Oh, no! Our Keurig quit working! My husband broke the news to me this morning, since he arose early to make coffee. It was a Christmas gift that we had enjoyed only a little over a month! He has gone today to return it and see if the store makes it good. I won't hold my breath, though.
Feeling a little under the weather, I didn't go out into the snow with him to town. Actually, I am making oatmeal cookies to pass the time. We were so surprised to wake up to snow this morning! It is not much, but enough to make my granddaughters unable to exit the store lot due to the car's slipping and sliding.The hero of the family with a 4-wheel drive vehicle went to rescue them!
I noticed on a Facebook post from this date last year that I announced one word: "SNOW!" So history repeats itself! That was in Oklahoma, but now we are in Tennessee. All day, I thought today was Saturday. When my son from Texas called from his car to chat, I asked who was with the children. "They are at school!" he exclaimed. So I won't be going to church tomorrow, after all!
I took a notion recently to share Howard's videos, made over four years ago before he had heart surgery. It was easy enough to pull up the few he made following his recovery, but for some reason, I could not locate the others on the internet! My computer-savvy granddaughter, Mackenzie, searched and searched for them, but to no avail. I was determined to solve the mystery, but giving up in frustration, I let it go.
Then, Eureka! Adam! My grandson in Oklahoma could find them if anyone could! I contacted him, and with a few manipulations of genius, there they were! I couldn't believe it, thinking they were lost for good! Now I am enjoying them again and sharing with those who might not have seen them. In them, Howard plays the guitar, gives scripture, and shares a song. I especially like the ones where he incorporates a story, or a testimony of God's goodness.
As the "producer," and videographer, it was my job to help select the songs, keep his dapper appearance, make sure the words were printed in large letters, and hold the "camera" steady. It was a great combined endeavor that we enjoyed very much. Now I feel like having a cup of coffee when hopefully Howard gets home with a new appliance to enjoy an oatmeal cookie with me!
Friday, February 7, 2020
Thursday, February 6, 2020
The Visit
We are so excited that our son, Trevor, will be coming to see us soon! He has never been in Tennessee, and we are planning to take him to various places of interest. I know he will love seeing downtown Jonesborough, founded in 1779, in its historic beauty. Our favorite place to eat is there, to which we plan to take him.
He will only be here for part of four days, so not much can be crammed in, but he is definitely looking forward to seeing "The Birthplace of Country Music" in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia. If possible, we want to take him to see the area where my mother, his beloved grandmother, lived as a child, near Knoxville, TN.
A heart-tugging visit to our ancestors' family cemetery is on the agenda, a captivating wonderment to ponder over the old headstones, names of Great-grandparents and unknown relatives laid to rest there.
The best part of Trevor's visit will no doubt be seeing all his nieces and nephews here, their mates and the cute children, so smart and lovable. Besides all the sight-seeing, I'm sure he will enjoy his mom's home-cooked breakfasts and/or family feasts with everyone.
We just learned that prior to Trevor's visit here, he and wife Jennifer will be in New Orleans this weekend. She will be running in a marathon, and I'm sure there will be time for sight-seeing, since Trevor was born and raised there in his early years. It wouldn't surprise me if he looked up old neighbors from when we lived there.
Our thoughtful son asked if there was anything he could bring his dad from New Orleans, and Howard asked for a bag of Luzianne coffee. I couldn't think of anything, but since it is Mardi Gras time down there, he will probably find a trinket or two for me.
Trevor's dad is determined that we will go into the mountains, to the Cherokee National Forest when he is here. The elevation is 6,000 feet, making your ears pop, but it is very beautiful, so hopefully there will be time for that on our son's whirl-wind visit!
He will only be here for part of four days, so not much can be crammed in, but he is definitely looking forward to seeing "The Birthplace of Country Music" in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia. If possible, we want to take him to see the area where my mother, his beloved grandmother, lived as a child, near Knoxville, TN.
A heart-tugging visit to our ancestors' family cemetery is on the agenda, a captivating wonderment to ponder over the old headstones, names of Great-grandparents and unknown relatives laid to rest there.
The best part of Trevor's visit will no doubt be seeing all his nieces and nephews here, their mates and the cute children, so smart and lovable. Besides all the sight-seeing, I'm sure he will enjoy his mom's home-cooked breakfasts and/or family feasts with everyone.
We just learned that prior to Trevor's visit here, he and wife Jennifer will be in New Orleans this weekend. She will be running in a marathon, and I'm sure there will be time for sight-seeing, since Trevor was born and raised there in his early years. It wouldn't surprise me if he looked up old neighbors from when we lived there.
Our thoughtful son asked if there was anything he could bring his dad from New Orleans, and Howard asked for a bag of Luzianne coffee. I couldn't think of anything, but since it is Mardi Gras time down there, he will probably find a trinket or two for me.
Trevor's dad is determined that we will go into the mountains, to the Cherokee National Forest when he is here. The elevation is 6,000 feet, making your ears pop, but it is very beautiful, so hopefully there will be time for that on our son's whirl-wind visit!
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Trunk or Treat
What an eventful day! On this rain-free, beautiful mid-day, we set out for town. Howard suggested lunch at one of our favorite, but rarely visited, places in downtown, historic Jonesborough. The food was great, and the walk down from our parking place on the hill was made pleasant by chatting with friendly, talkative folks we met along the way.
Then we headed for the shopping area to buy food, but first I wanted to get my hair cut at a great place in the strip mall. Then a quick exploration of a dress shop I hadn't yet visited since we moved here last summer. In no time I had found a few bargains, then at last we got our groceries.
"Do you want me to put them in the trunk?" I asked my hubby. He said okay, so I placed the considerable number of bags inside, pretty much filling up the trunk space. Then I placed the cart out of the way, and we headed home.
"It sure feels breezy in here," I commented as we drove along with zooming cars along the highway. It was noisy, too. Then I looked back and was shocked to find the wind was coming from an opening in the back! Suddenly I realized that the trunk was wide open! How did I forget to close the trunk? Dear Lord! What were we going to do in this traffic with passengers motioning toward our trunk! Finally we found a place to exit, and thankfully nothing was lost, and the trunk lid was unharmed and quickly closed shut!
I was weak from the ordeal, but my relieved husband insisted on stopping for coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. (Maybe he wanted to settle his nerves, too!) All I wanted was some cold water, as I slumped in recovery while he enjoyed his coffee and donut.
As we drove up, our son-in-law, Steve, was in the yard and insisted on helping with the groceries. Thinking of our dilemma and the road, I remembered the scripture, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46. Amen!
Then we headed for the shopping area to buy food, but first I wanted to get my hair cut at a great place in the strip mall. Then a quick exploration of a dress shop I hadn't yet visited since we moved here last summer. In no time I had found a few bargains, then at last we got our groceries.
"Do you want me to put them in the trunk?" I asked my hubby. He said okay, so I placed the considerable number of bags inside, pretty much filling up the trunk space. Then I placed the cart out of the way, and we headed home.
"It sure feels breezy in here," I commented as we drove along with zooming cars along the highway. It was noisy, too. Then I looked back and was shocked to find the wind was coming from an opening in the back! Suddenly I realized that the trunk was wide open! How did I forget to close the trunk? Dear Lord! What were we going to do in this traffic with passengers motioning toward our trunk! Finally we found a place to exit, and thankfully nothing was lost, and the trunk lid was unharmed and quickly closed shut!
I was weak from the ordeal, but my relieved husband insisted on stopping for coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. (Maybe he wanted to settle his nerves, too!) All I wanted was some cold water, as I slumped in recovery while he enjoyed his coffee and donut.
As we drove up, our son-in-law, Steve, was in the yard and insisted on helping with the groceries. Thinking of our dilemma and the road, I remembered the scripture, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46. Amen!
Friday, January 31, 2020
De ja Vu or Raising Cane
Whew! What a lot of groceries we had bought, I thought, as we unloaded our purchases. The next day Howard was looking for his cane, which was no where to be found. I had already looked in the car for it, but not in the rear compartment, so I volunteered to search further. No, it wasn't in the back of the car either.
"Why don't you call the store and see if it was turned in?" I suggested to my concerned mate. Sure enough, when we made the call, after describing it, we were relieved that it was held in lost and found. Howard sat in the cane-less car while I went in and recovered his favorite cane. Obviously, it was left in the grocery cart and rescued by a thoughtful employee.
Since this was the second cane we had recovered from leaving one in a cart, I thought about something my mother included in a memoir written in a letter to one of her brothers, Uncle George Jr. Mama grew up in Tennessee until she was 12 years old, when they moved to Texas at the insistence of an uncle.
Mama wrote of the bucolic life style they enjoyed in their big Tennessee farmhouse with two fireplaces, smoke house full of meat, home-canned vegetables, apple orchard, preserved food in big stone crocks, and horses to ride to school. After school, the kids did chores such as feeding the horses, milk the cows and feed the hogs. Grandpa raised tobacco, and the kids had the responsibility to go to the field with sticks to knock the big fat worms off the tobacco plants.
Which brings me to the point of my story. Among other things, Grandpa raised sugar cane. The children had the chore of taking sticks and whipping all the fodder off the stalks, so that when Grandpa came into the field with a big knife he would cut it all down and put it into the wagon. The wagon load of cane was hauled to the molasses mill to cook the juice into molasses, poured into buckets when the kids got to sop the pans!
Other stories of shucking corn, taking it to the mill to be ground into corn meal, corn-shucking parties and candy pulls were written of in her letter. Those memories kept her warm until she passed in 1996, the most godly woman I've ever known, and she never used a cane!
"Why don't you call the store and see if it was turned in?" I suggested to my concerned mate. Sure enough, when we made the call, after describing it, we were relieved that it was held in lost and found. Howard sat in the cane-less car while I went in and recovered his favorite cane. Obviously, it was left in the grocery cart and rescued by a thoughtful employee.
Since this was the second cane we had recovered from leaving one in a cart, I thought about something my mother included in a memoir written in a letter to one of her brothers, Uncle George Jr. Mama grew up in Tennessee until she was 12 years old, when they moved to Texas at the insistence of an uncle.
Mama wrote of the bucolic life style they enjoyed in their big Tennessee farmhouse with two fireplaces, smoke house full of meat, home-canned vegetables, apple orchard, preserved food in big stone crocks, and horses to ride to school. After school, the kids did chores such as feeding the horses, milk the cows and feed the hogs. Grandpa raised tobacco, and the kids had the responsibility to go to the field with sticks to knock the big fat worms off the tobacco plants.
Which brings me to the point of my story. Among other things, Grandpa raised sugar cane. The children had the chore of taking sticks and whipping all the fodder off the stalks, so that when Grandpa came into the field with a big knife he would cut it all down and put it into the wagon. The wagon load of cane was hauled to the molasses mill to cook the juice into molasses, poured into buckets when the kids got to sop the pans!
Other stories of shucking corn, taking it to the mill to be ground into corn meal, corn-shucking parties and candy pulls were written of in her letter. Those memories kept her warm until she passed in 1996, the most godly woman I've ever known, and she never used a cane!
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
The Gift
When I get sleepy, it may feel like sand is in my eyes. I might say, "I'm going to see the sandman," and go to bed. Well now, I have a legitimate excuse for that. But let me back up a minute. It seems that during a phone conversation with our son in Oklahoma, Howard mentioned it being cold here in Tennessee, even getting cold at night (maybe because I pull the covers!)
Son Greg said he has a blanket made of sand that keeps him warm as toast! Then he said he was going to send us one, and we would never be cold again! Sure enough, yesterday a postal truck drove up, and carrying a box to our door, the delivery man said as he handed it to me, "It's got some weight to it!" Sure enough, when we opened the box I saw a folded blanket covered in small, stitched squares. The label said the "blanket" weighed 15 pounds!
I spread it on the bed, tried it out, and was surprised that it was quite comfortable, the weight distributed evenly and in place. So tonight I plan to sleep as warm and cozy as a bug in a rug (with no sand in my eyes).
A few nights ago, my husband was seemingly too sleepy and lethargic, even losing his balance and landing on the floor. A trip to the emergency room revealed that his sugar was too high, other tests were run, and medication brought everything under control. While he was waiting for results, warm blankets kept him comfortable on the hospital bed. As the hours passed, a warm blanket was brought to me, too, and nothing felt so delicious.
When my siblings and I were growing up, Mama put lots of covers on our beds, from quilts she had pieced and quilted, often out of heavy material such as denim and work clothes. Sometimes it felt like I couldn't move under their weight, which reminds me of the sand blanket I will sleep under tonight. Maybe I will dream of those long ago nights, warmed by the care of a loving, resourceful mother, who never would have thought of sand blankets!
Son Greg said he has a blanket made of sand that keeps him warm as toast! Then he said he was going to send us one, and we would never be cold again! Sure enough, yesterday a postal truck drove up, and carrying a box to our door, the delivery man said as he handed it to me, "It's got some weight to it!" Sure enough, when we opened the box I saw a folded blanket covered in small, stitched squares. The label said the "blanket" weighed 15 pounds!
I spread it on the bed, tried it out, and was surprised that it was quite comfortable, the weight distributed evenly and in place. So tonight I plan to sleep as warm and cozy as a bug in a rug (with no sand in my eyes).
A few nights ago, my husband was seemingly too sleepy and lethargic, even losing his balance and landing on the floor. A trip to the emergency room revealed that his sugar was too high, other tests were run, and medication brought everything under control. While he was waiting for results, warm blankets kept him comfortable on the hospital bed. As the hours passed, a warm blanket was brought to me, too, and nothing felt so delicious.
When my siblings and I were growing up, Mama put lots of covers on our beds, from quilts she had pieced and quilted, often out of heavy material such as denim and work clothes. Sometimes it felt like I couldn't move under their weight, which reminds me of the sand blanket I will sleep under tonight. Maybe I will dream of those long ago nights, warmed by the care of a loving, resourceful mother, who never would have thought of sand blankets!
Friday, January 24, 2020
It Came in the Mail
"Don't throw that away!" my husband exclaimed as I was about to toss some junk mail. "It says I can get a free duffel bag!"
The Bible says in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, 0 LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer." A good message to ponder!
I scoured the offer, and it sounded complicated, requiring more info from us. I had no idea what he needed with another piece of luggage to store away. Howard relented, although a little reluctantly.
I remembered stories my spouse has related about how as a boy he loved to send off for things and get them in the mail. He reminisced longingly how he would make the order, then sit on the porch for days waiting for the package to come in, whether it be a gadget or a highly touted object he couldn't live without.
Well, that is still his weakness, I guess, although I know his main interest these days is studying the Bible and reading inspirational books. The possibility of getting a mail order offer and actually profiting from the word of God is of no comparison.
Rather than send off for something and waiting for its delivery, we have the power of prayer that is carried instantaneously to its destination. Our prayers are answered by the will of God at exactly the right time!
Rather than send off for something and waiting for its delivery, we have the power of prayer that is carried instantaneously to its destination. Our prayers are answered by the will of God at exactly the right time!
Our mail carrier delivers an ever-increasing bundle of mail daily, most of which goes into the trash after it is carefully examined and pored over by my diligent hubby. Somehow much unwanted or unneeded communication has found its way to our rural mailbox.
The only letters that are beneficial and spirit lifting are the letters written in the Holy Bible by God's servants over the centuries. They carry truth, encouragement, warnings, prophecies, promises, hope and miracles, to name a few.
The only letters that are beneficial and spirit lifting are the letters written in the Holy Bible by God's servants over the centuries. They carry truth, encouragement, warnings, prophecies, promises, hope and miracles, to name a few.
The Bible says in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, 0 LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer." A good message to ponder!
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Changes
"Mom, you're right. It's not Christmas any more, so it's time to take the tree down," said our three-year-old Great-grandson, Mason, yesterday. He had previously insisted that the forlorn tree should stay up, even though the glass balls had been removed and the branches were devoid of decoration.
Well, I took a cue from him today and reluctantly put away the last of the Christmas decor, which I had nurtured along, keeping little semblances of Christmas for a little while longer. Suddenly I was immersed in the notion of rearranging and setting out new groupings and center pieces, which were refreshing and inspiring!
How often we hang on to the past! Thinking those days were better than these days, thus depriving ourselves of the newness and opportunities of today! In reality, the good old days were not always so good, only amplified by memories and imagination.
My granddaughter's little boy was on the right track, as he was heard singing, then saying, "My spirit is singing!"
Ephesians 5: 18 admonishes us to "...be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."
Another little Great-grandson, Kaden, almost 2 yo, has discovered a new joy and skill: finding a pencil and writing on walls! Not only on walls as high as his chubby little hands can reach, but on books, papers and toys!
Our youngest grandchild, Isaac, 6, was given some chores to keep him busy, and from pictures I could see he was sweeping in the garage. The last frame told the story of his efforts. Two short pieces of 2x4s were left abandoned and covered in bent nails crookedly sunk into the boards.
Children are our future, and under wholesome training and love they will grow into young adults to be proud of. Isaiah 54:13, promises, "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."
Well, I took a cue from him today and reluctantly put away the last of the Christmas decor, which I had nurtured along, keeping little semblances of Christmas for a little while longer. Suddenly I was immersed in the notion of rearranging and setting out new groupings and center pieces, which were refreshing and inspiring!
How often we hang on to the past! Thinking those days were better than these days, thus depriving ourselves of the newness and opportunities of today! In reality, the good old days were not always so good, only amplified by memories and imagination.
My granddaughter's little boy was on the right track, as he was heard singing, then saying, "My spirit is singing!"
Ephesians 5: 18 admonishes us to "...be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."
Another little Great-grandson, Kaden, almost 2 yo, has discovered a new joy and skill: finding a pencil and writing on walls! Not only on walls as high as his chubby little hands can reach, but on books, papers and toys!
Our youngest grandchild, Isaac, 6, was given some chores to keep him busy, and from pictures I could see he was sweeping in the garage. The last frame told the story of his efforts. Two short pieces of 2x4s were left abandoned and covered in bent nails crookedly sunk into the boards.
Children are our future, and under wholesome training and love they will grow into young adults to be proud of. Isaiah 54:13, promises, "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."
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