Cheri and I stayed overnight in Grafton last night. It appears that there is a growing need for Cheri’s mom to have someone around both day and night at her place. I believe it is more psychological than physical, as she has expressed quite a bit of anxiety in having no one around. So, we headed up yesterday morning and stayed overnight, and then came back home early this afternoon. I’m sure we will head up again sometime this week. It’s been a truly difficult time, as medications are trying to get sorted out, and some work out well, while others seem to be creating more discomfort than help. It’s all part of the process, we know, but it makes things pretty hard, nonetheless.
But we had/wanted to come home this afternoon because it is our 40th Anniversary Eve! Yes indeed, June 12, 1981, we were hanging banners in the church, and getting ready for the rehearsal, and then the groom’s dinner. Cheri and I were talking about it all, and came to the realized agreement that our wedding may have been about the simplest one in a decade. All the planning and arrangements were intentionally simple, and looking back, kind of sweet. I’ll talk more about it all tomorrow. So today, when we got home, we both realized that in the whole universe of “stuff” with Cheri’s mom this past week, neither of us had gotten a card for the other. So, off to Hallmark, after deciding we were only going to give each other one card apiece. This went a bit against normal protocol, since for most anniversaries and Christmases, we give each other the chance to buy a nice romantic card, and then a goofy one. I guess this year, spending 40 years together, it was time for just a romantic card. I bought a doozie. I expect she will cry. After we got back home, we actually sat down and watched a tv show for about a half hour, and then got up to do the different errands that needed to happen – flowers to get deadheaded, outdoor cushions brought back outside, and opening up the gazebo to run some fresh air through it. You see, even though we haven’t had much rain, we have spent an inordinate amount of time opening the windows of our little place in the backyard, and then closing it back up when a threat of rain was offered. It looks like we have until Wednesday before the rain comes down, so it was worth the opening up – we hope. We were going to sit out on the back patio, but we are still in the midst of a pretty strong heat wave, so after starting to dry roast like Mr. Peanut, we came in and will try again later this afternoon when the shade is with us. I guess what I am trying to get across is that on the eve of our ruby anniversary, things are pretty normal, actually. I would have loved to celebrate with a big trip or even a big party, but right now it appears that the best place to be is here, and a bit lower key than we might have wanted. Maybe the 50th will be a good time. We did decide, however, that instead of a big trip, that we would exchange another set of rings – not for a wedding, but for the ring finger on the right hand. Rubies really weren’t available, and they are a bit fragile, so we went with a diamond ring for each of us. Very simple, and pretty, and when we go out to eat tomorrow noon with the boys, we will take the time to exchange them, and once again profess our love. So – anniversary eve is a sweet time, and one to always cherish, just as tomorrow will also be a great day to spend together. I hope when you have those particular days in your life, that you also will be intentional about sharing it with the ones you love, or at least take time to remember them tenderly if they are no longer with you. Love is God’s way of filling our heart with joy, and filling our lives with meaning. I pray both of those gifts for you, as Cheri and I get ready to do so tomorrow – on the wedding day. Word for the day: interlard. Pronounced in-ter-LARD. It’s a word with actually a very pretty meaning, but it starts out as anything but… you can perhaps sort out the word, including the Latin lardum, which means “fat, or bacon fat.” Mom would have a small aluminum container by the stove that held the renderings after she would fry bacon – it read “lard.” So, the French entrelarder means “to mix something with alternate layers of fat.” In cooking, if you don’t get carried away with lo-cal and lo-fat, it can be a tasty enterprise. Some chefs use duck fat for a delicious taste. However, “interlard” comes to mean something far more distinctive and distinguished. The word is defined as bringing diversity by adding something unique, striking or contrasting to the project. Our eyes always shine a bit brighter when we see a piece of furniture or some other creation that may have been built simply, but then has the interlard infused into it. We have a few antique Norwegian immigrant trunks – one dating from 1799 – and we know it’s that old because after it was put together, including an ancient looking iron key, someone painted all sorts of designs on the front and top – and included the date as well. A wonderful interlard, I must say…
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AuthorAfter 43 years of ministry, Randy Cross lived his "fourth life" and shared about retirement, living boldly and intentionally in our world. To be sure, there was some North Dakota thrown in. Archives
March 2023
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