Bountiful Blessings

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Dear Reader:

The title picture was taken at the church where Ben gave his Veterans Day Presentation Friday at noon. The church put on a light lunch/brunch for the attendees (which was very nice) while Ben gave his message. Each table had been tastefully decorated with these center-pieces.

downloadI didn’t get back home again until almost seven o’clock last evening and as you can imagine when I got hit with the heart-breaking news about Clemson… I was suddenly drained in more ways than one…it’s been a rather tough week. *As heart-breaking as it was to watch…I am so proud of Clemson for playing to the end with heart. Love you Tigers!

Not-withstanding, however, I know I am blessed for everything that has transpired in my life these past few days and every other day in my life-time.

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To name a few of the most recent:

*An opportunity to keep grandchildren, see my brother fulfill a dream to help others through his story, share some time with my Ya friend, Libby, see the magic of James Island Lights with Jakie staring and Eva Cate squealing, go to a fundraising fun fair for Mandy’s school with the grandchildren and then conclude with a beautiful and moving Disney on Ice show.

Here are some photos from the past days….

img_4093-1Westminister Presbyterian Church, Conway, SC

Ben with his pastor…Rev Randy Riddle who is one of Ben’s greatest supporters and “encouragers.”

The “Ben” Team, as it has been called… is comprised of the key people helping Ben get his book together for publication.

 

 

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As Ben’s sister…a personal thanks to Kathy-L to R- (help on the publishing process) Libby (researching) and Dawn, or “Digital Dawn” as she is called by Ben…the wizard on the computer. Without these gals…I feel sure this book would still be out there in cyberspace some place. A dream without a destination. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

img_4084-2This event even brought in a fellow high school classmate/ graduate whom I haven’t seen since 1967! Jane Taylor Freeman…wow…six degrees of separation…we graduated from Laurens High School together!

 

Ben did a wonderful job with his presentation and received a standing ovation at the end!

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6e7128f23bb0d9052734755978d4f8f841fe2381Great job Ben! You are finally doing what you were supposed to do for decades…tell your story.

 

 

 

On the way home from Conway Friday afternoon I could hardly see for my eyes watering and the strange smokey air and glare all the way back to Mt. Pleasant…eerie and treacherous at the same time.

Checked on Honey to see how her and Mike’s home is faring….received this:

“Last weekend we were in Bryson City and the smoke was bad. Lake Lure is being evacuated and there are fires in Pickens on Pinnacle but not our Pinnacle. (Thank goodness!)

After I got back to Mt.Pleasant John, Mandy, the kids and I went to the opening of the James Island Lights for the schools’ artwork/postcards submissions. We were sad that Mandy’s students’ submission was missing some decorations that should have been there…disappointing to the students. (almost need a fence between the artworks and public apparently)

Delivered like this: (One student had the idea of turning a snowman into a “sandman” for a lowcountry Christmas…complete with beads and  fun sunglasses)….the last two items were missing when we arrived. Mandy said she got the students to  “Gorilla glue” everything on and checked it before the “card” left for James Island…it was not falling off without a lot of force.

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And then the children were so excited about riding the train and one train wasn’t working (which only left one that was) so we weren’t able to wait for over an hour and half with little Jakie, particularly, who so badly wanted to ride it, along with Eva Cate. Sorta frustrating…but again we take the good with the bad…such is life. They did ride the carousel and loved it.

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Because it was Veterans Day Friday evening the park was open to all veterans with a free pass and a small replica flag in each packet per car…Jakie loved our flag…sent this photo to Ben.

 

 

Yesterday morning we were off to a Fun Fall Festival (fund-raiser at Buist Academy)…I think the grand-kids definitely had more fun there  than at the “Lights”….lot of games, a cake walk, cut-outs, getting to see mommy’s classroom and a book fair.

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We dropped Jakie off for his nap and then Mandy, Eva Cate, and I were off for Disney on Ice. I think this is our third performance that we three have attended together and they just get better and better…we all agreed this one was our favorite…the props and special effects were just phenomenal! Mandy and I left in tears it was so sweet and the messages so good for children to hear.

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Eva Cate had won some sparkling stickers for her face at the school fair and she wore them to Disney on Ice quite proudly.

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So we came back…enjoyed some popcorn and some playtime and then Boo left to come on home to what I thought would be a wonderful finish to our weekend….watching the end of the Clemson game.

Still nothing can take anything away from the sights, sounds, experiences shared these past few days…family and friends are remembered long after games become a distant faded memory.

So until tomorrow…If the sun doesn’t come up today or tomorrow…we can all rejoice in the rain we so badly need…covered either way!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

thumbnail_img_4134*Eva Cate and her best friend, Isabelle, who attended four years of pre-school together (but now go to separate elementary schools)…bumped into each other at the fund-raiser at Buist and hugged in delight at the sight of each other again …as only little girls can do!

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A Family Event Revealed: A Special Day

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Dear Reader:

So much happiness! Tommy and Kaitlyn have decided that May 6, 2017 will be their wedding day. It will be a small family wedding on the beach and I couldn’t be happier!

Even though we lost our little Rudy…as you can see he is still delivering the good news. The postal service outfit Rudy wore was one of his favorites so it worked out perfectly to use it to announce the joyful tidings of Tommy and Kaitlyn’s upcoming wedding… of which he was such a pivotal part.

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Rudy, you might remember, delivered the ring to Kaitlyn – it was on his decorated collar. Rudy was so loved…by both Kaitlyn and Tommy that from the ‘get-go’ their union included Rudy…the Three Musketeers.

 

 

 

 

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Tommy and Kaitlyn: Let me take a moment to tell both of you that I truly know this relationship was definitely an example of a God Wink and a promise to a mother…that love would come to her son and love arrived in the most beautiful package…inside and out…our dear Kaitlyn! Both of you understand the other at a deeper level than anyone else and see someone inside that is extraordinarily special. That, my loves,  is love.

May 6 can not come soon enough…the Boo will be there will “belles on her toes” and “laughter and love in her heart.”

Kaitlyn, I love the bracelet you just sent your mom….you made Susan’s day for sure.

 

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thumbnail_img_2903Susan’s reaction to the bracelet:

i got a silver box in the mail today which said it’s a gift for a special and important mother of the bride. just in case i ever forgot i was loved and the outside inscription says forever and always and inside it’s engraved remember i love you mom. what a special and loving daughter i have. love u kaitlyn

Here is a link to Tommy and Kaitlyn’s wedding website….lots of pictures and memories. Kaitlyn is ‘something else’ setting all this up…a force of nature…so talented!

Kaitlyn Swicegood and Tommy Dingle ‘s Wedding Website – The

I will be getting back in…later today. I ended up actually leaving Wednesday evening to head to Mt. Pleasant…Jakie’s daycare school closed unexpectedly and so Mandy and Mollie are scrambling looking for other options…. I helped out, for a few hours Thursday morning before leaving to go to Conway.

Tomorrow…I should be caught up and back in action.

Until tomorrow…Enjoy the weekend, relax and love life.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

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Daily Miracles at War

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Dear Reader:

It is Veterans Day and while you are reading this I am in Conway for my brother Ben’s presentation on his soon-to-be published book Grace Under Fire. Those gathered today will be family, friends, congregational members and veterans. It is a benchmark day for my brother…a dream drawing closer to its final unveiling.

I will be leaving Conway and going straight to Mt. Pleasant to accompany Mandy and family for the opening of the James Island Lights Spectacular…to see the artworks of the schools in Charleston County…including Mandy’s of course. Then spend the night and go to the Disney on Ice Show Saturday afternoon with Mandy and Eva Cate…returning home late Saturday afternoon. So Sunday’s blog will be a culmination of lots of photos from Ben’s presentation to the James Island Opening of the Light Show to Disney on Ice. Whew! Life is never dull!  Isn’t that wonderful?

For today, however, I wanted to share an excerpt from the book about one of the miracles Ben experienced soon after he arrived…a memorable birthday.

“The Chocolate Cake”

Chapter Three

…This is when a ‘minor miracle’ occurred.

While we were cutting back brush to create a place to sleep, two helicopters somehow found us and hovered to lower supplies since there was no place for them to land. My squad of about twelve men was getting ready for night activities. These would include such things as assigning and deploying listening posts. These were often one or two Marines staying awake in shifts throughout the night. Being surprised by a night attack while on an operation was not a pleasant thought.

While settling in, I was told that there was mail to be distributed. It was unusual in the middle of an operation to receive mail. Nevertheless, mail was always welcomed. My squad leader brought me a package that was fairly large and completely unexpected. What made it even better was that my package arrived on my twentieth birthday. Everybody was telling me to open it! I did and got the surprise of my life – it was a birthday cake! I found getting a birthday cake from my mom on my birthday in a jungle in Vietnam to be completely unbelievable! I thought to myself that absolutely nobody would ever believe this was happening!

In truth, it tasted just as if it had come out of the oven. The postmark indicated it had been shipped from the States nine days previously. I did not cry but I came close.

My mom was good about sending mail but this was unbelievable! My friends, including Jerry P, another fire team leader, were more than happy to help me eat the cake. None of my friends had ever heard of anyone receiving a birthday cake out here in the jungles of Vietnam. I took some time to silently thank my Mom and God for such an unexpected experience. The cake was big enough to feed our squad. What a day! What a miracle!

*This was the last birthday cake Ben’s best friend, Jerry, would eat…he would be killed in am ambush soon after this incident.

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So until tomorrow….Let us stop and thank a Veteran today for all they did and for all they symbolize. Like my brother, many have paid a very high price for freedom for all of us. Lord help us, that we can keep it now.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

 

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Grace Under Fire

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Dear Reader:

Today I am leaving to go to Conway to spend the night and attend a presentation Friday- Veterans Day- (by my brother at his local church) about his memoirs of Vietnam in his book called Grace Under Fire. My “Ya” friend, Libby, is also going…she has been instrumental in her research…helping Ben throughout the writing of his book. Libby…you are amazing!

I can think of no better way to spend Veterans Day than listening to Ben tell his story. It has been a long time coming…years of hiding behind a demeanor that blocked out questions on his service in Vietnam, bouts of aloofness, and emotional hindrances causing relationship failures due to his lack of trust in anything stable or normal.

My brother is sharing bits of his story to help others suffering from PTSD- Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder. He is doing what God saved him to do…It is an important benchmark day in Ben’s life.

Ben is hoping the book will be ready for distribution by Christmas…*I will keep you updated when it all comes to pass if you are interested in purchasing the book.

Here is the overview of it: Grace Under Fire: A Marine’s Fight for Life in War and Peace-  C.Ben Barbour

Overview:

Grace Under Fire is a powerful story of an American marine’s harrowing 13-months of combat in the Vietnam War – and his equally desperate battle against post-traumatic stress disorder in peacetime. From deadly, ferocious fighting in the jungles of Vietnam to bureaucratic battles with the Veterans Administration back home, Grace Under Fire presents the heart-rending and often overlooked drama endured by America’s Vietnam veterans. Amidst the heart-pounding moments of combat and the off-and-on agony of PTSD, author Ben Barbour consistently experiences the grace of God, leading him through the valley of the shadow and calling him to the light of salvation.

As a war memoir, Grace Under Fire is powerful in its realistic depiction of the gritty daily life of a combat marine in Vietnam, and is at times riveting in its description of the reality of combat – including the epic and tragic Battle of DaiDo in 1968. As a personal story, it is heart-rending in its deeply personal depiction of the struggles and suffering experienced by America’s Vietnam veterans in an often uncaring culture. As a testimony of faith, it is both memorable and inspiring!

The Author: Ben Barbour is a licensed psychologist and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, in which he served as a front-line rifleman and machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps. He is a retired school psychologist with 29 years of experience in educational positions in Iowa, North Carolina and South Carolina. Drawing from his personal experience with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and his professional training and experience, he has lectured extensively on behavior disorders. His articles have been published in Best Practices in School Psychology, The Communique and other professional journals, and he is a contributor to the book When a Child Struggles in School by Dr. Thomas Jenkins. His experiences in combat and his struggle with PTSD were instrumental in his professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is now retired and lives in South Carolina.

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Like the overview states…Ben’s book is a combination of the action and events he witnessed in Vietnam, but also, it is about the harder battle of re-entering society under the disguise of a “normal” person who feels anything but normal.

Here is a short excerpt from Chapter 8- It describes his initial denial about his fragile emotional condition upon returning home in 1969.

 “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”Hebrews 13:5

Chapter 8

Chasing the White Rabbit: The Power of Denial

The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps” — Proverbs 16:9

I attended the University of South Carolina, prior to entering the Marine Corps, and with those credits I was a student at Erskine College for about two and half years. Most of the male students were worried about the military draft…but that was one worry I did not share with my classmates.

*(Ben had already been to Vietnam when he returned to Erskine College where I and his younger brother, David, were attending…hard to believe that for over a year all three siblings were together again.) Now back to Ben…

Since some Biblical classes were required, I talked to some of the theology professors about what they thought God’s feelings were regarding killing and war. They seemed to have mixed opinions regarding the topic – “Is there a difference between killing and an act of murder?” I doubt God approves of war but if you read of the constant fighting as it occurs in the Old Testament – God is surely familiar with the concept and activity of war.

On one particular day, the weekly assembly prayer was conducted by a long-haired young man who petitioned God to forgive us for being in Vietnam and for all the destruction our country had brought to that country. I made sure that the school officials knew how I felt about the inappropriateness of the prayer. I made my point… without anybody getting hurt. However, that prayer really ticked me off and I made my point of view very clear.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Psychology and immediately got a job close to the town where my mother lived. I worked as a psychological counselor at a regional center for the Developmentally Disabled. I commuted from home to my workplace about twenty miles away.

Mom never brought up the subject of Vietnam although she knew that I was hiding the pain of bad memories, bad dreams, guilt and unexpressed anger. The anger was a genuine problem, which kept boiling and seeking an outlet. I was not on any medications and probably should have been.

I never discussed my involvement in Vietnam to anybody. If asked about my military service, I simply said that I was in the military and was in Vietnam and that was the end of the conversation. To me, what happened in Vietnam was not a topic for casual conversation.

I would not have been able to explain war and my involvement with it. To be truthful, the person asking about Vietnam really did not want to know what happened and would not have understood my experience. It was easier simply to change the subject without being rude. Surprisingly, my uncles and cousins sometimes inquired about the war but they never pushed me about my experiences and I did not encourage a lot of discussion.

Although I knew I was not doing well in my adjustment to civilian life, only my immediate family could see the struggle for normalcy. I seemed to bounce between introversion and extroversion. The dreams continued and it was not uncommon to wake up with a soaked bed from tears and sweat. In the dreams, I could hear the screams and smell the blood. Even if I had wanted counseling, it would not be readily available.

During this time, there was no disorder called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the idea of going for counseling was an admission of personal weakness. In my mind, I just felt that I needed to “toughen up” and these problems would “go away”. It was during this time that I decided that the way to handle this problem was to “pass for normal” at work and then sometimes “fall apart” at night. I followed that pattern until I retired in 2009.

