What a day Holds. - Luck or Blessing

I can continue with my last post, as the title holds true even now.  We never know what a day will hold.  Yesterday I got to the hospital to find out they were not able to find the source of the infection.  After staying several hours with my husband, I decided to come home and take Cricket on his outside routine walk.  Going back I was on the phone with my patient when the Doctor walked in.  He took the phone and was able to communicate with both of us.

"From the CT scan and the chest X-ray along with the blood work, I am not finding anything significant.  His white cells were elevated so we know there was an infection....."  Long story short, we came home last night with an anti-biotic for the week.

Yesterday turned into a great day all in all - proving again the surprises a day will hold.  I went to lunch with my daughter and her family who were leaving for home after their long vacation that just happened to bring them back by here.  At the check out counter, my lunch was free (as I was caring for a patient in the Hospital).  How neat is that?

At Kroger when I was waiting for his prescription to be filled, I shopped for a few needed supplies.  I love home made Chicken Salad, so I needed  celery.  To the young man restocking the produce, I blessed him when he sneezed and that opened the door to more conversation.  "I hate having to purchase a whole stalk of celery only to use a couple stalks", I managed to complain.  We talked about the better buy, the celery hearts or a regular bunch/stalk.  The unwrapped one is the on I chose, and he asked, "Is this the one you want?" 

Thinking slowly I managed to say, "Yes this one will do" and I reached to place it in my basket.  He reached for it, and with his knife he chopped off the leafy ends of it and told me to wait for him, he'd be right back.

Momentarily he returned with the bunch in a managers special bag marked .25 cents!  I blessed him again and with "Have a good day," I went on my way.

The prescription was a $4. and that was an added blessing.    Now I'm not sure the supposed luck of finding a penny with heads up - but that was the next surprise.  I've read where finding pennies is a sign of a message from heaven.  Can't imagine who in heaven would send me a message.  Can't vouch for that being true either, but I never leave a penny on the ground.  Regardless of how difficult it is for me to stoop down and retrieve a coin, I was determined to pick up that penny which was in the aisle where I checked out - right at my feet - waiting for me to pick it up.  I placed it in my pocket, checked out and came home.

Do I feel lucky?  Not necessarily.  I do feel blessed however.  Little things that might be passed off as luck are little reminders to me that  I am cared for by the ONE who knows my every thought and intent as well as my needs.  Often my need is to be reminded that He cares and has only the best planned for me and my future.

A discounted stalk of celery, a free meal or a inconspicuous penny (from heaven).  They served their purpose.

Grammyof13

What a day Holds.

I agree with those who knew already that any day may bring surprises.  In fact when we put our feet on the floor the first thing in the morning, we should try (at least) to brace ourselves for whatever the day holds.  Among the good pleasant times, more serious time scan emerge.

My husband has not been feeling well for a few days, just listless to the point of not paying much attention to Cricket (his 4-legged child).  Yesterday I insisted he see his primary care and as the Lord would have it we got an appointment at 3:30.  By six o'clock he was in the hospital and will be for a few days.   It seems he has an intestinal infection - or at least that is the beginning point of the tests.

Thus the reason behind my first statement.  One never knows what a day holds.  One thing I cling to however is that I know Who holds the day.  The immediate future, and the future period.  Therefore I take the joys with the serious times and get them balanced so that one doesn't override the other.

Grammyof13

Old Houses.

We are home from the country.  Always a long trip home, but it  was worth every mile.  The Family reunion had a few missing, but for those who did come, we had a great time.  We managed to get our feet into the creek to cool off from the 98 degree weather and have a lot of laughs to boot.  I do declare hearing my nieces and sisters tell their stories to catch us up on their life can be comical.  So we find ourselves laughing with each other. 

Daddy felt like coming and stayed most of the time with us.  His eye sight is so poor, he didn't know anyone unless they introduced themselves.  Yesterday my husband and I signed him out at the nursing home, and took him out to eat.  His favorite place is Captain "D"s, so we drove to the nearby town of Clarksville and had a picnic of fish and chips.  I asked him if he wanted ice cream, and with an affirmative answer we found a DQ.  We took the long way home so he could enjoy the ride and being away from his room.  He so enjoyed it so much, he is planning a fishing trip next time we come to see him.  We promised him we would do just that.  He even has the place in mind where he wants to go; on a big lake.  'nuff said!

Cricket had a traumatic experience while we were gone.  My precious neighbor Ruth and her son wanted to keep him for us.  And when her son was bringing him back home - he was mauled by a pack of dogs.  It scared them beyond reasoning.  However had the situation been reversed, I'd have re-acted the same.  A Rottweiler dog nipped him under his front legs at the chest, causing several stitches to get him fixed up again.  Needless to say he was so happy to see us today when we arrived home.  They had brought him home and he was waiting for us inside the house.  One happy little 4-legged friend couldn't be still.

