So on Wednesday morning, we were in no particular hurry to get up and go anywhere. Checkout time was 11am so there was no need to rush. I can’t even remember what time I got up yesterday morning. It might have been around 8 or so; Joni was already up of course.
We went downstairs to the little café area off the main lobby where they have a continental breakfast every morning.. I wasn’t really in the mood for much. I was a little worried about the car ride. By this time I had gotten to where I could walk around unaided, but I was afraid a long ride in the car would make me sick. I had had some very minor bouts with what I guess you would call motion sickness since the bandage had come off on Tuesday. Nothing serious, just a few stomach flip-flops now and then.
Anyway, I was hoping for a couple of sweet rolls or something, but they didn’t have any that morning. There was sausage and scrambled eggs, but I definitely didn’t want that in my stomach. There was bread for toast, and some muffins, but none of that really appealed to me either. I finally decided on a waffle. They had a batter dispenser where you could squirt out some waffle batter into a cup. There were two waffle irons hot and ready to go, so you just had to pour in the batter and close the lid. Once you flipped the thing over, the timer started. After about 40 seconds, out came a nearly perfect waffle. That really hit the spot. I ended up eating a couple of sausages with it after all because I just can’t resist sausages. I only ate two though so I thought it would be all right.
After that, we went back upstairs and packed up our things and were ready to go. The lady at the counter that morning had evidently noticed me, first with a cane, then with a bandage, then with neither. She said, “You take it easy now, a little healing each day.” We leftthe the hotel and stopped to fill up the gas tank, then we were off. We merged onto I-80 at a few minutes after 10am. I enjoyed watching the GPS unit and helping Joni navigate.
I was enjoying looking at everything, but I was still very tired. Once we were on the highway and cruising, I put my headphones on and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, we were coming up on York, the main stopping place between Lincoln and Kearney. We stopped at Wendy’s again to eat, same place we stopped in on our way to Omaha. After we ate, I got up from our table and walked to the restroom. All by myself. That felt very strange, and very good. I don’t know if I’ve talked much about public restrooms, but let’s just say I always avoided them whenever I could.
From York, it’s only about an hour’s drive to the Gibbon exit, and I was getting very anxious to get home and see where Ihad been living for the last two anda half years. I was anxious to see Sassie too, I had been feeling pretty guilty about leaving her for three days.
The rest of the drive went by pretty quickly, then we were pulling off the interstate. I have spent alittle more than half my life in oraround Gibbon, but never spent much time south of I-80, so the drive from there was especially interesting. I enjoyed seeing corn fields.
And then we were home. Things did not look the way I had always pictured them outside our house. Seeing exactly where the trees were, and our little shed, and the propane tank, and Joni’s country fence was fascinating. Inside the house was even better. I don’t know why, but I had always imagined our house as kind of a dumpy little place, but when I saw it for the first time, I liked it. Liked it quite a lot actually. It was just so strange seeing all those familiar things, things I had never seen before.
I spent the rest of the afternoon just walkingfrom room to room, looking at everything. I went outside a couple of times to walk around andlook. It’s kind of pretty outhere.
When you’re blind, distances are often hard to judge. Even inside a house. I would look around and think things like “I didn’t know there was so much space between the couch and the wall”, or “I thought the back porch was bigger than this.” I knew the layout of the house, but nothing looked quite like I expected.
And it was great to see my dog again. She kept looking at me all the time. Maybe she always did, but it was kind of strange. When I first went blind, I used to trip over her a lot. She likes to lay down right in the middle of the walkways of the house. After a while she adjusted, and learned to move out of the way when I came walking along. After we had been home a while yesterday, I started testing her. I would walk up to her, and instead of moving she would just lay there and look at me. I don’t knowhow, but she seemed to understand.
I suppose I could go on for along time about all that, but I guess you get the idea. Maybe I’ll be able to put it into words better later on.
Wednesday night I was very tired again of course, and we got to bed at our usual time. It was so good to be home, and especially good to be climbing into my own bed.
