Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

Well September didn’t start out quite as lovely as one might hope -for the first day of the ” Fall months”- ( here in the Lowcountry) but it was the perfect day for cuddling in the recliner with a bowl of Vickie’s homemade chicken soup and remembering Lowcountry ghost stories and even jump roping ditties.

Susan Cadwell reminded me of the popular mantra for ” Fall Season Lovers” that I had used last Fall a year ago in one post- For us ” Fall Fans” there are only two seasons Fall and Waiting for Fall! Still true!

I loved this ” shout-out” to September that popped up in my emails.

I felt re-energized yesterday ( on the first day of September) because I had seen the most beautiful skies minutes before darkness descended Wednesday evening. The threatening clouds hadn’t moved in yet Thursday morning-so I scurried to Publix and made some fixings for a pot roast-put it in my slow cooker so I could enjoy the smell all day as it slowly simmered away.

It was only then ( early afternoon) that I looked out my two large windows to see the darkness descend with rumbles and streaks of lightning in the distance.

Still… it was a great day… to cuddle up and remember Lowcountry legends and legendary buildings with the color ” Pink” in them-one doesn’t exactly align pink with ghost stories-more black and gray. But it was the beautiful pink skies ( from the night before) that had me connecting the two.

Almost like a ” Pink Ghost” Wednesday evening-around 8 -pink started pouring in my den… reflecting off all my walls and ceilings-it was like someone shot pink cotton candy in my den… I grabbed my mobile phone and ran out on the porch taking pictures as fast as I could because darkness was descending quickly-a battle was being played out right in front of me-two of my neighbors were strolling down the street and the wife, Susan, was laughing because her whole body-arms and legs had a pink glow around them-we all laughed together-precious seconds of a strange phenomenon that was gone before they turned the corner at the end of the street. Darkness had won the battle.

I remember one ghost story I loved as a child from one of the Lowcountry Tales and Ghost story books was called ” Pinkie”-it was a fun ghost who played tricks on people but he was more mischievous than harmful. ( I spent over half an hour searching for that story to no avail ( If anybody remembers it please let me know.)

Then there was this jump rope ditty mother shared with me she used when she jump-roped- ( dating back to the forties) that somehow stuck in my psyche;

” Inky, Pinky, Ponky… Daddy bought a donkey -the donkey died and daddy cried-Inky, Pinky, Ponky!” ( Now that I think about it – a lot of jump-roping ditties were precariously sad or tragic but we little girls never gave it a second thought-concentrating on maintaining the rhythm of the rope!)

But there still is a famous house downtown Charleston -the ” Pink House” that has supposedly more ghosts residing inside than you can shake a stick at!

In downtown Charleston -at 17 Chalmers Street lies the ” Pink House” -it has been in existence since the early 1700’s and some historians pre-date that to the late 1600’s -it started out as a tavern and lodging of ” Ill repute” to ( over the years) several famous artists’ studios and even legal offices-but no matter the company inside the mysterious ghosts keep calling.

Even today … employees complain about windows suddenly bursting open ( even when locked,) footsteps heard climbing the steps to the third floor, and the silhouette of a woman staring out a third floor window forlornly… ghosts have even been popping up in photos taken over the years from pedestrians.

One ghost associated with the site is the famous female pirate-Anne Bonney-though the connection is not as documented as well as other sightings. Still it does appear that pink” can be found in bizarre situations like the pink that flooded my den and street Wednesday evening. For me… don’t ask questions-just enjoy the experience!

So until tomorrow… Let’s all be ” Surprised by Joy” and for me ( my joy) is always purchasing fresh flowers to brighten my day-no matter the weather. Flowers just make me happy!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Finally… September is here! It is the first day of September and as British poet -Philip Larkin-inscribed: ” Autumn has caught us in our summer wear.”

BUT… in exactly three weeks -to the day-Thursday September 22 , 2022 Fall officially arrives-the Autumn Equinox when the day and night hours balance out. With so many ” two’s” in this year’s date… I feel that this Autumn will be special ” too!”

I am not alone in a serious ” longing” for Fall… a recent report from so many states ( that unfortunately broke lengthy triple digit records this summer) -declares that they are pining too for cooler days and nights.

Honey and Susan both admitted to me that they had Fall on their minds, also, when Honey sent ” Boo” socks to me and pumpkin cookies arrived from Susan. I certainly agree… but the older I get the faster time flies it seems. So as much as I might want to click my fingers and have the equinox arrive instantly … I am wise enough to know that Fall will vanish just as fast and the equinox ( that ushers another trip around the sun for me… is adding another number by my age! )

So I didn’t make cookies or buy socks but I got my first mums and fall flowers yesterday …so I can stop time long enough to admire their beauty. Soon I will plant them and add to the fall garden but right now I am giving them their ” fifteen minutes” of fame! My gift to September!

I saw an article recently about the importance of slowing down-instead of trying to do everything and be everywhere -and I liked the phrase-” Wonder Increases as Speed Decreases.” ( David Haskel)

I perfectly understand the comment ” As we cover less ground we uncover more.” My side garden is small but having watched it over a year’s time now… I have been fixated on the changing seasons and the plants who survived and flourished, as well as, the ones who didn’t…. searching the causes behind both.

I find myself spending more time in the little garden than my large backyard one because I am recognizing the birds who live there, those who visit and the insects who enrich the soil and the ones that destroy the plants. But the best lesson of all? When we narrow our field of view -our horizons expand.

So until tomorrow… William Blake summed it up perfectly-” A World in a Grain of Sand.” We can experience the world in a grain of sand but not until we stop to notice. We walk past thousands of natural miracles everyday from the sun making its daily arc into the skies…to the birds singing outside our windows and the Harvest Moon grinning with its orange delight. Now we must stop and take delight in God’s amazing gifts! They are just waiting on us to do so! So pause and open your eyes to the miracles around us.

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Today is also ” Rabbit Rabbit” Day-the first day of beautiful September. Don’t forget to holler ” Rabbit Rabbit ” today and have an amazing month filled with good fortune… IF you open your eyes to the spiritual gifts around you.

Dear Reader:

As I was scrolling through Kelly Rae Roberts monthly newsletter… I heard of Frederick Buechner’s ( writer, novelist, poet, essayist, Presbyterian minister and theologian) passing last week-he was in his nineties. He was one of my favorite poets!!!

Like me… Kelly had one poem of his, that served as her mantra-the idea that our contributions to the world… should stem from our inner joy. It brought up the question-Can our gladness-the thing that sparks our hearts and lifts our spirits-be of service in a weary world?

Can the things that bring us personal joy -be someone else’s tiny miracle? Something they crave and need at the right moment? Yes and more Yes!!! In fact that is where God’s Winks come in!

Haven’t we all picked up a book, watched a movie, had a conversation with a stranger… and then walked away knowing we were given a response, an answer to a problem -a lifting of a burden we had been carrying? We were supposed to read, hear, see, or listen to a divine message hidden in everyday ” tools” of life?

Nothing makes me happier than when I hear back from a reader that one particular post addressed what they, themselves, were experiencing or seeking – perhaps now with a different perception or simply a reaffirmation to their decision.

I understand that it was not me directly that provided an answer-I was simply sharing my own joy in a situation that I wanted to share. God provided the Bridge.

” Found” – by Frederick Buechner

Maybe it’s all utterly meaningless

Maybe it’s all utterly meaningful

If you want to know which to pay attention to-what it means to be truly human in a world that half the time we’re in love with and half the time scares the hell out of us... watch for the hidden clues

The unexpected sound of your name on somebody’s lips

The good dream.

The strange coincidence.

The moment that brings tears to your eyes

The person who brings life to your life.

……………………………………………………….

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

***I had an “a-ha” moment recently when Brooke sent out some positive attributes about using beliefs and affirmations in our daily lives… without even realizing it. I, particularly liked the example on daily Hope!

Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning- but still we set the alarm to wake up. That is HOPE!

Dear Reader:

I happened to catch part of the movie National Treasure ( 2nd sequel) over the weekend and must admit enjoying it again immensely! I am all for students watching historical fiction shows because if they get interested in the subject… then we can have great discussions separating fact from fiction… but the interest is there! Very important.

One remark or line ( made by Nicholas Cage) is enticing because of its accuracy and hidden meaning. The line reads: ” Before the war ( Civil War) it was said ” The United States ARE…” (Grammatically it was spoken that way also because the individual states were thought of as a collection of diversified plots of real estate but not ” united ” .)

In the amazing Ken Burns documentary-The Civil War-one researcher continues this important change… by adding: ” After the war… it was always the United States “IS” as we say today without being self-conscious of it -And that sums up what the war accomplished.” ( obviously perceptively -but no forgetting the abolition of slavery!)

When Lincoln took his oath of office to ” preserve, protect, and defend the United States and its Constitution” – the ” United” States had already ceased to exist.

In other words… ” Before 1861 the two words ” United States” were generally used as a plural noun-commonly seen as ” The United States ARE a republic.”

After 1865- the United States became a singular noun-” The United States IS a republic.”

