MY ACCIDENT

I didn’t plan to write in my blog until after Christmas and then I had my accident! Thought I’d share it with my dedicated readers. I know you will be interested. It happened yesterday as I was wrapping presents to get to Denver so Frankie and his girls would receive them in time to start opening their 12-Days-of-Christmas which begins in our family on the 14th. I looked and looked and looked for a 5" X 7" envelope that I needed to put one of Frankie’s presents in. I couldn’t find one anywhere in the house and then had one of my bright ideas! I found some junk mail we had just received. Like the good re-cycler that I am, I began working on my envelope. I opened it, shredded the junk inside and began reassembling it. That’s when the accident happened! As I was gently removing the flaps on the side so I could turn the envelope inside out I slit my thumb! Have you ever had one of those paper cuts! They hurt like the dickens....right?

 

Oh my!  You can't even see my boo-boo.  How sad!

 

So, I began whining about that “awful” injury until I remembered my new motto; “It’s not all about me!”

 

 

It wasn’t long till I was able to focus on those less fortunate. The first that came to mind was our Claudia. Last Friday afternoon she was doing one of the things she loves.....not climbing on her kitchen bar, mind you......but decorating! She was on that counter for a short while. And then she fell! She landed on the couch in the sitting room side of the kitchen, hit her ear on the side of the coffee table while her leg stayed in place on the couch. Well, “stayed in place” is stretching it......it twisted and broke the tibia near the knee (or something like that....you’ll have to get the true and full story from her.) I do know that she has had x-rays and recently a CAT scan (waiting on the results). She is wearing a brace that keeps the leg immobilized at this point. The next thing will be another visit to an orthopaedic surgeon. We are praying she won’t have to have surgery and I am asking for your prayers for her as well.

 

My sweet "baby" and the first brace.  She smiles no matter the situation!

 

 

And I was whining about a paper cut!

 

 

We’ve had pretty bad weather here the last few days and there have been quite a few accidents in our television viewing area. We are snow/iced in for the time being. Plenty of food and the heat it working great.....too great right now for me....I’m warm! Frank’s fiancee, Becky lives in Georgetown, Kentucky which is almost 2 hours away. She came to Cincinnati after work Thursday and she and Frank had a lovely evening celebrating her birthday. She was so excited about all the thoughtful gifts Frank gave her. Someone taught that guy well! Then yesterday she and Frank braved the elements and got their marriage license. It’s a good thing as they will be married 2 weeks from tonight. Schools were closed all over yesterday because of ice and snow and things were getting worse when they left Cincinnati to go to Georgetown. Why would they decide to make the trip in not so great weather, you ask. I’ll tell you. Her baby was celebrating her 19th birthday the next day (today.) What mother worth her salt would miss her child’s birthday if is was possible to be there. They left in plenty of time to arrive before dark with Frank leading the way in his car and Becky following. About 10 miles from Georgetown Frank went over a hill and lost sight of Becky for about 2 minutes. The next think was a call telling him she had rolled her car! Imagine his fright as he quickly made his way back to find his sweetheart not only alive, but without a scratch! We’ve played the “what could have been” ever since. I was doing decently fine until during one of our conversations we were saying we could have lost her and Doyal said, “And, they just got their marriage license today.” I had my cry then!

 

Becky's car after rolling and landing on the driver's side.

 

 

 

And I was whining about a paper cut!

 

 

Becky has become a celebrity over this. A Lexington TV station came to the scene and interviewed her and there was also a write up about the accident. Both mentioned the fact that she had celebrated her birthday the day before and their upcoming wedding. She said they left out her joke. She joked to the camera crew when they came up to her and was ready to tape, "Oh gosh I must look a wreck. No pun intended." Today when she and Frank were doing a little Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart she said Santa Clause recognized her from being on the evening news. Here I am 78 years old and Santa has never recognized me! I sure don’t want to be in a wreck for him to recognize me though! Thinking of all of this and what could have been still makes me shake!

 

 

A couple of smaller issues within the family that are a worse that a paper cut.....one of our pregnant granddaughters had a tummy bug this week end. I’m praying that has left their house by now! Those things are no fun at any time and especially when a mommy-to-be is the recepient. Today we heard from our Oklahoma family. They experienced a pretty heavy earthquake. It didn’t do any damage that I know of, but could have been worse.

 

 

From now on I am going to try to remember even better.......

 

 

“It’s not all about me!”

Sunday afternoon @ 3:35.  Happy to report that everyone is doing fine....well as fine as one can expect.  Becky said she isn't in nearly as much pain as yesterday.  Claudia was not in much pain when I talked with her earlier in the day.  Frank posted three videos on Facebook of three different news interviews.  I copied them to my Facebook page but do not know how to put them on this post.  If you are a Facebook member I think you will enjoy them.  Such a romantic news cast over a potentially serious accident.

 

 

 

GIFT GIVING

It won’t be long till Christmas. I would imagine most of us have our shopping done, or near finished. I would hope that most of you are NOT like me when it comes to getting your tree up and decorated. Our tree was bought up from the basement on Thanksgiving, put together a couple of days ago and now I am fluffing the limbs a little along. I think that will take me till Christmas at the rate I’m going so this pretty, brightly lit tree might be just that come Christmas morning. I’ll just get out pictures from the days when there was a tree of some sort in every room and things decorated inside and out. This year we’ll be doing good to get the star on the top of the tree. And do you know what......Christmas will get here and be gone and we’ll have just as much fun, laughter and joy than we would if the entire neighborhood was lit up to perfection!

I try to come up with gift ideas that will mean something to my friends and family. Way back in 1977 when we had six children, two in-laws and two grandchildren I decided to make Christmas memorable especially to those who could not be home for Christmas for the first time in their lives. So I came up with the idea or 12 gifts for each person. They began on December 14th opening a gift each day with the climax (the "big" gift) on Christmas day. This went over so well that everyone wanted to be included, not just the ones away from home. It was nothing back then planning and wrapping 12 gifts each (I also did it for my mother and husband.) But, guess what! The family grew....and grew....and grew! After reaching a vast number of presents I decided to let the parents take over (or not as some have chosen) the year after each grandchild married. Now we only have 19 that I do the 12 days for. Of course every family gets a Christmas Day gift.

Another thing I started back around 1979 or so was writing a story for each grandchild for his/her birthday. I call them my "I Remember Stories" as they are written about my childhood. I began writing these when there were only 3 grandchildren. Those three grew to 21! After a few years of getting way behind with the books I decided to write a story from age 1 through age 18 for each. I’m still way behind, but one of these days I am not going to take on another project (well I won’t give up the projects of wedding quilts and quilts for each of the great grandchildren ..... soon to be 33) and maybe I will finally catch up with all the stories. I’m beginning to run out of memories though. This little pea-sized brain of mine can only hold so much you know.

Now that I told you all about my doings, I want to share something else with you. I asked our 21 grandchildren to share memories of the favorite gifts we have given them over the years. I was hoping it wasn’t the gift of the Ferrari we bought our favorite grandchild as I didn’t want the others to know. If you believe that I have some other things I’d like to sell you on! I was going to condense their answers but have decided to print them pretty much word for word. I won’t use the names in order not to embarrass the ones who didn’t respond. I know that many are busy with family and friends and the hustle and bustle of life and put requests on the back burner and I understand as I am swamped. But, I don’t have little ones needing my attention.....just a sweet old man and three active "kids." Kids as in dogs.

Responses: (I’m leaving off the very special personal notes that I will keep forever and cherish always.)

I have been thinking about special things/memories when I was little. I wasn't sure if you meant things that you had done, but some of my best memories are things that you have done. I loved when you would send us packages when we were living in North Dakota. We would scream when we would see the UPS man coming up the road. I remember getting one particular package, it was full of valentine gifts. I think all it was, was a baby food jar filled with candy hearts and you had put a pretty decorative thing on top of it. But, to us it was so special! I also loved the "I Remember Stories". I don't think I appreciated them back then like I do now. Now that I am grown, I realize how much time you spent doing what you did. I also loved 12 days! I hope to continue that with my kids when they are grown. I loved when you would come to visit and take each one of us out for "special time". That meant a lot and I treasure all the time we spent together. (From a grown-up with 4 children of her own)

~~~~~~~

12 days of Christmas has always been so special to me. I always line all of the presents up and anxiously wait for Dad to get home from work so we can open our presents together! I remember at the old house getting this blue rubber ball I loved. And of course I LOVED getting my NorthFace jacket a couple years ago. I wear it alllllll the time! (She had it on today while we were on ooVoo together)

~~~~~~~

I have so many memories of things you did, but more than anything the example of your marriage means the most. Seeing the way you and Grandad cherish each other and love each other still is such an amazing example to me. More than any physical gift of money or the letters I still have from you, your hand in raising me and being a second mother really means the world to me. If I think of some better physical gifts I'll pass them right along. (From a grown grandson)

~~~~~~~

My favorite things were the I Remember Stories and 12 Days of Christmas. I love both of those so much!! My favorite story was "Feedsack Dresses" and the dress that went along with the story! My favorite 12 Days of Christmas gift was a pencil box that was FULL of sharpened pencils and a pencil sharpener...perfect for a "nerd" like me! I also loved when Granddad would take us to the grocery store and let us pick out whatever we wanted...oh the freedom! I remember not being able to decide between Little Debbie Nutty Bars and Marshmallow Creams. He said, "Well, baby, get both!" WOW!!! That was a treat! (Another tradition that we didn’t really realize was a tradition is that Doyal waits to shop until the family arrives. He does this mainly to let them get the kind of cereal, etc. that they like. It seems more than one grandchild thinks this special time with Granddad is truly special! ..... On a side note.....Once he had two of our young teen granddaughters (cousins) shopping when they called to him to come to the aisle they were in. They were shopping for feminine products!

~~~~~~~

 

I have never forgotten the memories that you have made with me over the years! Traveling with you when you worked for the paper in Park River, burying special memories in the back yard at the Park River house, and spending the summer with you in Lawrenceburg in 1989. I will never forget any of it. I just hope that I can be half the grandparent that you and Granddad have been to me!!! The biggest thing that you did for me was to show me the one-on-one attention or "special time" together. Just sitting down and talking with me at night before I went to bed, or when I woke up and sat at the kitchen table with you to just talk. The small things are what I remember the most!!! (From another grown grandson with children of his own)

~~~~~~~

 I would have to say the story books you made me for my birthdays. Also the doll house that we made together and all the trimmings that went with it. (This was made from a cardboard box. I think it was the time together more than the "house" itself, although she kept it for years.)

~~~~~~~

I will always remember the time I was pretty young and was out grocery shopping with Granddad. As we were shopping around, I spotted a very cute purple hair brush. I don't remember if I asked for it or if Granddad saw me checking it out, but I got to take it home. I was so excited! I know I wasn't living at home any more, but one of my favorite gifts ever is the book you guys gave us last year with your voices reading The Night Before Christmas. It was perfect! (Another tradition is that I have read The Night Before Christmas to my children, my grandchildren and now my great-grandchildren when we are together. After Christmas 2011 I bought 27 recordable books from Hallmark and spent the year recording in them. Then on Christmas eve each family/child opened their own and then I read to them.) A very special memory is when you guys were staying with us in Batesville and it was late the night before I had something "big" at school the next day and "nothing to wear!!". Granddad took me to Walmart and bought me an entire outfit!!.. New undies and everything! Of course, one of the most precious gifts from you is the quilt you made with Granny Gran's clothes for our wedding. I can't explain how much I love that gift! (The wedding quilts are made from my mother’s clothing.) It wasn't the amount of money you guys spent on me, but the thought you put into things.

~~~~~~~

Christmas at your house and listening to The Night Before Christmas. Going grocery shopping with Granddad and getting whatever we wanted. Listening to Granddad sing the wake-up song. Going to church with both of you. Having y’all visit us in Arkansas and being here for special events (graduations, weddings). Getting Caden’s quilt made by his Great-Mama! (Caden will make his entry into God’s beautiful world in early March....our 33^rd gread-grandchild) I could go on and on! Oh and getting the 12 days of Christmas from you!

~~~~~~~

So.....if you have endured this far I must thank you! If you haven’t then you aren’t even reading this. (Smiles)

I would like to say that when I asked my grandchildren to respond to my request I was not fishing for compliments. I was hoping they would respond with special times, places and memories instead of material things. They exceeded my expectations! I will cherish these, and the more personal comments, for as long as I live. I have received my Christmas present already! These sweet responses!!!

Now, my question to you is this: Why do we steam and stew and get all hot and bothered about physical gifts? Think of the important gifts you have received. Are those gifts material? I remember very few material gifts from when I was a child but I remember watching my grandmother sew dresses for the entire clan ..... all from the same bolt of dotted swiss, the times spent "working" with my grandfather at the depot in Dozier, Alabama, the piggy back rides to town on my daddy’s shoulders, etc. etc.

Let’s make Christmas, and every other day simple and clutter free. If there is going to be clutter I plan to clutter my home with love, joy, peace, comfort, and the teachings of the Master Teacher.....Jesus of Nazareth!

Merry Christmas all!!!!!



 

An only child from Notasulga, Alabama (Picture from around 1936 or 1937)

 

Twenty-eight years later ready to take the family of 7 to New Zealand.

 

Just a few of the 72 who were present last Christmas.  The tradition of The Night Before Christmas continues!

A SAFE PLACE TO FALL

Would you believe it! Some are asking when I plan to post again on my blog! That makes an old lady feel pretty good. Well, hey, what if it is just a few family members and two close friends who ask. So, here’s to you my "favorite people." Now, you other readers will know how to get in the "favorite" category. Just let me know you read this. I’d love it if you could/would make comments on the blog itself but I do understand it’s a bit confusing. I also think there is a way to "follow" a blog. It must be, because I follow a couple of blogs. I don’t have a clue how that began but I do know that I get notices through email when one of those bloggers posts something new.

I have a post in mind for gift-giving and plan to post that soon. I’ve been enjoying those on Facebook who post something each day during the month of November for which they are thankful. With this in mind, I was going to post 30 things of which I am thankful. That changed when I let Thanksgiving come and go without posting. Thanksgiving got me to thinking about so many things and I am going to share one here.

Everyone needs a soft place to fall. It doesn’t matter how young or how old you are, you need a safe place. I have always had one of those places and am grateful for those special places.

Early in life my safe place was home. Many times it was as simple as a fall but I knew I could find comfort in the safety of Mother kissing my "boo-boo" or if it needed more than a healing kiss she doctored it perfectly. My Daddy’s lap never lost it’s place of comfort. The last time I sat in that lap was mid-July 1957 the night before I left to return to Baton Rouge only to return on July 28 when I learned of my daddy’s death near midnight. He was only 58 years old and I a "mature" 22 year old with 2 children and one on the way. I will digress here....most people think of comfortable laps as soft and cushion-like. Well, that sho’ wasn’t my Daddy’s lap! He had finally gained a lot of weight before he died. He weighed a whopping 145 and didn’t have an ounce of cushion on those boney little legs, but they were the softest cushion for a little girl who needed a safe place to fall no matter the problem.

 My safe places to fall for as long as they lived....My momma and my daddy.

 

My mind wanders to a couple of more isolated safe places. There were so many special places a little girl could find at Alabama Poultry Farm in Notasulga, Alabama where my daddy worked. If I needed quite and solitude I would often retreat to my writing room in the shrubby where I had placed a board between the branches of one of the "huge" trees there. (Those trees really shrunk over the years....the older I got the smaller they got.) I spent hours in what I dubbed my writing room in the woods sitting in a little chair and writing my heart out. I even had a safe place on rainy days. That was in the attic high above the Big Hatchery. I was allowed there any time I wanted to go up, sit, look out on the world....well maybe not the entire world, but the world of Tuskegee Street.....and dream about other towns and states. I never considered other countries back in the 1940's.

 

We  lived up over the hatchery on the right.

 

My rainy day safe place was in the upper right hand window in the hatchery on the left.

