Browsing Old Cemeteries!

In going through a "stack" of old e-mails that I just haven't deleted - I found this and think it is worth sharing. Forgive me if you were the one who sent it. Let's just say I'm forwarding it on to all my readers!



Browsing Old Cemeteries

A truly Happy Person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
And, one who can enjoy browsing old cemeteries...
Some fascinating things on old tombstones!


Harry Edsel Smith of Albany , New York :
Born 1903--Died 1942.
Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the
car was on the way down. It was.
=============================
In a Thurmont, Maryland , cemetery:
Here lies an Atheist, all dressed up and no
place to go.
=============================
On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in
East Dalhousie Cemetery , Nova Scotia :
Here lies Ezekial Aikle, Age 102. Only The
Good Die Young.
=============================
In a London , England cemetery:
Here lies Ann Mann, Who lived an old maid
but died an old Mann. Dec. 8, 1767
=============================
In a Ribbesford, England , cemetery:
Anna Wallace
The children of Israel wanted bread, And
the Lord sent them manna. Clark Wallace
wanted a wife, And the Devil sent him Anna.
===============================
In a Ruidoso, New Mexico , cemetery:
Here lies Johnny Yeast... Pardon me
for not rising.
===============================
In a Silver City , Nevada , cemetery:
Here lays The Kid.
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger
But slow on the draw.
================================
A lawyer's epitaph in England :
Sir John Strange.
Here lies an honest lawyer,
and that is Strange.
=================================
John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne,
England , cemetery:
Reader, if cash thou art in want of any,
Dig 6 feet deep and thou wilt find a Penny.
==================================
In a cemetery in Hartscombe , England :
On the 22nd of June, Jonathan Fiddle went
out of tune.
==================================
Anna Hopewell's grave in Enosburg Falls ,
Vermont :
He lies the body of our Anna,
Done to death by a banana.
It wasn't the fruit that laid her low,
But the skin of the thing that made her go.
==================================
On a grave from the 1880s in Nantucket ,
Massachusetts :
Under the sod and under the trees,
Lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
He is not here, there's only the pod.
Pease shelled out and went to God.
==================================
In a cemetery in England :
Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so shall you be.
Remember this and follow me.

To which someone replied by writing
on the tombstone:

To follow you I'll not consent
Until I know which way you went.

And my personal favorite from the same graveyard on Nantucket:

Here lies the body of Jonathan Pound
Who was lost out at sea and who never was found.

Feet & Doctors!

I have an appointment with the foot Doc today. I've decided there is a specialty for every part of our body. How in the world did Dr. Atkins do it all, back when he was the only Doctor in our town? He delivered babies, he set broken arms, he dished out prescriptions or just gave you the "red stuff" that would cure all ills.

I wonder how much of the healing came because we had seen the Doctor? OK, that is a little presumptuous on my part, for in truth, one had to be mighty sick before even calling him, or going to see him for sure. In fact, I don't remember going to his office in my life. Now mind you, I may have, but my brain doesn't work the way it once did.

I remember seeing him though. He delivered my three sisters younger than me. For two he came to our house on Long Branch. The last little sister we got, came from the clinic where Mama stayed over night! The mystery of how he got into our house with his black bag, without us hearing a baby cry coming from it, remained a mystery for several more years - until age, maturity and time made us a little wiser than those 7,8 and 10 yr old girls that hid under the steps watching.

Oh for the memories that surface now and again. Don't we all have them! Anyway back to Doctor Atkins. We drove by his office a while back when we made a trip home. I had to fix my eyes on the stately old white house in the middle of our town, a block off Main street. Momentarily I saw the old cars of the 30's & 40's parked around the street. I could visualize Men leaving their fields with a snake bite making their way into his office, or a Mom with a kid in tow who had a broken arm.

I had to have made at least one visit in my life for, it didn't take much musing on my part to remember the two different waiting areas where the "coloreds" brought their sick ones to see the Doctor, and the other was for the "white folk". That was my first exposure to the segregation that was prevalent everywhere in the south. I had no clue why we weren't all waiting in the same room. In fact I don't remember the answer I received when I asked why? And I know I must have asked who they were and why they were on the other side of the office window.

