Fun Stuff

While I was on my so called "sabbatical" last week, my blogger friend Julie gave me this neat award. Thank you Julie! I've never received a blogger award before. It was a fun surprise.

Also, my friend Serah tagged me. I've never been tagged before either. So for fun, I'm going to keep up the tag. Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your entry.

5. Let the six people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

So, here are six things about me:

1. I hate sitting in a restaurant, or any other place where there are large objects hanging over my head. Objects like chandeliers, TVs mounted from the ceiling or wall, etc. I have this fear about the object falling and smushing me.

2. I drive too fast. Yes, I have a need for speed. I'm not a reckless driver, but I have a problem keeping it at 55.

3. I got a new digital camera for Christmas, a Canon S5IS, and I still haven't taken it out of the box.

4. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic. You wouldn't know that now seein' as how I haven't even looked at my new camera. Shame on me...

5. I have about 7 specialty certifications in scuba diving. I use to love to dive, but haven't been in a few years now.

6. I love to hike in the woods in the winter time. Something about the cold air, the crunch under my shoes, the look of the bare trees. I love the woods and the mountains in winter. And I don't understand that because I don't even like the winter season.

I'm tagging:

Jennifer

Cathy

Julie

Jen

Kathi

Shelly

Just Playin' Around

Pardon moi, while I test something. I'm trying to learn to put a link with a name, or series of words. You techno types know what I mean. That sweet Serah at www.honeysuckleandcupcakes.blogspot.com (in case my link on her name doesn't work) told me how. But I posted this morning, a nice long post, with links, and it didn't work. So I'm sure I have a learning curve or something... Anyway...this is a test of the emergency broadcast blogger...

I hope a couple of my fellow bloggers don't mind if I used them as guinea pigs.

Kathi

Jennifer

Be Still and Know

I spent last week on a "sabbatical" of sorts. If a sabbatical can be as short as a week. But I spent zero time on the computer, zero time on my job, zero time on the phone, practically zero time watching tv, except maybe a little bit on a couple of evenings. Instead, I spent a lot of time in reflection, and prayer and study, seeking God for a major decision that I've been facing. This decision has the potential to change my life, as well as affect the lives of my family. In many ways, I've known the road to take, but I think because it was such a huge life change for me, I wasn't quite trusting God completely on what He was leading me to. I have trust issues. Trust issues with those I love the most, and I think just people in general. And, trust issues with God. I didn't know that until last week, and God graciously revealed that to me, through his word, his voice, and using a sweet friend, who I think has no idea, at least no idea just yet. But I'll tell her.

Sometimes when we get ready to step off into the deep, into the unknown, its an extremely frightening thing. We become so comfortable with what our lives are, and the things we know, that we can touch and feel and see, and perhaps even the idols we have made. Sometimes when God calls us to something so very different, so out of character for us, its easy for us to question Him. "Are you sure about this God? I mean, it looks kind of risky to me." Honestly, I think God must love me alot, to endure all my "are you sure's." Sometimes I think he probably just shakes his head at me and thinks, "Child, look what I've brought you through. Are you saying you can't trust me in this particular "thing?"

So my life is taking a different path, one thats huge for me, and scary. Not scary in a bad sort of way, but scary in an exciting, new adventure kind of way. Yes, thats Him, the God of new adventures. And I'm so glad I can trust Him, even in the deep, even in the unknown.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psm 143:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:5-6

Random Thoughts of Spring

So, I changed my "look" today on my blog, new picture, new colors.

Azaleas are on my mind, probably because the azaleas in my garden and around my house are just beginning to bud. I think in the next week or so I'll have lots of pink and white around my house. Azaleas are one of my favorite signs of spring. I just wish the flowers lasted longer than a couple of weeks. The picture on my blog header is of azaleas in bloom on a wrought iron gate in Savannah. I love Savannah, especially in the spring.



I'm also eagerly awaiting the bloom of the wisteria and jasmine. There are only a few things as sweet to me as the smell of wisteria in bloom in the spring. I love the big grape like clusters, and the soft sweet scent. I always know that summer is just around the corner when the wisteria blooms.

Wisteria and jasmine should be the scents of the south. I'm looking forward to the bloom of jasmine too, on the lattice of our deck. Dear hubby has to cut that wild thing back every year, its a giant. But the scent of jasmine on a soft summer night's breeze is like nothing else in the world. The sweet scent of jasmine evokes memories in me like few things do. What is it they say, that smells are the strongest memory recallers, or something like that? Jasmine on a soft summer night takes me back to my childhood like a fast train back in time. Once again I'm a little girl, in my great grandmother's yard in Savannah, feeling the steamy warmth, still lingering at nightfall, from the heat of a July afternoon. Or, I'm down on Jekyll Island again, smelling the beautiful flowers from the vines that grew up around the iron rails on the porch entry of the little efficiency we would occupy in the spring. Jasmine smells like home to me.

Today its cool and rainy, feels almost like February instead of April. But we're thankful for the April showers. We've been in such a bad drought for so long. The rain will help, although we could use a lot more. When I look outside my window on a gloomy wet day like today, its nice to be able to anticipate the "springy" things to come. Its poppin' out all over!

Happy Spring y'all!

Book Reviews

Gosh, I haven't posted in a while....

So, in the last month or so, I've read three books. Here are my reviews, in the order in which they were read.

Deep Dish, by Mary Kay Andrews: I like Mary Kay Andrews writing. I loved Savannah Blues and Savannah Breeze. Weezie Foley is one of my all time favorite characters. I also loved Hissy Fit. Her characters have endeared themselves to me, and I've found her main female characters sassy and fun. Deep Dish was different for me. I still found it to be a pretty good book, and I loved the male character, Tate Moody. There was one thing that bothered me in the book and it was the very frequent use of the F word. Now, I'm not all that bothered by the occasional use of the F word in literature, and have myself been known to sling a few cuss words around when provoked to anger. But in Deep Dish, the F word was used constantly. To me the routine use of it, when it added nothing to the story, was overkill. Also, I was bothered by the use of Jesus Christ as slang, and how often it was used in the book. There were a couple of times that I literally cringed at how the name JC was used. I think had the F word and the name of Jesus Christ not been used soooooo much, it would have made it a much better book for me. Aside from that, the story was fun, in Mary Kay's usual crazy way. I enjoyed their travels to coastal Georgia, a place near and dear to my heart. And I found a number of the supporting characters to be colorful and amusing. I give Deep Dish 3 stars out of 5 primarily because of the language.

The Will of Wisteria, by Denise Hildreth: I loved this book! Denise Hildreth is another one of my favorite authors. www.denisehildreth.com She also has trilogy of books, Savannah From Savannah, and the others that follow, about a young woman named Savannah, obviously from Savannah. The Savannah books made me a huge fan of Denise's writing. I highly recommend the Savannah books as well, for fun, and laughter, colored with a bit of faith. The Will of Wisteria is about a family of shallow, selfish, spoiled siblings who have to meet the demands of their deceased father's will in order to inheirit his gazillion dollars. The demands made by the father have the potential to be life changing. Denise takes hard to like people, weaves them into the beauty of the story, and by the end of the book you are in love with them. This was a lovely book set in Charleston SC and I really enjoyed how she wrote about Charleston and the outlying islands. The book will make you laugh and cry. It was nice to read something that wasn't riddled with bad language or graphic sex. In fact this book is uplifting and hopeful. I give The Will of Wisteria 5 stars out of 5.

Sullivan's Island, by Dorothea Benton Frank: I'm not sure but I think this may be DB Frank's first book. But its been around awhile, maybe since about 2000. www.dotfrank.com I had never read any of her books before, and thanks to a recommendation from Jenn over at www.beaufortlookout.blogspot.com I decided to check it out. Jenn is a big fan of DB Frank. And, now it seems that I'm a big fan too. I loved Sullivan's Island and devoured it in just a few days. Like The Will of Wisteria, this book is also set in Charleston and Sullivan's Island SC. Its a wonderful story of a middle aged woman, learning to live with divorce, her memories of childhood, and the special relationships of mother and daughter, and sisters. The characters endeared themselves so much to me. Its hard to pick out which one was most special. The book is filled with such a range of emotions, and events that span the racial tension of the 60s to ringing in the millenium of 2000, and a little bit of magic thrown in too. And, it contains one of the most hilarious sex scenes I've ever read. Not a raunchy graphic sex scene, but a downright funny one. I liked this book so much that I went out and bought it (I had gotten this particular copy from my library) and her next two books as well. Thank you Jenn for the recommendation! I give Sullivan's Island 5 stars out of 5.

Happy Reading!

Look Good...Feel Better

I spent last week with my sister Judy. It was the first time I've seen her since she lost her hair. She's bald...and cute as a button. She looks like a little pixie elf, just like she did when she was a little girl. Its funny because she looks years younger. Judy has these beautiful big brown eyes, a doe's eyes. With her hair away from her face, in her case gone completely, it accentuates her eyes. Bald becomes her.

I am amazed at the grace and bravery that she shows in her battle against ovarian cancer. She has so much determination, and peace about her. Her constant comment is "I can use this as a ministry to others. God has a purpose in this for me." And she did that on Wednesday when we spent the day at the hospital for her third chemo session. Now Judy, being the southern girl that she is, was not about to go off to the hospital, or anywhere else for that matter, without being properly "made up." So we left her house early that morning, looking like we were ready for a shopping spree in Atlanta instead of a day of needles and bags full of chemotherapy. Judy wore this darling blue hat with a cute little flower on the side, it was precious. And a bright blue sweater. Her make up was soft and beautiful. I remember thinking that she literally glowed. How does one glow in the midst of cancer and chemo? She was gorgeous. There was a lady, Camille, that we met that day who was also spending the day in the same room with Judy, getting chemo treatment for breast cancer. Camille was a talker. And, Camille was bald as she could be. After properly making small talk, and chatting about their common issues with cancer and chemo, Camille begins to ask Judy about her makeup, her hat and sweater, and how in the world does she find it in her, in the midst of all her trials, to "fix herself up." Camille said, "I haven't had make up on since I was diagnosed in October." Judy begins to share with Camille about how others will see her as a reflection of cancer, and in doing things that are normal for her, like putting on make up, going to work, etc, she is able to overcome and not be defeated by the cancer. Judy told Camille that God will use people's inquiries and comments as a door for Judy to spread His love and what He has done for her. She began to tell Camille about the Look Good Feel Better program, that works with women who are going through chemo, in doing makeovers, skin care, etc, and how much fun she had at the program when she attended. Not to mention all the cool free make up she received from companies such as Estee Lauder, Lancome, Clinque, Mary Kay, and others. She gave Camille tips on make up and skin care for a cancer patient. Judy complimented Camille on her beautiful clear, creamy complexion, on the bright blue of her eyes, and how to play that up with her make up. By the end of the day, Camille was making plans to attend the next program, and leaving the hospital to go buy new makeup.

Judy's doing well I think. It humbles me that she is so gracious and serene. I want to scream and yell and cry, and beg God to make her well, not to let her die. I want to shake everyone and shout "How can this be happening to her?? WHY is this happening to her?" She is too sweet for this. Why not someone like me, who is not nearly as pure in heart as she is. Yet, I am so proud of her. She is so beautiful, even in the face of cancer. She refuses to be defeated.

I love this verse. Notice how its speaking to a female. God gave me this verse last week while I was at Judy's house. I think it was meant for her.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

I especially love the "that right early." part. He comes before we call. Praise Him.

Look Good...Feel Better http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/

Warriors

I spent the week with my sister Judy last week. She is halfway through her chemo at this point. All indicators are good that the chemo is doing what it is suppose to be doing, as far as the CA125 test is concerned. More about that in my next post...

Right now, I feel urged to write about other observances of my week with Judy. On Wednesday I spent the day with Judy at the hospital for her chemo treatment. The chemo treatment and the other patients I met are another story too, and maybe I'll get there in that later post. But right now I want to write about the "warriors" I encountered. Judy is being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, located in Washington DC. Luckily for Judy, Walter Reed is one of the foremost research facilities for gynocological cancers. We feel blessed that Judy is at one of the best medical facilities in the world, with a team of nationally recognized medical professionals. Judy is not an army gal, but she is an army wife. Thats why she's at Walter Reed. Anyway...I was overwhelmed at some of the sights I saw there last week, soldiers of all ages there for a variety of treatment. I saw young men with war wounds sent home from Iraq. As I waited at the hospital pharmacy to pick up Judy's meds, there was a young couple, he had lost both legs in the fighting in Afganistan. He was a proud young man, with a smile that lit up his entire face. He could not have been more than 25 or 30 years old. His wife stood serenely by his wheelchair, her hand on his shoulder, her kisses tender on the top of his head. They were not much more than children themselves, living in a hard adult world.

I met an older gentleman, Mr. Hails, who was getting his weekly bloodwork for his own cancer treatment, who had spent several years in Korea, during the Korean war. He gave us a history lecture on the Old Soldiers Home in Washington, where he lives. He told us about the Mexican American war, how the Old Soldiers home was built for the wounded soldiers of that war, so they would have a place to live. And, about how Abraham Lincoln had a home on the grounds of the Old Soldiers Home because he felt safe there, and could escape from the pressures of Washington and the Civil War. Mr. Hails was proud to be a historian, and a patriot. He told Judy how pretty she was, and asked her how old she was. He was precious, full of words, and history, and happy to spend an hour with us, chatting with two "younger" ladies.

I was humbled at what I saw at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Men and women, all ages and all colors, from different wars, proud of their service, many of them wore their uniforms, their medals, and their injuries with honor. I winced at those that were not much older than my own sons. Humbled, yes, thats the word, and honored to be among them. I felt like another world had been opened to me, one that up until then, I could only imagine. Often I found myself holding my breath, overwhelmed, and I would have to remind myself to breathe. Later I pondered on the thought that everyone should experience what I experienced on that day, to see the things and the people that I encountered, see determination, pain, pride, and tenderness all in one place. Warriors, yes, every one of them.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx