompanied by cold rain and dark grey skies. It thrashed the trees throughout our place and as far as we can see onto the neighbor’s lots as well. The lawns and driveways are cluttered with the litter of tree debris and broken limbs. The unraked leaves of last fall that swirled about, racing first this way and then that now lie piled up against the house and fences. During the nights an occasional crash or thump left us wondering what had fallen or torn loose from its normal location. We had to wait until later to assess the damage. While the storm raged, there was little to do but hunker down and let the gusty beast blow itself out. However, during the whole tumult, at times sunlight did pierce the gloom and briefly reminded us that days of light and warmth and renewal are not far away.

My little weather report of recent days could be a metaphor of how we fared physically and spiritually during the past week. Of course, you will realize that the perspectives the observations are mine and may be a bit dark, but I hope to relate to you moments of light and hope too as I compose my thoughts for this post.

Our world became much smaller for a time this week, as there were several days in which we seldom left the familiar comfort of our bedroom. In fact several friends have graciously joined Betty at her bedside to be in company and to visit with her about other loved ones and about bygone memories. Parallel to the sounds of nighttime damage outside, I was awakened before dawn by Betty crashing to the floor as she tried to make her way to the bedside commode. I can’t relate all the thoughts and fears of awful consequence which came to mind as I tried to grasp reality after being jerked so abruptly from sound sleep. Suffice to say that although some bodily damage was done, Betty can still stand with assistance and can (painfully) walk a short distance – i.e. to the family room. There is cancer in the all the thick portion of her bones, including her lower pelvis, and this primary focal spot for her pain is considerably more tender now since the fall. So we are waiting, in the dark as-it-were, until light comes to let us assess the injury more accurately.

The falling, combined with other ongoing changes this week, has changed the routine and left the other details of our lives and surroundings a bit cluttered. This is like the residue of tree-trash covering the lawns. In like manner, this week there seem to be uncounted bits of this and parts of that which are still in the unfinished or undone columns. At some point I’ll get all these little projects tidied up and be ready to move on to the larger jobs. Similar to the piles of leaves in the yard, some of the already postponed routine of changing seasons is just delayed until there is time to devote to those tasks. Some of this is my own doing; for example, I have over twenty-five years of file cabinet content to sort and reduce to a manageable few drawers. My tasks can wait; Betty’s have higher priority. Her “ideas” and “intentions” swirl this way and that, like windblown leaves, and we are slowly sorting out the urgent from the important so these unfinished details do not bother her any more.

Let me conclude this entry by recalling some of the sunshine moments of the past week. Sunday morning Betty was dressed in a fashionable pink jacket; and she looked lovely. Several at church commented about her attractiveness and cards which came early in the week also mentioned how pretty she looked in pink. On Monday the “Canasta Ladies” came and after a couple of rounds, served their lunch; Afterwards, they sat at Betty’s bedside and read with her from the Bible, discussed heaven and “end-of-life-lessons”, and prayed together. On Tuesday, Betty’s first grade girlfriend Helen Marie called and they enjoyed a lengthy visit on the phone. Hospice Nurse Cathey came for her regular visit and during that check-up she strongly counseled Betty about eating [It’s OK to eat when you want to; it’s OK to not eat when your body says, “No.”] Since that talk, Betty has been a little more willing to eat a bit now and then. A favorite cousin (and her hubby) called and we enjoyed that long and precious conference call for much of an hour. Our Wednesday night Bible group, somewhat diminished by the absence of travelers, spent the study time reading together from the Psalms. A very special local friend came to visit, to bring our evening meal, and to sit with Betty while Patty and I made a quick run to Costco. Barb’s love gift of food, time, concern and hugs was far more timely and needed than she could have imagined. So in spite of the storm clouds this week, the sun breaks [Son-Breaks!] delivered by family, friends and loved ones reminded us to look for our daily blessing not in the pain and disability and loss occurring in our physically declining bodies but in the lives and hearts and spirits of believers and thoughtful friends who hold us dear and who take the time to express their feelings in tangible ways.

Winter won't last much longer; Springtime and a season of renewal will be coming soon. I know this more from God's steadfast Word and faithful promises than from the waverings of Punxsutawney Phil, the pessimistic groundhog. Instead of worrying about how much winter remains, we are looking forward to the warm, refreshing, heavenly days ahead.

A PERIOD OF CALM IN THE STORM

2012-02-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

For the most part we seem to be in a bit of a lull for now. Nothing too alarming has happened recently. Well, the wind has been blowing quite strongly and clearing the trees of deadwood by strewing it across the lawns. All the leaves of last fall which did not yield to autumn days of raking have come out of hiding and are now waist deep against the mid-lawn chain-link fence. All the friends who have visited over the past couple of weeks have been mellow and enjoyable, both those from out-of-town and the local folk. My papa used to say, "Things are goin' swimmingly".

Betty’s bouts of tummy purging have been infrequent and mostly more like minor spit-ups than gushers (except for the one coming home from the doctor’s office. The floor mats are still drying from that one.). The one major change in our ongoing combination of efforts to deal with her cancer is that Betty’s oncologist has decided that the infusions every four weeks to keep the available calcium fixed in her bone is not necessary based on the testing done prior to each session. His medical position seems to be that it may be counterproductive to administer treatments of any sort for which there is no evident need and for which there are no observable benefits. He does not want to stress her body’s limited capacity to deal on its own with whatever the cancer may be doing at present. Otherwise, all we have to report at present is that pain is successfully under control, nausea is mostly managed; however, her appetite is completely gone and her naps are both longer and more frequent. When she can't or won't eat its harder to get the daily regimine of pills into her on time. That's probably our biggest challenge for now.

Betty has carefully managed her energies in order to be able to continue attending at least the worship portion of the Sunday morning assembly of our congregation. Only once recently, when she was racked with coughing driven by bronchitis, has she been unable to manage the round trip and the ninety minutes she loves of songs, prayers, and communion. Her decision to continue this much of her contact with the church is based upon her conviction that gathering with other believers is a God given mandate and blessing. From the comments I have heard from many of our precious Christian friends, Betty has no idea of how inspiring her effort and example is being to others. Her desire, of course, is primarily to praise God, but she does derive a great deal of encouragement and support from the many who love her and who make a point of sharing their affection in hugs and sweet words. So many gather around her after the dismissal that some don’t even get a chance to speak with her and have to leave their comments and greetings with me. Later, as she carefully reviews the brief visit with each friend and recalls each individual conversation she again benefits and not only is physically strengthened by remembering the conversations but is again uplifted by the tender expressions of love and whatever news was shared.

Thank you to those who continue to pass along bits of your lives and activities in the steady flow of cards and phone calls. These always brighten Betty’s day. In fact, checking the mail has always been one of the highest priorities of any day as long as I have known her, but it has never been more important than it is now. We have noticed that several dear individuals have been faithful to correspond regularly since the beginning of this journey. There will be a special place in Glory for anyone who writes notes of encouragement which arrive dependably every week. You are earning bright stars in your crowns, to be sure! Keep those cards and letters a-coming, folks!

Finally for this post, I must mention the cadre of close friends that are willing to come at short notice to help out or to visit with Betty while I run errands or just get out for a short break. Each of these sisters (and an occasional brother) is/are deeply appreciated for their love and support and the time they are willing to invest to bring us some flexibility and relief. Most valuable and diligent among this group, of course, has been Patty (virtually every day) and her brothers (David and Geoffrey) when they can manage to be in town. Patty checks in frequently, comes almost daily, and often bears a meal or a gift or a movie to share. These all lighten the passing of time and lighten our mood. Even the kid’s spouses and families have been exceptionally involved and supportive. My personal deep thanks to each one of you. Your caring and sharing is a blessing to us.

EXPLAINING A MAJOR DECISION

2012-01-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

Last August and September have become foggy distant memories. So much happened back then that we felt we were engulfed in a blizzard of medical tests and appointments. Or perhaps we felt like a bit of flotsam hurtling down the rapids of a steep chasm and headed for the brink of a huge precipice. There were multiple doctors and technicians at multiple medical facilities on multiple days and we endured countless tests, and lab work and CAT Scans, MRIs, PET Scans, major surgeries, radiation, and an almost infinite series of blood draws that often resulted in ugly bruises.

Although we had assumed the worst based on bits and pieces gleaned here and there the ultimate diagnosis and its related phenomena, endometrial (uterine) cancer with metastases to her bones, was gently explained to us by “Dr. R”, her surgical oncologist as being terminal, and from that very moment Betty explained to him why she would not be participating in the conventional (and usually fruitless) chemotherapies or other aggressive attempts to overtake the advanced progression of her disease. Once the reasoning behind her decision was understood by this primary care cancer specialist, he only urged Betty to consider a monthly infusion of a medication which seems to help fix the body’s calcium in the bones to help prevent breaks and fractures as long as possible. Next week she will take the fifth infusion of this medication, and thus far has had no disabling mechanical bone trauma.

Just as a review to those readers who may have missed the primary factors in Betty’s decision, let me restate the background of that significant conclusion. Betty was diagnosed in 1990 with Parkinson’s Disease and subsequently has been involved in not only in care for her personal variation of that malady but has generously participated in research projects searching for an understand of PD that might lead to better treatments or to an eventual cure for this awful neurological movement disorder. Early on she formed and encouraged a support group designed to benefit and enable other “young onset” Parkinson patients in coping with their diagnosis and its effects upon their lives, and with physically maintaining as much of one’s physical capabilities as possible. Together we have attend meetings, seminars, and annual symposiums with the aims of staying informed and of urging others to keep their own level of knowledge of the disease current.

In Betty’s mind, I suppose, she has always had a clear understanding of the probable and usual outcome of Parkinson’s Disease upon an individual at life’s end and has always desired to avoid the horrible effects of that lingering kind of purgatory. Knowing that has made it easier for me to accept her decision to skip trying to treat and defeat cancer which is at best a struggle most unlikely to succeed and one which is fraught with much violent illness as the chemo drugs destroy the immune system. Choosing to accept the cancer and live out the remaining time with quality and style under the palliative care of Hospice was for her a simple decision. Now, four and a half months later, I have not detected one moment of doubt or regret or second-guessing related to the initial plan. She did not hesitate then, nor does she question her choice now. In large part this is why Betty is calm and serene about this phase of her life and is able to convey that peace of mind and spirit to the host of family and friends who have flocked to her side in person or in cards and letters and calls of love and support.

It should not be surprising to any who are paying attention that Betty is doing remarkably better than was expected at first. We collect these expectations from the stories and experiences we all have heard concerning dying, especially from a fearful illness like cancer. Many individuals do not live long after being placed in Hospice care and we tend to think of it as a last ditch effort to manage the very last days with comfort. Indeed, that is the goal and the desire of the remarkable individuals who serve in this special medical ministry. But sometimes despite the doctors best understanding, an individual surpasses expectations and excels. Whether this is the result of good care or of a strong constitution or of the depth of a person’s will and determination we can not say with certainty. We believe it is primarily God’s compassionate answer to ceaseless and fervent prayer. That Betty continues to do well is powerful testimony to something far more powerful than the results of our daily caregiving. Although she eats very little and sleeps quite a lot, she is still able to get from room to room (with difficulty) and enjoy her company and the precious gifts of her children and others. We continue to enjoy with her every minute of this window of life. Consider following her example of cherishing family and spreading joy to whomever may be nearby. The benefits are warm and uplifting. The wonderful memories formed during the past four and a half months are precious and will be cherished.

About that analogy of hurtling over the precipice ... Well, we did, and now we are in that quiet period of soaring free, sort of suspended in mid-air. In many ways it is a moment of calm and wonder and the passing of time seems suspended for now. Our perception of all that is around us is both intense and keenly focused, and we feel as though we are being held aloft by angel's wings. I know it will soon pass, and reality will be faced, but we are enjoying this sensation of being upheld by so many loved ones in so many thoughtful, prayerful ways. We have looked back at nearly 48 years of togetherness, but the view of what lies ahead is what fascinates us now. Indeed, the best is yet to come.

READER ALERT: Check out David’s video of our family photos by going to Patty’s blog. Her address is www.clayinkpot.blogspot.com. David also posted it on YouTube under the title “Five People Become Fifteen”, but I don’t know how to tell you how to access it there. This little film is receiving rave reviews, and should you come to visit us, viewing it with Betty is mandatory. You won’t be disappointed.

ANOTHER WEEK OF BLESSINGS TO ENJOY

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

There’s seldom a dull moment around here. In fact, there have been few quiet moments around here since Thanksgiving. We have really needed the kids to be available, and we have enjoyed all the other company, but I think we are just about ready to succumb to the balance of winter and spend some of the coming weeks trying to get in a little hibernation time.

Last Sunday we were especially blessed when Betty’s sister-in-law Billie Jo drove up from California to visit. With her were daughter Rene (from the same farmstead) and her son Joey (from Florida). The former is director for a group of public school libraries and the latter is a concierge who manages large events in the hospitality industry. The time spent with them exploring and renewing family history and happy memories was delightful and a great boost for Betty. David and his girls were here too while Paige was running a half-marathon in Phoenix, and Geoffrey arrived after a lengthy delay in Seattle (he was traveling on a stand-by ticket).

Altogether, most of the home meals were designed around thirteen of us, counting the Patty’s family. We have always been proud that our dining room table seats thirteen uncomfortably, and indeed it did again, although a separate card table was in place for the “youth group”. With so many experienced cooks, we did not lack for good ideas for menus; what we seem to lack is an adequate supply of dishwashers and clean-up specialists.

Among the things I have enjoyed with all the visitors are the interactions of individuals with Betty and the broad range of topics that have come up during each visit. Each person brings a unique set of memories to review and a customized package of interests and knowledge. In some ways, these past few months have seemed to open a host of new subjects both in the scope of their subject matter and in the depth or thoroughness of the conversational coverage. Family members always bring family matters to share and explore, whether in terms of history or of current events. Friends often offer the topics which currently occupy their thinking or items ABOUT which they have received recent new information or those activities most recent in their own experiences. Collectively, this has resulted in a panoply of interesting discussions and curious chats. Like I said, “There’s seldom a dull moment around here.”

Because of a lengthy period of emesis and discomfort recently, a modification was made in Betty’s daily medication routine – an intricate tapestry of pills and such for anti-nausea, pain control, and management of Parkinson’s symptoms. Currently, if she accepts everything on schedule, Betty takes from one to seven pills about thirteen different times a day. Wouldn’t you get tired of that routine? Well, so does she (and so does her pill-pusher). Anyway, the change has been beneficial and she has had few cases of “lunch-loss” since late last week. We still recognize the need for plenty of rest and making allowances for three or four naps, morning and afternoon, to help maintain the level of energy required each day. Please understand, we have nothing to complain about since we are well into the fifth month since the confirmed diagnosis of cancer, and Betty is still able to get up and move (with difficulty) from room to room. She is never negative about her lot, and simply does not whine or gripe about the situation. Instead, her calmness and serenity and sense of peace continues to build up the rest of us and give us reason to maintain the high level of hope we are holding onto in this difficult circumstance.

Surely God is good, and loving, and compassionate, and His mercies endure forever.

BALANCING THE ROUTINE WITH THE SUBLIME

2012-01-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

While much of the time passes quickly, it seems many days are quite a bit the same. We have a set of routines that frame our days into the morning activities, and afternoons, and evenings. When we both are awake and up, I try to help my brain to awaken by reading the local newspaper; sadly, I can’t always find enough interesting material to do the job, but just getting it from the porch area and bringing it to the table and fixing a cup of tea, and going through the motions is a beginning of sorts. Meanwhile, Betty usually rises and dresses and we discuss what (if anything) she thinks she could accept (and retain) for her breakfast; it could be egg and toast, Cream of Wheat, a personally tailored smoothie, or some other possibility. After I fix whatever it is, I usually tidy up the bedroom by making the bed, putting away clothing and other items from the previous day and night, and prepare the first of her doses of pills for the day. Then the game becomes, will the food and pills “keep” long enough to do her some medical and nutritional good. Recently the score has averaged about 50/50.

The rest of Betty’s morning may include some on-line checks of real e-mail and sorting through the junk mail for good stuff that was misclassified. She spends some of the mornings sorting and re-reading her many cards and lots of love, encouragement and she punctuates the morning with napping. I generally use that time to tidy up around the house and getting things back in their places. When the mid-day begins, it’s another round of trying to guess what snack or mini-meal might settle in and not end up in a pink plastic tub. If there is a jig-saw puzzle spread out, we might work a bit on it until the next nap calls. We try to time things around the pill schedule, but often have to be a little flexible since some of the day’s problems pay no attention to clocks and schedules. When the afternoon nap is underway, I have been dividing my days between reading and just succumbing to the siesta myself. A cozy blanket and a bit of quiet and an hour pressing my pillow are becoming more frequent and more appreciated as the days slowly pass by. Some days we spend a portion of this naptime just cuddling and talking and that’s some of our most precious time together. Other special times are when Patty and/or her girls stop by almost every day to check on us.

The evenings are mostly alike, and usually contain evening meals, if any, and medications, and (depending on the day) a little television. We work our way through the favorite news programming for a couple of hours before “Jeopardy” comes on at 7:00, after which we selectively watch whatever we favor and talk and reflect on the day and the phone calls and on upcoming plans. This weekend David comes with his girls (late Friday through Monday), Betty’s sister-in-law and her two kids are driving up from central California to spend at least Sunday with us, and Geoffrey arrives sometime Sunday to spend another week helping to spoil “The Mom”. When Edwin and the girls join us we will have a house-load of thirteen visiting and sharing the entertainment. Should be a fine time. [ BTW: Patty is in Texas for a job related, church—planting staff meeting, and Paige is in Phoenix running a half-marathon.]

One ongoing experience we have been enjoying fairly frequently has been the face-to-face visits of friends from present and past. We have had several couples we knew in various places in Alaska make special efforts to come to Vancouver and check on us, often bringing gifts and always packing wonderful shared memories. Individuals who have touched our lives in widely varying ways have come to spend time expressing their love and concerns. One couple was even married in our back yard – years ago, of course. Friends of our kids, now friends of ours, have planned special trips from their distant homes to ours just to bring encouragement and their personal expressions of concern. In addition to our own kids (both the local crew and those who live elsewhere) we have appreciated our grandsons’ other grandmother who always brings an aura of joy and delight with her. Many of the members of the congregation we have attended here for twenty-four years have dropped by to express their love and share their prayers. Many times they have brought meals or thoughtful little gifts that have lifted our spirits. And more often that I could count, the folk in our mid-week home Bible Study group have filled in serving as “babysitters” and pitching in with domestic chores to make the work-load around here lighter and less onerous. These are hearts and hands of love which are eager to return the blessings they have received from Betty over the years in small but useful acts of caring and sharing. Believe me, their thoughts and efforts are deeply appreciated.

The routines described earlier are easily forgotten and o’er shadowed by the visitation of good and Godly people who have taken the time to be a part of our recent journey. These thoughtful contacts have indeed lightened our days and given us much to reflect upon and cherish. We are continuing to work these visits into our schedule, although as Betty needs more rest and suffers increasing bouts of “nausea” and all that brings, we do appreciate folk calling ahead to check for suggestions as to the more appropriate times to stop by. As long as we are able we hope to continue to be nourished and sustained by the outpouring of love from friends from all the eras of our marriage and travels. Y’all Come, Hear?

BEGINNING A NEW YEAR WITH BIRTHDAY WEEK

2012-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we thought Betty would have emesis every day, but after a string of five tough afternoons, it subsided for a brief time; Then it was back for three days, but as of Sunday (the 8th), we are again “urps-free” since Friday. I know it may seem strange to measure good days and bad by the need or freedom from “pink plastic tubs”, but that’s exactly where we are when the primary characteristic of this bone metastasized cancer is doing its deadly damage. Still, after an early morning which didn’t start out too promising, Betty rallied and we were able to attend morning worship to begin this week. On the strength of that time with God in company with our church family, we will make it until Wednesday evening when our small, home-study Bible group will gather here and we will again be refreshed and nourished for the balance of the week.

Last Thursday morning was given to receiving the monthly infusion of Palmidronate Disodium, a medication designed to capture and fix calcium in her bones in hopes of forestalling any quick depletion of this vital material and to possibly minimize bone fractures or outright breaks which would almost certainly hasten her demise. That outing was extra hard on her since it took more than four hours instead of the more reasonable hour and a half. It took over a day to recover from the effort and stress. Wherever we are and especially at home, we are being extra careful to avoid falling or attempting any other physical activity which might endanger her bones since they are now at great and increasing hazard. Part of this protective mode calls for long sessions just sitting in the (plush and overstuffed) “Dream Chair” or taking ever more frequent naps throughout the days and evenings. As always, the favorite pastime is reading your cards and letters, folks, and visiting or ministering to others by telephone.

Last week we made it to and through our mutual birthdays with many cards, greetings, calls, and some really thoughtful gifts. The 3rd (hers), the 4th (ours) and the 5th (mine) were celebrated and shared and thoroughly enjoyed. David came over from Kennewick for Friday and Saturday and as always is great company. In his usual helpful way, he took on some house and cleaning projects which were appreciated, provided some fine company, but best of all presented us with the product of some special labors he has been conjuring over since late November. David used many (most?) of the 528 photos he took at the family photo session at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort and Spa on November 26th to create a DVD movie of each of our fifteen individual family members in family groupings and all together in the pictures that include everyone, warts, winks, blinks and all. It is a masterpiece of art, photography, humor, and insight set to Muppet Music and other tunes. Even the “shut-eye" shots were included as the song “Don’t Blink” plays and explains how quickly time passes as kids grow up and marry and have their own families and it is all going by so rapidly one shouldn’t “Blink” for fear of missing out on so much. To match this talented gift David also presented us with a book he based on Psalm 23 and illustrated with his own aerial photographs; it is gorgeous!

David and his Mom spent more than eight uninterrupted hours together Friday night while Patty took me to the River City Bluegrass Festival to see some of the top-rated musicians in that finest of American Music genres. We were in or near the front rows at three of the individual concerts given by some of the greatest talents of today. Although we heard perhaps fifty or sixty different songs by five or more “sets” of artists, I have stored away in mind and heart several specific performances which were completely amazing to experience “up close and personal”. The most incredible example was played by the fiddler for the Steep Canyon Rangers, Nicky Sanders, whose rendition of “The Orange Blossom Special”, the classic fiddlers train song, I have heard hundreds of times, and many times live. This stunning performance outshined them all by far! Even recalling it now to mention it in this blog has raised my pulse, caused me to choke up, and filled my eyes with tears. Well, we also enjoyed an up-and-coming young group, the Bluegrass Regulators, a remarkable demonstration by Tommy Emmanuel, an extraordinary guitarist, and a rollicking round of more traditional Bluegrass by the Travelin McCourys, a top group Internationally. If you follow Bluegrass (or know how to Google) you might appreciate how special and exciting this birthday outing was for me.

Betty and I continue to appreciate and remark upon your expressions of love and concern which are a comfort and a solace to us. We will have additional family coming next weekend and beyond, so we are not without activity nor are we pining away alone at home. Life, even when severely threatened, is to be lived and shared and enjoyed. It is full of blessings, everyone a welcome experience or a gift of delight, and we are thriving upon the friendships we have gathered over the years while we relish the days which remain for Betty and me to share together with family and with you.

SWEET BETTY, MY BRIDE

2011-12-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

This picture taken Thanksgiving week, 2011.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BETTY (on JANUARY 3rd)

2011-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

***Thanks to our kids, our friends and even a few thoughtful strangers, we had a wonderful Christmas Holiday gathering. The most precious gift of all, with the obvious exception of celebrating the Birth and Incarnation of a Savior, was having Betty to cherish, honor, and even spoil a little. All the activity and attention including the opening of presents by the grandsons really centered on making sure “Memaw” was comfortable, involved, served, and the focus of all that was going on.
***Our family custom of taking turns opening gifts one at a time, starting with the youngest, while the rest watch to see what is revealed and the reaction of the recipient took a long time this year with all fifteen of us assembled and a mountain of wrapped presents surrounding the tree and covering the lower limbs. Still, we kept up a lively pace and eventually all was revealed and each of us had ample evidence that Santa and family truly loved each one of us best.
***The usual grand meal was delayed until late in the afternoon, and this year it was scaled back to only two or three times as much as we could actually consume at a single sitting. There was ham and a dozen trimmings and enough left-overs for several days of additional meals. There were bottles of bubbly soda, a multitude of desserts, and every sort of extra treat.
***Betty and I agreed that much of our joys came from (1) time we were able to spend with each adult, and (2) watching the precious way the cousins (shorthand for all the kids) interacted. There are special combinations of older girls and younger girls but they all mix in special and loving ways. Each of these also made special efforts to monitor and spend play-time with the boys (3 yrs & 20 mos.). Both Grandma and Papa John had individual time with each grandkid, so our “quivers are full” and we are most content indeed.
***With the continuing onslaught of her cancer, Betty’s physical condition continues to weaken and she seems to spend much more time a-bed, napping or simply resting this week. Nasty nausea continues to cause the greatest discomfort as the non-narcotic medications are still able to control the basic bone pain. One considerable concern is her lack of appetite and her loss of desire to eat more than a few bites early in the day. She has tried but just can’t keep much down. Now we are starting to notice weight loss and will be monitoring that factor as another indicator of her daily condition.
***All of us who are close to Betty testify together that she remains strong in spirit and faith and in her determination to make this process as easy and pleasant for the rest of us as possible. There are no complaints, no regrets, no demands, no whining, and no negative comments. She is cheerful, encouraging, sometimes witty, and generous with her kind words. If she has a fault, it might be in apologizing for “being a burden” or for letting us wait upon her every little need when she thinks she can get up and take care of it herself. (When she can, we let her, but much of the time she can’t really do all she thinks she should be doing, so we are constantly trying to anticipate what she needs and what she is plotting to do.)
***Let me continue to state that the mail and calls Betty is receiving so faithfully from you is usually the highlight of the day. Her mother used to send long handwritten letters every few days and Betty always looked forward to those letters of love more than anything else. Even now, nothing delights her more than to receive even a card merely signed. A card with a message is treasured, and a real letter is read and reread, and every nuance of love and joy is extracted from each word and phrase of the text. Our day is not complete until I have visited the mailbox and should I forget, I will be reminded. Let me write this boldly: Take a moment to send her a Happy Birthday Card right away (Jan.3, 2012) and jot in it a few words of encouragement and include something about yourself and how you are doing. Thank You.

