Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone!  What a joyous day it is!

This year, I feel that I understand Easter more than I have in the past.  I don't know if it is due to where I am in my life or because of the amazing services I have experienced during Holy Week.  It is probably a combination of both.

Not only have I gotten a better understanding of Jesus's last days through 24 Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton, which we discussed over several weeks in Sunday School, but I attended Holy Week services for the first time.

Maundy Thursday service was fairly short, but powerful. We studied/heard about The Last Supper, what led to it, and what was foreshadowed. We had Communion just as Jesus has mandated. The scriptures were read aloud by three different parishioners in slightly different styles to help impress upon everyone the seriousness and action taking place. Can you imagine what He was thinking knowing what was ahead of Him?

Good Friday's service was beautiful. It was done in Tenebrae Style.  Songs were sung, scriptures were read, and the lighting was low.  As the story of Jesus's last days was told, various parishioners read the scriptures with songs sung by the choir in between, but the most powerful part to me was the lighting and extinguishing of the candles.  When the names of the Disciples were read, a candle was lit for each one.  As the story continued and the Disciples, one-by-one, denied Jesus, their names were said and candles extinguished.  When Jesus died on the cross, His candle was extinguished, and a black cloth was placed upon the cross.  When He had risen, His candle was reignited.  With the scripture, songs, candles . . . the service was very moving and explained the events and what Jesus experienced better than I had ever considered it. I so wish my niece and nephew could have been with me to experience this service.  If you, my readers, have never experienced a service like this, I highly recommend it.  I didn't do it justice in describing it to you. So powerful and moving!

Easter service was full of songs and joy as we were reminded that Jesus was placed in the tomb and rose again, just as he proclaimed.  The songs were beautiful and emphasized the story and its meaning.  The service ended with the Hallelujah Chorus.  Just beautiful!

A Facebook friend shared pictures of the Passover Experience that she and her family attended this Easter weekend.  This event in coordination with Holy Week would be quite the experience.  I hope, one day, that I can take my niece and nephew to each of these events.

Did you dye eggs this year?  This is one activity that I absolutely love.  I always have.  This is the first year I can think of that I have not dyed eggs. I loved it as a child and continued to dye them through college.  When my niece and nephew came along, I had an even better reason to keep doing it each year.  This year, we weren't together, so I didn't do it, but they shared a picture of their eggs with me.

I hope you and your family have had a wonderful, joyous Easter.

Ten Years Ago Today

Today marks the 10th Anniversary of my father's passing.  My mom and brother were by his side as he took his last breath.  That night, I was in one of my first two Doctoral classes. (He was so excited to have a "Doctor" in the family.) When class ended, because I was having issues with my contacts, which were fogging up, I drove down the street to my aunt and uncle's place.  I took care of my contacts and then had my Uncle drive my aunt and I to the hospital.  By the time we got there, he was gone.

Had my uncle driven faster, it seemed like we were creeping down the highway, or had I not had issues with my contacts, I might have been there in time. I could have not gone to class, but I found that whole week that I needed routine in order to keep it together.  I went to work, taught my students, went to class, did my work . . . everything had to stay the same in order for me to maintain control. Mom wanted me to make my own decision, so she sort of let me know what was happening, but she never said, "Get over here, now" or anything like that.

The last time I saw my dad, it was like I knew, so I said my "good-byes" then.  I don't regret not being there at that very moment he breathed his last.  I hope my mother and brother don't hold it against me or are not mad in some way because I wasn't there like they were.  Maybe it was selfish of me to handle the whole situation the way I did, but I had to do what I needed to do for me, so I thought. (Weird, how this is one of the absolute few times I did what I felt I needed to do for me.)

The Wednesday of Spring Break in 2003, he had a headache, and it didn't go away.  He didn't seek medical attention until Friday.  When he did, the doctors transported him to a larger hospital. At this point, he had some therapy, but he really had no signs of a stroke, not like you think of . . . no use of left side, difficulty speaking, etc.  He was in ICU, but everything seemed pretty good for a stroke.  On Sunday evening, we took turns visiting with him, talking, etc.  We got permission for my nephew, 19 months, to go inside to visit.  Just after my brother walked about of the room carrying my nephew, a vision I still see clearly, my father had a stronger stroke, from which he didn't' recover. We had to make a decision whether or not we wanted the doctors to go in and clear his arteries in his neck.  I think I believed that he would recover or have a better chance of recovery if we chose to do the procedure.  We did choose to do it, so they wheeled him into surgery.  The last time I visited, he was not aware of his surroundings.  He really wasn't there.  He constantly would pick up his arm as to look as his watch, but since there was no watch, he would look at the clock on the wall.  Over and over and over and over and over, he did this.  After a few days, we had to decide what to do next.  Do we leave him on the machines and hope he gets better or do we choose to turn the machines off?  The doctors couldn't give us an hopeful solutions. We knew my father wouldn't want to live like that, so we made the decision to turn off the machines.

10 years. A lot happens in ten years.  A lot happens when you lose a loved one. We've added my niece, had many trying times, watched my niece and nephew grow into the amazing young people they are, lost my grandmother, changed jobs, and more.  Life changes in 10 years.  Life changes when you lose a loved one.

I know there are things I have done in the last 10 years that have made my father smile down on me.  There have been times that I have really wished he were here so I could ask him about a song, a play in a sporting event, who someone was, why something was the way it was. I wonder what life would have been like these last 10 years if he had not had a stroke. 

I wish my niece and nephew had gotten to know him.  It is funny. My nephew was 19 months old when my dad passed away, but my nephew still remembers things about him and what they did together.  I try to tell my niece about him since she never met him.  Whenever I can, I tell them things he did or said and how proud he is of them.

My dad's birthday was Halloween. When I was little, we would have cake and ice cream before going Trick-or-Treating.  For several years, I would get cookies or cupcakes, and my niece, nephew, and I would go to his gravesite and talk to him, tell stories, and celebrate his birthday. I miss doing that with them.

10 years. 10 years is a long time. 10 years is also a very short time.

The House That Built Me

This month marks the 40th Anniversary of my parents moving into my house.  My parents had been married for 7.5 years when they drove 20-30 minutes east looking for a community where their future children would not be bussed to school.

My dad was driving and my mom fell asleep, which she often did when not driving.  He drove onto the street where my brother and I were raised and stopped to look at a few houses at the north end of the street.  My mom fell in love with the second house, but someone had already purchased it.  The salesperson explained that there was another house almost exactly like it a few lots down.  It wasn't quite ready, but if she wanted it, she could pick the colors, flooring, etc. Anyone who knows my mom knows that isn't something that interests her or that she feels comfortable doing, so she told the company just to pick what they thought would look nice.  Of course, being the 1970s, they chose avocado green, harvest gold, and a rose color, colors found in all the other houses on the street, and wood paneling in the living room. The house was finished, and they moved in at some point in March 1973, probably the week of Spring Break.

Over 40 years, we have done some work.  No, no more avocado green, harvest gold, and rose. I finally convinced Mom to let me paint the paneling a year or two ago.  It is now a creamy, beachy sand color.  It brightens up the whole room.

For some, it is just a house--a building that has protected us from heat and storms. For me, it is so much more.

• My dad taught me about so many genres of music and instilled a deep love of music from the 40s and 50s through his record collection and playing the music in the playroom so loud you could hear it all over the house and outside. You could tell his mood when you drove into the driveway because you could hear the music.
• The kitchen table, which is still in the same spot, holds memories of family meals and discussions, my brother and I completing homework year after year, and Mom and I grading paper upon paper.
• The garage was turned into a play room for my brother and me when I was about 3 and then later a sitting/entertainment room for my dad.  A man cave by today's standards. When my brother and sister-in-law moved in, it became their bedroom.  
• The formal living and dining rooms have been just that or my brother and sister-in-law's bedroom, a playroom for my niece, my bedroom when everyone was living in the house, a sewing room, and now an office and library. 
• My brother and I had various Birthday parties inside and outside of the house. Later, we threw my niece and nephew's parties there too.
• We caught the bus to school right in front of our house.  Funny, since they didn't want us bussed.  Oh, the things I learned on the bus and the friends I made.
• My dad coached my brother's baseball and soccer teams on the back acre, where we had the fields laid out, bases placed, and goals set.
• My dad, brother, neighborhood kids, and I played touch football in the front yard.
• Our original neighbors helped plant a pecan tree with me when I was about 4 and then another one when my brother was around 4.  Both are growing beautifully today, reminders of the sweet neighbors who were like an additional set of grandparents. I could go on and on with the memories of our original next door neighbors and the neighbors who still live down the street.
• My mom and I built the deck to our above ground swimming pool when I was younger, and my brother and I spent many hours in that pool and playing in the backyard. The pool doesn't still exist, but the memories do. Mom and I also moved the fence back about 10 feet one summer.
• I played with Little People, dolls, cars, and imaginary friends in my room, and as a teenager, I talked on the phone for hours with my friends.
• We celebrated my parents' 25th Anniversary and Mom's 60th Birthday in the formal living room. 
• I still refer to my brother's bedroom as his bedroom even after it has been an office, my nephew's bedroom, and now a room for both my niece and nephew when they visit. 
• My nephew, Mom, and I helped my uncle redo the floor in the shed out back.
• My mom and I mourned my dad's passing here. The family gathered at our house after the funeral.
• My niece and nephew's prints are near the back porch in cement stepping stones.
• As toddlers, my niece and nephew would run to the door as I entered it each afternoon with open arms shouting, "Auntie!" Oh, how my heart melted.  They sure knew how to brighten up a long, hard day.
• My niece and nephew had the opportunity to make memories in this house too for 9 and 10.5 years.
• We learned to drive in our driveway and on our street. 
• There are so many more memories I could mention.

I am who I am for many reasons, but I would not be near the person I am had I not lived in this house on this street in this town.  I love my house.  I love my street.  I would raise a family here.

Miranda Lambert's The House That Built Me spoke so deeply to me as I heard it daily for about a year.

"The House That Built Me"

I know they say you cant go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me. 



I don't know if you have a place that holds memories like this.  Many people might, but they tend to move on and start memories in a new place.  That hasn't happened for me, not yet.  So for now . . . I will live on in my house with so many memories and look forward to making more.

Here's to 40 more years!

The Life of Christ

In Sunday School, we have been watching/discussing 24 Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton.  It has been fascinating, moving, unbelievable, and so much more.  We have watched a video section each week followed by great discussion.

On Wednesday evenings, our Pastor has been leading a short 30 minute service around the senses.  The church doesn't normally have Wednesday services, but she has done it this year during Lent.  Wednesday night focused on touch.  She dramatically discussed the story of Jesus making the blind man see.  She then allowed each person to choose a Prayer Square.  We discussed how God is always there for us, and we just need to pray.  We also always have others praying for us.  The Prayer Square reminds us of these things.  We prayed holding our squares.  She then had us gather around the Baptism Fount.  We each chose a small black rock from the bottom of the basin.  This reminded us of being Baptized and what being Baptized means.  While the water will dry and go away, the rock will always be with us to remind us.  God is our rock.  This sermon really impacted my niece and nephew. 

While at the Palace of Wax, they had a Life of Christ exhibit.  It gave me an opportunity to talk about Christ with my niece and nephew.

The shepherds are told a child will be born in a manger.

 

A child is born in a manger.

 

A young Jesus learns from the priests.

 

Jesus teaches the children.

 

Jesus teaches the multitudes.

The Last Supper

 

Crucifixion

Laying in the tomb.

 

He has risen!

 

An Aging Population

I have been noticing lately that those I seem to be surrounding myself with tend to be Senior Citizens.  I'm not sure what this means or where I'm headed, but it has just become more obvious lately.

My mother has another year before reaching 70, and by caring for her and checking on her at rehab, we are surrounded with Senior Citizens staying in the nursing home.

I had been helping to care for my grandmother, and she passed away at 89.5.

Today, I attended my Great Uncle's 80th Birthday party.  80 years!  It was more like a family reunion with people of all ages, but those I was with while my mom visited were the older of the bunch.

Recently, I experienced a new restaurant with friends.  We laughed that we were the youngest ones in the room.

I have always felt more comfortable with people older than me.  I don't know if that is because I was raised by older parents or because I was blessed to spend most weekends with my Great Grandmother or because I was blessed to spend much of my time with my grandparents. Finding that I am around Senior Citizens more these last few days/weeks . . . I'm not sure if it is a sign of something to come, a career change, or just the fact that that is what happens when caring for aging loved ones.  We shall see.  It has made me start thinking about our population as a whole and that it is made up of more and more older citizens and what that means for our future.

Spring Break 2013

Spring Break is coming to an end.  I have had so much fun this year.  My niece and nephew arrived Friday evening to kick-off our week of fun.
 
Friday Evening:  Dinner and conversation with Gram
My mom is still in rehab recovering from her broken leg.  It was great to get her out for the evening to eat a "sit down" meal with the family.  We talked and talked until it was late and time to take her back.  (She can only be gone from rehab for 4 hours at a time.)

Saturday:  Booth Sale and Errands
We held our last Girl Scout Cookie Booth Sale of the year on Saturday morning form 10-12.  It was in the upper 60s, but the wind was gusting 20-40 miles an hour, so it felt cooler.  We couldn't even get the cookies out and set-up our table because everything kept blowing away.  It was funny because the girls' hair was blowing and standing on end.  It wasn't our best sale of the season, but we did OK.

Once we finished, we ran a few errands, grabbed lunch, and went to eat with Gram.  Actually, my nephew stayed with Gram while my niece and I were at the Booth Sale.  I think that was a smart decision.  :-)

We ran a few more errands after lunch before going home to rest.  We had dinner with Gram.

Sunday:  Girl Scout Sunday and Bronze Service Project
Check out the Girl Scout Sunday blog post.

Monday: Aquarium and Legos
After getting off to a slow start, we made our way to Sea Life Aquarium for the morning.  We enjoyed seeing all the fish and turtles.  After lunch, we checked out Legoland.

On the way home, we stopped to visit a cousin who had surgery a few days before. We decided to get Sweet Frog and take it to enjoy with Gram.  We played Apples to Apples and watched RAW.  We had a light dinner after our sweet treat.

Tuesday:  Girl Scout Birthday, Service Project, and Fun with Friends
Check out the Girl Scout Birthday blog post.

Wednesday: Ripley's, Louis Tussaud's, and Ice Skating
We had discussed going to a local zoo, but Wednesdays tend to be half price or $1 day, and we just didn't want to be in those crowds on top of the Spring Break crowds, so we voted for something different.  We went to Ripley's Believe It or Not and chose to also visit Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax and the Mirror Maze.  We really enjoyed our visit and made it through before the big crowds started.

  

 

 

Standing on pretend hot coals.

                                                            
                                                            Being interviewed by Oprah

The Wizard of Oz

History through the decades

 

All the Presidents made of wax

  

We enjoyed CiCi's pizza for lunch, one of their favorite places, before trying something new.  My niece and nephew went ice skating!  We normally don't do anything this crazy because we don't want anything to hinder my niece's dancing or my nephew's soccer playing.  We just don't want them to break anything.  Well, I threw caution to the wind and did it anyway.  :-)  My niece went around a few times.  She liked it, but she was OK with stopping.  My nephew loved it!  He was a natural.

It tired them out, and they slept all the way back home.  We finally got that needed hair cut for my nephew before going to tell Gram all about our day. After a short rest, we headed off to see Escape from Planet Earth, and Gram got to join us! Thursday: Zoo and Caverns Today was the day to head back toward my brother and sister-in-law's.  We decided we couldn't just get in the car and drive.  We had to find something fun to do along the way.  My niece loves visiting zoos, so we stopped at the Cameron Park Zoo.  When we arrived, we missed parking in the zoo lot by one car.  They sent us to park at a middle school to ride the shuttle.  That was great!  It picked us up right at our car, dropped us off at the front gate, and dropped us back off right at our car.  It couldn't have been better if we had parked on site.  It isn't a huge zoo, but it was just right.  The weather was perfect, and all the animals were out to see. There were a lot of people, but it wasn't so crowded you couldn't see the animals.

We put off lunch until after we left the zoo, so we were starved.  While eating, we decided that we needed to do something else fun as we continued heading south. We stopped at Inner Space Caverns. We walked a half mile in and a half mile back out.  It was a lot of fun and exercise. :-) They had a few animals outside and a mining area. Oh, we got to see an actual bat hanging just above our heads inside the cave.

We drove through a little traffic before getting to our destination.  

Friday: Good-bye After visiting and looking at our Spring Break pictures on the computer, I got in my lovin' and headed north again. I had so much fun with my niece and nephew and miss them terribly!

Now to plan our next adventure . . .