WHERE DID THE TIME GO?.......

When I was a junior in high school, I met the man I would someday marry. Young, and full of enthusiasm, he had a head full of dark brown hair. Yesterday, he turned 62. His hair is now white instead of brown. He's still full of enthusiasm. That's just his way. He's the most loving and giving person I know. To ask him not to care about people is to ask him not to breathe. I feel blessed to have him as my husband. I love him more than I ever did and I can't imagine life without him. Truly, I can't.

BLUE, GREEN, OR IN-BETWEEN.....

While Kim and Brett were here for Labor Day Weekend, we had a discussion at the table about the color of Brett's eyes. Someone said, "So, what color are your eyes?"
He said, My eyes are blue-green." Kim said, "It depends on what color shirt he has on." Brett said, "Some people tell me I have blue eyes and some people say I have green eyes. So, now when people ask, I just say I have blue-green eyes. So, that
settles it." I said, "Now there's a guy who likes to make everyone happy."

We had such a good time over the weekend. Hopefully, everyone did. We even did a little picnic. Just a few days with each other. Nothing big, nothing special. Just being together. No one broke their arm bowling, no one went flying off the merry-go-round thingie. Gracie didn't even get stung by a bee. Just eating and being together.
Nice.....

SISTERS....

Been thinking about sisters(i.e. best friends). So many things shared. So much laughter!! Sticking by each other no matter what. Unconditional everything. In the darkness hour...a phone call, laughter, things aren't so bad after all. I had a funny mental image a while ago. In the last thirty-odd years, since we have become best friends, my sisters have been a phone call away. My mental image was of me in various postions talking on the phone with them when I was a) crying the blues or b)laughing so hard I had to sit down or pee my pants. So, these are some of the times I saw in my mind's eye when I was on the phone with my sisters.
1. Sitting on the kitchen floor leaning against the fridge
2. In bed "under" the covers
3. Laying across the bed "over" the covers
4. Driving down the road with the house phone because I forgot I was on it
5. Talking on the phone crying and eating doughnuts
6. Laying on the floor
7. Opening a package she sent me
8. Quickly sitting down after hearing "You aren't going to believe this..."
9. Smiling when I heard..."Where were you today when I had my crisis??!!
10.Wiping a big tear when I heard..."I miss you. If you were here we'd go to the
Tea House."

I'm so sad for women who aren't close to their sisters. I've been given such a gift by having not one, but two sisters.

BACK TO THE GYM.....BACK TO CHURCH.....

I HATE GOING BACK TO THE GYM!!!!! After a few months of "not going", I'm finally back, although barely. Everyday I'm beating myself all the way there, and I'm only staying 30 minutes, but at least I'm back.

Tonight, Rudy and I went to visit some people for church. We went to see a couple of families who were in church at one time, but no longer go. They both said, "Oh, I know we should be in church, but once you get out it is so awfully hard to get back in." I thought of how hard it is for me to go back to the gym. Satan probably doesn't care much about that, but he surely must work overtime to keep Christians from going back to church once they've dropped out. He uses hurt feelings, anger, bitterness, even fatigue from "overworking" at church. "We've seen it all.

THE BIG GUY

The love of my life has an awfully big appetite. He eats everything in sight. But, I never could figure out how he was always overlooking the "last one" of everything. The last cookie, the last bit of dessert, the last diet coke...there is always one of something left in the cabinet or fridge. Finally, one day, it dawned on me that he was not overlooking anything...he was leaving it for me. Sigh.....

THE LITTLE GUY......

Micah came over to play with me today. His Mom had something to do. We sat on the floor and shared a bowl of "Papaw's cereal." His new words are "Bye" to anyone he sees. He blows kisses. He waves his finger(and thumb)and
says,"na,na,na,na."(no,no,no,no) I asked him if he had pooped, and he reached back and patted his butt. He runs everywhere, (no more walking for him). He ducks his head down and takes off. On Thursdays while his Mom puts up the pantry, we go to the nursery and eat circus peanuts. He knows where his nose is and his "button." He's also found other body parts of which he is extremely fond. His favorite toys are the telephone and the remote control. Could any baby be any cuter or any more fun than the little guy?

LIFE IN THE MINISTRY....

Just got back from a sweet wedding. Very young little folks. Hardly more than teenagers, if that. Not too sure the parents were real happy, but hope and pray they make it in their marriage.

I have to say going to a wedding was a nice change. The last month or so we've gone to five funerals. Not all old folks either. As a matter of fact two were suicides. One 23 year old man and the other a 26 year old mother of three adorable boys. Sometimes I can distance myself from the pain and suffering of others and sometimes I simply can't. Most of the time I can keep my emotions in check, but sometimes I can't do that either. Depends on the music, the emotions of the family, etc. One funny thing to say is that people in a small rural town tend to play tapes of country music that tells of the loved one gone on and how we'll miss them and cry for them and all kinds of stuff that make you want to lay on the floor and wail and carry on. It's a funny thing for me and Rudy because we go to so many funerals, and when the funeral starts with those tapes playing we look at each other and do the eye roll thing. Rudy says it's hard enough on the family, but to add that kind of music is more that they can take. Yet, here in little old C-ville they do it every time.

To end this little blog on a note of sweetness, I got a knock on the door a few minutes ago. One of our sweet little ladies who doesn't have much money stoped by with a coupon for Mr.Gatti's that says..."Two buffets and Two Drinks for $10.99." She handed me exactly $11.00. She said for us to go have dinner. I thought that was so sweet. It wasn't 15 or 20 dollars. That's what most people would do. It was exactly $11.00 and "with" a coupon. That was so cute. She is one of the sweetest ladies in our church.

Life in the Ministry... weddings, funerals, and eating out.

GOD IS A VEGETARIAN.....

Laney, my seven year old granddaughter was helping me clean the 2/3 year old Toddler room for the next Sunday. The conversation went like this....Laney: "Grandma, what are the toddlers studying now.?" GM: "Well, they are learning about Adam and Eve." (I showed her a picture of Adam and Eve clothed in animal skins. We had a brief discussion on why they had on animal skins). Laney: "Well, Grandma, God is a vegetarian." GM: "Oh, I didn't know that. Why do you think God is a vegetarian?" Laney: "Well, God made the animals, right? If God made the animals, then He loves them with all His heart. There's no way He would eat them."
GM: (looking off into space)

I'VE MISSED EVERYONE....

After reading Kimberly's blog, I had the urge to start blogging again. Truly, I have missed my little space. I continued to read everyone's blog which consisted mainly of Kim's. Kelly's trying to keep everyone posted on her Ghetto, which is so very funny! Leanne will be falling in line in the near future. We'll have to get Patsy on board, especially since she has a new computer. She recently made a trip to Murray's new "in-laws" in Florida. I'm anxious to hear all about that, for sure.
Welcome back, Me!!

BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN......

We went up to the hospital to see someone from church who had an accident. She was riding a horse that got antsy and started jumping around. The saddle rolled and she fell off but her foot got stuck in the stirrup and the horse dragged her about 10 feet kicking her in the head. Pretty serious, but she's doing good and got to go home
today. Her husband is really funny and was making jokes about the powerful pain killers the Dr. had her on. Donna had a lot of aches and pains but she was loving everbody at that time. She loved the doctors and the nurses, she loved the man who owned the horse, she loved her husband who bumped her in her big black eye showing us how it happened, she even loved the horse who almost killed her because "he was precious and he didn't mean to do it." She was laying there with her little mouth going ninety to nothing loving everybody. I chuckled and said, "Fred, will Donna get to take her pain medicine home with her?" He rolled his eyes and said, "Lord, I hope not, she's blonde enough already." You could tell how much he loved her though. Several times while telling us about the accident he had big tears in his eyes. But poor little Donna continued to get blonder the longer we stayed, so we left in a few minutes so Fred wouldn't have to roll his eyes anymore.

HUGS AND KISSES....

