I feel sure that all the controversy… surrounding some erroneous historical facts… over the years… about daylight saving time… now coupled with increasing medical warnings about the time-change causing health issues has lead many people to wonder why we keep an-out-dated concept to help our farmers and agricultural input when we are a complex industrial society.
Does it really help that many farmers in certain locations -worthy of the change?
I never thought much about it growing up until I began teaching and boy…. I lost several days of class concentration amid yawns and heads on desks and middle school teachers and students waiting on late afternoon buses in the growing darkness.
Afternoon sports practices had to be played under electric lights. As a mother and teacher attending evening college classes for a higher degree… I left and returned in the dark.
Since it is mid-afternoon… the days will slowly but surely turn darker sooner!
But for the Tigers and Dabo… the new change brought renewed hope after defeating Notre Dame… new hope for days ahead and a much deserved honor for him!
When Dabo says “ We Believe “. He and the team mean it!”
So until tomorrow all the Ya’s would appreciate lots of prayers for Jackson’s younger sister Emily who had to be air-transported from the Hampton hospital to Roper for open heart surgery! Emily needs our love and prayers from all who can empathize what the family is going through!!!
During tough times… think of beauty! Congratulations Clemson and Dabo
The family got together yesterday to watch the Clemson-Notre Dame game….at Tommy and Kaitlyn.
I must admit I was a little hesitant… I love my Clemson Tigers so much, as well as, Coach Dabo, I want them to win and play their best out of pure love. It hurts so when it goes a different way! Though my love never alters.
As we all know the Tigers have been their own worse opponents in several last minute mistake games but still life is played out on the football field…. we have to learn from mistakes and improve upon them!
Yesterday was no exception but watching the game with not only kindred family but kindred Clemson ardent fans makes the shared ending so much more do-able!
Yesterday was another mail biter ending as that clock just wouldn’t tick fast enough for me! But Hallelujah we ended up on the right side of the clock and scoreboard!
A happy family encircled in shouts of joy… a long time coming! A special memory!
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
So until tomorrow share your family’s outside activities and turn up the love!
The Ya Ya’s sent these gorgeous flowers that turned my day into a smile! And I love you back! 😘💐
And never a step behind Jo dufford has discovered a way to send ” electronic ” bouquets that sparkle too… a day with flowers to a gal who misses her garden flowers !
This statement is so true! We learn early we can’t t pick out of some box of life and choose only the good things to befall on us… the challenges and tough days will always accompany the exciting fun days!!!
God knows we would never appreciate life if everything automatically fell into place and we never had to prove our courage or love or self-sacrifices!
We must fight for life everyday as we help others do the same so as the Halloween decor and softening pumpkins come down … it is time for our blessing pause-making time for Thanksgiving to God!
AMEN!!!
So until tomorrow…
And I do! Walsh brought my newest grand dog Dolley Dingle over and she and Winnie had a fun time! More grand dogs … Precious Pip and Atticus Honey’s adorable newest addition
Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh
Aren’t we grateful for all forms of life who make the world a better place and our pets do just that… thank you God!
Had another workout yesterday and then immediately fell fast asleep!!!
When Cindy Ashley sent me Sculpture in the South creation… I had to laugh! Since I am taking every kind of potassium going to raise my I have been consuming lots of bananas!
Every morning when I rise these days… I still momentarily look around my new cute little room and for a few seconds wonder what I am doing here?
Then the memory gates abruptly open and the past few weeks come flooding through. It is still hard to take it all in… such a mixture of ups and downs… it is quite dizzying!
As I lay in that precious quiet pre-dawn calming quiet… slowly the pieces of my recent life’s puzzle start interlocking piece by piece. It is then I stop and thank God for His Guidance and blessings … and adult children.
It makes me even more determined to fight harder to restore my health and one day return the favor to them.
And friends… where do I start? All of your constant well wishes , cards. emails and texts… like the sun rising each day light me up… I have known several of you since the beginning of the post-over 15 years and my faithful Ya Ya’s for half a century! The power of friendships and healing! Amazing!
Yesterday my in-house physical therapist-Jim-arrived-so funny until the exercises began … wow! Haven’t had a workout like that since college PE! I was exhausted!
Then my assigned in-house nurse arrived… so sweet and she is gathering lots of information to get me energized too using different methods.
