Yea for FaceBook

I know there are the naysayers that think that Face Book is a bad thing and I guess like anything it can be!  However, I really enjoy it since it has put me back in touch with many friends from the past both near and far.  I have reconnected with several people from my hometown, Lamesa, TX, out in the Panhandle of the Lone Star State.  One in particular is Susan Speck Fenner.  Our grandfathers actually were in the grocery business together for a short while in Lamesa and our dads went to school together there.  Susan and her family moved from there but came back when we were in elementary school but move away again after our eighth grade year.  Off and on we have crossed paths, she went to Austin High School with Curtis, but was a year behind him.  We went to UT and she and I were married within a week of each other.  However, after UT we lost contact for many years.  Face Book has been the vehicle to re-establish our friendship.  So my hat is off to the electronic age and its many wonders.  I kind of feel sorry for those folks who don't want or cannot learn to be techno savvy.  

It is with a very heavy heart that we learned that our friend, Gene, passed away on Tuesday night in Scottsdale, AZ.  Our prayers are certainly with his wife, Sara, and children, Jonathan and Jennifer.

Perhaps he's got it

Ok so maybe we are becoming the trained ones, but Zeke seems to be catching on a bit more to the housebreaking idea.  He does now take care of business when he is taken out, plus when he has peed in the RV he has actually gotten on the pad!!  Hate to say much about it because he will surely make a liar out of me.  But oh, well.  For now we're enjoying success.

We got notice last night that our friend in Phoenix, Gene, has taken a turn for the worse.  He had a stroke over a month ago and has been in rehab in Scottsdale.  However, he kept passing out so the doctors determined that his gall bladder was the culprit and did laproscopic (sp?) surgery on him Sunday morning.  It was determined last night that there are now blood clots in his lungs which traveled up from his legs.  Because the reason for the stroke was a bleed in his brain, he is already on high doses of blood thinner and cannot be given more.  His children were flying in last night from their homes in CA.  We are all praying for a miracle for him.  He is about the same age we are so this is a very sobering thing to us.  

After much ado, I remembered the masking tape to bind the canvas edges for the needlepoint Christmas stocking I am making for the new grandbaby.  It is teddy bears and I think it will be a nice addition to the ones I made for Connor and McKenzie and will certainly work for both girl or boy.  I hope to have it done very quickly and not lollygag along as I did with the other two.  But I am afraid "procrastination" is my middle name!!!!

A Call To Prayer

It is a new year, a new president and all the old problems.  This is a call to prayer for our nation.  No matter what side of the political fence you sit, this country is in deep trouble, morally and economically.  I would encourage everyone to hit their knees and pray in earnest for our leadership both governmental and corporate.  Pray that they each would seek out the face of our Creator and Savior, ask for forgiveness and ask for His guidance in their lives.  That would be my prayer for each of us also.  This country's peoples need to turn back to the basics of faith and that faith should be and must be in Jesus Christ.  Please make it a priority to pray for the US and our leaders and ourselves.

Super Bowl Bound

After 20+ years in Arizona, the Arizona Cardinals are Super Bowl bound.  Shock and amazement! Kurt Warner not only is an outstanding quarterback in the literal sense, he is more importantly a quarterback for the Lord.  Last night after playing in a nail biting second half of the winning game, he first and foremost gave thanks for God's provision of salvation through Jesus Christ.  This is in total opposition to the little bratty tantrum of Anquan Boldin who after just winning the NFC title with the Cardinals stormed into the locker room to "gritch" and moan about the selfsame team!  Unbelievably bad behavior and certainly not role model quality.  Even though I know as I'm sure Kurt Warner knows, the Lord does not care a whit about who wins a football game, it is so wonderful and encouraging to hear His Name lifted up in praise and thanksgiving over the airwaves that carry all over His world!   Boldin needs desperately to come face to face with Jesus and explain to Him why he feels the need to belittle the abundance that has been given him by professional sports!  Anyway, go Cardinals!!! Beat Pittsburgh!!!

Ins and Outs of Puppy Owners

This week has been one of the more eventful weeks in the life of Zeke, the mini dachshund pup.  He got his third puppy shot,  was able to begin his leash training, and was bitten by something the vet seems to believe was a scorpion.  After calling in to the vet about the swollen left side of his muzzle, we took him in for a vet visit.  She gave him a shot of Benadryl, prescribed children's Benadryl for him later that night and this morning then sent us on our way.  He is now back to normal after being kind of loopy for the past 24 hours.  He loves going outside but still needs to figure out his purpose and priority of the walk.... it is not just for sightseeing!  

Curtis and I have been hired to work at the Surprise, AZ spring training facility in the concession area.  We have to go to a training session for food handlers and get our permits to work with foods as AZ requires on Feb. 5.  The job starts on Feb. 25th and lasts for about 6 weeks.  The Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals use the stadium for their training and there are games every day for the entire time.   We don't have our schedules for working yet but I don't think it will be for every game.  Should be fun doing it so we are looking forward to giving it a go.  Our motor home will be parked in the area, too, so we don't have a long commute to and from the stadium.  

Growing Up

Our little puppy, Zeke, successfully graduated to his leash yesterday after his third puppy shot.  He can't quite get the hang of it yet, but that will come in time and with some patience on our part.  I have to admit my patience wore a bit thin yesterday, however.  The one thing that our previous dachshund did that drove me crazy was whine and cry when in the presence of other dogs or children, if he was not allowed to freely get to them.  Anytime we went to the vet's office or if we were walking outside with him while in San Francisco and dogs or children appeared, he would put up such a fuss it was embarrassing.  Well, it seems that Zeke has decided this is something he should also do!!!  By the time we got home yesterday, I had a raging headache from listening to him whine and my patience was taxed to the limit.  I really want to teach him that this is not acceptable so I hope I can withstand the effort.  He is doing well though for such a young pup.  He weighed in at 4.8 lb which is 13 oz over this last checkup.  He was a real trooper when it came to getting his shot as not so much as a whimper was made.  His personality is beginning to shine through also, a bit of stubbornness and strong will but really a cuddler, too.  I think he will grow into a delightful addition to our home and lifestyle.  

Monday's drill

Seems as though we have gotten into the habit of doing laundry on Monday.  For years I have resisted that chore on Monday choosing some other day like Wednesday or Thursday for the mundane.  Somehow we are stuck on Monday and it is really hard to break the mold since living in a motor home limits the amount of accessible necessities (ie. undies, etc.) to fewer than if living in a house or apartment.  Don't know why I am telling you all this....:)  Anyway, you will notice a picture of Zeke and me that Curtis took yesterday afternoon.  He has developed a need to lie on the sofa up against my back and look out the window behind us.  Sometimes he will fall asleep and become like dead weight on my shoulders.  Tomorrow he gets his 3rd puppy shot and hopefully we can start the leash training outside!   

Lazy Sunday

Today after church we came home right after the first service as they had a business meeting for the congregation during the second hour.  So there was no adult Sunday School class.  We have  had a very lazy afternoon just hanging at the motor home.  Curtis and Zeke took a nap after we had a short web cam with Connor and McKenzie and Chris.  Acacia was taking a nap herself  while we chatted.  This week is filling with appointments.  Zeke has a vet appointment Tuesday for his third puppy shot and hopefully we can start taking him out for walks on the ground as he will be more protected against parvovirus.  Then on Wednesday I have a dental cleaning in the morning.  I sure hope there is no cavity detected.  The weather here is still nice but boy do the nights cool down.  It has been in the 20's every morning for the past couple of weeks.  There was lots of frost on the car and over the ground today.  The days have been in the 50's so it is perfect to me.  

Thursday in AZ

Today is another very nice day in AZ.  On days like today I wonder what I didn't like about the desert.  But then reality sets in and I remember that beginning in a few short weeks the temps will begin to hover in the upper 80's shooting into the 90's all too rapidly and then will slide right in to the 100's.  Ugh, I hate the heat that is so oppressive that it takes your breath away anytime you step outside.  And though it is a dry heat, anytime it reaches 104 and stays there for days and days and days it is just too hot!  Right now though it is really nice with the temps in the 50's and 60's here in the Verde Valley during the day and the nights downright cold in the 20's and 30's.  Our water line has frozen a couple of nights now so Curtis has to unhook it from the water faucet overnight to keep it from causing a hole in the hose.  Just another quirk of living long term in an RV!  We have applied to work concessions in Surprise, AZ at a spring training stadium for baseball.  Pray that we will get it or another stadium so we can add to our meager coffers.   

Grandparenting

I had a great relationship with all my grandparents even Mamaw with whom I lived my senior year in high school.  She had no daughters so she really didn't know what to think of me and my independent spirit.  She put some undue restrictions on me even though my parents had given her guidelines.  Nevertheless, we still had a great relationship and she was even a part of my children's lives until they were in high school and junior high.  Now that we are to be welcoming another grandchild into our family I want to make a very deliberate try to be the same loving and accepting grandparent that mine all were.  Accepting each child with his or her personality and strong points and weaknesses.  I have certainly tried to be that with the two we have now but will certainly strive to be even a better grandmother for each one.  I love being a Mamaw myself!!!

The New Year

We returned from Gilbert, AZ last night where we attended our nephew's wedding reception on Saturday.  It was good to be able to visit with lots of people at the reception and then at church on Sunday.  Melanie and Keenan had a good weekend seeing friends as well as meeting more relatives.  Curtis was able to visit with Gene Beekman who is in the rehab hospital after having a stroke a couple of weeks ago and I visited with his wife, Sara.  But of course, it is always good to get back to our motor home.  Poor little Zeke had to stay in his crate a lot while we were in Gilbert as Curtis' brother, David doesn't allow dogs in his home.  He has allergies to them apparently.  Once again life settles down to the mundane----laundry, grocery shopping and running errands.                           

Trip to Gilbert

Tomorrow morning at 9am we will hit I 17 for the drive south into the Valley of the Sun.  We are taking Curtis' parents down to Gilbert, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix to attend the AZ wedding reception of their 2nd oldest grandson, Davis and his Wisconsin bride, Katie.  Melanie and her boyfriend, Keenan, flew in yesterday from Denver so they could attend, too.  It will be held at Curtis' middle brother's home in Gilbert and should be a nice affair.  We will stay down there Saturday night and go to our old church in Phoenix on Sunday morning.  I will be interested to see if we even know anyone there anymore since AZ is such a transit state.  I probably won't blog anymore for a couple of days.  So talk at you later.

A New Year

I can't believe that it is now 2009!  Seems like just yesterday that it was the beginning of 2008.   So much has happened during the past year.  Our country as taken a hit with its economy yet has seen much change in the political arenas.  The historical significance attached to the upcoming inauguration of our first black president will be monumental in the days to come.  How and when the war in Iraq will end and the turning of events in the Gaza are certainly things that are not only newsworthy but very possibly life changing events for the world.  More and more as a nation, a people, a family and an individual we must turn to the Creator for the stability we need in this changing time.  If we keep our eyes on the Lord and trust Him in all things that may happen in the coming days we will have the power to keep the course and weather any storm He might allow around us.  I pray for each of us that we will "turn our eyes upon Jesus and look fully in His Wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace."  Happy New Year!