A Major Failure And Disappointment

         Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.  Sometimes a sure thing backfires and fails.  Sometimes you get taken in by a slick advertisement and then you are sadly reminded that advertisements are made to make a sale and often appear better than they actually are.
         If you read my blog of June 24,  "A Golden Crop", you may recall my dilemma in wanting to find a way that I could still grow tomatoes even though I could no longer physically dig up my patch to plant them.  It was during that time that I came upon an internet advertisement that said, among other things: "My neighbors laughed when I ordered ... now THEY ALL want a tomato garden like mine!"  The Garden Patch(TM) GrowBox(TM).  It's the perfect planter for you.  Comes complete with fertilizer, easy instructions and planting guide. • Grows your plants better  • Self-fertilizing  • Self-watering  • No weeding  • No bending   • Works anywhere  • No gardening experience needed.  • Poor soil, rocky, sandy … it doesn't matter anymore   • Guaranteed to work every time.
          Now doesn't that sound great?  How could I miss with such a deal?  So I took the next step and "invested".  In my previous blog I explained about all the costs and work that resulted from that decision.  But I looked forward to having great tomatoes - big, red and tasty.  And how could I go wrong when this season even actually turned out to be an exceptional season for growing tomatoes.  All of our friends have the best crop ever.
         But we have had the opposite experience.  First, we found that we had to lug water to these containers every two or three days to keep these large reservoirs filled.  I guess, as advertised, they were self-watering as long as we kept the reservoirs filled and that physically was a worse job than just digging the garden.  We did find that the plants grew and grew and soon began to produce little tomatoes.  But as each one began to grow, it developed a hard scale or it began to rot and that made it uneatable.  
         I've already picked and thrown about 30 of them away.  Those that are left to ripen are showing the same signs.  How many have we picked that we could eat?  To date, exactly zero.  How many do we expect to get?  I've been forced to drastically lower my expectations - Exactly zero.  We have no idea what has gone wrong, but it is a very major and costly disappointment.  And I believe that I have followed all the instructions completely. They were placed in a good location, I used good potting soil, we've kept them watered and the varieties planted were all well know ones that we have grown successfully before.
         Now they say that the results are guaranteed to work - EVERY TIME.  So I wrote to Garden Patch about our results.  They quickly replied with two offers.  The first was to help us diagnose what had gone wrong.  I sent them the picture shown in this blog for their review.  To date, they have not replied or provided any diagnosis.  The second offer from them was that if I sent the containers back they would refund my purchase price.  However, the shipping cases are long gone.  Why would I have saved them?  And the expense of packing and shipping them back was not part of their offer.  So maybe these marvelous containers will just end up in our weekly trash.
          We did buy a separate patio tomato plant which was not part of this experiment.  Unlike the others, it has produced several tomatoes for us, without any problem.  However, they are rather small and haven't gone very far.  So we will be visiting the local roadside stands in the coming weeks to get our nice ripe tomatoes.  We should have planned on that from the start.
         So, I guess the moral of the story is not to trust everything you see advertised on the internet. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  You are also never too old to learn a new lesson, especially an expensive one.  And, there are no shortcuts to growing a good tasty tomatoes.
P.S. - The company finally responded and claimed the problem was blossom end rot.  I really don't believe that was the problem because the marks and rotting were not at the opposite end of the stem.  And I had sprayed for that as they suggested.

Gentleness?

          My pastor has been speaking on the book of Ephesians this year.  A few weeks ago his message was titled "Balancing the Scale" and was based on Ephesians 4:1-6.  One of the parts of his message was "Characteristics of a Worthy Walk".  He outlined five characteristics that should be part of our walk, including humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and unity.

          One of the illustrations he used was an incident between he and his wife in which his wife's mistake cost him valuable time and much inconvenience.  But he shared how the Lord led him to handle this with gentleness.  I imagine most of the men in the congregation wondered if they would have reacted the same way.  Well my test came two days later.

          A pair of pants that I had been wearing needed to be washed.  As I was changing pants my wife came and took the old pair to immediately put it in the washer.  Understandably she didn't want the dirty pants hanging in our bedroom when they could quickly be washed and ready to use again.  She thought I might need them.

          As I was changing, I grabbed my wallet and a few other items which she had taken out of the dirty pants.  But I couldn't find my keys.  Unfortunately, she had missed checking one of my pockets in which there were my keys, two key fobs and our cell phone.  And they were now all being washed in our clothes washer inside my dirty pants.  They were only in the washer a few minutes before we retrieved them, but that was long enough for a good soaking.  Now the items included the key fob to open our Corolla, the key fob needed to start our Rav4, and of course our only cell phone.

          We went to the internet for help and tried placing them in rice and later even using the vacuum cleaner to try to remove the water.  Thank the Lord I remained calm but I admit that dollar signs were floating around in my head.  I prayed and we left them in the rice overnight.  The next morning I was relived to find that both key fobs worked.  PTL.  But our cell phone still  looked like an enclosed aquarium and that wasn't what I wanted to see.

          Now let me explain about our cell phone.  I signed up for a plan through my employer about 20 years ago.  The plan gives me unlimited phone service for $29.95 a month, with no cancellation fees.  We don't text because it gets too expensive.  And living on a fixed income does not allow us to even have multiple phones or a smart phone.  We have lived successfully with one inexpensive dumb phone.  My main fear was that in replacing this damaged phone I would need to buy a new contract and pay for much more expensive features.  But I continued to pray and the Lord kept me calm.

          So off I went to visit AT&T at Park City, using my dry key fob. I went fearing what I would find as well as fearing the long walk to the store. This was troubling because my leg problems have limited my ability to walk very far, especially on hard surfaces.  And I continued to pray.

          When I arrived at Park City I was amazed to find that the closest parking space to the entrance was open.  I parked right there.  When I limped into the store I was stunned to see the exact duplicate of our phone hanging on the all.  The problem is that its purchase required a two year contract.  Surprisingly a saleswoman quickly came to my aid.  When I explained the situation she told me that she would sell this phone to me for just $15 plus tax and I could keep my old contract.  Now why was I so amazed when I had prayed about it?

          The Lord reminded me of the folks mentioned in the book of Acts who were gathered and praying for Paul when he was in prison.  When the Lord released him and he showed up at their door they didn't believe that it was him.  Sometimes the Lord answers our prayers despite our weak faith.

          The final obstacle was to replace the 50+ telephone numbers that we had stored, many of which we hadn't saved elsewhere.  So I sent out an e-mail to many of the folks who we call and within about 48 hours responses from most of them enabled me to open a new address book in our new cell phone.

          I am thankful that the Lord allowed me to be understanding and hopefully gentle in my responses.  I am not always that way.  However, I guess in now sharing my "gentle" reaction publicly, I have also failed one of the other characteristics in the pastor's message - humility.

Amazing!!

I just received a telephone call from the Imaging Center that my check is in the mail.  So after four years, three months and two days it appears that my bill, as mentioned in my last blog, is finally taken care of.  Special thanks to the office of Senator Toomey who represented me to Medicare and to the Imaging Center for paying me so promptly when Medicare finally said that they should refund my money.  But, no thanks at all to Medicare which showed incompetence in all of their dealings with me.  This has taught me to keep good records and continue to press the issue when you are treated wrongly, even against a giant like Medicare.

Another Chapter

       If you happen to be a regular reader of my blog, you just might remember the blog that I wrote on March 20, 2015 entitled "Three Years".  In it I shared the problem that I had with the incompetence and carelessness of some medicare employes.
         My complaint was based on the denial of payment of a claim for $285 for a dexascan that was ordered by both my gastroenterologist and my family doctor.  My wife had the very same test at the very same location about the same time.  Her's was paid for and mine was denied ... without explanation.  It was filed again, twice more, with different code numbers and each time it was still denied.  Apparently it was fine for a female to have the test but not a male.
         So I decided to use Medicare's appeal process.  I gathered the many forms needed, completed all the paper work required and sent it to the address which they gave me.  Then I waited and waited and heard nothing.  I finally assumed that it was just rejected again and eventually forgot about it.  But exactly three years later I received the packet back with a note that it was sent to the wrong address.  For three years it was there and nobody did anything with it.  That is gross incompetence in my estimation.
          I decided that I needed some help with this problem so I contacted the office of Representative Joseph Pitts and Senator Pat Toomey.  Pitts never even acknowledged my contact but Toomey assigned a person to my case.  And so, for about four months, this representative has been working on my appeal.  This was a great help and I commend the senator and his office for this.  The senator will get my vote when he runs again.
         But this has still been frustrating because Medicare has replied with such things as there is no record of service on this date - it wasn't even the date I had given them so of course there wasn't any service on that date.  Another time they claimed the appeal was beyond their "generous" time allowed for an appeal.  Of course it was - they lost it. But fortunately Toomey's office kept after it for me.  Finally Medicare agreed to review it again as an appeal from a beneficiary - whatever that means.
          And finally I received a four page Final Medicare Appeal Decision.  I was again turned down because Medicare does not cover this test.  Really?  They have for my wife.   Is this sexual discrimination?
          But the possible good news - Medicare says that the Imaging Center should have been aware that this would be denied and should have informed me of it.  They also claim that they can find no record of them informing me of this fact.  And I certainly don't remember it or I would have reconsidered having the test.  And because of this the Imaging Center is to refund my money, four years and three months after the test.
          I have submitted a letter requesting the refund along with the documentation that Medicare has sent me.  Will they pay me?  If so, how long will it take?  And will I then be "blacklisted" from future service there?   Who knows? I don't. This has been an "interesting" journey with many twists and turns.  Stay tuned to see what happens next.
          P.S. - My wife just had another one of these scans yesterday.  On her instructions it says that Medicare will pay for this once every two years.  So if that is the case, why wouldn't they pay for mine?  I guess I'll never know.

Working Together

       The Lord has blessed me in so many ways over the years, but one of those special blessings has been the opportunity to minister as a team with my wife for about 53 years.  This includes working together in a family ministry for 25 years, in Awana for 33 years, in leading music and hymn sings for many years, in things such as leading departments in Sunday School and preparing offertories for church, as well as numerous other situations.  It is always been a special experience.
          Working as a team just doesn't always work for many spouses.  Sometimes differences in gifts or personalities or opinions just prevent this from working smoothly.  We've known some who tried, but were much more successful doing their "own things".  God still used them, just separately.
         Recently I read a story about a situation involving a wife and husband that didn't have a "smooth" ending.  They were an "interesting team".  Hopefully it is just a story and not a real life situation.  Enjoy!
          A police officer pulls over a speeding car.  The officer says, "Sir, I clocked you at 80 mph. sir."  The driver says, "But officer, I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar needs calibrating."
          Not looking up from her knitting the wife says sweetly, "Now don't be silly dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control."  As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, "Can't you keep your mouth shut for once?"
          The wife smiles demurely and says, "You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did."  As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, "Come on, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut!"
           The officer frowns and says, "And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic $75 fine."  The driver says, "Yeah, well you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so I could get my license out of my back pocket."
           The wife says," Now dear you know very well you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving."
           And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST BE QUIET??"
           The officer looks over at the woman and asks, "Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?"
          "Oh heavens no, officer," she sweetly replies, "only when he's been drinking."

And The Lord Answers Again

               Music, especially church music,  has always been an important part of my life.  And the Lord really blessed me  by giving me a wife who plays the piano very well and also loves music.  I so enjoy hearing her play throughout the day as she practices or just plays for our enjoyment.  She has played most of her life and has spent over 55 years serving as a church pianist/organist in both Sunbury and Lancaster.   God has gifted her and blessed me with her special gift.  And she has used this gift to minister to many over the years in a variety of situations.
          Recently pianos have been part of four special answers to our prayers.  This situation started with our church piano and developed over many years.  The grand piano that our church had was donated by a former member of our church in memory of her daughter.  It was nice for a home but was not really adequate for our new large church auditorium.  It was often hard to keep in tune and it often bounced when played.  But only the pianists realized its shortcomings. Nobody else did or cared. The organ also had problems and some of our organists stopped playing it because of that.
         When we realized that a new piano was not and would not be a priority for our church leadership, we approached our pastor and asked him what would happen if the church received money for a new one.  He felt that replacing it, and maybe the organ as well, would be accepted if the funds became available.  While we felt that this might be an impossible task without any promotion by the church, we agreed to pray and think about it.
          And, very quietly, over a period of about three years $14,000 was made available for the church for a purchase.  During that time the two of us began to investigate the possibilities and the costs involved. We visited a few stores and watched the internet.  And then, a few months ago, we came upon the new Kawai CP1 digital grand piano.  My wife who does not care for the touch and sound of keyboards was astonished with the touch and sound of this particular piano. My wife fell in love with it and wished that she had one of her own.  It has 1,000 different sounds, uses the latest technology and has the touch of an acoustic grand piano.  The piano and organ sounds are actually much better than the instruments our church had. And when we inquired about the cost, listed at over $20,000, we were amazed when they told us that for the church they could deliver it for just under $14,000.  That was a God thing!
         When we shared that information with our pastor, he decided to take some of the church musicians to see it and play it.  They loved it.  We purchased it.  They removed the old piano and organ and this beautiful black grand piano was delivered and set up.  Since my wife is now only needed to play about once a month, she is looking forward to her first chance to finally play it in church next Sunday.  The purchase of the piano was prayer answer number one.  Actually there were even a few more answers to prayer because the Lord also took care of the removal of the old piano and organ.
          Now I knew my wife had fallen in love with this instrument so I proposed that we consider buying the Kawai CP2.  It has the very same internal parts of the CP1 but comes in a standard home style case.  And because of this it is much less expensive than the baby grand.  But there were three more challenges to take to the Lord in prayer before we could go ahead with the purchase.  First, how to find the money.  Second, how to get rid of our Korg M1 keyboard.  Third, how to get rid of our good piano.  All three challenges needed answers quickly if we were to purchase and save delivery costs by combining it with the church order.
         For over 40 years my wife has played for many weddings and funerals. For some of these she was given a financial honorarium.  After giving a tithe of these gifts to the Lord, I had always placed the remainder in the bank expecting some day to use this to take a big trip.  But with our developing physical challenges it has become apparent that this big trip probably will never happen.  So over the years the Lord provided the funds for the purchase even before we ever thought about such an expenditure. Another God thing!
         Next was the concern about getting rid of our expensive keyboard.  I had reservations about trying to sell it, especially after some of the stories I've heard about Craig's List sales problems.  I mentioned this concern in passing to the piano salesman.  Now they advertise that they do not take trade ins.  So I was shocked when he offered to take ours at a very fair price.  Another concern answered.
         One evening we were headed to York for a meeting and my wife was talking to her friend on our cell phone.  This friend had recently moved to a retirement home and had given her piano away because she felt that she didn't have room for it.  She also had been a church pianist.  While they were talking I think the Lord nudged me to have my wife ask her if she would like our piano. We offered to give it to her if she paid to have it delivered to her house. She was very surprised and said she'd think about it and measure to see if she had any room for it.  We also found out that when the piano movers delivered ours they would also be willing to take our old one to her for a very reasonable charge.  When we talked to her again a few days later, she was excited and readily accepted our offer.  In fact she told us that she had just been asked to begin playing again in her church but had to travel to practice since she no longer had a piano.   She was thrilled.  We were excited.  Transaction was agreed upon. The deliveries are now complete. Our old piano now has a good new home.  Definitely God things.
          So now three of us have new pianos and I am enjoying listening and helping my wife plan and develop new arrangements using a vast number of instruments.  In fact she just completed one for "Be Still My Soul" that actually has the sound of ocean waves in the background.  It is exciting to use this new ministry tool.  And it is even more amazing to see how the Lord provided and answered in His time.  God is so good.

