Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

When it comes to understanding the real St Patrick… the folklore stories surrounding his life have to be separated from his real life -( forget those snakes-didn’t happen) BUT his true life is ” stranger than fiction.” Unbelievably so…,

Oh… and don’t worry if you can’t find something green to wear today-the color originally associated with St Patrick was blue! ( green is more for Ireland) And besides… Kermit the frog always admitted ” It’s not easy being green.”

Today one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world is St Patrick’s …in New York City. Over 30 million Americans today can trace their ancestry back to Ireland … and on St Patrick’s Day -just about everyone wants to be Irish.

St Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat-he was born and lived in Great Britain ( part of Scotland today) … and sadly it was here, at the tender age of 16, he was abducted by an Irish raiding party in what became known as ” smash and grab jobs.” If you fought back you were killed -he was taken as a slave where his job was to protect the sheep and lambs from a variety of ferocious predators.

Patrick’s father had been a deacon-a highly thought of Catholic and he had , no doubt, instilled a strong faith in Patrick as the family daily prayed for his safe return.

It was during this difficult part of his life-lonely and depressed that he turned to God in prayer-praying non-stop that he be delivered from his bondage and returned back to his loving family.

Six years later he escaped when an Angel came to him in a dream and showed him the path home– including where a ship was anchored to take him on the first leg of the journey.

Imagine the happiness in his family upon his miraculous return. Patrick soon fully understood his vocation now… to enter the priesthood. It was after accomplishing this life goal he started hearing the ” voices ” -that tormented him -they started calling out at night repeatedly crying out ” Come back to us Patrick.” They were Irish voices.

After much prayer, he once again put his faith in God and returned to Ireland as a missionary. Though never canonized by a pope… his mission to bring Christianity to Ireland far surpassed anything imaginable. Today he is not only the Patron Saint of Ireland but several other countries.

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Green lights appear on the Roman Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Sydney Opera House.

In London ( The London Eye) Irish Embassy is lit green every St Paddy’s Day.

At the White House the North White House fountain turns green on March 17 -which marks the death-date of St Patrick and also commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

St Patrick also left us the Celtic Cross incorporating the sun that had once been worshipped in Ireland and the sacred standing stone -marked with a circle-symbolic of the moon that the Druids once worshipped-he wanted to demonstrate that both the sun and the moon were created by God and part of His universe.

And now St Patrick gets to share this special commemoration with our Lachlan-the night after he was born-Mollie and Walsh decided to go with an Irish name-Lachlan for a body of water like a lake.

When Lachlan was born Walsh and Mollie were waiting to see if it was a boy or girl too-so the blog readers got to try and guess along with the date. My readers picked a boy by a wide margin and Anne chose St Patrick’s Day for his arrival -right on target!

So until tomorrow… Hope everyone has a wonderful St Paddy’s Day! Happy Birthday Lachlan!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Today is the 16th of March… the day before St, Patrick’s Day! And instead of getting a hankering for cabbage and corn beef… I went to Publix to buy ingredients for spaghetti-Italian.

I made a big batch so I could share with neighbors and take some to Anne along with the Bells of Ireland floral spray found in the florist section of the store! I was thrilled!

I was so happy-humming as I made an arrangement… until I realized that the Bells of Ireland don’t come from Ireland at all-my batch came from Ecuador and the accompanying flowers from Colombia-as in South America.

So how did these flowers get their name?

It’s all thanks to their bell-like shape and lovely green color-giving them their famous Celtic signature. They come from a mint family-aromatic herbs. Their meaning: Good Luck, Luck be with you, You will have good luck… It is the favorite flower for St Patty’s Day!

It was first cultivated in Belgium in the late 1500’s -they are available year round with white flowers emerging from the ” bell” pods. However, they originally came from Syria and Turkey. But that luscious shade of green made “Ireland green” the choice for the name!

The native Irish wildflower daffodils really are a more accurate genealogy because daffodils grow wild there beside streams-woods and vacant lots-daffodils love Ireland!

It is not just store flowers that surprise us by the international floral trade market-but the war between Russia and Ukraine ( the bread basket of the world-flour and corn) that has reminded all of us just how dependent we are on each other for food and other critical supplies.

