Old Email from Dad - Aug 2005

Praise God, thanks for the info,Deed.  Now this old loving dad is going to relax and plan for tomorrow.  Thanks for making this weekend something special.  Mom & I barely said a word on way to Keew. today, both of us thinking about this weekend, and how sweet it was.  I showed her the house, then brought the the Buick home.  I worked in cleaning lots of stuff out of my pc shop, put in my dump, then focused on hearing from you.  My day is complete, a beautiful weekend, God is still in charge.  Thank you so much for the effort it took to make this weekend possible, and I'm sure you know how much you are loved.  You bring together some awesome people when you're here. so never forget what power you've been given in God.

 

Relaxed enough now, to think about some supper.  Thanking God for a sweet weekend, and trusting him for for all our futures.

Thanks again Sweety, for being here this weekend, and bringing the happiness to this house that I needed at this time.

 

I love you soooo much, be safe, do what needs doing, then come HOME.

 

.........................Dad

Kitchen & Dining Room Updates

 I removed the wine border & painted the east kitchen & diningroom walls red, to match the west livingroom wall and painted the west kitchen wall tan.  The border was just too busy and it needed a little color.
I also scrubbed the cabinet tops - YUCK! Years of grease & dust.  I topped everything with tinfoil (bc I didn't have wax paper) so next time I can just throw it away and start fresh and not use so much elbow grease,
Now to attack the spare bedroom and I should be ready for my chicks, garden, and outdoor "stuff".

My Joy Joy in the Hospital

Last Friday Felicity had a 101* temp. It pretty much stayed around 99-100 all wkend with Tylenol & Ibu. She'd be happy then sleepy, nothing of great concern. She's cutting 4 molars, so I thought that could be the cause as well. But Monday we called the dr bc her appetite was decreasing, as well as her drinking, & she developed diarrhea. We got in at 1:00. She cried at seeing the dr and this wore her out. Her fever had broke and she had a little rash started on her neck. They took blood to test. By 4:00 they called us back & said her CRP & EDR levels were way too high. So they admired her to the hospital.  They thought it may be roseola (non-life-threatening and goes away on its own) or Kawasaki disease (needs treatment & can be detrimental to the heart).  So we stayed overnight & they monitored her heart & O2.  

They took more blood x2 (that is horrible) & decided that her levels had decreased & it was roseola. Her WBC was on its way back up as well. PTL!  By 6 pm Tuesday we were on out and on our way home. Lots of prayers and cuddles for me sweetie. 

Lent Handout from Church

Happy Valentines Day

It was daddy-daughters day and they still remembered mama while they were out having fun eating at a restaurant & playing games @ the arcade. 

The Procrastinating Perfectionist

I'm a perfectionist. I'm also a procrastinator. Once I read an article about these two characteristics going hand-in-hand: often times one will put off a task since they believe they cannot do it perfectly.  I have done this my whole life; putting off homework until Sunday night, putting off grocery shopping until all my coupons are in order, putting off making a will or switching over my 401k. I've always admired my friends who had their project done weeks before it was due in college. If I were to do that I would fret about whether it was good enough for the whole time I had it done early. 

Fr Mike Schmitz was a priest in Hibbing before David and I started attending. I never have met him face-to-face, but I listen to his weekly podcasts. He is a man wise beyond his years.  He is currently in Duluth & is the college priest at the Newman center. One of his most powerful homilies for me was this one: DO.IT.NOW. 

Fr Mike says you'll be living an extraordinary life if you do it now. Everyone does it later. That's ordinary. Do it now, at home, at work. Do what's necessary, then you'll be able to do what's possible, opening the chance to do the impossible.  Make your bed, make that phone call, mail that letter, the little things add up. It doesn't need perfection. We put things off why? Because we can. 

DO.IT.NOW. 

It's something to reach for and challenge myself. 

Ash Wednesday - And Lent 2016 Begins

Today is the 1st day of Lent.  I have learned through the years that what we choose to give up and/or take on is a very private matter.  At times I have been in groups where we took turns sharing what we were giving up, and other conversations where the person dodged the question.  Like I said, I let others share if they want, but I don't probe...anymore.

Father Chuck gave everyone a nail to keep with them.  We are to write down our Lent Intentions as a family on a piece of paper with a nail on it and hang them up around the church.  Whenever we are tempted to fall back into old habits, we are to reach into our pockets and hold onto the nail as a reminder what we are preparing our hearts for in the coming days.

I was asked a few weeks ago why Catholics give up anything, and why is it many times something trivial like salt, chocolate, snacking, swearing, social media, tv, etc.  I quickly prayed about it and asked God to put the correct words in my mouth.  "Many times we give something up that we use everyday, something we may be addicted to, so that it is a sacrifice.  Or, like swearing, giving something up that you feel separates you from God.  The reason?  So that every time we want or crave this sacrifice that we have given up we remind ourselves that we cannot be controlled by worldly things.  God is bigger and He is in control.  Also it reminds us to grab the nail in our pocket and thank Christ for what he has done/is about to do as we re-live Easter."  WOW...I couldn't have thought of that on my own.

Sure I could give up that Hawaiian vacation this year...that's big, but I wasn't going to go on one anyhow.  That's not a sacrifice.  Years ago our old priest said he gave up salt as he is guilty, like me, of pouring it on everything before even tasting the food.  Every time he wanted it, he'd pray.  God says to pray unceasingly.  What better way than praying every time you are given a reminder of some kind?  And, as a side note, he did try to cheat and go to McD's to order french fries to get his salt kick...and it just so happen that they didn't salt them! haha  Don't try to out smart God. ;)