the things we remember

The last few days while I've not felt like doing much of anything, I've done a fair amount of reading. One of the the books I've had on my dresser for some time is My Turn by Nancy Reagan. I was in middle school during the Reagan years, so most of what I remember about that era was filtered through a young child's perspective. After finishing the book, which included the uproar over the White House China, I got to thinking that I had never seen the Reagan china. So living in the google era, I found it.

It doesn't look anything like I anticipated. There's lot of pretty settings from different presidents, but I was surprised to find that one of my favorites was from the Clinton era. If you're crazy like me and enjoy this kind of stuff, this link will show you different White House China.

I am the 7 dwarves

Today my life resembles a Disney cartoon.

I am Doc, choosing cold meds and cough drops, hot apple juice and naps.

I am Grumpy. Being sick was NOT on my agenda this week.

I am Happy. Neither sickness nor schedules can separate me from the love of Christ. And that is awesome.

I am Sleepy. Cold medicine, even the non-drowsy, makes me wish for Sleeping Beauty's un-interrupted sleep.

I am Bashful. After reading Michael Reagan's Twice Adopted, it made me realize just how much I have to be thankful for, and how much about life I still have to learn. It's not easy reading.

I am Sneezy, though Drippy would be a much better name for me today.

and I am Dopey. You know how cold medicine gives you a bit of a brain fog?  That's me today. It's probably best if I don't balance the checkbook right now.

a medical fundraiser

For over a year, our church has been praying for a young mother (Kim Sappington Wilson) who is fighting scleroderma, one of the ugliest forms of auto-immune disease there is.  She is now off of chemotherapy, and is being treated by John Hopkins. The lung damage is irreversible, but there may be hope for her heart. To help offset the costs of travel to the hospital, a fund has been set up in her name. If you click on the red box to the left of this page, it will take you to the donation page. And if you can't give, please pray for the doctors as the pursue treatment options, for her emotions as they've been on a downward spiral lately, and for her family as they watch her suffer.

On a much brighter note, my brother-in-law has accepted the pastorate at a church in Washington, NC (hooray for being closer to my sis!). While we'll never understand this side of heaven all the steps that lead to this move, I have to rest in the assurance that God does have a plan, even when it doesn't make sense to our finite minds.

And Lord willing, Bobby's cold will not worsen (or aggravate his polyps or his bp) and this time next week I'll be heading to Emerald Isle for our church's ladies retreat.

Happy Friday everyone!

not today

Well, today I was supposed to add three little biddies to our household, but it wasn't to be. Last week I went to Fuquay, only to find out the store was carrying two breeds, one which we have already and the other I don't want. Today the Garner store had everything up and ready, only to receive word from the hatchery "Not today. Maybe Friday or Saturday."

Perhaps we'll make it to the Flock Swap on Sunday, but I really don't want another batch of straight run biddies. (you get what's there, not knowing whether they are male or female).

So no cute, cuddly pics of Ameraucanas, Tetra Tints or black Australorps today.

unintended irony

For those of you who haven't heard about the "Nugget-gate scandal" in North Carolina, last month a preschool child (from one of the More at Four programs, which is a modified form of welfare daycare) was given a school lunch instead of eating the lunch packed by her mother. Stories differ widely from the parents, the teacher, the principal, the health inspector who deemed the packed lunch "inappropriate", the local district superintendent and the media. Evidently this happened to four children on the same day, this is an on-going problem, and despite all the letters and press releases that the health inspector/social worker and the teacher were both simply doing their jobs, the teacher is now suspended.  Two of the children were supposed to only be given milk to drink (the missing ingredient from their lunch), but instead were given an entire lunch, of which the kids only ate the chicken nuggets. I won't digress on a commentary on this.

So now you know the back-story. NC Spin, which my husband watches every Sunday morning and I semi-despise because the men often bicker over each other making it impossible to understand what is being said, at the last moment briefly delved into the whole More at Four program and the political mess that is going on in the legislature and courts over it. One of the panelists mentioned that a private daycare couldn't operate on the funds that the state does because of the state's requirement that lead teachers in daycare have college degrees. Time was up, the news came on, and WRAL's opening news item and picture: UNC students jumping over illegal fires in celebration of their win over Duke.

Yeah. Just because you go to a state-sponsored school that your parents and tax-payers are paying for where you learn to drink and party and burn your butt because you are happy and built a fire in the middle of a road for which you don't have the proper permit means you deserve a better salary and a lead teacher position to teach colors and numbers and crafts and how to wash your hands after pottying to four-year-olds.

Somehow I think the irony and the timing of these two items were lost to Capitol Broadcasting.

rhythmic order

I never know whether to sigh or laugh when someone uses daffodils as an example of how "warm" our winter is this year. Granted, we have had a very warm winter, but daffodils ALWAYS bloom in January. It's what leads to the old southern tale that after the first daffodil bloom there'll be snow in 2 weeks. This year was unusually warm, and many daffodil shoots started poking their head out of the ground in December, but this beautiful flower reminder us that winter isn't forever always come in January. And the rest of the cycle continues.

January - Daffodils bloom
February - Tulips, crocuses, and camellias start growing/blooming
March - Trees (dogwoods, Bradford pears, etc) begin to bloom.



 

April -Usually by Easter dogwoods are flowering and fruit trees begin shooting out their leaves and flowers. Then you know it's seasonally spring (even though it's "officially" spring March 21). Plant the summer garden at the end of this month.
 May - amaryllis bloom, iris grow and some bloom



June - Irises and Gladiolis bloom; beans, cucumbers, and squash are ready for picking; blackberries & blueberry season begin at the end of the month





July - Okra, Tomatoes, watermelon and cantelopue start coming of the vine; corn, peas and beans are ready; many cucumber and squash vines dry up in the heat; Gladiolias keep blooming





August - okra and tomatoes continue to produce; the rest of the garden is finished and it's time for your winter crops (lettuce, collards, turnips, etc); Fruit is ready for picking (apples, pears, and at the end of the month, grapes); Magnolia trees start flowering






September - fruits are ready
October - everything starts dying
November - Nut season!
December - plant bulbs and trees; otherwise chill! :)




 
And that is a southern growing season.

swirly clouds

There's nothing like Facebook to be able to see what's happening. When the earthquake shook NC a while back, Facebook updated everyone long before the news media. And when a tornado hit Huntsville, AL this morning (in the Madison area where my cousin lives), it was on Facebook before the weather stations carried it. In lieu of the storms, I'm posting the words to a song that is a favorite back home. Almost every music group sings it; almost every 5th Sunday night singing (where the congregation got to choose the songs) it was requested. And given the tragedies of this last year, it's so very fitting.

In the dark of the midnight,
Have I oft hid my face;
While the storm howls above me,
And there's no hiding place;
'Mid the crash of the thunder,
Precious Lord, hear my cry;
"Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."

'Til the storm passes over,
'Til the thunder sounds no more;
'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispers,
"There is no need to try;
For there's no end of sorrow,
There's no hope by and by";
But I know Thou art with me,
And tomorrow I'll rise;
Where the storms never darken the skies.

'Til the storm passes over,
'Til the thunder sounds no more;
'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.

When the long night has ended,
And the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence.
On that bright, peaceful shore.
In that land where the tempest
Never comes, Lord may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

'Til the storm passes over,
'Til the thunder sounds no more;
'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.

Hold me fast, Let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.

'Til the storm passes by.