People Power Granny

Red Belle and her search for Prince Charming

2013-05-20T00:19:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time in a land of rolling hills and fields of corn and beans, there was a little farm girl wih red curly hair and freckles. She lived on an old farm where her great great grandparents had settled when Indians hunted amidst its creeks and fertile grasses.

This girl was named Red Belle, but everyone called her Scaredy Cat. Red Belle was afraid of many things, especially death. Her first memory was seeing her baby sister's face being covered by a doctor after she died one cold winter night. Some said the little crippled sister had frozen to death because their house was so cold.

She had an older brother named Sonny because he was the oldest child and only son of Scaredy Cat's mother and father. Scaredy Cat was even afraid of Sonny because he made fun of her hair, her buck teeth and freckles.

As Red Belle grew in the poor ever-growing family of more baby sisters, she found that she was called on to help her mother in the house while her mother tended the garden outside, did the laundry and preserved food for the winter. Red Belle wasn't afraid of her younger sisters, but she did resent them because she had no friends to play with like the other kids at school.

Red Belle's father was also very cruel. His religion told him that having more children was a mother and father's duty. So just about every year, a new child would enter the family. But often many of these children were born dead. Red Belle thought that this would make both of her parents very sad. Her mother would come home from the hospital very quiet and sad. Her father would come home and would bury his sadness in strong drink, and then he would throw things at her mother.

Red Belle lived a very scarey life. She dreamed of the day she could fly away from her farm, and make a new life as a pretty sweetheart at a college somewhere where she would meet her Prince Charming, and she would live happily ever after. Even though she was a Scaredy Cat, she preferred being scared about the new life she dreamed about than the current life she knew would never change if she stayed.

So she studied hard and graduated at the top of her class. Now was the time to blossom she thought with a new life where one day a wonderful man would embrace her and make her feel sure she would never have to fear again.

Red Belle's time in college was not easy. She had to work very hard because her mother and father couldn't afford to pay the many dollars that a college education cost. She was no longer the top of her class, but then she wasn't there to be the best writer in the world, although she did like to write. She was there to find Prince Charming.

For more than three years she looked and looked at two colleges, and she didn't find him. Or maybe he didn't find her. But finally she met a sweet young man with glasses named Game Boy. He looked so smart. He was of the right religion, so this would make her parents happy, too. He listened to her. He spoke beautiful words to her, and held her very close. She was truly in love, and within days, they were talking about riding away into the horizon on his beautiful Ford Falcon. And she would be afraid no more.

Theirs was a whirlwind romance. She soon found herself with child. She and her Prince Charming had already decided to marry anyway, so this was no problem. Red Belle was so excited about her upcoming wedding day. But as the day drew closer, she began to feel some scared little doubts bubbling to the surface.

Prince Charming, she found out, wasn't really a prince after all. He was poor boy just like her. He needed to have her buy a car for him because he his Ford Falcon had died. Being a scared person, she wondered if this was the beginning of an unhappy lifetime together. But by then she had gone too far. It was now too late to think such thoughts. She would instead make this poor boy who liked to play games and write stories about games into the Prince Charming of which she had always dreamed.

So she worked and worked at her task of re-making the Game Boy into Prince Charming. Forty years and five children later the Game Boy was still poor and was now asking for money from his grown children. He was certainly no Prince Charming. And Red Belle was still Scaredy Cat, but a more appropriate name for her would now be White Belle since her curly red hair had now turned white.

Red Belle looked back at her life of always searching for security in something outside of herself. She decided that she had lived a life of fear too long. Now it was time to change. She would no longer try to change Game Boy into Prince Charming, which he had never wanted to be.

Instead she would change herself. She was now too old to be a Scaredy Cat any longer. While Game Boy had squandered any cash that landed in his hands on more games, she had saved pennies and nickels here and there, and now found out that she had enough to live without fear any longer.

She said good bye to Game Boy, drove her old car east over the mountains and started a new life for herself as the True Woman she had always wanted to be. By now, her parents had died. Her brothers and sisters lived very far away. Her and Game Boy's children had grown up.

It was now time for Red Belle to grow up, to move beyond a life of constant fear, of trying to remake a square into a circle, and to begin a new chapter of her Fairy Tale living a life of happily ever after because at last she was free of Scaredy Cat for good..

Transition from busy to lazy: Savoring Meditation #232

2013-03-31T17:58:00.000-04:00

It's raining now
And my work's all done.

But is it?
I know there's something
Else ready to expose itself.

Laundry, taxes, moving -- all done!
Correspondence, cleaning -- all done!
Celebrating, preparing to celebrate?
Not quite yet!

There are two births due for this granny,
And the days are coming near.
Will I be ready to nurture the nurturer?

How about birthdays?
Grand daughter number one has one.
But it's raining. Save that for another day.

There are odds and ends to sell or give away,
Ever whittling down extraneous stuff
Til the essential is left to make the journey light.

I could worry, obsess, be anxious or angry.
Those will use up my excess energy,
But slow down the journey sure enough.

I could read about skills I need to learn
Or novels that take me to another place
So I don't need to travel at all.

I could listen to the restless birds outside the pane,
or watch the rain droplets expand til they drop.

I could remember old loves and possible new ones.
Children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters.

I could watch a move like I did last night,
Or write that great American novel
That won't wait much more.

At least a poem,
A real poem,
Not just something trite.

I could cook a meal,
But I gave away my food.
I could wash my hair,
But I just did.

I can't go through photo albums.
They're packed and gone away.
I prayed this morning
And may later tonight.

I could go to bed early,
But then won't sleep through the night.

Oh, I know there are so many things
One can find to do if she looks.

Instead I sit on this couch
And think about what I might want to do.

No TV, no music player
Just a radio that's stuck on one station.

There's photo editing,
Picture taking.
Card making,
Cake baking.

I could write a letter to the Editor
About a myriad of issues,
Or my Congress member,
My senator, council member,
Commissioner and such.

Nay, not for me tonight.
I'll sit here and blog instead.

No rings around this tub or my finger: Savoring Meditation #231

2013-02-13T23:06:00.002-05:00

Should I be lonely and blue
Because guys in my life flew?

That's okay.
They're nothing but trouble,
Leaving rings in the bathtub
And one on my finger.

Living alone is so much better,
I can sit all night to write a letter.

It may be smart,
Or bordering on art.
But who says art isn't smart?

I can walk alone.
I'm not afraid.
My best friend is God
And her crew of angels.

What is love after all?
How does one know it's real...
And not just something
You wish were real?

Can love clean up a man's trail,
Wash his underwear, mend his socks?
Can love put up with Mary, Sara and Kim,
Just friends who looked at him that way?

So I sit with my little laptop
Bringing me warmth on a cold night.
Everything's black and white
And no arguing in sight.

Go in your corner and smooch
Crone, gaze into your lover's eyes.
Give him a kiss for me

I'll be dreaming of Prince Charming instead.

Thoughts of God's loving hand: Savoring Meditation 230

2013-02-09T17:12:00.000-05:00

Oh God, help me this day
As I go along your way.

Help me grow
And let me know
Your will and your song
All the path along.

May I hear your word
Let it bring me peace.
May it build my house,
Transparent and close to your heart.

Oh God, I'm sad and sick
And sorry for the straying I've done.
I've looked the wrong side of the road.
I've stopped when I should have jumped.

I'm a big girl now
Some would say old.
I've seen the breath of babes,
The winds the leaves speak
And the motions of escaping poets.

I've loved too little, too shortly
And too shallow.
I've made millions in pennies
And mostly spent them on rubble.

But you have shown me
Music and miracles and frolic.
You have healed my failing body.

You are solace.
You are peace.
You are piercing my heart with joy.
Thank you for it all.

Just Sitting by the Bay....while the bird stands!

2013-01-05T23:11:00.001-05:00

Tips for your first amateur photo exhibit on a budget

2012-12-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, Fellow Photographers! Will you be able to present your first photo exhibit in 2013, now that we know that the Mayans didn't forecast the end of the world in 2012, but merely ran out of room?

You know you have wanted for a long time to put up your first photo exhibit. Make a resolution that it will happen this year!

So let's go for it! How do we start?

Take some good pictures. (Think what would Joe or Jane Average want to hang in his or her home.) You be the judge. Look for an original angle, color scheme, texture, hidden beauty of the ordinary. Realize that you're successful if you get one good shot per outing. Don't fear taking too many. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Look at the world with a photographer's eye. Also shoot raw (on SLR) along with JPEG. You can edit raw more succinctly than JPEG. One other tip, shot with a DPI (dots per inch) of at least 300. Remember resolution is the key. Lots of photos look good on Faeebook, but when they are enlarge, quality goes down for those without high resolution. My highest resolution for my point and shoot is 4000 X 3000. Of course raw can be much larger. Also pay attention to MB size. Try not to enlarge anything under a 3 MB. with 5 on up being even better. And remember, when you crop, you lose considerable resolution. So don't think you can get a big picture of a bug out of a photo where the bug is only a tenth of the original size of the photo.
Save your best and rename them, such as the number the camera gave it plus your chosen name (for example 1643 nice sunset tn). You may even want to create a new file for your best shots. Remember to always save your original in its original form. Edit the copy of it, just in case you mess up on your editing or change your mind about what you really want to accentuate.
Develop a portfolio of your best shots. If you seem to have a lot that have a common theme, perhaps you can develop themes for individual exhibits.
Notice places where local art is shown. Have your flash drive in your pocket ready to show what you can offer. Likewise send samples via email if that seems a better method. Often you can even find places requesting local art on craigslist under gigs.
Go to thrift stores to purchase old frames. I particularly like matted frames that I can reuse by inserting my photo instead of the current picture. Dark wood with white matting seems most popular now. But also matting color is often chosen to pick up on a small color in the picture. You also need to look at backs of used pictures. Note if the back is easy to take apart so you can put your picture in. Remember, this can be one of the most expensive parts of your show. Maybe you can find a friend to help mat and frame. Also remember dimensions of frame -- particularly the actual size of the picture to fit into it. Most of your shots uncropped will be on a 2 X 3 basis and multiples thereof. Frame according to audience you will have. Will poor college anarchists be looking at your work, or will the local art museum? Lastly, try to shoot for a few very big colorful pictures to highlight your show.
Now that you have lots of frames, go through your saved best pictures and envision which will be best for which frame? Do final editing, enhancing by adjusting color, contrast and cropping. Try to have your subject matter be in an outside third of your shot, if possible. You probably have editing capability with your camera software or some other software already on your computer through Microsoft. So far I have gotten by without Photo Shop, although most photographers call it a necessity. Gimp is free software you can download. Once you have pictures edited the way you want, print test shots to see if coloring on prints is like what you intended. If not, adjust your editing accordingly. This can be very time consuming. A calibrated monitor is great, but most of us can't afford them, so we do trial and error until we hit that sweet spot.
Once you have the shot the way you want it, get it printed on quality matte paper or canvas. Of course if you go with a canvas, you don't need a frame, but the printing is more expensive. You also don't have glass to protect your print either.
Put your prints in their frames. If you have used frames, wash the glass very clean. Try to patch scratches on wooden frames. Now you're shooting for a professional clean look That's a big part of presentation! Leftover prints you don't frame can be simply matted and offered in a bin at a lower cost.
Do title cards with price on each piece. Check with place where you'll be showing, as to how they like to hang artwork and titles. Be sure your name is on each sticker under title, followed by price.
Provide site a short frames "Personal Statement" about your and your work. You may also want to provide a sign-in book for people to write their comments.
Plan an open house or reception at least once during the time your show is up. Work this out with site manager. Often they will host and promote it, but will also want a commission of up to 40 percent of your sale price. If that's the case, you'll need to adjust prices accordingly so you can at least come out breaking even on the money you spent putting your exhibit together. Most likely you wont sell the majority of your work. If you do, buyers usually don't take possession of photo until exhibit is completed and taken down.
Promote on websites, social media, traditional media and calendars of events. Perhaps have cards made up to advertise your show. Send a shot of your best photo with press releases and calendars of events for your community.

The best of luck with your first photo exhibit in 2013! There's nothing like seeing your stuff up and total strangers critiquing it! I'm sure most will think your work is great! Just be yourself, and shot and print where your passion leads you.

A baby is born --- without pain through Lamaze more than 40 years ago.

2012-12-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

(I wrote this almost 42 years ago after I was the first woman at the Fort Leavenworth Army Hospital to give birth using the Lamaze Method. As my daughter celebrates an upcoming birthday, I reminiscence.)

When expectant parents tell friends they are students of the Lamaze Method, eyes and mouths often widen with exclamations, "But isn't that natural childbirth? How can you be so brave?"

But to their surprise they learn that the Lamaze Method makes childbirth anything but natural, and that no special courage is needed -- just knowledge of the body's functions during childbirth patience and practice.

"A common misconception associated with the Lamaze technique is that it instructs parents in natural childbirth," says Kathy Taylor, one of three registered nurses who teach the method at Fort Leavenworth.

Kathy and her husband Capt. Bob Taylor, surgical nurse at Munson Army Hospital, conduct Lamaze Method classes in their quarters at 417-2 Otis Hall. The couple, who personally used the Lamaze Method for the birth of their daughter Laura last summer, share teaching responsibilities, with Capt. Roberta (Bobbie) MacLean. Bobbie is head nurse at Munson's Obstetrics Ward.

Although Grantley Dick-Read's so-called "natural childbirth" had a pioneering influence as the Lamaze technique, the method is not at all natural. Named after its originator Dr. Fernard Lamaze, it provides an analgesic (or lessening of pain) achieved by physical means instead of, or aided by, drugs or chemical means. Thus the method is scientifically known as the "Psychoprophylactic Method of Childbirth" (prevention or lessening of pain by psychological and physical means).

Currently Bob, Kathy and Bobbie are conducting two weekly classes for parents expecting babies in March. They are also preparing for a large class of couples due to become new parents in April. Kathy and Bob met Bobbie at a party last fall. Soon after they discovered their common enthusiasm for the Lamaze Method, they decided to combine forces and offer the course here for expectant parents at no charge. A fee of at least $20 is often charged by Lamaze teachers elsewhere.

At these sessions, parents are given a moment-to-moment explanation of the physical changes that occur during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Before the first session closes the students embark on a program of bodybuilding and muscular-control exercises that prepare the expectant mother for constructive use of her body during childbirth.

At subsequent classes students learn breathing techniques that, if practiced daily, can be used effectively to relieve discomfort during labor and childbirth.

Mothers are reminded throughout the course that they needn't make martyrs of themselves during their labor, but should submit to medication whenever they or their doctor feels it is necessary.

At least three couples have "graduated" from the local course since classes began in early November. Two couples became new parents in December, and another did in January.

"If and when we have another baby we plan to use the Lamaze Method again," says Joyce Bertrand, wife of Sp4 Mac Bertrand of 602 Seneca St., Leavenworth. The Bertrands, who were blessed with a boy in December, were the second coupe to complete the local Lamaze courses.

"The most beneficial aspect of the technique for me was having my husband present in the labor room to coach me," says Joyce. Towards the end of my labor, when I was very tired, I would tend to brace myself at the onset of a contraction, but Mac made me relax and breathe correctly during each contraction."

Capt. and Mrs. Robert Ridley, 1420 Ohio st., Leavenworth, were the third couple to use the locally instructed Lamaze Method. Ruth Ann Ridley found the birth of their second child, Robin, to be entirely different than that of their first child. Though her labor was longer with her first, she experienced less discomfort with her second.

"Using the techniques I learned in class I found that I didn't mind 14 hours of labor with my second child," Ruth asserts. "Instead I found it to be entirely bearable as well as a very gratifying experience."

A final reward of the Lamaze Method, when used successfully, is the end result of childbirth -- a baby that is undrugged and full of life, instead of a baby drowsy by its mother's medication.

"That's one thing about babies born by this method --- they're certainly wide-awake and active," said Maj. Michael Ross, doctor of obstetrics at Munson Hospital, following delivery of one "Lamaze baby."

The quote was taken first-hand. the baby was mine. I was the first of the Taylor's students to give birth by the Lamaze. My labor was two hours in length (15 hours with my first baby), and thanks to the Lamaze Method, I needed no anesthesia during labor.

Natural childbirth? Label the Lamaze whatever way you want. All I know is that it was the happiest and most fulfilling day of my life.

Will you open my heart? Savoring Meditation #229

2012-09-24T23:19:00.001-04:00

Can anyone find my heart and open it up?

It's guarded by memories, fears and miseries,
of a frightened little girl listening to arguing parents
in the next room while she struggles to sleep.

This heart wears armor day and night,
watching that no one gets too close
to its rhythm, it's beating so rapid or slow.

This heart once felt love.
It took a chance and gave,
but always with trepidation,
knowing the wind could change any day.

And it did.

It came as a north gale from hell,
knocking down soft words and motions,
laying flat joys, faith, hope and mercy.

So I drew the shutters,
Closed and locked the doors,
wrapped the heart in iron and steel
while shivering in a dark cellar corner.

Music was silenced.
Laughter turned to mourning.
Friends became enemies
and the heart turned to stone.

Can anyone open this heart again
To love and trust and soften a bit?

Can it be children, kitty cats or birds
in the air, or maybe the flowers
Spreading color everywhere?

Or will it be you as you see
the furrows on my face,
the tears escaping to my cheeks
from an armored imprisoned heart within?

This International Day of Peace, commit to create a Peace Center in your community: Savoring Meditation #228

2012-09-18T22:31:00.002-04:00

Every community needs a peace center. And by that, I don't mean a center named after a famous person whose last name is Peace, but a center dedicated to honoring and demanding a culture of peace in that community and the world.

My vision of such a community Peace Center in my city would be:

a place for seekers of peace,
for organizations working for peace,
for honoring peace,
for promoting peace, and
for teaching peace.

What is needed for a peace center?

A place
Money
People

What would be the ideals that we would treasure?

Community service
Democracy
Grassroots organizing
Respect
Justice and mercy

Children need examples of peace more than ever. They need opportunities to:

celebrate peace heroes, and
learn how to be gentle forces for peace themselves.

A community peace center would be a local voice for peace that:honors:

the heart,
the family
the community.

From our community peace center, we would lead by example what a culture of peace could be like:

at the state level,
at the national level, and
at the global level.

Look at the example of Japan. After World War II, the new government there, ushered in by the U.S. Marshal Plan, decided to never form a military force again. Instead it used its backbone and sweat to build infrastructure, not to destroy other countries.

