NEED A TITLE

I was made aware of NaNoWriMo season and so I thought I would go ahead and post how far I have gone at writing a story.  I probably won't succeed at writing 50,000 words this month but for what time I have available.  I'm not saying it's any good, just that I would post it.  Maybe you'll enjoy it?  and maybe even leave comments or thoughts about which direction I should go now.  This is not a romance story.  Theodora.

 (c) 2020

It was Christmas Eve and my arms were loaded with gifts. I was headed for my car when a homeless person approached me and asked if I had any money I could spare. I opened the car’s trunk and dropped the gifts in. Then I turned to the woman and offered to buy her a meal. We walked over to the Carl’s Jr restaurant; I told her to order anything she wanted. I reached into my purse to pull out my wallet, but it was missing. (How do I express that I’m distressed?) “Oh no, my wallet is gone!,” I cried. My heart started pounding and I felt a strong need to sit down and cry. I turned away from the woman and the counter and went to find a seat. I had to think. How and why was my wallet missing?

The woman followed me to the table and asked, “So, does this mean I don’t get a meal? Were you just taunting me? That’s a cruel joke to play!” I looked up, shocked at her insensitivity. “This is no joke. I had fully intended to buy you a meal but now my wallet is missing!” I responded with frustration. “Now I need to figure out where I might have left it or how it has gone missing.”

I decided to walk back to the car and double-check the trunk. The woman followed me, I suppose, still hopeful to get that meal. When we got to the car I looked in the trunk, moving the packages around, but there was no wallet. I searched my memory. It must be at the last store I was at. So we walked into the Mall. I went to the check-out stand I had used: “Excuse me,” I said to the clerk, “did I leave my wallet behind?” He said no. “How might I find out if someone else had found it and turned it into the store?” He suggested, “check with Customer Service. You’ll find them over there, in the hallway to the left,” as he pointed in that direction. At Customer Service they said that no wallet had been turned in.

When we came out of the store it was snowing and there were Carolers singing on the street corner, but I was in tears. I took out my cellphone and called my family to let them know what was happening and why I was late coming home. Then I called the police to report my wallet was missing. They said I needed to come in to the Main Station and file a report. I turned to the woman and told her that I was sorry that I couldn’t help her. I asked her if I could drive her somewhere to get a meal or a bed, but I didn’t know where to go.

We got into my car and headed for the police station.

Arriving at the police station I parked the car and we walked into the station. The officer behind the window asked me, “How can I help you?”

“I want to report I’ve lost my wallet. But first, do you have any food that you can give to this woman? I was going to buy her some breakfast when I discovered my wallet was missing.”

The officer paused, then said, “Let me go look.” He left the window and went into the back parts of the police station. When he came back he was holding a sandwich which he then passed through the window.

Then we resumed filling out a report for my missing wallet. I told him, “I had finished shopping and thought I put my wallet back into my purse. But when I was going to pull it out of my purse moments later it wasn’t there. I went back into the store I came out of and asked them if they had seen it. They told me ‘no’. I don’t know where else to look.”

The officer wrote it all down, the stores I had visited, where I lived and how he could get in touch with me if it should turn up. He then reminded me to get a new driver’s license and to cancel all my credit cards immediately.

When we finished the paperwork I asked the officer, “Will you tell me where I can find a shelter for this woman for the night.” He recommended the Good Shepherd shelter on Main and 95^th Street.

I drove the woman over to Good Shepherd and we parted our ways.

I went home and unloaded my groceries, put them away, and then went to the phone to call the Department of Motor Vehicles to ask them what I would need to replace my driver’s license. Then I called each of my credit cards and told them about the missing wallet. They each said they would cancel my cards and issue new ones.

I made dinner for my family. As we sat at the table each of us told the others about our day.

My family consists of my wonderful husband, one son and one daughter, both teenagers and both know their technology. They have been keeping us up-to-date worldly-wise. My husband, David, is a security manager at a large corporation. He stands six feet two inches with a slim figure and quite dashing in a business suit. Our son, Joseph, is 17 and stands at five feet eleven inches and has entered university. He is skipping community college because he completed that while still in High School. Our daughter, Kathryn, is 15 and is in the tenth grade.

