Friday August 14 2015  PEOPLE WHO CARE ARE PEOPLE WHO SHARE

Absolutely no reason for my title.  I just liked the little calendar quip for August 14 when I turned the page over.  Remember, there is no copyright on it.  But for what it is worth, I do think the two lined poem is true.

What did you share today?  Have you ever asked that question of yourself?  Or maybe, what did I give today?  I ask these questions because the Calendar quip reminded me of a book I read several years ago.  The book, “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life” by Cami Walker.  This book was quite interesting.  It was about a young wife who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  She declined rather rapidly and was in a deep depression.  She called an older woman who was her friend and asked her if she could come over.  Cami bemoaned everything to this friend on the phone.  To put it in a nutshell, the older woman told Cami to quit thinking about her problems and look around her and see others who were worse off than she was.  This friend told Cami to quit feeling sorry for herself.  Her further advice to Cami was to find a gift she could give to another person today and then to do that for 29 days in a row and it would change her life.

Well, Cami didn’t like her unsympathetic friends advice one bit and did a little griping for a few days. Then she decided to take up the challenge.  Her first gift, if I remember correctly, was to call another acquaintance she knew who also had M.S.  She thought she would call her up and try to cheer her up on the phone.  What happened was that this acquaintance she called ended up cheering Cami up.  This gave Cami pause for thought.  She would think of another gift to give someone the next day.  Cami was in extremely bad shape and couldn’t even walk up and down her apartment steps.  What happened through the course of the first month of 29 gifts in 29 days is remarkable.  This is a true story.  So I decided to try it at home.  This is one of those things that you don’t have to say “Don’t try this at home”.  If you miss even one day of giving you must start from the beginning again and go another consecutive 29 consecutive days.  I decided to try it.  What happened in that first month was so amazing to me I could not believe it.  I wish I had it at my finger tips to share all the amazing things that transpired that month but all the details are in one of dozens of journals and I don’t remember which journals they are logged in.  I read the book from the library and then bought a second had copy and ended up giving that copy away.

I am going to share just one example of what happened that stands out in my mind during that first month.  Just so you know you don’t have to stop after a month.  A gift can be a lot of things that does not cost money, such as opening a door for someone, doing a chore that they normally do, taking back another person’s grocery cart when they unload their groceries, or picking a flower from your garden and taking it to a neighbor.  So many little gestures can mean so much to the recipient.  Well, on a Saturday morning I left home early to attend a lady’s one day retreat at church.  I stopped by the Subway to buy myself a sandwich because we needed a lunch and I did not make one for myself.  So, I decided to buy two sandwiches and give it to the leader to anonymously announce at lunch that if anyone didn’t have a lunch there was a lunch waiting for them at the podium.  At lunch time she did just that.  Immediately someone jumped up, excited and hopeful.  She hadn’t had time to prepare a lunch and was very hungry.  It felt awesome to do that for someone else.  Now fast forward a few days later.  There was a woman that worked at Q-doba on Fish Hatchery Road.  When I was there one time she gave me a coupon for a free burrito.  I was very touched by her generosity.  She was the manager.  I wrote a poem “You can Never be too Kind” and dropped it by for her.  It delighted her immensely.  My poem was the gift I gave for that day.  Well a few days after that I was back at Q-doba (that’s when I ate fast food) and she asked me to wait because she had something for me and had been watching for me to come by.  Her husband worked at another place called Buffalo Wild Wings and she had two gift certificates for me for $25.00 each.  I was flabbergasted!  Not only that, she gave me several (I think 4) more coupons for free meals at Q-doba!  Her generosity was overwhelming.  When I told Dave about it he said, “Well, I guess you just can’t out give God”.  I was not expecting anything in return for my experimental 29 days.  It was awesome to be so blessed.  More and more incidents such as that happened that entire month.  And you don’t have to do it for just one month.  Give it a try, I promise nothing in return except great feelings you receive from sharing with other!  It is God who sees our heart and our motive.  As Cami gave that first month she noticed her health improving to the point she could walk again and do so much more than she ever thought possible in her situation.  I recommend reading the book.  Some of her spiritual beliefs are a bit different than what I am used to but overall the book is well written and worth reading.  I’ll tell you one thing, I got way more than a sandwich in return for my little six inch tuna sub.

The busier you are, all the more reason to do it.  I’ll see if I can find the poem I gave the Q-doba lady.  That will actually tell me when this all happened because I date each poem the day I write it.  I guess I still give every day if you count “ADVICE” as a gift.  Oh well, nice try.

Today I was up earlier, so I guess my morning did come earlier after all.  And I wrote a poem.  It is downstairs in my journal in the library so I will include the one I discussed above for today’s blog.  I do hope you enjoy it.

Dave and I took separate cars to the gym today because I had a string of errands to accomplish.  While at the gym my friend Judy called me at noon to ask me if I could go to our favorite place to get COCONUT CREAM PIE!  When I speak of this COCONUT CREAM PIE it is with reverence, in capital letters.  It is a vegetarian restaurant downtown Madison named THE GREEN OWL, and their food is so delicious.  We both love the pie.  So I rearranged my errands (no time restraints) and high tailed it to downtown for out 1:00 o’clock rendezvous.   That pie was delicious!!  And…(another gift given to me) Judy would not let me buy my piece all because Dave and I took her with us in the back seat to our last Saturday’s party in Pardeville (where I bought the chairs). Not only was the company great but she blessed me with her unexpected generosity.

After leaving downtown I accomplished the errands I had been trying to get to all week and was home by 6:00 p.m.  I already had dinner prepared so I ate and now I am here doing my little blog.  My first hopeful Saturday day off tomorrow will be taken up by doing the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep photos for the family as the baby’s funeral is next week and they need the montage by then.  And Sunday is our dinner with the kids here and then the boys will be left for two night to have fun with us.  I must remember…NO ICE CAREAM!  NO ICE CREAM!  The oldest is allergic to milk just like Courtland was.  When I took Courtland to visit grandma and grandpa for the weekend I always reminded them no milk.  But he always had allergic reactions the next day.  One day I asked them explicitly if they had given him milk.  No, they had not.  Then later in the conversation they mentioned how much he loved ice cream.  Oh dear!  I told them he couldn’t have ice cream either.  That was a great blow to both of them and to Courtland, because of course, he did love the ice cream.  He was two years old.  They didn’t give him anymore ice cream.  And, guess what?  I’ve done the same thing.  I guess it is just something grandparents want to do.  Well, now I make fruit smoothies with rice milk.  The little kids think that is pretty cool!   One of my best memories of Dave’s folks is remembering how very much our children so loved their grandparents.  Dave’s father was already 84 years old when Rebecca was born.  We were saddened at the thought that he might not live long enough, due to his advanced age, for the kids to be able to remember the grand old man.  And he was grand!  Well, he lived to be 101 years old.  Rebecca  was 17 and Courtland was 14.  They still cherish their memories of their grandparents.  Dave’s mom lived about another 10 years and the children remember her vividly also.  Ruth was 18 years younger than her husband John.

I was able to find the poem mentioned above on an external hard drive.  It was written in January 2012.  I remember starting my first month of giving in December of 2011.

 

YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO KIND

 

Kathleen Martens

January 19 2012

 

When you meet someone kind,

A rare treasure is what you find.

A peace shines upon their face,

Accept their gift with gentle grace.

 

Realize you’ve been given a gift,

Perhaps their smile or a word that lifts.

Tuck that pleasure in your heart

And turn to another to impart.

 

Kindness is beauty like a nugget of gold

Though not purchased, traded, or sold.

It is GIVEN without cause or motive,

An act of joy, unselfish votive.

 

Think of ways to another give,

How you think is how you live!

Remember you can never be too kind,

For tenfold blessings you will find.

 

Over all, today was another wonderful day of living.  Always busy but ever so grateful for the gift of life, regardless how busy I seem to always be.  Someday I am going to figure out this thing called life and remember I am retired and try to slow down.  I really do want to do that.  I have so much more I want to accomplish.  Uh oh!  I want to get un-busy so I can do other busy things.  That makes no sense.  I love it!

 

Good night!  Have a great weekend.

P.S.  I just had to go ahead and write a short poem tonight to include in closing.

 

 

LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT IT BRINGS

By Kathleen Martens

August 14, 2015

 

Words cannot mere express

The gratitude I feel

When I awaken to a new day

To find what God reveals.

 

For each day is born anew

A gift given from our King

Accept it with a thankful heart

Look forward to what it beings.

 

Thursday August 13, 2015  MY MORNINGS MUST COME EARLIER

How long will it take me to find my niche back into my former life?  Or, do I even want to find it?  It seems each day I have been home has been so filled up that I can’t quite find a routine.  And I remember my sister’s words a couple of weeks ago, “you must find a routine in order to survive old age” (my paraphrase).  Either one of two things have happened.  Either I am not old enough to have a routine or perhaps I’m just not surviving old age very well.  I think both premises are incorrect.  I am old (at least older than I was), and I am surviving without a routine.  I don’t THINK I’m old when I think of myself and all my dreams and desires, yet I have discovered since I’ve been home that my body is trying to tell me differently.  When I stumbled off the step at my friend’s house in Denver Colorado and twisted my hip, I discovered that I am not healing like I used to.  My hip is not progressing to the healing stage and I am limited as to what I can do.  Actually it is my pace and stamina that are affected.  I have the tendency to zoom around, accomplish as much as possible, and never stop.  Well, I’m still doing that and for the first time in a long time I am beginning to hear my physical body gripe at me a bit.  The hip does not want me to climb stairs.  I did so much stair climbing while I was gone that this really sends me for a loop.  I like running up and down stairs just for the exercise.  Well, it isn’t happening now.

I want to share a secret to all those who are reading this that are under 60.  “When you see someone 80 and watch  how slow and sometimes infirm they are, just remember that they did not get that way all at once.  It was just one little thing at a time.  Then you settle into the pattern that some other part of you no longer works like it’s supposed to, accept it, go on from there and do the best you can.”   Hmmm.  I’m not at the place I want to settle yet.

And where these two previous paragraphs originated from, I have no idea.  Maybe I just needed to complain and that is the last thing I want to do in a blog.  I try my best not to complain.  Sometimes I’m not quite so good at being at my best.  (I wonder if that is part of aging???)

So now to another matter.  It is the matter that made me think of ROUTINE in the first place.  My former routine before I left on my 4 month trip was to get up between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., without an alarm, because I was usually in bed by 9:00 p.m.  I love morning time.  I love the dark mornings of winter and the brilliant sunrises in the early mornings of summer.  After doing the bare essentials I would make may way downstairs in the quiet sleeping house and settle in my library chair and stay there as long as my day aloud.  That was my quiet time, my prayer time, my reading time, my thinking time, and my journal writing time.  Since returning home I have not been able to routinely do that, due to all that happened regarding Dave and NILMDTS babies and needing to work on post production photo montages, wedding work, all the fresh foods to work up weekly, then surgery (and of course I used that excuse to sleep in every day), and just too busy of a life.  So I’ve been using my blog to journal and write my poems, my exercise time to listen to sermons and meditate on the Lord in the loud gym, my cooking time to think and pray, and my mandatory rest (which usually doesn’t happen) to read.  But, I didn’t take the quiet time I needed to hear God speak to me.  And I began to feel the loss of those quiet times in my library.  So today I made the commitment that that is not something I can give up whether I have time or not.  Mornings will just need to come earlier for me.

This morning was one of the few times I have taken back that part of my old routine.  And I want it back consistently, and even more importantly, I can’t live without out!  And today was wonderful.  My entire day went differently than I had planned it to go, but it was well worth it.  I had planned to accomplish a lot more but when one plan changes it often has a domino effect about the remaining hours of the day.  So be it.  I refuse to allow myself to become lackadaisical about what is absolutely the most important event in my day, spending time alone and quiet with God.  We had such a wonderful reunion today!  After a time of prayer I realized I was writing a poem in my journal, not realizing it at first.  So I took stock and continued the poem that came to me.  I will write it here.

 

ABIDING IN THE LORD

By Kathleen Martens

August 13, 2014

 

Thank You Father for loving me so.

Thank You for Your favor that I know.

Your lovingkindness draws me close.

 Your abundance of Grace, I need a dose.

 

Thank You for Your patience awaiting my return

To Your ever flowing love I need never earn.

Thank You for giving so freely to me

Your bountiful blessings that are always free.

 

Thank You for drawing my heart’s desires

That I be infused with Your Holy Spirit fires.

Oh to be wrapped in Your warm embrace

Gives me courage for whatever I must face.

 

But most of all, thank You for Your time alone.

A better friend I’ve never known.

You love me enough my conscience to tweak,

And teach me humility and how to be meek.

 

Your grace is plentiful as You guide my way

That I will rise above sin as I go through my day.

Thank You for the directions of my plans

And speaking through love and not by demands.

 

I’ve missed our intimacy these days past.

Time slithers by and is deviously fast.

You are always faithful and so must I be.

It is my decision to make time to be free.

 

Oh how I long for our leisurely walk

In my soul’s garden where I hear You talk.

I am inviting You to come in again,

It’s been a long while and I miss my best friend!

 

Nothing more important than being with You,

So Your love and wisdom I can ensue.

So here I am Father, to receive and to give.

And abiding in You, is where I choose to live.

 

After I received this poem and wrote it down I felt impressed that I was to read I John.  So I did.  And oh my goodness!  It was as if God was confirming everything I wrote in my poem and Heart Sounds, through His scriptures.  I will write them here.

1 John 2:4-6  New King James Version (NKJV)

^“ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

 

1 John 2:15  New King James Version (NKJV)

^“ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

 

1 John 2:27  New King James Version (NKJV)

^“ But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

The scripture verses would actually make more sense if I had written down the words I received from the Lord.  If even one person emails me and asks me to share it I will do so tomorrow.  I just don’t know if anyone is interested in hearing the Heart Sounds I believe that God puts in my heart.

I will work on closing this blog with just a few comments about my day.  It is Food Day again since it is Thursday.  Fortunately there were no left over boxes left in my garage and there were not a lot of bulky foods to cram into the fridge.  I fit in what had to be fit in.  I left the melons out to ripen a bit more and that helped with the space.  No major cooking today, just prep work and reheating.  I like those days.

Dave and I went to the gym together this afternoon.  My membership was coming due and Dave decided to join with me.  That was a great event.  Now, hopefully I will be able to continue to do my workouts once I build my strength back up from being off these past two weeks since surgery.  I had my sutures removed yesterday so now I can do what I can do but must build back up to the weights and resistance I was using before I left in March.  Dave is all tidily tucked in bed and that is where I would like to be.

Now that I want to close I think of something to write.  As I was thinking of tomorrow being Friday it brought to mind what Dave and I spoke of this week about how we hope our weeks will go.  I guess this is part of the “routine” being formed.  My desire is to have ALL MY WORK DONE Monday through Thursdays.  Work out Monday through Friday and take Saturday and Sunday off.  When I decided I’d like to try that, I decided I also want to have Friday open for fun things, especially in the summer.  So I see that in a way I am at least thinking about that big R word.  So…my toilets are clean, our sheets are changed, have the guest bed ready for company on Sunday night (our grandsons), the laundry is washed and put away, and I am doing a practice run of what it will be like to have my Friday free except for the gym time.  Only one thing, my free time tomorrow will be in front of my computer in the studio office trying to finish up Photo work.  It’s only after I am free of this work will I really know how it feels to have FREE FRIDAYS and know what it is like to be retired.  I am trying my best to make it happen.

Good night to all of you.  Let me know if you want to hear my Heart Sounds.

 

Wednesday August 12 2015  A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE

 

I was home alone tonight.  It is Wednesday.  Dave’s night out.  His night out consist of meeting with a man in the capacity of a Stephen Minister.  Both Dave and I have been through the classes to become trained Stephen Ministers.  As a Stephen Minister you meet weekly with a person who is going through a crisis of some kind and needs someone to talk with; people who are going through divorce, or loss of a spouse or child, a terminal illness, or who have lost a job or any other number of personal situations that are difficult to go through alone. Our position as a care giver is to listen. You may have the same person for a few weeks, a few months or even a year or more.  I have had some for just weeks and others for two years because of experiencing another crisis while we were meeting and needed further support.  I believe it is very worthwhile for both the care receiver as well as the care giver.  If you or someone you know is experiencing a loss of some kind perhaps you should check and see if your church or another local church offers Stephen Ministry.  It is all done by trained volunteers so there is no charge.  The training takes about a year depending how frequently the classes are scheduled.  It took us about one year to attend the classes.  It was a lot of dedication and work.

But, back to being home alone.  After being with Dave over the past 7 weeks both day and night, and then to have him absent, leaves a big void.  I sat at the bar in the kitchen and had my dinner alone.  I was amazed at how empty the house is without him.  It made me think of all the time I was gone and  what it must have been like for him.  There is a sadness about a house when it is empty of the only other occupant that lives there.  The soft background noises are gone.  No footsteps or rattling paper or any other common noises the other person makes.  There seems to be a void, a hollowness that prevails when it is only me that inhabits the house.  I’m not the type to get lonely so I guess if I were I would have lonely tonight.  I didn’t have time to be lonely.  I worked non-stop on the wedding album and emails and just started the Blog writing when he walked in at 9:15 p.m.  When Dave arrived home I asked him what it was like to be in the house without me for so many months.  Trying to make me feel bad, he hangs his head and tell me that he came home every night to an empty house.  I asked him what that was like for him.  Then a big wicked grin lights is face and he says, too emphatically, “QUIET”!  And we both laugh.  Just in case you might not know, I do like to talk.  I am trying to corral my words and give him his “quiet time”.  I am so thankful for my husband.  Even when he is quiet.

I had a delightful surprise visited upon me today.  Betts called me last night to inform me that she wanted to come by today with a long-time friend named Amy.  I don’t feel at liberty to tell  you Amy’s story but it is amazing.  Amy is from China.  The minute they arrived I looked at Amy and knew God had just deposited a love in my heart for Amy, someone very special.  She brought her cello in from the car when she came in because she wanted to play it for us.  She has had only three lessons but she has already picked up the basics for playing and has such a wonderfully pitched ear that her songs rang clear and true.  The sound of her cello was deep and mellow and lovely.  I think I could listen to cello music a long time.  We talked, laughed, prayed, listened to her music and heard some of her story.  Betts has known her for years and has always spoken so highly of her when she would come to visit me that I always longed to meet her.  She has had a very difficult life but has overcome some very demanding, challenging, situations.  She is a strong woman.  She is in  her blooming season of life!  Their visit was a desire fulfilled.  Last week when Betts left, my thoughts were, I wish I would see Betts again before she leaves Wisconsin.  God saw that desire and fulfilled it!  My other desire was that I meet Amy.  That too has been fulfilled.  Their visit was the highlight of my day.  I wish I had remembered to ask Amy for her wisdom.  Well, I think I will still have a chance because I intend to contact her again.  She lives about 60 to 75 minutes away.  God is so good to bring such wonderful people into our lives.

As Amy was getting in her car to leave she turned to me and said “I love you from the moment I first saw you when I drove up.”  Those were truly sweet words to say to to me and even more beautiful for me to hear in her soft accent and choice of words.  When God puts a love in my heart for someone like He did today when He gave me a love for Amy, I knew there was a reason.  I don’t know what it is yet, but God always reveals His plan at the perfect time.  It’s special for me to know that Amy felt the same love being tucked inside her heart.

 

MY SONG OF LOVE FOR YOU 

By Kathleen Martens

August 12 2012

 

Lord, clear my head of cobwebs

And clear my eyes of sleep.

Let me reach out and grab

The words You’d have me keep.

 

All the books upon the shelf

Hold not the poem I’ll write.

If I can just stay awake

And these heavy eyelids fight.

 

I thank you for Your fulfillment

Of the desires my heart holds

You seem to always know just when

What words I need be told.

 

Tomorrow’s poem will be different

Than the one I compose tonight

No poem can be written today

That should have been written last night.

 

And tonight’s poem is not tomorrow’s.

If not written today it will never be.

Some do not understand the NOW

And the perfection of the poem NOW sees.

 

For each moment lends its thought

And reckons the heart of PRESENT

The words that are written down

Are the culmination of NOW’S essence.

 

So I will choose to say

What now is in my heart.

I will offer words of love

With the gift of my art.

 

Thank you Lord for giving me

A gift that is each day new,

A simple poem written this hour,

Is my song of love for You.

 

So my wisdom today is:  “Do not put off until tomorrow the words you desire to write tonight.  Because tomorrow the words will not be what you would write tonight.  You will write tomorrow’s words tomorrow for tomorrow will bring new thoughts, new dreams, new ideas.” 

 

Good Night.

Tuesday August 11, 2015 Whimsical Words

 

I am at a loss for words!  It been a long, long day.  I just asked the Lord to give me the words He would have me write this day to share with others.  I truly am at a loss for words.

This day started as usual, lots on my agenda, places I had to be, exercise, wedding design, (that was my main plan) and one phone call later and my day is gone.

Kia (which I drive) had recall notice for my year of car.  The undercarriages were rusting and we were required to bring them into the dealership and have them undercoated with a black, sticky, tar-like substance.  That was first on my list at 9:00 a.m.  I was able to do some shopping at a hardware store on the way so I at least accomplished one thing on my list.  Then I dropped off the car, which would take about 90 minutes to do.  I asked the shuttle service to drop me off at the gym, planning to have them pick me up the same place.  The technician called to inform me that my car had some additional work that needed to be done so it was going to take 3 hours.  The shuttle would not be able to pick me up for quite some time so I called Dave to come and take me home.  He did.

As soon as I arrived home I received a phone call from a Children’s Hospital with a newborn baby that would be taken off life support and asked for my photographic service.  They called me back later to say they were ready.  I didn’t have a car but Dave said to take his.  I thought I’d be home in time to have the shuttle come and pick me up and take me back to the dealership.  WRONG!  I arrived at the hospital early afternoon and did not leave until almost 6:00 p.m.  The baby was still on life support when I left.  He was basically breathing on the respirator with a pacemaker stimulating his heart.  He lived like that for 6 weeks.  My heart was just torn out to see the grief, especially that of the father.  It is much easier to handle a situation like that for an hour or so, but after so many hours my heart just feels the pain so deeply.  I think about the fact that the parents have lived it for the past 6 weeks, not just a few hours.  I had to leave so I could get to the car dealership so I could check my car out of the service department before they closed because I have a doctor appointment in the morning to have my sutures removed so I needed to pick up the car tonight.  It was 7:00 p.m. or later before I arrived home.  Then Dave got in his car, and I drove us back to the dealership (about an hour round trip) to retrieve my car.  Then we had dinner and now I am here.  I did a lot of praying while at the hospital to get through this day.  No matter how many babies I take photos of, it is never easy!  God gives me peace and assurance that the babies are with him, but it is the grief of the parents that is so sad to me.

I had an emergency C-section with my son who was two months early.  I will never forget awakening from anesthesia (yes, I had to be put under because of convulsing) and looking into Dave’s sorrowful eyes as he told me our son was not expected to make it through the night.  I closed my eyes, shut out the world, and fell back into the anesthesia’s deep place of darkness.  We had our own days of pain, anxiety, and for me, deep sad depression and anger toward God.  That was truly a deep valley that I went through at that time.  When I was deposited at home eight days later I was so sick and depressed that I could only minimally function.  Our son had been transferred immediately to a Children’s Hospital after birth and I was left languishing in the hospital where he had been born.  Noise and interruptions constantly around me as I was in a room with 3 other beds, 3 newborn babies, and this happened with a total of 12 healthy newborns going through the hospital room while I was hospitalized.  On the day of my release Dave picked me up, dropped me off at home and had to leave immediately.  I was home alone in the silence with no baby to hold. Dave had already missed so much work he had to go back to work the day he dropped me off at home.  I could barely get out of bed.  I was a wreck.  We had no family in southern California where we lived at the time.  Later that day, alone, angry at God, I  cried and screamed and railed at God asking him how he could allow this to happen.  Why?  I just could not accept the fact that I could possibly lose our son.  How could God do that to me?  I knew this would be the only pregnancy I could have and now I would not even have a baby after going through such a difficult pregnancy for 7 months.  Even today I cannot express in words how deep was my pain and how deeply I was wounded.  That day had a great impact on me for the rest of my life.  After my sobbing was spent, my body exhausted, I just stood alone in an empty house and something came over me that was so profound.  All of a sudden I had a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to see His Son die upon the cross.  I remember asking God, “God, is this how you felt when you gave your Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world?”  It was an agony I could not describe that came from my inmost being.  I felt so humbled and unworthy to think that I had just railed at God believing that He did not know how I felt or He would not allow me to go through it.  I then spoke out loud again to God, “Lord, I would have rather have known my baby these past seven months living inside me than to not ever have known him at all.  Thank you God for the beautiful experience of the creation of life and I give my son back  to You now.”   And in my heart I did just that.

A lot of years have passed since our son was born.  The words may not be verbatim, but they are what I remember my meaning being.   I went to bed exhausted.  The depression left me that day and my joy returned.  I was still weak, recovering from a physically stressful pregnancy.  Later in the evening I received a call from NICU.  This is the first thing the nurse said after identifying herself, “We don’t know what happened…” (And my heart knew that our son had died) “…but your son has made a 180 degree about face.  His kidneys are functioning, we have taken him off oxygen, his color is good, his blood work show his infection is improving…”  She said much more, but I was just so ecstatic with the news that I don’t think I heard much more.  He still had some difficult days ahead but from that moment on I knew that God had given him back to me.  On the same day I turned him over to God, God looked into my deep sorrow and restored our son to us.  To me, it was truly a miracle!

This experience was one of those pivotal moments in my life that changed the course of my direction. I could not do today what I do with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, if I had not gone through that experience.  My son lived but I suffered his death many times over. Because of this experience God has given me a heart of compassion for parents for the parents who are going through one of the greatest sorrows a parent can face, that of losing their precious child.

I look back over my life and see how God paved the way for me to go through doors today that I would never have gone through had He not prepared me for it years ago.

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)

“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.”

 

Romans 8: (NIV)

^“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

Genesis 50:20 (NIV) 

^“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…”

 

I have shared this story over the years with many.  I do hope I have not already written the entire story before in this blog.  If you have read this story, thank you for listening to my heart.  I do not suffer over and over for God’s healing in my life is complete.  It is now my compassion that rises to the surface to help those who are going through a similar circumstance.  My sorrow is for their pain as they are going through during this excruciating time in their lives.

 

I do not share my NILMDTS experiences with Dave.  His heart is still too tender to be reminded of what he experienced personally during this time of our lives to hear any stories.  So I keep it to myself for the most part.  It is a relief to me to write it out.

 

I have written many poems for many little babies who are now in heaven.  Tonight I choose to write something different.  I just have to think of what it will be.

 

WHIMISICAL WORDS

By Kathleen Martens

Aug 11 2015

 

What thoughts do I share

When the hour is late.

My mind is tired

And sleep is my fate?

 

How do I come up with

Something each night

To write as a poem

As sleep I fight?

 

I ask that questions

And words just come

Floating through the air

Just having fun.

 

I pluck each one

Right out of the sky

And smack it on paper

Before it dies.

 

And before long

They all make sense,

…Or maybe not…

If it sounds too dense.

 

Good night.

 

It is time for bed!

 

 

 

 

 

Monday August 10 2015  THE HUMMINGBIRD

No reason at all to title to today’s date “The Hummingbird”, except for the fact that as I write the date, I look up and out my window is a little hummingbird hovering right in front of me on the other side of my window pane.  I am on the main floor of my house in the sunroom which looks out to the back yard from the advantage point of a second floor height.  Our lower level is a full level walkout.  When I look outside all I see is the forest.  Well…since I have really seen what a true forest looks like, perhaps I should call my view—looking out at the woods.  It is a beautiful woods.  Most of the back and end of our house is windows which creates a feeling that we live in the trees.  The trees are very tall in places and we cannot   see the tops of the taller trees when we look out.  This side of the house faces west, and even so, our yard becomes dark very early.  There are large trees in the front also that lend us the loveliness of shade on hot summer days.  The sun is now setting but still hits the tops of the tallest trees. Leaf raking in the fall is an amazing task!

I just went around to some of the windows in the house and took some photos of what I see out my windows.  Some have glass glare but it still gives you the idea of where I live.  The little red house is a playhouse in our back yard.  I used it as a backdrop in my outdoor studio for senior portraits.  It was also the home of our pet pig named Sheeza.  Her last name was Pig.  The metal fencing that you see is an enclosed terrace that has outdoor stairs that take you down to that level.  When looking over the back railing it is still quite high off the ground as we are on a slight hill.  The enclosed area was originally a 38’ X 18’ diving pool, 12’ deep with diving board and slide, enclosed in the wrought iron fencing due to the regulations that pools must be fenced.  Once the kids outgrew the desire for the pool we had a company come in and install drainage out to the woods and had it filled in as a septic area would be drained.  We had to do it that way so it wouldn’t become a bog due to our heavy spring and summer rainfalls.  It is now a garden and a place for mosquitos.  We wish it were screened in.  We have dreams, so who knows…maybe in the future.  I find that I am never too old to dream and plan for the future.

It is already the time of the year when we start preparing for fall because winter is never far behind.  This year has been quite discombobulated for me with my long absence.  I left in the snow, came back in full summer, and these past weeks have been so packed with all that has been going on that it seems like the whole year is wrapping up before me.  We still have another trip planned that will take us away during a crucial time of putting our land to bed.  There is a lot to do when you have a yard bigger than  city blocks . Especially with THOUSANDS of leaves coming down.  But it is so beautiful.  I would be happy to live out the rest of my life looking out these windows.

This has been a quiet day.  After working out this morning I cooked the strata I concocted last evening, worked on wedding work, ate lunch, worked on wedding work, worked on about a thousand emails, I now am in the 4,900 count, down from over 5,000 and something.  Found some interesting emails, long overdue, that I answered.  Worked some more on the wedding, talked to our daughter, and ate again.  And now I am here.  When I prepare the food Dave almost always cleans up the kitchen for me.  That is a great help as far as my time goes.  Dave has several projects going right now and it seems his time is being eaten up with just the little things it takes to keep a house running.  He actually fixed a toilet’s innards today.  That was a good thing to do!  Tomorrow he hopes to get all the rocks of one planter washed and put back in the area they belong.  Rocks are heavy, but in this environment they must be cleaned due to all the road dirt and tree debris that collects on them.  I would just buy new ones but he is not wasteful, so thus, he cleans them instead.  He is a hard, diligent worker.  He always finishes what he starts.  That is a good trait to have.  I do so appreciate my husband and his qualities.  Like I said in my blog once before, I have never known a man of such integrity as my husband.  And that is not a biased statement.  Just how many people could truly say and know that to be true about the person they have lived with for 42 years? I would venture to say, not many.  I don’t think I would fall into that category.  I have too many shortcomings.  But I know I am still loved unconditionally by God just as he loves you the same way.

So, this day is coming to a close.  My poem is yet to be written.  Lord, I ask that you will bring something to mind that I need to write in order to touch another’s life.

 

SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A HUMMINGBIRD

By Kathleen Martens

August 10, 2015

 

Something as simple as a hummingbird

Can give pause to create a blog.

A simple little hummingbird

But an exquisite creation of God.

 

If man would just stop and listen

And open his eyes to see,

Perhaps the world would open before him

And set his captive heart free.

 

For all that is beauty around us,

Comes from the Creator for our pleasure,

But so many don’t take the time

To enjoy the gifts of God’s great treasure.

 

Open the eyes of your heart

That internally you will know

All the magnificence this world holds

Made by God who will willingly show.

 

He will fill you with peace that comes

From experiencing beauty within

When he takes your shattered life

And forgives you of all your sin.

 

All you must do is ask

And God will shower you with Grace,

His mercy is unending

When he takes you to that place.

 

So look around and see

All that God does each day.

Not only has he made heaven and earth,

He desires to show you the way.

 

The way to a place of joy

Where He will restore your soul.

Though this earth is His beautiful creation,

He wants heaven to be your goal.

 

I am going to end this blog by copying a short piece from “LIFE, LIVING INTENTIONALLY FOR EXCELLENCE” by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.  Oops!  At least I had intentions of writing it here until I read the copyright statement:  “All rights reserved:  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying , recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of Obstacles Press, Inc.”

GULP!  I guess I have already transgressed this since I have put in little one liner points of wisdom in previous blogs from this book as well as other.    Maybe I will go to jail.  I certainly hope not!  Nothing like admitting it online! Maybe the name of their publishing company should have scared me away!  Oh man, I am so sorry that I can’t quote page 93.  I just hope I don’t get caught for what I have quoted.  What I was going to pass on to you is was so good!  Maybe it seems extra good because it is totally in line with my beliefs and I have actually spoken in public about this very topic.  You’ll just have to buy the book!  I wonder if that means I cannot quote from any book.  So many times in books I have read references to another author and the title of the book along with a statement or paragraph from the book.  Many times I have gone out and purchased the book for myself because I was so impressed with that little insert in the book I was reading.  Oops! I just revealed another one of my shortcomings!  I’ll just have to go out and solicit wisdom from real live human beings who don’t mind being quoted.  I did it all over the country so I’ll just continue to do so here in my home state and just keep all the wisdom I learn from books to myself and not share with anyone else.  Now if you call me on the phone I might read it to you!

I just read the copyright in other books and they all pretty much say the same.  Well, I hope that you feel free to share what I write with others (except today’s blog where I am admitting a crime).  I always thought if I gave identification to who wrote the book and the book it came from it was not illegal to share it with others.  I hope if other people ever read my books (still yet unpublished) and they find something interesting and worth sharing that they will share the words I wrote and pass on that which might help another.

I hope you have a great night.  I have a little praying to do.

Well, I just scrutinized my little Amish Calendar and I see no copyright jail threats so I will give credit where credit is due and give you my Amish Calendar Wisdom for August 10^th:

I sometimes think that friendliness…

Is like a cheerful song…

It makes the good days better,

And it helps when things go wrong.

 

God bless all of you!

p. s.  Even the Bible has a copyright. Hummmmmph!

Sunday Sabbath August 9 2015  READJUSTING

 

RETIREMENT.  READJUSTING.  Two words that are one and the same.  I thought I learned a lot on my trip but perhaps not quite enough.   I’m a do-er.  It is hard for me to sit still, sit down, lie down, or take a moment to do nothing.  And I certainly do not want to take a nap during the day!  Dave and I are opposites.  He informed me of that tonight.  He asked me to remember that Sunday is a day of rest.  Resting to me is working in the kitchen, creating new recipes, cooking, and preparing for the week.  What I need to remember is that I am supposed to be retired and have the rest of the week to do all that.

Well, I don’t feel retired yet because I still have two weddings of which I must finish the post production design.  Only then will I actually be RETIRD!  And even then I will be on call for Meriter Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital and U.W. Children’s Hospital to photograph for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  So I’ll still have some work pending until finished and delivered to the client.  But that is not as time consuming, or as stressful as doing a wedding from start to finish.  I’m looking forward to when I will be finished.   Then will come my studio prop sale and converting my studio back into a living area.  Now that will be fun.  Maybe I said this already but I think I am excited about it because we plan to move my small, over crowed library into the larger area!  How awesome will that be!

As I cooked today I gave thought to what Dave had said regarding the fact that for the last 100 years he has worked Monday through Friday and only had weekends to keep up the yard.  He wants to get all the house and yard work accomplished on the week days and have Saturday and Sunday (for me Saturday, for him Sunday) off with no work of any kind.  Hmmm…I think I kind of like that idea.  So we are retired and we are readjusting.  Both of us.  We love being together but just not all the time.

We are going to make a new day to go to Costco.  No more Sunday afternoons with a big cooking day following.  I must admit, I do like my cooking time.  My cousin has told me that I am “obsessed with food” and maybe I am.  I am obsessed with raw, fresh, organic, beautiful veggies and fruits and all the things that can be concocted from them.  I like to touch them, handle them, cut them up, smell them, cook them, look at them, take pictures of them and then eat them.  The eating part of it is good but the fun part is the beauty of handling such exquisitely designed works of art.  Live food is so beautiful!

Life is just beautiful to me.  I’m sometimes sorry I can’t just get over it and take it for granted.  But, I cannot.  Every day is a gift to me from God and I accept it and use it as such.  I never tire of saying thanks to God for all He has given me, all He has done, for who He is, for His love for me, for His grace, for His joy and peace he instills within me daily.  And I especially thank Him for the awe and wonder he has placed in my heart.  I wonder if I will ever grow up.  I certainly hope not.  Sorry sister Velma.  I know you have hoped I would all my life.  But if push came to shove I suppose I just don’t intend to do so.

I don’t know how I got off on the above topic but I guess I’ll leave it in.  Sometimes I write words but don’t publish them for public consumption. Maye I’ll leave this glimpse of me in print.

Today was another wonderful day.  Perhaps my last Sunday to use as a cooking and prep day for the week.  It is my joy to create a harmonious retired household.  I have a book about Sunday Sabbath, Restoring the Rhythm and Rest to You Soul.  I can’t remember if that is the exact title but it is something like that.  I read it years ago and still remember some of the wisdom that the book offered.  I think I shall find the book and quote some of its wisdom for you.  Not today however, as I have earned to be tired with all that I did today.  We did attend church as we do each Sunday, went to Costco afterward, and then home to cook.  I will say that I did rest a bit before I started cooking but only because I am supposed to do so for my surgical recovery.  I have been trying to make that a priority each day.  It is a bit like torture but I think I could get used to it.  I read during that time and it is what I love to do even more than cooking.

I met a new couple at church today.  Stacy and Pat.  Oh dear, maybe it was Tracy and Pat.  Please forgive me for not remembering.  I’ll ask her again next week.  Anyway, she had some interesting wisdom for me.  I asked her if she had some wisdom and she said no.  Then she went on describing why she doesn’t have wisdom, however what she said seemed very wise to me.  I asked her if I could write it in my Blog.  She said yes.  Now the big question is, can I remember the meaning she got across to me.  Here is Pat’s wife’s wisdom:  “I want to have an open mind and not judge people or circumstances.  I want my mind and heart to be accepting of others.”  She said so much more and so much more eloquently than I can quote here.  I didn’t record her and I wished I had because she said it so beautifully.  When our hearts are grounded in Jesus I think that what she told me is exactly what Jesus would want us to do.  Isn’t that what He did with all those He came in contact with?  He accepted each one that came to Him and poured His healing and love over them.  What a better place our world would be if more people followed that example.  We are never to sit in the seat of judgement.  Isn’t it awesome that that is not our job!

It is after 9:00 p.m.  Time to go to bed.  But first, I must write a poem.  There are a lot of poems in me I would like to write but some take more thinking than others and by this time at night my thinking cap has slipped a bit.  So let’s see what I can come up with.  Hey, I have an idea, if you are reading this, go to contact tab on my blog and shoot me an email and give me some suggestions for some upcoming poems.  Just give me a topic, or a sentence or paragraph of what you would like me to TRY to concoct for you.  Sometimes I ask Dave to just give me one word that I could write a poem about.  It is fun to come up with something.  Anyone else out there write poetry?  Send me one.  I’d love to read it.  I actually have an afternoon pending where a new friend and reader is coming over with his family so we can share our poetry with each other.  How awesome is that!  I’ve already read many of his poems and they are wonderful.  It is always best to hear a poem from the lips of he or she that composed it.  It is when the heart and soul of the poem is felt.  I have done poetry recitals in the past and would love to do another one when my life becomes a bit more “routine” and “organized”.  I don’t know for certain if those words are synonymous with me since I have returned from my trip.  My routines of the past seemed to have disappeared.  I’m trying to rediscover the ones that will now work for me. READJUSTMENT!  There’s that word again.

 

RETIREMENT AND READJUSTMENT

By Kathleen Martens

August 9, 2015

 

Retirement is just a word

But boy does it mean big things.

Living together twenty four seven

New encounters it brings.

 

Waking each morn without alarm

Creates a leisurely tone.

And every day is Saturday,

Until the calendar is shown.

 

Learning to give and to receive

Must be learned all over again.

And learning to know the older other

Is like discovering a new friend.

 

There is a time of adjustment

Because there are a lot of changes,

And we must stretch ourselves further

To handle the many ranges.

 

So many new things to think about,

And so many more new choices.

We must realize we two are one

As we respect our separate voices.

 

Retirement and readjustments,

Two things I look forward to.

It’s as if I’ve been given the gift

Of a life that is wonderfully brand new.

 

So that’s my final answer and I’m sticking to it!

Goodnight!  10:12 p.m.

 

Saturday August 8 2015  MY BIG WONDERFUL DAY TODAY!

 

I said a statement today that I almost didn’t live to regret.

Yesterday’s blog was a simple poem and borrowed wisdom!  Today I had a great big wonderful day as I had planned, and an even better ending!

Dave and I woke up early and readied ourselves for our day at the lake at the Redder’s home in Pardeeville.  A quiet, simple, beautiful community.  It is also Amish-land.  So many beautiful farms, road after road.  Clothes in abundance hung on the clotheslines whipping in the breeze.  All hung in precision of size and gender and garments.  And each yard had many rows of very long lines of hanging space.  Had there been safe places to pull over I would have taken photos.    There were gardens laden with a profusion of vegetables.  Road side stands laid out in wagons and tarps in front yards with a jar beside the produce to accept your money.  I bought a baker’s dozen ears of corn for $2.00!  A beautiful home grown cantaloupe for $2.00.  Green peppers for 50 Cents.  A huge kohlrabi for $2.00 (which is one of my favorite vegetables).

As we drove down a little country road I noticed an Amish wagon by the road with several little Amish children sitting serene and stock still on two rows of seats up high in the large wagon.  The children were toddler age on up to about 4 or 5.  There was, who I assumed to be the mom, working in the vegetable garden off to the side of the wagon and in close proximity to her there were four or five other children ranging in sizes of about 5 or 6 years of age, to maybe 12 years old.  All were bending, harvesting, weeding or doing whatever else you do in a garden.  We drove past, commenting on the children so patiently waiting on the seats.  I thought maybe they were packed up there because they were going to be going on a trip but had to gather the veggies first.  We passed them on our way to the Amish country store.  Dave and I were in the front seat with me driving, and two friends who came with us in the back seat.  About an hour or so later we finished our shopping in the country store and headed back down the country road.  There was the buggy again.  The little ones still sitting docile and serene just as they had been over an hour ago.  The older children were still working with their backs bent, noses to their tasks.  The wagon (a large one that is normally drawn by two horses) had been turned and was now half way down the rows of the vegetable garden, wheels in the spaces between the vegetation.  It was a very large garden.  In the back of the wagon were piles of produce.  As I drove by I wondered how long those babies would have to sit so still and how long the older children would work.  Probably until lunch.  We went by at about 9:30 a.m. and back by closer to 11:00 a.m.  The little ones were not watching an Ipad either, nor did I see any toys.  Just thought you might like to know.  I marveled at the wonder of seeing that scene in this chaotic world we live it.  I wondered what was the motivating factor for such compliancy.

The four of us arrived at the lake location a while later.  It was a perfectly beautiful day.  A bit overcast, warm, but not hot.  A slight breeze that seemed refreshing and such a beautiful lake to view.  The food was delicious, the company was enjoyable, the pontoon ride was relaxing and it was over too soon.

