Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Jumping Around (And A Complaint About Steve)

Got your "jumping around" shoes on? That is exactly what this post is going to be doing--jumping around from one topic to another. To another. And another. And surely "Blog Post Jumping Around" must be good for burning up at least a few calories!

The happiest blog news of the day is that Nathan will be arriving back home from Florida this evening. He's only been gone two weeks so I don't know why I have been missing him so much, but I sure have. I've been going through severe bouts of Nathan Withdrawal and am looking forward to finally getting my Nathan Fix.

In ministry news, Steve has a busy week ahead of him. Our pastor is out of town so Steve will be preaching at our church's satellite location in Goldsboro on Thursday and Saturday nights and at the main location twice on Sunday morning. (Over a thousand people altogether.) He is really looking forward to it and I am really glad that he has an outlet for his very excellent speaking gift.

We've also been invited to a few other churches in the area over the next couple of months so we're excited about that.

And while I'm on THIS subject (and before jumping around to the next one) let me just say that I am also available to speak and sing on my own. I have done entire morning services (providing music and sermon), conferences, luncheons and women's services. As long as my travel expenses are covered, there is no minimum fee set for an honorarium; it's just whatever the host would like to give. If you want to contact me at beckysmith62@aol.com for references and/or more info, I'd love to hear from you.

Okay, where shall we jump next? Are you still with me?

Actually, this is going to be a pretty big jump since I'm going to take you on a brief trip down Cancer Lane and show you a few pictures from that era.

















What do these pictures all have in common? (Besides the fact that Sarah is in them all.)

There is another person who is in every picture as well, a dear friend of mine named Carolyn Stephenson. Carolyn was in the room with Steve and me when the doctor told us that Sarah had cancer and what her chances of survival were. She visited us numerous times in the hospital, read books to Sarah, played checkers with her, made a million jokes with her and stayed with her so I could get out for awhile.

Carolyn's husband, Danny, pastors Mooresville First Assembly which is the church our family attended during all of Sarah's active treatment. Danny and Carolyn were there for our family as we grappled with the severity of the diagnosis, and they held us together as our world fell apart.

They even loaned us their own van for several months so that we had a way to get to and from the hospital for treatment. When we heard bad news from the doctor, they wept with us and when the news was good, they readily turned into "happy partying pastors." As you can probably tell, they are pretty special folks in our book.

So WHY am I talking about them, seven years after the fact? I am talking about them because Carolyn has just started her own blog and I would like to pay her back for her zillion kindnesses to me by advertising her blog. Carolyn is a certified Life Coach, a speaker, writer, singer, pastor's wife, and a very wise and funny lady. I promise you that you will enjoy her blog and will want to bookmark it immediately. If not sooner!

So would you do me a personal favor? Stop by her blog. Sign her guestbook. Become a follower. Enjoy making the acquaintance of a wonderful lady who is ever so dear to the hearts of the Smith family.

(And since I like interconnected tales, let me also mention that we met Danny and Carolyn for the first time here in Smithfield when Steve and I were youth and music pastors back in the early '80's. As time went by, Steve and I hit the road and then Danny and Carolyn eventually became staff pastors in Smithfield before resigning twelve years ago and taking their own pastorate in Mooresville.)

Alrighty then. I can feel another "jump" comin' on!

Oh, that reminds me. (This is an unscheduled jump, by the way.) Since I was just writing about Sarah, a little joke she made during treatment comes to mind. During one of her "chemo visits" to the hospital, the nurse was flushing out her feeding tube and Steve told Sarah very seriously that the nurse was putting pond water in her tube and that the pond water was full of frogs.

Sarah fixed him with a deadpan gaze and retorted, "Well, I hope it doesn't make me too jumpy!"

Nothing like a sense of humor on the oncology ward!

And speaking of Steve (this is a smaller jump since I was already speaking of him) I must say that over the past few months, he has been offending me greatly. On a daily basis. On an hourly basis. On a secondly basis. (If there IS such a thing.)

How has he offended me?

He has gained weight.

And WHY is that offensive?

It's offensive because of something that has gone on concurrently with his weight gain, something that is annoying in the extreme. And here's what it is.

When Steve is out running errands around town, he often runs into people who haven't seen him in six months. They stop. They chat. And the person inevitably comments on Steve's weight gain. And then (here's the offensive part) they COMPLIMENT him! They say the extra weight looks GOOD on him. They say he looks GREAT!

You know what? I have gained weight once or twice (or thrice) over the course of my life and I cannot recall even one little ol' stinkin' time when someone has said to me, "Becky, that extra weight really looks great on you."

Never! Not once!

And then Steve puts on a few and is showered, even lavished with compliments. I ask you, is that fair?

First of all, I had to spend the first twenty-seven years of our marriage listening to him say that he had to eat some ice cream before bed in order to keep his weight up. And now that he's finally gotten past the challenge of "keeping his weight up" and has even GAINED weight, he is lauded.

Even his DOCTOR is happy! When was the last time YOUR doctor was happy when you gained weight. Huh?

This is not only NOT fair, it is NOT good and it is NOT right.

I must add that it's certainly fortunate that he's such a great fella in every other way or I might have to become even more exceedingly and extremely annoyed by this whole scenario than I already am.

As I close (in a huff) I will post before and after pictures of Steve to see if you agree with the people in Smithfield who are all so happily impressed by his WEIGHT GAIN.

(Grrr. Why does just typing that sentence just make me so mad? Maybe it's because I can just stand next to a brownie and gain weight. Ya think?)


Before Pictures













After


So, watcha think? Do extra pounds agree with him? If I could ever get past being mad about him being so HAPPY about gaining weight, I guess I could say he looks even more handsome than ever.

But what would have really made the whole scenario much more bearable is that if he was really all that intent on gaining weight, I could have just GIVEN him twenty five pounds of my own.

Because I'm generous like that.
_______________________
In my next post, I'll be answering some of the questions from the guest book (haven't forgotten them!) and also commenting on your comments. Sounds like a fun time to me!

10 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Courtney Hurd said...

Hi Becky,
I laughed out loud when I read Steve's offense. Lately I've had coworkers and acquaintances asking me if I was pregnant, how I was feeling, and when the little one is due. The clinker is - I'm not expecting! I've just gained weight and clearly, it doesn't look "good" on me (unless having a baby belly when you are NOT pregnant is good!). My response is a laugh and, "I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat." You should see the looks on people's faces. :)

I think the moral of this story is that you should never, ever, NEVER ask a women about her pregnancy unless you have confirmed from several independant sources that she is indeed expecting!

Here's to women with a little "roundness" and the skinny men we love!

Courtney

Jan said...

Ohhhhh, Becky...in weight loss section of the war of the sexes, women always, always, ALWAYS lose...er...come in second.

My husband and I would start a diet together. A few days later he'd have lost 10 pounds, and my scale would drop a pound in a month if I were lucky!

Melissa said...

All my husband has to do is cut out one tiny snack a day and he drops 30 lbs. in a month. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. The weight flies off him. Me, on the other hand...never mind! Oh, and don't bludgeon me to death but I have to say--Steve DOES look better slightly heavier! Despite the unfairness of it, I have to admit it's true!

Sue G said...

I HAD noticed Steve's weight gain in some of the photos you posted recently because he suddenly had a "little tummy action" going on. Speaking as someone who has a "whole lotta tummy action going on," I immediately felt bad for him, not happy, because I know what that can portend. So, as happy as he and the entire town of Smithfield (including his doctor) are, please tell him to stop while he's ahead...before it catches up with his behind.

Okay, couldn't resist.

And, Becky, in all seriousness, you can not afford to give Steve 25 pounds or even ten. You are bordering on becoming too thin. So stop trying to give it away. In fact, you might want to start taking a little from your friends...

Wanna few from me?

Marysienka said...

Hahaha yes, that is quite offensive for a woman when her husband gains weight and people think it looks good!
But Becky, you look wonderful in your pictures and I think your weight is perfect :)

Now, I'm going to go and check on your friend's blog!

Have a good day :)

R.

Carolyn Stephenson said...

Hey B....thanks for the shout out. Of course, now I feel this tremendous pressure to live up to the picture you've painted. Ha!

And speaking of plus sizes...I'd like for everyone to know that since the "cancer" pictures I have lost a tremendous amount of weight and I am now a size "2". And then some.

Here is my prayer: May Steve's weight continue it's upward climb until the doctor says "thou musteth goeth on a dieteth noweth".

Gotta go. It's time for my after lunch mid afternoon before dinner and not quite bedtime snack.

Nancy said...

lol @ Steves Offense. Becky, growing up through my childhood my father was extremely thin. He could eat anything he wanted at any time of day and how much he wanted. He would do a push up and "poof" the calories he'd eat were gone.
Same thing happened to my brother Gary. Growing up he ate anything and everything, while the women of the family would gain 10 pounds by smelling cake batter or even THOUGHT of taking a bite of something delicious.
Needless to say, they are not that thin anymore and the wieght has caught up with them.
Whats my point?
EVERYONE comments on how "good" they look.
*sigh*
Well when someone female sort of the family gains one pound, it is charted noted, and "oh no'd" all over.
I will never get that lol
Just wanted you to know you are not alone!!!!
Love always
Nancy

Anonymous said...

As the owner of the "tummy action" (Hi, Sue!) I must say that I do feel better with the additional weight. However, I am exercising in the hope of witnessing a northerly migration of said "action" to my chest.

Steve (the Offender)

Anonymous said...

Becky,

As one of "those" people that struggle to keep their weight up I can certainly identify with Steve. And yes I knew a bowl of ice cream would help, I instead resorted to the dreadful banana peanut butter smoothy. I still am very slim, but I refuse to worry about it anymore. Funny thing is my doc thinks it is great. Getting older has caused some changes to my body, but I fear I will be thin for life!

Postcard Cindy from Sonoma

Unknown said...

clippers jersey
kate spade sale
los angeles lakers
new england patriots jerseys
dolphins jerseys
tods shoes
pandora outlet
ray ban sunglasses outlet
fitflops shoes
kate spade outlet