THANK YOU, VETERANS

THANK A VETERAN FOR YOUR FREEDOM

By J. L. Sager

It was a veteran, not a reporter,

Who guaranteed freedom of the press.

It was a veteran, not a poet,

Who guaranteed freedom of speech.

It was a veteran, not a campus organizer,

Who guaranteed freedom to demonstrate.

It was a veteran, not a minister,

Who guaranteed freedom to worship.

It was a veteran, not a salesman,

Who guaranteed freedom to own property.

It was a veteran, not a travel agent,

Who guaranteed freedom to travel.

It was a veteran, not a politician,

Who guaranteed freedom to vote.

It is a veteran who salutes the Flag,

Risks it all for the Flag,

And who is buried beneath the Flag.

Take me Away

Today after school Mark and I are heading to Dayton, Washington for the Memorial Day weekend. This has been such a stressful week, and we look forward to relaxing with dear relatives on Mark's side of the family. Of course we will not be able to take the CR-V, so will travel in Mark's pick-up truck. This weekend is also "Dayton Days" in that fair town in southeastern Washington. We plan to enjoy the annual parade and some of the other festivities offered, as well as a big barbeque with all the gathered relatives. And it will be just fine with me if I don't think about my car accident even once.

Counting my blessings...

Well, it wasn't the afternoon I had planned. After I left the high school, I headed to Fred Meyer to pick up a few things. At the intersection of 23rd and Harrison in Corvallis, I stopped at a cross walk to let two pedestrians cross the street. And as I sat there waiting, I felt a huge slam in the rear of our car. I was so startled as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. Click on the pictures to see more detail.
Thankfully no one was injured badly. I am quite sore in my neck and back, and the young girl who was driving the other car suffered a small cut above one eye when some of the the glass from our rear windshield flew into her open driver's side window.
Below is the other car. Both vehicles were towed to the same wrecking yard, and now we must deal with all the hassles that come with being in an accident. We stopped by our insurance agent's office and filed a claim, and will go from there. And I will go to the doctor tomorrow, just to be checked out to make sure nothing is wrong with me physically that I don't know about.
Above is the other driver's car. There is a possibility that there was a third car that may have hit her before she hit me, as several people saw a black car fleeing the scene. I just don't know. It all happened so fast, that I can't process it all. Mark met me at the wrecking yard, and went with me to the insurance agency. He is such a loving support and is just so capable at dealing with all the details of such an incident. I can only thank God that no one was seriously hurt, especially the pedestrians that were attempting to cross in front of me from two different sides of the street. Thank you, God.

Mother's Day

Fact: If bragging about one's children was a recognized sport, I would definitely make the team, and would qualify to play at the varsity level, since I am so good at it. And the special Mother's Day I just enjoyed gives me yet another opportunity to share with all who might care to listen just how GREAT a family I have! On Saturday, Sarah and Chris, Jake and Beka, and Hannah all journeyed to P-town. They prepared a wonderful Mediterranean feast for us to enjoy, and the warm weather enabled us to eat outside for the first time this year. Hooray!
Some of the bounty included veggies and pita bread to spread with hummus and feta.
A nice fruit salad and a spinach salad, and a large bowl of tampenade completed the menu. Everything was so yummy and so beautifully presented.
Everyone took a turn driving Mark's new toy, the riding lawn mower. But first - the pictures on the mower's key ring warned us of the impending danger. As you can see from the picture on one side, Mom and the kids should remain indoors and watch through the window while Dad mows outside. Or else --- you might face the situation depicted in the picture on the other side:

However, we ignored the warnings and we all rode with wild abandon.

Mark, of course, had to take a soda with him so he could try out the cup holder.

Hannah took to the driving like a duck to water - such a natural.

Hi, Chris!
Sarah, you are a PRO!

Looking good, Jake! And I like your hair cut, by the way.

The lovely Beka takes her turn.

Yep, me too... It sort of scares me.

Love you, Sarah and Chris.

You, too, Jake and Beka.

And my baby, Hannah - what can I say? You are such a delight.

My sweetie and me. How I love that man!

And the lovely gifts - a bouquet of bright pink tulips from Hannah. Thanks, honey!

Three books from Jake and Beka that will I will enjoy reading to our soon (hopefully)-to-arrive grandson, Baby Dorr. How I long for that day to come! Thanks so much!

And Sarah and Chris gave me new jammies - and Sarah handmade the pants. Such a labor of love - thanks to you both. And then my day was made totally complete with two phone calls from our dear sons in Colorado - one call from David and one from Ben. It was SOOO good to talk to them - if they had been here, they would have seen tears of joy running down my cheeks as we chatted. I miss you guys (and Nikki and Christine, too) so much, and love you to pieces. Thanks so much for calling.
And of course no family gathering would be complete without the obligatory photo of Hannah holding Goliath in their traditional pose. Looking good, Golly (oh - and Hannah, too). Thanks, everyone, for such a special Mother's Day. It is the highest calling of my life to be a mom, and I treasure each one of you with all my heart.

Tea for Two

On Saturday, Hannah (having just completed her spring semester at George Fox), took me to tea. We went to Lisa's Tea room, located right here in beautiful downtown Philomath, for an early Mother's Day celebration. And it was so very special to me. Thanks, sweet Hannah! I love you.

Any time with my kids is precious to me. And one-on-one time is priceless.

The food at Lisa's is wonderful, and the service is warm and friendly. And the ambiance is lovely. You are made to feel as if you have been transported to England for high tea, if only for a short time.

A few of the desserts we enjoyed. Yummy!!!

Knee Surgery - Mission Accomplished

We are now home from the hospital, and Mark's early morning knee surgery is a done deal. The surgeon told me afterward that he didn't have to do as extensive a procedure as he had anticipated, which was such good news to hear. He said that Mark will be on crutches for only a few days this time, gradually putting weight on the affected leg as he is comfortable doing so. This is in stark contrast to three years ago, when the same surgeon had to do a much more complicated procedure on Mark's other knee, and Mark had to be on crutches for eight weeks. We thank God for this result, and thank you so much for your prayers.

You know you're getting older when...

Well, Mark went to visit his knee surgeon this morning - same guy who operated on his right knee three years ago - and they decided that the surgeon would perform the same procedure on Mark's left knee next Thursday, April 30th. Mark has a torn meniscus and osteo-arthritis in that knee, same as the other knee. Last time he had to spend eight weeks on crutches following the surgery, and this time will be no different. So... we're gearing up for the big day! Life is just so much fun!

So, I guess you know you're getting older when the body parts start to wear out. And here are a few more indications...

You know you're getting older when...

...you remember when the Dead Sea was only sick.

...it takes two tries to get up from the couch.

...your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

...someone compliments you on your layered look.... and you're wearing a bikini.

...your arms are almost too short to read the newspaper.

...your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes... and you're barefoot.

...going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.

...your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.

...you find yourself beginning to like accordion music.