The last day of September

The last day of September and it's quiet here at home...

The children have packed their things and have gone.

It nice that they visit and we had a great time,

But now I need a nap, how's that for a rhyme!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy! Psalm 92: 1-4

What a wonderful Sunday scripture! We did sing praises to Him today and several of them were straight out of scripture. One of the songs was based on Colossians 3: 2...."Set Your Mind On Things Above"

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth;

For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

And when Christ who is our life appears,

You'll appear with Him in Glory,

So set your mind on things above, let go of this world.

If you then were raised with Christ, you have a new life in Him.

So seek the things which are above, for that is where Christ is.

Put to death your earthly nature, the old desires of your heart.

Rid yourself of all your anger and filthy language from your lips.

Cast off the old and be renewed in the image of your Maker.

Put to death your earthly nature strive to be more like Him.

You used to walk in these ways in the life that once you lived.

But now you are a new creation in Christ the all in all.

A wonderful young woman who grew up in our church wrote this and she used the music from another song with permission. It was so beautiful and fun to sing. Her dad, mother and another member of our praise team helped us to sing this. Below is a picture of her from last summer when she led our Bible study. She's a beautiful Christian!

Hope you all have a wonderful Lord's day!

Simply Saturday

For some reason, Friday nite and Saturday are two of my favorite days....I think I envision rest...although that rarely is what happens. It was a good day. Russell took Tommy up to the woods to play, I mean, put out corn for their deer feeders. Claudia and I and Carol went to Tom's Hotdogs (a must if you visit Panama City)....we had our usual, chili pie and diet pepsi. After our tummy's were full, we took off to Sam's club to get some must have stuff for supper tonight. Russell parent's came for supper. Russell, my angel husband, cooked his world famous Baked Ziti. We had that, salad, asparagus and bread....pound cake and ice cream for desert. Enjoyed by all. Then it was on to the important stuff FLORIDA FOOTBALL...it is almost over but it is very tense.

Tomorrow will be another wonderful time of worship and praise of our Lord. A time to join together with the body of Christ and honor and worship him. An Audience of One. I do hope you all have a wonderful Lord's day.

TGIF

This was the week that was! Anybody remember that line from laugh in?? I loved that show. It's been a week of going going going, never slowing. Our son and his wife are here for the weekend and it is so good to see them! I love the above picture of the two of them. They brought their little dog Roscoe to play with Jack and Mikey. All the grandchildren are coming weekends when they can to see their Papa while he's doing well. We all ate supper there tonight and he had a not so good day, but perked up the longer we were there. Besides our kids, another grandson is here for the weekend. Wonderful supper and visit.

Roscoe! He loves to visit his uncles Jack and Mikey.

Well, this old girl has got to go to bed! Long week, long day! Good weekend to all and to all a goodnight! :)

Senior Discount

Remember how we got carded when we looked to young to buy a drink? Oh, I never bought one, I just saw other people doing that:)) Well today I got my first ever senior citizen discount at Goody's. When I told the cashier I would be getting the senior discount, she said no mam, you have to be 55, so I said in my proudest old voice, well, I am 55! She said (and no kidding, just like this) Mam, I'll need to see some i.d.! So when you're young, you get carded for looking too young and when you get old, you get carded for looking too young! What a great feeling!

I'll just add that right to my thankful list....look younger than 55. Oops, I just had a thought, what if she really needs glasses??? Oh, well......

So, Wednesday is over. Have a good night everyone!

Gratitude for an attitude

My attitude was really bad today, I'm so ashamed to say. Today was one of mama's Dr. appointments and that always tires us both completely, so I had a whole list of errands planned down to the minute before I needed to pick her up. When I walked out to the car I thought HMMMMMMMM my tire looks low, so I kicked it and it was not all that hard. This did not fit into my plans, no not at all. I know husband was in a meeting all morning so I drove, it was just a little flat, to the grease pro where I get my car serviced. I drive in and the guy says, "Mam, your tire is flat!" I said all the way flat?? He just nodded and I could see the bubble over his head that was thinking man, women are so dumb! I said can you fix it? He pointed back to the tire part and said they can, but they're real busy. Mentally I screamed. Outwardly, I smiled and said thanks and drove on back to the super busy tire fixing place. I must have looked forlorn, because since I just had a screw in my tire, they fixed it right away. WHEW! So now my schedule is no longer minute to minute....it is second to second. So I fly around and get most of my errands done, get mama and we get to the Dr. only 10 minutes late.

