it was a slice of heaven...

I forgot how much I enjoy being on the water until today when Cherie and Rob invited me to spend the day in Saugatuck...on the water.

It was a slice of heaven.

and Delsie loved it.

She is "pooped" from the days excitement.

delsiemiester

It's been 14 years since I was in the back of my parents blue Pontiac Bonneville staring out the window at the telephone wire that ran parallel to the highway that brought us home from a day of neurological testing at University of Michigan Medical Center.

My heart was so heavy, my eyes dry from the numb feeling that ran from my toes to the top of my head. I didn't want the telephone wire to end. This would mean I had to get out of the car and down a path with what I felt at the time, a journey of hell.

and it was hell. it was awful, my heart so bad. my head so full of questions. my faith consumed with doubt. it hurt to breath. and I was too numb to cry.

14 years later and my parents don't drive a Bonneville anymore. But my path is one toward hope and certainly full of healing. Healing from a heavy heart and a head so confused. My faith is ravaged with God's grace and miracles.

The road has not been easy. there are days that I long for a straight telephone wire to direct my path but to no avail it is often a cloudy sky. I have no bullet points or 1,2,3's that got me here...but one of the many things that has helped me on the way is Delsie.

What a tangible reminder for me of God's unconditional love. She makes me laugh everyday, she keeps me going when I just want to lay there, she makes me feel "normal" in a world where I am not the norm, she is something to hug, she kisses me, she is with me wherever I go, she sheds like there is no tomorrow and she totally hogs the bed.

If you would have told me 14 years ago, that I would get "through" this, I would have laughed in your face with cynicism. But now, I am a believer cuz I look in the face of this dog and I know I will get through this.

"you are my sunshine, my only sunshine"... I love you, D.

another wedding...

...another date with J. I am so thankful for my wedding date-not sure what I would have done at the 50 weddings that I have attended.

This was one of the last Hope Group weddings. Just a matter of time and the 3rd generation kids will be getting married.

I hope J will still be my date.

gotcha!

Yawning. What a strange phenomenon- it so wierd and quite irritating. I think I've yawned twenty times before I got to work. No lie. I don't get it. I am tired but why do I yawn more on some days than others.?! When I got in my car today for lunch break, there was an ad on the radio and the MC was yawning while trying to promote a new pop that prevents yawning. (which made me yawn) I forgot what the ingredient was but at that point I wished I drank pop.

I am even yawning while I write this....22...

need I say more?

the smell of summer

Today during my lunch hour Delsie and I went for a walk around the ring road while I listened to tunes on my new iPod -
Before I continue with this post any further, I must confess I have an extremely strong sniffer.
This is certainly a part of my body that works well. Sometimes it is to my advantage and sometimes this works against me and causes me to active my gag reflex...
This afternoon on our walk, my sniffer worked for me.
It was at this moment when I was overcome by the smell of water and grass. It stopped me in my tracks as I inhaled the delightful smell of summer. Refreshing.
(yes, I dropped Delsie bag of "business" and backed way up)
During the middle of February, when we are snowed in with a Michigan blizzard, I will have to remember this post and rely on my strong sniffer to bring back the smell...until then, I will just breathe in and out. Wishing I could make this photo scratch and sniff...

(as I wrote this, fireworks are going off left and right- dogs are barking and D-dog is snoring...seriously, I think I jumped out of my skin a couple of times!! Happy 4th!)

no secrets.

It's no secret. I love Lowe's. I really enjoy spending my Fridays there. Yep, you read that right- every Friday (it's my day off) I leave the house about 10 AM just in time to order a breakfast burrito from McDonalds and if I feel like splurging, I order a small black coffee. A total of $2.22. I then make my way to my favorite strip mall in Holland. I start at Lowe's and end at Barnes-n-Noble. To some of you, this may sound rather boring or even a bit odd but I enjoy it. I look forward to it- actually.
This Friday morning I had my massage (that sounds snobby but I swear by it-not sure I could move my neck with out it) and headed off to begin my Friday ritual.
I guess my frequent visits do not go unnoticed as a Lowe's worker excitedly asked me how my remodel was going?! I was a bit perplexed but ventured down the hardware aisle to purchase a kick plate for my newly installed door. ( a "must-have" for those in a wheelchair who do their fair share of running into things.) I found what I wanted, a nickel finish for $6.48, started back down the aisle to look at their magazines for ideas for my bathroom. No sooner did I get past the door stoppers than a lady turned to me and asked me how I was doing. I was racking my brain while I replied "I am doing well, thank you. How are you?", to try to remember where I knew her. No luck. Hoping her reply would give me some sort of indication, she kept the conversaion going and started talking about how she needed to find a better chain to hang her flowering baskets because the one she had was to short and not allowing her flowers to grow. It was at this point, I glanced down at my attire to see if I resembled a Lowe's worker...no blue apron that said, "may I help you?". Apparently, on my forehead I had the sentence, "I am friendly. Talk to me." because this lady who I was certain I had never met before (she asked me what my dog's name was- had she known me she would have added "again?" to the end of that question) proceeded to ask me if I thought that would work and then inquired about what I was shopping for and what did I have on my lap. People, she was not a crazy lady. And in my profession, I encounter a lot of them!
I seriously think she was just trying to strike up conversation and take genuine interest in somebody else's life. I am embarrassed to say this is an odd thing for this area and it frustrates me that we (myself included) are to ourselves and mind our own business. I know we are more alike than we are different. I may not have to buy a chain for my hanging baskets but if I did, I hope that I can be like that lady and ask a stranger.