The Cottage

It is Sunday, and we are home instead of in Church today.  It has been a long week, and very exhausting. We are settled in now... I think.  Emotional exhaustion is subsiding... I think.  We got Steve home from the hospital  4 nights ago.  We decided our best approach to surviving the next 6 weeks was to move into our little house next door ;  It is a mobile home, and we call it "The Cottage" now.  It is  a quarter mile from our house and is the house my Mom used to live in before she moved out to Nevada to be close to my brother and his girls while they are growing up.

The house has all flat surfaces, wider doors into the bathrooms for wheel chair access, and a bath tub and shower that is much more accessible than our own at home.  We had furniture already in The Cottage; some left from my Mom, some of our own extra odds and ends, some of Steve's Mom's odds and ends, so we are already set up pretty well.   We do have to haul water, because we are only set up on a cistern.  Between Luke and Eddie and our neighbor, they got the water tank on the back of the truck again, then Luke  and I got the water loaded and into the cistern. I am trying to learn some of the tasks that Steve has always done, and I am a little slow.  Thankfully the boys are helping.

There have been all kinds of other little tasks that  keep life running smoothly, such as can openers and other kitchen utensils,  washing machines,  sheets, towels, clothes, and personals which have all kept me running back and forth between houses through the week, as well as taking care of Steve and running errands for wheel chairs, medications, supplements and so on.   We have had the most amazing help from family, friends, neighbors and church.  I don't think you can truly realize the love and goodness in peoples hearts until you are the recipient of such kindness and generosity.  What would we do without our loved ones who have given to us in every way conceivable.  Thank you all; family, friends, neighbors, blogging friends, for the help, prayers, meals, love, words of encouragement,  and more... Wow... such amazing blessings.  Some very dear friends came here yesterday, and brought food, encouragement, and built us a ramp from our porch so I could get Steve and wheelchair out the door and into the van and to his doctor's appointment on Monday. Phew.  Thank you guys.  It is very difficult to express the emotion I have felt over all these things, but gratitude and love just over flow.

Eddie and Luke are holding down the fort at the other house.  Yes, what a strange family we are.  We now live in two houses.  The boys have been wonderful at keeping things clean for me.  I told them "this house is like a sinking ship... we have to keep bailing water (pick up and keep the dishes clean), and if we stop, it will start sinking again".  That is truly the way it feels to me (keeping up with house work)... it never just floats along clean and lovely for a while, it must be constantly bailed or we are sunk.  So they have  kept it going.  I pop in and help out, and do laundry and cook up a meal, etc... but they are doing great.

Eddie wanted to go to all the "Homecoming" activities at school this weekend (bonfire, game, formal etc..) So between Luke, Grandma Jo and I, we were all able to get him there and back at all the various hours for all the various activities.  He looked very handsome in his blackshirt and tie, and came and chatted with us before and after yesterday.  Incidently, I have loved seeing the personalities of the boys during these difficult times.  Luke, with his quiet, cooking and cleaning and worried looks wanting to help all he can, but never much of a conversationalist.   Eddie,  fluctuating between normal teenage concerns of "how am I gonna get to  my game" to "Pam, I 'm kinda worried about Steve... no one is up there with him... Grandma Jo just left, and you gotta get back up there..." on the phone to me when I went to do an errand the other day.  I have had to leave Steve for an hour or two here and there; with phone and walkie talkie in hand, knowing my mother in law and neighbors were right here to pop in if needed, but Eddie didn't like that.  So Sweet.   As a side note, Our last three kids came to us at the ages of 10, 14 and 15... (now 20, 19 and 15) and have always called us "Pam" and "Steve"... something we have grown very used to. To their friends and others, they speak of us as My Mom, or My Dad, but at home it is as I said.

My other kids are setting dates for those visits coming up; starting with Elizabeth who will arrive with little Winston  a week from tomorrow.  A little after that will be Nathan and family, and a little after that, will be Marie and family.  All we need is Russell and Benjamin, who are out on deployments with the Navy, then we would have all our chickies under our wings.  Such delightful prospects.

So today is truly a day of rest for us.  We are feeling fairly caught up on urgent things. Steve has felt much more himself yesterday and today.  I put on a pot of coffee and can hear it brewing; such a comforting sound to me.  One of the luxuries I treasure in my life is sipping coffee in bed early on a Saturday morning with Steve and  dreaming dreams together.  We skim the  computer looking at houses, motorcycles, airplanes, vacation spots,  goats, horses, cows, chickens,  and barns.  How is that for eclectic.  It is our cozy wake up moment before the world creeps in and responsibilities start hammering at the door.  I love those moments.  Perhaps we will have a moment like that  this morning; peaceful, quiet rest.  I realize this is a long post, but it has been very relaxing to me to just sit and type and re-cap the week, so I hope it hasn't been too much for you all at one time.  Blessings to you all this week.  I will be popping in for a visit with you as the moments open up.

Have a lovely week,

Pam

My Scripture for today

Psalm 23

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

her restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they are a comfort to me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surly goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.