In a militaristic culture, are we any safer than we would be without it?

Just since 2010, more than one trillion American dollars have been spent on defense-related expenses. Meanwhile in our country, we are confronted by:

unemployment and under-employment
local educational systems gasping for adequate funding;
a lack of affordable and low income housing, and
sky-rocketing healthcare costs.

Also communities are facing:

increased levels of hunger (my community one of the highest in the country);
continued cuts for National Service programs like Americorps and VISTA; and
more slashing cuts for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service.

This is the time for grassroots efforts to pass local resolutions calling for cuts in our out-of-control defense budget.

Did you know that, depending on what source you get your news:

We have troops stationed at 700 to 1,000 bases worldwide, spending on the average of a billion dollars a year on each base?
We have allocated in recent years 56 percent of discretionary spending to the U.S. defense-related spending?
Since 2001, more than $4,000 has been spent on our defense by every American?

It only makes sense that the less federal dollars going for domestic peaceful spending, the fewer dollars that will be spent at the state levels.

In the North Carolina 11th Congressional District, we taxpayers contributed one billion dollars for defense in 2012.

What else could that money have been spent on? Try these options:

healthcare for a year for 426,361 children;
an additional 19,362 elementary teachers for a year;
an additional 24,812 firefighters;
an additional 130,324 Head Start slots for children;
renewable solar photovoltaic electricity for 187,326 households;
wind power for 499,536 households;
VA medical services for an additional 144,795 veterans;
healthcare for 187,082 low income citizens;
an additional 19,986 safety officers;
an additional 179,034 university scholarships; and
Pell Grants of $5,550 each for 181,453 students. (Figures from the National Priorities Project, 2011)

These facts aren't shared by our elected leaders. Our corporations and government would prefer we don't even think about these figures. But if we had community peace centers throughout our country, we could be that central place of truth for all citizens.

This year when you celebrate International Day of Peace in your community, make a promise to one another that someday...the sooner the better....your community of concerned citizens will one day dedicate a Peace Center for the advancement of truth, caring and nonviolence at home rippling into the broader global corners of the world.

September: Savoring Meditation #227

2012-09-05T21:11:00.001-04:00

At last some relief from the sultry stifling days of summer!

Soon fall will be upon us again and we will be involved in harvest activities, even though harvest these days are more of a ritual than a reality for us city dwellers.

I look forward to these days with a certain amount of sorrow. I always do.

I say to myself, "Earth is giving us some good days now because she is getting ready for the Big Chill of winter when we will be willing to sell our oldest child for a drop of sweat."

I force myself, however, to enjoy the moment, even if it is an Earth trick. I mount my bike in the late afternoon and ride along the Holston River and Reedy Creek. Everything is again returning to a lush green. The rains have refreshed the grass and weeds, and the hot sun has relented from its burning rays.

The children are out all over on scooters and with footballs. Our workers are honored with one last holiday of the summer.

The dog barks and the cat grooms herself. This September day finds peace in my town, and my bike gives me a fleeting moment of serenity and joy.

The Gift of Today: Savoring Meditation #226

2012-08-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I get demanding of God, wanting complete healing, a job, more money, relief from all pain.

And I think I deserve to get all this stuff because I'm a pretty good girl and I believe that God can do just about whatever I ask.

But wait just a minute here!

I step back and I try to relate with my limited human capacities how I would react if each of my creatures (assuming I was God) were as I am.

First of all, I would turn down all demands. No creature should have the audacity to demand even a crumb of food from the Creator.

Of course, with God the Creator, is all knowing, all caring and almighty. Not much (if anything) slips by him/her.

God knows I need money, I need to be healthy, that I desire a job and can't bear pain.

But she or he also knows that struggle and dependence on him or her develops character and helps me to appreciate all the gifts I receive -- like this entire day of life, with a family, mobility and friends.

Thank you Higher Power, for putting me in my place, while gifting me every second of life!

The fruits of August: Savoring Meditation #225

2012-08-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

What a life-giving month in our home!

In August, on the 19th and 20th, my two oldest boys were born, the first child on the 20th and the younger on the 19th.

In addition the same year the younger boy was born, on just the day before his birth, our family grew by four additional children, as well. They were Vietnamese refugees from 9 to 19, Trang, Tuan, Mai and Kim Oanh.

So August, the hot and sticky summer in the pits month, holds bountiful memories for our family.

I so remember trying to sleep in our non-air conditioned homes (one being a small camper-type trailer).. How my feet swelled during those pregnancies! How the babies kicked inside me! I couldn't wait for my two boys to come, but at the same time, I dreaded their coming -- the pain, the responsibilities, the changes I had to make.

