by jphilo | Mar 24, 2015 | Out and About, Top Ten Tuesday
Last week’s top ten list was all about what drives me crazy about air travel. But now that I’m home after a wonderful trip, here are then things I love about traveling.
10. When your top-heavy suitcase tips over and bends the handle so badly it won’t slide into place anymore, nice strangers might do what’s necessary to force the handle into it’s slot.
9. The nice strangers might also say that under no circumstances should you try to pull the handle out again. Which means someone has a good reason to get new luggage!
8. When you travel to a conference, chances are good you’ll meet walking buddies willing to get up early for a tromp by the ocean to watch a magnificent sunrise.
7. Discovering that for some mysterious reason, you’ve been TSA approved for the entire trip. No long lines. No taking out the zipper bag of liquids and gels. No removing shoes. No strip search.
6. Which means there’s plenty of time to get some really good coffee, sit down, and enjoy it.
5. Discovering that for some mysterious reason, you get to board in Zone 1 or Zone 2 for the entire trip. (I wonder if the stink made after last springs highly unsatisfactory USA Airways experience landed me on their don’t-mess-with-her-she’s-crazy-so-give-her-preferential-treatment list.)
4. Boarding the plane and finding that, for some mysterious reason, (See #6 for possible explanation) your seat is right behind first class, which means you get extra leg room even though you didn’t play extra for it.
3. Feeling smug sitting right behind first class, because even though you only get to smell the food served to first class customers, you realize your closest exit is the one in front, which means that if there’s an emergency you’ll get to crash the first class party. Free. Of. Charge.
2. Seeing an inch or two of new snow on the ground in Philadelphia during a lay over and not having to go outside.
1. Discovering that for some mysterious reason (see #6 for possible explanation), though the flight crew said the plane was completely full, the only empty seat on the plane is next to you. Right behind first class. With extra leg room already. With N-A-P written all over the entire 3 hour trip. Ahhh!
What makes you love to travel? Leave your comment in the box.
by jphilo | Jan 6, 2015 | Top Ten Tuesday
10. A white, unbroken blanket of snow is so lovely.
9. Life feels cozy when it’s snowing outside, the dishwasher and washing machine are running, and I’m sitting in a chair writing.
8. This year’s first big snowstorm didn’t hit until January, which means this winter won’t be as long as it could be.
7. A snowstorm means evening activities are cancelled, so there’s nothing to do but to download and watch the Downton Abbey Season 5 premiere.
6. After a month of Camp Dorothy, which just ended Sunday evening, it’s nice to have a guilt-free reason to stay home this Tuesday instead of going to visit Mom.
5. I can imagine trying to teach children, tired from Christmas break and excited about the snow, instead of teaching them.
4. This snowstorm affirms our decision to by an all-wheel drive Subaru in November instead of waiting until spring as originally planned.
3. This snowstorm granted the Man of Steel’s wish to test the Subaru on winter roads…and he was delighted with the way it handled.
2. Our daughter and son-in-law beat the storm and arrived at their home in Madison, Wisconsin safely.
1. On a day when our daughter-in-law was in labor, our daughter and her husband raced home ahead of the weather so they could pack and move, the sibs and I were going a little crazy attending to details related to Mom’s upcoming move, and the page proofs for Every Child Welcome arrived, a snowstorm seemed like a fitting metaphor for our family’s life. And when the storm ended, God used it to remind me that our stormy day would pass, too, replaced by beauty. In this case, the beauty of a brand new granddaughter, born just after midnight this morning.
by jphilo | Dec 30, 2014 | Top Ten Tuesday
2014 is almost over, so now’s the time to reflect on the year just past. Here are the top 10 events along the gravel road over the past 12 months.
10. The Man of Steel and I bought a new car with electric seat warmers. A little bit of heaven on earth.
9. In the process of residing the garage, the Man of Steel uncovered some local history that resonated with readers and makes us feel very connected to past owners of our old farmhouse and outbuildings.
8. Jolene completed 3 book manuscripts, sent them to the publishers early, and completed about 3/4 of the mystery novel she’s dreamed of writing for years.
7. To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of his back surgery, he Man of Steel ran in Dam to Dam, a half-marathon held in Des Moines each June.
6. As part of the November release of her book The Caregiver’s Notebook, Jolene met some amazing caregiving bloggers who are spreading news of the book far and wide. They are amazing, loving, and giving people!
5. Though she’s still not sure where the years went, Jolene had a wonderful time reconnecting with high school classmates at their 40th class reunion.
4. Along the same vein, the response to a tribute to her high school drama coach confirmed the magical nature of Jolene’s high school years.
3. The Man of Steel and Jolene enjoyed dancing at a family wedding. What greater earthly joy does God grant than to celebrate with relatives of all ages?
2. Jolene loved creating a book called My Papoo Makes Guitars for her grandson’s birthday. The Man of Steel loved crafting a ukulele for the same grandson’s Christmas. Even more, they loved watching him open those gifts.
1. The best news of 2014 was learning that 2 new grandchildren are on the way in 2015. The first will arrive sometime in January and the second in April. Papoo and Grammy Jo are ready and waiting to fulfill their grandparenting duties!
by jphilo | Nov 25, 2014 | Top Ten Tuesday
Disclaimer in the interest of family unity: #3–5 actually tied for third place…but in the interest of counting down, they were arbitrarily numbered 3, 4, and 5.
10. In less than a month, the days will start getting longer.
9. Good health.
8. The Mayflower Pilgrims who began the Thanksgiving tradition and believed in religious freedom.
7. Celebrating the holiday with our large, noisy, quirky, enthusiastic extended family.
6. Tuesdays with Mom and Camp Dorothy experiences.
5. Our four adult children–two biological and two who experienced our large, noisy, quirky, enthusiastic extended family and still said, “I do.”
4. Our sweet grandson who melts my heart when he asks, “Grammy Jo, need another hug?”
3. Two more grandchildren coming in January and April.
2. My patient, encouraging husband who believes and supports my crazy writing dreams.
1. A God who loves the world so much He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Nov 19, 2014 | Different Dream, Holidays, Special Needs Parenting
Happy Thanksgiving, Little Town on the Prairie
Main Street of my little town on the prairie: Camp Crook, South Dakota in 2007
My husband and I weren’t looking forward to our first Thanksgiving as parents of a baby with special needs. The little town on the prairie where we lived was 750 miles from the University of Nebraska hospital in Omaha where our son had already had 2 surgeries, the first when he was less than 24 hours old. The surgeon insisted on scheduling a follow-up appointment before releasing our son after the second surgery. My husband and I couldn’t afford to miss any more work, so the appointment was set for the day after Thanksgiving. We couldn’t afford to travel by plane because of mounting medical bills.
That meant a 15 hour car trip.
On Thanksgiving.
With a 5-month-old who ate through a feeding tube.
Who was allergic to every form of nourishment except breast milk.
Which I had to pump.
During a 15 hour car trip.
On Thanksgiving.
With a 5-month-old who ate through a feeding tube.
Our first Thanksgiving with our baby boy was shaping up to be the worst holiday ever.
Until some friends said they were planning a benefit for us. These friends were also parents of the students in my classroom, the other teachers in the small school. my husband’s co-workers, and our son’s babysitter. In small towns, everybody wears lots of hats. Mostly cowboy hats in this particular town only 2 miles from the Montana and 20 miles from North Dakota. Mostly dusty hats in the drought-stricken years of the early 1980s when every road coming into the town was gravel. Even the state highway.
We soon learned our friends and co-workers wore fund-raising hats with style.
The remainder of this post can be found at the Not Alone Special Needs Parenting website.
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