Mother's Day

So, the first Mother's Day without my own mother is over. I had a good day, remembering Mom. I miss her terribly, and I still want to talk to her all the time.  One of the very last responses she made to anyone before she passed was to me, when I was talking about how Jesus was coming soon and how I would miss her. I treasure that precious moment when she reached for me as I softly spoke to her.

Since I am in NJ at the moment, I took the time yesterday to visit my mother's sisters.  It was good to see them again and to talk about Mom, to tell them more details about her passing.


Today I visited with my brother in the morning and then drove down to see my stepmother and the family (including my beloved stepsister).  My stepmother has finally decided to move to a retirement community. Packing up the house that she lived in for 40 years, and which she shared with my father for 25 of those years, is difficult. Rather like prying a snail from its shell. But she recognizes the many benefits of living in a gated community where she will feel safe and where there are neighbors looking out for her. She will also be living closer to her son and one of her granddaughters. I never lived in the house that she and my father shared, but I'll miss it all the same. My father loved it, and I always felt welcome there, too.


Happy Mother's Day to all out there -- to those who are mothers by birth, by adoption, and by choice.  You are the best!

- Catherine

Flashback Friday for Nat'l Teacher Appreciation Week

I thought it would be fun to do the Flashback Friday this week, hosted by Mocha With Linda (click on the logo above to go to Linda's blog).

Our task is to tell about our favorite teacher(s) and how they influenced us.

There were three teachers in grade school whom I adored and remember vividly: 1) my third grade teacher, Mrs. Siedentop; 2) my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Sloan; 4) my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Blehart.

I'd found school to be a total snooze-fest during 2nd grade. The teacher that year was newly out of college and was still finding her way when it came to handling a classroom and making lessons interesting. I was bored, to put it mildly, and tried to find any and every excuse that would let me stay home from school on any given day.

Come third grade, all that changed. Mrs. Siedontop, although young, had taught for a few years. She was kind, she was interesting, she used lots of visuals in our work. Due to overcrowding, all four of the third grade classes were bussed out of the main elementary school building each day to the old two-room school houses in our district. Our school house was the furthest away, so in hindsight, that must have meant that Mrs. Siedontop and Mrs. Murphy (who taught in the other classroom) had dramatically shortened class time with their students. It seems to me that Mrs. Siedontop made the most of it. I enjoyed the work that year so much! We did arithmetic drills in teams, as I recall.  Mrs. Siedontop kept track of each team's progress through charts drawn on the blackboards that were affixed to each segment of the folding (old fashioned) classroom divider wall. And she also encouraged me to knit! Since I often finished my classwork earlier than the other children, Mrs. Siedontop encouraged me to bring my knitting to school and work at it while the other students continued to work. I found it difficult, but I wanted to be like her, so I knitted through most of the year. Didn't accomplish much, I'm afraid -- I never really got the hang of knitting well -- but it kept me absorbed while the others were working, and it gave me a point of contact with my teacher that had nothing to do with school work.

Fourth grade -- back in the main elementary school building again, in the classroom of a seasoned teacher who had traveled to Europe on more than one occasion.  Our Social Studies lessons that year were focused on Europe, and I was entranced to hear Mrs. Sloan talk about what she'd seen with her own eyes about the places we were studying.  She loved opera, too, and a portion of one memorable lesson about Italy was sung recitative-style by a brave girl in our class, at Mrs. Sloan's suggestion. (It wasn't me -- I was too shy.)  Mrs. Sloan was a very classy lady and I wanted to be like her -- sophisticated, refined, kind and interesting.