It will take me a few days to get into routine of being home again.  It is always great to visit my sisters.  Got to see all of them, spent the few nights with Martha, and had a great cook-out at Nina's, enjoying her little grand daughter in the process.  And always their flower gardens are magnificent. 

Also went into the old home place and picked up a few items that became mine when we started dividing Mama's things.  I've said good bye to the house, but not to the land.  My creative juices get to flowing when I go there, sit on the porch swing and listen to the past call out to me.  It is a house without love - abandoned in so many ways.  It still has furniture and looks as though someone  lived there once - but it has been closed up for at least a year and  is showing signs of being alone with no one to care.  I hate that feeling when I pass any old house that has been vacated for a long time.  For all intents and purposes it dies.  A house must have life from someone who cares to make it a home.  Furniture does not make a house a home.  It is people, who love, laugh, live and care that make the walls ring with life.  Smoke coming from a chimney and a child on a bike as well as a dog chasing a ball and a flower bush close by.  Otherwise, without these a house dies and even with curtains still hanging on the windows, those curtains cannot give it the look of being cared for.

I asked Daddy if he wanted to go to the farm, but it seems he has already said good bye to it as well.  Even though he has wanted to go back home to live, he has accepted it will not happen.  Time and chance happens to all of us.  A Time to be born, and a time to die, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us.  So as with people, it could be applied to old houses.

What a thought.

Grammyof13

Going Home.

June means many things at our house and in our family as well.  Of course there is Father's Day.  Not many can say at 70 years of age, they still have their father.  Daddy was 32 when I was born, so calculate his age today.  He will be 102 in October if the Lord lets him live that long. 

June is also my birthday, which I've already established in my last post.  It was a great birthday, celebrated well.  Every friend on my facebook replied with good wishes.  Then got to Church for Wednesday night bible Study and was surprised with a gift, plus cake and fruit.  Now how sweet is that?  I heard from all my sisters, and all my children.  Can't get any better (I don't think).

Then Father's Day week-end we have our annual Tanner Family Reunion.  It is a pilgrimage of sorts, for me anyway.  Our gathering place was once the land where my grandparents lived where the spring branch and the rock creek meet below the Long Branch Road.    The now famous Tenn. flood kinda left the pavilion and park with a lot of debris, so we are going to meet at one of My sisters house.

Going to Martha's house is like going home.  I will dread the day when I can't go to Martha's house, for she is my touch of home.  My reminder that I still have roots and a place to call home.  My children don't have that - in that - we have moved from where they were raised and now the place belongs to someone else.  I didn't realize that when we moved from Little Rock.  It took me awhile to realize how it is important to me to "go home" occasionally.  Even though Mama is gone, and Daddy doesn't live there anymore - going to Martha's or Deans is still getting to go home. 

Dean.  Have I mentioned her before?  She and I are only 18 months apart in age, but she is such a gracious hostess, it is always great to set my feet under her table, or sleep in her spare bedroom.  She and Martha both, have a flower garden to die for.  I could really do some serious writing just setting in the serenity of their beautiful gardens.

Back to June.  Our church has a 40 acre camp site in the Ozark Mountains.  Each year since we moved to Ark. in 1976, we have attended and even directed a camp.  My children have been the directors for the past two weeks, and I hear it is going great.   My days of working in the camping ministry is about over.  I do manage to attend the Ladies week-end retreat in April.  I hope to always do that. 

So much for my musings tonight.  I'm looking forward to our trip to Tenn on Friday this week.  We always enjoy getting to set our feet on the land of my birth.  Going Home.  Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Grammyof13

I am blessed with Life.

I'm slow getting into summer it seems.  By the time I realize it is summer, fall will be here and the cycle will start again.  I did make it out to the Deck this morning.  The squirrels making that sucking noise with their mouth, made me look up to see what in the world it was.  Only to discover the squirrel, making the sound and moving his tail in rhythm.  

Tomorrow is my birthday - 70 years since I was born.  Where did the time go?  I still play around in those years of the 40's & 50's when life wasn't so complicated.  Care free would describe my life then.  There was a world war going on, but I didn't notice.  The worry of the dark times was left up to the adults of the day. 

Then came the decade of the 60's when I started my family.  Now realizing I wasn't quite ready for marriage and family, I see a few bobbles and stumbles I made, but for the most part it was a busy time, fun times and overall a blessed time.  The four of them turned out well, so I'm not complaining.  They have made me very happy and given me a total of 13 grands to bring sunshine into this era of my life.

Hubs and I went to see our oldest great grand son Will play ball last night.  His schedule for games hasn't worked well with our schedule, but I was determined to see him play before the season is over.  Sure enough, he showed us what he could do.  Hit the ball each time, and made several runs.  My love for sports especially softball (in my young years) gives me a sense of pride to see the love continue.  I believe they have to like the sport to do so well at it.  Little Alex (whom we saw play last week) had a game on another field at the same time as his brother.  He came away from his game equally excited as before declaring, "we got a new high score".  That was important to him.  His eyes danced as he shared the play that got a man out.  That was cool.  He helped win the game!  Will on the other hand has little to say, however he knew Papa and Grammy had come to watch him play and he did us proud.

I'm making jelly today.  My second batch.  Looking for plums and eventually peaches to make more.
It is hot here, I thank the Lord for a cool house.

Stay cool, and drink plenty of water is my advice to you for the day.\

Grammyof13

Around the corner!

We didn't plan it this way.  Our plans were to live around the corner from each other so I could enjoy her children.  She married and did just that - moved on the next street that is, but it didn't last long enough for us to enjoy it. 

They moved on where the job was - to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  It was a difficult trip mainly on two lane roads to get there, but we made the trip several times to visit her.  They took us around the town to the old Plantation homes of the civil war era, we took in New Orleans (thanks anyway) and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Then with elderly in-laws to consider, the Lord took them to the North country of Sioux city, Iowa.  A far cry from around the corner for me.  In fact she was getting farther away from around the corner.

She learned eventually she could not have children, but she filled her home with foster children whom she treated as her own, loving them with unconditional love.  . 

Then one day  the telephone rang, and it was a ring that brought good news.  News she had to get adjusted to.  It was a call that would forever change her life.  News that was an answer to the scripture prayer she posted in her home.  "He will make me joyful mother of children,".   She was going to get a newborn to call her own.  The little girl  was not born from her body, but it had  been incubating and born in her heart.  How precious is that?

Three years later, the Lord added a little Red headed boy that fit into the Master plan for her family.

Oh how he was the exclamation  point of their lives.  The icing on the cake.

I know I'm missing a lot of grandmotherly visits.  I know I'm missing out on a lot of hugs and kisses but somehow long-distance isn't a friend to Grammys.  We welcome a few days, a week, or whatever we can get to catch up on our love relationship.  But this wasn't the plan.  We planned to live in the same town or the same neighborhood and I could become baby sitter, and cookie maker, and ice cream fixer.  We could put puzzles together, or play catch, or even better I could read them a story while they tried to sleep.  But instead Long distance is not my friend.

Today I watched them leave.  But before the doors closed on the van, we made some more pictures, we grabbed hugs and kisses on the cheek, then another bear hug, with the promise to see me later alligator, and after awhile crocodile. 

I went inside and took a nap.  I think they were asleep shortly after the doors closed on the van.  They were on the first leg of their trip home to the North country.  May I add, the week went by too fast.

Grammyof13

Priceless memories!

What a wonderful day.  Yesterday was a day spent by and in the pool with my children and grands.  Of all the water jumping, and showing us all their tricks, the little fellows entertained us.

We've had to grab chances of being together while my Daughter and her children are here from Sioux City.  The week is too short with all we plan to do.  So we met at the pool yesterday for several hours of fun in the sun.  Then we went to the marina for a few hours, where my oldest son and his wife live.  He took us out on the party-barge where we cruised the Arkansas River for a little while.  Seeing the little fellows (Katrina and Logan) guide the boat was priceless.  This will be a vacation they will not soon forget.  Of  course Axton was an ole pro  as he has been down river so many times, he served as guide to Logan and Katrina. 

Logan got to ride with his Uncle in the MEMS dispatcher truck, where on the way home, we saw an automobile on fire.  He allowed Logan to turn the flashing lights on as he pulled to the side of the road.  He then wheeled into the area where the car was, and called the fire department.  Each one of the children can give you a graphic picture in their own words of the enormity of the fire!   No one was in the burning car, but they each vowed they saw someone in the flames.  Five year old Axton was very much at ease about the whole situation for his "papa called his team" and they were going to handle it. 

Alex, one of my great grands had a ballgame - so we all went to the field to cheer him on.  He didn't need any cheering - but we were heard from the stands as he knocked the ball off the tee, got someone out at home or second base.  His words after the game (of which his team won) was "We are undebeatable, I tell you, we are undebeatable!"

I will forever see his little excited eyes and the gesture of his arms and hands as he held up his fingers to form a zero.  He said, "We haven't lost a game - well maybe one - when we played Axton's team (Axton is the same age as he).  They cheated too, but we are undebeatable!!!!"  

I must watch him play again before the season is over.  I maintain my idea that - no one can pay for this kind of entertainment.  Axton has a game on Friday.  We have a video of the game his team won (!) when they played Alex.  The game Alex said they cheated in!)

The two of them are like brothers - born only a week apart to sisters.  I'll post pictures of Katrina and Logan at a later time.  I didn't have my camera on the river cruise yesterday.

Forgive me now - if I stop in mid sentence - for we are going outside to play with water bombs!  (Pray for me!)   hehe

Grammyof13