I bought a book with the sole purpose of ruining It

There's a part of me that yearns to be an artist. To make something beautiful, imaginative, unique. So I've decided to unleash my creativity. I bought this book:

Here's a photo of the title page:


Inside, the pages offer simple instructions.
Tame ones, such as:
* Add your own page numbers,
* Poke holes in this page using a pencil,
* Draw fat lines and thin,
* Press leaves and other found things, and
* Do some rubbings with a pencil.
And wilder ones, such as:
* Burn this page, and
* Eat some colorful candy and lick this page (um, excuse me, not so sure).

I'm not sure I ever could have allowed myself to buy this book, if not for the love (a.k.a. Amazon gift card) of a friend. And I still worry that it's a frivolous way to spend my time. (Responsibilities, you know.) But the longing to create is powerful and compelling.

So I remind myself that the Ultimate Creator made me in His very own image, and my creating can bring Him honor, if only in its representation of his Nature. So I'm allowing myself a few minutes every day to, ahem, WRECK this journal.

My hope is that I'll begin to see the world -- His world -- in new ways. And that somehow, that will translate itself into artistic abandon.

I'll keep you posted.

God woos

I wish I could say I live this life of faith heroically. I don't.

Often, the struggle far outweighs the faith. I wrestle with God.

Usually, it's when I'm at this hard place, in the midst of the fight, that He offers the strongest glimpses of Himself.

Grace, that's what it is. Grace, that He would love me enough to woo me back into His presence.

Last Friday, I did some wrestling with God. Angry, bitter and confused. The boil of unbelief was festering into a wretched, sickening wound. And I was weeping and wailing and (yes) wrestling. Until I walked outside and saw this:

And this:

And this:

The world all around had a golden cast. It was glowing.

The sky was positively radiant. It was breathtaking.

And I was stunned. Awed by a glimpse, given by grace.

The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Psalm 19: 1

New favorite quote

"Call it romantic nonsense if you will,

but there are epiphany moments, in which new revelations

seem to summon us from a contentment with who we are

to new spiritual adventures.

These epiphanies enable us to cast off our dull

religious comforts

in favor of a riskier pilgrimage."

Calvin Miller, The Path of Celtic Prayer

Praise God for epiphany moments.

Philadelphia Museum of Art: photos, trivia and a question for you

Finally, I've taken time to add images of the fabuloso paintings we saw up close and in person when we went to Philadelphia. Over the past several years, I've taught homeschooled junior-high and high-school students who attended my Art Infatuation class about every artist represented here (with the exception of the unknown one at the end). And in most cases, we studied these exact paintings! Joy!

A bit of trivia:

The Toulousse-Lautrec was the first one I saw that I recognized when we entered the galleries.

A print of the Renoir has hung in my bedroom for the last 15 years. It can't begin to compare with the original!

I was most surprised by the Rousseau. Strikingly beautiful.

I hyperventilated when I walked around a corner and came upon Picasso's Three Musicians. How many times have I exposed students to this painting, and I never knew how LARGE it was (not as big as the Cezanne, but almost).

The Leger made me think of Connie Skellie.

Every painting by Degas was hung in a dark room. Hence, no photos.

There were many Cassatts, but the colors were stunning in the one featured here.

I still don't understand the popularity of Mondrian. (I'm sure it had SOMETHING to do with the art climate of the time -- contemporary, cutting-edge, graphic art-ish, etc.)

I do undertand the popularity of the Rothko. Plain, but captivating.

A bit of a challenge:

In the movie Notting Hill, Julia Roberts gave Hugh Grant a painting by one of the artists featured in this slideshow. Any guess which artist? (Come on now -- no cheating!! Don't look it up on the Internet. If you remember off the top of your head, I'll be SOOOO impressed!)

Awe, and surrender

Awe
Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.

(Habakkuk 1:5)

And Surrender
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.

(Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Thanks, Debbie Landry, for hugs and Habakkuk.

The Gospel, the call, and a plea

Isaiah 6:1-8
Holiness
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Sinfulness
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Cleansing
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."

A Call
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

And a Plea
Precious friends, I can tell this is going to be a long process, this journey to Ireland. I believe, and I fail to believe. Please pray that my heart will trust God in the midst of discouragements, and that I might be the aroma of Christ to the world.

