Careangel

Wonderful Wednesdays

2009-10-07T21:27:00.002-05:00

Every week I look forward to Wednesday nights. That is the night I put aside to have dinner with my niece and nephew. They are sophmores in college and very much appreciate getting off campus. We have some great chats during out dinner time. I don't know what I would do without those kids. I love them to pieces.

I'm back--again

2009-10-05T19:08:00.001-05:00

I know I have said this before but....I'm back to the blogging world. Hopefully I can keep up with it better this time. Lots has happened since my last post. I sold my house the beginning of August, rented a town home in Woodbury, and moved the end of August. I have been living here now for about 5 weeks and love it more and more every day. It is really nice not to have a yard to mow, gardens to tend to, and a 90 mile/day commute. I hope to now have more time to do other things. I am looking for ideas so if you have any, send them my way. Go Vikes!!

The Fam

2009-06-22T22:19:00.002-05:00

Even though there are only 7 people in my immediate family, we don't have too many opportunities when we are all together and can get a picture taken. This weekend was one of those times. Here is my family!

St. Joseph Update

2009-06-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

Last week I was given a St. Joseph statue from a co-worker of mine. I thought it was very sweet of her to care enough about me selling my house to do that. I debated for a couple days whether or not I should bury it. On Saturday, I decided "What the heck" and buried it in the garden next to the house. No results yet--and I am not holding my breath. Thanks Sheila for being so thoughtful!

Feathery frenzy

2009-06-14T17:41:00.003-05:00

Outside of my kitchen window there is a birdbath clamped to the deck rail. On it hangs a "dripper" that drips fresh water constantly. Sunday must be the official bath of the birds. I caught one bath on video and thought I would share it with you.

Sign of old age?

2009-06-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

Why is it on the days I could sleep in I can't? I remember asking my Dad why he always got up so early on Saturdays since he had to get up so early on the weekdays. His response was always "That's the way it is when you get old". I guess this is just another sign that I am getting old.

Choir of frogs

2009-06-12T21:39:00.003-05:00

I cannot have my windows open at night. The choir of frogs is SO loud that I can't get to sleep. How does something so small make so much noise? Just another one of God's wonders!

Prayers for my Sister

2009-06-11T21:04:00.007-05:00

I have one sibling, a sister, and she is my best friend. So often I think about her and marvel at the person she is. She is 2 years younger than me but she has experienced more physical pain in her young life than I ever care to experience. She suffers from degenerative joint disease and arthritis in her back. On top of that, her pelvis is out of alignment by 1 inch. She is not able to do most of the things she wants to do either because it hurts too bad or her mind isn't clear enough because of all of the pain medications she has to take to even move some. The thing that amazes me most is her faith. She often says, even though she is suffering a lot, that she knows God has a plan for her and she is experiencing this for a reason. Sometimes she shares that she wonders how long she has to wait for that plan to be revealed but she is never angry or bitter.

If you feel moved to do so, please pray for her that she would find at least minimal relief--even for a short time. Thanks!

Fitting in

2009-06-10T20:15:00.004-05:00

I am finding it challenging to be a 45 year old, single, childless women and trying to figure out where I fit in. Even though I love living in the country, it doesn't give me many opportunites to meet people. All of my neighbors have young kids and just seem to keep to themselves. I am looking for ways to fit in more. Any ideas?

Tranquil Water

2009-06-09T21:59:00.003-05:00

What is it about water that makes it so tranquil? It doesn't seem to matter where I am or what type of body of water I am by, I just relax. It can be a lapping waves at a beach on Maui, a small running creek, the "dripper" that hangs on my bird bath. It doesn't matter. Tonight I went on a dinner cruise with some work friends on the St. Croix. Yep--it was tranquil and relaxing. If only I could listen to water every night after work. Any other water lovers out there?

