April 30, 2002

We woke up just like any other day. Don got ready for work and was off, and I went over to church to answer the phones while the staff was in its weekly meeting. I came home at noon, checked some e-mail, and after a while started to get ready to go to the gym. When I got up from the desk, I looked out the window to see my pastor's wife coming to the door.

I welcomed her in, and she told me, "We need to sit down." And then the date April 30 was etched in my mind forever. Don's life had been taken in an accident. Seven years have passed. Each year, not just on the date, but leading up to it, emotions still run the gamut.

This is my favorite photo of him. Sarah posted it on her Faceb*ok page tonight, remembering her dad. I had often kidded him that when he died, I was going to lay him out in his work clothes because that was the way that most people knew him. I didn't, but I often wished I had. That was what he was most comfortable in. I know most of you have read my previous posts about Don, but if you haven't, you can find them here and here.

Round - Carmi's Theme

During my visit with Ella in February, we were reading her little Highlights magazine, and there was a story about marbles in it. I told her that on a future trip, I would bring some marbles, and we would play some games. She went right upstairs, opened the closet door, and brought out a bag of marbles. Since we were upstairs, I told her, we would play with them on the bed. That way they wouldn't roll too far away. Even with that precaution, some of them ended up on the floor, rolling away.

When I told Ella's mom we were playing with them, and I was afraid that they might be some kind of keepsake, she said they were left over from some craft project that she had done, and she had no idea that Ella even knew where they were. I'll tell you, there is not much that the girl misses.

Carmi's photographic theme this week is "round," and I figured I better get this post up before time runs out. Visit his site for more photos of "round."

Unwanted visitors

In a post a while ago, I wrote about taking the garbage out late one night. I moved the garbage can, and underneath it was a little snake, just a grass snake I thought. When he saw him, he coiled up and got ready to strike. I know that the snakes can only strike the length of their bodies, so I wasn't too frightened, but I did cut him in two pieces with a shovel. I'm assuming it was a pygmy rattler.

Kenju wrote in her post today about a boarder who seems to have taken up residence under her deck. This in turn has attracted a fox who seems to be interested.

Neither of these visitors compares with the visitor in the video below. It was on our local news this past week.

Floral - Carmi's theme - 2

But a weed is simply a plant that wants to grow where people want something else. In blaming nature, people mistake the culprit. Weeds are people's idea, not nature's.-

Anonymous

Floral-Carmi's theme

When I drove to Virginia a couple of weeks ago, I saw spring in its many different stages. In north Florida, I saw the trees bursting forth with new green leaves. I arrived at my friend's home in North Carolina where there was a fair amount of new life. As I traveled further north and arrived at my son's house, some of the tulips and daffodils were out, but not a whole lot else.

Having lived in Florida and Haiti for most of my life, where we, of course, have the four seasons, it is hard sometimes to distinguish one from the other. We have deciduous trees, but the season is so quick when their leaves fall. The new ones are there immediately. The spring green is there when one takes the time to notice.

And so I have enjoyed these two weeks of seeing new life erupt everywhere I look, and when I return in a few weeks, everything will be in full bloom, awaiting the summer season. Ella and I have enjoyed walking around the neighborhood, enjoying the flowers and listening to the birds singing. The robins have been bobbing about. She thinks they should be still while she approaches them.

Look around you - winter is over.

the winter rains are over, gone!

Spring flowers are in blossom all over.

The whole world's a choir—and singing!

Spring warblers are filling the forest

with sweet arpeggios.

Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed,

and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms

Song of Solomon 2

For more photos of flowers, visit Carmi's blog.

Love at First Sight!

On this day in history the Titanic sank, Abraham Lincoln was shot, and David Whitcomb was born. Someone who shares David's birthday sent me a note with those facts tonight. I must say that the only one that I was aware of was the important one...David's birthday.

Tax day...isn't that a birthday to have! It happens that the year David was born, it happened to be Easter Sunday, so that took some of the edge off of tax day. My good friend, Sara, who worked in accounting was in her office that Sunday. I knew she would be. I called her after he was born, and she said to me, "He may be the Easter bunny this year, but from now on, he'll be Form 1040."

The years pass by so quickly, don't they. The little boy who hurried his appearance into the world has brought much joy to me and his father. His sister likes him just a little too. Now he's all grown up with a family of his own.

Happy birthday, David...the big 3-0. You are making your mother feel very old, but very proud. I loved the little boy that you were, and I love and respect the man that you have become.

He is Risen-He is Risen Indeed

Warm Easter Greetings to you all this morning! Rejoice!

I attended a Good Friday service this evening. It used to be that these services were at noon on Friday, and businesses closed or let employees off to attend. Some still do; that is, allow people to attend services during the day, but many churches have gone to an evening service.

There was no preaching tonight, simply the contemplation of God's love pouring out for us, sinners as we are. We sang a couple of contemporary songs, but most were the old hymns that I learned as a child. I love to be able to sing without having to look at the words. The song below is one that we sang. I found the words here, and in reading the verses, found a couple that I have never seen in a hymn book.

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears ,two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by - to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

I read today in several posts "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." Hallelujah!

What a Savior

Man of sorrows, what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

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!