Still have more to come… hardly a day passes without another assigned arrival. All so pleasant ( PSST!) but between me and you this is what I would like to wake up too! 😂
So until tomorrow…
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
Miss seeing my Confederate Rose blooming! Two years ago it toppled over and left only a small stump and from that… now look! Even my gardens are encouraging me!!!!
What a day yesterday was … a day still full of long-term challenges BUT happy hopeful short-term successes that put a smile on a lot of faces!!! Especially mine! Hard work does pay off !!!!!!!!!!!
What I am learning is that perfection is unrealistic but it is the individual uniqueness in us that reveals who we really are!
Good news! For the first time in quite awhile… my bloodwork came back vastly improved… potassium up, blood cells stronger… nutrition levels way up!
Dr Jeter ( oncologist) winked and gave me a ” bye” -no two hour IT pumping fluids in me! As surprised and excited as I was … I was even happier for Mandy and Tommy! They have been my two soldiers standing by me through this s challenging ordeal!!!
So my November Rabbit came through for me but the reality is I still have breast cancer / skin cancer and some skin cancer around my lower back/they both were affected by being off chemo pills for so long while building my stamina back up but some things are out of our control and we have to switch and adjust according.
Appreciate prayers that this time around the nausea pills will allow me to not only tolerate the new chemo pill but keep my appetite continuing-both are vital to success!
It is very easy to forget the good luck first day of November rabbit… ” ” Rabbit! Rabbit!” especially when it follows Halloween, as candy highs continue circulating through the blood stream while cranky children bemoan going to school… as well as their teachers? ( ” Are YOU sure there are no more substitutes?” )
But for me today… there is no way I am forgetting “Rabbit! Rabbit” … I really need all the prayers, good luck, karma, and faith I can get!!!
I return to my weekly oncologist visit this morning…to see if my blood levels are improving, potassium increasing, and checking my weight gain… I could really use some hopeful encouraging news so I will appreciate all thoughts and prayers.
One of the most important things to me these days is setting an example for the grand children to never stop living during trying health days… they will pass but precious memories of how you handled the tough times will stay with them forever!
We are making daily impacts on others …no matter which way we play our cards… but don’t forget… positive or negative … we are the memories we are creating and they will linger in loving human family memories a l-o-n-g time!!!
Talk about a God Wink… over these past four days God has intervened and revealed His Power to me! Our physical bodies ( even our brains) don’t govern our well-being … only God can do that … and in His time! It always comes down to faith… even under the most discouraging of times!!!
Jo reflected yesterday on a devotion she was reading. She couldn’t help but almost hear the bells of God’s lyrics, 🎶” I AM WITH YOU.”
Jo then began thinking of all the things we have in common. Family, Storytelling, Teaching and history.
Suddenly the words of our state motto popped up. ” DUM SPIRO SPERO” -” While I Breathe I Hope.”
Jo ended with ” I felt God wanted me to share this with you.” ( I am honored Jo!) PS-Eating a little again and enjoying it!!!!🙏🏻👍
So until tomorrow… I met my physical therapist today ( Alan) and loved him … we had the best time and he told me I got an A+ on 25 different physical tests so now we can jump in and start putting my growing strength to the big tests! ( just what a teacher wants to hear.
And talk about HOPE… I found the picture of newborn Eva Cate Mandy and me ( photo left at the Chapel of Hope) …slightly fading with no air circulating but center stage on the altar after 15 years! A true miracle! Hope at the Chapel!
When Eva Cate arrived after an emergency c-section… the nurses told me they swaddled her and it looked like like she was praying for making it!
October 28… the day Boo’s mind over f i n a l l y lifted… without doubt under God’s intervention .
The night before this miracle happened… Tommy and Kaitlyn brought over a pot stew-my favorite meal And for the first time I managed to chew and swallow a small portion of the dinner but even this successful attempt gave me a glimmer of hope once again.
A day letter ( this past Saturday morning) Mandy handed me her a homemade cinnamon roll and some scrambled eggs … I hesitated but no voice was telling me not to eat … no interference nor threat of nausea. I ate it all down… with tears steaming down my face and the family clapping.
Later in the day…John said he was picking up supper-what was everyone wanting… I heard myself saying JUNKFOOD… everyone was laughing -I had a large slice of pizza with pepperonis and Italian sausages -best slice of pizza I ever ate!
Last night Tommy and Kaitlyn joined us for supper as John grilled out hamburgers-best burger ever!
Kaitlyn and Mandy took Eva Cate and Jake yesterday to Carrie’s Halloween fun grab at her church -First Scots Presbyterian-she works with elementary and middle school students there.
