Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

Wow, this was just out in the river a couple of blocks from here. It went right by us but never came on land, thank God.

Mama and I hung out in the middle room of the house for a bit but all we got was some rain for my tomatoes and summer squash. On another note, I've been a sick child for a while. Started with an infection and then had a nasty reaction to an antibiotic. Posting here should resume soon as I'm finally starting to feel a whole lot better.

This one is particularly cool but you have to go to the TU site to see it.

Here's another picture taken from our north - we're just inland from that spout at this point

Let Them Eat Pie!

I got this link today courtesy of my friend Joan. It's a thought-provoking article by a woman who finds herself wishing she had been a little less stringent about the things she had cooked for her father in his later years. She makes a good point, for a lot of folks a life of low-fat, sodium-free eating is not a life they enjoy living. For others, it's a good trade-off that they are more than willing to make. I think the trick is to find the reasonable middle ground. On the one hand, you couldn't reasonably serve up Cinnabons and a frappucino to a brittle diabetic just because you wanted them to be happy on their birthday and I wouldn't feed Mama bacon and fritos just because she was bored with her low-sodium diet. You might as well put a gun to their heads. But on the other hand you can often find ways to relax dietary restrictions that won't be lethal when it would make life a little more enjoyable. Like most of life, it's a matter of balance. And choice.

She's a Precocious One

So Mama joined facebook today all by herself. The first I heard of it was when I got a friend request from her. I suggested some friends for her and sent her a picture to use for her profile but if she joins Mafia Wars she's on her own...

My Civic Duty

I got called to jury duty today. I was there most of the day and ended up being excused after the jury pool I was selected for completed the questions from the judge and attorneys for the prosecution and defense. I was kind of hoping to get picked but they only needed 7 out of the 28 in our group. I thought it would be interesting and that particular case would only take one day but it was not to be. They do ask if you are responsible for the care of a child or adult with disabilities and I could have probably used Mama as an excuse but I'm one of the unusual ones I guess because I do think it is our civic duty to serve when called. I'd hate to be on trial with a jury full of people who were only there because they couldn't come up with a decent reason to be excused. You'd hope most of them at least would be there because they thought it was important. Anyhoo... the latest devotional for caregivers is up here. Please share it with any caregivers you know who might need a lift spiritually speaking.

An Encouraging Word

Blogging can be such a lonely business most of the time. Except for the stars and superstars of the blogosphere I would venture that 98% or more blogs go pretty much unread outside of the bloggers sphere of influence. The Interwebs are as vast as our own universe in some ways and it's hard to get heard or noticed. That's why when a humble blogger/website dweller such as myself receives a word of thanks or encouragement it truly is a blessing. I have many friends and family members who keep up with the Feedin' Mama empire and their kind comments are the fuel that keeps me going. I have a few friends I've never met whose encouraging words are like manna in the desert, they sustain me in the bleak moments of uncertainty about where my wanderings are taking me. (I'm talking to you dear Joan) But sometimes I hear from someone who has found something on the blog or the website that has helped them in their journey and that, dear friends, is what the intent was for this whole adventure. That is the good stuff. I received a note of thanks from a caregiver who found the devotional page on the FM website and wanted to tell me how much it helped and who encouraged me to keep it going because it was something she needed. I don't do this for attention, although attention is a welcome benefit. I DO do this to express myself because we all need a place for that to make our lives count for something. But the main reason I am compelled to provide this stop on the back roads of the Information Superhighway is to bring a little comfort to another. To be helpful and useful and bring encouragement and hope to someone who really needs it. THAT is extra good stuff.

Back in the Saddle Again

I took an unplanned hiatus from the blog for the past week. Only one person noticed enough to comment so I suppose it's not a problem of monumental proportions if I step away for a little bit. Things have been interesting to say the least and I have been occupied with many things. My grand daughter Molly was baptized yesterday and as luck would have it, the pastor was away this weekend so I had to preach at both services. Add to that a reunion with my sons' father whom we hadn't seen or heard from in 20 years and inviting about 30 people over for a cookout after church and you may understand why blogging fell off the radar. To make the story even more interesting when I woke up yesterday morning there was a waterfall going on outside at my hot water heater. I had to call a plumber at 7:00 on a Sunday morning when I had to be at church by 8:30 to preach the early service. There was precious little water pressure and I had to shower in the lukewarm drizzle. Oy vey! But thanks be to God, it was just a broken pipe fitting which was easily fixed with $11 worth of parts and $145 for the plumber's labor. It was fixed before I left for church, my sermon was well received at both services, Molly's baptism was a beautiful thing and a good time was had by all at my house afterward.

So, in addition to all of the above, I received an inspiration for the Feedin' Mama website. I have added a page for a daily devotional for caregivers. I have felt for a while that I have something to offer for those who care for their parents or other elders which is how this blog and the website came to be. But there are so many other sites and blogs and so many books have been written about caregiving that I have kept having the feeling that I needed to bring something more to the table and I believe that something is the devotional. I hope to bring a Scripture passage a meditation and a prayer each day that will provide something - comfort, encouragement, strength... to someone who needs it. Please stop by each day if you are so inclined and I hope God brings a blessing for you in it.