In a perfect world it is the way it should be -helping and sharing food for each country but sadly we all know we live in an imperfect world made so by man… and the flawed catalyst that has and continues to flaw God’s amazing world –GREED.

So until tomorrow… as our world grows smaller… our hearts need to grow larger and like the Grinch’s heart that ” grew 3 sizes that day … the true meaning of Christmas came through. ” We could use a little Christmas right now!

While visiting Anne …our state bird, the Carolina wren, accidentally got in the back door and a wild chase to get it safely back out ensued. Anne caught it and I took a picture-the little wren must have known I taught SC State History and every year I told the story behind the selection of the wren-but it’s getting late and I am ready to eat… spaghetti! Another day for that story!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was my ” return to normalcy ” day with all my refugee plants and flowers. It took awhile but at this writing ( late yesterday afternoon) everything has been happily returned to familiar terrain -they are “home.”

I watered all the plants and then remembered one of my favorite quotes:

” Heaven is not far away from us -it surrounds us on every side.” ( That is so true when I am in my garden)

The azaleas took the hardest hit from the freezing temps Saturday night-many are shriveled and withered-hoping there are enough buds left to ‘ pick up the slack.’

Last update on ” Miss Somber Tulip Moth ( or Mr.) -when I went to check on it- as I turned my porch lantern off yesterday morning-there was nothing resting on the porch window pane -my beautiful moth was gone… When I sadly took the picture for the third time…only the outline of myself reflected back.

All I could think of was that on the third morning my ” friend” disappeared… can Easter be far behind? 🌅

Don’t most of us have a tendency to intertwine the brain and mind synonymously when referring to anything having to do with the brain? But think about it -in no circumstance , in any brain surgery ever performed… has a surgeon come out of the operating room, shouting triumphantly-” I did it… I found the ” mind” and here it is!”

Why? Because the brain is a physical organ , the mind isn’t-it is invisible. Suddenly a thought came to me-we have all heard fellow human beings proclaim that they don’t believe in anything that can’t be seen, touched or felt-like God… because He is invisible to the naked eye. These same people all have a mind-that identifies who they are too-yet it is invisible. So… are they saying they aren’t real either? Interesting thought.

The brain is the ” physical” house for the mind but the mind is not limited by the brain. Dr. William Walker explains:

” Your mind is part of the invisible transcendent world of thought, feeling, attitude, belief, and imagination. The intelligence of your mind permeates every cell of your body, not just brain cells. Your mind has tremendous power over all bodily systems.”

*** If you ever start wondering about your brain-you are using the mind that the brain created. Pretty amazing that something in our skulls weighing just over 3 pounds-with the texture of soft tofu-is actually the central command system for everything you ARE and DO!

So until tomorrow… ” When our memories become a treasure-let us be ” mindful ” of sharing them.”

Since 2013-almost a decade -my gardens have stolen my heart!

Dear Reader:

As much as the crazy windstorm and hard freeze ( mid-20’s) over the weekend proved challenging, moving plants inside… the end result was most surprising… who survived against the odds and who dared bloom during the freeze?

I chose the blooming hibiscus because it was moved inside on the B&B side-with no heat and lights off-chilly and dark. Yet when I walked over yesterday morning the hibiscus had bloomed again inside the dark chilly surroundings! It stood there smiling at me in the early morning light-looking ” pleased as punch.”

Next …my new spring beauty ” buttercups ” were too heavy to carry around the yard and up the porch steps-I tried but just couldn’t do it! I hauled it to the outdoor bench across from the side garden… spread a vinyl tablecloth over the back of the bench held down by chopped logs and hoped for the best! Look! Two new blooms when I took the cloth off-25 degree’s y’all!!!

And the sunflowers and blue pincushions Jeff planted for me last week? Lots of prayers here-left to fend for themselves….

The only problem, overall, is that four (high percentage ) predicted days of rain didn’t come through for us inland or at least in my neighborhood. It is dryer now than before… with the heavy winds and freeze really drying out the ground even more! Watering day today!

And what about Mr or Miss “Somber” Tulip Tree moth-still where we left it yesterday except it has slightly altered its position from yesterday’s slightly sideways stance to an upright stance on my porch windowsill

Normally it attaches to trunks and limbs of trees since it can camouflage right in… but with the terrific wind storm it instinctively sought a safer setting. ( Smart moth-I lost lots of branches in the windstorm. )

Both Cindy and Doodle have warned me it is probably waiting out the last stage-death. Male moths die after mating -females after depositing their eggs-not much of a life cycle-moths don’t even get to eat as adult moths… big bummer there for me! I think I will stick with being human.

At least for right now I know it is resting-one source described it-” When resting this moth ” sits” with flat open wings-this is its preferred resting position” …I wish it only the best.. it gave back to the world by adding new life and now it’s life is almost over. It contributed to the world in the only way it knew how.

Hopefully our moth is happy in its fleeting time left… after all Booker T Washington once said ” Those who are the happiest do the most for others.”

Big Red survived on the front porch all by itself with one bud still about to unfold in spite of the freeze.

Even with the freezing temps-the spring ” greening” is spreading rapidly! Aren’t the first spring green leaves on oak trees and pears such a vibrant green-almost indescribable in its freshness of green beauty?

So until tomorrow… Kaitlyn and I were texting back and forth yesterday and she sent me this quote I fell in love with… she said she found it in a yoga notebook she kept while teaching yoga-it is credited to a Yoga Sultra.

As soon as I read it… I immediately thought of Ukraine and their patriotic courage!

” If a river flows easily, the water in the river does not express its power. But once you put an obstacle to the flow by constructing a dam, then you can see its strength in the form of tremendous power!”

Kaitlyn just let the family know that she and Tommy ( after a three year coronavirus hiatus) are heading back to Ireland next month for two weeks -now that all entry restrictions have lifted.. heading to their favorite town -why Dingle of course!

*** Hope all the photos pop up this morning but my post started cutting up on me when I went to check it before hitting submission-will keep my fingers crossed… if not – tomorrow is another day. 🤣

Dear Reader:

I must confess! Yesterday was not my favorite day! Sorry… but true …though a God Wink helped save it.

Ferocious winds woke me up before dawn and light. The wind ” crescendos” were terrifying-I could hear a branch fall in the distance and feared a whole tree coming down. ( I still have a bad case of ” Hugo-it is” … Hurricane Hugo) I have never liked strong winds since.

I finally got brave around 9:00 am and ventured out on the porch to check on Big Red ( the geranium) and to turn the porch lantern light off. It was then I saw it… a beautiful moth pulled on to the porch by the lantern light ( probably while still dark)

I could only imagine-like a lighthouse beacon of light ushering ships on to safer terrain from rough storms at sea-the poor moth saw the light by the front porch window and was clinging to safety. A refugee from the storm. It was beautiful.

I immediately shared the picture with an ole’ teaching colleague and friend, Cindy Ashley, because she was a marvelous science teacher and really into moths and butterflies.

None of her sources looked exactly like it but one app suggested it was a ” Tulip Tree Beauty.” I sent the same picture to my neighbor-Vickie/and she agreed with Cindy-but there was one other picture that closely resembled it too-the ” Somber Carpet Moth” ( I wonder who thinks up these names? )

*** As of writing this post mid-afternoon yesterday ” Somber Tulip” is still resting on the front window pane.. I have said a little prayer she survives this and can leave when the winds finally die down)

I kept falling asleep on and off yesterday afternoon since the wind had awoken me so early… I had the television volume on low and could just barely hear it… but groggily heard a PBS quote that I repeated several times to remember it.

” A quiet hour means more to you than anything you can do in it.” ( Relieved my guilt for sleeping through it)

While fixing lunch another author/ doctor/: speaker came on and he was talking about ” Nature Deficit Disorder ” in children. Up until a hundred years ago childhood and nature were synonymous. Today parents are having a harder time getting their children off computers and video/ simulated games to play outside. This situation is causing all kinds of health problems -physical, mental, and emotional.

Even though my grandchildren do love video games they all love the outdoors-at my house it’s climbing in the treehouse, the rope swing, and their first climbing tree-the pear tree in the front yard.

Lachlan is the gymnast and can flip forward and backwards repeatedly to entertain the others -he is also our St Patrick Day birthday boy-coming up this week! ***Birthday picture when he was two on St Paddy’s Day!

