Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

I love to sit in my Lazy Boy recliner and stare at the painting on the opposite wall that Mandy created for me when the den was going through renovations and transforming into my Happy Room. Isn’t it funny how home items can tell time better than a clock or Iphone?

Mandy hadn’t met John yet (she was just months away from meeting him) and completed this painting over Spring Break. It must have been 2005 or 2006. Ten years ago …unbelievable! I still think of my Happy Room as being  in its”novice” stage…not so.

This painting reminds me of all the input the family gave me to make my dream come true….Walsh and Tommy painted many walls and cabinets… and Walsh, also, helped me put up blinds, put on cabinet knobs, and hang window/door dressings. Talents that didn’t come naturally to me.

It took a lot of “talent” and time from everyone to help me arrive at my dream home. One person can’t make creative changes without the necessary support to sustain it.

Ree Drummond works prepping food inside the newly-remodeled lodge near her home on the Drummond Ranch outside of Pawhuska, Okla.
Photo by Shane Bevel

I like the introduction to the cooking show Pioneer Woman when Ree Drummond says (paraphrase)” Hi, I’m Ree Drummond, blogger, photographer, wife, mother, and cook to hungry cowboys, etc….” She is using a technique in her introduction known as the “Slash Effect.”

Aren’t we all at some point in our lives a little embarrassed when asked “What do you do?” Before retirement I always just answered ‘Teacher” along with the grade and school…stopping the response there.  I never mentioned single mother, three children, carpool member, sole decision-maker, morning nagger….”Get UP!”….and so on.

Today, as much as I love being retired, I get a little tired of giving that as my only “to do” profile. It’s ambiguous at best. But people seem to be comfortable with a retired school teacher with grandchildren. Down deep I hope I am more than that….but then self-doubt creeps in. If I add writer/blogger wouldn’t people expect more than a daily dose of thoughts and observations. So I leave it out.

I think I need to take time to re-discover my ideal slash at this stage in my life.

Brene Brown, in her book The Gifts of Imperfection added the same quote by theologian Howard Thurman to her blackboard at the beginning of each semester. It read”

” Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

So until tomorrow….While searching for our identities…some of us spend too much time looking up wondering where God is in our search for our ideal/slash identities. “We keep forgetting that God lives within us, not above us. Sharing our gifts and talents with the world in the most powerful source of connection with God.” (Brene Brown)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Dukes Barbecue (yesterday) turned into an Alston Reunion of sorts. (Lto R) Gene Graham (maintenance) Jan Hilton (guidance) Jane Clevenger (financial secretary) and I got to represent the teacher. It was so wonderful to be able to catch up with all our lives…both the good and challenging.

On the way out the peanut man with (also) fresh vegetables was back in action by the rails in Ridgeville. I bought 1/2 pound of delicious boiled peanuts and two ripe tomatoes.

Luckily I found the last two slices of bread in the loaf, some mayo, sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper….I added the last of the boiled peanuts and viola/ summer has ‘culinarily’ (just made that word up) arrived!

*Harriett….Look at these two beauties you gave me three years ago….they are very happy!

Dear Reader:

How many times have we looked in the mirror (tongue-in-cheek) and thought “Time is no friend of mine!” But then stepped away and compared our life today to the past and suddenly seen exactly what a friend time has been to us.

This unique necklace pendant (which reminds me of the antique wall clock title photo) is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to wear. Honey, a connoisseur of antique shops, found it and gave it to me, as a gift, a few months back.

It  attracts people coming over, giving it a second look, and then asking about it. I always say that a dear friend found it in an antique shop in the mountains because the second question, after complimenting it, is always followed up with “Where in the world did you get it?” 

Whenever I wear it, I feel like time is on my side, but it is also a reminder to use the day wisely.

An unexpected thought came to me the other day… since I love browsing through old antique shops also….I always mark ETV’s Antiques Roadshow to watch Monday nights (When Dancing with the Stars is on….I do a lot of flipping!)  The thought dealt with the fact that commonplace items from our past, earlier lives have over time become considered a treasure today.

If everyday, commonplace items can increase in worth over time…don’t you think, in all God’s wisdom and detailed planning, He meant for all of us to do the same?

