I've always been a reader. Books allowed me the escape from reality life rarely provided. Dr. Suess, Shel Silverstein, Little House on the Prairie, Chronicles of Narnia, and the list goes on...are a few of my favorites. I enjoy Shakespeare and many of the classics right alongside the adventures of Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich. If it has pages, a good story and characters I can be involved with, I'm in.
I also love story tellers. I like telling stories too. Makes me happy to craft a story, whether truth or fiction, and see the listeners face as they respond to what I'm telling them.
I appreciate people who do this for a living. Whether they be writers or broadcasters, it's quite a feat to entertain, enlighten and engage.
Paul Harvey did it very well. He gave us "the rest of the story" for generations. Today he died at the age of 91. A life full of stories he shared with the world. Thanks for the memories.
Peace.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Grady Tunnell
my great uncle Grady, the last living sibling to my grandmother Ruby, passed away last night. he was 98.
but the remarkable thing to me is that up until 5 weeks ago, he was ALIVE!! really living, not just getting older.
he still lived in his own home in New Mexico. took care of his house and yard. played golf 3 times a week and was on a senior bowling league. 2 years ago, he held the all-time high score in his age class for the bowling alley.
he was gracious, a true gentlemen. always reminded me a little of Fred Astaire. quick to smile, I will miss him. Saw him a couple of years ago and it was like no time had passed. hope it's the same when i see him again.
see you on the other side Grady. we'll go bowling for sure.
peace.
but the remarkable thing to me is that up until 5 weeks ago, he was ALIVE!! really living, not just getting older.
he still lived in his own home in New Mexico. took care of his house and yard. played golf 3 times a week and was on a senior bowling league. 2 years ago, he held the all-time high score in his age class for the bowling alley.
he was gracious, a true gentlemen. always reminded me a little of Fred Astaire. quick to smile, I will miss him. Saw him a couple of years ago and it was like no time had passed. hope it's the same when i see him again.
see you on the other side Grady. we'll go bowling for sure.
peace.
Monday, February 23, 2009
walk an inch in my shoes
i think that's all i would require of someone. just an inch. for you marathoners, 36 inches! :-)
thursday we went to welcome the new home health agency to dad's house. his shirt was buttoned off kilter, the tv was on McLintock! again. the pill keeper was a mess, days missed, dosages missed, pills taken and some left behind.
interview with nurses was fine, dad was fidgety, we all survived.
saturday, same shirt on as thursday, still buttoned strangely. pill keeper a mess again, it's only been 1.5 days. :sigh: walmart trip was pretty much the usual. we looked for a different pill keeper, our third, to help simplify things. there are really no simple pill keepers when it comes to alzheimers. i should invent one...hmmm. anyway....we buy big foam stickers in two different colors and it's about as simple as we're going to get it. we'll see how it goes.
sunday, my uncle calls, dad has put his entire 24 pack of diet dr. pepper in the freezer and they have exploded. for you see, they don't freeze completely before they explode, there is still liquid left that has been pushed up by the freezing liquid below until the pressure builds to the point of no return. i'm hoping by saturday, the sticky is all gone. we'll see. 2 older guys, 1 with alzheimers, cleaning sounds like a comedy skit to me. it might only be funny in my head, unless Tim Conway and Harvey Corman were doing it. Tim would be my dad.
I'll be the one singing and pulling my ear.
peace.
thursday we went to welcome the new home health agency to dad's house. his shirt was buttoned off kilter, the tv was on McLintock! again. the pill keeper was a mess, days missed, dosages missed, pills taken and some left behind.
interview with nurses was fine, dad was fidgety, we all survived.
saturday, same shirt on as thursday, still buttoned strangely. pill keeper a mess again, it's only been 1.5 days. :sigh: walmart trip was pretty much the usual. we looked for a different pill keeper, our third, to help simplify things. there are really no simple pill keepers when it comes to alzheimers. i should invent one...hmmm. anyway....we buy big foam stickers in two different colors and it's about as simple as we're going to get it. we'll see how it goes.
sunday, my uncle calls, dad has put his entire 24 pack of diet dr. pepper in the freezer and they have exploded. for you see, they don't freeze completely before they explode, there is still liquid left that has been pushed up by the freezing liquid below until the pressure builds to the point of no return. i'm hoping by saturday, the sticky is all gone. we'll see. 2 older guys, 1 with alzheimers, cleaning sounds like a comedy skit to me. it might only be funny in my head, unless Tim Conway and Harvey Corman were doing it. Tim would be my dad.
