Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

“When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is…remember the teacher is always quiet during a test.”

I have never forgotten this quote that I heard sometime during my teaching days. It has brought me such comfort when I am going through hard challenging times and let myself wonder why I can’t seem to find God when I need Him the most.

Then the other day, as I was straightening up some books I keep around the computer (my favorites) the tiny, thin volume of Archibald Rutledge’s “Life’s Extra’s” popped open to a page and at once I was comforted. Rutledge was sharing an observation he had made...”God does not love us with words; He loves us by giving us everything we need-in every way plus all His “Extra’s”…and then guiding us through our life back home to Him.”

Rutledge continues: “At any rate, I know that a thoughtful consideration of life’s extras has done more to give my faith in God actual conviction than all the sermons I ever heard.”

” My knowledge of theology is hardly more ample than that of a bushman of Borneo; but I am absolutely unshaken in my faith God created us, loves, and wants us not only to be good, but to be happy.” 

“He ministers to our bodies by the necessities that abound in the world; and to our spirits by the beauty that adorns creation. One has no difficulty in discovering, in the vast scheme of things, an extraordinary, an exciting, provision and prevision. As philosophy, I know not if this will stand; but I do know that a belief in it has brought me close to God. 

“Neither a day-dawning nor a sunset is really a necessity. It is one of life’s extras. It is a visit to an incomparable art gallery; and no one has to pay any admission fee. 

The human mind, proud and self-centered, maybe be inclined to reject this kind of proof of God’s love. But the human heart can hardly do so. And in things spiritual I do not know but that the heart is by far the better guide. ”

So until tomorrow…I love when I re-discover this special book each time. It is copyrighted 1928 and was given to mother by one of the “spinister” sisters she lived with when first coming to Fayetteville to work after Winthrop College. Miss Janie gave her the book and it was autographed by Archibald Rutledge…the most beloved book I have among my favorites…a special connection to mother.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Look what Anne sent me…a picture of her variegated morning glories…isn’t it beautiful?

Going to Ireland is one of Tommy and Kaitlyn’s “Life’s Little Extras”…this year they had a professional photographer “Into the Light” take pictures that show why following one’s dreams does take you ‘into the light.’

Dear Reader:

Telling people about your dreams without ever doing the necessary background initiatives/work to make them real is like trying to keep my sun coleus plants from toppling over on my antique planter…I love it but the frames has rotted leaving the platforms uneven…however, getting them straightened out permanently is now on the real horizon. (Help coming soon!)

When we simply talk about our dreams and wishes… always concluding with “One day” and then adding all the stipulations that must be met before the dream can become a reality…and using these stipulations as deterrents for the reason why we haven’t started on our dreams is a wide-spread “malady.” It is always easier to talk about a dream than make it come true.

My original “little c” diagnosis in 2008 changed this kind of procrastination  for me. Life is short and dreams even shorter…the only way to see our dreams come true (while we are still alive) is by taking that very first “baby” step. BEGIN!

The two dreams in my life that have come true….the ones I am proudest of are… this blog post and my garden.

Orange tape and an idea….the first “Begin” day….September 26, 2013!

Today…I can’t say the dream is fulfilled…because every year it grows more and more…it will always be a work in progress….a most-loved project…I can hardly wait to wake up and run out to it every morning…to see what treasures have emerged over night.

It is the hardest undertaking/commitment I ever made and continued…and today it brings me more joy (and these days…sweat) than anything in my life (outside my beautiful family/grandchildren and friends). Thank you Doodle and Anne for helping me “begin.”

The second dream….my longest one to date is what I am doing right now…writing another blog post….partially a book of personal spiritual  discoveries, history stories, childrens’ stories, a growing family album and my gift of love to anyone whom it might benefit. You never know when just the right story comes along at just the right time…to help someone else.

My first blog…August 13, 2010….Eva Cate is three months old, I have a quite dark auburn “do” that I am wearing…but the Chapel of Hope and its symbolism to me is still forefront as the catalyst that started it all.

What I admire about Tommy and Kaitlyn is that they fell in love with Dingle on their honeymoon and have twice done the necessary saving plan and sacrifices to make their dreams come true around their anniversary each year. They definitely can show people their dreams.

