Shadow the Cat

Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with a more original name for a black cat than Shadow, but as it has turned out, my Shadow is aptly named. She follows me around the house like a dog, choosing her spot near where I am working (and sometimes on what I’m working with). She prefers my lap, but if that’s not available, she will sit on the back of my chair, or watch my computer screen with me as I type. She is extremely relational.

Shadow accompanied me on the difficult journey of watching my husband deteriorate and die. She spent hours sitting on his lap too, waiting for him to pet her or tease her with the little laser flashlight. She noticed when he was gone, for sure. Our whole routine changed in many ways.

I started to travel after my first grandchild was born and spent weeks at a time away from home. Shadow was not used to being with other animals, and didn’t like being in the car, so I felt it was best to have her stay at home. One of my neighbors came in almost daily to check her food and water, and sit with her. She would read a book out loud, which Shadow enjoyed.

There came a time when I knew I would be away more than two weeks, and as it turned out, I was gone for two months. I arranged for a young person to stay in my home to care for Shadow. I expected that she would be there most every evening and whenever she wasn’t working. She liked Shadow, and had once had a cat of her own. I felt good about the arrangement.

The reality was much different. Unforseen circumstances kept my house sitter away. Even though she told me she thought everything was okay, everything was NOT okay. Shadow was without food or water for a time, and was quite stressed when it was discovered.

Upon returning home I found Shadow skinny, her fur completely licked off in many places, scabs and open sores where she had scratched herself raw, and exhibiting a completely changed personality. She sat huddled for days in a box that I set up for her with a heating pad in it. She did not want to be touched and would crouch and cringe to get away from my hand. Shadow had separation anxiety and I didn’t know if she was going to pull out of it or not.

Shadow, pre-separation anxiety and trauma
Shadow, two months into recovery and still looking a bit ragged.

She was obviously miserable, and with so little quality of life, I considered putting her down more than once. But with veterinary help, and time she has improved. I have prayed for wisdom, and for her to be healed (yes, I pray for pets because they have meaning in people’s lives).

It has been a little over two months now, and in the last week I have once again seen Shadow gallop through the house at top speed and slide around a corner. She has regained trust of my hand, and wants petting. She enjoys looking out the window at spring as it evolves.

She went outside one day, where she usually sits in the sun on the patio. I left the door open for her since the blackbirds sometimes chase her and give her a scare. While I was not paying attention, she brought in a bird, which I did not notice until it started flying around the dining room. It hit the window, trying to get out, and Shadow and I both scrambled to get it first. I won and released the poor bird outside. It’s not that I like her playing with birds and torturing them, but it made me aware of how much she had recovered. I felt happy that she was a cat again, doing what cats do. The constant scratching and licking has stopped. Her fur is slowly growing back.

Going forward, I know she is prone to be stressed out at my absence again. She is a female cat, she is the only pet, she was orphaned early and she has a high degree of attachment to people. I have read about separation anxiety in cats and have a much better understanding of what happened to her. I intend to make better arrangements for her in the future, when I have to be away.

Why does this story matter? Well, I think animals are amazing and are an important part of a perfectly created earth environment. God had good reasons for them being here. I don’t put animals in the same category as humans because God doesn’t. But they are in a special category of their own.

When we take them to ourselves and make them dependent on us as pets, we have opportunities to grow in compassion, in faithfulness, in awareness of “others”, in skill… so many ways. How many of us got a pet before we had children so we could learn to care for a responsive, innocent life? How many of us enjoy companionship of pets when we don’t have children or a spouse? Animals are like us in so many ways that sometimes it is scary. And so many times they are even better than we are. They matter. How we treat them matters.

I am glad Shadow is doing better. She is my cat, and I love her. We’re not giving up yet.

cat selfie

I Found Some Spring

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

Ever since about age eight or nine, I have been outside in April looking for spring to start in the northwoods. What I look for is a flower so small it is easily missed, but it is usually the first one to appear here. It has a special place in my heart. It’s called hepatica, mainly because of the leaf that has lobes like a liver (the prefix hepa refers to the liver). The leaf often turns dark under fallen leaves and snow but doesn’t completely deteriorate, which is probably why its flowers appear so early.

Mostly brown with a few pine greenery thrown in

I walked this week in the woods, hoping to get some inspiration from my friends, the trees. The woods are still pretty barren. The buds on the trees aren’t prominent and the landscape is pretty brown and grey. But I am delighted to have seen some spring – the flowers are here.

