Author Unknown...........

I know that over the years most of us have received e-mails containing some pretty amazing thought provoking and inspirational writings that are more times than not, signed off as '~Author Unknown'. I don't know about you, but I have many times given thought to these unknown individuals and wondered why they don't sign their names to such wonderful works of literature. I have come to learn that more than likely the original did contain the name, but along the way someone neglected to add it and eventually it becomes...~Author Unknown. Recently I shared such a story as one of my Meaningful Monday posts. I titled it "Garbage Of All Sorts....". Within a couple of days of posting this story I received a comment from a lady named Chris, telling me that she works for the author of this story and gave me the web address to find him. What a wonderful cyber home I found at that address! David J. Pollay is the author of this wonderful story and I have since given the proper credit to him. I invite you to visit the home of 'The Law Of The Garbage Truck' . While you are there why not join David and millions of others the world over, myself included, by taking the 'No Garbage Trucks Pledge'. You won't be disappointed when you check out David's blog and other writings. He is a very talented writer with a common goal shared by all of us, a world of peace and happiness. I am grateful to be able to call him friend. Now get yourselves on over to David's and take that pledge.

I was really honored to receive this award from Mike @ 'Mjgolch's Weblog' . Thank you so much for this award Mike. I love all of the blogs on my blog roll, so if you are reading this, please take this award as a gift from me for sharing so much of yourselves with me. The prayers, the laughs, the photos, the poems, your hopes, fears and dreams and yes the tears.

May the weekend bring you many blessings and much happiness!

Happy Birthday Alley Oop

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLEY OOP!

Over the weekend we celebrated Alley Oops 14th birthday. With every birthday celebration I find myself forced to look at the fact that these grandchildren are growing in leaps and bounds. At the same time I find myself asking where are the years going? Oops theme for her party was a fiesta, complete with a Pinata, which worked for me, I love Mexican food. Melody made the cake and 'Chef-Boy-Ar-Chris' chipped in and added his touch to the main meal. We discovered that a Pinata can serve two purposes, Not only as a party game filled with lots of goodies, but also as a party hat for a goofy Dad and little brother.

This was the last picture of our B.R.A.T.s taken three years ago.

B.ritt~ R.iley~A.lley oop~T.bear

B.ritt~R.iley~A.lley oop~T.bear~S.eth

We seized the opportunity to catch this group together and get an updated photo of the B.R.A.T.S. As you can see none of them seemed to be really into having this picture taken.

As a final note, I just read Connie's newest post. The good news is that her mother is home, but in a fragile state. Please drop by 'Over Good Ground' and offer Connie some words of encouragement and hope.

Wishing you a blessed day.

Special Prayers

I had an e-mail from Connie @ 'Over Good Ground' letting me know that her mother was taken to the hospital today. She was having trouble breathing. She asked that I offer up prayer for her. I figure that it never hurts to have a group effort when it comes to prayer. So I thought I would ask you to join me. Also if you paid Connie a visit and offered her your support, I know she would appreciate it.




While we are at it, I know those living in Florida could use some prayer about now. I heard from a friend of mine in Orlando that Fay just doesn't want to go away. They are still getting lots of rain and wind. I believe it was Brevard County that she mentioned their sewage system is backing up into the streets. As well as the sewage, they have fish swimming in the streets. Maybe with a group effort our prayers may just give Fay that little nudge she needs to get moving out to sea.


Wishing you a blessed day..............

Meaningful Monday

One day I had a date for lunch with friends. Mae, a little old lady with "blue hair" about 80 years old, came along with them---all in all, a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, we ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups, except for Mae who said, "Ice Cream, please. Two scoops, chocolate."

I wasn't sure my ears heard right, and the others were aghast.

"Along with heated apple pie," Mae added, completely unabashed.

We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time. But when our orders were brought out, I didn't enjoy mine.
I couldn't take my eyes off Mae as her pie a-la-mode went down.

The other ladies showed dismay. They ate their lunches silently and frowned.

The next time I went out to eat, I called and invited Mae. I lunched on white meat tuna. She ordered a parfait. I smiled. She asked if she amused me.

I answered, "Yes, you do, but also you confuse me. How come you order rich desserts, while I feel I must be sensible?

She laughed and said, with wanton mirth, "I'm tasting all that is Possible. I try to eat the food I need, and do the things I should. But life's so short, my friend, I hate missing out on something good.

This year I realized how old I was. (She grinned) I haven't been this old before." "So, before I die, I've got to try those things that for years I had ignored.

I haven't smelled all the flowers yet. There are too many books I haven't read. There's more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead. There are many malls I haven't shopped. I've not laughed at all the jokes. I've missed a lot of Broadway hits and potato chips and cokes.

I want to wade again in water and feel ocean spray on my face.
I want to sit in a country church once more and thank God for His grace.
I want peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast.
I want un~timed long distance calls to the folks I love the most.

I haven't cried at all the movies yet, or walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind in my hair. I want to fall in love again.

So, if I choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner, then should I die before night fall, I'd say I died a winner, because I missed out on nothing. I filled my heart's desire. I had that final chocolate mousse before my life expired."

With that, I called the waitress over.. "I've changed my mind, " I said. "I want what she is having, only add some more whipped cream!"

Note from Jo: I am sure that most of you have at some point and time received this bit of wisdom in your e-mail. I like to read it from time to time as a reminder that we aren't invincible. Some day we all will all will cross over to our great reward. Since none of us knows when that 'Some Day' will be we need to live each day to the fullest. We all need to ride that Merry Go Round and reach for the brass ring. Do the things we have dreamed of doing. Eat breakfast for supper, dance in the rain, eat dessert first and the main course last or not at all. Mend fences that are broken because happiness isn't based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people we love and respect.

J.D. and I would like to introduce the newest member of the family. This is Max! We have been talking about getting a dog for quite a while now and yesterday as I was reading the Freecycle digest I came across an ad offering a 10 month old male Akita/German Shepherd.

We went to check him out and it was love at first sight. Max was originally an Adopt~A~Pet. His other home was just getting too crowded and they couldn't offer Max the attention and individual love that he deserves. He seems to think he is a lap dog.

I don't know, do you think Max looks like he will be happy living here?

May your day be filled with many blessings and lots of desserts!

Garbage Of All Sorts.........

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.
~Copyright 2007 David J. Pollay

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right. Be kind to the ones who don't.

I am sure that you have heard the saying "One person's garbage is another person's treasure." I send a huge thank you to Juli @ "Barefoot Gypsy Blog" for introducing me to Free cycling probably without even knowing that she was doing that. She had made mention of free cycling and since this was a new term to me I googled it to see what it was. I was thrilled at the possibilities that this program presents. Mainly it is a way to keep items that still have some use to them, but are no longer needed or wanted, out of the landfills by offering it free to who ever might need or want it. You can post wanted items as well. I hit the jackpot, because in our area there are four free cycling groups within equal distance to us. If you think you might be interested in this then you need to checkout "Free cycling". Just type your area (town and state) into the box and click 'GO' and a whole new world will be opened to you. The same day that I signed up we offered a wood stove and within 2 hours it was loaded on the back of a pick~up truck and gone. I couldn't get over the response we had. I would say at least 35 people e-mailed about it. I was wishing we had more wood stoves so no one would be disappointed. If you were wanting to do something green for the planet and not sure what you could do that would make a difference...... This is it.

Have a blessed, garbage~free day!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday T~Bear

It doesn't seem possible that you are 11 years old today. Wasn't it just last week that you were that wee slip of a girl that climbed up on my lap or G'pa's to cuddle and hug. Just so you know, we miss those days. Was it just a little over five years ago (you were Riley's age) when we called to let your Mommy know that we were going to move to Ohio from Louisiana when G'pa retired that you said, "Grandma I am so happy that you are moving back to America!" Just a few years before that (you were Seth's age) you met G'pa for the first time and with all the people that was in that room, you walked straight to him and reached up for him to hold you. You were great pals ever since. It has been such a joy to watch you grow into the young lady that you have become. We are hoping that all of your birthday wishes come true Sweetheart.

Meaningful Monday

My Guardian

Angel Dear Angel ever at my side,

how lovely you must be---

To leave your home in heaven,

to guard a child like me.

When I'm far away from home,

or maybe hard at play--

I know you will protect me,

from harm along the way.

Your beautiful and shining face,

I see not, though you're near.

The sweetness of your lovely voice,

I cannot really hear.

When I pray, you're praying too,

Your prayer is just for me.

But ,when I sleep you never do,

You're watching over me.

I know that many people are skeptical when it comes to believing in the existence of guardian angels. I have had a deep rooted belief in a greater power watching over me since I was a child though and have tagged that power as being a guardian angel. As a sixth grader, I was eager to have the opportunity to serve as a school crossing guard for the elementary school that I attended. Those of us that were selected were given a white crossing guard strap to wear and an orange flag on a pole to hold out in front of the cars that stopped at the crossing. There was also a wrong way and right way to do our job, which we were instructed on. The correct way being to step out into the gutter/berm and when the first car came to a complete stop, we were to hold the flag in front of that car until there were no more children at the curb to cross and that last child to cross had safely reached the opposite curb. I loved being a crossing guard and followed the rules to the letter. On one particular day for reasons I didn't understand for quite sometime later, I didn't follow those rules. Before that 'Last Child ' wasn't even half way across the street, I stepped in front of the first car waiting on my side of the street. Just as I did, in that gutter/berm area where I would have been standing, a car came speeding by. Even as a child, I realized, 'Hey if I had been standing there like I was supposed to be, I would most likely be dead!' It wasn't but a few minutes later that a woman came running up the sidewalk, grabbed me and held on hugging me tightly and saying, "Thank God... Oh Thank God You Are Alright!" It seems as though her brakes had gone out on her and not knowing that intersection was a school crossing, she had opted to move into the gutter/berm area rather than to pile into the back end of another car. It wasn't until some time later that I recognized this as an Act of Divine Intervention. Being such, I had no choice in the matter, I guess it is a perfect example of being "moved by the spirit". There were many times since that day that I felt the warmth and protection of my guardian angel.

On the occasion of our youngest grand daughter's birthday tomorrow I have been recalling eventful times in the lives of these grandchildren here in Ohio. Just 5 years ago in April Riley was born. J.D. and I gathered up the three girls and took them to the Dogwood Festival, our main objective was to bring back some fried veggies for Melody. At that time T-Bear was herself 5 years old, Britt was 10 years old and Alley Oop was 8 years old. The Dogwood Festival runs for the last weekend in April and is a street type festival with two of the main streets blocked off and four or five of the side streets. Most people that live on those streets will park their cars elsewhere during the festival in case they want to go someplace without a lot of difficulty. We had seen just about all there was to see and was waiting our turn to be served at the fried veggie booth. The girls were standing off to the side of me when J.D. mentioned finding a little shade over at the other side of the booth and thought it would be a good idea to get the girls out of the sun for a little while. He had no sooner led them away from me, when I heard a car engine revved way up, tires squealing and gravel flying. In a heart beat I saw a car racing past me and slamming into the wall of the building directly behind the veggie cart. I actually felt the wind created by the car as it passed me. Had J.D. not been in my life, he wouldn't have been there to lead the girls out of harms way. My first thought was, had the girls been standing there just a matter of seconds longer than they were, they would have surely died. Once more a guardian angel walked with us.

Wishing you a blessed week and may your guardian angel protect you from harm.

Always Be Unique

It has been a week now since Britt was released from the hospital. She has always pretty much marched to the beat of a different drummer. Traveling along life's journey, carving out her own path as she goes. Pretty much like her mother was at that age and this g'ma as well. This past week has not been an easy one for Britt or Tersie. Britt had pre~band camp this past week and from what I understand when she had to monitor her blood sugar and take her shot there was no privacy for her to do it, because they were out in the field practicing their marching. That meant that she had to do all of this with an audience. I can almost hear some of the 'girly' girls going..."eeewww". In spite of the drum beat that she marches to and the fact that she has always been her own unique self, She doesn't do anything looking for approval from her peers. In fact she has worked very hard to not call attention to herself. She was not in any shape or form a happy camper. Britt had a couple of experiences with her blood sugar bottoming out on her while she was marching, but handled it. Between worrying about Britt and dealing with Britt's understandable frustrations, Tersie has had quite a week as well. The first few weeks are going to be rough on Britt because they will need those recorded blood sugar levels while she is actively going about her daily routines before the Dr. can make the needed adjustments to her insulin. Sunday Britt will be leaving for actual band camp for a week. Hopefully this coming week will be a better one for her.

I received this wonderful Blogger Award from Kate at '......Shambles Manor'. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get it posted and passed on to five of my many favorite blogs.

1. Juli @'Barefoot Gypsy' is my first choice. I am so glad to have found Juli's blog. She is a wonderful caring person, living her life the way I believe we were meant to. She is very in tune with nature and lives her life in harmony with the world around her.
2. Mike @ 'MJG's Rambling Thoughts'. Mike is one blogger you can count on when it comes to leaving a comment. When he finds someone in need of prayer, he doesn't just leave a note that he will be sending up prayer, he takes that need back to his own blog and posts it there as well.
3. Tina @ 'Tina's Odds and Ends' is another one of those bloggers that I just dearly love because she always leaves a sweet little comment when she visits. Check out her home in cyberspace to get a glimpse of some really beautiful photos of the sky.
4. Lib @ 'Lib's Private Paradise' will make you feel right at home from the minute you take your shoes off and walk though the door. Her method of writing makes you feel as though you have known her forever.
5. Barb@ 'The Clark Homestead' keeps herself busy raising those two lovable critters that have found their way into her life, Charlie and Molly. I love visiting Barb and finding out what her latest project has been. Barb and Jim are the proud owners of a house that they are lovingly bringing back to life.

Congratulations all and thank you again Kate for the honor of being chosen for this award.

The day that Chris and Melody were returning from Tennessee they received word that her 102 year old grandmother had passed away. The funeral will be tomorrow. Riley and Seth will be coming to stay with us while they drive to Kentucky for the services. Tomorrow is also T~Bear's Birthday Dinner. I can hardly believe that our youngest grand daughter is going to be 11 years old. They just grow up way too fast. Wishing all a blessed weekend.

Oop's Day At The Fair

Alley Oop had her day at the county fair last week. She did very well when it came to judging, she captured a couple of first place ribbons. Her lamb was in the running for Grand Champion, but just didn't make the grade. She lost out on it due to politics really. Her heart was broken and tears fell. My advise to her was that she should raise a goat or a chicken next year or change her last name to ...........! The same man has judged the lambs for the past three years and the same two girls (sisters) have walked away with Grand Champion. Not to hard to do the math on that one. In any case the sale of her lamb brought her $500. That kind of eased her hurting heart and she will do it all again next year and of course be crushed again. Are we seeing a pattern here or what???

I will give you an up date on how Britt is doing in the next day or two. Until then, I am wishing all a weekend filled with many blessings, much love and more happiness than you know what to do with.

Good News/ Bad News

It seems like it has been a life time since I posted last. So much has happened in this past week that I want to be share with you all. J.D., Taryn and I attended the play "The Music Man" at The Majestic Theatre last Saturday. Britt was part of the pit orchestra and they did a wonderful job. We weren't able to get any photos of them though ...... They were in the pit and concealed from the audience (thus 'pit orchestra'). J.D. did get some photos of the theatre and the beautiful architecture and restoration that has been done, but they were lost during the recent computer crash.

On Thursday a stroll to the mailbox brought a smile to my face when I pulled out a rather large envelope addressed to me. I always get excited when I find packages in the mail. Inside I found a pretty purple package tied up with this beautiful rainbow colored ribbon.

Also inside was this wonderful card with embossed roses on it. As beautiful as the card was, it couldn't hold a candle to the sweet, touching words that were penned inside by Shelley @ Artsy Etc .

Shelley had held a drawing and was offering this wonderful Vintage Bonnet Girl Apron as the prize to the winner. Guess who won!! Melody has really gotten into the apron craze that seems to be going around.......... She is going to have such a bad case of apron envy when she sees this. If you are especially nice to me Melody, I will let you pet it. :-)

The apron wasn't all that was in the package. Shelley had also added two cards that she created and these lovely ear rings. But Wait!! That's not all!

Among all of the other wonderful findings within the package was this beautiful ornament, just waiting for me to find a place to display her. Shelley, thank you so much for the wonderful treasures that you sent...... and treasures they truly are especially the items that you created. A truly gifted lady, you are in so many ways.

For all of the joy that my trip to the mailbox brought to me on Thursday, it was short lived. About 5:30 that evening we received a quick call from Tersie letting us know that she was on the way to Children's Hospital with Britt. Tersie had taken her to the Dr. for a check up and they discovered during this visit that her blood sugar reading was 286. In diabetes speak: that is a high reading. Normal range is between 70 and 120. What a blow that news was to all of us. Britt is 15 years old. A loving, active teen.

Right now she is dealing with the news very well (better than her g'ma is). This new road that she has stepped off onto, in her journey through life is not going to be an easy one. She has had a big responsibility thrust upon her young shoulders. The staff at the hospital has done a thorough job though of teaching Britt, as well as her Mom and Dad how to deal with this disease. All day Friday and today they were in classes of one sort or another. They now know how to monitor Britt's blood sugar levels and how to give the insulin shots. Tersie said they also covered what the consequences could be if the diabetes is not kept under control. Britt is a mature responsible girl and I know deep in my heart she will do fine. She comes from a long line of fighters and survivors. I have been there myself and know the emotional roller coaster she will ride from time to time. She has many people that love her and will be here to give her the support that she will need. If I am anything at all, I am a good listener. I have said this before and I have repeated it to myself over and over since that phone call Thursday evening.......... "No Child Should Have To Deal With Life Threatening Diseases!! ............ NO CHILD!!"

We went up to the hospital Friday morning to see Britt and make sure Tersie was doing alright. We brought T-Bear home with us from the hospital. She had been riding back and forth (3 hours round trip) with her Dad and Mom while they were trying to get loose ends tied up at their homes. Children just seem to breathe a special kind of life into a home and it is so wonderful having T-Bear here. Lots of hugs and kisses have been circulating the last couple of days at our house.

Before I wrap this post up, I ask that you please keep Britt in your prayers that she will be given the strength to deal with this horrible disease. That she will be able to keep it under control so that she can lead a normal teenage life. Of course if you aren't into prayers, please send as much positive energy and thoughts in Britt's direction.

I have lots more catching up to share with you, which I will do when things calm down around here in the next few days. Have a blessed day.