Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

If any of you were lucky enough to watch the CBS Sunday Morning Show yesterday and stayed for the segment on Jeff “Foliage”…you have already seen some of the most beautiful fall locations in the New England states.

*(The Ya’s have been talking about the possibility of this exact type (of fall trip) for next year…  a benchmark journey for all of us. I hope it comes to fruition because I have always dreamed of this particular glorious sight-seeing adventure in my mind.)

Jeff Folger goes by the name “Jeff Foliage,” and he REALLY loves fall colors. In New England, where tourists spend around $3 billion over the course of leaf peeping season, he heads off in his red SUV in search of the most beautiful yellows and oranges and shares them with the world!

At his own expense he usually travels over 5000 miles in search of the most perfect fall scenes throughout the New England states. He, then takes a photo, puts it on his website with directions….sharing the beauty of a New England fall with anyone interested. He has been retired for about fifteen years…and this is his gift to others. He admits that plant chlorophyll probably runs through his veins instead of blood.

For about ten minutes (or however long the program segment lasted) I sat spellbound in my chair yesterday watching him talk about fall colors, leaves, and showing us some of the most beautiful locations around for finding the perfect fall photo. He had a story for every photo….his passion was felt through the video lenses.

Here are some of his photos he has taken over the years. An amazing man who has found his passion….helping others experience a New England Fall at its ultimate! So I will pay it forward… sharing some of his photos with you!

How would you like to start down this Vermont road with me to start the trip…in my imagination…my foot is well again…and I am literally skipping down it!

Our next step involves playing in the leaves…so much fun being a child again!

A single solitary golden maple tree in a field is backlit by the morning sun. The glow of the sun filtering through the leaves leaves me speechless. So take you time as drive down that counrty road because a tree like this may be just around the corner.

Beaver pond with peak fall foliage reflecting in the surface of the pond. The lonely solitude of the fall foliage reflected in the surface of the pond gives a sense of seclusion. Where the viewer almost seems to be on the side of the pond by themselves. This is Kinsman Notch and is the westrn most of the major notches in New Hampshires White Mountains. Kinsman Notch lies directly along the route of the Appalachian trail as it winds it’s way from Mount Katahdin in Maine. To locate the spot read this article: http://www.jeff-foliage.com/2013/08/beaver-pond-at-kinsman-notch/

The early morning dawn colors broke for a moment. It was fairly grey and over cast but for a short period the skys opened up just enough to let the blue sky mix with some white clouds dancing in the sky. There wasn’t even a breath of wind so the Birch Pond was a mirrored reflection of the sky and the fall foliage that lined the shoreline.

Wherever I am on this Sunday…I want to be in this church…no more beautiful place to worship God.

In my imagination this old barn has been converted to a cozy restaurant where we stop for lunch.

This is our bed and breakfast…where each morning, after a big breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and bacon…we can walk in any direction and find God smiling down on us.

*These are just a sampling of “Foliage’s” photos….but oh, wow! How can anyone not believe in a Creator when we hold one perfect leaf with symmetrical lines of color running through it….maybe we all have some chlorophyll running through our veins….after all…aren’t we all connected to the universe? I believe so.

*I hope this link will take you to the CBS Sunday Morning video on this segment…but if for any reason you have trouble seeing the video…do google CBS Sunday Morning, November 4 and scroll down until you find this segment…you should be able to pull it easily.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-england-fall-colors-photographer-jeff-folger-aka-jeff-foliage/

So until tomorrow…if you can’t find fall visually where you live…go visit it through the eyes of others and our own imagination.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Unlike modern-day Christmas advertising…I don’t like to jump from Halloween to Christmas. In fact Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Besides cooking the turkey…with help from guests’ side dishes….the central theme is more about gathering and re-uniting than anything else. No presents, no over-zealous expectations to try to live up to…just friends and family, hugs and kisses. It’s the best kind of holiday!

