Matters of Grace

Last week I had to be picked up via ambulance - in front of my children (not good) and taken to ER for seizures (also not good.) To suddenly have your body stop working as it should and basically tweak out was scary enough, but in front of the kids, let me say that it makes one feel powerless. After much testing, the doctors believe it was just another migraine, albeit more severe than usual. My neurologist was thinking that beta blockers might help. Since there are side-effects (as with any med) I'm not in love with this idea, so I googled and found that the humble banana containes natural beta blockers. So I've been blendin' the smoothies (and taking my vitamins, getting good rest and exercise) and after a week I've got to say that I do feel better and am starting to believe that the banana is one of God's more perfect creations. After all the Banana comes in its own case, is easy to transport, gives a good burst of energy, and tastes great dipped in chocolate,

Now that Spring has sprung, and we have that extra hour of sunlight, I'm thinking of taking my bike to work. It's not common knowledge, but at the turn of the 20th century, entrepreneurs built an elevated bikeway that streatched from Pasadena to downtown LA. For a fifteen cent toll, bicyclists and quadricyclists (remember those?) could pedal several miles along a nice, scenic route on their way to work. Though the original bikeway was torn down, its refreshing to read that now, some 100 years later, bicyclists are reclaiming that route raising hopes for future commuters. And other cities are getting into the act by incorporating bikeways. High gas prices? Oil? Spare tire 'round the ol' middle section? The answer may be as simple as *ride a bike.*

I'm sitting in my living room - sipping the last wee bit of the Montagne Saint-Emilion - watching my two year old learn to scissor. Scissoring is it's the most marvelous thing when you are 2 or 3. With the coloringbook picture in one hand, and red-handled safety scissors in the other, she purposefully *snip-snip-snips* her way all around the paper's edge. When she's done with her scissoring and coloring, we'll hang it on the fridge. My seven year old, meanwhile, is practicing for his baseball game in the back yard. He's positioned himself right in my line of view and every few hits he waves and yells out 'how was that one?' "Great job!" I think my eleven is cleaning his room, I'll check in a moment and see how its going. Three happy kids and three happy cats - how wonderful! I know it won't last as our days are peppered with the occasional kid melt down, but this particular moment is one of life's sweeter melodies. ~Grace