The safe applesauce

There is only one left in the cupboard and it is found at 7:30 at night.
It is in her hand as she comes to me...
"grammie, can I have this/"
"not now it is to late to be eating applesauce, it is almost time for bed.  You can have it tomorrow

for dinner, would that be okay?"
"well it is the last one and I don't want to have Chloe eat it"
My now, that does pose a problem doesn't it?  What would indeed happen if Chloe got the cupboard door open and got into that last container of applesauce?  How could this dilemma  be solved?
She has it in her hand and decides that she will hide it from Chloe,
finds a safe place on the open book shelf and hides it.
About two weeks later when I am dusting I happen upon the last container of applesauce -
it is safe until after dinner!

Ahes for beauty

She bounds through the family room, lady bug bag in hand, stuffed to the brim with things she will need for our class.  It is from 6:00 - 7:00 at the Gaylord school.
She slips on her black boots that Emily got her, I tell her "those sure are a cute pair of boots"...  she tells me they are from Bubcha.
Little lavender coat, that her momma got her in the beginning of this long cruel winter, sweet baby curls winding around her cherub face, her eyes lit with excitement about the upcoming hour.
I am happy when we get there, she takes to the tables of crafts, enjoying the making of beauty from the supplies.  There are little children everywhere, grandma's loving them - so proud you think you can see it in thier eyes...
memories of their own children growing, going to school, the ache in the heart as you send them out in to the world.
Jesus gently comes to me and I see Him pick up all the ashes of life.
It is a wild world out there, but safely tucked in to each trial is the love of Jesus spreading over His creation,
as He gently picks up our mistakes and transforms our ashes in to beauty.
Little handprints, flowers made of coffee filters, and a butterfly made of grapes and fish crackers...
I breath in as I hold her hand and we walk to the car.
I breath in the fresh air of transformation and see that of all the things I have been blessed with
...there is just nothing better than this!

13 years

We went to see her last night, my mom and I.  Our friend of 40 years is very sick in earthly words.  She knows her Savior, she knows us inside out, but she is still sick.  If a thousand "I love you's" could save her from the valley's we find ourselves in on earth...
she would have been pulled out with human words a long time ago.
But, as we talked to her and she laid in the bed, soft grey curls on her pillow... the words on her night stand read about Jesus being in the valley with us.  You could feel his presence in the room as we read the bible verse on the card.
Her breath catching and the work of taking a pill exhausting her from the movement.
Mom laid on the bed next to her and they held hands, not speaking, just sharing each others breaths, first one and then the other.
Linda is 13 years younger than my mom who just turned 80 on March 13th.
She is 13 years older than me.
And the memories wash over me and a joyful sadness fills my heart...
years of laughter, sorrow, pain, but most of all joy.  I feel as though I want to live in this moment forever and I kick myself for not having a camera.
I want to snap a picture of those hands clasped together holding on, laying on the soft bed of life.
His voice comes to me,
"you have a picture my child, it is etched in your soul".
I lift up my voice to the heavens and pray healing for our dear friend. Wisdom to the Dr.'s that will be looking at all the papers,
from all the tests,
that have filled her days these last 3 months...
and I give thanks to Him for this moment...
as I feel Him etching it in my heart.  As my soul cries out for mercy I can see through my tears, a beautiful picture of friends that never say good-by.  They only speak with the pictures etched deeply within their souls...
until we meet again.