What Curse??

They did it! Lots of joy - lots of tears - lots of years of heartache put to rest. The Red Sox have pulled it off... This was for you, Andrew.

A birth announcement

I have officially become the grandmother of triplets for the second time in a row. Yes, its true! I got home from work today & the cat who met me at the door was skinny again, not fat. So I searched around & found three cute little kittens all various patterns or black, white & gray. So cute & so little.

Flying to VA

I made a quicker than quick trip to VA this weekend. I arrived at 9:30 Sat morning & left at 5:00 Sunday evening. It was roughly 30 hours, but it was a wonderful time, filled with love & happiness. Here are a few of the highlights:

*Long chats & lunch with Nathan & Audra (my angels who brought me there!)
*Going to the Lisk’s Fall Football party & seeing so many people in one fell swoop
*Hugging Darren, Sara & the kids
*Addie & Stuart sliding on their bellies down the fridge box in their living room - they looked like little blonde otters
*Watching the Red Sox game with Earl & Geni
*My catch-up chat with Geni - we turned in early this time, only staying up til ... 2:45 am
*Seeing loved ones at BRBC (too many to recount here) & getting a tour of the new church building
*My little silver Grand Am rental car with New York license plates. I loved the irony of driving around with my Red Sox sweatshirt on... I’m lucky I wasn’t shot for being disloyal!

Some friendships peter out when both parties are not geographically close. With those in VA I’m blessed that there are so many who are just as close whether I see them every week like I used to, or every eight months, like it is now.

Pinch me! Is this for real??

Victory is a very sweet thing! And as Red Sox fans know, its an elusive thing as well. But it was captured in fine form last night. Johnny Damon redeemed himself in spades. A man can be forgiven a lot when he gets a grand slam & a home run in consecutive innings.

You should have seen the smiles at work this morning - they were accompanied by droopy eyes, yawns & stretches, but they were bigger than they’ve been in 18 years! Let’s hope that those smiles continue to grow... getting bigger than they’ve been since 1918.

When you're a Red Sox fan...

... you are easily spotted by your baggy eyes & triumphant smile! Who would have thought it? The Red Sox have risen out of the ashes of 3 losses to win three straight games in a row. Everyone in New England is extremely sleep deprived, and I’m beginning to wonder if I’m getting an ulcer. (A constant wondering on my part every time I get stressed out!!) I want them in the World Series so badly I can taste it! Even my precious little Ben (http://bensmom.blogspot.com) is involved in the games. Sadly for him, his Dad is on the wrong side. (Its ok, Ben - I’ll be seeing you in a couple weeks & I’ll give you the real perspective then.) Tonight the waiting will be over, and I’ll be able to get some sleep... until the World Series begin, that is.

Enough love to live on

I picked Evan, Jill & the kids up at the airport on Sunday night. Jed saw me & came running through security, arms outstretched, yelling, “I missed you!” Then Chloe, our little wiggle worm, snuggled with me for over fifteen minutes, taking her head off my shoulder just long enough to give me a kiss. Tucker, his face all smiles, looked so different, and I was amazed at how quickly an infant can change in one week. I’m so grateful that they’re back safely on Chestnut Hill. I mean, yes its nice that they can have a vacation, but it was time for them to be back where they belong... right next door to me!

The Phantom Dishwasher

I got home from work today, exhausted in body & spirit, and as I came in the door I turned to tackle the mountain of dirty dishes that had been looming for far too long. My tired eyes took in a magical sight! The mountain of dishes had moved from one side of the sink to the other, and were all sparkling clean, happily drying in the drainboard.

After a call or two, I found my angel of mercy. Cherilyn had brought the kids down to get the mail & since it hadn't come, they all decided to wait in my house with The Cuteness. And while she waited, she washed my dishes. Bless the mailman's heart for being late, and bless Cherilyn's heart for making a tired heart sing. Have I mentioned lately how much I love living on Chestnut Hill??

Fill 'er Up!

Mom is like a human gas station. When I feel like I’m running on empty, I can talk to her & when we’re done & she’s prayed for me, I feel like my tank is full and I can go on again.

That’s just like the Holy Spirit as well. When we’re giving out, as long as we’re connected to His life-giving flow, we’ll never be empty.

Deja Vu

I wonder if spiritual warfare works in baseball... We here in New England have a curse to break, and we’ve been trying for how many years?? 83!!

Tonight is the start. The memories are flooding back from last year when we were also matched up against the Yankees. Here’s hoping that Pedro can control himself, and not take down any old men. The glory would be unending if we went to the Series over the Yankees.

It would be nice if I could just sleep until it was over. Oh, the agony & euphoria of being a Red Sox fan...

And the birthday awards go to...

Happy birthday, Darren. You are loved, appreciated & prayed for. May God bless you richly through this coming year. If The Cuteness has her kittens tonight, I’ll name one of them after you... No extra charge!

And Aunt Kath, too. Happy birthday to you as well. Thank you for being my surrogate Mom this past week. I’m so grateful that you’re one of “The Aunts” & that two of your kids live near by, so that we get to see you as well.

The Circle of Life

God’s cycle of life is incredible. Today I met the newest member of our family, born early Tues morning. God sent Eva Elizabeth to live with Tim & Carrie, and it just seems like it was His impeccable timing to bring the joy of birth during the sorrow of death.

Cinnamon Rolls & Sorrow

Two phone calls yesterday... Two drastically different emotions.

I was still in bed when the first one came. Evan was inviting me down for fresh cinnamon rolls before church. Mom had made me a batch a little while ago to put in the freezer, and I had pulled them out to have that morning, so I declined. Evan informed me that the ones he was talking about were fresh & that I should come down. So, with a sweatshirt on over my pj’s, I hopped in the car & drove down their driveway. As I came over the hill, I noticed another car parked in front of their house. When I pulled up closer I saw that it had Nova Scotia plates. What a wonderful surprise!! Mom & Dad had come down for Evan’s ordination service. It was with a full & joyful heart that I sat in church yesterday.

I was watching a movie with three close friends when the other phone call came. Andrew - friend, classmate & fellow believer in Jesus, had dropped suddenly in an after church game of football. He had finished life’s race at the young age of 22, and was standing with Jesus, while we were all left to mourn his departure in our separate ways. Evan, Mom, Dad, Amy, Matt & I piled into the mini van & headed to Fairwood. The evening was spent comforting & receiving comfort. Even though his death seemed (and still seems) senseless, there was a strong feeling of God’s presence. The peace was as real as the tears. The road will be long, the tears will be many, but I truly believe that God has a plan, and its not for me to doubt Him. I’ve done enough of that lately, and its time to trust.

Autumn in NH

Today was the epitome of Fall in New Hampshire. Lots of people (Derrick, Wesley, Bethany, Matt, Craig, Diane, Amy & Andrea) were coming over & we'd planned a picnic, but it was foggy/rainy, so we had the picnic in my living room. And we went to a huge pick-your-own-pumpkin patch & each got a pumpkin to bring home & carve. Between the nine of us, we had over 120 lbs of pumpkin!

When we got home, we spread newspaper all over my kitchen floor & sat in a big circle carving our pumpkins. After the masterpieces were completed we set them all on the dining room table, lit tea lights in them & turned off the lights. It was an amazing sight! Eight VERY different jack-o-lanterns glowed cheerily (or menacingly)back at us. They ranged from a dragon (Amy's) to the New York Yankees symbol (Bethany's) to ornate squiggly things (Craig's) to a cat (mine). Andrea carved a candle, & Wes made some sort of face on the front of his & a big "W" on the back. Derrick's had a weird face with lots of teeth & three eyes & Matt carved a menacing face, but added hair which softened the looks. Diane sat in the chair & read us trivia questions while her pumpkins waited to be taken back to her students for a Monday project.

Fall in New England is definitely the best time to be alive!

Saturday Morning Rituals

This Saturday started like most other Saturdays. Evan & I took Jed & Chloe to Dunkin Donuts for coffee & munchkins. Its become one of my most cherished events of the week. Today Jed made it extra special.
After leaving Dunkin Donuts we pulled into a gas station. Evan hopped out to fill up the van, and Jed unbuckled & crawled up to sit in the driver’s seat. After a minute he reached his hand over to grab mine & said, "Want to go on a date with me this day?" That little boy is one of the reasons I'm so content in the stage of life that I'm in.

An Ode to Friendship

I was reminded today of how grateful I am for the friends that God has blessed me with, when I saw a portrayal of what others may treasure in a friendship.

As I've been training the last couple weeks at Oxford, I've gotten to know the ten people in my class quite well. They're a lively bunch & all love to have a good time. On Wednesday, the liveliest of the bunch had a miscarraige. She, understandably, was devestated. While waiting to hear from the doctor's office whether what she feared had indeed happened, she announced to the class, "If I lose this baby I'm going out on Friday night to drink myself into oblivion and you're all invited." Amid cheers, though somewhat subdued due to the nature of the party, she was assured by most of the class that they'd be there.

Today she was back, and the entire day while I was training, the shout would go up, "Not much longer til 4:30!" They were all excited to watch & join in as this devestated woman literally drowned her sorrows, starting the minute they would all leave the building.

Having just gone through a difficult time, (though not nearly as traumatic as a miscarraige) I realize the importance of deep friendships. When I let some of my friends know what had just happened, I got the most supportive emails or phone calls. Most of them brought me to tears, but one in particular stands out in my mind. My precious friend, Geni, informed me that she'd woken up several nights in a row & layed awake praying for me. What a gift. What more can a friend ask for?