Let's began again!

Let's get going again. It has been too long since I've reported on living past 65 and believe me there is still fun to be had.

Growing old is not optional, but it is a choice in how it is done. My idea is to stay young in spirit and in reasonable health by doing what is right in the eating and exercising area. Other than that to grow old with long time friends is also a plus along with a healthy active growing church and activities to serve God by serving others.

I signed up for Hospice, and only got to visit my patient once. She wants to live to be 90 and if she can make it until the 21st she will have accomplished her desire. I pray she does, we're having an open house in her honor. I just pray she is well enough to know she is surrounded by family and friends.

There are days I feel I need Hospice - but it passes. I'm not terminally ill, just the usual maladies of the aging process that cannot be escaped. My husband was diagnosed with early dementia several months ago, but the Doctor gave him a GREAT report this week which encourages the both of us. He thinks clearly, able to do things for himself, go to the grocery store for me and even do some shopping. I'm not quiet ready for him to become dependant.

Little Cricket keeps him hopping with is a blessing and they have a language all their own. Never dreamed we could love a little 4 legged pet as we do him.

Our Christmas will be small as far as gift giving is concerned, but hopefully it will more joyful than usual. We plan a family gathering with plenty of food, games and fellowship. We'll call it our Christmas gathering even though we are gathering on the 30th of December. My daughter in Sioux City and her family will be absent, but we will be calling her during the day to include her in our festivities. Sure do miss her, Ron, Katrina and Logan. I wish families didn't have to get so separated, but life deals us cards we'd rather turn back in. However I don't believe that is how the game works.

Please accept my Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from

Grammyof16

Blogsite closed temporarily - come on over a few blogs away.

Life is moving on - and for a while at least - this blog will remain a reminder of happier times.  To follow me during life after 65, please go to my other blogsite:  http://songsinthenight.blogspot.com

I'd love for every follower to sign up with me there as I take a road I've not traveled before.  I'm sure I'll need all the friends I can get.

Thanks for your loyalty see you on the other page.


Grammy of 16

UPDate and .......

 I've been looking over some of my freelance writing articles I have in a special folder.  This is one that appeared on the www somewhere - may not have had my name on it, but indeed it is mine.  So for a change I may repost some of them for a while. 

We are OK.  My husband had to have a second surgery on his hand to releave nerves that had been trapped under the "plate" the Doctor had inserted to hold the bone together.  He is now in Therapy for another few more weeks.  Not sure what is going to happen after that.  We are trying to prepare for whatever it. 

10 Things about the Internet I Just Don't Get

I am assuming people who hack into another’s computer is smart.  But I’ll never understand how they would call it smart when it is one of the dumbest things I can think of.

Or what about Spam?  Why would anyone set around thinking of ways to scam/spam people?  Do they have too much time on their hands, or are they just dumb?  My mother would say, “Some people have too much time on their hands.”  Or she just might say, “Idle hands are the Devil’s pleasure”.  Either way, I just can’t visualize people being that mean.

I know, I know.  I’ve lived a sheltered life.  I remember working in Retail once during a grand opening of a big store chain.  We had the correct training on what to do if someone stole merchandise, but never did I dream it would actually happen on my watch.  She was a young mother whose baby was in a stroller, and bending the rules I allowed her to take the stroller and a couple dresses into the dressing room.  She outsmarted me and my tender heart.  I decided I didn’t belong in the retail clothing business, so I didn’t last long.  Like I say, I just don’t get it:  People who steal, or in matters of the internet SCAM people.

With the computer however, I stay in awe on how I can type a note on my personal PC, click a button and it appears on my sister’s  PC moments later.  Not only that,  but how can I send a picture over the wireless Internet? 

I’m just grateful I even have a PC to communicate with areas of the world where I’ll never step foot, however if I stopped to analyze how it is actually happening, I may give up.  So I’ve decided as long as someone smarter than me gets it figured out, I’ll just take advantage of the new technology.

I’m not sure if this is on the subject, but there is one thing which has come up several times which is still a mystery.  How did Al Gore have anything to do with inventing the Internet?

Some new users have difficulty doing a copy paste,  highlight in different areas of the Internet; whether MS Word or other word programs, saving pictures to copy to your picture folder, or even copy a favorite picture to your windows background, the simplicity of it seems to escape some people.

