Last Night

A little over 26 months ago, just a few days after we moved from our Oklahoma rental home into what we thought would be our Oklahoma forever home, I took this picture:

Tonight I took this one:

"Forever" is looking different from what we had planned, and tomorrow we will leave this place behind. How fondly we will remember our time here. That view!--oh, that view. What a salve it has been to weary hearts. How many mornings and evenings we have passed just sitting, gazing, basking in sunrises and sunsets more beautiful than we could have ever envisioned, drinking coffee, or wine, or caipirinhas as we watched a boy and his dog romp among the fireflies or head across the common ground to feed the neighborhood horses some apples.

I'm sad to think of leaving a home we have loved as much as any place we've ever lived, but in a few years that boy is going to be headed off to college, and his dog is going to feel less like romping, and as much as I pictured this view with grandchildren in it some day, I think maybe it's better that on Wednesday morning we will be turning over the keys to a family of 7 who needs the space and yard a lot more than we do at this time in our lives. I am so thankful for the short time we had here, even as I trust that God has wonderful times in store for us about 375 miles up the road in a place called High Ridge. I think the grandchildren, if and when we have some, will be able to find us there, don't you?

I'll be back in a few days to post our first pics of our new home. :-)

Good Dog

This is Willard. He refused to be still for our group picture at the musicians party we had at our house yesterday. When he ran off, our neighbor (who was taking the picture) snapped this one of him.

We are crazy about this dog. We got him in 2012, an election year. He was named after Willard Mitt Romney. :-)

Willard came from a rescue organization in Illinois. He was found on the side of the road with his brother, so we don't know what breed he is, but it is pretty obvious he has a large dose of Australian Shepherd.

(Willard with his brother at his foster home. The dog in the background is not Mom, in spite of the similar coloring.)

Cuddles with the boss his first night in a new home.

Here are a few of the many cool things Willard does.

1. He warns us about things, like mice and tornadoes.

2. When we shake our caipirinhas, he heads for the back door because he knows it's time to sit outside.

3. When we watch TV, he demands a chew stick (or three) by staring at me like the dog in Frasier until I get one for him. I guess he figures if we're going to kick back, he should get to also. However, when we have devotion, sitting in the same chairs as when we watch TV, he goes off to the side and lies down on the rug and waits quietly.

4. He is very respectful of dinnertime. He knows to stay out of the kitchen when we eat (he lies in the doorway to the dining room). After closing prayer, he knows he can then come in for his own supper.

5. He does lots of tricks! He can sit, stand, lie down, shake hands, beg, give you a high five, roll over, fetch, and even get the paper!

6. He talk to us. No, really. He talks.

7. He keeps sick people company.

In addition to the above, he loves everyone and is the gentlest, sweetest-tempered dog we have ever had. He has no territorial issues. You can stick your hand in his food bowl while he's eating--he doesn't care. He was incredibly easy to housebreak. He lets little kids get away with murder around him. He loves people and is not stressed out by them, even when we have 40 in the house as we did last night for our choir party. He comes when we call. We got him shortly after one of the most trying periods of our life, and he was a big part of helping us to heal

If only we could figure out how to turn dogs years into human ones. Or human years into dog ones. You know what I mean.

We love you, Willard!

Listening to Lessons and Carols

Different town, different house, different sofa, different dog . . .  

Same blessed WORD.

2009

2014

Win-Win

For a time when we lived in Illinois we had a subscription to the Chicago Tribune. We got fed up with that paper and discontinued it years ago. When we moved to Oklahoma we inherited the previous occupants' subscription to the Tulsa World. It has been helpful in getting to know our community, and my mom in particular seems to enjoy it. So when the subscription recently ran out, we renewed it. My mom is getting her crossword, Evan enjoys the funnies, and I am cutting coupons again. Plus, having a paper makes this possible:


Willard Gets the Paper from Cheryl on Vimeo.


