Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

My morning glories never got the ‘office email’ telling them they could stop blooming now. Just like they didn’t get the earlier notification that due to their name…they only had to bloom in the morning.

Because of this my morning glories have bloomed all day and even night…pulling 24/7 shifts since they were planted back in May. In three more days it will be December and still they bloom and bloom and bloom. Even the ‘close call’ early morning temps in the thirties haven’t slowed them down a bit. (or my forgetful watering patterns this late in the season)

They are simply concentrating on each moment of each day without going “big picture” and getting distracted by general rules of morning glory expectations according to other “experts” in the field.

In the little book magazine Bits & Pieces (Thanks Jo for my copies) I came across an interesting concept created by Sir William Osler, the great Canadian physician in 1909. While traveling on an ocean liner one day, a warning alarm sounded. Immediately all the watertight compartments slammed tight below deck. Sir Osler had an instant epiphany. By focusing solely on one day’s work and shutting out other thoughts, it would be possible to get a day’s work done without losing focus about worries in the future.

Dr. Osler suggested that we draw a circle around one 24-hour period of time. Determine what we can do in that time and then don’t bother our mind with worries about any other outside (the circle) projects. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

In other words instead of just circling the date…circle the whole box…and write in the items that you wish to accomplish that day.

An example of how this principle can be effective in our lives is shown through this shared anecdote. Dr. Osler heard a story about a tourist visiting a cathedral where an artisan was working on a huge mosaic. A vast empty wall was before the artist, and the tourist asked, “Aren’t you worried about all that space that you need to fill  and how you will ever finish it?”

The artist said simply that he knew what he could reasonably accomplish in a day. So each morning, he marked off the area he would complete. He didn’t allow himself time to worry about what lay outside the marked off area. He just took one day at a time, knowing one day the mosaic would be finished.

One night a freeze will kill the morning glories… ending this long and productive season they have experienced. But until then… my morning glories just seem to to keep blooming and blooming bringing awe and wonder to those who seek strength and find beauty abound.

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Last night I just happened to be surfing channels when I saw that the state Christmas Tree Lighting was on. The music from the various groups of students and musicians, including Ft. Jackson military instrumentalists, was absolutely fantastic!

As I watched and listened to the children’s carolers (“The Carolighting Children’s Choir”) I remembered that Libby’s oldest grandchild…Hailey had made the all-state children’s chorus so I quickly texted Libby and sure enough she was performing and the family was there supporting her.

This beautiful music definitely captured time in each note. *Libby said it was even more wondrous ‘upclose and personal.’ It made me proud to be South Carolina citizen. Such talent! Way to go Hailey!

Left to Rebecca, Libby, *Hailey, Keely, Rhett, and Collin.

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Rebecca, Betsy, and our performer (last night) Hailey (on the right)

Dear Reader:

I remember in one class (which all in-coming female freshman students were required to take at Erskine College, we were taught all kinds of  ‘how to be a lady’ and to ‘conduct ourselves properly’ instructions. Things like setting tables, conducting ourselves at different functions, dressing suitably for the occasion, make-up, manners, etc. *AND the art of writing thank you notes,  especially responding within an appropriate amount of time and  including tastefully expressed messages.

Little did I realize this past Saturday, while going to the mailbox, that the cards awaiting me inside, would prompt me to do something long overdue…thank people for extended thoughtfulness year after year after year.

Three cards spoke to me because every year they arrive within a day or two of each other and every year I promise myself I am going to return a Thanksgiving or Christmas card back to them. Unfortunately, every year goes by and to date I have never reciprocated. (I am a flop at sending Christmas cards. Good intentions but it seems like the season always gets away from me too soon.)

All three of these people (actually four-one is a couple) aren’t people I know closely. I know them through extended family or past district teaching experiences or through state social studies conferences and leadership panels. Upon reflection I haven’t physically seen any of these card senders in decades…but yet each of them played a role in my family or career or spiritual development. They all deserve a long overdue thank you card.

I decided to consult a thank you note writing guide and I thought the circumstances they cited for prompting a return thank you note fell under my present category of card senders.

You might want to send a thank you for a card when:

♦ You are touched or otherwise impressed by the card. This could happen if you’ve received a birthday card for the first time as an adult. Perhaps your own immediate family does not send birthday cards. Then you get married or start dating someone. There may be people in the significant other’s family that start sending you a birthday card each year. If you are moved by this, by all means, send a thank you note card. This will also let the sender know that the card was appreciated and impacted you.

I realize today that all three senders’ annual cards have impacted me…not necessarily as much from the written message inside but simply more for the fact that I am never forgotten on their Thanksgiving or Christmas list.

In fact…now I can count on these cards arriving right at Thanksgiving or the day after….two of these senders start my Christmas season each year with their cards. If I didn’t receive one I would be sad…afraid something had happened to one of them.

I am not going to use names but let me give you a brief overview of the senders’ back grounds starting with the annual Thanksgiving card.

It is always hand-made (in the sense that it is created on the computer.) The card says it is made especially for each sender. There is usually a touching quotation, along with pictures of flowers from this amazing woman’s garden. We share this love and delight together. This year a 2018 pocket-size calendar was included…some years even small packets of flower seeds have been contained within the envelope .

What makes this sender truly amazing is that she has fought severe health problems since I have known her…yet she always showed up for every district board meeting to address the concerns of teachers and other pertinent matters in education. She was the champion of overall teacher improvement and better communication/resource opportunities.

We came to know each other through fellow educators and coursework we shared together. The more I was around her…the more I appreciated her admirable consistency in helping teachers, as well as, her students.

Today this amazing woman’s life is pretty restricted due to her on-going health issues…but she still reaches out every year to share and give to others the blessings she, herself,  acknowledges each year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for including me in your “list.” I am honored. I hope I expressed this in my card back to you this year.

It is always a contest between the next two senders as to whose Christmas card arrives first…one is from a couple from extended family on the Dingle side and the other contender is from a man who ran the State Social Studies program for several years when I served as a Social Studies Specialist for the district.

This year the couple’s card has arrived first. I can not begin to count the number of years I have received a card from them…even after the divorce. These type of cards are rare after a marriage dissolves and that is why it always means so much to me to still be included in their Christmas list. So this year I wrote back (finally) to let them know… just this.

My social studies friend loves Santa cards and each year I have saved some of my favorites over the years to attach to my Christmas tree. I look forward, excitedly, to see what each year’s Santa will look like. They are always exquisite. I can’t help but feel that the sender’s true self shows up each year as Santa…every year at this time of year.

A big thank you to this individual who supported me at the state level with the district social studies program…he was a huge help to me during those years. I wrote a  thank you to him for his role as a special Santa helper to me when I certainly needed it.

So until tomorrow…If you know of someone who has sent a card that deserves a heartfelt message back….don’t worry about getting caught up in a crazy “Thank you” for a “Thank you” card cycle. Some thank you’s just stand alone and on their own. Those are my special messages of thankfulness.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Another walk, another beautiful day! I would love it if anyone out there recognizes the first two trees I took a photo of….they are quickly losing their leaves…one is gigantically tall….Vickie didn’t know their names but thought they were both the same type of tree. Whatever the name…they are beautiful!

I have always wondered what the difference between a sasanqua and camellia is…one source told me that the time of year they bloom is one sure way to tell them apart…the sasanqua blooms now…late fall and early winter. Camellias bloom in late winter and early spring…camellia blooms are larger and somewhat more “stately” than sasanquas. But both are breath-taking.

The sasanqua bushes around the neighborhood are old and huge like this one….

Eva Cate and Jakie were ready for Thanksgiving reflecting on the indigeneous people who lived here before the explorers….By the end of Thanksgiving weekend they were sitting on Santa’s lap…such are the holidays. (*Psst! I hear tell that Jakie didn’t scream when he saw Santa this year for the first time…I am waiting on the pictorial evidence!) Tigger…I love your new look…quite debonair!

Dear Reader:

“Big Red” the geranium is having to share the spotlight with “Big Red” the Bradford Pear. Every day another  section of the tree turns…brilliant orange/reddish colors. I took my Iphone yesterday, (in the early afternoon when the sun’s rays are hitting it so delightfully) and took this “shot.”

As I stared up through the branches underneath all I could see was the colors of green, orange, red, and cobalt blue from the sky staring down at me. I just wanted to go get a blanket and lay under the tree all afternoon.

But little Maggie and Vickie were waiting on me to walk and Vickie said she had something to show me before we left… to come over to her back yard and see the surprise. Vickie and her granddaughter, Christy, had picked out this year’s Christmas tree, a beautiful balsam fir. Christy wanted to help select it before she returned to college. In this particular Christmas Tree lot each tree is given a name and that is what Vickie wanted to show me…the name of their tree this year. Look!

That was so sweet! I just love it! I can hardly wait to see it  decorated in all its beauty. Thanks girls!

How many of you remember squirming under your Christmas tree as a child…not just to shake presents but to lie on your back and look up at the different world the colored lights form together on the branches?If we squinted our eyes…the colored lights began to blur and create a fantasy world fit for fairies and imaginary toy lands.

My other observation has to do with leaves and their unique time-table for turning colors and then finally letting go…falling off the tree. For example, there I have my Bradford Pear peaking at just the right time and then the grandchildren’s Japanese Maples finally letting go of their beautiful leaves. Thanksgiving day the cold and rain took its toll. Each piece of nature intuitively knows when to “hold” and to “fold.”

Here is Lachlan’s maple the day before Thanksgiving and the day after…

…and Jake’s Japanese Maple…before and after Thanksgiving

Nature doesn’t have a “date” book to carry and mark when it should peak and mark when it should go dormant…not according to human calendars…they simply do what their intuition tells them.

Wouldn’t we all be better off if we didn’t have to follow clocks, watches, calendars, and “date/deadline” notebooks? I will have to say that since retirement there are days when I wake up and have to stop/think a moment what day of the week it is.

It is the most lovely dilemma in the world! Every day that is wide open for me is my favorite day. I love to lay in bed a little longer on those days and create my own personal daily calendar…filling it in with visits to friends or checking on friends or walking in the park or eating some delicious dessert in secret or musing in the garden…whatever my heart tells me.

Yesterday I walked around my garden and laughed at how wisteria and other weeds can give off the most beauty this time of the year. Many of the summer/fall plants have called it a season and the vines have come to co-habitate the surrounding areas. Instead of making the fading plants look worse…they give them one last glimpse of beauty.

Some of the mums that I thought were just going to dry up before the buds would open are now at their most beautiful.

A friend and I went to Castillo’s to grab a pizza before all the games started yesterday and they had been decorating for Christmas. When we commented how cute each table was with an empty beer bottle dressed up as a reindeer or the Grinch, etc. the owner told us to pick out two we liked and take home since we were frequent diners. Too sweet!

And then on the way home…the ginkgo tree had finally come into its crowning glory…absolutely gorgeous.

Happiness is a fetching fall day crowned in the glory… “For the beauty of the earth.”

So until tomorrow…If you are having trouble finding beauty or happiness around you…try looking at life upside down.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Several occurrences popped out at me today to lead me in the direction of beautiful wild flowers growing in seemingly unlivable conditions.

I caught the last part of a documentary on one of the cable stations on the Burren… the rocky, limestone terrain near Balyvaughan where Anne and I stayed almost four summers ago. In all the cracks and crevices of the limestone beautiful flowers, like the one in the title photo,  bloom, especially beautiful in the pastures around the Burren in May and early June…Spring Gentian. Just breathtaking!

When you first see the Burren (Irish root word mean rocky) you assume  no flowers or very few could survive and grow in such a hostile environment. But Mother Nature always find a way. The surrounding fields are filled with these beautiful blue wild flowers.

The documentary took my memory right back to that wonderful trip to Ireland and the surprising beauty of the Burren. It is amazing how flowers can exist on this planet in the most hostile setting we can imagine…it almost looks like some kind of defiant act when we witness their blooms…but the more I think about it…it is God’s way of showing us hope when we feel overwhelmed in our own environment some days. So no matter where we are planted or live…we all can bloom right where God placed us.

As my mind was working along those lines of thought Word Press sent me a notification that another blogger was now following Chapel of HopeStories. I am always curious when this happens and the blogger turned out to be a “Physicist Learning Photography.”

Now I was getting “curioser and curioser.” So I went to this blogger’s site and discovered the most amazing photos and pictures. His name is Kiril of Kirilson Photography...a resident of Sofia, Bulgaria. Earlier this year he took a Northeastern Road Trip to the Black Sea Coast. As a photographer he had set a final goal on the spring journey (along the Black Sea Coast) for photographing the wild peonies that grow there…especially in May.

Kiril wrote about this photo: “And here are the legendary wild peonies, hidden in the bushes among the other spring flowers. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any wild peonies growing right next to the cliffs in order to get the best photo possible, so maybe I should think about a second try next year.”