St. Joseph

2009-06-08T18:56:00.002-05:00

My house has been on the market since September. I don't have to move but would love for it to sell so I could downsize and not have so much to care for. Some of my co-workers are encouraging me to bury a St. Joseph statue in my yard. Doing this is supposed to help the house selling go faster. I am SO not Catholic. However--when Gerrell was trying to see his house in Hudson back in 2001, he did this and his house sold the next day. My question---is it wrong for me to try this?

Memories of the past

2009-06-07T18:57:00.006-05:00

This weekend I spent the majority of the time going through things in the home office. Many of these things were in Gerrell's side of the desk--papers, computer CD's, etc. Yes...I should have done this a long time ago but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew it would stir up memories--both painful and happy. On one of the discs, I found a set of pictures from our wedding that a friend of ours took. Our wedding day was such a happy day. I married my soul mate and the man whom I truly believe was a gift from God. Here is a picture that I think truly shows how happy we were. I miss you Sweetheart.

Get with the program

2008-11-11T21:20:00.001-06:00

I put in a long day at work today. When I got to my car and saw that the windshield was covered with ice, I realized I didn't have an ice scraper in the car yet. Time to get with the program. It is November and winter weather is here. First thing I did when I got home is put a scraper in the car. Sometimes I am just slow.

I need to let go

2008-11-09T20:56:00.002-06:00

I have feelings of resentment toward someone in my life. I know these are not feelings that God approves of. I know I need to let these feelings go but I am really struggling to do that. The hard part of this for me is I haven't shared the feelings with the person. If I did, it would only cause them pain. I think they can sense these feelings I have for them and that doesn't feel too good. Have you ever had feelings of resentment against someone? If so, were you able to let them go? If so, how?

A word of advice

2008-11-07T21:42:00.000-06:00

So many times Gerrell told me I should back up the files on my hard drive. A few years ago he bought me an external hard drive to hold all of my pictures, iTunes music. He encouraged me to copy everything to discs in case anything happened to the hard drive. Well, that was something I kept putting off and putting off and never got accomplished. Now it looks like the hard drive is shot and I have lost my pictures and my music. Why don't I listen when good advice is given?

Season of dread

2008-11-06T19:21:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I went to say goodbye to my Grandma who is dying. This is the 3rd year in a row I have had to say goodbye to someone this time of year.
November 5th 2008--said goodbye to Grandma
November 4th 2007--said goodbye to Gerrell's uncle Harold
November 9th 2006---said goodbye to Gerrell

I think I am going to dread Novembers arrival for years to come. It has just been a really sad time of the year.

Real reason for blogging

2008-11-02T21:32:00.002-06:00

I think one of the reasons I haven't really gotten into blog writing is because I didn't think anyone read my blog anyway. Tonight someone told me they are still checking my blog so I guess at least one person does. After that, I began to think about the real reason to write a blog. Maybe it shouldn't be just for others to read but instead be a way for me to write my thoughts, feelings, etc--my own personal therapy. I think that is how I will look at if from now on. And maybe I will do it more often.

I'm back

2008-09-08T20:49:00.001-05:00

Wow--it has been almost 4 months since my last blog. Where did that time go? The summer went by fast but I must say I love fall and am not sad to see the summer end. I have so much to write about and hopefully I will be able to make this a regular practice. Thanks to my fellow bloggers for keeping me entertained through the summer!

Sibling Love

2008-05-18T21:39:00.003-05:00

Growing up, my sister and I didn't get along very well. We would have frequent fights as most young siblings do. It wasn't until I went off to college that we became closer. I think she actually missed me! Now she is my best friend. I have been telling my niece and nephew that they too would one day actually love each other. I think that day is getting closer. This picture was taken at their senior prom. I think the smiles tell it all!

Sometimes it's hard to be a women

2008-05-12T19:33:00.002-05:00

I must admit that most of the time I am able to fend for myself pretty well. However, the past couple of days I have been put to the test. On Saturday as I was leaving to do some errands, the low tire pressure light came on in the car. I abruptly turned around as I didn't want to be stalled on the highway. As I leaned down to check the tire when I got home, I could hear the air slowly leaking out. Now, I am sure I could change a tire if I had to. I have just chosen not to and instead purchased a AAA membership. I had to call them on Sunday to put the spare on for me. The situation was not yet resolved. I still had to get the tire fixed.

