Week-end Blessings
Had a nice skype with the Hawks in Nashville, Liam was having a great time playing,
Needed rest because of the very long hours I worked last week-end. So I went to bed early.
Got to visit with Scott and Austin for a bit, Austin was changing from basketball shoes etc to baseball gear,he was going to baseball practice, then basketball again last night.
Hope to see Stacey and Tori before heading back to NWA.
Watching church on T.V. today, glad to get some spiritual food without getting out today.

Happy New Year 2012

I am excited to have a brand new year! Last year was a year of extremes for a lot of us. The record snow and low temperatures led us to the other extreme record breaking heat and very dry summer. I have written several times about silver linings and this one sounds
crazy but true, I was very sick for three months and did not have to be out in the heat. My heart went out to those that were working.
Being sick was maybe the way my Father wanted me to experience how much love there is in my life. I was thankful for Andie staying with me at the hospital both trips. Kevin came and spend his vacation at my house and also made trips driving me to the appointments in North West Arkansas. Friends from far and near made visits, cooked , cleaned, ran to the store and most of all lots of prayer support. My neighbors were awesome to water the plants and continued to check on me. Stacey and her family encouraged me and Sarah , Ryan , and Liam came for a couple of days. I was also very thankful for the sick pay that helped me make it through.
I made two trips to Nashville last year. I went out in March to keep  Liam while Ryan was out of town. It was a blast getting to have that baby all to myself. He is the best baby I have ever been around. Auntie Barb from Cleveland, Tn. met me at Sarah's and spent one night. It happened to be the night the moon was huge. She had her photography equipment with her so not only did she take shots of the moon but also got some great Liam pictures. She treated us to a wonderful Italian lunch!
In May we lost my dear father-in -law, Jesse Graves AKA Peepaw. He had been ill for many months so it wasn't a big surprise but very hard for many people. Guess I am at the age that I will be saying good-bye to friends and family. Joyce Coats, Gene Harp, and Dutch Houston are  other dear friends that are in Glory now.
I got to see my brother once on my way home from Nashville. He showed up at my house one Friday early in September to visit. He spent the night and went to the Greenwood/Shiloh football game.
In October my big birthday arrived and the kids sent flowers to my work!! Scott and Stacey and family took me to Nashville with them to visit the Hawks again and to the razorback game. I was still pretty weak but it was an awesome fun time.  Stacey and Scott put down a new floor in my kitchen for my birthday!  Most of the week-ends were spent watching my grandson, Austin play pit bull football. His fifth grade team was  runner up for the championship. I was so proud of Austin. He did a great job playing on the line both offense and defense!! I know how fun the next few years will be watching him play!
 Thanksgiving I met Barb at Jerry's in Clarksville. The first time in my life to be away from my kids. It turned out fine, we had a great time cooking and eating. I got to know Jennifer and her twin daughters (she is Jerry's girl friend)
It seemed like no time and it was time to go see The Nutcracker. I always go for one reason and that is to watch a certain granddaughter dance. She did a great job and made me very proud.
I am always a bit sad at Christmas, I miss my parents and Shanon. Sometimes we need to realize how important each day is when our families are healthy and well. That can change in only a second.
I cooked lunch on Christmas eve for Stacey and her family, Andie and Kevin and Mr Deaver. Sarah and Ryan are always stuck in Nashville because of Sarah's job. I worked Christmas day, first time in many years.
So what will I plan for 2012? I am going to be still and listen to where God wants me to go. I did not do a Bible study this past year and sure have missed being in the word. I know it is not healthy or God's will for me to be so focused on my work. I am praying for the focus of my life to be on HIM.
One thing for sure, this year will be like all the others, there will  be good and bad days. I will find joy and heartbreak but the hope and faith I have in Jesus over comes the bad.

My Grandsons!

Thankful Days of November

Thankful for my children because they are creative and I steal their ideas!
My blog has been about Blessings, so mentioning things I am thankful for this month really include many of the blessings I have written earlier.
I had a big birthday this year, I am not talking about the age thing but more about appreciating the years and experiences along my journey of "Passin Through"
I am decades old and when talking to a family member yesterday we did speak a lot of how we understand much more about our parents now. I guess it will be this way with my children when I am gone. If I have one very huge regret is the way I treated my mother. I loved her so much but she did drive me mad at times. I know she must have had patience like Job. I said lots of words that can't be taken back, did things I wish I could change, and as bad as I was the more she loved me! I believe if I had committed murder she would have tried to convince everyone including God the person needed to die. It was not a healthy way to raise a daughter, now see here I go again.  I am thankful God gave me to my mother, I really did admire her and after my dear Shannon died I understood why she acted the way she did since she lost her firstborn son also. My mother loved her children and was always telling us how much. She adored her four grandchildren that were born before she passed away. I am almost as old as my mother when she died.
Being thankful isn't hard for us that have been blessed with so many good things and times. It makes me feel guilty sometimes when I remember those less fortunate. There are so many with so little. I pray this year thanksgiving will be an opportunity for us with so much to help someone without.

Beautiful day here, it seems like fall is doing its best to hang on and keep old man winter away!

Silver Linings are Blessings!

I love the rain in the summer! Especially, this summer. It has been like a desert here for weeks, more like Arizona instead of Arkansas. No rain for weeks gave us dead grass and the trees are almost without any leaves,
I always think about the rainbows God has blessed me with. A few years back when I was especially troubled God gave me a triple rainbow!
I think it is interesting how we always appreciate the good weather, good times, etc. when things have been bad for a long time. Much of the time we stay busy and don't notice all we are given.
When I had cancer and lost my hair it did not bother me. Friends did not believe me because they know me and are very aware of my fault of vanity. Actually, it was a blessing not to have to worry about my hair. My husband would rub my head and tell me how little and pretty it was. Not being able to see where to stop the make-up was a challenge and my head was cold. Most days no make-up and my man's orange hunting toboggan solved those issues. No hair on my legs to shave, see blessings galore!
Spending the past weeks ill and in the bed most of the time made me sad, nervous, lonely etc. But the infection got better each day, my home health nurses were awesome, friends from far and near showed up to help. They cleaned, cooked, brought lunch and dinners. My kids all came to help at different times and ways.
 For the first time in years I feel rested! I have not been suffering from Fibromyalsia at all!

Try to see the good with the bad it sure helps to get through most things life throws at us!!

The blessings of family, neighbors, friends when ill

Most people know how I feel about handwashing and bacteria. After all I am the manager of Microbiolgy at a hospital. I read reports from CDC before most doctors have any idea of the lastest scare. The increase of infections due to Staph is not something people are unaware of. June 11 I noticed a red spot the size of a dime on my booty. It did not look like an insect bite. It did not seem infected. I did clean it and used triple antibiotic cream just in case. In less than 24 hours this spot bacame a boil as big as my fist. I felt terrible, started running a fever and decided it was time to get to a doctor. I will not get into all the stupid things that went wrong. Just one point I will make, when you are real sick take someone with you to the doctor. I was admitted to the hospital 72 hours after going to a walk in clinic. I was septic (means blood poisoning) So blessed to have my daughter, Andie come and stay at the hospital with me. I was admitted on Wed afternoon and by Saturday night released to go home. Andie took care of getting me home and she and her husband stayed the week. I kept feeling terrible with fever. The kids took me to see my real doctor on Thursday, he is not in my insurance net work so I had been taken care of by a hospitalist. Since a surgeon was never called to consult about the abscess and no follow up ultral sound done this Dr was very upset, He wanted me back in the hospital for a surgeon to decide to remove this abscess. He did add another antibiotic to hold me over until the surgery. The surgery was done on Tuesday evening. I stayed in the hospital until Friday evening. I have been receiving home health care since, Two IV's daily and a wound vac attached to the surgery site.
The many prayers from friends and families have been very appreciated. Sarah and Ryan sent me a care package from Nashville and a sweet card that Liam even signed! Stacey and her family have been over to help. My neighbors and some church friends have been here. The best was two of my friends from Siloam Springs made the long trip to Greenwood with food . They cleanned my kitchen and spent most of the afternoon with me. I got some lovely flowers from another friend in Siloam. Several lovely cards from as far away as Virginia. I needed the rest but now appreciate my job. I will be so happy to get back on my feet ASAP. I am blessed with much. God is good all the time.

July 4, when JuJu was a kid

HOME MADE ICE CREAM
BARBE QUE CHICKEN
TATERS BAKED IN THE COALS
FIRE WORKS
COUSINS
SPRING LAKE
I was visiting with my brother yesterday about the wonderful blessing we grew up with, this being our father's talent for cooking. The fourth of July celebrations we experienced were all filled with lots of great food.
We both know the Walker secret BBQ recipe. I have never had better. I am going to make some this fall this is a promise. His ice cream was wonderful also Until my freezer croaked I made ice cream in the summers. Never had a bite left.
My cousins would usually show up on the fourth. I remember going to Spring Lake in Yell county early in the morning. The lake was spring fed and was cold except on the fourth when it would warm up due to the big crowd.
By the time we returned home the water melon we had filled up on at the lake was gone.We were starving and the wait for the chicken and ice cream was nothing but pain.
I never remember my dad in a hurry with the exception of driving fast, I never remember my mother doing a single thing at a slow pace. Since daddy was cooking the food it would not be ready soon. But man was it worth the wait. He had someone custom make his BBQ smoker grill out of a old cast iron wash pot. It had legs and was used to  heat water by building a fire under it. Dad had a frame to hold it with wheels. Looked  sort of like a cart. He filled it with charcoal , a grill was placed on top and there was a big heavy lid, too heavy for me to open when I was 10. The men would be cranking the ice cream freezer. I never really understood why once the handle was stuck and the cream was frozen  why we were not allowed to open it and dig in. This frozen ice cream was salted down again and a heavy quilt was wrapped around it for at least another hour. It was a great moment when the time was right and the first mouth full of ice cream was tasted.
It was just wonderful and I always ate it too fast and wound up with brain freeze!!
Soon after dinner the fire works came out along with the lightening bugs! We had so much fun chasing each other with fire crackers, The cousins usually stayed the night with us. We were always going to stay up  all night , however I never remember that happening. I do remember falling asleep listening to the whippoorwills calling out from the woods.
Those were the best of times and the years have flown by way too fast. I am thankful for the blessings of growing up in the south with good food and fun cousins.