Gone With a Wink

Last Wednesday, I saw Frank. He wasn't feeling real well, but at 96, I think that's to be expected sometimes. We had a good visit and once again I left shaking my head at how sharp he was! Thursday the call came that he had been taken to the hospital. I went to the hospital to see him on my way to a wedding shower on Saturday. He wasn't in his room, had gone for xrays, so I waited for him to get back to the room. He didn't want me to leave, but it was pretty rough watching them move him back into his bed. He was in a lot of pain. We got him all settled and he asked why I was so dressed up. I told him I was going to a wedding shower. He told me I should have showered BEFORE I came to see him! His lunch arrived and he was ready to dive in, so I told him I'd go and let him eat. I told him goodbye and he winked at me when I left. He'd never done that before, that I could remember. I didn't know it then, but it WAS goodbye. Yesterday morning I got the call the he was not responsive and wasn't expected to make it through the day. He had asked for scrambled eggs, but before they got there he was not responding. I didn't have a car, so Cary came right home so I could get to the hospital. It just wasn't my friend there, but I said my goodbyes. He died about two hours later. He lived the majority of his 96 years simply for yesterday. He was living only to die and start really living! Recently when I saw him, he told me that every morning before he got out of bed he put his Bible in the floor. It would stay there until he did his Bible study, serving as a reminder of what needed to be done each time he looked at the floor. He told me about a day a few days before when he had not been feeling well. He got into bed that night and realized his Bible was in the floor. He got up, did his study, put the Bible on the nightstand so he could put it in the floor the next morning! I KNOW where he is, but I have lost a precious friend. When I started visiting Frank, I thought I was doing him a favor. I soon realized that wasn't the way it was at all. He was MY friend, always asking about me and my family, I looked forward to my time with him because HE blessed ME. I'm sad today because my friend is gone, I guess when you're 96 you have plenty of time to be a good friend. Last night I did a search on my blog for "Frank" just to see what all came up. I've written about him alot, but not near every time I've seen him. I loved the story about him getting me the bird feeder...he was so disgusted with Cary for not getting me one! So, he just took care of it himself, and I spend everyday watching that bird feeder! There was even a blue jay on it this morning! When I saw him last week he told me he had called and left me a message, but I never called back. I never got a message, but he had called to tell me to come get his feeder at the nursing home, he just couldn't take care of it anymore. When I didn't call him back, he gave it to someone else. He would put the bucket of feed in his lap and ride his motorized wheel chair out to the feeder. I'm so thankful he was so sharp right up until the end, he gave so much and asked for so little. He always made me smile, laugh, and want to be just like him when I grow up! He was a true friend.

Jr/Sr Banquet

Saturday was the Jr/Sr Banquet. That means that the Seniors are turning things over to the Juniors, and Kaylee was on the receiving end. We are approaching the beginning of Kaylee's Senior year! We got Hil and Kaylee to pose for a few pictures, and then one of the "kids" on Sunday at lunch.

Feeding the Homeless

Tonight we went with some of our college kids to feed the homeless. It was the first time I had been in a long time, and our group has committed to helping the Salvation and Army every Tuesday night. We fed them mac and cheese, small pizzas, salad, bread, and sweets. It kind of brings things into focus, helps put things in perspective. I remember the lady that made the effort to come up to us before she left and thanked us for serving. Genuine. The young pregnant girl that came back for seconds on salad...she was trying to eat fruits and vegetables because of the baby. The young couple with the small boy, and another on the way. The man who was a lawyer in town until the drugs and alcohol took over his life. He left early, wanted to get to the woods before dark. The man who found paper towels and got up and started cleaning tables without being asked. The lady that came so late we only had mac and cheese left...she had two plates heaped and tried to eat while falling asleep sitting down. Where had they all come from? Where did they go when we locked up and drove away in our cars? Where are they now? No, I mean RIGHT now. They all had stories, I just don't know them all. They all had personality, feelings, families, names. I don't even know what else to say, but I can't wait to go back!

Chris Tomlin

Cary and I went to Tampa yesterday with a bunch of our kids, to see Chris Tomlin in concert. It was a wonderful day with the kids and a great concert. The last time we saw him, he was at our church and Josh and Jen were there too. And, in fact, a year ago at this time Cary and I were in the Holy Land! We've talked about that so much in the last few days. It really was a life changing trip. I had lunch with a friend this week. She was sharing with me that she really feels like there is nothing that could happen in this life that would cause her to turn from the Lord...He IS all we have, guaranteed. I had to echo that. I thought about that conversation when Chris was singing "all my hope is in you" last night. Everything and everyone has, or will let me down. Disappointments come, life happens. But, He is ALWAYS there for me, the only place I have to put my hope. Joshua 1:9 has run through my head on a regular basis lately, mom's favorite verse. "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you." He's always there, sending a scripture through my head, or even a song, just letting me know we're in this together!

Another Zoo Visitor

Just before we left for the cruise, I looked in the back yard and saw that we had yet ANOTHER visitor! This was a bunny and he just sat there forever! If he noticed us, we didn't seem to bother him! We have been seeing LOTS of birds...Cardinals, Blue Jays, and some other kind that I can't figure out just yet! They are very small with very vivid colors, and SO pretty. There is one rather bossy Cardinal that is a little rude to the smaller birds, a bit territorial! We had a wonderful time on the cruise, relaxed a lot. I did read the book about Christian...very light and entertaining. And, I also finished another book, so I was very pleased! Oh, we did have a bit of an adrenaline rush when we got home! Kaylee was supposed to meet us and pick us up when we arrived back in town, delivered to the local McDonalds. We had talked to her when we were on our way home and told her we'd call about 30 minutes before she needed to come get us. I was deep into my reading, and finally Cary said he had tried to call and text Kaylee and she wasn't responding. With some children, this would not be alarming. Kaylee, however, has her phone attached to her person at any given moment. We tried to remain calm, and continued to try to reach her. Finally, we are sitting in the McD's, luggage in tow, and STILL no response from Kaylee. We waited a while, and finally I was beginning to panic. This just REALLY isn't like Kaylee at all! I called Michelle and asked her to go to the house. She did, and the car was gone, so we had to assume she had left to pick us up, but she was not at McD's. I was SURE she had been in an accident along the way. Michelle continued on to pick us up, arrived and did not see an accident on the way. Since calling the hospitals is my job, the numbers were in my phone and I started calling the Emergency Rooms. Cary called our friend who is a Highway Patrolman. Kaylee has babysat for him alot, and his response was "That's NOT like Kaylee, I'll call you right back." We are now headed home with Michelle, and went home the only other way, going by the local Target, Kaylee's favorite place. We drive up and down every aisle, looking for the car. Nothing. George calls back, and says that there have been no accidents in the county involving a car like ours. While George is still on the phone, Kaylee calls in. Cary told her he'd call her right back, he was on the phone with the police who were out looking for her! He hangs up with George, calls Kaylee back, NO ANSWER! I called Kaylee...NO ANSWER! I said "her phone is broken, she can call out, but no one can call in and she's not getting texts." So, we wait for Kaylee to call back! Michelle heads on to take us home, and of course we had no keys with us! We were waiting in the driveway, with the luggage, and laughing like crazy when our precious Kaylee pulled in the driveway! Yes, she had been at Target, got tired of waiting for us to call, and had gone next door to the shoe store, and yes, her phone was broken! She finds it very funny that we thought she was involved in a fatal accident just because she didn't answer her phone. I kept wondering why at least the COPS weren't answering her phone, if she was in an accident! Of course the only thing I could comfort myself with on that note was that the phone had been thrown so far from the car that no one was hearing it. Welcome back to the real world, where there is NEVER a dull moment!