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So until tomorrow… for Veterans Day I will share a couple of incidents from Ben’s experiences in Vietnam and how God was sending him signs as fast as He could to guide him from danger…that would result in Ben’s ultimate physical survival (with a lot of survivor’s guilt mixed in) but not his spiritual one. That would take a lifetime.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Billy Graham: The Importance of Praying for Our Leaders

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Dear Reader:

You have probably noticed that I have kept a low profile on the campaign and election of our new President. Friends and politics don’t mix. I am typing today’s blog before noon…so I have no idea who the President will be by the time this blog goes to press at 6:00 in the morning.

All I know is that, like many Americans, I have been completely disheartened by this election and all the hoop-la-la we have been subjected to throughout the seemingly endless mud-slinging diatribes against each other. It has been the ugliest campaign in my life… but certainly not the ugliest in American history.

In a democracy with free speech we get to see how it works first-hand in many Presidential elections….Try some of these on for size!

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The 1876 election was down and dirty in ways that are hard to imagine. Rutherford B. Hayes, Republican candidate, was repeatedly attacked by his opponent, Democrat contender Samuel J. Tilden. He accused Hayes of being a drunk, of having syphilis and of bribing his way into political office. The election was hotly contested, leaving Tilden with 185 electoral votes — one short to win — and Hayes with 165. Months passed before the matter was finally settled behind closed doors with the Compromise of 1877. Hayes agreed to remove federal troops from the South, ending the Restoration that followed after the Civil War, in exchange for the Presidency. According to the “Smithsonian,” it is the ugliest election in American history, with allegations of corruption and voter fraud on both sides.

President John Quincy Adams was challenged by "Old Hickory," war hero Andrew Jackson. The interests backing the incumbent Adams went all out to discredit Jackson. Newspaper columns, leaflets, and handbills called Jackson's mother a prostitute who birthed Jackson by a mulatto father. Jackson's wife was tagged a bigamist, and Jackson himself a murderer. Opponents even went after Jackson's military exploits in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, a harbinger of the 2004 "Swift-boating" of John Kerry. Jackson's wife, Rachel, was so upset by the tenor of the campaign that she died of a heart attack before she could see her husband inaugurated. Author Swint calls this campaign perhaps the dirtiest in American history.

Others say that the election of 1828 was even worse This contest pit Andrew Jackson against John Quincy Adams. Andrew Jackson, who had famously participated in a duel years before, was lambasted by his opponent as having a violent temper. He was even attacked for his choice of wife, as Rachel Jackson had been married before she wed Andrew Jackson. She was called a bigamist, among other names, in the press of the day. Things got incredibly ugly, and Rachel got sick and died very shortly after Jackson won the election. For the rest of his life, he blamed the campaign on killing his wife — and John Quincy Adams, in particular. As such, Jackson refused to attend the traditional post-inaugural meeting with Adams, the outgoing President.

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Things got so ugly in the year 1800, it changed the way Presidential campaigns were held. Thomas Jefferson hired a writer specifically to take down his opponent, John Adams, calling him a *”hermaphroditical character.” Adams claimed that a Jefferson Administration would lead to the death of children, the rape of women and the wide-scale destruction of property. It got so bad, Congress passed the 12th Amendment shortly after the election so that the nominee who received the second-highest amount of votes would no longer become the Vice President of the United States.

* The real slanderous quote went like this:

“hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”

hermaphroditical- meaning a person who exhibits two opposites in combined forces or qualities….(we would just call it “talking out both sides of the mouth.”) Jefferson, who is revered now, didn’t mind hiring a partisan writer/publisher to slander Adams with everything he could think of…didn’t matter if it were true or not…Jefferson figured no one would know the truth until after the election…sound familiar?

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It’s one thing to attack a man’s politics, but in 1860 the candidates got personal. Both Lincoln and Douglas attacked each other’s looks, with Lincoln poking fun at Douglas’s height (he was about 5’4″) and Douglas saying that Lincoln was a “horrid-looking” man and an “ungainly mess of legs and arms and hatchet face.”

*See? Politics have been politics for a long time….we were just blessed to avoid some of the ugliest campaigns until this one in our life time. And the country has survived…even bloomed under Jefferson and Lincoln and we are still here…so “We the People” -who are the true government anyway- need to say a prayer for our leaders…no matter who they are and no matter what political party. And hold them accountable…if not us…who?

Billy Graham demonstrated this as he met with every President of both parties since WWII- it was always to have a prayer intercession with them. Each President appreciated his prayer. The Presidents were: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, H.W. bush, Clinton, G.W. Bush, and Barack Obama who was the only sitting President asked to go to Billy Graham’s home in Montreat, NC (health problems) and have a word of prayer with him there.

Eisenhower, after his prayer intercession, always told friends and crowds this quote from Billy Graham:

“Billy Graham is one of the best ambassadors our country has but he told me, ‘I am an ambassador of heaven.’” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

So until tomorrow…another day in our country…let our evenly divided political views come together and offer up prayers for our new leader. This is Billy Graham’s prayer.

Our Father and Our God, we praise You for Your goodness to our nation, giving us blessings far beyond what we deserve. Yet we know all is not right with America. We deeply need a moral and spiritual renewal to help us meet the many problems we face. Convict us of sin. Help us to turn to You in repentance and faith. Set our feet on the path of Your righteousness and peace. We pray today for our nation’s leaders. Give them the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do it. You have said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” May this be a new era for America, as we humble ourselves and acknowledge You alone as our Savior and Lord. This we pray in Your holy name, Amen.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Update on the health of Billy Graham:

In a letter shared on the Billy Graham Association website, Franklin Graham told friends and supporters that his father (97) is still living in his Montreat, North Carolina, home with the help of a caregiver “at all times.”

The Samaritan’s Purse CEO said the elder Graham usually eats meals at the kitchen table, and “on days when the weather is good and he feels up to it” he enjoys gazing out at the mountains from his front porch.

“His ministry now is praying,” Franklin Graham wrote, “and he looks forward to reports of what God is doing around the world. He always responds by saying ‘Praise the Lord,’ as he points upward.”

Delights of the Day: Lo, how a rose is blooming and blue pansies on a green magnolia.

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The Secret Key In Our Daily Lives

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Dear Reader:

What is it about a key that captures our imagination…especially a key without a lock? What could the key go to…a treasure box…a dancing ballerina music box…an old metallic, dusty bank box in the attic filled with old letters between your grandparents about their lives together in the ‘old” country?

Our imagination can go on and on and on when we see a simple key. A key represents hope for something new and unexpected…it can turn an ordinary day into an imaginary day filled with endless possibilities. A key has the potential of being a change-agent in our lives and we can’t help but want to solve the mystery of the missing lock.

Pam Stewart gave me this key in a bottle as a “christening” gift for the new deck and garden….for years it dropped from a hanger under the eaves of the roof overlooking the deck. A few months ago…I realized that Eva Cate’s Japanese Maple was now strong enough and tall enough to hold this gift of hope and mystery.

fullsizerenderI told her (when she spent the night with me the other weekend) that maybe one day she would find the lock that fits this key in a bottle…until then she should try to think of as many different possibilities as possible of what item the key might belong to….she liked the idea of a magical music box…I do too.

 

img_3936-1She thought one with fairies would be really cool…(she spent a lot of time helping Boo clean and wash up very dirty fairies from Hurricane Matthew.)

Maybe on a holiday or birthday….time will tell….

 

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images-3It wasn’t until I came across this quote from George Herbert that I realized prayer really is the key that unlocks the mystery of life. We can’t go through it without securing a ‘lock of trust’ between our Creator and ourselves.

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” George Herbert

So until tomorrow…

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“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

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Yesterday was my favorite day, too, because I heard that Mandy got Teacher of the Year at Buist Academy! I am so proud of her…she is certainly very deserving!!! Love you Mandy!!!!!

One key to a mystery solved was the comment I made weekend before last when Mandy dropped Eva Cate off to spend the night with me.

img_3884I mentioned that Eva Cate had a five-star week and so did her mother. (Mandy had just found out that she was one of five “star” teachers up for Teacher of the Year.) So that is why the girls shared the adorable little wooden angel I found at Marigolds for a very successful week (and teaching career)….Now she has been named Teacher of the Year! I think our angel came through with a sign…like this:)

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The World of You and Me and Possibility….

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Dear Reader:

I don’t want you to think it has taken me this long to get my DNA report back on my ethnicity and heritage from ancestor.com. It actually arrived in late August… right before the avalanche of cataract surgeries, biopsies, exploratory surgery for margins for breast cancer, Hurricane Matthew, and shingles. I had looked at the results but just had not had time to decipher some of the history and its implications from the different ethnicities listed.

Last week I finally came up for air and got interested again in tracking down more genealogical history behind my findings.

So this report (in a nutshell) will be a simplified version of my personal family tree and how it evolved according to me, my research, and my imagination.

Obviously the largest percentage…almost half of my ancestry comes from Great Britain- 44%. At first I was surprised that I didn’t see Scotland in the mix until the informational guides reminded me that Great Britain was/is a hodgepod of nationalities of thousands of years of invasions…(like from the Vikings who invaded England and the surrounding areas for hundreds of years)…thus producing the second largest percentage (matching Ireland- 22%) in my heritage from Scandinavia.

img_3702My father’s clan (Barbour) was among (what is called today) the border Scottish clans. They lived in and around the border of  England/Scotland. So depending on what the borders were at any given census… my ancestors could have gone either direction in their labeled nationality- Scottish or British.

*(Only the Welsh and Cornish strands of Great Britain are purer in family genealogy…all other British subjects are mixtures of migratory patterns and invasions.)

220px-barbours_the_bruceThe oldest (historically-known ancestor) we have been traced to is on my father’s side-John Barbour… who has been dubbed the “Father of Scots Poetry” and compared to Chaucer. While serving in the royal court of Robert the II (in the mid-1300’s), he wrote the famous epic poem on the warrior-king Robert the Bruce... which told the story of the fight for independence against England and the famous Battle of Bannockburn.

