Magnolias....a rerun of a beautiful story

I am sharing a post i received via email tonight. It is a story that has been circulated before, and will be again. Sorry no idea who wrote it.

MAGNOLIAS - I really hope all of you will read this.

 

I was getting ready for my daughter June's wedding which was taking place
in a church about forty miles away, and felt loaded with responsibilities as
I watched my budget dwindle..... So many details, so many bills, and so little
time.

My son Jack said he would walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the
place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying
he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large
magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves
would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the
church.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids
helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do
a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost
fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black.
Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air
conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted
and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather
more flowers, and return in time for the wedding and I certainly didn't have
extra money to buy a new set from the florist in town.

Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these
dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.'
I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the
arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in
this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!'
I scurried out praying for the blessing of white magnolias.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a
house.... no dog in sight.... knocked on the door and an older man answered.
So far so good. No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed....
'I'd be happy to!'

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me.
Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, 'Sir,
you've made the mother of a bride happy today.'

No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.'

'What?' I asked.

'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I
received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday..... He paused.
I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He looked
away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and
on Friday - yesterday - my children left.'

I nodded.

'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I
miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she
needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs
an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder.
'Nobody needs me!'
About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.'

I stood with my mouth open. He asked, 'Are you an angel? I assured him
I was no angel.

He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those
magnolias?'

'No.'

'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower
ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home
have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of
them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches
- all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve
the Lord until the day He calls me home!'

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if
anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have
said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There
is no way I can minister to anyone today.'

But God found a way. Through dead flowers. 'Life is not the way it's
supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes
the difference.'

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh.

But, if you have missed knowing God you have missed everything in the world!!
He can be your everything. May God's blessings be upon you.

THIS IS SO TRUE.... BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO EACH OF US.

  

June 17, 2012

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and dad figures out there. Just as someone can have a mother's heart without having children, so you can have a father heart without children.

It's a rainy afternoon here in the Three Hills/Linden/Swalwell area. How totally blessed we were though that the rain stayed away and the sun shone warmly this morning, and through the graveside service for Aunt Anna Baerg. It was only after while we sat downstairs at the church having lunch with the family that the skies opened up and it rained.

i didn't post last weekend, but i had brought Mom down then, too and we visited family and loved ones in this area, including Aunt Anna, who knew us, but did not respond well. Actually Mom and i came down Thursday, bringing Karen along to see her family as well. We stopped at Barrhead to drop her off at her sister Kim's and then carried on, stopping at Innisfail to see Mom's aunt Helen who turned 100 years young in February before going to Three Hills for the night. Friday we went to Red Deer to see her cousin Luise who lost her husband in May, stopped in Innisfail to see Aunt Helen again, then to Linden to see Aunt Anna. That was a rough day for Mom, seeing those three in the same day. Saturday we saw friends and family in the Linden area, Sunday we took Helen Rose to see her mom in Innisfail, than came back to Linden to visit more. Monday morning we met Karen, her mom and sister and niece for breakfast in Linden and left for home. We met Peter in Fahler, had supper in Eaglesham and were very happy to get home that night.  Either that night or Tuesday we were told Aunt Anna had been moved to palliative care, and she passed away Wednesday.
Friday afternoon Mom and i were on the road to Linden again. It is so great to have a place like the Diamond Inn - Best Western to stay in at Three Hills when we com to the area. Today has been tiring, although Aunt Anna was 95 years old (or young?) and was more than ready to go home. It is really a day of reunion...meeting cousins and friends we hadn't seen, since perhaps 8 years ago when Uncle Peter Baerg passed away.
Now we're taking a break from family. Peter and Karen arrived last night, but left for home just a bit ago. i brought Mom and Aunt Doris (Uncle Abe's widow from Abbotsford, B.C.) to the motel for naps. We plan on going to the Swalwell Hall for 6:00 for supper and memories with the family.

As for life on the Barkman Farms? We have all but 200 acres seeded into either canola, wheat or barley. The 200 acres is hopefully drying this weekend, so we can put canola in there yet. The 200 acres of fescue we had last year will be sprayed out and we plan on seeding that to winter wheat.
Our canola from last year has all be hauled to the elevator, and this last week and next we have wheat to haul to the elevator, and spraying for weeds to do. We don't have a garden, not this year nor last year, and perhaps we will put our garden spot into something else. We do have our flower gardens for when we need garden therapy, and i have strawberry plants. As for fresh produce? we have market gardens and farmer's markets to keep us supplied. And we don't need make work projects.
Now that i've talked your ears off, i will close. Have a great week.

May 30, 2012

Last night we had our first thunderstorm of the year, And was it impressive. With it, came a little rain. Just enough rain to shut down the seeding. It came in fast, from the east, and within 10 minutes of rain, the to the field i was working on was nigh onto impassible with an SUV.  Maybe 15 minutes later  it reached the west field where Peter and Karen were working with the new-to-us seeder. We did get about 200 acres closer to being done this week, and with two units going, it should only be a few more days till we're done for the season. The wheat is all in, only canola and barley left.
The dogs certainly wanted to be close to a human during the storm. These farm dogs suddenly thought they were lap dogs. So sweet though.
It must be spring - we have found kittens. One kitten wandered away from the security of her litter and got caught where her mother couldn't help, so her mom came to the next best source of help - humans. Once we got her baby out of the tough spot, she was anxious to retrieve her though. This mother "looses" about one or two kittens each year in the same spot. You'd really think she'd find another nest, but it is safe from us unless they fall down the wall.

The other litter i came upon as i was looking for lumber. This one had five, and all darkish in color and the mother was very upset and hissing when i took her babies to show the rest of the family. And shortly after i took them back and put them nicely into their nest, she had found another nest for them.  This year it doesn't look like we'll have any tame ones, and the only way i'll get close is if they think i am a dog! The day is coming along, and today we are going for a breakfast meeting so have a great day!

May 22, 2012 diary

it has been 3 weeks since i posted, sorry about that. In the meantime, Spring has definitely arrived. We finished working the fields once, and have the wheat seeded. The canola is next, and we have 146 acres of the 1400 done. Today, we woke to a fine mist, and by evening we had 1 and a half inches! Awesome. Now i hear the birds singing, so it must have tapered off a bit. Mom and i went to Fahler to pick up shanks for the air drill, then met Cathy for lunch at a little roadside cafe. Spent the afternoon making cards...such fun! Tonight we braved the rain and messy roads to go to a neighbor's yard sale. Found a few planters - just in time for planting flowers. The garden is tilled, so will put some flowers in there, and plan on moving my strawberry patch from the west end to the east end. It's been a very busy three weeks, but we have gotten a lot done. So thanks again for visiting

May 1st..diary continued

Yesterday we went to Grande Prairie via Rycroft and Spirit River, leaving Mom's vehicle in Spirit River for an oil change and having lunch at our favorite Chinese Restaurant. Groceries was our big purchase .. getting some at both Costco and Safeway. Originally Mom had said she was staying home, but deciding at the last minute to join us. We filled the coolers and tool box, then stopped at Pizza Hut for supper. While in town, we were told Mom's Envoy was ready for pick up, so we went back home via Spirit River.  Peter's continued home to unload groceries, and Mom asked if i would stop at our dearest friends, Bill & Mildred to let them know we were home. Of course, we couldn't leave before having tea. Awesome visit!
We were just coming up Birch Hills before our place when i had to stop to let a moose cross the road.  Let's not rush, we might stumble! Then about half a mile further, we stopped because a brown bear (black in color, actually) was sitting in our path. Eventually he moved off, but only into the ditch where he sat down to look at us! Probably only about a year old. Cuddlier looking than feeling, i think. Have a great night, and thanks for joining me!

diary - May 1st 2012

It doesn't really seem that long since i posted, but i guess numbers don't lie! Mom and i left Phoenix on the 7:30 evening plane and arrived in Edmonton at 11:30. The flight was good, the trip into the airport with John and Sheri better, and seeing Karen entering the airport lobby just as we picked up our luggage was the best! They loaded our bags (and us) and off to the motel where we were next to the exit door (not far to walk) with a Jacuzzi and a queen bed. Mom and i were too tired to try out the tub, and we slept well. We lazed around abit in the morning, leaving Nisku/Leduc around 11:00 after a hearty brunch at White Spot. Peters' needed to get something at Cabella's, and i went in to look around while Mom stayed on the Envoy. The trip home was good, too, except for the fact that the northbound traffic was stopped for about half an hour on Tower Hill. Although we don't know what happened, we saw a fifth wheel RV with road rash being pulled by a tow truck, and a little later a pick up that looked worse for the wear loaded on a flatbed. With all the traffic on the road, i'm surprised that's all we saw!
We met Mom's sister and her 'new' husband for supper on the way, and had an enjoyable visit and meal. So good get home. The dogs welcomed us royally.

Will continue, so it doesn't get so long.

April 24, 2012 diary

Well, we've set a date for leaving sunny, warm Arizona. We fly to Edmonton from Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday. Peters will be at the airport in Edmonton to pick us up. Of course, since we fly in at midnight, we'll stay night at Nisku. The weather here in El Mirage has been very favorable - the hottest we have seen it has been 107 F. But they say it will cool of this week. Actually, it only got to 97 today. i have started to get ready...the shed is ready for the golf cart, the patio table and bikes are stored. My craft items have been stored for the season. The resort has certainly emptied out this last week. There are three mobile homes occupied right in our vicinity, (one across the street from us and the one just south of us. Very quiet. We expected our painter to show up yesterday or today, but no show. Moms Aunt Helen, who turned 100 years old in February has been moved out of palliative care into a private room at the hospital. it seems she has no recollection of the 3 days she was so sick she didn't eat, though she appears to know that she didn't eat, and that it was because the nurses snitched the things they thought she liked. Her sense of humor is still intact. Peter says it's cold at home...not sure if he is thinking that we'll think it, or if he really feels it's still cold. Thanks for listening again. Have a good night.