Saturday, March 28, 2009

I can see clearly now

Well, at least I can see clearly in my right eye. My cataract "surgery" went just great. It took longer to get prepped than the actual procedure took. I prefer to call it a procedure since it was only 5-7 minutes in length. People seemed amazed that I was at church Wednesday night. My six month dental check up took longer than this and I would much rather have this done than to have a filling put in my tooth. I really don't know what all the fuss was about. But I can hardly wait for the next eye to be done. I am in hopes that I can either put my glasses away totally or else just wear readers. And have you priced readers? El Cheapo. I may even have a different pair for each day of the week. Pink one day, yellow, blue, green and how about some rhinestones?

Got to run. Joe and I are going to ride down to Tuscaloose and goof off for a while. Will probably go by Sam's. That is always fun because I can always find something I just have to have.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

It has been a good week

Good morning. I hope all of you have had a good week. The weather has been so nice. It is like the weeks we had when I was still working and the kids and I were both out at the same time. I would put them in the yard to play and I took one room a day and totally tore it down and cleaned it, top to bottom and side to side. Boy, that was a big job and one I have not tackled in a long time.

Joe's biopsy went well on Tuesday. A friend of ours from church rode over with us, even though it wasn't necessary. She thinks Joe and I are her "other parents." Her parents also live around here, but have only been back a couple of years so she let us fill in until they moved here from Montgomery. Trina also came up.. He heard from the doctor yesterday and everything is OK. I sure am glad to hear that and I only hope that Joe is telliing me right.

I have my cataract surgery on Tuesday. They will do the right eye then and about four weeks later will do the left. I started the drop routine this morning. I hope this will eliminate glasses all the time, maybe altogether. There is a new implant that can do that, but since I have worn glasses for so long, I will probably still reach for them every morning. Oh well, at least my vision will improve.

Got to run. Do I ever get through going to pick things up. I think I have it all done, and wham-m0 something pops up.

Nine years ago this week (spring break week) I made the decision to retire and it is a decision I have never looked back on. I love not having to stick to a schedule as far as being on the job at such and such time and staying somedays until who knows when. Take my advice. When it is time to retire, do it. Do not wait a few more years to up your monthly check. Time is far more important. I actually stay busier now than I did when I worked, but it is a different kind of busy. A freedom busy. Of course, I do not get a lot of things done that I should, but my projects aren't going anywhere and if I don't ever get them done, the kids can have fun wondering what I was saving all this junk for and then they can toss it or whatever. No, I seriously intend to get them all finished. Now if the stores would just quit selling fabric, crochet thread, notions and I would not subscribe to sewing magazines, etc. What's the fun of life if you can't enjoy it.

Have a good week, friends/

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Happy Birthday, Momma

I wonder what we would have done today for your birthday. You always said it was just another day, but I know that you loved the gifts and attention. And most of the time it was a chance for you to have all the kids around you. Oh, how you delighted in the grandchildren and when the great-grands started coming along, you really loved it.

I miss you, Momma, more than anything in this world and there are times that I just want to tell you something and then I realize I can't pick up the phone and call and say, "Guess what." or "How do you do this?" or a hundred other things.

Today has been rougher than most for some reason. I guess the gloomy weather may have something to do with it. You would be "biting at the bits" ready to get out in the garden or whatever.

Each year when your roses bloom I think of you. We have tried to keep them pretty, but I just don't have the same ability you did.

Momma, I love you and miss you. Wish you could be here, but I honestly, would not want you back with all the pain and suffering you were facing. I will see you someday, so until then, I love you.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Another Awesome Retreat

This was my home congregation's ladies retreat and as is always the case it was wonderful. Our speaker, the first one anyway, is the mother-in-law of one of our elders. She is an amazing lady. She is so filled with the love of the Lord, and her family, that it just pours from her. She did her lesson on the book of Esther and it was so good. She showed how even though the name of God is never mentioned in the book, He is working throughout. His providence was there in every aspect of the events. Then this morning in our devo before leaving, she told her story about how the providence of God had worked in life and eventually led her to her Christian life. I wish everyone could have heard her,.

As I mentioned above, we also had another speaker. She is a young mother of three and also a music teacher in the Jasper City System. Our minister's wife also teaches with her and knew her story. It seems she gave birth to baby Jake in December. She had had a normal pregnancy and normal delivery. That was for about 15 minutes or so. She took a bad turn and began to bleed uncontrollably as she said, "from every part of body that blood could come from, except my eyes." The whole story came down to the fact that she "died" and she said she saw herself walking beside Jesus. She said she didn't really want to leave her family, but if it was His will so be it. She said she saw other people, but not their faces and that she felt the most wonderful peace she could ever imagine. Anyway, after many days of just hanging on, she came back around and is now back to teaching and doing great. She gave the name of the condition she had, but I sure couldn't begin to tell you what it was. Anyway, only a very small number of women survive even the first hour after it hits. Now this is not some kind of far out freak type person. She is just an ordinary lady that loves her family, her job, and God and totally believes in Him. At one point she said her blood pressure dropped to 40 and that is just barely alive. She had her two sisters and her Mom with her last night and of course, Baby Jake and he was just gorgeous. Slept pretty much through the whole program, even the skit.

The weather was perfect, the food wonderful, the fellowship too good and the angels in heaven could not compete with our singing. I am not saying it was that good, it was so from the heart. And isn't that what it is all about - praising our Father for all the wonderful things He has done in our lives. Not all of them are pleasant, but they are all for our "refining." I think it is all in how a person deals with the "fires" of their lives that determines the outcome. Maybe I'm wrong, but we all have a free will to choose our actions. Some just choose the wrong way.

I am tired. Just can't take these 1-2 AM bedtimes much. Joe and I are getting ready to go eat Chinese and then I am setting all the clocks ahead an hour and probably crash as soon as I take a nice HOT shower and get in my jammies.

I hope all have a wonderful day tomorrow. We will go to worship and bask in the glory of Christ. Until next time, God bless.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

What a beautiful day

It was indeed a beautiful sight this morning to watch the snow falling. We had very little accumulation, but just the sight of falling snow has always been something that is just too beautiful to put into words. Another one of God's awesome creations. By the time we were out of church, the sun was out and all snow was gone, but the air was COLD, especially when a gust of wind whipped around you.

One of the blogs that I so enjoy reading is Karen's Corner and in the wee hours of this morning she posted six things that made her smile. I thought I would give that a shot. Here goes.

1. The first thing is definitely a newborn baby. For that moment in time I am able to look into the face of God or the nearest thing on earth to His face. And for those precious moments (plus a few short years) I can also look into the face of a perfect person. I mean perfect in no bad thoughts or behavior. I also realize there are times when a baby is not always perfect physically.

2. A falling snow makes me smile. See above statement.

3. Greeting my "sisters" at church or wherever I happen to meet them.

4. Being with my own children, which has become few and far between times.

5. My pups. Those two are always doing something to put a smile on your face. Their funniest thing is when Dingo decides that Mule is a cushion and sits on him.

6. Any show of patriotism makes me smile and oft times I also have tears in my eyes.

Smiles just don't happen as much as they should. Nor do good old "belly" laughs. I love to laugh so hard that tears form and your side starts to hurt. Nothing will boost my spirits much quicker.

Got some other stuff to do so until the next time, have a good day and God bless.

Gizmo

Gizmo