My mother gave me two bits of wisdom to live by: do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and if you can look in the mirror each morning and like who you see, you are doing all right. Her mother, my grandmother, upon hearing us gossip one day passed along this advice: when your daughter’s daughter’s daughter is grown and nothing has gone wrong along the way, then you have a right to talk about someone else’s kids. My other grandmother taught me how to make skillet toast and dandelion greens. Well, when I roll all that advice and experience together I can honestly say that I like who I am, I try to listen with empathy to others, I have no right to criticize anyone else’s children and my grandkids love skillet toast as much as I do.
(To make skillet toast, butter one side of a piece of white bread. Grill the buttered side till browned. Carefully remove and flip the toast onto a plate, immediately sprinkling sugar on the hot toasty side. Eat right away while it is soft on the bottom and crunchy on top. Lots of calories and absolutely no nutritional value. Delicious!)

Once upon a time I was married to a delightful man named Paul Jasinski. We were best of friends and very much in love. He died at age 29 after a ten month battle with Hodgkins lymphoma. A year and a half later I married a marvelous man named Jim Hitchcock and we are living happily ever after on a farm in rural Ohio. Not many women are as fortunate as I have been, to be loved by two amazing men!

At this moment we have five sheep, two caged rabbits with six new babies, one escaped rabbit who nibbles the grass outside the rabbit pen longing to get back inside but refusing to be caught, three cats, and my 14-year-old deaf sidekick, Max, a poodle/lhasa apso/maltese mix of greying white fluff. He and I have been buddies since he was a babe and we have written some stories together…another book for another time.

Jim and I adopted two beautiful little boys, brothers, ages 4 and 5. I was 32 years old and knew that I could fix all their problems with a lot of love and a nice wardrobe. I had visions of sweet adorable little boys in their Oshkosh, By Gosh outfits sitting at a cute little table, coloring pictures to put on the refrigerator. It didn’t quite work out that way. If you read my book you have a taste of what those growing up years were like. I’ve written them happy endings. I pray each night that this dream will come true.

God has been good to me and has faithfully shown His presence in my life as I have waded through some pretty deep doodoo. I’ve learned to listen with open eyes. One especially difficult day I found a box of books along the road and decided to open the Bible inside to Psalms at my childhood street address, 1816. Psalm 18:16, in that version, says, “He reached down from on high and plucked me out of troubled waters.” That day, one of the lower days in my motherhood, filled with light. Psalm 18:16 continues to be my lifeline. It goes on to say that God rescued me because he delights in me. Imagine … God delights in me! And in you. Hold on to that. God delights in you! Isn’t that grand!!

I hope you enjoyed – or will enjoy – The Holy Order of Womb Women. I would love to hear your comments. Book Two is underway and on target for a Christmas 2010 release, God willing.

Thank you for giving me this time to share with you. Be filled with peace, love, and JOY. And, remember, God delights in you!