It was wonderful to spend the day at home yesterday. There is no doubt that our decision to return home was right. As I searched for a word to best describe what being home means, the one that rings truest was sanctuary.

Like many words there are variations in meaning, both stark and subtle. Synonyms include holy place, temple, shrine, tabernacle, altar, sanctum, refuge, haven, harbour, oasis, shelter, retreat, bolt-hole, foxhole, hideout, hiding place, hideaway, den, asylum, safe house, reservation, preserve, home.

All pay homage to the etymology (history) of the word in the Latin sancutus (holy) to sanctarium (holy place) to old French sanctuaire to Middle English sanctuary, by which time the meaning had expanded to embrace not only holiness but security and refuge. To my mind, the word sanctuary, with its modern use in both secular and sacred contexts, is a wonderful acknowledgement of the continuing truth that the source of our security is ultimately in the realm of the divine.

So we are settling back into our sanctuary and absorbing the peace and confidence that ensues and embraces us here.

It was a busy sanctuary yesterday though. Yes, there were quiet, and even serene, moments but it was generally a hive of activity. There were visitors, phone calls, texts and emails, medical examinations and discussions, washing, cooking, shopping, conversations both raucous and hushed, laughter and tears - all in good measure. Yet again we see that life is a paradox and things that we often define as 'opposites' are in fact far from mutually exclusive, and often mutually reliant a la 'joy and grief'.

Medically, the indications are that Sue has a significant, if not complete, obstruction of her bowel. This is no doubt due to impact from either 'the tumour' or 'a tumour'. Following on from an external examination yesterday, the doctor believes that there may well be a further tumour(s) in/around the bowel. This is not a surprising development. Whatever the cause, the usual process of food intake, stomach action, intestinal action and output action (you know what I mean I am sure!) is severely compromised. Obviously, food intake that cannot be properly processed and effectively 'out-put' creates pressures internally that demand release, if not in the normal way, then by other abnormal means (usually by throwing up). In Sue's case the relationship between the stomach and bowel seems a bit confused as a result of the tumour(s) so, together with the obstruction, that means.... well, things are a bit of a mess!! If one was slightly crass and insensitive one might use the phrase 'all dressed up with nowhere to go' in explanation!

Since Monday morning, the best response to this was to shut the process down by ceasing intake - no food, just clear liquids and electrolyte replacements to stay well hydrated.  This held things well while we traveled. The down side to this is that without input, the gastro-intestinal system sort of 'shuts down' or 'gets lazy' and ceases to try and move/work around obstructions. At its worst, not even air/wind passes as output. I probably do not need to explain further using balloon metaphors do I? I heard the most surprising phrase from the doctor yesterday - "If I could just hear Susanne fart I would be a very happy man!". What more can I say.....

In discussing things with the Palliative Care team yesterday, they suggested that if Sue felt like eating she could slowly begin to do so and 'see what happens'. Sue responded quite appropriately by suggesting that among the first things to eat should be some Cadbury Rum and Raisin Old Gold chocolate, so a trip to the shop was quickly organised! We will wait and see what happens over the next day or two.

Sue is also experiencing some hallucinations (audio and visual) and gets confused or 'disconnected' at times. Other times she is absolutely on the ball and locked into the reality of 'here and now'. The cause of this could be anything from the impact of medications, to toxins released into the body by the cancer, to cancer activity in the brain to.....  Whatever the cause, the good news so far is that the hallucinations are not distressing for Sue (or me) and she is aware that they are not real. Her sense of humor is firmly intact.

Not surprisingly, Sue is also developing a new super-power. Henceforth she may be referred to as Able-to-fall-asleep-anywhere-repeatedly-and-for-long-periods Woman. I have shortened this to 'Sweet Sleeper' for convenience!

So as I write, the Sweet Sleeper is exercising her superpower in the next room. Our Sanctuary is momentarily quiet. My mouth curls toward a smile and I feel the slight sting of nascent tears as I think of all that has been, is now and is coming. And I am deeply grateful in ways innumerable and inexpressible. Strangely, all is right with the world.

Let all who find sanctuary in you be glad;
Let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

 

 

 

 

Q. What do 'The Batemans' have in common with the Rolling Stones and Sam Smith?

A. They have all recently cancelled an Australian Tour!

Due to the deteriorating health of female member Susanne Bateman, the (not particularly well known) duo 'The Batemans' today announced the cancellation of their Sweet Spot Tour. They returned home to Darwin today. A spokesman for the group advised that the decision to cut the tour short was a precautionary one, adding that 'home is the best place for Sue and Geoff right now'. Sue is reported to be relieved to be home, though naturally disappointed. Both she and Geoff are in good spirits despite having to abort their plans to share the next few weeks with their supporters.

When asked about future tour dates, the response was unequivocal - "It seems our touring days as a duo are over".

Ticket holders for cancelled events are advised that requests for refunds will be politely refused!

An update on Susanne's condition will be released following further consultation with medical specialists later this week. 

 

The popular trend of creating 'memes' by adding (amusing?) white block text comments to images has proved irresistable.....

The meme-theme for today is Free Wheelin' by the Sea

I suspect that another competition may be announced as soon as I take a suitable picture!

[Aside: I can now belatedly confirm that the prize for the winner of the previous competition is literally 'in the mail'. Keep watch on the letter box Meg.]

 

Well-being Update

Although there is not one moment of doubt that we made the right decision in coming 'down south' to be together with family one last time and to have some important conversations about how things might look around the time of Sue's death, it is costing Sue in terms of her physical well-being. She is experiencing increasing pain and discomfort, though still manageable by making use of greater amounts of current medications, rest and perseverance (often appropriately translated in the Bible as 'long-suffering').

On the other hand, social, emotional and spiritual well-being continues to trend very positively. The film 'Dead Poets Society' made famous the phrase 'carpe diem' - sieze the day. In the film it was part of an impassioned speech by the teacher (Robin Williams) to his students to take the opportunity to live extraordinary lives. 

We are learning to have multiple seizures and encourage you to do the same!

carpe memento - carpe diem - carpe aeternitas

seize each moment - seize the day - seize eternity

Unlike the focus in the film, our quest is not for externally focussed extra-ordinary lives of wordly greatness but ones of thankful ordinariness, receiving each moment, each day, as a gift from the one who also gives us eternal existence and significance - and seeking to use it faithfully in response. Yes, we are still learning!!

The sole reason for pushing through to make this trip 'down south' was to once again spend time with our family. We deliberately make no distinction in this context between 'the Ewing family' and 'the Bateman family' because there is none. Yes, Sue carries the genetic influence and heredity of her parents, but so do our children. Likewise, there are evident Bateman traits devolved to me through nature and nurture - and likewise through to our kids. In marrying, we joined not just our own lives but those of our families. Through procreation we became inextricably enmeshed in every way - and how good it is. We love and enjoy 'the whole family' and are confident of their love and acceptance in return.

Thirty four years on, there is no 'your family' and 'my family'. Our kids talk of 'the aunts and uncles' and 'the cousins' rightly seeing them as a homogeneous (but diverse and interesting) group in terms of relationship. Better yet, as our kids have married and 'the cousins' established long-term relationships, all 'the partners' have been welcomed into, valued and enjoyed, as part of 'the family'.

There is therefore special freedom and joy for us in spending time with 'our family' during this 'tour'. Whether in groupings large or small, for hours or mere moments we take and hold precious each opportunity to be daughter, son, sister, brother, in-laws, aunt, uncle, great aunt and uncle(!) but also friend, carer, supporter, champion, story-teller, listener, tear-shedder, laugh-maker, prayer and fellow sojourner. For us this is richer and better and more worthy than any other item on a 'bucket list'. Forget extreme sports or world travel, just place us in the bosom of the family and let us settle there content - a foretaste of heaven.

Yesterday afternoon we moved into our beach-side accommodation at Glenelg. It was a lovely warm (for May) sunny afternoon. We sat at our little table by the window and watched the sun set on a gentle sea with lapping waves. We awoke to the hiss and fizz and crash of breaking waves driven ahead of an angry wind. Rocks bedaubed with frothing spittle stood resolute as fronds liberated from Norfolk Island pines took flight to tap out a syncopated rhythm on the windows. Cold air leached its way through crack and crevice to administer a cold caress to knees and neck. Black became grey, and grey held sway against a striving sun, delaying the full birth of the day.

We are LOVING it!!

Keep reveling in creation and the Creator. Blessings to you all.

 

We have discovered that there actually some quite practical advantages to Sue being somewhat 'incapacitated'. They in no way offset the disadvantages but, hey, we will take what we can get and enjoy the special treatment that is offered!  

National Disabled Parking permits are awesome! One could become quite accustomed to privileged parking, though on Sue's better days I tell her to try and look a bit less 'able' as she alights the vehicle. On her more challenging days there is no embarrassment at all.

