Twelve, Well Maybe Not

No, today is not day 12 in the countdown to Christmas, it is day 10. I had worked on a series of stories for the 12 day countdown, and in the middle of the night Monday, I woke up with the impression that I needed to start fresh and bring the stories to you with an entirely different outlook. So, after a little fussing and maybe some arguing with God about "all the time and thought" that I had already put in, I realized that the reason that His ideas kept coming back into my head and heart and making me melt into puddles of warmth and smiles was because, I already knew the obvious. He was right. So here we go again.

Over the past week, I've posted a couple of stories that reached so many comments, emails and calls from people, that it warmed me and led me a little further down my spiritual path.  With a smile and a quiet thank-you, I once again shared my thoughts with the One that planted those seeds and put one of my dear friends in my path to bring me further inspiration.

Twelve days of Christmas is now down to ten, and as here is the story.

We have had some insanely crazy, whacked out unseasonably cold weather here in Georgia.  All it takes is plummeting temps or brisk winds bringing in an Alberta clipper or a freak snow or ice event, and my head decides to explode from the pressure changes.  Monday night, I couldn't sleep.  it had been ridiculously cold all day and the wind would blow your thoughts away as well as turn any perfect coif into the Nightmare Before Christmas!

Tossing and turning, I finally conceded and grabbed my pillows, my wonder dog and wearily made me way to the couch in the living room so I could do the old Vicks routine, prop up and maybe, just maybe, go back to sleep and not disturb my snoring husband in the process.  (He detests the smell of Vicks and it will even wake him up from a sound sleep if I put it under my nose.)

After a few moments of finding blankets and fluffing up the dog's bed, trying to figure out how to turn off those confounded blue function lights on the DVR, I finally, finally got settled in, dog in his bed, me Vicks'd and covered with the only quilt I could find in the dark.  Prop up, lay down, turn on my side, prop up again.  Oh well, sleep just wasn't happening, so I did what I always do when I can't sleep.  I laid there and just talked to God.  I am well familiar with these late night conversations.  I am not now and have never been a good sleeper.  Boy, I envy those people that can take professional cat nap's like nurses and doctors.  Must be nice, but I have never been able to do it.  Somehow, I manage to squeak by on 3 or 4 hours sleep a night until I absolutely cave in and literally fall asleep sitting straight up on the couch or somewhere else that provides me a comfy crashing spot for the moment, and then, I sleep like death.  I used to blame it on my kids, but now, I think I'm just hard wired that way.  So far, so good, except for the circles under my eyes that unfortunately have their own circles under them.  My brain just never turns off and I have a tendency to think myself into sleep deprivation regularly.

Headache in tow, enlightening conversations with my Maker, I laid on the couch until the wee hours of the morning.  Sleep finally happened around 6 or so.  What a blessing.  But what came after the sleep was the result of the many conversations I had had throughout the long, chilly night with God.

Ever had one of those days, when your head so was so filled with memories of all of the special things, that you couldn't even begin to sort them out enough to enjoy them?

I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas and they are lined up and ready to share with you.  My wish for you is that I want you to use this as a beginning.  So, take the time to sit back and think and let your memories take you back to a time when things were simpler or easier or maybe just more fun, because you were a kid and now, you are a grown-up, at least you're supposed to be.  It's the memories and the love that we carry with us all of the time that keep us young and make each day special.  They make the daily issues we have to deal with as a "grown-up"  seem a little less intimidating.  As my mother reminds me regularly, getting old is not for sissies!  She's right!

The earliest Christmas I can remember, I was the ONLY grandchild, and maybe a little spoiled as a result.  I remember a pull toy that my grandfather got for me.  I was terrified of it.  It was a cow, and it made noise and moved a little when you coaxed it a long.  And kitchen sets with cupboards just my size and dishes and dolls.  I loved "baby" dolls.  Seems like I remember a Tiny Tears doll that had eyes that rolled and real hair.  And she would wet her diaper too!  But then, I had a tomboy side in me, and there were Daisy air rifles and Dale Evans cowgirl outfits complete with guns and holsters.  I could outrun, out jump, out climb any boy in our neighborhood whenever I wanted, but underneath that cowgirl exterior was a little girl that loved to play house and dolls.

As I got older, and obviously the rest of the family grew, I eventually had some cousins, and a wonderful brother.  However, I got the glory of being the ONLY anything for almost ten years and it was so awesome! I got to travel from one end of the country to the other, eat steak and lobster, meet very important people and be the apple of my grandpa's eyes.

At Christmas, I remember him with even more love.  His birthday was on the 11th and he would have been 101.  He was so sick when he passed away.  He had dealt with cancer for awhile, and lived his life setting little goals.  One of which was to live to be 80, which he did.  He passed away just 3 days later on the 14th of December.  It's never easy.  We made the trip to Ohio for his services.  Ice and snow covered the ground and we were so cold standing at the graveside.  I don't think I will ever forget that day.

Some of my fondest Christmas memories are of time with my grandparents.  Historically, my grandmother always had an artificial tree, and it seemed like it was always the latest, greatest available at the time.  Grandma had these wonderful antique ornaments that had been her mother's and grandmother's.  But the one thing she had that still makes me grin, was this really cute little picket fence that she would use to surround the tree,  I don't know if it was to deter their Schnauzer from watering it or if it was always intended for decoration.  Always thought it was cool that she had tiny twinkle lights long before anyone else did.  My Grandma and Grandpa rocked, yes they did!  For years, they lived in what started out as a ramshackle little two room cabin that was on a lake in northern Ohio.  When they finished it, it was 2 stories with 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms and a garage.  Grandpa always did things to the "n-th" degree, and he was good at it.

That house was a good hour's drive from where we lived, and Christmas's up there are just chock full of memories.  Me as the only grandchild for a long time, finally ended up sharing the spotlight with 2 girls and 6 boys.  But it was always wonderful.

After some time, my grandparents moved back to Dayton and settled into the neatest house, and not to far from where my mom, dad, brother and I lived, so I was a frequent visitor and could always count on grandma to have oatmeal cookies in this big glass gallon jar that she kept under the sink.  I always thought that was a weird place for a cookie jar, but now that I think about, it made perfect sense, especially for little people that liked to occasionally sneak a cookie or two.  Maybe that was her plan all along.  My Grandma was one smart cookie!

This house had the whole second story made into a huge cedar lined room and it always smelled wonderful.  Grandma kept all of the Christmas presents up there, and as far back as I can remember, she would appoint me as the official present wrapper for the holidays.  I can't tell you how many times I wrapped my own gifts and didn't even know it.

Those were such wonderful times.  So many of these people are gone now and I miss them all so much.  But, I still have all of these wonderful memories to cherish forever.  Maybe, that is why this whole story took the change in course that it did.

My own wonderful parents are now the grandparents to my two kids, and my kids are the "onlys" and are just as spoiled as I was when I had that status for such a long time.  My daughter grew up spending time with her Gram and Bob-o and there were cookies and pies being baked, and silliness with my dad.  My son was never much for the cookie and baking stuff, but he would sit and watch cartoons with my dad and recreate these silly voices from the show and just crack up my dad.

We're getting ready to celebrate another family Christmas in just 10 days.  There will be the gifts that we all struggle to figure out just what is right for each person, but more than anything, there will be new memories being made and blessings before us that unlike so many of my friends, I still have both of my parents and love them both so, so much.  My children will be sitting as I am, in a few years and journaling their memories of the Christmases spent with Gram and Bob-o (the nickname my daughter created for him, never really figured out why).  

Decorating Christmas trees, laying under the tree and looking up through the branches and squinting so the lights all looked like colored diamonds, pie dough cookies, special ornaments, my Daddy's Christmas village, Mother's crocheted tree skirt, the warmth of a house filled with wonderful smells and good food, piles of wrapping paper, taking turns to open gifts, laughter, love and memories.

This isn't my last entry before Christmas actually gets here, but this one is important, because for the past few days, all I have done is remember and smile, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.

I hope this gets you started on your way to your own memories.  Write them down.  Keep them for your children and grandchildren.  Let them know where some of the wonderful traditions started,

To each of you, I send you warm wishes, loving, lasting memories of your own and endless blessings at Christmas and always.

God, thanks for changing my course.  I understand why now.  As always, In Him!

Kaye

Journeys

With every step we take, we travel along a path, our journey through life.  Not all of it is going to be perfect.  There are going to be times when money is so scarce, you sit and fret over how to pay the electric bill or the car note, or even worse, put food on the table.  Most of us have been there.  You can take a moment now and sit and reflect on your own journey up to this point in time, and hopefully, prayerfully, you are at a point when you can breathe a little bit, but if you are not, my sincerest and heartfelt prayers are with you.  Stand strong and seek your strength, wisdom and help through God.  He is there, just ask Him to hold your hand and guide you through whatever it is that has burdened you.

Christmas is now exactly 14 days away.  I have turned off talk radio and tuned into the Christian radio station to here all of the music that brings me great joy.  Every year, there are new songs, new artists and wonderful new inspiration.  This year is no exception.  It is so sad that we can't carry some of these wonderful songs forward into the new year.  Maybe January would seem a little less frigid if we did.  I know the Christian stations have music they play year round, but there is just something about some of the lyrics in the Christmas songs that just hits home and really, really makes you think.

I'm going to do a little time travelling for a moment.  Over twenty something plus years ago, my husband and I worked with horses and kids, two of my favorite things!  You meet such interesting people with both.  One of my fondest memories was of an older monk from the monastery just outside Atlanta.  He was round and happy and red faced and had such an inspirational way of looking at things.  One year, early spring, he brought a load of hay out to us and stood there and talked forever and before he left, he told us Merry Christmas.  Say What!  It was soon to be March 25th and by his explanation, 9 months to the day that Jesus would have been born, so he celebrated and he called it Little Christmas.  What a wonderful thought.  Now, some twenty something plus years later, this wonderful jovial man, has passed on, but he is in a place that he was destined to be.  He walks with Jesus and has long, long talks with Him everyday.  What a blessing!  And I am most certain, that Heaven has beautiful fields of grain because of his efforts.  Something kind of neat about the March 25th date, is that is the day that God ordained my son to be born.  I shared with him today the story of Little Christmas and he just grinned.  He rather like the idea of being born on Little Christmas.  I think it made his day.  His smile made mine.

I have two children, both of which are true blessings to my life, even when they do something so wretched, so self-serving, so snide that I want to shake them until their teeth rattle or drop them on their pointy little heads, I  see beyond the situation and think about the boo boo's, tummy aches and nightmares.  Their whole lives, I encouraged, I loved, I sacrificed, I dreamed, I believed, I hugged and I tried to lead each of them in a direction that would bring them to a successful adult life.  Someone reminded me more than once that at some point, you have to let them grow up, in spite of themselves.  Truer words never spoken.  Some of us have kids that are amazingly talented, actually, all of us have kids that are amazingly talented, but perhaps that talent is not necessarily playing piano, cheering or football.  Their talent could be as a visionary, a writer, a prophet, a counselor, an aspiring chef, an artist or perhaps an actor.  It doesn't matter.  That gift was planted in them by God.  He gave them the ability from the moment they took their first breath and as their parents, it was our job to coax it along and nurture and love and teach.

So here I sit, with a 25 year old daughter with the strength to move mountains and the ability to recreate their beauty on a canvas, and an almost 20 year old son that could create laughter or drama for any situation.  I love them both more than either will ever know.  But the one gift that they each received from God, was a heart of gold.  I think that makes me beam just as much as the creative side.

I find a lot of my serenity through music.  It calms me, inspires me, teaches me and very often sets me straight on some things.  I think that is one reason I enjoy Christmas music so much, not just the silly stuff, but the serious make you think about where it all started and why stuff.  So as I sit here writing, drawing inspiration, I began to think about the words of sadness that were pouring out from a dear dear friend as she shared her heartbreak.  Essentially, her children are growing up, in spite of themselves.  Yes, I said in spite of themselves.  I used that phrase about my own two kids as well.  Watching them grow and learn and become "people" and not just a kid is sadness and joy all wrapped up in one.  Now, maybe it's time for a little insight about you, the momma or the daddy.  It is time to learn that there is great joy in the experience as well.  Face facts, you know from the moment that your little one is placed in your arms, that he/she will always be "little one".  These are not stagnating creatures that torment our lives for 18 plus years.  They will not stay little except in that very special corner of your heart.  They grow up!  They learn to do right and wrong, they develop attitudes and sometimes you would like them to be invisible.  But after everything is over and done, when your child grows up to be your best friend, you know that you've done something right, because they are the kind of person that you want to be with as a friend.  It's hard.  I know it is.  I'm going through it right now.  You think about all of the times that there were tears and hurt feelings or disappointment.  You think of the times that they may have leaped into bed with you because of a thunderstorm or bad dream.  Some may still seek comfort and solace to this day, and secretly tiptoe into momma's room and curl up on the floor next to her because just knowing she is an arm's length away brings them comfort and peace.  You think about all of those times and you wonder how they are going to make it on their own.  You know what, that's when you have to let God step in and take it from there.  It's His job now, and theirs to follow Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Back to Christmas, sorry, but I promise you that all of this really does tie together.  Take a moment and think back over 2000 years ago, a young girl, and I do mean young, probably barely a teenager, is visited by an angel who tells her in no uncertain terms, that she has conceived the Child of God, the Savior, The Messiah, Wonderful Counselor.  Can you even imagine how she felt?  Scared to death, in shock, probably, but her faith carried her through.  Some of us have children that are older than Mary was at the time Jesus was conceived, that still find that comfort spot on the floor next to our beds.  Can you imagine, and to top it off, she was only engaged, betrothed as the Bible says, to a man much older.  How would he take this news?  How would he handle the stares, the comments, the possibility of becoming an outcast.  There are a couple of answers here, but ultimately the two that come to mind are faith and love.

They took their journey one step at a time, and with every step that was taken, their faith grew, their bond grew and their love grew not just for each other, but for the child that was soon to be born.

I made one of those "momma" to the rescue trips a couple of nights ago, 55 miles each way to the town where my daughter and son-in-law live.  Funny thing about it, when I got home from work, I had a headache that would have stopped a speeding train, but when my daughter needed me, by miracle, it was gone and I was wide awake and ready to ride.  I went by myself.  While driving, I had multiple long talks with God and sang Christmas music and I prayed out loud.  I actually had a wonderful 3 hours (part of which was spent with my daughter).  On my journey home, God made sure that I was paying close attention to a song that I had never heard before.    The words were those of Mary, of her doubt, her fear, her faith, her love all being shared with the tiny baby nestled in her arms.  I cried.  It gave me chills, made me think and the words stayed with me the whole way home, so much so, that I found the song on Youtube and I want to share it with you.  It is the beginning of the inspiration that led to his story.  I think God may have planned it that way, because when it all sank in, everything else just fell into place.

In closing, this whole story has been about being a parent and teaching and loving our children and having the faith to look to your Savior for guidance and healing.  It has been about Being Like Mary.  Put yourself in Mary's place.  Listen to the song and imagine yourself in that spot some 2000 plus years ago.  Feel what she felt, fear what she feared, know that in her heart she wanted to hold on to Him forever, but ultimately, she had to let Him go be the Man that He was destined to be before He could be our Savior.