I find myself wanting to travel this world through my new friend, Kiril, vicariously seeing these beautiful flowers in the most amazing places. Thank you Kiril for initiating this connection. (*If you are interested in learning more about Kiril and his physicist/photography adventures, see the video/photos on this beautiful journey.)

kirilson photography – the stories behind the pictures, and vice versa

Trust

A group of botanists were searching in the Alps for rare flowers. A very fine specimen was spotted on a small ledge of rock that could only be reached with a lifeline. The job was far too dangerous for the inexperienced botanists, so they summoned a local shepherd boy who was familiar with the terrain. They offered him several gold coins to climb down the rope and retrieve the rare specimen. 

Although the boy desperately wanted the coins, he feared the job was too dangerous. Several times he peered over the edge of the cliff, but he couldn’t see any safe way of getting to the flower. Besides, he would have to place his trust in the hands of strangers who would be holding his lifeline. 

Suddenly, the boy had an idea. He left the group for a few moments, then returned holding the hand of a much older man. The shepherd boy then ran excitedly to the edge of the cliff and said to the botanists, “you can tie the rope under my arms now. I’ll go into the canyon as long as you let my father hold the rope.”

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So until tomorrow…Thank you God for new friends and new experiences right at home. Having the blessing of you for Someone we can always count on and trust makes new adventures even more exciting!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Today is Susan Cadwell’s birthday! Happy birthday to you and my two adorable nieces Carrie and Catherine! The “Gobble Gobble” birthday gals!

The Big Game is today! I pray there are no injuries and the players support their teams with good sportsmanship that reflects well on our mutually beloved state. With all that said and done…As Rutledge screams: “Go Tigers!”

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was everything I longed for….a gray cloudy (and later rainy) cold day…a day to stay inside and count one’s blessings. And this Thanksgiving I have so many blessings to count. A day that called for my first fire in my fireplace of the season. What is it about a fire that brings such peace and serenity…whatever it is it worked…I stayed in a semi-conscious state most of the day.

I had told my brother to just sleep in today because I was planning on doing as little as possible…he took me at my word…and didn’t wake up until 10:30.

It was a day for parade watching and games. Calls, texts, and emails to and from family and friends wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

We made a spur of the moment decision to bundle up and go see “Murder on the Orient Express”….the visual beauty of the scenery in this movie is breath-taking. How I wish I could ride on such a train with all the finery and cuisine available….Amtrak leaves a lot to be desired. Another time…perhaps.

I didn’t warm up left-overs until almost four and left-overs always seem to taste even better the second time around.

A daily devotional that pops up occasionally on my email had popped up Tuesday but I didn’t have time to read it until yesterday. It made me laugh. All holidays bring certain amounts of fun and joy to family/friend gatherings but also, as we have all experienced, a certain amount of craziness too. *Thanks Jay for this devotional…you make us all feel better for our wonderfully crazy families… of whom we are one!

Devotional Dailies

an original devotion by Jay Milbrandt, author of They Came for Freedom

Fly-Overs…The Stories We’ve Missed

Thanksgiving offers us an annual pause from the pace of life return to places we do not often visit and gather with people we do not often see. Indeed, I live in what some call a “flyover state” — Minnesota — a placed that many visitors fly over while hopping coast to coast. I know that it takes a Thanksgiving-like event to bring people here — often reluctantly.

We also have “flyover verses” — obtuse lists of names, places, and pedigrees that make for good skimming and quick page-turning. These genealogies appear to be intended for another time and place, where the names meant something — perhaps a millennias-old precursor to Facebook’s “Mutual Friends.”

Thanksgiving can not only be a return to our flyover states, but a reason to seek out these flyover verses.

Take this list from Matthew chapter 1 and carefully study it. Read every name as if it’s the first time you’ve seen them. If you can, print it out these names and circle the ones you recognize.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. — Matthew 1:2-16

You likely identified several patriarchs of the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. You also likely recognized other stars of the Old Testament, including Boaz, Solomon, and Rehaboam.

The list calls out five women: Tamar, Rehab, Uriah’s wife (a.k.a. Bathsheba), Ruth, and Mary. While many of us are familiar with these names, these women are a curious addition to this patrilineal genealogy. While their names do not become branches, the author clearly views their inclusion as important. These women are known for various reasons, including incest, prostitution, adultery, being an outcast, and of course, giving birth to Jesus Christ.

Some of the lesser-known, down-list names are equally intriguing. In the generations following Solomon, seven of the men did evil in the eyes of the Lord — turning away, worshipping other Gods, or worse. At least five of names on the list were, for a portion of their life, considered refugees of political or religious persecution. And, several of the men were forced or sold into slavery.

In short, this list contains some of the most notorious names in the Bible — the worst of the worst. But, of course, it also contains some of the Bible’s most celebrated heroes.

Finally, I’ll ask the obvious, but most important question: What is this list?

It’s the lineage of Jesus. His family.

If you thought you had a messed-up family, look no further than that of Jesus.

Jesus’ family tree accounts for nearly every category of sin and dreadful human condition. It’s by no means a list of perfect people or the ideal family. Many of us might be embarrassed to call this our kin. Yet, while it’s tumultuous, there’s beauty in the chaos. The messiness reminds us that out of darkness and broken things spring forth in light and healing.

The author, perhaps, intended to send us this message. That message has, however, largely gotten lost to the curse of the flyover verse.

Thanksgiving, itself, is something of a flyover verse. In the past four centuries, we’ve commercialized and sanitized the story into one that is more legend than truth. I had simply glossed over the story until I traced my own lineage back to two of the Mayflower pilgrims. Then, I finally took the time to read the names and stories.

What I found was messy. The men and women who came on the Mayflower came as religious refugees and indentured servants. Once they arrived, they barely survived. Famine and disease claimed nearly half of them. Of those who did last through the first winter, some lived history-changing lives, others were complicit in acts ranging from murder to prejudice and deceit. It was messy and broken.

After uncovering this, I endeavored to tell the true, unvarnished story. When I put pen to paper, I found something spectacular. Out of brokenness and suffering came the vision for a new country founded on the idea of the freedom — particularly the freedom to worship. It took time, and patience.

God works through process, and sometimes this process can only be seen on a long enough timeline. By looking back, but not overlooking, we catch glimpses of God’s plan. Like beauty unfolding from the messy lineage of Jesus, we see the beauty unfolding in our nation, our families, and our own past.

This Thanksgiving, take a moment to pause and think about some of these flyover stories in your life, then consider what beauty might be unfolding from them.

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So until tomorrow…Think back on the memories of our ancestors and our families today….gathered for holidays and special occasions and remember that God has a plan in all of our genealogy…and one day it will be revealed to us. So for now…eat more turkey, laugh, and have a good time.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Last evening my home held family and friends just fine…because we divided and conquered switching sides throughout the evening. It was its usual array of loud talking, children laughing and crying, foods cooking and some burning…in other words it was another wonderful Pre-Thanksgiving Gathering. The Good, the Bad, and the Burnt.

Before I share some of the photos from last night…let me first share three of my favorite John O’Donohue’s blessings for this special day of thanksgiving.

1. “May you experience each day as a sacred gift,  woven around the heart of wonder.”

2. “Take time to see the quiet miracles that seek no attention”

3. “Keep something beautiful in your heart

to survive difficult times and enjoy good times.”

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On the whole the cooking preparations went quite smoothly…the turkey breast cooked exactly like it was supposed to and had a nice flavor, as well as, the ham. The dressing and casseroles all came out just fine…the rice and gravy did well, plus add in Doodle’s sweet potato pie and Susan’s h’oeuvres, red potato/stringbeans dish, and banana pudding for dessert..a feast fit for a king.

I should have known things were going a little too well…I put the rolls in and then showed Susan Swicegood the computer room where I had just cleaned up (purged)….suddenly I remembered “ROLLS!”  The smoke was already bellowing from the oven…no one on the other side had even detected anything so the rolls looked like 12 pieces of charcoal.

We opened windows and doors…and soon the puffs of black smoke were just a distant memory in comparison to everything else cooking away.

Mollie brought the boys over around 4:00 to try to avoid the holiday traffic which gave Rutledge and I time to play games… like look for the secret key and Junior Ranger (he gets Ranger Rick magazine now and is really into the environment.) He and Ben both showed off their caps…Junior Ranger and Purple Heart Recipient.

Mollie brought several flower arrangements left over from her “sprinkle” last week…the house was decorated in pretty flowers.

Today, Thanksgiving, is always a relaxed day following all the cooking, cleaning, and preparation for last evening. Rewards abound in the form of …wonderful left-overs, along with the Macy’s Parade, Dog Show, and football games. It will be even more so this year as I “hold up” and work on getting rid of this bronchitis. I finally have time to simply stop and drop…on the sofa!

So until tomorrow….Have a wonderful and safe holiday with friends and loved ones…looking for the “quiet miracles that seek no attention.” 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

While watering the garden yesterday I noticed these beautiful fall leaves growing in among the state flower, the Yellow Jessamine vine. It made me stop and put down the hose to go grab my Iphone and take a picture. More and more these days my eyes see things they never would have noticed in my earlier life.

I think what life takes away from us through the aging process…God embellishes through “different lens”  to allow us to see what we once overlooked.

Until yesterday a sort of black cloud seemed to have been hanging over me…In the past week my car has broken down, my comode on the B&B side has required major (expensive) surgery, and my oven quit heating or broiling. (unfortunately it involves more than just the two elements to replace and fix it)

On the bright side…since I have two apartments with two sets of appliances life goes on but only one car and my mechanic is closed until after Thanksgiving. So what happened? Friends and neighbors have “carted” me around and loaned me their cars for appointments and errands to the extent that I have hardly missed a beat. Thank you Lord for retired gracious, generous friends…Jane, Anne, Gin-g and Vickie! There is no way I could  have done it without you.

It was Gin-g’s drive, you might remember, that took me to the Charleston Cancer Center for a CT scan of my chest, stomach and pelvis. (It was the scan that required the yucky barium drink) You might also recall, however, that it ended up being so much better than I feared originally with the wonderful Sheila, lab technician, there to help me through it.

Yesterday it was my friend/neighbor, Vickie, who provided the “wheels” to “THE” appointment…to get the results. After all the “bad mojo” of late I was less than confident about the results. My stomach was in knots. Even if I had never had cancer I would have been nervous. I figured by this time in life… I couldn’t imagine all those x-ray pictures not finding something “off.”

Of course, my greatest fear, was that my cancer might have metastasized to other areas of my body…my lungs, liver, pancreas, stomach….you name it…my thoughts had gone there. After all this time what were the odds something hasn’t moved somewhere I didn’t give it permission to?

The uneasiness was also increased due to the sudden, unexpected transitional period I had been in since my long-time friend and trusted oncologist’s departure…for the last four months.

I had a long talk with God and turned it over to Him…this was so far out of my problem-fixing range that it was useless to even attempt to control any of the factors involved in this CT scan. And guess what? I slept soundly through the night and felt a calm, that no matter how the results went…it would still, somehow, be okay. And it was!

Dr. Jeter came in with a big smile and said she had some very good news for me. There was no sign that anything had metastasized! I almost fell off the examination table I was so relieved. (In fact a few spots were reexamined…They were not malignant but ended up being old scar tissues formed from extended radiation and other long-term effects from other treatments and medications.)

These “scars” are my medals of honor…a testimony to the trials, tribulations and love of life that propel me to continue fighting for it… fighting for family, children, grandchildren, friends and people I am still to meet.

I am cooking and getting ready for family and friends tonight with a joyous heart…a special Pre-Thanksgiving gathering to thank God for His continued support and love so I can continue loving those who will come after me. Amen.

So until tomorrow….Gratitude, Thankfulness, Love! I am so happy to be here to feel these emotions today!

“This is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*All my Japanese Maple “grandchildren” are in their most unique beautiful glory right now. Eva Cate, Rutledge, Jakie, and Lachlan!

And they are off….John, Mandy, Eva Cate and Jakie are off to Huntsville to spend Thanksgiving with WT and Joan! Have fun everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving One and All!

Dear Reader:

It is at this time of the year that I have to be extra careful when rounding the last curve into my neighborhood. I must have my window visors down and my sun glasses on. If not and if I am in late afternoon traffic when the sun’s rays sneak in right under the visors…I literally can’t see a foot in front of me until I stop to turn in.

It is a split-second scary feeling driving without any sense of visual direction right in front of you. I have never had a wreck but I have endured thoughts of plowing right into a car or truck around the bend. As much as I love late fall….the sun’s rays can be really challenging while driving.

While out with Vickie touring the neighborhoods yesterday….I saw this beautiful red Japanese Maple. It looked like a scene out of Moses and the burning bush. The sun’s rays were forming a halo effect around the tree. Breath-taking. So I grabbed my IPhone and clicked the photo.

When I went to enlarge and examine the photo more closely…two prisms of light were instantly seen on either side and then upon even closer inspection…another prism of light was falling in the middle….all the colors of a rainbow dispersed through the passage of the prism. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet. Look again closely!

While taking the  picture all I saw was the hovering angel-like halo of white above the tree and then suddenly there was another reality that could only be captured through a photo. Wow! So many mysteries await us in nature and technology.

It makes me happy when I can see how Mother Nature and Technology can work together to make life even more beautiful. For once something I did made such an enhancement to the stationary beauty of fall tree. It felt like…magic...was in the air!

I went to see my primary doctor yesterday (she worked me in as soon as I called) to see if she could expedite and speed up the recovery from this cough and congestion “stuff” I have had for over two weeks. My wonderful doctor immediately put me on an antibiotic 10 day plan and special prescription cough medicine along with my Flo-nase. I feel like a warrior armed for battle.

This “crud” for lack of a better word (my doctor calls it bronchitis) makes its appearance every year just about the same time…even the Ya’s are remembering I am always hacking through Jackson’s birthday each year.

Having just started yesterday on these medications…I am already feeling better with some antibiotics in me to help jump start my immune system. My white knight, Dr. Montoya, to the rescue again! Now bring on Thanksgiving!

My Bradford Pear is just now starting to turn those beautiful brilliant reds…hope the leaves will stay on the tree long enough to enjoy the complete show.

I told Vickie I had to keep lighting the photo lenses so everyone could find ‘Miss Maggie’ in her arms. Maggie and I both needed to walk and since we have joined Miss “Outdoor Neighbor Athlete of the Year” (Vickie) both Maggie and I are actually picking up the pace and practically prancing around on our daily walks. Let’s hear it for us gals who have ‘ripened’ but never “rotted.”

So until tomorrow: (My favorite Thanksgiving quote)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

No…I’m not jumping the season…I love Thanksgiving too much for that…but I read something by Madeleine L’ Engle in her book The Rock that is Higher that made me stop and reexamine myself again. (I need a lot more of that going on.)

I am as guilty as the next fella when it comes to judging people in certain criteria…I really don’t (as much as humanly possible) judge when it comes to issues like race, social status, education, gender…I am all for diversity and everyone getting a chance to follow their dreams.

Where I fall short (real short)  in my judgmental attitude is my dislike of mean people who hurt others, who are bias and prejudiced, condescending to those they feel are beneath them…the scoffers at religion and spirituality, people who simply are not kind but arrogant and self-absorbed…whose value system centers on monetary power through the accumulation of things…possessions, stuff. People who disregard the gift and  sacredness of life.

I realize now that in my judgment of these types of people I see, hear about, and even meet in my daily routine of life…that my judging reduces me to a lower status than what God intended.

It was simply one sentence in the recalling of the story of Jesus meeting His disciples after He had returned from the dead that brought about this important “aha” moment last evening.

Madeleine L’Engle: ” When Jesus came to the disciples after the Resurrection, he did not start the conversation with, “Why did you all abandon me? Why weren’t you with me when I needed you the most?”

Instead He said, ” Peace be with you.” Not one word of recrimination, but words of peace, comfort, and joy.

Wow! How powerful was that…how many of us could have said those words without striking back in hurt and disappointment…especially when the betrayal came from our closest friends (people we loved and trusted) who let us down at the most critical point in our life?

As ‘Engle continues she explains: “When I only see how wrong somebody is, or mistaken they are, then I am blinded to their being children of God, who are just as valued and treasured as those who more closely share my same set of values and beliefs.”

Only God can judge us…and in the end…His is the only judgement that matters. We need to try to pray for each other even when we disagree with each other. We are human creatures, each of us sharing in our humanness, but each one of us is also completely, uniquely different. Only God can see this so we need to leave it to Him when it comes to the final verdict.

Okay…my sermon is over…(a self-directed one)…because I realize now that a lot of the anguish, angst, and anger I feel at the direction our country and world is heading towards must be tempered with trust in God to see us through these tough times. There is absolutely no problem too big for Him….my prayer is for Him to show me the best way to conduct myself and stay on the true path that leads only in His direction.

So until tomorrow…May we all embrace tiding of comfort and joy this Thanksgiving remembering that all our friends and family members (yes, even that one) is, also, a member of the human race and a child of God. (If worse comes to worse…keep a drumstick handy to stuff in annual disruptive one’s mouth!) Gobble Gobble!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

More (almost) Thanksgiving pictures….Mother Nature is trying to get those leaves turned before they fall off….next year we need more rain! The first two I took at church and the last two on my neighborhood walk with Vickie and little Maggie the dog.

Mollie’s friends gave her a baby shower yesterday for number three- Eloise… their first little girl…but also the last member of the family..Mollie said she was happy but also a little sentimental.

And now on to my second daughter-in-love, it’s Kaitlyn’s birthday today! A special one for a special girl. We love you Kaitlyn! Happy Happy Birthday! So glad you got to celebrate in Miami…perfect timing!

Dear Reader:

One of the nicest thing that happened when I finally took on the “Goliath” task of cleaning out and giving away so many of my books that have accumulated over years…decades…was re-discovering the special stories/books I had long forgotten.

It has been a reunion of great pleasure to re-read some of the books (and stories within) I distantly remembered.  One such book was titled: Guideposts for the Spirit: Stories of Changed Lives.

One of the stories dealt with actor Beau Bridges, the oldest son of Lloyd Bridges, who many of us grew up with on the highly popular weekly series Sea Hunt.

Both Beau and his younger brother, Jeff, had roles in the weekly series. Lloyd Bridges played the role of “Mike Nelson”  a former U.S. Navy Frogman. After spectacular rescues and rounding up the “bad” guys trying to destroy the environment, “Mike Nelson” ended his episode with a lesson on protecting our seas and oceans. (I think we could use him again now, don’t you?)

However, the story in Guideposts for the Spirit centered on Lloyd Bridges’ oldest son and actor, Beau Bridges. (*You might remember that yesterday Madeleine L’Engle  reminded us:… And to be able to be childlike involves memory; we must never forget any part of ourselves… at any chronological age…)

In this story Beau remembers the day he understood what faith was all about…It had to do with shooting arrows. Beau remembers when shooting arrows was the favorite past time in his childhood growing up years…it was also the most dangerous.

He and his young friends all made their own arrows, gluing colored feathers to the ends and painting the shafts special colors so everyone could identify his own arrows. The boys would stand in a tightly knit group in the middle of a field, put an arrow on his bowstring, aim the arrow straight up in the sky and let it go. Someone would yell “Let’em fly!”

The object was to see which arrow landed the closest to them (without hitting them.) One day, after shooting the arrows in the air…the familiar zump, zump, zump was heard as they began returning to earth. One boy was yelling he won…his arrow came the closest to them. Everyone found his arrow, except Beau. He looked and looked but never could find it.

It was his favorite arrow and he was very upset but he had promised to help a friend cut a neighbor’s yard that day so he had no choice but to leave empty-handed. While he was cutting…he daydreamed about finding his favorite arrow.

On the way home he suddenly felt this sense of elation and started running as fast as he could for no apparent reason…he just felt energized. It was hot that day and a large oak tree was just ahead that could provide some shade when Beau sat down to rest…grateful for the coolness.

A breeze swept through the tree fluttering the leaves and Beau noticed that something black and white was fluttering too. There it was. The arrow! Two miles from where he had shot it.

He felt happy and bewildered at the same time. There was no way for him to shoot an arrow that far…did it get caught up in some wind currents? And why this tree…he rarely walked this way home…why did he choose it over other paths that were somewhat shorter. How did he happen to look up just at the right time to spot it?

As he pulled the arrow towards him a shiver ran down his spine. That was the moment Beau experienced his first intimation with God. For the first time in his young life…he had to accept something he couldn’t understand with sheer logic. He was in awe of it.

He started attending Sunday School and church more regularly and realized that his “arrow experience” was a tiny sample of what religion is all about.

“Faith in God is a mixture of mystery and awe; you cannot see or touch it; it requires only that we accept and believe.” 

So until tomorrow…Faith is taking the first step even when you don‘t see the whole staircase. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*It was a busy day for the Dingle families and their siblings…Mollie’s sister, Chelsey, gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Margot Elizabeth. I know she and little “Eloise” (to arrive shortly) will have wonderful times playing together…cousins rule!

Tommy and Kaitlyn few to Miami Thursday evening for a friend’s wedding and they are having a fabulous time…great hotel, warm sunny temps, chance to get on the water and of course the wedding!

*What a delightful surprise…I got three different colors of mums for the price of one! All the buds were closed when I bought this large basket of mums so I thought they were all yellow until just recently when the golden mums appeared and finally the cranberry mums….Thanksgiving is coming! Gobble! Gobble!