Dear Reader:

Doesn’t it seem like every time we turn around…someone is mentioning the phrase “A Random Act of Kindness.” I decided to track down the origin of the expression and it lead me down a fascinating afternoon detour.

This is what I discovered:

The phrase “ Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty ” was first  written by Anne Herbert on a place mat in a restaurant in Sausalito, California in 1982. It was based on the phrase “random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty“. Herbert’s book “Random Acts of Kindness” was published in February 1993 speaking about true stories of acts of kindness.

A random act of kindness is defined as:

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or a group wishing to either help or to cheer up someone . The act, itself, covers all categories including… to be kind, thoughtful, use your manners, give out compliments, volunteer, and/ or forgive someone.

Anne had an epiphany after watching another depressing newscast in which she saw examples of “senseless acts of cruelty and destruction performed by random acts of violence.” Suddenly she thought to herself….if violence, destruction, and cruelty can spread, like an insidious cancer, to all parts of the globe; then what would happen if the world fought back the darkness (in reverse) with random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty? Couldn’t it also spread like wildfire?

Herbert was right…the ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ idea has spread today through bumper stickers, posters, slogans, conferences, books, talk shows, radio shows, courses, documentaries and movies. When Herbert’s first book on random acts of kindness was published in the early nineties it struck a chord throughout the country and world. The twentieth year edition was re-published in 2013 by the original editors.

I love one idea I discovered, written by M. J. Ryan (one of the original editors) about a special term that defines the magic released upon performing a random act of kindness. It stems from a Buddhist term called “mudita” which translated means sympathetic joy. It is “the unswelling of the heart at the happiness of someone else.”

Isn’t that beautiful?

And guess who got to experience (just recently) a random act of kindness…the kind that restores our faith in humanity.

You might remember that Brooke’s and my Christmas NYC trip was wonderfully crazy and fun…with one exception. Brooke left her pocketbook on the N. J. Transit heading back to Newark , NJ (from NYC) to fly home. Because she didn’t have any ID on her the boarding process was long, stressful, and tedious. (But like Brooke said, she had time to use the restroom and for us to get on the return flight…so she paused in all her anxiety…thanked God for His blessings and just let it go.)

And then….here is the e-mail I got yesterday from her.

Well, I received a call MONDAY from NJ Transit and GUESS WHAT??

They had my pocketbook in LOST AND FOUND!!!

After a few hours of calling back and forth, I had FEDEX pick it up yesterday and it will

be here TOMORROW.

I will not know the contents until I get it, but isn’t that just UNBELIEVABLE!!

Will send a picture when I receive it!!

Good omen and renewal in belief in the good of man.

Love you, brookie

………………………..

* Speaking of Winnie the Pooh…yesterday was definitely a ‘Winnie the Pooh’ blustery day…my neighbor’s pine tree came tumbling down.

 Some Happy Birthdays and Belated….so many random acts of kindness friends…Happy Birthday Sam and belated Gin-g! You are both  filled with sympathetic joy for the happiness of others!

“Take a walk with a turtle. Behold the world in PAUSE.”

When we think about it….a pause is one of God’s greatest gifts to us . The great comedian, Jack Benny, once remarked:

“It’s not so much knowing when to speak, as when to pause.”

Jack Benny’s whole comedic stage performance was based on his famous pauses. It wasn’t so much  his comments, but his expression during the pauses that made the crowd roar with laughter.

The speakers that have made an impression on me, throughout my life, are ones who haven’t  tried to cram as many words into one talk and ‘beat the clock,’ as the ones who spoke simply, directly, and used perfectly-timed pauses for deep reflection. They gave the audience the gift of time and silence. A precious gift!

I began to notice pauses in literature when I first read Archibald Rutledge’s best-seller Down by the River. When he returned home again, to Hampton Plantation in the 1930’s, it was his relationship with the African-American sharecroppers still living there, descendants of former slaves, who taught him the power of a pause and a few words.

In one of his tales, he remembers going down the Santee River early one morning (around 3 a.m.) with Sam Singleton, the plantation’s best boatman. They were going to a place called “Tranquility” in a wild delta, hoping to arrive at dawn,  for a duck hunt.

Even with the stars shining brightly at first, a southern river can be quite a haunting thing. Then, when a strange dense fog settled in, around their dugout cypress canoe, a sense of wandering toward eternity engulfed them.

The sound of waves appeared to get louder and louder, along with the roar of the surf. By now attempts to reach either side of the shore were in vain.

The blinding mist had thrown them off course and both men sensed immediate danger. Archibald turned to Sam and reminded him to cling to the canoe when it was swamped, which he expected to happen any minute.

There was a long pause before he heard Sam respond in the darkness: “Never mind, Cap’n,’ the humble boatman told him, “It will be daybreak soon.”

