Happy Thanksgiving

 

I am so grateful to be sharing Thanksgiving with my Pennsylvania and

Virginia families today.

 

 

Happy children and the sound of laughter make me grateful to be part of this joy. 

Tomorrow will be a fun filled day as we go to a Christmas tree farm and visit an ice cream musuem!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogger friends!

"Our favorite attitude should be grattitude."

(Found on a local church sign)

Surf, Sea and Sand. . .

I decided to take a short ride to the beach the Monday after Hurricane Leslie rode up the Atlantic past the New Jersey shoreline.  What a spectacular day to take pictures!  The sun was low in the sky and there were patchy clouds floating above and the sand below making a most lovely frame for my photos.  The waves were really making a show as they rolled onto the shore.

Here I wrote the word BLESSINGS into the sand.

 The rough surf brought out the surfers and here is one just going out to meet up with his buddies already in the water.

All in all it was a wonderful day to visit the beach.  September is a special time here as the beaches are pretty much deserted with visitors going back to work and school. 
I haven't done much blogging in the past few months so I thought I'd share some pretty pictures with you today.  Also to let you know that I'm doing really well and all my tests are coming back with good results. PTL!

Praise the Lord!

 

A little corner of my garden

Rejoice

Each day, upon my daily round,
I find myself on holy ground --
The morning-glories on my fence
Inspire quiet reverence.
Just one small, tender seedling grew,
And now, the miracle in blue.
A robin in the apple tree
Sings out his glad doxology.
I hear the pure, unsullied joy
Of laughter from a little boy;
I bow before the firm belief
And faith of one who lives with grief;
I watch a jet plane skim the skies
and marvel at man's enterprise;
I look upon a field of wheat
And thank God for the bread we eat;
I watch the benedictive rain
On low-bowed heads of flower and grain.
A friend drops in, a neighbor calls,
The lamps are lit, night gently falls;
Contentment settles with the sun
In labors of the day well done.
So many little alters there,
So many simple calls to prayer;
So many reasons for thanksgiving--
The sacraments of daily living.
-Helen Lowrie Marshall

Night sky - photo by Jean

I know it has been quite a while since I've posted - it has been a very busy time here.  We were hit with a Derecho storm on June 30th and were without power. Some for as long as 8 days in the stifling heat of the longest heat wave so far this summer.  During that time, I had the chance to visit with my Virginia family...they had the same storm but were somewhat back to normal by the time I arrived on July 3rd. I have been doing really well...had several doctor visits with the accompanying tests to monitor me and, so far, by the grace of God everything is good news and good results.  We serve an awesome God and I praise and thank Him!

Special Places in the Heart

I was at one of my favorite places, a Christian retreat at America's Keswick in Whiting, NJ from June 4-8.

A soothing sight first thing in the morning as I leave my room:

Here we are at breakfast - table under light fixture) and I am waiting with Carol and Babe to go into breakfast. (above)

On my way to the Raw's Auditorium for the morning session with Rev. Ron  Schmidt.  He was  interesting, entertaining and very knowledgeable.  This was his first time with the "Young at Heart" conference and I don't think it will be his last! 

Thanks

Thank God for dirty dishes

They have a tale to tell;

While others may go hungry

We're eating very well,

With Home, Health and Happiness

I shouldn't want to fuss,

By the stack of evidence,

God's been very good to us.

~Author Unknown

Another update:  I am doing  very well and adjusting to the fact that I don't have the energy I used to have - i.e. I won't be taking any "spin" classes anytime soon that's for sure!  It is enough, though, that I can participate in my church and I do volunteer for some light duty activities from time to time.  We are still knitting for local hospitals and this time we are making "preemie hats" for the little ones.  I love making them - they are so cute!



Just letting you all know that I am thinking of you all and will get back to visiting all of you very soon and letting you know how much I appreciate all your prayers.  God is so good - All the time!

Mother's Day Weekend for Three!

What a wonderful weekend!  Daughter Karen and I spent some time celebrating Mother's Day as the guest of daughter Jillian of Bella Rosa Antiques.

These are some shots of the Atlantic Ocean as a tropical storm off the coast of North Carolina whipped the waves up a touch!

The old fishing pier looks strong enough to handle it though!  It has been there for many years, through many storms.

This is where we stayed - right on the boardwalk.  There is a pool to the right of it where there are deck chairs to sit in and watch the people passing by or the waves rolling in - your choice.

We also shopped, laughed, and did some antiquing where Karen scored some pink depression (go along) glasses to add to her real depression dishware.  Jillian found a small glass tabletop display case for some jewelry perhaps?  All in all, we had a fun time together and it had been too long since we were all able to just "get away" and they also wanted to celebrate my getting through the tough time in February and March/April. Thank you so much!

Also, I want you all to know how well I am doing since breast cancer entered my life.  The radiation went very smoothly and the doctor is amazed at how well my skin recovered from the 30 radiation treatments. I visited my surgeon in Philadelphia on the 10th of May and he was very pleased also with how well I am healing from the lumpectomy in February.  Soon I will be starting on the medication I will be taking for five years.
 I thank you all for your prayers and would ask you to continue to pray for my continued good results as I persevere on this journey.

I Told a Friend

I told a friend a little joke

It was cute as it could be

Then she in turn said she would tell

A boy in her family.

Now this little lad I do declare

I know very good and well

To anyone who will lend an ear

This joke he will surely tell.

And then to others it will go

Passed on by his best friend

Imagination's broadest scope

Could never dream its end.

To think it might bring laughter

To someone in poverty

But then again it could be shared

In realms of royalty.

I thought how it could journey

To lands across the sea

And some would hear it just because

It was told to a friend by me.

Of all these possibilities

My heart began to ponder

Just when and where and who would  hear

I could not help but wonder.

Then I thought if on this same journey

The name of Jesus I could send

How many lives could then be touched

Because I told a friend.

I've been cleaning out ten years worth of  "memory boxes" and  came across this poem in one of the them.  I really don't remember when or where I acquired it but its simple message made me want to share it with you.

Update on how I'm doing: I have finished 18 of my 30 radiation treatments with very few problems and I am so grateful - thank you for all your prayers and well wishes - we serve an awesome God!

And God Said....

I said, "God, I hurt" And God said, "I know."
I said "God, I cry a lot." And God said, "That is why I gave you tears."
I said, "God, I am so depressed." And God said, "That is why I gave you sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard." And God said "That is why I gave you loved ones."
I said, "God my loved one died." And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it is such a loss" And God said, "I saw mine nailed to a cross."
I said, "God, but your loved one lives." And God said, "So does yours."
I said, "God, where are they right now?" And God said, "Mine is on my right and yours is in the light."
I said, "God it hurts." And God said, "I know."

This really touched me as I am going through this rough patch in my life and I wanted to share it with you.

As you can see I am having difficulty getting my blog published.  My browser is no longer supported by Blogger and some parts of blogger will not work and I am having problems.  Has anyone else had this problem when Blogger went away?  However, I am doing well and am 7 days into my radiation treatments and so far, with God's help, I am doing okay.  Just a little more tired than usual but other than that I'm fine! Thank you all so much for your prayers. ((((((hugs))))) to all of you.   Jean

THIS MADE ME PAUSE

Think It Over I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord; Real service is what I desire; I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord - "But don't ask me to sing in the choir." I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord; I like to see things come to pass; But don't ask me to teach girls and boys, dear Lord - "I'd rather stay in my class." I'll do what you want me to do, dear Lord; I yearn for the Kingdom to thrive; I'll give You my nickels and dimes, dear Lord - "But please don't ask me to tithe." I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord; I'll say what You want me to say; I'm busy just now with myself, dear Lord - "I'll help you some other day." I came across this poem in a devotional in my room at America's Keswick at their Young At Heart conference this past December and thought you might enjoy it as much as I do.

CATCHING UP WITH THE LATEST!

Just a week ago today I was resting comfortably at home after my second surgery removing three of my sentinel lymph nodes. That was Monday, the 13th and on Friday I received the good news that the nodes were clear! No cancer! Hooray! God is so good and faithful. He brought me through this trial and, I know, will walk with me through the rest of this journey. I have an appointment to see my surgeon this Thursday and will be able to ask questions and hear more about my treatment.
Thank you all so much for your prayers - they mean so much to me. I will let you know how I am doing each week.

THANK YOU - I'M DOING WELL

It all started with the usual notice from the medical imaging office, "your latest mammogram shows a questionable area and you should call for an appointment to have another mammogram done as soon as possible."  We've all been there and said to ourselves, "what a nuisance, probably just a shadow."  So off I went to have another test done.  Only this time, the news was not good and I was scheduled for a needle-guided ultrasound biopsy on November 7, 2011.  On November 14th, I heard the dreaded words, "It is cancer."  The good news, however, was that it was caught early and it was diagnosed as "slow-growing, non aggressive, low grade."  All good!  The doctor suggested that since "he did not have enough tissue to work with I should consider a complete mastectomy so that, "I would never have to worry about it again." 

Well, that sent alarm bells off in my head and I asked if it would matter if I kept my vacation plans to go to Pennsylvania for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The doctor said there was no hurry and to enjoy my vacation. Little did I know at the time that he had me scheduled for surgery on December 6th.  When I came home and found out about the surgery, I quickly called and said I was seeking treatment elsewhere. 

 God has been with me throughout this whole ordeal and I thank HIM for holding my hand the whole way AND for guiding me to the best surgeon and hospital for me.  I've had my "lumpectomy" and was told the really good news that the tumor was very small and that the pathology report showed that all the "edges" were clean.  The doctor had gotten it all! That was on February 1, 2012.  

I want to thank all of my blogger friends for all the prayers - they are so important - and for stopping by to check in on me even though I had not updated my blog since Christmas.  I cannot thank you all enough for being there for me and I thank God every day for everything He has done for me.