More Ups Than Downs

 

an illustration of my week

When we finish our morning bike ride, we both get some water (sometimes with added electrolytes) and sit on the front porch to cool off. From my perspective I see two palms in our yard, and more down the street that extends out perpendicular in front of us. 

As I sat there this morning, I gazed upward and thought those spiky palm branches illustrate my past week: beauty and purpose all its own but not without sharp points.

Don't worry, this won't be a cryin' in my beer tea post (I don't drink alcohol), but I will share the ups and downs of recent days. As our Lord said:

"Tribulation" may be too strong of a word 🙄, but you get the idea: adversity finds all of us. I will begin with the most troubling problem:

Augghast!!!

You may remember my post in August regarding a serious nose bleed that took me to the ER in the middle of the night. I came home a few hours later with very uncomfortable but entirely necessary packing in the left nostril. In an effort to inject a little humor into the problem, I sketched out the above self-portrait (the drawing is not entirely accurate). 

In the process of all that last month, I had to go to the ER again because my blood pressure had shot above 200, which (I learned) is a potential for a stroke, heart attack, and other very undesirable conditions. 

Some 36 hours after the packing party, my ENT (ear, nose, throat doctor) removed the stuffing, said all looked good and I was released without having the nasal passage cauterized. The next several weeks went well in spite of learning to adapt to blood pressure medication and learning to eat less sodium.

 

Then early this week I sprung a strong leak again, seemingly in the same part of my nose from the previous episode. Wiser from the previous experience and with desperate prayer, I was able to stop this bleed within 20 minutes, so no medical intervention was required. 

But a day or two later I had two more bleeds, both arrested in 15 minutes, necessitating stain removal from clothing and towels (i.e. a load of laundry). By this time I realized a call to the ENT was necessary. They got me in the next day, but not before yet a 4th bleed all in one week. 

Let me just clear my name here, for those of you who are silently thinking it: no, I have not been picking my nose! 

The skin on older adults thins and does not recover as easily, so when things like this happen, it's not as easy to recuperate. I could elaborate on that with a really tough experience my mother had a few years ago when her hand was lacerated when she fell out of an aluminum lawn chair. The doctors at that time explained to Sister and me some of the facts of aged skin and so forth. It's scary!!

Anyway, this time the ENT cauterized my nose and now, a little over 48 hours later, I am very hopeful that problem is behind me. I am happy to report the procedure did not hurt at all as my doctor did an excellent job of numbing my nose beforehand. An antibiotic prescription ointment was given to me to apply (CAREFULLY!!) at the very entrance to the nostrils (no deeper) and I was told to not lift or strain for 2 weeks while this problem heals.

lunch at Bob Evans

Because the ENT secretary had to work me into their busy schedule that day, we ended up waiting for a very long time in both the waiting room and then in the treatment room, both of which were freezing cold. On our way home, we stopped for lunch and then didn't do much of anything with the remains of the day except lay around and nap in front of the TV.

Steve Martin and Rick Moranis
dance the merengue

For many years (since about 1990), there's been a movie I like to watch when I need to just "get off the bus" so to speak, forget my troubles and laugh. "My Blue Heaven" with Steve Martin does it for me. I had not watched it in over 3 years, so it was just what I needed.

Here's the link to the movie trailer on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flx9YKnnl6Y

one of our many neighborhood fountains

Happily, that's the worst of my news and it does appear the ending is good (no repeats of the problem). 

Chimmi the Mule

You may remember reading in another post this past summer about the birthday celebration of my daughter-in-law's mule. That was a happy day, as you can see, with the party hat and loving strokes from her people. 

my son, the mule and cat in edifying conversation

However, the mule has learned a very bad habit this past week: she can jump the fence at the ranch where she is currently stabled. The last I heard, she had done this twice. None of my three children ever climbed out of their cribs but having a mule (a large one, at that) repeatedly jump to freedom is quite a problem. I have not heard what they plan to do about that!

