Look at My Garden Now!

Following my tradition from last summer of taking pictures of my garden from my upstairs window, I decided to take one this morning: Yes, believe it or not, we got about 4-5" of snow yesterday! This is the first "real" snow we have had here in several years, so it's pretty exciting!

It's a little crusty on top this morning, so my dog Dasha, who weighs 15 pounds, had a really hard time walking in it. She would take a careful step, and it would hold her up for a couple of seconds; then SPLAT -- she would fall down into it. Made for a rough time pottying this morning.

But all in all, it's kind of fun. I'm considering us to be "snowed in," though I'm sure we could get somewhere if we really needed to.

I posted a question on Facebook yesterday: if you were snowed in, assuming all your basic needs were met, what would be the one thing you wouldn't want to be without? I got lots of creative answers, some of which I am listing here, in the order that I would find them important:

Spouse/family
Pets
A good book
Junk food
Puzzle book
Facebook
Blankets
Chili
Hot chocolate
Sled
Movies
Beer/Wine

We never get snowed in for more than a day or two here in Nashville, so I guess we'll enjoy it while we can. Thankfully, I'm well equipped with the first few items on the list above, so I'm in good shape. Now maybe I can go out and build a snowman.

Birthday Girl

Happy 12th birthday to my sweet dog, Dasha. Since she came into my life, she has truly been to me the meaning of her name -- a gift of God.

Chicken Cheddar Chowder

This is a favorite of Don’s and mine. I got it from Cooking Light magazine a number of years ago. A 1½-cup serving is only 6 points on Weight Watchers and is very filling.

2 bacon slices
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4-½ cups fat-free chicken broth
1-¾ cups diced peeled red potato
2-¼ cups frozen whole kernel corn
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Cook bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble. Set aside. Add the chicken, onion, bell pepper and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potato and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Add corn and stir well.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes, or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and black pepper. Top with the crumbled bacon.

Prayer for Haiti

Well, I haven't blogged in nearly a week now, and I had a silly little one in mind to do this morning, but then I got on Facebook and went to a page about the Haiti search and rescue efforts. Apparently the rescuers in Haiti are posting updates, and those whose family and friends are still missing there are posting pictures and other details about their loved ones, just in case they are found. Others are just praying for and trying to encourage both of these groups of people.

I heard on the news a couple of days ago that the rescue efforts had stopped, but on Facebook I heard that yesterday some rescue dogs identified the same spot twice, bringing hope that there might still be someone alive in there.

So all that is to say that I didn't feel right posting a silly blog after reading these things. To think about this country, already devastated by poverty, having to go through such a traumatic thing, makes me want to fall to my knees and cry out to God to help them.

I don't know why God allowed this to happen. If it was for the sake of punishment, why hasn't such a thing happened here? Are we any better, really, in God's eyes?

I encourage you to pray for Haiti: for the rescuers, for those missing loved ones, and that God will use all this for the ultimate good of this economically and spiritually impoverished country. And pray for our country as well, that God will have mercy on us and not allow something so tragic to happen here. I'll be praying too.

For the People

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address)

Yesterday was a big day. The people of Massachusetts elected a Republican senator to replace the recently deceased Ted Kennedy. This was significant for a number of reasons. One is that Massachusetts is possibly the most liberal state in the union. Since 1973, every person they have sent to Congress have been Democrats. It was significant because special elections usually have a low turnout, and this one huge, in spite of bad weather. It wasn't just a small victory either: he won by a 52-47% majority.

But the biggest reason it was significant is that it will break the Democratic party's 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate, posing a big problem for Obama's healthcare plan and other bills he is currently trying to push through Congress.

The people have spoken. They don't like his agenda, which is really more socialist than liberal. And if this ultra-liberal state (the only state which gets to speak in the form of an election right now) doesn't like it, that makes it pretty clear how the majority of the country feels.

Still, in the news today I read that Obama and Congress are plotting ways they can shove the healthcare plan through anyway.

Is this a government "of the people, by the people and for the people"? It doesn't sound like it to me at all. It sounds like our leaders want power. They want their own agenda, not that of the people they represent.

I only hope they will reconsider. I have written my congressmen multiple times to make my voice heard (incidentally I am proud that both of our Senators from Tennessee voted against the healthcare plan, though my Represenative voted for it). I pray that God will remove or change the heart of any our leaders who are in their positions for the wrong reasons. And I pray that He will have mercy on us all.

For Such a Time as This

". . . And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

In my journey through the Bible, I am currently reading the book of Esther. Interestingly, Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions the name of God, but in reading it, one can see His hand throughout the book.

Esther, an orphaned Jew, suddenly finds herself in the position of queen in Persia. A plot is made to kill all the Jews, and Esther must take a stand to save her people, knowing that she could be killed in the process.

One of my favorite verses is the one above, ". . . And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
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This brings up a question that has been argued throughout history: did God plan every aspect of our lives before the beginning of time? Did He place Esther in her position just so she could save her people? I believe He did, and I believe He has a plan for our lives too.
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Do you ever get discouraged or mad when things don't go as you planned them? Do you ever stop and think that maybe God has a greater plan to put you where He needs you, or to keep you from a place of danger? Sometimes it's hard to think in these terms when we want things the way we want them, but I believe in my heart that it is true. At times we can look back and see exactly what God was doing, and at other times we may never understand in this lifetime.
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My challenge to you is to try to see things from this perspective. Remind yourself that God has a plan, and you have a part in it. It may not always be exactly the same as your plan, but it is actually far better!
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This Wayne Watson song is one of my favorites:

Incidentally, Esther, the lowly orphan, was able to save her people. Jews now celebrate Purim to remind them of this event. Our role in God's plan may not go down in history the way Esther's did, but He still uses us. He has us where we are "for such a time as this."

Poor Nash

My dog Nash is having a hard time.

Yesterday, he tripped over Dasha while trying to jump up on a bench and fell smack on the floor, against the bench. Then he walked across the room and peed all over the place, looking at me helplessly all the while. Later yesterday I noticed his urine had blood in it, so I took him in to the vet. The vet said it was probably just a bruise to his bladder that he got when he fell, but put him on an antibiotic, since it could possibly be a bladder infection.

This morning he was laying on the bed, and I noticed he was trying to get up and was having trouble. A similar thing happened a couple of weeks ago, but he was sort of in an awkward spot and finally did get up then, so we just kind of laughed it off. This time I tried to help him, and he still couldn't get up. I picked him up and tried to stand him on the floor, and he fell down. He kept trying to stand and walk. He would take a few clumsy steps and fall down or run into something.

I was panicked. I called a friend who lives down the street and asked her to come over, which she did right away. By the time she got there, he was doing better, but I wanted to take him to the vet anyway. My vet is closed on Fridays, so she called hers. She went with me to take him in. He didn't have any more of these episodes. After examining him thoroughly, the vet said she didn't think it was a neurological problem (I had thought it was a seizure), but rather that he had deformed kneecaps. She thought probably his kneecap had locked into place so he couldn't bend it, which is why he couldn't get up or walk. Still, she said to watch him, if it happens again, and make sure he isn't disoriented and that he is breathing okay.

He has given us a lot to worry about and cost us quite a bit of money in the past couple of days, but hopefully none of these things is too serious. Nash is our "boy," and I think we both realized anew what a big part of our lives he is when all this happened. We are thankful for him (and Dasha), and hope they both have many years of good health ahead of them.

Guarding My Tongue

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." Proverbs 21:23

Harry Reid's comment wasn't nice. And it came back to haunt him. Will he be forced to resign? Probably not. Liberals rarely are.

But I have to say this. Yes, I believe his comment was wrong, and no, I really don't agree with much of anything he says or does, but in some ways, I feel sorry for him.

If the press stood waiting for me to make a slip of the tongue, I would be in trouble in no time flat. Big trouble. I am glad this doesn't happen, but that doesn't mean I don't often hurt those around me with the rude and insensitive remarks I sometimes make.

One thing I want to really work on this year is controlling my tongue. I would love to say I never criticize, insult, judge or belittle others with it, but that just wouldn't be true. I pray though, that with God's help, my tongue can be used for His glory, and not only will I not have to worry about what the press would have to say about me (if they cared), but I won't need to worry what God would say to me, because He does care.

The Funk

They say January is the most depressing month of the year. I can’t completely disagree. The frenzy we all work ourselves into during the Christmas season is past. The weather is cold and dreary. The days are short. We realize how much money we spent and how much weight we gained during the holidays. What were we thinking?

I’m not writing this to depress you, but just to explain that I’m in my annual January funk, and besides that, I have a nasty cold. My brain is dead, and I have really nothing to say.

So I’m going to shut up. Now.

The Big Flurry

A new group was started on Facebook yesterday. At press time, it has 6,460 members and is growing by the hour. Its name: I survived the big Nashville snow flurry of 1/7/10.

People are using this site to post impressive snow pictures, such as snowmen they built: Why is this so funny?

Nashville is apparently pretty desperate for some “real” snow. Earlier in the week there were predictions that we would get up to 6 inches. It was later downgraded to 4 inches “in some areas,” and then to “up to 2 inches,” beginning between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.

Even 2 inches would be the biggest snow we have gotten in recent years. Excitement mounted. Grocery stores were mobbed and completely sold out of milk, bread and other essentials. Crews got out and salted all the roads. Pretty much every single school system and private school in Middle Tennessee had already called off school by Wednesday night before a single flake fell.

We all prepared to wake up to a winter wonderland.

Thursday morning I jumped out of bed and looked out the window . . . at . . . nothing. Brown grass and bare sidewalks. Not even a flake falling from the sky. “Never fear,” said the weather people. “It will arrive around rush hour.” I didn’t know whether to go to my 8:00 meeting or not, but I really couldn’t justify staying home, since it wasn’t even snowing yet, so I went. When I got done at 9:00, nothing. “It’s still coming,” they said. “It will be here around noon!” The predicted accumulation had been reduced to half an inch.

Well, around mid-day we did begin to get a little snow. It stuck, because of the cold temperatures we have been having, but it could hardly be considered more than a dusting. Kids, while happy for the days off (they are out again today), were very disappointed that it wasn’t really enough to play in, though some tried. Thus the snowmen, pictured above. Oh well. I guess we have to take what we get.

Nash's New Year's Resolutions

I have decided to give my dog Nash a spot on my blog so he can share the resolutions that he plans to work on this year. Nash has come a long way in his behavior, but, like the rest of us, there are still a few rough edges that need to be smoothed out, so to provide him with some accountability, I encouraged him to get together a list and publish it here for all to see. Here is what he came up with:

I am going to stop jumping on doors and scratching them. I have not only scratched the paint off several doors in my own house; I also did it at my grandparents’ house in Iowa when my parents left me there for a couple of hours. This was when my mom and dad realized that this was a problem that needed to be corrected.

I am going to stop yanking on my leash. Several months ago I injured my mom’s shoulder (possibly a torn rotator cuff), and it still hasn’t healed. My mom may need to get me a choke collar or something similar to help me work on this problem.

I am going to stop trying to eat my bunny-sister, Heidi. Neither of my parents have really figured out how to help me with this, but they are working on it. I really wouldn’t want to eat Heidi. After all, she is my sister. I know rabbits are prey for dogs in the wild, but I get two square meals a day, so there’s no real need to supplement that. And while we’re on that topic, I am also going to stop yipping obnoxiously when I see her in her cage. My parents are working on a strategy to help me with that too. Nothing has really worked so far, except they have figured out that when they yell at me, I get more excited and yip louder.

I am going to stop eating paper. I like all sorts of paper: shredded phone book pages that I pull out of Heidi’s cage, and also tissues, napkins, and more. But that was the old Nash. That was before I found out that my cousin Lilly, a Bernese Mountain Dog, ate five potholders and had to have surgery. They, well you know, wouldn’t come out. It cost my Uncle David and Aunt Tricia a lot of money. And it couldn’t have been much fun for Lilly either. My mom says that while paper is probably not as bad as potholders, it could have the same effect on me. And that would be bad. So the new Nash is going to stop eating paper. My dog-sister Dasha shares my taste for it, so I’m hoping we can maybe hold each other mutually accountable or something.

This is my year. I really want to get it right. I want to be a good dog. I think I just need a better understanding of what’s expected of me. I’ll try to keep you updated on the progress I make if my mom will let me write on her blog again.

Keep Trying

So, you may have noticed that I haven't posted a blog about new year's resolutions yet.

I'm still working on last year's.

But seriously, I can gratefully say that I have made some progress, particularly on the computer one. I stopped letting my blog be an obsession; it is now just a hobby. Even so, around mid-year I still felt like I hadn't had much victory over the problem as a whole, and as I was praying about it one day, I felt God telling me that I should "fast" from the Internet and e-mail on Sundays. I wasn't sure at the time that I could do it, but so far I have, and it has made a huge impact. I feel like my "addiction" has been broken. Rather than running to the computer every time I have a spare moment, feeling like the world would end if I didn't check my e-mail every few minutes, I feel a whole new freedom about it all. It will wait. Facebook will go on without me. If anyone needs me too urgently, they are likely to call rather than e-mail anyway.

Another of my resolutions was to get healthier and take better care of myself. I don't think I have made too much progress in that area, though we did eat pretty healthy this summer when I had my garden. I got a lot of exercise that way too, but this is an ongoing battle, especially the eating part.

The tongue control one needs some more work too. I want to focus specifically on not being critical or judgmental of others.

I'm so thankful for God's grace! I will never get it completely right in this life, but He forgives and forgives and forgives. He doesn't just give us a new start each year; His mercies are new every morning!

Winter

My husband Don loves winter. He says in heaven, it will be winter year ‘round. I say he must be going to a different heaven than me. But in order to be a good wife, and an optimist, I’ve decided to try to come up with a list of 10 good things about winter. So, here goes:

1) chili
2) flannel sheets (my mother-in-law gave us a set for Christmas, which we love!)
3) fires (if you have a fireplace, which we don’t)
4) getting snowed in (when everyone is safe at home)(doesn’t happen much here)
//(I’m really trying here, folks),
5) hot chocolate (preferably with either marshmallows or a peppermint stick)
6) seeing the days start to get longer once 12/21 is past (see how hard I’m trying?),
7) not having to mow the grass (even though I like to mow the grass)
8) getting to play in the snow with my dogs and go for walks in it (if we have any, which we rarely do)
9) big, bulky sweaters, and
10) knowing spring is just around the corner

Wow, I did it. Well, sort of. I guess. But that doesn't mean I'm not still counting the days 'til spring! There are 75.

Our Visit With Don's Family

As I said before, we had a fun visit with Don's family. He always enjoys hanging out with his brothers, talking about old times, and we had great family time with everyone. We crammed a lot into what was really just two full days -- eating wonderful meals prepared by his mom, opening gifts, playing in the snow, going to the children's museum, lunch out with the "girls" (my sisters-in-law and me), getting to hear a mini-concert by our talented niece and nephews, and more. Here are a few pictures I took while I was there:

His dad, Charlie
His mom, Marcia (with an apron my mom made for her)
Don's brother David, his wife Tricia, and their boys, Daniel and Luke

Dave and Tricia's daughter, Cara

Don's brother Doug

Doug's wife Amy (with Nash)

Doug and Amy's daughter, Annabel

Daniel (age 8) playing his cello

Cara (age 6) playing violin

Luke (age 4) playing viola

Annabel (age 4) making cookies with Marcia

Fun in the Snow

While we didn't enjoy the drive to Iowa in the snow, we did have some fun times playing in it while we were there. Nash, our 3-1/2 year old dog, had never seen more than a dusting of snow, so this was a new experience for him (which he loved!), and Dasha, nearly 12, acted like a pup again! I guess Don and I sort of acted like kids too, sledding and romping with the dogs.

P.S. Happy birthday to my niece, Grace. Thanks for making me an aunt on that cold night nine years ago! ( :

A Wild Ride

It was one of those days. I mean really, ONE OF THOSE DAYS!

It started out uneventful. We were headed to Iowa to see Don’s family for a Christmastime visit. Things went smoothly until shortly after we crossed the Illinois line. Then the snow started. We had already postponed this trip for a day to avoid the snow, but apparently we miscalculated. We drove through snow for several hours in Illinois. We counted about 20 cars and trucks in ditches along the side of the road, some turned over on their side. This didn’t make for a very relaxing trip.

We made a quick stop for gas and lunch. Don tried to use his credit card, and it was denied. Fortunately, he had the cash to cover what he needed, but he was concerned about why it was denied. We hoped it was just a fluke. When we got into Iowa, we had to get gas again. He tried to use his credit card, and it was again denied. He used what little cash he had left to buy enough gas to get us to his parents’, and when he later called to check, found out there had been “suspicious” activity on his card, so they had cancelled it. It turned out someone had stolen his number and made some purchases.

When we got to his parents’ house that night, exhausted and stressed, their driveway was already full of cars, so we had to drive around the block and park on a side street and walk. We had both of our dogs with us and quite a bit of stuff that needed to go in. It was then that I found out that these shoes, while comfortable for a car ride, are not suitable for walking through snow that was above our ankles and at least a foot deep in the banks we had to stand in to unload the car.

Later we left his parents’ house and went to the nearby hotel where we were staying. Don’s parents had graciously offered to pay for our stay there and had made the reservation, securing it with their credit card. Still with both dogs, we also hauled all of our luggage into the lobby before checking in.

There was a problem with his dad’s credit card. They would have to have his signature in order for us to use it for our room. (No one had mentioned this to them when they made the reservation.) Maybe Don had a credit card we could use just for tonight? Uh, no. Well, no problem, they could fax his dad the form and he could sign it and fax it right back. Great, except that his parents don’t have a fax machine. We asked if he could give verbal permission over the phone. No. Could Don sign for him, with permission? No. Could we at least check in for the night and have him come down the next day and sign it? No. His dad would need to come in and sign it before we could check into the room. It was their policy.

His dad is 81 years old, currently can’t drive because of an injury, and usually goes to bed around 9:00 p.m. It was after 10:30 p.m., and the temperature outside was in the teens. There was snow and ice on the roads. We were exhausted, our luggage was strewn all over the lobby, the dogs were impatient, and we certainly didn’t want his dad to have to come down there, so in the end, Don was able to call his credit card company and get them to approve the charge on his own (cancelled) card. It only took us about an hour to get to our room from the time we got there.
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When we were finally there, I was whining to God about what an awful day we had had. He gently reminded me, as only He can, that nothing REALLY bad had happened. Yes, the drive in the snow was stressful, be we had arrived safely. Though we were rightfully upset about someone stealing Don’s card, he won’t have to pay for the charges that he didn’t make. We had enough cash to get there. We were tired, but we would get rested up, and the irritations of the day would pass.
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In the end, I had to be thankful. Thankful that we made it safely, for family, our dogs, and for the ways God took care of us. We did end up having a really good visit with his family, once the wild trip was behind us. The hotel even bent over backwards to make things up to us during the rest of our stay. Apparently, they felt bad for the "inconvenience" they had caused.
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So I must conclude that all is well that ends well, and come to think of it, the whole thing gave me something interesting to blog about!