We always called them mayflowers, but I think that was descriptive of when they bloomed, not their actual name. White, pink, purple, blue are their usual colors and their stems have a delicate fuzziness to them. Sometimes a plant will have multiple blooms, sometimes just one. But they are life in the forest and I get a little thrill when I start finding them. It’s still April, so they are a bit early.

The leaves are from another plant, not hepatica

Maybe it’s because I am getting older that I notice aging in the forest more than I used to. I notice the older pines that are losing their lower branches, the ground around them littered with boughs that wind and snow brought down. I notice the dead trees, with bark peeling off and holes where birds have been hunting insects. Sometimes it’s a large tree that lost its hold and crashed down to the forest floor, its root bed sticking up in the air. There is a lot of destruction and death evident as a natural feature of the ecosystem. The woods looks quite messy at this time of year.

Sometimes it looks like there are more dead trees than living ones. Sad.
The woods can be a violent place of damage, destruction

Soon though, the ferns will be up, hiding much of the mess on the ground. Green leaves will cover up the mess above. Everything that died will continue to make its way back to the soil and nourish other life. It’s a beautiful pattern and has many lessons embedded in it. The patient, ever changing forest…

Maybe I was inspired out there, to record what I saw. It is a comforting thing, that spring has come at its appointed time once again. And I imagine that summer will come soon after. Seasons can be counted on, at least for now. This season, spring, is all about new things coming to life. Look for them. Just sayin’…

The early beginnings don’t shout to be seen, but they are there for those who will look.

A Boat Full of Water

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

It was tricky getting good pictures of this outing since phones and water do not mix well. I think you’ll get the idea though. Fun was had.

Today was overcast and cool, with a possibility of rain. We decided against taking a hike because Esther had an alternate idea that would keep us warm and entertained, at least for a couple of hours. Hot tub boats. Yes, it’s a thing.

We drove to Lake Washington, which is right in the city of Seattle. The lake is surrounded by skyscrapers, bridges, and highways. Its harbor is quite busy with all sizes of boats, and seaplanes. There are many houseboats, and waterfront businesses. There is a lot to look at. Someone came up with the idea of looking at it all while sitting in a hot tub, on a cute electric boat, with snacks on board and music.

I had filled out my waiver online the night before and got checked in quickly, along with Esther, Ryan and Jon. It seemed a little contrary to nature at first, taking off our warm clothes to the bathing suit layer and getting wet, on a day like this. But the water inside the boat was 104 degrees and felt really good. We stowed our food and watched a quick video tutorial on rules and regulations, then we were off.

How many feet away from shore?

I don’t remember all we were told, but the basics were 1) don’t get off the boat. 2) don’t let anyone else in the boat. 3) don’t go under any bridges 4) try not to hit anything. There was nothing to this boat except a joy stick for steering. The electric motors were quiet and invisible. There was a little bit of wooden deck at the front of the boat, with a hatch door covering a storage area. The rest of the boat was a hot tub with benches down both sides and the back.

This is the life… Space Needle coming up
We were told not to worry about the planes taking off and landing all around us. The pilots would worry about us, hopefully.

In the two hours we were on the water, we circled that part of Lake Washington and took in the sights, including the Space Needle and all the hustle and bustle of the city. I had never been on a mobile hot tub before and found it an interesting combination of bathing and boating. Esther has also done this at night and said it was especially beautiful.

I would recommend this outing to anyone visiting the Seattle area. Yeah, it was fun, and different from the average boat ride, and perfect for birthday week.

Parade of water homes.
Yachts from all over the world, fishing boats from Alaska

Birthday Week, Half Over

Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

Writing it down because I want to remember, and because Mom wants to know what I’m up to.

Esther with birthday bouquet. Photo credit Ryan Bruels

It is so much fun to be having Birthday Week with Esther again. I can hardly believe it’s half over already. It’s been full of good conversation, good food experiences, and good outings to new-to-me places and a few familiar ones.

It has been cloudy, cool and wet, but isn’t that pretty much what we should expect in Seattle this time of year? I’m pretty sure the noise I hear in my bedroom, like dripping water, is dripping water. When it rains at night, something is happening in the nearby downspout, but I have already gotten used to it.

One of many interesting gardens

The flowering trees are blooming and gardens are showing off as we hike around West Seattle. This is such a visually beautiful area – Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, old forests, Alki Beach. There is an unforgettable view in every direction and I wish I could let you see what I see. But pictures will have to do. Esther and I walked over 4 miles on Wednesday, half along the West Seattle shore, half down the main business street.

