Great Song!!

Last night I had a taste of what it might be like to live as if there were no Lord Jesus. My defenses were down and I started listening to lies from the enemy about Who God is. I can't tell you how horrible that is. But the NAME OF JESUS has power even over the darkest of deception. The SCRIPTURE has POWER!! Cast out the son of the bondwoman, because we are children of the freewoman--we must NOT live like we are still trying to please God by what we do. We may as well not believe.

Let the names of Jesus the SAVIOUR run through your soul for awhile--here is LIFE and PEACE. It will not come any other way.

We should not take our NEARNESS to GOD for granted. Try having it taken away for a few hours and you'll want to praise God all the time for His LOVE in sending Jesus Christ to earth! He IS the Son of God and every other belief is death.

PRAISE YOU JESUS!!

Grandmom #7

Last night at the dinner table as we are quietly enjoying our soup, Grandmom suddenly pipes up with, "Where's Dad?" (He's sitting right next to her!)

She looks around--"Do you know where Dad is?"
Turns to Pop-pop; "Do you know where Dad is?"

Pop-pop returns, "I'm right here!"

"Oh."
*chuckle*
"So you are. How bout that. Sorry."

A pause.

"I'm so lucky to have two of you."

Grandmom #6

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Evening with Stan and Jean

Hope you're not all getting tired of my grandparents stories...But tonight was tremendously rich. Let me give you a sample of an evening with my beloved grandparents. The first thing that greets my eyes when I come into the kitchen from the frigid 15 degree night is Grandmom, wearing Pop-pop's short sleeved shirt. And....wait a sec--her hair...is... it's purple in the front! What the...?? (I still don't know what that is from...) We sit down to dinner and haven't gotten very far when the phone rings. Grandmom answers. Apparently it's the state police, asking for money. We listen as the conversation unfolds; "What's that? Could you repeat that please? I'm sorry, I didn't get that. What about bacon and advantage? I guess we got those. Ok, I have to ask my husband. STAN!" "What."  "C'mere." Pop-pop growls "I'm not comin'. They just want my money." Mom explains, "They're probably buying teddy bears for the poor kids again." Grandmom's worried. "Why won't he come!" Tess explain, "You can just hang up, Grandmom. They just want your money." "Huh?" "Just hang up!" "How do you know!" "They already called us." "Well, if you already called them then that's ok and...we'll pray for you and that's fine--[into the phone]--right?...What?" She returns to the table and conversation turns to the converter box we need on their TV. Mom says, "I think it would be nice to have it, Dad. Mom likes the cartoons and they make her laugh. It's good for her to laugh." Suddenly all Grandmom's wrinkles point up and her face lights up. She exclaims with a high squeaky voice, "How did you know?" We bust out laughing, and she turns to me. "How did you know?" To Tess, "Did you know that?" When we calm down, she remarks that it's cold in here. Mom says, "Well you are wearing short sleeves!" Tess brings her a sweatshirt and attempts to get it over her head. It stops. Two fists raise themselves threateningly toward Tess's nose. Pop-pop grunts, "Now you look like one of them Hindus!" The sweatshirt starts shaking. She takes it off and looks at the front. "Ooh! There's a ...flower on it! Look Stan. It's purty. Did you see it?" "I've only seen it ten thousand times!" "Oh..." "She used to live across the street." [A vague reference to the screenprinting shop that actually did used to be across the street from them.] Grandmom tries to get it back on. Tess warns, "Don't get stuck, Grandmom!" Misunderstanding, Pop-pop rebukes her--"She already is fat! Must be 160 pounds!" [Grandmom is about 5'2"...] Grandmom's eyebrows lower and her wrinkles all point down. She swells with indignation "I....I....I don't!.....I never did live like that!" "Yes you are!" Pop-shakes his head vehemently at her. (Just for the record, Pop-pop is the nicest man in the world, and isn't intending to insult his wife. They just both have a phobia of fatness... And his eyesight isn't the best... ah well.)

