It happened again: the merging onto 640W from Broadway...and for the same reason: that sign that says "Yield." I often wonder what's so hard about understanding what that word means! The little red apparently in a BIG hurry because after all the jestering and yelling were done, he roared past me in a blur and was out of sight within seconds. Hope he got there safely!
On down the interstate about 2 miles, I saw red again, this time in the form of an 18-wheel rig. He had gotten himself into a lane that was running out, and I happened to be in his way in the far right lane of the three-lane highway; and I was already running slightly above the speed limit. So, he lay down on his horn and didn't understand why I didn't immediately shift lanes to let him in. Sorry, guy. No room. He did manage to merge behind me, then roared past with some ugly gestures pointed my way...must have forgotten his manners!
I wasn't going to let these two unhappy drivers ruin my day, though! No sirree! I had on my trusty red Born shoes, and I was on a fun shopping trip. I went to a few of my favorite haunts and found some good stuff, not doing too much damage $$$-wise! One sad note: I shopped for some spring things for Barrett in the size 2-7 department, not in infants...SAD :( He's supposed to be little for a while longer, for E-mommy to love on.
When I got home, I unboxed a new item Santa John had gotten me for Christmas: a big, beautiful red mixer. I have used my mother's ancient one for years and thoroughly enjoyed it. But it was on its last legs, and I've needed a new one for a while. I can't wait to try it out with bread dough, cake batter, etc. It even makes ice cream and pasta! Thank you, Santa :)
Lastly, I enjoyed a mani and pedi with my new red OPI nailpolish "Chick Flick Cherry." Cindy brought it to me because it reminded her of her grandmother's favorite shade. Mother was a stickler for painted nails, and red was definitely her choice of color. Love those sweet memories. My nails look good, even only for a minute. I'm notorious for messing up newly painted nails. Thanks, Cindy!
Seeing red isn't always bad!
CONCORD CHRONICLE - Dedicated to God, the author of peace and lover of concord
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
PS to Postscript
Just for the record, I believe our pastor said Mary and Joseph were "ordinary," not "unimportant." Wouldn't want to misquote the good pastor! :)
Postscript
Our pastor told the congregation about a picture of the nativity he saw, with captions...the shepherds were labeled "unclean;" the wisemen "foreigners;" Mary and Joseph "unimportant." He asked the question, "What would we be called, if we were present?"
My mind immediately went back to my blog about "Prominent." It, in a strange kind of way, made my point. We THINK we know about the thoughts of God, as well as the labels we put on people. We think of anyone different as "foreign." We consider certain occupations as "unclean." We rank people according to our own standards.
I imagine the nativity is just about the perfect example of our misunderstanding of folks. Because the people of Bible times were expecting a savior who would rule in a militaristic and kingly way, they didn't recognize the infant Jesus...because shepherds were second-class citizens, they were unlikely as the heralds of the coming of the Messiah...because the entire story, beginning with the immaculate conception, was not what they were expecting...nor understandable in any way...the nativity was full of new concepts and unbelievable players.
Perhaps it's good that we look back at these labels and misconceptions and learn from them. For we, in 2011, tend to be doubters and labelers and rankers. Perhaps in 2012, we can loosen our chains and look at others in a more welcoming way. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could just love first and forego ranking of others? If we root for the underdog and put away our pharisee-like ways, what a loving place we could create...a place where those from all walks and all social strata could feel at home.
So...as we finish up this year and move toward the next, let's join together to be a loving, welcoming community where noone is more important than the other. It's a freeing attitude and certain to honor the Christ whom we love and serve. Let's make 2012 the best year EVER!
My mind immediately went back to my blog about "Prominent." It, in a strange kind of way, made my point. We THINK we know about the thoughts of God, as well as the labels we put on people. We think of anyone different as "foreign." We consider certain occupations as "unclean." We rank people according to our own standards.
I imagine the nativity is just about the perfect example of our misunderstanding of folks. Because the people of Bible times were expecting a savior who would rule in a militaristic and kingly way, they didn't recognize the infant Jesus...because shepherds were second-class citizens, they were unlikely as the heralds of the coming of the Messiah...because the entire story, beginning with the immaculate conception, was not what they were expecting...nor understandable in any way...the nativity was full of new concepts and unbelievable players.
Perhaps it's good that we look back at these labels and misconceptions and learn from them. For we, in 2011, tend to be doubters and labelers and rankers. Perhaps in 2012, we can loosen our chains and look at others in a more welcoming way. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could just love first and forego ranking of others? If we root for the underdog and put away our pharisee-like ways, what a loving place we could create...a place where those from all walks and all social strata could feel at home.
So...as we finish up this year and move toward the next, let's join together to be a loving, welcoming community where noone is more important than the other. It's a freeing attitude and certain to honor the Christ whom we love and serve. Let's make 2012 the best year EVER!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
PROMINENT?
I've been thinking about something I heard in a recent conversation about acceptance, loving-kindness, expressions of grace. The other person mentioned "one of the most prominent families in our church," not by name but by act. It was meant as a compliment to that family, a sincere expression of respect. I understood that.
But it made me think: what is "prominent" in the eyes of God? Is it a person or family who is the most active? The ones who do the most? The ones who are chairmen of the big committees? The ones who help make the important decisions? The teachers or deacons?
Does God "rank" His children? Does he have a "first place" and then on down the ladder?
I sometimes think we have figured out how God thinks...but I, for one, KNOW that I haven't...we see dimly for now. Perhaps one day we'll have the chance to ask God face-to-face about His thoughts. But for now, we can just search His word and try to glean from them what He thinks. I'm all ears from our pastors and teachers and from those learned-ones; I want to know more and to figure things out...to understand more deeply, to think and talk and act maturely.
When I think about "prominence," I think of random acts of kindness; deeds done quietly and humbly; people who aren't in it for name-recognition in capital letters in the headlines...Indians rather than chiefs...those secret saints who just go about doing good for the sake of goodness and to honor God rather than to receive accolades from those around them. For we can receive blessings today, from people on earth and probably from God, as well...or we can do those kind deeds without thought of ourselves and perhaps receive jewels for the crowns we will leave at the feet of Jesus...and His blessings and rewards someday in heaven.
There are, indeed, folks whom I highly esteem...those whom I love and admire and respect greatly. There are those precious seniors whom I emulate and whose standards I yearn to mimick. And I do hope to mentor those younger than I and to at least be a good example to those around me. But "prominent?" I'm not sure that's a word I think we need to use in referring to the families of God. It just seems to be a little too presumptive to me. I understand the intent...but I just think there's too much we don't understand and too many folks who go by unnoticed because of their desire to silently and anonymously serve God in their own way.
We are all God's children so may we all treat everyone with the love and respect that Jesus showed. It would be a great Christmas gift to give and one that will honor both fellow-Christian and Christ alike. No ranks in the army of Christ...just loving mutual respect :)
But it made me think: what is "prominent" in the eyes of God? Is it a person or family who is the most active? The ones who do the most? The ones who are chairmen of the big committees? The ones who help make the important decisions? The teachers or deacons?
Does God "rank" His children? Does he have a "first place" and then on down the ladder?
I sometimes think we have figured out how God thinks...but I, for one, KNOW that I haven't...we see dimly for now. Perhaps one day we'll have the chance to ask God face-to-face about His thoughts. But for now, we can just search His word and try to glean from them what He thinks. I'm all ears from our pastors and teachers and from those learned-ones; I want to know more and to figure things out...to understand more deeply, to think and talk and act maturely.
When I think about "prominence," I think of random acts of kindness; deeds done quietly and humbly; people who aren't in it for name-recognition in capital letters in the headlines...Indians rather than chiefs...those secret saints who just go about doing good for the sake of goodness and to honor God rather than to receive accolades from those around them. For we can receive blessings today, from people on earth and probably from God, as well...or we can do those kind deeds without thought of ourselves and perhaps receive jewels for the crowns we will leave at the feet of Jesus...and His blessings and rewards someday in heaven.
There are, indeed, folks whom I highly esteem...those whom I love and admire and respect greatly. There are those precious seniors whom I emulate and whose standards I yearn to mimick. And I do hope to mentor those younger than I and to at least be a good example to those around me. But "prominent?" I'm not sure that's a word I think we need to use in referring to the families of God. It just seems to be a little too presumptive to me. I understand the intent...but I just think there's too much we don't understand and too many folks who go by unnoticed because of their desire to silently and anonymously serve God in their own way.
We are all God's children so may we all treat everyone with the love and respect that Jesus showed. It would be a great Christmas gift to give and one that will honor both fellow-Christian and Christ alike. No ranks in the army of Christ...just loving mutual respect :)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Christmas Thoughts...
It's early morning, and I'm looking out the window at a beautiful, sunny December day. It's oddly...and wonderfully...warm, for this time of year; and we look forward to some yard work and a walk later on today. With most everything done as far as decorating and shopping done, it's just too pretty to stay indoors on a day like this! I see a lone Gerber Daisy blooming, along with the last of the Knockout Roses...just a few colorful blooms hanging on...kind of appropriate with our warm late-fall days! I'm thankful for this mild weather, as we will have some bitter ones ahead, I'm sure.
We have had a calm and peaceful holiday season so far...full of festive and fun activities...and meaningful as well. We got it started early with a trip to a fully decorated Biltmore House with our friends the Metcalfs. We hadn't been at Christmas in years, and it was a treat for sure. Absolutely gorgeous. Then there was a Lions Club party, complete with caroling and a delicious meal...and a Sunday School get-together with the most delicious spread of potluck dishes you've ever tasted. Honestly, those ladies can COOK! Then there was a Christmas contata at a local sister church where our friends are members...thank you for inviting us! It was just beautiful...very talented musicians. Then the Nativity Pageant, the 43rd year of production. We were there 43 years ago, when there was no elaborate set and costumes. It was held on the parking lot of the Coliseum...a cold night but so memorable. It's a must-see for us each year...one of our very favorites.
Our church's ToyStore helped over 200 families yesterday, and it was so rewarding. To help families and children who might not otherwise get to experience opening presents and getting toys on Christmas morning without our help is what it's all about: sharing the love of Christ, helping in His name. Add to that other opportunities like Mission of Hope, Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, Operation Christmas Child, and ringing bells for the Salvation Army and you have examples of giving that are so meaningful, to both giver and receiver alike.
Now we have a long-anticipated trip to see our daughter and share in her joy of accomplishment in graduating with her MBA...and a concert to hear Handel's Messiah with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. We'll eat at a few of our favorite places and maybe take in the sights at the Opryland Hotel...plus worship at her church. Hopefully, we'll get home in time to participate in the neighborhood ladies' tea and our church's Christmas cantata...two more traditions that we treasure.
Yes, it's a busy and wonderful time of year, as we move through Advent and towards that blessed Christmas morn. Thank you, Lord, for your Christmas blessings. May they be shared and divided and multiplied...then maintained throughout the coming new year. And may You be honored and exalted on Your birthday by all we say and do.
We have had a calm and peaceful holiday season so far...full of festive and fun activities...and meaningful as well. We got it started early with a trip to a fully decorated Biltmore House with our friends the Metcalfs. We hadn't been at Christmas in years, and it was a treat for sure. Absolutely gorgeous. Then there was a Lions Club party, complete with caroling and a delicious meal...and a Sunday School get-together with the most delicious spread of potluck dishes you've ever tasted. Honestly, those ladies can COOK! Then there was a Christmas contata at a local sister church where our friends are members...thank you for inviting us! It was just beautiful...very talented musicians. Then the Nativity Pageant, the 43rd year of production. We were there 43 years ago, when there was no elaborate set and costumes. It was held on the parking lot of the Coliseum...a cold night but so memorable. It's a must-see for us each year...one of our very favorites.
Our church's ToyStore helped over 200 families yesterday, and it was so rewarding. To help families and children who might not otherwise get to experience opening presents and getting toys on Christmas morning without our help is what it's all about: sharing the love of Christ, helping in His name. Add to that other opportunities like Mission of Hope, Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, Operation Christmas Child, and ringing bells for the Salvation Army and you have examples of giving that are so meaningful, to both giver and receiver alike.
Now we have a long-anticipated trip to see our daughter and share in her joy of accomplishment in graduating with her MBA...and a concert to hear Handel's Messiah with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. We'll eat at a few of our favorite places and maybe take in the sights at the Opryland Hotel...plus worship at her church. Hopefully, we'll get home in time to participate in the neighborhood ladies' tea and our church's Christmas cantata...two more traditions that we treasure.
Yes, it's a busy and wonderful time of year, as we move through Advent and towards that blessed Christmas morn. Thank you, Lord, for your Christmas blessings. May they be shared and divided and multiplied...then maintained throughout the coming new year. And may You be honored and exalted on Your birthday by all we say and do.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Just the simple things...
This year there will be just the three of us here for Christmas. We alternate holidays with the Florida Heatherlys, and last year was "ours" at Christmastime...so I decided to simplify things a bit, especially decorating-wise, and I'm kind of enjoying it! Like most of you, we have way more decorations than we really need to bring out...ornaments from 42 years of marriage, lots of homemade ones from our grown children's childhoods, the Santa collection, dishes and plates and trays and mugs galore, several small trees, lots of Christmas do-dads, etc. I just left them in their resting places in the attic and brought out the manger scene, wreaths, stockings, Daddy's Scandanavian revolving nativity...and of course the tree! It's a new one this year and just beautiful...and the lights work! Yea! We put garland on the staircase and balcony rails for the first time, and they look so pretty! That's about it...and I LIKE it.
There's something peaceful about simplicity. It is freeing and refreshing. And it'll be so simple to dismantle, after the holidays. I like to leave everything up til January 6...Epiphany...Old Christmas. That's what we did when I was a child, and it makes me happy to do it that way. We'll see!
I'm finished with the Christmas cards, and that's a good feeling. We LOVE hearing from family and friends and seeing the pictures and readying the notes. Part of what makes Christmas so special is the ties with friends from all around...catching up, remembering old times, keeping in touch with friends we see and those we don't...it's a warm-fuzzy for sure!
I need to do more shopping and then shipping...then maybe I can bake some or make some candy from Mother's old timely recipes. She was a master of Christmas treats, and I miss helping her with that task...and sampling all the yummy things that she created and loved sharing so much.
Yes, simplifying decorating and buying is just enhancing this beautiful time of year and allowing us to focus on the real meaning of the season: sharing with the less fortunate, enjoying family and friends, relaxing in front of the tree, having friends over, enjoying music and carols, contributing to our favorite charities and causes...I think perhaps simplicity best honors the One whose birthday we celebrate.
Don't you?
There's something peaceful about simplicity. It is freeing and refreshing. And it'll be so simple to dismantle, after the holidays. I like to leave everything up til January 6...Epiphany...Old Christmas. That's what we did when I was a child, and it makes me happy to do it that way. We'll see!
I'm finished with the Christmas cards, and that's a good feeling. We LOVE hearing from family and friends and seeing the pictures and readying the notes. Part of what makes Christmas so special is the ties with friends from all around...catching up, remembering old times, keeping in touch with friends we see and those we don't...it's a warm-fuzzy for sure!
I need to do more shopping and then shipping...then maybe I can bake some or make some candy from Mother's old timely recipes. She was a master of Christmas treats, and I miss helping her with that task...and sampling all the yummy things that she created and loved sharing so much.
Yes, simplifying decorating and buying is just enhancing this beautiful time of year and allowing us to focus on the real meaning of the season: sharing with the less fortunate, enjoying family and friends, relaxing in front of the tree, having friends over, enjoying music and carols, contributing to our favorite charities and causes...I think perhaps simplicity best honors the One whose birthday we celebrate.
Don't you?
Friday, December 2, 2011
Little Reminders
They are just little things, little reminders...and I love looking at them. It seems a little silly, I know, but they bring me comfort and joy. I probably would not have admitted keeping such in past times. I would have kept my little reminders to myself. But somehow "grandmotherhood" has freed me up to not only admit it but to embrace these little things with a great big smile.
Here it is: we just got back from a wonderful Thanksgiving trip to sunny Florida where we spent 8 great days with little Barrett and his parents and Aunt Cindy. Barrett is 21 months old now, and to say he is the light of our lives is the understatement of the year. He is bright and happy and healthy...inquisitive, energetic, loving, sweet...and all boy! As in throwing things, chasing the dog, making messes, etc.
He rode with us several times over the week and of course had his traveling snacks with him...Cheerios and Goldfish. They make the drive easier on everyone, as he happily snacks along the way. So when we got home and were unpacking the car, we found one...a single little Cheerio that had been left behind in the cleanup. It just made me smile, that little reminder of a precious child whom we love so much. I pointed it out to John, and immediately he smiled, too! So I said, "I'm keeping that one!" And I did.
My other favorite reminder is a little giraffe that was actually my husband's baby toy. His mother gave it to me when Johnny was a baby. I treasure it because it has withstood time and was special to the Heatherlys. I brought it out when Barrett was here a few weeks back, to entertain him in the bathtub. When they left, I just left it out on my tub, and I enjoy looking at it everyday. Just a little reminder of love...you understand!
So, I'll just keep on enjoying my little reminders. Proudly and unashamably, I will smile as I look at my little treasures.
Here it is: we just got back from a wonderful Thanksgiving trip to sunny Florida where we spent 8 great days with little Barrett and his parents and Aunt Cindy. Barrett is 21 months old now, and to say he is the light of our lives is the understatement of the year. He is bright and happy and healthy...inquisitive, energetic, loving, sweet...and all boy! As in throwing things, chasing the dog, making messes, etc.
My other favorite reminder is a little giraffe that was actually my husband's baby toy. His mother gave it to me when Johnny was a baby. I treasure it because it has withstood time and was special to the Heatherlys. I brought it out when Barrett was here a few weeks back, to entertain him in the bathtub. When they left, I just left it out on my tub, and I enjoy looking at it everyday. Just a little reminder of love...you understand!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
40 Years
It doesn't seem that long ago, that Thanksgiving spent at the Holiday Inn on Padre Island, TX. But it was almost a lifetime ago: 40 years! We had had an eventful few months: the birth of our beautiful baby boy, college graduation and commissioning into the United States Army, a move to San Antonio, emergency surgery for appendicitis. So we thought we'd venture south for a few days of R&R...thus Thanksgiving, just the three of us, miles and miles away from family and friends. It was fun, though, and we spent those days letting John recuperate and heal from his surgery. We found a nice hotel buffet and had our turkey and all the trimmings...and took some pictures on the beach with our 4 month old son.
Fast forward a few years to 2011: we are all together at that now-40-year-old son's house, celebrating Thanksgiving with him and his wife and baby along with our daughter who flew in from Nashville. It is warm...warm enough for shirt sleeves!...in sunny Florida. We have had a wonderful visit, cooking and eating together, grilling out, seeing the sights, eating out, taking walks, shopping, going to the ocean. It just didn't seem possible to me, though, that 40 years had passed since that Thanksgiving in 1971.
Yes, time is getting by; times are changing. We are aging. Our children are grown and doing well in their lives and careers. We have so much for which to be thankful. There is not enough space to even begin listing our blessings. But we ARE grateful...for life, for health, for family, friends, faith, and provision. We are blessed with memories, heritage, roots...We are enjoying our time with our adult children and precious little grandson. Our memories are warm, the present is great; the future is promising.
So, as we reminisce, as we look forward, we look up and say, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for loving us and giving us the promise of life everlasting if we just trust in You. Thank you so much for all you are and all you do and for never leaving us alone. You are the love of our lives, and we trust you for all we are and everything we have."
It's doubtful we'll be here 40 years from now, but perhaps our children will stop and reminisce about that fun Thanksgiving in 2011 when we all gathered in Ft Walton Beach, FL and spent that week together. If history repeats itself, it won't seem possible to them, that 40 years have passed! They'll be in the twilight of their lives, and that little grandson will be over 40 years old himself! Seems impossile, incredible...but just the way it is, as time goes by :)
Fast forward a few years to 2011: we are all together at that now-40-year-old son's house, celebrating Thanksgiving with him and his wife and baby along with our daughter who flew in from Nashville. It is warm...warm enough for shirt sleeves!...in sunny Florida. We have had a wonderful visit, cooking and eating together, grilling out, seeing the sights, eating out, taking walks, shopping, going to the ocean. It just didn't seem possible to me, though, that 40 years had passed since that Thanksgiving in 1971.
Yes, time is getting by; times are changing. We are aging. Our children are grown and doing well in their lives and careers. We have so much for which to be thankful. There is not enough space to even begin listing our blessings. But we ARE grateful...for life, for health, for family, friends, faith, and provision. We are blessed with memories, heritage, roots...We are enjoying our time with our adult children and precious little grandson. Our memories are warm, the present is great; the future is promising.
