Multiple Sclerosis – Amy's Axons

October 2024

Anonymous Words

October 18, 2024October 18, 2024by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

The following is from my daily devotional and attributed to the always eloquent Anonymous. I pray it blesses you as it did me.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ~ Galatians 6:14

They were people who were living to themselves. Their hopes, promises, and dreams still controlled them, but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for a repentant heart and had surrendered themselves with a willingness to pay any price for it, and He sent them sorrow. They had asked for purity, and He sent them sudden anguish. They had asked for meekness, and He had broken their hearts. They had asked to be dead to the world, and He killed all their living hopes. They had asked to be made like Him, so He placed them in the fire “as a refiner and purifier of silver (Malachi 3:3), until they could reflect His image. They had asked to help carry His cross, yet when He held it out to them, it cut and tore their hands.

They had not fully understood what they asked, but He had taken them at their word and granted them all their requests. They had been unsure whether to follow Him such a long distance or whether to come so close to Him. An awe and a fear was upon them, as Jacob at Bethel when he dreamed of”a stairway… reaching to heaven” (Genesis 28:12), or Eliphaz “amid disquieting dreams in the night ” (Job 4:13), or as the disciples when”they were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” (Luke 24:37), not realizing it was Jesus. The disciples were so filled with awe, they felt like asking Him either to depart from them or to hide His glory.

They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to work than to give up, and to carry the cross than to hang upon it. But now they could not turn back, for they had come too close to the unseen cross of the spiritual life, and its virtues had pierced them too deeply. And the Lord was fulfilling this promise of His to them: “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32).

Now at last their opportunity had come. Earlier they had only heard of the mystery, but now they felt it. He had fastened His eyes of love on them, as He had on Mary and Peter, so they could only choose to follow Him. And little by little, from time to time, with quick glimmers of light, the mystery of His cross shone upon them. They saw Him “lifted up from the earth,” and gazed on the glory that radiated from the wounds of His holy suffering. As they looked upon Him, they approached Him and were changed into His likeness. His name then shone out through them, for He lived within them. Their life from that moment on was one of inexpressible fellowship solely with Him above. They were willing to live without possessions that others owned and that they could have had, in order to be unlike others so they would be more like Him.

This is the description of all those throughout the ages who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4). If they had chosen selfishly for themselves or if their friends had chosen for them, they would have made other choices. Their lives would have shone more brightly here on earth, but less gloriously in His kingdom. Their legacy would have been that of Lot instead of Abraham. And if they had stopped along the way or if God had removed His hand from them, allowing them to stray, what would they have lost? What would they have forfeited at their resurrection?

Yet God strengthened them and protected them from themselves. Often, in His mercy He held them up when they otherwise would have slipped and fallen. And even in this life, they knew that all He did was done well. They knew it was good to suffer in this life so they would reign in the one to come; to bear the cross below, to wear a crown above; and to know that not their will but His was done in them and through them. ~ Anonymous

It’s been quite a long while since I’ve shared any photos. The following are a few of the highlights since my last post.

A friend gave me a beautiful pot of mums in the spring. I planted them and they are about to burst open now.

The last flower of summer still hanging on in our garden.

A few autumnal scenes…

I’ve continued to enjoy the birds, of course.

Wally and Clemmy continue to bring us plenty of entertainment and snuggles!

God be with you!

❤️, Amy

July 2024

Created

July 9, 2024by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” ~John 1:1-3

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” ~Romans 1:20

“O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.” ~Psalm 104:24

“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” ~Revelation 4:20

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” ~Romans 11:26

“You are the Lord, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You.” ~Nehemiah 9:6

“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16

“God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” ~ Genesis 1:25

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” ~Job 12:7-10

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” ~1 Corinthians 8:6

“All the earth worships You
and sings praises to You;
they sing praises to Your name.” ~Psalm 66:4