They returned this year to their honeymoon hotel in Dublin for their last night in Ireland…the Fitzwilliam…luxurious bath, fantastic last meal…and another anniversary spent living out their dreams…before heading home! (And saving up for next year!)

So until tomorrow….

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I had saved this poster from one of Kelly Rae Robert’s art works for several months on my desk top without ever using it…and now I know why…the perfect time had not arrived.

I finally took the time yesterday to delete old pictures and photos that I have already put in earlier posts…as to organize my desk top again.

When I got to this list of ways (under the title Kindness Changes Everything) we express kindness….each belief was more powerful and original than the last….some of my personal favorite beliefs from the artwork were:

I believe:

“When we extend our hearts to those in need, we also heal something important within ourselves.”

“I believe in listening to the wise voice of my heart and doing the right thing even when it’s scary!”

“I believe in hugs, spontaneous compliments, and smiling at strangers. These small acts matter deeply.”

“I believe celebrating others, encouraging their success, and lifting them up along the way, is essential to our collective well-being.”

And now here comes the God Wink….Ann Graves, a friend from church and recent ‘sister- in- pink’, was having a “love team rally” at her home last night as one of her fantastic neighbors agreed to cut her hair  amid (no doubt) applause and encouraging cheers. (*Ann’s hair has just started to fall out before her second upcoming chemo session for breast cancer.)

We talked for a long time on the phone yesterday…my stomach problems are keeping me inside more these days until hopefully this new side effect acclimates to Verzenio…my new cancer drug. I told Ann she would be in my prayers and I would be there in spirit.

When she told me which neighbor had gladly agreed to cut her hair and some background info on him ( Retired Marine “Carmine the Warrior”)…I was taken back with what he said when she asked him to cut her hair….Hadn’t I just read that….and here it was…the last “I believe” statement of kindness

“I believe we are all connected and kindness is the voice that softly says…”I see you, I honor you, and You are not alone.”

*Carmine told Ann (when asked if he would perform the hair-cutting ceremony) that it would be an honor to cut her hair and he wanted her to know that she would never be alone on this cancer journey. WOW! What a God Wink!

*When I called Ann to let her know about this amazing connection…she was stunned and moved too. God works in mysterious ways.

Carmine told the support team (before the marine shave) that he was wearing a symbolic t-shirt he had worn into combat because that is what Ann is now doing…preparing for combat and gathering all the tools and support from friends who have her back…everything she needs to be victorious! Surrounded by love.

I have learned from my own experiences facing this particular health challenge that we have to learn to leave searching for an explanation behind about why something befalls us….and instead search for the meaning within.

So until tomorrow…“We are all connected in this universe under the sun!” We are never alone…God sees to that!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I love my little reading angel…when I first got her she was supposed to be outside because she had a  solar panel and batteries….but neither seemed to work and I didn’t want her getting weathered- looking so I brought her back in and put her on my bedroom dresser.

Saturday morning as I headed to the garden…the early morning sun’s rays were coming through the french doors and she was lit up…as if excited about something she had just read. She looked beautiful in the contrast of light and shadows.

It is hard to believe that the summer reading lists are out…the low country authors, with all their beach houses and new adventures, have their latest books ready to be gobbled up….and new books and authors are calling me from all kinds of magazine and television “summer must read” lists.

I always end up (by the end of the summer) with the age old problem of too many books and not enough room again….until I gather them and distribute them out to different charity fund-raisers or whatever in the fall.

The other day I returned to the Main Street book store and saw this saying on the wall…it made me feel so much better.

 Tommy and Kaitlyn flew back into the Charleston Airport about 6:00 last evening. Kaitlyn was particularly sad…she texted me she actually shed a few tears when they arrived at the JFK airport in NYC.

She did not want to leave. Dingle, Ireland has come to be that special place for both of them where they can leave all their cares behind. Since this is their third trip there (anniversary get-away)…they know many of the store and pub owners and have made such close friendships with several of the townspeople that they are welcomed back each year with open arms.

Life completely slows down for them and they feel free to try new experiences and adventures that they would probably not consider back home. For Kaitlyn…she has found her imaginary place where she feels at home ….like a place out of a story…and it is hard to re-enter reality again upon leaving it.

