In Which I Immediately Perform an About-Face

Whew. Life.

Right?

34 years old. 12 years of marriage. 2 kids. 54 students.

Numbers. Numbers. Why so many numbers? Data. Data crunching. Data usage. Invalid  use of data. Celebrating meaningless data. Manipulating data. Computers. Technology. Broken technology. Helpful technology.

Virtual Life. Calling to memory that scene from RENT when that one chick gets everyone to "moo" with her in Cyberland where everyone drinks diet coke after sending Mickey Mouse off a cliff in a yellow rental truck filled with fuel oil.

I'm done. DONE.

Last night we sat around with a few friends and laughed so hard the tears flowed freely. Why isn't life filled with more of THAT?

I'd like to turn on my heel, putting my back to everything meaningless, go off to a cabin in the woods with my camera and a sketchpad and just hit "reset."

Can't really do that, though. Because, numbers. The numbers in the bank account. The numbers in my gradebook. The numbers on the calendar.

Who on earth came up with numbers, anyway? They just get in the way.

Last night, the only number that mattered was 7. Because of the part it played in the funniest story I have heard in a long, long, time.

Let's have more of that.

Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina is a young woman who is living secretly with her father in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate. She must always stay hidden and she spends her time sleeping by day and creeping by night. There is something unusual about Serafina, which turns out to be her saving grace when fighting against the Man in the Black Cloak, a mysterious creature who roams the corridors of Biltmore in the dark, kidnapping a child each night. No one knows what happens to these children, and Serafina takes it upon herself to save the children. Her secret is revealed, paving the way for a sequel!

The plot of this story intrigued me from the start. Adult readers and keen younger readers will likely figure out Serafina's secret early on, but that doesn't detract from the excitement of the story. This book makes me want to learn more about the history of Biltmore Estate and I'm sure I'll eagerly read the sequel(s?). 

The one thing that truly bothered me about this book is the inconsistency with vocabulary and style in regard to the time period and region in the characters' dialogue. The elegant Mrs. Vanderbilt states in a very contemporary fashion: "That's not the norm." Serafina started the book using a country vernacular, coming across as an uneducated street urchin "Gotcha, ya nasty varmints!" to speaking more elegantly in the middle of the book, and back again. Consistency  in the flow and style of the characters' speech would have improved the reading immensely for me.

All of that aside, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it for the 12-15 year old set. There are some frightening moments and descriptions of violence that may be disturbing to younger readers. I would advise parents to use caution when introducing this book to their younger children.

Book Review: The Alchemist

This literary gem has left me with...mixed feelings. Upon finishing this work, I felt elated and as though nothing could stop me from accomplishing my dreams! (This is a fantastic goal of literature, by the way.) But, it only lasted a few minutes. Then I got to thinking about what *really* happened in the story.

This is an old tale, which has been told many times over the years, all over the world. Young person has a dream. Young person gives up everything to pursue the dream. Young person is met with challenges. Young person regroups for awhile and decides what was left behind was worth it after all. Young person has an impulsive moment and chases after the dream again.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is an encouraging tale that can help one to understand that their treasure may not be in faraway places after all. It's an encouraging tale to keep one's dreams alive and to be aware that the dream may come true in an unexpected manner.

One thing that definitely rubbed me the wrong way in this book is the author's characterization of Fatima. In a story that is supposed to be filled with deep, spiritual meaning, the main character sees a beautiful woman and falls in love with her instantly. She falls in love with him too and basically tells him -- go ahead, follow your dream, and I'll be here pining away for  you-- because that's what desert women do.

Gag me with a spoon. I'll not say more on that topic.

What I like about this book is how it explores the idea of interconnectedness. Of "the universe conspiring to give you what you want." Perhaps because I'm currently in a place of stepping out into new territory, following my own dream, this book came along at an excellent time as if "the universe" was gently whispering to me to go ahead and follow MY dream. An omen of sorts, as is shown throughout the book.

To sum up, I liked this little book. As a fable, as a parable, it neatly accomplishes its purpose. It may be a little too simple to explain the way life actually is-- but isn't that the point of a parable? A simple story to explain a greater truth. A story to give you something to think about.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!! Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet

With her latest release, Charlie N. Holmberg is quickly making herself one of my very favorite people in the world and I wish we could be friends and drink coffee together and laugh over things that don't make sense to anyone else. (If you're reading this, Charlie, please don't think I am a crazy stalker. I'm actually a very nice person.)

In "Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet" an exceptionally gifted baker named Maire is faced with some unusual and extraordinarily challenging circumstances. She has the ability to infuse her baked goods with emotions and qualities. Lavendar infuses hope into her pastries. Berries provide wisdom and cocoa is used in concoctions for love. It's not simply the ingredients that provide the magic, but the thoughts that Maire entertains as she is preparing each batch of batter or dough. Maire is living a quiet, happy life with a kind couple who have taken her in. She cannot remember anything of her childhood but seems to have made herself a comfortable life. Until one terrible day, marauders come to her village, destroying much and capturing people to be sold as slaves. Maire finds herself in a cart, in chains, and sold to a most unusual individual who knows about her abilities and has her baking for his "customers." During the course of her enslavement, things begin to change and Maire finds out some mysterious truths with the help of her friend Fyel who is able to help trigger her memory, piece by piece.

Holmberg's writing is simply delicious. She brings her characters and settings to life in a remarkable way. She weaves the theme of baking in the way she describes her character's emotions. "...swirls in my stomach, like I've swallowed a dance." She provides just enough description of the physical appearance of the world in order to allow the readers' imagination to take off with the rest. I often find that other authors make their words the goal of their story, but Holmberg crafts her words in such a way that the words themselves get out of the way of the storytelling. It makes me wonder of Holmberg has infused her words with some sort of magic, the way Maire infuses her delicacies.

This review has also been posted on my Goodreads profile.

So, who is Jen, exactly?

Hi there! So glad you've joined me over here. I'm Jen. I write about books, about Disney World, about running, and my kids. OK, mostly about my kids. My kids and books. If my kids are reading books together, I'll definitely write about that. Oh, and coffee, too.

I digress. This blog has been here for a long time, under many different names and for several different purposes. I previously wrote under a fake name, so if you dig far enough into the archives and wonder who on EARTH "Guinevere" and "Lance" are-- that's me and my boy-child. I use my real name now, but sometimes it's fun to be someone else. :)

I live in central Florida (hence the being-able-to-write-about Disney World) with my husband and two children. My husband does Computer Stuff. I'm a teacher. I've been homeschooling my children the last three years but we will be returning to the world of public school here in a few weeks and are eager for the change.

Maybe that's why I'm back here. On the eve of a Big Change, I need a Creative Outlet. So here we shall be, for the foreseeable future.

Welcome. I hope you stay awhile.

Book Review: The Night Circus

A brief synopsis:

Every night, a mysterious circus appears as if by magic. No one can predict how long it will be around, and no one can predict where it shall next appear.  Two magicians, pitted against each other in a contest they know little about, each coming up with more fantastical experiences than the other. How do they win the contest? They do not know. As they get to know one another, they begin to question their motivation for winning at all.

"You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift." -the man in the gray suit

The words of one of the novel's own characters sums up the experience of this novel so perfectly, I feel anything I might add would serve to be self-indulgently repetitive and so much dimmer and paler. 

As unexpected and unpredictable as the nightly appearance of the mysterious circus itself, this story is a thoroughly satisfying feast at the table of literary pleasures. If you are a reader who enjoys tales about magic, tales about characters that you grow to love dearly, and tales that draw you in so deeply that you feel the setting of the story has materialized around you, then this is the book for you! I am saddened to have to return this treasure back to my local library. This is one to add to my personal collection!

This review is also posted on my Goodreads profile.

Book Review: The Dovekeepers

What a gloriously soul-wrenching masterpiece! I stumbled upon this book while playing my favorite game at the library, in which I randomly choose an aisle and go treasure-hunting. I had not heard of this book or this author, and I won't lie; I was first drawn to this book due to the photograph on the cover of the young woman with eyes that looked into my very soul.  In this haunting tale centered around four women dwelling in the Jewish stronghold of Masada during the Roman siege, Hoffman draws the reader in word by word in such a fashion as to render everything else in life meaningless. I found, by necessity, that I simply had to put the book down every couple of chapters to come up for air and contemplate life. Ordinarily I prefer a book that I can dive into for hours on end, but this required so much of my emotional energy that it was impossible to dive in for too long. This was a tale to be savored bit by bit. Upon completion of the book, I sat on my couch in silence for a good ten minutes before getting up and resuming my life. This book is dark. This book is light. This book is heartbreaking and it is triumphant. A testament to the human spirit in the face of unimaginable conditions (although Hoffman has imagined them fully and beautifully.) The book does contain some adult themes, so I would not recommend it for teens, except under their parent's approval.

On Creative Pursuits

Does anyone else tend to flit around from one creative pursuit to the next? When I was a kid, I loved art class. As I got older, I was a band kid and loved playing my clarinet every chance I had. That continued on through college. I added singing in there for awhile, too. I had a long period of drawing, and a short period of painting. In 2007 I wrote prolifically on this blog. (Check out the archives for that year, lots of good stuff in there!) Every now and then I get a burst of wanting to crochet. I briefly had a photography business. I still enjoy that as a hobby, although it's been on the back burner for awhile. My latest pursuit?

Playing the ukulele.

I tried playing the guitar once, but that never really clicked. I had heard of ukuleles before but never had much interest, until I saw this scene from How I Met Your Mother.

I was in love. I needed to get hold of a ukulele immediately.

A few minutes later, I was distracted by something parenting related, and a few years passed. I picked up the guitar again and experienced the similar disappointed feelings of having  difficulties with the instrument. I remembered my previous idea of trying the ukulele. It started churning in my head once again. Later that week at the public library I saw a poster. It had one word on it. Uku-curious? It advertised a ukulele club which meets weekly at the library. I very excitedly ran up to the circulation desk for more information. To my utter delight, the first portion of the club meeting was dedicated to newcomers. I didn't even need to have my own ukulele; the library owned quite a few and I could borrow one for awhile! I attended the first meeting, and as soon as they put the ukulele in my hands, I knew I had found something magical.

As I often do when beginning a new pursuit or interest, I read everything I could find on the subject. I found a fantastic YouTube channel called The Ukulele Teacher and I spent hours watching and learning.

However-- the time had come for me to return the borrowed ukulele to the library. Whatever would I do??

I suggested to my husband that a ukulele would make a fantastic Mother's Day gift for me and I even provided him with an amazon link to a reasonably-priced beginner's instrument. Boom. (That's not an affiliate link, by the way. Just an ordinary link to show you what we ordered. I earn nothing if you click on it.)

My little daughter and I making kissy-faces for a selfie. Should I say a uku-selfie?

I have been playing for a few months now and it has brought me so much joy. I sit on my back porch strumming and singing. I haven't made it back to the  ukulele club for awhile, but I am so grateful for its existence and the part it played in manifesting my dream.

I think I'm going to go learn this one next.

Releasing

I want to write. It's what I've wanted for a long time. I've never felt that I have any good original ideas. I love to read, but is that enough to make me a good writer? Does a witty facebook status update or two indicate some hidden potential? In the 9th grade, when my English teacher Ms. Higgs told me she saw "glimmers of greatness" in my poetry, should I have taken it to heart? Because I did, and in the  background of my cluttered mind and messy life, there it has sat, waiting to be released. This is the worst possible time in my life to attempt such a big, grand, new thing. I'm homeschooling my son and potty-training my daughter, who never ever ever sleeps. When I so much as think about sitting at the computer to complete any sort of task, I am needed immediately. When will I do this writing, this writing that is overboiling in the pot on the back burner of my cluttered mind and messy life? Maybe it'll come out now. I don't know.

I want to write. I want to write something that matters. Something that makes someone happy. Something that takes someone out of their cluttered minds and messy lives and gives them a brief respite from their own insanity. Maybe it will restore their faith in humanity, or give them a chuckle, as they realize that their cluttered minds and messy lives are a BEAUTIFUL intricate tapestry that affects others so deeply they have no idea.

Can I write something like that? I don't know.

Am I crazy? Perhaps. Just putting this out there in the universe. It's time to let this idea fly.

4 years later...

Wow, this place is dusty.

Do I still have any treasures in here? Or has everything faded away?

In the four years since my last post, we have moved twice, purchased two new vehicles (MINI-VANS. OY.) had a baby girl, and started our homeschooling journey. Oh, and I've run three half-marathons. Yes, you read that correctly. I'll be doing another one in November.

A lot can happen in four years.

All right, I got most of the dust cleared away. Now for some mopping... and a recent photo of the family...

Oh. And I got glasses, too. Glasses and minivans. Life is VERY different, four years later...

In Loving Memory of my Unborn Child

I lost my baby this week. I was 10 weeks pregnant. While I can't prove it for certain, I know in my heart of hearts that the child I carried was a girl. I named her Rachel Olivia. She was so very, desperately, wanted.

Yesterday I learned she had other plans. She preferred to skip over this life and go straight to the one where there are no tears nor sadness. I know Jesus is holding her in His arms, as I am unable to.

Last night, I told my husband I wanted to go to the beach and listen to the waves come up & down. We have very dear friends who live near the beach and we called them to let them know we were coming. Within 15 minutes of our arrival, a number of our other friends came as well, to join us in our time of suffering. We sat under the beach, and our pastor came too and brought his guitar. We were singing songs of praise to our God, who "works all things together for the good of those who love Him." We don't understand why this happened, but we also know that God doesn't waste a hurt.

While we were singing under the starlit sky, listening to the waves crash upon the shore, I glanced heavenward. I saw a shooting star at the same moment I felt a sharp pain in my womb. I believe it was my daughter, letting me know she had arrived in heaven and was there watching over us.

It to my daughter, Rachel Olivia Swanepoel, that I dedicate this poem.

I saw her in a shooting star

The night I learned she had gone from me

My unborn child, dearly loved,

Shooting across & above the moonlit sea

I saw her in a shooting star

As friends of my heart sang around me

The precious soul, carried inside me

For such a brief time, yet I know it was she, when

I saw her in a shooting star.

Theme & Variations on Alfredo Sauce

We had unexpected guests at our house this evening.

Well, I didn't expect them. My husband did. But not for an hour. One of them showed up while I was not, ahem, decent so I had to run out of sight quickly to fix the problem because this polite gentleman walked in without knocking. But I digress.

With unexpected guests coming at dinnertime, I felt obligated to prepare some food. Because I was raised in a southern family, and you just quite simply do not have people in your home at any time of day without offering some form of refreshment. Oftentimes a bag of chips will suffice, but they showed up at DINNERTIME! Being a resourceful sort of person, I surveyed the contents of my pantry. Not much. (I had been planning on doing grilled cheese sandwiches but there wasn't enough bread for everyone.) I found a small jar of Alfredo sauce and half a box of pasta. Looked good. Not quite enough sauce, though. It was a very small jar. Then I remembered that I had 3/4 of a jar in the fridge, as I had opened it the previous night to dip breadsticks in!

Now, not being as talented as my good friend Jessica, the Novice Chef (I quite happily admit that I am much novicer than she.) I needed to improvise a bit. My husband is the cook of the family and he is very particular about his sauces. Opening a jar and dumping it in the pot doesn't quite cut it around here.

SO-- I improvised. I combined the two small jars. One was "sundried tomato alfredo" and one was "romano and parmesan." I didn't stop there. I also added a splash of white wine. I didn't stop there, either. Also in my fridge, I found some already-cubed-up grilled chicken, so I tossed that in for good measure.

Anyone who didn't know that jarred sauce had been present wouldn't have figured it out. It tasted completely homemade and delicious. I was ecstatic, being that I am the novicest chef.

Then I announced that dinner was ready. And these gentleman, who showed up at my house unannounced and with poor timing, informed me that they had plans to have dinner with some other friends later, but they were thankful for my offer. Grmph.

I guess I'll just have to go for seconds!

To My Friendly Starbucks Barista

While I was in my hometown this week to be with my family while my mother was in the hospital, there was a bright spot. A bright, shiny spot which made each day of my visit a little more pleasant.

Starbucks. There is a relatively new Starbucks not far my parent's home, and I was a frequent visitor during the 3 days of my stay. On my way out to return home, I went through the drive-thru to get myself juiced up for the 4-hour drive. As I pulled up to order, a very friendly voice greeted me.

"Hi, and welcome to Starbucks on this beautiful evening! My name is Josh. How can I help you?"

Josh sounded like nothing would make him happier than to take my coffee order. I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling.

"Hi Josh! I think I'll try one of those raspberry brownies that the lady ahead of me ordered, and I'll also have a Grande Raspberry Mocha Frappucino."

"That sounds DELICIOUS! A themed dinner?"

"That's right, Josh!"

"It'll be $6.23."

"Thanks!"

I pulled up to the window where I met Josh in person. He was delightful! I could really tell he was having a nice time at his job. Most drive-thru people barely look at me, they just want to grab my money, throw my food at me, and send me on my way. Not Josh! He took some time to make pleasant small-talk.

What Josh didn't know was that I really needed something like that. I was on my way to the hospital one last time to see Mom before I drove home. I was very worried about her, as I'm sure you remember from the updates I posted. I was afraid I was going to be too late and they wouldn't let me in, and I was afraid that if I didn't get my coffee, I would fall asleep on the drive with Lance since we only left at 9 pm, ensuring a peaceful, quiet drive.

But Josh's friendliness and his smile, his thoughtfulness, really helped to brighten that evening.

I told him that he was the friendliest drive-thru person I had ever met. He seemed surprised and pleased by this. Then I told him I would write about him on my blog. I told him the URL, and I hope he manages to look me up!

So if you're here Josh, please know that your kindness made a huge difference to this mommy during a difficult time in her life. You didn't just give me coffee and a brownie, you gave me a reason to smile when there was none.

Thank you.

I type this from a laptop while lounging in bed. My mouth is filled with gauze, I'm snuggled up to a bag of frozen peas, and the remains of a few jello cups are littering my bedside table.

I think I'm gonna enjoy a few days of being an invalid! My husband is taking such good care of me, too! He went out and bought yogurt, jello cups, and pudding to feed an army. He also bought me some Starbucks Frappucinos, since I'm not supposed to have anything hot for a few days.

He's taken Lance out for the evening, so I'm enjoying some nice quiet time. He won't be out for long, but it'll be good for Lance to run around and play at the park while Daddy has his softball game. (Our city has several softball 'leagues' of which our church members make up 3 of the 4 teams! lol! They play every Friday night.) Fortunately some of the other players on Hubby's team have teenage daughters who just adore Lance, so they're going to help out with him. The best part? I didn't even have to arrange it!! Hubby called the parents of the teenagers to ask if they would please bring them along tonight.

I was knocked out for the surgery. I remember a few times I would wake up a little bit and could hear what was going on, but not often enough to remember the details. Although at one point I heard the doctor say "oops." That wasn't good! I was under for an hour, but I only have a few minutes' worth of memories of the procedure! The IV stick was the worst part. I'm such a baby when it comes to needles!

Whoa...the phone just rang. Apparantly talking is something I'll have to refrain from as well! I seem to be fine when I keep my head as still as possible!

Cheers re-runs, here I come!

In Which I Say Goodbye to Wisdom

My wisdom teeth will be coming out in a little less than two hours.

Goodbye, Wisdom. How I shall miss you.

In the meantime, I'm finding it rather difficult to refrain from eating and drinking, especially when Lance doesn't finish his breakfast.

Plain toast never looked so good, until you're not allowed it.

I expect I'll be spending a lot of time this weekend on my computer! I'm gonna milk it, baby.

Today's Updates

Hello, Blogfriends.

Here are the updates on mom. I hope you don't mind that I just copied the e-mail I sent out to our friends and family.



Hi everyone.

I saw my mom yesterday evening. It was good to see her. They have figured out that her stomach is not emptying AT ALL-- it is full of fluid, although she hasn't eaten anything for several DAYS. I had previously misunderstood and thought they were witholding food from her, but the truth is she can't keep anything down. One of the days she *did* have to fast because of a procedure they needed to do. They had her on clear liquids the other night, and she only took a few sips of juice, and it made her throw up a lot.

They are going to do more tests today to figure out the cause of this. Something similar had happened before, and they discovered a bacterial overgrowth in her small intestine. Hopefully the tests today will reveal what it is THIS time. There is talk of transporting her up to Mayo clinic.

My dad will be going to the hospital this morning so he can talk with the doctors and find out more information. At this point, we're all wondering why they haven't given her any nutrition intravenously, since they know she hasn't eaten anything in the three days she's been there. They have her on a saline solution and electrolytes so she won't dehydrate, but she isn't getting anything else.

While I'm relieved that they have figured out SOMETHING, it's scary to think that my mom has not been getting any nutrition for several days and is basically slowly starving. I don't like that thought AT ALL. Hopefully Dad will be able to get them to give her something in the IV. They won't release her from the hospital if she can't eat. Mom would prefer to have Dad drive her up to Mayo rather than have the hospital transport her, because that would just be a ridiculously huge (and unncessary) expense.

Please continue praying- now, that the doctors will be able to fix the problem they have found, and that my mother will have some measure of comfort. I will be returning home to Coral Springs tonight. I wish I could stay longer, but I'm having my wisdom teeth removed Friday morning.

Thanks and God bless



Hi again,

Mom has now received an IV with nutrition. They are also draining the fluid from her stomach. Already she looks a little better- not so pale, and she looks like she got some rest. They have decided to transport her via ambulance to the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, but we're not sure yet when they will do this.

Thank you all for your prayers- we are beginning to see them answered! In addition to praying for mom's healing and wisdom for the doctors, please pray also that this will not become a financial burden for my family. My parents have a fairly good insurance plan, but it doeesn't cover everything. An ambulance trip to Jacksonville is going to be a significant cost, as will several days of hospital stay.

I will be going to visit Mom once more, on my way home tonight. I hope to have more information then. I know the are going to do more x-rays later this afternoon to see if her small intestine is working properly.

I can't begin to tell you how much your support means. You are all family to us. Without your prayers and moral support, I'm sure things would be much different right now.

God bless

In Which I Depart From My Most Recent Subject

This post has nothing whatsoever to do with my mom in the hospital. It's time for something fun and lighthearted.

I give you...


Lance! In the kiddie pool! Completely dressed! With a popsicle stain on his face!

This afternoon I was filling the kiddie pool that my parents have at their house just for Lance's visit. He was standing there eating a popsicle while I filled it. My grand plan was to take him inside and change him into his swim trunks when he was done with the popsicle.

Toddlers don't worry too much about their parent's plans. He just clambered right over the side of the pool, went down on his hands and knees, dripping with popsicle juice.

And I stood there and laughed like I haven't laughed for several days.

It was good.

Update

Hey everyone. I'm up in my hometown to be with my family. I packed up Lance and we left our house at 9 pm. He slept ALL THE WAY HERE, a 4-hour drive. When we arrived around 1 am, he of course woke up when he saw and heard his Aunt and Grampa, so I let him stay up and play for awhile. Hopefully he'll sleep a little longer in the morning for me!

The gastroenterologist came to see my mom this evening, but we don't have any answers yet. Tomorrow, Mom is having a stress test and a bunch of other tests including an endoscopy.

I'll be sticking around the house, holding the fort down here and taking care of some stuff that my parents haven't been able to take care of, like following up with the TV repairman, doing some housework, preparing meals, etc. I'll go to the hospital when I can, but that might be tough with Lance. Not even sure yet if he will be allowed in the cardiac unit; will check on that tomorrow.

And again, thank you for all your prayers. Keep 'em coming.

Update

edited to add:

The cardiologist came, and there is no indication of any heart problems, praise God! They are waiting on results from a thyroid test, and are waiting for the gastroenterologist to come. Whatever happens, she will be in the hospital at least one more night.



Hey guys.

Thank you all for your prayers and kind thoughts as my family goes through this scary time.

Mom was kept in the hospital overnight and is waiting to be seen by a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist. The worst of her pain has subsided, but they still don't know what caused it. They ran tons of tests on her, but everything came back normal. I suppose that's a good thing, it rules out all the "biggies" but doesn't help us to figure out what to do to make her better.

I'll keep you all updated as I get more information.

*Edited to add: As of 10:45pm, my mom is still in the hospital. She is on morphine to relieve the agonizing pain, but all her tests came back normal, so they still don't know what has caused the pain. They are going to keep her overnight for observation. My parents don't have much of a support system, so please keep my dad and sister in your prayers, as well, as I cannot go to be with them and help them through this difficult time.*


I just received a phone call from my dad. My mom is in the ER for severe chest and abdominal pain.

Please pray NOW.