2 cords of fire wood

There's been a lot of sharing on blogs lately about the change from summer to fall with descriptions of pumpkin-spiced beverages, candles, warm sweaters, and pies along with cozy fires inside the home, quilts, and so forth. Here in Florida where we usher in the new season with our sleeveless tops, shorts, and flipflop sandals, I can't contribute much to the traditions of Autumn. But the same son who has the mule did text me this photo he took of the fire wood recently delivered to his mountain home out west. So there's that.

from my kitchen this week

I baked some brownies using Ovaltine powder that was tucked at the very back of our pantry. The way they rise so nicely in the cast iron wedge pan pleases me greatly. 

Sister's Basset Hounds

Before I get too far from talk about animals, you need to see Daisy and Maggie. This week they've been very happy and busy entertaining Sister's visiting family, a very tiring but no doubt very enjoyable job for both of them. 

family waits for the parade

One of the Rites of Fall in Sister's town is the annual Pumpkin Festival, complete with carnival rides, food, and a parade. (I'm pretty sure the dogs stayed home for this activity.)

from Shawna on FB

We have been very blessed this year (thus far) with unusually good weather with respect to hurricanes. But the season is not over until November 30th, so we keep up with the forecasts and staying prepared.

Edith's keyboard

This past week a new home has been found for the Yamaha keyboard. Neither of us know how to play it, so it was time to release it (in excellent condition) to a church school of music here in town. I wish I knew how to play it, but at this season of my life, I'm doing good to keep up with the requirements of daily life without learning this. 

current books

When I gave up my needleworks a few years ago for simpler things (i.e. no longer have a sewing room, etc), I decided reading would be one of my primary occupations. With age and life experiences, I've amassed questions demanding answers. Also, as a hobby, reading does not require equipment and is easily carried along wherever I want to go. 

In the Presence of Jesus
(click on title to order)

The two books pictured above are my current reads. In the Presence of Jesus is what I've been using for my morning quiet times with the Lord. It's got 40 chapters to read, one a day. I completed Day 30 this morning. It's really good for private, quality alone-with-God time.

How Can I Know?
(click on title to order)

The other book is also very good as it discusses questions I've confronted as life events have unfolded before me. More than once these pages have led me to scriptural conclusions about issues that I, before now, have not necessarily handled in the best way. The chapter headings are:

 

How can I know there is a God?

How can I know the Bible is true?

How can I know Christianity is the right religion?

How can I know God is good with all the suffering in the world?

How can I know I'm going to Heaven when I die?

How can I know how to forgive someone who has hurt me?

How can I know how to start over when I've blown it?

Ending up this week was a new ladies' Bible study that started up in my retirement community. The leader was expecting around 20 to show up, but the final count was 50 or 60! It was good to see so many women wanting to be in fellowship with others in a study of the Psalms. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

from my camera

Illustrating life with random snapshots is another hobby I've picked up with blogging. As I draw this post to a close, perhaps you can understand why I chose the snapshot of the spiked-leaved palm tree to illustrate my experiences over the past week. 

I hope your week has gone well; but however it was, this is a closing thought that we all would do well to ponder:

Until next time, grace and peace.

Navigating Through [Everything]

Us 
2025

This snapshot was taken earlier this year by my step-granddaughter-in-law (don't try to figure that out, just trust me, she and I are related by our respective marriages into Gary's family). It was taken at a time when family escaped the cold of their home to thaw out for a few days here in Central Florida. 

I chose this photo, which I've shared before, because it is the best illustration that fits since my last blog post. Navigating life: it's an understatement to say recent days have been hard for many. I won't regurgitate current events except to say we all go through times that are tough, mystifying, tragic, and that will take time to process mentally and emotionally.

Those of us who follow Gospel teachings know that the "last days" are like this; it's not going to get better for us until Jesus calls us Home.

