At just about any given evening hour either Mother or I would be sitting alone at the piano or organ, or we would be sitting there together, carefully counting and practicing together … sometimes crying … always encouraging each other … as we tried to learn our parts well enough to accompany the choir. By the time we started practicing with the choir we both felt it would take more than a Christmas miracle for Dad to pull this one a off. If we got off, the choir would get mixed up. If the choir got mixed up it would throw one or both of us off. Through it all Dad just kept telling us, “You can do it, there’s plenty of time. If you do all you can do to prepare for this program, angels will fill in the gaps.” I thought he was asking a lot from the angels. “Choir members began to pat our backs after choir telling us not to stress, that it was “coming together so … nicely”. Well, of course, we stressed anyway. It’s in our genes.

     I would dare say we played that song four hundred times over the next four weeks and by the week before the performance we could play it together “good enough” most of the time, and more frequently we each played it “very well” … but never at the same time. We had not once achieved what either of us considered “excellent”, either alone or together. At our final, dress rehearsal (our choir practices were at 6:00 AM Saturday mornings) with dad conducting and the full choir singing, we each made one mistake after another. It was disheartening to say the least. We didn’t think our nerves, or our bowels, would survive. I secretly wished I would slip on the ice and break my arm.

     On the day of the performance, the choir bowed their heads while Dad offered a simple prayer that went something like, “We are just humble children who want to do our best on this joyous occasion. We have diligently practiced, putting in many hours privately and together. Please send angels who can buoy us up and fill in any gaps, that those who have come to worship the birth and the life of thy Son, Jesus Christ may feel of Thy spirit.”

     Well, we did receive a miracle that day. Our choir of thirty five members sounded like a host of heavenly angels and Mom and I didn’t miss a note. What ecstatic joy we all felt as we played the last booming chords exactly together. For a moment the choir stood silently in awe while Dad, who was limp with emotion, stepped from his little raised podium and sat down, wiping the tears from his face with his folded handkerchief. “Mom whispered, “Lewy, LEWY … you forgot to have them sit down again!” (This was something he often forgot to do and the choir members had threatened to remain standing until he got back up and sat them down.) He stood and turned to face the patiently waiting choir members once more and opened the lapels of his coat to reveal a sign he’d pinned to his stiffly starched, white shirt that read, “You may be seated.” (My Dad never failed to bring a smile to people’s faces and this was no exception.)

     It was a marvelous experience for a teenager and one I think of every year when I pull out my box of Christmas music. Thank you Mom and Dad for always believing in me and pushing me to reach beyond what I think I am capable of.

      I prayed about it but even while praying I realized that as valuable as they are to me … irreplaceable and heart achingly sentimental … they are nothing compared to the things people all over the world have lost to disasters.    So many people are suffering immensely because of the economy, natural disasters, famine, disease, rulers, or wars.   So many people have lost a loved one or entire families, their homes, their rights.    So many people do not even know about Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world.  

       I still prayed about finding my rings, but also prayed that I remember they are really temporal; just things I want back.    Lynn and I don’t need them to exist.   I loved them and hoped for their return, but I  began to pray more intensely for people around the world …  that peace and also added strength can be in their hearts no matter what circumstances they are in.    I prayed that all people can have the right to worship how they see fit without fear of retribution, humiliation, or censor.     I prayed that people everywhere can know the peace that I feel because of my faith in Jesus Christ.   

      Last night, as I was preparing for our trip back to Utah, I gathered all of my things from the top drawer of my dresser … the same drawer I had strip searched several times … and as I turned to close the drawer there were the rings and watch … right in the middle of my empty drawer.    I felt an instant flood of relief and gratitude and joy.    I knew I would guard them  more carefully in the future but at the same time I will continue to pray that my prayer for peace in the hearts of people around the world can be answered as well. 

I take my woofing little dog a little more seriously here in the forest when she suddenly sits up and growls menacingly out the sliding glass window that steps out onto the covered porch.    The other day this happened when she was stretched atop the back of the sofa  and Lynn and I decided, without getting up to look for ourselves, that she was “barking at her reflection from the glass doors” again.    Moments later I was sitting reclined in front of the side window that looks toward the trees by the street when movement outside of the side window caught my eye and I looked up to see what I first thought was the neighbor’s dog.    However, as soon as it stepped completely out from behind the bush that has grown up to where it interferes a little with my view, I received a wonderful gift from. nature when it looked directly at me for a moment   I could see clearly, all the way from the beautiful tufted ears, to the defined stripes around its eyes and nose, on down to the bobcat’s stubby tail.   (This picture is courtesy of http://www.weforanimals.com./ )  It looked bigger than those I’ve seen next to the tigers and lions at the zoo.    By the time Lynn made it to the window our cat had stealthily crept the length of the lawn and was headed into the trees at the front of the property.      There wasn’t time to pull out the camera but we have since removed it from its case and have it sitting readily on a nearby shelf.

There’s been a lot of disturbing noise from the property behind this house as lumbermen have mercilessly “clear cut” the large trees that lined the back border and the acres behind us.     It has created a homeless situation among the wildlife that have been our neighbors   I feel sad when I think of their homes being destroyed; especially with winter blowing in so quickly.   I can’t help but wonder where all of my furry little friends will go from here.    We’ve seen squirrels, deer, and possums, and we suspect we have a midnight raccoon but we haven’t yet spotted the neighborhood’s black bears. Needless to say we are taking good care of our garbage and keeping a close eye and a short leash on little poochie while she takes care of “business”.  

We are loving our stay in the woods.     It’s different living where the skies are grey and it rains more than it doesn’t, but it has been comfortable … and healing.   As I write this I’m sitting by a crackling fire listening to the cadence of the rain that counts along with the 4/4 timing of the keyboard as I type.   The rain and I are the perfect accompaniment to the Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of “Sleigh bells”.  The stately pine trees are even swaying in sync.    I just love it, love it, love it!    A huge, from deep in the heart thank you to Warren’s friend, Tracy Green, for trusting us with his mother’s home for a few months.   Anyone would feel good here!

The van had a little doohickey that needed adjusted.    The man called us and said we could either get a new part that would be around $200 plus installation or he could tighten the connectors on the doohickey and see if that would take care of it … since doing that had worked on several other vans just like ours. (Apparently this is a weakness of the 1995 GMC Safari.)   So, of course, we went with the tightening option and a few hours and $135.00 later we pick up our van and headed to Costco to pick up the two toilets, with a quick stop first at Walmart to pick up some yarn.  (One can never have too much yarn.)

The van sputtered a little on the way over but it wasn’t too serious … no stopping underneath the street lights or anything.   We figured that if our 16 year old van feels like skipping down the highway a little that’s its business … as long as it doesn’t turn itself off.    

The little sputtering turned into a couple of deep coughs as we were leaving Walmart and Honey and I looked at each other with brave eyes, trying not to let the other see the panic that was building as yesterday’s adventure flashed before us.    It really wasn’t quite as fun as I led you to believe.

  From Walmart to Costco is down hill, but unfortunately it is only downhill one way.    After purchasing the two new toilets … and of course, some nice, healthy fiber as well … we were on our way home.    Just as you pull out of the parking lot of Costco, there is a stop light before you turn on to the busier street that leads to the freeway.    And wouldn’t you know it, as the light turned green we began our left turn and the van gave a couple of very dramatic death scene jumps before all skipping, hopping, and sputtering came to a halt; a very quiet, eerie halt.    De Ja  Voooo with a Capital D.    We were once again sitting under a stop light with cars swerving past to avoid us.

There was one, big difference between today and yesterday, however.    “Today” had quietly turned into “tonight” and it was dark.    That made it really, really, really more uncool.  

Sorry, Mark, but I am going to make a long story shorter by skipping all the CSI:Ivins stuff and tell you all that we were able to coast backwards onto a safe place on the side of a busy road where we sat and tried to decide what to do.   A few false starts later we decided it was time for prayer … knowing that it would be next to impossible to talk our insurance company into paying for another tow truck for the same vehicle.   We asked that if it was possible, we would like to get our van to our house and then we would make sure it was fixed before we took it riding again.     Lynn turned the key and the sound of the engine purring was like music to our ears!    We made it the 15 miles home with only one minor scare, and the sputtering van is now resting in our driveway and Lynn and I just finished having two pieces of crustless, sugar-free, pumpkin pie a piece.     (What can I say … we were hungry!)

