Edible--indeed!

One of the treats of the trip to St. Augustine was shopping--window shopping for me. There were many appealing shops to visit. One that I especially enjoyed had all things related to cats. Another one was this chocolate shop. My mouth watered; my eyes danced at the sights, but I resisted. I asked the clerk if she minded my taking some photos, and she said, "Go right ahead." I'm sure she figured it might be good advertisement.

Edibles in all forms. Carmi's theme this week is "edible." Whose taste buds wouldn't be tempted by all this chocolate in its many forms.

As I turned to leave the store, I passed by shelves of shirts, all singing the praises of chocolate. I especially enjoyed this one.

Places I've Been

About three weeks ago, I boarded a bus and headed for the east coast of Florida visiting the historic city of St. Augustine. I had the opportunity to go with a group of retired educators and miscellaneous retirees. It is nice to let someone else do the driving for a change, although there were parts of the trip when I wished I hadn't been on the bus. When we got to St. Augustine, I thought we would get off and have a tour by trolley around the city. Instead the tour we were with had the bus driver drive around the city while the tour guide lectured. The lecturer was really good, but it was sometimes hard to see.

After the ride around the city on the bus, we did have time to go for lunch and to walk around the city. The historic section is quite small, and one can easily walk to all the places where we had been by bus. Riding around and walking around the city brought back the memories of when we took our children there when we were younger. There are some things that never change.

The delightful way to see the city would be in the horse-drawn carriage as you see here. Even though it was close to spring break time, it was not terribly crowded, and that was a nice thing. Pleasant weather and a good companion made the trip very enjoyable. I roomed with a lady from New York who is down for the winter. She, like I, am a widow, and we found that we had so much in common. For not knowing each other before going on the trip, we got along famously.

I could not resist taking this photo. I wonder how many of these are given out these days.

Reflective

Carmi's theme this week is "reflective." I really didn't need an excuse to post this photo, but it fits the theme, and it is one of my favorite photos of Ella. I have tried since that day to get more photos of her showing her reflection, but she's too quick these days. Is she cute, or what!

Some have asked where I've been...a little bogged down, a little lazy, spending too much time on Facebook. I do read everyone's blogs, even if I don't take time to comment. Our Sweet Adelines chorus is on its way to competition this weekend in Daytona Beach, and then I'm on my way to Virginia for a couple of weeks with Ella. See you then.

Just a few years ago

I finally bought a scanner for transparencies. I'm having fun scanning slides from my days in Haiti and Europe. I lived down in the south of Haiti where travel was very difficult. There were not many paved roads...mainly dirt or rock. To have a car was prohibitive by cost for me, and frankly to own one was just not practical. Motorbikes were just the thing. When I arrived in Haiti in 1969, our mission was able to buy three H*nda 90 bikes for a thousand dollars. Many of the missionaries had them and also the pastors of the churches got them whenever they could buy one. They were definitely time savers and allowed one to go places where there was just a path.

This particular photo was taken on the main highway from Cavaillon to Les Cayes, the town where I lived. I especially enjoyed the freedom that the bike afforded. Notice I'm wearing a dress. Pants were taboo during those days for missionary women.

One day one of my housemates and I got on my bike and rode out to the airport (cow pasture) to greet some folks who were coming out from Port-au-Pr*nce for a visit. The road to the airport was a dirt road which was heavily rutted by the trucks who traveled through after heavy rains. We were riding along when we passed a lady who was going to market with her donkey loaded with baskets of goods for market. Since I was in the rut, it was hard to move over, and my side mirror caught on the handle of one of the baskets.

Down we went, and up we got, none the worse for the wear. The lady walking with her donkey was fine too. I was sharing this story about our sideswiping the donkey once with some missionaries who had lived over in southeast Asia. The gentleman said to me, "Oh, that's nothing. We had a lady who hit a water buffalo broadsided." I guess we weren't too bad off. But what must have the poor lady have thought whose basket we got hung up on.

For all the beautiful people in your life

THE BEAUTIFUL YOU

We place great emphasis on a narrow idea of physical beauty. In an American history discussion group, the professor was trying to explain how, throughout history, the concept of "beauty" changes with time. "For example," he said, "take the 1921 Miss America. She stood five-foot-one inch tall, weighed 108 pounds and sported a 30-inch bust, a 25-inch waist and 32-inch hips. How do you think she'd do in today's version of the contest?"

The class fell silent for a moment. Then one student piped up, "Not very well.""Why is that?" asked the professor.

"For one thing," the student pointed out, "she'd be way too old."Good point -- she'd be way too old.

But beauty is a peculiar thing,for it means something a little different to each of us. And it isn't always about appearance. Sometimes beauty is a quality that softly shines from inner depths. And you may actually radiate more inner beauty than you realize.

An elderly woman noticed that her granddaughter felt embarrassed by her freckles. "I love your freckles," she said, kneeling beside the girl and admiring her face.

"Not me," the child replied.

"Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," the grandmother said, tracing her finger across the child's cheek."Freckles are beautiful."

The girl looked up. "Really?"

"Of course," said her grandmother. "Why just name one thing that's prettier than freckles."

The little girl peered into the old woman's smiling face, aglow with kindness and love. "Wrinkles," she answered softly.

The physical beauty of youth will fade. But the beauty of a spirit,when nurtured, can grow forever.-- Steve Goodier

Carmi's theme - Kitchen

How would you like to work in this kitchen? This dear lady did our laundry every Monday at our house in Haiti. With five women living in the house, we had quite a pile. We had a wringer washer that she used, and we were so grateful for the time that she put in helping us.

When my husband and I visited Haiti the year after we were married, one of my housemates took us out into the countryside to visit some of the Haitian families. At every home that we entered, the first order of things, after the warm greetings, was to have coffee.

My husband was not a coffee drinker, but he graciously swallowed it with a smile.Do you think you would be gracious enough to offer coffee to someone if this is the way you had to make it...roast the beans, grind the beans, heat the water, pour it through the bag, finally serve it, smiling all the time.

When we arrived at the fourth home, and the lady of the house excused herself to make coffee, we said, "Oh, madame, we have had three cups already at other houses. You really don't have to make us coffee."

Her response? "Amen, amen." She was so relieved.

The next time you scoop out the coffee, put it in your coffeemaker, pour in the water that has come from your faucet, and push the button, think about what it could be like.

Visit Carmi's site to see other links to "kitchens," his photographic theme for this week.

Carmi's Photographic theme - Kitchen

On property near my cousin's house in north Florida stands a log cabin. It had sat on property owned by my cousin's husband's employer and was to be torn down. M. asked to move it to his property, and indeed, he did. A fully functioning house, I am delighted each time I see it. It has been a work in progress for several years. A back porch has been added, an outhouse (not functional) has been built, and fish pond has been dug. Everything is there that one could ever need.

I believe my favorite room in the cabin is the kitchen. When Carmi announced his theme, I realized I didn't have to look far for a photo.

Final Four

In 1997 (I originally put 1979...that the year David made his appearance on earth, LOL. Sarah caught my error. Thanks, Sarah.) my son was a member of the first basketball team from his high school to gain a berth in the Final Four in its division here in Florida. Most of the boys had played together since junior high, and they worked well together as a team. A school holiday was declared, and parents, grandparents, students, and friends all traveled to Lakeland to experience the thrill of it all. The boys won the semi-final game, but in the final game, they fell to a team that had highly recruited (so they say,) and even though, we had some boys of real size, some of theirs were even taller.

I think the thing that impressed me most that day about the team was that while the other team was revelling in its win, our team stood like gentlemen. They were probably crying on the inside, but they held their heads high...a job well done. The girls' team did go on to win the state championship.

This past Wednesday, the team traveled to the Final Four again. Once again, there was a school holiday, and one of the teachers asked if I'd like to ride along and go to the game. I had thought of driving over, but I was very happy to ride along with someone else. By the time the game was ready to start, the stands were filled with fans, cheering the team on.

This time the team was much smaller, but very quick. The tallest player was about 6'2" and many were what one would call short, especially for a basketball player. But speed was their friend. The first half ended in a tie, and then the boys fell behind in the second half and were not able to catch up.

Being there again was just a lot of fun, seeing once again the school come together as a family, cheering the boys on. Pictured above is the shirt that I wore, the mom's shirt that I wore back in 1979 whenever David was playing.

Some of you remember the young man I wrote about three or four years ago...a young man with Fanconi's Anemia. He was in need of a bone marrow transplant at the time. He had that, and then he needed another, and even now there is some cancer in his body. His twin brothers are key players on this team. Anthony was there, even though he was in an area isolated from everyone, cheering his brothers on. And everyone is still cheering for Anthony.

A Hero of Hope

Soon after Ella was diagnosed with CF, I began reading anything I could find about this disease that takes one's breath away. I found several blogs, but one, in particular that I began reading. I'm not exactly sure how I came across Lauren's blog, but she has been a friend in the journey that we as a family have begun.

Unlike Ella, Lauren was diagnosed at birth because she had a condition called meconium ileus, a condition that is present in about 20% of newborns with CF. (I think that figure is correct.) There is a website called Heroes of Hope, which features a new person each month and how they live with CF. This month's hero is my friend, Lauren. Please go here to read about this wonderful young woman.

Great Strides

Our Great Strides Walk for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis is March 14 this year at Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida. The Great Strides Walk is one of the major fundraisers of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Sarah and I will be walking along with some of her co-workers at her place of employment. I hope that you will consider contributing to this cause again this year. Many of you who read this blog gave generously, and I would hope that perhaps you could do so again.

Ella was diagnosed through newborn screening in August 2006. Every day morning and evening her parents do chest percussions to help keep her airway cleared. Before any snack or meal she must take enzymes to help her food to digest and nutrients be absorbed in her body. She has regular visits to the pulmonologist for checkups; cultures are done regularly to make sure she is clear of any bad bugs.

To look at her, one always says, "She looks so healthy." So far, she is, considering she has cystic fibrosis. No matter how hard her parents and the medical team work to keep her healthy, sometimes it just doesn't happen that way.

I posted about a young boy who had a double lung transplant recently. He is home with his family now. His mother wrote today in a post that she just loves watching him breathe. She loves watching him eat. She loves watching him smile again. Because he is so young, they wondered if it was the right thing to do, but they know now that it was.

I attended a CF Education evening last Friday night at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. We were informed of the drugs that are in the pipeline that are going to make a real difference in the lives of CF patients. Drug development and drug trials are financed in a large part by the CF Foundation. Eighty-nine per cent of money given goes for research.

If you would like to donate, go here. Ella's parents, Sarah, and I will thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

A glimpse of my week in Virginia

Jump, jump, jump. One day before I could turn around, Ella had turned her block tub over, climbed up and was jumping down. Boy, can she ever do squats, has good balance, and is not afraid of much. Recently I've started going to the gym working with a trainer, and what are we doing? Squats...working on balance...and all those things that one is able to do when younger.

Can you say chocolate? Ella is a lover of chocolate like most of us. She had been to the grocery store with her mom and had part of a doughnut as a treat the next day after she had eaten her lunch.

Ella loves the playground. We were playing...Ella went up the ladder to go down the slide and then said, "Grammy, come on up." I said that I couldn't, and then she looked at me and said, "Are you too old?" Well....

And then there is the ballerina Ella...more of these photos another day.

I flew home today from Virginia, leaving a part of my heart there. But never fear, I'll be going back soon in a few weeks!

Looking Up - Carmi's theme

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

These words speak so clearly of how small we are and how great our God is. Even though we are so unworthy, He has chosen to love us. For that I am very thankful.

Here's My Heart

Here's my valentine. I didn't have the fun (?) of making these cookies with Ella, but I thought they were perfect for Valentine's Day. Ella loves to help! My daughter-in-law and I were talking the other day, and she mentioned how Ella loves to help. She is quick to pull a chair up to the counter in the kitchen to help her mommy or daddy. Because they both work, I know how hard it is to take that extra time to let them "help." I don't remember when I was little helping my mother. Because she, too, was a working mother, she often just wanted to get into the kitchen and get it done. I never did really learn a lot about cooking from my mother, so I'm glad to see that they take the time to include her in the "fun" in the kitchen.

I'm up in Virginia spending a week with Ella now. We've had a grand time these last two days. Tonight as I was saying good night to her, she said, "I love you, Grammy." That's all I need or want. Have a happy valentine's day tomorrow with your loved one.

Up - Carmi's photographic theme

High up near the top of the Washington palm, I often see this pileated woodpecker. This tree is in the back yard of the house next door to me and from time to time when I go out in the mornings and look near the top of the tree, one or more of these woodpeckers can be seen there. A couple of years ago when I looked up, there were four babies on the trunk of the tree. That was especially exciting.

Carmi has the theme "up" this week over at his blog. Go visit and see his photos of "up."

A Confession

I must confess that I've become quite lazy about posting. Have you noticed? I didn't think so. A few weeks ago, someone suggested I become a friend on FB, and I finally looked into it. Two or three years ago, someone had asked me. I went and signed up and never went back. It didn't make any sense to me.

Since I've taken the plunge, I've reunited with most of the missionary kids I taught in Haiti and a girlfriend from elementary and junior high school who moved away after eighth grade. I haven't seen her since then even though we have kept in touch at Christmas.

So that's where I've been spending more time.

The little boy who had the double lung transplant that I mentioned in the post below is doing well. For a few days he was not able to take anything by mouth because he hadn't passed gas. Everyone who visited his Caring Bridge page was praying for him to hurry up and pass it so that he could get on with eating. He told his mother that he was hungry for mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC. I'm sure that he has had just as much as he wanted.

His mom wrote that when he was in recovery and not yet awake yet, he had a smile on his face. The first words he said when he was extubated was "Hi, Mommy." He later told her he was glad that he didn't die. How do you read words like that without losing it?

One of the things he said that he could do now that he couldn't before was to hold his breath...something that we don't even think about.

Someone asked in a comment if a double lung transplant takes away the cystic fibrosis. The answer to that is "no." The new lungs do not have CF because they are from a donor. The recipient has to take anti-rejection medication after a transplant. But, unfortunately, that's only one part of CF.

While we are so happy that this little boy has new lungs, thoughts always go to the donor family. Someone died in order for him to receive this gift of life.

Also while we were rejoicing in his gift, a young woman in her twenties lost her battle with CF. Every time I read of one's passing, it breaks my heart. As one poster said in a comment after reading about this young woman's passing, "I hate CF." And that pretty much sums it up.

When you look at pictures of Ella, she doesn't look there could be a thing wrong with her, and we are so thankful for the health that she has enjoyed so far. We want it to stay that way! New drugs are in the pipeline that will help her and others to live a longer and healthier life. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is working to raise funds to help fund the research for these drugs. As one mom of a little girl with CF said, "I want my daughter to live to be 100."

Just a note

The little boy who had the double lung transplant earlier this week is doing well. If you would like to read about his experience and progress, go here.

A friend sent this to me in an e-mail, and it was too good not to share.

We've had lots of rain today, which is a good thing. I'm glad that it didn't rain last night for the big game. Now we're to have some freezing weather again. I know all the northerners laugh at us in Florida when the temperature drops to freezing or near there. I happen to like it, knowing that in three months or so, the heat will be with us once again.

There is a little boy in the UNC hospital today undergoing surgery right now (8 p.m. Feb. 2) receiving new lungs. He is only seven, with cystic fibrosis. Please remember him and his family in your prayers. And as always, please pray for the scientists who are searching for a cure to this disease that literally takes your breath away.

For your viewing pleasure

It's Almost Time for Baseball

I'm still smiling. When I was driving to my old school to volunteer, I looked up and saw this sign. When I drove by the parking lot, there was a group of people gathered in the parking lot. I saw a parking space, so I pulled in and parked and got out, camera in hand. There in the parking lot were news cameras surrounding the Tampa Bay Rays catcher Dioner Navarro.

One of the teachers at the school had taken a course, "Teaching Math through Baseball" or something like that. During the course there was a drawing, and she won a visit from one of the players. Today was the day. When the end of January comes, pitchers and catchers begin arriving in Florida ahead of the rest of the team to get ready for spring training.

I didn't get too close, but I was happy I had the telephoto lens on my camera so that I could get these pictures. Navarro is one of the many great players on this team...the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Blue Jays and the Orioles in their division and then went on to win the playoffs and go to the World Series!

There are four of us who do our best to get to several of the games during the season. With four in the car, we get to park free. That's a plus. Upper deck seats are the best, and they're not very expensive, so we can attend games without spending too much money, and that's a good thing. Seeing him today just made me excited about the season ahead. The lineup has changed, but hopefully the change is all a good thing. Let's go, Rays!

Happy Birthday, Sarah

The winter of 1977 was a cold one in Florida, and when I mention it to folks from the north, they seem to remember it well too. On the way to the hospital on the morning of January 20, the bank thermometer registered 26 degrees. It was cold. Jimmy Carter was inaugurated that day, and Sarah was born.

The years have gone by quickly. Sarah has grown in to a lovely, young woman. I am so glad that I got to be her mother.

Happy birthday, Aunt Sarah.

A trip back in time

A few weeks ago when I was grocery shopping at P*blix, I stopped by the deli, one of my favorite places. The lady who waited on me spoke with an accent, and I asked her where she was from. "H*iti," was her reply. So I spoke a few words of Creole to her, and we conversed a few minutes before I told her what I needed. In our conversation, I told her that I had taught missionary kids in Ha*ti back in the early 70's, and then she told me that she was a pastor's wife and invited me to attend a service at her church.

She told me that they were having a dinner on Thanksgiving Day, but I told her that I would be with family, but I would try to come at another time. The holidays came and went, and I ended up going today. I took my English Bible since I wasn't sure where my French one was. I have a hymnal that we used in Ha*ti, but I didn't take it along with me. I arrived at 11, the time that the service was to begin. By the time everyone came, it was around 11:30 before the service actually started.

The church was filled with young adults and lots of children. There were about ten musicians on instruments and a praise team made up of a couple of the women of the church. A lady sitting across the aisle from me loaned me her songbook and showed me where the songs we that we were singing. What fun it was to sing in Creole again. The theme of the songs was that during hard times, God is faithful and is always there. It really spoke to my heart.

The pastor introduced the guests and asked each one to say something to the congregation. He told me before the service started that he wanted me to speak Creole, so I did. I shared with them how I had lived in Haiti a long time ago and how, once you have been there, it always stays in your heart. And I shared with them about the hard times that I have gone through and how I never have doubted the faithfulness of God. I hope they understood my bumbling. I think they did, and if they didn't, they would be far too polite to say so...to my face anyway.

When I got there, the pastor's wife greeted me. As we were sitting there, I asked her what denomination the church was...Baptist, Pentecostal, or ??? She told me that it was a Church of God. Now in my church people raise their hands if they want, and we clap our hands quite a bit, but these folks really got into it. They ended up literally dancing in the aisles...even the pastor.

The service started at 11:30, and I slipped out at 3:30. The pastor was still going strong. No one was asleep! Many were dutifully taking notes of everything he had to say. Children were sitting still; there was no children's church to entertain them. I was impressed. A young woman translated everything from Creole into English for those young people who are not as fluent in their country's language as their parents.

The photos here are some that I took when I was in Hai*i. The little girls in the red dress were daughters of one of the pastors of one of the large churches in our association. The little girls down below were the daughters of the pastor of the little church that I went to while I was there. I've been working on scanning my slides, but the device I bought didn't work quite right, so I returned it. Hopefully I'll get more done in good time.

A Fun Sunday

We drove over to Orlando on Saturday afternoon and had dinner at the Rainfor*st Cafe at the Marketplace in the Disn*y Village. I had called earlier in the week and made reservations, so we got there right at 5:30 and were seated right away. The restaurant is like a rain forest, filled with all kinds of animals...not all rain forest animals however. There were elephants there, along with monkeys, gorillas, birds and butterflies. We were told that every 12 minutes the animals come to life. This was a little bit frightening for Ella, but she soon got used to it. Our food was yummy, and then we walked around a while before going to the hotel.

The next morning we arrived at the Magic Kingdom before it opened, so we were outside for a few minutes. Since my DIL's birthday was on Sunday, she got in free. She wore a pin that said "Happy Birthday!" and everywhere we went the cast members (that's what all the employees are called) wished her a happy birthday. Since we had been there many times, (my children and I) we went the opposite way of most of the people and got to some of the popular rides before everyone else did.

The day started out so pleasant, and it really remained that way the whole day. It was nice and sunny, yet not too hot. A couple of times I needed to cool off, so I found a cool spot in the shade and recouped my strength. Ella fell asleep around 1, so I watched Ella while the others went through the Haunt*d Mansion. We figured that might be a little bit scary for her. Before she fell asleep, though, she and her daddy rode the D*mbo ride. She liked that one.

The last ride that we all went on was Pooh*s ride. We were all able to ride together in the car, and we took a pleasant trip through the hundred acre woods. Ella is so familiar with the video of Pooh that she recognized everything there.

Sarah and I came home Sunday afternoon. I could hardly walk. I'm either going to have to get myself in good shape or break down and use a wheelchair or an electric cart! Having MG doesn't help either.

Our day was very pleasant. It wasn't super crowded, which was nice. On the way over, I asked one of the men if Disn*y was the largest employer in the county. He said that 62,000 employees, it is the largest employer in the country. It's all make-believe, but it is indeed a magic kingdom. For the most part, everyone goes out of their way to be helpful. I can think on only one time in all the times that we have gone that one of the cast members was not at his best.

I'm eager to see them tomorrow as they return and see what they have to say about the rest of their stay.