the big surprise

My brother Chris and his family

Now that I'm done with all that photo foolishness, I can get back to my blog and my company. Needless to say, my writing is sitting at the bottom of the basket. I did meet that deadline for acknowledgements and such so it's nice to take some time off. The reason you haven't seen any blog pics posted lately other than the minuscule ones I barely managed to tack on, is because the big surprise sitting in my living room is my brother who is no more adept at dealing with dial-up internet than I am. So these posts definitely lack his colorful pictures.

I couldn't mention my brother's visit (via Indiana via Ecuador) because he was a surprise for my mom who flew in today. So after a reunion this morning, a big dinner of grilled shrimp and chicken and bread salad tonight, and the unveiling of his tattoo for dessert, we are tired! I wonder how many missionaries have tattoos? His extends from his shoulder to his elbow and is a lion and a lamb and cross. My mother just went to bed as she is still recovering (from jet lag and finding him here in my house and examining his rather large tattoo)!

Now that I'm cooking and cleaning and feeling leisurely again, it's a little like my life before books. No pressure or deadlines! Just doing whatever whenever. Lots to be said for that. But I find myself missing my writing. Especially that second book. Red River Daughter is my favorite, if a writer can have favorites.

It is wonderful to be in the same house with my brother again as we usually are not in the same country. And being with my Kentucky momma is an added blessing. So even a good book can wait. Happy Monday.

Paul - pet evangelist

Paul is our resident pet evangelist. He's 8 years old but very earnest. Before bed he picks some of his favorite pets (the stuffed ones - 21 converts at last count) and we have a prayer circle. The 3 crocodiles are the most devout. One of them is from Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, KY. (but I digress). Somehow he stands them up and he holds their hands (do crocodiles have hands?) and he insists I do the same. Then he prays. But he really sings. Fast. Paul and his pets don't have a long attention span.

I sometimes do the same when I pray. I like to do it fast as I don't have a long attention span (just a long to-do list). I'm so glad the Lord is patient. This week Randy has been off work and so our usual 5am get-up time has shifted to 7-8 and my quiet time has been lost. Let me tell you, I've also lost patience, good humor, love, joy, peace and all the rest. When I start the day in the right way, the hours that unfold are so much sweeter - and I am too!

Since I'm working on a laptop so much, I sometimes forget to plug in the power. Gradually the screen gets dimmer and dimmer as the battery fades. But I'm so involved in what I'm doing I don't notice. Then a warning pops up on the screen and I reach over and plug the computer in to the power source. Hmmm. Suddenly the screen shines like its noon - sunny and bright. I always smile when this happens as it makes my work so much easier (I have bad vision).

You know where I'm going with this. The analogy is a simple one. When we stay connected to the source - the only One who can give true love, joy, peace, patience and all the rest, our lives are so much smoother and sweeter. And so is everyone else's we touch. When we operate in the dark, get used to the dimness, we will run out of power.

When your world gets dark, you get lost. He really is the light of the world.

I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. John 8:12

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

visit Spain - vicariously!

My brother, Chris, and his family are in Spain at the moment. I hop over to their blog to see what they are doing as it is a nice switch from rainy Washington state. They've lived in Ecuador for many years being missionaries and are now transitioning to Spain. Spain is the least evangelized nation in Europe and that is one of the reasons they are moving their ministry.

The churches their team began in Ecuador are thriving under Ecuadorian leadership so they are moving on. Team Expansion is really a great missions organization as they do not set out to change the culture and try to Americanize missions, but build up the Ecuadorian Christians to pastor and grow their own churches. Plus they meet a lot of practical needs such as providing medical services to poor families who otherwise would go without and raising funds for housing for those families who live in conditions that make our poor in the USA look like Bill Gates in comparison.

If you want to learn a little about Spain through some quick video blogging, just go to niciasruminations.blogspot.com. You'll be glad you did!

