“The RoseBouquet”

How was your Easter?

Your friends ask you that for a few days after the holiday weekend, right?

If you are asking me, I’m hard put to answer in a word.

I hurried up with my housecleaning on Saturday morning because I had a guest coming for lunch. Dorrie works with Power to Change on many university campuses around the world, and she wanted to introduce me to her work. We spent 2 1/2 hours on that lunch.

After she left and I’d tidied up a bit, I went out in the sunshine and breezes to do my first raking of the front yard and also by the back gate around my car. I stopped and went inside when I got a serious blister on my left hand from the rake.

Sunday morning I went early to church to help serve the continental breakfast before the Easter service. I came home with a headache, but took something for that and got the turkey started for the holiday meal that I would take over to my brother Tom’s apartment at supper time. Then I allowed myself a rest.

My headache cleared just as I was about to take out the turkey and carve it up. I wrapped up a platter to share with Tom, and some hot mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and gravy.

Tom is in a wheelchair and not much of a housekeeper, so when I go over there, I try to deep clean at least a small spot or two. This time I scoured out the sink, when I was about to do dishes, and afterward, tackled cleaning his coffee maker. It looked really grundgy!

I didn’t see, however, that as I scrubbed the one side, I accidentally turned it on. When I laid the side of my left hand on the burner element to steady it while I scrubbed the other side, I found it HOT! I removed my left hand very fast, but not fast enough to avoid a burn that had my outer layer of skin curling back.

I put my hand on an ice pack for a few minutes and the decided that I could ‘doctor’ myself better from home. I gathered up my stuff, leaving Tom, the left-over food), and hurried home where I sliced open a wide chunk of aloe vera leaf and tied it to my hand with a headband. I wrapped an elastic strip around that and managed to clean up my kitchen, setting aside the bigger pots to wash another day.

About twice a day I’ve been doing my wrappings over again, and putting more aloe vera, or vitamin E or even my own ointment with calendula and comfrey (great for skin issues) on it. I think it is healing, but smarts most when exposed to the air. A wrist brace over it all allows my fingers to work, but keeps the injured part from bumping into things and hurting more.

Back to my personal life for a bit. Yesterday I spent all morning in an eye surgeon’s office. I arrived early because I couldn’t recall the exact time of my appointment, and it took an hour and a half before I saw the doctor - for about 3 minutes. I thought he said to go back and wait to be called in for another test. Well, I waited for another hour and a quarter. It was going on 12 noon, so I finally went to the receptionist to ask her what was up. Turned out I could have gone at 10:30 after I saw the doctor!

Of course, with the drops that were put in my eyes to dilate them, I had to wear my clipon sunglasses, and had known that it would not be safe for me to drive. I was soon on a fast trot to the office with my lunch and office stuff in my backpack. I covered 14 blocks in a bit more than 30 minutes.

There I had lunch with two others and told them my saga. Then, still wearing my sunglasses for another couple of hours, I managed to get the pages for Reflections ready for them to print.

(Only to realize this morning that I had not used the file with the latest proof-reading corrections in it, so I’ve been delayed this morning by having to do that work over again).

The upshot is that I have cataracts growing over my eyes, but that new glasses could help. Only now I have to go through another appointment with my optometrist.

Just not this week! I have to see that my income tax gets done, and we have this big 70th Anniversary Music/ Dessert Night this week Friday - at which I am to make the fund-raising appeal just before the offering. So I have things to do.

The first SiteSell Facebook live Q&A session was a huge success. Over 60 questions were answered in a single session entitled “An Hour With Ken.”

April 28th there will be another such hour. This time, aimed at WAHMs (Work At Home Moms).

A highly qualified global team of successful WAHM e-business owners will share how they nurture/grow a family and a business each day.

During the event, anyone can ask how/what/where/when/why questions about owning and managing a successful e-business from home.

Questions can be asked ahead of time too by simply posting to the SBI Wall, starting your post with “WAHM Live Q&A” or by commenting on this note on SiteSell Facebook…”

WAHM experts will happily answer EVERY question!
facebook.sitesell.com/provision.html?181345135247209

The WAHM Q&A will be held on Thursday, April 28th at 10 AM ET and only lasts an hour. But ANYONE can post questions before, during or after the event. AND… They’ll be giving away 4 fantastic prizes throughout the hour!

Another found story for you this week. In my cleaning and filing I found a poem. There was an echo in my memory of the title, Our Shepherd is the Doorway, but I stared at it for a minute before I realized it was in my own handwriting and I had crossed out some words and written better choices above them. There was no date on the paper, so I can’t tell how long ago I wrote it, however it sounded pretty good to me.

So, although I don’t advertise myself as a poet, I admit that I’ve dabbled in it at times, and thought I might share this one with you today. It is not exactly about Easter, but this Holy week seems as good a time as any to share a spiritual poem like this. I would be thrilled if you can say it is true for you too!

I would only ask you one favour up front; if you decide to share it with others - something people do so quickly now-a-days, -please do me a big favour and KEEP my copyright symbol and name underneath it.

I have read the story of the woman who had written the well-known poem, “Footprints” but lost it, and it has been circulated widely as anonymous for some decades. Now she has had to take legal action to get people to pay her for all the financial benefits they have gained from it. I really don’t want to have to go through that.

I don’t mind sharing this with you, but it would be a kindness if you do not pass it off as being by anonymous, or by any other name for that matter.

Our Shepherd is the Doorway

Our Shepherd led and fed us all day
in luscious green meadows of grass,
and He has us resting at mid-day
by a cool pool as smooth as glass.
Now, in the fold, I sleep contentedly,
because our Shepherd is its doorway.

This morning my Shepherd Lord led me
by His Word, full of promises and wisdom,
then took me out amid the world’s melee,
to bring other sheep into His kingdom.
I fear not the enemy’s taunts and delay,
for my Shepherd is the doorway.

My Shepherd keeps me safe in His fold;
I no longer chafe at the walls of rocks,
or its lack of a door of wooden mould.
The Evil Thief cannot enter to His flocks;
he cannot get in to harm or steal us away,
because our Shepherd is the doorway.
(c) 2011- Ruth Marlene Friesen

May this Easter week and the days to come be very special to you as you consider God’s Gift of His Son.

Well, lately I’ve been thick into publicity work, such as interviews, writing press releases and articles for the newspaper, etc., all to promote our Mission’s 70th Anniversary Music/Dessert Night next week Friday.

I get the free weekend paper, the Sun, and I was pretty sure that the article by a full-time reporter was to be in it. I had prepared the fact sheet for our Director when he was interviewed, and then called to be part of a photo with him and our other WTM missionaries in the office. However, when I checked through the Sun on Saturday evening, I could not find the article.

I had also written a full article and sent it to the Sask Valley News, a weekly paper for the small towns north of the city, They are always good enough to print whatever I send them. That was time to come out in the SVN later this week.

A few minutes later, a friend called up and said, “Congratulations on your article in the Star Phoenix!”

“Huh?” was my immediately confused reply. I explained to my friend that MY article wasn’t due to come out the following week, and not in the Star. But the one the reporter, Darlene, had written was not in the Sun where I thought she’d said it would appear on the 16th. We soon figured out that Darlene, who works for both papers, must have asked or had her editor bump the story about our mission’s 70th anniversary up to the daily paper instead of the weekend advertiser.

I relaxed, figuring that should be better in the long run.

Sunday I discovered what a blessing it really was! One person after another greeted me at church with, “Oh, and I saw you in the paper yesterday!” By the evening service I had mentally counted 6 or 7 such comments, but there were more after that and I lost count. I did learn an important lesson though in publicity. To get a half-page article written in the daily paper - with a good sized photo - is excellent promotion. All I had to say to these people was, “I hope you’ll come next week Friday to our special event at the Cornerstone Church.”

All this reminds me of our General Manager at a Philips plant when I worked there years ago. Every Friday his parting shot was, “Don’t let me read about you in the papers.” (I think he meant the obituaries).

Well, Mr. D., it’s possible to have your name in the paper - and it is a good thing!

I don’t go seeking out videos much. Lack of time. But I came across this one recently and I really appreciated the message. The Easter story is part of it - for this little drama leads up to the need for a Saviour. (This video is well-done).

Yesterday I found an envelope with a cheque in a receding snow drift beside my front door! Yes, really!

Here’s the story. Back in January I was waiting and waiting for the cheque from the treasurer of the non-profit organization for whom I build a website on Wednesday evenings. It was for my December invoice and usually he’s quite quick about getting my cheque to me within a week, but the month was ticking by, and no sign of the cheque, so I emailed him about it. He was quite puzzled and assured me that he had mailed it.

Finally, in February he prepared a replacement check and delivered it to my door. In fact, he shoved it between my inner door and the frame so that it was more than halfway into my house. I saw him in person at the Annual General meeting in early March, and he asked me again, whether I had seen that missing cheque. I assured him that no, it had not shown up.

Well, yesterday morning when I came out of my front door to do the half hour walk to the office, I spied what looked like a piece of blue tissue paper on what what left of our fast disappearing snow drifts. Any you find are on the north side of a building or fence. Well, right beside my steps was still some dirty snow and ice, and… as I came down the steps I said to myself, “That looks like a piece of mail, an envelope.” So I stepped over onto the ice and picked it up.

Sure enough, it was almost transparent from being so wet, but I could make out the return address through the wet dirty spots. I lifted the flap easily and pulled out the cheque made to my name! The missing cheque.