I just remembered I left something out.  On the way through the little downtown area of Pardeeville earlier that morning I spotted a parking lot full of booths selling their wares.  I spied some chairs that looked interesting and asked the others if they would mind if I stopped.  No, they did not mind as it was a great adventure to them to be so spontaneous.  I think Spontaneous is my middle name.  The chairs I had noticed were not what I was looking for but I saw a table and chair set that I thought might have some potential.  I did not want the table, but the chairs, five regular dining chairs and one captain’s chair, looked pretty good.  Old chairs from 1943 made by Leath Furniture Company.  They were painted a soft white and then finished with a distressed look.  Sort of the shabby chic look.  The vendor would not separate the chairs and table.  That is, until I convinced them it was the right thing to do.  So, I bought the chairs for my “new” dining room table.  Distressed table—distressed chairs!  What a great combination.  So here is my dilemma.  Six chairs about 60 miles from my house, two grown women sitting in the back seat of my LITTLE Kia and no way to get them home.  Oh well, I knew it would happen one way or the other so I didn’t worry about it.  So we go on about our day, did all the above, had a great time and I’m still thinking about how to get the chairs home without having to drive all the way up to Pardeeville this week.  Besides, I didn’t know if 6 chairs would fit in my car even with the back down.  Now I do know I was able to get  an awful lot of STUFF in the back of my Silver Fox while I was traveling, but I am a master at stuffing stuff in little spaces if the stuff will cooperate.  Chairs do not cooperate.

As the day progressed, lunch was over and we were all sitting around I asked if anyone had a van that would hold six chairs and if so would they mind taking them to Madison for me so I could pick them up at their house.  Immediately someone volunteered.  They went with me right then to the street vendor, packed them up and toted them to their home after they left the party.  After emptying my car of the back seat passengers we drove over to their house, put 5 chairs in the back with the promise of picking the captain’s chair up from their van tomorrow morning at church, and left for home.  And what happened next is what made for MY TRULY BIG WONDERFUL DAY!

Earlier in the day when we were getting on the pontoon boat someone said that nothing ever exciting happened.  I responded, well something exciting has to happen with me around because I need something to write about every day in my blog.  Just a passing comment, meant in jest.  If you read my blog every day you can testify that my days do not prove very exciting here on the home front.  But in my heart every day is exciting and fulfilling just because I am alive.  However, today something did happen.  Perhaps that something was more nerve wracking than exciting but when it was all over I was very excited because I was alive and intact!

After picking up the chairs from our friend’s house we discussed how to go home.  I thought I’d go home the back way so as not to need to get on the freeway with the load in the back.  Then I reconsidered and I decided I would take the freeway, so got over into the right turn lane.  When I approached the right turn curve to get on the highway a truck came from the opposite direction, turned left to go onto the same on-ramp.  My entrance and his entrance were separated by a triangular curbed berm.  In a split second I noticed he was coming way to fast, went up on the berm, lost control of his truck, went to the left side of his enclosed lane, barely missing the vehicle coming up behind him, swung violently and speedily across the front of my travel, spun around and was facing me in an almost head on  position  just feet away from my car when he stopped and I stopped.  Actually, had I not seen him out of the corner of my eye approaching the turn so erratic and fast, I would have probably have plowed into him.  I had started breaking fiercely the second I saw him jump the curb.  His back tire was totally off the rim.  He backed up, straightened up his truck and took off like a light.  I tried to get his License number but could not due to his surprisingly quick escape.  So we called 911 and reported the “almost accident”, and followed him onto the freeway.  He exited at the first available exit,his trail of rubber debris giving  proof to his direction.  I was speaking with the 911 dispatcher giving her the streets he was turning on.  Soon I lost sight of him.  For a while I was able to follow the debris of rubber left behind by his disintegrating tire.  When the tire debris ended we could no longer give directions as to his avenue of escape.    He really wanted to get away.  He looked wild when our eyes met through the windows of the up close and personal position of our vehicles when we were facing each other on the freeway on-ramp.  AND THAT IS WHEN I KNEW I HAD A TRULY BIG WONDERFUL DAY!  Not only did I find the chairs for my dining room table, I was going to have the opportunity to go home, whole and healthy and carry them into the house.  Remember, every moment we have to live is truly a big wonderful day!  I am so thankful for two things.  One, that I decided to travel home via the freeway.  Had I not turned there I would have been in the exact path of that truck when it made the turn and very likely would have been hit before he entered the freeway on-ramp.  Secondly, after it was all over, there I was behind the wheel, totally sound and safe with my husband safe and sound beside me.  How awesome is that?  So, I guess it really was an exciting day after all.  My adrenalin rush will attest to that.

Most of all, I thank God for his protection over me this day.  IT REALLY WAS A TRULY BIG WONDERFUL DAY!

 

A TRULY BIG WONDERFUL DAY

By Kathleen Martens

August 8, 2015

 

Thank You God, for being You

Vigilant in all you do.

Watchful over me each hour,

Your strength is my power.

 

In my weakness You are strong,

Wherever I am, to You I belong.

You give me wisdom, signs to heed.

Your protection is all I need,

 

You guard me both day and night

You shield me with Your guiding light.

You are my shelter in time of storm

My days numbered when I was born.

 

You are my protector through all my days,

And You whisper sweet thoughts that say

What it is you want me to know,

So I’ll know which way to go.

 

Thank you God, that Your hand is on me

That you will show me what You want me to see.

I know someday I’ll see Your face.

In Your timing I’ll be in Your place.

 

And if had been Your timing today

These are the words to You I’d say.

Thank You God for bringing me home

This is THE BEST, WONDERFUL DAY I HAVE EVER KNOWN!

 

Earlier in the day while in the food line for lunch I asked the host of our party if he had any wisdom for me.  This is what Darrel said to me: “Trust in the Lord forever”.  I said “That’s it?”.  He replied  “That’s enough”.

 

Well, for me today, THAT WAS ENOUGH!

Good night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday August 7 2015  AN EASY BLOG TONIGHT

 

TOMORROW COMES VERY EARLY

By Kathleen Martens

August 7, 2015

 

 

Slept in until 6:00 a.m.

Lazed around before getting up,

In languid light so dim

Feeling as frisky as a pup.

 

Showered and beautified all I could do,

Ate breakfast and went to gym.

My exercise is but a few

My stitches keep me hemmed.

 

Did some errands but what’s new

Came home to prepare lunch

But Dave had something else to do

He would eat later was his hunch.

 

Laundry and computer was my busy day

But a card game was in order.

First the work, then the play,

And Dave won, well…sorta.

 

Cooked up a storm for tomorrow,

A day to spend at the lake.

Food to take without shame or sorrow,

Because everything is delicious I make.

 

On the Phone with Joyce awhile,

She too is quite opinionated

In my heart was a great big smile

As my blog patiently waited.

 

And this is it on a Friday night,

I do so want my bed.

For tomorrow comes very early

When I must raise my head.

 

How’s that?

 

Love to family and friends.

 

P.S.  Wisdom from book “LIFE,  LIVING INTENTIONALLY FOR EXCELLENCE” by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward:

P.70  “Hide behind nothing.  Face your destiny and charge after it with all you’ve got.  You’ll never feel better, have more fun, or make more of a difference any other way.  After all, you’re supposed to be all you can be!  Nothing less will do.”

P.71: “LIFE HAS NO REWIND, BUT IT IS BEING RECORDED”

P.71: “Stop trying to think your way into new actions and start acting your way into new thinking.”

(I just couldn’t leave you without any wisdom for today.)  Now I am going to be wise and get to bed for my big day tomorrow.

Remember…God is good…All the time!

How’s that?

 

Love to family and friends.

 

 

Thursday August 6 2015  I AM GOING TO WATCH T.V.

 

At this time, I have no title to this page. No theme or even any thought as to what I should write.  I had a productive and fun day so there is no reason to not have “something” to write.  It’s just that I wonder if my life will seem dull and uninteresting to those of you who are still reading it.  Are you out there Joyce???  There is never a day of my retirement that goes by that I do not think of all I learned from you when I was at your place of residence.  And today I had a confirmation of just what I did learn from you.  I’ll explain in a bit when I get to that part.  For those of you who might not remember, Joyce is my OLDER cousin who retired a few years ago.  She made a commitment to herself that when she retired she would do what she wanted, when she wanted, IF she wanted.  That was her plan and for her it works!  I like the idea and have even adapted a few strategies as such but to a much lesser degree.  The one thing Dave and I have done, and plan to do for the next year, is to not accept any new responsibilities outside our home for at least one year following retirement.  His retirement started July 7th, mine hasn’t really begun until I finish my wedding work and sell the contents of my studio.  So I think I’ll put the date to start our agreement after my last “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed and I have reclaimed the lower level of our home.  Then I will believe, and live, as if I am retired!  I also learned this piece of wisdom from a lady at church who didn’t accept any invitations for one year after her retirement.  The reason she gave was that she said it would take that long to just recover from working for so many years.  Good reason.  My sister Velma was the other person who gave me her opinion.  Velma is sort of like me, she gives her opinion even when you don’t ask for it.  (Remember the name of my next blog I’m working on is “THE OPINION YOU DID NOT ASK FOR”)!  Velma told me that once you are retired people will try to use your time up for you.  There will be so many things to join, church duties, jobs to do, favors asked, engagements to attend, that it is best to just excuse yourself from life for a year and and recover from working so many years.

Now, as for my opinion, I believe there is one situation that doesn’t count in the equation of withdrawing from life for a year.  That is when your family needs you!  And besides how could I say no to the offer below.  Our son Courtland sent this email to us a few days ago.  When couched in his words, we had to just jump as fast as we could for the opportunity he offered.  Please read:

“Dear Mothers (Shari & Kathleen),

Amy and I have gap in child care coming up in the next couple of weeks.  Zachariah and Alexander have summer care until August 14th.  That being said, the two weeks between the end of care and the start of school (new child care), we will need some help to make sure the kids are watered and fed.  Thankfully, we have two great mother-in-laws and a great grandpa who might be up to the challenge.  The following days are available for quality time at our house.  That’s right, you get to spend an entire day or more, if so desired, with your grandkids !  You can thank me later.   Amenities include, nearby walking paths, parks and all the modern conveniences such as Costco, Woodman’s, Marcus Palace Cinema and many more!  Additionally, the Martens’ Villa includes workout equipment and a state of the art in home theater along with a vast array of quality Scooby-Doo and Disney Movies the entire group can enjoy.  

Days available for quality time with two great kids (7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.) are:

August 17

August 18

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

Space is limited and time is running out so act now to reserve your special day(s) with the boys!  Food and beverages are complimentary as well as the occasional tall tale, LEGO kerfuffles and nap time meltdowns.

Until Next Time,

Courtland Martens”

 

Of course we HAD TO CALL as quickly as possible to not miss out on such an outstanding offer.  Offers like this don’t come along very often and of course the price was right.  It didn’t cost us anything (YET)!  We did negotiate however that Mom and dad and boys come over for Sunday night dinner on August 16^th and that the boys be able to stay on our premises until pick up time on Tuesday evening.  Shari actually said she would be able to watch them all the days but Dave and I felt it our “duty” to accept this offer.  They will also be staying the nights with us for the August 26^th and 27^th dates also.  Now what better deal could we get than this?

Actually we have been wanting to have the boys over for some overnight jammy parties but didn’t have a weekend free so this works out even better.  Another reason to postpone working on wedding work!  Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Now, back to today.  It is Thursday.  Food day.  I needed some items from a couple of stores that I knew wouldn’t be in our food box so I could make food tomorrow for an event we are attending all day Saturday.  So I add grocery shopping to my already long list of errands to do.  Won’t go into to detail as to all the places I went.  Aren’t you lucky?  But back to the grocery store.  Mostly I needed some produce and a few other items that I can only get at this one store.  So I spend considerable time shopping, run down an aisle to pick up a red and green pepper, only to come back to where I parked my cart at the end of the tomato aisle and, to find to my chagrin, it is not there!  Not only is my cart gone, but all my food too.  Oh Man!!!  I looked all over for my cart thief but couldn’t find one with my assorted groceries.  There was another cart where mine had been, but mine was gone.  After I looked and looked for it I decided to take my red and green pepper and put them in another cart and start all over.  These were specific recipe items I needed.  So that’s what I did.  I also lost my grocery list in the shuffle and couldn’t remember all I needed.  Just on chance that my cart was back where I left it I went back to the produce department.  It was not there but it did remind me that I had purchased raspberries and so I went to purchase more from the shelf only to find that they were all gone.  I went back to the mysterious location of my cart’s vanishing and there was that same cart.  It had some cloth bags in it along with groceries and a little portfolio that appeared to have coupons in it.  And there on the bottom layer of the cart were two boxes of beautiful raspberries and several other things that I had put in my cart too and some I had not.  I could see how the person mistook mine for theirs but it baffled me that they didn’t notice there were no bags or portfolio in it.  So, I looked around and realized the cart was abandoned and snuck the raspberries out of the cart out and put them into my cart.  Just as I did that a man walks up to the cart and to my horror I asked him if this was his cart (thinking I had just stolen his raspberries).  He said yes, it was.  He also then pulled another cart along with him WITH MY GROCERIES IN IT along with other items I now did not recognize.  It took him awhile (about 20 minutes) to discover he was pushing someone else’s groceries around.  He was profusely apologetic and sorry.  I was smiling, laughing actually, because I had already done all my shopping again.  He started putting his items into his cart and proceeded to give me my cart.  I gave him back his raspberries, took mine from cart #1 and told him I didn’t need the cart back as I had already re-shopped.  He then felt really bad.  I assured him all was okay but he insisted on putting all my food back into the bins and shelves where I had taken them from originally.  And he did, after I left.

But of course I didn’t leave right away.  I asked him for his wisdom, or what he wished he had learned earlier in life.  He was a very pleasant man in his early 70’s who had retired about three or four years previously.  His name is Ron.  I introduce him on my talking phone as “here is Ron, my cart thief, and Ron is going to share his wisdom.  Here is Ron’s wisdom:  “The biggest mistake I ever made since I retired is that I didn’t really do a great amount of planning as far as activities.  I worked so hard all my life that for 3 or 4 years I really didn’t do anything.  And I got to the point of being so bored, now I didn’t know what to do because of no preplanning.” 

Well, I had some plans he could do.  I gave him some suggestions, some books to get, some ideas to think about and some other things to ponder.  We had a lengthy discussion and he did not seem in any hurry to exit.  We talked about his wife and her poor health, nutrition, exercise, and of course God.  He was very receptive as he too has a love for the Lord.  He said to me as he left that he didn’t think our meeting was by accident.  I agreed and said I guess he was supposed to steal my cart after all.  Yes, it did not happen my chance.  After hearing his story I knew that was true.  Ron, wherever you are in this great big world I will pray for you and your wife.  He didn’t not take my blog address so he will never read these words, but I will hold them in my heart.  But don’t you think that God might been a little easier on me than making it necessary for me to have to shop twice?  Even the grocery store is a mission field, a place to touch someone’s life, if we just go with the flow that God is continually breathing into our hearts.

