Some Loose Ends....

Well, the last that I blogged, I left you hanging! Sorry to my two readers for that! LOL! I am like a major radio station in the area who claims to have two listeners! We both do a lot of work for our "two" faithful admirers.

No, I know that more than two read my blog, but I have no idea what my "cult following" amounts to. Not that I care, really. When I started blogging, it was purely a "me" thing---an outlet for my creative juices. I never seek to impress. I am who I am, and people can read or not read. I will be here regardless, when I have the time.

Well, one of the things I last wrote about was the sickness of my cousin Bill. Sadly, Bill passed away last week and was buried Friday. His relationship to me was strange. He was married to my first cousin, but they divorced many years ago. She was not too kind to him. I took his side, because blood should not be thicker than good old right and wrong. She was married again in no time. He never remarried.

Bill was also the first cousin of the preacher who married Tim and me. If that is not enough of a connection, he was also the first cousin of another man who married another cousin of mine. Weird, huh? Anyway, I loved Bill a lot, and I will miss him tremendously. His place at church is so sadly vacant. That was another weird coincidence. He and I ended up in the same church in a town that is not my hometown. We travel there because we like what they stand for there--good, old fashioned, pure Truth---and Bill just happened to be a member. I had not seen him in a while by that time, and he had aged a lot. His heart was supposedly only working at about 20% capacity. He rededicated his life on the very first day I attended this congregation. His life for the Lord was a struggle. (What Christian's isn't?) I pray he won the battle.

Speaking of death, I am afraid I will have another to report, sadly, before this week is out. My grandmother in Florida is apparently dying. You will remember that she was in bad shape about the time that the two hurricanes rolled through. Mom and Dad were down there at the time, and we knew she was slipping away. We just did not know how long it would be.

This Tuesday, the 22nd, will mark one year since I lost my other grandmother. We buried her last year the day before Thanksgiving. Now, it looks like this will be another sad week. I guess in a way it is better this way, as we will be forever mindful of "Mammaw" during the Thanksgiving season, and now, we will probably also remember this grandmother's passing at the same time.

I don't know what it is with my family and dates. My two grandmothers (Mom and Dad's real mothers) were born on Dec. 6th (Mammaw) and Dec. 7th (Nanny) respectively. The third grandmother (Dad's step-mother) shared his March 5th birthday. Nanny died one day before her own 83rd birthday and on Mammaw's birthday, and one day after my son Daniel's first birthday! Confused? Listen on. My Sarah was born on her Grandma Nolan's 70th birthday, on the 7th of March. My dad, Daniel, and I were all born on the 5th day of the month. My 2 sisters-in-law and my niece were all born on the 25th of the month. Tim, his mom and Sarah were all born on the 7th of the month. It does all get a little jumbled from time to time. I guess you can see how I need a good reminder program on my computer!

Let's see, what else have I not told you about in a while? Well, I am happy to report that the two I told you of in our church who have been battling cancer are winning the fight right now! Miss Tina and Mr. Alvin are both doing extremely well, and we hope the good Lord will send them both long seasons of refreshing. Miss Tina's hair is coming back in. It is about an inch or two long now, and we all rub her head like you rub a pregnant woman's belly. It feels so soft and good! I love Tina so much for her positive attitude.

Miss Gemma, up north, has gotten moved out of her house and into an apartment. She is still struggling with health issues, but hopefully, she will improve now that a lot of the stress will be off her. You will remember she was the wife of Jon (preacher who baptized Tim), who died on September 11th of last year. 9/11 is such a sad day for so many of us. Hopefully, happier times are on the way for Miss Gemma and Jon, Jr.

We had a gospel meeting last week, which is part of the reason I am so behind on blogging. It was really good! We had different speakers each day, and they were all excellent! On Thursday night, one of our "newer" friends preached, and we had several visitors from our "friends and family list." It is only the second occasion we have gotten to hear him, and it is quite a pleasure to get to hear such a talented, dedicated man speak! He is the spitting image of my brother-in-law (I have to get you pictures, Jeff and Anthony!) I think I counted 13 on our pew and the pew behind us. Mom and Dad, my sister-in-law Steph, her three kids Kelsey, Ben and Lauren, and our "Boro" friends Ben and Wendy and their girls Jordan, Jenna, and Julie all came that night. It was great! Some of us stayed around for the "virtual Bible study," a radio program that is done live via the internet every Thursday night at 8 central. You can access it by going to this link and clicking on the "Live Broadcast" link or by using the links on the first page of the website. It is a neat thing to be able to get questions from all over the world live as we are having the study. You can also access old programs there by clicking the topics. They download and you listen to them while you do other things. Our preacher, Greg, who normally conducts the program with his son Jacob, had the visiting preacher,Jeff come sit in the study and take questions from the live audience! He teased Jeff that we were going to play "Stump the Chump," but of course, Jeff is no chump and everyone was delighted to have him weigh in on the program.

I am skipping around from topic to topic, trying to tie up all the loose ends my two readers have asked me about outside of the blog. Regarding going back to work, I have not heard anything more from the old boss. I guess the current employee decided she would hang on to her job a while longer. It has suited me fine, as I have not felt much like taking that responsibility on as it gets colder and colder and while I am dealing with my blood sugar problem. I have to get that under control pronto. I have changed my eating habits but I still am not perfect in self-control, especially on days like last Sunday when cousin Carolyn had us over for lunch and served up two kinds of irresistible chocolate desserts in addition to all the other good barbecue-related products. I don't know if I could have turned down her luscious treats even if I knew I would go into a coma for eating them! Yes, indeedy, got to work on that self-control!

I am not quite certain of our Thanksgiving plans yet. I suppose it is all going to hinge on how the week goes for our Florida family. I heard a neat story during church last week, and I think I will close by sharing it. A man had lived a pretty long life but was in a bad car accident near the end of his life. Complications made his life difficult and painful at the end. This particular preacher who told the story was a personal friend of his and was with him as he breathed his last. He said that the old man's last words, as he struggled to say them, were "Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord!" He was thanking God for the good parts of the life he had here on earth, which so greatly outnumbered the painful and challenging moments that came at the end of his life as he exited this body. So many of us get down and bitter and complain a lot as we get older. Would it not be great if we all could adapt the attitude that we are but spiritual creatures trapped in an earthly body, see past the physical, and live with gratitude to the Giver of all good and perfect gifts right to our last breath? I don't know about you, but I want to step into eternity with a smile on my lips and thankfulness in my heart for, not a perfect life here on earth, but the chance to spend a perfect eternity wearing blood-washed garments of white!

As this year draws to a close, I could not help but think today in services of how many who began the year worshipping with us in that church building have gone on into eternity. Some presently just have days or short weeks to live. We heard today of yet another lady there had a stroke a few days ago and is not expected to last through the week. Our life is but a vapor, that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.....

Yes, I am missing old Bill. It surely won't be the same without him across the aisle, smiling at Hannah--trying to get a smile out of her and getting only that steely-eyed stare so characteristic of our last-born! It tickled him so.

Be thankful today. Don't wait until Thursday. God deserves our gratitude more than one national holiday a year. And love somebody today. That's always a good idea.

You two have a nice rest of the evening.... :)