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!!!