Everyone had a ball… especially pickle ball!
First Scots Presbyterian Kaitlyn and Eva Cate in the potato sack racePickle Ball/Eva Cate and Aunt Kaitlyn
Since I have had lots of time to reminisce how I ever got in this predicament with eating disorders is hard to pin down to be honest… it began as a baby/ toddler. I was the child in the family who never ate. Grandmother Barbour would tell me the extreme measures my daddy would go to (with airplane spoons of applesauce) just to crash in each attempt and end up with all the baby food covering him from chin to hair-( Everyone dreaded Baby Becky’s feeding times! They pulled a magic disappearing act.
But the worst came when I found out I was pregnant with Mandy. I thought I had a terrible” bug”…. I was praying Dr Rhodes had the magic pill ( to put me out of my immediate misery but to my dismay I heard him smile and say ” Nothing is wrong with you? You and your husband are going to have a baby! Deedee’s screams of joy offset the sound of vomit rolling rolling down my dress and dripping onto my shoes… plop plop.
In those days you literally had to resign your teaching position until the doctor allowed you to return to teaching.
I was so sick… I was moved to a trailer for my classroom but since they didn’t have bathrooms inside… I had to run to the entrance bathroom-sometimes I made it… sometimes not.
I had morning sickness all day everyday until about five months.and mercifully it disappeared.
One day on my way home from school I passed a Burger King and dramatically thought ” Why or Why must one eat to live.” ( sounded like a drama as provoking as Scarlett’s last statement about never going hungry again…before the Gone With The Wind Intermission.
So third time around I am fighting for equilibrium, nutrition, renewed strength and God’ s allegiance to help meet each bump with hope and faith.
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh .
” Take me to the river’ 🎶🎹Eva Cate even bought me Halloween leggings… spirits are growing!
But the best thing to come out of all of this is!!!!
I can only go so long without contemplating a Mary Oliver poem. Many times they put us on the spot… which is good for our heart and soul! For example:
… ” And that is just the point …how the world calls to each to make a new and serious response.
That’s the big question, the one the world throws at us every morning.
” Here you are alive . Would you like to make a comment? “
Would I like to make a comment? ( Kinda scary isn’t it?)
I have no doubt that I found this poem for a reason this morning…especially in light of my personal recent turn of health events …
Think about this question … create a scene in your mind. Perhaps you are sitting on a park bench under a big oak tree and suddenly a reporter shows up and asks this one ” simple” question that catches you by surprise.
” Here you are alive. Would you please make a comment?”
( My response) …
” I created a world I wanted to live in… a world of words. It has been my salvation.”
So until tomorrow… Writing has been my passion, my heart, my soul. I cannot imagine a world without writing… and my heart overflows in gratitude for all you readers who listened and united with me along my journey… your company has been one of my greatest blessings! And we haven’t come to the end of the trail yet.
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
Be true to yourself… remember ” we can’t fool the soul.”
Jake and John fishing … for shark? Lots of fun!!!Forgot to add Eva Cate ‘s picture yesterday for Chief Moving and Organizing ELFAlways love you! Boo! A Boo cookie!
Yesterday was a long day that included a medical representative for home visits who arrived to get personal information that took forever it seemed… glad for the service…for myself and Mandy but our medical system is so bogged down in red tape… it is SO frustrating.
But then I fell fast asleep and when I awoke some elves had moved me into the little den transformed magically into Boo’s adorable bedroom / sitting room/ .Everyone is back in their beds … I will never be able to repay such love!
And included in the decorating was an intricate paper bouquet that Sharon Joyce from Forest Home Alabama sent! Sharon… perfect timing… ! I love it!
And butterflies…
*** That reminds me .. because I am getting my mail via neighbors and family picking it up… randomly… so it was like Christmas when I opened it and saw all the cards -just please realize there will be intervals but I will respond to such amazing expressions of gratitude, prayers and love. It is all of you who keep my spirits lifted.
Thank goodness love goes on and having my grandchildren sharing their daily activities brings me such joy. For example:
” Twin Day” at Moultrie Middle-Eva Cate and friend Bella! So cute!!!Class Pictures-Lachlan-third gradeEloise-third grade-and Student of the Month
Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh
The MAIN Elf …. in Boo’s s Boudoir was the amazing EVA CATE-one day she will be reorganizing and decorating homes… mark my word!
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle