Day is Done

And, so is our six-day visit with our friends from Southern California.


At Island Cafe -- one of our most favorite spots to eat when the weather is nice. Larry and Dave are sitting at the far back of this picture, near the edge of the boat dock.
Here's Maggie, in her favorite environment--
a place to shop (on the dock where Island Cafe is situated.)

Every day with Dave and Maggie was such a delight! We hated to see the visit come to an end, but it did--too soon. We've been close friends since 1993 when we went to a Club Med resort (Huatulco) in Mexico, together, in a group of seventeen people. We went knowing others in the group, but not each other. We came home with a brand new friendship that grew deep over the years, and now, fifteen years later, though living far apart, in two different states, it seems like only yesterday that we were living near each other and enjoying incredible times together.

It's one of those friendships that never loses its closeness, no matter how far apart friends move from each other. That kind is the best! (We have several of those, and those of you reading this, know who you are.)

Their "g'bye" card to us says: Friendship...The path between friends is measured not in miles, but in memories. You're always as close as our favorite memories of you." That's so true! That's how we feel about all of our close friendships. You are our treasures, and your friendship is truly a wonderful gift to us!

Thank God for friendships that never fade away!

G'bye Dave and Maggie . . . once again, you'll be missed.

Oh, how I love cuckoo clocks!

From my dear husband's "joke of the day" collection:
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Why females should avoid a girl's night out after they are married...

The other night I was invited out for a night with the 'girls.' I told my husband that I would be home by midnight, 'I promise!' Well, the hours passed and the margaritas went down way too easily. Around 3 a.m., a bit loaded, I headed for home.

Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hallway started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution, in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when totally smashed... 3 cuckoos plus 9 cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos = MIDNIGHT!)

The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, I told him, "Midnight". He didn't seem upset in the least. Whew, I got away with that one!

Then he said, "We need a new cuckoo clock."

When I asked him why, he said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, and then swore. Cuckooed 4 more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another three times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the coffee table and swore again.
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When Larry tried to read this to me, we were laughing so hard we were in tears!
He could barely continue to read, and then proceeded to tell me that it was so funny to him because it reminded him of someone he knows well . . . well, actually, two someones (females) he knows well (one who lives under his roof, and one who used to). He quickly explained that it wasn't the getting drunk part, he was thinking about, but the quick-thinking, creative solution to getting caught.

Now, who could he be referring to? Personally, it reminded me of something my two sisters would do.

Juneuary

Okay, enough is enough! Is it June yet, or, is it still January? The answer is: It's JUNEuary! Are we ever going to have summer weather?

I just read the report on my daughter's blog that it was snowing at her house this morning! This is some crazy "summer" weather we're having this year! Put that together with all the horrific storms, flooding, and earthquakes--all of which are breaking records set long ago, makes me wonder:

Which is going to happen first

Words of Yesterday

I read the following blog post yesterday, June 8th, but I actually wrote it three years ago yesterday.

"Fogginess and Haze"

Yesterday morning, when I first got up and looked out the window, I noticed something unusual. The sky was completely overcast, as though a sheet had been draped down from heaven. There was no obvious pattern of clouds -- the sky was just a solid, opaque color that I couldn't see through. Yet, this phenomenom was only true off in the distance. The area surrounding me was clear as a bell, even up to a few miles away, but the hills way off in the distance (the higher elevations) were completely invisible, as though they didn't even exist!

The sight reminded me that this is how life is -- we only get to see this moment! God doesn't give us a glimpse of tomorrow, or even five minutes from now. So often it seems that what we see today makes absolutely no sense to us, and sometimes we wonder about the "how" and the "why" (of today) and the "when" and the "how" (of tomorrow), but only God knows the answer to our questions. He sees the bigger picture -- He sees clearly through the fogginess and the haze, and in His great wisdom and kindness, He protects us from knowing more than we need to know. What we can see right now is all we get for right now. We can trust Him even in the fog and the haze because He sees right through it! I'm so thankful He is that kind of God!
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Although they are "yesterday's" words, I found them to be so timely for now. This has truly been constant reality for me (and for my husband) for the last two years. The "fog" still hasn't lifted, and the haze is still hanging over our heads, even though yesterday was a beautiful sunny day.

Larry finally got a job (end of April), although it's not what he really wanted. So, even though he is working, he has continued on with his job search. I got a job (back in January), but had so many irreconcilable difficulties, that I finally quit it. "Job Searcher" has been my full-time occupation for the last month and half. I don't enjoy it, but this time I'm not able to quit. Our house is still up for sale, but we haven't had any calls on it yet. Actually, we haven't listed it with a realtor, nor have we advertised it anywhere besides the "For Sale" sign in our front yard. There are information flyers in the box on the sign post, but we've held off on any real marketing of our house until we finish the lower level. That project is almost completed.