Merry Christmas.  I hope each and every one of you takes a moment to remember what it really IS all about, and as always,
In Him!
Kaye

play the video more than once!  Watch it all the way through at least one time, and then play it again and scroll back up to the top to the picture of Mary, close your eyes and start your journey.....

Christmas Is Upon Us

Christmas is upon us.  What a wonderful time of year.  I only wish that people reacted in June the way they do in December.

Today is Wednesday, December 8th.  In exactly 17 days from now at this very moment, presents will all be opened at my house and there will be a mess of torn wrapping paper on the floor, coffee brewing and a flurry of "getting ready" going on as we prepare to go to my parent's house for Christmas dinner, gifts and a wonderful day with my mother and father, my husband and son, my daughter and son-in-law and my baby brother and his wife.  By the way, today is his 46th birthday, but I will always call him my "baby" brother.

My trees have been up since November 20th.  I've only re-decorated them once or twice each.  Amazing, that's a new record.  I am not your average tree "putter-upper".  I go for the look that would easily put my trees in competition with the very best Tree Festival tree any day of the week.  So, once or twice each even impresses me.

This year, I scaled back a lot.  I used to put up a tree in every room.  Friends and family thought I was a little "touched" in the head with the excess, but the look and feel of Christmas in every room in my house  made each day a little brighter, made me smile and brought happiness.  I have discovered that as I get a little older, I look more and more to simplifying things.  Less stress, less mess.  That's okay, though, to date, my daughter has put up 4 full size trees in her house and wants to do more.  Mini-me, start to finish.  She makes me proud every day, but then, you already knew that.  My son is wrapping up another quarter at school and yes, he makes me proud every day, but you already knew that as well.  A mother's heart should always be full of love and pride over her children's accomplishments, no matter how big or small they may seem.  Even in the negative, there is a positive and we should always look for that.  Sooner or later, just maybe we will quit seeking out the negatives altogether.  Wouldn't that be awesome if we could do that with every person we come in contact with, every day?  Expectations, we should all always expect the best.  I think I may have just contradicted myself.

This past weekend, I celebrated my 57th birthday and I had such a wonderful time.  My best fella took me out to dinner, we did some Christmas and birthday shopping (for me), spent time with my folks and went to look at Christmas lights.  Everything that I wanted to do, happened.  Isn't that a blessing!  My Sunday night ended with a drive through the live nativity at the church we attend.  It too, was wonderful.  

Have you ever been blessed by the presence of an Angel, an actual Angel?  On Sunday, I was and there are not enough words to tell you wonderful it was.  My mother and I stopped for lunch at Wendy's.  The lobby was filled with the sounds of Christmas.  I love Christmas music.  I wish they would play it year round!  Out of the corner of my eye, he appeared and the smile that he put on my face was warm and appreciative of his efforts and his pureness in spirit as he handled his tasks.  My Angel was an older gentlemen that was special needs.  He has worked for this particular store for over ten years.  His duties, simply to greet guests as they arrive and thank them when they leave, but also to keep the tables cleaned up.  My Angel tackled his job so seriously.  How many times have we all looked down our noses at someone that was performing what we thought to be such a menial task?  I have, and I would imagine that many of you have as well.  

My mother and I talked and ate, and every few seconds, we noticed that someone was singing Christmas carols along with the music that was piped into the store.  No, they weren't necessarily in tune all of the time, and sometimes the words weren't right, but they were sincere and passionate from the heart and full of so much love, it made me tear up when I looked at him.  We ate, he greeted, he thanked and he sang and sang and sang.  It couldn't have been any more beautiful and meaningful if it had been a full choir singing perfect harmony.

His harmony was in his head, his love and simple devotion came straight from his heart and on my special day, he gave me a gift that I won't ever, ever forget.  We take so much for granted, don't we.

So, as you approach the holidays, no matter how you celebrate, know that there are truly Angels in Disguise out there walking amongst us.  Maybe it's the man on the corner holding up a sign asking for food or money. Possibly the child that has nothing because parents might be out of work or they've lost their home due to foreclosure.  Maybe, it's the family that is living in a shelter for the same reasons.  Or quite possibly, it may just very well be the special needs gentlemen that does a wonderful job greeting, thanking and cleaning tables at your local fast food restaurant.

Do me a favor.  I know money is tight for most of us, but don't take people for granted.  If all you have is a quarter in your pocket, share it.  If you leave your house or your job with a chip on your shoulder, take a look at that person in layers and layers of dirty clothes standing on the corner and count your blessings.  When you hear that out of tune carol being sung, don't make fun of the crooner, but close your eyes and thank God above for that person being put in your path at that very moment, because, maybe, just maybe, that person is an Angel in Disguise, put there just for you, to help you remember what it is really all about.

God bless each and every one of you, Merry Christmas and love to all.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I just want to wish Him a Happy Birthday and thank Him so much for that Angel that He put there just for me! I hope that you find one too.

Christmas blessings, Christmas memories all because of one perfect baby born to wear a crown of thorns.

I send prayers of Peace and love for all of you in the mighty name of that sweet, sweet baby, Jesus Christ!

In Him!

Kaye

Look Left, Look Right!

Why are we here?  What brought us to this point in our lives, in our country, in our world?  What decisions did we make that affected where we are?  Yes, I'm talking to all of you!  What are you doing right this moment that may or may not affect every breath you take for the rest of your life?

Getting kinda heavy, isn't it?  Sorry, I'm in one of those Seize the Day frames of mind today and I'm all about the tomorrows and where my family and I will be in them.

For starters, at this very moment, I'm sitting in my favorite coffee spot enjoying a hot cup of Earl Grey tea.  It's Caribou time.  The manager and her staff here are wonderful and they always have a smile and something nice to say.  It's a nice spot to sit and think about what's ahead for the rest of the day, the week, etc..  I like it here.  They recognize their lobby regulars and usually know what they want before they even get to the counter.  On a day like today, though, I changed things up a bit.  It's okay.  They go with the flow and really seem to enjoy their jobs.  Awesome!

Caribou, however, is not what this is all about.  It's about recognizing signs in your life that are beginning to point you in different directions.  Signs of the times that make you think and react.

Signs of the times, yes, and they are all affecting us in ways we haven't even thought about, good and bad.
For example, my husband is one of many thousands of employees that not only didn't get increases this year, but are now in a forced furlough plan that takes away 10 days worth of income from their checks.  Insurance rates have escalated, coverages have changed, copays have gone up.   And of course, there is more, more, more.  If you put it all into perspective and look at the bigger picture, you then realize the magnitude of what put us here in the first place.

Unemployment and under-employment are at record highs, probably and realistically, way over 17%.  Many people have simply given up and are looking at bankruptcy or homelessness.  People are losing everything that they have ever owned and worked for.  You drive through a neighborhood and see sign after sign of homes that are bank owned or soon to be auctioned.  It's heart-wrenching.  You see properties that were once worth well over a half million that are now being sold for pennies on the dollar.  Our government is faced with raising the debt ceiling so that we can maintain tax cuts that need to stay in place.  As a nation, we owe our financial existence to multiple foreign financial backers that have bought the bonds to cover our out of control national debt and ever growing government.  For those of you that haven't figured it out yet, yes, I'm a conservative and firmly believe in supporting the Constitution of our country.  But yet, all of these things mentioned above are still not what this is all about, but we are getting there.

The holidays are just around the corner.  As a matter of fact, Thanksgiving is in two weeks and Christmas is a mere 45 days away and that is what I'm leading up to.  What's this all about?  Okay, I will tell you, but I suspect that you might be figuring things out on your own.

