Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Bright spots

My husband spotted a snow bunting at our feeder the other morning. I didn't get to see it : ( These are not usually in our area, so it was a rare sighting.
My in-laws (in Iowa)are enjoying watching a pair of Baltimore orioles visit their goldfinch feeder. I'm hoping we'll get to see the orioles in a month when we'll be there. We saw an oriole or two when we lived at our place in Iowa, but never so close up. They are so bright!

On another bright note, one of Brady's images is Picture of the Day over at E-on Software. Go and see!

Saturday, May 26, 2007

A promise

"He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:29-31

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Prayers for Brady

So, we were in California last week visiting the chiropractor. Brady and Erin both needed adjustments and I was still holding. (I've held now for one year!)

Brady usually gets relief soon after getting his atlas adjusted. This time he didn't. His neck and head continued to cause him a great deal of pain. Something wasn't right, but we weren't sure what it was. The doctor thought perhaps he'd been out so long that it was taking him longer to get relief. My "mom" instincts knew that wasn't the case.

Thankfully, we had already planned on going directly to our biofeedback person, a couple hours or so from our home, before actually coming back to our hometown after California. We had treatments on Saturday. We found out that Brady has a virus that is causing neck and brain inflammation. Aha!

A virus like this can be very dangerous and so we are keeping a close eye on it with more biofeedback treatments. This morning he finally had a little relief from his intense pain, but this afternoon it's hitting him again. He is even feeling too badly to do his 3-D artwork which has been such a good outlet for him during his illness.

Please pray for God's continued protection for him. We are asking God to be merciful to him and take this virus away.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Triple crown hopes dashed by a nose


Al Behrman, Associated Press

Curlin (left,) the horse I had picked to win the Kentucky Derby, edged out Street Sense at the wire to crush the derby winner's hopes of a Triple Crown. The Preakness Stakes record time was tied. Another great race.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A russet tinge

From Milton Meltzer's biography of Emily Dickinson: (Vinnie is Emily's sister.)

Once, when Vinnie was ill for a time with headaches, Emily wrote friends that "Vinnie is sick tonight, which gives the world a russet tinge, usually so red. It is only a headache, but when the head aches next to you, it becomes important. When she is well, time leaps. When she is ill, he lags, or stops entirely."

Monday, May 07, 2007

A Terrific Run for the Roses

Go here to read.
photo: (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
I can dance! I love to dance! Velveteen Rabbit, from the play based on the story by Margery Williams

We're doing a dance around here after the great performances of our community theatre's Velveteen Rabbit. God blessed Erin with a strong voice and body (even after a shoulder-first fall onto our cement sidewalk on Saturday.) It was SUPER fun to see Miss E. act so much. Her other roles have just been teasers for me- they left me wanting more. For once, I felt like we were able to see her true colors. Kudos Erin, thanks for working so hard to share your incredible talent.

We're so grateful for all the prayers lifted up on her behalf. God simply showed His amazing grace to us.

I could dance all summer! Velveteen Rabbit, (from the play)


Here's to more dancing!


Friday, May 04, 2007

Friday Update

It's here, Erin's weekend to perform in the Velveteen Rabbit. She's ready and her health is better going into opening night then it was for the last three plays she's been in. THANK YOU for praying. It will still be a hard push, but with God's grace her voice (along with the rest of her body) will hold up.

The local newspaper ran pictures and an article in yesterday's paper. We knew enough to expect some quotes to be turned around, but, well...you just want them to be able to get things mostly right. Poor Stormy (who plays Andrew the little boy) was quoted as saying her dad use to read the book aloud to her. Unfortunately, she's never known her dad, it was her grandmother. And they make Miss Erin (of all people) to appear practically illiterate. The paragraph in the paper says: 'Erin M., who plays the velveteen rabbit, pondered whether she'd heard of the story before she auditioned for her part to the play. She shook her head at first, and then smiled suddenly, "The fairy. I remember the Fairy Flower at the end of the story," she said, "I remember liking that part." ' The question that was actually put to her was, "Do you remember the first time the story was read to you?" (And E. didn't say anything about "Flower" in reference to the Fairy.)

Brady isn't feeling good at all these days. We are suspicious that a small accident has caused his atlas to go out of adjustment. The kids and I will head to S. Cal. the middle of this month for a check-up. Brent can't come along (we're really trying to save his vacation time so we can go to Iowa this summer and celebrate his folks' 50th anniversary.)

We haven't started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet yet, but we are gathering resources in order to do so. I have no illusion of being able to keep strictly to this diet without help, but it looks like we will have some extra help real soon. We hope to get started the week after we get back from California. The more I read about the diet, the more I think it is going to help us. I'm looking forward to having extra support in the kitchen again, which will contribute to our diet's success. If there isn't anything around for us to eat, we'll jump off the diet quick as a wink.

In closing, we were wonderfully treated to a lovely homemade May Day basket, on the 1st, complete with colorful, petite daffodils and miniature carnations. The deliverers made a quick getaway and the card wasn't signed. Who can we thank? If you're reading this, you brightened our day :-)