It’s the last night of camp and I finally felt well enough to wait for the sunset. I had seen glimpses of it all week. All of them were spectacular. This time I was willing to wait it out with my camera.
It took awhile and I’m not very patient but eventually it went down and touched Lake Erie.
While I was waiting for it to get lower I took this shot through the gliders at camp. I love this one! The theme of Camp Pioneer is a Warm Place in the Son, the photo captures that I think.
photos from local photographers
Last night I was busy preparing dinner, something I don’t do much of any more and Ed came in and said, “It doesn’t look good out there. I’m thinking we should get in the closet.”
“Now? But I’m making dinner, I have to get the asparagus in the microwave in case the power goes off.”
“I think it can wait. We should get the cat and get in the closet.” Ed looks for the cat and I continue cutting the asparagus into tiny angles.
Hail starts pounding the side of the house. The lights flicker. I really should get in the closet. I cut faster.
“Found the cat, he’s already in the closet.” Ed paces from window to window. “It’s sheets of rain. We should get in the closet.”
I pop the bag of asparagus into the microwave and turn it on. “I’m ready.” I look out the kitchen window. “It looks really bad out there we should get in the closet!”
“So I’ve said.” Hubby waits for me and we climb in the tiny spot under the stairs, next to the water heater and cat litter box.
The microwave dings just as the storm quiets. “Well, not sure if we needed to get in that closet, Ed.”
The phone rings, it’s my mom, then his mom, then our son. Everyone is okay. Then we watched the news. I think we should build a safer, bigger closet. Next time, dinner can wait.
Today I am rejoicing! Josh called last night and he has a JOB! A real life work for a long time job. A job that will pay the student loans and pays doctor bills!
Wait, does that mean I’m no longer needed as a parent?
Or
Maybe now I get to be the fun parent? No longer will I have to say close the door behind you, turn off the lights and no, we can’t have pizza again tonight for dinner. We had it last night.
Woo hoo! This is going to be fun!
He did it! The boy made it through Concordia Chicago in four years! I am so proud of him!
Brianna, his fiance graduated magma cum laud and made Con
cordia Scholar!
Easter was fantastic. It goes without saying that John 3:16 became true on that day so long ago. I love Easter sunrise services, the music at my church is contemporary and I sing with love–not so much with voice.
The day was even better when I was able to get my family to assemble for a quick family photo. Josh and Bri are on the top left of the stairs, Andy and Sanita on the right of the stairs, Sara and Ben are on my left, then me and Hubs-Ed. hmmm, just noticed Ben and Sara are color co-ordinated!
The weather here is beginning to be nice so the trees and bushes are showing off, the cherry tree and lilac are in front yard and smell wonderful. The cats are enjoying the weather too.
Cleveland with his usual I’m too good for you pose. Wendell–didn’t want to pose for his photo shoot!
Festivities! That’s the name Josh dubbed our after Christmas/Ed’s Birthday/Andy’s Graduation day. I like it. I’m going to keep it for next year. Since Josh is majoring in business and planning on living in Chicago where his fiance, Brianna is from I don’t imagine he will be home for Christmas often. So Festivities! is the best way to describe the after Christmas holiday!
Here’s a photo of my crew, minus Brianna. She didn’t get to come this time. She’s allergic to cats and with s
tarting student teaching this week it didn’t seem like a good idea to take a chance with her health.
Ben, Sara, Josh and I took a trip to Alton to have lunch with Ed. This job seems to have no ending 
and he worked most of the Christmas vacation laying pavers. It’s amazing what he’s done though. If you want to see more there is a slide show at www.myyardlines.com
I know it’s New Year’s Eve. It is also Ed’s birthday. What is he doing to celebrate the day? Working.
I am so grateful to this man. He does this every day that the weather is good which allows me to stay home and write. He’s an awesome husband. I could not have asked God for better.
Happy Birthday Ed!
It’s the Christmas season. I should be happy, singing carols, loving the gift wrapping and baking tons of cookies. But that wasn’t me this year. I prepared for Christmas with a blanket of sadness. My youngest son isn’t coming home in time for Christmas and that makes me sad. Our house wasn’t decorated. I didn’t feel that we could put up a tree because of Cleveland. He’s a fun cat but has a terrible habit of marking everything, because we have another cat, Wendell. Two male cats in a house is not a good idea even if they are both neutered.
So no tree.
I did get out Christmas cards to some people. I was a bit lax on doing those as well. I decided that if I couldn’t decorate my tree I would at least send my favorite ornament out on my card.
My grandmother gave her grandkids these angels. I still have mine and for me it wasn’t an official Christmas until t
hat angel went on the tree.
I used snapfish and put this on my card. I mailed them out and waited to see if any of my cousins would realize what ornament it was.
Sure enough, Nancy every ready and observant called and and 
asked if this was just a quinky dink that I had found a card with this angel on it. We laughed and had a fun conversation about Grandma and wondered if she had found a set of angels and divivived them out amoung her grandchildren.
Then I found an email from my cousin Patty. She sent me this 
photo.She said she felt like she was 4 years-old again.
Still I was sad. No tree. I didn’t even want to get any of our decorations out. What was the point I moaned and groaned to all of my friends and most of all to my husband. It just won’t be Christmas, no tree, no Josh, no stockings and no presents under the tree. Even Wendell wouldn’t get to enjoy his favorite time of year in the house, he loves to lay under the Christmas tree.
It’s just too sad.
Then this morning I came downstairs.
My wonderful husband had given me the best gift of all. A tree! Not the tree in the box upstairs that we always put up. He had gone through the effort to find a tree small enough to put on the desk where Cleveland couldn’t get to it. (he’s not a jumper!)
He left me a very sweet note, saying it wasn’t much but he hoped it would help me.
It did. I cried. Not sad tears but happy ones. 
Even Wendell is happy now. It was one
of the best Christmas gifts he could have given me.
So today I will sing carols, put ornaments on the tree and even make cookies. It is amazing what one small gift of kindness can accomplish.
This is my amazing son. He will be graduating this year with a B.F.A. It’s taken him awhile because he has worked while attending classes. Sometimes as much as 55 hours a week and then he comes home to paint. I love his work. It doesn’t ‘go’ with my house but I wish it did. This is one of six paintings he did for his art project. I would love to own this one. It’s difficult to see how amazing it is in this photo. It’s a mixed media piece. Not sure what that means other than he used many things to make it. Hey, I’m not an artist I’m a writer! I am really proud of this guy. Does it show?
It’s true! The youngest child is engaged. Josh has found a wonderful wife to be. Brianna is a welcome addition to the family full of males. The tide is turning! Woo hoo! The feminine side is getting stronger! I’m no longer alone! I’ve got Sara on one side and now Bri on the other!
They are planing a 2010 wedding, date yet to be set. Don’t those smiles say it all?
