Cherish. . . the word!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Hey There! Have a Great Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Hey! Blogging Friends!
I'm on my way back to the blogging world! Thank you for the emails and comments supporting me while I have been dealing with life. I appreciate all of you so much.

I have been busy! Just returned from a trip to Texas! I spent time with lots of precious family members. We had a cousins reunion--How great! I saw cousins I had not seen in YEARS! What fun talking about our parents and the legacies left by them and their parents. My dad was one of eleven children! Therefore, we had lots of stories to tell!

I also spent time with my sister-in-law, Carlene--just the two of us. She and I both said good-bye to our husbands in the last year. It was difficult being at a family gathering without either one of them. She and I talked way into the night. AND--we had a couple of small adventures together---We're not telling!!

I also spent some days with my stepmother and sister. Carol and I had adventures also. I know a lot more about storage now! That girl is the queen of storage solutions! She introduced me to some stores that we don't have here in Musi*ic City. Like IK*EA, The Con*tai*ner Store, and C and Barrell. Fun places!

I do love visiting the Mother Country--but I'm glad to be back home in the Volunteer State. Now I'm making plans for some changes at home--like paintng rooms, etc. There will be lots to show and tell about that, I'm sure.

Today I'm headed to celebrate the fourth with grandchldren-complete with a parade, cooking out, and fireworks!

Oh, I almost forgot--I'm in love! Yep!--My heart has been stolen! She's almost two months old and has the sweetest face! She's coming to live with me before long! I KNOW there will be stories to tell!

Peggy Sue!

Well, after all, I did grow up in
Lubbock, Texas--Home of Buddy Holly!

Labels: About Me, Celebrating Holidays, Family

posted at 9:00 AM
10 comments

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Hello to the New Year!

WELCOME

2008!

I'm glad to see the old year go! It brought challenges and sadness. It also brought joy and rewards.

In our family we saw the passing of three very dear people that we loved. My brother, Charles; my husband's mother, Emma; and my dil Audre's mother, Rita all went home. We rejoice that they are with the Lord, but miss them all dearly.

My husband's illness has progressed and given us several challenges. He suffered cardiac arrest in February and, as a result, spent several days in ICU. He is now under care with Alive Hospice. We are extremely happy with the care he receives from his Hospice team. As always, Lee continues to search for God's plan for him. Since his illness took over life in 2005, he has been writing for a volunteer mission project which provides the gospel to many people, primarily in Asia countries. He has not been able to write much lately, but still believes that God has a reason for him being here.

We have also had good things happen in 2007. I discovered the world of blogging. I cannot express my joy in finding a community of women who have blessed me in so many ways. Because of Lee's illness, I retired from a career in education in 2006. It was difficult leaving my job as elementary school principal with busy interaction with hundreds of people every day. I was searching for ways to have interaction with other people while being pretty much confined to home. One day I very innocently wandered into the world of blogging . I found my answer to needing daily interaction with other people! Thank you, God, for the sweet women I have met through this amazing world.

Additionally, I had the great privilege of hosting a Bible study on Monday nights in the fall. That was my solution to missing Bible study at church--bring it to me. What a blessing those women were during those weeks. My attempt to share that on my blog did not work as I intended. It was really a mistake on several levels--I learned from the attempt and will try again sometime. I will be hosting another home Bible study starting in just a few weeks. I look forward to seeing what God does with the group as some of us gather again on Monday nights.

Our children and grandchildren have brought us great joy this year. We love watching all of the grands grow and learn. What an amazing foursome! We love their parents also! I consider all eight of them a blessing. I'm not sure what we did to deserve them, but we thank God for them continually!

So, goodbye, 2007,
with your surprises, good times,
challenges, and sadness!

Hello, 2008!!
Looking forward to the blessings of this year!

I am not a resolution person. I don't make them because there are too many possibilities for not following through. However, I do like having a plan. I learned a long time ago that most plans are better if they are flexible! The last two years have certainly confirmed that. About the time I think I have a good plan going for something, we have a surprise, a challenge, or a roadblock. So, my plans for 2008 are VERY flexible! But here are a few of the things I am exploring for this year.

1. Bible Study--I am planing to get a little more discipline into my Bible study. As a part of that plan, today I started a new devotional book. I look forward to spending a few minutes each day with Jonie Eareckson Tada in her book, Pearls of Great Price.

Joni has quite a phenomenal personal story of overcoming difficulties in life. I'm sure I can learn from her. Joni and my husband worked together several years ago when he produced her video-based bible study, Heaven, Your Real Home. I have never had the opportunity to meet Joni, but Lee has a great admiration and love for her and her ministry. I have some other ideas in mind for discipline in study--I'll be sharing as I go along.

2. Bible Study and Interaction--I am going to facilitate a Beth Moore Bible study at my home. We will begin in just a few weeks, using the recently released study, Stepping Up. I had the pleasure of going to part of the taping for this study in late summer, 2006. I'm looking forward to studying with Beth once again via video.

3. Home decor--I'm planning to "freshen up" some of the decor in our house. We have a couple of rooms that need some work. I think I will start with one of the extra bedrooms. I want to make it into a room for the grands to enjoy. They need a place to hang out with games, videos, and--of course--Ella's dolls. I'm thinking of getting rid of the bed and bringing in a sleeper sofa, painting, new curtains, etc. I'll keep you posted on my progress. If I get this project finished, I may tackle some other rooms.

4. Organization--If I were making resolutions I would have my hands full just

promising to get more organized! I'm not promising that. However, I do have plans to address some specific organizational tasks; namely family pictures and the garage. Believe me--It may take me all year if I do this right!

4. Knitting--I am teaching myself to knit. Actually I did some knitting back in the day--not much, but enough to know some of the basics. I have been practicing for awhile. I hope to actually choose a project before long. I also am considering dusting off the long dormant, minimal crochet skills I once had. We'll see how this goes. Again--I'll keep you posted!

5. Sewing--I plan to sew a little--I also have dormant skills here. I'm not at all interested in making clothes, but there are some home decor and crafty things I may tackle. This is in the same category as knitting. I have to give it a try to see if I really want to do it. Flexibility!

5. Reading--Of course I plan to READ! That is a must for any year. I always have a book or two in progress.

6. Blogging and Technology--I plan to blog and, at the same time, sharpen some computer skills. There are still some things I would like to be able to do that I have not mastered yet. Most of these tasks involve the every pesky html! ARGHH!

7. Family--Perhaps my most important plan is to ENJOY MY FAMILY. I love having the grands around and doing things with them. I plan to find more time to enjoy being with those precious little people--and their parents are

welcome to come along for the fun!

8. Husband--Caring for my husband is my priority during this season of our lives. All these other possibilities and plans must fit around what he needs and our time together. We have shared over thirty-eight years of marriage. I have not forgotten that my vow was to love, honor, and cherish. My plans for doing just that come before all others.

So, as you can see, I want to stay busy and occupied with a variety of useful/productive activities this year! Of course others needs and interests will come along during the year, but for now this should keep me busy. What are you planning to accomplish and enjoy in this brand new year. I look forward to hearing about it as we share via blogs.

Let's remember to take a break for fun occasionally. Here's a little puzzle to get you started.

Labels: About Me, Celebrating Holidays

posted at 12:01 PM
11 comments

Saturday, June 2, 2007

WHICH ONE IS FALSE?????????

I've been tagged by Midlife Mom at Home on the Range for a meme. This one works this way--I am to give nine statements about myself. One of them will be false. Can you pick the one that is not true? Leave your choice for the falsehood/untruth/lie in your comment. Let's see how many people I can fool?

I am a retired educator, having been an elementary classroom teacher, a reading specialist, and an elementary assistant principal and principal. After more than thirty years with children, their parents, and teachers I have lots of stories to tell. Which one of these nine incidences do you think is not true.

1. A third grade girl once told me that her grandmother was just half human-being.

2. A Dad sent his wife to tell me that she and I were to climb into the trash dumpster and find the retainer that their son accidentally threw away.

3. When I was an assistant principal I had principals that talked me into dressing as Dolly Parton and a large blue piece of the candy that melts in your mouth not in your hand.

4. I rode with the principal and some other teachers in a hot air balloon to promote our new school.

5. As a principal I learned to always have chocolate, Mi*dol, ibuprofen, and an open door for teachers in need.

6. I have held kindergarten children on my lap during story time, read book after book to others, and let some take a nap on a mat in my office to help them get through the first day without their mommies.

7. One time I heard a mother ask another one, "Does she (meaning me, the principal) think she's in charge or something."

8. I once encountered a little boy coming out of the restroom, adjusting his zipper, as he sang, "It takes two hands to handle a whopper!"

9. I was assistant principal at a school that had its own groundhog living under the building.

After all these years, I have a million little stories I could tell, but I will stop at nine as called for in the meme. OK which one is NOT true? Make your guess in your comment. I will reveal the correct answer in a day or two.

Now, for the tagging ceremony! I usually just let people choose to participate or not. This time I think I will actually try tagging a couple of ladies. I tag Becky, The Butler's Wife, and Betty, at Country Charm. Ladies, I will understand if you choose to pass on the meme--your choice. Anyone else that has eight facts and a lie they would like to tell us--consider yourself tagged.

Labels: About Me, Just Having Fun, School Memories

posted at 5:42 PM
9 comments

Friday, May 25, 2007

SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY--THE DOLL SHELF

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

Kelli is the host for Show and Tell . You can find more posts for Show and Tell with her at There is no place like home.

THE DOLL SHELF

A couple of weeks ago I shared the Mary Hartline Doll that my husband gave me for Valentine's Day this year. I decided that as long as I was discussing dolls, I would just go ahead and share the other beauties on the shelf. These dolls have all come to me in some special way and have a special place in my heart. In the picture above you see the entire small collection.

The little sweetheart above is a Vogue Ginny Doll. These dolls were popular in the 1950s. Some girls collected them the way girls collect American Girl Dolls today. My older sister and I both had one of these dolls. Sis gave me this one several years ago as a remembrance of our childhood. Little Ginny is a precious symbol of my special relationship with my sister.

About eight years ago I was serving as the Assistant Principal of a brand new school. It was a wonderful adventure that I am so glad I had. The staff called me the "Cruise Director" I often had the task of smoothing the waters and helping ease the tension sometimes caused by hard work and the stress of building new working relationships. The office staff gave me the little girl in the red checked dress for Christmas. It has meaning attached to it that I'll just keep in my heart at this time. Just know it is special and I remember that year fondly!

The photo above is yellowed with age. I had prints made for Sis and me when I found this photo in some old family papers. It is the two of us with our Uncle Ed. We lived with him and our Aunt Frankie (my dad's oldest sister) for a year after our mother died. They were an important part of our lives. Uncle Ed was farmer, politician, former teacher, businessman, and a surprisingly loving man. Don't let his arms-folded pose fool you--We were the apples of his eye! Anyway--the subject is dolls! This picture is Christmas, 1953. I am the blondie on the right with my Saucy Walker doll. I don't know what Barb's doll was called, but I think she did something like talk or walk or something as dolls sometimes do! Don't you love my lady-like pose (not!) and those stunning red socks.

Now for the Queen of the Collection! You need a little background information here--Don't laugh! My mother's name was Beulah. Actually it was Bertha Beulah--I know! I know!--What were they thinking! Oh well, at least it's better than her sister--AllieBamah . I am not lying! They were both precious Texas ladies and they loved each other so very much. My mother was always called Beulah and her sister was Bamah.

Anyway, back to the doll. If you are from the South--or have ever traveled in the South you are probably familiar with Cracker Barrel. Several years ago I found this pretty little doll at the Cracker Barrel near my home. Her name is Beulah. It is written on the little card you see attached to her waist. I bought two dolls, one for me and one for my sister. We were going to be together at a family reunion a couple of months later. I knew she would love the doll. We share a doll history as well as sort of half raising each other.

When I got home I realized I had made a mistake. My oldest sister and my brother would be at the reunion , too. I couldn't take just one doll--I had to have two more. Not that my brother played with dolls as a child--I just knew that if all the sisters had one, his family had to have one also. So back to CB I went. Of course they had no more Beulah dolls--just Charlotte and Virginia!

I hunted for those dolls all over the place. There are several Cracker Barrel Restaurants in the general area where I live. I went to every one of them. I didn't trust just calling. I had to look at the card on every doll available myself. Finally, I called the company inSearcy , Arkansas that sold the dolls. No luck! They did not have any more. I decided Barb would just have to have her doll without mentioning it.

Less than a week before I was to go to Texas for the reunion I was in another store--Linens and Things. This is not a store I where I shop often. I just happened to be there with a friend. I was walking around browsing up and down the aisles. Suddenly, I realized I was looking straight at a display of dolls just like Beulah! I couldn't believe it! I started searching the dolls' cards. Charlotte. . .Virginia. . . Amelia. . . Virginia. . . Beulah!!!!!. . .and finally after searching the whole pile of dolls I found TWO!!BEULAHS! They had just what I needed, no more, no less.

I was able to go to Texas with four dolls. My sisters and brother all loved the dolls. My brother shared his with his younger daughter. Kind of silly, I guess--Just little cloth dolls. But to me, my Beulah doll is a reminder of the woman who was our mother. I remember her as a gentle, caring, fun-loving person. She loved us all dearly!

The Beulah doll sits on the shelf, holding court with the other dolls. Each one is a reminder of a special time in my life. They make me smile every time I walk past.

Labels: About Me, Family, Show and Tell

posted at 12:56 AM
23 comments

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

WOMAN TO WOMAN==CELEBRATE ME

Woman to Woman is sponsored by Morning Glory at Seeds From My Garden and Lei at My Many Colored Days. You can go to their posts to learn more about WTW. The topic for this edition is Celebrate Me!

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

My life has been full of variety and ever-changing phases. I have been a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, and friend. I was at one time a stay at home mom. Professionally I have been a writer, a teacher, and a principal. As a student I attended three universities. I have been the wife to a remarkable man. In all of these roles I have experienced many successes--and had a few episodes I wish I could do over!

As I approached this Woman to Woman topic, Celebrate Me, I found myself resisting the urge to explore those familiar roles and, instead, examining the latest phase of my life journey. I analyzed what I consider to be some of my personal strengths: flexibility, intelligence, caring spirit, dependability, and honesty. Finally, I decided to look beyond those characteristics. I attempted to simply answer the question so many friends have asked recently, "How do you do it?"

Who knows,
perhaps you have come
to the kingdom
for such a time as this.
Esther 4:14c (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

The last two years of my life have been a challenge. When my husband became so critically ill that we both were forced to retire, I thought that I would never really be able to meet the challenge. I was terrified and I felt unprepared and unworthy for the task. One of the things I have come to understand in this particular part of our journey is that God has been preparing me for this role all of my life. HE has mercifully given me the required emotional and spiritual strength to face each day's trials. HE has blended into me the personality traits, characteristics, and even quirks necessary to accept detours in life's journey. HE provided me with opportunities--education and life experiences--that prepared me to make difficult and unexpected decisions. Without my realizing it HE was preparing me to meet the challenge.

God has been leading me spiritually my entire life. HE has stayed with me even when I was not as receptive as I should have been. HE put some remarkable people in my life to direct me in the right way. My mother, Beulah, who died when I was seven, introduced me to Jesus. I was living with my Aunt Frankie and Uncle Ed when, at the tender age of eight, I accepted Christ as my savior. My dad, Charlie, made sure that, throughout my childhood and teen years, I was in church almost every time the doors opened. My husband, Mr. L. has a deep relationship with the Lord, and has been the spiritual leader in our home. My husband's career in religious publishing has given us opportunities to meet and be touched by some Christian leaders who walk closely with the Lord. I have had the opportunity to study with some truly anointed Bible teachers.

Does my relationship with all those people assure that I have a relationship with the Lord. Has our family escaped dark and troubled times. No! NO, of course not. But the foundation has always been there. There has always been a path back to the walk with Him. The struggle will always be there and Christians will experience it over and over. The enemy is going to work to lead us from that path, from that walk.

Even in the trials and the emotional upheaval of the last two years I have felt the strength I need for this portion of the journey. Early in this stage I received a very definite message from the Lord. I was headed to bed late one night. My husband had been home for the hospital just a few days and, honestly, I was exhausted. As I went to bed I picked up my Bible. I was really too tired to read, but I felt led. I just opened the Bible and was struck by the passage that appeared before me. I read just what I needed to hear:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

-- James 1:2-5 (NIV)

Throughout my life, as I have faced trials and tests, the Lord has been teaching me patience and perseverance. He has been there all along, giving wisdom and teaching me as I grew. Now, in perhaps the most exacting test of all, He is still there. I call on Him daily, even hourly, for wisdom, strength, and direction. He has given abundantly. My strength comes from HIM.

Labels: About Me, Faith, Marriage, Woman to Woman

posted at 9:46 PM
12 comments

Thursday, May 17, 2007

IT'S JUST MY WEST TEXAS TWANG

What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net

Southern. Love it or hate it, your accent says you're probably from somewhere south of the Ohio River.

Take this quiz now - it's easy!

Mama Roar gave us this nifty little quiz a few days ago. I share it here again just in case you didn't see it. AND I thought of a little story about my West Texas twang. So--If you haven't already, why don't you take the little quiz and meet me back here.when you finish.

OK, now you know how you speak--like you didn't already know. But it is kind of fun to see it on the map--Right! My map showed me just what I already knew--From the south!

Yep that's me. I was born, and mainly raised, in West Texas--with some time spent in North Central Texas. Some people don't consider Texas the true south. It's considered Southwest. But in the large scheme of things, it is in the south. As a young adult I moved to Tennessee--which is definitely the SOUTH!.

So, naturally my speech is Southern--but how far south? When I speak I hear a little Tennessee and a lot of Texas. I once met a man who told me just by listening to my speech exactly where I was from.

Several years ago I was attending graduate school at a university in Middle Tennessee. I had been in class and with a study group all of one Saturday morning. About six or seven of us had gone to a little diner/coffee shop near the campus for lunch. We sat talking for awhile after we had eaten and were preparing to return to campus for the afternoon class session. I stopped at the pay phone (this was in the days before cell phones) to touch base with my husband about our late afternoon/evening schedule. Our conversation was about our children, soccer games, and movies.

When I got off the phone a man sitting nearby on a stool at the counter asked me if he could ask me something. Well, I'm not in the habit of speaking to strange men, but he looked safe and I was with a group, so I stopped. He said he had been listening to me and he wanted to know if I was from Lubbock, or Amarillo, Texas. I was somewhat surprised, because there was nothing in my conversation on the phone, or at the table, that had anything to do with where I was from. So I asked why he would think I was from one of those small cities. He explained that he was a linguistics professor and liked to try to match people to their town of origin by listening to their speech. He said that his best guess for me was Lubbock, but there was a hint of something else and he thought I might have lived in Amarillo.

I was born thirty miles from Lubbock and had lived in Lubbock more than anywhere else for most of my growing up years--including going back there to college! I explained my West Texas background and added that I had lived some other places in Texas (DFW and between Wichita Falls and Amarillo) and had been in Tennessee for about 17 years. He said those years could account for the little difference he was hearing!

He went on to nail, within at least fifty miles, the hometowns of two others in the group. One of them had lived in or near Baton Rouge, LA all of her life. I figured that was a no brainer for someone with that skill! The other was a little more difficult--a small town in Illinois.

That's just a little random story about speech, geography, graduate school in the eighties, and a man who either had a real talent for language or too much free time!

Labels: About Me, Just Having Fun, Random Thoughts

posted at 7:51 PM
7 comments

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #1

Places I Have Visited and Would Love to Visit Again

I could list several more places that have special meaning to me/our family, but these stand out in my mind as significant. Just making the list has given me a flood of wonderful memories of traveling with my husband, family, and friends. Although some of these places definitely have a greater impact on my emotions and/or memory, they are not listed in any particular order of importance.

1. Jerusalem--What an expereience to walk where Jesus walked! Visiting there was like going home; although the sights were new, the places were familar. To personally experience the places where well-loved stories took place was a joy beyond belief.

2. Ephesus--How exciting to stand in the ampitheater and imagine what it must have been like to have been there in the days of Paul and Barnabus. According to tradition, John brought Mary to Ephesus to live. Walking on the magnificent marble roads was an amazing privilege.

3. The Island of Patmos--The place of John's exile. When he was there it was a Roman prison site of bleak desolation. Today it is a beautiful green island with gorgeous wild flowers and pristine villages. The blue of the water is unbelievable.

4. Chicago--I never really thought of wanting to go to Chicago until a couple of years ago when I had the opportunity to go there with my husband. It was our last trip before he became so critically ill. It is an exciting city that I only began to explore--so many places left to discover!

5. St. Auguatine, Florida--This old--and modern--town is a peaceful, quaint and interesting place to relax and recharge.

6. Camden, Maine--A beautiful, unspoiled sailing port where you can relax, relax, relax. The deli had great coffee and there is a wonderful park where you can watch yachts, lobster boats, schooners, and small sailboats come and go all day. Taking a chooner trip intoPenobscot Bay was a thrill for this "afraid of deep water" girl of West Texas! There are lwots of delightful inns and bed and breakfast accomocations.

7. Nova Scotia--If you enjoy visiting lighthouses or old churches this is your place! We had a delightful picnic lunch near a lighthouse with a LOUD FOG HORN!!! The Bay of Fundy is a powerful body of water--take motion sickness drugs before the ride over on the huge ferry boats!

8, Glorieta and Santa Fe New Mexico--The two are inseparable in my mind! Our family has such good and meaningful memories of these places. Thank you, Lord, for Glorieta!

9. Mackinac Island, Michigan--Oh my goodness, what a treat--quaint and fudge-filled for me, lghthouses nearby for my husband! No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. If you don't like horses. horse-drwn vehicles, bicycles, or walking this is not for you! We liked it so much we have visited three times; If I ever go again I'm staying at the Grand Hotel--luxury plus!

10. Lake Barkley State Park, Kentucky--The scene of over twenty Thanksgiving weekends with our family. This was our annual "family retreat"--every year was different as two little boys grew toward manhood.

11. The edge of the plateau, Tennessee--Home for two of our four precious grandchildren!

12. Three miles down the road from my house--Home for the other two precious grandchildren!

13. Texas--Home of my childhood and where I met and married my husband. Don't Mess with Texas!

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Labels: About Me, Family, Thursday13

posted at 12:29 AM
6 comments