Blue and White

Everyone, I hope you're rooting the Magic on tonight!

This is Pitiful

We don't have TV.

Himself is listening to the Magic/Cavs game on the radio, and I am catching the live feed at NBA dot com.

It may be best that I'm not seeing the bad calls!

Kicking Back

I wanted to share the cutest photo! These two sisters are growing up in the Ukraine, where their parents are serving as missionaries. Check out their blog! Asya (on the left) is a year old, and I'm thinking Raia is three? Four? Their older brother, Jaan, came to help them shortly.**




My poor feet are still recovering from the Homeschool Convention this week. I wore flip flops to church today!

**Grandma R caught my sleepiness. I called the brother Will instead of Jaan, and Raia's 3. Whew! I fixed it.

On a Lighter Note

Here is one of Glenna's UNEDITED compositions. I think the subtitle needs to be "Fun with the Thesaurus."

Who writes like this at age 12? I mean, really? The assignment was to write a critique on a short story, "Genghis Khan and His Hawk."




Khan’s impromptu water inlet by this time had vanished; therefore, the ambitious Mongolian climbed the diminutive cliff to find the start of the spring. The reprehensible man was stunned when he found the reason for his acquaintance’s actions. The impetuous deportment of Genghis Khan have shown people all around the world to think before acting.

Further Update

From Jordan Hulcy:

Dear family and friends,

Jessica's Ford Explorer was broadsided in Melissa, TX about 11:30 on Monday morning. We think she was hit by a volunteer fire truck responding to an accident. After a 25 minute extrication process she was Life Flighted as a level 1 (the most severe) trauma case to Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

She is still in critical condition. Here is what we know so far:

1. She is still unconscious but is moving all four limbs and attempting to pull the tubes out of her throat which is encouraging to the doctors.

2. Major Lung trauma, punctures to both lungs. Both were collapsed. One is now working well and they are still draining the other. Doctors are checking for possible damage to wind pipe and trachea.

3. Head trauma. Medium amounts of blood on the brain. Closely monitoring this to see if it improves. Surgery not necessary now, but possible to come.

4. As of now multiple broken ribs on both sides, broken left wrist, broken left arm in 2 places. Will require surgery. Possible broken left leg and right wrist. She has undergone 4 hrs of X-rays, over 1000 X-rays taken so far. They are working the broken bones in the order of most life threatening so there is a possibility of more discovery of broken bones.

We will be sending out another email as soon as we know more. Thank-you for your prayers.

Jordan Hulcy

Update

I just received this update:

Dear KONOS family,

I just spoke with Wade at the hospital. They are continuing to run tests on
Jessica, to determine her injuries. They have recently 'discovered' another
broken bone in her arm, and are performing xrays on both the right and left
legs due to the swelling and bruising. They took her in at 7 pm to perform
another CAT scan, and Wade is still awaiting the results. A good family
friend/doctor is at the hospital with Wade, helping Wade to interpret the
situation. For the past two hours, Jessica has been able to maintain her
blood pressure level on her own without medication - a real praise! She is
on a breathing tube, and the doctors have classified her brain activity at a
Level 2 - she will respond to touch, but cannot hold up two fingers at their
request.

Wade said she opened her eyes a bit when she heard his voice as he arrived
in her room. She is very 'banged up' and needs much healing. Please
continue to lift the family and doctors up in your prayers. Thank you all
from the Hulcy family for your prayers, love, and phone calls.

MelRae

".Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16


My friend CP and I used to sell KONOS together (She was the FL state Rep). She will be stepping in for Jessica at the convention and even speaking in her place. I'll be helping out at the booth. Please keep praying for Wade and Jessica!

Urgent Prayer Needed

Jessica Hulcy, co-author of the KONOS curriculum, was in a severe car accident today. She is deaf in her left ear and did not hear the approach of a small fire truck. Her car was broadsided.

She is listed in critical but stable condition. Her lungs are collapsed, she has internal bleeding, and there is some brain trauma. No bones were broken.

I was to assist Jessica THIS THURSDAY at the FPEA convention in the KONOS booth. My friend Cindy (former KONOS rep) will be taking Jessica's place.

Please pray for Jessica, her husband Wade, and their four boys (all graduated from high school, one married).

Would You Rather

1. Would you rather . . . . eat a Snickers Bar or a Milky Way?

2. Would you rather . . . iron a shirt or iron pants?

3. Would you rather . . . own a cat (nocturnal) or a dog (made for sleep)?

4. Would you rather . . . mop the floors or scrub the tub?

5. Would you rather . . . walk around with spinach in your teeth or be alerted by a friend?

6. Would you rather . . . live with integrity and not have money or live with riches and only some morals?

7. Would you rather . . . eat healthfully or be obese?

8. Would you rather . . . plunge headfirst into sin or be warned by a friend?

9. Would you rather . . . risk losing a friendship by speaking the truth in love or say nothing and watch them collapse?

10. Would you rather . . . not answer any of these or speak your mind?

Boyd

My brother fell off a hay stack (he was bucking hay) and broke his ankle. Now he's waiting for surgery, and it's already been put off twice! He lives alone.

