Mugs anyone?

Well, I got home from my dr.'s appt. today and Ron and Veronica were happy to see me. Ron was especially happy to see me since he was plum tuckered out from playing with the toys Veronica had brought. Since he had been working in the garage all afternoon, pricing the garage sale stuff, he was in the garage sale mode...always thinking about getting rid of more stuff.

So he tells me that on the top shelf of the cupboard where I keep all my mugs, there are some "teapots and things" that I should look at as possible garage sale "stuff." So, after a 12 hour day, me and my tired knee (teehee - adds to the drama, doesn't it?) climbed the stool and checked out the cupboard. I was astonished!! The "stuff" he wanted me to part with are antiques that belonged to his mom, passed down from her mom. Three genuine pottery pitchers - two small, one larger - (it's my syrup pitcher) - and another hand painted porcelain pitcher. I think it was used for gravy because it has a porcelain cover to it as well. There were teapots that I got as wedding gifts which I do use occasionally, but usually I just plop a teabag in a mug if it's just me having a cup of tea (as I did a few minutes ago).

And I said "HUH? You want me to sell these in a garage sale??"

They will go to Laurie - in fact when they visit, she is going to see all the stuff we are bringing out on our next road trip. I have the Noritake china which Ron sent to his mom when he was in the Navy and stationed in Japan - service for 12 with all the serving dishes and a huge teapot as well. It's beautiful and Laurie is excited that I am giving it to her. I made her get permission from Stephen because they are not pack rats - but she doesn't have a set of china so I think this will be good. Needless to say, the "stuff" in the cupboard is still there.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. My mugs are getting out of control. The problem is, they all have a memory attached to them. There's the very delicate mug which is pink on the inside and white on the outside with pink rosebuds. This is the very first mug the kids got me when they were little and were able to finally pick out a Christmas present when Ron took them shopping. After the pink mug, they gave me the mug with the sleepy bear family on the outside - in various stages of waking up. Then there are all the mugs my friends have given me over the years...the mug which had a petunia planted in it and was given to me the first time I met my Military mom friend Chris. Chris lives right up the road from me - and we found each other one night in MMs chatroom...we tried not to give away too much about where we lived but one word led to another and she said..."Sue...are you that family on ____ Rd. that has the two star banner in the window?" And then she told me where she lives - we are a mile and a half away from each other. And so Chris gave me the mug with the flower in it because, as she put it, she always sees Ron puttering around in the garden when she goes by our house.

There is a story behind every mug in my cabinet. I have mugs that I use because one of the kids gave them to me and on a cold winter's night when Laurie feels especially far away and I want to feel closer to her I use one; and there's my mug from a dear friend in Arkansas. That's one of my favorite Saturday morning mugs. So many and yet, I remember each of them and when we got them. There is a mug with a boot on it - that's the one I gave to Ron for our anniversary one year when he was so gung ho about the German movie about a WW II submarine - Das Boot.

So what am I going to do when I have one small cupboard in an RV designated for mugs? Hmmm - certainly they are not candidates for the garage sale. See, there are some people who say - when they open a mug - "oh boy!" That's ok - the last thing some people need is another mug in their cupboard. But me? No, unfortunately I am one of those people who LOVES getting a new mug. This is not good (just ask Ron). SO, until I absolutely must make a decision, I will continue to groan every time I unload the mugs from the dishwasher because it always means that I will be playing a game of musical mugs in the cabinet. Trying to fit them all in - stacking them just so. (Secretly, I really don't mind - in fact I love hearing Ron doing the groaning when he unloads the dishwasher:). Can you identify with any of this at all?

Well, that's it for tonight. As I look at the tag on the teabag steeping in the mug Laurie bought for me at our neighbor's garage sale when she was 5, the memory of her proudly bringing it home to me warms my heart so much more than the warmth of the tea that is in it. She went over there with about 50 cents and came back with a mug and a bowl with a flower on it..and a couple little trinkets. With her unselfish little heart, she joyfully presented the mug and the bowl to me.

Man oh man - I am hopeless, aren't I?

God's blessings to you my friends and may God bless our troops.

