Beginning a New Year

Most of our life is measured in time. Minutes, seconds, days, hours, weeks, months, and years. And we always say what we are going to thrive for in the new year, things we are going to change, ways we are going to be better people.

Some of us already have plans made for 2016. Getting engaged, getting married, having a child, moving into a new home, that dream vacation.

It's good to make plans. You have to have goals and dreams and things to look forward to.

I'm so thankful that God is in control of my 2016. I'll go ahead and make my plans, but I know that God already knows what my 2016 is going to bring.

I did end 2015 with a bang. I was at my son's Aaron's house on New Year's Eve. When I got up from sitting at the table, I failed to notice that their dog, Jubal, was laying on the floor next to me. So I tripped backwards and I hit the floor so hard on my bottom and my back, I was afraid to move. It hurt so bad. Then when I tried to get up, I passed out, probably from the trauma. Needless to say, I didn't bounce. I'll probably be sore for a while. I scared Jubal so bad, she didn't come near me the rest of the day.

 

I do want to wish all my friends and family a Happy 2016 with a lot of blessings and happiness.

 

 

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;