Any thoughts on where this story should go?

 

Day 7

Day 7 – Sunday

It’s been a quiet time and/or a busy time since I arrived in Moses Lake. I thought I brought just a light load of work with me, but I’ve hardly made a dent in it.

Arriving in Moses Lake in the early evening on Sunday I picked up a car from my daughter, Sara, saying hi to my son-in-law and grandson. My daughter was watching over her nieces and nephews at my first daughter’s home and when I got there I found the rest of the family. My sister, Mari, and brother-in-law had picked me up from the airport and had graciously taken my luggage to my parents home where I am going to stay for the 16 days my sisters are out of town (18 days total travel time).

Monday and Tuesday the sun was shining and I enjoyed eating my breakfast outside. It’s cold here in Moses Lake. Today it was 29°F. Talking to David one day, it was 32°F here while it was 72°F at home. Today started out sunny then clouded over.

Back to Monday. After having devotions then eating my breakfast, because I needed to fix the brake light on my daughter’s Prius and Dad had a doctor’s appointment we agreed to go our separate ways and meet at Safeway for groceries. I went to AutoZone and the gal there said they couldn’t even order the brake light. I had to go to Toyota. So I went there and showed the young man behind the counter the part I needed (took him out to the car) and he sold me a two-dollar bulb that possibly doesn’t even belong to a Prius (maybe an interior light). He did tell me that he didn’t usually work the counter but worked in the back, stocking shelves. Turns out the part he was supposed to sell me costs $250.00 and they have to install it, an LED array.

About 11:00 we went to the store to get the groceries. This took us longer than we planned so I went straight to Mari and Tim’s home where we were all gathering for lunch before both sisters left town. Dad took the groceries home and put them away before coming over. Dad and Mari-Tim live only one mile apart.

After lunch I got some work done, I am in need of reading all the handouts from the seminar I attended just before leaving (I still haven’t made it half-way through). Not many hours later, I then sat down to eat dinner and watch TV with Dad for the evening.

On Tuesday after devotions and breakfast I had payroll to do for one of my clients. I had just finished the payroll when Eve invited me out for coffee. Later, Dad had told me that the whirlpool bathtub didn’t work, but I decided to find out for myself. After I spent about an hour fussing around it found I needed to borrow two screwdrivers, which he finally gave me today. I need to see if there is a leak or if the hot water is turned off or if there may be another problem, because, so far, the only problem I have found is no hot water. After that I tried to study (work) but the words were just putting me to sleep so I decided to start my painting instead. Have I mentioned that I’m going to try my hand at two small paintings this year? I don’t know how far it will go, just something to help with the imagination.

Wednesday. Dad likes lunch about 1:00pm and asked me to join him for a TV movie. He likes “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” (Hallmark channel) and introduced me to it. I like it too. Shortly after lunch Sara came by for an hour (or more). Then back to work.

Thursday was more working in the morning. We (being Dad & I) had lunch with Eve, Orrin, and Gus at the Rock Top Burgers & Brew followed by attending assembly at the Stein children’s school to watch granddaughter Amelia receive an award. Sara brought granddaughter Madi by after school for a visit.

Friday. Eve, Orrin, Gus and I went on an adventure. Eve wanted to teach Orrin (homeschooler) how to use a camera. He was interested until it was time to take the photos. We ended up at the park in Soap Lake. We started to head out to Sun Lakes but shortly turned around and came back home for Gus’ sake. Still, we had fun. We were back in time to go out to eat with Dad and JoAnna (niece). It turned out the Christina and David (sister & brother-in-law) would join us also.  They don't live in Moses Lake. This lunch had been planned with Christina and then David had an emergency, he had cut off the top portion of three fingers on his left hand. But he was released from the hospital and bandaged up with instructions to keep his fingers pointed up, so they both came. Lunch was at Michael’s Bistro.

In the afternoon I headed for Cascade Valley (Moses Lake) to visit my friends Ron and Becca Sawyer. Their family was the first one to greet our family when we first moved to Moses Lake 28 years ago. Their first daughter, Lisa, was also there. She is soon to have her second baby. During my visit, I had left my purse and cell phone in the car and missed the calls from my daughter, Sara. She came by in the evening while waiting to pick Madi up from school.

Saturday was a slow day … then a family dinner (tacos) at Eve’s house: Dad, my daughters, my sons-in-law, and seven grandkids. I am lovingly and richly blessed.

Today, Sunday, church, then lunch with Ron and Becca. I needed to pick up a few things at Walmart so I went there before returning to Dad’s. Got back to Dad’s right about 3:00pm and spent a quiet afternoon and evening with him.

** ** ** **

Day 8 – it’s snowing! With a strong, bitter-cold wind blowing.

Finished addressing & taping up a large box of Mom’s purses, shipping them off to Barbara. She and two other ladies will go through them and decide to which project each will go. We are having a purse auction to raise money for our Glendale Corps of The Salvation Army’s building remodeling (major repairs to the Admin-Classroom building) and also another service project involving purses.

Took the purses to UPS, then a quick stop to see if Sara was free to say hi, and what was supposed to be a quick stop at Mari-Tim’s house to drop stuff off, but took longer because the cats were hungry and then the door wouldn’t lock.

Work: Admin stuff, then lunch and this blog. It is now 3:10 and we will leave in about a half hour to go to Eve to see the movie I want to watch with Dad, “I Can Only Imagine”. He hasn’t seen it yet. Even if his church had shown it he wouldn’t have been able to leave Mom to go watch.

I thought about changing the title of this blog since I added one more day and then decided to leave it alone.

Eulogy for Mom

Eulogy for Mom – Marian Evelyn Waley Isaacson June 9, 1936 to January 10, 2019

My mother was blessed.

She had a husband who loved her and she loved him too. Mom and Dad were High School sweethearts at Lincoln High School in N. Seattle. Three months after they married Dad, who was in the Air National Guard 143^rd Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron, was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. They were separated for eight months before Mom joined him in Alaska. That is where they met Dean & Marlene Albee; and my brother Dean and I became their namesakes, Marlene being my middle name.  Then eight months later they were back in Seattle where I was born at the Fort Laughton Military Hospital in Seattle. Mom loved visiting Alaska and she was able to do so many times because of our brother who is still living in the Fairbanks area for most of his adult life. She loved the feeling of the open, rugged, cold outdoors.

Our parents were prolific: eight children. They showed us how to love in good as well as bad times and more importantly, to love the Lord. She spent a lot of hours in prayer for her children. She prayed us all into His kingdom. I am so glad for her prayers and her faith. They built a strong prayer and spiritual life in me, something that has strengthened me when times were hard in my own life, as it has in my siblings. We, the eight children, loved Mom dearly with our loyalty and camaraderie. This love for her spread out to one another. It wasn’t always sugar and spice growing up, but as we grew we all bonded in a way that made us a strong, loving family.

It didn’t seem like bonding at the time, but most every summer we would take a trip together as our "tribe” visited the Northwest outdoors: the Oregon coast and lower British Columbia I remember as particularly beautiful. I especially remember the huge horse fly that bit me. We were also regular attenders at Lake Retreat Family Camp, another outdoor activity our family enjoyed.

Mom loved God and spent a lot of time in His Word, in prayer and in teaching others about God’s love. I thank God for such a mother, devoted to God. Her love for God was a powerful witness not only to her children, but also friends, neighbors, and the people at church.

She had many lifetime friends, from high school, from their time in Alaska, from church & other places, especially Dean & Marlene Albee, Dwight & Marie Sharp, Rosemary Klontz, Al & Betty Verbarendse, and Earl Fey, just to name a few.

There was a special place in her heart for missions. This was so great: she always invited missionaries who visited our church to spend their nights at our home. Our door was always open to them. How exciting to hear their stories of their great faith! They inspired not only our family, but many others as well. She and dad invited one musician, Mario Honoré, to stay with us. As it turned out, he stayed for a month.

In the late 1970s Mom and Dad formed Reaching Ministries to invite friends to visit with missionaries in their home to explain their ministry, and tell us of their needs, such as computers, cars, and other items. These were things their mission didn’t supply or provide funds for. Then the invited listeners would try to fulfill that need. Of course the missionaries shared their inspiring stories of faith as well. Reaching Ministries later evolved to support native pastors and orphans in India and Myanmar, plus a couple of other ministries. As it turned out, my mother blessed as many missionaries as blessed us. I am so proud of her.

Mom’s hobbies: she collected fabrics. Her intention was to sew something so she usually bought a pattern as well, but then the item rarely was made and the pile of fabrics grew. She also collected dolls and books. She especially loved cookbooks.

I can’t remember a time when Mom didn’t have a pet. I think there was always at least one dog or cat in our home. One of her favorite dogs was a rescue dog, Tuner. He was a Shetland sheepdog. A very nervous dog, but he was (mostly) fun to have around.

Mom and Dad eventually moved to a lovely house with a great view of Puget Sound. As nice as this home was and its spectacular views, Dad asked her to move to Moses Lake. At first mom was skeptical of this decision. She was so happy in that home on the Sound, Yes, Dad was asking her to move to the desert, but he promised they would live on the lake. As it turned out she quickly fell in love with Moses Lake.

Many times in her life, but especially in these last several years as it does for all who grow old, sickness prevented her from being as active in church as she liked. But now, healed again, I know she is so happy to be with Jesus, serving Him in his Heavenly Kingdom. She has been promoted to Glory!

Psalm 139: 13-14 “For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.…”

God knew just what kind of person He wanted me to be and He gave me the right set of parents to make me that person. I also have been blessed - because of Mom’s love and care for me.

What Is the Meaning of Life?

Last night I was reading the December-January issue of Reader’s Digest. An article, “Maintain Your Purpose” by David G. Allen, poses the question, “What is the meaning of life?” and suggests that this question should be asked and answered by each of us anew each year, writing it down without looking at the previous years answers.

Without writing it down I have pretty much answered this question for myself quite some time ago – Serve God, serve others, spread God’s light to those around me (Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16), and remind them, and sometimes myself, to choose joy (Rejoice at all times. 1 Thessalonians 5:16). But I do think that thinking about it and writing it down at least once a year is a good idea.

I also feel that my answer is inclusive to love others and make my corner of the world a better place. There are so many street beggars these days that I get mixed feelings about contributing to them. There is the part that I don’t wish to contribute to their addictions but I also don’t want them to be hungry. And our Corps is usually within walking distance from where they are begging (1-2 blocks), why don’t they go there?

But God has also told us that we will always have the poor among us and to take care of them. (Deuteronomy 15:11, For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land. Psalm 82:3,

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ .Matthew 25:35-40)

Yet, the verse I always think of when making this decision is “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42)

I have two new projects for 2019. This is along with my other activities: still working, still emptying my home, writing this blog, and still Home League Secretary (Women’s Ministries leader). The new projects are: shortly before Christmas (but put away for the last three weeks) I started a painting. I also bought a smaller one to complete. I figured the first one will take me quite awhile to complete. The second project is that I have a friend who wrote a book. I suggested he turn it into thirteen Sunday School lessons for teens. He likes the idea but doesn’t have time so I’m going to do it. I give myself all year for this project. In one year I’ll have to tell you if I achieved my goals or not.

Happy New Year.

Family Christmas Time 2018

Thursday through Monday (11/29-12/3) I traveled to Moses Lake, Washington, to see my daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. I have seven grandchildren now and someone reminded me that seven is God’s perfect number. I forgot to tell my daughters.

