Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

School is quickly ending for another year and Teacher Appreciation Week has arrived. Now, more than ever, teachers should be recognized for their amazing creative abilities, talents, and pure God-given intuitions on how to reach our children and adolescents… pulling them into new perspectives on learning, while simultaneously showing, then giving them the world.

One of my favorite teacher-student stories involves myself and a pretty little ancestral Italian thirteen-year-old whose family moved to a ( then) small southern town in South Carolina. Her name was Linda… she had dark brown hair and matching dark brown inquisitive eyes… an intelligence that far surpassed a typical eighth grader.

Poor thing… initially Linda looked ” shell-shocked” … like how in the heck did she end up in Summerville? Gradually the haze disappeared but she remained shy and sweet throughout the remainder of our school year together. I soon realized I could have turned the Social Studies class over to her… and she could have taught it.

So it came as no shock when years later I followed her progressing academic career …as a college professor, ( she earned her doctorate) national and international speaker, author, workshop guru on any new exciting learning or technological endeavors in education.

I finally decided to get my Masters at CSU… ( on a lick and a promise) … and who was there to help and guide me … ” little Linda” aka Dr Linda Kargas Bone. Our roles were now reversed. After completing my Masters Linda invited me to co-teach several courses with her and join the CSU staff as an adjunct professor. Such fun fond memories.

And then it happened… the incident that will always tie us together.

*** Linda called me yesterday to re-visit our shared memories of the ” Dolphin Divine Prophesy.” October 2008 Edisto Island.

I had received my daunting breast cancer prognosis soon after Mandy’s wedding in May 2008. The ( now familiar) story of the dolphin sighting took place that fall on an early morning Edisto Beach walk … a dolphin jumped a vertical leap where I was sitting on the rock jetties. My ” sonar message” -All is right with the world… all is right with you.” Go live your life!”

At the same time this was happening …Linda was stuck in a lay-over in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nothing had gone right with the flight… she was scheduled to do a workshop but now found herself wandering the mostly deserted terminal in the wee hours of the morning… no fast food venues were open and she was exhausted and starving!

She entered one of the only open gift shops to hopefully find some crackers to tide her over. She wandered over to the card rack and immediately remembered she had just heard the news of my breast cancer diagnosis and immediate surgery… one card ” jumped” out at her.

Over the phone yesterday she described it as a picture of a dolphin jumping and one line that read something like… Jump or Leap for Life ! With plenty of time to kill… she wrote an encouraging message and mailed it right there.

It was about a week after my stay with Brooke at Edisto that I had another medical appointment and Brooke had come to go with me. I remember we had picked up something for lunch when the mail arrived.

When I opened one envelope I burst into tears initially and Brooke was concerned it was bad news-but instead it was the vertical dolphin jumping ( on Linda’s notecard) with the message to leap for life… God working in His Mysterious Ways!

So now you see how one student in one class- over three decades … can and does still make a difference in one life! Dr. Linda Kargas Bone!

Dolphins are Nature’s ” Teachers!” Ann Graves left a book with me after touring the garden last week and one chapter was titled: Dolphins Show the Way.

” Dolphins care for one another making sure any that are infirm stay fed and are taken to the surface to breathe. They also extend their care and protection to other species- including whales and humans! “

Dolphins are among the most intelligent creatures and the most compassionate… reminds me of someone I know! 😉

So until tomorrow… a shout-out to our dedicated teachers who deserve so much more but still change lives for our children’s futures!

Today is my favorite day! Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

” Fear not” is the most repeated commandment in the Bible. Obviously there is a reason for this…

Anytime fear is used in connection with God… it is synonymous with awe, reverence, and respect. And in our daily lives… don’t we all know people we admire ( from near or afar) … people we have a ” healthy” fear of… yet praise and want to emulate.

The ” bad” kind of fear… the crippling kind comes under the heading of being caught up in the ” spirit of fear” – letting fear control us… our lives. 2 Timothy 1:7 explains it best.” God hath not given us the ” spirit of fear” … but of power and love and a sound mind.”

