Home – He Said What?!

Tearing Our House Down

We had a very busy last few weeks of 2021, and an exciting beginning of 2022.

After several months of planning with our contractor and prepping the house…and ourselves…our big main level renovation is well underway. We just finished up week number three!

Aaron is not a fan of upheaval of any kind. I would say that having our kitchen, family room, living room, and dining room torn apart at the same time qualifies as upheaval, right?

Two days before the work started, there stood Aaron staring at a wall in our kitchen. I just stared at him, waiting for him to tell me what he was doing.

Aaron: Look! There’s a crack in this wall.

Me: Well, I think it’s just the paint but anyway, this wall will be coming down soon. We’re going to see some very interesting things in the next few weeks.

Aaron: Not me.

Me: What do you mean?

Aaron: I don’t like this.

Me: Why not?

Aaron: Because Luke might turn off the electricity while I’m on my computer!

Luke, whom we’ve known since he was a teenager, has done our other remodeling. He finished our entire upstairs last year. So he knows Aaron well and is as prepared as one can be for the comments that Aaron will inevitably make.

Gary and I decided to stay in the house during this renovation. We put together a makeshift kitchen in one of our upstairs bedrooms. I told a friend that if I couldn’t cook with all the gadgets I have then I’m pretty pathetic. 😊

Three days into our first week, this friend laughingly said she would like to know what I had been cooking that week. Here is my answer:

Monday – leftovers. I felt invincible

Tuesday – I decided to unbox my new air fryer and learn how to use it because I thought I needed some extra stress in my life. I cooked Aaron’s brats in it. I was fixing Gary and I some precooked Angus patties in the microwave and then some steamed cauliflower in the microwave. And salad for all of us.

The microwave shut off because it won’t work at the same time the air fryer is on. Too much electricity being used in our upstairs at the same time. 😝😝

I had enough Olive Garden dressing in our little frig we bought for our makeshift kitchen, but I was determined to find the extra bottle that I knew was in one of these food boxes, but I could NOT find it and I was so FRUSTRATED by that point! Aaron loves that dressing! I did not want to run out! Then it became an issue over me saying to myself, I WILL find that dressing!!

I found it today in the box with the baggies and foil. 😂😂

And the steamed cauliflower last night was slightly – largely – on the crunchy side. We sounded like we were eating Doritos.

Tonight: I wisely used my well-known crock pot and rice cooker to make Taco Chicken Bowls. Took me awhile to find the rice. WHERE IS THAT TUPPERWARE CONTAINER OF RICE??? I JUST saw it yesterday!!!

I found it, finally, under a bunch of cans.

Thursday: We are eating at Outback. 😅😅

But things got much better after that first week. We are truly thankful to be at home and so blessed that we have plenty of room upstairs, and then a whole downstairs where Aaron and I can watch our shows at night while Gary reads.

Aaron still wishes that Luke would just stop all this nonsense. He has told Luke multiple times that he wishes he would quit tearing our house down! And yesterday, with two new workers here, Aaron walked up to them and nicely said, “I wish you would go home and quit tearing our house down.”

I told them that Aaron was our welcoming committee and to just carry on. 😊

It is not a small project!

Aaron wishes it was small…and fast.

One night, before bed:

Aaron: Mom, is Luke almost done?

Me: Oh no, Aaron. This remodel will take awhile (without defining “awhile.”)

Aaron: Well, I wish it was done right away ALL the way because I don’t like that sound they make!! 😂😂

Aaron really does have a lot to get used to, like finding an empty can of black beans on the bathroom counter. I needed to drain them in our bathroom sink as I was putting supper in the crock-pot in our Makeshift Bedroom Kitchen.

Aaron walked in the bathroom and immediately spied the empty can of black beans on the counter.

Aaron: MOM!! Why do you have black beans in the bathroom?!

Me: I had to drain them, so I used my bathroom sink.

Aaron: Oh. I thought maybe you were using them on your hair!!

Hmmmm…he may be on to something there. On many days I would try ANYTHING to help my hair!!

Black Bean Bouffant!! 😂😂

I’ll let you know if it works – may even post some pictures!

But for now, here a few more shots of our work-in-progress.

And, as you can see, Luke and his team really are making progress!

If we could only convince Aaron of that. 🙂

Who Are These Special Moms?

As the mother of a son with special needs, I have often had people tell me that they think God gives special children to special moms. While I realize that this sentiment is meant to be encouraging and kind, I also must say that I think it’s misguided. A big reason I think this is because I know me. I know me better than anyone else knows me, except God. I know that I’m no more special than any other mom out there. This isn’t fake humility, either. It’s just the truth.