Ornamental cherry trees out do themselves with blooms!

On Thursday we met some of Esther and Ryan’s friends, and my nephew Jon at a specialty ice cream shop. It was a birthday treat for Esther, and a treat for all of us too. Thank you, Jon. (He bought.)

Jon and his rather conservative Irish Cream coffee
Esther and I had these. They hang the ice cream half off the side on purpose.
They toasted marshmallows, in place, with a torch!

Today, Friday, Esther and I joined with some others to do forest clean-up in a local park. It’s one of Esther’s favorite community service opportunities and a great way to meet people and be active. We pulled up a large area of English Ivy, which is an invasive plant here. The challenge was to not fall down the steep inclines when the vines gave way. This volunteer project was started during the Covid lockdowns and has resulted in many hours of work donated all over West Seattle. I’m a little sore now, but it was fun.

A very overgrown, underdeveloped side of West Seattle that really needed attention.
Friendly, hard working volunteers who do this kind of thing several times a week.

Esther and I, and Nina the greyhound, also took a walk in Schmitz Park, right behind Esther’s house. It’s been one of my favorite places since the first time I came here, and the only place I’ve ever seen Skunk Cabbage. Old growth redwoods, little creeks, all kinds of plants along these trails that lead up a deep ravine to the top of a bluff. Such an interesting place!

Unusually large leaves, bright yellow flowers, and I guess it sometimes smells bad. I didn’t smell anything.

These are some of the fun outings I’ve had so far. But there are four days left and we’ve got a really different, kind of crazy activity coming up tomorrow. Can’t wait.

Going West

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

Written because I want to remember it, and because Mom wants to know what I’m doing…

For the first time in many years, my daughter Esther and I are spending birthday week together. Yesterday was her birthday and my travel day. I boarded a plane and flew west to Seattle.

Trepidation. A nice, interesting word with a good compliment of letters in it. I like long words when I am still able to pronounce them easily. I had some trepidation preceding this journey. It’s been a while since I went anywhere by plane and I was expecting that changes might have taken place in the system. Airports are complicated places. And even before that, there was the job of getting to the airport and parking.

It was good to start the trip with something familiar. I love my car and know how to use GPS to get places, so the only thing “trepidating” (trepidicious?) about the drive to Minneapolis was the freezing rain and snow that started in the first 20 miles and only got worse as I went south. I was very relieved to pull into the remote parking garage where my reservation barcode actually worked and opened the gate.

I found a space and was just making sure I was lined up right in it when I saw the shuttle already waiting behind me. The driver had followed me in. I quickly got out, pulled my suitcase and backpack out of the back seat and got in the shuttle. I didn’t remember locking the car, so was searching in my purse for my key while we wound our way out of the garage. That’s probably why I thought about looking for my phone.

My phone was back in the car, still connected to the console.

We were only just out on the street when I freaked out and started apologizing and telling the driver I would run back and get it. But he went around the block and returned, acting kind of like this sort of thing had happened before. The other passengers didn’t seem to mind and maybe even were amused. So started the trip.

MSP airport was as confusing as ever. I’ve flown out of it many times but it has gotten bigger and bigger, and I didn’t recognize most of it. The signage is less than helpful. Mostly, I just followed the biggest crowd I could find and hoped for the best.

Getting through security was not a lot different. All they asked for was my ID, and nothing in my baggage or on my person set off any alarms. That whole process only took about 20 minutes and I was soon sitting at my gate. I had two whole hours to watch the energetic, screeching children who had also arrived early, and their parents who thought they were funny, and the lady with the dog who was also dealing with some trepidation.

Not much to report about the flight itself, except that the entertainment system cut out half way through the movie I tried to watch. They had warned us this might happen. I also missed the garbage bag when the attendant came by to collect our drink cups. I had to scrape all the ice I dropped out of the way and under my chair where it could safely melt. I was beginning to feel like an old lady, forgetful, slightly incompetent. No one seemed to mind.

Three hours later I was racking up steps in the Seattle airport, and texting my people to come pick me up. They were waiting in the cell phone lot so it didn’t take long, and we were on our way to Esther’s birthday dinner at Cedarbrook Lodge.