Good Public Relations?

          Police have really been in the headlines recently.   A few have made some very bad decisions.  Others have been the victim of shootings and attacks by criminals.  Their job is a very dangerous job with many difficult, often life and death, decisions which must be made very quickly.  I admire and respect those who serve in these jobs to protect and help us.  It takes real dedication to put your life on the line each day.  And to them I say "thank you"!
          Now I don't know what type of training they actually receive but hopefully there are lessons in how to react properly with the public.   Maybe it would help if the public would have a chance to rate their contacts with the police, much like hospitals and doctors often do.  This feedback might help improve public relations. 
         I've only ever received one ticket for my driving. Many years ago I turned left at 5:55 pm at an intersection that I had used for many years.  There were no cars approaching in any direction at that time.  But what I missed was a very small sign which said no left turns allowed between 4 and 6 pm. Unfortunately I was 5 minutes too early. However, an officer didn't miss what I did and I was quickly pulled over.  The young officer reminded me of some of the obnoxious students that I had taught over the years.  He quickly told me that I had better learn how to read.  I admitted that I was wrong but he continued to read the riot act to me.  Thankfully he didn't cuff me but he did berate me and then gave me a ticket costing over $150.  I was wrong and was thoroughly humiliated by the way I was treated as a "first-time criminal". Could this stop have been handled betterm maybe even with a little respect?   I certainly think so.
          On Sunday our granddaughter said that she would meet us at Wendy's for lunch after church since her family was away.  We always appreciate having her join us and we looked forward to it.  She left church a few minutes before us since we stopped to talk to someone.
          As we traveled down Columbia Ave. we saw flashing lights and realized that some poor driver had been pulled over by a policeman.  I said to my wife that I certainly hoped that it wasn't our granddaughter.  But as we passed, my heart sank as I realized that it was her. I felt so bad for her. We pulled off the road several hundred yards down the road and waited for her.  I couldn't imagine what she could have done.  She is a safe driver and there really wasn't even a long enough stretch of road for her to have been speeding.  We sat there for a long time - maybe 15 minutes or more - until she was "released".  I couldn't understand why this took so long.
          We then followed her to Wendys and were so relieved to find out that she was stopped because her one brake light was out, not because she had done something wrong or broken a law.  Such things can happen to all of us and she calmly handled the situation very well.
          But as we talked I was very disappointed to learn how she was actually treated.  When the policeman checked her license he questioned if that was really her.  He wanted her to show additional ID.  She then showed him her Lebanon Valley College ID.  She reminded him that the picture on her license was three years old.  Her teeth had been fixed, her hair style changed, and she had lost considerable weight.   But the officer wasn't satisfied with her explanations and wanted to be sure it was really her.  He had to go back to his car and computer and check out her background. That's what took so long.  Finally, convinced that she wasn't a criminal or terrorist, he told her that he would let her go this time with only a warning.  I would have thought that a warning was normal procedure for a faulty brake light and not really a favor on his part.

           Now I guess that I understand that police must be thorough, especially in this day and age.  But I can't help but wonder what he really thought she was - maybe a Christian terrorist?  She was in a Subaru Outback - not your normal criminal car.   She had her Bible on the passenger seat - maybe that was a diversion.   And she was dressed in her Sunday best - much nicer than most troubled girls would be wearing at noon on a Sunday.  A profiler's delight.  Could this whole situation have been handled differently, maybe with a little respect?  I think so.
          Now once again I remind you, I support our police force and would never want their job.  But sometimes some common sense and respect in dealing with "we criminals" would go a long way.
          But we have both learned our lessons. We are both quick learners. I will never ever again turn left at that intersection between 4 and 6 pm.  And she has gotten her brake light fixed.  Cases closed.