All moms need God’s grace for each day. We who are His children need His grace for our own children in so many different ways. How amazing is God’s grace, too! He promises this undeserved favor to us over and over, greater grace for greater needs, along with His mercies that are new every morning. He has all that I need. He has all that any mom needs. I asked God many times to give me grace for the challenges that I faced as a mom of all three of our children.

Having said all this, let me also say that I have a great respect for the moms that I know who are walking this life alongside their child or children with special needs. My heart goes out to them, ones I know and ones I don’t know, as they face demands that they never dreamed they would encounter as a mother.

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So as Mother’s Day approaches, and we see the beautiful cards…….heart tugging commercials…….perfect mother and children photos…….and all the lovely images of motherhood through the years – let me give a “special” shout-out to all the “special” moms of special children.

Those dear Moms:

Who spend hours researching your child’s diagnosis rather than hours researching what sport for him to play.
Who pray for your child’s teacher to be understanding of meltdowns, bluntness, and a zillion other things that have nothing to do with her grasping of educational facts, and yet have everything to do with her ability to learn.
Who dread with a passion those IEP meetings.
Who dread having to once again explain your child in every new setting.
Who dread high school graduation because……then what?
Who try to ignore the stares from others in public places instead of basking in admiring glances.
Who are learning how to use your child’s feeding tube rather than planning his fun pizza party.
Who are searching for the best wheelchair rather than the best bicycle.
Who watch their child being marked for radiation rather than getting a cool tattoo.
Who are shopping with their daughter for a wig to cover her bald head due to chemo instead of shopping for the perfect new hair products.
Who are driving their older child everywhere because he can’t have a driver’s license due to seizures or other medical issues.
Who hurt because their child doesn’t have many, or any, friends.
Who are signing guardianship papers instead of college admittance papers.
Who are scouring the internet for the latest medical treatments instead of scouring for the best college scholarships.
Who know more drug names and side effects than they ever wanted to know.
Who spend far more time finding caregivers than finding cool vacation spots.
Who are adept at rearranging schedules due to unexpected medical issues.
Who lay in bed at night with the sound of your husband sleeping on one side, and your adult child breathing heavily in the baby monitor on the other side as you listen for seizures.
Who read your adult child the same book every single night of his life.
Who keep waterproof mattress pads on your child’s bed – your adult child.
Who have a hard time finishing a conversation with your husband without being interrupted over and over.
And who, for some, will find themselves looking at a gravestone on Mother’s Day instead of looking into the eyes of their child.

So to all of you amazing mothers of special needs children, I give you a huge high five!! I hope you know that you are loved and that God does have special grace for you every day.

And may you, as my friend Atha would say, be established in your purpose……this God-given purpose……of raising one of His very special children.

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Stay-At-Home With Aaron

This Friday will mark one month that I have kept Aaron home due to COVID-19. To borrow Aaron’s words while I was still able to take him shopping: “You’re getting that because of the Coronavirus, aren’t you?” Said with frustration, I might add, as he has seen this virus as a great deal of unnecessary drama in his life. I think many are feeling that way right now!

The other night he got to video message with two of his friends from his day group. It made him realize how much he misses them and his other friends. I was glad to hear him say that, for getting Aaron to re-enter his former routine may take some doing.

He does love being at home, although some days he is at loose ends. When this first started, I thought of something to do every day that would keep him occupied and happy. Watching some shows during the day, for instance, was a treat for him since it’s something we never do. So many activities we would normally do – eating out, movies, the zoo, shopping – are off limits now, so giving happy moments every day was…and is…vital to Aaron and to ME.

However, Aaron has now become a professional Event Coordinator. 😊 He finds it quite fun to plan our days! But today, after going through the car wash and grabbing a to-go pizza for lunch, I had to say no to driving to a nearby lake. My days are still full of necessary home life, so when added to these fun activities with Aaron, I’m finding myself getting behind. I’m realizing that these are the days I used to wish I had…days at home when I could get so much done…but the “getting so much done” just isn’t happening!

