Giving Thanks part 2

Good thing I've been reading the book "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp!   On Thursday I drove down to Mankato to watch Sarah's fastpitch softball team lose their playoff game to Chanhassen, 6-0.  That wasn't so bad, as that team had been winning many games by scores of 17-0 or more.  On my way home, I called Philip (on Pete's phone) to see if the church slowpitch game had ended, or if I should come in to Willmar to see the rest of it.  I decided to attend, and halfway to Willmar Philip called to ask me to bring ice - "Dad hurt his leg.  He heard his knee pop - he hyper-extended it."  Rats.  Pete called before I got the ice to say that a member of the opposing team had brought some from his neighboring house.  We enjoyed cheering the team on to victory, 20-13, while Pete sat on the bench and Jason K. substituted on the pitcher's mound.

After the game, Lois Nelson declared, "Peter whatever-your-middle-name-is Stadem, you are going in!"  We hemmed and hawed as we drove to DQ, where Andrew and Philip purchased their usual post-game Blizzards, but finally decided we'd better get it checked out.  Daniel came to get the boys and I drove Pete to the emergency room at Rice Hospital.  After an hour or two, the X-ray revealed a compound fracture of the tibia and an insignificant fracture of the fibula.  The doctor insisted on speaking with an orthopedic surgeon and phoned Alexandria, where a Dr. Nelson recommended sending Pete home with a splinted legs and orders to call Willmar the next day to schedule surgery.   We crawled into bed at 1:30am - well, I crawled; Pete and I gingerly raised his leg to the bed and he slept on his back.  Ibuprofen controlled the pain fairly well, though.

On Friday, after numerous phone calls to Willmar, Alexandria and Olivia, we journeyed to Heartland Orthopedics in Alexandria because no orthopedic surgeon in Willmar could help us.  As it turned out, no orthopedic surgeon in Alex could help us either.  Surgery has to wait until this week because the swelling must go down or they wouldn't be able to close the incision.  We waited almost two hours for Pete's CT scan, because a sudden influx of emergency patients kept the scanner busy.  When we finally arrived home at supper time, I took a bath while Pete napped on the couch, and then I did go to the Gatewood's barn dance for about an hour.  Biggest crowd yet and so fun!

So - no trip to Plain View Farm this weekend; no softball for Pete the rest of the season; no graduation parties for him on Saturday; no going much of anywhere (just a funeral and church) until the surgery.  On the positive side - no ligaments or tendons torn (they think); no terrible pain; no work for several days, so time to think and pray about some long-term issues we've been procrastinating.  The kids have been very helpful, including taking care of the turkeys.  Lots of folks are praying for us.  And bone heals well.  God is good - all the time!

Give Thanks

I'm reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Anne Voskamp.  When her little sister died at age 6, it shut her family down and destroyed their faith in God.  She developed a critical, glass-is-half-empty attitude which colored her existence until her brother-in-law, who lost two toddlers to a genetic disease, pointed her to another possible perspective.  A friend dared her to compile a list of one thousand gifts from God, and eventually she wrote this book.  "Could it be that giving thanks is the key to a life of joy, that being grateful for what I have is possible and productive?"  (my paraphrase)

My recent struggles mirror hers to a lesser degree.  Since my last Silent Retreat (over two years ago!), when I accepted the challenge to "count my blessings," I've faithfully recorded ten blessings almost every morning.  But the rest of the day, I generally focus on what's wrong with my life, my family and my self.  Voskamp writes, "Could I live that - the choice to open the hands to freely receive whatever God gives?  If I don't I am still making a choice.  The choice not to."  Can I give thanks for the life I have now, the family I have now, the self I am now?  Even though some of it results from my own sin or mistakes or bad choices?  Lord, grant me the grace (charis) to give thanks (eucharistio).  And to finish this book!

More Transitions

We visited Sioux Falls last weekend for three purposes.  Niece Aanna graduated from Dordt College and got engaged, so we wanted to see her; Callie performed her senior harp recital, and we celebrated Mother's Day with Mom Stadem.  We arrived at about 4:30pm on Friday, and departed at 8pm on Saturday, as the Svea Sunday School kids sang in church on Sunday and needed Philip to sing with them and me to direct.

Our schedule boggles the mind:
Friday:
  5:00 - visit with Tom and Judy after bringing Andrew and Philip to their house; take a walk outside in the gorgeous sunshine
  6:30 - take Mom and Dad Stadem to Ruby Tuesday's for delicious dinner, compelling conversation and blissful blessing
  9:30 - meet Tom and Judy at the Shrine for ballroom dancing
 12:00 - back to Mom and Dad's condo to sleep
Saturday:
  8:00 - meet Aanna at HyVee for breakfast and all the details about Nick's proposal and their courtship
  9:30 - Pete finds a coffee shop; Kari drives with Tanya and Aanna to Brookings to drop the latter off so she can get a ride to Pierre for a wedding
 11:00 - Tanya and Kari stop by David and Callie's apartment so Tanya can see it and we can say hi
 11:30 - Pete helps Steve with log-splitting while Kari helps Tanya make lunch; we eat lunch with Steve, Tanya and her parents
  2:00 - Travel to Augustana
  2:30 - Enjoy Callie's fantastic performance on the harp.  All the above-mentioned people attend the recital as well
  3:30 - Help Laurie Berg serve Bundt cake and berries for a little reception after the recital.  Visit with the Browns
  5:30 - Savor Old Chicago pizza with the Bergs and the David's
  7:30 - Pick up Andrew, Philip and Greta at Tom's; bring Greta home; get coffee and tea while Philip jumps on Greta's trampoline with her
  8:30 - Travel home via Sacred Heart to wish Jeannette Agre a happy 60th birthday
  12:30 - Home!

It struck me that yet another transition forces our Sioux Falls visits to look very different.  In the past, our big blob of a family traveled down in the big van to someone's house for a big gathering with the whole family.  Now, the whole family doesn't get together much because half the cousins have separate lives.  The big group did gather on Sunday, but we couldn't be there.  Daniel and Sarah didn't even come with us because they had other things (Sarah homered in her softball game).  The fragmented family fractions require small groups instead of large blobs.  Although it makes for a lot of miles on the car, it's kind of nice to focus on individual conversation.  Every cloud has a silver lining.

Winding Down

The school year is winding down, as this coming week is supposed to be our last.  We've learned a lot this year.  I've taught Jay Wile's Chemistry to Andrew, and every time I do that, I have to relearn stoichiometry and moles; I forget them every three years for some reason.  :)

I have so many ideas for the kids to learn throughout the summer; it troubles me that it's such a hard sell.  They don't want to learn how to run a small business, or play piano by ear, or sight sing, or build a cabinet, or cook unique and delicious things.  They just want to play sports and video games!  At least they want to play sports, not just video games...

The other thing I've noticed recently is the amount of time I spend teaching Andrew and Philip.  I feel like I spend as much time teaching now as I did when I had six students.  Hope it means they're getting a better education!