New puppy.

Abby joined our family yesterday - a Mother's Day gift from Valerie. She is 8 weeks old...a Bijon Frieze mix....will probably only get to be about 8 pounds or so. So far she is completely enamored with Val's dog, Delilah (a 75 pound hunk of muscle!)....they play constantly, rolling, nipping and running....it is hilarious! Now if we can just get her to sleep thru the night. yawn....

Am I the only person who wonders about the bizarre double standard that Pres.Obama is living out????

When the big auto makers came to Washington in their private jets, everyone on capital hill voiced their outrage at the extravagance and poor taste in flaunting their waste.

HOWEVER....
#1. DID YOU KNOW that Washington's Dulles Airport had to shut down an ENTIRE RUNWAY for the Inauguration just to park the 600 PRIVATE JETS which flew in for the day?

or.....

#2. Today's article on CNN that quoted Obama as bragging about his "spiffy" airplane - otherwise known as "Air Force One"?????

I thought I would give this man a chance to prove to me his was different...

but I think I've seen the real man already...

He could have told people to stay home for the Inauguration instead of costing DC metro literally billions of $$ for his protection....instead of wasting $$$$ on fuel and gas emissions for those 600+ jets...

And he could have dinner in the White House instead of flitting off to Chicago for a date with his wife.

ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

While everyone is focusing on the historic events surrounding the inauguration...I am just relieved it is finally over! After weeks of intense planning and training, the whole event went off without a "medical" hitch....traffic didn't materialize to prevent patient transports....people got to work on time....we didn't see the surge in patients in our ERs that we expected (over 1200 were treated on the Mall itself at 1st aid stations!!)....and I am exhausted!

Now we just count the days until any "epidemiological" threat is over....i.e. how long it takes for the flu or for a biological agent to take hold and spread....the flu IS here....naturally occurring...and hopefully no one figured out how to spread any bad stuff thru the crowds of this past week.

It was a great drill.....(my dream come true).
:)

My newest GrandDog! Delilah!

4 months old - mixed lab/boxer/?....gangly but cute as a button. She is way friendly with everyone! (So, not much protection for Val, I'm sure!)

It's amazing how God puts something so cuddly in our lives to touch that part of our hearts that is a "special" place....

So Steve, Val and I went to New York this past weekend to "stretch our minds" a bit - uh, rather we"got away" from anything remotely serious and stressful....and saw these 2 shows! "Blonde" was silly and fun...and Spamalot was too funny....2nd row seats allowed us to bask in the spit and sweat of none other than Clay Aiken and his cohorts in comedy! Everyone should spend a weekend away doing absolutely nothing productive! :)

(oh, and btw - there is NO recession imminent -don't believe a word of what the government is telling you.... at least not that we saw in NYC - there were TONs of people, all spending money, with full restaurants, sold out shows and traffic as usual!)

"Should Palin and McCain prevail come November, feminism can curtsy and treat herself to a hard-earned vacation. The greatest achievement of feminism won't be that a woman reached the vice presidency, but that a woman no longer needed feminists to get there." - Washington Post.

'nuf said.

Athena Kerby
Valerie with Athena, Binky and Sampson

Why did God make pets?

For those of you who have never had the joy of a close relationship to a pet, you might as well not read on....for this takes having "been there" in order to understand.

I have always had a dog - at least since I was about 5 years old....Flip, Samantha, Snookey, Andy (Andrew Johnson), Ben, Spider, Piccolo, Murphy Brown, Binky, & Sandy, and my "grand dogs" Sampson and Athena. Every single one has a special place in my memories and in my heart.

Some lived only a short time (Piccolo was only 4)....some can't seem to "quit" (Murphy is just about 19 now!).... Some were unmanageable (Spider (a terrier mutt) went back to the pound because she kept snipping at the kids .... Ben (a lab)was just TOO big around our babies....he kept knocking over everything!) - so he got to go live a wonderful life with Uncle Phillip.

