Janet's Blog

Merry Christmas! The trees have been up and decorated since the end of November. The presents are piled high. The lights are shining brightly inside and outside of our house. This week's blizzard brought enough snow to last until January, so our Christmas will surely be white. And, most important of all, we are ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior, who is with us still, through life's ups and downs. This has certainly been a year of ups and downs. Here are a few highlights (and lowlights): I am glad that my vision is good enough for me to drive back and forth across Nebraska. The beginning of the year found me making that trip more and more often, to visit Mom in the nursing home, and to help Dad make the transition from home to assisted living, and then to the the nursing home, where he was able to share a room with Mom for the last days of his life. It was a privilege for me to spend so much time with both of them at such a difficult time, and to be with my brother and ...

Levi and Victoria helped me decorate our house for Christmas last week, as they usually do. Levi carried the tubs of decorations up and down the basement stairs, to and from the storeroom, helped me set up and decorate both of our trees, and handled most of the outdoor decorating himself. Victoria set up both nativity sets. We've done it this way for several years, although this is only the second year Levi has decorated outside without Bill's help.  As we were decorating, I noticed just how much stuff we have accumulated these last 48 years. 48 years!  48 years ago, Bill and I were finishing the semester at our respective colleges, before he graduated and we got married just a few days before Christmas. We chose to forgo a honeymoon, instead opting to spend our first few days of married life getting settled in our new apartment in Lincoln. We had been gathering together the furniture we needed--a neighbor of Bill's folks gave us a gently-used double bed mattress, his grand...

As we were gathered together today with family and extended family, enjoying a few appetizers as we waited for our magnificent Thanksgiving feast to begin, my son, Levi, decided to compose a brief Thanksgiving poem. He did some quick research on his cellphone, and wrote the poem in orange pen, in his usual hard-to-read handwriting, onto the "I'm thankful for..." banner that our hostess, Libby, had prepared for the kids to write on. Levi has a natural affinity for poetry, as well as a genuine love of history, so today's poem seemed to be easy for him to write. Anyway, it didn't take him more than a few minutes. I have become used to deciphering his handwriting, which usually includes very little spacing between words. (That's why much of his written work is completed on his laptop.) So today, with Levi's permission, and in the interest of readability, I have transcribed and slightly edited his poem for you here: 401 years ago was a meal that 3 days lasted. ...

I love summer, but by the beginning of September, I am ready for a change. I always anticipate the end of 100 degree days. I look forward to crisp, sunny mornings, and glorious, golden Cottonwoods, and steaming hot cocoa after a cool hike through the countryside. Since I was a little girl growing up in northeastern Nebraska, I've loved to swish my way through the fallen leaves and breathe in that unmistakable aroma of fall. And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. Genesis 1:29 If all falls were like this one, autumn might have to be my favorite season. But, alas, in recent years, western Nebraska falls have been so fickle. I can certainly do without measurable snowfall and frigid temperatures in September and October. This is the first year in quite a while that early snowfall hasn't pulled down the leaves before they even have a chance to change color. I am so grateful that my...

Every day, since the beginning of this school year, I've been hearing the bells and outdoor speakers at the high school, just a block away, and I've realized something: for the first time in 35 years, I don't have a child in any local school. It is definitely the end of an era! Bill and I have had kids living at home for almost 40 years. We are a little closer to being empty nesters, but Victoria still lives with us, and Levi will be here often, as well, for a while yet. Encouraging our adult children, no matter where they live, and providing the emotional support they need, will always be an important part of our lives. 👍👍👍👍 It's been just three weeks since we moved Levi into his dorm room at Frontier School of the Bible, 39 miles away in LaGrange, Wyoming. He hopes to become a youth pastor, so this is the first big step in his journey. He is enjoying his studies, but the total change in routine has been challenging for him, so I'm sure he would appreciate your...

It was the day after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, returning abortion regulation to each of the 50 states. Emotions remain strong on both sides of the abortion controversy. In fact, I was surprised to find Facebook posts from two of my friends, one a relative, and the other a former co-worker, each basically stating the same thing: "If your beliefs about abortion don't match mine, you are not worthy to be my friend. Unfriend me on Facebook immediately!"      The interesting thing about this is that these two people, who both claim to be Christian, are on opposite sides of the abortion debate. I did not unfriend either one.  When did people stop trying to truly communicate with each other? When did people stop listening to each others' viewpoints without retaliating viciously? When did things shift in our country, to the point that so many people are unwilling to associate with anyone whose beliefs are different from theirs in any way? In a world where...

For many people, Memorial Day is just a day for family gatherings or camping, or maybe a free day to catch up with yard work. Some people make the rounds of area cemeteries where loved ones have been laid to rest. Others may attend a special Memorial Day Observance to remember all US military members who have fallen in battle. I've done all of these, at one time or another. This Memorial Day will be different for me, though, because my Dad's death and burial are still very recent. When she was presented with the American flag at the end of Dad's graveside service on May 5th, Mom thanked the officer.   Dad was an Army veteran, stationed mostly at Fort Benning, Georgia, during the Korean War. He was active in his local American Legion, even serving as commander at one time. He always participated in the Memorial Day service at the Fairbury Cemetery. Not too many years ago, we were privileged to attend a Memorial Day service in Fairbury. Dad took part in Fairbury's Memoria...

It's May, and graduates across much of the US are throwing their caps into the air in anticipation of something new in their lives. Graduation signifies an end-- the end of one chapter in someone's life. Often, though, graduation is referred to as "commencement," which seems more fitting to me, since commencement signals a new beginning. Just a few days ago, six-year-old Lydia graduated from preschool. Covid protocols had made it difficult for Lydia to attend preschool the previous year, so she and little brother, Ari, attended Faith Lutheran Preschool together this year, even though Lydia was completing Kindergarten in her homeschool curriculum. Now, she is more than ready to begin first grade. Lydia will miss her preschool teachers. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you... Philippians 1:3 You can click here to see and hear Lydia's graduation recitation.   Just a week ago, Levi graduated from Gering High School. Levi's school experience was often rocky...

I was surprised to see that it's been more than a month since my last blog post. There's a reason for that. As you can see from the title of this blog, the reason starts with the letter D. It's a nasty word that co-exists with a few others, like Danger and Divorce and Death. The word is Dementia . No, I don't have dementia, at least not yet, and I never expected anyone in my family would have dementia of any kind, either. We have little family history of anything resembling Alzheimer's, the most well-known form of dementia. But--and it's a big BUT--Mom has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, with accompanying Lewy Body Dementia, and Dad also has a recent unspecified dementia diagnosis. This picture was taken just a couple of years ago, before any of us realized that dementia would come calling. The brunt of their care has fallen to my sister, Laura, and her husband, Kent, simply because they live the closest. Dan and I, who each live 400 miles away, in ...

Have you ever noticed how one event leads to another, and another, all through our lives? For example... Because my Dad was in the Army, I was born at Fort Benning, Georgia. Because my parents grew up in the Bloomfield area, so did I, at least for a little while. Beause my Dad was raised in the Methodist church, so was I, until we moved away from Bloomfield. Because my Dad's parents farmed, Dad did, too, after he left the Army. Because Dad received training to be a company clerk in the Army, he realized he had the skills to do something besides farming. That's why we moved to Norfolk, and Mom and Dad began their venture into the hotel business. Because I grew up in hotels, I lived in a more diverse community than most of my extended family and friends, and learned skills that most kids didn't have. Because we had no backyard, I joined my family in exploring the surrounding parks and countryside nearly every weekend, which inevitably resulted in closer family relationships a...

A few days ago, Bill handed me a red box of chocolate covered cherries, wished me an early "Happy Valentine's Day," and pointed out that they were dark chocolate. Bill knows I've loved chocolate covered cherries ever since my grandpa started sharing his with me. You see, Grandpa was a rural letter carrier at a time when his patrons always left  small Christmas gifts in their mailboxes for their letter carrier. Since chocolate covered cherries were consistently available at Christmas time, and relatively cheap besides, Grandpa invariably ended up with several boxes. While he appreciated the thoughtfulness behind the gifts, he really didn't like chocolate covered cherries at all. So, his three grandkids benefited from his unappreciated windfall. Today, as I stumbled into the kitchen to take my morning meds, Bill handed me a large red gift bag with a shiny red bow on it. Once again, he uttered those appropriate words, "Happy Valentine's Day!" I thought...

It's been several years since I started walking, first a few days a week, and now almost every day, year-round. At first, I didn't really have a goal, other than to get some regular exercise. I took the dog with me because no one else in my family had any desire to walk with me--and I didn't want to walk alone. It wasn't long until I started using the health app on my phone to keep track of my steps. However, I soon realized that my chosen method wasn't very accurate because I don't usually carry my phone around with me at home. That's when I began to wear the free smart watch Bill had been given at some conference. Now, I'm on my third smart watch... I have been able to meet my somewhat arbitrary daily goal of 10,000 steps for three seasons of the year, but it is harder in the winter. I don't like to walk outside when the weather is cold and windy! Actually, my asthma and arthritis both act up in extreme weather, so I guess I have a good excuse to s...