We had a wonderful experience with Qantas too. We had flagged Sue's booking as 'needing assistance'. From the moment of checking in we were accorded VIP status (sort of) and they couldn't do enough for us. The staff offered all manner of options for boarding including a wheelchair. In the end we opted to be boarded early but with Sue walking to the plane using her 'walker' which they had already luggage-tagged. They took the walker away at the door and stored it in the hold, doing the reverse on arrival in Adelaide. All very efficient and civilized!

Pre-boarding we had ample time to get together again with our kids and enjoy some last minute 'hanging out'. Gee, they are lovely young people and a joy to spend time with -- I am just telling it like it is, we are not bragging or taking any credit!!

As you can see below, we had the cabin completely to ourselves for about 10 minutes which was a bit of fun. We imagined that we were either 'royalty' or 'dangerous criminals' - the only categories of people that we could imagine that might get a whole plane to themselves!!

We were fawned over, at least until the rest of the 'plebs' boarded, and even got a personalized safety briefing. Unfortunately it was delivered in an 'overly caring' tone as if we were either naive, slightly stupid or to be pitied - all unintentional I am sure!!

As has been indicated in previous posts, the medical and para-medical care and support we are getting is impeccable and (we now recognise) unexpected. Nothing seems to be too much trouble, including all the referrals and arrangements necessary to put protections in place while we are interstate. All this has been done, not only with good grace, but will apparent willingness and joy.  We had a medical hiccup early hours of Wednesday morning that left us anticipating the need to cancel the 'tour'.  By Wednesday evening we had had multiple contacts (mostly email and phone) with two palliative care doctors, a nurse clinician, a pharmacist and extraneous others - and were back on track with adjusted medications etc. It was actually quite breath-taking as well as humbling. I could go on, but you get the idea I am sure. We are lucky/privileged people in a lucky/privileged country.....

The next post will be the last in the  catch-up series. I will then cease to bombard you and return things to a more sedate pace.

[Look out for - The Week That Was #5: All in the Family]

On Thursday Sue was wonderfully overwhelmed by demonstrations of love and care from three of her close Darwin 'girlfriends' - Pam, Elsha and Jenny.

Pam flew in from Townsville especially to see Sue before we flew out to Adelaide (OK, she was also coming back to see her husband and children, but the timing was in order to spend time with Sue!).  Elsha has been, and remains, faithful in making regular contact and weekly visits (and often brings something delicious to eat). Pam, Elsha and Sue are all in a period of significant transition (Pam and Elsha moving interstate permanently) and have been supporting each other in the inevitable 'untidiness' that comes with life's big changes.

Pam and Elsha dropped in on Sue in the morning and anointed each other with care, laughter and a recognition that there is grief for them all in the 'physical parting' that is underway.

In the afternoon, Jenny dropped over. She brought with her a beautiful handmade quilt with a vibrant tropical theme and motifs. On the turquoise back panel, members of our church family had written messages of love and support. We nearly threw a spanner into that process by turning up to church last Sunday for the first time in ages!

Sue was overwhelmed by the gift and the expression of love and care that it represents. More than a few tears were shed as Sue recognized the labour of love demonstrated in each panel and stitch. We have brought the quilt away with us to 'show it off'. I suspect that as the weather cools off down here we may end up warming our knees with it at night. I am already warmed by the delicious irony of snuggling under a tropical quilt.....

In reflecting upon these visits on Thursday, Sue referred to Pam, Elsha and Jenny as her 'Forever Friends'. I suspect that they may describe Sue the same way.....

[Next Time - The Week That Was #4: Come Fly With Me]

Last Sunday was the first time for many many weeks that Sue had felt well enough, early enough, to join in the regular 9.00am worship service at our home church - Palmerston Uniting. For some reason, everything fell into place and we wheeled our way in (Sue was using her 'walker') during the first song and gratefully took a seat. 

As the service unfolded, we not only enjoyed a time of fellowship and worship but were also led into a time of reflection and simple reassurance regarding our marriage 34 years ago. During the Sunday service we read and reflected on Psalm 23 (the Shepherd Psalm) and sung the hymns/songs Be Thou My Vision and A New Commandment. Each of these were a feature of our marriage ceremony. Some may call it coincidence......

As we were sorting photos on Wednesday, we came across some 'wedding paraphernalia' including our (poorly) typed (using an actual typewriter and liquid paper) Order of Service/Running Sheet. 

This too served to remind and assure us that as we have sought to honor God and our vows to each other (and at times not done a spectacularly good job of it) - God has fully and faithfully honored His promises to us. It is only because of His grace toward us that we are able to both persevere and celebrate through the current journey.

For your viewing pleasure (and amusement), we offer the following additional taste of our wedding day... 

[Stay tuned for The Week That Was #3: Forever Friends]

Back in the early 1970s Jim Croce sang about Photographs and Memories. A few years later he died in a plane crash (what is it about musicians and aeroplane crashes?) and a Greatest Hits album was release bearing the same title - poignantly appropriate.

This week has been replete with both photographs and memories. In part this was quite intentional, but it was also a natural and inevitable part of having all our kids together and capturing the opportunity to relive, reflect upon and re-enjoy family events and legends together - perhaps for the last time?

On Wednesday Sue and I spent the whole day just with Tessa, Callum and Mitchell. We cannot begin to describe the intense pleasure that we experienced in 'just being' all together, but also in watching the kids revel in each other's company and enjoy each other as interesting (and mature?) adults who like being together. 

Many hours were spent gathering a lifetime of photographs (and even a few slides!) together from all corners of the house - a suitcase full here, a box full there, an envelope or two stashed away strangely without logic or reason. There must have been many hundreds, if not a thousand or more - old & new, large & small, crisp & fuzzy, colourful & grey, familiar & surprising. They were poured over, comment upon, laughed at, baptised with tears, and then added to piles or discarded. The result was a severe culling, a large crate of rubbish and multiple labelled envelopes and document wallets of loosely categorised images. Fantastic.

Now we need to do the same for all the images on disk taken since we bought our first digital camera more than 15 years ago (when you inserted a floppy disk into the camera body and could store up to 20 photo images!).

Over lunch, we took some time to openly and directly talk through some of the realities for all of us as end of life approaches for Sue. It was a lovely time of openness and freedom to explore, ask questions, imagine scenarios, toss in ideas and fearlessly (but obviously not unemotionally) talk about death, dying and what it means for everyone. There was much hilarity and irreverence mixed with the tears.

This also presented a wonderful opportunity for Sue and I to affirm our confidence that through Christ our bodily death is not 'the end' and therefore is to be celebrated as well as grieved. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian church, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain". To the physical, world-focused person, death is a disaster for with it all earthly comforts, all material accumulations, and all worldly hopes and dreams are lost. But to the Christian believer, death is a joy and cause of celebration (as well as a legitimate cause for grieving), for it is the end of all weakness, misery and distress.

It was all very timely, healthy and releasing. 

[Stay tuned for The Week That Was #2: Blessed Assurance]

Last night we had a wonderful family dinner with Tessa & Jim, Callum & Megan and Mitchell & Lauren. We were not expecting Jim to come up with Tessa but the decision was made on Friday to come up too! The evening was a lovely relaxed time of sharing life and food, with a little added intentionality and poignancy because of the inevitable progression of Sue's cancer, and the impact that that has on her physically. We wish you could have been there to share it with us........... but wait, you can!!

 

If you have the time and inclination, please join us in re-living the event by viewing the Two Minute Dinner!

 

If you are going 'on tour' you have to have a poster!

After a further teleconference with the Palliative Care team this morning, we have agreed that Sue is in another 'sweet spot' and so we have locked in (as far as it is in our control) the plans for our final trip 'down south'. We have decided to persevere with only oral medications but have bumped up some dosages to counter increased pain levels. We are as confident as we can be that 'all is in hand', but are still holding everything lightly in case the plans go awry! We have decided to stay almost exclusively in our own accommodation while we are away as we recognize the need to pretty closely manage activities and visits in order to prolong the 'sweet spot' for as long as possible. A week by the sea and a week in the hills seems 'just the ticket'!

Our deep desire is that Sue remains well enough for us to be able to spend some time cocooned in our cottage in Yarragon before returning to Darwin. All indications are that this will be our final time there together - the thought of which is perfectly captured in the title of this blog - where joy and grief mix and merge.

It is good and right for us (Sue and me, you, all human kind!) to be intentional in acknowledging that the depth of our grief (even that which we experience in anticipation of future loss) is a product of, and an exquisite counterpoint to, past, present and anticipated joys. We most deeply grieve the loss of that which we most deeply love. We are now becoming more practiced at using the moments when grief intrudes and sadness rises to reflect upon and treasure the richness and joy that underlies it. It is an amazing experience to have God use our emotions to punctuate and highlight the richness, goodness, blessing and favor that has permeated our lives. This remains true now, more than ever.

There should be no surprise than that this same experience (discipline) is reflected in Scripture:

Psalm 30:11-12

You have changed my grief into a joyful dance;
you have taken away my sorrow
and surrounded me with joy.

So I will not be silent;
I will sing praise to you.
Lord, you are my God;
I will give you thanks forever.

Amen, Amen, Amen.

Well folks, the days since coming home from the hospice have been good indeed. The reconnection with 'home' has been profound and deeply satisfying. The local Palmerston community nurses have visited every morning around 10.30 to service the Ketamine syringe driver and generally provide support and advice. After the 'hump' of getting home and settled, Sue's pain levels have been vastly improved to the point that she is engaged, talkative and (at times) feisty and provocative! Her desire and capacity to re-engage with knitting, crocheting and sewing is a pretty good indicator of improved sense of well-being.

We met with the Palliative Care team again yesterday and they were a bit gobsmacked about how well Sue is coping - so pleased that they decided it was worth re-assessing the need for Ketamine by disconnecting the syringe pump for 48 hours. We are now at 29 hours 'offline' and it is clear that there is a resultant increase in the pain, but it seems to have settled at a new, and only slightly higher, 'normal'. Sue reports that it is 'bearable' while life is home-based and not too active, but may present challenges when we travel in a couple of weeks if it stays the same. The next question will be whether to (a) try other/adjusted oral medication to bring the pain level down again, (b) put up with it, or (c) go back on the Ketamine. Option C presents some significant practical complications when we are away from home in terms of daily community nurse visits, especially as we will be moving around a bit in Adelaide environs (and possibly Gippsland?!).

Overall though, things are better than we could possibly have imagined 1, 2 or even 3 months ago when there seemed little if any possibility of a final trip 'down south'. It seems that we have been blessed with an unexpected window of opportunity thanks to the expertise of the Palliative Care Team, hospice staff, community nurses and, most significantly, the grace of God.  

We are also looking forward to Tessa arriving in Darwin on Saturday to spend a week in the bosom of her family of origin! We fly out to Adelaide on Friday 1 May. What an exciting few weeks we have in store! Cheers.

Cheers from 'home' - 22 April 2015

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave (for a time), but not our hearts.

 

 Panorama from 'our' veranda yesterday morning (Sue in bed on far right)

We are still in the hospice. Sue's life 'unplugged' was short-lived. She is now back tethered to a 24 hour syringe pump again. It is delivering one of the drugs (Ketamine) in the 'four drug cocktail' that seems to best control her pain. Just 18 hours off the Ketamine (when she was 'unplugged' and converting to oral medications) confirmed that Ketamine is important in the pain relief mix for Sue. Unfortunately, Ketamine cannot be administered orally. With the doctors, we are now considering whether to stay on the pump when we go home, or to try a change to another drug that acts in a similar way to Ketamine but can be taken orally and maintain an even dose throughout the day (Methadone). As a result, we are still here for at least a day or two yet while this is worked through.

Otherwise, Sue is in good health (within her context) and we are both strangely content in our 'confinement'. The only suggestion that we may have been here a bit too long is that at dinner time yesterday and lunchtime today, we lifted the lid on our hospital meals and spontaneously said to each other "Ooo, that looks nice!". It may be that we are, in fact, losing touch with reality. Only time will tell!!

Quickie (Bowel-related) Joke of the Day:
Reg and Betty were part of a good sized congregation in church on Sunday. Betty passed wind. Worried about the possibility of odor or repeat episodes, Betty leaned over to Reg and whispered "I just had to let go a sneaky one. What should I do?" Reg replied "Change the batteries in your hearing aid"!)

Keep smilin'

We had a wonderful day yesterday. Sure, Sue's health continued to resolve and improve, but that wasn't what made it wonderful.

After the usual 'shift change' wake up at about 6.00 and the re-arranging of the room to put my bed away and set up for the day, we drew back the curtains and watched the black turn to grey, and the grey transform to living color as the night was caressed, embraced and finally overwhelmed by the dawn. With the doors and windows open we listened to the birds and enjoyed the wafting breeze tinged with just a little cool. It was serene, peaceful and surprisingly intimate - an echo of The Garden perhaps?

This start seemed to set the tone for the day. We talked freely and naturally through the morning about all range of things, but in a deep sense of gratitude pervaded everything. We mused about how it is that we can feel so much at peace and so deeply grateful in circumstances that we would not ever have chosen for ourselves and that are undeniably challenging and confronting. Again we recognize the paradox of living in a 'both/and' world and not an 'either/or' one.

[Warning, I get a bit 'preachy' in the next bit!]

As we reflected, it crystallized for us that God has been daily answering our early prayer that this journey would not cause us to lose faith. As we unpacked this in quiet conversation we saw that this was due in significant measure to how we have chosen to think of and speak about our journey. To borrow the words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church, we really have been challenged and strengthened to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ". We daily (sometime hourly and minutely) choose to seek out, reflect upon and speak about the joy midst the pain, the humor within the sadness, the jewels among the brokenness. 

While many things have, and will continue to, confront and confound us we truly do have an overwhelming sense of being privileged in the journey and offered opportunity to continue to serve and grow in the process.

After reading the passage from 2 Corinthians 10, and a psalm, I played the new (December 2014) song "Battlefield' by Kathryn Scott. It has been one of many significant songs that have ministered to both Sue and me over the weeks and months. The chorus echos the reality that by God's grace we have a choice about how we think and speak and act, even when (perhaps even especially when) things are tough and life sucks. We can indeed sing on the battlefield.

You make me sing on the battlefield
You make me dance through these tears
You grace my heart to believe again
You make me sing on the battlefield

 

We then talked for quite a while about 'end of life stuff'. It was natural and free and un-selfconscious. It may well sound strange, but it was a most memorable and enriching Sunday morning.

[End of especially 'preachy bit]

 

Medical/Wellbeing Update

Following this morning's visit by the Palliative Care Doctor (and his entourage of four!) Sue is now free of all tubes! We are now in a process of converting from delivery of background pain medication by syringe pump to oral forms. 'Shots' of morphine delivered subcutaneously will still be used to manage breakthrough pain (usually associated with 'exercise' like showering, walking etc). Sue will be monitored for pain and 'independent capacity of key bodily functions' for the next 48 hours or so with a view of returning home if all goes well.  In the meantime we will be provided with some assistive equipment for home use and I will be trained to administer morphine shots as required (not very hard!).

As I write Sue is sitting comfortably in a folding camp chair looking very comfortable and relaxed. There is no doubt that we are in a better place than we have been for at least a couple of months. Sue just commented that it is only now that she appreciates just how bad the pain was then, how challenging daily life was, and how much we were just tenaciously carrying on through force of will.

We are now more seriously, but still cautiously talking and planning (with the Palliative Care Team) for a final trip to Adelaide (and maybe Yarragon if things go spectacularly well). Part of that equation which is unclear as yet is the extent of the positive impact of the radiation therapy on Sue's pain. For that to unfold, we wait...... patiently.......

PS: We had a snake slither across 'our' veranda and into the near garden this morning. It looked like a small (75cm?) Western Brown. How ironic would it be to die from snakebite while at the hopsice.... We just decided to leave it alone and expect it to do us the same courtesy!!

 

Thanks to all who participated in the Family Sayings competition. For those who missed it, you can see it by clicking here.

Some of you were too shy to post your contributions in the comments section for us all to see, so I have summarized them all (I hope!) below. This list contains the entries that met my stringent criteria:

• Leaving you hanging on the clothesline of…
• Gazing at the reflection in the window of opportunity
• Making an omelette with the eggs in your basket
• Riding the waves on the sea of discontent
• Stripping the sheets from the bed of roses
• Turning the fire extinguisher on the blaze of glory
• Stuck just beyond the U-bend of my mind
• Sitting on the tines of the fork in the road

What a great list! We have begun using some in our daily conversation already!

Others were stimulated to reflect on saying or quotes that have influence in their family or personal life in one way or another. These included:

"If each before his own door swept, the village would be clean"

"God is not disillusioned with us because he had no illusions to begin with!"

“There is no present like time”

"You can't have your cake and eat your biscuit as well" (small translation problem!)

"There is nothing that you can do to make God love you less, and there is nothing that you can do to make God love you more." 

"While the ladder is out" (encouragement to do the next job...)

And then there was the posted explanation of the modern parenting technique aptly named The Crap Sandwich. If you didn't read the comment from Chris P, you can see it by clicking here!

After long and careful consideration and review, and a minor and selective polling of those around us, we are thrilled to announce as the Family Sayings winner....

 

 

"Stripping the sheets from the bed of roses"

submitted by Meg Murchland

 

Meg, your prize will be dispatched soon.

May you be fully immersed in the the font of adulation!

Thanks everyone for playing along.