This is the day the Lord has made. I plan to rejoice and be glad in it.

Presently I have missed Bible class due to nausea that i seem to be having a lot of lately. I do plan to go to church, so i may not be able to publish this until later in the day...or i may publish it with all of my usual misspellings and grammatical errors....we shall see.

Michael has come through with the first and most difficult of his surgeries--this one through the front of his neck. On Monday, April 6, Mathew's birthday, Michael will have hopefully his final surgery for this problem of his discs bulging into this spinal column and causing numbness in his hand and loss of muscle tone in his arm. The doctor feels Michael will be able to regain his muscle tone with exercise and hopefully be pain free for the first time since last summer. Please continue to pray for him.

I did not go up there because Michael said Carol Ann, the woman he plans to marry, has been with him the entire time. She, like Michael, is a doctor and she has been very diligent about him not walking without oxygen and about calming him when he is not aware of where he is and what is happening. She has called me about twenty times during this entire process to let me know every step of the way. she seems to be so very nice and she speaks so often of how much she loves Michael. I am proud of myself for not going up there, and thanks to Vicki, I decided to honor Michael's statement that he did not need me to come since Carol Ann was going to be with him throughout. Carol Ann told me she would not leave his side for 48 hours after the surgery and she would alert the medical staff if there were any indication that Michael was having breathing problems. Again, thanks Vicki for you wisdom. I love you.

Michael will have the second and hopefully last surgery on Monday at 1:30p.m. so once again your prayers are coveted. Remember this prayerI request is two fold" for his physical healing and even more inportantly, for his spiritual healing and his complete return to God. I do love him so and he has had such a tough time in life. I pray that Michael will repent and return to God so that Michael can experience life while walking in the light of the Lord and with our precious Father leading his every step. Carol Ann was raised southern Baptistt and now attends a non-denominational church in Mount Vernon, Inidanan. She said she is not preaching to Michael, but she has asked him to go to church with her and with her twin sons, Ryan and Logan, both 10 years old. He has told her he will not go and she has told me that she has told him that this decison needs to be his and not something he does for anyone but for himself. She tells him she believes God has been behind their meeting each other and that he can believe it is "some chance" occurrence, but she believe it could only have happened with a plan and she believes the plan was from God. She appears to be a delight.

BTW, i want to ask Andy and Jessica to ask them to come to the wedding, They may not come, but wouldnt it be great if they did?

Ramona is doing great and still working her night shift of 11P.M. to 7:30 a.m everyday except Friday and Saturday night. She is planning to take her teacher certification test in about a week so please pray for he in that regard. her desire is to get a job teaching junior high science and I hope she is successful in that regard. I feel she will be a great teacher and i know she loves science. Matthew continues to do well in school with mostly A's and some B's and he is getting excited about the finish line in his pursuit of an engineering degree which he should have by spring 2010. Karsen continues to be the delight of a grandmother's heart. We are buddies and spend each morning together getting ready for our day.

I actually have more to say, but i must stop now to get ready for church.

May our precious, almighty, loving God richly bless you, my dearest ones. jk

It is March 4th andIi am just now getting over all of the Valentine hooplah (Just kidding, but I felt an excuse was needed for my dirth of no postings)

I have just now gotten reconnected with my exercise program that I had been doing regularly prior to my trip to Indiana. I have also set up an appointment with a dietician and weight manager for Monday. I am pumped about this. I realize I am an individual who needs a support system to accomplish the difficult things in life. I believe God provides this help for me. I want to be all He has in mind for me to be and to accomplish all He desires for me to accomplish for Him on this earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord....Jehovah.

Today I went to Ladies Bible Class and again gained so much by our study that is directed by Casandra Martin. Please pray for Casandra and for her ministry at our church. I feel she is accomplishing so much. She has such a wonderful ministry and opportunity to minister to the ladies of our church who have grown up in the church. She is "light" or "yeast" to a great number of us ladies who have grown up in the church and already have a vast Bible knowledge base. Casandra is teaching us how to get the "meat" out of scripture, thus enabling our lives to be more like Christ. "Meat" is such a desired thing.

I continue to take care of Karsen each morning as Ramona sleeps after working from her 11p.m. unitl 7:30a.m shift at work. I enjoy taking care of Karsen so very much. We are now friends as we get ready for each day, feed the fish and eat breakfast and play together . We then eat lunch and then his mother takes over around 1 p.m. She is being appreciated at her job and is being used to teach her co workers on different machines in the lab. She even has co-workers who come to her to have her explain and teach them how to use machines more expertly. She is reveling in this job. She continues her training to prepare he to take the teacher exam and thus enable her to apply for a teachcing position for this next school year. Her desire is to be approved to teach science and or math to junior high children. I am confident she will be a grand teacher.

Matthew continues to go to school with plans to enroll as a full -time student attending the University of Houston for the fall semester 2009. This past fall semester, he was once again on the President's list as a student taking at least 12 hours with a grade point average of 3.5. He is , obviously, doing well. His plan is to graduate and be an engineer and Ramona's plan is to be a teacher. I am wishing them the very best as they pursue their goals and dreams.

I am enjoying my life at this time and am looking forward to my accomlishment of my goal of having a healthy body and being able to participate more completely in life.

My nieces all seem to be in good places at this time and I am happy for them. My nephews are dong well also. I love the role I play in their lives. My sisters are also doing well and I love them more with the passing of each day.

May God richly bless you my loved ones. jk

Happy Valentine's Day.

This morning I met my three long-time friends, Ginger, Bobbie, and Pamela for breakfast at Denney's. As usual, we had a better-than-enjoyable time together. Our plan is to meet the second Saturday of each month, and for the most part, we do meet each second Saturday. I have taught with them at some point in my life. I was Bobbie's Assistant principal at Ault and Pamela's and Ginger's principal at Lowery and we are very good friends and each others big fans. Such a good time with them. I do love their friendship and the time we dedicate to being with each other.

Then whileI was eating with them I received a call from Matthew inviting me to go out to eat breakfast with him, Ramona, and Karsen. I met them at IHOP for a cup of coffee while they ate their Valentine breakfast. It was Karsen's first time in a IHOP and I got to sit by him and we had a good time.

When I got home, Karsen had bought me some sugar-free Valentine candy and he gave it to me. It was so unexpected and I was thrilled for him to give it to me. BTW, sugar-free is "good eatin", and the way to go for a diabetic...of anyone else for that matter.

Now I am going to attempt to finalize getting my taxes together. I have been working on this since the end of January and I haven't made any progress for the past two weeks. Hopefully, today is the day I will continue to work continually until I have completed the task.

Some friends from church invited me to go out with them last night for dinner at Carrabba's and then to go to their house for dessert and games. I did not go. I intended to go but developed head-ache and called and declined at the last minute. There were going to be nine of us, so I didnt feel that I had ruined the get together. I appreciate them so much for inviting me, but I continue to feel sort of like a lone wolf sometimes. I must get over thinking it is all about me and learn to try to attend events for the benefit of others. Oh well. I will see them tomorrow at church and possibly we can go out tomorrow for lunch.

Life is good.

May God richly bless you, my dear ones. jk

This is the day that the Lord has made and I have been rejoicing in it.

Man, I do enjoy taking care of my grandson, Karsen. My usual duty is from the time his mother returns from her night shift at Polaris' Lab and brings the sleeping baby down to my room until he is ready for his afternoon nap. this time is so precious to me He will lie beside me in my bed for about an hour until he is ready to get up. We get up together and i go get ready for the day. Today, i got him a cup of milk and then we both went into my bathroom for me to get ready. He gets his "bathroom toys"out of the green bag and begins to play with the toys inside while i get ready.

After I am ready with my hair/ face done and am showered and dressed, we go and make my bed. Karsen helps me by opening the shutters on my window while I make the bed and arrange the pillows and turn on the lamps. Then we head outside to feed Helen, Oscar, Robert and Vern. Next we went inside for breakfast.

Yesterday, for the first time, he put his little hands together for the prayer before we ate. This morning he did it again, and he didnt pull his hands apart, but patiently remained for the duration of the prayer. This is the first day he used his little plastic fork to feed himeself. We had scrambled eggs with cheese, he ate all of his and since there were no more eggs and he was still wanting to eat, I cut up a banana into little fork bites nd he fed himself all but an inch of that banana. This was a grand day of accomplishments for that precous little boy. He was proud of himself, I could tell. Great times.

This morning after breakfast, I got the dishes ready to put in the washer and put out a load of wash. He went into the laundry room with me as I placed the wash in the washer. Then we went into the family room and turned on the lamps and placed him in his playpen where he played.

After a little less than the hour I wanted him to stay in the playpen, it was time for us to read the new books I purchased for him that aired yesterday. He went over to the couch, where we sat yesterday and he patted the cushion for me to sit on it and he sat beside me as we read the books three time each. They are picture books and it was fun. Then he played a bit more with his puzzles and then it was time for lunch.

We went into the kitchen and he was ready for the prayer again and he ate applesauce and one bite of his macaronni dish. then we played a bit more in the family room and Matthew came to get him for the balance of his day to be pent with his mother and his daddy too.
Although his mother definitely takes over the bulk of the "Karsen job".

Now I am catching up on my e-mail and mail and going to go to Walgreens for a few things. I enjoy my activity with Karsen so much. I also purchase a CD of little childrens church songs: Jesus Loves me, Jesus Loves the little Children, Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain, Deep and Wide, This Little Light of Mine, etc. This is the second day we have listened to it while we are in the family room. I am experiencing such joy.

I have decided to attend my high school reunion in Fort Worth this first week end in May. I am always sort of nervous about this, but I have Vicki and that always gives me courage even though I will act like I have a lot of courage anyway....my close friends know I feel I am nothing without Vicki and always have felt this way.

Yesterday's Ladies Bible Class was so up lifting and our study directs my vision to look for God in everything of beauty I see and in the good things I see others do throughout the day. My teacher, Cassandra Martin, is such a blessing to me and to all of the ladies in our class.

My postings are so infrequent because of the new work load I have undertaken that is taking up a large part of every day. Life is good and God is so faithful.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Yesterday was Ramona's first day at work and my first day to take care of Karsen --with Matthew--, but mostly me. Ramona has to be at work at 7a.m. so she brought sleeping Karsen downstairs to my bedroom at around 6:20a.m. She put him in bed with me, where we stayed until 7:30a.m. when we arose for the day. He is so sweet.

Then we went into Grammy's getting-ready-for- the-day groove which begins in my bathroom. Next, I say, "Let's make up Grammy's bed" and he rushes over to the bed and I make my bed. He usually looks out the window whileI put the finishing touches on my bed. Then I say, "Let's go feed the fish." at which point Karsen dashes to the door to the patio. As he fast-toddles, it is so cute, because he slants his head in the direction of the left turn to the door. It is sort of like when one is riding a bike and making a turn--"leaning into a curve"

I open the door to the patio and we go out and feed the fish. He is thrilled with this. Sometimes we stay out there for a while, but yesterday morning, he desired to" go get breakfast", so we did. I put in those quotation marks because this is what I ask him. Once, more he is fast-toddling to the door to return to the kitchen. Again, as he comes to the open area of the kitchen, he leans into a right curve as he enters the kitchen.

I prepared him oatmeal and milk, while I drank my protein drink. He continues to pull his hands from mine as we say the prayer before eating, but I believe, I can detect a bit less "tug" on his part, at the "Amen section" of the prayer. When he signals that he is through eating (He uses the sign language signal for "finished") , I get him out of the high chair. Sometimes I let him play while I clean up, as I have stated in prior posts, bit his time I said, "Lets go play with toys", and he fast-toddled to the family room.