It was sunrise, that morning, that came just in time to save them. They were hovering on the brink of the sea.

Years later, upon reflection of this dangerous adventure, Archibald understood that it was not sunrise alone that had saved them, but Sam’s reminding him that it was SURE to come, that restored his courage.

Archibald concludes the tale with:

“And even now, after all these years, whenever the shadows are deepest and most impenetrable, I seem to hear, out of the dim celestial past, the quiet voice of Sam Singleton saying to my doubting and besieged heart. Never mind, Cap’n; it will be daybreak soon.”

For a writer I think there should be a pause button with a timer on it that gives the typist five minutes to think about what they are going to say before typing it…to give oneself reflection time before continuing the observations of the day. All technological equipment should have a pause button….because if we humans talked & wrote less and paused more the world would be a kinder, gentler place.

So until tomorrow ” When things begin accelerating wildly out of control, sometimes patience is the only answer. Press Pause.( Douglas Rushkoff)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Anne didn’t have time to pause this past month…yet her drawings reflect her inner light and talent brilliantly. 30 days, 30 paintings! This month she said is 29 salads (*it’s leap year*) in 29 days….she said she has to get off those holiday pounds!

In the News: The shadow knows: Furry forecaster Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring  (And all his buddies did the same thing…no shadows yesterday. An Early Spring!)

West Virginia’s French Creek Freddie, Georgia’s Gen. Beauregard Lee, Ohio’s Buckeye Chuck, North Carolina’s Sir Wally Wally, Louisiana’s Cajun Groundhog, Alabama’s Smith Lake Jake and New York’s Staten Island Chuck and they all agreed with P. Phil!

Dear Reader:

When I was looking for a little memento to give Brooke of our  NYC Christmas adventure….I thought this Christmas Tree ornament, showing a NYC taxicab, about summed it all up. We watched Henry, Brooke’s son, dash through cars and heavy traffic to flag down a cab for us….holding our breath the whole time. It seems like life centers around finding a taxi when you need one… which for us, was the whole time we were there.

The other week I caught part of an interview on Deborah Roberts and her husband Al Roper’s newly published book (on marriage) called: Been There, Done That.

Deborah recalled that her mother’s favorite expression which  she called out to her everyday when she left the house was:

“The time of day belongs to everyone.”

It wasn’t until she got older and left home that the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘hit home.” Her mother was telling her that she will find many moments in the upcoming day to make a difference in someone else’s life by simply being kind.

Deborah told the interviewer that she sometimes feels like she has lost some of her southern hospitality in living in NYC where everyone races and rushes, competing for time, space, and yes…taxis. And then one day she finally realized that she had the power to turn someone else’s attitude around as she repeated silently “The time of day belongs to everyone” and “Always give people more than they expect.”

Here is the excerpt from the book about this very incident:

DEBORAH

Several years ago, I was on assignment interviewing a man and his wife who were facing a tragic situation. After the interview, I went into their bathroom to wash my hands and noticed a sign they had hanging up on the wall that was headlined “Rules of Life.”

There were a number of great phrases written on the plaque about finding peace and being positive, but the one that stuck with me that day was, “Always give people more than they expect.” That resonated with me because it reminded me so much of my mother. She is the first person who taught me to think above and beyond when you are doing something with or for someone else.

Last winter was an especially harsh one for many parts of the country. We had more snow and bitterly cold days than I can ever remember in all of the years I’ve lived in New York City. On a particularly miserable day in December, in the thick of the Christmas season, I was rushing home after work and was lucky to find a cab right away.

It was one of those blessed New York moments when a cab stops on the corner where you’re standing. I made a dash for it at the same time another woman had spotted it. I didn’t see her, nor do I believe she saw me. I jumped in on one side as she made her move on the other. She had a dispirited look on her face when she realized I wasn’t about to let the coveted cab go.

Now, ordinarily, the New Yorker in me would have said, “Sorry, lady!” But something inside told me to ask where she was headed. She looked exasperated, as if she had been standing in the cold, wet snow for quite some time. I told her I was headed to Eighty-second and Second Avenue. She said she was going to Seventy-fifth and First.

“Maybe you two can share!” the cabdriver suggested.

“Sure,” I said. “I don’t mind at all! Hop on in.”

The woman jumped in and noticed I had Pepper, our family dog, with me. She rolled her eyes, resentful of her presence and of mine, clearly asking herself why she was getting into this cab with either of us. She just looked disdainful of everything.

I could have taken an attitude back with her.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I used our short ride together to try to turn her day around.

“How are you doing today?” I asked.

“Don’t even ask!” she said.

“Where are we headed to first, ladies?” the driver chimed in.

“I’d be happy to drop you at Seventy-fifth and Third— it’s right on the way,” I politely offered.

“Ugh. I can’t walk that far. I’ve been on my feet all day. I am exhausted.”

Before she could go any further, I realized this woman needed a break much more than I did. “You know what? You can drop me at Seventy-fourth and Second and I’ll walk the rest of the way so you can take this lovely woman right to her front door.”

She didn’t know what to say.

But I knew that in that moment she needed more than she was expecting.

With that simple gesture, she began to crack that tough facade and warmed up to me. She told me she was seventy-eight years old and was still working in the jewelry district five days a week. Her office was near Rockefeller Center, near the Christmas tree, so the traffic and the hordes of people every day had become overwhelming.

I told her I understood how hard this time of year can be and reminded her that this too shall pass. The holidays are tough for a lot of people, but they come and go and things will get better. By the time we got to my stop, she had forgotten all about her terrible day. She started to dig in her purse to pay for the cab, but before she could find her wallet, I handed her more than enough to cover the ride.

“Here, take this.”

“I don’t have any change,” she said.

“Go home and have a hot cup of tea, put your feet up and relax,” I said, offering her a smile and a wink before I got out of the cab. “God bless you!” she called out.

I turned to her before closing the door and said, “Next time you’ll give me the ride, okay?” And with that I offered her a quick wave and then Pepper and I were on our way. I had a little extra pep in my step as I walked home that afternoon. I felt good being able to do something kind for a stranger, and I felt more gratitude about life.

…………………….

So until tomorrow let’s remember, to not only appreciate life’s extras, but to give extra attention to those who need it.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday was so pretty I toured the Flowertown Nursery off Highway 78. They have completely re-done the whole complex….I found so many words of wisdom and dream items for my garden that I stayed in a state of  bliss the whole time. Let me share some ‘imaginings’ with you. (The first photo- the two-seated trellis is the big treasure in my garden dreams….maybe if I start saving now….?)

Happy Groundhog Day….with El Nino controlling the weather… the groundhog better jump back into his hole before seeing his shadow.

Dear Reader:

Bliss is the name of my little girl statue in the garden. I think I told you that the children got her for me as a gift for the garden when  it was first taking shape. I loved the name and the expression on the little girl’s face just says it all. She is in a state of sheer happiness and pure joy (bliss) with the little birds sitting on her out-stretched arms while she smiles up at the universe. All is right with the world.

If you look carefully you will see some dark patches of dirt near her. That is where I planted the daffodils….can you imagine how beautiful Bliss is going to look surrounded by dozens of daffodils? I can hardly wait!

Bliss is a word we don’t hear often these days….it’s old-fashioned but there is something special about the way it forms on your lips. It makes me smile just to say it. I can’t think of a prettier name for a little girl than “Bliss.” (No, this is not a hint….just saying….I’m throwing it out there for anyone.)

Webster Dictionary defines “bliss” as: A state of perfect happiness and great joy… making one oblivious to everything and everyone else around him/her.

We hear terms like “wedded bliss” and for most people it exists more blissfully at the beginning of a marriage until the reality of everyday living sometimes takes the edge off of it. (After all…how long can any of us remain in an euphoric state…but it is great while it’s happening, isn’t it?)

The moments of bliss in our lives are definitely numbered and perhaps that is the reason we can remember them more easily than the mundane events of our past.

Perhaps we spelled the last word correctly and won the school spelling bee!  Or we opened the envelope and discovered we had been accepted at the college of our first choice. Or we looked down into the beautiful face of our child and finally understood what unconditional love  meant. Or the wedding proposal came unexpectedly while  eating an ice cream cone and it goes flying across the parlor, hitting someone in the face. We remember each blissful moment with a smile and a tug at the heart.

Some theologians use the word “bliss” in describing the joy of heaven. However, when I looked up the word “bliss” in my resource book ( Where to Find It in the Bible) I discovered that the word is only used once in scripture:

Ecclesiastes 1:18   “ Ignorance is bliss”

I remember mother telling me one time that this phrase only works if it comes naturally. It took me awhile to get it…but I did eventually and naturally.

I, also, learned quickly at Erskine College (first day of orientation as we tediously went through the whole handbook) that “Ignorance is bliss” wasn’t going to work there either. The first words on the inside cover of the handbook read; “Ignorance is NO EXCUSE!” (“Bummer, I thought, mother must have gotten to this woman.”)

Yesterday was a blissful day for me….it involved a lot of physical work but I needed it and the tired in me this evening, as I type the blog, is a “good” tired. (I never understood when “old” people said that when I was young)..now I do.)

