Dear Reader:

I always loved singing the old African-American spirituals at church camps each summer. Then later, as an American History teacher, I loved playing the songs for the students when I taught them about the Underground Railroad…Harriett Tubman, and the brave slaves plight and flight to freedom. One of my favorites has always been ‘Steal Away.’

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home, I hain’t got long to stay here.

Songs such as “Steal Away to Jesus“, ‘Swing, Low, Sweet Chariot”, “Wade in the Water” and the “Gospel Train” were songs with hidden codes, not only about having faith in God, but containing hidden messages for slaves to run away on their own, or with the Underground Railroad.

“Steal Away” was composed by Wallace Willis, a slave of a Choctaw freedman in the old Indian Territory, sometime before 1862.

These days…it is my ‘steal away’ time each evening with God (in the garden) that keeps my own spirits boistered. I am really having to walk the talk and leave the frightening events assaulting our nation daily…in God’s Hands. This problem is bigger than I can handle…or anyone else. I pray God hears our prayers for unity and stability again.

But some times we need more than a spiritual time-out from the craziness around us…we need a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. 🙂

Wouldn’t it be great if every year when we had our annual physical the doctor would reward each of his/her patients with a written prescription to play hooky for one day in the upcoming year?

The excuse prescription would have everything filled in except for the date…that … to be filled in by the patient…when life has just become too much for him or her to handle.

The doctor’s prescription note would be rigorously convincing that ‘playing hooky is absolutely necessary for the good of their patients’s health: physical and psychological.’

Don’t we all wish there was someone to write a note for us excusing us from the job, the marriage, caring for children and/or mom, or driving a car pool?

Playing “hooky” must not be confused with “sitting one out.” (that is only sleeping all day and waking up confused and feeling guilty.)

‘Playing hooky” requires some creative energy…eight hours that just belong to you. So make it fun! Be frivolous, self-indulgent, perhaps a sauna, or pretend to be a tourist and take in local attractions you have never gone to…go to the movies, out to lunch, or rent Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. 🙂

Read that novel you haven’t had time for…with a bowl of chocolates or bag of chips. Don’t answer your phone, text, or email. When your day is over..you’ve accomplished a ‘body wrap’ for your soul.

So until tomorrow….take this Saturday today and surprise yourself or those around you by not spending it doing chores…but some fun and unexpected adventure…something that will release laughter among the group.

As British writer Jerome K. Jerome once said….”There’s no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do…Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet…must be stolen.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

After finally returning to the land of the living from the ‘crud’ and feeling brand spanking new again… Mollie came over yesterday to check out a new store in town …The French Mercantile.…so pretty ….smelled of lavender and the french countryside…made me want to return to Provence.

Right across the street was another adorable store called Cotton Down South. I caved when I saw this cute polka dot pumpkin…had to add it to my pumpkin patch!

Honey sent me this photo of her leaving my name as a “thriver” of breast cancer to date…She went over to Black Mountain yesterday and saw teams of pink setting up concrete objects for people to sign. It is nice to see this and have my name left…many of the walks and runs for Breast Cancer this year are being held virtually because of the COVID virus. So special of you to think of me Honey!

BIG GAME TONIGHT! CLEMSON VS MIAMI