Busy Day

I've had a busy day. This morning Mom, my sister, and I went to my uncle B's house. I don't know how long it'd been since I'd seen him (I don't recall seeing him last summer when I was here)! He is on oxygen, and he still smokes. He says, though, that it's the compressed kind and not "raw" oxygen. He reminds me a lot of my father in his appearance and mannerisms.

After we got back, I went to Office Depot and to the grocery store. Do they not make oil-packed tuna anymore? (My mom prefers that kind for her tuna casserole.) I look forward to getting to know my way around an American grocery store again. I will say there are a LOT fewer cheeses! Everything is so much less expensive here. This was my first drive on my own since I got my license!

I've seen so many different kinds of birds today, more than in the 2-1/2 weeks I've been here! Cardinals, blue jays, hawks, grackles, woodpeckers, robins, geese. This afternoon I saw the 2 neighborhood Canadian geese (I LOVE those geese!) fly over the back yard to the pond a couple doors down. One landed on the banks and the other must have overshot the landing. He/she turned around and skidded to a water landing.

This afternoon my sisters-in-law and my nephew came over. C looked better yesterday and today than she did the first time I saw her, but she does tire easily. She seemed more chipper, almost her usual self. I couldn't get her to do the twist, though (while we were all staying at a hotel for my sister's wedding in 2006, playing cards, she suddenly gets up and starts dancing the twist). Before Mom and I took my sister to the airport, all of us, even my nephew, prayed together. It was so moving and encouraging. We prayed for safe travel for my sister and for R & C tomorrow as they return to the Mayo Clinic. They all prayed for J., me, and all the stuff I've been going through. I was most moved by C's prayer. She actually thanked God for her condition, which she's had since early January, because it has made her get so much closer to Him and to my mother. She called it a wake-up call because she was missing out on life. She said she felt blessed to be part of a family who prays together like this. She literally stopped and smelled the roses; this year for the first time she saw the trees bloom in her own yard. Normally at this time she is traveling extensively for the start of the busy season with her job. We all made a promise that we would pray together each time we met, before parting ways. Knowing someone is praying for you or hearing someone say they will pray is one thing, but actually hearing the words right then and there is so uplifting.

My friend B, who has been so dear to me, esp. during my divorce, sent me an article yesterday that talked about an Italian scientist who just turned 100. She said, "Above all, don't fear difficult moments. The best comes from them." Amen! When things are going well, that is when we tend to forget about God and rely on ourselves. Trials have a way of reminding us who we are and who God is; they send us to our knees as we remember how much we need Him. Oh, they are not pleasant, but they are necessary, and in my own life it's been after--and even during--the stormiest seasons that I've experienced the most growth and some of the greatest blessings. B also pointed out that it is so very normal I am so stressed and emotional right now. Out of all life's biggest stressors, the only one I'm not currently experiencing is the death of a loved one! So I am giving myself permission to fall on my knees and cry and pray whenever I need to, and that is a lot lately! I *will* get through this; God will see me through. The process just ain't a barrel of monkeys!