I remember cuddling with Andy when I was going thru a painful divorce. Those beautiful Cocker eyes would look so deep inside of me and just make my heart melt.

Piccolo - was so special - a little furball of energy....who suddenly one day just up and had heart failure....she was gone so fast!

9 days ago we had to put down Binky - the scruffy little rescue dog that Valerie and I went to a farm in far Western Loudoun to pick out of a muddy pen....she had lost her mother at birth, and had been exposed to distemper....our vet said she'd probably have seizures at some time in her life. It was Valerie's 10th birthday...and she carried that dog around with her like a stuffed animal - they were totally inseparable! Even going to college together in Texas! We liked to call Binky our "Down syndrome" dog....she was not very bright....but she was the most JOYFUL dog I've ever known! Nothing deterred her from giving 100% love and affection....she was obedient, quiet, and devoted.....she ended up living to the ripe age of 15 - and only after kidney failure took her strength and muscle away, did we turn her loose to run over that "rainbow" bridge. It was so amazing to me to see how relaxed and peaceful her face was when she went....with her "mommy" Valerie, Uncle Matt, Ian, Tisa and PaPa and Grandma at her side....

So imagine our incredible horror at just now - 9 days later - finding out that our grandog "Athena", who so recently came into Valerie and Binky's life is suffering from lymphoma!

Athena is another "rescued" dog....When Val was looking for a dog last year to act as her "protector" when she moved into her own condo....we thought we had the answer in this HUGE German Shepherd....Athena is one of the most beautiful examples of a canine I've ever seen.....sleek, muscular, graceful, and totally devoted to Valerie.

But guard dog???? Not so much....you see, it seems that Athena was abused (we surmise) by her previous owners - and was terrified of men, in particular. It took all the patience and love of the Kerby men to bring her into the family....which she finally did....but she still cowers behind Valerie when others walk by!

Athena loves to come visit PaPa and Grandma....especially if her cousin Sampson is here - romping in our back yard together like two puppies has been wonderful for both of them.

So, we are now faced once again with the agonizing decision of how to make Athena's last weeks the best. For what we now know is that Athena did not come into our lives to serve us....but rather, I choose to believe that God put her in our family so we could give her a year of love and affection and safety....something she did not have before. And so, we embark on this last part of her journey and will try everything in our power to make it wonderful and fun for her.

It hurts....it's not "fair"! ....but I thank God that we can give back a little of that unconditional love that His pets often give to us.....

Politics....

The next few months are so chocked full of political "overload"....and yet I keep finding myself searching for just the right thing to help me make a decision how to vote!

I've always taken my responsibility to vote very seriously....have not always been pleased with the outcomes, but HAVE learned to see God's hand at times in the way things have turned out.

For instance, there truly was no rational or logical way that George W. won the last election...I marveled at how it seemed that God had a hand in that.....even though the past 4 years have been filled with disappointment and despair over Iraq and the economy, I'm still free and living quite comfortably.

(My dear husband likes to point out that even when the Republicans are in the White House - the Democrats are "running the country" from congress, so how can they blame Bush?...he doesn't mince words).

Anyhoo....am searching for answers right now....As a conservative, the "logical" answer is to vote Republican.....but I'm really, really not convinced McCain is right for the job...although I admire his background, his experience and his loyalty to his country. Something just isn't right....

Obama...well, there's a really big problem with his pro-choice stand and his 20 year relationship with a certifiably outrageous minister (Rev. Wright). His charisma bothers me - it's hard to see beyond that and trust that he's just not a big "show".

However, on a very, very interesting note, a friend of ours is actually on the Theological Advisory team for Mr. Obama. He is a Christian theologian. At first I was not sure how I felt about that.....but another good friend of mine pointed out that amazing opportunity we, as Christians have right now, with an advisor such as this so close to Mr. Obama (who many say WILL win the presidency)....all I can do right now is pray that the Lord use this advisor to work in the life of our politicians, and perhaps our future president.