Haven’t we all heard the quote: ” Do one thing every day that scares you.” This quote was mis-attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt -what she actually said was: ” You get strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face.”

Today I still fight fear awaiting medical test results and check-ups… and probably always will … but I do know I am not alone… and that is the greatest ” fear destroyer” around… no matter the results … God is holding my hand.

So until tomorrow…personally the best way I can fight fear is by starting each day grateful to be alive… couldn’t believe it when I found this special garden flag yesterday! I quickly placed it in my garden.

This week is Remembering Our Nurses’ Week! And who else would I remember but Linda Carson, my infusion oncology nurse who helped me fight my fears with her sweet compassionate smile. I cannot imagine going through all the initial treatments and procedures without her!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

The beginning of my personal storytelling post …back in 2010… was driven by two things: My initial encounter with St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope in Trust, North Carolina ( following my breast cancer diagnosis/ surgery) and Squire Rushnell’s initial first book on the subject of God’s Winks. Both encounters blended into one life-changing perspective on faith and following the ” winks” and ” love voices/ notes” … that are sent to reassure us we aren’t going through life alone.

Squire Rushnell defines a ” God Wink” as ” A personal signal or message directly from a higher power, usually, but not always, in the form of a coincidence.”

The first time I was consciously aware of a Divine Power intervention was the night before my first breast cancer surgery ( one of many more to come.) I had gone through a lot of blood work … just that day…and had to arrive ” at the crack of dawn” to receive one more bloodwork( so anemic) before the operation.

I just remember tossing and turning on the sofa… I couldn’t switch my mind off… it felt like a nightmare ride on a run-away carousel gone berserk!

I vividly remember I was stuck on one question- one thought. ” What to do… What to do… What in the world am I going to do? ” And the audio love message arrived … Crystal Clear… ” HOLD MY HAND.”

There was no doubt WHO it was… it was not repeated… but I have never forgotten that night… when suddenly darkness parted and clarity shone through. ” I was not alone.”

Rushnell explains that ” In times of Uncertainty what we desire more than anything else is Certainty. Certainty that our families are safe, Certainty we won’t get down-sized, Certainty we will have enough in our checkbook to make it through the month, Certainty we can afford to have our medical needs met… “

” We especially need to get connected to our faith. We need to believe that our lives are not random like twigs floating down a stream to destinations unknown.”

” We need to know that we all have a greater purpose- that we are being watched over. We are always on an incredible GPS-” God’s Positioning System.”

So until tomorrow… We are never alone… replacing uncertainty with genuine certainty that everything will be okay.

Today is my favorite day – Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

As a teacher, mother, and grandmother…I am obviously very familiar with the expression … Time- out! As in ” You are in time- out! ” But I was reflecting the other day how I think it is time to put myself in time- out… how? … by unplugging from the world for self-imposed joyful time!

For a long time now… I have admitted that the only thing I take away from my presence on Earth as the truth … my one firm belief … is that we are all connected under the sun …a single cell attached and sustained by unfathomable numbers of other cell formations that fabricate the great mysterious web of life… one beating heart. One Supreme Being.

But… in spite of all these ” connectives”…there comes a time when we need to seek refuge from the ever increasing worries and problems of the world… we need to consciously choose what makes us happy and intentionally plan how we spend our time finding fulfillment in the sheer joy of our own particular passions.

It is important to be able to be fully present in the moment without worrying that we are missing out on something in social media or instead of being happy about someone’s trip or excursion on FB we long for the same experience. Instead of being content in our lives and skin …we covet others…

What a waste of precious time this is… the only escape I seek is from too much disturbing daily news on the state of our country’s economy, our political divisiveness, putting greed and politics over ” we the people” ..too many politicians today are ” arch enemy” Robin Hoods…taking from the poor to make the rich richer. Come on now… REALLY! Wonder how these politicians sleep at night? Can you really see yourself in the mirror anymore? We sure can … and it ” ain’t ” pretty!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day- Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

From a swinging rope witnessing our family’s history … to setting my alarm yesterday morning to witness a royal family history ( playing out in front of the world) life is never dull!

