Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

” Unexpected kindness is the most powerful , least costly and most underrated agent of human change.” Bob Kerrey

In spite of so much troubling erratic and spiteful behavior we witness more and more on social media… I have found the opposite to be true in my daily life.

Even Tuesday ( when Mandy and I went to my oncologist for the results of the PET Scan… ) the nurse giving me my new blood test was hilarious… telling me she had a wig on but her hair was growing and it was looking so good… she was almost there.

When we moved onto the examining room she was also my vital signs nurse …and whispered…” See… This is what I was talking about… and showed us her new braids starting to grow… she was so excited that Mandy and I were clapping and cheering her on… so by the time my oncologist walked we were all smiles.

It takes so little to change an anxious or nervous moment around simply by being extra nice and sharing kindness with smiles.

I find this to be true when talking to strangers in long store lines or any waiting arena… one compliment or kind word and more times than not a pleasant, if not downright funny, conversation follows.

My biggest disappointment this past week has been the down-right mean-spirited turn some Clemson fans did on Coach Dabo… no matter how many awards, honors, successes the Tigers have accomplished … it all disappeared faster than a genie in a bottle because of one loss. Is that all it takes these days to bring out the ” stones?”

From a devoted fan to a sports team that one loves and admires to a fanatic fan who overreacts to any loss or disappointment -acting as if they personally were insulted by a loss… one wonders how quickly the sports memory is… hero one day… goat the next.

For Heavens Sakes if some fans can’t see that Dabo Swinney is so much more than a highly successful coach… he is a good man.. who uses his position to model to his players how a good life should be lived… having high morals and principles, and always giving back to your community at every opportunity. He is symbolic of what we should want our state to represent… kindness and generosity.

So please… you fair weather ” fans” -if you are so disgruntled at Dabo and the Tigers … please find another team that meets your expectations 100% of the time! Good luck!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Yesterday I woke up with a new perspective on life… diligently work on eating and getting lost muscle mass and weight back on and share my suggested delish secret ” weapon” with my friend, Anne, in her new home at Summer’s Corner.

My oncologist told me Tuesday it was time to re-think food… not just for pleasure ( or not) but nutrition… much needed nutrition. Her ideas on mixing different foods together so every bite taken has added ingredients was done this morning mixing scrambled eggs with grits and broken up pieces of sausage so every bite is pulling in much needed protein!

But… her favorite suggestion to me was banana pudding shakes… so unbelievably good… how did I not know about these shakes – I ordered two from Cook Out before going to Anne’s -our ” first drink” to christen her beautiful ( down-sized) abode.

Anne is one of those rare creatures who can make a life-altering decision on a dime and with some help from our church Congregationalists and her sister, Kathy, who flew down from Maine… moved with hardly a look back at her decades old home. Simply …it was time to down-size and make new memories!

She lucked up and got the largest back screen porch in her area-her home backs up to a wooded wetlands that can never be commercialized… we spent most of our time right there with Nala, The birds were singing and eating out of her bird feeders constantly.

And yes… rest… a very well deserved rest!!!

So until tomorrow… the story behind today’s title post was when I made a comment that past tense is so satisfying when referring to a huge, exhausting project like a lifetime move.

Anne thought about it and she said the first word that came to mind was ” T’was” as in ” It ” t’was” the night before Christmas… a memory re-lived fondly now that it was over… in past reflection.

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

****This was too funny not to share -a friend sent it to Brooke and she shared it with the Ya’s … I had tears of laughter coming down… this is for anyone who has ever had trouble getting a new password accepted….

Dear Reader:

Ever since I read The Monkey’s Paw ( published in 1902) in my high school senior English class… I still shudder over the three ” mystical” wishes that one family experiences…changing their lives forever.

We also got to watch one of the earliest and scariest ( black and white) film interpretations of the story on the 16 mm projector late one afternoon. We were all screaming as the final bell ringing coincided with Herbert White’s mangled body returning home …due to his mother’s unhinged desperate wish to bring him back from the grave.

But what really stuck with me was our teacher’s words as we left the classroom. ” Remember class… ” Be Careful WhatYou Wish For… IT MIGHT COME TRUE!”