Also, it's nice to have decent rubber bands again!

Last Walk

Today Phillip, Trevor, Caitlin and I took one final walk together in Illinois. Evan decided to stay home, which turned out to be a good thing, because this was almost a two-hour walk. We covered most of the ground we have trod for 14 years now, heading first to a park and then to a nature preserve not far from our house. We took Willard, our dog, with us. Willard is the third of our dogs to walk these paths (the first was Giselle, who came with us from Texas, and the second was Shiloh, who lived all of her nine years in Illinois).

Have you ever watched Survivor? We haven't watched it for some years now, but we used to. Toward the end of each season, the last few, remaining survivors take a final walk on which they stop, in turn, at torches representing the already eliminated players. At each torch they share a few words of remembrance about that player. We decided to spend our last walk in the Chicago suburbs similarly, pausing at favorite stops as we reviewed our time here. We spent the first half of our walk on the years 2000-2005, and the second half on 2006-2011. We ran out of time for 2012 and 2013 but decided that was a good thing since those years are still quite fresh (in some cases, too fresh). It was fitting that we had our two adult children on this farewell walk, as they were with us when we came to Chicago. We kicked off our northern Illinois adventure with a seven and four-year-old; we leave it with a twenty-one, eighteen, and ten-year-old. 

The pond.

Walking to the trout farm.

At the trout farm.

Heading back.

With the one who doesn't let me fall.

Home--for about one more week.

A Capital Idea

Tonight at supper it was noted that the dog has been getting lots more treats these days. Since my mom got home from rehab, she has been freely dispensing dog biscuits to our mutt Willard. This is new for her, as are many behaviors since she got home. (That is a blog post in itself, a wonderful one, I might add. I will have to write it sometime.)

Anyway, regarding the problem of Willard's overindulgence, I opined, "We might just have to hide the dog treats from Grandma."

Evan's reply? "Or we could just reason with her."

That child is going to go far in life.

The well-fed subject of this post.

Early February Update

The orthopedic boot came off yesterday. I also had my first therapy yesterday. All is going well. The ultrasound the day before yesterday showed not a tear but simple, garden variety tendonitis, probably already improved due to a week in a boot. It was weird when I first walked without the boot. The whole leg--not just the foot--felt weak. My knee occasionally threatens to buckle. I don't get that, since my knee was not injured, but maybe it's just not being well supported by the foot and ankle? I am very glad that I had my mom's cane, stair lift, and shower chair to help me through the last week. And I have learned my lesson. No serious walking in anything but my custom orthotics in the future. 

I am very glad I got out of the boot before Solo & Ensemble season kicks off in earnest this week.

Phillip is in St. Louis right now for a board meeting for our church body. He is deep into the second module of his colloquy program. It is taking all of his non-work time, but at least he can do it from the easy chair in our bedroom! Let's hear it for technology (and comfy chairs).

We had our second wimpy round of snow this week. Evan finally did get a little snow play, but nothing like this! 

Willard the puppy continues to impress us. We truly think we got the perfect dog. We have a doggy door that he learned to use right away. Lately we have been keeping it shut for periods of time so that he doesn't go out on his own and come back in all muddy without someone wiping off his feet. A few days ago the doggy door had been shut for a while and Willard went over to it then returned to the sliding glass door, sat down, looked at me, and gave out one sharp bark. I let him out. I love that dog. 

It seems that for a very long time now I have not been able to motivate myself to give the house the attention I would like. We're not living in filth. But I am not the organization and cleanliness maven I used to be. When I was young I would clean the whole house in one day and then enjoy that clean feeling for a little while. Now I can't physically clean the whole house in one day, even with help. There just isn't time. So I never get the pleasure of that clean feeling and I think that is a deterrent. Why bother? But I need and want to bother. I have decided I need to let go of the concept of a clean house and just make it my goal to clean or organize at least one thing per day. I guess if I at least get a closet clean I can go and sit in the clean closet for a while. We'll see how that strategy goes.

While we're on the subject of keeping house, can I just say here for the record that I am not a foodie? I am so not a foodie. All those people on all the cooking shows talking at warp speed about food leave me scratching my head. Who cares? I would be overjoyed to never have to shop, cook, or for that matter, eat, again. (Unless it's chocolate.) I know people who love to think about food and plan for it and who get intense aesthetic satisfaction from talking about it and looking at it and eating it. My husband is one. Poor man, he married someone who would be happy to subsist on bread and water. 

There. True confession. I feel better. Are we still friends?

P.S. I still owe you another Washington, D.C., post.

January Update

My mother, who broke her hip on Christmas Day, continues in rehab. She had her first post-surgery appointment and x-ray last week, and healing is progressing on schedule. In two more weeks she will have another x-ray, and if things still look good, she will get the go-ahead to start bearing her full weight on the repaired hip. I am hoping that at that point her progress will accelerate and she will soon be back home.

We are going to Washington, D.C.! My husband is serving as musician for the LCMS Life Conference, which is taking place in conjunction with the 40th Annual March for Life later this week. We decided we couldn't miss this opportunity to see our nation's capital--my husband has been there, but the rest of us have not. We will leave on Wednesday so as to enjoy a full day of sight-seeing together on Thursday. On Friday Caitlin will be accompanying her dad on the March while Evan and I do some more sight-seeing. We realize two days in Washington, D.C. are hardly sufficient, but we will see what we can. At the top of the list is the Smithsonian, which Evan learned about from a Peanuts history video. We also hope to visit some of the monuments, at least see the outside of the White House, and if time allows, drop by Arlington National Cemetery. We come home on Saturday. Prayers for safe travel--and for calm for your aerophobic blogger--would be most appreciated.

As mentioned a few posts ago, Caitlin and I have started reading Paradise Lost. She has read some of it before, but this time we are going to work our way through the whole thing. I am looking forward to it. Milton holds a special place in my literary heart. 

Speaking of Caitlin, she is reading Evan his first Little House book (Little House in the Big Woods). Earlier this week, after reading about how the Ingalls made butter in a churn, Caitlin asked me to buy some cream so that she and Evan could make some, too. It is so nice having not only another teacher in the house, but one who enjoys the hands-on approach to learning that I tend to neglect. 

Phillip has recently started a program of study to receive his colloquy as a Director of Parish Music. Until very recently there was no such path for a musician in the LCMS. We are so pleased that now there is and that in a matter of months Phillip will be able to complete the requirements leading to his becoming a rostered worker in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He began studying for his colloquy some years ago but put it on hold due to the unsuitability of the program. It was geared towards teachers and there were classes that were not a good investment of his time and money and that in fact duplicated courses he had already taken or ignored his extensive on-the-job experience. Now our church body is offering a program of study customized to the parish musician, and Phillip is very much enjoying his studies.

If you've been wondering about the ABP (Anything But Politics) Challenge, it is still mostly on, but it really isn't a challenge anymore. I am still not watching cable news or listening to talk radio. I gave some thought to downgrading our cable package but discovered that even going down one package would save us very little. We would have to go all the way down to basic and if we did that other people in the house would probably object. So I guess we will keep the news stations and I will keep on ignoring them. Every now and then I click on a link on Facebook or an article in my Google reader, but I'm wondering if I will ever again feel that it is worth my emotional investment to pay much attention to the outside world.

We got a light dusting of snow in Chicagoland this morning. There is the possibility of more later this week while we're out of town. Poor Evan. He has been waiting for a good snow all winter long.

It seems that so many people are sick! Way more this winter than I remember hearing about the last few years. We have somehow avoided all of it so far--both the flu and the intestinal virus that has been going around. We do not get the flu shot, and when I hear about people who did get it succumbing nonetheless, I feel vindicated.

Willard the puppy is about six months old now and is fully trained and settled in to the family routine. My kitchen floor is staying much cleaner between sweepings these days!

Many a Weary Foot

Happy new year!

I have been meaning to do a follow up to my Christmas post. First, my mom is doing as well as can be expected. She has moved to a skilled nursing facility and is starting the process of  rehabilitation following her  fracture and surgery.

We have had quite the week. On top of my mom's surgery, Evan developed an eye infection. We called the doctor's office and tried their home remedies for a couple of days, to no avail. We called back but they were unable to work him in for an appointment and advised us to go to urgent care. The doctor at urgent care was so concerned she called the pediatric ER doctor at the hospital. Apparently what began as a sty went into cellulitis, which is not something to be messed with, particularly not on the face. Antibiotics were prescribed and within a day we were seeing improvement. Again I give thanks for modern medicine.

Our puppy enjoyed his first Christmas! Here he is lying on his new pillow, covered up with his new blanket, chewing on a new bone, with new toys close by. Did this orphan hit the jackpot when he landed at our house, or what?

All seemed to like their presents. Here's the Cantor trying to decide which one of his spirit-filled chocolates to try first. 

Here's Caitlin displaying one of her gifts. It's about writing. Are you surprised?

Willard is going to miss Trevor as much as the rest of us when he returns to college in a few days.

This pic of "The Quintet" was taken Christmas Eve.

I was thrilled to receive several items on my wish list. Trevor and Caitlin got me a Garmin for my car (they know, more than anyone, how much I need it) and Phillip got me a new video camera (my Flip is dying and for months now I have been taking video with my phone). You video watchers can rejoice with me in that one. Better quality coming soon!

When Evan gave me his present he told me it was going to change my life. It absolutely has. I didn't have a necklace like this and now I do! Oops, I mean pendant. Every time I call it a necklace I am corrected: "It's not a necklace, Mom; it's a pendant." Whatever it's called, I love it! According to Phillip, Evan picked this out himself. He did a good job, no?

We had a lovely New Year's Eve. Watched some TV, including A Spongebob Christmas, ate leftovers, drank some wine, watched the ball drop in New York City, and afterward sang "Auld Lang Syne" (it was only 11:00 but we pretended it was 12:00). I found myself wondering how many more years we will all be together on New Year's Eve. Our children are growing up. The day will come when they will have others to whom they want to cling on New Year's Eve. That is as it should be and as I pray it is. But as the years go on each "Auld Lang Syne" seems to be getting more significant than the last. These days are not forever.

I leave you with today's Writing from the Treasury of Daily Prayer. I read it last night with Evan and Caitlin and had them repeat with me the following words: "I am baptized! I am baptized! Hallelujah!" What else need we say?

"Should the Christian stand all day long at the grave of all joys which he enjoyed in past years? Through Holy Baptism a great stream of joy has been conducted in his heart, which does not drain away, but streams forward with his life until its waves carry him into the sea of a blessed eternity. Should the Christian be reminded all day long that the flowers of his youth fall more and more? He stands planted by God in the water of his Baptism as a palm tree which becomes greener and greener and whose leaves never wither. Yes, his Baptism makes death for him like a short winter's nap, out of which an eternal spring--an eternal youth--follows. . . .

Now then, all of you who believe in God's Word, let your watchword for entering the new year be this: 'I am baptized!' Although the world may laugh at this comfort, the enthusiasts vex its confidence . . . nevertheless, abandon any other dearly held pledges and speak only throughout the entire year to come, in all terrors of conscience and necessity through sin and death: 'I am baptized! I am baptized! Hallelujah!' And you shall prevail! In every time of need, you will find comfort in your Baptism; on account of it Satan will flee from your faith and confession; and in death you will see heaven opened and will finally come into the joy of your Lord to celebrate a great year of jubilee, a year of praise, with all the angels forever and ever. Amen!" - C. F. W. Walther

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday