It's finally over ... the house is SOLD!

It's been a L*O*N*G (and costly) 11 months (& 10 days, but who's counting?) since I put the house & property on Stoneborough Court on the market. After many ups & downs & canceled closings & voided contracts, I finally closed on it today.

All I can say is, "Hallelujah, I am down to having only one place of which to take care & for which to pay maintenance and upkeep!"

closing on house TOMORROW

Hallelujah!

McCurdy's Auction called me this morning and said the lender had heard from the underwritter and should have the file back from them by noon today. We are set to close at 1:00 tomorrow.

some good news today ...

We are going to be able to return to work fulltime starting after the two-week shutdown for the holidays!

The shutdown is December 22 through January 2. We can return to work fulltime as early as Monday, January 5, and no later than the following Monday, January 12.

Hallelujah!

update on sale of house

The good news is ...
I finally have another contract on my property on Stoneborough Ct.

The not so good news is ...
Even after negotiating them up $25,000 from their initial bid, their final offer was still $2,300 below the county tax appraisal on the property and over $12,500 below the contract I had in September that fell through due to the loan issues (which was already "low" due to the current market & loan situations).

In the end - with what it is costing me to continue to own it, the low probability of being able to rent it for enough to cover that, and the belief that it will be 2 to 3 years at least before the market turns around - I decided to take the offer and "stop the bleeding."

I don't have a closing date yet. This buyer does already have funding approval and the lender's appraiser went today to assess the property. I am hoping (praying!) to close before Christmas. The buyers wants in as soon as possible.

As for how I feel ... numb.

I'm trying to assess how far "in the hole" I am with the difference between what I am getting and what I expected to get when I took out a loan based on the equity I thought I had in the property, combined with the drain on resources with the ongoing expenses of having continued to own it for an additional 11 months.

Obviously, choosing to move and then get the house ready to market was not a good decision. Nor was the decision to spend thousands to make sure everything was repaired, in good order, etc., so that it would bring "top dollar." I doubt any of it added $1 to the final sale price.

Change "numb" to "ill."

I am thankful ...

As Thanksgiving day draws to a close, I decided to pause and express thanks.

I've had several emails and SMS messages expressing thanks by the sender for their family. It is good to recognize that those primary relationships are something for which to give thanks. And it is good to have an occasion on which to come together and enjoy each other -- along with some wonderful turkey and trimmings, of course. :-)

I am thankful for friends. I'm thankful I had a place to go to share a Thanksgiving dinner with friends who have welcomed me into their home to share their family for the day for a number of years.

I am thankful that I was able to open my home and cook a meal later in the day for someone who had not had any family to be with today. (So, if you "read between the lines," I ate two big thanksgiving dinners today.)

However, I have been aware all day of the emptiness being felt by the very large family of a friend of mine who died from injuries incurred in a hunting accident this past Saturday. They have had a very different Thanksgiving this year. He was not there to smoke the half of hog or cook the turkies & hams as was his usual job for their family Thanksgiving dinner of 60 or so people. (Yes, all family.) But the greater pain would be what his mother expressed to me last evening, "his seat at the table will be empty." My heart goes out to them as they are still trying to come to terms with their sudden loss of this very loved son, brother & uncle.

I understand the emptiness that can accompany "an empty seat" at the table.

I understand what it is like when all those seats become empty, one by one, until you "alone" are left.

I also know that we have to focus on what we have, not what we have lost.

I've seen too many who focus on the one that is missing instead of turning to enjoy and relish the time with all of those who are left. That is natural at first - as with this family who are not yet even past the shock of what has happened. However, in time, we need to turn loose of the grief and refocus on those who are still with us. Rather than remaining remorseful and mournful over what we have lost, we need to become thankful for what we do still have.

So, I wanted to pause and be thankful.
I am thankful that ... I do have friends.
I am thankful that ... I do have a wonderful home.
I am thankful that ... I do have not only food on my table, but food to share.

Most of all, I am thankful that ...
I have a loving heavenly Father that watches over me constantly;
a Savior who is not only Lord of my life and Lord of lords & King of kings but also my Bridegroom;
and a Comforter who comforts me with peace that passes understanding and leads me and guides me into all truth.

I am truly blessed.

Apostolic Reformation to Transform Cities

Beginning this coming Thursday evening (11/13), I will be showing the DVDs from the recent IGAP (International Gathering of Apostles & Prophets) conference at my home at 7pm each Thursday.

The speakers were Bishop Bill Hamon, Dr. Tim Hamon, Dr. Lance Wallnau, and Ed Silvoso. The theme of all the messages was how to begin to affect our cities in a way that transforms our society.

The format for the evening will be to view one of the videos and then discuss what was taught and how we go about incorporating it into our lives / how we allow it to change us. Those who know me well know that I want to know that the information is being understood & applied – not just conveyed. :-)

If I haven't already talked with you about this and you are interested in joining us to view these and discuss the concepts, let me know.

(For those who are in or close to Arkansas City, we will be having similar sessions down there at Gateway City Church on the weekend, likely on Sunday afternoons. Dates & time are still to be determined.)

house not sold & still working 3-day weeks

Sale of House:

As most of you are already aware, the sale of the house did not go through. The buyer was never able to secure her loan. It is now back on the market - after sitting inactive with "Contract Pending" for several weeks. At this point, I am asking God for a miracle.


3-Day Work Weeks:

The good news: IAM and Boeing seem to have come to terms. There is to be a vote this weekend to see if the members agree and are ready to accept the contract and return to work.
The not so good news: We were notified today that we can expect the work slowdown at Spirit to last 90 days past the strike at Boeing, if it ends now. The expection was that most of us would remain on 3-day work weeks until "likely the end of January."
The "could be" good news: We were also told today to expect a full week of shutdown at Thanksgiving and a full two weeks at Christmas.
The reason it's not good news: Of course, the company is only paying for our usual two days at Thanksgiving and seven days from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day. The other six days (Monday thru Wednesday of the week of Thanksgiving, Dec 22 & 23, and Jan 2) are "on us."

As you know from my previous blog on this, I have been able to charge my additional 16 hours each week to a "Reserved Sick Leave Fund" that we brought over from Boeing, but could not really use. I will exhaust what I had accumulated in that fund the week before Thanksgiving. From that point on, I will be either using my "Earned Time Off" (the term used for companies that no longer separate vacation and sick leave time) or taking time off without pay.


On the Bright Side:

I did take my "usual" vacation trip to the panhandle of Florida for the International Gathering of the Apostles & Prophets this year. I didn't make it last year so my last trip there was the last trip mom & I took together in October of 2006 before her final problems began in November. Joyce went with me and we "road tripped" it down and had nearly three days to relax before the conference started. That was wonderful! Well, it was for me. She burned to a crisp on the beach the first day and was, therefore, miserable for the rest of the week! Nonetheless, we did get in some shopping and a dolphin watching cruise -- and lots of fresh seafood, mostly in open-air, beach restaurants. Ah ... that's the life!

The conference itself was also EXCELLENT. It was entitled "Apostolic Reformation for City Transformation." We truly are entering into the next reformation of the church. The change in how we "do" and how we "see" church in the coming years will be as significant as the change with the reformation Martin Luther started when he nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg "for public discussion" (a common custom of the day). And the shift is starting ...

closing on house postponed

For any who haven't heard, I did not close on my house on Tuesday as scheduled. I assume that is some of the fallout from the present economic condition. The buyer was initially working with Chase for her mortgage and had to switch to another lender.

I can understand that given the present situation. However, it would have nice if her realtor had let us know there was an issue a little sooner. It was after 3pm on Monday before we were informed that she could not close at 11am on Tuesday as scheduled.

Among other things, I had rearranged my work schedule since Tuesday is one of the three days I am working. (Yes, we are still on the reduced work week.) Of course, I had scheduled to have the utilties turned "off" (which usually means transfered to the buyer who has then turned "on"). I had to quickly "stop" my "stop order."

I knew when I called on Thursday to schedule the turn off, she had not yet scheduled a turn on. That's evidence that she already knew she wasn't going to be able to close on Tuesday, but waited until the 11th hour to tell us.

And, of course, it continues to "cost" me daily until I finally reach the closing.

She had "requested" (though "demanded" seems like the more appropriate term) an additional 9 days, until the 16th - but the realtor kept saying that she really wanted to get moved and would close as soon as the lender had the paperwork ready. (Part of the hold up was that their appraisal was not done until last Thursday, 10/2). As you know, it's either grant the extension or put it back on the market and start all over.

Well, I'm told the lender will have all the paperwork ready "the first of the week" - but she scheduled closing for 4pm on Thursday, 10/16. Once again, they do not seem to care about "good faith effort" to what they say. :-(

Here's where it gets even more fun!

1. I am taking a series of classes that run 4:30 - 7:30 on Thursday evenings. They ask us to be there by 4:15 to check in each week. How does one close on a house at 4pm and be across town by 4:15? Answer: You can't!
2. I am supposed to be leaving town EARLY the following morning for 10 days. That means I really need to finish my business dealings with the house BEFORE I leave. Specifically, I need to pay off the bridge loan so that I do not have to continue paying interest on it for another 10 days.
3. Even though they did move the timing of the closing up to 3pm, given how long they usually take I cannot be there and wait on them to finish all their paperwork and be sure I will make the class by 4:30 (much less 4:15). Hence, I will have to go in early and sign paperwork. But, of course, I can't get my money early!
4. If you are in class until 7:30pm and are leaving before the banks open the next morning, how do you get the money from the sale in the account and transfered to the mortgage company?

Fortunately, my bank is willing to work with me on the transfer. I can give the information and authorization, and they will make the tranfer as soon as they money is transfered in. However, if the transfer does not occur until after 4pm, it will not show until the following day.

I also have a question in to the Title company (via my realtor) to see if they will make two transfers for me - one to the mortgage company with whom and I have the bridge loan and the remainder (which is not much!) into my bank account. If they will do that, it will make things a little less complicated for me. Pray that I have favor with them.

I will be SO glad when I get past all this! One more week.

more wisteria

I spent another 9+ hours today cutting down wisteria - and even had a neighbor helping me for about 3 of that, so that's 12+ hours of labor. I'm still not "quite" done. I hope the remaining section takes no more than a couple of hours. THEN, we can start working on the wisteria on the other side of the fence (in my neighbor's yard). MOST of what I cut down along the fence on my side "came over" the top of the fence from her side - and was 5-6 ft or more in places on my side! And she even had it cut back once this year!

The long term goal is to cut it completely down on both sides. I have cut mine back "severely" - meaning there is just a "stump" left. However, it will come back if that isn't dug out. Because I do not have another 2-3 days to work on hers, we are going to just trim it this fall -- and try to find time to cut it back to stumps in the spring before it starts really growing. Then we will need to find someone who can dig those out or grind them down like you do a tree trunk. I have a tree that needs to be removed, so hopefully I can find someone to do both jobs. I have a total of nine wisteria bushes. I'm not sure how many she has, but probably the same - since it is along the same fence and she also has them on her patio as I do.

Since I am getting this cut down, I now need to decide what I do want to do as far as landscaping my yard here. That's my next spring / early summer project. :-)

I have really enjoyed getting to know this neighbor. I found a lot out about her today as we were working together. I knew she was widowed fairly recently. Her husband passed away suddenly (in front of my house!) about two and a half years ago. He had been an administrator (vice principal) and she had been a teacher in the public school system.

The best part is that she is a very committed Christian, so we enjoyed sharing some of our "God is so good" stories today.

Guess we'll have time for a few more before we get all of this mess hacked down!


One note on a different subject. The closing on my other house is set for Tuesday (10/7) at 11:00. PTL! It's been nine months today since I closed on my new home.

roofs & wisteria

Today the adjuster came to look at the roof on my new home. It, too, was viewed as needing a full replacement. PTL for fair adjusters for both houses. That was an answer to prayer!

The new roof should be on the place I am selling Thursday. I am still waiting on a definitive closing date & time - but it will be no later than next Tuesday (10/7). Hallelujah! (I have asked to do it Friday or Monday, since I am off those days. We'll see if they oblige.)

I'm not sure when the contractor will be able to do the roof on my new home. Since it is not leaking and I am not needing to close on it, I've told him it isn't urgent. He bumped someone else to get the other one done for me. I've let him know that I can be bumped for him to get someone else who is urgent. It may be late October or early November. That's okay.


As for that wisteria ... who planted that stuff?!

It must be payback for my having planted that 6'-high juniper hedge at the other house and left it for the new owner to deal with there. :-)

The previous owners had planted it around three of the beams on the edge of the patio. They had put support beams up around the edge of the patio to support some 2x8s that are across the top, stood veritically, presumably just for the wisteria to have a place to grow & cover. Well, cover would be okay, if it didn't overtake the whole patio in the process! It is coming down! In addition, it is planted along both sides of the wood fence between my home & one of my neighbor's homes -- and on her back patio as well. Fortunately, she dislikes it as much as I do.

Saturday, I spent 9.5 hours working on cutting it down from the patio! Actually, that was about 2 hours spent cutting it down -- and 7.5 hours spent cutting it up! Given I have no pickup truck, the only want to get rid of it is bag it and leave it on the curb. That means cutting it up in small enough pieces to be able to bag it without all the limbs & branches poking through the bags and causing them to rip. What fun! (NOT!)

I still have one "beam's worth" to cut down on the back patio. But by cut down, I mean all the way to a stump, which I intend to have removed. Then, for this year, I am just going to cut it back along the fence line. I will deal with cutting it out next year.

I had told the lady next door (an older woman who is a widow) that I would trim hers as well - thinking it would be no big deal! (Wrong!!) I talked with her again today. She is able and willing to help cut and bag it - so we are going to work on it together. (You know I am a softie for helping "little ole ladies." Guess I just can't help it - and don't want to try to help it.) Next year, I will try to get it cut down there on both sides. She wants it out, too!

Finally selling the other house this fall means that next year I can focus on relandscaping here. It desparately needs it!

a new roof -- wait, make that two!

As it turns out, my "new" home was not the only one on which the roof had sustained hail damage. Before I heard back from the roofer and turned in the insurance claim on this one, I was notified by my realtor that the inspection at the house for sale indicated it also had hail damage on that roof. That was last Thursday evening.

Last Friday morning, I had the roofer go check that one out instead of this one & I put in the claim to the insurance company. The adjuster was there Tuesday morning. It took until late Wednesday to get the assessment from the insurance company - which had the replacement cost about $1000 below the cost estimated by the roofer. Finally got them "talking" late yesteray and this morning we came to agreed upon amount. (The adjuster apparently had not measured correctly.) The roofer should have it replaced no later than next Thursday.

I didn't put in the claim for this one until I knew I had that one worked -- for a couple of reasons. (1) I wanted my insurance folks & the roofer focused on getting that one worked. (2) One at a time is enough with which to deal! So, I called today to start the process for getting this one replaced. The adjuster is to be here Monday morning and the roofer will be here at the same time -- so we don't have the 2-3 day "back and forth" issue we had with the other one.

I still don't have a closing date on the other house. The contract calls for "on or before" 10/7. I'm hoping for next Friday, 10/3. We'll see.

I'm still on 3-day work weeks. No indication yet when Boeing will resolve the strike. Once they do, we will likely still have some "lag time" before returning to a full work week. The strike started at 12:01am on Monday, 9/8. We are hoping that it only goes a month. (Typically, they will go at least 29 days due to contract issues between Boeing & their customers. There's a clause that if there is a strike lasting more than 28 days, the delivery dates to the customer slide without penalty. So, if they go out for more than a day or two, Boeing doesn't want them back until at least day 29.) However, they still are not even back at the negotiating table, so there is no predicting how this will go.

I was so happy with getting a lot done at my new place the first weekend that I had Friday & Monday off. I spent BOTH days last weekend and most of today dealing with issues with the other house. I am HOPING to get some trimming done at my new place tomorrow. They planted wisteria EVERYWHERE here - and it "takes over." I am planning to trim as much as I can with my electric hedge trimmer, clippers & shears tomorrow. I'm thinking I may (later) borrow a chainsaw to finish the job off and cut them all the way back. Or have a tree removal company come take them out completely!

This week was week five of the ten-week class I am taking at WSU. It has been very interesting. However, there's quite a bit of reading & other assignments in preparation for each week, so that has taken time as well. And I've had some things I've done and a couple more that I need to get done for the Home Owners Association here, for which I am secretary.

So, no danger of my getting into any trouble ... I don't have time for it!

I have a contract! ... and other news

For those who have not heard yet, I do have a contract on my Stoneborough Court house. Hallelujah!! I am hoping to close before the end of September, though the contract allows until Oct 7.

The "musty" smell in my garage turned out to just be the damp weather - hallelujah! But in the process of determining that, I did learn that I do have hail damage from one (or more) of the spring hailstorms. There is a roof specialist coming to assess how bad it is (aka if it needs to be replaced). In the meantime, someone has loaned me a dehumidifier to pull some of the excess water from the air in the garage.

The loan of the dehumidifier is a "God story." I had brunch with friends Saturday and one item on my "to do" list for the afternoon was to buy a dehumidifer. On their first stop on errands they were "off to run" they saw another friend of mine & mentioned we had just had brunch and I was headed to buy a dehumidifier. She had one that wasn't being used and immediately sent me a txt. Praise God for friends! Both the one with the dehumidifer & the one who "happened to mention" I was in need of one!

At least I am not like my friend, Joyce, who had both her sump pump and an additional pump going with two people bailing water in addition to that to keep the rain from flooding her basement Friday night / Saturday morning. The "house with the lake view" no longer has the appeal to her it once did! Floridians, of course, realize you don't build basements when the water table is only 6'-8' down. Kansans have NOT figured that out yet!

Wichita would have likely made the national news with the problems caused here Friday & Saturday, if it weren't for the far worse flooding conditions caused by Ike. Our rain did not come from Ike - it was just a line of storms that moved up from the southwest and dropped rain at the rate of over an inch an hour for hours at a time; then would break a bit; and then the next bad wave would hit. It rained from Thursday evening until Saturday morning. We had major streets that were rivers instead. Some of the highways outside of town were closed, including a portion of I35 for a while. In areas within Wichita where the Cow Skin & Calf Skin Creeks go through, some homes had their entire basements filled with water (again!) all the way up to just inches from the main floor. I'm not sure why these are called "creeks" when they can quickly become raging rivers. I guess when they were named and it was just open plains, you simply picked the teepee up and moved it.

I am enjoying the extra time off from work right now and trying to use it wisely. I got one major project (unpacking & organizing the content of the boxes in my storage room) done Friday. Tomorrow, I am going to start on the garage. It will likely be a multi-day project.

I'm doing discipleship two nights a week now plus the class at WSU on Thursday evenings. The class has been interesting so far. Three weeks down; seven to go. The homework is heavier through most of the rest of it, so I will have to focus a little more on that. Plus a few issues to work with in the home owners association of which I am secretary. So ... life's not dull! :-)

ups and downs

September has descended upon us. Here in Kansas it has been unseasonably cool. We're used to it still being sweltering for the Kansas State Fair in mid-September, but not this year. We've been in the 50s & 60s at night and 60s and 70s in the daytime. Too cool too fast! Fall's great. It's what follows it that I don't like! As for other things ...

On the good side ...
My friend who returned to the Lord in July is doing wonderfully! She is growing by leaps and bounds. The revelation of God's Word that she is receiving in her own prayer and study time is phenomenal.

Also on the good side ...
My friend in Atlanta whose son has been in a coma for over two years now is seeing significant signs of improvement. It has been so significant, they have a physical therapist working with him and he is almost to the point of being able to sit on his own. It's amazing how responsive he is - yet still in a coma. They recently removed the tracheotomy he had for all this time and his oxygen levels are higher without it than they were when he had it.

On the not so good side ...
My house on Stoneborough Court that went on the market on January 20 has not yet sold.
But on the good side ...
I finally have had offers on it - three of them in less than a week. Hopefully, I will come to terms with one of them and will be closing on that by month end.

On the not so good side ...
Due to the Boeing IAM (shop floor) workers going on strike, Spirit is on "slow down" for production. Boeing has cut their delivery schedule significantly while their shop is down. Since they are still 80-90% of our income, that has a drastic effect on cash flow. Hence, the shop has been cut to 3-day work weeks and the professional ranks (including management & executives) have been asked to do the same.
But on the good side ...
They have decided that we can use our "Reserved Sick Leave Fund" to fund the additional two days per week. It's complicated, but that's a good thing for most of us. It's a fund that we had accrued as part of Boeing that was still "credited" to us but we could only use under certain circumstances which would likely never apply for most of us. Unless the strike is exceptionally long, I can use credit from that fund without having to use my standard "Earned Time Off" (we no longer have separate vacation & sick leave, it's all one pool) or taking leave without pay. PTL!! That was VERY GOOD news today!
In effect, I simply get two extra days a week off for some period of time. Most of you know I normally work a 4x10 with Fridays off. Now I will have Mondays off as well and only have to work 8 hrs on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. I'm no longer anxious for the strike to end immediately. :-) Three or four weeks of having an extra day off might actually help me get caught up around the house. [Actually, I do hope it ends as soon as possible for all of those affected.]

On the not so good side ...
Speaking of around the house ... I noticed a "musty" smell in my garage. At first, I thought it was just something left from leaving my umbrella in there to dry or getting the rug in there wet with it, but it persisted. Not yet sure what is causing it, but I have a repair man scheduled for Friday afternoon to check it out. I'm concerned it's coming from the attic. Not sure if I've had some hail damage I didn't realize or what. I'll find out Friday. I'm praying that whatever it is can be easily remedied & repaired without a great deal of expense.


The other news is that I am taking another class this semester, this time here at WSU. It's a 10-week program for a "MiniMBA" Certificate. Two weeks down; eight to go. So far, it has been very interesting.

If I have all that time off coming up, maybe I'll actually post more frequently! (Note that I did say "maybe.")

A prodigal returns home!

How is it that I have been so busy and had so little to post? I guess the obvious answer is that what I have been busy with either hasn't been very interesting or hasn't been something to be shared publicly. However, there is some good news now that I will share.

On July 20, a prodigal daughter came home to her heavenly Father.

A long-time friend of mine who had once been on fire for God and then had turned her back on Him for a little more than a decade finally allowed His constant Love and Care for her to break through her tough exterior. That Sunday morning, while getting ready to visit a church to hear a guest speaker, she found herself embraced by God's love in an irresistable way. She allowed the tough exterior to crack and returned His loving embrace. She was headed back "home."

She knew there were things in her life and lifestyle that would have to be changed.

She knew there were relationships that would have to change significantly or be ended.

She knew this decision had the potential of significant impact on her livelihood.

But, in the end, she knew that turning away from God and continuing to run from Him had already cost her far more.

She was tired of running.

So she stopped - and "allowed Him to catch her" and let her know that He had never stopped loving her.

"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." (Matthew 18:12-13)

Truly, the Good Shepherd is rejoicing over her -- and I am rejoicing with Him!

tomorrow's another day

Can it really be August already?

It's definitely summer here. Supposed to be 100 degrees tomorrow, 102 Sunday and 103 Monday. That's hot even for a Florida girl! Guess I didn't live in Phoenix long enough to get used to it. The humidity here is somewhere between the two - but closer to Florida. I was literally dripping sweat from my face just standing in the shade filling my car up with gas.

Not a lot going on. Working a little overtime here and there, but not nearly what I used to do. Staying at least close to 40 hours - and many weeks still are "just" 40.

Still need to get the boxes that are "stuffed" in the closets and garage unpacked and straightened. Need to do a little repair work here, too. (Those of you gals who have a wonderful "handy man" husband, make sure he knows how much you appreciate that! As I was walking to the parking lot at Lowe's today, I had the thought that the only thing I could think of that I was jealous of was having someone around who knew how to fix things (and did).)

I wish I knew where my time goes! But, then, I often do not make it home until 7:30 or 8:00 and sometimes later. By the time I go through the (regular) mail, check email, get dinner, and all the other daily things to do, it's usually past time I should be heading to bed. There are so many things I want to do & projects started but not completed. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day. :-)

Once again, it's late. Wonder if I'll make it to bed before midnight tonight? (Not likely, since it's 11:30pm CDT now!) Oh well ... as I said, tomorrow's another day.

catching up

Can it really be nearly a month since I posted? Needless to say, I've been busy.

Here are some updates:

- Dean was released from the rehab hospital on Friday and is at home. He still has a long way to go, but he's also come a LONG way already. His attitude is wonderful! Everyone who visits comments on how positive he has remained through all the challenges. We've had two "work days" (really "work evenings") over there to get things ready for him. The first one was focused on things that had to be done to accomodate him coming home - repairing the brick walkway (taking up a whole section & re-laying it), pouring a concrete pad by the front gate, making and installing a rail up the inside stairs, putting bars & other things in the bathroom, etc. - the second one centered on getting the yard in shape. We have someone mowing for them, but there's all the weeding & trimming that has to be done as well.

- My friend's brother finally got tired of his battle for life. He made the comment about being tired of fighting to his sister and a friend one evening - and slipped away before the following morning. His funeral was this past Tuesday.

- My house on Stoneborough Court still has not sold. Today is the last day of the 6-month contract I had signed with the realtor I was using. She has decided to close her real estate business down the end of the month, so it made the conversation about choosing to list with someone else easier. The new listing should be posted tomorrow. Their average time on market is 34 days. This is one time I am hoping to be "less than average"! I've spent time & money sprucing the yard up. Okay, really, mostly "maintenance." I went and got the weeding back under control. I paid to have the 6' high juniper hedges trimmed and the same gal took care of limbing the trees that needed it as well. (Some were hitting on the roof.) Last weekend, I finally took the time to plant some annuals in the bare beds. (Is it spring yet?)

- I'm still working on the unpacking & settling in. Got one project done this weekend & a start on the next piece of it. Three more large boxes out of the way in one of the storage areas. :-)

And ... I'm ready for a (true) vacation!
(No, I don't have anything planned.)

oh the yardwork!

I moved to a patio home to get out of yardwork ... but, so far, it hasn't worked!

For starters, the one I bought leaves "the beds" to you. That really means, they mow the grass & everything else is yours. Once I have time to rework the beds (which won't be until next year at least and may take 2-3 years to do), that won't be so bad. In the meantime, I spent one Saturday trimming trees that hadn't been trimmed in years and another one weeding.

Then there's the matter of the house on Stoneborough that still hasn't sold. I have been extremely blessed by my next door neighbor there, who had mowed for me (and probably more likely for Mom!) the past 2-3 years had continued to do so for me until it sold. When I went by today to check and see how bad the other "yard maintenance" issues had become, he saw me there and came over to tell me he really doesn't have time to do that for me anymore. So, now I have to see about getting that place mowed as well as getting over to weed the beds and trim the 150'+ of 6' high juniper hedges and also trim some limbs off the trees that are overhanging the house. The worst part at this point is trying to figure out what to do with all the trimmings. I used to cut them up small enough to bag them so the trash service would pick them up. (That takes 2-3 times as long as the trimming!) But now, I have no trash service there. So, it is either bag them and haul them home to be picked up here -- or find someone with a truck who is willing to let me borrow it to haul them to the dump (during hours when it is open).

I am really ready for that house to sell!!!!

celebrating a new life!

Some covenant friends of mine (the prophet under whom I minister & his wife) have a daughter! (Well, almost. Details in a minute.)

Annalee was born on Saturday, 6/7/08, at 6:54am. (Easy numbers to remember - 678 & 654!) She weighed in at 6lb 15oz.

They were able to bring her home late Wednesday.

For those who do not know them, after years of trying to have children of their own, they have been trying to adopt. They have had two boys, brothers, that they have custody of through the Foster Care system and have been trying to adopt for nearly two years. Those adoptions are still not final.

After many ups and downs, they were able to get Annalee through a standard adoption negotiated directly with the mother by their attorney. The only hurdle left is the father signing to sever his rights (which is not expected to be an issue, but prayer is welcomed).

I haven't seen her yet, but in the pictures she has chubby little cheeks. :-) I am anxious to see and hold her. No later than sometime tomorrow!!

the weekend & Monday

The 4-hour "treatment" at Beau Monde on Friday was wonderful! The problem is you don't know what you are missing until you've experienced it once -- then you know! I'm not sure whether to thank the friends who gave me the package as a gift again -- or blame them for introducing me to how "the other half" lives!

Saturday, I ended up starting to do some of the yard work needed at my new home on Glenmoor. I spent 6.5 hours triming trees & one section of hedge that had overgrown a corner to the point you couldn't mow around it. Well, really it was a little over 2 hours trimming - and the rest cutting up the limbs & pieces into sizes I could bag or bundle in a way that the trash service will pick them up. What fun! I had thought I could do all of that and the weeding "in a couple of hours" and then go do a little at the house on Stoneborough. So much for my time estimates! I was "one tired pup" (as a friend of mine says).

On Sunday, we had a fellowship dinner after church. I've been going to the church in Ark City for almost a year now and this is the first one I have been able to attend for one reason or another. This one was a cookout. It was good to get to visit a little with some of them.

Then I came back to Wichita and went by to visit my friend's brother. He had been having a rough day. He can't keep anything down, which means he continues to lose weight and get weaker.

Today, I attended the funeral for the little boy I wrote about yesterday. It was a very sad situation. The great-uncle (mother's uncle) who did the service really did an excellent job of speaking about what his short life had meant, the people it had impacted, and our Hope for the future. The whole service was very well done. It focused on worship and hope.

another very sad situation

I learned today that the 4-year-old son of friends passed away this week.

Not quite two years ago, this little one drown in the bathtub when his mother stepped out of the room briefly. He was revived, but had suffered much brain damage. The case got much media attention first because of the situation and then because the family fought a legal battle when the doctors wanted to run one final test, expecting it to determine that he was brain dead with no hope of recovery, at which time they would remove all life support systems. Now, because of their battle, families get to make that call, not the doctors. The family took him home and have loved and cared for him through it all.

In these almost two years, there has been much evidence that he was not brain-dead. He did respond to people. However, they never saw the miracle they had stood firm in faith believing to see. They have continued to pray over him, even after he was pronounced dead. Their family and friends are part of a growing number that believe Jesus really meant what he said in Matthew 10:8. If He left us His authority, why should we not be able to work the miracles He worked, empowered by the same Holy Spirit that worked through Him? Especially, given that He specifically told us to "raise the dead."

Saddenly, thus far, those prayers have been like the many, many prayers for his healing. For whatever reasons, known only to a Soveriegn God, they have not (yet) been answered. There are still quite a number of people continuing to pray - and we will continue to do so up until his little body is lowered into the ground. After all, the widow from Nain was in route to bury her (only) son when Jesus interrupted the funeral procession to raise him from the dead. All things are possible!

things to do ...

The furniture I purchased in Kansas City in late May was delivered today. I finally have the TV in the living room up high enough to see it from the kitchen (over the kitchen bar & living room built-in bookcases). I also purchased a couple of small side tables for chairs in the living room and a "butler" for the kitchen. The butler has "some assembly required" so it is still in the box. I will try to get it put together this weekend, if I can do it without having to get someone to help.

I look at my "to do" list and wonder what to tackle first. I need to:

• put together the kitchen butler;
• do some yardwork in the beds at my new home, including some weeding and creating a bed between the front wall and where I had the sidewalk poured (the other landscaping will have to wait until next year);
• do some yardwork at the house on Stoneborough, including weeding and trimming those 6' high junipers (again!);
• trim trees both at the house on Stoneborough and at the new one on Glenmoor;
• finish unpacking & straightening all the storage areas at the new home, including the garage;
• put knobs or handles on all the cabinets & drawers (in the kitchen, all three bathrooms, and the utility room for a total of 54 knobs & 15 drawer handles); and
• stain or paint several pieces of furniture.

The weather will have to cooperate for the yardwork. It's either been thunderstorms or wind advisory conditions for the past week or more. We've had 3 or 4 hailstorms since Memorial Day weekend. The last couple of days, there has been severe damage from the wind - gusting at times between 80 and 120 mph in places. (Seriously.) The "straight line wind" took the roof all of some houses and other buildings and even topppled two 75' grain elevators this past week.

Brief bunny trail: I will always remember the first time I saw a straight line wind. I had never even heard the term that I could recall. I watched it coming towards our house on Stoneborough Court late one Saturday afternoon. I had been working in the yard and was just to the point of putting things away when the wind picked up suddenly and viciously. I could see the storm in the distance, but it was different than anything I could ever remember seeing. I quickly put things away, including moving the grill into the garage, and headed in the house just as it was approaching. There was no rain; just a ferocious wind & lots of dust. From inside I watched various neighbors' lawn furniture and a kids swimming pool go flying down the street. I was glad I had pulled the grill around and put it up. The only sight I could remember seeing that looked similar was when the dust storms would roll in off the desert ahead of the rain in Phoenix.

So, we'll see how the weekend shapes up and what I really do. I am also still going to the hospital daily to see my friend's brother ... and staying in touch with Dean's wife to keep the blog on his condition updated.

I do have a little "fun" planned for the weekend as well. I have an appointment tomorrow (Friday) at Beau Monde - a spa. Friends gave me a gift package there LAST year for my birthday and I have never slowed down long enough to use it. After finally scheduling it and then rescheduling it twice, I am going tomorrow. It's a 4-hour treatment, including a massage, facial, manicure & pedicure. Then on Sunday, we are having a baby dedication and a fellowship lunch afterwards to celebrate it. (Hopefully, the weather will cooperate since it is to be outdoors.)

it's a new month

May 2008 did come to a close. And finally some GOOD news...

