TRIBUTE TO A GOOD MAN
My dear father-in-law, Carroll Coble, is about to step into eternity. From the first moment he met me, nearly forty years ago, he took me to heart like his other girls. His greatest legacy is that he taught his sons how to love their wives. Dave is the great husband he is today because of his father. Dad's grandkids adored him, his sons and daughters have always looked up to him with great love and respect.

He's been in a coma since the weekend and we thought he wouldn't last until Monday. Medicare insists he be moved from the bed where he is so we're taking him home with the help of hospice, and I'll be staying at the house to care for him. I've walked this road before with my dear, dear grandpa, and it is truly a bittersweet time. You get a chance to say all those things you always wanted to. We can sing him hymns and love him into eternity. But I would love your prayers that this sweet and good man would pass gently and quietly. His beloved mother and his siblings are waiting his arrival. That's the joy that gets us all through this. He loves Jesus and he's ready to go.

Though Alzheimer's has taken his mind, up to the last, if you said to him, "I love you," he would mumble back the same. And that's one thing we will always remember. He loved us unconditionally.

It might be a break, but it's definitely not Spring around here. At 35 degrees, it's closer to winter break than spring, and here I am in Indiana with big plans. 

I am SOOO excited to announce that our own Denise Hunter has finaled in the Rita Inspirational Contest. The Rita is Romance Writers of America's biggest award, and it's a very prestigious thing to be nominated. Colleen was nominated in the past, and now our Denise for "Convenient Groom". SOOO exciting.

Here are the other finalists, and yay for our good buddy Rachel and Robin Lee Hatcher (who I want to be if I ever grow up!)

2009 RITA Finalists for Inspirational Romance

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist
Bethany House Publishers (ISBN: 1590529286)
David Long and Julie Klasseneditor, editors

Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (ISBN: 978-1-59052-929-4)
Julee Schwarzburg, editor

Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
Tyndale House Publishers (ISBN: 1-4143-1019-6)
Karen Watson, editor

Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
Thomas Nelson Inc. (ISBN: 1595543384)
Ami McConnell, editor

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte
Kensington Publishing Corp. (ISBN: 978-0-7582-2015-8)
John Scognamiglio, editor

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
Thomas Nelson Inc., Women of Faith Fiction (ISBN: 978-1-59554-148-2)
Ami McConnell and Leslie Peterson, editors

Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon
Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired (ISBN: 9780373874798)
Melissa Endlich, editor

CHRISTIAN BOOK EXPO
I've been cruising by the Thomas Nelson booth at ICRS for years, always lusting after the graphics they had their for other authors. I finally had a graphic! I can die happy now. :-)

The Christian Book Expo was in Dallas and was the first of its kind. It was specifically for the readers. I had great fun connecting with readers and seeing writer friends. The sad thing was how poorly attended it was. I think so many near Dallas didn't know about it, and that's a shame. The weekend was packed full of great workshops by top Christian authors. There was a debate between atheist Hitchens and Christian leaders like Strobel. Women of Faith speakers were there. It was a truly fabulous weekend. I hope they do it again, but I think they need to change up the venue. For one thing, it was a lot like ICRS with separate publisher booths. After attending a workshop, an attendee would then have to figure out when the speaker was signing in the expo and track them down instead of being able to purchase books on the spot. I think it would be better held in a festival-like atmosphere with tents. Or maybe in a conference hotel with that great intimacy. But I do hope it goes on.

Friday was spectacular. I had about 100 in my workshop on Christian fiction, then we got to spend the evening with the Hyatts. Mike and Gail Hyatt are two of my very favorite people. I feel like I can charge hell with a water pistol after being with them. I'm glad Mike is at the helm of Thomas Nelson. He's so intuitive and forward thinking. He and Gail are both the kind of leaders who makes you want to be better than you are and they lead by example. Every young married woman should read Gail's blog. She's the best example of how to love and respect your husband.

The Friday night event was truly life-changing.Max Lucado spoke about Fear LESS and I can't get his message out of my head. He talked about how fearful the disciples were in the boat with the storm and waves raging around them. Jesus asked them why they were afraid. And he asks us now why we're afraid. He's got it under control! I've had such peace since hearing Max talk about it. Right now we see the storm of financial problems raging around us. But God has that storm under control too. What peace. Another storm we're going through in the Coble family is my father-in-law's Alzheimer's. God's got that in his hands too. How wonderful to relinquish that worry and know God will help us through it all.

Are you going through a personal storm? We'd like to pray for you and ask God to help you turn it over to him.

Labels: Christian Book Expo, fear, personal storm

Why is it that the instant I decide to go on a diet, fattening foods suddenly look better than ever? I wasn't even craving those Twinkies that have been in the pantry for three weeks until now when I can't have them. 

For Better or For Worse is going POLISH!!!!  Whoohoooo!!!  Just got the news this week and had to share. Is that fun or what?  I have two books in Dutch--which is my mom's roots, so that's kind of cool.  Don't know about any Polish roots, but still cool.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Is it just me, or is there a rash of crap going on? Can I say that? Oh well, just did. Everyone I talk to right now, is really suffering in some way, and as an extremely-sensitive type, it starts to weigh on me. I know God has His reasons for suffering, but it just makes me want to wrap everyone up in a big group hug.

Actually, it makes me want to be a dog. My dog's biggest problem today is that I haven't opened the blinds and she can't see out the window from her window seat, so she's whining at me. Life is rough, huh?

But if you're out there, and you're suffering silently, consider this your daily hug and go do something nice for yourself. God is good. He is able. He can pull the blinds up for you. : )

MARRIAGE ADVICE
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Actually, it's USUALLY stranger than fiction. If I wrote this story in a book, no one would believe it. I mean would YOU believe a man would follow a GPS for five days on a trip that took seven hours? Here's the link: http://theineptowl.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=393&Itemid=64

The gist of the story is that Ryan O'Donnell left VT to visit his girlfriend in PA. This was normally a 5 hr trip. He ended up driving clear to Montana over FIVE DAYS and was found out of gas and dehydrated along the road. When asked why he followed the GPS directions for so long, he said the GPS had never steered him wrong before. LOL

Okay, here's my advice for his girlfriend Izzie. Break up. Now. I fear for your future if you marry him.

Your turn. What's your advice for Izzie?

A lot of things happened in 1989. This week, Kevin and I celebrate one of those things: our marriage. Just for fun, I looked up what else happened that last year of the crazy 80's. 

Seinfeld aired for first time

GOOD NEWS!!!!  It's BENIGN!!!!

Remember my post last week about the mammogram and yearly exams? Well, I got home later that night and found a letter from my gynecologist saying I need further examination for a possible problem they found on my mammogram. It seems they didn't like the picture of my "girls".  There's just so much I could do with that, but I'll let it go.

(My daughter in 80's gear for a party.)
Life in the Silicon Valley is hard right now. Nearly 10% of people are out of work. Homes are going into foreclosure a mile a minute. Things are really tough here and I'm not going to get political on you, but I think this administration has no idea how to fix anything -- which means bring on the reality TV. Is there anything to make you feel better than the wild mess that is Paula Abdul freshly-botoxed? Or the Housewives of NYC convinced if they attend a party, it's an honor for the host throwing it? I state, there is not.

Last night, on "The Biggest Loser", Mandi sacrificed herself for her sister, voting herself off because her sister couldn't lose weight at home yet. What a beautiful gesture of what it means to be alive and in a family. So much better than wallowing in your ARM rate and analyzing tax statements.

God is in control, I get that. But did on last night's Biggest Loser, the black team won a luxury night out away from the ranch, and consumed something like 13,000 calories in an evening. Isn't that the perfect illustration of what America has done? We've been given a little rope and we can't handle it. We gorged on houses and stainless steel appliances and told ourselves we needed this and that, when really, we didn't. And we have ballooned to a weight we cannot handle because we did not live consciously. Only correction and self control can fix it and that is oh so painful, so I say, "Thank GOD for American Idol and spoiled housewives. Without them, losing the weight would be so much harder."

A MOVIE FOR ME
I'm about to tell you a secret. I'm a Trekkie. Quit laughing. I'm really a total geek about Star Trek. I refused to leave the house on Friday nights when I was a teenager because I didn't want to miss the show. I've seen every episode countless times. Watched every movie countless times. I had a huge crush on Mr. Spock. If any TV show defines my growing up years, it's Star Trek. I just found out a new Star Trek movie is coming out and it's looks AWESOME!!!

Here's the link: http://www.latinoreview.com/news/new-star-trek-trailer-6326

How about you? Is there one TV show or movie that takes you back to a special place and time? Oh another one that does it for me is Romeo and Juliet, the version with Olivia Hussey. I had a vinyl record of the movie and I could quote every line in it. LOL

Reader Pet Peeves: A Random List of Things that Disrupt my Reading Pleasure

The dreaded yearly exams--a necessary evil.

So I'm 42 and I discovered this new concept. It's called a budget. B-U-D-G-E-T. Here's what the word has meant to me my entire life. "I want X, so I have to make Y." Simple math really.

I found a picture of me in my convertible Volvo from years' back, and I look oh, so happy. Dh doesn't believe in car payments, which meant the Y number really went up when I got married, because I am a car chick. And I drive a beater for no one. Jesus, please don't test me on that one.

So back to the budget. Hubby looked at the Visa bill (where he makes me put everything to keep an eye on me) and he told me my trouble spots:
Whole Foods
Espresso
Borders
Barnes & Noble
Hannah Andersson (Elle's clothes)
The Lego Store (My boys are fanatics)

Now, in my defense. The kids have to earn their money through allowance. Dh says: "That still doesn't account for the book stores."

I spend an insane amount of money on books. And I hate the library. It brings out my OCD side. Don't want to touch someone else's books. And I seriously had good intentions. But then, I am interested in all sorts of things and I heard this anthropologist on XM talking about how love and chemistry work. And I needed that book. So while Seth was in guitar, I'd just pop over to Los Gatos (best coffee in the world, but I didn't get one!) and go to Borders. They were out of the book. BUT, they had a new MAEVE BINCHY book!!! I thought WHITETHORN WOODS would be her last for awhile, but nope. There it was.

Here's my ray of hope. I spent $20 instead of $70, which is my normal bookstore amount. SO yay! I am $50 richer! And Kristin math continues.

What's your weak spot?

ALZHEIMERS
We're often laughing and upbeat on the blog, but I've had a rough week and I'm going to share it with you, my friends. My dear father-in-law has advanced Alzheimer's. We always knew this day would come but we didn't realize how terribly hard it would be. On Friday, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law went with me and we took him to an Alzheimer's care facility. He seemed to be doing okay when we left, but we were called Saturday morning to come back to get him for the weekend. We found out he'd become obsessed with another little lady there that he thought was Mom and wouldn't leave her alone (tried to get into bed with her) and had hit two male orderlies. He's the kindest, most gentle man you've ever met and hadn't been violent at home (other than 1 time about three years ago when he kind of pushed Mom.) So we were unprepared for that. Then yesterday when we started to take him back so the doctor could see him, the admissions director called and said we couldn't bring him back until he'd had a psychiatric evaluation. So I called Lutheran's Generations unit in Fort Wayne and they were able to take him right away.

He'll have to be in there for 7-10 days as they evaluate what medications might help make the transition easier. He's always been such a sweet and gentle man. Alzheimer's is a dreadful disease. I'm always trying to stay up on research and make sure my husband stays well. Poor guy is on a fistful of supplements and I've taken away his Pepsi except for very special occasions. LOL But this disease will take my husband only over my dead body!

I also have a book to finish this week and it's been hard to concentrate with the trauma going on in the family. So I could sure use your prayers, my dear buddies!

Labels: Alzheimer's, Lutheran Generations

Most days I find myself doing the same thing, oh, about 5 o'clock p.m. Standing in front of the pantry door thinking, What am I going to fix for dinner? This is usually followed by 2 or 3 kids walking past saying, "What's for dinner, Mom?"