Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

April 1 always has a dual meaning… yelling “Rabbit Rabbit” for good luck while possibly sending or being sent on fools’ errands. Throw in some added hoaxes… and April 1 can keep one literally ” hopping” like a rabbit!

I still have my membership card from the Library of Congress and receive a magazine article or current internet commentary from time to time! (I signed up one summer traveling with Carol and a group of teachers.) Yesterday I received a fun blurb about the history behind April Fool’s Day and one paragraph grabbed my attention. ( written eight years ago but still timely… as you will see!)

” Scan your favorite newspaper or news website this April 1 and chances are you’ll see some headlines that look suspicious. Read further and you realize some of the stories are complete hoaxes. After all it’s April Fool’s Day. ”

*** Are you thinking like me… when it comes to hoaxes in news articles and shows, the internet included.. everyday a hoax or tall tale is easily accessible… not just limited to a fun joke and hoax day on the first day in April. It leaves readers feeling like they got sent on a fool’s errand … when misinformation is revealed later. What to believe?

Custom of getting others to run ” fools” errands was first recognized in Renaissance Europe. The first certain reference to April Fool’s Day-comes from 1561-in a Flemish poem by Eduardo De Dene.

In the poem a nobleman sends his servant on crazy fruitless errands. The servant eventually recognizes that he is being sent on ” fool’s errands because it’s April 1. ( The idea was born from this poem that someone is assigned an errand to find someone or something non-existent. ( Still popular today!)

… OR you can just tell ” cheesy jokes” … like me! *** I did warn you! 😂 Garden Jokes!

1) Should I plant in APRIL? MAY as well.

2) What do gardeners wear on their legs? GARDEN HOSE

3) If April showers bring MAY flowers, what do May flowers bring? PILGRIMS

And a Doodle birthday / April Fool joke… Why are babies born on March 31 easy to prank? They were literally ” born yesterday.” ( Sorry! 😂)

So until tomorrow… I can’t help but think our forefathers’ faith in a free country run by and for the people …with guaranteed personal liberties… is what made America great… now we need to role model it for our children who are suffering under anxiety and mental/ emotional stress due to needless violence and extremism. Collectively we need to sew America’s soul back into the beautiful tapestry and fabric of democracy while redefining the strength of ” We, the People”

Today is my favorite day/Winnie the Pooh

Phillip Simmons students ran fund-raising laps and collectively raised over $ 50,000 dollars for their school community! Way to Go!

Dear Reader:

I admit this quick little response to others’ problems seems like an easy quick-fix… just pump some confidence into your spouse, child, grandchild, relative, friend, or stranger! Usually the comment is met with a nod and smile. I have been on both the giving and receiving side of this pep talk remark many times.

However… I have come to realize that this seemingly innocuous comment could be sending the wrong message because by now… we should know enough about life’s problems to understand problem -solving involves more than just ourselves.

Since I am a Carolina gal… it would be more appropriate for me to encourage another by saying… ” Y’all Got This” to a lone recipient because, ( reality check) we never do anything alone.

Even though ” You Got This” has good intentions … it still is putting all the pressure on the recipient to pass that math test or nervously try-out for a sport or ask for that promotion alone. The responsibility and outcome lands squarely on their shoulders instead of us shouldering it along with the person in need.

By simply including ourselves in the encouragement ” We’ve Got This” the person now feels part of a presence …a team !

Spiritually …by pluralizing ” WE GOT THIS!” a person knows that God is with them … every step of the way… encouraging and guiding them through each minute of every day and will never desert them. He is their constant cheerleader, supporter, and encourager!

So until tomorrow… Looking back on my initial cancer treatments… it was the presence of God that got me through each phase and stage… including each day of my life now… extended through amazing modern medicine options that gives us metastatic breast cancer ” thrivers” … hope of another day… until God calls us back home.

In other words… I live my life.. ” Day by day-Oh dear Lord three things I pray. To see Thee more clearly, Love Thee more dearly… Follow Thee more nearly… Day by Day.

Today is my favorite day/Winnie the Pooh

Happy Birthday to the beloved matriarch of the Dingle clan… Doodle! She is a woman of many talents and my go to ” Master Gardener” when I can’t identify something growing in my garden ( or these days ” remember” the name something I planted! ) 😂

We love you Doodle … the gal behind the scenes that makes everything right again! And who my family has voted the best cook EVER… especially Tommy!

Dear Reader:

Did you know there are three different ways to use the word REALLY? And you kinda have to be there to hear the voice tone and/ or see the expression to identify each.

1) In actual fact… to be true or at least plausible or possible… ( not imagined…as in ” So what REALLY happened?”

2) REALLY- synonyms-very or thoroughly

” I think he’s REALLY great!”

3) Exclamation-Really as in Surprise or Doubt

” I’ve been working REALLY hard… on my homework says a little boy. ” REALLY? ” replies mother. ( She has just discovered that this response from her son is in doubt since he forgot to bring the assignment home to complete. )

Americans are more leery today about the propaganda the nation is exposed to daily through television, newspapers, magazines and the biggest culprit-the internet -than ever before… even worst than the ” yellow journalism ” of America’s imperial age.

Today, in hindsight, the Spanish-American War was more about greed, acquisition, and personal empowerment among major ” players” … than one unsubstantiated explosion-sound REALLY familiar?

It is REALLY important that American citizens do their ” homework” before jumping to conclusions… illiteracy doesn’t just mean not being able to read… it means accepting information without researching the liability of sources . Let’s face it …we all know right from wrong… what paths we need to follow to maintain a democracy that understands the art of disagreement without dueling for misplaced personal conquests and supremacy.

So until tomorrow… Let’s all pull together to bring ” sense and sensibility” back to ” Our country ‘Tis of Thee.. Sweet Land of Liberty ” … together we REALLY can do it!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Ben told me he added the Grace Cross sign to his bed back board to remind himself that God is still leading his life and there is a purpose for everything that has happened!

Dear Reader.

The other day as I was reading a story… a person was being interrogated about an incident in the past… as a witness, she puzzled over all the questions and finally looked directly at the judge… while thoughtfully exclaiming… ” There’s no need going back to the past because I was a different person then…not the same person now.” Then looking around the courtroom she asked everyone …” Aren’t you different… and if you aren’t… ” “why not?”

Take some time today and re-examine your own inner ” me” journey. Even though the essence of who we are in our soul ( as created by God being one of His unique children) is stationary, the other elements that make us up…. like personality, morality, inner strength, kindness, courage are subject to change… we have the opportunity, through every single stage of life to be a better person… than we were yesteryear.

And shouldn’t we all strive for that? Isn’t the saddest thing in the world seeing someone ( we know and care for) fall down the proverbial rabbit hole… perhaps through drugs, happenstance, mental illness, or simply poor personal choices?

Reaching my stage of life still brings problems ( no escaping that anchor of realism) but I actually love this personal time segment… I feel sometimes that I survived so much so that I could see life more clearly, be more present for others, and love love love more deeply.

Spiritually….

So until tomorrow… Never forget we contain many of the same elements found in stars… we truly are all connected in this universe / and made up of Star Dust. No doubt… that is why we should never stop reaching for the stars! Striving to keep achieving our full potential.

Today is my favorite day- Winnie the Pooh

Seeds and flowers never stop growing and blooming… here are more surprises popping up…

Dear Reader:

I had an opportunity over the weekend to feel the two sides of ” indebtedness ” or feeling ” indebted.”

Haven’t we experienced,throughout our lives, the opportunity to thank people by saying something along the lines of… ” I will be eternally ” indebted” to you for being there for me during one of the toughest times of my life” … or even being on the receiving line of such a compliment and feeling a sense of elation and joy that we could help. ( And many times without sacrificing much on our part to do so. )

Yet… on the flip side… don’t we sometimes, also, feel the ” burden ” of being indebted to someone or something … and wish we could click our red shoes and not be ” beholden” anymore?

