The Object of My Affection

When I came downstairs this morning, Ella was jumping all over the living room. "Grammy, this is my jumper, so I can jump." And jump she did. This three -year-old is a bundle of energy. I told her mother the other day that when I was teaching first grade, the children bounded out of the room with the same energy with which they entered in the morning. If we could only bottle it!

"Hi, Grammy."

After lunch I was sitting on the love seat, and I snapped several shots of her coming toward me, backing up, and starting the game all over again. Of all the shots I got, even though this one is a little out of focus, it's a great photo of her.

When her mother asked her what she wanted to be for Hallowe'en, she responded, "An elephant!" Mom had expected her to say a princess or something like that, but no, an elephant. So I said to her, "So, you're going to be Ella the elephant."

"No," she said, "I'm Ella the Bella." Indeed, she is.

Mary Jane's Fuchsias

Hanging on Mary Jane's porch were these beautiful hanging pots of fuchsias. I had never particularly noticed this flower before. A friend of mine in California, along with her husband, raise these beautiful flowers and belong to a fuchsia society. Now I can see why. Click on the photo to see the detail.

My week

This past week I drove up to visit a very dear friend who lives in the Finger Lakes area of New York, near the town of Naples. Naples is located south of Lake Canandaigua. My friend, Mary Jane and her husband Jim were missionaries in Haiti for twenty years, and that is where I first met them forty years ago. Two of her sons were in my class in Haiti when I was a teacher there. When they found themselves back in the United States, they moved to New York where Jim was the pastor of a church. They served there for twenty years and then retired and moved to Naples. This photo of them was taken at the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of their church's beginning. Jim is now with the Lord, and Mary Jane contines to live there and stays busy in her church now.

The first day I was there we took a drive around the countryside, stopping at several places. Our first stop was at a Mennonite store. There were an abundance of gifts, all types of apparel and just about anything you could ever need. What fun!

From there we headed to a farm store where there was every kind of squash, seasonal fruit, and vegetable that you could hope to find. And beautiful mums were everywhere.

After another stop, we arrived at this winery. When we arrived, some folks were over picking some grapes and tasting them. They told us that they had been told that we could pick and eat as much as we wanted. These concord grapes were oh, so sweet. Vineyards can be seen everywhere. For some reason I had thought that with the weather getting cold, the grapes would be done, but such is not the case. Festivals were being held , and as you can see, there seemed to be an abundance of grapes.

It was a wonderful three days that I spent with Mary Jane. I'll post a few more photos tomorrow or Monday. Be sure to click on the photos to see details...especially the collages.

A hint of fall

I began looking for color as soon as I arrived at David's on Wednesday. The maple tree near the street in his front yard has a hint of color. Many other trees in the area have changed or are beginning to change, so I'm looking forward to that. Tomorrow I'm driving to New York to the Finger Lakes area to visit a very dear friend. I'm sure that the drive up will reveal much more.

Ella has the right idea. People will be very busy from now on, keeping their yards cleared of leaves as they fall. We were out playing the other day, and she was more interested in sweeping the driveway and raking than playing, although we did a fair amount of playing too.

While she was up in the tree and I was standing there to help her down, I noticed these lonely leaves, a picture of things to come.

And here is my favorite subject--Hector and Ella. While we were out, Hector came down to visit. He is a dream of a cat, just the perfect one for two little girls who love to pet him. However, he did decide to get away from Ella and went through the hole in the neighbor's fence. Ella called and called him, and he came just close enough for him to see her. They visited for a while before we came in the house for lunch.

A delightful story

I must admit that blogging is not my thing lately, but there is a delightful, funny story (I think) about Ella on another blog. Please go here to read it and leave a comment.

Eight Gifts That Don't Cost a Cent

My, didn't it rain. That's what everyone is saying here today. Everyone who is on my newsfeed on F*cebook from here made a comment about the rain today. My daughter had an early appointment and called me around 9, telling me to be careful if I went out. Many of our streets flood when there is a heavy rain, and flood they did. She had to try several streets before she got back to her house.

The following is from Steve Goodier.

This simple checklist can help measure how you are nurturing your
relationships. The author of these thoughts is unknown, but deeply
appreciated.

The Gift of Listening
But you must really listen. Don't interrupt, don't daydream, don't
plan your response. Just listen.

The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and
handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for
family and friends.

The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say,
"I love to laugh with you."

The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

The Gift of a Favor
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

The Gift of a Written Note
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A
brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.

The Gift of a Compliment
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super
job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.

These are eight important ways we can contribute toward whole and
healthy relationships. They cost nothing, yet they may well be the
most valuable gifts we can ever offer another.

-- Steve Goodier

Happenings

This blog has been collecting dust and cobwebs for the last few days. Every time I think about posting, I lie down until the feeling passes over...not really. Some of you who follow on FaceBo*k know that my daughter was laid off from her job a month ago. Long before that, we had talked about her selling her house and moving back in with me in order to save us both some money.

If you're aware at all, you know that real estate has not especially been a hot commodity in Florida, particularly after all of the overdeveloping of property and the unreal prices that people had put on their houses. Sarah got her house in 2002 before everything escalated, and now she is selling it, hoping to break even. Just the other day, a realtor called her to say that a couple had put an offer on it, so we're praying that there will not be any holdups to this sale. You can pray with us.

She has sold all of her furniture except for her bed and her living room furniture, which is going to fit nicely in a back room of my house...(not her bed) Right now she's busy painting her bedroom and then she's going to do mine before I have some new flooring put down.

So, my house which has been without a cat for about four years now is going to be inhabited once again with two furry friends, Samson (pictured above) and Monroe whom you see with Sarah.

We brought Sarah home to this house 32 years ago as our firstborn. Our house was new; we were fairly young embarking on parenting for the first time. Now mom is getting older...how can that be!

The main thing left now is for Sarah to find work again! You can pray about that too...please, and thank you.

Does this say "summer?"

Carmi's theme this week is "summer." On Ella's birthday her mom took her to the community pool after her nap. On a warm summer day, Ella did indeed join the cool water of the pool. This was only one of the neat activities that took place on her big day. For more "summer"-themed photos, be sure to visit Carmi's site.

Happy Re-Independence Day

Six year ago I had the privilege to travel to Estonia with a group from my church and work alongside the Allika Baptist Church near Tallinn. Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, border the Soviet Union and were under Soviet rule for many years. While there, we saw reminders of that occupation.

Today is the 18th anniversary of their new freedom. Maureen Castle Tusty wrote this about this anniversary.

"18 years ago today, on August 20, 1991, Estonia bravely re-declared her independence. After over 50 years of Soviet occupation, and a four year non-violent revolution (called the Singing Revolution, '87-'91), the Estonian people took the risk of publicly restating to the world their rights as a free and sovereign nation under international law. Unarmed citizens stood before tanks, arms linked, to prevent Soviet access to critical information sources such as the TV tower and radio station.

Estonian leaders, many previously in bitter conflict over how aggressively to fight Moscow, came together and unified their voices to vote unanimously to re-declare the Republic of Estonia as an independent nation. And while this sounds easy, given how things turned out, no one knew at the time the consequences of that action. Those voting for independence were certain targets for imprisonment and worse. But the coup failed, and Estonia quickly rejoined the world community of free nations. Happy Re-Independence Day, Eesti! Elagu Vabadus! (Long live freedom!) "

Maureen and her husband collaborated and produced a film called The Singing Revolution. I would encourage you to visit the site and watch the trailer to the film. It gives you a taste of this people's love of their freedom and its achievement.

Good People

A doctor said to his patient, "You have a slight heart condition, but I wouldn't worry about it.""Really, Doc?" the patient replied. "Well, if you had a slight heart condition, I wouldn't worry about it either."

We can sometimes get the impression that most of the world is more or less out for themselves and that people care little about the plight of others. But I choose to believe differently. I believe that a lot of people are basically concerned about others, even if they don't always know how to express it. That is perhaps why a certain story, clipped years ago and filed away, has remained one of my favorites to this day. A trucker relates that he was traveling through rural North Carolina on I-95 when a brown sedan merged onto the highway. It weaved back and forth between lanes, causing the driver of the truck to shift into a lower gear. At first he thought the driver was drunk, but when he came closer, the trucker saw an old man shaking uncontrollably behind the wheel. He noticed a Citizen's Band aerial whipping to and fro as the car jerked between lanes, so he called on the radio: "You in the brown Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!"'

Amazingly, he did! The trucker pulled up behind the car and climbed from his cab. The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into the trucker's arms. He poured out a story of months of fear and pain that accompanied the illness of his only daughter. Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided that she would cease any further treatment. In the hospital he remained "strong" and stoic for his daughter, but out on the road he fell apart.

The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father eventually decided to share his pain with his daughter and said he felt good enough to drive home. The men embraced and the trucker followed him for 50 miles. As they drove along, the two talked together on the radio.The older man finally acknowledged that his exit was ahead and thanked his new friend again for the help.

The trucker asked if he could make it home all right and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the conversation: "Breaker 19, don't worry, good buddy. Go your way. I'll see him home!" Glancing in his mirror, he saw a livestock truck move into the exit lane behind the brown sedan. I think there are good people the world over. People who will gladly give that caring touch, a needed warm embrace or a patient and listening ear. They are like angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. Look around. You're sure to see one. And look in the mirror. You might spot one there, too.-- Steve Goodier

This article is from Life Support System.

Copy Cat

(Click on photo to enlarge.)
Someone suggested the title for the last post should have been "Copy Cat." Here are some more photos of Ella and Hector. When I was reading the paper this moring, "Hi and Lois" made me smile. It reminded me of my day last week with Ella.

The Odd Couple

See Hector.

See Ella and Hector.

See Ella walk like Hector.

See Ella sit like Hector.

Hector is the neighbor's cat who lives three doors down from Ella. Ella's little friend, who also just turned three lives with Hector, along with a fifteen month old. I've never seen such a docile cat around little ones. I love to see him come around because he is just so easy-going around the girls. He lets them do almost anything to him. In my archives I have photos of Ella and her friend petting him, and you know how a year-old child would be petting...not too gently.

Ella is always glad to see him. On this particular day I was watching them and had my camera close by. When he lay down on the sidewalk, so did she. When he put his paws out in front of him, out went her arms. It was interesting to watch her look at him and place her arms just like his. When he leaned down and licked his paw, down went her head and she licked her arm. It was quite an amusing show for several minutes.

Ella's Big Day

The morning started out with a pedicure. I'm amazed how still she sat while her mommy did her nails.

Then it was off to the mall for her first haircut. It was really just a trim.

Instead of a lollipop for sitting nicely, a ride on the carousel was in order.

After lunch and a nap, it was off to the pool with fun in the water. When she was asked what she wanted for her birthday dinner, she replied, "White mashed potatoes and steak." Her dad was very pleased! And he did such a good job grilling it. When it came time for birthday cake, my camera suddenly said, "Replace battery pack." Do I have an extra one? No. But her mom was busy taking photos, so all is not lost. Sarah comes tomorrow, and there will be another little party on Saturday for a few little friends and some adults. Stay tuned.

Tomorrow's the Day

Ella's third birthday is tomorrow. When the mail came today, there was a package for her. When she saw it, I told her it was for her birthday tomorrow. She smacked her forehead and said, "I can't be-weeve it!"

Haiti Days

I've been spending considerable time scanning slides from Haiti and other places. These pictures date from 1969-1972. Those are the years that I spend teaching missionary children in Les Cayes, Haiti. I was considered a missionary. I went to Haiti with a mission that was known at the time as West Indies Mission. The name has since change to WorldTeam since the work to spread to many other places.

My assignment was the junior high kids. I had been teaching primary grades in the States and so this new responsibility was quite different. I enjoyed it immensely, but there were times, especially in algebra, that I stayed a step ahead of them. By the time I reached there, "modern" math was the vogue, and that was not how I learned algebra. We survived.

The school was primarily for children of missionaries, but as time went on, we welcomed other children into the school. The only requirement was that they speak English. One family entered our school from Belize. The father was a worker with the UN, working on mosquito control. Some other children who joined our school were Cuban children whose parents had lived in the States in the Miami area and then came to Haiti and worked in a large sugar mill that was not far from our center.

I've been posting these photos in albums on FaceBook, and they've been quite popular among these kids. They're not kids any more, but adults with their own children. I'm not sure if any of them are grandparents yet. One of the Cuban girls, who, when she saw these photos, wrote to me and said that she couldn't thank me enough for posting them because she had so few photos of her childhood when her family worked in Haiti.

We had no TV's, no VCR's, no video games, and so books were very popular. Everyone was a reader. Even the children who struggled a bit in reading skills were seen with books in hand. Playing outdoors was a given, as well. There all sorts of places to explore and all kinds of bugs to find. The boy in the photo above was famous for catching lizards and keeping one or two in his shirt. He could be seen pulling one out of his shirt, giving it a kiss, and then putting it back. He was also our tarantula hunter. I brought one home with me one year to have on display. It certainly did garner all kinds of comments.

In the newspaper today there was an article about how iguanas are taking over in Florida, eating turtle eggs, burrowing owl eggs, and many plants. D. lives in Florida now. I wonder if he ever goes hunting. I think he could have quite a business.

Motorbikes were a favorite means of transportation. With the roads as they were, a motorbike was the best means of getting around. I sometimes accompanied the kids into town to have diner at the local hotel, and I generally was left in the dust. This was not the best thing since I wore contacts, and my eyes were often red from the dust.

The three and a half years I spent in Haiti were rich years. Many of these kids that I taught are missionaries themselves today. I have always considered it such a privilege that I had a part in their lives. Now that we are as old as we are, we are almost contemporaries. Now, when they see me, the say, "Hi, Bev." No more "Miss Wright."

Just because

On Wednesday I'll be flying to Virginia in anticipation of birthday #3 of this dolly.

Maybe this could pass for Carmi's theme "elemental."

This might fit a "Caption this" theme. My first thought was "King Kong."
Have a good weekend.

In Christ Alone

This song has been going through my mind all day. Three years ago I had opportunity to work at an Inter-Varsity camp in upper Michigan. What a thrill it was to hear 300 college students sing this hymn of praise to God.

Today on the radio, Tony Dungy mentioned a football player who back in 1993 was playing in his first playoff game with the Buffalo Bills. He had been listening to this song all week. In the third quarter of the game, the Bills were losing badly, but this player led the team to a 41-38 victory in overtime. When he was asked how he did it, he laid down his playbook and quoted the words of this song, "In Christ Alone."

I pray that the words of this hymn touch your heart as it has mine today.

Muddy Monday

Mud is very nice to feel

All squishy squashy between the toes!

I'd rather wade in wiggley mud

Than smell a yellow rose.

Nobody else but the rosebush knows

How nice mud feels between the toes.

Distant - Carmi's theme

As I was on my way to Virginia in May, I left home about 3 in the afternoon, and I hoped to get as far as Brunswick, Georgia before it got dark. I almost made it. If you've traveled on I-95 or any other highways for that matter, you know that there is generally road construction. As I was approaching Brunswick, the traffic slowed down because of one-lane traffic on a bridge. While I sat there, I thought I might as well take a photo of the sun setting in the distant west.

Carmi's theme this week is "distant." If you visit his site, you will see his offerings and links to others.

My exciting fourth

I had an exciting fourth. I looked at the doors that go out to my pool this morning, and there lay a black snake on the inside. He must have been 3 feet long, if not longer.

I saw him by the front porch the other day. I'm assuming it's the same one. I thought later I should have grabbed my camera for proof, but I was so shocked at seeing him, all I could think about was getting him out of my house.

When you live alone, there is no one to call for help, so I got a broom and tried to hold him in place while I unlocked the door. He scooted over the broom and started further into the house, but I got him swept out.

I'm sure he was as glad to be outside as I was to have him out. I have no idea when he got in or exactly how, but I'm glad he's out, and I hope that he is happier outside than in. I've learned over the years not to be afraid of them, but it is rather startling to see one inside!

A Sure Shelter

This has been a rather long week to me. On Tuesday I had four squamous cell carcinomas removed, one from the top of my head, and one on my hand, the other two on my arm. I spent most of Tuesday, well, part of Tuesday in two different doctors' offices. The first doctor did the Mohs surgery on my scalp and hand; the second doctor did the repair work and excised the other two spots. By 1:20 Tuesday afternoon I was all stitched up and out the door.

I was given a prescription for an antibiotic and one for pain, and I was on my way. During the time that I was in the plastic surgeon's office, it started to rain...quite a downpour. By the time I was ready to leave, it had subsided, and I didn't get to wet walking to my car.

Before she started cutting and sewing, we were talking about lots of things, and I mentioned that I had lived in Haiti for three and a half years, and then the conversation turned to the difficulty of the living situation of the people in that country. She kept saying, "How do they make it through these storms and the hurricanes that sweep through the country?"

Well, the answer is, "not very well." Sometimes houses are swept away, animals swept away, even many lives are lost. It is a hard thing to see.

I picked up my prescriptions, got something to eat, and came on to my nice, dry home, safe from the storms around. I settled in for the rest of the day and listened as the rain came down, thankful.

I think too of the storms that come in my life...losses, hurts, disappointments, illnesses...and I think of the shelter I find...friends that I see often, friends that I only know through the internet, family, my church, and most of all my Lord Jesus Christ.

I was reminded of a song that we used to sing a lot at church...A Shelter in the Time of Storm.

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
.
A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land.
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A shelter in the time of storm.

Can You Say "Awe?"

Do you remember when your children were small and you saw the world anew? Please note: This post is from Steve Goodier and Life Support System.

Albert Einstein said that wonder is the source of all true art and all science. "He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."

I remember standing in rapt awe when I gazed upon the wonders of the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru. That amazing city was built above the clouds, and it was more than the high altitude that took my breath away. Can you say, "Awe"?

I'm reminded of the little girl who rode a train with her mother.Looking out the window, she exclaimed, "Look! A horse!" And a moment later, "Look! Houses!" She gave every indication of keeping this up, so her embarrassedmother apologized to the man next to her. "I'm sorry my daughter is going on like this," she said. "She still thinks everything is wonderful."

When do we stop thinking everything is wonderful? When we grow up? When do we stop saying, "Awe"? Does growing older mean growing jaded? And must we travel to faraway places to marvel once again? Can't we experience wonder and awe today - this moment? The slice of raisin toast I ate this morning was no less marvelous today than when I first tasted it. But I did not notice how good it really was. I think that few things are commonplace in themselves –it's our reaction to them that grows dull over the years. A man on his way to lunch happened to notice a visitor in Venice'sPiazza San Marco standing among the pigeons and gazing in apparent rhapsody at the Doge's Palace. After his meal he noticed the same man still studying the magnificent structure. Curious as to whether he'd been standing there all morning, he asked the man, "How long have youbeen here?"

"Twenty six years," came the reply, "and I never grow tired of it." As Einstein observed, those who will "pause to wonder and stand raptin awe" will TRULY LIVE. They will see what others miss. They will feel what others cannot. Life will be for them both exquisite and mysterious when they learn to say, "Awe."-- Steve Goodier