First thing, Happy Birthday to my Dad in heaven. How I wish he’d lived to know my grandchildren and been part of all the communities I’ve lived in, but God numbered his days, as He numbers all our days, and left many with good memories of Loren James Whitaker, Sr. I miss the years we could have had.
Continuing with my Mah Jongg story: Yesterday a lady here at Glenbrooke took a patient hour and a half or so to teach me the game. First, I had to identify all the tiles. In this game, when I discard a tile, I must announce which one it is to the other players. They can, if conditions are right and they can use my discard, pick it up to enhance the ones they’re keeping. Passed that test. Then Terri explained how to choose a strategy based on the thirteen tiles I pick up.
Wonder of wonders, although i started with one of the simple games of consecutive tiles in one suit, I won both games we played! That was a surprise. Like the lady I observed on Sunday, I kept picking up jokers. There are only eight of those, and I had five in both games. Like in cards, the jokers are useful. Ah, ha! I said to myself. I can use these, and indeed i could. I had 11 222 3333 44 555 dots in one game and a similar number of boo’s (short for bamboo) in another. I won both games. We will get together once more this week to practice, and next Sunday afternoon I will play with the real players. I hope they’ll be gentle with this novice! I think this will be fun. They play every Sunday afternoon during the ice cream social. I figure that’s a good way to enjoy Sunday afternoons when i don’t have family events or concerts scheduled.
Then, a friend who read yesterday’s blog post offered to give me her set of tiles! I know they are expensive to purchase. I’m grateful. I told her I’d contribute to the Mercy Fund at church in her honor. She’s pleased. When I gave away my treasures when we moved, I asked people to contribute to help others. Our church’s Mercy Fund is a good choice. Blessings all around, for the giver and the receiver.
Go out and bless someone’s day and make it special. There are many in need. Let me also give kudos to our generous churh in providing school supplies to teachers at Lockmar School where we are currently worshipping. When the teachers returned to school, they found several tables laden with paper, pencils, markers, tissues, rubber bands, composition books, dry erase markers, crayons, etc. to stock their cupboards. While we were at it, we prayed for them, school administrators, and God’s provision of a safe and effective year of teaching the next generation. While I miss the excitement of a school year (I had forty of them) I recognize unique challenges teachers are facing in a culture which now deals with issues distracting to many who are there to master skills they’ll need for future careers.
McKee Gardens, June 2013
It’s a whole different world out there. Of course, I see my son, daughter, and daughter-in-love preparing for the new year, and pray for them daily, and for our two lovely granddaughters, that they will be safe spiritually, physically, and will accomplish much with God’s blessings.
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