Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was an especially busy day… many errands run were secretive in nature-brainstorming a surprise for one grandchild’s special recognition coming soon! It involved some creativity and that is always fun!

Another unexpected incident (that gave me a glance into the future) appeared last Saturday night when Jake, Eva Cate and I were playing in her bedroom while John and Mandy, Tommy and Kaitlyn went out for supper. Jake was playing a video racing game and Eva Cate was dressing up her doll models -while I was the judge to pick the best attire-there were two mother-daughter teams.

I could tell Eva Cate was really working hard on the outfits …but I thought she was just choosing already made outfits for the dolls. I picked the mother-daughter models in the lavender as the winner!

I asked Eva Cate about the outfits… and she held up scraps of materials that she had cut and then using string, ribbons, and rubber bands … she designed each dress, A fashion designer in the making! Eva Cate gets her artistic genes from her mother and grandmother Joan -double dose!

In my latest novel I am reading about a bookmobile in Scotland… the author nails one keen observation…as the book keeper watches to see which books the colorful characters living in the Scottish village are drawn to… selections help define inner personalities. .. each unique inner universe.

” There is an universe inside every human being every bit as big as the universe outside them. Books are the best way to breach the barrier; to connect the internal universe with the external, the words acting merely as a conduit between the two worlds.

Don’t we all recognize by now the particular genres of books we are drawn to…we want to be able to relate to the central character’s feelings, dreams, and observations on life… pushing us a little farther, each time into the inner universe that calls to us.

So until tomorrow… Let’s think of each new book we read as an updated passport to an unexplored land …brimming with revelations that we have never dared enter. We are the explorers whose new frontiers are waiting on us with each new book.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I think by now you have guessed what this year’s Valentines Boo Crew’s ” themed” gifts were: puzzles: Rutledge and Eva Cate got the ” adult ” ( 500 piece) Clemson puzzle and Eiffel Tower-so they are waiting for a time the whole family can work on it.

Lachlan and Jake got the 100 piece ” Planets” puzzle ( do-able with a little help from family) and Eloise got the Disney princesses where matching shadows complete the puzzle! The more the merrier!

Why is love so puzzling? Think about it-when we are young and looking for love… our appearances become foremost in our search for Mr or Miss ” Right.” Not only do we want to pass a visual ” inspection” ourselves … we have our physical criteria requirements too for the person we imagine spending our lives with….

Most youth ” grow up” and soon realize that the physical ” covering ” is not permanent but compatibility, respect, kindness, and giving to each other is. We must share similar beliefs and moral attitudes in regard to race, creed, equality, and benevolence of spirit.

These days when I see a young couple or attend weddings … I smile and say a little silent prayer that they will grow closer together through time and understanding … not farther apart from differing attitudes and priorities.

Now think about observing this scene…You are walking in the park, it is twilight, and growing shadows direct your attention to a bench where an elderly couple are contentedly holding hands, staring in each other’s eyes, with the sweetest smiles lighting up their faces… frayed with well-worn wrinkles, thinning white hair, splotchy skin, and thick rimmed glasses.

They are beautiful… their obvious delight and devotion in and to each other brings tears to your eyes. Suddenly you believe in love again… the ” Old Skin-Horse type of love-the ” real” kind of love you have searched for all your life. The horse, of course , was right the whole time.

” Generally by the time you are Real-most of your hair has been loved off, your eyes drop out, you get loose in the joints and very shabby.”

” But these things don’t matter at all, because once you you are real- you can’t be ugly …except to people who don’t understand.”

So until tomorrow…the puzzle of love can always be solved when loving family members and friends care for us enough to help us find missing puzzle pieces when dropped … and to always be there to witness the love of life with us…in all our ” forever” beauty.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Thank you family for indoor and outdoor flowers and new garden gloves to start another new season of endless possibilities-Y’all are my forever Valentines!

So happy I found these indigo printed kitchen towels-by Anne in her studio… perfect gift for Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!!!❤️

Dear Reader:

I heard recently on a news report that Valentines Day is taking a ” hit” this year due to timing and the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately Valentines Day falls on a Monday ( never a great ” party day ) this year and then, to add even more congestion … it follows Super Bowl Sunday!

The old adage ” Timing is everything ” certainly appears to be coming into ” play” in this year’s situation… football play! I read where some creative families are putting cut-out hearts around posters of the team they are pulling for with player’s names -dressing up mascot bengals or rams in Valentine attire, cutting subs and sandwiches into the shapes of hearts.