On to fifth grade, with a teacher new to our school but not new to teaching.  Coming in as our teacher at the half-year mark, Mrs. Blehart had just moved to our town. I liked her instantly. She was fair, firm and interesting. (Do you see the pattern here -- I really needed my teachers to be both kind and interesting!) Mrs. Blehart taught us how to make an outline by insisting that we outline our Social Studies notes all year. I remember struggling with that because I wanted to write too much in each line, but it was an excellent exercise and a learning experience that stood us in good stead as we moved on to the upper grades. To my delight, she and her husband had moved into an apartment complex down the street from us while they waited to find a house to buy. I remember with pleasure her invitation to go on a bike ride one Spring afternoon. She checked with my mother in advance, of course, and I awaited the day with much excitement! I don't remember exactly where we rode, but I enjoyed her company and getting to know her a little bit outside of the classroom.  I don't know whether she did that with any other students or what was the impetus behind the invitation, but it remains, for me, a great memory of a great teacher!

I actually reconnected recently with my third grade teacher, Mrs. Siedontop, through Facebook, and it has been fun to see a glimpse of her life 45 years later.  When I knew her, she was newly married. Now she is a grandmother of grown grandchildren. Mrs. Sloan and Mrs. Blehart, I believe, are both passed on now. I never had the opportunity to see them again after I moved on to the district's middle school. In hindsight, I wish I'd gone back to visit at some point, to thank them for all they did.

If you wish to play along and join the Flashback Friday fun, you can link up your own post over at Mocha with Linda!


Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Random Dozen -- the Wednesday meme

I know it's Tuesday night, but I have to leave at "o'dark thirty" tomorrow morning, so I'm posting this now.
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1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated? Doing the laundry from my last trip. I hate having those huge loads to sort through.  Of course, since I procrastinated, the pile just got worse and ended up being a completely monumental chore. Which I whined about to any who would listen.  Are you listening?

2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night? It varies now that I am in middle-age. I sometimes go right to sleep and sometimes lie there for an hour or more.  I almost never sleep through the night -- my bladder has awakened me nearly every night since I was in my mid-20s, so at the very least, there is a visit to the facilities. And sometimes it's just plain old insomnia and I stay awake for hours in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.

3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles?  Hmmmm.... well, I am a fan of the the long dresses of the early 19th century (Regency style, with Empire waists).  I know the women wore corsets underneath them, but I'd go without the corset and just enjoy the freedom of movement.  I would love to have the option of wearing them whenever I felt like it, while retaining the option to wear my jeans whenever I want to as well (because I also can't live without my hip-hugger jeans).

4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd?  Beef stew -- I have a killer recipe.

5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse? I am definitely an impulse shopper. The last thing I bought on impulse was a magnetic cutter and cutting board set for my craft room. To be fair, I did have a coupon for 25% off, but I really didn't HAVE to have it. (Sure do love it, though!)

6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral? I'd want people to tell funny stories about me so that there is laughter.

7. If it's true that joy is found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today? The sunshine outside.

8. What is your favorite type of bread?  Homemade.

9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.)  That's a tough one! I guess I wouldn't want to be small-minded and petty.

10. What trait would you like most to develop? The ability to forgive people easily and quickly.

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why? The family room, which is cozy and casual.

12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging? I try to have a real Sabbath on Sunday afternoon and evening -- relaxing and doing things only for enjoyment rather than because there is work to be done.  We also try to reserve most Friday nights for family time with #7.

If you want to play along, you can blog your own answers and link up with Lid's post at 2nd cup of Coffee.  Thanks, Lid, for hosting this weekly meme!


- Catherine

Depression

Will Owsley, longtime guitarist for Amy Grant and an incredible musician, died yesterday from an apparent suicide.  I cannot tell you how this saddens me. I saw Will Owsley perform with Amy and he was just amazing on that guitar. I witnessed the soundcheck for that concert and know that he was also an amazing and perceptive, all-round musician.  He leaves behind a wife and two young sons.

What drives a Christian to the point where they think God can no longer carry them?  I still don't understand  the thinking.

But I nearly went that way myself a few months ago, so I certainly understand the feelings.

The last three years have taken a toll. I've blogged about them, usually trying to be funny. But today I need to be serious about the whole thing, because I have finally reached a milestone in my recovery from the events of those three years.