A "Golden" Crop

        I certainly am not a farmer.  My mother-in-law who grew up on a farm warned my wife not to marry a farmer.  And she listened.  I would not even call myself a gardener although I've tried it and having a vegetable garden has in some way been a part of most of my life.
          As long as I can remember, my Pappy Wise had a large garden in the back of his house in Sunbury.  Coming through the depression and the scarcity of food during World War II, and with a large family, this was a necessity for them.  And Mammy Wise spent many hours canning vegetables.
         My parents also had gardens whenever they were able to.  In New Cumberland one of my dad's coaching friends let them use a plot of ground on his property.  But, as I recall, it was many blocks from our house and I don't know how dad cared for it since we didn't have a car in those days.  When we moved to Lancaster and dad worked for RCA, he had a plot of ground there where they had a garden.  I can recall often going there to help take care if it.
         After our move to Lititz, dad spent several years cleaning out the many stones in the back of our property and preparing the soil for a garden.  He eventually had a very nice garden there and mother also canned and later froze many vegetables.  When we bought our house in Millersville we had loads of room to garden and mother and dad would plant another garden there, especially for corn.
           Our first home in Silver Springs had a place for a small garden and we began our gardening experiences there.  When we then moved to Millersville we had a much smaller area but we did grow a few things such as tomatoes.  Then we moved to our present location which included loads of room to "farm" and when we were younger we did have a very large garden.  We tried to grow almost everything and it was fun, but almost too much work for us.  And while the boys helped us weed, they really didn't enjoy it. 
          So over the years our garden decreased in size and eventually about all we planted were things like lettuce, spring onions, beets, carrots, beans, and tomato plants.  I love fresh tomatoes, especially on sandwiches with onions, lettuce and sometimes cheese.  Then the land behind us was sold and developed with homes.  Our garden area disappeared.  But I didn't give up.  I found a spot in the backyard which I could dig up and plant 6 to 8 tomato plants each year.  But the ground wasn't good and there wasn't much sun and our crops were generally very small.
          This year I realized that I could no longer physically dig up that area once again so I considered finally giving up completely. But I really wanted to still have some tomato plants. Then I saw an advertisement for boxes that you could purchase which would keep your plants watered and fertilized with just a little bit of effort on the grower's part. No digging required. That seemed almost too good to be true, so I fell for it.
          First I had to buy the boxes - three of them.  Then I found out that I needed to buy potting soil - the regular dirt which I had would not work.  Then I had to buy the tomato plants.  I actually bought four.  While doing the planting and prep work I tore and ruined a new pair of pants which I stupidly was wearing for the first time.  They were ruined before I even paid for them.  Then as the plants grew I found out that my wire containers wouldn't be sufficient so I had to purchase equipment to stake up the plants.  My first tomato showed blossom rot so I had to purchase some sprays for that.
          Now I don't know how many tomatoes I will finally get, but my estimate is that each one could cost me about $4.00 or more!   Suddenly I find myself asking how many tomatoes could I buy at one of the local stands for $4.00.  And I know the answer is many more than one.  So if you'd like to try a real expensive "golden" red tomato, stop by sometime later in the summer and help us enjoy the expensive results of my modern gardening experience. Hopefully I will at least have some to eat and share. 
          This approach to raising some tomatoes really does not now appear to be a great investment.  But hopefully it does give me another interesting memory and something more to blog about.  Notice I didn't say "brag" about, I said "blog" about!

Try To Schedule

          We who live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are blessed with excellent health facilities and doctors.  And we also are not too far away from outstanding medical facilities at Hershey, Philadelphia and John Hopkins in Baltimore.  They say that many areas of the country are suffering from a growing shortage of family doctors and specialists.  But is that beginning to affect us here as well?  And are new regulations also making it more difficult to get available service here?  Well, consider the following.
         In January I needed to see a neurosurgeon.  Just ten months earlier I had surgery done by an excellent local surgeon.  But even though I had just been his patient, I was told that since my problem was with a different part of my spine, I couldn't be seen by him for four months.  And I guess I was fortunate to even get an appointment at all.
          Following up on a call from my eye doctor telling me that I was overdue for my annual diabetic eye exam, I called back to set up the appointment.  Wait time for an appointment?  Two months.
          Several days ago my wife called to get a refill on a blood pressure medicine.  We were surprised when the doctor's office called back and said that she was required now to have a six-month med checkup before they could authorize more refills.  When she replied that she had been to see her family doctor just a week earlier, she was told that this visit didn't count because it was for a different problem.  They could give her the newly required  med appointment in three weeks.
          My wife had also been told that on June 1 she was to call and schedule a dexa scan.  On June 1 she made the call and the first appointment she could be given was the middle of July.  The same day she also followed up on a message from her pacemaker doctor that in June she was to call to set up an August appointment.  When she followed through, also on June 1, she was told that the doctor had no available appointments left for August and that she should call back the end of the month to see if she could get one for September.
          Next on the list that day was a follow-up to a message that in June she was to call to set up her annual colonoscopy for August.  When she called she was told that because she would be 75, she had to first have an appointment with her doctor.  Even though she had just seen him two months previously when her told her to set it up in June, they now said that she had to meet with him again before it could be scheduled.  An appointment was made for August.  And, they couldn't yet give her a date for her 12th annual test. (Note - since this blog was written she now has a date - the end of September.)
          Now in all fairness, we are generally able to get an appointment the same day that we call at our family medical practice, if we make it sound like we really need to be seen that day.  But it won't always be with our doctor.  But if we don't need to be seen that day, it could be two or three weeks until our family doctor has an "available slot".
          And, with today's modern technology and portals, we are finding that doctors who we see regularly have become more willing to respond to messages which we leave for them on their portal.   This is a great new feature, but I assume the time is coming soon when there will be a charge for this convenient service.
          But what "blows my mind" is the fact that if there really is a growing shortage of physicians, which will get worse since so many are reaching retirement age, how can health organizations such as Lancaster General Health keep merging, expanding and opening up new offices.  Obviously there is much money to be made in this business, but will these new facilities be able to be staffed properly in the future?  Will our access to needed medical care really be improved?  Let's hope so ... but I guess time will tell.
          In the meantime, don't delay in making necessary appointments.  If you want to see the best doctors, the process could be frustrating.  Of course, then they could also treat you for anxiety.