I can only imagine that the postal carrier may have lost it in the wind the day of the delivery and didn’t notice it flutter away.

I hid them in the front porch until I got home yesterday, when both the envelope and cheque had dried - albeit, warped and puckered. So I took a photo of them and sent that to the treasurer to show that yes, that cheque had shown up at last.

Last week I was still watching out for ice patches and puddles, but each day more was dried up, and yesterday I realized that it’s safe now (I hope, as there is some wet snow in the forecast) - to put my boots away for about six months. I want to wash my parka and have my down-filled coat dry cleaned and then I’ll lay them away too.

The Easter tract was declared good enough to publish on Wednesday. You are welcome to call our Western Tract Mission office, or write to order some for giving away. It is priced at .25/each, but remember it is a 16 page booklet.

As you know, there are many projects and layers in my life, but this morning I’m wondering how much I may be hindered in them all by noon today, just after I’m done at my doctor’s office.

You see, on Friday as I was walking home I had this sudden lump of pain in my right leg, just inches below my knee. It wasn’t a cramp. I’ve had those before, but right away my mind went to my Aunt Helen, Mom’s sister, who often had to have her feet up because of a blood clot in her legs. There was no other way to get home so I pressed on anyway.

The pain was gone through the evening when I attended a prophecy conference, and the rest of the weekend, but yesterday as soon as i headed out for my 30 minute walk to the office, that pain was back and stayed for pretty well the whole walk. Then I was fine again until I started walking home. I did some research online yesterday when I got to the office, and realized that the most likely cause is a blood clot, and it is sensible to go to the doctor to get it checked. It’s possible to have a blood clot and not even know it, but leg pain and itching are usually strong clues. It may not be a huge problem just yet, but if that clot travels up to the heart, it can become very serious.

So I did the sensible thing and called my doctor’s office this morning. I got an appointment for 11:15 am. I’m hoping that the worst case scenario is that I have to find a way to keep that leg elevated under my desk all day. Not terribly convenient, but I’d rather work with that than to be hospitalized.

Now would be a good time to have a working laptop. (I have some cast-offs that were given to me because they don’t work; I just haven’t had time to solve their problems).

P.S. Just got back from the doctor’s office. Turns out he thinks it’s just a muscle spasm. Apply deep heat ointment and use heating pad. Apparently a blood clot would be at the back of the leg.

Hmm… a heating pad while walking? It only hurts when walking. Well, at least it wasn’t what I feared! Hurrah for that!

My favourite online Bookstore has; Giveaways, Great Deals, and Gifts!

Do you know about Readers’ Favorites?

Hallelujah! The Spring thaw is here at last, and every day there is less snow and ice out there. Some places almost a whole block of sidewalk is dry already. But every morning the water puddles running across at certain spots have turned to ice, and so it is still a challenge to walk to the office. (Going home I have to skirt the puddles). Yesterday morning I fell to my knees as I was taking the walkway through the park and stepped on some black ice.

I picked myself up and went on, grateful that I didn’t really feel hurt. However, I noticed that my thighs felt shaky. This morning those muscles have some stiffness.

When you were growing up, did your mother make you help with the spring cleaning? Mine sure did. In fact, because she was usually in poor health, I did most of that work, and often with some self-pity. Later I learned to enjoy it, especially when I discovered stuff I didn’t know we had.

In those days, under Mom’s supervision, I had to push/pull all the furniture away from the walls, and take down the curtains to put in the washing machine. Then I brought in a stool, and got a pail of hot soapy water, and with a large rag, wash down the walls and the windows. I had to sweep and clean the floor behind the furniture before I moved it all back, dusted and washed down each furniture piece, and then finish the floor more thoroughly than I did in the weekly Saturday cleanings.

It was usually a half or an all-day job to spring clean just one room. If Mom had her way, we got the whole house done in about a week. In the later years I persuaded her that I only had the stamina do one room each Saturday. That meant it took 6 to 8 weeks.

Well, that system doesn’t work at my little house. It looks too much like a warehouse.

Last Saturday I got the filing completed, but now it will take another Saturday to go through all the drawers and remove out of date folders to archive boxes, and make them neat and tidy and easy for use.

I could sit for most of my filing, but oh the piles as I sorted. It looked worse before I could put things away. In the end, by trying out and giving up on a printer that won’t work, (setting it aside for recycling) as well as the cleaning up the box of not filed mail, I managed to clear a space about three feet by two feet high on top of the desk.

That’s a far cry from washing down and cleaning a whole room under Mom’s supervision, but considering my situation - I felt like I had made good progress!

I hope it’s not wishful thinking that this next Saturday I’ll get the whole room looking tidier, and can move on to another room the week after.

Do you ever mutter to yourself, “This kitchen is getting to me! I’ve got to clean it soon.” I know. My kitchen needs a real make-over.