A Grateful Heart

I had the most delightful Mother's Day last Sunday. I always tell the kids to go have fun. They are moms and dads too! However, they all came over in the afternoon and we had a nice visit. We grilled some hamburgers and hotdogs, made baked beans and indulged in ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Simple and fun. Lindsay and Tyler came by boat and Miles was treated to riding in their boat with Tucker and Palmer. Tyler and Palmer drove them around for a bit and all were happy.

All things that make this mama heart sing with joy. Roses which I have shared with them are an amazing gift even more now that I have no roses in the yard or deck. They however gave me even more clever gifts. Lindsay came across some pink and green "OH so preppy" Adidas tenney shoes which was enough for me to squeal, but then you found me another unique gift. These were given as a unit by all the kids. 

Now, let me tell you about the cool bag. It is called a brailer bag and made in Alaska by a company called Nomar.

Here is part of the description of the bag...

Our Brailer Basket with Handle is the perfect companion for foraging, beachcombing, or collecting whatever other treasures you might find on your outdoor adventures! 

What drew Lindsay to this bag? Well she heard on SmartherNews that the company had made the tote bags for the Artemis II parachutes. Easy to lift them out of the water. You can read about it here.

My kids know me well! I could not have asked for more intriguing or Sandy like gifts. Oh and BTW, the Adidas sneakers are amazing. I forgot how much I liked them and went promptly out to the outlet store and bought me a white and black striped pair. All have been on repeat this week.

 

Here are the boys on the boat.

The weather has been truly amazing lately. I know the heat is on its way, but even today I have been sitting out on the deck in the bright sun and it is such a nice breeze. 

I made it out to the beach this week for one walk...

It was absolutely gorgeous. Not too crowded, a wonderful breeze. I could have just parked myself all day there. 

Next up is a view of one of my other top walking spots. 

The land across is the barrier island but this part is owned by the military so no tall condos. I do love where I live. Even in the heat of summer. 

Palmer graduated from his VPK which I didn't realize was a Florida term. It is preschool. They are expected to go to kindergarten in the fall. Lindsay has always planned to do it twice for Palmer because of his late summer birthday and his small stature. His teacher says he is ready for kindergarten but I don't think Lindsay is going to change her mind. The plan was always for him to attend the one Tucker had attended and Miles will be attending in August and then go to one closer to his house in Destin next year. She would used her voucher from the state for that one. I don't think she is going to change her mind. She would rather him graduate at 18 rather than 17 from high school. 

Let me just say the little stinker had a speaking part (one of 3 kids). He did amazing. He hopped down and knew his part and did it with complete confidence. I almost had my mouth opened.

This was him at home after Tyler got his hair done. Let me just say though that shirt did NOT stay tucked in long and he was quite anxious to get the belt off.

I am going to try and round this post up and come back next week with patriotic season around the house. I got my sampler back from the frame shop. I will tell more about it next week, but I love it!

Close up...

I will share more around the house later this week.

I have begun but have not finished deciding where to put some patriotic touches.

I am going to end with a personal note attached to the next picture...

This was an Instagram post by my church. You can see Paul Allen with Valerie and Miles and Jeff over to the side. This picture represents so much. I don't want to make Paul Allen sound bad, but he was a tougher teenager than I was prepared for. Let's just say the Lord did a work in me and HE needed to as much as did in Paul Allen. He never got into really bad things that would have been hard to make a comeback from like drugs, but for this perfectionist mama he had a lot of "fun" and didn't have a ton of ambition. 

I spent a ton of time in prayer for those years. I even remember thinking if he didn't go to college how was he going to meet a nice girl? How shallow of me!!! I was a first generation college graduate and had a history of alcoholism on one side of my family, so I had set high expectations that he was not meeting. I tell you I prayed a lot, but I also had a point where I realized I needed to work on myself about trusting God. 

Let's just say when I got to the point of surrender that God put on a show for me. Paul Allen doesn't have a college degree, but he has an amazing wife who we love like a daughter and he has 2 of the sweetest littles THAT ADORE HIM. Miles always says he wants to be just like Daddy. 

I write all of this to remind anyone out there to remember God hears out prayers and works in both the parent and the rebellious "Having Fun" child and they do grow up. Keep the faith.