Just a few minutes of time together...hectic, crazy, insane...we still say it's so worth it. At least we get to see each other, breath the same space for a few seconds, hug a few times, say I love you a few times, and once again say "good bye."
One thing I do is kind of sit back and observe everyone on an individual basis. I look at this special person's hair, what they have on, how stressed or not stressed they look. I see the eyes and and every part of their being. Why do I do this? It's not to judge or try to keep up with their personal life, or try to know every single thing going on. I think it's to connect and to feel a part of them for a few precious minutes. I do this with the babies as well. I observe. In doing so I have these big, special, feelings of... "I love you."

PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE, THINGS TO DO....

Physical Therapy...I don't know what I expected to see, but so far it's all old people. Where are all the big buff guys with football injuries? Even my physical therapist is a little scrawny guy. Oh, well. Not to say these little Seniors don't have plenty to say. They certainly do. They want to get in there and get their therapy over with because they are "busy." Their words, not mine.

I was sitting at the table with a little old lady yesterday. We both had heat packs on our arm. She said she was 71 and works at MacDonalds. She saw a little puddle of water and thought..."now someone is going to slip and fall in this"" Next thing she knew it was her. She said, "I was standing perfectly still and the next thing I knew I was laying in the puddle." She said she had to hurry up and get this arm well, because she is far to busy to be sitting around waiting for bones to heal. She said, "If I live long enough I've got a lot of things I want to do. The lazy people can sit around...I'm just too busy to do that." So, needless to say, I'm being greatly inspired by these little old folks I'm meeting. They're a pretty fun group of people.

YA GOT MILK?..........

Have I got a funny story to tell. I have found out just what a big baby I am. Rudy and I were at Sam's yesterday. I saw this lady passing out little cups of stuff to people. Since she had her arm in a sling she caught my eye. I went a little closer and lo and behold she had an external fixator on her arm...pins and all. When she had a break in her work, I said, "so, how did you do it? She saw my brace and smiled. I told her I just got my pins out a few weeks ago. So, here's her story.

"Well, Honey," she said. "My husband was in the hospital so I had to empty the
garbage myself. I fell over a trash can that had gotten blown into my yard. I knew I broke my wrist so I got into my car and drove myself to the doctor. However, I needed to stop at Walmart, so, while I was there I just bought a little brace to put on my arm. When the dr saw my arm he said, "how in the world did you get that brace on your arm. I told him I just gritted my teeth and put it on. The dr just shook his head. He said I would have to see an Orthopedic dr, but I couldn't in right away when they called to make me an appointment. So, I drove all over the place, then decided to go home until someone could set my arm. Since I couldn't get in to the dr I wanted, I decided I might as well go to work. So, I never missed one day with this broken arm. It was three days before they set it. I did have six pins, but they took two out, so now I only have four. The dr said he'd take the pins out in the office without putting me to sleep. So, Honey, what's your story?" I just looked at her. Finally, I said..."how old are you?" She said, "Oh, I'm 74. I said..."74, huh." Well, she just chuckled when I told her that the ladies of my church brought me food for 10 days, my daughter came and stayed with me for a week, my husband cleaned my arm for me twice every day, and my daughter fixed my hair for me every week and drove me all over the place, and my family babied me, and I wondered if anyone could die from a broked wrist, and my dr ABSOLUTELY did not take my pins out without putting me to sleep, thank you!! She chuckled again and said, "Honey, I'm just an old farm girl. I got up and milked those cows all my life."

Is that not the funniest story? Milking cows...who ever would have thought.

A FIELD OF GRACE....song written by Kayla Rowland

CLOUDS ARE DISAPPEARING
SKYS ARE TURNING BLUE
ONLY JUST A WHILE AGO
I TOLD HIM I WAS THROUGH
HE DID NOT REBUKE ME
BUT HE LET ME SEE HIS FACE
PICKED ME UP AND CARRIED ME
INTO A FIELD OF GRACE

WHERE ALL IS QUIET
LEANING ON HIS BREAST
HE PULLED ME FROM A STORMY SEA
TO A PLACE WHERE I COULD REST
HE TOLD ME I WAS LOVED
TOLD ME I WAS SAFE
AND I COULD STAY TILL HEALING CAME
IN THIS HOLY FIELD OF GRACE

I HAVE TO PASS THROUGH DESERTS
I HAVE TO FACE STRONG WINDS
I DON'T DREAD THEM ALL THAT MUCH
FOR I KNOW HE'LL COME AGAIN
TO LEAD ME TO STILL WATERS
THERE HE'LL LET ME STAY
TILL MY SOUL HAS BEEN RESTORED
IN THIS HEALING FIELD OF GRACE

WHERE ALL IS QUIET
LEANING ON HIS BREAST
HE PULLED ME FROM A STORMY SEA
TO A PLACE WHERE I COULD REST
HE TOLD ME I WAS LOVED
TOLD ME I WAS SAFE
AND I COULD STAY TILL HEALING CAME
IN THIS HOLY FIELD OF GRACE...

PSALMS 91.....

THIS AND THAT............

Well, I'm at the half-way point now. Three more weeks to go and we talk about taking this contraption off my arm. I'll be glad since I don't get much sympathy any more.

Mom was just in the hospital overnight; not even long enough to contact anyone. Medicine related; she's just fine. Percautionary; is that a real word??

Christy is coming in to spend the night Friday. She is in Louisville on business and will drive in about noon but has to leave out the next morning around 8 am. She is one of the funniest people I know. I told her she's coming in on a very special day. MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! She said, "Crap, I guess that means I have to bring a present!"

I will be "60". No, I will not be tramatized. My arm took all the trama out of me. Just in time. Wow. I feel perfectly calm.

My life is so boring I don't have many this and that's.

Later.....

BABY'S BREATH........

We kept Micah for a while today. Or, maybe I should say Papaw kept Micah today. I did get to play with him though. He's so adorable with those big brown eyes, and he did that special thing with his breath again. Let me explain.

One of the most delicate experiences I've ever had is to feel a baby's breath on my cheek. There is no other thing I can think of with which to compare. Micah does that sometimes when I'm holding him. It's always so quick and delicate it would be easy to miss. Sometimes, when it happens, I close my eyes to savor the moment and wish he would do it again. It's a different kind of breath...not just his ordinary breathing ,therefore, it's always a special experience. It's just so quick and light. I suppose that's how the delicate flower, Baby's Breath, got it's name.

Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

YOU SAY TERMINATOR...I SAY FIXATOR

I got to show off my friend "THE FIXATOR" today. Most people don't want to see it, and don't mind telling you,i.e., my son-in-law. (although he is definitely forgiven because he brought me a hot-fudge sunday (handing it through the screen door no less). But, today, two ladies from the church brought us dinner, and they wanted to see the whole works! One of their husbands had an accident and has had multiple surgeries on his hand and they have seen it all and more. So, they were really curious and interested and even had a few little pointers to share. I thought that was pretty neat.

Today was a good day. Yesterday...not so good. Each day is different. Each day brings new discoveries and new things to learn about my current status in life. Kind of like God's compassions...new every morning. Lam.3:22,23. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

MY TRIP TO OUTER SPACE...by DOTTIE STACY

All I wanted to do was go bowling. The last thing I remember was throwing the ball, and the next thing I knew I was on a weeks journey into outer space. Most people think I live there, but I really don't. When I returned I brought a friend with me. At least I think he's my friend. He's attached to me at all times and won't go away, so I'm assuming he likes me. I do have cause to wonder though when I'm awakened in the night with a klonk to the head. He's hit me in the mouth a couple of times,and, I woke up in the night with my eyes looking directly into spikie little nails. Just a bit creepy. His name is "External Fixator." He fixes broken bones. People either stare at it like it "is" from outer space, or they try to pretend it isn't there. People are strange...I told the doctor I thought it looked really weird. He looked at me so funny and said, "Not to me..." I wanted to say, "Well, your're a little weird, too", but I didn't. (The drugs you know.) So, I guess my friend will be with me for a while. I can really hate him, and moan, and groan, and complain, (especially when he has to be cleaned! ooh,eee,eek,yow!)or I can be thankful for such a friend and "embrace" him. (Thank you for that advice) I think I'll choose the latter. It gets really hard sometimes, but, with the patient, loving, and wonderful care I'm getting,... what in the world do I have to complain about! Psalms 138:14...I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.