Isabelle Eberhardt wrote in 1900 that to think about “What was good and beautiful’ in the past…now equates to a “seasoning of the present.”

As I grow older I like to think of myself as “seasoning” over simply getting older. I have been down enough paths by now to know what to avoid completely and what to simply detour around to get back on the straight and narrow.

Isn’t it the seasoning in life that adds so much to it? Like bland food…a little pinch of seasoning here and there can turn an ordinary, commonplace meal into a memorable culinary experience.

In one of Donald Davis’ favorite stories (to me) of his past childhood exploits, he recalls meeting the teacher who would, forever, change his life with this description: “She was a small, frail woman, probably in her early sixties, with piercing blue eyes and her gray hair pulled back in a tight bun. My first thought was one of horror….The Department of Education didn’t give us fourth graders a teacher…they gave us an antique!“

To Donald’s surprise Miss Daisy, the antique, turned out to be his greatest treasure among all his teachers.

As the expression goes….”One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”…worth is in the eyes of the beholder. Isn’t it nice to know that as children of God we have always been a treasure to our Creator and will continue to be because we are unconditionally loved. Now that IS the real treasure!

So until tomorrow….Even if we can’t keep the face, we can keep the faith knowing that God is counting on us to become a treasure to all we meet on this earth….He never doubted it for a moment. “God don’t make no junk”…just antique treasures!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

• Ya Libby (on the left of photo) called yesterday and said she went to a first-time internist and had some new patient (required) tests done which didn’t turn out as well as her internist wished.
• So now she is scheduled for four more tests this Monday and a four hour test Tuesday. As most of you know Libby has been through so much in the past few months and could really use our prayers right now. You are powerful pray-ers. Thank you.

Dear Reader:

During her writing of  Simple Abundance Sarah Breathnach discovered (while researching the Victorian Period) that worldly goods were once viewed as evidence of God’s favor. And even today the author believes this attitude is still part of our American consciousness in varying degrees among our citizens.

Do we really want to be defined by the possessions we own? Or do we believe that our possessions do not define our true selves. Isn’t it what we love that defines who we are, not what we own?

I remember reading an article on Jackie Kennedy Onassis where an interviewer asked her how she enjoyed being placed on a pedestal by so many admiring fans. She blushed, looked away, and then quietly replied: “It’s lonely and cold on a pedestal.”

After her death, her son, John F. Kennedy, Jr said this about his mother’s personal life priorities: “My mother’s most prized possession was privacy. Following this came her love of words, the bonds of home and family, and her spirit of adventure.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to remembered, when our own personal journey ends “As being by love possessed?”

Joan Turner sent me a Facebook article the other day that addresses this same message of living a material life versus a love possessed life.. Thank you Joan for sharing. Here it is:

(*Anne confessed that the yummy sugar cookies, Shirley, were yours from her freezer….All we can say is they were “light, so-o-o good and put a smile on many children’s’and parents’ faces alike.”) Including mine!

*I had to test-taste the sugar cookies, of course, Shirley….tough job but someone had to do it!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

While finishing up Alice Monroe’s latest novel….I read a passage where one of the main characters, Marietta, called her three granddaughters to her side “Lickety-split.” 

It made me pause as memories flooded back from my childhood from both mother and grandmother telling us children and grandchildren to “Hurry up! Lickety-split.” It’s been a long time since I have heard that expression and it sure took me back in time to read it again.

The expression dates back to the mid-1800’s and the origin concerns  an item popular at that time known as a “licket rag.” Before the creation of Bounty and other paper towel products that advertise to be able to clean up a mess with one wipe….”licket rags” would clean up a spill with one “lick” in a “split” second…“lickety-split.”

I don’t know as a mother, myself, if I used the term “lickety-split” (wouldn’t rule it out) but like all parents I feel, now,  like so much time  spent raising the children dealt with hurrying them up for the bus, school, practices, games, ceremonies, church….you name it…we were always in a hurry.

Now that the children are grown and they all have their own individual schedules to “lickety-split” off to….I am free to do a lot more “moseying” than “lickety-splitting.” Dead-lines are at a precious minimum, meetings far and few between….which leaves me in the loveliest period of my life to date…my “Being Period.”

I can wake up most mornings and just “be.” My “doings” are medical appointments (which are amazingly dwindling)….leaving me with “doing” all the things I love…. like being with the children and grandchildren, being in my garden, and being with friends….always ready for new adventures!

So until tomorrow….May we all find that special time in our lives when “dead-ends” turn into “life-ends” ….meetings  take place with nature and last only as long as we want them to… We are able to select the best way to use our time and “do.“Take heart…that world does exist….I know…I am living it!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I must confess…yesterday I did “lickety-split” over to Gin-g’s house, at her invitation, to catch up with Debbie and Sue Anne and see Gin-g’s beautiful, peaceful, and serene backyard and gardens…her “Happy Space.” We had luscious desserts and lots of laughter….we were all just “being” ourselves and taking a moment to share it with others.

*Brooke….when I went to take the girls’ photos I told them about your far away *photo trick look when your picture was taken…(in order to get the best profile shot)…..so we took two pictures…one straight on and one “Brookie” photo….looking off in the distance.

Come with me now to Gin-g’s green, luscious special place where she can just “be.” (Until  sticks need picking up and weeds pulling up….then comes the “doing.“)

Thank you Gin-g for your warm hospitality and that hot lasagna last night….it  was out of sight!!!!

Anne saw this saying and added it to Facebook today….just perfectly fit the theme of the blog so am adding it early this morning..

Dear Reader:

In Kate Wolfe-Jenson’s latest newsletter she talked about the beauty of God’s plan for the universe…prioritizing the importance of connections within all living organisms in the universe.

She gave the following example that I found quite interesting.

Recently, I learned about hepatica nobilis, one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring in Minnesota.

Hepatica seeds are attached to a fleshy lipid structure, which appeals to ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests, which spreads the plant more widely. [Image thanks to Biodiverse Gardens.- These structures are called elaisomes, which is a lovely word.]  

I invite you to play along with my metaphoric thinking: What treasures do you find and bring home as you move through your day? How can you be a better curator? How can your presence be nourishing to others?

I think, sometimes, we humans imagine ourselves as strong and certainly capable of getting through life alone when necessary. That thought only lasts as long as our health and financial stability remain constant. And we already know that nothing remains constant in life.

At some point our health will fail us and/or our finances will take a tumble and suddenly our confident “I can do it myself” attitude wavers. God never intended us to do it alone….His universe is based on sharing….giving….helping. Within each of us is a community waiting and wanting to interact with others.

Jenson  discovered this fact while writing her newsletter on the importance of connections:

Recent research agrees: When you feel connected, you are healthier and happier. It isn’t about how many friends you have or how much time you spend with them. It’s your subjective sense of connection that makes a difference. When you feel down, if you talk to someone about your troubles, it releases oxytocin into your system, which helps your immune and cardiovascular systems. You are biologically made for connection.

In Mary Alice Monroe’s latest novel (which I just finished) the theme of universal connective-ness runs throughout the story.

While going through a difficult divorce Dora discovers that doctors are now admitting that a broken heart can cause serious physical heart problems…medically known as cardiomyopathy.(which landed her in the hospital.)

The underlying theme, however, is man’s connection to God’s other creatures…in this case a dolphin named Delphine. After a disastrous accident while initially bonding with the dolphin…Delphine, in the latest novel, is once again living in the wild and has another female dolphin as a friend.

When Carson meets Delphine after many months absence….she lies flat down on her paddle board and they, both, stare into each other’s eyes with recognition and delight. The strongest force on earth, love, once again wins out amid all kinds of human obstacles.

With all my new Mother’s Day flowers  (like the ants spreading the Hepatica seeds back to their homes) I am digging away to find homes for my new plants. Spreading the joy of sight and scent! Thank everyone again for the garden’s newest contributions/additions, as well as my Happy Room!

