Catalog: A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

PENNY 1: October - November, 2005. 8 pages.

PENNY 2: December, 2005 - February, 2006. Contains two stories I call "Lessons Learned from the Animal Kingdom." 6 pages.

PENNY 3: March - May, 2006. Contains two short stories: "The Squeaky Shoe" and "Surprise!" Also contains my reactions to my mother's death on May 5 at age 97. 8 pages.

PENNY 4: June - August, 2006. Includes dreams in which my disabilities show up and my reaction to the ID bracelet I must wear at Sky View. 8 pages.

PENNY 5: September - December, 2006. An important component of this journal is my recording of the onset and current status of my PLS, prompted by a leaflet of symptoms that my daughter gave me. Also records details of an unexpected "fall foliage" ride in an ambulette AND the start of worship services at Sky View! 8 pages.

PENNY 6: January - March, 2007. This issues begins with answers to some of the questions I have had about dreams through the years. What do you think led to these answers? Includes a sample of what I call "necessary writing" and an Easter meditation. Do you agree with James 3:10? I do! 6 pages.

PENNY 7: April - June, 2007. This three month span includes a special event for Leo and me – our 50th wedding anniversary! Contains samples of some of the creative activities that go on here in the nursing home. And who would have thought that Sky View would be the setting for a reunion with a longtime friend? 10 pages.

PENNY 8: July - September, 2007. Have you ever tried "eating"? I do it often. Writing a newspaper article about our 50th wedding anniversary prompts thoughts about the meaning of marriage. What shocked Carolyn and then provided such hearty laughter to many, including Carolyn? 8 pages.

PENNY 9: October - December, 2007. A planned trip to the hospital turns out to be far different from what I had expected! Join me, if you wish, in playing one of my favorite word games. What would happen if all of us deliberately handed out compliments every day? Ends with 3 very quotable quotes. 8 pages.

PENNY 10: January - March, 2008. "Not all of God's people believe that God interacts with his people today just as he did in Bible times." Do you? What made Nadine laugh so heartily in my room? The sudden death of Elie brings thoughts of my own death and evokes a poem in her memory. 6 pages.

PENNY 11: April - June, 2008. This edition begins by recounting the events of the busiest half-month I have had since I came to live at Sky View, as far as ministry and social appointments are concerned; it ends with an illness starting on June 30 and lasting three weeks into July. Contains a useful definition of "tender time." Read and see! 8 pages.

PENNY 12: July - September, 2008. My daughter gave me a facial. Why did it end in such hearty laughter? Contains a tribute to Paul Pinsker, a friend I met at Drum Hill, who spent his last days at Sky View. Includes the poem “A Parting Song.” Memories from the past, stirred up by the present, continue to bring me joy. 9 pages.

PENNY 13: October - December, 2008. This issue of my journal records the progress of an exciting project: forming my essays into topical books, rather than just assorted pieces. The first one, Heavenly Thoughts On Ageing and Dying, is almost finished! Also, where did the MYSTERY SHOES come from? 8 pages.

PENNY 14: January - March, 2009. To my surprise, someone suggested I change the title of my book! This essay follows the thought process that led to a new title. Andrea said, “If nothing happened, you’d have nothing to write about.” A series of events in February guaranteed that I had plenty to write about! Contains new poems. April, 2009. 9 pages.

PENNY 15: April - June, 2009. These three months were very creative for me, so this issue of my journal is full of meditations, poetry (some of it whimsical), music, and joy. Some of my poetry is being distributed in unusual ways, as you will discover. Also: see how patiently God worked to show me that I was guilty of fretting! July, 2009. 9 pages.

PENNY 16: July - September, 2009. Read all about it: “That was then; this is now - and that’s OK!” A fire scare stirs up musings, past and present. A sign in the physical therapy department brings gales of laughter. Ends with a “book review” recently found tucked inside my grandma’s Bible. I like it! Do you? October, 2009. 7 pages.

PENNY 17: October - December, 2009. Who would have thought that a discarded tissue could evoke such emotional responses? Secondhand compliments are powerful; pass them on! A nighttime reverie results in a meditation I call "B.C." Our son's piano keyboard stirs fond memories. January, 2010. 8 pages.

PENNY 18: Jaunary - March, 2010. This issue contains many heartwarming stories about friendships among Sky View residents and about interactions between staff and residents. A flashback from 1947 has me promoting intergenerational conversations. An unusual request results in a poem for an unborn child. April, 2010. 9 pages.

PENNY 19: April - June, 2010. Contains a number of creative writings, including dreams told as stories; a poem written by request; and a song that may be sung to the tune of Amazing Grace! My study of Spanish in high school comes in handy in 1956 and now. Includes book reviews, one with a family connection to me. July, 2010. 9 pages.

PENNY 20: July - September, 2010. Opens with a spectacular display of fireworks and ends with a flurry of activity as we get ready for TWO services! Between are all sorts of creative stories and poems. Do you see pictures where there are no pictures? I do! New window shades lead to reminiscing. October, 2010. 9 pages.

PENNY 21: October - December, 2010. This edition goes from a flurry of activity to my being stricken with illness, along with many on 4th floor, out of which comes thanksgiving for the medical care we receive at Sky View. The rescue of miners in Chile and musings on an old hymn both bring fresh thoughts on the Incarnation. January, 2011. 9 pages.

PENNY 22: January - March, 2011. In this issue you will find poetry, stories, and reports on wearing bibs, getting a new feeding tube, our monthly services; life in general here at Sky View, sports, the weather, and more - all liberally sprinkled with gratitude to God, and humor. Have you ever heard of a no-calorie chocolate cake? April, 2011. 9 pages.

PENNY 23: April - June, 2011. This 3-month period was filled with all sorts of events that became topics of entries in this issue of Penny, such as: 2 hospital trips concerning my feeding tube; visits from all 5 of my children; a creative spurt that resulted in both poems and hymns; a question about burdens; and a total computer breakdown! July, 2011. 9 pages.

PENNY 24: July - September, 2011. This issue is somewhat shorter than the others, for reasons the journal unfolds. An earthquake, a hurricane, a short story, and a brand new poem appear on its pages. Do you like to do nitty-gritty things? Change seems to be in the air and I'm excited! October, 2011. 6 pages.

PENNY 25: October - December, 2011. Twice in this issue I ask what you, my readers, think about the topic at hand. If you wish to comment, please use my website. Contains 2 poems and a story: Ballet of the Birds. Where are the thoughts that I didn’t record? A testimonial for Andrea turns out to be a gift. January, 2012. 7 pages.

PENNY 26: January - March, 2012. Contains a report on Whitney Houston’s Home-going that some have circulated for the glory of God. Musing on John 13 turns into a thank you for my aides. Why was Jackie under the bookcase? An unusually short winter leads to memories of a childhood treat. April 2012. 8 pages.

PENNY 27: April - June, 2012. From the first story about an April Fool’s Day incident to the last story of an amazing rainbow, this issue is full of relationship entries, revealing my connection with Sky View staff, my family, my friends, and God. Our 55th wedding anniversary prompts a doxology. July, 2012. 7 pages.

PENNY 28: July - September, 2012. Five – no, six! – of my poems, the ones that can be sung to old hymn tunes, are printed with the music, as they would appear in a hymnal! Guess what? I have a caseworker! David connects me with Jane! An employee’s frustrated outburst inspires a new poem. October, 2012. 8 pages.

PENNY 29: October - December, 2012. This was a very creative quarter for me, as this journal issue will show. Why was John's laughter so puzzling to me? Who ever heard of Halloween's celebration being postponed two years in a row? Seven years in Sky View! Amazing! January, 2013. 9 pages.

PENNY 30: January - March, 2013. "Found time" allows me to write a narrative poem rich with food for thought. My husband writes an article commending Sky View; I respond by commending him! How do you react to change? Does faith make a difference in your reactions? Should it? April, 2013. 8 pages.

PENNY 31: April - June, 2013. Begins and ends with new feeding tubes - why? I reach a milestone in April: my 80th birthday! Read all about it! I have fun with Japanese haiku poetry. An unlikely team of repairmen arrives to fix my ailing chair. A magician gives a great performance just for me! July, 2013. 8 pages.

PENNY 32: July - September, 2013. Noel and I meet - Oh, Happy Day! Do you know Father William? What a dear, wise man! Holy moments crop up any time, any place, even on a Paratransit bus! Contains my way of "going to church" on Sundays. Is my world shrinking or enlarging? October, 2013. 8 pages.

PENNY 33: October - December, 2013. An aide's clever question leads to the inclusion of my haiku poem called A Gift of Love. Noel, my nun friend who also has PLS, comes to Sky View three times from her nearby nursing home! Contains a story titled OOPS! and many other accounts of reunions and visits. January, 2014. 6 pages.

PENNY 34: January - March, 2014. Between an explanation of our color-coding system at the beginning and the mystery at the end, this edition of Penny contains memorial writing assignments, a change in my care, a new word for my spoken vocabulary, film reviews, and more! Read and see! April, 2014. 7 pages.

PENNY 35: April - June, 2014. A particularly creative issue, it contains stories like Charlotte Gets Her Wish and Peonies for Decoration Day, as well as a trio of poems on creativity and one called A Gift of Love. From my room I can see both the Swinging Tree and the Talking Tree! July, 2014. 8 pages.

PENNY 36: July - September, 2014. Meet Anna, a girl who really enjoyed God! A series of memos becomes the backdrop for thoughts about stress in our lives. Ends with a poem in the order of Ogden Nash's delightful whimsy and some words of encouragement for us all. October, 2014. 9 pages.

PENNY 37: October - December, 2014. In what may be my last QUARTERLY Penny essay (“We’ll see,” as my mother often said) I focus on a newly finished poem, including its side stories. Read all about it! Also includes 3 papers that were used as holiday greetings in 2014 – in case you missed them! February, 2015. 8 pages.

PENNY 38: January - April, 2015. The first of the Pennies with a more flexible format, this issue is composed almost entirely of the service we gave to celebrate the 100th monthly offering at Sky View of "Scripture and Prayer with Verna and Friends." Enjoy! May, 2015. 11 pages.

PENNY 39: May - August, 2015. Only God could have known that a 16-word poem I read years ago would be so inspiring now! Who reintroduced me to this poem? Have you ever seen door stops in the shape of chickens? Laugh with me as you read the conclusion to this essay! September, 2015. 9 pages.

PENNY 40: September, 2015 - February, 2016. You decide: Does this mixture of leftover food for thought and fresh food of the same sort make a good, nourishing meal for the soul? Includes new (fresh?) words to an old (leftover?) hymn tune. Enjoy! February, 2016. 8 pages.

GREETINGS FROM VERNA: November 24, 2016. A sequel to the Penny essays, this is a compilation of Verna’s contributions to the Sky View worship services from April through September, plus a new essay, “The Desires of Your Heart.” November, 2016. 14 pages.