Sunday Sightings

 During this season of travel and transition, we are enjoying visiting many different church bodies. We're never 100% sure what we'll find. Our last new visit was to Eugene Faith Center. Stacia remarked, "It's like a museum or an airport  in here." The "foyer" IS amazing. We were surprised the pastor remembered Michael from college group decades ago. They had fun talking about the intervening years. Pastor Steve talked on Joshua 1.9 - Michael was wearing this year's Gherkin Shirt....Strong. Courageous!  It was a fun visit.

We'd not visited Elmira Open Bible before and chose to do so this morning.  We found friends of BreZaak, a friendly body of believers who truly know, love and care for one another, vibrant worship and a challenging message. It's awe-inspiring to see the same spirit of love and community at work in big, small and medium  expressions of Christ's church.

This is the neighbor's sign at the edge of the church's lot. 

If "The Pump," in Springfield can be a yummy restaurant, it seems only fair "The Station," in Elmira can be a full-service beauty salon.

Where else can you get a cut, curl, lube, oil and filter?

We drove around Elmira - pop 2600.

We drove to Veneta and tried to find the bird farm we house sat  our first summer of marriage over thirty-four years ago. We have become THOSE people. The ones who drive their kids to old stomping grounds, only to discover they can't locate the grounds as it's changed in the past 3 decades. ::snort::

We enjoyed the morning at church and driving around and discussing the type of town where we'd like to live.  We like small towns. We like a bit of quirky. We like farming communities. We'd like to find Hardin, MT in Alaska.

....and then the Falcons lost. Seahawks in 2018.

Perfect Rainy Saturday

There are a LOT of  rainy days around here. Yes, that's WHY it's so very green, lush and gorgeous in the spring and summer. I get it. Honestly, I understand. I totally love this area - but HEY - it's GRAY and WET here this time of year....and I can't help longingly watching the weather maps and thinking I'm SOUTHERN at heart - or NORTHERN as in ALASKA where you can see the STARS, MOOSE and NORTHERN LIGHTS at night in the winter. ::snort::

I choose joy. I play Boo Yay. I do. Really. BUT I am finally realizing, the gray, overcast, rain is a struggle for me.  Today was Saturday. A GREAT day to go to the coast, or hike a new trail or visit a park....except it was RAINING.

We packed into the little car and headed to the PUBLIC LIBRARY! Perfect! Stacia was three when we moved to Japan. We had a beautiful Japanese library we could use. The drawback, of course, being none of us read Japanese. There was a very small base library. We moved to Beale and the libraries on and off base were also small.

THIS library is big! It's three or four stories tall.  Here is Stacia climbing another floor - on our way to the Adult fiction.  Can you imagine how much fun it would be to slide down these banisters?

We took a significant amount of books away from the fiction floor.  Stacia didn't seem impressed by all the choices. I kept trying to interest her. She kept telling me she had all the books she needed to read on her kindle. ::gasp::

Finally, I realized my gal may be more interested in a different section. We found the Young Adult section.  Nope - not quite what we were looking for either...then we found the children's section. (Being a tween has it's challenges).  I thought she'd read Nancy Drew - but she hasn't. Of course not! That was Arielle, and Krista before her. We checked out the first one and asked her to give the library selection a try. She's hooked. Nearly done with the first book already!

Rainy days are spectacular for people-watching at the  library! We observed, and interacted, with a  great cross-section of the local culture.

Our next rainy day stop was the movie theater to catch - SING.

Michael suggested we spend a gift card and so we headed to Red Robin to end the day! What a great rainy day!

Now that we're all set for the rain, it will probably be sunny this week! You'll all KNOW who to thank!  THIS is a favorite room in the home were watching - lots of windows!

An Update on Mom

Sometimes life surprises you! We were surprised when Mom was told she had breast cancer in December.

Mom is nine days post-surgery, and today we visited with her surgeon. Her incisions are healing nicely. They were able to remove all the breast cancer.

Life surprised us again as Dr. K continued to read the pathology report to us. Four of the seven nodes they removed were cancerous with a couple being big enough  Mom will need to have radiation after all.  They had hoped to avoid radiation.

The biggest surprise was the discovery that  Mom has two types of cancer. She not only has breast cancer, but they discovered low grade B Cell lymphoma in her breast. This is usually found in the lymphatic system and Dr. K said it is very rare for her to find it. We will know more after we visit with the medical oncologist and the radiation oncologist. At this point, we know this is a slow growing blood cancer, usually manifesting first in the lymphatic system. We know it typically responds well to chemo and radiation and will go into remission for years. The line is its, "treatable but  not curable."  The treatment is usually to watch and then to treat with chemo and radiation so it would seem treatment of the breast cancer will also treat this.

While we were surprised, and it wasn't fun, to discover a second type of cancer, we rejoice in a mastectomy which led to early detection of the lymphoma. We rejoice this is also slow growing. We rejoice we are in Mom's very town for Michael to get the medical care he needs, and we are able to be here to process all this together with family. We rejoice in a GOOD FATHER who goes before us in each and every circumstance.

Once more, I'm faced with a hard to own reality -  I can't fix this. In fact, there is very little I CAN DO, but I rejoice tonight in the One who holds each of us in the palm of His hands. It's amazing, to know He is ALREADY THERE when these sorts of days occur.

This year's verses are proving very applicable already... not only with cancer, but with rumors and fake news, with changes and decisions which need to be made....

"The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged."  Deut 31:8 (HCSB)

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Josh 1:9 (NASB)

Nigiri on Wasabi

Mom's drains have been removed and her surgery incisions are looking good. I am now home for the evenings with the family.

I am a bit pre-occupied, and maybe sleepy, in any event - I'm OUT OF IT.

"I have maki!"

"I got sashimi!"

"Put the nigiri on the wasabi, and it will triple."

Now, these are items I'm familiar with from our time in Japan, but I wasn't quite tracking where they were getting maki and sashimi and I didn't know where I was to get nigiri and wasabi for them.

It helps to really listen and when I did, I realize they were playing Sushi Go! 

Alex's Christmas Gift

The big event of today is Alex getting his Christmas gift (and Michael too). They were a bit late on the delivery - but they're both exactly what was wanted and needed.

I received a notice  the watches had been delivered to our mailbox. This surprised us as all our other packages were delivered to the door. When Michael got home and checked - they weren't there. Amazon was no real help at all.

HOWEVER, we knew the mail here where we are house-sitting is being held.  A quick trip to the post office and he was able to retrieve the watches. We still aren't sure why Amazon said they were left in the mail box! ::snort::

Checking Houses

While I enjoyed time post-surgery at Mom and Dad's, and Krista drove to Mexico, Michael, the boys and Yuuki made a quick trip to Crescent City, CA.

Stacia enjoyed a couple of nights with BreZaak and Bella. It was fun to see her today at church!

Michael wanted to do a quick look through Mom G's home. They stayed at a neighbor's cabin and discovered quite a bit of mold/water condensation. This resulted in a trip to town to buy her a dehumidifier and to get it all set up so it will automatically drain.  Other than that, everything was fine in Crescent City.

Krista's Off ~ #WYFF

This past month has been a blur. Part of the blur resulted from me spending the past week at the hospital and at Mom's house following her breast cancer surgery.

I have the easy task....I waited and read while Mom (and Will) underwent surgery. I waited and visited with hospital guests while Michael schooled the younger Gherkins, fixed meals,  and helped Krista.....Helped Krista?  She sold her last few things, cleaned her house, got out of the house and spent her final night with "us". Bre and Bella and Arielle joined them. They celebrated with dinner, stories and ice cream.

All the photos have wacky eyes! 

Then,  Krista was gone. The reality hit as I drove home from Mom and Dad's, past the Barger exit. I find myself wanting to stop for a visit each time we pass Barger. Michael confesses the same. We miss her.

Krista and Arielle

I posted this on Facebook  Friday.  Well - today Krista  is off. I shamelessly stole this photo from sentiments shared by Arielle. She is traveling to Mexico and will help to build another orphanage for Imuris Kids Kingdom. In May she will travel from Mexico to AL (I think) for COT - Commissioned Officer's Training and then I believe it's on to Chaplain Candidates school and possibly a short assignment as a chaplain candidate, before she is back here in August to pick up her few storage items and travel to Lynchburg, VA to finish her MDiv in residence.

 I'm going to MISS having Krista in the same town. Her sense of adventure and family is a huge blessing to us. Her heart for people and community blesses wherever she goes. As Arielle, said....thank you for your help to her as she made all the first "adulting" transitions. Thanks for your long talks, help to Dad and I, investment in our younger set, and letting us be a part of your grand adventures! We are proud of your obedience to follow God step by step. While it isn't all crystal clear at this point - we all trust in the One who leads you. We will miss you! Go get em baby girl!

While I posted on Facebook - the Gherkins did this. 

God speed, Krista!

“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deut 31:8