We thought we had pretty much seen the beauty of Tennessee, but yesterday our son-in-law took us on a tour that was majestic! Not that the mountains were glacier high, but they rose in rolling heights, neat-as-a-pin homes perched here and there. How did they find, build and live so far and high in these steep enclaves?
I was amazed at the bounty and beauty of perfectly maintained roads leading everywhere throughout the country side. Evidently, although many roads were narrow, leading off on a narrow path to a residence tucked out of sight, they were clean and well kept.
Further and further we drove as our route crisscrossed over hills and valleys, our guide pointing out where bears were seen in deep hollows, even having been found in yards, cars, or inside a house opening a refrigerator!
"There's where a flock of turkeys blocked the road," driver Steve pointed out. Or, "A bunch of deer ran in front of me there the other day," he went on. Then a majestic eagle floated overhead on gossamer wings lifted by the updrafts of air currents below.
"See that house over there?" our guide pointed out at a distant, mansion-looking residence on a hill. "Look back through the trees, and you can see where we live." Sure enough we could glimpse their roof on the other side of the valley. I had often noticed and wondered about the house on the hill separated by hills and mountains. Now I could see it for myself!
Our scenic view was endless, including dilapidated, weather-worn barns, old milk stalls, quirky collections of someone's desire, even a working water wheel beside a house and a metal box car at another.
Sheep and goats grazed and lolled on rounded hills, but we would have to wait for another excursion sometime, because sunset was upon us!
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Heart Thoughts
There are many adjustments to relocating, including searching out new doctors, especially for Howard who has to have regular check ups since his heart surgery a few years ago. Last week we met with a cardiologist, and today we went to the office of a general practitioner.
A nurse practitioner was on duty, and we found her to be efficient and personable. At one point in amiable conversation, she mentioned that her daughter was in the process of choosing a college, and was considering Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. They had visited there and found the recruiter there to be very helpful.
"Our granddaughter works there as a recruiter!" my husband announced. "Her name is Corrin," he exclaimed to the practitioner.
"Well this young lady's name was Laura," she went on. "She was so helpful and beautiful." She went on to talk of her long, black hair, her tiny waist, knowledgeable information and her soft, cultured voice.
"That's Corrin!" we assured her. "Her name is Laura Corrin! She graduated this summer and has been working in Chicago for a week in recruiting!"
"She's a recruiter?" the friendly lady questioned in surprise. When we assured her that was our granddaughter, she was pleased and astounded that this coincidence had taken place!
Later, we went to pick up an item from the pharmacy at Walmart, and as we were checking out, we found that the checker was from Oklahoma!
"Where in Oklahoma?" I asked, to which he surprised me by saying, "Ponca City."
Ponca City! Where we had just moved from! Soon he and Howard were engrossed in conversation of shared familiar places and people.
Another coincidence? No, we believe it was God who orchestrated our movements today.
Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
A nurse practitioner was on duty, and we found her to be efficient and personable. At one point in amiable conversation, she mentioned that her daughter was in the process of choosing a college, and was considering Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. They had visited there and found the recruiter there to be very helpful.
"Our granddaughter works there as a recruiter!" my husband announced. "Her name is Corrin," he exclaimed to the practitioner.
"Well this young lady's name was Laura," she went on. "She was so helpful and beautiful." She went on to talk of her long, black hair, her tiny waist, knowledgeable information and her soft, cultured voice.
"That's Corrin!" we assured her. "Her name is Laura Corrin! She graduated this summer and has been working in Chicago for a week in recruiting!"
"She's a recruiter?" the friendly lady questioned in surprise. When we assured her that was our granddaughter, she was pleased and astounded that this coincidence had taken place!
Later, we went to pick up an item from the pharmacy at Walmart, and as we were checking out, we found that the checker was from Oklahoma!
"Where in Oklahoma?" I asked, to which he surprised me by saying, "Ponca City."
Ponca City! Where we had just moved from! Soon he and Howard were engrossed in conversation of shared familiar places and people.
Another coincidence? No, we believe it was God who orchestrated our movements today.
Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Monday, October 7, 2019
Raindrops!
Rain! What a joyful surprise when I looked out the door last night and saw that it was raining! It has been unaccustomedly dry here in Tennessee for some time. Instead of the beautiful fall foliage we have been looking forward to, much of the the landscape is dotted with trees covered with dead leaves. Hopefully we will see some color yet!