And that, at last, brings me to the present time. I have an appointment with Dr. Feilmeier today at 3pm in Kearney. If everything is to his satisfaction, then I’ll just be seeing him once a month, each time he comes to Kearney. I’m looking forward to seeing a little bit of Kearney today. Being the nearest town of any size to my hometown of Gibbon, I was very familiar with Kearney. But I know a lot has changed there, and I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself. That reminds me, I need to go see Gibbon too, and Mom’s new house, and the new school, and the empty lot where the old school was, and Mom’s store, and gosh, there’s just so much to see. Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label gibbon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gibbon. Show all posts
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, June 21, 2010
Journal - Father's Day
So yesterday was Father’s day. I hope all you Fathers out there had a great day.
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Dream Diary - Lost at the Pool
I had a really terrible night’s sleep last night. We went to bed at our regular time and I put on my headphones to listen to my audio book as usual. After a little while, however, my back started hurting. That happens to me once in a while. My back never seems to bother me during the day, just when I'm laying in bed. I got up to take some aspirin, but after I took them I remembered that the generic aspirin we get has caffeine in it. My back stopped hurting but I was wide awake after that.
I lay there for what seemed like a couple of hours listening to my book when I started to feel hungry. So I got up again and ate some Town House crackers, my favorite late night snack.
With my hunger taken care of I went back to bed. By then my back was starting to hurt again, but I didn’t want to take any more aspirin so I just lay there trying to decide if I should just get up. Pretty soon, Joni started to stir and she got up. I thought she was just going to the bathroom or something, but when I checked the time it was a little after six o’clock. That surprised me because I thought it was only about two or maybe three at the latest. Evidently I did sleep for a couple of hours without even realizing it. Also I took my headphones off at some point although I don’t remember that either. After Joni got up I put them back on. I started backing up my book to see where I had left off and sure enough I had missed a couple of hours. I decided to put the radio on then and I dozed until about nine o’clock.
In the hours between six and nine I dreamed about the swimming pool in Gibbon. The pool was different, though. It had a different shape and the surroundings were all different too. It was all surrounded by a tall chain link fence, though, just like in real life. I was trying to leave the pool but I couldn’t find my way out of the fence. I think the only way out of the fence was through the pool house where the showers are, but the building was like a maze inside and I just couldn’t get out. I could see my car through the fence, it was the red Probe I drove years and years ago, but I just couldn't get there.
The rest of the dream is mostly faded away. I have a vague impression that I did finally reach my car, but it turned out to be the wrong car. Like, I had thought it was mine, but it turned out not to be.
I think I mentioned this before, but I seem to have a lot of dreams where I am lost. No surprise there, I do kind of feel lost a lot of the time.
Well, anyway, I didn’t feel groggy and miserable today like I thought I would so that’s good. I didn’t work out today, though. I didn't have that much energy and I was afraid it would aggravate my back. I should sleep good tonight, I’ve never had back pain two nights in a row before.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I lay there for what seemed like a couple of hours listening to my book when I started to feel hungry. So I got up again and ate some Town House crackers, my favorite late night snack.
With my hunger taken care of I went back to bed. By then my back was starting to hurt again, but I didn’t want to take any more aspirin so I just lay there trying to decide if I should just get up. Pretty soon, Joni started to stir and she got up. I thought she was just going to the bathroom or something, but when I checked the time it was a little after six o’clock. That surprised me because I thought it was only about two or maybe three at the latest. Evidently I did sleep for a couple of hours without even realizing it. Also I took my headphones off at some point although I don’t remember that either. After Joni got up I put them back on. I started backing up my book to see where I had left off and sure enough I had missed a couple of hours. I decided to put the radio on then and I dozed until about nine o’clock.
In the hours between six and nine I dreamed about the swimming pool in Gibbon. The pool was different, though. It had a different shape and the surroundings were all different too. It was all surrounded by a tall chain link fence, though, just like in real life. I was trying to leave the pool but I couldn’t find my way out of the fence. I think the only way out of the fence was through the pool house where the showers are, but the building was like a maze inside and I just couldn’t get out. I could see my car through the fence, it was the red Probe I drove years and years ago, but I just couldn't get there.
The rest of the dream is mostly faded away. I have a vague impression that I did finally reach my car, but it turned out to be the wrong car. Like, I had thought it was mine, but it turned out not to be.
I think I mentioned this before, but I seem to have a lot of dreams where I am lost. No surprise there, I do kind of feel lost a lot of the time.