Here is a story I found that played into an incident I experienced over the weekend.

In the story a man is driving a a wagon when he sees a walker, along the road, carrying a heavy burden on his back. Since his wagon is empty he stops and tells the walking man to hop in and take a load off.

The walker is grateful and thanks the wagon driver profusely… however, later when the driver glances behind… the walker is sitting but still holding his burden on his back. The driver tells him to put it down beside him as there is no need to keep holding that heavy burden. The walker shakes his head and says the driver has done enough.

The driver tries to explain that the weight is the same for the horse, either way, so lay his burden down beside him…but the man is convinced that he will be just a partial burden by doing it his way.

As crazy as it seems reading this… haven’t we done the same thing… feeling better if we just accept partial help from another … rather than complete assistance… even though it can be easily accomplished without being a burden on either side?

The indebtedness that bothers me is in the financial realm. I really dislike being ” beholden” to any credit card, equity line, car or home mortgage. In earlier years… I had no other options many times … in order to keep things afloat …but now with all my adult children through school… with careers, homes and families of their own… I have methodically taken one credit line at a time and paid it off. EXCEPT my home mortgage!

( This explains why I was deliriously happy last week to pay off ” Surcie” ( my Hyundai Tucson) almost a year early! I crossed off every single ” indebtedness ” except my house. )

And as coincidence would have it… my renewal mortgage was imminent and I was waiting on the phone call I get every set interval ( by a financier) to come in and refinance. But this time… before I could get the call… a notice arrived, over the weekend, asking me to pay off the balance on the house before a certain date in early April or pay more interest!

My common sense told me it was just a mis-timed mix-up but it didn’t stop my heart from wanting to jump out and run away. We are all victims to the news and interest rates and bank scares… and it all compounded to make for an unsettling weekend.

But by early morning yesterday… I discovered that the last financier ( who helped me) no longer worked there and the new young man who answered her number was so sweet and so apologetic… and ” on it” after he looked up my files. It was, as I had suspected, simply human error and the proverbial ” slip between the cracks.”

So until tomorrow… All is well that ends well… and I am feeling ” indebted” to nice, earnest employees who take all ( not some) of the burdens of life off our shoulders!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

To this day… I can’t hear the word “Grit” without picturing John Wayne in my favorite movie of his… True Grit.

” You must pay for everything in this world one way or another. There is nothing free except the Grace of God and you cannot earn that…”

As I researched different sites… I discovered ones that gave ” Grit” scriptural synonyms- ” steadfastness and endurance.” Grit begins in the divine spirit and grows from there like Daniel learned with those pesky lions. He knew he was never alone in that den and grit grew larger than his fear by the ” grace of God.”

And isn’t it nice to know that ” Grace” never gives out, never is used up… in fact it multiplies… more grace for ” the humble.”

However growing grit and humbly accepting grace is not enough if there is no gratitude to complete our human “trinity” that comprises daily life. How often do we hear throughout the scriptures the word rejoice. ” Rejoice, I say, rejoice” … ” Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks.”

Doesn’t everyone appreciate a heartfelt ” Thank You” from family, friends, and strangers alike? Why should we not think God does too?

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

And they weren’t alone… our own Ya Brookie was ” hob-nobbing” along the Battery on a beautiful spring evening herself and looking fantastic! Go Brookie!

A beautiful evening to a beautiful day!

Dear Reader:

When I, coincidentally, came across this artwork with its simple title.. I had to grin and admit… it was certainly symbolic of me!

I am that old tree …reading books as furiously as I can… and with each story… adding more thoughts and choices to my on-going life.

Even before finding this picture …while perusing through some old books ( cleaning out closets) I had come across some workshop folders and found this cartoon inside… that immediately brought back teaching ” tricks” of the trade.

I have to agree with little sister Sally that too many times standardized multiple choice questions should have been called ” Gotcha” questions. Instead of three choices with different answers… two extra letters ( d. and e.) were added to the original (a. b. c. ) selections . Remember… the extra two letters read … All of the Above and None of the Above.

So now the student has to stop and re-examine all the previous choices… confusing and frustrating. Was the test designed to really find out what one knew or to simply make learning harder for the average Joe’s…

… And even when we leave school and standardized testing behind, don’t we soon realize that life is full of mystical choice decisions… we might have multiple choices in choosing our careers or life partners or personal changes … but this time the final choice gets to be shared with the ” Teacher Himself”… our Mystical Creator!

When it comes to making choices and decisions in our lives … if we believe we have a purpose in this life and God is guiding us to finding this purpose (through choices that continuously arrive throughout our lives… like waves upon the shore) then it is our faith that pulls us in the right direction. And no matter what… the right choice is the one that will bring us peace.

The Ya’s gave the original photo to Anne and she created this beautiful watercolor moment for me to remember forever… peace in my heart!

So until tomorrow… Trust your ” gut” when your choice has been made … because God is residing right there!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Yesterday readers…I left you re-telling and celebrating a good book ( Gentleman in Moscow) and raving about the new horizons of thought about life, in all its beauty and destruction, his writings gave me.

However (no spoiler alert) but yesterday Jackson and I talked ( she had read the novel a few years ago when it was newly published) about the ending. Like life… the ending combined a big sigh of satisfaction with one tiny puzzle piece named ” But then What?” seemingly missing.

In other words… the author was letting each reader draw his/her own conclusion about the ” But What If” unknown future of the main characters.

All morning my thoughts on the ” the rest of the story ” bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball. Until… at one red light the answer entered my thoughts with such clarity… that I felt like honking my horn just to celebrate … but I didn’t!

LOVE IS THE GREATEST ADVENTURE!

Think about our own lives… it is not the beginning or end of our lives that matter… it is what we did between the two that defines the outcome of our life’s journey… that defines who we are as human beings.

If love is missing … we devalue our lives… we can always give love to others ( most precious gift of all) and be open to the love sent our way through family, friends, and strangers alike. Because in the end it is the love given and received … the love adventure that matters… nothing else… it is always the journey… not the destination!

Case-in-point: Yesterday I decided to love myself enough to treat myself to my favorite go to and ( to go) chicken meal at Oscars!

I called and placed it around two. After doing so… I wished I had remembered to order a side salad with it… but their lunch hour was closing and I didn’t want to be a bother.

When I went to pick it up …Olive, my longtime restaurant friend, who takes most of the orders… handed me my bag and then whispered… “I remembered when I got your order today that a few months ago I forgot to add a salad to your order… and you never said a word. So today… you will find a salad with your ranch dressing in the bag.” She winked and held the door for me while shushing my thanks. My God Wink for the day!

A ” SURCIE” SALAD… unexpected random gift that makes one’s day!”

So until tomorrow… as long as we allow LOVE TO BE OUR GREATEST ADVENTURE… we will have experienced a life well lived… no matter the hardships and obstacles!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

C.S. Lewis once wrote about the choices we each make in this life and how important the acceptance of ourselves being a creature of God is in relation to all God’s other creations. ” To be in harmony with all God’s creatures is heaven-bringing us joy, peace, and knowledge.”

I certainly experienced that with my dolphin encounter on Edisto Beach … in early October of 2008 …soon after my first mastectomy and chemo infusions on a solitary early morning foggy beach walk.

An encounter with a dolphin hovering over the top of you while sitting on the jetties would be startling enough but then the sense of telepathy reassuring me all would be well was beyond anything I have ever experienced before … or after this magical phenomenon! To date it has proven true!

In the latest book I have been reading …a mention about the the five-starred constellation name Delphinium ( the dolphin) arises in conversation. It is one of the most recognized constellations in the sky.

… and of course there is a story behind it.

Once there was a wealthy poet named Arian who, while returning from Sicily, was attacked by the ship’s crew to relieve him of his fortune. He was given the choice of killing himself or being thrown into the sea. As he weighed his options, he began to sing a sorrowful but yet beautiful melody… it attracted a pod of dolphins who gathered around the ship. When he finally leapt into the sea, one of the dolphins carried him safely to shore. As a reward Apollo placed the dolphin among the stars to shine for all eternity.

When I think back to that dolphin sighting moment in time ( now almost 15 years later) I remember that the only other people on the beach that morning was a young couple holding hands and running… the girl was laughing so spontaneously as if she had not a care in the world… I can’t help but wonder if the dolphin wasn’t just fishing among the jetties but also drawn to the spot by the lilting laughter from the happy couple?

I, have also discovered ( while researching this constellation) that Delphinium is best seen in late September and October… attracted to Libras born during this season-of which I am one! ( connections … connections! )

So until tomorrow… We should all be one with the universe…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Middle School Dance… as a middle school teacher for three decades… have been there and done that… now Eva Cate is there!

Look who came to see me … my favorite twosome across the street neighbors once upon a time! Luke was also my adorable handyman … have missed them terribly!!!!! 💗❤️🙌 So Sweet!

Have been blown away by a book Anne recommended! Have Learned more from this book ( fresh perspectives on life) than any other novel in a long time!

Dear Reader:

I did it! After much agonizing mental indecision I did what I knew was financially sound – emotionally tough …but smart in the big picture.

I took my Uncle Sam tax refund and an insurance annual refund and wrote a check to the Bank of America … paying off my Hyundai Tucson – nicknamed ” Surcie.”

March 22, 2023 will go down in the annals of ” Boo” history as the day I didn’t wait another year for ownership but took the reins in my own hands.

I texted John, my son-in-law, who went with me to buy the car in January of 2019 and told him of my decision and that my final accumulative check was in the mail to Bank of America. He was so excited and kept reassuring me it was a very smart decision! He must have then told Mandy because she excitedly sent me this response!

For many of you loyal long-time readers… you know the story behind the acquisition of this car. Theft, kidnapping, theft again on my Green Saturn View …while I was home bound recovering from a foot surgery gone completely array.. ( Mohs surgery to remove squamous cells) leaving me infected with agonizing pain, machines, and five months of experimental treatments at Wound Care. Some tough times while still fighting breast cancer. And no car….

Thanks to my outstanding insurance agent ( Stephanie Rankin) I received enough money to put down on another car… so in January ( I had been told I could drive again) John and I went to Enterprise and got a great deal on a Hyundai Tucson. I drove it home in a state of complete euphoria!!!

I decided to name my ” new” car “Surcie” because ( unknown to me) my amazing family had paid my first car payment in advance. What an amazing surcie!

Surcie is a word! Its origin can be traced back to Charleston… perhaps even the College of Charleston, because it was young girls who first started using it. Like Charleston, itself, it’s Scots-Irish derivative creates an unexpected gift that contains history, style, and charm like its place of creation.

” Surcie” is predominantly a spoken tradition… a popular ” overheard ” word. It is a thoughtful and unexpected gift… a ” just because” surprise… which makes it even more special!

It has been said that if you give one … an angel earns its wings. ( no bell needed) If you ever get one… it will make your day decidedly better!

So until tomorrow… I think I gave myself a “surcie” when I drove to the post office and personally handed the postal clerk my letter and told him to take good care of it! He winked and congratulated me on becoming the soon-to-be ” lone” car owner since I had paid off the ” loan.”

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Two other SWAT ” surcies” (who helped investigate the crime) came in the form of Rutledge and Lachlan. So unexpected and so sweet!