A Beautiful, Warm Day
In Our Neighborhood
Friday, March 18
Jared brought a large piece of artwork home from school today. It looks like fish have been swallowing people.
PS: I just checked with Jared. They are airplanes. The thing that looks like a mouth of a fish is actually the pilot’s window.
They quickly changed into play clothes so they could pick up sticks for grandpa and play in the yard.
They delighted in the seventy-seven degree weather.
A Sad Day for Me
A Happy Day for Her
My friend Lois Martin died last night.
We worked together about once a week when TFC’s Northeast Region was in Morgantown, Pennsylvania (in the ’80s). Then when Cerwin became the Northeast Region Director in 1990, she did the monthly accounting for me until it was eventually handled by the International Office.
I will miss her phone calls.
She never recovered from very serious heart surgery several weeks ago.
~~~
This was her daughter’s post on Facebook last night:
Mom went home to be with our Lord tonight at 7:50 p.m. She had a long battle that left her body weak and incapacitated. We are so thankful that she is now free and unencumbered. I want to thank all of you for your support, prayers, and kind words as we walked through this trying time. Celebrate tonight because she is celebrating with the angels.
~~~
The joy of God is your strength!
Nehemiah 8:10 (The Message)
Visiting Great-Grandma
…and supper at Graziano’s
Thursday, March 17
Today after school we took Ian, Jared, and Jesse to visit Cerwin’s mother. I reconciled her checkbook, and Cerwin went through the mail that she puts aside for him.
Jared and Great-Grandma
Jesse and Great-Grandma
Ian and Great-Grandma
From there we went to Graziano’s for a pizza supper.
I wanted to see Josh at work. Here he is flipping a hamburger for someone’s sandwich.
Serving a meal to someone.
Jesse and Cerwin
The boys kept busy while we waited until Josh was finished working at 7:00 p.m.
Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. Jesus
John 4:14 (The Message)
More Signs of Springtime
…and the boys
Wednesday, March 16
Today I noticed a purple crocus was blooming.
I also discovered more new growth in some of our flower beds.
I never tire of seeing new, green shoots in the springtime.
Jesse decided that he wanted to stay in his pajamas all day, so being the good grandma that I am – I agreed. 
He did get a bath tonight – and new pj’s to sleep in.
He loves feeding cookies and snacks to these children on a Fisher-Price preschool game I originally bought for the oldest grandchildren fifteen or more years ago.
Jared brought a cute piece of artwork home from school today.
He was pleased when I asked if he would like to put it on our refrigerator.
Ian is supposed to memorize this verse for Friday.
Josh worked at Graziano’s after school, so his friend Travis and cousin Nate stopped in at the restaurant in time to bring him home – about 8:30.
He said he was starving, so it didn’t take him long to discover that I had purchased breaded cheese sticks today.
Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
Colossians 3:12 (The Message)
My Week
So Far
March 13, 14, & 15
Our unusual week began on Saturday when Jere and Kristen brought their boys (Jesse, Ian, and Jared) to stay with us for seven days while they go to New Orleans on a business trip. Jeff & Chris’ youngest girls (Gloria and Diana) love to play with them, so we invited them to come home with us after church on Sunday.
Josh is also here, and spent most of Sunday with “the guys” – two cousins and several friends.
After taking the girls home on Sunday night, I visited the barn to see the sheep, goats, and especially the babies.
Cassie would have liked if I spent more time with her. She is growing up and acquiring big feet and a deep, loud bay.
I don’t remember seeing this small statue in Chris’ flower bed before. I like it. She is so creative with the placement of things like this.
Things are different at our house this week. There are lunch boxes and sip cups…
children’s cereal…
small shirts and jeans…
…and toys on the living room floor.
There are small hands and feet…
and I’m reading Dr. Seuss.
Jesse fixing his bed (sleeping bag on an air mattress) this morning.
Jared and Ian are ready for school.
Some of my readers are asking about the long bar in front of the bus. This moves front when the bus stops so the children have to walk at a distance from the front of the bus. If they are too close to the bus the driver cannot see them. This came into being a few years ago after several children got hit by the bus.
Josh had a more relaxing morning because he doesn’t have to leave quite as early.
He even had a bit of time to watch the Jetsons with Jesse.
Cerwin had to remove ice from the truck window this morning before leaving for the TFC shop.
Josh’s friend Troy came to take him to school.
Then I had time to enjoy a cup of coffee as the sun came up in the east.
Jesse played with toys and GameCube, and later a few Fisher Price preschool games on my old office computer, while I prepared a chaplain’s newsletter for bulk mailing. After taking it to the post office, I prepared the labels for tomorrow’s Highway News mailing.
Just before 3:30 in the afternoon Jared and Ian came home from school.
It looks like they have not yet run out of energy.
I was delighted to notice the first blooms in our yard this spring.
These crocus were a gift from my mother thirty-seven-and-a-half years ago. She gave the bulbs to us for our tenth wedding anniversary. I can still remember her saying, “This isn’t a very pretty gift, but they come with a promise of beauty each spring.”
~~~
Tomorrow it will be thirty-seven years since she died at the age of fifty-two from cancer.
My mother on her wedding day, and at the age of 53 – about a half a year before she died.
~~~
Happy Birthday
To Our Favorite Hezekiah
We Love You!
Grandpa & Grandma
Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.
Matthew 4:19-20 (The Message)