If that wasn't enough, my small garage door would not close using the opener. Could the fact that I hit the sensor with the grill as I was putting it away have anything to do with it? I tried everything I knew how to try and fix it. No such luck. I decided I could live with lifting that door open manually. I just stuck a screwdriver in the little hole so the door could not be lifted by anyone outside. Pretty smart thinking if I do say so myself.

I decided to go into work late today and go and get my tire fixed. I don't like the thought of driving around without a spare. Well--as I was leaving the big garage door wouldn't open. IS THIS A JOKE? WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME?? I actually said out loud "I miss you so much Honey in times like this. You would have taken care of all of this". I couldn't help it. It is times like this I hate being a woman living alone. Well, I took out the Yellow Pages and found a garage door repair place. In the end, God was looking out for me as 2 very nice guys came to my rescue. The spring on the garage door had broken. So....$169 later I was able to get out. (As a bonus--they fixed the small garage door too!)

Oh, by the way--I got the tire fixed today too.

Aldi

2008-05-08T20:46:00.002-05:00

I have read on other blogs about Aldi. I figured out through what was written that Aldi is a grocery store. Now I have seen a couple of commercials for the store. Can someone tell me about Aldi?

Advice needed

2008-05-01T22:04:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about an experience I had in church of hearing a voice. The voice told me not to forget about Gerrell's friend Neal. Gerrell was concerned that Neal didn't know Jesus. So...on the advice of one of the pastor's at my church, I wrote Neal a letter. Here is a part of what the letter said:

"So...I am convinced that the voice that spoke to me in church was telling me I needed to move forward with Gerrell's desire. I have to admit I am not very experienced with talking to those who don't know Jesus. All I can do is share what is in my heart. The basis of having a relationship with Jesus is believing that He died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins and in that, I have the hope of salvation. In return for that great gift, we are to live our lives in a way that would be pleasing to God--serving him in every way we can. I believe that all believers will, when we leave this earth, live forever with Jesus in heaven. I truly believe that is where Gerrell is now. Part of his concern for those he loved that didn't know Jesus was that he wasn't going to see those people in heaven."

I ended the letter with this:
"The purpose of this letter was not to try and force you into anything. Instead I wanted you to know Gerrell's desire for you and that I am here to help in whatever way I can. I will continue to pray for you that your heart will be stirred."

I haven't heard anything from Neal. It has been about 2 weeks since I mailed the letter. I am not sure what to do next. Neal is not a close friend of mine--I grew to know him through Gerrell. I am struggling with what to do now. Should I follow up with him? I don't want him to feel like I am pressuring him at all. Should I do nothing? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe the deer aren't so smart

2008-04-30T19:22:00.003-05:00

This morning on my way to work I had a little chuckle. As I was driving by Willow River State Park, a deer ran across the road at high speed. Why the chuckle you might ask? When Gerrell and I would be driving around Wisconsin and see deer, the deer would always stop before getting to the road--just like they were checking to see if a car was coming before they crossed. Gerrell always said the deer in Wisconsin were so smart because they did that. Well, looks like at least one of them missed that lesson at deer school.

What next?

2008-04-23T20:34:00.004-05:00

I just read an article in the Star Tribune. I'm not sure why I read things like this but the headline intrigued me. The article talks about a British study that was done that shows what a women eats prior to getting pregnant can help determine the sex of her baby. What? I don't know about you but I don't believe that for a second. Why can't they put the money that goes into a study like this to help find a cure for cancer or some other horrible disease? I just don't get it.

Spring is here!