*** I placed my Ya ” tiara” on the pillow by me ( Friday night) so when the alarm went off Saturday morning… I would remember why!

Many of us can remember setting alarms for earlier royal marriages, funerals, and now a coronation. Even though the idea of royalty and monarchies have come under scrutiny and even ridicule in ” no nonsense stern new world order ” thinkers”… millions of little girls and even handsome young ” princes” ( with the help of Disney) feel, not only at home with it… but still dream of it!

Yet I think the Archbishop of Canterbury ( Justin Welty’s) message ” that people everywhere seek HOPE and JOY” was perfect in providing what every human being on earth longs for… no matter the ” ism” under which they live …(if freedom to be personally diversified is evident.)

And even though the traditional oath requires the king to pledge to protect the Church of England … as Defender of the Faith… again the Archbishop of Canterbury now emphasizes this means” providing an environment in which people of ALL faiths and beliefs may live and worship freely.” ( Representatives from other faiths were invited to the coronation-Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Sikh communities.)

I was intrigued by the simple white shirt King Charles III changed and wore … symbolism of humbleness before God as a servant …before being anointed with holy oil on his hands, chest and head. ( The anointing screen was a new partition featuring an embroidered design celebrating the Commonwealth. ) One of the few private moments the king will never experience again.

Jill Biden was the (first) First Lady ( along with her niece) to represent our country on this important occasion for our strongest ally. . During the ceremony she sat next to the First Lady of Ukraine ( Olena Zelensky) -who thanked our country for its continued support to fight for freedom and democracy! The common denominator for all who gathered!!!

At another event… First Lady Biden and Kate ( Duchess of Cambridge) sat close by and they shared their children’s favorite ” candy bribes” to keep ( particularly Louis) attentive in church during the ceremony… he did leave for awhile – ( much to the chagrin of the spectators watching) … apparently it was pre-planned and the yawn was a sign Louis needed to ” stretch” his legs for a few minutes. Prince Louis’s facial expressions represent what adults wish they could do!!!!

And finally the royal family on the balcony… King Charles III, Queen Camellia seemed stunned at the crowd’s thunderous applause and jubilation… so much so they returned again after the family went inside.

Yet… Prince Louis still stole the hearts of the crowd on May 6 -Coronation Day!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Lantana keeps changing colors… so many new possibilities…

Dear Reader:

I was “expecting” Tommy ( early 80’s) when we moved to the duplex on Rainbow Road. Mother was moving in with us and a lot of changes were going on in our lives… including new neighborhood schools for Mandy and Walsh and new friends.

But silently… unbeknownst to us …a long swing rope was already hanging from an old oak tree in the back yard ( now garden) – probably put there before the empty lot was bought and it was still wooded area.

Immediately Mandy and Walsh were drawn to it and as the years passed… it became a place to go to while swinging and mulling over life’s ups and downs.

It would also play a role in the first of Walsh’s many broken arms. Around eight years of age he and some friends were playing and he decided to leave the swinging rope and jump as it swept by a nearby branch in mid-air. He landed on the branch but unfortunately it broke.

Now it is Rutledge, Lachlan and Jake who I have to worry about … (breaking their ” limbs”) … but not by swinging too high and jumping …but shimmying to the top of the rope. Eek!

Eloise is the only grandchild who would rather play with the garden fairies… taking them to the fountain to wash and clean and playing on the deck.

Every time I have voiced concern over the years ( now decades) on the safety of the rope… I have been reassured that ( left alone) that rope ( a gift from an unknown ” benefactor ” before we moved there) will still be ” hanging around” long after everyone else is gone.

The reality of that prophecy is quickly coming true.

So until tomorrow… I probably should add a plaque to the rope swing area for the grandchildren to read and think about while swinging or climbing..,

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

May is anniversary wedding month for all my children….

May is my favorite month now because I got another wonderful son and two more beautiful ( inside and out) daughters from this memorable month!!!!

Dear Reader:

Today is the fifth of May… I took two years of Spanish in college and actually ” aced ” both I and II without being able to speak a word… never had an ” ear” for different languages but I could memorize anything …so I did great on ” writing number quizzes ” and even sentence structures… and reading for understanding was no problem…but ” No hablo espanol.”

( What saved me was working for my Spanish professor on work scholarship… she was very kind ( and compassionate) to me.)

I have always been drawn to the month of May…so beautiful…but for years I never really got to enjoy it to its fullest … first as a student ( cramming for end of year exams) and later a teacher. So many end of school year activities are crammed into May … that ( especially) as a teacher… I felt like all I was doing was planning events, grading papers, and filling out report cards! May was exhausting!

I still remember my first year after I retired … May was everything I had dreamed it would be. It soon became our Ya retreat month as everyone retired … which made the month even more endearing and today May and early June are the most spectacular garden months… the delights of new spring flowers and plants… never grow old… unlike their gardener.

My desire to keep planting is undermined by my back wanting to take a rest… have to remember ” Inch by inch and row by row… slowly watch my garden grow.”

One quick history lesson behind Cinco De Mayo celebrations. ( Actually the United States celebrates it more than Mexico.) It is an annual celebration that commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

It is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day ( September 16-gained freedom from Spain) which is Mexico’s largest national holiday. But our country loved the Mexican-American culture exchange… ( particularly advertisers and retailers) starting with California. Today Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston lead the country in tequila and taco 🌮 celebrations!

So until tomorrow… Taco’s anyone?

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

May is also Pip’s favorite month since two years ago he was voted the month of May calendar dog … now I wouldn’t go so far as to say he got the ” big head” about his winning selection ( after all his head is still tiny) BUT we do have to address him as Pip May or ” Mr. May” for the rest of the month!

Dear Reader:

Did you know that the floating white feather ( in the opening scene of Forrest Gump) was launched and floated from the Independent Presbyterian Church Steeple in Savannah, Georgia? ( We members of the ” Frozen Chosen” really like that! )

Forrest Gump opens and closes with the image of a white feather floating through the air. In the opening it comes to rest on Forrest’s shoes… he picks it up and puts it in his suitcase. At the end it flies back up into the air ( after his son’s school bus leaves) symbolizing the cycle of life and change… life, death, and new beginnings.

When you think about it… Forrest lived his life like a feather… not planning but simply doing what felt right in the moment. Floating free in no particular direction but having faith he would be okay. As a result he ends up in more world changing events than all the other ” planners with certain expectations” ( that gone array) send them into the depths of depression. ( Jenny and Lt Dan)

Yesterday was my day for the feather… still blustery so I was picking up sticks… branches and pinecones while straightening all the overturned planters… I got really tired so went to sit on the front steps and just bask in the sun. It felt so good…I was almost dozing… when something brushed by my face.

It was soft but still scared me… what had brushed my face? Suddenly the wind picked up again and my peripheral vision just barely caught something that had plopped in my new planter of red and white petunias.

A feather. It was striped-very pretty and looked like it was just part of the decor… peeking out from the petunias…

I plucked it out of the planter and just stared at it for a few minutes… surely a God Wink… a lesson or observation to learn… perhaps something new is coming into my life… a different perspective on life? Only time will tell… but I left it in the planter ( stuck it in tight) as a reminder to stay open to new possibilities leading me to a closer walk with faith and love.

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day … Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

The Ya’s favorite place to ” perch” at Edisto is on the front porch at Rest in Peace… followed by the back porch. It is the weather that basically dictates which… such as the temperatures, wind gusts, sometimes construction noises, and this year… one small loud-mouthed bird. The Carolina Wren.

At first we didn’t notice it as much… all the birds of every type and species were chirping and singing simultaneously. After all spring was here and in full bloom.

But as time went on… we started noticing that one bird must have been the ” leader of the pack” because it grew so loud it was actually difficult to carry on a conversation! Yet if we moved… it did too… must be female… loved listening in on all the ” news.”

