Well, my apologies to all my die-hard xanga friends. Yesterday, xanga sent me an e-mail inviting me to see all the changes on xanga. First I had to pick a layout, and unknowningly, xanga e-mailed all my subscribers to let them know I "was back!" Technically, I never left. I keep this account, so I can comment on all of your blogs and get your subscriptions. But, I choose to use another blog for posting. Basically, I'm not willing to pay for premium, when I can have a great blog for free. ...and without premium, my readers can be exposed to any number of unscreened advertisements by logging into my blog. I don't want to expose my readers to anything like that.

SO...I did have a friend tip me off today that I needed to enable some things on my other blog that would allow non-google account members to post on my blog. So that is done. It should be easier for others to post. I will have to approve a non-members comment, however, before it will post. No biggie. You can also subscribe to my blog, by simply filling in your e-mail address in the blogarithm button on the right of the page.

Sorry to get your hopes up! Still hope to see you on my other blog. :D

O.K. Another new blog.

www.anggrams.blogspot.com

I did something today that I don't do often - because I hate it! I went to the nursing home.

Last year, on Saint Patrick's Day, one of my spiritual grandmothers turned 90. She doesn't have any family. Her husband left her when she was young. She never remarried or had any children. Now, she has alzheimers. Noone who knows her now, really knows her. She was amazing! Her life radiated Jesus. She had a passion for young people - to see them making right choices and to love on them any way she could. I fear noone really knows that. It is so easy to forget. God put a poem in my heart for her last year. I wanted people to remember her. My son read it to her on her birthday, but of course, I fear it was empty words to her.

All year long, I've been meaning to print it out and frame it and hang it in her room. But life gets busy. I didn't want to take ALL the kids. I kept running out of ink at the wrong times. You name it. But last night, I had an unsettling dream that she was going to die. Today I told Bill I had to go TODAY. 

Noone was in her room. I found a tack on the wall right by the door just asking for something to be hung on it. I put up my framed poem and then began to look for her. I found her in a room with several other residents watching "Lawrence of Arabia" or something like that and drinking their nutrient shakes. She doesn't know me any better this year than she did last year. The lady that used to hand-peck letters to me on her manual typewriter when I was living in Chicago, who crocheted wash cloths for each of my kids, who made us peanut butter cookies every Christmas, who I gave countless rides home after church - doesn't know me at all. I knew she wouldn't, but it is still hard to face - which is why I couldn't make myself go until today.

I bent down beside her and she looked startled and then smiled and then starting mumbling sounds that made no sense at all, then giggled and mumbled some more. I told her how my kids had memorized Romans 12:13 this week and quoted to her, "Share with God's people who are in need." I told her how she had always been a shining example of that to me, and how I hoped to have 1/2 the impact for Jesus on the lives of others that she had. I prayed that she would feel loved today. Then I selfishly found myself praying that God would take her home if He didn't restore her mind. "Let her be with You, Jesus! Let her mind be restored! May she not waste anymore years in front of movies, drinking shakes, not remembering anything, when she could be praising You who she loves so much." It is a selfish prayer. I guess.

I still hate nursing homes, and found my self praying that I would never have to live in one.

Oh, may my legacy be half of what her's is.