2008-04-21T21:46:00.002-05:00

I finally think spring is here. Some true signs---
1. The plants are starting to sprout through the ground.
2. Convertibles driving with the top down.
3. I actually went for a walk in shorts and a tee shirt
4. I heard thunder tonight
I am always reminded of the wonder of God when spring comes. It is a miracle how everything appears dead and almost overnight the world comes to life. I love that!

Insane?

2008-04-17T22:03:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if I have lost my mind. Today I left work early and drove 100 miles to attend my nephew's track meet. He runs the 100 meter dash and the 4x100 relay. The 100 is over in less than 12 seconds and the relay in under a minute. I then had dinner with my family and drove the 150 miles home. I have blogged about my niece and nephew before and how they are just like my own kids. I would do anything for them--even drive lots of miles using plenty of gas when gas went up to $3.39/gallon. Am I insane?

The Voice

2008-04-13T08:44:00.003-05:00

Before last weekend, I had never had the experience of hearing "a voice". I know it happens to people and totally believe it can happen. I was in church on Saturday night and heard a great message about needing to share the gospel with all who don't know about Jesus. As I was sitting there preparing my heart for communion, I heard a voice. Now I'm not sure if it was the voice of God or the voice of Gerrell but it was real--as if someone was sitting right next to me. The voice said "don't forget about Neal". Neal was Gerrell's best friend and before he died, he had shared his concern that Neal didn't know Jesus. I believe the baton has officially been passed on to me. I need to make sure Neal hears the gospel. I don't have a lot of experience sharing the gospel with those who don't know. I am praying that God gives me the words to say. I have now heard a voice--and I must say it was a moving experience.

A great experience

2008-04-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

Last month I had the privilege of traveling to Maui for a vacation. Now this truly was a vacation---not a trip. I have decided there is a distinct difference. When you go on a trip, you do a lot of sight-seeing, traveling around , etc and often come home more tired then when you left. In contrast, a vacation is a time of rest, relaxation, and coming home truly rejuvenated. I decided a few months ago that I needed a time of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. My body, mind, and spirit were feeling the affects of all I had been through the past couple of years and I finally listened to what my body was telling me. I know I won't be able to make this trip too often but am so glad I did this time. Maui is a place of true beauty where God' splendor shines through. Here is just a piece of the experience...

It's been a while

2008-04-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

I am not someone who gets inspired very easily--especially when it comes to writing a blog. However, I have decided to give it another try. I think part of my problem was I compared my silly writings to those of the other blogs I read. I must say some of you are have the true gift of putting your thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc down in print. Here goes another try....

Forgotten holiday

2007-11-20T20:53:00.000-06:00

It makes me sad how Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday for a lot of people. For so many it is just a day to eat lots, lay around, and prepare to shop on Friday. I am already tired of seeing the Christmas "stuff" around in the stores. Some places have had Christmas displays since before Halloween. I remember as a kid there was no signs of Christmas until after Thanksgiving was over. Thanksgiving was a true holiday with a distinct purpose. I plan on really looking back at the last year and giving thanks to God for all of the blessings he has given me. There are so many! To me that is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Last of the firsts

2007-11-08T06:17:00.001-06:00

I apologize to everyone who reads this blog and may be sick of reading about the death of my husband. Sometimes writing my feelings down is very therapeutic and I use this avenue to do that. So...please bear with me.

Tomorrow (Friday November 9th) marks the one year anniversary of Gerrell going to be with Jesus. I really can't believe it has been a year. I didn't know how I would feel about this anniversary and honestly have been dreading this day all year. But...once again God has intervened and blessed me with a very peaceful feeling. Over the past few weeks, I have re-lived Gerrell's last weeks of life over and over and have realized again how merciful God was in this situation. He saw how much Gerrell was suffering and decided there was a much better place for him. I am so thankful for that. Yes...I miss Gerrell very, very much but I wouldn't have wanted him to go on the way he was any longer.

It is so comforting to know Gerrell is in heaven watching over me. My own personal angel! I can't wait to get to heaven to be reunited with him. I have so much to tell him.

It was a great season

2007-10-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today I am lamenting the end of an era. It may not be a well known era to most people but to my family it is. Yesterday afternoon, my nephew Levi played the last football game of his high school career. And what a year it was! Before this year, he didn't get to play much because he was always overshadowed by those a grade or two above him. He worked very hard all summer lifting weights and conditioning. The team ended the season with a 6-4 record which is much better than anyone expected.

Now let's talk about Levi's season as an individual. He played in all 10 games. He ran for a total of 1900 yards and broke the school record for total yards in a season (the old record was 1608) and total yards rushing in a game. He ran for 293 yards against St. Cloud Cathedral (the old record was 257). Yesterday he tied the record for number of touchdowns in a season with 21. He had 3 games where he ran for over 200 yards. He was named West Central North Conference Performer of the Week, KSAX TV Athlete of the Week (that got him a TV interview!), and Hardware Hank "Nuts and Bolts" Athlete of the Week for the week of October 9th.

Congratulations Levi on a great season! I am so proud of you---not only for the great season but more importantly for the wonderful young man you are.

Following your dreams

2007-10-27T21:53:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I attended the Women of Faith conference. The preconference was done by Sheila Walsh and Dr. Henry Cloud. They talked about following your dreams and it was really eye opening for me. I realized something that was pertinent in my life in the past and may be pertinent now. It has to do with marriage. Dr. Cloud shared a story of a women he had counseled in the past. She was about 40 years old and her dream was to get married. He asked her what she had done to work towards her dream and her response was she hadn't done anything because in her mind, if God wanted her to be married, he would bring someone into her life to marry. His question to her was "Do you think God is going to drop that man on your door step?". He helped her figure out what she needed to do to find that special someone and she is now married and is a dating counselor.

I kind of had the same viewpoint as the woman in this story when in my 20's and early 30's. I always dreamed of being married but figured if that was in God's plan for me, he would make it happen. Well, it didn't happen until I started looking. When I looked, he pointed out who he had in mind for me. I found that special someone when I was 35 and was married when I was 38.

I am facing that same thing now. I am a widow at 43 and I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life alone. I don't think that is what Gerrell would want for me. I didn't really mind being single in my 20's and 30's but now that I know how great marriage and having a soul mate can be, I really miss having that constant companion. What do I do? Sometimes when I think about it, I have these feelings of guilt that I am even thinking about it. Searching for someone doesn't exactly excite me. Having someone dropped on my doorstep would be a lot easier. :o) Any advice would be appreciated!

Yet another anniversary

2007-10-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today marks yet another anniversary. It was one year ago today my Mom and I drove Gerrell to Mayo for the last time. He had gotten so weak and frail and I didn't know what else to do. He resisted going but I explained I thought it was the best thing for us to do. I never expected I would return home 2 1/2 weeks later without him. I have a feeling he knew what was in store for him and that is why he resisted. Maybe I should have just kept him at home and he wouldn't have had to endure all he went through in the quest to make him better. Like they say--hindsight is 20/20. We didn't know they that he had cancer and that is real reason he was so sick. I miss him so much and I dread having to endure the next anniversary--the anniversary of the day he died. I love you Sweetie.

Proud Aunt

2007-10-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

My nephew Levi is having an outstanding football season. He is a high school senior and is a running back. In 5 games, he has 935 yards rushing. How cool is that? In game 2 of the season, he had 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in one game. I am so proud of him for his accomplishments--but I am even more proud of him because of the person he is. He is so humble about his accomplishments and doesn't really even like to talk about it. So...I do plenty of talking about it to everyone I know. He now has many fans that don't even know him and have never seen him play. Every night I thank God for the great young man he is--and I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity to be his aunt!

A substitute for motherhood

2007-09-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

I have often wondered why motherhood was not in God's plan for me. I, like most women, always thought I would someday be a wife and mother. I waited a long time to be a wife but I now know why I had to be patient about that. I have been blessed, however, with a wonderful substitute for motherhood---that is being the aunt of 2 wonderful kids. My only niece and nephew are twins and they equate to having 2 kids of my own. I have been very involved in their lives since they were born 17 1/2 years ago and that is such a blessing to me. They are so special to me and I love them like they were my own. Thank you God for Levi and Lindsey and the wonderful opportunity to be part of their lives.

Time

2007-09-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

It always amazes me how time just seems to go on. It doesn't matter what else is going on. The days, hours, minutes, seconds don't slow down for anything. I have been thinking a lot about the past year. Thursday 9/6 is Gerrell's birthday. He would have been 46. September 15 is our anniversary. It would have been our 6th had he still been here. Two more "firsts" to endure and I don't really like it. I guess it is a good thing that time keeps going. These two days will pass and I'm sure I will be just fine. Just reminds me how much I miss him.

Rain

2007-08-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

I am reminded today of how something can be looked as being both good and bad. So much of Minnesota/Western Wisconsin has been crying for rain for much of the summer. Over the past couple of days the rain has come down nice and slow at my house and is nourishing God's earth in the perfect way. That same thing--rain--is causing much destruction and pain in southeastern Minnesota/southwestern Wisconsin tonight. So many people displaced from their homes, have lost loved ones to the floods, etc. I pray God will show them peace and love tonight.

Lack of inspiration

2007-08-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

Many times over the past few weeks I have opened up my blog to create a new post. For some reason I haven't been able to come up with anything that I would call interesting to write about. I marvel at those who find a topic to write about every day. How can I find inspiration? Maybe I just need a more exciting life.

Pretty Woman

2007-07-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have loved the movie "Pretty Woman" since it came out in 1990. I have seen it multiple times and love it more each time I see it. Once again I got sucked into watching it tonight. I think I love it so much because I hoped that same scenario would play out for me as I went through my 20's and 30's--that I would find someone who loved me for the person I was and didn't try and make me into someone I was not. I didn't date much until I met Gerrell in 1999. I was 37 when we met. I think my "standards" were too high as I progressed through my 30's. I had pretty much thought I was destined to be single the rest of my life. But then "my Prince" came along and I was swept away. I fell in love with him because he loved me for who I was. I miss my Prince so much. His love and companionship was the best gift I have ever been given.

God's plan

2007-07-15T21:26:00.001-05:00

I have spent a lot to time looking back at my life. It is very clear to me that God definitely had a plan for me and that plan was fulfilled. Now...I only wish I knew what he had planned for me now. This weekend I have felt for the first time since Gerrell died that this house it way too big for me and the yard is too much to care for. I guess I will just keep praying that God will reveal to me what is next. In the meantime, I will try and practice patience--something I am not always good at.

Time flies

2007-07-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has been over a week since my last blog. Time sure flies. I find it hard sometimes to balance activities to keep my busy with quiet time at home. I wonder if all of the activities are just an excuse to not have to be home so much in the silence of being alone. I have always loved spending time at home but home is where are all the memories live also. Sometimes I sit at home and the tears flow freely for no apparent reason. I guess that is all part of the healing process. Maybe it would be good for me to spend more time in the silence.

Another hurdle overcome

2007-06-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

Since my husband died in November, I have constantly encountered hurdles that I have had to overcome. This week I overcame yet another. When he was alive and I had to travel for my job, the phone calls that happened while I was gone were numerous. He asked that I call him when I was on my way to the airport, when I got to the airport, when I got through security, when I was on the plane, when the plane landed at my destination, when I got to the hotel---I think you get the idea. On Tuesday I took my first trip since he died and there was a huge aspect of my travel missing. I didn't have him to call. It was a very lonely feeling knowing there wasn't anyone at home who was worrying about me. The comforting thing is I know he was watching over me from heaven. Thanks for being my angel Honey.