Esther’s longtime friend, Duncan, was running the bar there and gave us special attention, the whole time we were there. I learned that NA (nonalcoholic) beverages are the latest trend there and enable cocktails with no alcohol to now be as expensive as those with alcohol. I also learned that Sablefish is another word for cod, but it definitely needed a new word since it was being served in an upscale restaurant. As promised, dinner was a quintessential Northwest experience in dining. I especially like my spatzle, foraged mushrooms, butter roasted onions, preserved lemon and evergreen oil side dish. It was good to talk with my kids and relax over an interesting meal. I only spilled one glass of water and it was just what we needed to liven things up a bit.

Back at Esther’s house we finished off the day with a good walk along the beach. Ryan had Nina on leash so it was a walk/drag for him and he turned back early. Conversation in the living room, and then the evening ended around 12 for me, still on central time. I settled into my charming bedroom for sleep, and only awakened a couple of times, hearing that faint noise like a ticking clock or drops of water falling on metal.

I wonder what that was?

At Cedarbrook Lodge. My people, still happy.

Set Me Free

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

This year has brought a lot of new situations into my life. And, of course, changes have come with them. I have had to change many things, especially the expectations I have about myself, my work, and my purpose. It’s been a bit of a free fall. When I first started feeling restless, unmotivated, stuck, apprehensive, and frustrated, those adjectives were just on the edges of life. In the center there was always a lot of routine activity. There were distractions of all kinds. There were people to help, events to attend, all of it pointing to getting back to being my former self.  Until things got quiet.

I think it was easy to divide life into before and after the death of my husband, and to think that I would get back to being my usual self, whoever that was.  Now that some time has passed, I’m starting to view it differently. My life is more like an ever changing timeline. Dennis’s death was a significant event on the timeline, that is true, but there were other events as well, and change came with each of them. 

Getting right to the freedom part, I made a decision this week that started this whole chain of thought. Here is what happened. 

 I like to call myself a writer, but who am I kidding if I don’t write? For over ten years now I have managed to do a blogging challenge, the April A to Z.  At first I filled the 26 days of the month with random posts. Later I started picking themes because it was easier and more interesting. The last couple of years I’ve struggled to find new themes that sparked creativity, but still managed come up with something. Last year I did character sketches, based on real people I’ve known but fictionalized. This year I thought I might work on putting those people in plots. I told myself that doing this challenge was important to me and made me a better writer.

I got a few stories done, and then I hit a wall.  Nothing was coming together. I was avoiding writing any way I could, and feeling ashamed about it at the same time. I felt like I had to do it, because I had done it for so many years. This self imposed mandate was sucking all the fun out of my days. So I set myself free. What a relief. 

I don’t have to join the challenge. I don’t have to follow a theme. I can forget about the alphabet if I want to. I don’t even have to write anything this coming month at all. It feels pretty good to rebel against some kinds of restrictions. So much so, that I’ve been looking around for other things that I don’t need to do, things that I have bound myself to that might be up for re-evaluation. 

What will my summer be like if I don’t put in a garden? What will my files look like if I clean out some of the trivia? Is it time to let go of my high school and college cheerleading letters? How will it change my relationship with my mom if I’m more of a friend and less of a caregiver?  How might it feel if life is simpler, less burdened?

This thought train has just started to pick up steam. At this stage in my life there are compelling reasons to think about lightening the load, letting go of things, and throwing off chains. Of finding new freedom.  

And what things would God have me do with the new freedoms that have come my way?

What have you been freed from recently? Join the conversation – I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Still have them, but their days are numbered. Go team, go!

Lumen Update #3

Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

This last January 13, 2024 I ordered a Lumen device to help track my metabolism. It arrived on January 18 and I began using it on the 19th. My first flex score, a measure of how easily my metabolism switches from burning carbs to burning fat for energy, was surprisingly good – 18.6, which is considered high. It has gone down every week since then and is now at 11.4 which is medium flexibility. I’m not sure how to fix this because I don’t know why it’s happening. Clearly, I still have some learning ahead of me.

MACROS: CARBS, PROTEIN, FATS

This eating style is definitely low carb, and I know now that I am, or have been, mainly a high carb eater. It’s been dismaying to realize that carbs are everywhere, in all my favorite foods. On my most restricted days when I should eat only 75 grams of carbohydrates, I am often over that even when I’m eating good stuff.

Protein recommendations, on the other hand, are hard to match. I can only eat so much meat. When I try to add vegetable protein, like beans, tofu, cheese, etc… I’m also adding carbs, which puts me over in that category.

