Dear Reader:

It is here…finally…October 17…my seventh Race for the Cure! Who would have thought it seven years ago? I know who…God!

Yesterday was a day of running around….first to Mt. Pleasant to leave some items for the brunch Mandy and John are giving after the race….then distributing t-shirts to the Summerville crowd…(Thanks Tommy for picking these up!) …and finishing up some last minute odds and ends.

Here are some pictures that depict the pre-race preparations!

2017 Official Team T-Shirts

Then onto Lassie and Doodle’s house to drop off the shirts. I always have to take photos of Doodle’s wreaths and decorations.

Then some last-minute sprucing up for my “guests” at the B&B…made some homemade soup for the cool evening and (Edwards) key lime pie for dessert!  (Love that “Edward!”)

Then a little sprucing up in our guests’ bedrooms & living room

I am hoping some moon flowers will bloom for my guests…this is what I found yesterday morning by the fence…………..

When we arrive this morning…without fail…the moon will be a crescent moon…it’s a “southern thing” welcoming us back to Daniel Island and to hope.

So until tomorrow….God bless you all for all you do! “No one fights alone”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

When I was thanking Bruce and Marcia (Mollie’s parents) Thursday evening for their contribution to the Race for the Cure...I asked Marcia about “my” maple tree. Marcia has the most beautiful maple tree in the world….I have to give it up to Yankees…New England is mind-blowing-ly beautiful in autumn and their maples take your breath away….see!

The list of name honoring friends and loved ones fighting breast cancer and other types of cancer. Thank you for your names.

5:30 A.M….we brought out the toothpicks to pry our eyes open and we are off!

See you soon!

We Race for the Future!  GUESS WHAT…JUST CHECKED TO SEE THE TEAM PROGRESS AND WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

100 %…….THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was an amazing day…a day filled with surprises galore! Before I tell you about an astonishing wink that occurred….let me start with my thoughts about my garden and The Race for the Cure this year.

The most important lesson I have learned from cancer is to stop saving things for special occasions…every day we wake up IS a special occasion!!!

When I see something that I know will make one of the grandchildren happy or excited…I buy it thinking that I will save it for the next birthday or holiday…and then without fail…the very next time I see them…I find myself giving the gift to them. Why wait to make someone happy in the future when you can do it today?

As I walked around my garden yesterday and saw the flag that read “It’s a Southern Thing” in all its bright pinkness surrounded by southern expressions like “Well Bless Your Heart” or  “Just down the road”…it dawned on me that my flowers and the Race for the Cure have much in common. There is beauty in every flower in every stage of its life. (Even old, dried hydrangeas can be quite lovely.)

I want to take a moment to thank the countless, faceless cancer patients who came before me “just down the road” who tested new drugs so I could  have a chance at an extended life filled with every day surprises.

For this….I, sincerely, say “Bless your heart” and I will walk “down yonder” this Saturday with every cancer warrior on my mind. (And I will continue to test new drugs, as needed, for the ones who follow me.)

None of these warriors “lost” the battle…they simply won a place in heaven where at last each  can sit and rock on the front porch of God’s home… hearing God’s voice say: “Well done…my good and faithful servant.”  Their race is over but we, the living, must pick up the torch and continue the fight for the right of everyone to live out their lives free of this insidious disease..  

The “Pink” in my garden symbolizes love for one and all in this fight to eradicate breast cancer and all other cancers from our vocabulary..

Inside…everything is coming up roses and lots of pinks for the Race for the Cure from my rose bushes!

I love this special vase by my computer because Jackson made it at a wine and art/paint class, several years ago, dedicated to the Race for the Cure/ Breast Cancer Month. She gave it to me with my dolphin symbol. It always makes me smile.

So Jackson…I will tell you what the dolphin told me: “All’s right with the world…all’s right with you, my friend. Everything is exactly as it should be in the universe and (in the end)  it will all turn out better than okay.”

And now the God’s Wink….Wednesday night I had an email from a friend of mine from church, Karyn Smith, about a young man who worked on her computer earlier that day.

While chit-chatting he told her that he remembered me as a student in my eighth grade social studies class. Karyn said he was very personable, much more than reasonably priced for his time and services. She shared his company address and telephone number with me.

His name is Andrew Irizarry and he said I taught him in 1974….just a couple of years into my teaching career. Karyn shared some of the nice comments he had made about me and I emailed her back saying she had made my day.

I woke up yesterday, clicked on my computer and”Windows” was telling me that it couldn’t start my computer…sorry. “Oh no!” I thought in horror...not now with the Race two days away!” “All my pictures….Help!”  Then I remembered Karyn’s email…called the number she had given me… my ole’ eighth grade student.

He was shocked but delighted to hear from me…He said he would work me in and be by my house asap….He was…just a few hours later. We spent a chunk of time just catching up on our lives and then that wonderful man cleaned out my email boxes…all my deletes….got my security system up and running…my computer had a thorough physical and it has now passed with flying colors! Andrew even showed me how to re-create a backdrop for my desktop…beautiful.

So today…a big shout-out to my former student (Andrew Irizarry) (nicknamed “Izzy” now) and his company Izzy’s Mobile P.C. Service.. His prices are more than fair….less than anyone I have ever had do that kind of extensive work….you will be pleased…guaranteed!

So until tomorrow ….let us make each day precious in God’s sight and special in God’s grace…be with all of us in the Race… for mankind.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Brooke and Anne are spending the night (tonight) at the B&B (I think the flowers are showing off for their arrival…)

 Saturday morning we are meeting Lassie and Doodle at 6:00 am (ouch!) for “take-off”…“Oh the places we will go and the friends we will make and the photos I will take!”

I hope you feel my love and appreciation for helping “Legally Pink“close in on our personal and team goals!

P.S. As of last night we are now at 90% of our goal ($1354 of $1500……we are going to do this!)

P.S.S. Just a little hint of things to come…I feel rather “regal” this year….the queen is planning on “cutting the rug” Saturday…jiving down the road. (Thank you Cheyenne for taking this picture…she and her dad came bearing a piece of birthday cake….great neighbors!)

If you would still like to participate….here is the information for you. You just might be the one who takes our team over the top!!!

Address: Check and Electronic donation addresses

Mail to Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure –

50 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29407

http://lowcountry.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/CHS_LowcountryAffiliate?team_id=335432&pg=team&fr_id=5355

Dear Reader:

Early yesterday morning, when I walked into my “office” to check on the blog before eating breakfast, I looked out the window (by the computer) and saw this beautiful foggy scene. I felt compelled to throw on my robe and shoes to walk outside in the dense fog for a few minutes and enjoy the muted silence that only a foggy morning can bring.

The peeks of light I saw in the fog-riddled garden came from two moon flowers that bloomed during the night.

My Oak-leaf Hydrangea has suffered all summer from the heat….no matter how much extra water it got…it just never seemed to be enough. Then along comes the storm of all storms… with more rain than we have ever seen before….and it is finally happy….turning pretty fall colors before my eyes.

Tuesday was a bright beautiful day but I fell into a “fog” of confusion brought on by my pharmacy and all the drugs I take.

A few weeks ago I had the nicest call from a CVS representative saying that she had been assigned my “case” and realized that my prescriptions were coming in all month within days of each other and that I must be running to CVS a minimum of twice a week.

I told her I was and I would give anything to get these prescriptions coordinated so I could just pick up the whole “enchilada” at one time per month. So….in the ensuing minutes following my plea for help, I literally counted the pills in each prescription bottle and then the CVS “rep” did the math (thank goodness.) I was told that Oct. 13 would get us the closest to one monthly time to refill all the prescriptions.

I thanked her profusely and a week later got an email reminder that October 13 would be the first monthly prescription pick-up date. (The problem was I was still getting CVS telephone calls telling me that I had a prescription waiting for pick-up.)

Since I didn’t need any immediate prescriptions….I held out for the right date and when I got there yesterday….there was just one prescription waiting for me. Confused…I explained what had happened and even showed her the email message on my Iphone. She talked to the manager and came back and said I didn’t have any other prescriptions due until November.

When I explained that this wouldn’t work…since I only had a handful of pills in each bottle left….she said I would need to check with my doctors about this…..?????

I could feel the fog of frustration rolling in…..and all the way home I was mentally fussing about this to myself and I kept muttering “It’s ALWAYS  something!” 

Suddenly a little “epiphany” shot through my mind….” Becky…in life you can always count on “something” to come along, something good, something not-so-good, but as long as you are alive…”something” will come along. It is how you react to that “something” that alters your life throughout it.”

Before arriving at CVS I had just come from my regular oncology check-up. Dr. Silgals is so happy about the way my body has accepted a drug that was originally intended for a different type of cancer (with few and minimal side effects)…and it is still keeping my “little c” in check.  He called me his “Poster Girl” and jokingly told me to keep up the good work…I was making him look good!”

So within a matter of minutes…I had let myself get worked up over some computer glitch when I just received such a glowing report from my oncologist. I shook my head…”Really Becky…Come on girl…what’s wrong with you?’ 

Jackson has also discovered the secret of “It’s ALWAYS something.” Now, if anybody is entitled, to blow off some steam with this expression…it is my beloved Ya friend, Jackson. For Pete’s Sake…she just lost her home to the flood and has no flood insurance. She is a retired school teacher living off her SC retirement and social security pensions.