It was later I learned there was an area of town where black kids went to school, separate from the high school where I would attend in a few years. I wondered where they attended high school, only to learn they had to travel 30+ miles away to further their education. I really hope they did.

Anyway, eventually Doctor Atkins practice gave way to a 30+ bed hospital, built on a knoll above Main street. My were we up town then. I had graduated and moved away, but it was still great to hear we were advancing with the ages. Gave me some bragging material to be sure!

Well this ain't getting me ready to have my feet fitted for Diabetic shoes. I never thought I'd see the day when I had to wear granny shoes (or that was once my interpretation.) My pride has given way to comfort now-a-days. I may have to tell you about another pair of shoes I had to wear once. It really is a sad story of how desperately in pain we have to be before giving in to wear "that" kind of shoe.

Like I said, I'll have to tell you that one later. Until then,

Grammyof13 signing off.

Jehovah Ji-rah - My Provider

I'm pulling away from my normal musing to post something from my devotional column I will hopefully have published later this week.


The Sermon at church today was on courage. "Courage is not the absence of fear" was the opening statement, and it went from there.

I really did hear what our minister had to say, but I also had some thoughts of my own as I silently gave him an amen. Like a lot of congregations in our town, we have those who could lose courage because of the bleakness of the future. Loss of jobs and few jobs to be found, savings (if there was any) running low, no health insurance, possibility of losing a home if something doesn't give, or their car repossessed.

Just writing the above paragraph could get me depressed. We are so accustomed to security that comes from having a job to go to, and health insurance that gives the freedom to go to a Doctor if we are ill.

There have been other times like these, but most have forgotten. The 70's were a bleak time,as was the 40's. America was strong and came back on top again for many years.

I was reminded of the Children of Israel in the Old Testament. They were a prosperous people. The Lord was making them a Nation the world could look on and see His hand of provision, His rewards for obedience. They were to remember where they came from and who their provider was - thus showing the rest of the known world how God was Almighty, Yahweh, the great I AM. To show the rest of the known world that no man made god would do this for them.

Eventually, their prosperity caused them to become ungrateful. They forgot who had brought them from bondage to where they were then - in the land flowing with milk and honey. They boasted of how they had gathered wealth, and in their pride they began drifting away from the true and living God, to serve idols.

How like those Israelites we are. When our belly is full, and all is well at the bank, it would be easy to forget who has brought us to this point in time. Who supplied the food that filled our bellies, who supplied the paycheck that was deposited directly into the bank in our name.

My thoughts, among these, are this: If we are accustomed to people meeting our needs, (i.e. the government), then - we will lose courage in difficult times. On the other hand, if we recognize that God has been our provider - He indeed has been our Jehovah Ji-rah, then we will not fear when drought comes or lean times.

The book of Jeremiah says it best. Chapter 17:5 "I, the LORD, have put a curse on those who turn from me and trust in human strength.
Jer 17:6 They will dry up like a bush in salty desert soil, where nothing can grow.

Jer 17:7 But I will bless those who trust me.
Jer 17:8 They will be like trees growing beside a stream-- trees with roots that reach down to the water, and with leaves that are always green. They bear fruit every year and are never worried by a lack of rain.

Then to emphasize the point, Isaiah 58:11 records "And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."

I realize everyone can be affected by the economy, however I would leave these words of caution for those who have decided to put their trust in the Lord God, "If we have depended on God for our sustenance until now, we have no need to fear what tomorrow brings."

Grammyof13

Morning with God!

It was a beautiful morning to set on the deck and just think about how blessed I am to be here in 2009, in this house, in this neighborhood, and health good enough to enjoy what the Lord has blessed me with. Do you ever get like that? Just overwhelmed with what you have been blessed with?

I may have weeds in my garden, hopefully I'll conquer them soon, I still have squirrels (e-hem! rats with furry tails) who have multiplied during the winter, and there have been no old ones to die out, so the population has grown - right here in my Forest! I'm trying to find the blessing there - well - I do enjoy watching them play high up in the trees jumping playfully from limb to limb, tree to tree, far far away from my bird feeders!! Maybe that will suffice for counting my blessings where they are concerned!!!

My husband bought me a soil testing kit yesterday. I'm planning a shade flower garden close to the house, and wasn't sure about the nutrients in the soil. I was glad to see I won't need much special treatments to have the bed ready for my flowers when they come.

My stepping stones are coming along quiet nicely. My sisters have somehow made theirs more attractive than mine, but I'm not through yet. I am not known for my artistic abilities so I'll not be too hard on myself as I'm at least making an effort. I have quiet a few stones from the farm, flat rocks really, so I am almost ready to get them laid in place so I'll know how many more stones I'll need.

I received the following in an e-mail today. Maybe you will enjoy it as I did.


BILLY GRAHAM'S SUIT


Billy Graham is now 86 years old with Parkinson's disease.

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte , North Carolina , invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor.

Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said , 'We don't expect a major address. Just
come and let us honor you..' So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, 'I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the
Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He
couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.


The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket.
Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car , he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees look ing under his seat for his ticket.


The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, "Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'


Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.''


Having said that Billy Graham continued, 'See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children , and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.

You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing .. I want you to remember this:

I not only know who I am .. I also know where I'm going.'

Grammyof13

Another Birthday!

I am up to my elbows in projects, but life happens and I am stalled. I was not intending to come to the computer today, but my intentions did not succeed.

I wanted to share some of our pictures of the great "barn yard" party. There were about 15-16 kids there who enjoyed petting baby chickens, feeding the baby nanny goat, petting the baby lamb, and finding fake worms in a washtub of dirt. There didn't have to be planned game, children do not need help when they are together. Too there was so much they found to do on the "farm".

Daryl's Dad brought baby chickens, and the lamb, but they were just on loan.

Mind you, my son-in-law only has two acres, but due to Preston and his love for animals, they are making a small farm, somewhat away from the house, making plenty of room for the kids to ride the tractor/lawn mower, and all the other things they do.

Anyway, a good time was had by all. I was glad to meet some of my daughters friends who brought their children. Cold as it was we managed to stay warm.

I saw my first soccer ball game (I know - you are wondering where I've been all my life). I did not go dressed for 40 degree temperatures, so I donned a blanket through a muddy field to get to the grassy knoll they were playing on. From my inkwell of knowledge I think the boys did very well. We watched one game starting at noon, and another starting at 3. The rules escape me, but I did see them throw the ball from the sideline, then kick the fire out of it from there on seeing who could get it into the net first. Parker made five goals. His team won 6-3 I think. Preston's team tied 3-3.

Thanks for letting me ramble about grand kids and life after 65. I'm going to my yard now and get on with my projects. Thanks for listening!

Grammyof13

25-50 years too soon!

This household in Oklahoma is up to the rafters in preparations for a "barn yard" party Saturday. I've made two batches of animal shaped sugar cookies, we've been to the grocery store for everything from eggs, (all farms have eggs you know!),pig in a blanket, hay (potato sticks) - I'm not sure what else, but I believe this daughter and son-in-law could easily market the ideas they come up with.

The seven year old birthday boy has no problem letting his desire to be a farmer be known. I've shared about the hen and her egg laying. While he is very good at feeding his animals, for his birthday two goats were added to his farm. One is bottle fed, the other is older but they are sure cute. There is no reminding him twice that he is responsible for them and seeing they are fed.

You will be hard pressed to believe this, but it is true I promise with my hand up! I got up at 6:30am this morning (double emphasis there on morning) to take him to school. I prepared his breakfast and we had a few minutes before anyone in the house decided to get up. We rode to school in my car and though it is not a practice that his mom walk him to his room, I was so privileged to do so. He showed me his desk and then we parted ways without a hug of course. Seven year olds don't kiss their grandmother goodbye on the school ground in front of all his friends.

Anyway, I have age confusion when I am around these two, or any of the other two for that matter. Only thing that reminds me I ain't no young sprout any more, is the impossibility of getting down on the floor.

I decided I was born 50 years too soon. Little Parker, who is five, wanted me to play the Wii with him today. I haven't fully got it figured out what a Wii is but I agreed and the lessons started. For the life of me I could not get the bowling ball rolling down the lane. I mean I could not get the girl to turn loose of the ball. He kept telling me I was doing it wrong. So I watched a little closer, and tried again. Same thing. I just could not get coordinated to push the buttons while turning loose of the buttons.

As that didn't work, we changed to baseball. Now that is a game I would be able to play - no problem. I couldn't hit that ball either!! Yet he stood there as though he were on the field at Yankee Stadium and made the crowd go wild with his home runs! After two games he gave up on me and we turned the Wii off. I hope I live to hear him tell his children how he tried to teach me to play games with/on the Wii. It should be interesting.

I tried to get Parker to take me for show 'N tell today. The letter he is studying this week is "M". I told him this would be his introduction, "This is my Mom's Mother", that way he'd have the M word twice. He opted for taking a monkey that made monkey sounds.

You can tell I am having a blast, but I am pooped. I don't think anyone will have to coax me into going to bed tonight. And I'm glad there is no school on Saturday....

Grammyof13

Graduation!

Tonight we celebrated three young women who will graduate from High School next month. One being my granddaughter Bailey. Boy do I remember when she was born. Cutest little kissy face I could remember ever seeing. Of course I think that was my statement with all the little ones, every thing they did should have been on the evening news! No one ever took me up on it though.

As for her birth - my husband was being checked in the Hospital a few windows down from where my Son was checking Debbie in. Debbie was ushered to the second floor Maternity/birthing area, and my husband was ushered to the 3rd floor. My husband had come off the road with a foot swollen three times it size and after seeing the Dr. they didn't like what they found. Hence the hospital stay.

About a week and a half before I had gall bladder surgery and was still not well enough to become nurse, but I didn't have a choice. What to do? Should I stay in the room where my husband was eventually put to bed, or go to the labor room to be with my son and try to comfort my daughter-in-law? I opted for staying with Dad until he got settled in - and then he urged me to go see about how the labor was going. I think he was just as anxious to hear as I was.

Now those were the days when finding out the sex of the child before birth was fairly new and Debbie chose not to know, loving the element of surprise. Greg (my son) had declared it was a boy. He wanted a son to name Stephen (Steven) from the well known biblical deacon Stephen who was stoned to death while Saul (who ordered the death and later to become Paul) watched the job well done.

We hoped with him because at the time he had two little girls and we all would love to have had a boy. Well, God had other plans, and later in the day Bailey came into this world and Greg never looked back at his wishes for a boy. He didn't think he got second best, God sent him what he needed.

All the week while Debbie was on the second floor, and Papa (my husband) was on the third, it was easier for me to take the stairs than to walk a mile down to the elevators only to walk another 1/2 mile to Debbie's room. Each time I climbed the stairs back to the 3rd floor I thought it would be my last but eventually I gained strength. I learned long before then I am not a good nurse. I know I didn't miss my calling by not becoming a nurse or a nurse assistant.

Anyway, Bailey turned 18 last October and will be heading off to Collage, like the others we celebrated with tonight. She is still a kissy face, but I don't get to kiss her very much as she is busy with her life. I'm sure she has not forgotten her ole grammy so I'll be satisfied with what I do get from her occasionally.

I'm proud of you Bailey, Katherine Ann, and Brittany. And remember Papa and I love you.

Grammyof13

Loss of Words.

It is with a heavy heart I set here today. What I write will be from a somber mind, intending to pay tribute to a dear friend who is headed to the funeral home yet again for another of her family.

Maxine is in her eighties and would probably say there are some things worse than death for herself. Meaning, to live through all the tragedies of losing her husband,( when her three children were toddlers;) caring for both her parents (who died in her home while the children were still small); then raising those children to adulthood alone, only to lose two of her children (one to cancer and an the other from an operation gone bad); one grandchild to an auto accident, and then, today another grandchild to a stroke, whereas had she gone before them she would not be here to grieve yet again.

