Cars

Not that many years ago we had the year of the car. At the start of the year we owned four cars, during the course of the year we bought six more cars,  yet at the end of the year still had only four working automobiles. We are now in the month of the car and it is not yet half over.

To start the month my daughter was in a seemingly minor collision. With older cars you never know what will be repaired and when the insurance company will total it. While the car was (is) drivable, the radiator is leaking and the hood doesn’t open. More specifically if it is opened, it will not close again. So this vehicle has been sidelined, until we hear from the insurance company.

Next my truck has been acting up, not wanting to go into reverse. A useful feature when driving around town, or parking at home (the driveway is not circular.) So before I left town last Thursday I dropped at at my favorite mechanic, to have a them look at it. It doesn’t take much to realize that the transmission was the likely cause of the problem. So now we have a fourteen year old truck that needs a new transmission.

So, it would seem that it is time to explore the options for acquiring a new vehicle. Now things get interesting. Mary was at her mother’s for the weekend, about 250 miles from here. It seems a cousin of her brother has an older van that he wants to sell. He is a mechanic, the van seems well cared for and the price is reasonable; so we buy it. After all trying to get three people to jobs in Gwinnett County requires a vehicle for each or a taxi service.

Well our convenient purchase was not such a good thing, as it turns out. The newly purchased van had only been on short trips in the recent past and the 3 hour drive back home was just too much for it. About an hour from home it stopped and had to be towed in to our favorite mechanic, joining my truck. I have reserved parking at the garage, with a fleet of four we are frequent visitors.

So Monday afternoon I go over the options with the mechanic. The truck needs a transmission, about $3,000 (four wheel drive.) The van it turns out, needs a new engine, cost $4,300 or so. This requires a little thought but after a good nights sleep, it seems that both vehicles are headed for that big garage in the sky. So this morning I go by the garage to pick up any valuables and have the radios removed (they are the best part of each  vehicle.) Well the van is out front, and doesn’t have anything in it. And the truck?

The mechanics give me a rather blank look. When they saw the van on Monday they assumed I had limped home in the truck. No, it seems that over the weekend, most likely on Saturday, someone took a liking to my truck and drove off in it. There was some broken glass on the ground but otherwise, there is no sign of it. So now I am out a truck, a set of jumper cables, an ice chest, some bungy cords and a pretty nice radio.

Not that I am feeling sorry for myself, it is only stuff, but I really do wish that Gwinnett County had mass transit.

Recovery in Mississippi

We left on Thursday afternoon, covered by your prayers. The heavy weather coming across Alabama stayed to our North. Dark clouds covered the sky to our north and west but other than wind we were untouched. We arrived at about 10:30 and settled in for the night.

 

Friday morning arrived and we started looking for the boat motor. (Remember – you folks at Good Shepherd provided the funds to make this project possible so Chris Allenbaugh could return to his livelihood).  Actually Chris has been in conversation since earlier in the week with the manufacturer in Michigan and New Orleans. By mid morning it was determined that the motor in New Orleans was not the correct model. The motor will be available on Monday.

 

There were an assortment of small projects available at the church in Long Beach and at the Allenbaugh’s. Our first project was to meet with a local family to look at the furniture we have brought on recent trips. While the furniture wasn’t what they needed we had an opportunity to talk with Rodger about his house and how things were going. They are trying to put the final touches on the family home, a small ranch about 3 blocks off the beach. He is partially disabled and can no longer climb ladders or do much in the way of heavy work. While Rodger wasn’t on our original list of projects it was soon clear that we were being called to help complete the house.

 

This house was originally built in the late 1950′s. It has survived two major hurricanes, for the most part. During Katrina they had 3 to 6 feet of water in the house. A 20′ by 20′ addition at the rear of the house was removed and a tree came through part of the roof. Rodger and his son have rebuilt the interior of the house and much of the outside. Now they needed a little help to finish off the higher portions of the exterior. In talking with Rodger we learned that his insurance company had paid out only $24,000 to cover the damages. In the mean time he has expended his savings to buy a second house while they work to rebuild the family home.

 

On Saturday we hope to have the outside of the house completed. Chris Allenbaugh will be join us to repair some rotted potions of the soffits. We will also be distributing some of the furniture on Saturday evening.

 

This evening in our devotion we looked at Luke 10:38-42. How often dowe spend our time focused on what we believe to be important, over looking the work of God that is right in front of us?

 

 

See You in July

See you in July… that was the consensus on the first of May when we meet with the Oncologist and the general surgeon. The PET scan from April 25th show no activity of concern. That is probably not the official medical description but that was the message. No more doctor appointments until July.

After nearly a year of appointments, treatments, radiation and scans, everyone is pleased with the results. Now we wait, peacefully in this case, until July. For the first year we can expect regular scans. Possibly every three months. If all continues to go well then the time between scans will be extended, until we get down to once a year.

Next steps include some time off. A vacation this June, to go exploring and attend a family wedding. After four to six months we can talk to the plastic surgeon about reconstruction options. This will be challenging but it can be done on Mary’s time table; there is no rush. For now we can return to normal, whatever that was.

I will try to make periodic posts here, but as you can tell I still haven’t mastered the art of blogging on any sort of regular basis. I also expect the posts to take on a different flavor as we attempt to move cancer from the center of our lives, where it has been parked for the past year.

Once again we want to thank all of you for being faithful friends and prayer partners in this journey. To have reached this point in about a years time is a blessing. The hand of God has surrounded us with a wealth of friends. His hand has brought doctors, medicine and treatments; and enabled them to work. It was also by his grace that many of you entered our lives at the time when you were most needed. We thank all of you and we praise God, who is always faithful.

To old and new friends please stay in touch. Let us know if you have a need that we can lift up in prayer.

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you, Mike & Mary