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” ~Psalm 124:8

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” ~Genesis 1:1

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.” ~Hebrews 3:4

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” ~Jeremiah 32:17

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ~Psalm 121:1-2

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.” ~Isaiah 40:28

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” ~Ecclesiastes 3:11

“In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.” ~Psalm 95:4-5

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” ~Hebrews 11:3

“The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” ~Genesis 1:12

“I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself” ~Isaiah 44:24

“Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of them all.” ~Proverbs 22:2

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” ~Psalm 90:2

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.” ~Isaiah 40:28

Clemmy and Wally signing out 😴👅. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” ❤️, Amy

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” ~ Psalm 139:13-16

January 2024

Music in the Rest

January 31, 2024January 31, 2024by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by “rests,” and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time of forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator.

How does the musician read the rest? See him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between.

Not without design does God write the music of our lives. But be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the “rests.”

They are not to be slurred over nor to be omitted, nor to destroy the melody, nor to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sorrowfully say to ourselves, “There is no music in a rest,” let us not forget the rest is part of the making of the music. The process is often slow and painful in this life, yet how patiently God works to teach us! And how long He waits for us to learn the lesson!
John Ruskin (1819-1900), English author, poet, painter, and art critic

These words have been a source of wise counsel to me through the month of January. As I’ve frequently written in the past, MS fatigue is my number one struggle. These last few weeks have been full of “rests” and the notes of the song seem few and far between.

Sometimes I’m an integral part of the puddle of rest…

I suppose January is as good a time as any to take a forced rest. We’ve had our fair share of lead-grey, overcast skies; bitter winds; freezing temperatures; and occasional snowfall in SW Missouri this month. It’s been the perfect time to hunker down and cozy up for most people in the Midwest.

The last couple of days I’ve averaged being able to be up and moving in 5-10 minute intervals before having to rest for a good 60-90 minutes.

Hubby has been so wonderful to take care of everything in the house during the long rests in the music of my life this month. Thankfully, he’s had some rests in the melody of his life too.

Like me, Hubby’s rests are mostly conducted and accompanied with a cat in arm – this time Clemmy.

I don’t know exactly when, but the notes of the song will swell again and I’ll be up moving. When do you think? March, maybe 🤔?

Between all the “rests”, Clemmy and Wally found the last great, uncharted frontier in the house. Apparently, you have to be an 8-months old kitten to do this 🤪

May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

September 2023

Cats ❤️ Cornish Rex ❤️

September 20, 2023September 20, 2023by amysaxons6 Comments

My cat story, told through pictures of our new, 16- week old Cornish Rex (CRX) kittens.

Wally Cornwall – in honor of county Cornwall, England where the CRX breed emerged from a genetic mutation in a barn cat in the 1950s.

Clemmy Clementine – because Winston Churchill was prime minister in the 1950s and his wife’s name was Clementine, which I’ve always liked.

Growing up, my family always had dogs. I had never been around cats until I was 9 years old and my Dad took me to an animal care class through 4-H.

The farm where the 4-H class was held had a barn cat who had just given birth to a litter of soft, fuzzy kittens. I was mesmerized by their purring and mewling sounds, I had never heard anything so lovely before. My future was set the moment I actually held one in my hands – my heart was gone and, though I didn’t know it at the time, I was already morphing into a crazy cat lady.

I started begging my Dad instantly for one of the kittens on the farm. His response was a firm, “No, we already have a dog at home.” My response was something along the lines of, “Yeah, but he isn’t a cat.” Why didn’t my Dad understand that?! As the 4-H class progressed over the next several weeks so did my begging. I had never wanted anything so badly in all my little 9-year old life. Somehow, someway my Dad came around and on the last day of the class I took my first kitten, Princess, home.

The first thing I did when I was 16 and got my driver’s license was go to the Humane Society, without Mom’s permission, and get another kitten. I named her Bumpy because she meowed sweetly when I drove over a pothole pulling out of the parking lot on the way home. I also thought I could persuade Mom more easily if I had already named her 🤓.

Mom let me keep Bumpy, though she wasn’t allowed to come in the house. It wasn’t until I had finished grad school and had my first job that I FINALLY got an indoor cat. I was still living at home to save money for a house, as was my sister who had just finished her nursing degree and was saving for the same reason.

With Mom’s permission, my sister got a little Shih Tzu puppy that stayed in the house. “Hmm,” I thought. So again, without permission, I drove to my first ever American Cat Fanciers Association show in Joplin, Missouri, a little over an hour from where we lived. I was really excited about seeing all the cat breeds, but my real intent was to get a CRX kitten, if anyone there had one available. As fate would have it, there was exactly…one.

The rest is history. I brought Rexy home and, to my relief, everyone, Mom included, fell in love with him immediately! Because CRX don’t have a lot of fur and can’t live outside, my dream of having an indoor cat became reality. Though I now admit I went about it by a bit of hook or crook 🫢.

Aside from my method of acquiring him, living with a CRX has been even more profoundly wonderful than even I dreamed it could be. I moved into my first home just a few months after getting Rexy. Chemy, my second CRX, came soon after to keep Rexy company while I was at work – at least that’s what I told myself 😉.

Once you’ve owned a CRX you will forever be owned by the breed. You cannot not have at least one in your life. Laudy, our current 13 year old blue tabby CRX joined the family when Chemy died. Lest you think I’m a cat snob, we (I’m married now) had a sweet rescue boy, Harry, who lived with us until he passed away a few years ago from old age. Pip, our sweet CRX who died recently, came when we lost Harry.

My life has become very small now since I don’t work anymore and I don’t get out of the house much because of my Multiple Sclerosis. However, my life feels very full because of three main reasons: God, my family, and our cats. They are my constant companions, always with me in my arms, or on my lap, beside me in bed, or at my feet playing. We have a routine together of snuggles, meal times, and interaction. We experience each day together, which reinforces and deepens our bond.

I don’t know how to describe or explain my love for cats except to say it’s something innate within me. Perhaps it’s a bit like people who feel compelled to climb mountains or are fascinated by cars or need to garden and feel dirt on their hands. I know there are people who love dogs or horses or birds or all manner of other animals with the same passion I have for cats. I look at cats and see God as our Creator. Only He could love us so much to make animals so perfectly. I know, in His omniscience, He had my enrichment and joy in mind when He made cats!

May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

September 2023

A Mingling of Grief and Joy

September 17, 2023September 17, 2023by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

Hello, Friend!

Some of you know we lost our beloved Pip suddenly between the time of my last post and this. It was a crushing loss for us, we loved him so much. It’s still very difficult to talk about and the tears flow easily. We are so grateful to God for the 5 years we had with him. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Name of the Lord!

In loving memory of our Pip. Rest in peace, sweet boy.

For those of you who know us it will come as no surprise that we knew we would open our hearts for another cat at some point. To our astonishment, God intervened and made an opportunity available more quickly than we ever expected. And, in the marvelous way only God can arrange, He took our sorrow and lovingly soothed us with not one but TWO kittens! We drove to Indianapolis Friday night and brought our Cornish Rex kittens home yesterday.

Introducing…

Wally and Clemmy brought us great joy and comfort through the weeks of our sorrow as we grieved our Pip and anticipated holding them in our arms. Now they are here, we are soaking up every moment and feel that Pip would approve. He was the sweetest cat who delighted in nothing more than bringing love and happiness to our lives. He would be glad we are comforted by two kittens who remind us of him in nearly everything they do.

Though there will always be a Pip-size hole in our hearts that nothing and no other cat will ever fill, he taught us that love is always worth taking a chance on. We’re so grateful we took that chance!

May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

June 2023

Loving the Ozarks

June 3, 2023June 3, 2023by amysaxons2 Comments

Hi, Friend!

Hubby has been on break between semesters at the college where he teaches. It’s been so wonderful to have him home with me every day. We took a day trip to Bentonville, Arkansas Thursday and enjoyed the beauty of the Ozarks as well as our time together. If you didn’t know, Sam Walton opened his first Walmart on the square in Bentonville in 1962. The Walton family has greatly and richly (😉) invested in the town turning it into one of the coolest and most happening places in the Midwest.

Ice cream options abound. Hubby got me Milky Chocolate and Strawberry Buttermilk.

Hubby got himself a vanilla cone from this Walmart sponsored truck.

Hubby is a cycling enthusiast and has ridden a couple of the trails. They are building and adding mountain bike trails at the rate of a mile a week! Northwest Arkansas now draws hundreds of national and international cyclists every year.

You can walk all the way up and around the outside of this building on the zigzag walkways.

Compton Gardens had lovely trails for walking and cycling.

Hubby got his exercise pushing me up and down the walkway at Compton Gardens (as shown here) and around downtown Bentonville. It was a hot and sweaty job. It’s a lot easier to get my wheelchair in and out of the car than it is to take apart and reassemble my scooter. However, we agreed it would be worth the effort to take my scooter on all future trips – I’m a bit of a handful 😜.

I wore a new dress I made this week from this beautiful floral and strawberry print jersey 🍓.

It’s starting to get warm and I’ve not been able to sit outside on the patio as much the past couple of weeks.

Our River Birches have fully leafed out. Almost all of the fuzzy seeds have finally fallen, which is a good thing because they are pretty messy.

This Mama dove has been sitting on her nest in our guttering for a solid three weeks. I don’t know if her babies are ever going to hatch.

Sadly, the following bird photos are the last at our feeders that I’ll be able to get for a while. I’ve had so many squirrels and grackles eating the seed that I’ve decided to stop for a while, it’s just too expensive. 😢. I am researching some other options and hope to get something else in place soon. I’ve really missed my feathered friends.

House Finches (male and female pair) and Downy Woodpecker, male

Best snuggle buddies ever, Laudy and Pip

Until next time, may God be with you! ❤️, Amy

May 2023

A Day (or Three) In My Life

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023by amysaxons2 Comments

Hello, Friend! I hope you are well wherever you are when this post finds you.

I’m currently sitting on the back patio watching the birds on a gorgeous May afternoon. I can hear cardinals, house finches, titmice, and blue jays calling, singing, squeaking, and buzzing from the canopy overhead and behind us. Though it’s a warm, sunny day, there’s a lovely light breeze in the shade keeping me cool and bringing the last scent of quickly fading lilac across the yard to me. It is a springtime feast for the senses!

Yesterday and today have been absolutely joyful days as my typically excessive MS fatigue has lessened and allowed me to be up and about more than usual. So, naturally, I rode my scooter over to the lake in our neighborhood yesterday and soaked in some Vitamin D and the beauty of God’s creation around me.

Baby starlings waiting for Mom to come back with a meal.

… this is the reality. I walked down to the water’s edge and, of course, MS gal lost her balance and stepped in the water 😜.

After I rode back home from the lake, I decided to sit under the birches in the backyard.

Isn’t this a delicious view through the treetops?

One of my favorite corners of the garden.

My Mother-in-law came for a visit last weekend and was watching the birds at the feeders when she suddenly exclaimed, “Turkey!”. My Hubby caught this pic with his phone before it flew away. I’ve seen several turkeys in the woods around our neighborhood, but this is the first one who’s ever flown over the fence for a visit. It was quite exciting 🦃!

My tripod broke last week and as I was waiting for the new one to be delivered, some of my favorite springtime visitors dropped by for a snack. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks only stay in the Ozarks for a small window of time as they migrate north each year. If I would have had a tripod the picture would have been sharper. There’s always next year.

Laudy’s turn to help me with my Bible study 😻

I think I had three PDF patterns that needed to be put together. It took several days last week to get the job done, but Pip and I persevered.

My sister asked me to make a dress for her from a pattern company I had never used before. Experience has taught me to try out a pattern before using precious fabric. I traced off my size onto butcher paper and am in the middle of making the dress for myself from fabric in my stash to check the fit. So far so good.

I used some of my energy yesterday to clean the kitchen sink with Soft Scrub. Aren’t the patterns pretty?

My Mom gave me this Chicago Metallic meatloaf pan several years ago. The raised insert allows the fat to drip through the holes, keeping the meat from getting soggy.

Hubby loves ketchup drizzled over meatloaf before it’s baked.

Dinner is served! Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, salad, and homemade Rice Krispie Treat.

Thanks for stopping by. May God be with you! ❤️, Amy

April 2023

Whew, What A Week!

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

When it rains it pours! Our dishwasher gave up the ghost Saturday morning (my birthday) and flooded the kitchen.

Thankfully, Hubby is a pretty smart cookie and got the water shut off.

He wrangled the dishwasher out of it’s nest and discovered the water lines from it were bad and the tub on the bottom had a crack.

Though we had to look for dishwashers on my birthday, we managed to squeeze in a yummy lunch at a delicious cafe/bakery. My favorite there is an almond croissant 🥐😋!

We found a replacement the same day and my Dad helped us get it home and supervised Hubby’s installation.

It was a lot of work, but Hubby got the job done and it was sealed with Pip’s approval. 😻

Speaking of Pip, we have been dealing with a bit of a scare with him. Last month during his regular, annual check-up we learned he had a grade 2 heart murmur. Our vet referred us to the University of Missouri Vet Clinic to see a cardiologist to investigate the issue further.

It’s a three hour drive from Springfield to Columbia one way… it’s been a long day for us all.

She gave us some good news today that it looks benign and we are scheduled to go back next year to keep an eye on things.

Pip was still kinda stoned from the sedation on the way home. He curled up on my lap and insisted, by way of nudging my hand, that I rub his head the whole way ❤️😻.

Here’s a random picture of the lunch I made myself Monday.

In this month’s Universal Yums box they included a recipe for Belgian Meatballs, Hubby wanted to try them so I made them on Wednesday for dinner. I served them with baked new potatoes. Verdict? 😋😍👍

Our lilac tree is now bursting with blooms and filling our backyard with the most wonderful scent ever smelled. I took this picture last week just as one of the bunches was starting to open up.

The weather has been nice enough each afternoon this week and, despite pretty lousy MS fatigue, I’ve been able to make it onto the patio to watch the birds. They fill my heart with joy and gratitude to God for the wonder of His creation.

This photo collage of my sister and I popped up on my memories this week. I love my sister, she is one of my greatest blessings and my best friend ❤️.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day! May God be with you. ❤️, Amy

April 2023

It’s Blooming Spring!

April 13, 2023April 14, 2023by amysaxons2 Comments

I love how the colors came out in this photo of a Common Grackle.

19 of Hubby’s cycling friends stopped by halfway through one of their rides for a cookie and water break.

Our sweet blue “Laudy” Laudanum Cornish Rex 💙

It’s always a toss-up of who will be first in the sling to help me with my Bible study each morning. Pip won this day.

Behind the scenes when I’m birdwatching on the back patio.

Have a lovely day! God be with you. ❤️, Amy

March 2023

Covid – It Was A Long Time Coming

March 3, 2023March 3, 2023by amysaxons3 Comments

It probably came home with Hubby from work. It was friendly and visited me while in the vicinity. The first five days were a nasty business for both of us. Hubby is better, though he still has a bit of a cough and tires easily. I took Paxlovid, got better, then got Rebound Covid. I am definitely feeling better, though I can’t get rid of the cough. I’ve nearly polished off my third bottle of Robitussin in two weeks. I must not be the only one out there on the ‘Tussin ’cause Hubby is beating the streets after work tonight to try and score me a fourth bottle.

Laudy and Pip didn’t miss a beat while Hubby and I had Covid. As you can see, they snuggled in and laid low right along with us.

Though my body had just started making B-cells again and I only had a few (see my last post), I was able to fight the dreaded virus and live to tell the tale. I praise God for His timing and the fact He made our bodies to be such hardy machines. This experience has proven it’s safe for me to venture back out into the world again 🎉🥳.