If we don't believe in the power God to guide and protect our nation - then we are all of "little faith".

So, I'm praying for guidance....and opportunity....for peace.

..."In such a time as this"......

Paul used "modern technology" to spread the Gospel !

This concept was introduced in my Bible class yesterday - and I was so intrigued by the comparison that I just had to comment!

In Paul's day - to make a journey of any distance was quite a feat. But in his zeal to spread the Gospel of Christ, Paul made not just one journey - but Several. So what was the "modern" technology he used to do this? Roads. The ever-expanding road system that the Romans built were indeed very "modern" for their time - paved, providing access to places never before seen.

Paul didn't hesistate to use them to communicate the Gospel of Christ!

Fast forward to today - the "modern" technology of OUR time is - the internet....it has completely revolutionized how we communicate in just a short 20 years.....This is the second time in this past month that I've heard it suggested that we use the internet to it's fullest to spread the word of Christ!

I can't help but wonder how this "fits" with the ever-present call to "return to the 1st century church" when we try to introduce a "modern" way of communicating the love of Christ. We are constantly berated for even suggesting using anything that isn't "the way they did it then"....but I suggest that even PAUL was moving along with the "modern" times in going beyond his back yard, beyond his "house church"....beyond "tradition" to spread the Gospel.

I suggest that we realize that God has given us gifts and talents to use - and in our modern world we SHOULD use every possible way to teach.

I recently had a conversation with someone from another state who was marveling at the fact that we, in our church, not only use power point - but videos and drama. She was saying that at her church they just recenlty introduced powerpoint for the sermons - but only Men could run the system - for a woman to have anything to do with it would be "wrong".

Hmmmm- I wonder who is "running" the internet.....

Am not going to worry a bit about it - .....I'm PROUD to be a Christian - and if someone somewhere is reading this Blog about THAT - then yayyyyyy!

We simply HAVE to move ahead.....the alternative is to move backwards!

Well, according to my daughter-in-law, Jill, it's about time for my "quarterly" blog! I'm not very regular with blogging - although I DO read others' often!

It's been a very very busy couple of months. I have adjusted my work hours and changed jobs....done a medical mission in the Dominican Republic and visited Tim and Jill in Texas....so much in such a short time!

The job change was a long time coming- something I needed to do for quite a while. I am now working part time for the Chief Nurse Executive at our hospital in a brand new role (just being created) of Disaster Preparedness Coordinator. It will involve a lot of policy review and writing, developing drills to train staff, working within the Metropolitan Washington area on committees to keep us hopefully all on the same page in preparedness, among other things (I love that, "and other duties as assigned"...) I will keep on working in the ER 1 day a week to keep my skills sharp - but have given up my 10+ year job in ER management. While a bit scary at first to make the break - I am actually LOVING getting back to the bedside on my days in staffing and connecting with patients in a deeper and more significant way. And the good news is: my blood pressure is already down by 15 - 20 points!!! I have been able to pace myself so much better - am riding my bike and swimming several times a week...and watching what I eat (as opposed to eating junk on the run when I was working the horrible hours before!)

The DR trip was amazing. FINALLY, Valerie and I got to be NURSES together on a trip! We'd dreamed about this day...and really enjoyed ministering to the sick. The photo above of our missionary, Brian, with one of the Hatian residents of the garbage dump in Puerto Plata is my favorite one - it truly shows what our mission is all about - feeding the sick with both food, as well as with the Word. While we were working on those who were physically sick - Brian was reaching out and comforting, offering the words of Christ to all who would listen. I simply cannot wait to go back.

