. . . IT'S PROBABLY JUST MY THYROID

The Lord is so good. I just got home from two days of Resting, Relaxing, Rejoicing, Rejuvenating, Recharging and ROTF-LOL. I have attended Women of Faith conferences every year since my good friend and neighbor Julia talked me into going in 2002 or was it 2001? I can't imagine missing one.

This year, as I did last, I volunteered to work for the WOF by putting the program bags on the seats in the arena the day before the conference. It worked out great since I am off on Thursdays. I ususally take Fridays off so I can attend the pre conference. In return for our time we are given a ticket to the conference. This was a blessing as finances have been tight and it would have been rough to pay for a ticket.

I had planned to buy a ticket just to the pre-conference, as it is separate. When I called two weeks ago they said I could purchase a ticket at the door. Then this week we had so much rain, my husband, Phil lost four days of work. I decide we couldn't afford the $50 ticket since his check will be really little next week.

I went to the arena Thursday morning and they asked for three volunteers from the group that were not afraid of heights or climbing stairs. I raised my hand and went along with two other ladies. We helped them count seats and verify the start and end numbers in the rows. It wasn't that difficult and didn't take but about an hour. Then the guy took us to the box office to sort the will call tickets, stuff them into envelopes and file them by name. Easy work. Then he asked if we wanted to volunteer to put bags out after the pre-conference in the lower seats prior to the opening Friday evening and for that he would give us a ticket to the pre-conference. I jumped at it. God provided a way for me to attend the entire two days at no cost, other than my time. GOD IS GOOD!

Well, let me tell you, I knew Friday pre-conference would be funny because Patsy Clairmont, Jan Silvious and Anita Renfroe were the speakers but I was not prepared for what we got. Anita had me laughing so hard I thought I would bust. But even in the laughter and jokes and funny songs the message of God's love and grace was prevalent.

After it was over, I went down to the floor and helped put bags in the seats in the lower sections of the arena. Since I am a member of the WOF Association, I had a ticket to the reception with four of the speakers at what I believed to be 5:30. I had an hour to kill and I was hungry so I went to the Victory Tavern City Grille, there by the American Airlines center. I was all by myself and felt a little awkward but got over it. The menu was simple, short and very expensive. I was about to settle for the cheapest thing on the menu which was like 15, but then I spotted it. Pan Seared Dayboat Scallops prosciutto crusted with asparagus tips, 23. The prices didn't even have dollar signs, just numbers. I said to myself, "Nancy you need to get out more."
I figured since I saved so much on tickets, did not stay in a hotel downtown and took the train to save on parking, then I would splurge on dinner. It was WONDERFUL. Two of my favorite foods and it also came with creamy potatoes. The huge scallops were tender, perfectly cooked and had the most wonderful flavor. I could have eaten a dozen. There were only three. This was a pretty upscale place and the presentation was like you'd see in a cooking magazine. There was a tomato based sauce all over the plate, four asparagus tips were sticking out of the potatoes and some kind of stringy looking vegetable thing piled on top. I put that to the side and devoured the rest. Makes me want to become a chef so I can learn how to cook seafood to such perfection.

At about 5:20pm and headed over to where the reception was to be. I was surprised to see no one waiting at the door. I walked around to see if there was an alternate entrance. Went back to the original door and saw a woman go inside. I followed and found it was indeed the place. They sent me up on the elevator and I found the room and saw that it had already started. A woman greeted me and took my ticket and brought me the gift which was a devotional book and a nice pen. She invited me to have some lemonade and cookies which I certainly did not need but took anyway to be polite. Then I took a seat and listened while they called out names of people they had drawn to receive other gifts. When they finished that, the speakers said good bye and enjoy the conference. I had missed practically the whole reception. Obviously it started at five o'clock. I felt like such a blond but I got to see them up close and personal, if only for a few minutes and I got two nice little freebies.

This was a weekend of freebies. I got a T shirt for renewing my WOF Association membership for another year and because I paid for it with my WOF Visa card, I got a free T-shirt that they give out to folks who apply for one. This is kinda funny. For several years I would apply for a WOF Visa just to get the free T-shirt, knowing that they wouldn't give me the card cause I had such bad credit. After about five years, either they got tired of giving me all these free T-shirts or my credit improved enough for me to get one. So the following year I filled out another application cause I wanted a free t-shirt. They sent me a letter saying I couldn't have more than one credit card with the same bank. Duh. I only wanted the shirt. So this year I thought , Oh I'd better not apply for the card again. That would like be kinda dishonest and I didn't want to be dishonest. So when the guy at the association table said I could go to the Visa table and get a T-shirt for using my WOF Visa card, I was stoked. GOD IS AWESOME. He made sure I got my free t-shirt.

Since I had been blessed with so many gifts I decided would spend some money at the sales tables so I bought Anita's DVD. I just know I am going to want to share this with all my girlfriends. I also adopted or sponsored a little boy from World Vision. His name is Tiisetso. He is eight years old from Lesotho a country in Africa. His community is severely affected by HIV/AIDS. I had been wanting to sponsor a child for a while and figured if I give up one diet coke a day I will have the money needed each month. God helped me chose him. His was the first picture I saw. I continued to look at the other children and decided to leave as it was very crowded during this break. I came back later and he was still there so I knew he was for me. He has the same birthday as my granddaughter Caitlyn.

Saturday morning I overslept a little and arrived late to the conference. I missed the praise and worship team and came in the middle of Natalie Grant's concert but I didn't miss the speakers.
They all spoke to me in little ways that only God knows, but mostly I felt like they were speaking to my dear friend who has been going through some very emotional and life changing times. I wasn't able to sit with her through all of the conference but I felt her tears in mine and know that God was reaching out to her and covering her with his love and understanding.
GOD'S GRACE KNOWS NO LIMITS.

When it was all over I just felt so alive and rejuvenated, full of His Word and basking in His radiant love.

I can't wait til next year.

PS If you want to know the meaning of the title, you'll have to see Anita's DVD.

A Very Sad Day

Buddy Baer was born around March 17, 1998. We adopted him for our 7 year old son in April that year. He wasn't a purebred pedigreed K-9. He was just cute as a button and I couldn't say no. His mother was a Black Lab and her owners did not know the ancestry of the father other than he wasn't a purebred.

Chris named him Buddy because he loved the movies about another Buddy, known as Airbud.

Today, August 14, 2008 at the age of ten, Buddy died. Well, I elected to have him euthanized. It was such a difficult decision but he was very ill and it just didn't make sense to see him suffer any longer. He had been acting different for about two weeks. Not eating well. Being rather lethargic and losing weight. We have had some really HOT days over a hundred and although he had a nice dog house under the covered patio and the fan going all the time, I worried that the heat was affecting him so we brought him into the coolness of the house. At first he seemed to be better. But the last few days he began to decline.

The vet said that there were a number of possible causes not limited to but including cancer, autoimmune disease, liver disease, Heartworm. He was severely anemic which was causing his weakness. They did a blood test and found he did have heartworm. The vet said that in his weakened state the treatment would be very hard on him. She would have to get him stable before treatment could be done and even then he may not make it. The tests they would need to run and hospitalization estimate was about $1750. Then treatment would have been even more.
Still only a 50/50 chance he would have a normal life. If I had the money, I would have done it but alas, I don't. It's so sad when money has to be a reason to chose life or death of a pet. She said the last dog that had to go through all that and survived the bill was about $4,000.
Maybe she was trying to make it easier for me to chose to euthanize but it was still so hard. I tried to rationalize in my mind if I could go further into debt to buy him a few more years but there was no guarantee and as much as I loved him I had to let him go.
Then of course all the guilt comes in. What if I had taken him sooner before he got so weak. What if I been a better pet owner and kept up with his vaccinations and check ups. He had been so healthy up until a few weeks ago. Maybe the flea bath I gave him made him sick. Maybe he got into something when he got out of the yard.

The vet asked if I wanted to be present when thay gave him the shot. I did.
We had a few minutes alone before she came in. I got to tell him good bye and let him know I loved him and that he would be feeling better soon.
It was very peaceful and painless. He already had an IV in place. He didn't move or have any kind of discomfort. He just closed his eyes and slept until he stopped breathing and his heart stopped. The vet clinic personnell were so kind and supportive, as was the vet.

I will miss him

My date with a handsome young man.

Last night I had a "date" with a very sweet young man. Caden and I went to Chik-fil-A for dinner before attending the Garland Civic Theatre's, Children On Stage production of Seussical the Musical. I think he was a little intimidated by the close proximity to the actors and the crazy costumes, but all in all I think he enjoyed himself.

The production was well done by some very talented young people. There was the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, JoJo, Yertle the Turtle, the Mayor of Whoville and his wife and a host of other characters. It was about how Horton saved the speck of dust on which the smallest planet in the universe resided. I don't remember the story about Horton that well but this was a take-off of it I think.

I wanted to take a picture or two of Caden with the cast members, but he was too shy. He is looking forward to going to see Peter Pan with me for the next COS production.