Scared Stiff!

First of all, I want it known that I don't have a long list of fears.
I have faced a diagnosis of cancer, done chemotherapy and radiation. With the Grace of God,  I have helped to raise four children, who all survived to adulthood, for goodness sake.
Last week, I even faced down a construction worker, who had allegedly talked back to one of my seniors. He out-weighed me by at least 100 pounds, but he meekly cowered when I told him not to do it again. And, believe me, he was right in backing off! I would have taken him down, high heels and all.
But, I am afraid of specifically one thing. I don't do high!
Recently, in a fit of cleaning, I came across a card. It was from the Pike's Peak Highway, dated June 5, 1997. I remember the event like it was yesterday.
We were in Colorado Springs. Our youngest was playing in a Soccer Tournament at the US Air Force Academy. In the off-game hours, we had just enough time to take our "Plains Boy" up into the mountains for an adventure. So up we went.
The first 15 minutes or so, was pleasant. But, the higher up we got, the scarier it became. Sitting on the front passenger side of the car, I noticed immediately that the ground had dropped away and it was a really long way down the mountain. The trees were gone. It was just rock, all the way down.
If I could have slipped out of my seat belt and climbed onto the driver's lap I would have done it, but I was too frightened. I was frozen in terror!
At the gift shop, near the top, I remember screaming, "Is this mountain enough for you? Take us down, right now. If you don't, I am going to go by myself. Turn this car around, now!"
So, we returned to Colorado Springs, at the foot of Pike's Peak. I became fearless once again.

Oh, God. We are all afraid of something. You remain our constant through all of our struggles. Shield and shelter us. Give us strength.

They are Gold!

I'm about to celebrate another birthday. Funny how that anniversary rolls around every year at this time, and I never seem to feel any older!
Well this year, I received a little treat, by mail, that made me feel a great deal older, but at the same time very grateful and blessed. My friend sent me an ancient black and white photo of myself! I hardly recognized the skinny pre-teen in the photo. She was a stranger.
Right before I turned seven, my parents bought their one and only home on Walnut Street. It was a nice place, perfect for a family of four, in a nice neighborhood. And, right across the little dirt alley dividing our block was another family of four with a girl who was just my age. That was something very special. We became great friends. There were summers when we saw each other every day and winters when we walked the three blocks, to and from grade school, with each other as companions, religiously.
The two of us rode our bikes, roller skated on the sidewalks, spent hours at the community swimming pool and walked to the public library together.
Throughout grade school and high school, we were very close. Then we went to college in different towns, married, had kids and never lived near each other again. We stayed in touch, but in our twenties and thirties we were busy with our families, etc. Our communication, during that time, was through yearly Christmas cards and the infrequent school reunion.
Thankfully, in the years since, we frequently talk to each other by phone. And when we have our long distance chats, we start right where we left off the last time we talked. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Thank you Lord for my many blessings. Thank you for the friendships. I am so blessed to have such a lasting friendship with someone so special. This is an amazing world and there are so many great people in it. Help us to keep focused on the truly good things in life.

Opposites Attract

By now almost everyone has tried to buy some of the new "light bulbs". I sure hope most of you have better luck than my spouse and me, at trying to get replacement bulbs that give off similar light to what we have been used to, for so many years.
Seriously. Who does that government think we are? Edison think alikes? Genius electricians? The old packages were labeled: 40 Watt, 60 Watt, or 100 Watt bulbs....and we knew what amount of light we were buying.
Now, these new LED or CFL bulbs give out light on a completely different scale. You want a 60 Watt bulb equivalent for your living room floor lamp. Good luck trying to find one.
Because my long suffering husband...he's long suffering because I have the patience of a gnat and the attention span of a hummingbird.... spent a great deal of time figuring out the number of lumen's per Watt and the LED/CFL equivalent, we now know a 60 Watt bulb gives off 800 Lumen's and is "sort of" equal to a 13-15 Mercury infused "new light".
Theoretically the new lights are more energy efficient and are better for the environment, but HOLY COW, detailed stuff like this just wears me out!

Dear Lord: I know that I am deficient in the patience category. Thank you for sending me someone who has enough patience for the both of us. Thank you for allowing us to recognize some of our strengths and weaknesses. We praise your wisdom.