Monday, January 6, 2014

That's Lame

    Today my knee has been really bothering me.  Usually when I put on my brace it feels ok, but not today. Fortunately, it likes biking better than walking.
     Biking home all seemed fine until at still about 4 miles out or so, suddenly the pedals didn't want to go forward.  The nice thing is that as soon as I dismounted and started looking at my bike, another bicyclist showed up to see if I was OK.  I could back-pedal and then it would forward pedal again, so I sent him on. But! it turned out I could only forward pedal a little before I had to back pedal again.  Sometimes I could not even forward pedal half a rotation.  But I could move.  It was that way all the way home, back and forthing sort of like those hand chargers you squeeze and release and squeeze and release. Sometimes I could get several rotations in and begin to hope, when it would stop again. I stopped another time to see if I could see anything wrong and right away a couple of joggers stopped to help.  We find anything.  I told them it wasn't far anyway, and sent them on.  Distance is relative, but I was sure glad my problem wasn't worse.  I could sort of pedal and the bicycle moved along faster than people walking - probably not all that much slower than my usual pace although it felt that way.  I was only a bit over 20 minutes late.  Joseph looked at the bike and can't figure it out either.  We think it's a shop problem.  Now I get to figure out when I can find time to take it in and how to pay for it. 
    I am grateful that the weather is nice.  Nice people stopped to help.  And I made it home.  Also, I have the option of driving to light rail and getting to work by transit.  I am quite blessed even if I do think Sylvia (the bike) going lame is inconvenient.  I am also glad that "Sylvia" doesn't feel pain.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Midnight Miracle and lessons learned

I went on two trips I had never before even dreamed of - each with and as a gift from a (different) special and wonderful person who loves me.  But definitely one of my most significant experiences in 2013 involved a lost dog.

I shared it in testimony meeting and most of you already know about the Midnight Miracle as you suffered through it with me via my blog or in person, but to me it was a really big thing and I contemplate it again and again.

In short my boys found a lost dog which we took in.  We could not find her home and she did not fit in our home.  In fact, she, our other dog, and we were all very, very unhappy.  The dogs wanted to fight and we could not find a safe way to keep them apart without one of them being in total isolation. 

Finally after trying everything we could, we resigned ourselves to sending her to the pound. 

Diamond Cut Loyalty Canine Rescue & Pit Bull Rehabilitation up in Portland,OR (donate if you can) tried to help us in our plight. On that last fateful day their gal was on the phone all day even after the dog had been surrendered.  She talked with every contact she had in our area and others.   Miraculously one of her cat rescue contacts was talking to a friend who was temporarily dogless.  Hearing about the dog we called Miss Jane Pitman, he hurried to the shelter and rescued her just at closing time. 

She and his family are a perfect fit and they love each other. Miss Jane is now Midnight and one happy lucky dog. Mello Mel and I are now FB friends.  I rejoice at the miracle whenever I think of it. 

 lessons - We had to suffer, work, pray, and do all that we could do.  When we thought we had run out of all hope, the miracle happened.  If the Lord will work a miracle for a homeless dog, what does He have in store for His faithful children? We have to do what we can, pray, exercise our faith, and we may suffer, but through it all keep faith the Lord knows you, He knows your problem, and He has blessings in store for you - probably more than you even thought possible.