 

My Writing Room was in the clump of "woods" on the right.

I had great parents but they didn’t always understand me and there were times I really needed my own space and that was a little further away. On the way to the pond, which must have been 10 miles from the hatchery back then, there was a tree that had a perfect place for a little girl to sit way above the earth and wonder what was wrong with her parents. Let me tell you a bit more about that tree......I went back once when I was grown and, would you believe, that tree had also shrunk. And the pond had been moved much closer to the hatchery. You know what? It probably wasn’t even 1/4 of a mile. I’ve often wondered how they moved that entire pond! I cannot remember the reason, but my mother did something that was very unfair. She needed a lesson, and a good one at that, so I decided to teach her that lesson. I ran away from home! I knew she would be heartbroken and crawl to me begging forgiveness when, if ever, she and Daddy found me. So, I took off! I walked way down the lane to the solitude of my tree, my soft place to fall when my parents needed to be taught a lesson. I climbed up and sat there thinking how my parents must be frantic by now. I almost felt sorry for them but they needed a lesson so I sat there and almost gloated. And then it happened! I heard the familiar whistle from my daddy when he called me in. I sat there. He whistled again and then yelled, "Skeeter, come on in. Supper’s ready." You know what? Those people didn’t even know I had run away! They thought I had just gone to my tree as I often did. It was the last time I taught my parents that lesson!

Everyone needs a safe place! I will share more of my safe places in a later post. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and wish for you a great December!

THE CONDITION IS REMISSION!

Yesterday I was involved in the best news I’ve had since learning we were going to be great-grandparents for the 32^nd and 33^rd time!

Our good friend, sister in Christ and "adopted" daughter and I had an appointment with her oncologist to learn the results of the scan she had Monday. Dr. Partridge came in with a smile on her face.....good sign. She sat and asked Margie a lot of questions about her general health.....a little unsettling. She checked out the computer and then checked it out again........getting a bit scary at this point. Then.......BOOM! Very casually, but with a huge smile she let us know that the tumor on Margie’s lung that once threatened her life was no more....gone.....nada! She did tell us there are three very, very small spots on the lung that were there at the beginning and she’ll keep a close track of them, but they could be anything. She explained that many people living in our area have spots on their lungs.

 

My question at that point was, "So can we say she is cancer free?"

 

Reply, "I like to use ‘in remission’ until she has been clear for five years and then use the term ‘cancer free’."

 

But, she told me I could use Cancer Free and that’s what we prefer!

 

Margie and Dr. Partridge soon after the announcement.

 

Talk about joyful!!!! Dr. Partridge was definitely joyful and smiling from ear to ear. We walked out into the office area and the girls behind the desk were waiting for the news. I thought both of them were going to shout! They hugged us both and gladly had their picture made with Margie. We just had to go back to the treatment room and share the good news with the girls who have been such a big part of our lives since early June. They too were beyond excited. The only down-side was learning that one of the girls who has journeyed with us through the good times and the bad times is no longer with the center. She has gone back to her first love......working in labor and delivery! Although we are proud for her, we were sad to know she wasn’t around.

 

 

 

These two girls from the office (along with others) have been with us every step of the way.  Once, when Margie was at her sickest, I began sniffing as I left her for a few minutes.  The girl on the left, Naomi saw me and asked what was wrong.  Of course I "lost it" and she was so sweet to take me in her arms and give me the biggest hug ever.

 

 

Two of the sweet nurses who administered chemo.  The other who was a huge help is the one who has moved.  I always knew this, but this journey has reinforced it:  Nurses are the most caring and loving people in the world.  Love these girls and all the others at the OHC in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

 

 

 

As we walked......almost danced.....to the car we met a man wheeling his wife out to their car from treatment. We had never seen them before and I asked if she had just begun her treatment. She said this was her first day. As we talked, we found she has lung cancer and her treatment will be much like Margie’s. Margie took the time to talk with her, tell her a few things to expect and encouraged her to keep on keeping on. I truly believe we were put in the right place at the right time for this to happen. She is just beginning a long, hard journey, but she could see Margie and the results she has had and I believe that has given her hope.

 

To all of you who have made this journey with us......through your cards, your gifts, your deeds, your thoughts and your prayers I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know Margie does as well. Her life, nor mine, will ever be the same because of the good that has come from this!

 

God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He’s so good to me (us)!!!!



(I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures.  I won't make excuses as I really don't know the reason.  But they all show how happy everyone was to learn the good news!)

Cancer

Some of you know that I publish our church bulletin and have been doing so for many years.  I rarely proof read them but let Doyal do the "honors."  Good writers always proof their own work first, so you ask me why I don't do the same.  Here's why.......when I first read my work I am convinced it is shallow, very few people will be interested or get any benefit from it and it wasn't worth the effort.  You ask again....Then why do you bother?  Several reasons come to mind.  There are some things of interest in our bulletins such as the prayer list, Bible questions, a few "thoughts to ponder" etc.  My article, however is mainly written because I love to write.  I love to get my thoughts on paper and I always pray at least someone will get something beneficial from them. 

 

 

Several years ago we had a family who worshiped and worked with us for many years.   He always encouraged me.  Even if he didn't comment on the bulletin we knew he read it because he didn't begin participating in the worship until he finished the bulletin.  I knew he was a Bible student and valued his input.  When they moved on I missed the assurance that not only was the bulletin being read but it had value to at least one person.

 

 

This brother in Christ is now a dean at one of our Christian Universities and occasionally he will send a short email or private message on Facebook mentioning something in the bulletin.

 

 

The Lord knows when a person needs encouraging about one thing or another and it seems He sends that encouragement at just the right time.  I received such encouragement from my friend just the other day when I received the following:

 

 

I have meant to write you for a couple of days and I never do it when I am thinking about it, so I am doing it now. I wanted to compliment you for the Lawrenceburg bulletin article related to cancer. I think that is one of the most pertinent church bulletin articles I've ever read. I particularly think given the struggles people at Lawrenceburg are facing with cancer it was very useful.

 

 

Since it meant this much to him I thought maybe some of you might benefit from it as well.  It follows:

 

 

"CANCER

 

This article will begin with a "disclaimer." I am by no means a doctor, nurse or any part of the medical profession. As a mother of many children over the years however, I can detect a fever, a tummy ache, a broken bone (most of the time) and definitely an open wound! I have become more knowledgeable concerning medical issues, and especially cancer, during the past five and a half months. With this in mind I believe I have enough knowledge and experience to write this for you and me to ponder.

 

Cancer is not something any of us desire. It is no fun. The treatment can make one extremely sick and, at times, I am sure those being treated wonder if it might be better to accept the cancer than to go through the treatment. Radiation and chemotherapy take a toll on the body even though these treatments are also killing the cancer. Through aggressive treatment the white blood cells sometimes drop dangerously low. Also, blood transfusions, etc. must be administered in many cases. During all of this the patient needs to take in nutrition in order to build up the body. The hard, and sometimes seemingly impossible, part of this is that nothing tastes good. In fact, everything tastes awful and many things make one sick to the point of throwing up violently.

 

Is cancer a no-win situation? I think not! Our bodies are worth fighting for and especially when we use them to the glory of God.

 

I have learned many things during the past five and a half months. I have learned when things are depleted in the body they have to be replenished. The same is true with our spiritual bodies. There are times we are spiritually depleted and we need a "blood transfusion." This can come through encouragement from others, help in one way or another or by falling to our knees and handing all of our burdens over to God.

 

At other times we might not be completely depleted but in need of building our spiritual bodies back up. There are times we don’t’ want to "eat spiritual food." We are tired, depressed, discouraged, etc. but if we force ourselves to study God’s word, seek answers and accept what we find we can build ourselves up just as forcing our physical bodies to eat, even though we don’t feel like it. Perhaps the lessons we are learning from God’s word do not "taste" good. We don’t want to heed them and yet forcing ourselves will strengthen us spiritually.

 

Other great lessons I have learned are these:

 

1. Cancer brings people closer! I have gotten close to people I never knew....doctors, patients and especially nurses. But, in this particular case I have seen our little church family unite in ways I never dreamed of. This has truly been a blessing for many of us.

 

2. We should humble ourselves and learn to accept help graciously! We should not feel obligated to "pay back." Instead, a good idea would be to "pay it forward" in the future.

 

3. We should go into any situation with a smile on our faces (if at all possible) and a positive attitude. I have been told that one of the best ways to fight any health issue is with a positive attitude and I believe it.

 

4. We should share with those closest to us. If we are the one suffering find someone who will listen without being judgmental. Remember, "A burden shared is a burden halved."

 

5. We should be willing to listen to those who are suffering. Cry with them, laugh with them, hold them, love them!

 

And lastly.....I personally would like to thank our sweet sister, Margie for allowing me to make this journey with her. It has been one of the hardest journeys I have ever encountered. It has also been one of the most rewarding. I have experienced things I never imagined and met people with extreme courage and such upbeat attitudes. Thank you once again, my friend!"

 

 

This was inspired by  the influence our friend, Margie has had on all of our little Church Family here at Lawrenceburg.  You can read more about her in a precious post if you are interested. 

 

 

I would be remiss not to thank my dear friend for his continued encouragement.  Thank you, my friend!!!!

Growing Old Together and Still Learning

 

 

I’ve heard people say something about the disadvantages of growing old and others would reply, "But it beats the alternative." I think I have even responded in such a way. Recently I have pondered on that reply and come to the conclusion it isn’t true if you are prepared for the alternative. Just think.....for the obedient child of God the alternative to old age is spending eternity in Heaven with no aches and pains; no sorrows; no grief and every day with the Father! Nope, growing old doesn’t beat the alternative......but one can still enjoy growing old on this earth before being ushered into "the alternative."
 

We both have our ups and downs. I have to take medication for high blood pressure, have diverticulosis, irritable bowel Syndrome and a few other old age problems. Doyal has VERY LITTLE wrong with him. He does have a nasty rash that the dermatologist is baffled with and treating aggressively. But.....hey.....we are able to travel; go to the nursing home and visit the "young people" there (several younger than either of us); teach bible classes; preach (Doyal...not me!); text, take pictures, Skype, email, and Facetime (me, not Doyal) and we both still get out of bed each morning, dress ourselves and get on with our day.

 

 

The last paragraph segues nicely into a conversation we had the other day. We were discussing which leg we put in our pants first. Now you might ask why in the world two people our ages, who had been married for 60 years, 7 months and 2 days do not know that answer. I can’t tell you why. I suppose we were waiting to get to those "important" issues later in our marriage and this seemed as good a time as any to find out.

