"THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead.............."

 Hair is a big deal with the Senior Set. I speak from experience, when I write that  hair and hairdressers are the number one concern, of many of our female residents. And, for a few of our people, there is only one hairdresser, in the world, good enough for them.....the one that they have been seeing for years!

We have an experienced, qualified and excellent cosmetologist, working in a nice salon, right here, in our building. She does haircuts, on both men and women, wash/sets and perms. Many of our residents are pleased with her work.

Unfortunately, a few of our folk refuse to make a change in hairdressers, when making the move to our building. They refuse to use our in-house salon, saying that they want to continue seeing the hairdressers they have had for years. Okay. We are fine with that. It is a free country. However, not only do they want to continue frequenting their "old" stylists, they want us to provide rides, to and from these other businesses. And, because we won't, they have gotten pretty snippy about it.

Listen up folks. A hair cut is not a life and death decision. A hair cut is bad or good for about three weeks., or a month at the most. Then, chances are, you might need another one. The same goes for a permanent wave, which is, in spite of  the name, never permanent. 

In the 19th Century, a woman's hair was considered her "crowning glory". That was 200 years ago, and times have changed. Ask anyone who has lost hair, due to Cancer or some other illness, and they will gladly put the subject of hair, in perspective for you. 

Your hair does not define you. Wherever you choose to have your hair done, let's hope that your hairstyle improves your looks and your disposition.

Dearest and all-knowing Lord. I know that some of our prayers sound like demands. Show us patience and give us temperance. In Your Name we pray.

Cookies

 In corporate America (at least in the middle of the country), office workers are gifted with Christmas Cookies, and other types of sweets. I'm writing about the edible kind of cookies, not the things that appear in computers. I don't know how to explain computer cookies, but I do know they are not to eat and are not a good thing to have in your hard drive.

So, as I look at the counter in our main office, I see: 4 cans of cookies, 3 boxes of Russell Stover Candies, 2 tins of popcorn and a dish of fudge, on a nice plate. Yes, I know that sounds like a song. And, I am not complaining, I am enjoying every bite I take.

What is it about sweets, during the holidays? They're often what we give. We gifted some of our folks with Sunflower Seed cookies, this year. And, sweets are what we expect to receive. So far, we have Danish Kringle, Cranberry Bread and Candy-coated Chex Mix, in our fridge at home.

Of course, if we enjoy those treats, we'll have to do a bit of dieting or at least cut out the sweets, in January. At least that is my current plan. Meanwhile, don't bother me, I'm snacking.

Dear Lord, at Christmas we eat sweet things and we hear sweet music. We remember sweet thoughts of Christmases past and Christmases to come. We praise Your Holy Name.

Oh, Fudge!

Fact: I can't make fudge. Chocolate Fudge. Easy-Peasy Marshmallow Cream Fudge. Peanut Butter Fudge. You name it. Any kind of fudge. 

It's hereditary, or maybe I have a mental block. My mother couldn't make fudge. Let me rephrase that. She made a lot of what I believed, as a kid, was fudge. And, I was a grown woman before I realized that a pie tin full of chocolate goo, in the fridge, with a spoon stuck in it, wasn't really fudge.

She meant well, and she kept trying. I suspect, that like me, patience wasn't her strong suit. Runny fudge is caused from not boiling the liquid long enough, so that the chemical properties of the sugar change. But, she was an optimist. She believed to her dying day that, if you put the undercooked liquid into the  refrigerator, it would eventually "set up". It never did.

I was recently gifted with some absolutely delicious Peanut Butter Fudge. I shared it with my husband and we both agreed it was the best stuff ever! However, given my history, there will be no "asking for the recipe".

Fudge is my wake up call. It's a tasty reality check. Whenever I get too full of myself, I am often mentally reminded of that pan, on the Kelvinator shelf. Only God is perfect and can do all things. We are a limited species. We all have a "fudge" in our lives. 

Great and loving God. Reminders, of our fallibility, are essential. Please, watch over us and keep us focused on our road to You.

Another Win for Spell Check

I love my job, and I have no plans to take on another one, but after reading the local newspaper this week, I briefly considered offering my services, cheap, as a Proof Reader.

At the beginning of the week, a headline ran....."Kansas City Chefs Win Another One". What?????? In case you might be wondering if our town fields a team of culinary experts, every year from August to January, you're mistaken. Although, our local "Que" is considered some of the best in the nation, we don't have a team of Chefs. Note to the Kansas City Star.......Remember? The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020. 

Today, I was reading an obituary and discovered that a recently deceased woman has obtained her relater's license, and had been employed as a relater, for many years. What is that? Shouldn't the article have used the word, Realtor?

Ms Stevens, Ms Besse and Ms Ludlow. Please, forgive these folks for not proof reading their copy.

Dear God. This is the season for giving thanks. Remind us to be forgiving., also.

Hello. This is Nancy. May I help you?

 One of the most amusing aspects of my current employment is answering the phone. I would never have thought such a task could bring me such pleasure. Every call is an adventure.

Take for instance the resident, who called and complained about someone ringing her doorbell and running away, before she could get to the door. As my custom, I thanked her for the report and promised to look into the matter.  What I wanted to reply, but didn't, was "This is a senior housing complex. No one here can run that fast!"

At least once a day, I get a call asking for directions to our facility. I have learned that the first thing to ask the caller is...."Where are you now?" Occasionally, I get the answer, "I don't know." Of course, I try to help the person to find our site, but seriously...If you don't know where you are, it's difficult to give directions, to somewhere else.

Folks call and ask if we have elevators and if they go up. Yes, I always reply. We have four elevators, and indeed, they do go up. All of our apartments are accessible by elevator. What I want to say, and never do, is.........and DOWN. But, never SIDEWAYS.

Due to the Pandemic, we have restrictions on visitors, which means folks are dropping off more and more items, for our residents. I get calls announcing the arrival of the item(s). The caller always adds, "It's perishable." I take the items, and say "Thank you."  What I want to say, but don't, is...."Just how perishable is it? So, is it ice cream? A hot meal, maybe? Or is it laundry detergent, with a specified expiration date? Can you be a bit more specific and explain, to me, your understanding of the word perishable?"

May I help you? It's a phrase that will live in infamy.

Dear Lord. Thank you for humor. Thank you for blessing me all day, every day. Help me to see the uniqueness of each of Your children. 

Life happens!

 I finally have to admit that my body shape more closely resembles the word OOPs, than it does the word Thin. Chances are, at my age, this resemblance is pretty much here to stay!

I drive a smallish SUV, and I am also small........height wise. Someone parked too close to my car today, and I couldn't wedge my small round body into the door opening. I couldn't squeeze myself, into our car, no matter how hard I tried.  We had just finished a visit to the eye doctor and my husband suggested that I go back into the building and ask the receptionist to locate the driver of the offending car. But, I'm the "go-to-gal". I solve problems for a living. I thought I could handle the situation.

So, first I climbed up into the back seat and attempted to crawl over the console to the front seat. That might have been a good solution, except I had already deposited my semi-mobile husband in the front passenger seat.