Believe it was Libby who finally identified the “loud mouth” in the flock as the Carolina Wren. I remember shaking my head… surely it had to be a much larger bird than a tiny wren to make that much noise??? WRONG!

The first article I pulled …on characteristics of South Carolina’s state bird said ” A Carolina wren can sing so loudly -you almost have to shout to be heard!” ( Bingo! Libby was right!) We were yelling!

This is one time that the old adage ” Small but mighty” perfectly applies. A Carolina wren is about 5 and a half inches… weighing only as much as four nickels! So how can it produce so much sound?

The answer lies in the bird’s vocal anatomy. Unlike humans… who create sound from the larynx up to the top of our windpipes… a bird’s song originates deep within its body! Another article wrote: ” Carolina wrens are diminutive birds with ” big, loud, non-stop mouths !”

The other problem with our CLAMOROUS Carolina wren is that it has no singing time restrictions like other birds. Many birds sing early and late in the day during spring and summer. Not the Carolina wren!

It’s on its own time-table and territory … year round …and heard at any daylight hour- one Carolina Wren was recorded singing 3000 times in one day!

Whenever I think of the Carolina Wren… I immediately picture it sitting among the state flower vine… the Yellow Jessamine. Since I grew up in North Carolina… I was a ” cardinal” girl and learned South Carolina history as I went along my first year teaching eighth graders!

It was 1971 and the state department of education published a pocket-sized state fun facts on state history pamphlet… one for every teacher and student in South Carolina! It saved my teaching career. And on the front cover was a picture of the Carolina Wren and Yellow Jessamine… two of our state symbols-bird and flower!

God Wink! And who was the selected artist for the cover? Edward Von Siebold Dingle… little did I know how that historical family name would change my life forever… a year away…a new path was being prepared! One leading to Magnolia Plantation!

Some of you might remember that ten years ago I wrote a fictitious story behind the origin of the Yellow Jessamine… and the district office published copies to send to third grade classes introducing South Carolina history to elementary students. Our state flower!

It was fun… maybe I can get my creative juices going to write a story about a loud-mouth wren named ” Cookie” the Carolina Wren- who stole cookies off open window shelves … cooling from baking? … Until one day…

So until tomorrow… When people talk about a ” key” to one’s heart… I think… why should anyone need a key to unlock love… love should be open and free! No lock! No key!

Today is my favorite day- Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I remembered to say ” Rabbit Rabbit” yesterday ( first thing in the morning) and overall had an okay day… with just a few ” oops.” ( They were all connected to the ” Winnie the Pooh Blustery Day“)

My first sign that it was very blustery yesterday ( and something might be askew) was the sighting of my heavy rabbit statue. The strong gusts of wind had completely knocked it over… that statue had never fallen over …even during previous tropical storms? ( … and on ” Rabbit Rabbit” May Day? )

But I simply got it standing up again and made my tour of the gardens… quickly realizing ( that in spite of several very recent April showers) the plants looked dried out…due to the excessive winds.

I grabbed the hose and began watering but suddenly the strongest wind to date blew all the spray back in my face… I was ridiculously wet all over… yelping as I dropped the hose … I ran shivering back inside to change. Burr! ( All I could think of was the local weatherman yesterday morning- explaining it would be rather blustery later in the afternoon but nothing like the day before… he was right… it was morning and definitely blustery-er!!!

The Lowcountry really has had more blustery days ( the past few weeks) than anyone can remember ( consecutively) but still we are so fortunate in comparison to the floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires that have plagued the rest of the country.

So until tomorrow… No matter the challenges … my garden is my anchor of happiness… welcome some new additions!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Within seconds… men were climbing out of cars and trucks.. so excited about the possibility of removing it – the truck in front of me …had the driver nodding at me as he started his power saw…Vroom! ” Don’t worry little lady… I got this!” ( He came back slightly disappointed because two young men ( from the other side of the road) were jumping on the trunk and it was already splitting! ) Ten minutes tops we were all moving again but I couldn’t help smiling at the thought that if Congress could work as effectively as these two groups of men on each side of the road for the good of its people… we could really make America great again!!!!!!