Every once in awhile you see something that takes you aback and you think, Hmmm… That’s interesting… Seen today on “O” and 16th at 10:30am: A little old man sitting alone at an outdoor cafe table, dressed in a red-checkered suit, wearing an ENORMOUS plush Uncle Sam hat.
Huh. Interesting.

Many things are changing in the Tredway household…

One involves a beautiful blog update, and the other (dare I say it?) potentially involves a teeny pink bundle of joy with ten little fingers and ten little toes… [To Be Continued…]

Lauritzen Gardens is the perfect location for a wedding reception.

In St. Louis, Jeremy and I lived across the street from the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the most beautiful places on earth (or at least the midwest!). When we signed a lease for 4344 Shaw Boulevard we had no clue what sat beyond the wrought iron fences at 4345 Shaw. And such is the way sometimes with God’s plan for our lives… Right beyond the fence lays a beautiful, refreshing oasis that we totally don’t deserve. All sermon illustrations aside, I still miss meandering through the Japanese gardens, winding my way back home via the Henry Moore sculpture and woodland gardens, and enjoying the rotating art exhibits and outdoor summer concerts.

But this weekend, the newly wed Mr. & Mrs. Adam & Kristin Lawton introduced us to the botanical gardens in Omaha, just a stone’s throw away from the Missouri River. Not only are the gardens absolutely amazing, Adam and Kris looked fabulous as well. The reception was intimate and lovely and fun and delicious — and we all had a great time. Now I’ve just got to squeeze another trip to Omaha into the Tredway calendar so we can explore this newfound treat.

I adore Fruit Loops with a passion that is kind of concerning. This adoration began in my childhood (I was the sweet tooth in the family) and has shamefully continued into adulthood. I was far from spoiled by the Loops as my parents NEVER purchased sweet cereals when I was a kid. It was during my one year at Covenant College when I realized, Hmmm… I could eat Fruit Loops for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I want to! So when the hot food options in the cafeteria looked undesirable, to the cereal dispensers I flew. Now that I own my own home and answer to no man (just kidding, Jeremy!), I occasionally indulge in box or two of the rainbow-colored multi-grained o’s. [Funny story: Last Friday night I went through the checkout lane at SunMart and the cashier, just being friendly or flirty — I don’t know which, asked if I was going out partying that night. I glanced at my purchases, a half gallon of milk and a box of Fruit Loops and said, “Oh yeah. It’s a big night for me.”] One word of warning… The Loops must not be eaten for breakfast, afternoon snack, bedtime snack and again for breakfast the next day. There is definitely such thing as Fruit Loop Overload.

Other cereal-lovers might find this article interesting. I can say with great certainty that I’d eat at Cereality (oh Renae, I can sense you groaning right now!) while traveling, though probably not while in Lincoln.

If you love me, you’ll buy me Trivia Pringles.

First off, I want to post a few photos of my childhood friend Kara and her delightful baby Madeline. Kara (as in “automobile-a”, a memorable way it was described to me years ago) was a close friend of mine in Klamath Falls, Oregon, during my last years of elementary school. My memories of our times together are characterized by adventure, laughter and silliness… I hadn’t seen Kara in over 10 years, so it was really fun to see her last week. Somehow we’ve both made it to adulthood and have married successfully. And now Kara’s the proud mama of a beautiful 8 week old baby. Very very cool.

I haven’t been posting much recently, though there is certainly much to write about. This week life seems to be a whirlwind of activity that, try as I may to pin down and make sense of, confuses and evades me. Being an ESFJ, I’m a natural scheduler. This makes me the perfect person to put together the weekly bulletin for Zion — I like to record dates and activities, to post information in a tangible fashion so folks can duly order their lives. And yet I’m feeling quite unordered, unscripted, unscheduled and, well, swirly. This swirling, ever-changing life… It’s leaving me a little breathless.

We’ve been enjoying wonderful rainshowers the past few nights here in Lincoln. Sunday evening was spent on the porch of The Grand with Charity, sipping a Mike’s and enjoying the thunder and lightening show. Last night the rain was a constant drip and today the world looks eerily green. Considering we planted our garden last Saturday, I’m really grateful for the showers and can’t wait for the sun to shine in full force. Our produce should be something this year… Roma, grape and brandywine tomatoes, cucumbers, four pepper plants and two zucchini mounds — yum! Last year I grew a few sunflowers from seed and ended up with one enormous plant (the others were rabbit food, I do believe). Hopefully the seeds are still good this year and we have beautiful sunflowers in the garden again.

The days are moving along fairly well as far as my arthritis goes. I’ve quickly learned that I can’t do too much, or I’ll pay for it the next day. Unfortunately, “too much” is a relative term and sometimes going to work + doing a load of dishes = too much. But I praise the Lord for each day I wake up feeling good and each night I lay down without pain. For all of you who are praying for me, my hope and prayer is that my meds kick my immune system into gear so that this whole arthritis bit goes into remission for awhile (or forever). Thanks for your love and support — I’ve really appreciated everyone’s concern.

Finally, in this day of extreme makeovers and botox parties, enjoy this article for a good chuckle this morning…

When I was little I would’ve loved to have played young Eponine or Cosette in Les Miserables. Songs completely memorized, I would have sung “Castle in the Clouds” and scrubbed those stage floors with all my heart. In junior high I did fancy myself as Eponine; along with multitudes of other young adolescent females hoping to make a high school choir, I sang “On My Own” for auditions. Good news: I made a choir. Bad news: I successfully turned my family away from that tune for the duration of eternity.

And now I’m all alone again; nowhere to turn, no one to go to…

I played that song over and over. I sang that song over and over. Yikes. Anyhow, Les Mis will always be dear to me. My favorite song is the finale to the first half, “One Day More.” It never fails to lift my spirits and make me sing.

**What’s your favorite Les Mis moment?

The days slow for no man.

The new spring blossoms outdoors don’t wait to open. The graduating high school seniors, newly married couples and twosomes in their first romances can’t pause for me to savor their moments. The world keeps on churning, days keep on passing and life keeps on going.

I’m glad to get a chance to catch up.

I’m coming out of an arthritis-induced fog right now. I’m finally waking from a haze of Alleve and Tylenol Arthritis, tight muscles and swollen joints, waking every other hour of the night and finally rising in the morning because the pain is too much to bear laying down. I’m emerging from a cocoon of helpers — Jeremy, tucking me in at night and moving my pillows in a more comfortable position; Mom, loading and unloading days’ worth of dishes too heavy for my fingers; Dad, potting pansies and mowing the lawn. All praise for the fog-lifting goes to God, Creator of Rebecca, this world and medicine… Much gratitude also goes to a lovely, lovely steroid called prednisone. Ah, prednisone — my miracle drug!

After I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 16, I can remember wishing that I had sampled every single dessert at the Garden Cafe before my pancreas pooped out. I’d walk into the restaurant after my diagnosis and gaze longingly at the creamy chocolate desserts encased in glass domes, realizing how I never fully appreciated them before. I’ve felt similar twinges recently — with a twist, because now I’m feeling so much better than I have in many weeks — but really… How many times are you GRATEFUL for being able to walk to your car, up the stairs, down the street, to your bedroom, etc, etc, without pain? True answer? Hardly ever!! When you get off the toilet, without pain, are you singing hallelujahs? No way!

Today I am literally singing the Hallelujah Chorus every time I get off the porcelain throne. Seriously.

None of us know when our lives will change. None of us have any clue whether we’ll be in good health or bad when we wake tomorrow, whether we’ll have our good friends and loved ones close to us still, whether our houses will still be standing, our cars still running, our hearts still pumping. We have so much to be grateful for… in this moment… today. So take a second and thank the good Lord for the good things He’s given you… like being able to maneuver off the toilet in a pain-free fashion. [Smile]

Primary elections are today in Lincoln — so, local friends, GO VOTE!

I’m supporting Jeff Fortenberry for the House of Representatives, District 1. For a sample ballot, look here.

Polls are open from 8am-8pm. Questions about where you can vote are answered here.

Come on, friends I know and love… Vote. Take a few minutes before work, during lunch or at the end of the workday to earn that “I Voted” sticker. I know it’s just the primaries and it doesn’t seem very important. But trust me, if you care at all about your future you need to vote. Voter turnout is expected to be 28% today… blah. Let’s do better than that.