Murphy's Loft

Most of my readers (if there are any of you still out there in cyber space) have probably noticed that my postings have dwindled down to a snail's pace. And I surmise that most snails have probably posted on their tiny snail blogs more frequently than I have.

Sitting down to resume my blogging duties gave me pause to think about the changes that have happened in the past few years of my life, and hence the reasons for my neglect of this blog.

Not so long ago I was comfortably ensconced in a life that I had settled in for the past decade or so: divorced, middle-aged mother of two with a great job, a fantastic family and lots of amazing friends. I considered myself very blessed and had fully accepted that status for the rest of my life. My course was charted.

You know the old saying that life is what happens when you're not looking? It seems that I must have nodded off for a second, and when I opened my eyes I am a married woman (a pastor's wife to boot), a grandmother of three and living half a state away from my home.

And that all happened in the past year and a half!

There's nothing like having your whole life turned upside down that makes you want to holler, "Hey, wait a minute! I'd like a moment to acclimate myself to all these changes before life hurls me off into the nether regions of the future!"

All kidding aside, those changes all turned out to be the biggest blessings of my life. Marrying Mike was definitely the best thing that's ever happened to me. Adopting Mike's two beautiful grandchildren as my own has been a task of exceedingly great joy! And watching my daughter and her husband bring their first precious daughter into the world was a miracle beyond compare.

I have yet to experience being a pastor's wife as we await word of Mike's next appointment to a church, but I look forward to the joys and challenges as God leads us to whatever community He has planned.

Many of these changes have been documented in the photo album sections of these blogs, such as the birth of new granddaughter Kathryn Joan (or Katie Jo as Grandma calls her). You will also find new photo albums there such as our recent trip to Los Angeles and the reunion concert of my cousin Gene's band. Take time to look through them if you wish.

What a blessing these modern technologies are, that we can record and document the milestones in our lives, then share them via the internet for all to share!

As I contemplate the changes in my life, the blessing and joy they have brought me, and the untold blessings in the future, it brings to mind the famous verse from Ecclesiastes:

"To everything there is a season. And a time for every purpose under the sun."

Here's hoping that your seasons are as wondrous and joyful as mine!

After many months of dreaming and planning, our wedding came out beautifully and is now just a wonderful memory. Everything was perfect, the weather turned out great, and I am now married to the great love of my life. Mike and I were so happy to carry out the plan that God began some 15 months ago when he lead us to each other.

It was a beautiful ceremony and we were married by Rev. Richard Brian, Mike's best friend who is also a Methodist pastor (though now retired). It was so wonderful that all six of our beautiful children could take part in the ceremony. My daughter Carrie was my matron-of-honor, and Mike's stepdad Derwin was the best man. I was especially proud to have my son Paul walk me down the aisle. Mike's daughters Amanda and Sara were candlelighters, and his daughters Kata and Emily were scripture readers.

We were especially pleased that Mike's (and now mine) grandson J.J. was ring bearer, and granddaughter Cheyenne was the flower girl. Both did a great job for being very young...and might I just add that both were adorable.

What a joy that our wonderful family and dear friends were there to help us celebrate our marriage! It was fitting that we would be surrounded by so many loved ones during this joyous occasion.

(To see photos, please go to the photo albums above and click on Mike & Cheryl's Wedding, Mike & Cheryl's Wedding Dinner or Mike & Cheryl's Honeymoon.)

I thought I would share with you here a poem I wrote for Mike in honor of our Lord and the union He completed with our wedding two weeks ago.

For Mike

September 13, 2008

The Union God Has Made

Two hearts separated by time and space

Not knowing the changes about to take place.

Unaware that God's plan was about to unfold

We began this journey to have and to hold.

We watched with wonder as God's will began

To connect our hearts through His wonderful plan,

A joyful journey that led us here today,

As we commit our hearts and bow to pray.

It's a gift of love, it's God's great plan

That together we serve Him, together we stand.