Here is the chronology:

On February 1, 2007, my dad passed away unexpectedly from an undiagnosed perforated ulcer.   I spent the last week of his life with him, and, in the end, I'm the one who had to phone the doctor and request that my father -- my own father --  be taken off life support.

82 days later, Dad's brother (who had been perfectly fine at Dad's funeral) passed away unexpectedly from bone cancer.

In between those two events, my mother was diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct and faced a radical surgical procedure that would leave her fighting for her life the rest of the year.

Meanwhile, in May of that same year, my daughter graduated from university.  A scant three months later she left to take a job halfway around the world, in South Korea.

Right after that, I sold my Salt Lake City area condo and moved to Pocatello to live full time with my husband, putting an end to the "commuter" aspect of our marriage that we'd been putting up with six years.

In hindsight, I probably should have known, as this confluence of events was unfolding, that it would be more than I could take. But I was brought up to keep soldiering on, to persevere. And I'm a Christian, right? -- so I figured that, while it might be challenging, I would handle it with God's help.

2008 arrives -- continued worries about my mother's health, which did not fully recover after the surgery in 2007.  Plus, it looks like I'm finally in menopause, which is something of a relief, but still carries a whole lot of unpredictable and intense hot flashes and other uncomfortable physical manifestations of the change.

2009 arrives. Mom undergoes a grueling three months of chemo, only to find that it didn't have any effect on the cancer that had reoccurred on her pancreas and liver. She is given 6-12 months to live.

On November 1, 2009, after a valiant fight, Mom passes away with me at her side.

First I was in shock. Gradually, as the winter wore on, I began to feel completely overwhelmed by life. I was sad all the time and I found it increasingly difficult to function normally in the real world. The smallest things would upset me out of all proportion. I was exceptionally angry. And I sat paralyzed at my computer for more hours than I care to admit, unable to do anything. It was a dry season that lasted far too long.

Finally in the middle of one dark January night I seriously considered downing all the ibuprofen in my medicine cabinet, figuring that Costco's large economy size bottle would do the job.  I searched my heart as I thought about taking this step, reminding myself that there WOULD be people devastated by this action I was contemplating.

But I really didn't care who would be devastated. I didn't care how hurt they'd be or how bereft my absence would leave them.

And at that moment, I realized I could no longer handle by myself what life had been tossing at me for the last three years. I also knew in that same moment that I was NOT thinking correctly and that, no matter what I was feeling, I had to stay right where I was, sitting on the couch until morning arrived and Tim got out of bed. Because then I'd be safe from myself.

I called my doctor that morning and was in the office within two hours.

The upshot -- after resisting medication for many years, I began taking an anti-depressant. A mild one, but I'm sensitive to meds so the effect was stronger than the doctor thought it might be.

It's also a slow-acting anti-depressant, taking 8-12 weeks to come to full effect.

Three months in, I don't know why I waited so long to get help.

Within a week I felt more capable of handling everyday life. Within 4 weeks I was clearly regaining my confidence and feeling better about interacting with people. At the 8 week mark, I took up racquetball and resumed riding horses.  At the 12 week mark, I hopped on my motor scooter and zoomed around town without worrying about the traffic (yes, I was careful, of course -- but last year I was so paranoid about the other vehicles on the road that I didn't ride very much at all).

All that said, I'm not feeling like a new person. Not at all.

I feel like my old self again.

This is the Catherine whom Tim recognizes as the woman he married. This is the Catherine #4 recognizes as the mom who raised her. This is the Catherine #7 recognizes as his goofy stepmother.

I write this as an encouragement. If you are so low that you don't want to live and it's been a while that you've been in that place -- please see your doctor and consider the options.  The first medication they prescribed for me  didn't work - it immediately made me feel too detached from life -- but I called the doctor the very next day and they changed my medication without question.  I've committed to staying a year on the medication and then seeing if I can taper off and function normally.  That's a plan that my doctor approves.

In all this, did God fail me? I had certainly been praying all this time and I suppose there are those who would say that my faith wasn't strong enough. Well, I say this: God did not fail me, nor was it a question of my faith not being in the right place. I could see God's hand working in my life in many ways along the journey, as anyone who's read my blogs on grief will know. But I was so worn down that my brain chemistry had changed, which perpetuated and deepened the problem.

Truly, it was God who provided me with a great doctor who instantly understood the problem (she'd lost her husband unexpectedly a few years ago and she is just about the same age as I, with the same hormonal stuff going on). I feel incredibly blessed to be able to resume and enjoy the life God has given me.

If any of this sounds like you, don't wait to get help of some kind. You, too, can be your old self again.

And oh, how I wish Will Owsley had been able to get help before he hit rock bottom.

- Catherine

Life in the digital age

Cell phones. 

I have two -- one for work and one for personal life. Can't really combine them because that would mean my work is never any further away than my pocket on the weekends. And weekends are family time, for the most part.  Hence two cell phones.

So, my old work cell was a Blackberry -- the large model with the trackball positioned on the side of the unit -- and it was finally due for an upgrade. I called the appropriate department at work and the brand new Blackberry Tour was on my doorstep within 48 hours.  Yesterday we activated it and I am learning how to work this new unit (which is so much more like a computer than my old one was).

In the meantime, as I waited for my new Blackberry to finish charging so that I could activate it, my personal cell -- a Samsung Alias -- bit the dust.  The speaker ceased to work.  I couldn't hear anything, although everyone could hear me just fine. 

So, off to the Verizon Wireless store to see what could be done.  Time for an upgrade there, too. An hour later (why is this SUCH a long process???) I walked out with a Samsung Reality. My first touchscreen phone.

Now I've got two new sleek and shiny phones -- both the latest model.

Two new sleek, shiny phones that I have to learn to use.

I'll manage.

- Catherine

Calling for YOUR opinions on this one.

My husband and I had an interesting discussion last night about the Rapture.  You see, when Jesus comes for His church, every human being who lives in our house will go with Him. But what happens to our beloved dog, Hank? 

Tim and I went around and around on that concept at some length, and we didn't come to any kind of conclusion.  I have to admit I got more than a little upset picturing Hank slowly dying of thirst because there's no one here to look after him and he can't get out of the house by himself.

So, I ask you, what do you think will happen to the indoor pets when the Christians are raptured?  I'd seriously like to know your thoughts.

- Catherine

Random Dozen -- the Wednesday meme

1. Have you ever been so lost that you were really afraid?  Yes. My husband, who likes to live his life off the beaten track, took us through some unfamiliar woods in an unfamiliar park in an unfamiliar state -- on what he deemed to be a shortcut. We had my (then) 75 year old mother with us and I was genuinely afraid that the authorities would have to launch a helicopter search to find us.

2. Have you ever been to an island?  Yes. I've been to Bermuda and I've been to Catalina Island off the coast of California.  (We love that place!)

3. Are you more of a thinker or feeler?  I think I am equally thinker and feeler, and the context of the situation will tip it one way or the other.

4. Do you tend to see issues or situations in life as black and white or shades of gray?  Shades of gray. Oft times that's where you find mercy.

5. If you were stuck on an island, what book would you hope to have with you (Let's pretend the Bible is already there, so you can't say that.)  David Copperfield, which is my all-time favorite.

6. What are you most afraid of?  Depends on when.  I might be most afraid of something that one of my kids is about to do, or I might be most afraid of the hornet that showed up in my bathroom when I was about to take a shower.

7. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones? I've spent the longest time on this question, and I just can't decide.  Without the old memories, you lose context and the sweetness and comfort of what you know. Whereas the inability to make new memories means you're forever living in the past.

8. Pretend I'm looking at a scrapbook page about you. There are three spaces for you to drop in individual pictures. What are those pictures of, and why did you select them?  1) The family photograph taken last summer -- all 21 of us!  2) A photograph of #7 and his Dad, taken when #7 was about 4 years old -- my "two best guys," as I usually refer to them; 3) A photograph of my mother, my daughter and myself, taken the first year that my mother flew out to visit us after we moved West. Three generations.  We don't look a thing alike (really!), and that's part of the charm.

9. If you were re-doing your wedding, what would you do differently? (If you're single, tell me one thing you would do if you were planning a wedding OR huge party.)  I don't think I'd change a thing. It was a happy and fun day for everyone, and also a very relaxed day. I might have purchased a different dress - a little fancier -- but that would be about it. All the kids stood up with us when we said our vows, we sang a favorite hymn, had an enormous family party -- and that's exactly what we wanted.

10. Tell me one thing you know/believe about forgiveness. Just one? I've got more than one. But, okay, here's one: if you don't really know and accept God's forgiveness in your own life (for your own sins), you are not capable of extending it to anyone else.

11. You're waiting in a doctor's office. What is your favorite way to pass that time?  Read a good book that I brought with me.

12. If there were a clone of you in a parallel universe what is one way you hope she/he would be the same as you and one way you hope she/he would be better?  The same: I hope she is as loyal as I am. Better: I hope she forgives more easily than I do when she is deeply hurt.

So, there were dolphins . . .

Our nature excursion resulted in some amazing sights that I'd never seen before.  On our way out to the Los Coronados Islands, we came across a pod of dolphin -- a "nursery pod" is what our Captain called it because there were HUNDREDS of young dolphin everywhere we looked around the boat.  You almost couldn't take a bad picture because there were so many dolphins, but I managed to get one (have to carry on our family tradition of taking bad dolphin pictures, you know?).

Well, this is what we really saw nearly every second that we were amongst the pod:

After the nursery pod, we headed for the islands. Here are a couple of those photos:

Beautiful, right?

More to come!

 - Catherine

Capturing nature in digital form

During our stay in San Diego, we took a 6-hour nature excursion on a boat, going about 20 miles out into the ocean to a cluster of islands known as Los Coronados Islands. There are four of them rising out of the sea, and except for one small area of one island, they are considered by Mexico to be a "biosphere" zone. No humans allowed on the islands.

The boat ride and the sightseeing along the islands was peerless -- I have many, many pictures to post here and will do some more blogging about it, I'm sure.

In the meantime, I just wanted to show you this fellow who landed on the boat as we were making our way back across the ocean to the mainland.

Shortly after this photograph, he took off again. So beautiful as he soared against the blue sky that I had to take another picture.

And this is what I got.

See him?

Me neither. The boat heaved into a swell just as I snapped.

But a few seconds later:

More to come!

- Catherine

Here I am!

The view of the naval base in San Diego Bay. From my hotel balcony.  Be jealous.

A destroyer coming up the bay toward the base.

The destroyer passing a pleasure boat.

I'm fascinated by the comings and goings of the naval ships and could probably just sit on my balcony and do nothing else. Alas, the conference beckons and I must do The Right Thing (attending sessions).

- Catherine

Random FB updates

My mind has been running through a variety of possible Facebook status updates this morning. And there are too many to post on my Facebook profile, so I thought I'd share them here.

Catherine wonders: what is up with the post-mascara hot flash? It never fails -- as soon as I finish applying mascara to my eyelashes, my entire body overheats. If someone can explain that one to me, I'd be grateful.

Catherine is enjoying the sound of the wind chimes blowing on the deck this morning.

Catherine's dog, Hank Williams Jr., kept watch over her suitcase all night. Not sure why.

Catherine pulled her first all-nighter since #4 was 16 months old and in the hospital. The crash is coming later today, I'm sure.

Catherine wonders: can you call it tennis elbow when you've been playing racquetball? "Racquetball elbow" seems like too many syllables.

- Catherine

Friday Night Pizza

If you follow my blog, then you know that my husband has celiac and that eating out in restaurants is something of a challenge. Trying to get good gluten-free pizza at a restaurant is an absolute impossibility.

Until now.

We have a new Italian restaurant in Pocatello. It's called Riggio's.

I'm pretty picky about Italian food because I grew up in New Jersey -- where we think Olive Garden is superfluous because there are great mom-and-pop Italian eateries everywhere in the State.

Tonight, at Riggio's, I was more than just pleasantly surprised. Tonight, at Riggio's, I was nothing short of amazed. We went for pizza because we'd heard they had a gluten-free pizza that was supposed to be really good.

It was better than "really good."  It was IN-CRED-I-BLE. Flat out amazing. Delicious beyond belief!

We started with an appetizer of baked brie -- best I've had anywhere at any time, and I've had brie in some pretty great restaurants in this country. The cook offered to do it without the puff pastry, in deference to my husband's celiac, and then the cook went the extra mile by baking a gluten free pizza crust with olive oil and cutting it into chips that could be eaten with the brie.  Marvelous!

I had a sausage, mushroom and onion pizza that was actually as good as the pizza I remember from NJ. Tim had a sausage and mushroom pizza on the gluten free crust and it was excellent - you just about couldn't tell the difference.  #7 had a taco pizza -- that would never have been my choice but he loved it.

#7 also discovered that he likes brie with roasted garlic.

My food bill just went up.

We finished off the evening at the local Farr's Ice Cream -- where a one-scoop cone of excellent ice cream costs a whole $1.00.

Friday nights don't get much better than this.

- Catherine

Thursday randomness

I think Spring may finally be here. I'm not naive enough to believe that there will be no more snow -- after all, we've had snow in June a time or two. But there have been two -- count'em: one-two! -- warm, sunny days in a row. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same. The birds are madly chasing each other all over the place and the crows are making a racket in every tree. 

I declare that Spring. Is. Here.

Whether Mother Nature wants to admit it or not.

This is the time of year when I am usually visiting my mother, so I've had some sadness these past few weeks. Around Easter we'd have been discussing the music she was doing in her church and what I'd be doing in mine. If she'd been alive and well this year, I'd have tried to convince her to fly to San Diego and meet me for a few days of beach time next week. She loved seeing the Pacific Ocean.  At the very least, I'd have been planning to visit her in the Central Mountains of Pennsylvania for a few days of R&R.

And, of course, Mother's Day is coming soon -- my first without her. No reason to send my customary bouquet of yellow roses and daisies (her favorite) or anything else that I thought might delight her or make her life easier. Last year on Mother's Day I sent her a cordless floor sweeper because she was finding the vacuum cleaner too heavy to handle as her strength weakened.

Instead I'll be visiting my stepmother in New Jersey on Mother's Day. It's been ages since I've been able to spend that holiday with her, and this year there is a serendipitous business trip taking me to New Jersey. It will be good to see her and the rest of my family.

The weekend starts tomorrow night -- hurrah! Time with my two best guys (hubby and #7)!

And on Saturday will be our church's annual Mad Hatter Tea Party -- a fun activity for the women. We wear silly hats, have lunch, have a time of worship and listen to a speaker.  I'm bringing the sautéed mushrooms for the Potato Bar lunch that we are serving. I'm also singing and playing for the worship session.  Can't wait! (I'll take a picture of my hat and post it here on the weekend.)

- Catherine

Random Dozen -- the Wednesday meme

Welcome to the Wednesday Random Dozen. The rules of play are very simple -- copy the questions and blog your own answers, then link up your blog post over at Lid's blog 2nd Cup of Coffee!  When you see the list at Lid's, be sure to visit one or two other peoples' posts and leave comments. It's kind of an online coffee klatch.

1. How do you feel about "Gladiator" sandals, also called "Roman" or "Jesus" sandals? A fashion yea or nay?  Have to say "nay" -- I think they suit very few people and very few outfits.

2. What is your favorite pizza? Favorite toppings would be sausage and mushroom; favorite place to get it: Vic's in Bradley Beach, NJ.

3. There are plans in the works to sell roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. This means you could buy Picard's chair for your family room. If not a Star Trek item, what prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could?
[Ex: Hurley's "I Love my Shih tzu" shirt from LOST, the plantation home "Tara" from Gone With the Wind, or Tracy's tambourine from the Partridge Family.]   I'd like to own Professor Higgin's library -- with the floor to ceiling shelves -- from the movie My Fair Lady.

4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for.  Famous in Pocatello??? Don't make me laugh! I really love this town, but it's not known for the food.  That said, I guess I could name a place called The Green Triangle, known locally as The Green T.  It's a local bar/pub, and a lot of the big acts that perform at the Holt Arena end up hanging out at The Green T after their show. Food's good, too.

5. What is your current favorite snack? Horseradish Cheddar Cheese on Ritz Crackers.

6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose "none.") 

A. Dancing with the Stars
B. Biggest Loser
C. Survivor

A. Dancing with the Stars. I love to dance!

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior? 7. It's cluttered but clean.

8. It doesn't feel like Spring until I hear the birds singing at dawn.

9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is the reaction of my husband when I told him that my racquetball partner/teacher has to play left-handed in order to play down to my level.  Tim howled and so did I.

10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward. Becoming fairly proficient at racquetball.

11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week. Easter says you can put truth in a grave but it won't stay there. (By Clarence W. Hall on Truth)

12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. If you're not a parent, feel free to substitute "friend" or nomenclature that works for you. Oh. My. Heck.  This is a hard question! Most of our kids are grown and gone, so that's a whole 'nother category of making someone happy. For the older kids, I know I make the girls happy with an annual "Girls' Gift" at Christmas -- generally some kind of useful container or basket filled with fun and useful items.  This past Christmas the annual Girls' Gift included a shadow box display of photographs taken last summer.  As for the one kid still at home (the famed #7), I think I just have to say "yes" to a request in order to make him happy.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

- Catherine

Catching up

So, I am the biggest slacker blogger of all time, I think. I haven't written a word since last Wednesday! The only excuse that I can offer is that I've been busy, busy, busy -- both work and fun.

We spent last Saturday morning on the racquetball court -- #7 and I, that is. Turns out he loves the game, too, so I hauled him along with me to the gym -- after purchasing a second racquet and some work-out clothing at the nearby sporting goods store. My friend, Rhonda, who is my RB buddy and teacher, brought her teenage daughter -- we sent the kids to another court while Rhonda and I got down to business.

I'm doing so much better.

I actually scored six points against Rhonda.

Instead of my customary five.

I see the progress here. Don't you?

I haven't had the opportunity to ride my horse lately, but I'm hoping to get some time in very soon. (Hint to my nephew: you so do NOT need that job that is taking up all your time; paychecks are overrated. Aunt Cath needs to ride!)

I finished reading the Ian Rutledge Mystery series that is written by Charles Todd.  I'm so sad it's over!!! It's a fantastic series -- the best I've read, I think.  Please hurry up, Mr. Todd, and write the next volume because I'm going to waste away to nothing, pining for the next book.

And now -- time for work!

- Catherine

Random Dozen -- the Wednesday meme

1. Define a great relationship. A deep, mutual respect and a lot of laughter.

2. Why is it called a "drive-through" if you have to stop? (Real question: What was the last food/drink you purchased at a drive-through?)  I can't remember -- we almost never eat fast food of any kind, so it would have been months and months and months ago.

3. As I type this, the Butler Bulldogs are getting ready to play in the NCAA championship game. Every Hoosier is hysterical about this except me. So in honor of the Bulldogs ... what is your favorite breed of dog? (I tried.)  Labrador Retriever. They're intelligent and friendly, which is the perfect combination.

4. If you had to move to a state besides the one you currently live in, where would you move?  Hmmm.. it's hard to pin down just one, because so many states have aspects that are attractive.  But I think I'd say that it would be New Mexico so I could have a somewhat warmer winter.

5. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? I would love to have NOT heard the words "Because I said so."  That phrase was the stock answer to almost EVERY question posed by us kids -- and it didn't do anything to foster actual relationships between parents and children.

6. Who's the funniest person you know? My youngest (#7).

7. Did you get enough sleep last night? Yes, for a change!

8. What's the first thing you thought about this morning? "What day is this and where am I?" I travel a lot, and the days and locations get blurred together at times.

9. Grilled or Fried? --HONESTLY   Fried. Grilled.

10. Are you afraid of the dark? Not anymore. I was afraid of the dark all through my childhood and right up until I had my first child. And then my fear instantly vanished when I had someone in the house to protect.

11.When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  A librarian.

12. If you had one word to describe yourself , what would you choose? Loyal.

Thanks, Lid, for hosting this! If you want to play too, please go to Lid's Blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee and link your post with hers.

- Catherine

Doo Doo Doo Doo, Feelin' Snarky

Every time I try to put my down parka away for the season, I have to get it out again because more snow has arrived. Yesterday it started raining around 5:00 p.m. By 8:00 p.m. it was snow. This morning there is a coating of snow and ice all over, and the sky is still gray. More wet stuff on the way.

Ick.

Took the dog for a walk this morning and the crows were out in force in our neighborhood. Not sure why, but that gathering of crows (a murder of crows?) seems to be a spring phenomenon here. Everywhere we walked, there were black crows glaring down at us from trees overhead, cawing for all they were worth. Walking the dog is like something out of a Hitchcock film this time of year.

I cleaned all my floors yesterday, but April snow inevitably leads to mud. So if the temperature warms up later today, I'll be getting my steam mop out again tonight.

Sigh.

Okay, enough snarkiness. Time to get on with the day, whatever shape it takes!

- Catherine

Easter

Better late with the blog post than never, I guess.

We started our Easter morning before dawn, meeting our nephew and niece and their family up on the ridge above town to greet the Easter sunrise.  A cold day, but achingly clear with a brilliant sunrise. We feasted on breakfast burritos and God's word (not necessarily in that order). We read the resurrection accounts in Matthew and in John and had an interesting discussion.

Excellent way to start this day of days!!

Later that morning we had a rousing worship service capped by a great message from our pastor.

The afternoon started with lunch out at the local Applebees with a couple of good friends.

The evening has just been my hubby and me, sharing some quality time.

Easter is my favorite holiday in terms of my spiritual life. I love the collective remembrance of what Christ did for us. I love the truth that my real home will always be with my God and Father, whether I am here on earth or there with Him.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

Good Friday

Good Friday. The most solemn day of the Christian year.

Our church puts together a Prayer Path on Good Friday: a specific pathway that one follows alone while listening to a CD over headphones. The path takes you through 11 different stations, intended to give you an hour to commune quietly with God and to reflect on Christ's work on the Cross.

I'm acting as host until 2:00 today, which means I'm greeting people and helping them get started on the path. And, although I organized and help set up the different areas of the Prayer Path -- so I know it pretty well already -- I will also spend a quiet hour following the path today, relishing some time alone with my Savior.

Good Friday. Good to reflect on all He has done for each one of us. Good to remember why He did it. Good to know that we are forgiven and forever reconciled with our Creator.

- Catherine

Adventures in Racquetball

So, my current Facebook status reads:

Q: Why are Catherine's solitary racquetball practices so very effective? A: Because her shots are still so wildly unpredictable that it's like playing against another person.

Actually, it really is rather funny that I can practice so well against myself for the time being.  I talk to myself on the court, too.

As you know if you've read my blog posts (here and here) I took a nasty spill that resulted in eight stitches in my chin. It was only my second time out on the court. Some may think that, being as I'm 51 years old, a serious injury the second time out really doesn't bode well for my success in racquetball.  To them, I say, "stuff it!"  (In the nicest way possible, of course.)

I truly enjoy the games and the practices -- really love the workout that works both body and mind.

So, I'm going to keep at it.  If my fellow blogger, Christy, (a former non-runner) can train for a 5K run, I can learn to play racquetball.

Rock on, sisters!

- Catherine