So, as we reminisce, as we look forward, we look up and say, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for loving us and giving us the promise of life everlasting if we just trust in You. Thank you so much for all you are and all you do and for never leaving us alone. You are the love of our lives, and we trust you for all we are and everything we have."
It's doubtful we'll be here 40 years from now, but perhaps our children will stop and reminisce about that fun Thanksgiving in 2011 when we all gathered in Ft Walton Beach, FL and spent that week together. If history repeats itself, it won't seem possible to them, that 40 years have passed! They'll be in the twilight of their lives, and that little grandson will be over 40 years old himself! Seems impossile, incredible...but just the way it is, as time goes by :)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Holiday Memories...
While grocery shopping today at Publix in Mary Esther, FL, for our Thanksgiving feast, I spotted some Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Cookies on the shelf. My mind went happily back to Norris, TN, around 1953 and our house at 44 West Norris Road. I don't so much remember eating the cookies as I do the tin can the cookies were packaged in. It was brown with some yellow and red on it, if my memory serves me well...and it had an important job to do in the Reynolds household.
For we had wall heat: two coils with space inbetween, and that's where the cookie tin can into play. There was just enough room between the coils for a cookie tin filled with water to fit. So that's what Mother did: filled the empty tin with water to humidify the air! And it did. It made our house cozy and comfortable and memorable.
It's funny how one's mind works. With all the thousands and thousands of food items in a big store like Publix, why did mine focus on a little package of cookies? I don't think I've ever purchased a package of those cookies...but I enjoyed so much just seeing them and the happy memories of childhood they envoked.
I often find myself reminiscing about childhood and family. They are happy memories for the most part and are often the result of something catching my eye, like the chocolate wafer cookies. Last night we were watching old Muppet Show episodes on Netflix, and I immediately thought of my mother and how much she loved that show. It was just good old fun, and she laughed and laughed at all the shenanigans that went on. The Thanksgiving season floods my memory with food-related images: turkey and dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, gravy, homemade rolls, pumpkin pie...and the felt turkey head that was pinned to a fresh pineapple to make a cute turkey centerpiece. And Christmas: all the homemade candies like Turkish Delight, Divinity, fudge, Spritz cookies, pecan finger cookies, fruitcake (it was actually good!), pulled mints, stuffed dates...and our traditional Cherries Jubilee for dessert after Christmas dinner. We never tired of the flames! It was quite dramatic, and Mother just loved serving it. I also fondly remember how Mother let me wrap all the presents...yes, a young child with that big responsibility! I felt very important, being trusted with that job, and I enjoy wrapping gifts to this day.
I could go on and on...but not to bore you, I'll stop. Moral of story: enjoy those memories that pretty much come out of nowhere. Savor them. Replay them. It's good for the soul. Some folks let memories at holiday time depress them; I understand. But how much better to let them brighten your day! It's all in attitude, I think. What you look at is what you see. So turn your eyes and mind to a positive mode, and enjoy your holidays.
For we had wall heat: two coils with space inbetween, and that's where the cookie tin can into play. There was just enough room between the coils for a cookie tin filled with water to fit. So that's what Mother did: filled the empty tin with water to humidify the air! And it did. It made our house cozy and comfortable and memorable.
It's funny how one's mind works. With all the thousands and thousands of food items in a big store like Publix, why did mine focus on a little package of cookies? I don't think I've ever purchased a package of those cookies...but I enjoyed so much just seeing them and the happy memories of childhood they envoked.
I often find myself reminiscing about childhood and family. They are happy memories for the most part and are often the result of something catching my eye, like the chocolate wafer cookies. Last night we were watching old Muppet Show episodes on Netflix, and I immediately thought of my mother and how much she loved that show. It was just good old fun, and she laughed and laughed at all the shenanigans that went on. The Thanksgiving season floods my memory with food-related images: turkey and dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, gravy, homemade rolls, pumpkin pie...and the felt turkey head that was pinned to a fresh pineapple to make a cute turkey centerpiece. And Christmas: all the homemade candies like Turkish Delight, Divinity, fudge, Spritz cookies, pecan finger cookies, fruitcake (it was actually good!), pulled mints, stuffed dates...and our traditional Cherries Jubilee for dessert after Christmas dinner. We never tired of the flames! It was quite dramatic, and Mother just loved serving it. I also fondly remember how Mother let me wrap all the presents...yes, a young child with that big responsibility! I felt very important, being trusted with that job, and I enjoy wrapping gifts to this day.
I could go on and on...but not to bore you, I'll stop. Moral of story: enjoy those memories that pretty much come out of nowhere. Savor them. Replay them. It's good for the soul. Some folks let memories at holiday time depress them; I understand. But how much better to let them brighten your day! It's all in attitude, I think. What you look at is what you see. So turn your eyes and mind to a positive mode, and enjoy your holidays.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Dormant Seeds
I spent this morning deadheading my marigolds. It's become a late-fall ritual that I really enjoy...waiting til the blooms die down from the first frost, then clipping them. Then next spring, I'll prepare the soil and plant my recycled seeds and await the beautiful blooms. This is fourth year of my replanting, starting with a gift of seeds from our friend Jim's garden. Some of the plants hybridize themselves, creating slightly different looking plants...just a little different in color and/or form than the "parents." It's a fun and fascinating and rewarding type of gardening. And economical, too. Just a few seeds can cost more than a dollar...I probably will have almost two Kroger bag-fuls by the time I get finished harvesting my seeds!
This experience has me thinking about the process of a rather dead-looking seedpod going dormant for months and months...and then emerging from the cold ground as a plant, ready to grow and bear fruit in the form of gorgeous blooms. The process involves patience, readiness, water, sunshine, nurture, cultivation...kind of like the process we humans go through in life. We go through periods of "dormancy" in our own lives...times when we feel rather stagnant...in the doldrums...not too creative nor productive. Then, God with His grace, gives us a little push...perhaps from a person, maybe from a special scripture verse, maybe a book or a sermon or a life-lesson from a song or a card from a friend. And then it happens: growth! New life! An awakening...just like magic, just like the marigold seeds, we feel invigorated and alive.
So, as I clean up my garden for the winter...and pack away the newly harvested seeds, I'll remember my recently learned lesson about dormancy. It's just part of the process of life...it happens...and it can have a beautiful outcome when the dormant period ends and new life begins again. I'm thankful for this lesson. May I apply it to my life...and be used as a catalyst in the lives of others who are going through their own personal dormancy. "Summer and winter, and seedtime and harvest, sun...moon...and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness, to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love."
This experience has me thinking about the process of a rather dead-looking seedpod going dormant for months and months...and then emerging from the cold ground as a plant, ready to grow and bear fruit in the form of gorgeous blooms. The process involves patience, readiness, water, sunshine, nurture, cultivation...kind of like the process we humans go through in life. We go through periods of "dormancy" in our own lives...times when we feel rather stagnant...in the doldrums...not too creative nor productive. Then, God with His grace, gives us a little push...perhaps from a person, maybe from a special scripture verse, maybe a book or a sermon or a life-lesson from a song or a card from a friend. And then it happens: growth! New life! An awakening...just like magic, just like the marigold seeds, we feel invigorated and alive.
So, as I clean up my garden for the winter...and pack away the newly harvested seeds, I'll remember my recently learned lesson about dormancy. It's just part of the process of life...it happens...and it can have a beautiful outcome when the dormant period ends and new life begins again. I'm thankful for this lesson. May I apply it to my life...and be used as a catalyst in the lives of others who are going through their own personal dormancy. "Summer and winter, and seedtime and harvest, sun...moon...and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness, to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love."
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Pure Joy
Sometimes...many times...it's just the little things in life that bring us great joy...like:
- a big hug from a little guy, with sweet little arms wrapped around my legs
- giggles while playing a silly game
- excitement from the new experience of a boat ride in The Lost Sea
- Hearing "OK!" when asking if he wants some Goldfish or Cherrios!
- Precious little voice, singing himself to sleep, with "Twinkle, twinkle little star..."
- The clean scent of Baby Magic
- A big smile of accomplishment when he buckled his own seatbelt!
- That wonderful "Amen, aMEN" after the blessing
- Grandmommy and Granddaddy's little boy, snuggling with blankie and elephant and monkey and George
- Thumbsucking...so sweet!
- Mastering getting a forkful of sausage and eggs into the mouth!
- The sheer enjoyment of running and running
- Storytime, with a old, familiar book
Yes, it's the little things. It doesn't take a lot of money or fancy things...it doesn't involve making elaborate plans or investing much expertise or preparation. It just involves a little time and attention and one-on-one. Small children, in their innocence, can teach us older ones much about experiencing pure joy. Because everything to them is fresh and new, they just savor the moment and drink it in with gusto. They haven't yet been jaded or spoiled by the extravagances of life, and they can find joy simply and easily in the simplest of things.
Barrett has been visiting, and it was just wonderful watching him as he experienced some "firsts." He was fascinated by our trip to The Lost Sea in Madisonville. We hadn't been in years, so it was fun for all of us, but especially the little guy. He loved the cave...the big rocks...the boat ride and feeding the fish. He talked about it all afternoon. As we left, through the gift shop (of course!), he said goodbye to the piggies (piggy banks), the toy horses and leopards and bears...without ever expecting to take one home with him. The nice clerk gave him a bear (for being so undemanding, I think!), and he left clutching it in his sweet little fist. Pure joy.
Perhaps this week, we can back off a bit from our sometimes complicated lives and just experience life through the eyes of a 20 month old: enjoy the little things; look at things through fresh, new eyes; relax and take it all in. Maybe, just maybe, the pure delight of living and breathing and being with loved ones will allow to experience joy in its purest form. Thank you, God, for little ones who teach us great lessons about your kingdom here on earth.
- a big hug from a little guy, with sweet little arms wrapped around my legs
- giggles while playing a silly game
- excitement from the new experience of a boat ride in The Lost Sea
- Hearing "OK!" when asking if he wants some Goldfish or Cherrios!
- Precious little voice, singing himself to sleep, with "Twinkle, twinkle little star..."
- The clean scent of Baby Magic
- A big smile of accomplishment when he buckled his own seatbelt!
- That wonderful "Amen, aMEN" after the blessing
- Grandmommy and Granddaddy's little boy, snuggling with blankie and elephant and monkey and George
- Thumbsucking...so sweet!
- Mastering getting a forkful of sausage and eggs into the mouth!
- The sheer enjoyment of running and running
- Storytime, with a old, familiar book
Yes, it's the little things. It doesn't take a lot of money or fancy things...it doesn't involve making elaborate plans or investing much expertise or preparation. It just involves a little time and attention and one-on-one. Small children, in their innocence, can teach us older ones much about experiencing pure joy. Because everything to them is fresh and new, they just savor the moment and drink it in with gusto. They haven't yet been jaded or spoiled by the extravagances of life, and they can find joy simply and easily in the simplest of things.
Barrett has been visiting, and it was just wonderful watching him as he experienced some "firsts." He was fascinated by our trip to The Lost Sea in Madisonville. We hadn't been in years, so it was fun for all of us, but especially the little guy. He loved the cave...the big rocks...the boat ride and feeding the fish. He talked about it all afternoon. As we left, through the gift shop (of course!), he said goodbye to the piggies (piggy banks), the toy horses and leopards and bears...without ever expecting to take one home with him. The nice clerk gave him a bear (for being so undemanding, I think!), and he left clutching it in his sweet little fist. Pure joy.
Perhaps this week, we can back off a bit from our sometimes complicated lives and just experience life through the eyes of a 20 month old: enjoy the little things; look at things through fresh, new eyes; relax and take it all in. Maybe, just maybe, the pure delight of living and breathing and being with loved ones will allow to experience joy in its purest form. Thank you, God, for little ones who teach us great lessons about your kingdom here on earth.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Willy
During this season of Thanksgiving, while thinking of our many blessings,
a little 12 pound bundle of joy comes to the front and center!
When we got him, he was less than six weeks old, the runt of the litter,
and just about the cutest thing you've ever seen.
John had been wanting a puppy: a portable one, who could be a lap dog
and go places with us...one who wouldn't shed...wouldn't need grooming...
and who would be easy to pick up and to bathe.
I resisted at first, as we had his elderly dad living with us,
and my mother who was in the throes of Alzheimers.
I thought we had enough to take care of.
But, on July 3, 2003, we saw an ad in the paper for a litter of Miniature Dachshund pups
who were ready to leave their mama.
So...we went up to Oliver Springs "just to look."
There he was: less than a pound, blonde, barely walking, still in the birthing basket, all alone.
It took me about 5 seconds to say, "I want him!"
And for John to respond, "He'll be Willy."
Willy's been pure joy...very loyal...very loving.
The picture above was taken when he was four years old,
when he was recovering from ruptured disc surgery.
We think he looked kind of like a football!
He's eight years old, now and slowing down somewhat.
But since starting on arthritis medicine, he's rejuvenated and
acting like a puppy again! He loves to run weiner dog races
and to snuggle under the covers...and to go to the lake or on rides in the car.
Yes, Willy plays a very important role in our family,
and we are so thankful for him.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Talk-y, Talk-y...or...Do-y, Do-y
Recently, we worshipped at St Simon's on the Sound Episcopal Church, while visiting our son and his family in Ft Walton Beach, FL. It is a beautiful church, right on the water -- right at sea level! It has the traditional red front doors...a lovely church building with just as lovely people inside.
Johnny's neighbor across the street is the Rector of the church: a warm and friendly man with a sweet wife and two daughters. They have been very welcoming to our family, and it has been our pleasure getting to know them. Mark did not preach while we were there, as he had invited an interesting 77 year old priest to deliver the sermon. The guest preacher works with an organization which helps the Haitian people, and he is passionate about his calling. He is a gifted speaker...quite eloquent...who cares deeply about the desperate needs of the people of Haiti. He spoke right from his heart, with the gist of his message being: "Don't just talk about the stiuation; DO something about it!" It hit me squarely between the eyes, as it should have. I'll never think about our Sunday there without thinking about "Do-y, do-y instead of just talk-y, talk-y."
It's more than coincidental that earlier in the week I had spoken with an old friend who is very active with another ministry among the Haitian people. His primary focus is upon boys who have been living on the streets of Haiti; they can never be adopted, as they have no papers. His ministry is called Grangou, which means "hungry." They now house, feed, clothe, and educate 58 boys, ages 3-19. It is quite an undertaking and life-changing for those innocent and deserving boys. "Grangou" needs money and shoes and underwear and clothing for those boys, as it also provides water, medical attention and the gospel message in addition to the things listed above...such a worthwhile cause in the poorest of the poor countries.
Then, again more-than-coincidentally, I attended a funeral of an old friend in Norris, TN and got to talk with her children, four of whom are doctors. We studied Haiti in vacation Bible School when we were preschoolers, where David began a life-long love affair with Haiti and its people. After medical school, he lived there, where he ministered to the needs of the people medically and spiritually, as he is also an ordained priest. He married a beautiful Haitian woman and spent many years there, working as an infectious disease specialist. I thought it was so interesting that I would have the chance to once again talk with someone intimately involved with Haiti: the third person in just over a week. Add to these our friends who have been there on mission trips, those who have adopted Haitian orphans, and the many efforts we read about and/or see on the news. These are front-burner needs, as near to our country as any country can be. I get the message, Lord, and I want to help.
How can WE plug into these efforts?
We can pray...we can give...we can go...we can support missionaries and ministries with our tangible assets. These constitute "do-y, do-y!" We can talk up the efforts...we can encourage others...we can spread the word about the many needs we become aware of: "talk-y, talk-y!" We need to do both, as it can make such a difference in the lives of folks who just cannot make it on their own. Haiti has much devastation, very little fresh, running water...very little sanitation...very little infrastructure...no public education...and millions of orphans. We have so much; they have so little. It's a challenge to us all. Help us to know how best to help, and we will do it.
Johnny's neighbor across the street is the Rector of the church: a warm and friendly man with a sweet wife and two daughters. They have been very welcoming to our family, and it has been our pleasure getting to know them. Mark did not preach while we were there, as he had invited an interesting 77 year old priest to deliver the sermon. The guest preacher works with an organization which helps the Haitian people, and he is passionate about his calling. He is a gifted speaker...quite eloquent...who cares deeply about the desperate needs of the people of Haiti. He spoke right from his heart, with the gist of his message being: "Don't just talk about the stiuation; DO something about it!" It hit me squarely between the eyes, as it should have. I'll never think about our Sunday there without thinking about "Do-y, do-y instead of just talk-y, talk-y."
It's more than coincidental that earlier in the week I had spoken with an old friend who is very active with another ministry among the Haitian people. His primary focus is upon boys who have been living on the streets of Haiti; they can never be adopted, as they have no papers. His ministry is called Grangou, which means "hungry." They now house, feed, clothe, and educate 58 boys, ages 3-19. It is quite an undertaking and life-changing for those innocent and deserving boys. "Grangou" needs money and shoes and underwear and clothing for those boys, as it also provides water, medical attention and the gospel message in addition to the things listed above...such a worthwhile cause in the poorest of the poor countries.
Then, again more-than-coincidentally, I attended a funeral of an old friend in Norris, TN and got to talk with her children, four of whom are doctors. We studied Haiti in vacation Bible School when we were preschoolers, where David began a life-long love affair with Haiti and its people. After medical school, he lived there, where he ministered to the needs of the people medically and spiritually, as he is also an ordained priest. He married a beautiful Haitian woman and spent many years there, working as an infectious disease specialist. I thought it was so interesting that I would have the chance to once again talk with someone intimately involved with Haiti: the third person in just over a week. Add to these our friends who have been there on mission trips, those who have adopted Haitian orphans, and the many efforts we read about and/or see on the news. These are front-burner needs, as near to our country as any country can be. I get the message, Lord, and I want to help.
How can WE plug into these efforts?
We can pray...we can give...we can go...we can support missionaries and ministries with our tangible assets. These constitute "do-y, do-y!" We can talk up the efforts...we can encourage others...we can spread the word about the many needs we become aware of: "talk-y, talk-y!" We need to do both, as it can make such a difference in the lives of folks who just cannot make it on their own. Haiti has much devastation, very little fresh, running water...very little sanitation...very little infrastructure...no public education...and millions of orphans. We have so much; they have so little. It's a challenge to us all. Help us to know how best to help, and we will do it.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Bittersweet
Sometimes, after the best of times, bad things just happen. Know what I mean?
We just spent a wonderful nine days away, visiting our son, daughter-in-law and grandson. We had a wonderful trip down to sunny Florida - no problems with the car or weather or traffic...then a week full of fun times with the family. We played outdoors, hiked in the woods and along the sound, watched Barrett play at Parents' Day Out, went to the zoo, out to several good restaurants, to the beach. We played and read and watched funny old episodes of The Muppets on YouTube...we took walks, picked up acorns and "cones" (magnolia seed pods), grilled out, played puzzles and with the choochoo, danced and sang, chased each other, laughed and laughed. We went to church and to a meet-and-greet, with snacks, afterwards.
Yes, it was an altogether great week. We left happy and had a good trip home. When we were almost home, I said, "I hope we don't have any fires to put out when we get home." Famous last words...should have kept my thoughts to myself!
As we pulled into our driveway, we immediately noticed a job-gone-wrong on the homefront. We had had workmen there while we were gone (probably not a good idea, in hindsight), and that didn't settle too well. Then, when we opened the door from the garage into the kitchen, we were greeted by a foul odor...and I mean FOUL. Somehow, the ground fault switch had tripped, and the refrigerator was out...not the power in the house, just the refrigerator. So, for the second time in four months, we had to throw out every single thing from our refrigerator and freezer. NOT good. By the time we got the mess cleaned up, it was 9:30, and we had had no dinner, nor had we unpacked. It did not make for happy campers on the part of John and me. Just put us in a really grumpy mood and made us wish to be back with all the fun in Florida.
Isn't that just like life sometimes? We go from the highest high to a pretty low low in no time flat. John pulled me out of my temporary funk by saying, "Noone is sick or hurt or in the hospital. It's going to be ok. But what a pain, huh?" Very true. I can't say that we got back to our usual happy selves immediately; as a matter of fact, it got worse the next morning when I discovered even more of a mess with the job-gone-wrong. It was worse than we noticed at first, in the dark. Even John, who rarely gets mad, was pretty upset. It just looked like the molehill was quickly turning into a mountain. Oddly, I had a funeral to attend, and being with old friends from childhood, in the church of my childhood, and hearing the sermon and eulogy and scripture and hymns, pulled me back into the right attitude. Later, we had a fun evening with good friends on a boatride at the lake...followed by being treated to dinner out by those sweet people. It was good and needed and appreciated.
So...today, we made a few phone calls, said our say, and then went outside to work out our frustrations in the yard. John sowed grass seed and strawed his "project." And I planted flowers and weeded and cleaned up my flower beds. It was good therapy, and we felt so much better for the exercise. After a good shower and lunch out, we were ready to go to the grocery store and restock the now-clean but empty 'fridge. That accomplished, we sat on the screen porch and read and relaxed and then fixed a good healthy supper.
Yes, it's bittersweet to spend a perfectly wonderful week with wonderful people and an adorable child...only to come home to a bunch of problems. But circumstances helped to redirect our attention from our problems to our blessings. God, as usual, played a big part in this as He lined up people and events and "coincidences" to help us through these frustrations and bring us back to a happier place. It was actually good to be humbled and to realize how these were temporary inconveniences and not really worth all the energy and anger we felt and expressed.
Yes, bittersweet happens...and then it's back to looking up and out and forward...a good lesson learned, once again. It's a hard lesson for some of us slow-to-learn folks...but oh, so important when we want to follow Jesus and do what He would do. Thank you for this good lesson. May we learn it well this time and not so easily be brought down again by the bitter in bittersweet.
We just spent a wonderful nine days away, visiting our son, daughter-in-law and grandson. We had a wonderful trip down to sunny Florida - no problems with the car or weather or traffic...then a week full of fun times with the family. We played outdoors, hiked in the woods and along the sound, watched Barrett play at Parents' Day Out, went to the zoo, out to several good restaurants, to the beach. We played and read and watched funny old episodes of The Muppets on YouTube...we took walks, picked up acorns and "cones" (magnolia seed pods), grilled out, played puzzles and with the choochoo, danced and sang, chased each other, laughed and laughed. We went to church and to a meet-and-greet, with snacks, afterwards.
Yes, it was an altogether great week. We left happy and had a good trip home. When we were almost home, I said, "I hope we don't have any fires to put out when we get home." Famous last words...should have kept my thoughts to myself!
As we pulled into our driveway, we immediately noticed a job-gone-wrong on the homefront. We had had workmen there while we were gone (probably not a good idea, in hindsight), and that didn't settle too well. Then, when we opened the door from the garage into the kitchen, we were greeted by a foul odor...and I mean FOUL. Somehow, the ground fault switch had tripped, and the refrigerator was out...not the power in the house, just the refrigerator. So, for the second time in four months, we had to throw out every single thing from our refrigerator and freezer. NOT good. By the time we got the mess cleaned up, it was 9:30, and we had had no dinner, nor had we unpacked. It did not make for happy campers on the part of John and me. Just put us in a really grumpy mood and made us wish to be back with all the fun in Florida.
Isn't that just like life sometimes? We go from the highest high to a pretty low low in no time flat. John pulled me out of my temporary funk by saying, "Noone is sick or hurt or in the hospital. It's going to be ok. But what a pain, huh?" Very true. I can't say that we got back to our usual happy selves immediately; as a matter of fact, it got worse the next morning when I discovered even more of a mess with the job-gone-wrong. It was worse than we noticed at first, in the dark. Even John, who rarely gets mad, was pretty upset. It just looked like the molehill was quickly turning into a mountain. Oddly, I had a funeral to attend, and being with old friends from childhood, in the church of my childhood, and hearing the sermon and eulogy and scripture and hymns, pulled me back into the right attitude. Later, we had a fun evening with good friends on a boatride at the lake...followed by being treated to dinner out by those sweet people. It was good and needed and appreciated.
So...today, we made a few phone calls, said our say, and then went outside to work out our frustrations in the yard. John sowed grass seed and strawed his "project." And I planted flowers and weeded and cleaned up my flower beds. It was good therapy, and we felt so much better for the exercise. After a good shower and lunch out, we were ready to go to the grocery store and restock the now-clean but empty 'fridge. That accomplished, we sat on the screen porch and read and relaxed and then fixed a good healthy supper.
Yes, it's bittersweet to spend a perfectly wonderful week with wonderful people and an adorable child...only to come home to a bunch of problems. But circumstances helped to redirect our attention from our problems to our blessings. God, as usual, played a big part in this as He lined up people and events and "coincidences" to help us through these frustrations and bring us back to a happier place. It was actually good to be humbled and to realize how these were temporary inconveniences and not really worth all the energy and anger we felt and expressed.
Yes, bittersweet happens...and then it's back to looking up and out and forward...a good lesson learned, once again. It's a hard lesson for some of us slow-to-learn folks...but oh, so important when we want to follow Jesus and do what He would do. Thank you for this good lesson. May we learn it well this time and not so easily be brought down again by the bitter in bittersweet.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Amazing Little Grace
It's time for an update on little Miss Grace! Those of you who know her will know her story up to this point. For those of you who do not, let me quickly catch you up: Grace Olivia was born August 26 a year ago, to the sweetest young couple named Mark and Elizabeth. She is beautiful little baby, with lots of dark hair and big eyes...squishy soft skin and the sweetest personlity. She's been through a lot in her almost-14 months: surgery to fix her lip, BIG surgery to fix her palate, and a few smaller surgeries to help her ears and mouth and tongue. Feeding her has been challenging, but Mark and Elizabeth have persevered and gotten lots of good mama's milk into her with a special bottle and even with a syringe for quite a while after her big surgery. She LOVES her baby food, and her parents have risen to the occasion feeding it to her. She is a trooper for sure, as are her parents and grandparents. All of them have focused and sacrificed, and Grace is coming along very nicely. She faces more surgery in the future, probably in a few years; and I'm sure she'll do fine then, as well. She's that kind of little girl: a sweetie-pie who is a fighter and who shows great determination. Her engaging disposition and that cute little smile will take her far.
Grace celebrated her birthday several times and my, did she enjoy herself! She had a party at the Opryland Hotel with her mommy and daddy, and they got to ride the river together. Then they celebrated with family in Nashville, then in Knoxville, and again in Memphis. What a lucky little girl! Getting to have all those birthday parties, complete with pink and purple streamers, a polka dotted tablecloth, her own little cake with polka dots! And cupcakes and goodies for all the guests.
Recently Grace underwent some genetic testing that pinpointed a situation that she and her family are tackling...she will get to go to Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and a special program that will benefit her so much. They are excited to get started and expect great things from her sessions.
It is a privilege to know and love little Miss Grace and her family. They are so loving and so devoted to each other. I've been thinking: what can we do to help? Here's what I've come up with:
- pray for them. Ask God to guide her doctors and therapists as they work to help her...and pray for strength and wisdom for Mark and Elizabeth.
- encourage them. Just a card or call, to let them know they are in our thoughts.
- if you know Grace's grandparents, see if they might take a little toy or gift to Grace when they travel to Nashville...
- or perhaps a goody basket (with snacks or coffee or a favorite find from the grocery store)
- what about a bouquet of flowers! Always a hit
- anything to let this sweet family know we care
So, that our update on amazing little Grace. She a cutie alright, and I am just thanking God for her and asking His richest blessings upon her...and her parents...as she starts this new chapter. Stay tuned for updates on the good progress I'm sure she's going to make... because she's an amazing little girl :)
Grace celebrated her birthday several times and my, did she enjoy herself! She had a party at the Opryland Hotel with her mommy and daddy, and they got to ride the river together. Then they celebrated with family in Nashville, then in Knoxville, and again in Memphis. What a lucky little girl! Getting to have all those birthday parties, complete with pink and purple streamers, a polka dotted tablecloth, her own little cake with polka dots! And cupcakes and goodies for all the guests.
Recently Grace underwent some genetic testing that pinpointed a situation that she and her family are tackling...she will get to go to Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and a special program that will benefit her so much. They are excited to get started and expect great things from her sessions.
It is a privilege to know and love little Miss Grace and her family. They are so loving and so devoted to each other. I've been thinking: what can we do to help? Here's what I've come up with:
- pray for them. Ask God to guide her doctors and therapists as they work to help her...and pray for strength and wisdom for Mark and Elizabeth.
- encourage them. Just a card or call, to let them know they are in our thoughts.
- if you know Grace's grandparents, see if they might take a little toy or gift to Grace when they travel to Nashville...
- or perhaps a goody basket (with snacks or coffee or a favorite find from the grocery store)
- what about a bouquet of flowers! Always a hit
- anything to let this sweet family know we care
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Fix it, please!
My tendency is to want to fix things that are broken or in need of adjustment: my watchband, the crooked picture on the wall, the crack in the driveway...my friend's weight problem, my other friend's challenging hair, (or MY challenging hair, on rainy or humid days!)...anything to do with our adult children and things in their lives...the overgrown shrubs, weeds in the garden, rose bushes that need deadheading...problems in the world like starving children in third world countries or in our own community, illiteracy, drought or floods or other natural disasters and their consequences, neediness in so many areas...areas of the house, like the upstairs closet which still has boxes and bags from our move 3 years ago!...dust on the baseboards, dust on the ceiling fans, dust on top of the tall wall-unit..the state of the economy, declines in our society's morals and values...brokenheartedness in the lives of those who are lonely or bereaved or lost....those who are struggling spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally...
Yes, there are many things that need fixing. Things both small and inconsequential...and great big things that are seemingly quite beyond my abilities to help or fix...yet I want to help. The question is: how?
How do I help but not interfere...how do I exert a positive influence without nosing into someone else's business...how do I "help" but not invade someone's private space? What is the best way to show someone I care? How can one person enact change in the world, by standing up for their beliefs without stepping on other's toes or infringing upon their right to their own opinion? How do I disagree agreeably, without argument or inflammation? How do I navigate in a world that has gone the way of liberality when I'm basically a very conservative person? in a world that is so sensitive to political correctness? How can I help someone who doesn't need or want help? How can I help someone with a chronically ill child? Or someone with a drug problem? Or someone in complete denial about their situation?
Each question brings about another question...it's a little overwhelming, isn't it. There are no easy answers for sure. I think maybe taking things one at a time, one day at a time, one problem or challenge at a time...is a start.
On the homefront, being organized is a key. I'm not too much that way, but I do like order, so I'm motivated to do that dusting and cleaning out and fixing up. I can get out the ladder and do that top-shelf cleaning! I can spackle and paint. I can take advantage of the beautiful weather and spend the morning in my garden. I can spend a day cooking and freezing things for that busy, stressful day that will rear its ugly head all too soon. I don't have little ones to tend to...or a day job that requires 40 or more hours of my week...so I have it easier than some/most. It's a matter of "just doing it."
Onto the bigger questions that loom in our lives: trying to understand, just listening, not enabling but rather offering a smile and a shoulder and a hand up. Volunteering, spending quality time...praying, giving, going. Doing simple things sometimes, and then again, not taking the easy way out. Being firm in our beliefs...and with our words...yet always compassionate and kind and caring. Not burying our heads in the sand....or looking the other way....or denying there is a problem...but just looking up to the One who is everywhere and who cares the most. Looking out instead of inward, unless the introspection is for positive reasons...taking a step out in faith...with hope and love, always with love as the driving force. Not taking things personally but with a look to the solution.
This is pretty weighty stuff, for sure, and sometimes just daunting, overwhelming, too stressful to even address.
But we CAN make a difference...in our own lives, in the lives of our family and those closest to us, in the lives of our neighbors, fellow church members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances in the community...those in our city, state, nation, and around the world. We can support local or national or international charities or movements...we can vote our convictions; we can work with a favorite faith-based organization, or coach a team of children or young people; we can exercise our spiritual gifts in so many ways, whether it be teaching, or showing mercy, or encouragement, or with our musical or artisitic gifts...we can visit the sick and beareaved or imprioned; we can help by babysitting or taking a meal, we can just sit and listen and be there. We can share of our resources...we can work in a warehouse, sorting and packing gifts or food or supplies for the underprivileged. We can to on mission trips or pray or give to support the efforts of others who go.
Yes, lots of things need fixing...and I can't fix them all. But I CAN make a difference. Lord, give me the strength and the courage and the initiative to step out in faith and find ways to just do it.
Yes, there are many things that need fixing. Things both small and inconsequential...and great big things that are seemingly quite beyond my abilities to help or fix...yet I want to help. The question is: how?
How do I help but not interfere...how do I exert a positive influence without nosing into someone else's business...how do I "help" but not invade someone's private space? What is the best way to show someone I care? How can one person enact change in the world, by standing up for their beliefs without stepping on other's toes or infringing upon their right to their own opinion? How do I disagree agreeably, without argument or inflammation? How do I navigate in a world that has gone the way of liberality when I'm basically a very conservative person? in a world that is so sensitive to political correctness? How can I help someone who doesn't need or want help? How can I help someone with a chronically ill child? Or someone with a drug problem? Or someone in complete denial about their situation?
Each question brings about another question...it's a little overwhelming, isn't it. There are no easy answers for sure. I think maybe taking things one at a time, one day at a time, one problem or challenge at a time...is a start.
On the homefront, being organized is a key. I'm not too much that way, but I do like order, so I'm motivated to do that dusting and cleaning out and fixing up. I can get out the ladder and do that top-shelf cleaning! I can spackle and paint. I can take advantage of the beautiful weather and spend the morning in my garden. I can spend a day cooking and freezing things for that busy, stressful day that will rear its ugly head all too soon. I don't have little ones to tend to...or a day job that requires 40 or more hours of my week...so I have it easier than some/most. It's a matter of "just doing it."
Onto the bigger questions that loom in our lives: trying to understand, just listening, not enabling but rather offering a smile and a shoulder and a hand up. Volunteering, spending quality time...praying, giving, going. Doing simple things sometimes, and then again, not taking the easy way out. Being firm in our beliefs...and with our words...yet always compassionate and kind and caring. Not burying our heads in the sand....or looking the other way....or denying there is a problem...but just looking up to the One who is everywhere and who cares the most. Looking out instead of inward, unless the introspection is for positive reasons...taking a step out in faith...with hope and love, always with love as the driving force. Not taking things personally but with a look to the solution.
This is pretty weighty stuff, for sure, and sometimes just daunting, overwhelming, too stressful to even address.
But we CAN make a difference...in our own lives, in the lives of our family and those closest to us, in the lives of our neighbors, fellow church members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances in the community...those in our city, state, nation, and around the world. We can support local or national or international charities or movements...we can vote our convictions; we can work with a favorite faith-based organization, or coach a team of children or young people; we can exercise our spiritual gifts in so many ways, whether it be teaching, or showing mercy, or encouragement, or with our musical or artisitic gifts...we can visit the sick and beareaved or imprioned; we can help by babysitting or taking a meal, we can just sit and listen and be there. We can share of our resources...we can work in a warehouse, sorting and packing gifts or food or supplies for the underprivileged. We can to on mission trips or pray or give to support the efforts of others who go.
Yes, lots of things need fixing...and I can't fix them all. But I CAN make a difference. Lord, give me the strength and the courage and the initiative to step out in faith and find ways to just do it.
Monday, October 10, 2011
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things - 2011 edition
Well, it's time for my yearly list of my favorite things...not quite as exciting as Oprah's...nor as expensive:
- Smart Mouth - It's a two-bottle mouthwash system that is awesome. You mix the two, and it is SO refreshing and not nasty like Listerine. It'll take away onion or garlic. Kind of pricey but does the job.
- Lee jeans - The ad is correct; they are SO comfortable and not mom-jeans-like at all. Give them a try.
- Good Housekeeping Magazine - I hadn't read one in years, but I've really enjoyed some of the tips there. Pretty good publication. I got a free subscription and am glad I did. Southern Living is my first love still, but GH is A-ok.
- Foothills Milling Company - outstanding restaurant, in Maryville...wonderful menu, great ambiance, superb service. An altogether great place for a special occasion.
- The Centurymen and TN Baptist Chorales (Mens and Womens) - Wonderful music; try to find a concert and sit back and enjoy...or a CD if you can't go in person. Available online.
- Robeez shoes - If there's a baby or toddler in your life, check out these shoes. TOO CUTE! and so comfty for the little one.
- Greek yogurt...yummy and good for you.
- Tru Moo chocolate milk by Mayfield. Less sweet and caloric than traditional...very good! My bedsnack indulgence :)
- Pottery Barn - A classic store with so many great things. Hope they never go out of business.
- d365 - my favorite online devotional site. A joint effort of the Episcopal Church, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Presbyterian Church (USA) Check it out! Outstanding and very meaningful, with beautiful music to boot
- Charleston, SC - Just about my favorite city. LOVE the food, weather, locale, people, architecture, the Inn at Middleton Place..and adjoining plantation..It's all interstate from Knoxville, so very convenient to get to~ Love the flowers and gardens and churches...great place!
- Autumn and everything about it: soup, hot chocolate, cool and crisp weather, no humidity, a fire in the fireplace, pumpkins and gourds and colorful leaves on the trees, mums, football...EVERYTHING! Just about my favorite season,
- Getting mail! I still like the old-fashioned kind, in the mailbox with a stamp! Just about a lost art. I for one hope it never goes away.
- Books, with pages...or in a Kindle or Nook...whatever form the words take...Reading is good for the soul.
- Babies and children...especially little 19 month old boys, with blonde hair and big blue eyes...maybe named Barrett Christopher! SOO glad to get to be his grandmommy. LOVE, love, love that child.
- Lentil Stew: so good and good for you. Easy to make. Scrumptious.
- Sweet smelling stuff for the bath: salts, bubbles, almond-scented soap, or pink Dove...smells so good!
- Moon-lit boat rides on Norris Lake with my sweetie
- Grilling out - pork chops, steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs...doesn't matter what we eat...just love grilling out!
- Conversations with our adult children...love sharing their interests and their days :)
- Having surrogate parents and surrogate grandchildren - just being a part of multi-generational things...good!
- Catching up with old friends
- Taking rides around the countryside with my sweetie and my doggy; nothing finer!
- Clean sheets
- Alice.com - wonderful website. Free shipping for 6 or more items...great prices and service
- Sunday School and church - the best place in the world to spend Sunday mornings: learning, praying, fellowshipping, worshiping, singing, listening, praising...nothing better in this world.
- A-ha! moments
- God's still, small voice speaking to me - and a listening ear for me to hear
- Counting my blessings - what a privilege - we are graced and blessed beyond measure, if we only look up and out
- Looking forward, another word for "hope."
- The upcoming holidays: Thanksgiving, this year in FL with our little family - and the Christmas season, from Advent, to Christmas Day, then the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany, and the Lenten season leading up to Easter. Holy days and so meaningful for Christians everywhere
- Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, where millions of children in Third World countries get shoeboxes packed with the only Christmas gifts they will receive. Such a great thing, for those who give as well as those who receive
- Mission of Hope, the ToyStore, Angel Tree, Salvation Army bell-ringing...too many worthwhile ministries to mention.
- Roses...in the garden, on the roadside, from the florist or the grocery store...doesn't matter! Love me some roses...sunflowers, alstomeria, daisies...any flower is wonderful!
- The smell of fresh-baking bread...or rolls...or brownies. Homemade goodness! No better perfume.
Well, that's a sampling of the 2011 edition...any additions from you? Let me know, and I'll pass them along! Happy Fall, y'all! God's richest blessings to you and yours on this beautiful, breezy day in autumn from beautiful East Tennessee, one of the prettiest places on earth in the fall of the year.
- Smart Mouth - It's a two-bottle mouthwash system that is awesome. You mix the two, and it is SO refreshing and not nasty like Listerine. It'll take away onion or garlic. Kind of pricey but does the job.
- Lee jeans - The ad is correct; they are SO comfortable and not mom-jeans-like at all. Give them a try.
- Good Housekeeping Magazine - I hadn't read one in years, but I've really enjoyed some of the tips there. Pretty good publication. I got a free subscription and am glad I did. Southern Living is my first love still, but GH is A-ok.
- Foothills Milling Company - outstanding restaurant, in Maryville...wonderful menu, great ambiance, superb service. An altogether great place for a special occasion.
- The Centurymen and TN Baptist Chorales (Mens and Womens) - Wonderful music; try to find a concert and sit back and enjoy...or a CD if you can't go in person. Available online.
- Robeez shoes - If there's a baby or toddler in your life, check out these shoes. TOO CUTE! and so comfty for the little one.
- Greek yogurt...yummy and good for you.
- Tru Moo chocolate milk by Mayfield. Less sweet and caloric than traditional...very good! My bedsnack indulgence :)
- Pottery Barn - A classic store with so many great things. Hope they never go out of business.
- d365 - my favorite online devotional site. A joint effort of the Episcopal Church, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Presbyterian Church (USA) Check it out! Outstanding and very meaningful, with beautiful music to boot
- Charleston, SC - Just about my favorite city. LOVE the food, weather, locale, people, architecture, the Inn at Middleton Place..and adjoining plantation..It's all interstate from Knoxville, so very convenient to get to~ Love the flowers and gardens and churches...great place!
- Autumn and everything about it: soup, hot chocolate, cool and crisp weather, no humidity, a fire in the fireplace, pumpkins and gourds and colorful leaves on the trees, mums, football...EVERYTHING! Just about my favorite season,
- Getting mail! I still like the old-fashioned kind, in the mailbox with a stamp! Just about a lost art. I for one hope it never goes away.
- Books, with pages...or in a Kindle or Nook...whatever form the words take...Reading is good for the soul.
- Babies and children...especially little 19 month old boys, with blonde hair and big blue eyes...maybe named Barrett Christopher! SOO glad to get to be his grandmommy. LOVE, love, love that child.
- Lentil Stew: so good and good for you. Easy to make. Scrumptious.
- Sweet smelling stuff for the bath: salts, bubbles, almond-scented soap, or pink Dove...smells so good!
- Moon-lit boat rides on Norris Lake with my sweetie
- Grilling out - pork chops, steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs...doesn't matter what we eat...just love grilling out!
- Conversations with our adult children...love sharing their interests and their days :)
- Having surrogate parents and surrogate grandchildren - just being a part of multi-generational things...good!
- Catching up with old friends
- Taking rides around the countryside with my sweetie and my doggy; nothing finer!
- Clean sheets
- Alice.com - wonderful website. Free shipping for 6 or more items...great prices and service
- Sunday School and church - the best place in the world to spend Sunday mornings: learning, praying, fellowshipping, worshiping, singing, listening, praising...nothing better in this world.
- A-ha! moments
- God's still, small voice speaking to me - and a listening ear for me to hear
- Counting my blessings - what a privilege - we are graced and blessed beyond measure, if we only look up and out
- Looking forward, another word for "hope."
- The upcoming holidays: Thanksgiving, this year in FL with our little family - and the Christmas season, from Advent, to Christmas Day, then the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany, and the Lenten season leading up to Easter. Holy days and so meaningful for Christians everywhere
- Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, where millions of children in Third World countries get shoeboxes packed with the only Christmas gifts they will receive. Such a great thing, for those who give as well as those who receive
- Mission of Hope, the ToyStore, Angel Tree, Salvation Army bell-ringing...too many worthwhile ministries to mention.
- Roses...in the garden, on the roadside, from the florist or the grocery store...doesn't matter! Love me some roses...sunflowers, alstomeria, daisies...any flower is wonderful!
- The smell of fresh-baking bread...or rolls...or brownies. Homemade goodness! No better perfume.
Well, that's a sampling of the 2011 edition...any additions from you? Let me know, and I'll pass them along! Happy Fall, y'all! God's richest blessings to you and yours on this beautiful, breezy day in autumn from beautiful East Tennessee, one of the prettiest places on earth in the fall of the year.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Irony
Yesterday, I headed out on some errands in West Knoxville. I made it out of Fountain City fine, avoiding the Tazewell Pike at Jacksboro traffic backup by going mid-morning...merged onto Broadway, north of the interstate, without any problem...then headed up the I-640 entrance ramp when it got interesting. There was a large pickup truck barrelling down the outside lane as I tried to merge. I couldn't slow down much, as there was a car on my tailfeathers...and the ramp is very short, so not much time to do anything. The truck could have moved over into the inside lane, as there was nothing there...but he didn't! So I had to ride down the narrow shoulder til he passed. It made me mad for sure, and I reacted rather badly, laying down on my horn.
The irony of the situation is this: I was playing our favorite CD, one by Joel Raney when he was at our church for Composers' Weekend. We love his music; he is a master musician, and it soothes my soul as I listen. When I went for my horn-blowing, with my left hand, I hit the "back" button on the steering wheel, and it interrupted the music, starting it over. "Walk by Faith" was what I was about to hear! I was missing the very song I needed to hear. It was a lesson from above, and it got my attention immediately. Instead of getting myself all worked and into minor road rage, over some driver's rudeness, I could be experiencing some joy and peace in listening to and learning from a song of praise that I love. I'm thankful for that lesson and will remember it for sure.
Isn't that just like us humans? We know the right thing to do, but so often we, in our humanity, go off in the wrong direction with our bad reactions, our knee-jerks when someone or something irritates us. All my horn-blowing did was vent a little of my frustration, and it didn't do one thing for the other guy but show what a bad girl I was for behaving that way. I'll try, with a little Help, to not do that again. I'll try to show a little more mercy to the other driver, even if he is wrong, wrong, wrong. I'll be "walking with a little more faith" as I follow In His Steps a little more closely. For if we're to be salt and light, we're going to have to put away those nasty thoughts and bad attitudes and focus a little more on what's really important.
Yes, I'm thankful it happened. I'm thankful I didn't wreck...I'm thankful I for the lesson I'm learning about not reacting badly...I'm thankful for a God who knows and understands and forgives...and who interjects Himself into situations at the very moment we need Him and His wisdom. Here's to a day when perhaps I can show some of His mercy and grace, just as I have been graced by Him. I may even try to smile at the next rude driver I encounter!
The irony of the situation is this: I was playing our favorite CD, one by Joel Raney when he was at our church for Composers' Weekend. We love his music; he is a master musician, and it soothes my soul as I listen. When I went for my horn-blowing, with my left hand, I hit the "back" button on the steering wheel, and it interrupted the music, starting it over. "Walk by Faith" was what I was about to hear! I was missing the very song I needed to hear. It was a lesson from above, and it got my attention immediately. Instead of getting myself all worked and into minor road rage, over some driver's rudeness, I could be experiencing some joy and peace in listening to and learning from a song of praise that I love. I'm thankful for that lesson and will remember it for sure.
Isn't that just like us humans? We know the right thing to do, but so often we, in our humanity, go off in the wrong direction with our bad reactions, our knee-jerks when someone or something irritates us. All my horn-blowing did was vent a little of my frustration, and it didn't do one thing for the other guy but show what a bad girl I was for behaving that way. I'll try, with a little Help, to not do that again. I'll try to show a little more mercy to the other driver, even if he is wrong, wrong, wrong. I'll be "walking with a little more faith" as I follow In His Steps a little more closely. For if we're to be salt and light, we're going to have to put away those nasty thoughts and bad attitudes and focus a little more on what's really important.
Yes, I'm thankful it happened. I'm thankful I didn't wreck...I'm thankful I for the lesson I'm learning about not reacting badly...I'm thankful for a God who knows and understands and forgives...and who interjects Himself into situations at the very moment we need Him and His wisdom. Here's to a day when perhaps I can show some of His mercy and grace, just as I have been graced by Him. I may even try to smile at the next rude driver I encounter!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Discipline
My latest read, entitled On BecomingToddlerwise by Garry Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, is one of a series of eight or so books on childrearing. Having read the first few books in the series when our little grandson was an infant, I thought I should get the age-appropriate one for Barrett's current stage of development at 19 months. I really like the writers' ideas in dealing with everyday issues like schedules, activities, feeding, discipline, etc. They use common sense, kindness, love, consistency...words of wisdom for young parents...and grandparents.
So far, Barrett has not been very challenging in the area of discipline. He is pretty easy to handle and isn't prone to much misbehavior, tantrums, or major meltdowns. He does have one "habit" that his parents are dealing with, and we got to watch discipline-with-love in action on our recent visit with them.
When Barrett is finished eating...or not interested in a particular food, he simply tosses or drops it onto the floor. He knows better; he's been told "No!" and he understands that it is not appropriate behavior to throw his food. His parents firmly grasp his arm, saying "Do not throw your food onto the floor." But he seems to do it at least once per mealtime. His daddy has a new tactic for dealing with this behavior. He unbuckles Barrett's high chair seatbelt, lifts him to the floor, bends down and says, "You made a mess; now you have to clean it up." Barrett, looking kind of worried, says, "Daddy? Mess?" John replies, "Daddy loves you, but you made the mess, and you have to clean it up." He holds a napkin or paper towel for Barrett to deposit the cheerios or bites of banana or meat or whatever has hit the floor. Barrett is learning to pick them up...and it looks like the tactic is making an impression.
We are proud for them for disciplining their child with love, as they teach him right from wrong...about consequences...about doing what he's told...about minding Mommy and Daddy. It's the first of many lessons he'll need to know, as he grows from toddlerhood into the preschool stage and on into childrhood and the teenage years to young adulthood. It's better to learn those lessons early...rather than having to learn them the hard way later.
According to Toddlerwise...and common sense would agree...misbehavior at 19 months old is not malicious but rather innocent immaturity. Willful defiance may come later in development and is another matter altogether, requiring greater disciliplinary action. So the discipline should fit the "crime." No punishment at this point but rather consistent, firm but kind actions on the part of the caregiver to guide the little one back onto the straight path. Making eye contact, expecting the child to respond with "Yes, Mommy" (or Daddy,) being consistent, giving instructions rather than suggestions...and using appropriate methods like redirection, isolation, natural consequences, loss of privileges, naptime...are all part of discipline for this age group.
All this makes me think of what a big part discipline is in all our lives. Certainly as children, we needed and hopefully got our fair share, so that we didn't get into major trouble or make horrible decisions with serious consequences. As we grew, discipline changed as we matured and realized the benefits of acting responsibly. Still, we are human, and we sometimes act in ways that aren't appropriate...or say things that aren't respectful or kind. Then discipline again becomes necessary. Just as a parent who loves his/her child will not let that child stray far, our heavenly Father loves us too much to allow us to wallow in our sin, to keep on doing things that aren't right without disciplining us in love. I, for one, am grateful for that fact; I need to be reminded of how easy but harmful it is to harbor bad feelings, to react badly, to speak unkindly, to have a bad attitude, to act selfishly, to be jealous...I need to be jolted out of my self-centeredness.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Ps 51. I love that. I need that. I'm grateful for that. Just like Barrett, I need to learn my lessons...to be reminded what I need to do...or not to do. There is security in being within the boundary of good living...of following the straight and narrow...of keeping our eye on the prize, instead of going down the rough road of our own bidding. Being taught self-control early on will reap great benefits later on...something for which we can all be grateful! It's a win/win for parent and child alike...and we, in our adult years, can be glad that we been the recipients of loving discipline from our earthly parents and from our Father in heaven as well.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Supper Club
For the past 25 years or so, we have been in a supper club with three other couples. It's been a wonderful experience sharing life with this group. We've been friends through thick and thin, good times and bad, happiness and grief. We've shared each others' joys and sorrows; we've laughed and cried and supported each other through surgeries, weddings, funerals, and now in the birth of another generation: grandchildren!...we've traveled down many roads together, literally and figuratively.
It's kind of a microcosm of life, being with good friends down through the years. Whether we see each other each month...or more frequently or infrequently, we are there for each other; we share; we care; we listen; we pray; we help carry their burdens; we rejoice in their good news. And sharing meals together has been a big part of what has kept us together for so long. There's something about breaking bread together that is good and right. The sense of belonging...family...community is very real when folks sit at a common table, enjoying a good meal together.
So...I say "thank you" to our good friends for being a big part of our lives. Thank you for being there for us. Thank you for embracing us with love that is tangible. Thank you for giving of yourselves to us. Thank you for enriching our lives so beautifully. Hopefully we can keep up our tradition throughout these, our senior years, as our lives and family dynamics change and grow. It's a journey, for sure, and one that will present its own set of challenges as well as joys. From our pasts together, I have an idea all will be well! It's a shared journey, and one we enjoy immensely...one that is just plain ole good.
Here's to you, our soul-mates, our friends. We treasure you guys and look forward to life in the future alongside you. Bon Appetit!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
19 Months and Counting
We spent last week in one of our favorite places: Charleston, SC, at the Inn at Middleton Place. It adjoins Middleton Place Plantation, on the Ashley River; and one of the perks of being guests there is plantation privileges. It is an 18th century place, with house and farm and 200 acres of gardens and land. The farm is a working one, with crops, demonstration craftsmen like a potter, blacksmith, and best of all: farm animals! Since John and I, Johnny, Devereux, and Barrett, and Dev's parents Terry and Valerie were all there, we had a whole entourage of folks making the daily, sometimes twice a day, trek through the woods from the Inn to "the animals," as Barrett said. We all had fun, but most of all Barrett. Getting to spend a week with that little guy was awesome for all of us. He is 19 months old and just plain old fun...delightful in every way. He's at that sponge stage of toddlerhood: he just soaks up words, information, everything he sees and hears. We have loved every moment of being with him, from the moment he was born. But I believe this age is just about the best yet.
Here are a few of the things I learned from - and about - being 19 months old:
- Piggies are our favorites; they make funny noises and like to lie around on top of each other and their mama. Their daddy isn't allowed in the pen as he might squash the piggies :) One of the piggies was sick, and all the brothers and sisters licked him and tried to make him feel better.
- Pushing a toy lawnmower is fun, fun, fun. It gets stuck on tall grass, so you have to carry it some, back onto a flat surface, like the path or driveway or sidewalk.
- Alligators are not always big or scary, but we still have to be careful not to get too close. They might bite!
- Chess men are fun to play with, especially the horses. Same thing with checkers, even if you don't know how to play for real...but you cannot put checkers in your mouth! You might choke.
- It's fun making new friends, even if you're a little shy at first. Before you know it, you can give them a token of friendship, like your lawnmower...or part of a banana...or maybe one of the chess horses!
- Mosquitoes sure like to bite sweet little boys...and their bites sure do itch!
- If you aren't sleepy at naptime, you can still talk to yourself (or the adult watching you while you nap) about the piggies and the moo cow and the peacock...or you can suggest that you need a diaper change, even if you don't, because the adult might just "wake up" and check that diaper...and that might just get you out of a nap :)
- Kittens are fun to play with, but they scratch and you have to be careful around them.
- Horses are big! Really big! Some of them weigh one ton...and they have great big feet and wear shoes!
- Water buffalo have funny horns that go down, then up, like flipped up hair! And they like to swim in the big pond with green stuff on top. They help the farmer in the rice fields.
- When it rains, it's still ok to go outside, if you wear your rain jacket and have an umbrella. It's kind of fun! Except when it thunders. Then you have to stay inside.
- There are lots of stairs at Middleton Place Plantation. So Daddy and Granddaddy and Granddad had to carry the stroller up and down lots of times. They didn't mind! I think they liked doing it.
- Getting to walk Phoebe the dog and hold the leash is fun. She can run fast, though, and it's hard to keep up sometimes. It helps having a grandmother along to help!
- Before we ate our meals, we all said "God is Great, God is Good," and it was fun all saying it together and waiting for "Amen, Amen!," my favorite part.
- In downtown Charleston, we got to take a horse and carriage ride, and our horse was named Luke. He did a good job pulling the carriage and even knew when the guide turned down the wrong street. Did you know Luke had to wear diapers, just like me?! The ride made me sleepy, so I took my nap while all the grown-ups learned all about Charleston and got to see all the pretty houses and churches.
- It was hot and humid so we got to eat lots of ice cream; it was very yummy!
- Hammocks are fun; you can lie down or sit up or swing in them!
- Plantation shutters are fun to open and close, open and close, open and close!
- Croquet is a fun game. It's fun to try to hit the ball with the mallet, but it's kind of hard because the mallet has a big, long handle...and it's also fun to pick up all the wickets after Grandmommy put them all around in the grass.
- The big house looked like it would be a fun place to visit...but it wasn't for a little guy...so Grandmommy and Granddaddy took me back to see the animals so all the visitors could listen and learn the history of the plantation. I might like the house tour better when I'm older.
- I loved singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" over and over...and I can almost sing all the words now! And playing pattycake is more fun than ever, since I can say the words and do the motions. We "mark it with a B and throw it in the oven for Barrett and me."
- They have really good cheese at the Inn. I was really hungry, and it wasn't quite time for supper. So it made a great snack for me.
Yes, there is nothing quite like getting to spend time with a little guy who is so wonderfully made...who is so sweet and charming. Thank you, God, for the gift of grandchildren. They are some of God's greatest treasures; they are a gift of love. Seeing the world through their little eyes, with all the wonder and novelty that comes with first-time experiences, is the way to go. May we adults keep on learning from these little ones, for You have said that such is the kingdom of heaven. I believe that; for being with him is just a little piece of heaven on earth.
Here are a few of the things I learned from - and about - being 19 months old:
- Piggies are our favorites; they make funny noises and like to lie around on top of each other and their mama. Their daddy isn't allowed in the pen as he might squash the piggies :) One of the piggies was sick, and all the brothers and sisters licked him and tried to make him feel better.
- Pushing a toy lawnmower is fun, fun, fun. It gets stuck on tall grass, so you have to carry it some, back onto a flat surface, like the path or driveway or sidewalk.
- Alligators are not always big or scary, but we still have to be careful not to get too close. They might bite!
- Chess men are fun to play with, especially the horses. Same thing with checkers, even if you don't know how to play for real...but you cannot put checkers in your mouth! You might choke.
- It's fun making new friends, even if you're a little shy at first. Before you know it, you can give them a token of friendship, like your lawnmower...or part of a banana...or maybe one of the chess horses!
- Mosquitoes sure like to bite sweet little boys...and their bites sure do itch!
- If you aren't sleepy at naptime, you can still talk to yourself (or the adult watching you while you nap) about the piggies and the moo cow and the peacock...or you can suggest that you need a diaper change, even if you don't, because the adult might just "wake up" and check that diaper...and that might just get you out of a nap :)
- Kittens are fun to play with, but they scratch and you have to be careful around them.
- Horses are big! Really big! Some of them weigh one ton...and they have great big feet and wear shoes!
- Water buffalo have funny horns that go down, then up, like flipped up hair! And they like to swim in the big pond with green stuff on top. They help the farmer in the rice fields.
- When it rains, it's still ok to go outside, if you wear your rain jacket and have an umbrella. It's kind of fun! Except when it thunders. Then you have to stay inside.
- There are lots of stairs at Middleton Place Plantation. So Daddy and Granddaddy and Granddad had to carry the stroller up and down lots of times. They didn't mind! I think they liked doing it.
- Getting to walk Phoebe the dog and hold the leash is fun. She can run fast, though, and it's hard to keep up sometimes. It helps having a grandmother along to help!
- Before we ate our meals, we all said "God is Great, God is Good," and it was fun all saying it together and waiting for "Amen, Amen!," my favorite part.
- In downtown Charleston, we got to take a horse and carriage ride, and our horse was named Luke. He did a good job pulling the carriage and even knew when the guide turned down the wrong street. Did you know Luke had to wear diapers, just like me?! The ride made me sleepy, so I took my nap while all the grown-ups learned all about Charleston and got to see all the pretty houses and churches.
- It was hot and humid so we got to eat lots of ice cream; it was very yummy!
- Hammocks are fun; you can lie down or sit up or swing in them!
- Plantation shutters are fun to open and close, open and close, open and close!
- Croquet is a fun game. It's fun to try to hit the ball with the mallet, but it's kind of hard because the mallet has a big, long handle...and it's also fun to pick up all the wickets after Grandmommy put them all around in the grass.
- The big house looked like it would be a fun place to visit...but it wasn't for a little guy...so Grandmommy and Granddaddy took me back to see the animals so all the visitors could listen and learn the history of the plantation. I might like the house tour better when I'm older.
- I loved singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" over and over...and I can almost sing all the words now! And playing pattycake is more fun than ever, since I can say the words and do the motions. We "mark it with a B and throw it in the oven for Barrett and me."
- They have really good cheese at the Inn. I was really hungry, and it wasn't quite time for supper. So it made a great snack for me.
Yes, there is nothing quite like getting to spend time with a little guy who is so wonderfully made...who is so sweet and charming. Thank you, God, for the gift of grandchildren. They are some of God's greatest treasures; they are a gift of love. Seeing the world through their little eyes, with all the wonder and novelty that comes with first-time experiences, is the way to go. May we adults keep on learning from these little ones, for You have said that such is the kingdom of heaven. I believe that; for being with him is just a little piece of heaven on earth.
A New Beginning
Well, it's a new beginning in the world of writing down my thoughts, experiences, dreams...After several years of writing in email form, I'm taking a big step (for me!) into the world of a true blog. Thank you for following along with me in this journey. Hopefully this will be a more user-friendly form, for writer and reader as well!
A word about the title: Concord Chronicle. By definition, "concord" is a state of harmony, agreement. That's my desire, for myself...and in a larger sense, for the world in which we live. I believe we can, with some help and effort, live this way. Sure, it's a large order. Our world is far from the peaceable kingdom. But, if I can take little baby steps toward that end...and to encourage others to do the same, then perhaps I am using my God-given gifts in a positive way. So, as I continue "chronicling," it is with the desire to bring a little peace...hope...and love to a world that could use a little more of the same.
So...here goes!
A word about the title: Concord Chronicle. By definition, "concord" is a state of harmony, agreement. That's my desire, for myself...and in a larger sense, for the world in which we live. I believe we can, with some help and effort, live this way. Sure, it's a large order. Our world is far from the peaceable kingdom. But, if I can take little baby steps toward that end...and to encourage others to do the same, then perhaps I am using my God-given gifts in a positive way. So, as I continue "chronicling," it is with the desire to bring a little peace...hope...and love to a world that could use a little more of the same.
So...here goes!
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