Saturday Night at Grace House

It's 12:45 am on a Saturday evening as I walk in the door of my home from a wonderful evening with friends. The house is quiet  but for the sound of the television. I gingerly walk through the dining room and into the living room.  One table lamp warmly lights the sunroom and the reflection of the TV shines on the serene faces of my sleeping guests on the couch.  Being out in the rain and cold weather had them yearning for warmth as they are snuggled beneath the plaid comforter. The temperature  in the house has dropped quite a bit so I thought perhaps they could use another blanket. And just as I lowered the blanket onto him, he awoke. His sleepy smile greeted me while his girlfriend still remained in her blissful state of slumber.

We chatted for awhile reminiscing about our night's out when our chat was cut short by two black cats creating any kind of mischief they could to demand that a midnight snack be served!

The water was heating on the stove as I began to scoop the homemade cat food into a small glass dish. This daily ritual acted out without thought, I reflected on how full my heart was knowing my guests have made themselves right at home.  As I am lost in the warmth of this feeling, I glance over to see a pizza box and some beer cans on the counter and I smile. The kitchen is a bit messy but I don't care.

I bring myself back to preparing my cats food,  my thoughts wander to my other guests that text me about two hours ago.  Their grandson suddenly had to go to the Emergency Room. I walk out of the kitchen and into the hallway adjoining their bedroom. I glance in the direction of their room and see darkness with the door wide open.  A clear sign they haven't been home.

I quickly shoot a text off to them to express my concern as they walk into the side door to the house.

Tired with worried expressions on their faces, they share the events of the last few hours.

The guests on the couch stretch their arms and legs and announce they are going to bed. Saturday Night Live and Nicki Minaj are turned off as the house begins its quiet decent into slumber.

I continue my kitchen conversation about an eleven month old's first visit to the ER as the cats munch on their midnight snack. Emotionally weary from the days events, my guests bid me a "goodnight."

I take a quick tour through the house turning off the lights except for a guiding light over the kitchen sink. The cats and head off to the second floor. They know the routine as they jump up onto the bed waiting for me finish washing my face and brushing my teeth.

I open the bedroom window to let the cool breeze float in and I climb under the covers between my two furry companions.

I lay there listening to the sound of a peaceful and contented silence. Everyone is home, warm, safe and comfortable.

And I am happy.

Kimberley

Amazing Grace, a Tribute to my Father and to Wayne Dyer, my Spiritual Father/ Mentor

On this beautiful, cool summer morning as I listen to yet another Wayne Dyer You Tube video, I contemplate the wonders of my life at this very moment.

Wayne Dyer has been my "spiritual Father/mentor" for many years of my life and he recently passed away. Upon learning of his passing, I set out to listen to his audio books, watch his movies, listen to his You Tube segments.

This mornings segment was "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life." The last few minutes of the segment, he talks about a man who was a slave trader and was caught in a storm on the sea while transporting human cargo. He thought he was going to die. With those thoughts in his mind, the man set out to write. And he wrote: "I was once lost and now I am found, it was grace that taught my heart to feel, it was grace that brought me home." He reconnected to his Source says Wayne Dyer. " We can make that trip returning to our Source at any time in our lives. This particular man shifted his life and dedicated his life to abolish slavery. In a moment its possible to shift our lives! "



And as I heard Wayne Dyer speak those words of that young man who wrote that song, I was reminded of that beautiful song that my father and I used to sing together in church. I searched You Tube for that song and found a beautiful celtic version of the song ... and I am singing to my hearts content in my office as I write this!  Here is the link to the song.. please play it, its so beautiful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsCp5LG_zNE


My mind is taking me back to that little baptist church on a Sunday morning as my Dad and I held the hymnal together, belting out that song, together. My Dad had a wonderful voice and in fact used to sing in the choir.

There are so many amazing graces in my life at this very moment .. because you see, I just spoke to my Dad shortly before I turned on the You Tube video. It's such a gift to have my Dad back in my life and my family's  life after a long hiatus.. Truly a gift of grace.

Yesterday, I had someone ask me how my home got to be named "Grace House".  Well, the woman who first owned my home was named Grace and this home is my gift to the world as I have opened my home to family and friends for years, but more recently, over the past three years, the global community walks through my doors as I host them on Airbnb.

So, you see these gifts are many ... and I "know" , "I know" that this grace is all around my life.

And this post is dedicated to my Father, Richard Barker.. and my Spiritual Father/mentor, Wayne Dyer.

I love you both so much , thank you for being in my life and guiding me every step of the way!

Grace to all of You, My Readers,

Kimberley

One Year Ago, I met a Young Couple Through Airbnb

One Year Ago, a chinese man in his mid twenties sent me a reservation request in the middle of the night for him to come and stay that evening at my house.  I typically don't answer requests in the middle of the night while I am sleeping, but for some reason, the ping of my phone woke me up. He had no picture on his profile.

Typically, I would be suspicious of this type of request and ask several more questions before I would even approve the stay. I asked him for a picture and he said he was boarding the plan and couldn't do it. He explained that he was taking the red eye flight from California to be with his girlfriend.

My instincts told me to just approve it.

He walked into my home around 6pm as I recall, carrying just a backpack. His English was pretty good. He seemed a bit shaken and definitely distracted. I asked him if there was something I could do for him and he said "my girlfriend is sick." I look at his face and said, well, I am in the healthcare business, how can I help? Can I get you to a doctor? He proceeded to show me the list of doctors that the University gave his girlfriend.

The were abortion doctors.

A bit stunned and not really knowing how to handle the situation, I remained quiet and said a silent prayer asking God to help me with this. And so, I did what makes everyone feel better - I asked him if he was hungry!

We proceeded to cook together and ironically enough, I was making stir fry that night! He proceeded to talk with me as he so expertly chopped up vegetables in record time!

We ate together and he asked me if he could bring his girlfriend back to stay with him. "Of course", I said.

And this beautiful, young chinese woman walks in my door not an hour later, with a gift to thank me for talking with her boyfriend. I graciously accepted her gift, not really feeling like I did anything to help them.

Their overnight stay turned into a week. I helped them locate a physician who could talk with them about options and they were scheduled to go the next Monday.

Well, life decided it wasn't going to wait until Monday and they were in the Emergency Room on Sunday.
The diagnosis was an ectopic pregnancy.  They text me the news and I knew that the best thing I could do for them was to love them up and tell them that God had other plans for them and perhaps this was a blessing.

They ended up staying another week so she could rest and  be seen again to ensure the medications the doctors gave her were working.

They didn't work and she was given more medication.

I watched over her closely and ensured she was comfortable and safe. As the days went on, my heart grew closer and closer to hers. So scary to be thousands of miles from home and have such a dramatic thing happen to you as a young woman! I stayed at home each night after work, so that I could support them both through this journey. There was no way , I was going to leave them to deal with this alone!

This young man stood by her side the entire time. He never let her out of his sight for too long and if he did have to leave, he made sure I was there as backup.

He fed her, made sure she was warm and catered to her every need. It was really quite beautiful to witness.

She appeared to be doing ok but slept quite a bit and said her stomach felt funny. She really didn't complain about anything.

Another week went by and the day of her follow up appointment, her boyfriend had to go back to California for school and she was going alone.

I didn't hear from her for hours. I was concerned. Finally, she called me right before I was ready to get on the highway to go home.  Something was wrong and they were sending her to the Emergency Room.

I turned around and was there in 10 minutes. I see her laying on a hospital guerney and she tells me they are taking her to surgery? What? 

I talked with the doctor to get a more clear explanation of what was occurring. They needed to go in, something wasn't right. 

I looked at this beautiful girl and I explained to her what was happening as best I could. And I had to explain to her that perhaps she would no longer have the function of one of her tubes.

I wanted to cry. I know how she felt. I only had one tube as well due to a situation that occurred when I was young as well. I felt that life had just gone full circle. Had I gone through that experience so I could be the one here for her? I don't know. All I knew was that I would not leave her side until I knew she was safe.

Her boyfriend text me all through the evening. The clock ticked for what seemed like hours. At 11:00pm, the doctor came out looking for me. He looked perplexed. I was not chinese. How is it that I was the one he was to talk with? I laughed to myself and thought, "I'm an Airbnb host"

He said it was a good thing she was here. She had started bleeding internally, her tube had ruptured.

I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer of gratitude to God.  I thanked the doctor and walked down the hallway to see her. As I walked down the silent hallway with only the sounds of my shoes on the floor, I heard this beautiful girl call out my name and that she was happy I stayed with her.

I was holding the tears back for sure. I didn't want her to see me cry. I knew that God's hand was in all of this. I turned the corner to see her wrapped like a doll, with hints of her black hair barely showing and her eyes barely open.

She looked precious, fragile and so sweet. I held her hand and told her that I loved her and that everything was ok.

I picked her up the next day and she began her recovery at my house. Her boyfriend flew back to Buffalo the next day and the three of us spent the next ten days together.

It was a wonderful time of healing, sharing food and getting to know each other. They were now part of my family in every way. They shared so many parts of their culture with me and I with them. I had bought her some new pajamas and a bathrobe when she was in the hospital and one morning she comes out with them on and her boyfriend shot a picture of the two of us. I looked at the picture and knew that God had brought me a daughter. Even as I write this, I cry because my heart is overflowing with love.

The day came that she was fully healed and ready to begin her life again. Her boyfriend secured an apartment for them to live for the next few months while she finished the semester.

As they were loading their bags into the car, she cried in the bedroom and I cried in the kitchen.

Her boyfriend didn't know what to do with the two of us. Off they went and I cried myself to sleep that night. It was heartbreaking to let her go!

Fast forward a few months and we carved pumpkins together with another Airbnb guests daughter and her boyfriend and danced in my living room to some crazy Xbox type game. It was really fun!

They ended up going back to China for the Holidays and they announced to me that they would be returning to the United States and moving to California.

My heart felt pangs of sadness. I knew my time with them was probably going to be few and far between.

They started their schooling in California and it ended up to be a great decision for them.

Three weeks ago, they called me. "Kim, we are getting married!"

What? Really? Unfortunately , it happened to be a week after I was returning from the Dominican Republic.

The great news is, I could watch them get married over the Internet! Who knew! Technology is quite amazing!

Today, they were married at 6:00pm in Las Vegas and I sat at my computer and watched the two of them exchange their vows.


Did I cry? Oh yes! I cried for so many reasons.  One, for them and their future. Two, for how far they had come in one year and three, because I was able to share this moment with them, even though I was thousands of miles away.

Does the Internet replace the real thing? No, but I didn't miss this very special moment in their life.

All because I decided one day to become an Airbnb host, three years ago. My life has never been the same, and I am so very grateful for that!

Congratulations my dear friends who are part of my family! I love you both so much!

Finally, Chocolate Walnut Balls!

So, I posted a comment on my facebook page on January 23rd about these delectable little delights and finally figured out how to post the picture of them on here for everyone!  The picture on facebook turned out much too small and you wouldn't see the glaze that covered the cookie, so I posted the pic here!

The cookie is not an italian cookie and has no anise in it.  It is a family recipe handed down from my parents and is perfect paired with a cup of Espresso, or a glass of hearty red wine. Try some for breakfast! yes breakfast! One of my guests who visited from Italy loved cookies for breakfast, certainly a man after my own heart! 

And here is a little story to go along with these little, pop in your mouth after you freeze them , lucious delights!

Every Christmas my Mom would make several batches of different types of cookies.  These being one of them.  She would start her cookie baking right after Thanksgiving and would be in the kitchen for weeks! How she did it with four kids, I will never know!  

She would freeze them all so that there would be plenty serve during Christmas.  One year I decided that my cookie/chocolate craving was just too much to bear and I decided that I would sneak into the pantry and grab a few out of the freezer.  My mother would never know as she was off doing laundry or something, I don't quite remember what anymore.  Well, my best laid plans of being in cognito came to a screaching halt when I gingerly opened the the freezer door, put my hand into the plastic cookie container and the freezer started to tip right on top of me! I saw it coming and I screamed for my mother as the freezer hit the wall behind me! The pantry wasn't that big thankfully for me and the wall held the freezer upright.  My mother came running and I was caught red-handed!  This story makes me laugh to this day and it is truly a fond memory whenever I whip up a batch of these cookies.

By the way, I no longer make these cookies just for Christmas as they are a favorite of my family, friends and AirBnB guests. 

Realms of Grace

My Dearest Readers,

How have you been? Has your life been in a season of winter, fall, spring or summer?  What do I mean by that? Well, it is something I learned from a great teacher of mine Tony Robbins.  The seasons represent periods of our lives.

As I reflect over the last few months of my life, I have to say it has felt like winter for sure, with overriding feelings of depression and sadness as my mother struggled for life in a hospital bed.   The roller coaster of emotions was amazingly intense, too intense actually. Nothing else mattered but to do everything I could to save her life. I knew her time was not up yet and I was determined to see that it wasn't.  Yes, I know that God is the only one that determines the fate of our lives but the control freak, type A personality  that I have somehow wanted to believe I could play a part in His orchestra.

I am happy to say that she is recovering at home now and seems to be doing well. A gift of Grace for sure!  I pray everyday that she regains strength so that she will be with her family for another 20 years.

Most of my friends would tell you that sadness and depression are not emotions that would describe me. More like vibrant, alive, fun loving, energetic are the words they would use.  So, you could imagine how off balance I felt and how desperate I have been to come away from all of that and once again, feel happy and hopeful.

At the same time, I have to say there have been times of spring, meeting the  people that have walked through the front door as I began opening my house to guests through AirBnB.  AirBnB is an international website that allows people to stay in others homes for a fee, much like a Bed and Breakfast.  I began having guests in my home just about the same time my mother went in for her hip surgery in early May.  I have hosted folks from Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Oregan, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Texas and Ireland.  This diversion from my mother's illness , although requiring physical energy was a breath of fresh air.  Each guest brought a richness to my life as they shared their lives and their stories with me.  The guests who were more outgoing and talkative came to me as I needed the message they shared and their companionship.  The quieter folks, entered the door as I needed my personal space and time for reflection.

It was challenging to manage my full time job, taking care of my mother and having guests in my home.  At times, I wondered if I had the energy to make it through a full day, but I did, by the mere grace of God.  And I thank God that he blessed me with the priviledge of having met these people.

And there were those that showed me signs of summer, of protection. My darling and dear friends, who never, ever,  let me stay down for too long and held me up when I needed the strength of their arms and shoulders.  The texts that came in day, after day, hour after hour from each one of them was like an invisible net of love letting me know they were there in spirit even if they couldn't be there physically.  The hugs that came each time I saw them made life a bit easier to deal with.  You know who you are my friends, my love to you forever and always.  You all have showed me what true friendship is.  That true friendship never leaves us even in the darkest of times when you can't see the way out. These are the arms of grace that embrace.

The autumn has come upon myself and my family , not only from the temperature outside but from the love that bonded us together during this time.  Old wounds started to heal as forgiveness was offered as a gift to each other as my mom's life was held in the balance.  Courage came upon my sister to start life anew in Florida. My father has joined our family once again and in some odd way, I feel, he has taken his rightful seat at the table. For this , I am grateful as it feels like a weight has been lifted and all is in harmony once again with our family.  Grace has bestowed her fragrance upon us.