Thursday, July 28, 2005

Gone Home!

I talked with my dad today. Daddy is speaking at the funeral for my 96 year old Aunt Virgie. Virgie raised daddy from the time he was eight when his mother died. There are only two siblings of the 12 children left living at this time. There are numerous neices and nephews.

I am praying for my dad today as he is wanting this day to be a rejoicing that Virgie is home. She lived a long, useful life of service to others. He wants others to know what Virgie did for others and how she impacted all those she came in contact with.

Daddy was telling me about the dress they bought for Virgie to be buried in. Virgie had asked that she have a long sleeved blue dress. Of course, today the designs are not like what Virgie wore. They don't even make those kind of dresses any more. So Mother and Daddy had a hard time finding what they could afford and what would be appropriate for Virgie. They finally ended up at Dillards and a little sales girl (as my dad called her) helped them find what they needed. As they were looking she would go get something for them to see. They finally found a dress for about $70.00 and were about to decide on that one when she came back with a beautiful little dress. I say little because my aunt was always small but she was down to about 55 lbs. when she died. The size had to be really small. She came back with a dress small enough and it was marked at $10.99. Daddy was confused when he saw the tag say $80.00 but then saw the 10.99. She assured Daddy it was only 10.99. They were very pleased and Daddy made sure he got her name and will contact Dillards on way she helped them at this time.

Thank you, Lord for taking this burden from my parents. You have been faithful them for such a long time in helping with so many of their burdens. Mary was a blessing, Sanders Funeral home is a blessing and now this young girl at Dillard's is a blessing. I only ask that you give my dad composure appropriately at the funeral today. Help him do the job he wants to do for Virgie. I am thinking of him and wanting to be there so badly. So give us all peace!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Torn Between Two Choices!

Torn Between Two Choices! That's a song? Well, anyway, it is like being torn between two lovers! I have been torn the last few days, do I go to Lubbock for my aunt's funeral or stay here and go to Austin to have breakfast with my daughter and her boyfriend? This may not sound like a great choice but for me it turned out to be a huge decision. At one point, I was going to Lubbock, then on Monday night, decided not to go. I awoke Tuesday morning with the determination that I was going and called my sister to say I was and would let her know how and when. I worked all morning Tuesday trying to coordinate my flights for going and coming home before too late on Friday. The flights to come home were early Thursday or Saturday. The funeral is at 2:00 pm Thursday and I have to be in Austin Saturday. I could drive it, but why drive 12 hours and be beat when I arrive and beat when I return and then head to Austin?

Have you gotten the picture that Austin is a sure thing? It is. It is very important to me to spend whatever time we can with Trent and Mindy. Afterall, it is a future we are talking about here! By going to Lubbock, I am going not for Virgie, she is gone. I would be going for myself and for my parents. If going for my parents then I can go later, next month and spend more than one day with them. By doing that, it serves both. So....that is how I made my decision.

Now, my question is after praying about this and making this decision, did God give me the answer or did I just figure it out? This is where I would really like for God to have a direct line for answers like this one. Which is best, God? What advantages do you see, because you can see so much better than I can, for doing one over the other? Both decisions were right in their own way but finances did not allow me to do both. Not this time! At least not in my mind!

I have to say I appreciate my son-in-law so much. As I was explaining all this to him after class tonight, he said we could leave tonight and he would take me all the way to Lubbock and then Cheryl could bring me back to Abilene and he would take me to Austin. He was serious! I appreciated his offer, but I will stay home and let them leave for Abilene tomorrow when they had planned. He was willing to give up his plans for me. (Now, how can you get mad at someone for something like that?)

So.....here I sit wondering if Cheryl and Terrie made it to Lubbock, wondering how my parents are doing, wondering what relatives have come and who decided not to come and what cousins will I miss seeing? I will call my parents in the morning and wish them well for the day and give them my love. I will work tomorrow and then leave Friday to spend an hour with Mindy and Trent and then have Saturday night and Sunday with Mindy and come home. In a few weeks, I will go to Lubbock and spend more than one day with my parents and you know what? Life will go on and we will all be okay.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Tribute to my Aunt Virgie

Virgie Novice Christian died yesterday at 96 years of age in Lubbock, Texas. She was the 6th child of 12 born to John and Alice Christian in 1909. Alice Christian died when Virgie was only 22 and Virgie's quest in life became that of her mother's, to keep the family intact. Virgie became "mother" to her five younger siblings, including my father, George. George was the baby of the family and Virgie virtually raised him after his mother's death. George was eight years old.

Virgie took on this new responsibility to care for the family, giving up her own personal dreams and ambitions in life.

I remember my aunt Virgie as a loving, caring, small woman. She was allergic to tomatoes! My dad would sometimes pick up Virgie on Saturday and she would spend the evening with us, eating supper and spending the night and then going to church with us the next morning. This was significant to me because Virgie was the only person in my daddy's family, "like us." In other words, she was the one I saw as a Christian and everyone else just went to church somewhere. It must have been through her and her raising of my dad that he was a Christian. I found out later in life that many in Dad's family came to know Christ through a friend of the family.

My aunt Virgie worked at a dry cleaners for many years. She walked every where she went in Lubbock. She never learned to drive a car. She either walked, rode the bus or someone in the family picked her up. One year, I was driving a church van and saw Virgie walking home from work. I stopped to pick her up and she scolded me for driving such a large vehicle. I was too small to drive something that big!

The only other time I remember Virgie scolding me was when I named my daughter Jamie. She didn't like the name Jamie. It reminded her of a little boy in school who teased her and was mean. She was afraid Jamie would be that way because of her name!

As Virgie aged and "retired" she spent a lot of time alone. She lived in an apartment complex with her apartment an efficiency. She never seemed to have much. She quilted some and had a sewing machine. The family she lived with when she retired gave her a TV for her many years of service. I think back now and realize how many years she was alone. All of her life was service to other people.

When Virgie was unable to live alone anymore, there was only three brothers left to care for Virgie and make the decisions of where she would be placed. Shortly, there were only two brothers to make this decision. Virgie had begun to have dementia and it was dangerous for her to live alone. Virgie went to live with my mom and dad for a time. But my mother's health made this difficult and it would not be long before Virgie needed more care.

My dad was able to locate a woman named Mary who was starting a home for caring for elderly and affirmed. She would only take ambulatory residents and would be happy to have Virgie. Virgie was the first to move into the home. It was a great place and there would be room for three others. Mary reminded my dad sometimes that she could only care for ambulatory patients and as Virgie aged he might need to think of other arrangements. But that day never came.

Virgie was taken to the hospital on numerous occasions and my dad would be told that this was probably the end. I remember one time when dad called to say that the doctors thought she would be gone in a day or two. Virgie was just sleeping and would not eat. About two days later, my dad went to the hospital to find Virgie sitting up in bed, eating and when he walked he, she stated, "hi, George." We all marveled, even the doctors, as Virgie returned to Mary. Our thoughts were all collective as we said, "she will outlive us all."

As Virgie became less able to care for herself, Mary took care of her more and more. She bathed, diapered and fed Virgie. In the last few years, Virgie had become totally bedridden. Mary never talked again of Virgie leaving as she loved Virgie.

Mary was a God send for my parents. Mary took care of Virgie like her own child. When I was in Lubbock in March, I went to see Virgie. As we entered her room, it was a bedroom with a hosptial bed. Unlike the smells and dingy-ness of a nursing home, it was very pleasant. My dad had not been able to get any response from Virgie in several months. Virgie would just lay, sleep and occasionally eat what Mary could coax her to eat. When I arrived, my dad went to her bedside and spoke loving words to her and told her I was there. I went to her other side and talked with Virgie and shortly, she turned her head, looked at me and smiled. She turned to my dad and said, "she is so pretty." As we were leaving, we both told Virgie we loved her and she mouthed the words, "I love you" back to us. With tears in my eyes, I suspected then that would be the last words I would hear from my aunt Virgie. I believe they were probably the last words my dad heard as well.

This sums up my Aunt Virgie. As she lay withered and dying, she was thinking of others. Virgie always knew my dad when he would visit. She would sometimes get confused who my mother was, but she always knew George.

Yesterday, my dad lost his sister, but he also lost his "mother". Virgie was a selfless, wonderful, Christian who is now at home.

Thank you Lord for the quiet spirit of my aunt Virgie. She touched lives as she lived quietly for you. She may not be known far and wide but she was known and loved by those around her.

Goodbye Virgie and I will see you when I come home!

Monday, July 25, 2005

CASA



I am posting the pics from the CASA Carnival and hope you enjoy seeing my grandchildren. These pics are my grandkids who came to the carnival towards the end of it. They had a short but good time there. The right pic is Emma and her dad and the left one is Ashton and her mom. It was a fun time.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. It is a volunteer based organization where a judge appoints a person to the voice for the child. These are children who have been taken from their home for various reasons. Sometimes the children are returned home and often they are placed in permanent care of CPS or adopted. The volunteer spends time researching what is the best course of action for the child. It is not always easy to find the best course but it is desired.

Didn't my son-in-law do a good job on the backdrop? He drew the mermaid and sea monster free handed and painted most of it. I did some touch up painting. I did the sea shells, the scales on the mermaid and brightened up the monsters face. It was fun to do and I think we make a good team. Thanks again, Paul. You really came through for me!

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Great Friends, Good Food

We went last night to eat with some dear friends. We went to Esther's and had a great time. We enjoyed the company of "catching" up on the summer happenings and then we watched the alligater and catfish eat bread pieces. We drove down a dusty road and took pictures of the old "Rainbow Bridge". We checked out crayfish crates but decided not to take any home with us. Then an executive decision was made and we went to Marble Slab. By the way, Dixie, the resturant in Groves was Ellee's! I tried to call you last night but you must have been on the phone. I figure you were talking with Mary!

What a night. After all that eating and talking, we came home and had a nice quiet time home together. Seems our nights of outings and then quiet times have not been as often lately. We have been so busy and so entrenched in the summer, we just go, go, go and then go to bed exhausted. So even though yesterday was a full day, we really enjoyed the evening!

Yes, the CASA carnival was great. The kids really seemed to want their pictures. We had a couple glitches that caused us to lose our rhythm in taking and printing the pictures and then we got so far behind printing that a lot of the kids didn't get their pitcures. We hope to mail them or have some one come by the office to get them. Toward the end, we figured out the best way to take the pictures, download them to the computer and then work to get them printed. By then it was so late but now we know the best way for next year!

I am so thankful Tollie was with me and didn't go to the unity conference in Dallas! I would have never made it without him. I am also thankful to Paul for painting the back drop and glad the girls and their mom, Jamie came to the carnival. Even though they were at the last of it and didn't get to do much, including eat hot dogs!, they had a great time. CASA is such a great orgnization. It is there to help kids and helping kids, they do best! I will have pictures and more about CASA tomorrow.

Today, the Lord's day. The day we set aside for worshiping in a group to the Father of all. As I have said in the past, I refuse to call our gathering "church" and I hesitate to say we are going to worship. I am the church and I worship in every thing I do. So I am going to meet with my family of God and there we will all worship together.

Have a great week!