Girl Time

Some weekends are just meant for girl time...

Like this past one.  A girls' getaway.  Mothers. Daughters. Friends. Grandmas. Babies.

Oh.... It was good.  Balm to the soul.  Laughter loosed.  Cares shared, burdens lifted, joy exploding good.

14 of us went to Galveston Island and stayed in a fabulous Beach House.

 

And the fabulous part?  When we divided the cost between all of us, it was only $108 a piece for the whole weekend!  Now how cool is that?!  I think I just found a new vacation destination!  And it was a fantastic, private getaway that allowed us the space to get crazy loud (it happened!) and also to spend time, just us girls, with no distractions...

Mothers and Daughters.  Sisters and Friends.  Grandmas and Babies.   Friends for the ages. 

Getting away from the responsibilities and duties of our lives. (Thank you Farmer Husband for holding down the fort and taking care of the critters!)  We flew the confines of our organized chaos and gathered together for time away...  Retreating to find that center again.  Breathing deep.  Inviting Christ to renew our hearts and refresh our spirits.  It was glorious.

Long walks on the beach...

 

 

 

Hilarious, side-splitting comic relief...

 

 

And through it all, the thread of Community.  Women-folk lifting one another up in the body of Christ.  It was our theme.  And it was intentional.  For Community is not just about being together.  Community is about doing life together.   And it truly takes time.  And deliberate attention.

 

It was not easy to get all of us together for a whole weekend!  Each one there was pulled in a million directions.  Work, Children, Husbands... and yes, illness.  Even the remnants of grief.  One has lost a husband to cancer.  I have lost my mom.  Katie has lost her grandmother.  Others have suffered debilitating emotional hurt.  Some are struggling to find their place, to find their purpose... Each one brought the weight of their world into the midst, and together we chose to let it go for this space of time and find peace.  And laughter.  And joy.  And healing.

 

This weekend past was so needed and so blessed.  The core of friendship began with these 6:

 

 

We are the "moms" and we each brought a "gift" to the weekend.  We had skits, devotions and even a book club discussion!  We all read The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks in the weeks leading up to the retreat and then had a great time sharing our thoughts and insights (if you've never read it, put it on your must-read list - such a beautiful telling of a love story - you will be laughing and crying by the end!) and we wrapped up the weekend with one mom leading us into a very special time of personal, quiet sharing with our daughters (there was much laughing and crying there too! Not to mention the hugging!)

 

Some weekends are just meant for getting away!

 

 

 

And for discovering things!

 

 

Like Big, Ugly Sand Worms!  It was really BIG!  And I almost stepped on it!!!!  Eeeek!

 

 

It was also a weekend meant for exploring...

Historic Downtown Galveston!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we treated ourselves to a Beach Photo Shoot! 

So. Much. Fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the youngest to the oldest...

A weekend for Legacy-Living,

making time for the people and things that matter.

 

The cares of the world are still there,

but the hands of community are now there as well,

bearing the burden with me,

sharing the load,

engaging the heart, gifting a smile.

 

These sweet women, precious Hands of Community,

you who have rocked the babies,

brought the meals that fed body and soul,

 and held me together

when the grief swamped...

 

Your giving hands have lightened the load,

soothed the hurt and created joy.

 

Precious Friends, 

You have been Jesus to me.

 

 

 

Kindred Spirits

This is Cheryl...

 

and her cows.

 

I am smitten already!

 

Cheryl lives a long, long way from Texas.  In a land of long winter nights, and tall, soaring trees.  She and her husband Glenn own a beef cattle farm in beautiful Ontario.  And that's a really long way from the forever summers of North Texas! But miles shrink instantly thru the magic of email, and I have been happily gifted with their friendship :)

 

Country at heart, we bond over all things farming.  Like newborn babies in the spring, and spectacular sunsets, and peaceful walks by the creek...skunks in the round bales and animal tracks in the snow.  Oh, and did I mention that Cheryl drives their tractor?

 

 

And helps neighbors fix barn doors?

I knew we were kindred spirits...

(p.s. that's Glenn in the bucket!)

 

Her heart is big, her friendship genuine and her spirit strong.  She is the light of her family and her husband Glenn adores her.    

 

5 months ago Cheryl was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

 

That is how we met.  And in getting to know Cheryl and Glenn, I have constantly been inspired by the way they have handled their journey...

 

Together.  Determined.  With grit.  And humor.  And infinite Tenderness.

 

Glenn was the one who shared their success with protein smoothies, and has offered many valuable tips for the pancreatic cancer patient gleaned thru their trial-and-error experiences.  They share these in a generous spirit of paying it forward.  Glenn has said that perhaps if we all share what is working, collectively, we can make this disease a thing of the past... so very true, it is the Passion of my heart! 

 

So, in that spirit, here are some of Cheryl and Glenn's favorite smoothie recipes and tips for making them delicious, nutritious and irresistible...

 

*  Glenn uses a probiotic yogurt in Cheryl's smoothies, usually one with fruit-on-the-bottom.

* Cheryl also takes an Align Probiotic capsule every day at the suggestion of her nutritional doctor and feels that it has been helpful for the chemo digestive side effects.

* They use the Beneprotein Protein Powder for her smoothies (it can be found at most pharmacies), he adds one scoop for each smoothie.

* Then he adds either real or frozen fruit.  He keeps small fruit cups on hand for this, they are the perfect size for a smoothie.

* He also uses the syrups made for flavoring sundaes; like raspberry, strawberry, etc. This not only adds needed calories, but also gives great flavor.

*For several days after Cheryl's chemo session (she is on fulfirinox) he serves the smoothies more at room temp (does not use ice in the smoothies), because this chemo makes her extremely sensitive to very cold things (causes pins and needles pain in her fingers).

*Glenn always serves Cheryl her smoothie in a circa 1920 soda fountain glass which she gets a kick out of!

* In addition to the smoothies, Cheryl also tries to add in at least one serving of Mott's Clamato or Garden Cocktail Juice.  This adds additional vitamins plus sodium to help keep her blood pressure up.

* On chemo days, they pack a "lunch" to go for Cheryl.  It includes an Ensure drink, a small individual-sized pudding cup and a Clamato Juice.  It is their "picnic in the chemo room" tip.   They feel that this regimen of Ensure, Pudding, Clamato Juice and Protein Smoothies has helped stabilize her weight and one more good thing...there has been no nausea or throwing up for Cheryl with this plan...gotta love that!

 

Typical Smoothie for Cheryl

 

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1 fruit on bottom yogurt (peach)
5 peach halves
1/2 cup 35% cream
1 scoop whey protein powder

 

This smoothie not only tastes delicious, it also packs in approximately 650 calories and 25 grams of protein.  You can substitute your favorite fruit and yogurt for variety. 

 

 

 

As always, we encourage you to talk with your doctor or healthcare pratitioner before adding to or changing your diet.  These smoothies would not be appropriate for anyone on the Ketogenic Diet because of the high sugar content, so please, as always, evaluate these suggestions carefully with your doctor...

 

I cannot thank Glenn and Cheryl enough for opening up their hearts and sharing part of their journey with us.  It brings me to my knees daily knowing that there are so many struggling hard with this nightmare of a disease.  I am humbled to walk along side...

 

Glenn shared one other tip that I have saved for last because it is universally profound for everyone fighting a battle today...

 

"I have found since we began this journey in Nov 2012, that the little things that inspire the soul are really important to the person fighting the battle.  To Cheryl, sunsets and sunrises are gifts of beauty that raise the spirit for the next battle, the next day.  A snow fall here makes everything pure and white, and she loves to look out over the fields to see the fresh little animal tracks that were made during the night.  We have a little red fox that teases our dogs every day, and Cheryl actually gets a kick out of that.  So the first day of her chemo in January, I found a little plush red fox at the gift centre and took it to her.  It is her constant companion now both day and night.  I firmly believe now that one of my jobs, no, one of my privileges as her care giver is to help her find these spirit and soul-lifting things...  Glenn"

 

My heart tumbles over at the sheer beauty of this servant heart.

 

May each of us this day find it to Be A Privilege to offer ourselves in the care for another...

Lifting, Nourishing, Loving.

 

And there will be Smiles from Heaven. 

Food, Glorious Food!

That would be the theme of this past weekend! Mom felt better than we can remember in recent weeks. What a gift. She received it with gratitude! And ate what she could to make up for lost time. What's that saying, you gotta make hay while the sun shines?! Sun was shining for a brief time and it felt good.

Let's see, there was the delicious seafood pasta,

 the yummy pumpkin bread,

 and the hearty meatloaf and mashed potato extravaganza.

Thank you to Ruth, Ann and Pat. Your meals were love wrapped up in calories!

Mom even felt well enough this weekend to grab an afternoon matinee with friends. They went to see the movie Contagion. Hello, haven't we had enough medical drama?!! I do believe she thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon out. And Saturday she laughed and ate with friends at a neighborhood soup-tasting social. There's nothing like being cooped up at home for weeks on end to give you a whole, new appreciation for everyday simple joys.

As the sun was sinking tonight, the old, familiar queaziness was making its return. Praying that its stay is brief and minimal. Perhaps Dr. Davis could order a continuous infusion of steroids and Kytril ;-) I don't think mom would look too bad bulked up a bit!

Thanking God for answered prayer, forever friends, and good days, My Love, Jane