Now as August rolls around again, all have left. The Vietnamese children are grown up and living in California now. My sons are quite wonderful young men -- delights to behold!

All fruits of August, the hot and wonderful month!

My Book: Savoring Meditation #224

2012-08-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

My book is I, hopefully at my best and worst. The real boring stuff is somewhere in the middle.

For nearly a year now, I have been focusing on being awake --- seeing all the wonderful (and horrible) from this little corner of the world I live in.

I have attempted to share my "awakeness" with others so together we can savor every micro-second of our lives amidst its thrills and pains, ups and downs, the fat and thin, the noise and the silence.

I remember one day my book was rejected by a small printer. But yet the publisher was kind enough to send me a hand-written page-long letter of what I could do to get the book from my heart published.

So in my disappointment I found hope because someone took a few minutes to say some good things, to open new vistas and develop a rapport.

Maybe this book will never be anything more than an heirloom to hand down to my family. But it is a journey in hope and awareness that brought me to a new life.

School's back in session: Savoring Meditation #223

2012-08-20T20:26:00.000-04:00

School's back in session.

For 180 days my last son will be grilled and molded into the fine citizen he's expected to be.

I am amazed at the miracles our schools perform on our little blocks of clay we give them. Maybe I give schools too much credit. Maybe our kids learn despite schools. Maybe my children are just geniuses waiting to digest all the information that's poured into them. Maybe I could do just as well of a job if I home schooled. But why mess with a good thing that seems to be working?

Even I learned something in school 100 years ago! But most of us kids weren't there to learn per se. We were there to terrorize the teachers and win popularity games.

It was also a good place to find out the latest gossip and get other kids' opinions on my new over-sized mohair sweater.

Nonetheless, I guessed I learned a little. They named me valedictorian --- not bad for a backward farm girl from a family of eight.

Like I said, schools do perform miracles!

Beauty for Lunch: Savoring Meditation #222

2012-08-19T20:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was gluttonous at lunch.

It was the best meal I'd had for months!

I didn't devour a lick of food --- only the forest and the wonderful colors therein.

We are now at the height of the fall spectacular --- gold, more gold than gold, deep tangerines, peaches, oranges.

I found myself in the midst of a heavenly vision more beautiful than beauty itself.

As I watched TV at home and went outside to hang out the laundry, I gazed up at Bays Mountain, and noticed little patches of gold, orange and red among the mostly green carpet of trees.

At that time is when I decided that I had to take advantage of this once a year event. I had to go mingle and smell, walk on hallowed ground among God's masterpieces.

Yesterday was a day to remember forever. Even getting lost in the woods, getting cut by thorns, the sore muscles and sheer exhaustion were worth the wonderful once in a lifetime experience of being amidst the Lord's masterpiece one fall day.

That Changing Maple: Savoring Meditation #221

2012-08-18T19:21:00.001-04:00

It's now about early autumn, and here in the Southern Appalachians, the trees are beginning to submit to the increasing forces that will cause them to shed all their leaves and be naked to the world for the next half a year.

As I write, I peer up at the maple tree along the street curb. This middle-aged tree epitomizes what the other trees are all going through.

I see still the lush green of health on the tree, but now mixed in I also see some light green, oranges, peaches, salmon colors contrasted atop its dark trunk.

I can so identify with that maple. I too want to hold on to all that protects me from outside forces. I want to retreat behind my leaves, too. I cling. These leaves come from my body and they're mine!

But eventually, I can't hold on to each possession. The forces of gravity and death are too too strong. I shed myself one leaf at a time in beauty, so I can stand transparent before a Power bigger than mine.

The Football Game: Savoring Meditation #220

2012-07-30T23:25:00.001-04:00

It's been years since I attended a college football game. For my son Ryan's birthday though, I'm attending another for old time's sake.

What can I savor about this day, when I really don't want to be here?

The huge stadium is beautiful, and so alive with its 100,000-plus people adorning every little space. Unlike me, about everyone here wears some or mostly orange. So even on a dreary day like today, the stadium reminds one of a ripened orange grove.

When the steady downpour begins and everyone retreats to their orange water proof parkas, we see an interesting contrast of bright orange in rain, while those protected by over-hangs of seats above hem, we see a more muted shade of orange -- kind of like the stem of the orange.

The day is one of complete camaraderie, spirit, enthusiasm and cheers. These people may be as different as night and day, but they do have one ting in common. They love their Vols, and there are no limits on their support.

If we could all love you as much, Higher Spirit!

At Last --- Rain! Savoring Meditation #219

2012-07-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

For the entire month we've experienced a real dry spell.

My cucumbers, green peppers, peas and spinach were drooping for days, begging for a long cool drink of water. My only response: Just wait --- it's coming! Hang in there!