So until tomorrow….As we move through our day, imagine we are all connected with a sort of spiritual elastic that stretches, bends and weaves us together. We belong to each other.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

At the end of the day yesterday I had many visible memoirs of a remarkable Mother’s Day! For me that meant flowers (the family knows that flowers make me so happy)…a “Susan” Rose, a “Mandy” flower basket,  “Mollie” sunflowers, “Tommy” Sunnyside Up Garden, and “Eva Cate”  potted summer flowers.

Kaitlyn gave me a memorable gift- a hand-made bracelet using some of the costume jewelry that was once my mother’s and given to Mandy. She shared some pieces with Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn then made the bracelet….a symbol of bonding between my mother and myself….made more special by Kaitlyn’s creativity.

The expression “At the end of the day” provides a catalyst for a pause and time to prioritize the most important events that happened during the day. It could be a new idea, a special occasion or holiday, a new acquaintance or old one, a simple comment, or summary of the day  spent with God’s permission and blessing.

Yesterday….at the end of the day….I thanked God for the opportunity to be with all the family together. That is all I really wanted and that is what I got… made even more special with the presence of Butch and Susan, Kaitlyn’s parents, sharing in the camaraderie and fellowship. I wish Bruce and Marcia and W.T. and Joan could have been there too.

It is so important for children to know that they are a part of a bigger family than just their immediate one. Family is extended in many more ways than one. A piece of everyone is in someone else, who is coming after….isn’t life amazing?

Here is a taste of the memories I harbor from Mother’s Day 2016. A wonderful brunch (John, your breakfast casseroles just get better and better) and fun in the sun and water.

If you happen to be wondering where Rutledge was in the family photo…he decided a personal problem needed to be addressed immediately…he had “dropped trout” and  was peeing in the pool. I cut off “half the story” as you can see but you get the idea. (Then Eva Cate had true confession time and admitted doing the same thing too….Lachlan pretended to be asleep and didn’t hear the conversation…Jake was already napping….everyone decided they had had enough fun for one day in the pool!)

*Sometimes it is hard to be the oldest grandson with an older “Queen” cousin on the throne….one has to do a lot to keep his (heir to the throne) position in place.

Boys and their hats…and tiaras, of course. Even sunglasses.

And little girls and their dolls and beautiful artwork!

Thank you Eva Cate…my favorite painting of all! And while I am thanking everyone for the perfect Mother’s Day….John and Mandy….thank you for making this all possible….for us ‘to gather to gether and hear Eva Cate’s blessing.’ (And Happy 8th Anniversary!)

So until tomorrow….Thank you God for mothers, birth, and life….the most precious gift of all.

*I must stop and insert right here, right now, the most unexpected Mother’s Day gift I experienced yesterday… after getting home from Mt. Pleasant.

I received an email from John Labarbera , Beverly Barutio’s son…..thanking all of you blog readers, visitors to the chapel, and supporters of it….who honor his wonderful mother for giving so much back in her life….including his parents’ creation of our beloved St. Judes Chapel of Hope.

Folks, this was/is the Chapel my mother & father built many years ago when she was battling cancer. The kind words shared here make me humbled & appreciative of her, and YOU folks that have written here and in the book that is kept in the chapel itself. As I read & reflect on her on this Mother’s day, I thank God for her, and the kind people that have passed through that door. God bless you all! 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I talked the other day about taking time to pause and thank all the mothers who helped “anchor” my life when times were tough and taught me that unconditional love was a mother’s heaviest anchor for her children.

(* Did you notice the same chair as in the photo yesterday with me holding the baby doll…it must have picture day for Baby Becky or something….mom looks like I probably kept her up all night.)

On the radio the other day I heard an old sixties song that I hadn’t heard in a long time….the kind that makes you start snapping your fingers to the tune. It was Sam and Dave’s “I Thank You” hit from decades past. As I listened to the lyrics….I thought the song could be (just as well ) written about mothers, as  special girlfriends.

“You didn’t have to love me like you did, like you did, like you did… and I thank you.” (It goes on to say that ‘you didn’t have to hug me, or squeeze me or hold me….but you did.“) That is the beauty of mothers….they don’t have to do any of all the necessities of child-raising, foremost love, “but they do.”

I remember asking mother one day, as an adult, how in the world she ever even considered trying to raise three children (alone) six and under with one hand (loss to bone cancer) and no husband. (Daddy died at age 31.) Mother looked at me quietly and said that we were the three reasons for her to go on….for her to live.

The number of sacrifices she made would be too numerous to count….but her greatest gift was simply being there for us. Her role model for motherhood was beyond compare….whenever I got discouraged throughout life I told myself to “stop the pity party” and “get with the program“….if mother could do what she did….I could certainly weather my fair share of ups and downs.

If you look at the second photo carefully you will notice that mother’s hand was already missing….daddy has died….but mother is smiling….life went on. The anchor of unconditional love remained strong enough to weather all the future storms that would come our way.

Mother would be the first to admit, however, that she didn’t raise us alone….grandparents, aunts uncles, cousins, and close friends encircled our family constantly. Growing up with cousins, more like siblings, I learned how important it is for extended family to become one large family….an important lesson. None of us can do it alone.

Poppy, Dee-Dee, and all my Dingle “Sistahs”/family I hope you know how much your unconditional love and support was my anchor later in life with my three children. They, too, grew up in a large family where cousins were more like extended siblings. You, too, “didn’t have to love me like you did, like you did, like you did…and I thank you” (from the bottom of my heart.\

So until tomorrow…I would like to end with Erma Bombeck’s thought-provoking  little anecdote to mothers everywhere. Happy Mother’s Day!

Dear Reader:

I assume that this (most likely) was my first baby doll given to me while I was still a ‘baby doll.’

I had planned to save these memoir stories for tomorrow….officially Mother’s Day….but I am keeping Eva Cate and Jake tonight so  John can take Mandy out for a well-deserved “Mother’s Out“/8th wedding anniversary/ evening. I am, also, spending the night to be there for Mother’s Day Sunday. So….for everyone….mothers, aunts, godmothers, grandmothers, mentors….Happy Mother’s Day!

As a child I loved dolls….they were very real to me and I was their mother. I loved dressing them up, combing their hair….the whole nine yards. The other day when I glanced over at Polly, the doll I was given for my fifth birthday….I realized, with a start, that the two of us have been together longer than anyone else in my life (except my older brother and we don’t see each other daily…like Polly and me.)

Wow! Being the age I am at present….subtracting five years off for Polly’s age….we have been together for many decades….now two “old broads.” If Polly could talk what stories she could regale back to my fading memory. All I know is that I loved her so much as a child and she came into my life (daddy had died six months earlier) when I most needed a soul-mate…a friend.

And if we are really lucky….isn’t that what we want to end up being with our adult children….a friend?

Eva Cate got to hold Polly (carefully) when she came over one summer day as a little tot. Even Eva Cate (who has a history of being hard on dolls) seemed to sense that there was something about Polly that demanded respect and tender holding.

.

Mandy was never that into dolls as a little girl. She ended up breaking so many we finally decided on a Raggedy Anne doll and the survival rate went up.

A few months back…Eva Cate spent the night with me and helped me check the mail…as luck would have it there was an American Girl Doll catalogue  in the mailbox and she went berserk. She wanted an American doll more than anything….some of her friends had gotten one for Christmas and that was the only thing she wanted for her birthday.

She was terribly worried that Mandy and John wouldn’t let her have one since she had a poor track record with dolls….naked and scalped. So I told her to start putting her dolls up…preferably with clothes and hair and showing her parents that she was now “besponsible.”

It was a hard sale but I kept reminding Mandy that I got Polly when I was five and still had her. I ordered Eva Cate a “Truly Me’ American Girl Doll with brown hair and green eyes to resemble her “mother.’

I missed the birthday party since I was in the mountains but John made a video of Eva Cate opening up the doll (gift) after the party when she was back home. I have watched it at least 20 times….to hear that special squeal of excitement in her voice is intoxicating.. She named the doll Gracie and the last time I checked she had clothes  and hair….so far, so good. Will be checking in again this afternoon.

https://goo.gl/photos/nikBzrDEmwWxTGGm8

I have discovered now, having been a mother and a grandmother for six years that grandmothers have more perspective on each grandchild and what they like…because we have some distance on the subject, not having to address all the everyday issues with small children that weigh the best of parents down. (God is wise in allowing parenthood to just go around the carousel of life once.)

*All that said, I knew intuitively that if Rutledge had been with me yesterday he would have gone bonkers at what happened. I became a magnet, of some sort, for beautiful antiquated, classic trucks and cars. *Easter photo….Rutledge had to hold one truck in one hand while he picked up eggs with the other…he can not ever be completely empty-handed when it comes to trucks.

Scenario 1: As I was pulling into Lowe’s I spotted the most gorgeous red (classic) truck I had ever seen. I found myself stalking the truck and driver until he pulled into a parking place. I parked quickly beside him and asked if I could take a few pictures of his truck for my grandson, Rutledge.

I definitely caught the poor man off-guard but the longer I babbled the more friendly he became. He told me the truck was a 1933 Ford pick-up. He ended up letting me take pictures of the truck from every angle, inside and out as he proudly showed it off

You could tell that this was his “doll baby…his Polly.” It was so clean you could eat off of it. Before I left he told me to let Rutledge know to save his pennies every day in a piggy bank and one day he would sell the truck to him. Nice man! We introduced ourselves but I didn’t catch his last name…just his first…so I called him Mr. John.

Scenario 2: Later in the day I went to Ridgeville with a friend to ‘hit’ Dukes Barbecue for lunch. As I left and walked outside…smack dab in front of the restaurant… was a classic car. Since the owner was obviously still wolfing down his plate, like I did, I didn’t get any history on the car, but the beauty of it speaks for itself.

So until tomorrow….Thank you God for mothers who loved and cared for us and for Your Personal back-up for others who needed a “parent” (mother/father) to help them through childhood. (and on-going adulthood)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY EVERYONE!

Dear Reader:

Kaitlyn came over yesterday and we had a wonderful girls’ day out! We visited all the shops on Short Central….they all offer unique ideas and sayings… like the one in the title photo.

This saying finally put into words what my new love in life….my garden…is all about now. It is simply leaving the world more beautiful than it was before our arrival. This can be accomplished in hundreds of different ways but a beautiful garden has to be in the top ten category I think.

I fixed Kaitlyn a happy basket filled with “senseless acts of beauty and fun” for a girl who exhibits both..

We ate at the Continental Corner….our favorite girls out restaurant and split a baklava for dessert….down to the last bite!

We so often hear the expression “Senseless acts of violence” on the news. But what if we switched this pattern around….and instead devoted our lives to “senseless acts of beauty.” If we put half the effort into making this world more beautiful than we do destroying it with weapons of mass destruction….just think what a wonderful world we would have for ourselves, children, grandchildren and all those who follow behind us?

My garden is my “senseless act of beauty“… along with my children and grandchildren.!

All it takes is coming across a very old Mother’s Day card (Tommy was in first grade) to remember the special bond between ourselves and our children…no matter the age. All mothers remember the reasons why raising children is the hardest thing they ever did and the best! (This “portrait” had to be done a long time ago because….a dress and heels.…Go Tommy!)

Tomorrow….thoughts on taking time to remember family and friends who helped us raise our children and say “Thank you”….in my case I didn’t need a “village”…. I needed a “city!” It’s all about “Togetherness.”

Kaitlyn read me a beautiful saying that I thought about when I saw my butterfly bush blooming today in all its glory!

After looking at the blooms, that popped up over night on the butterfly bush, I remembered a saying Kaitlyn read to me:

“It’s a beautiful day to be a butterfly!”

Speaking of beauty…Look at this arrangement I made after Lisa cut off the stems and blooms on this Chinese Indigo plant (for planting purposes for Vickie.)  I took the cut-off sections and made this arrangement. Beauty manifested in beauty.

Ernie took down the old (burnt-out) lights around the oak tree and reassembled new strands of lights for garden evening enjoyment. I have spent the last two evenings listening to the fountain and enjoying the beauty of the white lights….a “senseless act of beauty.”

And finally the last beauty of the day…a gorgeous coleus aptly named Sedona for its colors. I placed a candle by it last evening and remembered my visit to that enchanting place….Sedona, Arizona is breath-takingly alluring.

So until tomorrow….Let us look for ways to make this world more beautiful and fight for ‘senseless acts of beauty over destruction and violence.’

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Just recently I have finally gotten my sense of taste and smell back. The congestion, that accompanied my virus(es) started in the head and traveled down to the chest. It has taken (it seems like forever) a long time to get all my senses back and working together again….(that might be too broad a statement….some days I feel like I have  lost any semblance of “sense” completely!)

The smell of rain was one sense I did lose during the illness but now it is back ….just in time apparently with all the recent storms. There is absolutely nothing like the fresh, clean smell of of the aftermath of a spring or summer rain storm. It is like the earth has been cleaned and hung out to dry.

My friend and neighbor, Vickie, and I went to Hollow Tree Nursery Tuesday morning and picked up a few more plants to fill in here and there in our gardens. Vickie’s yard, especially her backyard, gets only filtered sun from the tall oaks surrounding her garden which makes it look more like a magical rain forest.

My garden, on the other hand, gets a lot of sun….too much really. So I look for full sun plants while Vickie looks for partial to full shaded ones. While cleaning out some of her old foliage to make room for her new arrivals (she got at the nursery) she came over with a potted plant, known as a Variegated Ginger Lily or Variegated Shell Ginger.

Here’s a description of my new, adopted plant. Thanks Vickie!

Leafy, arching stems create a tropical effect with boldly striped foliage. Large, drooping clusters of white and pink shell-like flowers are sweetly fragrant.

Vickie told me the plant needed more sun than her garden could provide. I decided to fill in a gap near the deck (on the recommendation of an article I read) because the fragrance from the ginger lily (when in bloom) will be too wonderful to miss.

I began digging (or let’s say trying to dig) a hole big enough to plant it….but between roots and dirt, as hard as cement, it was tough going. Vickie came over and made a more successful stab at it …..and told me to fill the hole with water to soak it and hopefully loosen the soil so we could dig a deeper hole the next morning. (Mother Nature also helped Tuesday night) *So that explains the title picture….The Shell Ginger is waiting to move into its new home.

*(Actually Vickie sneaked over while I was typing this blog and planted the ginger lily!) You’re a good gal Vickie Ewers!

While working in the garden yesterday I remembered a sweet little story by the title of the “Smell of Rain.” Let me give you a quick synopsis.

When Danae Blessing was born…she was given less than a 10% chance of surviving. She only weighed a little over a pound. But against all odds, with the help of modern medicine and machines, the tiny baby started putting on weight.

There was one problem though…her nervous system was under-developed and she couldn’t be touched or held because it caused too much pain. Her parents, David and Diane Blessing, could only pray to God to help Danae.

Five years later Danae was perfectly normal, with no physical or mental impairments from her ordeal….a miracle baby.

One afternoon she and her mother were at a ball game when Danae told her mother something that explained how her child survived those painful first few weeks of life all alone without the sense of touch.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother’s lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin’s baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, “Do you smell that?” Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, “Yes, it smells like rain.”

Danae closed her eyes and again asked, “Do you smell that?” Once again, her mother replied, “Yes, I think we’re about to get wet, it smells like rain.” Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, “No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.” Tears blurred Diana’s eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children.

(The answer to her and David’s prayers had been answered: God could hold Danae, without causing pain, only bringing comfort and love.)

Dreams are made better by sharing….Come with me today to Anne’s and Vickie’s gardens…both filled with the same charm as their owners.

Anne: Passion plant blooms, Salvia, an oak leaf Hydrangea, day lilies and beautifully colored blue berries await your entrance into Anne’s garden.

Vickie’s garden: Who knew the neighborhood had a tropical forest in it more beautiful than any I have seen.

So until tomorrow….Take time to meet your neighbors and walk around the neighborhood….I think you might be amazed at the number of “secret gardens” in existence.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Please take a few minutes and read Kaitlyn’s blog….this girl can write….her posts always make me feel vulnerable and humble and appreciative of the sincere honesty found in our adorable Kaitlyn!

Breaking through Shame