A Good Afternoon with Ms Keanna

Dear Family and Friends,
First you walk in the light of dawn, then you eat tasty scrambled eggs by chef Jerry, then you settle down to do some work while the warm fire burns and lifts the physical chill from the home.
Dr. Jim provides needed antibiotics, all I have to do is drive to Antioch to pick them up.

Then it is time to welcome Keanna and suddenly it is raining. There is Keanna, see her, she is the one without a coat on and holding her backpack over her head to protect from the rain.

First McDonalds and then Strawhat where Jerry buys us salads and we sip water. Then to Blockbuster to rent a movie for Keanna to watch. Since the house was warm and cozy Keanna could watch the movie on the little TV which used to sit on Nan's desk. Its a cute little TV with DVD player built in which she wanted and finally received for Christmas one year.
Keanna had popcorn and a red jello, did her homework in a jiffy all by herself, read me a little book and was done with it.

At 4 we headed out the door for music class and this time we arrived on time. I see a greater self confidence in Keanna as she matures. Of course like all good parents and grandparents there is a mixed reaction to this growing up. One part of us wants to keep them at this cute age forever and the other knows they need to be prepared for the world that they will venture into all too soon. Keanna has taken to Jerry very naturally, sort of like he has always been in her life. He in turn gets a kick out of her remembering that not that long ago he and Donna were caring for their granddaughter who raised for several years.

None of us knows what to expect next in life. Over the past few years I've been mostly disappointed in what life handed me, sorry but that is the way I feel. Yet even in very challenging times like the present there are moments of bliss, joy, blessing and family plus friends have provided most of these special moments. I can think of three scenes that play out over and over, scene one, the moment Keanna sees me at the gate after school on Wednesdays. She lights up, imagine that, she lights up over her old papa standing there smiling from ear to ear. scene two, slowly the motorhome pulls into the long driveway and up on the second level the door opens and Timothy races out to the rail shouting Papa papa. That moment is magic and the rigors of the 2 hour drive are washed away instantly. scene three, I enter the door from the garage and Kallie sees me, she turns and races toward me as fast as she can run and crashes right into my legs. I know enough to help break the impact and she looks up and says papa. Magic moments that no bill collectors can erase, no sad memories can eclipse, just plain magic moments the bring peace and joy into my life.

On a somber note, I've gone the week without ANY orders. I'm finishing up working on two challenging ones and then I'm caught up. There are a couple orders that could happen but they are not firm. The Academy Mortgage account that I was told was in force again is not yet official so no more orders until a signature arrives from a person that I don't even know. My Chevy Chase account that has been a steady 2 to 5 orders per week has now placed one order in the last two weeks. I must say my faith is severely challenged right now. Jerry asked me a challenging question, if I did not appraise what would I do for work? I had no answer, I know of nothing else to do. What my heart longs to do is be involved with helping troubled people through tough times yet I don't know how to make a living doing that. Bob wrote to the blog and reminded me that I've seen challenging times before, he is so right.

I simply ask for your prayers that God will lead in a stronger way than ever before and that I will be willing to follow His lead. I need help as my resources are very thin and a house payment needs to be made by Friday.

This evening after Keanna went to music class we drove to the club and while Jerry waited in the kick back room I went to spin class. We discussed it and Jerry was concerned that since I was feeling so rough and that I was coughing every other minute that spin class might be too much for me. Like I often do I waffled back and forth for a bit but then I decided to just go for it. The class was challenging, my bike was soaked with my sweat, my butt still hurts from bruised bones but for 45 minutes I did not stop spinning. Part of me could just not believe I would make it the whole time but I just kept spinning and when it was over and I once again stood up I felt like I won the lottery. I've hardly coughed since and while I've very tired since I already walked 3 miles this morning my knees are trashed but it felt good to face a challenge I could meet and defeat.

Once we got home Jerry whipped up some perfect grilled cheese sandwiches and I made soup. We enjoyed our dinner very much and it was tasty. Jerry is this amazing person who has been through so much in his life, had several careers ending with 35 years on the railroad the last of which had him the engineer of the whole mile long train. He knows so much about so much and its a blast to learn from him. I just wish we lived closer. He is a precious part of my life.

Well it is now time to go to bed and yes I'm working on getting the blog colors better. So far Lois and I have not arrived at the correct look.

Love to all

Tim