The tragedy she has known in those years would curl the hair on the arms of the strongest man. Knowing her story would make most people hang their head in sympathy for lack of knowing what else to do,because words seem so empty at a time like this.

I want to admire her for her strength. However Maxine would declare I have no strength outside the Lord's strength who carries me in times like these.

Where do the tears come from, when she has shed them all countless times before?

How can a heart that has been broken so many times still have the strength to keep beating?

How can one be prepared to lose another child, be it grandchild or child? Though each funeral service seems vaguely familiar, all the others have done nothing to prepare her for the next one! Though the minister's words have the same familiarity, they fall on heavy, even deaf ears.

I wonder if Maxine and her daughter are being carried along on the promptings of the minister or funeral director, or are they moving by rote?

Frankly, Maxine is not well due to aging. However, her mind is beautiful and she sheds joy and cheer wherever she goes by her mere presence. She and the Lord have a long history of walking together, and she would declare that she isn't walking most of the time, she is being carried on the prayers of those who care.

I stated earlier how my heart is hurting for my friend. Now you understand a little as to why.

Last week the word was sent out to her church family that Elaine, her 44 year old granddaughter had had a stroke. People have strokes daily, and I'm sure I was expecting to hear she would go into rehab for a few days, then go home to limited duties for awhile. Yet the news there was no brain activity kept coming, and things were looking grim. Today Elaine was taken off life support and was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

If you are reading this, and you know how to pray, Please ask the Lord to give her and her daughter Linda supernatural strength for the days ahead. Linda has experienced the tragedy along side her mother. She has lost two children, her brother and sister, her father and grandparents. Now she will face the possibility of losing her Mother as well.

Oh how I wish I knew what to say.

Grammyof13

Clay Balls

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore.

In one of the caves, he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls.

It was as someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean

as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock .

Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls.. Each contained a similar treasure.

He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time.

He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves.

Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands,

but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel.

It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.

But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person,

and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them,

then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune

in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you.. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.

APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE
THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS!
LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!

Home

I've tried several times this week to journal, but for some reason it was not what I wanted to say. So to save you the guilt of not reading my "stuff" I decided against posting anything.

I have a new project since coming back from Tenn. We left last Friday to see Daddy, and before going to my sisters for the night, we stopped by the nursing home. He had prepared for bed, but had not laid down. He was surprised to see us, so he started talking and it was difficult for us to get away so he could go to bed. We promised we'd be back the next morning, where we spent the greater portion of the day with him, leaving only for lunch and supper.

We arrived again on Sunday morning for a wonderful visit again before heading home. Three of my wonderful sisters volunteered themselves to landscape the grounds around the Care facility. I was truly impressed with the beds that were ready to plant flowers when time came. Some decorative plants were already in pots adorning the front entrance. Black mulch crowned the beds complementing all their labors.

One of my Brothers in law made two "gardens" from lumber for the residents to plant tomatoes. Their hope was to get some competition going between the men residents and the women to see who could grow the best and largest tomatoes. I've got to keep up with the results of this idea. I really hope they get enthused over the plan.

As for my project - I am making stepping stones for my landscaping project in the back yard. I made my first one yesterday, and now am brave enough to get several going at one time. A couple years ago at the family reunion, my son in law found several flat rocks on the creek bank at our park. He helped me load the car down, which was a load believe me, and now I am ready to use them. I have a pretty picture in my mind of how I want it to look when its finished.

If anyone has any ideas on how to decorate them please feel free to let me know. I do have decorative marbles (flat on one side) to put on a few. My sister told me of a color to add to the quick Crete for a variation. I was on my way to Lowes today but it is raining, and I'm just not fond of getting soaking wet when what I need can wait a while longer.

I will made pictures to share when I have it like I want it.

