olympic vacation

here is a pic of me during this 2 week period - during our "olympic vacation"!!!!  


leo and i have been enjoying all the sports ...  we've been cheering on canada ... sometimes finland ... sometimes the US ... or Norways' amazing nordic skiers ... i just wish the whole world could stop from the wars, feuds and nastiness - and settle their differences in the gold/silver/bronze world ... wouldn't that be amazing ...


have you guys been watching them too?



The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us. ~John Williams

it's my birthday, happy birthday to me!

yup yup yup ... it's another birthday ... number 56 ... which feels like 21 or 30 or 40 ... i'm still me inside ... the shell is a little different - but the essence is still saija ... a person saved by grace ... maturing in faith ... loving the life God has given me ... joys, trials & some tribulation thrown in for good measure ... it's all a wonderful "before heaven" type of life ...

*huge smile* ...

leo is chatting at me ... the olympics are playing on the tv ... so gonna go enjoy the day the Lord has made!

maria good news

it is a good thing

to give thanks unto the Lord ...

and to sing praises

to His name ...

oh, Most High!

maria's cast was taken off yesterday ... and after x-rays and examination, they said that there is a wee bit of healing happening!!!!  that is just amazing ... she had been dealing with the very possible reality of losing her  foot (as i was, oh me of little faith!) - but now there is hope for healing!!!  they put another cast on ... this one is supposed to be on for 4 weeks  ... so we have all been rejoicing!!!  thank you for your prayers on her behalf - and i'm so glad to share some good news with you guys ...

blessings on ya!

cleanness of winter

i had a nice telephone visit with maria yesterday ... i read your comments to her, and you guys really boosted her spirits and blessed her heart ... thank you so much for that!  she was in such an up mood - AND she had slept through the night (which happens very seldom) ...

what a storm the eastern atlantic is getting ... we have missed it ... i was just out for a nice walk and took some pics from the town beach/dock ... thought i would share the cleanness of winter with you!

blessings on your weekend - and watch for those diamonds in the snow ...

maria's latest obstacle ...

i haven't given a maria update in a while because life has continued "normal" for her since the mid-december release from hospital ... her routines still contain dialysis 3 times a week, homecare help 5 days a week and a nursing visit every day (to change the dressing on her infected ankle and administer antibiotics via IV drip) ...


for almost 2 months, she has been enjoying a simple life at home ...


but the holes in her ankle aren't healing up ... we all knew that something would eventually have to be done ... yesterday, she saw 2 specialists and the gist of it is, they are trying one more thing - giving it two weeks - then if the ankle still hasn't shown any improvement ... amputation ...


when she phoned me last night, her voice was tired and sad from crying ... we prayed over the phone, with me feeling helpless as i tried to encourage her in any way i could ...


this morning it was the cheery maria,  energizer bunny that called me - bright and early too! ... she said that IF the foot has to go, maybe it'll take some of  her daily pain with it ... plus with no open sores, she could go swimming again (she loves to swim) ... she had found the positive ... and her BEST positive was/is being able to lean on Jesus... when we are troubled, Jesus is the Someone who knows all about our cares, understands our hurt and is there for us 24/7 ...


maria's bumpy journey continues ... and i thank you for your prayer on her behalf ...