 

 

Here’s our conclusion. I put the wrong leg in first! I put my right leg in first. I also put on my socks (right first) and then my shoes (right first of course.) Doyal does the opposite. He has in recent years found out a few other strange things about me. I must be a tad ambidextrous as I unscrew bottle caps with my left hand. I also pour the water in the coffee maker opposite from him. And, I shuffle and deal cards left handed. Now, before you think I’m the only odd one in this household let me tell you more.

 

I suppose Doyal was putting his left leg in his pants as far back as our honeymoon but I only realized it just the other day.

I have been nagging Doyal for years to get a hearing aid. I learned several years ago that I mumble, the television sound was going bad, others didn’t speak up, etc. Finally I got him to go for a free test. It was determined that it wasn’t me, or the television, or others....but it was his ears! They could fix that problem easily with hearing aids......$6,000 worth! I said, "Do it!" He said, "No way." I accused him of being vain until he explained, in his thinking, "I am in my 80's and probably won’t live long enough to get full use out of them." With his health I wouldn’t put it past him to get to 100 + (and if I’m still around to nag, hound and thoroughly enjoy him, that would be fine with me.)

 

 

Between one of our ladies at church and me we talked him into getting one hearing aid from off the internet like the ones she had and found beneficial. This was only $375 and IT WORKS. Well, that is a bit of an understatement! It only works WHEN he wears it. I was nagging him the other day about not wearing it and do you know what he said? Of course you don’t. But, I’m going to tell you. He said he was afraid he would lose it! I have a "stash" in my very own little savings account and assured him if he would wear it all the time and then lost it I would buy him another. Looking over there at him now I realize I won’t have to be concerned about digging into my stash any time soon.

 

 

And while I’m sharing our inner-most secrets I’ll share this. Here awhile back he had to have a front tooth removed. He had four choices: 1. Leave it as it is....snaggled toothed. 2. Get a flipper for $375. 3. Have a bridge put in for a couple of thousand. 4. Have a permanent tooth "spiked in" for about $5,000. Joy of all joys!!!!! He didn’t chose the first option! I pushed for the fourth option and his reasoning was this: "I am in my 80's and probably won’t live long enough to get my money’s worth out of it. And, besides that, we have two grandchildren in college and two to start soon and that would help them if they needed it." You are asking now....don’t tell me you aren’t.....if he wears the flipper. I am happy to say that rarely does he go anywhere that he doesn’t remember to put it in.....but here at the house he’s like the cover of the Mad Comic book! And often smiles at me and says, "Me worry?"

 

Here is where I wanted to post the cutest picture ever of Doyal smiling ear to ear with his tooth out.  The vanity kicked in though and he refused to let me post that for the world to see......who am I kidding.....the world?  Well, at least some of the most important people in my world (YOU) will be reading this.  And, if you aren't reading it, well you aren't. :)

 

 

This rambling was only to let you know that the longer you are married, the more you know about each other and the more fun you can have together.
 

 

April 4, 1953

(Edited, November 7, 2013 after reading Claudia's comment.....Thanks Claudia......Yep, this picture was NOT taken in 1953 but sometimes in the 70's when we just drove through the area.  Some of the kids think we look like artists, writers, or some sort of creative geniuses in this picture.  I'll take that.)

 

Proverbs 5:18
May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
NIV

 

 

March 31, 2013, Four days before being married 60 years.

 

 

 

My prayer is that we can go hand-in-hand into the gates of Heaven when the time comes.

 

 



 

 

 

 

What Do You Think?

Just thought I’d share something with all my fans out there.....all few of you!
 

One of our great-granddaughters was delighted to let the Facebook world know that her Great-Daddy looked like the handsome Channing Tatum. I have to admit that I had to go online to find out who he was.....not her Great-Daddy, but Channing. The granddaughters, and now the great-granddaughters have all thought their Granddad/Great-Daddy was HOT/COOL/BAD/SWEET (whatever the latest term was for GOOD-LOOKING) as a young man. His lady thinks he still is as an 83-year-old mature fellow.
 

I think this will delight the granddaughters and great-granddaughters even more. Do you think Channing, Doyal and our grandson, Jordan look anything alike?
 

 

So, girls, it looks like you can expect more handsome "look-alikes" for generations to come!

 

 

 

 

 

And here is what Channing and Jordan can expect in a few more years!

 

 

Still handsome as ever, don't you think?

 

THE REST OF THE STORY

I promised that I would tell you "the rest of the story" and here it is..........

We officially let Mason adopt us on March 9, 2012 by taking him to the vet for the first time. I supposed he was convinced he was ours when we mutilated the poor little fellow by taking his manhood away forever a few weeks later. He didn’t seem terribly upset with us though and still continued to try and steal our hearts. I might add, he is doing a pretty good job of it too.

On his first visit to the vet I asked about his age and his breed. He was checked thoroughly and it was decided he was 6 to 8 months old at the time so we gave him an August birthday to share with our youngest daughter, Sharon. Dr. Karsteter, one of the four vets at the clinic, was sure about one thing; he was definitely Terrier mixed with something else, but didn’t guess what that mix was. Later, when he went for surgery, Dr. Adam Miller also said he was definitely Terrier and was sure an educated guess would be either Pug or Pekingese. Later Dr. Folke guessed Terrier and either Pug or Pekingnese. My guess (actually had I been a betting woman I would have placed money on it) was Pug/Terrier mix. I knew I was right........

　

UNTIL........I saw on TV where there is now DNA testing for dogs. Now, before you start judging an old woman who would spend money on such absurdities, let me assure you that we didn’t ask for help with the expenses, we didn’t take anything away from our giving to the Lord or others.....I just decided to do it for the shear pleasure of it. And.....maybe the old newspaper reporter’s curiosity just got the better of me. I talked with one of the vets and he assured me it was all on the up and up as they also did DNA testing and sent it off to one of the few labs in the nation who do this.

Out came the checkbook to the tune of $85.00 and soon a kit arrived in the mail. Doyal and I felt like we were on one of the CSI programs as we carefully took the samples, placed them in the container provided and sent it off to the lab.

 

It took a few weeks to get the results and we made good use of the time. I sent out an email to all of the family telling them we were having a contest. The ones who guessed his breed/breeds correctly would receive a prize. Here are the guesses:

Baby daughter, Sharon: #1. Terrier/Pug, #2 Brussels Griffon, #3 Affenpinscher (And she added: I read about Affenpinschers and he definitely has some of the looks and the disposition of them. It'll be interesting to find out, won't it?) You can see she wasn’t undecided at all!

Favorite "Dyer" grandson, Joshua sent the following: Boston Terrier + French Bulldog = Faux Frenchbo Bulldog or Boston Terrier + Pekingese = Bostinese (I learned some new words on this entry!)

Oldest son, Allen: Shizu and Pug

Oldest granddaughter, Jessica: Shizu and Pug (I need to give Allen and Jessica a spelling lesson for the first one....Shih Tzu!)

Oldest grandson, Neil: Ferret and Shetland Pony (I thought surely he’d get the prize with this guess!)

Middle daughter, Paula and her husband, Russ: Father, a Mexican Hairless and Mother, a Bull Mastiff. (If Neil’s guess didn’t win, I figured this would be the next closest.) The next day she sent the following; "Mine was a joke yesterday. He looks like he has some Terrier or Schnauzer in him."

Oldest "Ward", now Jarvis, granddaughter, Sarah: Westie and Pug

Youngest Ward granddaughter, Shelby: Yorkie/Pug ...... A few days later she had another guess..."Maybe "Pug/Pomeranian"

Youngest "Dyer", now Lowrance, granddaughter, Mandi: Brussel Griffin and Pug.

Oldest daughter, Claudia: Pug/Chihuahua

Youngest son, Frank: "Gotta go with Neil on this one"....and then the conversation went as such.... Neil: "I'm telling you guys, I got this one......Ferret / Shetland Pony"....Then Frank: "Neil .... Are you sure there isn't a little Guinea Pig in him????" Then Neil again: "Come on Uncle Frank, everyone knows that a Guinea Pig and a Shetland Pony can't mate! The Guinea Pig's cage is waaaay to small for the Shetland Pony to fit into!"

Oldest "Dyer", now Downs, granddaughter, Talsie: "Alright, I'll join in on the craziness. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think he is a pug at all. I think he got the ugly from somewhere else. ;) I will guess Shih Tzu/Terrier." (This wasn’t the first time he was called "ugly" and, poor kiddo, it probably won’t be the last. He looks much like a monkey and I often tell him he is so ugly he’s cute or so ugly only a mother could love him.)

Middle Ward, now Platt, granddaughter, Stephanie: "I think he is a Brussels Griffon/Pug mix. :) I know Mandi already guessed that...so if I can't guess the same, then I'll say Brussels Griffon/Chihuahua mix."

Now that you’ve seen the results of the guesses from the family why don’t YOU make your guess right now before you read any further. Let’s see if YOU can come up with the right mix. I’ll let you know that there are only two breeds in the mix and no one came up with the mix, although both breeds were mentioned. I’ll also let you know that I was shocked that at least one of Neil’s guesses is NOT in the mix. I thought for sure at least one of Mason’s parents would be a Shetland Pony!

We’ve named our pure breed dogs long, interesting (to me at least) names. Some of which were: Ebony King, our small black Chihuahua; Little Miss Annie Buttercup, the Cocker Spaniel I’ve told you about and Sweet Dixie Lailai, the Belle of Boaz, our precious Dixie. I decided Mason needed something regal so at first referred to him as Mason the Magnificent Mutt. Later, after destroying Doyal’s recliner, the arm of his desk chair and several baseboards, I thought a better name/description would be Mason the Mischievous Mutt! And come to find out he really isn’t a true mutt after all.........

Drum roll please...........

Going back three generations one side of his family are pure Shih Tzus and the other side pure Chihuahuas.......surprise, surprise, surprise!

Now you know "The Rest of the Story!"

 

 

Mason arrived in our home a cold, hungry mutt weighing around 7 or 8 pounds. Now, he has gained status by not being only a one-pure-breed dog, but a two-pure-breed dog if that makes sense.  And since that cold, February morning in 2012 here he is today all 12.5 pounds of sass!

 

 

A face only a mother could love!  He's loving being with just the two of us while his brother and sister are being groomed today.

 

Follow-Up as Promised

As promised in my last post I will let you know "what came around."

 

The last post was about my giving a two and a half-pound Cocker Spaniel to Doyal for our 38^th Anniversary after his saying that we didn’t need a dog. He soon found out we might not need Annie but she won his heart the night he arrived home to find her waiting to surprise him.

