Christmas Season 2015

The Christmas season has started.  I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

Every year I start to buy new ornaments and decorations. But, as I start going through my plastic tubs of Christmas, I get too nostalgic. Almost every ornament and decoration is a gift from some special person in my life.

So again this year I have my Christmas memory tree and I decided it's the tree that makes me the happiest.

It's has ornaments from old friends, grandmas, ornaments from school kids that we taught, ornaments made by our kids and grandkids. To me it's the most beautiful tree in the world.

Like one of my favorite songs says - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

1965

As I am ending my year of no regrets, I was determined to attend my 50th High School Class Reunion.  That's right. I have been out of high school for 50 years.

 

And what a year to graduate - 1965.

 

The war in Vietnam was worsening and sadly we were losing more men. By year's end, it was clear that the U.S. had irrevocably committed itself to Vietnam. Also at the same time the Anti-War movement was growing. In November of 1965, 35,000 marched on Washington in protest of the war.  This was the first year that health warnings appeared on cigarette packets. Skate Boards became a craze. Also the miniskirt became popular. Women's skirts got shorter and men's hair grew longer.

Lyndon Johnson was the president at the time and he signed the Medicare bill making national health care available to the elderly in 1965.

You could buy a new house on an average of $14,000.00, average income per year was $6500.00. You could buy a new car for 2600.00 and fill it up at 31 cents a gallon.

 

I am so glad I was able to attend my reunion. I think I only recognized a couple of people. Fifty years has a way of changing a person. It was a small graduating class, I believe maybe around 136. Fourteen have passed away. Some of our class had served in Vietnam.

Ralph Henshaw, who I grew up with and graduated with, had served three tours of duty.

 

It was a special weekend, seeing classmates, touring our old high school, seeing some of our teachers who had influenced us doing our high school years.

 

Castle High School
Paradise, Indiana

Our old lockers and a hallway that I walked every day I was there.

Some of my graduating class touring the school

Mr. Wittenbraker (band director) and
Mr.Dwight Beard (Phys Ed and Health)



My classmates from 1965

Ralph Henshaw and his wife, Sharon

Mr. Eldon Hopkins (Chemistry & Physics)
 and our principal, Mr. John Sakel and his wife.

Mrs. Kathy Ewing (choral director) and her husband.

Classmates who had served our country - THANK YOU.

 

   

 

 

Happy Halloween

Today is Halloween and I am all by myself, sitting on my couch watching Christmas programs. There is something wrong with this picture. Really I have a sore throat, a fever, a bad cough, and I have lost my voice. I don't feel like being around anybody and I'm sure no one wants to be around me.

 

 

But there is something wrong with watching Christmas shows on Halloween.  I want a good old scary program.  Not too scary, though.

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up in the 1950's I loved Halloween. It was a day we would look forward to. We didn't have store bought costumes. We would dig through our parent's clothes and figure out our own costume. We had those old black half masks and we would become princesses, gypsies, pirates, cowboys, super heroes from the comic books. We would get a pillow case or a big brown paper sack to hold all of our candy and have so much fun. We would wait until it got dark. You didn't have to be scared of the world then and I'm sure everything wasn't innocent, but it sure seemed more innocent. We would usually go with our siblings or friends in the neighborhood. And usually our treats were popcorn balls, apples, homemade cookies, bags of popcorn, suckers, or penny candies. There was a farmer that lived up the road from us and he would always give big candy bars. That was a really a treat.

Also we would have fun get togethers with our friends. We'd have donuts and bob for apples, have costume judging and just have fun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I miss those days. I can't remember the last time I had a trick or treater knock on my door on Halloween. I miss that. Seeing all the imagination and excitement of the little kids.

 

When our boys were growing up we would always have a Halloween Party for them on October 31st or we would call it a Fall Party. We would have chili, crackers, corn bread, a brownie cake in the shape of a pumpkin with orange icing and eyes, nose, and mouth made from M&M's. And then we would watch the old scary shows like Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Werewolf with a big bowl of popcorn or caramel corn.  All of the really old scary movies that would almost make you laugh instead of scaring you. That was our tradition and I miss it so much. We made a lot of good memories.

 

 

 

My sons are grown now and I'm hoping they are making good memories with their families.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Patricia

Finally - a hurricane named Patricia. I always wanted a hurricane named after me.

What is so special about my hurricane is that is not an ordinary hurricane. It's a category 5.

Hurricane Center calling Patricia a record storm!!!!!

I never wanted my life to be ordinary. I always wanted to make a difference in this world of ours. I'm getting older and I feel like I haven't reached my goal yet.

I always think about the strength of a hurricane. It just keeps going strong almost as if it has a mission. They are stubborn and nothing humanly possible can we do anything to avert it. Only God is in control.

 

That is the way I always wanted to be. Strong, staying my course, and always letting God be in control.

 

"Be Strong in all your encounters with life. Face the world with courage. Have faith and act morally and stay strong".

Sleepless in North Carolina

It is 3:18 a.m. For some reason, my brain will not turn off. It is thinking about the past, present, and future.

I tried to watch some television, but I'm not into infomercials. And forget home shopping networks. I'm afraid I would get addicted. I could watch the news all night, but a brain can only handle so much politics and tragedy.  Rod Sterling's "Night Gallery" is also on. There is no way I'm watching that at 3:00 in the morning by myself. I would get scared.

Tomorrow morning when I have to get up and get going, my body is going to rebel. I guess when you are retired you don't have to be on any kind of schedule.

Even though it has been over three years since my husband passed away, I still feel so very lost sometimes. It is hard to get on with your life, especially when your life was being a wife and a mother. I am no longer a wife and even though I'm still a mother, my sons are grown men with their own families to raise and care for. And that is the way it should be. We tried to raise our sons to be independent and teach them when they get married their families become their priority.

The clock is nearing 4:00 and just maybe my mind will relax enough that I can get some sleep.  After all I do need my "Beauty Sleep."

I kept the title of my Blog as "God Is Already In Our Tomorrow." It was about our journey through the world of cancer and believing that no matter what God was in control of our lives and He knew what we would be facing.

I know God is still in my tomorrow. I need to trust Him more in my life. He already has my future planned for me and He is still walking ahead of me preparing the way.

Good night and hopefully sweet dreams.

Thankful Tuesday

Today, I am so thankful for my mind. Thankful that all my memories of my past and present are still there.

A couple of weeks ago I sat with a lady that is suffering from Alzheimer. It broke my heart. She is a sweet, kind lady whose life had been filled with being a wife and a mother.

It is almost like all of her memories are locked away in a little room in her brain and can't get out. Sometimes one of them will escape and she'll remember that time in their life. Maybe it was her wedding day or when she held a newborn baby in her arms. Maybe it's an event she remembers - a special Birthday, graduation, a day spent with family.

Sometimes I would look at her and she would start crying. All I knew to do was to hug her and tell her I loved her. I'm sure she knows that her mind is not what it should be.

So today I am very thankful for the mind that God has given me. It contains all the wonderful things that make me who I am.

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the

Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Fun at Walmart

Walmart is not my favorite place to go, but ever so often I have to buy food and pick up prescriptions. Today was exciting.

They had watermelon on sale. $3.48 for a seedless watermelon. They had them all piled up like a pyramid. I thought that is not too smart. I couldn't reach the one on top and so I knew what was going to happen as soon as I found the one that I wanted. So after a couple of minutes I decided to go for it. So I pulled out the one I liked. Sure enough watermelons started sliding everywhere. I stopped them all but one and "What a mess!"  Right in the middle of the aisle - watermelon everywhere.  Like I said - FUN AT WALMART!!

 

The one I chose was sure worth it. It was red, juicy and delicious and will probably last about two days.

“When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat.”

- Mark Twain

God's Faithfulness

Psalm 36:5

Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

One evening there was a most beautiful sky in North Carolina. It was amazing.

I thought about Psalm 36:5.

GOD'S MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS

What a wonderful God we serve!



Memories

It's strange how just a little thing can bring up memories from the past. Sometimes it's a song I hear, a season, the feel of the air. Today it was a smell. I was going through a box and there was my husband's cologne. I had forgotten that I still had it. There were several different bottles. I opened up his bottle of English Leather. Jerry had worn English Leather in high school and when we were first married. He had bought some a few years ago just for nostalgia.

Well you know what happened next - the tears started coming. I could still remember after he would hug me, the smell of English Leather would linger all day.

 

And then I started laughing. When he brought it a few years ago, he thought I would really like that. For some reason, the smell just wasn't the same. In fact, I kept hoping he wouldn't wear it. But it was fun trying to bring back the past.

 

I know I will probably still have some sad days. But I'm so glad for the good memories. I believe our memories make us who we are.

So we need to live our lives and make lots of good memories!

 

June 1967 - We had been married a week.

We were so young.

My teased hair do - I look like I'm wearing

a football helmet.

GOOD MEMORIES!!!

Crepe Skin

The other day there was a commercial on TV about "crepe skin."  I thought what is that. I looked at my arms and there it was. Age and gravity are a woman's enemy.

I already have lines and dots  - and now crepe paper skin.

I tried to imagine what I'm going to look like the more I age - lines and dots, crepe paper skin, turkey neck, jowls, crow's feet, and I'm not sure what else. What a sight I'm going to be. And I'm sure there is no reversal. All the miracle creams and exercises in the world won't fix age. 

 

The wonderful thing about age is that it is only a number. Whether you are still in your twenties or nearing your seventies. They are just numbers. What matters is what age you feel in your heart and mind.

 

You grow old by deserting your hopes and dreams. I know my body doesn't do all the things it use to do. I can't jump as high or run as fast. I tire more easily. My get up and go got up and went.

 

But in my mind and heart, I still feel young. I think the secret to growing old gracefully -  HANG ON TO YOUR DREAMS.

 

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

An Eagle When She Flies

I just found out that a dear friend of mine has passed away.  Judy Newcom. She was a great friend who was always there for me and my husband. We first met her and her husband, Perry,  in 1989. She was a member of our church in Kentucky. She was a faithful, loyal servant of God. She helped head up our nursery and volunteered to work in our Christian School.

One of the things I liked about Judy - you never wondered where you stood with her. She was straight forward and always spoke her mind.

I am going to miss her so very much. When my husband was sick, she was always there for me, loving me and praying for me. She also had leukemia and fought the battle with determination. Her grand daughter, Gwyndolyn, told me if prayer and determination was all it took to get well, her grandma would probably outlive us all. I'm so thankful I was able to spend a little bit of time with her this summer.

A couple of years ago, she told me she wanted the song, "An Eagle When She Flies" by Dolly Parton played at her funeral. I downloaded it for her and put it on a CD.  The song is a perfect picture of Judy.

Eagle When She Flies

By Dolly Parton

She's been there, God knows, she's been there
She has seen and done it all
She's a woman, she knows how to
Dish it out or take it all
Her heart's as soft as feathers
Still she weathers stormy skies
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies.

A kaleidoscope of colors
You can toss her around and round
You can keep her in your vision
But you'll never keep her down
She's a lover, she's a mother
She's a friend and she's a wife
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies.

Gentle as the sweet magnolia
Strong as steel, her faith and pride
She's an everlasting shoulder
She's the leaning post of life
She hurts deep and when she weeps
She's just as fragile as a child
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies.

She's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
Oh, bless her, Lord
She's an eagle when she flies.

At The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Judy and her husband, Perry

I love you Judy and I am so thankful that God allowed you to be a part of my life.

Sunshowers

The other day I looked outside and the sun was shining along with a rain shower. To me that has always been so amazing. I know science has an explanation as to what causes the sun and rain to happen at the same time, but I have my own explanation. It is God letting  me know that He loves me.

Our life is going to have good times and bad times. We're going to have the greatest days ever, but every now and then a trial will come along. Sometimes, we'll wonder why. The most amazing thing about a sunshower - it is always followed by a rainbow. God's promises are always there  giving us hope through the trials. And sure enough, a little bit later I looked out and there was a beautiful rainbow showing me that there is always HOPE.

Texas

I just returned from a visit in San Antonio, Texas. I love San Antonio, but the weather this time was HOT!!! 

It is still one of my favorite places. The best part was spending time with my son, Mark, his wife, Maria, and two of my grand kids, Alexis and Gavin.

We weren't able to do a lot of adventures, because of the hot weather, but we still had the best time ever. We ate, had water balloon fights, ate some more; Mark, Maria and the kids went swimming, we went ice skating, we ate some more, went shopping, played sardines, ate some more and did a lot of laughing.

If laughter is the best medicine, we should be the healthiest people in the world. We laughed, laughed, laughed, and laughed some more. 

One day while they were at Schlitterbahn (a huge water park), I ventured out on my own. Driving in San Antonio can be a little intimidating. It's the seventh most populated city in the United States.

I went to a mall and walked around. I also went into Saks of 5th Avenue. I felt really out of place in my $4.00 shirt and $6.00 capris from Walmart. But I took time and looked around. I found a dress that I really liked, but I could not find the price tag. All their price tags were hid inside of the dresses. I found it and about passed out. It was on sale for $2390.00.  The regular price was $2990.00. Needless to say, I did not buy me a dress. To even try it on, I probably would have had to give them my driver's license or made a small deposit. And it was just a plain dress, but it had the fashion label AKRIS on it.

I told my grand daughter, I have caviar taste on a hot dog budget.

The best part, we had a lot of fun and made a lot of good memories.

 



The Long and Short of It

Another First
Eating Crab Legs for the first time.  YUM!

 

Ice Skating. I made it around twice (holding on to the wall)
 

 

The Countdown Song

Our church is having Vacation Bible School this week. I still have as much fun as the kids. It's fun watching them get excited.  One of the songs they sing each night is The Countdown Song.

Somewhere in outer space
God has prepared a place
For those who trust Him and obey.
Jesus will come again
And though we don't know when
The countdown's getting lower every day.

10 and 9, 8 and 7, 6 and 5 and 4,
Call upon the savior while you may.
3 and 2, coming through
The clouds in bright array
The countdown's getting lower every day.

42 years ago, after I was saved, and the first summer I helped in Bible School, this was one of the songs we would sing.

I still remember it.

The part I remember most was after we would sing it, we would say this verse.

 

"And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again,

and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

John 14:3

 

I'm so thankful that God is preparing a place for me in Heaven.

 

Pray for Bible School this week and that they'll be decisions made.

 

"It is almost the easiest thing in the world to lead a child from

5 to 10 years of age to a definite acceptance of Christ."

-R. A. Torrey

 

 

 

Home in Heaven

It's been three years today that my husband went to heaven.  I still miss him very much and it's still very lonely sometimes. I'm so thankful for family and friends who help get me through the rough times.

 

I was trying to imagine what a day would be like in heaven for my husband.  It has to be peaceful with no stress. The best thing is my husband isn't sick any longer.

I can imagine him walking around and asking questions about stories in the Bible. And I'm sure he spends lots of time with family and friends.

 

Tomorrow will be my spiritual birthday. On July 25, 1972, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me from my sins. I know without a doubt that one day I'll be joining my husband in Heaven.

I settled that 43 years ago.

 

My life verse:

 

2 Timothy 1:12

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Favorite Foods of Summer

Watermelon and home grown tomatoes.
I went to Triple D Produce Stand today and got a watermelon and tomatoes. Guess what I had for supper. Watermelon and a tomato sandwich.
The watermelon had seeds. It was so juicy. The ones with seeds are the best.

There are two things you should not eat in public. Watermelon and barbecued ribs.
They should be eaten in the privacy of your home or among friends so you can let the watermelon juice run down your chin and your elbows and spit the seeds if you need to. And with ribs you can chew the bones clean. You don't have to be polite. You can be as messy as you want.

Of course, every summer meal needs to be topped off with a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream.

Oh how I long for the good old days of summer.
Grilled food, corn on the cob fresh out of the fields, new potatoes, fried green tomatoes. And then playing in the water hose, red rover with friends, hide and seek, and catching lightning bugs.

Summer is so great. 



The Lego American Roadshow

Iconic buildings and architectural structures made entirely of LEGO bricks. This was so amazing.

The White House

Supreme Court

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

Statue of Liberty

Jefferson Memorial

Independence Hall

Old North Church

U.S. Capitol Building