Rescued Again!

I believe that every day I live is a miracle from God.

He enables me to wake up in the morning.

He gives me the breath and strength for each new day.

But occasionally he does something spectacular.

Something no one could deny is a miracle.

I related the most memorable of those 

HERE

Just click and read about a miracle that saved a trip

to Jordan for about 20 people!

In a real dichotomy of location, my latest miracle

happened in Las Vegas.

You may have read that I visited there recently

with two girlfriends.

One of the highlights of our visit was seeing

"O" at the Bellagio Hotel.

I was staying at a different hotel

 from Joyce and Adelene, one which required my taking an uber to the Bellagio.

That ride was amazing.

The car was the nicest uber vehicle I have ever been in.

The driver's name was Humayun.

He told me he was retired and gave all the money he

made from ubering to charity.

We discussed at length our mutual faith in God.

I remember feeling so blessed that I got him to drive me!

(I had no clue how blessed I was.)

We had a wonderful fish and chips dinner at Bellagio.

When we got ready to pay, the bottom fell out.

Not only did I have no credit card in my purse,

I also had no driver's license, which was required to

claim my ticket for "O."

In order to claim my ticket, the agent had to call my

hotel to verify my identity!

I guess you can imagine that I did not enjoy "O" 

as much as I could have.

(I was able to appreciate that it is about the most

spectacular show I have ever seen!)

My only hope was that I had left the two cards

in my hotel room, but I was almost sure I hadn't.

I paid cash for a taxi back to my hotel after the show.

My heart sank as I searched in vain for my cards.

How was I even going to fly home without my I.D.?

Then I received a message on my cell phone.

It was from uber asking me to call them.

I was told lost items had been found by my uber

driver in his car!!!

I almost can't believe this as I type it.

Humayan drove 25 minutes back to my hotel

to bring me my cards.

An observer would have thought we were long

lost friends when he got there.

I hugged and hugged him (and gave him a huge tip!)

He called me and told me I gave him too much money!

Some people never learn.

Here is the "cute" purse I was carrying that night.

Like the bag in Jordan, it did not close securely--

no zipper.

One little magnetic snap which sometimes did and

sometimes didn't catch!

I really feel like the Lord has given me more

than my allotted share of miracles

regarding open top cute bags.

But no one could be more grateful than I am.

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with

all my heart.

I will tell of your wonderful deeds."

Psalm 9:1

My Wings Have Been Clipped

"Into each life some rain must fall...

(followed by large hail and damaging winds.)"

That last part is not really me, 

but it is raining pretty good!

I have severe osteoarthritis in my right knee, to the

 extent that I need a total replacement.

It was rather difficult, to put it mildly, for me to be

convinced that this was really the case.

Since the first of the year I have been to 

Las Vegas 3 times.

The first time I bussed to the west rim 

of the Grand Canyon.

And I walked 13,000 steps one day to ride the big ferris

wheel, The High Roller.

The second time I took a much longer trip in a van to

the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

This nearly killed me.

The third time I went with two girlfriends--one 

who had never been before, and one who had not been 

in about 28 years--and walked 10,000 steps one day.

(By this time what I was doing was not really walking

but rather limping or "cripping" as I called it!)

Actually, I was riding in a wheelchair through the

Las Vegas airport on my 3rd return home!

Between the second and third trips I spent a week

 on the largest cruise ship in the world,

 the Harmony of the Seas.

Trips #1, 2, 3, and 4 were completely nuts!

I call myself the eternal optimist. "Oh, I can make it!"

"I don't want to be a hypochondriac!"

Now I have to carefully plan my parking when I go

to Waco!

And...I am not getting to go to Ogunquit, Maine, to

see my Madeline in From Here to Eternity.

On second thought, THIS is the large hail and

damaging wind.

I am completely crushed.

Also heart breaking to me is the fact that I can't

handle singing in the choir any more. 

Even if I can crip in to the loft,

the range of motion in my bad knee is so limited that

I can't straighten that leg, so after minutes I

begin to feel unsteady and can't continue standing.

I mustn't go any longer without acknowledging

that I fully realize my problem is fixable.

Some of you have situations which are not.

I am blessed way beyond what I deserve, and I

do not know why.

Since I irresponsibly tortured myself through these 

trips, I wish to "share" (probably "bore") you

with some photographic proof!

 Foolhardy Trip #1

This is the location of the glass floor over the

Grand Canyon, which was on my bucket list.

This eagle formation in the canyon was beautiful.

And the man made attraction-The High Roller

and me riding

(I'm hiding my pain!)

Double Foolhardy Trip #2

South Rim--added to my bucket list after the West Rim

At Mather Point

Really Questionable Trip #3

Jay and Terri took this picture from the live web cam

 of me actually departing from Ft. Lauderdale

In Labadee, Haiti

How big was the ship?

16 decks of mile long corridors!

I got to tour the bridge, limping all the way!

(There was absolutely no one driving the ship!)

Fun Through The Pain Trip #4

Las Vegas Girls' Getaway

With Adelene Howell

and Joyce Brockenbush 

We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower!

We saw white tigers at:

We had a wonderful dinner at Bellagio before

seeing "O" 

(Someone seems to have taken a bite of my fish 

before I took this pic!)

And here I am in my room icing my poor tortured knee

between events!

Only consolation?

Adelene was in about as bad shape as I was.

This is how we looked the majority of the trip.

I've had some angels appear along the way during

this summer of painful travel.

I'm saving those stories for another day.

(I know--you're glad!)