Next, I decided that Scott needed to exit the car, so I asked him to get out and lean up against the car. His walker was already deposited into the trunk area of the car, and I was, by this time, exhausted and in no shape to lift it out and back in again. Once, in the, now empty passenger seat, I would attempt to crawl from the, now empty, passenger seat, over the center console, into the driver's seat. At this point, I need to add, that I had worn a long straight skirt to work and to the appointment. Therefore, I had to hike that skirt up to my middle, exposing the lower part of my body to the entire world, in order to make the climb.

Well, it worked. I yelled at my poor husband, who was leaning up against the outside of the car to "get in".  He did and I started the car. About that time a car, across the parking lot, that had been facing our car pulled out of its spot. the couple inside were laughing like crazy. I assumed they had witnessed the whole fiasco!

What a day.

Dear Lord. We are such funny creatures. Thank you for your love and guidance. give us peace.

"Here we come a caroling....."

 Several years ago, I wrote a blog on my favorite Christmas Song, which happens to be, "Here Comes Santa Claus". You might think of it as a silly, children's song, but contains a beautiful verse about being "all God's children...", which I find very meaningful.  And, as a bonus, it was written by Gene Autry, who is one of my personal heroes. 

Now, I want to tell you about my least favorite Christmas Song. When was the last time you said something was DEE-vine? Probably never, unless you were singing "O Holy Night". The song does more than bother me. It taunts me. It seems like it plays everywhere, during the holiday season, over and over. I know some folks like it. But, I sure don't. I remember one Christmas Eve Service, years ago, when the two soprano solos, one sung right after the other, were both, "O Holy Night". I wanted to run from the sanctuary, screaming. But, then I was just horribly embarrassed for the singers. 

Don't have it sung at my funeral, please. I will forever haunt you. It will not be DEE-vine.

Dear Lord, Give me patience. Teach me to have tolerance for the choices of others. 

A Tasteful Season

 

Egg Nog has finally made its seasonal appearance, in our local grocery store. Over the years I have acquired quite a taste for Egg Nog. Not the fluffy, homemade kind, with real eggs and whiskey, but the Pasteurized sweet stuff you find in plastic cartons in the Dairy Section. I put it in my coffee every morning, add it to pancake batter and "doctor up" most anything that normally requires milk. It's great in muffins, in French toast batter and in hot chocolate. Egg Nog Season, from Halloween to New Year's Day, is my favorite time of the year.

I don't feel the same way, however, about pumpkin pie spice. Yes, I know it's popular, and you can get pumpkin pie spiced lattes, ice cream, etc., but, I prefer my pumpkin pie spice, in pie! And even then, I would prefer apple, cherry or even mince meat before a slice of pumpkin. In my humble opinion, the best thing about pumpkin pie is the whipped cream topping!

Cinnamon flavors many holiday foods. Cinnamon is brown and not visually appetizing. But, cinnamon candy is always red.  I've even been known to add "red hot" candies to several of my recipes. They add great color and zip to apples and sauces.

Peppermint, in its many forms, helps us celebrate the holidays. A peppermint stick, in a mug of cocoa, makes it extra special and festive. And, who doesn't like a good candy cane or mint chocolate ice cream?

Please, take the time to enjoy the tastes of the season.

Dear God. We have so many things, for which to be thankful. It's easy to remember to thank You for the big ticket items. But, we need to remember to thank You for the small things, also. Thank you, Lord, for giving me this day. May I remember to appreciate all of my blessings.

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

 I have a tiny Schneekugel on my desk. You may have several, in your homes or apartments. The finest Schneekugels have always been made in Austria. Erwin Perzy is said to have invented them and his company, now led by the fourth generation, continues to make them.

My tiny Schneekugel, sits by my computer. It was probably made in China, but I can't tell for certain. The print, on the bottom, is too small for me to read. And, the price sticker reads $1. I don't have any trouble shaking the heck out of it, anytime I feel like it. It makes me smile!

Because, they have been around for a really long time, most of us have memories of playing with them or at least seeing them, as they sat high on a shelf, too far away for tiny hands to reach. Our family, while I was growing up, had one, that in my mind, I can still see clearly. It had a black base, it seemed very heavy. The glass globe contained a small snowman, complete with a black top hat, black eyes and a carrot nose. Those memories are over 70 years old.

Scott, the kids and I had, at one time, a really nice Schneekugel, that a relative gave to our family. It was around the house for a few years, until one or maybe several of our sons, broke it. As I recall, I found the hidden bits and pieces, shortly after the incident. It was just a "thing", so I don't remember spending much time being disturbed about losing it. I'm sure I was more concerned about them failing to tell me that they had broken it. I'm sure the culprit(s), will never, ever have fond memories of snow globes. Too bad. They are pretty unique.

Dearest Lord. You are our strength and our salvation. We praise your Holy Name.

Fair to Middlin'

The average person discovers, sooner or later, that life isn't fair. Truly, if you expect to be treated fairly in this world, you are in for a lifetime of disappointment.

It begins when a child is told "no", when he wants to hear "yes". Right then and there, unfairness becomes a reality. How about when teenagers want to go somewhere or do something that parents deem dangerous? They tell them no, and of course Mom and Dad will always get hit with that "unfair" Teenage whine. 

Didn't get that expected raise, but your lazy co-worker got a promotion?  Your doctor gives you some bad news, even though you've followed every "health rule" imaginable! Life is certainly unfair.

Fairness is not what life is all about. Your key to happiness, or at least acceptance, is what you do with your disappointment. God wants us to forgive those folks who have treated us unfairly. He wants us to learn that life situations will not always turn out in our favor. Growth comes from adversity. Our lives will never be perfect, we are not in control. When we take our disappointments and turn them into opportunities, we become winners. 

Faith tells us that God goes with us on our entire journey. Whatever happens, God is our constant and he will not forsake us. 

Dear Lord. We are Your children. Show us how to Live in Your goodness. we are blessed.

Whoops!

 Change is what life is all about. Nothing was ever meant to stay the same. But, as I have stated, many times, change is often difficult to accept. 

I have had people tell me that "giving up driving my car will kill me". Believe me, it won't. No one ever died, from not being able to drive. Not being able to adjust to change, however, could kill someone. Call a taxi, a friend or a relative. Ask for help. Use public transportation. You are still in control, when you make the choice.

Physical limitations are the pits. No one enjoys physical challenges, but not being able to play 18 holes of golf or ride a bike, is just part of getting older. Take up something less strenuous! And, if you can't do that, read a book, work a puzzle or knit. Move. You'll feel better in no time.

Some folks are vehement about staying in their own homes, even when safety is an issue. If you want to live happily ever after, move somewhere safe. Two-story homes are dangerous, if you have mobility issues. So, when you worry about not being able to keep your "stuff", remember that no one takes a U Haul with them, to the cemetery. You have the memories, you don't need the mementoes!

You cannot die from loneliness. It is devastating to lose a spouse or a job.  However, if you choose to moan and groan and feel sorry for yourself, you might decide to quit living...and you will. Instead of complaining of loneliness, do a kind deed for someone you care about. You will feel wanted and needed.

Life is full of changes. The folks who thrive and survive, accept life's changes. Some folks, believe it or not, find that change makes life worth living.

