Mission To Alabama....December 28, 2015

We have made it safely to Tuscaloosa , Alabama!!!!! We have met with our friend Peter and have our work orders for tomorrow.

Yesterday we left about 1:00pm from Rock Creek. We traveled to Farmington, MO, just south of St Louis where we stayed overnight.

Today  we got up EARLY!!!! And headed out. We arrived in Memphis, Tennessee  in time for lunch....and when in Memphis, there is only one thing to do! Eat Memphis style BBQ...on Beale Street!!

Which we did and it was delicious! Maybe more on that later....here are some pics of the group.
Then we visited the National Civil Rights Museum. For sure it was one of the highlights of the day for us. The museum includes the Lorraine Motel, the location where Martin Luther King Jr. was assented in 1968.

Tomorrow starts early, so time to go to sleep......

To be continued.....

Best Christmas Present Ever!!!!

Hi Everyone!!!!

Had a good report at the doctors yesterday! The chemo (unicorn juice) and snickerdoodles worked! Tumors and yucky things have shrunk....Surgery is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 8th at Gundersen Lutheran in LaCrosse. More detailed scheduling on Monday. Looking at a 3-4 day stay at the hospital. Then an 8 week recovery. The bad news is that we have to cancel our con ed trip to Florida and Disney World. The Dr. said no and she meant it!    :(

Still a long road ahead. May have to have 3 more rounds of a different unicorn juice (chemo cocktail) but we have to wait for the pathology reports.

We are so thankful for so much.... the prayers and support that we have received from everyone,,,,,having a peek at the miracles that God preforms every day......the conversations with people that never would have happened......and the becoming aware of the blessings that we were taking forgranted. 

Have a Merry Christmas! 

Blessings Abound,

Elayne W

I have always been fascinated with train tracks! My grandma lived a block from the tracks, Every afternoon when I stayed there Grandpa would take us up to the tracks so we could wave at the Engineer and the Conductor. It was in the days when there was a caboose..... I always thought that it would be fun to ride on the train to see where it would go....It did not occur to me that it went from Mason City to Marquette, unload and then go back :)

i look at this picture and think about how life is like a railroad track....most of the time it is clear sailing....but then there are the detours and the flat out derailments.....For my family and I this has been a year of derailments, but it also has been a year of blessings and smooth sailing. In spite of everything, blessings abound! Thanks be to God! Thank you for your prayers and support....and your continued prayers and support!

Soli Deo Gloria!

We wait!

It has been a good week. Lots of things going on. Health wise, I have had a cough and cold, that has not been much fun. We wait for appointments next week when we will hopefully hear some good news about how we will proceed. We pray, we wait....kinda like Advent.....

On a happier note, we wait:

•  for the 21st when the days get longer.
• the end of the month mission trip to Alabama
• Christmas day....cause we are kids
• and the 18th so we can see the new Star Wars Movie....the marathon with the old ones has begun!

The Gathered Body of Christ....

Today Cross Roads Lutheran Parish  gathered in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..... It was a glorious day! It was not such an unusual day....It was the second Sunday in Advent.....The choir amassed and sang, the shepherds arrived at the stable, and it was the first Sunday that with proper paperwork and permission I presided over communion at Rock Creek and Faith.....I did not expect that simple or not so simple act to have such a powerful effect on me, but it did.

The Holy Supper should never be taken for granted....and I never thought that I did. But one of the unintended consequences of serving in this parish, is that as a non ordained Communion was offered where the ordained person was.....Because I am consecrated and not ordained, (or not pastorized as some of our members call me) it was not part of my call to preside over communion. And since  I was not usually in the place where communion was being offered, I was never able to commune with the congregations. That changed today.

All went well...until I started thinking....yikes....yup, that always gets me into trouble. I thought about how blessed I am to serve these amazing congregations, how much I have come to love these people, and then I lost it......

Tears started streaming down my face and my already horse voice became even more broken....All because I was overwhelmed with the simple or not so simple act of Holy Communion. Being connected through space and time with all those who have gone before, are here now, and who are yet to be. 

I am so thankful for the NEIA Synod Council and office of the Bishop for approving the paperwork so that I can commune with the congregations  that I serve.....I means the world to me.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Look What Came in the Mail Today......

This piece of mail, Made My Week!

First of all, to my Medical Team.....with gratitude and thanks for living your call to serve others...even when it is hard, ugly, uncomfortable, painful, and difficult.....You have taught me that a cookie and bubbles can fix anything.....

!


We are far from the "end of the tunnel where  we can see the light", but it is getting closer. and if we look closely...we can see it from here!  If you were wondering, There were some unexpected tears....I am now looking for a frame to hang this baby on the wall! Thank you to everyone who has joined the journey with us....

....and we wait!

One of the things that one learns quickly in the unplanned adventure....is not to plan anything. Or if you do, be prepared for the change in plans....

That is where we are now....waiting. Later this month we will go and have the CT scan and then meet with the doctors for the results.We pray enough progress has been made and the sticky spot is in remission. That being said, my surgeon is out of town for Christmas so one way or another, no surgery until January.

That means I am able to go to Alabama for the mission trip after Christmas....excited about that!!!!

So again we wait to find out the results of the past six months of work.....

Soli Deo Gloria!

We have Sinckerdoodles!!!!

Definatly Worth the Wait!!!!

Finally! Snickerdoodles!

So, you may have heard, Unicorn Treatment #6 and FINAL!!! (hopefully) happened last week in Chair # 4....All went well, as can be expected anyway. Platelet counts were up and I was feeling pretty well.  Ya, there six of us :) After we celebrated with my other favorite thing....BUBBLES! The certificate is in the mail.....All the girls went.....Becky, Mom, Rachel, Laurie, and Kamryn.

You might think that a possey would be new or different...It was not, in fact we had one of the smaller groups. Since school was off and others did not work, they all came to Infusion to sit with their person. It was really important to me that Kamryn was a part of all of this. She was captivated by the puzzle shelf and spent most of her time there.  I don't think we need to worry about a career in the medical field for her. She really did not seem interested, but she watched everything.....she is stealthy like that.

So when it came time for the cookie.....I got a cookie, a really good peanut butter and M&M one. Actually I had 2....they were that good! But I was still craving a Snickerdoodle! So through the week I would find a recipe and leave assorted cookbooks open to the super simple recipes....

I have to admit I had a rough week....there was the usual chemo fog, limpness, spaghetti arms, exhaustion, achey, and lack of comfort.....this week we added some gastro fun that I will spare you the details....We also added a respiratory virus...yup that was fun. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were especially quiet, since it hurt to talk....so I missed some meetings and gatherings that I was looking forward to :(    Missing 3-4 fun things in 6 months is not too bad I thought....

So needless to say, I did not feel like baking myself a batch of Snickerdoodles....The open cookbooks reminded me that I have a dream!....and everyone should have  a dream! This week mine is to munch on a cinnamminie sweet cookie that explodes with flavor and and a party in your mouth....

I cannot explain what has me so obsessed with the tiny sugar cookie....I never really noticed them before....perhaps it is just the taste changes in my mouth....and there is something uncomplicated about the simple and sweet taste of the unassuming Snickerdoodle....

So today, I choose one of the twenty-five or so recipes that I picked and mixed it up....and now we wait for the dough to chill, so we can bake them into the crispy gooie goodness known as a Snickerdoodle!

Snickerdoodles

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup soft crisco
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. 
   
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Chill the dough.
3. 
   
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. 
   
6. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
7. 
   
8. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
9. 
   
10. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.