Just when you think you have it hard

Inside the kitchen at the historical park are reminders of my grandparents' home as I mentioned in my last post. I remember when they didn't have running water. The food was cooked on a wood stove. I think I remember electricity in the house. There was a single light bult hanging from the middle of the room...no switches, though. I remember that my grandmother had a string from the light pull to the head of her bed so that she could turn the light out after she was in bed.

I read a post the other day that talked about the essential kitchen...the items that you needed if you had no extras. I think this table would show that somewhat. We have so many appliances and conveniences today, but we don't cook nearly as much as our grandparents did, do we.

Notice the floor boards. See the light coming through? I don't remember that at their house, but you could see between the boards in the walls.

A little ironing to be done? Is this the forerunner of a steam iron? I didn't ever see one like this. My mother kept some of the cast iron irons that you heated on top of the woodstove, but I don't remember seeing one like this before. When I lived in Haiti, I brought home a beautiful charcoal iron. The top of the iron has a container for hot coals to heat the iron. I've never did use it that way.

My grandma and grandpa had a pump a little way from the house. I always liked pumping water for them. My great-aunt had a house similar to the one in the photo below, and she had a wrap-around porch with a pump there at the porch like this one. We don't even think about it when we turn on a light, or turn on a faucet, knowing that we'll have power and water.

I love looking at these reminders of years gone by, but I'm not sure that I would have wanted to live then. A simpler life, perhaps, but not easier. When I lived in Haiti, we had a girl who cooked for us, a lady who came and did our laundry, and when I came home and told people that, some raised their eyebrows. Luxury? No, necessity. That's a topic for another day. If I ever get my slides from Haiti scanned, I'll have lots to blog about.

Come and Dine

A few weeks ago I posted some photos from the historical park here in Bradenton, and I had every intention of posting every day...well. As I walked through the park that day, I truly was walking back in time to my childhood when I used to go with my parents to visit my maternal grandparents in north Florida.

My mother was the next to the oldest of five children, and she somehow was the one who took the responsibility of seeing that her parents had their needs taken care of. Every time that my parents had vacation time, it was spent visiting grandma and grandpa. I must confess that I do not have fond memories of my grandparents, not like children do today. They seemed awfully old to me, and they really were not too interested in me, or so I thought.

Their house was similar to the one pictured here, although not nearly as nice. It was a frame house with a tin roof, a square divided into four equal rooms, a living room, a kitchen/dining room, and two bedrooms. You can guess where the bathroom was. That's right...down the path. I think that is another reason I didn't like to go there.

As I entered this house, I realized that they knew how to build houses then to catch the breezes as they came through. It was not particularly a cool day when I visited here, but as i walked into the house, the gentle breeze did keep me cool. In this particular house the bedrooms were to the right as you enter and then straight ahead is the kitchen as you can well see.

In the kitchen was the dinner table, placed as it was in my grandparents' house. On each long side of the table was a bench on which to sit. Now that was one thing that I did like. I loved to sit on the bench to eat my dinner. After we were through eating, if there were leftovers, my grandma would cover them with a sheet or a cloth to keep the flies out. We didn't worry about spoilage. I guess she figured that it would all be eaten soon...turnip greens, black-eyed peas, okra and tomatoes, and always a pot of grits. My grandma loved her grits.

Grandpa sat at the head of the table, and this photo reminds me of him. My mother called her parents "Mama and Papa." The oilcloth table cloth, the mismatched silver and dishes are so much like theirs. I remember watching grandpa eat and then rinse his mouth with his coffee. Sometimes he would "saucer and blow" it before he drank it and then swish it around in his mouth before swallowing it. He didn't have any teeth...if he did, he didn't wear them. Maybe he left them in the cup, so when he ate, his chin would just about meet his nose.

My grandparents didn't have much in this life, but they were generous with what they had and were grateful to my mother for looking after them like she did. As I was thinking about the table spread, I was reminded of an old gospel song, "Come and Dine." You can hear the tune and read the words at cyberhymnal.

The refrain goes:

“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;

You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;

He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,

To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”

I just press the thing-y

Take a look at this cartoon. I sometimes feel like that. Now, SRP and Vicki and a few others I know know all about those things. (I hesitate to copy stuff to a blog that is copyrighted, so be sure to take a look.)

When I try to upload from P*casa, I see this "local host" in the html. Then I try to change it like SRP said, and I just get a smaller box. If I upload from "My Documents", I don't have a problem. However, when I download photos from my camera, they go to P*casa and bypass My Documents.

I have a photo of Ella I want to upload because it is just SO CUTE. It's in My Documents, but when I upload it, it is sideways because that is the way I took it. In P*casa, I can turn it, but coming from My Documents, it's sideways. I welcome any suggestions. I know the solution would be to put them all in My Pictures, but I guess I need someone to sit down with me and help me move them.

Do you know about kids who have the label, LD, and ADD, and ADHD? Well, I used to tell people at my Pampered Ch*f shows when I was looking for a tool, that I'm OD, organizationally disabled...not my strong suit. Besides, I should be doing other things besides playing at my computer all day.

A good report

When I went downstairs this morning, I wondered if my house was catching on fire. When I opened my garage door, I could tell that the smoke was everywhere. It seems that the winds have brought the smoke from north Georgia and Florida all the way down into our area, and it's supposed to last until at least Wednesday evening. And it was cool this morning, the kind of cool that would cause one to turn off the air conditioning and open the doors and windows.

The above photo is a shot of the Sunshine Skyway that connects Bradenton and St. Pete. That's smoke, not fog.

I had two doctors' appointments this morning, one with an endocrinologist and one with my cardiologist. I'm on medication for hyperthyroidism. The blood work shows it, but it has never really been evident. I'm certainly not a 120 lb. ball of energy...just the opposite. But I was having some palpitations, so the cardiologist sent me to her to get it checked out. Well, the blood work shows improvement, but I've also put on a few pounds. But, thanks be to G-d, he didn't comment about the weight gain, just that he had hesitated to send me because it would make it difficult to lose.

It was such an ordinary appointment. That's the kind I like to have. He said I'm doing fine, and that's what I wanted to hear. My symptoms of myasthenia gravis are subsiding pretty much too. That's another post for another day.

