What a day!

Sometime around 2 a.m. I awoke with a tickle in my throat and got up to get a cough drop. I was almost back to sleep when some tiny, yippy dogs over our back fence started barking--though I'm not sure I can justify calling their noise "barking." (Tom and I like BIG dogs.) At any rate, I was up from then until 6:15 a.m. The next thing I remember was Tom standing by the bed telling me that he sure had some funny looking pills to take this morning. That woke me up to be sure! I asked him to bring the pill case so I could see what he had taken and he had taken the pills we keep in the extra partition--extra pills. So, instead of his regular medication he took a hydrocodone, a xanax and two supplemental sinemet pills. I encouraged him to get back in bed and I got up. He slept until 11. After my night and his messed up meds, we have not done much but sit around--makes me feel useless.

I had planned to make pear honey. The cupboard is bare--haven't made any since my last trip to Apple Hill. Tommy and I found pears at the Farmers' Market Saturday but I haven't had time nor energy to cook them. Pear honey is one of my sweetest childhood memories from my grandmother. The family likes for me to make it because they know I think it tastes best on homemade biscuits. Tomorrow is the designated day to cook the pears and maybe make biscuits for the freezer.

Last night we went to Tommy and Liz's for a little bit of child care. Both of them had meetings and we were happy to be pressed into service. Meredith is going to play school two mornings a week at the church and yesterday was her third time to go. She couldn't wait to tell anyone who would listen about "Humpty, Humpty" who sat on the wall and Jack and Jill who went up the hill to get a pail of water--maybe they were learning the "up and down" concept. I asked what happened to them and she told me Jack hit his head on a rock. Mer Mer didn't get all the words right, but I was amazed that she had gotten as much as she did the first time. She loves to cuddle and I had a good time holding her in one arm while giving Elisa a bottle with the other.

I also got to pick up Sarah from dance. She's having a great time and is very limber--not a trait she inherited from this grandmother. Maybe it's a Heard trait. She looks so cute in her tights and leotard. Watch out Mom and Dad! The boys will be calling before you know it.

Drew and Jake couldn't wait to eat their supper and get outside to play before dark. Jake showed me the trees he's been climbing. He's fortunate to have a few friends in the neighborhood he can play with on the weekends. He is in beginner band this year and we think doing well--playing alto saxophone as his dad and granddad did before him.

I asked Drew if he would like to ask the blessing last night. He said yes. When all the children say it together, they say the usual "God is great," but if one prays by him or herself, then that one prays a spontaneous prayer. Drew is six and I had never heard him pray on his own before last night. I know his heavenly father was pleased just as his grandmama was. When he was four he wanted a Bible for Christmas so I looked until I found an illustrated Bible, not a Bible storybook. He was glad to get it, but I hadn't seen him with it again until this past Sunday. He was reading it while we put the finishing touches on lunch and he told me he had gotten to page 28. Then he told me what he'd been reading. A couple of weeks ago at school he had something to contribute to his science class when the teacher taught on the stars, planets, etc. Our Sunday School is using the rotation method this year which means that the Bible story for the children is the same for several weeks, but they experience it through arts & crafts, storytelling, drama, music, even taste on different Sundays. It's a terrific educational method and the children have responded well. In Drew's school room during science, he raised his hand to tell the teacher he knew something else about the stars, then told about God's promise to Abraham and his decendants being more numerous than the stars in the sky. He got the message and isn't shy about spreading it! There's a lesson here for us grownups.

Friday is treatment day and, once again, we covet your prayers. I'll let you know how things go. The fridge is stocked, I have plenty to read and my helper is on tap to come twice next week. With family here to help, we are all set.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret