On Wednesday I will be having rotator surgery on my fight shoulder. For at least six weeks I will have no real use of my right arm. Kind of like the "one armed paper hanger". But it won't be the first time I have been so limited.
I don't remember the exact date, but sometime in 1981, I crashed in a bicycle race and did some pretty severe damage to my right shoulder, spending 8 weeks in a full upper body cast. My arm was abducted out to the side and I had no use of it while the cast was on and no use of it for a considerable time thereafter due to muscle atrophy and nerve damage. Karen became my right arm and, somehow, we made it through that long recovery and have accomplished a lot of amazing things from then to now.
We were not walking with The Lord then, but looking back, we realize He was walking with us and leading us to the things which were HIS Plan for us. The current surgery and it's timing, the cabin, the pickup accident, the time needed to prepare our motor home for sale, and so much more are His doing and we have been blessed by His presence in each and every "happening", and are encouraged that it's all for our good and His glory. What has gone before has strengthened us to face what is to come, with hope and His assurance of a better tomorrow. For everything.........Thank You, Lord.
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Sunday, February 7, 2021
Thursday, February 4, 2021
February 4, 2021. Holiday Island, AR. The Koi Pond
When we bought the cabin, we inherited a man-made brook and koi pond. We didn't get a lot of information or advice on the plants along the brook, the caring for the 20 or so fish in the pond, but we have tried to learn and at this point the plants are dormant and the fish seem to be doing well, even when the pond partially froze while the brook kept babbling along.
When the water temperature is above 60 degrees, the fish eat a few handfuls of food every other day, but as the water temperature drops, the fishes' digestion slows down and at 45 and below, their digestion stops and they can survive on the algae and anything else which happens to find its way into the water. We have not fed the fish in over two months although I do check on them, talk to them and watch them swim around and stir up the algae on the pond bottom. I'm told they like cloudy water and when not disturbed they generally sleep in a group. The lily pads which dotted the pond in the summer are gone now.
In the spring, things will pick up, depending on the number of he-fish and she-fish, the warming of the water and the return of the foliage along the brook and the lily pads back in the pond. Hopefully, I will have had my shoulder repaired by then, be able to tend the foliage, keep the pond's algae under control and feed the fish again. I'll also do some more reading on the subject and become a more knowledgeable "fisherd". (Is there such a word?). I have read that some fish do recognize their human parents, can actually hear sounds and maybe even recognize our voice. God's creation is "something else". It's fun to realize the magnitude of It and to play our unique role in it. Thank You, Lord
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When the water temperature is above 60 degrees, the fish eat a few handfuls of food every other day, but as the water temperature drops, the fishes' digestion slows down and at 45 and below, their digestion stops and they can survive on the algae and anything else which happens to find its way into the water. We have not fed the fish in over two months although I do check on them, talk to them and watch them swim around and stir up the algae on the pond bottom. I'm told they like cloudy water and when not disturbed they generally sleep in a group. The lily pads which dotted the pond in the summer are gone now.
In the spring, things will pick up, depending on the number of he-fish and she-fish, the warming of the water and the return of the foliage along the brook and the lily pads back in the pond. Hopefully, I will have had my shoulder repaired by then, be able to tend the foliage, keep the pond's algae under control and feed the fish again. I'll also do some more reading on the subject and become a more knowledgeable "fisherd". (Is there such a word?). I have read that some fish do recognize their human parents, can actually hear sounds and maybe even recognize our voice. God's creation is "something else". It's fun to realize the magnitude of It and to play our unique role in it. Thank You, Lord
Sent from my iPad
Monday, February 1, 2021
February 1, 2021. Holiday Island, AR. A Different Experience
Karen grew up in small towns with family and friends who had ranches, open land and room to roam. I was raised in small cities with close neighbors, traffic lights and miles to travel before we could get to the orchards and farms and what could be called rural areas. A city park would be the closest we had to open land.
In our almost 47 years together, we have lived in large cities, and our two apartments and first three homes and then the RV were in areas with lots of traffic, close neighbors and constant activity, sirens and people around or about us all the time.
The cabin is a different experience for us, and one which we wonder why it took so long to come our way. We are three miles from Holiday a Island, a town with 2,350 people, 8 miles from Eureka Springs (population about 2,000) and about 10 miles from Berryville and it's 5,450 residents. Eagle Rock (170) and Golden, Missouri (415) are 10 and 15 miles from us to the north.
At the cabin, our nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile to the north and 1/4 mile to the northeast. The road to our cabin is a driveway which loops back to CR 250, which means there is no thru traffic. You're either coming to visit us, or you are lost. It is such a new experience to be at "the end of the line", and unless God has somewhere different for us, this may truly be the end of the line for us. It's quiet, it's in the woods, it's all we could have wanted, and more.....and it's God's promised land to us..........one step closer to His Eternal Promised Land we hope for when the timing, HIS, is right. In the meantime, Thank You, Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
In our almost 47 years together, we have lived in large cities, and our two apartments and first three homes and then the RV were in areas with lots of traffic, close neighbors and constant activity, sirens and people around or about us all the time.
The cabin is a different experience for us, and one which we wonder why it took so long to come our way. We are three miles from Holiday a Island, a town with 2,350 people, 8 miles from Eureka Springs (population about 2,000) and about 10 miles from Berryville and it's 5,450 residents. Eagle Rock (170) and Golden, Missouri (415) are 10 and 15 miles from us to the north.
At the cabin, our nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile to the north and 1/4 mile to the northeast. The road to our cabin is a driveway which loops back to CR 250, which means there is no thru traffic. You're either coming to visit us, or you are lost. It is such a new experience to be at "the end of the line", and unless God has somewhere different for us, this may truly be the end of the line for us. It's quiet, it's in the woods, it's all we could have wanted, and more.....and it's God's promised land to us..........one step closer to His Eternal Promised Land we hope for when the timing, HIS, is right. In the meantime, Thank You, Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, January 29, 2021
January 29, 2021. Holiday Island, AR. The Truth, The Whole Truth.........
It's becoming increasingly difficult to ascertain whether what "they" are telling us is true or not. In almost every arena, the "experts" are telling us what is going on in the world, what products are good or bad for us, and who is honest and who is not. It reminds me of the defendant (who has pleaded not guilty) in a murder trial, when asked to swear to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God", indignantly responds......"hey man, I may be a murderer, but I ain't no liar." Oops, for the defense.
We are facing a boatload of problems; Covid, variants, vaccine or no vaccine and if yes, which one, economy, racial tensions, political disharmony (inter and intra party), terrorism (foreign and domestic), scammers, hackers, identity thieves, open for business or shelter in place, established companies going under and startups acting like Fortune 500 icons, newscasts which tell widely differing accounts of the same event.......
How are we to know who and what to believe; and why are we hearing from so many of the dozens of also-ran Democratic 2020 presidential candidates who seem to be part of the "Biden team", and what about the loyal(?) Republican opposition?
..........so help us, God. In my mind, HE is THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH........
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We are facing a boatload of problems; Covid, variants, vaccine or no vaccine and if yes, which one, economy, racial tensions, political disharmony (inter and intra party), terrorism (foreign and domestic), scammers, hackers, identity thieves, open for business or shelter in place, established companies going under and startups acting like Fortune 500 icons, newscasts which tell widely differing accounts of the same event.......
How are we to know who and what to believe; and why are we hearing from so many of the dozens of also-ran Democratic 2020 presidential candidates who seem to be part of the "Biden team", and what about the loyal(?) Republican opposition?
..........so help us, God. In my mind, HE is THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH........
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
January 26,2021. Holiday Island, AR. Something About Seven
As Karen and I spent our second day moving things from our RV to the cabin, it dawned on me that we spent seven years living full time in the RV, seven years volunteering at the Passion Play. We owned our second home in Fort Collins for 21 years (7x3) and before that had lived on Timber Lane in Fort Collins from 1990 to 1997 (7 years) when the "500 year" flood forced us to do major repairs to the house and one year later we sold it. We had paid $77,000 for the house.
We lived in Lakewood on Moore Street from 1977 to 1990, just shy of 14 years (7x2) when we moved to Fort Collins and the Timber Lane house. I celebrated my 21st year as a Christ follower (7 x3j in June of 2020 the same month we moved into the cabin here in Holiday Island. When you add the digits in my birthday it comes to 25 which when added to each other come to 7. My all time favorite baseball player, Mickey Mantle, wore number 7 and when I raced across the country in RaAM 1983, I finished in seventh place. My favorite number has always been 7.
I guess you can tell, I didn't have anything real profound to write about on 1/26/2021 whose digits when added come to 14 (7x2j. It's been a long, but very productive day. A solid seven hours of sleep would sure feel good. See you next time.
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We lived in Lakewood on Moore Street from 1977 to 1990, just shy of 14 years (7x2) when we moved to Fort Collins and the Timber Lane house. I celebrated my 21st year as a Christ follower (7 x3j in June of 2020 the same month we moved into the cabin here in Holiday Island. When you add the digits in my birthday it comes to 25 which when added to each other come to 7. My all time favorite baseball player, Mickey Mantle, wore number 7 and when I raced across the country in RaAM 1983, I finished in seventh place. My favorite number has always been 7.
I guess you can tell, I didn't have anything real profound to write about on 1/26/2021 whose digits when added come to 14 (7x2j. It's been a long, but very productive day. A solid seven hours of sleep would sure feel good. See you next time.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, January 23, 2021
January 23, 2021. Holiday Island, AR. Memories
As Karen and I have been rummaging through the boxes we brought from Colorado to Arkansas, and now going through the things we carried with us in the motor home for the past seven years, we are "unearthing" some memories of not only our married years, but many things from our early years and things which belonged to our parents which were passed down to us, and so many things we "just couldn't live without".
It's really amazing to unpack boxes of medical records, receipts, check registers, books, cd's, DVD's, audio tapes, VHS movies, thank you notes, insurance policies, bank statements, investment records, calendars, old clothes, dishes, silverware, travel brochures, photographs and so much more. It's fun to recall a lot of our past by the items we never threw away or gave away, and just packed away so we can decide what to do with it NOW. Most of it is not Antiques Roadshow quality, or of any interest to anyone but us, but it is part of our past and what has been a wonderful adventure.
Our motor home will soon be part of our past also, and it served us well as we took our Ministry of Miles on the road seven years ago. This coming week we hope to have it all spiffied up and ready to put the For Sale sign in the window. We'll let our "Campers' on Mission" friends start spreading the word that a 2006 Fleetwood Discovery 39L is on the market and see what happens. God already knows who wants it and we pray it will be someone who will enjoy it is much as we did and use it to serve Him as we have done and will continue to do. It only has 30,000 miles.........
Interested?
Sent from my iPad
It's really amazing to unpack boxes of medical records, receipts, check registers, books, cd's, DVD's, audio tapes, VHS movies, thank you notes, insurance policies, bank statements, investment records, calendars, old clothes, dishes, silverware, travel brochures, photographs and so much more. It's fun to recall a lot of our past by the items we never threw away or gave away, and just packed away so we can decide what to do with it NOW. Most of it is not Antiques Roadshow quality, or of any interest to anyone but us, but it is part of our past and what has been a wonderful adventure.
Our motor home will soon be part of our past also, and it served us well as we took our Ministry of Miles on the road seven years ago. This coming week we hope to have it all spiffied up and ready to put the For Sale sign in the window. We'll let our "Campers' on Mission" friends start spreading the word that a 2006 Fleetwood Discovery 39L is on the market and see what happens. God already knows who wants it and we pray it will be someone who will enjoy it is much as we did and use it to serve Him as we have done and will continue to do. It only has 30,000 miles.........
Interested?
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
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