Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

I need a break from technology….even at my quite basic level. I am ready to let my iPhone  disappear a few days and my email  go with it. I even need a break from the television and all the “what if” scenarios with Hurricane Dorian. We live in a world of too much information…overkill at its worse. And I think it is beginning to clog up my system.

It reminds me of one of the stories of Donald Davis when he had a little boy raising his hand in class, asking to be excused…his head was flowing over with too much stuff in it…too many rivers, countries, parts of speech, addition and multiplication numbers, too many names of rocks and fossils…just plain too much ‘stuff!’

I can sympathize with that little boy…that student with the overflowing information problem. Even when I try to avoid the news I get it anyway when I start typing my blog post…all these latest up-to-the-minute pictures and headlines pop up and I find myself getting drawn in and digressing from my original thoughts. Go away…I didn’t ask to see any of that!

It did make me remember however a lovely little poem I posted about four years ago…and I think it is obviously time for me to post it again.

“Slow Me Down Lord”

(Alfred Peterson)

“Slow me down Lord”

Ease the pounding of my heart

By the quieting of my mind
Steady my hurried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me amidst the confusion of my day
The calmness of the everlasting hills
Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles
With the soothing music of the singing streams
That live in my memory.

Help me to know
The magical restoring power of sleep
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations
Of slowing down to look at a flower
To chat with a friend
To pat a dog
To read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day of the fable
Of the hare and the tortoise
That I may know that the race
Is not always to be swift
That there is more to life
Than measuring speed.

Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down Lord
And inspire me to send my roots
Deep into the soil
Of life’s enduring values
That I may grow towards the stars
Of my enduring destiny.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Just before darkness fell (as I ran to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine that had just come in and I needed to start this morning)…the first solar light in the garden came on….I dropped all my bags…grabbed my iPhone and took the picture of Rutledge’s Japanese Maple’s lantern light coming on….then I watched as all the other lights infused the darkening garden with twinkling lights…..I felt a collective sigh escape from me…at least I was able to see and capture this beautiful ending to the day.

So until tomorrow…when it is time to unplug…unplug!

Now I have both hibiscus planted along the fence…so happy!

*If you are lucky enough to live in the nine northern states that will be able to see the Northern Lights this weekend….for Pete’s Sake…stop and watch God’s Handiworks!

Dear Reader:

Human contact is so important….but I have come to realize that human/plant contact also makes us healthier. Like the cranberry cluster hibiscus this beautiful hibiscus (in the title photo) is a luna perennial…they last for several seasons…not just one. And I can stare at them forever in sheer pleasure. I always sense that the blossoms are staring back at me also.

I recently read an  insightful commentary concerning the connection of our soul’s visibility to disease. Interesting thought…the editor of Spotlight on Kindness had this to say:

Editor’s Note: Our souls ache to be seen. Regardless of our age, gender, race or social status… we need to be able to see and be seen on the inside, not just as we’re socially or physically embodied. If we and others don’t access or shine light on our souls, our bodies rebel and announce our untended souls’ existence through disease. Let’s all look beyond the surface to heal ourselves and others. – Ameeta

Apparently many other people share this same observation which has produced the most recent social/spiritual experiment movement. It is sharing a “staring” at a complete stranger for 60 seconds. Recently a world-wide “Share a Stare” took place in major cities around the world with astonishing results.

One such event, called in Ireland the “Sunshine Project,” took place in Belfast. One of the organizers re-tells what she saw and felt about watching strangers stare into each other’s eyes for 60 seconds…simply as human to human.

Members of the public were encouraged to come and sit or stand in front of a volunteer and, without speaking, stare into their eyes for 60 seconds. The number one overwhelming sense reported was that of peace…the strangest sense of peace engulfed both participants…as if they were  connecting with each other’s souls. Organizers wondered if perhaps this particular reaction dealt with the violent history in Belfast’s past…but other feelings emerged also.

Initially a sense of calmness was followed by the illusion that they were the only two people in the world…with the sounds and sights of the city faded into another worldly background.

Two participants reported back with their each unique experience:

“Eye contact is how we connect as human beings and it is different every time, but it always reminds me that I am part of something much bigger than myself.”

“When we look into each other’s eyes we see beyond our differences, I can’t think of anywhere where this is more important than in Belfast.”

Last Sunday our minister, Jeff, and his associate, Zach, offered the opportunity for any congregational member to come forward and receive a blessing or a healing or a charge. We were simply to tell whichever pastor we had what category we wanted and then have the sign of the cross put on our foreheads or hands with water.

A majority of the church members participated …lining up in two lines…I noticed that I had the Associate Pastor, Zach, at the end of my line. Since I have missed a lot of church starting with my foot surgery infection problems last fall and then chemo side effects I had never had  the opportunity to be formally introduced to Zach.

When it was my turn….I held out my hand for the sign of the cross to be drawn in water across it and then I whispered…”Healing.” Zach paused for a fraction of a second…I feel sure the category of blessings was probably requested most often.

To be honest I don’t remember what Zach said…but I do remember the feeling I felt staring into his eyes as he stared back into mine. It really is a spiritually connecting experience. For those few seconds…it did feel like we were the only two people in the church. We forget how badly humans need this type of deeper connection..much more so than just a quick glance and a “hello” greeting. We do feel connected with the universe when our souls connect.

So until tomorrow….“The eye is the mirror to the soul.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I have lots of periwinkle colors now in my garden…. I read that they are symbolic of new beginnings...and I have been feeling recently that I am ready for a new beginning…what..I don’t know…but I can hardly wait to discover it.

Great game and start to the 2019 season last night…..so proud of my Tigers!

 

Dear Reader:

Some days are just plain crazy…there is no other word for it. They might start out okay…but then something goes caput and the domino effect follows.

The day really did start out promising…I decided to plant my cranberry crush hibiscus before the predicted rains came. I had grabbed my shovel, some miracle gro soil, container of water..I was ready…and then Vickie rode by on her bike and told me to wait…she had a better shovel to get the job done…which she then did.

*You notice I placed all the photos for today’s blog post upfront….so you can see them all “hodgepodge” around…kinda like the day itself. Look for the loaf of bread and hibiscus plant for this part of the story. Five minutes after Vickie and I planted it…it rained…gloriously for about twenty minutes…that turned out to be all the rain for the day…but still I was very appreciative…the connection between the loaf of bread and the plant is that Mary, my new neighbor, brought me this loaf over  called Cranberry Walnut bread…perfect timing and connection.

I then started working on my bills…not fun but a necessary evil and still the day was fine…until I tried to call Scana/SCEG to try to discover why I never received a refund check for the other unit on the other side of my home. There was/is no human being to talk to or even leave a message…I can talk to my bank, wait 120 days to see if it gets sorted out somehow or just forget it.

It took an hour to get through all the hoops and loops for nothing…no options pertained to my situation. I actually would have welcomed a robot voice at that point but obviously all the mess with the earlier electric company/nuclear reactor is still a mess with no verbal communication available. *They must have gone into hiding.

I decided to leave that negativity alone and start pulling out all my good luck Clemson artifacts…it is hard to believe the 2019 football season starts tonight.…the only hiccup this year is the new ACC cable station…it is the only avenue to visually watch the football game (for just this first game) and there is still a lot of confusion over who has it on their cable and who doesn’t…might be listening to the first game on the radio….but roar, tigers, roar!

*You can see from the collage that I added a new flag (2018 National Football Title) to the old Clemson oak ..and my candles and other Clemson paraphernalia are set up and ready inside my happy room.

Any more if I know I have a busy day or a day doing things I would rather not…I treat myself to something and yesterday it was to the tea room to pick up their delicious chicken salad plate. The statue of the angel reading on the bench is found in front of the tea room now and it has always been my favorite.

It reminded me yesterday how desperately I wanted to get home, eat my chicken salad, and just relax and read, read, read….didn’t happen…was trying to get some cards and packages off before the mailman came and then write the blog post… it is after seven now and I still haven’t had a chance to read a chapter today.

Three Pines is calling me….and I love the context of the title….because at the start of the story Armand Gamache is having to make a life-altering decision that will determine if he becomes a bitter man for some injustices done to him…or a better man for the challenge.  I love that metaphor!

The UPS man didn’t deliver my “A Better Man” (Louise Penny novel) until almost eight Tuesday evening-starting to get dark….When I saw him walking up my driveway I started running to meet him halfway…and said excitedly...”I have been waiting all day on “A Better Man” but right now none tops you…”The Best Man” for delivering this package to me.”  The carrier was a big guy and turned bright red until I explained the title of the book I was waiting on…and then he grinned…think he actually liked the compliment.

He then shook his head…and said “Well that explains it”....for the first time customers who never come to the door when I ring the bell to let them know I have left a package were on the porch waiting or opening the door at the first ring. “It must be a really good book” …I assured him it was!

And this crazy, topsy-turvy (too much crammed into it day) ended on such a kind generous note. Mandy had put a list of materials she needed on Facebook for her art classes this year….and two days later an amazon package from a parent arrived with a box full of her wish list items, then her wonderful neighbor had amazon deliver some beads she needed for a project and yesterday to top it off some friends of John and Mandy’s provided everything else on her wish list.

John’s friend works for a construction company and they are celebrating their 30th anniversary in business. The head of the company decided to do 30 acts of kindness…giving back to the community for supporting their business all these years. John’s friend saw Mandy’s wishlist and it was selected as one of the 30 ways to give back. How amazing is that…kindness without boundaries. Wow!!!!

There are only two pictures left (at the top of the page) that have not been alluded to…the one with the fairy and the mushroom…this white mushroom popped up immediately after the morning shower…another home for a fairy…and the airplane picture is an actual flight pulling in to the Philadelphia airport in a thunder storm.

Remember Anne decided after all the times she (and both of us) have had to rearrange flights because of summer thunderstorms in Philly…that she isn’t trying her luck there any more…no more afternoon summer flights to Philly. ***My Ya buddy Jackson read that on an earlier blog post right after she had booked a flight to Philly this Friday…leaving at 5:30 p.m. from Columbia and landing a little after seven. Jackson…we all have our fingers crossed for you!

So until tomorrow….  Let’s try to thrive in spite of crazy days.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Great news! All margins clear…no cancer cells! Way to go Ann! We are so happy for you…hope you slept fantastic last night…relief is the best sleep medicine around.

***And now I am off to jump in my jammies, grab my book, finish my chicken salad sandwich…and “thrive” in my “better man” with Gamache! 🙂

Dear Reader:

A wonderful friend from church, Susan Johnson, emailed me yesterday morning and said she had read a Southern Living Magazine article on the history of the superstition behind saying “Rabbit, Rabbit” on the first day of each month. (I had to laugh when she added that anything in Southern Living was “the gospel” for women…no “fake news” there! 🙂 *I completely agree!!!

For this old history teacher…I loved the connection between our blog post reminder each month and the story behind the superstition. *On a personal note, however, I remembered that it was Brooke who taught me this good luck trick the first time the first month rolled around back in 1967.

She reminded me not to forget to say “rabbit” the next morning for good luck during that October. We did this ritual for the next four years at Erskine and then continued the tradition when we roomed together in Charleston, after college, during our first two years teaching.

I called Brooke, yesterday, to ask her how she had originally heard about the “rabbit” tradition and she said it came from two hometown girls, Ann and Ellen, who were a year older than herself and her best pal, Lou. Since they were older they took it upon themselves to “educate” Brooke and Lou on all the superstitions needed for getting around in daily life.

She remembered another superstition was that they had to always enter the school building with their left foot first, over the threshold, for good luck at school that day. Brooke said she about tripped some day following Ann and Ellen…it definitely added just one more stress point to think about on the way to school.

Brooke and I would write notes on the mirror or scrawl “rabbit” with lipstick the night of the last day of the month. We wanted to make sure we didn’t forget. We took it very seriously!

Actually, looking back on it, I had heard about it earlier (but forgotten until Brooke started it up again) in one of my Trixie Belden mystery books…The Mystery of the Emeralds. 

