Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

I love picket fences!  As you know I have a white moon gate and two white picket fences in the garden. Confederate jasmine grows on the fences and moon flowers grow on the gate. I am in heaven each year when all is blooming at the same time.

Still….there is a strong attraction in me for a weathered picket fence….instead of white-washing it….a simple decoration like a water can or floral board make me jump for joy!

I went back in Tuesday Morning (Monday morning) and all the other lounge chairs were gone! I am so glad I didn’t dilly-dally around and miss getting this chair because it is so comfortable.

My handyman, Ernie, came over Monday afternoon to cut some limbs and branches from the neighbor’s oak tree that hangs over my driveway….with the severe storms we have had this year the limbs have been falling like rain. I had so much fun watching the big branches fall and helping Ernie drag them to the street. We also attacked the wisteria that was taking over the magnolia bushes and some of the azaleas….another great feeling of victory

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Now I can pull in without fear of a massive branch landing on the car and my azaleas are so happy…..I call the second driveway….”Azalea Lane.”

Now look how cleared “Azalea Lane” looks:

All the different colors of azaleas are making themselves known:

Every morning I jump out of bed to check on the blog and make sure it is up and running….but now it is, also, to watch the sun come up and see the rays hitting the azaleas… sending them sparkling in the morning dew.

Azaleas and Summerville are synonymous. In North Carolina where I grew up….spring time means dogwood trees and they are beautiful….but I am now officially a “lowcountry” girl because it is azaleas that touch my heart. (*My cousin Susan told me that we are so far ahead of Fayetteville, NC….no dogwoods or azaleas blooming there yet.)

Azalea Park and Sculptures, Azalea Magazine, Azalea Square and because the annual Flowertown Festival is held in Azalea Park….many tourists call it the Summerville Azalea Festival too.

So until tomorrow….Thank you Lord for allowing me to live in a paradise that is heaven to me on earth. I owe you a BIG ONE for bringing me to this piece of land which fills me with such joy!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

• My cousins, Susan and Marcia arrived after an extended trip….somehow they got on Highway 17 instead of I-26 off I-95….a real mystery there and ended up right outside Savannah….as you can tell in the picture each one is letting me know where the “real” problem lay.
• 

The weather held out and we made the most of our time together taking a quick tour of Summerville and turning on the new lantern on the deck. Marcia loved the swing.

Dear Reader:

When I was going through the mail Sunday catching up from being gone last week….here was this wonderful thank you card from Gin-g. Gin-g’s birthday was January 31 and Honey’s is coming up on the fifth of March so Debbie and I split the birthday girls for lunch when we were at Kiawah the other Friday.

I loved the bright picture and the message. Isn’t it true that one nice comment or any gift of gratitude brightens a so-so day into a gloriously beautiful one. The weather didn’t change….we did ….by either giving or receiving a compliment or smile.

Recently I read that  medical research has shown that people who are grateful for life, in general, and spread that gratitude have less heart problems, issues with high blood pressure, cholesterol, and many other problems associated with stress.

The last time Eva Cate spent the night with me I pulled out some colored pencils for her to use so she wouldn’t get markers or other colors on the furniture. I brought her one of those little hand-held pencil sharpeners to use on the pencils. I discovered that Eva Cate was more enamored with sharpening the pencils than drawing. If we live long enough, archaic items like hand-held pencil sharpeners become really “cool” again.

I love this little parable about a pencil….a good lesson for us all.

“The Parable of the Pencil”

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
“There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
“One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone’s hand.”
“Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.”
“Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”
“Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.”
“And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you.  Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. 

Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

……………………..

So until tomorrow….Let us always be open to lessons on life that we find along our journey….they are clues to the final spot that marks the X.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

• My cousins, Susan and Marcia, are arriving today to stay for a couple of days’  fun catch-up. We grew up like sisters before my family moved to Laurens when I started high school. So we have a lot of catching-up to do. Am so excited….even the rain won’t keep us down….let it pour as we tell stories galore!

Dear Reader:

Late yesterday afternoon I got a burst of energy and began picking up fallen limbs, sticks, and pine cones (of which there were many) from the front, side, and back yards.

It was warm, but not too hot, cool but not too cold….a perfect afternoon to take away the remnants of Old Man Winter from the yard. It is, also, something satisfying about making a big pile of debris and seeing your accomplishment as soon as it is complete. In life we don’t often get instant, positive feed-back….especially in teaching. So yard work is quite refreshing to me.

In case anyone wants to know…officially (according to a wheel-barrowing “mama” ) it gets dark at 6:30 now. One minute the skies were twilight pastels and the next… darkness fell instantaneously. All my solar lanterns popped on to let me know the timing was right to stop and call it a day.

I turned on all the lights in and around the house and managed to find my debris pile on the street, dump the wheel barrow and scurry back in my safe abode….my happy home.

I think God works the same way as solar lights. When we ask for certain things only He know when the timing is right for the light to come on.  I came across this small prayer thanking God for each “special” day and the possibilities it holds and would like to share it with you.

Today is a special day. Today I feel connected to my source. Today I feel that I am a step closer to what I should and will become. No need to ask for favors, for I know everything comes when the timing is perfect. TODAY, LET US THANK GOD TOGETHER! (Beliefnet)

Today I had to put my HOPE sign back together….When I got home the wind must have torn the string and I was missing three letters. While cleaning up….I found them up against a tree all knotted together with a feather in the center. Apparently a mother bird found the broken string and cloth letters before me and thought it would make a soft nest.

Glad I found them back again… before she returned! I need my HOPE every day! (I washed all the letters and now they look fresh and new again!)

Spring is peeking out under dead limbs and covered pine straw….it will be here before we know it.

Jillian, at Eva’s Restaurant, sat down beside me at lunch yesterday and  told me that the blog entry I did on Eva’s has sent the regular customers running back again. I told her it wasn’t the blog but the wonderful readers who spread the news that turned the corner for them. Thank you! I would hate to lose that wonderful landmark.

Look at these two dollar bills that are becoming available now for Clemson fans….Go Tigers!

Rutledge and Lachlan both love coming through the moon gate….with their own unique style.

So until tomorrow….When we leave the timing in our lives up to God we save a lot of wasted worry time. God knows when the light will arrive to show us the way.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Mollie and her sister, Chelsea, are participating in a fund-raiser for rare cancers that often get overlooked in funding and research for cures. Cycling for Survival. Proud of both of you!

Dear Reader:

Don’t we all just need to get away some times?  This home sign on a neighbor’s house at Pawley’s summed it up perfectly: Changes in Latitudes; Changes in Attitudes.

It always takes us about one day to really unwind and leave the problems at home…at home. And then let the good times roll!

Jackson, Brooke, and I have started a tradition of meeting at the River View seafood restaurant on Front Street in Georgetown for drinks and delicious seafood. It  sets the stage for the retreat.

It was so beautiful Tuesday on the ride down…we sat outside in the park and just soaked up the rays for awhile after lunch. A good omen that this mid-winter retreat would be more spring-like than the frigid retreat last year…complete with  icicles hanging off the roof and frozen fountains.

We all brought fixings for meals , so we only went out Thursday evening for our seafood “fix” during the retreat. Wednesday continued to be beautiful with the bluest skies. We spent a lot of it in the Pawleys Hammock shops….so much fun…especially when Brooke bought her western hat and kept the “order” for the rest of the day.  (Right! Wrong!))

This British “Triumph” just called my name….and Libby found an outfit for Matthew’s wedding that just called hers.Looking good girl!

Brooke and I did some more shopping Thursday but before I left I walked over to our beach exit to take a picture of one of God’s greatest gifts to us….the ocean. A moment to breathe in the ocean air, let it out slowly, and remember we are all part of the universe.

We decided to make Thursday evening our “eat-out” annual dinner night instead of Friday. The food was delicious, great Motown music, and fun waiters and waitresses. We had a ball! This mouth-watering favorite restaurant of ours is on the left… right off the N. Causeway heading to Pawleys. Please try it next time you are in the area! As we were leaving we saw a ragged pink ribbon hanging from a tree. We were supposed to dine there last Thursday.

Here is my room for the Pawleys retreats….I love it for all the whimsey in it….I adore this painting…I want to go live in the tower by the sea.

During one of Brooke’s and my looking/shopping adventures I picked up an outdoor weather resistant table cloth for the deck table with a lantern….I love it. I brought a little of the beach home with me.

It is always bittersweet when we leave; this time new living arrangements/ changes for Libby and Jackson await while Brooke and I await to see what changes will be delivered to us….it is  just a matter of time.

So until tomorrow….time spent with friends is the best medicine of all…one of the great joys of life. God didn’t mean for us to go it alone! Family and friends are the memories of life. It gives us “joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts!”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Guess who came to see me yesterday after I got home? The dynamic Dingle Duo Brothers…. Walsh called and said Rutledge wanted to come see Boo Boo! (Mollie is out of town this weekend.) The boys played duets together before one knocked the other off the bench. We had so much fun! Here is a sneak peek….more to come later.

Dear Reader:

Nothing is more exciting than leaving on a trip except when it’s time to come home. Home is truly where the heart is.

The beach mid-winter retreat was everything we hoped for and even more…like the weather it just got better and better. Tomorrow I will have pictures to accompany our five-day get-away but we all felt the “need for speed” in getting away and being together again.

I have decided that I would be able to tell time these days (not by a clock or watch) but by my fresh bouquets of flowers….look at the extra buds that opened while we were away.

So much has happened in our lives since the last gathering….a new baby…(little Caleb) a grandson for Brookie,  a new home for Jackson, and a chance to see how Libby has fared through so many family health crises and try to  provide support.

The older we grow…the more similar we become….or perhaps we have always been one and the same….it just took a lifetime to recognize it among each of….the Ya’s. Life has a way of even-ing everyone up….we learn that we are truly One under God.

“Our life is our prayer. It’s our gift to the universe, and the memories we leave behind when we someday exit this world will be our legacy to our loved ones. The best thing we can do for ourselves and everyone around us is to find our joy and share it!” ~ Anita Moorjani

I definitely found my joy at Pawleys with my Ya’s….I am also returning with renewed energy and faith. I am not alone walking my path through life….that is an important thing to know.

So until tomorrow….I will rest in my own bed tonight and re-live the memories of the past week until I fall asleep. Sweet dreams!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” ~ Jojen, fictional character, A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

Reading has been a lifetime joy for me! It has also saved me along my life journey. As a child I would have been lost without Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and my other fictional story friends.

After daddy died…I remember I was so lonely. The following year I started first grade and I discovered I was starving to make sense of letters forming words; words forming sentences, and sentences forming stories.

I received more gold stars in the first grade than  other subsequent year. I read more books than anyone else because our family was split between NC and SC and I missed my siblings and my life as part of a whole family. I wanted it back again…but soon realized I could only find it in stories.

Reading made my family whole again…at least in my imagination. I could pretend to solve mysteries with Trixie and Nancy and come home to their wise fathers. I wanted a father again badly. I wanted to be the princess again in my family….not the lost little girl that I became.

According to the introductory quote: I have lived thousands of lives because it is rare to find me without a book for any length of time. Something is missing in my life if I am  not involved in another character’s existence.

When I took on the challenge of writing and telling 1002 blog stories…one more than Scheherazade did in 1001 Arabian Nights I knew I could tell 1002 stories if my health didn’t fail me before my goal was reached….it didn’t. Because of all the stories I had read I had more than enough “material” to over-take 1001.

I now know that whenever my time is up….I will have completed my earthly stories and start a new book of never-ending tales….stories that will be with me forever.

Honey forwarded me an email she had received last week and she knew I would relate to it well….it was about remembering items from the baby boomers’ childhoods of the fifties and sixties.

Most of these items have come and gone….but one made me laugh. It was the library sign-out card and I just filled mine out last week when I checked out two more books at Timrod. Don’t you love using card catalogues again to find a book when you go in there? I sure do!

Go Timrod! It’s like going back in history every time I enter…it even smells like the past….the way a library should smell….that wonderful scent of possibilities that bring me such joy!

I realize now that when I got my first library card…my life began.

So until tomorrow…In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)

*Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.

–Ray Bradbury

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Since garden flags are relatively inexpensive…usually under ten dollars, I like replacing them each spring. Old, weathered, beaten-down flags dampen the spirits of a fresh new spring garden . So yesterday I ordered this one and one other that I will show you later in the blog.

