The Glass is Half-Full

I've had some unusual titles to my posts, but I'm fairly certain this one takes trumps them all! Hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride getting to the reason for this wacky title . . . I sat down to pray Sunday and was thankful God knew my heart because the prayers were scattered! I started praying for a friend who'd been in a terrible car accident, and then her husband,and then mine who was traveling to see the husband (his bestie, though I'm fairly certain they would never, ever refer to one another as 'besties' and might instead die of embarrassment at the term), then greater understanding into their bond of friendship. Then I got an answer to the prayer of understanding - brotherhood. So then the prayer bounced to my sons that they have such a bond as their father and his friend, and then on to my son Michael's exams in law school and then on to my daughter who also is heading into exam week for her first year in college in St. Louis. Then the pray

This is a really bad poem - but I thought it the best way to tell the tale of my unpleasant morning! Besides, one of the people I talked to said in response to my declaration "There's a mouse in my house, and I don't want him there" that it sounded like a Dr. Seuss book title! So here goes . . . There's a mouse in my house! And I don't want it there. Fearless Wally by my side, And fire poker in hand, We tried to get it out. It ran up the hearth, And into the recliner,  Behind the entertainment center,  And back and forth. All the while in pursuit Were fearless Wally and  I with fire poker in hand. I called John at work. We agreed this was not A job for me with a poker And a pure bred mutt. Though part blood hound is he. I called Griffin Pest. While sensing my angst And suppressing a laugh, Monday, she said, was as soon As they could get here, To get the mouse out of my house. I called VanDenBerg Pest. When did you see the mouse?

{ I found this draft while reading through my blog - I have many entries that I've never 'published' often using my blog space as a journal. At the time of this writing, I remember not wanting to post this because the feelings it elicited were too raw and painful. I am, much to my chagrin and to those that love me, a fairly proud woman. And this disease MS often seems to strip that pride, leaving me feeling wholly vulnerable and naked to the world - without my publishing it for all the world to read. Today, however, when I read this I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit, to bare all on this frigid day and remember how cold and naked I felt on a hot summer day.} We moved to our home 11 years ago - and one of the primary reasons we moved here was because of the proximity to Lake Michigan. I love the lake - the sounds of the waves crashing lull me to sleep, the beach inspires me on many levels and swimming in it's calmer waters is relaxing and cooling! Yet, after these 1

I picked the wrong year to trade in my solid-drive-through-any-snowstorm safely minivan for a cute Mini Cooper! The snowbanks at most intersections are taller than my car and it's so light that it doesn't hold the road like the van when gusts are blowing and it's icy.  But heck, spring is only 30-something days away and then on that first 50+ degree day, I'm opening the sunroof and turning up the awesome stereo and going for a drive. It can be a long drive too, because the gas mileage is awesome! But we have to get there first and on some days it just doesn't feel like this winter will end. The snow keeps coming (we've had about 127" so far this season way above the average of 70"). For many days in a row it's been cloudy but today it's sunny and it is beautiful to see the snow glisten. There were three days in a row that I didn't leave the house - partly because we were advised to stay off the roads and partly because I didn't dare

Like nearly ever person in West Michigan, I have a serious case of cabin fever.  I won't waste your time however, complaining about the two-hundred feet of snow that's fallen in the last two hours. I won't share about the twenty or thirty times I've had to shovel my walk today as gusts blew it right back in my face. And I certainly will not lament about the temperatures that hover around negative double digits making your nostrils freeze together within moments of stepping outside. To bore you with tales of how we have to shovel areas in our yard so that our large dog and can do his 'duty' because the snow is deeper than he is tall and dogs for whatever reason cannot poop in the same place twice, is not what I will share. You will not hear about how when I open the slider to let aforementioned dog outside, gusts of wind blow drifts of snow inside and require a shovel to once again close the door.  Nor will I share how some roads around here are drifted shut be

Look out Uganda - this star (he's a little older now and eats more often, I hope, with utensils) will be on his way soon. You get to keep him for just a short while, though - so don't charm him too much while he's there because this momma needs him back. When he said that he wanted to study abroad, I encouraged him with as much courage as I could muster. I believe it's an incredible opportunity for college students to not only see the world but to also experience in a way not possible when they're older, more settled and only have two-weeks vacation time. I secretly hoped, though, that he'd choose a country in this hemisphere. After all, students from America study in Europe or Central America all the time and come home positively changed and it seems easy for their parents to keep in touch whilst they're away. Easy. Done. I can do that. Matthew Thomas however, changed by his trip to the Dominican Republic the summer after his senior year, wanted t