Lastly - I am SO proud of my son and daughter-in-law, Tim & Jill - they have finally bought their new home....it is gorgeous! We had a lovely visit - as well as 2 wonderful days with my mom and sisters. Ian got to go along for the trip - and was good as gold - he is such an easy child to travel with! He loved seeing his Aunt and Uncle - as well as his cousins in Cleburne! We got to go to the Zoe conference in Arlington, Tx - and were simply filled to the brim with worship through song....Aaah....I am truly content.

Marriage:

Sometimes words just tumble out that make sense -

Recently someone was asking me how come my marriage has lasted so long?

The initial convoluted answer was, "Because of love....and Committment...because I don't always love him....I am committed,.... because I love him.

Sound crazy? Not really. In the beginning of a relationship, I believe God gives us an amazing level of love for one another. We decide to Commit to each other via marriage...and then when we don't "love" each other so much, we have that committment....based on LOVE, which gets us through.

One VERY important thing I've learned over 30 years.....is that the bad times don't last....yes they do arrive - some years more than others....but mostly, they simply don't last...because I remember how much I LOVED him....and thru the committment to stick it out...learn to love again, and again, and again. It's better, it's stronger....it's agape.

WHAT I DID FOR MY 55TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

So, what does one do when faced with the dreaded "AARP" age????? Why - ride a roller coaster, of course!

This is the "Kraken" at Sea World/Orlando, and yep, I rode it ON MY BIRTHDAY! It was BIG, it was FAST, it was SCARY, it was UPSIDE DOWN MORE THAN RIGHT SIDE UP!!!!!!!!...AND IT WAS FUN!!!

Don't EVER tell me I'm old - because I REFUSE to be!

I have a new "Granddog!" Athena has come to stay with my daughter for a trial run at living with her....She is the most gorgeous BIG German Shepherd ! She's been with us 2 days and has settled in quite well - quiet and gentle thus far.

Over the years I've tried to explain to my children how rare it is to truly have a "close" friend. Not very many come along in a lifetime, and when they do - you cherish it always.

In October of 1981 I found just that friend. Denise and I moved into our new neighborhood in Leesburg, young married girls with babies. I ran out of gas a couple of blocks from home one day and was walking back with the boys, when she pulled up beside me and offered us a ride. I recognized her from 2 doors down and accepted....and that was the start of an amazing 26 year journey. Not only did we raise our kids together....we laughed, we cried, we fought like sisters, we prayed, we supported each other thru unbelievable life obstacles...but thru it all, we maintained a love that could not be overthrown...

I like to remember the times when we would sit on our front porch, hour after hour, while our children played outside. Denise had such a sense of how life should be....and never shied away from voicing her opinion! If she didn't approve of a teacher's methods....look out - she told her...but then she'd get right in that classroom and work like a dog helping out....If a neighbor needed a meal - she was the first to cook one - and then arrange for everyone else to respond. Having a bad day?....Denise was there with a kind word - or would just take the kids for a while.
I saw her scramble to make house payments when her husband left...pulling together and organizing an in-home babysitting business to keep her at home with her own kids. She showed me how to shop for bargains (year after year after year - we travelled to Reading Pennsylvania to the outlets....some of the BEST days I've ever had!)...

When Lisa was born, and was so sick in the hospital with asthmatic bronchitis as a 5 month old - I sent Denise home to get some sleep, and, myself being 7 months pregnant with Valerie, climbed into the croup tent with Lisa and held her while she slept.....Our boys Tim & Mike - we put on a plane at age 12 to go off to Space Camp - nervous as can be - but glad that they had each other! When Lisa couldn't calm down as a colicky baby - Denise would run to my house - thrust her into Steve's arms - and flee....only to be frustrated that Lisa would immediately calm down with Steve's calming effect! There was the famous night, also, when she called, screaming in the phone, that something was IN her washing machine. Steve went running to her house - only to find a lovely, large green TOAD! (Maybe she should have kissed it - it might have been the Prince she was looking for!)

The funniest time EVER, though was surely the day we decided to take our city-raised kids to the country to see a farm. We had already introduced them to picking berries or apples, but Denise had found a farm that LET YOU MILK YOUR OWN COW! Well, well, that was just the thing that we HAD to do so our kids would grow up not missing out on good, solid values and hard work! So, off we went, 5 kids and 2 30-something women to Western Loudoun and some unsuspecting cow. We were shown to the barn, gathered the kids around us...and explaining where milk came from, placed a bucket under her udders, and each sat on either side of this poor cow and started pulling at her teats. Nothing happened. So we tried harder...still nothing. By now, the 5 kids (ages 18months, 2yrs, 3, 3 1/2 & 4) all started to wander off - scattering chickens and stepping in droppings....BUT, Denise and I could not leave Bessie, the cow. We had just started to get a trickle of milk....and suddenly realized that we couldn't just "stop" milking the poor cow! She (the cow) was in agony and getting restless...and our kids were running helter-skelter....And at that moment, Denise and I looked at each other - under the cow - and just about died laughing. It was truly a "Lucy and Ethel" moment.

As with any long-term relationship there were good times and bad. We had years where we were close, and then others where we drifted apart a bit - sometimes because we disagreed, but other times when life just got in the way. We always seemed to be able to be there for important days....birthdays, graduations, weddings. And Christmas. Even the year when Denise was SO mad at me that she hadn't spoken in 6 months...she showed up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve with her yearly batch of Cinnamon rolls. And once again, we were off and running - two peas in a pod just trying to get thru life.

In the past couple of years, Denise's physical and emotional challenges have really taken it's toll. I found that reaching out to her was not always accepted, but then a few days or weeks later, she'd call up - just like nothing had happened and we'd get together and talk like we always had. She had just challenged me to start working out with her to get healthier....and was looking forward to the arrival of her first grandchild this fall. So much excitement ahead....

Denise's faith in God has always been strong....with every single roadblock, she would look Heavenward and say, "He will get me thru"...or "It is God's will". And just like when Jesus told us in His sermon on the Mount, "Consider the Lilies of the field - they toil not, neither do they spin...but God in all his glory clothes them....how much more will He do for his children?" - Denise believed that God would ultimately take care of her. She was as fragile as a lily - offering a beauty of her own - All Denise ever truly believed in was Love. All she ever wanted was for people to love her. She gave to her children all of herself. They were her true pride and joy. I never, ever heard her say anything negative about them. She gave love to her friends. She gave, and gave, and gave....

It is truly my hope and belief and prayer that God is taking care of Denise today - with HIM in that beautiful field of lilies - where they toil not, neither do they spin....forever free from the pain of living here....but in his Glorious Heaven.

May you finally be at peace, Denise.

So, Ian has been "officially" inducted into the Kerby passion for Roller Coasters!!! We took him to Kings Dominion for his first ride....the "Scooby Doo". He had absolutely no idea of what to expect...but summed it up at the end by saying, "Why is it stopping??? I want to go AGAIN!!!"

He totally enjoyed the coaster (rode it 3 times), the Avalanche (a bob-sled coaster ride), the Log Flume (very WET), the flying airplanes, the waterpark, etc, etc.... One very happy little boy.
On the way home, he was eating and we noticed he was trying to feed himself as he was falling asleep - hitting himself in the face with his food! TOO FUNNY!

We also just took a vacation to Williamsburg where Ian learned how to be in the water without being afraid...how to play putt putt (pretty well, actually) be a beach bum...and watch the fife and drum band! Oh, yes, the rest of us had fun too....but life is truly all about Ian!

WooHoo! Steve and I just had the most FUN tonight! We scored free tickets to a Taylor Hicks concert !!! Even though it was HOT (in the 90s when we got there...it was outdoors)...the sun set just as it got started...and WOW is he a great entertainer! I loved his musicianship....his performance (he isn't "spastic" with his moves any longer)....and the vocals were amazing.
What a fun, random thing to do tonight!

What a crazy weekend! Steve and I decided to do some BIG entertaining....so we had a small group of 12 last night - some new and old friends from church....and then today had 40 (!) from our "State Fair" musical group for a pot luck! The photo is taken in my family room (it looks so big when it's empty!)...with Martha in the middle!

On another note - Ian was incredibly funny today! During the sermon he was listening to Bruce preach, when he turns to me and asks, "What does obey mean?" I was so happy that he was focusing on the lesson! However, shortly thereafter, he once again turned to me and asked, "Why is his voice so loud?" Ok, so he was listening - just not to the content!

Later tonight, after Ian had been playing outside with all the kids and screaming and yelling....he settled down to watch his favorite movie, "Cars". When his mom called about an hour later, and he tried to talk to her on the phone, he discovered that he had lost his voice! He was so confused and wanted to know "where did it go?" ....THEN, he lifts up his shirt, and says, "But it's still ME! I'm not wearing a costume!"

Kids! Thank you God for giving us these little bits of laughter and joy!

It is a rare moment when one can watch her offspring fully come "into her own". So it is with watching my daughter spend the last few years working extremely hard to accomplish something she once told me she could "never do". I remember sitting in my Aunt Fran's living room with Valerie (Fran was a nurse from the 40's and a professor of nursing until the 70s)...and she would hound Valerie to try and consider a career in nursing. Val was SO resistant. Then, she became a volunteer at the hospital...then a secretary in the ER...followed by being an ED tech....and the rest, as they say, is history. Science, Math, psychology, pathophysiology, biology, blood, gore and butt wiping...she's done it all now...and thus I am proud to watch her embark on a career that can only be described as extremely fulfilling while unbelievably exhausting. It will take all of her heart, mind, soul, and body to give to the patients who so sorely need nursing. Val has what it takes.......thank you, Val, for going after a dream that at one time may have seemed out of reach.
You GO girl!! :)

Best Friend...

Aside from my family, I have been blessed to have a "best friend" in Martha Lynch. She has been mentor, confidante, friend, buddy, travel partner, theatre companion....words could go on and on. I captured this photo over the weekend "in her element" - just using one of her many, many talents of flower arranging.

A question that's been on so many minds this past week...."why do they die"?

Sometime between 9am and noon today a little bit of "spring" at our house died. About 2 weeks ago a pair of morning doves returned to our front porch to build a nest where they had successfully raised a baby last year. We watched in great awe and anticipation as the parents brought twigs and grass a built a beautiful nest. A pristine white egg was laid, and for the past 10 days it was never unguarded or left alone. I was amazed at the mother's patience and resilience - through cold, wind, rain, heat....she never seemed to move - or if she did change places with the father - it was a smooth process.

We all tiptoed around the porch until proving to her that we were no threat to her baby. Every morning, including today, we looked on in wonder at what must be growing and developing inside that egg - nestled safely under her belly.

However, at noon today, Matt came in, quietly as ever....but then announced that they were gone....yes, GONE! No sign of mother or egg.

I had noticed some noisy activity in our back yard this morning with a huge black crow irritating our robins (who, also have nests in our trees)...and I wondered if they had somehow caused this dove to lose her chick.

I finally found the egg, crushed and broken under a bush near the nest....and will wonder... did a predator attack? or did the mother accidently knock it out of the nest??? Will never know....we often don't know why or how someone/something dies. It just does.

Explaining this to a 3year old grandson was a trip....he was upset at the same time curious. We talked about the flowers he had just picked in the yard - about how beautiful they were now - but that they would die today because they were picked....about the birds who live so shortly and then die...about all God's creatures and living things that are born, live and die - only to go on and enjoy Heaven with him. To me that makes sense...to my 3 year old....it doesn't. He simply wants things to stay the same....and he cried.

....from a prayer I read this morning...." Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me and You will never leave me to face my perils alone."