My Thoughts On Halloween

Okay...right off the bat I realize this post will not win any popularity contests and I know that a lot of people do not agree with what I am about to say. That is okay...I am not writing this because I need anyone to agree or I want to convince you to believe what I believe or will be upset if you disagree. I think what I am getting ready to say falls right into the passage in Romans 14 where we are told not to judge each other but if I consider something wrong for me then it is wrong. I am not saying it is wrong for you OR that I am more spiritual for thinking the way I do.

That being said, I have to confess every year I really struggle with Halloween. How can I not when I love children like I do? I want to participate because of my love for them and the opportunity to outreach to my neighborhood, but for about 15 years now I have not. It all began after I read Joe Beam's book Seeing The Unseen and realized what a powerful entity Satan really is. I started asking myself questions like why I enjoyed going to movies that would scare me to death? Did the Lord really take delight in me when I was watching these movies that left me scared to walk into my own house when it was dark? And Haunted Houses, the more you scream the better right? I have done plenty of screaming? But again where did I think God was when I was participating in these activities? Or how about the times I dressed up as a witch? Verses such as Galatians 5:19-20, Deuteronomy 18:9-11 rule out the concept that there could be "good witches". We grew up on the Wizard of Oz, we know that Glenda was a good witch and Samantha Stevens was definitely a good witch! How Satan loves to disguise himself as angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I then studied the beginnings of Halloween and was convicted further. I don't have to tell any of you about that, you know the history and all about All Souls Eve, etc. But the real deal breaker for me was when I heard a policeman give a talk to a group of us about what he had seen transpire on Halloween for many years. That there are real witches and warlocks among us and Halloween night is their biggest night of celebration and worship to Satan. There are animals and even humans (usually children) sacrificed on Halloween. I decided that perhaps instead of passing out candy I could do more good my trying to pray protection over the innocent.

I know that we have tried to downplay the evil in Halloween and make it fun for our kids, and most of us dress our children up in cute costumes. And most of us find fun ways to celebrate Halloween with friends in a non frightening way but for me personally I don't want to do anything that gives Satan more reason to infiltrate my mind and heart. Usually when I bring up this subject someone will say "well Christmas was originally a heathen holiday too, do you celebrate it?" Yes I know, and yes I do. The difference is that Halloween has not been redeemed for the Lord. Christmas is all about giving glory to God for the gift of His Son. There is no longer any hint of evil in Christmas (in my opinion).

So there you have it, my feelings on Halloween. I don't have any close friends that agree with my position and a couple of them even taunt me every year, so don't feel like you need to agree with me either. It is just since this is my first Halloween blog I felt I should just let you all know my thoughts. NOW if anyone has a few pieces of chocolate you would like to offer me I will not refuse (just kidding!)

I do have to share with you how cute my grandnephew Talon looked in his first Halloween costume. Such a sweet boy and your first time to see his mom (my namesake) Danette Lynn.

Outings and Hospital Food

Once I mastered transferring in and out of my wheelchair they let me practice on a car. Yes they have a car frame in rehab and I practiced transferring on the sliding board from my chair to the car. When I was able to do it, then they had to watch Steve and my mom help me and as soon as they were approved we would be able to have an outing from the hospital. So on June 4th I was able to leave the hospital for a few hours! I wanted a steak so one of the therapist had given us directions to a Texas Roadhouse. Well, we could not find it and when we reached Love Field we turned around only to discover we had run over a nail! A few blocks later we pulled into a Lexus dealer. They were great and helped us get the tire fixed at no charge! They told us that there was a Texas Land and Cattle nearby so we headed there, only to find when we got the wheelchair out the cushion was missing. They had to take the wheelchair out of the trunk at the car dealership to access the temporary wheel. We rushed back since closing time was close and sure enough the cushion was there. We were then back on our way to Texas Land and Cattle. That meal was so delicious after 7 weeks of hospital food!

Two days later I got to start pool therapy. Now talk about an amazing feeling!!! They would roll me into the pool in a waterproof wheelchair (I would first have to transfer from my chair to that chair and then back again when it was over). Because you are buoyant in water I was able to get out of the chair and walk! I could not believe how great that felt to have both feet back on the ground again. I was able to walk back and forth the length of the pool. It was great.

The next weekend Steve and I would venture out and try to go to a movie. Nothing was really on, but we went to see "Bewitched", and then we ate out at Outback. On this outing we did learn is that places are not necessarily handicapped friendly. The theater's wheelchair access was in the first three rows of the theater, so watching the screen that close up was challenging. Then at the Outback we went to they had not trimmed their bushes and they scratched my arms going up the sidewalk. The following weekend we tried to go eat Mexican food with my mother and dad. I forget the name of the restaurant but after transferring out of the car and my dad pushing me up this 90 degree angle big hill, we discovered my wheelchair would not fit through the door. This was not the main entrance to this restaurant (it had stairs and double doors) this was the bar entrance, but it is where they had they ramp. So we just had to push me back down and ended up at an El Fenix down the street. But again it was just good to be out and eating something besides hospital food.

I was not as appreciative of hospital food as I should have been. My main complaint is that they served the very same meal on each day of the week. Breakfast rotated between eggs, bacon and biscuit, to pancakes and sausage. I could ask for cereal for an alternative.
I finally complained because I was getting tired of eating chicken every other meal (although prepared in a different way) and found out there was an alternative menu that I could order like a baked potato, or fruit plate etc. and that helped it not be so monotonous. I remember about this time Dan Stevens was in the hospital for some reason and where he was (Medical City) he actually got to order from a menu whatever he wanted any time of the day. I thought that sounded wonderful. However in retrospect because I have no will power where food is concerned I probably would not have lost the 100 lbs I lost if I had been on that menu. It also helped when my doctor kept telling me to eat more protein, so I would get people to bring me bean and cheese burritos from Taco Bell. You just learned to appreciate the simple pleasures.

So if you were in the hospital what do you think you would miss eating?

Just For Fun

Tonight is not a night for reminiscing on my journey. I have already been very emotional today for some reason. So....just for fun go to this site and take this test. It was kind of fun. Steve sent it to me and he got 17 correct. I got 16 (I always knew he was smarter than me).
Let us know how many you get? You have the power to make us feel better or worse :)

http://www.oldjoeblack.0nyx.com/thinktst.htm

We Are Family

I honestly don't know how people survive tragedy without faith community. I know they do, but I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be! This morning I just sat in worship and looked around at all the people who have blessed me. There are so many, young and old. Over and over children have told me that they are praying for me. Logan Strother told his mother Janet right after my retirement in June, "mom I am just going to keep praying for Ms. Lynn until you tell me not to." The entire Richardson East family has and is such a blessing.

Bill Thoma fasted every Saturday for me for almost a year. Talk about a humbling experience knowing that someone was giving up food every week and praying for you! The sweet times we had with our Life Group who were faithful to bring communion up on Sundays for me and Steve. Let me just say for me it was so much more meaningful to take communion with people than the times communion was brought to us and we just took it by ourselves. I think that it is what God meant it to be community. And while I am thankful for every time someone thought of us, it was more meaningful to take it with those that surrounded my bed.

Let me tell you about some more visits that blessed me. I hope singling some out does not make anyone else think that their visit was any less meaningful, because as I said yesterday every visit, every call, every card was appreciated and meant so much.

-One day Grant Lovassen brought me Baker's Ribs for lunch. Now I had never had Baker's Ribs so that was a real treat, but just that Grant would come on his lunch hour. I don't know that I had ever had a conversation with him at church before, but Steve had been in a group with him for awhile and it was so thoughtful for him to come.

-One day Wayne and Sandy Brumley came to visit. For those of you who don't know them, they are both blind. They took a taxi and found their way to my room. I was so touched that they cared enough to make the effort and was so blessed by their sweet words.

-One of my first visits in rehab was from Brett Yniquez and Wendy Wilson. Brett and Wendy were to of the kids from the church in Mesquite. We had spent some time together in a music program and at church camp. My heart was so touched that they were now freshmen in college but came to see me in the hospital. Brett was always one of those very quiet kids and I had no idea that anything I did had any impact on him. God was able to use his visit to teach me a sweet lesson.

-One day I picked up the phone and Karen Heflin asked if Matalee could sing me a song. I said "sure" and waited for her to sing "Jesus Loves Me" or something like it since she was only 3 at the time. Instead imagine my amazement when she started singing ''I am the sheep and the Lord is my shepherd watching over my soul. My soul to keep guarding over me ever, watching wherever I go". Then she belted out "And when the wind blows he is my shelter and when I'm lost and alone he rescues me...." I was so filled with emotion and learned that God can minister to you through a 3 year old. (by the way another time she called and sang "Lay Your Burden Down". I will always cherish those two songs because of sweet Matalee.

-I also recieved such a array of gifts (flowers, lotions, books, cd's, etc.) but the one gift that really touched my heart was a CD from some of the other children's ministers in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area that I had been meeting with once a month for about 7 years. Andrea Cooke from Riverside had them compile a list of songs and the reason they chose those songs and copied them to a CD for me. It was an amazing gift and brought me many hours of comfort. One particular song by Natalie Grant "Held" really brought me to me knees in prayer over and over.

I only hope that God can use me to bless others the way these people and so many others (including some of you readers and lurkers) have blessed me during this journey. You will never know how much each and every heart gift meant to me and pushed me on in my recovery! I praise God for you all!!

He Is Able

A song that came to mean so much to me during rehab was "He Is Able".

He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today.

He is able, more than able to handle anything that comes my way.

He is able, more than able, to do much more than I could ever dream.

He is able, more than able, to make me what he wants me to be.

Every time the physical therapist asked me to do something that seemed impossible, I would just start singing that song in my head and the Lord would help me endure.

I prayed hard that my leg would heal and I would not have to have a wound vac. But that was not God's plan. The open wound where my bone went through my leg would not stay closed once they removed the stitches so it was forced to heal from the inside out. I was hoping that I could glorify God by it healing faster than the doctors had ever seen, but whatever reasons that was not God's plan either. So they taped tubing into the wound and sealed it and then this machine pumped all day long. Everywhere I went, it went. But the disappointment of that was offset by the fact that I could bear weight on my left leg on May 25th. Six weeks from the accident. I was amazed and so excited. It meant going from 4 people helping me get out of bed to just me and one aid. It meant that I could begin using a walker. The first time I stood on the leg with the walker I lasted 20 seconds! I would build up my strength a little each day.

A couple of things I remember that were special to me during this time were:

• Deb Tietjen brought me a chrysalis to watch, it was amazing and I was disappointed when I was out of the room when it turned into the monarch butterfly.
• Scott Collier came up to visit and pushed me outdoors (the first time I had been outdoors in 5 weeks) and the sun felt so good, however he was in a long sleeve shirt and tie and I am sure it was not so good for him.
• By this time Bob Legan had begun calling me every Tuesday afternoon and praying for me on the phone.
• I met a woman named Mary who was hoping to avoid an amputation, but in the end did not. She was a single woman but her extended family was in Amarillo.
• There was an elder from Highland Oaks who heard of my accident and he began visiting with me every week and praying over me. His name is George Baker. He is really one of God's angels here on earth.

It would take pages and pages of blogging to mention every visit, every call, or card/note I received. Each one a precious reminder that I was not being forgotten. I remember committing to myself that when I was able that I would try to be better at remembering others who are in the hospital or ill at home. It just takes a few minutes of time to make that call and it means so much to the person on the other end.

Rehab

So you might wonder when you cannot put weight on either leg what kind of rehab can you do? Transfers. Once I could push myself up in the bed, then I could move over to the side of the bed. They have a transfer board and then a piece of slick material you put over it to make you slide across it easier. You then put the board between the bed and the wheel chair and

pull yourself over. I don't remember how long it took before I could do this on my own, but it was awhile. Nevertheless the techs would pull the material and that would slide me over. My first exercises were arm exercises that you do with a theraband. Different colors are different

resistances. The first day I could barely do it and had to leave the room with nausea. But everyday got a little easier, and by the end I could lead the class if they had asked me. These were hour classes. So my day began at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast. 8:30 I would get dressed. 9:00 they would take me downstairs and I would practice transfers. 10:00 I had recreational therapy where I chose to paint ceramics. 11:00 was the arm exercises. 12:00 was lunch, 1:00 was talking to the social worker, 2:00 was more transfer practice or leg exercises. 3:00 -5:00 I was allowed to rest in my room 5:00 was dinner. 6:00 was a shower and then the rest of the evening I was free.

Successes were being able to sit in my wheelchair for longer periods of time. Being able to master the theraband. Being able to transfer to a chair because then I could also transfer to a shower chair and be able to take showers. Had to gain strength in my arms so that I could begin mastering rolling the wheels of the wheelchair on my own. One day they took me to a hallway with a fairly significant incline and made me roll down it and up it. Down was fairly easy, up not so much. When I asked why I was having to do this they said because I might be somewhere like a restaurant where I needed to go up a ramp. To which I replied "why would I try to do that when I would just have someone push me?" Anyway...I just did as I was told. Also I was given written exercises to help my thought processes come back. At first I could not add or subtract or remember words in sequence, but that all returned rather quickly.

I hate to admit it but I watched a lot of television. I became addicted to Everybody Loves Raymond because it was good for a laugh (I had never seen any of the original episodes). And I became a Suduko addict. I had not played it before either, but enjoyed working those puzzles for a past time. It would be a while before I could read as my vision was fairly blurred. I am thankful that the days were full of activity as it helped the time go by quicker. I was very thankful on May 8th when I finally passed the swallow test! I have never been a very good water drinker, but I remember that water tasted so good! It gave me a much better picture of what it means for us to thirst after the Word, and let Jesus be our Living Water. There is a great song by Dennis Jernigan that I played quite a bit about the lessons I was learning about water, called "Like A River". I will print the lyrics later.

Blessings on everyone's weekend.

Break From The Narrative

Thought I would take a break from the journey narrative today to just share a couple of neat things. Maybe this happens to others of you in the blog world as well, but this week I got an email and a blog entry from two strangers. The first is Christy from Tennessee she had spent her honeymoon in Kauai in July and wanted a couple of my pictures I posted that she did not have, she then sent me 4 that I did not have. So I wanted to share them with you because I had mentioned them in the earlier posts.

Bali Hai from South Pacific.



This is Kong Mountain. Can you see the profile of King Kong's face? They filmed Raiders of the Lost Ark and 6 Days 7 Nights here.

This is sleeping giant mountain? Can you see him?
Every time we drove out or into the southern part of the island we were staying on we went through this tunnel of trees. Was glad to get the picture, because I never took one.

Second was a blog post from Stacey. She is getting a fixator on her leg in a couple of weeks. She had an accident a few years ago and her leg was not set correctly and now my doctor is going to re-break it and correct it with a fixator. She found my blog by Googling Dr. Freudigman's name and found my blog from when I posted about him back in April. So we have made contact and I was able to reassure her that Dr. Freudigman is an amazing doctor and answer some of her questions about the fixator. She emailed me today the story of her journey and it is just awesome to have another believer share their story of how God has sustained them on this journey. It was also an amazing way for God to confirm in me one of the things He has done for me on this journey.



Mary Anne Barnes said it so much better than I could, so I will quote her here and hopefully she will not mind. Yesterday in Ladies Bible Class Karla asked if anyone had a time when God took pain and turned it into joy they could share with the class. Mary Anne said when her 13 year old son died that "God gave her the credentials to be a comforter". 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." I am thankful that God is using my experiences to help others who will have to wear the fixator. I was part of an online support group, but logged off of that in July after spending 2 years with people from all over the world.

So for those prayer warriors out there Stacey will have the fixator put on in two weeks and will have it on for 6 months. She has two young girls. I cannot even imagine how I would have made it if I had children to care for while wearing the frame! She can use our prayers.

Beginnings of Rehab

Being moved out of ICU to rehab was such a big deal. It was a sign that life was going to continue. I remember having the why thoughts here as well. Why was I alive? I knew it was either because God answered all the many prayers that were being prayed for me OR it just was not my time yet. Didn't really need an answer, as either way God still had a purpose for me. In the months to come I would have moments that I wished it had been my time or God hadn't answered all those prayers because I really knew what Paul meant when he wrote in Philippians 2:22-24 about feeling torn between being with God and being here. He says it is far better to be with Christ, but there is work for him to do here. Rehab was going to be such hard work and heaven would have been so much better, but obviously I wasn't going to heaven and rehab was not an option, so to work we went.

I moved into rehab one afternoon and was told we would start the next morning. I said "right". Sure enough bright and early 8:00 a.m. to be exact they came in and put my clothes on me. Real clothes not hospital gowns! This was done by the occupational therapist Leah. Next came the physical therapist Libby. She wanted me to push up from a laying position to a sitting position. I tried, but there was no way. She kept working with me and 3 days later I pushed myself up. Later that day I would meet Lauren, she would be the therapist that would help me deal with my emotions. (I didn't realize till posting here they were all L's) except for Susan, she was the speech therapist. She gave me another swallow test. I had prayed all night long that I would pass it and be able to have something to drink. Well for whatever reasons that was not God's will. I still could not swallow, but guess I was a little better because we went from swabs to this stuff called Thicken Up. I remember being so thankful. It came in flavors and at least it was something, but that gratefulness was short lived as it was really yucky stuff!!

Kind of got ahead of myself. The first time they tried to shower me was a real adventure. Since I was totally non weight bearing I had to learn to transfer out of bed into a wheel chair. Since I could not even sit up to transfer they had to be creative. I guess they knew that a "real" shower would do wonders for my morale. So they called in several nurses who all took corners of the bed sheet and they moved me over to a rubber cart. That cart would not fit in the bathroom in my room so at night when the pool was closed they rolled me down to the showers there. Then they proceeded to wash me and my hair with this amazingly warm water.
While I was so embarrassed to have someone seeing me naked and washing my most intimate places, it was just wonderful to have that warm water covering me. The one aide I remember doing this was Terry and I remember her because over the months to come she would take such very good care of me. I will share another story about her later.

It didn't take long to lose all sense of modesty in the hospital. When you are totally incapable of caring for yourself, someone has to do it and gender does not seem to be one of your choices. So you just learn to be grateful.

The first few nights in rehab were difficult because I had a roommate who had also been in a car accident but had significant head injury. They had her in a bed that was like a cage so that she wouldn't try getting out, but because she could not really communicate or know how to ring the buzzer, she would just rattle the cage until someone came. Once again my headphones came in handy, but lights kept coming on and off all night. So the next thing that my mom or Steve (can't remember which) found for me was a mask I could wear over my eyes and that helped me sleep better. I don't remember her name, my roommate. But I remember feeling sorrier for her than myself. Her grandmother came in from out of state to help take care of her because while her mother lived her for some reason she could not help. But to be honest because her needs were so great we began praying for a private room, and in 4 days God answered that prayer and it was such a blessing. Over the next few weeks I would see my old roommate in the hallways with her grandmother and we would say hello and she actually was able to leave much sooner than I and was transferred to wherever her grandmother lived so it would be easier to take care of her. Guess that is where I will stop for today.

I will add this. Today was Ladies Bible Class and as always Karla Hale was an amazing spokesperson for God. We are studying Philippians and today's lesson was entitled "The Prerequisite for Joy is Usually Pain". She began by asking me how thankful I was to be vertical, and I said "very thankful". Then she asked the entire class how many had awoken this morning and thanked God for being vertical, or being able to see etc. I have to confess that some days I am much better than others that I am vertical, however there are still many days that I forget that and wish I had my life back as I knew it pre-accident. I am looking forward to the day I can embrace the joy of this journey. I know it will come. I am just not there yet.

Waking Up

Thanks so much to those of you that have affirmed my efforts to journal via blog the journey I have been on. I appreciate so much your sweet words.
So when you wake up from being in a coma for 3 weeks you don't realize how long you have been gone. Who knew that in three short weeks of not moving that you would not be able to move at all? The first thing is seeing the faces of those you love looking at you with more love in their eyes than you have ever seen. Of course I couldn't say anything (though I tried) because of the tracheotomy. But those eyes! Most filled with joy, some filled with tears. Just realizing that you are alive and you are still here. I was so thankful for those sweet faces.
Like I said, I couldn't move. Couldn't lift my hands. Since I couldn't talk, I tried to write. It was impossible. What did I want to say? I wanted my cd player and cd's. Music has always been the way that God and I have connected. I love listening to Contemporary Christian Music and at that time there was some songs by Selah that were really ministering to my heart. Especially I remember "You Raise Me Up". It is hard to explain the comfort I had when I placed the headphones on my ears. I just remember giving Steve a big thumbs up. And being the sweet husband he is within a day or two he had bought me these new noise canceling headphones, instead of those little stub things you stick in your ears.
Once I awoke it seemed things moved rather quickly as I recall I awoke on Wednesday and by Monday morning I was in rehab. In the meantime they sent different therapist into my room. The physical therapist would have me move my arms and my legs somewhat. Trying to comb my hair was a major feat. The occupational therapist came in with this bonnet that you put on your head and it shampooed your hair. That felt so good, as it was warm. Somehow it worked even though you did not rinse it out. The speech therapist of all things did a swallow test? I did not pass, so I was not allowed to eat or drink anything. They gave me the swabs that were lemon flavored that I could suck on. I knew I was getting better when I started complaining that I was thirsty and just wanted some ice to suck on.
I am not sure why Baylor's ICU is set up the way it is, but you were not in a private room. There were 5-6 other people in the room with me all in critical condition so it was always busy with activity, another reason the headphones were helpful. I had the first of many nurses that would bless me over the next few months. His name was Chip. He was so very attentive and just so very kind. He even rolled me himself from ICU to my new room at BIR better known as Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation. That is where we will begin next time.
Let me close my saying one the blessings of the 3 weeks I was asleep is that Kerry and Pam Miller had bought a book for people to leave me messages and it has been so sweet to read those comments and prayers over and over again. What do people do that go through this kind of tragedy without a Christian family? So many of you did so many different things for me, Steve and my family. Each and everyone will have an eternal impact. The most amazing thing to me is to how news spread to so many different places and how many people took the time to try and contact us. People I never met were praying for us. It is indeed humbling and again such a testimony to being part of God's church. It is not just local it is EVERYWHERE!

Contemplating The Past 31 Months

Sometimes I am not sure whether blogging is for me or for my readers? I do know that it is usually something I want to say and just hope you want to hear, so I guess it is more for me although it was important to me to know how many people were actually interested in what I had to say so I put a counter on my blog to show me. I am humbled that about 25 of you a day come by and read this blog. All that being said I am starting something new today. I am not sure how long it will last, but have felt the prompting to begin and we will just see how it goes.
For a couple of weeks I feel I have been prompted to write about some lessons I have learned on this journey I have been on for the past 31 months.

I wish that I would have known about blogging from the beginning of my accident. It would have been easier to write about it then trying to recreate those memories now. I did journal some, but it was very inconsistent. So these posts will probably be pretty scattered and not in any certain order.

I don't know if I will ever come to terms with the "what if's" of this situation. I know it doesn't do any good to dwell on them and I can't change anything. Nevertheless, my "what if's" are: what if I had taken the Tollway that night instead of Central Expressway, the thought did cross my mind. What if I had not been talking on the cell phone, would my reflexes have been faster, would I have been driving in another lane? What if no one would have stopped to help that night? Praise God for the good samaritans that did stop and stayed with me until the paramedics came and called Steve and my parents for me. What if the guy that had hit me had stayed and faced the consequences? Or better yet showed some compassion and remorse? I have to admit I have let him have more of my life than I should have by being angry. Not so much that he was drunk and should not have been driving, but more so because of how he has significantly altered my life and has no idea what he has done. I know because of how he ran he is the type of person who probably would not care anyway, but sometimes I still dwell on the what if's.

How I admire paramedics! They answer call after call never knowing what lies ahead. I really don't remember much about how they rescued me as I think God has protected me from those memories because there must have been so much pain involved. I remember them getting me out of the car, but then nothing after that until I woke up 3 weeks later. I know that there are some studies that indicate that people can hear when they are in a coma, I don't remember much. I do remember some very strange dreams. The one I can share with you is that someone dropped me in the "return box" at Blockbuster and when the clerk saw me she said "I know this lady, she isn't suppose to be here she is suppose to be at Baylor". Now remember I have no recollection as to how I knew what hospital I was in. The rest of the dreams are much more bizarre and I don't like to talk about them. I have asked God why that time could not have just been lying in the valley of the shadow of His wings and feeling the peace of the running water and blue sky?

I don't want this to be too long everyday, so I will do my best to just do what is coming to me in small pieces. I will end to day with a really cool quote I saw on a plaque in a cool little gift shop called the Basket Case (on Coit and Campbell). Evidently it is attributed to Abraham Lincoln. "In the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

A Little Gilligan Trivia

So we learned a little Gilligan's Island trivia on our Kauai Movie Tour.


The pilot had three different actors for the Professor, Mary Ann and Ginger. I guess the public didn't like them so they changed the three from when it first aired November 1963 until the show aired again in September of 1964. Did you also know that Jerry Van Dyke audtioned for the part of Gilligan? I just can't imagine anyone being Gilligan but Bob Denver.

They replaced the three of them after the pilot. And changed their occupations. Mary Anne and Ginger were secretaries and became an actress and farm girl. The professor was a high school teacher and changed to a college professor.

