What a great week. Mom came Sunday afternoon, just in time to go to HOPE with us and hear one of Damon's sermons. She arrived just as I was starting to feel better after the Big Surgery; a week earlier, and I would have felt too bad to go anywhere...a week later, and I would have been back to work. God's timing once again!And speaking of God's timing, Tuesday, September 8th (Mom's 3rd day here) was the date of my *original* appointment with the doctor, the day I would have learned of a problem that required a hysterectomy right away. Instead, it marked three weeks and one day of healing. What a lovely blessing, and anyone who thinks that the doctor's office calling me during Summer School in *July* and offering me a last-minute cancellation was just "Dumb Luck" is so, so mistaken.
Mom packed a whole lot of Abilene living into 6 days, with lots of laughter and good food. Although she had to do a lot of the driving in an unfamiliar town, we managed to visit El Fenix, Jordan Taylor, Harold's, the Cockerell Art Gallery for Jessalyn's photo exhibit, the Bush home for cheesecake with Kirsten's parents, the Texas Star bookstore, 2 Thai restaurants, a baptism at ACU's Jacob's Dream sculpture, the Maxwell home to see a childhood friend, the mall, ArtWalk (complete with folk music & bellydancers on the streets of Abilene), the doctor, ACU, and probably a bunch of other things I'm forgetting.
Side note: Mom was a great taxi driver for someone post-surgery! She drove slowly in the right-hand lane, trying to avoid all the manhole covers and potholes. Who cares if she sometimes turns left when you say "right" or right when you say "left" or turns when she dadgum feels like it, even though you told her to stay on that road? We saw a lot more of the city using Mom's method!
And here's a delicious twist: Mom and Dad are always telling me that *right after* I leave Virginia every summer, the weather turns cool and wonderful and the leaves start to turn and the air turns crisp and apples fall from the trees and red cardinals perch on their windowsills, singing cheery autumnal melodies. EVERY year, I "just miss" the cool weather.
Well, now I can report that the same thing happened in reverse! All week, Mom kept complaining about how hot it was, even though we had cool weather every morning (high 60s/low 70s) and Every Single Building in Abilene has AC. We even had rainstorms that made the air smell wonderful! And what should the local paper proclaim on the front page today, the DAY AFTER Mom left town? "Fall temps move in." No kidding.
We love you, Mom! Hope you had fun surprising Uncle James on his birthday, snuggling James Russell, and hangin' with The Girls (including Dolly) in Abilene! Don't be a stranger! Bring Dad and Jackson next time!
4 comments:
Moms are awesome!!! You've obviously learned from one of the best.
Sounds like you had wonderful visit! :) You & Karen are sooo blessed to have her as your mom! (She's blessed too to have both of you for daughters!)Isn't it awesome when we recognize that God truly does have every little detail so well thought out, for OUR GOOD! :)) Glad you are healing up so well!
Oh, Melanie...you are so right. God's hands and His timing have been all over this operation...and I could actually FEEL prayers going up on my behalf.
This whole experience has been eye-opening. How often do I pray for those who are facing scary procedures? Or take them groceries and food when they are shut-ins?
May God help me remember the kindnesses done for me...how it encouraged me and helped my healing and lifted my spirits...and may I do the same for my fellow sheep!
Happy Monday!
I had a wonderful vacation in NC and TX. TX is truly a unique place. I still feel at home there, even though I only lived there for the first 22 years of my life, and I've lived the other 2/3 of my life in other places. I loved getting to surprise my brother, see two sisters-in-law, three nieces and a nephew, two grandnieces, meet a new "grandnephew-in-law," see all three of my children, five of my grandchildren, and getting my fill of Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Thai food. There just wasn't enough time to take it all in. I wish we could have enjoyed a mariachi band, as well as some live Country & Western music. I enjoyed seeing Herr and Frau Shumann again, and Kirsten's delicious cheesecake on my first night in town. Thanks, Kirsten. I also enjoyed brother James's frittata, Karen's delicious Starbucks coffees, Kristy's homemade biscotti, shaved ice with Hannah and Molly, and Uncle Julio's with Falisha and Chris. Wow! What a fun trip!
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