He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:1

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Summer Funnies

Cousins at the beach  2008


  I seem to have an affinity to being down and out for the summer.  Here I am, one month into summer, with a list a mile long of projects, church happenings, fun with my grandkids on school vacation, lunches with my teacher friends on summer break and I am stuck on the couch with this MUSCLE thing...  Doing too much with my very wimpy body gets me in trouble every time.

  Two years ago, just before our last big family trip to FL for a sisters and their families reunion....I got a wild hair to dig in my flower gardens and get them organized for the summer.  After a long year at school with many many more "tasks" (extra car duty, lunch duty, early bus duty, more playground duty, afternoon bus duty) my knees were already bothering me.  Stomping on that shovel in hard dry dirt left me with a brace on my right leg from my upper thigh to my ankle.  It was much like this back injury as I couldn't move without help, and the only thing I could do was lay on the couch--for weeks.  My dear and good good friend brought me her crutches and her husband sawed off the bottoms to fit my very short stature.  I was headed for Florida!  No stress fractures on my tibia bone would stop me from that trip!

 I was laying here today thinking about that trip (comparing notes to this miserable confinement) and I remembered ONE funny story that happened to me while we were on this WELL PLANNED trip with two of my sisters and their families.

   Anita, my big sis, lives in Florida.  She and her husband own a darling beach cottage close to where we rented.  She and I knew we needed groceries for our family cookout, so she came and picked me up.  We headed to the nearest Publix, crutches, list and sun glasses in tow.  I hobbled into the grocery store and spotted the handicap scooters they so wonderfully have provided at grocery stores now.

 "Anita, I'll just ride this and you can put the groceries in this basket.  Okay?"

Anita is VERY expressive in her manner of talking.  "You AREN'T going to ride THAT are you?"  she said with her eyes as big as the hot Florida sun.  (A quick note about Anita.  She is darling, cute, perky, looks twenty years younger than her age, and always looks like she stepped off the page of a fashion magazine~figure and all).  She was a little intimidated by her little sis riding a handicap vehicle.

I just laughed and got on it.  "Here, Anita, you'll have to carry my crutch."  I handed it to her, and off I went about twenty miles an hour down the produce aisle.


I was looking over the lettuce selections, and here comes Anita,  not looking particularly thrilled. She had her arm shoved between the bars of the crutch like a purse.  I almost fell off the scooter, laughing!  She went her way, and I went mine to find the ingredients we needed for homemade ice cream.

I was getting pretty happy driving this new toy, wishing I had one at home.  It was fun!  You push the lever forward, and the scooter goes forward.  You pull it back, and it backs up! (Not a good move in the grocery store, I might add).  I was really getting the hang of it and was testing it out to see how fast it would go.  I would holler at Anita if she wasn't in site, and she would come running.  It was turning out to be a FUN trip!  I mastered doing wheelies in the extra wide cereal aisle.

I needed something more for pain, so those of you who shop Publix know the last aisle next to the cheese and yogurt is where they have vitamins, and I THOUGHT the pain medicines.  NOT.  So off I go toward the front of the store.  A little lady and her tiny little elderly husband was sort of in my way, but I had gotten pretty good at driving this thing, so I thought I could make it.  WELL.  Not quite.

There was this display of "Pirates of the Caribbean" dishes for kids sitting just a few inches TOO FAR out in the isle.  I was truly trying to miss it, or at least not hit this little old lady---CRASH.

I ran into the display and all the hard plastic dishes came THUNDERING down and rolling all over the newly polished black and white checkered floor.  I managed to stop the cart, but it hung up on the cardboard display.  Oh me.  What to do now???  I looked at the little old man and said "If I move back it will fall over.  If I move forward it will knock all the Ester-C and Cod Liver Oil off in the floor."

He looked rather bewildered.

Then he walked a little closer and said, "Go for it, sweetie.  It couldn't be much worse!"

I backed that baby up and the rest of the display came tumbling down.  I heard Anita (SEVERAL aisles over, I need to say)  "OH ME.  She wrecked that thing!"

Don't have a clue why.
Making memories


Thursday, June 24, 2010

Down for the count

   I must say that laying on the couch for four days has its downfall.  No T.V. worth watching.  Limited books in the house to read.......    I admit it.  I am bored.  So, I  resorted to working on the long overdue blog that I have just not had time to finish.  I published a blog (My Favorite Things) a little while ago. I had been working on it since we returned from out beach vacation.  More on that in another blog.

 Monday I had a senior moment. Well, not really a SENIOR moment, but a painful moment.  My back has been bothering me for about six weeks, but I tried very hard to ignore it.  NOT SMART.  I even broke down and bought myself a seven pound battery operated weed eater.  Oh me.  I am not used to weed eating-  so any swinging motion even with something light wasn't exactly a smart thing to do.  A forty-five minute session with it Monday did me in!

So, Mr. G. had to rescue me while I was helping cook for our Mission Team at our pastor's house.  I could hardly walk to the car, and getting IN the car was a nightmare.  Getting out was even worse.  Once I was on the couch, there was no moving.  I could not lift my trunk to move over, up or any other position.

I have developed claustrophobia in my middle years, so this was a BIG deal.  I had visions of never moving again.  I really didn't know exactly what was wrong, but by Wed. morning, I was moving a little bit, and able to get back in the car to the doc.  X-rays showed no disk problems, so my dear doctor is pretty sure it is a bad pulled muscle.  Steroid shot, steroids by mouth, muscle relaxers and a week on the couch is the prescriptions he gave me.  YEK.

I won't go into all the gory details that this has entailed, but it has not been pretty.  I had to have help doing EVERYTHING.  Poor Mr. G.  He's been a trouper.  I had a few meltdowns, where tears were mixed with uncontrolable laughter at the situation. Today I am so much better, but afraid to do anything other than walk to the kitchen, bathroom, etc.  I don't dare lean over and pick anything up!  So, I would show you the mess here, but I will just let you use your imagination and spare you of ugly clutter, unfolded laundry, and meds, tums, phones, remotes, magazine, etc. EVERYWHERE within my reach.......  I wouldn't want anyone to suffer one of those horror screaming moments ':O

So, all your prayers would be appreciated!  I AM much much better,  but I don't want to face the summer without finishing my projects, and I don't want to be in this shape again.  I think walking and swimming will have to be added to my schedule to strengthen my back and get my sorry body in shape.  Hopefully I can shed some of this unwanted weight........ Beach pictures of yourself sure do OPEN YOUR EYES, don't they?
I won't be sharing those with you either ':O

I can't for the life of me think of a picture to go with this blog???
SO, I'll just put this cute pic of the kids and grandkids and a great shot of them at the Destin Harbor last summer after the Pirate Cruise.  They had a blast!  Argggh......... matey!

Cousin love!
Arrrggh matey!

My Favorite Things

Grandkids at the beach :)

I have noticed that some of my favorite BLOGGERS have lists of their favorite THINGS.  That seems a little trite, but I love reading them!  You can get to know someone better by knowing what they like.

So, this will be a list of SOME of my favorite things:

Ansley at Seaside
my grandchildren

the smell of coffee brewing in the morning
Gardenias on my patio

Millie at Destin Beach

great Scripture verses that speaks to me, specifically

old black and white movies (especially from the 40's and 50's)

great bread  (Macaroni Grill has some of the best :)

patio flowers
a great read without vulgarity

homemade desserts

Travis Cottrell's praise and worship music

Ansley/beautiful beach!
David Austen pink roses

white rooms

old linens with monograms

good T.V. shows

political thrillers where the good guys win (movies or novels)

great children's books to read to my grandkids

art that inspires--

Noah
respectful children

dogs

teddy bears

seeing the downtrodden overcome their circumstances

witnessing talented people give the glory to God


hydrangeas

Addison and Bit

Seaside, FL
Baby smiles

Making cookies

Bauer and Kiefer

Muffy Vanderbear
lilacs




white dishes

a house in the evening lit up with soft lights

lightning bugs

Grandkids
snow
  

Addison having fun at the beach  :)









Tuesday, June 8, 2010


Ansley, our first grandchild.

When Ansley was born, we all said she was the prettiest baby we had ever seen.  I know every grandmother thinks their grandchildren are the prettiest, smartest, most adorable, and I am right up there with them!
The first time I held her, I thought heaven had just descended upon me.  


With her dark eyes, dark hair and almond coloring, she looked like a little China doll.  Holly had decorated her nursery in little Asian girls, so it was very fitting that she look rather international!!

                                                                            
  Ansley always has a smile on her face.  She was making jokes as soon as she learned to talk, which was very early.  She has a sense of humor like an adult!  Ansley was the first grandchild for both grandparents.  It is a huge understatement that she had lots of attention!
      When Ansley turned one, all of her great-grandparents came to her first birthday party!  She has been blessed to have so many to love her and pray for her.


I was giving little Ansley a bath when she was barely talking, and told her it was time to get out.  She had been playing in the tub until her fingers and toes were shriveled up!  She shocked me when she said  "Not yet!".  That became her most favorite phrase.  Not Yet! Not Yet!



Not yet, Nonnie!










    Ansely comes from a long line of strong Christians with deep faith in Jesus Christ.  Ansley was baptized last summer in a nearby lake, by her daddy, David, and her pastor, Mark.  We so rejoiced in this most important step in her life.

     Ansely finished her kindergarten year at school just a couple of weeks ago!  My how time flys.

                                Ansley Rae, I love you so much!  I am so proud of you.