Family Friday: Looking for the Hiding Place

We had quite a scare here yesterday morning. After a night of HUGE, LOUD, thunderstorms (the Thundershirt still didn’t help our dog, Sadie) I came down to the kitchen and found a note,“I fed the pets, but where is Tigger?”

What did Mike mean? Tigger is always down in the basement in one of his two spots. After he tolerates his kibble for breakfast (likes dinnertime better when he gets wet Meow Mix) he always lays down in one of his spots and has a nap.

(Tigger's bed)

(His favorite box)

I looked everywhere. I even used the flashlight. I checked closets, I called him, shook the dried food container, and even peeked into Sarah’s room to make sure he wasn’t snoozing with her. No sign of my fat cat. I knew he wasn't outdoors.

You have to understand what a difference a year makes. For the ten years that Tigger lived in the Yellow House he was an indoor/outdoor kitty; I felt like I needed a revolving door like at Macys. He used to get in fights,“cat-around” occasionally kill a bird, and basically enjoy his lazy life. All that changed when we moved. He’s turned into a true scardy-cat , and is afraid to go outside. If he goes out at all it’s for two minutes and we never lose sight of him. His quality of life has definitely gone downhill with this move to Illinois. Although food was always the hi-light of his day, now it’s the hi-light of his life!

I took our dog for a walk around the block and called for Tig just in case he had gotten outside. When I spotted a dead bird in our yard I was hopeful- it could be a sign he was out and about…Still, no Tigger.
(T.J. disposed of the bird, thankfully.)

Mike finally called and mentioned Tigger had gone outside while I was at Bookworms. On a side note, it was fun to see my Glen Ellyn/Wheaton book club friends. They had read the book Room about a mother and son who were forced to live in one room for years. Speaking of one-room-living; surely my upcoming school year living in a Studio apartment with my daughter Sarah won’t be terrible…
The Bookworms group got off on quite a discussion on Jacee Dugard being rescued, kidnappings, keeping our kids safe, etc.

Back to TIgger. Mike suggested looking in places near our house where he might have hidden during the storm. Sure enough, my big, fat, lovable cat was hiding in the old dog house behind our detached garage. When he heard me calling he stuck his wet head out the opening and happily followed “his momma” back inside.

I wasn’t going to stop looking for his hiding place until I found him.
I LOVE my cat.

Lesson Learned: I suppose I need to set a better example to my cat that we live here now. Home is where your family is. Also, note to self; if Tigger isn’t in the basement, or on a chair in the living room or dining room, look out back in the “dog/cat” house.

I’m thankful that when I’m in trouble, I know where to go. “God is a hiding place in times of trouble.”
Psalm 9:9

In His Grip, Jane

Word of the Week Wednesday: Confidence

I think I just found my “uniform” for self-confidence; black & white polka-dot sheath dress, sunglasses, a scarf tied around my hair, and a convertible.

I was driving to Mike’s office to pick him up for a dinner date with some work associates and as I was zooming along the highway I realized I felt happy and confident. Maybe it was the looks people gave me. I seemed to be the only one in a convertible with the top down. The weather was glorious. I was playing a Stephen Curtis Chapman CD and the song Remember Your Chains came on. It was a quick “reality check” that even though I definitely felt confident in what I was wearing and driving, my true confidence comes from knowing and loving God.

Imagine what you life would be
If Jesus had not set you free
Remember your chains are gone
Remember all that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember your chains

The definition for confidence in the Encarta dictionary is “Self assurance or a belief in your ability to succeed.” It’s taken me only 50 years to accept who I am and to improve my self-esteem. God has been patiently telling me I am loved and accepted and other people’s opinions aren’t what matter even though that’s not what the world says. Even though I’m not sure what God has planned for me to do after Sarah graduates next year, I know He’ll help me succeed.

I pulled up in front of Mike’s office building feeling pretty “hot”. He walked out and said to another guy something like,”There’s a hot chick picking me up- how did I get so lucky?” That was a confidence-booster! He also said I looked like Jackie Kennedy. Now that was a compliment! I’ve always loved/copied her style…pearls, sheath dresses, white jeans, big sunglasses. She had such a sense of style, was true to herself and always dressed appropriately. She even had Barbie dolls made to look like her!

Lesson Learned: Besides classic clothes I feel pretty in, a scarf and sunglasses (which are great for hiding wrinkles), I need to remember what is really important to put on:

“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:13-17

A sweet Audi convertible with red leather interior also helps bring joy and confidence…

In His Grip, Jane

It's a New Week! The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, July 25th, 2011
Outside my window... it’s pretty and wasn’t too hot for me to sit outside for my quiet time and coffee!
I am thinking...it’s wonderful to have two of my four kids home and I’m praying for Norway. (My grandma was the only one of her family born in the USA-I have Norwegian roots.)
I am thankful for... Sadie our dog surviving a seizure of some sort Saturday night-we’re worried, she’s definitely going downhill fast.
From the kitchen...I need to clean and cut up all the veggies I bought for my daughter & husband’s low-carbohydrate, hi-protein diet, and make my son cookies. Tonight we’re having tacos/taco salad.
I am wearing...my cheetah robe over summer jammies.
I am creating...window treatments for the basement.
I am going…to get my son & daughter-in-law’s 1st anniversary card in the mail.
I am reading...Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs
I am hoping... my kids enjoy their month here "at home” in Illinois.
I am hearing...lots of noise from next door-they cut down tree branches that were too close to the new roof on the remodel.
Around the house… evidence that my two youngest are home; shoes, cell phones, nail polish, clothes on the floor.
One of my favorite things…driving slowly around town in the convertible after dinner with Mike admiring the beautiful, huge, old homes.
A few plans for the rest of the week: get my kids a month membership to the YMCA, buy pool passes, go see the Winnie the Pooh movie, continue on some house projects, and maybe go to book club even though I didn’t read the book.
Here are a couple pictures for thought I am sharing...


(Mike and I with our girls outside of the Mongolian Grill in Gig Harbor-it was the last time I got to see Allie before she takes off for Costa Rica.)

(T.J. being goofy and showing off his new braceless smile.)

To join the fun, visit Peggy at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
In His Grip, Jane

Family Friday: Sadie is a Senior

My Labrador/mix spends her time laying in the living room by the couch. That is, when she can relax.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about our doggie, Sadie. She has definitely entered her “golden years” but I’m not convinced they’re “golden”. Lately her behavior has been downright disturbing; she walks in circles around the house, she’s losing her hearing, barks for no reason, walks into the bathroom and just stands there, wanders out of her yard, begs without manners, etc.

I called the Vet yesterday to see what we should do. She explained that this behavior was quite common in older dogs. It’s comparable to a person getting Alzheimer’s. Great… My puppy is totally losing her mental capabilities. The doctor mentioned a drug we could try but it would run about $75 a month. With two in private college, two, possibly three car payments and a rental in Washington, we really don’t want to commit to that expense. We might just try some anti-anxiety medicine on an on-going basis-sort of like puppy Prozac.

It’s been too hot to take her for walks this week (her favorite thing in life) and it's so humid she barely wants to go out the door to go potty. I can’t leave her alone anymore outside. If I do, she wanders across the street. It really is sort of like taking care of a toddler or a senior with Alzheimer’s.

A dear friend of ours has a Dad suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve watched how patient and caring he and his Mom have been. I on the other hand, have just been downright annoyed with my dog. Why can’t she be mellow? Why can’t she stop pacing and just lay down? Why does every bang sound coming from next door’s remodel send her into a tizzy?

Sadie has always been a good girl even though we knew she had “issues” when we adopted her. (She flunked the service dog program.) She’s been part of the Carver Clan for over 10 years. I hope when three of my four kids are home this summer that she gets SO much attention that she’ll relax.

Lesson learned: Sadie reminds me that we all need to be loved and cared for as we age. I hope my children will be more patient and understanding with me when I’m elderly than I am with my doggie!

The power is off again-another storm here in the Midwest. I’d better go check her in her hiding spot in the basement…

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4

How about you? Do you have a pet advancing in age, or a loved one who needs special care?

In His Grip, Jane

Word of the week Wednesday: Microburst

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

I arrived back in Glen Ellyn around midnight on July 11th. Michael, who was the birthday boy, got picked up by a neighbor around 7:15 and I fell back asleep. Summer vacation! In my own comfy bed! Time to do projects and hang out with my pets!

Well, my lazy morning was abruptly interrupted by a micro-burst which plowed through our town at around 7:45. What is a micro-burst, you ask? Well I happen to have the Wikipedia definition handy;“A micro-burst is a very localized column of sinking air, producing damaging divergent and straight-line winds at the surface that are similar to, but distinguishable from, tornadoes, which generally have convergent damage. A micro-burst often has high winds that can knock over fully grown trees.”

The sky was black, the winds were loud, and I headed downstairs with my shaking dog. The front storm door swung open, breaking the hinge, pushing my rocking chair off the porch and breaking the light. Of course Mike wasn’t home. He wasn’t with me in the Northwest when a windstorm knocked over a bunch of huge pine trees in our back yard.

The power went off and after finding candles and Sadie’s Thundershirt I headed to the basement. What is a Thundershirt? Well, it’s supposed to apply pressure to a doggie to relieve stress and anxiety. It didn’t work. Can I get a refund please? Tigger stayed in his basement hiding spot all day.

Once the storm stopped I heard the birds. They were singing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. The next sound I heard was the sound of a generator and after that an electric saw. My neighbors lost several trees and one landed on their mini-camper. By dinnertime the streets were lined with branches.


I thought the power would be restored by evening. I was wrong. Four days later, our power finally came back on. Over 570,000 homes were without power. During those four days (which were hot) we kept our food alive and a fan going thanks to our neighbor’s generator and an extension cord.

I spent a day in the library enjoying the air-conditioning and Wi-Fi connection. We ate out the first two nights and slept in the basement. It was fun doing our marriage bible study by candlelight. We’re reading “High Octane Marriage” by Danny & Amy Dewalt.

I kept seeing the Com Ed trucks driving up and down our street, and other homes began getting electricity, but not us. I had bad hair days (no blow dryer) and couldn’t start my projects. Waa...then I thought about all the people in Joplin, the south and in Japan whose lives have been turned upside down due to the violence of storms. I am grateful for God’s mercy on our home and won’t take power for granted.

Right after the power came on I vacuumed and baked cookies. It felt like home again.

Lessons learned: a new word; micro-burst, storm doors often break in storms, generators are wonderful (wish we had one!), not even a Thundershirt can help my dog stop shaking, and I want to be like the birds right after the storm- praising their creator with confidence that they are taken care of.

In His Grip, Jane

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, July 18th, 2011

Outside my window... it’s hazy, humid and HOT-about 97 degrees.

I am thinking... about T.J. getting his braces off today. Yay! He didn’t like being the only college student in braces. I know he’ll look great!!

I am thankful for...POWER, friends in Gig Harbor who are feeding my two youngest this week and letting them spend the night over the weekend, lots of time with my man Michael.

From the kitchen...last night we had patty melts on the grill,corn on the cob and homemade carrot cake (Mike's b-day cake a week late). Tonight we’re having BBQ chicken, asparagus and peaches.

I am wearing...blue shorts, tank top, hair in a pony, flip flops (guess it’s my summer uniform).

I am creating... a menu list for the week.

I am going…to Ikea tomorrow to return some things and possibly buy a rug for our bedroom like the one I saw on the Vintage Revival: Epic Room Makeover blog.

I am reading...The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I also got the nonfiction book entitled Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow back out. I need to be reminded to be content in all my circumstances.

I am hoping... my doggie Sadie is OK. She’s 12 ½ and seems to be declining in health rapidly. She didn’t eat her breakfast until noon (VERY unlike her), has been barking for no reason, and can’t hear much.

I am hearing...construction banging (the house next door is being remodeled from the ground up) and K-Love on the radio.

Around the house… I need to bring my Shark up and mop the wood floors and we’re going to paint the pantry door with chalkboard paint.

Some of my favorite things…LORE’AL double extend mascara (it is SO easy to remove and looks great too) and Pomegranate martinis (we enjoyed some on Swanky Saturday in Naperville).

A few plans for the rest of the week: rearrange the kids bedrooms (getting the green room cleared out and ready for when my oldest son Mitch and his wife Amy who move in next month for the year and the tan room ready for T.J. who comes back Saturday for a month), riding my new bike, planting flowers, attending a progressive wine-tasting with the Newcomer’s group and welcoming home T.J. & Sarah Saturday night.

The owner of the bike shop let me exchange my bike for a smaller frame. It should be in Wednesday. I think I'll name her Violet. Mike got a bike too!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

(Construction on the house next door. It was on the market 5 years! Finally a contractor bought it and is remodeling it. One of the mice who probably lived in the vacant house ended up dead in my basement-gross & thanks Tigger!)

To join the fun, visit Peggy at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

In His Grip, Jane

I Tipped

I was SO excited to finally buy a bicycle yesterday! I love the color-purple,I love the basket-bought at Walmart last September,and I love the idea of zooming around town while I burn calories. Over Spring break I found an aqua Trex bike I liked, but it cost quite a bit and the store had run out. I headed to our local shop in hopes of finding the perfect Schwinn cruiser since I’ll be without a car most days this summer.

For those of you who don’t know/remember, my Kia is back in Washington waiting for my return when school begins in the fall. Mike and I will have to share his Audi. As I write this he is stuck on I-290 and a tow truck is about to take him to the Audi dealer. (Even if he HAD a bicycle, it would be a long ride to Schaumberg from our house, so I hope they can fix the problem a.s.a.p.)

I thought the bike shop owner chose the right size bike for me…I think NOT! I couldn’t touch the ground well when I was on the seat. He assured me it was for me and helped me get it in the car. Obviously I should have tried the smaller frame and been more assertive.

As I took off this afternoon I sort of felt like a kid who just had their training wheels taken off;excited and all wobbly. For a while I was having a glorious time, but there are a lot of stop signs around our neighborhood. Each time I stopped it was an ordeal to get going again. Was this normal? I think NOT!

I imagined what would happen if I crashed since Mike was stuck far away without a working vehicle (and a dying cell phone battery). A few blocks later, my thought sort of happened. I came up upon a busy 4-way stop with lots of cars, tried to put my foot on the curb to wait my turn, lost my balance and TIPPED over into grass. Yep, I was embarrassed as several people yelled, “Are you Ok?” out their car windows. Yep, I’m going to call the bike shop and see if we might exchange mine for a smaller frame. I don’t think I scratched the beautiful purple metal, but the seat is twisted and I needed one bandage for my bleeding hand.

I will admit that I haven’t ridden in about 25 years but isn’t there a saying that you never forget how to ride a bike?

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.” 1Corinthians 10:12

Just when things were going well, I tipped. It happens to me even when I’m not riding a bike.
Thanks to God’s grace I get do-overs.

I should have listened to that little inner voice that said, “I think this bike is too big for me!” Cross your fingers that this story has a happy ending, both for my bike and Mike’s Audi.

Do you ride a bike? Have you tipped?

In His Grip, Jane

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Sunday was my last summer day on the Bay.
FOR TODAY, July 12th, 2011

Well, I’m back in the Midwest. Not exactly the welcome back I had hoped for. We had a "Micro-Burst" storm yesterday morning. Power is out for most of Glen Ellyn. I just arrived at our library…ah, it’s cool and I can get on my computer!

Outside my window... HOT, sunny, tree branches down everywhere and lining the curbs. On the computer it says it's 87. Our thermometer reads 111 outside and 83 inside.
I am thinking...about the fun vacation Mike and I had last week. We started in Seattle, visited friends near Vancouver, drove the 101 through giant redwoods to the ocean, headed down to the Napa area, then ended with a night in Portland.


I am thankful for... our neighbor running us a line from his generator so we can keep our refrigerator going. I’m also thankful for Sarah returning in one piece from Beyond Malibu and getting to see my oldest daughter Allie before she takes off to student teach in Costa Rica.

From the kitchen...well, last night we ate out at Outback Steakhouse. It was Mike’s birthday and I was going to make him shish-kabobs and carrot cake. That will have to wait. Instead we had little filets, crabmeat, salad, veggies and a scoop of ice cream. The Sangria was great! Tonight I think we’ll eat out again so I can be in air conditioning.
I am wearing...pink tank, patterned shorts from Anthropologie, flip flops, hair up in a messy, wet bun.
I am creating... a full can of weeds. I worked out in the yard this morning. I cleaned up the beds and window boxes. Now I need to get to a garden store and buy flowers.
I am going…to walk a bit farther to town and see what I can find to eat.We only have one car here so I'll be hanging out at home or in town. I hope to buy a bicycle tonight.
I am reading..I just finished Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs. Today I’m starting The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I bought it while I was in Calistoga, CA.where our friends live. They took us on a private tour of the Culinary Institute of America and the wine tasting was fun too.
I am hoping... Com Ed can restore power soon. Lots of hot people in our town…
I am hearing.. quiet noises around me in the library. I met a really nice woman sitting next to me.
Around the house…I cleaned the bathrooms (Mike & I have a different standard) and unpacked. I can’t start my projects until the power goes back on.
One of my favorite things…being with good friends at a wedding. The daughter of our friends from small group was married Saturday. What a beautiful couple, wonderful ceremony and FUN reception!



A few plans for the rest of the week: I’m taking it day by day. Without power I can’t do a whole lot. I need to pick a color of paint for our master bedroom. I’m thinking a soft gray, then I’ll get white hotel bedding with gray stitching and do accents of yellow or aqua. Anyone have any ideas??
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Sarah, 9 campaigner-group friends, two amazing leaders and three guides headed up a mountain near Malibu Canada.It was hard, but beautiful, and they made memories for a lifetime. I'm SO proud of her!

To join the fun, visit Peggy at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
In His Grip, Jane