          

A Very Special Day

          Today is a very special day in my life.  It is an anniversary of mine that almost nobody even knows about.  It is a special day that is never celebrated, even though it was a day that changed my life. And I don't expect any cards or parties or even congratulations.  But today is my 70th birthday.
         Now those of you who know me say that this just isn't so. Have you really lost it? Your birthday is April 6, not June 12.  And we didn't see it listed in the church bulletin or even projected on the screen at church.  And I am sure that you are older than 70 - at least you look like you are.  And you are right.
         For you see, today is my 70th spiritual birthday.  It was June 12, 1945 that I accepted the Lord as my Savior.  It was my Aunt Ellen who prayed with me when I made that decision in what was then the church parsonage in Sunbury.  I don't know too much about all that happened, but I knew I was a sinner and that Jesus had died to forgive my sins.  And I knew that I wanted to go to heaven.  That all was very clear to me at that time.
          Now I will admit, that I knew very, very little about doctrine ...  redemption, justification, grace, mercy, election, free will, crowns, Holy Spirit were not part of my vocabulary then and I certainly couldn't have even begun to explain them then ... and maybe I still don't fully comprehend them.  But, even as a child, I knew and understood the basics of the Gospel and what Jesus had done for me.  I didn't know it then, but the Holy Spirit had prepared my heart and in childlike faith I believed and responded and I was saved for eternity.
          And I guess the power of that experience has made me really believe that children can become part of the family of God.  And while there is always the danger that we press a child into making a decision before he understands it or having a child respond to us because he likes us, I believe that the Holy Spirit can prepare the hearts of children as He did in my life.  Research has shown that 85% of Christians accepted Christ between 4 and 14 years of age.  What a major mission field.
           Now over the years I grew in the Lord and learned more about Him and His Word.  And I am still learning today.  Thankfully the Lord put many strong believers and examples in my life over the years - my parents, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, caring pastors and missionaries and a number of close friends.  I am so thankful for my legacy both before and since my birth.  God has been so good and faithful to me.  Great is His faithfulness.
          And the Lord provided me opportunities to serve and grow with my "drug" problem.  You see I was "drug" to church from the day I was born.  Whenever the church had a service, we were there, day and night.  We entertained missionaries in our home.  We ran CEF classes in our home.  I worked at our church camp, Mizpah Grove, several summers while in junior and senior high school.  As a high school student I taught Sunday School and even led the church choir.  And since then the Lord has multiplied opportunities to serve Him ... a family ministry for 25 years, Sunday School teacher and superintendent, church elder for 30 + years, on boards of several Christian organizations, financial secretary for 15 years, Awana for 33 years, Pinebrook for 40+ years, etc.  
          It has been a blessing to have walked with the Lord for 70 years.  I don't know how many more years I will have, but there is no retirement in Christian service, just new and different opportunities.  And my desire is to keep walking with Him daily as long as my life here shall last and then to spend eternity serving and worshipping Him in Heaven.  God has been so good!