On another note: There is no way I could be in Tenn without going by "home". With no one there anymore, we've decided to cut off the utilities. We stayed in the car and just gazed for awhile at the house that looked so cold and unloved. There is something about a house - once a home to a happy family - that has been closed up for awhile. It is cold. It looks old. I hadn't noticed that before. The furnishings in the house are still there where Mama left them for the most part, but there is no life in the place.

I relive the days when the house was being built in 1954. We would be moving from the shanty to a brand new house and each day we debarked from the old yellow school bus, we could see progress. From digging the basement, to the block foundation and eventually the roof, we were so excited that soon it would be home with electricity. We lived there. I mean we enjoyed life there. We lived there. We loved there and one by one we left to make a life of our own apart from the others.

But now, life had gone from it. Furnishing do not make a home. A building does not make a home. The front porch swing gives you the picture of a homey place. But that doesn't mean the porch is attached to a home. A home must have life. A home must have love. A touch of caring, otherwise it is cold and dead.

We didn't linger very long and didn't venture to go inside. I thought I had said my goodbye's last year and for the most part did. In October when my children had come to celebrate their grandfather's 100th birthday, I had them over for supper. We sat at Mama's table, I made supper in her kitchen, my grandchildren explored the house as children will. They were too young to realize my history was wrapped up in the old house and forever a piece of me would be attached to it. While we ate, it was good to hear my children's memories of their days in this home.

Then I said good bye as best I could. We felt it was time to close it up until the day when we actually go through their things for the last time disbursing and choosing what to keep and what to discard. However, until then, I will always, ALWAYS go by home when I am close by.

I realize I am no different than anyone else who lived on the same place, and basically in the same house all their growing up years. For sure being there gets my creative writing juices to flowing, and I'm desperately in need of a muse boost. Bear with me while I write once more while in my nostalgic frame of mind. It is my way of holding on to something of the past that kept me steady, gave me a good foundation for life; a piece of the past that accepted me as I was and didn't condemn me for what I couldn't be. It seems I've forgotten the times of tears. That is what being almost sixty nine does for one. We start out remembering it all, only to sift through, finally throwing away the pain and embrace the love, laughter and good times.

Thanks for listening, I've got to get busy and finish my project, or at least get supplies so I can work on it in better weather.

Grammyof13

Like Daughter, Like Mother.

Now I know why my daughter could not turn away a stray dog! She loved animals, still does. Once she took in a poodle who was blind in one eye. She had taken Butch (part poodle, part red bone hound) with her when she married, so she was mother to both Corky and Butch for several years, and today their ashes are in an urn somewhere in her home.

So I can't talk. However, lost, lonely or maimed animals is not my problem. There are enough strays in the neighborhood which run loose and get on my nerves when they come sniffing around my feet as I go out for the mail or bird feeders. I dare not feed them, for fear they might like my bounty and want to stay. Instead...

I somehow cannot walk away from books. I've been organizing my home office getting ready for a much needed file cabinet, emptying the boxes that have been my place to file things for awhile. For every box of important stuff, there are two boxes of books. In the garage there is a book shelf - yes filled with books, and then several boxes filled with - you guessed it - Books. Inside my home, in the entertainment center are 1970's world books, and in my office is a three shelf book case, You get the picture?

So why then would I go to the library to return books, only to walk out an hour later with used books under my arm that I've purchased and feeling real good about my bargains!!! I wanted to bring them all home, but I refrained. Is there a department of welfare for used books that have been pushed aside? I wouldn't want anyone making a surprised visit and see that I have absolutely no place for any more books, new or used.

Seriously, I did find one published in 1949, which is what I look for mostly. I love biographies of famous people i.e. presidents. I have one on Lincoln written by Carl Sandburg that I cherish. I had a neighbor who was packing to move, and gave me her entire library, which I couldn't turn down. I did find a few diamonds among them which made her gift mean so much more.

I also have the book written by Bill Clinton's mother, which is a hoot! One by Roslyn Carter bemoaning her days that was not to be in the White House. No it really is a good book, and very heart felt.

Anyway, I know now where my daughter got the idea never to leave a lonely dog behind. She'll never change and I probably won't either.

Grammyof13