Randy

Husbands really are wonderful inventions, if you get a good one. Mine will be 38 Monday. For 6 weeks out of each year we are ten years apart in age so I'm always glad to narrow the gap. And I'm not the younger one in this equation! Hopefully you're mathematically challenged like me and won't figure it out. We'll be celebrating our 14th anniversary soon but have known each other since 1984.

Since Randy rarely reads this blog, I'll talk about his birthday. He's a man of simple tastes so his big present is my cleaning out the garage today. And you thought a writer's life was glamorous! For supper he's requested chicken and dumplings which northwesterners call "pot pie" for some reason. They simply cut up pie dough and throw it in some chicken broth. It's pretty good. Sometimes I sneak eggs and baking powder in but he can tell the difference. He's not fond of southern dumplings.

Randy is the epitome of 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands.

There's not one funny bone in his body but he likes to refer to my writing historical fiction as "hysterical fiction" which makes me smile. He's my very best friend and I'm so thankful. Next to Jesus, he's my rock. I hope our boys grow up to be like him.

This morning I received our family pictures via email so promise to post some soon. The boys personalities really shine through, so the photographer said. I think you'll agree:)

the most glorious day

This morning at 6am it was a warm 60 degrees. A real departure from our usual 38 degree May mornings here in western Washington. Forecasters are calling this a record-breaking weather day and we are ready! Randy planted all the corn last night. The peas are up as well as the kale and spinach. The boys filled up two giant washtubs with water and got their swimsuits out (there aren't many pools around here)! I'll have to take my usual walk early.

Today is supposed to reach a high of nearly 90! Our temps usually never climb out of the low 70's even in the middle of August so this is a real treat. We even bought watermelon. Tomorrow is supposed to be cool again - and probably cloudy, as well. But for one glorious day we can pretend it is summer and make the most of it!

music to my ears

Today was Paul's violin lesson. He has a wonderful teacher from Finland who loves to teach children and has students from age 4 to 74. Helena recently told me that learning to play the violin at my age is like learning a foreign language. Children are naturals when it comes to learning music. I didn't tell her I flunked flutaphone in third grade! I remember cringing all the way out to the portable for group lessons on that fine plastic instrument and am sure I chucked mine in the garbage at the first opportunity. I still don't understand music at all, nor can I read it. But I love to listen.

Paul really likes to play the violin but hates the half hour daily practice. He's had lessons for a year and a half and today took Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to a new level. He and his teacher played a duet and it was heavenly. I guess I am living out my violin dreams through him but he doesn't seem to mind. He even likes to perform at recitals which would make me kind of sick.

I'm not sure how long our violin dream will last but hope I will always have the memory of Paul flinging open our French door and serenading our two dogs as they howl directly outside during each and every practice. He thinks this is quite funny. I guess the dogs don't, as they never miss a practice. We just learned a dog's hearing is 70 times more sensitive than a human's so maybe this is the trouble. Violins are simply awful when they squeak and they squeak a lot when you are learning.

Years ago when I was a college student I attended a chapel where Itzak Perlman was performing. He was in a wheelchair (childhood polio) but he played the most beautiful music I have ever heard. I guess that is when the violin bug bit me. I would have given anything (except my writing) to be able to play like he did. Today he is known as the reigning virtuoso of the violin but back then I was ignorant of all that. I just knew I was hearing something otherworldly. I wonder where he thinks his great gift came from. Being Jewish, I wonder who God is to him. It would be such a tragedy to have the gift but not know the giver.

Paul is no Perlman but if I could post some of Paul's squeaks and our dogs howling I am sure you would get a great laugh.

mothers

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I have so many reasons to be thankful. I have a wonderful mother. She lives in Berea, Kentucky in the same house she grew up in over 70 years ago on old Haiti Road. I can't wait to fly home in August and spend time with her. She has the sunniest disposition and makes everything so much fun. I tend to be somewhat melancholy at times but not Mom! Lately I've been especially appreciative of her, thanks to the little old lady down the road.

