Sheila Roberts's Blog, page 10

LITTLE SHEILA'S BIG LESSON

    BEFORE YOU READ THIS... here is my disclaimer. This is not to make anyone feel guilty for what you have or how you spend your money. And if you have cable, yes, I'm a little bit jealous. But this is a lesson I learned recently when I was whining and I wanted to share it with you for what it's worth. 

     "I don't see why we can't have cable," I grumbled. This whole thing of saving money by having a TV antenna and recording shows on our old VCR was ridiculous. In my humble opinion. Life was so much easier with cable when I could program all my HGTV shows to automatically record whenever they popped up. (Yes, costs had gone up but I was worth it.)
     This was a constant complaint and my husband really wasn't happy to hear it again. His usual argument: a terrible waste of money and a rip-off. "You can find HOUSE HUNTERS on Amazon and Netflix," he reminded me.
     Fine. Just. Fine. Someone in this household was not listening to his wife. I stuck my chin in the air and went to bed to read. The book was an autobiography of Lopez Lomong, an African Olympic athlete, who was taken by Sudanese rebels at the age of six and wound up escaping only to grow up in a refugee camp. In this camp, the UN, trying to take care of so many, offered the refugees oil and enough grain to last a week if they ate one meal a day. The big highlight of the week was when the dump truck dumped the workers' garbage, which could consist of anything from a half-eaten banana to a scrap of bread. These lost boys would jump into the garbage and fight over the scraps.
    Reading this I felt God's reprimand. What are you eating? How do you live? Have you looked at your incredible view recently? And you're complaining because you don't have cable? Seriously?
      I realized how right my husband was. We already lived in the proverbial lap of luxury and I wanted more? There are people in the world subsisting on garbage. I'm thinking perhaps I can find better uses for that money.
     You'd think that would have been enough lessons for one night, but no. I read on. "What is the point of such complaining?" said Lopez. "After all the whining and complaining is over, you still live in a refugee camp. All the complaining in the world won't make your life any better. Instead, you must choose to make the best of whatever situation in which you find yourself..."
      I thought of my feet, which were tingling even as I read - the peripheral neuropathy, a souvenir from my chemo treatments two years earlier. Actually, I try not to complain about the neuropathy. It's not extreme, and I can lie with it. But it does bother me enough that I'm still trying to cure it with everything from laser treatments to vitamins. It dawned on me as I lay reading that instead of seeing this as a frustration I could consider it a bit of a blessing because it's a reminder that God took me through a really rough time, that I'm still here to enjoy my family and friends, that I still have an opportunity to grow and learn and do some good in the world. Sometimes, after going through hard things, it's easy to put them so far behind us that we quickly skip on with our lives and forget how much was done for us. (At least it is for me.) My neuropathy serves as a reminder of how I was spared and how blessed I am.
     So, here I am with my tingly toes and my money-saving entertainment methods. Remembering to be grateful and closing the complaint department.
     How about you? What are you grateful for?
    

A Hoppin' Good Time

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]      What a great Easter we had this year! After having lost a daughter and my big brother the last few months, the message of resurrection was especially comforting. So was having all my family together. In fact, I told Gerhardt that this was the best Easter ever.
     We made a weekend of it, with egg coloring and cake decorating on Saturday followed by a granddaughter's softball game. Oh, brrr! March in the Pacific Northwest isn't balmy and we huddled inside coats and under blankets. But we survived to make it to church on Sunday morning. Then it was time for Easter dinner and egg hunting.
     Sunday did not give us good egg hunting weather but that didn't stop us. We hunted indoors at my daughter's house, sending the kids in all directions... including into a certain granddaughter's mad hatter hair. The highlight of the day, however, was the boys' egg hunt. We felt that they needed more of a challenge than the kids, so we blindfolded them. Oh, my! One shouldn't observe grown men blindfolded and fumbling around for eggs with a weak bladder. My son was disappointed I only took pictures instead of a movie (since he wanted to see what all the hilarity had been about) but honesty, at some points I was laughing so hard I don't think I could have held the camera still.
     Then we followed up by playing a game my friend Karol gave me called Pie in the Face. This is basically Russian Roulette with whipped cream and only a few of us were brave enough to try it So much silliness, so much laughter. But laughter is a big component of the glue that holds us together. And we definitely had a day of family bonding.
     How about you? What fun activities does your family do to stay bonded?

A HOPPIN' GOOD TIME

[image error]      What a great Easter we had this year! After having lost a daughter and my big brother the last few months, the message of resurrection was especially comforting. So was having all my family together. In fact, I told Gerhardt that this was the best Easter ever.
     We made a weekend of it, with egg coloring and cake decorating on Saturday followed by a granddaughter's softball game. Oh, brrr! March in the Pacific Northwest isn't balmy and we huddled inside coats and under blankets. But we survived to make it to church on Sunday morning. Then it was time for Easter dinner and egg hunting.
     Sunday did not give us good egg hunting weather but that didn't stop us. We hunted indoors at my daughter's house, sending the kids in all directions... including into a certain granddaughter's mad hatter hair. The highlight of the day, however, was the boys' egg hunt. We felt that they needed more of a challenge than the kids, so we blindfolded them. Oh, my! One shouldn't observe grown men blindfolded and fumbling around for eggs with a weak bladder. My son was disappointed I only took pictures instead of a movie (since he wanted to see what all the hilarity had been about) but honesty, at some points I was laughing so hard I don't think I could have held the camera still.
     Then we followed up by playing a game my friend Karol gave me called Pie in the Face. This is basically Russian Roulette with whipped cream and only a few of us were brave enough to try it So much silliness, so much laughter. But laughter is a big component of the glue that holds us together. And we definitely had a day of family bonding.
     How about you? What fun activities does your family do to stay bonded?
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BROTHERLY LOVE

     My oldest brother suffered a stroke a week ago and is soon going to be on his way to heaven. He was the patriarch of our family, beloved by so many people. It's hard to let him go. This man is simply amazing and inspiring - and because he is so inspiring I want to share just a few things about him in the hopes that you'll be inspired, too.
     My brother is 82 (and yes he's a lot older than me so don't even go trying to do the math). Before a stroke felled him he was coaching his grandson's basketball team, taking voice lessons (and entering competitions right up against college kids), doing yard work for his daughter, attending a guys' Bible study, planning fun and games for family events and helping anyone and everyone who needed it. Talk about living a full life right up to the end!
     Brother Ben never held an office. He wasn't a war hero (a bad eye kept him out of the service). He never wrote a book. But his life was a book on kindness and self-sacrifice, open for all to read. He and his wife took in foster kids, hosted countless parties for their own children and their friends. His home has been the extended family's gathering place for years and he and his equally generous wife have happily hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas, family reunions and Fourth of July celebrations. When we need a place to gather we go to Ben's. He has helped family and friends with building projects and given tirelessly of his time and building talents. He had a double lot on our family compound and there he built everything from slides to tree houses and zip lines. Oh, yes, and he constructed a miniature airplane kids could ride in that would tip from side to side. We called the fanciful backyard BennyLand. Our kids, his grandkids and any other kids who were around enjoyed BennyLand. Even more, we all enjoyed Benny himself. He was a crazy, fun-loving tease and he made life fun for everyone.
     He certainly made my life fun, acting as a second father to me over the years, crashing my book signings in goofy costumes, teasing me relentlessly. I loved every minute of it. I've loved every minute of our life together as siblings. Benny, I'll miss you more than words can say. (And Sammy, you'd better stick around for a while!)
     I think about all my brother has done with his life and it makes me want to do more, be more, bring more joy to those I love. It's such a short time we get here on Earth. I want to follow in my brother's footsteps and spend my time wisely and well. Big shoes to fill, as the saying goes, and the clock is ticking.
     How about you? Is there someone in your life who inspires you? My challenge for myself and maybe for you, too, is to start moving beyond inspiration and into action. Lord, let me follow my brother's good example of kindness and generosity. Help me to do my part to make this world a better place.

A LITTLE LOVE ... FOR YOURSELF

NEW YEAR, NEW BARGAINS

Happy New Year

     We had a great time kicking off the new year with our son and his lovely bride and our charming granddaughters. Since they'd done Thanksgiving with us they stayed in California to celebrate Christmas with her family. Let me tell you, this sharing the kids stuff is hard! It was the first year our son didn't come home for Christmas so that was a bit of an adjustment. Of course, the trade-off was a fabulous new daughter-in-law so I figured I shouldn't really complain. And I consoled myself by inviting Gerhardt and myself down to Sunny CA to help them ring in the new year.
     It turned out to be a great idea (said she modestly) and we had a fabulous time with the kids. Of course, they entertained us royally, taking us to the Griffith Park observatory in Los Angeles and to the Santa Monica pier to kick off our New Year's Eve celebrations. That was fun, fun, fun. The magician doing tricks on the pier was good enough to give David Copperfield a run for his money. He used my lovely daughter-in-law as his assistant and of course I filmed the whole thing with my handy, dandy iPad mini.... on fast speed. Sheesh. I'm hoping we can figure out a way to slow it down since I'd planned on posting it on my little Youtube channel. Darn it all! I get so irritated with myself when I do dumb things like that ... dumb things that could be avoided if a girl read up on how to work her new toy. I wondered what the deal was with that little, red, swirling circle icon. Sigh.
   In between sight seeing there was much conversation and many games, including one called Black Peter (the original Old Maid invented in the nineteenth century by some German crooks - the loser of each hand of cards gets a mark on his or her nose. The one person who comes out unscathed is the winner - you can see by the picture that the participating grown-ups all lost, which delighted my granddaughter.) I enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and never got over the novelty or orange trees growing in people's yards. (Maybe people who come to Washington feel the same way when they see us with our apple and pear trees.)
    Anyway, our new year has begun splendidly. I'm looking forward to some small trips, hanging out at the Romantic Times conference in Las Vegas as well as the Romance Writers of America convention in San Diego (hope to be signing books at both of those!), and, of course, seeing more Sheila books hit the shelves. ("Home on Apple Blossom Road" will be out this spring.) I am also trying to take good care of myself because one of my goals for 2016 is good health. (Actually, that's a goal for the next several years but I'm planning to take it a year at a time and be grateful for every year I get with family and friends.)
    So, here's to a new year. Here's wishing you a wonderful one, too!

A VISIT TO ICICLE FALLS

     I can't think of a better way to start December than with a visit to Icicle Falls, which I did this week. And going with girlfriends makes the whole thing even more fun! We wound up with four of us taking the train to Leavenworth, WA, the adorable little Bavarian town that attracts thousands of visitors every Christmas. We took the train up and spent a day visiting many of the shops in town. I wish we'd allowed ourselves another day because we only scratched the surface. But I did get a chance to treat myself to a couple of little goodies from Schocolat, a gourmet shop that makes the most amazing chocolates from Belgian chocolate. Oh, yum! Found a couple of Christmas presents, including a little something for Gerhardt - Lebkuchen, which I know he'll love.
     After a day of shopping it was time to go to the party at A Book For All Seasons bookstore. Pat the owner and her husband Ed have been featured in some of my Icicle Falls books and I always have such a good time hanging out with their wonderful family and all the special people like Theresa who work so hard to help make that little store the success it is.
     If you're looking for a fun place to visit in December, I highly recommend checking out the town that inspired my Icicle Falls series. Who knows? Maybe we'll all have to congregate there and have a giant party. Would you come?
     I came home to find that Gerhardt had been decorating. He'd hung the lovely wreath that arrived from my beloved publicist Nancy Berland. I think it looks great over our fireplace, don't you? Only one little problem. Can you see it? If not, I'll give you a hint. Look where the bow is! We're hosting a big party for my old college buddies tomorrow. I'm going to make sure he re-hangs it. Otherwise the guys will never let him live down his boo-boo.
     Well, that's it for now. I hope you're all enjoying the joys of the season.

A SCARY HALLOWEEN

      A couple of weeks ago I woke up at 4:30 a.m. with my right hand asleep. Hmm. And my face was feeling a little snoozy, too. This couldn't be good. Of course, I've had migraines on and off for years and the numb hands and numb face could be that. But what was this warmth in my chest? Maybe I should go to the hospital.
     I sure didn't want to go to the hospital. I'm the world's biggest hypochondriac. I was sure the doctor would say, "You're fine. Take your tingly hand home and go back to bed." Still ... okay, I should go. So, because who wants to arrive at the hospital all stinky, I took a shower. Then I didn't feel so bad so I decided to just go back to bad. And here came the numbness and the chest warmth again. Okay, off we go.
     No way was I going to wake up my husband for what would probably turn out to be a false alarm, so I did another intelligent thing. I drove myself. Children, don't try this at home. Happily, there was hardly a car on the road and I stayed conscious but looking back I ask myself, "What were you thinking?" Actually, I was thinking I didn't want to turn my husband's life upside down.
     As it turned out I did. I about gave the poor man a nervous breakdown with my little "Not to worry. I'm just at the hospital getting something checked" note. As for me, I wound up having a little spa weekend at my local hospital while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with me. (Edited my work in progress - what a workaholic cliche! - and caught up on all my favorite episodes of "House Hunters.") The doctors found no blockage so I came away stent free. Yay! Their conclusion... I have dysfunctional capillaries. Whatever that means. Oh, yeah. For the time being it means medicine.
     So, what did I learn in all this? First of all, I learned never to brush it off when my body is misbehaving. Women, we have totally different symptoms of heart failure than the guys. I'm assuming you all know that! But just in case you don't...  Don't expect crushing chest pain. You might not get it. Watch for sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, a feeling of anxiety and yes, that warmth in the chest. Anything that isn't normal for you is something you need to see a doctor about. Secondly... no one at the hospital will care if you don't come in fresh as a daisy. They see mangled bloody bodies all the time. A little body odor or imperfect hair and no makeup won't phase these people. And, of course, don't drive yourself!
     Now, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am counting my blessings, thankful to still be here with my loved ones, thankful that in good times and bad (and we've had our share of those these last three years!) God watches over me.
     How about you? For what are you thankful?

MUSHROOM MAMA

I ended a very fun weekend by going to the Kitsap County wild mushroom show with my buddies Kimberly and Kathy. While most everyone in the county was busy watching the Seahawks - did they win? I don't even know! - I was learning about my favorite fungus and hanging out with good friends. I was surprised to see many mushrooms on display that I've passed when out in the woods, sure they were poisonous. Who knew? Not little Sheila. But then, that's why we have experts, to help us learn more about all that free food we can forage. Next week, if all goes according to plan, I'll be out in the wilds on a foray with a mushroom expert who will teach me more about this interesting edible that offers many health benefits. Woohoo!
And that's it for now sports fans. Speaking of, I guess I'll go ask someone how the Hawks did.