Well, anyway, I didn’t feel groggy and miserable today like I thought I would so that’s good. I didn’t work out today, though. I didn't have that much energy and I was afraid it would aggravate my back. I should sleep good tonight, I’ve never had back pain two nights in a row before.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Dream Diary - Money and Books
From Wednesday night:
I dreamed I was in Gibbon walking down Labarre Street, which is the main street in Gibbon. I was walking toward the railroad tracks and when I reached Front Street, I turned the corner to the left. There, scattered all over the sidewalk, were piles and piles of coins. It was mostly pennies, but there was some silver mixed in too. I started going through the coins, leaving the pennies, but picking up the quarters, dimes, and nickels.
The longer I picked through the coins, the more I began to find other things.. First, I started noticing coins which appeared to be foreign. They had strange markings on them and some had unusual shapes. I remember one in particular; it was similar to the gold presidential dollars they started minting a few years ago, but had rounded shapes around the edge. It was kind of like a child’s drawing of a flower. Then I started finding what appeared to be bars of gold. They were kind of long and thin.
The dream shifted a little here, and I was inside somewhere, I don’t know where. My friend Bob Johnson was there. I showed him the gold bars and asked him if he thought they were real. He took one and tore the end off of it, then turned it up to his mouth and poured out some kind of powdery candy. I tried one myself and it was a little bit like those old Flav-R-Straws. Or Pixie Sticks. They were called Pixie Sticks when I was a kid. Anyway, the gold bars were fake, like those chocolate coins they always have at Halloween, only with powder inside them.
I continued digging through the pile of coins, only now it was mostly junk instead of coins. I found a long spool with pieces of wire wrapped around it. I thought the wires were guitar strings. Bob plays the guitar, so I gave them to him and asked if he could use them. He unrolled one from the spool and stretched it between his hands. When he pulled on it it broke pretty easily, indicating that they were not really guitar strings.
The dream shifted again slightly. I was in the same place, but the room had become kind of long and narrow. One end of the room had bookshelves on all three walls that went all the way to the ceiling which was quite high. I was looking at some of the books that were high up on one shelf, when all of the books on that wall began to fall. I quickly turned to the shelves that were at my back, and as the books showered down on me I tried to climb up the opposite wall. I was afraid of being buried under all those books and wanted to climb to get above them.
That’s all I remember. Actually that’s quite a bit more than I usually remember of any one dream. Money and books, books and money. Money usually represents greed, and books would seem to represent knowledge, but it was the books that buried me. Or that I feared would bury me. Maybe it means that if I keep reading books and writing book reviews I will make money from them. Or maybe it means if I keep wasting my time on all those books instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing, they will be my doom. Maybe it means nothing at all. I wonder about that part where the gold bars were not what they seemed, and ditto the guitar strings. And it was my friend Bob who revealed both. Interesting.
I think that God tries to speak to us through our dreams sometimes, but I don’t believe all dreams come from Him. How do you tell the difference? Maybe some people can. Maybe it’s just another one of those mysteries that we are not really meant to understand. So many mysteries.
Proverbs 2:10-11 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Proverbs 8:10-11 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
I dreamed I was in Gibbon walking down Labarre Street, which is the main street in Gibbon. I was walking toward the railroad tracks and when I reached Front Street, I turned the corner to the left. There, scattered all over the sidewalk, were piles and piles of coins. It was mostly pennies, but there was some silver mixed in too. I started going through the coins, leaving the pennies, but picking up the quarters, dimes, and nickels.
The longer I picked through the coins, the more I began to find other things.. First, I started noticing coins which appeared to be foreign. They had strange markings on them and some had unusual shapes. I remember one in particular; it was similar to the gold presidential dollars they started minting a few years ago, but had rounded shapes around the edge. It was kind of like a child’s drawing of a flower. Then I started finding what appeared to be bars of gold. They were kind of long and thin.
The dream shifted a little here, and I was inside somewhere, I don’t know where. My friend Bob Johnson was there. I showed him the gold bars and asked him if he thought they were real. He took one and tore the end off of it, then turned it up to his mouth and poured out some kind of powdery candy. I tried one myself and it was a little bit like those old Flav-R-Straws. Or Pixie Sticks. They were called Pixie Sticks when I was a kid. Anyway, the gold bars were fake, like those chocolate coins they always have at Halloween, only with powder inside them.
I continued digging through the pile of coins, only now it was mostly junk instead of coins. I found a long spool with pieces of wire wrapped around it. I thought the wires were guitar strings. Bob plays the guitar, so I gave them to him and asked if he could use them. He unrolled one from the spool and stretched it between his hands. When he pulled on it it broke pretty easily, indicating that they were not really guitar strings.
The dream shifted again slightly. I was in the same place, but the room had become kind of long and narrow. One end of the room had bookshelves on all three walls that went all the way to the ceiling which was quite high. I was looking at some of the books that were high up on one shelf, when all of the books on that wall began to fall. I quickly turned to the shelves that were at my back, and as the books showered down on me I tried to climb up the opposite wall. I was afraid of being buried under all those books and wanted to climb to get above them.
That’s all I remember. Actually that’s quite a bit more than I usually remember of any one dream. Money and books, books and money. Money usually represents greed, and books would seem to represent knowledge, but it was the books that buried me. Or that I feared would bury me. Maybe it means that if I keep reading books and writing book reviews I will make money from them. Or maybe it means if I keep wasting my time on all those books instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing, they will be my doom. Maybe it means nothing at all. I wonder about that part where the gold bars were not what they seemed, and ditto the guitar strings. And it was my friend Bob who revealed both. Interesting.
I think that God tries to speak to us through our dreams sometimes, but I don’t believe all dreams come from Him. How do you tell the difference? Maybe some people can. Maybe it’s just another one of those mysteries that we are not really meant to understand. So many mysteries.
Proverbs 2:10-11 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Proverbs 8:10-11 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Journal - BCBS Blues, NCAA Pinks
Well.
On Monday I got a letter from BCBS saying that they have denied my application for insurance. Last week, they had asked for records from Doctor Hargrave. We mailed a copy of that request to her office in Dallas on Friday the 19th. The denial letter I got on Monday was dated the 19th. They asked for the records but didn’t wait to get them. They didn’t even mention the records, they said I was denied because of my pre-existing conditions which they have known about all along. Is it a coincidence that their denial letter was dated just two days before Barrack Obama signed the new health bill? No, I don’t believe in coincidences, as I have mentioned before. I don't really think there is anything in the new health bill that would have a direct effect on my case, but BCBS wasn’t taking any chances I suppose. Well, I kept saying that I wished they would make a decision, one way or the other and I got my wish. What's next? I have no idea. More waiting. I'll just have to wait and see where God leads me next.
That was the bad news. Now for the good news! Nebraska won their second round game against UCLA on Tuesday night! It was a pretty exciting game too. Well, the first half was, anyway.
UCLA struck like lightning in the opening minutes of the game and took a 13 to 4 lead very quickly. The Lady Huskers battled back, though, and tied it up at 15 before going on to take a ten point lead. The first half ended with a five point lead for Nebraska. UCLA came out fighting again in the second half and came to within one point, but it was all Nebraska after that. UCLA never gave up, they kept scoring points, but Nebraska was just too much for them. The final score was 82 to 70 or something like that.. Nebraska was hitting the three pointers again. They struggled with that in the first half, but started hitting them almost at will in the second. And not just one or two players, either, I think seven or eight different players hit three point shots.
With this win, Nebraska advances to the sweet sixteen, which is just a fancy way of saying there are only sixteen teams left playing for the national championship. Those sixteen teams come together in Kansas City this weekend. Nebraska is supposed to play Sunday night against Kentucky, but no time was set yet. This marks the first time a Nebraska basketball team, men’s or women’s, has made it to the sweet sixteen. Pretty amazing. Wouldn’t it be great if they won the national championship? Even if they don’t, I hope they can keep having this kind of success for many years to come. What a boon to the University and to Nebraska sports. Seeing any Husker team do that well really leaves me feeling in the pink. Wasn’t that a clever tie-in to my title?
For those of you who don’t live around here, my hometown of Gibbon, which I live very close to now, built a new school and began using it this year. Gibbon is a small town so they only need one school for all grades. The old school, where my siblings and I attended, and also where my parents and their siblings attended, and where my sister's kids have attended, has been standing vacant this year. I know they really neded a new building, but it’s sad to think of the old school just sitting there empty.
Now it sounds like someone may be interested in doing something with it, though. There is an email going around to everyone in Gibbon and the neighboring towns with a link to an online survey. The survey asks several questions about what kinds of activities or services the people around here might be interested in. Maybe they are thinking of using the old school for a community center or something like that. That would be awesome if they can pull it off, although it honestly doesn’t seem like there are enough people around here to support something like that. I sure wish them lots of luck in their venture though!
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
On Monday I got a letter from BCBS saying that they have denied my application for insurance. Last week, they had asked for records from Doctor Hargrave. We mailed a copy of that request to her office in Dallas on Friday the 19th. The denial letter I got on Monday was dated the 19th. They asked for the records but didn’t wait to get them. They didn’t even mention the records, they said I was denied because of my pre-existing conditions which they have known about all along. Is it a coincidence that their denial letter was dated just two days before Barrack Obama signed the new health bill? No, I don’t believe in coincidences, as I have mentioned before. I don't really think there is anything in the new health bill that would have a direct effect on my case, but BCBS wasn’t taking any chances I suppose. Well, I kept saying that I wished they would make a decision, one way or the other and I got my wish. What's next? I have no idea. More waiting. I'll just have to wait and see where God leads me next.
That was the bad news. Now for the good news! Nebraska won their second round game against UCLA on Tuesday night! It was a pretty exciting game too. Well, the first half was, anyway.
UCLA struck like lightning in the opening minutes of the game and took a 13 to 4 lead very quickly. The Lady Huskers battled back, though, and tied it up at 15 before going on to take a ten point lead. The first half ended with a five point lead for Nebraska. UCLA came out fighting again in the second half and came to within one point, but it was all Nebraska after that. UCLA never gave up, they kept scoring points, but Nebraska was just too much for them. The final score was 82 to 70 or something like that.. Nebraska was hitting the three pointers again. They struggled with that in the first half, but started hitting them almost at will in the second. And not just one or two players, either, I think seven or eight different players hit three point shots.
With this win, Nebraska advances to the sweet sixteen, which is just a fancy way of saying there are only sixteen teams left playing for the national championship. Those sixteen teams come together in Kansas City this weekend. Nebraska is supposed to play Sunday night against Kentucky, but no time was set yet. This marks the first time a Nebraska basketball team, men’s or women’s, has made it to the sweet sixteen. Pretty amazing. Wouldn’t it be great if they won the national championship? Even if they don’t, I hope they can keep having this kind of success for many years to come. What a boon to the University and to Nebraska sports. Seeing any Husker team do that well really leaves me feeling in the pink. Wasn’t that a clever tie-in to my title?
For those of you who don’t live around here, my hometown of Gibbon, which I live very close to now, built a new school and began using it this year. Gibbon is a small town so they only need one school for all grades. The old school, where my siblings and I attended, and also where my parents and their siblings attended, and where my sister's kids have attended, has been standing vacant this year. I know they really neded a new building, but it’s sad to think of the old school just sitting there empty.
Now it sounds like someone may be interested in doing something with it, though. There is an email going around to everyone in Gibbon and the neighboring towns with a link to an online survey. The survey asks several questions about what kinds of activities or services the people around here might be interested in. Maybe they are thinking of using the old school for a community center or something like that. That would be awesome if they can pull it off, although it honestly doesn’t seem like there are enough people around here to support something like that. I sure wish them lots of luck in their venture though!
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Churches
I thought it might be interesting to discuss the churches that Joni, Adam, and I have been to, and how each one has impacted our lives. I grew up in the Baptist church in my hometown of Gibbon. It was the same church Grandma and Grandpa Howard attended, probably from the time they arrived in Gibbon, and the same church mom and her siblings grew up with. Joni was raised in a Catholic family, although she never fully accepted all of the Catholic customs. It was basically the same for both of us, we grew up with the church, but turned away from it as soon as we were able.
It wasn’t until many years later, when Astri was born, that we decided it was time for us to start going to church again. We were living in Dallas at the time so there were plenty of churches to choose from. Too many really, we had no idea how to choose one. Neither of us was interested in joining a Catholic church. I was interested in Baptist churches, but understood that they would be different than the Baptist church I grew up with. I finally asked Aunt LeeDel for advice since she is “in the know” about some of the different denominations. She recommended the United Church of Christ, so we looked up UCC churches in our area and found one only a few miles from our apartment.