When you were younger and your parents were teaching you about crossing the street, you learned, look left, look right, and then look back left again before you go dashing out into the street.  Well, here's my challenge to you all.  Look left, look right and don't cross that street, but look for that one person whose life can be changed in such a mighty way by you simply being an earthbound angel.  There are always people that need our help.  This year, there are so many more.  In our area, some lost everything due to the 500 year flood we had last year.  They may still be homeless.  Countless others are without a job or on the verge of losing one as so many people in Austell, Georgia are right now.  The company that they work for is closing its doors in that tiny little town.  They announced on the radio this morning that there is a company in a town an hour west of Atlanta that is immediately hiring 100 workers and wants to start them ASAP.  I guarantee you, there will be thousands of applicants for those 100 jobs.

Look left, look right.  Take a breath.  Say a prayer and reach out and touch someone.  I've already given money to one of the Christian radio stations to buy turkeys for the Thanksgiving day feed the hungry project. I look at what I have and it seems so little, but I guarantee you, it is more than many other people.  My bounty may not be what it was 5 years ago, but it's more than a lot of people have.

Here are some simple things you can do that won't cut too deeply into your pocket books.  When your local grocery has a buy one get one free special and it's something that you can use (or even if it isn't), put the "free" items in a box and add other things to it.  When you've got enough to carry to the food bank, DO IT!  For that matter, make it a regular visit to drop off what you can share from you pantry.

Clothing!  I just cleaned closets.  I have 4 bags of clothes in wonderful shape, some almost new, and they are going to the shelter.

Christmas morning, there are going to be a lot of wide-eyed children that will not have something special waiting on them.  Fix that, even if it's only one small item.  Adopt a family.  Deliver a full meal to a family in need that might not have the traditional stuff on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Are you blessed?  Then share those blessings in every way.  Look left, look right.  Take a breath and say a prayer.  There are people out there that need you and me.

I hate to sound like a greeting card commercial, but honestly, if we've ever had a moment in our lives when we needed to not only count our blessings, but share them, it's now.

So, clean your closets, or go buy things if you can afford to do it.  Load up a food pantry box as often as you can and take it where it is needed.  Coats, shoes, blankets, gloves, toys, food.  Cut it loose.  Take them where they are needed and get to know some of those people that are going to be touched by your gift, your willingness to help, your love and faith.  Volunteer at the soup kitchen, go serve turkey at the local feed the hungry mission, give with your heart and then be blessed even more than you already are.

What's different about this blog today?  If you read through it, you will see that up until this point, I have not actually mentioned God anywhere.  No, it wasn't because of a lack of faith or a change in my belief.  No, it wasn't an oversight.  He is there, in every word, in every plea, in every suggestion.  He is here with me now as I sit at Caribou and He will be with me when I leave and head out to finish my day.  He is with you, now and in ten minutes, 2 days, next year, always.  No, His Holy name wasn't mentioned, but He is here.  Remember, He is big enough to hold the universe and all of it's problems in the palm of His hand, yet small enough and so down to earth, that at this very moment, if I needed to climb up on His lap and seek out that mighty shoulder to lay my head on, He's there in an instant, now and always.  Remember, He never promised us that there would be no pain, but He did promise salvation through His Son, Christ Jesus.

Look left, look right.  There's a dirty, untouchable person on the corner.  They're scruffy, unkempt, maybe they smell.  Maybe they're a con artist, maybe a thief, or maybe they really do need money for food, or a job, or just your smile.  Hungry, out of work, lost their home and everything in it.....  There are ways you can help them.  Are you looking at an Angel?

Look left, look right, take a deep breath, say a prayer and go bless someone else today.

I'm packing up and heading out to tackle the rest of my day.  It's time.  Right now.  Be an angel.  Be a blessing, make a difference, be Jesus when someone looks at you.  Let them see Him through you.

Love y'all, blessed and thankful,
Katydid!

So...It's You!

Exactly a week has passed since I attended a Get Motivated Seminar at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  Can't say anything more but "WOW".  A whole day of amazing speakers and some truly noteworthy incidents are what brought me to this blog today.

Of course, when you can attend 10 hours worth of dynamic professional motivational speakers for $1.95, you have to know up front that there are some ringers.  That's how they make their money.  And yes, there were some ringers, a financial expert, a real estate expert and an internet business mogul.  They made me want to hop up and go spend the money I didn't have to spend (thank-you economy) and made me believe that I too, could be worth countless millions if I would just let loose of that $99.95, $29.95 and $49.95 and buy their amazing "How To" seminars, that would, of course be hosted at a later date.

Have to admit, it was tempting, very tempting, especially when they offered the "money back guarantees".

Oh well, I didn't head out there to learn how to be a mogul, I went there to find my center, to re-invent my way of thinking and once again feel grounded in this yucky economy of ours.  I was one of a mere 50,000 plus that sat there for the whole day and enjoyed listening to the passionate presentations of Steve Forbes, Colin Powell, Lou Holtz, Zig Ziegler, Rudy Guiliani, Goldie Hawn, Bill Cosby and many, many more.  Even including the "Bonus" speakers, they were all amazing, absolutely amazing and you simply sit in your seat and repeat "Wow" over and over again.  I think at some point, everyone should attend one of these, just be sure to sit on your hands when the little lights started flashing for those "bonus" special offers.

Okay, big question for all of you out there.  Have you ever attended an event at any sports or concert arena?  What happens at intermissions?  Yep, that's right, you get an instant influx of people that ALL have to go potty at the same time.  I'm absolutely sure that the water level in the reservoir probably drops substantially from all of the constant flushing and hand washing.  So, imagine, if you will, 50,000 caffeine, pizza, chocolate chip cookie and popcorn filled patrons all making a mad dash for those few and far between, sacred rooms!

Why do they not have enough of those things to go around when they know darn well just how many people their arena can hold?  There was an endless line at the ladies' room that was sooooooo long, that it snaked  through the food court, wrapped around a corner and out into the common area at the entrance of the arena. I tell you what, if you would have had the foresight to load in the inventory, you could have made a fortune selling Depends to all of those people in line.  I'm really surprised that they didn't have that as one of their speaker's subjects!

I am at this point, probably about 80 or 90th in line with hundreds more behind me, tottering from one foot to the other, squirming, frantic women, all desperate to be as lucky as me.  (You see, I learned early on, that you leave a little bit ahead of everyone else to avoid the lines, but then apparently so did 80 or 90 other women!)

Hey, this line is moving pretty quick.  That's great!  Before I know it, I am in the glorious room of women who all seem to have the look of pending relief on their faces.  And that is when I see the miracle worker!  Mind you, this is not a job that I would ever think about, let alone realize that it existed, but folks, the management at the Georgia Dome has got this down to a science!  They have a uniformed, very polite POTTY POINTER!  Yep, that's right.  Her whole entire job revolves around watching those doors open and close and point the next in line to her destination stall.  How profound.  They obviously attended one of these little seminars before and that is where they got this fantastic idea.  Profound and amazing, only way to describe it.  Gee, I wonder if they had the same thing in the Mens' room.  I'll just leave that one alone.

Back to the seminar.  This is what I learned, condensed, but it's all here.

1.  Yes, we are in trying financial times in our world.
2.  Yes, if you have a job, you are one of the lucky ones.
3.  You and only you can make the difference in what happens to you.  If things are bad, yes, it may take time to make a comeback, but YOU have to believe that YOU  can overcome what has happened to you and take the first steps to recovery.  There are a lot of ways to make it happen, but the first step is believing in yourself!  Short and sweet.  You have to believe in you!  Second step, you know that secret dream that you've kept tucked away in the very back corner of your mind, well, it's time to let it see daylight!  Bring it out in the open.  Third, talk to people about your dream, come up with a game plan and see if you can get other people excited about it/you.  Last, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Okay, so what are you waiting for?  Go do it!  This includes me.  My business has tanked because of the economy and I've wallowed in self-pity at the crux of it all for the past 3 months.  Enough is enough.  Time to take control, give that dream some life and make it a reality!  Maybe it needs re-tooled a little (or even a lot) to give it life again or at all.  Look at it, study the need and the market, punch it up with a little Vitamin C and do it, do it, do it!

