From Diaryland

Rider up!

Cowboy is still hanging in there. His promise book gets more and more precious to him, and verses come spontaneously to him. He is full of the Word, and often greets me with 'Victory in Jesus' when calling. I know there will be low days, and there already have been, but he is using coping skills (I hate that term, it is really You all the way) to overcome those times. They often come right after a really good happening, so we know the source.

Different world

Sitting in the open lobby on the end of a long row of chairs occupied with her friends, she looked up in surprise to see him striding into the lobby, heading for the exit to the glass-walled foyer, his arms full of packages.  As he caught sight of her, he determinedly headed her way.  In surprise, she glimpsed the pale tan wide-waled corduroy material held in his arms, and recognized it as the item she had given him just a short time ago.  What the item was she could not remember in her confusion.

Her friends fell silent as he paused in front of her, and thanked her for what he held in his arms.  She stammered awkwardly about things not fitting or being appropriate.  He just grinned.  "It's great!  And I'm not giving it back." 

Turning again to the foyer doors leading out of the building, he called back, "We'll talk about it later."  As her friends began to exclaim next to her, "What's in it? Open it up. Let us see!", she noticed for the first time that he had dropped a large cardboard box before her.  Opening the box just enough to see the bright plaid weave of something warm and soft, she quickly glanced toward the outside foyer door.  He was looking back at her, that familiar smile softening her heart.

The quick thought came. "I didn't even say thanks."  Without thinking twice, she brought her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss his way.  To her shock, his eyes widened, he dropped everything in his arms on the walk outside the foyer, and turned back inside, the familiar grin getting even bigger and brighter.

Before she could even catch her breath or utter a protest, he reached her chair in long strides, and pulled her up to him..  "I'm not passing up an invitation like that," he chuckled broadly, and that was her last coherent thought as he covered her mouth with his own. When she finally had enough oxygen to form a sensible thought, the wide coiled ribbon of Time stretched before her.  The first thing she was aware of was the loud buzz of questions and exclamations from the friend now surrounding her. "Isn't that romantic?...Just like the movies!...How do you know him?"

 She raised her arm again in his direction as he once again exited the building,  but he shouted, "If  you want me to quit my job to come back and kiss you all day, keep it up! We'll continue this discussion later."

Once again she was aware of the unfurling ribbon before her, but could not find her place on it. "Who is he?" she thought fuzzily.  Then worse yet, "Who am I?"

Hold that football, Lucy!!!

I  have been cautiously waiting to record tremendous news.  Cowboy has been out of the hospital for 6 wks now.  He has been clean for 14 months, and seems to have a new heart attitude.  He thinks he was saved  and judging by his love of the Word and the promises in it, he may be right.  In any case, he has turned around from the course he had been taking for the last 4 years.  He is still battling addiction want-tos but winning so far.  He told me he has 10 seconds to get away when confronted, and sometimes calls me when he is in the middle of one.  He is also having panic attacks whenever he is separated from 1d, and calls me then, too.  He is learning more coping mechanisms and relying on You, so I have hopes, but I also feel like Charly Brown charging the football once more.  That is ok, though, I'll keep on believing that there are always startovers with You.

He calls each night, sometimes several times if he is under stress, and we read some promises from his Promise Book and pray at the last call.  2d says she hopes he get so holy that we are all sick of him.  I hope so too.  That is what his grampa has had to do.  Now comes the time of paying the consequences of the past and they are not too pleasant, but thank You so much for going ahead each step of the way.  Cowboy has laid it in Your hands.

Oweeee

This background is the color I am slowly turning on arm, hand and both legs. I fell off the sidewalk this morning at the same time I was thinking how spry I was getting by swimming each morning.  I stepped halfway off the only paver that wasn't buried yet!  Flat on my chest on the cement and over on to my back where I gave thanks that I hadn't broken my legs as I bent them up to my chest.  By the timie I got to the pool my hand was turning dark and now my legs and arm are.  Itwilla be interesting to see how colorful I get.  One good thing came of the fall, I no longer have a good knee and a bad one. Since they both feel exactly the same, I guess I now have two good ones.

I have been listening to Jane Austen's Manderley Park as I do laps or (as I did this morning) mostly water walking.  It has been an interesting time.  Many of the lifestyle choices were just the same as a conservative Christian family might function especially as far as types of entertainment.

2d and I bought plants yesterday and when I stopped by a little while ago to drop off some rhubarb, she already had them planted and placed up and down her back steps.  What a pretty sight all massed in various planters, including the plastic pan from her hospital stay.  Mine are mostly going into the ground, and I am going to wait a few days until I am not so stiff. 

My asparagus picking days are about over.  I got a nice big batch last nite but felt really unsteady ducking under the barbwire fence and clambering over fallen trees and around sagebrush, and inching my way up banks to get to one more bunch.  I think I will do ok if I remember to take my long stick with me.  I have 2 so I will throw one in the car.  When I drove by today new stalks were up 6 or 8 inches high.  I have sauteed it with green onions from the little garden come up from last year, but that way just isn't as good as boiled with a mayonnaise and lemon dressing.

Currently Listening The Firm: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack see related

SUCCESS AT LAST

Finished the last bits of remodeling on my submersible MP3 player and am looking forward to really enjoying it.  I had conquered the netlibrary issue thanks to the help the tech gave me, but still was unable to pick up in a story where I left off the last time.  Updates from Freestyle gave me the tools to make that happen so life is good.  I would like the audio to be a little louder, but that may be a personal problem.  Would also like to be able to fast forward or reverse inside the story, but life is not always perfect and some things can be lived with.

Even tho I can now listen to netlibrary, I want to finish Willa Cather's O Pioneers.  Then I will borrow the video back from 2d and watch it again.  One different thing about listening while doing laps is having to do the backstroke instead of all three like I was doing.  I can only hear well and keep the device secure while doing the backstroke, and that is OK since that stroke uses lots of energy, but I get so absorbed in the story, I go too long.  Gotta break myself in gradually.  An hour right now of straight swimming is too long.  Today I stopped after 40 minutes and finished the hour plus 20 more minutes with water walking which was enjoyable too.  Now I just have to make myself do it on every available day.  Waking up is not an issue; I am always awake at that hour.  Forcing myself to make the drive to town is the hard part, but I get a second chance later in the morning by deciding to go to the swimming class if I chicken out on laps.  With the MP3 player, I think the chicken thing is past.  An hour to 'read' in the daytime is great.

I fussed about the extra trip to town for a while; but I need to stay in shape and the elephant is acting up, so I decided the cost is not a factor right now. Often 2d rides along with me, and my mother heart is even more justified by helping her keep in shape and getting a chance to visit with her without interfering too much in the rest of her life.

Life is good.