Happy 13th Birthday, Eli

Eli wasn't supposed to be born on this day. But he was. And the story of his birth is one of my favorites, because it so well illustrates God's ability, His tendency, to take our best-laid plans, turn them upside-down (despite our groanings and lamentings), and delight us with something better.

Eli was supposed to be born on Aug. 2. Having delivered his older sister by c-section two years earlier, the doctors were watching me closely. I'm a small woman, and they could tell this was going to be a big baby. I wanted to deliver vaginally, not by another c-section, and the doctors were a little concerned by the baby's size. "Need to induce," said my hero-doctor Bill McKenzie, "not let this baby get any bigger." So plans were set in motion: Hospital pre-admitted me, and family scheduled the day off of work. For more than a week, we knew our baby would be born on Aug. 2.

I worked my final pre-natal day of work on Aug. 1, and arrived at my mother-in-law's home late that afternoon to pick up Emma, then 2. And that's where we received the call. At 4:30 p.m. the day before I was supposed to have this baby, my insurance company blocked my induction. Too late to appeal. We would not need to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. the next day; we would not be having a baby that day.

For three days we fought the insurance company. I begged them to let me talk with their doctors (they refused); my doctor pleaded my case (large baby, small woman, VBAC); BellSouth's vice president of benefits (who oversaw my communications department as well) even got involved. Finally, late Friday afternoon (three days later), Dr. Mc's office called. Now past my Aug. 4 due date, the insurance company had approved an induction for first thing Monday morning. I was to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. on Aug. 7.

Our plan had been to take Emma to my in-laws' house the night before, so we took her over on Sunday evening, dressed in her little pink pajamas, with her baby stroller and baby doll in hand. We returned home, got our things in order for the next morning, and went to bed. And can you guess what happened next? Just after midnight, I awoke, not experiencing contractions, but feeling rather funny. And then the contractions came. And God gave me the moment I had truly longed for, the moment of gently nudging my husband awake to tell him it was time.

We were at the hospital by about 2 a.m., and I received my epidural right about the time I'd been scheduled to arrive at the hospital for the induction. Eli came three hours later, just after 8 a.m.

My chronically ill mother, the only one who had arrived at the hospital for what she thought was to be a 5:30 a.m. induction, was alone in the waiting room. She joined us just minutes after Eli's birth, the first family member to see him. And she saw the nurse measure and bathe and swaddle him. And it was the delight of her life.

We named Eli after my grandfather (Elliott) and after Steven (Gerald), but we called him the name we'd come to love because of a song sung by our favorite musical artist, Rich Mullins. Here's a link to the song. (Click on Play Song in the window where my link takes you.)

Happy birthday, son! I pray that the eyes of your heart shine bright with the hope to which you're called, And may you know with all the saints the height, the depth, the width, and the length of the love of God for you.

Milestones

Weeks go by. Always, they're busy. But often, also rather ordinary -- the routine playing-out of an existence where I can so easily be immune to the "otherworldness" of my days.

Not so right now. This week, I'm keenly aware of the passage of time. The need to LIVE each moment in "otherworldness" -- with a view toward the sacredness of it -- is penetratingly sharp to me.

Maybe that's because this week is so full of milestones for the Morgan family. I'll warn you; they're making me a little weepy.

Isabella Mae turned 6 on Friday. My baby. Six years old. I remember the day that happened to Maja; Annika celebrated her sixth birthday, and the realization that all of my dear friend's children were GROWING UP was etched in my memory forever. Now, I am that woman. All of my children are growing up. And the paradoxical reality is that even as the days DRAG ON sometimes, they are simultaneously speeding by. And there are only so many moments to love the children. Only so many moments to nurture and talk and cry and laugh. Only so many moments to point them to "the True Otherworldness."

Ah, Jesus. The one whom we seek to introduce to the world on this journey we make toward Ireland. Last night, we made our first "formal" support-raising presentation. We were with sweet friends -- church family who encouraged us not only to share our story and vision with them, but to treat them as guinea pigs for our formal presentation. It was too long. I fear we bored them. But we can now officially say that we're raising support to go to Ireland. I'm ecstatic. But also overwhelmed by the immensity of the venture.

Sandwiched between these events (Bella's birthday and the official start of support-raising), Bella started school. Not at home. Away. And she has a teacher. And her teacher's name is not "Mommy." Truly, there's a part of me that's sad about that. But I'm surprised (though I shouldn't be) and grateful at the grace God has given as we've taken this step. I didn't cry when I took her to school on Monday. I didn't even feel like crying. I prayed. I prayed for her. I prayed for her teacher (Mrs. Jennifer). And, praise God, I trusted that Valley View is the perfect place in God's perfect plan for Bella. An exciting milestone -- in her life and in our journey toward Ireland -- and one which, like the others this week, makes me keenly aware of the passage of time.

Did I tell you, Eli officially turns 13 tomorrow. Two teens in our home. (More of your Spirit, Lord. More of your Spirit.) I can understand now why tradition graduates 12-year-old males from a title of "master" to one of "mister." Eli has changed SO MUCH in the last year. He looks more like a man, sounds more like a man, and has strength more like a man. Again, keenly aware of the passage of time.

And keenly aware of my own inadequacy. I'm not sufficient to love, nurture, talk, cry and laugh enough. I'm not sufficient to point my children, or the world, to Jesus. I'm not sufficient to let go of life as I've known it. I'm not sufficient to parent two teens. Or AJ. Or Bella. Much less all four.

In the "Otherworldness" paradigm, though, in my place of weakness is exactly where I'm meant -- and privileged -- to be. Because that's where Jesus will be most real to me, and therefore most beautiful to my children and most captivating to the world.

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Cor. 12:9

Sugar and Spice

Happy, happy birthday, my beautiful six-year-old Bella Girl.

A poem by e.e. cummings

i thank you god for most this amazing

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any -- lifted from the no
of nothing -- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e.cummings, American poet, 1894-1962


I don't really know much of the biography or beliefs of e.e.cummings (a study for another day), but I love his style. His lack of punctuation, unconventional sentence structure, and oddly placed modifiers require me to stop and THINK about what he's saying. I don't pretend to understand all that he's saying here, but I do think he lyrically expresses the wonder and awe of God's immutable power and His general revelation of Himself.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made ..." Rom. 1:20

Prayer card photo shoot

Thanks, Whitney Preg, for the great pics!

Life, and a bowl (or cone) of ice cream

Have you ever considered that all you need to know about an individual's approach to life can be determined by a half gallon of neopolitan ice cream?

Case in point ...

Last night, I went to the grocery store. I bought butter, a package of chocolate-covered marshmallow cookies, neopolitan ice cream, and a few other items. Before I'd pulled the car to a stop in the driveway, Bella and AJ were out the front door of the house, waiting for me. They knew I was bringing home dessert.

We were keeping the Preg boys, so I told all the kids to stay out of the kitchen until I called them in one-by-one. (Small kitchen, you know -- not nearly large enough for six kids all at once.) I let each child tell me what kind of ice cream they wanted -- and it occurs to me now that my kids chose ice cream that fits their outlook on life PERFECTLY!

Eli, the "safe" one who prefers things plain, simple and familiar, chose chocolate and vanilla. No strawberry.

Emma, the "luxurious" one who prefers to be pampered, chose (you guessed it) mostly chocolate.

AJ, the "quirky" one whose all about some creativity and uniqueness, didn't care what colors he had, so long as we topped it with some crushed-up, chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie.

And Bella, the "spirited" one who enthusiastically embraces life, communicated vivaciously that she wanted "some of all the colors."

I, the "somewhat-creative recovering perfectionist," indulged in a little of the colorful fare myself: strawberry inside the cone (to be enjoyed last), with chocolate and vanilla swirled together on top.

G-Love, the "resourceful" one who likes to do things in his own time, didn't partake along with the rest of us. Later, sitting peacefully in his big green chair, he enjoyed his particular selection: all the colors, easy on the chocolate, with maraschino cherries (scavenged from the fridge) on top.

So there you go -- life, and a bowl (or cone) of ice cream.

Museum-worthy

Happy Birthday, G-Love

So if you're reading this blog, you know me well enough to know that I met this guy



when he was just 15. I bet you thought it was his vast intellect, quick wit and all-around "G"odliness that attracted me to him. Nope. Curly black hair, unusual laugh, charm. (He was quite the flirt!)

Home life was tough for me at that time, and it wasn't long before I grew to love his reaction to my grandmother. Her actions that I met with anger and bitterness, he met with gentleness and patience. Quite remarkable, actually.

That was almost 27 years ago. Today, the G turns 42. And I see beyond the curly black hair (that's a good thing, huh?) and unusual laugh (though I still love it). He's wise and hilarious and intelligent and affectionate. He's real about his struggle, and his need for Christ. A Godly man who gives Godly counsel. He's a visionary who loves the gospel, and he longs to see God's Church grow and His Kingdom come. He parents our children with wisdom and tenderness.

God (in His perfect wisdom, grace and love) knew there was noone better suited to me.

I hope it's the perfect sort of day for you, my Love. I'm celebrating the fact that you were born.

Random activity

Ah. Finally some respite from the crazy busy life of the last two months. G-love is on the mend, newsletter went to press, grades are completed, 500 are served. There's still plenty to do (when do I not face deadlines?), but there is momentary respite, for which I'm glad.

So last night, after the feeding of the 500 (while we were skipping the Moody fireworks for the first time EVER), I started reading eclipse, the third in the Twilight vampire series. It's a 600-page book. I read 80 pages last night, so at this rate, it'll take me about a week to complete it. (Curse slow reading.)

Of course, the craziness will begin again. There's a little girl's birthday party to plan (makeovers with Bella, anyone?), a teenager's birthday to plan (airsoft and seafood for Eli, who's turning 13), and school prep to be done.

And I have, oh, about 3 weeks to complete the summer projects I planned, but have yet to begin. Among them:
* sorting and purging 20 years of photographs that are in boxes in my garage (I think I need my sister-in-law for that activity),
* painting and distressing the bench in my hallway,
* scrapbooking,
* painting the bedroom (still not done, though I do have a lovely updated bathroom, thanks to the G).

Speaking of bedrooms, Bella has outgrown her bed, so I've promised her a larger bed for her birthday. (I mean, come on, she will be six. She can't stay in a toddler bed forever.) So somehow we have to figure out how to put two twin beds and all the stuff of two teenage girls (one who's really a teen and another who thinks she is) into a space barely large enough for one. Suggestions?

And I'm longing for some hangin' out with the girls time. Takers?.

But, alas, I choose first the obsession (uh, twilight series) and the updating of the ole blogaroni (see link for Anna Bedsole's blog, newly discovered this morning.)

Oh, and while you're on the blog circuit, the hubs updated our Ireland blog yesterday; check it out at www.morganjourney.blogspot.com. I'm most anxious to begin telling the story of Ireland, sharing the vision for the gospel there, and seeing God make things happen.

Improvements coming

I've decided I absolutely MUST become more proficient with blog technology. I've been playing around with the blogger dashboard (oh, for all of about 10 minutes), and just thought I'd let you know improvements to the old blogaroni are in the works. I'll be adding links to sites that interest me, a list of books you absolutely MUST read (and a list for your wee ones, too), as well as links to all the blogs of my friendlies out there. Of course, I'll be doing this in my oodles of spare time (hear sarcasm), so don't expect to see it, like, today or anything. Good things come to those who wait.

Overhaul

World Harvest has given me an assignment. I’m to write a paragraph describing what God is doing in my life, how he’s changing me – how he’s “overhauling” me, to be precise. I’m finding this assignment impossible. How in the world do you tell someone in one paragraph what God has done for you? What he’s still doing for you?

I’ve begun the assignment about 20 times. (OK, a bit of an exaggeration, but only a bit.) I think the problem is that I can’t decide which approach to take. It’s like a 747 is circling through the sky and can’t decide where to land, even though there are a dozen or so available runways below.

So instead of continuing to try to organize all my thoughts before I write, I’ve decided to just write – off the top of my head – and hope inspiration will come. (OK H.S., that’s your cue.)

Should I write about the distant past and its contrast to the present? (It’s a good story, I think – not because of me, but because of the faithfulness of God.) Or maybe I could explain the two scriptures that I think summarize my life (Jeremiah 2:13 and 1 Cor. 1: 26-31). Perhaps I should write about the threads God is weaving through my life right now (biblical truths that cut to the heart of my struggles).

Struggles. Maybe, as I’m sitting here, I’m recognizing that the only way to talk about how He’s changing me is to be real about how I struggle.

I struggle with self-absorption -- most notably, a need for approval and validation. All too often, I live believing my value is based on my performance: how well I educate my children, how much ministry I can pull off, whether or not people enjoy my company. I’m not only unbroken over my own sin, but frequently blind to it altogether. I struggle with envy, and anger, and fear. I struggle with all those things. And more.

God’s “overhaul” of me hasn’t been to miraculously remove the struggle, but to teach me, in the midst of it, to run to Him. To trust in the righteousness of Christ given over to me. To recognize these struggles as the present value of the blood of Christ for me.

World Harvest Staffer Meredith Elder, my friend and mentor, once told me that long permanent change is made up of many millions of little beliefs and repentances. God is overhauling me: by His grace, he’s teaching me to believe and repent. In the process, by way of the millions of little beliefs and repentances, I believe He’ll make me more like Jesus. That’s His job, not mine.

"They said therefore to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:28-29

A word or two

Funny – for a writer, sometimes I’m a woman of very few words. There are encyclopedias worth of things I’m feeling, thinking, experiencing, but the words just don’t come.

This is one of those times.

So let me just say that the flesh is alive (though dying) and the enemy is devouring (yet defeated).

I am weary with my own lack of believing.

Approved

On our first morning in Philadelphia, I wanted Steven to be able to sleep in, and the morning was a good opportunity to read some scripture and pray a bit. So I woke early (my new habit), went downstairs to our hotel lobby, bought a cup of Starbucks coffee, and found a relaxing place outside to sit for a while. The weather was mild, and the scenery (against the backdrop of the Delaware River) was peaceful. I relaxingly polished off about half my coffee and as much of the muffin, pondering all the while about the events to come. Then I picked up my Bible, hoping to find scripture that would offer encouragement for the days to come, and guidance in how to pray.

I had recently memorized a verse in Isaiah 30, and found my mind continually going to that place, so I decided to start at the beginnning of the chapter and read my way through it. What I didn't know is that Isaiah 30 is written as a message to the Israelites, who are attempting to flee to Egypt in the face of impending attack by the Assyrians.

Here are some key passages in my part of this story:

verses 1-2"'Ah, stubborn children,' declares the Lord, 'who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!' ...

verses 8-11"And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. For they are a rebellious people, lying chilren, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel. ...

verses 19b-21a"He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it ...

verses 30-33
"And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod. And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight them. For a burning place has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it."

As I read these parts of the Israelites story, God used them in a powerful way to lead me in how to pray.

First (based on verses 1-2) ... that we wouldn't try to carry out a plan that wasn't his plan, and that we wouldn't try to make an alliance that wasn't his alliance. That we wouldn't set out to "go down to Egypt" (even if Egypt, for us, was Ireland) without seeking his direction.

Second (based on verses 8-11) ... that we would be willing to hear the instruction of the Lord, even if that meant a second rejection. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, I prayed that the "seers" (translation, assessors) would see what they needed to see in us, both strengths and weaknesses, and that we wouldn't go wanting them to "speak to us smooth things" or "prophesy illusion."

Third (based on verses 19b-21a) ... that we would "hear the word" of our Teacher: "This is the way, walk in it."

And finally, I thanked God for the promise, illustrated in verses 30-33, that he powerfully prepares the way.

Later, as Steven and I waited for Meredith Elder to collect us from the train stop, we had time to discuss and wonder at the way God met with me that morning.

Today, days later, we walked into a room and were issued an invitation to join World Harvest Mission. And we marvel at the full assurance he has given us as we've heard his word: "Go."

Update

It's 5 p.m., and we don't have to leave the World Harvest offices to go to dinner for another hour, so I thought I tried to give a brief update on the blog.

We arrived late saturday, after an hour delay at the airport due to weather in the Philly area. Found our lovely, price-lined, four-star hotel easily, then walked to the nearby historic district for a late dinner. Found a little corner restaurant where we ate Italian food al frescoe.

Yesterday, we rode the loop bus through town to the Museum of Art. Can you say "Impressive"? Seriously, my heart was beating wildly as we walked into one of the HUNDREDS of galleries, and saw multiple Renoirs! Many, many, many Van Goghs (sunflowers), Cezannes (amazing), Degas (dancers), Monets, Manets, Picassos (three musicians), Chagalls, Rubens, Mondrians, Legers, Gaugains, Munchs -- you get the, uh, picture! I LOVED it! We were exhausted, but had to catch our bus back to the hotel, where we collected our luggage and then caught the train to meet our World Harvest contact.

Last night, we met many of the WHM staff and all of the candidates. It was a good dinner, and each candidate/candidate couple got to share their story.

Today, we have had multiple meetings and group/team building exercises; they've been fun.

Tonight, dinner at a staff member's house.

Please pray on our behalf tomorrow -- we'll be in interviews all day long.

Must go now -- I'm on a borrowed computer.

Toddles, then, til later,

Laura