I go around and turn on the lamps in the room as Karsen walks with me while I do this. Then I put in the Kidz Praise songs and he plays in his playpen. While Karsen is in his playpen, I begin to dust the furniture. It looks so pretty when it is shiny and freshly dusted. I also emptied trash cans and dust-mopped the foryer. At some point, I realize that Karsen needed a nap and I rocked him to sleep in the rocker. He napped for about an hour, while I watched "The View" on tv. When Karsen awoke, Matthew was interacting with us and playing with Karsen. I left to go to the bank and deposit some checks and go by Walgreens to pick up a prescription.

When I returned, it was time to fix Karsen's lunch. While Matthew was with Karsen, I fixed Karsen's Hamburger-Helper lunch and placed it in two dishes for it to cool. Matthew was preparing to feed Karsen. When I came in the kitchen, Matthew was feeding Karsen, and Matthew informed me that Karsen had grabbed the bowl on the counter and splattered one of the dishes of his lunch on the floor. I continued feeding Karsen while Matthew cleaned up the floor.

After lunch, Karsen returned to the family room and we played puzzles. He is very good at puzzles. He likes to dump three puzzles on the floor and then mix up the pieces and then put the pieces where they go. He is so good at puzzles. After about thirty minutes, I could tell he was ready for a nap and both of us went to bed for a nap.

He slept for a little under two hours. BTW, I changed three diapers, two wet and one of them dirty prior to his nap. Then he had another dirty diaper and I changed it. Matthew brought down clothes because I had never changed Karsen out of his p.j.s. Matthew dressed Karsen. Karsen played around a bit in the family room and his mother came home. It was about 4. They were both very happy to see each other.

Today Ramona is going to be gone all day because she has her teacher-training-class this evening and she decided that it would be easier if she just went there straight from work instead of returning home and then having to leave in 30 minutes to go to class. Matthew is in school today in the morning until about1 and then again in the afternoon until about 9p.m. so it will be just Karsen and I for the entire day. I will be fixing his breakfast, lunch, and dinner and putting him to bed. Matt and Ramona, both, will return home around 9 or 10 or later, I am not sure.

I am thriving with taking care of Karsen. Isnt this somethng? I went to Newburgh and was rejuvinated by taking care of my three Indiana grandsons, and now I am revived by taking care of Karsen. I am really enjoying it and it gives me something to look forward to every day and some goal to accomplish before the day is done.

Next week, Ramona begins her 11p.m. to 7:30 a.m. shift and I will only take care of Karsen in the mornings. Ramona is going to try to get her sleep in the mornings and she will take over Karsen's care when she arises for the day. I will continue to go to Ladies Bible class on Wednesdays, but our proposed routine is for me to take care of Karsen every morning.

Life is good.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Today is Mother's birthday. I am so happy for her as she is in Heaven with her Father God as I write. She was not a perfect woman, however, one didnt have to be around her for long to know she loved her Lord.

She continually honored our father, Frank M. Cardwell, and she taught us to honor him. (Our daddy was a jewel of a man, husband and father.)

Mother began her love of the scripture when she was selling houses at a new construction site, and sales were slow. Vicki and I were in college and, as she tells it, she made just enough sales each month to pay for our college bill. We attended Abilene Christian College, a costly private college. I remember when Vicki and I left to go to college, our family did not have the money to pay for us to go. Mother said she believed God intended for us to go and we were to prepare to go and drive out there and she knew God would provide the necessary monies for us to go. She said we would go out to Abilene and if we didnt have the money, then we would turn around and return home. She believed that God would provide. This was the first strong demonstration of faith lesson I remember, and what a demonstration of faith it was. We both graduated from ACC in 1968. Our baby sister, Suzy, graduated in 1970, I think. So obviously God did provide.

Mother taught us to seek the Lord and to turn to Him in every situation and to always thank Him for all of the good things in our life. I remember anytime I had a concern about anything that I shared with her, she always turned me to the Lord. I remember her telling me that Jesus was my friend who sticks closer than a brother.

She was heartbroken for me when tragedies struck in my life as a wife and mother. She loved me fully, I know without a doubt. I am so thankful that I had her for a mother. She provided a home for us that was a loving home where we all enjoyed each other. She had such a hard childhood. She didnt feel loved as a child. She was not a perfect person and she would be the first to tell you that. I remember telling her, when I was a child, that I wanted to be like her when I grew up. She immediately told me that I must not desire to be like her for she was flawed and would disappoint me. She told me if I wanted to be like anyone, it should be Jesus because He is perfect and He would never disappoint.

I thank God for the family in which I was reared. I love and miss my mother and I thank God that He allowed her to live on this earth for 88 years. Happy birthday, Mother.

This is the day that begins my renewed efforts to gain a healthy body. It is now 2:31 p.m. and I have been able to handle the temptation to eat something that is not healthy. I know you probably think, "Very little time has passed in this day and what in the world could be your problem that you are fighting temptation so early in the day when you know you must lose weight to live?" Just know that I have a major problem and I have to fight it hard. I am feeling that I will be successful. I must be successful. It may turn out to be the hardest thing I have gone through in my life. Can you believe that?

Yesterday evening I attended a support group meeting for people with weight issues. After the meeting, I met with Erika, the weight coordinator for my doctor. She said that she will work with me to get me back on track to gain and maintain a healthy body. Erika also said she would get in touch with me today to set up a meeting with the dietitian and set up for me to return to the physical therapy place to resume my exercise routine. So far she has not called me, but I am doing what I can do right now. I know what I will eat for dinner and I am looking forward to seeing results that should make my mobility improve.

In a bit, I plan to get my income tax info ready for my tax man. I hope I can find all of what I
need. By that I mean the papers to show my benevolence and copies of things I can deduct. I am sort of excited about doing this.

I wonder what the senate is going to do with the bailout bill that is going to go before the president to help our economy. Is it going to really help? I am praying for them and for President Obama.

I am watching Fox News while I am typing this and I am getting so distracted with concern about who will head up the RNC, if Blogjovich is going to get his pension, and what is going on with the bail outs and the bonuses and what in the world our government is going to do with the Democratic Pelosi and the others? I need to end this post.