Struggling with unworthiness

2007-06-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Life really is a puzzle that is many times difficult to figure out. I am so thankful for my relationship with Jesus and the promise of salvation I have. Why don't I show that thankfulness more? I get so mad at myself sometimes. The least I could do is take some time out of each day to talk to Him and read His word. Why can't I make that happen? I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I can't even to that which makes me ask how in the world I deserve all He has given me. Because I am still adapting to life widowed person, I think I have put so much energy into keeping myself busy with other things which includes not spending much time at home. I really need to rethink that and do better at doing the things that truly count. That will be my prayer tonight.

Can it continue?

2007-06-12T06:07:00.000-05:00

I have always been very cognizant of the need to try and be as healthy as I can. I was doing pretty good with this up until the time my husband got sick in March 2006. It has just been so hard to get in the routine again of getting my butt out of bed at 5:00am since he passed away. Well--I am happy to report I just returned from a morning walk for the second day in a row. The world really is a beautiful place at 5:00am! Hopefully I can continue this practice on a daily basis. My overall health is counting on it!

A shopper I am not

2007-06-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

I know some people who consider shopping a sport and wonder why it hasn't been added as a formal Olympic event. I have never been a fan of shopping. In fact, most of my shopping is done via the Internet whenever possible. I even get my groceries via the web thanks to Simon Delivers now delivering to my area. I often wonder what is wrong with me. I am of the female gender and hate to shop. Next weekend we are celebrating my brother-in-law's birthday so I decided this afternoon I better try and find a gift for him. That meant I had to actually venture out to a store. Yikes! Luckily he had given me some suggestions. I got so lucky today. Not only did I find some great shirts for him but a store employee walking around the store gave me 25% of coupons. A bargain! Maybe this shopping thing isn't so bad after all!

All God's Creatures

2007-06-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

I know that God made all creatures for a reason. Most of the time I love watching those creatures venture around the earth like they don't have a care in the world. Lately, however, I have not been so fond of the deer that reside in my development. I love to garden and watch the things I plant flourish and grow. However--things cannot flourish and grow when the deer chew off all of the new growth!!! OK--maybe that will help me feel better. I got a big bottle this great stuff (OK--it is not so great smelling but it works) from my Mom called Deer Pharm. It kept the deer away as long as I used it but now the bottle is gone and the deer have done their thing again. Lucky for me, I found a website to order more the stuff since I can't find it in any store. The deer won't be so lucky any more after the stuff comes!

Age is just a number---right?

2007-06-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Most of the time I don't think a lot about age. I have often just thought of it as a number as I didn't feel like I was getting any older. That opinion has come into question more often lately---particularly Friday morning of last week. I was invited to play on a sand volleyball team in Hudson on Thursday nights and last Thursday was our first night. I played volleyball on a regular basis up until 8 years ago. Who would think it would feel so different now? As I rolled out of bed on Friday morning with my sore muscles, I was quickly reminded exactly how old I have gotten. I am hoping the pain lessens as the weeks go by. :o)

Memories

2007-06-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

I am totally new to this blogging thing. However I must admit this brings back memories of an online experience from the past. Back in May 1999, after completing graduate school, I decided to try an online dating site. Of note--this is not something I would normally do. I was encouraged to do so by a fellow graduate student who was afraid I was not going to know what to do with all of my time since I wouldn't have to study any more. As part of the set-up, I was asked to choose a "code" name for the site. I struggled with what to choose as a name when suddenly I remembered something one of the patients I cared for that day in the hospital said to me. He called me his "Careangel" because of the care I provided for him that day. Because I couldn't think of anything else, I decided to go with that. Little did I know what that name would mean for my future.

Someone else decided to try the online dating site around the same time. This wasn't something he had ever done before either but something told him to give it a try. While searching the site, he came upon the ad written by "Careangel". He didn't know what that name signified but he was curious. That "someone" was my husband Gerrell---who passed away in November of last year. Because using an online service like that was out of character for both of us, we were convinced from the beginning that God brought us together. Why else would we both decide to try this at the same time? God knew Gerrell was going to need a "Careangel". God works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?