Pink pride

4:45 p.m. Today's project was to help my Mary Kay Sales director Laurie Shumate celebrate the delivery of her pink Cadillac! With her encouragement and inspiration, members of Laurie's Legacy worked hard in our individual businesses to help her make her June 30th production deadline.

I woke up at 6 a.m., got our morning going after a few minutes of cozy cuddling, and looked out to see a foggy, nasty-feeling day that didn't thrill me. It was going to be a bad hair day, if nothing else! Steve had a few minutes of confusion in dressing, but overall was looking forward to his day at Care Connexxus, an adult daycare program which has a good variety of activities including Bible studies and games. Today's sport was bowling. His attendance there once or twice a week gives me time to gather my research for my next book, as well as enjoy a time of contemplation needed for the undertaking. Best of all, Steve enjoys his time there. It took months of obedient, prayerful planning to get his daycare organized, but as Proverbs 16:9 says, and we would do well to remember,

A man's heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps.

So I give Him all the glory for a peaceful solution that is agreeable to both of us!

After a couple of hours of taking notes from one of my old journals, I attended our Care Pathways support group for caregivers of Alzheimer's/dementia patients. We ladies have become good friends, because we were the pilot group for the 12 -week course. We enjoyed a potluck, but even more, our individual time of sharing about life with our affected loved ones. Since most of them are very elderly, there has been a lot of deterioration since our last gathering. My only comment concerned our sadness at the loss of our dog Bailey, and how Steve and I are coping with it. So I did my best to offer encouragement. Also, as captain of our Walk the End Alzheimer's team, I made sure to rally some excitement for the October 29th event at Cucamonga-Guasti Park in Rancho.

As believers, according to II Corinthians 1:4, we are "to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we have been comforted." So our times together always end on a hopeful note!

Next for the day was to get back to Jada, whom I'd crated for the 2 hours I was gone, to keep her from howling outside the whole time. I let her out, and then took a quick rest downstairs in the family room, positioning myself on the love seat so she could see me. So she stared at me from the other side of the sliding glass patio. Then up again to get dressed in "Mary Kay attire" (white blouse, black skirt, and my red jacket) for Laurie's Cadillac delivery. I once again put Jada in her crate in the garage and went to pick up Steve to join me at the dealership, which is right down the street from Care Connexxus. He came out in a good mood.

Since the 2 p.m. pick-up time left us an hour before the big event, we stayed parked in the shade, I made a few phone calls, and tilted my seat back for a little shuteye. Steve rested for a while, too, and then we drove over to the dealership and found a shady spot across the street, having about 20 minutes to spare. It wasn't time wasted, though. I had a productive conversation with our auto mechanic on speaker so Steve could listen too, and plans were made for a check-up on the Jeep Saturday afternoon.

After the week we've had here at home, I really wanted Laurie's event to be a success, emailing and texting scores of my customers and friends. A true leader, she has worked incredibly hard in her personal production and helped so many of us conduct our independent businesses profitably.

We saw the beautiful SUV crossover style Cadillac first covered over with a dazzling pink cloth, and then hurray, Laurie was presented with her keyless starter. Her husband and boys were elated, and several of us posed in and around the Caddy. Steve enjoyed the gathering also. As I remarked to one of the consultants, "Steve's been everywhere! Between Mary Kay and School Board conventions, he has been all over the state and the country!" My husband has been my ever-faithful support, just as I supported his career and ministries, and the programs he participates in now.

In a tough week with repercussions still going on, this symbol of achievement was one of my bright spots. Others were sympathy notes from Heidi's students; a great visit with our oldest son; and a very sweet phone call from Steven's girlfriend Kathy from Fresno, with an offer from the two of them to find us a dog to keep Jada company. We'll see! If the dog is a female, at least a year old and housebroken, from a shelter, already spayed with shots, I'll prayerfully consider it!

Laurie's Cadillac was the pink-frosted topping for our week so far, because the Lord's not done yet! Be blessed by I Corinthians 2:9:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.