• My friend's brother was moved from MICU to a regular room yesterday.
• Dean was moved to a rehab facility today.
• And I got an email this morning sent by a long-time friend late yesterday announcing the birth of his son earlier in the day. Yea! Something to CELEBRATE!!

I even got another "chunk" of the unpacking done this past Saturday. I got the china & crystal unpacked and put in the hutch. I also got the pink dishes (some depressionware and some other) that my "other" mother gave me last spring (before she passed away last November) unpacked and in a curio cabinet.

With the boxes that had been sitting in the dining room unpacked, I also moved the stack of all the boxes that had been unpacked & broken down out of the dining room to the garage & a storage area. So, the living room / dining room combination is looking pretty "homey." I am not hanging pictures yet. I want to replace the dining room furniture, but that will not happen until the other house sells. And I don't want to start hanging pictures until I know I have furniture where I want it.

Now, it's time to start unpacking and organizing the storage closets. Or time to do a little landscape work in the yard. Both of those will likely wait until I catch back up on the yardwork at the other house.

The month has started well. Hopefully, it will end even better -- with the sale of my other house!

and pours and pours ...

I keep looking for that GOOD news!

Since my last post:

• Dean had a second, massive stroke the same night the doctors had sent him home from the hospital. At this point, he is still in Neurological Critical Care Unit (NCCU).
• My friend's brother took a major dip and we did not expect him to make it through the day last Saturday. He was moved to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) around 1am & I met his sister and parents at the hospital at 1:30am. He has finally started improving. However, we all know getting past the meningitis is just one step. He is HIV+ and his condition is not good. We know he does not have much longer.
• I learned that my cousin's father-in-law passed away in early April. He was 91 and that had been expected for some time.
• I just learned that one of my mother's favorite cousins passed away this week. She was 89. This too, was not unexpected.

I would much rather be looking for and purchasing birthday cards or other fun things instead of sympathy cards, floral arrangements for those who are ill or who have passed away, and donating money to a trust fund for college for the children left behind by the 47-year-old father who died earlier this month.

May 2008 has not been a good month. I will be glad to see it come to a close.

when it rains, it pours

I don't know why it has been this way, but here's some of what has been happening in the last two weeks ...

I already wrote about the sadness of Mark's death.

In the midst of that, the brother of a close friend was also hospitalized. They ended up determining the current problem is an unusual strand of meningitis. He had started responding to that, only to have a rather major seizure and setback. Sadly, this is just "one more thing" on top of many and without a miracle he likely does not have much longer here on this earth. He is in his mid- to late-30s.

While I was dealing with those, a close friend of mine in Florida got pulled into a very sad situation. An older man (the father-in-law of one of her sister-in-laws - did you follow that?) passed away at home. With no signed DNR order, the EMTs are required to try to revive - even though he had been dead for some period of time when they got there. They wisk him off to ER, working on him all the way. In ER the doctors continue working on him. After 52 minutes (plus however long before they arrived), they managed to bring him back. Only so he could then die a second, slow, very unpleasant death that his loved ones had to watch him struggle through. SOMEONE needs to take on the job of lobbying to get that law that requires that the medical responders do that repealed - or amended to allow the loved ones around to have some say in how their deceased loved one is treated!

Back in Kansas, on Monday one of my work colleagues emailed us that he had a bad bronchial issue and was staying home. He stayed out Tuesday as well. Tuesday afternoon, his wife called our boss to let him know that Dean had been hospitalized. He had been having TIAs. Later that day, he had a full stroke. FORTUNATELY (and he & his wife give the glory to God), he has virtually no residual damage. But he does have one completely blocked artery in the left side of his neck.

Then Tuesday evening I learned that another friend had lost her mother that day. She was 85, a strong believer, and ready to go "home." Nonetheless, as a loving mother of seven and grandmother, she has left a void that is being felt.

I'm ready to start getting some GOOD news from someone ...
So if you have some, let me know!

a better start

It was a good day today ...

It started by getting some much needed rest yesterday. Imagine that, some rest on our "day of rest." What a novel concept!

Because of that, I was actually up and at work by 7:00am. That hasn't happened in a LONG time. (There have been some mornings I was there at 6:15 to "work the parking lots" to get signatures for the union decertification, but that's a different issue!)

So, the next statement should be that I left work on time. Unfortunately, no. I worked through lunch due to back to back meetings and still did not leave until 6:00pm. Remember, I work 10 hr days, so that's really only 1 hr late. But, add to that the fact that I worked 3.5 hours on Friday (my day off), and I may be ending my "no overtime" streak this week -- unless I can find a day to flex out some time. But with all I have to do & the meeting schedule, I doubt it.

But, the concrete guy finally came to remove the framing around my sidewalk. He's supposed to bring some sod tomorrow -- since he waited so long that the sod they dug out has died. But, at least the side walk is finished. (Actually, he called to tell me he hadn't received a check from me. I assured him that was accurate, since he had not completed the job. He decided he could make it by today. :-) )

The window repair guy came today to complete a repair the former owner paid them to do, but they had to wait until the weather warmed to do it. Finally "switched" the winter & summer clothes in my closet this weekend. Until week before last, I was still wearing wool blazers!

I got a letter from the IRS. They have finally decided to pay me some money they owe me from 2003. LONG story. I'm not sure how long it will take to finally get the check, but at least they have decided they really do owe it to me.

And, finally, the realtor let me know that of the five people/couples that come to the open house at my Stoneborough Court house yesterday, three seemed interested. One has been before, but wants me to drop the price unreasonably low. Hopefully, one of the other two couples will be seriously interested. It's been on the market 4 months tomorrow. That may not sound long for some markets, but the economy & housing market are strong in the midwest, and, particularly, here. A month or so ago, Wichita was listed as the #1 market in the nation. So ... 4 months is a long time here!

it was a very sad week

This past week was a very long and sad one.

The 47-year-old husband of a friend of mine passed away on Wednesday afternoon. He had suffered the rupture of two anuerisms on Saturday, May 3 (his oldest daughter's 11th birthday). After struggling for life for over 10 days, he was finally starting to gain ground on Tuesday. Then, in the night that night his wife was at his side when his blood pressure suddenly, unexplainably, dropped to 20/20. She was there as they tried to revive him. She was there when his eyes went blank and, in her words, she knew she had lost him. Shortly thereafter (after tests to confirm), he was pronouncec brain dead. It took a few more hours for his strong, otherwise very healthy body to shut itself down.

Even as I type this, my heart aches for his widow and her two daughters, ages 8 and (just turned) 11. Watching the girls at the rosary and funeral, I know that reality has not fully set in with them. Each did, however, write a short rememberance (eulogy) for their dad that was read by someone else at the funeral. Since he was so involved in parenting and taking care of all three of "his girls," their lives have all just changed drastically.

I weep for their loss.

I weep because as much as we pray for healing for people before they die, we do pray for their resurrection when they die prematurely. In this case, I did, but only within the limits that were afforded me to do so. There was no faith or belief system within which to work with the widow or other family members toward that end. To his widow, her husband was gone when the life left his eyes and he was pronounced brain dead. In her realm of reality, she had to face that awful fact and move on.

Not until we begin talking about and teaching that Matthew 10:7-8 really means what it says will we begin to see this happen on a regular basis.

"And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (emphasis added)

Unfortunately, while most who profess to be Christians do believe (to at least some extent) in praying for the sick, many still do not believe in casing out demons. The same will remain true with raising the dead. But, we have to start teaching about it. Otherwise, we will continue to lose too many people prematurely.

Lest you think I am totally "strange," know that there are people already doing this today. There are many stories - even stories here in the U.S. - of this happening. However, it is still only the "radical few" who will dare to pray these prayers -- or even make opportunity for them to be prayed. The only way to change that is to begin to inform and teach the Body of Christ that this is not only possible, it is a command given to us by Jesus, Himself.

union busting - part 2

On Friday (5/9/08), I traveled to Overland Park, KS (Kansas City Metro area), to file the petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election on whether or not to allow SPEEA to continue representing the Wichita Technical & Professional Unit (WTPU). We had more than the 30% required signatures and more people signed on Friday. Those signatures will be faxed to the NLRB on Monday. We have until close of business Monday to get them in.

The last couple of weeks have definitely been "interesting." :-)

For someone who HATES politics, I have certainly found myself in the midst of it. I can't say I like it. But, if we are not willing to stand up for what we believe, who is it that we believe should?

The past month has DEFINITELY confirmed my conviction that I DO NOT want SPEEA representing me on ANYTHING. The distortion of facts, twisting of truths, and out and out lies they have published (via websites & in emails to members or all represented) testifies of their lack of integrity. Their attempts at intimidation and threats is not only very UNprofessional, it is down right sad.

Both the company (Spirit AeroSystems) and SPEEA should be officially notified by Monday (if they were not on Friday) of the call for an election. A date will be established sometime with the next 50 days.

In the meantime, we have our work cut out for us. With 2400+ employees represented, each "election" has been decided by only a few votes difference. We need to shift the tipping point to the "no" side this time.

We've had 7 years of forced representation that has not provided any identifiable benefit to the masses -- and in fact provided less for us than to our non-represented counterparts (of which I was gratefully one until early this year). There are individual cases where they went to bat for someone and helped in a situation. However, the benefit to those few has come at the expense of all of the rest of us. Enough is enough.

starting to settle in

I am starting to "settle in" to my new home.

I still have unpacking to do. The most visible of that is that I have not yet unpacked the "good" dishes that go in the china hutch. That is partly because I was hoping to buy a new dining room suit (table, chairs & hutch) soon and was postponing this to not have to pull them all out again to get rid of the old hutch -- and them put them all back up in the new one. However, I have not found anything yet that I want to purchase. In addition, I had told myself I would not purchase anything that major until after the other house sold, and it has not yet. So, I will likely go ahead and unpack them. (Maybe that will be the catalyst for the house to sell!)

Once the dishes are put away, then it will be time to focus on all the boxes and piles in the various storage areas. THAT could take a while. But, for the first time I can ever recall, I have space enough to get things organized. Having said that, I now have no real excuse if I do not do so! But those who know me best, know I much prefer things that way.

The curved sidewalk from my driveway to the walkway that runs for the street to my front door is to be repoured next week. I then need to landscape between it and "the wall." I think I will probably put in a crepe myrtle (here they only grow to be a large shrub, not a full-sized tree as they do further south) in the larger "loop" and a smaller shrub, maybe a peony, in the smaller one. I am not sure what else I will put in. Knowing me, a mixture of different types of bulbs. Further relandscaping of the yard (inside courtyard) will likely wait until next year. I am determined to finish the unpacking & straightening this spring & summer. Plus some painting of furniture and other "fix up" projects in the house.

But this house has definitely become "home" and it is fun to have people over. I went to dinner tonight with some friends who had helped me move. They came over afterwards to see what it looked like decorated in something other than "classical boxes." Her mom had dinner with us, so she came by as well. It is always interesting to see the reaction when someone comes for the first time and they start walking through it, because it is so much bigger than it looks from the outside.

I have had conversations with a couple of different folks this past week who know how I grew up and how I lived until I came here. The line from the old commercial that said "You've come a long way, baby!" could not be more true. God has blessed "the work of my hands" and prospered me. I am very grateful and appreciative of all that He has done in my life -- in every area of my life. He is a Wonderful, Loving, Faithful God!

being normal

In years past, people wanted to "fit in" and would forego individuality to "be normal." In today's society, people often shun that, choosing to be known as being unique or unusual.

From a performance perspective, whether in academics, work, sports or other areas of involvement, "normal" means you neither excel nor fall below some acceptable level. It can be equated to mediocrity.

But there is one place where "being normal" should be desired.

I went in for the lab results from my physical today. I am "perfectly normal."

And that's a good thing ... :-)

a new year

As Monday quickly approaches, it starts more than just a work-week for me. As we move past Passover (today) and celebrate the great deliverance that God brought his people, Israel, so many years ago, it's a good time to stop and reflect on what He has brought us OUT of as well. The timing of this is interesting in my life this year, as I will be starting a new year tomorrow.

The last year has been a period of transition for me. As that is beginning to wind down (only a few details to wrap up to finish it off - like selling a house!), I am feeling the excitement of beginning to experience new things. Even in the past week, I can "feel" the change and shift in my spirit. I am looking forward to what this year has to bring. Development/deepening of relationships. New opportunities. New places -- in the natural and in the spirit.

It's going to be a VERY GOOD year!

union busting

One thing with which I have been involved the last month or so that I haven't mentioned is trying to get a union decertified.

Last June when I transferred positions at work, my first question about the newly formed positon was "what is the job code and is it represented?" (That means, "is it covered by some union contract?") The answer was that they were not changing our job codes from what they were "for now." Ok, I knew then that sooner or later "now" would become history! It made it until mid-February.

The "bargaining unit" is called the Wichita Technical & Professional Union (WTPU), but is represented by SPEEA (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace). They also "represent" the engineers, but in a different "bargaining unit" -- which means under a separately negotiated contract.

Fortunately, Kansas is a "right to work" state. That means you do not have to join the union & pay dues to them just because you work in a position for which they negotiate the contract. But, I HATE unions. And I do not want them "representing" me -- because they certainly do NOT represent my thoughts, beliefs, or values.

There is a window of opportunity just before each new contract negotiation time to petition for a vote to "re-certify" (or de-certify) whether or not the people being represented want them to continue to do that. To do that, you have to have a petition with a minimum of 30% of those represented signing saying they want the new vote. If you get more than 50%, they are out without even having to have a vote.

I am one of eight people who have been spearheading (and funding) that effort. Per labor laws, once a union is in place, the company can not assist in the effort to decertify them in any way. So, we have an externally hosted website (http://www.vote-no-wtpu.net/DecertHome.aspx), have sent emails to everyone represented from an external email address, and have flyers up in our cubicles (there rules about where you can even put them), etc.

At this point, we have about 2/3 of the signatures we need for the vote. We have until around May 1 to collect them. The signatures (names) have to be certified (verified that they really are in the represented group) and turned in to the National Labor Relations Board by May 11.

So ... that's another one of the things I've been up to lately. This is the third attempt since they were voted in by a margin of (if I remember correctly) 42 votes in 2001 when we were still part of Boeing to try to get rid of them. Hopefully, 3rd time's the charm!

first HOA meeting & my new walkway

Well, I am now the secretary of the HOA (home owners association) for Country Club Courts. I think I also let myself get volunteered to help on the Finance Committee as I was leaving. After the "lively" discussion about this year's budget and the possible need to raise the HOA quarterly dues, I should probably have ducked quicker! :-) In fact, after much discussion about whether the grass in the courtyard should be mowed by push mower and whether or not to trim the wisteria, the Finance Committee took an action to go back and get additional bids on the trimming work and relook at the budget proposal and recommendation for raising the dues (or the amount by which they wanted to raise them). You do need to realize that the wisteria to be trimmed is along both sides of a 1400' x 7' concrete wall on the exterior of the subdivision. That's a LOT of wisteria!! And, apparently, it has not been trimmed in 4-5 years. (It is also in most of our yards, along the section of wooden fence that is on one side of each home. We are, of course, responsible for taking care of that.) The guy who still wanted the oversized riding mowers to eat up the grass in the 15' square courtyards got ignored! And we voted down the idea of putting in locking mailboxes throughout the complex because some people had mail stolen once. (Though they were given permission to put a locking insert in their current mailbox. All the mailboxes have to remain the same. We don't want to marr the aesthetics with dissimilar mailboxes! It was also suggested that they could get a P.O. Box, if they were really concerned.)

So, now you know what elderly, retired people care about. :-) And the half-dozen "youngsters" like myself who live here get to care about it with them.

None the less, I enjoyed my first HOA meeting. They have a covered dish dinner before it and about half of those who attended came for that. There were 35 voting members, including 9 proxies (so 9 less actually present). But there were probably about 35-40 there, since couples only get one vote but most do come together. Since there are only 42 homes, that's a pretty good turnout. At least we were well past quorum. It was a good way to begin to get to know some of my neighbors.

The other news is that they did pour my walkway on Monday. They got it poured and it was set up before the rain started that lasted most of the rest of the week. However, the owner had a cold even worse than mine the day he came to bid it for me. So, he "trusted" his workers to do my curved walkway while they were doing the other two straight ones and a driveway in the area. That was not a good idea. It's curved all right! But the idea was that it formed an S type curve of consistently 42" width. Well, it measures from 32" in places to nearly 40" in others. :-( They will be breaking that one up & hauling it off and he will be making sure it gets dug and the forms set correctly! In the end, that, too, may be a blessing. They also managed to puncture a line on my sprinkler system, which was turned on Saturday. Oops! So ... they are to come break up what they poured & put the new forms down and allow me time to get the sprinkler guy back to run the new line underneath before they pour the concrete.

Life is never dull!

making progress

With most of a day at home today, I made some visibile progress on unpacking. I unloaded the 27 boxes of books that have been stacked in my back hallway! Along with having finally unpacked some of the decorative items for the living room last weekend, it's starting to feel more "homey" here. :-) Still plenty to do, but it's taking shape.

I am getting a sidewalk poured on Monday. They dug it out today. It will go from my driveway to the walkway that runs from the street to the front door. I am surprised that more people have not done that. Four of us here got a bit of a "package deal" from a business to have them all done at the same time. That's the reason I am going ahead with it now. Other "improvements" will wait for the house on Stoneborough to sell.

The implication is that I am beginning to get to know some of my neighbors. Of course, I know the gal who lives beside me to the south. She was the one who told me about the house being available. Since she was on the "nominating committee" for the home owners association, I am "running" for secretary. :-) Elections are next Monday night (4/14) at the annual meeting. The current president called me yesterday to see if I could go ahead and take minutes at this meeting since the current secretary is having health issues and not able to serve. I decided to get involved just to meet some of the folks. Of course, I am one of the "young" ones here. (It's been quite a while since THAT'S been the case for me anywhere!)

catching up ...

You know you are really tired when you are too tired to take a vacation!

A couple of weeks ago, a friend invited me to go with her to her cabin in the Branson area this weekend. Now that I am back to actually getting Fridays off (working “just” a 4x10 work week), she was taking Good Friday off as well and the plan was to drive over Thursday evening/night and come back this (Sunday) afternoon. A “get away” sounded great. Except that I was passing the point of “being tired” and nearing the point of exhaustion. After last weekend being more “full” than anticipated, I realized that as appealing as the idea of “getting away” for a few days was, the thought of the 5-6 hour drive to get there – and another one to get back – was just NOT appealing at all. What I needed and wanted more was some rest and some “down” time with the Lord. Fortunately, she understood.

So, I “took the weekend off” – well mostly. I “slept in” on Friday. I then ran errands and (finally!) did my taxes. On Saturday, other than doing laundry and a little “picking up” around the house, I took the day off. I curled up in my favorite chair and read and spent time with the Lord regaining focus. (If you want to see part of that, check out my “Who is Laurie?” post on my Life’s Simple Truths blogsite.) I never even left the house yesterday. I believe that is the first time that has happened since I have been in my new home.

Today, of course, I drove to Ark City for church. Afterwards, having no one with whom to celebrate a meal on this Resurrection Sunday, I decided to treat myself to something nice. I ended up at Red Lobster for their lobster fest. (Floridians, don’t make fun of me. It’s the only seafood restaurant in town.) I almost passed up my planned treat of some sort of lobster because they actually had Gulf Coast Snapper as one of the “fresh” fish of the day. (Floridians, hold down the laughter! It WAS fresh SOME day. And it is unusual for them to have it on the menu. You can’t just take it for granted here that snapper is readily available!) But, given that the lobster fest ends in a week, I stuck with my original plan – and splurged. I got the patter with TWO lobster tails – one Rock and one Maine. It’s not as good as a Florida lobster with the crabmeat stuffing (nor were the two tails as large as one Florida lobster would have been) … but for a Kansas meal, it was pretty good! And, since I was in the mood to celebrate and splurge, I topped it off with some key lime pie. I enjoyed it – thought of my Florida friends & relatives – and missed Mom who always liked going to Red Lobster as well. It’s hard to believe it was a year ago this weekend that I was returning from her funeral in Tallahassee and trying to regain focus on work.

Next weekend I will be “back on the trail.” It will be our fourth and final (for this round) prayer journey. I did not post about the third one, two weeks ago. It was to the SE quadrant and was very good. This one will be to the SW quadrant. We are starting in Dodge City, going from there to Garden City, and then, I believe, following the river up to the border of Colorado. It’s about 170 miles from where I live to Dodge City, then another 50 or so to Garden City. I am not sure of the route we will take from there to the border, but that’s probably another 60-70 miles. Add it up, and that’s nearly 300 by the time we reach “the end of the line” – and get to turn around and drive back. NOW you know why the 300 miles over to Branson (actually south of Branson) this weekend didn’t sound appealing.

Between the four prayer journeys and the conference in Ark City last weekend, my weekends have been full. Weekend after next (the first weekend in April), we will be having the InSync2 conference here in Wichita. It is just Sunday evening & Monday morning, so that won’t take the whole weekend – really just Sunday & Monday (setting up & tearing down before and after the two sessions). I am looking forward to it.

The following weekend, I am supposed to go to the St. Louis area for a wedding. I haven’t made reservations yet, because I am not yet sure if I will make it. Unless I get more rest, eight hours of drive time each way just isn’t sounding like something I will do, unless someone wants to go with me.

The next weekend was SUPPOSED to be my open house party for my new place. Not so! With all the going, the unpacking has not happened. However, with coming to the end of the series of weekends away AND the end of the class I have been taking, maybe by mid-April I can refocus on the unpacking and settling in and make some headway on it.

Even without being settled, I LOVE my new place. This is one time that I can say God truly gave me the desire of my heart. I had seen these patio homes when they were being built 8-10 years ago. I realized when I was packing to move I still had the brochure I picked up when Mom & I looked at the model home. THAT’S how much I liked them. She liked them too, they just didn’t seem “doable” for us at the time. After I moved, I began regretting that I had not bought one then and moved her here. I finally realized (just in the last week or so), that if I had done that, we would not have been able to take the wonderful trips we took together. Nor would I have been able to easily run home each day at noon to get her lunch and check on her. Or to pick her up and get her to doctor appointments as easily as I could where we were. All in all, I realized that 5316 Stoneborough Court was the place for “us.” This is now the place for “me.” But I do have a wonderful guest “suite” … so do come visit!

As for my house on Stoneborough Court, no, it has not sold yet. Contrary to all you hear on the national news, the market here is good. In fact, there have been articles in the papers and items on the local news about how our good economy & housing market defy the national trends. Hopefully, with the weather warming some, people will be out looking. I stopped by to check it this afternoon and one of my neighbors there told me that he had seen several people stop recently and walk around the outside looking at it. Hopefully, that is good news and it will sell soon.

Well … I want to get back into some more reading and quiet time before the evening is over and this is too long already. I’ll post more after next weekend’s trip.

Blessings!

a year ago ...

Today (3/12) was the day that I went back to work at the office fulltime last year – and the evening that Mom had the cardiac event that triggered the beginning of the end. At least that was the final drop on the roller coaster ride we had been on for months. We had once again crept our way up to the top with the success of her being to a point she could be left for a few hours at a time and, with home health care coming in, I could return to the office. Then we took that last big dip that evening. From there, it was simply riding the rails to the end of the line.

I will always be so thankful for the very peaceful way in which she left me. I can still see her, the peaceful look on her face, and her intent gaze up, through the ceiling in the corner of her room, and beyond to something I could not see.

I was told a few months ago that the Jewish tradition is that you are given a year to grieve, because it takes that long. That has proven to be accurate. Moving to a new place has also helped. It was probably much more of God’s grace than I realized to get me moved within that year. (Remember, “my” plan was to move this coming spring or summer.)

Once I finish unpacking (which I AM going to do – though it is taking longer than anticipated!), I will post pictures. You will see why my friends catch me referring to “Mom’s room” instead of “the guest room.” Besides having the furniture I bought for her for her 80th birthday, it also has some of “her” things – and will have more when I finally get them unpacked – sitting on the dresser & chests in there.

I purposefully bought new bed linens, to make the room look different – and it does. But I also put the bedspread she crocheted me YEARS ago and which I have never used (because we always “save” those things for some reason) over the bed as a coverlet. (It’s a full size bedspread and the bed is queen.) Everyone here is amazed with how detailed and intricate it is and what a beautiful job she did. Those who knew her “back when” she did those things would expect nothing less. :-) I also have one that she made for Arthur on my king-size bed. His, of course, was not as frilly and was bound on all four sides (instead of having fringe on three). So, I turned it “size-ways” and it hangs over the sides & foot a few inches and comes far enough up the bed to be under the edge of all those pillows I pile up there every day. I enjoy having it and thinking of all the love she put in both of those and all the other things she made over the years. I still have some afghans and some quilts as well.

This Friday evening / Saturday morning (3/15) will be the anniversary of that last night. I will be in Arkansas City attending (and helping with) a conference down there. (It’s about 70 miles.) Again, I didn’t plan it that way … but I think God orchestrated the dates to keep my focus on something else. He has been so Faithful to me. But, then, He always is!

about to have a baby!

God uses the simplest things to reach us and get His messages of love and hope to us.

So often I have felt like the old saying, “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” Or, put a little differently, “always the midwife, never the mom.”

Over the years, I have felt myself “pregnant” with so many different things from the Lord – ministries to be birthed, new concepts and ideas to be implemented within the Body, etc. Yet, they always seem to come to nothing. To continue the analogy, it would seem as though they were stillborn or miscarried before birth or, more vividly, an abortion of them was forced upon me by those in leadership. I even had a prophetic word given to me back in 2002 by an apostle who ministers internationally (to leaders of nations) that said,

“It feels like someone who had a child in their youth and adopted that child out and somebody else has raised it and now in their more mature life they’ve longed for what was lost and that which was given away.”

I remember thinking, “I didn’t give it away. It was stolen from me and given to another and there was nothing I could do but rejoice that it had not been killed.” (Remember the story of the two mothers who both claimed to be the true mother of the baby in I Kings 3:16-28? Better for the child to live and be raised by another than to be killed.)

So many times I have ministered to people and even, at times, worked with them to see them birth those things which God has placed in them. There is rejoicing in that. But, I have often wondered, “Why is it that I only get to help others birth their dreams and then I have to walk away and leave the baby with them?” Well, because that is what midwives do. It is an important and necessary function. And there is joy and rejoicing in that. But, “When, God? When is it my time? When do I get to give birth – and keep the baby for my own to raise and help grow to maturity?”

Last summer, I was given another prophetic word by a different internationally recognized apostle that spoke, once again, to this dilemma. In part it said,

“… the patterns that are on the inside of you and that you’ve drawn through the years … we see you carry something. Bring it over. Help us birth.”

That word went on to say,

“’… as the distance is shortening, prepare yourself to deliver what’s accumulated in you in grace and humility.’ And it’s an exciting time. It’s an exciting time. All of a sudden, you find yourself in a position where you’re like a midwife, you’re delivering something, and you’re like, ‘Gee, I could have been doing this 15 years ago, 10 years ago.’”

I’m beginning to feel more like a surrogate mother than just a midwife! I have to go through all the months (sometimes years) of carrying the baby and allowing it to grow inside me as I become more and more awkward and uncomfortable waiting for the time of birth. But when it finally comes, someone else leaves with it in their arms and I am left empty and barren, except for the joy of knowing something was given life.

Even this week, I was crying out to God once again asking, “When, God? When is it my time? When do I get to give birth – and keep the baby? ” Within a few days of that, I was once again asked to “Bring it over. Help us birth.” As always, my response was “yes.” But, I knew that, once again, I was being asked to be the midwife. “Come help us with the process of birthing.” Once that’s done, your role is finished and you are no longer needed and have no further portion in what was birthed. It belongs to another.

So, in the midst of all that, today I got an email from a long-time friend. Because of our nearly 40-year friendship, she knows me in ways few people do. But, because of the differences in where we walk spiritually, she would not really have known nor understand fully what I have just expressed here. Nor would she be looking for what God is saying in “a casual dream.” Yet, she shared with me the following:

“I had a dream last night that you had a baby. I came to help you with labor and delivery and when I got there Mom was sitting in the corner talking to us. … everyone was so happy.”

Did you get that? I had the baby. And someone else – a friend whose mother was a labor and delivery nurse for almost her entire career – came to help deliver it. (Though the “Mom” referenced was mine, not hers.)

She found the dream “nice” – likely due to being with me and “our” Mom being back here with us. Yet, I am sure the dream seemed a bit odd to her. In it, a grandmother of five came to help her friend (who is five months her senior) give birth to a child. If I called and told her I was really pregnant in the natural, I am sure her reaction would be significantly different – for a variety of reasons!

I knew the dream was prophetic.

It was God’s way of answering a prayer I prayed earlier this week.

I gave birth. This time, there is someone (who is the closest thing I have to a natural sister) there to be a midwife for me with Mom close by watching. Which, being interpreted means …

Yes, I do get have a baby of my own.


This time, there is a someone (a sister or brother in Christ) there to assist me in that process – not someone waiting there to snatch it away..


And the Church (“Mom”) is close by and rejoicing with me.

All this from three sentences in an email.

God is so good … and so faithful!

prayer missions

Last weekend was the second of four prayer mission Saturdays targeting specific areas around the state. The prophetic directive was given to do this at a meeting in Wichita the end of October last year. The prophetic word said that we were to go to 12 places around the state and do some specific things to bring these areas back under God's dominion in the spirit realm and, once that was accomplished, there was to be another meeting back in Wichita .

As the leadership team that was commissioned to do this began to pray and allow the Holy Spirit to formulate the plan, it was decided that the state should be divided into four regions (NE, NW, SE, SW) and we should then go to three locations in each region. It was then decided that we would go to all three sites within a given region in the same day/trip. So, on each of these Saturdays, we meet; receive information about the specific locations, why they were chosen, what needs to be accomplished at each site, and any specific instructions; worship; and then caravan to the first site. When everyone on the team feels the work is accomplished there, we caravan to the next site, do what needs to be done there, and then caravan to the remaining site.

The first trip was to the NE region. There we visited sites in Manhattan, Topeka, and Lawrence. For those not from Kansas, Manhattan and Lawrence are both unversity towns (home of KSU and KU, respectively). Topeka is, of course, the capital. Lawrence is also the home of the only Native American university - Haskell. The issue of covenant breaking with the Native Americans is a major one for both Kansas and Oklahoma. Both states have bills that have been presented to the state legislatures to offer an official apology to the Native America tribes for the perpetual broken treaties and other abuses to them, their livihood, and their land. These apologies are long overdue. There is a similar bill before the U.S. Congress. We know that we will not effectively deal with the issues in our current society until we deal with the sins of our past.

The second trip was to the NW region. This plan was a little different due to the distance that would have to be covered to go to all three sites. Instead, we had a delegation on the border between Kansas and Colorado to deal with issues between the two states. The other team went first to Hays (home of Ft. Hays) and then to the geographic center of the continental U.S. near Lebanon, KS. Thank God for technology. Via cell phones, we were able to connect the two groups while the one team was "on the border" and the other one was "at the fort." :-) In the picture, Ap. Sandy (left) is holding a cell phone over which we are listening to Ap. Jay Swallow who is with another group of intercessors in Georgia that are interceding for us at this time and Prs. Jill (right) is holding the cell phone over which the group on the Colorado border are listening to what is going on in Hays, including Ap. Jay's prayers and instructions.


From there, the group I was with headed toward Lebanon and the small park that holds the marker for the georgraphic center of the continental United States. This is the second prayer mission I have participated in on this spot and I know of at least two more. I am sure there have been more! The first time I went there was in 1997 - more than a decade ago!

The occult world understands the significance of controlling that location. Unfortunately, God's people are just beginning to tune in to such truths. But, hey, we are getting it!

The TM movement had been planning to build one of their "Peace Palaces" very close to that spot. Construction is underway. However, founder and head of the TM movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, recently died. It is our understanding that there is "regrouping" going on to see who will now be the recognized leader. We are believing that God will spread confusion in their ranks and the movement will fall apart. At a minimum, it's expansion in Kansas and the construction of this "palace" will be stopped -- even as God stopped the building of the tower of Babel.

Just to show you how "diverse" the people of Kansas can be, compare the first picture with all the cell phones & recorders to this one, taken while were at the park near Lebanon. Yes, this is really this man's primary mode of transportation. Other modes include walking or riding the horse or mule without the buggy. :-) He is part of the Amish community that is spread through the area.

The inconsistency is that many of them now use tractors and trucks on their farms and have electricity in their barns - but still refuse to drive automobiles or use electricity or other "modern" conveniences in their homes.

These people genuinely love God. It's sad that their religious traditions keep them in such bondage. Yet, it is better to love God and live a life of holiness before Him without modern conveniences than to live with all the latest and finest convenience and in that think one has no need of Him.

Okay, back to the prayer missions.

This coming Saturday we will be going to the SE region. The remaining region (SW) is scheduled for the last Saturday of March. Each site in each region is different and what we pray and do there is different. Usually we do not know all of what that will be until we get there. Pray that as we go we will accomplish all that the Father has intended so that His will WILL be done in this earth as it is in heaven.

the good life ...

Ah! Finally!

Tonight, for the first time, I could sit at the bar in my new home on a chair high enough to comfortably eat (meaning I finally got new barstools) my wonderful dinner (ok, cereal) and listen (well, sort of) to my class lecture playing on my laptop on the counter beside me (meaning my wireless connection is actually functional).

What a life!

Oops … should have had a fire going (meaning should have gone over and flipped the switch to turn it on). Next time.

Life is good … :-)