This is just one of those times when Florida is much too far from California.

What's the deal?

I have blogs I wish to write.


The problem is, there are pictures to go along with said blogs. The pictures are on my camera.

When my computer crashed and was repaired, the "i.d." of my camera is no longer recognized when I plug it in to the computer. This means I have to go to Costco, put the pictures on CD, then add them from the CD.

I and my camera are rarely at Costco together. Why?

Because Glenna is always taking it out of my purse.

How was that for effectively blaming my daughter for my lack of posting?

. . . and Once Again!

The dying king was cold. So cold, in fact, that no amount of bedclothes could warm him. His concerned servants called for a teen virgin, her sole purpose to generate some body heat and bring him relief from his trembling. Nestled beside him, the beautiful Abishag was thrilled to serve her king. Gently, her young hands would grasp his aged ones, rubbing the arthritic knuckles and massaging his palms.

His hands, now bent and gnarled, once yielded shield, sword, and sling.

As eager as he was to meet his Lord at last, he knew he must endure this earth a little longer to finish the task God had set before him: making sure Solomon was his successor and not Adonijah, and giving Solomon his last instructions.

With little time, he prayed that Solomon would seek wisdom. Speaking was labored; hopefully, Solomon would remember all he had learned from his father about shepherding God's chosen people. At this time, there was only breath enough to warn him of a few remaining enemies.

"You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me . . . Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace."

"Keep an eye on Shimel son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River and I swore to him by the Lord: 'I will never kill you with the sword' . . . So don't let him go unpunished . . . "


His mind fading, he searched and grasped for more.

"Show loyalty to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom."


Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.**

***************************************************************


I could have done a word search for Barzillai's name and found out whether he was mentioned in scripture again, but it has been much more delightful to find him this way! Because of my involvement in other Bible studies, my reading of the Bible (front to back then front again) is going at a slower pace. It's a luxury to not be in a hurry, to read only a chapter and digest it before moving on.

Barzillai again!

His was such a simple act of hospitality, yet it wasn't. He found the king's favor to such a degree that the dying king summoned the strength to mention him to his son, Solomon, with his last wish being favor towards the sons of Barzillai. Remember, Barzillai was already 80 when he aided the king so he couldn't possibly be living still, but that didn't mean the king had forgotten or was no longer grateful.

If I can't serve the father with my thanks, I will serve the sons.

Still hopeful to be found practicing hospitality!




**1 Kings 2:1-12

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This is my lame excuse for not posting about Himself's birthday. It was May 2nd.

He's older now.

Happy Birthday, Honey!



When we lived in California, Cico de Mayo was a pretty big deal. We could always count on a big fiesta at the school, picnics with carne asada and lots of tortillas and rice and beans, and loud Mexican music.

I loved it.

I didn't care so much for the booming rap music that came along later, but loved the traditional mariachis! I loved the Mexican women in their long, flowing skirts, their dark hair braided into buns with red flowers. I loved the Mexican vaqueroes with their decorative sombreroes, short jackets, and slim pants with braiding down the sides. I loved their beautiful horses and saddles studded with silver. I especially loved the rope tricks they would do while riding, the huge lassos encircling themselves and their horses as they rode down the street! They were positively regal.

Last night, Glenna and I watched The Mask of Zorro. Though the movie was filmed completely in Mexico, my longing for California, the California of my childhood, was a deep and physical thing. I wanted to smell the sage and licorice plants, to walk barefooted in the red dirt, to feel the iceplant crush beneath my toes as I climbed the steep cliffs down to the beach. I wanted to see the beautiful manzanita wood and hear the bees buzzing among the mustard weed. I love California!

Unfortunately, it would be too impossible to live there now. Who could afford it? How did we endure such congestion? I know we have congestion here as well, but we're talking six lanes of San Diego freeway (in each direction, so 12 lanes total) and the traffic is still down to a crawl.

My visit last summer was beautiful and difficult. I don't want to be discontent, I want to be where God wants me and He obviously wants us here.

Still, it sure would be great to visit again. :-)

Sunday Musings

I haven't posted in a long time, as Jess has pointed out!

Much has happened: a funeral, non-stop action, school, a Bible study.

Weird stuff.

I've also noted that my children no longer wait for me to get off the computer. When they want to use it, they'll sit next to me for a few minutes to make sure I'm not doing anything "important," then they'll simply take the laptop from my lap.

Since when is watching TV shows on line (without commercials) NOT important?