She is still caught up in the “Waiting Place,” (as Dr. Seuss would call it,)waiting on FEMA to let her know if she can re-build or if she has to tear her home down. (Please pray she can re-build!) Of all the people I know ..Jackson has more right to lament “It’s always something”…more than anyone else.

Instead…she, too, has discovered …..“Thank you God…it IS always something  and someone out there to help.”

Jackson told me on the phone the other afternoon that she feels like a zombie walking around….because the amount of caring and love she has felt from family, close friends, and strangers has just blown her over.

She said that she doesn’t even know how to react to this much compassion….”Thank you” feels totally inadequate…how do you begin to thank family, friends, and total strangers showing up to work 12 hour days…with no pay…they are there simply to help you try to get your home ready to rebuild?

To to quite honest…I can’t begin to remember all the groups Jackson named on the phone that have shown up….churches (filled with adults and youth groups) youth sports teams, neighbors, and extended family who return daily to slug it out with the mud.

A group of librarians from USC came in and got as many of Jackson’s family pictures as possible (that they deemed salvageable) and sat down and cleaned them on the door steps….Then they took some back to the library and returned with them in a box…fully restored.

Jackson did want me to give a ‘shout-out’ to one organization started by Franklin Graham (Billy Graham’s son) …called Samaritan’s Purse. This group is saving her thousands of dollars by removing the mold under the floor foundation, thus making it possible for construction crews to replace floor boards once the signal is given…they are doing a lot of what she would have had to pay ServPro to do.

(She is still having ServPro do some of the work bu Samaritan’s Purse has done a tremendous amount of this required work ahead of time.)

Jackson has made one astute observation (that she shared with me)….When all is said and done...cockroaches and old credit cards survive when nothing else does!

…Miraculously Matthew (Jackson’s son) found her rings she had left on her bedside table before leaving for Edisto. (in the mud on the ground by her bedside table.)

Here is the link to Jackson’s  GoGundMe page if you would like to help out: https://www.gofundme.com/td67b58k

So until tomorrow….”Yes…It IS Always Something” and we should give God praise and thanks for that very reason!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

• Jackson said the winks are coming so fast that God must surely be getting dizzy!
• As of last evening “Legally Pink” is at 86%….we have raised $1304 of the $1500 goal set for the team. We are doing good and thank all of you for your support and contributions….it makes the planning worth it.
• If you would still like to participate….here is the information for you. You just might be the one who takes our team over the top!!!Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure – 50 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29407Electronic donation:

  http://lowcountry.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/CHS_LowcountryAffiliate?team_id=335432&pg=team&fr_id=5355

Dear Reader:

I don’t know who is growing faster….the grandchildren or their Japanese Maples. Eva Cate’s tree (seen here) was planted over a year ahead of the others and I love having it as a compass of comparison and role-model for what is to come… for the three others that follow.

Rutledge’s Red Maple reminds me of a speckled butter bean as of late. Each tree has its own personality….size and design…unique until itself…but all are beautiful in their own way.

My garden has filled a passion I wasn’t even consciously aware of until  late in my life. Now I can’t imagine my life without it… I love watching my “grandchildren” grow and my garden surprise me with daily gifts of beauty and delight.

Every season is different but still lovely within its own perimeters that define it. I look forward to all the seasonal transitions to see the final outcome of each change.

And isn’t that how our personal lives should be spent…excitedly anticipating each seasonal change along our personal time-line? Each stage, unique, in its own opportunities and possibilities to find ourselves in the “being” – not the “having.”

The article, this week, in Awakin Weekly, really woke me up. I found myself re-reading it several times. Normally I just use an excerpt from an article…but this short message is one that I think we can all ponder in our hearts and reflect upon each day. It is about acting on the voice inside us telling us to live our dreams instead of making excuses why we must choose existence over living.

“We Are What We Choose to Be”

Dawna Markova

On rare and precious moments, someone will tell me about when he used to play the saxophone or when she used to dream about opening a halfway house for abused women or when he thought he could mentor boys in the inner city or when she was going to write a book about how she made it through her childhood. And they light up. There is no other way to describe what happens. Their cheeks flush, their bodies become animated, their voices are electric as they speak.

For a moment, the clock stops ticking. Then they pause, shake themselves the way a dog does on a hot day after swimming in a cool lake, and they crawl back in their girdle, talk about money and time and reasons why not. “Well, (…) I am not the sort of a person who could just… I wouldn’t feel like me that way.” I watch heart failures as the clock begins to tick again.

My son once told me he didn’t want to grow up to be a man because they all seemed like they were walking dead. I came back from being dead realizing we are totally free to live fully alive. Now. In this moment. Free to define ourselves. We are what we choose to be. I don’t mean free to have. I mean free to be. I know many among us don’t have sufficient nourishment, space, education.

But I also remember learning how Nelson Mandela sang of freedom at the top of his lungs on a boat while being taken to prison. And I remember the Jamaican angel who swept the floors in a hospital and whispered words to me in the dark of the night that changed everything: “You are more than your fear.”

I know there are others among us who have more food than they can ever eat, bigger houses than they can ever occupy, more education than they can ever use, and still they suffer from spiritual insufficiency and lack of the kind of nourishment that a sense of purpose brings. Most of us would never dare sing at the top of our lungs on a boat for fear of being embarrassed!

Parker Palmer (…) wrote, “No punishment anyone might inflict on us could possibly be worse than the punishment we inflict on ourselves by conspiring in our own diminishing.”

……………………….

* When Dr. Wayne Dyer was writing about putting on special lenses and seeing everyone in their spirit form instead of physical one and also seeing miracles on a daily basis….Jackson can contest to that statement.

Tomorrow I want to share some of the blessing that have come her way….leaving her bewildered at the extent of caring and support from strangers these past few days.

Matthew, Jackson’s son, has started a GoFundMe for his mom to help with the expenses of completely starting over with no flood insurance, thus no home insurance. Like many of you readers…Jackson is a retired school teacher living on her SC retirement pension and social security benefits.

Click here to support Linda Lynn, SC Flood Victim by Matthew Lynn

My name is Matt Lynn. My mom, Linda Lynn, has lost everything inside her home from the terrible flooding last week in S.C. Since Friday, family members,…

GOFUNDME.COM

Dear Reader:

As a history teacher… when I recall the life and death of Sitting Bull…I feel saddened that this great Indian leader spent his last few years on a reservation… where he would be killed in the end under a false arrest. Like all of us he simply was trying to preserve a way of life and heritage for his children and their children and their children.

I personally believe, if we as a human society, ever stop trying to make this world better for our children, grandchildren, and future generations….then the world, as we know it, is over. In a democracy, the individual enjoys not only the greatest power but, also, the ultimate responsibility.

Honey sent me these beautiful photos she took on her daily walk that she calls “Gabby’s Walk.” I told her I would be inspired to walk each day if I followed the same route she did.

I will need no motivation, however, for my walk this Saturday….in a world swirled in pink, decorated houses for fall, cheering crowds, homemade lemonade stands,with a special gathering of friends and family.

I have only to glance at these four faces to know that this Race for the Cure is bigger than breast cancer or any disease…it is a demonstration of one generation fighting to provide a better life span for the next….healthier, stronger, and spiritually empowered.

When children participate in these types of charitable events when they are young…they never forget the impact it made on their lives as adults.

In 2010 my first grandchild, Eva Cate,  joined in the “stroll.”

God is so good to me…good beyond understanding!

*Rutledge’s first Race for the Cure left us laughing (He looked like he forgot to put in his dentures)…..and now this year Jakie and Lachlan will join the team for their first grand debut !

Rutledge has been trying on a pink wig…having fun before the race.

I don’t know what is wrong with me as I type today…a beautiful, sunny fall day and I feel weepy looking at the photos of the past. Each year I have stood on the bleachers at the Survivor’s Ceremony wondering if this would be my last presence at it…and each year I have arrived again….more determined, than ever, to keep fighting to make a difference in my life and others.

And how do I ever thank all of you blog readers for bringing meaning into my existence…into my life? You have given me a new life and a purpose for it. Please, Please know how much your presence in my life has changed me…for the better! I will be eternally grateful.

This year Anne and Brooke will be joining the team  and what a wonderful addition they will make!  It appears to be one of our best days (weather-wise) if nothing changes in the long-range predictions….a “pinkalicious” day.

Don’t forget to send me the name of a special person who has fought cancer or is still fighting cancer (any kind) so we can put their names on a banner I am going to start working on. To date I just have two names….would love to fill it up.

Here is our team update as of Monday afternoon, October 12.

Race for the Cure Information: (If paying by check or electronically)

Mail to:

Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure – 50 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29407

Electronic donation:

http://lowcountry.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/CHS_LowcountryAffiliate?team_id=335432&pg=team&fr_id=5355

Dear Reader:

Maybe it is the “Libra” (scales) in me that is more comfortable when my personal life is balanced and in sync with a rhythm that suits my personality and energy level… because I do intuitively sense when I am physically, mentally, or spiritually off-kilter.

Since the torrential rains and the changes it has brought all of us, especially my close friend Jackson…there has been a longing to get back some equilibrium from the carefree days of the pre-flooding/storm.

Yet, yesterday, as I inspected my puddle-filled yard I noticed that the same torrential rains that drowned some flowers… turned others into their most beautiful state… to date.

The impatiens, cover photo, are at their loveliest…the more rain they got, the happier they bloomed….with more blooms and colors than at any other time this summer/fall.

I can hear them talking to the rain “Bring it on…I can, not only take it, I thrive in it!”

This pretty lavender plant  struggled this summer with the heat and sun, yet flourished under the wind and rain surges…producing more blooms than I could count.

I planted two poinsettias (left over from Christmas) around the bottle tree and they “hung” in there  this summer but that was about all….now they are  luscious shades of green…vibrant with their bright red veins running throughout…(as if they were given blood transfusions during the storm.)

As an act of desperation I took this dying summer plant arrangement (which wilted immediately after purchase) and stuck it in the “jungle” under the trees by the driveway….here is what I discovered upon my return last Wednesday.

I thought about the old adage: “One man’s candy is another man’s poison.”

Some of the plants couldn’t handle the excessive amount of rain  and drowned….but then another group of plants flourished and bloomed beyond recognition under the same duress.

It goes to show that God created an even playing field on Earth and didn’t play favorites….because these same (now flourishing) plants were destined to die if they went much longer without a good amount of rain …while the (now deceased) plants were flourishing during the drought. Each had their moment of time to grow and bloom…on both sides…only the strongest did survive.

Isn’t that true of humans? It is the people with the deepest amounts of character and faith who survive insurmountable odds…with God’s Hand extended.

Like Mandy’s neighbor told Jakie and me on our stroll….“Give life half a chance and it will make it. Everything and everyone wants to live.”

So until tomorrow…if you haven’t gotten outside, taken a walk or a stroll around your garden, yard, block, neighborhood, or town…do so. As John Burroughs once said: “I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.”  (In other words to find our individual “balance” in life.)

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

*With Libby and Jackson becoming roommates again (since college) the balance has returned  to this dynamic duo….Libby was worried about her cast and not being able to help Jackson like she wanted and even needing help, herself, with showers to keep her cast from getting wet….(a pain as we all remember who have broken a limb.)

But guess what….the doctor took off Libby’s hard cast last Friday and put on a “portable” fracture cast that she can take off to take a shower …all by herself. The balance is restored.

* This photo was taken our senior year in the elevator leading up to our floor….top (l to r) Libby and Jackson (roomies) and bottom (l to r) me and Brooke. Now two of the roomies are living together again! The storm has brought many memories “flooding” back of by-gone days.

*Jackson…this card is heading your way and I debated whether to show it on the blog before you get it….but it is too funny not to….and besides you have  a special surcie in yours.

*I have had several emails from readers asking if there is anything they can do to help Jackson (one-on-one) since her home (once her parents’ home) was grandfathered in and she didn’t have to have flood insurance…

I will give you this temporary address where she is and will be staying….suggestion: mini-gift cards for grocery stores, clothing stores (Belk), Walmart, gas cards, and visa cards always come in handy….  Jackson really doesn’t know what she will need for the house until Fema lets her know if her house is salvageable to renovate. Say a prayer that it is!

Linda “Jackson” Lynn

1245 Naples Avenue

Cayce, SC 29011

The best gift of all I have received… opened last evening…a moon flower bloom on the magic moon gate….I went to sleep dreaming of white puffy moon flowers floating in the sky like clouds….magical!

Dear Reader:

While I was waiting for my three month check-up with my (relatively) new primary doctor- Dr. Sara Montoya….(who I adore) I saw a stack of  local “free” publications sitting on a waiting room table. I picked one up and started reading some articles in it and couldn’t put it down. (Thank goodness they were free and I could take one.)

I do want to give a “shout out” to this magazine call Natural Awakenings– Feel Good- Live Simply-Laugh More. It contains wonderfully illustrated quotes and a diversity of articles and topics ranging from healthy cooking recipes, to inspirational stories to new types of gardens, childhood, youth, and adult development, with a large local resource directory for just about any service you would ever need.

One of the articles under “Inspiration” held an article by Wayne Dyer, Ph.D whose recent death (August 30, 2015) passed me by unknowingly. I was shocked to hear of his demise.

I always enjoyed listening to him speak on the ETV fund-raisers (he reportedly raised 100 million dollars for ETV for his seminars) and I even ordered a couple of books that I found quite spirit-lifting.

He was asked once if he believed in a life after this one…(I am sure he had been asked it hundreds of times.) He thought a minute and said that it was difficult to answer that question within the constraints of a human brain which only registers the idea of a beginning and an ending. In his reality there is no beginning or ending….only a changing. And he was excited about the new adventure of change when his time came.

Dyer was diagnosed with leukemia several years ago which he contributed to break-downs in his faith through broken relationships and wrong turns in his journey….but the harder he worked on his faith the stronger his body became again. He ended up dying of a sudden heart attack…and his autopsy showed no traces of  leukemia.

This is one of his last articles written before his sudden departure.

“Heaven Within”

Heaven is a state of mind, not a location, since Spirit is everywhere and in everything. You can begin making a conscious decision to look for the unfolding of Spirit in everything and everyone you encounter. 

I personally do this by making an effort to look upon my world as if I were observing it through lenses that filter out the form and all of the material aspects of what I am seeing, and I can only view the spiritual energy that allows what I’m noticing to exist. Try putting on these imaginary magical lenses and see how different everything appears. 

I now see spiritual energy in everyone I encounter. When I’m tempted to judge anyone, I remind myself to view them through my special lenses. When I can do so, all negative judgment dissolves. I feel more peaceful knowing that I’m not just this body that I’m destined to discard. I also feel the life-giving Spirit with me on a daily basis, and it’s exhilarating!

Being more balanced spiritually and physically gives me the opportunity to be in a continual state of gratitude and awe. I see miracles everywhere. 

Try changing your view of the world to one of awe and wonder. Rather than looking for miracles, shift to seeing everything as miraculous. 

By being in a state of awe, you won’t be able to mentally experience boredom or disappointment. 

Try seeing the invisible Divine flowing through and supporting everyone and everything. 

A rainstorm becomes a miraculous event, the lightning a fascinating display of electrical fireworks, the thunder a booming reminder of the invisible power of nature. 

Live the mystery by beginning to perceive what average eyes fail to notice. 

…………………..

So until tomorrow… a Wayne Dyer Quote: “When we judge another we do not define them, we define ourselves.“

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

* Explanation Alert: In the last two or three days I have received Facebook friend requests from three people who I think are already friends. This is how the scam works that I indirectly got caught up in a couple of weeks ago when another old friend asked to be a Facebook friend and I allowed it….even though I was pretty sure she had been a Facebook friend for quite awhile.

So right now…I am not accepting requests from friends who I think are already on my friend list…for everyone’s protection.

That said, however, if you have seriously requested to be a friend and aren’t one already with me…please send a message through a blog post comment  to let me know and I will gladly be happy and honored to “befriend” you!.

Thank you!

Dear Reader:

If we learn no other lesson from the ‘once in a thousand years’ storm’… I believe this quote by Vincent Van Gogh says it all.

As we watched the whole process of rebuilding one’s life again (vicariously) through Jackson…the more amazed we were at all “the small things that were coming together” to bring comfort to our friend.

With the exception of the cable company wanting their black box back before closing Jackson’s account (It has been swimming with the dead fish underwater for a week…a little humor there) every one else was gracious and personal in their reassurance that she is not alone in this endeavor.

And it wasn’t just Fema, or an insurance company, or a bank that provided this message but it was also the little (but important things) that kept her spirits up. Her son, Matthew’s calls, were top priority as they shared the loss of their home together… filled with memories from the past, as only the two of them could feel and understand simultaneously.

Then extended family, friends, and neighbors started calling, emailing, and texting to let her know that she was not alone and they would be there beside her for as long as it took… to get her back in her home or wherever home might be in the future. .

You could visibly see Jackson’s facial expressions go from lost and despair to comfort and security. Family and friends’s words of support and encouragement came “flooding” (sorry no pun intended) in.

We learn from disasters that we can’t do it alone…but together we can climb mountains. Many of you are asking about Jackson since her return to Columbia and I will keep you updated as I hear any news. There is a lot going on as you can imagine.

*Libby forwarded this picture that Jackson wanted me to see and share…with all the flood damage…there was one bottle left on the bottle tree and one flower still blooming outside her home….Hope arrives in all shapes and sizes. Unbelievable.

 Anne left yesterday to travel to Savannah to meet members of her family and, especially, her brother who is completing a cross- country bike ride…Congratulations!

Before she left she told me this poignant story….she got a call (from the church) to pick up six sandwiches and take to some congregational families whose homes were destroyed by the flood in Summerville.

When she pulled up… there were workers and volunteers for as far as you could see….she looked down at the sandwiches and thought to herself…she needed 600 sandwiches…not six.

So until tomorrow….”We are one in the spirit” and that spirit will see those left homeless from the floods through this place in their lives. I can’t help but picture an adorable little home that we will be celebrating in and remembering the “Once in a Thousand Year” storm in the near future with Jackson.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

The recently acquired rose bush by the fence had, not only, not drowned…it had more blooms on it, than ever, as I pulled in the driveway Wednesday afternoon welcoming me home.

Last night I babysat Rutledge and Lachlan for their mom and dad to go to a rehearsal dinner at Folly Beach. Before they left Walsh piled the boys in the wagon while he was on a skateboard pulled by Poogie. They were going to the end of the street to try to get a big truck to honk his horn for Rutledge….”Honk, Honk!”

Rutledge got into a large debate with a little girl in his pre-school about the sounds a truck makes…she said it was “beep, beep” and he said “NO…not true…Boo Boo said it was a “Honk, Honk!” The endless riddle of the universe…like the lady or the tiger…the chicken or the egg.

Lachlan and Rutledge sound asleep…hopefully “All through the night.”

Dear Reader:

As I was leaving Mandy and John’s neighborhood (Wakendaw Lakes) last evening….the community farewell sign (that changes seasonally) said: “Autumn is a second spring and every leaf is a flower.”

… And this is just what Jakie (my tree-hugger grandson) and I discovered on our stroll yesterday.

The pre-school that all three of my grandsons attend off Mathis Ferry Road has been closed for over a week and now rumors are spreading that it could be permanently closed. We will just have to wait and see and take it one day at a time.

Mollie has stayed home all week from work to keep Rutledge and Lachlan while John stayed home after Mandy had to return to school Wednesday and I picked up “the slack” Thursday….one of the teachers from the school is helping out today.  So maybe more information will be forthcoming.

It has been awhile since I kept Jakie for a long length of time and he is quickly leaving baby-hood behind and entering little toddler-hood. He is still inquisitive but now he can babble and point at everything he likes and (outside) he likes trees!

Inside the house his choice of interest yesterday was my Iphone…dozens of toys and all Jakie wanted to play with was my Iphone. His long slender fingers were flipping through photos and he even managed to turn on the Iphone “flashlight”… much to his delight.

If I tried to hide it under the sofa cushions, thinking he would forget about it and start playing with his other toys…it was always a lesson in futility. He never forgot. He simply crawled over to the sofa and began lifting cushions until he found it.

The only thing that would distract Jakie’s attention from the Iphone was Tigger…He is obsessed with Tigger’s little stubby tail but Tigger stayed one second ahead of him….Jakie’s giggles gave him away every time.

After lunch Jakie and I took a stroll around the neighborhood…he started pointing at the trees so I would pull over and give him a few minutes to ‘go into his nature zone.’ (In this photo notice how he is clutching a leaf I gave him in his little hand….all his senses were coming alive…. sight, touch, and (even a quick taste.)

An elderly gentleman must have been watching me pulling a leaf off for Jakie (from an oak tree hanging over the curb)   because he came out on the porch and said “That little fella sure does like trees, doesn’t he?”  He continued:

“I was the same way when I was a kid….my mother could hardly get me down out of a tree for supper each night. In fact when I bought this house (pointing to the beautiful old oak in the front yard) twenty-two years ago…I was told this oak would have to come down because it was Hugo damaged.”

“But I wouldn’t let them take it down…no sir-ree! And now look at it…the pride of my front yard. You know young man, (he leaned down and handed Jakie another leaf) if you give life half a chance to survive it will never disappoint you. Never give up on life.” 

I doubt Jakie will ever remember that sage advice but I will never forget it…there was a reason Jakie and I were supposed to take that stroll yesterday and stop in front of that gentleman’s home….our second “Tree Stroll” together…they never disappoint.

  I had just strolled off when the elderly gentleman ran over to return a toy that had fallen from the stroller. Unknowingly I had pulled over next to a wild lavender petunia bush (by a mailbox) while I was thanking the gentleman…

I leaned down to check on Jakie before we started up again and apparently he had grabbed one petunia and loved the soft feel of it (much better than the hard leaf!) I, miraculously, had my Iphone in my hand and snapped the shot. My sweet little nature boy.

So until tomorrow…Let us remember that ‘Fall is the second Spring and every leaf is a flower.”  Beauty comes in all shapes and seasons.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Eva Cate’s school was open yesterday…but when she returned it was time to play beauty salon…”Eva Cate’s Boutique.”

Today Jackson will see her home for the first time since the flood with her family…Please say a prayer for this dramatic turning point in her life.

Dear Reader:

For once I am at a lost for words. Where do I start to tell this story? An Erskine Reunion at Edisto Beach gone astray…

When I finally reached my home yesterday I got down on my knees and kissed the floor…it has been a long time coming. Getting home proved a most challenging feat.

Later when I checked my mail…my personalized address stake had arrived. For the first time I am now 100 Rainbow Road…no 102 or 104 …it’s just me, myself, and my home… open to one and all! Hallelujah!

As I went around opening the windows I kept hearing one sound, repeatedly over and over (while raising each window) ….the sea glass chimes were singing  on the magic moon gate….welcoming me back home!

There was a soft breeze blowing… so the chimes sounded deeper than usual, rather hauntingly low-spirited. Some of the plants, in the garden, had drowned and the doleful melody of the musical chimes seemed to pay tribute to their loss. Still, whenever, the wind picked up…the spirit of the chimes did so accordingly.

There had been an ending for some but also an opportunity for a new beginning for others.

Which brings us to our wonderful Ya friend Jackson. The last thing she told me (before we left Edisto to head back) was to make the blog post funny today…she needed a laugh more than sad news about her home. This, in itself, speaks volumes, doesn’t it?

Jackson got a call around 6 am Sunday morning from a neighbor letting her know the water was already in the houses across the street and heading their way. They were leaving.

I had heard the phone ring and knew that nothing that early could be good news…Jackson was still in shock when I went in to check on her…we just sat on the bed and held hands.

But then those same hands started making to do lists… family to call, utilities, insurance companies, banks, and Fema. By the time we all left yesterday morning…she had four representatives (human beings) meeting her at the house Friday to assess the damage. She has been and is amazing!

Jackson did laugh and say that she was anxious to get to Edisto last Thursday and decided to for-go her usual cleaning routine… now she is so happy she didn’t waste her time cleaning but came on… a lesson in there for sure! We are glad she was with us and not home alone when the flood waters came.

So now on to some strangely funny incidents that took place over the Erskine Reunion Weekend. Actually it all started out fine Thursday…a little rainy but not bad at all. We met at some of the Erskine crowd’s beach homes Thursday and Friday nights…. having such fun re-uniting and catching up on everyone’s lives.

The groups changed some from night to night so we continued seeing new friends from our shared past histories.

*My friend, Carole, was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and to date has beaten all the odds. She is amazing and we had lots to talk about…The “Little C” Gals!

When we had arrived Thursday…Brooke had gone all out…we felt like we were staying in a five star hotel…sheets pulled down, candy on the pillows (which I gulped down) fall arrangements on the dining table,  and a painting her son (from NYC- Henry) had sent because it reminded him of his mother. …too sweet!

From night one…for some strange reason…we all, simultaneously started losing our car/house keys and locking each other out….bizarre. So originally this blog was going to be titled: Locking and Losing: A Developmental Stage in Women of a Certain Age. 

It became ridiculous- how out of four adults…at one time none of us could find a car key…ludicrous?

The next title for the blog today was going to be: “Jeremiah was a Bull Frog.”  Starting Friday night…in the mini-jungle by Brooke’s beach home the bull frogs went  C R A Z Y!

It was like they were having a party and had invited every bull frog on the island. It was so loud…we couldn’t hear each other talk on the front porch. *The volume wasn’t turned up on this audio/recording…but you will get the idea!

This went on for two nights (Fri/Sat)…it was so loud I could hear the croaking through the bedroom window on the other side of the house and never got to sleep Friday night. (*Never heard a ruckus so loud in my life. Then Sunday…it was like they all had laryngitis or had drowned or something…we never heard them again….and the rains continued to fall.)

We decided to delay leaving because the Columbia girls (Libby and Jackson) were watching (on television) more dams breaking and more roads closing, especially the interstates between Charleston and Columbia. We also wanted to help Jackson as much as possible by brainstorming together the steps that needed to be taken to start the recovery process.

But like I said earlier… in spite of ups and downs of wrapping one’s mind around the loss of a home that you grew up in and now owned…Jackson was like a shark….taking on insurance companies and even Time-Warner who wanted their black box returned before stopping coverage????

(Jackson’s neighbor warned her that all the houses smelled like dead fish (from Lake Katherine) so our thinking is to place one of those dead fish  on top of that stupid black box when she returns it to the office.) Next time you pick up a “new” black box to replace your non-working one….think of Jackson and wear protective gear….sanitized gloves and masks.)

Actually the problem of getting home became more problematic for me than the Columbia girls. If it had not been for the wonderful Savages (Tony and Ann) from my church…I don’t know if I would have gotten home yesterday.

Tony works for UPS and I remembered seeing him a couple of times, over the years, delivering packages at a gas station/Subway place on Edisto… I called their home and Tony literally drove around Wednesday morning until he found me a route home. I never could have made it without him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Savages!

Late Tuesday afternoon the sun finally peeked out at Edisto so Brooke and I walked to the beach….I couldn’t believe how close the jetties were…lots of erosion.

It was so beautiful, however, with blue skies and whitewashed beach and sand. I decided to leave a message on the white sand….. October 2-7 – “ The Dud Flood” and “The Ya’s Were Here…the Ya’s Are Here.” We survived the ‘Once in a Thousand Year Flood‘ together.

The title today was a ‘take-off’ on John Donne’s famous line of prose: (excerpted)

John Donne: Poems “For whom the bell tolls”