Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

The other day as I watched a butterfly flittering through the garden…it was like watching a pinball machine being played. Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping.. as it darted among the plants.  From my swing I followed it flying through the air encircling the garden several times before deciding where to light again and start over….

Mentally I was directing it to the recent blooming purple (Buddleia) or butterfly plant that had just opened…but it seemed to have a personal plan in mind and didn’t need my help…thank you.

Thursday afternoon I had a call from Mandy letting me know that John’s grandmother from Huntsville, Alabama had passed…the service was Friday…so John quickly made plans to fly out to get there in time. Mandy called and asked if I would like to come spend Friday night and play with the grandchildren  …Carrie spent the day Friday too so we had a wonderful girls’ day out ( with Jake too 🙂 … then I stayed on until Saturday afternoon.

I hadn’t spent the night away since the week before the coronavirus hit when I stayed with Mandy and the children to be there (John was gone for a week at a business conference) when they got off the bus and help with night time rituals and getting out in the mornings. It was that Friday in March that they came home with all their books and materials…never returning to school.  It marked the beginning of what was to come… and my last overnight stay.

So it had been awhile since spending the night..and I didn’t realize how much I had missed being there for …picking evening movies, snacks, and just listening to where the children are in their thoughts…concerns, hopes, and dreams for next year.

Carrie and Eva Cate played beauty parlor, make-overs, swimming ballet under water….Jake learned to dive…later there were golf cart rides…to actually see the whole neighborhood…fun. It is lonely being separated from family for extended periods.

***Rutledge will be our next birthday boy…arriving on Father’s Day… seven years ago.

Like the butterfly in the garden…I want to be able to guide my grandchildren in the right direction…not have them get lost while lighting in the wrong places in their search for the right path. But now at the age I am I have come to realize that there is only so much guidance family can give.

We all had to learn from our wrong choices and mistakes…they will too…it is all part of life. The hardest part is waiting to let them come to us and ask for guidance when they realize they have wandered too far from their given path…and then help them “fly” higher than ever before…

Fun in the sun….

Tigger and myself…the two “elders” in the group 🙂 We hang together!

Jake got rainbow toes polish and a trial run at lipstick…he tried to hang with all the girls. Good sport!

Jake experienced his first “spin out”…his bike hit some gravel…he turned the handle-bars one way and the rest of the bike went another…always painful on streets, of course, but “blankey” and some hugs and extra treats sent him off to “la la “land of dreams and future bike adventures.

Saturday morning we all toured Wakendaw Lakes on the new addition-the golf cart…the drive was so pretty and relaxing-cool breezes…we even stopped and let Jake look for fiddler crabs- he found a dead one and called it an ancient relic…where does vocabulary like this appear from in five-year-olds?

We stayed in contact with John…he is returning today…was glad the family was able to have a funeral service for Joan and her siblings’ amazingly wonderful mom! She lived a long life and was such an anchor in the family for everyone.

Our prayers go out to you Joan over the loss of your mother…it is never easy, no matter the age, to lose the one who gave you life and was always there for you.

So until tomorrow….Let us keep everyone in our prayers who are dealing with the loss of loved ones now with the COVID 19 even interrupting these final moments of gatherings…with the faith that they are going to another world, a better world… where there is no disease or suffering.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

More sadness arrived with the news Thursday that my sister-in-law Susan’s (adorably loved brother-in-law Stuart) passed away. He was battling cancer and had just returned home from Atlanta after a long stay there with chemo sessions and tests. I am so glad he was home and surrounded by loving family members, friends, and close neighbors, in retrospect, though it is so hard to say good-bye.

I know prayers for both John and Susan’s families would be greatly appreciated now during these times of heart-felt loss.

While I was unlocking my porch front door…coming in from Mt. P…I glanced down at the water pitcher planter and the varigated lysimachia had more blooms than ever before! Isn’t it amazing how nature can cheer us up with blooms of hope and re-newed life?

***And now…a happy ending…it looks like hair-cuts were in order for the Dingle family and everybody is Looking Good! 

Rutledge…you have come a long way baby…from your terror-stricken days of haircuts .. (18 months)

Dear Reader:

Sometimes it is the smallest miracles that have the greatest impact. Thursday afternoon it started to drizzle and I had not checked the mail yet so I hurried, across the street, to the mail box. As I was climbing the steps back up to the porch…something red caught my eye.

A perfect little English petunia was smiling up at me… with raindrops dripping off of it… as happy as it could possibly be. I put my mail down on the bench and just stood in the rain… not believing what I was seeing.

I glanced over at the planter on the green chair where the English petunias have lived for three seasons now…still shaking my head.

How in the world did a petunia go from the planter and land in the only place it could have (on the steps) to sustain life…the gravel and dirt mortar wedged in between the bricks?

The first thing I did when I woke up yesterday morning was to turn off the porch lantern and then check the little red petunia…had I been seeing things… was it withered and gone now?

It was still there and still blooming.

I found myself laughing out loud. Sheer joy. Life is such a mystery…just when we think we have seen all there is to see…God plants a God Wink to let us know that “we ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!”

Today is the 76th anniversary of D-Day…the Landing in Normandy…the greatest benchmark day of World War II. It was like time was  holding its breath on June 6, 1944. A pivotal moment that would decide the fate of the outcome between the Axis and Allied troops…a world of fear and dictatorship…or a free world.

If you read individual memoirs of D-Day…there were thousands of small personal miracles that day …the kind that decided a soldier’s fate…life or death. When one later put the pieces of the puzzle together in one big picture…all the things that went right, all the things that didn’t…what a miracle it was that happened that day against all odds… this turning point in the war that marked freedom for millions alive on our planet.

Little miracles, big miracles…God performs them all. Large or small…nothing lessens the impact they have on us. Sometimes, when they happen so quickly, all we  have time for is a quick nod upward recognizing God and His mysterious powers, or a quick fall on our knees, or like me…a beaming smile from ear to ear with a whispered “Wow…now that was really cool God…how did You pull that off.” 

So until tomorrow….

and don’t forget! Thank you…act of kindness.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

We don’t have to turn on our televisions, computers, radios, smart phones, etc. to know that we, as global people, are going through some seriously tough times.

President Truman, with his Missouri dry wit, explained the volatile economy of his times like this: (I think it’s still applicable today)

“It’s a RECESSION when your neighbor loses his job, ” and it’s a DEPRESSION when you lose your own.”

Based on these definitions…I think we need to invent a new economic term for these times we are living in now…a “re-depression?” A little of this for your neighbor and a little of that for yourself… and then “repeat” it again and again globally.

I have learned from my garden…that (as Pearl Buck quoted) “Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.” 

This season I have tried balancing out the left and right sides of the garden by planting two of everything… so as any visitor walks along the garden path…there is something enjoyable to view.

Follow me through the garden from the front to the back.

Nature creates its own order…using sun, rain, and blooms. My favorite rose, “Mr. Lincoln” peeked out from a bud two days ago…then yesterday…a little more red was seen and then today…“Welcome back again Mr. Lincoln”….You smell heavenly!”

Now come along and see some of the other statues hiding on fence posts or getting passed over by Bliss…since she is the first statue…but all of them make me smile and add so much to the garden.

The order from the garden overflows into all other aspects of my life.

Butterflies and birds…I almost missed the gorgeous butterfly with all the yellows in the background and then while typing the blog…I heard the prettiest chirping and there was Sammy the Cardinal…I realized he had been there quite awhile…taking a nap I believe…but then he fluttered his feathers, sang a little farewell chirp and flew away.

I don’t think I am alone in my (relatively recent) urges to clean up and organize my house better…if the crowds at Lowes and Home Depot are any example of this popular trend.

I think when we humans find ourselves in “uncontrollable situations” we feel a need to try to organize and control some piece of our pre-crisis normal life. By taking on some unpopular tasks I have put off too long (cleaning out closets, drawers, cabinets, etc.) I feel a certain sense of accomplishment that helps give more meaning to my day.

I have also come to the realization that I can’t think or create blog posts as well when the house starts to get cluttered. There is a direct correlation between “downer” days (when I allow the house to get messy again) and the lack of order around me. Creativity is always hampered with too much “stuff” going on…whether physically, mentally, or emotionally.

So until tomorrow…”Invite Divine Order into your life today and a more serene tomorrow will unfurl.” 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

The rest of the garden….

My favorite times in the garden are early in the morning and again in the early evenings…especially with the moon peeking through.

Dear Reader:

Being human is being crazy…it goes with the territory. We live in a crazy world that lately has gotten a lot crazier. Yet crazy doesn’t have to mean wacko, bonkers, cuckoo, batty, nutty, screwy or just plain out to lunch. 🙂

We can be crazy excited, or sad, or scared, or ready or nervous...the list could go on and on. But the best kind of crazy is crazy love…especially when referring to our Creator. God surely must be ‘crazy in love with us’ to  put up with all our antics after so many miraculous sacrifices and countless acts of forgiveness on His part…even down to the sacrifice of His Only Son.

A few years ago I read this New Times Bestseller…titled CRAZY LOVE-Overwhelmed by a Relentless God.

When we fall crazy in love with someone…doesn’t it make us feel like we can climb the highest mountain, swim the deepest ocean…solve any problem thrown at us? We are suddenly bigger than life itself!

So doesn’t it just make sense that if we allow ourselves to fall crazy in love with God...we stand a better chance of finding solutions to the problems that plague our world (with our Father beside us)… guiding us?

In the end love always wins…since God is Love…God always wins. If we’re looking for a side to join…let’s try the one of compassion and tenderness…the One and Only Who creates beauty in the universe, weeps over destruction, and loves all His Children unconditionally.

Lately my mother has been in my thoughts a lot…this happens periodically to me…but it was brought more into focus when I read this revealing excerpt about motherhood recently.

Mary Antin wrote in 1912 in The Promised Land: “We are not born all at once, but by bits. The body first and the spirit later. Initially it is the mother who endures the physical pain of childbirth…but later we, ourselves, suffer the longer pains of our spiritual growth.”

Our country is suffering the “longer pains of our spiritual growth” right now… but our hope should be, in the final conclusion, equality will be color-blind and all races will be seen and treated as one and the same. Personal choices will dictate justice, not skin color. 

So until tomorrow…I love this tribute from Beverly Barutio to her children in her book of poetry:

To my children:

You are the flesh

of my flesh,

Blood

of my blood,

But more than this

You are my

“Thank you” note to God. 

Let us always remember that every one has a mother…and for the vast majority of mothers…their children are a mother’s “Thank you” note to God. Life is sacred.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Throughout the turmoil of the times…my garden remains my sanctuary… bringing me proof of continued life and love.

There are many kinds of “gardens” in life and Tuesday evening I heard from one of my favorite all-time “student teachers” (clinical interns) from CSU to let me know about a new “bloom” in his life.

His name is Peco Sanders….he did his student teaching at Newington Elementary and was amazing  back then. As his teaching came to a close that senior year… I gave him a farewell gift- framed picture that said “Bloom Where You Are Planted” with a message to him on the back.

He has kept it all these years putting it in each classroom where he has taught. Tuesday night he shared the gift with me again…and then let me know where he is going to be “planted” this year. 🙂

TUE 9:01 PM

Becky:

Congratulations Peco! I am SO PROUD of you. I must plan to stop by and see you in your new “garden” where no doubt you will bloom spectacularly! You will make a great administrator…the greatest! Hope to see you soon! Fingers crossed for the start of this new year with all its extra challenges! However…with “Peco Sanders” around…the children will be in good hands! Your friend and now lifetime learner. Becky Dingle

5:24 PM

Peco:

I would absolutely enjoy a visit from you this upcoming school year. Thank you again for everything!!!!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

***And people ask “why we teach?”…That’s why! Because of all the “Peco Sanders” in the world!

I made some “business” (storytelling) cards from the first time I visited St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope…but never noticed before that when Honey took my photo leaving the little chapel …a subtle glow surrounded me.

Dear Reader:

Have you ever considered that the personality and conduct of a person go hand in hand with their life experiences…which, in turn, either add up to longevity through kindness or are shortened by negative thoughts and behaviors ruled over by anger and intolerance?

Simply put…kindness extends life…and not just life for the sake of breathing…but a life filled with joys, happiness, giving, sharing, and making a difference in the world.

When I pulled this topic on-line I was amazed by the number of articles available…all agreeing to the connection between kindness and fruitful longevity… via the perspectives of medical conditions, to psychological applications, to increases in the “feel good” hormones like Endorphins and the “happy” hormones like Dopamines.

*(On a personal note I long ago figured out since breast cancer is all about eradicating the bad hormones -that carry and spread cancer- we should focus on letting our “feel good” and “happy” hormones take dominance within our bodies over the negative hormones…we are then happier in our daily lives and yes… we do live longer! 🙂 )

For all of us, medically speaking…the act of being unkind fosters negative thoughts that increases our blood pressure and our fatigue. It also causes lost sleep, distracts us from important and enjoyable activities and affects other relationships. Plus, it makes us feel badly and has an adverse impact on our quality of work, life and health.

One particular article spoke to me by condensing this topic into three simple truths about the connection between kindness and enjoying longer life spans. It boils down to letting go of our reactions to others who aren’t kind.

Three Truths to Make you Happier and Healthier

Truth # 1: You can’t control the actions of others, so don’t try.

Truth# 2: You can’t get angry enough to make things right.

Truth: 3: You can never go wrong being kind. Ever!

All of this is leading into a Happy Birthday to my wonderful friend, Libby Clarkson today! She is the epitome of kindness, making a difference in the world through caring about others and always, always being there for you when you need a friend.

Libby…for your birthday Pip didn’t know whether to bring you a flower or a drink…so he trotted through rain and storm to wish you a very Happy Birthday! (Looks like he might have gotten thirsty along the way- He prefers Irish ale. 🙂 )

(Do let me take a minute to thank those of you who have voted for our little Pip…and even updated me on this fact! Earlier… a voter had to be on Facebook to participate… but the rules have changed… no longer.

Remember the contest isn’t over until June 15 but only one voting opportunity is allowed. The family would love your support in this endeavor for our beloved Pip.

https://1.shortstack.com/MnpPN0   (Just click in- hit submit and look for this adorable photo of Pip…hitting the heart vote next to him.)

I think Libby… you should play Happy Birthday on your piano today for all of us and just imagine us standing beside you…singing it as loudly (and off-key) as possible! 🙂

“Happy Birthday Dear Libby (“Tima”) Happy Birthday to you.”

LOVE YOU LIBBY- OUR QUEEN-AGER….From ALL THE YA’S!

Libby…I want you to know that I studied several other articles on living longer and how best to accomplish it..before experiencing an  epiphany …thus coming to the conclusion of the concept defined and identified in the picture to the left.

So until tomorrow…Be kind everyone and find joy and gratefulness in every day for the many, many, days that  comprise our life!

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

***Libby…the gardenia bush burst into blooms this morning for your birthday …can you smell them? Enticingly wonderful!

Dear Reader:

I think I got a God Wink through St. Francis of Assisi yesterday in my garden…because I just experienced one of the proudest moments surrounding my home town… while driving through down town.

As I stared at what I saw before me…I could only think of the quote by St. Francis of Assisi (I put in yesterday’s blog)…it was coming true!

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

Yesterday a march was planned from Walmart (near the interstate) down main street in Summerville… concluding in Hutchinson Square. I believe the mantra behind this march was BLM- Black Lives Matter.

The merchants in town and along the square decided they would “sow love” to show the protesters/marchers that they, too, stood for equality in the treatment of all our country’s citizens…no matter the race.

At first as I started down Main Street…the boarded up buildings reminded me of hurricane preparations from the past….mostly plywood and different elements covering windows…but then I turned into Hutchinson Square where the downtown shops are centered and I broke out into a smile that spread across my face!

Oh…how I love my hometown! Here is what I saw (below)! Summerville took a different approach to the protest rallies and marches.

The downtown store owners “channeled” their messages of support to the protesters through visual drawings and positive affirmations.

Reverend Middleton was right when he, too, quoted St. Francis of Assisi…”Make us channels of your peace.”

The merchants of downtown Summerville (and others I am sure) decided to channel understanding… instead of fear.

When I saw this “perfect” visual analogy yesterday…(on Facebook from Donna Clark who said Jan Franks sent it her- thank you both!) I knew I would conclude my post with it today. (The beauty of never underestimating the power of love.)

*Talk to your children while they are young!

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Libby sent me this poem that beautifully expresses the conflicting emotions we all are experiencing over recent events…leaving us feeling simply “sad.”

“Loudly we shook…Waking humanity…Begging our souls…To treat everyone equally.

Unimaginable acts…Little hope in sight…Relying on faith…For a glimmer of light.

Banded we’re strong…Divided we fall…A world not for one…But for all.

As rage envelopes…Breathe into the sorrow…Know it takes compassion…For a better tomorrow.

Stand for lives lost…Speak for stories untold…For all individuals…Left out in the cold.

Please don’t walk away…Knowing what’s wrong…In peace there is power Praise loudly their song.

It’s our job to be sure…No hero died in vain…Let them be the sun…Through the heaviest of rain.” 

(Sunrise from Litchfield Beach 5/31/20 – Lisa Arnold)

Among all this unrest love still bubbles to the surface…and that is true of Honey and Mike’s oldest daughter, Tarshie, and her boyfriend…now fiancee, Tyler Wegman. Tyler and Tarshie…(Tarshie said they are now called TNT) 🙂

With this adorable photo…Tarshie added…“It looks like I am going to be changing my last name!” Congratulations you two…the world needed more love and you two gave it to us!

*Tarshie and I texted back and forth last evening and she told me they got engaged at Triple Falls in Dupont State Park…romantic and beautiful!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday I needed my garden sanctuary more than I have in a long time. Charleston, along, with Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, and other cities experienced different forms of protests on Saturday ignited by the murder of George Floyd by the police in Minneapolis…some ranging from overall peaceful protests to sadly overall violent.

Unfortunately both Columbia and Charleston experienced both sides of the coin…starting out peaceful and accelerating into violence. It is hard to watch and realize that this is happening in our own back yards.

Summerville had one rally yesterday and plans have been discussed for a march from Walmart to Hutchinson Square this afternoon. I hear an inner voice inside me pleading: “Let there be peace, let there be peace” with these demonstrations of justified anger against racial bias.

However, there is no justification for looting, burning, and destroying innocent people’s property/businesses…in the name of justice. The two don’t equate in any kind of math formula I ever remember. The sad part is…some of the Charleston downtown businesses had just re-opened from the coronavirus shut-down…only now to be permanently shut down because of lack of funds to rebuild their businesses on an already shoestring budget.

Reverend Middleton ended a local live news channel program yesterday (which included the mayor, the police and fire chiefs, congressmen, and other public figures.) He prayed …quoting St. Francis of Assisi “Make us channels of your peace.”

I felt an urgent need to go directly to my garden…sitting down next to my statue of St. Francis of Assisi….conversing with “him.” I googled his quotes because I remember one about sowing…which I used to open the garden to any and all when it was first initially complete.

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” 

I had been so frustrated…but now I felt a sense of peace engulf me…that despite my frustration and torn feelings over the merits of justifiable anger and resentment of racial bias displayed way too often in the news today…and a way to united all races together against any kind of racial injustice without resorting to violence…we must all sow love in compassion so that life will one day bloom instead of being uprooted.

So until tomorrow…while sitting next to the statue of St. Francis…a beam of  sunlight fell on the beautiful blue gazing ball Joan Turner gave me….and for a moment it looked like a globe…with life-giving water and shadows of continents upon it. We are all in this together…to make a peaceful life for all who live here on this planet …we call home.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Can you believe it is the first day of the month…June? We most certainly need a lot of luck this month (and prayers) with so many challenges facing us simultaneously. Don’t forget to say “RABBIT RABBIT” first thing today!

***Our adorable Pip made the top 40 “model” dogs for the lowcountry and the voting has started! The contest runs through June 15. You can only vote one time and our family would love your support for this tiny little rescue dog that has brought so much tremendous love into our family. Everyone (who meets him) falls in love with him.

Hint: After you fill in your email and name…there is a big blue SUBMIT button underneath…go ahead and hit that ….it will take you inside the magazine where the pictures of the dogs are…and you vote by hitting a heart icon next to the dog.

(Pip is on the first page of dog models…and the picture below is the one you should look for to vote by hitting the heart next to his photo! Thank you in advance! We are all pulling for our adorable “baby!” )

https://1.shortstack.com/MnpPN0

John bought a golf cart from a friend of his…and the kids were just too happy to try it out this past weekend!

Dear Reader:

As the tenth anniversary of the creation of my blog (Chapelofhopestories.com) grows closer …August 7 , 2010 (to be exact) memories are starting to crack open the flood gate of yesterdays.

It is hard to believe that it was a decade ago this July that I first laid eyes on St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope in Trust, North Carolina. Mike Burrell was the “explorer” who first discovered it. Mike would entertain some of his friends from Summerville annually (who rode motorcycles) at his and Honey’s new home (then)  in the Pinnacle Mountains of North Carolina.

In preparation for his friends’ arrival…Mike got a motorcycle guide book (that showed all the best attractions in the area) that might add fun to the “bike” trip that year. One of the pictures and articles was on a little chapel in Trust, North Carolina called St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope. Mike was instantly interested and the timing just seemed to work out perfectly…allowing the group to stop at the little chapel and visit.

That night everyone was talking about it at dinner so Honey got interested and returned with Mike some time later. On the way home, they both thought of me and how they just knew it would have special meaning in my life (I was two years into my cancer treatments by then)… especially because of all the potential for stories from the left-over relics found on the altar and the creation of the chapel by an once-cancer survivor herself…Beverly Barutio.

After much pleading by Mike and Honey to leave the lowcountry and head to the mountains…(Eva Cate was only three months old and I was fixated on my first grandchild)…I agreed. I remember pulling up in Mike and Honey’s yard…only for Honey to tell me to hit the restroom if needed …we would leave the luggage for later…just hop in her car…we were off to Trust, North Carolina.

On the way there Honey caught me up with the history of the chapel so that by the time we arrived (later in the afternoon on that warm July day) I was already filled with excited anticipation. I was not disappointed. As I walked into the doll-like chapel…I sensed that this was a sacred place and I was supposed to be there…right at that moment.

I wandered around the chapel reading the newspaper articles on Bill and Beverly Barutio and the amazing story of the creation of the chapel…it was then I felt a presence and intuitively knew it was Beverly Barutio welcoming me “home.”

On the return trip, a rainbow magically appeared over one of the mountains.Honey pointed it out and we both knew that something spiritual (beyond our understanding) had just taken place.

A few days later (August had now arrived) I found myself at Mandy’s holding Eva Cate and excitedly telling her about  the special little chapel in the woods and what it meant to me. About that time the phone rang…it was Georgia Dupree wondering if I was home in Summerville…she had something for Eva Cate she wanted to get to me…I told her I was in West Ashley at Mandy’s and followed up by telling her about the trip to St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope.

Georgia first uttered the word “blog”…the perfect venue she suggested for sharing stories of the travelers who stopped by there and left artifacts on the altar.. When I hung up I looked at Mandy…and (embarrassed) asked “What is a blog?”

She quickly explained the concept to me and said John would be happy to help me get set up and started. In less than a week…August 7, 2010 the first blog was published.

It was only after writing two or three posts about the discovery of this chapel that I began to wonder…how often am I supposed to do this…and what am I going to write about now?

The next God Wink appeared…I bumped into Ava Giet, one of my favorite substitutes at Alston Middle, in CVS pharmacy, and we started talking about the blog.

When I admitted I didn’t know what else to say…Ava just laughed…“You (Becky Dingle)…don’t have anything to say? The teacher with a 1000 stories? Just start writing…and you will never not have a story!” (Best Advice I ever got!)

That night the idea hit me…why not challenge the famous fictitious Scheherazade- (the storyteller of 1001 stories in Arabian Nights) to a storytelling contest? Since my cancer prognosis was fairly bleak…this would keep me working towards a tangible goal and help keep my mind off the treatments..so I was off and writing. 

 ***I knew time was passing from Eva Cate’s progress in crawling, walking, and talking.

1002 days later as I posted the story…I had beaten the most famous storyteller from ages past…a celebration was held in Summerville at my home…I was still alive :)…so the blog continued…

Today I have written …over three times the number of stories in 1001 Arabian Nights. (Thanks for the book, Jo!)

3565 written blog posts to date! 🙂

And what I discovered along the way is that everyday life really is an on-going prayer…a service of worship where I learn something new daily to help me better understand my role in this amazing gift God gave me…life!

God also, with a lot of help from friends, gave me a garden…a sanctuary He knew I would need in the days ahead. I still do…it is my refuge and haven from the world’s problems.

I didn’t just have to write about St. Jude’s Chapel in order to find God …I just had to show gratitude in each blog for the opportunity to share and exchange insights about life that will enable and help everyone find their own ‘little chapel in the woods’ …it just takes “trust” and a little “luck.” 🙂

So until tomorrow…When things fall apart…don’t worry…better things will fall in place. You just have to trust in God.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday I got an early text from Anne asking if it suited to come walk through my garden and bring lunch for both of us. We have not had a spontaneous get-together in “forever” long…I was delighted! What fun to catch up and appreciate this time to slow down and share life.

Harriett…Look at your gorgeous day lilies blooming now…just in time for Anne to share in their beauty!

*Anne putting up the potting shed wooden plaque she made for me several years ago…and enjoying lunch yesterday! Thanks Anne…what a treat…had so missed having lunch and catching up!

My new screen saver…it prompted the idea for the blog story today.

Dear Reader:

Have you considered (when all is said and done…and all the slogans about staying home have disappeared from the media and our culture with the final disappearance of the coronavirus)…what you will say was your greatest accomplishment during this gift of time?

Even though for many people…being urged to stay-at-home while millions of businesses…especially small ones, went out of business might not seem like a gift…we still did, however, have something so many of us might have only dreamed about..the essence of time.

The word “essence” is a word with an abstract meaning…like “the intrinsic nature of something“…but we could substitute  other words like “soul” “spirit” or even “lifeline.” In essence…did we use our gifts, talents, or passions to connect with others so no one would feel alone/single; but instead alone/together?

Even though I am blessed to be surrounded by family and friends…single people, especially retired single people, really did have a step up on acclimating to stay-at-home and social distancing directives….we live a good part of our lives that way already.

My wonderful, kooky neighbor, Vickie, has laughed and mentioned several times that these viral “restrictions” on mobility (that have unglued some people) haven’t made a dent in her life. She has told me repeatedly that nothing has really changed for her (in her daily life) during this coronavirus side trip. No diversion for Vickie. She is just staying the course…her regular course! 🙂

So I ordered her a sticker that came yesterday…and will take some food treats over with it to surprise her this weekend. She will get a chuckle out of it .

*When I came across the post title painting…I thought it answered the time question for me….flowers/butterflies symbolic of my garden…with a book symbolic of reading and/or writing personal thoughts about this unusual and unexpected adventure for all of us.

“For all of us”…isn’t that mind-boggling? Something comes along that can change time and culture throughout towns, cities, states, countries, and continents… And what is the “cure” (since there is no medical one)….home and time.

Certainly first responders, who didn’t get the gift of time, will remember this coronavirus period in history as more of a blur than anything else…meeting themselves coming and going while working the front-lines of the pandemic. What heroes they were and continue to be!

But for the vast majority of us…being a hero meant and continues to mean doing what we all need to do to slow down and hopefully stop the transmission of this potentially deadly virus…COVID19…Stay home and social distance with others…wear masks when this isn’t possible.

I fell into my own daily rhythm early on…watering, checking the garden for weeds or insects, planting new additions…all this in the morning. Eating lunch and then gazing out the window at ‘Sammy the Cardinal’ and other birds snacking on the bird feeders while I mentally search for the perfect topic for the day’s blog post.

I give myself the gift of time to reflect on conversations (talk shows, phone calls, etc.) that might prompt a post or lines from a book I am reading or from a poem that ignite some neuron charging up a thought worth pursuing.

By mid-afternoon I am either reading, working on a home project, cooking, or napping…loving interruptions  to receive friends stopping by for a quick greeting or a phone call…the best alone/together time. The evenings are laid back for reflections on the closing day and anticipated ideas for the next new day.

Let us hope that we will  be able to say one day  we did our part to accelerate the disappearance of an invisible enemy who showed no mercy or compassion to the victims it attacked…from the very young to the very old.

Hopefully many people will be able to say they looked in on and after neighbors and friends who needed a little bit of extra help  during the quarantine…and/or provided entertainment or flowers, meals or simply social communication.

We Ya’s have been blessed to hear a song from Libby each day…as she plays the piano for us…some melodies that were popular when we were all together at college, favorite hymns. etc….her playing provides a special connection reassuring us all that our friendship still abounds and one day we will all physically be back together again. Libby provides hope.

So until tomorrow…Think about how you can best use your passion and make someone else’s day brighter for it.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

“Pretty is as pretty does…” 🙂

Dear Reader:

In the title painting above…an artist has imagined what a global village would look like in a parallel life. I could get lost (and did for several minutes) looking at all the continents in this whimsical world.

Jo Dufford tried sending me a video (“Lightning in a Jar) that explained how the population of the world today is divided up (a few weeks ago)…not just among continents and countries…but among wants, needs, and necessities.

It is always a mind-blowing experience to see how life is so different and diversified on earth. Depending on where we are born…our lives on earth can be completely different…as if we were living on different planets.

I remember hearing once someone say “By simply being born in this country…we have already won the biggest jackpot in the world!”

As Jo explained to me what the video was about…it triggered my memory and I remembered using one particular book for teacher workshops… and how it was a huge hit with the teachers. It took the concept of a fictional  global village of 100 persons … divided up the population by wants, needs, necessities, religions, languages, electricity, water, education, etc.

The copy of the book you see in the picture is the second  edition by David Smith…it is updated for today’s population. It removes the blinders from our eyes when it comes to learning how to find our true selves by first learning how to appreciate what we already have.

ETHNICITY:

• 61 Asians
• 13 Africans
• 12 Europeans
• 8 North Americans
• 5 South Americans & the Caribbean
• 1 from Oceania

GENDER:

• 50 male
• 50 female

RELIGION:

• 33 are Christian
• 21 are Muslims
• 13 are Hindus
• 6 are Buddhists
• 1 is Sikhs
• 1 is Jewish
• 11 practice other religions
• 11 are non-religious
• 3 are Atheists

SKIN COLOR:

• 70 non-white
• 30 white

LANGUAGE:

• 17 speak Chinese
• 9 speak English
• 8 speak Hindi
• 6 speak Russian
• 6 speak Spanish
• 4 speak Arabic
• 50 speak other languages

FOOD:

• 30 would always have enough to eat (15 would be overweight)
• 50 would be malnourished
• 20 would be undernouished (1 would be dying of starvation)

FREEDOMS:

• 48 can’t speak, act according to their faith and conscience due to harassment, imprisonment, torture or death
• 52 can
• 20 live in fear of death by bombardment, armed attack, landmines, or of rape or kidnapping by armed groups
• 80 do not

EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY:

• 12 are unable to read
• 1 has a college degree
• 12 own a computer
• 8 have an internet connection

HEALTH:

• 12 are disabled
• 1 adult has HIV/AIDS
• 

LIVING STANDARDS

• 43 live without basic sanitation
• 20 have no clean, safe water to drink
• 80 live in substandard housing
• 68 breathe clean air
• 32 breathe polluted air

MONEY:

• 6 people own 59% of the world’s wealth (all of them from the United States)
• 74 people own 39%
• 20 people share the remaining 2%
• 21 people live on $1.25 (US) per day or less
• The village spend $1.24 trillion (US) on military expenditures
• $100 billion (US) on development aid
• 

If you keep your food in a refrigerator
your clothes in a closet
If you have a bed to sleep in
and a roof over your head

…you are richer than 75% of the entire world population

Appreciate what you have & do your best for a better world.  

The biggest lesson I have learned is how to stop looking for security and seek serenity instead. I have so much to be grateful for…how much I regret taking the abundance I already have in my life for granted. (*Here I was wanting more…and I wasn’t appreciating what I already had.)

So until tomorrow….

“The eyes of my eyes are opened.” e.e. cummings

Sadly but thankfully… I am filled with immense gratitude for Michael Salvo being my lawn maintenance “engineer” for the time I had him.

My yard, lawn, and garden  never looked better. He was so multi-talented that he was able to help me with some minor repairs in and outside the house.

With his tall ladder he could always replace the recessed lighting in my Happy Room which he did yesterday for me.

He returned to say good-bye and introduce me to Jeff who will be taking over for him. Michael and his family are moving closer to their families in Denmark, SC. I will miss him terribly but wish only the best for him and his adorable wife and little twins.

His last act was to finish the step on the deck for me. We will keep in touch and he reads the blog so Michael…here’s wishes and hope for a wonderful new life and home.

Maybe I had that thought about winning the greatest lottery in the world by simply being born in America stuck in my mind …but as I rode around town yesterday and saw homes decorated patriotically and homemade banners from  citizens recognizing our cornavirus heroes today…it made me happy! Gratitude and patriotism on display!

As long as I have my dolphin and HOPE…I know “All is right with the world….the universe stays strong for us.”