You're right.  No one has any money to spare and it takes every dime just to keep gas in your car, feed the family and pay the bills.  I'm right there with you!  We Can Do This!  We Can!  Find yourself someone to hold you accountable!  Make them a part of your team and don't give up!

Okay, I'm done, but I'm not gone!  God gives you a morning, you put your feet on the floor, take a deep breath, and there you go.  You're victorious in the first battle of the day.  Push those warm covers aside, put on those slippers and robe and take the dog out!  But don't forget to start the coffee pot on your way out the door with your pooch.  You come back in and there's that wonderful smell of brewing coffee.  Toast is toasting, coffee brewing, and slowly but surely, you begin to pull yourself together.  Then there's that incredible sunrise, you know the one I mean, full of pinks and oranges in that crystal clear autumn sky.  Wow!  All of a sudden, you realize that YOU are alive and have received the greatest gift of all.

From here on out, it's one foot in front of the other, a positive attitude, believing in yourself and taking time to dream that dream, because, somewhere in that dream, is a future for you and it's worth fighting for until you can claim "to the victor go the spoils".

Short and sweet without all those words I just put there for you to read, the answer to pulling yourself back together and making things whole again, starts with the daily miracle we call morning and the giver of that gift.  The next part is YOU, all YOU and everything that YOU have to give!

So...It's You!  Now what are you going to do about it?

Grab the brass ring and live your life!

You don't have to be Rudy or Steve or Colin or Goldie or Bill to motivate people.  You just need the power within you to make it happen for yourself and others around you.  Remember that Potty Pointer?  Well, she may not have the most glorious job in the world, but it takes a lot of puzzle pieces to make it all come together.  The one thing I remember about her is definitely her smile.  She never had a negative tone, not a sassy word, just a smile and her own way of handling that mob of squirming, wiggly, frantic women that she had to deal with all day long.  God bless her and God bless you.

Go be a potty pointer and seize the day!

Love y'all,
Katydid!

Surviving Brick Wall Syndrome or The Fine Art of "K"not Caving In

First - a disclaimer of sorts.  Teenagers!  No, this isn't about mine or any others in particular, just a generalization of sorts from mental notes that I have taken over the years.  So, please, don't be offended by the comments and not continue to read on.  This is NOT about YOUR child, unless of course, you want it to be and then all I have to say is Feel free!

Get ready to raise your hands and raise them up high!  That's right.  Big question here!  Who of you out there in cyber never never land has had to suffer the debilitating effects of  BRICK WALL SYNDROME?  You know the one I am referring to!  It's what happens to many, many TEENAGERS whose ears and brains become temporarily encased in an invisible wall of bricks at about the age of 12 1/2.  For some, it lasts until they graduate High School, if we choose to let them survive that long.  For many others, they may not ever outgrow it and independently knock down that wall until someone else has had reason to knock it down for them.  There you go.  I see those hands high in the air.  I knew it!  Wouldn't you just love to jerk a tidy little knot into their scrawny necks while stuffing a bar of green soap into their smart mouths!  There are days, there are days/

Teenagers!  Some are wonderful.  Others are free spirits, creative, funny, entertaining, sensitive, brilliant, loving and then, there are the rest of them - calculating, sneaky, scheming and conniving  I guess at some point, they all take on the characteristics of the latter group as a way to prove their independence and stature in life.  Trust me, you get no guarantees when you are raising one and they don't come with a trade-in value.  We were all teenagers at one time.  We survived.  Our parents and grandparents didn't shorten us, though I'm sure it was threatened.  They didn't take us out of this world just because they brought us into it.  Were we really that bad?  Can't be.  I don't remember things being that way.  I am quite sure that right about now, my mother is interjecting something that I did when I was a teenager.  I, however, think I have conveniently forgotten all of those things.  I was perfect!  Weren't you?

I've heard many parents make the comment that children should be tucked away in a locked room with a guard on the eve of their 13th birthday, and not allowed out until they were ready to turn 20.  Hmmm, maybe even 22 or 23.  What do you think?

Teenagers!  They are everywhere!  You can't escape them, you can't escape their attitudes, their lack of thought behind their actions or their comments, their body language, their propensity to cast long thoughtless rants of cursing toward those that don't see things "their" way or have created an obstacle to hinder their progress with absolutely anything.  There are teenagers that claim 1st Amendment rights and let 4 letter words roll out of their mouth with ease.  They don't seem to understand the concept of what is and isn't proper and acceptable in public or anywhere else, for that matter.

Seriously, you go to the movie, and in the middle of chomping their gum with their mouth open, they snatch your tickets from your hands and gesture "theater's over there".  Now wait a dadburn minute!  I just paid $28.00 for two tickets for a Friday night movie and the best I get is a grunt and a head toss.  Give me a break!  What about the bag boy/girl at the grocery that stand there and chat with their friend on another aisle while slamming your dozen eggs down into a bag with bath soap and cleanser, and then stand there and glare at you when you don't tip them because they helped you load your groceries into your car.  Or, that boy and girl that are blatantly promiscuous while standing in line to buy the goodies at the movie.

Drive through window at your favorite fast food chain - cute little girl in way too much eye makeup, again chomping gum, "that'll be $15.90".  "Lady, I need ones, you got any ones.  I can't break a twenty.  Got no change.  Just pull up there and sit.  I'll get the manager and he can bring you your money and your order.  C'mon lady, pull up.  There's other people behind you waiting on their food too!"  So, I pull up and I wait, and I wait and I wait.  Guess what, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and no change or food, so I go in and ask to see the manager to collect what is rightfully mine.  The over made-up teenage girl that took my twenty, has apparently gone on break and yep, you guessed it - with my money!  She put the order in and never entered it as paid.  It took some stern looks and turning forty shades of red in the lobby of the restaurant, but I did eventually get my change and my food, however, it was cold.  So, I made them start fresh.

I bet that if you stop and think about it, you can come up with a dozen scenarios involving teenagers that you really envisioned wringing their necks, or throwing them over your knee and giving them a good paddling.  I know those are all daydreams and wishful thinking and we've all been there!

Now, I know that not all teens are not incorrigible, but I also know that at some point, we've probably all had at least one incident similar to the above.  It's sad, it's really heartbreakingly sad to know that there are teenagers out there that for whatever reason, simply don't know how to act, how to speak and how not to be offensive - and furthermore, DON'T CARE!  Why should they, they are going to leave their minimum wage, 15 hour a week job and go home to their Playstation 3, IPhone 4 and a cave where they can retreat and escape all of the rest of us.  Gee, must be nice!

Okay, I think I'm finally done ranting.  Now, it's time to become brick masons and figure out a way to rebuild that brick wall so it has windows and doors.  I feel better already!  Now, if I could just figure out a way to teach that usher at the theater that grunting went out with cave men.  Oh well, another day!

Make a difference to someone!  Be the example of the "right way" and go knock down a brick wall or two, but you might want to keep that bar of green bath soap handy just in case there's a mouth here and there that needs to be washed out with soap!

Later y'all and God bless you (especially those with a teenager in the house)!
Katydid

I Have Been Changed For Good

In the summer of 1972, I made a choice.  It's not necessarily one, that at the time, my mother and father were thrilled with, but I made it.  I made the choice to walk away from an incredible scholarship to the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.  I wanted to be an actress, a Broadway star, a singer, all of it, but that summer, I found something that touched my heart and interest in such a different way, and my mother still refers to it as "the day I ran away to play with the dolphins".

All through my school career, I sang, I danced, I performed in one capacity or another.  I was good at it.  I enjoyed it, and then Heaven help us all.  I got a summer job at King's Island Amusement Park just north of Cincinnati and THAT is where I discovered those wonderful dolphins.  So, that August, waiting until the absolute last moment that I could sign those papers and accept the scholarship and start college, I made the choice to simply walk away.  In those days, the outcome of the "choice" other than travelling and playing with those wonderful mammals, was not evident.  Today, I know that making that choice brought people into my life that changed me for good.  I guess in a way, you could say good from the standpoint of permanence but also from the standpoint of the emotion of goodness and the path in life that has brought me to where I am now.

In 1974, dolphins introduced me to my husband,  They brought me friendships with a couple of people that were still in my life up until a couple of years ago.  My husband, at that time was a professional musician, and because of that, music never left me.  He played, I sang, we did duets of old songs like "Turn Your Radio On" and "Down By The Old Mill Stream".  We had so much fun, and to this day, very few people know that he really sings very, very well.

I look at myself now, gray hair, glasses as thick as Coke bottles, hearing - well no, it's not so great, and that rich soprano voice I used to have, well, these days, mama sings bass.....

The question was put to me by a friend not long ago that if I had it all to do over again, would I have signed that paper and headed to Cincy or kept things just the way they are.  There is not a doubt in my mind.  I would have run away and played with the dolphins, cut hundreds and hundreds of pounds of frozen fish, cleaned squid for the sea lions and made chum for the sharks in the tank.  No, I wouldn't change a thing, and this is why.

I met a man that was brilliantly talented as a musician.  He married me, and though we've had our ups and downs, I love him more now than ever before.  We triumphed over all types of problems that plague so many couples, but the one problem for us that turned out to be a blessing, was that we couldn't have children.  Patience and waiting brought us two beautiful spirits, a girl and a boy.  They are our passion, our joy, our love for each other, all wrapped up into their own spectacular personalities and lives.  Now, they are beginning to make those life-changing choices and follow a path that is not always full of sunshine and roses.  There are a lot of pitfalls along the way.

I guess what brought me to this story tonight is that I have had such a wonderful day.  My daughter came out for some help with a project, my son was home and playing with the puppy that managed to find it's way to my daughter and son-in-law's front porch last week.  My husband was in and out constantly all day long.  We had a nice day and it ended with my daughter and I singing karaoke together to songs from Funny Girl, Wicked and My Fair Lady.  Oh my stars, we were so loud that I closed the windows so the neighbors wouldn't call the authorities!  But it was fun.  It was so much fun.

So, here I sit.  It's getting late, and my face is lit up like a Christmas tree.  I have remnants of songs bouncing around in my head, but there is one in particular that means so much.  Before I let you listen to it, think about a couple of things.  That scholarship was an unbelievable opportunity, but those squeaking and splashing dolphins led me to the wonderful man in my life - 36 years this December.  That man became the father of our two beautiful children.  Our life has had its ups and downs, but things just get better as we go on.  God put things in my path my whole life, people, places, choices...and I think that those crazy dolphins were the first of many.  I got my calling for ministry.  I made friends that have forever found a home in my heart.  Found new gifts and talents to take over where the old ones were beginning to fade.  Choices, yes, good ones and because of them, I have been changed for good.  There is one song from Wicked that I love to sing, I love to hear it, and being the "heart on my sleeve" person that I am, I can't get through any of it without tearing up.  Right now, this song is sent to my family, all of them, but especially to my husband, my daughter and my son.  You have all changed my life for good.  Thank you!  I love you so much.

In Him!
Kaye

Now, listen, read, think, remember, smile, be thankful and just enjoy!

Life As A Dog by Skyler

Yep, that's me over there in that picture!  I'm writing this blog today and it's all about what it would be like for you to be my size, less than a foot off the ground and experience the world around you like me - a lovable pint-sized pup.  At my house, I think it would be pretty good.

Just imagine, no worries.  On beautiful sunny fall days like yesterday, I could stand in my driveway and just hold my little nose up in the air and just smell and take in all of the wonderful things.  "Skyler", stern look at master, "NO" I don't have to potty, I just want to smell the world around me.  A bird sings and it catches my attention for a moment as a look in one of the really big trees in my yard.  There's that crazy squirrel!  I want to chase him, but somehow, the warm sun on my back and the breeze bringing all of those wonderful smells past my twitching nose, just seem to be more important.

I learned a long time ago, to obey my mom.  I don't run away anymore.  I'm getting kind of old and I don't have such a great heart anymore, but on days like this, I feel like a pup again.  I can imagine running and playing, chasing the ball around the yard and standing patiently and waiting for my cookie for being a good dog outside.

Oh, did I mention that I have itcheeeees.  Guess I'm allergic to grass or something, no fleas on me, no siree, but grass  just makes me itch.  Don't much like walking on it these days either., and when it's wet, we won't even go there with that thought.  Don't like to get my feet wet unless it's in a nice warm bath.  But I do love to stand on that warm driveway on days like today.  It just feels so good.  I don't have a care in the world, but just standing her, sniffing and taking in the world as I soak up those warm rays of sunshine.  Ahhh, this is the life.

Mom's home!  Yeah, that means one thing, hugs and SUPPER!  My  little cup of Beneful with water on it so I can chew it easier.  My mom knows how to treat a fabulous canine specimen like me.   Here comes the peanut butter blob.  She thinks I don't know that there's nasty tasting stuff rolled up in that peanut butter, but that's okay, it all makes me feel better.  A year ago, they didn't even think I would still be here.  I was so sick.  All of that good medicine from my doggie doc has kept me going and they just call me the little miracle.  I don't get much exercise, but I have managed to shed a few pounds here and there, so that has helped me too. I'm not ready to give in and close my eyes for the last time.  I've got a lot of sunny days to enjoy and breezes to sniff.

I have a pretty good vocabulary too, for an 18 pound dog.  If I hear the words "go for a ride in the car", whoa, that means I'm gonna get to go for a ride some where and if my boy is in the car and headed off to that big building he goes to everyday, that means, we are stopping at that place with the big red box that talks to you and magically, when you pull up to that open window, there's FOOD!  Those girls inside that window think that I'm just soooo cute and sometimes, they have dog cookies for me.  I give them a cute little bark and wag my fluffy tail and they just melt to pieces.  I always get an "aw" out of them when I do that.  Oh wow, wonderful smells have just come into my car, oh, I just don't think I can stand it. My boy gives me a little piece of crust from his food, and my mom, well she thinks of everything.  I'm probably the only dog in the whole world that has his very own "to go" cup permanently in the car.  They get big tall bowls of water with sticks in them and I have my perfect puppy sized to go cup that fits right down in that little hole in the middle of the seat, so I just stand there and lap up my "to go" water!

Some people call me spoiled rotten.  No way, I'm just lucky!  I've got a bed in every room, and I get to sleep on the bed with my folks at night.  It's so cool.  They can let the air out to make it softer.  So I just lay my head on my own squishy pillow and get covered up with my pint sized little blanket and go to sleep.  It's great.  Some mornings, I even sleep later than my folks!

I have my own bank lady too.  We go there sometimes and there is another magic box that appears and if I bark and wag my tail, I get cookies there, too!  Those ladies are so nice to me and they remember me every time I go with Mom.

Okay, so maybe I am a little spoiled, but I'm not a guard dog!  I'm a lover and I don't have a care in the world except to get my tummy rubbed, get carried around, play with the squeaky in my favorite bobo toys, eat my supper, ride in my car, sleep on my pillows, eat, play and watch my television (I love television, especially those shows that are on in the daytime with all of the people yelling at each other and doing that kissy face thing).  I don't know where they all go though, they just kind of disappear.

Ahh, life is good and it's another breakfast time.  Another day to stand outside and soak up the rays, smell the smells, scare my squirrel and just love the good life as a dog.

Don't you have something to do?  Most people types do.  But remember, always be sociable!  I don't think people would think to much of you if you walked up and rubbed their tummy and scratched behind their ears, so just give them a paw and shake it good.  Or better yet, a good hug and a kiss on their nose, nah, stick with the paw.  You don't want them to think you're weird!

Wiggles, wags and doggie kisses to all of you!  Where's my cookie!
Skyler

That Button Nose and Little Bow Mouth

Twenty-five years ago, my husband and I became parents for the first time.  It was an expected moment that we had 8 hours to prepare for, literally.  We were "next in line" for an adoption.  Prior to this particular day, there had been multiple attempts, but in every case, things just didn't work out.  Needless to say, we were a little apprehensive about the whole process and afraid to get our hopes up, for fear of being heartbroken yet one more time.

If you are one of my regular readers, you know by now, just exactly where I stand in my faith.  Back in those days of waiting and wanting a child so much, the heartache and sadness sometimes became overwhelming and after many, many attempts, we redirected our lives and began to adjust to a life without children, God's gifts.

I will never forget the series of events that changed our lives in such a wonderful way.  On a midweek afternoon, I received a phone call at the office where I worked and it was the Obstetrician that we had registered with for a private adoption.  He told me of this young woman and then simply said, "she is here, now, sitting in my office, and she would like to talk with you.  Is that okay?"  I know my heart skipped a beat.  I wanted everything to be done anonymously and was told that wasn't a problem.  From him came the promise that this would be and remain totally anonymous.  So, shaking and nervous, I took the call and spoke to this young woman, who carried in her womb and under her heart, the future joy that was to be our daughter.  We both fought back tears during our conversation and she told me that the doctor had shared our story with her and of all of the potential adoptive parents that she could have chosen, she chose us and she wanted to let me know, that this time was going to be real.  I don't think I accomplished anything else that day.  Tears welled up in my eyes every time I thought about her voice, her words, her accomplishments.  It was the beginning of what was to become a whirlwind weekend.

She wasn't due for a couple of weeks, so we really thought we had time to adjust to the idea that soon, very soon, we would be bringing home baby.

At four am the following Monday, just 3 days from the phone call, we got yet another call, and this one was from a nurse at the hospital letting us know that this young lady was in labor and wanted us there when the baby was born.  Wh wh what!  She's in labor!?  So much to do.  Have to call the office.  What about the work to be done there?  Didn't matter, absolutely didn't matter.  We were about to be part of a miracle and begin our lives as "parents", something that we had prayed about for a long, long time.

Names, oh my gosh, we hadn't even talked about names.  What if it's a boy, a girl...

Showered, dressed and we headed out the door to be there to hold our baby for the first time when he/she was only moments old.

 When we arrived at the hospital, we were quickly steered into a room just down the hall from the birthing center.  Eight am, and we both have nervous stomachs.  Anxious doesn't even come close to describing it.  Wondering, family called, more tears, more waiting, more wondering, nervous.  No way to describe the emotions that we were experiencing that morning.  Conception to birth in just a few short hours.  We experienced it all.  And then, at around 12:57 pm, in walked a nurse with this tiny bundle in her arms and the beautiful words "it's a girl, and she's just beautiful".

Yes, she was, and still is and makes us proud every moment of every day.  She is an incredible artist and is working on a degree in design for theater.  She smiles and lights up a room, and does her poochy lip and usually gets her way.  So, this year, we celebrate her quarter century milestone.  Baby girl, with that little button nose and that beautiful little bow mouth, you light up our lives today and always.  We are so proud of you, proud of who your are, what you have accomplished, the love that you radiate, the gifts that you use to brighten up not just a room, but the world around you.

We should have picked up on her artistic skills when she was little.  At the age of 8 months, she was creating masterpieces with orange jello, canteloupe and scrambled eggs at Shoneys on Sundays before church.  Growing up, instead of making mud pies, she made in her words "toxic waste".  Santa brought her a pint sized child safe tool set with working power tools and she learned how to design, create and assemble treasures made out of wood while working along side her daddy.  We frequently had snakes and lizards in a jar in the garage, because they caught them together.    I won't ever forget the one morning early before school, we discovered that all of the kittens belonging to the neighborhood stray (which lived outside of our house), had fallen prey to other creatures, and as this heart broken little girl got on her school bus, she sobbed over the loss of her kitties.  By the time she got to school, I had called her teacher and milk and cookies and an extra hug or two awaited her when she got into her classroom.

Such a tender, loving heart surrounded by the most beautiful little girl ever, and we proudly call her ours.

Yes, we have two incredible children, both adopted and both have completed our lives in their own unique and special ways.  God has been very good to us, very gracious and entrusted to us the love and lives of two very precious gifts.  God is good, very, very good, all the time.

One story shared today, and that is hers.  It's a special time for her.  So, today, sweetheart, this is all for you.

God bless you as He has blessed us with your life.  God keep you safe and give you wonderful days ahead as you head towards the next phase of your life.

Blessings to all of you today!  I'm going to reminisce a little and look at some pictures of that cute little button nose and bow mouth that have been a part of my life for 25 years.

Love y'all!
Kaye

Threes Then Fours....What's Next?

Ever have one of those crazy days when you knew from the moment your feet hit the floor, that it was just going to be weird, no matter what you did?  I'm having one today.

It started with my trip to the office.   We have a kamakazi squirrel on our street.  There he sat in the middle of the opposite lane on my road, starring me down.  I looked at the little dickens, just sitting there.  Don't you dare run out in front of me.  Stare down with a squirrel, not sure who won, but it was definitely weird, as this little guy didn't run out in front of me.  He waited until I was right next to him and, no, he didn't run, he lept from his perch on the yellow line right into the side of my car - splat!  Oh no, I expected to look out my window and see knocked out squirrel lying there, and I wasn't about to give him mouth to mouth!  Instead what I saw was this ornery little rodent do a perfect back flip off my car door and land standing on his back feet.  He just sat there and looked at me like he was saying "why did you do that?".   Just shook my head and headed on to the office.  Little did I know that the rest of the day probably left God holding his sides laughing and me just shaking my head amazed at what was going on around me.

So, I traveled on.  I'm driving through beautiful downtown Austell, Georgia at the required 35 MPH (you don't dare do 35.5 because you WILL get a ticket).  What to my wondering eyes should appear, but a gentleman walking down the middle of Veteran's Memorial Highway pushing a vacuum cleaner.  Okay, well then, that was different.  Not a daily happening!  Two blocks down the road, and low and behold, I have yet another eye-opener as a rather large man on a motorcycle pulls out of the side street.  Not unusual you say.  Just wait, it gets better.  His helmet has a set of longhorn steer horns protruding out each side of his helmet nearly a foot in each direction.  Okay, maybe I need a cup of coffee.  Surely, I am dreaming all of this.  Couldn't be that lucky.

Since I'm sporting a screaming back, I only worked long enough to tackle the phone messages, send the emails and do the banking.  The latter was to be my fourth unusual experience for the day.  Pulled into the drive thru at the bank at 9:25.  Popped the deposit into the shush shush tube and was promptly greeted by the teller with a hello and be right with you.  (At this moment, I would like you to hum the Jeopardy theme in your head as you read on).  Three minutes pass, then five.  Not a teller in sight, then all of a sudden, I see three of them, and for some reason, they are ALL counting and banding money.  But where is my deposit?  Doesn't seem to be in any of their hands, and further more, there aren't any other customers in the lobby or the drive thru.  Okay, BUZZ,  BUZZ.  "Yes, may I help you?"  "I've been sitting out her now for 10 minutes.  I am your only customer, where is the deposit for my employer?"  "Oh, they are still working on it!" "What, are you kidding me.  It was 3 checks and they were all endorsed properly."  "Sorry, sorry.  It will be right out."  So, 15 minutes later, I got a receipt for the office deposit, attitude and no explanation.

My first thought was threes, it's the rule of threes, but I was already beyond that.  Good, well at least maybe we are done with the weird stuff for the day.  Monday on Tuesday.  Breathe easier.  Should be smooth sailing from here, except for my aching back.  I should be so lucky.  I should only be so lucky.

We are going to change that weirdness rule to fours and maybe even fives or more!  Ever been in the middle of a high speed car chase?  It's fun, let me tell you.  Blue lights, sirens, police vehicles turning corners on two wheels, blocked streets.  Funny thing about this police chase, we didn't see a car with bad guys that was being chased.  Kinda weird, don't you think!  So, my #1 son and I are thinking, maybe we'll just take a different route to his bank.  Now, we are changing it to the rule of of Fives or more because it is getting stranger by the moment.  We round the corner to use our favorite neighborhood shortcut, and low and behold, there are more police cars of every description, blue lights, etc, sitting on curbs, blocking streets, policeman waving people on as the look in their passing cars.  Okay, this is just beyond weird.  As we approach the bank entrance, we realize that all of the lanes are closed, so maybe, just maybe, the bank got robbed or something, so we decided to pursue a different branch.  Not in the mood to be caught in the crossfire today!

We did finally make it safely to another location, without police cars, longhorn helmets and mobile vacuum cleaners.  On our journey back home, we again encountered the blue lights and car checks, so this time, me being me, I pulled up and smiling at the nice police officer, sweetly asked "what's going on?  Is there any need to be concerned for our personal safety?"  "No ma'am, not at all, just a jewelry heist and we think the thieves are back in this neighborhood somewhere."  Gee, nice to know it wasn't an ax murderer or something.  I had no idea that there were that many blue lights in my county.

So, my strange sequence of events has so far ended at 5+  for the day.  However, it's only 3:45.  Who knows! But I want to turn back to not the rule of threes, but the Power of Threes, and that would be the Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Three Persons that make up One God.  I take them with me where ever I go, and call on Them most definitely, in every situation, but most especially in times of great need or fear or simply when things get a little weird, like today.  However, it's not just about asking for help, it's also about giving praise and saying thanks, and I have a lot of that to do, especially after the wonderful weekend that we just had celebrating my Daddy's 80th.

Life is made up of all kinds of situations, from the sublime, to the beautiful, to the magical, to the miraculous, and yes, to the weird.  They all kind of lump together in our lives to make each day an experience for us.  We  just don't know what those experiences are going to be though, until they happen.  Only God does.  Today, I think He decided to make my day a little more interesting.  He has such a wonderful sense of humor.  Let me tell you, He succeeded as He does with everything that He does.  So, here's praise and thank you's for the miracle of the weekend, the wonderful time we had sharing with family and friends and little ones, and for the series of events, that have so far today, been quite entertaining!  Praise Be To God!  He is GOOD, VERY GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Smiling over my aching back and treasuring my "moments", be blessed, be the miracle!

As always, In His Glory!
K

Words

Sometimes, just saying Thank You doesn't seem to be enough.  They are two words, that maybe, we don't use as much as we should, or maybe we over use them and they have lost the depth and heartfelt meaning behind them.  But they are two words that can mean the world to someone when they have done something special for you or for someone else that is special to you.

With those two words, often, there is emotion, sometimes tears, sometimes laughter, sometimes both.  When it comes to people stepping up to the plate or going the extra mile (or hundreds of them), you find out (if there was ever any doubt) just who your good friends and wonderful family members are.

Thank you comes with hugs and smiles.  It walks away with those special people and stays with them as they journey back home.  It lingers with friends as they settle in and relax after going the extra mile over days and days of preparation.

Thank you is part of saying I Love You!  Thank you is memories.  Thank you is, well just sometimes not enough to let those that were part of something special know just how special they are to you.

So, to my wonderful family and friends that helped, that journeyed, that brought smiles and memories and made a very special day for a very special man, just that more wonderful, Thank You, from the depths of my heart, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Happy 80th Daddy!  Thank you again to wonderful friends and family for being there, for making it special, for your helping hands.

Love y'all!
K

Junior Mints and Elephants and Watermelon Ice

Sunny mornings, gentle breezes, butterflies, bird songs....hmmm, just some of the calming reminders and memories of warm, summer days and appreciating the world around me.   So many things to be grateful for.


Today, going to be 93 again.  But the wonderful news is that God is blessing us with 60's in the mornings and 80's in the daytime for almost a week!  Glory Hallelujah!   That's almost opening the windows weather to air at the house, well, maybe in the early mornings.


I love beautiful blue skies with those wonderful cloud shapes.  Sometimes, the pollution and the gunk in the air along with the total absence of any hope of rain, just gives us a murky sky with skinny little clouds that look like just that "skinny little clouds".  But lately, we've been finding whole menageries in the sky and watching them drift into each other and make new shapes.  I'm such a dork sometimes.  I get excited by some of the most simple of things, but the neat part about it, is that excitement just kinda hangs around for awhile and makes me smile.  So, I guess sometimes it's a good thing that I'm a dork.  I'm sure there are hundreds of other words to describe that one type, but I just like "dork".


Today is Friday, and just happens to be the day before we have my Daddy's big 80th birthday bash.  There are all kinds of friends and family coming, some even from points far away.  It's going to be so cool.  He is so excited about seeing everyone and I think about being the center of attention.


Saturday, we are having a feast!  And with thanks going out to my dearest friends, and family members, it's going to be spectacular!  No one, absolutely no one, will go home hungry!  I promise.  Sunday promises to be filling as well.  Brunch with all of the trimmings from berries to shrimp n grits!  They will be so full, they are going to want to stay another night.


Today's little story is going to be just that, little, but chocked full of wonderful memories, giggles, dreams and peace.


My titles are often elusive and you may not be able to figure out where I am going until well into the blog.  That's not going to be a problem today.  


Junior Mints and Elephants - when my son was much younger, if we were all out driving and spotted some great clouds, he wouldn't always see the elephants and puppies, or the alligator with its jaws open.  He saw things in a much simpler way and one of my favorites was when he looked out the car window and up at the sky and simply said "oh, look, that one looks like a Junior Mint!".  To this day, we still all "see" a Junior Mint when we study the clouds for artwork.  Even in the simplest of things, God sends us a giggle and an ooo and awe.  Just makes me smile, and we had one of those Junior Mints moments a couple of days ago.  I'm still smiling!


Watermelon Ice - missing someone is heart wrenching.  The grief and sadness can be overwhelming.  The "whys" don't make sense to us.  We fear closing our eyes because of reliving that "moment" when they were "gone".  If you stop and think about it, there have been moments and situations in all of our lives when someone that had passed on was able to let us know that "it's okay.  I'm okay and you will be fine.".  Sometimes, it's a hanky in a coat pocket, or the smell of a particular perfume, or seeing an unusual bird that just doesn't fit into the scenario.  Those are the "take your breath away" instantaneous moments that warm your heart, make you smile and quietly send love to the one that has a permanent spot in your heart.  Dreams - sometimes tough to deal with and we wake in tears or feeling distraught, but sometimes, when it's time, those dreams can leave us with wonderful things to take over the sadness and wake us up with a giggle and a smile.  So, here's to someone's dream, watermelon ice and being who you are.  Keep smiling and know that in that bright blue sky with God's floating menagerie, that there are special people looking down on us and giving us "little" wonderful moments to let us know that it's okay.


Time to Power Clean and start cooking.  Y'all be blessed today and always and don't look so far for your memories and your peace.  They are right in front of you.  Close your eyes, listen, remember the smells, the silliness, everything and then just smile!


Love y'all,  God bless you each and every day!
K