Gary and I have not been down to the veterans' cemetery where our late spouses are buried for several months due to the uncomfortable humid heat with the nearly one-hour drive to get there. The weather this week has been slightly better, so with the canvas lawn chairs loaded up, we drove down a couple of days ago. 

Our usual pattern is to stop first at my late husband's grave, spend some time there, and then move to the grave of Gary's late wife, spending a little more time at her place because there tends to be more shade in her neighborhood.

I deviated from that habit on this visit, asking Gary to remain with the car while I carried my chair to Tom's place, sat squarely in front of his raised headstone, and then just cried out loud my words to him and my prayers to God. The tensions from current events in our nation, the realization that it's nearing 5 years since his death, and mulling over the changes in so many areas of life -- I just needed to spill it out by myself at a memorial kind of place. 

The wording on his headstone is what I chose, including the reference to Tom's favorite Bible passage, Proverbs 3:5-6. After crying and with nothing more to say, I dried my face and asked myself if this had been helpful. 

Yes. "Trust the Lord." I have no doubt the Lord inspired me to have those words engraved on the granite to instruct and comfort all who see it, including me. Just believe the Lord is real, let go of my questions and doubts, and choose to be at peace as I rely on God to do His will "on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

lunch after the cemetery

Whew. That's heavy stuff. But maybe in my sharing how I cope with the hard things, it will be a help to others who also struggle. I hasten to add my profound gratitude that the Lord brought Gary into my life so I don't sit at home lost in baffling thoughts all by myself. He and I have differing perspectives on some things, but he is "someone in my corner", so to speak. We talk about a lot of things together and I am helped. We comfort each other greatly.

I had some money left over on a gift card for Cracker Barrel, so we stopped there on our way home. Gary had pork chops and I had meat loaf. In spite of all the hubbub about changes Cracker Barrel's corporate officers were going to make, our visit there was pretty much as it always has been, including all the antique stuff on the walls. 

Publix half cake

Before reaching home, we stopped at our grocery store so I could take advantage of their half-price offer to help me celebrate my "half birthday." 

4 servings came out of this cake

Since lunch is always our big meal of the day and this time was no exception, portions of the "half birthday cake" became our supper. We finished it off the following day and now I am officially en route over the next 6 months to my next birthday, Lord willing.

With Fall starting this weekend, our thoughts naturally turn to getting our annual flu shots. We did that this morning at our pharmacy. I got mine first. As I was exiting the little booth where the injection was administered, I jokingly told the pharmacist to be aware that my husband would "cry like a baby" with his shot. 🤭

Gary is the cutie on the far right
with his 3 brothers

Afterward as we walked back out to the car, I asked Gary about getting shots when he was a little boy. He told me that he would say to himself, "I AM NOT GOING TO CRY THIS TIME!!" But then one of his older brothers would start to cry, and that would make everyone cry. 

Coyote on our golf course

I shared this picture on Facebook but now you get to see it, too. On the first morning bike ride after our recent road trip we stopped at our usual spot to sip some water and saw this coyote staring out over the lake. He didn't move at all, which was curious.

close-up

When we stopped by there on our return toward home, the animal had not moved at all. Bravely, I left Gary standing with our bikes while I ventured closer.

still not moving

Nope, he's definitely not alive. I don't know what that's all about. Is he leftover from some retiree's career at a museum? I dunno. Now, over a week later, he's still there. 

my collection of Crocs sandals
(except the blue ones are by Reel Legends)

As we are moving into fall, I can still wear my Crocs sandals every day. But come mid-to-late November, I'll probably tuck these away for a couple of months as we endure a Florida winter (wink, smile). 

As I was telling one of my text-groups recently, Crocs does have shoes for narrow feet, but my experience has taught me to go into the store to buy them. Ordering narrow Crocs on-line did not work for me. 