She wrote this passage to try and explain her feelings about Dingle, Ireland and the magic hold it has…over both of them….she expressed it beautifully. Dingle is their real-life fairy tale!

“When people ask why Ireland and specifically Dingle, its such a hard answer to explain. It’s like asking someone to describe what their favorite flower smells like and why they love it, or why your favorite band makes you jump to your feet, or why the taste of your mothers cooking provides comfort like no one else can: it’s a feeling.

This place makes me feel like my best self and I’m thankful @ichaseferalcats and I found it on our honeymoon and have had the chance to come back for both our anniversaries. I’m thankful for all the lessons Ireland teaches me, all the friends we’ve made, and it’s continuing beauty. It’s not goodbye, it’s see ya next year Dingle.” 
Love, The Dingles

*They literally felt this time like they were “On top of the world!”

So until tomorrow….”The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.”
― W.H. Auden

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

My fairy tale takes place every morning in my garden….a new love is born and blossoms… and the fight for survival begins.

*Tommy and Kaitlyn will be leaving cool temps with a fire hearth blazing to return to 90 plus temps with blazing heat!

*Your St. Patrick’s Day nephew, Lachlan, welcomes y’all back quite enthusiastically…he’s been a little blue since you left.

Dear Reader:

“Ask and you shall receive.” You might remember in yesterday’s blog post I sent out a call for anyone who might be returning to the Community Cultural Arts (Public Works) Building to please let me know since I missed the tour Thursday night. I was dying to get to go inside to see all the possibilities starting to bloom.

Yesterday morning I was out in the garden a little after 7:00 when I happened to glance down at my iPhone and Anne had sent a text saying she was meeting Jana Riley (the Interim Director of the project and Senior Editor and Writer for Azalea Magazine-so talented!) at 10:00 and she would be by to pick me up at quarter til… Beyond excited…I thought to myself…”Boy, that was a fast response” and finished watering the garden as quickly as I could so I could jump in the shower and get ready!

Just like that….”Out of the blue” this wonderful, unexpected day arrived. Don’t you love it when these blissful “pop up” days come out of nowhere? I could just feel the tingle in the air and was not disappointed.

Jana was there when we arrived with her husband and two precious children…the basement inside is large enough for two small children to ride their scooters around and have a ball!

I asked Jana about the history behind Frosty and she said that all she remembers hearing is that he was originally put up in the top cupola as part of a Christmas parade celebration…to look down on all the festivities…but when that happened she didn’t know.

When I asked Jana’s husband if there was anyway to get up there to him…he said he wasn’t sure there was an inside passageway or not…there was a ladder leading upward but he didn’t think it was safe to try it and one plausible reason Frosty is still up there is because he  might have been put in from outside the building by a crane or something like that…and no one remembered or wanted to go to all the trouble to get him back out again….so the cupola has been his home….for how long we still don’t know but figure someone probably does. The last piece of the puzzle still awaits!!!

At the top of the steps leading into the entrance is a block of painted- over dull gray cement… but underneath these layers it has been discovered that blue granite was originally used. Today blue granite is known as our South Carolina State Stone. It was originally quarried in Winnsboro, South Carolina….the famous blue gray color is still sometimes remembered as “Winnsboro Blue” and put Winnsboro on the map for its treasured asset.

It was quarried in Fairfield County between 1883 and 1946. In 1908 this beautiful granite was used in the construction of the South Carolina Statehouse and was also used in South Carolina’s “Favorite Revolutionary Son” Francis Marion’s (“Swamp Fox”) memorial in Pineville, South Carolina.

The name of the quarry in Fairfield was the Kincaid-Anderson Quarry and was successful in sending out this precious granite all over the country because of the convenient location of the Rockton and Rion Railway to the quarry. This stroke of luck made it “possible for the Winnsboro farming community to jump headfirst into the Industrial Revolution.”

Our state stone was once described in a 1893 publication by Thornwell Jacobs as “the silk of the trade.” (Source: SCIWAY-South Carolina Facts and Firsts) Photo of quarry (South Carolina Encyclopedia/Edgar)

Soon it will adorn the entrance to the Public Works Arts Center! What a great way to start!

As soon as Anne and I walked in….the walls were already adorned with people’s names, encouraging comments, fun graffiti, and impressive drawings like those of the multi-talented Dianne Frankenberger (owner of People, Places, and Quilts)

Anne and I went to Dianne’s shop after we left the Public Works Art Center but she wasn’t there. We thought Dianne might know the origin of Frosty since she voiced her determination to make sure he remains in his “home.” Wandering through her shop/s is like living in a parallel life where talented artisans make the most memorable adornments of creativity and thoughts.

This saying (below) struck me because I have known since the beginning of my diagnosis (and from what the doctors told me) that my type of breast cancer is treatable but not necessarily curable. My goal from the beginning has been to ‘hang in there’ until the next miracle drug hits the market…and so far that is exactly how it has played out. I believe in the piece of art and its message

Let me show you just a few rooms from the massive infrastructure and tour Anne gave me today so you can see just how big a project this is but also the potential for something that Summerville has needed for a long time.

The Public Works Art Center will offer “affordable studio spaces for local artists and artisans, educational art classes and workshops for all ages and skills, gallery space for exhibitions and performances, unique space available for special event rentals, an outside stage for music performances and an on-site market that will feature locally-made art and artisan goods and wares.” (Source: Pamphlet: Great Start)

This building was built in 1939 and first served as the town’s post office;  later it was purchased by Summerville CPW in 1985. Because of the original dates of construction, there are several unique features still found in the building…foot-pedals to flush the commode, and antique ceiling lights … discovered to the delight of architect and board member Dennis Ashley above faux lowered ceilings.

How fulfilling it will be one day to look back on these initial snapshots of the daunting task ahead and then smile in satisfaction at the realization of a dream come true for the people of Summerville.

Before we left to go to Dukes Barbecue in Ridgeville (Could the day have gotten any better?) we stopped by the cute train shop on Richardson. Jakie is getting into dinosaurs now and the shop had a train with dinosaurs riding….too cute…had to take a picture for him.

So until tomorrow…When you have a day like Anne and I had yesterday there is only one word for it.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

My garden, originally started out as a moon garden…one of the reasons that I planted moon flowers around the entrance gate and on my front porch for the first two or three seasons.

After some trial and error I realized that there just weren’t enough luminating plants and flowers to do the garden justice at night and most of them couldn’t tolerate the high temps and droughts in the daily life  of a lowcountry summer. Most of the first season’s lumination plants perished under the merciless summer sun.

Still…I love my garden the best in the early mornings and late evenings. I have added some extra solar lights to the garden to make it show up more at night…while keeping the day time filled with as many heat and drought tolerant plants as I can find.

Thursday night as I was adding the solar lanterns around the garden I turned and saw the most beautiful moon. I took a picture of it and then came in the house…only to discover  what looked like bright moon rays  protruding laterally from each side of the moon….four rays in all.

I thought to myself if I had leaned sideways east or west it looked like a cross in the moon. However when I looked this phenomenon up this image only occurs when refractions of ice crystals are present.

Here are the solar lights coming on around 8:30 in the evenings in the garden….

Source: Life at the South Pole….Lunar Halo Cross (sighting recorded in a journal by Keith…South Pole explorer.)

“Reaching out from the moon were four bright bands of light, forming a nearly perfect cross in the sky. Halo crosses are (apparently) frequently seen around the sun, but to get a lunar one is fairly rare.

It’s worth mentioning that this is not an optical effect from the camera or our eyes – it remains perfectly oriented in the sky no matter how you tip your head/camera from side to side.

Rather, it’s formed by reflections off ice crystals in the air. Humidity in the air condenses into millions of tiny plates of ice, and as they drift down under the influence of gravity and the wind, they all align parallel to each other and to the earth.

*The more I looked at my moon picture…the more it looked like a Lunar-shaped UFO spaceship beckoning to me. 🙂

What I would really love to see is a Moon Bow or Lunar Rainbow…also extremely rare…. but again it needs ice crystals to create the rainbow effect. (Would be even more of a rarity in the low country)

Supposedly Victoria Falls boasts of having more witnessed moon bows than anywhere else. There are four requirements for a moon bow to occur. First, the moon has to be sitting fairly low in the sky. In addition, it must be full, or close to it. The surrounding sky has to be very dark for a moon bow to be visible, because even a small bit of light will obscure the view, and there have to be water droplets in the air in the opposite direction of the moon.

If only the skies could talk…what wonders they could show us and tell us… amazing events witnessed over millions of years!

Thursday night a cousin was stopping by from their trip to the beach on the way home… but she and her grandchildren never appeared and she finally called to let me know they had decided to stay on another couple of days and forgot to call.

Normally that would have been no big deal but I so badly wanted to take the tour of the Old Post Office and see the possibilities of a community cultural art center in its place. I also wanted to champion the cause of keeping Frosty, the Snowman, looking out over the quaint Summerville downtown area from the secret cupola above the  former “home” of the CPW .

*Anne assured me Diane Frankenberger (People, Places and Quilts) had already championed that cause and Frosty will remain in his secret cupola. * Thanks Dianne- I should have known you would look out for Frosty!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am dying to get in and take a tour of the building…if anybody is returning please let me know and I will meet you there! I want to see Frosty…upclose and personal…I want to know his story!

When I took Eva Cate and Rutledge on the “bird” scavenger hunt in downtown Summerville about a month ago…I let Frosty be a “bonus” question for the children if they found him…my riddle clue was:

“If you think someone is staring down at you…this feeling is true…and here’s one more clue. Look up for the answer-  the last building on the right…a loveable character stands in plain sight.”

I went on to tell that children (after they spotted Frosty amid their delighted squeals) that he is the “Guardian of Summerville” and makes sure everyone is safe and happy walking the streets of Summerville. *Rutledge really took this to heart and he told  me he likes coming to Summerville because Frosty watches over everyone.

Another “bell rang” today…I had my appointment with my oncologist to see if the new cancer drug I am on is bringing my critically low white cell count up…I have experienced some stomach issues on the new drugs and accelerated heart rate sporadically…still felt tired…so was not overly confident about the results of the blood test…but Dr. Jeter came in with a big smile and said my white cell count was now perfectly normal….after only 10 days on the new drug. WOW!

It has been almost 2 years with critical low white cell counts so we were both happy…she thinks the other issues will subside as the body acclimates to the new medicine but she also has to check my liver enzyme levels with this new drug and it takes awhile to get those results back. She re-scheduled me for a two-week follow-up…prayers please that this important test will come back with good results. Ring bell ring! 🙂

So until tomorrow…How many times do I remember Grandmother Wilson telling anyone who would listen…”If you have your health you have everything.” I remember thinking (secretly) that of course I had good health, no big deal, give me money. The wisdom of age…now I think…keep the money give me my health.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Surfing and a warm, cozy fire (I am sure Anne they are using peat at Foxy John’s fireplace) finished up the last day in Dingle….off to Dublin today)

Honey sent me this picture from their back yard…the mountain laurels are in bloom…is there anything more beautiful? Imagine waking up to that every morning.

Dear Reader:

When I opened a kitchen drawer yesterday there was this piece of poster board with an “Anne original drawing of trees” from the Louise Penny’s detective novels and this quote found in the book. There was a hole at the top where Anne had punch-holed an opening to tie this Christmas card to a gift she gave me.

As soon as I read the verse it took me back to a conversation we had started yesterday. Anne’s sister Lucy and her husband, have just been down for a visit and Lucy (breast cancer survivor) was explaining that she had gotten through the chemo treatments overall okay and doing well… with the exception of a loss of feeling in her feet that made her walk flat-footed. But then she laughed and said if that was the only thing she had to complain about…she was one lucky woman. They caught the cancer early…everything is looking very positive!

I told Anne to tell Lucy she can now officially join the “Frankenstein” walk group…because neuropathy is always a possibility when dealing with tough drugs and in my case I don’t know if my different gait is due to treatments, the cancer, any one of the many medications I take, the foot surgery…pick a number…any number. I would just rather be thankful that I can walk (than take time to figure out what drug is the culprit)…gracefully or not…and still do what I want to do in life on both my feet. I, too, am blessed.

Aging is a privilege not every one gets….so “annoyances” and “inconveniences” are just that…nothing more. As the second line in the quote reads…”Forget the perfect offering.”

None of us are perfect…we are all just doing the best we can with what we have been given. That’s life. I have so much more to be thankful for than sad about…I still wake up each morning ready to hit the garden and be enthralled by any new “births” that happened overnight and excited about what the day might bring and the “light let in.”

My moon flowers are really growing fast! The daisies are always adorable and make me smile!

The Garden Butterfly has got its solar lights going now…and it just stays so bright and light throughout the day and evening….a joy to watch in front of Jakie’s Japanese Maple!

I got lucky…two fun events took place Thursday!

I met Stephanie Rankin, my wonderful Horace Mann agent, for lunch  just to catch up and be overjoyed at the news that her husband is going to join her this year with the Horace Mann company and the children will be going to school here. What an amazing young woman, wife, and mother she is! (Besides being the best insurance agent around…one who makes house calls even! Could not have gotten through the car theft and foot treatments without her!)

Than Gin-g stopped by and she hadn’t eaten lunch yet….so we drove to Chick Filet...she got a late lunch or early supper and I got a milkshake…(dessert for either one!)

We had to laugh…we both had our “shades” on- We looked like the “Blues Sisters”!….Gin-g is in the middle of getting cataract lenses and my eyes are very sensitive to the sun these days…they water constantly since I don’t have eyelashes to protect the oil in my eyes. Once again…an annoyance…but hey, I can see and that is all that matters!

*We tried to take a picture of ourselves but our arms weren’t long enough…some kind woman… watching us struggle in this comedy act came over and put us out of our misery by asking if she could take the photo….random acts of kindness!

…”There’s a crack in everything…it’s how the light gets in” 

The way I look at it….people talk about fighting for life as long as there is a still a “quality of life” left…. I agree …but for me that definition works as long as we let love in…that is my light. If I know there is still love around for me to give and receive…life is always worth fighting for …as long as we can.

So until tomorrow….”Let Love in.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Tommy and Kaitlyn’s “Dingle Days” are numbered…I believe today is their last full day in Dingle…then one night in Dublin and home again Sunday. I am sure it went too fast…it always does…they went to the Chart House last night…their favorite “haunt” to say good-bye. But what adventures they had !

Dear Reader:

This year I have decided to add lantana to the garden because it is the only flower that can take the hot humid days ahead in the lowcountry. The photo above is my lantana “patch” in the front yard.

All the other plants and flowers have only their “moments” in the sun…and then eventually they give up the “ghost’ after repeated days of nineties and humidity…especially when we don’t get the necessary rain to prevent them from (literally) burning up.

I have learned my lesson….plants that say they can take “Full Sun” haven’t tried to do so in this semi-tropical environment.

In the lowcountry, the coming weeks will undoubtedly cause certain plants and  garden flowers to look crispy, brown, and pathetic no matter how often I  apply the water hose.

That’s where easy-to-grow, low maintenance plants like lantana come into play. These shrubby bushes  enliven one’s yard with minimal effort.

There are so many different varieties of lantana (besides the basic yellow)….and I hope to find a wide diversity to plant. Here are some ideas I found in several magazines including Southern Living.

I hope they will be “good neighbors” to many of the plants emerging now…as I said earlier…May is the most beautiful month for spring flowers in my garden….by June…the high temps and humidity will have started damaging the poor flowers struggling to hang in there….like some of my latest blooming flowers in the garden.

Though some, like the Mexican petunia can withstand the heat also.

Gardening is a learning process…every year I learn a new lesson on which flowers can survive a lowcountry summer and which can’t…it helps me quit wasting money on plants that can’t make it through the next few months.

EXCEPT….I am so weak-willed when I see just “one more plant” then I must try it out in the garden….I am this poster! Thanks Pam!

So until tomorrow….

“Today is my favorite day!” Winnie the Pooh

*I came across this reflection about a different take on “mothers” and wished I had seen it before Mother’s Day. Then I thought to myself…”How silly?” Every day is a potential mother’s day for all of us.

“In its purest form, a “mother’s” love is a metaphor for the nurturing, sustaining love that holds us in the world. We yearn for that type of love from our own mothers, but often receive it from others-grandmothers, aunts, teachers, and friends. 

“Mother” Earth and the Sun sustain us daily without question. Let’s reflect and be grateful for the manifold manifestations of maternal love in our lives.” Ameeta

*Today is Kaitlyn’s Uncle Rusty’s funeral and Susan’s younger brother…I know it will be a difficult day for the Swicegoods and other members of this close family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers today. A very giving, generous, kind man is being laid to rest…the world will miss him.

Dear Reader:

As you look at the pictures today of Dingle, Ireland…just say “Hallelujah” that I have a friend like Anne who saved this post from becoming non-existent.

The computer gremlins hit again…this time my outlook account which is, of course, my email is down. Actually it opens but everything is blank on the page…especially the photos that Kaitlyn sent and I forwarded onto my email so I could save them on my desk top to use in the blog. It isn’t accepting anything or at least it isn’t showing up on the blank page.

I tried all my usual tricks…like turning off every electrical cord, including the monitor, from the computer and letting it rest. My email account has either been hacked or some virus is in it…who knows? I was disappointed and actually wrote a message letting you know that we would not be able to “Return to Dingle” today because of the problem.

Just before I reconciled myself to defeat I tried one last call for help. Anne! She immediately told me that the easiest solution would be to simply create another email account  (a “Dingle Detour”) that I could keep for future emergencies when and if my outlook account is restored. If not…it will be my new email.

It took a little doing over the telephone and some minor frustration but I was finally able to recreate a new email account and get a few pictures sent to it to use on this post. This will be more of some picto rial excerpts on Dingle but I hope you enjoy it.

On Tommy and Kaitlyn’s honeymoon in Ireland (you might remember) three years ago…they saw a lot of Ireland…different places and lots of castles and mystical lands… including Dingle the Owl at The School of Falcontry (Ashford Castle) and Irish wolfhounds. On their honeymoon itinerary they had only one night and day set aside for their stay in Dingle.

I told them that they would fall in love with this little seacoast town and would probably want to return to stay longer….however I didn’t know just how much they would fall in love with it and that this is the third time returning to Dingle for the Dingles!

Kaitlyn hired a photographer this year to get some really unique pictures of them upclose and from afar….also, this time, Tommy and Kaitlyn have an appointment to do some research on the Dingle ancestry.

*The photographer in the photo (below) took his shot from far atop a mound looking down on Dunquin Pier and  Tommy and Kaitlyn..It is sometimes called the Sheep’s Highway. (Kaitlyn and Tommy said they have seen lots and lots of sheep) It is also where you can take a ferry to the Blasket islands…in season.

I love this photo below…it reminds me of a mermaid and her Irish lover…a true romance story!

There is something quite mystical about Ireland…it made me feel homesick for it even while I was there…like in a parallel life I knew this country and its spectacular scenes.

What a great love affair Kaitlyn and Tommy have with Dingle, Ireland. It is where they can truly get away from it all once a year…after saving up all year to return. It is worth the sacrifice and more…no interruptions, seeing and sharing new exciting landmarks and adventures together, making new friends on each visit…these memories will last forever for both of them!

So until tomorrow (with hope for better Irish luck on the computer) I love these lyrics and think Tommy and Kaitlyn will too.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Mrs. Bendig sent a photo of me telling the Statue of Liberty story…a sweet memento….Thank you for forwarding Mollie. Precious children! Bendig’s Bunch!

Dear Reader:

It has been a long time since I have done a story in a school and I didn’t realize how much I missed it. Rutledge’s kindergarten class was just precious and every pair of eyes listened intently. Mollie said that when she asked Rutledge what story he thought his Boo Boo was going to tell…he said it would be something about history. He knows me so well.

My Mohs foot surgery ( the one gone awry) with six months of foot treatments really put me out of commission doing a lot of things I loved and storytelling was definitely one of them.

I decided to take a cute, creative story about a famous landmark and personalize it using clues for the children to gather while I told the story. I never read a story …at least not first…because it is so important for children to use their imaginations to picture the story as they listen and not depend on a book illustrator’s perspective.