Lincoln was very conscious of wording during the war itself-in 1863 he wrote in the Gettysburg Address the term ” nation” 5 times ( ” to invoke a new birth of freedom”) but never mentioned the term ” union.”

At the end of the war /the Second Inaugural Address -Lincoln summed up how a controversy resulted in ” One side making war rather than letting the nation survive and the other side accepting war rather than letting it perish… so it came.”‘

So until tomorrow… This old history teacher reminds you …

Of course, if you are like me… some days I feel like writing letters and signing petitions is definitely not enough and I picture myself as a crusader riding on my valiant horse up to corral inept and bias everything politicians-So when I found this cartoon I just nodded!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

My nephew Lee shared with me a song he wrote after his son Rhodes was born-and now repeated with Rhea. The main thread running through the melody has to do with yesterday’s post on living life NOW!

The lyric: ” There’s never been a moment in time that wasn’t NOW! ” Amen!!!

Dear Reader:

I have to say I was proud of myself yesterday after a very hot tiring Saturday… fun but the sun was not my friend! I made the early church service in the woods and , as usual, was glad I did!

It was pretty overcast at 9 yesterday morning and cool. God was definitely present …working the sun rays like a cameraman might work lights in a Broadway production… because suddenly these beautiful filtered rays would spread across the back of the woods behind the ” pulpit” peppering the forest like twinkling lights.

The” Wink” came about with the perfect timing of our minister Jeff’s words. He was telling us about a book he was reading that discussed the stages of ancient civilizations-and like everything in life civilizations have a beginning and ending. Even though the author felt like our country’s civilization is showing characteristics of nearing the end…she still believed in the goodness of man and the human spirit to turn things around.

Jeff agreed … but then disagreed in one regard- First Jesus has got to be on board – man, simply by his mortal restrictions, needs to call on the only ” leader” whose long-term vision is not restricted.

Jeff had no sooner uttered that statement… when suddenly the sun’s rays streaked through the woods lighting it up in a dazzling display of beauty. I felt Jesus was whispering a quiet ” Amen.”

During another part of the sermon -Jeff asked us to take a moment-and think about an age in our lives – that upon reflection… was our best time in life-where we felt in control, confident and mostly content.

Suddenly numbers were being shared out loud… numbers like 25, 50, ( 40 popular one) 30, etc… suddenly I heard myself shout out ” Now” … and at Jeff’s inquiring look… I finished… ” These days, every day when I wake up to the sun shining in… I am happy, content. No… I still don’t feel in control of my life or even particularly confident …except that I know God IS in charge and I just need to concentrate on living the best life I can.

Jeff reiterated that ” Now” is all we have -we can’t go back and we can’t fly ahead… so everyday we wake up “alive ” on this planet we have a clean slate to live our very best day.

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I just happened to catch the last few minutes of the evening news Friday night with Lester Holt-he was saying how history was about to be made Monday morning with the first female launch director for NASA’s Exploration-first space launch system rocket and its Orion Spacecraft Monday August 29 at approximately 8:33 am.

He then introduced her as the woman who grew up in a small town in South Carolina-( Gaffney) and she was a Clemson University 1988 graduate. She would be saying the famous words… ” Go for Launch!”

Her name? ” Charlie” Blackwell Thompson.

This amazing feat started when she was a senior at Clemson majoring in engineering-she took a tour of the ” firing room” and was amazed at the team work at Kennedy Center. Looking around she could count the women on the fingers of one hand… and she desperately wanted to be one of them.

( As The character Aaron Burr portrayed she, too, wanted to be in the ” room where it happens!”) And she did it! ” Charlie” ‘s first thought after her senior tour was” How do I get a spot in this room?” Today she repeats…to herself… ” What a blessing!”

Every NASA Launch director has their own launch traditions-certain things they wear, good luck items they make sure get placed into a pocket. Charlie wears her Clemson ‘ 88 lanyard-her pockets are packed with tangible reminders of her kids.

Even as a little girl (3 or 4) her daughter picked up on ” Mommy’s” nervousness over the weather-always praying for no rain. So before one launch she gave her mom a little plastic ring with an umbrella on it from a bubblegum machine… telling her mother…” ” Maybe it will keep the rain away.” Sure enough… rain had been predicted the day of the launch but the clouds disappeared, the skies cleared and everything went smoothly.

Today Charlie wears the ring on her pinkie for every launch! She also puts a lucky coin in her pocket, wears a pin that spells ” Mom” and a note that says ” Good Luck!”

Yesterday was jammed packed! I went to Rutledge’s first football games of the season-they won big and I sweated heavily… so hot-what saved was a fan a sweet Samaritan gave me to use!

Eloise learned how to pull her hair back with a scrunchy all by herself! So proud!

