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| Hope Spring is springing in your corner of the world. The grass and weeds are growing nicely thanks to the recent rains. We have 2 dogwood trees blooming in the yard and there is wisteria blooming beside the lane. I am recovering from hernia surgery. It's been 2 1/2 wks. now and I'm glad to have the staples out. Now the weather has been somewhat stormy and my legs are not cooperating for walking much. Ruth had another oncologist appt. on Wednesday. The CT scan showed a spot on her liver. The Dr. is hoping that it is only a fatty deposit. She goes back for a recheck CT scan on July 15th. Thanks for your prayers on her behalf. Ryan is eagerly awaiting graduation on May 17th. Our former foster girl, Patrica, is graduating this year as well. Our niece Audrey is graduating from nurses training in May. We're open 6 days a week at the store now. Things are running smoothly there. It is impossible to count on a certain day or days as being the busiest of the week. Things are generally faster paced at the beginning of the month. The more we read the news, the more we are determined that the Lord's return is hastening nearer. Have you made your reservations? I wouldn't miss it for the world! Tonight I got to hold a sweet baby girl after church while her parents ate refreshments. She was such a sweetie! Her parents are obviously doing a good job with her. Being an only child, she slept through the noise of the fellowshipping after the service. We're having a baby explosion at church with around 8 arrived and more expected. So if I can't walk around after church, I can still hold the wee ones in my chair! What a joy! | | |
| Well! It's a deep subject I know! My face is well past red for the delay in updating. I thought maybe someone else in the family would step in the gap and post but..... Life in the fast lane continues. The 2 oldest enjoyed their chorus tour to Virginia and Pennsylvania in November. Serena and Kerah are enjoying school and love their teachers. Both of them are currently suffering from bronchitis and asthma. They both croup through the day and night. Serena couldn't be found the other morning. I finally found her curled up on the living room couch reading a book. It was a board book about Carl the rottweiler. The mom leaves the house and Carl gets the baby out of the crib, washes and feeds her. It was so unusual for Serena to be sitting quiet and reading! I asked her about the book. She told me that it was a good book, but that Carl was "undogly" doing all the things he did for the baby. SMILE! The follow up on my ankle is that it went from fractured to a torn tendon to gout. Things did not improve at all. After the cast came a soft walking boot. Finally I went back after 6? weeks and got a cortisone shot in the ankle. Approximately 2-3 weeks later we're finally making some progress on the pain. Ruth is still struggling with her diabetes. There are so many foods she can't eat. Starches run the sugars up and lettuce totally doesn't agree with her. She has her 5 month cancer check up in March. The store experienced a good month in December. Now this week it's time for inventory and some cleaning. We will be closed the latter part of the week. I trust you all had a good Christmas and pray that your new year will hold the dearest desires of your hearts and the Lord's. Opportunity is like the rare sought after piece found on a flea market table. If you walk away promising to think about it, it most likely is gone when you return. Then you spend the rest of the day kicking yourself. If you pick it up and buy it right away you experience the satisfaction of accomplishing something. Tomorrow is a mystery. Yesterday is history. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. How will you spend your day? Say "I love you!" when it's tough. Say "I'm with you! when it's rough. Walk beside them in the rain; Soothe their foreheads in their pain. Let the love of God flow through. It will come right back to you. (How's that for an impromptu?!) Ralph | | |
| Well, here we are again at the end of another week. I think we were all ready for the weekend to come. As for next week, we aren't really ready to discuss that yet! As to the title- you know when there's a bad storm coming you will often see a yellow cast to the sky. When Spring first arrives you can see a green cast to everything. When fall arrives one can see an orange hue. Well, this blue cast business is a horse of a different color. It is actually a real cast on the right foot and lower leg of yours truly. The xray was not totally clear as to a break. The ankle is not sprained. I didn't do anything to break the ankle. Symptoms were swelling and extreme pain. An MRI is in the forecast for next week. Poor Ruth is exhausted. She got home from the store today at 5:45. We close at 4:30 on Saturday. They had a very busy day. Then after feeding everybody a bite she had to leave to finish cleaning the church house. Thankfully it's the last week of the month. Ryan turns 18 on Monday and Alysa turns 16 on Friday. Ruth has her 3 month checkup at SC Oncology on Wednesday. We also have a birthday party planned with the other families in church with girls close to Serena's age and birthdate. That is on Wednesday evening. Still waiting for life to slow down! Thought for the day- Jesus answers all prayers. To some He says, "Yes!" To some He says, "No!" To some He says, "Wait!" And to others He says, "You've got to be kidding!" Keep on the sunny side of life! | | |
| Honey, chile! Dem greens is fresh and ready fo da pot! Aunt Carolina, I can still hear Daddy asking you if yours were ready so he could turn the pigs out. I can hear your squeal of indignation in response! He never had an appreciation for those fine fixings! I'm glad I didn't accept his sentiments on the subject. I love 'em. Pass the vinegar, please! Pass the rice, stewed tomatoes, black eyed peas and cornbread while you're at it!  We have some nice bunches of turnip and mustard greens on the porch right now for sale at the store. We had a great sermon at church this morning. We attended the revival service at Calvary (the local Beachy church just a 1/2 mile down the road). Phillip Beachy from Ohio was the evangelist. Phillip is a brother to our good friend Thomas Beachy and wife, Brenda in VA. I tell you if anybody there didn't get their campfires glowing- their woodpile was wet! I am waylaid with an infection ( it appears) in my right leg. It hurts to stand, walk, and sit. I chanced going to church this am, but not tonight. I guess another Dr. visit is in order. Just last week I had one for an upper respiratory infection again. Yuck! We enjoyed a visit recently from Ruth's brother Bill, his wife Ruth, their son Jim and his girlfriend, Christina. The four children are enjoying school. Well, my newsbag is empty so I will mosey along. Let us love and help each other, not only those who we are friends with, but strangers as well. For strangers are only friends we haven't become acquainted with yet. Walk in His light this week! Ralph | | |
| Well, shame on me once again for waiting so long to update. Following up on the last e-mail. I did go for the stress test at the hospital but everything showed fine. I ended up back at the emergency room the next Monday with severe chest pain. I had taken 2 nitro pills in the am. They gave me one in the ER but that didn't make much difference. They gave me the 2nd one and then things began to happen. X Ray came in to take a portable chest x ray. While she was setting up my bp dropped too low and I began to pass out. The Dr. came in and squeezed the IV bag of medicine. I ended up with an ambulance ride to Providence Hospital in Columbia for a heart catherization. I gave up food and drink for 16 hours when they arrived to tell me that the test had been cancelled. I really didn't care what I had to eat at that point. My neighbor talked to someone on the phone and said that we had "wonder meat" for supper. We were still wondering what it was!  The next day I was rescheduled for the test. Afterwards the Dr. came in and said that my heart looked fine. He was therefore releasing me to go home. Ruth wasn't comfortable with my going home needing oxygen, etc. He called for a pulmonary consult then and they came to see me. She really got things moving then. I took several breathing tests, etc. My lung capacity was not very good, henceforth the shortness of breath. I was then released and scheduled for a sleep study. BINGO! The diagnosis is SLEEP APNEA (when one snores excessively at night and wakes frequently, arising in the morning feeling like a limp dishrag) Shortening the story now I currently sleep with a CPAP machine. It has a nasal mask that delivers a positive air flow constantly. Hopefully next week I can get the water reservoir added for moisture. My nose and mouth get so dry. I sleep much better most nights and am beginning to feel like a human again. I need to go to an ENT Dr. and get a cyst removed from my sinuses. The airflow irritates it. As far as Ruth goes- she has developed diabetes now as a result of the chemo. She is also still lactose intolerant. No dairy products or sweets now. She and I went to Ohio last Wednesday to get ready for the estate and garage sale for her mom's things. We had a good sale and got rid of everything except for an antique bedroom suite. We came back home on Sunday night. The children are all enjoying school so far this year. Tomorrow my youngest sister is having a yard sale at the store getting rid of things. She is moving to NC. Next Saturday we intend to have an inventory reduction sale from our house items. Trust you have a good weekend! Take care and God bless! Ralph
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