DISTURBING DREAM

I had the strangest dream this morning; I had woke up around 4:35 AM, but because I would be with friends around noon, I forced myself to try to get some more zzzz’s in before actually getting up and getting on with the day.

Between 4:35 AM and 6:35 AM, I did actually manage to catch some shut-eye. But a disturbing dream is what woke me up at 6:35.

I remember jerking awake and thinking, “What the heck?!”

And then, immediately reviewing the events to see if there was a message in there somewhere.

Bob was in my dream. We were in a truck – I didn’t recognize the truck; it wasn’t one we had ever owned: but in my dream, it was definitely ours. And the truck bed was loaded with our things. I don’t know where we were headed, but wherever it was … we never got there.

Instead, in my dream, we got sidetracked by some someone who needed help: so Bob parked off the side of a driveway up the road a bit; and walked back to help that person. He acted like he knew him: but that was just Bob’s character – he never met anyone he didn’t immediately befriend. I watched him walk down the road and stand there talking to the other fella. Then, my attention was riveted to my immediate surroundings: a man was on the porch of a house raised off the ground about 6 feet. He was talking to someone out of sight; he didn’t look happy. Pretty soon, a frustrated woman wearing a white tee and jeans met him on the porch and they went into the house together.

When the house door closed, our truck jumped gears somehow, and started rolling backwards – not fast, just moving backwards. I was on the passenger side, and though it was a bench seat … I couldn’t slide over to the driver’s side because there was a pile of stuff heaped in the center of the seat. I glanced out the back window, and tried to get Bob’s attention, thinking, “Bob! Turn around and see what is happening!” At that point, the truck had totally left one side of the road, and slid sideways on the loose gravel; and the tires caught the raised gravel lip. But because there really was no actual shoulder on that edge of the road, the truck left the road and started rolling speedily backwards down an incline: the incline was not steep, but it was angled enough that the truck was moving at a pretty good clip backwards. As it was moving, I lost all sight of Bob, the road, and civilization. The truck, careening backwards and picking up speed, was snapping off tree limbs as it moved further and further away from where it had been parked. I shouted, “Bob! Bob!” – but that was only to comfort myself, because there was no real way that Bob would have heard me … the truck had traveled too far away. I remember thinking, “The truck is going to look like it has gone through a war zone” as I watched the limbs being struck off with the backward propellation. And I started thinking about how to protect myself from serious injury when the truck finally slammed up against something that would halt it. I was hoping I would be able to exit the truck at some point. Knowing Bob would, at some point, notice the truck was missing – I knew he’d start looking for it – and hoped there would be enough evidence at the point where the truck left the roadway; that finding me would happen sooner rather than later. That cheered me up a little and I thought, “I’ll honk the horn to call him to me.”

And then I woke up.

But it did unnerve me a little.

I'M GLAD WE DANCED ANYWAY

Would not have missed the dance for anything.

I married Bob knowing a doctor had told him he may end up in a wheelchair due to a birth defect ... he never did; and we were thankful.

We never had that wheelchair in our lives, but we did have the Grim Reaper dogging us every step of our journey together.

Before our 7^th Anniversary, Bob had already died twice; we lived another 37 years dodging the Grim Reaper. When Bob was served his Heavenly Ticket in December of 2018, he was ready to go Home; and because Elohim had been faithful and compassion to favor me with those extra 37 years following his 1981 death, it wasn’t so hard for me to let him go: Bob and I had in-depth talks about the life we had together, and the Life he was about to enter into/we prayed/I cried/we prayed/I played Southern Gospel music, because that was what Bob liked – and I wanted him ushered into Heaven with singing about the glories of Heaven. The fleshly vessel our spirits are housed in must die to release our spirit. Death does not frighten us.

Death is part of life: can't have one without the other.

That said, I am glad Bob & I danced well together through the life Elohim favored us with.

I love you, Babe.

I would not have missed the dance for anything :-D

MOD KNIT FLORAL KITCHEN TOWEL

Last night, while listening to the blowhard demoncrats say the baseless crap  o.v.e.r.a.n.d.o.v.e.r.a.n.d.o.v.e.r. again … I hauled out my scrap paper, colored felt pens, cotton yarn, knitting needles and crochet hook; and spent the time productively designing and crafting a new Spring kitchen towel - my other ones are getting pretty thin - even cotton yarn starts breaking down over the years.

I had saved a pattern detail I liked (found on Pinterest), so I made a handmade grid using that design to fit MOD towel pattern:

Once the grid fit the gauge, I started knitting. It made listening to the painful and annoying demoncrat twaddle a bit easier to stomach …

MOD Knit Floral Kitchen Towel hemline.

By the time C-Span wrapped up the torturous ordeal, my towel was completed :-D

MOD Knit Floral Kitchen Towel finished - I think it turned out pretty good :-D

This morning, I was getting ready to make crab cakes for freezer meals, when a friend called and insisted that I needed to get out of the house … and join her for lunch downtown at the County Folks Deli on Commerce. She knows I am not “peopling” at the moment, but she said, “Val, you still have to eat: join me.” So, I got dressed, and drove into town – I am eating at home (full course meals, not just snacks), but it did sound inviting to enjoy her company sans judgement. She knows me: she knows my background. There was good convo, good food, no judgement.

I also went for another reason, which I related to her when we were enroute – this is the first time I have been back to the Country Folks Deli since becoming a widow. Bob and I had eaten here at least once a month since they opened for business back in the 1980’s: there are A LOT OF MEMORIES connected to that place. I needed to KNOW that I could walk into that restaurant without breaking down.

I laughed when I sat in our booth and saw this notification above the menus :-D I got a Reuben, a Root Beer; they didn't have Coke, and a slice of Cheesecake (Bob always got a root beer) - and she got a Salad and a Diet Pepsi.

This sign made me smile, because we were 2 old country hens enjoying a peaceful lunch; surrounded by an atmosphere that caters to country pleasures.

Back home, I finished making and frying the crab cakes (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/01/maryland-crab-cakes-recipe.html). And, after I post this post to Blog, I am going to finish a matching blue dishrag for MOD Floral Kitchen Towel ;-)

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES Recipe

These crab cakes are delish.

They are simple and quick to make.

This recipe comes from my ‘Weight Watcher’s Favorite Homestyle Recipes’ cookbook.

Because my body does not process some foods safely, I have to be very careful what I eat … and because I enjoy a wide variety of foods – including those on the medical “no-no list”; I have to find ways to incorporated the foods I like into my strict eating regimen. I like nuts and cornmeal; so, these things have to be ground as finely as possible, to cause as little/no harm to my body as possible.

Today, I ground cornmeal into a powder:

Cornmeal ready to be ground.

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES Recipe ~ Makes 4 servings

14 ounces cooked Crabmeat (I use imitation crab meat) * 12 Saltine Crackers, crushed * 1 large Egg, beaten * 1/4 cup. Chopped Onion * 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons reduced-calorie Mayonnaise * 2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice * 1 Tablespoon dried Parsley * 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce * 1/2 teaspoon hot Pepper Sauce, or to taste * 1/4 cup Cornmeal

In large bowl, combine all ingredients except cornmeal until thoroughly blended, Shape mixture into 4 patties.

Place cornmeal on medium plate; coat both sides of patties with cornmeal …

I breaded my cakes on a wax-papered cookie sheet: laid a layer of cornmeal down - topped with patties; sprinkled cornmeal on the patties.

Spray large non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat 1 minute; place cakes in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook until other side is golden – about 3 minutes longer:

I used imitation crab meat - tripled the recipe & made 12 patties; freezing them in portions for future meals. Cooked imitation crab meat is safe to refreeze, cooked.

Each serving: 130 calories, 5 g Protein, 5 g Fat, 15 g Carbohydrate, 18 mg Calcium, 214 mg Sodium, 64 mg Cholesterol, 1 g Dietary Fiber

2 CORINTHIANS ~ Chapter 4

2 CORINTHIANS ~ Chapter 4

“Through His mercy, we have taken up this service; therefore, we are not faint-hearted. We have put a ban on secret and disgraceful methods. We refuse to practice deceit and to falsify the Word of God. But, by an open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves before Elohim to the conscience of every man. And if there is a veil also over our Gospel, it is there only to those that are lost. They are the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded. They are kept from seeing the radiant light of the Gospel of the glory of mashiach, Who is Elohim’s own likeness.

Surely, what we preach is not ourselves, but Yeshua Ha’Mashiach as Adonai ; and about ourselves we simply say that we are your servants for Yeshua’s sake. For Elohim, Who once said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, has shone in our hearts to give us light and to give us knowledge of Elohei’s glory, as seen int eh face of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.

We keep this treasure in bodies of clay, to show that the surpassing power is from Elohim and is not in us. And so, though we are at times perplexed, we are never crushed; and though we are persecuted, we are not forsaken; ad though struck down, we are not destroyed. In our bodies we always carry with us the death of Adonai Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be set forth in our lives. That is, if while still living we are always suffering death on account of Yeshua, it is in order that the living power of Yeshua may also work in our mortal frame. So, while death is at work in us, life is also working in you.

We have the same kind of faith as the one who wrote, “I believed, therefore, I spoke”, and so we speak as we believe. We know that He also raised Adonai Yeshua from the dead will also raise us with Yeshua, and will give us, together with you, a place in His glory. We are doing all these things for your sake, so that, as grace reaches out to more and more, the thanksgiving that will go up in praise to Elohim will also increase.

No, we do not lose heart. On the contrary, even when our outer nature is wearing out, our inner nature is, notwithstanding, being renewed from day to day. We have trials, but they are light and for the moment only, and they work out for us a blessedness that is beyond all comparison, and everlasting. Oh, if we could turn our thoughts to things unseen, rather than to things visible! For the things we see are transitory, but things unseen are eternal.

**2 CORINTHIANS 3: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/01/2-corinthians-chapter-3.html

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