We smile, we hope, we love, we pray,

And celebrate the union that God has made.

God joins us as one and He calls us by name

To serve him together, now we humbly obey.

But it’s God’s great love that will sustain

All the love and joy our hearts can contain.

We pledge our lives before the Lord

And into our joyful hearts he pours

This blessed love that He has made

A lifetime of happiness that will never fade.

It's a gift of love, it's God's great plan

That together we serve Him, together we stand.

We smile, we hope, we love, we pray,

And celebrate the union that God has made.

Our love comes from God and makes us one.

It flows through our hearts and has become

A love so rare, a love so true

A blessing all this lifetime through.

And as the years flow sweetly by

We’ll love, we’ll dream, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry.

But only one lifetime will not be enough

To praise God for this great gift of love.

It's a gift of love, it's God's great plan

That together we serve Him, together we stand.

We smile, we hope, we love, we pray,

And celebrate the union that God has made.

Q: What's the best thing to do with Cheryl to relieve her of stress and anxiety?
A: Take her to Colorado.

Evidently, Mike had the answer right when he asked me to join him and some of his kids on the 2008 Anderson Family Trip to Colorado.

Being knee-deep in final wedding plans and packing my house in preparation to move to Kearney, losing eight days in order to do nothing had seemed an unnecessary indulgence. Little did I know that removing me from the stress and placing me in the midst of some of God's greatest handiwork is just what the doctor ordered.

I think a person forgets just how huge and breathtaking the mountains are if you go too long without seeing them. And it is more than just a momentary "Oooh" or "Ahhhh." Standing before those magnificent mountains reestablishes your priorities.

It was like a direct message from God that said "Take a moment to ponder the majesty of my creation. Then tell me how important it really is whether to pack your snow globe collection with the glassware or the knick-knacks."

I would like to report that we all survived an entire week with eight adults, a two-year-old and an 11-month-old in Mike's camper. Although while camping, four to five members of the above-mentioned troop slept in a tent, we all were quite cozy during the drives to, from and around Colorado. We mused that the little ones could not comprehend the concept of "vacation," and probably thought that this was how we all would be living from now on.

(Note: Instead of documenting each day of the trip, I have posted photos in the album above titled "Anderson Family Vacation 2008.")

In any case, the entire trip was a joy and I enjoyed the company of each and every one of our little group. Mike's girls are a delight, as are their respective husbands, fiancés and boyfriends. And the little ones -- J.J. and Cheyenne -- added special joy to the trip and provided great entertainment with their cute-ness!

In the end, we returned home safe, but exhausted, and much to our dismay had to return to "real" life. But the trip provided us with amazing memories that I will pull up when I need a break from stress.

"Rocky Mountain High, Colorado..."

Last weekend I was privileged to attend a family get-together with some of the finest people on earth. If you can't tell, I love my family and do believe they are among the greatest people I've ever known.

This was a special reunion, as new and exciting things are happening for many of us.

This get-together marked the first time that most of us got to see the brand new, beautiful home that my cousin Pat and her husband Tom built. It is a gorgeous, white two-story home, built on the farm place near Bennett, Nebraska where Tom grew up (see the photo album above titled "Family Dinner 07-26-08). I am so happy that they were able to build the house of their dreams, and equally excited for the many memories that are bound to ensue over the course of the years in their home.

But there is much other good news in our family as well. Jenna (my cousin Gene's daughter) and Adam are expecting a girl in October. Jeff (my cousin Gene's son) and Heather are expecting a boy in November. And my daughter Carrie and Bob are expecting a baby (gender yet unknown) in February or March. So by next summer, we will have three new babies in the family!

Our family loves babies and has great fun playing with the two little ones we've already been blessed with: Alex (age four) and Ali (nine months). They are the children of Jill (my cousin Pat's daughter) and Brian. They are beautiful children, as surely will be the new little ones. Alex and Ali are also the first children in the family since my son Paul was born in 1985. Yes, we went through a long, dry spell!