One smart football fan told reporters he was sectioning off enough left-overs from the Super Bowl party to save … so he can surprise his wife Monday night with dinner, roses, and candles -kids sent to grandmother’s house! A win-win!

As far as my memories go back-to the days of the classroom Valentines decorated shoeboxes-Valentines has always been a day of emotional roller-coasting… a mixture of surprise and happiness and/or stress and disappointment. We have a tendency to build it up into something it was never meant to be-a popularity contest.

Upon reflection at this stage in life… I realize that everyday we should be opening our hearts and sharing our love with our fellow man. The truest measure of love is through action and reassurance that ” love abidest” still and always will.

So until tomorrow… A glance, a wink, a hand, a hug and a whisper of love will always win out over candy, jewelry, flowers or ( incredibly a super-duper football game!)

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

My heart is happy-hanging out with the Boo Crew yesterday

Dear Reader:

If I had a Valentine for every plant in my garden… hearts would be placed by each bush, tree, and flower! The love affair between man and plants originated as a symbiotic relationship …where not only did we co-exist… but we shared the most important ingredient for life-AIR-BREATH!

Don’t you remember learning the biggest word you had ever heard …in science class… when the teacher wrote a word on the board that took up almost the whole length of the blackboard? For some reason elementary students can remember that word when they still can’t spell their whole name.

As kids I think we figured any word that big must be really important!

PHOTOSYNTHESIS!!!!!!!!!

When the teacher explained what photosynthesis was and did… and how none of us would be here without plants … there would be no life… I suddenly had a much deeper appreciation for those wildflowers I carelessly picked walking to and from school each day… randomly tossing them away before entering school or home.

Through photosynthesis humans can breathe in the oxygen that was produced and survive. Together we make a cycle-plants help humans breathe by providing us with oxygen and humans help plants breathe by providing them carbon dioxide. ( plants breathe through their leaves)

In Africa … there is a word Ubuntu that means ” I am because you are, you are because I am.” I think when it comes to plants and animals ( people included) we are all alive because we each depend on each other to survive… and not just survive… but thrive in God’s carefully planned world.

So until tomorrow… Go hug a tree, pat a plant, be a friend to a flower and clap before a beautiful bush… Talk to the plants and thank them… they really do understand!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

How many times have we heard slogans… like “We Are Part of the Solution” or ” Be a Part of the Solution.” It usually refers to an environmental or peace issue or an inequity along racial, gender, political, or societal lines. The slogan encourages action on the part of everyday citizens to take a stand for our planet and people

Recently ( in an earlier post) we talked about daily moral dilemmas we face throughout our life path.. and the moral compass that keeps us conscious of ” hidden detours” that we find ourselves on… when we lose our way making the wrong moral choice. Our moral compass- is the divine spark given each of us as children of God.

Mr. ( Fred) ROGERS once observed: ” Deep within each of us is a spark of the divine just waiting to be used to light up a dark space. ” ( Didn’t Mr. Rogers light up so many children’s lives with his soft soothing voice …reassuring all children that they were special and worthy of love! What a gift… what a solution!

Several years ago a friend gave me a copy of the children’s book ” Light” by Jane Breslin Zalben. Such a beautiful story inspired by Rabbi Isaac Lydia in a 16th century ” midrash” -( A legend based on Biblical text)

The legend starts out with the Creation Story… darkness, blank canvas, form, light-sun, moon, stars, rivers, oceans, land, valleys, mountains, plants, trees, and fruit. Then animals of all shapes in the water, land and air.

Here the legend adds a twist… the Creator wants to paint everything with a special light so only goodness shines-it is stored in a gigantic jar. However this light is so powerful that when the Creator opens it-it cracks/ shatters throwing sparks of light outward.

There were too many pieces for the Creator to find alone-then an idea! People were made/ created to find the shards of light, bringing them together again in order to make the world whole and perfect!

People found the sparks of divine light in blades of grass -on tips of sea waves and kale and on insect wings , in animals’ loving eyes and even in each other.

Finding the divine light brought joy, peace, happiness… and when they shared it among each other… there was no hate, fear, hunger or destruction.

Today we are still searching …so the world is still not whole and complete but as long as we keep trying and looking for the light and don’t give up hope… then one day our world will be as one! Whole in God’s eyes!

So until tomorrow… We must always remember …if we can find and use our own divine spark to light another’s inner light.. then as Mr ROGERS predicted …we can fill up all the dark spaces!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Yesterday was “D” Day! Dump all my tax forms in a bag and leave them with my tax preparer to do-I honestly don’t know him except by name. With Covid many preparers can use the required forms and do them without an one on one face to face meeting -he came through for me last year-so I blew a prayer when I drove off this year… that I will be on the receiving end of Uncle Sam again… and not the giving one!