All is well … and we gave thanks.

We took the old brown van today because the purpose of this Costco adventure was to buy two new toilets …  shiny new, white, and HIGHER.    Our old toities had to have been made for small children’s bendable bodies instead of the unbendable bodies of senior citizens.   

It’s been a while since I’ve been out of the house, so we added another level to our excitement and decided we would really splurge today and eat out.   Mmmmm we love those Costo hot dogs.

Well, we made it over half way there before the van died.    We were sitting at a red light in the middle of fairly busy traffic when it turned itself off and refused any and all attempts Lynn made to start it back up.    Here we sit in a line up of traffic … one old, white haired man with artificial knees and one old, beautified woman on oxygen.     What do you do?

Apparently all you have to do is sit directly in front of a few green   lights until all of a sudden a tall dark stranger appears, like a genie coming up out of an old lamp.     Thank goodness he was a “take charge” kind of genie and before we knew it he’d flagged down some help and stopped traffic so they could push us around the corner and into a business parking lot.    It makes me feel warm and fuzzy just to think about it!     I almost fell in love with that tall dark stranger before “poof” he was gone.

The problem was somewhere in the fuel line and Lynn figured it would start back up after things cooled off (I presume he meant the car) and we could limp our way home with it by cooling in other parking lots along the way.   To myself I’m thinking “we’re in for a really lllloooonnnngggg day”, so I suggest we call a tow truck.    Honey’s not sure that we have that kind of insurance on the old van so we just sit and wait; thinking about those hotdogs at Costco while our stomachs grumble.  

About 45 minutes later it did start up and we made it about three minutes down the road before it happened again.     This time, however, we were out of the busy traffic and coasted off onto the dirt where there was nothing but us and the tumble weeds.    I suggested we call a tow truck.    Honey decided to call USAA instead to ask if we have that kind of coverage.   Not only are we covered … the wonderful lady who answered the phone zero’d in on our location, called the tow company herself, and sent them straight to us by using the GPS tracker in our Iphones!    Wallah!!! It was like “Your wish is my command”.   We had us a another genie!   I could almost picture her with her sparkly turban as she rolled her hand several times before her face and granted our wish.

A half an hour later our little, very old, brown van was being loaded onto the back of a gigantic red, white, and blue … humongous truck from Freedom Towing.    Cameron, the driver of the tow truck, (otherwise known as the third genie) was friendly, helpful, and efficient … exactly what you would hope for at the end of a long afternoon.    The final lucky straw, was that he lives just three or four blocks down the road from us in Ivins, so after dropping our van off at the repair shop in St. George, we ended this long, adventurous afternoon by being deposited right at our front door.   How great is that?   The only thing we really missed was the hot dogs.

We didn’t make it to Costco, but thank you Heavenly Father for helping us to meet up with so many kind, helpful people today.   It was quite an adventure!   

My blessings have been on my mind so much today I had to share my feelings through two of my favorite things.      

                      Lord Forgive Me When I Whine
Today, upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her…She seemed so gay….and wished I were as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;
She had one leg and wore a crutch;
But as she passed….a smile!
Oh, GOD forgive me when I whine, I have two legs.
The world is mine!
I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him. He seemed so glad. If I were late ‘twould do no harm.
And as I left he said to me, "Thank you. You have been so kind.
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I’m blind".
Oh, GOD forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes.
The world is mine.
Later, while walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes so blue.
He stood and watched the others play. He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don’t you join the others, dear"?
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.
Oh, GOD forgive me when I whine. I have two ears.
The world is mine.
With feet to take me where I’d go, With eyes to see the sunset’s glow,
With ears to hear what I would know…Oh, GOD forgive me when I whine.
I’m blessed indeed. The world is mine.
Author Unknown

      So today is my sixty-fourth birthday and Lynn has been singing this old Beatle’s song under his breath all day:

The song was written by Paul McCartney of the Beatles when he was just sixteen years old and it apparently was inspired by his “lover”. I can’t imagine having a lover at sixteen, nor can I imagine that Paul McCartney or anyone else at that age has a clue about getting old but amazingly, it is pretty apropos.   

I was tempted to write a poem about it … “There’s an awful lot of learning on the way to getting old” … but it sounded too much like “A Heap o’ Living” written by Edgar A. Guest.   When I thought about it, his poem pretty much sums up what I wanted to say, anyway.  

      I guess I’ve just been caught up in lots of memories today.   It’s a funny thing about memories because the farther away you get from them, the more they become like treasurers.  The hard times lose their sharp edges from a distance and you begin to recognize them as stepping stones along life’s path.  Each stone and hurdle moves you toward the next stone and the next set of hurdles, and hopefully helps you gain the confidence and encouragement you need to make you better prepared to handle them.     We may start out with baby steps, but right now I’m most grateful for the giant steps in my life.    I’m going to fall back on those experience to help me through the challenges that lie ahead with my health.

      So … Happy Birthday to me from Edgar A. Guest …

It Takes A Heap O’Livin” by Edgar A. Guest

It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home,
A heap o’ sun an’ shadder, an’ ye sometimes have t’ roam
Afore ye really ‘preciate the things ye lef’ behind,
An’ hunger fer ‘em somehow, with ‘em allus on yer mind.
It don’t make any differunce how rich ye get t’ be,
How much yer chairs an’ tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain’t home t’ ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o’ wrapped round everything.

Home ain’t a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it’s home there’s got t’ be a heap o’ livin’ in it;
Within the walls there’s got t’ be some babies born, and then
Right there ye’ve got t’ bring ‘em up t’ women good, an’ men;
And gradjerly as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn’t part
With anything they ever used—they’ve grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an’ if ye could ye’d keep the thumb-marks on the door.

Ye’ve got t’ weep t’ make it home, ye’ve got t’ sit an’ sigh
An’ watch beside a loved one’s bed, an’ know that Death is nigh;
An’ in the stillness o’ the night t’ see Death’s angel come,
An’ close the eyes o’ her that smiled, an’ leave her sweet voice dumb.
Fer these are scenes that grip the heart, an’when yer tears are dried,
Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an’ sanctified;
An’ tuggin’ at ye always are the pleasant memories
O’ her that was an’ is no more—ye can’t escape from these.

Ye’ve got t’ sing an’ dance fer years, ye’ve got t’ romp an’ play,
An’ learn t’ love the things ye have by usin’ ‘em each day;
Even the roses ’round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they ‘come a part o’ ye, suggestin’ someone dear
Who used t’ love ‘em long ago, an’ trained ‘em jes t’ run
The way they do, so’s they would get the early mornin’ sun;
Ye’ve got t’ love each brick an’ stone from cellar up t’ dome:
It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home.

Technorati Tags: Edgar A Guest,A Heap O’ Livin’,When I’m 64,Paul McCartney

I don’t know where this powerful event took place, but oh how I wish I would have been there to hear this in person.      Aren’t these people wonderful to have shared their time and talents in a way that so powerfully touched the hearts of not only the unsuspecting strangers at a food court in a shopping mall, but now also to millions of Internet surfers around the world?      One of the things I love most about Christmas is how it brings the best out in so many people.   It just makes my heart feel like it could explode with happiness sometimes when I see people sacrificing and giving with no thought of getting anything in return … just for the sheer joy of giving.    

Thank you to everyone everywhere for your acts of kindness, your thoughtful service, and your gifts to those who might go without.     

To my readers, I hope this rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus fills your hearts with as much Christmas Cheer as it did mine!

                                       The Wolves Inside You
An elder Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life.

He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me.. it is a terrible fight and it is
between two wolves.

One wolf represents fear, anger, …envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion, and faith."
"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other
person, too", he added.
The Grandchildren thought about it for a minute and then one child
asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied… "The one you feed."