...Because I just can't have enough candles or flowers! What joy such small things can bring!
Well, I can't speak of September without first mentioning that my daughter and Mom had their birthdays at the end of August...on the same day! Eight years ago when baby number two was born, "Gaby" (as they now call my mom) said she just couldn't understand why I wouldn't let her take "her present" home!
We celebrated with "Cookie Monster" ice cream (so easy, you can't believe it), and tried and true cupcakes. The birthday girls had fun getting together that Saturday with family and neighbor friends.
The massive news of September is that Abue, age 96 and a half, has moved in with us. If you see her, please don't tell her I told you her age...she says when people know her age, they treat her like an old person. And those of us who know Abue can attest that she definitely does not "act her age"!
She arrived on Saturday, September 3, around 3pm:
"Hey! Ya llegué!"
We bought our house with the idea that the downstairs bedroom would be perfect for guests, or someday for older relatives who are ready to no longer live alone. After praying and discussing Abue's living situation for six months, it was hard to believe the time for her to move in had finally arrived. The wonderful part is that she decided herself to come...no one forced her to make this transition. Even better, she still has her home of over fifty years in Spartanburg, so she hasn't been faced with the sadness of seeing it sold. Hers is the ideal situation.
Abue's room is her own space, a type of small "apartment" within our home:
To the left of this television is where her private bathroom is located. The window in this photo overlooks the front yard and pond.
Here is Abue by her other window. We placed the recliner where she would have a nice view of the TV. Cable has been hooked up into her room, where never misses Wheel and Jeopardy, and can watch Telemundo to her heart's content. One thing I love is that both the bed and dresser belonged to Jeremy's grandmother...how special that now my grandmother gets to use them!
We even found the perfect photo of Papi for the other side of the bed, right by the window, next to God's Word. I think he would love this space of Abue's!
Just a little artistic posing...Abue looking into the mirror on her dresser. That's her mother in the photograph on the left, and some photos of young Abue and her sister on the right.
Abue is independent, for the most part. She gets up late, fixes her oatmeal and café cubano, does Sudoku, reads Spanish books, and watches her shows. She also loves to sit outside and take short walks throughout the yard. Abue sometimes will go with me on errands, but is fine staying home, too. We still eat lunch in the kitchen, but now that there are five of us at dinnertime instead of four, our family eats together at the dining room table. Abue and I have a glass of wine some nights, but without fail, she's in her room by seven for her game shows. On Sunday, I introduced her to the preaching of John Piper as we watched a sermon during which he had an interpreter. Abue leads a simple, enjoyable life, and her being here is being used by God in different ways for all of us.
In the wee, dark hours of Sunday morning, I should've been sleeping. Instead, I was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable, and rolling thoughts over in my mind...things I had to "work out." God keeps showing me that it's up to Him, not me, to do this working out of items I try to organize just so. After I finally fell asleep and thankfully woke up refreshed, the Lord showed me that day that I had no need to worry about anything; He worked it all out in His own way, with grace and love. Why should I be surprised? It only allows me to recall His goodness the next time I'm tempted to do His job.
Here's something that I had to take a photo of, of course, "for the blog":
The fantastic part is that, while I was searching for a type of soup in Aldi, my daughter noticed this open door and pointed out the sign: "Look, Mom! Isn't that funny?" I'm definitely training her up to appreciate silly little things that make us smile. They're all around if you try to notice them. I loved telling her that I got a kick out of it, and all of us laughed together.
One last thing...Does your local library have a shelf near the entrance/exit with discarded books for sale? All of our branches do, and most of the time, the books are only a quarter apiece. You surely know that I'm crazy about books, especially ones that I get for barely nothing. I darted into the library the other day to grab a video on hold that had arrived, and quickly perused the sale shelf on my way out. These were mine when I stepped out the door:
What a way to spend seventy-five cents! It truly is the little things that are big.
Until next time!
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