Since all the grandchildren play sports or dance … like Eloise-they enjoy 🎾 💃 ⚽️ 🏈 🏀 the outdoors even more…

So until tomorrow…. ” Wonder is the first of all passions” -Let nature and her never-ending abundance of wonders transform this generation of children too!

Despite the strong winds and downward temperature pattern ( chillier by the hour) two little flowers bravely opened ” their eyes” for the very first time. The wonder of life!

Today IS my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

One of the reasons I love reading Kent Nerburn’s stories ( Small Graces) is Kent Nerburn himself. When we talk about embracing life or seizing the moment or grabbing an opportunity… we all pale in comparison to Nerburn’s life.

Nerburn has a Ph.D in Religion and Art. He is an accomplished sculptor ( Peace Museum in Hiroshima, Japan) lived in a monastery for six months while working on a sculpture and following the daily rituals of the monks, for years he worked with the Ojibwa tribe of Minnesota helping collect the memories of the tribal elders.

In this true account he recalls driving a cab for a living and there was a blind woman he used to pick up at one of the universities. She was very proper with a British accent and quite reserved. But over time the taciturn lady and Nerburn became friends.

One day Nerburn asked her if she could see again, for only one minute… be given a 60 second gift of sight-what would she want to see?

Her reply surprised him. ” Clouds.”

” Why clouds?” he asked.

” Because I can’t imagine them… people have tried to explain them to me… telling me they are like cotton, they tell me they look like fog feels, they spray whipped cream in my hand, they move my fingers over paintings of skies and let me feel the shapes of clouds painted on canvas. But I am no closer to an understanding. Yes… it would be clouds.”

Nerburn slowed down and started staring at the clouds…the clouds were moving stately and triumphant in majestic procession across the sky. He pondered her words. Suddenly he realized the significance of her choice.

The epiphany hit… ” Clouds” -Nerburn thought… of course… what else in this great universe eludes description, yet fills the spirit with wonder.. a reminder of the majesty of an unseen God?

He realized that he spent his ” seeing” eyes searching for a place, a person, some prize of life he hoped to win. But his friend who valued sight the most-one to whom it was denied-knew the greatest gift her eyesight could bestow was right before him-unnoticed and un-appreciated at that very moment.

” Now, let me ask you” ” What is a cloud like?” His friend’s voice was soft but determined as the question hung in the air.

Above him … and the noise of the rush-hour traffic… the clouds were moving slowly, like elephants holding each other’s tails.

” They’re like God’s dreams” Nerburn said.

” Thank you” she responded.

She did not speak again. But her still, small smile filled the cab with the eloquence of peace.

So until tomorrow… Let’s remember to take time to lie down in the grass and stare up at the clouds like we did as children … finding different animals in our imagination. ( Actually I remember finding teapots in the clouds… the short, round ones… like in the Disney animated movies that talked and sang!)

Apparently I am not alone-one designer took her teapot cloud formation and turned it into a popular piece of teapot nostalgia.

Spirea and azaleas-a luscious combination!

I spent a part of yesterday hauling in pots and hanging baskets of spring flowers -we are expecting high winds, rain and frigid temperatures back in the 20’s Sunday night-Old Man Winter is getting one more jab in… as daylight savings time is upon us again.

Praying the flowers Jeff planted earlier this week can hang in there for a few hours Sunday night!!!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

WordPress sends me updated information on my blog activity and then lists the top all-time most read posts …for the last five years the ” The Legend of the Pawleys Island Shell” has unequivocally lead the pack.

If you new readers would like to read it… or you loyal older readers re-read it-you can just Google the title and it should send you right there …with Chapel of Hope attached to the story title.

It was originally published January 24, 2017-five years ago after one of our annual Ya mid-winter retreats at Pawleys Island -Libby’s sister Linda and her husband’s rental beach home. ( We have all really missed this retreat-a bright spot in winter to gather. Covid and individual health challenges intervened and interrupted our benchmark reunion-but we all have hope that we shall be able to return one day soon and gather strength again from unity.)

We had gone to Pawleys a few years before I wrote this particular post… so I was looking for a new angle or hidden story to unveil on this retreat and obviously I found it.

