Update 04/30/10 - Day 172

Hello, you faithful readers of this dear blog - and any new readers that might be joining us tonight (or today, or whatever it is where you are). This is Stephen, filling in for my bride tonight. She is on a ladies "advance" with some other wonderful women from our church, the awesome Delmar Full Gospel. Between you and me, I doubt if there's another woman there who could use this retreat at this particular time more than my wife. This past week has been rather stressful for her. Last weekend we had company, and Loriann always puts so much pressure on herself when we have company, and I think that the pressure is increased when the company includes my mother. (Loriann loves my mother, but I think many women feel that way when their mother-in-law is involved. They want everything to be perfect - and as we know, very little in this life is! [The Mets record in the last eight games is a happy exception!]) On top of that, of course, was the fact that a surprise party was planned, and the pressure of not revealing anything at the last moment, and having to come up with a convincing ruse as to why we were stopping at our church on the way to our restaurant reservation - all of these little things added up to give Loriann more stress. And then, of course, looming ahead of us during the week was the sentencing, which you read about yesterday. Loriann was nervous about that as well, and in the morning I came upon her crying as she was thinking about Oscar Lewis saying goodbye to his children before going off to prison. You got to read her Victim Impact Statement in yesterday's post, and I know you'll agree that she did a wonderful job. It also showed beautifully what kind of a special person she is. Loriann and I want to thank the various people who came to the courthouse to show their support of us, and the many others who couldn't come but who held us up in prayer. It was all of that love, along with the unfailing faithfulness of God, that got us through a difficult morning.

Since Loriann wasn't home tonight you probably guessed that we had something simple for dinner, and you'd be right. We had "picky foods" - mozzerella sticks, two kinds of boneless buffalo wings, and I made rice as well. See, and you were afraid I couldn't cook! My daughter had a guitar lesson today and then went to a friend's house, and Joseph and David both had a friend over as we continue our journey back to "the new normal". A couple of recent landmarks along the way . . . yesterday was the first day I was able to take a shower standing up since November 8th, thanks to the grab bar that Tom Terrific put in on Wendesday, as featured right here on this blog. I don't really need to hold on to it during the shower, but it's a blessing for when I want to get in and out of the tub to take the shower. Another recent landmark is the fact that last week I began taking walks again during my lunch hour. At first it was only for fifteen minutes, but then I moved it up to thirty and I hope to get back to walking for the whole lunch hour soon. I miss my Corning Preserve, though, and I scouted out how to get there from my new job location. Turns out I can make it in about seven minutes, so I think that on some (most?) nice days I will drive myself down there and walk in my old stomping grounds. Nicer than the parking lots that I've been walking in lately.

Back on April 16th Loriann told you how we went to our friends' house, Tracy and Jim, and played euchre with them and with "One of a Kind Christina", as Loriann called her that night. (And believe me, she knows whereof she speaks! Christina is a unique woman and a joy to all who know her, even if it did take her a couple of hands to remember all of the nuances of euchre. Christina and I did win the night's competition, although Tracy later claimed that she didn't want to beat me in my current condition.) When we left Tracy and Jim's house that night it was getting late and we knew we wouldn't be home until 11:00 or so, and Loriann mentioned that she'd have to do the blog when we got home. Christina said, "I can see it now: 'Short post tonight. Your friend on the Pilgrim Road, Loriann." That cracked us up. Of course Loriann didn't do that on that night, and had to fill you in on all the fun we had. I couldn't do it to you tonight, either. I figure you've had all the bad news you can handle once you knew I was pinch-hitting for Loriann.

Speaking of the B, can I take a moment to make an unsolicited statement about my bride? I've got to say, one thing that's been unsaid is that a big part of the fact that I've been healing so well has been due to her. When I first came home from Sunnyview she willingly changed my bandages, ferried me to various doctors' appointments, helped me to shower and shave and loved me. When she began doing those things she had no idea if she'd be doing them for a month or for long years, but she was committed to do them for me. I'm thankful that God's healed me enough that she doesn't have to help me with all of those things, but I'll never forget her willingness to do them and the blessing that she was to me. She continues to be a blessing to me, every day, in many ways. If you have someone in your life who blesses you, and who you love completely, make sure you tell them that today. As we were reminded back in November, this life is a vapor and we never know when or how it might end. A word of thanks and of love is never out of place.

Your fellow traveler on the pilgrim road, and honored to be walking it alongside of Loriann,

Stephen