I do believe this Thanksgiving I will be more grateful than ever for being here and overcoming the health challenges that threatened to dampen the season. I might have to make some modifications but the act of gathering loved ones can never be changed. I think the word Gathering brings such warm feelings for just the memories the word construes. Home, security,  family, friends topped off by love. (And a little comfort food doesn’t hurt either!:)

I have so much to be grateful for…I took a sharp detour and got lost temporarily along my path but my loved ones’ search party found me and got me back on the right road again. For all of you I give thanks!

Yesterday wasn’t a “Silent Night” but it really was calm and bright. It was a beautiful sunny low 70’s fall day…the air was crisp and the sounds of football games, lawn cuttings, and children’s peals of laughter at play filled the day with nostalgia.

I woke up feeling better than I had in a long time…actually got a few home chores done early…and I loved that renewed sense of accomplishment after so much sitting, sitting, sitting.

Around noon Anne arrived with barbecue and vegetables from Dukes (one of our favorite haunts out in the country-Ridgeville)….it was delicious and we had the best time catching up with our lives.

Doodle and Carrie arrived as Anne was leaving….bringing me some warm bedroom booties to keep my toes warm while I was keeping them elevated in my chair. Always arriving with the right things at the right time….it was actually a little chilly in the room.

Around mid-afternoon what should I hear but the little footsteps of Stephanie, dear, with Laurel in the rear. If something is going on in Summerville, you can bet this mother-daughter team are there…and yesterday (finally) The Bundt Cake Store opened and guess what I got! (DELICIOUS!) They brought me a personal pumpkin spice cake and a chocolate, chocolate, chip cake. I died and went to heaven.

Vickie heated up some lasagna John and Mandy gave me in a casserole dish and brought over for supper….I mean can life possibly get any better?

A beautiful day….so bright….and so calm….just friends, laughter, and lots of delicious food!

Once again, for the third week….the Clemson Tigers played it so “bright” and the score was so lopsided (our way) that I could remain calm throughout the game and just enjoy it. Go Tigers!

Thanks for helping my recovery and blood pressure by taking the stress out of the game!

So until tomorrow…Saturday will be a day to remember when hope loomed larger than before… and I felt a return to normalcy or at least a lot closer to it than before. It was a good day for a good day. 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Some more of Lassie’s garden photos…

Dear Reader:

Okay readers…Let’s “talk turkey shall we?” ( Origin and meaning of “to talk turkey”)

(Speak plainly, get to the point, as in Don’t call me until you’re ready to talk turkey. This expression allegedly comes from a tale about an Indian and a white man who hunted together and divided the game. When the white man said, “I’ll take the turkey and you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey,” the Indian replied, “Talk turkey to me.” Whether or not this tale has a true basis, the term was recorded in its present meaning by about 1840.)

When I went to my doctor’s appointment today I was ready to “talk turkey” and get some turkey back in response. For the past few weeks I have felt like I have been playing a game of “Mother May I”  going two steps forward and four feet back. A truly discouraging state to be in.

This time I was ready for some straight forward answers to my straight forward questions….I could handle the “No pain no gain” approach if I just knew the “gain” was happening and I had something to show for the pain. I asked all my questions that had been troubling me….was the pain I was feeling normal, was the medical staff seeing some kind of improvement or progress in my foot, did the prognosis look good?

And I finally got the “encouraging words” I had so desperately been waiting to hear….everything I was feeling, both physically and emotionally, was right on track….the wound, after all the layers of bandages had been removed, looked like raw hamburger meat…exactly what they wanted to see. (Different strokes for different folks) Another doctor looked at the wound, was satisfied with the progress, pronounced it ready to be re-dressed and bandaged without any more scraping! My prayers the night before had been answered!

Thank you God, thank you readers, friends, and family for your prayers. The lines from Home on the Range ran through my head….Where seldom is heard a discouraging word…and the skies are not cloudy all day. This appointment visit was my “Home on the Range” even if the skies were cloudy all day….with little rain.

