Thoughts

2015 can stop being a roller coaster of emotions anytime now as far as I am concerned. I lost another long time member of my extended family this week. This time, my next door neighbor growing up; Vaneta Carr. Better known most of my life as half of "Ernie and Nete", it was hard enough adjusting to it just being Nete. I am happier than I am sad though, especially for her. The last few years have been rough for her and I know in the 12 years since Ernie went home to be with the Lord, Nete wondered why she couldn't go too. They were inseparable,  where one was, there was the other. She preached that too. I remember so well, when Andrew was getting transferred from Chambersburg PA to Pontiac, IL, I loaded up Robert, then 20 months old, and drove home with him so I could get a jump start on house hunting. The morning I got home, Nete came over. She made over Robert for a minute and then asked where Andrew was. I explained that I had came home by myself. She scolded me and as glad as she was to see me, she wished I would have waited on Andrew.

When I was born, my mom's mom was 70 and didn't drive. Vaneta did a lot of those "grandmotherly" things that my grandma couldn't. Like picked me up after school and take me to her house if Mom had to be someplace. I loved going to their house. There was a pinball machine in their basement and that in itself made it a cool place. She always made me cookies when I came too. The day my dad had his first heart attack, she was the one waiting on me to get off the bus and my sister to get home from work so she could tell us. 2 years later, when my mom had some major problems and had to go to the hospital, it was Ernie waiting on me because Vaneta and Carolyn, her daughter-in-law, had taken Mom to the hospital.

I was very honored when Phil, her son, asked if I would sing at her funeral. By what I have been told, she talked about me being choir director and loved it when I would sing. Funny thing is, I sing alto, Vaneta did too and for years and years, I sat right behind her at church and learned to read the alto line of the hymnal from listening to her. When it came time that she couldn't stay by herself, she moved to Simple Blessings in Casey. Before she started having the dementia, we would go over every month as a church family and sing to the residents one Sunday afternoon a month. All this week, I have been so thankful we did that. One of the last times we were over there, as the dementia was starting she saw my Robert and called him Kenny (my dad, who Robert looks like). I wouldn't trade the world for that memory. We went to the nursing home at Christmas, I was already in her room when my mom walked in. For a split second, there was recognition, like, "There's my old friend!" and then it was gone as quick as it came. We all told her who we were after we sang, but she didn't really respond. I still know, for just a second, she remembered Mom.

This week has also has brought some relief to the UC, FINALLY!! I called the doctor Monday evening, mainly because I had started having a backache too. I wasn't making the connection between the UC and the backache but after some Internet searches, I realized they might be related. However, the light bulb in my head was centered on the fact that I had a backache before and I got a steroid shot. I also take steroids for the UC, so I thought, calling the doc for some more prednisone might take care of two problems and it did!

So, today, I had a whirlwind schedule and I was able to get almost everything on my list done. My last two Saturdays haven't been so successful.  The only thing that was on my list that I didn't get finished was my mom's taxes and I think I was just not wanting to think that hard this evening.

Now starts a couple weeks of craziness so I am glad I am feeling better.

Tuesday night I have a date with my husband to see Do You Believe? , Wednesday night is AWANA, Thursday night I have a date with my mom to see Mary Poppins, and Andrew and I might go back to see it Friday or Saturday. Sunday, we are having a building dedication and dinner at church, and that's the week. Except for the fact that my yearly monitoring for LIHEAP is this week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I think we are good there.

I'm going to leave you with a few more thoughts. Andrew and I started to Effingham this morning, combination grocery/supplies for his jobs this week trip. We realized on the way over that a chip in his windshield had spider webbed. My first thought, and I said it out loud, was, "Really, Lord?" We were already taking the truck because my van had a bearing going out and Robert had to fix it this afternoon (and it's fixed). Anyway, it hit me very hard, I'm not burying my mom this week, I'm not in Texas praying a new pill takes away new cancer cells, I'm not wondering where I am going to lay my head tonight, or where my next meal is coming from. Very quickly, I decided I better change that to "Thank you, Lord."

Remember to count your blessings, there are probably more of them than you think.