Merry Christmas 2025

Once again, life felt too depressing to send annual Christmas cards to friends. Besides, once I stopped sending cards, I realized that everyone else has abandoned the habit, as well. I think I received 5 or 6 cards last year. Written correspondence, though rare, is important! This make me sad!

In the final third of the year, we have settled into our empty nest reality. Things are quiet here. Thankfully, Sean is close enough that he sometimes returns home for a weekend (or week if he can snag it). We are also grateful that he knows other students returning home, enabling him to get a ride. Even so, we have made countless trips back and forth to the West Lafayette/Lafayette area, since both our younger sons are living there.

In August, Sean and Claire attended a Purdue game:

In September, Bryce and Elizabeth came to Purdue. Bryce was recruiting for his company and they took Sean to a game. We met up for lunch and the boys posed for me, squinting in the sun:

In October, Trev snapped a shot of his progress in the gym. He's been dedicated to sculpting his body and keeps very strict schedules and diets. He's hoping to one day compete.

In November, Bryce and Elizabeth returned to Indy to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. I'm sad I failed to get any photos of us all together. We also hosted my husband's older brother Rick and were so glad he could be with us instead of being alone on a holiday. He is missing his dogs, so he cuddled up with our Toby. Plus, he enjoyed watching his nephews play Rock Band together (something that makes my heart sing, as well).

At the end of November/early December, Bryce and Elizabeth bought a house. He sent me a video tour after they moved in. Praying they will be happy and blessed in their new home.

I was slow to put up our decorations this year. Indeed, I thought about only putting a small tree up in the living room, but Trevor begged to have the larger tree on the porch (he even offered to come help set it up for me, but I relented and put it up December 7th - late for me). I don't have the decorative touch many possess, but my boys love these decorations.

May you and yours have a blessed Christmas Day! And may God walk with you through every trial and triumph of 2026!

=========

Apologies! I am battling a new frustrating development in Blogger. G00gle is now adding links into blog posts unrequested. I am not proficient in the html script. I find it very difficult to know how to go in and remove their links without messing up the code so that everything reads as I desire. This is wrong! They have no right inserting themselves and their decisions into my writing. It is almost enough to make me abandon this blog altogether. At this point, I am altering my writing in hopes of avoiding words that trigger these intrusive links. Please bear with me as I figure this out.

May 2025 Kicks Off With a Bang

In the beginning of May, our lives took an unexpected and difficult turn, ramping up the daily stress levels significantly. I cannot discuss those details, but will instead shift my focus to my youngest son, Sean. On May 3rd, he and his girlfriend Claire attended their senior prom. He was decked out in a black tux with an emerald green vest. He purchased matching emerald loafers specifically for the occasion. We were thrilled to learn that Sean and Claire were voted Prom King and Queen for the evening.

On May 4th, they took a trip to King's Island for a post-prom activity with other friends. We had been praying for their safety for this trip. Praise God, they were indeed kept safe! While approaching the entrance, a driver in a jeep in front of them slammed on his brakes. Even though they were only going 10 mph, they slammed into the jeep. While the jeep was unaffected, Sean's car hood was bent. There was also a large hole where the jeep's hitch punctured Sean's bumper. We were very concerned that some internal damage may have made the vehicle unsafe for driving home. Thankfully, they drove home safely and Sean was able to continue using his car until we took it in to a body shop for repairs last week. 

This is very difficult for us now, because it renders us down to one car for the whole household and I become chief chauffer. Just before his car went into the shop, my husband detected a grinding noise coming from my vehicle. So, there was uncertainty that my car would remain viable, as well. I had hit a very large pothole on the way home from my trip to Patti Callahan Henry's author talk in Franklin, IN, last month. That resulted in replacement of the struts. Perhaps the grinding sound is related to that. We will not find out until after Memorial Day weekend and Sean's H. S. graduation.

On May 12th, the school held a Scholarship Night. Both Sean and Claire earned scholarships.

Sean has been accepted into the engineering school at Purdue University. While we are thrilled to see him follow in his brother's footsteps there, some of the requirements gave a great concern. Sean has always exhibited allergic reactions to immunizations. Although the doctor's office would like to label these as "localized allergic reactions," in my opinion, they are widespread. He runs significant levels of fever, exhibits pain (from the kindergarten shots, to the point of being unable to walk), and the shot site often swells up to the size of a grapefruit and is hot to the touch. Once again, as before, we were not allowed to make the decision of what is in the best interest of our son. The university health office denied our requests, with doctor verification, for a medical exemption. If something devastating had happened as a result, I can assure you, we would have pursued legal representation. We prayed God's covering over him and are extremely grateful that his reaction this time was limited to discomfort, mild swelling, and a touch of fever for several days.

We are also grateful for God's protection and care during recent events with our home. On Friday evening, during a touch of bad weather, I heard a loud boom and saw through the kitchen window that a huge limb from one of our trees had come down. It could have done so much more damage than it did. Thankfully, it fell between the kitchen and garage portion of the back of the house. It did pull down the power line, but the line didn't snap (praise God!) and crews were able to come out later in the night to free the line from the tree and rehang it. It took out John's bird feeding sanctuary area. It hit the corner of the porch roof and the corner of the kitchen roof and the corner of the garage roof. It bend down the gutters. Here are the indoor photos I snapped (again, I apologize for being a horrid photographer):

If you are a praying person, please remember us in your prayers as we navigate the rest of this month and upcoming summer. I can honestly say that it is only through His grace that we are enduring the path we have been called to walk. You may also wish to join Judy Douglass for Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day on June 2nd, 2025. Judy is the author of When You Love a Prodigal and the host of the When You Love a Prodigal podcast.

Book Review: Positively, Penelope

How grateful I am to Pepper Basham for providing another light-hearted, uplifting, clean romance! After enjoying Authentically, Izzy, I gave the second book in the series a go. Positively, Penelope returns to the same sibling set, but you could read it as a stand-alone novel. What a delightful and upbeat character! Penelope shines in a dark world. Since my world has had its own gloom, it was thrilling to enter this alternate reality and have Penelope's words "turn my frown upside down." (Ha! My husband's frequent complaint. He says I always frown. He's not alone. When I was in high school and concentrating on something I was learning, the teachers would often stop to say I looked like I was in pain. Oh my! I need to channel Penelope from now on!)

Penelope Edgewood loves musicals and all things theater. When she takes a temporary internship at the Darling House Theater on the island of Skymar, she brings her love of magic and fairy tales and princesses along. Is her positive spirit strong enough to battle the darkness of the owners (still reeling from several losses), the mystery of an idea thief, and her own bout with homesickness? Can she remain positive when life threatens to pull her down?

I had forgotten my intention of seeking a hard copy of the book for this second installment. Others complained about the awkward inconvenience of listening to each epistolary entry read aloud. It is true. Epistolary novels, especially if involving emails and texts, read better on the physical page. However, I love a good epistolary novel, so I put up with the email subject lines and text tags. This is a delightful series with fascinating and quirky characters, light-hearted romance, and other-worldly settings. I look forward to exploring the next book, Loyally, Luke.

Compilation: A Baker's Dozen Health and Nutrition Books

As we approach the Christmas gift season, I wanted to provide a compilation of outstanding daily devotionals. It is a great time to give the gift of a devotional that covers every day of the year. Alas, I can only recommend two, despite owning and working through many more. It came down to Paul David Tripp's New Morning Mercies and Bob Hostetler's The Shakespeare Devotional. Since 2 books hardly made a compilation, I shifted gears and chose to highlight health and nutrition books.

One would think I'm a fit and thin individual, given the number of nutrition and health books I read. One would be sadly mistaken. I love to read about this subject. Implementing what I read is something of a struggle. Again, though, it is that time of year when gifting reflects best intentions for resolutions. Or perhaps, like me, you just enjoy reading books about getting healthy (sometimes more than actually getting healthy). I cannot say these are the best books on the subject, only that they are ones I have reviewed (although I didn't take much time compiling this list and didn't go back further than a few years except for ones I remembered well enough to call forth again). I have marked the most memorable and meaningful books with an asterisk (*).

1. Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger MD
2. Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss *
3. It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
4. The Patient's Playbook by Leslie D. Michelson
5. Brain Maker by David Perlmutter MD *
6. The Aging Brain by Timothy Jennings MD
7. The Clean 20 by Ian K. Smith MD *
8. The End of Alzheimer's by Dale E. Bredesen MD *
9. The Lose Your Belly Diet by Travis Stork MD
10. The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda PhD *
11. The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer
12. The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan by David Perlmutter MD
13. Intermittent Fasting for Women Over Sixty by Lauren Grant

Happy Thanksgiving, today, and here's to happy, healthy eating in 2025! May I keep off the 19 pounds I lost in 2024, in preparation for my son's wedding. What are your favorite or most impactful health and nutrition books? Do you struggle with implementing what you read when you read in this subject?

Gaining a Daughter

Ever since May 2023, when our oldest son Bryce proposed to his girlfriend Elizabeth, we have been fixated on the final weekend in September 2024. The flurry of preparation was minimal for us (primarily, finding suitable mother-of-the-groom attire and losing weight before the event), but Elizabeth took on all the details with great care and calculation. She is a highly driven and organized person. I marvel at her skill for planning this elaborate event.

My anxiety level was intense. I worried about so many details. Would our prodigal be able to participate appropriately? (Due to recent events connected with his addiction, he did not attend.) Would I lose enough weight to be comfortable with the time-sealed photos of the event? (I lost 19 pounds between January and the wedding.) Could I find a dress comfortable enough for my dress-loathing personality? (Thanks to a kind Von Maur associate named Diedre, I found my very comfortable and flattering dress and knew it was "the dress.") Could I endure the dreaded mother-son dance, when all eyes would be on me and my lack of dancing skill would be evident? (My hairdresser suggested a strategy. I spent the whole time in riveted conversation with Bryce. It worked and eased my nerves.)

After years of cheap haircuts at Great Clips, I was determined to find a hairdresser I could afford and appreciate. Thankfully, I found that at a men's hair salon, of all places. I have been getting outstanding senior women's cuts from Amelia at Manscapes Salon. She gave me a sense of confidence I lacked and helped me settle on a style I was comfortable with and capable of maintaining. I tried to time the cut, but may have been off by a week (it looked best one week prior to the wedding, sob).

Formal events scare me. While I'm not a country bumpkin (despite living in a rural enclave), I'm not comfortable in high society. The wedding took place at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, Texas. It was absolutely stunning and gorgeous. Elaborate glass sculptures hung from the ceiling. Large canvas art adorned the walls. I felt a bit like an imposter, an ugly duckling among swans, but was surprised by how much I enjoyed the proceedings.

We flew into Dallas on Thursday evening and, apart from our experience at a sketchy McDonalds nearby (sought for a close, quick, inexpensive meal), enjoyed our Home 2 Suites stay and breakfast. Friday morning, we took an Uber to the tux shop with luggage in tow (another ugly duckling among swans experience as we looked a bit homeless amid the grandeur of Culwell & Son). Next, we headed for Hotel Crescent Court. John waited for our room's availability and Sean and I attended groomsmen/bridesmaid luncheons. (My meal at Sixty Vines was so delicious that we ate there for lunch again on Saturday with my father.)

Now that my mother is deceased, my father is free to travel for weddings. He safely drove all the way from Florida to Texas for my nephew's wedding in July, so he felt confident in making the trek again for Bryce's wedding. This time around, however, he left on Wednesday 9/25, just a day ahead of the expected landfall for Hurricane Helene. I was nervous on his behalf, but he managed to get ahead of the storm. (Although, he did arrive later than I'd hoped and missed the initial moments of the rehearsal where we discussed his entrance, given his current use of a power wheelchair.)

After the rehearsal, we paused for photos (snapped by their outstanding professional photographer, Sami Kathryn Photography):

The rehearsal dinner took place at The Henry, a restaurant with a great patio view of the Dallas skyline. It was, perhaps, the best meal I've eaten in a very long time. The meal started with an appetizer of house made pretzel balls with fondue. This was followed by a Caesar salad. For the entree, I ordered the braised short rib with bourbon caramel, roasted mushroom, fourme d'ambert, and smashed potatoes. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth. Just when I thought the meal couldn't get any better, they brought out the dessert: a chocolate fudge torte with peanut butter crunch, milk chocolate mousse, and candied peanut caramel. Knowing I needed to fit into my dress, I intended to only eat half, yet somehow bite after bite cleared the plate clean. If you're ever in Dallas, this dessert deserves a special trip!

Saturday's wedding was beautiful, memorable, and fun. Here's a family photo taken by the photographer:

Here are a few snapped with my camera:

The wedding was held in the courtyard with an expected crowd of around 100-125 people. I wanted Bryce and Elizabeth to be able to invite their Purdue and work friends. It was an adult only affair and there are 19 cousins/spouses on my side, several with small children. Thus, the only cousins invited were on my husband's side (4). Family members who were able to attend really had a great time! They enjoyed a delicious meal, wedding cake, and dancing. John and I sat watching most of the festivities and wondered how our youngest knew words to all the dance songs. He had a great time dancing in the ballroom with his brother and new sister-in-law. I enjoyed snatches of conversation with Bryce's two close high school friends, Cameron and Dylan.

At 10:30 p.m., Bryce and Elizabeth strode down a tunnel of guests for a fake send-off (my photo). 

Then everyone but us returned to the ballroom for an afterparty that ran until midnight. John and I were happily in bed in contented sleep by 11. And now, I have a daughter-in-law. Yippee!

(This beautiful bridal portrait was taken by the professional photographer, obviously)

Bryce sent this photo from their honeymoon in the Maldives:

Thanks to the storms in our area after Hurricane Helene, we were somewhat concerned we'd return home to find no power to open our garage door. We thanked God when we found our home safe and sound. The following morning, however, we looked out the window to this shocking sight:

You can see in the first photo how dreadful it could have been if it fell in another direction and hit the power line by the roof. The second photo barely shows the extensive destruction of the fence to John's garden. We are grateful to the Lord for a blessed weekend, safe flights, protection over our home in our absence, and for the joy of gaining a daughter-in-law.

Reminders of Sweetness Amid the Sour

My beloved prodigal is approaching a special birthday - 2 decades of life. For him, this is an accomplishment as he has done much to challenge this landmark. Indeed, I wonder if he is a cat, with the requisite nine lives. He has "slipped the noose" repeatedly and this wears on my emotional reserves. My husband cannot bear to look at sweet photos from the past in the midst of our current crisis. However, I needed the reminder of his sweetness and a dozen or so years that were free from the scourge of drug use. God gifted Trevor into our lives almost 20 years ago, and despite much sorrow, grief, and discouragement, I will fix my eyes on the many blessings his life has provided us.

I'm not a photographer. I don't often capture images. Thus, I scoured my blog, grateful for this catalog of memories that I sometimes fail to bring forth. Trevor has always been bright, creative, funny, and thoughtful. I found numerous examples of personalized cards he made for me (often with poetry). Ever artistic (here's art from age 10), he created images paired with sentiments he knew would touch my heart. While the cards are lost in the pack-rat detritus of my life, I can look back on my blog and enjoy the sentiments, the art, and the boy behind these kind gestures.

In my earliest photos of Trevor (from 2008), he was almost constantly in super hero attire. Indeed, on one visit to the library, they pulled me aside and gave me a large stuffed Spiderman. They were purging it from the library possessions and wanted to pass it along to the young boy who always came in dressed as Spiderman.

In 2009, we added our first dog, Harley, to the mix and Trev was very fond of him:

Mid-2009, he cut his own hair (worried it might be too long like his 13-year-old brother's hair):

In November of 2009, I captured this sweet and hilarious video of Trevor reciting The Lord's Prayer. He had learned this in his Christian preschool class. During the recitation, he accidentally burped, then cracked up when I exclaimed that I didn't remember that as part of the prayer.

In 2010, Trev got ahold of a blow torch and singed his bangs off (like I said, his guardian angel works overtime!) - go here to read the whole story and my funny friend Laura's quip in reaction to the tale):

That same year, Trev set up shop selling us his artwork and, in the fall, began kindergarten:

Looking at the photo above, reminds me of another guardian angel moment (on this day his jeans caught in the bike chain and, unable to stop, he zoomed across our street - where cars often speed past at 40-50 mph - safely and miraculously landing on the grass across the street).

In 2011, he went for a brief visit with grandma and found his granddad's war helmet, rode the zipline at CBLI, and became interested in football:

In 2013, we continued to enjoy the zipline at camp:

In 2015, Trevor and I took a special spring break trip to visit with my parents in Florida. He caught a lizard and set him free (despite accidentally severing his tail):

In 2017, he proudly displayed a fish catch at CBLI:

This was also the age of his bottle-flipping stage and in spring of 2018, he created this hilarious basketball spoof video:

The last two photos are from the cusp of our problems with Trevor, when he broke his leg during the first football game of his 8th grade season:

(This is another photo that stirs intense gratitude. We praise God that He spared Trevor's life and the lives of others near the accident that totaled the truck recently.)

It is good to reminisce over the sweeter days amid ones that leave a sour taste in our mouths. We are grateful for the prayers of so many, lifting Trevor before the Lord. I anxiously await his return to the sweet person he was prior to this departure into drug use and rebellion. May God help us cling to Him when timing doesn't speed along Trevor's recovery and return. May the guardian angels, who have prevented numerous perils in the past, continue to protect him.

We love you, Trevor! Don't ever forget it! We long to see you healed of this addiction, but you are a gift, even amid the pain!