Lassie, Doodle, and I got a lot done in in a small amount of time….we got there early, Bobbie (my friend and nurse) took Doodle and me back early and everything went smoothly and clicked right along….no scraping! Happiness is….we went to John and Mandy’s where they loaded me up with casseroles, paper products and all kinds of goodies, then picked up my cancer medicine and finished off the day at Chick Filet. I was so relieved from not sleeping much the night before I promptly feel fast asleep when Doodle and Lassie left.

An excited Eva Cate called me in the afternoon to share her “coronation” as Queen of the Second Grade Class for her overall leadership role…and she had also been selected as “Terrific Kid” from her classroom for the first nine weeks. She was more excited than I have ever heard her! Congratulations to our Queen….only girl selected from the entire second grade for her leadership roll. I am so proud of you Eva Cate. Love you, Boo Boo

Encouraging words….I heard them today and so did Eva Cate. It made me realize even more how important it is to both give and receive encouragement throughout all the different stages of our lives. When we are going through uncertain, tough times….encouraging words can make the difference between success and failure. Let’s never be stingy on encouragement…we all need to hear it and give it throughout our lives.

So until tomorrow….“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Lassie took my garbage out for me and while, out back,  took some photos of my garden…still dry and thirsty but hanging in there. I will just put this one in today because my computer is acting up and is taking forever to pull a photo….I can’t stay at the computer long….have to have my foot up….so the rest of the pictures will be on tomorrow’s blog when hopefully the computer is in a better mood.

Dear Reader:

When all is said and done…I think one of the greatest lessons about life we learn is that it is the common things in life that bring us the most joy.

This is true of “Little Red.” It now has two red buds about to burst open with eight other buds on the stem that will produce a gloriously large display of life renewed. Just like I felt “Big Red” was my on-going health 0′ meter….my “Little Red” has now taken up this position and once all the buds pop open my medical challenges will make a turn back to normalcy and good health…my hope lies in God’s common messengers.

Lynn Gamache, who sent us the fall photos from British Columbia, said fall was leaving there now as winter was quickly approaching. The harvest was in and now it was time for roaring fires, hot tea, and wonderful books and poetry. She then mentioned how much she enjoyed the poetry of Ruth Bell Graham (Billy Graham’s wife) in her book Sitting by My Laughing Fire.

As I pulled some of the sample poems from the book from the internet…the one that drew me to it was titled : “Common Things.”

Ruth Bell had originally planned to become a missionary in China before meeting Billy Graham…she then gave up this personal dream to become part of his dream. Her life wasn’t easy…with her popular minister husband speaking around the world she was often alone raising their five children by herself.

The everyday chores of life…washing dishes, making beds, and ironing became a big part of her world. Instead of sighing over what might have been had she chosen a different path, one that perhaps had lead her to become a missionary to China…she started looking for God in the ordinary chores of every day life and found Him.

“Common Things”

Lord, let mine be
a common place
while here.
His was a common one;
He seems so near
when I am working
at some ordinary task.
Lord, let mine be
a common one, I ask.
Give me things to do
that others shun,
I am not so gifted or so poised,
Lord, as some.
I am best fitted
for the common things,

 and I am happy so.

It always brings
a sense of fellowship
with Him who learned
to do the lowly things
that others spurned:
to wear simple clothes,
the common dress,
to gather in His arms
and gently bless
(and He was busy, too)
a little child,
to lay His hand upon
the one defiled,
to walk with sinners
down some narrow street,

to kneel Himself
and wash men’s dusty feet.
To ride a common foal,
to work with wood,
to dwell with common folk,
eat common food;
and then upon the city dump
to die for me

Lord, common things
are all I ask
of Thee.

From Ruth Bell Graham’s Collected Poems 

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Since the beginning of October until now…the beginning of November… I have been car-less and walk-less…to the point that these two abilities…to drive and walk…have become pivotal goals in my life. I don’t want riches or gold…just a healthy foot that doesn’t hurt that I can walk upon and work in my garden…and a simple car to drive that will get me from A to B.

Just to be able to walk out in my garden again will renew my hope and health….Doodle and I return tomorrow for the bandages to be replaced and the equipment to be hooked up again. Please pray that I get some encouraging news…need to hear it.

When Anne came across the old David Mallett folk song that Peter, Paul, and Mary made famous in the seventies…’The Garden Song” she said that she immediately thought of me with the verse “Inch by inch and row by row I’m going to make my garden grow” with so many people, friends and family, helping me inch along each row of this recovery path. Bless you all !

• *So until tomorrow….With everyone’s help I know I will soon return to my garden…the sanctuary of my many adventures to come.
• I tried to link this song for you but some reason it just wouldn’t do….but do take time to look it up and play it….your day will be better for it.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Last Sunday you might have picked up that Tommy and Kaitlyn arrived with four little dogs…not three. They have a foster dog, Shatzi, who was abused (puppy mill) and needed a foster home. He got invited to be on a local television program to see if someone might call and adopt him….he sat in my lap a lot Sunday and is such a sweet older dog. If anyone out there can help or is interested please let me know. Here is the video link (after the advertisement) to Shatzi and his story.

Dear Reader:

I decided not to take any chances with this “black cloud of bad mojo” that has been hanging over my head this past month and make sure I get this month started off on the right track with saying “Rabbit” first thing this morning…I have written notes on the mirror and kitchen table to remind me. I also decided to put two rabbits in the picture.

Cindy Ashley helped me out with the “rabbit” picture by finding me this adorable picture of several rabbits she found recently in a Summerville store…Cindy…you must have known that it would take several rabbits to shake off October and bring in a better good “mojo’ed”November!

Seriously…aren’t “clean slate” situations in our lives the most appreciated second chances? Okay…so October wasn’t the expected beautiful, happy month of the year I always enjoyed…instead it was filled with detours and unforeseen mishaps. But I did survive it…and as an October survivor…I want to now become a November surpriser…I want November’s detours to be filled with happy occasions, laughs, and family/friend closeness instead of doctor’s visits, recliner blues, and loss of independence. Wonderful surprises!

For this to happen…I must intentionally fill November, the Thanksgiving month, with my own new attitude of thanks giving and personal gratitude for all that I do have…not lamenting over what I don’t ….a clean slate attitude for a new zest on life….the good and not so good. I took some time to have my personal “pity party” Tuesday afternoon  for awhile when I was in a lot of pain…then I shook it off…and ended up having a wonderful Wednesday!

Honey’s fall pictures, from the top of Mt. Pinnacle, NC, are enough to put us all in a joyous mood and deeper appreciation of autumn! A bounty of glorious scenery! How would you like to have this scene in your own back yard? Mike and Honey do!

Rutledge loves reading and history (which is Eva Cate’s favorite subject too) so I got them started on the Magic Tree house series which takes Jack and his sister back in time each time they climb up into the tree house and select another time period in history.

So Rutledge decided to dress up as Jack for a reading project he had….adorable Rutledge! Back to the days of the Egyptians Mummies!

Walsh, Mollie, and Eloise (in her Halloween tu-tu) came to see Boo Boo bringing Harris Teeter with them I think ( a beautiful bouquet of fall flowers) and delightful subs for lunch….Eloise is just before walking and definitely in a “freeze frame” age….where we want her to remain as long as possible.

The Dingle boys getting ready for Halloween…with them on the SWAT task force….there shouldn’t be any crime in the neighborhood Halloween night.

Jake and Eva Cate were chomping at the bits to get started trick or treating and they were adorable doing it. Brother and Sister Super Heroes…all my grandchildren are saving the world…Boo Boo is so proud! Here is a link to the Turners’ Halloween!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2Q4D8rxCEwPSvgTG6

Kailtyn took this beautiful Halloween sunset….perfect for ending one beautiful fall month and welcoming another….Good-bye October…Hello November!

So until tomorrow….May we rest assured that each period of time on earthly calendars are beautiful in their own way….and painted by the greatest Artist of All…our Creator! Here’s to a new month and new possibilities!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Now I have discovered another fact about my young wonderful neighbors…Luke and Chelsey….they are gourmet cooks. Look at this meal they brought me last night. OMG! My favorite foods all on one plate!

*Jo was “in the spirit” of Halloween when she dropped by yesterday leaving the most delicious muffins and chocolate eclaires from Perkins….Jo…I shared these desserts with Luke and Chelsey….so we all had a complete meal with dessert included! Thank you Jo!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

Dear Reader:

This cartoon pretty much sums up my day yesterday. I don’t have time or energy to explain further  ….let’s just say it was a long, painful day which would have been pretty downright disastrous except for Harvey, Doodle, and Lassie who chauffered me to my appointment, watched all the proceedings with my new wound vac…(now a part of me for at least a month…wherever I go it goes.) The ‘Terrific Trio” also persevered at CVS until my pain meds finally arrived! They are my everyday heroes! I will love you forever!

(*When I forget to bring my new body part along… I know because the tubes coming out of the top of my pants jerk my pants down. I go nowhere without Hailey the Healer.)

Yesterday should have been Halloween ….pretty spooky with strange happenings that just added to an overall uncomfortable day. I know I will adjust to having another “body part” attached to me but it will take time and patience. Just keep holding my hand God!

Roz VanAlstyne sent me a fall picture of Indiana…a little out from their present home. It is beautiful…but like most of the rest of us she said fall has come late and will only be “in season” for probably about a week this year. Sometimes we appreciate beauty like this for its fleeting brevity.

Halloween didn’t come a day early at Jake’s pre-school…but it was western day and the cutest little cowboy showed up for it.

I am beyond sad that I am missing my first Halloween trick or treating with the grandchildren but “Hailey” (wound vac) and I have to have some time to figure out showers, dressing, bathroom techniques and many other obstacles together before I can leave the premises. We need time to bond.

So until tomorrow…Thank goodness today is a new day filled with hope that soon “All this will pass” and dim into a distant memory…one in which I traveled through once and prayerfully won’t have to travel again.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Leaving you with a smile today for Halloween….Happy Halloween everyone!

Dear Reader:

It is really happening…”Big Red”s clone (“Little Red”) has a bud that is oh, so close to opening…a hint of red is peeking out. When Luke saw it he ran back inside to bring the whole pot to show me. Today should be the day when the first bud completely opens. It is a special day on so many different levels!

“Big Red” my magical healing geranium who lived an entire decade on the white bench on my front porch has been missed, not only by me, but neighbors and friends driving by the house. Cars have stopped to ask me where “Big Red” was….but now he isn’t dead any more…he has returned as “Little Red” cloned from one successful root transplant. It just takes one! Thanks Chelsey for your diligence is saving the last root system…in order for “Big Red” to live on.

This picture was taken last November….it is hard to believe “Big Red” looked so healthy then…

So the little red geranium (soon to be “Big Red”) is already teaching me about life and perseverance. My feelings lately have been like an elevator…up and down…but it is during these transitional, uncertain times that faith must take precedence over feelings….especially when our feelings are complex, torn, and ambiguous.

“Faith will see you through”….Grandmother Wilson always taught me and she was right…when everything else fails and we go through dark days it is faith that will send the light of healing, comfort, and compassion to us in our wearied state.

Yesterday was definitely not a wearied state. 🙂 It was just the opposite…a day filled with smiles, plants, flowers, food, and happy, joyful people…the most potent medicine of all.

Doodle came over to change the bandages (I plan on nominating her for sainthood)…then Michael Salvo, my wonderful friend, brave firefighter and lawn maintenance expert came in…and before he started on the yard he gave me this beautiful indoor plant. So kind! Thank you Michael! Great conversations!

While Doodle, Michael, and I were still chatting….Brooke, my “soul” sister by friendship and love, arrived bringing a whole bouquet of fall flowers. The Happy Room just kept getting happier.

We had this wonderful chicken/vegetable chowder for lunch…just perfect for the day. Brooke, also, brought along  the best chocolate dessert I have ever tasted! Manna from heaven! Thank you sister of mine!

Later in the day Gin-g stopped by after school where she is helping out this week .. bringing me two kinds of soup, bread, and cookies. I mean really…how spoiled I am? Who needs a car with friends like these?

(Actually me…am getting very restless…a little stir-crazy! 🙂

My neighbor Vickie stopped by to bring me my mail, which she has done every day since I have been pinned down to the recliner and we had such fun talking and oohing over “Little Red.” My other neighbor , Luke, put in new light bulbs for me (What is it… Murphy’s Law that if one light bulb goes out it takes three with it?)….symbolic of  all the light that my friends brought with them, yesterday, inside to make my Happy Room beam with joy!

Doodle and I are heading out this morning to the Comprehensive Wound Center again…with the wound vac machine….to see what is the next step in the procedure. Please say a prayer that whatever it is with this “instrument”…it’s not complicated or more isolating for me to get around.

So until tomorrow…We humans have fickle feelings but God’s faith never wavers…always steady faith over mixed feelings.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Lynn Gamache sent these beautiful pictures from Canada…British Columbia where she resides….and I have come to the conclusion that if we really want to see fall in all its beauty…we need to plan a trip to Canada in the fall! Thanks so much Lynn for sharing your beautiful British Columbia….your fall is what we all dream about but seldom see here.

Lynn said that the adorable young woman in the photo is Hungarian 16 year old Lilla from Tapolca.

Happy Birthday to my amazing friend, Anne Peterson, who took retirement as her second lease on life and has never looked back (Life Pt II) paint, wonderful artist, and how to fiddle ….even joining a band….all these hidden talents revealed with her second chance doing life her way under God’s Guidance!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was such a lovely day. Tommy and his friend, Haynes, participated in a fundraiser golf game for one of Tommy’s golf mentors when he was learning the game back in high school…Tommy Cuthbert. Cuthbert was a Summerville “Treasure” to so many people throughout his life and helped so many others along their personal paths. The tournament was held at Miler…just a street away from where I live…very convenient.

Kaitlyn and the dogs joined the crowd too….but unlike Tommy and Haynes who were playing… my daughter-in-law worked…HARD… cleaned the floors, put up dishes, washed clothes, watered the garden, picked fresh flowers…you name …she did it.

Kaitlyn, thank you so much for going way overboard in your generosity…the house, as well as myself, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Tommy brought me back a Breast Cancer Golf Towel from the tournament….thanks Tommy…I always need another towel.

Kaitlyn also asked if I would like to take a ride and cut through some neighborhoods to look at Halloween decorations and what fall foliage there is-on the way to the Post Office to mail some letters. I was thrilled…finally I was outside….my foot propped up on a pillow on the middle console from the back seat and off we went. The theme music from “Driving Miss Daisy” ran through my mind. 

Looking out my front window from my chair….this scene looks like there are some spirits floating around my front yard….just the light…making the sun sparkle and the glass reflect back inside.

A Glance of Summerville from the Tea Farm to a Minion family Halloween celebration

Impatiens growing out of logs….and who needs a guard dog when you have a gigantic spider in your front yard?

You lowcountry readers were right the other day…Fall is very late in coming…perhaps Thanksgiving?

And now here are a few pictures you sent depicting Fall this year…it means something different for everyone.

Thanks Janet Bender of “Home Sweet Home”…the Autumn Spirit is in you! Adorable!

Cindy Ashley and her husband, Dennis, traveled to Paris a few short weeks ago to celebrate a benchmark anniversary…and this is one photograph Cindy took of Paris in Fall. What a trip for the memories!

Libby told me that Saturday night in Columbia was football night and her family are enthusiastic Gamecocks….so fall jackets (for the first time this year) were needed…a perfect fall-feeling football night with family and friends must have worked.  USC won!

Betsy and her daughter Rebecca!

Family Dog Gallery…they all fit right in…they napped while I did and poor Kaitlyn was ‘going to town’ cleaning….my floors thank you sweet Kaitlyn!

If you haven’t sent in a fall photo of a special picture or a pretty scene around your house or neighborhood or country…please do and keep sending them on in….if you sent one later in the day (yesterday) I may not have gotten to it….but I will and it should be in tomorrow’s blog post. Loving them!

We can learn a lot from Fall…it is a wonderful metaphorical season for change and self- knowledge. I love the following paragraphs I read by Nicolas Cole. It is so true.

Self-Knowledge Is Worth More Than Personal Achievement

Such a difficult lesson, and one that must be practiced diligently throughout the entirety of one’s life: the difference between contentment and achievement.

You can immediately tell when you meet someone which category they fall into. They either emit a genuine confidence to pursue their goals for self-exploration, or they emit an ego-based confidence rooted in personal achievement. I’m not telling you to not set goals and achieve them. I’m asking you to be aware of where your sense of self-worth comes from.

If you pursue things in the name of personal achievement, you will never be fulfilled —and I say this from experience. True fulfillment is calm, and motivated only by creative freedom — a desire to further understand yourself and your craft. Personal achievement is fleeting. And so, in order to both “achieve” externally and find a sense of fulfillment and happiness, you have to keep a close eye on which is which.

Otherwise, do you know what’s going to happen?

You’re going to climb that big mountain in front of you, grind your face off to reach the top, and before you’ve even taken in one single deep breath and enjoyed the view, you’ll notice the next mountain and think, “Oh, actually I haven’t achieved anything — I must need to climb that mountain, too!”

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So until tomorrow…Like the children’s story “Abigail, the Reluctant Leaf” we all have to know when to let go of personal ambition…and find the sense of contentment (over achievement) we have so wanted.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Anne has blooms from her Confederate roses and made a sketch of their beauty…and they are beautiful!

Dear Reader:

I want to thank all of you who reassured me (through your texts and emails) that (especially here in the lowcountry)  fall has not fallen, leaves aren’t turning…autumn is waiting on me to be able to go outside. I loved it….so this year November will be my favorite month! What a fun twist on fall’s perception.

And then Anne had an idea! If I couldn’t go outside to savor the sights and scenery of autumn…why not bring these sights inside to me…through photos….So come with me and let’s see fall through Anne’s eyes  in her neighborhood and her beautiful photos. Thank you so much Anne…you creative artist and wonderful friend!

She also asked us to ‘find the pumpkins that were carved too early in the photos.’ (That happens a lot around here when we have summer temperatures through most of October!)

These photos took my breath away but they also gave me an idea…if you have a minute and can take a fall picture where you live…I would love for you to send it to me and we will put the photos on the blog as they arrive for everyone to see the differences in fall across the country and even in foreign countries. Put you name and location with the picture so we can all travel vicariously through you.

The bandage change went better yesterday as far as any pain…Doodle has it down to a fine art…I have just a little throbbing around my ankle but nothing like this past Thursday and all the redness around the wound is slowly disappearing which it a very good thing!

So until tomorrow…Thank you also readers for your prayers while I am undergoing this latest health challenge….I know you are praying with all your heart and I thank you (from the bottle of my heart) for it! John Bunyan once wrote:

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”  (Amen!)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

John, Mandy, Eva Cate, and Jake came over late yesterday afternoon bringing delicious John-made chili…perfect for the temperatures yesterday and the overcast skies. The grandchildren always bring instant joy and liven up a very quiet house…more so lately….Dee…Eva Cate loved the mask!

Jakie was all into his firetruck/Hess truck…every time I asked him to move it to one side so I could see his whole face without the ladder…he moved both himself and the truck…so here’s a little of Jake!

The funniest comment came from little Jake….I had given him a storybook about a little girl who couldn’t sleep because her stuffed animals kept her awake…and it took her so long to get all three animals asleep so she could go to sleep.

Jake is the notorious “non-sleeper” grandchild who can creatively come up with 100 excuses why he can’t go to sleep….so I thought he would jump right in if I asked him if his “Rabbit” was the one who talked too much and wouldn’t let him sleep.

He gave me the strangest look and then very seriously commented…after a pause and a ponder ….“No Boo Boo… Rabbit doesn’t keep me awake talking…he’s a “stuffie” and “stuffies” can’t talk.”  

And with that good-night to one and all. 🙂

Dear Reader:

The rains came down yesterday but the pain in my foot stopped while I slept Thursday night…Hallelujah! And even when Doodle helped me put on that pressure legging…it didn’t start hurting. Whew…an answer to my prayers! My day felt sunny…no matter the weather.

I was talking to Mandy yesterday and I told her that the worst thing about this recent health set-back (that bothered me the most) was that I was missing October…my favorite month of the year!

I feel just like Anne of Green Gables…God gave us this beautiful month to remind us how much He loves us. He went crazy with His art…falling red, yellow, orange, tan, blue, and green leaves all around our yards, gardens, and woods. Bursts of vibrant colors that make us feel so alive with happiness and joy to be simply here to take it all in.

I am basically confined to looking out two windows…the one in my Happy Room (den-in my recliner with stacked pillows and my foot peeking out at the top ) and these days, for only a few short minutes, out my side window by my computer.

October is growing closer and closer to its most beautiful state…yet I have a very limited vision of it. So every time I have an appointment…I do relish the time outside just viewing the world as we drive to and from the doctor’s office.

On the way home yesterday from some lab work done at the Charleston Cancer Center (and a flu shot) Doodle and I discovered where the “Scarecrows on the Square” were hiding out.

Normally schools and businesses all compete for different categories of the best-themed Halloween displays…but this year Hutchinson Square is undergoing a renovation and is still under construction so the ‘scarecrows’ are located back a street on Cedar (empty lot) not far from Timrod Library and St. Luke’s Lutheran church.

Doodle was sweet enough to let me grab some snapshots, mainly from the car, enough to satisfy my Halloween spirit….the closest I have come to it this year. I obviously love the dolphin…saving a green pumpkin floating in a wave behind him. And everyone loves a good old dinosaur…they might be extinct but their popularity lives on!

I got “tired” just looking at the gal rolling the tire…and the Rollins art school decided to “Scream” about their presentation.

I really am trying to be good and stay seated with my feet propped up…but it isn’t easy….I think I have every Hallmark movie memorized along with the re-runs of other favorite channels I watch. I am getting really BORED. And I just found out I am being sent a Wound Vac...never heard of it but my doctor must have ordered it and it is supposed to arrive tomorrow…UPS. I imagine it is not exactly a fun “surcie.”

My predicament reminds me of the old Hitchcock film with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly…”Rear Window.” The plot was about a professional photographer (Stewart) who breaks his leg and is confined to a wheelchair… with his leg in a cast stuck up in the air.

He lives in a New York apartment building and out of sheer boredom he starts looking at all the activity going on with his neighbors daily comings and goings…using his photo lens and telescope. Harmless fun until he suspects a husband murdered his wife and buried her in the front yard temporarily.

Nothing that exciting going on ….(thank goodness) but then we did have a car thief steal my car right out of my driveway….mainly I just watch the birds and hear the chickens and dogs occasionally…one day soon (hopefully) I can regain my visa to the outside world.

So until tomorrow…For all of you who can get outside…please do so for me and welcome each new pumpkin to their biggest party of the year….growing and glowing to show off on one dark night… to the glee of small children everywhere! Tell each pumpkin the “Boo” says “Hey There Pumpkin!” I sure do miss you!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh