Hey friends, hope you are enjoying the changes that ‘spring’ has wrought; just look out the window and see green, instead of white, or brown. The willow tree at the bottom of the yard is putting on her leaves; the birds are singing (several different ones spotted in the yard); the daffodils are blooming their cheerful, yellow tops off, out here on the Pike; the hyacinths are poking their heads out of the dark, cold earth; all signs that are heralding the advent of warmer weather and days filled with sunshine, eventually.
Old ‘grandpa walnut’ hasn’t shown the first inkling of putting on his summer ‘clothes’; he is always the first to lose his leaves in the fall and the last to put them on in the spring. In the 40 years I have lived here, he has never got his ‘toes’ nipped in a frost. I sincerely hope he is just being lazy this year; I am tired of winter.
The year is zooming along at jet speed and this coming Sunday is Easter. Gee, the fourth month of a new year already, only eight months or so to get ready for Christmas. Okay, just kidding.
Markland Baptist is gearing up for the biggest spiritual holiday of all: Sunrise service will be at 7 a.m., after which the men of the church will prepare breakfast for the congregation, no Sunday school this Sunday, the regular worship service will begin at 10:45 (with Communion being served), following the worship service there will be an Easter egg hunt on the grounds (weather permitting – if it doesn’t, it will be an inside hunt.) A busy day filled with lots of food, fellowship, and children’s laughter.
Friends, Easter represents the birth of hope for all mankind. Everything that came before was good but without the resurrection of Christ, there would not be any hope for us. Jesus’ terrible death on the cross, paying for our sins, was the penalty God required as propitiation (payment) for our sinfulness, neither sin nor sinners will be allowed in heaven. Jesus paid it all. He washed us with His holy blood and covered our sinfulness with His sacrifice.
Jesus’ resurrection made it possible for all of us, who accept His sacrifice, to enter our eternal rest in heaven. Consider your eternal destination and adjust your life to where you want to end up, or down, as the case may be. It is your decision. God leaves it up to us to choose.
Cyndi has been ‘spring cleaning’, and believe me, when she cleans, she cleans: ceilings, walls, floors, windows, etc. A surgeon would be comfortable operating there; at my house a farmer would probably be more comfortable, he could plant potatoes.
You would think her example would inspire me (or guilt me) into doing the same, but fortunately, in this case anyway, I am immune to either inspiration or guilt. I had many years of living with a mother who every spring (this was in Florida), would scrub, bleach, or paint, anything that didn’t move, and some things that did. Over the years, I must have built up immunity, so ha!
A week ago Monday, Debbie Turner took me down to Maysville to visit Frank and Donna; Jan Hazeldean went with us. We had a nice trip and there are many beautiful buildings (old) in the town that we enjoyed seeing.
Frank’s foot is doing better; the doctor says chances are improving that he will be able to keep it; his foot was severely crushed in an accident. Please keep Frank and Donna in your prayers.
It seems like the ‘karma’ in our family has been of the dark, smelly kind lately. My little sister Jo (in St. Petersburg) was diagnosed with blood clots in her leg; she is so stubborn that she could make a blind mule on ice, jealous. She, so far, has refused medical treatment until she researches the malady to her own satisfaction then she said, she would decide what to do.
Then came Frank’s accident and my dear niece, Kris Parker, called me from Tallahassee to let me know she had a cancer (skin) surgery coming up and her daughter Reilly was scheduled for oral surgery and some medical tests for another condition. Her husband Brian was sick with flu-like symptoms and was a ‘bear’ to live with. Brian was military and had an IED blow up under him breaking his back and crushing his hip; he recovered but still suffers pain from these injuries so when he ‘catches’ anything else, he can really be a ‘BEAR’. Even when you understand, it can be difficult to live with.
I had to make a run (actually Cyndi took me) to the ER for something my ‘home remedies’ couldn’t handle. I am better and had excellent care at King’s Daughters’.
It just seems like it has been one thing after another to batter our family lately. I am really looking forward to summer and sweeter blessings. Speaking of which, the gardening season is almost upon us. I love to ‘play’ in the dirt and am happily planning my gardens (truthfully, my actions rarely live up to my plans but I live in hope – you never know, this might be the year I actually make it.)
Belated birthday wishes in March to: Gayle Rayles (6th), Lily Jester (10th), Sarah Dickerson (12th), Rodney Ledbetter (12th), Dylan Leach (16th), and Bailey Sue Miller on the 26th.
Jessica and Rodney Ledbetter celebrated their wedding anniversary on March 25th.
April’s birthdays include Kristy Skidmore on the 6th and both Juanita Brown and mine on the 8th.
Congratulations to each and a prayer for sweet blessings in the coming year. (I fully intend to celebrate my special day for, at least, two or three weeks; after all, it only comes once a year and I will be three-quarters of a century old in April. Over that span of time, there were so many that swore I would never live to see another year, fooled them didn’t I! God must still have a purpose for my life.
Ran into Peggy Williams at the Library this week and she was telling me that she is teaching Tai Chi at the YMCA now. Robin Hochstrasser used to teach it but since he and Joan moved to Lawrenceburg, she has taken over. Tai Chi and Yoga are two practices that can really help with mobility and safety, might even keep you out of a nursing home. If you are interested, give the ‘Y’ a call for details.
One morning last week, Ana Slover called and asked me if I would like to ride to Madison with her. She had several things she had to do there and before coming home, we went to Walmart and did some shopping.
It was funny because when she called, she sounded kind of apologetic; the first thing she said was, “Are you awake?” Ana knows that most times I do not get up very early and both she and Bob are very early ‘risers’. I figured when I retired, I would just get up whenever it suited me; sometimes it is early and sometimes, late. Fortunately that day was one I had gotten up early, for me anyway.
Mike and Mary Martin had an impromptu family gathering at their house after church a couple of weeks ago. Michael and Jessie with boys, Elijah, Weston, and Landon, and Kym and son, Dion, all converged for a cookout. It was one of those nice days we had. Mary said they all had a good time. Kym and Dion stopped here that evening to visit with me and then with Sam and Cyndi. It seems like Dion has been standing in fertilizer, he has grown so tall, and really handsome (ok, so I am a little prejudiced.)
Talking to Jan Rayles Sunday at church and he said he was feeling so much better and he could really see now – without his glasses – which he mostly just uses for reading. He told me that wife Gayle’s mom is also doing better than she was. Isn’t good news nice to hear?
Howard Hazeldean is the music leader at our church and since we got new hymnals he has been ‘breaking’ us in to learn some new songs from it. He always makes us comfortable with some familiar ones first, and then throws in a new one every once in a while. It is a good plan and we are learning and enjoying. Good job Howard, and thank you.
A friend sent me a neat little joke I thought you might get a laugh out of.
“After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. The cosmetic clerk showed him a bottle of perfume costing $50. Tim said that was a bit much and she returned with a bottle costing $30. That is still quite a bit, Tim complained. The clerk was getting annoyed but came up with a $15 bottle. What I mean, said Tim, is I’d like to see something really cheap. The clerk handed him a mirror!”
Wilma Turner wanted someone to go to Madison with her one day last week (being ‘vehicle-less’, I am usually ready to go whenever someone offers to take me); Wilma needed a skein of yarn to complete an afghan she is making, so we went to Walmart and got it. Of course, we stopped at a couple of other stores and had a lovely lunch. It was a pretty day for a ride.
Wilma’s arthritis was really bothering her; all of this ‘up and down’, cold, wet weather is really hard on those ‘ritis’ sufferers as I am sure I don’t have to tell anyone who has it. Wilma is scheduled to go into the hospital in a week or two for some tests for another ailment. Seems like us ‘older kids’ break down more easily than we used to, don’t seem to recover as fast either.
Nancy and son, Rodney Ledbetter got ‘bit’ by some kind of stomach virus or another, Josh told us at church Sunday. Josh brought his girlfriend Alyssa (not sure of the proper spelling) and niece Madison to church. Alyssa is such a lovely young lady.
Read an interesting book this week titled, “Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles” by A.L. Herbert. It is a mystery but to tell the truth, I brought it home from the Library mostly because of the title; it intrigued me and I am always on the lookout for new recipes, even though I don’t use a tenth of what I already have – so sue me.
It was not the best book I ever read but there was one part where Mahalia and her cousin Wavonne, went to a ‘Zumba’ class at a health spa; it was so funny, I cried – then I went back and read that part again just because it was so darn funny (probably because I could relate to their problems trying to keep up with the class.) It was worth reading just for that but it also kept me guessing who was the ‘bad guy’ and the author kept me guessing until the very end.
This book also came through with some delicious sounding recipes (haven’t tried them out yet but I am going to) and gave me ‘insight’ into a culture I know very little about. I don’t particularly care for waffles but after all that is just a ‘fancy’ pancake (okay, so it is a little different) and I usually only fix pancakes when Patty Miller comes out to stay for a while.
Speaking of Patty, she just returned from a trip to Tennessee; her niece picked her up and they went down to visit Louise Miller (our sister-in-law) who has been in failing health for some time. Naturally they enjoyed visiting with the rest of the family too.
As you can tell from reading the column, there are many on our prayer list this month. Got some really good news to go with the poor; my niece Kris (in Tallahassee) is completely cancer free and Pastor Bobby’s father Robert finished his treatments and his cancer is in full remission, praise the Lord!
Well friends, I’ll catch up with you next month and until then, may the Lord bless and keep you safe from harm; may He cause His face to shine on you and give you peace. I pray a blessed, Happy Easter, for each of you.