Sue

Life's little disappointments.

It's been a busy week since I last posted. Tons of stuff going on at work, you know...programs that you count on to work at the busiest time of the year suddenly have glitches in them...things like that. The announcement was finally made today that the office manager job has been filled. Obviously, the title of this post tells the story - it wasn't me. I was very close to being what the civil service system calls "reachable" but could not be interviewed.

It's ok - the man who got the job will need all the support he can get. It's not an easy job.

So, as I sit here tonight, I realize that it really IS ok. I am a short timer - in less than two years I will be retired and each day I get more excited about that prospect. Not that I don't enjoy my job - I LOVE my job. But now that Ron and I are making our plans for after my retirement, I am thinking about it a lot. At work, I am thinking about how I can leave the job better than I found it. The programs I use each day will no doubt change - maybe even before I leave. And life's little disappointments can become opportunities to make things better. To give suggestions - not complain about what doesn't work, but help to fix it. Know what I mean? When I leave, I'd like to be remembered in a positive way - and I'd like to be missed not just for the job I did, but for who I was while I did it.

Laurie, Stephen and Kasey will be here in just a couple of weeks. We are getting the house all spruced up for their visit and we are planning special outings and special evenings here at home.It will be 2 weeks of bliss for us all - well, maybe not for Stephen since he has to spend 11 days with his in laws. We get along great, though, so I think it will all go well. We had planned on renting a house in the mountains upstate - but the financial end of it didn't quite work out - another disappointment but oh well.

Life isn't about winning the lottery or sleeping til noon; or dining out every night. It's not always a picture perfect house with a white picket fence.

Life is what it is, and there are plenty of blessings and opportunities to enjoy it's goodness. And most importantly to share that goodness. To pray for others, and let them know that you care.

The last few days have been devastating for our troops in the sand. Dear Lord, please guide our President and our military leaders to do the right thing. Many military families are receiving terrible news today.

As we think about all of that, may we be more inclined to realize just what is important in life.

Sue

Friends are the family we meet along the way.

In August of 2002, a great many military moms and dads descended on our area for the first anniversary party of our online support group. Some good friends - cyber friends of course - whom I had never met in person but had been chatting with for months came in from Illinois

for the celebration and they stayed here at the house. We had a great time - but I wasn't very savvy on trying to get us to the places we needed to go. There were detours - real and accidental. But we finally got to our anniversary party and had a wonderful time. At the restaurant, there was a display of patriotic arts and crafts which were for sale. Kimmy, a military mom from Illinois and one of the moms (Linda was the other) staying with me for the weekend and had been in the car as I pleasantly and very efficiently took the most aggravating detours. First I missed the exit from the airport because we were laughing and talking. I don't think they will ever let me forget that. After that it just went downhill and it culminated in getting lost on the way to Niagara Falls. One other lady who had come from Arizona was very unhappy with me. But getting back to the patriotic crafts, Kim bought a placque for me - with a pretty painting of a country scene...a quiet treelined road. And the placque said:

"Friends are the family we meet along the way." Kim added "even on the detours." It was precious - still is. I still think of you and Linda often.

What made me post about this tonight is that today I was cleaning off my kitchen desk - my "nook" as Ron calls it. It has two shelves above it where I put my treasured nick nacks...the little white lamb Laurie painted in Sunday School for me when she was four..it has a heart shaped piece of paper with some yarn strung through it and is around the lamb's neck. On the heart is written...."with love to my mommy from Jesus' little lamb." The heart shaped magnets the kids gave to me - you know - all those little things that need a special place. And on the top shelf, right next to the lamb, is my plaque from Kimmy.

Yes, friends ARE the family we meet along the way - oh my goodness what would I do without the friends God has blessed me with?

I want you to know that I treasure you all. Life does have many detours - but God always brings us back to where I should be. And all along the way...there you are, blessing my life.

I hope that when my kids are my age, they will have this blessing as well.

Thank you Lord.

God bless our troops and those who love them.

Just a PS to add - I remember also, meeting Cathy who showed us how to do the happy dance. I think she is the original happy dancer. Thanks, Cathy.