Grandmom #5

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Guess who just turned 79!!   My beloved Grandmom! On the morning of her birthday, my mom and my sister and I spent several hours dolling her up--washed and set hair and gave full manicure and pedicure in a lovely sparkly pink polish....which is a new thing for Grandmom...she is a real tomboy and will tell you herself she hates to wear dresses (at least we didn't make her do that! :)) (This was her "pub shot" back in the days of her country western band--"Jeannie and the Sunset Prairie Riders"!) ...But anyway, she got roses from Pop-pop and a basket of flowers from a daughter, and that evening she donned her lipstick (actually, probably somebody had to hold her down to get it on...) and we all went out to the Mexican  restaurant.   And you all know what THEY do for birthdays.... :D Yep, she got the whole nine yards, party poppers and everything. :) She nearly shoved the whipped cream back into the face of the guy that got her...but he got warned in time. :D Taking care of grandparents is great. Sometimes a test of faith, (not to mention patience!) sometimes hilarious fun, most often a quiet slow fading. Their light is dimming, but the hope is growing stronger for a new light about to break when they cross over into the presence of our Lord. Let us rejoice in the last days of the elderly saints, and not grow weary in doing good for them!     Love you guys!

Monday, November 24, 2008

My mom is giving Grandmom her pills, and she protests--"What're they for?" Mom answers patiently, "For your heart." She stubbornly replies, "Don't got any."

Remembering Grandmom #4

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Cute

"Yodel-lay-ee, yodel-lay-ee, yodel-ay-ee-oh--" comes the quavery voice of my grandmom from the living room. Then, in what would once have been full Western style-- "Oba-ma dis-misses attacks as smears". Then she chuckles. She's singing the newspaper.

Remembering Grandmom #3

Kiss through the Night Door

(Bye, you guys. I've just flipped the breaker. I'm leaving. Goodnight and sleep well.) I'ts gosh-awful dark. Where are ya? Can't see ya. I know you're in here somewhere. Here I am. (On the other side of the barricade.) Ach. Missed you again. (Her hand's over there.) I did it last night, why can't I tonight? (Those bars are in your way.) Hey. Where's my kiss? (You can't see either. Your glasses are off. I know--I took 'em.) Well. (Try again.) Now. I've got to get to bed, and you do too. Ya. Me too. Love you. Love you too. (Now I'm out the door, and I can't see either. Grandmom's socks in my hand yet. Oh well. They're wet now. I love you guys too.) [This is a scene I witnessed the other night, my grandfather talking to my grandmother, who has Alzheimer's. The night door is a crossbar structure that fastens with a padlock inside the door to her bedroom each night to keep her from wandering.]

Grandmom #2

Grandmother tales

So I go over to fix breakfast at my grandparents' house, and I check in the bedroom--Grandmom's still asleep (fully dressed, shoes and all on the bed as usual :)). Two minutes later, I'm cutting up the apples, and suddenly behind me I hear her quavery voice singing cheerily, "Oh, Polly's here, on Daddy's head!"  . . . :) :) Go figure . . . But she's so cute. The Alzheimer's is, obviously, still working on her, but it has gotten SOO much better since the days of lampshade ripping (when she had the heart attack). I never thought that taking care of old folks would be so much fun! You should try it sometime, gentle reader. For one thing, you get free pickles. Grandmom and I go through about a gallon of whole dills every week. (We never buy them up at my house.) And Pop-pop washes all the dishes he can get his hands on, just for something to do. Now THAT”S handy! :)  Sometimes the conversation is so fun--you have to try and predict what she means to say, and then make what comes out match it, because if you try to follow her words, it won't make much sense. The other morning, I forgot something when helping her dress, and had to go back and fix it. I said, "Oops, I messed that up, didn't I?" She replied grinning, "Yep, sure did. I guess now we'll have to go get some ice cream!" :)  Once at the dinner table, we were talking about some old relative of theirs, wondering if she was still alive, and Grandmom muses, “Well, she was, the last time I saw her . . .” Another time, she turned to my dad and, entirely unprovoked, shot out a friendly, “I'm gonna kick your butt when we get home!” (Apparently that's a Bucks County thing . . . a gesture of approval or something . . . :?)  I took them into town the other day for some business, and we stopped for lunch in the mall. (Incidentally, it was also her birthday.) After a little confusion over the location of the trash can, a helpful lady relieved my grandfather of the luch tray and dumped it for him. As they thanked the lady, Grandmom kept grinning and shaking her hand, and the lady just grinned and shook back. Finally, Grandmom said, laughing, “What are you smiling at? Do you know something I don't know?” :) The lady shook her head, of course, (probably a little confused . . .) and we ambled off. As we left the food court, she leaned over to me and whispered conspiratorily, “Do you think she knew it was my birthday?” :) :) I love my grandparents!

