The Governale Gang: Glimpses and Thankfuls 12-18 Dec 2011

Monday, 12 Dec 2011

When I set up my Bi-Weekly Scoring Summary this morning for the new pay period, which I use to track my daily hours, I realized that the current pay period ends on Christmas Day. How could it possibly be only two weeks away? The weekend flew by and I only inched toward accomplishing some projects that I had hoped to completely finish. Oh, dear.

Yesterday on the ride home from Winthrop I listened to a conversation with a woman who told about a time when she was 16 and her family (mother, father, a sister, and three brothers) was returning to Colorado from a vacation in California. They were in a sturdy car that was hauling a sturdy camper. As they pulled out of a small store they started to cross a railroad track when they notice a freight train barreling down the tracks at them. The father tried to shift into reverse and the car stalled and the train hit them broadside into the front passenger side of the car where her mother was sitting. The train dragged them about 100 yards. When it was over, the vehicles were demolished, the mother had a broken neck, the father had a mild concussion, and none of the children were hurt at all. As I listened to this incredible story, I thought how Heavenly Father's hand had to be in this miracle. This thought brought me back 32 years to when John and I were first married and had bought our first, actually our only, brand new car- a Datsun we named Ruthie. I was driving us to work and hit a patch of black ice on the little hill on the abattoir bridge in Oxford. The car fishtailed into the guard rail to the right and then shot across the road. This was the morning rush hour and there was a steady line of traffic. Our little car hit the rear tire of a big dump truck and bounced off and was stopped by the guard rail. Over the guard rail was a steep embankment. A few seconds later and we might have hit a car or the guard rail, or the body of the dump truck full force, maybe even breaking through and plummeting down the embankment - rolling over and over. Ruthie was demolished, John was unhurt, and I had a hairline fracture in my left foot, which was crushed when the car impacted with the tire. Coincidence? I think not. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who orchestrated that crash in such a miraculous manner that I could live and tell you about it so many years later!

Tuesday 13 Dec 2011

Nothing spectacular happened yesterday; mostly just work, housework, teaching my class, and watching an episode of Lie To Me. I did get my quilt almost all layered; it is hard to do that all by yourself on a table that is not quite big enough. I need to finish getting it pinned together today and start quilting it so I can finish it tomorrow and get in the mail. Then I can turn my attention to some of the less time consuming Christmas projects.

Today I am grateful for everything. I am especially thankful for the feelings of inadequacy I have had lately and realizations of some specific areas that I need to improve in. Ah, humility - how bittersweet.

Wednesday 14 Dec 2011

Yesterday was a great day! I did get the quilt all quilted and the edges basted and today I will bind it. Hurray! That was the highlight of my day. Today is my middle son’s 27^th birthday. I can vividly remember the details of his birth, in a German Frauenklinik – a woman’s hospital, and the doctor asking what we were going to name him. We asked the doctor his name, it was Wolfgang, and we looked at each other and slowly shook our heads no. We decided on Michael John, Michael after my baby brother who died at 21 days and John after my husband. Mike is now married, in the Army, and expecting his first child. Happy tears.

This morning I am thankful to be a mother. I was 30 when I had my first child and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would never get married and never have children. Now, I am the mother of five wonderful children and the grandmother to four with one on the way. Twenty-seven years ago this morning I gave birth to my third child, second son, Michael Governale, in Neckargartach, Germany. He has brought so much joy into my life and I am very proud of the man he has become. He was so amazingly cute as a little boy that we could hardly stand it. He is still pretty darn cute! Love you Mike!

Michael John Governale

Jackie, Eliza and baby Mike

Michael John Governale

Thursday 15 Dec 2011

Hooray!!! The quilt is finished and, in spite of some imperfections, is quite pleasing. I think my grandson and granddaughter will love it. It has 99 pieces of fabric each depicting a different picture (a tiger, a toy soldier, a Power Ranger, Santa, a dinosaur, etc.). The fabric that accents it has multiple animals on a black background. The backing is a brown fabric with zebra on it. It is an I Spy quilt, meaning that someone can say, “I spy a green lizard” and then everyone can look for it. It was so much fun to make.

This morning I am thankful that Mike and Sarah are expecting a baby. Hooray! I am thankful for my friend Patti Caton who called me last night to tell me some very kind and uplifting things. Those comments made my day. Thank you Patti. I am thankful that my quilt is done and, despite some crookedness, is quite pleasing. I will post pictures after Christmas. I am thankful to have a greater understanding of the events in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. I am very engrossed in the Old Testament for the first time and wonder why I never took the time before this to study it and try to understand it. I am also thankful to have discovered oven roasted garlic veggies. Peppers, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes..... so satisfying and delicious. I also made homemade chicken nuggets for supper. Yum! I am thankful that Eliza and boys are doing the Twelve Days of Christmas. It brings back some fun memories of when my kids were young and we did this every year. We did it one year in Germany .... Eliza, Joe, Mike as a babe in arms, John and I. We went up the stairs, through the attic laundry drying space, and down the stairs to the apartment of a German family. We must have sounded like a herd of elephants for eleven nights in a row- but they did act surprised on the 12th day when we knocked on their door, sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and handed them their gift. They invited us in and we had a pleasant visit. The next day they left us a tray of fruit and German Christmas ornaments. My life is so different now, and I am so thankful for wonderful memories of Christmases well celebrated.

Friday 16 Dec 2011

I took the night off and went to make Christmas tags at a friend’s house. It was relaxing and fun to chat and the tags are, of course, adorable! My daughter made pizza for supper and it was delicious. I am so happy that it is Friday –I hope to be able to catch up on some things tomorrow. Today I have an appointment with radiation therapy for my mapping. I hope the treatments start next week.

This morning I am thankful for my good friend Nancy. I went to her house last night to make some very beautiful Christmas tags. We had a wonderful time and it was great to be able to chat for a couple of hours. Nancy and I usually get together a couple of times each month, one for card making at her house and one to sew baby hats to give to Stephens Memorial Hospital. It has been awhile as I have been having surgeries, recovering from surgeries, and having doctor's appointments and treatments. I am thankful for Walgreen's 50% off photos this week and will pick up mine today. I am thankful that I have a doctor's appointment today to 'map' out my radiation treatments which I hope will start next week. I am also thankful for my husband who has been driving the girls to school each morning after seminary. I am thankful for the bright sun peeking up over the trees and for the blue skies and for the fluffy white and gray clouds. I am thankful to feel hopeful right now - and will try to keep that feeling for most if not all of the day!

Saturday 17 Dec 2011

I start radiation treatments next week. I do not look forward to them, but I am really happy to get the process started. We went to a Christmas dinner at church last night – good food and good company.