Fiddler's Green.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, my friend Wendy's son, Jay, lost his best friend and comrade in Iraq on Memorial Day. His nickname was Tuc - the first initial of his first, middle and last names. Wendy's son was the honor guard for this soldier for the long trip back from the sand - and to be at Tuc's family's side during the viewing and funeral service which was yesterday. Wendy drove to be there to help her son through this time and to honor this young soldier, husband, father, son, friend. There are 6 of us in a tightly knit group of military moms,
three now veteran's moms, the rest of us moms of soldiers still serving. And so Wendy traveled to not only be there for her son, and to pay her respects, but to be there for those of us who couldn't be there. Last night, Wendy wrote the five of us an email, letting us know how sad it was, and yet how proud she was to be there. She described - from beginning to end - the goodbye given to this young man. There is a poem titled Fiddler's Green - Calvary soldiers are required to learn it before they receive their spurs and their stetson. A soldier from Tuc and Jay's rear detachment began to recite it - but couldn't complete it because he was crying. Jay stood up and took the soldier's place - reciting the poem from memory. I am so proud of Jay - and I haven't even met him.
But I know and love his mom - and know that he grew up knowing who God is, to respect others, and eventually, to love and honor the brotherhood and sisterhood of the US military.
I know that most everyone reading this blog has a deep respect for the military - and how costly this war has been. But you see, it's not just about the war, or the political mess that it has created across our nation - indeed, the world.
It's about the people fighting it - the ones who have been there, and those who will yet be deployed. You have to know and love a soldier to truly understand the sacrifice they make. And to understand the fear in a loved one's heart even though you say you trust God.
For those who continue walking in the shoes which Tuc once walked in, we pray for you so much more often than you know. And we thank God for you.
Blessings.

Over tired?

This weekend has been extraordinarily busy. We celebrated Veronica's birthday today - she will be 3 on Monday. Scott and Tina, Luke and Veronica came over today as well as Tina's sister Denise. Chicken on the grill, hot dogs, homemade tuna macaroni salad, cheesy broccoli/rice casserole. We also had our Summerfest going on at church - and although I couldn't be there to help today, there were things I could do to contribute. Baked a couple of apple pies Friday night (and some apple strudel for Ron to keep peace in the house), and then on Saturday morning I went over to church to help peel and slice the 150 lbs. of potatoes for the german potato salad. Then of course there was all the running around for presents and decorations for our mini party today; and a trip to Home Depot to get rugs for Scott's old room - we're getting it ready for Laurie and Stephen. It's a nice shade of "toasted marshmallow" and I just need to finish up the decorating touches - curtains, put the quilt on the bed, finish getting the rest of Scott's old paraphenalia out of the closet. I took an extra day off this weekend so tomorrow I'll finish Laurie's room and start to get serious about preparations for our garage sale we are having in a couple of weeks.

Anyway, I was sitting here at my computer trying to stay awake until 9 o'clock, decided to do a couple of things online, and went to bed because I was exhausted.

Ever have one of those nights when you can barely keep your eyes open and then you go to bed only to find out that you can't sleep? You lie there in the dark, staring at the ceiling that is somewhere above you and then the "think machine" starts.

So here I am - back at the computer. Thanks to the half hour I spent trying to get to sleep, I now have a ton of things on my mind. Work, the kids, the war, all the things that need to be done around here, money - or the lack therof. You know the drill.

How could I have been so tired, and yet be so wide awake? Maybe if I could stop thinking about it, I could get to sleep.

Happy Birthday Veronica - three years old and such a big girl you are getting to be.

Three years ago at this time I was trying to sleep in a cold, air conditioned hospital room with Scott and Tina. Tina slept like a baby as she waited for her induced labor to kick in. Scott had his own worries on his mind - his wife and their baby girl waiting to be born. And me? We won't go there tonight - I have enough on my mind without thinking of what was on my mind in that hospital room three years ago. (everything went well in spite of my worry).

Guess I better just leave everything in God's hands tonight and try to get some sleep.

God bless our troops and those who love them.

Bear one another's burdens.

Words from God's Word in Galatians -

"bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the laws of Christ."