I planted and raked and picked up sticks and debris….even cutting away the old moon flower strings still wrapped tightly around the side fence. Everything looks pretty orderly now….with dead branches pulled off plants to reveal tiny green shoots below, and pine cones (My how they multiply) all thrown in the large pile by the street for pick-up. It’s a good feeling of accomplishment.

Each day I discover more and more that Archibald Rutledge was right on target with the importance of taking time to appreciate life’s “extras.” The sky was gorgeous last evening with the sun going down…surrounded by the most beautiful shades of pink. Thank you God for this “extra.”

I, also, like to add little “extra’s” to my Happy Room to put and keep me in a state of bliss over the little things. (* Donna, do you recognize this arrangement….minus the orange roses….you gave me the night of the National College Championship? The orange roses hung in there until last week but the purples are still as gorgeous as the night you gave them to me over three weeks ago…I just added green magnolia leaves. The gift that keeps on giving. Thank you!)

Pam Stewart added some more angels to the collection she has already given me….this angel had a clear, long stem container so that I could add fresh flowers….I added my El Nino azaleas that are still blooming.

I had gotten this little eco-growing bubble from CVS while waiting on my prescription one day…you simply spray once a week to keep the “grass green and growing.” I thought it looked like a special world for a lucky fairy….I think she loves her new home and is quite appreciative.

So until tomorrow…Father, show us how to find bliss within ourselves by pausing to be “awe-struck” by Your Creation.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

February 1! Wow! Can you believe it? By the end of this month spring will be knocking at the door. The most wonderful thing about living in the lowcountry is the short winters. I moved my little rabbit/statue to the front yard and placed it in the pansy barrel to represent February but then I couldn’t resist decorating her with (El Nino) azaleas, not normally representative of this month. Maybe the photo will help me remember this unusual year…weather-wise.  Remember “Say RABBIT”! Good luck will follow!

Anne sent a photo of her “wabbit” getting ready to welcome the new month in also…. “Say Wabbit“!  May everyone have a wonderful February!

Dear Reader:

How many of our fears are based in actuality and how many in rumors and hearsay? Even the  wonderful God-given gift of imagination can turn into our enemy when imploded into fear through self-infliction.

Do you remember where the title line comes from? Yes, you got it! The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow are following the Yellow Brick Road into a darkening forest. Suddenly Dorothy grows fearful and asks the Tin Man if there are wild animals in the forest. He replies that he imagines so….like “Lions and Tigers and Bears.” To which Dorothy replies in a terrified voice, “OH MY!”

This scene leads to the meeting of the next character in the story….the Cowardly Lion… as he pops out of the woods to scare them and scares himself instead. But before he appears, Dorothy, the Tin Man, and Scarecrow all begin to repeatedly chant together “Lions and Tigers and Bears….OH MY!” (Isn’t this how we humans sometimes try to reduce our fears by  outshouting the scary silence around us?)

Here is a “snippet” of this scene from The Wizard of Oz.

Lions, Tigers, Bears – The Wizard Of Oz – YouTube

Lisa Surratt, the speaker at the Chosen/Fearless Women’s Conference Friday, used this line from The Wizard of Oz, repeatedly in re-telling  the story of The Exodus.

Every time in scripture that the Chosen Ones found themselves backed up against a wall ( or sea) God provided for them. Yet each time the Israelites’ faith floundered. They doubted God’s ability to save them right up until the 11th hour trembling in fear. (“Lions, and tigers, and bears Oh My!”)

After time spent in the Wilderness spies were sent out into ‘The Promised Land’  of Canaan. They were told to check and see if the land really was the land of milk and honey (and to bring back evidence of such fruits from the land) the population number living there, the strength of the fortifications of its towns and cities…returning by the end of forty days.  (Numbers: Chapter 13)

Definitely a mixed report returns with the spies. Yes, there were fruits hanging from the trees in such large clusters that it took two men carrying a pole to bring back one grape cluster. However, the reason for the enormous clusters of fruit is that the inhabitants of Canaan are descendants of the giant, Anak…..the people were known as Anakim.

The majority of the spies said basically it would be a “suicide mission” to try to attack these giants while they (themselves) looked like grasshoppers in comparison….they would all be slaughtered. ( “Lions and Tigers and Bears…OH MY!“)

Only Caleb and Joshua refused to go along with the other spies’ way of thinking….the land was so rich and fertile, the buildings built beautifully….this was the land promised them by their Lord. Hadn’t God seen them through other tight situations and brought them out unharmed? They needed to go take the land right now, in accordance with God’s instructions. They needed to have faith in God to deliver on His promise.

For these two faithful followers of God the Promised Land would be given to them and their descendants because they never lost sight of the power of their God. They feared no man (even big, giant ones) with God by their side. (“Lions and Tigers and Bears…WHO CARES?) 

Just as God shook His head in frustration at the lack of faith of His Chosen People…don’t you think He does the same thing with us when we try to find excuses why we can’t take on the “giant” problems in our lives while He is waiting right there beside us to hold our hand during our blind leap of faith?

Anne and I rode over to visit Lisa at the Hollow Tree Nursery yesterday. It was so nice outside and the landscape so pretty. Just talking to Lisa about plants is fascinating. We both left with more camellia plants and Confederate roses .

Of course, since we were in the area, we stopped and ate at Duke’s Barbecue in Ridgeville. So good! While eating I was talking to Anne about the conference and how I really needed to hear the different voices of the speakers talk passionately about becoming more fearless, secure in God’s love and protection.

I told Anne…some mornings I wake up and just point to the ceiling and ask, “Are we still good, God”…”Are we okay?”  (“I know I messed up yesterday but I am going to try harder today….I just want to know that You’re still with me.” ” Great! That’s all I needed to know.”)

So until tomorrow….”Lions and tigers and bears…Who Cares!” because Jesus Loves Me, This I know.

Psalm: 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Check out these beautiful camellias….we felt like we were in a fairyland of beautiful colors….

*I couldn’t resist this funny fridge magnet…which inspired me to finally clean off all the photos that were on the refrigerator doors and put them safely away in a zip lock bag. I then put this new magnet in the center of the door:

I then put my four adorable, lovable grandchildren’s photos around the magnet message….too cute! I love my Dingle-Turner gang…they keep me riding high…having been sworn into the “I am Up to the No Good” club!!

Dear Reader:

For the past two days I have been attending a women’s conference in Mt. Pleasant… called Chosen/Twenty16.

Mollie attended it last year and felt so uplifted that she wanted to share it with me this year….a loving gesture from my daughter-in-love. The speakers did uplift our spirits, but also made us examine the fears in our lives that have held us back from being the best we were created to be.

The introduction to the two-day Chosen Women’s Conference announced this year’s theme: Fearless. The brochure said:

“We too often find ourselves living in fear. Fear of failure. Of not being good enough. Of letting others down. But God doesn’t want us living in that place. He is calling us to step out and into His arms. He has chosen us to become fearless women on fire for Him right here, right now. And it all begins at Chosen.

………………………

All of the speakers were good but Lisa Surrell, actually the Associate Pastor’s wife helping with the conference, spoke both to my mind and heart in vignettes I could “aha” about in layman’s terms…relating the stories back to my own life.

Each presentation was aimed at getting us to examine our own fears to take the leap of faith that God will provide us with everything we need to be successful, if we don’t let fear rule our lives.

Lisa started out by re-telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt and Moses’ reluctance to accept the leadership position in this momentous undertaking.

Even after Moses explained that he stuttered (as if God didn’t already know) and therefore would not be a leader others would respect….God came up with the one solution that Moses couldn’t squirm out of….some brotherly help.

“Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.”

(Not only was Moses not “fired” from God’s plan, nor demoted, he was actually promoted….since he, alone, “would stand in the place of God for (his brother) Aaron…telling him what to say.”

Lisa confessed that public speaking was a fear she carried within her…As long as she had her “Aaron” (her pastor husband) by her side she could manage to keep this fear at bay, but to give this important presentation all by herself, had produced some sleepless nights and stressful days.

While complaining, for the umpteenth time about the pressure she felt, a close friend looked at her and said, “Get over yourself Lisa, it’s not about you.”

At first she admits, her feelings were hurt, but the next morning she felt the presence of God basically telling her the same thing. She had been complaining that she couldn’t do it alone….and the whole time God was sighing, “Of course you can’t, I am with you and will put the words in your mouth you need to say and people need to hear.”

And God did. After my divorce I was scared of just about everything….especially anything financial (which still scares me to this day but I have learned to “fear” through it now.) Things, like monthly budgets, re-financing, taxes, buying a car, etc. I just felt so stupid about economic/financial terms I didn’t even know the meanings of, much less, comprehend what to do with them.

But God never let me go it alone-….He sent “Aaron” friends, like Virgil Cordray, (old teaching buddy) who worked in car sales later, to help me purchase my first car. He gave me Brian Mitchum, (First Citizens Bank) to teach me about re-financing, and Anthony Sterba to legally advise me years ago… to name just a few among many selected spiritual appointees.

God is the “Author of Life” and in His book are designated blank sections, with our names on them, waiting for our story to be told. The book will never be complete without each of our stories in it.

We have all been “Chosen” to co-author our story with God’s permission and stamp of approval. However, we must learn to self-edit when we lose sight of our  chance to “live happily ever after”  and wander too far off the story-line God has envisioned for us.

To conclude her talk, Lisa asked each of us to look in our seats, open up the box beside us, and pull out our gift – a magnifying glass. We can choose to magnify our fears by choosing the wrong lenses, namely our self-imposed perceptions of life, or change our lenses to God’s perception of the amazing life we can choose to live with Him.

In fact, with a little help from the sun and our magnifying glass on our story (paper) we can even start a fire within us that will produce a story for the ages.

So until tomorrow…. “God is calling us to step out and into His arms. He has chosen us to become fearless women (and men) on fire for Him right here, right now.”

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

This two minute video will make you pause today and smile at the gift of life around you. Promise….. “God’s Whisper.” Thanks Donna Williams for sharing!

*I spent the night with Eva Cate at John and Mandy’s house Thursday night…so I would be close to the conference. Jakie is still learning to be fearless when it comes to walking….but with dad he is getting braver.

*Happy Birthday to John Lee, designer and carpenter of the now famous garden moon gate….a benchmark birthday for a benchmark life.

*John was working on the moon gate when I took this picture of him starting my new clock for me….the man can even fix time! Amazing!

Dear Reader:

The signs of early spring are already starting to reveal themselves in my garden and yard in mid-winter. The short nap, for several flowering plants and vines, is coming to an abrupt end….Soon there will be no more extra minute ‘snooze buttons’ to push. It will be time to get up and show the world what they are.

I can almost hear the clock ticking away in the silent garden….all might seem at rest and quiet on the surface, but underneath roots and stems are working overtime to gain enough strength to push through the ground.

Take our beautiful state flower, the Yellow Jessamine. When I went to check on it early yesterday morning the first bright yellow bloom of the season greeted me with a smile.

It was February 1, 1924 when the legislature adopted the Yellow Jessamine as the state flower offering this explanation for the choice.”

“Its delicate flower suggests the pureness of gold; its perpetual return out of the dead winter suggests the lesson of constancy in, loyalty to, and patriotism in the service of the State.” 

*This Monday, February 1, 2016, will mark the benchmark of 92 years since the official adoption! Happy Birthday Yellow Jessamine! Here’s a birthday bag for you!

* And Joan it has been four years since you created this beautiful painting for the cover of the little story I wrote about the state flower. Thank you again for sharing your amazing talent for this project.

The pansies have been getting up early all winter….their rest will come when the temperatures rise. The “rabbit foot” fern must be exhausted….no rest for the weary….it has hung in the Bradford Pear tree branch all winter, even with snow flurries on it and just kept right on rising each morning through the freezing conditions.

One of my new camellia plants has a beautiful little bloom on it….they are small but already up and at’em….no snooze buttons for them. Even the dried mums are still beautiful….now they can rest forever.

The Confederate Jasmine is still growing and clinging to the white picket decorative garden fences. They are the “workaholics” of the garden…every season finds them growing bigger and stronger.

Close behind them on productivity this year are the azaleas…yes, the azaleas. Even with the freezes overnight, we experienced last week, the buds are still trying to open revealing all their loveliness. I am sure the azaleas must be ready to toss the clock away since it buzzes 24/7/. (So I spared them their pictures with the clock.)

So until tomorrow….Here’s to awakening to a new day, my precious garden. It’s time to wake up “children” and bloom where you are planted. Make the most of your time.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Honey looked like a ray of sunshine when she stopped by with soup and sunflowers yesterday, along with the prettiest kitchen towel. She is getting younger and younger…I do believe the secret is in the walking, especially for such great causes as MS.

Dear Reader:

For too much of my life I thought happiness must always be traded or exchanged for sadness or sorrow. Then when the sadness and sorrow had passed I felt I had earned the right to be happy again.

Many people, I suspect, are like me…almost scared to be too happy because it hurts more when  it crashes and sorrow and hurt reign for extended intervals throughout  our lives. When you think like that…it takes courage to be happy.

Once, however, you have faced the possibility of death ‘upclose and personal’….and, then, been blessed with the most beautiful gift of all…time, you suddenly, finally understand happiness for what it is….sheer exhilaration at simply being alive and seeing the beauty of the earth in ways you never did before.

It becomes much easier to pick our battles, prioritize our time, and work on leaving loving memories in our wake. Happiness becomes so deep-seeded that it is never forced but spontaneous, like life itself.

British author, Hannah Hurnard’s fascinating allegory of the journey of one woman in search of God, won her millions of fans when her book was first published in 1955.

She also includes an autobiographical segment on the changes in her life as reflected by her own happiness and awareness of God’s pure love and joy.

The following excerpt is a message she received one day while walking through a valley surrounded by slopes of daffodils. It was an experience that gave her a glimpse into the sheer state of happiness for those gone before us.

“The Message of the Narcissus”

One day Hannah took a walk down a rather slippery slope which lead to a wooded area and a valley far below. Covering all three terrains were multitudes and multitudes of Narcissus (daffodils and jonquils.)

When Hannah stopped and stood among the flowers she made a fascinating discovery. They all, without exception, faced down the hill as if straining to see the valleys far below. They all leaned forward in their desire to see something in the distance that made them eternally happy.

If standing among the hundreds of daffodils…Hannah saw only their shiny white backs…but if she turned and looked up the slopes she noticed, among the multitudes of daffodils….“little faces, each with a gold crown in their hearts.” 

The message that went straight to her soul was beautiful, but not one she ever expected. The Narcissus spoke to her of “ all those who have learned the lesson of eternal love and have passed on before us through the veil of sense, into the realm of holy love in the light of God’s presence.”

Hannah recalls: There they were watching eagerly how we learn the same lesson…I could hear my parents’ voices: “Hannah it is happy to love. Abandon yourself to loving because love is life and eternal joy. Love is the only thing that matters.”

So until tomorrow “It is so happy to love without asking to be loved in return. Dare to be happy.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*We had wonderful comments in reference to the blog post: “The Same Self is in All of Us.“ I wanted to share some of these powerful perspectives with you.

Jo Dufford: There is always something new to see with our eyes, and also with our minds. I ride through some of the older streets in Summerville, and suddenly, I see a house for the first time, but it has always been there. Then I hear a scripture that I’ve probably heard a hundred times, but this time I really hear it as if for the first time, and I begin to see it entirely different.

Of course, it is always a blessing when we take time and allow ourselves to see the good in everyone. Isn’t it wonderful that God has let us live long enough to retire and to be able to take time to enjoy (and maybe really see for the first time) so many things that the pressures of our very busy younger working days wouldn’t allow? And maybe that’s how God planned it, so no matter how long we live, there will always be something new for us to keep us in awe of the world He created. So glad to see Big Red making a great come-back. You know she is now a little part of all of us.

Mev Shieder:

*What a lesson! And the better we learn it (which is, ironically, impacted by time and circumstance), the more we live and love in His peace! Thanks for sharing.

*Funny thing is judging takes more work on our part because we have to justify it; whereas, loving others has already been justified… On The Cross

Dear Reader:

Isn’t it strange how the angle of a view in a mirror changes everything? Normally I sit in the dining chair, closest to the kitchen… which means my back is to this mirror while eating.

But yesterday I had fixed a bowl of soup and decided to open up the dining room window (so warm and pretty outside) to let the outside in. After doing so…I plopped down on the opposite side of the table with my bowl of soup… which afforded me this view of the mirror and the reflection of my “Happy Room” (den) bouncing off of it.

I blinked twice to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing….I had no idea that the mirror reflected a section of the den from the upper level dining area. I mean, all these years of living here, and one change altered and offered me a whole new perspective on my home. Wow!

Since my original diagnosis of breast cancer….my perception of life, itself, has changed, just as dramatically as the incident at the dining table. I now see the intricacies of daily life in a broader scheme than my earlier limited vision. How did I never pick up on those wild flowers growing in my side yard or the azalea bush behind the garage that had grown larger than the first story of the garage itself?

I was so caught up in the busyness of life that I forgot to pause and look around me….in fact I forgot to simply look down.

When the cold snap hit last week (before I left for Edisto) I hauled “Big Red’  and the poinsettias into the B&B side of the house so they wouldn’t freeze while I was gone. With the first warm day (Monday) I brought them back out and they looked like children happy to be outside playing again .

Even though the front porch looked rather stark without flowers on it ….if anyone had peeked through the front window they would have seen “Big Red” looking out the window from the inside and all the poinsettias decorating the dining room table. (Like people…sometimes we need to give things a second glance, a second chance to see the bright light within and then help them bloom.)

Recognizing the divine spark or light in other people runs along this same line of thinking. We enjoy some people’s company more than others, for many different reasons, perhaps similar tastes, personalities, backgrounds, or whatever…but if we ever stop to find their light within….we would recognize it as the same as ours…the common denominator of being human and a child of God.

Here is an excerpt from this week’s Awakin Weekly….thoughts shared by Eknath Easwaran.

“The Same Self is in All of Us.“

The same spark of divinity–this same Self–is enshrined in every creature. My real Self is not different from yours nor anyone else’s. If we want to live in the joy that increases with time, if we want to live in true freedom independent of circumstances, then we must strive to realize that even if there are four people in our family or forty at our place of work, there is only one Self.

This realization enables us to learn to conduct ourselves with respect to everyone around us, even if they provoke us or dislike us or say unkind things about us. And that increasing respect will make us more and more secure. It will enable us gradually to win everybody’s respect, even those who disagree with us or seem disagreeable.

…We can learn to respond always to the Self within–focusing not on the other person’s ups and downs, likes and dislikes, but always on what is changeless in each of us. Then others grow to trust us. They know they can count on us–and that makes us more secure too.

We can try to remember this always: the same Self that makes us worthy of respect and love is present equally in everyone around us. It is one of the surest ways I know of to make our latent divinity a reality in daily life.

……………………………

So until tomorrow….”Be kind to Everyone…For we are all fighting a hard battle.” (Plato) We must remember, as humans, we are more alike than different….equally loved by our Creator.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I must admit that on the recent chilly, overcast mornings we have all experienced,  I have been reluctant to make the transition from “Old Pinky”  (the bathrobe) to getting dressed.

The last two days, however, with predictions in the sixties with the sun shining bright, have sent me scampering to get dressed and just enjoy life. A friend sent me this cartoon from Facebook… which pretty much sums it all up.

Dear Reader:

Haven’t we all heard the expression “every nook and cranny?”  It is certainly an expression I use a lot since I lose things a lot…like car keys. I used to leave sunglasses at everyone’s house but then I went and actually bought a very expensive pair, instead of my regular Dollar General “specials” (bought by the gross) and “Viola”… I still have these sunglasses  five years later.There must be some lesson to this story but it eludes me.

I was just probably so embarrassed to have spent that much money on a pair of sunglasses that it is the first thing I check my pocketbook for these days – to make sure I have them…even before car keys. (I must admit that sometimes the glasses are sitting on top of my head…awkward pause.)

If I am late arriving for lunch with friends or any other engagement ….99% of the time it is because of my car keys. I always say about the same thing….“I am sorry I am late…I lost my car keys (again.) I  looked in every ‘nook and cranny’ without any luck, until I went back out to the car and there they were under the driver’s seat.” 

(I had hurriedly dropped them in my pocketbook (or so I thought) only to discover that they never made it in but instead fell between the console and driver’s seat.)

The origin of “every nook and cranny” originates from two Old English words:

This metaphoric idiom pairs stem from nook (which means “an out-of-the-way corner” -stemming back to the mid-1300s -and cranny, which means “a crack or crevice” since  1440. One rarely hears them used separately…

Nooks and crannies are like magnets to little children…I remember escaping to the wide-open-space under Grandmother Wilson’s farmhouse with my dolls to set up a hospital.

Another favorite place was the cellar where meats cured and certain vegetables dried out….it always had a funny smell to it…but that didn’t deter me or David from exploring it from end to end. We pretended  to shoot the hanging sides of pork or beef with our stick guns….and we both wanted safari hats for Christmas. (Don’t remember that happening…)

*I birdwalk here but the picture of “Old Blacky” makes me smile. I swear that dog must have broken the Guinness Books of Records for longevity. From the time I learned to literally walk (and did so beside the dog)…  I knew his name only as “Old Blacky.”

Bless “Old Blacky’s” heart, he must have passed on when I was in high school or college. That is when Grandmother’s health failed to the point that she had to live in a nursing home. By then “Old Blacky” needed a nursing home worse than Grandmother I suspect. I sure did love that dog. He was the faithful companion on all our childhood adventures.

But now….back to nooks and crannies. Today, instead of hiding in nooks and crannies….I like to decorate them. There is something special about a little piece of space that invites imagination and lures our eyes to its uniqueness.

Here are some of my nooks and crannies around the house. (The title photo is located in a corner of the Happy Room….decorated with dried flowers, a Pink Ribbon wine bottle, and a flowery-decorated magazine holder.) Here are some others…

I found this wonderful, wooden bookshelf ladder years ago and placed it in this nook in my bedroom. Adding white lights to shelves evoke a cozy, snug feeling for this area of the room for family photos and other mementos.

This nook is just perfect for storing quilts in the guest bedroom…especially using an old-fashioned portable crib to do it.

I love this nook in “The Happy Room” because it catches the late afternoon sunlight so beautifully. My whimsical nook and cranny.

*The painting, below, is found in the restroom at Castillo’s restaurant and it pulls me into it every time I gaze in its direction….it must trigger some unconscious memory or whimsy but if I had that furniture in my bathroom…believe me…it would be my greatest nook and cranny,

But for now…on our mid-winter chilly nights…it is the old Franklin Stove ‘nook and cranny’ insert that delight my eyes, secures my soul, and warms my body.

So until tomorrow…Let us all find a special “nook and cranny” where we can talk to God and “lay our troubles down.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Libby let us know last night Trey now has strep throat and Scarlet Fever. He’s been on antibiotics for the osteomyelitis for the past three weeks so obviously the family is worried about its effectiveness. Please keep this precious child in your thoughts and prayers…We know God is keeping him in His care.