I told the class that this was the story of a special little girl who would grow up to be a famous Some BODY or Some THING! They had to listen to all the clues and at the end of story raise their hands if they thought they knew the answer.

ON a hot July day in one neighborhood in Paris, France the cries of a newborn were heard. All the neighbors wondered if it was a little boy or girl…but no one suspected just how special this baby would be. The doctors and even the baby’s mother and father were really surprised, even shocked, at their little girl….because, you see, she was a little…um…green! And not only was she green but she grew several inches each day causing her poor parents to finally give up buying baby clothes… when something that fit in the morning…didn’t fit by the evening.

So the mother took her BIG little girl to the store and bought her a queen-sized green sheet to match her special color. The baby did have a huge appetite…but just not for food, but knowledge. She read everything she could get her hands on from cereal boxes to billboards. She was simply amazing…as she grew and read and read and grew some more! She always kept two of her favorite books under one arm.

One day her mother took her to the store and told her she could pick out anything in the store she wanted…and what she wanted was this most peculiar-looking hat…actually a crown with strange spikes coming out of the top.

When she started school, you might imagine the other children didn’t quite know what to make of the huge green girl with a queen sized sheet, two books under her arm, and a spiked crown. But one thing they could agree upon…was that she was the smartest girl in the class..maybe even the whole school.

Every time the teacher asked a question her hand shot up like a rocket going skyward…she answered so many questions that her arm one day froze in the upright position.

She was also the kindest student….every time a new student came she befriended him or her and make them feel welcome and accepted in their new environment. 

In the blink of an eye she had graduated from school and none too soon. By now she had outgrown her bed, her chair and table, her house, and even her beloved Paris. It was time for her to leave and find where she belonged in the world.

Her parents were sad, of course, but they wished her good luck in finding her new home and before she left, they gave her a lit torch to carry in her frozen upright positioned hand. Her parents told her to always follow the light.

She went to countries all over the world and discovered that no matter the language or customs all people were kind at heart and she promised herself that one day she would welcome them to her home…when she found it.

She did know that she didn’t want to live in the Great Plains…too windy…blew her sheet up all the time, or the mountains…too cold with just a thin sheet, or the ocean…too wet and too fishy.

As she was emerging from an ocean onto land one evening something on shore was beckoning to her…calling her towards it. It was a large pedestal...all gold with lights shining around it. She knew immediately she had found her place. She shook the sand out of her sandals, wrung out her green sheet, straightened her spike crown, chose two special books to keep under one arm and re-lit the torch for the other outward arm. 

And then it happened. Magic! Suddenly she froze right there…and do you know that she is still there today? Welcoming lonely, scared immigrants, from other countries, who want to make America their home too. She is still growing…(over 300 feet tall) and getting smarter every day.

*I stopped there and asked if anyone knew the name of a famous some thing in her honor…four hands went up, including Rutledge’s…so on the count of three all four children shouted out “The Statue of Liberty” or “Miss Liberty” ….or, as in the title of the book….

I then showed them all the pictures of the clues and asked if she looked like what they had imagined…and some said she was close while others had her as a different nationality-theirs :)….perfect responses. What a great day! Back in the saddle again!

This is too funny! There was a luncheon for mothers and grandmothers after the story-telling yesterday. Rutledge told Mollie Sunday night (when she asked if he knew what we were having for lunch) about the most hilarious menu….she texted me laughing… “Rut says we are having strawberries, pickles, and sour raisins for lunch tomorrow. He assured me it’s really yummy!” 🙂

I texted back…”What a coincidence…I had been craving sour raisins all day…can hardly wait.” You can imagine both our disappointments when we had chicken salad, ham and cheese croissants, along with raw vegetables with salad dressings, and a variety of fruit, chips, and drinks.  🙂

So until tomorrow….Thank you Father for days spent with family and memories made for a lifetime.

Look at the pretty bouquet of flowers I got from Mollie.

Mandy went to Eva Cate’s school for a Mother’s Day brunch last Friday and she loved Eva Cate’s “interpretive” artwork for Mother’s Day!