This was in February or maybe March of 2007. I remember the time well because I was on a long medical leave from work because of problems I was having with my eyes. It’s interesting to think about that time because it was so miserable having such poor vision, but what I wouldn't give to have that amount of vision now.
Anyway, we visited the UCC church and we both liked it immediately. It was a very small church which was a big plus for us, and the people were very warm and welcoming. There were potluck dinners once a month and they followed many of the same practices that the old Baptist church followed so I felt very much at home there. After about a year, however, we began to feel like we needed something more. The pastor was not a powerful speaker and his sermons just weren't speaking to us. Also, Adam wasn't getting much out of it. There were not many kids in the church, and hence there was not much of a youth program.
Then, during the summer of 2008, another nearby church, Grace church, began sending a group to our apartment complex every Saturday afternoon. It was a youth outreach program where they would play games and learn bible verses and win prizes. Adam got involved right away and became very enthusiastic about it which was a little surprising because he isn’t the type to get involved in things.
So the summer passed. In September of that year, I lost my job and we definitely felt that God needed to have a stronger presence in our lives. Grace church had a Halloween party for the kids in the community, and we decided to go have a look. We met a few people, most of whom Adam already knew, and really liked the feel of the whole thing. After talking it over, we decided to visit Grace for Sunday worship. Soon after that, we said our good-byes to the UCC church. The UCC church had served an important purpose for us in that it was a comfortable place for us to begin our journey toward Christ. After almost two years there, we were thirsty for more and definitely felt God urging us on to the next step.
Grace church was larger than the UCC, but not intimidatingly so. There are mega-churches in Dallas, large enough to seat my entire hometown and still not be half full. Grace was small enough to have a church family feel to it, but large enough to support an active youth program. Grace had something for all of us, powerful sermons for Joni and me, and a good youth group for Adam. We were attending regularly on Sundays, plus Wednesday evening services and youth meetings, and we even got involved in a bible study group. We felt that we had found a church that we could be happy in for a long time to come. God had other plans for us, however.
And I see that this story is going to be quite a bitlonger than I thought, so I think I will finish this tomorrow. I hope you’ll come back for the rest!
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Romans 12:5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
It wasn’t until many years later, when Astri was born, that we decided it was time for us to start going to church again. We were living in Dallas at the time so there were plenty of churches to choose from. Too many really, we had no idea how to choose one. Neither of us was interested in joining a Catholic church. I was interested in Baptist churches, but understood that they would be different than the Baptist church I grew up with. I finally asked Aunt LeeDel for advice since she is “in the know” about some of the different denominations. She recommended the United Church of Christ, so we looked up UCC churches in our area and found one only a few miles from our apartment.
This was in February or maybe March of 2007. I remember the time well because I was on a long medical leave from work because of problems I was having with my eyes. It’s interesting to think about that time because it was so miserable having such poor vision, but what I wouldn't give to have that amount of vision now.
Anyway, we visited the UCC church and we both liked it immediately. It was a very small church which was a big plus for us, and the people were very warm and welcoming. There were potluck dinners once a month and they followed many of the same practices that the old Baptist church followed so I felt very much at home there. After about a year, however, we began to feel like we needed something more. The pastor was not a powerful speaker and his sermons just weren't speaking to us. Also, Adam wasn't getting much out of it. There were not many kids in the church, and hence there was not much of a youth program.
Then, during the summer of 2008, another nearby church, Grace church, began sending a group to our apartment complex every Saturday afternoon. It was a youth outreach program where they would play games and learn bible verses and win prizes. Adam got involved right away and became very enthusiastic about it which was a little surprising because he isn’t the type to get involved in things.
So the summer passed. In September of that year, I lost my job and we definitely felt that God needed to have a stronger presence in our lives. Grace church had a Halloween party for the kids in the community, and we decided to go have a look. We met a few people, most of whom Adam already knew, and really liked the feel of the whole thing. After talking it over, we decided to visit Grace for Sunday worship. Soon after that, we said our good-byes to the UCC church. The UCC church had served an important purpose for us in that it was a comfortable place for us to begin our journey toward Christ. After almost two years there, we were thirsty for more and definitely felt God urging us on to the next step.
Grace church was larger than the UCC, but not intimidatingly so. There are mega-churches in Dallas, large enough to seat my entire hometown and still not be half full. Grace was small enough to have a church family feel to it, but large enough to support an active youth program. Grace had something for all of us, powerful sermons for Joni and me, and a good youth group for Adam. We were attending regularly on Sundays, plus Wednesday evening services and youth meetings, and we even got involved in a bible study group. We felt that we had found a church that we could be happy in for a long time to come. God had other plans for us, however.
And I see that this story is going to be quite a bitlonger than I thought, so I think I will finish this tomorrow. I hope you’ll come back for the rest!
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Romans 12:5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Journal - Perfect Season
Saturday’s basketball game, Nebraska vs Kansas State, was another exciting one. I turned the game on a little late. There was just a few minutes left in the first half and Nebraska was down by eleven points. Uh oh! By the end of the first half, Nebraska had narrowed the gap to seven points. This was the final game of the regular season, and Nebraska was playing for a perfect, undefeated season. It looked like they had their work cut out for them.
When the second half began, Nebraska took over. Within just a few minutes they had an eleven point lead and never looked back. Kansas State came within six points at one point, but that was as close as they got. Nebraska won the game 82 to 72 and finished the season with a perfect record of 29 wins and 0 losses, the first Big 12 team to do so.
My computer speakers came on Friday, several days earlier than I expected. It’s always nice when something happens sooner than you expect it to. I also got a headphone extension cord so Adam and I can plug into the cord instead of directly into the speaker. I think that will help the jack in the speaker not wear out so quickly. Joni rarely uses the speakers for anything, so the cord can just stay plugged into the speaker all the time, and Adam and I can plug into the cord.
I’ve been noticing something odd about my screen reader, System Access To Go, lately. I had noticed some time ago that when I delete things from the computer, they don’t go into the recycle bin. Later on, I discovered that the deleted files are going into the bin, but when I look in there, SA To Go tells me the bin is empty, even though it’s not. On Saturday I emailed Serotek, the company that makes SA To Go, to ask them about that.
It looks like spring is finally on its way! Most of the snow is melted and the temperatures are gradually climbing into the forties and fifties. When we went to church on Sunday, I only wore a light jacket instead of my winter coat and it felt wonderful. Also, the geese and cranes are arriving by the hundreds. My hometown of Gibbon sits about 3 miles north of the Platte River, and our house here on the turkey ranch is about 5 miles south of the river. The area in between is a major stopping point for migrating geese and cranes. I think mostly they go for the river, but quite a few of them are landing in the harvested corn fields around here to pick up scraps of corn too.
We had a very thought provoking message at church this week. It was about following Christ as a nation. It was Pastor Tim this time, instead of Pastor Mike, but he does a nice job too. He talked a little bit about September 11, quoting from an interview that someone had with Billy Graham’s daughter, Ann. The interviewer asked her how God could let such a thing happen. Her response was that God is deeply grieved over it, but we have spent so many years now asking God to get out of our schools and out of our government, that God, being the gentleman that He is, has calmly backed off. That's a pretty scary thought, but it makes a lot of sense.
Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and the people he chose for his inheritance.
When the second half began, Nebraska took over. Within just a few minutes they had an eleven point lead and never looked back. Kansas State came within six points at one point, but that was as close as they got. Nebraska won the game 82 to 72 and finished the season with a perfect record of 29 wins and 0 losses, the first Big 12 team to do so.
My computer speakers came on Friday, several days earlier than I expected. It’s always nice when something happens sooner than you expect it to. I also got a headphone extension cord so Adam and I can plug into the cord instead of directly into the speaker. I think that will help the jack in the speaker not wear out so quickly. Joni rarely uses the speakers for anything, so the cord can just stay plugged into the speaker all the time, and Adam and I can plug into the cord.
I’ve been noticing something odd about my screen reader, System Access To Go, lately. I had noticed some time ago that when I delete things from the computer, they don’t go into the recycle bin. Later on, I discovered that the deleted files are going into the bin, but when I look in there, SA To Go tells me the bin is empty, even though it’s not. On Saturday I emailed Serotek, the company that makes SA To Go, to ask them about that.
It looks like spring is finally on its way! Most of the snow is melted and the temperatures are gradually climbing into the forties and fifties. When we went to church on Sunday, I only wore a light jacket instead of my winter coat and it felt wonderful. Also, the geese and cranes are arriving by the hundreds. My hometown of Gibbon sits about 3 miles north of the Platte River, and our house here on the turkey ranch is about 5 miles south of the river. The area in between is a major stopping point for migrating geese and cranes. I think mostly they go for the river, but quite a few of them are landing in the harvested corn fields around here to pick up scraps of corn too.
We had a very thought provoking message at church this week. It was about following Christ as a nation. It was Pastor Tim this time, instead of Pastor Mike, but he does a nice job too. He talked a little bit about September 11, quoting from an interview that someone had with Billy Graham’s daughter, Ann. The interviewer asked her how God could let such a thing happen. Her response was that God is deeply grieved over it, but we have spent so many years now asking God to get out of our schools and out of our government, that God, being the gentleman that He is, has calmly backed off. That's a pretty scary thought, but it makes a lot of sense.
Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and the people he chose for his inheritance.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Journal - Odds and Ends
Well, I ordered some new speakers for the computer today. It’s gotten very difficult to make my headphones work, and I know it won’t be long before they don’t work at all. Naturally, I tried different pairs of headphones, but that’s not the problem, it’s the jack in the speaker. It really sucks to have to spend money on something like that, but I have to be able to use headphones at the computer. Without them, I won’t be able to hear well enough, and if I turn it up louder everyone will have to listen to it. I’ve been agonizing over this for the last five days, so I kind of feel better that the decision is made. They should get here early next week.
I also ordered Joni’s birthday present. I think she'll really like it, it's a…
Oops! I better not tell. Somebody who reads this might tell her what it is.
On Tuesday Joni and I ran into Gibbon to visit the doctor. We’re not sick, we just needed to give her that paperwork for BCBS. I’ve only been to this doctor a couple of times so there wasn’t much. She made copies for us, then we took it over to the post office and mailed it. So the ball is back in their court again. Can’t wait to see what they say next.
I’m looking forward to a good basketball game tonight. The Lady Huskers are playing Kansas. Kansas hasn’t had a very good year, but Nebraska played them earlier this year and, from what I’ve read, Kansas almost won. Also, it sounds like Kansas has to win this game to get into the NCAA tournament so they will be fighting hard. Nebraska is in the tournament no matter what so there’s no pressure. They still have their record to think of, though. Nebraska is two games away from a perfect season. I wonder if the basketball team has ever done that before?
Oh, one more thing. Today is my big sister’s anniversary! Happy Anniversary Bobbi and Mike! I know you guys have many more happy years ahead of you. Especially now that most of the kids are gone! Hahaha! Have a great day guys!
Colossians 3:14 over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
That’s it for today. See you next time!
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
I also ordered Joni’s birthday present. I think she'll really like it, it's a…
Oops! I better not tell. Somebody who reads this might tell her what it is.
On Tuesday Joni and I ran into Gibbon to visit the doctor. We’re not sick, we just needed to give her that paperwork for BCBS. I’ve only been to this doctor a couple of times so there wasn’t much. She made copies for us, then we took it over to the post office and mailed it. So the ball is back in their court again. Can’t wait to see what they say next.
I’m looking forward to a good basketball game tonight. The Lady Huskers are playing Kansas. Kansas hasn’t had a very good year, but Nebraska played them earlier this year and, from what I’ve read, Kansas almost won. Also, it sounds like Kansas has to win this game to get into the NCAA tournament so they will be fighting hard. Nebraska is in the tournament no matter what so there’s no pressure. They still have their record to think of, though. Nebraska is two games away from a perfect season. I wonder if the basketball team has ever done that before?
Oh, one more thing. Today is my big sister’s anniversary! Happy Anniversary Bobbi and Mike! I know you guys have many more happy years ahead of you. Especially now that most of the kids are gone! Hahaha! Have a great day guys!
Colossians 3:14 over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
That’s it for today. See you next time!
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
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