Have You Checked Your Messages Lately...

Like many others, we have an answering machine for our home telephone. I know, just the fact that we have a landline is sort of cool in an old fashion way. Anyway, just the other day, my answering machine told me I had only 2 minutes and 38 seconds left of recording time. Wow, I thought, what is taking up all the recording space?

Answering machines are wonderful devices that can be used for all sorts of things. Screening calls, actually taking messages when you are away from home, and my favorite use, as I have recently come to realize, saving messages from grandchildren, children, parents and other family members.

I listened to the most recent messages from dutiful office assistants reminding me of doctor appointments; a caller asking me to press “1” now and they will reduce my debt if it’s over $2,000; and a wonderful call from an old college schoolmate of my husband’s checking in for the first time in about 30 years.

Then there are the calls that make up more than half of the messages that have been left for us. Those are the culprits taking up all the recording space on my machine. These are my favorite calls. I have numerous calls from my grandchildren when they were much younger and had little bitty voices and left preciously cute messages. I have a call from my aunt who is now 86 and not in as good of health as she was when she left the message several years ago. One message is from my Uncle’s sister checking in and leaving a message with her wonderful little scratchy voice. I have a message from my mother that I love listening to, knowing that I won’t always have her voice with me. One from my father too, same thing, just the wonderful, reassuring sound of his voice that won’t be with me forever. I have a saved message from my daughter to my husband, her stepfather, which is just too cute and sassy. Each of my son’s has left either a Happy Birthday message or other message of love. Every one of these messages is there because I never want to lose the message nor the voice.

The realization that I am so short on recording space simply because I am saving these messages out of love and the pure enjoyment of re-listening to them, has made me wonder how many other people might be saving their loved one’s messages as well.

There are messages, and then there are voice messages. To me, voice messages mean the messages that touch my heart, bring tears to my eyes, and pull me back into the sweet and loving arms of my family.

Have you checked your voice messages lately?

Laura

Oh! So that's where those holes in the yard are coming from!!!

We have had two precious dogs die in the past two years.  Blue and Hershey. The most recent was Hershey, a 17+ year old Rat Terrier, she died in December of 2009.

So imagine our surprise when walking around the yard and finding mysterious holes that have obviously been dug in the lawn and dirt. No dogs back there.  SO - What, when, how, where could this be coming from?

No problem. We have so many creatures roaming in and out of our yard all the time, it could be any one of them. Owls, herons, possums, birds of all kinds, squirrels, cats, turtles, and who knows (I don't think I want to know) what else!


Here's what our squirrels do.  Either sit under one of the bird feeders and eat the fallen seed like this:

- OR - sometimes they will get into the hanging feeders like this:

Imagine my surprise when I looked out my bedroom window yesterday morning and saw this! Digging by Miss Squirrel! It's becoming very clear where the holes are from now!

Success! She found what she was looking for - probably all over the rest of the yard too.

Can't you just see her taking a little bite out of the acorn! SO cute, really. Yes - really.

Oops! Exit, stage left! I think I moved too close to the window and she's off with her precious find. Climbing high into the trees and fleeing the danger. However, I'm quite certain that she will be back today or tomorrow or next week to dig and look for more tender treats.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!


With love, Laura

Today is Tuesday

This morning I sat outside and watched the birds fly through the trees in our back yard. We lost so much this last winter to the snow and cold and that is very unusual for this part of Texas. This spring our plants are thinner with less places for the birds to hide if they feel threatened. Steve and I (mostly him) have worked in the yard getting it somewhat back to how we love it. We still need to replace some of the bushes lost in the freeze so our little feathered friends will have more places to hide.

I sat in a rocker that one of my sisters gave me, and thought about her and how sweet to share something she knew I would love so much. I rocked and watched the birds. The sprinkler was going, off to the left, and the Blue Jays were really enjoying bathing in and flying through the water in the air.

There was a parent Blue Jay with a toddler. The first toddler Blue Jay I've seen. All of the babies just quiver and shake and flutter their feathers. They cry for food, for mama, and for daddy all the time. You can hear them this time of year all through the trees.  There was a male cardinal, Red as we call him, feeding his baby. I just love to watch this process every year.

The humidity was down this morning and so it was wonderful outside - rocking, thinking, watching. We have feeders up in the backyard so that the birds and squirrels can feed. I know some folks don't like squirrels, but we do. Their little fuzzy tails are so cute and the way they use their "hands" to eat and dig is fun to watch. We have one baby squirrel this year that we are watching closely. It has been severely wounded in some way. We think it might have fallen and damaged a limb or two as well as it's motor coordination. It mostly flops around to move anywhere. It's painful to watch. We are keeping extra food and water around the yard to give the poor little thing some help. One of the special things about this little creature is that its mama stays very close by. I think that Mama is still helping it, even as it's gotten a little older. Mothers are so special.

As I was rocking, I started thinking about my blog and how I go in spurts to write and then stop for a while. Life just seems to get caught up in itself and rolls all over the place and then suddenly days and weeks have sped by and I haven't written a thing. I probably never really breathe during those times, I hold my breath until I'm done with the project, or work assignment, or whatever it is, then I finally take a little time and breathe. So today, I'm breathing and writing.

For me, life is most perfect when it is slow - filled with nature - peaceful - filled with love.



With love, Laura

Home Sweet Home

I"m home now from my nursing duties. I miss my parents so much, but I'm also happy to be home with Steve. Here's the link to my other blog - I share it with my siblings when they want to post.

http://standingstrongwithfaith.blogspot.com/

With love, Laura

See what I've been doing lately!

I've enclosed the link to my parents blog so that you can see what I've been doing this past month. It's been very busy, but Daddy is making wonderful progress in recovering from his open heart surgery.

http://standingstrongwithfaith.blogspot.com/

With love, Laura

Have a Heart

I'm enclosing a link to my parent's blog. I've included the latest update on my Dad's surgery this coming Monday, February 1st.

http://standingstrongwithfaith.blogspot.com/

Please say a little prayer for my mother and father.

love, Laura

My personal heroes . . .

My parents. Carol and Stan

I have felt their unconditional love all of my life. It has sustained me through more hard times than I can list.

Daddy is having heart surgery on Monday.  The last time he had heart surgery was February 4, 1993!  Dr. George Noon put in an artificial valve - a St. Jude's valve at St. Luke's hospital in Houston, Texas. It's still working well from what all the doctors are saying.

Mama, Daddy, Kenneth (my brother), and I were at MD Anderson all day yesterday - January 27th. Dr. Oliverira went into Daddy's heart yesterday with the cath and found 80% blockage in one major artery -- but then they found a surprise -- he has a large aortic aneurism in that main artery feeding his heart. It's just above his mechanical (St. Jude's) heart valve. So they did not put in any stints and he's now been referred to a cardiac surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital - Dr. Caselli. He sees Dr. Caselli tomorrow morning/day sometime between the doctor's surgeries and then will probably have the surgery on Monday.  We have been told that Caselli is one of the best in the world.

The doctors are looking at several options and may not know exactly what they do until they get in. They can replace the aneurism with a dacron graft, and do a stint on the blocked artery; they can replace the aneurism with a dacron graft, and do a bypass on the blocked artery; they can do the aneurism graft, and/or stint/bypass, and replace the 17 year old heart valve. So you can see that there are lots of possibilities. Part of this depends on the surgeon and how he feels Daddy can handle the surgery, how long daddy will be open, and other possible contingencies. Obviously the most optimum would be for the shortest time in surgery -- makes for the least trauma and a safer and easier recovery. They all have said that Daddy is in remarkably good condition for his age and so that helps with the surgery and recovery.

As far as we can tell from the other doctors that Daddy has seen recently -- because we have not heard this from the oncologist specifically -- Daddy's PET/CT scans are clear and not showing any evidence of the cancer at this time. So that is a good thing for sure. Continuing to beat Lung Cancer is Always a GOOD thing!!

One of the best traits that my parents have, among their many others, is their unbelievable ability to look at life in the most positive light possible. Included in this is their always looking forward to new adventures and challenges, not back at life's mistakes. Sure there might be some -- but they always look forward to a bright and positive future. 

That's one of the reasons they are my heroes - their example encourages me to look forward and not back at regrets - look forward to hope for a brighter future and more adventures to come!

Laura