It felt like the rain of the Holy Spirit in church yesterday. The song, "I will pray like David prayed" was enthusiastically sung by the congregation, then, "I will sing like David sang" then finally, "I will dance like David danced."
It was quite moving, and at the end of the song service, Pastor had the verse "I will dance like David danced," repeated and began to dance joyfully himself! On and on, in graceful worship, the minister moved. As we sang, the Holy Spirit was obviously present, and I felt my feet begin to sway and move under the presence of the Lord! What a refreshing service!
I love the song, "It's Beginning to Rain" that we used to sing at a previous church. One of the stanzas was, "It's beginning to rain, rain, rain, hear the voice of the Father, saying, "Whosoever will come drink of this water; He's pouring His spirit out on your sons and your daughters; If you're thirsty and dry, Look up to the sky, It's beginning to rain."
Later, at a family worship service at home following the Sunday meal, the great-grand children all joined in the singing and praising as the Holy Spirit was still evident among us. Welcome, rain!
It felt like the rain of the Holy Spirit in church yesterday. The song, "I will pray like David prayed" was enthusiastically sung by the congregation, then, "I will sing like David sang" then finally, "I will dance like David danced."
It was quite moving, and at the end of the song service, Pastor had the verse "I will dance like David danced," repeated and began to dance joyfully himself! On and on, in graceful worship, the minister moved. As we sang, the Holy Spirit was obviously present, and I felt my feet begin to sway and move under the presence of the Lord! What a refreshing service!
I love the song, "It's Beginning to Rain" that we used to sing at a previous church. One of the stanzas was, "It's beginning to rain, rain, rain, hear the voice of the Father, saying, "Whosoever will come drink of this water; He's pouring His spirit out on your sons and your daughters; If you're thirsty and dry, Look up to the sky, It's beginning to rain."
Later, at a family worship service at home following the Sunday meal, the great-grand children all joined in the singing and praising as the Holy Spirit was still evident among us. Welcome, rain!
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Surprise Encounter
"Mimi, look!" our granddaughter Bethany motioned, "That car has a Pearl River license plate!"
"What?" I exclaimed, then I turned to look. Pearl River county, Mississippi, was where we had lived for 20 years just outside the town of Picayune.
I rushed over to the car that had been parked beside us at the Tennessee supermarket and had just backed out. "Are you from Pearl River county?" I asked the puzzled-looking driver. When he nodded in the affirmative, I asked if he was from Picayune.
"Carriere," he said. That was a small community down the road a bit from Picayune.
"Howard!" I called to my husband who was about to get in our car. "This man is from Pearl River county!" He was wide-eyed and lost no time in engaging the driver in conversation. Although the stranger didn't know any of our kids, his last name was well known from students they knew from school.
This reminded me of something that happened on a trip to see our daughter in Georgia several years ago. We were stuck in a traffic jam with travelers frustrated and some getting out of cars, strolling down the highway to see the cause of the delay. Idly gazing out our car window, I spelled out the letters I could see on the license plate of a nearby car. P-E-A-R... I read, then "Pearl River!" I exclaimed, realizing the tag was from Pearl River County, Mississippi! Howard lost no time in visiting with the driver who had lived not far from the area where we raised our family.
We have moved so much, only recently from our home in Oklahoma to the mountains of Tennessee, that we have learned to appreciate the variety of God's creation. I like the scriptures in Acts17:24, 26, which say, "God made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. (26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."
No matter where we go, God knows where we are!
"What?" I exclaimed, then I turned to look. Pearl River county, Mississippi, was where we had lived for 20 years just outside the town of Picayune.
I rushed over to the car that had been parked beside us at the Tennessee supermarket and had just backed out. "Are you from Pearl River county?" I asked the puzzled-looking driver. When he nodded in the affirmative, I asked if he was from Picayune.
"Carriere," he said. That was a small community down the road a bit from Picayune.
"Howard!" I called to my husband who was about to get in our car. "This man is from Pearl River county!" He was wide-eyed and lost no time in engaging the driver in conversation. Although the stranger didn't know any of our kids, his last name was well known from students they knew from school.
This reminded me of something that happened on a trip to see our daughter in Georgia several years ago. We were stuck in a traffic jam with travelers frustrated and some getting out of cars, strolling down the highway to see the cause of the delay. Idly gazing out our car window, I spelled out the letters I could see on the license plate of a nearby car. P-E-A-R... I read, then "Pearl River!" I exclaimed, realizing the tag was from Pearl River County, Mississippi! Howard lost no time in visiting with the driver who had lived not far from the area where we raised our family.
We have moved so much, only recently from our home in Oklahoma to the mountains of Tennessee, that we have learned to appreciate the variety of God's creation. I like the scriptures in Acts17:24, 26, which say, "God made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. (26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."
No matter where we go, God knows where we are!
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
While You're Up
"Beulah, while you're up, would you warm up my coffee?" my dad was heard saying by a visiting relative.
"Beulah, while you're up..." Mama's nephew exclaimed, "I always wondered what your name was, now I know! "It's 'Beulah, while you're up!'"
(Beulah was Mama's name, a very beautiful name from the Bible, which means favored and blessed of the Lord).
I was thinking of that this morning at breakfast when I went for a forgotten item and my husband requested, "Thelma, while you're up, would you get me some more coffee?"
It reminded me of the story from the Bible about the widow and Elijah. At the Lord's command, Elijah had been hiding out from the wicked king, Ahab. at the brook, Cherith. There he was fed by ravens until the brook dried up, then God directed him to go to Zarepath where a widow woman would sustain him.
I Kings 17:10-11, "So he arose and went to Zarepath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."
Evidently, "While you're up," goes way back!
"Beulah, while you're up..." Mama's nephew exclaimed, "I always wondered what your name was, now I know! "It's 'Beulah, while you're up!'"
(Beulah was Mama's name, a very beautiful name from the Bible, which means favored and blessed of the Lord).
I was thinking of that this morning at breakfast when I went for a forgotten item and my husband requested, "Thelma, while you're up, would you get me some more coffee?"
It reminded me of the story from the Bible about the widow and Elijah. At the Lord's command, Elijah had been hiding out from the wicked king, Ahab. at the brook, Cherith. There he was fed by ravens until the brook dried up, then God directed him to go to Zarepath where a widow woman would sustain him.
I Kings 17:10-11, "So he arose and went to Zarepath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."
Evidently, "While you're up," goes way back!
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
The Move
"Three moves are as bad as a burn-out!" I remember Mama saying when I was a child. I've learned there is a lot of truth in that! We have moved several times in our 60-plus years of marriage. I have always had to pare down, give away or donate some of the goods and/or furnishings we had accumulated.
Not only that, some things would be damaged in transit or ruined from being stored. Sometimes I look at old pictures and see something familiar we left behind. "Oh, I remember that!" I think with a wistful twinge. Actually, I had forgotten about it, but the photo brought back memories.
I used to have a screened front porch with wicker furniture I had collected. We often ate breakfast or lunch there while the cool breeze fluttered the checked table cloth. I miss it.
The hurdle of moving to Tennessee late this summer was eased with the generous help of family members who pitched in, loading the big van, doing the driving and getting us settled.
Our grands are grand about showing us around! Last week we discovered great outlet stores, a guitar center (for my spouse), a Tuesday Morning, then off the beaten path where there is a country dairy which provides milk for several local supermarkets.
I'm not so nervous these days when Howard navigates the serpentine curves around the scenic countryside. The views are always enchanting (to a flat-lander), especially when I see a perfectly round mountain covered with green grass and cows dotting the hillside grazing contentedly along its heights.
Moves are trying, but I guess I'm not burnt out yet!
Not only that, some things would be damaged in transit or ruined from being stored. Sometimes I look at old pictures and see something familiar we left behind. "Oh, I remember that!" I think with a wistful twinge. Actually, I had forgotten about it, but the photo brought back memories.
I used to have a screened front porch with wicker furniture I had collected. We often ate breakfast or lunch there while the cool breeze fluttered the checked table cloth. I miss it.
The hurdle of moving to Tennessee late this summer was eased with the generous help of family members who pitched in, loading the big van, doing the driving and getting us settled.
Our grands are grand about showing us around! Last week we discovered great outlet stores, a guitar center (for my spouse), a Tuesday Morning, then off the beaten path where there is a country dairy which provides milk for several local supermarkets.
I'm not so nervous these days when Howard navigates the serpentine curves around the scenic countryside. The views are always enchanting (to a flat-lander), especially when I see a perfectly round mountain covered with green grass and cows dotting the hillside grazing contentedly along its heights.
Moves are trying, but I guess I'm not burnt out yet!
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