 

I never, in my wildest dreams, thought he would pull the same trick on me. Well......it wasn’t exactly the same trick, but I did get an unexpected surprise on my 77^th birthday! Imagine this (well, maybe it would be best not to imagine it).....On a very cold, 19 degree, Sunday morning, February 19, 2012 I stepped out of the shower as Doyal stepped into the bathroom with a little black fur ball against his chest. Here I am wrapped in a towel, looking at that little bundle. Doyal, acting a bit like a little boy bringing a new animal for his mother to give the okay to, explained. This was the same little fellow who had been showing up in our yard from time to time. We could never coax him close enough to see if he had identification. I had even reported him to the humane society earlier and they had found his owners and given them a warning. We hadn’t seen him in our yard since that time, but all day long the day before he was running around in the large open space across the busy highway from us.

 

                                                              

 

Here is Doyal with the little "pug looking" dog on that cold February, Sunday when he entered our family.

 

 

That Sunday morning Doyal took our sweetheart, Dixie and Frank and Rosemary’s dog, Lucky that we were keeping for them at the time, out for their morning walk. There in the front yard was the little black visitor. He was so cold and so hungry that Doyal had no problem picking him up and bringing him inside. We took turns warming him up and got him settled with the other two while we went to church. All afternoon we both played with him and cuddled him but had no intention of keeping him. Here we were at 77 and 82 with one dog of our own and dog sitting another (by the way, after going back "home" for a few weeks Lucky came back over here and begged us to take him...not really, but he was brought back and we inherited him). We needed another puppy no matter how cute and energetic he was like we needed an elephant!

 

 

 

These two pictures were taken of the same two "boys" at the same place exactly one year later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I called Monday morning early to the shelter to see if he had been reported missing. "Nope! " Called again in a day or so and asked...."No, and if they come to your house looking for him don’t give him up until you call us as we are going to give them a citation." Oh my, I wanted none of that! So, we just kept walking him in the front of our house for all to see and I kept looking for posters that he was missing. Nothing happened. So on March 9 we decided to get his shots. The vet told us he was legally ours since we had had him that long and no one had claimed him. And.....poor guy......a few weeks later we had him "fixed."

 

 

March 6, 2012 after his first professional grooming.

 

 

 

I had told Doyal when we got our Shih Tzu from the South and named her Dixie that if I ever got a Northern dog I would name it Mason and we’ll call it Macy. That’s how Mason got his name. No one in the family wanted to call him Macy though as that sounded like a girl. Now there are the three of them....Mason, Dixie and Lucky. We gave Mason our youngest daughter, Sharon’s birthday since the vet said he was between 7 and 8 months old. His birthday is August 26, 2011. Dixie’s birthday is April 23, 2009 and poor old, and I mean old, Lucky is now 14 years old!

 

 

 

Yep, this little fellow has a car seat just like his sister, Dixie.  the bad thing about it is that he escapes from the seat belt AND the harness.  That was $$$ down the drain!

 

 

 

 

Pretty boy makes himself comfortable on the back of our sofa.

 

 

He fits right in when it comes to sharing my breakfast each morning.

 

 

I haven't finished telling you all about Mason but will leave that till another time and that’ll be "the rest of the story."

What Goes Around, Comes Around

I suppose "what goes around comes around" as the old saying goes. It certainly did with us.

 

 

I had wanted a house dog for quite sometime and every time I mentioned getting one Doyal would have the excuse that he would be retiring "soon" and we would travel. A dog would not be a good idea as we couldn’t travel with one. That didn’t make a lot of sense to me as I figured a small dog would be an ideal traveling companion. But, being the good wife that I am, I put a dog on the back burner.....at least for a short while.

 

 

And then the question arose......"What in the world can I get the most wonderful man on earth for our 38^th anniversary" (this was in 1991).

 

 

Back then I always read the classified ads and, wouldn’t you know, right there in front of me was an ad for Cocker Spaniel puppies for sale. It must have been "meant to be", don’t you think? Well, maybe not, because remember I’d been wanting a house dog for awhile.

 

 

April 3, 1991 I drove miles and miles and picked out the cutest little puppy ever. She came home with me and was waiting under a towel on the kitchen table when Doyal came home from work the day before our anniversary. I was so excited and rushed him in to "open" his gift. Just as he got ready to lift the towel it moved!

"Is this a dog?" he inquired as he frowned and lifted the towel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures were taken the night I brought Annie home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s all it took! Who couldn’t fall in love instantly with a fluffy two and a half pound, 7 week old, active puppy! Soon her name was Annie (named because she was an anniversary present.) She became his dog and continued as such until her death in 2008. A very long and happy life with a few glitches now and then. Someday I’ll tell you about her adventures with Clancy, our Golden Retriever, as well as other events in her life.

 

 

Clancy in the huge fur ball and Annie is the tiny blond pup introducing herself.  He accepted her right away and they had many adventures throughout Clancy's life.  He took her on several neighborhood jaunts before we found their escape route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Annie when she wasn't even a year old.  She loved the grandchildren and they loved to play with her.  You can see how much Stephanie enjoyed it as well.  By the way, Stephanie is expecting her first child, a little boy, in March.  I wonder if he will have as much fun with the dogs we have now as his mother did with Annie.

 

I have many more pictures of our sweet Annie but won't post them here.  She had a long and full life.  She traveled more miles than many humans.  Some of her trips took her to Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  She survived much as well.  I think had she been able to speak she would have agreed her 17 years and 4 months on this earth were about the best any dog could ask for.

 

One of these days I might tell you about her last day on earth and her death and burial.

 

My next post will be all about the title of this post......"What Goes Around Comes Around."