I don’t worry about the fat category as much. Most of the fats I eat are good for me and I seldom go over, in spite of the way I love butter. I’ve gotten good at avoiding salad dressings by using balsamic vinegars.

TIMING

I’ve learned to be more aware of when I eat, and how to increase the periods of intermittent, overnight fasting. I know I should eat most of my carbs in the first half of the day. I should also stop eating at least three hours before going to sleep for the night. My problem comes in the evening. If I am watching TV, I am going to get hungry and there is hardly anything I can eat that is not loaded with carbohydrate. A whole careful day goes amiss with one injudicious snack.

I eat vegetables for breakfast most every day, and. protein second, with every meal and snack

ORDER

This is the habit I am trying to build now. In each meal, eat vegetables and fiber first, protein second, and carbs last. If I do it right, I’m so full at the end that I can’t eat all the carbs anyway. And I’m finding that I’m satisfied with less – maybe an orange, or some grapes.

HAPPINESS FACTOR

I know if I can’t get happy about eating this way, it won’t be sustainable. I miss having a cookie or two. I miss having dessert. And I really miss having good bread as often as I want it. But guess what? I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds and have consistently lower blood pressure readings. I’ve stopped taking one of my blood pressure medicines altogether. I am happy about that, for sure.

I’m still waiting for the cravings to go away, but meanwhile, I’ve found a way to work some of my favorite food habits into the picture. I do have

1) my morning latte and a piece of toast with butter

2) my hearty dinner of meat/fish and vegetables before 6 pm, in front of TV. I eat alone anyway so this gives me some company and also solves the question of what to eat while watching TV.

3) I hardly ever have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This goes a long way toward making me happy.

SUMMARY

I’m enough interested in what I’m learning through Lumen to pay the year in advance. The app that analyzes my device readings has a monthly charge and I’m committing to that length of time to see if I can learn what makes my metabolism go into fat burning mode. I’m always surprised at the readings I get – they are not what I would expect – so clearly I’m not understanding it all yet. And, hey, it’s a cool, little gadget.

Feeding the Beasts

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal… Prov. 12:10 AMP

My recent experience tending the animals on Julia’s farm while she and Kevin were in the hospital with Gwennie brought a lot of things to mind. I did manage to keep them all alive and well. (Click here for list of chores)

People who work with the land, with animals, and with plants have an important connection to some basics of life. Doing chores regularly, faithfully, with a watchful eye to the welfare of other living things is all about character development. Having access to the outdoors, specifically to a farm is a blessing. I worry about generations of children who have no idea what I’m writing about.

I can quickly give some of the complaints that people have about this kind of work. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. There’s too much dirt. I’m tired. I hurt. It’s inconvenient to do it now. There you have it, and it’s all true.

However, what I find every time I’m given animals to feed, is that I like it. Animals are glad to get their food. They don’t actually say “thank you” but they act grateful and make me feel like I’ve done them good. They get used to the times they are fed, and act calmer when on a schedule they can depend upon. (I know how I feel when I’m hungry and there’s no food – it’s stressful!)

A couple days of doing farm chores gets me into a comfortable rhythm too. I get more familiar with my charges. They become more interesting to me and I start noticing small behaviors that I missed before. I get satisfaction from faithfully showing up with life sustaining food for them. Most everyone who has had a dog or a cat knows that people bond with their animals, and that goes for any animal, really.

I learned a lot of my large animal care from my friend Carroll Barnhill, in Florida, on his horse farm. Animal food can be expensive, but his animals always had plenty even when he had trouble making ends meet. He was out at the barn every morning early, turning on his coffee pot in the feed room, and getting busy. Every animal got fed, their water buckets washed out and filled, their stalls cleaned, and fresh hay put in the feed box for them to graze on during the day. The finishing touch was to clean the corridor with the blower so everything looked neat and tended. The stable wasn’t fancy, but it all made sense for the needs of the animals. And it was satisfying.

When it’s hot, I like to do chores early in the morning when it’s cool, and in the evening when the sun is lower. When it’s cold, I put on a coat and gloves. Dirt washes off almost everything. I can work tired, and I rest better when my work is done. I find ways to deal with pain, and actually hurt less when I stay active. And life is inconvenient in so many different ways, how could we expect chores to be different? Being faithful, regular and vigilant leads to fewer inconveniences. It’s a rule, I think.

Baaa… Photo rights: Kevin Shanahan

Gwennie Ru and the Patched Heart

Shirleyjdietz6 Comments

As I said in the previous post, Gwennie will be glad to read this someday and know her history.

I can think of a hundred happy adjectives to describe how I feel today about GwennieRu’s recent VSD surgery, but I will stick with relieved, grateful and blessed. She now has expectation of normal growth and lifespan. She may get discharged from the hospital today, which is absolutely amazing.

Surgery, originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed to Friday morning. This was a good thing since it put her first on the surgeon’s list for the day. Julia and Kevin took Gwennie to the hospital early Friday morning, and difficult as it was, handed her over to the surgical team. The other grandma and I joined them in the waiting room.

The first hour in the OR, Gwennie was sedated (so glad they did that first) and then IV’s were inserted so that she could be connected to the heart lung machine. Then the surgery started and we were given hourly updates by the staff.

The surgeon had previously explained this process to us. After the heart lung machine was ready, her chest was opened and her heart was stopped so they could work on it. At Gwennie’s age her heart is about the size of a large strawberry so you can imagine how delicate this sewing job had to be.

The incision in the heart was made in the right atrium, and from there, the hole in the ventricle was accessed through the tricuspid valve. A dacron patch was stitched over the hole, which was described as being large. It was tested for leaks, and then the heart was closed and started back up again. Sounds simple, but I can’t even imagine how they did it without lasting damage to any nerves, or the heart itself. The doctor did say that they cool the heart down so it doesn’t need as much oxygen while it’s without circulation.

It was so hard to see her when she came out of recovery. But it was the knowledge that each one of the wires, tubes and drains had a vital part in keeping her safe that made it tolerable. The pain meds kept her sleeping a good part of that first day, but she did wake up and took her bottle that night.

A girls has got to eat…

The next day, Saturday, the drain and the pacer wires, the intra jugular port and a couple IV lines were removed. In the afternoon she was doing well enough to move to the step down unit.

Yesterday in step down, she was weaned off oxygen. She seemed very comfortable and without pain and was playing with her toes and toys like she normally does. Today, if all goes well, she may come home. Isn’t that amazing?!

So, for any of you who read my previous posts and had compassion, maybe offered up a prayer for Gwennie Ru, know that we appreciated that prayer. God gifted men and women with the ability to do some crazy stuff medically, and Gwennie Ru was in the right place and time to benefit from it. He was watching over her, and us as we waited.

Postscript: They are home!

Unaware

ShirleyjdietzLeave a comment

This whole week has a very strange feel to it. GwennieRu is her usual baby self, responding with smiles and interest in everything around her, blissfully unaware, looking perfectly beautiful.

We who have a little more knowledge about surgery and what it entails are less blissful. I am looking at her, drinking in every detail of her sweetness, and more aware of how thankful I am for her, and for this time with her. While I have no reason to expect anything but a good outcome from her procedure, I am so aware of the complexity of it, so aware of the skill needed and the vigilance required… that knowledge alone makes every minute with her special, including diaper changes and fusses and spit ups. All of it.

I feel the same angst coming from her parents as they have video conferences with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. One thing we talk about is how the messages of support and prayer keep pouring in from friends and family. Many have dealt with similar uncertainties and various kinds of outcomes. It is good to hear that they have been able to walk the path God laid out for them. It is good to hear that they consider our request for prayer as a mandate, a job that they are glad to do for us. They join us as we go into this experience. They acknowledge that God is present and watching over Gwennie. I don’t know how people get through life without a belief that someone better than us is in charge. Times like this show us that so clearly.

This week, some ladies in Julia and Kevin’s church gave me and the other Shirley grandma (yes there are two of us) large gift bags full of things to help us in the surgery waiting room. I dare not eat all that they gave me on my Lumen low carb diet, but the thought was clearly expressed that they understand. A book to read, and reminders of scripture promises help me to know where my thoughts should be directed.

As sometimes happens, when we need it least, the trouble of sickness adds to an already critical time. One of Julia’s coworkers came down with covid. Our exchange student is suddenly beset with sore throat and cold symptoms. We are disinfecting everything and trying to avoid germs. Every time we feel a cough or a sneeze we wonder if we’re getting a virus that will complicate things on Thursday. Kevin doesn’t feel 100% well, and this morning Gwennie is a little “snuffly”. This too is something God knows.

Someday it will be important for GwennieRu to read this and know how she was cherished by God and her people. But for now, one more day of waiting and then, the day of surgery.