The Simple Woman's Daybook

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For Today... Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Outside my window...clear skies and very chilly. Fall is almost here!

I am thinking... I got up a little too early today and don't have much to show for it - haha!

I am thankful for... being unpacked and settled in. Everything has a place.

From the school room... Joe started teaching yesterday. Looks like he has a great group of middle school students this year!

From the kitchen... Meals are planned for the next 2 weeks, and I am off to the store this morning. BBQ Chicken with pepper-jack cheese, baked potatoes, and broccoli tonight.

I am wearing... uh-oh. Still in my PJ's - about to get ready for the day ;-)

I am creating... my first Daybook entry and a long over-do post.

I am going... to get ready and go to the grocery store. Then off to visit my friend Kristine.

I am reading... Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Joe is still reading me the Harry Potter books!

I am hoping... I can get everything crossed my list today (and a little more)

I am hearing... The washing machine doing some hard work on sheets and towels.

Around the house... It feels great to have everything put away, furniture in its place and things in order. Our daily routine has begun.....

One of my favorite things... The smell of clean laundry, and the 1st night of sleeping in fresh sheets. It's the little things!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Jack's retirement party on Friday, clearing out the attic with my mom to get ready for the garage sale, and enjoy the extended weekend!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Nothing like great girl-friends! This is a picture from the day before the wedding. We went to Seattle and were tourists for the day. I just love remembering how all our best friend were in town for such a fun week and to be a part of our big day! Thank you!

Demographic Winter

Demographic Winter is the name of a documentary that my seminarian friend (Brian) sent me. He has watched the entire film, (which is totally secular), and expresses the need for societies to stop freaking out about the hype surrounding having "too many people in the world" and start having kids!

In order for our society (and world) to survive, demographers (and statistics) say we need to "replace" ourselves at a birth rate of 2.1, which makes sense - 2 children to replace the 2 parents that gave them life and .1 to factor in all sorts of other birth complications .... currently, most countries are at 1.something - - - -

There will soon be too many old people in the world for the lack of young people left in our world to support them.

What I find most interesting about the trailer that I have given you the link to, is that these secular demographers, state that the "in-tack male+female family unit" is the strongest and most successful way for our world to survive.

Check it out, and try to watch the entire film if you can.

Hooray for marriage and family life!

For those interested....

Everyone, please pray for my dad, who died pretty suddenly on Saturday morning. He always went to my grandparents house on Saturday's at 10:00 and is NEVER late for anything (I must get that from him) so when he didn't show up they were worried. They called him a few times, and then went over to his house, where one of my dad's sisters met them.

My dad had gotten up in the morning, and done his usually routine.... got breakfast ready, was watching the news. Somewhere during that time, they think his heart must have stopped or he had some kind of a heart attack. He was laying next to the couch, as if he had tried to walk off the pain, and then rest. My family said he looked peaceful.

When I was in 1st grade, and again in junior high, my father fought Hodgkins Disease. A type of Lymph node Cancer. He had been in remission for MANY years, and up until Saturday was the only person still alive after receiving the treatment he did. (chemo, full body radiation, stem cells - - the list goes on) The others lasted less than 2 years.

God gave our family a miracle by letting my dad be around to see me grow up (almost) fully.... he was able to be there for all of the milestone we never thought he would when he got sick when I was a tiny girl.

Junior high fun, high school sports (of which he never missed a swim meet or other event!) and graduation, college fun and graduation, along with countless trips up and down I-5 to visit me in college at least once a month, and pick me up and take me home whenever I wanted to come home (before I had a car) - and he was even able to share in the joy of my recent engagement to Joe! Joe was able to talk to him about his plans to marry me, and ask for permission, and then we were able to celebrate (on the phone) about the news. Praise the Lord! How providential the way joy and sorrow are mixed together.

When Joe asked my dad if he could marry me, my dad said to him ... "Well, it's okay with me, but you better ask her!" Is anyone surprised? ;-)

Due to all his cancer treatment, he just had a weaker body. His heart and organs were not like ours. Though he looked okay on the outside, he was constantly fighting inside, and fatigued easily.

Please pray that this will bring about conversion among many souls, and for the repose of his soul (David Doherty), that he may rest with Jesus, Mary, and the Saints and angels forever.

My dad received most of his treatment from Dr. Bonnie Takasugi and her team at Highline Cancer Center. Dr. Bonnie was one of my dad's favorite people and she helped him to survive as long as he did.

My dad didn't want any service or memorial,
for that reason, I am asking that donations be made to the hospital where he was treated.

If you feel called, please send donations in David's name to:

Highline Medical Center Foundation
ATTN: Cancer Center
16259 Sylvester Rd SW, Suite 101
Burien, WA 98166
(In memory of David Doherty)
Or online at : http://www.highlinemedical.org/Donation_Form.htm

Keep praying.

To my dad.... by far the best dad, for whom my love will be eternal.

My Cousin Brandon

Please pray for my family as we morn the loss of my cousin Brandon.

Last week, my cousin Brandon died. Much of what we know came from the information his friends gave us who were there, and the bystanders witnessed. This is the story:

Brandon was in Lake Havasu, Arizona with some friends jumping off cliffs into the lake. Brandon leaped off a rock in the Copper Canyon and disappeared under about 30 feet of water - it was several minutes before he was rescued - (by a scuba diver who was in the area). An off duty registered nurse administered CPR until the paramedics arrived.

They took Brandon to the hospital, then airlifted him to a medical center in Las Vegas for more advanced treatment. He died last Tuesday due to massive head trauma suffered at the moment of impact.

Please keep his parents, and little brother in your prayers, and also for my extended family, as this is the 1st death on this side of the family- and it was so tragic.

Storm heaven with your prayers for Brandon, and our family.

May God be glorified through this, now and always.

The picture below is a recent family photo from December 2007. We have had 3 major family pictures like this one. Each time, every family member has made it a priority to be present. As you can see we are all represented by the colors of the rainbow. My dad is one of seven. There are 7 colors in the rainbow. We each got one. My dad and I have yellow :-) Brandon, his brother Ramsey, and his mom, my aunt Faith are in navy blue, (there is a navy blue family, and a dark purple family). He is pretty much front and center - had a huge smile on his face - I am so thankful we were able to get together for this family picture.