The other news, which is not so new any more, is my engagement to Mike. This was an especially joyful family get-together for me, as it was the first time that most of the family got to meet Mike! Mike shared the "newbie" designation with Adam, who are both great guys and fit in perfectly with our clan. Mike told me afterward that my family is "very nice." I agree whole-heartedly.

I suppose as the years progress, our family will grow and we will be blessed with more babies, more marriages and other events to celebrate together. Though in years past, we have lost a number of treasured members of the family (Grandpa Herald, Grandma Elsie, my dad, my mom, Uncle Dale), they are always with us in spirit and are missed every day.

But for now, the continuation of the generations brings us joy, and the treasure of a family whose ties cannot be broken.

God bless us all!

I don't think I've ever really understood the horror of surviving a catastrophic storm, until after living through the storm of June 27. And granted, my experience was very minor compared to many others, but it was very terrifying, nonetheless.

I was driving home from work in Omaha, and was just getting to west Maple Street when I noticed the dark clouds in the west. The clouds looked more and more ominous the further I traveled west, as they were swirling and changing with every minute that passed. (See the photo album labeled "June 27 Storm Damage" above)

I can't believe how dark it got right before the storm hit. Within seconds, it was raining so hard all the cars on Highway 275 were forced to pull over to the side. Visibility was so poor that I couldn't tell if I was on the road, slightly off, or headed for the ditch. The several minutes of terrifying wind, hail and pounding rain seemed much longer than it probably was in reality. I have never experienced wind that strong. I absolutely believed that the wind was going to pick my car up off the road. On Monday, the news stations were reporting winds at least 80 mph, and some reported as strong as 150 mph "north to northeast of Fremont," which is where the brunt of the storm hit (and where I was sitting). In any case, I grabbed my rain coat and covered my face, as I was scared the wind and hail would smash in the windshield of my car. Between the rain and hail pounding on my car and the high winds, the noise was deafening. Needless to say, I huddled beneath my coat and some industrial-strength prayers ensued.

Then, seemingly in a split second, the rain fell to about half of what it had been, the hail stopped and the sky lightened. Just like that. I looked across the highway and there were waves of water washing millions of pea-sized hail across the highway. One of the weirdest things I've ever seen.

Finally, conditions improved and one by one, the cars alongside the highway pulled back onto the pavement to make our way, however uneasily, on to our destinations. I was still so shook up that I missed the Military Street exit off Highway 275, so I had no choice but to head on north to the 23rd Street exit. While sitting in the left turn lane, I was rear-ended by a car in back of me. When I pulled over, I found the driver was a young girl who evidently was pulled off the highway at about the same place that I was. She was still shook up and said she had gotten through the storm by talking on her cell phone to her mother, and said she was screaming and crying through most of it. Anyway, there was no damage to my car. I hadn't noticed until I got out of my car that I was a little shaky from the adrenaline.

A couple hours later I headed out to Mike's for the weekend and found the storm had missed them entirely. His folks weren't so lucky. They live just south of Fremont, a mile west of Woodcliff Lakes -- an area that was severely hit. Pat and Derwin lost three trees, most of their flowers and landscaping, and will have to replace the siding on the west sides of their house and sheds. But that can all be replaced. Pat and Derwin can't. They are okay, other than being tired and stressed from all the clean-up. But we praise God that they are both safe.

After stopping at Pat & Derwin's house on the way back from Mike's, I drove two miles west to the farm where I grew up. (Again, please see photo album above). Most of the crops in that area are a total loss. Every pivot irrigation system I saw was twisted and blown over on its side. Fields were littered with pieces of metal from roofs from some neighboring farm. Stop signs were bent over by the wind. And huge, round bales of hay were blown as far as a half mile away.

My childhood home evidently was severely damaged, as most of the windows on the west and north sides were boarded up. A power line was down across the driveway. Many of the trees from my childhood were snapped off near the ground like twigs, including some of the huge cedars in the front yard, the weeping willow where I spent hours on my favorite tire swing, and some of the fruit trees in the orchard my dad planted back in the 1960s. As the house has to be nearing 100 years old, I wonder if its present owners will deem it worth the money it would take to repair it. I'm saddened  to think about that house being torn down.

In any case, the destruction the storm left in its wake extended to Omaha and beyond. I believe some 120,000 homes were left without power.

It's funny to think that even with all our modern technology, we really are just as susceptible to the whims of nature as our forefathers. We have technology now that gives us warnings as storms approach, but out homes and property are not much better at withstanding storms such as this. But as always, God is in control and those affected by the storm will rebuild. And life goes on...

Dear Friends:

On this most joyous of holiday seasons, I wanted to share with all of you some wonderful news.

As of December 1, I am engaged to be married to Rev. Mike Anderson of Pleasanton, Nebraska.

Mike and I began dating last spring, and it has been a very joyful time for both of us. Mike grew up in Fremont, as did I. In fact we have found that for one year, we lived two miles down the road from each other. Though we did not know each other back then, we have found many other parallels in our lives that have added to our belief that it is God's hand that brought us together.

We are planning a small, simple wedding, probably in September. We will be living in Pleasanton for about nine months. Mike is currently taking a leave of absence from the ministry in order to spend some time doing his favorite hobby: building a huge addition on his house in Pleasanton. He is adding a garage, great room, two bedrooms and bathroom onto a beautiful little house that sits atop a hill overlooking the Methodist Church where he was pastor.

The following June, Mike will return to the ministry, so we will move to whatever church we are assigned to (within Nebraska). Hopefully, I will be keeping my job as a reporter at DTN, and will be able to do my interviewing and writing from wherever we are.

And even more good news: I will be inheriting four stepdaughters: Kata, Sara, Emily and Amanda. I will also have two beautiful grandchildren, as Kata and her husband Johnny have two children: J.J. is 20 months old, and Cheyenne is almost four months old. They are both adorable.

My kids are excited and happy for me, although it will be an adjustment for the three of us to live apart. But I guess that will just mean many visits and phone calls will be required.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my joyful news with you, along with wishes for a very joyous Christmas and happy New Year!

Friday, September 28 - Bon Voyage!

Anxious to get the party going, we chose a 6 a.m. flight. That meant leaving our hometown about 3:30 a.m. That meant getting up at 2:30 a.m. I am not a person who can sleep well when I am overly-excited, so my early wake-up equaled a whopping three hours sleep. (I later found out my companions were similarly sleep-deprived.) Too excited to sleep on the plane, we chatted for the short one-hour flight, and soon landed in Chicago.

To save money, we planned to take the "L" (Chicago's elevated subway system) from O'Hare airport to downtown. This worked out fine, except for the fact that subway turnstiles are designed for people only, NOT people and large pieces of luggage. After some Houdini-style maneuvers, we proceeded onto the subway, where we sat down next to the lovely homeless guy passed out and taking up two seats. We found our stop just fine, but ended up hitting the downtown sidewalks at just about the same time the locals were all scurrying to work. Dodging the copious numbers of office workers, business executives and other "suits," we navigated our way through about eight crowded city blocks, dragging our luggage, until we arrived at our hotel: the Hyatt Regency on East Wacker Drive. (Yes, I said Wacker. Deal with it.)

Of course at 9 a.m., we could not check into our room yet. But thankfully we were allowed to check in our luggage so we could begin our next quest: breakfast. The concierge had given us vague directions to three places with good brunches, so we proceeded to wander downtown Chicago in search of sustenance. Sustenance found and enjoyed at the Ada Café, our next quest was to explore the inner recesses of the gigantic downtown Macy's store (formerly Marshall Field's). While we only touched the surface, we journeyed on to arrive in time for a two-hour bus tour of Chicago's north loop. The tour was wonderful, though after our early wake-up calls, walking and lunch, we all dozed a bit here and there during the tour. The only thing on the tour I am aware of missing is Wrigley Field. I must have been sleeping because I have no recollection of that at all.

After the tour, we journeyed back to the hotel to check in and rest/clean-up a bit. Our lakeside room was quite lovely, with a view of the last block or so of the Chicago River as it empties into Lake Michigan. (We didn't realize until later that we actually could see a little tip of Navy Pier from our window as well.) Dinner plans included a four or five-block stroll to the famous House of Blues, where we enjoyed good food and music. After visiting the gift shop, we walked back to the hotel and were pretty much in bed, asleep and exhausted, by 10 p.m.

Saturday, September 29 - How Much Can We Fit in One Day?

Saturday was to be our biggest sight-seeing day. We planned to ride Chicago's free trolley buses over to Chicago's "Museum Campus," but found we needed to ride a "Red Line" trolley to the point where we could pick up a Green Line trolley that would take us to the museums. Our Green Line trolley, however, broke down en route, so we were told to vacate the trolley and walk about four blocks back to pick up the next one that would come pick us up. So, two hours and three trolleys after leaving the hotel, we finally arrived at the museums. After a quick "Chicago-style" hot dog from a little stand with some picnic tables, our first stop was the Shedd Aquarium where we enjoyed various exhibits and a very cool, live dolphin show. Then we walked over to the Field Museum where we again took in as much as possible.

Our next destination was Navy Pier, and to our delight, we found there was a water taxi near the museum that scooted us quickly over to Navy Pier for the bargain price of $7 each. We arrived just in time for the River Boat Architecture Tour that we wanted to do. I think that may have been our favorite part of the trip. It was a perfect night, not too hot, not too cold. The boat traveled slowly down the Chicago River that winds through downtown, as the narrator pointed out all the significant skyscrapers and buildings, along with some of the history of the re-building of Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

After the boat ride, we walked around Navy Pier and then rode the famous ferris wheel that stands 15 stories high. By this time it was dark, and from the top of the ferris wheel we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the downtown skyline with all the lights. We ended the night with a great seafood dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (the restaurant chain that evolved from the movie Forrest Gump). By this time the free trolleys were no longer running, and we were too tired to navigate the CTA bus system, so we opted for a cab back to the hotel. We didn't realize that our hotel was so close, and the cab fare (with tip) was a mere $7.50. Again, we were settled in for the night, asleep before 11 p.m.

Sunday, September 30: Friends, Family & Fancy Things

Sunday was a grand day of visiting friends and shopping. Sharon's friend Sandy, who lives in a suburb of Chicago, picked us up at the hotel at 9 a.m. and drove us around downtown, pointing out different stores, buildings and other sights. We had brunch at the Grand Lux Café downtown, just off Michigan Avenue. The café was decorated with an opulent Venetian theme, fashioned after the grand cafes and pastry shops of Vienna. It was beautiful and our brunch delicious.

After brunch, Sandy drove us down to Chicago's Magnificent Mile, where we spent the afternoon shopping at some of the high-end stores that comprise the strip of Chicago's priciest real estate. Later in the afternoon, I opted to rest on a bench in the Water Tower Park. The old Water Tower building is one of only two buildings that survived the great fire. There is a lovely, one-block square park with a fountain, benches, and horse-drawn carriages lined up ready for riders. The Water Tower building that day was being used as an art gallery with a special exhibit. We also witnessed a wedding party and photographer shooting wedding photos as well. We ended our "Magnificent" adventure with a trip through the Hershey's Chicago store and an ice cream treat at one of the sidewalk tables outside. Then it was off for our next adventure: dinner with Carol's cousin Bruce and his family.

Bruce had told Carol that if we took the train out to Elmhurst, the subdivision where he lives, he would drive us back to the city later that evening. From the Magnificent Mile, we took a cab to the Ogilvie, or the North Western train station. While I had figured the train would be part of the subway system, this was a regular commuter train. Still, our tickets were only $5 which gave us an enjoyable, half-hour train ride. Bruce picked us up at the Elmhurst stop, and whisked us back to their gorgeous home they built just two years ago. Bruce, a surgeon specializing in pediatric urology, is also somewhat of a gourmet chef, and treated us to a delicious dinner. We enjoyed a scrumptious tri-tip roast cooked on the grill, sweet potato fries, eggplant and tomatoes baked with goat cheese, warm and crusty wheat bread and chocolate bundt cake for dessert. We were fortunate to spend time getting to know Bruce's beautiful daughters, Erin and Bridget, and then Bruce and his beautiful wife Eileen treated us to a tour of their amazing home. About 8:30 p.m., we said our goodbyes and Bruce drove us back to the hotel, a trip that seemed much shorter by car. Again, tired and spent, we retired early.

Monday, October 1: A Glimpse Into the Future

We had decided against scheduling any tours Monday morning, as our flight left O'Hare at 2:30 p.m., and we figured we needed to leave the hotel shortly after noon. That turned out to be a wise decision as when we woke up, it was raining. Carol and Sharon did run out for a quick, last minute quest for a couple gifts for family, and then we ate a quick bite of lunch at the hotel's bistro. We decided against another subway adventure and instead opted to treat ourselves to a cab. The fare and tip was well worth the $45 fare (split three ways) in order to be picked up at the hotel's front door and delivered directly to our gate at the airport.

The ride home would have been relatively uneventful if not for a rather odd observation at the airport while waiting at our gate. Several rows behind us were sitting three elderly, white-haired ladies that were obviously traveling together. I urged Carol and Sharon to take a look (though not at the same time), informing them "This is soooo us in 25 years!"

The well-dressed one in dressy trousers and a well-tailored jacket would be Carol, as she is the fashion icon of our group (and I say that purely in admiration). The cute one in the polo shirt that looked really sweet and a lot of fun would be Sharon. And the frumpy one that can't quite fix her hair right and was always flapping her mouth would be me!

Anyway, in our post-vacation exhaustion, the situation became funnier and funnier the more we discussed it. After many, many guffaws and giggles, the airline finally began calling boarding for the flight. We were amazed to find the three ladies were going to be on the same flight with us.

"Careful not to physically touch or bump into them," I warned my friends, "because we might morph into one person, or spontaneously combust!" (All right, all right. I've been watching too many sci-fi movies, I know!)

After an uneventful flight back home to Omaha, we picked up our luggage and boarded the shuttle van back to the parking area. We were shocked when two of the ladies (future Carol and future Sharon) boarded the shuttle as well. Since future Cheryl was obviously missing, I turned to my friends and exclaimed, "I guess I got lost!"

That was all it took to send Sharon and I into convulsive waves of uncontrollable laughter. (Thankfully, Carol is slightly more refined and has really good manners!) We were just exhausted enough that the whole situation boiled down to one hysterically funny moment, and our bodies shook as we tried to control our laughter. (We couldn't laugh out loud, the ladies were only four feet away!)

We had just managed to regain some sense of composure, when future Carol said to future Sharon, "Well, I'm probably not going to get home until 5:30. You probably won't get there until six." Now under normal circumstances, that would not be the least bit funny. But at that point, it again sent us into more spasms of semi-controlled laughter.

Finally, we (along with future Carol and future Sharon) arrived unscathed back at the parking lot. We loaded our suitcases into Sharon's truck, and after a short stop for some caffeine, made our way back home.

All in all, the trip was a time of joy and a real blessing, at least for me. I have known these wonderful friends since I was 12 years old, and they actually were friends even before that. The three of us have been together through high school, boyfriends, graduations, college, weddings, divorces, births, deaths and all the other experiences life has to offer. My life would have been much less enjoyable if not for the friendship of these two amazing women.

I only hope the next 50 years brings us as much joy as the first! To travels, to friends, to life!