If you're reading this post you most definitely have had a mother and maybe even are one. There are many kinds of mothers. They teach you so many things, good or bad. Bev is the little old lady down the road from me. She is still mothering into her 80's! Bev is a retired schoolteacher who never learned to drive and still lives on her grandparent's old homestead. She is the epitome of a proper old-time teacher, right down to her hats and gloves and elegant wardrobe. She has one son and two grown grandsons.

One of these grandsons became addicted to meth years ago and nearly destroyed himself (and her). Our church became very concerned for her safety. Yet she never showed any fear. She let this grandson come around even though he was dragging tons of junk cars and trash onto her property and bringing his addicted friends with him. This lovely pioneer homestead soon looked like a junkyard. Neighbors began complaining. The sheriff set up a neighborhood watch and soon her grandson was arrested and sent to treatment. That was two years ago.

Last summer both she and her grandson were baptized in the river not far from here. It was a beautiful thing to witness. Now when he comes round he brings his old friends who are in recovery and she prays with them and tells them about Jesus. She now has an amazing ministry with recovering meth addicts. Some of these are women who never had a mother who mothered them.

Last week she told me, with tears in her eyes, that she never thought she'd be mothering into her 80's and that she is tired but the Lord keeps bringing people to her door. She said that these women are so lost and she blames much of it on the lack of a loving mother. They don't know how to behave, to make a home, to be feminine. These are the things a good mother teaches.

On Sundays it gives me both joy (and a jolt) to see this older lady sitting in a pew surrounded by recovering meth addicts.

I am doubly thankful for my mother when I look at Bev. Please pray for Bev and those she ministers to. You'll see them in heaven someday!

wyatt

I have a wonderful son named Wyatt who is 11 1/2 years old. I asked him how he would describe himself and he simply said, "I'm the opposite of Paul in every way." Hallelujah - I can only handle one Paul! Wyatt tends to be serious and studious and loves to read and write. He likes to compose silly poems and then memorize them. He thinks he would like to be a food critic when he grows up. We laugh when he says this because he's never met a food he would criticize! I keep hoping he'll say he wants to be a missionary or a bush pilot or something exciting.

He has such a generous, loving heart. I hope the world treats him kindly. Maybe Paul can teach him some moxie. He has enough to share, believe me.

In a couple of weeks we'll be having a family picture made. First time in 9 years! I'll try to post one so you can see my handsome boys. And I will try to cut myself out of it first! My granny taught me how to do that. Now that she's passed on, we have a treasure trove of old photos with her missing. I don't recommend this! So stay tuned and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading!

paul

My son, Paul, is really real. Even though he is only 8 years old. Sometimes we think he might qualify for one of those switched at birth stories because he is nothing like the rest of us. He doesn't like to read. Or get dressed. Or eat. Just popcorn, popsicles, and pizza. When we ask him a question he answers by making animal noises. Most every morning he wakes up singing. He is that happy. Once when we rushed him to the hospital for what we thought was an appendix attack and everyone was crying hysterically but Paul, he turned to us and said in great disgust, "Cut it out, you crybabies!" It must be hard for Paul to live with the rest of us because he has genuine joy and we have to work it up. Paul is really real.

When I stopped writing to just be with Paul, he made it so worthwhile. I almost forgot about the pretend people I'd put in a drawer. He taught me so many neat things that I might have overlooked if my head had remained in a book.

family

I am so proud of my brother, Chris. He is such an interesting guy and lives in Ecuador but will soon be moving to Spain. He has a wonderful family including his beautiful wife, Nicia, and 4 great kids, Andrew, Joshua, Daniel, and Kaylea in that order.

Check out his websites: www.IrwinsInEcuador.com and also www.MissionsForDummies

This morning I found out that Wheaton Graduate School selected him as one of their alumni to highlight on their website - www.wheaton.edu/intr/Overview/alumni.htm. So, in his words, he's now not only beautiful, but famous too! I forgot to mention he has a great sense of humor!