Remembering Grandmom

Memories and blogs from three years ago, when I cared for my grandparents regularly. Grandmom passed away in in September.

Grandmom said the other day as I was making breakfast, "Making coffee?" "Yep" I replied. "Oh, boy, that sounds like ...blue news!" :D Conversation this morning: Grandmom: "Your mom's always trying to get me to help her in the garden." Me: "Oh, yeah, Grandmom?" Grandmom: "Yep. I don't like it. Had to do it all the time when I was growing up." Me: "Well, doncha think it's a good thing to grow your own food, 'stead of getting it from the store?" Grandmom: "Hmph. I'll buy it." Me (playfully): "Gee, that sounds pretty lazy, making somebody else grow all your food." Grandmom: "Well it gives them somethin' to do!" :D     Two men drove up to my grandparents' doublewide yesterday and told my unsuspecting Pop-pop that my dad had instructed them to pick up the two trailer tongues still sitting there in the yard (left there from their move in October). They proceded to load them up into their pickup truck (massive heavy things they are, too) and drive off. My dad never told anybody any such thing. Yes, folks, they were stolen right out from under our noses. We did want them hauled off, but not by crooks! They're probably worth a good little bit as scrap metal. But there you are. What could Pop-pop have done anyway? Sicked Grandmom on 'em? :D She's feisty, but not that feisty. :)     The funny part was, at the dinner table discussing the matter, my sister concluded with, "So somebody just stole our tongues!" and Grandmom erupted into laughter. She just went on and on. With a mouthful of food. :) (The latter was what really got the rest of the table laughing.) Whatever jokes she never does get, she sure got that one! :)

For Hosanna and Naomi

"If you would have only one day to live, you should spend at least half of it in the saddle."
--Ancient Kyrgyz saying

Essay on culture

During my time so far at school, I have naturally met people from many different cultures. However, the melting pot of an international school does not allow most of us to live out our cultural habits very fully. Therefore I was glad to spend the fall holidays with my Dutch roommate at the home of her family in western Holland. Vacationing there I experienced more fully the Dutch culture.

The first thing I noticed is their way of greeting. Parents and children may kiss on the cheeks, but beside their greetings, there was very little physical contact. That certainly didn’t mean they weren’t friendly, though! I found very quickly that the four girls in my roommate’s family were as gregarious (and nearly as loud) as the four in mine!

Another very distinct tradition was regular greetings, Bible reading, and singing at the dinner table. “Eet smakelijk!” was a necessary introduction to all our meals—which consist, of course, of tremendous amounts of bread and sugar! I enjoyed very much the frequent breaks for coffee or tea. It was always exciting to hear, “Wat wil je drinken?” called up the stairs, because it meant a nice time was coming up for everyone relaxing together and chatting over our day with steaming cup of Something Sweet!

Of course, living there for a week I certainly picked up more of their language. What fun it was to sit at the table with a few objects and ask my hostess to please speak to me like a baby—just talk to me about these objects in simple sentences over and over, please! I could soon copy the common phrases that were repeated around the home, and I could understand even more in their conversation. "Pas op--ik kan wel Nederlands spreken!"

Going to church in the village was a very interesting (and somewhat sleepy, I must admit) experience. First, I had to wear a hat! Not that that was a problem; I was already used to dressing up—the Dutch dress very smartly almost all the time and I LOVE it. (I bought some nice boots during holidays because I knew I couldn’t survive a Dutch winter without them!) It was so unusual to me, but very nice, to see an entire village of people all walking to the same destination at the same time—there was only one church in town! Then we sat SO quietly while the service went on; the preacher’s voice seemed remote and far away, and the songs were all without meter—a strange phenomenon for me. And then we came back in the afternoon to do it all over again! 

Dutch culture has been very fun to experience! You can’t get free sauce in a restaurant and the sinks are so small you splash water everywhere if you’re not careful—but they make up for it with amazing flowers and by giving bikes the right of way. I think I like it.