Southern Porch Extension

[Edy]

How about:
"Give your eating disorder to God"

I recall some wonderful sermons from Ernest O'Neil of Campus Church on dealing with temptations, unforgiveness, etc. His illustrations made a lot of sense to me, as a nurse who had witnessed some of the scenarios he presented. His encouraging words were that we cannot deal with any of it. We cannot stuff it, as psychologists suggest (which is like putting a band-aid on an abscess - it doesn't heal anything); we can only give it to God to deal with.

When I have crossed paths with those who have hurt any of my loved ones (I am programmed to "take up offense"), I have deliberately given the offender to God to deal with, because He knows I am unable. "Take it to the Lord and leave it there" - was that a Bible camp song I'm recollecting? That might be a good title idea, too!

[Laurie]

Thanks, Edy. That's a good idea. I'll ponder it. This is for an ebook, and I need the title to show up well on the cover image even in thumbnail size. So I'm concerned that my current title is too long. Someone edited the ebook for me. Once I've made changes, I'll proofread. I'm concerned I'll miss a typo or something since we don't tend to catch our own errors very well, but I can't ask her to spend anymore time on it given her busy schedule right now. Fortunately, it's short, though - about 5000 words. So it won't take me long to go over it.

I just hope I can format the ebook correctly for publication at Smashwords. I haven't done this before, and it's different from formatting for a print book. And I hope I can get a good photo for the cover. My niece will take a few pictures for me. Since I want a picture of my hands reaching up to the sky, I can't do that myself. I have ideas for more ebooks, but I'll see how this one goes first.

[Edy]

We are having WEATHER in Minnesota!

http://news.yahoo.com/people-animals-fl ... 22052.html

My brother and wife phoned us this morning (our mutual wedding anniversaries, today) from Duluth, where he was videotaping the geysers gushing out of flooded storm sewers. [They are okay, now further north at their place near Split-Rock Lighthouse, and the power is back on.]

Another brother recently sold his house in Duluth - I bet they're glad for that.

At 2 a.m., when I was heading to bed, it was still 85 degrees (so I did not open any windows) and 80 degrees when I got up this morning. Yesterday's 92 degrees has given way at last - late this afternoon the promised cold front came through and we're now 20 degrees cooler! Ahhhhhh - refreshing!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

[Edy]

Beware what's hiding in those flooded streets! Duluth today.

[Green Leaves]

An amazing story!

Can you imagine having an eagle companion?





Worth reading and passing on…
 
This is the kind  of story you need when it seems like the world is spiraling out of control…..

  
  Not many people  get a picture of this proud bird
snuggled up next to  them!


Freedom and  Jeff
Freedom and  I have been together 11 years this summer.
She came  in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings.
Her left  wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery,
it  was broken in 4 places.
She's my baby.

When Freedom  came in she could not stand
and both wings were  broken. She was
emaciated and covered in lice. We  made the
decision to give her a chance at life, so I  took
her to the vet's office. From then
on, I  was always around her. We had her in a
huge dog  carrier with the top off, and it
was loaded up with  shredded newspaper for her to
lay in. I used to sit  and talk to her,
urging her to live, to fight; and  she would lay
there looking at me with those big  brown eyes.
We also had to tube feed her for  weeks.

This went on  for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still
couldn't stand.  It got to the point where the
decision was made to  euthanize her
if she couldn't stand in a week. You  know you don't
want to cross that line between  torture and
rehab, and it looked like death was 
winning. She was going to be put
down that  Friday, and I was supposed to come in
on that  Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go
to the  center that Thursday, because I couldn't
bear the  thought of her being euthanized;
but I went anyway,  and when I walked in everyone
was grinning from ear  to ear. I went
immediately back to her cage; and  there she was,
standing on her own, a big beautiful 
eagle. She was ready to live. I was
just about  in tears by then. That
was a very good day. 

We knew she  could never fly, so the director
asked me to glove  train her.
I got her used to the glove,
and then  to jesses, and we started
doing education programs  for schools
in western Washington .
We wound up  in the newspapers,
radio (believe it or not) and  some
TV. Miracle Pets even did a show
about  us.

In the  spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin's  lymphoma. I had stage 3,
which is not good (one  major organ plus
everywhere), so I wound up doing 8  months of
chemo. Lost the hair - the whole
bit.  I missed a lot of work. When I
felt good enough, I  would go to Sarvey
and take Freedom out for walks.  Freedom would
also come to me in my dreams and help  me fight
the cancer. This happened time and time  again.

Fast forward  to November 2000

the day after Thanksgiving,
I  went in for my last checkup.
I was told that if the  cancer was not
all gone after 8 rounds of chemo,  then my last
option was a stem cell transplant.  Anyway, they
did the tests; and I had to come back  Monday for
the results. I went in Monday, and I was 
told that all the cancer was gone.



