Hello old friends...

...it's been a long time. So many happenings and yet some things haven't changed a bit.

I'll give you the highlights:
As December approached it's midpoint, it became painfully obvious that my new tires were not going to wait for January as I'd hoped. On my way to church one morning in the rain-not-yet-turned-snow, my car lost all traction and I spun end for end down the highway. God's hand was on my car, though, as there was no other cars on the road and I came to rest backwards in the ditch. I didn't seem to be slowing down at all, though, until I met the snow. I'm sure that at the speed I was going, had I left the road at any other angle, my car would have rolled or at the very least my airbags would have went off. I'd hit the only patch of glare ice around. The temperature was just at the right point on this shaded portion of the road to freeze into a surface resembling skating rink. My dad was off work and was able to pull me out with some chains and a big bag of water softener salt on the highway. He then loaned me the money to buy new tires, for which I am grateful! With four new tires, I was now excited for the winter....until I realized that my car had serious issues. After a frightening and slow drive to work the next week, my principal recommended that I call a custodian who also runs an auto shop. He met me in the parking lot and determined that I had at least one bad tire.

Christmas eve morning found me back at the shop where I bought my tires. After their careful inspection determined that I did indeed have one "factory defect" on my car, they began the (apparently) long process of replacing the tire. But hey- what else would I have spent that 3 hours of my Christmas Eve day doing? :)

If you are car shopping and spend part of your year driving in snow- I wouldn't recommend getting a Ford Focus. The tires helped, but honestly- any time my little car even sees snow in the distance it's little tail starts wagging and causes the rest of the back end to wag from side to side- a bad combination with winter driving! If you don't drive in snow and you're looking for a new car...hey! I've got a nice little blue one up here in Wisconsin for sale!

Last week I went back to work after the holidays for a fairly busy week. Our Monday night ministry group, Kineo, had our restaurant fellowships, our church had their first Home Fellowship night of 2009, and we had a coffeehouse training on Saturday morning. I worked late Tuesday night and spent some time with a sister Thursday night...all in all- quite busy.

Friday night I came home to the news that my Dad's older sister was in the hospital...we had known that her cancer had returned since Christmas...but the severity was somewhat of a surprise. My gut said that it was bad...she wouldn't recover this time. She's had a rough life and didn't seem to have any fight left in her. She had a blood clot in her leg and the cancer that was in her back was now throughout her lungs and liver. They initially had given her 6 months, but soon changed it to making no guarantees beyond 72 hours. I think she was a believer, which gives me some peace, but I've selfishly shed and continue to shed many tears since the news of her passing tonight. I'm sad that I didn't get to see her before she died, but I knew it was imminent and just couldn't drive the couple of hours...somehow life goes on. When my dad's youngest sister Debbie was dying of cancer in December of 2001, this aunt, another aunt and I spent many days together at the nursing home. We camped out for days. I'm sorry that I couldn't do this for my aunt Ginny, too.

If you pray to my God, I selfishly covet your prayers for my family right now. It will be a hard week ahead for my extended family with lots of travel in terribly cold weather. Thanks...I appreciate it.

Perhaps I'll be back soon to visit, when I have better news? As for now, it's easier to type than it is to talk.

Glad for His presence,
Amanda