Siestahood

As one of Beth Moore's Siesta readers (that's "sistah" blog reader, if you are among the uninformed), I spent the afternoon reading through the comments on today's post. There are hundreds of them, but it was no hardship because this is July 1st. Let me explain. On the 1st and 15th of each month this year, we report to Beth, as comments on her blog, the scripture, along with its address and Bible version, we will memorize during that half of the month. At the end of the year we will each have memorized 24 scriptures. It is pure joy to read the roll call, because every comment is from His Word, our daily bread. Here are some of my favorites from July 1, 2009.

Beth's: Say to wisdom "You are my sister" and call understanding your intimate friend. Prov. 7:4 NASB

Awesome! We have a sister and friend in wisdom and understanding.

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way."
Psalm 119:37 (NKJV)

His ways are always worthwhile.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
~Deuteronomy 6:7-8 NIV

Speaking of God's Word, of course.

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5 NIV

I can always use a shield to deflect those fiery darts!

Colossians 2:2 (The Message)
I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery.

I love being part of a tapestry of love!! Love it!

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—-I can't stand the taste of evil!
Proverbs 8:7 (The Message)

No calories in truth, and so very satisfying. Yum!

Isaiah 45:2-3 NAS
I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Now this is a true Superhero!

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king.
Daniel 2:22-23 (NIV)

...a Superhero who also reveals mysteries and things hidden in darkness because He IS the flashlight!

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

My personal verse for this half month.

The End

Today is not only the end of June, but it is the official end of my summer teaching. That is probably a good thing, since I promised my occupational therapist that I would rest my hands. The tendons are so much better after stretching, other therapy, and lots of prayer, but they still need some rest, ice and occasional ibuprofen.

When I rest from teaching violin lessons that means I need to clean the music room, file music, photos, and programs from the previous year. I have old programs dating back to my college years. Some of my college classmates from the music department are quite famous now, but I still have programs where they were listed in the second violin section, or in the alto section of the choir. Now they are soloists and opera divas. The main reason I collect programs is to be able to find titles and composers when I can't quite remember all the key elements of a composition that tickles my brain.

Today it rained one inch. What a blessing! After days of 100 plus degrees and no significant rain for weeks, today's 78 degrees and sloppy puddles had everyone in stores and at the gym in a good mood. Even stretching and breathing hard at Pilates was pleasant with rain falling outside. Even the rain has come to an end today, however.

Last Week

Somehow the lazy days of summer were pushed aside for bustling activity last week. I resumed Pilates training, taught five students, ran countless errands, did my usual classes at the gym, and then began packing. I packed for a night in a hotel with Muffin, the Rowdy Girls and their Mama. I packed for a day at Sea World. I packed for the remainder of the weekend at the Rowdy Girls' home. I packed some of Muffin's things.

I packed books. Lots of books. They were purchased at our local library book sale, where I volunteer each year. Only children's books were purchased this year. You gather all the children's books together, take them to the checkers, and they stack them up and measure the stack. What you pay is ten cents per inch. Best deal in town! Muffin found a volume of Madeleine stories along with several early readers and some picture books. My favorite finds were The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Ruby's Storm, and Maggie the Sheepdog. I love Piggins, a book about a pig who is a butler.

Arriving at the RG's house about 1 p.m. I re-packed for the hotel and left the books at their house. CB, girls and I headed south in her SUV for San Antonio where Muffin had business the next morning. The Musica Man, so titled by the Rowdy Girls, provided entertainment via the DVD player in the back seat for the girls, and my new iphone kept me busy on the way. After unpacking we dressed in swimsuits and spent an hour or so in the hotel pool, which is where we were hanging when Grandpa Mufffin arrived. He's so popular with the three year old set!

Out of the pool just in time for snacky dinner and So You Think You Can Dance. I LOVE that show! Grandpa bought Olive Garden dinner for the three adults and we headed to bed early for the next big day at Sea World. It was a fun day, spent mostly at the water park, but was probably 105. And while CB took trash to the bin and I was watching Roo in the stroller and Em in the pool, Em took a hike out of the pool and out of the area in about 60 seconds and gave us a scare. You can read about that and view the days' events here.

We had so much fun with the twins at their house. They are major entertainment. I could stand a daily dose of them (and of the W's!). While they were napping (or supposed to be napping) Muffin and I had an appointment at the Apple Store and bought a smoothie at Jack in the Box. We read books, played with hats, stacked objects, made tents, and practiced our yoga. On Saturday Aunt Kaki arrived for breakfast with all of us, including lots of coffee--her drink of choice. After naps began Muffin and I loaded our respective cars, plugged our new iphones in and headed northwest. We shopped for groceries and cooked some of them Saturday night. Picked Scooter-Dog up at Nannie's house and visited with her, showing her all the new photos from the weekend.

Sunday we had a Unity Service, one service rather than two, at church. It included lots of singing and worship with a flag dance, the baptism of eight young people, and a pot luck dinner. Afterward we bought fresh produce at a corner stand, came home and had a long nap. ZZZZZzzz

Perfect.

He Who is a Great Father...

is also a great Grandpa.

Praying at the National Mall

Teaching words in the back yard

Stretching the body and mind with Roo

Just cuddling--very important!

Answering questions for Jbear

Protecting and nourishing

Happy Father's Day to the Daddy of our four daughters and the Grandpa of our four grands!

I love you the mostest.

Finished!

Today I officially completed Occupational Therapy for my hands. With progress! There is no pain and my range of motion is improving daily. Now I can spend my time stretching and practicing at home and put more time on the clock working at Pilates. That's the kind of therapy I really need, so I'm going in the morning to private training, followed by Body Flow.

On second thought, I'm not finished after all.

Typical Weekend AEN

Playing for Lunch

That's After Empty Nest...

For twelve years Muffin and I have not exactly lived together. We have the same address, but he has a job 200 miles to the east and keeps an apartment there. He has never called it a home-just an apartment. For the first three years or more he did not have a bed-just an air mattress on the floor. Finally, we both decided I would never be happy spending a night over there in camping conditions, so he bought a mattress set at Sam's Club. And so the living conditions go...

His employer allows him to work flex time so that he completes his work week in four days. A typical weekend for us, when there is nothing else on the calendar, looks like this.

Thursday around 7-8 PM Muffin rolls into the driveway with his ice chest full of groceries from Central Market, including a dinner for two in a brown bag which is our version of eating out that evening. He also brings me fresh flowers from their flower market because he loves me. We put away the groceries, heat the dinner and eat in front of the TV where we talk about his visit with Nana (his Mom) on his way home and then watch recorded TV shows from the week. In the summer, that means So You Think You Can Dance. He reads all his accumulated mail, both USPS and electronic.

Friday we sleep in a bit, drink coffee slowly, visit some more about whatever we missed during the week, and make any outstanding phone calls that need to be returned. At noon we go to the Health Club for a Body Flow class. Afterward we may run errands, grab a bite to eat at Taco Bueno, or just come home for leftovers and salad. However, last week we skipped the usual Friday routine and drove 42 miles northeast to a small town and met four of my students, ages 12-16 and played at a local nursing home. Then we played for a Chamber of Commerce luncheon and knocked their socks off with Mozart, Bach, a tango, and Ashokan Farewell.

Returning home we headed to our favorite bakery to pick up honey wheat bread and a loaf of braided Challah, which was pre-ordered and waiting for us. By that time it was 98 in the shade and the heat index was around 105, so we just dripped home and took a wee nap. We spent the remainder of the evening watering plants, doing laundry, eating dinner, watching some recorded and live shows, programming Nannie's new telephone, and surfing the internet.

Saturday we did a Body Flow class, took the phone to Nannie and gave her some quick lessons on it, stuck around awhile to comfort her in her continuing grief since Dubbie went to his heavenly home, then grabbed a meal at the Bueno. After that we shopped at Sam's and HEB, unpacked all the groceries, talked to some of the daughters, finished the laundry, cooked dinner, made cookies, and generally toodled around the house doing things that had to be done.

Sunday after church we visited with a family who has two adorable and precocious sons adopted from Russia, just because we had time to do so. Then we talked to another daughter for over an hour, read the Sunday paper, watched Formula 1 racing, and took a nap. Sunday nights we cook. The menu is usually a variation on grilled meats and fresh veggies and some salads, which we divide for the week and pack half in the ice chest. Then we clean the floors in the house, put away everything, pack Muffin's car with all the clean laundry and good food, program the coffeemaker for a full pot, go to bed early while Muffin sleeps and I read or listen to podcasts. The next morning he hits the interstate by 7 AM or earlier.

One of these days we would both like to return to the Sunday-Saturday of life together every day and night. The first twenty five years seem like a great luxury now.

One Year

We made it through all the "firsts" of the past year. First Fathers Day without Dubbie. First grandchild born after his death. First birthday for each of us, and his birthday also. First Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first date of Dubbie and Nannie's wedding anniversary, which would have been their 67th. So, today seemed like it would pass without much fanfare. But, it did not. Nannie was weeping when we arrived to bring her the new cell phone. And she was weeping when we left.

Today in a quiet setting I experienced some wonderful moments. I asked the Lord to speak to me, as I often do. And quite suddenly I had a picture of Dubbie holding Jesus' hand, just as he would frequently grab each of us by the hand when we left the house or nursing home, in a grip that resembled an arm wrestling stance. He would playfully wiggle his arm with our hands locked and then give us a hug. But today's picture was different: he was totally, peacefully, engaged in looking right into Jesus' eyes as they gripped hands. And the Lord told me that Dubbie likes it very much where he is now. He likes the arm grip, the walks in the grass, the sounds of nature ringing all around him that he can now hear perfectly. He loves all the music, the views, the people, the praise, the worship. He just loves it all and is totally at peace. And although I can rarely ever remember him being bent out of shape about much of anything in all my life with him, this is a peace that transcends any kind of peace I ever observed in him. Most of all, I saw the Lord take him far away from the gateway where I pictured him in those last two years of his earthly life. He is not looking backward. He is Home.