Take a minute and think back in your own personal memory portfolio of circumstances where you made a wish for something you wanted so badly… only to discover it was not the right ” fit” for you… it brought trouble instead of the treasure you sought.

But sometimes… it can bring a big sigh of relief too when you realize you were spared pain by not getting your wish.

Monday I was so frustrated… I was so excited about watching the season opener with my beloved Tigers against Duke BUT… I have Spectrum cable and they just stopped carrying ESPN over a contract conflict… in other words… money… leaving all us viewers paying the same high amount for less channels!

Monday was a roller coaster ride as rumors spread giving false information out … like ABC Network was going to pick the game up… only to discover it was a wishful but inaccurate rumor.

Tommy and Walsh said they would keep me updated… but very long pauses of time went by with no reports and then when they did filter in … I wish they hadn’t.

By the third quarter with three (three yard) fumbles and bumbles without scoring I found myself being grateful I was spared the visual calamity. The texts were disappointing enough.

Clemson definitely had gotten a bad case of those ” mischievous football gremlins” … the scenario every coach fears … they don’t happen too often but when they do… it is painful to watch… and at least I was spared visual disappointments.

Still… Congratulations to Duke for a well-played game!

Yesterday was my follow-up visit for the results of the PET Scan… Mandy went with me to both… and though I tried to talk her out of going yesterday she wasn’t taking ” No.” And she was able to write down names of a different potential drug I might be switched to… and ask questions about cause and effect.

A huge shout/out to God… the cancer had not metastasized into any organ … however I am taking new blood tests to see if I have blood mutations that might allow me to give up Verzenio and harmone drugs permanently and switch over to the latest FDA approved drug for metastasized cancers-the ” new kid on the block.”

It will take two weeks to see if I am eligible… in the meantime I am off everything else to focus on nutrition and building my muscle mass back up… have lost a lot of weight the last few months.

So until tomorrow… a God Wink… every time ( to date) in my long fight with breast cancer… when it appears I have reached an impenetrable precipice… a new drug has mystically appeared and just hit the market. Trust in God and be filled with gratitude that I am surrounded by so much support and love. I am an extraordinary lucky woman!!!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

How many times do we have to be reminded that the most important memories ( upon reflection) are always the small personal moments with humans… whether they be family, friends, or even complete strangers?

Yet we spend so much of our lives climbing that symbolic career ladder, never content to stop and enjoy the moment, the view, for fear we will miss out if we don’t reach the top of our personal pinnacle goals. We lose sight of the reality that the higher we climb… the more distorted the view can become.

Always in these moments we must fall back on our faith and trust in our Father to guide us in the right direction and keep us safe. Case in point… the following anecdote.

Trust

A group of famous botanists were searching in a famous mountain range for rare flowers. Suddenly one botanist spotted a specimen beyond their wildest dreams. However it was located on a small ledge of rock that could only be reached with a lifeline.

The group was given the name of a local shepherd boy who was familiar with the terrain. He was offered more gold coins than he had ever seen to scale down the rope and retrieve the rare flower.

But the boy feared the job was too dangerous as he surveyed every angle imaginable. He simply couldn’t see any safe way to get to the flower… and he would have to put all his trust in strangers’ hands.

Suddenly he had an idea… he left the group and returned with an older man-… he was holding hands with his father.

The boy turned to the botanists ” You can tie the rope under my arms now. I’ll go into the canyon as long as you let my father hold the rope.”

So until tomorrow… When life challenges us to overcome our deepest fears… we must remember to throw the rope to Our Heavenly Father.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was as close to a perfect day as I have had in awhile! Cool, sunny, not a cloud in the sky… a family gathering and celebration of life-my daughter Mandy’s birthday!

Last week Sara Haines picked out a children’s book to recommend to parents of young children everywhere …for many circumstances …. but especially needed as schools reopen around the country.

Sara said one of her children was a perfectionist so any small distraction or surprise set-back …completely out of his expectations …sent him reeling off-kilter for the rest of the day.

A friend recommended this book to her… It is about a little boy named Bert who is having a ” bad” day- his favorite shirt is dirty, his dog ate a hole in his shoe, his cereal got soggy waiting on his sister to get out of the bathroom and the worst…it is Saturday and instead of getting to play with the neighborhood kids… he has to go to the floral shop to help his dad since his mother is taking his sister to a recital.

The day continues along this line until his father takes him for a walk … for a talk. His father’s first words are ” A bad day doesn’t have to end that way… YOU own the day, you control it by how you react to these annoyances and that is all they are in the big picture. ”

As you can imagine more ” lessons continue until he says the most potent words” ” The Best Way to Win the Day Son… is to make someone else’s day”

By the end of the day Bert is giving each customer (leaving his father’s shop) a tulip and calling out ” WIN THE DAY!”

It is life lessons like these that really teach children how to cope… and it is our coping skills to difficult challenges in life that can make or break our failures and make our success throughout our lives.

So I had a Win Win Win Day… surrounded by family and enjoying each other’s company while being present in the moment!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Celebration Time…

Dear Reader:

Riding through historic Old Summerville on my way home with the windows down, brought back so many memories yesterday …as the sheer charm and beauty of our ” Flowertown in the Pines” enveloped me completely!

I am in love with Summerville because (like most long-time residents) I knew it when it was a little town ( 1972) and know it now… and truthfully it has morphed from a charming village to a bustling metropolis BUT along with growth and its challenges …have come fascinating people from all over …adding wonderful diversity and talents to improving the landscape and adding even more creative opportunities to still enjoy the elaborate art centers, restaurants, social centers while preserving the integrity and history of the town.

Summerville can hold its own against Charleston … and we are located within a 10- 15 mile radius of all the famous plantations off Highway 61 ( Magnolia, Middleton, and Drayton Hall) practically in our ” backyard!

But all my early morning errands Saturday morning had one objective… preparing for Mandy’s birthday TODAY!

Mandy was my first-born and a Labor Day Arrival … storks must have a sense of humor too! But it was a ” Labor of Love!”

All the family is turning out for a cook-out today-swimming , gifts, partying and just gathering … the most important part!

So until tomorrow… “Mandy’s first grade wish was that all our hopes for the world…” should be” I wish all the children of the world would grow up to be friends and love each other.”

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Yesterday morning, after saying ” Rabbit, Rabbit” I wandered onto the front porch to turn off my night light lantern. I was literally stopped in my tracks by cool breezes sweeping across the plants and decor. I raised my arms in sheer abandonment and twirled…FALL HAD FALLEN!!!!

You must remember that typically a Lowcountry Summer dominates over a much shorter Fall … and then for good measure Indian Summers or Second Summers make several reappearances.

So to feel low sixties and very low humidity on the first day of September ( following a tropical storm) was quite novel. Luscious green grass, bright blue skies… it felt like God had whitewashed and then polished Summerville… a fresh clean scent pervaded the yard. )

According to several etymologists, Indian Summer ( meaning a brief return of warmth following the first frost before the first snowfall) derived in several ways with different meanings depending on location and circumstances.

1) The Narragansett people in the Nottheast, believed that this temporary seasonal condition was caused by a warm wind sent from their southwestern god – Cautantowwit- ” Great Spirit.”

This Native-American belief coincides with the theory that this brief period of returned warmth would allow the tribes to increase their ” winter stores” before the last harvest in November.

Even though Grandmother Wilson would hope for an Indian Summer to harvest as much cotton as possible… I remember the term being used in another way as a child visiting the farm.

A slang version of the term Indian Summer- came to mean a pleasant or successful time that arrived nearly at the end of one’s life or career.

While the farm women shelled peas and gossiped they would talk about a neighbor who had lost a spouse but now the old man had a new ” giddy-up” in his step since the next door widow lady started visiting him! He was in ” Indian Summer.”

A friend, who went to Scotland a few years ago used the term ” Indian Summer” to describe the beautiful surprisingly warm weather they encountered and a tour guide explained how this weather period came by the same term in Scotland.

Scots can trace the term back to the late 1700’s. The guide explained it had to do with sending British troops to India in late fall-there the troops experienced the warm weather of India as compared to the chilly Fall conditions back in Scotland.

Today this term is being altered and / or replaced ( especially by meteorologists) who now call it the ” SECOND SUMMER.”