When someone says, "Have a good day," I always say that any day that I wake up is a good day.

The ABC meme of me

I was tagged by Karen at Pondering Penguin to do this meme. Since it's the ABC's, I think it will not be too hard and sort of fun, so here goes.

ABCs of the Lacoochee Kid
A: Attached or Single?: I was attached to Don for just shy of 29 years before his death.
B: Best Friend: That would be my friend Peg, who now lives in the Chicago area.
C: Cake or Pie? That's a hard one. Though I rarely eat it because of its his sugar content, I'd have to say pecan pie. I didn't taste it until I was around 20, and then I wished I never had. It was SO-O-O delicious.
D: Drink of Choice? Since I'm from the South, I should say "sweet tea," but again because of the sugar, I drink it with Sp*nda or whatever, or DIET COKE. I'm a tee-totaler, which some of my friends find amusing.
E: Essential Item: Books, and these days, my computer.
F: Favorite Color: Blue--When we built our house, someone told me, "My dear, people don't decorate with blue." Well, guess what. I did. And I still love it.
G: Gummi Bears or Worms: No, thank you. I like chocolate. If I'm going to have something sweet, I want to really love it.
H: Hometown: Lacoochee, Florida, hence, the title of my blog. However, my parents moved to Bradenton when I was four, so I think I really should claim Bradenton. We are the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Woo-hoo! Also home of Tropicana Orange Juice.
I: Indulgence: Moose Tracks Ice Cream from P*blix.
J: January or February? January - My daughter's birthday is in January. She was born on the 20th. It was 26 degrees the morning that we went to the hospital to have her...yes, in Florida.
K: Kids: 2, 1 wonderful daughter, Sarah, and 1 incredible son, David, who just happens to be the father of Ella. (You've read about her, right?)
L: Life is incomplete without: my wonderful church family.
M: Marriage Date: May 12, 1973.
N: Number of Siblings: -- 0 --O: My dear mother gave birth to a son who was stillborn four years before I was born. She gave birth to a little girl, who was born too early at six months and did not survive.
O: Oranges or Apples? Since I live in Florida, I should say oranges, but I think I'm really partial to apples, either in a pie or crisp.
P: Phobias/Fears? Balloons. When I was four, my parents took me to the circus in Sarasota and bought me a big balloon. They owned a restaurant, and one day while I was there, the balloon burst behind me. I was hysterical. I almost get sick to my stomach today when I get too close to one.
Q; Favorite Quote: Hebrews 13:5 God has said, "Never will I leave you: never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
R: Reasons to Smile: Sarah, David, Sabrina, ELLA, fairly good health, I can still see despite some hemorrhages in my right eye.
S: Season? Fall, because it signals the end of the long, hot summer.
T: Tags: Anyone who reads this far who might like to do this. Most of the people I know have been tagged.
U: Unknown fact about me: I had never had a date until I met Don.
V: Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Definitely a meat eater.
W: Worst Habit? Nail biting. I'm sure there are those who could come up with something else.
X: X-rays or Ultrasound. Ultrasound, I guess. The doc can find out what's wrong with you without going in. No harmful rays. Ultrasound was not quite common when I was pregnant, so I didn't get that opportunity.
Y: Your Favorite Foods: My mother's fried chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, Mexican.
Z: Zodiac? Virgo, although I know none of the characteristics. I've never paid attention to the signs, and who is compatible with whom.

So there.

Wanting something new

Tell me, those of you who have changed formats of your blogs, or changed the template, does everything change over o.k. if you haven't done any fancy stuff to your blog? I would like to change the appearance of mine, but I'm afraid to for fear of losing my stuff.

Five years later

This week has been the fifth anniversary of Don's passing. I wrote some of my thoughts last year here. I had planned a post for the 30th, which is the day that he died. My computer crashed while I was in Virginia, so I didn't get it together, and then I was on the road coming home on the 30th. Today, Saturday, is the day that we put his body in the ground five years ago. I was thinking this morning about the term "laid to rest." He really wasn't laid to rest...he was already gone. Only the body remained.

I want to share with you the thoughts of my children about those days. From reading blogs, I know that not everyone has a wonderful father who is there all the time. Even though he was not perfect, my husband adored his children and did everything that he could for them. I think his main downfall was that he worked so much that he often did not spend the time them that they might have desired, but he was always there for them.

My son had just graduated from Penn State in December of 2001. Even though he graduated with a degree in engineering, during his years at Penn State, he became involved in a campus ministry, and his vocation took a different direction. He became a campus minister, working at IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania.) He was dependent upon others for his financial support, and in one of his letters to his friends, he wrote this:

On April 30th, I received the call that can never be expected, the call
that tells you a loved one has been taken from this earth. My father,
Donald Whitcomb, was killed in a car accident at the age of 54.

This made for a tough time at the beginning of the summer, especially while
traveling and leaning so much. it is still hard. Tears come randomly, and mourning is far from over. Nothing can prepare you for a tragedy like this. nothing but the grace of God can give true comfort. I thank God that my family can hold onto the hope of seeing my father again, as spoken in I Thessalonians 4:13, 14: "But we do not want
you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not
grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep
in Jesus."

I will see my father again, and that day will be glorious. My family was blessed with a funeral that was a celebration of life. Over 700 people came to the visitation and the funeral. My dad knew and loved all types of people. lawyers, doctors, plumbers, electricians, widows, Africans, Asians, Latinos, and young and old, and those people knew and loved him as well....

Please take these words and think about htem: Sons, pursue your fathers. And learn about them as much as you can, while you can. Ask questions, even if you think it is weird. I wish I had. Fathers, pursue your sons, and learn their lives no matter how hard it is. Talk to them, and ask them questions, even when they don't want you to. If you think you don't have time to work on your relationship, make time. Life is a precious thing, and I didn't realize that until my father's death.

At Don's service, our pastor asked the family if we would like to say anything. I shared a little with the people who came, and then one of the pastors read a letter that Sarah had written to her dad. I asked her if she minded if I shared it with you, and she said that she didn't.

May 3, 2002

Dear Daddy,

I can’t believe I’m writing this letter. It’s only been 3 days since the accident but it seems like a whole lot longer. I feel like I’m in a dream and when I wake up you’ll still be here. I can’t believe you are gone.

I’m remembering what you told me often when I was down and wondering if things would turn out okay. You’d tell me to keep my chin up and keep pressing on. I’m trying to do that daddy, I’m really trying.

Thank you for everything that you ever did for mom, David and me. Thank you for being so giving and loving. Even though there weren’t a lot of touchy-feely moments, you always showed your love somehow.

Well, now you’ll be watching me wherever I am and in whatever I’m doing. You’ll always be with me, in my heart and in my mind. I’m too much like you to ever forget anything. But I miss you so so much it’s indescribable.

I’m going to keep working on the house and get the things done you wanted to do to it and then some. Thank you for helping me get the house and fix it up. I wouldn’t have traded you for another dad in the world.

As David said, you worked so hard for all that time and now you are finally resting and singing in the choir up in heaven. Say hi to grandma for me.

Thank you for being a wonderful dad.
I love you with all my heart.
See you one day!
Love always,
Your daughter,
Sarah

Thank you for following with me throughout this journey. When I started to blog, I did it more for my kids than anything else, and now I find that several have come along for the ride. Having written this today has been good. I think I am going to close the door on sharing any more. I just wanted to give you a glimpse into our thoughts and lives for the last little while.

It's All a Matter of Perspective

I have been spending a fair amount of time these past three days reading a forum at www.cysticfibrosis.com about a young woman who has just received a double lung transplant. She began blogging a couple of months ago about going for evaluation for a transplant. Lindsey is 24, has cystic fibrosis, and has been on oxygen for quite some time. She is one of the most upbeat, enthusiastic young women I think I've ever met.

All the folks who've been reading that particular forum have formed a regular cheering squad for her. Her call for new lungs came on her mother's birthday. How about that for a present! The lady who checked her in to the hospital has the same first name as her mother. One day Lindsey was having lunch with a friend. They were talking about the surgery. A lady sitting nearby heard the conversation and said that she almost interrupted to tell her that she is a nurse who cares for post-transplant patients. But she didn't. Guess who's taking care of Lindsey? That very lady.

Two days after surgery, she's extubated, up and moving around, and her lungs are doing great. It has just been so moving to read comments by others who have had transplants and are enjoying breathing freely, something that we take so for granted.

I just came from reading another post. A young lady wrote that she is celebrating turning 30. She said she thought she would never reach that age. Now she's shooting for 35. Again, the responses by those reading just fill my eyes with tears. When you consider that years ago, the future was so bleak for anyone with CF. There still is no cure. The median life expectancy is now 37.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsors a Great Strides Walk in the spring. You don't hear as much about it as the M*rch of Dimes or the breast cancer walks, but families and friends are out there raising funds for research. Nearly ninety cents of every dollar goes to research from the foundation. I would encourage you to donate to this group. As you know, I have a very personal interest in this since Ella is one of the 30,000 people in the United States with CF. The goal is to someday have the letters CF stand for "Cure Found."

Ella Marie Whitcomb, born August 4, 2006, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis soon after birth after a screening blood test in Virginia. Does your state automatically screen for CF in newborns? The last time I read, only 22 states have instituted this screening. Early detection is a key to good care for these children.

Back in Florida

I arrived home Monday, April 30, around noon. It's always good to get away and equally as good to get back home, although I must confess I didn't want to leave Ella. My two weeks with her was time well spent. She's just turning nine months old on Friday, so you know that she is at such a cute age.

Whenever I call David and ask how she is, he always says "Mom, she's such a happy baby." And indeed she is. We had quite a time of bonding. Sarah and I will go up for her first birthday, so I'm hoping that she doesn't forget me in that time. At least, maybe it won't take too long to get reacquainted.

Summer is arriving here. Mornings and evenings are pleasant, but it's getting quite warm during the day. We need rain so badly here. As I drove home through Georgia, it was quite smoky from the brush fires there.

As I was driving south on I-95, there were lots of cars traveling north...some more of the snowbirds making their migration back home. I haven't been out enough to notice a difference on our roadways yet.

I hope to post quite regularly now. I've been offline for a few days. My computer crashed while I was at David's, and I took it to my fix-it guy Monday evening. He was able to bring everything back for me so that I didn't lose any of my data. Yippee!

Look in the mirror. What do you see?

What a difference from the first time I spent any time with Ella. In October, she was just in her third month, beginning to smile and coo. What fun we had. I remember just before I left, I was playing with her one day, and I held her in front of me. As we looked in the mirror, she saw something that made her laugh. It wasn't a big laugh, but it was a laugh.

Now after she wakes from her nap, we sometimes sit in her room and read some books, and then she loves to sit in front of the mirror and talk to and laugh at the baby in the mirror. What fun! I sit behind her, and she'll look at me in the mirror to make sure I'm not missing anything. We've really bonded during my time here. I think she'll probably remember me the next time that I come. I hope so.

She showed a nice weight gain at the doctor's office when she went the other day. That was good news. The doctor said that they should increase the enzymes a little bit. From reading about adults with CF, adjusting the amount on enzymes one needs seems to be ongoing.

My time is coming to an end. I'm leaving on Sunday to drive back to Florida for some meetings. I'm going house-hunting tomorrow--well house looking.

Followup on a fall

Well, good morning. I'm here to report that I'm alive and well after my tumble on Saturday. When I fell flat on my face, my glasses were between my face and the ground. They got bent up quite a bit, but the very kind optician at W*l Mart got them pretty well aligned for me. They're a little bit scratched, but not too bad. My right wrist was very sore, and I wondered about carrying and handling Ella, but by this morning, the soreness is about gone. My neck is still a little bit stiff, but all in all, I feel fine. I am thankful not to have been hurt badly. I know that one of these days it might not be like that.

It has been a heart-wrenching experience being in Virginia this past week. As I've driven around, I've seen visible signs of support for those grieving at Virginia Tech and throughout the whole state. Yesterday, Sunday, I had planned to meet a lady whom I met in Bradenton who had come back home to Waynesboro. I had planned to go to church with her, but after I fell and was quite sore, I decided to stay home and give my body a chance to recover a bit.

I turned on the TV and found a church service from a church in Richmond. One of the young women whose life was taken had graduated from the church's high school in 2006. The service was, in a way, a memorial service to her. Members of her high school class, of whom there might have been 12 or so, spoke of her faith and her determination to live it out before her classmates at VT. The lieutenant governor of the state was in the service, spoke, and prayed for the whole situation. The choir sang "It is Well." How many times has that song brought comfort to hurting hearts! For the Christian, the loss is great, but we have the sweet and calm assurance that all is well, and one day we shall see Him face to face. Some just get that opportunity sooner than others; some, in our human way of thinking are taken before their time, but as the Lord gently reminded me when my husband was taken in an untimely death, He knows our days. My times are in His hands.

Thank God for fat

Barbara Johnson once said, "I'm a perfect size 10. I just cover it with fat so it won't get scratched."

I was out driving around today looking at houses for sale in Waynesboro when I stopped back by my son's house. He was in the back yard filling in some low spots. I walked over to look at some plants, stepped into a low spot, and promptly went down. I'm thankful for soft grass and the fact that I wasn't on a sidewalk somewhere.

After I got up, with my kids' help, I drove to W*l-Mart to their optical department to get my glasses straightened. Although I'm sore, I don't think I'll be any worse for the wear...hopefully not, anyway.

What a beautiful day here in Waynesboro. It has been picture perfect, cool in the morning, sunny and mild during the day. Spring is erupting. I'm so glad that I get a chance to see the dogwood in bloom. It has always been one of my favorite flowering trees.

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your
body and your fat are really good friends" Anonymous

Postscript

Last night I wrote a note from Ella. In it I said that the doctor wants her to gain weight. What I should have said is that she wants to see her maintain a weight gain each month. Some CF patients end up with feeding tubes and the like to help them maintain weight.

Hi, everyone

Hi, everyone,
This is Ella here reporting on my grammy. She got here Monday afternoon after driving all the way from Florida. She stopped in North Carolina and visited a friend at Mount Olive College, and then she had lunch with Kenju. My grammy said that they talked for two hours without stopping. She said it was lots of fun meeting a fellow blogger. My grammy has also met Vicki down in St. Petersburg and her dad, Bud. So that's two down, and several more to go.

She's taking care of me while she's here. My mommy says she likes that because she doesn't have to pack everything up and make sure that she hasn't forgotten anything. The doctor wants me to gain weight, so I eat every three hours. I eat, play, take a little nap, eat, play, take a little nap, and so on.

When I first saw my grammy, I wasn't sure I remembered her, but today we laughed and had lots of fun together. If it's nice tomorrow, we might go for a walk. The weather is a little cooler than what my grammy is used to.

I'm such a happy girl. I'm so easy to love. That's all for now. Oh, can you see my two teeth on top? I now have two on top and two on bottom.

Love,
Ella

David's Birthday Revisited

I think these photos will post. They are not the ones that I had selected for the post on his birthday, but for those of you who didn't see the photos on the post on the 15th, but at least you can see what that cute little boy looked like.

For someone who grew to be 6'8", David started out little. I think I said in the other post that he wore a newborn outfit to church once, and that was the end of that. He was actually three weeks early, so he would have been a big boy if he had gone full-term.
On his wedding day with his lovely bride, Sabrina, April 3, 2004. Ella is now a part of their family, and, of course, you know I'm crazy about her.

Wow! It's windy!

Wow, it's windy. David called me today to warn me about the wind when driving over the mountain from Charlottesville to Waynesboro. I told him I had been feeling the wind all the way up, especially in North Carolina. When I passed Charlottesville, there was a sign up about high winds. When I got near Waynesboro, I understood what they meant. I was very glad to arrive safely.

Ella is beautiful, of course. It took her a few minutes to warm up to me, but we'll have the next two weeks to play and get to know each other again.

I'm sorry about my last post. I thought I had it fixed for photos. I'll work on it tomorrow and maybe get them up.

One of the fun things today was meeting Kenju. We had lunch together at Bob Evans on I-95. I appreciate so much her coming. The weather was windy. She said that while she was driving to the restaurant, her husband called and said that a tree had blown over, and the power had gone off. After talking for two hours, we said good-by. I came on to Virginia, and she was on her way back home.

April 15, 1979

Easter Sunday 1979. We thought we had three weeks before the baby would be born. Because I had had my labor induced with Sarah because of toxemia, I had not experienced going into labor, and so on Saturday when I had a few twinges, I did not recognize the beginning of labor. When I woke up on Sunday morning, everything started in motion. We called the doctor, Don took Sarah to my mother's, and we headed to the hospital.

We arrived there around 7:30, and David arrived at 10:59 Easter Sunday morning. What a gift! My friend, who I knew was working that day at her office because her family had an accounting firm and I called her there later sent me a card that said, "Well, this year he's the Easter bunny. From now on he'll be known as 'Form 1040.'"

I had made Sarah's Easter dress that year, so our Easter celebration came a week later when we all went to church together. David wore a newborn outfit that Sunday, and I believe that it was the only Sunday that he wore that outfit.
My little boy with his set of wheels. After this auto he moved up to the General Lee Big Wheel. His sister was pushing him around the pool one day when he went into the pool. He told his daddy, "I went all the way down to the drain."

Where do the years go? They grow up so quickly. The song "Turn around, turn around" speaks of the little girl who grows up and is so quickly gone. They same is true for the son. Four of my blogging friends who have children who are graduating or getting ready to graduate from high school or college. I love reading their posts about their children and think back to those days. I sometimes go to my kids' high school basketball games and when I watch the parents who are there enjoying their children's games, I encourage them to relish every day because it passes so quickly.

David played baseball in Little League and a year in high school. He also played basketball in high school. His team went to state his senior year, and they were state runner- ups in their division. This year his team gathered together in December for a 10-year reunion. This summer his high school class will have its ten-year reunion.

Penn State was David's school of choice. He had gone to a small Christian high school, and he desired to go to a big university, and he didn't want to stay in Florida. So with the help of my mother's gifts to him, a few loans, and some help from mom and dad, off he went to Penn State. There he got a degree in engineering, became involved in a campus ministry, and after graduation worked for three years as a campus minister at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. And, oh yes, during that time, he married Sabrina, whom he met at Penn State while she was there working on her Master's degree.

Now living in Virgina, he is teaching eighth grade math and is the father of Ella, the cute little girl whose picture I keep posting on this blog.

My son has grown from a cute,loving little boy into a young man who has always made his parents proud. He is intelligent, articulate, caring about others. He adores his wife and daughter, but most of all he loves God and seeks to please Him by his life.

Happy birthday to you, David, my wonderful son. I love you so much.

Oh, my, I've been tagged.

SRP, over at Melange, surprised me greatly by nominating me for the Thinking Blogger award. I'm pleased but very surprised. When I read the posts of others, I ooh and aah over their eloquent writing and deep thoughts, and then I look at mine and think to myself that they don't begin to compare. But I love this blogging business. It has helped me chronicle for my children my past and my present and meet so many new friends.

I have the responsibility now of naming five bloggers whom I think fit this category.

1. The Doctor Is In is Dr. Bob's blog. He is a physician who lives in the northwest who writes about religion, medicine, politics, pets, and passion in life. I come away from his posts often thinking about present-day issues, often comforted, and always informed.
2. Passions of the Soul is Vicki's blog. She is an advocate for Compassion, the organization that encourages sponsoring needy children in poorer countries. If you go to her blog, you will truly feel her passion for these children. She has sponsored several girls in the Dominican Republic and has been to visit them several times. She and her husband recently adopted a dog, a beagle whom they renamed Bailey, thus Beagle Bailey. That made me smile.
3. Heavenly Heartburn is written by Gordon Cloud in Cairo, Georgia. A Southern Baptist pastor whose posts sometimes speak of our southern culture. Once he posted about "pot liquor." I asked him if he hadn't misspelled it. I thought it should be "pot likker." He said that he wanted the northern folks to know what he was talking about. His posts make me feel like he is my pastor sometimes. One of these days I'm going to Cairo, Georgia to meet him and his family and worship at his church.
4. Dappled Things is Bet's blog. Bet teaches journalism in Greenville, South Carolina. Having gone to college in Greenville, I enjoy reading her posts. She has had beautiful spring photos this year which have brought back many memories. She has a miniature schnauzer named Barnie, who is just about the cutest dog I've ever seen. She has a sister who lives in Staunton, Virginia who is not too far from my son.
5. Breathing Deeply is a blog I found recently though a cystic fibrosis forum. Those of you who have read my blog know that my granddaughter Ella has cystic fibrosis. Lauren is a young woman in California who has CF. She is a writer, a scientist, and a real support and inspiration to me as she writes about her daily life with CF. She also has a site, Pools of Grace, where she regularly posts devotional thoughts she has written.

The participation rules of the award are simple:
1) If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
2) Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3) Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

I hope you will visit these blogs. Tell them I sent you.

Nostalgia

I tried to post a few days ago, and for some reason my photos did not appear as I planned, so hopefully they will today. As most of you know, or maybe you don't, I'm a Florida native. Born in the little town of Lacoochee, hence the name of my blog, my parents moved to Bradenton right after World War II was over in 1945. I like to tell people I was a babe in arms, but I was actually four. Bradenton was a little town, a wonderful place to grow up. Some of us get together for lunch and talk about our carefree days as kids, and how we could go anywhere and be safe. So much as changed as we've progressed. I sometimes wonder if it is really progress.

As I get older, I think back and remember my grandparents' homes and how they were. They other day I stopped in at our historical park here. I hadn't been there for a while, and when I stepped onto the grounds, many memories filled my mind. One of the first stops is the Wiggins general store. When I was a little girl, this was indeed a store in east Bradenton, and upstairs were apartments. My mother and daddy had some friends who lived in one of those apartments and would visit them there.

I think Cracker Barrel must have driven by here and gotten the idea for the front porch of the restaurant, although I know this scene is repeated many times over in the south. A general store was a wonderful meeting place, so much to see and do, and to catch up on conversation with friends.

Anything that one needed could be found in one place, and the person who ran the store probably had a story to tell as he served you there. There was no such thing as prepacked goods here. Wrapped in brown paper, tied with some string, you were soon ready to take your purchases and be on your way.

I googled general store and had fun looking at some of the websites for stores around the country. One that caught my eye is in Floyd, Virginia. I might have to take a trip there when I get to Virginia. Another one that might be on my way sometime is in Dillard, Georgia. That is a fun place to visit on the way to the mountains.

Wikepedia made the statement that the convenience stores have sort of taken the place of the general store. I don't think so.

Happy Easter!

A very blessed resurrection day to all! He is risen! Hallelujah!

I've been without my computer for a few days, so I haven't checked in on everybody. Hopefully, I'll have it back, perhaps by this afternoon. I'm at my daughter's house right now, using hers. I look forward to catching up on everyone's doings. Till later.

This week's focus

If you've been by lately, you'll see that I'm having trouble posting photos. SRP gave me her solution, and it didn't work for me when I went in. I'll try again later.

I'm thinking that perhaps my focus should be elsewhere. Last night in choir practice as we were going over our music for Easter Sunday, I was again awed by God's love and His supreme sacrifice for the world and for me. One of the songs we are singing is "I Stand Amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene." We're not singing the melody sung from the hymnal, so I was forced to look at and think about the words on the page. It is a love that we cannot begin to understand, but it is love that I have accepted. It is that love and grace that has sustained me through the hard times that have come my way.

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Frustrated

I've been trying to post with a photo, and all I get is a square with the little red box. I originally posted, the photo was there, and then when I went to my blog again, the photo had disappeared, and the box appeared. Does anyone know what I did wrong? I followed the normal procedure for uploading...also tried it from Picasa. Boo-hoo.

Don't Mess With Me Today

What started out as a beautiful day just went south.

But before I rant, please take time to read this post over at Pondering Penguin. Karen writes so thoughtfully about Elizabeth Edwards and the recent announcement of her recurrence of cancer.

Cancer is such a hideous disease, isn't it. Vicki wrote recently of a young woman just turning 20, who is faced with needing a bone marrow transplant because of leukemia, and undergoing harvesting of eggs for future use because in all probability she would not be able to conceive after all the treatments. That's not what a 20 year old should be facing.

In our church, there is a gentleman who has just turned 70, who is battling cancer, and he's not winning. It started out in his tongue, is now in his throat, practically strangling him, and there isn't much left to be done. He and his wife have a daughter who is developmentally delayed, nearing 50 years of age, and that burden is heavy. Yes, arrangements are made, but the worry is still there.

But then there is Ben, who survived his ordeal this last year, and Anthony, who, so far, is doing well after his bone marrow transplant. While there's breath there's hope, n'est-ce pas.

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Spring training is almost over. I smiled when I read B.C. this morning.

I have a ticket for one more game this week, and then the boys of summer will be headed north to begin the regular season of baseball. The month of spring training is all too short. Along with the boys going north, will be many of the snowbirds who migrate back to their homes in the north. Some of them will be missed; some won't. Our roads will be less crowded, but the restaurants and businesses who depend on tourism will be wishing they were still here.

When my daughter was getting ready for college, we went to North Carolina to finish her registration for fall. We traveled back to Florida on Saturday, April 1. I'm so glad we were coming south. Going north on I-75 was a steady stream of cars, RV's, campers, boats. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. It was as though the state was being evacuated, and in a way, it was. The kids and I wished them all a good trip. That migration will soon be taking place again.
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Now for my RANT. For those of us who live in Florida, homeowner's insurance is a touchy subject. I remember crying when our premium doubled to $600.00. That was many years ago.
The Allst*te pulled out of our area, saying that we were high risk, and some company took over. They got their increase, pulled out, and so on and so on. Last year I paid $2500, and I complained. My premium this year? With yet another company...$4138.00. I submitted a payment of over $1000. Just one little mistake...I left off the fifty cents after the decimal point. So today I get a notice of cancellation if they don't have their fifty cents before April 4. I'm going to pay whatever postage it takes to send it in pennies. That just makes me SO MAD.

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old

I know that anyone who was ever in Girl Scouts learned that song, along with Kookaburra, and other rounds sung in troop meetings. What a wonderful time that was. The photo above was probably taken around 1950 when we were in fifth or sixth grade. Most of us in that troop had begun scouting together as Brownies. Many of them went on in high school to become Mariner Scouts. The neat thing is that many of us who are in that photo still get together for lunch about once every three months, not just as former Girl Scouts, but as friends who went to school together from kindergarten through high school.

After I graduated from college, I lived in Cincinnati for five years and taught there. I have very fond memories of my years there, but after teaching there, I traveled to Haiti and lived for three and a half years and taught the children of missionaries. Most of those missionaries have retired now, and many of them live here in Bradenton at Bradenton Missionary Village, a community provided by Anthony Rossi, the founder to Tropicana Products. Whenever someone comes to visit, we take that opportunity to get together and visit.

Such was the case last Thursday. One of the missionary ladies who lives in New York came to the Orlando area to visit her son and daughter-in-law who have recently moved here. We met together for a pot-luck lunch, and as usual the stories began to be told by the men. They have the tales to tell.

As I look at these photos, I think of all the years of service that these folks gave. Most of them spent their entire adult lives in ministry to others. Some are now widowed, some are not in good health, but they rejoice in God's goodness in their lives. I have always counted it such a privilege to know them and to have had a part in the education of their children, many of whom are missionaries as well.

These are the "old friends."
I'm so happy for the "new friends" that I've met through the blogging community - SRP, AC, Coll, Karen, Debra, Judy, Tammy, Susie, Vicki, Vickie, Janice, Pastor Gordon, Lauren, Bet,Ron and the list continues to expand. My day is made brighter by visiting your blogs, sometimes lurking, often commenting. Thanks.

Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test -
Time and change - are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.
For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die,
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendship in your breast-
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
Joseph Parry

A Day at the Park

On the first warm (a relatively loose term) day in March, Ella made her first trip to the park with her mommy and daddy. A great time was had by all. The park is not far at all from David and Sabrina's house. In just a few weeks, after our Sweet Adelines competition in Daytona Beach, I'll be driving to Virginia to stay for a while. I look forward to making visits to the park to watch the ducks and whatever else may be there.

Of course, I can hardly wait to see this darling baby again, as you all well know. Don't you love her hat?

A year later

A year ago I posted about Ben, a young man living and working with his wife in Columbia, South Carolina. Their lives were forever changed that day when Ben was taken to the hospital, talking funny. The result was that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had invaded his body and caused a stroke. This note from his wife:

Well, today is a day of mixed emotions for us. Exactly one year ago today
I received a phone call from Ben's boss at my job telling me that he was talking
funny, so they'd taken him to the emergency room. From there our lives
spun madly out of control and you all know the rest of the story. But
today marks a year that Ben has survived when he was only given a 50% chance, so
praise to God that he's still with us and doing so well.
You all have been an amazing support and we
are looking forward to the start of a much better year--post cancer and dramatic
brain surgery etc. We pray that things will only get better from here!

This also is from Liza:

Ben's going to therapy every day and I think this week they'll be ordering the "Saeboflex" glove for him to use for therapy on his arm. Here's a link to more info about the glove:
http://www.saebo.com/seaboflex.html

Ben feels like his arm is improving, so that's encouraging. His occupational therapist did tell him that he will probably not get back fine motor skills such as typing or writing, so he should continue to work on doing those with his left hand. Please pray that he would be motivated to work on those skills even though it's a disappointment that he won't be able to do them with his right hand as he used to.
Ben received something called "A Ticket to Work" from the Social Security Administration which is supposed to give him free vocational rehab, so hopefully we are going to look into that this week sometime just to see exactly what the program is all about. He probably won't actually start until he's done with therapy since that's our main focus at the moment, and since he's still not really ready to get back into a job yet.

There's much here to be thankful for and much to pray for yet.

Thanks for all your comments

I asked David what he thought might have been going through his mind when that picture was taken. His answer? "I have no idea. It was posed." I remember looking out that kitchen window one day in October after the wind had blown all the leaves from the two big tree in their back yard, and I thought to myself that someone is going to have a lot of work to do. There were leaves on the trees in the morning, but by afternoon they had all come down.

I liked Anna's thought and some of you thought Mommy stuff as well. Anna was thinking that maybe Mommy was getting some time to herself, and David and Ella were watching her leave.

They looked rather serious to me. I know that Ella's CF is on my mind everyday, and I was wondering if David might be looking ahead, wondering what the future holds. One day when Ella's older she'll be asking questions about it all. OK, that's enough heavy stuff.

Thanks again for commenting.

What do they see?

I have several favorite photos of my granddaughter and her parents, and this is definitely one of them. Looking out their kitchen window, what do they see? What are they thinking? I have some thoughts, and I'll share them at a later time, but I'm going to take an idea from Carmi and some other blogs I've read and ask you your thoughts. What do you think might be going through their minds as they look out the window?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Part 2

The Pirates play at McKechnie Field in Bradenton. This field and seats were redone a few years ago, and instead of building a fancy, new facility out of town, they decided to stay here near downtown Bradenton. That made us all happy. Today the Pirates played the Tampa Bay Rays. Neither team has a stellar record. In fact, I don't believe either of them had won a game before today's game, and the Pirates beat them 5-2. It's going to be a long season.

I haven't seen too many young families here this week. I guess it isn't spring break up north yet, or else they're still frozen. At Monday's game, they announced the respective scores of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as being 25 and 20. Everyone laughed. Then the temperature of Bradenton was announced as being 70, and that brought cheers from everyone.
It's always fun having a friend along. My friend Peg and I have been friends since we were in elementary school. We lost touch for a few years ago, but we reconnected after she moved back to Bradenton. Monday we ate foot-long hot dogs; today we enjoyed a slice of pizza.

Spring training runs through the end of the month. The Yankees will be here Saturday. The Red Sox will be playing too. I don't have tickets for either of those games. I believe the Braves are coming too. AC, eat your heart out. I believe that game is sold out.

I intended this post to come second, and I tried publishing this one first, so that it would be on bottom, but I didn't succeed. Oh, well.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Part 1

March in Florida means baseball. It's that time of year when the boys of summer get together and practice for the upcoming baseball season. Bradenton is the winter home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. When I was growing up, the Boston Braves trained here, and later the Milwaukee Braves.

My parents were great baseball fans. My mother said when she married my dad that if she hadn't learned to love baseball, she would have been a baseball widow. Long after my father had died, she remained a fan, following the Atlanta Braves.

It's always fun to go to the games with a friend. There aren't too many young families here this week. It must not be spring break yet. But the old folks are there...those who are loyal to the Pirates, no matter what. It used to be when I went to the games, I recognized the names, back in the days of the Killer B's - Bonds, Bonilla, Bream, Bell and there was one other whose name escapes me. Kevin, the young man in the picture below is back this year. He's the "Whazzup" guy. For several years he was a vendor, and you got used to his familiar cry. He was away for two years and is back this year. Monday when I went to the game, he wasn't hollering out to the crowd. He ran up to where we were sitting and said that someone had complained about his being loud. Can you imagine?! Someone told him to tell his boss that they were going to give up their season tickets if they muffled him, so today he was hollering out again. We all smiled. Some people!

Good Luck Charms

My son and daughter-in-law gave me this print, Good Luck Charms, by P. Buckley Moss at Christmas time when they came to Florida. I have just had it framed and am so pleased how it turned out. I told them I'd send them a picture, so I thought I'd show it to you as well.

P. Buckley Moss lives in Waynesboro, Virginia where my son and his wife live. She also has a studio in St. Petersburg, just over the bridge. A dyslexic child, one teacher said that she would never amount to anything, but she had artistic ability.

She has become a role model for the learning impaired and frequently is asked to speak to special education classes. Donations of Moss' original works and prints to related children's charities have raised millions of dollars for their causes. Read more about her here.

I'm quite pleased with how the framing came out. The matting is just right. The frame's true color doesn't show here. It is a pewter gray.

Scary

I do believe blogging is gettig to me. I dreamed last night that I was at a concert, and SRP's brother was singing. Many of you follow her blog and know that Stephen is an opera singer. Later he was sitting among the audience, and I passed by him to get to my seat, and I stepped on his toe.

I excused myself, and we began talking. He spoke of his niece Nyssa. However, in the dream, he was much younger and thinner. He could really sing, though.

Crazy, huh?

So much for the accents

I think the previous post pretty much debunks the accent quiz. I took it and came out Southern, and that was after I changed some of my answers, hoping it would be Southern. Tammy and AC, who are from Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively, did not test out Southern. Colleen, in Canada, got mixed results. It was fun, though. Oh, well.

Have you taken this quiz?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South   That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
The Inland North
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The Midland
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

One More Thing

I taught school for 36 years. Many teachers do not throw things away. I am one of those. You don't want to throw it away, for if you do, you'll need it tomorrow. If you've been reading this blog any time at all, you know that I am thinking of relocating to live near my son and his family. My daughter and I have decided life is too short; friends are wonderful, but family is where it's at. Because of Ella's CF, it is likely that they will stay where they are for a good while since they are so close to a certified CF clinic at UVA Children's Hospital.

I have lived in the same house for 30 years. My husband and I had it built when I was pregnant with my daughter. I'm now in the process of sorting through STUFF and discarding. We don't have basements here, so my garage has accumulated a lot of the STUFF. I can park my car in it at night, however.

Books, books, and more books. Many of them are children's books that I held on to primarily for any grandchildren who might come along. Some of them I've already sent to Ella for her ever-growing library...books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and some gems by Jan Brett and Mary Engelbreit. Yesterday I went out into the garage to pack up some more, and there were yet more.

I've always said that if I cleaned out a spot, more STUFF would just rise up to take its place.

When my husband died, I didn't dispose of his belongings right away. Little by little, I've gotten rid of things, but it's hard to let go. The first thing to go was the drawer of socks. Whenever I bought him new socks, they went into the drawer with the old ones until you could hardly close the drawer. I know it should have been my job to keep them culled out, but I didn't always.

There is a wonderful organization in St. Pete called D&D Missionary Homes, and they operate a clothes closet for missionaries who have need of clothing. When they're getting ready to go back to the mission field, they can go into the "store" and take as much as they feel that they can use for their next term of service. If they're going back to the field with small children, they can take clothes in graded sizes, as many as they think they need. So when I finally decided to take his clothes out of the closet, I filled a couple of suitcases full and sent them there.

Now that I'm getting serious about cleaning out STUFF, I looked in the closet this morning. There, hanging, were two suits that I had bought for Don in the early years of our marriage. They are in wonderful condition, and as far as I know, are not out of style. I loved them when I bought them, and I still do. I hope that someone passing through D&D Homes wears a 44 Long. They will find two nice suits.

When I lived in Haiti, clothing would come there in "missionary barrels." The missionary kids were funny when they talked about where they had gotten their latest fashions. Our field director was bemoaning the fact that he never got any suits because he said, "No one ever dies my size."

So, as I took the clothing to my church this morning, to be picked up and taken to D&D, I held those suits one last time, remembering.

Take a look at these

Many years ago, when I was much, much younger, I lived in Haiti. I was a schoolteacher of children of missionaries. Three and a half years were spent doing a job that I loved in a land that I loved as dearly.

Probably one of the things that I always found interesting was how people carried things...on their heads. Little children began by wrapping a cloth in a ring, placing it on their heads, and then placing their load, whether it was a book, or a small dish, or perhaps some fruit.

I was always amazed at how erect the people were as they carried their loads, and while I'm not a student of physics, I'm sure that carrying things on the head makes much more sense than holding the load in front of you or propping it on your hips.

A former co-worker of mine sent this link today. Take a look at it. None of the loads are being carried on the heads, but I believe that you will agree with me that these individuals do not lack in their ingenuity. Who needs an SUV or a pickup? They're already green.

All About God's Amazing Grace

For several weeks the previews at the movies have been shown for the movie, Amazing Grace, which came out in theaters today. Almost every Saturday some of my Sweet Adeline friends and I go to see a movie and then out to dinner, and today was no different.

The movie is about William Wilberforce and his efforts to bring about the abolition of slavery. Its release today,February 23, 2007, coincides with the 200th anniversary of the date the Parliament of the United Kingdom voted to ban the transport of slaves by British subjects. He worked many years in Parliament to see this day.

The title of the movie is taken from the song "Amazing Grace" written by John Newton, a man who had formerly carried slaves on his ships. He later became a Christian and penned the words that were later set to music.

The theater was full, as I hoped it would be, and I hope it will continue to have a good showing. It's too bad that it isn't being shown in more theaters. There is certainly a movement to bring worthwhile movies to Hollywood, and this is certainly a good movie to see. It certainly has a strong Christian message, as well as telling the history of the abolitionist movement of that day.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

from Cyberhymnal
According to Cyberhymnal, the last verse was not in the original poem, but was added later.

Thursday Thoughts

I seem to have been around the world reading blogs the last two days. Some blogs are such fun to read; some are beautiful; some are very thought-provoking; some are very emotional. Yesterday the gamut ran from reading about poop at the zoo to reading someone's very emotional reaction to his ex-girlfriend's abortion twenty years ago.

My blog has no theme to speak of. I post a photo occasionally, photos of Ella often, post something I read in an e-mail. I read a post yesterday that made me pause and think for a while about the Lenten season that is upon us. I was not raised in a liturgical church, and so observing Lent had never been part of my Christian experience. In just the last few years, though, in part because of my son, I've gotten out of what I would call my comfort zone in my somewhat narrow view of my Christianity.

When my husband was taken in an accident almost five years ago, David had just graduated from Penn State and was still in State College working with a campus ministry organization. While a student, he had been mentored by another student who was a member of a reformed Presbyterian church, and David became acquainted with the liturgy of the church and really grew to love it. When he came home for the service for his dad, a young man named John came down to be with him during that time.

We were sitting around the table talking one evening talking, and we began talking about churches and modes of worship. John told me that he worshipped in an Episcopal church, and one of the reasons he worshipped there was that he said is is so ADHD that he could concentrate on his worship, unlike what he had experienced when he went to church with a girlfriend of his, in a service that was, shall we say, not so formal.

One of the authors that David introduced me to is Lauren Winner, who has written a book, Girl Meets God. In this book, she speaks of her journey to faith in Christ, and she speaks of embracing the liturgy of the church. She is a bibliophile, and when Lent came about, someone asked her what she was going to give up. She thought about it and decided that she would give up reading for Lent. That would be for her truly like going without eating for those forty days.

In a blog I read yesterday, the author stated that she would once again not be blogging during the season, but rather would direct her thoughts Godward. That gave me a lot to think about.

This is a wonderful season for the Christian as we look forward to the day when we remember the resurrection of our Lord, as we do each Sunday, but more so on Easter. In writing this, my mind goes to a hymn that we used to sing a lot during our communion services at church.

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,
That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne
I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee, down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?

Frances Havergal

Have I given anything?

Hymn from Cyberhymnal

Dog's Worst Nightmare

There was a little turtle.

I love turtles. When I was in third grade, before we were afraid of all the germs, I had a pet turtle. It was very popular to own them in those days. That particular turtle had his shell painted with Jack Benny's name on it. I don't remember whatever happened to him.

When I started teaching, I didn't have a turtle in my classroom, but my roommate and I had a pair for pets. We went away one weekend, or maybe it was longer, and we left them with a friend of ours. I'm sure they would have survived o.k. by themselves, but when we returned and they heard our voices, they just about crawled out of the bowl.

Recently in the news I read about the golden retriever who swallowed the pet turtle, and the turtle survived. When the family realized what had happened, they took the dog to the vet, and the turtle was removed, alive. His shell was a little bit damaged, but none the worse for the wear. I'm not sure about the dog. I'll bet he had a sore throat.

News flash from a paper in the UK. Turtle found 1.8 miles from home after being on the loose for 8 months.

I love turtles. Here in Florida we have the turtle watches, where people go to the beach and set up barriers for the loggerhead turtle's eggs, and then when it is time for them to go into the gulf, encourage everyone to keep their lights dim or out, so that they don't become disoriented when trying to find their way into the water. I wonder what per cent of them actually survive once they reach the water. Many of them end of being some other sea animals dinner.

I haven't taken any photos of turtles. I wish I did. I'm never sure about copying photos from the internet. Very often they are copyrighted and are not available for free.

I'm reminded of the poem that I learned as a child, taught it to my children in first grade, and to my own children.

There was a little turtle.
He lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle.
He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at a mosquito.
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow.
And he snapped at me.

He caught the mosquito.
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow.
But he didn't catch me.

Vachel Lindsay