So the first  thing I did was get up to Sarvey and
take the big  girl out for a walk. It was misty
and cold. I went to  her flight and jessed her
up, and we went out front  to the top of the
hill. I hadn't said a word to 
Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me 
and wrapped both
her wings around me to where I 
could feel them pressing in on my back
(I was  engulfed in eagle wings), and she
touched my nose  with her beak and stared into my
eyes, and we just  stood there like that
for I don't know how long .  That was a
magic moment. We have been soul mates  ever
since she came in. This is a very special  bird.

On a side  note: I have had people who
were sick come up to us  when we are out, and
Freedom has some kind of hold  on
them. I once had a guy who was
terminal come  up to us and
I let him hold her.
His knees just  about buckled and he
swore he could feel her power  course through his
body. I have so many stories like  that..

I never  forget the honor I have of being so close
to such a  magnificent spirit as
Freedom.

[ready2go]

Yep, Duluth got hit pretty hard. They say it was probably the worst storm on record. Two of my cousins live up there along with their spouses and many kids. We haven't been up there for over 8-9 years, but always enjoyed the area...especially the North Shore drive and on up to Ely...even to Thunder Bay, too.

On Monday, the temps north of the cold front were 20-30 degrees cooler than those south of the warm front...with a distinctive line between the two fronts dividing Minnesota.

It occurred to me that those who had their house sitting on that separation line could step out the back door to cool off...and then, out the front door to warm up again.

Don

[Laurie]

I heard about the flooding in Duluth at Facebook this morning when I saw a post by Sandy, concerned that her husband wasn't home from work. He did eventually make it home. I wonder about Pam.

[Joanney]

Cynthia, I wish I had a peach orchard nearby. We are too far north for peaches, although some parts of Iowa can grow them. I used to get them by the lug when my mom had a lawn and garden shop and sold them, but she closed that a few years ago because of health problems.

Here is a picture from Duluth earlier today. You know there is flooding when the seal swim out of the zoo.

DULUTH, Minn — This seal is one of two that escaped from the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth during last night's floods. It was photographed on Grand Avenue. Zoo officials say the seals were returned safely. (Courtesy of Kelli Latuska)

[Edy]

GreenLeaves - I love that story about the eagle!

Don - wouldn't that be a neat spot, on the line between the heat and a cold front. You're so clever, I had to chuckle!

Joanney - I've been viewing some of the youtube videos. Waking up in the morning to water gushing past one's house would be bad enough, but imagine how terrifying to hear it in the dark through the night! Uff da. Makes me want to focus on clearing out my basement completely - and buying a boat!

Laurie - thanks for reporting on Sandy! Pam's last facebook post was yesterday morning, so I left her a note.

And, Cynthia - I'm with Joanney. I'd love to have a peach tree of my own, too! Ummmm!

[Joanney]

I talked to Pam. She and her family are safe. Water came up to her garage door, but her basement is dry. She is going back to work tomorrow. Evidently there was some water in the basement at work, but some of the guys who live close to work brought up all of the paper goods that were on pallets in the basement, so now they will contend with that being stored on the main level -- but better than ruined in the basement. She said the river is only about 50-60 feet from the front door when at normal flow, so it was using the parking lot for overflow. Thankfully a front come up expectantly and will give them a reprieve from the added rain they were otherwise expecting.

I was going to add in my earlier post that I am running low on peach jam. My kids grew up calling home canned peaches "Grandma Peaches" because they only knew of them as being ones that they either got at my mom's house or that she gave to us. They always liked Grandma Peaches better than store bought canned peaches.

[Green Leaves]

Joanney, I can understand that. Home canned is so much better than store bought. And yes, Cindy, she either waters her garden in the morning or evening, but my other daughter told her to just try doing in the mornings.

And I forgot to mention, Edy, that I don't remember anything being said about magnesium. Does that prevent calcium stones from reforming? Would be good to know once it is determined what they are made of. But she did think it was a type of calcium because there are so many and round and dense. They also think it was a side effect from a certain med I used to be on for fibro.

[Edy]

You can read all about it here, Carol:

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Magnesium ... lyn+dean#_

Magnesium is essential for calcium to be utilized (to illustrate, in the book the author recommends crushing a calcium pill and dividing it between a couple glasses of water. Add magnesium to one glass and stir. Only with magnesium does the calcium dissolve).

[ready2go]

My original thought for today...

"Our government has become so evil and corrupt that Satan himself probably calls them regularly in his search for ideas and advice about new ways of wreaking havoc."

Don

[Laurie]

Joanney, I'm so glad you talked to Pam. Thanks for letting us know she's okay.

[BeachGrandma]

ASK ANDY (OR JOANNEY)

WHAT IS A LUG OF PEACHES?