When the first flowers, like daffodils, beginning to bloom….it is like a new birth. When babies are born we want only the freshest items next to them….brand new like the baby; it is the same way with an early spring garden.

On Saturday mornings I love watching P. Allan Smith’s garden show. When he decided to build his home and gardens near Moss Mountain in Arkansas…he also decided to plant hills and hills of daffodils, his favorite flower. It is spectacular! A breath-taking welcome to spring! What a lovely gift he has given his neighbors!

Even though we can only drool over his ‘estate’… any garden of any size can bring us joy because we get to see life resurrected season after season…year after year. What is cooler than that?

This is the other garden flag I ordered….Celebrate with Joy!  The garden in my back yard has brought me so much joy I don’t know where to begin to thank so many of you readers for garden decorations, plants, bulbs, and most of all encouragement.

When I wake up each morning to the sea glass chimes welcoming me to another day I thank God again for the gift of life.

I saw this comment on Facebook one day and loved it.

“NATURE IS GOD’S SOCIAL NETWORK”
Jim Hargadon

Truer words were never spoken….without a word being spoken different plants attract different birds, butterflies, and bees to stop, rest, and refresh on their own life’s journey.

No computer needed….God built in their communication system all by Himself. Ain’t God grand? And we never have to worry about scams or losing  identities in the garden….after all God is Bill Gate’s Father too. He still calls the shots.

So until tomorrow….plant a flower and rejoice in life.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Monday was my regular six-week scheduled oncology check-up. By the time I left my six-week appointment…I learned that my check-ups are now going to be two-month regular appointments.

I feel like a baby being weaned from her mother….with similar mixed feelings. Part of me still wants my security blanket….the doctors and nurses who encourage me…. while, simultaneously, taking longer flights  from the nest…like a baby bird.

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008….there was a true sense of urgency. From the time of my first appointment with a breast specialist/surgeon… life changed radically.

Two days later I was having  my first  mastectomy and then two weeks later I had started my first chemo regiment. Radiation on a daily basis for six week intervals was added at three different points along the way and it was rare for awhile for me to wake up and not have an appointment associated with “little c.”

Treating cancer is like trying to hold several corks under water at the same time….I would get a good report on one treatment while getting hit with side effects that weren’t good. Like Dr. Silgals told me Monday….my particular breast cancer wanted to be unique and not follow the normal “rules” of a hormonal breast cancer which is usually the type for women my age….at the time in my late 50’s.

I literally had to get down to the ninth inning with two strikes on me to hit a homerun out of the park with a new treatment, not even designated for breast cancer. Who knew? (God knew!)

It would be nice to think that this was it….I was free of cancer but since I am testing an experimental drug no one knows how long its effectiveness will last or if/when “little c” might re-appear out of hiding.

The one thing I do know is that I am so happy to wake up each morning. Period.

Even during the darkest days two years ago….when the radiologist and surgeon just shook their heads in frustration I reassured them that things might not be looking all right on the outside looking in….but my soul was still doing all right…in fact there was not a trace of cancer to be found there.

*Today’s title poster is a Kelly Roberts drawing…(love her works….own several items of hers.)

“It is well, it is well with my soul”

Selah – It Is Well With My Soul – YouTube

My soul must have talked to my body and told it to get its act together because “little c” has stayed at bay since starting the new drug.

International Standard Version: Proverbs 15: 30
“Bright eyes encourage the heart; good news nourishes the body.”

So until tomorrow….Thank you Father for the good report this past Monday….my eyes remain bright with joy for the time I have been given for growing in faith, and loving family, friends, and flowers.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*These days I don’t look on clocks as adversaries like I once did….I love my Kelly Roberts clock with wings!

Dear Reader:

Our first vignette (about a blessing of joy) this week is about hometowns and the blessings they bring. Even though I wasn’t fortunate enough to be born in Summerville, today it is the town that I identify with as home; it has certainly given me my identity in life.

Psalm 16:11  (New Living Translation)
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

When I look back upon the “happenstance” leading up to my moving to Summerville, I realize that God’s Hand was involved from the very beginning.

Brooke and I had already decided that we wanted to continue rooming together and move to the Charleston area after graduation. Brooke first got a job teaching at Spann Elementary and soon after Gene Limehouse offered me a position teaching social studies at Alston Junior High School.

We moved into Georgetown Apartments in the West Ashley area of Charleston and with some other first year teachers made the trip from there to Summerville every day on the beautiful Scenic Highway (61)….what a charming drive during every season. I look back on those first years with fond memories.

Alston had just integrated the year before I arrived. Alston had once been the all-black high school and had undergone many physical/ cultural moves and changes when I arrived.

The history behind the school: The Alston Graded School opened in 1910. It was one of the first African American schools founded in Dorchester County. The school was named after Dr. J.H. Alston who donated the property on Cedar and 1st North Streets to build the school. The school housed grades 1-11 until 1949, when the 12th grade was added.

Dear Reader:

While the Friday “Foursome” did everything (but play golf) last week I managed to pick up another bouquet of flowers on our trip to Kiawah. My justification is that January and February need  life’s little “extras” to bring the sunshine back into the day.

When I took this (title) photo the sun was streaming through the window and lighting up the vase and flowers until they glowed. A vase full of joy!

One day last week while soaking up the rays out on the deck….a thought came to me. If someone asked me to sum up my life in five words or less …what would I say? Then it hit me: Faith, Family, Friends, and Flowers.

Faith: Yesterday I attended the 10:00 Seacoast service to see Rutledge and Lachlan get “dedicated’ as children of God and of the church. It’s not considered a “baptism” yet….that happens when they get older….Mollie told me around “7’ish.” 

She also told me that Rutledge was very excited! He tells people he’s getting dedicated Sunday to “Chase Jesus.”  (Follow, Chase? Hey it works for me.) Mollie assured him that was right…and explained that he is dedicating to be Jesus’ friend forever.

It ended up with the family and grandparents all going to the front as a prayer was said especially for the children and then an open invitation to all the congregation to help in the spiritual growth of the children. It was very sweet. Here are some photos:

There is a lovely gentleman who gives out lollipops after the church service for all the children – the line forms quickly. Rutledge took his time picking out his purple (grape) sucker…, like all the other children this kind gesture made him very happy.

They each got a certificate and a Bible, along with flowers for mom.

Rutledge and I sang “Jesus Loves Me” (his version) on the way home while Lachlan hummed.

Family: On Valentines or any holiday….it’s time to reconnect with family and let them know how much we love them. Also…a tip for future grandparents….I don’t care if you live next door to your grandchildren….on special occasions…mail them their treats. Nothing is more exciting to a child than receiving a package in the mail!

Friends: Last week was filled with adventures and activities with friends….Anne, Debbie, Honey, and Gin-g. From barbecue in Summerville to burgers at Kiawah…friendship abound. Tomorrow Brooke and I are leaving for Pawleys Island to join Libby and Jackson for our annual Ya Ya mid-winter retreat. We will be there from Tuesday to Saturday.

I have decided to just do a little “vignette” or thought for the blog post daily while I am gone. A line of scripture concerning joy will kick-off the daily musings. I have so much to be joyful about….it’s time to just shout it out!

“Today Jackson gets to see her new apartment,  home and life. A tour awaits Jackson and Libby….Brooke and I can hardly wait to see her new place, also. We’re so happy for Jackson…though it will be bittersweet leaving Libby and her transient home since last October. Wow! It’s hard to believe.

Flowers: What would my life be without them? My garden and flowers are an extension of  who I am these days. They help define me and my passions in life. Mixed feelings accompanied Big Red, the hibiscus, and the poinsettias as they returned to the porch today.

Not only did they brighten my “happy room” with their presence they actually had buds that bloomed while staying indoors. Amazing. My flowers and I got to be “roomies” like Jackson and Libby.

So until tomorrow what five words or less sum up your life? Give it some thought.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*

I had a wonderful Valentines surprise  from Honey sitting on my porch in yesterday morning’s cold temperatures-Unbelievable!….all kinds of goodies…battery candles for my terra cotta candle holders, earrings to match a precious pocketbook and sweet tea jelly. Thank you Honey….you are the Valentine for all seasons…love ya girl!

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