Latest news with #Canasta
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Their late mother's promise flew in on a wing and a prayer
It arrived on a wing and a prayer—a hoped for answer that felt heaven-sent. But years earlier, this 'wink' from above could never have been imagined. 'My sister, Jeanne, and I talked to our mom about when she got to heaven if she'd just let us know she's happy and safe—of course she's safe—but that she made it,' Deborah Patteson said, recalling how they had brought up the subject with their aging mama. 'She'd say, 'I'm not ready to go yet, but I'll see what I can do!' She always knew she'd go to heaven, of course, and we said, 'Hey! Send us a sign when you get there. Let us know.'' It would need to be extra special—not just shiny pennies—but something bright they would recognize as a loving note from above. Daughter Jeanne prayed that God would do it in a way they could never imagine. 'Like we love birds,' Deborah said, remembering how she and her sister decided on a sign especially meant for them. 'And so, Jeanne said, 'Send us a cardinal, Mom', and I said, 'Yes, send us a cardinal!'' an idea their mama agreed would be quite distinctive. One could expect to see a few birds on the 700-acre Kittiewan plantation in Charles City, Virginia, where Deborah and husband Brian live, but a cardinal sighting wasn't commonplace. Nevertheless, Dorothy Booth made a promise to send a tiny red bird once she reached the other side someday, a vow she hoped to keep with heaven's help. 'My mom had a really childlike faith in God and she lived for the Lord,' Deborah said, reflecting on a faith and love for family that this daughter observed up close as she cared for her widowed mother for 26 years; her studio apartment adjoining their home. 'We were close, very close. I could talk to her about anything.' But on a cold January morning a few years back, her 97-year-old mama's voice stilled, the emptiness echoing. While the physical bond was now only a memory tucked into Deborah's heart, she tried to picture her precious mom smiling and filled with joy in heaven. After the final goodbye's it was nearly impossible to hang onto that vision through wet tears. Deborah and her sister mourned together while reminiscing about their hope for a heavenly sign, holding close their heartfelt prayer to see a red cardinal. The day after the memorial service, wave upon wave of grief still matched the gray winter sky … until God's love gently fluttered in to comfort the two daughters' hearts. 'It was very cold and we were just sitting around playing Canasta, my mom's favorite game. We heard this little thumping at the window,' Deborah said, recalling how she and her husband went outside to check on the sound, returning with their surprising discovery. A. Red. Cardinal. 'It was so much more than we could even speak about or even dream up,' Deborah said about the sign—the message asked for in simple faith. 'We were just ecstatic.' Not only did Deborah hold the ruby red bird, but it stayed on her finger for minutes at a time. When she put it on her sister's shoulder, it fluttered down to nestle by her heart, Debbie said. Cameras clicked to capture this amazing moment, joy filled the room. Nearly a quarter of an hour passed until the time came to let the little bird go, out beyond the front porch where open-armed trees reached skyward. 'We went outside and I held it up in my hand and sort of gave it a swish and 'Thank you! You're a miracle!' Deborah said, remembering how she was astonished at what happened next. 'And then it flew back onto my shoulder. It didn't want to leave.' Captured on video, the scenario continued for another ten minutes or so—a clip of the amazing experience shared through social media. And on two more occasions, a cardinal—male and then a female—have visited at the same window, allowing Deborah to hold each one. 'I was overwhelmed with God's love that he'd answer the prayer of our hearts, and that he answered mom's request when she got to heaven,' Deborah said, her voice filled with emotion. 'He just sends his love and faithfulness to us. It was just remarkable that he cares enough to answer our prayers.' A sign from above … on the wings of love. Lucy Luginbill is a nationally published Tri-City Herald columnist, religion editor and career public television producer and host. Her popular Light Notes column reflects inspirational and faith-focused stories. She's been working in journalism for more than 30 years. lluginbill@
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Quondam Village says goodbye to long-time resident
After more than 15 memorable years at Quondam Retirement Village, Yvonne Tonini is bidding farewell to the place she has called home since February 2009. When Yvonne first moved into her two-bedroom cottage, the village was still in its early stages — the streets were unpaved, and construction was ongoing. She was the third resident to move into the newly established village, helping to lay the foundations not only for a home but for a community. ALSO READ: Tarentaal Retirement Village embraces love Over time, a residents' committee was formed, and she played an active role in shaping village life. A passionate card player, she specifically chose a two-bedroom unit so she could dedicate one room to her favourite games: Bridge and Canasta. Her love of cards also extended into community efforts; she helped organise Bridge drives to raise funds for much-needed tables and chairs in the village. Yvonne's hobbies enriched her retirement. ALSO READ: Staff at Tarentaal Retirement Village treated to lunch She was an avid stamp collector since her early married life and enthusiastically participated in village activities such as Christmas carols, weekly social visits with the nurse, and the Jeppe Quondam Club gatherings on Friday evenings. Her parting suggestion to the community? A Rummy evening — a fitting idea from someone who found so much joy in shared games and companionship. When asked about advice for younger generations, Yvonne offered a simple but powerful lesson: 'Learn to listen.' As she moves on to her next chapter, Yvonne leaves behind a legacy of community spirit, friendship, and dedication. She will be dearly missed by the village. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
He's back! Mark Kriski returns to the KTLA 5 Morning News
He's back! After some time away, longtime weather anchor, Mark Kriski, has returned to the KTLA 5 Morning News. On Thursday, Mark revealed he had undergone a procedure to his right vocal cord, but the recovery ended up taking longer than expected. 'That procedure doesn't last forever. You have to redo it. (I) went in for the second time, and the recovery is supposed to be two or three days,' he explained. 'So I do it on a Friday. That was the first time. I was back on Monday, and everything's fine. Tuesday comes, not fine. Wednesday, Thursday (my voice) still isn't back.' Mark's doctor then advised he had to wait it out. What was supposed to take a couple of weeks ended up taking months. His doctors just told him to 'hang in there' as nothing else could be done. Kim Kardashian's Skims takes over iconic L.A. diner 'So you had laryngitis, basically,' Jessica Holmes inquired. 'Yeah, two months, two months exactly, and now it's back, and it feels great. It never was sore or anything. It just wasn't full, the voice wasn't rich,' he said. While recovering, Mark became quite the grocery shopper at home as his wife, Jennifer Gould, was out working. 'What did you learn with all this time off?' Eric Spillman asked Mar. 'What's on Aisle 5- left-hand side, cleaning supplies,' he joked. 'The funniest thing was just on Monday, the one of the checkers (at the gocery store) said, 'Mark, you really need to go back to work.'' Morgan Wallen launches new merch after 'SNL' walk-off Mark thanked all the viewers who reached out and wished him all the best. 'I'm back and everything's going to be fine,' he assured everyone. 'No more of these long absences. I'm done for one. I'm saying to Eric too, I'm not ready to retire. I don't have a plan.' In May of 2024, he suffered a mild stroke that had him out for a few months almost a year ago. He laughed that he could only do so much grocery shopping and that he needs to get a hobby. Right now he's contemplating golf and Canasta. 'I remember playing Canasta with my Grandma,' he said. 'Bring it back. Let's start a Canasta Club!' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