I hope you have a fruitful day and a delightful evening at home.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Nothing much is going on here. I continue to have great difficulty getting around. I must have a cane, and probably should be using the walker. If I were in Newburgh, I am confident that I would be using the walker, but as I have told you, my pride might prevent me from using a walker in Houston and it has and I dont use it. I just keep my "goings" to Walgreens every once in a great while, and to the "nail" place every two weeks and to Ladies' Bible class.

Boy, that Ladies' Bible class is wonderful . Casandra Martin is a member of our congregation and she has taken the responsibility to teach this class. I was too late last week and the door was locked, but I was two minutes early for class this past Wednesday. This class is such a blessing to me. I know it is also a blessing to every lady that is in attendance. The class participants are all ages and various races but, we are all one in Christ Jesus. Our study this spring is "Through the Eyes of Jesus". God is everywhere, and we are encouraged to look for Him in our daily walk as we go in and come out. We work to notice Him in His creation and in the actions of people as we view them interacting. For the Bible says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. Also, John 13:34,35 says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So I am actively looking to see God's hand in this life I live, and to demonstrate His love to those whom I encounter. What a glorious day this is.

This morning I watched Karsen, as I have requested to do many mornings. While I am with Karsen, his mother, Ramona, uses the time to do whatever she determines she needs to accomplish. Karsen stays with me while I am getting ready for the day. He plays with some "toys", actually little plastic bottles and other useless items which I meted out to him as I was clearing out some of my drawers in the bathroom cabinets. These "toys" are kept in a large green purse and Karsen only plays with them while I am getting myself together in the mornings. He plays quietly with occasional interaction with me. Regularly, he wants me to open something for him and he regularly smiles at me with a desire, I feel, for me to reciprocate, and I do. What fun times we are having.

Then we both go out to feed the fish. When I am through getting myself together, I tell him "It's time to put up the toys." and he puts them in the green purse. Then I say, "It's time to go feed the fish." He then "runs" out of the room to the door to the outside and we both go out to give Helen, Robert, Oscar and Vern their food for the day. If the weather is nice we will say outside on the glider for a bit. Lately it is too cold for that so I say, "Let's go get breakfast" and he dashes to the door and we enter to the kitchen.

Then he plays around in the kitchen and possibly in the pantry as I prepare our breakfast. This morning we had egg beaters with cheese (cheesy eggs) and he also always has milk. I put him in the high chair and we say a blessing prior to eating. I take his hands and put them in the "prayer pose" while I thank God for our food. I must admit that I am holding his hands a bit tightly at the end of the short prayer for he is really ready to eat. Then I release his little hands and we begin our meal. It is such an enjoyable time and I enjoy so much his anticipation of each step of our morning. I look forward to the day he does not try to pull his hands apart before our prayer is over.

When breakfast is over, I either take him into the family room and put him in his playpen, or I clean up the kitchen while he plays around. Actually we always go into the family room, but one time we really did remain in the kitchen while I cleaned up and he played around. My back and knee wont handle this anymore so we regularly go into the family room and his playpen.

Ramona got the job. She will begin her paid training this coming Monday from 7 to 4. Her job is as a lab tech for a company named POLARIS. The week after her training, she will begin her regular shift which will be 11p.m. to 7:30a.m. They have told her that she may have to work overtime some mornings if they have not reached their quota of lab tests that they have contracted to complete. This will be hard on her, but is really best for someone with a child. She will put Karsen to bed each night and she will be home to get him up in the morning if I have not already done so. Then she will determine when her "night" will occur and Matthew and I will take care of Karsen while she rests. I am so happy for her to have a job, because she has worked so hard to get a job and applied for so many jobs. She realizes that she is under-employed for someone with a degree--her new "boss" told her the same thing. He said that this was all they could offer her at this time. This company is 5 years old and they do lab work for other business all over the nation. This is the Houstyon branch and I believe they have a location in Indiana, one in the western U.S. and one is possibly located in Canada. They provide her a lab coat and allow her to wear jeans and tennis shoes on the job. The head guy from Indiana found her resume on some internet location and called her and asked her to go to the Houston location for an interview. He then called her today to tell her she has the job. The Houston interview-man had told her she would know something by Friday and she knows today. She is so excited. It will be March before her benefits kick in and I dont really understand that unless they need her to show she is serious about working for them. Anyway, that is how it is. Another great thing is that this job is 7 miles from our home. she doesnt even hae to get on thefreeway. God is do good to His children. Please pray for her and for this company while she is working for them. Thank you.

I have resumed my evening tv watching-- of Fox news-- and am enjoying it. Bill O'Reilly is my favorite because I feel when I look passed his brashness, I get to hear what I really feel is unbiased reporting. He has liberals and conservatives on there too. Of course, he takes the helm in every conversation and if he has a side, he allows himself to over-talk his guests. Sometimes his guests are prepared for this "over-talking" and they "over-talk" him to the best of their ability. I continue to pray for our country and for our president. The economy woes have touched me. I must remember that this world is not my home, and that God is truly the only one who reigns. Then I need to be a good steward of the monies He has entrusted to me. We can pray for each other.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Well, today has come and almost gone, but some good things occurred today. First I spoke with Vicki, and she always has =words of wisdom for me and sometimes her words really sink in. I have hope after speaking with her. God has blessed me with such a faithful, intelligent and wise sister.

Then I received an invitation to attend a support group session regardng the importance of exercise for the over-weight or even regular person. The meeting is next Thursday at 7p.m. and I have sent in my RSVP. Next I received an e-mail message from my old support lady, Erika, who told me that she is looking forward to seeing me and "getting me back on track" to where I need to be. That is such a gift of words form e. I know that Erika means business---Vicki has met her---and Erika is a determined lady and she hepled me so much before. She is the one who got me in touch with the rehab exercise place. I trust that I will be back in the groove beginning next Thursday.

I am really excited about this. I know you may be thinking ,"Why dont you just do it yourself?"-whatever "it" may be. I am telling you I have issues and self-control is not one of my strengths, but I do trust I can get a handle on self-control and I am looking forward to being a healthy person. I am really relly excited about this.

I fed the fish this morning but they had not eaten the food I left for them last inght. Hopefully by puttng mre food in the pond will not kill them. I was a bit late feeding them yesterday ,but I was on tmie this morning.

Flash is continuing to not remember that he is "trained" to use the bathroom outside instead on on my tile and bath mat. Alas. Matthew always cleans it up, but it ticks me a bit. I do love Flash, sort of, but I have banned him frmo my bedroom and I think he is trying tp puniush me. Oh well. Dont give me a dog.

I am intently watching the actions of our new president and hoping that he seeks the will of God in his decisions. I am a bit concerned about some of the ones he has implemented already. Prayer is so important always, but especially when our president is not proclaiming alliegence to our Lord God in Heavenn.

I am watching Fox news so I am observing those who have their eye on everyone who is in charge. I have no opinion on Caroline Kennedy, in case you plan on calling me and asking my opinion regarding that matter later on today.

I am really trying to watch what I am putting in my mouth. I ma experiencing the feeling of being uncomfortably full----not excrutiatingly full, but uncomfortably full. I have honestly lately been eating things like McFlurrys from Mc Donalds which is ice cream blizzard-type drink. I drink this to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling and it does get rid of it. The only thing is that this in definitely not what I need to be doing. Now that I have admitted it, hopefully I will not do it again.


I continue to have difficulty getting around. I will call my friend to let her know that I will be unable ot meet her for lunch tomorrow. Hopefully the weeks to come will be better for me in the "walking department", and i wll feel more like going out. I am excited about the exercise part of this "getting back on track", even though i really never learned to like the exercise. It is just that there are therapists working with me when I am exercisizing at the rahab place and and they are ery matte- of-fact with me and they dont brag on me all the time like they do in regular esercise places. I need people to be straight forward with me.

I will close now so I can correct the spelling and post this.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

I am not attending church today. my back is really hurting me and I think it is because I have been bending over to pick up Karsen instead of sitting down and then standing up with him in my arms. I am feeling guilty about this, but I have decided to remain off my feet for the day.

Yesterday was an enjoyable day. I fed the fish and the day began. I took care of Karsen in the morning and later in the day he and I lay down for a nap in the afternoon. I watched him while Matthew and Ramona went to purchase bedding plants for my flower beds. Matthew pruned my rose bushes and weeded my beds and Ramona helped him with some of it. Then they went and got the bedding pants. It is going to be so pretty. If i can figure out how to take and post a picture, i will. I love a pretty yard.

I need to pay some bills too, with the smidgen of money I hvae in the bank. Oh well, at least I have some money and I have the hope of payday on the 1st. Life is good.

Right now I am sitting in my bedroom (my bed is made and is so pretty),listening to Christian music on the radio. I have had my egg beaters for breakfast and i am writing this. I hope you have a grand day and that you enjoy your fellowship with the saints where yuo wordship. I may post again if i get an opportunity.

love to you all. jk

I find myself posting later and later in the day. At least this post is not done in the wee hours of the morning.

This morning, I took care of Karsen while his mother got ready for and attended her interview with the temp agency for the lab tech job. While Ramona was filling out papers for the temp agency, her phone rang, but she did not answer it at that time. When she left her interview, she found out that the call was from the city of Jersey Village wanting her to turn in an application for a job with their city. So she came home, and while Karsen was taking his nap, she went to Jersey Village to turn in her paper work for the job. Hopefully, one of these will result in a job for her. She still is planning to get a teaching job for the fall if that works out. She looked very nice when she left for the interview. She looked like a "grown up". She is usually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and this was a glamorous change for her.


I took over Karsen's care at 7 a.m. and returned his care to his mother when she returned at noon. Karsen and I enjoyed our morning together. I fixed us scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. I fixed egg-beaters. I added cheese to the eggs and we both enjoyed it. This was the first time he had eaten eggs and he really went for them. We then went outside to fed the fish. Next, I played with him for a bit and then he played with his toys in his playpen. He took a 30 minute nap around 11 and he took a two hour nap from 1 to 3. These are very enjoyable times for me and he seems to enjoy our time also.

Tonight I babysat for Karsen again while his mother and daddy went out to eat. Karsen cried for a few minutes when they left, but then he played in his playpen quite contentedly while I watched Bill O'Reilly on TV. Then I put Karsen to bed at 8:15. When it is time for him to go to bed, I just say, "Karsen, it is time to go to sleep", and he just lays his head down and goes to sleep. He is really such an easy baby to take care of . I honestly enjoy it so much. I feel very fortunate to have him at my house. This way I have someone to see and spend time with every day and I cannot, and do not hibernate. Karsen is my little friend. Life is good.

I dont have any plans for tomorrow, but I will let you know what occurs, if anything at some point tomorrow.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

I have done very little today. I have done some cleaning of my bathroom and my closet.......very little, but I have the time to take lots of time to get things done bit by bit. I am enjoying my days. I have done a bit of Bible study and hopefully will do a bit more before the day is done for me.

Ramna is going for an interview at a temp agency tomorrow morning at 9a.m.. I will take care of Karsen while she is gone. Matthew will be here, but I am going to be the one in charge of Karsen. I am confident I will enjoy it.

This mornig I took care of Karsen when he first work up--I had told Ramona last night that I would take care of him for her this morning so she could get a bit more rest and/or time to do whatever she wanted to do. Karsen is so sweet in the morning--actual he is sweet all the time--but in the morning he will let me hold him and he just rests in my arms until about 9. Then he gets down. I fixed his breakfast of oatmenal and milk. I enjoyed the time with him. Then I put him in his playpen while I did a little rearranging of the items on the shelves in the family room.

I am just now realizing that i am taking care of granchildren again. Taking care of my own children was my most favorite time in my life . What a blessing that i get to do it again. It is nice for Karsen to be in my house so i dont have to go anywhere to get him. I can also do somethings around here while i am taking care of him. I played a CD of Kids Praise Songs while he was playing this morning. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am going to bed early so I will be up and ready for the day when he awakens tomorow morning.

I hope Ramona gets the job. If she does, i will be Karsen's babysitter when Matthew is at school. Ramona's school teaching clases begin this Saturday, I think. She told me but i am not sure what she said because i was looking at her instead of listening to remember. She has a school class next Tuesday night and classes on Saturday for several hours. If she gets this job, she will probably not substitute. One of the days of classes is for subbing and the other is for getting her certification to teach. Either the Tuesday classes or the Saturday classes. Anyway I hope she gets this job. She has been working on getting a job since the new year began and i feel she is a bit surprised and a bit frustrated at the lack of ease in getting a job. She went shoppping yesterday to get an outfit to wear for interviewing. She got a good-looking navy pant suit and a white bouse and a tourquiose blouse to wear. She plans to wear pearl earrings and a pearl necklcse. She will look great , i know.

Well, i pan to do a bit of Bible study and then hit the hay. Hope you are having, rather that you had, a great day today. My Ladies Bible class is studying the topic of seeing through the eyes of Jesus. We are to read the 139 Psalm verses 1 though 18 every day for a week and meet back together next Wednesday. Remember that I also purchased a chronological study Bible and I am reading a bit of this too. Life is good and I am so glad that my eyes are able to read and that I have a Bible to read.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Yesterday I arose and immediately began to get ready for Ladies' Bible class. As I was walking out the door, Ramona, said, "I thought your Bible class was on Wednesday." My mercy, I had been so excited about the return of LBC attendance, and anticipating being able to go to Wednesday night class at church, that I failed to realize that Wednesday had not yet occurred, and the day I was "in" is called "Tuesday". Oh well. I plan to get ready in a few minutes and go today.

Yesterday I did get my nails done for the first time since I had had them done in Newburgh, Indaina, on December 19, 2008. They looked really bad and now they look really nice. I did not go to my old place. This place is much less costly. My old place was too pricy. I realized that when I went to the nail place in Newburgh. Thank goodness for lessons learned in Newburgh.

BTW: the Joe B., who commented on my posting, is my Newburgh, Indiana, Sunday school teacher, Joe Bradford. He is the husband/father in the family who took care of my grandsons at the last minute on Christmas eve. He has a blog called the Unchurch, which is very thought-provoking and by "provoking", I do mean "provoking". (Joe's got the gift of being a provoker of thought.) Very stimulating. You might want to take a peak and make a comment. Ronnie, are you listening?

The Bible class tonight at church is taught my favorite Champions' teacher, Bill Rascoe. It is on the Song of Solomon. Our church is having classes on the topic of "Lessons from Soloman" both Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. I am anxious to sit at Bill's feet and see what he has to teach us. When I was listening to the Bible-on-CD while on my journeys to and from Newburgh, I regularly talked to my smartest friend in the world, Ronnie Wiggins, who helped me with questions that arose while I was listening to the CD. Ronnie, I will prabably be talking with you about this study too. Bill is a great teacher and is very wise for a young man of thirty something. He is our Involvement Minister and I truly believe he is the catalyst of growth that our church is experiencing. People are placing membership regularly. I just realized that I have been gone since June, 2008, and have only been to one service, but a young family and two other people placed membership last Sunday and the auditorium is full. The minister, Larry Keele, is a good man of the word. I am a blessed woman and Joe Bradford held the spiritual baton for these Christian teachers who bless my life here in Houston. (and in Maypearl)

Ramona is looking for a job. Please pray for her. I think she is frustrated at the difficulty she is having. She is a dear young lady and she has steadfastly worked so hard to get her degree. I am proud of her and wish for her to be able to accomplish the things she desires to accomplish, and more importantly, the things God has in mind for her to accomplish.

It is time for me to stop posting and get ready for the real day of ladies' bible class. I will post more later.

I am noticing that I seem to be sort of jubilant about the day's events.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Church was wonderful.

It is amazing how fellowship with fellow believers is so uplifting. I didnt make it to class, but I was early to the sermon time. I sat in my usual seat down front, but my friend, Jackie Thomas was not there. I will call her tomorrow to find out where she was. I saw many of my friends and it was like a homecoming to me. I do not know what was going through their minds as our eyes met, but I know I was thrilled to see them; to be able to put my arms around them and say how good it was to be home again. Some people, whom I only sort of "knew", were so nice and friendly and came to welcome me home. They asked about Michael. The church has Michael on its prayer list and they have been praying for him as I would let them know about the health issues as he was going through them. The church has been so faithful in their prayers and keeping up on Michael's condition, and mine, for the entire time I was away. I love my minister. He is not out-going at all, but a solid man of God. I enjoy getting the "meat" out of his sermons. He did not preach today--there was a presentation by three of the deacons regarding our planned "each one reach one" which is the theme of this year's evangelical efforts. Pray for this for our church. The leadership is really intent on motivating us all to carry the gospel to our neighborhood and they have a plan that we all could participate in and feel we have done something. I hope I choose to have a role in this effort this year. Anyway, when the "sermon" was over, the minister stepped up to the front while we sang the invitation song. Our eyes met and I know he knew I was glad to be back in my place. I spoke to him as I left and thanked him for his prayer he prayed for me when he answered the phone at church once when I called with a disaster--Michael's blood clot-- He is a dear man. His wife was one of the first to greet me this morning. They are Larry and Jan Keele. When my freind, Bill Rascoe, was making the announcements before the sermon, he said "Jan Kelley is here" . I could tell Bill was surprised to see me sitting in the pew. I am so proud of my self for not standing up and saying a few words. I actually relized that I was not the true focus of our assembly, and I actually sat silently in my pew. One of my friends clapped two or three times when Bill announced my presence and my return. I am telling you all that this is a wonderful group of believers and they really do care about one another and about our Lord.

The praise service at Champions is not that same as in Newburgh, but I was fortunate to be able to participate in that praise while I was in Newburgh. The singing part of the service this morning was a bit slow, but this was a different type of service this morning I was so glad to be there. God is so wonderful and His idea of the church is "genius". I dont mean to downplay our Lord's plan by giving it a "human compliment", for I know it is so much more than "genius". I am thrilled with the idea that the "church" is available wherever one goes. People, filled with love for our Savior and our God, embracing the new person in their midst and readily inviting the new one to particpate in mutual worship of our Lord. The visitor, speaking for myself, feels the arms of God wrapped around them even when they are a long way from home. This is beautiful and genius.

I look forward to attending Ladies Bible Class on Wednesday morning.

I plan to call two different church ladies and see if we can meet sometime this week for a cup of tea and some talk: Marcia Beasley Chitwood and my friend, Janet Phelps. I hope I do make these calls and I also hope I call another woman whom I met in the foyur while I was waiting for church to start. I think she is someone who has widsom that I could tap. Life is so good and I am so glad that I am able to participate in it. Fellowship with fellow believers is such a gift and such a boost for living this life.

Ramona and Karsen might go with me next week. I hope they do This church dresses up for Sunday service as most do. In Newbrugh, everyone wore whatever they wanted. A few of the older people dressed up but most wore very casual clothes. In the hot weather there were a lot of shorts on the men and flip flops. At Champions everyone has on a suit. It would be easier to ask people to come to church if their dress was not an issue, but in most places, "dressing for church" is expected and thus, an issue. Ramona had already told me she did not have any dressy clothes to wear to church and I told her she didnt need to worry about that. I told her she could wear her pants and a tup and that would be fine. And it would be fine. She looks nice and pants are worn by women. Wouldnt it be great, if clothes really didnt matter to any of the people who attended, but I am not living in that time of life I guess.

I took a long nap today and nowI am reflecting on the wonderfulness of this day. I am unable to express how very glad I am that I went to church this morning. Taking the Lord's supper with my friends and praying to God in the presence of my Champions' friends. Really wonderful.

I hope you are enjoying this day that our Lord has made today with those whom you call dear.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

I am up and getting ready for church. Vicki, I do think the difficulty with my back and hips could have been the 5 hours of sitting at Denney's . Ramona and Karsen were going to go to church with me, but i didnt know for sure if i would feel like going this morning, so they are not going with me. Hopefully i will get back in the groove of regularly gathering with the saints of Champions and she and Karsen will go with me. Pray about that. love you all. jk



will post more later,

Well I met my "2nd Saturday Friends" today for breakfast at Denney's . It was great to see them again for the first time since I left for Newburgh in June. We talked for 5 hours and the wait staff left us alone. It is so great to have freinds when you all care about each other so much. We are all ladies living alone because we were cast aside for other women and we have been through a lot, but we have not only survived, but we are thriving. Two are teachers, one is retired principal (me) and the other is an elementary school librarian. We are good women and do enjoy life and each other. Life is good. We have been through so much with each other. I have known Bobbie for 15 years, and Pamela & Ginger for 12. Lots has happened in our lives in these past years. We have shared it all and been there for each other when each of us thought the worst had happened and we would never exoerience joy or dignity again. We are all content where we are at this time in our lives. God is so good.

Next I went to Lifeway Christian Book store and purchased a chronological study Bible NIV. Sinde hearing the entire Old Testament, I have a strong desire to read it for myself. Hopefully, this desire will result in my reading it.

My nails continue to look ratty. My last manicure was on December 19, and I have needed one since two weeks ago. I am calling this manicure the "corn field" manicure, since I got it in the nation's heartland of farms.

I continue to have such a difficulttime getting around and I do not think I will be able to go to church tomorrow. I am walking with a cane and really should be using a walker. AfterI entered the book store, I had to lean up against the counter before I could walk to view at the books. Then when I got in the car to leave, I was unable to go to Walgreens because my back and hip were hurting me so badly. I am just so big.

Other than that, all is well and I am enjoying being home so very much. I am cleaning out my medicine cabinet in my bathroom, as I mentioned earlier. It is exciting to be orgnizing my home for the first time since I moved in during January, 2001. I really have been a person for so long thatIi have not had the energy to do any cleaning out of just "stuff" that was moved in boxes from the house in Fairfield to this huose And now I am pumped to be organizing and cleaning. It will take some time, I know, but I have lots of time. I am really looking forward to the order that will come.

Hopefully you are all having a great day.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

This has been a good day, I met my friend, Kathryn, at La Madeliene's at 11 today for lunch. We visited and visited and stayed until 1. I remebered why Kathryn is so dear to me. We enjoyed each minute sharing and catching up. We made plans to meet next Friday at 11 at La Madeliene's for lunch again. This may become our time together to catch up. We are both great fans of each other and we are good for each other. She is the kind of friend that allows the isit to end and you dont fee guilty leaving. This makes one want to get back together again soon. Great times.

I returned home in time to sit with the fish for a few minutes., They are not too responsive to me, but I feel they are not intolerant of me. That may be as good as it will get with the fish and me. I will be content with that. OUtsidew on the patio, I listen to my radio on the Christian station and listen to the chimes hanging at the corner of the patio and the wall. I see the sunshine up above my neighbor's roof and feel or see the result of the breese as it blows the leaves on the dainty limbs of the trees. It is very peaceful out there. Hearing the two water falls is a very calming thing. Life is good.

Then I went inside, asked and was given permission to rock my grandson to sleep for his afternoon nap. He only takes one nap a day. He felt so good in my arms and he went right to sleep. He slept for two hours. Now you may think, "Does she want to hold him for two hours while he sleeps?" and the answer is "yes". Now his mother and daddy want him to be able to take his nap by himself and not need to be held. I am just so ready to hold him sometimes when I am here. He is so precious to me. It is really wonderful to be able to see him everyday. I dont want to bother his parents and I would never hold him for a nap if they didnt to want me to, but sometimes it is so nice.

Then I went into my bedroom and talked to Vicki, which is always so enjoyable and am now on the computer, in case you didnt realize this. I enjoy my bedroom with its door, which I can close when I want to be alone...and I do enjoy my "alone" time. I have my Christan radio going all day and my lamps on and it looks so nice in here. I do have a lot of straightening up and cleaning to do, but I am pacing myself on that. I did bring the trash can in here so I can clean out my medicine cabinet of vitamins and medicine that I have had for literally years. Some of the bottles have not even been opened and I hae had them for years and years. I look forward to getting everything where I want it. I am excited about this. I have been gone for so long that I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the things I have in this room. The walls are lined with paintings form my Grandma Cardwell. These pictures are pictures I have seen during my lifetime on the walls of my house or my cousin, Betty Ruth Tynes' home. Now they line my wall behind my headboard. The room is really pretty. I had purchased a bedside table and a chest of drawers before I left for Newburgh, and they are really pretty. Also, I have my mother's coffee table in here with pictures on it. I remember seeing this coffee table in our home for my entire life. Now it is in my bedroom and I really do enjoy being in here.

Ramona and Matthew have put up most of the Christmas stuff and I am in the process of rearranging the things on the shelves in the family room to be just like I had them and how I liked them. I do enjoy my home even though Matthew and Ramona and Karsen are living in most of it. I do have my bedroom and bath area, which takes up the entire back of the house. It is my little sanctuary and I love it. It is nice sharing the house with guests that do not bother you. We can see each other and spend time with each other when we want to and then go about our separate ways when we feel like it. Life is good.

Tomorrow I meet my "Second Saturday Friends" at Denney's for the first time since I left to go to Newburgh. I am so looking forward to this. The friends are Ginger Picone, a teacher at Lowery when I was there, Pamela Zellers, my Christian sister and dear sweet friend. Pamela is one of sweetest people God ever created. Such a kind, kind person. The the piece d'resistance: Bobbie McDonald. She is the only friend I ever had that my mother liked to be arournd. Mother loved Bobbie and Bobbie thought Mother was hilarious. When mother would come down here for a visit, we would always go out with Bobbie for a meal. Bobbie is hilarious and my very, very good friend. I am really looking forward to spending the morning with them tomorrow.


I am trying so very hard to eat only healthy things and only a little bit of the healthy food. This is very hard. I was mistaken in thinking that the eating desire would be gone with this surgery. Pray for me. My knee is getting better,bit by bit, each day as the weight falls off incrementaly. I long to be healthy and be able to walk and have stamina to do something besides move from one chair to another or to take ten steps and feel like I need a break. I know the weight is coming off and I am so thankful. I am having to see my doctor monthy, and I am confident that this will result in my accomplishment of my healthy self.

Well, I will close now so I can check my spelling.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Good Morning. sorry for the delay in posting. I went to the doctor on Monday and i had a "treatment" which i thougt went well until the night when i had great difficulties. I returned to the doctor on Tuesday morning. Throughout the day i improved slowly but surely. Actually i knew the "story" on my knee before i left Newburgh. Michael, he is a doctor, (you know, this means i am smart) and he had told me the knee was degenerative arthritis and weight loss would be preparatory to an medical efforts being done to help the situatin. Since seeing the doctor on Moday i have conscientiously made effort to lose some weight and i am being successful. The result being, a great improvement in my knee. I can now walk with the aid of a cane. It is improving every day.

YesterdayI awoke and for the first time in a long time, I felt excited about the beginning of a new day and the possibilities that lay ahead. I even went on an outing. I plan another outing today. Iplan to go to Petsmart and get a sweater for Flash if they are on sale, as i have been told by a friend. I may get a manicure if i contine to feel like it. I want to go to another nail place since my old one is so exspensive and i plan to live the balance of my life being a better steward of the monies my Lord has provided.

I finished the old Testament and am thrilled to have had the opportunity to go through the entire Genesis through Malichai. This is a first for me(I'm 62, you know) and it was so thrilling. I know that God loves His people and desires nothing but our love for HIm and our faithfulness. We are so insignificant in the entire world creation, but oh, so significant to our Father. Wonderful thought.

May God richly bless you, my loved ones. jk

Well, i seem to be in a bit of a slump. My knee continues to give me instability in my walking. The pain increases as i walk on it. Yesterday i didn't use the walker around the house at all, but this morning and in the night, I was having difficulty getting to the bathroom and such. I do have an appt with the doctor on Monday--tomorrow--at 2:15. so, hopefully, I will a plan of action and will begin to be hopeful after that. Right now i have a feeling of disgust with my self and fear of failure in my quest for a healthy body. What in the world is wrong with me? I guess i must not want it badly enough, although that is so hard for me to believe. But, what else could it be? It is really so simple, take in less calories than you did the day before or that you take in usually and only eat healthy amounts and healthy foods. disgusted with my situation that I have gotten my self into. hopefully i will have hope after my doctor's appt tomorrow,

I did not go to church this morning because i am unable to walk with any ease even with the walker. I do not want to draw attention to myself and i am telling you that i would have the whole church concerned about "what in the world has happened to Jan while she has been gone".

I do plan to go to Ladies' Bible class. I believe it resumes this Wednesday. I will go to ladies' Bible class even with a walker because there are less people and there is no rush to get to my seat. I am excited about resuming my fellowship with the saints at Champions.

I am posting this little somber sonnet, just so you will know i am alive. i will post more after my doctor's appt tomorrow. Hopefully, that post will be uplifting and funny and we can move on down the pike with a quick step and a jolly countenance.

Hope all is well with you and yours. jk

Well, evidently the ball dropped. I continue to take it easy around here and mu knee is getting slowly better. I can take several steps without aid. I have a doctor's appt on Monday afternoon and I will hopefully have a plan of action on that day. Life is good.



I plan to go outside and check out the day with Helen, Robert, Oscar, and Vern in a bit. I still have on my p.j.s and am enjoying the laziness of my existence today.

Hope all is going well with you all.

jk