Most of my little plants were able to hold their ground. They sent their roots further down in the ground, looking for moistness, for that water that was still available a number of inches below the land's surface.

Then last night as I wrote my children's story, I saw the little mulberry tree outside my west window start to wave its arms around in glee. I saw faint lightning off in the distance, and thought "Hm, maybe tonight."

When I shut off my light to go to bed, a few sprinkles were making their noise on the roof outside my bedroom window.

And then POW! A couple hours later the lightning came with a vengeance, bringing with it those nourishing abundant drops of rain.

Can't wait to see my renewed garden today, Lord!

Fall Air: Savoring Meditation #218

2012-07-28T21:37:00.001-04:00

(Originally written in 1999)

In the last couple days the air in Kingsport has taken on that more crisp feeling of fall -- so why early this year? But I can't complain.

We can now, since the thick summer sulfur-laden haze has lifted, see the mountain ridges that border our region in almost all directions.

Taking my son to a friend's house outside of town was a delight for both of us. As we sped along Sullivan Gardens Blvd., the pillow soft marshmallow clouds danced before us, contrasted on the deep fall blue sky. We couldn't stop talking about the clean sky beckoning us on down the road.

I told Ryan that this was the kind of day I saw in Iowa just about everyday when I was a child. We had no manufacturing to spew out filth and poison then.

The clean fill air that exists here now because of the change in air pressure, the increased wind speed and cooler temps is a very welcome gift from the Creator.

Because we demand plastic and paper, we often hide Earth's beauty so we can spend money and experience convenience.

Labor Day: Savoring Meditation #217

2012-07-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

Labor Day: This is one of my favorite holidays.

Whereas most of the other national and religious based holidays are celebrated in various degrees of glitziness, this one is more of a day of rest for those who labor in our country, its territories, and even Canada.

In Australia, Labor Day is celebrated as Eight-Hour Day, commemorating the success of working people of working people achieving a shorter work day.

Whats more, it was labor itself that started Labor Day in New York City in 1882. Twelve years later, Grover Cleveland made the first Monday of September a national holiday.

We can't thank all those who labor everyday, sometimes in 12 hour shifts, in every kind of weather.

Labor in itself is a gift from God. We all want to do something well, and I think God gives each of us that ability.

Finding it is the biggest effort sometimes.

Gee, I wish I were a dad today! Savoring Meditation 216

2012-06-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

This is a day that kind of leaves me with no one to dote over. It's Father's Day.

My Father passed away nearly 14 years ago, and I'm just about to be divorced from my husband. So while I hear of many adult women working to give a little more attention to the men in their lives, I sit at home and experience a day just like any other.

Oh, I did send some gifts and greetings to a son, a son-in-law, both of whom are fathers (and very good ones). I also sent a gift and card to my ex. I think that's about the most I can do right now. So as the sun sets on Father's Day, I tend to get a little jealous of all the attention the men are getting out there today.

Sure, I had Mother's Day a month ago. My daughter took me out to lunch on the day before, and on my actual day, I sat at home missing calls from three of my children. I had talked to Son #1 on Saturday night. Nevertheless, it was a lonely day. Granted I did see two of my children a week later after I drove to Knoxville to see them. Granted I did get an I-pad from two sons and some other great food and lotions from my two youngest, I still felt lonely and ignored on Mother's Day. By Mother's Day, I hadn't received one card. I did get two cards a few days after Mother's Day, however.

I'm not really saying that my children ignored me on Mother's Day. They didn't. Each in his/her own way, remembered me on my day. Nevertheless, I was lonely on Mother's Day. Today, my son is taking his dad to a Pro Baseball game.

Am I being a big baby here? Am I forgetting the real purpose or reason for a day to honor parents? Am I putting too much attention on me and not enough attention on the needs and honors due other people?

Some of my children will read this post. They will think I'm overdoing it. But I can't deny that I felt very left out and insignificant on my day last month. And maybe, maybe just alittle, I'm jealous of all the men who are getting lots of attention today from their children.

Really my Father's Day is a better day than was my own Mother's Day. I continue to wish my ex-husband a great day at the game. I wish my son a similar great day at the game. And to my son-in-law, may he get some rest after a day and weekend of moving my daughter and grandkids to a new and bigger home.

Today I was able to mother my plants and do a few things I had put off for far too long. I am glad there are fathers in the world, and especially fathers who father 365 days a year.

Notice that I haven't said too much about my father. He did what he thought was right for him in his time, but today I still suffer from too many years of neglect and put-downs from my dad back in the 1950s and early 60s. Many of us women fall into dysfunctional marriages with men much like our fathers so we can at last right the relationships that just didn't go right when we were kids. But even to my dad whose spirit I hope still circulates in the heavens, thanks for doing the best you could. After all, that's all one can ask for, right?