It also had a different theme. Why would they have chosen Calypso music for a South Pacific location? I think it is good they changed it. If you are interested you can listen to it here: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/GilligansIslandpilot.wav

In tropical sea is the tropic port,

Vacation fun is the favorite sport,

This is the place where the tourists flock,

Renting the boats at the busy dock.
Two secretaries from U.S.A.

Sail on the Minnow this lovely day.

A high school teacher is next aboard;

All taking trip that they cannot afford.
The next two people are millionaires;

They got no worries, they got no cares.

They climb aboard, and they step inside,

With just enough bags for a 6-hour ride.
Tourists come, tourists go;

Tourists touring to and fro.

These five nice tourists, they take this trip,

Relaxing on deck on this little ship.
The weather is clear, and the sun is hot...

[ sound of thunder: kaboom! ]

The weather is clear? I think it is NOT!

Tourists come, tourists go;

Tourists tossing to and fro.
The captain is brave

( Aye! Carumba! What a storm! ).

The captain is brave, he's a fearless man,

And Gilligan help him all that he can.

The wheel, she break, and lose all control;

S.S. Minnow do the rock-and-roll!
The sea is now calm, and the weather grand;

There is the Minnow upon the sand.

What happen now, will give you a smile:

The adventures of Gilligan...and the Skipper...And the Millionaire... And Mrs. Millionaire... And the other tourists...on Gilligan's Isle! [ end credits ]
We leave all our friends on this tropic shore,
Perhaps they will be here, forevermore.
Maybe a rescue will set them free?

Tune in next week, and then you will see!

Oh To Be Young!

We just received this picture of my niece Alyson (Aly). She is a junior in high school and this was her prom picture (guess they have them in the fall in Washington instead of the Spring?)



No that is not her date, it is my brother Brad :)


Isn't she a pretty girl? I hate that I have never lived close to her or her sister Alyssa and they have grown up without me knowing them very well, but imagine why this picture was a surprise to me when I had taken this picture just six months ago!

Her sister Alyssa is a beautician and I guess without even telling my brother they changed Aly's looks for the prom. Imagine his surprise when she came in the door! I don't think I would be brave enough to do this drastic of a change to myself when I was her age, or for that matter even now. I remember the one time in high school I tried to die my hair blonde and it turned out orange!! It will be interesting to see how they get it back to her natural color of blonde.

Last Post On Kauai

You all have been so kind with your comments the past few days about the Kauai postings. I am glad you have enjoyed the pictures. I have to admit I am a really bad picture taker. I just point and click. Don't know much about focusing (I think my camera does it automatically). I do know how to zoom in. So, I am thankful some of the pictures turned out okay. I didn't take near as many as I wanted to because I was too cheap to pay $45.00 for another memory card (that was the price at K-mart).

Anyway...my last day in Kauai was spent again sunning at the pool and reading a good book "Sure As The Dawn" (the last in the Mark of the Lion series). Then Friday night we went to a luau at the Sheraton. On Kauai anyway this is the only luau that is actually outdoors (the rest are indoors). I found that really interesting. I guess I thought they were like the movies where you sit in the sand on the beach. Nope, we sat at table and chairs. It was still a lot of fun, and very interesting watching all the different kinds of Hawaiian dancing. I was glad so many of the costumes were really modest and the dancing very elegant. But it was still fun to watch the traditional hula dance as well. Boy can they move those hips! Anyway, here are the pictures.
The girls must have changed into at least six different outfits from head to toe.

This was the group that sang. I thought it was neat that before we ate the announcer said we where going to say a prayer of blessing and this group sang "Praise God To Whom All Blessings Flow" in Hawaiian.

My sister Caren reminded me that when we were younger that she, I, my sister Cathy and cousin Janet all bought matching outfits and wore them to Six Flags one year on vacation, so she wanted she and I to buy matching shirts in Hawaii. So here we are.

So this is the final post on Kauai. What a blessing it was. For those of you who are Richardson East members and had a part of giving the finances that made this trip possible, I am so very thankful! God used your generous hearts to bless me in another Ephesian 3:20 way--beyond all that I could ask or imagine.

Movie Tour Pictures

This is the backdrop of where Elvis sang The Hawaiian Wedding Song in Blue Hawaii it is at the old Coco Palms Motel which was pretty much destroyed in a hurricane in 1992 and no one has redeveloped it.


Can you see the coconuts in the tree? My first.


My sister Caren and I standing on the bridge where Elvis sang the song.


Another picture of Gilligan's Island

This is Hanalei Valley. That name ring a bell?

Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea...
In a land called Hanalei.

Did you know that song was about smoking pot? I had no idea!!

This was also the set for the movie Uncommon Valor.



I am trying to figure out why I didn't get a picture of Bali Hai and South Pacific??? Not sure, but anyway...


There is also a mountain called Kong Mountain that looks like the profile of King Kong but none of those pictures turned out either.


This picture had nothing to do with the movies but I took it to show how they build houses near the water. I am thinking if you are handicapped I guess you have to put in an elevator.





So tomorrow I will be actually posting the pictures of what we did a week ago on Friday.

Kauai Continued

Okay, pictures are finally loading. These are the ones I mentioned in yesterday's blog.

They say roosters and chickens are so rampant because there are no predator birds on the island

This is Spouting Horn (the lava tube)

Found out these trees are called Banyan trees.

This is Wimea Canyon, "the Grand Canyon of the South Pacific" The colors of red were magnificant.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour.

Saw at least a dozen waterfalls, this was the biggest of them. The helicopter pilot said there were not as many falls because they had not had much rain.

On Day four we took the day to sun at the pool and then in the evening we went to a Dinner Theater presentation of "South Pacific". It was fun and they did a really good job. The guy that played Stewpot was particularly funny.

Day Five we took a Movie Tour and saw where they made several movies, television shows and a Paula Abdul video (woo-hoo). I'll have to post those pictures later, as Internet Explorer is not downloading them again (Ugh!)

Kauai Day Two and Three

Well...lot's of good guesses as to what the beach picture is but noone was right. Here is a hint:
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.

Yep, it is Gilligan's Island. I will tell you more another day about what we were told about the original pilot of that show.

OKAY AFTER TRYING TO POST PICTURS SINCE 3:00 THIS AFTERNOON (it is now 11:30 p.m.) I AM GIVING UP. I WILL POST THIS ANYWAY BUT WILL HAVE TO TRY THE PICTURES AGAIN LATER.

We spent the second day at a coffee plantation, but I did not take any pictures. Don't know why other than I am not a fan of coffee. We then went to Spouting Horn. It is a lava tube and when the waves come in they shoot up it and make a loud "whooshing noise" and the water comes up like "Old Faithful" unfortunately I could never get the camera fixed exactly right to get the best affect. Also to the right I could see a sea turtle, but my zoom would not get it either. There were several vendors there selling jewelry and I got a jade, coral and opal stone ring and a pretty black and white faux pearl necklace. I also bought a turquoise stone bracelet that has already broken and will have to be restrung.

We then ate at a place that advertised having the best coconut shrimp in the world. To be honest, I like Red Lobster's a lot better. But it was fun eating outside with the roosters and chickens hanging around looking for a scrap. We then drove up the canyon with our hood down on the convertible (again no picture) to see Wimea Canyon (the grand canyon of the South Pacific) It was really pretty with all the red dirt and amazingly cooler. I was thankful that I could walk the long journey up to it.

Then on day three came the highlight of the trip. A helicopter tour of the island. It was so amazing! My pictures did not turn out real well, but I got a DVD of the ride along with all the dialogue of the pilot who was describing everything to us. He said we were not seeing near as many waterfalls because they had not had much rain, but the ones we did see were amazing. So this was a great time other than the few minutes I got air sick. Praise God for the "comfort bags" or that is what the pilot called them anyway.

Kauai Day One

I think I will wait to reveal the identity of the picture I posted last night until some more guesses come in. In the meantime I will give you snippets of my time in Kauai so that you don't have an excess to read at one time.

First of all, if you are doing a long flight and have the chance to upgrade your seats for more leg room, it is definitely worth it! Going we were able to gain 5 inches and it made all the difference in being comfortable. Coming back no seats were available and even though I was dead tired when the person in front of me put their seat back, I found it very uncomfortable trying to find a position for my legs for 8 hours.

We arrived in Kauai at 7:30 on Saturday and I was so surprised to find it already dark. We got our convertible and went straight to the Lawaii Beach Resort. I was amazed at how pitch black the roads were (one lane both directions at that). There were not many street lights. First thing I had to do when we arrived was use the "little girls room" and imagine my surprise to find an orchid in the toilet! I had never had this surprise before.

Sunday we went to an orientation meeting where they described to us the island and all the activities that we could do (way too many for a week). The concierge would then make all the reservations so that was nice. On the way to the meeting the first thing I noticed was this cool tree outside our door. I have no idea what it is called, but I thought the bottom of it was so cool (and like the one in Jurrasic Park, only smaller). I would find that I wished I knew a lot more about plants and trees as there were so many very pretty ones on the island and I had no clue what they were (but was too cheap to pay $10.00 for a book that described them)

We headed to Walmart to get some food and needed items (I forgot sunglasses). And stopped and ate lunch at Pizza Hut (I know, it was just quick and easy). I did notice that at the Burger King they had a sign for SPAM for breakfast. One tour guide said that Hawaiians eat 17 times the national average of SPAM. But I didn't get a picture of the signage. Anyway, we headed home and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

Wait till you hear and see what we did on Monday, it was by far the most fun of the trip!!

Home Again

I am home again and back to blogging. I didn't take my computer to Kauai because the website said the resort had web T.V., but our unit did not. Tonight I am still suffering from jet lag so won't be writing much. Who would have thought that not sleeping much on the 10 p.m. till 9 a.m. flight and losing 5 hours because of the time change could be so debilitating? (not to mention my plane was 4 hours late leaving Denver!) I slept till 2:00 today, but have just been running on empty. Was it worth it? You betcha!! I look forward to telling you about it in the days to come.

I did spend significant time tonight reading everyone's blog and catching up. Sorry so many of you have been sick or had sick kids. I missed communicating with all my blog friends.

So I will start my return with a guessing game. This is a significant beach on Kauai, any guesses as to why?

I will tell you tomorrow and start posting some other pictures.

Arrived In Denver

So I got to Denver okay and am enjoying the cooler weather. Last night slept with the windows open at my sister Caren's house and just loved hearing the wind blow through the trees in her back yard. I woke up during the night and the moon was a crescent moon but it had an amazing display of light in the shape of a cross that was just beautiful.

My flight was okay although wouldn't you know I had to sit behind the 6 foot guy who just had to have his seat back so whatever little leg room I did have was gone. I honestly felt like his seat was just inches from my chin, although I know it was not really that close. But arrived safely and had a good evening.

My brother, his wife, and their girls and my sisters kids and their spouses are all coming for dinner tonight. I finally get to meet baby Talon this afternoon, so I am looking forward to that.

Then tomorrow we will take off at 12:05! So if I post again it will be from Kauai. Woo-hoo!

Kauai Here I Come

I leave tomorrow afternoon for Kauai. I wish I could say I was excited. I know I will be once I land there, but in the meantime I am just somewhat nervous about surviving the flight to get there. Spending eight hours on the plane without being able to elevate my leg and if I am to be totally honest: I have never used the restroom on a plane before. There I said it. But I am sure whatever the inconveniences are it will be all worthwhile once I get there. Here are some pictures from the Lawai Beach Resort where we will be staying.




This will be our view from the room.


The beach with snorkeling is just right across the street.


And this will be the sunset.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to:
1. Time with my sister
2. Listening to the waves (she says we can hear them in our room!)
3. Seeing the beauty God created
4. Eating fresh pineapple and coconut
5. Riding in a convertible
6. Tranquility
7. Going to a Luau
8. Seeing waterfalls (doubt my leg will let me get in one (: )
9. Being on the beach
10. Having cooler weather (High's low 80's, low's low 70's)

Haven't decided whether I want to hassle with taking the computer or not, so you will have to stay tuned to see if I post from Kauai, or wait till I get home.
Akua Ho'omaika'i oukou (God Bless You)

Another Mystery Solved

Thanks to my sister Cathy I also found out the origin of a Pet Blessing. I guess the official day is actually Thursday, October 4th. So now I know the purpose and guess it does not sound as unreasonable as I first thought.

Blessing of Animals by Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M.
As autumn arrives, people in various places may notice something odd.
A procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and even horses, is led to churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of Pets.
This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.
Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.
Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” And there was testimony in the cause for St. Clare of Assisi’s canonization that referred to her little cat!
That there are today over 62 million cats in the U.S. attests to the continuing affection we have for our furry, feathered or finned friends. We've even had a cat called Socks in the White House. Other popular presidential pets range from Abraham Lincoln’s Fido to Lyndon Johnson’s beagles, named Him and Her.
For single householders, a pet can be a true companion. Many people arrive home from work to find a furry friend overjoyed at their return. Many a senior has a lap filled with a purring fellow creature.
The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love.
No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing. Church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated.
At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:
“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”

Mystery Solved

Well, the mystery has been solved as to who was the 1,000th visitor to my blog.
Drum roll please.......................................
It was my husband Steve! Tonight he sent me a resend of a message he sent me 2 nights ago. When he sent it that night I just thought he was telling me that someone hit the 1,000 mark because he just cut and pasted the page with the counter. Then tonight he sent it again and I am still not getting it and he said "It was me, I was number 1,000". My first response was "Oh Bummer" thinking how am I going to explain this to everyone and who is going to believe me? Not giving any thought to him thinking I did not want it to be him. So then I had to apologize. Anyway...I told him I was going to give a gift certificate to Amazon.com and he said I did not have to give it to him, but fair is fair right? (Sorry to disappoint Becky and Amberly it was not $1,000. Remember after all I am leaving for Hawaii in 2 days :) )

Today I received an email (indirectly) from a old college acquaintance who is the associate minister at the Garden Ridge church of Christ in Lewisville. They are looking for a children's minister. I emailed him to just say hi and see how things are going and I told him I noticed on their website that he was teaching Dynamic Marriage classes (also called His Needs, Her Needs). He and I had attended the same class years ago to be certified to lead this class. Anyway, he said in the past 10 years he has taught 15 classes and in that time 5 couples had already filed for or been divorced and they were all reunited. I just think that is a powerful testimony of what only God can do if we are willing to commit to Him and His ways with all of our hearts.

Who Were You?

So did anyone pay attention to the counter and notice that you were the 1000th person?
If so let me know who you were. I have a surprise for you. Thanks to all of you who read, I would love it if more of you would comment :)

God's Answers

Anita Barton sent this via email today and I thought it was so good that I would share it. I always need help in replacing Satan's lies with truth.

GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER

You Say: "It's impossible"

God Says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You Say: "I'm too tired"

God Says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You Say: "Nobody really loves me"

God Says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You Say: "I can't go on"

God Says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You Say: "I can't figure things out"

God Says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You Say: "I can't do it"

God Says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You Say: "I'm not able"

God Says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You Say: "It's not worth it"

God Says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You Say: "I can't forgive myself"

God Says: I forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You Say: "I can't manage"

God Says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You Say: "I'm afraid"

God Says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You Say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"

God Says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You Say: "I'm not smart enough"

God Says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You Say: "I feel all alone"

God Says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

May we all remember that Jesus came not to just give us life, but ABUNDANT life.

(John 10:10)