[Here's our address: 2109 NE 185th Ave. Vancouver, WA-USA 98684]

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BETTY AND ME

2011-12-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all my regular readers. Thank you for your comments and for your support. Every thought you share is another blessing to us. Although I'm not putting up the comments now, they are each appreciated and mean a lot to us. We hope you will have a warm celebration with your most precious family and friends that will equal the one we are going to enjoy together this week. Here's this week's report on my precious and special bride.

This gritty lady of mine continues to amaze me and her kids, her friends and fellow church goers, and our dedicated Hospice nurse. As an insider to her activities around here, I get to see how determined she to accomplish various activities of daily living and how she continues to “over-reach” herself. Some of the things she tries to do backfire because while her mind understands the mechanics of a task, her body is limited in how well it can perform. The combination of poor balance, and literally reaching beyond the tipping point combined with more weakness than she will admit has led to more than one recent fall and to several serious scares over near flops. I have explained how terrified I am that she might fall and break a hip or other major bone – or any bone, for that matter, as rotten as they are becoming – and unnecessarily hasten her decline. She, of course, promises to be careful. I am holding my breath; however, I’m not supposed to hover too closely either. She needs to have room to do what she can still do on her own.

Never-the-less, as I started to explain, little Miss “I-Can-Do-It-Myself” seems to know her ability and understand her limits better than any of the rest of us. She is getting around the house and getting her own e-mail and ice cream and enjoys helping tend to the grandsons. There are some limits, but overall she still achieves beyond our expectations. For example, Betty has not missed a Sunday of attending Worship because of her disabling cancer and one evening this week she was able to go with me to be part of a prayer group visit to a sweet friend who has just entered Hospice care herself. Since any trip out of the house is now a major effort, Betty’s determination to go out at night (her most difficult hours) to help support a Christian sister who is herself now incapacitated by this wicked disease is testimony to her indomitable spirit and to what John Wayne would have called her “sand”. (An old West word for “True Grit”.)

So here we are only a couple of shopping days before Christmas and we really haven’t had any chance to get her out to join the frenzy from store to store. The blessing of all this is that just a few months ago not a single doctor or nurse or other medical expert was willing to even express the possibility of our being able to share the Christmas Holidays together as family and have Betty still with us. We are trying to convince her that we will not miss presents she might have selected and wrapped and put under the tree for each of us because she herself is the best possible gift any of us will celebrate this year.

Betty is experiencing more pain but she does not complain. I've always known she has a high tolerance threshhold, well beyond what I can endure, but even walking with the walker is a struggle for her now, but she doesn't even think of giving up. So for now, we work around the come-and-go nausea related illnesses and we accommodate quiet times while she works on her napping skills, and we are able to keep everyone else fed even if she isn’t joining in for all the meals. What we could not do is celebrate family Christmas without her this particular year. Another thing we can not do without is the sum of all the prayers in Betty’s behalf that each one of you is offering for every one of her remaining days.

Enjoy the “Lights of the Season” but remember who is the permanent “Light of the World” Please have a wonderful Holiday with your loved ones. Merry Christmas!

T'WAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

OK, just a brief note today to represent this week. Basically there is little change in Betty’s condition. She is still suffering nausea and often will suddenly “toss her cookies” [Sorry, there are few nice ways to mention vomiting.] Most of the time that takes care of the problem for a while and she rarely enters the cycle of continuing into the “dry heaves” stage. The results, however, are always the same. She loses any food she has managed to eat and any recent pills are lost also, so we wait a bit and try the dose again. Since a couple of the tabs are to counter/prevent? Nausea, timing and retention are interacting puzzles. She is eating very little now and is slowly growing weaker, and she is falling more often. This is a normal progression in the later weeks of this illness. Just keep her in your frequent prayers, please.

Thursday evening Betty was asked to be the guest speaker for the church youth group. The organizers suggested she just tell her story which she did quite briefly, and her remarks were quite appropriate for a teenage group. Unfortunately many of the kids attending were much younger and I felt many of the more important suggestions she included about making important decisions at various stages of life were not understood. More's the pity since most kids are really unskilled at exercising good decision making skills. The effort seemed to take a lot out of both of us and we spent much of early Friday morning returning to a warm bed to extend our “naps”. [We are beginning to follow the wonderful example of Ira and Fern, a precious senior couple who chose to spend much of their dwindling time together talking cuddling.]

Grandson Lucas John is home from his tonsil and adenoid surgery and too sore to want to swallow. At first he was resisting offers of cool drink, including Papa John’s ice cream shake, but he was quick to bring a book to Memaw who lovingly read it to him, (after which he put the book back in its place and brings her another). I guess we know who rates around here!! By Friday night Lucas was mostly back to his usual activities, PTL.

Finally, today may have been unusual in one respect. I think it is the first day since mid-August on which Betty did not receive at least one card of love and comfort from some admirer somewhere in the world. (I’m sure this is because of the inefficiency of the postal service and not that her precious public has said all it has to say). I know I’ve mentioned this before, but the cards and message received from everyone have been a daily joy to her and an important part of her doing so well so far. She reads and rereads them every one and shares them with me other family and with select visitors as she praises the senders and expresses her wonder at the tender words the mail has brought.

Family gathers this coming week to celebrate together again. We are all looking forward to hunkering down at home and being with one another through the holiday weekend. Our hope in the coming week is that all of you will reflect upon the Miracle of Incarnation which began in a humble manger and culminated in the Power of Resurrection. What a Gift to us all!! Remember to unwrap this story with others (your family, perhaps?) sometime in the next few days and keep its important message with you throughout the coming year. It will warm your spirit and bless you beyond measure. So, Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus.

A BALANCE OF CHANGES AND BLESSINGS

2011-12-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

***Here we go again with the nausea and accompanying “pink tubs”. Betty has been having more frequent bouts of this illness, and following a couple of falls early this week, she is also having considerably more pain. Hospice nurse Cathey has increased the dosage of her non-narcotic anti-pain medication and that has helped somewhat, but the resultant effect seems to be longer and more frequent naps. Those who have called and asked to drop by when convenient are seeing her still in her jammies these days.
***Another change I am more concerned about is that she is only eating bits and dabs of her meals now. Betty explained it to her oncologist as just not being hungry and his explanation was that this is a common development as the body reacts (“accommodates”) to the ongoing cancer which is still at work. Finally, it is increasingly obvious to me, at least, that she is weaker and is not as capable physically as she was a month ago. Getting around – just inside from room to room, up and down from bed and chairs, in and out of the front door or the car – is beginning to require deliberate thought and strategic pauses to figure out balance and foot placement and rally the strength. I am staying much closer as she navigates but still realize that she can go down before I can prevent the tumble as she did earlier this week.
***I do not know if these oncoming problems are deliberately matched by God’s special blessings or not, but it appears that whenever there is a new problem or we face a higher level over some development or deterioration, there also comes to counter it a special letter full of encouraging and loving words, a tender and meaningful call from a dear friend, or an unexpected visit from someone who has been important in our lives. We have noticed a couple of her correspondents are writing weekly with cheerful thoughts and fascinating news and abundant love blended with spiritual encouragement. Of course these are the letters she opens first and over which she lingers longest. In another case, a local family stopped by with a beautiful, handmade seasonal gift in hand to check on her well-being. They brought all their young and wonderful children who very politely participated in the conversations and shared about their schooling and other activities including one of their ongoing money-making projects. (Of course, we quickly invested in that!) Their thoughtfulness in coming to visit and express their love and concern was touching and was deeply appreciated. Before these friends departed, each family was prayed for by the other. (If you know me, you will understand my tears of gratitude both then and now as I relate it to you.) This week my brother from Northern California was able to visit for a few days and be a witness to Betty’s situation and her own state of mind and spirit. I believe he was reassured that she is calm and at peace about her remaining days and that she is being not only brave for herself but heroic in her concern for the peace of mind of others.
***Speaking of tears which come these days with almost every emotion, let me assure you that for me they are always of value. I am finding my tears to come for a host of reasons and in almost every case they bring comfort. Some flow because of joy, some are caused by moments of expressed love, many come in spiritual moments of prayer or when hearing or reading scripture. Those tears that well up when reflecting on the highlights of our past and the many beloved souls we have known and who have been part of our journey together are frequent now as we review the many folk and events that have filled our years with delights. The tears which are most bitter for me are those I shed when thinking of what still lies ahead for Betty and for me. I do not fear her future for it will be eternal and in the warmest sunlight of God’s Love. I do dread the oncoming days of dealing with pain and other discomforts that this cancer still has in store for her. I fear the days that will follow as I must face walking without her until eventually comes the blessing of my own release from mortality. So for now at least, I find my tears – which I do not control – to serve their various purposes, and I ask that you not be concerned for me if my voice “washes out” by a sudden “flash flood”.

A WEEK OF ABUNDANT GRACE

2011-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

I love bird watching and always enjoy the spring and fall migrations when the many varieties pass through leaving memories of brief glimpses of color, form, behavior and character. This past week, family-wise, has been a similar migratory kaleidoscope with families coming and going. It was a swirl of bodies with all our chicks and all their chicks a part of the multihued cloud from the 23rd to the 30th. The first arrivals were from Alaska and represented overall the youngest average adult and adolescent combinations. That was Geoffrey, Dana, Eli and Lucas. The local brood – Edwin, Patty, Jessica, Bethany, and Tabitha - were quick to check them out. By Wednesday Eve the eastern flock arrived too – David, Paige, Katie, and Payton – giving us a complete mix for the big meal on Thanksgiving Day. That meant our whole flock of fifteen were together again in a wonderful and richly blessed visit as we support one another in this process of celebrating life during a time of eminent threat to our beloved Betty.

With a full meal and all the usual trimmings on the menu activity in our little kitchen required the use of superb timing and physical choreography. But on time and complete as envisioned, the bird and its accompaniments were served with panache and in abundance. Everyone was satisfied and even the refrigerators were stuffed for several days following until a few meals constructed of leftovers, piles of turkey sandwiches, a huge pot of turkey soup, and lots of snacking brought the extras under control.

The days were filled with shopping trips, and various outings. The evenings tended toward games and DVD movies, with helpings of football games and jigsaw puzzles scattered throughout the daytimes. One new event was team competition in a video scavenger hunt, (See Patty’s blog in the sidebar) The house was busy with the hum of family activity, occasional shrieks of a youngster’s opinion, or outbursts of laughter from the grownups. Memaw Betty held sway from her “Dream Chair” and was always ready to read to or encourage the grandsons or join a conversation with the grand-daughters. Fortunately, her current balance of medications allowed most of her waking hours to be free from nausea and emesis. The most noticeable aspect of her current condition was the need for more frequent and longer naps.

One major outing for all was the forty-five mile trip up the Columbia George to the Bonneville Hot Springs Lodge for family pictures. David arranged it and provided all the camera and flash gear required and took over 500 shots both planned and candid. The initial proofs are wonderful and I predict we will treasure this outing and the portraits for ages to come. We all hope to have copies available to each family by Christmas time.

We know Betty’s cancer continues to work in her bones and that pain management is one of the issues we are trying to stay on top of to keep the on-going damage under bearable levels. Problems we can’t even imagine or predict are being anticipated and met capably by the Hospice Nurse, Cathey, on whom we have come to rely for her skills and for her cheerful disposition. We feel we are in good hands and are not expecting any immediate crisis to surprise us.

Let us be assured of your continuing prayers, for we believe that Betty’s easy passage thus far is the result of God’s benevolent Spirit and his gracious answers to the prayers you are saying in Betty’s behalf. Please keep God’s ears full of your constant petitions for her comfort. And thanks again for the steady stream of cards and love letters and calls and contacts, and for those who have “lent a hand” with caregiving and the other ongoing chores. Your allowing me a bit of respite has made my tasks-load much easier and I am most grateful.

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday devoted to thanks giving, but it is only one day of Grace out of them all. Our week of Grace together was deeply appreciated, but we will be as thankful for each new day or week or month of Grace that may remain. Let's use these gifts from God joyfully while we have them, OK?

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE TURKEY

2011-11-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

It is Thanksgiving Eve, and we are looking forward to the coming of family. They are on the way, and we, like kids tracking the progress of Santa on Christmas eve, are keeping keeping up with where everyone is and when they hope to arrive.

First an update on the past several days. After a rocky start, we finally settled into a milder mode. Betty had several days of moderate and steady “urpsies” requiring the hugging of pink buckets and the use of warm washrags, but Cathey, our Hospice nurse rode again to the rescue with a slight tweaking to the anti-nausea meds and a couple of additional daily doses, and the result has been a couple of pre-holiday days without “losing it”. So mostly yesterday and today we have been resting.

Betty’s energy levels seem to be have slipped a bit this last week too, and she has compensated with longer or more frequent naps. Trying to keep her on schedule for her daily regimen of thirty-five pills for pain, anti-nausea, and PD is a challenge; she does the PDs and I push the rest. That means nine separate pill times with only slight overlap. Naturally she gets weary of pills and half-glasses of water or juice. Meals are a combination of fortified cereals, smoothies, occasional fruit, half-sandwiches, and whatever other mini-meals I can coax her into trying. She also samples a variety of fluids with water and mild fruit juices being preferred and sodas. etc, becoming less appealing. She doesn’t drink coffee and only rarely tries tea, so managing a variety of fluids becomes a challenge too. The other adaptation has been to sleep in more frequently, so the habit of being up-for-the-day at 6:00 AM (or earlier) is pretty well broken at this point.

What is going to boost her spirits and activity level is en route as I write this blog. The elder son and family (four in all including the two granddaughters) are on I-84 westbound and will arrive here late this evening. They will be staying in a friend’s home about a mile and a half west of us. After a long snowstorm delay, the younger son and family (four more including two grandsons) are en route now via Alaska Airlines and will arrive in Seattle hoping to make their connection to Portland tonight. The local daughter and her bunch (five including three granddaughters) will practically live here while all the rest are with us, filling the house with much joy and love and games and puzzles and entertainment and food for four days or more. We will therefore tomorrow at table be a brood of fifteen plus whoever else comes to the door to visit and add to the festivities.

No blessing could be greater than to have all of ours and all of theirs together “in the nest” in this special Thanksgiving season. Truly we have a great deal to be thankful for with all of us able to gather around Betty and shower her with love and appreciation for all she has been and done for us. She, of course, being the matriarch has been praying for and ministering to each of the others longer than any of them have been alive (and that includes the kids our kids married). We all owe her a time of special attention and a chance to express our love and thanks for all she means to each of us. This will not be a time of good-bye, as we all hope to gather again over the December holidays and continue this process of gentle closure. We all hope we will have an opportunity next month be together again.

Meanwhile, it’s turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and all the extras and trimmings tomorrow. Hallelujah! Please be sure to express your own thanksgivings to a gracious God for all his blessings to you and to yours. When you do, remember to add prayers in behalf of our precious nation (especially for our service personnel) and a small prayer for Betty’s well-being in the coming days. Thanks, my friends, and may your blessing be enjoyed as much as are ours.

AN UPDATE ON BETTY"S WEEK

2011-11-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Somehow the days all run together in the fall. Once the weather pattern switches from mostly sunny days to almost perpetual overcast it becomes a bit harder to distinguish one day from another, especially from inside – and we don’t get outdoors as often as we used to.

Glancing out at the rain is not a very good measure of time for us because we have had twenty-four years here of rainy falls, winters, and springs, and twenty prior years of the same in Alaska before that. For us rain is not a useful measure of time passing. Now the seasonal autumn color change is another ticket. We are still in a prolonged transformation of yellows and rusts, and the oranges and reds finally came on strong this week. (See Patty's blog; button at the right) Many of the early colors have already fallen along the roadways, but the trees of color on our acre and a quarter are still in transition. The Japanese Maple is in its finest, the ornamentals – cherrys, crabapples, dogwoods – are well into their cling-tight rusts, the ginko is bright yellow as are the Lombardy Poplars, and the Zelcova Elm is converting it’s jillion leaves from green to pale yellow to light golden brown as they individually drop. The yard under any of these trees is covered, but the rain, ah yes, the rain prohibits any cleanup at present.

This week was above average for Betty in terms of general health and activity. The daily regimen of meals and medications, household routines and personal hygiene were much the same. The highlights were in the visits and varieties of entertainment. The Canasta Ladies came again to play cards and provide a lunch, several videos helped pass the hours, calls came from friends near and far, the steady stream of notes and “get well” messages continued, and among the finest hours was a visit by good friends from our Alaskan Years who stopped by as they headed north again to Juneau. Of course family stays in close touch and Patty’s brood came to share a weird DVD western whose main characters were hairy little critters including many reptiles and other venomous villains. Most importantly, we are still managing to avoid much use of the infamous “pink buckets” due to a good combination of anti-nausea pills.

On Thursday Betty again received her monthly intravenous infusion of a medication designed to hold what calcium remains in her system in her bones. This is not in any way considered curative, but it does seem to help in terms of allowing her to maintain limited mobility which allows her to move about the house and even take the occasional trip to church or out for a restaurant meal. We have noticed that, now that she has had three of these treatments, Betty is often able to stand up on her own from a sitting position, and perhaps in combination with the excellent Hospice care is part of the reason that she has been feeling better and able to be more active each day. I find her sorting out bookcases, boxes of pictures and notes, and paperwork piles of this and that. It’s good to see she feels up to doing anything and to see her mind busy at one task or another. If you stop by (please call ahead first) you might be drafted to help on whatever current jigsaw puzzle is in progress.

As always we are touched by the generous words and thoughtful deeds of family, friends, and folk from the sometimes distant past. Your being in touch gives us great pleasure and your extra efforts to express appreciation to Betty for some past kindness is also precious. We believe God is reminding us (in spite of the world’s take on such things) that in God’s sight it is more correct to say that “no good deed goes unrewarded”. These days are rich with blessings and we are enjoying them with thanksgiving.

PS: One interesting ongoing family saga involves a granddaughter who developed a personal colony of head lice. Whether these were an inevitable byproduct of beginning to attend a public school class after years of itch-free home schooling or a contribution collected from neighborhood buddies is not clear. Neither to school nor the neighbors seem very concerned. The remedies of chemical and natural treatments, vinegar washes, daily “nit-picking” and an extremely thorough cleaning and laundry of everything in their house has complicated life and tested everyone else’s patience, but in the midst of the turmoil, the little one seems to be the calmest of all of us.

FINDING A GROOVE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES

2011-11-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Someone reminded me that they are looking regularly at this blog to find out how both Betty and I are doing. My original intention was to post all the news here every week so folk could do just that. Now, after several weeks, I find I am not being regular about that plan. I guess it’s because the days are all running together and seem so much the same. It’s as though time has become like a cheap telescope. In one end things seem closer; in the other things appear further away. Time is doing that now: it is passing much more quickly than ever before and it is also dragging out to unbelievable lengths. I’m learning that it is harder than ever before to make and maintain a deliberate schedule since there are so many unpredictable variables in the equation.

It’s a strange combination of things we love and stuff we don’t that complicates the planning. For example, we have no love for the unpredictable bouts of nausea or for the emesis which sometimes accompanies them. I’m growing spooky about the multitude of phone calls, often back-to-back, which seem to interrupt so many hands-on tasks. I know that irritation is due more to the volume of unsolicited solicitors and mundane business callers we receive than to the calls of family and friends calling to check in or check up. We always appreciate the contact of loved ones whenever it comes. These are the highlights of each day. One friend of over fifty years called Wednesday and together we delighted in recalling shared activities over the years and reminded one another of the many ways we had worked together in the Lord’s various ministries. The love expressed in that one contact will buoy us up for many days to come. Such calls are a balm to our weary spirits.

As for Betty’s condition, we are dependant upon Hospice Nurse Cathey for her regular calls and visits and for her current success in minimizing the impact of pain and nausea due to the bone cancer. The non-narcotic medication to which we have switched seems to be doing the desired job while not contributing to other unpleasant side effects. The spacing of the tummy soothing pills by type and strength is a small miracle of applied modern pharmaceuticals. Betty has been able to attend Sunday Morning Worship Assemblies each week and was strong enough to enjoy lunch at a favorite restaurant last week. Wednesday afternoon, Patty suggested a drive in the countryside to view the changing fall colors on what might be the last sunny day for a while, and we did see some brilliant reds, yellows, oranges, and variegated “rust” hues. That was a joyful drive. As always, the gathering of our mid-week home Bible Study group was a support and a comfort. It’s been nice to be able to reclaim some of these activities.

In recent weeks a new routine of daily activities has developed. Collectively we have about a dozen times a day to take pills, so we try to condense that schedule by letting the times slide until they overlap. I’m learning the peculiar habits of the vacuum cleaner, have nearly grasped the basic settings on the clothes washers and dryers and on the dishwasher. I’m pretty good at dividing the dirty linens and clothes into “dark and light” now. I’m still pulling together schedules for when to sweep, mop, scrub toilets, and (shudder) dust, but all of these are becoming more familiar each week. Of great help have been the kids and a few friends who tend to act like family and just take up a task like it was their personal assignment. I’m grateful for the help and for the time saved toward other jobs on the list. Apparently, when the regular house keeper can’t do it all, it takes a small community to replace her. I have a much deeper appreciation of what Betty has been quietly accomplishing around our place over nearly forty-eight years.

The doctors do not have any way to treat Betty’s cancer in terms of cure because of her decision to avoid chemo and similar harsh therapies, but she is accepting a monthly infusion of a medication that helps fix the remaining calcium in her bones. This is given with the hope of retaining as much bone strength as possible to minimize the chance of fractures and breaks that might accelerate the pain or affect her mobility. This choice is compatible with the goals of Hospice which are primarily to manage daily living as free of pain, discomfort or disability as possible. Currently Betty can get around in the house with her walker and is able to do small projects or enjoy the puzzles often set out, tinker with her laptop, watch TV and DVDs, and get to and from her frequent naps. As always, she looks forward to the daily mail and the several cards and love note she steadily receives. In that sense, every day is like Christmas morning. We are both enjoying the attention of caring friends and letting the glory of our blessings reflect upon the Benevolent and Beneficent God whom we are trying to serve even in these circumstances.

LIVING EACH DAY TO ITS FULLEST

2011-10-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Constantly, the days are full of blessings, which we really enjoy, and they are also packed with various responsibilities which are keeping us busy. God is indeed good, every day, and His people are remarkably thoughtful.

Let's start with an update on Betty’s condition. Most folk who know her are aware of Betty’s quiet and gentle spirit. It is even more powerfully displayed in her serene and peaceful acceptance of the cancer which has invaded virtually all her bones. She is completely aware that by opting against chemo or other aggressive therapies her journey will be terminal sooner than later. This choice she felt was preferable to undergoing the reported horrors of chemotherapy and its accompanying nausea and superior also to even surviving the cancer to linger in the wilderness of Parkinson’s disease. The only treatments she is receiving are a monthly infusion designed to stabilize her bones by locking in some of the remaining calcium and the collective palliative efforts of Hospice; however, neither of these plans can cure or control the cancer.

There is some solace in knowing that Hospice through the special ministry of Nurse Cathey is doing all it can to make her days comfortable, although that struggle has not gone well this week. For the most part, bone pain has been successfully managed; however, nausea continues to be a challenge not yet mastered. Various possibilities as to the cause have been explored, including varying the timing of medications, elimination of all non-essential supplements like multi vitamins, swapping suspect medications for others, and a wide selection of foods to try with the pills. We are hoping that the most recent change and manipulation of pills and times will result in less need for the pink bucket and the cool washcloth. (For the record, nausea is the top item on Betty’s list of personal things she hates, so she will literally do anything to avoid it.)

In other good news/bad news, the water damaged bathroom floor was finally repaired making showers possible again after thirteen days of bathing with wet-wipes and a pan of soapy water.

Best of all, during the past week, Betty was able to have all of her children at home and waiting on her, showing their love in words and deeds and lavish acts of generosity. In cooperation with a Bible Study LIFE Group, the owners of a lovely Beach House on the Oregon Coast made their cottage get-away available to our family for three days. Attending were all of our own kids. We even had one grandson and one granddaughter with us. It was a wonderful time of fun and memories and shared entertainment and good food (and no ringing phones with their sometimes annoying messages).

Our oldest son has been able to come from his home 200 miles away for six of the last eight weekends. Our youngest son from Alaska was able to come for ten days thanks to the availability of the compassionate leave provided by his school district. The middle child, our daughter, and her family live nearby and have been constant help and support on almost a daily basis. With astounding regularity, other friends and family have communicated their love and support and have made short visits, calls, sent cards full of love notes and encouragement, brought meals, provided “baby-sitting” and errand running, and have even wiped away Betty’s precious collection of dust on the household knick-knacks. Such thoughtful attention has been a joy to savor and to share about with others.

We do not know how long this portion of our journey will last. Neither the doctors nor the nurses know, and having no clear insight to the daily progress of the cancer, they are all careful to make no predictions. Certainly there is less time remaining than we would like, so we too are not going to second guess the unknowable. We will instead rejoice in having one another in each “today”. Should these final days last a month or several months, we will be grateful, and we will thank God for each day and moment we have to cherish Betty’s company.

JESSIE IS AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

2011-10-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

"Jessie" is one of our family's proudest achievements. Betty wrote this book based on the contents of a trunk of treasures obtained in Alaska and has told the true story of a truly remarkable individual. Our kids, growing up, always thought "Jessie" was a member of our family, perhaps a far away grandma or aunt seldom seen. Actually she was a lady who lived a remarkable and adventurous life which Betty has related in sparkling detail and with a warm personal touch. In that sense, yes, Jessie was very much a part of our life.

Once again I must refer you to "Patty's Blog" where you can find the details of obtaining Betty's book for your eBook reader.

Click her site here at the right or go directly to www.clayinkspot.blogspot.com

"Jessie, The Story of a Genteel Lady in Frontier Alaska" will someday become a modern classic of Alaskan Literature. It tells the story of an English girl born to privilege and wealth and how she became stranded in Alaska virtually destitute - sort of a "riches to rags" story. But Jessie was a fighter and a survivor and ultimately became an outstanding citizen and a Sourdough of the finest order in what has always been America's finest frontier.

If you have not read this splendid historical account, don't put it off. You won't be disappointed. If you decide you want an autographed copy, do request a it directly from Betty soon ($16.00, plus shipping if required), as that is a limited offer.

PS... Please continue to pray for Betty as the cancer advances. We know your petitions are accomplishing much good as God answers each one to comfort her.

A WEEK OF UPS AND DOWNS

2011-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

My, how time flies. It seems I just updated this blog a couple of days ago, but it has been over a week. It feels like yesterday, and it feels like about a year ago. What is happening to time?

David flew over from Kennewick on Friday evening arriving a little after days light ended. He immediately began taking care of us and filling our lives with joy and great company. Whenever any combination of our kids is around, we delight in the conversations, the reports on various family events and grandkid activities, and love to share meals and evening entertainments. These are good hours that enrich our lives and bring us much contentment. This was the character of the entire weekend. David and Patty had some time together; everyone was here for main meals (great Walleye provided by our buddy Buddy, and pizza again!) We didn’t tackle any major projects this time but important little tasks still are accomplished and appreciated.

On the health front, we had our ups and downs this week. We are still learning how to juggle medications to control pain and nausea. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it’s a challenge. So many factors seem to be involved: the level of fatigue, the time since the last food eaten, the peripheral activities going on, the amount of successful sleep achieved, the level of hydration, and more factors we haven’t identified yet. One thing we know for sure: no one enjoys the “dry heaves”. Once all that is available has been offered up, the remaining efforts are most unpleasant for victim and assistant alike.

Our primary Hospice nurse is on vacation spending time with her husband who is briefly home from Afghanistan. In her absence we have had others visit and call, but it has been another form of juggling to keep all the parallel stories and advice straight in our minds. They are all wonderful, well-meaning people and we are thankful for their availability.

The major challenge this week has been the discovery of “floor failure” in our bedroom’s little bathroom. The vinyl In front of the stool began to buckle up and when it was pulled up, the particle board floor was all damp and crumbled. Then things became complicated. Call the insurance agent: talk to people in Washington, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington again. The local company assigned has sent out four men individually on different days for different reasons. And the bottom line is that after seven days NOTHING has been done to affect the repair required for the damage found. The local contractor can not proceed without approval from the insurance company which has not given the go ahead so far and we do not know why.

Meanwhile we are trying to get by on spitz baths and “handi-wipe” cleanups. Of course I can go upstairs to the tub/shower, but Betty is limited to the lower floor. We finally have covered the damaged area as best we can and have used the shower stall anyway, but it is enormously inconvenient.

My advocate with the local agency is due back from her extended vacation Tuesday and I am hoping she can bring order and resolution to this ongoing disaster. Politicians and Wall Street financial types are not the only problems with this nation; insurance companies, in several ways, must bear their share of the current national turmoil. We are not happy consumers of this necessary evil.

Our blessings continue to be family, friends, and God’s never ending providence. We have been covered with cards and contacts and covered dishes of food and others offers of time and love. Betty’s only outings this week were with Patty at a chick-flick and more importantly to attend the Sunday morning worship at church. Sitting between husband and son in those services and greeting precious Christian friends afterward were the highlights of her week. Some of you were important parts of that event. We are still relying on prayer for comfort and courage in these days. Although this past week went by without major personal crisis, we know there are greater challenges ahead, so we are treasuring up these “better times” to be a cushion against the trials to come. Thank you for helping us walk daily by the Savior’s side.

A WEEK OF SKIRMISHS

2011-09-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

In view of the greater battle against the bone destroying cancer, this weeks series of jousts seemed to tilt in our favor. The worst enemy by far in the litany of individual daily difficulties is nausea. Our champion lady would rather endure anything, including pain levels that would stagger a rhinoceros, instead of suffering the horrors of the endless, queasy, roller-coaster of nausea.

Our hero this week was the arrival of Hospice Nurse Cathey, who deduced from our accounts of Betty's history with pain medications, the regimen of remedies she has tried recently, and the subsequent results, that the mega-patch she was wearing for pain - a 72 hour time release whopper - was the likely culprit. She boldly over-ruled the doctor on that prescription, ripped off the offending narcotic disc and, behold, in 12 hours, the waves of discomfort were quelled. An alternate combination of proven pills was recommended and so far they seem to be both more effective and more flexible to our rapidly changing social landscape.

I will defer any further commentary for now because I want you to visit our daughter's blog for her beautiful account of last night's Christian community "therapy". I should let you know before you click on her URL that we have both throughout our lifetimes enjoyed gathering with others to sing the great old hymns of the church. In the respect, last night was truly a preview of heaven.

Among other talents, Patty is a wonderful writer and her account is more eloquent today than mine would be because I do not write well through a curtain of tears, but she does. Please enjoy this interlude in our saga.

Go to www.clayinkpot,blogspot.com or click on "Patty's Blog" at the right.

WELCOME TO HOSPICE

2011-09-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I hope my readers understand that it just is not possible to address this blog every day; however, I do hope to continue to keep everyone informed of anything significant or remarkable along our journey.

The course of radiation originally scheduled is behind us. It was terminated before completion partly because of several missed sessions due to the machine breaking down, but there were other reasons too.

First, further discussions with the oncologists about the various recent scans helped us to understand the significance of the findings. For purposes of review, here a few way points. (1) A CAT scan prior to the hysterectomy did not reveal more than a faint shadow of metastasized cancer except for a spot in the upper sternum. That was the target of the subsequent radiation series. (2) An MRI scan done to assess the cause of her back pain caused by a fall also revealed multiple cancer sites in her spinal vertebra and more. (3) The PET Scan, done with radioactive isotopes of fluoride which gravitates into the tumor sites showed the cancer had invaded virtually all the bone. Meanwhile all the pathological reports identified a Grade 3 cancer (the most aggressive) at stage IV-B (the most advanced). There were only seven weeks between the CAT scan and the PET scan, also suggesting a rapid advance.

Since Betty has elected to not undergo chemotherapy, there was little reason to continue radiation on just one small location. Basically, there was no purpose to it.

Today we began the process of transitioning from direct care by her oncologists to the care provided by Hospice which becomes the doctors "eyes" at home. Although we all feel it is a bit soon to need all of the services Hospice can provide, it was expedient to get into the system for purposes of the coverage and the equipment they can immediately provide. Thanks to a visit from the Admit Nurse today, their care is now available to Betty on an “as needed” basis.

Actually, Betty has been doing well over the past week. She has had some nausea associated with beginning stronger pain medications, so she is still trying to rely on Advil and resting. We have had wonderful company for several days; a special Christian sister from Boise, dear friends from Alaska, our son David from Kennewick, and a few other drop-ins. Other friends have brought meals or joined us for meals here at our house. Betty’s mobility is limited, but she can navigate around the house somewhat, and she was able to attend Sunday morning worship services and visit a precious friend who is in the hospital. Of course these efforts were quite tiring, but she did accomplish them.

She still feels well much of the time and enjoys visiting, and working on jigsaw puzzles, and skyping with the grandsons in Alaska. Too many of our friends and family are also in medical or personal crisis or other discomfort, and Betty spends considerable time keeping up with them and being an encouragement wherever she can. Mail-call is often the highlight of the day, as are phone calls and e-mail messages.

More than ever, we solicit your continued prayers for God’s Mercies and Compassion and for comfort and successful management of her daily condition. We have absolutely no way to know now what the length of this journey will be, nor what will be its degree of difficulty. For the moment, we know that God is good, and we are having a chance to include our family and friends in preparing for both the reality of coming days and for solidifying our confidence in an eternal future. Please join us in those hopeful activities.

MEDICAL IMAGING VS. BEING THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

2011-09-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

The results of recent CAT, MRI, and PET Scans have revealed that Betty’s cancer has invaded most of her bones. Upcoming meetings with the oncologists will explore potential treatments to manage pain and maintain mobility. Betty deeply appreciates the kind words and expressions of love in the many cards and calls she has been receiving.

Both Betty and John believe this passage, in which Paul refers to himself, also expresses their thoughts. In that light, they hope it will encourage you:

“What then? Only that in every way,
whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice,

Yes, I will rejoice,

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance
through your prayers
and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope,
that I shall not be put to shame in anything,

But that with all boldness,
Christ shall even now,

As always,

Be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:18-21

DOING BATTLE ON MULTIPLE FRONTS

2011-09-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Recovery from the recent surgery is going well, although the five laparoscopy scars are still prominent. Radiation treatments are underway most weekdays. CAT Scans and EKGs and a host of other tests are behind us, the spinal MRI has been done and we will meet with the Orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to see what repair may be possible on Betty's back injury, and we go to Portland tomorrow for a full-body PET Scan (from halo to both soles)to check all her bones for other possible sites where the cancer may be trying to seed a new start. Her recent shoulder injury from straight-arming a wall at tip-toe speed is also healing gradually; she is not even wearing the arm sling all the time now.

Having to sit still and not be active is causing some general weakness and instability in her legs and to her balance so she has been trying to get up and move about more frequently. There is still considerable pain, especially upon lying flat on her back, but just getting up and down from a chair is seeming to be a bit easier over the past few days.

Your precious calls, cards, letters, and thoughtfulness are a special balm for which there is no substitute. They make each day pass more easily, each a salve as it were administered with your love and tender words. Messages have come from folk locally and from all over the USA. We actually look forward to the mail each day for a change.

Once we get past the present situation of seeing a doctor, doing labs, submitting to tests and scans and other diagnostic procedures every day, we will try to restore some normalcy to our usual routine and pick up with some activities that we have not been able to give full attention. (Don't give up, Senior Saints!!)

Please accept our thanks and know we are grateful for the meals and remembrances we have received, the visits to dust and help, and to provide other timely services, and advice or guidance especially concerning transition to her new computer. (The latter particularly will reduce a mountain of daily frustration of coping with the relic she was trying to coax along. Well done, kids.)

As always we want to testify that God, Our Father, is the source of our confidence and our healing and it is to Him that we give our first thanks and devotion. Please continue to direct your prayers in Betty's behalf to our Loving God of Mercies and Infinite Compassion. We already are seeing answers to your petitions.

PS on 9-7-11 Through some extra x-rays Wednesday, we learned that some of Betty's back pain is due to a broken or cracked lower rib near her spine. Nothing can be done but to wait for natural healing which takes a couple of months or more.

COPING WITH CANCER

2011-08-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

We have had too many experiences over the years helping friends cope with various forms of cancer. We have offered various degrees of support and assistance as opportunity and closeness allowed and have always been diligent about maintaining serious prayer support. In turn we have received a bit of education and learned much both about the power of faith and about a strong, positive attitude in dealing with this demon of a disease. That is now becoming useful.

It is now our turn to cope with cancer in a much more personal way. You may have noticed (if any of you are still checking) that I have not posted on this blog for quite a while. I have not been sure when would be the right time and what would be exactly the right message to share. To complicate the decision, the situation has been developing rapidly from week to week ever since last fall, or earlier.

Betty has cancer. The symptoms began in a typical way, and before we were aware of what the cause or degree of seriousness might be. After fifteen years of being post-menopausal, signs of irregularities caused us to consult our primary provider which led to tests which eventually led to cat-scans, etc. etc. and to a complete hysterectomy. The pathology indicated uterine/endometrial cancer which had spread to everything which was removed.

A subsequent biopsy on a location in the upper sternum has been confirmed today as a spread of the cancer, and the doctor has called for some additional tests to be done tomorrow. He explanation is that cancer cells could be located in a number of additional places including organs and bones. We have shared this news with our children and are beginning to bring our "insiders" into the circle of information.

At this time Betty is electing to forego chemotherapy, explaining that she would rather take her chances with cancer than die in a prolonged way from the Parkinson's disease she has battled for over twenty years. She is, however, consenting to radiation on the spot in her upper chest and will be prepared for that therapy tomorrow. We do not have further details to share at this time.

More than anything, Betty does not want misinformation to be spread about her condition and does not want anyone to fear, whatever the outcome. She is safely and permanently in God's hands and seems to have good medical caregivers for the immediate future.

Already, over the past month or so, the most encouraging support has come from all points of the compass (and past) in the form of precious letters and cards expressing well-wishes and prayers. The wonderful memories recalled and treasured in these notes are a daily source of strength, of wonder, and of joy. Please keep up this show of your love and concern, for they are truly refreshing, and please do not despair.

This is a good time for all of us to recall the "spot-on" words of David's Psalm Twenty-three. Indeed, God is our Shepherd and He is with us.

WHATCHA READIN'?

2011-06-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Those who occasionally check this site have noticed that I have been stuck in a “Spot” – blogwise. Perhaps it’s a combination of busyness, distractions, ennui, and neglect; perhaps it’s because I’m out of the habit of posting weekly (or is it weakly?). Mostly it’s a form of writer’s block since I haven’t felt that anything I have been doing lately has been worthy of comment, so I have sort of been protecting my readers from sharing my somewhat ho-hum drift in the doldrums.

Desperate to change the current posting to anything else, I am once again resorting to an old standby, the current book report. Even so, I don’t intend to include detailed anecdotal annotations. Let it be enough that this is the collection of books which is currently at hand by the recliner, at bedside, on the desk, the bookcase, or the studio table, or elsewhere that I am currently reading or have just finished but have not yet put away. If you are not a reader, feel free to skip this edition. I’m merely trying to generate a restart before I end up in a prolonged slough of despond.

OK, Here we go in the order I found them in the aforementioned locations.

MOBY-DUCK; The true story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them. Donovan Hohn. [Viking/The Penguin Group; New York, 2011] I heard an interview with this author on PBS and I requested the book from the local library the same day.

GOOD POEMS. Selected and Introduced by Garrison Keillor (As heard on The Writer’s Workshop, a PBS feature) 2002. I just read a few at a time.

THE PASSION; Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection. Devotions for Every Day of the Year. [Integrity Publishers; Brentwood, TN, 2004] This is set up in a "page-a-day" format, but I'm reading it by the sections in which it is organized. Christ's last week and Passion is explored through the brief writings of significant thinkers and historical individuals.

THE FIRE THAT CONSUMES; A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment. 3rd Edition. Edward William Fudge. [Cascade Books; Eugene OR, 2011] A friend just hand delivered this one to my doorstep and I’m only a couple of riveting chapters into it so far. If you like to consider challenging and eminently current issues, the dialogue between the positions of eternal conscious torment versus annihilation make this an essential study and I suspect that this revised edition will become a mandatory read in the debate.

THE GOOD EARTH. Pearl Buck. 1931. This is my current “Re-read the Classics” selection; it is a Reader’s Digest World’s Best Reading Edition. As always this is a fascinating story on the rewards of hard work and the dangers of losing one's way enroute.

THE WHOLE SHEBANG; A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report. Timothy Ferris. [Simon Schuster; New York, 1997] If you enjoy astronomy or cosmology, read Timothy Ferris’s “Coming of Age in the Milky Way” before tackling this tome.

LIGHT ON SNOW. Anita Shreve. [Little Brown & Co.; New York, 2004] In this tale a widower and his young daughter discover a newborn in the snow. I’m enjoying most of Shreve’s novels as she can tell a story well, but be selective among her works.

THE DOUBLE-JACK MURDERS; A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery. Patrick McManus. [Simon Schuster; New Your, 2009] This third in a series is written with a double dash of his usual tongue-in-cheek humor.

HAIKU; Seasons of Japanese Poetry. Johanna Brownell, ed. [Castle Books; Edison NJ, 2001] I seem to be on a recent poetry kick. I've always had an appreciation for haiku as a special form and always had fun when my students had a chance to compose their own haiku. (Re. my revival in poetry, see “Good Poems” above; also I just returned the Complete Works of Carl Sandberg to the library. Didn’t read it all, but liked what I did read again.)

THE PLEASURES OF PAINTING OUTDOORS; A Diary of the Thirteen Paintings in John Stobart’s Worldscape. John Stobart. [North Light Press; Cincinnati, 1993. (Aside: I tend to buy a lot of books – this one included – at Goodwill. Watch out, however, for their prices have increased a lot recently and the bargain factor is gone.)

THE CASE FOR THE REAL JESUS; A Journalist’s Investigation of Current Attacks on the Identity of Jesus.Lee Strobel. [Zondervan; Grand Rapids MI, 2007] Another in this fine series.

THE NEW OXFORD ANNOTATED APOCRYPHA (NRSV); The Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books of the Old Testament. Bruce Metzgar and Roland Murphy, eds. [Oxford University Press; New York, 1991. Great background detail included to explain these peripheral texts.

OVER THE EDGE; DEATH IN THE GRAND CANYON; Gripping Accounts of All Known Fatal Mishaps in the Most Famous of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders. Revised. Michael Ghighieri and Thomas Meyers. [Puma Press; Flagstaff, 2001] Intriguing and bone chilling stories of accidental and deliberate death in a fascinating environment.

THE LITTLE TREASURY OF GOLF. J.P.Resnick, ed. [Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers; New York, 1996] More golf stories and anecdotes by famous golfers and other recognized writers and celebrities. This will give your favorite duffer an attitude adjustment!

BURIED LIES; True Tales and Tall Stories from the PGA Tour. Peter Jacobsen. [G.P.Putnam’s Sons; New York, 1993] Jacobsen is a famous, thus familiar golf Pro and TV Commentator; He is from the Portland, Oregon, area, so he is often seen in the local “sports” news or in others forms of entertainment and promotion. The book was a good read, and although it is a little dated, I knew most of the golfers with whom Jacobsen played and enjoyed his humorous way of writing their shared adventures.

Tha-tha-tha- that’s All, Folks!

JIMMY MAKINO, AN AUTHENTIC WWII HERO

2011-06-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

One special highlight of our recent trip to California was the chance to meet and spend several hours with Jimmy Makino at the Japanese-American Heritage Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Betty had spoken with him by telephone in her research of another hero and friend of ours, Nori Sekino, who had been Jimmy Makino's Sergent when they both were serving in World War II. In fact, Jimmy explained that Nori was responsible for Jimmy's being appointed to the rank of Buck Sergeant on his twenty-first birthday. Today he is alert and intriguing at ninety years old and serves as a volunteer docent at the museum.

My regular readers will recall my fascination and appreciation of the Japanese-American soldiers who served valiantly in the Italian and French battles and so impressively distinguished themselves. Among other remarkable achievements and honors, they were the most highly decorated units in military history and had the highest rate of casualties ever suffered by a US military unit in any war. Many of these gallant soldiers were recruited out of the Internment Camps where over 120,000 US citizens of Japanese ethnicity were held in isolated, desert camps behind barbed wire. Behind Jimmy is a photograph (on an upstairs wall of the internment exhibit in the museum) which shows some of the 3,000 men who were formed into the famous 442nd Regimental Combat Team - the "Go For Broke" soldiers. Jimmy (and Nori) belonged to this group of heros!
Our visit was partly to continue Betty's research into the life and history of Nori, but it gave us the opportunity to spend invaluable and priceless time listening to Jimmy's story too - his career serving under Nori, their days of training at Camp Shelby, the transfer to Europe, the treatment and indignities they endured, and a few stories of the combat experiences they shared. I am awed at having had the honor of speaking with and thanking a member of the 442nd RCT. I will never forget that day.

Finally, the statue shown below is a replica of the theme statues in the Japanese-American Memorial Park near the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. where several large images of the golden cranes entangled in barbed wire represent the indignities of the Internment so many endured. It reminds us that loyal citizens have served nobly under great hardships in desperate times, sometimes quite unjustly, but that the greater spirit of good people will always eventually overcome bias and bigotry. And we learned it from the "Ganbar" hearts of some of our finest people who "made the best of it" .

HONOR AND THE PATRIOT GUARD

2011-05-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe you haven't heard about the Patriot Guard. They are a group of mostly older, often retired motor-bikers, most of whom are veterans. Their service - call it a patriotic ministry - is to provide a highway escort and flag honors for deceased veterans from the mortuary to the cemetery. These riders do this all on their own time and on their own dime, often several times a week. Their intent is to recognize every American military vet with a dignified, ceremonial, and special send off in a caring and honorable way.

Assembling at the funeral home, the Patriot Guard will lead the procession to the site of internment, no matter how far it may be. They lead the line of mourners, blocking the intercessions so the convoy does not have to stop for lights or signs. (This is a privilege granted them by the State of California, in this case) As each team completes that task, it races to the front of the line to be assigned again to another intersection.

Although I did not get all the pictures of every activity, the typical events which occur at the cemetery include a flag line through which the coffin and mourners can pass to the site of the services. Also provided may be members of the appropriate military branch to present taps, a gun salute, folding and presenting the flag on the coffin to the spouse or a family member. The Patriot Guard riders present stand by holding flags (each provides his own); at the event I attended, in addition to the twenty or so riders which led the convoy, another thirty or forty riders followed the group and stood patiently and reverently through the ceremony
.

At one side sat these four Patriot Guard leaders who were all submariners, one of the the Commander of a nuclear sub. Like all the others, these men make time in their lives to honor American personnel who have died.

Here is a shot of the line up of a portion of the motorbikes the Patriot Guard rides to each of these events. It is a thrill to see them fired up and in motion, carefully shepherding the procession along the roads and highways and ridden with skill and respect, wearing gear which is festooned with patches and badges and ribbons and awards and such indicating their own military involvement and their participation in similar organizations to the Guard. It's quite impressive to see the patriotic heart these gentle warriors wear on their sleeves and vests.

Finally, I've included a shot of my brother, Marty (red shirt), and his buddy Tony, who are only a couple of the sometimes more than 200 riders who participate in these escorts in the Redding, California area. The day Betty and I rode along (in the comfort of our Subaru) I really began to understand the passion and intense commitment Marty and his friends have devoted to their participation in the Patriot Guard. There are chapters of this special organization all across the country. Wherever you are, look them up and go along for a touching and precious experience. After all, honoring our fallen veterans, is not exclusive to bike riders. we can all honor our vets, living and deceased.

WE'RE BACK HOME WITH TALES TO TELL!

2011-05-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

OK. OK. I know my blog has been quiet for three weeks, but we were away on a long postponed visit to California.

In coming days I will brief you on that trip and share some of the unique highlights we enjoyed: (1)Experiencing the Patriot Guard, (2)Meeting a WWII Hero from the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and (3)Visiting the founder and restorer of Heritage Square in National City, California.

You may hear a little about selected family and friends too: sagas of caregiving in critical illness, some close and treasured kindred spirits, and precious kinfolk including my special siblings and my magical Aunt who will be 97 in August but who is busier than any three civic minded, twenty-somethings you know.

Stay tuned!

BOB'S RED MILL, MILWAUKIE, OR.

2011-04-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

Three or four miles west of I-205 and just off of Oregon Highway 224 is an interesting, and healthy, whole grain emporium known as Bob's Red Mill. This is a unique store where any serious cook or baker can find a treasure of healthy, natural foods for even the most challenging recipe.

This now famous, and nearly iconic employee-owned business touts itself on their business cards as a place where the careful home cook can find "Stone Ground Whole Grain Foods For Every Meal of the Day"! And they back up that claim with hundreds of selections of grains, oats, legumes, dried fruits and nuts, and seeds in almost every form and possible variety of preparation.

The clear wrappings highlighted with the bright red and yellow labels are easily identified and are now commonly seen in most grocery stores that carry a line of grains and baking mixes. The picture above only captures a few of the many similar rows where varieties of rice or beans or flours or meal or soup-mix combinations are on display. First time shoppers should arrive with some idea of what they hope to purchase or risk being overwhelmed by the vast range of products offered. Want a small package? No problem. A larger quantity? OK. How about a mini-case of four or six of those? There it is! Need 25 pounds? Fifty pounds? Sure! Right down at the end of those rows against the far wall. And on this side are several hundred selections of similar products in the bulk bins.

We looked around first and then took a break to order lunch - healthy grain based offerings - in the in-house cafe. No fries here. Our sandwiches came with tasty grain tri-crackers and mini carrots, and a dill pickle spear with my Reuben. All around the room are displays and illustrations and informational posters and experienced (antique) pieces of equipment, most of which relate somehow to grinding or processing grain from the hard berry stage to some form of flour or meal.

It should be of no surprise to anyone who noted the title of my blog that I should gravitate to the collection of millstones on display throughout the store from the entrance to the aisles to the second level display ledges. Pictured above is an historic set of stones which produced wheat flour for many years before becoming an educational centerpiece. They sit near a room where an old-fashioned mill driven by a massive waterwheel is a featured showcase of the history of food mills. A careful search of the entire store would turn up another half a dozen millstones of varying sizes and types. Although they are just on show now, each of them served honorably as is shown by the wear and aged patina they each carry.

How about dropping by some day? Its part museum perhaps, but it's a great visit, and I don't think you can leave without having purchased something you will be eager to try out at home. BTW, as Kristi notes in her comment below, if you are interested in glueten free (GF) products, a visit to Bob's Red Mill is a must for you.

RESTORING AN "OLD APPLE TREE" A Living Metaphor

2011-04-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

Unfortunately, the effects of time and circumstances are unavoidable, even if you are merely a favorite backyard apple tree. Battered by years of storm and climbing kids and other big family events, even the most venerable of stock eventually yields to age and decay. So it is with this beloved tree. It still stands tall and proud even though it has been wracked by loss of limb, and untold attacks on its strength and structural integrity. In recent times it has suffered major loss and now depends upon props and trusses and reinvented strategies to maintain its posture and purpose. The challenge now is how to most effectively renew its function and restore its vigor. Both will take time and TLC.

Fruit trees all benefit from a periodic, seasonal "pruning". Last year's dross and ineffective portions must be removed to promote focus on this year's renewal. With an apple tree that requires cutting away unwanted growth and outbursts (watersprouts and suckers) that sap the strength in unproductive ways, removing limbs that crossover and impede other parts, branches that "rub" others wrong, and the dead and decayed parts that are dead weight robbing the tree's strength. Every effort must be employed to thin out the excessive clutter of potential fruit spurs to allow for full and desired growth only on those branches most likely to produce full-sized, healthy fruit. This may result in fewer apples, but in return those which do develop will be larger and more mature.

AFTER

Once the goal is understood, pruning begins and the plan begins to emerge. Every part of the tree must receive equal attention. The strong sides of the tree which have faced the sun will show the effect of preferred growth and will demonstrate greater strength and density. The other side will be weker and will need more help to achieve recovery. The tendency is toward such crowding of those smaller branches that the leaf canopy which results will shade out and inhibit the growth of any fruit which may set for the new season. Judicious pruning will open up the upper portions so light and air can both penetrate into the tree and reach even the other side. The outcome desired is for a more even distribution of fruit throughout the tree which shares the stress of producing a crop with all the branch system. When the task is completed, a lot of material will have been removed, and focus and attention will have been restored to all the crown. Hopefully the tree will continue to bear good fruit - perhaps fewer apples, but better ones. At the same time we strive to extend the fruitful service of the older tree, we should also be looking toward a new generation by planting younger trees now that will be able to bear their own crops in the future. That planning ahead is also a part of a life plan so that current apple supply does not need to end if the "old apple tree" should completely fail.

THE METAPHOR

If I were more confident, I would leave the story above to be discovered and unpacked by those who know me best and who know who my dearest friends are. However, just as severe events can bring sudden and horrifying damage to the structure of a tree, sometimes the storms of life bring unexpected and devasting injury to those who have carried enormous weights of duty and stress for so long. As a tree struck by wind or lightening is cleft beyond much hope, a man's life can be abrubtly and crushingly altered. What has stood so strongly for so long is suddenly broken and in the direst jeopardy. What seems unassailable becomes victim to unforseen mortal ills. Such a mighty stroke fells the tallest tree to the ground. I have a friend like that.

Still, even in the darkest winter days, hope prevails. There are trees, and men, that do not give up. In spite of their plight, these are the ones that continue to strive and which will indomitably blossom and fruit in their season, and which will continue to cause and encourage growth in every possible way. Though stricken, they find the strength from within and from above to overcome adversity and enter a time of restoration and renewal. Their comeback may be halting and measured, and they may need considerable help and patience, but their spirits will not accept defeat. These individuals are an inspiration to me. My friend is one of these heros.

Life and the apple tree are parallel in many ways; both our trees and our lives benefit from judicious, timely pruning. It is a period of rejuvenation during which the ineffective or the impossible or whatever else hinders must be pruned away. What remains must be refocused, and redirected, and encouraged so the the strongest parts which survive have the greatest chance of attaining a few more seasons of "apples". There may be fewer achievements, but they may be life's most important fruit and they are often the sweetest of all. Yes, we should set goals, and when troubles interrupt we should be quick and willing to refine both our purpose and our procedures, achieving, perhaps, fewer good works, but those which are more important and more essential, and thus more valuable. In these latter seasons of productivity there still remains opportunity to prepare a new generation the "fill the orchard" with future crops. I think my friend has this in mind.

It is April; both apples and heros are begining to bloom again. I can't wait to see this year's crop. And By-the-Way, the tree in the pictures is in his backyard.

PUZZLES, PUZZLES, PUZZLES

2011-04-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

Comes a time when it rains 29 days out of 31 in a month, a body needs to lose it's mind in something thoughtless to avoid going stir crazy. Comes a time, after six weeks without seeing the sun when even I will do jigsaw puzzles. Really!!

We have friends - Lois and Nancy - who are huge puzzle fans. Ordinarily they employ rigorous methods of efficiency and discipline to solve even the most difficult kinds of puzzle problems. My method, however, is in great contrast to theirs, for I like to study an individual puzzle piece, look closely at the illustration, determine exactly the orientation and precise location of that unique portion , and place it as closely as possible to where it belongs in the overall scene. Then I do it again and again until the solution is reached. That system is way too tedious for these sisters and much too inefficient for their tastes.

So, when they ran into this gem illustrated above, and their preferred approach didn't function very well, the puzzle and all of its pieces was promptly forwarded on to Betty and me for our systematic attack, and, indeed, it was an intriguing challenge. First of all there are an enormous number of little visual gimmick and "jokes" in the picture, and secondly, there are several diabolical color and pattern combinations that almost made the whole task impossible. The cut of the pieces is non-standard (although the whole thing could be picked up intact by any edge once it was completely assembled).

Nevertheless, bit by bit, chunk by chunk, the individual pieces were diligently compared to the fairly faithful rendering on the box lid and eventually the job was completed. Each specific piece yielded sufficient clues to reveal its eventual placement, excepting perhaps a dozen or two which were placed by mere blunt trauma, i.e. repeated trial and error until a fit was found. It made us realize what a seemingly impossible task Noah had to not only build the ark* but gather the critters to populate it sufficiently.

By-the-way, the really dreadful poem on the bottom of the box, in its own bizarre brand of Biblical parody attempted to answer such odd questions as to why, for example, the dinosaurs which are in the picture were denied passage once the craft was "launched". [ Answer: "They didn't bring a date to the party". No kidding!]

This one was actually fun. Thanks, girls! We appreciated the challenge.

* = "What's an Ark? - Bill Cosby

OH, HAPPY DAY

2011-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

After several months of recovery and rehabilitation following his massive stroke, Gene was able to attend Sunday morning worship services under his own power, using an unusually tall walker and enormous display of determination. It was a moment to enjoy for the congregation which has been cheering him on with all forms of encouragement.

Gene spoke briefly from his seat and thanked everyone for their support and for their continuing prayers. He mentioned that one especial factor in his comeback has been the example of Louise G. who had previously experienced the same sort of trauma and bounced back to an outstanding degree. Her "get-well" card to him - a rooster she painted - has been visible reminder to him during much of his own journey back to self-sufficiency. Gene expressed his gratitude to the whole church and testified to his conviction that God's mercies and the expressed love of family and friends has made his current level of healing and ability possible.

It should be noted that his strongest encouragement and support has been the constant and unfailing presense and assistance of his best friend and most loyal rooter, his wife Marilee. Without any doubt, Gene's remarkable progress has been boosted and made easier by her steady and faithful involvement and encouragement. She has been at his side constantly in her quiet, unassuming, but powerful way, and serves to all of us as an example of abounding love in action, even in the midst of the most trying of circumstances. Theirs truly is a love story!

This good news story is a welcome relief and break from the flood of bereavements and other sad news of the past months. Gene's return is as welcome and timely as the flowers of spring which are just now appearing to brighten our days after a long, gray winter of dispair. Welcome back, Gene. Your steady, calming contributions to the ongoing congregational efforts and leadership are a vital and comforting portion of the mix.

DAVID'S PAPA AWARDS !!

2011-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

There is no question that this papa can find many reasons to honor this son by words of praise for his character, talent, and achievements, but the PAPA Awards referred to in the title of this blog did not come from this papa.

The awards mentioned came this past weekend from the Professional Aerial Photographer's Association (PAPA) at their annual convention, held this year in Las Vegas. More precisely, the recognition David received (as represented by the plaques and ribbons) were the result of ballots cast by the membership itself.

To put that in perspective, these are some of the top professional aerial photographers in the country (and world) who selected their own favorites among the pictures submitted for judging. David entered four pictures each of which won prizes. The most significant of the four was chosen as the People's Choice for "Best of Show"; that was a photograph titled "Red Mountain" which is near the Tri-cities in Southeastern Washington State. The same photograph was also named the People's Choice for the best "Scenic" entry. Another picture, "Heartland", of a red barn in green fields was selected as the People's Choice for the "Artistic" category.

For a fellow who is fairly new to the ranks of Professional Photographers, this is an outstanding level of accomplishment.

You can see some of David's work on his regular blog at http://www.pirep.blogspot.com/. be sure to enjoy the archives there for some special theme work.

Well done, Son.

FLASH!! David has posted copies of the pictures now on his "Loftics" site. To see the award winning photos, Click Here ---> www.loftics.blogspot.com. FLASH!!

ANOTHER RETREAT - MARCH 2011

2011-03-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

This is the view from our lodging for the 2011 Beach Retreat. These huge rocks are just off-shore at Oceanside, near Netarts, Oregon.

Thursday through Sunday ten of our Wednesday Evening Bible Study Group spent this year's retreat in a nice vacation rental high up over the beach at Oceanside, OR. About half of us made the entire four days, while the rest came a little later. We enjoy the relaxing, the reading time, light conversations, heavy discussions, the games, the gourmet meals, the outings to town and to local beaches, the birds, the sunsets, swapping stories, the special shopping excursions for various treasures, the laughter, the devotions and prayers, and one another's company. This year's rookie was Kelli and our special guest was Ron. They each brought a wonderful dimension to the gathering; on the other hand, we really missed Nancy and Sid - next year for sure, guys, OK?

As close as we have become over the years, these precious outings always add a new level of fellowship and appreciation to our collective chemistry. I think that if we were individually polled, we would all recommend that other LIFE groups also participate in an annual get-away together for at least a full weekend. It is a valuable bonding experience which reaches well beyond the couple of hours most groups spend together in a week. Some of the benefits are realized throughout the year in the levels of trust and understanding which we have developed. The deeper relationships make for better group prayer and mutual Bible study and make our sharing more open and meaningful from week to week.

This group, like others, has evolved in its membership over the years as folk have moved or died and new individuals have been added. The continuity of the retreat has become a major event that has drawn us together and has kept us strong and more committed to one another. More than fifteen straight years has proven the value of our favorite tradition.

SOLO BAREFOOT IN THE SNOW

2011-02-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Another tradition: Running around the house barefoot in the first snow of winter!

I usually do this with my kids when they are available, or with my grand-kids, however reluctant they may be, but today the twins were applying for an early college program called "Running Start", so I had to do my "running in the snow" alone. I could have used the company and the encouragement.

Oh Well. It's the thought that counts, right?

IN MEMORIUM: JOANNE ROBERTS

2011-02-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

1948 - 2011

Joanne Marie Roberts

We first met Joanne in 1970 in Juneau, Alaska, when our friend Ron brought her north from Oregon, as a new bride. From the beginning Betty and I were as smitten with her as was her dazzled hubby Ron. She was beautiful; she was smart; she was extraordinarily capable; she was really good company; and consequently, she was quickly "adopted" by the entire Juneau Church of Christ. From the first Joanne made their apartment a cosy, efficient home which was a joy to visit. As young couples we had a lot in common, but much of the Wyatt's appeal to the Roberts was in the persons of our children David and Patty. That bond was quickly and solidly formed, and Ron and Joanne were soon as dearly loved by the kids as by us.

Those Alaska years went all to quickly as the new Christians were so deeply devoted to the Lord that they yearned to be able to serve Him in greater ways than Juneau offered. By the fall of 1971 they were off to Colorado to attend Bear Valley School of Preaching after which they served the church in Tomball, Texas as they acquired a family of five sons: the first three were chosen the last two were given. Before long they felt a greater call and ended up serving as missionaries in Santiago, Chile. When they finished that work, Ron and Joanne moved the family to Vancouver, Washington, and yet another congregation fell in love with Joanne (and Ron too, of course). We were delighted to have them close by again.

Over the years untold scores of people admired and enlisted in the ever increasing circle of ministry which radiated outward from Ron and Joanne. Their demonstration and encouragement of good works and spiritual development was both infectious and compelling. Joanne's home based fund-raising garage sale in behalf of missions and missionaries became a major annual church project. She often taught Bible classes for the kids and launched a special series of lessons specifically featuring both local and foreign missions. She continued to be a superb hostess not only in her own home but for showers and weddings and women's events. She became a major participant in the annual Mexico mission not only coordinating meals for scores of participants each year but also providing much of the Spanish translation necessary. She used this language skill in her professional work for the Clark County Health Department where she held the position of Assistant to the Director for years. Ron and Joanne were always active in the congregations Mission Committee. Her personal ministries included providing meals and counseling and instruction and support to more families and women and girls than anyone ever realized. The contribution and personal involvement she lent to most current activities can not be measured. Joanne was an incomparable example of the Lord she so deeply loved and served.

It seemed that her courage and positive attitude in the face of three different cancer attacks would be enough to conquer, for her determination was fierce and her faith was unwavering. If these factors and confidence and optimism alone were enough, she would have triumphed, but the cumulative devastation was too much the third time around. A memorial to her extraordinary life will be shared at 2:00 pm, Monday, February 21st, at the Vancouver Church of Christ.

Joanne was a precious friend - Betty's "dearest, best friend ever, ever in the whole, wide world" - and we hardly imagine living without this sweet sister in our lives. We know her salvation with the Lord in Heaven is secure and that He has indeed prepared for her a special mansion. Surely we will mourn her passing, as will Ron and their Christian sons and families, but we do not grieve as those without hope. We believe we will be together again one day and that alone softens the edge of our sorrows.

COPING WITH S.A.D.?

2011-02-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

How long is winter anyway?

OK. OK. I know it only lasts three months or so on paper, but the reality is getting to be a lot longer this year. If memory serves, we had cool weather in late September, and through a big chunk of October. I don't know when the rains began, but it seems most of November was cold, wet, and soggy. Even December was colder to my bones than ever before and the couple of weeks when it didn't rain as much wasn't much of a break emotionally, nor was the stretch of freezing days and darkness.

So along comes January, a little less sever than it could have been, but almost constantly in the high 30s and low 40s and nary a chance to shake off the shivers. Then one cold rain front after another with only an occasional bright day and virtually no real sunshine. Wall to wall gray overcast without even much variation in the texture of the clouds for what seems forever. And finally February with a little hope of the break in which I often begin pruning my little orchard. But wait, there's more: cold days and drizzle that is.

Finally we have had a few days - now and then - of sunshine, but the temperature this morning was 27 degrees at 8:00 am and at mid-day was only up to 48 degrees and when I stepped outside it still felt like it was freezing. The main floor of our house has no south-facing windows, so outside most of what I see is shade and shadows. I guess I'm just feeling SAD.

Really, S.A.D. It is one of those convenient medical acronyms for "Seasonal Affective Disorder". I don't know much about it, except some folk need more sunshine, or balanced light, than they get from normal daylight in places like the Pacific Northwest and northward. My mom was one who got the blues in the winter and would have benefited from more wintertime sunlight in Arizona or Palm Springs or somewhere. I have noticed that in late winter in recent years I begin to feel glum too. Probably the passing of close friends in the past couple of weeks hasn't helped this year, and having to postpone our drive to California was another factor, but the last few days have been more depressing than usual. Struggles with health and stress and overload are all magnified, so I am ready for travel to sunny climes.

Well, it's late afternoon and I need to get dressed and go somewhere before it's dark again. Maybe I'll go stroll around in Borders and look at books. Might help even though they have filed for bankruptcy and may fold up soon. Perhaps I'll find a love letter in the mailbox today, although I haven't had one in a long time, but, Hey!, who knows?

My most recent bright spot was getting to see a grand-daughter participate in areawide singing, drama, and swimming competition. Katie did a fine job in all her events. That felt good!

Well, heads up. It will soon be warm enough to go golfing. That's outdoors and a lot brighter than any room inside. I'm really ready. Any takers?

A TRIBUTE TO LARRY

2011-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

LARRY SCHOENBORN 1939-2011

Today we honor the extraordinary life and indomitable spirit of Larry Schoenborn.

A man of high standards and fine character, Larry was the essence of a focused life and illustrated it time again in achievements like the "Larry's Sports Centers" and "Fishing the West" and "Fishing with Larry", each an outstanding career monument to his determination and vigorous work ethic.

It took a vicious cancer twelve years to bring him down, but it never vanquished his enthusiasm for life or his love and cheerfulness with family or friends.

We will miss Larry but we will never forget the way he filled our lives with caring and sharing and steady encouragement. He showed us how to live a fulfilled life by staying involved, by doing what is right, by honoring God and family, and by demonstrating that we should "never, never give up."

Thank you, my friend, and enjoy casting your line over Jordan and in the Crystal Sea.

[PS To see more of Larry's story, scroll down to my January 18th entry.]

SILLY SEASON AGAIN.

2011-02-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

OK, I saw this on Patty's blog and before I could get to it, it came again from Betty and again as a comment on Patty's blog. So here is my response. I'm not sure the answers would all be the same if I had to do this again in a couple of weeks, but who knows? It is just some silly fun and maybe it will generate some questions or comments which I will count as real dialogue. Be nice, kids.

1. What color are your socks right now? White ones are in the drawer, dirty ones in the hamper; I’m wearing skin at the moment.
2. What are you listening to right now? Heater fans and a couple of ticking, pendulum clocks.
3. What was the last thing you ate? Salad, stew, and cornbread.
4. Can you drive a stick shift? Yup! And I used to be able to operate a forklift and a dual drive D-8 caterpiller tractor too..
5. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Precious Ethel with an update about Larry.
6. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I love my bride more than mere words can say; I love my daughter and daughter-in-law Dana’s versions too.
7. How old are you today? Still 71 today (if I’m not in a coma).
8. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV America’s real national sport: Baseball
9. What is your favorite drink? I drink a lot of caffeine free diet Pepsi.
10. Have you ever dyed your hair? Sort of, with shoe polish for a Sophomore class float in high school.
11. Favorite food? A good rib-eye steak? Dark chocolate? (Such a small line for such a long list!)
12. What is the last movie you watched? We saw “The King’s Speech” recently at the local cinema.
13. Favorite day of the year? Christmas, I guess.
14. How do you vent? I don’t vent well; I tend to gunny-sack instead.
15. What was your favorite toy as a child? Oh, there were a lot, but my first thought went to a collection of small cars. (They predated “matchbox”.)
16. What is your favorite season? Late Spring and early Summer.(Although I almost said "Lemon Pepper")
17. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries are real fruit with honest pits! The other have pithy grit and worms and taste “blue”.
18. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? Sure, selectively. I don’t much care for enormous megabyte picture files on random topics.
19. Who is the most likely to respond? Most of my regular correspondents come through in timely fashion.
20. Who is least likely to respond? A nearby son-in-law.
21. Living situation? Ecstatic wedded bliss with my best friend, counselor, lover, and sometime conscience.
22. When was the last time you cried? I cried over “Hallmarks’ The Lost Valentine” and I only saw the second hour of two.
23. What is on the floor of your closet right now? Ugh! Shoes, boxes of new file folders, satchels of maps and misc, a computer case, and a stack of plastic crates holding seldom used clothing. (so no mo flo’)
24. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? On my website? I think there are several folk I’ve known over forty years, and once in a rare while one fellow I’ve known just over fifty years.
25. What did you do last night? Worked some on a “text” I am preparing, watched a little TV, and read until midnight.
26. What are you most afraid of? Dying a lingering, helpless death.
27. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? No ,thank you. I ‘m trying to watch my diet.
28. Favorite dog breed? There are lots of fascinating kinds of dogs, but I am not "fond" of any of them.
29. Favorite day of the week? Of course, the Lord’s Day, but I like any day when I get to spend time with my grandkids.
30. How many states have you lived in? CO, CA, KS, OH, AK, WA, but I’ve been to all 50 of them.
31. Diamonds or pearls? Neither for me, but either looks nice on pretty girls and beautiful ladies.
32. What is your favorite flower? Any of God’s blooms delights me, but I have probably spent more time cultivating epiphyllums (Orchid Cactus) than any other flower.

2011-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY BOY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SON.

YOU ARE #1 TOO !!

A PRECIOUS BIRTHDAY GIRL

2011-01-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY SCHOENBORN

2011-01-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

Meet my friend Larry. He is well known in sports-fishing as an angler's guru and as a first class fishing guide in many countries of the world: Brazil, Russia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Canada, Alaska, and all over the USA just to name a few of the most recent. Today is Larry's 72nd birthday, and we are celebrating. Unfortunately, the battle he has been fighting with aggressive multiple myeloma, a wicked cancer of the blood plasma cells which lodges in the bones may rob him of a chance at his 73rd.

Larry is a wonder of a man. He is multi-talented and has an impressive breadth of knowledge in many areas of expertise. He is, for example, a world rated Bridge player and often places high in the standings of those tournaments he fails to win. He continues to be active in the family business - Fishing with Larry, www.fishingwithlarry.com - selling fishing adventure trips to exotic places. He is a well know businessman once owning a prominent local sports store chain. And at one point he and Ethel filmed many TV episodes of fishing expeditions to special places to catch (and release) an amazing variety of fish. Some of those fishing programs are still being rerun on television. Additionally, Larry and Ethel host our mid-week Bible class in their home, and they are always among the first to lend help or encouragement where needed.

We first met about a dozen years ago and almost immediately, Larry endured a stem-cell blood marrow transplant which involved the suppression of his immune system and lengthy convalscence during recovery. All of this high-risk procedure was to earn him the statistical chance of a few more years, maybe three or four or five. He has outlived the target several times over and was able eventually to continue his travels to catch strange and rare fish in many foreign countries. Hey! Want to go Bonefishing at Christmas Island in the South Pacific, anyone?

Most recently he went to Brazil to the upper Amazon basin to guide his clients in fishing for Peacock Bass, one of the largest and most beautiful trophy fish anywhere. An unfortunate fall led to a broken hip, and Larry, wanting to get his medical care at home in Vancouver USA, managed to fly from the middle of South America transcontinentally to receive his urgency care in the local Emergency Room. Gives you an idea of what a tough hombre he is. After the surgery to replace the broken mess with shiny new parts, he was soon up and walking and even attending church services. Sadly, the advancing cancer is now spread throughout his entire system and the cumulative effects of many chemo treatments and transfusions is catching up to him. The encroaching disability and weakness is limiting his body, but it can not touch his spirit.

My friend Larry is an inspiration to me and to his thousands of friends and fans. He is always a joy to visit and his stories and jokes are interesting and always keep us listening carefully even if "we have heard this one before". Everyone has birthdays, but this one was special, thus all this commentary. Happy Birthday, Larry. I hope this one is the best of all!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NUMBER ONE SON (#1) !!

2011-01-12T00:08:00.000-08:00

Just to keep your birthday in perspective, David, today you are approximately 68 times older than your nephew Lucas and 18 times older than his brother Eli. You are 55 times older than your sister's youngest and 4.75 times older than your youngest daughter. You are about 3 and 2/3 times older than your oldest daughter and she's soon going to be as tall as you are. You are almost 3 times older than your sister's twins and close to 1 and 1/2 times older than your brother's wife.

Now you are in the group closest to you: you are 15% older than your brother but only 5% older than your wife and your sister. You are just 4% older than your sister's husband, and finally there you are at par with yourself, no matter how young or old you feel!