So Dads across the USA and even around the world, kiss and hug your kids, no matter how awkward that may feel today. Your daughters and sons will remember forever. Really, they will!

Try it.....and forgive my jealousy for all the attention you're getting today!

Grand Daughter's first video. She beat me!

2012-06-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

A marriage that didn't make it: Savoring Meditation #215

2012-06-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

"I guess I'll never see the light. I get the blues every night since I fell for you," sings Gladys Knight back in the 60's. That was when I met my husband, from whom I'm divorcing in just a matter of weeks.

I want to say that I never wanted this to happen, that I wanted to stay married the rest of my life to the love of my life. Don't we all? Today I mourn a broken relationship more than the separation from my spouse.

It didn't happen over night. Our sacred pact was destroyed by little pebbles that were thrown into our relationships over the years. These little situations and occasions ended up loading down our hearts until neither one of us could move without weighing the down the other. And slowly, oh so slowly, those pebbles broke the back of our relationship and marriage.

I personally wanted us to remain a couple until the children were raised. And we did. But so many of those years were unhappy ones for me. My husband and I had nothing to talk about other than our children. There were many meals we sat down to eat either at home or in a restaurant, and we absolutely had nothing to say to one another.

If we could just hang in there for a few more years, I thought, the kids would not be damaged. But we had five children who were in the home from 1968 to 2006, so those few more years became decades until finally after nearly 42 years, we separated.

And even waiting that long to announce the dissolution of our marriage to our children did cause our children sorrow, especially our youngest, newly out of high school. He lost not only the couple who had been his parents, but also his home where he had lived all his life. Today neither I nor my ex-husband live in that city, so he is like a man without a home now. His father lives with his sister in Nevada, and I live alone in one room and bathroom, sharing the rest of the house with a variety of people.

I also can't help but feel guilt that my unhappiness in our marriage carried over into my disposition as a mother. For so many years, I was unhappy and overburdened. My frustrations and melancholy came through when I talked to my children on a daily basis. We were not your All American Family, although that was also something this young newly wed nearly 45 years ago thought we would be.

Additionally we weren't bad people. We were church-going folks who valued family and community. We did not have addiction problems. We both worked hard, and sometimes our work became our escape, I think, from each other, and thus our children, as well.

I don't think I'll ever marry again. I was made to be a quiet person who finds peace in a solitary life with not too many deadlines or stress. My ex wants to marry again, to have a new partner who will be with him for the rest of his life. He continues to look. I continue to try to forgive myself and him, to see a future with new and exciting possibilities.

I write tonight because I hurt. I hurt because I'm burying a relationship that was supposed to last into our heavenly days. We would have been laid to rest side by side just as we had spent the many decades before in our double bed. Now we're about to be singles again, no longer a couple.

We'll see one another at family events like our son's wedding this summer. Maybe we'll even have a dance or old time's sake. But when the cake is all gone and our son and his new wife leave for their honeymoon, we will each go our own way into our new lives, not perfect lives, but better ones than if we had stayed together for all eternity.

My congrats to all those whose marriages do make it. My sympathy to those who are fearful about leaving dead marriages. If you do muster the courage to end something that is rotting your lives, walk away.

It won't be easy, but sometimes that's the only way to save yourselves.

2012-05-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

Medicare isn't the only insurance I need: Welcome to the world of Medigap

2012-05-18T12:38:00.000-04:00

When I entered the arena of seniors over 65, I breathed a sigh or relief. At last I would qualify for health insurance that I could afford. However, Medicare wasn't the only thing I discovered that was necessary. That's when I checked out Short Term Health Insurance.net

Short Term Health Insurance covers copayments and deductibles that Medicare Parts A through D don't. They aren't Advantage plans. They actually will fill in the gaps that your Medicare won't. From there, with the right plan for you, you can breathe another sigh of relief. In many cases, now Medicare and your new Medigap policy will pay your health care costs in full.

Be aware that Health care providers that offer plans on MedicareSupplementalInsurance.com or elsewhere must clearly mark their plans as "Medicare Supplement Insurance", and their policies must be clearly designated by a plan number A through N. No matter who offers a Medigap policy, the benefits offered are identical - so, the only real difference between policies is cost.

That's good news, huh?

When you find yourself among us seniors over 65 be sure that you also get yourself a Medigap insurance to go with your Medicare, designed for what your budget and health can afford and/or needs.

People Power Granny occasionally endorses some advertisers in her posts. In this case, I truly believe that you can't afford to pay even the 20 percent of your healthcare costs that Medicare won't pick up and pay for you. Welcome, Medigap or Medicare Supplements.