A brief encounter

 

Meet Eric.... He held the needle as I was reclining and giving my blood for a good cause..It was a little longer than the normal... 13 minutes... so we had time to talk.

He has POTS.   I know someone who also has that diagnosis and was interested to hear more. His main symptom is dizziness. Thankfully, not when he is drawing blood.

He has had about 8 years of experience  ( I was comforted to hear that too )

He also said that he used to go to church with his Nana while he was growing up in Florida, but since he came to Washington, he has not gone.

As I left the mobile unit I told him "You  should go to church, it is Christmas, and call your Nana ♥"

He said he would call, and thanked me

This is the reason I donated today.   Little Charlie in the white boots has been treated for cancer for two years.   Now 6 months free !    She and her family are giving back to the community for their support during this time, so they have a blood drive...also a golf tournament...and a toy drive.

Enough said.

Gotta love the Stenson family

Oh, we are related.. Charlie's grandpa and me are first cousins.  Family is so precious to me.

I  live an exciting life

a brief encounter

 a story without a photo..

Dinner at one of our favorite spots, The British Pantry

It has never been this busy on a Saturday night

No hurry, waiting for our entrees

The table closest to us had a family of three children
A baby, a son about 5 and daughter about 7
Dad was playing a word game
He would describe something and then the family
tried to guess... animal?  food?

It was played with "indoor voices"

And no cell phones to be seen

It was about a 25 minute wait and during that time a little gal about 3 years old came past, heading to the  ladies room.  And she came by again, by herself.   One more time and returned with a roll of toilet paper.  Her mother came by and returned it.

I found it hard not to "consider" the difference and had to pause by the table and tell the family, I had noticed their good manners.   They smiled and said thank you.

And that was a highlight of the evening
Along with great shepherds pie

I live an exciting life

A brief encounter

 

We were in the lobby at our hotel chatting with John,  turns out he was going to Uber to a local restaurant.   We invited him to join us

And he did

This is John 

During our time together we learned a few things about this gentleman

First and most important,  he loves Jesus.

He is a physician, in the area for a convention

Memories he shared, of God's protection and beyond 

He was flying his own Cessna, to an airport near New York.   He was half way there when he felt some jerking... the gas level showed almost empty.    He had asked his crew to "fill er up", but apparently that did not happen.   He called the airport and they directed him to a closer airport.   However, that was still 20 miles away.   He opened his mouth in prayer and for the next miles, no jerking, no sputtering... just a smooth ride until landing.   He continued in thankful prayers.

Another flight experience, on a trip to Paris ( no, not in his Cessna )   A call was made for a doctor.  A passenger was in labor.   John is an orthopedic surgeon, but the only doctor on board.   Soon a little fella was crying and the passengers cheered.    The parents named this little fella, John, and every year on his birthday, they send him a bottle of expensive Bubbly 

One more adventure,  this time on a safari.   The jeep came close to a very unhappy gorilla   He had a broken arm.   While John admitted he was not a vet, he tackled the job and made one gorilla very happy.  For the rest of the trip, that gorilla  would not leave his side.

Such stories bring encouragement to our hearts, and thanks to the great Physician.

I live an exciting life