In an ever closer relationship with your parents, you are only 2/3 rds of your sweet mother's age and roughly 63% of my age. In one final leap of reality, you are mighty close to half of your grandfather's age today.

It's time we had a talk and that I told you what my Dad once told me.

(No, not that!)

He said that every day you get up, something different is going to twinge, and a new pang or ache is going to nag for your attention. Things are going to begin to be higher up, further away, noticeably heavier, and everything is going to take longer. Light bulbs are going to be dimmer, voices softer, food is going to be blander, and there will be more hulls in your popcorn. It will be further to the mailbox and to the store, prices will always be higher than you thought they were or should be. You will remember when you could get a good cup of coffee at a fair price, but you will have to check on when your anniversary comes. It becomes easier to wear slip-ons than to tie your laces; indeed, you may have trouble even finding decent laces for your dress shoes because China or Bangladesh or someplace somewhere stops making them. It will be more difficult to take all your pills in one handful, you will think twice about which "hot" sauces you can safely use, and most of your clothes will shrink. There will be a new, similar list like this every day.

You get the idea.

However, you are becoming wiser, gentler, more thoughtful, more compassionate, more generous, and you more deeply appreciate it when young folk step aside for you or let you go through a doorway first. And call you "Sir".

You are going to find that the calendar has really lost dimension, 'cause in what will seem like only a couple of years, you will be fifty years old. So, Son, enjoy your youth while you can, and be assured that the best way to spend your time - the most valuable way to invest each hour is to spend it with family making memories. Those are times you will never regret, especially if you can remember them. Ain't it the truth!!

Happy Birthday!

DECEMBER 2010 BOOK REPORT, PART II

2010-12-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

This is the rest of the report started several days ago of my recent reading. I guess I should do this review more often, since I have thought of a dozen other books I've read between the last report and writing up this one. Keeping an annual list or journal would work, except I am still trying to divest myself of little, compulsive, minor, personal obligations like that. I should confess that I'm finding the seventh decade has a lot of "lazy" in it. OK, Here goes:

No Place for Truth; or What Ever Happened to Evangelical Theology. David F. Wells (1993). The author is a recognized Professor of Historical and Systemic Theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary inn Boston, Massachusetts. Thus he is a resident scholar in a multi-denominational setting much like Multnomah University in Portland, OR. It is an academic community which espouses “thinking theologically, engaging globally, and living Biblically,” which appear to be reasonable goals. Because of my own interest in recent years in the many aspects of God, I have gradually drifted toward readings in practical and applied systematic theology, a field I find which has an enormous quantity of unreadable and questionable materials. However, I wish I had discovered Dr. Well’s book long ago. I’m not done yet, but in it he has more clearly explained to me the radical shifts which have occurred in western thinking and religious practice, and helped me understand why general Christian practices – across the board – have become so shallow and meaningless that in effect “God in the churches” has been reinvented in the images of man’s multiple desires. Accountability, holiness, and reverence have been replaced with superficial Bible knowledge, liberal/traditional ritual, and entertainment. He had drawn a stark contrast between “itching ear preaching” and a close and careful obedience to the meanings of the Bible text. He shows how “feel-good religion” has replaced the former substance and depth of Bible knowledge and how emotion and postmodern trends have replaced any intellectual component of searching after God. I think he is saying that modern (or post modern?) social goals have taken the place of spiritual purpose in the lives of many congregants. To put it in plain words, Dr. Wells has documenting the “dumbing down” of today’s churches. He speaks, of course, in a denominational context, but I have found his premise true in non-denominational congregations with which I am more familiar. Indeed, a great deal of what is currently espoused seems to have little connection to fundamental or traditional values. I am beginning to sense the scope and nature of the changes in contemporary Christian practices by reading in Dr. Well’s book No Place for Truth. This is a slow, serious, and thought provoking text, but worth finding (on-line?) and studying carefully.

Life’s Little Handbook of Wisdom. (Graduate’s Edition) by Bruce & Cheryl Bickel and Stan & Karin Jantz (1992, and since). OK, You are not going to find this little paperback unless it lies moldering in a dusty corner of a remote bookstore which has not rotated its stock for many years. During one of my “wisdom” classes, probably on Proverbs, I was digging around for just such material – you know, those little, pithy bits of truth like Ben Franklin used to publish and which my grandmother seemed to have in abundance, - and found this gem. It is worth a rereading every few years. Examples: Heed the advice you give to others. Identify your mentors; emulate their lives; tell them “Thank You”. When you say you will pray for someone, do it! What happens in you is more important than what happens to you. Character is made by what you stand for; reputation is made by what you fall for. See? This collection of good thoughts will benefit you every time they are reviewed. If this little volume escapes you, get a similar book like it!

The Country Ahead of Us; The Country Behind. David Guterson (1989). Ever since Snow Falling on Cedars I have had a thing about Guterson’s way of wording a character’s thoughts. Having enjoyed a couple of his other novels, I was a bit hesitant to tackle a small book of short stories, fearing, I guess, a letdown. Not to worry. These little gems reveal moral truths in the same way a pungent essay can strike to the heart of a matter. Ten brief viewpoints about personal decisions and dilemmas help us realize that acting rightly is sometimes a matter of accepting one’s own heart on important matters. Don’t rush through this collection.

Deadliest Sea. Kalee Thompson; 2010. Although there have been a score of book relating the heroic accomplishments and nearly impossible rescues of the U.S. Coast Guard in the hostile storms and turbulent waters of Alaska’s oceans (Think The Deadliest Catch), none until now have reached the caliber of Spike Walker’s Coming Back Alive until Thompson’s account of the most historic mission of all, an attempt to save the crew of The Alaska Ranger as the fishing boat foundered in the raging Bering Sea. Amid screaming winds in the middle of an unending blizzard and hovering again and again barely above the 20 foot seas, the tag-team effort involved multiple individual hoists from the freezing waters of the many fishermen already drifting apart in the furious, inky waters. Air-support overhead, and the stand-by assistance of other vessels was encouraging, but it was the incredible efforts of the dedicated and highly trained coastguardsmen - some of them repeatedly leaping into the icy ocean - which saved the forty-two survivors. A harrowing read, because we experience every exhausting moment of the ordeal page after page. Ever heard of that book you can’t put down (even at 2:00 AM)? THIS is it!!!

All I Asking for is My Body. Milton Muramaya (1975). Basically this is a novelized biography of growing up Japanese-American in the plantation sugar cane fields of Hawaii prior to WWII. In part the coming of age of a boy who is expected by family culture to help pay off the parents debts, in part a documentation of the oppressed life style of immigrant labor, it is very much a story of breaking free from cultural and economic bondage and striving to claim a portion of the American Dream. The books flavor is quickly established in the pidgin dialect which reveals current events, intergenerational dynamics, and the passions of youth seeking a way to achieve independence without abandoning deeply held feelings of familial responsibility. Muramaya’s subsequent book, Five Years on a Rock, is the earlier story of the mother of this same family, an early version of the mail order bride from Japan imported to Hawaii to marry a field worker. Indeed, the rock was Oahu and the only things which increased were the number of children and the depth of their grinding poverty. Still, there is remarkable goodness and dignity of character in the flexible solutions of the mother who somehow holds all things together. Both books are published by the University of Hawaii and are interesting background reading to the conundrum of the Japanese-American experience both in the Islands and on the mainland.

Memories of Summer. Roger Kahn (2004). I like Kahn’s writings about major league baseball because he concentrates on the decades when I listened to baseball games on a small three-tube radio and had to clip an antenna wire to my window screen to obtain adequate reception. I was a Dodger fan even then, and this book with the previous Boys of Summer gives me a look into the lives and achievements of those great baseball players of the 1950s and 60s. It’s raw nostalgia, well recall and retold.

So there it is, just ahead of the New Year. I'm always watching for something good to read, and for those of you who share your recent favorites, Thanks. I'm making my list, and checking it twice, and your book reviews are closely examined for candidates, and I find as many there as in the best seller lists in the newspaper.

CHRISTMAS AS A GAME-SHOW!!

2010-12-27T01:40:00.000-08:00

**After all the rush of the holiday season, the big day comes and goes and another December 25th becomes a “Christmas Past”. (Without doubt, the rush and hubbub and harsh commercialism will not be missed. It’s a bit like having all the political commercials and campaign signs finally go away after election day.) However, what is most special about this holiday in particular, is getting together with family. In fact, that is the most important blessing of all. It is the sharing of hugs and activities and visiting and laughter that makes the holiday package a family affair.

**This year several changes occurred in our traditional routine. Our Alaska-Family-Portion was not here with us this year, our Tri-Cities-Family-Portion came for several days but returned home on the 24th, and for the first time we joined our Local-Family-Portion in their home for Christmas morning and the mid-day meal. Well, All Right! As our kid’s families mature, they need to begin building their own traditions. To accommodate the changes, we embraced flexible scheduling, and it all worked out fine. Everyone got some time with everyone else, the girl-cousins had time together, including a sleep-over at Grandma’s house, and the overall workload on us was considerably reduced. All-in-all, it seemed to be a more relaxed week of visiting and having some time to talk, and I think the stress levels were quite low.

**I can’t detail all of our week, but one unusual but typically creative event occurred on Friday that so typifies our genius kids that it will serve as an example of our wonderful Christmas week. Because the family of #1 Son wanted to be back in their own home for Christmas Day, Betty and I gathered with them and our daughter’s family here on the morning of the 24th to exchange gifts and other forms of affection. In a traditional way, beginning with the youngest, each selected a gift under the tree and delivered it to the person to whom it was addressed. In this way over the years we have all enjoyed what is given and received. And so the morning proceeded with five girls and six adults participating. Ohhs and Ahhs and thank you hugs were expressed and shared until finally…. all the gifts were distributed. But wait… Something was different. Everyone else had some nice gifts and plenty of them, but Grandma sat with just a pair of socks and I held only a calendar and a small, green ball designed for massaging the bottom of my feet. This situation was pointed out to us in case we had not noticed, and a final wrapped package was given to us. Oddly it only held a couple of noise makers such as are used in common board games. Hmmmm. You know how you can tell when “a plot is afoot”? I was beginning to get that feeling.

**Sure enough, Something was going on, and the level of excitement in the room was climbing. We, however, were pointedly invited to spend a little while somewhere else. Yes, we were being banished from the room! When we obliged, a flurry of activities and strange requests began coming from the living room!. “Do you have a spare power strip?” “What can we use to put this on?” and everyone seemed to be scurrying about with smug comments and huge grins. After several minutes of this unusual behavior, the youngest girls were sent to escort us back. The loveseat sofa was set before an impressive array of technical equipment and multiple computer screens and suddenly we had become the surprise guests on a “Jeopardy-Style” Quiz Show. Indeed along with the moderator’s comments a screen showed "answers" on a contest blue-screen, and sound bits of “Jeopardy” music and typical intro patter were heard, and suddenly we realized that we were the contestants and the categories were going to be about “The Sound of Music” (our family’s favorite musical as the kids grew up) and “The Grapes of Wrath” (a book I taught for many years which has had some impact on all of us).

**Amazingly, as the game started, we realized one of the computer screens was displaying our family in Alaska (#3 Son and Wife and both Grandsons!!!) and they were live and participating too, thanks to a wonderful internet communications program. So for a few special minutes all our own kids and all of their kids were together “in the room” and involved in putting on the game. It was a great experience and an especially heartwarming part of the whole effort.

**The noise makers were our buzzers to sound to get to provide questions for the answers displayed. Betty and I competed to get to form each question, just like on the real program, and we each had chances to build up our winnings on the scoreboard being kept. The winnings mounted, and before long the game was into the “Final Category” which concerned “What’s In The Box?”. Sure enough, a large wrapped gift box appeared and we won the opportunity to see for ourselves. TA-DAH!, it turned out that the game was an entertaining and dramatic way to present us with a large flat-screen TV to replace our ancient, nearly B&W relic on which people and words were to small to recognize. The new set shows the entire picture in bright color and sharply focused images. Wow!! What a kick! And presenting the TV in a game-show format was so like the creative cleverness of these inventive schemers. Everyone enjoyed the planning and the playing and the outcome; it was a triumphant success!! Brilliant!! Well done everyone!!

**Now Betty and I are looking forward to reconfiguring the family room to accommodate the wide-screen, to considering some communications upgrades for “non-pixilated” TV reception, and to remembering and sharing the story of our most unexpected and greatly appreciated gift which came from the three most special families we know!!! Thanks Kids and Grandkids. You have surprised and delighted us with this gift, but we already knew how precious are each of you. So Thanks for the TV and Thanks for a Merry Christmas together. This Christmas may be "Past", but it will not be forgotten.

PS On the morning of the 25th, we did get several nice gifts to go with the socks and calendar. Thanks for those too.

DECEMBER 2010 BOOK REPORT, PART I.

2010-12-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

It’s been quite a while since I’ve used Millstones to post an annotated, recent reading list. Thanks to a couple of my favorite bloggers who have jostled my literary elbows lately, here is a rundown on the current stack(s) nearly done or recently finished. (Note: don’t try to analyze the order of the following books or imagine there is any sort of meaning to their arrangement. Except for the way some of them were presently stacked, there is none. It’s purely random.) Enjoy, and should you read any of these titles because you saw it here first, you have to let me know what you thought about that book when you finish. Fair enough? OK, we’ll do this in Parts I & II.

PART I.
The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough. Sean Foy, M.A. (2009). A precious couple of friends who once lived with us, and who were just visiting in Vancouver briefly recently, dropped by and gave us this interesting text. So far I’ve read over half of the chapters and am motivated (sufficiently intrigued?) to read the rest. The premise is that done in a specific way, a vigorous, 10 minute, “go-all-out” exercise blitz daily can provide much the same benefits as more traditional, time consuming, programs of calisthenics and physical training. The claims (and testimonies of our friend) were impressive, and I too would like to feel better and begin shedding excess pounds. The book is easy reading, and frankly, it makes more practical sense than other literature which offers sure-fire weight loss, hair restoration, and other instant riches. Seriously, the only way to “proof this pudding” is to give it an honest personal trial over a several month time span. If that should happen, you will learn the results here. Check this one out for yourself in your favorite bookstore by thoroughly scanning the book and learning its promises; chances are, you may buy your own copy. If so, maybe we’ll compare results next Spring, OK?

Painting Methods of the Impressionists. Bernard Dunstan (1976). Some books are not meant to be read quickly, nor are they supposed to be read in serial fashion, hurtling from chapter to chapter willy-nilly. Here’s an example. I had noted this title often mentioned in other art books but had never laid eyes upon it until, lo, and oddly, there it was in a Goodwill store. It’s a Watson-Guptill publication, so one knows it’s good, and I snatched it up. This text covers only some of the classic impressionists, but tells much about their approach to composition, the changing paint mediums, the artistic counter-culture in which they worked, their individual solutions to canvas size, the changing and sometimes political theories of color and value and perspective which influenced each painter’s work, and, of course, plenty about the individual lives and behaviors of these unique individualists. Dunstan is good to spend some time with each artist revealing secrets or characteristics of brushwork, and technique which are still a mystery to me, but which make me want to know more, by experimentation, than I know now. One at a time, compare the paintings illustrated to the text and look back from time to time for comparison. This is one writer’s account of an art revolution in the making. It may take a year to finish this 180 tome, and that’s all right.

Yellow Dirt. Judy Pasternack (2010) Ooooooh. I had to return this book to the library already; in fact, to get the book, I had to convince the local library system to buy it; I was, therefore, the first in my community to read the library copy, and maybe the first in this town since even the library had to wait to get an early copy! Anyway, it’s a fascinating and compelling read. It is the documentation of an American tragedy which began in the late 1930s, peaked in the 1940s and 50s, and which, amazingly, has only slowly come into the fringe of public knowledge over the past half-century. When world supplies of fissionable materials were insufficient originally to support the Manhattan Project and later to maintain the demands of producing U.S. nuclear weapons during the Cold War, the domestic uranium ores found almost exclusively on the lands of the Navajo Nation in the Four Corners region of the Southwest were savagely mined in ways which then and since have catastrophically affected those peoples and lands with death, disease and decay. Untold cases of cancers and related damage caused by unchecked radiation over decades of exposure, and unique neurological abnormalities and other pathological diseases have stricken not only the Navajo miners but their families and unborn children as the unsuspected, radioactive contamination surrounded them in polluted waters and even in the concrete floors and stucco walls of their houses which contained the deadly sands, a byproduct of the refining process of creating the concentrated uranium product called yellowcake. Of course, neither the mining companies nor the government accept(ed) any responsibilities for the damage done to so many. In fact, the truth about the effects of radiation poisoning was repressed repeatedly over the decades in which the increasingly obvious effects and causes were becoming apparent as irrefutable fact. Only in recent years have the beginnings of relief and reparations begun to bring a small degree of repayment to Navajo peoples who lived and worked in the middle of the greatest nuclear tragedy in our nation’s entire history (Yes, greater than the Three-Mile Island incident), one that rivals and may yet surpass the horrors of Chernobyl (Ukraine) in 1986. What makes this story even more shocking is that so few Americans are even aware of what has occurred in Navajo country over the past sixty or so years. The book is relatively easy reading; however, grasping the scale and absorbing the magnitude of the personal devastation to health and longevity is nearly impossible. A most sobering read indeed.

The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck (1939). One Hundred? One fifty? I don’t know how many times I have read and taught this American classic over the years. I do know the last time was in 1990 when it was briefly a part of the Senior English class literature unit at Columbia Christian H.S. That was the year I taught in the private school in Portland after I retired from public education in Alaska. The plight of the migrants and the nature of the hard times they suffered was only a small part of the economic crunch the nation was experiencing in the mid- and late 1930s. This too is an account of the trials, temptations, and tribulations of an oppressed people. Steinbeck’s masterfully woven tale with its theme family, the Joads, and its dramatic inter-chapters telling the counter-story in the vernacular of the various social classes, is a kaleidoscope of character textures, insights on the era’s grinding circumstances, and a host of emotions that still draws me to tears. The good hearts and willing spirits of the poorest who continue to help one another to and beyond the last extreme makes this giant story stand tall over all the others in historic American regional literature. I might have a chance to walk through the text with a couple of grand-daughters soon, and that will be extra special for me.

Borderline. Nevada Barr (2010) I’ll tell you what. I am learning to enjoy a well written mystery, a type of literature a rarely read before we moved to Vancouver. My Brother-in-Law got me started with Hillerman, among others, and I am still exploring this interesting genre. After decades of living in Alaska (another of my passions) Alaska mysteries are particularily fascinating. Sue Henry and Dana Stabenow are my favorite writers, and one of their “buddies” is the equally readable Nevada Barr. Well, OK, so she’s not an Alaskan writer, but she’s good. Her books place a National Parks ranger, Anna Pigeon in various situations as she works and serves in different National Parks, both those well known and popular and those lesser know and less frequently visited. "Borderline" occurs in Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande (river) which delineates the border with Mexico. Several contemporary issues which reflect some of the daily news are woven into a story which touches on the loyalties of some people to a geographic and cultural region more than to an arbitrary political division of territory. The power of corrupted border politics also raises it ugly head in this tale. It’s just today’s headlines in pulp fiction in a paperback, but Barr is very readable and drops enough fodder for thought that this reader seldom notices if the pace of action or the level of suspense slows down between crises. Nevada Barr is among a score of favorite mystery writers whose paperbacks I keep against the day I get to reread them all again.

Plant Them Deep. Aimee and David Thurlo (2003) Once again I am touting a recently read mystery, this one by the Thurlos, and yet again it involves the Indian characters and cultures of the Southwest. This book is the eighth in the Ella Clah series, although it is actually more about her mother, Rose Destea, a wise elder of the clan who is an expert in the medicinal and ceremonial plants and herbs which grow naturally across Navajo lands. Someone has been removing – stealing – these valuable resources to the point that many species are becoming scarce. The suggestion to replace the missing plants with genetically engineered substitutes is not welcome news as that solution conflicts with cultural values and expectations of the traditional society. This problem offers an interesting look at the ethics of botanical manipulations, especially when the products are presented a safe for human consumption – physically and spiritually, but may not be as safe as claimed. The investigation intensifies when random murders begin to occur. These authors have several similiar series in the same settings, but I find only the Ella Clah books have a completeness and flavor that makes them much like and as good as Tony Hillerman’s stories of Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. Read the series in the order in which they were written for the best experience.

Watch for Part II in a week or so. As always, I'm interested in your feedback if you have read any of these same books. We have plenty of short days and long nights now to devote to reading, and most of us should probably do more reading and less watching (tolerating) the drivel offered in TV programming these days. Cheers.

WILD BIRD ETHICS

2010-12-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

OK, Here is something for those of you with fine minds and tender hearts to ponder. A very small Red-breasted Nuthatch is "in residence" with us. This individual has been around now for over three weeks which began just before the spell of freezing weather now past. This tiny bird is conspicuous because he/she is quite lame. The right leg is held up tight to the breast and is of no help in perching, maintaining balance, or gripping sunflower seeds so they can be easily opened. Specifically, upon landing on a branch or limb or upon the wire perches of the feeder, this little guy immediately tips to the right and flutters to maintain an upright position. At the feeder the resulting posture often leaves him in a position too awkward to snatch a seed from the guarded opening. When the seeds can be accessed, he seems to toss many aside, apparently aware that most of the larger, harder seeds may be too much challenge to open. Although I can not follow him into the trees to observe the seed cracking operation, I know that one claw would grasp the perch and the other should grip the seed and hold it secure while the bird opens the husk with his beak to extract the edible kernel of nutrition within. I suspect this is nearly impossible for our little handicapped fellow. In fact, it has been trying to open seeds using our plastic front doormat, which is a sort of a coarse astro-type texture. That does not work. In response, I have been putting down shelled bits of sunflower seed kernels right where our friend sits and works and waits. This may help stave of immediate starvation (and there seems lately to be a diminished energy evident). We in turn have to be careful to step over the bird when entering or leaving the house. Our presence does not unduly alarm the bird, or there is too little energy/desire to flee. Actually, I'd rather attribute his calm demeanor to a modicum of trust.

Here come the ethical dilemma. What, if anything at all, should I attempt to do for this bird? Maybe I have already intervened too much just by offering a simpler food source. But it is certainly in a hazardous location being exposed and at ground level. We do have several neighborhood cats which pass by more or less daily, including a pair of mean, yellow, bird-hunters that would display no mercy. So, #1, I can continue to feed and hope for the best. Here's option # 2. I did call the Audubon Care Center over in NW Portland and they suggested I could catch the bird and bring it in to them for examination. They would check to see whether the leg is broken and can be mended, but if not, they would then euthanize the bird forthwith. It all sounds so traumatic. Option #3., offered by my local bird-shop was to just "let nature take its course, whatever that may bring". In that case, the bird would eventually "disappear" and I would likely never know (i.e. "have to know") what happened. Another unsatisfactory possibility - #4. - is to catch this wild bird and put it in a cage and feed it "in captivity" for the rest of its days.

All right, what would you do? Go the "hands off all wildlife" route. Capture and artificially maintain the bird yourself? Pass along this responsibility to the Audubon Care team who may terminate if "healing" is beyond them? Continue to ground feed and hope for the best? Or do you have another viable solution which is ethically better than any options I have currently?

ART CLASSES FOR ALL

2010-12-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

Although I am not currently taking a community college art class, I am learning plenty in Bud's "Challenge 2010" class sponsored by the Northwest Oil Painter's Guild (NOPG). This group of artists is not only encouraging to me but they are providing me with considerable motivation with their impressive works.

My home-schooled grand-daughters are taking classes at a local art school. The twins are mastering their current interest in themes like dragons, medieval characters, and fantasy. They are drawing almost every day and their progress is wonderful.

The drawing the youngest is doing suggests that she has as much talent as her sisters. This sea-horse in its underwater scene is done in charcoal, but it is vibrant with life and motion. Seeing the three girls side-by-side at the drawing boards in class was a treat to Grandpa.

I'm impressed and proud of these three, and I have a two other grand-daughters that are artists too. "My cup runneth over".

JOIN IN THE THANKS GIVING

2010-11-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday. There are almost no hassels in getting ready. It almost always brings together at least some family to share a traditional meal and to linger long enough to share again with turkey sandwiches on sourdough bread. Unlike other holidays, it is almost unpolluted by commercial hard sell pressures (if you can set aside the xmas frenzy which has been building since late October).

It's a day on which we reflect on our blessings individually, as family, and as a nation. It is a day in which we can express our gratitude for those blessings. It is a good day for prayer.

For me, it has always been a day in which I consider the freedoms which have been obtained and protected over the years by our country's military personnel (even more-so than I do on Veterans's Day, for example).

Mostly it is a family day and a time we can be together and remember how God has blessed us - every one! It is a good day to renew our hope.

May God bless and enrich your life too at this Thanks Giving time.

MORE JAPANESE GARDEN PICTURES

2010-11-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

In this pavilion, special exhibits and seasonal events are often presented.

A variety of water features add interest and texture to the individual venues.

Beauty in the landscaping is often in the delicate details, like this classic maple.

Today the pavilion held a display of indigo textiles with a detailed explanation.

Shihoko Futomoto of Japan created these delicate, shimmering hangings.

Several ponds form a chain through several peaceful, colorful scenarios.

In the fall, a visitor should note color everywhere - even in canopies overhead.

A series of decks allows walking above the waters to view large, multi-hued koi.

Open areas often contrast different sands or stone surfaces with moss/grass.

In this stone garden, gravels are carefully groomed around the rock "islands".

For gifts or souvenirs, a small, gift shop offers a nice selection of pretty items.

JAPANESE GARDENS, PORTLAND, OR

2010-11-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

Considered one of the World Class gardens of its kind, Portland's Japanese Garden is classic, serene, and immaculately groomed. As is a portion of the plan, it abounds in many shapes, colors, textures and sizes of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and is subtly decorated with typical Japanese stonework and water features.

Running water, falling water, trickling water, dripping water, and basins, pools and ponds located throughout the grounds each offer a unique view of texture and form on the various surfaces. Reflections are carefully planned, ripples and rills are strategically placed, and the musical sounds of water are part of the ambiance. In late fall, of course, rain becomes part of the liquid tapestry.

Many of the trees are native to the Pacific Northwest, but imported trees and plants are prominently featured. In the fall, Japanese maples and Asian ginkos with their odd shaped leaves are prominent for their sharply defined shapes and brilliant colors. Autumn colors abound in early November, but the groundskeepers do not let them accumulate on the lawns and walkways. Only in the ponds are the fallen leaves abundant.

Textures are found in the border fences, the walkways which are of sorted, gray-toned gravels, cut quarry slabs, and natural stones set carefully to accommodate easy steps on the slopes. Stone lanterns, bamboo walls, and Japanese architecture combine to create the illusion of being in Japan itself. The Gardens are a place of quiet beauty and peaceful surroundings. Come go with me and we shall find some moments of peace and tranquility - even if it is raining a little.

NOVEMBER ON THE AULD LINKS

2010-11-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

First, look at the weather. No rain! Just sunshine and shadows. It's 68 degrees on November 2nd, and my turtle-neck shirt and sweater are too warm in the direct sunlight. I'm out with a "motley krew" of brothers trying to use up the last couple of weeks of the season at the little executive course where we gather every Monday. (OK, I know Monday was the 1st, but it rained an inch on Monday and we came instead on Tuesday!)

One thing about little digital cameras is that it's hard to get action shots. I took a dozen that had to be discarded before I got this one, and I wouldn't dare show you the shot of me at this tee looking like Moby Dick. Well, we play a casual variety of golf and all the running commentary is well taken since no one in this bunch is a professional. We hit 'em good, and we hit 'em sour. It's OK. Four ol' grandpas can have fun together and take turns on being the goat from hole to hole.

I took up the game again after a decade of inactivity, and immediately found that being ten years older and twenty pounds heavier keep my clubs from hitting as far or as accurately as they used to. I've taken to reading an illustrated "how-to" book and some of the former lore is slowly coming back to mind, but putting it back in practice is not as natural as it once was. Still, I'm two-putting many of the greens and I'm keeping my drives in the middle of the fairways.

My ironwork is something to be repaired, since the clubface doesn't swing to the same place each time. (And I'm topping the ball! Aaaargh!) The club I'm completely forgotten how to use is the pitching wedge. I can't pitch or chip worth a wet whistle. But Hey, look at the grin above, won't you? On the final hole, I drove onto the green and sunk the six foot putt for a perfect birdie, so the old man still has a bit of game left in him, Eh? So, are you a golfer too? Great! Get in shape and let's play a round next spring. I'm going to lose the twenty pounds, and I'm trying to figure how to get the last ten years back. I'll do my very best to give you a good round, OK?

CHICK, CHICK, CHICKADEE

2010-10-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

**Since fall is well upon us, we are seeing the first weeks of the annual bird migration. One of the first changes I notice is the arrival of the Oregon Juncos and similar birds which hang around in the winter. We have Black-capped Chickadees all year around, and a few Mountain Chickadees with their classy racing stripes on their helmets, but the Chestnut-backed Chickadees only show up as summer wanes.
**I think most of the brown-backed beauties spend summer months further north along the Pacific Coast as far up as Alaska, but a few may dwell in the higher elevations in the Cascade Mountains. These birds come down when the weather cools and seem to drift on further south for the coldest months. The active little guys are among my favorites. Black oil sunflower seeds make them happy and they will pluck a single seed out of a feeder and flit off to a nearby tree perch to open it, enjoy the morsel inside, and flit back for another. I've watched individuals long enough to think they are eating at least a seed a minute all day long.
**The picture is out our dining room window. Friendly and really fearless, these tiny birds will take the easier seeds from an open hand if it is held still and flat with the fingers together. The tiny fellows weigh nothing, and it is a kick to offer the treat and be able to softly twitter to them as they pick just the right seed for each trip. The Sibley Guide to Birds (a National Audubon Society publication) describes the tiny song of these guys as a weak tsity ti jee jee or when being even more gregarious a louder (buzzy-husky) tsidi-tsidi-tsidi-cheer-cheer. I can spend a lot of peaceful moments watching my little buddies.
**We did spot a new visitor a couple of days ago, but we could not identify it. I have most of the major, reputable bird books but haven't found the newbie in any of them yet. Description: It's the size of a robin or varied thrush and has a two-leg hop like those birds use, but it does not have the coloration of either [there is absolutely no hint of the typical thrush orange]; it is dark, silky gray from the top of its head down the back to the tail-tip; it has lighter shiny gray on throat, belly, and underparts; it has a narrow breastband of darker gray similar to a thrush which provides considerable contrast to the lighter (softer) gray of the throat and belly, but the necklace tends have more of a dip toward the center than expected; the wings when folded show a mottled pattern but no bars; and maybe the most distinctive marking of all is a prominent, light-colored stripe from before the eye, across the eye, and down the side of the neck as far as the shoulder [and this is somewhat of a "thrush-like pattern"]. Do any of you have a clue who this stranger is? I've got the camera ready now, but I fear my unknown transient may have been moving through the area headed south and I won't get another chance to get a picture. (Oh, well. I didn't get a photo of the yellow hummingbird several years ago either.)
**One more thing: the geese are on the move. Monday morning I saw clouds of geese - Canadian and Dusky, I think - pass by the golf course. Some of the multi-layered V-formations must have been composed of more than a thousand birds, and there scores of such clouds out as far as the horizon. There sure was a lot of honking in these aerial freeways. Here at home we can hear the low-flying strings coming well before they sail past just above the tree tops. Most of ours are local birds which overnight on the Columbia River and pass overhead each way enroute to or from a nearby waterway which is a favorite feeding ground. Both our local geese and the migrant geese are trying to fatten up either for wintering nearby or for the long flight south, perhaps to the Sacremento Delta in California.
**What bird migrations are you witnessing?

AFTER SEEING THE DOCTOR

2010-10-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who responded in one way or another to my last post here on Blogspot. (Especial thanks for the "comments" to that post.) I appreciated the loving feedback, and in partial response, here's the requested update.

With heart pounding and blood pressure jacked way up, I did go to the appointment as scheduled. All the tests and labwork were reviewed, and as expected, my current numbers were discussed. The doctor made several recommendations, adjusted my medications, and pointed out some goals for me to work toward. I'm comfortable with all we covered, and resolve to make positive changes over the coming three months - holidays and birthday celebrations not withstanding. Prescription of the big "I"* which I expected was not among the topics brought up or named as an immediate decision now. There were, of course, several dark references to "stronger measures" and a "firmer approach" which I interpreted as justifiable threats.

Sure, my numbers were up again; weight, cholesterol, A1c, and other factors had all climbed. (Only my height has diminished!) By a severe change in diet habits I hope to reduce all of those results before mid-January. The solution continues to be, "Eat less; Eat better. Exercise regularly." One of the recommendations was to go see the Nutrition and Diabetes Center at the local hospital and get training in achieving the meal deal and in monitoring blood glucose levels. OK, I'll make that call Monday.

The other vital topic we discussed was the cause and possible treatment of my continuing foot pain. I've always had flat, wide feet, and have needed good foot support. Last spring while pruning the orchard, I stood for days on a ladder wearing old tennies which did not provide that requisite foundation for my arches. I'm sure what little arch I had collapsed completely. Owwie!! I have not been able to walk pain-free since, and it has almost eliminated my ability to walk any significant distance for exercise. [Now I have been golfing nine holes Monday mornings, but once I sit down for a while, I can hardly get back on my feet. I hobble around most of Tuesday, and by Wednesday or Thursday, if I am careful about wearing good support and do not walk about bare-footed, I can finally get around again.] The Doctor, after his in-office check, has referred me to a podiatrist for further exam and suggested some sort of orthopedic lift or shoe might be prescribed.

OK, the title of my previous entry suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that "Things Are Looking Up, Right?" It may actually be true; let's all keep that in mind. I will work toward improved numbers and accept the advice I am getting from my caregivers. Y'all help me remember that much of the change I need to realize depends upon me. I have set some personal goals, and promised myself some new slacks and shirts when I achieve my target numbers. I've been told that discarding older, larger clothing and working at staying slim to be able wear the new clothes becomes a motivator for maintaining the gains achieved. Sounds good to me 'cause I need to be motivated, and I understand setting goals and chipping away at them to make progress in small degrees.

Meanwhile, these Wyatts need to seriously challenge the status-quo re. the groceries we buy, the meals out we can allow, and such-like. Goodbye sweets; Hello veggies. I'll probably be talking about these things in future blogs, so don't be too surprised. Now, shouldn't we purge the refrigerator and food cabinets of all the no-nos; make a contribution to a food-bank with our surplus carbs and snacks? Get out the diabetic recipe books and begin building a new cuisine? Lube the treadmill so it is available on rainy days? Make ourselves vulnerable to family and friends who are willing to gently inquire (even nag?) about our progress? Renew commitment to that list of strategies for coping with health issues? (I'll post that list in a few days.) We probably need to do all of the above, and more for insurance. Will you help?

GOOD TIMES AHEAD, RIGHT?

2010-10-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Those of you who long ago in days of yore read Pilgrim's Progress may remember his struggle with places like the Slough of Despond, the Hill of Difficulty, the Valley of Humiliation and his growing discouragement in the company of characters with revealing names like Adam the First, Mr. Despondency, Much-Afraid, The Flatterer, and Mrs. Fearing. Each place and encounter has its effect on poor Christian during his journey to the Celestial City, and it ain't a happy ride.

You might have noticed I haven't posted much lately as I just have not had much to say nor the will to say it. It a lack of focus and a feeling of not getting traction in the tasks of life. I feel my wheels are spinning, and my fate (beginning tomorrow) is sealed. It comes down to not being able to get a grip on controlling my diabetes.

I was supposed to see the doctor three months ago for routine A1c testing, but I knew my weight was up, my blood sugar numbers were soaring, my blood pressure was high, and I was feeling generally crummy and unmotivated. I wanted to do better before I saw the doctor, so I skipped going in, because I didn't want to face the music. (Insert here a loud, dark, Gothic, descending run on a thundering organ, a la a Jules Verne movie or a Wagner opera, and draw that last low note out long and heavy...)

Is it my concern based solely in fear? despair? dread? Yeah!, almost certainly. But I finally scheduled the long delayed visit, went in last Friday to have blood drawn (more dark organ music) for multiple panels/tests/studies, and I face the appointment tomorrow afternoon. Why all the drama?

I am convinced that the good doctor is going to scold me, berate my failure, tongue-lash me soundly, and put me on daily insulin shots. Bah! Humbug! He will tell me it is for my own good, and insist I lose weight (I would like to do that), to adopt a suitable diabetic diet (I'm not too keen on this idea), and to resume regular exercise (and I don't think nine holes of golf weekly will satisfy him). I'm way too busy and interested in other things than to eagerly accept such distraction into my routine, but... I must.

Bottom line: I am discouraged about my lack of discipline, my inability to manage weight and numbers, and my failure to maintain control of my health, and I'm depressed.

Nevertheless, (deep breath and meaningful pause) because I love my wife and kids and grandkids, I will submit so I can continue to take care of them, which I hope I have been doing better than I have been caring for myself. And maybe as a side benefit, the doctor can recommend something to relieve the constant pain in my feet so I can hobble around without hurting at every step.

Like the Pilgrim, I am struggling not only with the journey, but with being mortal.

But things are looking up.... Aren't they???

ON READING FAVORITE BLOGS

2010-09-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it fun to follow blogs that hold significance and satisfaction? Of course, for me that would include blogs of my family, when those are posted. However the lives of my immediate are busy and each remarks that finding the time (and topic) to post is a challenge. Or maybe it’s sometimes a matter of priorities. Or a computer breaks down. Or a hard-drive self-destructs. Or another “social media” site calls more strongly to them (I miss out ‘cause I don’t go there!).Or family crises arise! All of these are hindering someone in my blog-life right now.

If I had my druthers, everyone I love – especially family – would post a little something every day, sort of like “checking in” with their lives and thoughts and share what’s keeping them busy and what’s on their minds. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. That’s part of what those “social media” sites claim to be about. Personally, I prefer, and trust, the blog sites more. So once or twice a day I keep lookin’ to see whether any of my own has posted. When someone has, it’s a special moment for me.

Other than family, I regularly follow fewer than a dozen other specific sites, and only half of those are bloggers. Most are special friends. A few are precious individuals who only post a couple of times a year (Bummer!). And that leaves two or three sites that are important to me for my own reasons. For example, being “hobby poor”. I have dozens of former pursuits, dormant interests, and intriguing fields of interest I continue to track because of life-long passion or enduring curiosity, or a current lack of opportunity. So I have found a few neat places on line to keep those interests simmering on the back burners of my mind, to rewarm a metaphor or two.

One of my favorite bloggers is currently inactive because of a family crisis. I don’t have any confirmed details at all, except it seems that this individual has taken on a caregiver’s role for a loved one and consequently, among other disruptions, has had to temporarily abandon publishing a fascinating and artistic blog. I know I may be reading much more into the situation than is justified, but bear with me. I know that putting off a satisfying and creative endeavor in behalf of a higher and much more urgent calling is willingly done. Nevertheless, there is a sense of loss and distraction to manage until it becomes possible to once again take up that former effort to which one has been dedicated with great passion. In this case the only hint I have to work with is the mention of a medical condition which if confirmed would certainly be life threatening. When such tragedy strikes, whole families experience turmoil and each individual – whether spouse, child, or other – faces a sometimes prolonged period of adaptation and compromise. Meanwhile one passion replaces another and the blog languishes.

[BTW, In this case, so vaguely described, please join me in praying for the one afflicted, the ones thrust into caregiving roles, the disruptions of life thus caused to families, and someday for a happy return to the former joys of life.]

Conclusion? Well, I’m not sure. I probably had you in mind if your computer is currently acting goofy, if your hard-drive is being rescued, if your car is in the shop, if you are out of place and life is out of joint, if your current schedule is way too busy, if Murphy has been your recent companion, if you are un/or/under/employed, if parenting is presently a puzzle, if your mattress just broke another spring, if you are struggling with a chronic health condition.

In any of those cases, OR if you are enjoying a neat string of blessings, if you feel like you somehow just won some sort of lottery, if recent days have been filled with happiness and thoughtful friends, if a nagging problem has been neatly resolved, well… Do this:

Blog it. I’d love to read all about it. Writing about it will help you feel better, and some of the rest of us can come alongside and lend a little support.

PLEIN AIR ON THE EAST FORK OF THE LEWIS RIVER

2010-09-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me explain the term "plein air": it's a French expression for painting or drawing outdoors. In modern usage, as I understand it, plein air generally refers to painting , and often presumes the artist is using oils, although pastels, watercolors, and acrylics are also employed.

Here is a picture taken at the location selected for the first September plein air outing of the NOPG (Northwest Oil Painter's Guild). This is a portion of the south bank of the East Fork of the Lewis River about eight miles east of Woodland, Washington. Haapa Park, a small boat launch facility which is part of the Clark County Park system offers a wonderful picnic area overlooking the river, plenty of parking, some walking paths and lawn areas, and a nice bathroom building.

The object of painting outdoors is to capture the selected scenery and a given moment of light and color in a single effort. Practically, this is an almost impossible task, considering the light is always changing, especially on a cloud driven day, and the activity of life does not pause to pose for the artist. At best a quick effort is made to block-in the general view, establish the basic shapes and values and colors, and hope to complete the painting later at home, perhaps with the help of reference photographs or sketches. Experience and practice seem to be important elements in the task, neither of which I adequately possess, yet. Still, I am equipped, and willing to learn, and I do enjoy the element of getting outdoors to experience beautiful places and real air.

My outfit currently is a Russian Yarka painting case which features collapsible legs, a built-in easel, interior storage for tubes of paint, brushes, and a carefully selected minimum of essential materials and supplies. Using suggestions in a well known plein air book, I have made several modifications to the unit which somewhat speed set-up before painting and the clean-up afterward. Typically, I am probably over supplied and carry more gear than I might really need and more tools than I will actually require. Gradually, I hope to reduce the kit to the basics I actually use; this will save weight, simplify the outings considerably, and allow me to focus on the purpose of painting rather than on the transportation of cargo.

Before I opened a tube of paint yesterday, I took this picture of my set-up. It took two trips to carry my load so I'm going to find a basket or such on wheels which means more equipment. Still, can you tell from the pictures what a lovely place this was to spend several hours? With a dynamic sky, plenty of bird-life, a little fishing-boat traffic on the river, the first colors of autumn putting dashes of reds and rusts, and yellows into the dozens of unique greens along the riverbanks, and companion painters, it was a most enjoyable afternoon.

Perhaps after I get past my tyro phase and gain a little confidence in what I am doing as a rookie painter, I will chance sharing a shot or two of my compositions. Frankly, I don't think they are much to look at yet, but, any work in progress doesn't look very good until the last few carefully placed and applied strokes suddenly make a picture "pop". Hey! Did you see the blue in that Kingfisher and hear him squawk? Now that's neat!

Meanwhile, you have a small idea of what I am up to and what I am up against. I am going to concentrate mostly on landscape and outdoor themes. So what kind of paintings do you like?

BLUEGRASS MUSIC

2010-08-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

**My family knows that Saturday morning is a favorite time of the week for me because it means Bluegrass music. From 9:00 AM until noon a fiercely independent radio station based in Portland, OR, broadcasts a program they tout as the longest continuous running Bluegrass show west of the Mississippi River. They call it “Music from the True Vine.” The station is KBOO; it airs locally on 90.7 FM and streams on the internet so you can listen in wherever you live. This is one program I make a serious effort to hear every week, because I like Bluegrass Music.
**Mostly I hang around the house doing minor tasks or tinkering in the garage. Sometimes I‘ll sort and simplify stuff in drawers or closets or the attic or even tackle light yard work. Chances are several radios in the house – bedroom, kitchen, garage, a portable in hand and sometimes a transistor radio with ear buds – are all tuned to hear the programming. I tend to wander around, I guess, and don’t want to miss part of a song. If I should have to run an errand or decide to seek out a few garage sales, no problem. I have buttons preset to the right station in both vehicles. Usually I’m not available for other activities during this time slot. Sorry.
**While there is no set format for the three hours of “The Vine,” during a months span most varieties of Bluegrass, classic, modern, and cutting edge, can be heard. Basically, there are four main hosts, each taking a weekend, and should one of the four not be available, two or three capable substitutes are ready to fill in or to cover a fifth Saturday. Over the several years I have been listening, I have formed opinions about and favorites among the regulars, and I have begun to anticipate the styles of Bluegrass to expect and which artists are likely to be featured. Local bands and musicians are supported and local gigs are announced each week at eleven o’clock. Enough information is inserted now and then by the hosts to give a sense of where Bluegrass is going, what some of its history has been, and what the local scene is like. This has been helpful to me in gaining more appreciation, especially of specific artists.
**Bluegrass as an evolved branch of folk music is fairly new and uniquely American. Its roots, of course, can be traced to multiple older, and often, foreign origins, but its basic content, musical formats, and acoustic instrumentation are all ours. Among the prominent musicians, most of whom are professionals, are many I enjoy and some I even admire. Still, some of the most satisfying Bluegrass is produced by home-grown pickin''n grinnin' groups and other completely amateur efforts. My own tastes tend toward Gospel Bluegrass and other “righteous” lyrics, selections based on tight vocal harmonies, and selections that demonstrate really superb mastery of an acoustic Bluegrass instrument. I have a small collection of CDs among which are many personal favorites I can enjoy over and over again. As badly as the banjo can be played, I still somehow favor it above all the others when it is in the hands of a master (and there are several) who treats the instrument and the music with respect and precision.
**Mostly my wife and family are patient with my Bluegrass compulsion and give me only a little grief over being more focused on the music than upon them. I do sometimes notice that when more than one of them are around late Saturday morning, there are grins and smirks, mutual comradely support and the shared rolling of eyes as they kindly accommodate my passion for the music. Thanks, folks.
**Anyone else out there afflicted with the Bluegrass bug?

PS If you tune in a couple of hours early on Saturday morning you may hear an eclectic mix of Country/Western Swing and novelty music that is often a lot of fun and full of memorable old tunes. Of course, growing up listening to radio in the late forties and the fifties has predisposed me to favor music of that era. Maybe you are not that old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PATTY

2010-08-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

**May I ask everyone who knows "My Baby", Patty S., to be especially kind and gentle to her today (August 17th) and in the days to come. It's Birthday Time again. She certainly deserves some recognition, considering all she does for everyone else: her hubby, her daughters, her prayer group, various church and home school groups, the several writer's clubs and conferences she supports, neighbors, friends, community functions, et.al. Even if the day slipped up on you, give her her a call or send a card or mention her in your blog/facebook/twitter/or post a note on a nearby bulletin board.
**Patty is a remarkable and most special person. She puts all of us before herself, and she puts God before everything and everyone. It's nice that I can tell you how proud I am of her; it's even better that I can to testify to her Christan life. She is one of God's favorite daughters, but most of you knew that already.
**Happy Birthday, Patty.

FAMILY ART AT THE COUNTY FAIR

2010-08-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Grandpas should brag at every opportunity, so here goes. One of my fabulous five granddaughters has art work hanging at the county fair. Can you spot the "Golden Leopard" at the top left of a display in the picture? That belongs to "J", who is just barely the oldest. It's a pastel, and it won a ribbon in her division. All the girls are artists and each one has done remarkable art work. It is nice, though, to see one fine piece on public display where the whole world can enjoy what is usually only seen by immediate family. Good job, 'lil Darlin'.

GEOFFREY'S 20th CCS REUNION

2010-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

Actually, it was a reunion commemorating the twenty years since this class graduated, and probably not the 20th time they had tried to gather. Quite a few came - most from the local area (or the PNW) and a few from further, including North Carolina and , naturally, Alaska. Friday night the class dined together at a Red Lion restaurant and Saturday afternoon a picnic gathering at Columbia Christian was enjoyed by a crowd which included the kids and a couple of former teachers like me.

This was most of the folk gathered, except for a few chasing kids or inside for other reasons. I'm giving you a closer look at the Alaska attendees below.

This was the graduating class of the year I taught after I retired from teaching in Alaska. That's quite a story on its own, but I enjoyed this unexpected year and the students with whom I worked. It is still fun to run into one of these students and discover what life has offered since "Pomp and Circumstance".

MARTY AND PAT AND A HOT STEED

2010-07-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

This week we had family bikers drop in on us the see the grandsons (and their Mom and Dad too). My brother Marty and his wife Pat rode their motorcycle up from California for a brief visit to see us and the Juneau Wyatt clan, and a good time was had by all.

It was interesting to see the various layers and items of highway garb which make up the outfit necessary to be comfortable and safe on a road trip. Leather boots and chaps, vests and coats, gloves and helmet are the visible outerwear. Intercom/phone systems are in the helmets to allow conversation and communications while underway. The motorcycle is a Kawasaki Vulcan Classic, 2001, and produces about 96 HP in the 1500cc carbureted engine.

Mid-day Thursday the older couples went to lunch and later in the afternoon the younger ladies engineered an old-fashioned backyard hamburger picnic with all the goodies and green salad and potato salad. Eli took a fancy to Pat who enjoyed alternating between the boys - first holding one and then the other.

Marty and Pat enjoy serving with the Patriot Riders, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who like to provide honor and flag escorts for funerals of U.S. Veterans, especially those who have been decorated for their meritorious military accomplishments. Note the patches, badges, and vest decorations which all have significance in biker protocols. Altogether, it makes for an impressive, patriotic display, especially when the bike is clean and the chrome is all shined up.

All ready to hit the highways again, here they are in full regalia as they left our place and headed over to the Oregon Coast to travel home along US-101, camping out along the way. Thanks for coming; we enjoyed your visit.

FIRST COUSINS and GRANDSONS

2010-07-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

For the second time in 2010, all our kids and all their kids were together briefly, this time at Memaw's and Papa John's home. It makes quite a crowd now. Most importantly the picture below is the first time all seven (first) cousins have been photographed together since Lucas JOHN was born about seven weeks ago. You can see why counting our blessings has become one of our favorite pasttimes.

Becasue Lucas is not sitting upright yet he is necessarily in horizontal mode in all his pictures. In this case he is keeping a careful eye on Memaw who is the current holder. He still looks like Daddy/Momma/Papa/this side of family/that side of family/and an angel, don't you think?

