Update on K, My geisha pups

My sister-in-law, K, is still putting up a fight. Her white blood cell count has risen to 3x what it was a few days ago. The doctors are guardedly optimistic about that. But she has developed another type of infection on top of the septicemia she's battling. For those of you who have been praying - please continue. I don't know what the next few days will bring. I pray constantly for God's grace to my brother and K. His timing is perfect, and I know He will do only what's best for them.



On a lighter topic, here's how I found my dogs last night. They looked like the yin and yang. As soon as I grabbed my camera, they jumped up, but did allow me to reposition them. After a few snaps, I got on to other things. Later when I looked at the pitures, I was amazed at, without my direction, besides putting them facing each other, they mirrored each other. It was really strange. Take a look...



















































































The last is my favorite. They look graceful, like coy geishas.

Trusting in the Lord

My sister-in-law, K, is fighting for her life right now. She has been battling cancer for three years, and the last round of chemo really did a number on her immune system. She's in the ICU. She has a blood infection, and has had a transfusion, followed by many red blood cell transfusions. But she is not improving. This morning my brother called to tell me her liver and kidneys were failing. I spent the day at the hospital with him, as a support, but also, to get a chance to see K in case she doesn't get through this crisis. She's able to look at us, but is in and out of sleep, as she's on pain medication. My heart breaks to see her this way. She's only 37.

All we can do is trust in the Lord, that He has K and my brother in His hands, and that He is in total control of this situation. The truth is, we have to trust Him just to hold the earth in its right place in the solar system. A tiny bit closer to the sun, and we'd burn up; a tiny bit the other way, and we'd freeze. Our very breath, our ability to live and move independently, are amazing miracles we take for granted every day. I know that He can heal K, but I also know it may be time for her to go home, to be with Him. It's just so hard. I would love to see her released from her fatigued, pain-racked body, but selfishly I will miss her, and I don't want to see my brother go through this pain, losing the cherished wife of his youth.

Still, I trust that God knows best. That He is extemely involved in this situation, as He was when he first formed K's body in her mother's womb. I am able to rest in that.

Will I lose the wisdom I've gained?

My dentist said I have to have all four of my wisdom teeth out. I just went to the consultation yesterday. I'll be using the same oral surgeon that my kids have. It's strange to go through the same procedure that you've nursed your kids through. At least I know the ropes.

I go in a couple weeks. I'm a little nervous. They'll knock me out. I requested that.

Noah's Nautical room

Here are some pictures of our latest project. Josh and I came up with a nautical theme because Noah really likes pirates. He views his carpet as the ocean, for his pirate ships to sail upon. Josh came up with a compass idea for the ceiling, with all points correct. (N really points north.) It's based on a Portugese compass flower.

Here he is working on it:

Fortunately, we happened to take a trip to Cape May right after the room was painted, so we were able to collect all kinds of nautical items. Our favorite was the 5' whale. (The kids weren't so happy about this, as they had to carry it across their laps the whole way home.)

After veiwing the room, my friend, Pam, commented, "Noah - naughtical - isn't that interesting?" Josh and I hadn't even thought about it til then.

Sunday Dinner at Nanny and Papaw's

'Most every Sunday we pick up Chinese and head over to Nanny and Papaw's (David's parents) house. Sometimes we get sick of Chinese and opt for fried chicken from the grocery store.

After we (usually) eat too much dinner, we somehow find a way to stuff in some tasty treat Nanny has made for dessert.

Coming from a broken family, I enjoy this tradition very much. I grew up with this myself, going to my Grandma's house, and it's quietly comforting. Being part of the Sunday dinner tradition as an adult is different than it was as a child. I help to set the table, or make side dishes if we're having chicken. I help clear the table after, and after dessert, do dishes. As a child, I ran around and played after dinner while my mom and grandmother sat and had coffee and rolls, and my two big sisters did all the dishes by hand.

I found it interesting to watch how the whole transfer from dinner to dessert was done. Because of my family situation growing up, I missed some of Housewife 101. I had some fine tuning to be done. At first, I thought I was supposed to clean up all the dinner dishes, and then set out dessert, as this was what I thought was "right." But my mother-in-law would say, after we cleared the dinner plates and serving dishes, "Just leave those dishes for later - let's have some dessert!" So I have learned to pause between the two courses, and enjoy dessert with others.

After dessert, Nanny and I get the dishes done. While we're doing this, the menfolk scatter: David and Josh to TVs, Papaw out to the open garage to smoke his pipe, and Ben and Noah off to some activity, usually outside. Soon, a few of us are around the little kitchen table playing Candyland, knock rummy, Sorry, or Battleship.

If it's nice out, someone usually rallies a group to play crochet. Papaw is very good at this. I'm not too bad myself. By the time someone's a "stinger," we all know the game will end in 5 minutes or less, and it'll be time to head in for a second round of dessert and coffee or Cokes.

By late afternoon, Noah is falling asleep on a Lazy Boy while watching a kiddie movie. Papaw might have slipped into his bed for a cat nap as well. David is fully involved in a history or military show. And Nanny is heading out the door for choir practice before the evening service. Within half an hour, I'm rounding up the gang to head out, knowing that someone has homework waiting.

We go home, and after getting Noah's homework, cello, and bath out of the way, I try to catch Cold Case. And then I crash...

Cheese, Gromit!

David, Ben, Noah and I went to the Farmer's Market this morning. As always, certain foods had to be gotten: bacon-wrapped chicken livers for David, soft pretzels for all of us, hot sausage, and feta cheese, for anyone interested - mostly David!

Going to market is always fun. Noah likes to watch the Amish girls twist the soft pretzels. The girls and I like to poke about in the odd little shops. David likes to watch people.

This morning, as we were buying David's feta, I happened to spot Wensleydale cheese! This the the famed cheese of the Wallace and Gromit shorts . I had to have some. This Wensleydale was flavored with cranberries. I had some alone though, just to see what is was like. I found it to be soft, lightly sweet, and somewhat grainy. I liked it very much. The cranberries were perfect in it.

















I have heard that the little cheesemaker in England who made this cheese was going out of business when the Wallace and Gromit animations became popular. As Wallace was always talking about Wensleydale cheese, a demand grew for it, and the company is now doing well. I believe they even put a Wallace and Gromit sticker on the cheese wheels now. I found the story on Wikipedia:

"In the 1990s, sales had fallen so low that production was at risk of being suspended.[6] However, the popular Wallace and Gromit animated shorts A Grand Day Out and A Close Shave had the main character Wallace mention Wensleydale as a particularly favourite cheese. Animator Nick Park chose it solely because it had a good name that would be interesting to animate, unaware of the company's financial difficulties.[7] The company contacted Aardman Animations about a licence for a special brand of "Wallace and Gromit Wensleydale", which proved to be an enormous success.[8] When the 2005 full-length Wallace and Gromit movie, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, was released, sales of Wensleydale cheeses jumped by 23%.[9] [10]"

Here's my cheese, ready to be devoured!
















And here's David doing an impression of Wallace, "Cheese, Gromit! Cheese!"

I'm on youtube!

I have posted three videos on youtube! My theme for now is Cosmo and Maisy, and their antics. So if you type in "Cosmo and Maisy," you'll see them. I'm Cookietyme. (I guess by now you know my favorite food and beverage - coffee and cookies!)