Walk Between the Raindrops

By Pat Decker

There are three parts to this book: anecdotal narratives, poetry, and fiction. It contains autobiographical stories of family life, including times of both happiness and sadness. It emphasizes the strength of the family and their faith. The creative short stories and poetry will engage and entertain you. This is a book you can pick up when you have a few minutes and read one story or poem and come back another day to do the same again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Nov 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781489719676

Pat Decker

The author grew up in Belfield, North Dakota where she lived from 1945 to 1962. She enjoys writing about small town experiences and memories of her childhood in rural America at that time. Her writing often includes a spiritual perspective. Her love of writing began as a young child and she still has many of the poems and stories she wrote in elementary school. She moved to Oregon in 1969 where she has lived ever since. She is residing in rural Washington County near Hillsboro, Oregon in her home of 42 years. Writing is a part of her daily routine. If not creating a story or poem, it often takes the form of notes or handwritten letters to friends and family. She often says she should have been born in the 1800’s because she’s more at home with the old-fashioned than the new technology.

Book preview

Walk Between the

Raindrops

Pat Decker

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Copyright © 2018 Pat Decker.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from the New American Bible – Revised Edition. copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-1966-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1965-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1967-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018911574

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 11/27/2018

Cover Graphics/Art Credit:

Cover image by Jeff Matto

Contents

Raindrops

Dedication

The Writer

REMEMBERING

God’s Canvas

Those Wonderful Sundays

Red Shoes

The Neighbors

Incident Two – Same Family

Memories Of Mom

Butchering Chickens

Tony & Edith

Memories Of Dad

Sheffield 1950’s

Easter Season

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Holy Saturday

Easter

Easter Monday

After School

The Rosary Story

Uncle Pete

The Red Coat

The Sun

For Ever And Ever

To My Daughter On Her 11th Birthday

Red Sweater Day

Rainbow

Diary Entry

The Last Time

Today

To My Daughter On Her 40th Birthday

Camino Diary

Bulgaria

Fatima Water

Communication

Puppies And Pigtails

POETRY

Dawn

The Tree

Baby

The Little Boy Prayed

Unnamed

Her

Him

Ending

You Are Gone

God’s Blessing

Maybe

Small Things

Dear One

Maggie

Mystery Of James

Life Or Death

Growing Old

Ode To Oregon

Double Rainbow

FICTION

Dark Mink

The Blessing

The Lost Soul

The Tale Of Two Travelers

Old Friend

HAIKU

Food & Drink

Spring

Corner Of The World

Hope

Problems

Politics

War

Knowledge

Change

Flowers

Celestial

Grandparents

Winter

Friendship

Love

Discord

Gratitude

Spiritual

Angel Wings

Raindrops

When visiting New Orleans several years ago, I was walking in the French Quarter and doing some shopping. While I was in one of the shops, it began to rain. After paying for my purchases and heading for the door, the saleslady thanked me, and as I left she said, walk between the raindrops. I loved that and have thought of it often. It reminds me not to be disturbed by small setbacks or unexpected events, but to stay happy and walk between the raindrops, thus the title for this book.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family and friends who have inspired me through the years. A special note to Joanne Gray and Winnie Charley, both educators, who continually encouraged me to publish things I have written.

Gratitude to my daughter, Patty Schmitz Thursam, who has given me her constant support. God blessed me when I became her mother.

Thanks to Karen Danson, my friend, right-hand helper and typist.

Cover Graphics/Art Credit: Cover image by Jeff Matto

The Writer

While quiet family slumbers

Warm sleep scented bodies murmur

Sounds of sleep-held dreams

I, in fleecy robe and slippers

Sit at dim-lit desk

Putting thoughts to paper

Oh strength of dawning thought

Night’s slumbering seed has planted

Waiting for the morning’s harvest

Remembering

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

I summon up remembrance of things past …

Shakespeare—Sonnet 30

God’s Canvas

Today God painted the sky again for me, another masterpiece to see and enjoy. A wonder so perfect, it’s difficult to describe with words. A snow covered mountain with a fuchsia colored sky as the sun rises. A miles wide panorama of color and beauty to savor each morning.

We travel thousands of miles to see the Mona Lisa or a fresco by Michelangelo, but may miss the beauty in our own surroundings. I live in a rural area of farmland with a view of three major mountains and the tops of two others. Each morning there is a unique, new painted canvas before me. Each evening as the sun sets, we see the colors of gold and pink alpenglow on the mountains. Then the star filled sky at night, with its moon and constellations.

Forty plus years of living here has only increased my appreciation of God’s magnificent work, in the clouds, the trees and the furrowed fields. Even on days of fog and rain, the valley provides something for me to admire. Then when it clears, I appreciate even more the beauty and wonder that God has created for us.

Each day I am filled with great joy!

You are robed in power,

you set up the mountains

by your might.

Distant peoples stand in awe

of your marvels; the places

of morning and evening

you make resound with joy.

The pastures are clothed with

flocks, the valleys blanketed

with grain; they cheer and

sing for joy.

Psalm 65:7, 9, 14

Those Wonderful Sundays

On major holidays, names days and many Sundays, my mother’s extended family would gather at one another’s homes for a day of feasting, visiting and game playing.

Tables would be placed together, covered with tablecloths, and then set with plates and utensils. Being there were so many of us, we couldn’t all be seated to eat at the same time. In their European Bohemian culture, the