210px-john_barbourBarbour is buried today in St. Machar’s Cathedral in Aberdeen, Scotland. This plaque containing a line from the poem The Brus is near his resting place.

 

Our family is also connected to the Barbour clothing dynasty…out of Great Britain. (Another John Barbour started this enduring clothing company)

2014 (120 Years of High Quality Wax Jackets)

HOME IN SOUTH SHIELDS

Barbour’s South Shields home in the North East of England is something we’re very proud of. It’s nearby where it all started at 5 Market Place with John Barbour in 1894 and it’s where our skilled teams continue to manufacture our classic original wax jackets. South Shield’s proximity to the sea, the surrounding countryside, the harsh British weather and the border to the Highlands where John Barbour was born, all play a part in the Barbour story.

(Dumas and Sons on King Street carry the Barbour brand) *Just wish I could get a discount for being a descendant of this clothing giant.

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So, now I realize that I have some Viking blood in me which accounts for my love of traveling and sticking it to my enemy “little c.” (Just wish I had known about this Scandinavian connection when I did the teacher exchange in Denmark…construction companies were literally tearing up the streets of Copenhagen when I was there with Benedikte Christiansen because of an archeological dig that would prove the Vikings came much earlier to England than first thought.)

250px-barboursville_ruinsMy last famous relative from the Barbour side is James Barbour…Governor of Virginia, friend, and neighbor to Thomas Jefferson who actually designed his home . *Today there are famous vineyards that house the world-famous Barbour wine. (Ruins left from the fire that destroyed the mansion on Christmas Day in the early 1800’s.)

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(Way to go Dad…some interesting history on the Barbour side.)

The pie chart showing the mixture of nationalities showing up in your DNA doesn’t tell about personal family trees…Ancestor.com, however, does give you a list of people who are distant cousins to you and it has checked the box if they have agreed to be contacted by email. So if you are working on a family tree…this really helps.

Now that I have information on my dad’s side…I am ready to pursue the Wilsons (mother’s surname and her mother…Seawright.) I know Seawright is English and the Wilsons lived in Northern Ireland…the Protestants…and fighters…again good genes when you are dealing with adversity.

So 88% of my ancestry was pretty predictable except for the Scandinavian part which made sense after I dusted off my lack of World History knowledge…but then ancestor.com informed me that I had little snitches of DNA found in 5 other regions that finished up the last 12% of who I am.

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  1. Less than <1 %: Morocco…Northern Africa…since I remember this exotic location was a great trading post/commercial center for hundreds of years I have a feeling a distant ancestor had him a memorable night… perhaps celebrating great success in trade and the fruits of his labor…thus producing a “fruit of his labor”! Love it…fun diversity!
  2. European West: 5%
  3. East European Jewish: 3% (Don’t know if I will be able to return to the Holocaust Building or not…it was hard enough looking at this time period from the other side…but to know even if I just have 3% in me….the extreme sadness I feel.)
  4. Italy and Greece: 3% (Mama Mia!)
  5. Iberian Peninsula: (Spain/Portugal) <1% (My brother wishes this percentage was higher…here is where many of the stringed instruments have been made for centuries…. of the highest quality including guitars…Go Ben and Lee!)

So that’s me…in a nutshell…like everyone else…a product of luck, accident, migratory patterns, wars and invasions…in other words…a Citizen of the World!

*I highly recommend doing this DNA test…it really broadens one’s appreciation for all who came before us…Now I want to know their stories…These are voices yearning to be heard…(by the subtle flames of a fire)…so when I ended the blog last evening…I started a fire…the first of the season. November 6, 2016!…I am sure I am just following the tradition of my past genealogical families who passed on their love of storytelling to me.

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So until tomorrow…The one thing we all have in common, regardless of location or culture…is the knowledge that we all are of One Spirit…and as such… Children of God.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Here are two of my gene-pools chilling on a Saturday morning…literally and figuratively!

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Sunday found them at the SC Aquarium…Glad my ‘gene off-springs’ are having a fun, restful weekend. (Is Eva Cate going to do a Scottish jig?….only time will tell.)

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“Woo Hoo… I’m Grateful to be Alive!”

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Dear Reader:

I was reading some thoughts from Kate Wolfe-Jenson the other day and noticed that her blog centered around gratitude also. I think that is why I love the holiday Thanksgiving so much…it makes us all pause and remember to be grateful for all our blessings.

We, particularly, owe Abraham Lincoln a big hug of gratitude for making this holiday a national one. The real crusader for this holiday, however, was a writer and editor by the name of Sarah Joseph Hale. Today most people remember her for writing the children’s classic poem “Mary had a little lamb.

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It took her thirty years of crusading and writing pleas for a national holiday of thanksgiving before finally realizing her dream come true under President Lincoln. He issued the Emancipation for the holiday on October 2, 1863….soon after the victory at Gettysburg…the turning point of the war.

He hoped, however, that this holiday would be recognized and participated in by both northern and southern factions as a unifying move towards reconciliation. Earlier Presidents (including Thomas Jefferson) considered making such a holiday a national one…but veered away from it because of the separation of state and religion clause.

As you can see in Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation…he had no such qualms about including God in proclaiming Thanksgiving a national holiday. Interesting, huh?

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One of Patch Adams’ favorite quotes was:  “At the age of 18, I made up my mind to never have another bad day in my life. I dove into an endless sea of gratitude from which I’ve never emerged.”

(Don’t we all wish that the multi-talented actor, Robin Williams- who played Patch Adams in the movie- had been able to never have another bad day in his life? So sad.)

Kate Wolf-Jenson found a book that gave three important steps to immersing ourselves in daily gratitude which I liked and would like to share with you.

Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain, suggests we go a bit further to change our brains so that they, like Patch Adams, swim in a sea of gratitude. His 3-step process:

  1. Notice the positive
  2. Savor it – sustain it for 10 to 20 seconds, feel it in your body and emotions
  3. As you soak it in, think of it as soaking into your brain and body, registering it deep in your emotional memory.

 I like to think of it as Stop, Savor, Soak

* One suggestion to use while we openly recognize a daily something we are grateful for, is to make a special sound for a grateful moment. “Woo-Hoo” works for me…(so Frances Townsend, if the police find another demented dancing middle-aged woman near your home again but this time she is shouting “Woo-Hoo” then you have definitely narrowed down the suspects!) 🙂

Even medical research has discovered that grateful people, on the whole, have healthier bodies and lives.

The Science of Gratitude

  • Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
  • Higher levels of positive emotions;
  • More joy, optimism, and happiness;
  • Acting with more generosity and compassion;
  • Feeling less lonely and isolated.

So until tomorrow…If you don’t want to jump or dance around “woo-hooing” for what you are grateful for….try this:

Breathing in, I notice I’m alive

Breathing out, I give thanks.

So until tomorrow…Let’s all remember the beauty of this first (feel alive) cool fall weekend…for this we give thanks.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Another good weekend for many of our state’s collegiate teams…lots of wins and excitement. For once Clemson let me sit back and relax and just enjoy the game…for this Clemson…me, myself, and I thank you profusely! Go Tigers! Let Your Light Shine On!

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Your “Thoughty” Thoughts

 

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Dear Reader:

We are off and running with your “thoughty thoughts” on the blessings that have come your way. In chronological order…here are the responses I received back yesterday… (as a request and challenge to share your blessings with our readers.) Thank you for your quick response. I loved reading them all throughout the day and evening…each one warmed my heart with love and laughter.

Yesterday morning the first “thoughty thought” arrived around 7:30. It was from Wilma Burgreen:

*Because of this eye problem I am experiencing right now, I am thankful for my eye sight to see all of God’s beautiful creations. Especially the sunrises and sunsets….what masterpieces he creates! My family and friends….the list can go on forever!

Wilma, we will certainly keep you in our prayers that your eye problem clears up so you can continue to “see all of God’s beautiful creations.”

*Next came Pam Stewart who sent this sweet message…she said when she saw this visual message in a daily devotional…she thought of me. It certainly made my day…a wonderful “thoughty” thing to do.

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*Next Sis Kinney (who shared her mother’s “thoughty” word with us had this to say:)

Becky,
I’m tickled that you like the word “thoughty.” It always makes me smile, too, remembering my mother – who died very young (age 64), almost 30 years ago! Whenever I use the word, it just brings up a smile in my remembrance.
As to thoughty thoughts of thanks, I am thankful for these blessings of mine:
–life itself, which I try not to take for granted at all;
–my husband and best friend, Bobby, who has seen me through many crises over our 32 years together and remains my strong supporter and love, no matter what;
–my family and extended family (i.e., friends), without whom I would indeed be bereft of laughter, fun, enjoyment and fulfillment of this life of mine; and
–the opportunity to live in these beautiful, beautiful mountains of God’s creation, where every day just adds more blessings to what we already have in abundance.
I thank God daily for ALL my many, many blessings! And, of course, I now add to all of this a thanks for the surgeon who, I pray, will use his God-given skills to lessen the burden I carry of a heart that needs assistance, so that I may continue to live a fuller and richer life.
And, I thank you, dear Becky, for also being a stalwart friend and for sharing this word that for me has always been so dear. Imagine – a single word that can conjure up all the memories of the woman who nurtured me and helped me to become who I am today and who loved me with no equivocation, as only a mother can do.
And, finally, it was truly thoughty of you to spread the word to your readers about this oddly-coined word!
Much love on this Friday morning, friend.
Sis

*(I’m beginning to think that ‘thoughty thoughts’ are like hugs…you can’t give one without getting one back….thank you Sis for the kind words…however it is you…always adding a story or a similar incident that makes me know someone else is on the same thought-wave I am.)

*Gin-g Edwards said her “thoughty thought” involved the “Three F’s”:

“I am thankful for my life…my faith…my family…and my friends.”

( I responded telling her that I thought the letter “F” got a bad rap in school and another alphabetical letter should get its turn at such a negative connotation about failure. We are all believers in the “F” words….how can we be more thankful for any one…than our families, friends…sprinkled and held all together with faith.)

Our wise sage Jo Dufford: (hot off the press this morning)

My blessings are too many to name, but they would certainly include Gin-g’s 3 F’s. God blessed me by letting me born to just the right family, in just the right small town and at just the right time in history. (Because of being a small child during World War II, I grew up when people didn’t have as much, so they did little things together and seem to care so much. They loved their country, their God and seemed to appreciate their blessings more. And then came the great years of peace after the war). I am blessed that I learned at an early age about how God is always in control, and that gives me an assurance especially at a time when there is so much strife. God always has His “thoughty” people willing to “put the little girl’s picture back together” and change the world one person at a time, and that is indeed a blessing for all of us.

Our “thoughty thoughts” on our blessing will run until Thanksgiving…so if you think of a “thoughty” blessing we would love for you to share it.

fullsizerenderIn the last six years I have talked a lot about simplifying and now I keep a wooden sign (beside “Big Red” the geranium) that says the same thing: Simplify.

 

I have come a long way since my retirement/diagnosis in doing just that…simplifying physically, emotionally and spiritually. It took me awhile to grasp the realization that before we can simplify our faith in God we must first discover who we are and how we want to become part of this beautiful creation God has made for us. It is only then that the channels open up between us and our Creator and He gladly helps guide us through the labyrinth of life.

This short anecdote pretty much nails this concept perfectly:

The Whole World Came Together


The young mother was ready for a few minutes of relaxation after a long and demanding day. However, her young daughter had other plans for her mother’s time.

“Read me a story, Mom,” the little girl requested. “Give Mommy a few minutes to relax and unwind. Then I’ll be happy to read you a story,” pleaded the mother.

The little girl was insistent that Mommy read to her now. With a stroke of genius, the mother tore off the back page of the magazine she was reading. It contained a full-page picture of the world. As she tore it into several pieces, Mom asked her daughter to put the picture together and then she would read her a story. Surely this would buy her considerable relaxing moments.

A short time later, the little girl announced the completion of her puzzle project. To her astonishment, she found the world picture completely assembled. When she asked her daughter how she managed to do it so quickly, the little girl explained that on the reverse side of the page was the picture of a little girl. “You see, Mommy, when I got the little girl together, the whole world came together.”

………………………….

So until tomorrow…”Let’s get it together by first turning to God in prayer and admitting: “I sure could use a second opinion…besides my own…would you help me God?”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

14976745_10154455074871001_3012551888007365086_o  This picture of Walsh and Mollie was taken in downtown Charleston a few days ago by her good friend Sarah…always love her pictures and her subjects.

A picture with the whole family smiling…Sarah is a magician! Love it….turns a grandmother’s heart to mush…with all my blessings!

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Boo’s Out; Blessings In!

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Dear Reader:

Yesterday was spent taking down all my “Boo” signs…it is always a sad day…especially this year…since I “out-booed” myself for sure.

It is time to say good-bye to Halloween with all its “boo’s” and hello to blessing and thanksgiving. (But I must admit it is so much fun having my grandmother “nickname” as Boo in October…I wouldn’t trade it for any other name.)

I did decide to keep two Boo’s …one inside in the Happy Room on the bright yellow wall and then my Boo’s Blessing sign on the outside front porch.

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Sis Kinney sent me an email thanking everyone for their prayers as she faces this health crisis in her life. She said that (like her mom used to say) “How thoughty that was of everyone.”

The more I thought about the word…the more it made me smile…the more I liked it…we are now entering my favorite holiday season…Thanksgiving. And isn’t Thanksgiving all about being “thoughty?”

So why don’t we all pause for a moment and think of some “thoughty thoughts” on the blessings we have received…past, present, and future. Let me start with a short list of my own…but I would love to hear back from all of you (adding on to the list) about a special ‘thoughty thought‘ for this month of blessings.

  1. The three most important things to remember in life: “Be kind! Be kind! Be Kind!”

2. It’s not about me. Life is to be lived for others, not in the narcissistic world of me, me, me.  Never from the perspective of ‘What can I gain from this friendship or collaboration? ‘

3. Time is the greatest gift…don’t ever take it for granted.

Now it is your turn…think of one ‘thoughty thought’ you would be willing to share with all of us as we recount our blessings this upcoming ‘Thoughty Thanksgiving’ Day! I can hardly wait to hear back from you.

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The Pumpkin

John Greenleaf Whittier

Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun, The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run, And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold, With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold, Like that which o’er Nineveh’s prophet once grew, While he waited to know that his warning was true, And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.

On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden; And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold; Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North, On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth, Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines, And the sun of September melts down on his vines.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West, From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest; When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board The old broken links of affection restored; When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more, And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before; What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye, What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling! When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Glaring out through the dark with a candle within! When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune, Our chair a broad pumpkin, — our lantern the moon, Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!

Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better E’er smoked from an oven or circled a platter! Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine, Brighter eyes never watched o’er its baking, than thine! And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express, Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less, That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below, And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow, And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!

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86bb73e0c3590bc7394a8492a567ee36So until tomorrow…Thankful, Grateful, Blessed!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

 

 

 

 

 

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