Left the Dingles and headed over to the Turners-Jakie was in a youth fishing tournament -he had so much fun-then we met Tommy and Kaitlyn for supper and Tommy helped Jake get ready for his introduction to golf practices!

I must admit I was exhausted returning home last evening but what a beautiful drive to end the day.

So until tomorrow… Make the most of everyday and surround yourself with those you love ❤️!!!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Have you ever given much thought to the definition of the word ” turn? ” The definition reads: ” Turn: To move something so that it is in a different position in relation to its previous position. “

It is a popular word in musical song titles:: Examples: Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds who “sing of the seasons constantly turning throughout our lives,”or giving ” Judy” her ” turn” to cry or Vicki Sue her chance to ” turn the beat around” or even Cher and her wish to “turn back time.”( Don’t we all wish?)

Like the “turn” definition explains… if we decide to turn our troubles over to God-we must be ready to ( not move something but somebody … us …into a different position in relation to our previous position.) In other words we have to be willing to let God steer while we climb in the backseat! Ah …we mere mortals and our struggle to let go and turn the driving back over to our Creator.

I had to laugh when I opened my little tin card holder ( titled -Give it to God) and saw what I had written down weeks earlier. I must have gotten down to my last ” straw” of patience when I read the two words –Whatever Lord” ( I am giving this one to you” ) I , obviously had reached the ” end of my rope” though now I can’t even remember what the ” crisis ” was about??? God just took care of it in His own good time and wisdom. He’s really good at that!

Whenever I am working on turning a personal problem ( that is out of my control) over to God I always picture this cartoon image of how God ” changes” each of our lives as a loving mother would ” change” an infant. God is the one and only change-agent Who really knows us! Who can get to the ” bare bottom” of our problem.

Barbara Johnson in Daily Splashes of Joy… tells a story of a man who was taking a cruise on an ocean liner. Somehow one of his socks got away from him and blew over the railing, lost forever. Without a thought the man flipped the other sock over the railing too. He knew when he was looking at a hopeless situation.

Barbara goes on to add that some people would hang onto the other sock out of habit-and end up with one sock for months or even years cluttering up a drawer before finally tossed.

Haven’t we all been guilty of trying to hang on to a job, career, house, location, or even relationship long after feelings, hopes and dreams have disappeared too … forever lost?

So until tomorrow… ” Show us the way Father … the steps to take…unencumbered…knowing You hold our future in Your hands.”

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday morning I went to the mailbox and there was a package from Honey-she had seen these ” Boo” socks and immediately thought of me … getting ready for Fall starts earlier in the gorgeous mountains ( see card painting) I love them Honey and believe me… I will Not lose one sock over a cruise ship railing-they will stick together forever!

Dear Reader:

The nice thing about attaining longevity in life is the opportunity it allows you to discover the answers you sought for years ago?

After my initial breast cancer diagnosis in 2008 … my questions centered around time -how much would I have to watch my family grow and expand… fourteen years later… more time than I ever dreamed. Five grandchildren from ages 12-4!

Jeopardy gained its claim to fame by simply reversing the normal sequence of an answer following a question? Instead … the contestants had to give their answer in the form of a question . When I checked to see why… it wasn’t any deep-seated psychological reason but just a new twist to capture the audience’s attention. It worked!

Actually self-questioning is something that doesn’t come easy for us mortals. It means we have to have the ” come to ourselves ” meeting that we would rather avoid. Yet… when we do finally come face to face with ourselves … we usually leave feeling a lot lighter.

German poet ( Rainer Maria Rilke) urges us to ” Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not seek the answers which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them and the point is to live everything. Live the questions now…”

So until tomorrow… we have to learn which questions are worth asking. We must wait until we are ready to live the answers… that starts with first living the questions. Then we can ask because we must be ready, be open to the changes that the answers will bring.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

*** And speaking of asking questions… Why won’t my morning glories bloom? We have had much cooler temps the last couple of weeks with mainly overcast skies with interval showers… they should be happy. The leaves look big and green and healthy… but no blooms??? I am ready to ” live” the question and answer!!!!

One group of morning glories have spread to a portion of the newly renovated fence my neighbor fixed… not sure he wants leaves growing on the new fence… time will tell… but if the fence was decorated with beautiful Violet morning glories… hey… that might make a difference! Please bloom… you can do it!!!

Dear Reader:

Anne sent me an email a couple of days ago that I finally had time to read and was just blown away. Apparently I missed the ” unveiling” of the latest Webb photos of our universal galaxies at the White House. Mind-boggling doesn’t come close to describing what I felt yesterday morning pouring over the photos.