Chapter 1 of the Trixie Belden story The Mystery of the Emeralds (1962) is titled “Rabbit! Rabbit!” and discusses the tradition:

 

 

Trixie Belden awoke slowly, with the sound of a summer rain beating against her window. She half-opened her eyes, stretched her arms above her head, and then, catching sight of a large sign tied to the foot of her bed, yelled out, “Rabbit! Rabbit!” She bounced out of bed and ran out of her room and down the hall. “I’ve finally done it!” she cried […] “Well, ever since I was Bobby’s age I’ve been trying to remember to say ‘Rabbit! Rabbit!’ and make a wish just before going to sleep on the last night of the month. If you say it again in the morning, before you’ve said another word, your wish comes true.” Trixie laughed.”

Here are some excerpts and historical tidbits from the July, 2019 Southern Living article: “Why People Start Each Month by Saying “Rabbit, Rabbit” (author Meghan Overdeep)

“From the haint blue on our porches (*love my blue porch ceiling) to the bourbon we bury at weddings, Southerners are no stranger to superstitions. Do we understand half of them? No… but that doesn’t mean we love them any less.”  

“So, you’ve probably heard that some people believe that the most auspicious way to start a new month is by making sure that the first thing they utter on day one is “rabbit, rabbit.” Others say, “white rabbit,” or repeat the word “rabbit” in a different way, but the intention—a month of good luck—is universal.”

… even Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a believer in the “rabbit, rabbit” ritual.

“He was known to carry a rabbit’s foot during the 1932 election and it is still found in a museum today. Supposedly, he also said rabbit, rabbit at the beginning of every month.”

Now…have you ever wondered what you can do if you mess up and forget to say “rabbit” first thing on the first day of the month? Have no fear…you have two options…according to one tradition.

*If you forget to say “rabbit, rabbit” as soon as you wake up on the first of the month, fear not. According to Barnette ( a researcher on the subject) you can say “black rabbit” right before you go to sleep that night; or you can say “tibbar, tibbar,” which is rabbit backwards. 🙂

Everyone now has a head start on remembering to say “Rabbit, Rabbit” for September ….which, by the way, arrives this Sunday!

So until tomorrow…”Let the human mind loose… it must be loose” (John Adams) whether for further study of what is…or joviality for what can be in the imagination.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Jake was beyond himself with excitement yesterday morning for his first day of ‘big boy’ school at James B. Edwards. It seems that everything went quite well…but he was totally drained when he got home…(Mandy told me)…a lot of excitement for one little boy.

His favorite part of the day was listening to a story called The Kissing Hand. 

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.

* Each child got a Hershey’s “kiss” at the end of the story…quite a sweet ending…*probably why Jake liked it so much:)

Taken at school yesterday!

“Oh What a Beautiful Morning” it was yesterday morning!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday… the first real feel of Fall arrived. It was in the sixties when I woke up and immediately the garden was calling…I could work in it without breaking a sweat! Almost sweater weather!

My neighbor Jane called and asked about going somewhere for breakfast so I took a break and after breakfast I drove Jane over to Ace Hardware and we both spotted these dark red fall burgundy-colored hibiscus called Cranberry Crush...just breath-taking! Both of us decided  to get one. (*I plan to plant mine in the front yard by my fence…too pretty not to be seen by the strollers up and down the street.)

As I helped get Jane’s hibiscus out of the car for her (Jane is 90 plus and still going strong…in fact she is leaving the rest of us in the dust)… I plopped the plant down beside her redbird bench and the dark red colors were perfect together!

I am at the point now that I want nothing…I am not a “material girl.”  Instead I think I have morphed into a stage of life where I might call myself a ” Min·i·mal·ist Mama!”

Family, Friends, Floral, Fauna….pretty much sums up my life. It also fills it up…to have family gatherings, fun with friends and sanctuary among my floral friends in my garden is it…all I want or need.

At this stage of my life …I am a connector, I am creative, and I am a work in progress. I will never be complete, thank goodness, but continue to grow.  I can be at peace with myself even when there is no such thing around me and I am enough…I have given and will continue to give all that I can…and for me…that is and will be ‘enough.’ No more second and third guessing decisions.

And with that thought today’s post will stand alone and be ‘enough’… all by itself.

So until tomorrow…No more analyzing yourself to death, you are magical, you are a miracle and child of God…and you have arrived. Congratulations!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Finally…Jake starts school today…he is so excited! He gets to go to big boy school with his big sister. Eva Cate said she would look after him…and she will…she always has.

Ann Graves will meet with her surgeon tomorrow to see if he successfully got all the cancer cells the second time around and the margins are clear. That is our hope and prayer…please continue them for Ann while she waits in ‘faith and patience’ for the final results!

Dear Reader:

When we refer to little children’s feelings…the old phrase “They wear their hearts on their sleeves”  seems appropriate…especially when we witness  little children’s feelings getting hurt quite easily by a careless remark. The phrase ….‘wearing one’s heart on their sleeves’ refers to a person who  openly shows and shares their feelings or emotions rather than keeping them hidden.

This trait is widely accepted (by parents, grandparents, and most adults) in children, as just part of child development, but there is a tendency for adults to look down on the same trait in older youth and adults. It is as if there is an imaginary time-line that society dictates when one must lock away open feelings and emotions…along with their favorite stuffed animals and dolls, in a closet of lost childhood dreams and memories.

Yesterday our minister, Jeff Kackley, referred to this childhood tendency… as not only acceptable… but a gateway to honest communication. He was wondering aloud at about what stage/age in life did children lose their confidence in themselves becoming anything and anyone they want to be in life. Astronauts, performers, teachers, sports professionals, nurses, doctors, technology experts, video game creators, directors, producers, firemen, policemen, etc.

Certainly the natural separation of reality from imagination plays a part during child development… but sadly society, as a whole, also contributes to this disillusionment of endless life opportunities through negative comments, disparaging remarks, and on-going assessments… placing too much emphasis on results and labels rather than progress.

In scripture this circumstance plays out when God approaches Jeremiah, a boy, to do His bidding….Jeremiah’s excuse is that he can’t tell others what to do …he is only a boy. If that excuse didn’t hold water with our Creator…could it possibly be because God considers all of us, regardless of age, children of God?

I have always thought that some children are born with “old souls” when they make remarks using adult thoughts as small children. Jake was the candidate this time. Last Thursday we played “cars” his favorite game to play…he collects ‘Hot Wheels’ and can play all day endlessly. I told him when I kept him last Thursday that I would play cars with him as long as he wanted to…and I did.

We ended up playing a new game where we sat on the sofa and threw our special colored /named car into a basket that held sofa blankets. We wanted to see how many times we could get our assigned  Hot Wheeler  in the basket…we must have played this game well over an hour. At first I was hitting the basket pretty regularly with my special car but as time went on I started losing interest and started missing more than making.

The same thing was happening to Jake too….our arms were getting tired. I would say things like “Boy, Jake… Boo Boo just can’t seem to get her car in that old basket any more” or “Oops I can’t believe I missed the basket again.” Jake was having his ups and downs also..and I confess my “Darn It”  uttered each time I missed became his parrot ‘mantra’ too….sorry John and Mandy. 🙂

Suddenly Jake slowly walked over to me….he started rubbing my hand and then looked me directly in my eyes saying ” Boo Boo…you should not be so hard on yourself…we are both just doing the best we can.” (I have always prided myself on my acting ability and it was definitely needed here. Jake was so serious while “comforting” me…my lips were quivering with repressed laughter…but I kept a straight face…hugged him and told him that this was very good advice and I would remember it always!) *And I will! 🙂

If this is an example of wearing our ‘hearts on our sleeves’ then my wish is that none of my grandchildren ever lose it. It is the lack of open adult communication that leads to broken relationships, closed leadership, and honest conversations among personal family members and professional friends and co-horts.

So until tomorrow….Let us always keep our hearts included in personal and professional choices; not just letting our brains guide us through the ups and down of our own unique journey on earth.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Spots of rain on and off this past weekend provided just enough moisture to bring back two morning glories and make other garden flowers smile gratefully….especially little orange mushrooms and happy garden fairies!

Dear Reader:

I inadvertently came across a wonderful Christmas Eve tradition that I fell in love with…I couldn’t wait ’til Christmas to share it with you. It is called Jolabokaflod…loosely translated into English meaning “Christmas Book Flood.” It takes place in Iceland.

I thought the idea was so good…would love to do this in our family this Christmas and start a tradition of book giving. Here is the story behind this amazing night of reading, books, and chocolate!

Source: “Why Icelanders Spend Every Christmas Eve Reading Books and Drinking Cocoa”

Imagine this: It’s Christmas Eve and after receiving a brand-new book from your family, you wrap yourself up in a blanket in front of the fire with a mug of hot cocoa and spend the rest of the evening reading.

That’s exactly how Icelandic people celebrate Christmas each year. This tradition is known as Jolabokaflod, which translates roughly to “Christmas book flood” in English.

Jolabokaflod started during World War II, when paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland. Because of this, Icelanders gave books as gifts while other commodities were in short supply, turning them into a country of bookaholics to this day, according to jolabokaflod.org. In fact, a 2013 study conducted at Bifröst University found that 50 percent of Icelanders read more than eight books a year and 93 percent read at least one.

“The culture of giving books as presents is very deeply rooted in how families perceive Christmas as a holiday,” Kristjan B. Jonasson, president of the Iceland Publishers Association, told NPR. “Normally, we give the presents on the night of the 24th and people spend the night reading. In many ways, it’s the backbone of the publishing sector here in Iceland.”

Ever since 1944, the Icelandic book trade has sent out a book bulletin to each household in the middle of November when the Reykjavik Book Fair happens. People use this catalog to order books to give to their friends and family on Christmas Eve, the main gift-giving day in Iceland. After all the presents are open, everyone grabs a cup of hot chocolate and cozies up to spend the rest of the evening reading their books.

This “book worm” loves the idea…however, I then thought that Christmas Eve for me is telling a story… not reading one personally…and that is a wonderful tradition too…because I get to share the story with others.

Of course I also love the history behind the creation of this Icelandic Christmas tradition…it once again reminds me that out of the worst catastrophes like WWII…good things..like this Christmas tradition can take root and grow.

Iceland has gotten to be one of the fastest growing “hot spots” for tourists in the past few years…especially young people. Luke and Chelsey are going to Iceland on vacation next month in September…(*I know Iceland is relieved no one wants to buy it…so far. 🙂

So until tomorrow…”There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I was up bright and early Saturday morning to run to the store to get ingredients to make Marcia and Bruce Brook’s famous sausage and cheese dip…one of the few dishes I still remember how to make…I cooked it and ran it over to Mt. Pleasant. Mollie’s parents are holding down the fort while Walsh works and Mollie is in Nashville at a Beauty Counter Conference.

It was so good to see both of them, especially Bruce since I have missed him the last few visits…but now he is a retired man and has become the new owner of the most enduring, precious real estate in life…time! Congrats Bruce!!!! 🙂

*Speaking of reading I thought I would have my new Louise Penny detective book to read this weekend but somehow I never pre-ordered her latest novel…how did I manage to do that?….I have to wait until Tuesday now to get it from amazon.com. Thank goodness I am already reading another of Jean Grainger’s Irish books…and that should last me until my “beloved Gamache” returns home to me Tuesday!!!

*Speaking of returning home…Mollie’s plane was scheduled to land back in Charleston around midnight last night and then Marcia and Bruce flew back early this morning around 6:00 a.m.- busy night. Nashville tells Mollie good-bye!

Dear Reader:

The Hope Diamond, the most expensive piece of jewelry in the world (45.52 carats) is today priced at 250 million dollars. It has a long turbulent history of having a curse upon it, mystical powers, and the magical ability to turn red when placed in certain light.

It has come down through Indian and French royalty to an American millionaire heiress whose life was riddled with strange tragedies before being sold to another millionaire who took it on tour before handing it over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in 1958…where it still remains today.

Obviously for tourists who stand in long lines to see this world famous gem… it is an ‘once in a lifetime’ spectacle…but somehow I imagine if one worked in the museum day in and out for years in that department…that over time, even, the Hope Diamond would lose its strong appeal and become almost mundane…it is just the way we humans are built…we lose interest in material things, no matter how badly we thought we once wanted and needed it..material prizes soon become obsolete in our desires.

In an anthropology class I took while getting my Masters the professor explained this strange human quirk of losing interest in material possessions over time as a throw-back to our first human ancestors. In order to survive…they had to keep changing and adapting to the environment around them…fixation of a possession would have distracted them and put their lives in peril and doomed their would-be families to extinction.

Today while watching many children excitedly open presents and gifts from Santa they so desperately wanted …among squeals of joy and delight…  adults can visually witness how this excitement fades rapidly throughout the day…with them becoming lethargic before the day is over…and most children going back to older bikes, toys, and other possessions. The thrill is over. They need the next “fix” new toy to bring them that moment of happiness again…with the same short-lived results.

Haven’t we all witnessed people we know living their lives the same way…a new house needs to be replaced by a newer, bigger house, a job needs to be replaced with a higher paying one, the car must have the newest tech gadgets on it…and so on and so on and so on?

Somehow society has brainwashed us into thinking success is defined by the amount of possessions we own and the amount of money in our pockets.

The problem is….in how we define success. It is never success, as defined by possessions and riches, that will fulfill us…it is leading and leaving behind a significant life. Significant in the sense of an unique, individual special meaning…while simultaneously leaving behind positive influences on the ones who follow.

Possessions steal our precious attention, time, and energy and we don’t even notice it… until it’s too late. It is the people who were significant in their influence over our lives that we remember in loving memory. Now we must carry that torch and leave significant memories to our loved ones behind on how to live a fulfilling life.

Our hearts desire significance because it lasts forever…possessions, no matter how great, are only temporal.

So until tomorrow…The journey to significance begins with one small step…it can be as inexpensive as a cup of coffee or just one heartfelt conversation…it is the giving of one’s most prized possession…ourselves to another.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

All of us Louise Penny (Armand Gamache detective novels) fans are too excited…the latest novel has just been released!

When one sees photos of Louise Penny they usually show a genteel looking gracious woman with beautiful, serene features…but below we see her just plain having fun before one of her first book signings on her latest novel in the series…titled “A Better Man.” 

As she flopped on top of the books, exhausted from the sheer numbers, her assistant laughed and said …”Are you lying on a “better man“? Too cute and funny!

Luke’s mom, Barbara sent me mountain apples and I took some to John and Mandy. Jake wanted to eat one Thursday while I was keeping him. I told him where they had come from- Hendersonville, the mountains.. and Jake declared that “mountain apples were the bestest in the world!” (I agree! ) Thanks Barbara!

Anne plays in two bands *The Old Tickers  and the Entertainers) … they both entertain veterans at the Veterans Victory Home in Walterboro. The Gary Sinese Foundation helps provide financial support for this veterans’ home. Since the bands entertain just to bring enjoyment to the veterans they now all have volunteer Gary Sinese t-shirts for their philanthropy.

Dear Reader:

Sometimes at night in our deepest thoughts don’t we  wonder how we would conduct ourselves in a moment of crisis (which we understood in a split-second of time …at the moment it was transpiring)…that this event would define us one way or the other for the rest of our lives and beyond…how would we respond?

Second Lieutenant Clebe McClary and Private Ralph Johnson both met that challenge head on, never blinked, re-thought it, simply acted on the moment. One survived, one did not…but both are admired from near and afar for the choices that made in a crater in a far-off country called Viet Nam. They both “defined the moment.”

Private Ralph Johnson is on the left in the mural and Clebe McClary is on the far left. Johnson’s action saved the life of McClary!

The act of “becoming detached” is an important reaction in times of crisis…suddenly things slow down and the action needed springs forward with immediate response. In today’s secular society …the “must have more” attitude of materialism is in direct contrast to God’s definition of us which declares we need less and what we already have should not define us.

Materialism is non-essential to our ability to function, love, or feel joy. By practicing detachment we can actually liberate ourselves from petty disappointments over placing too much emphasis on one thing working out…like a promotion, job opportunity, relationship, or any other particular outcome where we declare our entire world of happiness depends on it. Reality check…it doesn’t.

So until tomorrow…circumstances should never determine anyone’s level of happiness.

*Grandmother Wilson always told me to be kind to everyone because, no matter the circumstance, most good people are just trying to do the best they can with what they have…and what they have is God’s blessing. Once we realize this…we know we really do have the “whole world in our hands…in God’s Hands.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday I returned to Mt. Pleasant…to keep little Jake…his CD four-year-old class doesn’t start until next Tuesday and John had a meeting, along with other parents, to attend concerning the requirements and regulations around this state program.

So it was Jake’s and my time to “hang”…with his new Spiderman car and play yesterday while mother, big sister, and even dad were all at school. Jake and I had a wonderful time. Eva Cate loved her first day Wednesday and was equally excited getting dressed yesterday to return…always a good sign! 🙂

After John returned I left the Turners and checked in on the Dingles. Mollie is in Nashville at a Beauty Counter Leadership conference and her parents, Bruce and Marcia, were flying in to keep the grandchildren when Walsh returned to work this evening. It truly does take ‘a village’…at least grandparents to hold down the fort when the parents are gone.

I watched Eloise while Walsh finished getting things ready for the Temples. We got Eloise fed and dressed, to pick up Rutledge from school, then on to the airport to pick up Nana and Papa…they are going to have so much fun…and then return home and sleep for three solid days!  🙂 *(Nana and Papa that is!)

***What a delightful aroma awaited me…when I unlocked the door yesterday…I had cut and placed “Mr. Lincoln” in a rose vase and the scent was divine…my whole happy room smelled happier. The perfume was good but nothing can take the place of God’s Handiwork!

Dear Reader:

Look! My “Mr. Lincoln” rose has returned again….this is the best year yet. You might remember I talked about its fragrance being in a category all by itself…and then even ordered from ETSY a bottle that comes pretty darn close to the natural fragrance.

The size of the bottle was nowhere near the size as portrayed in the advertisement (it is tiny)…still it has a lovely fragrance…not quite as powerful as the real rose…but a light subtle imitation of it…perfect for just a faint lovely scent!

I chose the “Lincoln” rose for the title photo and the theme….”Picking our Battles” because I can think of few presidents who had more battles to contend with…personally and politically than President Lincoln.

I think it was all the activities in Conway… remembering the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War… that made me start thinking about the personal battles we all fight on a daily basis.

I know that sometimes the conflicting feelings I have about participating in something I don’t want to or even just making myself do certain things/chores around the house that I keep putting off …is an on-going dilemma. We all fight these mundane battles.

If we are honest most of us realize there is still a streak of competition in us while trying to speed around the shortest way to get the last parking spot at Publix before another car, circling the opposite way, gets there.

Or perhaps it is picking up speed maneuvering the grocery cart in between shoppers down the aisle to the check-out counter first. We know we are being silly but our competitive fighting spirits still kick in on a daily basis. It is only later after I have done something like this that I realize these little battles leave us more exhausted than triumphant by the end of the day.

I imagine even Clebe McClary would agree that history’s greatest warriors didn’t carry guns or try to eliminate the opposition in their race to achieve immortality in life.

Think about just some of the greatest warriors we have known in history: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks…just to name a few. They chose different “weapons” to win battles…they used words….words like love, hope, inspiration, big ideas, leadership and standing up for what was right.

Without the need for face-paint…don’t we all have the potential within us to be a fighter for the causes that are worth fighting for?

So until tomorrow…Let us go to God in prayer and ask Him to guide us through war zones in our personal lives…showing us where to step and help us choose which battles are the important ones to fight with words or action for the good.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I have been gone up and down the road so much lately that when I finally got back  to the garden yesterday…some new delights met me.  (* The  insecticide powder is helping fight and keep the “Little Big Red” the geranium protected from hungry insects!)

And Beth Brewer….Look….finally a bloom after over a year. I even put a sign up to encourage it…but nothing has worked. The manettia vine is living…just not blooming.  And then yesterday I spotted it …a teeny tiny speck of orange/red….a little bloom…hopefully it is the start of big things to come…lots and lots of color!

Photos of Beth bringing me the manettia vine from her Uncle Frank’s beautiful yard and of how I long to see those window flower beds outside his home again…still miss that beautiful place of beauty on Marion!

Today….

When I received it…

Hope is still alive Beth! 🙂 🙂 🙂