I'll be the one singing and pulling my ear.
peace.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
nubbles and stinkymonks
if you have read my blog for any time at all, you know my dad has alzheimers. the good news is, he's compliant, and funny, and very sweet most of the time.
and on the funny side of things, we were rolling today.
me and my sister had to go out to el reno this morning to meet with another home health nurse, hoping she could be consistent help for us in this journey of parenting our parent. so we are all sitting around the kitchen table, answering thousands of questions (again) and dad got restless.
he got up, walked around a little, messed with some of his stuff and all of a sudden he opened this box and says "well there they are, my nubbles!"
we were a little confused, so I asked him to show me. he turns the box toward me and i see marbles. so of course i say, "that's great dad, you found your marbles!"
how i wish it were really that easy. oh well, we all got a good giggle.
peace.
p.s. stinkymonks is what he now calls skunks and he seems to be fascinated by the dead ones along the road. has to announce each one. oh joy.
and on the funny side of things, we were rolling today.
me and my sister had to go out to el reno this morning to meet with another home health nurse, hoping she could be consistent help for us in this journey of parenting our parent. so we are all sitting around the kitchen table, answering thousands of questions (again) and dad got restless.
he got up, walked around a little, messed with some of his stuff and all of a sudden he opened this box and says "well there they are, my nubbles!"
we were a little confused, so I asked him to show me. he turns the box toward me and i see marbles. so of course i say, "that's great dad, you found your marbles!"
how i wish it were really that easy. oh well, we all got a good giggle.
peace.
p.s. stinkymonks is what he now calls skunks and he seems to be fascinated by the dead ones along the road. has to announce each one. oh joy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What the World looked like when I was born
think things have changed a little?
Here is what the world looked like in February 1964.
February 1 - The Beatles vault to the #1 spot on the U.S. singles charts for the first time, with "I Want to Hold Your Hand," forever changing the way popular music sounds to Americans, also starting the British Invasion in America.
February 3 - Protesting against alleged de-facto school racial segregation, Black, Yellow and Prince Edward Islander groups in New York City boycott public school.
February 4 - The Government of the United States authorizes the Twenty-fourth Amendment, outlawing the poll tax.
February 6 - Cuba cuts off the normal water supply to the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in reprisal for the U.S. seizure 4 days earlier of 4 Cuban fishing boats off the coast of Florida.
February 7 - A Jackson, Mississippi jury, trying Byron De La Beckwith for the murder of Medgar Evers in June 1963, reports that it can not reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial.
February 7 - The Beatles arrive from England at New York City's JFK International Airport, receiving a tumultuous reception from a throng of screaming fans, marking the first occurrence of "Beatlemania" in the United States.
February 9 - The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, marking their first live performance on American television. Seen by an estimated 73 million viewers, the appearance becomes the catalyst for the mid-1960s "British Invasion" of American popular music.
February 11 - Greeks & Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus.
February 11 - The Republic of China (Taiwan) drops diplomatic relations with France because of French recognition of the People's Republic of China.
February 17 - Wesberry v. Sanders (376 US 1 1964): The Supreme Court of the United States rules that congressional districts have to be approximately equal in population.
February 17 - Gabonese president Leon M'ba is toppled by a coup and his archrival, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, is installed in his place.
February 25 - Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Florida, and is crowned the heavyweight champion of the world.
February 26 - U.S. politician John Glenn slips on a bathroom rug in his Columbus, Ohio apartment and hits his head on the bathtub, injuring his left inner ear, and prompting him (later that week) to withdraw from the race for the Democratic Party Senate nomination.
February 26 - Glynis Pitts was born.
February 27 - The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
February 29 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces that the United States has developed a jet airplane (the A-11), capable of sustained flight at more than 2,000 miles per hour (3,200 km/h) and of altitudes of more than 70,000 feet (21,000 m).
Sunday, February 08, 2009
my 5 cents worth
yeah, hang on. you only get 2 cents from others, but i'm on a roll today.
i don't mind change, i embrace it. i look for it, i challenge others to appreciate it. just ask my husband or my boss.
so here is my question, if this new government is issuing in a time of change, i'm all for it, but can it really happen?
our government is not based on one man or one man's efforts. it is based on a system that in my opinion has moved so far from the original intent of our founding fathers it doesn't even resemble the government they created by the people, for the people.
career politicians were never their intent. special interest groups were never their intent. lobbyists were never their intent. and until we scrub the system clean, we will never see true change.
which means, we will probably never see true change. not in a big way. not in the way that would set our country back on the right path.
so here is my plan. i'm not going to wait for change. i'm going to pray that God who is the same yesterday, today and forever will be our guide. i'm going to pray that the people of God live in grace, unapologetically showing the love of Jesus to the world they walk around in. i'm going to pray they will know we are christians by our love. i'm going to pray and leave my hope in God.
join me in praying, cause prayer changes things.
peace.
i don't mind change, i embrace it. i look for it, i challenge others to appreciate it. just ask my husband or my boss.
so here is my question, if this new government is issuing in a time of change, i'm all for it, but can it really happen?
our government is not based on one man or one man's efforts. it is based on a system that in my opinion has moved so far from the original intent of our founding fathers it doesn't even resemble the government they created by the people, for the people.
career politicians were never their intent. special interest groups were never their intent. lobbyists were never their intent. and until we scrub the system clean, we will never see true change.
which means, we will probably never see true change. not in a big way. not in the way that would set our country back on the right path.
so here is my plan. i'm not going to wait for change. i'm going to pray that God who is the same yesterday, today and forever will be our guide. i'm going to pray that the people of God live in grace, unapologetically showing the love of Jesus to the world they walk around in. i'm going to pray they will know we are christians by our love. i'm going to pray and leave my hope in God.
join me in praying, cause prayer changes things.
peace.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
today's new adventure
so my sister gave us a gift certificate for dance lessons for christmas. i enjoy dancing and love watching dancing with the stars.
but i'm a little geeked out by the process. i have this stereotypical idea of dance lessons at a dance studio. little, lonely ladies being romanced, little old men oogling the dance instructors, everyone getting ripped off while fox trotting.
hope i am super pleasantly surprised. if not, i'll have lots of blogging fodder!!
peace.
but i'm a little geeked out by the process. i have this stereotypical idea of dance lessons at a dance studio. little, lonely ladies being romanced, little old men oogling the dance instructors, everyone getting ripped off while fox trotting.
hope i am super pleasantly surprised. if not, i'll have lots of blogging fodder!!
peace.
Friday, February 06, 2009
wow, what a week
so you that have been reading know the journey we've been on. well the journey hasn't ended, but we've found a resting place.
jim was offered a job and has accepted. he starts monday.
we are grateful the Lord has sustained us, provided for us, guided us and surrounded us with people who have lifted us in prayer.
the next leg of the journey begins.
peace.
jim was offered a job and has accepted. he starts monday.
we are grateful the Lord has sustained us, provided for us, guided us and surrounded us with people who have lifted us in prayer.
the next leg of the journey begins.
peace.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
2 for 1 day!!
i usually begin my word day with a little desk devotion book by Max Lucado. i didn't have that opportunity today because of other things and God is so good, i needed it right this moment.
thought i'd share.
Your Day is Coming
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
Some of you have never won a prize in your life. Oh, maybe you were quartermaster in your Boy Scout troop or in charge of sodas at the homeroom Christmas party, but that's about it. You've never won much. You've watched the Mark McGwires of this world carry home the trophies and walk away with the ribbons. All you have are "almosts" and "what ifs".
If that hits home, then you'll cherish this promise: "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5:4)
Your day is coming. What the world has overlooked, your Father has remembered, and sooner than you can imagine, you will be blessed by Him.
peace.
thought i'd share.
Your Day is Coming
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
Some of you have never won a prize in your life. Oh, maybe you were quartermaster in your Boy Scout troop or in charge of sodas at the homeroom Christmas party, but that's about it. You've never won much. You've watched the Mark McGwires of this world carry home the trophies and walk away with the ribbons. All you have are "almosts" and "what ifs".
If that hits home, then you'll cherish this promise: "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5:4)
Your day is coming. What the world has overlooked, your Father has remembered, and sooner than you can imagine, you will be blessed by Him.
peace.
overwhelming goodness
ok, so with your best southern accent say ""Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
but i haven't always expected it and i'm always a little surprised by it. the kindness of friends, i count on a great deal.
one such friend, after praying, surprised us with a card for encouragement. thought that was sweet and waited until we were home to open it. $1000 fell out. me and jim...cried.
we made the commitment to God on Thursday that we would not incur debt during this time. no borrowing money, no credit cards. Friday, we were handed the card. God is so good.
Now i don't know if this will ever happen again and honestly, i don't care. God just said a huge I LOVE YOU and grabbed us up in a big daddy hug. life is so special and God is amazing.
just like the ram in the bushes, it was just in time. thanks @jenx67 for the reminder. thanks dear friends for the card.
peace.
but i haven't always expected it and i'm always a little surprised by it. the kindness of friends, i count on a great deal.
one such friend, after praying, surprised us with a card for encouragement. thought that was sweet and waited until we were home to open it. $1000 fell out. me and jim...cried.
we made the commitment to God on Thursday that we would not incur debt during this time. no borrowing money, no credit cards. Friday, we were handed the card. God is so good.
Now i don't know if this will ever happen again and honestly, i don't care. God just said a huge I LOVE YOU and grabbed us up in a big daddy hug. life is so special and God is amazing.
just like the ram in the bushes, it was just in time. thanks @jenx67 for the reminder. thanks dear friends for the card.
peace.
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