As Franklin observed with his quick wit … ( in paraphrase) ‘the only two certainties in life are death and taxes’…personally I will choose taxes in exchange for life… glorious, wonderful life! I never tire of it!

Most people, including myself, have a deep-seeded fear of taxes because it is so complex… even Albert Einstein ( while filing for tax returns) once said, ” This is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher.”

The best way to overcome fear… is to laugh at it-we all get through tax time some way…some how… and I have never heard anybody on their deathbed cry out ” Hallelujah! I don’t have to pay taxes ever again… this is so worth it!”

Let’s sit back and see what some famous folks had to say about taxes….with a grin!

Will ROGERS – ” Alexander Hamilton started the US Treasury with nothing and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.”

Mark TWAIN: ” The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”

Will ROGERS: ” The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has.”

So until tomorrow… forget about taxes -instead look for beauty, laughter, and love… all free and tax exempt!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Another overcast day outlined Tuesday’s weather but hope arrives today with the return of the sun and warm, yes warm, temperatures. I have thought about this and decided that light and hope form an eternal symbiotic relationship!

Think about it… ” In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

How could there have been hope before light…because how could there have been life before light?

But with life came hope and personally speaking… how can any of us get through life without it? When everything else-even everyone else … has disappeared from our lives…our support system dissipated… we are only left with faith in hope for a better tomorrow.

For a gardener, especially this time of year… when to the naked eye …rows of seemingly dead plants lay pathetically scattered throughout the once gorgeous rows of blooms …one has a tendency to want to pull them out and start over. A novel gardener’s biggest mistake!

Patience! The plants are resting and restoring their energies to bring forth greenery and tiny buds-the plants are in God’s waiting ” room” – looking for the signal to ” move on up.” But if we look beyond the dead stems… we see new life starting over using the dead stems to protect the tender new life!

And my new plants on the porch are so happy-cold gray weather and all with no complaining-more buds popping open daily -… so much so that they are being rewarded today with beautiful light and sunshine!

And what about those camellias this year… Anne and I met at Oscars yesterday for our monthly get-together/ update lunch and Anne said she wondered if she will ever see the abundance of varied beautiful camellias again…as she has witnessed in her own yard. Check out Anne’s Facebook page to take a glimpse! Wow!

Brooke’s camellia bush she gave me! So delicate! Love it Brookie!

Spring is always worth waiting for… slowly but surely the performances of exquisite beauty are getting closer as the garden tries on its new dancing shoes!

So until tomorrow…

Having friends support you and love you is one of the greatest hopes of all! The best blessings in our lives are our friends and loved ones! Thank you Mike and Honey for my first Valentines card … filled with heart and hope like both of you!

Today is my favorite day. Winnie the Pooh

*** ( Just in) Prayers of hope for my niece Bekah during her job interview today. Thank you! ❤️🙏🏻

Dear Reader:

Yep… yesterday was another cold, dreary rainy Monday. I braved the elements to run to the grocery store… and on the way home came across these geese playing happily in a vacant lot off the highway…immersed in the kind of intermittent off and on rain showers that only they would love.

However, after slowing down and pulling over to watch…these geese’s funny antics made me start laughing and definitely brightened my day. Now I was ready to do something fun on the blog post for today… and you know history always makes me happy.

My God Wink came a few blocks later when I noticed the new flags flying over downtown Summerville-this year is a very special year in Summerville’s history-our 175th Anniversary!!!

It is time to share my deep love of this beautiful little flower town- nestled on an elevated pine ridge -that affords us clean air and beautiful flowers year round. *** I wasn’t born here… but after five decades of living here, teaching here, and raising a family here… I consider it my native home.

When I moved to Summerville right after college graduation to teach ( 1971-72) little did I know that this little town with a population of then three thousand residents ( would double to 6000 by the late 70’s) would be my ” forever” home. That in itself was and is an on-going God Wink! I arrived just in time to see Summerville bloom with more than just flowers… people discovered its secret charms… that had been hidden for years!

Summerville has more nicknames and motto’s than just about any other town in SC. Some are: ” Flowertown in the Pines” ( given by the Chamber of Commerce almost a century ago) ” Let the Pine be Sacred” ” The First Railroad Town in America ” ” Home of the Flowertown Festival” and since 2015 “The Birthplace of Sweet Tea.”