Setting up a web site is said to be a simple feat.  There are templates out there that may be user friendly, but unfortunately there are folks like myself who feel we need a computer degree to even set up Facebook, or U-tube or for sure a web page. 

Then the getting a web site to the top of the search engines is totally beyond me.  I’ve tried it, but feel I’ve fallen short in all the terminology needed to make a web site easy to find with Search Engine Optimization so that is can easily be found.

I don’t understand viruses.  I try to stay away from sites that warn me there is a potential problem.  Also I’ve tried to rely on my anti-virus software, but still have had to pay someone with a degree in computers to clean my PC up.  Viruses - in life we take an anti-biotic.  In computers we fork over $$$ to have someone diagnose and repair a problem that should never have been.  It is beyond me.

I really wonder if “freedom of speech” has not gone farther than it was intended.  Pornographic sights are one of the multimillion dollar businesses on the Internet.  How anyone can take part in a porn site, or even spend money to view one is not something I can wrap my brain around.  It seems like there are more import things on which one can spend his/her money. 

I’m glad the Internet came in my life time; however I will admit I am limited in the use of mine, because of the wild growth that has taken place every day in the technology world.  By the time I almost learned DOSS, doss was no more.  Windows came alone.  Then there were different window programs we upgraded to each time we upgraded our PC. 

Whew!  I’ll just drop the subject for now.

Grammy of 16  alive and well.

Here there and Yon....

Should I explain where I've been, or what I've been up to?  Probably not, as it is akin to nothing in particular. 

Summer has started and my garden is thriving as it did last year at this time.  However my hopes (thanks to those who encouraged me last year) are much higher than they were in 2011.  I have hovered over my cucumber and pepper plants as well as my tomato plants and so far they are growing under my watchful eye, and flourishing very well.  Harvest time in a few weeks may tell another story.

Would you agree there is nothing better than a juicy tomato from ones own garden?  There is nothing quite so tasty as a fresh tomato on a bologna sandwich.

We had a good visit from my daughter Janean and her family last week.  Their visits are always too short.  Parker and Preston and I played table games, worked in the yard and ate breakfast on the deck.  They are such a joy, when I can get them away from the TV.  Note:  I have multiple stations and they love watching the kid programs as they have only basic TV.  They loved using the shears on a few limbs that were hanging low to the ground.  That is "man's" stuff you know.  They enjoyed my process of watering my yard as they got to play in the sprinklers.

Her husband did a honey-do job for me.  I hung new curtains the week before they came, but hanging a faux wood blind was beyond my know-how.  So Daryl to the rescue.

So much for what is going on in Arkansas.  My husband is still not working.  His hand has not healed as it should, so his working days may be over.  His visit to the surgeon next month should tell us something to work with.

Grammyof16

Countin' my blessings today.

Talking about growing families, we are doing our best to repopulate the world with boys.  Sunday morning, even though we were expecting great grand #7 to arrive in a few weeks, we welcomed him early - on his schedule not ours. Meet Griffin only a few hours old.

Born to my grand daughter Sharon that had Sylas in June last year who did not survive birth (Heaven is sweeter now).  Griffin weighed in at 6 lbs + and was 19+ inches long.  Healthy from all outward accounts and we are believing that on inward accounts as well.

Griffin has two brothers who have been looking forward to this day for several months.  The loss of Sylas was difficult, but they can say the sun did rise again.  Ike and Axton have a big responsibility now - keeping the booger bears away from Griffin.

In December our 6th great grand was born to Bailey.  What a doll baby Graydon is, and how he has "most" of us enthralled by just looking at how perfect he is.  Well me anyway - enthralled that is.  I'm sure others have their own word.  Graydon has no big brothers, but enough boys around to help him fight the enemies however big they are. 

It is interesting to me how our family of grands and great grands have been blessed with 4 girls and 12 boys!  Two ball teams maybe?  I've determined God is replinishing the world with boys, and started with our family.  I think it would be so great if each young man would grow up to Missionaries - in the US or somewhere else. 

It is said of my Maternal grandmother, Addie Chapman, that she prayed for her children and their children into future generations to become ministers of the Gospel.  She lived during the time of great revival in the early 1900's.  When she died in 1951, she had seen part of her prayer come to fruition.  Two of her sons, one daughter-in law, were ministers.  Since then I wish I could count the men and women who have answered the call - I think because of her petition to the Lord so many years ago.
Many have been evangelists, pastors, bishops, teachers, even missionaries.  Is that the reason our judgment will not come until all the accounts are in?  The great judgment when all is said and done and generations will be no more - only then will we know the full extent of  how beneficial our lives have been, and the prayers we prayed have been answered.

Just counting my blessings today.

Grammyof16

Diamonds in the rough!

I wasn't aware the Diamond mine here is Arkansas is the only one in the world that lets you take home your find.
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is only about 2 1/2 hours from Conway, down Interstate 30. It makes for a beautiful drive especially in spring as the fields are outlined by budding trees shooting forth their green leaves that have been cooped up all winter waiting for the warmth of the sun. Cows and plenty of them roam the beautiful flat lands with a few rolling hills. Gorgeous homes dot the scenery making us wonder what the occupants do for a living so far away from the city.

Heading toward Murfreesboro, AR, we followed our Map Quest print-out until we came upon a sign that pointed in a direction where we weren't expecting to make any turns. Sure enough our Map quest directions were going to take us "out of the way". We stopped and asked to be sure, and we found we were within 30 minute drive of the Crater of Diamonds. (the mapquest was discarded, BTW)

Anticipation rising, we came upon the entrance of the park. Many people were taking advantage of Spring Break and were already there. We knew enough about the routine to take our own shovels, and such; rented a mesh screen for sifting the dirt/gray clay in the trough of water which would separate the dredge from the minerals.

My observation was the clay dirt was soooo hard it was difficult to do any digging. We learned that the diamonds and minerals rise to the top anyway, so digging was fruitless. Evidently from the looks of the ground, it is bulldozed or plowed up occasionally so as to keep the soil/clay workable. To say it was an adventure would be an understatement. To see Preston and Parker searching diligently for their diamond was great. I took their pebbles, large or small and held them tightly in my hand so we could show them to the lady at the table who examined them for their genuine value.

We found Jasper stone, glass, volcano ash (?) and glass. One young man before us had a Crystal stone larger than an egg, beautiful white. I would not have been disappointed with a find like that. I thought it was really pretty. However crystal must be common in these parts and has little value except to the one collecting them to make Jewelry

Naturally one meets all kind. Friendly people no less. From Texas to Maine they come for the adventure or venture.

Crater of Diamonds State Park
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113

Will we do it again? Yes even with my back hurting today from walking on uneven terrain hubs and I may do this again just for the adventure. We’ll be a little smarter this time and know what to expect.

Grammyof16

Home Again.

Melancholy again.  It only lasts for a short while now compared to other times.  My Dad passed away one year ago today, and we just happened to be in Tennessee for another funeral the same time this year.  My Sister's husband died of complications of strokes along with other problems that comes with aging. 

After the funeral on Tuesday, we came back to the house to rest.  Also the families involved in the funeral came to another sister's house to eat.  When the crowd disbursed, my husband and I went back to the grave site to "visit" with Mama and Daddy.  Awkward times.  Knowing the remains of them both are there, I also know their spirit has departed and I could only stand there and reminisce about their life and how we shared them.  The place where their body will rise to meet the Lord in the air, is a serene hillside among rolling hills.  Beyond the fence that surrounds the graveside another hill rolls into another until the valleys that separate them is insignificant. Cattle roam the hills, making a colorful dots on the green pasture.  The breeze gently blew keeping the extra warm sun of early spring from being so hot.

Back at the farm, my husband and I went into the old home place.  It had the smell of a old house that had been locked up for awhile.  Musty.  I stood at the kitchen door.  The sounds of Mama are not as prevalent as they once were.  Even the spirit of Daddy is not as strong as it was even last year.  Am I losing them?  Is this what happens when we continue to live and accept the fact that they will not come back to this life as we know it?  I don't think it is a time of forgetting them - just that other things are beginning to crowd in and take priority over the fresh memories we once had.

I did take time to just sit in the living room of the old house.  I chose a chair that was his, and in the same area from where he watched TV.  I looked around the room.  Not a lot has changed even though our family has taken momentoes that were important to them, it is still the same.  We sat in silence for a few minutes when I began singing:  "Hey its good to be back home again..."  John Denver would have been proud.  I could even hear his music as I sang.  "Sometimes this ole farm feels like a long lost friend, and Hey its good to be back home again...."

He may have been singing with me.....One never knows.
grammyof16