We used to have a caregiver's ministry at our church - we visited shutins, or prepared meals for families experiencing illness or loss. It was easy - back then, not a lot of women worked outside the home - or if they did, somehow their schedule always allowed peeling an extra potato or two and putting it in the pot...extending the potroast dinner for 3 to a potroast for 5 or 6. Chopping a little extra lettuce and adding another tomato and getting that spare bottle of salad dressing out of the pantry. Not a really hard thing to do at all - in fact, caring for others is one of the easiest things in the world to do. If they let you. Sometimes people (we) bottle everything up - let it stay inside instead of letting others see that they (we) are hurting or are needing help and encouragement.

What makes them (us) do that? Is it pride? Fear of "letting someone in?"

Sometimes the most difficult step we take in a crisis situation is asking someone for prayers or for help. But for those of us who have taken that step, the relief is immense because it means we are not standing by ourselves - there are others with us at the foot of the cross and God is hearing their prayers too. Sometimes the only thing we can do is pray...and wait for His answers. When my cousin Tina was ill, many of us flocked to an online care page set up by her family - for updates, encouraging news, and to be thankful for the prayers of others for this same wonderful lady we all loved. His answer for us was not the answer we prayed for - but it was one which brought Tina eternal peace and rest in Christ.

Encouragement and friendship - hope for the fellowship of believers.

Sometimes I don't know what to say to someone who is ill, or grieving, or lonely; worried or afraid, angry or upset. It sometimes feels so inadequate to say "I'll keep you in my prayers - as if my feeble prayers are going to change the situation. On the contrary, what will change things are not my prayers but His answers.

My heart prompts me more and more these days to pray for our military. Not just because of my own two dear soldiers - but, Dear God, for all of our armed forces. For their fears to be calmed so that their minds will be on the mission and not on the unknown waiting for them; so that their faith and courage would constantly be with them so that their resolve may be stronger than that of the enemy.

Dear Lord, help us to encourage one another in all circumstances - but also help us to be willing to share the burdens you've asked us to bear. It lets our faith be strengthened as we stand together at the foot of your cross.

On a clear day, you can see forever..

Ok, I am showing my age, but if any of you remember Robert Goulet, then you remember him singing that song. It's one of my all time favorites.

How I wish that I had more clear days - some days are a blur from start to finish. Up early, off to work, busy busy busy, then the commute home. Some days, Veronica and Luke come over while Tina works for a little while during the dinner hour; or other evenings a meeting at church will round out my day. Then it's bed time and I wonder where the time has gone and if the next day will bring the same busy-ness. Robert Goulet had a wonderful idea there when he belted out his song. The words were beautiful and the concept was great - but, standing on the stage, he could see a lot further than we can.

Recently, one of the soldiers I love - the son of one of my friends - lost his best friend and comrade in Iraq. Their unit only had about three months more on their deployment - they've been there nearly a year already. And so, they were beginning to look past the war and starting to see home, their families, safety. But that clear day they could almost see, ended tragically.

We don't know what God has in store for any of us. We begin each day thinking that it's another adventure - another time of living and learning and feeling blessed. But each day, I pray that instead of seeing the busy-ness and the routine, God will help me to see (clearly) the blessing in all that is going on around me. And that I will help others see it as well. The joy of waking up on a late spring morning and feeling the early morning sun on my face as I walk from my car to the office And thankfulness that He has healed my knee so quickly and completely that I can enjoy that walk-that having to walk a little bit is a blessing and not a burden. I also appreciate the busyness of a work day because that means He has provided me with a good paying job PLUS friends to spend my workday with. And always, to be able to come home to a husband whom I love more than he could possibly know - and that this love is mutual. My family and friends - seeing His love for me is at work constantly through them.

Clear days are a wonderful thing - but forever is a long time. I know that God has given me forever in His Son Jesus, but each single day is good enough to look forward to - because I know that His path for us is perfect. Not always smooth, but it's perfect.

What does God hold in store for me? For you? For those you love?

A simple abundance called life. I pray that this day holds many good things for you.

Blessings my friends,

Sue