It's been a while!

Well hello!  It has been quite a while since my last blog post. I was really busy with work and life in general. Retirement has finally arrived, and I am enjoying every minute of it!  For some odd reason, I fought the retiring thing. I am glad that I finally took my children's advice (strong encouragement) and just did it. Actually, I waited until the very last day of school to make the decision.  I am happy with that decision.
Bike rides, taking it easy, getting things done in bits and pieces, and just relaxing are some of the things that I can do now that were not available to me while I was working.
I am not sure if anyone is actually reading anything that I am writing, but it is nice to be doing it again. I thought that I had deleted this whole blog a few years ago. I did a search for my blog the other day, and it popped right up for me! How about that!
So, I may be getting on here every now and then to write and express my thoughts, or describe something fun that has happened.
I will start with a morning bike ride that I had a few weeks ago. I was rolling along slowly, as always, and saw a little animal hopping down the road. It looked like a little rabbit. Since I live in the city, I thought this animal must be someone's lost pet. As I rode closer, I realized the animal was actually a squirrel with NO tail.  Can you imagine that!  The little guy hopped along and then scooted right up the nearest tree!  I have ridden back by there several times, but the little squirrel has not reappeared for me.
This summer, I spent a lot of time at the beach. I went by myself and just sat there enjoying the day. I also started reading a series of four books by Eugenia Price called the Savannah Quartet. For someone who has always avoided reading, these books were really big ones to attempt. The first one is called Savannah. I read it many years ago, so I skipped right to the second book. Those books are really, really long!  There is a lot of history in them, also. The second book was very easy to go through. The third and fourth books took a while longer to read. They are loaded with historical facts as well as a great story line.  Being on the beach for hours at a time gave me ample time to get the books read. Also, it is easier for me to read outside in the sunshine than in the house!  So, I read the entire series this summer. Then, I read a very interesting book called, We Were the Lucky Ones, by Georgia Hunter. This story is about a Polish family during World War II. The book is awesome, and I recommend it to anyone who likes to read. Next, I reread an awesome children's book called Waterless Mountain, by Laura Adams Arner. It is an older book that won the Newbery Award Medal. This story is about a young Navajo boy living in what is now Arizona. The story is awesome. It describes the culture of the Navajo through the life of this little boy. I then read another children's book called The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. This book was a quick read. It is about the plight of a caged gorilla who lives in a Mall. It is a Newbery Award winning book, also. After reading some serious things, I borrowed some different types of books from my cousin. The first one was called The Perfect Dress, by Carolyn Brown. It was really good. It is about some women who opened a small wedding dress store and design and make wedding gowns to fit sizes 14 and up. It was heartwarming. Then, I read another Carolyn Brown book called Magnolia Inn. That was nice, also. Next, I switched to some really serious religious stuff and read Practicing Radical Discipleship, by Janet Wolf. This book took me a while to read, mainly because I was reading other things in between. I had to put it on the back burner a few times and go back to it in spurts. I finished in yesterday, finally. I am still trying to get through a smaller book called This Matter of Marriage, by Debbie Macomber, which I started while reading the other books. It is an easy read, but I have been reading it in between reading the discipleship book. During this time, I also read the book that many people are talking about these days called Where the Crawdads Sing, by by Delia Owens. It was an easy read, and it was really interesting. I see why so many people like it.
If you are wondering why I am so excited about these books, it is because I have not been able to read books for a long time, due to some vision things. So, I am really proud of myself at being able to read again.
Today, I rode with my cousin while she delivered Meals on Wheels. Then, we ate lunch at the historic Pirate's House restaurant. They had an awesome buffet today!  After that, we visited a wonderful little bookstore called  Books on Bay. It is a store with hundreds of vintage books. A retired English professor started this store. She has labeled each and every book by hand and can tell you about all of them. It is on what is called Factor's Walk, in the downtown area by the river. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon - just perusing through her store. She has the actual, original paintings for the covers of the Nancy Drew mystery books, too. She has several on loan from Boston. They are neat pieces to see.
I am still stuffed from my lunch buffet. A person cannot do that too often!  HA!
I may come on here from time to time. I may come on here more often than that, now that I have gotten back in the swing of things.
Have a great day!

Happenings

A lot has happened this year. My son is now an RN and is working in the Cardiac Care Unit of a hospital here in town. My niece was married last weekend and will be starting her new life in a new state. Another niece of mine graduated from high school and is planning on attending college next Fall. My grandchildren are growing and thriving. Life keeps moving on!

Summer is officially here for 'us teacher folk'.  haha
So... of course I had to go to the beach on my first real day of summer. We had a blast. The girls loved playing in the sand and the waves. The tide was very rough, so we only spent time right at the water's edge. The undertow was extreme, even at the water's edge. You could feel your feet being pulled in by the current, even in one inch of water. Needless to say, we had to keep a very strong and tight hold on the little ones' hands the entire time.
I hope we have a drier summer than we had last year. It seems like we had torrents of rain every day last summer. Hopefully, the rain will be minimal and we can enjoy each and every day to its fullest!

It is also my intention to have many bike rides around the neighborhood during my time off from work. I found a bike app to put on my phone, and I found out that I have been riding 5 and 6 miles on days when I thought I was only going 1 or 2 miles! Wow!  My longest rides equal to around 10 miles, and those are only in my neighborhood streets. I love riding my three wheel bike. I feel very safe and do not have to worry about falling over or being injured while riding. This morning, I actually cranked up my treadmill and walked a mile. That is something that I plan on doing daily from now on. Let's see if I actually do it!

Summer is a time for new beginnings, new hope, and new surprises. I am wishing for a wonderful summer full of beach fun, bike rides, adventures, and playing with my granddaughters!!

Whoopie!!

Redbirds

As I ride my bike some afternoons, I see a lone redbird swoop down in front of me. At times, I have seen more than one. However, one is what I usually see. One afternoon, as I was riding down a different street, a single redbird swooped down and took a swim and a drink in a puddle. I tried to keep still and get a picture, but he quickly flew away. I ride a three wheeled bike, in case you were wondering how I could manage to remain still on a bicycle! I love my bike. The three wheels help me to be able to get out and ride without worrying about falling or something like that. My legs are not so sturdy anymore, and the three wheels on my bright pink bike are awesome helpers to get this old lady out to exercise. If I get tired, I can just stop and rest, while still sitting on my bike. When my left foot decides it is going to slip off of the pedal, as it often does, I remain upright and safe on my bike. I have a route that I use. Sometimes, I ride for 45 minutes, which is the short ride. The long ride is an hour and a half. On those rides, I see lots of wonderful things in my neighborhood. The redbirds are my favorite, though. They remind me of my Daddy. My Daddy knew everything about nature, the woods, animals, trees, etc. He could tell you what kind of fish a restaurant was really serving, when they told you it was trout. HA! He could tell you what kind of trees you were passing by. He loved to look at everything along the roadside as we traveled, whether we were in town or along a country road. He knew all about the birds and their songs. I wish I knew all of the things that he knew about. Daddy grew up in the North Georgia mountains back when the woods were still the woods and the streams and water holes were safe, fresh, and wonderful. He spent a lot of time alone out in those woods learning and exploring. When I see birds now, I think of him. I love the little redbirds that keep fluttering by one at a time. I like to think that when the little bird flies by I am seeing a sign that my Daddy is with me, watching me, and taking care of me. I miss him so much. Thank you, little redbirds for flying into my path and for helping to keep my Daddy here with me.

Is it Summer yet?

Summer...that often elusive time of year that a teacher sees through smoke filled glasses that only clear after reaching the middle or end of that season... Is it here? 

Could it possibly be summer? Not yet. 

I have a few plans for the next couple of months that mostly add up to REST!!

After spending a year with 22 kindergarten children, the word REST has taken on a new meaning!

Ahhh...

The beach...that is always a place to calm the wandering heart. The cool breezes, the warm sun, the roar of the tide, the squeak of the sea gulls, the sand in your feet and in everything you own...all of those wonderful things that keep a person happy can be found at the beach, and that is where I will hopefully be throughout the summer.

Of course, there are my two little darling princesses awaiting my hugs and kisses for the whole entire summer! Those shining faces can calm even the most frazzled of nerves after a hard day at the old mill, so to speak!

Is it summer yet? The sun, the heat, and the flowers tell us that it is. I'm waiting for the real thing to begin, so let it flow like the sunshine of the pretty dandelions that blow in the wind after coming out of their own 'shell'. Come on, summer. I am ready for you!!

Saturday morning

Today is Saturday, and I was up at 6 a.m.! For crying out loud, why? I do not know. It is really quiet around here. The weather is not that great outside, so maybe the atmospheric pressure woke me up and made me get up! ha  The pressure in the atmosphere really does affect your body. Some people do not believe that, but I know that it is true. Migraines are one of the main things that can occur in a person, due to the atmospheric changes when it is ready to storm. You can be affected by it a couple of days ahead of a bad storm, actually. Once the storm hits and the rain finally begins to pour down through the sky, the headache usually goes away. That may sound strange, but it is true. Just ask anyone who gets migraines!!
Our city is preparing for the big day of March 17th. We have the third largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the U.S. It is a really big deal around here. School is even cancelled for that day! There are all sorts of celebrations. One thing that is unfortunate, though, is that many people use this day as an excuse to get extremely drunk and disorderly. That is a shame. The celebration is actually a Catholic holiday, where there are many church services before the celebrating begins. It is a shame that this religious holiday has turned into such a drunken brawl.
With March comes the beginning of spring type activities. It is nice to be able to get outside and ride a bike or take a walk in the sunshine. However, our weather keeps going from cold to hot, cold to hot, etc.  Perhaps the weather will begin to become stable for the rest of our springtime.
The years really fly by, as you grow older. It seems like just yesterday it was the beginning of the school year, and now we are almost at the end of another school year. Wow. As a teacher, I count years by the school calendar. I forget about January to December being the actual year. That is crazy, I know. I think of August through May as a year! haha
Well, I am finished rambling for this morning. Have a great day!

My Oils

My oils...What in the world does that mean? Well, I have been using Young Living Essential Oils to help with relaxation and calming for quite a few years. I purchased a set of nine oils from a friend of mine many years ago. At the time, I had no intention of becoming a distributor or purchasing them wholesale. I just wanted the oils. Due to legal reasons, I cannot say that any oil 'cures' anything. I can only tell you of my personal experiences with the oils and how they have helped me. I really only used Lavender, Peppermint, and Frankincense for a while. Lavender helped me stay calm when I went to bed. Peppermint helped my many bouts of serious colon issues. Frankincense helped the pain in my legs. I kept the nine oils in my bathroom cabinet for many years, not realizing how all of them could really help. Finally, I became a distributor and purchased another set of oils. This time, there were ten oils in the package and a diffuser. Wow! The oils have made a serious difference in my life. I have many oils now, and I use all of them. If you read the Bible, you will see many references to oils being used. Well, I have many of the Bible oils, such as frankincense and myrrh. I also have the oil that is considered to be the 'gold' that was given to the baby Jesus - Balsam Fir. Just think about this for a minute. For centuries, people in the 'old countries' have used oils for healing. Native Americans used oils and plants for healing. So, doesn't it make sense to continue to use plants and the oils that come from plants for healing, both spiritual and physical? I believe that it makes plenty of sense. I am not talking about some 'mumbo jumbo' tonic water, like some people offer. I am talking about real, completely natural oils directly from plants. I use the oil from the Angelica plant a lot now. This plant is called the flower of the angels, by Germans. The scent from this plant can help you forget about trauma and bad thoughts. Yes, it works for me. When my father passed away, I diffused the Angelica oil all day in my home. I KNOW that it helped ALL of us that day. When I wake up each morning with nightmares, which happens every day, I open my bottle of White Angelica and inhale the aroma several times. The horrible thoughts go away. They really do. I still put Lavender on my pillow each night to help me stay calm. I put peppermint in my navel and on my abdomen to stop stomach/colon issues. I have a very stressful job, and I often have trouble 'coming down' from all of the stressful, emotional, and physical trials of the day. My mind just races and races all day and night. The Lavender helps the race slow down. I also use Lavender on cuts and burns that I often have on my hands or arms. I am sort of a 'clutz' at times! Lavender works better on the cuts and burns than neosporin or aloe. My body is full of aches and pains, due to a horrific car crash 25 years ago. I had many injuries, and those injuries have caused me to continue to have pain throughout my body every day, from head to toe. I now use an essential oil blend called Ortho Ease at night on my legs. If  you know anyone with restless leg syndrome, please give them some Ortho Ease. For me, the restlessness (heebie jeebies) goes away immediately, and then I can sleep restfully. I cannot say that the oils can cure anyone or anything. I can only say that the oils help to alleviate many of the issues that I face each and every day. So, there is my brief story about My Oils. I have many more stories, but I will stop here for now.  I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Kindness

Kind-ness

  The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. A kind act. 

Synonyms: kindliness, kindheartedness, warmheartedness, affection, warmth, gentleness, concern, care, consideration, helpfulness, sympathy, understanding, bigheartedness, benevolence, benignity, magnanimity, charitableness. 

Plural noun: kindnesses

It is a kindness I shall never forget.

I haven't taken the time to blog in recent months. Things always get in the way of my being able to take the time to wander in my brain and express my thoughts. Maybe that is a good thing. I started this blog with one thought in mind, and then I wandered off on a tangent about my work. I cannot post anything about my work, so I put those thoughts in a personal document for myself. 

My original idea for this blog was to write about my dear, sweet family members who are in heaven" my mamma, my daddy, my Granna, my Grandma, my aunts, my uncles, my Grandpa, my cousins, and others for whom the definition of kindness aptly describes. My whole family lived a life of kindness and gentleness as set forth in the Bible. Although each of them was quiet and humble about their own greatness, they each possessed wonderful qualities that showed their faith in the Lord our God, and they all practiced his teachings with grace, dignity, and humility. In other words, they were awesome examples of God's word that we find in the book of Proverbs: Chapter 3: verses 1 - 4.

"My child, do not forget my teaching. Keep my commands in mind. Then you will live a long time, and your life will be successful. DON'T EVER STOP BEING KIND AND TRUTHFUL. LET KINDNESS AND TRUTH SHOW IN ALL YOU DO. WRITE THEM DOWN IN YOUR MIND AS IF ON A TABLET, THEN YOU WILL BE RESPECTED AND PLEASING TO BOTH GOD AND MEN."

I love and miss my family members who are in heaven very, very much. I feel so lost without them. I know that they are all in my heart forever, but I miss having them close beside me to hug and kiss, talk to, and to just have them near me each day.

I guess it has taken me a while to get this entry written, because I get so lost in my mind that I cannot finish it. I actually started this particular entry about a month ago, but I haven't been able to finish it. I will just say that I love my mamma and daddy and all of my relatives who are in heaven. I love ALL of my relatives who are living. Keep your loved ones close. Do not take them for granted, for they will not always be with you.

Be kind and gentle to them. We need more kindness in this world of ours. The wonderful generation that came before us knew all about kindness and gentleness. We should all take after their examples and be the wonderful people that they always were and who they taught us to be.

Good night.