God: You are our constant. With Your help, everything, even change can be embraced. Our trust is in You..

And Beyond.......

 Grace and Beauty are ageless. Today, I was blessed to observe two dear and beautiful friends greet each other, with ageless Grace. Seeing them together reminded me that they had both celebrated milestone birthdays, this past year. They both turned 100 years old.

We have had several other centenarians at our facility. It shouldn't surprise you to know that they have all been women. Anyone who attempts to tell you that females, of our species, are the weaker sex, is grossly misinformed. I have known a great many 80, 90 and 100 year-old women, who are much stronger than you might imagine.

I have observed that women who live to ninety and beyond, have not lived charmed, easy or uneventful lives. But, all of them are survivors. Spend even a small amount of time, with any of them, and they will fill your heart with amazing stories.

They may not have flown bombers over Dresden, in World War II, but many of them worked in defense plants. They flew bombers to airfields for male pilots, or were aides to high ranking officers. They were war widows and war brides. They knitted socks and sweaters in shelters, during bombing raids. They raised children by themselves and they fed them Campbell's Soup Casseroles and tons of Jello.

They are my She-roes.

Dear God. We are blessed. We know You and You know us. We have limitations, but as we age, we are confident that You are always with us, whatever happens. You are our refuge and our strength.

".........................IS FEAR ITSELF"

That quote may sound familiar to you. It's attributed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and he used it, for the first time, in his 1933 Inaugural Address. "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.", is his signature phrase. I don't think you'll find it on his tombstone, but people recognize it as "his words". (Actually, it appears that it was originally coined by Henry David Thoreau, decades earlier.

Jimmy Carter's signature phrase was, "A Leader for a Change." (An interesting slogan that can be interpreted in a couple of ways.) Barak Obama's phrase was, "Change We Can Believe In." And, of course Donald Trump used "Make America Great Again." It's interesting to remember that Ronald Reagan had a similar one. His was "Let's make America Great Again." Everything old is new again, it seems. 

The slogans or phrases, I like best, are the most original ones. Eisenhower's "I like Ike", was iconic (I couldn't resist the pun). Harry Truman had the best signature phrase, ever quoted, when he forcefully stated, "The Buck Stops Here."

Do you have a signature phrase? Is there something that you find yourself saying over and over, or at least muttering several times a day? Those words could be your signature phrase.

I think mine is  "There you go."  I use it more and more often now, because I am realizing that there is very little left in life that any of us can control!

Dear Lord. You are in control. Remind us to let go and let You lead us and teach us. We are Your clay. Mold us, in Your image.

The Written Word

 If there is one thing in this country that has literally (I am purposely using that word) gone to "hell in a handbasket", it is the Daily Newspaper.  In the good old U.S.A., the printed word is definitely a thing of the past. You live in a rare community, if someone continues to publish a newspaper, daily or weekly in your town.

The Kansas City Star, was once 2 different papers, published twice daily. There was actually enough news, sports and advertising, to fill 2 daily papers. By contrast, today's Kansas City Star only has two sections, each double folded, which makes the paper 8 pages in total. Take away the ever-present full-page ad, touting the sorry paper itself, and you have less than 7 pages of copy. In a town of over a million folks, that seems a bit thin, to me.

The paper is inches smaller, per page, than it used to be. The paper is thiner, too. It's just a little bitty thing. Not Gazette size yet, but the publisher may do that, tomorrow.

The Star keeps asking us to go digital, so they really don't want to print the paper, at all.

We pay dearly for the privilege of reading this sorry rag. Hundreds of dollars, yearly,  which is far too expensive, for this pitiful product. We know we are crazy for continuing to subscribe, but I still want to pull out a pen and work the NYT Crossword, and my husband wants to read the Sports Section. The price of the daily newspaper makes up the bulk of our entertainment expenses!

I noticed this morning that we do have a new feature in the old-fashioned, printed Star.....full color photos, in the "Pets for Sale" section in the ads. Now, I know our money is going to good use!

Dear Lord. Help me to be accepting of change. Life is a mystery.

"All You Need is Love"

 

HATE. I truly believe it is the ugliest word in the English Language. And, it is probably the easiest word to say. As a child, I would say, I hate spinach or I hate taking a bath. My mother would tell me, “You don’t hate spinach, you just don’t like it!” …get in the bathroom! How many of us said, many years ago, “I hate school, or I hate my teacher.”? Maybe we didn’t like them, but hate?

HATE is such a strong word.  Webster’s Dictionary lists quite a few synonyms, but I can’t imagine anyone using any of them. Can you imagine a “peaceful” protestor screaming at a policeman…. “I LOATHE you’’  Or how about, “I DETEST, ABHOR or DESPISE you”?  And, a protestor would never take the time to print out the word ABOMINATE!

HATE is powerful emotion and it is a subject written about by some very quotable people. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.” Very wise.  And, his widow, Coretta Scott King, said, “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”

There is way too much hate and hate speech in our lives. The quote I like best is from the writer, Maya Angelou. “Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world, but has not yet solved one.”

HATE is not the answer. Hate is not one of God’s gifts and Graces. Hate is going to make you unhappy and sad. Don’t HATE anyone or anything. It won’t improve your life one iota.

 

Dear Lord. You did not hate anyone. Teach us tolerance and acceptance. We are all very different and we need to get along.

Alternate Universe

 

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

The youngest resident of our community is over 70. We have many residents who are far into their nineties and at least two that are over 100 years old.

With that knowledge, let me relate a recent conversation that I overheard between two octogenarians. One asked the other, “How old are you?” The other replied, from over her walker, “Forty.” The first lady began to correct her by saying, “You have to be older than forty. I’m ninety-four, you know.” The second lady then replied with, “Well, I look a lot older than I really am.”

End of discussion.

Dear Lord, why are we such sceptics? When will we learn to trust in You? When will we stop questioning everything that happens? When will we stop trying to blame others, for our problems? Help us to realize that Trust and Acceptance should be our goals, in times of strife.

 

 

HEY YOU GUYS

Just who was it that started calling mixed gender groups of people “GUYS”? It seems like every other person that addresses me, groups me into the phrase “YOU GUYS”. Listen up!  I am not a GUY. I have chosen not to be a GUY. I am offended, when people call me a GUY. I will never be a GUY. Stop doing it!

I am told that it’s okay to be grouped with the GUYS. Everyone uses it. Is that supposed to make it okay? Woke people are constantly altering their speech, to eliminate many of our gender related nouns and pronouns.  We all try not to say MEN, anymore. We are supposed to be using the term “persons”.  As in….”All persons are created equal.”

Don’t use the noun “actress” when referring to a female in a movie or play. All the folks playing roles are now called ACTORS. We should correctly use the terms Postal Employees or Post Persons, instead saying postman or postmen. Don’t even attempt to use the phrase “man” the desk, phones or overboard. It’s now better to substitute the word “person”. And please don’t even think about “man up”!

My mother used to tell me, “just because everyone else is doing it, that doesn’t mean you should be doing it, too”. So, please, jump in there, make me happy and buck the trend! Help stop this annoying grammar faux pas.

 

Lord. Do you know that I am really trying? I’m working on improving my Kindness and Patience factors. I am much too impatient and lots of things irritate me. Keep me humble. Guide my feet and my mouth.

Bite Me!

 Two days ago, I was stung, on my right hand, by a wasp. It hurt like the dickens, and I had to swipe the thing off, because it refused to let go. To treat the bite, I applied a baking soda paste and some topical anti-itch cream. And, thank goodness, I also took the extra precaution of removing all five of my rings.

Twenty four hours later, with my hand resembling a bright red ball, I was persuaded to seek medical treatment. I had no knuckles, and my fingers were puffy little stubs.  I couldn't make a fist, and angry redness was creeping up my arm.

We feared the worst, as we entered the Emergency Room, of our near-by hospital, on a long holiday weekend. We are in the middle of a global pandemic. The place was bound to be overcrowded with broken arms, legs, shootings and all kinds of holiday mishaps. We were surely in for a long tedious wait.

 Well, to our surprise, we were immediately ushered in to an examining room, seen just as rapidly by a doctor and within minutes I was fitted with an IV. Two intravenous drugs and a few instructions later, we were on our way home.

Today, the swelling is down and I am able to grip the steering wheel of the car. The itch is under control, and the redness is almost gone. Thank God for great medical care.

Dear Lord. We are blessed. We thank you for your healing care and continue to watch over us.

Surprise Surprise

 Aren't surprises the best things ever? No, I don't mean Surprise Birthday Parties. I've written about those before. Seniors should never have anyone pull a surprise on them. Not even a 90th Birthday ! Because, Mama wants to have her hair done and a new pants suit for such a big event! She doesn't want anyone remembering her without make-up. And do you really want to risk a heart attack, topping off the big surprise?

I'm writing about chance encounters with an old friend, or these days, even a cheerful email exchange. They are blessings. Upon receiving a couple of unanticipated emails, this week, I have decided to instigate a little joy, myself. So, I'm setting a goal of reaching out to someone new, every week. I'm excited about the possibilities. Old friends, good memories. New friends, and new memories.

Don't be SURPRISED, if you hear from me, soon.

Good and gracious God. Help me to make a joyful noise. Teach me compassion. Guide me on my journey.

You Gotta Have Hope........

 What inspires you? What lifts you up?

In this unprecedented time, when it's hard to keep from complaining about all the things that we are missing, I find myself looking for something that will get my juices flowing and bring me up out of my valleys.

Today, while trying to perk a woman up, by telling her that we all need to "trust that everything will get better, soon", I was reminded of an old hymn. Well, I couldn't remember all of the words, so I used my trust PC and located several audio renditions, a printable copy of the lyrics and a brief bio of the writer. Now, I am a minimally qualified expert on the hymn, "Trust and Obey'.

John H. Sammis, a Presbyterian Minister, wrote the words in 1887. Throughout his lifetime, he was known for writing "songs of trust" and "songs of obedience". I'm not enough of an expert on his poetry, to judge all of his writings, but I do know that "Trust and Obey" is full of assurance and hope.

                                            "Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

                                                     But His smile quickly drives it away.

                                              Not a doubt or a fear, not a sign or a tear,

                                                     Can abide while we trust and obey.

                                            Trust and Obey, for there's no other way

                                             To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Dear Lord. Life is full of ups and down, and all of us are easily disappointed. Show us how to increase our Trust in You. Help us to live a life of Obedience and show us how to receive Your Gift of Hope.

Can I hear an AMEN???????

 Have you given any thought toward "kindness", lately? If you haven't, you're not alone. Kindness seems to have been packed away with our winter boots, and of course "out of sight, out of mind".Kindness is a Gift of the Holy Spirit and a Virtue. Hatred and anger, no matter how well you do them, are not Virtues, nor are they gifts to anyone! God wants us to be kind, to our fellow life-travelers.

Now, that does not mean that you are supposed to let folks be mean to you, walk all over you or put you down. No doubt, you have heard the phrase, "kill them with kindness". I am all over that powerful bit of philosophical wisdom! I have become an expert at listening, smiling and saying...."there you go".

Whenever I encounter a Meanie, I just listen to them rant and rave. It doesn't really matter if their anger is directed at me or at one of fellow workers, the important thing is to allow that person to "let it go". I have discovered, over my many years, that it is almost impossible to argue with someone who will not argue back. I aspire to be that passive pretender, because nine times out of ten, my protagonist will tire of ranting and raving, and move on. I'm just no fun!

I try to practice kindness, but I am not perfect. There are times, when I argue and  talk back. But, when that happens, I usually regret my actions. Saying please, thank you and I hear what you're saying, usually saves the day.

Dear Lord. We make it so hard on ourselves and others. Our trust is in You.

Vote Early, Vote Often!

I have always believed that there are no stupid questions. But, last year, in November, I recall receiving, what I thought at the time, the least intelligent questions I have ever been asked to answer. My resident friends wanted to know if I had ballots, for the general election. What, I thought?  How could I have a stack of ballots for a government election? Ballots are not distributed, en masse, to the general public. No, I told them. Ballots are secret and they are only given out at the polls by certified poll workers, or in certain cases, ballots are mailed to those folks who have sworn that they cannot go, in person, to the polls. If I had a stack of ballots to distribute, what would stop me from "stuffing" the ballot box. This is a one person, one vote country. Voting is sacred.

Well, look at me, now. Do I look stupid, or what? It appears that we are going to have a general election with millions of ballots going out, by mail, to the masses. "Mail out" ballots give a whole new meaning to vote early, vote often. How is this going to work? How can this be fair?

Every day, as un-official "postmistress" of my workplace, I must deal with 20 to 30 pieces of mail for folks who have passed on, or moved out. The truth is, people just do not inform their friends, creditors, the US Postal Service or the County Election Board, when they move on. 

Think about it. Do you want me, or people like me, voting the way I WANT, with YOUR BALLOT? I hope not. 

Past Times

Have you played a board game recently? If you haven't, you are missing great fun. As I recall, families used to enjoy a game of Monopoly, Sorry and Checkers, weekly, if not nightly. In these days of computer games, computer learning and computer nonsense, playing a board game, with at least one other human being, has become a real novelty. So, please, get your face out your phone, sit down and play a game with the kids.

Board games, from the most elementary (Candyland, Uno, etc.) to the more difficult (Scrabble, Chess, Backgammon) rely on the mind of the player....not a machine. Playing with real people, what a great idea!

Board games (bored games) are the items left on the shelves of the toy department at Target on December 24th. People aren't buying them, anymore. Most folks think that board games are old fashioned, just like homemade meals and knowing the difference between right and wrong. 

Trust me. As a grandparent, the joy of seeing a seven year reach the Rainbow Bridge, ahead of her older sister, Grandma and Grandpa, is worth experiencing. Winning and even coming in last, are life skills that benefit all of us.

Dear Lord. Thank you for fun. Thank you for being the source of our strength and salvation. We praise your Holy Name.

Something Old......Something New.

 We lived in Grandview, Missouri, from 1973-1978. Sometime during that span, I made a longish, plaid skirt. I believer they were called Maxi-Skirts, way back then. Long skirts were very popular, once, along with Polyester Leisure Suits and chunky shoes. Sewing was never high on my list of household skills, but if I do say so myself, I did a darn good job of constructing that skirt. I can date the skirt, that far back, because we moved to our current home in 1979, and I remember wearing it, before we moved here.

Well, it occurred to me today, as I donned that very skirt and made my way out the door, that I have been wearing this same skirt, every summer, for nearly 50 years. Stunning revelation. Remembering this, I then racked my brain trying to figure out what else I have, that is as old as my skirt. The only other, really, old thing I have, is my husband.

This month, Scott and I will have been married 55 years. We've had four children, two houses, umpteen cars, nine grand kids and countless blessings. Frankly, the old skirt looks better, for the wear and tear of life, than either of us. But, the three of us are still together.

Good and everlasting God. Your steadfast love endures forever.

What Happened???

Scott and I used to get quite a few laughs from a TV show featuring the host doing interviews, with young people. He would ask simple History questions. 

"Who fought in the Spanish-American War?" Answers, in all seriousness, would be "The Nazis?"or perhaps, "George Washington and the South".

Goofy answers, like the above, used to be funny, but not so much anymore. History, specifically American History, is getting a bad name.

I have a theory about this current "reign of terror" over our history, our monuments and our heroes. Young people have not been taught history. Along with cursive writing and telling time (using an analog clock), History has disappeared from the standard school curriculum. That's not funny.....its sad.

The truth is...You cannot change history. You might not like what and where we have been, as a nation. But, in order to keep from making the same mistakes, again and again, we need to understand how and why the past happened. 

To be judged a student of History, would be an honor. To me, any type of history, is important. We learn from history. Our future will be better, if we know our history.

A teacher, long ago, repeated this mantra, "History repeats itself, does it not?" It would appear that such a statement is no longer true. Whole generations of our species, have never learned what happened, in the first place!

Dear Everlasting Lord. We doubt. We question. We wonder, why us? Help us to Trust and Obey. Our answers are in You. You are our Hope and our Salvation. 

As Time Goes By

Some of you will remember lining up, as children, to receive the polio vaccine. This would have happened in around 1955, or maybe a year or so later. 
All of us kids got the shot. None of us wanted to "catch" polio. Polio was an awful thing. We all knew about Iron Lungs, braces and crutches. We were all related to, or went to school, with children crippled by Polio. 

As with all "shots", it must have hurt. I do remember a lot of kids crying. Our parents would have had some misgivings and fears, about the procedure, but they were willing to have us join those lines.

Within just a few months of its inception, most of the school children in America were vaccinated with the Salk Vaccine. And, within just a few years, Polio disappeared. The threat was gone.

Last week, I participated in another type of "en mass" medicine. My job was to assist a very capable nurse in administering a Covid 19 Virus test, to around 90 seniors. Although it wasn't a "shot" or cure, this test was monumental. It would determine whether they had come in contact with the Covid Virus. 

The procedure was momentarily uncomfortable. And, since it is all so new, it involved some fear of the unknown. But, old souls are tough. They handled the discomfort with hardly a missed step.

Who had the roughest time that day? Me, of course! I watched each of those seniors go through some degree of pain. I hurt with every one of them. It was as if I were the mother of 90 children, who lined up and trusted that nurse, and me, to do our best work and keep them healthy. 

It was an awesome responsibility and a terrifying experience.

Dear God. Thank you for being with us every minute of our existence. Thank you for caring Health Care Workers.Your steadfast Love endures forever and ever.

 

   
   

Burnt Ends, please. Extra sauce, on the side.

The Activity Director of our Senior Living Community plans wonderful events. During this recent pandemic lock down, she has been arranging for special restaurant fare to be brought in to our residents.

These "carry in" dinners are occurring with regularity now, and many of residents participate.

So far, the food has come from a local Italian Restaurant (everyone had the specialty of the house, lasagna) a Hawaiian Restaurant and a Pizzeria. Last night, she took orders for dinners from a local barbecue restaurant.

Oh my! Did you know that barbecue is the National Dish of Kansas City? Our metropolitan area contains over a million people, and in that same area, there must be close to 10 thousand barbecue joints. Believe me when I tell you that everyone, in this area, has their favorite barbecue restaurant, and each one of them is the BEST IN TOWN!

To their credit, our residents were full of compliments to our Activity Director. To a person, they have all been very thankful for the opportunity to eat local fare. Everyone said the meal was nice, BUT, most said it wasn't their favorite.

In case you are in Kansas City, soon, here's a quick and concise Kansas City Barbecue Review.

• Gate's...................they are rude there, but the meat is the best in town.
• Bryant's..............the original, the best sauce in town.
• Smokehouse........the best beans and cheesy corn in town.
• Jack Stack...........by far the best burnt ends (another Kansas City original) in town.
• Joe's (formerly Oklahoma Joe's)........the best burnt ends in town.
• Zarda's.................the best beans in town, but only if you go to the restaurant. 
• Hawg Jaw........spicy, but very good. 
• anyone of a dozen more places......all the best in town.

Dear God. Thank You for making us different. Help us to appreciate both our similarities and our differences. Remind us that even You can't please everyone.

The One Pan Demic

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned my feeble attempts at becoming a bread baker. Bought the flour, bought the yeast, and quit before I started. Way too much work on my part!
Feeling like a baking failure, I then began to start observing a new trend in recipes, appearing on Social Media, Newsletters, Blogs and those old-fashioned Newspapers (that no one reads, anymore). The newest fad, in recipes, is simplicity.
I noticed all kinds of 3 Ingredient Recipes. Cookies and cakes, especially.  Where have these recipes been, all my life? Peanut butter cookies (1 cup peanut butter, 1 egg, 1 cup of sugar). Oatmeal cookies using bananas, oatmeal and and chocolate chips. Voila. Great Cookies. Who knew you didn't have to add salt, baking soda and flour, and find the measuring spoons?
Cake. I found one that uses two cake mixes, water, and a coffee mug. And, it's cooked in the microwave. Holy Cow! I can do this.
My favorite recipe is the Wacky Cake, circa 1940 something. No eggs and no milk (both were rationed during WW II), which were again in short supply, recently. This one is mixed and baked, in the same pan!
Look out Betty Crocker and Ann Pillsbury!

Dear Lord. You are counting on us to stay the course. You never promised us that our lives would be easy. We can do this, no matter what happens, because we know that You are always with us. Your steadfast love endures forever.

Be Happy. Don't Worry.

We are in the middle of the biggest pandemic of our lifetimes, and I often find myself referring to the passage, in the Bible, about worry. It's the one telling us to "consider the lilies of the field".  It's a good one and if you haven't read it lately, I suggest a quick re-read. (Luke 22)

Unfortunately, we are all worriers. It's June, and the hot humid days of Summer are upon us. And, the heat has caused my peeps to worry and fret. For a couple of weeks, now, I have heard statements like, "It's too hot, too early. Things are going burn up." Well, today it was unusually cool, and I heard (from the very same folks), "Do you think we'll have a freeze. Should we bring in our plants tonight?"

OMGoodness. None of these folks are farming!!!!! They are in their eighties and nineties, and they should know that worrying, about the weather, is pointless. On the other hand, at that age, it's pointless to tell them to stop worrying!

But, think again. We are never to old to learn something new. If you are spending your days and nights worrying, stop it right now. We all know that worry isn't worth our time, and it only keeps us awake at night. 

What are you worried about?

Dear Lord. We are trying not to worry. It's hard. We think we are in charge and that we can somehow "fix" everything. You know we can't. You are in charge. Help us relax and let you do Your thing. We need to let go and let God.

A guy walked into a bar........

I have launched a brand new career. At 73, I have broken into the realm of Stand Up Comedy! Except, I sit down, and tell my jokes over the phone.
The size of my audience is pretty much guaranteed. I play to about 100 souls, five mornings a week. Of course, I cannot lock the doors on the venue, because they are in their homes and I am in mine (a result of the quarantine lock-down). But, short of hanging up on me (which only a few have), they are captive. They can't get away!
Monday through Friday, I make calls to all of our residents. I inquire about their health and their general well being. We chat and then I tell them a joke. They love the jokes. Some folks even ask for them.
Over the past few months, I have worked on my delivery. My jokes have to be short and sweet. Some of my audience members are hard of hearing, so I have to be careful to watch my sssstttts and diphthongs. My speech must be crisp and very precise. Jokes cease to be funny, if they can't be heard.
And, brevity is important. We oldsters have short attention spans. It's hard to laugh, when you have lost interest in the punch line, because the story was too long.
Experience has taught me to put emphasis on certain key words, in order to make the jokes easier to "get". Although a few members of my audience have dementia, and won't remember the jokes for more than a few minutes, they are thrilled, when they understand the punch line.
My new gig is a barrel of laughs. It's challenging, because I would like my audience to get a chuckle or two from my calls. Maybe Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central isn't going to call me right away, but then again, who knows?

Dear Lord. Help us remember to laugh. Life isn't always serious.

Rethinking......

It is entirely possible that this continuance of the "lock down of 2020" has caused my my mind to  skip a few steps. Along with time, reason seems to be slipping away from me
I decided, a couple of weeks ago, to make some bread. Well, apparently half of the cooks in the United States have had the same idea. Bread has been a bit scarce, at the grocery stores, so making our own bread, has seemed a logical step, for the home-bound masses.
Because of this sudden need to create home-baked bread, flour and yeast have also been absent from  grocery shelves. Last week, I finally found some yeast. Now, I reasoned with myself, was the time to  make some bread..
But, what kind of bread should I make? Sour Dough sounded creative and delicious. Turning to the Internet, I discovered about twenty different recipes for Sour Dough Starter. Everyone, I pondered,  must be making Sour Dough Bread. Sour Dough must be all the rage.
I proceeded to measure the ingredients. But, right before I began to add the liquid to the dry ingredients, I had one of those "deja vu " moments.
OM Golly. I had done this before!  I vividly remembered making sour dough starter. I baked the bread a couple of times and then, because I had to "grow" it by adding stuff to the starter, at regular and seemingly unending intervals, the starter began to multiply and multiply.
I remember trying to give batches of the starter, to my friends, but no one would take it! I ended up pitching the whole mess into the garbage. Actually, I recall, that I may have done this Sour Dough thing, several different times...once in the 60s and another time in the 80s.
So, I ended my bread baking, before it began. After all, bread is back on the shelves.
I wonder if anyone has a recipe for paper products?

Good Lord. We are never satisfied. We never have enough. Remind us to live simply and carefully. Show us how to use our gifts to Your best advantage.

"Good Golly Miss Molly"

All of my life, I have been afflicted by an unusual obsession. My brain is full of song lyrics. Not anything original. I've never written song lyrics. But, instead of useful knowledge, like math facts or scientific explanations, my head is full of other people's musical poetry.
I have the weird ability to remember lyrics for any word or occasion. It is hereditary. My sister does it, and I think my mother was guilty of teaching both of us to do it.  Just today, my husband mentioned that he needed to do more walking. I broke into a loose and lively rendition of Fat's Domino's "I'm Walkin". Did a complete verse, by golly.
When my children were young, I was always singing. My boys, particularly one of them, would say, after a quick concert of, "Where Did You Get That Hat?", "I'm Great and No One Knows It", or
"The KU Fight Song"...........Stop Mother!  This obvious disdain of my talent used to bother me. But, guess what my most vocal critic does for his lively hood, now that he doesn't have to listen to me sing, daily? He write songs!
Sometimes, I can't remember what makes me think of certain songs. Yesterday, an obscure  Beatles song popped into my mind, and I started singing. "Her name was McGill. She called herself  Lil. But, everyone knew her as Nancy. " Tomorrow, I'll be singing another gem, from my cerebral catalog.
I can't help it. Life is just one big, long, song.

Dear God. You made each one of us unique. What an incredible accomplishment! Show us how to use our individual talents, to manifest our Faith in You. Your will be done. God Loves Us.

Umbrella Weather

I have a friend, who recently reminded me, that a smile can change just about everything. She's correct. A smile can alter your attitude. Try it. It works. The smile you wear can change the attitude and outlook of those you meet and greet.
Do you remember the song "Just Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella"? It was written almost one hundred years ago, by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. It's a really fun and happy song.
Well, as the lyrics go, we are experiencing a "a rainy, rainy day". Folks are tired of being cooped up and the majority of us are pretty cranky. I'm wearing a frown, more and more often, these days.To counteract the grumpies, I call and tell our residents, at the retirement community, a joke every day. Today it was an umbrella joke. According to my research, umbrella jokes, like umbrella songs, are plentiful. Umbrellas are worth writing about.
Here's one to make you smile.
    Why do folks in big cities carry umbrellas? .....Umbrellas can't walk.
Here's another one.
    Why did the man put his umbrella away and open his coin purse?..He was hoping for a change  in the weather.
     Did you smile? Because "a smile will bring the sunshine, and you'll never get wet".

Dear Lord. Show us how to enjoy the life you have given us. Help us see "the sunshine" We know that you are always watching over us. Let us remain thankful.

Reflections

Mother's Day always evokes a torrent of emotions, in everyone. We all have mothers, of course, and most of us have really fond memories of them. However, this Mother's Day (social distancing, masks, Zooming, etc.) is very different from our normal "once-a-year celebration" of our moms. In honor of this, I am going to focus on my children. Children, biological or otherwise related, make us moms. My four children have made me who I am.

First of all, let it be known that no mother is perfect. I certainly haven't been. The reason, just might be, that neither are my four kids. But, moms, being who we are, continue to love them unconditionally. We cherish the crudely constructed, hand-made presents, from years past, as much as we do the flowers and items arriving, these days, from Amazon. Just like Mary Poppins, I consider my children "practically perfect, in every way".

I am very proud of my children. They are all well-educated, productive adults. They have, among them, seven college degrees. This, to me, is amazing, especially when you consider that their maternal great grandmother never learned to read or write (in any language). And, another grandfather never went beyond the 6th grade. 

All four are outstanding parents. Not only have they managed to avoid criminal activities (I'm fairly certain about that), they have produced children who are all pleasant and creative individuals. Grandchildren are the best! Thanks to my terrific grandchildren, my refrigerator has not been devoid of artwork, since 1960 something!

I wish they lived closer and that we could see all of them more often. But, they don't and we can't. I am truly thankful that they have busy lives.

Dear God. Thank you for my children (and grandchildren). I am blessed.

Ch Ch Ch Changes.

I never thought I would:

• Count the number of rolls of toilet paper, in our bathroom closet, and try to calculate how long they will last.
• Find empty shelves in an American supermarket, when a snowstorm was not in the immediate weather forecast.
• Not be able to see and play with our grand-girls, weekly.
• Buy flour, cake mixes, milk, bread, baking soda and frozen food at any grocery store.
• Go sit down inside any restaurant. restaurant or public library.
• Watch a 10 year old sports event, on television, like it was happening today!
• Buy gas at prices we haven't seen in a couple of decades.

I miss all of the things I took for granted. God, please help me to remember how blessed my life has been. And, how blessed I continue to be. Remind me to count those blessings.

Mikey Approved.

In my (not so humble) opinion there isn't much of anything worth watching on television, these days.  Because of the Coronovirus Lockdown, there are no live sporting events to see. Good Lord, I flipped by an Ali fight, the other day! How many decades old was that show? There are no new series episodes to watch and all of the live shows are being made from broadcaster's living rooms. I'm stuck in my own living room. I don't want to see anymore sofas. In fact, I think the only shows worth watching are the tremendously popular Hallmark movies.
At this point, I have seen most of the Christmas movies (and there are dozens), at least twice, but there are some of the Mysteries that are new to me. If you are not yet familiar with Hallmark productions, let me assure you "if you try them, you'll like them." Watch a few and you will soon learn why they are so popular.
Familiarity breeds contentment.
The plots are all Hallmark Productions are similar. Couples meet. Get to know each other. Fall in love. A misunderstanding happens. They split up. They get back together. They kiss. The End. In the Christmas themed movies there is always a lot of snow, Christmas trees, ornaments (Hallmark is the sponsor, after all.) and hot chocolate.
In the mysteries, there is no blood or gore, just a dead body or two per episode. The mystery always gets solved, the heroine never gets killed and the bad folks are generally captured alive! Most of the time, there is, yet again, a closing kiss.
The acting is good, maybe not Oscar or Emmy Award winning, but okay.
They are entertaining. I'm a fan.

Dear Lord. We are impatient.
We need to have Faith. You are our Constant, our Hope in time of trouble.

The Early Years

After nearly seven years, at the same Harry Potter desk (it's located under a staircase), I have enough material to write a really long, and very detailed book about working in a retirement community.
One of the first chapters, will be recounting the particularly quirky mishaps, that occurred when we opened this remarkably beautiful building.
First of all, no one in our area had seen such a stunning building, built for the specific use of our older population. Everyone who entered kept remarking how gorgeous and classy everything looked. We were very proud.
However, there were a few glitches. We had opened the building without a finished kitchen.And in order to meet the dietary needs of our residents, our chef prepared breakfast and lunch for them every day. In the evening, food was carried in, from area restaurants. The restaurant of choice was the Corner Cafe, a local comfort-food place. I became a regular, with my pick-up orders. The cafe staff began to call me by name, and I became the "chuck-wagon" lady, to our residents.
At the same time, several parts of the building were still getting their finishing touches. While sitting at the main floor reception desk, one morning, I heard a burst of profanity and a loud bang, from the floor above. I looked upward, just in time, to see the light fixture above my head start to fill with water. Thinking that the possibility of electrocution was imminent, I hesitated only a moment, jumped up and away from the floating puddle and switched off the light. Immediately, the plastic fixture came loose from the ceiling and what seemed like a bathtub amount of water, dumped on my formerly occupied chair.
I escaped harm. A workman had accidentally broken the water pipe, that fed the Jacuzzi tub, in the 2nd floor, work-out room. He was fine, we mopped up a lot of water and we all had a great story to tell.
It was proving to be a job of a lifetime!

God is good. We are blessed.

"Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you.".......

Day thirteen of Nancy working at home, and in spite of the what I initially thought (I was horrified at the idea of not physically being parked behind my desk, from 8-4:30, every work day), I am reaping some real positives from the experience.
For instance: Since I have been asked to call each resident every day, Saturdays and Sundays, included, I'm honestly getting to know each and every one of them.Yesterday, I learned that one of our newest residents was from the same home town area as my father's family. I can't wait to find out if we have some similar experiences. I have discovered that some of our folks need a little encouragement, and quite a few residents need specific information every day. I'm happy to share what I know, with them. They are telling me what is making them happy and what is making them sad.  I am finding that I really enjoying my one-on-one conversations, with everyone of our residents. When I am talking to them, these days, on the phone, we are not being interrupted by other residents or by the constant incoming calls, from my desk phone.
Now, that is not to say that I am hoping that this particular distancing program continues for a long time. I hope it ends ASAP. But, until them.......Good morning! This is Nancy......

Great God. You are in change. We know that. Give us patience. Help us recognize that our sacrifices are nothing compared to that of many others. We honor your Holy Name.

What are you thinking?

Frankly, I just do not know where to start with this Corona Virus Pandemic. So far, I have determined that folks can be divided into possibly three categories, in their efforts to deal with the ongoing and seemingly worsening problem.

1. Those who joke about the issue. Example: What goes good with Corona Virus?.... Lyme Disease.
    (Certainly,  not a very realistic way to approach the serious of this issue.)

2.  Those who are visibly angry at everyone and everything, which means that their "best laid plans" are being altered !(Oh My Golly, the world is coming to an end. BINGO is cancelled, and the President...or Nancy, is to blame..)

3. Those who are immobilized by fear and worry. (as in, "The sky is falling or, we are all going to die, tomorrow!)

It seems to me that we should find some middle ground here. 
Yes, I believe we should be taking some precautions. Cleanliness, just like mom said, is truly next to Godliness. We have known, for decades, that germs and viruses are spread by human contact! So wash your hands and don't cough and sneeze on folks!
We are not all going to die from this virus. Most people, who actually get it, are recovering. It is not the end of the world. Relax, and don't go out and buy up every package of toilet paper you see!
Worrying, and this is a loose Biblical quote, "won't help you one little bit or give you one extra minute of time, here on Earth. Look outside your little selfish sphere, because maybe there is something you could be doing to help one of your neighbors!
This too shall pass.
God is Good.
Praise the Lord.

Miss Goody Goody

I really have tried to be a law abiding citizen, all my life. But, frankly, I am now questioning why I should have bothered.
Every time I look in the paper, or on line, I find that law breakers, convicted criminals and general scofflaws are being pardoned, forgiven and lauded for their crimes.
Case in point. Our brand new, millennial mayor, has just pardoned all non-violent marijuana criminals, in the city. If I am not mistaken, smoking and selling weed is still against several laws.
And, my husband and I had student loans. We paid them back, with interest. That's what a "loan" is. It is not a grant or gift! We now have folks, several of whom want to be president, that want to forgive ALL student loans.
Once upon a time, vagrancy was a crime. Now anyone can just pitch a tent on the streets, of many major cities in the U.S., and use the street for a potty..........and get away with it. It's even encouraged in some places.
Although I do think about it, I'm just too old to become a bad girl! It isn't likely that I will change my morals at this stage of the game. I will keep returning my library books on time, driving under the speed limit and obeying traffic signals. I won't be smoking pot, anytime soon. And, I'm going to keep paying my bills.

Dear God. As your children, we know right from wrong. Help us to be good examples to others, who may be a bit confused.

I Quit.........

I heard a new phrase, the other day, that was used in relation to a young couple and their large extended family. It was quoted widely in all forms of news media. It seems that the pair was "going to step away from their family duties and responsibilities".
Of course, there have been times when I have wanted to "step away", from my family, so I can understand their problem. However, I have found that it's not so easy. Someone needs to kindly explain, to the couple, that the issues they don't want to deal with, will continue, no matter what they say or do.
To paraphrase the famous philosopher, Popeye, "We are who we are and that's all that we are." We are a product of generations of family! Now, I do understand that some families are toxic, but "stepping away" is not an option, at least for most of us.
I wish the young couple good luck. I heard that they are going to "step away" by going across the Atlantic, to Canada. However, the last I heard, Canada was still a Commonwealth Nation, and definitely not isolated from the rest of the world. Someone is bound to recognize them!

Dear God, You know who we are. You know that we are not in control of our life journey. We know that You are our refuge, our strength and our salvation. Through You, and only through You, are we able to live life to the fullest.

Put Me In Coach.

There are times when life throws you a curve ball or two. It happens to all of us. And, of course, curve balls are always hard to catch and to hit. Life has been pitching me nothing but curves.
During the last couple of weeks, I have felt like I have been stuck on the Little League bleacher bench of life, waiting for the last out, of the ninth inning. I won't bother you with the details, so just believe me when I write that the score, of this particular game, has been way, way lopsided. And, not in my favor.
I do not know what sustains you, but Faith is my big fat catcher's mitt. Faith, I believe, is trusting that God will see me through, wherever the ball gets thrown.
So, I'm still in the game, for now. I know that God is ever-present and that things are bound to get better. I'm anticipating a relief pitcher, with a whole new bunch of junk. And soon, I will be able to hit one out of the park.
Hand me the bat!


Dear God, you are our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

The world is suddenly all excited about the 5G technology. It's faster than anything we have ever known! It is touted to be capable of everything you would ever want to do, on the net or on your phone. It can probably leap tall buildings in a single bound!
However, it hasn't been all that long ago, that the same folks were excited about 2G, then 3G, then 4G. I'm confused.
G, apparently, stands for Generation. So, 5G is the fifth generation in modern technology.
I can't explain 5G any more than that. But, I am far from being tech savvy. Ask anyone about my computer skills.  Believe me, when I say they are not great. If it were not for the help of my young, work-daughter, I would be using a pen and paper to write .......and adding in my head!
I am sort of proud of the fact, that I don't have a cell phone. I had a smart phone, once, but it proved to be much smarter than yours truly! So, I gave it up, in frustration.
I do appreciate modern technology. But in my heart, I would rather we spend more of God's time,  finding cures for devastating medical conditions and seeking world peace.

Dear Lord. You are our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

It's Not Easy Being Mean.

Sometimes, especially lately, it seems we are living in a world, populated with meanies. I don't know about you, but I am tired of mean people. I don't like being around them.
Turn on the TV, and almost every channel has someone being mean.....mean to a spouse, mean to a friend or relative, mean to a political opponent, mean to animals, mean, mean, mean!  It's as if we, as a culture, have decided that if we can't say something nice to someone, we need to say something devastating!
And, don't you know, it's a whole lot harder to be mean, than to be kind or even civil to one another. It's so easy to say please, thank you and have a nice day. So, why aren't we doing it?
Have you even known a truly happy mean person? Are you thinking about it? Then, probably not.
It's your choice.
Please, choose to be nice and kind. Others will appreciate you and you will be much happier for your choice.

Dear Lord. Why do we say that we want to be more like You, and then we do or say something mean? That's not like You, at all. Help us to truly be more Christlike.

It's all relative.

At work, most residents perceive that I am "the" problem solver. In reality, I cannot solve their problems, I merely have the ability to contact, any number of folks, who may be able to come up with a solution to certain issues. And, after six years of hearing about plumbing problems, I have reached a few conclusions:         

• The amount of water that is held in the bowl of a toilet or in a toilet tank, for that matter, is relative to the amount that one thinks should be in there.
• The rate at which a sink drains is relative to the speed that a person expects it to drain (and who stands around watching a sink drain, anyway?).   
• Proper water temperature and water pressure is relative to the temperature and force desired by each and every individual using that particular faucet. 

Now, those are my observations and conclusions. I mostly keep them to myself, and when confronted with any issues involving plumbing, I do my job. I send for a maintenance person to remedy the situation.........perceived, relative or real.

Dear God. We all have problems....or think that we do. Help us to put our issues in perspective. We praise your Holy Name.

"There was a farmer had a dog......."

The inhabitants of our facility love to have fun. They've worked hard all of their lives, and at 85 or 90 plus, they've earned some fun time. Our Activity Director plans great trips and on-site events which keep the folks busy, each and every day.
It should come as a surprise to no one, that the game of BINGO, is a favorite pastime of many of our residents. Almost everyone can play BINGO. Regardless of any physical or mental impairment, it's a lot of fun and it's the most popular "in house" activity we stage. The stakes aren't high, just one quarter per card, so maybe it just might be the excitement of a possible win, that keeps the folks coming back.
It's great entertainment to watch the proceedings of senior gaming. Every word and every number has to be repeated, numerous times. Players are quick to help each other, and occasionally tempers flare. But, the thing that amuses me most, is seeing the walkers lined up, next to the door of the BINGO room. During BINGO time, our retirement community resembles streets at the annual Motorcycle Rally, in Sturgis, South Dakota. The hallway, outside our BINGO room, looks just like a Biker Bar. The only thing missing, from the picture (and this is a good thing), is the bikers' leather clothing! No one needs to even imagine 80 and 90 year-olds, in tight leather pants!

Dear Lord. I know that we make You laugh. In all that we do, let us always remember who we are and whose we are. You are our Hope.

"You gotta have hope. Miles and miles and miles of hope."

More often than not, coincidences in my life, turn out to be God Things. For instance.....my last blog of 2019, ended with the word "hope". This morning, my longtime friend confided in me that the word "hope" was going to be the key word for 2020. Later, my devotional reading for the day was all about choosing to be "hopeful".
A few years ago, the word "choice" was the ultimate buzzword, in public education. Teachers were all about allowing children to make good choices and to encouraging them to make decisions on their own. As a substitute educator, I always tried to mimic the behavior of the regular teachers. That was until, one little fellow told me that he was "choosing not to do his math today". Stunned, I replied something like, well how about making a choice between doing your math or going to see the Principal. I think he chose the math!
I do think that being hopeful in 2020, is a choice. And, being hope-filled is what our God wants us to choose.

Dear Lord, we know that we can choose to have hope or to wallow in despair. Life invariably becomes a series of unplanned events, but if we live with the certainty that You are always with us and loving us, how can we help but be hopeful? We praise you Holy Name.