One thing I really wanted to do today…and have wanted to do for many days…is to give a quick update on my stay-at-home life with Aaron. What have we been doing to occupy our time? Let’s see:

Playing Go Fish:

Taking drives and seeing fun wildlife like these turkeys:

Cutting coupons:

Watching favorite programs:

Dairy Queen Blizzards at Lake Afton:

Donuts at Lake Afton (this pattern must stop!):

Walks at Swanson Park:

Practicing with selfies:

Cooking:

Getting a new PC game:

Eating by lantern when the electricity went out:

Pulling Weeds:

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And relaxing as only Aaron does, crunching mulch:

We’ve had some moments, for sure, but I can honestly say that Aaron has mostly handled our stay-at-home much better than we thought he would. I know that’s because of prayer, and I am so thankful for God’s mercies and strength and wisdom.

We are truly blessed to have so many options of places to go and activities to do that keep us safely distanced from others, yet able to leave the house and get some fresh air and sunshine, hear the birds, and enjoy this new pause in our lives.

How are each of you and your families doing? I pray that God is strengthening you and that you are being encouraged in unexpected ways during these days.

Let’s keep praying for one another, and for our great country. May God keep us safe and wise, and may we continue loving Him and each other in these unprecedented times.

Mother’s Beautiful Hands

This past May our mother passed on to heaven. We said our final earthly goodbyes to her on May 8, and thus began our year of those firsts. Many of you know them…those first special days that you spend without that special person. Our first “first” came quickly. Mother’s Day occurred just two days after Mom’s funeral. Isn’t that just like life? Life doesn’t wait on us to get ready for the things that are hard. They happen whether we’re ready or not.

Our next first is tomorrow. Tomorrow is Mom’s birthday. She would be 89 if she had lived to see this day. I know, though, that none of us wish her back. We had been saying goodbye to her for a long time as the symptoms of Alzheimer’s overtook her brain and body. What a sad disease it is! Alzheimer’s takes a person slowly, robbing them of their essence and their personality and their memories. I’ll never forget going to see Mom last year, in June of 2014. When Gary and I entered her assisted living apartment with Jan, Mom not only didn’t know us at all, but she didn’t even show any joy that we were there. She would usually at least act happy to have visitors, but on this visit she was completely devoid of even that. For the first time, I did indeed feel like a visitor…..and an ignored one, at that.

Our visit that June was also the one where we gathered around Mom in the kitchen at Jan’s house as we sang hymns. Mom sang with us, surprising us all. That time was deeply precious to each of us, including Mom. Her eyes lit up as she sang. She smiled and she tried to express what she was thinking about each song. She remembered words very well, and we knew that each song resonated with her deep in her heart and mind.

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Before we left that evening to go on our separate ways once again, Mary Beth wanted us to all put our hands on the table together and take a picture. I’m so glad we did that. Something about that picture is so personal…so tender. There is our mother’s hand, nestled among her children’s. Her hand shows the effects of age…of hard work…of arthritis. But her hand is beautiful. And us…our hands also show the signs of age that are creeping upon us. You can see some spots…some lumps on our joints…and several of us have that funny little finger that Mom had.

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I look at that picture and I think of how Mom’s hand was always in our lives. From an early age her hands were ever busy with caring for us five children, and for Dad. I remember her hands cooking and baking, sewing and cleaning, caring for sick children and looking after busy children. She used her hands to show us how to make little troll doll clothes out of felt while she sewed real clothes for us to wear. She used her hands to let us turn the handle on the food chopper as she made Cranberry Salad for Thanksgiving. She used her hands to fill our table with huge baking sheets of homemade rolls while she pinched off little pieces of dough for us to happily eat. She used her hands to teach us how to set a table and how to wash dirty dishes after loading the sink just right.

Her hands wiped our tears…and sometimes caused our tears as she spanked us for disobedience. Her hands worked to grow beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables, which she froze and canned and cooked and shared with others. Her hands taught us how to do the laundry and to fold the clothes correctly. Her hands taught us to iron whatever she had placed in our four baskets, each basket bearing the name of one of us girls. Where was John’s? J Her hands taught us how to clean a house, how to hem a dress, how to play some of her favorite card games, how to make a bed the RIGHT way, how to take care of our varied pets, and how to plan the many practical jokes for which she was famous.

Perhaps the most important use of her hands was when she would open her Bible in the early mornings as we all sat around the breakfast table. Dad would have already gone to work, so before we left for school, Mom would be sure that we all opened our Bibles as she did. She would read from the Our Daily Bread devotional book, reading the selected Bible passage first and then reading the devotion before we prayed. Her commitment to God and to us was never more evident than during that precious time together every morning.

Her hands made each of our wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses. Her hands cared for us after each of our children was born. Her hands loved and doted on her grandchildren and great-grands. Her hands knit literally countless numbers of Christmas stockings for family, friends, friends of friends, friends of family, pets……you get the idea. Her hands quilted each of us a totally handmade quilt after she retired. Then those always busy hands made, again, an untold number of quilts for others to enjoy. Her hands took meals to shut-ins. Her hands stuffed envelopes for the Crisis Pregnancy Center, for missionaries, and for church.

Her hands cared for Dad for eight years as he fought cancer. And it was her hands that he wanted to scramble his eggs that he loved during the final few weeks of his life. Only her hands would do, and I understood that totally as I stepped aside and let her do this thing that she loved so much. It was in their little kitchen that I noticed her hands doing things differently than she had ever done…and I knew that the Alzheimer’s was lurking, waiting to overcome her in the following years.

Her hands worked hard to care for Dad during that final month that he lived. He preferred her hands above all others, but he knew that she was struggling, and so he allowed Jan and I to help as well. But it was Mom’s hand that he reached for as they sat on the couch. It was Mom’s touch that comforted him when he was so sick. It was Mom’s hand that he held as he lay in his hospital bed…..her hand reaching through the bed rails as she lay alone in their bed beside his hospital bed.

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Jan took one last picture of Mom’s hands as she lay dying this past May. There they were, crossed on her lap, still and un-moving. She was nearing the end of her time on earth. Her hands, though, spoke volumes to all of us. I’m again so thankful for the picture that Jan took. Her hands showed the evidence of years of love and work. Now her hand’s work was done. It was time for her to rest.

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But the work of her hands will never be done. Her work in our lives does indeed live on. So much of who we are and what we are is because of her beautiful hands in our lives. None of us King children would be who we are today without the influence of her godly, kind hands. Then our children, and their children, show the impact of Mom’s hands. What a treasure is to be seen in those soft, wrinkled hands!

I’m pretty sure that her hand is now holding Dad’s hand in heaven. I doubt that they’ve let each other go since she’s joined him there. Unless there’s work for her to do, and then I can totally see her using those hands to make something or to keep things straight. I wonder how many quilts she’s made by now?

The Proverbs 31 woman was described as one who works with willing hands. Our mother did just that, and for the rest of our lives we will benefit from her wonderful, willing hands in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Mom. Thank you for your beautiful hands in our lives. You will always be loved.

Beautiful Hands

My mother would have been 94 years old tomorrow, so to honor her I am reposting a blog I wrote shortly after she died five years ago. The willing work of her hands will always be with us!

He Said What?!

This past May our mother passed on to heaven. We said our final earthly goodbyes to her on May 8, and thus began our year of those firsts. Many of you know them…….those first special days that you spend without that special person. Our first “first” came quickly. Mother’s Day occurred just two days after Mom’s funeral. Isn’t that just like life? Life doesn’t wait on us to get ready for the things that are hard. They happen whether we’re ready or not.

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Going Home

Gary and I just returned this past week from a most wonderful trip back home…home being the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, and the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia. We are both mountain born and bred. Now we live in a different kind of beauty surrounded by southern Kansas farm fields and beautiful skies. But when we go home to where we were “reared,” as we say back there, our hearts are stirred by our mountains…and more so, by the family we love even more than those hills and valleys of home.

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The reason for this trip began because of my one and only brother, John. We four sisters love blaming our only brother for lots of things, so we’ll lay this one on him as well. John has retired from 45 years of pastoring, the last 28 years being at our former home church in Princeton, West Virginia. Johnston Chapel Baptist Church is where all five of us King kids grew up, both physically and more important, spiritually. So there were many, many reasons why going home on this trip was so special to all of us. And as I said before my sisters and I sang on Sunday morning, “Any time there’s a celebration about getting rid of John, we’ll be there!!”

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But as we all planned this special weekend, the trip morphed into much more than only John and Jeanie’s celebration day. We added on a Hollandsworth cousin’s reunion on Saturday before the Heritage Sunday service. Then Gary and I tagged on a couple extra days so that we could spend time with his sister and family in western North Carolina. Aaron stayed home in Kansas with our friend, Casady, watching over him.

Gary and I flew into Atlanta, and then drove up to Bryson City in steady rain. Even with the rain and the low-lying clouds, the mountains were so pretty. I love the drive, and I love the stories Gary tells as we pass by little old mountain roads that wind up to sights unseen from the highway. Stories of his youth, with certain details untold, I’m quite sure.

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How good to see his sister, Sandra, and his Aunt Mary Leah! We had two nights there, the second evening being joined by Gary’s cousin Nita, and her husband Charles. Such delicious country cooking, Sandra’s specialty! And such fun conversation and sweet fellowship!

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On Friday we made our way to Weaverville, NC, where we visited the dear woman who was married to Gary’s dad – twice! – and about whom I wrote a blog earlier this year. (The Last Puzzle Piece ) Leo is so dear to our hearts, being responsible for getting Gary and his dad to finally meet after decades of never knowing each other…and allowing our children to know their other Grandpa. Ray died two months before my dad passed away.

Gary and I were very happy to spend a little time with Leo and her daughter Jonni, along with Sandra and Mary Leah. Leo is on Hospice, so our time with her was extra precious.

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Then up to Winston-Salem, NC, to visit with Gary’s Uncle Jay and Aunt Teetle. We love them so much! Jay and Teetle added Gary to their family of four boys during Gary’s junior and senior years of high school. Oh, the stories they could tell! They hold a very dear place in Gary’s heart, and mine as well.

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We then drove a few miles to spend some time with our wonderful friends from way back – Bucky and Janet. Janet and I were college roommates but knew each other before then as we went to summer youth camp together. How fun it was to get together, to catch up with life and kids, to laugh a lot, to see their son Whitson on his dinner break from the Sheriff’s department, and to thank the Lord for healing Janet’s cancer.

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Next we headed for West Virginia, taking a detour on old curvy mountain roads in the dark so that we could avoid long waits on the interstate due to construction. Those roads brought back many memories to me of multiple trips to college, the many turns and the small towns and the rock cliffs all a part of me from decades gone by. But before we left the interstate, Pilot Mountain loomed before us as always – this time its top covered with clouds, making this old mountain sentinel look eerily beautiful.

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I began the day on Saturday with my dear high school friend, Karen. We caught up over breakfast, somewhat. Time always goes too fast but how much it meant to both of us to see each other again!

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Saturday was a wonderful day – our Cousin’s Reunion! Bob and Jan, my sister and her husband, did a fantastic job of orchestrating this day. First we drove in a large rented van to Welch, West Virginia, through small mountain towns…towns ravaged by the downturn in the coal industry over the years.

Trains are the lifeblood of this state. My dad spent his life working for the railroad, and my niece’s husband is carrying on that tradition. Coal is coming back, so maybe hope will return as well to these little struggling mountain towns.

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We cousins have reconnected due to Facebook. It’s been so much fun to get to know one another again and was especially sweet to actually hug one another on this day…and talk and talk and talk. Our grandparents, Guy and Lillian Hollandsworth, raised their children…our parents…in the town of Welch.

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Their house no longer stands, destroyed by one of Welch’s many floods. But the school where Grandpa was the principal is still there. We talked about how amazing it was that so many of his grandchildren were now standing in view of his school…the school our parents attended.

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That evening, more cousins came into town. We enjoyed dinner together, and desserts at Bob and Jan’s house. So much laughter, catching up, shared memories, and new ones being made!

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Sunday was Heritage Sunday for the church, as well as celebration day for John and Jeanie, and their family.

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What a very touching service, listening to so many testimonies about how John and Jeanie have cared for and shepherded this dear church.

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Jan’s girls, two sets of twins, sang beautifully.

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And we King Sisters tried to, as well, after many years of NOT singing. We so missed our youngest sister, Kathryn, unable to come because of health issues.

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There was dinner on the grounds after the service. No one puts on a spread like church members, especially in the south!

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It was just awesome to see so many old friends from my growing up years at Johnston Chapel! So many hugs and smiles and memories! Won’t heaven be wonderful?!

It was over all too soon. Everyone had to go back to their homes and jobs. Gary and I drove back to Bryson City, relishing our sunny mountains on this drive…and relishing time with Sandra before flying back to Kansas…our other home.

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There is a bond with family that is unlike any other. No amount of time apart or number of miles between can take away the shared connection of family. And old friends have a connection nearly as strong as family.

It’s largely a matter of roots. Our roots are imbedded in the ground of our youth…our growing-up years…our family and friends. It’s where we are from, and it’s also who we are. It’s the part of us that only our family and old friends truly know. Going back to the place of my roots…to the people whose roots are entwined with mine…was, and always is, a nurturing time for me. A time of thankfulness, refreshment, and peace. A time never lasting long enough.

I love the song about home that Celtic Thunder sings.

“Home, I’m going home. Home to the people I left behind.

Home to the love I know I’ll find. Oh, take me home.”

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