So until tomorrow… No matter the name, the first lines of this beautiful prose defines it perfectly… ” This strangely still pause between summer and autumn…”

I agree! “It is one of the best parts about living on earth…”

Today is my favorite day– Winnie the Pooh

In the Lowcountry we will experience many Second Summers before Fall arrives to stay!

*** You might remember I mentioned that my two cousins from Lauren’s ( Charles and Marilyn) had birthdays on the same date. .. August 31.

When I checked in on Charles to see if he was partying -he said ” No… something else came up.” This was the something.

*** The calf came early… apparently too early for the mother who was not ” getting with the program ” -No ” Mother of the Year Award for her.” ( Thus the big baby bottle Charles was trying to feed the calf with… at least the little newborn knows ” Who’s Your Daddy… 🎵 Who’s Your Daddy? “🫰🫰👋)

Let’s All Enjoy this luscious time-out from out hot hot summer! 🙏🏻

Dear Reader:

As I walked out yesterday morning… I started looking around the yard, gardens, deck …and front porch. And then , lastly, I looked on the back wall… the plaque said it all. Boo’s Blessing! It was still perfectly balanced -usually if the wind gets up… it falls off and ends up on the porch floor behind the white bench.)

There was nothing, nada, anywhere to show that anything more than an on and off rainy day had transpired the day before.

The winds were minimal, an occasional gust that only fluttered some leaves but no heavy branches…. honestly… we have had summer thunderstorms with more wind and rain impact.

My back door neighbor had texted to check on me and we started conversing ( back and forth) about how lucky we really were. The answer to our surprise ” escape” from Idalia – location, location, location.

Donna Clark said she noticed while following her mobile phone map locations that Summerville was ” cocooned” right in the middle between Charleston’s coastal surge and the outlying towns located closer to I-95. ( who were getting hit harder than Charleston. )

We were getting neither… at least minimally neither …when it came to flooding or damaging winds. ( Just intervals of a light rain and a slightly heavier rain … light winds to occasional stronger gusts-and everything came in very short intervals.)

I did get two emergency alert alarms on my phone of the potential for a tornado… so the first time, it happened, I finished my lunch sandwich sitting on top of the commode seat ( in the bathroom – my safest room) but the second call was so short the time limit was almost over before I could even move out… either way… no twister or tornado! 🙏🏻

Even my adult children living in Charleston said they only experienced some heavier rains but no power outages except for Tommy and Kaitlyn in downtown Mt. Pleasant and it was only temporary.

So, as a whole, the Palmetto State fared far better than expected and everyone was and is thankful for it. And continued prayers for our Floridian Friends- who suffered the brunt of it.

So Idalia left us in pretty good shape yesterday while finishing up the month of August… a Happy Birthday shout-out to my cousins ( Charles and Marilyn) brother and sister born three years apart on August 31 -as well as my beloved Aunt Eva. ( in memoriam.)

And now ( drum roll) September Has Arrived! Happiness is…!!! September shouts ” Autumn is Coming… Autumn is Coming” to the Rooftops and back!) … ( Now where is Paul Revere when you need him! )

And speaking of…

Psst! Did you know that the mare Revere rode on his now famous ride… was loaned to him by Deacon John Larkin and never returned.

September 1-Time to call out ” RABBIT RABBIT! For Good Luck this month!”

“( I thought in memory of our storm ending August, our September Poster Rabbits should wear rain gear! “)

So until tomorrow…

” Today is my favorite Day” -Winnie the Pooh

*** The funniest sign came this past Tuesday when Mandy went with me to get my annual PET scan done… new technology since last year really cut down on the length of the procedure.

I was in the machine…after the IV glucose had time to spread throughout my body ( 45 minutes in a dark room) and was getting “in my zone” with my eyes closed from the bright lights inside the machine… when I heard a voice whispering.. I practically fell off the table it startled me so much… it was the technician telling me that my earrings were causing imaging problems and he was so relieved when I told him they were clip-ons because I couldn’t move at all while he took them off-he then casually commented that normally earrings didn’t cause problems …but these were.

I then remembered I had put on Mama Mia’s ( Jackson’s mom’s earrings …Jackson later shared a whole bag of her mom’s clip-on’s with Brooke and me. -the ” clip-on gals.” )

Mama Mia and I became really close the last few months of her life… brain cancer after defeating breast cancer years before.. we talked on the phone a lot sharing our feelings fighting this disease.

And now the old metal in these earrings had stopped the procedure for a little ” Mama Mia Wink”( she had a funny sense of humor) letting me know she was watching over me-my guardian angel! 💗

Dear Reader:

As I was writing today’s Chapel of Hope Stories post (yesterday) after lunch… the outer bands of then tropical storm Idalia were turning up the rain intensity from the earlier morning rain showers.

I put on my Little Red Riding Hood rain jacket and started addressing the garden securities… like placing hanging baskets off their holders onto the ground, signs off the fence, sofa pillows in the garage, etc.

But my biggest concern is always my bottle tree… it has brought me more joy than anything else as I pull in and out of my driveway.

It is located on a grassy knoll right beside the street and driveway… so if strong storm winds knocked the stake holder over, all the beautiful bottles… would hit the pavement and crash into many parts-it would break my heart!

***I remember last week taking this picture and was so disappointed because just five minutes earlier the slanted rising sun ‘s rays had set it ” on fire.” It was literally radiating with light! But it doesn’t last long which makes the phenomenon more special!

But I will persevere… and one day soon you will see the bottle tree in nature’s finest beauty.

I was thinking about an idea brewing in my mind as my grandchildren have started summer camps- that asking each camper to bring a colored empty bottle to camp and then erecting bottle trees throughout the camp, especially at Vespers gatherings would be so meaningful in nature’s beauty.

The other reason I associate bottle trees is with the Ya’s since we all started providing bottles and stakes to build a bottle tree …to each other on our birthdays one year.

Today we, historically, associate bottle trees with the Gullah culture and later with using the decorative bottles as secret espionage message holders during different wars and conflicts.

This time, however, I really lucked up and discovered a book about Edisto Island and a bottle tree scavenger hunt an author has created ( 16 secret sites scattered around the island with a magical bottle tree … found by following the clues in the book.)

I, of course, immediately ordered it to take to our Ya Ya retreat in October.

So until tomorrow… Dear Father, You are our REFUGE in the storm, our PROTECTOR, our SHELTER and our ROCK. When the winds rage and the rains flood, we have safe retreat in YOU through FAITH. Amen.

Today is my favorite day/Winnie the Pooh

I hope everyone affected by Hurricane Idalia, especially our Florida residents, came through the storm unharmed… that is my prayer! 🙏🏻

Dear Reader:

When the wonderful John Lee agreed to build me a moon gate for my still dream garden that originally was going to be designed for nocturnal plants ( like moonflowers ) the big cut-out circle in the middle of the gate would be considered the magical entrance …as my grandchildren started appearing in my life.

In this Easter photo… Eva Cate was four and already knew about the secret magic entrance that required anyone entering to whisper ” Good Night Moon… Good Night Stars.”

Rutledge ( being held by Kaitlyn) was less than a year and Mandy was expecting Jake…a very ” productive” period of time in the Dingle family.

Before the children would visit … I always hid a small toy or treat in the garden so it would always appear to be producing magical gifts …besides the typical plants and flowers. This was the time the ” fairies” entered the garden and both the little boys and girls loved finding another fairy toy to add to the ” fairy garden.”

As time continued … only the children could still easily hop through the moon gate … by the time my first moonflowers outlined the moon gate I had to settle for squatting and posing.

Today the gate has to stay pulled back because of rotting boards and sharp nails protruding from the open ” moon” circle.

And one question to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton … when I get to the Pearly Gate… hopefully- Will somebody be helping us older guys and gals in and out of the ” low gate of heaven?” ( A ” yes” would be quite comforting” ) Your ” humble” fan.

So until tomorrow… The multiple symbolisms associated with the word ” gate” are many. When we pass through a gate we are making a choice to enter a new phase of life. Whether the gate leads to a new garden, house, opportunity or even heaven… we must be willing to embrace the other side and open up our hearts and souls to the possibilities of a new life… a new ” us.”

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh