Another year gone by

Today is the sixth anniversary of my husband's death. A couple of weeks ago, I wondered why I was a bit down, and then I realized exactly what was going on. Even though time passes, as certain dates come, they bring with them a bit of sadness even though you think you're more removed from the actual date.



Last year I told myself that I wouldn't write again of it, but a few of you are new readers, and I wanted to share a little with you. If you care to read, go here and here.

Thanks for your encouragement.

Don't Postpone Joy

I have from time to time posted articles by Steve Goodier of Life Support System. Today's' just came in an e-mail, and I thought it would be a good one to pass along. The title of the blog is from a bumper sticker. Those three words say a lot.

JOY ALONG THE WAY
A senator once took Will Rogers to the White House to meet President Coolidge. He warned the humorist that Coolidge never smiled.

Rogers replied, "I'll make him smile."

Inside the Oval Office, the senator introduced the two men."Will Rogers," he said, "I'd like you to meet President Coolidge."

Deadpan, Rogers quipped, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch the name."

Coolidge smiled. A sense of humor is a marvelous gift to have. It is one of the most important means we possess to face the difficulties of life. And sometimes life can be difficult. I deal professionally with issues which are critical: relationships breaking apart, people losing jobs, people facing serious illness or agonizing with someone close who is suffering, addictions, grief and heartache. Without a sense of humor about my own life, I don't know if I could survive! I take what I do seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously. Like the New York City cab driver who said,"It's not the work that I enjoy so much, but the people I run into!"

Here is an experiment: look for and find as much joy as possible for one full day. Try to enjoy the people you run into, the work you do,your leisure time and your relationships. Don't forget to enjoy yourself - and take enough time to enjoy God. I believe that if you try this experiment for one full day, by evening you will bask in the glow of a rekindled spirit. It just takes a day to find joy along the way.-- Steve Goodier

There's not much going on here. The weather is wonderful, not yet too hot. Most of the snow birds have gone back home, and we don't have the terribly congested traffic as we do during the winter months.

Our Great Strides walk is this Saturday at Siesta Key beach. Having never done this before, I'm not sure what to expect. On Monday I'm going to go to Tampa to volunteer in the CFF office. I offered to work on the computer. The lady I spoke with said that they never have volunteers who want to work on computers, so she was ecstatic. On Monday they'll be counting all the funds that have come in from the walks in the greater Tampa Bay area.

I've been putting off doing some things around my house. I have tile in my downstairs, all except the dining room and living room. The Groutsm*th came today and cleaned it all. It looks like new. I told the gentleman who came to measure and give me an estimate that I had been tempted to cover it with wood flooring. His reply was that cleaning the tile and grout would be a fraction of the cost of wood. And indeed it was.

If you ever need any tile or grout cleaned, I highly recommend the Groutsm*th.

The upstairs bathroom had black and white tile in a checkerboard pattern, and I decided it was time for that to go, so I'm retiling that floor and replacing my toilets in the two upstairs bathrooms. The old ones are as old as the house, so I figured it is time. I'm also going for the higher stool. They are so much nicer, especially when you're tall or the knees are a little stiff.

After I recover from this, I'm going to replace my carpet upstairs and on the stairs. When you get started and refresh one area, the other spaces all of a sudden look like they need redoing too.

My friend Peg (the other Peg) and I have been playing tourist. A couple of weeks ago, we went to the Ringling M*seum of Art. There was an exhibit of Grandma M*ses. If you ever come to this area, the museum grounds are a must see. The Ringling's vacation home is there, as well as a circus museum.

Yesterday we went to our local historical park and reminisced about days gone by here in our county. The gentleman who offered to be our guide has only lived here for three years, and I think he found it more interesting to listen to us talking about our childhood and our growing up here.

Next weekend is our Sweet Adelines regional competition in Daytona Beach. Our chorus has been working hard to polish up our songs, but we have a way to go. I still have a few notes to correct on one of the songs, so it's practice, practice, practice.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Happy Birthday, Peg

Meet my best friend, Peg. Today's her birthday. When I woke up this morning, I realized that I had not sent a card (nothing new.) Peg and I became very good friends when my husband and I began going to her church. Her husband was the pastor, and Peg and I hit it off and became fast friends.

Who knew that eleven years later that it would be Peg who would come to my front door to tell me that Don had been taken in a tragic accident. You see, a deputy from our church was at the scene right after it happened. He called the church to tell them what had happened, and they discussed among them who would come and tell me. Peg chose to be the one. I have no more words.