Grace T. gave me the pattern for this
Dresden Plate table topper

Decorating for fall inside our home has been fun. Pulling out the rusty oranges and browns is a refreshing change while the outdoor pines and palms don't change with the seasons.

Our front door entry area morphs very quickly into the formal dining room. The bowl and pitcher belonged to Edith (she had great taste), and I made the pieced topper in 2011.

"Chocolate Chair"

The diagonal squares runner is a pattern I sewed many times, for all seasons. It was quick and fun. It is displayed on my "Chocolate Chair," which was purchased in Colorado some twenty years ago. While I seldom sit in it, this chair is special to me and is now tucked into a corner of the dining room.

another bowl and pitcher 
from Edith's collection

This coffee table runner made from a soft suede fabric is from a second-hand shop. Jersey Girl and I found it last year on a lunch shopping trip.

a smaller version of the pattern
on the Chocolate Chair

Since we won't be having any trick or treaters here in our +55 gated community, we've got candy out all the time! Again, the sewing is mine while the dishware belonged to Edith.

kitchen table appliquéd runner

Thirty years ago Tom's work transferred us from Colorado Springs to Orlando. We were there barely a year because, to put it bluntly, I was NOT READY to be a Floridian with the heat, humidity, and lack of definitive seasons. On our return to Colorado (Denver), I made several of these runners for Christmas gifts to family and friends. Creating this design myself, this was my celebration of our return to the Rocky Mountains.

That was, of course, a long time ago. My feelings, rather my acceptance, of Florida's climate have altered enough that I am content here now. As I like to say, we don't have to shovel anything! ☃️

wood pumpkin

As you can easily see, my idea of autumn decor relies heavily on my sewing room treasures, but we've got a few other items from Hobby Lobby and such. This pumpkin sits on a living room lamp table.

another Hobby Lobby prize

This scroll work pumpkin is a favorite. The doilies are from my shopping and also from my mother's home. Doilies speak "tradition" and "comfort" to me. Generally speaking, they are not a favorite with younger people, which brings down the price when I happen to find them.

With that I close this edition of Journal Memories. I hope that once I got past the serious topics of this post, the remaining subjects served as a pleasant diversion from the hard stuff of life we all are facing. In everything, this prayer is for you and me:

"... may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding."

I Chronicles 22:12 NLT

Thank you for stopping by. I am grateful for your thoughtful comments and pray for you as I read them. Until next time, grace and peace.

To God Be The Glory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHBCBMpYhm8

This testimony of Erika Kirk from September 12, 2025 is possibly the most beautiful statement of faith I have ever seen. It is a clear illustration and example of the power, wisdom, and poise the Holy Spirit can give to any of us when we are surrendered to what God is doing/allowing in our lives in spite of the deepest grief.

I am turning off comments for this post.

Recent Events (and It's Only Thursday)

Yesterday afternoon I had sat down before my computer with the intent to complete the draft of a blog post begun the day before when a text message popped up with the disturbing news about the shooting of Charlie Kirk. 

At that point, I checked the Internet for the veracity and details of the news and then began praying all would turn out well. I stepped out to the lanai to tell Gary. The blog post was put on hold and we turned on FOX news. You know the rest. 

My response was shock, tears, and few words spoken the rest of the day and into the evening. I folded laundry, steamed some fresh vegetables for a light supper -- all within easy view of the TV news. We eventually changed the station to an old movie and then checked back with FOX before going to bed. 

Some interesting things have happened (to me, anyway) since my last blog post on September 2nd. I want to share those highlights here because this blog is a record of my life. Before I do that, however, I have searched my thoughts for something profound to say regarding Charlie Kirk's passing, which applies to all the souls lost 24 years ago on this day. What can I say that has not already been stated by so many others? Probably nothing.

But this much is clear to me: death does not silence the life message of the one whose earthly existence has come to an end. Often, that testimony is actually emphasized more after the death. 

When someone dies, we tend to examine their life to determine the meaning of their presence on earth. What can we learn from their experiences, their attitudes, their responses, their choices? Does a test of their life teach us lessons or give us warnings?

Yes. We do ourselves a great favor to learn from the stories of others.

Those who willfully take a life do not really silence, or put to an end the influence of that life but actually enhance it. In the case of Charlie Kirk, his legacy of faith, courage, and an ability to draw people into Truth is very strong. He will be missed but the wise among us will pick up where he left off and it will be good.

We have survived the heat and humidity of Florida. Schools are back in session (as well as homeschools 😉), the weather is more comfortable, and retirees take to the roads for adventure. 

bridge over the Ohio River

To preserve the privacy of family, I won't be overly specific about our locations nor the order in which we visited various places. As usual, I'll let the snapshots from my cell phone tell much of the story.

When "my former life" came to an end, I packed up and/or disposed of my refrigerator magnets. Now when Gary and I travel, I scour the gift shops and gas stations for new ones that illustrate where we've been together. Yes, if you look at the above snapshot closely you'll see we've got some from our home states (Colorado and Idaho, plus Wyoming), of which we have not (yet) visited together. But the rest are memories we share over the past three years.

truck traffic

While Gary does not mind if I drive, and I have proven myself capable behind the wheel, I much prefer he do it. He did it all as we accumulated nearly 3,200 miles on the Toyota's odometer. 

atlas on my lap

My assignment most of my adult life on road trips has been to keep an eye on the atlas, so I continue with that, although we depend much more heavily on GPS. We use WAZE,  https://www.waze.com/live-map

We had some planned stops along the way, but this one was a pleasant surprise: the World's Largest Culver's!

proof we were there

We had left Illinois behind us and were thinking about where to stop for lunch when I spied a large billboard advertising the largest Culver's in the world. We do our best to keep Culver's in business where we live, so this sign settled the lunch question for that day.

It was indeed large, spacious, clean (like-brand-new-clean), and not yet crowded for the noon-time meal.

Gary at lunch

The seating was comfortably spaced, bright and cheery. 

informational sign in Wisconsin

Since we are retired and can travel at our own pace, taking time to read the informative signs at the rest stops is interesting. I had not given much thought to sphagnum moss until I saw this.

souvenirs

We picked up snacks and souvenirs at one of the gas stops.

But our BEST souvenir is this photo:

Gary with his 4 great-grandchildren

In the years Gary and I have been married, he has been blessed with four great-grandchildren. This past April the little red-haired girl came to see us in Florida, but we had not met the 3 boys, two of whom are twins! They are all a fun bunch of kids. Gary made the observation that not once did we see them squabble during this visit!

four generations

Of course, we took pictures of all four generations on the couch. This is Gary with his son (in the green shirt to Gary's left), that son's four adult children, and one of the four great-grandsons (held by his mommy). 

all the moms

This snapshot is all of the moms in Gary's family. On the far left is the very proud grandma with the mothers of the 4 little ones. 

The two young  couples have recently moved to larger homes due to the expansion of their families. I love seeing houses, so it was a special treat to see where they now live. We were in the far north (not quite within spitting distance of Canada), so in both of the homes the entry hall had a coat closet (seldom seen in Florida homes) and a  bench to sit down and change shoes to accommodate the COLD weather wardrobe requirements.

local weather forecast

Speaking of cold weather, we started our trip wearing shorts and sandals. In the days that followed we wore longer pants, long sleeves, socks, and jackets. For one of us it was a refreshing change, while the other of us grimaced with chattering teeth. (I won't mention any names but his preferred dress code is what he calls, "Florida Casual.")

The homes we visited decorated according to their locale and interests. I noticed folded, warm blankets neatly stacked in the corner. (reminders of my years in Colorado)

We were no longer in the land of sea shell decor and palm trees! I lost count how many times we crossed major rivers on this trip, including the mighty Mississippi, several times! Of course that one narrows down gradually, the farther north one travels.

At this time of year I usually start having people take our picture with hopes one of them will look good for our Christmas card and/or annual newsletter.

us at the Mississippi River

This won't be the one. The wind took care of that decision with my unflattering hair style!!

breakfast at Country Inn & Suites

When we travel, we stay in hotels instead of homes, a personal preference that means we avoid nocturnal encounters in a darkened hallway with others while in our jammies. The hotel free breakfasts are always good, too, not requiring our hosts to accommodate our dietary idiosyncrasies. 

We made a delightful discovery on this trip. Drury Inn provides not only breakfast but also a great supper buffet! The one night we were at a Drury Inn, the buffet had all of the following:

pulled pork on slider buns

chili

hot dogs

baked beans

macaroni and cheese

green salad

cole slaw

nacho chips with hot cheese dip

popcorn

beverages

Our room was reasonably-priced at $160 per night with all of that food. We will keep this chain in mind whenever we travel in the future.

my parents' graves

On a somber note, we stopped in Chicago to visit the graves of my parents. Although my mother died last October, we were not able to go to the cemetery the weekend of her funeral, so we closed the chapter on that during this trip. I had not been to this cemetery in many years, so Sister gave me instructions on how to find the headstone.

When my father died in 1986, Mama chose the cemetery and paid for the flat headstone instead of one that stands upright. I remember her telling me it cost less to have a headstone that the lawnmowers can ride over instead of paying more to have the grass clipped around a monument. 

Well, that is true. However, unless you know exactly where to look (depending on upright monuments for guidance), grass will grow over the flat headstone, making it tricky to find the right grave. When we found it, Gary and I both ended up on our knees, pulling up crab grass that had networked and nearly obscured the headstone. That was disappointing and even felt disrespectful. 

As my long-time readers know, Gary and I visit fairly often the graves of our late spouses at the veterans' cemetery in Florida. Those grave markers are all upright, very easy to find.....

Bowling Green, Kentucky

The last destination on this trip was the National Corvette Museum. Gary is a car guy, having owned two 'vettes in the past, as well as the Ford T-Bird he acquired the same week as our first date.

Gary and the 2002 Ford Thunderbird
December 2021

He's also had a Camaro, a '60 Impala, a '61 Impala, a '66 Impala, a couple of Mustangs, another T-Bird, and more. 

the museum, gift shop, and grill

While we could not go into the factory to watch car assembly, the museum was large, well-done, and interesting. In 2014 there was a massive sink hole in the Skydome, that area of the above picture with the yellow roof and red pointed cone. It opened unexpectedly, swallowing 8 Corvettes. The hole measured 40 feet wide, 60 feet long, and 30 feet deep. 

one of the damaged cars
from the sink hole

That area has been restored and was a big part of what we visited. Here (below) is what that area looks like now:

inside the Skydome

Since Gary knows cars, he was able to identify the year of many of these without even looking at the signs. I learned that the flip-up headlights were not a part of the design until 1963.

1961

This sweet number from 1961 was my favorite with its cute shape, classic lines, and the white coved area on the sides.

Gary's favorite

This white one was Gary's favorite. I was going to buy it for him until I realized at the check-out that my wallet didn't have enough $20s. 🙄😆🤭

1967 Corvette

At the end of our visit to the museum, Gary signed up for a raffle to win this green '67 Corvette. Since he is totally against keeping a vehicle outdoors, I asked him where we would put the car if he wins; he's still considering options. 

gift shop sack

As you may have guessed, we are not big spenders. At the gift shop I bought another refrigerator magnet and a calendar. The orange paper bracelet was a complimentary gift from the admissions desk.

gas station flowers

It's been an eventful start to September. The faith of many has been challenged but I hope strengthened, too. This verse helps me to remember that our sincere faith, which is the reliance on God's good character is our source of peace:

You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

Until next time, grace and peace.