(*** Part of me selfishly regrets this ” gem” of a town drawing in more and more people to the point that the population boom continues as it has just passed the 50,000 mark!) We are now the 7th most populated “city” in South Carolina.

Our little patch of paradise that initially drew Charlestonians, as well as, other Lowcountry residents , to seek relief from the heat and mosquitoes here in the 1700’s continues to draw in large diverse segments of people from every state in America-and other countries. The secret is out-outstanding public school system, friendly residents and 18 square miles with direct links to Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. Opportunities galore!

Once a sleepy little bedroom community to Charleston-Summerville now rivals Charleston for its festival, housing market, and increasing industries. But for me and my little neighborhood… it is just Home.

So until tomorrow… If home is where the heart is… then my heart belongs to Summerville! ❤️♥️💗

Dear Reader:

Don’t you love it when opportunities arise that allow you to participate in a fun or savory event…for a good cause? A win-win occasion … the best!

While staying on the air bnb side at my son Tommy’s and his wife Kaitlyn’s lodging … I noticed an article from Southern Flavor magazine that immediately caught my attention.

Popular Lowcountry author, Mary Alice Monroe, has teamed up with her longtime friend and President of the Charleston Coffee Roasters, Lowell D. Grisse, to bring page-turning, storytelling , bold robust flavors, and a passion for conservation together… like an outstanding coffee blend. ( Named for her extremely popular Beach House series set on Sullivan’s Island-one novel turned into a movie) . And the conservation? Injured and sick sea turtles.

In all Monroe’s Beach House book series… the main characters are involved in helping the baby sea turtles make their annual trek to the ocean-they are the Sea Turtle Ladies… generation after generation.

Today all my grandchildren love going to the SC Aquarium to watch the sea turtles swim-amazingly graceful under water. The Sea Turtle Care Center is separated from the public-located on an upper floor.

The ” Beach House Blend” is a dark roast and a rich smooth combination of Colombian French, Sumatra and Mexican beans.

A portion of all the coffee sales goes directly to the Sea Turtle Care Center.

So until tomorrow… With just a little extra foresight and planning … we can combine the best of the two worlds of giving and receiving simultaneously… always a good feeling! Our wants and needs help another’s wants and needs! It’s a beautiful world!

Today is my favorite day. Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I happened to catch the last few minutes of ” This Old House” segment ( yesterday) on PBS …in which each of the builders, designers etc, were discussing the difficulties of meeting customer expectations-due to COVID’s shake- up of supply and demand.

I think it was Richard who explained how demand for home renovations has exceeded the supple of materials and manpower to complete projects in a ” timely fashion.”

He observed that people have been stuck in their homes for so long… they are noticing problem areas for the first time or simply want to add on to the house or modernize it-they haven’t been traveling or spending money… so they can afford renovations now… and unfortunately want it now.

Of course prices on building materials have sky-rocketed -and then there is the problem of getting the materials -many stuck on cargo ships … but mainly it is lack of Human Resources that brings construction to a screeching halt.

Tommy ended the segment addressing young people… ” We need builders, plumbers, electricians, technicians, designers, landscapers etc. We need you young people to help your country grow while serving families and strangers alike. Be of service-use your talents and interests to change other people’s lives! Come build a new world with us!

I remember years ago the guidance counselors would talk to the eighth grade class about their dreams and aspirations-they took a survey ( something like Copes, Cops Caps) to see where their interests and abilities intersected. Even back then ( two decades ago) the counselors were predicting that Service would be the most demanding and needed occupation of all-they were right on target!!!

Try getting a plumber, electrician, painter, handyman lately to come to your home… it’s NOT easy. The day of the home appliance worker is far and few between… big companies lure them away.

Then think about the critical shortage in the top 10 service occupations-physical therapist , nursing assistant, home health aide, construction, truck driver, web developer, operation research analyst, financial advisor, health service administrator, teachers, and registered nurse. The list goes on and on… especially with the aging of Americans.

Just look around you… see a need? Fill it-it could be your new career and a life of fulfillment!

So until tomorrow… We are supposed to help our fellow man throughout life… so why not find a career that allows you the opportunity to help others and change lives for the better? You will be better for it in the long run!

Planted my new plants and flowers inside and out… always makes my spirits soar!!!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Anne mentioned something humorous but also wise -a friend told her-concerning our daily struggles with moral dilemmas that challenge us.

” As a good friend recently pointed out to me, after I was bemoaning my most recent moral failing. ” You can’t be a ” 10″ every day,” Good Point! 👍