John’s thoughts, rants, and crazy ideas
We all have one. The shelf in the basement where all the canned goods which were questionably purchased have been banished. A bottle of salad dressing that sounded good in the store but has never made it to a salad; that half a case of green beans you bought when you needed 1 can for a recipe; those Campbell Soup cans that accumulate because you bought 2 more not remembering if you had any; All of which have questionable dates…
It’s almost hard to remember back a year ago when churches were open, hugs were acceptable, travel plans were being made and smiles on faces were visible. Life just seemed so simple. For us, our plans for the new year of 2020 included a trip to see Justin in February, summertime flea markets, and a long-planned visit to Germany in September to spend time with our German Daughter, Carolin. It was on our way home from Justin’s last February that…
It’s hard to explain, waking up Christmas morning the other day should have been filled with joy & excitement. The chance to be with family, opening presents, eating more than I should, and just plain having fun. That’s not what I felt, Christmas was different this year. I woke up with a knot in my stomach that I just couldn’t shake. Not that I didn’t feel well, just one of those uneasy feelings. I continued on with all my morning…
Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. A cold but joyous day to celebrate the birth of Jesus and his humble beginnings. Over the past couple of days, we were blessed to see a number of our children and grandchildren. Some in-person, some remotely, always with joy in our hearts and a smile on our faces. To all of you who have lifted us up in prayer, called, visited, sent cards, brought John meals or silently carred, THANK YOU!…
A couple of years ago, I was part of the Church Christmas program, ‘Christmas through the Years’. Church members presented a number of vignettes portraying what it was like during Christmas for different time periods in history. The time period I shared was World War II and how my dad, Charles Bruns, handled being overseas for Christmas during the war. My part was well received and many commented that they hoped I would do it again sometime. With that in…
Preparing for the round of appointments last Wednesday, a nurse called in advance to ask how Suzanne was doing; some loss of taste has occurred, nausea, morning sweats, congestions, cough, and throat pain. All these symptoms are very consistent with where she is in her treatment plan. They also fall right in line with COVID, UGH! So we knew somehow that her appointment that day was going to be more difficult. Knowing a COVID test was 1st on the agenda…
Thanksgiving is a day of reflection, the day that we are supposed to stop and think about all that our journey here on earth has given us. Family, a home, and friendship are the first that come to mind. This morning, after I had finished my morning routine, I asked Google to ” Play me some Thanksgiving Music”. An eclectic round of music ensued; some funny, some sad, and some calming. Most were thoughtful about being grateful for all that…
We all have had teachers in our lives that have impacted us in some way. Someone who encouraged us to go to college, some to make us strive for our goals, and others who pushed us to be the best that we can be. School teachers that made sure our education was put to good use. We also have teachers that were put in our lives to teach us how to be better human beings. Some of those individuals we…
Sunday morning is a marvelous time of the week! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and it’s a great day to be alive. For me, Sunday mornings are a day of lazy awakenings as the world seems to move a little slower, an extra cup of coffee, sometimes a special breakfast, and then Church. Church is different for everyone; a calling, an obligation, a sense of community, a mental alliance with a higher power, a time of meditation,…
For the past seven weeks, we had planned that today was supposed to be Suzanne’s last radiation treatment. Since her doctors were able to double up on one last week, we get today off. In fact, we get the rest of the week off, and even more. From here on, our schedule is dictated by time. First checkup in 2 weeks. Second checkup, 2 weeks later. Third checkup, a month after that. And then the day of reckoning, a month…