It involved the history behind the now famous Pawleys Island Shell, the story of its creation being implemented into fine jewelry by John Whitmire whose Whitmire Fine Jewelry shop is today a popular mainstay at Pawleys Island’s Hammocks and Shops-giving tourists and visitors a chance to take a little bit of Pawleys ‘s history back home with them! –

As I re-read the story myself yesterday… I had forgotten that for several years each new year brought an opportunity to choose a new word for the year that was symbolic of perhaps a new direction, a hope or dream or even just an attribute that we wanted to incorporate into our lives.

Before we left Pawleys that year I asked Jackson, Libby, and Brooke what word they wanted to choose. Now, five years later, with a lot of unexpected health and personal turns and twists in everyone’s lives… it is interesting to see what they chose.

Libby chose EMBRACE- Libby wanted to embrace new possibilities and changes in her life-allowing her to grow inwardly and outwardly-reaching toward new horizons

Brooke chose RENEWAL- She wanted to give herself time to rest and reflect on doing what she needs to be doing to be the best she can be for herself and others

Jackson chose AWARENESS- She first considered ” strong” -but decided on awareness because she wanted to be strong in her commitment to be aware and mindful of local, national, and global injustices that do not promote equality or kindness among mankind… and then react.

Wow! All three ” spot on” to the point of clairvoyant… combine all three ” words” and each has experienced similar health and personal challenges… fighting through each with courage and determination!

So until tomorrow… take a pause and reflect on a word that best identifies you now -at the time you are living in this exact moment-choose a word that can be your guide through the daily ups and downs of this journey we call life.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Update on Libby-She has called and talked to all of us and we are texting more now… so she is able to communicate some… yet Libby would be the first to admit that this part of her life journey is bumpy and rocky-still she feels the compassion and prayers so please continue-it is an arduous road with lots of unknown curves and bends ahead.

( Bright spot-Libby was the most athletic of our group and she is ” tearing up” her physical therapy and occupational therapy-it is her favorite time spent in rehab to date. )

I had the nicest comment from Bernice Sturkie, a member of Dorchester Presbyterian Church (who I don’t know personally) who follows the blog post. I already like her for her humor and wit!

Commenting on the blog ” God is Everywhere” she shared with me the Southern interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15: 28 -” God is all in all.”

It is: ” God is all in Y’all!”

Dear Reader:

I still have my Presbyterian Children’s Catechism ( introduction to the Shorter Catechism that I learned later….) The tenth questions asks” Where is God” and the correct response: ” God is everywhere.”

At a certain cognitive level… I know this but when a daily meditation by National Bestseller Author-Richard Rohr-explores this ” simple” response we discover that the depth of this acknowledgment is deeper than our conscious can initially absorb.

My favorite children’s story …introducing this important concept …comes from the cutest book –Does God Have a Big Toe!

Rumors started that a big flood would end the world and the animals knew they had to find God and quickly! But where did He live?

The elephant, bragging about being the biggest land animal, decided Good would be found on the biggest mountain top. But he didn’t find God.

Since the eagle could fly so high surely God lived in the highest place in the skies. He flew as high as He could and then yelled out to God but was met with silence.

The Lion thought, like himself, God most be louder than him so he roared and roared to no response.

The three animals shook their heads in defeat…. they sat together by a river until the fish spoke up. ” We live in the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes because water is everywhere-above and below us… water is all around. If the water is everywhere, God must be everywhere too. ”

( The story ends with God saving all the fish-just not two of each kind of animal-because only they knew where to find God. Everywhere! )

But children grow up and do we now, as adults, really comprehend the enormity of the proclamation ” God is everywhere. ” Do we realize God is in our midst every single day and there is no place on earth we can not find God.

Richard Rohr explains it this way…” We cannot ” not” live in the presence of God. We are totally surrounded by God all the time and everywhere. We have no choice in the matter, except to bring it to consciousness.

( Hard to believe St Patrick’s Day and Lachlan’s birthday is next week!) Rohr includes St Patrick in his meditation on ” God Is Everywhere.” He paraphrases St. Patrick.

God with me, God before me,

God behind me, God within me,

God beneath me, God above me,

God at my right, God at my left.