I will try and get my house in order so I can take some pics for next time.

Happy Spring,

Sandy

Baseball, Stitching, Walking and A New Idea

I have been busy as ever. Between the usual things --keeping house, checking on the flowers, keeping Valerie, and seeing about Mama, we have been enjoying the grandsons' baseball season. It is nearing the end next month, but Tucker's season has been especially fun this year. He is playing machine pitch. He was having such a horrible time batting to begin the season. He was a great fielder and earned a 2nd base slot, but hitting was doing him in. One night it just clicked. He really doesn't have a strong arm that gets a really long hit, but he is consistent and rarely misses getting on base. He earned the right to be the lead off hitter. All of that has been fun to watch as he grew in skills and confidence, but the thing that has really warmed my heart is that each boy has gotten better and they have really gelled as a team. The other night one of the last ones that hadn't been able to get that hit did ---and the team and the stands just went wild cheering for him.

This season has also been special because they renovated the old fields which were smaller and more like what I remembered for Paul Allen's days. Palmer and all the littles can play safely at the ball park and they have so much fun. At the other field which belongs to the city and is really about tournament ball for travel teams was a park that made me so nervous with all the traffic around the fields. I was always watching for little ones rather than full engaged in the game. 

I finished my patriotic stitch. I have to get it to the framers over the weekend. It is one that I am not sure fits into prettiest or best, but I love it. It was what I envisioned for my patriotic decor for 2026. I didn't think I really needed a gigantic sampler even thought there were so many beautiful ones. I am pleased with its imperfection. After all it is a sampler!

I have started my next stitch which follows the pattern exactly and should be easy stitching, but it too is an experiment...something different from my normal choices. I will share next time.

Around the yard, my bottlebrush shrubs are just showing out.

Jeff has planted some flowers where I once had my roses. We are experimenting with what will grow in summer heat on the back deck and bring some color. Time will tell.

Now, I know that geranium won't survive there beyond May, but I will move it when I get my angel wing begonia going. I thought I had lost it to the winter, but it is coming back. I did take some cuttings before winter started and brought them in so I would not have to move any big heavy pots around. That is getting harder for me these days.

Here are some closeups. I didn't really advise him on what to pair with what so one is fuller than the other.

Loving that purple verbena.

I also have fallen in love with marigolds which he has planted in the same pots as his tomatoes. 

He has tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and cilantro planted.

And the hostas are very happy in their new pots. Happiness in a pot!!!

We made it to Auburn last weekend to see the new flooring. LOVE it!

I was ecstatic to see it. It is beautiful. It is darker than the downstairs but they did such a good job tying it in along the stairs

It looks amazing with this bedroom which I totally love.

I think there is a wee bit too much brown in this bedroom, but the bedding helps. I may change out the artwork and lamp shades with stuff I have. Not planning on painting the wall. I will just have to shop the closets here.

I have been changing things up. I told you sometime last year about my latest brainstorm for strength training. I tried as hard as I have ever tried something. I was faithful, BUT exhausted from it. I tried to change it up...lighter weights, less reps, etc. Somewhere down the road I just realized with the pace I am keeping with this house, doctor appointments for one, the stress from Jeff and Mama and keeping Valerie that my plan had passed this 65 year old woman by. 

I then tried the rebounder which I think could be great, but doggone it - it hurt my hip joints. I finally realized that wasn't going to work. 

I have gone back to a similar plan as I had in my 30's and 40's after work. I used to walk/jog after work each week day. No dog, just straight up walking for stress relief and exercise. I walk in the neighborhood a couple of times a day with Valerie in the stroller and Gus on a leash but that is not the kind of walking I need. I am now going every afternoon/evening for a rather long walk (no jogging) outside of my neighborhood so I don't get stopped at every house to talk and without Gus. It is working. It is good for time alone to pray and let all my frustrations out and good for exercise. It is not hurting me and I have come to realize at my age and stage of life it is all I have in me, but it is proving to be beneficial.

For about 3 years now, I just sort of swore off any kind of Bible study or Christian women's book. One day I woke up and just felt like much of was a business and the same authors seemed to be on a schedule to write write write. I don't know why that hit me like that, but it did and for the last 2.5 years I have only read the Bible and anything I was doing specifically for church.

A new lady in our small group brought up a study series which I have seen before and almost bought many times. Anywho, she had no idea when she was telling me about some of them that I was dealing with the issues I am, nor did I even tell her. I decided to order a couple of them and give them a try. They arrived this week. One was on rest and the other on anxiety.

I decided to start with anxiety. I opened up and this line says it all as to the why-

"But for others, anxiety is a new and unexpected part of life - something to manage and try to keep under control."

That is me- this is new and unexpected. I would never describe myself as anxious AND if I am honest I don't think I am going to read anything I don't know or haven't said to a friend who suffers from real anxiety or even to my daughter, 

BUT

I have been hit hard the past couple of years. It has weighted me down, the unknowns, the watching people go downhill physically and so forth. 

I have decided in the first week of this study that I may need to read all of these things that I know to BE REMINDED of them. To remind myself He is sovereign, He does watch over me, that He knows my fears and He cares. I think the daily reads will actually be good for me. 

The study is "It is Well, Walking Away from Anxiety and Into God's Word" by The Daily Grace Co.

Like I said, I don't think I am going to come across a new idea or verse I don't know, but a study to walk me though these times with prayer should be good for me.

April is cruising by and I am loving the spring like days. There have been some cool mornings, but no snow. My goodness, Old Man Winter has been throwing out some wrath this year. Spring is here though. All good.

Sandy

12 Years of Change and Growth

 It has been 12 years since I began this online journal. March 22, 2014 found me looking at retiring from teaching in a few months. I had spent 31 years teaching and quite honestly that had been my predominant hobby. From March to June that year I was juggling a lot of plates; winding down from managing a large DoD grant for 5 elementary schools, recovering after planning a wedding for my daughter, and spending my weekends and some weekdays traveling and taking care of my stepdad who would die of cancer that May and helping Mama with all which that entailed. ---I seem to never garner the quiet life!

Funny though when you read any of those months' posts you would not know any of that.

Those months were busy but I was so hopeful for what was to come. I was scheming of things to come post teaching.

As I was thinking about this anniversary, I decided to stroll down memory lane and look at all the posts from the first year of blogging. LIFE AND my focus in so many areas has changed. 

I mean really changed.

This post is going to be a little like those first posts. A reflection and some forward dreams too.

One of the most notable changes from the first year of blogging was the length of a post. I don't know when I decided to start writing such long posts. My guess is when life got so busy I could not blog often. I had recently decided I wasn't even going to try and write anything other than a monthly post. This stroll down memory lane has me thinking on that. By the way, this one is going to be long:)

The biggest life changing thing that we will get out of the way first is the Parkinson's diagnosis for Jeff. That came in September 2023 after I had worked hard to get Jeff to go to the doctor for what I had already self diagnosed. This was also the summer when Mama fell and I had to sell her home and move her to senior living. 

I spent that Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2023 doing 2 things which may seem at odds with each other. I realized life was going to change and that I would not be able to keep up...

Less decorating and more purging went through the set up for those holidays, BUT at the same time I realized how important those holidays were and my role in them. As a family, we were in shock and as the Mother Bear I needed to BE was a Mama Bear willing to lead the family.

Parkinson's entering our life alone may me want to quit blogging. I don't think God wanted that because trust me HE and I had lots of conversations about it!!! Have you ever experienced a rough patch and needed encouragement from those who have walked that road? I have felt Him whispering to me that very thing and I am going to be completely honest I have told Him - "I don't want to be that spokesperson."

Also throw in a little bladder cancer for him last April...yep, it has been a tough time.

I am still here ---so we will see ---

You see that title - change and growth. Not always fun, but they are part of life and our faith journey. He walks with me and He talks with me and tells me I am His own. And yes, there is JOY there. If you know the song ----

The other hard thing that we will get through and move on to the more interesting changes is -Mother. Mother was always so strong when I was growing up. My dad died young and she raised me well. However, in May of 2014 when my stepdad passed away, she just couldn't be strong anymore. One thing I had not put into my dreams about retirement was being in charge of so many things for her. She did her part for me, so now I reciprocate. She turned 91 yesterday. She has had some really good days since Thanksgiving. She does get very winded with any exertion now, but like I said, she has been doing well. I realize it could change anytime. I have had to do so much more than I realized I would be doing. It is very tiring, but it is a necessity and one I won't be sorry I did.

 NOW, let's move on to some lighter topics!!!

I have loved roses since I was in the 8th grade. I babysat for a couple that lived across the street from us and the man grew roses. He had a whole row on them down one side of his home. Think morning sun and richer soil in south Alabama than coastal sand. I always wanted to grow them. In the early 2000's just before we moved in our current house I had planted some at our old house. I was having fun with them and then we decided to move. 

As soon as I retired I set out to plant roses. Oh my goodness, what I didn't know was how hard they would be to grow in my environment. I was stubborn and never considered some varieties that might have worked here. I kept pursuing those that I had loved so many years ago. 

Change and growth with the growing of roses. I have decided I am truly tired of the struggle. Some years ago, I gave up trying to grow them in the ground in our sand. I changed out our beds and now those same beds that left roses with no leaves by July are lush and bring so much joy to me. Bottlebrush, day lilies, and amaryllis are much more fun to walk out and see than roses that aren't happy. I have 3 left in pots but they aren't happy and I am truly ready to give that struggle up and maybe just buy me some every now and then to enjoy.

While I am on the topic of growing things which I do love, I got over a house full of plants inside. Mostly because I got a good case of fungus gnats in my kitchen. Out went all of my houseplants except one and guess what I haven't missed them once! That surprised me. I kind of like the look of less clutter. I had way too many!!!

Sewing is next. Strolling through that first year of posts, I realized I did sew a good bit. I really thought that was something I wanted to do, but I really really didn't enjoy said sewing. I came to realize knowing how to do something and it being your hobby are really 2 different things. My mom was the seamstress and was amazing at it. I do a wee bit, but it is not something I am running in my little room to do. 

Oh and that room, the gift from Jeff that Lindsay is responsible for getting off the ground. I LOVE that room even if I don't sew as much as I thought I would. It is MY little space. 

Stitching was definitely on my mind. I had taken a break from it due to teaching and life being too busy for a season, but I was scheming in March of 2014. I had no idea how much the stitching world had changed, but I soon met many of you who inspired me and taught me all the new. It along with reading are 2 of my favorite things to do and keep me sane with all the growth and change going on in life.

Reading is one of those things that hasn't changed. I still love reading the same things...lots of nonfiction and happy fiction. Although, I read all types of things. I love learning. I will say I am very annoyed with publishers these days, as I see an agenda being added to all new releases that I don't approve of or agree with. I guess I am going to have to go back and read oldies but Goldies. 

Lots of decluttering and organizing have taken place in the last 12 years. I spent the first 6 months painting some rooms and finishing up that layer of my home. The one thing that the first year brought to light is that I broke ALL of MY OWN RULES for decorating that year. The stuff I bought to put in my home and blog about makes me shudder these days. Almost all of it ended up at Goodwill. I came back to myself after that first year. 

One thing I didn't have on my radar  was the growing family which has been my greatest gift. To keep the 4 munchkins that God has gifted me called GRANDchilren has been truly the most wonderful unexpected GIFT. He truly knows best!

I will be back later with updates on those grandchildren, my stitching, my gardens and so much more, but this post has been rolling around in the noggin for the past 2 weeks.

There are more chapters to write, more beach strolls, more flowers, more family moments, more stitches AND just more life.

Looking forward,

SANDY

P.S. What is a spring post without an azalea picture?

February 22, 2026 A. D.

 I finished stitching my patritoic stitch. 

The pattern was purchased on Etsy. It is called "Let Freedom Ring" by Needle Treasures Nook. I plan to make it into a pillow but have procrastinated a bit on that. After all, I have until end of May, right?

I want to add something else to commemorate America's 250th birthday. I have several patriotic small pieces and love them all. I usually put them out around the house the week of Memorial Day and leave up until the second week of July which just so happens to coincide with the home show for the Blue Angels in Pensacola. We haven't been in the last couple years, but we may try to fit in it this summer. It has always been one of my favorite summertime activities. 

My conundrum on what to stitch for the America 250 has been - do I stitch some more smalls and make a little basket or something to display (at which I am horrible at doing that display thingie) or do I stitch a sampler type thing???  Now, here is my thinking. I love a ton of the samplers that I have seen and really really like, BUT would I actually hang that in my house or on the sampler wall in Auburn? I am on the fence and haven't preordered. All of these new patterns are coming out the first week of March. All that thinking on the patterns I have seen come out are being filtered through that lens. 

In the meantime, I did pull out 2 stitches that I had started or wanted to get done this calendar year. You may remember I stitched the 2 bells and messed one of them up while trying to finish it into the bell. I am going to try and finish up the second one because I originally had a plan for them.

FYI, I think this linen they are stitched on is gorgeous, but I loathe it. I will stitch this and pass the extra on to someone with much better eyes than me. The holes are just so hard to see,.

***

I had a rough week last week!!!

Without the details, sometimes life can just catch up with you. When you leave no margin for an area such as time for your brain to handle all the incoming, you can get very overwhelmed. I am an only child which means I like alone time. I am also one when too much comes in too quickly or things get too disordered, then I can get disordered:)

That was the case last week. A series of events just piled on in a short period of time. The final day's events on Wednesday that brought tears to my eyes was as Lindsay said, "A series of unfortunate events." She was drawing from an old series of books from elementary school but nevertheless such an adequate description.

I saw this quote today in our Starting Point book which Jeff and I are leading at our church at the moment.

"I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous Presence."

---Christopher Columbus

It brought me back to what has become my favorite verse and promise of God in the past few years.

Let us therefore, draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need."

---Hebrews 4:16

Today, I am trying to give myself that margin. Nothing on the agenda and praying it stays that way.

To lighten things I am going to share 3 scans of me...

The first is at my cousin's wedding. Remember when weddings were such a wonderful small event with friends and family at the church and the reception there too? I picked this one because I was having a great hair day!!!

This next one is an example of the many wonderful clothes Mama made for me. This was me at about 15 for a holiday dance. Blue velveteen.

This was me in the summer before college. I bet those of you 65 remember that belt. It could change the belts and then clipped together.

Digitizing photographs will be a long on-going process but no rush anymore. I was working to get them done for Mama's birthday next month. I bought her a digital frame which said it was good for seniors. I thought she would like to look back at the old ones. I will probably take a rainy day or too hot day to do more or just whenever to continue digitizing the family photos. I actually love how they look on the screen, even the oldest ones look so sharp. 

I bought a rather cheap scanner from Amazon, but it turned out to be very good. You can put a whole page from an album on it and if the pictures are not too close it will scan and separate them making it very efficient. 

I have booked our summer vacation to Cape San Blas for the family and looking forward to long sunny and warm days. Ole Mr. Winter decided to burst my bubble today. He is blowing as hard as he can with a cold wind. He is telling me he is still not done. Boo...

That is all for now. I am certain I will have my stitching plans in place by next month.

Until March and spring,

Sandy

Battery Life: 10 Percent: Time to Recharge

One of my Christmas presents that I turned into a new prayer journal. Isn't it cute?

December found me feeling incredibly blessed and a little melancholy at the same time. It has been a beautiful month. Our Decembers along the coast are usually overcast and so foggy in the evenings. This December has blessed me with mild temperatures and sunny days. All that makes it hard to understand my feeling somewhat off my game. I wasn't really blue, but just at times it seemed like I wanted to slow down and just go backwards a few months if that makes sense. I wasn't quite ready for Christmas I suppose.

The foggy night came in last night with terrible weather all across the south. We were fine but I did wake up at 3:00 to loud winds and rain. 

Let’s move on…

I enjoyed Christmas. We celebrated on the 23rd with all the usual fanfare. Same good food and same traditions. Three boys leading the charge; all old enough to demand that they be the first to open a present in our round robin tradition. Paul Allen came up with the compromise to let all 3 boys open a present at the same time in the rotation. They were pleased with the idea and went at it with great gusto as one can imagine that has been around little boys. Oh and Carol, I think I am going to go with your method  of using bags next year except for my girls who appreciate a pretty wrapped package. 

It is virtually impossible to get all 3 boys to look at the camera at the same time.

I took lots of candid photos which I think I am going to pass on showing because I have so many thoughts to write. However, one that I will share is Gus in Aunt Donna’s lap. He is a lapdog and the only lap he could find to sit on who wasn’t opening presents in a comfy chair was Donna.

Christmas Eve was church and  dinner out with Lindsay, Tyler and the boys. Something I have never done on Christmas Eve is eat out. Christmas Day was brunch with the kids. Really good times and so blessed. The 26th ---take it all down and put my house back in order. That is me!!!

Here it is the end of another year and I feel like the years are from Star Trek flight logs. I mean 2025! 

I am in reflection mode as usual this time of year. 

What went well? 

My cleaning schedule. Other than my one day when talk of moving hit me like a ton of bricks I have found in deep thought that my home is organized and I have a handle on keeping it tidy and clean. I am not going to lie —- that took some time after retirement to feel like this. I have declutterred all I am going to other than the usual keep a basket handy to discard things as I come across them in daily life. What I have in closets is organized, well labeled and should we move I will make big decisions then - but for now I am just going to live.  I have a good cleaning schedule that works for me. Those are very personal I think, but I have leaned into my strengths and weaknesses. I clean 2 rooms a day. A major room and a minor room. A major room is the family room, one we really use and live in. A minor room is one not as visited like a secondary bedroom. I try to hit the surfaces with a duster, vacuum thoroughly, and rotate some deeper cleaning things when it is the day for that room. What I have found is that by being diligent and sticking to the plan I don’t have nearly as much of that heavy cleaning to do -aka spring cleaning. I still have projects, but home ownership means you always have those things.

The Bible Recap. I would have to say this was amazing for me. I linked it for reference. It was just perfect for me this year, so much so that I am doing it again for ‘25. It is a chronological reading of the Bible in a year; then you listen to a recap. Easiest way to read the Bible in a year ever! It is not a theological podcast, but just simply a recap and sometimes  if there are differing theological viewpoints those will be noted with links to study the viewpoints. What drew me to it last December was the fact that I was sick of reading study books from people. I just wanted God’s Word. You can buy a book and read but I preferred the podcast for the recap. I got up each morning his year and after wetting my eyes and  taking my thyroid meds headed outside to the porch or sat at the kitchen table and read my assigned Scripture. Then while getting dressed for the day, I listened to the recap. Jeff usually heard it while I was doing all this so when the narrator, Tara Leigh Cobble spoke of people joining in with the New Testament he did just that. He gets up much earlier than me so by the time I hit play I never had to worry about him not being ready. He is jumping in for the whole Bible with me on the 1st. I would say it was a huge hit for me in ‘24.

The hard stuff of ‘24 does not make me unusual. We all have hard stuff at times in life. It is how I react which some days I do pretty good and some days not so much. I think that makes me human and normal.

Watching Jeff with Parkinson’s is not easy and will not be easy going forward. One thing I have learned is I am not able to research outcomes. That goes against every bit of my usual self. I love researching and being abreast of all things. In this situation, I have found it sends me down a dark hole. I am going to have to just go forward without the facts laid out for me. I will have to take it as it comes. There are good days and months and there are days not so fun to watch… worse for him I am sure. We have a good doctor, a strong faith, good friends and we will put one foot forward at a time.

Watching Mama age is hard too. She is slowly deteriorating. She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I think she will live to be a 100 and other days when she is short of breath I am not so sure. Again, there are blessings, she has her mind or at least a good one for almost 90. 

Things I am planning to improve upon in '25. A plan for strength training, I have left that off too much this year and it is too important. I am setting a time each day and a more planned time hoping that I can manage it without a gym visit. However if the gym is needed I will squeeze it in. When I went to the gym pre grandchildren I was knocking it out. Going and using the machines makes it easy, but I so hate going. However, I am making it a top priority, so that all options are on the table.

I have many things to share from just the couple of days since Christmas that I did in the house so I will be back in '25.

I am going to take a little break for a few days, and then reconnect with all of you -my blogging friends who have held me up in prayer this year. I felt those prayers. 

I believe every day is a gift so I am resting these last few days of ‘25 in Auburn and heading back with a recharged battery for ‘25. 

Happy New Year Everyone,

Sandy

How Quickly Things Change

Last Monday, in trying to put out a weekly post I shared our celebrations. What fun we had together as a family! 

I have made it very clear since my almost bowing out of this blog back in January, that a series of trials and just the stage of life that I am in have worn me out at times. When I slipped back in after a few weeks I told myself I would continue blogging without any stress. If I could read my much loved blogs and comment I would, but no stress would be attached to that. I have had to stick to my guns on that, so most of you have not heard from me this week even though I have scrolled through while sitting in a hospital room with Mom.

Yes, last Monday evening around 7:30 I received a call from the young Airman who lives cattycorner across from Mother. He informed me Mother had fallen and he had called an ambulance. He had then called me. Bless his heart! 

I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that he heard her and then found her on the front porch where she had gone out to water some plants and had tripped and fallen. Yes, not even a week and a half had passed since her last fall. We were so relieved she had not broken a bone on that fall, but she did this time! The young Airman is only one of a handful in her 20-25 units townhouse community. Most are old ladies like her who were safely tucked away for the evening. BUT, not Mama. It was about dusk when she ventured out and had he not heard her she would have laid there all night. I have a code in the morning with phone emoji's to make sure she is up and awake after the night, but I don't have one in the evening because surely she would have been inside. Oh and she didn't have her phone on her. She usually wears it on an apron.

I later realized why she didn't have the apron on. A dear lifelong friend who I have shared a picture of on here before made her said apron. Mother had taken it all and spread it out on the chair to take a picture of it. She had then texted Cathy to see if she had a pattern she could mail her for it. She was going to make her a new one, SOOOO...there sat her phone and apron. I figured this out when I was using her phone to let some of her neighbors know news of her and saw the text and picture. Most of her neighbors heard the fire truck and ambulance and had to get their pajamas off and clothes back on to see about her. They were all deeply concerned for her.

Mama broke her femur on the right leg. She had fallen and broken the left femur in May of 2013. She has a matching pair. All of this meant another night in ER. I will tell you now just like I have before that our hospital is great, but the ER is a horrible place to be. It is overloaded beyond even your wildest imagination. I won't rant again about that, but it was a long night and in to the next day before she headed to surgery.

The Lord has watched over us well. I am stinking tired of the trials and honestly tired of recalling the verse that tells me to count it all joy, but I have not one doubt that HE is watching over us. The trauma surgeon that did the surgery is my very first choice. She popped into my head early on in the night at ER, but didn't know if she would be on call, but it all just worked out perfectly. She got the very best surgeon I could have asked for.

I think it was Thursday that I came home for lunch and laid down on the couch so tired and let the tears roll. I wanted to have a BIG OLE Pity Party, and I started one for certain. You know what? Those don't do one bit of good. They don't solve anything and make you feel worse, so I laid there and just said out loud, "Lord, I surrender." I spoke it twice. Then I started thinking about Carrie Underwood singing that hymn. 

10 minutes after that verbal declaration to my Lord, I received a phone call from a case worker at the hospital. She had been in Mama's room and met her and called me breaking protocol. God Bless her. She said my mama would be crying and begging to come home from the rehab center I had picked. I picked it and honestly hadn't had a moment's peace. I knew it was an awful choice, but didn't think I had another option. I had done nothing but dread the moment we had to take her to it. This caseworker said there was rehab center in Destin that it was the best kept secret in our area. She knew it being in Destin and with tourist traffic it would be tough, but that it was not a nursing home rehab and just totally rehab for people like Mom's injury. I jumped back into my truck and went back up the hospital and signed her up. Peace flooded my soul.

Mother is there now and it is truly Heaven sent. I had no idea it was there. Yes, the drive in tourist traffic is completely awful on time. I won't be able to go out there everyday, but she has a rigorous schedule of PT and such and I know with certainty that is a great place. No people sitting out in wheel chairs slumped over, just people who have broken a bone or had a hip replacement kind of place. 30 beds only. The kind of place, that you know just happened to have a room and a caseworker who told me about it because Jesus set it all in place.

Driving to Destin the past 3 days has been beautiful despite the traffic. I get to see the 2 most beautiful bodies of water in the world. The Choctawhatchee Bay on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. It is taking far too long for the few miles, but Mother is safe and secure and the drive with beautiful scenery gives me time to pray or listen to a podcast.

I got a chuckle this morning on my way out. I had just gotten over the Destin bridge, and stopped at the first red-light next to that awful gigantic building that I have mentioned before on this blog. I am in the left lane and a truck of young boys on their way to the beach were next to me in the right lane. They got my attention and waved. I waved back and still lost in my own thoughts ignored them mostly. They must have had a bet going because they rolled down their window and started talking. I have no idea what came over me, but I rolled my passenger side down to see what was up. They wanted me to race them. They were joking of course. Here I am - a white headed lady driving a truck. It must have seemed like an easy target. Oh to be young again. I laughed at them and told them I was much too old for a race, but that my truck could certainly outdo them. That sent them into a good laugh.

You know why I tell you that story? Lindsay is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday in Atlanta. You know it has already been canceled once and on Thursday she found out her urine culture had not made it to Atlanta. We all thought ---"Oh no! Not again." I told her she had to give it up, as it wasn't her fight anymore. It got there late Friday evening and the doctor did receive it so, she is on for her surgery. Her devotional this morning was about learning to laugh. It tied in with the thought not to take yourself or your circumstances too seriously. Enjoy the laughter in life. She had told me she was going to just play with the boys today. Tucker got a new bike.

The verse that went with the devotional was ---"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Isn't that true. A crushed spirit just can't not be left to sit in. It does no good. I think we can have an appetizer of a pity party, and then it is time to brush yourself off and remember all of this is doable. There are way worse things than have happened to us this week.

Cheerful hearts laugh with young boys in a truck.

I won't linger much more here except to say that this has made me think it is time to start some paperwork on something other than her current living conditions. I have already seen God mover there too, but I'll save that for later.

The words to I Surrender All are quite comforting. I knew the first verse by heart the other day, but this afternoon I sat out on our dock and looked up Carrie Underwood singing it and here are the lyrics.

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
In his presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at his feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
(Refrain)

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that thou art mine.
(Refrain)

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to thee,
Fill me with thy love and power,
Let thy blessing fall on me.
(Refrain)

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to his name!
(Refrain)

This was my view while I looked up the lyrics. As you can see, I have many blessings. 

Now, for a few other tidbits about the week...

Tucker and his new bike.

The spider lilies blooming right on time. 

We have had 2 thunderstorms this week. Both were nasty, but needed rain. In fact, one is going on right now. I did get some outdoors time though.

As I said, I wanted to do a pity party about my long list of things I wanted to do this summer and could see that all slipping away, but after pulling myself together and remembering being that tortoise in the race of life...

I got up and got some laundry done and started one piece of the outdoors cleaning that I haven't been able to get too.

I went to the tiled porch out back and cleaned the two doors and glass sliding door because Jeff doesn't like to pressure wash them. 

I got them cleaned off, now the porch is ready for the pressure washer. 

This tiled porch is a bear to keep clean. I don't keep any plants or chairs on it because if you sit something on it, it just stains it. You can see though I let Jeff put a rope on there from some crab traps and it made a mess. 

This tortoise will get it all done in good time. 

Now, for one fun fact and then I will hush up.

My good friend that I mentioned  had shocked our friend group when she and husband decided to move across the state. She texted me this morning that she (Betty) and Tom were sitting across from Lysa Terkeurst at breakfast. If you don't know who this is ---she is the founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries. I have heard her speak many times at Extraordinary Women conferences in Pensacola. As a small group, we had read one of her books on how she had to divorce and how hard it had been. It quite frankly was a depressing book and we all finished it feeling very sorry for her and knowing that she was one tough cookie. We all saw on Friday morning that after several years from that depressing book which I am sure was helpful to people going through the same thing that she had found new love. Good for her and a reminder that He doesn't forget us even though we go through trials. 

Now, I knew Betty would come out there with a picture. She did and said Lysa was very gracious.

There will be a stitching post at some point out there and a check in on your blogs, but until life gets a little bit slower this will be it from me. Thanks for all of you who pray for us. I will check in when I can. Forgive any spelling or grammatical errors as I just don't have it in me to proofread. The teacher in me is failing miserably.

Oh good grief, I have one more thought. 

Nurses!!! How much a blessing is a good nurse. I met many over the last few days. I often get a little frustrated with the idea of an "influencer" as a job. I am all about capitalism and I know many of them are young moms who just want to stay home with their kids, but we need these young ladies to be good nurse and teachers and such.

I am stopping! It may be awhile before I return this time, but I will be back...

Sandy