PRAYERFUL COZINESS

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, our setbacks this year have brought forth more prayers in our behalf than we've experienced in the rest of our long lives added together. There have been prayer circles here at the Manor and in the churches of friends and we've hardly ever stopped to chat with anyone without the talk ending with "I'll keep you in my prayers."

All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena is well known for its outreach programs and when a friend and former fellow merchant called and asked me if I'd like a prayer shawl I answered in the affirmative. 

I found myself too overwhelmed when Gerry delivered it, to remember to retrieve my camera. Luckily, she snapped a photo of me with her iPhone, but even then I didn't think to get a picture of her. She had a most wonderful children/ladies store right next to ours and we used to daydream about opening the wall between our stores, but the idea never came to fruition. Now she's moved and doing a lot of business online and if you like the Flax line of women's clothing, I urge you to take a peek. Other things to look at, too, but that link will get you started.

Before things became medically complicated we used to go out for Mexican food with friends Susie and Bill twice a month. Susie's the one who brought me beautiful bouquets from her lavishly blooming garden. Once in a while she'd bring me something that she had purchased at our estate sale, knowing I really didn't want to get rid of it. Last time we ate Chinese food for a change and she brought me a quilt, boomeranging it back in my direction. I loved what she wrote on the card that she enclosed under the ribbon.

Jane dear,
    When you moved from Buena Vista to the
Manor, Bob was editing......I held back some things.
     This (yours) was washed and hung up to dry in the subshine.
      The little angel will be sending you light and energy.
                  Love,
                            S.


I'm grateful for the prayer shawl and the quilt to keep me snuggled with comfort. And all those prayers.


At the end of my third day of chemotherapy, I'm feeling just fine, possibly better than before I started it. In the afternoons my shoulder's tendinitis is less noticeable and my right knee is not as painful (is that the prednisone, do you suppose?), but a dull headache appears in place of the earlier discomfort; a fair trade, I suppose.


Mr. Bob has been having a challenge with a low white blood cell count. We'll find out more about the CAT scan he had earlier this week when we see the oncologist next Monday.


"Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us."  ~Socrates

                                                                                     

CHOCOLATE

FUNNY WHAT MEMORIES remain in your head. It's been forever since a friendly customer told me that when his friend was suffering something traumatic, he loaded up a basket with candy bars, popcorn, sodas, cookies and took her for a ride. They parked by a lake and talked and ate and listened and talked some more. That struck me as such a caring thing to do and while I've never found the opportunity to employ the method, it's there in my head if the need should arise.


Something akin to that happened this morning.  Chris bid us adieu.

How quickly time passes. He arrived last Saturday and so soon the time came to part.

Susan came back from taking Chris to the train station where he was to board a bus to Bakersfield from where a train would return him home. She was carrying a sizable box from the mail room. Inside the package was a veritable wealth of chocolate. Chocolate cookies, chocolate kisses, chocolate truffles and something new to me, chocolate kettle corn. Accompanied by the perfect greeting card, this assortment brought a smile to Mr. Bob's face and I actually swooned.

To appreciate the card you need to know that Owen is very much into Star Wars these days, as evidenced by the Halloween costumes their family made. (Much as we love to shop, in our family, we think Halloween costumes should be made. Chris' boots consisted of three layers of duct tape and were a challenge to remove.) 

Inside the chocolatey card, Owen had drawn a picture and dictated a letter to Frances:

Dear Granny,

I hope you feel better soon. I wrote a funny Star Wars joke book. When you feel better you should come over to see the book. There are no pictures or stories about heffalumps in Star Wars. There is no Play-Doh in Star Wars.

I love you, Granny.

             

                        Love,

                              Owen

"After about 20 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of what women want. And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate."
                                                                                                       Mel Gibson

GIFT CARD

WHO DOESN'T LIKE presents? (anyone besides Mr. Bob?) The gift wrapping usually presents a challenge, for we live with no flat space on which to work and the wrapping supplies aren't exactly all stored in the same place. I'm one of those recyclers who has been known to save ribbon and iron tissue paper........shades of the Great Depression. 

The Schultzes excel in gift wrapping.

 












I'm so full of ideas and so lacking in follow through that it's pathetic. In my ragged red book of quotations is a poem that I found in one of the women's magazines eons ago. I've always meant to print it up (even before computers came into our lives......how easy it would be to do now) to include in every present I give. But have I done it? No. It's a tad awkward because the author's name is "Jane Merchant" and with my name and retail background it would probably come across as a bit twee.

I  share it with you herewith.

GIFT CARD

Whatever gift I give to you is yours.

Give it away, or keep it, as you will.

The special books, the china miniatures,

The little birds carved with beguiling skill.....

I shall not peer about your house to see

If they are dusted well and duly shown

To visitors as treasured things may be.

I made a gift of them and not a loan.

I know that even gifts sincerely loved,

Both for themselves and for the giver's sake,

Have in life's many changes often proved

A burden; be relieved of the mistake

Of thinking you must keep a gift I give

(Except my love) as long as you shall live.

                     Jane Merchant

One Mother's Day weekend we, along with Tim,
went out of town.
In lieu of paper gift wrap, Tim presented me with gifts
wrapped in hotel hand towels. I loved it!

~~~~~~~~~~~
"You can give without loving,
but you can never love without giving."
        Author Unknown

A BIRD IN THE HAND

LA CRESCENTA NURSERY, since we downsized and moved, is no longer on our regular itinerary, but time was that we were there every weekend, searching out new plants for our garden. Recently I had need of a hostess gift, which gave me a good excuse to head for the nursery. 

Arnoldo is always eager to be of service and he seemed not to mind running around until he'd gathered up what pleased me...... 2 little pots of basil snuggled into a basket, a gift that would have pleased me to receive, which is pretty much how I choose presents. I also try to take the recipients taste into consideration, but someone once said "if it pleases me at least that's something".

While Mr. Bob waited in the car, I looked around, sighing a lot, for I do miss visiting this wondrous place.

Finally, I pulled myself away and as I assumed my position in the driver's seat of the car, we spotted an old friend who has become hard of hearing for we shouted his name several times in increasingly loud volume before we got Walter's attention. When he came to our window, 

we exchanged pleasantries; he has a quick wit, so it was beyond the "How've you been?" sort of small talk. When we wound it up, he said, "Wait right there" and went to his car, returning with a fat, little, ceramic bird which he presented to us. I was left to wonder how he just happened to have that in his vehicle? It's so very "Walter", always full of surprises.

Every object in our 2 rooms has a story; some of them I've long forgotten, others are still vivid in my mind, but this recent tale is how I came to have a bird in hand.