About Shanda

wife, mom of seven, friend, child of God

praising

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Shanda

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This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

For almost a year we have been taking our youngest child to doctor’s appointments for what began as a UTI that kept coming back. Because of the UTI, we were sent to a specialist and learned (after tests) that by the age of five, she had a large amount of kidney stones in her right kidney. She endured an 8 hour robotic surgery in January to have them removed, then another procedure a month later in which she was asleep for 2 hours to remove the stent they had placed and to check to make sure every stone was indeed gone (they were).

A month or so later, during an ultrasound follow up visit, we were told she had hydronephrosis of that same kidney, which may or may not have occurred because of the stone removal surgery. However, two of the doctors had also been questioning why that kidney ended up with so much stone and believed that she had an intermittent blockage and/or kink in the ureter. So we went for more tests. The MAG-3 (in which she was put to sleep) showed that the right kidney was at 14% function, while the left was at 86%. We also learned from another test that she had reflux on that same side. Therefore, another robotic surgery was necessary, to remove the part of the ureter that showed the blockage. She had this surgery, which was about 6 hours long, on July 6.

A month later, we went in for another “magical sleep” so that she could have the stent removed which was in place after the surgery in July. While talking to us afterwards, the doctor was optimistic, but very cautious, with her report– leading my very vivid imagination to imagine the worse (although hoping, in a very small degree, for a good outcome).

We got a call two days ago telling us that the doctor who performed Sarah’s surgeries had left the hospital to pursue a private practice and I was absolutely floored. We had formed an attachment to her and I never dreamed she would “vanish”. I almost cancelled the follow up appointment because I didn’t want to see a doctor that was unfamiliar with our case. There was an opening for next week with another doctor that we’ve seen many times before, but I was so anxious for the results of the appointment that I decided to go ahead with the unfamiliar Doctor.

It turned out for the best (God) because low and behold this Doctor had indeed been there for us–the very first time we had walked in the doors of the medical center with the “UTI” issues. Although I did not remember her, she remembered us. We had come full circle because this time, instead of passing us along to the Surgeon, she was able to give us much better news.

THE KIDNEY LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She wasn’t able to see all the images from radiology, (which was the first time she had this “glitch”), but with shining eyes she showed us the one image she had — and also shared with us the words from the Radiologist who had studied ALL the images, “It looks so much better”.

I spent the rest of yesterday exhausted from so many months of anxiety suddenly gone. Happily, tearfully, radiantly, thankfully, exhausted. After the appointment, Sarah and I went, as is our habit, straight to the gift shop and the cafeteria right there in the hospital. Then we went shopping at the mall where she selected things with sparkles and glitter on them. We held hands. I texted Rich, Mom, and Dave to give them the report, but I didn’t proclaim anything from the rooftops (so to speak) because the Doctor had said she would call me after she had seen the rest of the images, and depending on how she thought things looked we would be back in a month or three months.

She just called.

Everything looks great and we don’t have to go back for three months.

Everything really does look great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

((Will Sarah get another kidney stone? Probably. She is definitely a “stone maker” but with the kidney draining properly she is more likely to pass them before they get to be a big huge problem like last year. She’s drinking a lot more and they also told us to give her an orange a day.))

Sarah was nothing but a bouncing bubbling little girl after her appointment. She’s only six but she knows happy news when she hears it.

I’ve been taking photos of these early fall days;

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shades of light pink and deep pink

The whiteness in the berry cluster in the middle is a spider’s nest….what a nice place to live.

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mushroom

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brown moccasins & wool socks

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the stream is low and shines like a mirror

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

another creature home; is your door surrounded by lovely green moss? I wish mine was!

orange rainbows on a dead log

food for the birds

chickadee on a sunflower

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

this is my story
this is my song
praising my Savior
all the day long

“He who gives you the day
will also give you the things necessary for the day.”
Gregory of Nyssa

recipe = yum yum!!!

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Shanda

A nice whole grain, nutritious, and flavorful salad~

First of all, you need to cook your wheat berries by combining 1 3/4 cups water with 1/2 cup rinsed soft white wheat berries and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a pan. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

((I used Bob’s Red Mill wheat berries, and this is the recipe on the back of the bag.))

Wheat Berry and White bean Salad

Salad: 1 cup cooked wheat berries
1 cup cooked white or navy beans (I used one whole 15oz can of white beans)
1/2 cup green onion, chopped (I used regular minced fresh onion)
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup tomato, diced (if you’re still trying to use up summer’s bounty, you can increase tomato)

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T. lemon or lime juice
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. chopped parsley
1 T. honey mustard (I used 1 T. honey plus a half teaspoon of mustard)
2 T. minced shallot (I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients with a whisk or blender. Add the salad ingredients and mix well. Let chill several hours or overnight.

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I’m not the only one who liked it; my sister in law asked for the recipe, & Rich liked it, too.
The four of us went to Sturbridge this afternoon to get coffee and visit the Yankee Candle seconds store. It’s becoming a yearly trip for us and quite fun. Fall weather is beginning here in New England, the air is clear and hot during the day, chilling down at night. We also visited a few other quaint shops, too.

Now we are home. Isaac and Cassandra left and Rich and I are reading on the porch. I’m wearing soft wool socks which feel extra comfy after a day in flip flops, a pair of sweat pants, and a gray shirt. Hair up in a ponytail/bun.

Caleb is frying hamburgers for himself and the kids– and I can smell them through the open window. The neighbor boys just left with hamburgers in their hands.

There is a cool breeze and over in another chair is our cat busy giving himself a groom.

Rich is reading a book about Revelation. Our arms are touching.

I heard an owl hooting! Every few seconds it does it again, it’s off in the distance in the woods and I wish I could see it. There are quite a few birds in the garden taking seeds from the hanging sunflowers. I wish owls liked sunflowers seeds.

I should go get my camera and take pictures of the birds.

Make the salad!

wedding anniversary

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Shanda

21 years married ❤

“love is the very stuff of life”

“there is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” J.A.

reading out loud

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Shanda

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Sarah and I have about 15 minutes every morning to ourselves because out of the five children, her bus comes last. With the remaining time, as we wait, I have been reading out loud to her. We just finished this one. We enjoyed it so much that we read it in the evenings, too.

Littles to the Rescue, by John Peterson. Published in 1968, purchased from a library book sale.

handsome football official

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Shanda

On Sunday I went to watch my son’s first football game of the season. I didn’t see much of it because I was distracted by this handsome football official. He’s not wearing stripes yet but he will in the next game. He’s new at officiating. It was a very fun day, but maybe last year I would have been annoyed because he wasn’t right next to me watching the game and holding my hand and stuff……….doesn’t he want to spend time with me, I whined to myself?

“It seems such a difficult task for so many to realize that happiness and love are not gotten by force of will, nor are they automatically granted simply because you show up. The greatest amount of getting is through giving. If you take care of the ones you love, even when you’re hurting or not in the mood or they’ve done something to annoy you, it not only shows love, it primes them to be more giving…..selfishness not only cuts out your partner, it cuts out God, and without God, there is only ‘me’. And ‘me’ is ultimately alone.” L. Schlessinger

Marriage is an ongoing work of learning and staying even when, once in a while, the relationship seems impossible to keep peaceable. The most recent and personal lesson I have learned lately is that my own well meaning opinions can really be “righteous indignation” in disguise. “I just know I’m right about these things so I’m going to dwell on the ways our marriage could be better if only I could get my points made.” I got myself so frustrated with this futile thinking that I finally decided to give up “caring” about things like “he’s never home at any particular time so we miss family dinners, everyone knows families that eat dinner together around the table like the Waltons are the best and highest standard we all should achieve”. At the time, I thought maybe if I gave up the fight of “wanting our marriage and family to be better” (using my personal and plenteous ideas that I worked very hard to think up, a whole long list of things which could be greatly improved) than it would allow me to move on to a greater and healthier independence as a female who didn’t need a man after all. The joke was on me because when I did that, stopped nagging, stopped expecting more in our marriage, I actually became free and happy. He was already free, but then I joined him. My expectations were out the window, therefore ANY LITTLE THING that happened between us was a real and honest blessing to me. Nothing changed, we love each other deeply, have always loved each other, he’s the man for me, nothing changed–but my attitude, which is no small wonder. It was really weird. I’m still rather perplexed by it. However, I am grateful that God has saved me once again from becoming the woman who is always studying (thinking) but never gaining knowledge. Amen! 1 Timothy 3:7

And you know what? Our family life is just fine even though we only eat around the table maybe once a week. So there, studies! (Don’t listen to the studies, just live your life! It’s a beautiful thing.)

sixty years ago and more

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Shanda

My mom read the last blog post and said maybe Jean’s recipes were still at the Thrift store so naturally I went down there this morning to see if they were. I said to myself, “Also, if there are anymore of those scrapbooks I will buy them.” There were no recipes anywhere and I came away with 20 or so scrapbooks and two books for 3 dollars. I felt rather like I was getting away with something. These books are a treasure trove of history.

I sat on the porch for a long time this morning, quietly turning the pages and only getting through two of them. They are delightfully engrossing.

“Afghans watch television at an American exhibit in Kabul.”

Look at their eyes.

Jean was a teacher. And as of the scrapbooks that I have, she was not married. There aren’t any personal things about her in the books but some cards and little notes given to her by friends and/or acquaintances, and a couple small certificates. There are no personal opinions or notes. The only key to her personality are the clipping she saved. Things like politics, weather, historical sights, antique furniture, poems, quotes, comics, bible verses or prayers, and animal photos. “You can know a lot about a person by the things they collect.”

“the information that he had been stricken by what is commonly called a stroke was camouflaged in medical double talk.”

“Grant us the grace of perspective as we listen to the centuries rather than to the hours.”

He’s so cute, he’s the same age as my Seth!!! So adorable.

“Photographing Animals is a Fascinating Hobby” I can agree to that.

“The duck has established an imaginary boundary line and every time Frank crosses it, the duck jumps in front of him and quacks loudly until the child turns back.”

“There is nothing too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great knowledge of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.”

“Mrs. John F Kennedy moving from the White House with her two children today.”

“We are tired of television and of staring stupidly into the screen.”

“We aim to get together and have some fun instead.”

******

I stared at the date on the calendar when I came back inside. To my surprise, it was 2016.

Have you ever had that feeling before?

Jean’s scraps

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Shanda

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As I mentioned in the last blog post, I had found some old scrapbooks belonging to an unknown woman named Jean at the local thrift store. They are full of scrappy treasures…here are a few samples from just one of them:

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This made me cry a little.

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The Music Man

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Ted Williams

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Royalty gets around

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Abraham Lincoln

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“Delightful Hysteria” July 31, 1960

There are quite a few newspaper clips on JFK, including his death in a later scrapbook.

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Caroline Kennedy trying to get away….naughty, naughty! 😉

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The only thing I was surprised about was the lack of recipes. Out of all eight scrapbooks there were a total of 0 recipes and nothing about food.

I bet she was a very slender woman.

interesting

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Shanda

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Jacob and I went to Brimfield yesterday.

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I brought home fiestaware.

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Not only are my dishes useful but they are also decorative. They add all the color to the otherwise neutral kitchen.

Things not to be used are on the top shelves. Everything else is used daily.

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In the morning I used my claret mug. He made the coffee while I made waffles, scrambled eggs, and sausage for our children. Saturday mornings.

The girls and I were downtown.

We had a picnic across the street from the coffee shop in town.

The flowers are so lovely there.

I met a Kindred Spirit in the thrift store book room.

There were two stacks of Scrapbooks made by her, full of everything I also like: heartfelt articles, poetry, comic strips, news, cards, pictures.

I chose some to bring home (8). I will show you some of the things in them on another day.

They are amazing. The lady’s name was Jean and she made the scrapbooks in the early 1960s. She was a teacher. Someone loved her named Bill. I’m currently typing these words on my bed surrounded by the things she found interesting enough to cut and glue into books……..

It’s sad that they ended up in a thrift store, wasn’t there any family who could have kept them? I left over half of them there on the shelf…..but at least there are some home with me and I will have the coziest time looking through them. I love them.

Gracie in the book room.

Well, lastly we went into the Dollar General. I hated the way my hanging basket looked after a rough season of being watered faithfully and then left to dry out nearly to death, over and over. So I thought of a solution; and Rich remarked, “Nice, Shan! It looks like a wig on a very old lady!”

in my heart there rings a melody

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Shanda

(grandpa’s old barn)

The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25:23-28

Good morning, friends, how in the world are you?

Imagine! God’s many numerous good things are all around us, oh to have the eyes to see them, really see them! Even on the “down” days we are going UP UP UP, on our way to glory land. Eternal life is NOW, it starts now, never to end……..as believers we have so much hope, it’s hard sometimes to keep our minds focused on the wonderful promises of God, but nevertheless they are there in the Bible, they are real and never changing. Isn’t it incredible to have security in an unchanging Father? He always loves us, always cares for us, always holds us in his mighty hands.

My parents have a nice pumpkin patch, we all visited it and “blessed the pumpkins” by giving them a nice pat, you can’t help but want to touch them because they have very smooth looking skins. I especially love the photo of son David using one as a pillow.

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From a distance, the pumpkin patch. My prediction is that it will be even bigger next year.

Back at home now, Gentleman Gray is wondering where his friend Snickers is. Snickers has been missing for a week and we are all beginning to worry. They keep coming to me and asking about him, but so far there is no news, no letter, no message, no sign.

*sigh* I hate losing cats. My guess is that the smell of skunk was too much for him.

Speaking of which, the house is smelling much better. What a relief. (Now if the dryer would stop screeching….) Parker the dog is still smelly so he spends most of his day outdoors in the fresh air.

The garden is still producing tomatoes and my favorite way to eat them…….

……is generously placed on toasted & buttered Pepperidge Farm white bread, with salt and pepper (more pepper than salt). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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I also made a banana bread. (Grace’s favorite, turns out Michael likes it, too).

“I can see you!” I remarked to the amusing Grasshopper. He shifted and twitched. Being upside down is not a safe place to be if your legs are your number one escape mechanism.

Ah much better.

I looked & looked without touching and he never did jump away. I think he liked me, too, but most likely he was scared out of his wits.

These are a most wondrous scented wild flower.

I looked it up in my wildflowers book: nothing.
I looked it up online by googling CT wildflowers, yellow: nothing
I looked it up again online, using the name of what I thought it was, “morning primrose”: found it!

Its common names are: Evening Primrose (I was close), Evening Star, or Sundrop.

Wikipedia has a very interesting article about it here.

delightful. You can smell them before you even get close to them.

And then I decided to pick a pink bouquet.

“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” ~ Author Unknown

My heart.

Seth is holding the “tough guy ball” which looks JUST like a coffee bean, and is rewarded to a player after every practice. The player takes it home for the night and then returns it at the next practice.

Look how handsome he is. I tie his string and buckle his buckles and then bend down to double knot his cleats. He looks around as I fuss, ignoring me as I adoringly serve him. It is an honor for us both but only I am conscious of it.

We arrived at the field’s parking lot for practice and as he briskly took his helmet out of the back of the car, I closed the truck and turned to him to say goodbye, “Have a nice practice, Seth! Give me a kiss.” (the test–to see if he would kiss me in front of his friends, I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t. In fact, I was sure he would wouldn’t.)

Without hesitation, he came over close and gave me a quick, distracted kiss on the arm. (lip height). Like of course it was the most natural thing in the world to kiss mama before running off to football practice.

My heart.

**********

I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
‘Tis a melody of love.

In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody of love.

~Elton Menno Roth~

family football pics

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Shanda

I sat on the soft soft grass with my camera and watched the fun that my dad, brothers, sons, niece, and nephew were having, all playing football together.

So much laughter, running, yelling, and sweat.

They are going to love these pictures.