I normally hate spam (I mean hate, hate, hate), but I couldn’t resist sharing the subject line of one I received today. Those of you who are familiar with my husband’s recent intestinal troubles — not to mention our less-than-courteous dogs — will appreciate this offer of …
“free craps download”
If I were crazy enough to respond to the junk e-mail, I would give the sender a hearty response: “We have plenty already, but thanks for making me laugh out loud.”
My friend Ray died this morning. It is so fitting that he died on the day that we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Ray was all about helping people realize the significance of having the Lord Jesus in their lives. He lived it and breathed it. Nothing was more important than serving Him by serving others, of helping them think about where they would spend eternity, of putting others’ needs ahead of his own.
During his illness, I never once heard him complain that he had been given a raw deal. In fact, just after getting his diagnosis in February, he told me – right from his hospital bed, still sore from surgery – that he was ready to go if it was the Lord’s will but that he was ready to keep serving Him if God determined that He wasn’t finished with him yet. Ray still had a lot of living – and serving – to do. And he kept doing it, even while he was sick.
I hadn’t seen Ray much in the past few weeks. He was out of state a lot for treatments, and I have had my hands full with a new job and a sick husband. But the last time I saw him, he still had his sense of humor, his kindness and his concern for Bruce, along with a big hug for me. Ray prayed for Bruce, even while he himself was seriously ill.
There will never be another one like him.
And it is fitting that He went home to Jesus on this day, Christmas Day.
We will miss you, Ray. We love you.
Suzy
Today is the 10th anniversary of my dad’s death. I was planning to write a tribute to him for this day, but, frankly, I’m exhausted and I don’t think I could do him justice.My dad was my hero. I will tell you about him someday. I’m going to look through our old photo albums next time Bruce is well enough to go to my mom’s with me. My family may come here next weekend for a belated Christmas celebration. Maybe I can have her find the picture I want and bring it to me.
You would like my dad.
Bruce was discharged from the hospital Friday evening. We got home at 7:30. It makes me a little nervous to have him off the IVs, because they always seem to heal him better than pills, but the surgeon and the GI doc believe he will be okay without them.
I have to admit it’s much easier for him to go to the bathroom without having me trailing behind him with the IV pole. He makes multiple trips a day, so being free of needles, tubes and poles will take some of the stress out of the situation.
My job now is to make sure he gets enough food and rest, monitor his temperature and keep our two little dogs from walking all over him. They missed him a lot in the six days he was gone!
Please keep praying for both of us. I hate to complain when he is the sick one, but I’m pretty exhausted.
And in case I don’t get to post again before the 25th: We both wish you a very merry Christmas. We love you and thank you for your prayers, calls, visits, cards, donations and just general support for us this year. You mean a lot to us.
Suzy and Bruce
Bruce had surgery Wednesday evening on the abscess/fistula in his rectal area. The surgeon sliced open the swollen spot and packed it with gauze. The wound will take several weeks to heal — or he may have an open wound for the rest of his life. He hasn’t been able to sit up for several months. He has managed to keep his sense of humor throughout all the pain and the many trips to the potty. And I have a new nickname for him — Rumble Butt. (In case you’re new to this blog — Bruce has Crohn’s disease.)
Please pray for Bruce, as well as our friend Ray and his family. Hospice has been called for Ray.
Love you all,
Suzy
Friends,
My honey, Bruce, is in the hospital. I’m writing this via wireless Internet from his room at Springhill. (I’m actually supposed to be doing my job remotely — shh, don’t tell my boss I took a break to write my blog.)
Just wanted to let you know where we are. But don’t try to break into our house. Both of our dogs are there.
Suzy
I miss writing this. And I know how I feel when I visit my friends’ blogs and they haven’t posted in a while. I realize that my readership is limited to just a handful of people, but you are precious to me.
Just wanted to say hi.
My new job is a handful, to say the least. When I figure out how to juggle long workdays, a sick husband, health insurance and disability paperwork (practically a full-time job in itself), along with packing our house so we can sell it, I will post more. Until then, the pickings will be slim.
I miss you guys.
Yesterday was my birthday. My husband, who has been sick for several months, could not buy me a gift, but when I got home after nearly an 11-hour day at work, I discovered this little vase of flowers. What a way to refresh my tired spirit.
He found some tissue paper and drinking straws, and what more appropriate “vase” than a pill bottle? It sums up our lives for the past eight months.
He kept telling me he wanted to do more, wished he could have bought me a gift, but I told him this was the best gift I had been given in a really long time.
So I had to share this incredible gesture with you, my friends.
I love you, Bruce.
Last week: New job. Long hours. Sick husband. Out-of-state relatives. Very tired. No posts. More soon.
The chocoholic in me never ceases to be amazed that my palate can go so wild over other, less rich (or rich in other ways) flavors.
This morning it was Giada De Laurentiis’ Apple and Walnut Torta that made my mouth water. I saw her make it on the “Thanksgiving for Two” episode of Everyday Italian, and I promptly got up and started making the cake.
Every ingredient except the orange-flavored liqueur is a staple in my kitchen; I simply substituted a teaspoon of orange extract and some water. But I was out of dried cranberries, so I did have to go to the store. There, I found orange-flavored Craisins – yum! (Side note: For a snack, these are better than plain dried cranberries. The orange gives them an outstanding flavor, and a 1/3-cup serving contains 3 grams of fiber and no fat.)
As with the spice cookies I made two weeks ago, I could have eaten every last crumb of this cake, especially when it was still warm. In fact, because I wanted to share the cake with two sets of friends (a future client and a couple who did something nice for us), I started whipping up a second cake as soon as I tasted the first one. It’s made in an 8-inch pan, so it doesn’t go as far as a 9×13-inch cake. However, I will still have a few extra slices. Millie, if you see this post before Sunday morning, look me up between services and I’ll feed you!
In the next post, I’ll report on the Health-by-Chocolate Cookies I made from The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. So far I’m the only one who has tasted them. My husband, who is ill, didn’t feel like trying one this afternoon, but I’m sure he will soon.
Apple and Walnut Torta (with a few modifications by Suzy)
Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian
¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur OR 1/4 cup water plus 1 teaspoon orange extract
¼ cup dried cranberries (recommended: Ocean Spray Craisins, orange flavor)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of ½ an orange
1 cup all-purpose flour OR 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups diced, peeled apples (about 2 apples)
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In small saucepan, heat orange liquid. Turn off heat and add cranberries, making sure all are submerged in liquid. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and orange zest. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, mix eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add apples, walnuts and drained cranberries. Spoon mixture into lightly buttered 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish or cake pan. Bake about 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
To serve, while still warm cut into squares or wedges and serve with ice cream.