So, in case you've been wondering about an update to our situation, there really hasn't been anything new to tell. We still don't know what's next in our lives, and God hasn't chosen to reveal it to us. It's the heaviest fog we've experienced in a very long time.

SPLAT!!!

This morning I went to an employment agency to do some testing of my office skills. What an absolute shock to my self-esteem to fall flat on my face! I was so embarressed -- no, make that mortified, to say the least! How could this happen to one so confident in her poise and abilities? Alas, it did happen--splat--flat on my face! Literally! Let me back up a sec here, and describe my preparation for this appointment.

Originally I had opted to take these tests at home where I knew I would be more relaxed, and hopefully, have the best possible test scores for my true abilities. So, yesterday, in the comfort of my own home, I took three of the five computerized tests. I did really well, and was delighted to discover that I can still type 67 words per minute! Yes! I was truly impressed with myself! Two of the tests (MS Word and Excel) would not run on my computer, so I had to make an appointment to go back into the agency office to take the tests.

This morning I smiled through my slight nervousness as I carefully got myself all up to snuff, to show that I fully fit into a top-notch professional office. When all was ready, I looked at myself in the mirror, and thought, uh-huh...lookin' good! Here I go! All ready to put my best foot forward and present myself as the best of the best!

As I drove to the agency for my appointment, I was mostly relaxed, anticipating a repeat of yesterday's successful test scores. All was well until I took my tumble -- out of my SUV, onto the parking lot payment -- FULLY SPRAWLED OUT for all to see! What a lovely--no, make that hilarious sight for anyone who happened to be watching what was going on in the parking lot. A car slowly came by. I layed there, hurting badly, watching to see if the driver would show concern for my well-being. I thought of her as, perhaps, the "good Samaritan", but, no. She ignored me lying there on the ground. I finally decided to see if I could get up, despite the fact that it felt like I might have broken bones. Yes, I could get up, and yes, I could walk, and no, there wasn't anything broken, except maybe my confidence and self-esteem!

I did fine on the tests, albeit a bit shaken. I have only minor abrasions to show for it. Oh, I found out this morning that they have already submitted my resume for an "Office Manager" position. If I get called for an interview, I certainly hope there is no repeat of this morning's performance!

This Moment in Time

More "food for thought" . . .

"Don't wait 'till tomorrow to wish for this moment today."

That's good...dontcha think?

Think about it.

Food for Thought

"I like you; I love you, and I'm sorry!"

That's what my "little" (8 years younger than me) brother always said to my mom at the supper table, whenever there was a tense moment, because she was upset with her family. While all of us "older' children (and my dad) sat silent, unsure how to handle the moment, he would simply say to Mom (in a soft, loving way), "I like you, I love you, and I'm sorry." It usually worked like a charm!

Hmmmm...maybe it should be used at all those difficult moments in a family setting.

A Night of Celebration

Friday was quite a day! It was last day of working where I've been for the last three months, and the day that Larry accepted a job offer from the State of Oregon.

He will be a bank examiner, for State-chartered banks all over the State of Oregon, traveling at least two weeks out of four. He starts work on April 28th, and has his first trip away the following week.

As for me, I will be looking for another full-time job. I may do "temp" work at first, until our house sells, and I know where we'll be living. Larry's office is located about 30-45 minutes from home, so our thought right now is to live about half way between his office and our church. I'm thinking I would like to work somewhere in that area. For those of you who know this area, Larry's office is in Wilsonville, although the main office is in Salem (the capitol of Oregon), and he will also be in Salem sometimes.

Friday night we went out with our son and daughter-in-law. Our evening of celebration began at Jim and Patti's apartment, with Hors’ d’oeuvres. Then we twent to a little cafe where we managed to get a table by the windows, with a nice view for sunset.

The excitement began when I decided to raise the window blinds a little more to get a fuller view of the area. Nothing happened when I gave the usual light tug on the cord, so I tugged a little harder. Still nothing. So, Patti suggested I try a stronger pull. I tried, and that's the last I remember about looking out the window before receiving a good hard clunk on my head. The entire set of blinds had come crashing down on top of my head. When I realized I felt a strange wetness in various places, I began discovering blood dripping -- on my hands, face, glasses, clothes, Larry's jacket, on the table. I was suddenly the center of attention in the whole place! Servers came running to assess my condition, and brought a container of some liquid antisceptic to apply with pressure to my head. Somebody was keeping pressure on my head while someone else was cleaning up the blood. After while we realized I was fine, so I regained my composure, and we finished our meal. Little by little we were able to laugh about it and move on to the next restaurant for dessert.

(Oh, we found the blood came from a surface wound, rather than a deep gash, as it felt like. Head wounds always produce dramatic results!)

Next, we went to a wonderful little dessert place/bakery/chocolate factory. The desserts were heavenly--truly heavenly. Mine was called "A Slice of Heaven"--and it was! Just as we finished up, the master choclatier (owner of the place) came to our table and began some very pleasant conversation with us. To our delight and amazement, he insisted we come with him back into his choclate kitchen, and proceeded to give us a complete tour, explaining the entire process to us. By the time we left there we felt like old friends--very special and especially privileged! We have no idea why he chose to do that with us--maybe it was the blood all over my shirt. Anyway, it was just the perfect finishing touch (the "icing on the cake") to our evening of celebration.

Changes

Today our house went up for sale. Tomorrow we expect to hear some important news regarding Larry's job possibility in Northern California. This week is my last week at work, after giving a two-week notice four weeks ago. (Yes, you read that right -- by the time I quit working, I will have worked five weeks, after my two-week notice.) They asked me if I would be willing to stay longer, so I did -- hard to resist a few more paychecks when their is no other income coming our way.

Larry is currently awaiting offers on two different jobs. Either way, we will be moving, so it's time to get this house sold. Even if relocation isn't necessary, we need to find cheaper housing. It's time for a change, whether or not we like it.

It's been a very long wait, and it's not over yet, but it's time for change.

A Whole Month!

Well, look at that...it's been a whole month--exactly one month today since I last posted! Wow! How things change when one goes back to work!

My new job is going well. It has it's "up" days and it's "down" days -- days when I hope it doesn't last long, and days when I think it's a "keeper". It's hard going back to work at age 58, when one hasn't worked in several years. There are days I love being back at work, and days that I want to quit! Am I too old to do this? I don't know.

What I do know is that God gave me this job, and I will keep it until I believe He says it's time to quit. Until then, I'll just keep depending on Him to help me through each day and each struggle.

Larry flew down to San Francisco this morning to go through a series of "final interviews" -- eight, to be exact, after already having several telephone interviews. Hopefully we'll know more soon--maybe even by this Friday.

The New Job

It's going very well, if you discount the stress of the learning curve. There's so much to learn! Some days I think, "Aha! Now I've got it!", only to realize the next day that I still don't! Fortunately, the good days and bad days seem to alternate with each other, rather than coming in succession with each other. And, it seems that the more I learn and begin to understand the systems and sequence of events, the more I realize how much I still don't know. I'm eager to know it all! I like being an expert in my job, and I dislike intensely a lack of expertise, which might cause other people to think I lack intelligence.

I like the people I work with, and I like the place and the "atmosphere" of the place. I even like the type of work I'm doing. I just don't like being new, and "dumb" at what I'm doing.

Even the getting up early and getting off to work by 7:30 A.M. hasn't really been as tough on me as I would have expected. However, I find that by Friday, I'm really looking forward to staying in bed longer on Saturday morning. And, I'm always really eager for the two-day weekend.

All-in-all, I'm happy to be back in the work world. It's been really good for me! I'm comfortable in this world, and it makes me feel alive and well. God knew what would be good for me, and what kind of job/workplace would suit me to a "T".

God is good, and my new work-world is good for me!

Business as Usual

At 8:00 on Monday morning I will be sitting in a front office, in training to be the new receptionist at a company called Idearc. (It's the publishing company for the yellow pages of our local phone company, Verizon.) The job is full-time, 8:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday. They are looking for "stability" in this new hire -- getting tired of the young gals who come and go quickly, always looking for something better. Hmmmm....I wonder how "stable" I am. I guess time will tell.

On Tuesday morning during the ladies' Bible I attend weekly, I shared my dilemma regarding going back to work. We prayed that God would give wisdom and direction, and that He would provide the right job, if I need one. We prayed about it again in our Wednesday night prayer group at church. On Thursday morning I received an email from one of the gals in my Tuesday morning group. Her husband had just informed her that the receptionist where he works would be leaving, so there was an immediate need to fill that position. On Friday morning I went in for an interview and was offered the job, to start on Monday morning! How's that for quick?

The company I will work for is located only about three miles from home, and happens to the same building/suite that Larry worked in for awhile when he first began working in this area. How's that for "coincidences"?

When I first began praying that God would direct me in this matter of going back to work, I asked Him to make it very clear to me that it was in His plan, rather than mine. He clearly answered that prayer also. I know this is from Him, and I thank Him for it! And, that gives me joy and excitement!

When God answers prayer, it can be immediate, although sometimes we may wait a long time for the answer. Larry is still waiting and looking at job possibilities all over the country. He has now submitted about 70 resumes/applications for job postings he finds on the internet every day, since last August. Our wait for that one continues...

Powerful Video About God's Love and Protection

(You'll need to turn up your volume.)

Picture Preview

Here's a link to our wedding photographer's blog, with some fun pictures of Jim and Patti, plus observation comments from the photographer.

Click here for more pictures.

Enjoy!