Not to be outdone, brother Eli, who will be two on July 13th is a good-looker too. He is also a high-speed goer and doer, and his mind seems to be going as fast as his feet. We are betting he is another genius among our precious seven. Eli has finally figured out that his little brother is part of the family now and worthy of kisses.

Betty and I are very proud of the parents of the wonderful kids in the pictures. We think that they are wonderful kids too and someday, maybe, we will capture all of them in some family snapshots we can share. Meanwhile, our grateful thanks to six wonderful young parents. May God richly bless all of you and help us continue to make happy memories together.

AN INTERLUDE WITH FAMILY AND MT.RANIER

2010-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

You know those times when you feel so overwhelmed you can't seem to get anything done? I've been swimming in a mixed sea of busy times and failed motivation. A deadly combination of urgency and ennui. Sort of a frantic lethargy in which so much is demanding that little is accomplished beyond worry and regret. Thus, this blog, among other things, has been victim to my inattention.

This past weekend, however, I had to get my act in gear in order to join family for our summer getaway to Ohanapecosh, a campground on the southeast slopes of Mt. Ranier a little northeast of Packwood, WA. We pulled the camper trailer up there on Friday morning after picking up the three local granddaughters. The Kennewick family joined us mid-afternoon, and rest of the Vancouverites came during the evening to bring our numbers to eleven for this year's event.

Most of the time this year was spent in camp, reading and enjoying the campfire, meals, visiting, and for the eager, some hiking. Saturday a truckload of us did venture up the mountain to see the new visitor center at Paradise and catch a glimpse of the mountain, some wildlife, flowers and grand panoramic views of the region (when the clouds allowed). Saturday evening we celebrated the twins birthday with gifts and goodies.

By Sunday evening we were home and dashed to the airport to gather up the Juneau family; both grandsons and their parents are going to be with us for nearly three weeks. They have several activities to attend, including a 20th high school reunion, medical/dental appointments, and semi-perpetual shopping. Mainly, Memaw and Papa are going to take advantage of time to bond with Eli and his new brother, Lucas JOHN. When the camera gets going, I'll try to share a picture or few here to demonstrate our precious blessings.

Meanwhile, I have to face another diabetic check-up which I expect to fail, since I have been unable to maintain either diet or exercise enough to keep my weight and numbers under control. That may partly explain the first paragraph. Well, I do have better goals and intentions; now I need a way to convey that truth to my doctor. Any ideas?

GARAGE SALE SEASON

2010-06-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time of Spring Again. Garage and Estate Sales are everywhere. But early June is the hardest time of all for me; that's when the upscale neighborhoods hold their combined weekend sales and the pickin's are easy and close together. We'll sample a couple this afternoon and maybe a couple more Saturday morning. And today the annual church sale begins; that one raises funds to pay for several houses the team builds in Mexico each year. Gotta go check that one out this afternoon. Wanna come along?

[Later. Here is the loot tally: 4 small DeGrazia refrigerator magnets for the collection, an expandable gate for the top of the stairs when Eli and Lucas come to see us, 4 books (a commentary on four N.T. epistles, an Egermier's Bible Story book {think Eli again}, a Japanese fairytale storybook, and "Forgiven" - reflections on Thomas Blackshear II's painting by the same title), a pair of clip-on sunglasses for me, a classical painter's palette for plein air, a partial oil painter's kit for the unused materials in it, a couple of animal puzzles for, mmmm, yup!, Eli again! Sox and jeans for Lucas, and a few little useful odds and ends. Total costs: $11.00 and small change. Cheaper than a movie without popcorn! Not a major haul, but almost four hours of fun and visiting with neighborhood folk and seeing a few friends at the church-lot sale. And... AND... AND... it didn't rain!!!]

A GRANDDAUGHTER'S HIGHLIGHT

2010-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

We just spent a couple of days with David and his girls while their Momma was on a "Teacher of the Year" trip to Texas. This time Tabitha went along with us. On Wednesday, Tabitha, a home-schooled student, attended her first full day in a classroom environment. With the permission of officials at the Private Church School, especially Mrs. Duncan, the second grade teacher, Tabitha experienced what a room-full of other students can be like.

It turns out that school was the highlight of the whole trip. We asked what her favorite part was. Well, recess, of course, since she got to run ten laps of the rainy-day indoor activity. But get this. She liked Math too! Seems like she held her own in class and when the homework sheets she worked later that afternoon were checked by Grandpa, Tabitha got 100%, front and back, on all the multiplication probems presented.
Back home in Vancouver, her Momma said, "That's my girl.", but Momma wasn't any more proud than Granda and Grandpa.
Learning is all about new experiences, and it does take a team - sometimes. So special thanks to Payton for hosting her cousin, to her school for its hospitality, and to the gracious and adaptable Mrs. Duncan, teacher of twenty-two, plus One.

FOLLOW THE WYATT BROTHERS BLOG

2010-05-29T00:18:00.001-07:00

OK, Listen up, friends and neighbors. There's a new blog to follow. Elijah and Lucas can be found from time to time on their own showpiece blog:

http://www.wyattbrothersak.blogspot.com/

Trust a Grandpa. Would Papa John lead you astray concerning GRANDSONS? Be sure to check out the first few entries to compare the brothers "newborn mugshots". Then, bookmark the site for easy access in the future. Thanks to their folks - Geoffrey and Dana - for the photos and commentary.

Feel free to Ohhh! and Ahhh! and to leave brief comments of admiration and wonder. And continue to give thanks with us for both precious miracles: Eli and Lucas

LUCAS AND MOM ARE FINE NOW, THANK YOU.

2010-05-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

It was a real emergency, so the doctors in Juneau opted to life-flight Dana to Anchorage. With complication of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, both of which were critical and life threatening factors to Dana, and for other reasons, they felt the crisis was sufficient to shift the delivery to a better prepared and equipped facility. The medivac Lear Jet had Dana and Geoffrey in Anchorage, about 600 miles away, in ninety minutes. After a few necessary tests upon arrival, Dana was prepped for surgery - her second Cesarean section - and the delivery began.

Meanwhile the rest of us held our breath and prayed, and prayed, and prayed. It was a long time before we received word that all went well and Dana was safe and Lucas John was going to be all right too.

It turned out that the medical caution exercised in Juneau saved their lives. What we didn't know then was that other unknown factors were at play which had put both of them at high risk should the delivery have been attempted in Juneau. In fact, had they not arrived at the Anchorage hospital when they did, these unanticipated and unforeseen complications would probably been fatal to both of them. I don't know yet whether the doctors in Juneau or Anchorage knew this before surgery. My impression is that this fact was discovered during the delivery itself. Nevertheless, I am certain that God was aware of the hazard and had a hand in the swift and timely transport to ensure their ultimate safety and survival.

One worry with any premature birth - and Lucas was three weeks early - is whether the baby's lungs are adequately developed. Fortunately, his lungs seem to be doing fine and he is also doing all the things that newborns, especially preemies are supposed to do: seeking food, demonstrating a good sucking reflex, expelling the prebirth bowel contents, responding to normal stimuli, etc. Although a little jaundice is anticipated, that will be normal, and we are grateful, of course, for "normal" in any baby. (Especially this one who kept us all "guessing" for a while.)

Thank you to all those friends and family who contacted us with concern and/or congratulations for Lucas John and his parents. We are most appreciative of your concern and have been delighted to tell the joyful good news about the happy outcome. Now the big task is to arrange transportation home to Juneau (and Eli) on Friday. If you know of anyone with a big pile of "air miles" to share, let us know and we will put you in contact with Geoffrey. Most of all, big thank you to all who were a part of the enormous prayer effort in their behalf. Turn your pleas now into songs of thanksgiving.

LUCAS JOHN WYATT, GRANDSON

2010-05-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

This was a day of high drama. Dana had been on bedrest for days and in the hospital for days, but this morning the decision was made to medivac her from Juneau to Anchorage to make additional medical support available.

So here is one of the first photos (Thanks to his dad's magic phone). OK, his hair isn't combed, but he's a boy, and he's just barely dry from delivery. Give him a break.
Thanks to everyone who has been eagerly awaiting today with us. Even though Luke is about three weeks early, first reports indicate all is well now and mother and child are finally resting.

A SHOUT OUT FOR ROJO AND LORI.

2010-05-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Let me mention a fascinating encounter at the combined plant sale / Health and Safety Fair in Camas last week. Rojo, a handsome llama, and Lori, his patient provider, attended the event as a part of their service to the community. They are interested that the public know about the Mountain Peaks Therapy Llamas, based in Vancouver, WA. My impression was that they were quite successfully getting their message across to the dozens of folk who stopped to look and listen and learn about the purpose of "therapy animals".

These especially trained and certified llamas and their handlers work with individuals of all sorts of needs - the handicapped, the aging, cancer patients, children of every kind, and more - throughout the Northwest. Imagine the joy and warmth and acceptance and hope they share with people of all ages who are challenged by issues of health or disability. They visit in hospitals, assisted living facilities, or wherever they can share their valuable ministry. I was privileged to photograph a meeting between this unique caregiving team and their new young friend, Katie, who seemed to delight in repeatedly touching Rojo's soft coat.

Visit www.rojothellama.com to read about this interesting and worthwhile enterprise. There are some really great pictures and a quite compelling story to be enjoyed. Take the time to see the photo albums and read the stories; it's worth it.
Finally, Rojo and Lori were just splendid in educating the folk who stopped to hear their story; they were exceptionally gentle and responsive to Katie, and she in turn was enthralled with Rojo. So THANK YOU for being there Saturday, and a big THANK YOU for what you do in behalf of persons with special needs. Yours is a great work.

CAMAS, WA - PLANT SALE

2010-05-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

We learned today, quite by chance, that our neighboring community, Camas, Washington, holds an annual plant sale on the Saturday before Mother's Day.

All three three pictures I have chosen are taken from the middle of the quaint, tree-lined street which passes through the central district where all the cute stores are located. Ordinarily, this is a busy commercial route with plenty of vehicular traffic, but not for this party. Today it was for foot-traffic only.

The event covered more than four blocks in length with half a block more in each direction at each crossing street. All sorts of flowers, ground covers, trees, garden art, crafts, rocks and statuary, bird houses, feeders, and a host of other yard and garden products filled the streets on both sides. Since this was just about the first, warm, sunny day this spring, many hundreds of folk were enjoying the stroll and almost everyone seemed to be carrying a purchase or two.

At the east end of the plant sections, and right in front of the public library, was an additional block of tents and shelters hosting a educational health and safety fair.

It was a happy and very pleasant "happening" and if we can remember next year, we will go earlier, and on purpose. Would you like to join us?

IT IS MAY, RIGHT? HAIL AND ALL?

2010-05-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, following ten minutes of severe wind, we twice experienced a prolonged hailstorm. The first episode resulted in an inch of small, BB to pea-sized hard hail which covered all the ground surfaces except the lawn grass (which needs mowing again already). Our rear deck was completely covered with a little extra because it was cascading off of the roof by bouncing over the gutter. All the tree rings in the yard and orchard were white. Even the most sheltered rings were covered as the storm made the hail penetrate the leaf cover of the trees. In my experience, most hail only lasts a few minutes, but this event continued for an amazing twenty minutes and kept me peering out front and back and full of wonder. As a parting oddity, about three minutes before the downfall diminished, full, bright sunlight broke through the cloud cover and turned the falling hail into a brilliant wall of extremely bright white. During the downfall, the temperature dropped almost ten degrees to near 50 degrees. Most curious!

A later period of hail seemed ready to repeat the first, but only lasted about half as long and left less than half the hail on the ground. This time, however, the hail was not as icy, but instead was more like compacted snow - almost like snow pellets in mid-winter.

Quite unusual, indeed. Sorry I didn't get a photograph, because my camera was otherwise occupied with a different project. Did anyone around here experience the same storm in a similar way?

OREGON NIKKEI LEGACY CENTER

2010-04-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

This week Betty and I visited the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center for the first time. Japanese American generations each have their own name, but "Nikkei" refers to all the individuals who share Japanese ancestors. Their history in the United States is intriguing, often noble, and extraordinarily courageous at times because of the racial bigotry exercised against them as emigrants, particularly at the outbreak of war with Japan in 1941 because they "looked like the enemy".

Because of the attack on Pearl Harbor the usual prejudice toward the Japanese was magnified into the worst kind of racial profiling against hard working merchants and farmers who were only engaged in enjoying the American dream of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as they strived to make a place for themselves in many western communities. Indeed, their industry was often a significant part of the agricultural and labor supply on which the economy was based as it passed through the depression years. Nevertheless, the Japanese in America were unfairly held responsible for the war.

The frantic reaction of the government was to forceably remove everyone of Japanese heritage from the entire west coast of the country for fear they might include enemy agents. As a result 120.000 individuals, many of whom were women and children, were corralled in holding centers until ten "concentration camps" could be constructed in mostly isolated, desert areas for their incarceration. Many of those held were American Citizens whose civil rights were ignored; all of them were treated like prisoners. Only allowed to bring what they could carry (as one placcard in the certer points out) what they really brought and relied upon was "strength, dignity, and soul".

The map locates the ten internment locations where the detainees were held. The colored portion was the west coast zone from which the Japanese were excluded. Virtually all who had lived in those areas suffered the total loss of their properties and personal possessions. Although a few in the camps were allowed to relocate further east, and some students were allowed to continue their education in eastern schools, most detained Japanese remained restrained in the windy, dusty, cold, and inhospitable barracks to which they were assigned within barbed wire fences surrounded by towers and armed guards.

At first the young men were even refused the opportunity to serve in the armed forced in defense of the country. Later 100th Battalion and the the newly formed 442nd Regimental Combat Team were combined and these American-Japanese troops performed heroically time and again in European campaigns, not only proving their loyalty and devotion to America but demonstrating an extrordinary strength of will and character and courage. These soldiers suffered more casualties and won more combat awards that any other unit in the bitter battles of 1944-45. They were truly magnificient.

One more thought: The story of the noble and gentle Japanese who endured the traumas described above with such remarkable grace and dignity should be learned and remembered by all Americans. Efforts like the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center and the nearby commemorative park of memorial stones should be visited and appreciated and recommended to others. I promise you will be touched by the experience.

TULIP TIME IN BETTY'S HOME PARK

2010-04-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Last summer on a trip with friends, we visited the tulip fields south of Bellingham. Awed by the fields of tulips and entranced y individual varieties in a plethora of shapes and colors, we ordered a small selection, which Betty planted last fall.

If you like flowers, we recommend taking a springtime tour when the fields are in bloom. If Bellingham or the Vernon Valley areas are too far away, there are nice places near Woodland,WA, and displays are found south of Portland.

When this orange variety is in full sun, the petals are almost fluorescent. They just glow!

And way out front, from a former and long forgotten season of daffodils, this solitary white blossom popped up all alone last week. Hardy and resilient after all these years it is a survivor.

It has been kind of nice to have a few flowers again around here. Thanks, Betty.

ANOTHER READING POST

2010-04-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Maintaining a blog is much like having a pet. It has needs, and if those are neglected, one suffers anxiety and guilt. What to post? I should, I suppose, or folk will assume I shuffled off somewhere and forgot to keep breathing. Fortunately, there is always one reliable fallback: book reports. For example, Betty and I both recently read "the Secret Life of Bees" and enjoyed not only the read but some interesting discussions of our individual impressions. The book was suggested by Linda and Big Thanks to her. OK, I've had some really good reads lately, so here we go again. (Roughly in clockwise order)
#1. The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus. - Joshua Kendall. The New York Times got it right in its brief teaser: "It will charm the word nerd in all of us". Indeed, what wordsmith has not relied upon and often referred to Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases? Roget, living in an age of Industrial Revolution, Scientific Awakening, Cultural and Political Restrictions, and only slightly before Charles Dickens, for example, is a curious product of his times, his oscillations between depression and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). You'll be intrigued at all the well-known names of people with whom he interacted or had at least some contact. He did seem to totter along that line between genius and lunacy, but the outcome is a blessing to all writers, at least in English. One note: you ought to persist through all the biographical baggage even if all you want to find out is his writing the thesaurus because it took him a lifetime. At times a doctor, a scientist/researcher, and an inventor, Roget achieved several other amazing accomplishments in his crazyquilt career: experiments with nitrous oxide, development of the log-log (logarithmic) scale on the slide rule making multiplication and division possible, and a dramatic escape from Napoleon's France. Pace yourself a couple of chapters at a time with this one.
#2. Capturing the Moment in Oils. - David Curtis.
#3. Landscape Painting Inside and Out. Kevin Macpherson. I'm still collecting what seem to be instructive books on oil painting, especially as related to either plein air or alla prima painting. The former concerns painting outdoors and the latter focuses upon completing a painting in a single session. Macpherson is one of America's current gurus in plein air and is highly respected in several media arenas, primarily oils and watercolor. Curtis seems to be the equivalent in England. I'm enjoying all the study and intend to begin applying what little I understand as soon as the rain lets up and it warms up to at least sixty degrees this spring.
#4. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built. - Alexander McCall Smith. Yeah, I'm a fan of detective Mma Ramotswe and her assistant Mma Makutsi. This is the tenth book in the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and while the plot in this edition seemed rather milder than in previous stories, the superb and subtle characterizations continue to fascinate me. This is reading that is cozy and most suitable with a cup of Precious' red bush tea, available in some local markets.
#5. Seeking Enlightenment, Hat by Hat; a Skeptic's Path to Religion. - Nevada Barr. Stop right here! Don't read this book if you expect it to be entirely from a "christian" viewpoint. That's the point, in fact. It's written by a person whose life has fallen apart and who desperately seeks relief for loneliness in a church. She is accepted just as she is (and there is a lesson too) without having to conform to any liturgical pattern. Here is her journey from an unreligious upbringing by non-religious parents to grasping at the meanings of fundamental spiritual matters like: What is God? Prayer? Faith? Forgiveness? Purpose? and about forty more topics in short chapters each thoughtfully revealing her processing of coming to an understanding of practical religion. Some passages seem like the blind novice is leading the one who thought he saw clearly. On another note, Barr writes some fine mysteries in Alaskan settings, none of which prepared me for the intriguing insights she openly shares in "Seeking Enlightenment".
#6. Messengers of the Risen Son in the Land of the Rising Sun; Single Women Missionaries in Japan. - Bonnie Miller. For over twenty-five years the author has been the "secretary/office manager/jill-of-all-skills" and keeper of the institutional memory at the Vancouver church where we attend. In recent years she has closely worked with a historian at Pepperdine University who encouraged her to write this book about lives of devotion and evangelism in a foreign land and culture. These inspiring stories relate the difficulties of such a mission in spite of inadequate funding, problems of health and material deprivation, and the often depressing isolation from home and family. Their collective labors and achievements are told and the message of their bold purpose will not fail to impress. Through her solid research, Bonnie Miller introduces us closely to a dozen of these heroic women and to scores more indirectly, women who proclaimed the gospel in Japan during a period of sixty years which included two World Wars. This is fine and authentic church history which deserved to be recorded.

SEATTLE AT SEVENTY

2010-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Yup! I've entered another decade. This time, instead of ice cream and cake, to celebrate the milestone, my amazing children and their families planned a super-weekend in Seattle as a shared vacation/holiday --- Their Treat!!
We did all the major tourist events and more. Pioneer Square shopping, the Seattle Waterfront, the Harbor Cruise, Pike Market, Ivar's Chowder House and the Rainforest Restaurant, Seattle's architectural wonder the Central Library, the Center for Wooden Boats, the R.E.I. Flagship Store, Pacific Science Center and the IMAX Theater, the Boeing Museum of Flight, and to top it all, the Space Needle. There was abundant activity in each venue as we took in the amusements and features around us wherever we were.
It was an overwhelming experience and an incredible emotional high. Best of all was having my bride, and kids, and their spouses, and their kids - a tribe of fourteen - all together for four wonderful, happy days. THANKS, FAMILY! My cup generously overflows.

SUNSET BETWEEN THE STORMS

2010-03-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

After a night of howling 50 to 60 mph winds, the following day turned out to be pretty nice. It never completely cleared up, but there was this brief window of brilliant display just before sunset.
It is in the brief two or three minutes one takes to watch such a wonder that the speed of the change of light can be most easily noticed. It is quite astounding how quickly the earth is rotating as evidenced by the moment to moment passing of the light.

No matter what each of us were doing all our activity was halted as the sunset light captured our attention. The apparent fog bank was actually the next wall of rain and occasional hail which later rattled against the windows during dinner and evening games. Thank you, Lord, for your palette of many colors.

BEACH RETREAT MARCH 2010

2010-03-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the annual Beach Retreat for our home Bible study Group. Nine of us were able to get away Thursday through Sunday this year to enjoy a few days of relaxing, playing games, chowing down on gourmet meals, and considering a portion of God's beautiful seashore on the Oregon Coastline.
The two story house on the left is the rental we chose for 2010. It had several bedrooms, an office/loft room with day beds, and a pullout in the living room. Everyone had a place to snooze and the front room offered a wonderful view across empty lots to see the oncoming surf. Since the first days were rather stormy, we got in some interesting stormwatching too.

Our hideout was located in the quiet, non-commercial community of Oceanside, just north of Netarts and about ten miles west of Tillamook, Oregon. The major feature just off shore were the massive seamounts jutting out of the ocean and anchoring a fine display of wave and spray as the oncoming billows hurled themselves against the rocks.

One of the blessings (drawbacks?) of this group is the high percentage of excellent cooks and the output of fantastic meals one after another. We took enough foodstuffs for a two week stay and it seemed that as many boxes of leftovers were packed for the trip home as came on the first day. We ate and snacked ourselves into mild but europhic stupors, but that did not slow down the card games, Mexican Train, or the traditional evening of "Balderdash"!!

The only way the weekend could have been better is if the rest of the group could have come too.

AN EVENING AT NOPG

2010-02-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

One my current pursuits is trying to figure out how to paint in oils. When I found and joined the Northwest Oil Painter's GUild (NOPG) I discovered a number of other folk of various levels of experience and skill. Most of these painters are on the same journey, as it were, and have been encouraging. I am still looking for a mentor, but I have identified several artists whose work I enjoy. One of them is Shirley, seen here doing an instructional demonstration at our last gathering.

Amazingly, she created an entire picture with a "limited palette" - sky, water, and a fine sailing vessel - all while sharing a running commentary on paints, technique, brushes and other equipment, and more. I was impressed with her clear explanations and easy way of making the complicated details easy to understand. One wonder of her palette is that she includes every color with which she works into every individual color mix she combines and includes in each painting. This makes her colors blend is a special way and gives her use of light and highlights a deep glow. This really looks great in her pictures of water and sky.

Toward the end of each meeting a period of sharing and learning occurs in a "show and tell" fashion. Members bring one or two paintings they have done (or are working on) to elicit comment, ask advice, point out a particular feature of the painting process, or seek advice and instruction. Sometimes, new individuals bring oil paintings to be "juried" by club officers as part of the process of joining NOPG. I like this part of the meeting because I get to see the work of others and learn from painters who display a variety of styles and approaches to their subjects.

MY FAVORITE CALIFORNIA SENIORS

2010-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

Betty and I were able to be with my Dad to celebrate his 91st birthday last week. He's still sharp; still mobile; still a special gentleman. He and Naomi were just recovering from a couple of weeks of a bad cold, and we were able to help some in their recovery and still enjoy a good visit. In fact we postponed all other forms of recreation to just stay indoors with them and concentrate on visiting and on meal preparation. We hope that 2010 will be a healthy, banner year for them. We were able to take them out to share a celebration lunch at a favorite restaurant. Sister Janet and Mike and their sons came along too. The best birthdays always bring family together. Way to go, guys!

The last couple of days we did drive to The San Diego area to spend some time with my amazing 95 year old Aunt Edith - the original energized bunny, er... active senior. She is over 52 years into serving the Boy Scout programs in her region and continues serving on the regional council Eagle Scout Board, and on the merits and awards records for all the troops and packs in the region as well as remaining active with her own cub scout pack. by working with the kids and by training new leaders. Her other activities alone would exhaust other mere mortals, but she "keeps on tickin' with dozens of comunity service events and with several personal interests. She's Awesome.

Another way the number "52" popped up on this trip was in realizing that I first visited the Redondo Church of Christ that many years ago. Some of the friends I made then are still attending, and renewing those friendships and a score of more recent ones is always a treat. The many expressions of love and concern for my folks there was reassuring as I know these special people are going to continue looking after Dad and Naomi. Thanks to the ministries of the individuals at the RCofC.

BUSY TIMES

2010-01-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

Might as well let you know I'm going to be busy for a while and will get back to this blog again next month.

Don't give up on me. Maybe this would be a good time to read (and finish) a good book.

CAST OFF AT LAST!

2010-01-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well, this version, the third cast installed for the current broken wrist, was especially designed to match the holidays.

Although this tool looks a lot like a small saw, it actually just vibrates thousands of times a minute and sort of gnaws through the cast without any danger to the skin within.

A few sips through the cotton underlayer and the whole hard-shell can be removed and "cast away".

Almost immediately, the tech offered an alcohol-damp piece of gauze to wipe the skin that has been enclosed for weeks. The cooling feeling was refreshing, and the sense of cleaning the arm was a joy.

Here is the proof showing that the fracture seems to have healed and the bones have knitted together again. Still, it will be tender and fragile for a while. Meanwhile some therapy to limber up the wrist bones and restore the normal range of motion is in order.

Now to keep the resolution to not be wearing another cast in the spring when get to see Eli again during the Family Spring Break.

IT'S THAT SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIRL

2010-01-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

She's my daily delight; she's my anchor and inspiration; she's my bride.

It's time again to celebrate January the 3rd. She wants to skip it, but I want her to have

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

You deserve it, dear!

ONE MORE BOOK TO MENTION

2009-12-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

Seems like my blog-life is revolving around books recently. Actually, life is quite busy with holidays, family visiting (featuring the #1 grandson Eli who brought along his parents), and a little extra caregiving. I'll try to get something else ready for next week, something brighter perhaps, but meanwhile...

Most of you know why I am interested in reading and learning about Parkinson's Disease. I now have a modest library of books on that subject too. For what it's worth, here is the best book of the last several years related to the personal impact of PD.

Life in the Balance by Thomas Graboys, M.D. (with Peter Zheutlin). In this candid account, a physician tells about his personal struggle to date with Parkinson's Disease. A renowned medical leader and cardiac pioneer based in Boston, a member of a team which shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, winner of a zillion awards for almost everything important or interesting about the heart, Dr. Graboys found it necessary to first truncate and then finally shut down his remarkable medical practice because of the encroaching symptoms of PD. Although there are many typical characteristics of Parkinson's, a condition primarily caused by a chemical deficiency of dopamine in the brain, each person who had PD also has a personal and unique combination of the symptoms, and those in varying degrees of intensity or duration. Dr. Graboys' mix included not only movement disorders but a closely related disease called Lewy-Body Dementia which causes disruption of cognition and episodes of hallucinations among other features.

Poignantly told, the book offers considerable insight into how one man daily learns to cope with the rebellion of both body and mind, neither one being under reliable control at any given hour. It is a story of despair, yet it it documents the triumph of an indomitable spirit which will not yield against the unrelenting illness and its effects. It is courage lived daily. It is boldness in the face of disability. It is the victory of character over a mindless medical evil.

I've debated for a week whether to mention this book at all. It was good for me to read, but I rather think some others would find it extremely depressing. This is not a feel-good book about sunshine and songbirds. It was, however, for me, a view of how in trying circumstances, an individual can determine - by the power of the will - to find and enjoy the smallest successes as though they were equal to climbing the world's highest peaks. At this point, for me, this book was good therapy.

Thank you, Dr. Graboys. Please accept my prayers and best wishes as you continue to overcome the beast.

MY DECEMBER 2009 READING REPORT

2009-12-20T23:56:00.000-08:00

Many and frequent are the books that pass through my various reading stacks. There are some beside my easy chair, a pile in the bedroom, a stack in my upstairs art room, and a partial shelf of soon/someday books in the bonus room. The titles that make it into these occasional postings are the books I have read and enjoyed and felt were good enough mention to readers of this blog. Who knows how many of you benefit from these modest recommendations? I am aware of a handful of friends who usually comment, or pass along thanks, and sometimes even read selections from the books I name. You special few keep me going with this posting theme. So Merry Christmas. If any of these become favorites of yours or even only give you pause for thoughtful reflection, perhaps you'll consider it a holiday gift worth the time you can invest in it.

George Guthridge. The Kids from Nowhere; The Story Behind the Arctic Educational Miracle. Alaska Northwest Books; Anchorage/Portland, 2006. Even in the often empty vastness of Alaska there are few places more remote and isolated than St. Lawrence Island, some 200 miles southwest of Nome in the middle of the Bering Sea halfway to Russia. In this most unlikely place a dedicated teacher and a mismatched bunch of "uneducable" Yupik Eskimo students with few books and no computers, children of whale and walrus hunters, who spoke English poorly as a second language were challenged to achieve in academic battle against other schools using a learning model known as the Future Problem Solving Program. Their struggle with acquiring knowledge in the midst of a clash of cultures and minimal opportunity is heart-wrenching. The steady grinding out of step-by-step success and eventual triumph against the best students of the best schools in North America is spell-binding. It is a quick read, but one that will easily stay with you for ages. There are few equals to this astonishing story of unprecedented achievement.

David A. Neiwert. Strawberry Days; How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community. Palgrave Macmillan; New York, 2005. Prior to Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans has successfully established themselves in a number of Pacific Coast communities, and had proven themselves to be hardworking and industrious workmen in spite of the persistent bigoted oppression to their presence. In spite of increasing legal and political pressure against them, most Japanese Americans, including both those who held American citizenship and those older emigrants who were ineligible for that privilege, established credibility as skilled, family centered, workers, farmers, and businessmen. The story of Bellevue, Washington, in that era serves as a grim example of how one representative community was virtually dismantled by the combination of white social rejection and the National Internment Program which relocated nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans into remote desert concentration camps. Strawberry Days is one of many recent books to help document the injustices against American citizens who happened to share the ethnic and racial characteristics of the enemy. A somewhat heavy read, this book is extensively documented, almost to excess in the text. However, to those who are intrigued by this unique chapter in American socio-political history, it makes a fine contribution to the collective literature. I have added it to my collection on this subject.

Chaim Potok. The Gift of Asher Lev. Fawcett Columbine; New York, 1990. Readers who cherish the best works of this author (The Chosen, The Promise, etc.) may have missed the sequel to the earlier "My Name is Asher Lev", as I did for over a decade. Picking up Asher Lev's story twenty years later, Potok gives us insight into the artist's quandary as to how to continue his unique career following the exhibition of his highly controversial crucifixion paintings which had upset the entire Jewish community in Brooklyn. Living in exile in Paris, Asher Lev, his wife and children are called to New York for a funeral and subsequently they begin to reconnect with the Hasidic leaders who comprise much of Asher's own family. This book will not stand alone; reading or reviewing the first book will be necessary to identify and profit from the nuances of the interactions he experiences. It is a tense and compelling masterpiece. A new favorite for me.

Katheryn Stockett. The Help; A Novel. G.P.Putnam's Sons; New York, 2009. In Mississippi, in 1962, a young woman, newly graduated from Ole Miss. and trained in journalism tries to begin her career. Struggling to find work and purpose she is challenged to write about what she knows best: it turns out that what she chooses to write about is "the help", as in the colored domestic helpers who have worked for decades in many of the homes of the wealthy, white employers, but who have been treated as non-entities and non-persons in spite of having raised the white children and cleaned and cooked and served the families faithfully for years for a pittance. The stories, moreover, are told both by and from the viewpoints of several of the domestic women themselves, although written by Skeeter, the young journalist. This first novel is a blockbuster in emotional tension and impact. Here is insight into how the separation of racial lives, black and white, existed in non-connected parallels in the early years of the American Civil Rights era. It is both warm (as a human story) and chilling (as a social phenomena).

Velma Wallace. Two Old Women; An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival. Epicenter Press; Fairbanks/Seattle, 1993. This is another book I wish I had read when it first came out over fifteen years ago. Apparently based on historic, oral, Athabaskan memories of primitive life in the north lands, Wallis tells the tale in the wonderful, spare, style of language the women would have used. This gives the flow a quite authentic flavor. Deemed to be of too little value to the tiny tribe because of their age and lack of apparent contribution, the two women are "left behind" in the hope that casting them off would increase the chances of the rest surviving. The two, however, realize their plight, combine their strength and skills, and not only rescue themselves, but eventually bring about a remarkable and unexpected triumph. Don't let the small size of the book dissuade you from reading this record of the huge human spirit.

[Bonus: I also recently reread Willa Cather's story Death Comes for the Archbishop. I know such writing is often overlooked because it is "classic". May I point out that the classics are classic because they are recognized as being excellent, proven, meaningful and enduring literature. Read the classics as deliberately as you would read significant non-fiction. Both provide balance to an excess diet of pulp fiction!]

AGAIN, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

2009-12-20T23:35:00.000-08:00

For the first time, I plan to do a double post tonight. I have had another subject in mind for several days, but just have not found time until tonight. It will be posted after this one.

BUT FIRST... THIS BULLETIN...

Today, for the first time in quite a while, we had all our kids, all their spouses, and all our grandchildren together for a brief while. We all attended morning services together - even sitting in a group - and afterward we seized the moment to snap a few candid photos on a couch in the Fireside Room.

With one child's family here in Vancouver, another in eastern Washington, and the third in Alaska, it is a rare occasion when we can all be together for a precious visit. The opportunity this time was to gather to spend some time with the youngest of the clan, Elijah "Eli" Hugh Wyatt, who is 18 months old, and the darling of the whole family. It was a very brief window of togetherness, as prior plans took some of us away for portions of the rest of the day. Still, a lot of good visiting was enjoyed and the holidays were celebrated briefly just by being together for a few hours. You should know, the hit of the day was Mr. Personality himself, Eli.

See the new posts on http://www.elijahhugh.blogsppot.com/ to see what a handsome lad he is and what the rest of his relatives looked like today.

I count today's gathering a blessing, a special gift from the Giver of all things wonderful, and I am deeply grateful.

HOW LOW CAN WE GO?

2009-12-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

When much of the Midwest and the American Rockies are covered by an Arctic airmass, those of us in Southwest Washington state usually escape the worst of the cold being somewhat protected by the Cascade mountain range which separates the eastern and western sides of Washington and Oregon. The super cold usually finds only one way through these mountains - the Columbia River Gorge.

Because the gorge constricts the cold air as it flows west, the windspeed increases, and the air is warmed as it travels. Where it dumps out of the gorge into the east Portland/Vancouver metroplex the windchill factors are pretty severe and always a staple on the local newscasts, but the rest of the area is spared the worst of the wind.

The current Arctic blast, however, is setting new records for being the coldest and longest sustained FREEZE for decades. Part of this is because the airmass this time was so huge and cold and driven so strongly that it pushed over the mountain ranges, filled the western valleys, dived on over the coastal mountain ranges and descended on the beach towns of the Pacific Coast.

Over the past few days our temperatures have dropped steadily: mid-30s, high 20s, 24, 20, 14, 11, and this morning's low of 7 degrees. Mid-day yesterday was the first day this week that the thermometer read at 32 degrees. The sky has been mostly clear and without a cloud cover, there has been nothing to hold what little heat the December sun offers.

We have kept the wood stove going and it has been hungry. I'm really ready for some mild t-shirt days in the 40s or even low 50s. Some rain would be welcome too since we have been dry for over two weeks now. I tried to think of a witty crack about global warming, but I can't seem to find any warmth for it at the moment.

[BTW - Betty's wrist seems to be healing nicely. Now if I can just keep her away from the woodstove until her blisters heal.]

ANOTHER WRIST FRACTURE

2009-11-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

To tell the tale briefly, at 5:00 AM we noticed people entering the neighbor's house. Very rare; very strange, since this elderly couple always sleeps late into the morning. Fearing for Rosemary's health, Betty struck off barefooted in the dark to see whether the vehicle was an ambulance or a fire truck with paramedics and, of course, to offer her help. At the property line she tangled her feet in some low-lying shubbery and down she went, again. As we are all prone to do, out went the hand and the wrist took the weight of the fall, as always.

At first, hoping for a mere strain, a brace and sling were employed, and she went back to bed. However, after Sunday morning services the pain and swelling required a closer, medical examination. I was ill at home with a raging head cold, and did not dare risk the public health by taking my draining and sneezing to the Emergency Room, so we asked Super-daughter, Patty, to taxi her Mom to the ER and stand-in for me. After X-Rays, a cast and sling, and advice to promptly see a bone doctor (and a shopping detour for Thanksgiving groceries), they returned with confirmation of a wrist injury.

REBOUND, a local orthopedic and neurological medical practice is famous for (1) tending to the breaks and strains of the Portland Trail Blazers and (2) for tending to Betty's related needs. It was Rebound who repaired and pinned her right wrist a while back, and it was Rebound who pumped super-glue into her crushed vertebrae recently. This time, the diagnosis - another classic wrist stress fracture - and the cast/sling are first steps in another six or eight week period of healing time, with all the challenges of dressing, bathing, and daily living that are complicated by a"hard-splint" which currently reaches from mid-fingers to above the elbow. When one is already balance-challenged, having one arm mostly immobile just complicates balance and getting around the house. After a few days we hope, Rebound may install a shorter cast, and that will help a lot. Meanwhile, we are starting to figure out how Memaw is going to hug on Eli when he comes for Christmas vacation.

"What can I do?", you ask? Cards and calls and reassurance are nice. She's expressed feeling kind of dumb and useless. Assure her she is neither, and that I vitally need her all the time to make me feel worthy. Our deepest thanks to Patty who somehow found abundant time in the midst of her 36 hour days to lend a hand even in the middle of preparing a pulled pork dinner for thirty teenagers.

To check out Betty's blog too, just click here http://www.wordsndeeds.blogspot.com/

Oh. About the neighbors? The were just leaving on a brief trip for the holiday. We are glad that it wasn't what we feared.

A DOG NAMED SPOT

2009-11-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Many of you who read my blogs are aware that my Bride, Betty, is an accomplished writer. Much of her recent acclaim has been the result of her book , "JESSIE", which you should obtain and read if you have not done so yet.

Betty also writes for other venues. In the example I am sharing in this post, she had written about one of our youngest son's favorite toys, Spot. Because we all enjoyed the story so much, she was encouraged to submit it to her favorite magazine, "Christian Woman". After a few rounds of correspondence, and a period of waiting, the story has been published as the second featured article in the Nov/Dec 2009 edition.

The little tale is about a special stuffed animal which is so loved it needs to be recovered time and again as it accompanies our son through his childhood. Granny Ruth, Betty's mother, rebuilds Spot each time his hide begins to fray from all the shared adventure. Although Spot's appearance consequently changes from time to time, his vital companionship never fails the boy who caries him through life. There is a lot of love in Grandma's repairs too, and the precious story is told in heart touching words. This is one of Betty's best "Short stories".

Ask around and find a friend who receives the magazine. It's a good publication and quite popular among ladies in our congregation.

Christian Woman magazine is published in Nashville. I do not know of any newsstand or magazine rack or bookstore in our region where copies may be purchased. Perhaps a copy could be arranged by calling 1-800-251-8446 or by clicking http://www.gospeladvocate.com/. If I understand the inserted subscription postcard, a new, first-year subscription costs $10.00 at Gospel Advocate Company, 1006 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville TN 37210-9910. This would be a great gift for any reason or season for any Christan woman. Ladies: Tell the significant "him" in your life you want a subscription; leave the address and price in plain sight; remind him often. Men: Always wondering what to get for "her"? Take a hint for Christmas.

"CLEANING-UP" THE LAPTOP

2009-10-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

Like everything else around here, this laptop finally became so cluttered and packed with cyber-dust-bunnies that I caved in and took it to our unofficial guru, Greg.
He dumped everything, reinstalled the essentials, dosed me with some encouragement and sent me home with precise instructions which turned to vague fog before I mustered the courage to began pecking away at the little tasks of restoring data for programs I had purchased over several years.
The worst irritant was the penchant of the touchpad to be wildly erratic and the cursor to jump madly about during typing. Apparently this well known phenomena has plagued others since there was a lot of advice and commentary which led to another driver download that seems to have mostly cured the problem.
The process, which some call a "dusting" others call "detox" and other terms not suitable for this family blog site, I am calling "rehab." The fix is mostly in place, but over time I will still have to deal with the erratics and minor glitches one at a time; for example, many of the windows look different in size and font than I have been used to, and some windows are different in appearance than before.
I just mention this to explain why there have been recent gaps in my blogs, e-mail responses, and follow-ups for some folk. Next week, to deal with one peculiarity which has stumped me, the computer will do another overnight on Greg's bench for what I hope will be the last necessary tweaking.
Why is it that these computers, which promised to save us so much time and effort, require so much time and effort to maintain? Why do these superfast devices consume so much of the time of our lives without improving significantly the times of our lives? That seems "oxymoronic"!!

TIME TO CLEAN-UP "THE FALL"

2009-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's Fall, i.e. Autumn, and the leaves are falling! These two street-type maples dropped almost everything in a couple of days after a cold spell and a heavy rain.

We have a several dogwoods and they are quick to drop their leaves too, taking turns according to their specific variety. That helps with the raking/mowing chore the mess requires.

The larger trees - ornamental cherries, the zelcova sawtooth (a type of elm), the Chinese elm, and others - are just getting started. These take their time and dribble loads like this for two or three weeks, so they take a lot more time to clean up after. Worse yet are the Austrian Pines which hold dead needles until a strong wind blows which causes them to foul the lawn with needles and cones. Ugly mess.

Finally, is the interesting ginko biloba tree, said to be an ancient contemporary if the dawn redwood, both of which come from somewhere in central Asia. Long thought to be extinct, once rediscovered they have become quite popular as a landscape tree and the leaves are reputed to be an aid to memory. Ask any herbal pill shop. The curious part is that our tree will cling to its odd shaped leaves until the first heavy frost and will then drop them all (99%) overnight. We haven't had a strong frost yet, as you can tell.

We love the brilliant hues of this season, and 2009 has been especially colorful. Still, all the leaves eventually come down, must be gathered, and eventually end up as compost for the garden or as fodder for a nearby worm farm. Would it sound too morbid to point out that this is pretty much the story of our lives? We start out as seedlings, struggle a while as we grow tall, eventually come into a more or less colorful prime, worry all the time about broken limbs and such, and at the end we all become compost. Hmmmm. Were it not for God's intervening Grace, we would have no hope at all. I prefer thinking about what our creator's wonderful craftsmanship can make of us if we conform to the touch of His hands. You can become a work of beauty if you conform to His will. Our destiny can be in a place of honor and splendor; it need not be a worm farm after all.

OUR BIRTHDAY BOY!

2009-10-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, I love my sons, and that includes this bonus one my daughter married nearly twenty-two years ago. He's a fine hubby to her, a great dad to their three girls, a good provider, and he is quick to lend a hand wherever needed.
As to that birthday, Edwin is only slightly over-the-hill today - just a couple of years. [Trivia: He shared the date with my mother who would have been 90 today, but he's not that old.]
We all enjoyed a special dinner tonight at Outback. My joy is seeing how caring and gentle he is with the girls, especially "Twinkie".
The plan is for him to enjoy the camping / recreation chair that was in that great big birthday package.

CONGRATULATIONS, Son, on another year.

READING REPORT #3 - Books I plan to read soon.

2009-10-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Should I list all the books I have on hand - in the "to be read" line, so-to-speak - the list would number several dozens, I suppose, but many of those are mysteries or pulp fiction that only take a day or two to finish and are often by authors who turn out a book or two annually. I may never catch up on these authors. However, there yet remains a list of books for which I am still searching, and this list steadily grows even though I make periodic rounds of favorite bookshops and websites. In other words, the rate of gathering the books never seems to match the rate of adding new possibilities to the list, so I am always on the lookout for books, but the specific titles keep changing as targets are acquired and read.

Next I must decide whether to keep the book - to be reread someday, to become part of a collection by that author or on that subject, or for other future use. If I decide not to hold on to a title, I must figure out whether to give it away, resell it online or to a local book dealer, or donate it to Goodwill or a similar outlet. Even the list of book sets I keep is flexible since my tastes change, the quality of a writer's work may decline, or I occasionally thin the book holdings for various reasons.

OK, Time to refocus and return to the purpose of this entry. Here a few books that are physically actually stacked up and destined to be read next.

3:16. The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado. Actually, this book has been on the someday list since it was mentioned to me last year (and because I am selectively collecting other books by Lucado). After struggling with my own opinion of Max Lucado's doctrinal anomalies, I realized that he does not always inject into his writings the aberrations to which I do not subscribe. He does have a wordsmith's way of identifying describing some of the fundamentals of faith I hold to be essential - for example, the purpose and particulars of the Passion of the Christ. When he focuses on that without becoming mired in random storytelling, I find I enjoy the story and detail of the salvation saga wrapped with Lucado's language and emphasis.

The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel. Clearly, Creationism is a hot topic in modern times and is under severe attack by the scientific thought police. Since so much effort and energy is being put into trying to discredit the concept of an "Intelligent Designer", and to destroy the the case for creation, these realities are clearly the strongest foes of the "evolutionary camp". Strobel is a journalist who once he examined the facts became convinced that ... Well, look again at the title. I understand that this book recounts his re-examination of the claims of evolution and his dual conclusion that there is indeed convincing evidence for a Creator and that a host of flaws exist in the data to which the opposing camp clings. If you read Christian Apologetics, join me in reading this one.

Made in America; An Informal History of the English Language in the United States by Bill Bryson (who earlier wrote A Walk in the Woods). What retired English teacher could resist? Looks like a great subject by a good writer. If you like words and word histories, Bill Bryson will delight you. I'm looking forward to this one.

Seldom Disappointed; A Memoir by Tony Hillerman. Just about the first mysteries, and certainly the first mystery series I ever read was the Hillerman collection which features two great fictional lawmen in the Navajo Southwest. Then I worked through all the non-fiction I could find, waited impatiently for subsequent stories to be published, and fell in love with Hillerman's work. Now I am eager to read his story about himself and compare it with my impressions of the man and his mission and the half-dozen magazine articles I have come across during the past twenty years or so. What I already know about his writings and his other accomplishments lead me to think this was a remarkable fellow. It should be an interesting read.

You only Die Once; Preparing for the End of Life with Grace and Gusto by Margie Jenkins. What I know about this book and the author is in the title and on the back cover. I'm going to tackle it now because I am teaching a class for the Senior Saints on the loosely related topics of death and the hereafter sometime referred to in ecclesiastical circles as "last things" or "eschatology". I plan to mine this book (and others) for some practical applications as to how each of us should prepare for the inevitable, both spiritually and in terms of pre-death decisions and paperwork. (I am open to receiving helpful materials in this area if you have anything useful.) Vital Papers? Cherished memories and possessions to pass along? Medical care options? Plan your funeral or memorial and get in the last word? live to the fullest meanwhile? Gotta start somewhere, and this book seems to have possibilities.

As always, I reserve the right to change the books in the stack and opt for another book which catches my fancy. In fact, I'm already working on the second in John Dunning's series that starts with Booked to Die. Thanks, Ted!

READING REPORT #2 - Books I'm Reading Now

2009-10-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Actually, blogging on my current reading is rather like baking bread on a galloping horse (or something equally complicated). I can't pre-select the books on hand in precisely enough in advance for the subsequent blog to be completely accurate since I'm reading furiously, as always, and often behave like the little red blood cell who lost contact with his companion because he abruptly changed streams in the middle of the horse. OK, that's a really crummy pun, but... I rarely read all of one book without reading from other books in the same time frame, and I don't read every page of a ho-hummer anyway, preferring to pick up something else that catches my fancy instead.

Nevertheless, here are the main books I am currently reading at various rates.

The Song of Hiawatha by William Wadsworth Longfellow. This edition is the renowned publication that features illustrations by Fredrick Remington of scores of American Indian artifacts and Objects d' Lore. Since I was kid I could quote snatches of the epic poem and now I am seeing them again in context somewhat different than my childhood images. I'm really enjoying it this time.

The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith. From the Isabel Dalhousie series comes the first story featuring a lady who edits an philosophical ethics publication in Edinburgh.
This inquisitive woman seems to pick up on seemingly inconsequential events and soon finds herself enwrapped in a mystery which draws her into the secret aspects and lives of those around her. I am assured that the series gets much better after the first couple of books in the set.

High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver. In my search and deliberate effort to explore the works of more women writers, I have been intrigued by this author's Poisonwood Bible and particularly by her ability to turn a catchy phrase. "High Tide" is a collection of personal essays written after several of her novels, and it gives an interesting look into Kingsolver's worldviews and attitudes, many times touching on topics and observations of high interest to me. I'm pretty sure this will impact my reading of her fiction work as I get to them later.

The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey. Sometimes a book manages to hide on my shelves for years before it comes to the top of the list. Because a good friend once recommended Yancey to me I have not previously culled this text, always intending to get to it someday. Finally looking into the opening chapters, I am still looking for the hook I had been given to expect. Still, I suppose, any material that causes me to reflect upon the life of Jesus and compare the validity of its content to the truth found in scripture will be worth the time spent. It's too soon to render an opinion.

The Development of the New Testament Canon by Stanley Paher. Such a deep, complex and scholarly topic for such a small text. This is difficult, even ponderous scrubbing for facts and chronology and not at all designed for pleasure reading. The author openly reveals he bears bias against the common fundamentalist viewpoint about the assembling of the twenty-seven NT books, before he sets about a systematic consideration of the important major manuscripts and significant other portions from which the contemporary New Testament has been compiled. As always, one should compare each new source with proven and respected material as revealed in other trusted texts.

Here is my usual disclaimer: In a couple of weeks this list will likely be out of date, and a new set of books will probably have replaced most of these. Meanwhile, even if I compared these titles to what is actually on my shelves and at chairside and bedside, the lists would not be identical. Every errand day, and each visit to bookstores (or Goodwill) will bring home another handful of selections I will be eager to dive into. In fact, when I get to the list of books I am planning to read next, I have to face a stack of maybe twenty books which will conspire to complicate my decision.

Ain't it grand?