I went to see them so that we could celebrate Christmas, even though it is only the beginning of the month. Temperature-wise, I was fine during the day, but froze when I tried to sleep. I ended up sleeping with my heavy sweater on every night. They didn’t cool down their houses any more than we do, so I realized that it’s wetter there and that makes it colder.

Everyday Orrin would ask me if I was staying at his house and everyday I told him, two nights at his house and two nights at his cousins.

I did a craft with the grandchildren. I had asked my daughters ahead of time if they had the supplies I needed. I had already bought supplies to do this craft with my women’s group (Home League). My first daughter said yes, but when I got to her home I asked again.

“Eve, do you have the supplies I need?”   

     

Eve, “You should find them in the middle set of drawers, second drawer down, on the desk bar.”

I looked through all the drawers and cupboards there and couldn’t find any of the supplies. So, I went to the store and bought them. The kids had great fun doing a craft with grandma. I let my daughter keep the rulers and hole punch. When I went to do the craft with my Home League ladies I discovered we didn’t have rulers; if I’d only known.

My oldest grandchild liked the craft enough that we made six more for people on her Christmas gift list.

On Saturday we all trooped off to Cashmere for their Christmas celebration. The third and fourth grade volunteer choir sang a number of Christmas songs. They were good. Santa arrived noisily on a fire truck while they were singing. But he stayed and listened until they were finished before he moved to his throne in the fire station. Liam got close to Santa while he was outside but, when we got in line to see him, Liam didn’t want to go in.

Mike and his family were 1 ½ to 2 hours behind us. He had gone in to Urgent Care believing it would be a quick trip and it took them three hours to help him. Meanwhile Sara was unsatisfied with the activities in Cashmere and called Eve to have them join us in Leavenworth. Five miles outside of Leavenworth the traffic was stopped. Two things were taking place in town – road construction, and a festival day. Traffic was being stopped by the road construction and slowed down by people trying to find parking. All the lots were charging $20 for parking AND were all full. Even the free lots on the edges of town were full. Sara talked to Eve one more time and continued to look for parking. Then she called Eve a third time and told her it was no use. There was no parking left. On the way into town I had commented that the cars traveling east were turned away. I guess I was close.

We met up in Wenatchee and had a late lunch before returning home. It was still a fun day.

Sunday we celebrated Christmas. I read the Luke 2 story to the children, asking questions to make sure they understood the story. Then we unwrapped our gifts.     

I love spending time with my daughters and their families, but I was so glad that it was time to go home.

Advent Calendar

My theme for Home League (The Glendale Corps of The Salvation Army Women’s Ministries) this week was Advent. I did this theme in another year past and found an advent calendar that I handed out that time. This year I couldn’t find the calendar. So I took the older calendar and updated it.

Because I had trouble finding one I thought I would share this one with you. I hope you find it useful and devotional. For the Advent Sundays the calendar says, “See Scripture readings for Advent.” The ones I passed out are copyrighted so I suggest that you can find readings by online-googling them. There are many churches that post their suggested readings for the season. Find the offering you like.

Attached is the Advent Calendar (.jpg). Right-click on the calendar and "Save as" to download.

 May you be blessed through its use this season.

Meeting and Greeting

Last Tuesday (November 27) I saw, what to me was, an incredible sight. An elderly gentleman, small and skinny, was pushing his grocery cart while keeping his wood crutches, both of them, moving forward. He had only one leg yet he had a perfect rhythm and smoothness.

I watched a second incredible event; I saw a deaf man having a cell-phone conversation. He had video contact with the other person using sign language over the phone. Pretty awesome (to me).

Wow, how today’s technology has opened up the world (and yet still gives us many headaches and aggravations).

Today, (we all know this, however) give a stranger an opportunity, an opening for a conversation and they love it. They will talk until they have run out of words for the subject that has opened up. There seems to be a great need today to connect with other people through conversation. I say conversation, but mostly I just listen.

I saw many friends and acquaintances today also (individually, at separate times) and handed out lots of hugs. It was a busy day.

Before leaving home it poured down rain, twice. But I missed the beautiful bright rainbow, so I was told by someone who saw it.