Knowing God’s presence is a matter of awareness, of fully allowing and enjoying the present moment… these marvelous moments happen naturally, normally, when we are out of the way. Even in this ” little piece of clay that we are,” in this moment of tine that we are-we begin to see it in others, and eventually, in all things.

So until tomorrow… ” God is all in all” ( I Corinthians 15:28.)

God is in all things …precisely in God’s ever-newness and God’s ever-possibility .

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I think any of my friends and family who drop by for a visit…associate me ( if indoors) with one particular piece of furniture… my ” miniature recliner.” I remember Brooke went with me to get it and I told them I needed a small recliner that could fit between two sofas. It was a small Lazy Boy… only one they had. Sold!!!

Brooke and I lugged it from the car and plopped it down between the two sofas and it has been there ever since…over two decades.

You can’t tell as much from the photo but my recliner ( today) could have been used for the recliner in the sit-com, Frazier, for Frazier’s dad’s recliner ( with a couple of strips of duct tape!) And like Frazier’s dad… I love it because of all the memories ” rocked” there-each of my grandchildren as babies, toddlers and even now we squeeze in for a picture…

Adjacent is my other beloved piece of furniture-my most favorite-purchased soon after the recliner… I love it because the cream color sofa looks light and bright and it is higher than most sofas-so I can lay down and watch television over the coffee table decors. I can add any colors pillows, quilts and seasonal throws. However today… the years have taken its toll …ink stains, spill stains, torn fabrics all hidden under pillows and throws. It’s days are soon coming to an end.

It is where guests sit and some of the best conversations in my life have taken place here…among friends and family producing so many memories…

In the latest Azalea Magazine issue… under Life and Faith… Diana Thompson decided her most ” valuable piece of furniture” was her kitchen table. Again it had nothing to do with physical characteristics or monetary value ( it had neither) but it too had something better-” scars.”

She remembers the youngest baby making a mess throwing food and trying to feed himself, pounding his fork into the wood, homework being completed, youth from the church gathering, craft projects for school, birthdays and candles being blown out, grandparents laughing with grandchildren playing board games,etc.

She considers their kitchen table sacred-in holy ground… a place where God moves and shows up, because He’s the one who’s brought us here. I feel the same way about my recliner and sofa-a place to commune.

So until tomorrow…” Where are your ordinary but sacred spaces? Have you taken the time to identify them? More importantly, have you taken the time to create them?

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Our pastor, Jeff Kackley, has been sharing daily Lent devotionals …outlining the path we all must find that leads to the cross… and beyond.

I love the poem he is using to base the devotionals on … it is called ” Walker” by Spanish poet, Antonio Machado.

” WALKER “

Walker, your footsteps are the road and nothing more

Walker, there is no road, this road is made by walking

Walking you make the road, and turning to look behind … you see the path you never again will step upon

Walker, there is no road, and only foam trails on the sea

As soon as I read this… I envisioned the Ukrainian refugees ” turning to look behind” -see the path they might never again step upon.

For our pastor, Jeff, the Covid years have definitely been challenging… and he, too, has been making a road by walking it himself. It has been a challenge that has required Jeff, his assistants and session to create and recreate new paths for the congregation to follow as safely as possible.

This has largely been accomplished by offering many choices-inside and outside services, virtual services… an exhausting amount of planning-especially Christmas and Easter services.

Jeff Kackley concludes” So we will walk with Jesus this Lent, keeping in mind that faith was never meant to be a destination… but a journey-a never-ending , creating and recreating, dying to the old and rising to the new walk of Christ.”

So until tomorrow…there is no doubt that Ukrainian refugees are praying as they walk into a vast unknown ahead and a vast unknown behind…let our prayers and God’s presence be with them.

The other ” Jeff” ( my lawn maintenance friend) came yesterday to plant all my new flowers since I am still on a somewhat restricted heavy lifting/ bending regime

He stayed for hours cleaning up and clearing my yard ” paths” -garden paths, driveways, and late yesterday afternoon it hit me how truly fortunate I am to have clean, clear paths to follow when others, through no fault of their own, except geography, are having to create their paths … ” their footsteps now are the road and nothing more.”