October 1, 2023 Today my Pastor talked about dying, and how important it is for us to think about the fact that we are going to die one day. All of us. As a former Medical ICU and hospice nurse, I lost count of the number of people whose hands I held as they took their last breath, how many mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, or children I've had the privilege of walking through the last moments of their loved one's life with on this earth, oftentimes while ending all of their life support. I've watched a lot of people number their days. Now as a chemotherapy infusion RN, I spend my days with people who are waking up every morning, truly thinking about the number of their days, and I'm absolutely convinced they've got some wisdom that one only gets when faced with that reality ... View Post
Learning To Number My Days
I mentioned to a friend of mine before the start of September that I wanted life to slow down this month, that I wanted to have more free quiet time to read, and just be alone. I didn't want to feel obligated to say yes to every invitation, opportunity, or favor asked. My dear friend decided to hold me accountable, and she took the TIME out of her busy schedule in order to do so, frequently sending me emails or text messages asking me how I was doing, or simply to encourage me. She was even so understanding as to not get upset when I didn't answer as promptly as I may have in the past. She's a keeper :) Yesterday, my friend asked for a full account of my month of September, and I had planned to spend tonight blogging something about that, but I'm just not entirely sure my month of ... View Post
Too Slow to Play Kickball
When I read that my friend (we'll just call her Suzy Q) was going to be doing a bike-a-thon to raise money for children's cancer, I was very impressed. She's 73! I turned 60 this year, have pretty severe osteoarthritis, and have had so many injuries that I've pinky promised my doctor I will never hop up onto a bike that's not a 3-wheeler again. (True story, friends). So my friend Suzy Q made me feel like a wimp with her bike-a-thon endeavor! Here I am 13 years younger than her, and she's going to do a bike-a-thon! Whoa. I was impressed. Okay, I was just a little bit jealous, too. There, I said it. A few days after the bike ride fundraiser passed, Suzy Q called me and told me that she'd actually fallen head first off of her bike, broken a vertebra, and had to be taken by ambulance to ... View Post
The Day I Changed My Name to Penelope
Like everyone else, my life has been a series of seasons. I'm not talking about spring, summer, winter, and fall, either. I'm talking about childhood, young adult, single, married, and then divorced. Even those are pretty vague descriptions of the seasons I've lived through, but a more accurate list would be pretty lengthy, and I don't want to bore you to death. I was asked this morning in a group of women of all different ages and stages of life, how I would answer Jesus if He asked me what I wanted. I laughed. In the past several seasons of my life, I would definitely have answered that question differently than I might right now - in this season, that is. Ask me again in six months because the truth is, it might change again. And that's okay. I'm sitting here tonight on the ... View Post
More Than Birds
Growing up, I remember my Dad taking every overtime opportunity he could get to make a little extra money. When he became sick, my Mom took a job to carry the insurance, and the two of them modeled a work ethic which is hardly seen today, but I'd like to believe it was inherited by my brother, sister, and I. My parents made sure we never went without. Years later when I became a single mom, Rory was two and I was pregnant with Ian, and I worried how in the world I was going to make it. I waitressed a couple of days a week until I could finish school, and then I worked from home doing medical transcription for many years before becoming an RN. I typed every extra report I could listen to. I'd get up at 4 a.m. and transcribe until the kids went to school, and when the reports ran out, I'd ... View Post
Communion & Cigarettes
It seems as if I have two speeds - the first being still, quiet, & alone, and the second go-go-go. And my go-to friend for when I want to go-go-go is Joyce. It doesn't matter what adventure I dream up - dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, whiskey distillery visits, sneaking in churches to use the bathroom, hiding in a confessional (for the record - Joyce did that, not me!), visiting new restaurants, or attending Mexican-Irish parties, Joyce is always ready and willing to jump in the car and just take off to anywhere. "I've got the smokes & the communion!" is her line. Candy cigarettes that is, and Necco candy for pretend communion. I'm certain everyone thinks we're nuts (and soooo immature) when we post our photos. But the history behind our cigarettes & communion began ... View Post
In This Storm
I have a couple of really sweet girlfriends who both live in different states than me. Every few months, Sarah in Atlanta arranges a "Go To" meeting so the three of us can see each other's faces, and not just hear one another's voices. We make a point of it to attend The Gospel Coalition for Women Conference together in Indianapolis every other year, and we have an incredible time of fellowship. But I missed the last one because a few days prior, I was hospitalized for my very first episode of atrial fibrillation, or more commonly known as "A-fib." So it's now been way too long since I've seen Ruth, who lives in Indianapolis. Sarah and I were able to connect a couple of times this summer when she and her hubby Mike came to Michigan. Both times we ate ... View Post
Table after Table, After Table
I'm sitting here cuddled up on the couch tonight all by myself, enjoying the quiet, and looking at the kitchen table I love so much. Life has always happened around it. Life just looks a lot different these days. Seasons - they change. The table cloth is hanging way too low on one side - the side where I last sat this morning. And there are a few crumbs left there too. (I love a good English muffin with jam). My planner is spread out at one of the other settings, where this evening I made some tentative plans to attend a hockey game soon and plans to meet up with two new special friends, penciled in a pizza night with my grandkids and some friends, and a musical with Dave & Jean. I really should shake out that table cloth and throw it in the washer. My Dad's cap hangs on ... View Post