Sweet baby's news...

I don't know when I started calling my dear daughter "Sweet baby" but it happened somewhere along the way. I also refer to her as RJ when writing due to laziness on my part. In the spirit of "web anonymity" I shall use one or the other interchangeably in this wee piece.

I was asked this last week by said "child" (Age 25.5) what I'd like the grandchildren to call me. I got half a sentence through a response about how Benjamin and Emily (Dear Husband's grand babies who I've been blessed to call my own as well) were going to call me "Mama Lucy" (Long story which I shall spare you) at which point I realized that she was not referring to what "those" grand babies called me but rather what her children would call me?...I sure am slow on the uptake, not swift enough to be a grandma! Well I don't know the answer to her question but I am most pleased to announce that my own dear girl is by God's merciful providence, carrying their first child. She is said to be "due" Lord willing, February 22. Her mother (that's me) thinks it would be uber cool if she could give birth on Feb 16th as that would make her the third generation of my women to have given birth on that date. She respectfully declined to think that was in any way cool.

My observation this far, pregnancy is far more nerve wracking and looks way more "miserable" experientially from without. She has a horrid cold now and is missing the "ability" to take Nyquil. I'm half tempted to have a swig of the stuff in her honor, her lack of being able to take it makes the horrid green stuff suddenly seem mythical in goodness.

On another note, we have come to accept, with reluctance, that my ongoing "iron loss" concerns are enough that our much anticipated trip to the home of my heart, Scotland, will not be booked for September. We hope to visit our dear friends abroad as soon as God will enable us to do so.

For those who have enquired as to what is going on physically with me, things are still pretty much same old same old, with my having about 5 weeks of "bad" followed by the last few days being exceptionally good. I am still downing as much 150mg iron as I can, about 6o pills in the last 90 days which the doctor assures me is a heroic effort. I hope to have blood drawn soon to see if I have made any improvement or if I am least keeping from falling further into the iron deficiency hole. Also, thank you for your prayers, my Asthma is doing much better provided I stay on my medication.

It did occur to me to start asking folk to pray specifically that God would, in mercy, end my excessive bleeding by natural means. This is what the husband and I both hope and pray for. For those who might wonder, he is as eager to see me avoid major surgery as I am to avoid it.

I think often of all my dear friends whom I have not been able to see but who are in my thoughts and prayers.it is lovely to be able to keep up with you both through whatever means available. I know I owe a few notes and replies, please pardon, especially my dear friend to the North, you know who you are.

For those who as, my dear friend Seonag is praise God, continuing her struggle with cancer and has been able by God's grace to enjoy the goodness of God throughout. She has had many precious visits with family and friends and has been able to go up to her island homeland to spend time with her 90 year old father and siblings. She hopes to be able to go visit there again in a fortnight or so, for those of you praying for her. She has some nerve pain and other concerns but is otherwise doing remarkably well.

Sadly a dear sister in Christ, Susan Harding, has been called home after a difficult battle with cancer, much to the completeness of her joy, but to our sorrow. She was an amazing example of Godly womanhood and Christian service and I shall always be glad that I was privileged to know her evey briefly. I look forward to praising the Lord with her in glory. Please remember her husband John and their 5 children and their families at this time.

Sorry for the delay in getting an update out, I find I often have only so much energy and have to ration it for whatever is most urgent or pressing.