Same Old Lang Syne

Same Old Lang Syne
by Dan Fogelberg


Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried.

We took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totalled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation dragged.

We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.

She said she'd married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie.

I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw
Doubt or gratitude.

She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another 'auld lang syne'...

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away.

Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain --

Sunday Snippets III - Review of 2011

-1-

2011 - The Year That Was

There is a frequent saying, "It is what it is." I will just say that this was the year that was. There is a reason I haven't posted in a while. 2011 has been a very difficult year for me, but through it all, I was reminded that we only grow when we are stretched past our comfort zones.

-2-

A Shoulder to Lean On

I had surgery in May to repair a torn rotator cuff. I spent 6 weeks in a sling. It was during that time that I was struggling with the fact that my oldest son's marriage was breaking apart. I felt helpless. I was helpless. My grandchildren are helpless. It was my reminder that the only shoulder I can always lean on is Christ's. Trust is all I have left when I am helpless to change something. "Jesus, I trust in You!"

-3-

Coasting in the Spiritual Life

In August, I went on a 5 day Caribbean cruise with my husband. I am reminded that I must always be actively pursuing Christ. How often do we sit back and coast in our spiritual life when things are going well? It is so easy to do that when life is moving along without any bumps, but we should never just coast. "I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:13-14 

-4-

A Death in the Family

My elderly father passed away at the end of August. He was a great learner. That also made him a great teacher. Before moving into nursing care, my dad had a balcony garden in the assisted living center where he grew tomato plants and flowers. He also grew 6 lemon trees from the seeds of the lemons in his iced tea from lunch. His lesson to us was to turn negative events into something positive. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." If we focus on the positive, we will recognize the work of God in our lives.

Henry Ole Martinsen

b. 2-4-1917     d. 8-27-2011

-5-

A Close Call

In September, my niece was hospitalized three times for blood clots in the brain. She suffered two strokes that affected the right side of her brain where visual centers are affected. She could not spell and she recognized people by their voice rather than what they looked like. By the Grace of God, she enjoyed a complete recovery from the strokes. She is now on medications to thin the blood. It was a close call for her and a lesson for all of us that we could be taken at any moment from this life - no matter what our age.

-6-

Divine Providence

My son and his wife gave birth to their first child - a beautiful little girl - in mid-October. Her due date was January 7, 2012. Doctors tried to stop my daughter-in-law's labor, but after 3 days, her water broke and birth was immanent. Thankfully, she was given two doses of steroids to help my granddaughter's lungs develop. Because she was so early, my son and his wife had not yet learned lamaze to help her through her labor. My husband and I arrived home after a two week vacation just in time. I was able to help my daughter-in-law get through the contractions and I was present for the birth of my granddaughter. She weighed in at 2 lb 9 oz. Just after her birth, the doctor showed me a knot in the umbilical cord. So many times, babies are stillborn when there is a knot in the cord. I truly believe that God provided for my granddaughter. He has a special plan for her life.

-7-

Our Future and Our Hope

My oldest son broke the news to us in May that he and his wife are getting a divorce. They have two beautiful children. Their marriage didn't last but 5 years. My son is a better father since the separation. By the Grace of God, children are our future and our hope in this world.

Sunday Snippets II

-1-


Mid-life Crisis

I saw a movie this week with my husband. Gosh! We haven't been to see a movie together in a very long time. Our taste in movies isn't always the same, but we both liked this one. "Larry Crowne" is a film about a man with a mid-life crisis. He is tossed out of his comfort zone into a sink or swim situation that will test his ability to succeed. This 8-time employee of the month at a local store is fired and decides that the road to success is education. He enrolls at a local community college, taking a public speaking course and economics. He aces both courses. Building on his previous experience - 20 years of cooking in the Navy and retail work - his new experience in education expands his horizons and changes not only his life, but also those who know him. The highlight of the film is Larry Crowne's final exam in his public speaking class. Larry ties topics given to the other students (pasta, potatoes, Australia, and Disraeli) with his own - "geography show" - his mis-read of "George Bernard Shaw". Larry concludes his speech with a quote from Shaw in education that may be interpreted as the message of the film.

A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.

"Larry Crowne" is rated PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language. A minor character is shown looking at pornography on the internet. There are also kissing scenes between the two main characters, one of whom is married.

-2-


A Princess Remembered

Princess Diana would have been 50 years old this week. I don't know how I remembered that she died in 1997, but I did. It isn't one of those experiences that you remember where you were when you heard the news - like I remember the announcement of the assassination of JFK or the events of 911 - but I still remember this year as the year of her death. So why this one detail? I think it is because, like so many women, we somehow identified with this dysfunctional woman who dreamed of becoming a princess but whose life took one tragic turn after another. There is only 7 years difference in our age. My sons are almost the same age as hers. She was a tragic woman with dreams. It is the story that appeals to the heart. Happy birthday, Princess Diana!

-3-

Fair doesn't mean equal

I learned a long time ago that fair doesn't always mean equal. As much as we may try to make things equal, it doesn't make life fair. In thinking about children of divorce, life will rarely be fair. Equal custody can never take the place of having two parents together. Equal custody is much like the story of two women fighting over a child in the story that depicts the wisdom of King Solomon. To determine who the real mother is, King Solomon decides that the child should be divided in half. Thankfully, the true mother makes the decision to let her child live by refusing to allow the child to be cut in two. 


The difference in divorce with equal custody is that the child is always divided because the parents are divided. They may not be cut in two, but their lives are split in two - going back and forth between parents and two places to live. The love of each parent for the child added up is somehow less than if they also experience the love of each parent for one another. Divorce is never fair to the kids - even in the best situation. 

-4-

Tweet! Tweet!

Pope Benedict XVI, this week, sent out his first twitter, "The medium is the message." Although the use of modern forms of media is a great thing, how the Church uses the media is what is important. Improperly delivered, the message has little impact. That has been a problem with the Church whose delivery has often buried the message. Will twittering appeal to young people? Absolutely! But how much Truth can you deliver in a tweet? "Jesus Christ is Lord!" is a start.

-5-

The Fingerprint of God?

I was browsing on Facebook and came across an interesting post - actually a post with a YouTube video that shows math in nature. I enjoyed it so much I thought I would post it here. Beauty always points to the Creator of all things Who turns chaos into cosmos

It reminded me of another YouTube video I came across some time back that talked about the Fibonacci sequence.

How people cannot see from this fingerprint that there is a God is quite beyond me. "For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. . ."

-6-

Gabriel's Figs

Named after the child of a friend, Gabriel produces very sweet figs. I picked and ate my second fig this week. I was in fig heaven. 

-7-

Remaining Neutral

I never realized how important it is for our body to be neutral. I've been in PT for my lower back because of pain when I just stand or walk. The therapist this week taught me how to stand with my body in a neutral position. It is essential to stabilizing the lumbar spine. Then exercises that strengthen weak muscles are added to teach the body how to remain in the neutral position while moving. Evidently, from some things I read on the internet, Pilates is a good way of exercising to get the body stabilized. Gives a whole new meaning to remaining neutral. Maybe this is a sign that I should get into a Pilates class.