The Good News Thread

[movieman1957]

Moira:

Here is an example that hope (along with serious prayer) can sometimes win out. My music pastor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in about April 2007. After surgery and extensive chemo he is doing magnificently. He is taking only chemo pills. His original surgeon released him to hopefully see him when they can get what little bit is left out of him. If his PET scan comes back good in November he can have that last little bit of surgery and he will be cancer free. Apart from his surgery in June 07 and vacations he has not missed a Sunday because of his illness. He is 53.

He is the exception but an example of the possibilities.

[jdb1]

Good news for sure, Chris, but tell me: what is a music pastor?

[movieman1957]

Primarily he is responsible for preparation of the music for Sunday. That involves selecting, rehearsing and leading the presentation for Sundays. In our case he also deals with some video aspects of the worship service.
He coordinates with the senior pastor to have the music support the message and theme of the service. He leads a four to five member vocal team, about seven to ten musicians (of which I get to play the keyboard) and a choir. As part of the church staff he is included in management decisions. He's busy.

He has a Masters Degree in Divinity and Music.

[klondike]

Klonnie, would your lovely bride share her recipe/ingredients with those of us who are salivating for some home-made goodness?

Nancy

She would, the only problem here being that she wasn't using a recipe to begin with, and whenever she improv's like this, she claims to not remember exactly what she did, or even what she used.
{I've always suspected her of fibbing about such things, but she's got that wicked left jab, so I usually decline to challenge her!}

[jdb1]

Chris, your church certainly sounds very well organized. I wish your pastor well; I imagine that his dedication to his work, and the nature of the work itself, are strong incentives to keep going.

Klonny, you reminded me of the little Jewish ladies of my childhood who, when exchanging recipes, would say that the dish called for "a bisseleh (little bit) this, a shtickeleh (little piece) that . . . . eh (with a shrug) . . . maybe a zetz (pinch) of the other."

And they sometimes described the amount of something used in the dish as "a mouthful." That one confused me - did they mean a mouthful before they put it in the pot, or after? Either way, it didn't sound too appetizing.

I love making soup in the winter, and make it the same way your wife does: whatever looks like it belongs in the pot, goes in the pot.

[silentscreen]

I'm going to be a biological Grandma for the first time!!!! And probably last time. My only son Josh and his wife are expecting twin girls next year.

[movieman1957]

Congratulations!!! You have to get your "spoiling" act together.

[jdb1]

Well, don't spoil them too much -- then your son will be thinking: how come she didn't let me get away with that?

Congratulations -- twins will be quite an experience.

[klondike]

I'm going to be a biological Grandma for the first time!!!! And probably last time. My only son Josh and his wife are expecting twin girls next year.

Slainte!
Got me nine notches on the ol' grandkid belt, and likely a few more to come, so trust me when I say, it's a whole new world . . and no end of "hoots", watching your own kid(s) learning how to "cope" . . . !
The big question for now is: what names are being considered?

[MichiganJ]

SS
Congratulations!

Being a twin myself, allow me a little unsolicited advice that you may want to pass on. Get two birthday cakes. Please, don’t simply re-light the candles.

My brother (3-minutes my senior), always got to blow the candles out first. I vividly remember our fifth birthday party. My mother walked down the stairs with a giant birthday cake, five candles a-blazin’. After a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” (in 3-point harmony if my memory serves), my brother, expertly extinguished the candles with one extended “poof”. A basement full of happy and hungry five-year olds, erupted in applause and a noise-maker salute, worthy of a king. But the jubilation quickly subsided, as my mother brought out the book of matches...and re-lit the candles.

“Happy Birthday” round two, was noticeably less enthusiastic (and nowhere near 3-point harmony), and, with the pressure on, I simply choked, and could only blew out three of the five candles.

A melee ensued...

I still carry the scars.

[charliechaplinfan]

Congratulations Brenda, I'm so pleased for you. I never found out the sex of either of my children because I just knew I would have bought so many cute little clothes bought during my months of pregnancy. Not knowing meant I had to behave myself.

I've had a sickness bug, lost 3lbs and put it back on again almost straight away.

We had a photographer to the house on Saturday to get some pictures of the kids for Christmas presents. It was great, Libby got to try on so many of her dressing up outfits, angel, Snow White, Cinderella and have her hair in so many styles and Joe got to pose with his favorite bear and toys. I joined them on some pictures, I wanted some informal, affectionate poses showing the love and affection between the two kids and their adoring mum. I couldn't persuade their Dad to pose though. The photographer came back last night to show us the pictures he took, there are so many very very goood ones. I'm so excited about them, I get them back in about 2 weeks but I'll keep them under wraps until Christmas as some of the pictures are for Grandparents.

Most professional photography is digital these days and the photographer was showing me his photoshop tools. One picture has me led on my side on the floor with one arm supporting me and my knew slightly bent (think various bikini babe shots only I was fully clothed) with the kids behind me with their arms resting on my back, peeping. I knew this was not a good shot as I'm a typical woman who thinks her derriere is ample. No problem, he'll slim it down with photoshop. No thanks, I don't want showing how sculpted I could look when no amount of gym sessions or dieting would ever give those results. Show me as I am, a 37 year old mother of two young children. I'd rather look as everyone knows me.

This sn't the popular view, the poor photographer had just finished a wedding album of a bride who didn't like the tops of her arms and he had to photoshop every photograph to make them slimmer. I think I'd have chosen a dress that covered them in the first place

[movieman1957]

Good for you. Nothing wrong with 37 year old mothers at all.

[silentscreen]

Thanks everyone! I'm thrilled, but I can't spoil them as I'd like as they live in Utah, and I live in Texas. My son Josh married a young lady who was divorced and has two children, a boy and a girl, so you could say that I am already a Grandma by proxy. They are going to have their plates full come February or March. The babies are due March 26th, but twins are always early. Maybe when I retire (if I ever get to!) I can move to Utah. The girls will still be young then.

I appreciate any advice I can get to pass on as well!

Alison, I think you have a very healthy attitude. Ah, to be 37 again!

[silentscreen]

I'm going to be a biological Grandma for the first time!!!! And probably last time. My only son Josh and his wife are expecting twin girls next year.

Slainte!
Got me nine notches on the ol' grandkid belt, and likely a few more to come, so trust me when I say, it's a whole new world . . and no end of "hoots", watching your own kid(s) learning how to "cope" . . . !
The big question for now is: what names are being considered?

I bow to your experience klondike! Names in consideration are: Emma, Virginia, and Madeline as far as I know up to this point. My daughter-in-law's two eldest children are after cities in the U.S. The girl, who's almost eight, is named Savannah Jo, the boy, who's five, is named Austin Lee. I guess she got tired of that, and now she's going for the older, more tradtional names.

[jdb1]

The proposed names all sound nice. I think a lot of parents don't take into account that their cute little baby with the cute little name is going to grow up, and have to deal with bearing a name that others may not find so cute.

I like Virginia, which is nice on its own, and which can be made into nice diminutives as well. In fact, I was commenting only this past weekend while watching a film featuring Geena Davis (whose given name is Virginia) that you don't see a lot of Virginias around any more.

One of my bosses has a four-year-old Madeline, along with her sisters, Kate and Lucy. All good names.