Wisconsin Challenges

        In my last blog I shared some details about our recent trip to Wisconsin.  As I said, it was a great trip that we really enjoyed.  However, it wasn't without its challenges.  You've heard the good, now let me share the "not so good".
          Our first challenge came on our arrival in Milwaukee.  I had made arrangements weeks previously to rent a car from Enterprise.  Now I had never dealt with them before but they had the best rates and they offered Toyotas which is what we drive.  Well their rates must have been great because I think half the people on our flight were lined up at Enterprise for a rental.  Hardly anyone was at the other rental booths.
         So after a very long wait we got signed in and I asked if the Corolla which I had requested was available.  The agent didn't know but said he was certain that they could fix me up with a Toyota that would satisfy me.  Then I was told to go to their garage where I would be met by another agent who would find us up a car.  So we waited in another line.  Dianne asked me what we were getting and at that point I was frustrated and said "maybe a horse".  Well when our turn finally came I was told that they only had two cars left in our class - not my Corolla - and I didn't like either of the two.  He said they did have one Camry but that it would cost us more.  When we went to look at it the agent found that somebody else had just rented it.
           Then he offered us a Rav4 at the same price as the Camry.  Since that is what we drive at home, I agreed.  It was an ugly burnt orange and did not include any of the nice features that we have on our Rav4.  But you could easily spot it in a parking lot.  So we took it - at least it was better than a horse.
           Several hours later, while booking along at 70 mph, a truck in front of us threw a stone that put a crack in our windshield right at my face level.  We just thank the Lord that it did not actually pass through the windshield or it would have hit me in the face.  The truck did not stop but we were able to gather license numbers and the address from his truck.  However, we later found out that by Wisconsin state law the driver could not be held responsible.  Since the stone did not actually pierce the windshield we drove on to Rhinelander.
          There we had it checked out by a glass company and by Enterprise.  They both said it was safe to drive so we continued our trip with it.  We did contact our insurance company.  Thankfully, for some reason, the Lord had led me to take my insurance card along this time - I've never done that before on a trip.  But He knew that I would need it.  As it turns out, we have $50 deductible on our comprehensive, so that is all it will cost us - unless our insurance is raised.
          The next challenges came at our hotel, the COMFORT INN in Rhinelander.  One afternoon while we were trying to take a nap somebody with a child checked in above us.  The child must have thought it was a gymnasium.  For about 30 minutes he ran and jumped so much that our room shook and the pictures and hangers in the closet rattled.  I finally went to the main desk and reported it.  They said they would take care of it - 30 minutes later it finally stopped ... that is until 6 am the day that we were to check-out.  In the meantime, folks with small children checked in next to us and their kids enjoyed running between rooms and yelling and laughing.  The father warned them to be quiet or they might get kicked out of the motel.  They didn't listen and they didn't get kicked out.  Except for us and these folks with kids, the motel was practically empty and they could have easily been placed away from us where they wouldn't bother us.  But they weren't and yes, they bothered us.
          But the big problem came the night before we left.  I had warned Dianne that the shower was slippery and not very safe.  It only had one handrail - outside the shower area.  There were no towel racks except for a very small one near the front to hand a wash rag.  The wall was plastic and built out so there wasn't any ledge around the tub making the shower area more narrow than usual. And the shower head was so high that you had to stand on your tip toes to try and adjust it.  And, it was slippery.
          Unfortunately, while taking her shower, Dianne slipped.  Since there was nothing to grab hold of, she fell out of the shower and over the toilet.  Thank the Lord she did not hit her head and did not break anything.  But she was in terrible pain.  We did not report it or go to the hospital that night since we were leaving a few hours later.  But each day huge black and blue marks began to appear - actually they are almost black.  And she aches - the trip back home was not very comfortable.  She has been checked out by her family doctor who doesn't believe anything is broken, just very badly bruised.
          A few days later we received a survey form from Quality Inn and I told them exactly what I thought.  Placing kids above and next to us was a very inconsiderate choice.  And their shower/bath combination was a safety hazard and not safe.  Unfortunately, I chose not to complete the part that would have gone on their internet ratings for others to read.  I wanted to be kind to them hoping that they would appreciate that.  I realize now that was a mistake on my part. 
          The first reply from them was a generic thank you for calling this to their attention - no we're sorry or how are you.  That upset me so I replied and outlined everything once again.  Their reply to that was that it was our fault and if we had reported it to them, they might have been able to help us out. How ????  They said they had passed safety inspections so the accident must have been our fault.  I replied that maybe they and their safety inspectors should actually take a shower there and that all the handrails which they say were there aren't.   I am so disappointed that they couldn't even show any compassion or concern about Dianne's physical situation.  I know that it will be the last time that I stay at the Rhinelander Quality Inn.
           And I won't bother telling you all about the hour of driving rain that we had to drive through to get to the airport or the major accident that tied up all three lanes outside of Milwaukee or the nearly five hours we had to spend in the airport until they could replace our plane.  These are now just memories.  Thank the Lord that we arrived home safely and had a wonderful time.  We know that soon Dianne will be back to normal and her body will return to its normal color.  God is good - all the time - even when there are unexpected challenges to face.  What a comfort to know that He knows all about them, even before they happen.
         And we still love Wisconsin.

"On Wisconsin"

          Last week we traveled to Wisconsin, a state that we have learned to appreciate because of its beautiful farmlands, mountains, lakes and friendly people.  We have really learned to especially enjoy the town of Rhinelander which is in the hills of northern Wisconsin, not too far from Canada.  The pace there seems so much slower than ours here at home and, as I previously mentioned, folks seem so nice and friendly.
           But the main reason we have enjoyed our visits there is because that area has been the home of my Aunt Ellen and Uncle John for over 20 years.  And my cousin Nancy and her husband Bill also live there.  All four are such special people who love and serve the Lord and it is always a blessing to be with them.
         But this time our trip was a little different, for back in January my aunt passed into Glory.  She was almost 96 and had been married to my uncle for 73 years.  Because of the cold temperatures in northern Wisconsin they were not able to bury her body at that time and they had to refrigerate it until the ground thawed.  We were not able to travel there in January for her memorial service but we were glad that we could at least be part of her burial on May 23.
          There were only ten of us at the burial service but the service appropriately honored Aunt Ellen for the Godly woman she was.  And more importantly, the service honored the Lord who she served most of her life.  The pastor's short message shared thoughts on some of her favorite verses and the hymns which we sang were some of her favorites -" Great Is Thy Faithfulness", "Like A River Glorious" and "Praise the Name of Jesus".  I thought that it was interesting that the first two of the three which she had selected were ones which we also sang at the service of her only brother, my father.
          Despite his age, Uncle John has a great memory, and for almost an hour he spoke, without any notes, sharing the beautiful history of their lives together.  He talked about how they first met when she was placed in his eighth grade homeroom because the one she should have been placed in was full.  He shared how they got married just before he was sent over seas and out of the country for three years which included being part of the Invasion of Normandy.  He talked about the various places they lived and how they were bound and held in their home while robbers emptied the safe in the store he managed.  He talked about their move from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin when they were 75 and he shared their final moments together on this earth.  It was an amazing summary of how the Lord continually provided and led them for all those years.  It was easy to understand why they selected the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", for that indeed was their experience.
          The trip provided us with special hours of fellowship.  Bill and Nancy are such gracious hosts and it was a blessing to spend time with them and my cousin Jerry and his wife Marianne.  We seldom see each other because we all live so far apart but we have so many precious memories of times together when we were growing up.  We have a unique heritage and a special bond even though separated by miles.
          Upon their retirement last year from managing Honey Rock, the Lord provided Bill and Nancy with a beautiful rental home in the woods along a lake.  We enjoyed the scenery and watching the wildlife during our visit.  Two evenings four deer appeared in their backyard and we missed, by about five minutes, seeing a large black bear.
          Each time we leave Rhinelander I have done so with tears, realizing that this could be the last time that we are together on earth. And, last June was the last time that we were with Aunt Ellen. Time marches on and life changes.  But we also realize that we will someday be reunited in heaven and that is the knowledge and hope that carries us through.  
          Before returning home we had one more special thing to do.  We drove over three hours to Madison, another one of our favorite spots in Wisconsin.  There we were able to spend time in Obrecht Gardens, a beautiful 60 acres dedicated to all sorts of gardens.  We always try to visit here when we are in the area.  It was another great visit, although since our visit was earlier than previous visits, there wasn't too much in bloom.  But it still was a wonderful way to end our visit.
           As I reflect upon our visit I thank the Lord for safety in travel and for the beauty of His creation.  But I especially thank Him for the special Christian heritage He has given me.  He is so good!

A True Story From A Pilot

          My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.)  "Are they military?" I asked.  "Yes," she answered   "Is there an escort?" I asked.  "Yes, I already assigned him a seat."  "Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.
          A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
          "My soldier is on his way back to Virginia," he said.  I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.  We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.
          About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. "I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying is on board," she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
          The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.  I could hear the desperation in the flight attendant's voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.
          "I'm on it," I said. I told her that I would get back to her. Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
          Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text: "Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks."  I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, "You have no idea how much this will mean to them."
          Things started getting busy for the descent, approach, and landing.  After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us. "There is a team in place to meet the aircraft," we were told.
          It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, "Take your time."
          I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, "Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you."
          We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
          When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of "God bless you," "I'm sorry, thank you, be proud," and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
          Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
[forwarded by JR Whitby]
          Please take time this weekend to pray for and thank God for all those brave men and women who today are putting their lives on the line for our safety and protection.  And remember the families of the many over the years who have given of their lives to provide our freedoms.

Check the drive

         There is no question that we senior citizens have seen many, many dramatic changes in our lifetime.  From cars to planes to kitchen appliances to television to houses to air conditioning and on and on, almost everything has been touched by change in our lifetimes.  But one of the biggest changes is that of technology. Most young folks today know little or nothing about party lines or telegraphs or crystal radios or silent movies or even black and white television.  Technology has changed our lives dramatically.
         And with the changes in technology has come a new vocabulary.  Many words and phrases now have completely new meanings.  Recently I came upon a poem written by Lisa Deutsch which shares some of these changes.  I thought maybe you would enjoy it.  Of course, if you are under 30 you might not understand it.  But here goes.

A computer was something on TV, 

from a science fiction show of note. 

A window was something you hated to clean, and

ram was the cousin of a goat. 

Meg was the name of my girlfriend, 

and a gig was job for the night. 

Now they all mean different things, 

and that really mega bytes.

An application was for employment. 

A program was a TV show. 

A cursor used profanity. 

A keyboard was a piano. 

Memory was something that you lost with age. 

A CD was a bank account. 

Compress was something you did to the garbage, 

not something you did to a file, 

and if you unzipped anything in public 

you'd be in jail for a while. 

Log on was adding wood to the fire. 

Hard drive was a long trip on the road. 

A mouse pad was where a mouse lived, 

and backup happened to your commode. 

Cut you did with a pocket knife. 

Paste you did with glue. 

A web was a spider's home, and a

virus was the flu. 

I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper, 

and the memory in my head. 

I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash, 

but when it happens, 

they will wish they were dead.