For example… the title Webb photo today covers ” a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand… held at arm’s length by someone on the ground – it reveals thousands of galaxies in a tiny sliver of our vast universe-4.6 billion years ago.”

Are you feeling as tiny as I am right now? It reminds me of a story I heard once about President Theodore Roosevelt. There was an impending important piece of legislation that needed passing but the President was meeting with a lot of opposition ( sound familiar.) So he decided to invite the ” powers that be” to his retreat home-Sagamore Hill.

He wined and dined to no avail… nobody seemed to be budging in their stance. Suddenly TR asked everyone to follow him outside -once there they were to separate and follow the stars only with their eyes for twenty minutes -no talking!

At first grumbling commenced until one glare from TR stopped it in its tracks! Soon the initial ( quiet sighs) changed from frustrated to awestruck. After the twenty minute interval everyone returned to the conference room .

The President slowly met everyone’s stare and then breathlessly remarked ” If you felt small tonight in the presence of God’s handiwork… don’t! We might be small but God made sure we weren’t made insignificant! Tonight we have the honor of being able to pass legislation for the good of the many for years to come. Gentlemen, tonight let’s make a significant difference in the lives of many. ” The legislation passed.

Look at these photos called ” The Phantom Galaxy” … never seen before. It appears that in the heart of the galaxy… a black hole has formed-another mystery to be solved.

I find myself wondering if God didn’t place a black hole in each of our hearts too? Is it a mysterious passage that leads us into our “forever home” … one day we all will know. The mystery will be solved!

Look at this final Webb photo… it was called the “Sea of Stars” -it is where the ” Stella Nursery” exists -where baby stars are born to replace the stars that have died. The eternal mystery of the universe!

So until tomorrow…” When I look at the heavens, the work of your finger, the moon and the stars that you have established -what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them.” Psalm: 3-4

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Most of us have heard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that President Jefferson sent out to discover a river route to the Pacific for economical trading benefits and also to discover what secrets the western frontier held among both plant and animal life.

Jefferson was fixated on the famous duo finding a living mastodon ( prehistoric relative to the elephant) and if not that… a megalonyx-( giant sloth) would suffice – not realizing they were only pre-historic creatures who had been gone for 10,000 years

What renewed my interest in the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition was a children’s book that I got Jake for his birthday next month. Jake is my “Tom Sawyer” grandson-he would rather be fishing, crabbing and studying seashells than anything else.

When I opened the book … the first page immediately caught my attention-it was titled Lewis’ Moon Snail. Lewis who… I thought and then saw Meriwether Lewis’ name within the first paragraph! I was caught!

The more Lewis studied the beautiful shell of the snail he more he became enamored of its personal characteristics-like himself… this snail was steady and consistent in its daily habits, it looked like it’s big foot ( three times as long as the shell,) could never fit in its home ( shell) …yet it did and still does. Lewis saw similar characteristics in himself-slow and steady, steady diet, ( perhaps a little more than 4 clams a day) and able to adapt to the ” shelters” ( shells) he lived in throughout the two year expedition.

Lewis didn’t care if they didn’t find prehistoric giant creatures/the moon snail was his favorite discovery. ( Today called Politicos Lewisville)

Like I love learning new words… I love learning new historical facts-especially special moments of surprise that show historical figures as humans too-humans who like to be surprised by life/moments of joy. Maybe one day Jake will have a fish, crab, or sea creature named after him?

So until tomorrow… history is all about finding positive ” indicators” from the past that those who came before us felt the same myriad of emotions and feelings as we do today. When life surprises us … enjoy the moment and then share it with others who will come later… through writings or sketches -so the fun of discovery is shared throughout time!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday- surprisingly-turned out okay but was hard living through it. I left Summerville in plenty of time to pick up Ben for a doctor appointment but as soon as I got on the ramp to 526 I sensed something was wrong. Cars were slamming on brakes and the Don Holt bridge became a parking lot!

I was silently screaming ” No… No not today!”-Ben is looking at future surgery to replace his right shoulder and we were meeting the surgeon to go over my notepad of questions. What should have been a twenty minute trip to Daniel Island was doubled and I still had less than half an hour to get there after I picked Ben up!

In times like this I envy Ben -when I called to let him know I was stuck in traffic he was happy as could be hunting down stray golf balls. I called the office to explain what was happening and they backed me up twenty minutes but it was the best they could do.

It was a ” Turn it over to God” moment. ( We made it with two minutes to spare) After turning it over… I was at the top of the bridge and the scenery was beautiful! The marsh was a bright green from all the rains-had time to even take a photo! If I had been going at the usual speed I never would have even noticed it.