When I meet someone like Ron it makes a day extra special to me.  I thank God for each person He brings in my path to witness and pray with.  And I think it will be even more special  because I have another box left to use or give away.  No refrigerator space so I will pass most of it on.  I might keep the tomatoes and maybe the corn so I can make some more corn chowder.  I always leave the boxes out for one hour past the pick up time just in case someone comes late.  Last week I had given a box to the neighbor when I looked down the driveway and saw someone drive up.  I had already taken it into the house but I went inside and retrieved it for them.  I called my neighbor back and told her it had just been picked up.  I’m always glad when everyone picks up their boxes.  It seems that there is usually one of the families who is on vacation each week.

So what shall be my poem.

 

I AM GOING TO WATCH T.V.

By Kathleen Martens

August 6, 2015

 

Tonight is a night I must hurry

And put this blog to bed.

I have a reason to scurry

For a political debate is ahead.

 

Ten of seventeen candidates

Will have a moment to talk

All hoping to seal their fate

Of a two term presidential walk.

 

And this is something I need to know

To find out what is up their sleeve.

It is important where the country goes

Before inauguration’s eve.

 

But there are two sides I must study,

But only one will debate their plans.

All politicians seem a bit muddy

So I want to hear each man!

 

Good night everyone.  Oh yes, I might upload a couple of photos I forgot to put on yesterday of Betts.

P.S. I will proof read tomorrow.  TIME FOR THE DEBATE!

Wednesday August 5 2015  A COME DOWN DAY.

 

I have been home for a little over one month now.  This time has absolutely flown by as every single moment of every single day has been full to overflowing…until today.

I have had a few moments of rest here and there since I’ve returned but for some reason today seemed like the first day of real rest.  Maybe it’s because I didn’t do much.  Even right after surgery I was feeling so energized that I didn’t seem to stay down for very long at a time.  Since I have been home one thing after the other has taken place, Dave’s illness, carpet cleaning, window washer, house cleaner, all of which took a lot of work on our part to get ready with furniture moving, decluttering, and working right along with the workers.  And then my friend Betts arrived.  That’s one reason I wanted to have the house cleaned so readily.  It also needed it desperately!

My time with Betts was worth every moment.  Never enough time, never enough words.  There was so much more visiting I wanted to do but we literally did not have the time to do so.  Betts is a very intriguing person.  She has lived a long life, acts like she is about 30 and walks so fast I can barely keep up with her.  Her mind is sharp and she is very pragmatic, and well-travelled.  She has published her Memoirs, “SHADOW OF MY FOOTSTEPS” by Betts Rivet PhD.  I have the book but have not read it yet.  I suppose I will find out all the little details when I read her book.  I asked her if there was any place in the world where she has not been.  She thought a moment and then said, “a few places is South Africa”.  She taught at a University in China for twenty something years after she retired from working as a psychologist.  She came back to the states during the summer and for the past nine years she has come up to Wisconsin to visit with us.  It has been our pleasure to get to know her more each year.  I feel honored that she puts us on her list to visit.  We were reunited 9 years ago when we found Rebecca’s birth mother through Betts.  It is an amazing story.  I asked her why she came to see us each year.  She simply looked at me and said “Well, you’re family”.  And that was that.  Her statement said it all.  And that is how we feel too.

Betts left today.  She is on her summer journey.  She will be in Wisconsin awhile yet as she plans to visit friends and family before heading east.  We stood out in the driveway and waved as she drove away in her rented car which she drove from Chicago.  Betts has inspired me since the first time she came to see us.  I was so amazed with her stamina, her mental sharpness, and her activity and constant go power.  She works out with me at the gym when she comes.  When I was in California I worked out with her for about two weeks when I was in her area.  She has an awesome gym to workout at.  I was so impressed.  She currently lives in Orange County California.  I was actually so inspired by a woman heading toward 90 and living like she lived that I decided I too wanted that kind of stamina and vitality when I was her age.  Because of my health issues three years ago I had some major decisions to make about my future.  I would think of Betts and decided that I too wanted that kind of a lifestyle as I aged.  I know it was God who taught me what to do and helped me achieve my goals, but it was Betts who inspired me by the walk she walks.  We all need people like that in our lives.  Betts didn’t even know she was inspiring me.  I have since told her.

After Betts left Dave and I went to the gym, came home and had lunch.  Dave left for a doctor appointment and rested (went to sleep for about 90 minutes).  Just thought  you’d like to know that cousin Joyce!  The only problem, it took me about 4 hours to get rid of the groggy feeling that hung over me.  So I guess I really needed a come down day today.  So thus, I label this day as “A COME DOWN DAY”.  My first day when I am not expecting or preparing for something to happen.  All the months of travel and hectic lifestyle since returning all just went down the drain today.  It was like someone pulled a plug on me and let all my “spinach drain out”!  But now I am awake and it is 10:37 p.m.

Dave was gone for the evening and so I have had a time of beautiful solitude.  Worked on the computer, answered as many emails as I had time for (only have about 5,000 to go (literally).  And now I am writing when I don’t really have a lot to write about.  I am hesitant to delve deeper in my brain because I know there is lots I’d like to talk about, discuss, hash out in my mind, but tonight I will not do it.  I would like to write a poem and give you some wisdom from one of the books on my desk.  I am still going through Proverbs.  Today I re-listened to what I listened to yesterday.  It’s as if I can’t retain all I want to retain.  I like listening over and over.  Remember, you can find this study at Calvary Chapel Modesto.  Go to Media and then to “THROUGH THE BIBLE”.  It is so worth it.

Zig Ziglar’s “INSPIRATION”:   “Well done is better than well said” (August 5) quote by Ben Franklin.

And two quotes from “LIFE, Living Intentionally for Excellence”:  “Character is doing what is right regardless of what you want.”

And: “Don’t squander your difficulties; wring every possible lesson out of them.”

 

WHAT IF I COULD LIVE ALL OVER AGAIN?

By Kathleen Martens

August 5, 2015

 

Once around seems not enough

Except that life is really touch.

If I could, would I live again

A new life from beginning to end?

 

What if I could live all over

And live to be much, much older?

Would I live it all the same,

Or would I start a whole new game?

 

Just exactly how would it be

If the future I could see?

How would that change my world

If the future was unfurled.

 

Would it take the joy away

Of my living just for today?

Would the freshness be all done?

Would my life be any fun?

 

Perhaps my contentment should be,

To live now, to live free.

And anticipate the unknown,

As to me each moment shown.

 

I like my life and don’t intend

Even one moment to expend

Worrying about when it ends

Because then I’ll be with my friend!

 

So once around is just enough

For my energy to be tough.

I will be thankful for each day

And in God’s presence choose to stay.

 

Well, I think right now I am content to live the life I have.  But sometimes I think it would be fun if I could be born a baby and know all that I know now.  I think I would do a few things differently and some I would do the same.  I would hope for three things.  I would hope that God would  again instill enthusiasm, awe, and wonder in me once again. For those traits I am grateful.  I can’t imagine how life would be without them.

Good night to all.

10:56 p.m.

 

Tuesday August 4 2015  A LITTLE SIN

Quote from August 4 Calendar: “(A little sin adds to your troubles, subtracts from your energy, and multiplies your difficulties.”

6:43 p.m.  Just sat down at my rickety table desk and read my wisdom on the August 4^th Amish Calendar.  I thought it such a great piece of wisdom I would write it as the cover title.  I’ve done my fair share of sins and I can attest that this wisdom is so true.  Think about what you do BEFORE YOU DO IT!  Especially if it is sin.

9:03 p.m.  Had to stop to prepare dinner, eat, get ready for bed, and now I’m back.  I just sent a few pics of mine and Betts’ day together.  Hope you enjoy them.

Betts had an engagement with a friend for lunch today so she spent the morning there and came home about 2:00 p.m.  Dave and I had a visit with Dave’s primary physician and he had a good report.  Blood sugar levels are doing wonderful and he is on his way to recovery in many different areas.  Very happy with the report!  Afterwards I went to work out and met Betts back at the house at 2:00.  We had plans to see the Madison Capitol together.  It had been a long time since I had taken the tour and Betts had never been in the Capitol building before.  She graduated from the University of Madison in 1953 and did her Doctorate degrees in California.  Although she lived in Madison for several years attending school she had never once gone into the capitol building.  She seemed very impressed with how beautiful it was.  It truly is a beautiful place.  It cost seven million dollars to build in 1906 after the previous capitol building burned down.  It took about 120 million dollars to renovate in 2001.  We were told that it would cost in excess of TWO BILLION DOLLALRS TO REPLACE but many of the contents would be irreplaceable because there is no more marble available in the sizes that were used in the original mining for the 1906 building.  Of course I say this without bias, but…I do believe that the Madison Capitol building is the most beautiful of all the capitol buildings that I toured during the past several months.  And believe me, I saw some absolutely beautiful buildings.  If you have never taken time to tour capitol buildings, especially the capitol of your own state, take time to do so.  A lot of history to be learned in the hour you are there.  I think the second most beautiful capitol building that I toured was the one in Austin Texas.  Every one was beautiful in its own way.

Of course today, while at the Wisconsin Capitol I had my divine encounter.  This was with another woman named Arliss and her 10 year old son Tray from North Dakota.  They were here because Arliss’s husband came to Madison for a special surgery.  Through our conversation I learned that God is an important part of her and her family’s lives.  I could tell she was very pleased that her 18 year old recently graduated daughter was on her way to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip.  Her story about it was awesome.  I asked Tray if he had any wisdom and he was emphatic that he had none.  So…I asked the mom!  And she emphatically did have some.  Some great wisdom if I may say so.

Arliss’s wisdom: “My grandmother told me this wisdom two years ago after she turned 100 years old.  She passed shortly afterwards.  She said that family is always first, all those things that you think you are getting self-worth from, all the organizations, activities, and things like that will come and go.  You need to keep in mind how important your family is and the things that you do with your family and the memories you make are the most important.  Your family is who sticks with you.”

That wisdom is oh so true!  I was blessed for having heard Arliss’s story.  There was so much more that she shared.

Betts and I left the capitol building shortly afterwards and went to Babcock Hall.  Taking all our guests to Babcock Hall is a tradition that we started many years ago.  If you have been here you  may remember what Babcock Hall is.  Babcock Hall is on the UW campus.  It is where they sell the ice cream that they perfect to perfection.  When we first started going there 29 years ago you received huge, huge cones or cups full for $1.50.  And it truly is the most delicious ice cream concoctions you will ever taste.  I had the smallest one and it was still much more than I should have eaten.  Did I save any?  Yes, I did.  I put it in a cup to take home …and…then before I got out the building I ate the rest of it.  I will pay for it tomorrow when I wake up with big bags under my eyes!  Oh well, remember, I live in the moment and that moment was a beautiful one to live in.  I enjoyed it without guilt!

Home to make dinner!  It was delicious and quick and easy Salmon, rice, and salad!  We didn’t need any dessert!

And now I am here.  Almost too tired to write a poem but at least I remembered I did not write one.  So let’s see what I can come up with now that I have droopy eyes.  Betts is packing, Dave is getting ready for bed and I’m half way sleeping in place.

REMEMBER TO TAKE STOCK

By Kathleen Martens

August 4, 2015

Take a look around you,

Who is by your side?

Through thick and thin, ups and downs,

It is family that abides.

 

In your heart is space

For many that you know

And to whom is the affection

The greatest that you show?

 

Is it friends who come and go?

Or to cherished items you cling?

Who is it that walks in a room

 That causes your heart to sing?

 

Friends from school are special

And some that you meet at play.

But do you have time for family?

Or do they seem to be in the way?

 

Sometimes those who are closest

Are the ones we over look.

How is that sometimes our families

Are the very ones forsook?

 

When you look at your life’s path

And see the places that you’ve been,

Who is it that is always there?

Is it family, or is it friend?

 

Friends come and friends go,

And some you just out grow.

But your family is always there,

It’s THEIR love you will always know.

 

So on your journey through life,

Remember to take stock

Of the priceless treasures that surround you,

YOUR FAMILY WHO IS YOUR ROCK!

 

I must thank Arliss for the inspiration for this poem.  Her grandmother’s wisdom is so true.  Love and cherish your family because they are the ones that will be there for you in the end.

Good night!

 

 

 

 

Monday August 3 2015  BE YOUR OWNSELF

 

From The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language (Encyclopedia Edition):

WISDOM:  n. the quality of being wise//intelligence drawing on experience and governed by prudence//a store of knowledge//such knowledge converted into teaching, the wisdom of the East

PRUDENCE:  n. foresight leading a person to avoid error or danger//the virtue by which the practical reason distinguishes the things useful for salvation (*CARDINAL VIRTUES)//PRACTICAL DISCRETION

 

So…when I ask someone for their “wisdom”, what exactly am I asking?  I asked Betts what her wisdom to the world would be, thinking, that she would have at her fingertips the most profound statement I’ve yet to hear.  And what she replied was probably even more profound than I thought possible.  She told me that when asked that questions one cannot be expected to just have something at their fingertips to rattle off (my interpretation of her words), but rather the wisdom should come out naturally in conversation.  But, if she had to be put on the spot she did have one thought to share.  Here is Betts’ on the spot  wisdom:  BE YOUR OWN SELF AT YOUR VERY BEST ALL THE TIME”.

As I re-read her first statement I realize that perhaps that is the best wisdom for me to learn.  “WISDOM SHOULD COME OUT NATURALLY IN CONVERSATION”.  I think I like that wisdom the best.  Here I have been asking people what their wisdom is and all along I should have just been listening to what they were saying to decipher the wisdom that came from natural conversation.  I think I shall start listening more closely to what people are saying and decipher the wisdom that they are sharing when they might not even realize they are speaking wisdom.  I especially like the Webster definition that Wisdom is governed by prudence.  And I love the definition of prudence that states “foresight leading a person to avoid error or danger”.  So in essence, Wisdom is using our own experiences to teach you to avoid error or danger.  I like that.

I am currently listening  to a series of sermons from Calvary Chapel Modesto, online, studying the book of Proverbs.  Proverbs is actually referred to as THE BOOK OF WISDOM.  I am so amazed at this study.  I am listening to each verse with an elaboration of what it means, how it affects our lives, and how we should use it.  It is amazing.  Verses I have read so many times before are becoming alive and taking on a clearer meaning as to what they really mean.  I am almost through with chapter 16.  As I listen, the truth of the wisdom on those pages becomes more clear to me.  I recommend this study to any who really want to see what practical guidelines of life are written on those pages.  A verse I read in today’s study is Proverbs 16:21  “The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.”  This goes right along with the definition found in Webster’s Dictionary.  Another aspect of this scripture that I had never understood before is the phrase “And sweetness of the lips increases learning.”  I thought if I talked sweet I’d learn more.  How it was explained was, if we present our teachings with sweetness, or a winsome spirit, then the one who is listening will be all the more receptive of the words we are speaking, and thus will learn more easily what we are teaching to them.  I find that to be so true when listening to others teaching me.  Perhaps we should all listen to ourselves and how our words are delivered to others.  Are our words coming across in a nice way as we are instructing others, or are our words coming across harsh and condemning?  We should especially think about it when we are speaking to our children.

So, Betts’ response started the questions in my head.  Should I be asking other’s for their wisdom or just listen to their conversations and seek their wisdom?  Or, should I continue to ask for wisdom so I can include it in my blog?  I think I shall use my store of knowledge and continue asking because otherwise I may miss out on some pretty amazing “spur of the moment” wisdom(s).  Besides, I like to find out what is upper most important in the minds of those who answer.  I try to ask daily, at least one person, what their wisdom is.  I think people liked to be asked too.

Sunday while at Paoli I also asked two ladies what their wisdom was.  One lady was so full of things to say, one was hesitant.  I couldn’t get my recording device to work so I will paraphrase what the first lady told me.  I can’t remember her name but I think her wisdom is worth repeating.  Anonymous lady:  “Go around to all the older people in your family and record their stories and find out what they can tell you about the history of your family.  When they are gone the history of your family dies with them.  I regret that I did not do that.”

And one last piece of wisdom comes from my daughter Rebecca:  “There are so many amazing foods in the world…if you don’t like something leave it for someone who does.”  This was following a conversation of her seeing a picture of my vegetable strata on the blog and telling her husband that Mom is starving her Father to death.  Rebecca recognized that squash was in the recipe and just knew that her Dad would just hate it!  Well, the funny thing is, I make it because Dave loves it so.  Believe me, I am not starving him to death!  Just for the record, Rebecca has always abhorred summer squash and still does.  Perhaps she was born that way!  And I can’t take the credit for that!  I’ll claim all the good attributes and for anything on the other side of the spectrum I’ll just chock it up to birth traits.  (Carole…I’m just teasing).  Besides, surely there is nothing negative to say about my darling daughter????

Betts finally arrived last evening at about 8:00 p.m.  I had dinner on the table (vegetable strata) and she ate every bit.  The dislike of squash must not have come from Rebecca’s birth grandmother.  We had a later than usual night but it was worth every minute of our visiting.  Today has been a low key day.  Leisurely breakfast, work out at the gym, a great lunch (no vegetable strata), then I took time to practice retirement (laid down for one hour and talked to my kids on the phone), then up to write this blog.  Betts has been and still is working on computer work all afternoon getting life organized for those she left in California as well as a guest who will be in town when she is not there.  Sounds complicated to me!

Oops, I do have one more last wisdom to tack on the end of the other last wisdom.  This is taken from Zig Ziglar’s book “INSPIRATION” August 3^rd:

“Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become character

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

Quote by Frank Outlaw

Thought I was done but I have forgotten to write my poem again.

 

SO MUCH WISDOM TO BE LEARNED

By Kathleen Martens

August 3 2015

 

So much wisdom to be learned

Where is it you must turn?

Where are the words you need to know?

God’s word is where they show.

 

Look them up, truth to see,

How to live to be free.

Wisdom written for our health

As well as for our wealth.

 

Words that tell you what to do,

Words that speak with just a few

Follow the plan so you’ll not fall

Read them well to hear God’s call.

 

Never be  proud in heart,

Not the way a day to start.

It is an abomination before God,

When punishment comes don’t think it odd.

 

In mercy and truth atonement provided,

Let not your awe be divided.

Having fear of the Lord the way to start

To have evil totally depart.

 

Please the Lord in all ways

And peace will be in your days.

Even your enemies will be tame

When you call out, the Lord’s name.

 

Go ahead and make your plans,

But allow God to help you stand

For His way will be right

He will direct both day and night.

 

How much better is wisdom than gold?

For wisdom cannot be bought or sold.

And seek understanding to the end,

And better than silver it will be your friend.

 

Trust in the Lord and happy you’ll be.

When you heed God’s Word, good you’ll see.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

 

And silver hair is a crown of glory

And you will find in the gospel story

Most among the godly, is where it lives

Because to the godly more life God gives.

 

These words but a small portion

Of the most fantastic fortune

Found in Proverbs, such a great book!

Take some time! And take a look!

 

Good night to one and all!

Later….

One more addendum:

Finished the blog at 6:00 p.m.  Left to go get corn for dinner.  I added some pictures which will be at the front of this blog as I had already published it before I left (without a proof read).  A few interesting facts about the farm where we have bought our corn for the last 29 years.

Stoneman Corn is in its 53rd year.  The farm sits atop a hill with the sloping fields surrounding the homestead.  This has been a family business and now the grandchildren are working the fields to keep the tradition going.  This morning two rows of corn were picked.  Each row is 750 feet long.  Extra ears were picked today so they would have enough to send to the local food pantry in the morning.  Because they have so much already ordered for tomorrow they will need to be in the fields by 6:30 a.m. in the morning and plan to pick three, 750 foot rows.  This is dedication!  The farm now closes at 6:30 p.m. daily as they discovered that otherwise they would be working until 9:30 every night.  Stoneman corn is an icon in this area.  It is the most delicious corn you will ever eat and is NOT A GMO product.  It is a hybrid, as it is a blend of white and yellow kernels, but IT HAS NOT BEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED.  That is a good thing to know.  Health wise it is preferable to not eat GMO foods.  If you are in the area and have not heard of Stoneman’s corn it is located on Seyene Road in Fitchburgh just north of Lacy Road.

By the way, by the time I am writing this last line, dinner is over and the corn was even more wonderful than I remembered!  YUM….(more food obsession!)

Sunday Sabbath August 2 2015  HUSBANDS AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I am so thankful for both.  Husbands and Brussel sprouts that is.   I love my husband.  I love Brussel sprouts.  My husband abhors Brussel sprouts, but…he is in the kitchen right now slicing a whole bag of fresh sprouts for me so I can sauté them later in my stir fry.  Now that is true love!  At least on his part.  Perhaps the truer love would be not be to ask him to handle something he so dislikes.  Once they are in the recipe he will no longer even notice them.  That’s because the coconut oil that I cook them in he dislikes even more.  It’s all about micro-nutrient rich foods.  It really does taste good.  I think I wrote the recipe on the blog somewhere about the end of March.

Today has been a lovely day.  A great sermon at church, a wonderful time of ministering God’s love, a reconnection at Costco of a long ago friend/acquaintance, (which was a God ordained meeting), a lovely lunch at home with just Dave and I (no Brussel sprouts), a one hour nap for me, and now, just waiting for Betts to arrive so I can quickly do last minutes details for dinner and have everything ready within ½ hour after her arrival.

My table glass is still propped up against the dining room window frame, the base stands alone on a little rug so as not to soil the carpet with metal marks, the metal top leans against the garage wall awaiting a good scrubbing with a stiff metal brush to debris of any rust or chipped paint.  Sounds like a lovely table for a formal dining room, doesn’t it?  Having time to do the task reconditioning it appropriately is the key to getting it done.  And of course one thing leads to another.  Now I want to learn how to do some painting antiquing on a buffet that I bought at a garage sale before I left on my trip.  When we gave our furniture to our son and family it left me without a place for all that was in the buffet.   The piece of furniture I purchased at the garage sale is quite ugly because of the dark wood.  It has an interesting art-deco look but needs a little creative juices applied to it to become what I want it to become.  Rather than pay to have someone else do it I think I would like to learn how to do it myself.  Perhaps practice on a smaller piece of furniture first.  And that is how I always have so much to do.  I have too many ideas constantly swirling around in my head.

While I was in “downtown” Paoli (a one horse town) I talked with several people.  Two men having lunch, minding their own business, just seemed like targets to glean some wisdom from.  I had spoken with them earlier as we waited in line for our orders in the Bread and Brats House so I felt a little acquainted already.  They were both recently retired and were practicing what it felt like to be retired, just as Dave and I were doing.  So it came down to the nitty gritty time of asking them for their wisdom.  They both had immediate thoughts and readily shared them with me.  The first man named Topf shared this:  “Go outside at least one hour every day”.   Amazing wisdom, especially when you live is Wisconsin which is winter about half the year.  The other gentleman I interrupted was Jim.  Here is his wisdom that he borrowed from a book by Rachael Carson, THE SENSE OF WONDER:  “So every day I think this, what if I’d never seen this before what if I knew I’d never see it again”.  I found this bit of wisdom hit a chord in my soul.  So many times while I traveled I thought those exact words though I have never read the book, THE SENSE OF WONDER.  That bit of wisdom entices me to get the book.  I remember one event that stands out in my mind.  I was in Wyoming, approaching a mountain range in the distance.  It was so awesome and magnificent that I actually spoke the words, “Oh, what if I had missed this and never had the chance to see what I am seeing.”  I think there would have been a part of me forever missing.  I included a few pics for you.  There is another picture I took at Glacier National Park that I also posted for you to see.  It is another one of those moments of knowing that because I have experienced this moment and breathed in the beauty of God’s creation that I am somehow more complete.  It is still amazing to me that just a comment that someone speaks, a bit of wisdom, and I am catapulted back in time to the memories that live within me.  When those memories flash before me it’s as if I am actually there again, experiencing all the beauty and wonder of the moment I lived.  It is a wonderful part of me that I hope I never lose.

Later, as I was purchasing my table from the Cottage Goddess, Lori, the owner gave me this wisdom:   “Never feel guilty about skipping out, take pleasure in the treat.  It’s not worth it if you have to feel guilty about it.”  Hmmm,  I wish I had that insight earlier in life.  Perhaps I would have done some “skipping out”.  My problem was that I would always feel guilty and not enjoy it.  I look back now and realize I missed a lot of precious moments, especially with my children, because I didn’t feel like I could ask for the time off work to go see a little kindergarten school play or other events they were performing in.  If I had it to do over, you bet I would have taken the time off.  If you have young children, give this wisdom a great bit of thought.  Sometimes it pays to “skip out” so you can enjoy a bit of life, making memories to share later, that will never come around again.  Ask yourself Rachael Carson’s wisdom that Jim shared, “Oh what if I had missed this and never had the chance to see what I am seeing”.  You will be glad you “skipped out” or better put, took the time to go even though you are docked the pay.  The pay you can make up, missing an event that is special and only once in a lifetime, can never be made up.

I am so thankful that I meet such wonderful, spectacular, one of a kind people every day that I venture out.  Give away your smile to a stranger and see what happens.  I love to do just that.

Who knows, you may just be the angel that day to someone who needs one.  I think God uses us in mysterious ways.  Be willing to be used of God and see what happens in your life.  It is amazing!  And just think of the times when others have been an angel to you.

My friend Betts is late.  It is 7:00 p.m.  I was expecting her about 6:00 p.m.  I pray that all is well.  Perhaps a phone call is in order.  If she is not here by the time I publish this I will give her a call.  I so look forward to our time together.  Now it is my turn to be the hostess.  I will put into practice all I have learned in my travels.  So many wonderful places I stayed.  So many unbelievable experiences.  I hope to pass it on.

Good night and God bless you.

Oops, I forgot to write a poem.  Better do that now.

 

ALL THAT TODAY HAS TO LEND

By Kathleen Martens

August 2, 2015

 

Places that we’ve been in life

Have a way of touching our souls,

Memories full of wonderful thoughts

But the future should be our goal.

 

Where we’ve been is our past,

Where we are going is our pleasure.

Everyday a new experience,

A new memory it will make to treasure.

 

Never fear the unknown,

Look forward to what each day holds.

Cherish the past like nuggets of gold,

They give you the courage to be bold.

 

Some experiences may be sad,

Lay them at the Master’s feet.

Fill your heart with peace and joy

And never allow defeat.

 

For God is with you at all times,

Through the good and the bad.

Not only is He our Heavenly Father,

He is also our very best Dad.

 

You may never again walk this way,

Be thankful for these moments forever.

For this is a part of our eternity,

Each day we are to endeavor.

 

So look forward, while savoring the past,

And see today what you may never see again.

Fill your heart with each new happening

Of all that today has to lend.

 

Okay, so now I say good night and God bless you. 7:19 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Friday July 31, 2015  BLUE MOON

 

11:18 P.M.

That’s right.  Tonight July 31^st is the blue moon.  The second full moon in the same calendar month.  I am told that the next blue moon will not be until January 2018.  I hope I am around to see it.

It is a bit late for me to start writing a blog so I will make it short and sweet.  I notice, since I have been home and not yet on a routine, it seems my blog substitutes for my journal.  But…today I was able to uncover my “journaling chair” in my library.  So many books had been dumped in there that I could hardly get into the room.  They are now dispersed here and there around the house where I will use them, some put in the closet, others tucked in nooks and crannies here and there, and now I can actually sit down to write in my library.  I also uncovered the chair across from me so my friend Betts will have a place to sit.  It’s my favorite room.  I have everything important at my finger tips.

I’ve had some people ask me what kind of books I enjoy reading.   I read mostly non-fiction with some novels interspersed.  I used to read more novels but have moved away from that in the past few years because there is always so much I want to learn.  Most of my books are spiritual topics. I don’t retain as much as I would like but I can always go back and reread it again.  I just went downstairs and took some photos of the “after” look of my library from the other day when I blogged a before picture.  I was careful to get some of the titles so you can enlarge and see the titles.  Some of the books in the pics I have read, others I am currently reading, some, I hope to read.  I have a stack of books on my footstool that I chose from daily to read after I do my prayer and time with the Lord.  Some days I am known to stay half a day down there just reading and studying.  I guess that is my favorite pastime.  I will also put a picture of my journals sitting on two or three shelves.  I number my journals and keep them in order so I can reference them if I need to.  I have indexes and events of each journal written in the front of each book.  The indexes are of the date and the poem I wrote that day and also my heart sounds that I hear from the Lord.  I am trying to get them typed into the computer so I can compile some books of poetry by theme.  I plan to write a daily devotional by using some of my journal writing.

Anyway, it’s a good feeling to know that I can now sit in my favorite chair and just get lost in the presence of the Lord and read my books.  When I awaken in the morning I will have been home for one month and I still don’t have a routine.  That will come…soon…I hope.  Let’s see, a sick husband, his recovery,  my surgery and recovery, friend coming, and maybe then we can settle in and become “boring retired people”.  To be truthful, I don’t know what being bored means.  As long as I have my mind to think I do not get bored.  Besides, I never have enough time to even think about getting bored.  It sort of sounds nice sometime.

Today I did a bit more pulling weeds (about two more hours worth) than I should have.  Weeds were here before I moved here 29 years ago.  I guess they’ll be here after I’m gone.  But I always think, maybe this will be the year I will defeat them.  It’s never happens.  Another thing that has never happened, is that I have never defeated the laundry.  When I think I am finished there is always more, even if it’s just the clothes I am wearing.  But I did accomplish washing, drying, folding, and putting away all the laundry for this past week.  Prepared lunch, ate, answered emails and phone calls, rested in bed for one hour reading a book, up to prepare dinner and leave by 6:30 for the Intimacy conference at church.  I wanted to go and hear the speaker tonight.  It was excellent.  He speaks again in the morning and we plan to go.  Got home about 11:00 p.m. and here I am.  A bit sleepy but still desire to write a poem.

 

NO OTHER DAY IS LIKE TODAY

By Kathleen Martens

July 31 2015

 

No other day is like today

For it is temporary and ends too soon.

A phenomenon that seldom comes

A big beautiful blue moon.

 

No other day is like today

Because today a new baby was born.

And tomorrow will have its own

When comes another morn.

 

No other day is like today

For today was someone’s last breath.

And others will weep sorrow

Because of their loved one’s death.

 

No other day is like today

Because God makes each one new.

And tomorrow is never promised

As is the sparkling dew.

 

So use this day wisely

So soon it will be spent.

Give to God all glory and praise

And His love let Him imprint.

***********************************

 

Calendar wisdom July 31:  “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for what I have not seen!”

Book:  “Life Living Intentionally for Excellence” Edited by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward

“The limiting factor on Your success is not the size of the obstacles, but the size of your dream.”

“People forget what you kept, but they will never forget what you gave.”

 

One note about the Intimacy Conference session I attended this evening.  IT WAS MORE THAN EXCELLENT!  In a few days you can google City Church Madison and listen to the sermons this week online.  I intend to listen to all the sessions I missed.  I love working out to good sermons!  It gives me incentive to go because I like multi-tasking.  The best workout to make my day run smoothly is my workout with the Lord.  Spending my time in my secret hiding place with Him.  The most important and vital activity we can do each day is to come into the presence of the Lord and acknowledge Him as our God and loving Savior.  Below is a poem I wrote a few years ago that I would like to share with you.  It is one of my favorites.  I hope you enjoy it and it will cause you to draw unto the Lord because when you do, He will draw close to you.

 

In the Garden of My Heart

^{By Kathleen Martens}

^{September 4, 2010}

I say Your name Jesus

And You are there

For You are always waiting

For me to be aware.

 

In my secret chamber

My quiet hidden part,

You wait patiently

In the garden of my heart.

 

And in the quiet place

I walk daily with You,

Always a time of refreshment

Though sometimes moments few.

 

You are always patient

Waiting to hear Your name,

How awesome the presence

Of One of such fame.

 

Yet you come humbly

Showering love and grace

On all the flowers growing

As we meet face to face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The darkest day turns to light

The flowers of life bloom

For You cause my garden to grow

In my secret private room.

 

 

You are my hiding place,

My protection in time of need.

All I do is call Your name

And on Your word I feed.

 

And as we walk daily

With Your spirit I am free

For Your songs of deliverance

You sing over me.

 

And each day I awaken

Knowing with You I start.

I find you in my quiet place

In the garden of my heart.

 

Know that God is always waiting to hear you call out His name.  If it is not something you do every day, try it.  God wants to be your friend as well as your Savior.

 

Good night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday July 30 2015  THE DAY IS DONE

 

GOD SEES THE ME INSIDE

By Kathleen Martens

July 30, 2015

 

8:24 P.M. 

The day is done.  Twilight is deepening.

Shadows gone. 

Quiet of evening graces my world.

I sit in solitude

Still able to see the nasturtiums

In the yard below.

As light fades

I peer out the window and I see

My face looking back at me,

A transparent self, I look beyond.

And I find myself asking

Who is that old woman who peers back at me?

Slowly,

Ever so slowly,

I am making her acquaintance.

 

Just as in my adolescent years

My body is again changing.

Once again

Altering my appearance.

New things I must get used to.

And by the time I get used to them,

They change again.

I again try to adapt

And soon realize

There is no adapting.

Only constant and surprising change.

And deep inside

There I am.

Young and vibrant.

Looking from the inside out

I am still the Me I’ve always been.

It is sad that that outside eyes

Looking in do not see the real me.

Others only see the shell

That houses my spirit.

 

I’m so glad that God sees the Me

Inside.

*******************************

Well, I don’t know where that poem came from.  Sounds like it was written by a melancholy old woman with too much time on her hands.  Well, part of it is correct.  I am the “old woman” but by far from being melancholy or with too much time on my hands.

I am trying to be a good patient and recuperate quickly.  The only thing is I keep forgetting I’m not supposed to be doing much with my upper body.  I am very allergic to internal sutures so this time the doctor did not mend me inside with stitches.  I just must be bound very tightly for two weeks so my internal incisions can grow back together.  Then I will go and have the outer sutures taken out.  Usually, even the outer sutures are dissolvable but not for me.  I have to have a follow-up ultra sound to look at all the tissue inside on August 25 (one month from the surgery).  That will show if there are any more growths taking place.

I said all that to say this.  I think I probably overdid it today.  I got out in the yard and pulled weeds (great big weeds) out by the roots for a couple of hours this morning.  Then I realized, oops, I better stop.  So I did.  Dave climbed to the roof and cleaned out the gutters while I pulled the weeds.  At 9:00 a.m. the man arrived to clean the windows.  He left at 5:00.  He worked all day without even taking a break.  I felt bad for him.  I didn’t even see him eat lunch.  The house sparkles now.  I love it.  At least for this week!  They do get dirty rather quickly here in the woods.

And of course today is Thursday…FOOD DAY!!!  I made corn chowder soup.  Be sure and scroll down and see my bounty!  It is delicious.  It has fresh thyme in it.  My fridge is full to overflowing so I will need to come up with some more recipes to make tomorrow.  I still have a little room left in my freezers.

We are having the Intimacy Conference (I mistakenly said in an earlier blog “Love Conference”) at church and Dave went both this morning and this evening.  Thus, my solitude that the poem above refers to.  It is nice sometimes to just be home alone.  I love being alone.  Probably because I know Dave will be coming home to me.  Oh yes, I also made a new Vegetable Strata today.  Same recipe.  It is in the fridge spending the night as instructed by the directions.  I will cook it in the morning.  Dave just loves this dish.  Our neighbor and good friends, John and Carolyn who live behind us, picked Dave up for church tonight since they were going to.  Church is 13 miles away so we ride with each other when convenient for both them and us.  I finally got the kitchen cleaned up of all the food stuff and fixings and then remembered I hadn’t written my blog.

Just so you know, I love writing my blog.  Some days I just don’ t have the time to really say all I would like to say.  And tonight is one of those nights.  I am tiring from being naughty and working too hard so I  must say goodnight.

July 30, 2015 Calendar wisdom:  “Wealthy is a double blessing when it’s used for the blessing of others.”

My wisdom: “And whether we see ourselves as wealthy or not, if we live in the United States and have a place to live and food to eat, we are wealthy to the world.  Never forget to give thanks to our God for every blessing we have.”

Wednesday July 29 2015    TO HEAR WHAT NEEDS TO BE HEARD

 

No title yet on  my title bar above so I guess I really don’t know exactly what I am going to write about.  Let me think about that for a moment.

 

TO HEAR WHAT NEEDS TO BE HEARD

By Kathleen Martens

July 29^th 2015

 

Let’s see, I’m supposed to be recovering, but I don’t feel sick.

I’m not supposed to lift, but I see things that need lifting.

I’m not supposed to exercise, but I’d like to shake a stick. (hey, it rhymes with sick)

My mind wants to work, rather than just drifting.

 

Instructions to rest, when I see so much to do

And I desire to cook, when I should be in bed.

With so many tasks, I could sneak in a few

I can always rest, after I’m dead.

 

Or I could watch that thing called T.V.

Or write a blog if I had something to write.

Or just be with my Lord and me

And bathe in His wonderful light!

 

That’s what I’ll do when I finish this rhyme,

Is get out my Bible and read God’s word.

I haven’t really had very much time

 To hear what needs to be heard.

 

Ah Ha!  I have my title for my title bar.

So now I know what to do.

 

Just so you know, it really is very difficult for me to sit, lie down, be idle, (be quiet?), when there is so much I’d love to be doing.

My day was simple like yesterday.  Except for one thing.  Dave had to leave for his Wednesday evening meeting and so I got up out of bed and drove out to see the world.  Now it is legal for me to drive.  I was told I could not drive for 48 hours and it was actually 52 hours before I left the house.  I needed yogurt so that was a good excuse to go to the store.  Now remember the store I go to has 2 stop signs between here and the store and it is about 6 miles away.  My soul just fed on the beauty of the green around me.  I drive up over a steep hill and as I am coming down the other, side the panorama is absolutely stunning.  We had a fast falling and hard rain early this morning (5:30 a.m.).  The wind has been brisk all day and the air was sparkling clear.  One of those exquisite afternoons without any haze or obstruction in the air quality.  It was perfect outside.  I had my windows down and just enjoyed the exhilaration of being alive.  Three days is a long time for me to be confined.  I felt as if I had just broken out of jail.  Now of course Dave doesn’t know this quite yet.  I guess he’ll find out when he sees the yogurt.  After I went to the store my car just drove over to MacDonald’s because it knew I NEEDED a soft serve ice cream cone.  I enjoyed every bite.  And now I am paying for it.  Too much sugar without protein!  It makes my heart get out of whack.  I only do it every once in a while.  It is my short coming.  So now I guess I have a reason to go to bed.

A little confession helps!

Tomorrow is another day.  I’ll be one day closer to being able to do my full routine.  That will feel awesome.  I have company coming Sunday for three days.  I so look forward to our time together.  Betts is my daughter’s birth grandmother and very dear to my heart.

There is a lot I could talk about but I’d probably just be rambling (from bordom) so I won’t bore you today.  I’ll do that on another day.  I will tell you about a new recipe my neighbor told me.  It is easy, inexpensive, quick, and healthy.

It seems like cabbage must grow very well because we certainly do get a lot of it in our Farm Box.  I have given the neighbors a few cabbages over the past few weeks.  Karen came over and told me a new recipe she found called “CABBAGE STEAK”.  Here it is:

Slice the cabbage about one to two inches thick.  I do it closer to the one inch mark.  Use a brush to spread a good olive oil on both sides of each slice.  Rub with garlic, I use the jarred garlic and let some of it stay on the leaves and in the cracks of the cabbage.  Salt and pepper  (do everything on both sides) and cook it in a preheated 350 degree oven, 10 minutes on each side.  I also put other herbs on mine (use your taste desires) and fresh Parmesan cheese.  Bake till tender.  DELICIOUS WHEN SERVED HOT!

Cabbage season is coming up.  Try it.  You might like it!

Goodnight and God bless all of you.

Calendar wisdom for July 29^th  “True compassion is love in action.”

Tuesday July 28, 2015  A DAY OF REST

 

Shortest blog ever?  Well, let’s see.

 

I got up.

I showered.

I ate.

I “worked in my library” (by reading a book)

I ate.

I went to bed.

I slept.

I woke up.

Ate popcorn.

Ready to go back to bed.

But must eat first.

Then go back to bed.

And of course all because I was instructed to rest in order to heal.

Feel great.

 

That’s all today folks.  Pretty boring to read BUT AWESOME TO LIVE THROUGH!

 

WHAT IS LIFE?

Kathleen Martens

July 28, 2015

 

What is life

But little pleasures?

Each moment

An infinite treasure.

 

Live it fully

With no regrets

Let your choices

Be the best.

 

Give time to God

His intimacy real

Let His voice

To you reveal.

 

How much He loves

How much He gives

To our every moment

That we live.

 

Then give to others

What you receive

And share the joy

You perceive.

 

And at night

You will sleep

In peace and comfort

Very deep.

 

Calendar Wisdom July 28, 2015

“Love is a little blind; when we love someone dearly we unconsciously overlook many faults.”

Monday July 27 2015  THE BEST COMING OUT

 

Well, I even surprise myself as I sit here at my rickety table desk on a sunny afternoon.  It is 3:56 p.m. and I am home.  Up, feeling well, (with an icepack hanging under my arm and around my chest) writing my blog.  Yesterday I could only suppose how I would be feeling today.  As Dave said earlier “This is the best coming out party you have ever had!”  He was referring to me coming out of anesthesia.  I have had such horrible reactions in the past that I actually had to be put in ICU on one occasion (and that was with a tonsillectomy at age 26.)  Not fun!

Today was different.  The anesthesiologists (2) who spoke with me really listened to my past history and tried some new techniques and drugs on me.  Whatever they were, they worked marvelously.  When I was wheeled out of my first admittance room I was already off in never, never land.  Don’t even remember Dave walking with me or kissing me before I entered through the surgery doors.  Two hours later I was back in my room with the sounds of life muffled around me as I surfaced from the land of the sleeping.  It’s as if a part of my life didn’t exist.  Total darkness, total unknowing, total nonexistence.  And then, there I was again.  In the past I would surface to dizziness, heaving, and needing to empty my bladder.  Not a good combination.   I have a two hour bladder capacity, day or night.  Just think, I could write a book on how I toured the United States two hours at a time.  I probably saw more than most people because I stopped an average of every two hours.  That was one of the joys of traveling alone.  I had no one to get impatient or peeved at my frequent stops.  It was totally okay with me.  I got along with myself extremely well.

Back to today.  I slowly came to life, quickly used a bed pan and then enjoyed my time of just lying there feeling very good.  I was not allowed out of bed for a couple of hours.  I felt so good.  I actually felt it was probably my duty to feel sick and bad so the nurses could have something to do with me.  But I was all smiles and full of conversation.  Dave was my listening ear.  I was so pleased with the outcome of how I felt and the outcome of the surgery I think I was almost euphoric.  Euphoric, meaning all of these things in the Thesaurus:  overjoyed, elated, ecstatic, joyful, enraptured, excited,  and exhilarated.  So yes, I mean I was EUPHORIC in all of these definitions.

My surgery went well.  Both masses were removed through one incision.  The doctor spoke to Dave and said he was pleased at how the surgery turned out.  My breast is intact, the tumors are gone, and I am so happy to have these results.  The prayer, that my prayer warrior friend Judy, prayed over me addressed all of the issues concerning the surgery.  And I know my other prayer warrior friend Lana in New Mexico had prayed the same prayer over me.  The prayer that God would protect me during surgery and allow those tumors to be removed and that I would not need a mastectomy.  There was a lot more to the prayers and I believe that God has answered theirs, mine, and others who have been praying for me.  Yesterday Judy actually prayed that I would come out of surgery without any sickness or problems like I always had in the past.  And boy, was that ever the case.  Dave said he just prayed the prayer of thankgiving to God for good results during the surgery.  Well, he got a good report from the Doctor.  I am so glad I did not spend time worrying about this the past four months, but I am still glad it is over.

When I walked into my house when we returned home from the hospital, for the first time since I have arrived home, I actually felt like I was home.  It was a very interesting feeling and a surprising one.  I hadn’t realize that I hadn’t actually “felt” at home yet.  When I came home on July 1^st it was to an empty house as Dave has a previous standing engagement every Wednesday night.  Though the house looked the same, it needed a little TLC that only a woman’s touch can give.  Since I’ve been here a few things have been done, like cleaning, tidying, lingering cooking smells, carpets cleaned, chandelier polished, everything dusted, and the house rearranged a bit to declutter.  It once again had a lived-in atmosphere present, as if its arms were opened to welcome me home.  I had clean sheets waiting on the bed (as my husband had also done) but my pillow was now in place waiting for me.  I was home.  I was home without the looming possibility of all the what if’s that loomed ahead,  I was home without some of the pressure of the photo work yet to do that I have accomplished over the past couple of weeks.  I was home because my clothes were all clean and ironed and in the closets.  I was home because I had a refrigerator full of prepared foods for the “invalid” I thought I’d be this week.  I was home because I no longer had so many pressing things to do BEFORE the surgery to get ready and prepared for my convalescence.  Expectations I had put on myself because I thought that was what I was supposed to do.  Now I wonder.  I’m thinking about dropping a few expectations I have placed on myself.  And all these thoughts have spilled out of me just this afternoon when I walked through our garage, through the back door into the home that Dave and I have lived in for 29 years.  And I think maybe I am home because I no longer have the immediate threat of walking into our home with all the what ifs there could have been.  What if I had to have the total mastectomy.  What if I really did have cancer lurking in the breast?  Those thoughts lurked around every once in a while.  I knew they were possible threats.  Overall I think I am feeling relief.  I didn’t realize what kind of a burden I may have been carrying around in the silence of my heart.  I know I am in God’s hands but sometimes, if I am honest, there are occasional lingering doubts that the Devil would blow through my mind.  I would just claim God’s peace and all doubts would disappear.  I am so thankful for God, through the good times, the bad times, the hard times, He is always with me.  I thank all of you who prayed for me.  I am home now.  Truly home.  Not just physically, but I am home in my heart.

 

 

HIS LOVE IS SO DEEP

By Kathleen Martens

July 27, 2015

 

In the shadows of my heart

Is there the hidden

That stays so silent

It is forbidden?

 

Forbidden to show

The truth of thought

That one hides,

That one has fought?

 

Where does it lurk

But in the darkest place,

Inaccessible to reach

In that prohibited space?

 

But there is One

Whose arms are so wide,

Whose grasp so strong

He can reach inside.

 

He will bring to surface,

Help make things right,

All that needs cleaning

By His Holy light.

 

There is absolutely nothing

That He does not know.

To every prohibited place

He speaks and it goes.

 

No secret too big

That He will not forgive

When we ask Him to come in,

And in our hearts live.

 

He will give us strength,

And his wisdom bestow,

His word He will speak,

And His voice we will know.

 

So dump at His feet

All that junky stuff

That makes living life

Ever so rough.

 

His peace is perfect

Beyond understanding.

His love is so deep

And ever expanding.

**********************

Perhaps I had a bit of doubt lurking where it should not have been.  I thank God for His healing touch even when I may have harbored some doubts.  I didn’t really realize I was harboring the thoughts until I realized it today.  When I ask God to do things, and then He does them, why am I then so surprised?  Sort of like when my hearing was healed.  Why did I just not expect it?  And when it happened, why did I not even realize what was happening sooner?  Maybe because I am human.  And to think that God still heals me and just keeps on loving me just as I am.  The same way He love you.

I turn my calendar over to read the little stanza on July 27.  Here is the wisdom from my calendar today.  

The truth of Christianity is not a secret which is hidden; it is a secret which is revealed. 

Now for my comment: If you have the love of the Lord in your life, don’t hide it under a basket.  Go and reveal God’s love to others.  Well I love the Lord and I send that Love to all of you!

Signing off!  I think I shall rest, but only because I know I must be good to my body.

The above sentence prompted a search of an email written to me about a blog I wrote on July 16th.  It was sent to me by my sister Velma.  Velma, I do so appreciate the wisdom of your words in regards to how quickly each day goes and how busy I always seem to be.  I take this wisdom to heart.  Thanks for  your comments.  Here is the insert:

“Blog 7/16/15: You will find the days will fly by faster each year and is never long enough. Unless you let yourself get too tired and try to continue without resting; that is the only time when time drags. When you think you need to perform physically as your 30-year-old self and of course you are twice that age you will need to re-evaluate; you MUST take care of yourself. You can’t take care of others without taking care of yourself. You will find when you get a little older routines are necessary otherwise, your physical functions rebel, your timing is off and it can affect your sleep.”

Dave was a pillar of strength today.  I know he is still not up to par and recuperating slowly yet he gave is all.  Other than when I was in surgery he was by my side.  It is difficult for him to not have the place to put his leg up for short rest periods.  It makes all the difference in the world as to how fast he is healing.  So…we must both take care of ourselves so we can take care of each other.  I love having my man around to take care of, and having him around to take care of me.  It feels so good to know how much you are loved!  And he shows it everyday in so many little (and big) ways.  Sometimes it is just the little ways that count so big.

I’M DONE!!! 7:12 p.m.

Sunday Sabbath  July 26, 2015  THE NIGHT BEFORE TOMORROW

 

A wonderful Sunday Sabbath.  Excellent sermon by a guest speaker, Brian White, who is in town for a Love Conference our church is hosting this week.  It takes place Wednesday through Saturday and I hope to attend some of them if I am able.  It is worth listening to if you have internet.  Google:  City Church, Madison WI and click on media.  It will be up in a couple of days, under today’s date.  This was Dave’s first day back at church since he took ill On July 6^th.  We stayed and visited awhile, then home to lunch and then a delivery of my Senior Portraits that I finished before my surgery, and then off to a garden party at a Beer Brewery.  The only thing was, there were no flowers in the garden.  It was a covered patio area with lots of tables and benches with a tent over the top of it.

So much for a “garden party”.  I’m learning.  We had a great time.  It was a reunion of a group of people who worked in a certain area where Dave used to work.  It was fun for him to see so many past co-workers.  And I always have fun wherever I go so I had a good time too.

Off to Costco (as it was close by) and picked up our weekly chicken and bottled water.  Home for dinner, cleanup, laundry, with the aroma of chicken broth simmering on the stove from the bones of the chicken.

So this may be the shortest blog ever if I cannot think of anything else to say.  My goal is to retire early so I’ll have the energy to be put to sleep for the surgery in the morning and spend the rest of the day sleeping the anesthesia off.

 

WORRY NOT FOR WHAT IS TO COME

By Kathleen Martens

July 26,  2015

 

Tomorrow I will be in the garden of sleeping

My body suspended between time and space

My brain asleep as others ponder,

Poke, and probe, my secret place.

 

I worry not for what is to come

For I am in the Master’s hand.

Whatever the outcome He already knows

And eternity, He commands.

 

That’s where I’ll be someday yore,

I know not the time or date.

My days numbered before I was born

And only God knows my fate.

 

So why worry about the unknown

All worry is only time wasted,

When I awaken from my sleep

I’ll be able to see where I’ve been basted.

 

This body but houses my eternal spirit,

And God shares that dwelling with me

Wherever He wants me, I will go.

And I’m content to just wait and see.

***************************************

Oh, by the way.  I thought of something else to share with you.

I want to tell you about a man I know that I just love.  And yes, I say love, for I love his spirt, his twinkling eyes, his care and concern for others, and the way He loves the Lord.  We connect as spiritual friends.  His name just happens to be David, but I do not refer to my one and only love of my life David.  This is another David.  I only give first names so I won’t reveal his last name.  I’ll call him “David from church” so as not to confuse the two.

I met David from church very shortly before I left on my trip.  We probably met in February and I left on March 7^th.  David is a gifted artist.  Not only is he gifted but he is generous and loves to love people.  He is an amazing man with a heart of gold.  I first saw him at church with an array of framed pictures.  The frames were all different as he had collected them from various places likes garage sales and resale shops.  Every frame held a beautiful picture.   All the pictures were the same.  I went over to the table to inspect the ones he laid out.  Someone told me that they were free and to take one.  I was amazed.  I found David from church to verify this because I did want one, plus a couple of others to give away.  I asked him if it was okay to take more than one.  He said absolutely!  I asked him about the artwork in the frames.  It was his artwork.  It consisted of the word LOVE written across the front of the card in large block letters.  Smaller words were overlaid on the word LOVE in small block letters.  Each letter is colored in.  It is beautiful to look at.  Even more beautiful in a frame with words that take scripture and write the meaning of LOVE in everyday language.  I fell in love with the art.  I asked him if I could buy some copies so I could make cards to give away on my trip.  He made me copies but would not let me pay for them.  I received these prints about a week or so before I left for my trip.  I made about 80 plus cards from them by backing them on cardstock with a contrasting trim.  I worked hard to get them finished before I left.  I was so thankful as I was looking for something to leave behind telling everyone how much I appreciated their hospitality.  I did finish them on time, packed them away and handed them out.  I did not get to explain to the recipients that I did not do the artwork.  I’ve had many people send comments to me about them.  I thank you for the comments.  The artwork was done with a labor of love by David from church.  I want to publicly (as far as my blog reaches the public) thank David for his generosity in allowing me to give these beautiful cards to those I loved along the way as well as to new acquaintances that I learned to love.  I so appreciate his generosity in allowing me to use his artwork to give my thanks to others.  It is the words that made the greatest impression on me.  I so wanted to share his words with you.  ;I put the following in red because it is some of the best wisdom you will ever read.

LOVE:

Never gives up

Cares more for others than self

Does not want what it does not have

Does not strut

Does not swell the head

Does not force itself on others

Is not always me first

Does not fly off the handle

Does not keep score of sins

Does not revel when others hurt

Takes pleasure in the flowering of the truth

Puts up with anything

Trusts God always

Always looks for the best to the end

Never looks back

Love never dies

 

I had to look at each line and weigh it in my heart.  I had some things to learn about myself.  The truth sometimes hurts.  I hope these truths will go to your heart that you too will take each one and try it on for size.  This card caused me to look at each statement and hopefully I am becoming a better person for having read it and pondered it before the Lord.

Thank you again David from church for your generosity in allowing me to share your beautiful artwork with others.

Oh, one more thing about David from church.  David from church is a poet.  How could I not but fall in love with the soul of a poet.  I don’t know David from church very well, nor his wife.  But I do know this, I believe his wife is as special as he is.  God bless you David from church and your wife and children.  You have certainly blessed me and allowed me to bless others through your artwork and words.

Time to go to and prepare for bed.  Nomore water after midnight.  I’m drinking a lot (of water) until the midnight hour to keep myself hydrated.

Who know, if I feel up to it tomorrow evening you may get another blog.  And then again, maybe not.

Good night.  And I send my love to all of you through the words written on David’s from church beautiful artwork.

Wait, one more thing!  Thanks to all of you who may still be reading this blog.  I was so blessed by so many of you along my journey and I want to say thank you, to all of you, for the blessings you gave me.

(Now I’m done)

10:03 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday July 25 2015   SHORTEST BLOG EVER

I promise this will be the shortest blog ever.  My hours are few and my work is long.  I have a five hour post production photo job ahead today to prepare a musical DVD and presentation for the family I photographed this week, as their baby’s funeral is tomorrow.  I just found that out earlier today as I was leaving for a previous commitment.  So I am home now.  The images are being uploaded onto my machine as I type this.  So, I need to cut my blog short as it is now 4:13 p.m.

An update on my soup foray last evening.  I finished at 12:30 a.m.  All 14 quarts of soups were bottled, waiting to cool for the freezer.  At 2:00 a.m. I checked on them but they were not cool enough.  At 4:00 a.m. they were perfect!  I also made a vegetable strata and had it in the fridge soaking overnight (according to recipe).

When I got up and realized how big that strata was I made last night.  We called a friend and asked if we could bring lunch over.  She has such an amazing yard and Dave had never seen it.  Dave is friend with her husband but men just don’t seem to get together like we women do so he had never been over to their house.  We were leaving when I received the phone call to have the photos ready by tomorrow.  So now we are home and now I will do it.

We had a great time at our friend’s house.  Christy is a gardener, both flowers and vegetables.  They have a large lot on the outskirts of town and I think every square inch of their property is in production of something.  They have 20 different kinds of apple trees, peach, nectarine and some others I can’t remember.  Berries galore grow around their yard with names so different I can’t remember them.  She has currents and sent me home with some of her black current jam.  She also sent me home with a couple bags of MORE FOOD!  Picked right from the garden, of which she raises everything possible.  I’ve included a few pictures of their yard.  I forgot to ask permission to use their picture so I won’t include any with people included.  We had a delightful afternoon.  My goal yesterday was to work and get all my work done so I would have no work to do today.  Maybe that was a good thing because it allows me to have the block of time to work up the baby photo session.

On the way to Christy’s house I stopped and took a few pictures on the highway that I traveled on when I spoke about seeing with new eyes.  The light was not perfect like it was a few days ago because it was later in the day, but I will include a few photos of what I saw as I traveled to the east side where they live.  I ask myself, “How could I choose to live anywhere else”?  I must be fickle because wherever I am always seems to be “the most beautiful place”.  Perhaps that is because the Lord resides within me and wherever I am with Him, is the most beautiful place to be.

 

SO THE PRESENT NEVER ENDS

By Kathleen Martens

July 25, 2015

 

When I stop to think about my day,

So still time seems to be.

Each moment is lived unto itself

For my spirit lives so free.

 

It is the indwelling of the Spirit of God

Of whom I am aware.

He set my course in eternity

And the present is what we share.

 

Forever I will continually live,

So the present never ends.

Because I live in peace and joy

With Jesus who is my friend.

 

I’m done!  You see it is short and it is only 5:05 p.m.  Time to go to work!