Juggler in the Middle of the Road!

My sister and I couldn't believe what we were seeing!

Up ahead of us, right in the middle of the lanes of traffic, a panhandler was juggling a bat and a ball! While the lights waited to change color, he tossed the bat and then the ball, twirled this and that, swung his leg and the bat, and then the bat and his leg.

Panhandler or not, having mastered an art like that, he actually deserved a quarter, I thought, though we were far enough back that I never did pull any change out of my purse.  

But I couldn't help thinking that I feel sometimes like that juggler in the middle of several lanes of traffic in Phoenix--trying to juggle various bats, balls, bad news, and blessings. I'm not sure I have as good a handle on what my hands are full of right now as that juggler did, but he did drop the bat a few times, too. So I feel better. 

 

So many things my mind is juggling today. I still can hardly believe how the girls came out of this car unscathed--with only the tiniest scratches! God was certainly watching over them!

 Our friends the Randalls came to pick the girls up for the night Tuesday and tow ed the car to their place about an hour from Salina, KS. Then they loaned the girls their vehicle to drive on to Missouri where the girls had a most interesting and fulfilling time--even if it did include entering into the suffering of a dear cousin and a dear friend.

 It also involved visiting their lonely sister Crystal--and taking her everything needed to take care of Crystal's new pet--a fish! The girls have not stopped having a blast about that fish that Crystal decided to name Jimmy. Or was it Jeremy? Or Jemimah?

Sam gave her quite a thumbs-down when she had to admit she did not know if it was a boy or a girl fish!

But anyway, the girls sure had fun.

They visited bedridden cousin Amaris whose mother just flew today to Pennsylvania to see for one last time a very dear uncle of hers, Dave Blowers. He's known to me as "Uncle Dave," too, for his family took our family in as friends long years ago.

They supported me as a single missionary and supported Jonathan and me in Ukraine, and I don't recall ever hearing a single negative word about Uncle Dave. He was a good, kind man, and he is ready to go on to heaven. 

Pray for the clan there in Wellsboro where Uncle Dave has ministered for many, many years in a little church in town.  

Because he was a friend, we also grieve his imminent departure from this world.

Meanwhile, our Tim flew out of Denver today with his friends the Saylors to spend vacation together in New Zealand.  Tim has been working hard driving logging truck, and made three drives one day a few days ago! He is very much looking forward to going to a country he has "always wanted to" visit--New Zealand.

 

 All at the same time, in South Dakota, Jonathan, Danny and Hannah got together with friends to get loads of firewood for at least two families including ours. They sent me these pictures.

 

It was good, dry oak firewood on some ranch land, Jonathan said.  

What a beautiful day for this job! 

And along with all the bats, balls, bad news, and blessings, there is another blessing. 

It is the news from my doctor here in Arizona that the results of my HER-2 tumor marker blood test are back within normal range! While my CA test numbers always showed within normal range, this HER-2 marker is the one that seemed to more accurately describe what is going on. The numbers had been 29 in April, nearly double to 56 in July, and down to 28 in September, but this time the number was down to 4.9! The doctors want another test in a few weeks to make sure the number is accurate.

This indicates that the treatments, especially herceptin, are working.

Another blessing is that the clinic in Sioux Falls is doing their best to make sure they can do my herceptin IVs from now on. Bloodwork of just a day or two old is required, so they are working out where I can get my bloodwork done near them and I will only have to travel a few hours instead of a thousand miles to get my bi-weekly herceptin from now on, Lord willing. 

We may schedule a two-week time back here in AZ mid-winter for a follow-up doctor visit and extra sunshine, since Jonathan can't help noticing how I thrive in warmer weather and sunshine, and since tickets are so inexpensive between Rapid City and here. 

So this juggling wife, mother, and friend keeps juggling on, right in the middle of busy traffic in Phoenix, Arizona!