We got that done, got a little lunch and went back to her place. I noticed she was coughing and the nurse said they had called in for a refill on her cough medicine, my heart sank, they won't refill that. And after a moment of sighing, I thought we need another Dr. appt. This has become our social life and you won't believe how many new friends I have met in the Dr. appt. And they don't mind a bit if you complain about your aches and pains.

Then I got to thinking what a terrible place I had come to. So I want to say a few things about what I'm thankful for in all this busyness. Here goes:

I'm grateful beyond words that Christ chose me to be his before the foundation of the earth and then took my awful sinful self and freed me to be His child.

I'm thankful that I grew up in a loving home with lots of laughter, tears, drama and love.

I'm thankful that I grew up in a home where our father led us to church.

I'm thankful that I have a mama that I can take to the doctor, even if it tires us both out!

I'm thankful that she is my best friend and that we can laugh about most everything. Oh, until she gets tired of talking and then she says (you just have to imagine the voice) "hush, Nancy"....and she's through talking.

I'm thankful for my precious, precious husband. I am the most relaxed that I ever get when I'm with him. He is a solid rock, and he just knows me so well.

I'm thankful for our combined children and grandchildren that we love so much.

I'm so thankful that we live in America.

So the next time I'm feeling really down, I'm going to name a few more things I'm thankful for, because when I start thinking about it, the list is never ending.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Dawn over at Grandmaofthree! Have a great birthday and a very happy day! In whatever you do today, may God bless you and give you joy!

Very short

Today my post will be really short for two reasons. One, I have a cornea problem that is acting up today and I can't hold my eyes open for long periods of time, which was interesting as I drove to the dentist's office to get my night guard worked on this morning. You really should not drive with your eyes closed even if you think you can. :)



The second reason is part two of Saturday's post. It just so happens that the hygienist at my dentist's office is also the mother of my son's roommate. She saw me so came in to chat while I had my mouth open and my eyes closed. I asked if she'd seen my son's new tattoo and she said WHICH ONE??? Another teeny weeny piece of advice, don't talk about your kids when someone is working in your mouth! She then proceeded to tell me that the one I saw isn't colored in yet...which means it isn't just going to be an ugly outline but will be in living color. So the second reason is that I'm a tad depressed about tattoos. Maybe tomorrow will be better!

God is SO good!

Even though we didn't go to the mountains, we had a wonderful weekend with Matt being home and spending time with Russell's dad. Papa was feeling pretty good all weekend and we all ate together at our house Friday nite, went out to eat all together Saturday nite and met for lunch after church today to eat again before Matt headed back to college. We have often talked within our family about the fact that noone on this earth knows the day or time of our death. Only God holds that information and we aren't going until He says so! So our hearts have been lifted by this good weekend. Our gratitude to our Lord is great and we pray that through this entire experience, we will all glorify God and be faithful to trust Him!

It is always a great day when I talk to the grandchildren. I try to talk to them every Sunday, but the last two Sundays haven't been able to get them. So I was excited today when Ashley answered the phone. She was excitedly telling me all about things going on at school. She will try out for the soccer team next week and she was very excited because they may be getting an exchange student from Italy for two weeks. What fun! I didn't get to talk to Adam because he was out in the neighborhood playing. Paul and I talked for a minute and all seemed well.

After all that, with a full belly (which I know is bad,bad,bad!!!) I took a nap. There is just something about that Sunday afternoon nap. But tomorrow I am starting exercise and I really mean it this time! :)

Miscellaneous Saturday

Well, today has just been a really nice, restful day! I slept until almost 10 a.m. I KNOW, shameful!!! Husband had a meeting at church at 7 a.m. so he was gone and the youngest who is home for the weekend ALWAYS sleeps late, so I thought, hey! It's Saturday! Youngest got up before me, now what is that about, I can always depend on him, traitor! So, I finally dragged myself up, heated up the now cold coffee and sat for a while drinking coffee and getting the fog out of my head. Once I was halfway awake, I decided a good trip shopping what was I needed....so off to the mall. Here are the shoes (SHHHHH!) I bought because they were such a good deal!!!

The ones with the plain black strap were only $14.95! Now any way you look at it, that is saving money big time! :) And I do like to do my part with the budget by saving money!

And just in case anyone thinks I don't have a sense of humor or I can't laugh at myself, well this next picture should change your mind about that! My youngest bio son and second of 4 combined children came by yesterday to visit. We were talking and suddenly he lifted his arm; I mean that precious little arm that used to curl around mine as he nursed; the one I gently bathed and oiled with baby oil so his skin would always be soft.....that one....is now THIS ONE....

That is a pinup girl, I guess I should have rated this entry. I looked at it and then I burst out laughing so hard that I almost fell to the floor. My surprised son said "Well, mama, I'm glad you finally got a sense of humor!" I replied, "Oh, son, you have no idea what you've done for my sense of humor!" I DO NOT understand what this tattoo generation is all about. You can't miss them, and in fact it makes me feel kind of behind the times that I don't have one, well, that is if you don't count my eyeliner. After having that done, I would never let anyone use that sewing machine type weapon on a big area of my body. Then of course, in my most motherly voice, I said, "So you can afford a tattoo huh? Well then I won't be worrying about you anymore." As a disclaimer, this child is 30 going on 12, and I'm not kidding. He's the sweetest man, but not a lick of common sense. Gotta love him. And I do! Oh, he only wants two more tattoos, isn't that comforting? Checking out for Saturday!

Still trying to "link" and other curse words

Just KIDDING about the other curse words....link is just my new four letter word....no, not that I had another one, oh, maybe I should just be quiet. O.K. I think I should link to Jules at Everydaymommy to enter the shoe give away! And maybe i just did, but who really knows?? If I didn't then go here and see what happens. That was ever so small sarcastic statement.

Anyhow, as my husband says, "like you need another pair of shoes???" SIGH, he just doesn't get it...but I hope someone who has studied hard and can actually link will win. I'm not bitter, really, no really!

It's STILL Thursday?

I really should go to bed now. Our youngest arrived home for the weekend from college. I've heard from all but the oldest. The lawn is done, the husband is in bed and all is well here. I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who is praying for Russell's dad. Our plans have changed once again! That isn't unusual for us. Papa decided that he is breathing well and feels pretty good and thinks the long drive to NC would be too much for him, so we won't be going to the mountains tomorrow. The grandchildren are going to start coming home every few weekends to spend time with papa.

Also, I am praying for my husband, he isn't real good at sharing his feelings but I know him and know he's "feeling". I'm kind of his feeling barometer if that makes sense to anyone. And speaking of making sense, I think I should toddle off to bed now. Thursday is coming to an end!

Of busy days

My grandson took this picture without me knowing. He wanted "proof" that his Nana really does mow the grass! I love that fall is in the air, because this morning I am going to get out there and mow hoping that this is one of the last times for the summer.....oh, dream on, baby!

Sometimes I do the yard so fast that I'm running behind the lawnmower, oh, that was before it slowed down due to being old and needing some kind of vitamin treatment or maybe just an old lawn mower's home! But thrifty husband says he can fix it.....o.k.? So......???? Anyway, he's busy.

In our Thursday morning Bible study, we are doing R.C. Sproul's book, "Now That's a Good Question!" I like it except that he doesn't put scripture references enough for me.....he just answers questions he has been asked over the years. Boy that makes me have to dig and study. So, I guess I'll run if the lawn is to see me before I go for the day!

Get outside in this cool air, this is Florida, tomorrow may be hot again!!!

Link....why won't you link??

Oh, link, oh, link
I tried to link,
I winked and blinked
but could not link!

I tried to link like here and here
I even tried to wiggle an ear....
No matter how I tried and worked,
It would not link, the little jerk....

Or maybe it is an operator error,
If you can help, you 'll be my hero.
I'm so impressed how you all seem to get it,
Cause all I want is to really be with it!

Honestly, how can one person be so dumb??? Me I mean. I really did think I was doing it right, but I must keep working on linking, because I'm not so fluent in that area. I do admire all of you that are so successful and make it look easy. I mean you type in here and you actually go there....I am afraid I've been swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool where computers are concerned.

So there, I've admitted that I'm not the brightest light in the pack of bulbs! :)

Got that nap...and other things

Well, I got my nap today! I had a medical procedure (yes a dreaded one) and I said the only thing I want is to be really asleep. Do what you will, but only if i don't know about it and am happily asleep! They got the message! I had a wonderful, deep sleep there and came home with strict orders to rest...gotta love that too, a day of rest with a note from the doctor. And a good report.

This sweet birthday boy is my fatherinlaw on his 80th birthday. He was diagnosed on his birthday with lung cancer.

My own daddy died 6 months after Russell and I were married and papa has been both a father and a great friend. We have traveled many places with both inlaws and had the best of times. He 's funny and has his own definite sense of humor. He has been through radiation and chemo this year and was blessed to have very few side effects and has had a pretty good year. Just in the past month or so, he's been on oxygen to help with his breathing, but you just wouldn't know he was so sick! Today the doctor told him that his cancer was growing and that if there was something he wanted to do, to do it now. Papa told him that we planned to go to North Carolina for Thanksgiving and he suggested we go now...now. So, we are frantically changing schedules around and trying to get ready and leave Friday morning. We'll stay a few days and just see how he does.

So many of you are such prayer warriors that I ask you to add papa to your prayer lists. God has been so merciful through this journey and has walked with us all the way. The day we got the diagnosis, I told him that only one person knew how long he would live and it was not the doctors. I still feel the same way. I think his days are written and only our heavenly Father knows the time he will leave us to go to heaven. We want to make whatever time he has here on earth with us to be like they have been in the past, fun! So pray we have a good trip. Russell's sister is going to try to meet us there, so we will be traveling in two directions. We ask for traveling mercies.

I just want to share this small example of his humor (and of course I hope you "get" it). I called one day to talk to my MIL and papa said "She's playing bridge, she spends about half her life playing"...he hesitated and then said this..."Now if I want her to know I said that, I'll tell her!"

Sunday, A day of rest, sometimes

I love Sundays. We have a wonderful church family and I just love to worship with them. Today, we had an old fashioned dinner on the grounds in the air conditioned social hall after our morning service. We had a great service, really great lunch, of course I couldn't eat much because I'm getting ready to have a medical test, but it all LOOKED great! Then I ran over to Sam's club and got some stuff mama needed and went to the retirement center. Got there, picked up a little, emptied garbage, then thought and that is so dangerous that thinking thing, that I could sit with her a few minutes and just visit. My tired body was straining toward home and my bed for a long afternoon nap, when mama says sweetly, oh, by the way, I need Tylenol. Now, I try to be very patient with my mama, I know she put up with a lot from me as a teenager, so I say in my I'm not really upset but I really need a nap voice, do you have enough for tomorrow. No, I only have enough for tonight and I need them first thing in the morning. My mind was searching for any answer other than driving back to Sam's club then back to mama's BEFORE I could go home, take off my clothes and get into something comfortable....you know napping clothing. But, that was just not to be. So, as I'm driving back to Sam's I'm telling my self how many times mama must have had to run back to some store or another to get something we told her we needed at the last minute. Oh, wait, we only had one car, daddy drove it to work, so we just had to wait, and probably until payday. Then I remember that it is Sunday and I really am grateful that I have a mama to take care of, so with shame covering me I went into Sam's again and got the Tylenol. Drove back to mama's, opened the Tylenol, put it in the bathroom, kissed mama's cheek and took off in the direction of my BED!



I get home, I take my clothes off, the doorbell rings.....this is not a good thing I assure you. I slap on some clothes, go to the door with my dogs yapping all the way, open the door to my little neighbor boy. He looks at me with his angelic smile and his arm in a cast so I should feel sorry for him, says Miss Nancy could I play with the dogs. I said, not today, taking a nap today, don't come back today, I'M TAKING A NAP IF IT KILLS ME!



Finally, with a sigh of relief, I get in the bed, get my doggies snuggled up, lay awake for a while and just as I was going to that place where you are almost asleep, husband comes in and says we need to get ready for church. I don't think I should repeat here what I said, and yes, I asked the Lord to forgive me, got up, got dressed and went to church which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Where is the camera when you need it?

This is one time, I wish I had had a video camera going....this is the story of two women in a small town who are normally terribly sophisticated. It all happened like this .........

My friend was feeling low. Even though I could have spent the day dusting, ironing, mopping....you get the picture, I called and suggested we get a pedicure. I don't get many pedicures as you will see as my story goes on. We drive the three blocks to the nail spa, wait our turn, then sit in the massaging chairs while our feet go in the water. But, my water was boiling. The skin was coming off when I said OUCH, my water is too hot. So I take my feet out and the sweet girl turns on cold water. Meanwhile, she starts the water going in C's foot thingy. C says hers is fine so the nail tech walks away. HGTV was on and I was glued to the t.v. when I hear someone say Oh, no in a rather distressed voice. When she turned on the cold water, she didn't pull the plug so water was everywhere and I do mean everywhere. The lady in the next chair jerked her purse out of the now flooded area and was exclaiming that it may be ruined. As several people were frantically cleaning up the water, C turned and dropped the t.v. remote in her water! So she says uh oh......everyone's heads fly around to see what calamity we had caused now and saw her just as she was toweling off the remote and I was falling out of my chair laughing. I decided that maybe I wouldn't mention that my massage chair was not massaging.

Since we can never go back there again, I said, oh, I'm going to splurge and have the french pedicure!

For Hire.....More Readers!

The pay's not that great, but maybe you'll get a laugh or cry out of it, so you won't be completely wasting your time. I just looked and only 411 people have even looked at my blog. I'm so ashamed, one blog had less than that but they started blogging yesterday. So if you don't want to see a grown woman cry, read my blog and leave comments!



This is a great community of women. The best thing, is that almost everyone of the blogs I read are written by Christian women.

It was a lovely party

It was a lovely party! As I've stated before, if you want to do something for someone in a retirement center, do it at lunch. They just love for their friends to share in their experiences! Three of her six children were there along with a son in law and a daughter in law. We had cake and shared it with all those in the dining room..

All was going well until mama's dear friend was coming over to our table and fell! I wasn't sure what was happening but my brothers and husband jumped up and started trying to help her up. A nurse came and took her to her room to evaluate her and she's o.k. thank goodness. I took her a piece of cake later and she said she sure was glad she didn't break anything because this was beauty parlor day....they will go get that hair done if they have to drag themselves.

Starting Monday, mama will start having a private sitter with her for a few hours each day. She isn't so happy about that, but it is the only way she can stay. If for no other reason, girls, keep exercising! One day in the far, far away future, we'll be old. :)

Happy, Happy Birthday Mama!

Happy Birthday Mama! Today mama is 84 years old....the picture is her 82nd birthday with her cake and my brother, the eldest, as he likes to be called! If the cake looks big, we get that size so everyone at the retirement center can get a slice.

Mama is one of the original SAHM with six of us kids. I, personally, would have gone to work, how much easier that would have been than to wrangle with all of us! Poor mama, we were all 4 years apart with the exception of the first two and the last two who were 3 years apart. So, we always had every age group, from hormonal teens to tumbling toddlers to crying babies.

So here's to you mama, we all love you and appreciate you...have a great day!

My First Meme!!!

I've been tagged to play the middle name game. First, the rules:You have to post these rules on your blog. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, choose one you would like to have. When tagged, write your own blog post containing your middle name facts. At the end, choose one person to tag for each letter of your middle name. Then leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged.



G.....Godly woman, at least I strive to be! I fail a lot though.



R.....Reader, I love reading all sorts of books.



A.....appreciative of every blessing, every friend, every kindness shown, mostly that I know Christ.

Y.....Yawn, honestly, I am ALWAYS sleepy, especially if I should be dusting!


C....Caring, in fact I care too much sometimes and actually feel others' pain.

E....Enthusiastic...about life. O. K. not all the time, but hopefully most?

That was fun....now I tag Kristie and Emily.

America, the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the Twin Towers. I was in my car headed to a nice day at the beach, where my mama had a condominium and my aunt and two sisters were there already. I was almost there when my cell phone rang and a friend said, turn on your t.v. to which I replied I'm in the car. She told me that a plane had flown into one building.....I said what an awful accident! As i was on the phone with her, she exclaimed oh, my, another one! I hung up, too confused to talk.

When I arrived at the condo, my sisters were in front of the t.v. One sister was saying this is the start of WWIII. I was sick as I watched. I was a child during the Cuban Crisis and it felt like that only worse.....we were attacked in our safe, secure country.

That event started a huge wave of patriotism....where has that gone? Now we are all pulling against each other. We have forgotten that we are or were once the greatest nation in the world, even though we are such a young nation.

Those of us who know that this country was founded on Christian principles and believe that separation of church and state simply means the state can't interfere with the church, not that the church can't be everywhere, believe that without God, our nation is in deep trouble.

Let's pray that we will get back to the basics....love of God, love of fellow man and the spirit of helping one another. God bless American, land that I love!!

Pray for This Family

The following is an excerpt for the Wilhoite Pray Blog, written by Amy's husband.

My dear beloved Amy has gone home to meet her Lord. Shortly after 4:00 PM on this, September 10th, 2007, she took her last sweet breath. Moments before, she leaned up to me, and with much effort, told me she loved me - and gave me a kiss through her oxygen mask.

My heart is heavy for this young family. The grace and faith shown by them all has been a true picture of Christ. I don't know the family except from the Blog world, but I have been praying for Amy, Brandon and Gary. May God's everlastiing arms hold you and comfort you in this sad time. Amy is well now, healed by our savior.

It's a Magical Place!

Here we are, 7 women all 50 and over, starting off on their great adventure to Disney World! My conditions for going were 1. NO CHILDREN 2. NOBODY UNDER 50 and 3. NO SIBLING FUSSING! (j.k. about that last one!) So our group consisted of 3 sisters, 1 cousin and 3 friends.






I was already tired in this picture after driving all day and getting lost before we got there. Here we are stopped in a very nice subdivision trying to understand how we had gotten lost. Three of our group had printed out directions using Mapquest and all 3 were different! I was thinking to myself....as often as my sisters go, they should know the way by heart. :) We did finally manage to get to our destination, then went through about an hour of trying to get our rooms straightened out...I'll just say this, Enrique retired after we left the desk! Poor thing had 7 women trying to explain the room situation to him at one time. He did manage to maintain a smile, but I'm betting he went to the back after we left and took two tylenol and maybe cussed.




These are my two sisters, one older and one younger. We had a great time being together.

Here are Mickey and Pluto crouching down, hoping we won't come over and make fools of ourselves with them!

We went from park to park and did lots of stuff....my favorites were, Expedition Everest, Soaring, Tower of Terror and Nemo. Expedition Everest is a huge roller coaster. We rode it several times, one day 3 times in a row. My stomach started to protest after the third time.

We walked and walked and did too much to tell. It was so much fun (although don't try to tell my feet that!), but I'm glad to be home. So thanks to our 7 husbands, children and my two sweet dogs for living without us for 5 days. They all survived!

I'm back and I'm tired!

Now in case anyone tries to tell you a trip to Disney World is a restful vacation, I must send them there with my sisters! We had a GREAT time and I promise to post pictures of the group of 7 over 50 women. But not tonight...I have to soak my feet! :)

M I C K E Y M O U S E

Can you just hear the song in your head? Tomorrow morning bright and early, we set off for Disney World. My sisters, 3 friends and a cousin flying in from Virginia are going for 4 fun filled days in Orlando. I'm still trying to pack.....I have packing and clothing issues. I never know what to pack and usually wear 1/8 of what I take.

I'll be back Saturday!

The Joy of it all....Katie's Engagement

The engagement party was so much fun! I'm always so happy when the girls are here, especially when they can all be here together now that they all have such busy lives! Meeting Beau's mother was a pleasure and seeing old and new friends together to wish the couple a wonderful life was, well, it was just a good night!

Mary Grace, Emily and Katie had a great week together and today Emily flew back home. I want to write more about the party, but I am tired....a good tired.

AND, I have to start packing to go to Disney World Tuesday with my sisters. So more later!