Two and a half years ago, she and her husband left the ministry here to take a new position with the Baptist General Conference, headquartered in Arlington Heights. Peg has become involved in women's ministry and recently traveled to Japan to do some conferences with missionaries and pastor's wives.

When she was at the airport (I think that's what she told me) she came upon these Sumo wrestlers. She said that in Japan they're idolized like football players are here in the States. Everyone had their cell phones out taking pictures. She asked her interpreter to please ask them if she could have her photo taken with them. As she said, "The photo speaks for itself."

Happy birthday, Peg. I won't tell anyone how old you are.

She always reminds me that she'll never catch up to me. And, yes, it's true.

For All Cat Lovers

My friend, Peg, sent me this via e-mail. With all the cat lovers, some with multiple cats, this is a must-see.

Happy Birthday, David

April 15, 1979. Easter Sunday and tax day. What a combination! I had made Sarah's Easter dress, but she didn't make it to church that day because Mom and Dad were at the hospital awaiting David's birth.

My friend who worked in taxes said, "This year he's the Easter bunny, but from now on he'll be known as "Form 1040." Someone said that he didn't need the word "boy" on this outfit to let everyone know he was a boy.

A thoughtful and caring son, David has always brought joy to his dad's and my life.

Now a husband and a father, he continues to be the loving, gentle, kind soul he was as a child.
Happy birthday, David. You are my sonshine!

Quotes of the Day

These quotes showed up on my homepage this morning...some thoughts to ponder.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.
- Martin Luther King Jr.

Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
- Fred Allen

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
- Abraham Lincoln

Great Strides

On April 26, Sarah and I will be joining Team Gevity for the Great Strides walk on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota. An annual event, these walks take place all over the United States, led by friends and family who are walking for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

When I was in Virginia, I went to a CF Education Day with my son at UVA. It is not a kind of meeting that one would want to go to, but the more one can educate himself, the more one can understand and equip himself to care for the cystic fibrosis patient.

One of the highlights of the conference was an address by a physician from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He spoke of new drugs that in the pipeline that could be approved as early as 2010. If approved, these drugs will make GREAT STRIDES toward the improvement of the health of the CF patient. A recent article in Business Week speaks of the excitement about this drug and the role that the CFF has played in getting the research done for this drug. I encourage you to read it. It is so encouraging to all those with CF, but especially for parents with young children who will benefit most from these new developments.

I read a post this morning by a young woman who has CF. I cried as I read her post. I think that she has expressed so well the feelings of many young people who have this life-shortening disease. Please read her post and leave a comment.

Many of you dear friends read my first post about Great Strides and so quickly made a donation, and I thank you all. I'm linking to my page again in case anyone new reads this post and would want to make a contribution.

Further thoughts on chocolate

After posting the photo of the effect of chocolate on one's hair (Go down a couple of posts to see Ella's hair.) I received this thought in an e-mail from a friend:

Can't eat Beef, Mad cow....
Can't eat chicken, Bird flu
Can't eat eggs, Salmonella
Can't eat pork, fears of trichinosis...
Can't eat fish, heavy metals in the waters has poisoned their meat
Can't eat fruits and veggies, insecticides and herbicides

Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!
M M M M M M M M M M M I believe that leaves Chocolate!!!!!!!!

So I guess we'll have to put up with horrible hair!

Surprised?

I actually do take photos of subjects other than Ella. While I was in Virginia, I took the opportunity to wander some of the country roads around my son's community. Farmland is still in abundance although some development is taking place. Hopefully, laws are in place to preserve this part of the country.

The Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Skyline Drive are all close to this area. There are many Mennonite churches here, almost like Baptist churches in the South. I love being here because there is still Southern hospitality to be found.

It's interesting how we become accustomed to our surroundings and don't really pay attention to the beauty around us. I found that the longer I was there, I didn't find the views breath-taking, Living here in Florida (which I've done almost all my life) has almost the same effect. I've always taken the beauty for granted. It wasn't until a trip north in January once and then coming home and driving across the Sunshine Sk*way that I realized just how beautiful it is here and why people want to be here during the winter.

Beauty is all around us. We just have to stop and take a look.

Warning!

I know Easter has passed, but I did want you to see what happens when you indulge in too much chocolate. Inside the plastic Easter eggs were chocolate-covered pretzels.

Yum-yum, they were good!

Here's what happens to your hair when you eat too much chocolate!

Lungs for Tricia

Nate has posted on his blog that lungs were found for Tricia. She is in surgery now. Pray for all those working on her and for her family as they wait. You can follow the progress here.

For your viewing pleasure

Back in Florida

I'm arrived home safely Tuesday night. I left on Monday, rather than Tuesday because I had misread my calendar and needed to be home for an 8:00 appointment Thursday morning. On the way, I stopped by Mount Olive College in North Carolina. That's where Sarah graduated from. I spent the night with a good friend, visited a little bit on Tuesday morning, and left around 10. I did not intend to drive all the way home, but once I got started, I just kept on coming.

I had planned to stop at the last exit in Georgia, but when I got there it was only 4 and with the added daylight hours, I knew I wouldn't be driving too long in the dark. A comfortable car, straight roads, and flat land make a lot of difference.

I have much to remember from my month in Virginia, and I'll share a bit of that when I get a chance. There were two occasions that were meaningful. The first weekend I was there I went to a play that the high school students put on about the Holocaust. Another Saturday I went to a CF Education Day at UVA.

Right now, I'm still unpacking, realizing I don't need a sweater, and breezing by blogs, reading, but not always commenting. I'll get there.

Resurrection Morning

1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."

3-10Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

11-13But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"

13-14"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.

15Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."

16Jesus said, "Mary."

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"

17Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"

18Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.

John 20, The Message

At the Cross

Rogier van der Weyden:
The Crucifixion
oil on panel, c. 1445
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light.
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day!

Cyberhymnal

Spring

For behold, the winter is past,The rain is over and gone.‘

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.‘

The fig tree has ripened its figs,

And the vines in blossom have given forth their
fragrance.

from Song of
Solomon

The above photos are from a road trip to Nashville a couple of years ago in April.

Play Like

Did you ever play like...? When I was a little girl, my mother and daddy had a black 1936 Chevrolet. I don't know if they owned this car before World War II, but I remember it well after the war was over, and we had moved from Lacoochee to Bradenton. I remember road trips back to Lacoochee and up to Starke to visit my grandma and grandpa.

When I got a little older, I remember going out to the car on a Sunday afternoon, getting in the car, and playing like I was driving. There wasn't much to play with...the steering wheel, gear shift, brake and gas pedal, throttle, and the light dimmer, which as you folks who are as old as I am know was on the floorboard. I must have left the gas pedal alone because I don't believe the engine was ever flooded.

The other day it was nice out, and I asked Ella if she would like to go for a ride. I opened the rear door to put her in her car seat, and that was not what she wanted. She wanted to play in the car. I got in the front passenger side, and she spent probably 45 minutes going from the back seat to the front and back again and then to the rear cargo area. She discovered the mirrors that were on the visors. Every knob that could be turned was turned.

The next day when I got in the car to go to the store, the blinker was on, the display that shows the mileage came on, and I don't know what all. My car had passed the "Ella Test."

The above photo is from summer.

If Winter Come...

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

William Wordsworth

This past weekend I went with my son, his wife, and Ella to Richmond. Sabrina was having lunch with some former co-workers, so we went along for the ride. What a delight upon nearing Richmond to see trees beginning to bud out. As we arrived at the home where she was having lunch, these lovely daffodils greeted us.

The weather was a real mix though. Within an hour's time, we saw clouds, felt some rain, saw the sun and felt the wind. As we drove home later in the afternoon, I kept looking at the thermometer in the car. When we left Richmond, it was 50. As we approached home, I looked and the temperature had dropped to 32. I pointed that out to David, and he said, "It can't be that cold." But when we got out of the car, it did indeed feel that chilly.

Today was pleasant, however. When I went outside with Ella this afternoon, I looked carefully at the maple tree in the yard, and I do believe I see the beginning of leaves.

By the way, can anyone tell me how to get ride of the centering when one uses Picasa to post? I do not know how to get my margin to the left. Thanks for any help.

Wanna play ball?

If only all children were as loved as this little girl. I've been my days reading to her, playing ball with her, doing puzzles with her, and coloring. Usually in the morning as her daddy is leaving for work, we sit and read books. Some of her favorite ones are those that have textures to feel, the soft bunny, the "ruff" paw of the dog. I brought along a pop-up book of nursery rhymes which we've been enjoying. Among her favorite characters are C*rious George and W*nnie the Pooh.

Who doesn't love George, the curious little monkey who finds himself in all kinds of situations and, amazingly works his way out of them. I remember that he was always a choice of the first graders that I taught when there was a book to be read. She has discovered Pooh and his friends through the video "The Many Adventures of W*nnie the Pooh." It's fun to watch her respond to the music and dance along as we watch together.

The days are getting nice so that we've been going outside. The days are sunny, but a little cool, not warm like Florida, but not snowy like my blogging friends in Canada continue to experience.

Spring is just about to pop out here. Hooray!