Dusty treasures

4:00 p.m. Today's project was to remove all items, clean them, and to dust and polish the top of our master bedroom dresser. I am embarassed to admit that I have no idea how long it has been since the dresser's last clean-and sort! If nothing else, Steve and I should certainly breather easier when we sleep tonight dust-free.

I began with removing pennies, paperclips, scraps of paper, tiny rubber stoppers to unknown items, screws, beads, and decorativepins from events I had attended in my school board days. Banquet placecards, a lanyard with my nametag as a presenter at a state education conference, very dusty velvet jewelry and gift bags were the medium sized items, along with a bag of small teacher gifts from long ago students. Taller items included my authentic Sioux Indian marriage dolls, two candle holders-- one a hurricane with an olive colored candle and golden holly berry ribbon trim I had affixed around it for a past Christmas season. My jewelry hangers I carefully placed on our bathroom counter. It's no fun picking up and untangling necklaces. One reward along the way was finding a pink mother-of-pearl and silver pendant I 've been missing for months. Goes right with what I have on today, too!

The "photo dolls" I had had made for Heidi and Heather when they were in 9th and 7th grades, respectively, brought me a chuckle that strikes me every time I pass by that dresser. Twelve Christmases ago, the girls screamed in shock when they opened their dolls, not liking their images one bit! My late mom and dad, Steve and the rest of the kids, fell out shrieking with laughter, not very nice of them! But I thought, and still think, those dolls are cute! Heidi and Heather are my daughters, and no pose, hairdo or costume could make them any less beautiful to me. The "Little House on the Prairie" look probably wasn't the most flattering, but Sav-On wasn't offering any alternative wardrobe choices. I posed them on our living room couch for old times' sake, but I'd better stash them back upstairs before Heidi gets home!

Mementos of vacations, an unused journal and photo album, jewlery from our late Auntie Doris, and handmade knicknacks from the kids' elementary and scouting years all came out from hiding under the dusty stuffed animals. I found lots of sports team photo buttons of the boys--do those things reproduce? Unbelievable cuteness as they posed with bats and soccer balls! What would life be for a big, busy family without the "bouncy balls," jointed Spiderman and his collectible cards?I washed out a doll quilt Heidi had made in Brownies for framing one day, and admired the plastic "snowglobe" with Heather's three year-old and seventh grade pictures on reverse sides. Pretty good technology for a school project! Treasured doily notes from Heidi proclaimed, "I love you Daddy!" On Steve's side of the dresser are more serious items: wooden receipt box, Valentines' cards, couples' retreat notes. Dr. Dobson's book Love for a Lifetime reminded me of just that--our lifetime together. Close to thirty hectic but fabulous years of marriage and raising a family we're proud of.

By God's grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we've come this far and prayerfully will enjoy ourselves together for a long time to come! It wasn't easy taking Steve's power of attorney that he had recently signed to our bank. But when he asked me today what year it was, I knew it was time to turn that in, to let them know I'll be responsible for any and all business from this point on. But how blessed it was that both of the young tellers, Amy and Christine, happen to be believers and friends of our family, professional and lovely inside and out. Just another allotment of grace from my God who has all I could ever need and more! You've brought me this far, Lord, and You'll not ever let me go!

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

(Philippians 1:6)